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Brit-Am Historical Reports (8 April 2016, 29 Adar-B, 5776)
1. ROMAN CLIENT STATE IN DENMARK
Denmark and The Roman Empire
2. The Advanced Mathematics of the Babylonians
3. 'Megillat Hitler,' FDR and the Jews
4. Japanese troops 'ate flesh of enemies and civilians'
From TERRY MCCARTHY in Tokyo
5. UNBROKEN: JAPAN STILL IN DEEP DENIAL OVER CANNIBALISM AGAINST US SOLDIERSÂ by Daniel Greenfield
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http://researchomnia.blogspot.co.il/2015/08/roman-client-state-in-denmark.html
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http://daily.jstor.org/advanced-mathematics-of-ancient-babylon/?utm_source
=internalhouse&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jstordaily
_03312016&cid=eml_j_jstordaily_dailylist_03312016
http://unitedwithisrael.org/megillat-hitler-fdr-and-the-jews/
FDR pledged 'the abrogation of all laws and decrees inspired by Nazi governments or Nazi ideologists.' But his public rhetoric apparently didn't express his private feelings.
Among the more remarkable documents of the Holocaust is a scroll, created in North Africa in 1943, called 'Megillat Hitler.' Written in the style of Megillat Esther and the Purim story, it celebrates the Allies' liberation of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, which saved the local Jewish communities from the Nazis. What the scroll's author did not realize, however, was that at the very moment he was setting quill to parchment, those same American authorities were actually trying to keep in place the anti-Jewish legislation imposed in North Africa by the Nazis.
On November 8, 1942, American and British forces invaded Nazi-occupied Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. It took the Allies just eight days to defeat the Germans and their Vichy French partners in the region.
For the 330,000 Jews of North Africa, the Allied conquest was heaven-sent. The Vichy regime that had ruled since the summer of 1940 had stripped the region's Jews of their civil rights, severely restricted their entrance to schools and some professions, confiscated Jewish property, and tolerated sporadic pogroms against Jews by local Muslims. In addition, thousands of Jewish men were hauled away to forced-labor camps. President Franklin Roosevelt, in his victory announcement, pledged 'the abrogation of all laws and decrees inspired by Nazi governments or Nazi ideologists.'
But there turned out to be a discrepancy between FDR's public rhetoric and his private feelings.
On January 17, 1943, Roosevelt met in Casablanca with Major-General Charles Nogues, a leader of the new 'non-Vichy' regime. When the conversation turned to the question of rights for North African Jewry, Roosevelt did not mince words: 'The number of Jews engaged in the practice of the professions (law, medicine, etc) should be definitely limited to the percentage that the Jewish population in North Africa bears to the whole of the North African population.' The President stated that his plan would further eliminate the specific and understandable complaints which the Germans bore toward the Jews in Germany, namely, that while they represented a small part of the population, over fifty percent of the lawyers, doctors, school teachers, college professors, etc., in Germany, were Jews.' (It is not clear how FDR came up with that wildly exaggerated statistic.)
In 1943, 400 rabbis marched to Washington to beg FDR to help rescue the Jews of Europe, but the president declined to meet with them. (wymaninstitute.org)
The Jews of North Africa had much to celebrate. But after the festivities died down, questions began to arise. The Allies permitted nearly all the original senior officials of the Vichy regime in North Africa to remain in the new government. The Vichy 'Office of Jewish Affairs' continued to operate, as did the forced labor camps in which thousands of Jewish men were being held.
American Jewish leaders were loathe to publicly take issue with the Roosevelt administration, but by the spring of 1943, they began speaking out. The American Jewish Congress and World Jewish Congress charged that 'the anti-Jewish legacy of the Nazis remains intact in North Africa' and urged FDR to eliminate the Vichy laws. 'The spirit of the Swastika hovers over the Stars and Stripes,' Benzion Netanyahu, director of the U.S. wing of the Revisionist Zionists (and father of Israel's current prime minister) charged. A group of Jewish GIs in Algiers protested directly to U.S. ambassador Murphy. Editorials in a number of American newspapers echoed this criticism.
At first, Roosevelt administration officials dug in their heels. Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles insisted that technically, the region was no longer under Allied military occupation and the U.S. could not dictate how the local government ran things.
Megillat Hitler tells the story of the miraculous salvation of Morrocan Jews during the Holocaust.'
'The under secretary of state was perhaps right from a strictly formal viewpoint,' Prof. Michael Abitbol noted in his study of North African Jewry during the Holocaust. 'But he was strangely underestimating the immense influence wielded by the United States over North African internal politics.'
Eventually, under the accumulated weight of public protests, the Roosevelt administration made it clear to the local authorities that the anti-Jewish measures needed to be repealed.
The implementation process, however, was painfully slow. In April 1943, the forced labor camps in North Africa were officially shut down, although some of them continued operating well into the summer. The Jewish quotas in schools and professions were gradually phased out. In May, the racial laws in Tunisia were abolished. Two hundred Italian Jews who had been taken by the Allies to a Tunisian forced labor camp, because they were citizens of an Axis country, were released after several months.
And on October 20, 1943, nearly a year after the Allied liberation, full rights for North Africa's Jews were at last reinstated. '....
(Dr. Medoff is director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies. This piece was written for Purim 2011.)
Sylvain Assouline  [Readers Commnet]:
Where was the Sultan of Morocco who, in the screwed minds of many Moroccan Jews had opposed Vichy and saved nth Jewish lives. These Moroccan Jewish jerks should be educated literally and politically before opening their stinking mouths. Those who saved the latters, were and are Jewish volunteers who came to Morocco to send Moroccan Jews to a much, very much better lives in Israel or elsewhere thus making them modern citizens in all the phases of modernity far away from ghettos where they lived like rats.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/japanese-troops-ate-flesh-of-enemies-and-civilians-1539816.html
JAPANESE troops practised cannibalism on enemy soldiers and civilians in the last war, sometimes cutting flesh from living captives, according to documents discovered by a Japanese academic in Australia. In most cases the motive was apparently not shortage of food, but 'to consolidate the group feeling of the troops', said Toshiyuki Tanaka yesterday in a telephone interview from Melbourne.
Mr Tanaka, a 43-year-old scholar from Fukui in western Japan, is working at the Political Science Department in Melbourne University. The documents he found concerning cannibalism include captured Japanese army memos as well as sworn statements by Australian soldiers for war crimes investigations. Mr Tanaka says he has amassed at least 100 documented cases of cannibalism of Australian and Indian soldiers as well as Asian forced labourers in New Guinea. He has also found some evidence of cannibalism in the Philippines.
'In some cases the (Japanese) soldiers were suffering from starvation, but in many other cases they were not starving at all,' said Mr Tanaka. 'Many reports said the Japanese soldiers were fit and strong, and had potatoes, rice and dried fish.' Some Japanese press reports yesterday suggested the cannibalism was carried out simply because of shortage of food.
The researcher also denied it was a result of a breakdown in morale: 'The reports said morale was good. Often it was done in a group under instruction of a commander. I think it was to get a feeling for victory, and to give the soldiers nerves of steel.' He said it helped the soldiers to bond 'because the whole troop broke the taboo (of cannibalism) together'.
One statement by an Australian lieutenant describes how he found the remains of a number of bodies, including one 'consisting only of a head which had been scalped and a spinal column'. 'In all cases, the condition of the remains were such that there can be no doubt that the bodies had been dismembered and portions of the flesh cooked,' concluded the statement. Another statement from an Australian corporal tells how he found the mutilated bodies of colleagues whom he had earlier helped to bury in Japanese- occupied territory.
A Pakistani, who was captured when Japan overran Singapore and taken to New Guinea, testified that in his area Japanese soldiers killed and ate one prisoner a day for 'about 100' days. The corporal said he saw flesh being cut from prisoners who were still alive.
Mr Tanaka found the documents by chance while doing research in Australian government archives on chemical warfare. 'I just came across them by accident - they were labelled 'War crimes documents - closed materials'.'
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"The corporal said he saw flesh being cut from prisoners who were still alive."
http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/247337/unbroken-japan-still-deep-denial-over-cannibalism-daniel-greenfield
It really happened a whole lot. There was a reason that Americans during WW2 viewed their enemies as savages. They weren't racists. They were dealing with the reality of fighting enemies with absolutely no moral code, only an honor-shame code.
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Sunil Chhetri is AIFF Men’s Footballer of the Year 2018-19, Ashalata Devi bags the award in women's category
NEW DELHI: All India Football Federation President Mr. Praful Patel announced iconic National team striker Sunil Chhetri as the AIFF Men’s Footballer of the Year 2018-19 at the AIFF Executive Committee Meeting in the Capital on Tuesday.
This is the 6th time Chhetri bagged the prestigious Award having earlier won it in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, and in 2017. Chhetri was voted the winner on basis of votes from all Hero I-League, and Hero Indian Super League club coaches.
“The fact that this was voted by the Hero I-League and Hero ISL Coaches makes it all the more special. I am grateful to my club members, coaches, fellow players, the National team staff, and the fans for their support, love, and affection,” Chhetri said, moments after declared the winner.
On being reminded about winning the Award for the 6th time, he added: “I never play for Awards. But yeah, it feels nice when your hard work gets recognized. This is an added motivation to do better.”
Apart from Chhetri, the others who have won the Award multiple times include IM Vijayan (thrice), and Bhaichung Bhutia, and Joe Paul Ancheri (twice each).
Meanwhile, Abdul Sahal was declared the AIFF Men’s Emerging Footballer of the Year 2018-19. Sahal who was dubbed as the “next big thing in Indian Football” by Chhetri some days back, was also voted the winner by all Hero I-League, and Hero ISL club coaches.
Among the women, Ashalata Devi was declared the AIFF Women’s Footballer of the Year 2018-19, while Dangmei Grace won the AIFF Emerging Women’s Footballer of the Year 2018-19.
The AIFF President met, and congratulated both of them. “Congratulations to you both,” he stated. “You deserve the Award. You have made us proud. I wish you best wishes for your future endeavours,” Mr. Patel added during his meeting with the Indian Senior Women’s National team in the Capital.
The AIFF Award for the Best Referee 2018-19 was won by R Venkatesh (from Tamil Nadu), while Joseph Tony was declared the winner of the AIFF Award for the Best Assistant Referee 2018-19.
The 2018-19 AIFF Award for the Best Grassroots Development Programme went to the Jammu & Kashmir Football Association.
“I congratulate all the winners.,” Mr. Patel said. “They serve as an inspiration for all budding aspirants, and their colleagues. We are extremely proud of all of them.”
2018-19 AIFF AWARDS AT A GLANCE
AIFF Men’s Footballer of the Year 2018-19: Sunil Chhetri (He was voted the winner by all I-League, and ISL Club coaches).
AIFF Women’s Footballer of the Year 2018-19: Ashalata Devi (from Manipur).
AIFF Men’s Emerging Footballer of the Year 2018-19: Abdul Sahal (from Kerala -- He was voted the winner by all I-League, and ISL club coaches).
AIFF Emerging Women’s Footballer of the Year 2018-19: Dangmei Grace (from Manipur).
AIFF Award for the Best Referee 2018-19: R Venkatesh (from Tamil Nadu).
AIFF Award for the Best Assistant Referee 2018-19: Joseph Tony (from Karnataka).
2018-19 AIFF Award for the Best Grassroots Development Programme: Jammu & Kashmir Football Association.
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Inside the Huddle hosts Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are Green Bay's leading receiver duo. In 2014, Nelson and Cobb became the first duo in franchise history to catch 10-plus touchdowns in the same season.
Jordy Nelson
Green Bay's Leading Receiver
As Aaron Rodgers' favrorite target in 2014, Nelson's 151 targets and 1,519 receiving yards qualified him for fourth in both categories around the league. Also in 2014, Nelson broke Robert Brooks' 19-year-old single-season franchise yardage record (1,497 in '95) and surpassed 1,500 yards against the Lions in Week 17. And if that wasn't enough for #87 last season, Nelson was named to his first Pro Bowl.
Randall Cobb
Green Bay's Stand-Out Receiver
Randall Cobb had the best season of his career in 2014. Cobb brushed away injuries and played in every single game of the season for the first time in his career. Cobb went over 100 yards receiving in six games, recorded 5.7 receptions per game, and finished tied for fourth in touchdowns. Like Nelson, Cobb was also named to his first Pro Bowl in 2014.
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IR35 Reforms
Several constituents have written to me about the Government’s IR35 reforms in the public sector and their plans to extend them to the private sector. I have been looking into the impact of IR35 in the public sector and spoken to a number of constituents about their personal experiences of it too.
The Government’s assessment of the progress of the IR35 reforms in the public sector contrasts sharply with the experience of people that I have spoken to and some of their own data published in May 2018. Whilst HMRC has declared it a “success” their own independent research concluded that 30% of public bodies found it harder to fill vacancies after the reform and 10% had not been able to deal with each contractor individually, leading to an increased risk that people were being incorrectly taxed.
When HMRC assessed satisfaction levels with the new IR35 rules, it surveyed public bodies rather than the individuals whose earnings and taxes were affected by the new rules.
Labour has been clear that on tax reform, the focus should be on the wealthiest 5% of earners and the largest corporate entities. In terms of clamping down on tax avoidance this means focusing on the large multinational corporations like Starbucks and Amazon, who earn make billions in the UK but pay very little by way of corporation tax.
To achieve changes, we need to back the European Commission’s proposal for country by country tax and profit declarations in Europe so we can stop these companies avoiding tax by funnelling money to Ireland or Luxembourg, a method that large multinationals use to avoid almost £6 billion in tax revenues every year.
I have raised with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the Government intends to work with other EU countries after we leave the EU to tackle tax avoidance, but he could only confirm that co-operation would continue, rather than how it will continue.
I will continue to look to raise my concerns regarding the IR35 reforms with the Chancellor.
budget chancellor IR 35 tax
Homelessnesshttp://jostevens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/St-Marys-Street.jpg
Long Live the Localhttp://jostevens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Long-Live-the-Local-1130x565.jpg
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> text > Health inequality in Europe
Everybody is unequal
Health inequality: why the poor die earlier
The poor die ten years earlier than the rich. Social status is one of the strongest determinants of health quality – this is universally true. Public health researchers take a look at how inequality is leading to bad health, and what we could do about it.
The lower the rank, the shorter the life.
What does a worker in a Finnish fish factory, a German nurse and a bus driver in Portugal have in common? All of them are sick more often and will die sooner than their countrymen who are professionally and financially better off. Since the 1970’s, this imbalance has become more pronounced throughout Europe. Back then, Englishmen died on the average five and a half years earlier than their upper-class counterparts. In the 90’s the difference was nine and a half years. The results are similar for Germany. Sir Michael Marmot is convinced that “When we continue along the same path that we have taken up to now, the gap will not shrink.” The Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University College Medical School, London is one of the leading experts on the topic of inequalities in health and their causes, and chairs the World Health Organisation’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health (see interview at the end of the text).
The disparity threads its way through every social group. A study conducted in Germany by the Hans Böckler Foundation has shown that on retiring, a high-level civil servant will live up to five years longer than a colleague coming from a lower rank. “Between the lowest and highest income levels in Germany, there is a gap in the life expectancy of up to ten years,” states Professor Rolf Rosenbrock of the Social Science Research Center in Berlin. “This is such an unpleasant truth, that politicians and the media would much rather ignore it.”
Whereas other European countries have a history of researching how to lessen the disparity in health quality between the various income groups, Germany lacks the basics. As opposed to most European countries, Germany does not have a central data bank for the collection of data concerning the occupation and cause of death of the dead.
Michael Marmot says that, “Germany shies away from compiling the necessary data into a central data bank because of its past.” Thus German studies must rely on spot tests. The most important basic data is the micro-census, a survey of 400,000 randomly chosen households. In addition, there have been infrequent examinations of the health and retirement insurance statistics, and since 1984, there has been a survey periodically performed by the social-economic panel of the German Scientific Research Institute. Compared internationally, Germany sticks out primarily because of the lack of data. When it is able to come up with data, however, then its research results are on a par with the rest of Europe.
No European role model
How much does health depend on the level of education?
The relative placement of a particular nation within any socio-economic study depends on which analytical aspect is featured – income, educational level, type of job, etc. For instance, in a comparison of 22 nations concerning what influence the level and type of education had on the workers’ subjective self-appraisal of their health, Germany ranked 13th. Great Britain, Austria, and Spain performed much better. The study was conducted by health expert Professor Olaf von dem Knesebeck of Germany’s Hamburg-Eppendorf University Clinic. He also found that women with lower education had twice the health problems as women with higher educations. With men the variance was one and a half times. A look at death rates also indicated no clear European model.
Since there is also no first place among European countries, there is no model for the others to copy. Von dem Knesebeck emphasizes that “It is important to have a health system that offers the equal access for everyone. But that is not nearly enough to offset the disparity between the social classes.” Besides material factors, which count for the quality of access to health care, there are other aspects that play important roles.
The end of a social dream
In 1964 the American sociologist Charles Kadushin concluded that, “…in modern Western countries the relationship between social class and the prevalence of illness is certainly decreasing and most probably no longer exists.” By the mid-1960’s there was a general assumption that socio-economic differences would soon have no more influence on disparities in health.
The 1982 Black Report, a well-known English investigation, swept away this belief. It shows that there actually is a clear relationship between socio-economic status and health. Since then social epidemiologists try to find out what effects these inequalities. Has it to do with the living and work conditions of the people in the poorer social strata, on the quality of education, the amount of cigarette or alcohol consumption, or lack of exercise? Or does stress and the lack of creative interaction in the workplace play a role? “There is no single factor that explains everything,” says Marmot. “Studies are showing that it is a combination of negative factors accumulating over a lifetime.”
Educated Smokers, rich Drinkers
Little influence at work, higher chance of being „under the influence“.
Variations in smoking habits throughout the social levels play an important role in health inequalities. But the stereotypes of the blue collar worker hard at work with a cigarette dangling from his lips while the white collar manager sits at his desk thoughtfully chewing a slice of apple does not truly represent the European reality. It is true that people in the lower social strata in Norway, Denmark, England, and Germany smoke more. But in Italy and Spain there is no difference between the upper and lower classes – when it comes to smoking they are equalitarian. And better educated middle-aged women actually smoke more than their lesser educated counterparts.
However, the number of traditional industrial jobs is shrinking. In Germany, for instance, every five years a million “blue collar” jobs are lost. Instead of physical stress, psychological stress is becoming more and more a factor. “My work is making me sick” – for every fourth worker in Germany, this statement is now true. This is also the average in West European countries; the Finns and the Swedes have a much stronger sense of pressure in the work place than the average European worker. Those who continually feel the time and energy they invest into their profession doesn´t match the recognition they receive, may well suffer physically and psychologically. The risk of coronary heart disease increases one and a half to six fold, depending on the study cited. This can affect bus drivers as well as the bus company’s manager. In general, the more control a worker has on his or her working conditions the healthier the worker is likely to be.
On the other hand, conditions in the workplace have become more important factors. In every European country, people who are involved with heavy manual labor have more health issues than those who have desk jobs. This is primarily accounted for by the work conditions that existed up until the end of the 1980’s, for example working with products containing cancer-causing materials such as asbestos and lacquers.
There is a similar situation with the drinkers. No social group is immune to alcohol abuse. In Germany, it affects every social class; in Sweden those with more money are more likely to suffer from alcohol addiction. Rolf Rosenbrock stresses that, “Difference in behavior is responsible for much less than half of the inequality in health.” Scientists suspect that such behavioral tendencies as smoking, drinking, and the lack of exercise are on the decrease as influences on health inequalities.
Grabbing for a cigarette is often a manifestation of unfavorable living conditions. “To make it easier for people to make healthy life choices, you have to influence their living conditions,” acknowledged Olaf von dem Knesebeck. “However, this is much more complicated than for the doctor to simply tell the patient; ‘Stop smoking – it’s bad for you!’
Unhealthy Birthmark
Inequality starts before birth.
The European Science Foundation’s program “Social Variations in Health Expectancy” is concerned with studying the influence of a person’s socio-economic background and upbringing on his or her health. The conclusion: the childhood environment has a major influence on a person’s health in adulthood. Disadvantaged children will have more health problems as adults.
The British have access to the most comprehensive collection of data on this theme. Since 1946 they have been systematically following the health of a group of people who were all born within the same week. Three major studies containing around 17,000 participants have been conducted so far. The latest analysis revealed that the babies born in 1946 who grew up in deprived surroundings were in poorer health at the age of 53 than those who had grown up in affluent families. This relationship remained true even after the subject’s social position in adulthood was factored in. Tell me who your father is and I’ll tell you how healthy you are.
Equal Opportunity instead of More Medicine
But how to overcome the inequality? In the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, US-american health expert Dr. Lisa Berkman of Harvard University draws this conclusion: classic medical intervention is not particularly helpful. Strategies are needed that lessen social inequalities. These include a more equal distribution of income, earlier, more, and better quality education, and easier access to top-level health care. All areas in which most European countries have not excelled in the last years.
Interview with Prof. Michael Marmot
Prof. Michael Marmot
Michael Marmot is Chair of the global Commission on Social Determinants of Health of the World Health Organisation. He is also Director of the International Centre for Health and Society, and Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University College London. Professor Marmot has been at the forefront of research into health inequalities for the past 20 years, as Principal Investigator of the Whitehall studies of British civil servants, investigating explanations for the striking inverse social gradient in morbidity and mortality.
The poor live shorter and suffer from more diseases than the rich – everywhere in Europe. Why?
There is not just one factor, rather it is a whole complex of factors. It starts in pregnancy and early childhood and has a steadily increasing effect as one grows older. We should not fall into the danger of concentrating on only a few influences. For instance, we know that people from the lower classes smoke more and have a more unhealthy diet. This is certainly an important reason for the disparity in health, but we need to ask why these people smoke more and eat more unhealthy foods.
Where would be a good point to start a change?
We know from a lot of studies that people who feel in control over their work and life live a more healthy life. Give people more control over their work, and they get sick less often and take less absent leaves from work. Employers should not only ask, how they could make the workplace more productive. They should concentrate on getting the workforce more engaged. Give people more control over their lives and they will make healthier lifestyle decisions. The chance of success for this measure is at least higher than shaking your finger and exclaiming: Don´t smoke so much!
Yet there are only rare systematical programs on the national level. What needs to be done?
You cannot ignore what is going on in society more generally. We have an increase in income inequality, and the social mobility has been getting less. It´s harder to move up the ladder. The individual person cannot do much to change the situation. A political change is necessary. It is important to have a much stronger open public debate about this issue. We really understand a lot about inequalities in health by now. Early education and better work and life environments are very important. What is needed is a process that turns this knowledge into practical policies – on the local, regional, and national levels.
Text: Fabienne Hübener
For: Apotheken Umschau (2009)
Translation: Marty Cook
Fotos (from top to bottom): 1 (workers): olly / fotolia.de, 2 (drinker): Udo Kroener / fotolia.de, 3 (baby): foun / fotolia.de
<< Return to text articles
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Bhakti Vijnana Goswami
by ISKCON Desire Tree | Mar 2, 2012 | ISKCON Swamis |
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami was born in Tashkent, former Soviet Union. He took to spiritual life in 1980, during a difficult time during the communist era in the former Soviet Union, when the National Security forces were harassing any type of spiritual practitioner. Despite these obstacles, Bhakti Vijnana Goswami – a scientist, a Moscow State University graduate and postgraduate student at Institute of Molecular Biology – decided to experiment with the Hare Krishna mantra. To his great happiness, it moved him profoundly. He is a disciple of Radhanath Swami and resides primarily in Moscow, Russia, working tirelessly towards the building of a monumental temple there. He travels widely throughout Russia sharing Krishna Consciousness.
Since 1997 Bhakti Vijnana Goswami has acted as a member of ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission and since 2005 has served as one of the initiating gurus of ISKCON. His zonal responsibilities include Georgia (CIS) and Israel. He serves as co-zonal secretary for Eastern and Western Siberia, Northwest CIS, Ural Region, Moscow, Southern, Central Region, CIS, Golden Ring, Armenia, Far East and also co-GBC for North and South Korea.
On July 1, 2010 the Council for Public Awards of the Russian Federation awarded Bhakti Vijnana Goswami a medal “for professional and business reputation” third degree, “for his contribution in strengthening Russian-Indian friendly relations, and for his contribution to the popularization of the spiritual-cultural literary heritage of India.”
Audio of Bhakti Vijnana Goswami Videos of Bhakti Vijnana Goswami Websites of Bhakti Vijnana Goswami Photos of Bhakti Vijnana Goswami
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Patrons & Trustees
Arthur Benbow (President)
Arthur Benbow is known locally as the Globe Trotting Pensioner and over the past 10 years has traveled most of the world and much of it on a bicycle see. (www.arthursmemoirs.co.uk)
Since becoming a widower in 1993 Arthur has supported and raised funds for many UK Charities including the British Heart Foundation, Ty Hafan Childrens Hospice and the NSPCC.
It was his 2003 visit to Nepal, one of the World’s smallest and poorest countries, which made him aware of the urgent need to provide an adequate education to the younger generation of this depressed but friendly country.
Jyoti Adhikari (Vice President & Co-ordinator in Nepal)
Team Leader: www.ecotreknepal.com
Team Leader: Hotel Holy Himalaya
Ex Chairman: Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN)
Founder Chairman: School & Children of Nepal
Ex Board Member: Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal
Kevin Wharton (Treasurer)
Kevin is a retired accountant with over 35 years experience in the finance industry. In his long career with a global accountancy practice, he specialized in central and local government, education and health. Kevin joined KASIN as Treasurer and Trustee in October 2015.
Since retiring Kevin has done a range of voluntary work. He has been on the Board of the local College of Further Education for some 10 years, four of which he acted as Chair. For five years he has chaired and Audit Committee. He has been President of his local Rotary Club, and before that chaired the Club’s International Committee for three years. He is on the management committee of a voluntary organization in Skipton which provides support and facilities for the over 50s. Kevin is a keen cyclist and used this to support his fundraising by cycling from Lands End to John O’Groats and through the length of France in aid of a number of charities.
Kevin brings extensive finance and governance expertise to KASIN, coupled with broad knowledge of the fund raising sector.
Pat Wherity (Secretary)
Pat is a retired teacher with 37 years of classroom experience and an ex Head of Geography in a state grammar school. He has also worked for several exam boards and has been responsible for checking and revising A-level question papers and mark schemes for Edexcel. He has been involved in many local charities and is currently a member and treasurer of Kirkby Malham Parish Council. Pat is also a member of Settle Rotary Club.
Pat had been involved with KASIN through his wife Liz but after travelling to Nepal with the trustees in October 2014 has started to play a bigger role in the charity. The trip was a life changing experience and he was particularly impressed by the way the charity provides help directly to the local communities with minimal running costs. The charities links with Harihar Timilsina as a teacher trainer, Dinesh as head of one of the local schools as well as Jyoti Adhikari and Ecotrek with his support and links to the local communities were so good that he felt he had to be involved.
Arthur, at 82 years of age is stepping down as secretary after running the Charity for 10 years and Pat will be taking over many of his tasks.
Liz Wherity ( Chairperson and Schools’ Coordinator)
Liz Wherity is a retired Assistant Head Teacher with 37 years classroom experience with 4 – 11 year olds. She is also married to Pat an ex-Head of Geography in a grammar school. They have three children and two grandchildren.
Liz joined KASIN as a Trustee in may 2013 after Mark Ashton another Trustee inspired her during a trip to Nepal in April 2013. During the 12 day trip Liz visited a school in the remote village of Mhajkhanda and was immediately struck by the lack of any basic facilities or resources and how relatively simple it would be to make a difference.
Liz feels her experiences in a variety of different schools as a teacher, mentor, monitor and manager would be invaluable to KASIN and hopes to be called upon to contribute in the near future.
Liz also met Hari and Dinesh on their recent visit to England and helped with their presentation and school visits. She felt that she formed an excellent relationship with both men and would love to continue with this role in the coming years.
Mahesh Adhikari
The Trustees are pleased to welcome Mr. Mahesh Adhikari born in – Lamjung, Pokhara, Nepal. Education : Bachelor in commerce from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Further Degree : Advance Diploma in IT from City and Guild 2001-2003, London. Worked in International INGO (Save the Children US 1994-1999) as Program Support Coordinator. Lives in United Kingdom Peterborough since September 1999. Charity Organisation : President- Peterborough Nepalese Society (2010 to date)
Garath Barratt
Gareth is a teacher currently working in Carlisle in the Richard Rose Central Academy in the PE department and as a support for leaders in other departments. he has been fortunate to travel with his work and has spent many years in Asia in particular. Nepal has always been on his hit list but he hasn’t managed it yet – one day! He has become involved with this great charity after meeting Arthur and the other trustees following our attempts to send our pupils to Nepal in 2013 and we hope to create new international links with kids at school in Nepal. I look forward to supporting Arthur and the other trustees in their efforts to improve the quality and standards of education in the schools in Nepal.
Jill Deeley
Jill first visited Nepal on a cycle tour in 2003 and fell in love with this beautiful country and it’s happy but disadvantaged people. She started to sponsor two children at Splendid Valley School and returned with Arthur in 2007 for the inauguration of the new school buildings. During this visit she was able to meet the children and their families; a unique experience for her. On her retirement from work in July 2011 she was pleased to accept an invitation to be a trustee for ‘Kids at School in Nepal’ and has since been instrumental in the production of our first Newsletter. Jill said “I am looking forward to my next visit to Nepal when we hope to visit the schools in the remote area of Phulkharka”.
John Peet
John has been a regular visitor to Nepal since 2008 as a trustee of the Ikudol Forest Trust, supporting a re-forestation project south of the Kathmandu valley.
His involvement in Nepal started in 1999, when John met Alan Iles, a horticulturist from Skipton, who worked in Nepal in the 1980s, setting up a tree nursery in Mahjkhanda, a community heavily reliant on trees for timber, cooking fuel, and animal fodder. Before Alan’s untimely death in 2006, the Ikudol Forest Trust was founded by John and 3 other trustees, inspired by Alan’s legacy of trees to the community. John first heard about KASIN on a trip to Nepal with Pat and Liz Wherity in 2013,
He has since visited a remote part of east Nepal where education is making a vital difference to children of tea estate workers. Many families in this area face subsistence living and children still risk being exploited as tea pickers, so education can give them a real chance of a better life.
John started his career as a project engineer for Westinghouse before gaining an MBA at Cranfield and subsequently holding a senior marketing post in the printing engineering industry. After a change of direction, he spent 18 years as General and Company Secretary of L’Arche, a registered charity supporting people with learning disabilities.
John now runs a landscaping business in the Aire Valley, regularly teaching horticulture to children at St Anne’s Primary school in Keighley, which is twinned with the government school in Mahjkhanda. He is also a practicing BACP registered counsellor.
John has published this blog describing his visits to Nepal each year.
Sofie Wild
Having been enthralled by her dad’s stories of travels in Nepal in the late 1960s, Sophie has always been interested in this fascinating country and its people, and dreams of visiting one day. She has been a primary school governor since 2012 and manages a field centre office for environmental education charity, the Field Studies Council.
Having heard about KASIN through a mutual friend, she was impressed by the charity’s dedication and commitment to making a positive difference to education in Nepal. The Trustees do not claim any expenses so all donations go towards this aim.
In 2016, Sophie and her sister raised over £1,000 by completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks and she hopes to contribute more in the future. Sophie was delighted and honoured to accept an invitation to become a trustee in 2017 and she hopes that her skills in IT, finance and governance are of assistance in supporting KASIN with their excellent work.
Christa Baldwin
Christa is a primary scho ol teacher, who currently teaches at Sutton CP School. She has been teaching for 14 years and is passionate and committed to making a difference to people’s lives. After hearing about the fabulous work of KASIN through a friend, it was their mission statement which captured Christa’s enthusiasm for the charity.
Over the last few years, Christa has embarked upon many challenges in an effort to raise money for a variety of charities, including cycling from Lands End to John O Groats, running half marathons and marathons and more recently cycling from the South of France back home to Yorkshire.
In her spare time, Christa is nearing the end of the process to become a Special Constable. She also enjoys the outdoors and regularly spends time participating in sports such as rounders and cycling. She is also a keen traveller and would love to visit Nepal sometime soon and see in person the fabulous work which KASIN has already done.
_____________________________________________________________________________ Pamela Ingram
Pam has been interested in the education of the very young child since qualifying in 1969. She mostly worked with the 3-6 year old children, owning and running a nursery school for over 25 years. She also worked as a validator and mentor for the Bristol Standards Quality Assurance Scheme, helping to raise standards in schools and nursery schools.
In 2016, Pam and her sister, Jill took part in a sponsored trek to Everest Base Camp in aid of KASIN. She also visited the Phulkharka region. She is looking forward to going back in the future to see the difference being made to the lives of the children and their families.
Jane Southward
Jane’s connection with Nepal started in 1996 when given the opportunity to travel there as part of an experimental trip with Oxventure. This started a life-long love of a country and its people. during the trip, Jane visited the Kumbeshwar Technical School in Patan and was so struck by the work there that she has been a supporter ever since. In 2014 she returned to Kathmandu to volunteer at the Kumbeshwar Technical School and to carry out teacher training. This led to a connection with KASIN and meeting up with Harihar, who was a huge support in planning the training at the school. Jane has written this blog describing her experiences at Kumbeshwar.
Since returning from Kathmandu, Jane has taken an active role in running the “Kids of Kumbeshwar UK, which has now come under the KASIN umbrella. She has given talks about the school and her time there and is committed to raising funds to support the education of children in Nepal.
Professor Padam Simkhada (Patron)
Padam Simkhada is a Professor of International Public Health at the Centre for Public Health and Associate Dean for Faculty of Education, Health and Community at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. His research focuses on global public health. He is interested in different aspects of international health particularly in public health problems in developing countries. His current research are on maternal health, health promotion, migration, sex trafficking, reproductive and sexual health including HIV/AIDS. He has been involving on capacity building activities in Nepal. He has published a wide range of peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters related to his research field.
Prof. Simkhada was born in Gumdi, the remote village of Dhading Nepal. He studied in Tamang Kharka Secondary School, Gumdi Dhading. He graduated from Tribhuvan University Nepal. He has completed M.Sc. in Public Health and Health Promotion from Brunel University and PhD from Southampton University. Before he moved to Liverpool John Moores, he was Senior Lecturer in International Health at Sheffield University and Programme Co-ordinator and Lecturer in International Health at the University of Aberdeen. Previously, he worked for Save the Children (UK) and Ministry of Health in Nepal. He is also a Visiting Professor in Nepal. Adjunct Faculty at Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences Nagpur, India.
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The Keg Steakhouse & Bar Named one of 50 Best Employers in Canada
Vancouver, January 7, 2004 -- For the second year in a row, The Keg Steakhouse & Bar has been named as one of the “50 Best Employers in Canada”, according to a recent study published in Report on Business Magazine’s January issue. The annual survey is conducted by R.O.B. Magazine and international consulting firm Hewitt Associates.
This ranking comes on the heels of another prestigious award for Keg Restaurants Ltd. In December, it was named Restaurant Company of the Year at the industry’s Pinnacle Awards.
“We are extremely pleased to again be recognized as one of the best companies to work for in Canada,” said David Aisenstat, The Keg’s President & CEO. “A key reason for The Keg’s success is the quality of its employees. We hire the best, we empower them with expertise through superlative training programs, we let them be themselves, and most of all we love to present them with opportunities to grow both professionally and personally.”
The "50 Best Employers in Canada" survey is employee-driven, with 70 per cent of the scoring based upon how randomly selected employees respond to an anonymous survey designed to measure the quality of workplace culture. The remainder of the score is based on an in-depth analysis of company culture and human resources practices and a leadership team survey for top executives. “The Best Employers in Canada are all remarkable firms,” said Hewitt consultant, Jean Douglas.
Vancouver-based Keg Restaurants Ltd. is the leading operator and franchisor of steakhouse restaurants in Canada and has a substantial presence in regional markets in the United States. In May 2002, Keg Restaurants Ltd. launched The Keg Royalties Income Fund on the Toronto Stock Exchange. This publicly traded trust (KEG.UN-TSX) owns The Keg trademarks and receives a royalty payment equal to four percent of gross sales of all restaurants in the royalty pool, which it pays out to unitholders as a monthly distribution.
Karyn Byrne
Manager, Marketing Communications
Keg Restaurants Ltd.
karynb@kegrestaurants.com
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DPRK calls murder film 'act of terror'
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Wednesday denounced a new Hollywood movie about an assassination bid on leader Kim Jong-un as a "wanton act of terror" and warned of a "merciless response" unless the US authorities banned the film.
The Interview stars Seth Rogen and James Franco as two tabloid TV journalists who land an interview with Kim in Pyongyang and are then tasked by the CIA with killing him.
The film is due to be released in the United States on Oct 14.
In a statement carried by the DPRK's Korean Central News Agency, a foreign ministry spokesman said the film was the work of "gangster moviemakers" and should never be shown.
"The act of making and screening such a movie that portrays an attack on our top leadership ... is a most wanton act of terror and act of war, and is absolutely intolerable," the spokesman said.
In the statement, he called on the US administration to ban the film from being screened and warned that failure to do so would trigger a "resolute and merciless response".
Rogen poked fun at the threat on Twitter, writing: "People don't usually wanna kill me for one of my movies until after they've paid 12 bucks for it".
It is not the first time Hollywood has poked fun at a DPRK leader.
In the 2004 satirical action comedy Team America, Kim's father Kim Jong-il was portrayed as speech-impaired and isolated.
In the official trailer for The Interview, a CIA officer calls Pyongyang the "most dangerous country on earth".
Played by Korean-American actor Randall Park, Kim appears in the trailer as overweight, cigar-chomping and surrounded by security guards.
The scenes set in Pyongyang were filmed in Vancouver.
In a recent interview with Yahoo Movies, Rogen, who co-wrote the script, said the idea for the film came out of a discussion over how journalists with access to world leaders might have the opportunity to act as assassins.
"We read as much as we could that was available on the subject. ... We talked to people in the government whose job it is to associate with North Korea, or be experts on it," Rogen said.
（中国日报网英语点津 Julie 编辑）
Lance Crayon is a videographer and editor with China Daily. Since living in Beijing he has worked for China Radio International (CRI) and Global Times. Before moving to China he worked in the film industry in Los Angeles as a talent agent and producer. He has a B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Arlington.
上一篇 : Decades-old farm subsidy system to be phased out
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Tijuana drug cartel chief arrested while watching World Cup
Decades-old farm subsidy system to be phased out
Abbas defends cooperation with Israel
Activists protest dog-eating tradition
Chinese in Iraq feel rising pressure
Rare stamp sets record at New York auction
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Soleil Stasi, è finita con Jeremias? Ecco le sue parole avvelenate
Kikò Nalli annuncia: "Ritorno in televisione con Ambra Lombardo!"
Il Re Leone: il nuovo spot televisivo con Simba e Scar
Francesco Monte e Giulia Salemi, parla Fariba: "La verità verrà fuori"
[Mulan] Teaser trailer, poster e sinossi dal nuovo live-action Disney
Intrattenimento Apr 18
New resolve serves Liverpool well in top-four battle
West Brom created the best chances in a largely uneventful first half before Firmino nodded home Lucas's flick on to register his 11th league goal of the season just before the break. While a third Liverpool supporter said: "I would sell Moreno based on that alone, how can you seriously miss that target". Liverpool's Belgian goalkeeper Simon Mignolet (R) punches the ball clear during the English Premier League football match between West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool at The Hawthorns ...
President Trump's Son-In-Law Kushner Arrives In Iraq
Prince's death scene covered with pills
President Trump backs beleaguered Fox News host Bill O'Reilly
Prince death investigation documents: Opioids found in several places in Paisley Park
Blake Lively Reveals What Sexy Song Was Playing While She Gave Birth!
Bella Hadid feels calm after skydiving
'Dancing with the Stars' recap: Mr. T waltzes off, Rashad Jennings dazzles
Luke Skywalker can turn to dark side in new Star Wars film
Intrattenimento - Tutte le novità
News Anchor Stays Calm Reporting Own Husband's Death
IBC24 is a 24-hour private Hindi news channel that serves the central Indian states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. She already was a popular news anchor, and many people took to social media to post their admiration for her after seeing the composure and professionalism she displayed on Saturday.
Search warrants in Prince's death to be unsealed Monday
Messages left with attorneys for Schulenberg and Johnson weren't immediately returned Monday. But the circumstances that led up to his death remain a mystery. Johnson's lawyer did not return calls for comment on Monday. The doctor left his job at North Memorial Medical Center almost three weeks after Prince's death.
Police investigating club fight involving singer Chris Brown
The club says Brown had only been at the event for a few minutes before the incident. From the club partner's vantage point, the photographer didn't even have an angle to take pictures of Brown and there was nothing in the contract that said the venue could not snap photos of the singer.
Melissa Etheridge Likes to Get Stoned with Her Two Adult Children
News. In her segment, Etheridge admitted to smoking weed with two of her four children. Melissa Etheridge likes to smoke marijuana with her family, she revealed as part of Yahoo's Weed & the American Family project, previewed by People .
Woman, teen swept away while hiking in Grand Canyon National Park
Chief Ranger Matt Vandzura says the two lost their footing Saturday. Authorities searched Grand Canyon National Park on Monday, April 17, 2017, for eighth-grader Standefer and his step-grandmother who were swept away as they tried to cross a creek during a family trip in a remote part of the park.
Parineeti shrugs off IPL rumors with her tweet
Pari tweeted saying, "Guys - contrary to rumours, I am not performing at any IPL ceremony". Parineeti is the latest addition to Rohit Shetty's "Golmaal" franchise. Meanwhile, Parineeti now awaits the release of Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer " Meri Pyaari Bindu ". Parineeti Chopra's last film was 2014's Kill Dil .
Ex-agent pleads guilty in multi-year UNC sports agent probe
One of Watson's associates also accused of violating North Carolina's law that bars illegally luring collegiate athletes into contracts admitted guilt in a Hillsborough courtroom Monday, but did not plead guilty. Quinn is a two-time Pro Bowler and critical member of the Los Angeles Rams' defensive front. According to a probable cause affidavit in a 2013 search warrant, Jones told an investigator in June 2012 he was Watson's longtime friend and said he sent packages containing cash to ...
Court documents: Opioids found in several locations in Prince's home
As we previously reported, the Minnesota Medical Examiner's Office said that Prince died from an accidental drug overdose of Fentanyl , which is more powerful than Percocet. A separate document filed on June 8 concludes the initial search found "a sizable amount of narcotic medications located inside Paisley Park ". When authorities later checked a database set up to monitor who's getting prescriptions for controlled substances, they found nothing for Prince .
White House defends transparency after visitor log reversal
No less than Tom Fitton, head of a conservative watchdog group, said, "This new secrecy policy undermines the rule of law and suggests this White House doesn't want to be account to the American people". The White House said the records are exempt from the law. "He is the least transparent President-ever-and he ran on transparency". What he said: "We recognize that there's a privacy aspect to allowing citizens to come express their views".
'Survivor' Contestant Apologizes for Outing Zeke Smith as Transgender
Varner also released an apology on Twitter , stating that he offers his "deepest, most honest apologies to Zeke Smith , his friends and life allies, his family and to all those who my mistake hurt and offended". Smith responded by explaining that he didn't want to be labeled "the trans " Survivor " player". "The LGBT community has enough to fight against today, we don't need to be fighting against each other".
Raw Tag Team Superstar Suffers Broken Jaw, Out For Several Months
In a couple of the many fanboy-ish posts about The Revival published here at cSs over the past few days (and weeks, and months), we discussed Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson's show-closing work at NXT's Saturday night (April 15) Concord, North Carolina house show.
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A 10-game winning streak was followed by a five-game skid as Coach Phil Housley tries to change the teams culture. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a liberal firebrand who has taken on Wall Street and traded barbs with Donald Trump, on Monday became the most prominent Democrat to announce a challenge to the Republican president in 2020. The tech billionaire Reid Hoffman said he had no idea his money had been spent on a Russian-style social media disinformation campaign. Widening opportunities do not automatically translate into better pay or a decline in gender discrimination.
Britain's Tate Modern gallery in London reveals additional building called the 'Switch House' which will open to the public on June 17.
Long seen as a vestige of jazzs past, large ensembles are charging back, led by a new generation of musicians who see size as an opportunity, not a hindrance. Most Republican representatives are about to enter a dark, unknown realm where those on the sidelines have few options to exert influence. EXCLUSIVE BY STEPHEN McGOWAN Celtic will this week begin formal negotiations for the 2million transfer of Ivory Coast striker Vakoun Issouf Bayo.
Consider the muumuu. Recent commercial real estate transactions in New York City. The Cowboys scored with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter to earn a win that gave them some momentum ahead of their wild-card game next weekend. Gorillas at Bristol Zoo Gardens in England demonstrate a distinctly human trait while attempting to solve a new puzzle game - cheating. Matthew Stock reports. The directors of the popular and critical hit broke with the conventions of computer animation, using hand-drawn techniques to create digital movement. Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush was laid to rest at his presidential library in College Station, Texas, on Thursday, following funeral services at his longtime church in Houston.
Britains National Crime Agency warned at the weekend that most people are still smuggled into the country on HGVs rather than in small boats.
Pop singer Miley Cyrus has confirmed her marriage to teen sweetheart, actor Liam Hemsworth, posting photos taken at their quiet family wedding on social media.
Those who developed breasts younger than their peers had a higher risk of depression, a new study found.
Kaka made120 appearances over four seasons in the Spanish capital, a spell during which he won one La Liga title. But at Madrid, Kaka had more than fitness issues to contend with. George Harrison, from Doncaster, went through surgery and months of gruelling chemotherapy after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in April when his parents thought he had food poisoning. In his year-end report on the state of the federal judiciary, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. endorsed recommendations for clearer standards, easier reporting and better training.
Here are some of the stories of how couples, who submitted their announcement information to The New York Times, agreed to marry each other.
Treasury secretary pick Steven Mnuchin is an executive producer on Warner Bros.' "The Lego Batman Movie," which pulled in an estimated $55.6 million from U.S. audiences during its opening weekend. The soils are hospitable, the climate is ripe, the vineyards are expanding and the wines keep getting better. English sparklers are a novelty no more. Let us help you start your day.
Kanye West. Philip Roth. Opera. Jazz. Salsa. King Kong. Tonya Harding. We can go on, but why dont you see for yourself. Louisville thought it saw something it could exploit a willingness to hire top coaches with checkered pasts. It did not work out with Bobby Petrino, or with Rick Pitino. She started writing for The Federalist in April 2015. The site said she quickly became a rising star who was regularly featured on Fox News. WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT The eye swelled up quickly and doctors ordered the 28-year-old Japanese fighter to call it a day for fear of any further damage taking his vision away for good.
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Army soldiers clash with 20 NPA rebels in Arakan
By Rhoda Grace Saron on July 12, 2019
Soldiers clashed with more or less 20 New People’s Army rebels in barangay Kabalantian, Arakan, North Cotabato on at 7:15 a.m. on Wednesday.
They also recovered two grenades, assorted ammo, some parts of an M16 rifle, foodstuff, rifle magazines, and an anti-personnel mine at the encounter site.
Capt. Jerry Lamosao, the spokesperson of 10th Infantry Division, said the firefight transpired after residents of the area informed the troops about the presence of the NPA members.
He said the continued use of anti-personnel mine by the NPAs is a clear violation of the Mine Ban Treaty.
In the Comprehensive Agreement to Respect Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, both the Philippine government and the NPA commit to protect the civilians by not violating the “right not to be subjected to… the use of landmines.”
Lt. Col. Benjamin Dao-on, commander of the 19th IB, said they will continue their focus military operations to ensure the safety of the people of North Cotabato from the threats of the NPA.
“I am thankful for the cooperation we received from the community, which I hope to continue as we work together in pushing a conflict-resilient community,” he said.
Col. Gabriel C. Viray III, commander of the 901st Infantry Brigade, said the government is always open to accepting surrenders from the NPA. Rebel returnees can take advantage of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which covers livelihood and financial assistance for an easier transition to a normal life.
“The government forces are tasked to continuously fight anyone who will endanger the safety and security of the Filipino people,” Viray said.
Rhoda Grace Saron
More from NEWSMore posts in NEWS »
President Duterte turns over 34 houses to former rebels
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Commonwealth vs. Harry Kaplan.
November 9, December 2, 1920 - March 24, 1921
Present: Rugg, C. J., Braley, Decourcy, Crosby, & Pierce, JJ.
Burning with Intent to Defraud Insurer. Witness, Cross-examination. Practice, Criminal, Variance, Conduct of trial.
At the trial of an indictment charging that the defendant, before a burning of his dwelling house by another with intent to defraud certain insurance companies, " did incite, procure, aid, counsel, hire and command " the commission of the crime, it appeared that, eight days after a purchase of the house in question by the defendant and two days before the fire, the defendant's attorney had left policies of insurance thereon, duly assigned by the seller to the defendant and by the defendant made payable to the seller as a third mortgagee, with an insurance agent in order to obtain the assent of the companies thereto, and that on the next day, that preceding the fire, a notice had been sent to the attorney that the companies' assent was refused, the policies being later returned to him. The policies were payable, in case of loss, to first and second mortgagees as their interest might appear. It also appeared that after the fire, which involved a loss of $1,191, the insurance was adjusted for $650, that
payment was made by checks of the companies payable to the order of the defendant and the mortgagees, and that, with the defendant's consent, the money was paid to the mortgagees, to the municipality for taxes and to the defendant's attorney for services. There also was evidence tending to show that the defendant expected some pecuniary benefit to result to him from the fire. The defendant asked that a verdict of not guilty be ordered on the ground that there was no evidence that he intended to defraud the insurers. The request was refused. Held, that the request properly was refused.
At the trial above described, there was evidence tending to show that the person alleged to have been the principal in the commission of the crime to which the defendant was accessory received money from the defendant to set the fire; that he engaged and paid a third person to assist him, paid for turpentine for that purpose, and made holes in walls and a ceiling to enable the fire to spread. This alleged principal, who testified for the Commonwealth, testified that he "made the fire." The third person testified that the alleged principal gave him a cigarette with which the fire was started. The defendant moved that a verdict of not guilty be ordered on the ground of variance. The motion was denied. Held, that the jury were warranted in finding that the alleged principal was either a joint principal or the sole principal, and that the motion properly was denied.
In the practical administration of justice, especially in a criminal case, the trial judge must be given a broad discretion as to the extent and scope of legitimate cross-examination.
It was within the discretion of the judge at the trial above described, after the defendant had named several parcels of real estate which he had owned and had testified that he owned a certain shop which he previously had forgotten to mention, to permit him to be asked in cross-examination whether he had forgotten to mention the shop because he had a fire there.
At the trial above described, the judge permitted the district attorney to inquire of the defendant in cross-examination as to his acquaintance with certain persons, whom he named, and, upon the district attorney stating as his reason for the inquiry, "I am offering this line of examination to show an atmosphere in this case that this man was surrounded by, to show his state of mind, that he was constantly in the company of the fire-makers and the people who had fires in East Boston, some of whom have been convicted and are now serving terms in prison, and others who are indicted," refused to permit the inquiry to proceed further. The defendant then asked the judge to "strike out" the remarks of the district attorney above quoted, and excepted to a refusal to do so. The defendant did not ask for an instruction to the jury to disregard the remarks. Held that, the remarks of the district attorney not being evidence, no exception lay to the refusal to strike them out, although they were irrelevant and immaterial; and no error was committed.
Indictment, found and returned on September 12, 1916, in six counts, the first count charging Reuben Levine with wilfully and maliciously burning the dwelling house of one Harry Kaplan on Saratoga Street in that part of Boston called East Boston, and the third count charging him with having burned that house with intent thereby to defraud certain insurers thereof. The
second, fourth, fifth and sixth counts were against Kaplan, the second Count charging him with being an accessory before the fact of the crime charged in the first count, the fourth with being accessory before the fact of the crime charged in the third count, and the fifth and sixth counts charging him with being accessory before the fact to the intentional burning of his own house by a person unknown to the grand jury, and to the burning of the house by such person with intent to defraud the insurers.
On November 22, 1916, the indictment was placed on file as to Levine. On February 26, 1917, the district attorney entered a nolle prosequi as to the fifth and sixth counts of the indictment and on March 2, 1917, during the trial, did likewise as to the second count with the consent of the defendant Kaplan.
Kaplan then was tried only on the fourth count. Material evidence and exceptions saved by him are described in the opinion. He was found guilty on March 3, 1917, and on March 12 was sentenced to the State Prison for not more than four nor less than three years, the sentence being stayed until determination of his exceptions, which were filed on October 22, 1917, and were allowed on May 25, 1920.
A. Berenson, for the defendant, submitted a brief.
A. C. Webber, special assistant to the District Attorney, for the Commonwealth.
De Courcy, J. The third count in the indictment averred that Reuben Levine on September 23, 1915, did burn the dwelling house of Harry Kaplan with intent to injure certain named insurance companies. The defendant Kaplan was convicted on the fourth count, which charged that he "before the said felony and burning to defraud insurance company was committed, did incite, procure, aid, counsel, hire and command" Levine to commit the felony charged in the third count. It appeared in evidence that Kaplan bought this property on September 13, 1915, from Pollock and Hecht, for $2,600, paying only about $115 in cash, assuming two mortgages then on the property, and giving to his grantors a third mortgage for the remainder of the purchase price. The insurance on the building amounted to $3,500, and was payable to the two mortgagees, as their interests might appear. The said grantors assigned their interest in the policies to Kaplan; and he in turn made the policies payable to Pollock and Hecht
as third mortgagees. On or about September 21, the attorney then acting for Kaplan sent the policies to the office of the insurance agent in order to obtain the assent of, the companies to said assignment. Notice was sent to him on the next day that assent was refused; and later the policies were returned to him.
On the day of the fire, September 23, 1915, Levine, who was a painter, was doing some work for the defendant in the vacant tenement on the second floor of the building. There was evidence from which the jury could find that the defendant, late in the forenoon, offered Levine $100 to set the house on fire; that Levine accepted the money, sent his workman Simon Lurie to buy turpentine, made holes in a closet to create a draft, and otherwise prepared the premises for the fire; that turpentine was spread over the floor and in the closet, and the fire was set by placing a lighted cigarette in a box of matches. The fire broke out about three o'clock in the afternoon, and damaged the property to the amount of $1,191. A compromise adjustment was made by the four insurance companies jointly for $650. The checks were made payable to the order of the defendant and mortgagees; and by his consent, the money was paid to the mortgagees, to the city for taxes on the property, and to his attorney for services.
Although the verdict of guilty was entered on March 3, 1917, the filing of the bill of exceptions in the trial court was delayed until October 22 of that year, and its allowance until May 25, 1920. Many exceptions were taken to the admission of evidence and to the refusal of the trial judge to grant certain requests for rulings. We shall consider only those that have been argued, and in the order appearing on the defendant's brief.
1. By his third and fourth requests the defendant asked the judge to order a verdict of acquittal, on the ground that there was no evidence that he intended to defraud the insurance companies. This contention was based mainly on the alleged fact that he had no binding contract of insurance on the building. He also argued, in this connection, that no intent to injure the insurers was shown on the part of the person who committed the principal felony charged. Although this last point was not expressly raised by the requests, undoubtedly the defendant could not be convicted as accessory before the fact unless it was found that the principal offence was in fact committed
in violation of the statute. Commonwealth v. Asherowski, 196 Mass. 342.
The statute (R. L. c. 208, § 10) provides that "Whoever, with intent to injure the insurer, burns a building . . . belonging to himself or another, and which . . . psj at the time insured against loss or damage by fire, shall be punished. . . . "A direct benefit to the defendant is not made a necessary element of the crime. The fact, if it was a fact, that Kaplan had no valid binding contract insuring his equity in the property, might be considered by the jury as bearing on the improbability that he would cause the fire to be set for the purpose of defrauding the insurance companies; and the judge so instructed the jury by giving the defendant's sixth request. There is a presumption that all men intend the natural and probable consequences of their acts, and this is applicable alike to the alleged principal and the accessory on the evidence. It was practically certain that the insurance companies would be injured by the fire. Their refusal to assent to the assignments of the policies to Kaplan did not affect the rights of the first and second mortgagees to collect insurance to the extent of their losses. Palmer Savings Bank v. Ins. Co. of North America, 166 Mass. 189. Further than that, the jury well might find that when the house was burned on September 23, the defendant and Levine supposed that Kaplan's equity was covered by the insurance, and acted on that belief. According to Levine's testimony Kaplan said, when paying him to set the fire, " I would like to fix up the house in a little better condition." Levine replied, "Well, go ahead; it's no use spending the money to repair the tenement, you might as well fix it up the way you want to." Kaplan then said, "Well, I need the money." It is not suggested where that money could come from, in case of fire, unless from the insurance companies. And apparently Kaplan had some basis for a belief that the policies covered his equity, irrespective of any assent to the assignment, as it appears that in fact the drafts in payment of the damage were made payable to him as one of the payees and bore his indorsement. And the money was applied in reduction of the mortgages and in payment of the taxes on his property. The said requests to order an acquittal were denied rightly. Commonwealth v. Asherowski, supra.
2. The defendant, by his third request, asked the judge to order
a verdict of not guilty on the ground of variance, contending that on the evidence the fire was set by Lurie and not by Levine, as alleged. There was no error in refusing to give this ruling. On the testimony of Levine himself, he received money from the defendant to set the fire; he engaged and paid Lurie to assist him; he paid for the turpentine, made holes through the walls and broke down the ceiling in the closet, to enable the fire to spread. He gave Lurie the cigarette with which the fire was started, according to Lurie's testimony. Levine said, early in his examination, that he was not at the building after noon, but later he testified that he went back after noon, and made the holes. Indeed, when asked "What did you do with the plaster and the laths after you broke them off?" Levine answered "I made the fire." Then followed the question, "You started the fire with the laths?" To which he answered: "Sure." Lurie also testified that when he was in front of Kaplan's store, on his way to the house with the turpentine, Kaplan " told me to make a good job of it and he would give me a present," and "I promised him I will try my best." In short, there was evidence for the jury that Levine was not only a joint principal with Lurie in making all the immediate preparations for the burning, but that he himself actually set the fire. Presumably the Commonwealth would have included Lurie in the indictment as a principal if the grand jury were informed of the facts as disclosed at the trial. But on this record the defendant was not entitled to an acquittal on the ground of a fatal variance. Commonwealth v. Knapp, 9 Pick. 496. Commonwealth v. Lorwrey, 158 Mass. 18. See R. L. c. 218, § 35 (G. L. c. 277, § 35).
Whether the indictment sufficiently charged the offence of counselling and soliciting another to commit a felony need not be considered, as the defendant was actually tried as an accessory before the fact. See Commonwealth v. Flagg, 135 Mass. 545.
3. It is contended that the trial judge erred in permitting the district attorney to ask certain questions during his cross-examination of the defendant. In the practical administration of justice, the presiding judge, especially in a criminal case, must be given a broad discretion as to the extent and scope of legitimate cross-examination. From the mere reading of the record, it seems that the question whether Kaplan forgot to mention that
he had a shop at 3 Central Square because he had a fire there, might well have been excluded. But we cannot say that the judge, familiar with the atmosphere of the trial, abused his discretion in admitting it. The other question was whether the defendant knew Levine's brother, Hyman Cohen, Julius Yorks, Morris Finklestein, and others. Standing alone, it is not open to serious criticism, as the judge did not permit the district attorney to proceed when informed of his purpose. The prosecuting attorney, when arguing as to the admissibility of this evidence, said "I am offering this line of examination to show an atmosphere in this case that this man was surrounded by, to show his state of mind, that he was constantly in the company of the fire-makers and the people who had fires in East Boston, some of whom have been convicted and are now serving terms in prison, and others who are indicted." The experienced counsel for the defendant thereupon strongly protested against these statements, as irrelevant and prejudicial. He also asked the judge to "strike out" the remarks; and excepted to the judge's refusal to do so. But they were not in evidence, or any part of the record, and hence could not be stricken out. See Vahcy v. Boston Elevated Railway, 222 Mass. 374. Counsel should have included in his requests one asking that the jury be instructed to disregard these words of the prosecuting attorney. Or at the close of the charge when a colloquy occurred between the judge and counsel, he should have directed the attention of the judge to his failure to instruct the jury on this subject. This he failed to do. While the remarks of the prosecuting attorney seem entirely foreign to the case and the jury might well have been cautioned not to be prejudiced thereby, we cannot say that any error of law has been shown, entitling the defendant to a new trial. See Commonwealth v. Farmer, 218 Mass. 507; Commonwealth v. Homer, 235 Mass. 526, 535. What has been said disposes of all the exceptions that have been argued by the defendant. We may add, however, that an examination of the entire record shows no reversible error.
Exceptions overruled.
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DAVID A. BROWN & another [Note 1] vs. MICHAEL J. QUINN, trustee. [Note 2]
December 4, 1989 - February 14, 1990
Present: LIACOS, C.J., ABRAMS, NOLAN, & O'CONNOR, JJ.
The failure of a party to preserve his rights on appeal by filing a petition to establish a draft report or by taking other action under Dist. Mun. Cts. R. Civ. P. 64 to preserve the viability of the appeal required dismissal of the appeal, despite a District Court clerk's failure to send notice to the parties that the three-month period for petitioning for establishment of a draft report was to expire within fourteen days as required by Dist. Mun. Cts. R. Civ. P. 64 (c) (5). [643-645]
A party to a civil action in a District Court was estopped from asserting that, since judgment never entered, his own appeal was premature. [645]
CIVIL ACTION commenced in the Natick Division of the District Court Department on June 20, 1985.
The case was heard by Joseph D. Clancy, J.
After review by the Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court granted leave to obtain further appellate review.
Dana L. Mason for the defendant.
Alan H. Aaron for the plaintiffs.
ABRAMS, J. We granted the defendant's application for further appellate review, see Brown v. Quinn, 27 Mass. App. Ct. 288 (1989), to examine the propriety of the dismissal of a draft report pursuant to Dist. Mun. Cts. R. Civ. P. 64 (c) (5) (1989). The rule provides for dismissal of a draft report if no action has been taken on it within three months of its
filing. [Note 3] We agree with the Appeals Court that there was no error in the order of the Appellate Division dismissing the report.
The plaintiffs brought this action, alleging breach of contract and violations of G. L. c. 93A, in the Natick Division of the District Court Department. After trial, the District Court judge found for the plaintiffs and awarded damages. A notation on the trial court docket indicates "Entry of judg & finding Findings (mailed 1/17/86)." After the denial of the defendant's motions to amend the judge's findings and judgment and for a new trial, the defendant timely filed a draft report pursuant to Dist. Mun. Cts. R. Civ. P. 64, on October 1, 1986. The court clerk never sent the requisite notice to the parties that the three-month period for the allowance of a draft report was to expire within fourteen days. Counsel never filed a petition to establish a report and did not ask the Appellate Division for further time.
The draft report was allowed by the judge on July 1, 1987, nine months after it was filed. The case proceeded to the Appellate Division, which ordered the report dismissed pursuant to Dist. Mun. Cts. R. Civ. P. 64 (c) (5). The opinion of the Appellate Division notes: "Neither a request for an extension of time for draft report settlement, nor a petition to establish a draft report was submitted by the defendant to preserve the viability of his appeal." The defendant appealed to the Appeals Court, which affirmed the dismissal of the report.
The defendant argues that the Appellate Division erred in dismissing the tardily-settled draft report, because the District Court clerk failed to send timely notice, as was required by Dist. Mun. Cts. R. Civ. P. 64 (c) (5) (see note 3, supra),
that the three-month period was to expire within fourteen days. He also contends that judgment never entered, and that the appeal is, therefore, premature.
1. The propriety of dismissal of the report. The defendant argues that it is "unduly harsh" to hold him "accountable for his one procedural misstep" in not taking action to establish the report, because the court clerk failed to provide the parties with the notice required by the rule. We disagree. The defendant's counsel was not absolved of his procedural responsibilities by the clerk's error.
The provision in rule 64 (c) (5) that the "cause shall proceed as though no request for report had been made" if the judge has not taken action on the report is not contingent on the clerk's sending notice. The two provisions are separate and independent. The notice provision is merely for the convenience of litigants and does not relieve the parties of their procedural obligations or otherwise affect their rights. See Home Owners' Loan Corp. v. Sweeney, 309 Mass. 26, 30 (1941); Bath Iron Works, Ltd. v. Savage, 262 Mass. 123, 127 (1928). Nothing in the rule indicates that the expiration of the period in which to establish a report is tolled by the clerk's failure to comply with the rule's notice requirement. See Sullivan v. Jordan, 310 Mass. 12, 15 (1941).
Despite the clerk's omission, the defendant's failure to preserve his rights on appeal by filing a petition to establish the report or by taking other action is a "'serious misstep,' not a `relatively innocuous one,' the appropriate . . . penalty for which is presumptively dismissal of the appeal." Vyskocil v. Vyskocil, 376 Mass. 137, 140 (1978), quoting Schulte v. Director of the Div. of Employment Sec., 369 Mass. 74, 79 (1975). See Cape Cod Bank & Trust Co. v. LeTendre, 384 Mass. 481, 484 (1981) (question whether failure to adhere to the provisions of Dist. Mun. Cts. R. Civ. P. 64 warrants dismissal is to be considered in light of factors enunciated in Schulte). [Note 4] In Schulte, we singled out as an example of a "serious
misstep" the attempt to institute an appeal after "expiration of the period limited by a statute or rule." Id. The defendant's failure to take any action for a period fully three times the prescribed time limit is similarly serious. The record does not reflect any effort by the defendant to seek a hearing on the draft report or to monitor its progress during the three-month period in which final action should have been taken. It is the obligation of counsel, not of the clerk, to monitor the progress of their cases. Hackney v. Butler, 339 Mass. 605, 609 (1959). Counsel's reliance on the clerk in this case was an "abdication of continuing responsibility," and does not excuse his failure to preserve the rights of his client. Id. Cf. Mitchell v. Lituri, 344 Mass. 253, 254 (1962).
Our cases and Federal cases make it clear that it is the responsibility of the bar, not the court staff, to attend to the progress of pending matters. See, e.g., Locke v. Slater, 387 Mass. 682 (1982) (clerk's failure to comply with Dist. Mun. Cts. R. Civ. P. 77 [d] notice requirement did not extend time for filing a request for a report beyond the maximum period provided by Dist. Mun. Cts. R. Civ. P. 64 [c] [1]); L.Z. v. Parrish, 733 F.2d 585 (8th Cir. 1984) (clerk's failure to provide notice of entry of judgment did not excuse untimely appeal when counsel made no effort to ascertain status of case for seventy-seven days following receipt of memorandum opinion); Jones v. Estelle, 693 F.2d 547 (5th Cir. 1982), cert. denied, 460 U.S. 1072 (1983) (circuit court had no jurisdiction to hear appeal filed thirteen months after entry of judgment, regardless of whether clerk provided notice of entry of judgment). See also Stevens v. ITT Syss., Inc., 868 F.2d 1040 (9th Cir. 1989); Spika v. Village of Lombard,
Ill., 763 F.2d 282 (7th Cir. 1985), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 1056 (1986); Wilson v. Atwood Group, 725 F.2d 255 (5th Cir.), cert. dismissed sub nom. Stark v. Atwood Group, 468 U.S. 1222 (1984). Cf. Feltch v. General Rental Co., 383 Mass. 603, 613 (1981). "All litigants are better served if the time in which certain actions are required has some meaning. Appellees, particularly, are entitled to the progress of appeals with reasonable dispatch and to some protection against purposeful stretching out of appellate proceedings." Points East, Inc. v. City Council of Gloucester, 15 Mass. App. Ct. 722, 726 (1983). [Note 5]
The defendant's delay cannot be characterized as excusable neglect simply because the clerk also failed to perform the duties required by the rule. An appellant cannot claim excusable neglect simply because a clerk has committed an error. Hawkins v. Hawkins, 397 Mass. 401, 408 (1986). "Excusable neglect calls for unique or extraordinary circumstances . . . . The concept of excusable neglect does not embrace `[a] flat mistake of counsel about the meaning of a statute or rule' or other `garden-variety oversight[s]'" (citations omitted). Mailer v. Mailer, 387 Mass. 401, 406 (1982). [Note 6]
2. Judgment. The defendant contends that judgment never entered and that the appeal is, therefore, premature. We do not reach this issue because we conclude that, in the circumstances of this case, the defendant is estopped from asserting that his own appeal is premature.
Both parties operated below under the assumption that the judge's findings and award of damages was a final judgment. The defendant made various postjudgment motions and subsequently filed a draft report in which he assumed that judgment had entered. He never argued that his appeal was premature until he reached the Appeals Court. Thus his current posture is inconsistent with his position below. In such circumstances, litigants are estopped from reversing their earlier positions. Elfman v. Glaser, 313 Mass. 370, 376 (1943); Patriot Cinemas, Inc. v. General Cinema Corp., 834 F.2d 208 (1st Cir. 1987). See Davis v. Wakelee, 156 U.S. 680, 689 (1895) ("where a party assumes a certain position in a legal proceeding . . . he may not thereafter . . . assume a contrary position"); Orleans Educ. Ass'n v. School Dist. of Orleans, 193 Neb. 675, 678 (1975) ("A party who has taken a position with regard to procedure, which has been acted or relied upon by his adversary or the court, is estopped from taking an inconsistent position respecting the same matter in the same proceeding to his adversary's prejudice"). Cf. Gordon v. Lewitsky, 333 Mass. 379, 381 (1955).
In Lewis v. Emerson, 391 Mass. 517, 520 (1984), we concluded that "rigid" application of the rules concerning entry of judgment would waste judicial resources. In the circumstances of this case, estoppel prevents just such a waste of judicial resources and "protect[s] the integrity of the courts." Patriot Cinemas, Inc., supra at 214. The defendant is estopped from discrediting his own appeal.
Order of the Appellate Division affirmed.
[Note 1] Susan E. Brown.
[Note 2] Of Coachman Realty Trust and individually. We shall refer to a single defendant.
[Note 3] Rule 64 (c) (5) of the District/Municipal Courts Rules of Civil Procedure provides, in relevant part: "If final action by the trial judge upon any draft report . . . is not taken within three months after the filing thereof, and no petition for establishment of a report has been filed, the cause shall proceed as though no request for report has been made, unless the appellate division for cause shown shall allow further time. Notice under this rule shall be sent by the clerk to the parties in the case fourteen days at least before the three months . . . expires."
[Note 4] See, for examples of "innocuous" procedural mistakes, Simpson v. Director of the Div. of Employment Sec., 391 Mass. 403 (1984) (late service); Pierce v. Board of Appeals of Carver, 369 Mass. 804 (1976) (same); Gilmore v. Gilmore, 369 Mass. 598 (1976) (failure to designate record and failure to assemble record on appeal in timely fashion, when failure not attributable to appellant's error). See, for examples of "serious" procedural error, McCarthy v. O'Connor, 398 Mass. 193 (1986) (failure to order official transcript); Doten, v. Doten, 395 Mass. 135 (1985) (same); Dorrance v. Zoning Bd. of Appeal of N. Attleborough, 7 Mass. App. Ct. 932 (1979) (failure to assemble record on appeal, when failure attributable to appellant's inaction).
[Note 5] The plaintiffs' counsel also contended at oral argument that the defendant failed to comply with Dist. Mun. Cts. R. Civ. P. 64 (c) (3), because he did not mail a copy of the draft report to the trial judge but merely delivered the draft report to the clerk. The record before us does not indicate that the plaintiffs raised this issue at any prior stage in the proceedings. Therefore, it was not timely raised and we do not reach it. If it could be established that the defendant erred in this manner, it simply would add weight to our conclusion that his other procedural error was fatal to his appeal.
[Note 6] Although we affirm the order of the Appellate Division, we shall ask the District Court to revise its rules and simplify its Appellate Division procedures within a reasonable time.
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Frostiana: Seven Country Songs
Full Work Name: Frostiana: Seven Country Songs
Form: songs for Mixed Chorus and Piano (1959), for Chamber Orchestra (1965)
Composer: Randall Thompson
Year/Date: 1959 & 1965
Catalogue #: N/A
Movements: 7
Frostiana: Seven Country Songs is a piece for mixed chorus and piano composed in 1959 by Randall Thompson. It premiered on October 18, 1959, in Amherst, Massachusetts. Thompson later scored the piece for chamber orchestra and chorus; this version was first performed on April 23, 1965.
Thompson was commissioned by the town of Amherst to write a piece commemorating its bicentennial in 1959. The town was known for its association with Robert Frost, who had lived there for some years. Frost had known Thompson for some time, and admired his music; accordingly, it was decided that the commemorative work would be a setting of some of Frost’s poetry. The town suggested “The Gift Outright”; Thompson, however, feared that the text was inappropriate for the occasion, and asked to be allowed to choose his own texts. In the end, the composer selected seven poems, with which he constructed a seven-movement suite of choral art songs:
“The Road Not Taken” – 06:06 “The Pasture” – 05:55 “Come In” – 03:20 “The Telephone” – 02:29 “A Girl’s Garden” – 03:01 “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” – 05:26 “Choose Something Like a Star” – 07:20
Products by this composer in the Audio Store
Categories Featured Musical Work Tags Thompson Post navigation
Vaterländischer Künstlerverein Part I & II
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‘Vulgar’ Digong taunts critics
‘Women, Church can vote for other bets’
posted April 19, 2016 at 12:01 am by Christine F. Herrera
PRESIDENTIAL candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Monday taunted women’s groups, his opponents, and religious leaders outraged by his remarks about the 1989 rape and murder of an Australian missionary, and said he would not back out of the race because his campaign donors had already spent a lot.
“For the life of me, I can lose the elections today. I will not die if I don’t get elected president. However, I cannot just withdraw because many donors have started giving their contributions since my ratings started going up,” said Duterte, who has topped the latest opinion polls.
Expressing no remorse Monday, Duterte dared his critics—particularly the militant women’s group Gabriela—not to vote for him.
“Tell Gabriela, as a matter of principle, son of a bitch, you want me to remember to be courteous all the time? Do not control my mouth, Gabriela. This is my mouth. It is God-given. That’s gutter language because I grew up in a poor neighborhood. Ang bunganga ko bastos. Lumaki ako sa neighborhood na bastos, (My mouth is vulgar. I grew up in a vulgar neighborhood.)” Duterte said.
Continuing his tirade, Duterte said: “Gabriela, if it will make you happy if I lose because of this. Well, let me get ahead of you, Gabriela. Do not vote for me.”
Unrepentant. In this photo taken on March 2, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte speaks to reporters during a campaign sortie in Lingayen, Pangasinan. Duterte has admitted that he used ‘gutter language’ in recounting the rape and killing of an Australian missionary in 1989 during a speech last week. AFP
Duterte took the same attitude when told that Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, had urged Catholics not to vote for him, Duterte said: “Correct. Do not vote for me.”
“If you obey CBCP, fine,” he added. “But understand my language.’’
Duterte said his language may be foul and offensive, but the bishops and the members of the Catholic Church should remember that he is not a thief.
He then told Catholics to carefully examine the call of their leaders.
“I am asking the Catholics to carefully examine this… What I am saying is, in spite... of my mouth, I will give you a clean government,” he said.
Asked to comment on the condemnation of his remarks by the Australian Embassy, Duterte said: “I don’t want anyone controlling me. I say what I say, and I have said it.”
In the video of a speech delivered April 12, Duterte told supporters he got angry at a group of inmates who had raped and killed Australian missionary Jacqueline Hamill in 1989, not just because they committed the crime, but because the victim was so beautiful, “the mayor should have been first.”
On Sunday, Duterte refused to apologize for his remarks and went into a lengthy narration of the two-day hostage taking in a Davao prison in 1989.
He said his remarks on April 12 were not a joke, but a narration of the events of 1989.
In the video, Duterte said in Filipino to laughter from his supporters: “When the bodies were brought out, they were wrapped. I looked at her face, son of a bitch, she looked like a beautiful American actress. Son of a bitch, what a waste… What came to mind was, they raped her, they lined up. I was angry because she was raped, that’s one thing. But she was so beautiful, the mayor should have been first. What a waste.
Duterte, who boasts of the extra-judicial killings of suspects by vigilantes during his time in Davao, was the preferred candidate in the run up to the May 9 election, according to the latest opinion survey on April 3.
In his account of the 1989 hostage crisis, Duterte said then President Corazon Aquino had ordered him to resolve the two-day standoff at the jail immediately and peacefully.
“Cory Aquino prevented me from killing them, but those sons-of-bitches beat me to it [raping the Australian missionary]. I’m the mayor and they beat me to it.”
In utter outrage, Duterte said, he emptied a magazine from his Uzi on the rapists and hostage takers.
“I fired the first shot. I took my Uzi and emptied the magazine. I said, wipe them out. Kill them all. Those sons of bitches, the Australian was so beautiful and they beat me to her,” Duterte said.
No one was spared, and all 16 hostage takers were killed, he added.
Duterte also said the rape joke that went viral was “no joke” because he was recounting what he had said in 1989 in anger.
Duterte urged the CBCP to ease up on its condemnation of him.
“I thought all the while I was doing my duties for humanity. And now they’re castigating me for my mouth?” he said.
He also said he does not care if his choice of language will cost him the election.
“If it is not acceptable to the cultured people, let it be,” he said. “If it means my defeat, so be it.”
He again explained the remark that sparked negative reactions.
“It was slang, a derogation. I was belittling their manhood. It was not a slur. It was street slang,” he said. “But it was not a joke about rape.”
Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, president of the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan which adopted Duterte as its standard bearer, urged the public to “move on,” saying that the mayor had already apologized for his remarks—even though the candidate had not done so.
“We stand unequivocally on the side of Mayor Duterte on this matter and wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who stood by him and continue to do so despite the most vicious and malevolent attacks against his character and integrity in both mainstream and social media,” Pimentel’s statement read.
“We reiterate: Mayor Duterte remains focused on the campaign and will continue to mobilize people’s support for his platform of Tunay na Pagbabago anchored on a 24/7 war against crime and corruption, inclusive growth through regional development and equality under the law.” With Rio N. Araja
Topics: Mayor Rodrigo Duterte , rape jokes , vulgar , digong taunts critics , presidential candidate
More on the LP plan vs. Duterte and on the Novotel incident
Duterte berates govt over Abaya
Joma offers truce to Duterte admin
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Cultural Arts Tomorrow!
Billy Jonas 'Everybody’s in the Band'
Themes include ecological awareness, community connection, and various curriculum-related songs. Billy will discuss recycling more to emphasize the ecological awareness theme.
This program is all about participation. Concerts include sing-a-longs, bang-a-longs, and an improvised song with audience suggestions. Instruments include voices, guitar and homemade, recyclable, object instruments. This show proves to each and every participant that they are indeed a musician. For more than two decades, his creative and interactive performances have enchanted and inspired folks from all walks of life — touching hearts, souls, and minds world-wide .
As a founding member of the acclaimed duo "The Billys," Billy Jonas has made innovative use of "found objects." He helps audiences discover the music within common items … and within themselves. Billy Jonas' recordings and live concerts across the US and Canada have generated an enthusiastic following. His CD "What Kind of Cat are You?!" received multiple awards including a First Place/Gold from AFIM (American Federation of Independent Musicians), and a Parent's Choice Gold. Jonas' videos have garnered critical acclaim, including Parents Choice Awards and a New York Times "Best" listing
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Proposed Amendments to the Broadcasting Act on Satellite Broadcasting
Kevin Aquilina
Department of Public Law, Faculty of Laws, University of Malta
A bill to amend the Broadcasting Act has been published in the Malta Government Gazette of Friday, 6 February 2009. The object of the Bill is to amend the Broadcasting Act to enable the Broadcasting Authority to license broadcasting content on satellite radio and television services. As the situation stands to date, the licensing of satellite radio and television broadcasting content has always been entrusted to the Government of Malta and, in particular, to the minister responsible for communications. This Bill proposes to entrust this function to the independent broadcasting regulator. In fact, in practice, the Ministry has always delegated the processing and issuing of such licences to the Broadcasting Authority. The Bill would officially divest the Government of the regulation of broadcasting content and assign the task to the Broadcasting Authority.
A person who is under the jurisdiction of Malta cannot supply a compilation of programmes for the purpose of transmission as a radio or television broadcasting service, whether for reception in Malta or elsewhere, by means of a satellite device, otherwise than under and in accordance with a satellite radio or television content broadcasting licence. In the case of a television licence, compliance with the provisions of the European Union’s Television Without Frontiers Directive is necessary. An application fee of one thousand euros (EUR 1,000) has to be paid to the Authority by an applicant for a satellite radio or television content broadcasting service. A satellite content licence will include: a condition requiring the holder of the licence to comply with such legislation, requirements as to such standards, practice and conditions as the Authority may specify with respect to the programmes supplied in pursuance of the licence and a condition requiring the holder of the licence to utilise that licence for such duration as the Authority may establish, provided that such duration shall not exceed a maximum period of eight years.
An application for a licence to provide satellite content service will be made in such a manner and will be accompanied by such licence fees as the Authority may determine.
An administrative penalty may be imposed by the Authority of up to a maximum of three hundred thousand euro, should there be a breach by a satellite content service licence-holder of the Broadcasting Act or any subsidiary legislation made thereunder. Finally, the Prime Minister may, following agreement with the Authority, make regulations to give better effect to the new provisions on satellite broadcasting.
Bill entitled the Broadcasting (Amendment) Act, 2009 , Government Gazette of Malta No. 18,376, 6 February 2009 EN
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Target: Ubiquitin-like protein ISG15 (UCRP)
Target (abbrv.) UCRP
Target (full name) Ubiquitin-like protein ISG15
Somalogic ID (Sequence ID) N/A (14151-4_3)
Entrez Gene Symbol ISG15
Ubiquitin-like protein which plays a key role in the innate immune response to viral infection either via its conjugation to a target protein (ISGylation) or via its action as a free or unconjugated protein. ISGylation involves a cascade of enzymatic reactions involving E1, E2, and E3 enzymes which catalyze the conjugation of ISG15 to a lysine residue in the target protein. Its target proteins include IFIT1, MX1/MxA, PPM1B, UBE2L6, UBA7, CHMP5, CHMP2A, CHMP4B and CHMP6. Can also isgylate: EIF2AK2/PKR which results in its activation, DDX58/RIG-I which inhibits its function in antiviral signaling response, EIF4E2 which enhances its cap structure-binding activity and translation-inhibition activity, UBE2N and UBE2E1 which negatively regulates their activity, IRF3 which inhibits its ubiquitination and degradation and FLNB which prevents its ability to interact with the upstream activators of the JNK cascade therby inhibiting IFNA-induced JNK signaling. Exhibits antiviral activity towards both DNA and RNA viruses, including influenza A, HIV-1 and Ebola virus. Restricts HIV-1 and ebola virus via disruption of viral budding. Inhibits the ubiquitination of HIV-1 Gag and host TSG101 and disrupts their interaction, thereby preventing assembly and release of virions from infected cells. Inhibits Ebola virus budding mediated by the VP40 protein by disrupting ubiquitin ligase activity of NEDD4 and its ability to ubiquitinate VP40. ISGylates influenza A virus NS1 protein which causes a loss of function of the protein and the inhibition of virus replication. The secreted form of ISG15 can: induce natural killer cell proliferation, act as a chemotactic factor for neutrophils and act as a IFN-gamma-inducing cytokine playing an essential role in antimycobacterial immunity.
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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Lima, Peru on Saturday 11/22/2008 | Politics
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Lima, Peru on Saturday to attend a two-day summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
A record number of 3,600 participants have gathe...
A blaze broke out at a hotel in Luliang, in northern 11/22/2008 | Other
Armed militants threw hand grenades at a wedding party in northern 11/22/2008 | Other
A two-headed kitten, that had been born in Western Australia earlier 11/22/2008 | Other
Russia's largest independent oil producer LUKoil applied to several Spanish banks 11/22/2008 | Business
A group of armed men attacked a fur fair in southern 11/22/2008 | Other
The legislature of the Irkutsk Region, in East Siberia, 11/22/2008 | Other
Japan expressed hope on Friday that Moscow and Tokyo would 11/22/2008 | Other
Russia's state development bank Vnesheconombank has approved a further $2 billion 11/22/2008 | Business
Georgia's request to move the 2014 Winter Olympics from a resort 11/22/2008 | Other
France will sign a loan agreement with Georgia on November 11/22/2008 | Politics
Kamaz is considering setting up an assembly line to produce 11/22/2008 | Other
The Russian Orthodox Church is not creating its own private 11/22/2008 | Other
Lithuania will buy two minesweepers from 11/22/2008 | Other
Russia currently has around two billion tons of toxic waste 11/22/2008 | Other
Officers from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) seized over 60 kilograms 11/22/2008 | Other
Gazprom Export, the export arm of Russian energy giant Gazprom, 11/22/2008 | Business
The speaker of the lower house of the Czech parliament 11/22/2008 | Politics
U.S car giant General Motors (GM) and Russia's Avtotor opened 11/22/2008 | Other
An HIV-infected inmate has bitten two guards in the central Russian 11/22/2008 | Other
The Moscow City Court acquitted on Friday two men suspected 11/22/2008 | Other
The reactor on Russia's newest strategic nuclear-powered submarine, the Yury ... 11/22/2008 | Other
Russian nuclear power plant builder Atomstroyexport will by mid-December meet Turkey's 11/22/2008 | Other
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Good Girl: Fingers Crossed
Good Girl: Sweaty Palms and the Smile
Artist Statements
Nuni Lee
Good Girl: Fingers Crossed (2019)
“Good Girl: Fingers Crossed” is a group of paintings illuminating the coexistence of two conflicting emotions – childlike excitement and the bittersweet feeling for the transience of life. This body of work was inspired by the first line of T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland “April is the cruelest month.” The verse resonated with me as it expresses the temporary nature of spring, which I connected to one’s childhood, a short and vibrant season of growth. I began to work with spring as the central theme for my current body of work, using motifs such as flowers, trees, skulls, and rain to represent the temporary nature of life. “Good Girl,” who is the central figure of my work, is a reflection of me as a child and manifests my attempt to hold on to my childhood memories and childlike traits. The title “Fingers Crossed” represents Good Girl’s wish for the spring season to stay, while knowing that it cannot last forever. The body of work is intended to elicit a sense of nostalgia for the childhood that cannot be revisited. Noticeably infantile and gesturally feline in her characteristics, Good Girl demands sensitive attention and empathy from her audience.
Good Girl: Sweaty Palms and the Smile (2018)
In the "Good Girl" Series, I work in combinations of paintings and small felted sculptures to illustrate the complicated emotions that arise from childhood memories and childlike impulses. My work revolves around a central figure, Good Girl. She is the reflection of me as an artist and manifests my attempt to hold on to my inner child, which is triggered by my desire to relieve her from dark emotions that she felt in her childhood. Good Girl is also a representation of a typical young girl who feels anxious about growing up. Noticeably infantile and feline in her characteristics and subtle in her expressions, Good Girl demands sensitive attention from her audience. My dream journal entries, anecdotes, and memories from childhood serve as important sources for creating images of Good Girl.
Click here to be added to the mailing list.
© 2014-2019 nunimonalee.com. All rights reserved.
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A TWO-point night -- Game 46: Caps 3 - Senators 1
The Washington Capitals put an end to their three-game losing streak by defeating the Ottawa Senators this afternoon, 3-1, at Verizon Center in a contest in which fans got three games for their money. We are not arguing that all three were to Caps fans’ liking.
The first game was the first 20 minutes, in which Ottawa took advantage of some rust on goalie Michal Neuvirth (he had one appearance before this game since December 23rd) to score a goal 72 seconds into the game. Nick Foligno started the play by dumping the puck from the Capitals’ blue line into the opposite corner where Ryan Shannon tracked it down. Shannon fired the puck across toward the Washington cage, where Neuvirth blocked it aside. Foligno tried to poke it in, and Neuvirth tried to cover it up, but it was Mike Fisher who nudged it past Neuvirth before he could control it to give the Senators the early lead.
Even after that early goal the Caps looked rather lethargic, recording only one even-strength shot on goal in the first 15 minutes against one of the least effective even-strength teams in the league. Washington managed only five total shots on goal in the period. Not included among them were two golden opportunities for Marcus Johansson who found himself on both occasions standing in front of the Ottawa goaltender with the puck on his stick and nary a Senator in the same area code, and he missed the net on both occasions. Add to that a third opportunity he had when crossing through the low slot with a scoring chance on his stick, and it was a perverse sort of “hat trick” of missed opportunities.
The second period (or the second "game" for the fans) was a lot livelier for the Caps, if not satisfyingly productive. The Caps managed 12 shots at goaltender Brian Elliott, but there was still the disturbing notion of getting one shot on goal, but not getting any follow-up opportunities. The Senators seemed content to play the game outside the faceoff dots and along the wall in a sort of rope-a-dope effort that left the Caps with unappealing shot opportunities save for one occasion when it seemed the entire Washington bench crashed the net in an effort to get the equalizer.
The Senators are in 13th place in the Eastern Conference for a reason, and it manifested itself in the eighth minute of the third period (the bet "game" of the afternoon for Caps fans). Mike Green reached the Ottawa line and sent the puck hard around to the other corner where Senator defenseman Erik Karlsson collected it. As he was absorbing a hit from Alex Ovechkin, he nudged the puck over to his partner, Chris Phillips. Phillips tried to hit Daniel Alfredsson with a pass, but there were two things wrong with that idea. First, Alfredsson was circling six feet from his own goaltender, which meant that Phillips was trying to clear the puck from behind his own goal line up the middle of the ice. Way bad idea. The second thing that was wrong with the idea was that he ended up executing a bad idea poorly, missing Alfredsson and putting the puck on the stick of Brooks Laich, who took advantage by wrong-footing a wrist shot past Elliott to tie the game.
Forty-five seconds later the Caps did precisely what you are supposed to do when a team takes liberties with one of your players. Milan Michalek, who had no play in front of him as the puck was sliding down the boards, pushed Karl Alzner head first into the half-wall near the Caps bench. He was sent off on a two-minute minor for cross-checking at 7:58. On the ensuing face off Nicklas Backstrom won the draw cleanly to John Carlson who fired the puck past Elliott to give the Caps the lead. Elapsed time of power play: two seconds.
Jason Chimera closed the scoring on a play you never expect an NHL goaltender to surrender, although it probably happens several times a year. Chimera had the puck just below the goal line in the left wing corner. He stepped out and walked the line for a few steps, just enough for Elliott to cheat on the pass he was expecting. That left a perfect opening for the left-handed shot of Chimera, who scooped the puck off Elliott’s back and into the net. Three goals in the space of 6:16, and the Caps’ losing streak was over.
-- The Caps won the dot 43-19. 43-19? Winning 69 percent of the draws is hard to do in this league. They were a combined 36-14 (72 percent) in the offensive and defensive zones.
-- Alex Ovechkin “played” his best game in at least a month (even though he did not record a point). Not only did he have several excellent looks at the net, he created many of those opportunities on his own with an explosiveness not often seen lately. Then again, it was Ottawa, not Vancouver and not the next team the Caps are playing – Philadelphia.
-- You would have needed a supercomputer to keep up with the line juggling from Bruce Boudreau …Johansson-Ovechkin-Laich…Backstrom-Knuble-Hendricks…Backstrom-Andrew Gordon-and who knows who?
-- Another guy who “played” well (if his being shut out in points didn’t reflect it) was Mike Green. Eight shot attempts, (three on goal), five hits, and three blocked shots. And he was skating very well, not prone to the occasional leaving of the puck behind that seemed to creep into his game lately.
-- If there was a “buddy movie” to be made about hockey players, it might feature Karl Alzner and John Carlson. Alzner gets leveled against the boards to draw a penalty, Carlson picks up his partner two seconds later with a bomb from the point on the power play. Someone messes wit my partner, he messes wit me.
-- Not much on John Erskine’s score sheet – a couple of shots, a takeaway, a blocked shot, but he was making good decisions with the puck deep in his own end, and he was making sure Chris Neil wasn’t getting away with free shots at teammates.
-- Michal Neuvirth stopped the last 20 shots he faced over the last 58:48. That is called “slamming the door.” That is 15 wins in 28 games in this, Neuvirth’s rookie season. He is within shouting distance of the club record for wins by a rookie goaltender (18) set by Jim Carey in 1995.
In the end, the Caps “played” a lot better than the 3-1 final suggests. If Marcus Johansson and Alex Ovechkin cashed in on half the looks they had, it might have been a five or six goal game for the Caps. The giving up goals early is still a problem, though. And that is something that can get the Caps in a world of trouble on Tuesday, when they jump up several weight classes to visit the Flyers in Philadelphia.
Labels: 2010-2011 capitals postgame, Ottawa Senators, the peerless prognosticator, Washington Capitals
The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Caps vs. Senators, January 16th
Over the past nine games the Washington Capitals have played their arch rivals twice (Pittsburgh), their closest competitors in the Southeast Division twice (Tampa Bay), another Southeast Division rival twice (Florida), a team fighting to hold onto a playoff spot (Montreal), a team fighting to get into a playoff spot (Carolina), and the best team in the league at the moment (Vancouver).
You could say that the last three weeks have been somewhat eventful.
The Caps get a change of pace in hosting the Ottawa Senators at Verizon Center this afternoon. Ottawa is not a rival (they’re in the Northeast Division), not fighting for a playoff spot (11 points out of eighth place), and are far from being the best team in the league (24 points behind Vancouver).
What the Senators are is a team that might be fighting for their coach’s continued employment…
"If we get fired, it's not failure; it's a midlife vocational assessment." – P.J. O’Roarke
The speculation on Clouston’s job ranges from the “it is widely believed” sort of lead to the more emphatic “Clouston must go” sort of statement.
"When I find an employee who turns out to be wrong for a job, I feel it is my fault because I made the decision to hire him." – Akio Morita
The swirl of speculation even goes so far as to question whether Bryan Murray will be re-upped as Senators’ general manager.
"In the end we are all sacked and it's always awful. It is as inevitable as death following life. If you are elevated there comes a day when you are demoted." – Alan Clark
But in the end, just about everyone in that line of work is informed that their services are no longer required. Whether Clouston will get that message might come down to how well his Senators fare against the struggling Capitals this afternoon.
Things were not always such. The Senators started the month of November with four straight wins, part of a six-wins-in-seven-games run that left them with an 8-6-1 record on November 9th. But then they took one in the teeth, courtesy of the Vancouver Canucks – a 6-2 beating at home. Starting with that game the Senators’ have been plummeting through the standings. Since their four-game winning streak they are 9-16-5 over their last 30 games and managed consecutive wins only once – wins over Nashville and Pittsburgh in the games immediately before and after Christmas. Since those wins, the Senators have lost seven of eight games (1-5-2), have been outscored 30-15, and were shut out twice. Overall, here are the numbers:
If the Caps are going to snap out of their offensive doldrums, this could be team against which it happens. First, number one goaltender Brian Elliott has not been on top of his game of late. He is winless in his last seven decisions (0-5-2), has a 3.83 goals against average and a .862 save percentage, and was pulled twice over that span. And it is not as if Elliott has been especially productive against the Caps over his career. He has a 4-1-0 lifetime record against Washington, but in compiling that win-loss mark he has a 3.86 goals against average and a .864 save percentage. He lost his only decision against the Caps this season, a 3-2 loss in Ottawa on December 19th.
Elliott’s ability to win games against the Caps stems from his receiving considerable goal support from his teammates. Not so these days. Here is an idea of how much the Senators have struggled on offense. Jason Spezza hasn’t played a game since December 26th and he is still third on the team in total scoring (20 points).
Daniel Alfredsson leads the Senators in scoring these days, but these things are relative. Alfredsson’s 14-13-27 line has him in a tie for 98th place in the NHL scoring rankings. He has been cold of late, going 3-2-5, minus-5 in his last 11 games. But the Caps might beware in this sense. Alfredsson has 11 of his 14 goals and 18 of his 27 points in 21 games on the road this season. Despite not having a point in either of the two games Ottawa played against the Caps so far this season, he is 32-28-60 in 52 career games against the Caps.
With Spezza out of the lineup, the next highest scoring forward on the club is Mike Fisher (11-7-18). But then again, he is 2-3-5, minus-6 in his last 15 games. He might want to imagine he was playing against Toronto, against which he is 3-1-4 this season. Against the Caps? No points in two games, but he is 9-9-18 in 30 career games against Washington.
If the Senators have reliable scoring, it comes more from their defense, with Erik Karlsson (8-18-26) and Sergei Gonchar (5-15-20) each with at least 20 points. Karlsson – a 20-year old with considerable promise – had a pair of goals and an assist against Pittsburgh on December 26th, but has not registered a goal since (he has three assists in his last eight games). He seems to play favorites, though. Against Montreal, Toronto, and Pittsburgh he is 4-7-11 in 11 games. Against the rest of the league he is 4-11-15 in 32 games. None of those points have come at the expense of the Caps in the two games against them this year.
Gonchar was brought to Ottawa to help on the power play, and he has been as advertised. His 3-12-15 leads the Senators in total power play points, and he is 12th among all NHL defensemen in power play points. But he has been on the ice for 42 of the 103 even-strength goals scored by opponents against Ottawa so far this season. He is a minus-16 for the season, and that is after a freakish plus-5 he put up against the Islanders in a 6-4 win last Thursday.
Ottawa: Chris Campoli
Who? Gonchar is a minus-16, and Eriksson is a minus-13, but it was Campoli who was the defenseman given a seat in the press box for the last two games for Ottawa. Maybe it was his minus-4 against Boston in his last game. For a guy who doesn’t contribute much on the offensive end (he is 1-6-7 this season), being on the ice for four goals against isn’t a way to endear yourself to your embattled coach. He will return to the lineup against Washington and will be counted upon to help keep the Caps’ offensive troubles from finding a solution against the Senators.
Washington: Mike Knuble
While much time and space has been devoted to the woes of other individual Capitals, Mike Knuble has been the one Cap who has been scoring at something at or above his expected pace. He has seven goals in his last 19 games, which works out to a 30-goal season pace. He is not a big assist guy, but the fact that he has only three assists in that span is evidence that his running mates on the first line (when he is playing on it) aren’t turning on the red light lately. He has not had an especially productive career against the Senators – 10-7-17 in 48 career games – but while the Caps are struggling to find something of their offensive flair, Knuble has been quietly contributing some grit and greasiness, much to the satisfaction of Kanoobie.
1. Find Your Inner Grinder. In the movie “Miracle,” Herb Brooks said, “You don't have enough talent to win on talent alone.” The Caps might take that to heart, because despite all their “talent” they are getting very little production. Find your inner grinder and get the ugly goal or three.
2. Gimme five. On five, that is. Only two teams have allowed more five-on-five goals than have the Senators (Tampa Bay and New Jersey). No team has allowed more even-strength goals of any number. Only the Islanders and Devils have a worse five-on-five goals scored to goals allowed ratio than does Ottawa. The Caps have to make hay while the sun shines at even strength.
3. Early Bird Special. The Caps are dead last in first period goals scored (28). The top line of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Mike Knuble have a total of six first period goals all season and are on a pace to finish with 11. Last season they had 35 such goals. Folks might talk about this or that reason for the Caps’ struggles on offense, but getting off to good starts – or the lack of it – says a lot about the problems they have had.
In the end, this game will say as much about the Caps as games against teams like Pittsburgh or Vancouver. In this instance, it will be a case of how effectively the Caps can put the Senators down and stand on their throats. The first two games against Ottawa this season were by no means easy – a pair of 3-2 wins, one coming in overtime. But we are getting to that point in the season where the Caps need to start looking like a contender, and Ottawa is sinking in the standings, a team for which there is as much attention focused on who is or will be behind the Senator bench as to what is happening on the ice. The Caps need to take advantage of that.
Caps 5 – Senators 1
Labels: 2010-2011 prognostications, Ottawa Senators, the peerless prognosticator, Washington Capitals
The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Ca...
► Oct 09
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Rotary, Aiding Polio in Somalia
Peter Killcommons, M.D., serves as the founder and CEO of Medweb, a medical imaging, teleradiology, and telemedicine company based out of San Francisco, California. Through his efforts, Medweb excels at the forefront of integrated healthcare. Pete Killcommons has worked with hospitals in Kabul and Jalalabad and is also involved in International Rotary.
International Rotary consists of rotary clubs, which bring together individuals to share ideas; Rotary International, which coordinates global programs; and the Rotary Foundation, which uses donations to fund projects worldwide. Rotary consists of 1.2 million people working together to create positive, lasting changes in communities around the world.
Recently, Rotary approved a $500,000 grant to the World Health Organization to fight a polio outbreak in Somalia. The grant covers the cost of human resources, training, and transportation of the necessary health workers to immunize children 10 and under in accessible areas of Somalia. Rotary's emergency funding to fight the polio outbreak in Somalia helps minimize the disease's further international spread.
An Overview of Telemedicine
Peter Killcommons, MD, founded Medweb, a medical imaging and telemedicine company, in 1992. In his position as chief executive officer, Dr. Pete Killcommons presides over the telemedicine, radiology, philanthropy, and disaster response divisions. At the First Armenian International Telemedicine Conference held in October 2011, Dr. Peter Killcommons presented a keynote speech on the successes and stumbling blocks inherent in utilizing telemedicine technology in Eastern Afghanistan.
Thanks to numerous advantages in technology, the world is shrinking. No longer do medical experts need to meet in person or coordinate phone calls across several time zones to exchange information. Telemedicine makes use of prolific and speedy Internet connections to transfer medical information from one part of the globe to another, with the goal of improving a patient's health.
Telemedicine dates back over 40 years to humble beginnings. Originally, representatives from hospitals would travel to out-of-the-way regions to lend their expertise in healing and science. As Internet connections became widely available, hospitals, private practices, and patient homes gained the means to share information electronically.
High-speed Internet allows all sorts of information to reach those in need more efficiently. Through telemedicine, professionals can hold video conferences with patients and peers, monitor vital signs from thousands of miles away, and continue their education from anywhere.
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Home » The Real Deal
Airing Fridays on WDCB 90.9FM Chicago, “The Real Deal with Orbert Davis” is a 3-hour, straight ahead jazz, tour de force hosted by Orbert Davis. This musical journey includes the traditions of our jazz heritage…where jazz is now, and where it’s going!
This Week’s Playlist — Friday,July 12th,2019:
1.Shadowboxing -Dave Stryker
2.Nature Boy -Corey Kendrick Trio
3.Organic Consequence -Aaron Diehl
4.Well You Needn’t -Franco Ambrosetti
5.Alexis -Andrew Hardro
6.Painted Lady -Abbey Lincoln
7.Menina Moca -Stan Getz
8.When the Saints go Marching In -Kermit Ruffins-Irvin Mayfield
9.Conventional Wisdom -Pete McCann
10.Invitation -Dayramir & Habana enTRANCe
11.Amnios -Yasek Manzano
12.Que Bueno Baila Usted -Ibraham Ferrer
13.Quien Sera -Polo Montanez
14.Havana at Twelve -Chicago Jazz Philharmonic
15.Tormenta -Jane Bunnett & Maqueque
16.Alguien Me Detenga -Eme Alfonso
17.The Afro Jazz Latin Suite,Movement 2:All of the Americans -Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra Ft.Rudresh Mahanthappa
18.Mozambique en Mi B -Harold Lopez-Nussa
19.Sin Empezar -Dayme Arocena
20.Armando’s Rumba -Havana Horns
21.La Feria -Jorge Luis Pacheco
22.Poco -Brad Turner Quartet With Seamus Blake
23.Yana -Joel Ross
24.Sicily -The Fred Hughes Trio
25.Taxi War Dance -Count Basie
26.Giant Steps -John Coltrane
27.Sketch in Green -Keith O’Rourke
28.Blues By Five -Miles Davis
29.Spain -Jackie Allen
30.Downhill -Eyal Vilner Band
Ndugu Chancler
A premier jazz, pop and funk drummer, Ndugu Chancler’s rhythmic aggressiveness and vitality distinguishes anything he plays. His playing can be heard on many hit records, ranging from jazz to blues to pop, including Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”. Chancler has also worked with George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Jean-Luc Ponty, Donna Summer, Patrice Rushen, Carlos Santana, Hubert Laws, The Crusaders, Frank Sinatra, Weather Report, Lionel Richie, Kenny Rogers, Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock and John Lee Hooker. His most recent release is “3 Brave Souls” with Darryl Jones and John Beasley.
Roosevelt Griffin
Emerson has a saying that fits both Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School Band Director, Roosevelt Griffin (winner of the 2014 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching) and his students: “Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” Words can’t express the impact Roosevelt has had on his students. Parents marvel over the transformation their children have made while participating in his band program. His teaching care is transformative in nature and results in an outstanding student product that is reflected in the elevated performance of an outstanding middle school jazz band that has taken the stage of the Chicago Jazz Festival and received high acclaim.
Willard Jenkins
Willard Jenkins is an independent arts consultant & producer, and writer under his Open Sky banner. Jenkins’ current activity includes concert, festival, and concert series planning/development, artistic direction, consulting, music journalism, teaching, and broadcast work. Jenkins’ written contributions have appeared on Amazon.com, NPRJazz.org, NetNoir.com, Impact247.com, and Africana.com; additionally he writes and edits his own blog The Independent Ear on his web site: OpenSkyJazz.com. Jenkins also collaborated with NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston on his memoirs African Rhythms in 2009.
Howard Levy
Multiple Grammy award-winner Howard Levy is an acknowledged master of the diatonic harmonica, a superb pianist, innovative composer, recording artist, bandleader, teacher, producer, and Chicago area resident. He is perhaps best known for the four CD’s he recorded with Bela Fleck and The Flecktones, a unique band that set the musical world on its ear back in the early 1990’s.
His musical travels have taken him all over the geographical world and the musical map. Equally at home in Jazz, Classical music, Rock, Folk, Latin, and World Music, he brings a fresh lyrical approach to whatever he plays. He joins Orbert to reflect on his 40-year musical career, and even makes time for an impromptu jam.
A respected insider within both the hardcore straight ahead and Latin Jazz communities, 2007 Grammy Award Winner Brian Lynch is as comfortable negotiating the complexities of clave with Afro-Caribbean pioneer Eddie Palmieri as he is swinging through advanced harmony with bebop maestro Phil Woods. A honored graduate of two of the jazz world’s most distinguished academies, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the Horace Silver Quintet, he has been a valued collaborator with jazz artists such as Benny Golson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Charles McPherson; Latin music icons as diverse as Hector LaVoe and Lila Downs; and pop luminaries such as Prince.
As a bandleader and recording artist he has released a series of critically acclaimed CDs featuring his distinctive composing and arranging, and toured the world with various ensembles reflecting the wide sweep of his music. He currently is on the faculty at New York University as well as conducting clinics and workshops at prestigious institutions of learning the world over. His talents have been recognized by top placings in the DownBeat Critics and Readers Polls; highly rated reviews for his work in DownBeat, Jazziz and JazzTimes; 2005 and 2007 Grammy award nominations as well as a 2007 Grammy Award, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Chamber Music America, and Meet The Composer.
Jason Marsalis is the youngest of a great jazz family. He has not only inherited the virtuosity and compositional skills associated with the Marsalis family, but has also developed a distinctive, polyrhythmic drumming style. He is both a drummer and a vibraphonist in both the leader role and as a sideman. Jason’s first album as a leader on the vibes entitled Music Update earned 4.5 out of 5 stars in Downbeat magazine, and Ben Ratliff from The New York Times described the Jason’s album as “an excellent musician trying out something risky without embarrassment.” He continues to work as a sideman with Marcus Roberts, Ellis and Delfeayo Marsalis, John Ellis, Dr. Michael White, and Shannon Powell among others. Along with his father and brothers, Jason is group recipient of the 2011 NEA Jazz Masters Award.
New York Voices
2013 marked New York Voices 25th Anniversary in music. They are known for their close-knit voicings, inspired arrangements and unparalleled vocal blend. With deep interests rooted in jazz, Brazilian, R&B, classical, and pop, their music mixes traditional sensibilities with more than a dash of the unexpected.
Along with their extensive concert performances and recording schedules, NYV also works in the field of education, giving workshops and clinics to high school and college music students throughout the world.
Alison Ruble
After a decade long apprenticeship in Chicago’s vibrant music scene, Alison Ruble has emerged in recent years as one of the city’s premier and in demand jazz vocalists. Having honed her skills with steady work at a number of Chicago’s high profile jazz rooms, including The Green Mill; Joe Segal’s Jazz Showcase, and Andy’s Jazz Club, Alison has etched out a distinct style that has drawn increasing attention from critics and audiences alike. In addition to extensive club work, she has appeared in a variety of theatre and festival settings, including Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Chicago Jazz Festival.
Alison Ruble has worked with the USO (United Service Organizations) of Illinois since 2003, first as their entertainment director, then as media, marketing & public relations director. Alison now leads the organization as its President & CEO, responsible for all the programs and operations of a mission that serves more than 300,000 active duty, guard and reserve military and military families every year with over 300 programs and services at six USO center locations. Alison is an Honorary Member of the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, serves as a member on the Illinois Discharged Servicemember Task Force, is a recipient of the Patriotic Civilian Service award in recognition for patriotic civilian service in support of the mission of U.S. Army, serves on Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White’s Veterans Advisory Council, the Armed Forces Council of Chicago, and is a member of the Steering Committee for the Chicago Navy Memorial project. Now in its 71st year, the USO is a civilian, 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that relies on the generosity of the American people to continue its work. Learn more at: usoofillinois.org.
Terell Stafford
Terell Stafford is a jazz trumpet player and current Director of Jazz Studies at Temple University. Originally a classical trumpet player, Stafford soon branched out to jazz with the University of Maryland jazz band. His career in jazz soon picked up and has played with McCoy Tyner, Christian McBride, John Clayton, Steve Turre, Dave Valentin, and Russell Malone and on stages such as Carnegie Hall and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He recently released a CD entitled New Beginnings featuring a number of other new up-and-coming musicians such as bassist Derrick Hodge.
In addition to his position at Temple, Terell Stafford has also worked with the Juilliard School’s jazz program, at the Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington program.
“The Real Deal with Orbert Davis” is produced by Mark Ingram and Orbert Davis, and is engineered by Roger Heiss.
Like “The Real Deal” on Facebook:
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Yes, Eastern Orthodoxy is Christian!
2:16 AM | Posted by The Blogger Formerly Known As Lvka | | Edit Post
This is a rejoinder to Robert Morey's book "Is Eastern Orthodoxy Christian?"
Sidenote: These are my own personal oppionions, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Church. Any error in this post must be pointed at me, and not Mother Church. However, any truth in this post must be pointed at Mother Church, and not me.
Robert Morey wrote a book about something he knows very little about.
In Chapter one of "Is Eastern Orthodoxy Christian?",
He says on Page 15 that Eastern Orthodoxy started out well. He speculates from what happened in Acts chapter 2:10 that many Jewish converts went back to their homelands and converted other Jews into the Christian Faith. He then fantasizes about how glorious and wonderful the Church and it’s pastors were. However, he has no documentation for this. He just declares it and expects us to take his word for it.
He goes on to talk about how hostile the early Egyptian Church was to Pagan philosophy.
He quotes Dr. Frend, the professor of Church history at the University of Glasgow to support his argument that the early Egyptian Church was against pagan philosophy. However, neither the New Testament nor the Apostolic Fathers that he quotes say anything about Christianity in Egypt. And the context of the "heretics" in his quote of Frend is most likely in reference to Valentinus, Basilides , The Heretic Cerinthus, Simon Magus, and maybe Marcion....and all of their followers.
The evidence we do have about Jews in Egypt is that some of them did make use of Hellenistic philosophy. Philo was such an Egyptian Jew. Also Morey is either ignoring or just doesn’t know the stronghold that Hellenism had on "Egyptian Jews". Not to mention Palestian Jews.
As seen from the Jewish Encyclopedia
"At Alexandria.
It was, however, in Alexandria that Jewish Hellenism reached its greatest development. Here, freed from the national bonds which held it firmlyto tradition in Palestine, Hellenistic Judaism became more Hellenistic than Jewish (see Alexandria). It is not true to say with Güdemann ("Monatsschrift," xlvii. 248) that Hellenism had no appreciable influence upon the development of Judaism; its influence was appreciable for many centuries; but it was driven out of the Jewish camp by the national sentiment aroused in the Maccabean and Bar Kokba revolts, and in forming the bridge between Judaism and Christianity it lost whatever permanent influence it might have possessed. Since that time, even in Egypt, the classical home of Hellenism, rabbinical Jewish communities have flourished that have borne no perceptible trace of the movement which made Alexandria great."
Also there is some evidence that even Palestinian Jews were influenced by Hellenistic culture. As Seen here, here, and here.
The Jewish Encyclopedia says:
"It was especially in eastern Palestine that Hellenism took a firm hold, and the cities of the Decapolis (which seems also to have included Damascus) were the centers of Greek influence. This influence extended in later times over the whole of the district east of the Jordan and of the Sea of Gennesaret, especially inTrachonitis, Batanæa, and Auranitis. The cities in western Palestine were not excepted. Samaria and Panias were at an early time settled by Macedonian colonists. The names of places were Hellenized: "Rabbath-Ammon" to "Philadelphia"; "Armoab" to "Ariopolis"; "Akko" to "Ptolemais." The same occurred with personal names: "Ḥoni" became "Menelaus"; "Joshua" became "Jason" or "Jesus." The Hellenic influence pervaded everything, and even in the very strongholds of Judaism it modified the organization of the state, the laws, and public affairs, art, science, and industry, affecting even the ordinary things of life and the common associations of the people."
So according to the evidence we have, it seems as if the Jews in Egypt were already Hellenized way before the first advent of Christ. We also know that the Jews in Palestine were not immune to the spread of Hellenism either.
The name "Nicodemus" is a greek name.
"He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds."
Alot of the cities in Palestine had greek names.
He talks about how 1st Clement never quoted any Stoic writer to supprt his convictions about the Stability of the Universe, but clement wasn’t in Egypt. He was in the West. And just because someone makes use of Pagan philosophy, that doesn’t mean they agree with everything the philosopher said. A prime example of this is Saint Paul in Acts Chapter 17 when he quotes Aratus.
'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
He mentions Polycarp who was the Bishop of Smynia not Egypt, and his pupil Irenaeus moved to Gaul(modern day France). Non of this tells us about early Egyptian Christianity.
On page 16 Morey continues with the idea that the Egyptian Jewish Church eventually attracted gentile converts. Eventhough he is talking about early Eastern Orthodoxy he makes it seem as if the "churches" were like some sort of Reformed Baptist egalitarian congregational gathering with the repetitive use of words like “the pastor” or “the Jewish pastors”. You didn't have an "egalitarian congregationalism in the mid second century". Well wait, you did among some of the Gnostics.
He mentions how the Jewish pastors were thrilled to have gentile converts. I wonder where Morey got this from? Did he invent this from thin air? How does he know they were happy at first? Also the traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy are broad. You can't just focus on Alexandria as if that's the only origin of Orthodoxy. The Origin is Jerusalem, and with the Apostles going all over the place our secondary Origins spread to different regions.......Alexandria is only one of them. Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch were the early key centers of early Christianity. Later, both Constantinople, and Jerusalem joined that list.
But whatever the case, this is where his conspiracy theory begins. He develops the plot of gentiles taking over the leadership of the Church and kicking Jewish Christians out. He says the Gentile Egyptian Church persecuted the Jewish wing as a sect. I really don't see how that can be if the Jews in Egypt were Hellenistic.
He quotes Dr. Frend again to prove this point. However, the quote he gives is ambiguous. Frend mentions how in the 2nd century there were many Christians who were nonconformist Jews. In this quote he shows the enmity between Orthodox(nonbelieving) Jews and christian Jews. He mentions the essenes, but it is unclear what he is trying to say. The quote ends with the mention of an active Jewish Christianity by the year 190 A.D. that has been reduced to a sect.
Is he talking about the second Jewish rebellion? We all know they were nonconformist, but we also know that they were anti-christian as well. I don't think Morey wants to align himself with Bar Kokhba,
But From my recollection, the Ebionites were the Jewish community that were called a sect by Early Chistians. And I doubt if Morey wants to be associated with them. One can learn more about the Ebionites here and Here.
Also, around this time, Christians were bizzy converting Jews to Christianity, yet Morey says we were kicking Jews out. According to Eusebius the Third Bishop of Jerusalem, who was Jewish by the way, became a christian and helped others of the circumcision sect come back to the Faith.
as seen here "Justus, the third bishop of Jerusalem".
It would seem more likely that Hellenistic Jewish Christianity merged with it’s Hellenistic gentile counterpart. Jewish believers and Gentile believers eventually intermarried. If one looks at how Orthodox(nonbelieving) Jews worship in the synagogue with how Orthodox Christians worship in the churches. Then one will see a strong continuity of thought, ritual, and custom. Morey tries to use Dr. Frend to support his theory of the fall of Jewish Christianity in Egypt, but from the look of his quotes I doubt if Frend was talking about Egypt at all.
Any student of Church history will know that most sects and heretical groups lived side by side with the Orthodox Church. And Sometimes they were both killed and persecuted by the Pagan Roman State. During and slightly after Constantine, people were put in exile, but most of the persecution happened during and after Emperor Julian the Apostate's reign. So most heretical groups were persecuted after 360 A.D., and for the most part it wasn’t done by the Church. It was done mainly by the State.
On page 17 he asserts that the political rule of the Church was total. That’s not accurate.
He exaggerates the political arm of the state over the Church. It was the Church that eventually made the state close down the gladiatorial games. It was the laity of the Church that eventually made the state stop destroying Icons. There were times of peace as well as times of friction between the Church And State.
On page 18, Morey pretends to play God by judging the hearts and minds of early christian Egyptian clergy.
Later on the page he says:
"With the assistance of the politicians, they took over
the Orthodox Church and their pagan doctrines, rituals, attire, icons, and art
became the "holy traditions" of Eastern Christianity.
Under the leadership of the emperor and his pagan
priests, Eastern Christianity adopted the core beliefs and rituals of the
paganism around them. This made it even more popular.
The "Babylonian Captivity" of Eastern Christianity took
place between A.D. 130 and A.D. 200. It climaxed with the rise of the "Christian
Apologists." Frend comments," [1]
This dude keeps jumping around. On page 17 he starts out talking about the mid second century only to jump to the 4th and 5th centuries at the end of page 17, only to jump back again to the mid second century on page 18.
What Emperor in the mid second century claimed to be a christian? What Emperor in the mid 3rd century claimed to be a christian?
Who were the clergy in 2nd century Egypt that took over the Orthodox Church with the assistance of politicians? Morey is worst than Dan Brown & Jack chick with his conspiracy theories.
Also on pages 18 through 21 he totally ignores the fact that Egyptian Jews were Hellenistic. This one fact alone collapses everything he said. It makes the whole book pointless. He seemed too bizzy painting a work of fiction to even notice.
Also Morey seems ignorant of the Icons in the Holy of Holies in the once Jewish temple.(Ex 25:18-22),
Ex 25:17-22
"Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites."
The Jews bowed down in front of the footstool in the Temple(Psalm 99:1-5)
Psalm99:1-5
"The LORD reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved! The LORD is great in Zion, And He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise Your great and awesome name— He is holy. The King’s strength also loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His footstool— He is holy."
He also seems ignorant of the fact that the Priest’s garment had pictures of pomegranates( Ex 28:31-35).
""Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar around this opening, so that it will not tear. Make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die."
The curtains had the image of cherubim (Exodus 26:1-6)
Ex 26:1-6
"Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman. 2 All the curtains are to be the same size—twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide. 3 Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five. 4 Make loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and do the same with the end curtain in the other set. 5 Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. 6 Then make fifty gold clasps and use them to fasten the curtains together so that the tabernacle is a unit."
And through archaeology we see that the artifacts of the 2nd temple were highly decorated:
Relics of the 2nd Temple
A bowl used in the 2nd Temple:
An up close look at some of it's Icons:
About a century or two after the 2nd Temple, we still see Jews making use of Icons in a Synagogue in Damascus Syria: (Dura Europos)
A closer look:
A podcast interview with a conservative Jewish Rabbi:
The Illuminedheart by kevin Allen who is speaking with a Rabbi about judaism and christianity
We don't worship icons, we venerate them. There is a difference between the two. The Jews venerate the Torah as well as a few other things in the Synagogue ......not to mention the wailing wall.
Icons are not new to Jews and in Christianity we see an outgrowth from mostly Icons of signs and symbols with few human image icons, to mostly human image Icons centuries later. Eventhough christians always had Icons (depicted symbols of the Faith both in human and nonhuman form), it took centuries before the Church finally decided on the issue. Before then, you will find christians arguing with eachother or just taking a stance one way or the other. The issue of the Incarnation is what finally ended the dispute with the 7nth Ecumenical council. And so, to deny Icons is to deny the Incarnation.
"Icons and the Incarnation: 7th Christian Council" by Judith Irene Matta
"Icons ... not Idols" a talk by Paul Finley
This is from the podcast Our Life in Christ by Steven Robinson and Bill Gould.
Icons Part 1 (49:50 minutes) as seen from the website:
"This is the first of a six part series on "ICONS" from our KPXQ live radio program archives from 2004. In this program we introduce icons and what you will see in an Orthodox Church and look at the scriptures, especially in the Old Testament, that seem to prohibit the making of "graven images". Are all images "idols", and are ALL images and representations of the material world prohibited by God?"
"In part two of "Icons" we continue to discuss the Scriptures and the post-Reformation emphasis on the "intellectual" apprehension of the rational message of the Gospel as written in the Bible. But we will see that icons are a fulfillment of the Gospel and more specifically are a logical ramification of the Incarnation of God."
To listen to the other 4 podcasts in the series, please visit the Our Life in Christ webpage.
Now lets look at what really happened in Egypt.
According to Eusebius:
"Mark first proclaimed Christianity to the inhabitants of Egypt.
(1) The same Mark, they also say, being the first sent
to Egypt, proclaimed the gospel there which he written and first established
churches at the city of Alexandria. (2) So great a multitude of believers, both
of men and women, were collected there at the very outset, that in consequence
of their extreme philosophical discipline and austerity, Philo considered their
pursuits, their assemblies, and entertainment, and in short their whole manner
of life, as deserving a place in his descriptions." [2]
To learn more about Saint Mark, go here: "Saint Mark"
It was the Apostle Mark that was the first sent to Egypt to proclaim the Gospel there. Also, according to Eusebius, "Annianus was appointed the first bishop of Alexandria after Mark.
"(1) Nero was now in the eighth year of his reign when
Annianus suceeded the apostle and evangelist Mark in the administration of the
church of Alexandria. He was a man distinguished for his piety and admirable in
every respect." [3]
After Annianus was Avilius
"(1) In the fourth year of Domitian Annianus, who was
the first bishop of Alexandria, died after having filled the office twenty
years. He was succeeded by Avilius, who was the second bishop of that
city." [4]
Credon was the third bishop of Alexandria
"(1) After Nerva had reigned a little more than a year,
he was succeeded by Trajan. It was in the first year of his reign that Cerdon
succeeded Avilius in the church of Alexandria, after the latter had governed it
thirteen years. He was the third who held the episcopate there since Annianus.
During this time, Clement was yet bishop of the Romans, who was also the third
who held the Episcopate there after Paul and Peter, Linus being the first and
Anencletus next in order." [5]
Next in line was Primus
"(1) About the Twelfth year of the reign of Trajon, the
bishop of the church of Alexandria, who was mentioned by us a little before,
departed this life. Primus was the fourth from the apostles to whom the
functions of the office were there allotted. At the same time, after Euarestus
had completed the eighth year as bishop of Rome, he was succeeded in the
episcopal office by Alexander, the fifth in succession from Peter and
Paul." [6]
After Primus was Justus
"(1) In the third year of the same reign, Alexandria,
bishop of Rome, died , having completed the tenth year of his ministrations.
Xystus was his successor; and about the same time Primus, dying in the twelfth
year of the episcopate, was succeeded by Justus." [7]
We are mainly talking about all the Egyptian Christians from the reign of the Emperor TIBERIUS (about 33 A.D.) to the Emperor Severus (about 211 A.D.) To find out more about Early Egyptian Christianity, please visit this Link. And to know more about the time line in question, please visit Notes on Church History by R. Grant Jones.
Also buy this book "Wade In The River" by Fr. Paisius Altschul.
Other books to get:
Jews and Christians the parting of ways 70 A.D. to 135 A.D.
History-Eastern-Christianity by Aziz-Atiya
- The Eastern Christian Churches: A Brief Survey, by Ronald G Roberson
- Timeline of Eastern Church History, by Kathryn Tsai
- The Arab Christian: A History in the Middle East, by Kenneth Cragg
- A History of Christianity in Asia: Beginnings to 1500 by Samuel Hugh Moffett
- Christians in the Arab East: A Political Study, by Robert B. Betts
Other books that are similar in topic are:
- A History of the Christian Church by Walker
- The Christian East and the Rise of the Papacy by Aristeides Papadakis & John Meyendorff
- The Orthodox Church by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware
- The Orthodox Church by Sergius Bulgakov
- The Orthodox Church by John Meyendorff
- Imperial Unity And Christian Divisions by John Meyendorff
Morey thinks the Egyptian Christian "Babylonian Captivity" happened around this time. Christians were still being persecuted in this era. Most of what he says in this chapter is pure nonsense. He ignores the real historical evidence in favor of his mythical reconstruction.
Yes, Eastern Orthodoxy is Christian! Chapter 2 - A (chapter 2)
JNORM888
[1] page 18, by Robert Morey, in the book "Is Eastern Orthodoxy Christian" christian scholars press 2007
[2] page 50, [3] page 62, [4] page 82, [5] page 85, [6] 109, [7] page 110 by Eusebius in the book "Ecclesiastical History" translated by C.F. Cruse, Hendrickson Publishers 1998
Labels: Icons, Is Eastern Orthodoxy Christian?, Protestantism, Rebuttals
St. Justin the Philosopher
Sola Scriptura's Logical Incoherency
The Invincible Trophy
The Fathers on the Theotokos as the New Eve
Yes, Eastern Orthodoxy is Christian! Chapter 2-A
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phoreyz
take that take that
Phoreyz is New York born, Los Angeles bred Dj and producer that has built a solid reputation amongst fans and his heavyweight peers for his unique style on the turntables and his impeccable selection of music. Nowhere is this more apparent than the numerous mixtapes and remixes that have achieved domestic and international acclaim.
Known as one of the premier Party Rockers, Phoreyz’s diverse skills as a DJ has taken him to Japan, Mexico City, Panama, New York, San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver, Hawaii, and Las Vegas.
On many occasions, he has shared the stage with the likes of Drake, Lauryn Hill, Puff Daddy, Rae Sremmurd, Lil Jon, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Z trip, Questlove, Nu-mark, Quantic, The Beat Junkies, and has been a performance DJ for Ghostface Killah & Raekwon, KRS ONE , and Talib Kweli.
He has rocked parties for clients such as Nike, Nylon Magazine, Undefeated, Diamond Supply, Vice, Monster, Redbull, The Ufc, and currently holds down his position as a main resident DJ at Hakkasan, Omnia, Jewel, and the world famous Get Back in Las Vegas.
With so many people calling themsleves “djs” nowadays, it’s easy to see why Phoreyz has gained worldwide notorioty and respect from crowds as well as a lot of your favorite djs.
Keep your ears open for new projects and upcoming dates.. take that take that!
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School of Economic Science - Study Forums
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�A friend is one before whom I may think aloud� R. W. Emerson
School of Economic Science - Study Forums Forum Index -> Economics Forum
Joseph Milne
Location: Herne Bay, Kent, UK
Posted: Sun May 19, 2013 10:21 am Post subject: The Common Good
Here is a short essay by Josef Pieper on the medieval understandig of the bonum commune
The �Common Good� and What It Means
Josef Pieper
�Distributive justice regards the allotment of certain things to the individual, insofar as the property of the community also belongs to each member.� This means: the �allotment� consists of the individual�s share in the bonum commune (the common good).
At this point we ought to attempt a clearer description of the bonum commune. A preliminary approach may suggest the following definition: the bonum commune is the sum total of society�s production, the whole of its output. The correct nature of this statement is based on the fact that all social groups and professions, and in rather unstructured, unsystematic ways the individuals as well, function together, thus making available for the people, for the society as a whole, food, clothing, shelter, transportation, communication, health care, training and schools, also the manifold means of pleasure and entertainment. The strict interpretation of iustitia distributiva (distributive justice) would require that all these goods and services be distributed and �allotted� evenly among all the members of society. This conception, however, is inadequate.
Such a definition springs from the mentality of a technical mind set that believes that everything can be �made�. Because of these roots, such a definition incurs the risk of neglecting the truth that the bonum commune extends beyond the realm of the merely material and usable goods of production. There exist contributions to the common good that are neither �usable� nor �makable� but that nevertheless are quite real and indispensable to boot. This is the meaning of the statement, for example, that it is necessary for the perfection of a commonwealth that there be persons dedicated to contemplation. This states, really, that the life even of society as such is nourished by the public presence of truth and that the life of nations becomes all the richer the more they attain a sense and awareness of the depths of reality.
We should notice here, incidentally, a primary characteristic of the absolute labor State: there the principle prevails of identifying the common good with the �common usefulness�, and the plans by which the bonum commune allegedly is pursued are all utilitarian in nature.
The second objection to the definition of the bonum commune as society�s output focuses on a more essential, deeper-rooted deficiency.
The original literal and inherent meaning of bonum commune concerns �the good�, the essence of all the different goods that together form a community�s reason for existing and that a commonwealth would have to achieve and obtain before it could be deemed to have realized its full potential. It appears to me, though, to be definitely not possible to define the bonum commune, in this sense, with any comprehensiveness and finality. For this would presuppose that it is possible to describe, accurately and definitively, the full potential of a community and therefore its �essence�. It is as impossible to formulate this as it is to define the �essence� of the human person�and so nobody is able to state ultimately what constitutes the good of the human person, either�that good, namely, which provides the reason for human existence and which would have to be achieved in life before any human person could be deemed to have realized his full potential. No other meaning than this attaches to Socrates� stubbornly propounded contention that he did not know what �human virtue� was and that he had not yet met anybody who could teach him.
If the bonum commune is to be conceived in this way, what, then, does it mean to �render each and all their due�? What does it mean, then, to exercise �distributive justice�? It means: to make sure that the individual members of the population are given the opportunity to add their contribution to the realization of the bonum commune that is neither specifically nor comprehensively defined. This participation according to each person�s dignitas or capacity and ability�this is precisely each person�s rightful �due�. And this participation may not be prevented by the administrator of the bonum commune if the iustitia distributiva, the justice of power, is not to be violated. This points to a further aspect: the �good of a commonwealth� includes the inborn human talents, qualities and potentials, and part of the iustitia distributiva is the obligation to protect, preserve and foster these capacities.
After all this we are able to identify once again an essential element of totalitarian regimes. There the political powers claim the right to define in complete detail the specifics of the bonum commune. The fateful and destructive nature of those five-year plans does not come from their attempt to increase industrial output or to gear production and demand toward each other. What is so ruinous here is the fact that the �plan� becomes the exclusive standard that dictates not only the production of material goods but equally the pursuits of universities, the creations of artists, even the leisure activities of the individual�so that anything not totally conforming to this standard is suppressed as �socially unimportant� and �undesirable�. (Josef Pieper, An Anthology, Ignatius Press, 1989)
Brian Chance
Location: Croydon Surrey U.K.
Posted: Sun May 26, 2013 9:17 am Post subject:
This is a complete reversal of the idea that �due� means something to be received. The suggestion is that it is simply the right to work in accordance with one�s natural talents and qualities in the service of the common good in the widest sense.
If it is the duty of the administrator of the common good, which I take to be the government, to protect, preserve and foster these capacities, how can it allow some to demand a ransom for access to the Earth without which work is impossible?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 1:12 pm Post subject:
�(W)hat, then, does it mean to �render each and all their due�? What does it mean, then, to exercise �distributive justice�? It means: to make sure that the individual members of the population are given the opportunity to add their contribution to the realization of the bonum commune that is neither specifically nor comprehensively defined. This participation according to each person�s dignitas or capacity and ability�this is precisely each person�s rightful �due�. And this participation may not be prevented by the administrator of the bonum commune if the iustitia distributiva, the justice of power, is not to be violated�.
Here is Mahatma Gandhi on work:-
�The truth is that man needs work even more than he needs a wage. Those who seek the welfare of the workers should be less anxious to obtain good pay, good holidays and good pensions for them than good work, which is the first of their goods.
For the object of work is not so much to make objects as to make men. A man makes himself by making something, Work creates a direct contact with matter and ensures his precise knowledge of it as well as direct contact and daily collaboration with other men; it imprints the form of man on matter and offers itself to him as a means of expression; it concentrates his attention and his abilities on one point or at least on a continuous line; it bridles the passions by strengthening the will. Work, bodily work, is for nine-tenths of humanity their only chance to show their worth in the world.
But in order that work itself, and not just payment for it, shall profit a man, it must be human work, work in which the whole man is engaged: his body, his heart, his brain, his taste. The craftsman who fashions an object, polishes it, decorates it, sells it, and fits it for the requirements of the person he intends it for, is carrying out human work, The countryman who gives life to his fields and makes his flocks prosper by work attuned to the seasons is successfully accomplishing the task of a free man.
But the worker enslaved in a serial production, who from one second to another repeats the same movement at the speed dictated by the machine, fritters himself away in work which has no purpose for him, no end, no taste, no sense. The time he spends there is time lost, time sold: he is not selling his creation, but his very lifetime. He is selling what a free man does not sell: his life. He is a slave.
The problem is not how to sweeten the lot of the proletarian so as to make it acceptable to him, but how to get rid of the proletariat, just as we got rid of slavery, since the proletariat is indeed slavery.
As for the whole peoples who are doomed to idleness, what is to be done with them, what will they do with themselves?
In reply to which people will tell you that the State which will have solved the problem of work by complete industrialisation, will then only have to solve the problem of leisure and education. It will plan games and entertainment and will distribute learning to all.
But the pleasures of men without work have always been drunkenness, and mischief. The games will then have to become compulsory and for many will cease to be games and turn into disciplines and duties, falsifications of work from which no good can come. It would have been better to plan work.
But there is a pleasure dearer to man than work, dearer than drunkenness and mischief, that of shouting �Down with���!� and setting fire to everything. That is a game which will quickly replace all others in the mechanised paradise�
The rightful due of every man is human work for the realisation of the bonum commune. For that there must be freedom of access to land, subject to recompensing his fellow men for the benefit that private occupation of land confers on him and for that reason removes from others
Thank you for this fine quotation from Mahatma Gandhi. It shows, as the quotation from Pieper does too, that a just society is one that acknowledges that human nature flourishes only through contributing to the community. Only through contribution is one a participant in society. In a sense, the slave or the unemployed are not �members� of society, which makes than less than human � or such a society less than human.
In speaking of the common good, Aquinas says �Man cannot possibly be good unless he stands in the right relation to the common good�. It is interesting how the more traditional view always takes account of the �whole� and of the relation of the parts to the whole.
Yet everyone knows that the joy of work lies in the love of working and of contributing. Aristotle was right in seeing that the key to �economics� was to be found in the family, where all contribute for the good of the family as a whole, and each protect the family as a whole. The individual is looked after because all care for the whole. There is no reason in principle why this should not be extended to a whole village, or town, or city, or country.
One of the things that makes this difficult to grasp in our times is the modern conception of human rights. These spring from well-intentioned ignorance of the nature of society, in which each individual is regarded as a �claimant� rather than an equal and responsible member. It is worth noting that the ideology of human rights arose with the land enclosures and the rise of mechanistic economics, which turned society into an industry rather than the realm in which the human spirit could flourish in harmony with nature.
At best, human rights are claimed in fear of poverty, and so it is understandable from the individual point of view. But for philosophers and politicians there is no excuse not to see how human rights distort our understanding of human nature and the nature of society. It would seem the only true human right is the right to work according to ones� nature or talents. But then, as Mahatma Gandhi says, work is totally different to the slave work for wages which most must undertake in our times.
Is it not curious that, if modern society does not see human work as a �gift� that can be offered to the common good, then neither does it see that the land is the gift of nature given to all creatures for the common good?
Last edited by Joseph Milne on Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:14 am; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 10:02 am Post subject:
The rise of mechanistic economics came with the mechanisation of work. Human muscle has been replaced by �labour saving� machinery. Human muscle uses replaceable natural resources in an efficient way. Machines use fossil fuel in an unsustainable way.
The use of fossil fuel makes possible the use of other natural resources in an unsustainable way. The aim of leaving the Earth better than we find it has been replaced by the assumed human right to claim whatever we want of its resources without consideration of the effect.
At the same time the human population has been growing rapidly, increasing still further the call on natural resources.
If the human spirit is again to flourish in harmony with nature, there must be a way of bringing together and moderating these influences so that all may use their natural talents in work for the common good.
Surely the starting point must be the realisation that the very Earth itself which supplies every need for every one of its creatures must be the common property of all. From that point of view the private ownership of land is not only curious, it is also the most fundamental economic injustice imaginable.
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The Adventures of A Sex
Parisi, Luciana. 2009. The Adventures of A Sex. In: Chrysanthi Nigianni; Merl Storr; Claire Colebrook and Ian Buchanan, eds. Deleuze and Queer Theory. Edinburgh University Press, pp. 72-91. ISBN 978-0748634057 [Book Section]
This exciting collection of work introduces a major shift in debates on sexuality: a shift away from discourse, identity and signification, to a radical new conception of bodily materialism. Moving away from the established path known as queer theory, it suggests an alternative to Butler's matter/representation binary. It thus dares to ask how to think sexuality and sex outside the discursive and linguistic context that has come to dominate contemporary research in social sciences and humanities. Deleuze and Queer Theory is a provocative and often militant collection that explores a diverse range of themes including: the revisiting of the term 'queer'; a rethinking of the sex-gender distinction as being implied in Queer Theory; an exploration of queer temporalities; the non/re-reading of the homosexual body/desire and the becoming-queer of the Deleuze/Guattari philosophy. It will be essential reading for anyone interested not just in Deleuze's and Guattari's philosophy, but also in the fields of sexuality, gender and feminist theory.
Centre for Cultural Studies (1998-2017)
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Levitating over the Abyss
What happens to a couple when the bottom falls out.
John Bemrose
Waiting for Joe
Sandra Birdsell
Middle-class families are haunted by their origins—or rather by the fear of falling back into them. Back into the labouring job, the hardscrabble farm, the shame of lower status. This is often not a conscious fear but flits atavistically in the background of domestic life, part of the generalized anxiety that expresses itself in the chafings of marriage and worries over the kids’ future. The solid middle class is forever levitating over an abyss.
This is particularly true these days, when major shifts in the economy have cut so many loose. In North America, the middle class’s share of national wealth is shrinking, as the numbers of both rich and poor increase. The resulting polarization of society has been much commented on: it is bad for general financial health, social stability and democracy. But long before this came to notice, young middle-class families were struggling in a way their parents did not have to. In the decades after the Second World War, a single salary could buy a house and car. A certain leisureliness prevailed, compared to the manic, two-income juggling act that sustains so many families today. We may be accumulating more toys, and certain economic indicators may be rising, but our so-called success is increasingly draining life of its savour.
Canadian literature has been slow to address these issues. Our fiction prefers the intimate close-up: the treatment of character in the context of individual isolation or the crucible of family relationships. Reflections of a wider economic reality are mostly incidental, if they appear at all. Yet it is not as if the literature of the English-speaking world is short of examples. From Jane Austen to John Updike, there have been plenty of novelists willing to explore the zeitgeist of capitalism: to mine the deep, productive vein of what money or the lack of it does to people, how it inspires and inflates and haunts and releases them—to whole new kinds of freedom, whole new levels of avariciousness and care. It may be that a society has to reach a certain level of sophistication before its literature can approach such issues in a full-blooded way: before it can take society, and not just the lonely individual, seriously. Mordecai Richler and Mavis Gallant have occasionally trod this ground, along with a few others. But where are our comprehensive comedies of class and striving, our examinations of tragic greed, comparable to what can be found in the work of so many English and American novelists, popular and literary alike?
Possessions are the mirror that tell Laurie who she is, and with that mirror shattered, and her husband gone for good, she feels the ground giving way beneath her.
Waiting for Joe by prairie novelist Sandra Birdsell is a solid attempt to address our lack. It is a realistic novel about a middle-class Winnipeg couple, Joe and Laurie Beaudry, who have come to the edge of the abyss. In fact, they have fallen over its edge, and are now teetering on the ledge that has broken their fall part way down: the Regina plaza where they have parked a mobile home that does not belong to them, in an increasingly desperate flight from their creditors. Joe’s business selling recreational vehicles, which once yielded an income of $125,000 a year, has gone belly up. They have lost their house and, as the novel opens, are close to losing their marriage.
Their situation is not the result of any wider economic downturn, not that Birdsell mentions; the Beaudrys are just one of the many casualties of a system that churns out winners and losers with equal alacrity. Joe has not run his business well, it seems, and maybe they have spent too much, so the moralistic might say they have only themselves to blame. But the real point is not that they’ve fallen on hard times, but that their past lives are full of missed opportunities and evasions—a hollowness that for a while their material success has papered over. Now that they are poor, the rot, as well as some of their sterling qualities, can show. Money can only save us from ourselves for so long.
There is a pathos about Laurie. After Joe disappears one morning—she will discover he has abandoned her—she impulsively spends nearly $90 on second-hand clothes, an act that, considering their situation, is seriously self-destructive. But Laurie cannot have children and has no career, and shopping has always filled the void. Their trailer is already crammed with clothes, many of which she has never worn, and as she waits for Joe, she broods on the house they have lost, its vividly coloured rooms crammed with the trophies of past expeditions to the malls. Possessions are the mirror that tell her who she is, and with that mirror shattered, and her husband gone for good, she feels the ground giving way beneath her.
Because Joe has a more physically active role in the novel—he is hitching to Fort McMurray in the hopes of a job—his chapters are more dramatically compelling. There is a sense of futurity and possibility as he falls in with various characters on the road. But like Laurie, he is also intensely involved with a detailed exhumation of his past. We learn about his mother’s drowning when he was a boy, about his adolescent involvement with a treacly-sincere American evangelist and about his troubled friendship with Steve, an Indian with whom Laurie once had an affair—a detail we learn only from Laurie’s own ruminations. In fact, the novel moves as determinedly backward as forward, often breaking away from some dramatic confrontation to segue deeply into the past, a narrative choice that too often dissipates tension even as it digs into the secrets of its characters.
The voice of Waiting for Joe is flat, factual, as steady as a rifle sight lowered to the target. It is a book of considerable integrity, and while one wishes that it told less and dramatized more, by its second half it musters a convincing weight. In the end, it leaves an impression that any life dedicated to consumption is at terrible risk: a house built upon sand if ever there was one. The rule of capitalism, for all the mild socialistic safeguards we have erected, is toxically capricious. As a generator of wealth, and as a destroyer of lives, it is equally potent. The rich have often credited their success to their own virtue and blamed those who fail for lacking it. Perhaps they are right, although not necessarily to their credit. As it follows Laurie through the malls and second-hand stores of poverty row, Waiting for Joe offers a more subtle picture, and a bleaker one, of a system that needs failure—the grinding down of lives at the bottom of the system—as much as success.
But the novel also demonstrates that we are not simply what we own, for it occasionally strikes a redemptive note. When Birdsell—usually looking through Joe’s eyes—offers a rare glimpse of the natural world, a breath of fresh air enters the story. “As he walks, the sky seems to grow darker, the stars white and brittle. He senses the Rocky Mountains in the dryness of the wind blowing in his face and imagines the undulation and thrust of stone, the long, gradual ascent of the highway, straight and rising for miles into the mountains.” In an instant, the world of getting and spending that provides the leverage point of this novel vanishes. In its place, we glimpse the larger world, more complex, more nourishing, tragically threatened, on which the rest depends.
John Bemrose’s most recent novel is The Last Woman (McClelland and Stewart, 2009). He lives in Toronto.
A Secular Age
By Charles Taylor
Hat Rabbit
Space Is Not Equal to Y or X
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The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Animal Ethics
Andrew Linzey, Clair Linzey
Routledge Handbooks in Religion
, October
$220.00.
Hardcover.
Review coming soon!
Review by Anne Vallely forthcoming.
The ethical treatment of non-human animals is an increasingly significant issue, directly affecting how people share the planet with other creatures and visualize themselves within the natural world. The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Animal Ethics is a key reference source in this area, looking specifically at the role religion plays in the formation of ethics around these concerns.
Featuring thirty-five chapters by a team of international contributors, the handbook is divided into two parts. The first gives an overview of fifteen of the major world religions’ attitudes towards animal ethics and protection. The second features five sections addressing the following topics:
Human Interaction with Animals
Killing and Exploitation
Religious and Secular Law
Evil and Theodicy
Souls and Afterlife
This handbook demonstrates that religious traditions, despite often being anthropocentric, do have much to offer to those seeking a framework for a more enlightened relationship between humans and non-human animals. As such, The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Animal Ethics is essential reading for students and researchers in religious studies, theology, and animal ethics as well as those studying the philosophy of religion and ethics more generally.
Andrew Linzey is Director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics; Honorary Research Fellow at St Stephen’s House, University of Oxford; and a member of the Faculty of Theology in the University of Oxford.
Clair Linzey is Deputy Director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics.
animal ethics, anthropocentric, killing, exploitation, theodicy, evil
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Automatic correction of the effects of the light source on spherical objects. An application to the analysis of hyperspectral images of citrus fruits
10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2007.06.036
Gomez-Sanchis, J.; Moltó, Enrique; Camps-Valls, G.; Gomez-Chova, L.; Aleixos, Nuria; Blasco, José
Gomez-Sanchis, J., Moltó, E., Camps-Valls, G., Gomez-Chova, L., Aleixos, N., Blasco, J. (2008). Automatic correction of the effects of the light source on spherical objects. An application to the analysis of hyperspectral images of citrus fruits. Journal of Food Engineering, 85(2), 191-200.
This study proposes a method for correcting the adverse effects produced by the curvature of spherical objects in acquiring images with a computer vision system. Its suitability has been illustrated in a specific case of citrus fruits. The images of this kind of fruit are darker in areas nearer the edge than in the centre, and this makes them more difficult to analyse. This methodology considers the fruit as being a Lambertian ellipsoidal surface and produces a 3D model of the fruit. By doing it becomes possible to calculate the part of the radiation that should really reach the camera and to make the intensity of the radiation uniform over the whole of the fruit surface captured by the camera, no matter what region is being sampled. Some tests have been carried out in order to prove that using the proposed correction methodology the reflectance in all the surface of the fruit is similar, minimising the differences from the central area to the peripheral areas. The methodology presented here has been tested using a hyperspectral computer vision system based on tunable liquid crystal filters and it has proved to be effective for minimising the adverse side effects produced by the curvature of the fruit on the intensity of the radiation captured by the camera. The experiments show that applying our method homogenises the grey level of the pixels belonging to the same class, regardless of the region of the fruit surface they are from; standard deviation is also reduced, which facilitates subsequent classification tasks. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Remember the fifties and sixties
A weblog for all who like the music from the fabulous fifties, sixties, revival rockabilly and psychobilly
The Danleers
The Danleers was a Doo Wop group in the 1950s. They were a quintet hailing from Brooklyn, New York. Jimmy Weston was the lead singer, and the group was named after their manager, Danny Webb, who wrote their most famous number, "One Summer Night". The track was originally released on AMP-3 2115, as being by The Dandleers.
Johnny Lee
Jimmy Weston
Nat McCune
Willie Ephraim
Roosevelt Mays
Discography Billboard singles Their one big hit single (and their debut single), "One Summer Night", reached #4 on the Billboard Black Singles chart, and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958.
Discography albums
1991: One Summer Night
1996: The Best of the Danleers: The Mercury Years
Posted by DutchMusicFreaks at 6:07 AM 0 comments
The Cuff Links were an American rock/pop studio group from Staten Island, New York. The band had a U.S. No. 9 hit in 1969 with "Tracy", with rich harmonised vocals provided entirely by Ron Dante. The track was produced as part of a series of recording sessions – sometimes as many as six in a day – by Dante, with the songs released under a variety of band names.
"Tracy" hit the charts in October 1969, just as "Sugar, Sugar", a single for The Archies and the product of another anonymous recording session by Dante, was descending from its No. 1 spot. Dante's vocals for "Tracy" were recorded in just hours. He recalled: "I put on a lead voice, doubled it a few times, and then put about 16, 18 backgrounds." "Tracy" spent 12 weeks in the U.S. chart, and subsequently sold over one million copies, being awarded a gold record by the R.I.A.A.
Dante had promised "Tracy"'s songwriters, Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss, that if the song was a hit he would record an entire Cuff Links album and when it charted, Vance and Pockriss quickly delved through their catalogue to produce more songs. Dante said: "It was the quickest album I'd ever done. I think I did the entire background vocals and leads in a day and a half – for the entire album. I remember doing at least four or five songs in one day." To speed the project, Vance and Pockriss hired novice arranger Rupert Holmes to work on the album, which including the second hit, "When Julie Comes Around", which peaked at No. 41 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 10 in the UK Singles Chart.
As the album was being completed, Vance and Pockriss created a seven-member touring band, comprising Pat Rizzo (saxophone), Rich Dimino (keyboards), Bob Gill (trumpet/flugelhorn/flute), Dave Lavender (guitar), Andrew "Junior" Denno (bass), Joe Cord (vocals) and Danny Valentine (drums).
Dante opted not to tour with the group, having accepted a solo album recording contract by Archies creator Don Kirshner that excluded any more outside work. When he called Vance to obtain his royalties for the first album, Vance refused to pay up unless Dante recorded a second album. The dispute was settled only after a personal confrontation at Vance's office and Vance erased Dante's vocals from his final song, "Run Sally Run" and replaced them with Cord's. It was the last Cuff Links single to chart, reaching No. 76 in April 1970.
Cord's vocals appeared on only a few tracks on the second Cuff Links album, The Cuff Links, with most songs featuring Holmes.
The Cuff Links name was later revived for unsuccessful singles on the Atco and Roulette labels.
In 1999 singer-songwriter Michael "Valentine" Ubriaco obtained the touring rights to the Cuff Links name and revived the group for live performances. That band includes original guitarist Dave Lavender and still tours.
Tracy (Decca, 1970)
"Tracy" / "All the Young Women" / "Heather" / "Early in the Morning" / "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" / "Lay a Little Love On Me" / "When Julie Comes Around" / "I Remember" / "Sweet Caroline" / "Where Did You Go?" / "Sally Ann (You're Such a Pretty Baby)"
The Cuff Links (Decca, 1970)
"Robin's World" / "Thank You Pretty Baby" / "Jennifer Tomkins" / "Down in Louisiana" / "Mister Big (Oh What a Beautiful Day)" / "The Kiss" / "Foundation of Love" / "Bobbie" / "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" / "Run Sally Run" / "Afraid of Tomorrow"
Posted by DutchMusicFreaks at 11:53 PM 0 comments
The Crystals are a New York City singing group and are considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the first half of the 1960s. Their 1961—1964 chart hits — including "Uptown", "He's A Rebel", "Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)" and "Then He Kissed Me" — featured three successive female lead singers and were all produced by Phil Spector.
In the early 1960s, Barbara Alston, Mary Thomas, Dolores "Dee Dee" Kenniebrew, Myrna Girard and Patricia "Patsy" Wright formed The Crystals through the help of Benny Wells, Barbara's uncle. Soon, the quintet signed with Phil Spector's label Philles Records. By default, Spector chose Alston to be the group's lead singer, which made her uncomfortable since she had a fear of singing in front of audiences.
Their first hit was 1961's "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" (see 1961 in music). Originally the B-side to "Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby" (featuring Wright on lead), the wistful gospel-pop ballad (co-written by Spector and Leroy Bates, with Barbara Alston on vocals) reached number 20 in the Billboard chart, registering as an auspicious debut for Spector's Phillies label.
Brill Building songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil's "Uptown" gave the girls their second radio hit. Ethnically flavoured with flamenco guitar and castanets, the more uptempo "Uptown" featured Alston once again emoting convincingly over a boy, though this time with class issues woven into the story. After the success of "Uptown", a pregnant Girard was replaced by Dolores "LaLa" Brooks.
The touchy subject matter of the next single — 1962's "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)" (written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin and sung by Alston) — resulted in limited airplay, never reaching Billboard's Hot 100. The track enjoys a cult following.
Soon after "He Hit Me" flopped, Phil Spector began recording singer Darlene Love and her backing group The Blossoms under the name "The Crystals". Legend has it that the real Crystals were not able to travel from New York to Los Angeles fast enough to suit the LA-based Spector, who wanted to quickly record writer Gene Pitney's "He's a Rebel" before anyone else could release a version. The Crystals were unavailable, but Love and the Blossoms were also based in L.A., so Spector recorded and released their version under The Crystals' banner. (Other sources claim that Spector's haste in recording the track was simply because he was enthusastic about the song, and that he was unaware of any competing versions—despite the fact that Vikki Carr
was recording "He's a Rebel" nearly simultaneously with Spector.)
The song ("He's a Rebel") had originally been offered to The Shirelles, who turned it down because of the anti-establishment lyrics. It marked a shift in girl group thematic material, where the singer loves a "bad boy", a theme that would be amplified by later groups (especially The Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack").
"He's a Rebel" is perhaps the Crystals' best-remembered song, and one of the most enduring of the girl group genre. It was also their only US #1 hit. Their follow-up single, "He's Sure the Boy I Love", in actuality also featured Love and The Blossoms. It reached #11 on the Billboard chart, and features a classic spoken intro by Darlene Love.
The next single credited to The Crystals is one of the rarest—and also possibly the strangest—in rock music history. Reports vary as to the actual motivation behind the recording, but most agree that Phil Spector was looking for a way to annoy former business partner Lester Sill. What he came up with was a nearly six-minute song called "Let's Dance The Screw - Part I", which would have been unplayable on 1963 radio. The record featured simple instrumentation (very much unlike Spector's famous Wall of Sound production style), repetitive lyrics, and Spector himself intoning the lyric "Dance The Screw" numerous times in a deadpan monotone. (The B-side, Part II, was more of the same but played much more slowly.) The Crystals sang the song's repetitive verses, though it is unclear if these singers were the 'real' Crystals or The Blossoms. Incidentally, some accounts mention that Spector's lawyer is actually the man intoning "Dance The Screw."
The recording was never released commercially as a single, and only a few copies are known to exist (all marked "D.J. COPY - NOT FOR SALE"). The record was apparently only created to be a bizarre sort of joke at Sill's expense, who was soon to leave the Philles label, as a single copy was specially delivered to him in early 1963. Both parts of the song have since been released on CD.
Though it is unclear as to the level of their participation in "Let's Dance The Screw", the 'real' Crystals definitely began recording again under their own name in 1963. However, Thomas had departed to get married, only to join another mildly successful group, The Butterflys, along with another original Crystal, Myrna Girard. This reduced the group to a quartet with Barbara Alston on lead. Alston, known for her shyness and stage fright, was never comfortable with being out front, stepped down from the lead spot giving it to Brooks. According to Brooks, she had been doing Alston's leads in their live shows for a while.
After "Let's Dance The Screw", the group's next release was the classic "Da Doo Ron Ron". According to Darlene Love, the track was originally recorded by The Blossoms, with Love on lead vocal. Prior to release, Spector erased Love's lead vocal and replaced it with a vocal by LaLa Brooks, although he kept the Blossoms' backing vocals in place. Cher also featured on backing vocals. Allegedly, Spector erased Love's lead vocal after she had asked for a contract instead of simply receiving session fees. The song was a top 10 hit in both the US and the UK, as was the follow-up single "Then He Kissed Me", the first Crystals single since "He Hit Me" to feature all members of the Crystals as a definite group.
Despite the steady flow of hit singles, tensions between Spector and the Crystals mounted. Already unhappy with having been replaced by Love and the Blossoms on two singles, The Crystals were even more upset when in 1964, Spector began focusing much of his time on his other girl group The Ronettes. As well, there were disputes about royalties, with The Crystals feeling that Spector was withholding royalty money that was owed to them.
Two failed Crystals singles followed before the band left Spector's Philles RecordsUnited Artists Records later in 1964. "Little Boy", which reached #92, was a Wall Of Sound production that was layered multiple times, which meant that the vocals were hard to distinguish from the music. "All Grown Up,", their final Philles single, (of which two versions exist) only reached #98. for
1964 also saw the departure of Wright who was replaced by Frances Collins, a dancer who they had met while touring; toward the end of that year Alston departed leaving the group a trio. As a trio, they recorded two singles for United Artists, "My Place" and "You Can't Tie a Good Girl Down". One more single was released by Barbara, Dee Dee and Mary on the tiny Michelle Records in 1967 ("Ring-a-Ting-a-Ling") and they disbanded in 1967 (see 1967 in music). They reunited in 1971 (see 1971 in music) and still perform today. Kenniebrew is the only original Crystal who remained active throughout their touring from the seventies to the present. Dee Dee carries on The Crystals legacy by performing with Patricia Pritchett-Lewis (Member since 2005) and Melissa MelSoulTree Antoinette (Member since 2002).
Discography standard albums
1962: Twist Uptown
1963: He's a Rebel (US #131)
9 of the 12 tracks on "He's A Rebel" had also appeared on "Twist Uptown"
Discography compilations albums
1963: The Crystals Sing the Greatest Hits, Volume 1
1992: The Best of the Crystals
Discography singles Barbvara Alston on lead vocals
1961: "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" (US #20)
1962: "Uptown" (US #13)
1962: "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)"
Discography singles Darlene Love on lead vocals
1962: "He's a Rebel" (US #1, UK #19)
1963: "He's Sure the Boy I Love" (US #11)
Discography singles Dolores "LaLa" Brooks on lead vocals
1963: "Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)" (US #3, UK #5 (#15 1974 re-issue))
1963: "Then He Kissed Me" (US #6, UK #2)
1964: "I Wonder" (UK #36)
1964: "Little Boy" (US #92)
1964: "All Grown Up" (US #98)
If you want to know more over the Crystals please visit their own official website.
Posted by DutchMusicFreaks at 8:24 PM 0 comments
The Crows
The Crows were an American R & B singing group who achieved commercial success in the 1950s. The group's first single and only major hit, "Gee", released in June 1953, has been credited with being the first Rock n’ Roll hit by a rock and roll group. It peaked at position #14 and #2, respectively, on the Billboard magazine pop and rhythm-and-blues charts in 1954.
When The Crows started out in 1951, practicing sidewalk harmonies, the original members were: Daniel "Sonny" Norton (lead); William "Bill" Davis (baritone); Harold Major (tenor); Jerry Wittick (tenor); and Gerald Hamilton (bass). In 1952, Wittick left the group and was replaced by Mark Jackson (tenor and guitarist).
They were discovered at Apollo Theater's Wednesday night talent show by talent agent Cliff Martinez, and brought to independent producer George Goldner who had just set up tiny new indepent Rama Records label. The Crows were the first group signed and the first to record. The first songs they recorded were as back-up to singer and tenor Watkins. The song "Gee" was the third song recorded during their first recording session, on February 10, 1953. It was put together in a few minutes by group member, William Davis, with Viola Watkins also being credited as co-writer.
The song was first released as the B-side of a ballad, "I Love You So". However, radio stations began turning it over and playing "Gee", first in Philadelphia and later in New York and Los Angeles. By January 1954 it had sold 100,000 copies, and by April entered the national R&B and pop charts, rising to # 2 R&B and # 14 pop. The song was a huge hit a year after it was recorded.
The Crows were a one-hit wonder. While "Gee" was on the charts, the record company released a number of other singles by the group, including "Heartbreaker", "Baby", and "Miss You", but none were successful. Their failures and the inability to perform regularly to support their recordings led to the breakup of the group a few months after "Gee" dropped off the Hit Parade. They maintained the original line up for the entire career of the group, with no hope for a reunion following the deaths of Gerald Hamilton in the 1960s, and Daniel Norton in 1972.
The Crests
The Crests were a popular New York R&B musical group of the late 1950s. Their most popular song was "Sixteen Candles", featuring one of doo-wop's premier recording vocalists, Johnny Maestro, which rose to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958. The record sold over one million copies, earning a gold disc. Though often thought to be another all-black teenage-sound band, of the four men, two were black, one was Puerto Rican, and the other was Italian. They also had one black female.
The band was founded by J. T. Carter and included Talmoudge Gough, Harold Torres, and Patricia Van Dross (older sister of R&B great Luther Vandross). Carter selected vocalist Johnny Mastrangelo (later just Johnny Maestro) to perform as lead vocalist for the group. Maestro's vocal style on the group's recordings became instantly recogizable and a juke box favorite of the national teen audiences. Maestro's quality vocals, great song selections, and recordings with dance-easy beats made the winning combination for charted hits. The group had several Top 40 hits in the 1950s on Coed Records, including "Sixteen Candles," "A Year Ago Tonight," "Trouble in Paradise," "Six Nights a Week," "Step By Step," and "The Angels Listened In". They also charted with "Sweetest One" (Joyce label) and "Guilty" (Selma label). The Crests appeared and performed several times on national teen dance television shows in the late 1950s.
Maestro left for a solo career in 1960. He would later join The Del Satins, which would become Brooklyn Bridge. They had a Top 40 hit with "The Worst That Could Happen" in 1968. His place was taken by new lead James Ancrum. The group recorded a new single, "Little Miracles." It was the first single not to chart in the top 100. Gough quit the group after the single, and was replaced by Gary Lewis (not the same as Gary Lewis & the Playboys). The group failed to find success throughout the decade.
Van Dross and Torres would also be gone by the late 1960s. The group continued as a trio of Carter, Ancrum, and Lewis. This lineup continued until 1978, when the group split. Carter went on to sing with Charlie Thomas' Drifters.
Carter then reformed the group in 1980. He auditioned over 200 singers, finally settling on lead Bill Damon, Greg Sereck, and Dennis Ray and New York drummer Jon Ihle. Carter continued the group well into the 1990s. He sold the trademarks to the Crests name to Tommy Mara in the late 1990s. Mara was Carter's lead vocalist at the time, and now continues the group without Carter. Carter now performs as part of the three person group Starz. Lewis is now singing with The Cadillacs.
The 1984 John Hughes teen movie, Sixteen Candles, took its title from The Crests' song, which was re-recorded by The Stray Cats for the Sixteen Candlessoundtrack.
Johnnie Maestro and his later group, The Brooklyn Bridge, continue to perform and appear at show dates, primarily at East Coast venues.
The Crests were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.
If you want to know more over the Crests please visit their website.
Posted by DutchMusicFreaks at 12:46 AM 1 comments
The Corsairs
The Corsairs were an American doo wop ensemble from La Grange, North Carolina.
The group consisted of three brothers and their cousin. Initially they performed as The Gleems, and toured the East Coast, where they were overheard by Abner Spector. Changing their name in 1961 to The Corsairs, they released their first single, "Time Waits" b/w "It Won't Be a Sin" on Smash Records. Switching to Tuff Records, they released "Smoky Places", which became a nationwide hit after being picked up for national distribution by Chess Records, hitting #10 R&B and #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962.[1] The follow-up, "I'll Take You Home", peaked at #62, and they continued releasing 45s until 1964, none of which managed to hit the charts.
Jay Uzell
James Uzell
Moses Uzell
George Wooten
Discography singles
"Time Waits" b/w "It Won't Be a Sin" (1961)
"Smoky Places" (1962)
"I'll Take You Home" b/w "Sittin' on Your Doorstep" (1962)
"Dancing Shadows"
"At the Stroke of Midnight"
"Stormy (It's Almost)"
"Save a Little Monkey"
"The Change in You" b/w "On the Spanish Side" (1964, as Landy McNeil & the Corsairs)
The Counts
The Counts is a R&B doo-wop band that started in 1953 and is still performing today. Band members include lead singer Chester Brown, James Lee, Robert Penick, Robert Wesley, and Robert Young. The Counts are also known as The Original Counts for the fact they have not replaced any members in their history. Originally a group of five, The Counts still performed as a group of four after the death of Robert Young in 2001.
Robert Young wrote most of The Counts songs, such as "Hot Tamale" and "Darling Dear". Their smash hit "Darling Dear" moved into the top ten R&B charts in 1954. The hit song made it to #6 in the nation. The Counts signed with Dot Records in 1954 while still teenagers. All members attended Crispus Attucks High School, Indianapolis, Indiana, while the band formed.
Abie's doowop taxi
Ace & the Ragers on myspace
Andy Tielman (Dutch language)
Billy Fury fan club
Billy Fury fan club Sound of Fury
Billy Lee Riley fan club
Bobby Fuller never to be forgotten
Brenda Lee on myspace
Brian Setzer website
Dale Hawkins on myspace
Dexter Romweber on myspace
Doowop cafe internet radio
Doowop dreams
Federartion of Teddyboys UK
Gene Vincent fanclub on myspace
Heavy Trash on myspace
Jappi muziek pagina
Johnny Cash radio
Lee Rocker's website
Link Wray's place
Official Gene Vincent fanclub
Reverend Horton Heat on myspace
Richard Merritt website
Rockabilly Radio
Rockabilly startpagina België
Shakin' Stevens fansite
Slim Jim Phanton website
Story of Indorock (Dutch language)
Texas Rockabilly
The Chop Tops fanclub
The Chop Tops on myspace
The Chop Tops on twitter
The Contours on myspace
The doowop hall of fame
The doowop jukebox
The doowop net
The Head Cat on myspace
Top 100 doowop songs
Wanda Jackson on myspace
The Contours
The Collegians
The Clovers
The Cleftones
The Chordettes
The Chips
The Chiffons
The Chevrons
Otis Williams & the Charms
The Chantels
The Channels
The Cascades
The Capris
The Zodiacs
The Capitols
The Cadets
Barry Mann
The Bosstones
The Bobbettes
The Blue Jays
Billy Ward & His Dominoes
The Bel-Airs
The Belmonts
Barry & the Tamerlanes
The Avons
The Ardells
The Aquatones
The Alley Cats
The Ad Libs
The Accents
Amazing Royal Crowns
The Head Cat
The Young Werewolves
The 5.6.7.8's
7 Shot Screamers
Dan Sartain
Lee Rocker
Dexter Romweber
Rattled Roosters
The Phenomenauts
Imelda May
Heavy Trash
Frantic Flattops
Flat Duo Jets
Deke Dickerson
Cigar Store Indians
The Chop Tops
Billy Burnette
Hasil Adkins
Ace & the Ragers
The Razorbacks
The Reverend Horton Heat
The Meteors
DutchMusicFreaks
Rockabilly from Holland who likes the music from the fifties, sixties and revival rockabilly especially teddy boy rock & roll/rockabilly
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PLANNING February 25, 2019 February 19, 2019 Mez Khan
INDUSTRY NEWS: NPPF PARAGRAPH 11 DECISION
In what is a landmark decision that could have significant positive implications for landowners, housebuilders, developers and the like, the Secretary of State has allowed the development of 600 homes within a countryside protection area in Doncaster (Planning ref. 15/01278/OUTM). This is despite the council being adjudged to have a 10-year Housing Land Supply.
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council originally refused the plans for the scheme on a 31.5-hectare site on agricultural land near the village of Edenthorpe. The council refused the scheme because it was in an area designated a “countryside protection area” (CPA) in their unitary development plan and also their later core strategy. In arriving at his decision however, James Brokenshire agreed with the appointed Inspector that although the policies “aim to protect the countryside, they do not ensure that sufficient land is available of the right sort in the right place and at the right time to support growth and meet the needs of present and future generations.”
The policies were therefore considered “not in line with the direction of travel of local and national policies, particularly in reference to the CPA, which is an historic designation, and is out of date. This was because the council had made no evaluation of the quality of sites in what was a large washed over designation, nor had they yet allocated sites for development, but had accepted that they would have to look beyond the existing designated growth area to find sites.
The secretary of state held that this meant the most important policies for determining this application were out of date and that the tilted balance in favour of sustainable development as stated in paragraph 11 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) applied.
This decision not only has implications for sites within the CPA in Doncaster but also for other sites which are subject to overly protectionist policies or historic designations across the country. It shows that Inspectors are looking positively at new developments applying weight to the benefits of the provision of housing, along with transport and accessibility improvements and improved access to open and green space.
If you have a site and want to know how this decision may affect the prospects of achieving development, please get in touch with one of our planners who would be more than happy to help.
For the latest industry news, click here to subscribe to our mailing list.
Mez Khan
ADVISORY PROFILE: GET TO KNOW OUR ADVISORY CONSULTANT, GEORGINA SANKEY
INDUSTRY NEWS: RURAL SOCIAL HOUSING WAITING LIST TOPS 100 YEARS
info@ruralsolutions.co.uk
North: 01756 797501
South: 01666 213102
Copyright © Rural Solutions Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Defending champ faces first-timer in all-Chandler title game
By Greg Macafee, Sports Editor
For the third time in four years – and in the second-ever all-Chandler title game – the Chandler Wolves are heading to the 6A State Championship. This time around, though, they will be accompanied by another Chandler Unified School District member that isn’t named Hamilton.
For the first time in school history, the Perry Pumas punched their ticket to the state championship Nov. 14 with a convincing 56-31 win over the Mountain Pointe Pride.
They have been proving themselves all season long, and the victory over the No. 1-ranked Pride solidified their claim to be considered as one of the best in 6A.
Chandler is the only school district in state history to have two high schools vying for the 6A title.
The Wolves are the defending state champs. Early on in the season, they suffered several injuries to key players, including starting quarterback Jacob Conover in week two. But sticking to the “next man up mentality,” the Wolves suffered only one loss, a 24-21 nail-biter against Mountain Pointe.
Chandler is now fully healthy and Conover, along with others, returned just in time for their regular-season matchup with the Pumas. In a 55-27 trouncing, the Wolves handed the Pumas their only loss of the season and claimed their spot atop the 6A class.
Since then, both teams have run the table to secure their spot in Tucson on Dec. 2. Perry survived two battles against Hamilton High, including a 65-63 shootout on Oct. 20. Chandler outscored their final two opponents 98-33 and then outlasted the Pinnacle Pioneers and Oklahoma commit Spencer Rattler in the quarterfinals, 77-52.
Both teams are led by great quarterbacks who have put up astronomical numbers throughout 2017. For Perry, Brock Purdy has been sensational all season, throwing for 3,686 yards and 48 touchdowns through 12 games this season. He’s also been able to torture defenses on the ground as well, running for 882 yards and nine touchdowns.
Against Hamilton in the quarterfinals, Purdy threw for 512 yards and six touchdowns and ran for 86 yards and two more scores. In just eight games this season, Conover has thrown for 2,267 yards and 23 touchdowns. In their semifinal game against Red Mountain, the junior gunslinger threw for 368 yards and seven touchdowns.
But these two quarterbacks aren’t the only weapons that take the field on a weekly basis.
For Purdy, junior wideouts Colby Dickie and D’Shayne James have been his favorite targets, combining for 2,042 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. Purdy also has three other receivers with over 300 yards receiving.
On the Chandler side, it’s been Gunner Romney and Jarick Caldwell through the air. Romney has caught 65 passes for 1,279 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Caldwell has hauled in 47 passes for 729 yards and four touchdowns.
While the Wolves have the ability to dominate teams through the air, they have gone with the ground game this season, relying on the running back duo of Drake Anderson and DeCarlos Brooks.
The pair have both rushed for over 1,000 yards and have combined for 42 of the Wolves 46 rushing touchdowns. Kenny Fultz has been the main man in the backfield for Perry, rushing for 521 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.
Perry and Chandler have both demonstrated their ability to put points on the scoreboard this season, combining for a total of 1,354 points.
But they have also showcased their talents of keeping points off the scoreboard as well. Each team has allowed fewer than 320 points this season.
The two state championship opponents boast solid defensive lines, highlighted by Chris Manoa on the Chandler side and Travis Beckman and Jobiin Sweatt on the Perry side.
Avery Carrington and Bryce Jackson highlight just two of several talented players in the Chandler secondary, while Travis Calloway and Victor Nieto do the same for the Pumas.
These two Chandler teams will battle it out today, Dec. 2, at the University of Arizona Stadium in Tucson, whether it be through the air or on the ground as they have both displayed the talent to score at will.
Either way, two Chandler schools will compete for the state championship for the first time since 2014, when Chandler defeated Hamilton to capture its first state title.
–Contact Sports Editor Greg Macafee at gmacafee@timespublications.com. Follow Greg on Twitter @greg_macafee.
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How Big Oil Will Die
Posted by StockBuz on August 7, 2017 at 4:46pm in Commodities and Opinion
It’s 2025, and 800,000 tons of used high strength steel is coming up for auction.
The steel made up the Keystone XL pipeline, finally completed in 2019, two years after the project launched with great fanfare after approval by the Trump administration. The pipeline was built at a cost of about $7 billion, bringing oil from the Canadian tar sands to the US, with a pit stop in the town of Baker, Montana, to pick up US crude from the Bakken formation. At its peak, it carried over 500,000 barrels a day for processing at refineries in Texas and Louisiana.
But in 2025, no one wants the oil.
The Keystone XL will go down as the world’s last great fossil fuels infrastructure project. TransCanada, the pipeline’s operator, charged about $10 per barrel for the transportation services, which means the pipeline extension earned about $5 million per day, or $1.8 billion per year. But after shutting down less than four years into its expected 40 year operational life, it never paid back its costs.
The Keystone XL closed thanks to a confluence of technologies that came together faster than anyone in the oil and gas industry had ever seen. It’s hard to blame them — the transformation of the transportation sector over the last several years has been the biggest, fastest change in the history of human civilization, causing the bankruptcy of blue chip companies like Exxon Mobil and General Motors, and directly impacting over $10 trillion in economic output.
And blame for it can be traced to a beguilingly simple, yet fatal problem: the internal combustion engine has too many moving parts.
The Cummins Diesel Engine, US Patent #2,408,298, filed April 1943, awarded Sept 24, 1946
Let’s bring this back to today: Big Oil is perhaps the most feared and respected industry in history. Oil is warming the planet — cars and trucks contribute about 15% of global fossil fuels emissions — yet this fact barely dents its use. Oil fuels the most politically volatile regions in the world, yet we’ve decided to send military aid to unstable and untrustworthy dictators, because their oil is critical to our own security. For the last century, oil has dominated our economics and our politics. Oil is power.
Yet I argue here that technology is about to undo a century of political and economic dominance by oil. Big Oil will be cut down in the next decade by a combination of smartphone apps, long-life batteries, and simpler gearing. And as is always the case with new technology, the undoing will occur far faster than anyone thought possible.
To understand why Big Oil is in far weaker a position than anyone realizes, let’s take a closer look at the lynchpin of oil’s grip on our lives: the internal combustion engine, and the modern vehicle drivetrain.
BMW 8 speed automatic transmission, showing lots of fine German engineered gearing. From Euro Car News.
Cars are complicated.
Behind the hum of a running engine lies a carefully balanced dance between sheathed steel pistons, intermeshed gears, and spinning rods — a choreography that lasts for millions of revolutions. But millions is not enough, and as we all have experienced, these parts eventually wear, and fail. Oil caps leak. Belts fray. Transmissions seize.
To get a sense of what problems may occur, here is a list of the most common vehicle repairs from 2015:
Replacing an oxygen sensor — $249
Replacing a catalytic converter — $1,153
Replacing ignition coil(s) and spark plug(s) — $390
Tightening or replacing a fuel cap — $15
Thermostat replacement — $210
Replacing ignition coil(s) — $236
Mass air flow sensor replacement — $382
Replacing spark plug wire(s) and spark plug(s) — $331
Replacing evaporative emissions (EVAP) purge control valve — $168
Replacing evaporative emissions (EVAP) purging solenoid — $184
And this list raises an interesting observation: None of these failures exist in an electric vehicle.
The point has been most often driven home by Tony Seba, a Stanford professor and guru of “disruption”, who revels in pointing out that an internal combustion engine drivetrain contains about 2,000 parts, while an electric vehicle drivetrain contains about 20. All other things being equal, a system with fewer moving parts will be more reliable than a system with more moving parts.
And that rule of thumb appears to hold for cars. In 2006, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimated that the average vehicle, built solely on internal combustion engines, lasted 150,000 miles.
Current estimates for the lifetime today’s electric vehicles are over 500,000 miles.
The ramifications of this are huge, and bear repeating. Ten years ago, when I bought my Prius, it was common for friends to ask how long the battery would last — a battery replacement at 100,000 miles would easily negate the value of improved fuel efficiency. But today there are anecdotal stories of Prius’s logging over 600,000 miles on a single battery.
The story for Teslas is unfolding similarly. Tesloop, a Tesla-centric ride-hailing company has already driven its first Model S for more 200,000 miles, and seen only an 6% loss in battery life. A battery lifetime of 1,000,000 miles may even be in reach.
This increased lifetime translates directly to a lower cost of ownership: extending an EVs life by 3–4 X means an EVs capital cost, per mile, is 1/3 or 1/4 that of a gasoline-powered vehicle. Better still, the cost of switching from gasoline to electricity delivers another savings of about 1/3 to 1/4 per mile. And electric vehicles do not need oil changes, air filters, or timing belt replacements; the 200,000 mile Tesloop never even had its brakes replaced. The most significant repair cost on an electric vehicle is from worn tires.
For emphasis: The total cost of owning an electric vehicle is, over its entire life, roughly 1/4 to 1/3 the cost of a gasoline-powered vehicle.
Of course, with a 500,000 mile life a car will last 40–50 years. And it seems absurd to expect a single person to own just one car in her life.
But of course a person won’t own just one car. The most likely scenario is that, thanks to software, a person won’t own any.
Here is the problem with electric vehicle economics: A dollar today, invested into the stock market at a 7% average annual rate of return, will be worth $15 in 40 years. Another way of saying this is the value, today, of that 40th year of vehicle use is approximately 1/15th that of the first.
The consumer simply has little incentive to care whether or not a vehicle lasts 40 years. By that point the car will have outmoded technology, inefficient operation, and probably a layer of rust. No one wants their car to outlive their marriage.
But that investment logic looks very different if you are driving a vehicle for a living.
A New York City cab driver puts in, on average, 180 miles per shift (well within the range of a modern EV battery), or perhaps 50,000 miles per work year. At that usage rate, the same vehicle will last roughly 10 years. The economics, and the social acceptance, get better.
And if the vehicle was owned by a cab company, and shared by drivers, the miles per year can perhaps double again. Now the capital is depreciated in 5 years, not 10. This is, from a company’s perspective, a perfectly normal investment horizon.
A fleet can profit from an electric vehicle in a way that an individual owner cannot.
Here is a quick, top-down analysis on what it’s worth to switch to EVs: The IRS allows charges of 53.5¢ per mile in 2017, a number clearly derived for gasoline vehicles. At 1/4 the price, a fleet electric vehicle should cost only 13¢ per mile, a savings of 40¢ per mile.
40¢ per mile is not chump change — if you are a NYC cab driver putting 50,000 miles a year onto a vehicle, that’s $20,000 in savings each year. But a taxi ride in NYC today costs $2/mile; that same ride, priced at $1.60 per mile, will still cost significantly more than the 53.5¢ for driving the vehicle you already own. The most significant cost of driving is still the driver.
But that, too, is about to change. Self-driving taxis are being tested this year in Pittsburgh, Phoenix, and Boston, as well as Singapore, Dubai, and Wuzhen, China.
And here is what is disruptive for Big Oil: Self-driving vehicles get to combine the capital savings from the improved lifetime of EVs, with the savings from eliminating the driver.
The costs of electric self-driving cars will be so low, it will be cheaper to hail a ride than to drive the car you already own.
Today we view automobiles not merely as transportation, but as potent symbols of money, sex, and power. Yet cars are also fundamentally a technology. And history has told us that technologies can be disrupted in the blink of an eye.
Take as an example my own 1999 job interview with the Eastman Kodak company. It did not go well.
At the end of 1998, my father had gotten me a digital camera as a present to celebrate completion of my PhD. The camera took VGA resolution pictures — about 0.3 megapixels — and saved them to floppy disks. By comparison, a conventional film camera had a nominal resolution of about 6 megapixels. When printed, my photos looked more like impressionist art than reality.
However, that awful, awful camera was really easy to use. I never had to go to the store to buy film. I never had to get pictures printed. I never had to sort through a shoebox full of crappy photos. Looking at pictures became fun.
Wife, with mildly uncooperative cat, January 1999. Photo is at the camera’s original resolution.
I asked my interviewer what Kodak thought of the rise of digital; she replied it was not a concern, that film would be around for decades. I looked at her like she was nuts. But she wasn’t nuts, she was just deep in the Kodak culture, a world where film had always been dominant, and always would be.
This graph plots the total units sold of film cameras (grey) versus digital (blue, bars cut off). In 1998, when I got my camera, the market share of digital wasn’t even measured. It was a rounding error.
By 2005, the market share of film cameras were a rounding error.
A plot of the rise of digital cameras (blue) and the fall of analog (grey). Original from Mayflower via mirrorlessrumors, slightly modified for use here.
In seven years, the camera industry had flipped. The film cameras went from residing on our desks, to a sale on Craigslist, to a landfill. Kodak, a company who reached a peak market value of $30 billion in 1997, declared bankruptcy in 2012. An insurmountable giant was gone.
That was fast. But industries can turn even faster: In 2007, Nokia had 50% of the mobile phone market, and its market cap reached $150 billion. But that was also the year Apple introduced the first smartphone. By the summer of 2012, Nokia’s market share had dipped below 5%, and its market cap fell to just $6 billion.
In less than five years, another company went from dominance to afterthought.
A quarter-by-quarter summary of Nokia’s market share in cell phones. From Statista.
Big Oil believes it is different. I am less optimistic for them.
An autonomous vehicle will cost about $0.13 per mile to operate, and even less as battery life improves. By comparison, your 20 miles per gallon automobile costs $0.10 per mile to refuel if gasoline is $2/gallon, and that is before paying for insurance, repairs, or parking. Add those, and the price of operating a vehicle you have already paid off shoots to $0.20 per mile, or more.
And this is what will kill oil: It will cost less to hail an autonomous electric vehicle than to drive the car that you already own.
If you think this reasoning is too coarse, consider the recent analysis from the consulting company RethinkX (run by the aforementioned Tony Seba), which built a much more detailed, sophisticated model to explicitly analyze the future costs of autonomous vehicles. Here is a sampling of what they predict:
Self-driving cars will launch around 2021
A private ride will be priced at 16¢ per mile, falling to 10¢ over time.
A shared ride will be priced at 5¢ per mile, falling to 3¢ over time.
By 2022, oil use will have peaked
By 2023, used car prices will crash as people give up their vehicles. New car sales for individuals will drop to nearly zero.
By 2030, gasoline use for cars will have dropped to near zero, and total crude oil use will have dropped by 30% compared to today.
The driver behind all this is simple: Given a choice, people will select the cheaper option.
Your initial reaction may be to believe that cars are somehow different — they are built into the fabric of our culture. But consider how people have proven more than happy to sell seemingly unyielding parts of their culture for far less money. Think about how long a beloved mom and pop store lasts after Walmart moves into town, or how hard we try to “Buy American” when a cheaper option from China emerges.
And autonomous vehicles will not only be cheaper, but more convenient as well — there is no need to focus on driving, there will be fewer accidents, and no need to circle the lot for parking. And your garage suddenly becomes a sunroom.
For the moment, let’s make the assumption that the RethinkX team has their analysis right (and I broadly agree[1]): Self-driving EVs will be approved worldwide starting around 2021, and adoption will occur in less than a decade.
How screwed is Big Oil?
Perhaps the metaphors with film camera or cell phones are stretched. Perhaps the better way to analyze oil is to consider the fate of another fossil fuel: coal.
The coal market is experiencing a shock today similar to what oil will experience in the 2020s. Below is a plot of total coal production and consumption in the US, from 2001 to today. As inexpensive natural gas has pushed coal out of the market, coal consumption has dropped roughly 25%, similar to the 30% drop that RethinkX anticipates for oil. And it happened in just a decade.
Coal consumption has dropped 25% from its peak. From the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy.
The result is not pretty. The major coal companies, who all borrowed to finance capital improvements while times were good, were caught unaware. As coal prices crashed, their loan payments became a larger and larger part of their balance sheets; while the coal companies could continue to pay for operations, they could not pay their creditors.
The four largest coal producers lost 99.9% of their market value over the last 6 years. Today, over half of coal is being mined by companies in some form of bankruptcy.
The four largest coal companies had a combined market value of approximately zero in 2016. This image is one element of a larger graphic on the collapse of coal from Visual Capitalist.
When self-driving cars are released, consumption of oil will similarly collapse.
Oil drilling will cease, as existing fields become sufficient to meet demand. Refiners, whose huge capital investments are dedicated to producing gasoline for automobiles, will write off their loans, and many will go under entirely. Even some pipeline operators, historically the most profitable portion of the oil business, will be challenged as high cost supply such as the Canadian tar sands stop producing.
A decade from now, many investors in oil may be wiped out. Oil will still be in widespread use, even under this scenario — applications such as road tarring are not as amenable to disruption by software. But much of today’s oil drilling, transport, and refining infrastructure will be redundant, or ill-fit to handle the heavier oils needed for powering ships, heating buildings, or making asphalt. And like today’s coal companies, oil companies like TransCanada may have no money left to clean up the mess they’ve left.
Of course, it would be better for the environment, investors, and society if oil companies curtailed their investing today, in preparation for the long winter ahead. Belief in global warming or the risks of oil spills is no longer needed to oppose oil projects — oil infrastructure like the Keystone XL will become a stranded asset before it can ever return its investment.
Unless we have the wisdom not to build it.
The battle over oil has historically been a personal battle — a skirmish between tribes over politics and morality, over how we define ourselves and our future. But the battle over self-driving cars will be fought on a different front. It will be about reliability, efficiency, and cost. And for the first time, Big Oil will be on the weaker side.
Within just a few years, Big Oil will stagger and start to fall. For anyone who feels uneasy about this, I want to emphasize that this prediction isn’t driven by environmental righteousness or some left-leaning fantasy. It’s nothing personal. It’s just business.
HatTip to Member GT for this article. Thank you buddy!
Courtesy of NewCoShift
Tags: crude oil, electric cars, parts, demand, sefl driving
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England’s shocking win over South Africa opens up Cricket World Cup 2011
Labels: ICC Cricket World Cup 2011
England, who were at the receiving end in what has been the upset of the tournament so far, have opened up the Cricket World Cup 2011 by shocking South Africa, one of the favourites to life the title, in Chennai on March 6.
The unexpected result not only keeps England afloat in the tournament but it also sends some definite signals to other fancied teams. South Africa, by no means, are in danger of not proceeding to the quarter-finals but their defeat from a position of strength will certainly make the other contenders for the title breathe a little more comfortably.
In fact South Africa’s loss at the hands of England would not only mean something to the teams in their own group but it would also have an affect on the outfits in the rival group.
There is a clear message to the teams like Pakistan, Australia and Sri Lanka, who are more likely to share the top three positions in the Group A that a possible clash with South Africa in the knockout stage, would not necessarily mean the end of the road for them as was being anticipated before the start of the tournament.
The South Africans have a very powerful side but their indifferent performance against England should certainly serve as a wake-up call for the think-tank. If their top batsmen can succumb to the pace or swing of James Anderson and Stuart Broad on a turning wicket while chasing the most modest of targets they need to go back to the drawing board to reassess their strengths and weaknesses.
England, quite amazingly, have had close encounters in all their four outings in the competition so far. They had chased down successfully a target close to 300 in their opening game against the Netherlands before overcoming a sensational middle-order collapse to tie the following match against India after being set a mammoth target of 339.
They, however, were found wanting in defending a 300-plus score against minnows Ireland for whom Kevin O’Brien played an innings of lifetime to turn it around in most emphatic of styles.
With Ireland having come into the reckoning with the surprise win, the pressure was on England to deliver while taking on the mighty South Africa. Although the pitch was offering purchase to the spinners from the outset England didn’t seem to be having any chance after being bowled out for a below par score.
Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla kick-started the South African chase and an early finish to the game looked round the corner. But a drama followed and all the big guns of South Africa choked in the same manner as they are notorious for in crunch games. Their premier batsmen like A B de Villers and J P Duminy, who are otherwise exceptionally talented and skilled, need to take crash courses to learn how to cope with the pressure.
It’s quite extraordinary that the South Africans lose the plot so quickly from the driving seat despite being in possession of heavy arsenal. There’s something wrong somewhere which prevents them from coming up with the kind of performance that’s expected of them in global tournaments.
England’s shocking win over South Africa opens up ...
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That's The Sound Of...
...lefties going postal:
Canada to invest $477M in U.S. military satellite system
Labels: America, Canada, Canuckistanis, leftards, leftards and leftards
"Liberal defence critic John McKay said he was worried about handing too much control over Canadian capabilities to the U.S. "The thing that comes to mind immediately is the vulnerabilities that come with sharing your sovereignty with the Americans, which is essentially what you're doing," he said.
By participating in such a program, he said, there's a risk of making Canada more likely to become involved in future U.S. military operations."
How in hell does Canada participating in a Western allied comm. satellite program "share sovereignty with America"? If the Conservatives wanted to have a multi-billion dollar program of Canadian-owned, Canadian-access-only satellites, these Liberals would be the first ones squawking about the unnecessary much higher cost of a Canada-only satellite network. "Why isn't the Conservative Govt looking at a shared network, with shared costs?" would be the first words out of the mouths of their two-faces.
Using that fallacious logic, Canada's bilateral NORAD membership and multilateral NATO membership are also "sharing sovereignty".
Then, there's the facet of anything in which Canada works with the US is inherently bad and suspect. That's not statesmanship, it's base pandering to the tiresome thread of anti-Americanism that unfortunately exists in certain Canadian areas. Going postal, indeed.
Well, you know, according to our lefties, anything the Yanks do, we must do the polar opposite in order to assert our independence. If that's not complete dependence on American policy, I don't know what is. If America does A we must do B, ergo, we are completely dependent on whatever the American position might be. Leftie logic at its finest.
MaxEd said...
Does anyone remember the DEW Line?
And besides, we all need a bit of comic relief once in a while. What else are the Liberals good for? Rise up, Canada! Rise up!
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The overarching power of unions appears to be under a full on attack:
Pro-business group launches ads targeting alleged union influence over Ontario government
Fight Back Against Union Bosses
New non-partisan anti-union group emerges as Tories push labour issues to the forefront
"A new anti-union group has sprung up just as the Progressive Conservatives threaten to make labour issues a key ballot question in the next election.
With Ontarians expected to go to the polls as early as May, Working Canadians wants to raise awareness about the influence of “union bosses” on the province.
Like Working Families, a coalition of unions that has successfully run ads attacking the Conservatives in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 provincial elections, Working Canadians considers itself non-partisan.
“Part of the purpose is to counter the Working Families and that type of organization,” spokesperson Catherine Swift, chair of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said Monday.
Swift stressed the CFIB is not officially part of the new organization, which is run by volunteers and funded by small businesses and Merit Canada, which lobbies for “open shop,” or non-union, construction companies.
“It’s not partisan, it’s just making sense,” she said, noting a decade of hefty contracts to unionized public servants, such as teachers, nurses, and police officers, has helped create a “structural deficit” in Ontario."
And they're fighting back:
New ads to ‘fight back’ against union influence
"There are plenty of bones to pick with the charges levelled by Working Canadians, as Ms. Swift’s group has branded itself. Taxes have not gone up in any significant way since the last election; the deficit has gone down, albeit more slowly than many would wish; organized labour’s culpability for unemployment rates is highly debatable.
But then, those on Ontario’s right would argue that turnabout is fair play. For years, they have complained that Working Families – the coalition of unions to which Working Canadians is an obvious response – has done the governing Liberals’ bidding by spending buckets of cash demonizing the Tories. Ms. Swift’s effort is a manifestation of those frustrations; it is also, in its scale, evidence of the uphill battle to provide a counterbalance."
Yup. They've done that in Saskatchewan, too.
Labels: capitalism, unions, Working Canadians
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Joined THEN Joined Clan Line
John (Taffy) collapsed and died suddenly on 6th October 2000 at the age of 59 He retired from sea in 1999 because of ill health. He had angina. Jenny his wife, said that he had talked about retiring for some time but when it became a reality he missed the sea more than he thought. She also said that John talked a lot about his Conway days and she feels sure that he would have loved to have had a get together with all of his Conway mates.
John and Jenny have a daughter, Kathryn, who graduated in 2002 from the University of East Anglia and a son, Stephen, who left school with A levels and hoped to join the Police force. Apparently Stephen is the spitting image of John.
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There wasn’t necessarily reason to attach a lot of expectations to 2012’s 21 Jump Street, starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, but the irreverent and self-referential reboot of the same-named, late-1980s TV series that helped launch the career of Johnny Depp delved into young male anxieties and issues of adolescent-adjacent friendship with considerable aplomb. Its sequel, 22 Jump Street, even more fully embraces and explores masculine relationship dynamics, while also wittily working over like a heavyweight’s speed bag Hollywood’s empty-headed love of franchising. Abundant in charm and loose-limbed energy, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, possessing everything one wants from a big Hollywood studio action-comedy. For the full, original review, from Paste, click here. (Sony, R, 112 minutes)
« Dances With Films: 120 Days
Halloween: The Complete Collection Blu-ray Set Gets Date »
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The Insane World of Patent Maximalism and Professor Joshua Pearce’s Case for Weakening Patent Rights
Posted in America, Europe, Patents at 5:25 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
A Case for Weakening Patent Rights [PDF] (shown above are the first five pages among 70 in total)
Summary: Patent scope is being broadened to the point where it has gone way too far and academics push back against this trend, warning that patents are not accomplishing what they were originally intended to accomplish
THE PATENT system in the US, notably the USPTO (one branch among several), seems to be improving. This is good news for the competitiveness of the US. Contrariwise, the EPO has become a menace/liability to Europe.
“The Supreme Court finally accepted that software patents are on abstract things and should thus not be granted anymore.”An “EPO Advertisement,” an EPO insider wrote to us, is “Another Pathetic Attempt By The #EPO @ Desperately Fishing For New Engineers & Scientists http://www.telecompaper.com/jobs/engineers-and-scientists-in-various-technical-fields–444 …” (this link/advertisement was mentioned here before).
We still have a lot of material that we wish to publish about the EPO, but today we wish to share assorted news from the US. Some of it relates to Europe, as we shall explain as we go along.
It doesn’t matter if and when you implement something in a patent (one could be a troll with no products at all, at least not anymore). Based on this, all that matters is the filing date. “Regardless of whether the Phillips statement is correct,” Patently-O wrote yesterday, “going forward for Post-AIA patents, the court should now eliminate “the time of the invention” from its claim construction process. Under the statute, all of the focus now is on the effective filing date with invention shifted to a mere historic element of the patenting process.”
“The Battistelli-led EPO wants to replace examiners with machines, so will machines too apply?”When patents cease to be viewed from the perspective of benefit to society or practical contribution we can expect them to become little more than trophies or a tool of taxation. Sadly, a lot of systems where low patent quality prevails (e.g. SIPO) are like that, with the US only belatedly tackling quality issues and the EPO getting worse over time. Another new article from Patently-O says that “the plaintiff stipulated that Merck’s Dr. Scholl’s process did not infringe and the case was dismissed.” In other words, the only one/s to benefit here would be legal representatives. What a wasteful system.
Regarding patent exhaustion, this recent article says that “[t]he Solicitor General’s recommendations make a cert. grant highly likely in this important case, which goes to the heart of two of the Supreme Court’s favorite patent topics: the scope of the patent right and the extraterritorial effect of U.S. patents. The strategic impact on large multinational businesses, complex licensing deals and so on is potentially enormous.”
“Will machines apply for patents, in order for them to be ‘examined’ by other machines and generate billions of ‘patents’? Where does this insanity end?”The Supreme Court finally accepted that software patents are on abstract things and should thus not be granted anymore. Why does the EPO fail to see this and actively encourages software patents in Europe these days (we gave about 4 examples so far this month). To make matters worse, also in relation to computer algorithms, some believe that Battistelli now envisions replacing patent examiners with deficient computer programs, as if human judgment can conveniently be swapped with a machine. Now, bear in mind that the following news is definitely not satire [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Computer-generated patents are now being entertained too, along the lines of online humour where computer-generated academic papers (complete gibberish) got accepted into conferences/journals (SCIgen about a decade ago). The Battistelli-led EPO wants to replace examiners with machines, so will machines too apply? Because of the practices of hedge funds and other bankers, a lot of so-called ‘financial trading’ these days is just machines talking to other machines (algorithms drive the vast majority of trading volume). Are the patent systems next? Will machines apply for patents, in order for them to be ‘examined’ by other machines and generate billions of ‘patents’? Where does this insanity end? How can humans even keep up with such a thing and stay abreast of new patents? If the patent system becomes more like the financial sector (i.e. just a bunch of machines talking with other machines, rigging the system), won’t that render the whole system obsolete?
Here is Watchtroll, a proponent of patent maximalism, saying that “It’s Time to Fix the Global Patent System Before It Breaks Under the Weight of New Applications”. To quote:
What’s happening? Simply put, patent offices are failing to keep up with the growth of the innovation economy and the resulting increase in patent applications. Unfortunately, the problem could easily get worse in coming years. Many patent offices apparently have yet to process applications from recent years, when huge increases in applications have occurred.
It’s a problem that threatens to undermine the global patent system, but what’s both encouraging and discouraging by turns is that it’s largely a basic problem of good governance. Many of the solutions to the problem are relatively straightforward. They require the application of sufficient resources and a willingness to hire an appropriate number of examiners and share work between patent offices. These solutions are a matter of political will and effective management, rather than complex policy. Some countries have shown the will to turn things around, and we hope others will follow.
When patent monopolies become so abundant rather than scarce fewer people can actually bother (or find the time) to read them. What has become of the system? Infinite growth (in the pace of granting) isn’t indicative of faster innovation, just greater lenience and patent office greed. This system will basically kill itself unless it stops and puts barriers on patent scope so as to improve patent quality.
Here is a very recent Patently-O article titled “Bad Patents and the False Claims Act”. An excerpt:
The False Claims Act provides special incentives for whistleblowers to uncover fraud against the U.S. Government. The Act authorizes the whistleblower to file a qui tam lawsuit on behalf of the Government and then receive a cut of any recovered damages. See 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729–3733. The whistleblower here LDPFC appears to be a branch of the hedge fund Foxhill Capital.
This case involves Allergan/Forrest Labs U.S. Patent No. 6,545,040 that is listed in the FDA Orange Book as covering the drug Bystolic. The basic false claims argument is that the market price of Bystolic is high because of the patent coverage – but the patent is (allegedly) invalid. If true, this means that Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA hospitals are all paying more than they should for the drug. As stated by the complaint: “The current market price for Nebivolol (Bystolic) is a false price because the ‘040 patent is invalid.”
Although the legal theory makes sense, the facts may get in the way: Is the patent invalid (PTAB says its close, but no) and, if it is invalid – did the patentee have knowledge of the invalidity?
PTAB, as we wrote yesterday, is the best hope of the US patent system right now. It cleans up the mess left by excess. Among patents that have not expired yet, PTAB might be able to find hundreds of thousands that need to be invalidated (before they even reach the court, if ever). Sent to us from Prof. Joshua Pearce earlier this month was his new paper [PDF] titled “A Case for Weakening Patent Rights”.
“Among patents that have not expired yet, PTAB might be able to find hundreds of thousands that need to be invalidated (before they even reach the court, if ever).”It sure looks like academics too are getting it. They also seem to agree with what Techrights has been saying for about a decade. Too many patents in too many domains do more harm than good.
Looking at the news, here is a very recent story about amicable resolution to a patent dispute:
LG Electronics said Miele was infringing patents for so-called steam washing machines and has sent a letter demanding that the German domestic appliance maker stop using the technology, setting an end-October deadline for a response.
Miele has been and is willfully infringing on LG’s patents, LG said in the letter, sent last week and seen by Reuters.
“In the interest of finding an amicable resolution of this matter, we are open to having an in-person meeting in November to discuss how to resolve this matter,” the company wrote.
The idea of willful infringing in the area of washing machines may make sense; after all, there aren’t hundreds of thousands of patents on washing machines, unlike software. It’s actually possible to keep track of patents pertaining to washing machines. That’s what the patent system was made for and we are not challenging patents in the physical domain (like mechanics). See also the article “Pure Storage agrees $30m patent litigation settlement with Dell” (via “this year’s highest damages awards”). This is about hardware, not software.
“It sure looks like academics too are getting it. They also seem to agree with what Techrights has been saying for about a decade.”Compare that to news about surveillance patents and patents on impossible (or fictional) things. What on Earth is that?
These patents exist “because patents are paper tigers,” Benjamin Henrion wrote, “no working prototypes required.”
Not much novelty is required either, especially when patent offices make “production” their primary goal, choosing quantity over quality.
“The idea of willful infringing in the area of washing machines may make sense; after all, there aren’t hundreds of thousands of patents on washing machines, unlike software. It’s actually possible to keep track of patents pertaining to washing machines.”Henrion said this in response to IBM’s Manny Schecter, a proponent of software patents. “If the quantum space engine is impossible,” he wrote, “how can it be patented?”
So suddenly even Schecter realises that patent scope has gone way too far? See this new article titled “The latest patent for the ‘impossible’ EM Drive has just been made public – and it’s wild” (from Science Alert).
A patent on something which is not even possible shows what some patent systems have sunk to. Yet Schecter fails to see his own double standard. On a separate day he wrote: “US #patent 9464453 is for a themed cemetery! We need to promote software innovation more than theme innovation-software must be patentable.”
“A patent on something which is not even possible shows what some patent systems have sunk to.”Well, IBM is still promoting and lobbying for software patents while suing small companies using such patents. The above “must not be patentable,” Henrion told Schecter. “Freedom of programming is not for sale.”
Well, policy is up for sale in the US. That’s why we’re still seeing the sordid legacy of software patents there. That’s why the US attracted or created so many patent trolls. Earlier this month I had a whole (and long) article written about me, the messenger, as I criticise software patents and this upsets some people. I guess that the software patents proponents would rather not tackle the message and instead go ad hominem. It’s OK, I got used to that. What patent software proponents don’t get is, if they dislike me, then I must be doing something right. I don’t try to be liked by people whose agenda is the opposite of mine. █
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The World Comes Tumbling Down for Software Patents and Patent Trolls
Posted in America, Patents at 4:15 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: News analysis regarding the state of software patents as well as patent trolls that heavily depend on such patents and on highly biased courts which are based in Texas
EARLY in the month we wrote a variety of articles about Intellectual Ventures v Symantec, which was an important CAFC-level case that may have spelled the doom/end of software patents in the US. Today we bring together and present a potpourri of coverage related to this.
Free Software Foundation on the Effect/Impact for Free/Open Source Software
Now too long ago the Free Software Foundation (FSF) wrote about this case, saying that the judge “provides a strong case against software patent”. To quote:
Mayer lays out the First Amendment argument against patentability of certain subjects, noting that limits on the subject matter of patents are meant to protect free expression. Under U.S. law, 35 U.S.C § 101 (section 101) lays out the scope of patentable subject matter. In analysing this section, courts have carved out certain subjects as being outside the scope of patentability so as to protect freedom of expression. In particular, abstract ideas and mental process have been found too threatening to the free exchange of ideas to permit them to be locked up in patents. After outlining the basics, Mayer goes on to state that “Most of the First Amendment concerns associated with patent protection could be avoided if this court were willing to acknowledge that Alice sounded the death knell for software patents.”
Discussion Everywhere This Month
Recently, TechDirt dedicated a whole audiocast to the subject and titled it “Death Knell For Software Patents”. Obviously, as expected, patent law firms are still bemoaning the (almost) end of software patents and here we have Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP remarking on the second anniversary of Alice, which is actually almost 2.5 years old by now. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s (CAFC) mea culpa, as one might put it, is admitting that making software patents possible was a horrible mistake. Here is Christine Hall’s article about it, titled “Federal Judge Says Alice ‘Death Knell for Software Patents.’”
It’s not time to break out the champagne just yet, but opponents of software patents might have cause to be hopeful. There’s now a federal judge that openly agrees with them.
This isn’t just any judge, but a judge sitting on the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC), which hears all patent appeals. He’s also not some bright-eyed newcomer to patent law. He was appointed to the Federal Circuit in 1987, where he was Chief Judge from 1997-2004.
On Friday, CAFC ruled that three patents Intellectual Ventures was attempting to use against Trend Micro and Symantec were invalid as they didn’t describe anything patentable. Although the ruling was pretty much business-as-usual and wasn’t unexpected, a concurring opinion by Judge Haldane Mayer went into uncharted waters. Alice Corporation versus CLS Bank International, he said, ended software patents.
“Alice” was the 2014 case in which the Supreme Court ruled that an abstract idea that “does no more than require a generic computer to perform generic computer functions” is not patentable. At the time of the ruling, many thought it would seem to invalidate almost all software patents, except that the Supreme Court bent over backwards to say otherwise within the ruling.
Judge Mayer spent 13 pages addressing software patent issues on several different fronts. For starters, he said they pose a First Amendment problem. “Patents, which function as government-sanctioned monopolies, invade core First Amendment rights when they are allowed to obstruct the essential channels of scientific, economic, and political discourse.”
It’s the free speech issues that led him to the conclusion that “Alice,” in effect, outlawed most if not all such patents. “Most of the First Amendment concerns associated with patent protection could be avoided if this court were willing to acknowledge that Alice sounded the death knell for software patents,” he wrote.
An article by Scott Graham of The Recorder has been titled “Software Patents on Shaky Ground With Federal Circuit in Case After Case” and it is no longer behind a paywall (a two-page short article).
Also see “Federal Circuit Finds Three Intellectual Venture’s Patents Invalid under the Mayo/Alice Framework” — an article that uses more legalese:
The Federal Circuit recently decided a case concerning three patents owned by Intellectual Ventures I LLC (“IV”). Intellectual Ventures I LLC v. Symantec Corp., Case Nos. 2015-1769, 2015-1770, 2015-1771 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 30, 2016). The district court had invalidated U.S. Patent Nos. 6,460,050 (‘050) and 6,073,142 (‘142) and found that Claim 7 of U.S. Patent No. 5,987,610 (‘610) was patent eligible. The district court had also found that Symantec Corp. (“Symantec”) infringed Claim 7 of the ‘610 patent, leading to an $8 million judgment. On appeal, the Federal Circuit held that all three patents were patent-ineligible under 35 U.S.C. § 101.
Patent Law Firms Partly in Denial
Software patents are still being squashed (we covered new examples last night), but their proponents try to find hope. “Alice/101 Patent Invalidity Rate at the Federal Circuit Is 91.4% of Patents Rendered Ineligible,” one patent attorney notes in relation to the statistics presented in Bilski Blog and “I think its the Fed. Dist. Cts. w/>50% 101 Valid Patents; The CAFC is still killing >90% of patents in 101 appealed cases,” he added. This was said in relation to Dan Barsky’s claim that “[f]or the first time since Alice the Fed Circuit has held more #patents valid than invalid @CAFCPatentDaily #intellectualproperty” (incorrect!)
They are both citing Bilski Blog (as above), which has tracked all these cases pretty exhaustively. Their problem is that CAFC and SCOTUS are a lot more potent or influential than other courts, especially those that are in Texas. Here we have Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP expressing concern about the decision and another new article about CAFC, this time dealing with the tightening of patent scope in another area:
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (PTAB) decision to reject a patent application centring on an influenza drug.
Relenza (zanamivir) is a treatment for infection by an influenza virus, and was invented by Constantin Efthymiopoulos, who had applied for a patent relating to methods of administering the drug through inhalation.
One of the rejected claims states that zanamivir should be administered by inhalation through the mouth alone.
Has CAFC finally realised that patent maximalism is not desirable? Lawyers from Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP certainly understand that they cannot patent everything under the Sun and here is what they say in a new article about Mayo/Alice:
In Affinity Labs of Texas, LLC v. DirecTV, LLC, Nos. 2015-1845-48 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 23, 2016), the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court order granting a motion to dismiss, holding that the asserted patent, directed to wireless streaming of regional broadcast signals to cell phones located outside the service region, was invalid based on lack of patentable subject matter.
In applying the first step of Mayo/Alice—determining whether the claim is directed to a patent ineligible concept (i.e., abstract idea)—the Court held the claimed invention was an abstract idea and “entirely functional in nature.” The Court found that missing from the claims was how to implement out-of-region broadcasting on a cell phone, and the specification was similarly deficient and in fact underscored the abstract nature of the invention.
Other law firms’ pessimistic notes on the likely end of software patents are worth taking stock of. On the 19th of the month Hodgson Russ LLP published a “A Silver Lining for Software Patents” and Wolf Greenfield & Sacks PC said that “It is Still Possible to Patent Software”, even though it is a lot harder and probably too risky to be worthwhile.
Reprinted with limitations by Amanda Ciccatelli under the same headline (in the form of “news”), we now have “Is Software Patentable?” To quote:
This case could have a significant impact for tech companies and startups if courts continue to take the Alice ruling to mean that software patents are null. So, what might this mean for the future of the tech industry? Brett Schuman, a partner in Goodwin’s IP Litigation Group, and an expert in patent law for startup and emerging growth companies, spoke to Inside Counsel about these questions and other Intellectual Property issues.
Well, startups don’t need software patents; it’s what lots patent trolls sue them out of existence with. Patent lawyers’ media lies about it.
Denelle Dixon Thayer, writing about the latest major CAFC ruling, says that “Software patents preventing free expression online” (as per the decision from the judge). To quote:
Should someone be able to get a monopoly on concepts for software? What if those concepts cover the basic pieces of something as important as the Internet? These are the type of questions constantly debated in the software industry, the patent office and the courts. What is generally overlooked, however, is the very real impact that software patents can have on freedom of expression. The Internet as a software platform is the largest channel of free expression in existence today. So the question we all need to consider now is how much do software patents restrain the rights protected under the First Amendment.
The Internet isn’t a single, uniform system. Rather, it’s a massive, collaboratively created platform, a large part of which is based on open software. It relies on multiple people and companies developing numerous pieces of software that must communicate with each other to work. Because patents allow a single person or company to exclude everyone else, a patent monopolizing basic Internet functionality causes enormous damage to the core of how the Internet is built and functions – the very thing that enables the Internet as a medium for expression on such a huge scale. Both Congress and the courts have recognized this kind of tension and accounted for it in the context of copyright and trademark law. Unfortunately, U.S. patent law has few built-in protections to ensure that patent monopolies do not overreach and restrict free expression.
Last week, achieving this critical balance between patents and free expression hit a crucial milestone. Judge Mayer in the Federal Circuit (the US court that hears patent appeals cases) wrote in a concurring opinion that patents directed at software running on generic computers can violate the First Amendment by creating barriers to communication, discourse, and the exchange of ideas online. In his opinion, he recognized that software and the Internet are widely-used, basic tools for expression. Mayer went further to declare that they are “essential channels of scientific, economic, and political discourse.”
An article by James M. Singer (Fox Rothschild LLP) said that “Federal Circuit Invalidates Three Software Patents; Judge Mayer Calls For Ban On All Software Patents”. From the opening parts:
In the past few months, the Federal Circuit reversed a two-year trend of overturning software patents by publishing three decisions that outlined various parameters in which software can be eligible for patenting. In those decisions (described in previous IP Spotlight posts published here and here) the court cautioned that not all improvements in computer-related technology are inherently abstract. It also said that when assessing patent-eligibility, one must be careful to not use patent-eligibility to invalidate a claim when the real issue with the claim is obviousness.
An article by Russ White has a misleading headline, “The Future of Software Patents” — as if there’s much of a future to them now…
At this point, software patents still stand in the United States. The reasoning of the primary and concurring opinion, however, is likely to be picked up by other courts, potentially reducing (or eliminating, over time) the enforceability of software patents. Since I’m not a legal scholar, I’m not going to comment on the overall likelihood of software patents becoming less than useful. Instead, what I’d like to think through is what the reaction of the network engineering world might be.
A survey taken by patent lawyers in site that targets them says software patents are not dead. But that’s like asking about Donald Trump in Fox News. The audience is already a subsection of the population which has biases/convictions. “Responding to WIPR’s recent survey,” WIPR wrote, “100% of readers disagreed with Mayer’s opinion.”
Well, obviously this means that people who profit from patents don’t like a decision against them. “100% of readers disagreed with Mayer’s opinion,” says the article, but it does not specify the number or respondents. Could be 8. Could be 80. Anything…
Intellectual Ventures and Other Patent Trolls in the News
Dealing with the troll (not company) that caused the latest panic among law firms, Bastian Best tries to defend it by saying: “Another example of the ” #patenttroll = patent owner I don’t like” argument” (or maybe he alludes to universities that feed Intellectual Ventures).
Actually, the core argument is that a patent troll — in this case the world’s biggest (which is also Microsoft-connected) — picks up all the patents and universities facilitate it. “Well,” Benjamin Henrion responded, Intellectual Venture “has many fans among some communities.”
Found via IPRsLaw was the context of it all — an article by the EFF that cites an analysis of Intellectual Ventures. Remember that it was Microsoft that created this monster, Intellectual Ventures, and the EFF urges people to “Tell your university: don’t sell patents to trolls.” Here is their source (which contains a lot of information):
To answer this, I have scraped the names of the original assignees for each of the U.S. patents in the portfolio from patent records (see annotated patents list). The analysis shows that nearly 500 of IV’s patents originally belonged to universities, including state schools (see Figure 1 and university-derived patents list).
The EFF mentioned this chart later on as well and the EFF’s Vera Ranieri said that “Patent Forum Shopping Must End” in relation to the VENUE Act:
As we’ve detailed on many occasions, forum shopping is rampant in patent litigation. Last year, almost 45% of all patent cases were heard in the Eastern District of Texas, a sparsely populated region of Texas probably more well-known as the birthplace of George Foreman than for any technological industry. EFF, along with Public Knowledge, has filed an amicus brief in TC Heartland v. Kraft, urging the Supreme Court to hear a case that could end forum shopping in patent cases.
The case is one of statutory interpretation. Prior to 1990, the Supreme Court had long held that in patent cases, the statute found at 28 U.S.C. § 1400 controlled where a patent case could be filed. However, in 1990 in a case called VE Holding, the Federal Circuit held that a small technical amendment to another venue statute—28 U.S.C. § 1391—effectively overruled this long line of cases. VE Holding, together with another case called Beverly Hills Fan, means that companies that sold products nationwide can be sued in any federal court in the country on charges of patent infringement, regardless of how tenuous the connection to that court. TC Heartland first asked the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to revisit its law. EFF also supported TC Heartland at that court. The Federal Circuit declined the invitation.
More recently, the EFF’s Elliot Harmon said that “Patent Trolls Undermine Open Access”. To quote this newer analysis:
Patent Trolls Undermine Open Access
This Open Access Week, the global open access community has a lot to celebrate. Hundreds of universities around the world have adopted open access policies asking faculty to publish their research in open access journals or archive them in open repositories. A few years ago, open access publishing was barely recognized on the fringes of science; now, it’s mainstream. Three years after the White House’s groundbreaking open access memo, we may be on the verge of passing an open access law.
Again and again, we’ve seen how making the results of scientific research available to everyone is good for innovation. Innovators should be able to use and build upon the most up-to-date scientific research, regardless of whether they have the budgets and institutional connections necessary to access expensive journal subscriptions and academic databases—particularly when that research was paid for with public funds.
Shooting the messenger is the tactic used by Bastian Best again. “Another one-sided viewpoint by EFF,” he calls it, which is actually more polite than Watchtroll put it. In this particular case, the EFF agrees with Red Hat, whose “EVP speaks out on patent litigation abuse in EDTX”. To quote Red Hat based on this new article:
Help slow the drag with patent venue reform
As our country and North Carolina look to accelerate the growth of our economy and expand its reach to all citizens, one issue has been a continuing drag: abusive patent litigation.
One prevalent tactic of abusers is to haul companies into virtually any district court in the United States, including those far away and those in locations that have nothing to do with where you do business.
Under current patent law, infringement suits can be brought in courts with no or little connection to the parties in the litigation. “Patent trolls” use this weakness in the system to select the courts well-known for their friendliness to patent suits.
For most of these patent trolls, their court of choice is the Eastern District Court of Texas (EDTX), which has been the No. 1 venue for bringing patent suits for nearly a decade. The EDTX saw 44 percent of all patent infringement cases filed in the entire U.S. in 2015, with one judge overseeing more than a quarter of all cases – twice as many as the next most active patent judge.
As a home-grown, global company headquartered in North Carolina that has been recognized as one of the world’s most innovative companies, Red Hat has repeatedly been forced into court in the EDTX. We have no office there; we do no business from there. The patent litigation abusers have minimal contact there, sometimes just a small office. But they go for a leg up in that district, given its reputation.
Red Hat and other companies have tried to move cases to where we can get a fair hearing, but the rules to change venue don’t easily allow that. We believe patent infringement suits, just as other types of suits, should be heard in judicial districts that have a reasonable connection to the dispute.
They basically strive to limit the ability of trolls to choose Texas. Here is a TC Heartland Law Professor Amicus Brief, submitted by “Mark Lemley, Colleen Chien, Brian Love, and Arti Rai” against such patent trolling (mostly in Texas). To quote Patently-O:
From a policy perspective, the case is seen as a vehicle for defendants who do not like being sued in the Eastern District of Texas and into more venues perceived as more defendant friendly.
A group of 50+ law and economics professors led by Mark Lemley, Colleen Chien, Brian Love, and Arti Rai have filed an important brief in support of the TC Heartland petition that I have copied below. Their position is (1) the Federal Circuit has erred on interpreting the law; and (2) the permissive venue result has fueled many of the problems of our patent system.
Patent trolls don’t make as many headlines as they used to, but when they do, it’s about celebrities like Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. This too is about Texas and Joe Mullin explains:
It’s getting easier than ever for defendants to win fees in patent cases, especially against “non-practicing entities” with no products. But don’t tell that to pop stars Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears.
The two celebrities and their respective production companies were sued by an entity called Large Audience Displays Systems, LLC (or LADS for short) back in 2009.
The patent-holder who came after them is Darrell Metcalf, the inventor of US Patent No. 6,669,346, which describes a way of displaying video images on massive, arced screens. Metcalf, who lives in California, set up an East Texas LLC called Large Audience Display Systems (or LADS for short) back in 2009, then sued the pop stars in that venue, along with the LA Lakers and the band Pussycat Dolls.
The case was transferred to California in 2011. The judge promptly put the case on hold at the defendants’ request, while the patents were under reexamination at the US Patent Office. Ultimately, the office rejected all the patent claims.
The USPTO is asleep at the wheel and it was granting software patents almost all the time. No wonder all this chaos has been happening. Trolls depend a great deal on software patents and they prey on software patents; it’s tempting to think that headlines like “Did trolls cost Twitter $3.5bn and its sale?” speak about/allude to patent trolls, but these actually speak of Internet trolls and Twitter happens to be a frequent target of patent trolls, too (patent trolls are a huge problem for them). Professor James Bessen, an academic who writes a lot about the subject, wrote about this new report. “Major breakthrough “Invention” cues new video after you finish another,” he said, in relation to the following news:
These days, it seems like software patents are falling down right and left. Hundreds of them have been invalidated by US federal judges since the Supreme Court’s 2014 Alice Corp v. CLS Bank. decision, and more patent-holders are getting sanctioned for their behavior in court. The economics of the patent-trolling business are changing in fundamental ways, and lawsuits are down.
It’s tempting to think the whole mess is going to dry up and blow away—but the lawsuits coming from companies like Bartonfalls LLC show that some patent lawyers are going to keep on partying like it’s 2009. Bartonfalls is a shell company formed in the patent hotspot of East Texas, and it sued 14 big media companies on October 11 over US Patent No. 7,917,922.
This is a software patent that really ought to be invalidated. Maybe it will.
Speaking of patent trolls that rely on software patents, see this relatively new article from Mother Jones:
Meet America’s Most Prolific Patent Troll
So if you send notifications telling customers that their orders have been filled, S&T will sue you for $25,000. Why? Because they claim to have patented this idea if it’s done via some kind of computer network. In all this time, however, the patent has never been tested in court. It’s never been worth anyone’s time.
This. Is. Ridiculous. If you call your customer on the phone, it’s fine. If you send them an email, you’ll get sued. It’s hard to conceive of anything stupider.
This was also covered by the Wall Street media, under the heading which puts it in perspective (based on one criterion among others):
America’s Biggest Filer of Patent Suits Wants You to Know It Invented Shipping Notification
Like almost every online retailer, Spice Jungle LLC emails tracking numbers to customers when they place orders. That’s why the small firm was dumbfounded when it received a demand to pay $25,000 for the right to do so.
There are several aspects to some of these latest developments; one major aspect is software patenting and another is patent trolling, both of which are tied together by causality and other correlations which we covered here before.
We are gratified to see that the USPTO and the US patent system (in general) is improving these days, unlike the EPO. █
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Next Stop: Better Bus Service
For years, interminable waits and laughable speeds defined bus travel in New York City. At one low point, a comedian on a Big Wheel beat an M42 across Manhattan. Slowly but surely, though, buses are leaving all that behind. Next Stop: A better, faster and more reliable ride.
Select Bus Service (SBS)
SBS combines a handful of smart tweaks to shave precious seconds that add up to serious time savings. Dedicated lanes policed by automated enforcement cameras keep speeds constant, while off-board fare collection (where you swipe your MetroCard while you wait for the bus to arrive) and low-floor buses (which allow disabled passengers to board faster) dramatically reduce the amount of time a bus spends at a stop. All that adds up. SBS has shortened commutes on Fordham Road in the Bronx, and on First and Second avenues (where it was introduced last year) as much as 20 percent. And it’s coming to Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn later this year.
Green light, Go!
A handful of New York City buses are armed with an enviable superpower: the ability to talk with traffic lights. The system (based on optical signals relayed between the bus and the light) can recognize an approaching vehicle from as much as 150 feet away, and then sustain a green light, or shorten the time it takes for a red light to turn green. The logic is that to improve efficiency for everyone on the road, priority should be given to the vehicle carrying the most passengers. The end result is a quicker trip and less traffic for everyone.
New People, New Routes
More efficient service is one thing, but choosing where buses go is a whole other business. Earlier this year, New York City Transit (with a lot of nudging from T.A.) spent $17.8 million restoring, improving and adding service to 21 routes around the city, including a brand new line connecting waterfront areas in Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Long Island City, all of which have seen a huge population boom recently. Unlike subways, bus systems can quickly and affordably adapt to keep up with development patterns and commuting trends. That means more transit where it’s needed most.
Keep Rolling
In the days and weeks after Hurricane Sandy, New York City’s bus system stepped onto center stage. In fact, in the days following the storm, buses literally replaced subways with a “bus bridge” shuttling passengers over bridges where subway tunnels were flooded. According to Governor Cuomo’s official commission on Hurricane Sandy, a critical step to withstanding the economic impact of future storms is to build a more extensive system of high-quality buses. We couldn’t agree more.
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Browse: Home / Scholars reaffirm Catholic teaching against artificial birth control
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Scholars reaffirm Catholic teaching against artificial birth control
Posted by CNS on September 20, 2016 in National News, World & nation | 33 Views | Leave a response
by Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) — A group of Catholic scholars Sept. 20 reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s teaching on “the gift of sexuality” and its long-standing prohibition on artificial birth control as outlined in “Humanae Vitae,” Blessed Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical.
In a statement released in Washington, they rejected calls for the church to change its teaching by another group that issued a statement the same day at the United Nations.
“We, the undersigned scholars, affirm that the Catholic Church’s teachings on the gift of sexuality, on marriage and on contraception are true and defensible on many grounds, among them the truths of reason and revelation concerning the dignity of the human person,” they said.
The scholars said the “church’s constant and consistent teaching on human sexuality,” as explained in “Humanae Vitae,” “has been reaffirmed” by every pope since its release, most recently by Pope Francis in his apostolic exhortation “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”), released in April.
Signatories include: Richard Fehring, professor emeritus and director, Marquette University’s Institute for Natural Family Planning; professor Angela Franks, director of theology programs for the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization, St. John’s Seminary in Massachusetts; John Haas, president, National Catholic Bioethics Center, Philadelphia; and George Weigel, senior fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington.
“Scholarly support for the church’s teachings on the gift of sexuality, on marriage and on contraception has burgeoned in recent decades,” they said. “Moreover, institutes and programs supporting that teaching have been established all over the world. Even some secular feminists and secular programs have begun to acknowledge the harms of contraception.”
The other statement, issued at the U.N., was from an ecumenical group of Catholic and other moral theologians, ethicists and economists from around the world, under the auspices of Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research, based in England.
“Our goal is to encourage the Catholic hierarchy to reverse their stance against so-called ‘artificial’ contraceptives,” said the Wijngaards group, which claimed “Humanae Vitae” (“Of Human Life”) is based on faulty reasoning.
“The decision to use modern contraceptives can be taken for a variety of morally worthy motives, and so it can be responsible and ethical,” it said in its statement, “On the Ethics of Using Contraceptives.”
Signatories of the Wijngaards declaration include Father Charles Curran, who in the 1980s was told by the Vatican that he no longer had permission to teach as a Catholic theologian because of his dissenting positions on church teaching about sexual morality. Another signer is Father Peter Phan, who teaches at Georgetown University; his writings on religious relativism, or that many faiths offer valid spiritual paths, came under scrutiny by the Vatican.
The homepage of the institute’s website describes the organization’s mission as “promoting gender equality and shared decision-making in the church.”
The Wijngaards group said it was invited to present its statement at the United Nations Sept. 20. Copies were being made available “to all U.N. departments and development agencies . . . trying to navigate the relationship between religious belief and women’s health as they work toward the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals,” it said.
“We cannot pretend that it is still 1968 or ignore the harm done by the sexual revolution,” said John Grabowski, associate professor of moral theology and ethics at The Catholic University in Washington. Grabowski, who was an expert at the 2015 Synod of Bishops on the Family, made the comments in a Sept. 20 news release about the scholars’ statement released in Washington.
“Unfortunately, the Wijngaards statement fails to acknowledge the vindication of the teaching of Blessed Paul VI over the last 48 years by the sciences, the social sciences, and its further elaboration by the teaching of St. John Paul II and its support from Pope Francis,” he said.
During a Sept. 20 news conference at Catholic University, a theology professor stressed that the statement presented to the U.N. failed to take into account the spiritual benefits of church teaching against artificial birth control, which allows for “fertility-awareness based methods of family planning.”
“There are great benefits to natural family planning,” said Janet Smith, who holds the Father Michael J. McGivney chair of life ethics at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and has served as a consultor to the Pontifical Council on the Family.
She said natural family planning improves marriages and brings people closer to God, their spouses and their children. It’s also green since it is free and causes no harm to the environment.
Smith, who addressed the news conference by skype, said when she first learned of the Wijngaards statement a few weeks ago, she planned to simply write a response to it, but the reaction grew larger and became “an opportunity for us to show the world there are many, many Catholics who support ‘Humanae Vitae.'”
She speculated that if the ages of signers of the two different documents could be compared, she would guess that those who signed the document presented to the U.N. were at least 15 years older because she said many younger Catholics support the church’s teaching on contraception, particularly those influenced by St. John Paul II’s “theology of the body” — teachings on human sexuality.
Grabowski and Mary Hasson, who directs the Catholic Women’s Forum at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, also spoke at the news conference and stressed that the church’s teaching on contraception offers something beyond biology.
Grabowski noted that there will be much more to say on this teaching as the 50th anniversary of Humanae Vitae approaches in 2018.
The scholars’ statement said the Wijngaards declaration “misdirects the conversation from the start by claiming that the argument against ‘Humanae Vitae’ is based primarily on ‘biological laws.’ ‘Humanae Vitae’ instead focuses, as it should, on the person’s relationship to God and other persons.”
“God is love. . . . Because God is love — a communion of divine persons — he made men and women in his image: able to reason and to choose freely, with the capacity to love and to be in loving relationships,” the statement said.
“God invites all people to share in his love. . . . Every person is created to make a gift of self to God and others,” it continued. “The gift of self means living in a way that promotes the good of everyone, especially those with whom one is in close relationship.”
Marriage “was designed by God to enable a man and a woman to live out humanity’s core identity and lovers and givers of life. . . . Human sexual relations fulfill God’s intent only when they respect the procreative meaning of the sexual act and involve a complete gift of self between married partners.”
Quoting “Humanae Vitae,” the group said: “There is an unbreakable connection between the unitive meaning and the procreative meaning . . . and both are inherent in the marital act. . . . The teaching that contraception is always against God’s plan for sexuality, marriage and happiness is not based on human law,” the group said.
The statement also said that to live out “God’s design for married love,” husbands and wives need “moral family planning methods,” which are available to them in “the many forms of natural family planning.” Natural methods based on fertility awareness “are fully consistent with the church’s teaching on marital chastity.”
“Several well-argued versions of ‘natural law’ defenses support the church’s teaching that contraception is not in accord with God’s plan for sexuality and marriage,” it said, noting that St. John Paul II’s theology of the body “provides a powerful defense” of the teaching in “Humanae Vitae.”
“Humanae Vitae” also “speaks against the distorted view of human sexuality and intimate relationships that many in the modern world promote,” it added.
Copyright ©2016 Catholic News Service / U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Posted in National News, World & nation
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©2016 The Leaven Catholic Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.
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Deon Taylor
April 17, 2018 in Entertainment, National Entertainment, News, The Buzz, This Week
The “Traffik” Interview
with Kam Williams
The Hardest Working Brother in Hollywood!
Deon Taylor is a boundary-crashing, envelope-pushing, unabashed, creative force in the world of film and television. In Hollywood, roles vary and job functions are often blurred and blended – for talent, creatives, filmmakers, storytellers, show runners, producers and high-level executives alike. Few people, if any, in Hollywood exhibit the capacity and multidisciplinary skill set necessary to bridge multiple functions and roles successfully. Deon Taylor is one of the few who can – and does.
A prolific writer, filmmaker, director and idea generator, Deon is a hybrid artistic force and savvy producer. His work is innovative, his writing is cutting-edge and his vision is distinctive. As a creator, he has forged his own unique path through Tinseltown and into theaters and onto TV screens, to the delight of audiences seeking fresh, original content with a unique voice.
Deon succeeds because he is always thinking outside the box – juggling projects with perfect aplomb while incubating ideas that others in the industry wouldn’t dare to pursue. Creativity and storytelling are the heart and soul of the global entertainment industry. With that mantra in mind, Deon runs his own thriving, independent film and production company, Hidden Empire Film Group (HEFG) formerly known as Deon Taylor Enterprises (DTE), which he launched in 2000.
Deon has written, co-written and directed dozens of films, TV series and special projects and HEFG produces a diverse array of larger budgeted projects, born of Taylor’s boundless energy as a multi-hyphenate visionary and pioneer.
He successfully ventured into comedy in 2016 with his horror spoof “Meet the Blacks,” starring Mike Epps, George Lopez, Mike Tyson, Zulay Henao and King Batch. The film became a massive breakout hit and gained a cult following since opening in the Top Ten at the box office.
The popularity of “Meet the Blacks” led to a recently completed sequel, which Taylor also directed, wrote and produced. Due to hit theaters in late 2018, the sequel, titled “The House Next Door” stars comedy icons Mike Epps and Katt Williams, who last starred together in the hit “Friday After Next.”
Deon also recently wrote, directed and produced the thriller “Motivated Seller” starring Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy and Megan Good, and produced, with Jamie Foxx, the comedy feature “All-Star Weekend,” starring Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Gerard Butler, Eva Longoria, Jeremy Piven, Jessica Szohr – directed by Jamie Foxx.
All of his films have been financed by his longtime business partner and lead investor, Robert F. Smith, the founder of Vista Equity Partners, which is consistently ranked as one of the top Private Equity Firms in the world with approximately $3 billion in capital under management. Another partner is Roxanne Avent – a thought-provoking and visionary producer and executive with a powerful business aptitude, who steers HEFG.
Deon has a background in marketing, sports and promotions. A Nike All-American basketball player from Gary, Indiana; he earned a biology degree at San Diego State University on a full basketball scholarship where he was named the conference’s “Newcomer of the Year.” He went on to play professionally and still competes weekly in the NBA Entertainment League out of Los Angeles.
Here, Deon talks about his new film, “Traffik” – an intense sex-trafficking thriller starring Paula Patton, Missi Pyle, Omar Epps, William Fichtner and Roselyn Sanchez.
Kam Williams: Hey Deon, thanks for the interview.
Deon Taylor: Hey!! Thanks for having me, Kam.
KW: What inspired you to write Traffik?
DT: The film was inspired locally, by my reading an email from my daughter’s school telling us that kids were being trafficked at the local mall. So, I took an interest in trafficking and began to Google and do research. I was surprised to find out that this was a rapidly-growing epidemic all across the country. That’s what originally inspired me to write the screenplay.
KW: How would you describe the film in 25 words or less?
DT: Informative… Intense… Scary… Funny… Dynamic… Heroic… It’s a movie that will shake you to the core, that does not play by the rules and which ultimately leaves you with valuable information you should know about trafficking.
KW: How did you go about assembling such an impressive cast?
DT: Assembling a cast was extremely hard, as an independent filmmaker. What I had to do was basically reach out to people… get phone numbers… push… drag…scream… cry… and beg. Anything to get people to listen to a pitch and to ultimately read the screenplay.
KW: What message do you want people to take away from the film?
DT: To be vigilant about trafficking on a daily basis. Trafficking not only affects strangers’ lives, but it could touch yours, too. It could be as close as your next door neighbor.
KW: You played basketball professionally before becoming a filmmaker. When did you develop an interest in movies?
DT: I loved films growing up, especially in junior high and high school, but I never gave any thought to becoming a writer or filmmaker until I was in Germany. Over there, I realized that I wanted to be involved with movies and I began by writing a screenplay which I brought home with me. I figured it out on my own, and the bug just stayed with me for a long time. I just was like, “I gotta do this!”
KW: How do you explain your being so prolific?
DT: I don’t know how to answer that. I’m just trying to make films and do art and be the best me. I’m trying to figure out how do you create a world where you can constantly be a storyteller and get your projects out to the masses. I think what a lot of people are witnessing is, my passion, drive, and energy and the power of intention. My intent is to be successful.
KW: What is your earliest childhood memory?
DT: My earliest childhood memory is… I actually have a lot of them. Riding in the back of a 1978 Impala with zebra seats with my mom and my great uncle. And driving from Detroit to Gary, Indiana after my mom had just bought her first car, I just remember riding in the back seat. It’s an incredible memory for me.
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
DT: Chicken all day every day. Chicken! Chicken! Chicken! Chicken!
KW: Sherry Gillam would like to know what is the most important life lesson you’ve learned so far?
DT: Be true to yourself. Don’t live for anyone else. Find your own path. Live your own life and be the best you, and everything else will fall into place.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
DT: A flawed human who is trying to do right and be right and to lead by example versus words.
KW: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
DT: No comment. [Laughs]
KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
DT: That my family be prosperous and healthy for as long as possible.
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
DT: No one has ever asked my what’s my favorite ice cream, and I’m gonna answer it today. It’s a Dairy Queen Blizzard with M&M’s and chocolate syrup.
KW: “Realtor to the Stars” Jimmy Bayan asks: What’s your dream locale in Los Angeles to live?
DT: If there was a way to get a house, like a flat, in Beverly Hills that would be incredible. I’ve just driven through that area so many times and looked at those houses and just wondered what it would be like to live there. I think that would be kind of cool.
KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: Is there a classic film you’d like to remake?
DT: There are several I’d love to remake: Cujo, The Warriors and Cooley High. I think one of the most fun to redo would be Big Trouble in Little China.
KW: Larry Greenberg asks: Do you have a favorite movie monster?
DT: Of course, I do. Freddie Kruger!
KW: Finally, as Samuel L. Jackson asks: What’s in your wallet?
DT: Nothing! I’m a broke, struggling filmmaker trying to make it.
KW: Thanks again for the time, Deon, and best of luck with Traffik.
DT: Thank you so much, Kam.
To see a trailer for Traffik, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz-XiYNCo7o
Tags: Kam Williams
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You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Movement
Posted on | June 9, 2013 | 18 Comments
Why did the “Free Kate” movement flourish so rapidly after May 17? Some people have attributed this to the gay-rights angle in the case — Kaitlyn Ashley Hunt, 18, has admitted having sex with a 14-year-old female — and the claim of “homophobia” stirred sympathy for someone who admits committing a felony under Florida law.
This angered people because it looked like an attempt to create a “Get Out of Jail Free” card for gay sex offenders, but there was also another factor to which I called attention: Kate Hunt is a young, attractive female and no one wants to think a pretty girl could be dangerous — certainly not a sexual predator. Well . . .
You’re wrong. In fact, you might be shocked how wrong you are, when you see how often sex offenders hide behind a pretty face.
Loni Folks, 24, was arrested in 2008 and charged with sexual battery of a 16-year-old male student in Mississippi.
Carrie McCandless was 29 in 2006 when she was arrested for a sexual incident involving a 17-year-0ld male student at the Colorado charter school where she was English teacher and her husband was the principal. In 2011, McCandless was sentenced to 60 days in jail after a judge revoked her probation when she tested positive for morphine.
Heather Chiasson, 29, was charged in 2012 with having sex with a 17-year-old male student at the Louisiana high school where she taught math.
Angela Comer, 26, was arrested in Mexico with the 14-year-old boy with whom she ran away from Tompkinsville, Ky. The former middle school teacher pleaded guilty in 2007.
Marla Meek, 34, was arrested in 2006 and charged with having sex with a 15-year-old student. The former junior high school teacher was sentenced to prison in 2008.
Alison Peck, 23, was convicted of statutory rape for her 2008 affair with a 16-year-old boy at Greenfield High School, where she taught music. In 2011, her probation was revoked and she was sentenced to five years in prison.
Could I extend this list? Well, there are more than 195 cases compiled at “Women Arrested for Indecent Behavior With Kids,” and I’ve just pulled the first six examples I found of reasonably young and attractive women accused of sex offenses. It’s much more common than you’d expect, and good luck building a movement — “Free Alison,” “Free Carrie,” etc. — big enough to free them all.
All of these women were teachers, and the youngest was 23, whereas Kate Hunt was an 18-year-old high school senior. Also, their victims (consenting victims, but victims by law) were in all cases male, whereas Hunt had sex with an underage girl.
Beyond these differences, however, my point is that the law is the law, and the “Free Kate” poster-girl act — she’s too cute to be dangerous — doesn’t carry any weight with the law.
Also: “Beat her f**king ass, Emily! Beat her ass! Get that bitch!”
Dangerous? Let’s leave that to the judge to decide.
UPDATE: If you want to try randomly browsing through “Women Arrested for Indecent Behavior With Kids” without filtering for the young and attractive perpetrators, be prepared to encounter serious weirdness:
Melissa Balkcom, a 27-year-old mother, threw a sexually oriented slumber party for her daughter’s birthday and invited six of her daughter’s dance class friends, ages nine to 13, to the party.
Party games included Balkcom engaging in a game of “truth or dare” where the girls were dared to do such things as 10 jumping jacks while nude, demonstrating oral sex on a soda bottle, French kissing objects and lap-dancing on a chair or on each other.
Balkcom participating in some of the dares, including jumping nude in front of the young girls. She also explained what oral sex was to those who did not understand.
Guess she took the “Cool Mom” thing a bit too far, eh? But was Balkcom the weirdest case in the file? Not even close, my friends:
A former Michigan middle school teacher, Elizabeth Miklosovic, 37 . . . was fired after being arrested for molesting a 14-year-old student. The victimized student told friends the relationship with the language arts teacher began when she was in the seventh grade. . . . Investigation into the relationship determined the former teacher assaulted her victim from June to August 2004.
In June 2004, the victim’s parents granted permission for their daughter to go camping with Miklosovic believing Miklosovic was a trusted mentor to their daughter. However, while camping the two lit candles, chanted and exchange vows in a pagan wedding ceremony. To solidify their union, they traded a piece of braided cloth. It was after the “wedding” that Miklosovic sexually assaulted her young victim. . . .
The student testified, “She (Miklosovic) is a wonderful woman. She does not deserve this, any of this. I was not manipulated or taken advantage of. It was completely consensual.”
A pagan lesbian wedding. With a seventh-grader. “It was completely consensual.” Why are you bigoted haters so judgmental?
Anyway, why is this kind of bizarre stuff relevant to the “Free Kate” phenomenon? Because, in that case, Kaitlyn Hunt’s defenders are arguing that the letter of the law — which makes it a felony for anyone 18 or older to have sex with anyone 15 or younger — should be disregarded due to what they see as extenuating circumstances: Both girls were high school students who played together on the same basketball team — which meant they were “peers,” the defenders say — and because of what they claim are homophobic motives of the 14-year-old’s parents who reported the case to the cops.
OK, maybe you could grant leniency in one case, but if leniency becomes routine, so that the law is never rigorously enforced, you’re effectively voiding the law and 14-year-olds are fair game.
Well, what next? Shall we disregard the testimony of Elizabeth Miklosovic’s 14-year-old pagan lesbian “bride” (!) when she says that she was not “taken advantage of” by this “wonderful woman”? Is this “consenting” girl more of a victim than the 14-year-old who “consented” with 18-year-old Kaitlyn Hunt? Why? Because Kaitlyn is young and cute, and Milosovic is . . . well, not young and cute?
Start bending the law, and prepare for sexual anarchy.
Happy 14th Birthday! (Batteries not included.)
UPDATE II: Talk about taking the “Cool Mom” thing too far:
Donna Lou Sanders, 46, was a special education teacher and wife of the assistant principal of Magnolia High School in Magnolia, Arkansas, when she was arrested and charged with two counts of accomplice to rape, four counts of third-degree sexual assault, and six counts of permitting abuse of a minor. She was charged after an investigation determined she allegedly took a 12-year-old girl and 13-year-old girl to a motel so they could [have] sex with underaged boys and a 22-year-old man they met through Facebook.
According to the reports, Sanders also took her own daughter to the motels, provided alcohol to the minors, and sometimes drove the minors around in her car while they engaged in sex in the back seat of her car.
But . . . it was consenual!
UPDATE III: Good grief — a love triangle!
Linda Nef, 46, was one of two teachers from Bountiful Junior High School in Utah, accused of sexually assaulting the same 13-year-old boy. . . .
According to the Bountiful police, the two teachers were unaware of each other’s involvement with the same boy until recently when the boy told the other teacher involved, Valynne Bowers, about Nef.
Apparently, these 13-year-old boys nowadays are so irresistible to women, the teachers have to take turns.
UPDATE IV: Here’s practically an entire category of similar cases: Coach Reanna Jewell, 25, has sex with 16-year-old female basketball player; P.E. teacher Rita Brum, 24, has sex with 17-year-old female student; P.E. teacher Abigail Holloway, 33, arrested for affair with female student that began eight years earlier when the girl was 13.
But women can’t really be sexual predators, can’t they?
Category: Crime, Kaitlyn Hunt, Sex
18 Responses to “You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Movement”
Stan Brewer
June 10th, 2013 @ 12:07 am
Been an 18 year old male that had sexual relations with that 14 year old girl, the male would have been doing 20 years with no parole and be listed forever as a sexual predator for life.
If you want to make your blood boil, look up the case of Karla Homolka. At 20 years of age she helped her fiance drug her own younger sister so they could rape her – two incidents. Tammy died following the second.
That was just the beginning for these two rapists.
We really shouldn’t worry about young cute girls. They are harmless.;)
ReaganiteGOPer
RT @smitty_one_each: TOM You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Movement http://t.co/SfLvL9Y2wS #TCOT
Adjoran
June 10th, 2013 @ 1:35 am
I doubt the Hunts are sharp enough to have considered any of the history, or much of anything else. Someone, perhaps their lawyer, who was on a mission with their own agenda suggested the idea to them and they ran with it.
And while adult women are arrested and prosecuted for sexual crimes against underage boys, it is also true they tend to get lighter sentences on the average than their male counterparts who violate young girls, and further true that on average a good-looking female defendant is going to draw a somewhat lighter sentence for the same crime than would a man or a plain-looking woman.
There are exceptions, of course, but they usually involve either particularly egregious details (as some of the cases Stacy cites above) or a defendant who somehow shows the judge she doesn’t take the charges seriously or is openly unremorseful.
It isn’t just speeding tickets they get out of.
Karla also got a sweet plea deal for herself for testifying against her husband in several of their crimes. She made it before police finally found the videotapes they had made of all their assaults on the third search of their house.
robertstacymccain
Did some more research on that Miklosovic case, which was definitely “egregious,” to use your term. The parents of the girl described her as being emotionally disturbed. Prosecutors called the girl “psychologically fragile.” The parents agreed to the camping trip because they thought the teacher would “mentor” the girl. The teacher was already living with another woman, with whom she shared custody of an adopted son. And after their “honeymoon” in the state park, the teacher later had sex with the girl at the house she shared with her (other) wife. So, in addition to the jailbait problem, the perpetrator is also a lesbian bigamist.
The victim in this case was exceptionally vulnerable, and the perpetrator showed zero remorse. The perp pleaded guilty in 2004, and the victim would now be about 23. One wonders how she turned out. Probably not very well.
“Mentoring”!
vermontaigne
This is why I sometimes assert that there’s an epidemic of sexual abuse in public schools. What stats exist bear the claim out (they not only exceed the Catholic scandals in raw number terms, but quite significantly in per capita and every other statistically significant index). The MSM likes to present the individual cases–so salacious–but never connect the dots, in stark contrast to the Catholic priest scandals. They don’t wish to see massive class-action suits against public school districts, half of them faked up, because they know that they’ll be settled out of court.
But, you know . . . for the children. So, it goes on and on, and the argument I always get from the left is that the Catholic Church is a highly centralized institution, whereas these abusive public school employees are low-level rogue actors. And still it goes on. And then the excuse is that the priests are in a position of greater trust and authority, though the unions are continually telling us that we must entrust our children’s intellectual and moral formation to them, and they must have more money to properly socialize them. And still it goes on.
CBS (I think it is) has a rogues gallery at their website, but it is a gallery from which one is not encouraged to draw any conclusions, latent as they may be. I’m sure that they find they get a lot of hits there. It’s a bit like their sick version of Rule 5, honestly. No, there’s no pattern here. None at all. And if there’s no pattern, there’s no story, and if there’s no story, there are no class-action lawsuits, and the abuse is permitted to continue, on and on. But the military . . .
This rule of law thing is only for H8trs and homophobes.
riverlifecallie
Exactly. Child predators are drawn to professions where the children are.
Evi L. Bloggerlady
There are a lot of freaks out there. And my apologies to Carnival freak show members for using that term and grouping them in.
Child Sexual Abuse Causes Homosexual Tendencies? | That Mr. G Guy's Blog
[…] we have the article by Stacy about the prevalence of female teachers who take advantage of their underage students, male and […]
That is exactly right. If you have ever seen Chris Hansen: If you are fishing for child molesters, what do you use as bait? Child molesters go where children are.
June 10th, 2013 @ 12:30 pm
Debra Lafave’s lawyer specifically cited her physical attractiveness as a reason not to punish her for lewd and lascivious battery on a 14 year old male student.
“To place Debbie into a Florida state women’s penitentiary, to place an attractive young woman in that kind of hellhole, is like putting a piece of raw meat in with the lions,” her lawyer, John Fitzgibbons, told a Florida court at the time.
Yes, of course. If she were plain or homely, it would be just fine to feed her to the large, unsightly, prison lesbians.
trangbang68
I’ve long heard that the worst students become teachers. This is likely as they do such a poor job. Apparently the biggest degenerates also become teachers
They have a Union you know.
cabensg
We already have sexual anarchy.
What I have yet to figure out is why these women, all of whom knew that what they were doing was against the law and could land them in jail, if they wanted a younger man didn’t go after someone who was 18 rather than 17? It’s such an obvious point that I can’t think that this is somehow simple infatuation, but a real psychological problem.
Lightning Round – 2013/05/12 | Free Northerner
[…] Female sexual predators. […]
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18 Jul 2017 Chuck Epstein
0 1 6k 3
Cannabis-related properties targeted by title insurance company
Fidelity National Title Group, a subsidiary of Fidelity National Financial, the largest title insurer in the world, has issued an underwriting bulletin to its agents in 28 states to not insure any land used “for the production or distribution of marijuana.”
According to the memo issued June 29, 2017 by Fidelity National Title, the company’s Chief Underwriting Counsel said that properties in the 28 states “that have in some capacity legalized cultivation, distribution, manufacture or sale of marijuana products” will not be insured by Fidelity.
The bulletin instructs its agents and people in company operations to include the following language in every title commitment that the company issues in the 28 states. This underwriting bulletin (coded as Fidelity National Title Insurance bulletin 2017 RC-05) states:
“Please be aware that due to the conflict between federal and state laws concerning the cultivation, distribution, manufacture or sale of marijuana, the Company (Fidelity) is not able to close or insure any transaction involving Land that is associated with these activities.”
On its web site, Fidelity National Financial describes itself as “the nation’s largest title insurance company through its title insurance underwriters – Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, Commonwealth Land Title, Alamo Title and National Title of New York – that collectively issue more title insurance policies than any other title company in the United States.”
The bulletin recommends that if a title company sends out a “welcome” package or instructions before closing that it should include a similar statement saying the land will not insured. The bulletin also says “the sooner we indicate our unwillingness to insure, the better all around.”
In effect, the bulletin can affect the purchase and sale of undeveloped land, commercial properties, retail stores, and houses, where marijuana has been used even in states where it is legal. In effect, the bulletin and denial of title insurance means that many properties will not be financeable in a real estate transaction.
When a commitment letter is sent to a purchaser, the Fidelity underwriting bulletin means a seller and buyer of real estate have to sign an affidavit attesting that the property was not used for any purposes related to cannabis activities.
The bulletin was issued because the company said it did not want to discover at the actual closing event that the property “is used or intended for such purposes,” which would then resulting declining the title insurance coverage. If the statement is sent to buyers before the closing Fidelity said “it should make it easier to decline earlier in the transaction and put the burden of disclosure on the parties to the transaction.”
Impact on Cannabis-Related Real Estate
Reaction to the Fidelity underwriting bulletin was strong. One title insurance executive said the memo “sounds like a game changer” in terms of how cannabis-related properties can be bought and sold.
He also speculated that the company may have been acting in response to federal pressure to stop the expansion of the cannabis industry in states where it has become decriminalized.
The title insurance executive said “this can be a way to shunt this title insurance business to a subsidiary or the re-insurance industry at a much higher cost for title insurance or to use an indemnity policy.
In a LinkedIn post on March 2017, prior to the issuance of the Fidelity underwriting bulletin, attorney Michael J. Moore, citing an earlier 2016 article written by Vince Sliwoski, wrote “in states that have legalized the plant so far, title insurance companies set up a specific exception in their policies which excludes coverage over governmental actions, such as civil and criminal forfeiture of property under the federal Controlled Substance Act. Failure of the purchaser to disclose its intended use of the property may result in the title insurance company denying liability on a claim relating to property forfeiture because of the marijuana activity on the property. It is recommended that a buyer disclose their intended use of the land. Otherwise, the title company has an argument not to pay on claims.”
Moore also said “many title insurance companies have refused to act as an escrow agent for those transactions, because of the uncertain legalities involved. They have refused to handle the transfer of funds and closing documents. Some companies will not get involved in any aspect of the closing process, while others may provide a facility for the settlement of the transaction and issue a title insurance policy. Without title companies providing escrow services, the parties to a transaction must locate neutral third parties to perform the service.”
While the insurance industry, including life, auto, home, have addressed claims and procedures in states where cannabis is legal or decriminalized, the real estate title insurance directive has more significant and expensive implications.
The Fidelity underwriting directive, however, takes the decision to not insure title for cannabis-related properties to a new level and one that may have been developed at the behest of federal authorities.
Tags:cannabistitle insurance
How College Debt Creates Indentured Servants
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HomeArtsAn Album to Change Your Identity To
An Album to Change Your Identity To
May 9, 2012 Kate Koenig Arts, Music, Vol. 90, Spring 2012 0
Mike Bonanni, Staff Writer
Marilyn Manson has made an impact on our culture and is an inspiration for many young rockers. Manson has continued the theme of triumphant returns this year as more artists go back to the recording studio after a lengthy hiatus.
“Born Villain” is still the same Marilyn Manson that fans are used to with its harsh industrial sounds. However, since the last album, “The High End of Low,” he has had a more human sound that reflects more on himself. He still has some decent lyrical work going on and it is nice to hear something new from him.
This album could be considered to be where the last one started off with a very similar sound to it. There are not as many emotionally charged songs and a lot of them have a hint of mellowness.
Everything sounds really good for the first couple of songs, but then it starts to sound the same. He does a lot of the same stuff on a number of the tracks and it feels like Manson is trying to relax since the last album. He begins almost every song with a mini intro, so there is a lot of waiting involved. Some of it is pretty cool, but not anything too amazing. In fact, Manson uses a lot of rhythmic breathing and often winds up mechanical objects before a song kicks in on multiple tracks. He has been using a more electronic sound, but on this album it feels forced.
Around track ten, Manson finds a musical stride and kicks things back up with “Lay Down Your Goddamn Arms,” almost returning to his old sound. He puts on a pretty strong ending, though the last song, “You’re So Vain” ends very suddenly leaving the audience wanting more.
Basically, this album is nice for anyone who missed Marilyn Manson. It may be good for anyone who may be trying to get into him too since it is more lax and not as in-your-face as some of the earlier works he has done. It may also not be pleasing for beginning listeners because it is pretty far from the nature of his early work. It may show his artistic growth, but there is still some yearning for his hard-hitting songs of older albums. This is a hit or miss album, some stuff is great and some is just alright.
Some standout tracks include the opening track, “Hey, Cruel World” and “Murderers Are Getting Prettier Ever Day.” This is not a bad album and those waiting to hear it should still go and listen to it. It is not super amazing, but it is Marilyn Manson still doing what he does.
So How Sustainable is SUCO
An Album to Not Fail Your Finals To
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Home » Featured » JAWS 2
Posted By Marvin Mercer on Aug 14, 2014 | 0 comments
THREE GUYS AND… A MOVIE
series created by Marvin Mercer and Nick Stephenson
written by Dominick Cappello
Stephen Spielberg’s “Jaws” (1975) is an undisputed masterpiece based on the acclaimed novel by Peter Benchley – a classic film and one which the sequel couldn’t disappoint. Anyone who tells you that they weren’t unnerved by “Jaws” has to be unconscious above the neck. Heck, some people are still afraid to go in the water after all these years. “Jaws 2” had a lot to live up to but can now be seen to be an underrated film.
John Williams’ contributions truly lived up to his timeless score for the original film and is one of the highlights of the sequel, enriching the experience and adding a great amount of depth to the oceanic adventure sequel.
The opening scene features two scuba divers coming upon the shipwrecked Orca, the fishing boat from the first film captained by Robert Shaw’s salty character, Quint. A fantastic way of tying the two films together. The scuba divers are attacked and their shrieks of terror were recycled from when Matt Hooper was attacked in the anti-shark cage.
Roy Scheider reprised his role as Chief Martin Brody and gave a great performance. Roy Scheider’s portrayal of a man who has been traumatized is for me the highlight of the film, among it’s strongest merits. It is an authentic performance and I have found even the film’s naysayers are powerless to disagree with me as to Scheider’s impeccable work..
It’s business as usual for Chief Brody until the great white shark attacks a jet-skier. The filmmakers display oft-unregarded details in their universe: a flare-gun blast to the face during the attack – images which provide the coverart for the VHS – scar the face of the shark in question for the duration of the film and make a distinguishable villain.
While the audience awaits a shark jump-scare, the burnt remains of a woman shock the audience while Chief Brody searches through driftwood; one of the film’s most effective jump scares. Agonizing over the thought of another ferrocius facetious villain terrorizing Amity Island, Chief Brody dips his bullets in cyanide, which was a tickling notion for us shark-detesting audience members. You go, Chief Brody! Survive another film!
-Dr. Jelly
INDIFFERENT:
Jaws is a classic film starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss as they battle a 25 foot long, man-eating, great white shark. Just like “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” (1954), the shark from “Jaws” is a summertime monster, so you don’t have to wait until Halloween season to have some fun being scared. Sure, we’ve all seen “Jaws” countless times and probably don’t find it too scary anymore because we know all of the dialogue and exactly when the shark will appear, but who wasn’t terrified upon their first viewing?
The film led to a franchise, but the three sequels are unanimously considered to be inferior to the original. Jeannot Szwarc helmed the film after Stephen Spielberg declined to return. John Williams again provided the score. Roy Scheider returned, being contractually obligated to do so.
A few quick shots of the new great white shark let the audience know that this film won’t be quite as subtle as the original since the shark wasn’t seen at all during the opening skinny-dipping scene from the first film.
Our main character loses his job after discharging his weapon on a public beach. Then, while suffering from a hangover, he must save his two sons and a group of teenagers who are left disabled and adrift after being attacked by the shark. This was before the slasher movie craze of the 1980s, so teenagers in peril was novel at the time. The most recognizable teenager is Keith Gordon, who went on to star in John Carpenter’s “Christine” (1983) and direct several episodes of “Dexter” (2006 – 2013). The shark attacks a coast guard helicopter attempting a rescue. There was more footage of the helicopter pilot after being capsized, but it was cut from the film and I’m not sure why. It looked pretty cool based on the DVD special features.
The film ends with Chief Brody electrocuting the shark with an underwater cable. It was nowhere near as memorable as him shooting the oxygen tank in the original film’s climax, but it was still decent and way better than what occurred in the next two sequels. So, overall, I rank “Jaws 2” with “Ghostbusters 2” (1989) and “Predator 2” (1990) as sequels that are obviously not as epic as their predecessors, but deserve more respect than they usually garner.
Research indicates “Jaws” was and is a pop culture phenomenon. It influenced many other films, so as with most sequels to blockbusters, there was a struggle to keep the material fresh after the imitators had already gone to the well once too often.
At one point in “Jaws 2,” a killer whale is found dead on a beach. Perhaps as an answer to “Orca” (1977), a film which starred Richard Harris and was a blatant retread of “Jaws,” that even depicted a killer whale decimating a great white shark. I’ve always fixated on this particular scene and my own unique conspiracy theory. After the mega-success of “Jaws,” there were a whole bunch knockoffs, including “Piranha” (1978), directed by Joe Dante, and “Grizzly” (1976). Perhaps human filmmakers thought it impossible for a movie about a bear to be a copy of a movie about a shark, but “Grizzly” somehow managed to be one. “Orca” and “Piranha” are the much more obvious knockoffs because of their aquatic settings. Orca was of course the name of the fishing boat in “Jaws.” I suppose that Quint saw himself as the shark’s only true natural predator. It was like the filmmakers responsible for “Orca” were challenging “Jaws” to a showdown. Now, the “Jaws” franchise needed to put “Orca” in its place by including the dead whale scene. Looking back, the inclusion of the killer whale is also a weird precursor to “Jaws 3-D” (1983), when a 35 foot great white invades Sea World, but more on that at another time.
Jump scares are considered to a cheap ploy on the part of filmmakers, but as long as the whole movie isn’t built around jump scares, I find them to be acceptable. Now one would ever accuse “Halloween” (1978) of being cheap for having jump scares. There is one jump scare in “Jaws 2” that I would actually fast forward past on the VHS when I was younger. It was the scene where the lobster fisherman swims into the path of the great white. Sure, it has no real affect on me now, but jolted me back then. However, I wasn’t too invested when the shark attacked Tina’s Joy. I really don’t care if the hot blonde’s boyfriend gets eaten. Also, when the boyfriend is pulled down into the water, he breaks off a piece of the boat that seemed to have been pre-broken. Has anyone else besides me watched this movie enough times to have noticed that?
Jeffrey Kramer, who played the deputy in the first two “Jaws” film, had a bit role as a coroner in “Halloween II” (1981), which co-starred Lance Guest as a paramedic. Lance Guest later starred in “Jaws: The Revenge” as Michael Brody. Stuntman Dick Warlock doubled for Richard Dreyfuss in “Jaws” and played Michael Myers in “Halloween II.” So, there is a bit of an odd connection between Michael Myers and the great white shark. Director Jeannot Szwarc went on to make “Somewhere In Time” (1980), which starred Christopher Reeve. But, when Jeannot Szwarc made “Supergirl” (1984), Christopher Reeve refused to make a cameo as the Man of Steel, so sadly there’s less of a connection between Jaws and Superman.
My determination is that the film might appeal most to those who enjoy describing films as “guilty pleasures”. The “Jaws” franchise had its own E! True Hollywood Story. Richard Dreyfuss compared “Jaws 2” to falling down a flight of stairs. He is an amusing and self-aware human.
-Dr. Rochester
What fool responsible – screenwriter or producer or otherwise – chose to base this despicable cash-in enterprise on the single most boring character while removing the more nuanced and interesting survivor of Jaws 1 is beyond me.
What really destroys “Jaws 2” the most was the absence of Richard Dreyfuss as Matt Hooper. Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, and Jeffrey Kramer were atrocious and boring. The film lacks a bounciness, there wasn’t anyone for Roy Scheider to play off of when he went searching for his missing sons. No one for him to exchange banter with, no grit. One of the main reasons for the success of the first film was the chemistry between the three protagonists. It took their trinity to match wits with the cunning great white shark. In the sequel, however, Chief Brody went out on a small boat, yelled into a radio, and muttered to himself. Oh, how riveting.
A studio executive wanted Ellen Brody to accompany her husband when he battled the shark because actress Lorraine Gary was his wife and he wanted her to have more screen time. Thankfully someone with half a brain prevented that garbage from being filmed until “Jaws: The Revenge” (1987) when they ran out of ideas or just lost the ability to plug up the crud. The teenage characters were so lacking in personalitya as to basically be less interesting than undisturbed water. There was no development beyond who was crushing on who. So, it was like a slasher flick, but the worst type of slasher flick. You didn’t care if the teenagers got eaten by the shark and since only two of them did get eaten, you couldn’t even enjoy watching some gruesome death scenes as a conciliation. Everyone knowns the film is bound to be quality when the screenplay goes through many drafts and was not even finished when production started.
Richard Dreyfuss wasn’t much but at least he provided a sense of unfamiliarity and blissful gloom to the first Jaws – and the filmmakers here tried to replicate that and failed miserably because Roy Schieder couldn’t operate alone. There was a female marine biologist in one scene, but there should have been another marine biologist who stuck around and supported Chief Brody when the town elders shunned him. This hypothetical thirty-something male character, perhaps a protégé of Matt Hooper, could’ve bridged the gap between the teenagers and middle aged actors, and given Chief Brody someone to interact with in act three. Heck, I would’ve settled for Chief Brody bringing some of his hapless deputies with him. Stephen Spielberg struck the right cord in the original film by having the first half build suspense and develop the characters, then the second half was all about the thrilling shark hunt. In the sequel, it took about and hour and twenty minutes for Chief Brody to finally hop on a boat and go after the shark. This film dragged its feet.
My real gripe with the direction of Jeannot Szwarc was that the shark appeared too many times. I wanted there to be more shark action, but for the filmmakers to be creative and not showcase the mechanical shark. What you don’t see is scarier than what you do see. Jeannot Szwarc reasoned that it was pointless to hide the shark since everyone knew from the original film what it looked like. That is why they gave the shark a scar, so to give it some character. Tthe shark looked phony; less would have been more. There is one scene in particular, when Michael Brody is unconscious and bobbing in the water, where the shark’s upper jaw collapses inwards. So, all of a sudden, it looked like the shark was hair-lipped. Also, all of the underwater live shark footage by Ron and Valerie Taylor seemed to have been lazily recycled from the original film.
This was unnecessary sequel from a creative standpoint, but a cash grab on the part of the studio. I highly recommend the film be put in a shark tank in shark-infested waters, with popcorn and shark-seats – enabling shark-kind to share in the poor quality before evicerating every last trace of the movie.
-Dr. Frisbee
Author: Marvin Mercer
Three Guys And is a broad entertainment review series starring three characters who review various forms of entertainment in a round table style.
Marvin Mercer
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Socialism and Man in Cuba (English)
Dear compañero,
Though belatedly, I am completing these notes in the course of my trip through Africa, hoping in this way to keep my promise. I would like to do so by dealing with the theme set forth in the title above. I think it may be of interest to Uruguayan readers.
A common argument from the mouths of capitalist spokespeople, in the ideological struggle against socialism, is that socialism, or the period of building socialism into which we have entered, is characterized by the abolition of the individual for the sake of the state. I will not try to refute this argument solely on theoretical grounds but rather to establish the facts as they exist in Cuba and then add comments of a general nature. Let me begin by broadly sketching the history of our revolutionary struggle before and after the taking of power.
As is well known, the exact date of the beginning of the revolutionary struggle — which would culminate in January 1959 — was July 26, 1953. A group led by Fidel Castro attacked the Moncada barracks in Oriente Province on the morning of that day. The attack was a failure; the failure became a disaster; and the survivors ended up in prison, beginning the revolutionary struggle again after they were freed by an amnesty. In this process, in which there was only the germ of socialism, the individual was a fundamental factor. We put our trust in him — individual, specific, with a first and last name — and the triumph or failure of the mission entrusted to him depended on that individual's capacity for action. Then came the stage of guerrilla struggle. It developed in two distinct environments: the people, the still sleeping mass that had to be mobilized; and its vanguard, the guerrillas, the motor force of the mobilization, the generator of revolutionary consciousness and militant enthusiasm. This vanguard was the catalyzing agent that created the subjective conditions necessary for victory.
Here again, in the framework of the proletarianization of our thinking, of this revolution that took place in our habits and our minds, the individual was the basic factor. Every one of the combatants of the Sierra Maestra who reached an upper rank in the revolutionary forces has a record of outstanding deeds to his or her credit. They attained their rank on this basis.
First heroic stage
This was the first heroic period, and in which combatants competed for the heaviest responsibilities, for the greatest dangers, with no other satisfaction than fulfilling a duty. In our work of revolutionary education we frequently return to this instructive theme. In the attitude of our fighters could be glimpsed the man and woman of the future.
On other occasions in our history the act of total dedication to the revolutionary cause was repeated. During the October [1962 missile] crisis and in the days of Hurricane Flora [in October 1963] we saw exceptional deeds of valor and sacrifice performed by an entire people.Finding the method to perpetuate this heroic attitude in daily life is, from the ideological standpoint, one of our fundamental tasks.
In January 1959, the revolutionary government was established with the participation of various members of the treacherous bourgeoisie. The presence of the Rebel Army was the basic element constituting the guarantee of power. Serious contradictions developed right away. In the first instance, in February 1959, these were resolved when Fidel Castro assumed leadership of the government, taking the post of prime minister. This process culminated in July of the same year with the resignation under mass pressure of President Urrutia.
In the history of the Cuban Revolution there now appeared a character, well defined in its features, which would systematically reappear: the mass. This multifaceted being is not, as is claimed, the sum of elements of the same type (reduced, moreover, to that same type by the ruling system), which acts like a flock of sheep. It is true that it follows its leaders, basically Fidel Castro, without hesitation. But the degree to which he won this trust results precisely from having interpreted the full meaning of the people's desires and aspirations, and from the sincere struggle to fulfill the promises he made.
Participation of the masses
The mass participated in the agrarian reform and in the difficult task of administering state enterprises; it went through the heroic experience of the Bay of Pigs; it was hardened in the battles against various groups of bandits armed by the CIA; it lived through one of the most important decisions of modern times during the October [missile] crisis; and today it continues to work for the building of socialism.
Viewed superficially, it might appear that those who speak of the subordination of the individual to the state are right. The mass carries out with matchless enthusiasm and discipline the tasks set by the government, whether in the field of the economy, culture, defense, sports, etc. The initiative generally comes from Fidel, or from the revolutionary leadership, and is explained to the people, who make it their own. In some cases the party and government take a local experience and generalize it, following the same procedure.
Nevertheless, the state sometimes makes mistakes. When one of these mistakes occurs, one notes a decline in collective enthusiasm due to the effect of a quantitative diminution in each of the elements that make up the mass. Work is paralyzed until it is reduced to an insignificant level. It is time to make a correction. That is what happened in March 1962, as a result of the sectarian policy imposed on the party by Aníbal Escalante. Clearly this mechanism is not enough to ensure a succession of sensible measures. A more structured connection with the mass is needed, and we must improve it in the course of the coming years. But as far as initiatives originating in the upper strata of the government are concerned, we are currently utilizing the almost intuitive method of sounding out general reactions to the great problems we confront.
In this Fidel is a master. His own special way of fusing himself with the people can be appreciated only by seeing him in action. At the great public mass meetings one can observe something like the dialogue of two tuning forks whose vibrations interact, producing new sounds. Fidel and the mass begin to vibrate together in a dialogue of growing intensity until they reach the climax in an abrupt conclusion crowned by our cry of struggle and victory. The difficult thing to understand for someone not living through the experience of the revolution is this close dialectical unity between the individual and the mass, in which both are interrelated and, at the same time, in which the mass, as an aggregate of individuals, interacts with its leaders.
Some phenomena of this kind can be seen under capitalism, when politicians appear capable of mobilizing popular opinion. But when these are not genuine social movements — if they were, it would not be entirely correct to call them capitalist — they live only so long as the individual who inspires them, or until the harshness of capitalist society puts an end to the people's illusions.
Invisible laws of capitalism
In capitalist society individuals are controlled by a pitiless law usually beyond their comprehension. The alienated human specimen is tied to society as a whole by an invisible umbilical cord: the law of value. This law acts upon all aspects of one's life, shaping its course and destiny. The laws of capitalism, which are blind and are invisible to ordinary people, act upon the individual without he or she being aware of it. One sees only the vastness of a seemingly infinite horizon ahead. That is how it is painted by capitalist propagandists who purport to draw a lesson from the example of Rockefeller — whether or not it is true — about the possibilities of individual success. The amount of poverty and suffering required for a Rockefeller to emerge, and the amount of depravity entailed in the accumulation of a fortune of such magnitude, are left out of the picture, and it is not always possible for the popular forces to expose this clearly. (A discussion of how the workers in the imperialist countries gradually lose the spirit of working-class internationalism due to a certain degree of complicity in the exploitation of the dependent countries, and how this at the same time weakens the combativity of the masses in the imperialist countries, would be appropriate here, but that is a theme that goes beyond the scope of these notes.)
In any case, the road to success is portrayed as beset with perils — perils that, it would seem, an individual with the proper qualities can overcome to attain the goal. The reward is seen in the distance; the way is lonely. Furthermore, it is a contest among wolves. One can win only at the cost of the failure of others.
The individual and socialism
I would now like to try to define the individual, the actor in this strange and moving drama of the building of socialism, in a dual existence as a unique being and as a member of society.
I think the place to start is to recognize the individual's quality of incompleteness, of being an unfinished product. The vestiges of the past are brought into the present in one's consciousness, and a continual labor is necessary to eradicate them. The process is two-sided. On the one hand, society acts through direct and indirect education; on the other, the individual submits to a conscious process of self-education. The new society in formation has to compete fiercely with the past. This past makes itself felt not only in one's consciousness — in which the residue of an education systematically oriented toward isolating the individual still weighs heavily — but also through the very character of this transition period in which commodity relations still persist. The commodity is the economic cell of capitalist society. So long as it exists its effects will make themselves felt in the organization of production and, consequently, in consciousness.
Marx outlined the transition period as resulting from the explosive transformation of the capitalist system destroyed by its own contradictions. In historical reality, however, we have seen that some countries that were weak limbs on the tree of imperialism were torn off first — a phenomenon foreseen by Lenin.
In these countries, capitalism had developed sufficiently to make its effects felt by the people in one way or another. But it was not capitalism's internal contradictions that, having exhausted all possibilities, caused the system to explode. The struggle for liberation from a foreign oppressor; the misery caused by external events such as war, whose consequences privileged classes place on the backs of the exploited; liberation movements aimed at overthrowing neo-colonial regimes — these are the usual factors in unleashing this kind of explosion. Conscious action does the rest. A complete education for social labor has not yet taken place in these countries, and wealth is far from being within the reach of the masses through the simple process of appropriation. Underdevelopment, on the one hand, and the usual flight of capital, on the other, make a rapid transition without sacrifices impossible. There remains a long way to go in constructing the economic base, and the temptation is very great to follow the beaten track of material interest as the lever with which to accelerate development.
There is the danger that the forest will not be seen for the trees. The pipe dream that socialism can be achieved with the help of the dull instruments left to us by capitalism (the commodity as the economic cell, profitability, individual material interest as a lever, etc.) can lead into a blind alley. When you wind up there after having traveled a long distance with many crossroads, it is hard to figure out just where you took the wrong turn. Meanwhile, the economic foundation that has been laid has done its work of undermining the development of consciousness. To build communism it is necessary, simultaneous with the new material foundations, to build the new man and woman.
New consciousness
That is why it is very important to choose the right instrument for mobilizing the masses. Basically, this instrument must be moral in character, without neglecting, however, a correct use of the material incentive — especially of a social character.
As I have already said, in moments of great peril it is easy to muster a powerful response with moral incentives. Retaining their effectiveness, however, requires the development of a consciousness in which there is a new scale of values. Society as a whole must be converted into a gigantic school.
In rough outline this phenomenon is similar to the process by which capitalist consciousness was formed in its initial period. Capitalism uses force, but it also educates people in the system. Direct propaganda is carried out by those entrusted with explaining the inevitability of class society, either through some theory of divine origin or a mechanical theory of natural law. This lulls the masses, since they see themselves as being oppressed by an evil against which it is impossible to struggle.
Next comes hope of improvement — and in this, capitalism differed from the earlier caste systems, which offered no way out. For some people, the principle of the caste system will remain in effect: The reward for the obedient is to be transported after death to some fabulous other world where, according to the old beliefs, good people are rewarded. For other people there is this innovation: class divisions are determined by fate, but individuals can rise out of their class through work, initiative, etc. This process, and the myth of the self-made man, has to be profoundly hypocritical: it is the self-serving demonstration that a lie is the truth.
In our case, direct education acquires a much greater importance.The explanation is convincing because it is true; no subterfuge is needed. It is carried on by the state's educational apparatus as a function of general, technical and ideological education through such agencies as the Ministry of Education and the party's informational apparatus. Education takes hold among the masses and the foreseen new attitude tends to become a habit. The masses continue to make it their own and to influence those who have not yet educated themselves. This is the indirect form of educating the masses, as powerful as the other, structured, one.
Conscious process of self-education
But the process is a conscious one. Individuals continually feel the impact of the new social power and perceive that they do not entirely measure up to its standards. Under the pressure of indirect education, they try to adjust themselves to a situation that they feel is right and that their own lack of development had prevented them from reaching previously. They educate themselves.
In this period of the building of socialism we can see the new man and woman being born. The image is not yet completely finished — it never will be, since the process goes forward hand in hand with the development of new economic forms.
Aside from those whose lack of education makes them take the solitary road toward satisfying their own personal ambitions, there are those — even within this new panorama of a unified march forward — who have a tendency to walk separately from the masses accompanying them. What is important, however, is that each day individuals are acquiring ever more consciousness of the need for their incorporation into society and, at the same time, of their importance as the motor of that society.
They no longer travel completely alone over lost roads toward distant aspirations. They follow their vanguard, consisting of the party, the advanced workers, the advanced individuals who walk in unity with the masses and in close communion with them.The vanguard has its eyes fixed on the future and its reward, but this is not a vision of reward for the individual. The prize is the new society in which individuals will have different characteristics: the society of communist human beings.
The road is long and full of difficulties. At times we lose our way and must turn back. At other times we go too fast and separate ourselves from the masses. Sometimes we go too slow and feel the hot breath of those treading at our heels. In our zeal as revolutionaries we try to move ahead as fast as possible, clearing the way. But we know we must draw our nourishment from the mass and that it can advance more rapidly only if we inspire it by our example.
Despite the importance given to moral incentives, the fact that there remains a division into two main groups (excluding, of course, the minority that for one reason or another does not participate in the building of socialism) indicates the relative lack of development of social consciousness. The vanguard group is ideologically more advanced than the mass; the latter understands the new values, but not sufficiently. While among the former there has been a qualitative change that enables them to make sacrifices in their capacity as an advance guard, the latter see only part of the picture and must be subject to incentives and pressures of a certain intensity. This is the dictatorship of the proletariat operating not only on the defeated class but also on individuals of the victorious class.
All of this means that for total success a series of mechanisms, of revolutionary institutions, is needed. Along with the image of the multitudes marching toward the future comes the concept of institutionalization as a harmonious set of channels, steps, restraints and well-oiled mechanisms which facilitate the advance, which facilitate the natural selection of those destined to march in the vanguard, and which bestow rewards on those who fulfill their duties and punishments on those who commit a crime against the society that is being built.
Institutionalization of the revolution
This institutionalization of the revolution has not yet been achieved. We are looking for something new that will permit a complete identification between the government and the community in its entirety, something appropriate to the special conditions of the building of socialism, while avoiding at all costs transplanting the commonplaces of bourgeois democracy — such as legislative chambers, for example — into the society in formation.
Some experiments aimed at the gradual institutionalization of the revolution have been made, but without undue haste. The greatest brake has been our fear lest any appearance of formality might separate us from the masses and from the individual, which might make us lose sight of the ultimate and most important revolutionary aspiration: to see human beings liberated from their alienation.
Despite the lack of institutions, which must be overcome gradually, the masses are now making history as a conscious collective of individuals fighting for the same cause. The individual under socialism, despite apparent standardization, is more complete. Despite the lack of a perfect mechanism for it, the opportunities for self expression and making oneself felt in the social organism are infinitely greater.
It is still necessary to deepen conscious participation, individual and collective, in all the structures of management and production, and to link this to the idea of the need for technical and ideological education, so that the individual will realize that these processes are closely interdependent and their advancement is parallel. In this way the individual will reach total consciousness as a social being, which is equivalent to the full realization as a human creature, once the chains of alienation are broken. This will be translated concretely into the reconquering of one's true nature through liberated labor, and the expression of one's own human condition through culture and art.
New status of work
In order to develop a new culture, work must acquire a new status. Human beings-as-commodities cease to exist, and a system is installed that establishes a quota for the fulfillment of one's social duty. The means of production belong to society, and the machine is merely the trench where duty is performed. A person begins to become free from thinking of the annoying fact that one needs to work to satisfy one's animal needs. Individuals start to see themselves reflected in their work and to understand their full stature as human beings through the object created, through the work accomplished. Work no longer entails surrendering a part of one's being in the form of labor power sold, which no longer belongs to the individual, but becomes an expression of oneself, a contribution to the common life in which one is reflected, the fulfillment of one's social duty.
We are doing everything possible to give work this new status as a social duty and to link it on the one hand with the development of technology, which will create the conditions for greater freedom, and on the other hand with voluntary work based on the Marxist appreciation that one truly reaches a full human condition when no longer compelled to produce by the physical necessity to sell oneself as a commodity. Of course, there are still coercive aspects to work, even when it is voluntary. We have not transformed all the coercion that surrounds us into conditioned reflexes of a social character and, in many cases, is still produced under the pressures of one's environment. (Fidel calls this moral compulsion.) There is still a need to undergo a complete spiritual rebirth in one's attitude toward one's own work, freed from the direct pressure of the social environment, though linked to it by new habits. That will be communism. The change in consciousness does not take place automatically, just as change in the economy does not take place automatically. The alterations are slow and not rhythmic; there are periods of acceleration, periods that are slower, and even retrogressions.
Furthermore, we must take into account, as I pointed out before, that we are not dealing with a period of pure transition, as Marx envisaged in his Critique of the Gotha Program, but rather with a new phase unforeseen by him: an initial period of the transition to communism, or of the construction of socialism. This transition is taking place in the midst of violent class struggles, and with elements of capitalism within it that obscure a complete understanding of its essence.
If we add to this the scholasticism that has held back the development of Marxist philosophy and impeded a systematic treatment of the transition period, whose political economy has not yet been developed, we must agree that we are still in diapers and that it is necessary to devote ourselves to investigating all the principal characteristics of this period before elaborating an economic and political theory of greater scope.
The resulting theory will, no doubt, put great stress on the two pillars of the construction of socialism: the education of the new man and woman and the development of technology. Much remains to be done in regard to both, but delay is least excusable in regard to the concept of technology as a basic foundation, since this is not a question of going forward blindly but of following a long stretch of road already opened up by the world's more advanced countries. This is why Fidel pounds away with such insistence on the need for the technological and scientific training of our people and especially of its vanguard.
In the field of ideas that do not lead to activities involving production, it is easier to see the division between material and spiritual necessity. For a long time individuals have been trying to free themselves from alienation through culture and art. While a person dies every day during the eight or more hours in which he or she functions as a commodity, individuals come to life afterward in their spiritual creations. But this remedy bears the germs of the same sickness: that of a solitary being seeking harmony with the world. One defends one's individuality, which is oppressed by the environment, and reacts to aesthetic ideas as a unique being whose aspiration is to remain immaculate. It is nothing more than an attempt to escape. The law of value is no longer simply a reflection of the relations of production; the monopoly capitalists — even while employing purely empirical methods — surround that law with a complicated scaffolding that turns it into a docile servant. The superstructure imposes a kind of art in which the artist must be educated. Rebels are subdued by the machine, and only exceptional talents may create their own work. The rest become shamefaced hirelings or are crushed.
A school of artistic experimentation is invented, which is said to be the definition of freedom; but this “experimentation” has its limits, imperceptible until there is a clash, that is, until the real problems of individual alienation arise. Meaningless anguish or vulgar amusement thus become convenient safety valves for human anxiety. The idea of using art as a weapon of protest is combated.
Those who play by the rules of the game are showered with honors — such honors as a monkey might get for performing pirouettes. The condition is that one does not try to escape from the invisible cage.
New impulse for artistic experimentation
When the revolution took power there was an exodus of those who had been completely housebroken. The rest — whether they were revolutionaries or not — saw a new road. Artistic inquiry experienced a new impulse. The paths, however, had already been more or less laid out, and the escapist concept hid itself behind the word “freedom.” This attitude was often found even among the revolutionaries themselves, a reflection in their consciousness of bourgeois idealism.
In countries that have gone through a similar process, attempts have been made to combat such tendencies with an exaggerated dogmatism. General culture became virtually taboo, and the acme of cultural aspiration was declared to be the formally exact representation of nature. This was later transformed into a mechanical representation of the social reality they wanted to show: the ideal society, almost without conflicts or contradictions, that they sought to create.
Socialism is young and has its mistakes. We revolutionaries often lack the knowledge and intellectual audacity needed to meet the task of developing the new man and woman with methods different from the conventional ones; conventional methods suffer from the influences of the society that created them. (Once again the theme of the relationship between form and content is posed.) Disorientation is widespread, and the problems of material construction absorb us. There are no artists of great authority who also have great revolutionary authority. The members of the party must take this task in hand and seek the achievement of the main goal: to educate the people.
What is sought then is simplification, something everyone can understand, something functionaries understand. True artistic experimentation ends, and the problem of general culture is reduced to assimilating the socialist present and the dead (therefore, not dangerous) past. Thus socialist realism arises upon the foundations of the art of the last century.The realistic art of the 19th century, however, also has a class character, more purely capitalist perhaps than the decadent art of the 20th century that reveals the anguish of the alienated individual. In the field of culture, capitalism has given all that it had to give, and nothing remains but the stench of a corpse, today's decadence in art.
But why try to find the only valid prescription in the frozen forms of socialist realism? We cannot counterpose “freedom” to socialist realism, because the former does not yet exist and will not exist until the complete development of the new society. We must not, from the pontifical throne of realism-at-all-costs, condemn all art forms since the first half of the 19th century, for we would then fall into the Proudhonian mistake of going back to the past, of putting a strait-jacket on the artistic expression of the people who are being born and are in the process of making themselves. What is needed is the development of an ideological-cultural mechanism that permits both free inquiry and the uprooting of the weeds that multiply so easily in the fertilized soil of state subsidies.
In our country the error of mechanical realism has not appeared, but rather its opposite. This is because the need for the creation of a new individual has not been understood, a new human being who would represent neither the ideas of the 19th century nor those of our own decadent and morbid century.
What we must create is the human being of the 21stcentury, although this is still a subjective aspiration, not yet systematized. This is precisely one of the fundamental objectives of our study and our work. To the extent that we achieve concrete success on a theoretical plane — or, vice versa, to the extent that we draw theoretical conclusions of a broad character on the basis of our concrete research — we will have made a valuable contribution to Marxism-Leninism, to the cause of humanity.
By reacting against the human being of the 19th century we have relapsed into the decadence of the 20th century. It is not a very grave error, but we must overcome it lest we leave open the door for revisionism. The great multitudes continue to develop. The new ideas are gaining a good momentum within society. The material possibilities for the integrated development of absolutely all members of society make the task much more fruitful. The present is a time of struggle; the future is ours.
New revolutionary generation
To sum up, the fault of many of our artists and intellectuals lies in their original sin: they are not true revolutionaries. We can try to graft the elm tree so that it will bear pears, but at the same time we must plant pear trees. New generations will come that will be free of original sin. The probability that great artists will appear will be greater to the degree that the field of culture and the possibilities for expression are broadened.
Our task is to prevent the current generation, torn asunder by its conflicts, from becoming perverted and from perverting new generations. We must not create either docile servants of official thought, or “scholarship students” who live at the expense of the state — practicing freedom in quotation marks. Revolutionaries will come who will sing the song of the new man and woman in the true voice of the people. This is a process that takes time. In our society the youth and the party play a big part. The former is especially important because it is the malleable clay from which the new person can be built with none of the old defects. The youth are treated in accordance with our aspirations. Their education is every day more complete, and we do not neglect their incorporation into work from the outset. Our scholarship students do physical work during their vacations or along with their studies. Work is a reward in some cases, a means of education in others, but it is never a punishment. A new generation is being born. The party is a vanguard organization. It is made up of the best workers, who are proposed for membership by their fellow workers. It is a minority, but it has great authority because of the quality of its cadres. Our aspiration is for the party to become a mass party, but only when the masses have reached the level of the vanguard, that is, when they are educated for communism. Our work constantly strives toward this education. The party is the living example; its cadres must teach hard work and sacrifice. By their action, they must lead the masses to the completion of the revolutionary task, which involves years of hard struggle against the difficulties of construction, class enemies, the maladies of the past, imperialism.
Role of the individual
Now, I would like to explain the role played by the personality, by men and women as individuals leading the masses that make history. This is our experience; it is not a prescription.
Fidel gave the revolution its impulse in the first years, and also its leadership. He always set its tone; but there is a good group of revolutionaries who are developing along the same road as the central leader. And there is a great mass that follows its leaders because it has faith in them. It has faith in those leaders because they have known how to interpret its aspirations.
It is not a matter of how many kilograms of meat one has to eat, or of how many times a year someone can go to the beach, or how many pretty things from abroad you might be able to buy with present-day wages. It is a matter of making the individual feel more complete, with much more inner wealth and much more responsibility.
People in our country know that the glorious period in which they happen to live is one of sacrifice; they are familiar with sacrifice. The first ones came to know it in the Sierra Maestra and wherever they fought; later, everyone in Cuba came to know it. Cuba is the vanguard of America and must make sacrifices because it occupies the post of advance guard, because it shows the masses of Latin America the road to full freedom. Within the country the leadership has to carry out its vanguard role. It must be said with all sincerity that in a real revolution, to which one gives his or her all and from which one expects no material reward, the task of the vanguard revolutionary is both magnificent and agonizing.
Love of living humanity
At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality. Perhaps it is one of the great dramas of the leader that he or she must combine a passionate spirit with a cold intelligence and make painful decisions without flinching. Our vanguard revolutionaries must idealize this love of the people, of the most sacred causes, and make it one and indivisible. They cannot descend, with small doses of daily affection, to the level where ordinary people put their love into practice.
The leaders of the revolution have children just beginning to talk, who are not learning to say “daddy”; their wives, too, must be part of the general sacrifice of their lives in order to take the revolution to its destiny. The circle of their friends is limited strictly to the circle of comrades in the revolution. There is no life outside of it.
In these circumstances one must have a large dose of humanity, a large dose of a sense of justice and truth in order to avoid dogmatic extremes, cold scholasticism, or an isolation from the masses. We must strive every day so that this love of living humanity is transformed into actual deeds, into acts that serve as examples, as a moving force.
The revolutionary, the ideological motor force of the revolution within the party, is consumed by this uninterrupted activity that comes to an end only with death, unless the construction of socialism is accomplished on a world scale. If one's revolutionary zeal is blunted when the most urgent tasks have been accomplished on a local scale and one forgets about proletarian internationalism, the revolution one leads will cease to be a driving force and sink into a comfortable drowsiness that imperialism, our irreconcilable enemy, will utilize to gain ground. Proletarian internationalism is a duty, but it is also a revolutionary necessity. This is the way we educate our people.
Danger of dogmatism
Of course there are dangers in the present situation, and not only that of dogmatism, not only that of freezing the ties with the masses midway in the great task. There is also the danger of the weaknesses we can fall into. The way is open to infection by the germs of future corruption if a person thinks that dedicating his or her entire life to the revolution means that, in return, one should not be distracted by such worries as that one's child lacks certain things, that one's children's shoes are worn out, that one's family lacks some necessity.
In our case we have maintained that our children must have, or lack, those things that the children of the ordinary citizen have or lack; our families should understand this and struggle for it to be that way. The revolution is made through human beings, but individuals must forge their revolutionary spirit day by day.
Thus we march on. At the head of the immense column — we are neither ashamed nor afraid to say it — is Fidel. After him come the best cadres of the party, and immediately behind them, so close that we feel its tremendous force, comes the people in its entirety, a solid structure of individual beings moving toward a common goal, men and women who have attained consciousness of what must be done, people who fight to escape from the realm of necessity and to enter that of freedom.
This great throng organizes itself; its organization results from its consciousness of the necessity of this organization. It is no longer a dispersed force, divisible into thousands of fragments thrown into the air like splinters from a hand grenade, trying by any means to achieve some protection from an uncertain future, in desperate struggle with their fellows.
We know that sacrifices lie ahead and that we must pay a price for the heroic fact that we are, as a nation, a vanguard. We, as leaders, know that we must pay a price for the right to say that we are at the head of a people that is at the head of America. Each and every one of us readily pays his or her quota of sacrifice, conscious of being rewarded with the satisfaction of fulfilling a duty, conscious of advancing with everyone toward the new man and woman glimpsed on the horizon.
Allow me to draw some conclusions:
We socialists are freer because we are more fulfilled; we are more fulfilled because we are freer.
The skeleton of our complete freedom is already formed. The flesh and the clothing are lacking; we will create them.
Our freedom and its daily sustenance are paid for in blood and sacrifice. Our sacrifice is a conscious one: an installment paid on the freedom that we are building.
The road is long and, in part, unknown. We recognize our limitations. We will make the human being of the 21stcentury — we, ourselves. We will forge ourselves in daily action, creating a new man and woman with a new technology.
Individuals play a role in mobilizing and leading the masses insofar as they embody the highest virtues and aspirations of the people and do not wander from the path.
Clearing the way is the vanguard group, the best among the good, the party.
The basic clay of our work is the youth; we place our hope in it and prepare it to take the banner from our hands. If this inarticulate letter clarifies anything, it has accomplished the objective that motivated it. Accept our ritual greeting — which is like a handshake or an “Ave Maria Puríssima”:
Patria o muerte! [Homeland or death!]
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exposure - UPDATED
We think this story is huge. Finally some people might begin to really understand the scope of organized crime.
"Kosovo is just a multi-crimininal, poli-functional space. And this space is being used by Washington and by Europe for two things. Mainly it creates a highly criminal mafia environment for terror management. There have been, including Osama bin Laden, many known terrorists flown by American help into this area, and this is a training ground unto today for al Qaeda actions. And that is what Kosovo is needed for." ~ Christof Hoerstel @ 4:00 in the following Russia Today video
The important point to understand, made crystal clear by Aangirfan, is that SOLDIERS KEEP THE GANGSTERS IN POWER.
Please understand. The military knows aaaaaaallllllll about it. The drug trafficking, the human trafficking, the organ trafficking, the weapons trafficking. The authorities know all about it. And they know that some of us know that they know, but we are supposedly wearing tin foil hats. Sure.
See: aangirfan: The CIA's Moslem friends, from bin Laden to the Moslem Brotherhood, October 12, 2010
See: Kosovo's Mafia-like Prime Minister Hashim Thaci: Human Organs Trafficker, December 16, 2010
It is very important in particular to note the importance of EVIDENCE, or LACK OF EVIDENCE. We have noted this many times, how people demand PROOF of various allegations.
Deliberate Destrution of Evidence – Long dismissed in the mainstream media as “Serbian propaganda,” the allegations of organ trafficking – familiar to our readers – were ignored in the West until early 2008, when Carla Del Ponte, former Prosecutor at the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague, revealed in her memoirs that she had been prevented from initiating any serious investigation into its merits. She also revealed – shockingly – that some elements of proof taken by ICTY field investigators from the notorious “Yellow House” in the Albanian town of Rripe were destroyed at The Hague, thus enabling the KLA and their Western enablers to claim that “there was no evidence” for the organ trafficking allegations.
How easy is it to make the evidence go away? It's very easy when organized crime has at it's service the military, the media, and people highly placed in governments and bodies throughout the world.
This author makes some very interesting conclusions:
U.S. Damage Limitation and Self-Censorship – Such commentary is light years away from the feeble and half-hearted reporting in the American mainstream media. The Chicago Tribune, for instance, did not deem it fit to publish a story about the Council of Europe report itself. It published two related items critical of the report instead, on the European Union expressing doubt about its factual basis and on the “government” of Kosovo planning to sue Dick Marty for libel. No major daily has published a word of doubt about Bill Clinton’s wisdom of waging a war on behalf of Thaçi and his cohorts a decade ago, or perpetuating the myth of it having been a good war today.
That Thaçi aka “The Snake” is a criminal as well as a war criminal is no news, of course. The intriguing question is who, on the European side, wanted to end his “untouchable” status, why now, and what is the U.S. Government – his principal enabler and abettor – going to do about it.
Unsurprisingly, Thaçi’s “government” dismissed the report on December 14 as “baseless and defamatory.” On that same day Hashim Thaçi wrote in a telegram to President Obama that “the death of Richard Holbrooke is a loss of a friend.” “The Snake” has many other friends in Washington, however, people like US senator (and current foe of WikiLeaks) Joseph Lieberman, who declared back in 1999 at the height of the US-led war against the Serbs that “the United States of America and the Kosovo Liberation Army stand for the same human values and principles … Fighting for the KLA is fighting for human rights and American values.” Thaçi’s photos with top U.S. officials are a virtual Who’s Who of successive Administrations over the past 12 years: Bill and Hillary Clinton, Albright, Bush, Rice, Biden, Wesley Clark…
Thaçi’s American enablers and their media minions are already embarking on a bipartisan damage-limitation exercise. Its pillars will be the assertion that the report rests on flimsy factual evidence, an attempt to discredit Dick Marty personally, and the claim the Council of Europe as an irrelevant talking shop.
They trot out the 'no evidence' over and over. They scrub the evidence, and then they say there's no evidence.
See: no evidence
See: plenty of evidence
There is plenty of evidence. They just won't talk about it on TEEVEE.
The allegations against Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci interest us very much. Aangirfan started the day with this news and some images of Thaci with various important people: Bernard Kouchner, Gen. Wesley Clark, Gordon Brown, Madeline Albright...
Here Thaci sits with Tony Blair in 1999. So happy and relaxed! What could they be laughing about?
Discussing traffic?
"All smiles: Tony Blair meets Thaci in 1999 when he was the leader of the KLA and according to yesterday's report, when the organ-ring had just started. The pair posed for photos in a bar near where the European Union summit was being held in Cologne, Germany." Daily Mail
Very obviously, Mr. Thaci knows many elites, and is in fact one himself.
And yet, he is named as the boss of a brutal organized crime ring specializing in butchering enemies for their kidneys, assassinations, beatings, drugs and weapons smuggling.
How can this be? An elite... AND an organized crime boss? To many people, this will seem impossible. Thaci describes the charges as "baseless and defamatory." But, as we have observed, these charges are perfectly consistent with our understanding of organized crime having merged with the apparatus of the state.
According to reports, kidnapped prisoners had their organs harvested by the Thaci's Drenica Group.
Captives were held in a secret network of six detention facilities in northern Albania near the Kosovo border.
When the transplant surgeons were ready, the captives were executed and transferred to the clinic for organ harvesting.
Their kidneys and other organs were sold.
Western governments knew about this crime ring.
Last Sunday, Thaci was re-elected as prime minister of Kosovo.
None of this is surprising. In fact, the stories about the Bloody Yellow House have been around for a long time. We have entered the realm of CONSPIRACY THEORIES THAT TURN OUT TO BE TRUE.
Also see: 'Israel involved in Kosovo organ trade'
dark forest, unknown
September 8, 2009: CoE must be allowed to visit Yellow House
TIRANA, Albania — Investigators from the Council of Europe (CoE) must be allowed to visit a house in Ripa where Serbia claims members of the Kosovo Liberation Army harvested organs from Serb civilians and prisoners of war years ago, says Kastriot Islami. The opposition representative in Albania’s delegation to the Council of Europe (CoE), spoke out on Wednesday (August 12th) after his government said the CoE lacks a mandate to investigate the so-called “yellow house”. Islami, a member of the opposition Socialist Party who served as foreign minister between 2003 and 2005, says Albania, as member of the CoE, should respect Strasbourg’s decision to launch the probe. Earlier this week, a CoE delegation led by Special Rapporteur Dick Marty was turned away from the house by village residents who blocked its entrance for hours. The delegation ended up returning to Tirana. (Gazetatema – 13/08/09; Makfax – 12/08/09)
May 6, 2010: First arrest over 'Yellow House' - Human organs trafficking case?
A former member of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), Sabit Geci, has been arrested by EULEX police on suspicion of war crimes against non-Albanians in 1999. It is the first arrest related to so-called "yellow house" human organs trafficking case. Geci (51) has been arrested along with 25 other persons in the EULEX police operation following the shooting in a night club "Miami Beach" in Pristina. According to the media, he was a member of a first group of KLA, along with Hashim Thaci, the Prime Minister of Kosovo.
Here you can see, even if you don't speak French (and we don't), that Bernard Koucher considers the very suggestion that the Yellow House exists to be hysterically funny.
In a March 2010 post on organ trafficking, we reported the following allegations:
In Albania, former KLA fighters witness that Serbs were kidnapped and taken onto ships into international waters, where Western doctors harvested their organs and murdered them. Were some of the bodies dumped at sea, or were they all returned to land for burial?
Apart from burying the remains of kidnapped Kosovo Serbs who had their vital organs extracted for sale in the vicinity of their training, prison and death camps, KLA was also hiding bodies of these victims by burying them with remains of their fighters, like at Qafa Prušit and Morina (both on border between Serbia and Albania), as well as in the village and city graveyards throughout Kosovo province and Albania. (source)
See: bring out your dead
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the very important link about the SHIPS and WESTERN DOCTORS is now defunct. (This is why we tend to include long excerpts from relevant news sources, since they can tend to disappear.)
Details about the Drenica Group in Dick Marty's report:
In his report, the Council of Europe Rapporteur Dick Marty described the Prime Minister of Kosovo and leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Hashim Taqi, as the "boss" in a small but very powerful "Drenica Group”, part of the KLA, involved in trafficking in human organs, narcotics and weapons. Marty said that the intelligence officers who worked for NATO and for at least four independent foreign governments found credible information about what happened during and after the 1999 conflict, but no one was prepared to act on it. In addition to Taqi, significant roles in criminal activities belonged to Xhavit Haliti, Kadri Veseli, Azem Silja and Fatmir Ljimaj. They were all examined in the last ten years as suspected of war crimes and organized crime, but have fled justice, says Marty. He points out that the leaders of the "Drenica Group” are responsible for keeping the facilities for prisoners in the territory of Albania and determining the fate of prisoners held in these facilities, including civilians who were kidnapped in Kosovo and brought to Albania. Marty said that he found at least six separate detention facilities in the territory of Albania, where prisoners were illegally kept and brutally executed after which their organs were extracted.
We are talking about crimes that happened over a decade ago. Note all the evidence that must be ignored by many highly placed people in positions to do something. Consider the crimes that have taken place in the meanwhile.
THAT'S THE POINT.
This March 2008 article by William Engdahl lays the whole thing out very clearly. The people who run the world knew exactly what Thaci was, a gangster, and that's why they decided to groom him for politics. His connections to organized crime QUALIFIED him for a big job in politics.
US-NATO military control of Kosovo serves several purposes for Washington’s greater geo-strategic agenda. First it enables greater US control over potential oil and gas pipeline routes into the EU from the Caspian and Middle East as well as control of the transport corridors linking the EU to the Black Sea. It also protects the multi-billion dollar heroin trade, which, significantly, has grown to record dimensions in Afghanistan according to UN narcotics officials, since the US occupation. Kosovo and Albania are major heroin transit routes into Europe. According to a just -released 2008 US State Department annual report on international narcotics traffic, several key drug trafficking routes pass through the Balkans. Kosovo is mentioned as a key point for the transfer of heroin from Turkey and Afghanistan to Western Europe. Those drugs reportedly flow under the watchful eye of the Thaci government.
See: The Criminalization of the State: "Independent Kosovo," a territory under US-NATO military rule, by Michel Chossudovsky, February 4, 2008
See: The US and the EU support a political process linked to organized crime; Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci is part of a criminal syndicate, by Michel Chossudovsky, February 12, 2008
See: Rome: "the promised land for foreign mafias"
There's another huge case of people managing to look the other way and avoiding massive evidence of war crimes and atrocities, all of a sudden coming to the world's attention. It will be the subject of a separate post:
Report of the Mapping Exercise documenting the most serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed within the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between March 1993 and June 2003, August 2010 -- Unofficial translation from French original (pdf)
This report circulates while Uganda suddenly becomes very newsworthy.
We wonder what might be going on in the larger context. We wonder why Thaci gets exposed now. We wonder why Silvio Berlusconi has come under such pressure lately. We wonder what made Richard Holbrooke burst an artery and die. We wonder if Hillary Clinton choked on her bagel when that happened. We hope so.
We think it's about time that the criminals get exposed, but we don't know if the elites have engaged something like a war of attrition at this time, or if other forces have come into play.
Posted by A. Peasant at 9:33 PM
Many thanks for the link.
The world seems to be run by criminals, of more than one religion.
- Aangirfan
Switters said...
This blog (and it's witty and engaging writer) has become one of my favorite places on the web.
Keep those lightning bolts coming AP...you're one of a kind. :-)
(blushing) thank you. ;D it is true that i love blogging, and i am thrilled you enjoy reading here!
Nice thought picture of Hillary and her bagel, AP.
This and Wikileaks are the latest salvo (shot from Tel Aviv) in the Elite's growing internecine war. You'll remember that Tony Blair became a Catholic not too long ago.
i agree on wikileaks, but it doesn't seem like this is good for israel. it's very easy to connect organ trafficking back to israel, as we know.
chuckyman said...
Question – is Wikileaks the ‘israhelli mistake’?
This unveiling doesn’t seem to be the outcome of some Machiavellian plan. If there is then I am too dumb to see it.
The vast and vile webs of trade in human misery, pain, torture and death are becoming more overt with each new revelation – in no small part thanks to you A.P.
Maybe Les Visible is on the right tract with his description of the apocalypse/unveiling. Maybe they cannot keep the lid on any longer. Is that the motive behind the wikileaks – muddy the waters some more?
The size of these crimes are vast and cover many territories/countries. That proves the power of the traffickers.
There is a change in the wind A.P. It is turning and we shall turn with it. I hope it is for good. Only we can make it so.
Chuck, we are each adding our bits in the death by 1000 cuts routine, so it's a cumulative effort, and that's the only way. and i agree that if there's some way this is good for israel, it is honestly escaping me at this time. and i hope it escapes me forever and ever and ever....
I saw a comment on a website the other day that went something like this, "the queen of England is just a figurehead she probably has no idea what is going on."
End of quote
How rock dumb many people are is as upsetting as watching criminals run amock.
aferrismoon said...
Criminals and politicians go hand in hand in Mexico too.
There's just been a prison 'escape' of 141 prisoners , though 'escape' seems to be stretched to the borders of its meaning.
Basically they were let out. Not only that the Prison governer has also disappeared.
Few politicians can defend themselves against massive gangs unless of course they have a bigger gang.
Ferris, i think that is a huge story and i hope to get to it. thanks for the tip.
You are right, AP. My mistake came partly from editing of an eventually too short message.
I think the most likely scenario is that, behind it, this is from a section of the European and English elite via the Council of Europe targeting the zionists and the Pentagon i.e. it is the next round, tit-for-tat, in the growing internecine war - and it's all good.
"as we know." Touche! Point taken.
ha, well i know you know about the organ stuff, since you're the one who pointed it out to me. your revised scenario sounds about right James. all we can do is stand back and watch the show.
navy said...
Good article!:
Report identifies Hashim Thaci as 'big fish' in organised crime
Kosovo's prime minister accused of criminal connections in secret Nato documents leaked to the Guardian
* Paul Lewis
* guardian.co.uk, Monday 24 January 2011 18.34 GMT
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/24/hashim-thaci-kosovo-organised-crime
hello there navy, thanks for reading. i will check out the link. thank you very much.
by the way i apologize that your comment went into the spam filter for the day!
getting ready to solve more problems
mystery solved
meetings that never happen to arrange democracies ...
Come in, come in, ye kings, and kiss the feet of G...
a jarring sight
beside the point
making the sausages, lighting the campfire, and te...
scanty details
the compromising way
student experiments
where are all the missing children?
fakers?
Uganda in the news
half true means worse than useless
how to spread the danger around
exaggerate much? - UPDATE
plenty of evidence - UPDATED
how some people are
the dream is a nightmare and it's time to wake up
more treachery in the works
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Dreadnought Class SSBN
Re: Dreadnought Class SSBN
Postby ArmChairCivvy » 07 Jul 2017, 09:43
shark bait wrote: the design is ready to be shortened for a follow on hunter killer class.
A bit fat for that? More would need to be done, but certainly: what is inside will be directly applicable
Postby Timmymagic » 07 Jul 2017, 11:42
"Reports on the Royal Navy Dreadnought-class submarine (i.e., the class that will replace the Vanguard class SSBNs) state that the submarines may have submarine shaftless drive (SSD) with an electric motor mounted outside the pressure hull.[51] SSD was evaluated by the U.S. Navy as well but it remains unknown whether the Ohio class replacement will feature it"
This is from the Wiki on the Columbia Class. Which looks to be roughly the same size as Dreadnought. I've never seen this before, any body have any ideas?
sea_eagle
Postby sea_eagle » 13 Jul 2017, 18:01
While we wait for the new SSBN's to arrive I thought this was of interest. The boats need weapons and these are made and maintained at Atomic Weapons Establishment.
Over the last few years a substantial modernisation programme is underway. Although details are scarce I understand that so far £4bn has been spent and another £1bn is in progress upgrading the production facility. This budget is separate from the SSBN programme.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mod-announces-investment-in-nuclear-facilities
This site used to be RAF Aldermaston until 1950 when the AWE was established.
Here is a pic from 1964 and 2014 to see how the site has grown over the original airfield:
5-Aldermaston-1964.jpg
5b-Aldermaston-2014.jpg
Timmymagic wrote: never seen this before, any body have any ideas?
Did the Red October have it? The idea replicating some worm species has been around for a long time.
- cooling inside the sub's body and the propeller generated noises; those are the two that need the attention
Postby SKB » 13 Jul 2017, 18:42
'Engage the shilent drive!'
Postby xav » 31 Jul 2017, 16:49
France to Continue to Assist UK for SSBN Hydrodynamic Testing Despite Brexit
French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly said that despite Brexit, France will continue to assist the United Kingdom for the hydrodynamic tests of the Successor SSBN program. The minister made the declaration last week during a visit to French defense procurement agency (DGA) "Techniques Hydrodynamiques", a hydrodynamic test facility in Normandy with the largest towing tank in Europe.
http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... rexit.html
Postby matt00773 » 31 Jul 2017, 17:06
xav wrote: France to Continue to Assist UK for SSBN Hydrodynamic Testing Despite Brexit
This doesn't surprise me in the slightest given that the EU has nothing to do with defence and exiting such an organisation would have zero impact on any military arrangements made between its members/ex-members.
matt00773 wrote: doesn't surprise me in the slightest given that the EU has nothing to do with defence
Heh-heh [sorry, not meaning to be personal, but a widely held misperception:}
"The Treaty of Lisbon strengthens the solidarity between EU countries in dealing with ... a mutual defence clause (Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union). ... to aid and assist it by all the means in their power"
ArmChairCivvy wrote:
Assisting in aid is not the same as coordinating the development of weapons between member states nor acting as a controlling entity for defence across the EU. It effectively reiterates the UN charter...
“If a Member State is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other Member States shall have towards it an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power, in accordance with article 51 of the United Nations charter”
matt00773 wrote: clause (Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union). ... to aid and assist it by all the means in their power"
France evoked this one
matt00773 wrote: the other Member States shall have towards it an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power, in accordance with article 51 of the United Nations charter”
whereas it was left to the powers of UN SecGenerals to try to evoke this one ... when the Cold War was about to get hot, any time
How do you compare... or is that too much of a pop song?
I'll make it easier for you: defence and aid are two different things. In giving aid however, a state may be utilising their defence resources and capabilities - depending on what aid is required. The UK would go to the aid of France in any case and as it has done so through the ages.
The EU has no joint defence arrangement between member states as this is done through NATO and other agreements - e.g. Sweden. It is not part of what the EU is responsible for. It does seem though that the remaining EU states may implement such a defence function when the UK leaves...
In relation to the article, its just another "despite Brexit" load of nonsense which creates a false viewpoint of the EU other than what it is.
matt00773 wrote: as this is done through NATO and other agreements - e.g. Sweden.
You were very kind with your leading in words "I'll make it easier for you"; I wonder what you mean with the substance... if anything at all?
I'll leave this to you to figure out...
matt00773 wrote: I'll leave this to you to figure out...
So, none there...
The Armchair Soldier
Contact The Armchair Soldier
Postby The Armchair Soldier » 31 Jul 2017, 22:21
Yeah, let's leave it now. Back to discussing the SSBNs.
Twitter: @UKDefenceForum
Postby Zealot » 25 Sep 2017, 19:40
A rather interesting insight into the ongoing co-operation between the UK and the US on past, current and future nuclear tech for both ICBMs and SSN/SSBN.
Appendix B. U.S.-UK Cooperation on SLBMs and
the New UK SSBN
This appendix provides background information on U.S.-UK cooperation on SLBMs and the
UK’s next-generation SSBN, previously called the Successor-class SSBN and now called the
Dreadnought-class SSBN.
The UK’s four Vanguard-class SSBNs, which entered service in 1993-1999, each carry 16 Trident
II D-5 SLBMs. Previous classes of UK SSBNs similarly carried earlier-generation U.S. SLBMs.83
The UK’s use of U.S.-made SLBMs on its SSBNs is one element of a long-standing close
cooperation between the two countries on nuclear-related issues that is carried out under the 1958
Agreement for Cooperation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defense Purposes (also
known as the Mutual Defense Agreement). Within the framework established by the 1958
agreement, cooperation on SLBMs in particular is carried out under the 1963 Polaris Sales
Agreement and a 1982 Exchange of Letters between the two governments.84 The Navy testified in
83 Although the SLBMs on UK SSBNs are U.S.-made, the nuclear warheads on the missiles are of UK design and
manufacture.
84 A March 18, 2010, report by the UK Parliament’s House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee stated:
During the Cold War, the UK’s nuclear co-operation with the United States was considered to be at
the heart of the [UK-U.S.] ‘special relationship’. This included the 1958 Mutual Defence
Agreement, the 1963 Polaris Sales Agreement (PSA) (subsequently amended for Trident), and the
UK’s use of the US nuclear test site in Nevada from 1962 to 1992. The co-operation also
encompassed agreements for the United States to use bases in Britain, with the right to store
nuclear weapons, and agreements for two bases in Yorkshire (Fylingdales and Menwith Hill) to be
upgraded to support US missile defence plans.
In 1958, the UK and US signed the Mutual Defence Agreement (MDA). Although some of the
appendices, amendments and Memoranda of Understanding remain classified, it is known that the
agreement provides for extensive co-operation on nuclear warhead and reactor technologies, in
particular the exchange of classified information concerning nuclear weapons to improve design,
development and fabrication capability. The agreement also provides for the transfer of nuclear
warhead-related materials. The agreement was renewed in 2004 for another ten years.
The other major UK-US agreement in this field is the 1963 Polaris Sales Agreement (PSA) which
allows the UK to acquire, support and operate the US Trident missile system. Originally signed to
allow the UK to acquire the Polaris Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) system in the
1960s, it was amended in 1980 to facilitate purchase of the Trident I (C4) missile and again in 1982
to authorise purchase of the more advanced Trident II (D5) in place of the C4. In return, the UK
agreed to formally assign its nuclear forces to the defence of NATO, except in an extreme national
emergency, under the terms of the 1962 Nassau Agreement reached between President John F.
Kennedy and Prime Minister Harold Macmillan to facilitate negotiation of the PSA.
Current nuclear co-operation takes the form of leasing arrangements of around 60 Trident II D5
missiles from the US for the UK’s independent deterrent, and long-standing collaboration on the
design of the W76 nuclear warhead carried on UK missiles. In 2006 it was revealed that the US and
the UK had been working jointly on a new ‘Reliable Replacement Warhead’ (RRW) that would
modernise existing W76-style designs. In 2009 it emerged that simulation testing at Aldermaston
on dual axis hydrodynamics experiments had provided the US with scientific data it did not
otherwise possess on this RRW programme.
The level of co-operation between the two countries on highly sensitive military technology is,
according to the written submission from Ian Kearns, “well above the norm, even for a close
alliance relationship”. He quoted Admiral William Crowe, the former US Ambassador to London,
who likened the UK-US nuclear relationship to that of an iceberg, “with a small tip of it sticking
out, but beneath the water there is quite a bit of everyday business that goes on between our two
governments in a fashion that’s unprecedented in the world.” Dr Kearns also commented that the
personal bonds between the US/UK scientific and technical establishments were deeply rooted.
(continued...)
Navy Columbia Class (Ohio Replacement) Program
Congressional Research Service 45
March 2010 that “the United States and the United Kingdom have maintained a shared
commitment to nuclear deterrence through the Polaris Sales Agreement since April 1963. The
U.S. will continue to maintain its strong strategic relationship with the UK for our respective
follow-on platforms, based upon the Polaris Sales Agreement.”85
The first Vanguard-class SSBN was originally projected to reach the end of its service life in
2024, but an October 2010 UK defense and security review report states that the lives of the
Vanguard class ships will now be extended by a few years, so that the four boats will remain in
service into the late 2020s and early 2030s.86
The UK plans to replace the four Vanguard-class boats with three or four next-generation
Dreadnought-class boats are to be equipped with 12 missile launch tubes, but current UK plans
call for each boat to carry eight D-5 SLBMs, with the other four tubes not being used for SLBMs.
The report states that “‘Main Gate’—the decision to start building the submarines—is required
around 2016.”
87 The first new boat is to be delivered by 2028, or about four years later than
previously planned.88
The United States is assisting the UK with certain aspects of the Dreadnought SSBN program. In
addition to the modular Common Missile Compartment (CMC), the United States is assisting the
UK with the new PWR-3 reactor plant89 to be used by the Dreadnought SSBN. A December 2011
press report states that “there has been strong [UK] collaboration with the US [on the
Dreadnought program], particularly with regard to the CMC, the PWR, and other propulsion
technology,” and that the design concept selected for the Dreadnought class employs “a new
propulsion plant based on a US design, but using next-generation UK reactor technology (PWR-
3) and modern secondary propulsion systems.”90 The U.S. Navy states that
Naval Reactors, a joint Department of Energy/Department of Navy organization
responsible for all aspects of naval nuclear propulsion, has an ongoing technical
exchange with the UK Ministry of Defence under the US/UK 1958 Mutual Defence
(House of Commons, Foreign Affairs Committee, Sixth Report Global Security: UK-US Relations,
March 18, 2010, paragraphs 131-135; http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/
cmselect/cmfaff/114/11402.htm; paragraphs 131-135 are included in the section of the report
available at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... /11406.htm.)
See also “U.K. Stays Silent on Nuclear-Arms Pact Extension with United States,” Global Security Newswire
(www.nti.org/gsn), July 30, 2014.
85 Statement of Rear Admiral Stephen Johnson, USN, Director, Strategic Systems Programs, Before the Subcommittee
on Strategic Forces of the Senate Armed Services Committee [on] FY2011 Strategic Systems, March 17, 2010, p. 6.
86 Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The Strategic Defence and Security Review, Presented to Parliament by
the Prime Minister by Command of Her Majesty, October 2010, p. 39.
the Prime Minister by Command of Her Majesty, October 2010, pp. 5, 38-39. For more on the UK’s Dreadnought
SSBN program as it existed prior to the October 2010 UK defense and security review report, see Richard Scott,
“Deterrence At A Discount?” Jane’s Defence Weekly, December 23, 2009: 26-31.
89 PWR3 means pressurized water reactor, design number 3. U.S. and UK nuclear-powered submarines employ
pressurized water reactors. Earlier UK nuclear-powered submarines are powered by reactor designs that the UK
designated PWR-2 and PWR-1. For an article discussing the PWR3 plant, see Richard Scott, “Critical Mass: ReEnergising
the UK’s Naval Nuclear Programme,” Jane’s International Defence Review, July 2014: 42-45, 47.
90 Sam LaGrone and Richard Scott, “Strategic Assets: Deterrent Plans Confront Cost Challenges,” Jane’s Navy
International, December 2011: 17 and 18.
Agreement. The US/UK 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement is a Government to
Government Atomic Energy Act agreement that allows the exchange of naval nuclear
propulsion technology between the US and UK.
Under this agreement, Naval Reactors is providing the UK Ministry of Defence with US
naval nuclear propulsion technology to facilitate development of the naval nuclear
propulsion plant for the UK’s next generation SUCCESSOR ballistic missile submarine.
The technology exchange is managed and led by the US and UK Governments, with
participation from Naval Reactors prime contractors, private nuclear capable
shipbuilders, and several suppliers. A UK based office comprised of about 40 US
personnel provide full-time engineering support for the exchange, with additional support
from key US suppliers and other US based program personnel as needed.
The relationship between the US and UK under the 1958 mutual defence agreement is an
ongoing relationship and the level of support varies depending on the nature of the
support being provided. Naval Reactors work supporting the SUCCESSOR submarine is
reimbursed by the UK Ministry of Defence.91
U.S. assistance to the UK on naval nuclear propulsion technology first occurred many years ago:
To help jumpstart the UK’s nuclear-powered submarine program, the United States transferred to
the UK a complete nuclear propulsion plant (plus technical data, spares, and training) of the kind
installed on the U.S. Navy’s six Skipjack (SSN-585) class nuclear-powered attack submarines
(SSNs), which entered service between 1959 and 1961. The plant was installed on the UK Navy’s
first nuclear-powered ship, the attack submarine Dreadnought, which entered service in 1963.
The December 2011 press report states that “the UK is also looking at other areas of cooperation
between Dreadnought and the Ohio Replacement Programme. For example, a collaboration
agreement has been signed off regarding the platform integration of sonar arrays with the
respective combat systems.”92
A June 24, 2016, press report states:
The [U.S. Navy] admiral responsible for the nuclear weapons component of ballistic
missile submarines today praised the “truly unique” relationship with the British naval
officers who have similar responsibilities, and said that historic cooperation would not be
affected by Thursday’s vote to have the United Kingdom leave the European Union.
Vice Adm. Terry Benedict, director of the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs, said that
based on a telephone exchange Thursday morning with his Royal Navy counterpart, “I
have no concern.” The so-called Brexit vote—for British exit—“was a decision based on
its relationship with Europe, not with us. I see yesterday’s vote having no effect.”93
91 Source: Email to CRS from Navy Office of Legislative Affairs, June 25, 2012. See also Jon Rosamond, “Next
Generation U.K. Boomers Benefit from U.S. Relationship,” USNI News (http://news.usni.org), December 17, 2014.
International, December 2011: 19. See also Jake Wallis Simons, “Brits Keep Mum on US Involvement in Trident
Nuclear Program,” Politico, April 30, 2015.
93 Otto Kreisher, “Benedict: UK Exit From European Union Won’t Hinder Nuclear Sub Collaboration,” USNI News,
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/R41129.pdf
shark bait
Postby shark bait » 26 Sep 2017, 08:32
The agreement certainly buys our way into lots of things, it’s well worth it just to keep our nuclear industry on life support, never mind the rest.
It’s amazing how the UK has gone from leader of the pack to having to modify a friends design to scrape by on reactor design. That’s not to discredit the Nuclear Engineers in Derby, the UK now has its own design that has diverged from the American design, with certain elements still developed in parallel.
@LandSharkUK
Dahedd
Postby Dahedd » 26 Sep 2017, 11:23
I'm starting to think we need to ditch the Trident boats. Maybe look at a minimal land based deterrent instead. Funnel the cash into the conventional navy. Let's face it we are never going to use the bloody things.
A land based deterrent, is no deterrent at all. Its either an under water deterrent, or no deterrent.
We should also never cut the deterrent.
Postby Jake1992 » 26 Sep 2017, 12:01
We Defo need to keep the SSBN deterent as to be honest it's one of the few things that keeps our seat on the UN sercurity council.
But it does at least needs to be part funded ( I'd say 50% ) by other departments, simply it is more of a political tool than any thing else it serves no real military purpose for the RN. This is where the foreign office should be picking up the bill.
If I read it right the SSBNs are going to cost around the £8bn mark, if so and other departments picked up half that bill that's £4bn extra the RN gets to spend else where they could do a lot with that money
That's clutching at straws now, the deterrent should definitely be under the MOD budget.
Sharkbait, why is a land based deterrent not a deterrent? Either way it's still a big fuck off missile with a nuclear warhead.
I'd rather keep the Dreadnoughts but if it was a choice between them & a better, bigger navy then the subs should go. The funding for the deterrent should never have been brought into the core navy budget in the first place.
Postby Defiance » 26 Sep 2017, 13:13
Dahedd wrote: Sharkbait, why is a land based deterrent not a deterrent? Either way it's still a big fuck off missile with a nuclear warhead.
NIMBYs (you think people kick up a stink about wind turbines? . . . . ) and vulnerabilities of having a limited number of missiles in extremely well documented locations.
Lol stick on an island in the Thames. Was never a problem being so close to Glasgow
Where in the UK can you hide a "big fuck off missile with a nuclear warhead"?
If it can be seen its vulnerable.
If its vulnerable it isn't a credible deterrent.
Not to mention land based is also much less safe. A land based deterrent must respond before an impact, opening it up to the possibility of responding to false positives, and unnecessarily ending civilization. A sub launched deterrent has time on its side because, submarines are invulnerable to a first strike, giving command time to properly verify and respond.
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Weaver's Week 2017-11-26
Last week | Weaver's Week Index | Next week
Five and a half years ago, we said "goodbye" to The Weakest Link. We thought it had gone forever. But it's back.
1 The Weakest Link
1.1 BBC Studios in association with Goodbye Television for BBC2, 17 November
1.2 Link it back
2 Don't Say It, Bring It
2.1 Stellify Media for UKTV, shown on Dave, 13-24 November
3 This Week and Next
BBC Studios in association with Goodbye Television for BBC2, 17 November
When it came on air in 2000, The Weakest Link was something new. Anne Robinson was nasty. Throughout the twentieth century, hosts and quizmasters had appeared to be on the contestants' side. Robinson wanted the contestants to go away hating her, and hating each other.
This was a claustrophobic, dark, intense world. Nothing short of perfection would stop the host's ceaseless complaints, and even then praise would be grudging.
Only won £960? How weak.
After each round, there's a vote to decide who should leave. "You have won twenty pounds; you could have won £1000. Why aren't you winning more? Who would be better off watching the television rather than appearing on it?"
And then Robinson asks the most difficult question: John, why did you vote for Nick? Whatever answer John gives, he's giving it in front of Nick. The sniping and cross talk ends, with the programme's catchphrase. "You are the weakest link. Goodbye."
The show hit its peak in the first year or so, and it was downhill all the way after that. They could have ended The Weakest Link a lot sooner than they did, but it never felt like Anne Robinson was going through the motions. In all of these respects, Link had a similar trajectory to Deal or No Deal, huge for a bit, then fell off, and became part of the television furniture long before it finished.
We have a lot of affection for Link, perhaps heightened by the way it simply stopped. In March 2012, they were showing new episodes, in April it was off the telly entirely.{1} The Weakest Link hasn't been on the Challenge channel, clips weren't used in "I Remember Last Tuesday". In the modern media landscape, if you're not constantly reminded that something existed, it falls from memory very soon.
Link it back
Here are the seven players preparing for tonight's show...
So we were interested by the BBC's attempt to revive The Weakest Link, as a one-off for its Children in Need charity appeal. We hope the good causes got a lot of money from viewer donations. We're going to review the show on its own merits, as a piece of television entertainment.
As it's a celebrity edition, they've brought in a studio audience. We always found the audience removed something from the show. Regular episodes feature Anne Robinson and no-one else, it's as if the intrepid contestants had gone into the evil witch's castle and were being tortured in her sadistic dungeons.
The Weakest Link had some wonderful visual flourishes, and didn't over-use them. Robinson stood at the centre of the stage, with a long flowing cape flapping behind her, and swivelled round to face her next victim. The aesthetic was gothic, fear and tension and actual vengeance. With an audience, that atmosphere is lost. Anne and her chums are playing a quizzy game. We cannot forget that it's an entertainment.
But will the audience reflect the facts?
The music remained, which is great news. Paul Farrer's score flowed along quietly, increasing in pitch and tempo during the round, before exploding in a discordant burst of noise. It mirrored the show perfectly, though we wonder if they've changed some of the cues around the voting.
Contestants are contestants. Something for older viewers – actor John Thomson and cook Rosemary Shrager. Something for the young – Kem Cetinay from Love Island, Rylan Clark-Neal from Big Brother, Maya Jama from Cannonball. And some BBC faces – Chizzy Akudolu from Holby City, Giles Coren from The Supersizers. A few might be there to support the charity, many could win.
The show, sadly, wasn't as good as we remember it. Three particular problems spring to mind. Anne Robinson was always at her best with the put-downs, and the bits in the voting. She was never the best question-master. Robinson would talk a little too slowly, and her diction – always questionable – would sometimes mislead contestants. Age has not improved the performance. Robinson's questions were slow and ponderous, and we understand it took five takes for her to say "spectre" correctly.
Reminders that it's a Children in Need special.
If there's to be a full series out of this, we would seriously consider re-casting the host's role. Bother's Bar backs Robert Rinder, and we'd be fine with that. We already know that Giles Coren can ask questions at speed (hey, we watched 500 Questions), and we reckon he could play a curmudgeon.
Problem two: the money tree. The main game has a very clever chain: 20-50-100-200-300-450-600-800-1000. Double (or more) for the first three steps, then two steps of half-as-much-again, then three steps of a bit more. Assuming time is not a problem, it's never obvious whether to bank or press on.
Our celebrity show doesn't have nine players, it has seven. An unusual number of players, but not unprecedented. Back in 2001, BBC1 commissioned a handful of shows with seven players, intending to slot them into 40-minute gaps. The money chain respected the principles from the main show: 50-100-250-500-1000-1750-2500. Four steps doubling up, two steps of a bit more, and still the top is 50 times the bottom.
Just wrong.
Did they use this successful idea? Er, no. They came up with another chain, 20-50-100-250-500-1500-2500. It's much steeper, but starts from such a low base that every value is lower. It's an actual example of a prize cut, they gave away more money in 2001 than in 2017.
This year's contestants won £1130, which was doubled to £2260 after the final. Under the 2001 rules, the exact same chains would have been worth £2400.
Problem three: it's hard to go back. When revisiting a classic show, there are two approaches. You can do a straight continuation of the story, allowing for the passage of time. Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads is a primetime example, taking a sitcom from ten years earlier and building a world on existing foundations. The initial appeal is nostalgia, and you've got to start on the new plot right from the start. Get it right – as Fifteen-to-One has done – and you could last for a very long time.
Or you can build a show that retains just enough familiar points to keep the old viewers, while bombarding the viewers with so much new stuff that newcomers aren't disadvantaged. Danger Mouse has used this technique, and The Crystal Maze is following the same path.
Izzy wizzy Chizzy's quizzy.
The Weakest Link isn't a straight continuation of the old series, everything felt a little rusty, as if it had gotten damp in storage. But nor did they try to build something fresh; ignore the questions, and this edition looked and felt like it could have gone out in 2007. A straight revival has a nostalgic appeal, but Blankety Blank proved that nostalgia won't last long.{2}
On the evidence before us, we don't think The Weakest Link needs another run. Keep it as a cherished memory, let it improve with age, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
{1} The Weakest Link hasn't been totally off screens since March 2012. Some recent episodes ran on BBC2 daytimes in 2013 while they sorted out contracts with actors. Irish-language station TG4 still broadcasts old episodes. Back to article
{2} More on these topics when we review the Raven revival in January. Back to article
Goodbye (again).
Don't Say It, Bring It
Stellify Media for UKTV, shown on Dave, 13-24 November
Here's a very simple idea for a game show. Go out onto a busy street, and get contestants. Describe an object to them. The player's goal is to find that object and return to the host within a strict time limit. Just the one catch: the player cannot name the object they want.{3}
Jason tries to drum up support.
For instance, Jason Byrne (our host) might ask for something you'd put around your waist to hold up trousers. The answer – a belt – is the one word that must not pass the player's lips.
In the version on UKTV Dave, there's a money ladder- £50 for the first challenge, then £100, £250, £500, and £1000 for a really tough challenge. But it's all-or-nothing: take the challenge and get it wrong, and you leave with nothing more than a firm handshake from Jason Byrne.
Three minutes to bring one of those back.
Success proves to be elusive. It's one thing to lose because you didn't know the phrase "keen as mustard", perhaps another to be confused by the host's accent. It's very tough luck to lose because no-one in Bristol has brought their library card with them. We might prefer to see losers drop a place or two down the money tree, because it's very rare to see anyone play on past £250. And we expect contestants will get the description written down in a future series.
It's a diverting programme, it fits well with UKTV Dave's values. Jason is charming and witty, laughs with the contestants, and encourages them to laugh with each other. Jason's banter with his crew helps make the show feel like a club. The barrier to entry is low – you can join the episode halfway through and understand what's going on.
Anyone for a pizza the action?
We can see further merit in Don't Say It, Bring It. A relatively cheap show – they can film a lot in one day, and the prizes are not huge. Slick editing and a brash style help to sell the show. And – if they make a few more editions – it'll be endlessly repeatable in the style of Come Dine with Me.
Only one problem: it's repeatable, but very repetitive. In this column's view, Don't Say It, Bring It would work well as an insert into another show, like In For a Penny from the last series of Takeaway. 22-minute episodes tax our patience, and we couldn't bear to watch two episodes back-to-back as UKTV scheduled them.
That's worth a lot of dough.
Don't Say It, Bring It has been hawked around the broadcasters for absolutely ages – we've found a showreel from 2012. We can understand why – the obvious place is in a show like Takeaway, and ITV doesn't want to license formats if it doesn't have to. There are a few rough edges, but it's a sound format, and we reckon Dave might be on to a good thing. Cheap bit of filler that can pop up whenever there's ten minutes to fill.
{3} For completeness, there are a few more rules. Can't steal it, can't buy it, may have to return it afterwards, the player will be miked up and followed by a couple of cameras – one Steadicam and one mounted on a crash helmet. Back to article
But there's one guiding principle:
This Week and Next
There are such things as cultural touchstones, people and places that are significant to a shared society. A mere mention of their name is a shortcut for many greater ideas. On these islands, "Hastings" is a touchstone, an incompetent ruler getting an arrow in the eye. "Oxbridge", another touchstone, privilege and elitism and the class struggle. "Forsyth", a cheeky showman.
"Ed Balls" is another touchstone, known for taking over Willy Fog Day, and for his unforgettable performances on Strictly Come Dancing. Once seen, seared into memory like a branding iron. Everyone knows Ed Balls, right?
Wrong! One indomitable contestant on Round Britain Quiz has somehow evaded the whole of modern culture, and could not identify Ed Balls in a line-up. Even when the surrounding clues were decoded as "Great" and "Martin Offiah", the name just did not come.
The Calderdale Massive was not impressed. Noting that both "North of England" competitors (Stuart Maconie and Adele Geras) are from the other side of the Pennines, a suggestion was made. "Moar Yorkshire and less Manc." We agree.
Just one part of the BBC2 trinity this week. On University Challenge, St John's beat Corpus Christi by 285-80 in a Cambridge derby. A good side is beaten by an even better one.
BARB ratings in the week to 12 November.
Blue Planet II topped the ratings (BBC1, Sun, 13.45m). Strictly Come Dancing still the top game show (BBC1, Sat 11.75m, Sun 11.45m).
The X Factor continued (ITV, Sat, 5.4m), and barely beat Dick and Dom's Pointless Celebrities (BBC1, Sat, 5.05m). Have I Got News for You rolls on (BBC1, Fri, 4.55m).
The Chase (ITV, Tue, 3.4m) is just ahead of Masterchef The Professionals (BBC2, Tue, 3.3m). University Challenge is still popular (BBC2, Mon, 3m) and Strictly It Takes Two broke 2.5 million (BBC2, Mon).
On the diginets: Celebrity Juice miles clear at the top (ITV2, Thu, 1.3m). Then all the way to Four in a Bed (More4, Sun, 265,000) and Masterchef Down Under (W, Tue, 260,000).
Four other big new shows: Landscape Artist (Artsworld, Wed, 205,000), Your Face or Mine (Comedy Central, Wed, 180,000), Takeshi's Castle Jonathan Ross (Comedy Central, Thu, 175,000), These Islands Next Top Model (Lifetime, Thu, 160,000).
Talent at all ends of the age spectrum this week. Junior Eurovision Song Contest (Fun Kids and TG4, Sun) is a song contest in its own right. The final weekend of The X Factor looms (ITV and TV3), and BBC1 strikes back for Partners in Rhyme with Lionel Blair (BBC1, Sat).
Photo credits: BBC Studios / Goodbye Television, Stellify Media.
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The Workplace Equality Networks, in liaison with the Diversity & Inclusion Team, have developed the Parliamentary Role Models Campaign 2015. The campaign recognises the importance of a working environment where people are valued for who they are and how they contribute to making Parliament a positive, inclusive workplace environment and institution.
Anyone at any level can be a role model and we are championing the importance of having visible, diverse role models at all levels of the organisation who people can be inspired by. It is also important for us to celebrate those who go out of their way to act as role models and to recognise the positive impact that they have made on individuals, the wider organisation, and beyond in encouraging people to engage with Parliament.
Parliamentary Role Models book ( PDF 3.98 MB)
Watch the Parliamentary Role Models video (external site)
Meet the Role Models
Find out about the role models who have been selected because of their positive values and behaviours.
The Workplace Equality Networks
ParliAble: in support of disabled people in Parliament. It is open to both those who consider themselves to have a disability and those who have an interest in supporting disabled people.
Parliagender: in support for gender equality. Our aim is to achieve gender equality across Parliament.
ParliREACH: in support of increasing awareness and appreciation of race, ethnicity and cultural heritage issues in Parliament.
ParliOUT: in support of LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexual, and questioning) people in Parliament
Role Models video
People from all over Parliament discuss what they believe constitutes a Role Model, who they nominated and why.
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UPDATE: A blog post from yesterday with additional information.
The blog post was titled,
Attention Lake Worth: How to take on the problem of feral, roaming and out-of-control ‘community’ cats.
Before we get to yesterday’s post there are several additional matters worth mentioning and worth noting here in the City of Lake Worth.
Domestic cats should always be kept indoors. And walking a cat on a leash is the preferred method when taking a cat outside. For example, here is a news report by WPBF (ABC25) demonstrating how it’s done. Pet cats should never come in contact with wild or feral cats.
There is an effort now to promote more shade trees in this City which is a wonderful thing. And it would be a wonderful thing to attract more birds and native animals to these trees and canopies. But until the issue with cats is settled once and for all the trees will attract birds and the birds will attract cats which is why so many have given up bird feeders. Just making it easier for the cat.
Back in May 2015 The Palm Beach Post editorial board and reporters Eliot Kleinberg and Wayne Washington were on top of this important topic and that started the big debate about whether or not TNVR is effective.
If you don’t know what TNVR is, learn more about that below.
And if you’ve been following the news since 2016 it looks more and more as if Mother Nature has come up with its own solution in the meantime.
If you happen to have a number of stray cats in your neighborhood or community and you happen to see something that sort of looks like a dog — but you’re not sure if it’s a dog or not — what you probably saw was a coyote. And if it was a coyote you won’t have a cat problem for long. Coyotes are exceptionally good at hunting cats.
However, one must NEVER FEED COYOTES!
Coyotes have a tremendous fear of humans. So much so they are very difficult to spot and have developed strategies to hide in plain sight. They only hunt at night and rest/sleep during the day. The coyote is here to stay. They have been spotted in the Florida Keys and reported south of the Panama Canal. Extremely adaptable in urban environments, coyotes do not compete with pet dogs and tend to avoid them to not draw attention.
However, the same does not go for pet pigs and pet goats. Coyotes will attack them so be aware. And a fence is not enough. Coyotes are very, very smart. Learn more by clicking on this link.
Recently it was reported someone is shooting cats with a pellet gun west of I-95 in this City. This is happening in and nearby a mobile home park. Mobile home parks are private property!
The City does not manage or control mobile home parks but does provide essential services such as trash pickup. If you are a resident in a mobile home community and you have issues with roaming and feral cats you need to notify the management of your mobile home community immediately. Then management can then deal with the situation as they see fit. Marching to City Hall will not help but if you call a TV station ahead of time you just might get lucky and be interviewed on TV.
For those of you interested, there are four mobile home parks within the City limits. One is east of I-95 and the other three are west of I-95.
Now. Without further ado, the blog post from yesterday. . .
Do you have a cat problem?
There are better ways to solve the problem than grabbing a weapon or firearm. If you didn’t know, PBSO has a big problem with people going around shooting things.
And each day there is news about cats in the press and news media makes it more and more likely Dustin will show up at the City Commission meeting next Tuesday at 6:00. So please keep that in mind.
For those of you who are new, or recently-new residents, several years ago this City had a very big problem with cats. It was a serious, sometimes rancorous, and very long public health and public safety debate. There was the pro-cat faction vs. the anti-cat faction. Neighborhood meetings were called, community outreach educating the public about cats, the City Commission got involved and so did the County Commission.
Yes. It was a very big deal.
Now we discover from WPTV reporter Ryan Hughes that someone near the Palm Beach Mobile Home Park (located west of I-95 off Boutwell Rd.) is shooting cats with a pellet gun. If you have a cat problem, or think you have a cat problem, a weapon should be one of the last things you consider. Please continue reading to learn what those options are.
Because hunting and killing iguanas — within a strict set of guidelines is legal — maybe someone thinks that culling cats is legal too. No. It’s not. And it could be someone is raising chickens nearby. Cats, just like coyotes, are big fans of fresh chicken. Raising chickens, whether for eggs or any other reason, is strictly forbidden within the municipal limits of Lake Worth. Learn more about iguanas and chickens at the end of this blog post, in the section “Worth Noting”.
This City of Lake Worth has a lot of issues to tackle. So before cats become a major problem in this City once again let’s re-examine some major points.
The public needs to be reminded now and then: Do not feed feral and roaming cats! Instead call the County’s Animal Care and Control (see below). A small ‘community’ of cats can turn into a very big problem as we learned back in 2016–2017. And that spurred a very long and interesting debate that may become a big topic once again: “Does Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Release (TNVR) work?”
That’s for you to decide. Read more about TNVR a little later.
If you spot a ‘feeding station’ and an increased number of cats in the neighborhood or community contact Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, call 561-233-1200 or 561-233-1212. Contact the City’s Code Enforcement Dept. too and ask if there is anything they can do to help.
Several years ago when cats were a vexing problem the Neighborhood Assoc. Presidents’ Council was very helpful in getting the City and County involved. See a lot of cats around? Contact your local neighborhood association and see how they can help. Found a cat and want to try and find it a home? Contact the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League.
Every cat let outside the home must be spayed/neutered, vaccinated for rabies and other feline viruses.
The problem of feral and roaming cats was once a regular topic on this blog, especially as it relates to the devastation of our native bird populations (see “Worth Noting” below) and human health concerns. Just prior to Hurricane Irma in 2017 that was preceded by a lot of “cat-dumping” from evacuees leaving the barrier islands. For a while after that storm the cat problem was terrible.
Prior to Irma when cats were a major problem in Palm Beach County the editorial board at The Palm Beach Post chimed in. Here is an excerpt which brings up the topic of TNVR:
That [TNVR] sounds like the perfect solution, except that it’s not really. Even well-fed cats retain their hunting instinct, and continue to kill significant numbers of wild birds and animals. One study found an outdoor domestic cat is capable of killing 60 birds and 1,600 small mammals in an 18-month period.
There are so many species of animals that are vulnerable to predation by house cats: ground foraging brown thrashers, oven birds, palm warblers and water thrushes; tiny tree frogs and green anolis; marsh rabbits and Florida mice.
While TNVR theoretically should cut down feral cat populations, several studies have shown that they rarely do. [emphasis added]
In May 2016 the Lake Worth City Commission got involved in the form of a Palm Beach County proclamation. Here is an excerpt:
"WHEREAS, Section 125.01, Florida Statutes, authorizes the Board of County Commissioners of Palm Beach County to adopt ordinances to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens and animals of Palm Beach County"
"WHEREAS, in order to reduce the overpopulation of cats, which are euthanized every year at alarming rates, the Board has determined that all cats must be spayed or neutered by four months of age unless certain exemptions apply; and
WHEREAS, spaying and neutering all cats by four months of age, before they are sexually mature and able to reproduce, will prevent unintended breeding and unwanted litters of kittens; and
WHEREAS, the Board recognizes the need for innovation in addressing the issues presented by the overpopulation of cats and, to that end, it recognizes that there are often community members providing care for cats that have no apparent owner"
"[T]o amend provisions related to hearings before special masters; to shorten the time in which the Division must hold an animal impounded when an owner is involuntarily unable to care for the animal; to amend regulations pertaining to trapping animals and to make other changes necessary for the efficient operation of the Division and in the best interest of the citizens and animals of the county."
In conclusion: If you happen to spot anyone shooting or hunting cats, or any animal for that matter, do not hesitate. Call 911 immediately or stay anonymous and contact Crime Stoppers: You may be eligible for a reward:
For Crime Stoppers: Call 800-458-8477.
Have questions or concerns about the use of firearms or any other type of weapon in this City or west in suburban Lake Worth? Then please contact PBSO District 14: click on this link.
Information “Worth Noting”:
Once again. Raising chickens, aka, “The Urban Chicken”, is not legal in the City of Lake Worth. A very timely reminder: Health risks and concerns related to raising chickens in urban environments.
The 2018–2019 iguana infestation was big news in the Sun Sentinel (one of the top news stories in 2018), The Coastal Star, and other press outlets but incredulously this news has yet to be reported in The Palm Beach Post.
For more information about the devastation of Palm Beach County’s native bird populations, e.g., the Florida Scrub Jay, click on this link.
Classic Video: Landon McNamara, surfer, and all-around cool dude.
Please take some time and visit the Lake Worth Beach this weekend. And listen to the man himself, ‘Mac Daddy Landon’. The legend.
In memory of that slight irritation in the air.
That temporary nuisance that is no more.
The video below of ‘Mac Daddy Landon’ in March 2015 is one of the most-requested in this City of Lake Worth, now up to almost 106K views.
This is a special treat for everyone who survived the ‘red tide’ at the Lake Worth Beach and for the others hoping and praying the ‘red tide’ will come back some day — those who miss being featured on the TV news and on the front page of newspapers — please take solace: the ‘red tide’ will come back some day. In about a decade or two. So just hang in there.
When another rare but naturally-occurring ‘red tide’ rolls along some day off the coast of Palm Beach County remember some people will experience temporary nuisances or a respiratory irritation such as coughing, sneezing, tearing of an eye(s) and an itchy throat when Karenia brevis is present and the winds blow onshore.
But what everybody really wants to know is how do you eat a slice of pizza when wearing a face mask?
But anyhow, if you’re still completely stressed about that ‘red flag’ on the Beach being folded up and put away, please take a few minutes and relax to the cool jammin’ of Landon McNamara in his Lake Worth classic, “Jam With You”.
To all of our surfers and lifeguards here in this City of Lake Worth make certain to invite all of your cool friends to the best surfing spot in all of South Florida: the Lake Worth Beach!
And always recall about the so-called ‘red tide’.
When everyone else cut and ran from the Beach it was the heroes that ran toward the potential irritation. All the wonderful and dedicated employees and staff at:
Benny’s on the Beach, Bon Jovi’s favorite place for Tuna Tostado.
The always-popular Mulligan’s Beach House.
The best pizza on A1A in Palm Beach County: Mamma Mia’s On the Beach.
The Five-Star Kilwins Chocolates at the Beach.
The Lake Worth Beach Tee Shirt Co.
Of course everyone from the City at the Lake Worth Casino and Beach Complex.
And to Sir Eddie Ritz at The Palm Beach Post.
Thank you all for your dedication to the Lake Worth Beach, your loyal customers, and taking care of all those news crews and surfers.
Now to the classic. . .
Sit back, chill, and sing along with
“Mac Daddy Landon”!
Gardening. Who’s Who & What’s What: The Town & Country Garden Club in this City of Lake Worth.
Please Note: This coming Monday is the next meeting of the Town & Country Club of Lake Worth. This truly special club meets from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, 1416 North K Street.
Below is a Special Report published in The Lake Worth Herald about the meeting in December and please continue reading to learn more about this City’s truly authentic garden club which meets through April and sprouts up once again each October.
And it is worth noting the City’s annual Festival Season will begin soon. The Tree Festival is coming up on February 16th. That’s only thirty-six days away and two days after Valentine’s Day!
Please note the Town & Country Garden Club of Lake Worth actually meets in the City of Lake Worth and is a very unique club. This month other garden clubs in West Palm (sans a Beach) and meetings in Palm Springs will begin “popping up” as well.
So prior to considering a garden club outside this City and learning more about Who’s Who and What’s What in this unique place. . .
Learn more about the Town & Country Club. All that information in a Special Report.
Here is the news published in The Lake Worth Herald:
Town & Country Garden Club
December Event
By Erin Allen
Special to the Herald
The Town & Country Garden Club of Lake Worth opened its December meeting with a surprise visit from children enrolled in the preschool program of For The Children who delighted the members with their holiday singing. The December meeting always includes a plant exchange amongst members. Each year gifts are collected for residents at Crest Manor nursing facility and are hand delivered by the club members after the meeting. The gifts are passed out to residents and members sing Christmas carols to the residents. One resident told a member, “It was the best Christmas I ever had.”
The club takes several organized field trips throughout the season. One of the trips this year was an evening visiting the Mounts Botanical Gardens Festival of Lights.
It’s not too late to join. If you’d like to find out what the garden club is about, please be a guest at one of our meetings. There are still five meetings in the 2018–2019 season.
The next meeting will be held January 14, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 1416 North K Street, Lake Worth. Meetings include lunch and a guest speaker.
The Town & Country Garden Club of Lake Worth, is a non-profit whose mission is to promote an interest in gardens, their design and management, and to cooperate in the protection of wildflowers, birds, native trees and shrubs, to encourage civic planning and to fund and award scholarships, meets the second Monday of every month October through April. New members welcome. Annual dues are $30.
To find out more about Town & Country Garden Club of Lake Worth call Erin Allen at 561-312- 5929 or email: erinallen.realtor@gmail.com
Public meetings tonight at Lake Worth City Hall: City Commission Work Session and Tree Board.
This is news “Worth Noting”.
Per the City’s official calendar there are three public meetings next week. A Citizens’ Advisory Committee meeting (2016 Bond Oversight) on Monday (see agenda below), a regular City Commission meeting on Tuesday and a P&Z meeting on Wednesday. Stay tuned for more information.
The Tree Board and a City Commission Work Session tonight will begin at 5:30 and 6:00, respectively. These two public meetings on are especially important vis-à-vis landscape regulations.
To download the agendas click on this link and scroll down to download all that information.
Here is a quick summary of the Work Session by the City Commission tonight:
Updates/Future Action/Direction:
Land Development Regulations Section 23.3-6, Use Tables.
Proposed amendment to Section 23.6-1 Landscape Regulations.
Following Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Michael last year the focus has shifted to public safety and hardening infrastructure. The debate over shade trees and aesthetics is now much less of importance than making the public safer and protecting essential infrastructure in case of a major storm event (e.g., fallen trees and limbs and damage from tree roots).
In short, almost the entire code section on landscape regulations has been simplified and updated since first proposed last year.
Here is the agenda for next Monday’s CAC meeting:
Citizens’ Advisory Committee — 2016 Bond Oversight.
Location: City Hall Conference Room.
Date: Monday, Jan. 14th.
Time: 6:00.
Agenda: Additions/deletions/reordering.
Opening Remarks.
Presentations: A) Corinne Elliott, Asst. Finance Director. B) Brian Shields, P.E., Dir. of Water Utilities. C) Jamie Brown, Dir. of Public Services.
Member Reports.
Approval of Minutes: October 1st, 2018.
New Business: Set next meeting date.
Public Comment (three minute limit).
NOTE: One of more members of any volunteer City board, or any member of the Lake Worth City Commission may attend and speak at this public meeting.
Officially official: Cottages of Lake Worth Home Tour 2019 is SOLD OUT.
Thank You to everyone who purchased a ticket. And hope to see everyone on Sunday, January 27th outside The Beach Club bistro located at the City’s municipal golf course.
And turns out having the tour begin and end at the golf course suited many just fine. In a time-splitting arrangement of sorts while fans of the Cottages are on tour their favorite fan of golf will be playing a round or two. They’ll have a lot to talk about in the bistro afterwards.
“Gee Wiz, Mabel. Did you know Babe Ruth played golf right here! Right here at this very golf course!”
On behalf of Lake Worth City Manager Michael Bornstein and Mayor Pam Triolo come and check out the City’s municipal golf course:
The City’s golf course was a feature story by journalist Mike May, “Lake Worth Municipal Golf Club. A Coastal Paradise”. An excerpt:
“Opened on November 12, 1926, as a nine-hole course designed by the tandem of Theodore J. Moreau and William Langford, Lake Worth Municipal is perched on one of the most scenic parts of south Florida – adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway, along the eastern edge of Lake Worth. In 1948, golf course architect Dick Wilson redesigned the existing nine holes and added nine more to create today’s par-70 layout.”
The municipal golf course is just across the Intracoastal from Lake Worth Beach:
Babe Ruth golfed here in Lake Worth! He really did:
For the City of Lake Worth’s municipal golf course click on this link.
“To this end, the proposed Ordinance simply acknowledges the State Legislature’s preemption of this area of the law.”
The quote above is from an executive brief provided to the Lake Worth City Commission and is explained in detail below.
Question: What is the likelihood or probability that the City government will be thrown off course, or rattled if you will, by a political or social crisis?
It’s inevitable. Only a matter of time. It could be for just a brief period of time or even weeks and months. It could be a political crisis that throws our City “off the rails”. It could be a tragedy. It could be public angst over any issue.
For example, just last December PEACE came to town and they nearly started a political war. We gave PEACE a chance but they screwed it up. Now PEACE is going back to West Palm Beach and Jupiter and see if PEACE has any luck in those municipalities.
But West Palm has its own crisis going on right now and maybe PEACE will have to take a break for a while. The big problem now in West Palm is the terrible problem of out-of-control homelessness as was evidenced by this recently published in The Palm Beach Post.
Getting back to the City of Lake Worth what could become the next issue that grabs everyone’s attention? It could be plastic.
Or it could even be something mundane as balloons at the Beach or a proposed ban on ‘plastic straws’ to get the public all riled up on both sides, pitting the business community against the enviros.
Or it could be bees. Yes. Bees. That actually happened in this City. Read more about that below.
The big question is how long it will take to get back on focus once again when reason and public confidence is restored.
An example given many times before was the Pulse Nightclub shootings. This City reacted very quickly in June 2016 to restore calm doing everything and anything they could. And it worked. Everyone, including all of the electeds, rallied together to show support for the victims and the city of Orlando.
On a local level, within municipal borders, it’s very important for a city’s elected leaders to voice concerns over any issue, especially one of great concern to the community or a neighborhood. But when trying to set policy — suggesting or leading the public to believe one can set policy — is when things can go very, very wrong. Specifically, what a local elected body can control and what they can’t.
And just as important about policy is educating the public about what a city can do and cannot do, e.g., what our Lake Worth City Commission can regulate and what they cannot regulate: overstep the authority of County, the State, and Federal governments. The rules were laid out in the United States Constitution.
One of the best examples of this is the problem with sober homes and the heroin/opioid epidemic. Local and County officials can do everything they can but if Federal laws, like the ADA, protect the ‘bad players’ in many cases there is nothing local governments can do. The good news is there have been many positive changes since 2015–2016 when our local, County, State, and elected officials in Washington, D.C. all got to work to put new policies in place.
This is important to understand because if our local officials, elected or otherwise, makes the mistake of overstepping their authority they could very well send the City of Lake Worth into court.
However, this “veering off course” can happen on a much smaller scale, confusing the public and potentially distracting the Commission off the issues and concerns that got them elected and the goals set forward at the beginning, leaving the public to think their elected officials have more power than they actually do.
Many of you will recall this classic example, what happened after smoke was spotted coming from a crematorium, a business on Dixie Hwy. here in the City of Lake Worth. Crematoriums are regulated by the State, not local governments.
Two more examples: Like when former Commissioner Ryan Maier suggested trying to regulate the volume of train horns. Those pitch and volume levels are set by the Federal government. Even the State of Florida cannot regulate the sound levels of train horns. But now we have Quiet Zones on the Florida East Coast railway. Problem solved.
Now to bees. Another example of what happened back in 2015.
If you didn’t know any better you would have thought back then the 6-square-mile City of Lake Worth took a major step forward in the protection of the honeybee colonies. Nothing of the sort happened. The first reading of Ordinance No. 2015-17, “to regulate, inspect, and permit managed honeybee colonies” is already regulated by state law and there’s nothing anyone in Lake Worth can do to supersede that.
This was city government looking like it was trying to do something, something that the City can’t do anything about at all. However, that doesn’t mean officials can’t look for help from other electeds in the County or State with more power to change things or fix a problem.
But “I’m protecting bees” does play well with certain constituents that can be confused or convinced into believing otherwise that one can do more to regulate an issue. I believe the item below (see image) was brought forward by then-District 2 Commissioner Ryan Maier.
The problem, once again, with taking on any issue of concern for the community is leaving constituents thinking you have some special powers you don’t have. In many ways, the little City of Lake Worth has very little control over what happens within our borders, but when they concentrate and focus on the things they can change, remarkable things can happen. But. . .
And lastly, how much staff time and taxpayer money was used to “simply” acknowledge State law?
Information about HRPB meeting tonight in City of Lake Worth.
The Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency has withdrawn their application for the demolition or relocation of 6 structures located on South L and M streets from the Historic Resources Preservation Board [HRPB] meeting tonight. As such, the applicant (CRA) is asking for these item to be removed from the agenda. Any further action on these properties will be brought forward with a new application.
“Who Relies on Lake Okeechobee?” Answer is everyone in South Florida.
Must watch video from the South Florida Water Management District. About the video and the “Liquid Heart of Florida” called Lake Okeechobee:
“The ‘Liquid Heart of Florida’ is a critical part of South Florida's flood control and water supply system. Millions of people, businesses, tribal interests and the environment depend on the lake to help protect them from floods and ensure they have enough water.”
Please share this video:
“IT’S ALL ABOUT RISK!”
Does this phrase sound familiar, “. . . an expensive and perhaps risky gamble”?
Maybe recently in the context of regional passenger train service here in South Florida? Anyhow, do you remember all the angst and hand-wringing over Palm Beach County’s newly-constructed trash incinerator several years back?
The newspaper clipping below is from a full-page ad published in The Palm Beach Post back in 2015.
Does the Loxahatchee Sierra Club have any gas masks in children’s sizes too? The one shown above is too loose-fitting to provide any health benefit.
Anyhow, learn more about the County’s Solid Waste Authority using this link.
The banner headline in that full-page ad published in 2015 was:
During that unhinged debate back then the Sun Sentinel published an article about this trash incinerator that would burn trash, turn that waste into energy, and extend the life of existing landfills. Here is an excerpt from the article:
Nearly a decade in the making, the incinerator on Jog Road will reduce the amount of waste dumped in the county's landfill by more than 90 percent. It’s expected to extend the life of the landfill by about 30 years and, at the same time, generate electricity to be sold to FP&L, officials said.
In an average day, the incinerator will burn more than 3,000 tons of trash. That’s in addition to the 2,000 tons already incinerated at the county’s existing waste-to-energy plant, built in 1989.
Between the two facilities, the Solid Waste Authority expects to annually generate enough electricity to power about 40,000 homes for a year.
Though some environmental groups have raised concerns about potential air pollution, officials say the incinerators are a clean and safe alternative to landfills.
In addition to reducing the garbage put in the county landfill, their use will reduce greenhouse gases.
But remember,
Lesson Module 112. City of Lake Worth elections: Time Management.
Below is the #1 lesson for campaign time management. The strategy called “Let’s talk” is a time-tested one that has bedeviled and bogged down many a campaign. For campaign managers having a candidate who likes to talk is fine, but having one that just won’t shut up is a recipe for disaster. Especially a candidate who thinks his or her mission is to enlighten the “great unwashed”.
Below is more information about “Let’s talk” and time management.
First, let’s briefly take a look at the previous lesson: Campaign signs. Free Speech MUST BE RESPECTED. So therefore,
The sign’s political message, no matter how silly or stupid, must remain untouched by the City.
There are no rules in the City of Lake Worth for campaign signs, except for one:
Campaign signs CANNOT be put out until the first Monday following New Year’s week.
So campaign signs are now permissible but even that rule is superseded by the Red Sign Rule (see below).
Worth another look: Re-purposing signs.
Remember, plastic straws are old news. In 2019 the efforts will be more focused on Chloroplast of which most varieties of campaign signs are manufactured. So to show an enlightened-environmentalist, Earth-friendly approach try re-purposing old signs. For example, take the sign below.
This sign is a Cara Jennings re-purposed sign:
To sum up campaign signs: Campaign signs CANNOT be put out until January 7th. But due to the Red Sign Rule even that is not enforced. To learn more about the Red Sign Rule click on this link.
Now to campaign time management and
the tactic called, “Let’s talk”.
One side in Lake Worth politics understands the value of time and campaigning all too well. The other side does too but they’re more inclined to fall into the trap: “Let’s talk”.
There are many people in this City genuinely interested and want to learn more about you as a candidate but there are others who will NEVER VOTE FOR YOU, EVER, no matter what you say or do. The problem is this: how do you tell the difference? It’s not easy.
One side has been using a devilishly clever tactic for many years now: the conversation “at the door” to bog down an opposition campaign. Here’s how it works, an example: The candidate (and this goes for the campaign volunteers as well) are canvassing a neighborhood:
Door opens, “Hello”.
“Good afternoon. I’m a candidate for City Commission”.
“Wonderful. Can you tell me about [any current topic will do]?”
Then a conversation will ensue for 15–20 minutes, or even longer. Doesn’t sound like a big deal, but what if this happens just 5 times a day? That is:
≈1½ hours a day for the candidate and
each canvasser or ≈44 hours a month
for each person in the campaign!
How many other people could have been contacted by the campaign in that time? A lot. So keep this in mind as you get those campaigns up and running especially if you’re up against an incumbent with name recognition and an actual record of success and achievement: train your people how to canvass properly.
In conclusion: When you hear someone say, “Let’s talk” do they really want to hear what you have to say? Or are they just trying to bog you down?
Stay tuned for more about this later on.
News from Jennifer Sorentrue. “County to golf tour operators: This is the place to play your game”.
“This is the place to play your game” was published three years ago.
In citing this news by Jennifer Sorentrue many times on this blog is how so very far this City is behind in the game: hotel stays. West Palm Beach does not have a beach but they are so far ahead of Lake Worth they can’t even see us any more. They are breaking records for hotel stays every year.
But now and then we get tour groups from the Palm Beach Convention Center. And branding this City as “Lake Worth Beach” will most certainly help.
The good news, and there is plenty of good news as well, this City is making big strides when it comes to housing for Millennials and young professionals. A project called “The MID” at 1601 N. Dixie Hwy. will be breaking ground in the near future. And for those of you interested the City and the CRA were recently honored at the annual Florida Redevelopment Association Awards.
Last September when that convention tour group from the American Planning Assoc. came to visit, the City of Lake Worth rolled out the welcome mat. Mayor Pam Triolo greeted them and so did other officials as well. It was a wonderful tour and everyone enjoyed it. But at the end of the day the question was, “Why don’t you have a hotel in the downtown?”
Back in 2015 when referencing the article by Sorentrue the historic Gulfstream Hotel was still shuttered and the City was still refunding golfers when the nearby municipal golf course flooded out. But if they came and walked around they could get lucky and find a snook in one of the holes, the “Catch Of The Day”.
Now three years later not much has changed. Still many are looking for solutions. And still many are saying “The Arts” is the solution. But are “The Arts” the cart before the hotel. More about that later.
The news below from December 2015 is amazingly prescient today. There are two excerpts from that news later in this blog post.
Jennifer Sorentrue is a former reporter at The Palm Beach Post. If you would like to follow Sorentrue on Twitter use this link.
We were all very fortunate to have her reporting on tourism and tourism marketing here in Palm Beach County and she was often cited on this blog. I’ve never met her but it would be a pleasure to some day.
Sorentrue reported often about Discover The Palm Beaches and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. And I think it was Sorentrue who saved them. Back in 2015–2016 there was a push to make “The Arts” a big part of the County’s ¢1 sales tax increase. That referendum passed by a wide margin. But what many in the public objected to was infrastructure money going to cultural groups. When that push ended the debate settled down and all proceeded smoothly on to election day.
And several times on this blog have wondered about the Cultural Council, is “The Arts” still the answer for this City of Lake Worth?
Or do we need hotels in the Downtown to make “The Arts” work. We can mural up every wall in the Downtown. But if people come, visit, walk around and then leave what is the point?
To Focus Lake Worth.
We’ll see in time how successful the recent “Focus Lake Worth” events have been drawing attention to this municipality and making the case why a hotel or hotels would be successful. Mayor Triolo, City Manager Michael Bornstein, City staff, the Community Redevelopment Authority, the Cultural Council et al. have emphasized that this City is where “The Arts” are made and making this City the destination for the arts community nationwide.
On that topic here is Mayor Triolo
explaining what the goals are:
Of note, back in late 2015 into early 2016 the City of Lake Worth made national news on CNBC, CNN, MSNBC and other news outlets. An article by writer Pari Chang created quite the “buzz” so to speak. She wrote a piece titled, “Where the Makers Are: Lake Worth, Florida”:
This small South Florida city is an under-the-radar, up-and-coming hotbed of makers. Miami obviously has a huge arts scene. Locals know that Ft. Lauderdale does, too. But Lake Worth, in Palm Beach County, is the one to watch, a city on the verge.
How many artists came to Lake Worth? How many ended up in some other place like Miami or even West Palm? Delray Beach? FATCity in Ft. Lauderdale?
As to the question: Will “Art, Music and Design” be what it takes to bring hotels to Downtown Lake Worth?
Or is it time to pivot to the traditional trades?
Historically, this City was the home of tradesmen and tradeswoman. Architects, doctors, home painters, electricians and plumbers and every other trade imaginable. One such person said to me he had never been to the Cultural Council. But if that location was a hardware store he and everybody else he knows would be there every single day.
And if “The Arts” is indeed the answer we would most probably have a hotel in the Downtown under construction right now or in the planning stages. As it is now all those visitors coming to town are staying in West Palm (sans a Beach) and in the Town of Palm Beach too.
And in the latest effort to make this City of Lake Worth an arts and artist destination, an article in the Post was not all too enthusiastic and alluded to, Our ‘city says’ vs. ‘city hopes’.
To be clear: The Cultural Council has been a great neighbor and contributor to this City. The new president and CEO is Mr. David Lawrence. He certainly has the vision and experience to make things happen. But the Cultural Council represents all of Palm Beach County, it’s thirty-nine municipalities and unincorporated areas too like national and County parks. Opening a hotel in the Downtown is a joint effort by all the stakeholders.
Now moving on. . .
What follows are two very informative excerpts from Sorentrue’s news three years ago. Now imagine our City had a renovated historic hotel. And the tourist dollars to envision a new, modern municipal golf course:
More than 30 golf tour operators from around the world are in Beach County this week as part of a trip organized by Palm Beach County tourism leaders in an effort to bring more golf-loving tourists here.
Discover The Palm Beaches, the county’s official tourism marketing corporation, planned the first ever “American Cup” tour in hopes of showcasing the county as a vacation destination for golfers — both domestic and international.
“One of our key attributes in The Palm Beaches is that we’re Florida’s golf capital with more than 160 golf courses,” said Jorge Pesquera, Discover’s president and CEO. “Our American Cup event hosts influential golf tour operator decision-makers, representing some of our main international markets such as Latin America, Germany and the United Kingdom.”
“We market The Palm Beaches as ‘the best way to experience Florida,’ and this event spotlights golf as one of those best-in-class experiences that few other destinations can offer catering to this high value niche clientele,” Pesquera said. “It’s said that ‘business is made on the golf course,’ so we hope to entice these tour operators to help us sell the destination to their targeted audiences.”
Whilst on that topic. . .
On behalf of Lake Worth City Manager Michael Bornstein and Mayor Pam Triolo I invite everyone to come and check out the City’s municipal golf course. But pay close attention to weather reports. Especially rain projections.
In the image below, “City Manager Michael Bornstein and Mayor Pam Triolo pose with a framed article from Southern Golf Central Magazine. The Lake Worth Golf Course is the second oldest municipal course in the State of Florida and boasts of a fellow named Babe Ruth who frequented the course years ago.”
Lake Worth’s golf course was featured in Florida Golf Central Magazine.
Did you know Babe Ruth golfed here in
the City of Lake Worth? He did.
Click on “A Coastal Paradise”:
Here is the website for the City of Lake Worth’s municipal golf course. From the website:
Located at One 7th Avenue North Lake Worth Golf Course and Pro Shop has been in business since 1927. The golf course is comprised of a unique old Florida design with a scenic 6,100 yard, par-70 course located along 1.2 miles of the Intracoastal Waterway.
18-hole, par 70
Course Flyover
The Beach Club restaurant
Rental Clubs
Annual Memberships for residents & non-residents (memberships start on date of purchase and end one year from that date)
Mens and Ladies Golf Associations
Tee Time Reservations contact the ProShop: 561-582-9713
Here is a video of the course Hole #1.
To follow the City of Lake Worth’s
Municipal Golf Course on Twitter use this link.
PUBLIC NOTICE: Published in The Lake Worth Herald.
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Planning & Zoning Board, of the City of Lake Worth, Florida, will hold a public hearing in the City Hall Commission Chambers, 7 North Dixie Hwy., at 6:00 PM or as soon thereafter as possible, on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 to consider a request by Jeremy Anderson for the following:
PZB Project# 18-01400009: a request for a Major Site Plan to allow the construction of a 7,441 square foot “single destination retail” use at 1615 10th Avenue North. The subject property’s PCN is 38-43-44-21-15-262-0031.
Written responses can be sent to the Lake Worth Planning & Zoning Board at 1900 2nd Avenue N, Lake Worth, FL 33461 and must arrive before the hearing date to be included in the formal record. You also have the opportunity to attend the meeting to provide oral testimony. For additional information on the above issues, please visit the City of Lake Worth Division of Planning, Zoning and Historic Preservation located at 1900 Second Ave. North, Lake Worth, Florida 33461 or contact City Staff at 561-586-1687.
PUBLIC SAFETY: A reminder.
Below is very important information for everyone in this City of Lake Worth. Trying to challenge a train is a very bad idea. No matter how hard you try, you will never win a challenge against a train. And it’s also important to remember. . .
If a train has passed and the crossing arms remain in the down position and warning signals continue, DO NOT CROSS THE TRACKS! A train could be coming from the opposite direction.
Quiet Zones along the Florida East Coast (FEC) railway ARE IN EFFECT.
Getting this information out to our non-English speaking communities in this City is especially important (Spanish and Creole; see below).
For more information contact Mr. Ben Kerr, PIO, at 561-586-1631; email: BKerr@lakeworth.org
The message always is:
“See Tracks? THINK TRAIN!”
Lake Worth, FL — On the Florida East Coast (FEC) railway trains will no longer sound their horns routinely within the City boundaries except in instances where the engineer deems it necessary due to an emergency or for the safety of workers on the tracks. As train horns will no longer sound at crossings it is of utmost importance that people obey the barriers and stay alert whenever they are crossing the tracks.
The City reminds all that it is illegal and highly dangerous to trespass on rail tracks. Train speed and distance is deceptive and without the use of the horn a train is extremely quiet which can lead to accidents when people attempt to “beat” the train and ignore the safety barriers. In addition it takes many trains over a mile to come to a complete stop. Trains on the FEC tracks will be traveling at speeds up to 79 mph.
Further information about Railroad Safety in English, Spanish and Creole click on this link.
Message is always:
“Lè w wè ray tren?
SONJE TREN AN!”
“¿Ves rieles? ¡PIENSA TREN!”
From the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA) and Operation Lifesaver:
To become a volunteer for Operation Lifesaver
Photography, children and protecting the environment in Palm Beach County.
Please Note: An upcoming event on Thursday, January 24th at the Findlay Galleries on Worth Ave. in the Town of Palm Beach.
Later in this blog post is news published in The Lake Worth Herald about an expedition last Fall into the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge west of Boynton Beach for environmental education by science experts from the Everglades Foundation and an “[E]ducator to discuss photography and camera usage from the Norton Museum of Art and in-class discussion and instruction from Sacred Heart School teachers.”
The result from this project will be on display at the Findlay Galleries, the top 24 photographs taken by the students at Sacred Heart.
For more information about, “The Everglades: Through the Eyes of Children Photo Project” contact Milka Santos at the Sacred Heart elementary school: call 561-582-2242; email: santosm@sacredheartfamily.com
And on this topic of children and the environment, what follows is a blog post from last November about Mr. Rick Clegg, a true visionary: Realizing the potential of our natural spaces and Nature-Deficit Disorder (NDD).
NDD is explained later in this blog post. But be forewarned. NDD is controversial.
The powers-that-be in the fields of psychology and education refuse to accept the premise that the outdoors can treat behavior problems in children related to overuse of technology, smartphones and the lure of social media. However, Richard Louv in his 2005 treatise titled, “Last Child in the Woods” disagrees. Read more about Louv and NDD below.
In short, draw your own conclusions.
And one more thing. . .
Before we proceed this is crucially important. At the end of this blog post is a map showing the location of the Loxahatchee River in Jupiter and the Arthur R. Marshall (ARM) Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge further to the south.
Although these two wildlife areas in Palm Beach County have “Loxahatchee” in their name they are both very different natural spaces and located in very different places in Palm Beach County.
These two public parks are often confused by the public:
The Loxahatchee River is located in northern PBC and is part of the County Park system. It is located to the south of Martin County and is east of Lake Okeechobee.
The ARM Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge is a national park located west of Boynton Beach in Central PBC and southeast of Lake Okeechobee.
Just by coincidence, later in this blog post are excerpts from an article in this week’s Lake Worth Herald about students from the Sacred Heart School who went on an exploration of the ARM. Sacred Heart is located in the City of Lake Worth. To learn about their curriculum click on this link.
And also by coincidence. . .
Datelined Nov. 20th, 2018, is this news from journalist Hannah Morse at The Palm Beach Post about the Loxahatchee River in the Town of Jupiter. Mr. Rick Clegg is cited by Morse:
The Loxahatchee River, teeming with alligators, otters and birds, offers a new exploration option for Jupiter Outdoor Center customers.
“We’re very excited,” said owner Rick Clegg. “We feel we have the two best locations in all of Palm Beach County for paddling.”
Aside from rentals, Jupiter Outdoor Center also offers kids outdoor adventure camp [emphasis added] and guided tours at Riverbend.
Now to the news in the Lake Worth Herald headlined, “Sacred Heart Students Explore Wildlife Refuge”. Two excerpts:
LAKE WORTH — Fifty-two students in the fourth and seventh grades at Sacred Heart School had a chance to explore the Everglades and its unique environment, through the lens of a camera. On November 7, the students were taken to the Arthur R. Marshall National Wildlife Refuge in western Palm Beach County, [emphasis added] with photography mentors, teachers and parent chaperones for a hands-on nature experience.
Each student was provided with a digital camera and on-site additional photography equipment. Afterwards, students roughly edited their photos to have one printed to take home and then they submitted their photo cards for judging by professional photographers.
This annual Sacred Heart School program, The Everglades: Through the Eyes of Children Photo Project is a community effort working with The Everglades Foundation, the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and the Norton Museum of Art.
The Project begins earlier in the Fall, with environmental education provided by science experts from the Everglades Foundation, an educator to discuss photography and camera usage from the Norton Museum of Art and in-class discussion and instruction from Sacred Heart School teachers.
The Photo Project program culminates with a private, gallery reception and photo exhibition at Findlay Galleries, Palm Beach, January 24, 2019.
James Borynack, chairman and CEO of Findlay Galleries is hosting the event for Sacred Heart School and will display the top 24 photographs and recognize the first, second and third place winners.
For more information about, “The Everglades: Through the Eyes of Children Photo Project” contact Milka Santos at Sacred Heart: call 561-582-2242; email: santosm@sacredheartfamily.com
Now back to Mr. Rick Clegg, Nature-Deficit Disorder, educating children about the natural environment and. . .
Promoting ecotourism, boosting visits by families, young adults and children to our County and national parks.
Question: Could making PBC the world leader in the treatment of Nature-Deficit Disorder be the answer?
Please note. A disclaimer:
NDD is not recognized in DSM-5 and has been criticized by malcontents high up in tall buildings as a misdiagnosis that NDD is a “problematic contemporary environmental discourse that can obscure and mistreat the problem.”
NDD was first coined by Richard Louv in his 2005 classic “Last Child in the Woods” meaning that children as reported in Wikipedia, “[A]re spending less time outdoors resulting in a wide range of behavioral problems” such as careening on skateboards into parked cars and walking around in circles texting.
However, Louv claims that causes for the phenomenon (NDD) include “parental fears, restricted access to natural areas, and the lure of electronic devices.” Bolstering Louv’s claims is research demonstrating the contrast between the declining number of park visits in America and increased use of electronic media by children.
Draw your own conclusions about NDD but err on the side of promoting and encouraging more visits to public parks.
Please pause here.
Yes. The ‘disclaimer’ above is a little tongue-in-cheek with a slight dab of satire.
Could Mr. Clegg be on to something? This same businessman cites an actual published book titled, Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, a 2005 best-seller by Richard Louv. Could our public parks in PBC be used as a draw nationwide for treatment of NDD in children and young adults and increasing ecotourism as well?
Continue reading and you decide.
Getting more visitors and tourists to visit our County and national parks in PBC has been a problem for a very long time. The Loxahatchee Sierra Club is one group that has been out in the lead trying to solve this problem at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge located in suburban Boynton Beach.
Now back to the Loxahatchee River in
northern Palm Beach County.
Here is news from business journalist Alexandra Clough datelined August 28th and headlined, “Jupiter businessman Rick Clegg pursues his passion for the outdoors”:
Clegg, the owner of Jupiter Outdoor Center . . . will tap into Palm Beach County’s growing eco-tourism industry by offering guided tours, including bird-watching tours at Riverbend Park.
“Our mission is to create a convenient, safe and fun way for people to experience nature,” Clegg said. “We’ll be giving people more of a reason to come into the park.”
Clegg is partnering with the River Center, which provides the expertise on the river and its many inhabitants. Educating people about the river isn’t just for adults. Clegg runs day camps for children, too.
and another quote from Clough’s news. . .
“I [Clegg] see north Palm Beach County, and especially Jupiter, becoming a known eco-tourism destination that attracts visitors from around the world and continues to provide those that live here an ‘out-of-this-world’ natural experience.”
[Briefly consider this: Couldn’t the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge in suburban Boynton Beach also become a “known eco-tourism destination that attracts visitors from around the world”?]
When asked by the reporter (Clough) what one of his favorite books is Clegg recommended the best seller The Last Child in the Woods, subtitled Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder.
More information about the Loxahatchee River.
Below is a press release and video from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) about the restoration of two historic dams along the Loxahatchee River in Jupiter for the ecosystem of this federally designated “wild and scenic river” for public recreation, e.g., access for kayaking, fishing, ecotourism and possibly helping children with NDD.
The Loxahatchee flows through Riverbend Park in Jupiter (in Palm Beach County) and north into Jonathan Dickinson State Park between Hobe Sound and Tequesta. Both of these parks are wonderful assets with Jonathan Dickinson being the largest state park in Southeast Florida and Riverbend Park having such a long history here in PBC.
Near Riverbend Park, also on the Loxahatchee River, is the popular historical site of Battlefield Park:
Since acquiring the land, the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department’s goal has been to preserve the natural, archaeological, and cultural significance of these properties and to provide access and education to the public. . . . The parks [Riverbend and Battlefield] are also officially recognized as sites of two Second Seminole War battles and were home to pioneers and farmsteaders after those battles.
Press release datelined May 2018,
“SFWMD Completes Restoration of Historic
Loxahatchee River Dams”:
Jupiter, FL — [T]he South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD) Water Resources Analysis Coalition [WRAC] received a detailed presentation about the recently completed restoration of two historic dams on the Loxahatchee River in northern Palm Beach County.
The dams, first built in the 1930s by local families, control and regulate upstream flow stages of the Northwest Fork of the river, the state's first designated “wild and scenic” river. The dams also maintain the hydrology of the riverine floodplain ecosystem. Modeling has shown that without the two dams in place, the upstream water levels would be about 1.5 feet lower, draining the freshwater swamp and encouraging saltwater intrusion.
“One of SFWMD’s primary missions is the protection of natural systems and these dam renovations are crucial to ensuring the future of the Loxahatchee River," said Governing Board Vice Chair Melanie Peterson, a Palm Beach County resident and former member of the Loxahatchee River Management Coordinating Council. “These dams are not only living parts of Palm Beach County's history, but they are essential to protecting the cypress swamp floodplain that makes the Loxahatchee so unique.”
The video from SFWMD:
For reference: Note the Loxahatchee River Watershed Project in the map below (top right) and the “Mecca Parcel” to the west.
The Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is southeast of Lake Okeechobee (see WCA 1 on map). FYI: The Loxahatchee Sierra Club and SFWMD have been coordinating together to control the spread of Lygodium. To learn more click on this link.
Hope you found this information helpful today.
And as to the question, “Who relies on Lake Okeechobee?”
The answer is millions of people and every community in South Florida, businesses and the environment all rely each and every day on the “Liquid Heart of Florida”:
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Van Cleef & Arpels: The Art and Science of Gems at ArtScience Museum, Singapore
SINGAPORE - Van Cleef & Arpels: The Art and Science of Gems is a unique exhibition which explores both the artistic skills required for the creation of exquisite jewellery, and the Earth processes involved in the formation of minerals and gemstones.
ArtScience Museum is an institution which explores the links between art, science, culture and technology. All of its exhibitions and programs show how subjects canbe understood both through the emotional connections created through art, and the understanding generated by science.
At the heart of this exhibition are over four hundred pieces of jewellery, carefully selected from the Van Cleef & Arpels Collection and those of private collectors, reflecting the poetry, skill and unique expertise of the Maison. Sitting alongside these stunning pieces are important natural treasures and scientific artifacts from the world-renowned Minerals and Gems Collection of the French National Museum of Natural History in Paris, invited by L’École Van Cleef & Arpels.
This exhibition blends art, craft, history and geoscience in a highly distinctive manner. Visitors are taken on a dramatic journey through the origin of minerals, that continues with their evolution from the deep Earth to its surface. At the same time, they explore the extraordinary craftsmanship that transfigures these rare minerals into works of art.
Van Cleef & Arpels, since 1906…
The history of Van Cleef & Arpels began with a love story: in 1895, Estelle Arpels – the daughter of a dealer in precious stones – married Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a lapidary and diamond broker. In 1906, they went into business with Estelle’s brothers – Charles, followed by Julien and later Louis – to open the first Van Cleef & Arpels boutique at 22 Place Vendôme, Paris, in an area renowned for its elegance. The Maison’s legendary address remains unchanged to this day. Its reputation grew, aided by an international clientele and Van Cleef & Arpels’ presence at prestigious international events such as the “Exposition internationale des Arts décoratifs et industriels modernes”, held in Paris in 1925. A second generation took over in the 1930s, under the artistic guidance of Estelle and Alfred’s daughter, Renée Puissant. Creative director from 1926 to 1942, her unique and original style left its mark on the Maison’s collections – in collaboration with the designer René‑Sim Lacaze.
Julien Arpels’ sons Claude, Jacques and Pierre also joined the family business. Jacques took over the management in Paris in 1938 while Claude settled in New York, where he opened a Van Cleef & Arpels boutique at 744 Fifth Avenue in 1942. Pierre, their younger brother, joined the Maison in 1944 and oversaw its jewellery design. During the first half of the century, Van Cleef & Arpels developed skills that would become its signatures: the Mystery Set™ technique (patented in 1933), in which metal disappears to better reveal the precious stones, the ingenious vanity case named the Minaudière™ or the innovative Zip necklace, inspired by the zip fastener. The elegance and inventiveness of its creations, along with its use of the rarest and most precious materials, enabled Van Cleef & Arpels to win over royal and princely families, personalities of the cinema and a cosmopolitan clientele of discerning taste.
Over the decades, the High Jewellery Maison has established its reputation throughout the world. Its emblematic creations, such as the Alhambra® long necklace created in 1968, its selection of Pierres de Caractère™ – gems that instill emotion – and the savoir-faire of its Mains d’Or™, the craftsmen of Van Cleef & Arpels’ workshops, have given birth to enchanting jewellery and watchmaking collections.
Gallery 1. Masterpiece.
Bird clip and pendant. Gold, emeralds, sapphire, yellow and white diamonds and a 96.62-carat briolette-cut yellow diamond. 1971-1972. From Van Cleef & Arpels Collection.
One of Van Cleef & Arpels’ most striking special orders is a flying bird carrying a briolette-cut yellow diamond of 96.62 carats. In keeping with the Maison’s tradition of transformability, the bird can metamorphose into a pair of winged earrings and a clip, while the yellow diamond can be worn alone as a pendant.
Gallery 2. Couture
Born in Paris, Van Cleef & Arpels is closely linked to Couture, its motifs and materials, like a discrete homage to the city of its origins. Thanks to the virtuoso craftsmanship of its workshops, fabrics are transformed into jewelry, while ribbons and lace are embellished by gold weave and precious stones.
Collaret. Platinum, diamonds. 1928. From Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
In the 1920s and 30s, Van Cleef & Arpels was at the forefront of the Art Deco jewelry, characterized by vertical lines, strong symmetry and geometry. This collaret from 1928 epitomizes this style, with its flexible and openwork collar in platinum. It is comprised of seven lozenge-shaped motifs set with round brilliants, marquise-cut and baguette-cut diamonds, interconnected by rings set with baguette-cut diamonds.
Lace bow clip. Gold, platinum, diamonds. 1945. From Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
This clip features a yellow gold and platinum ribbon bow with gold lace trim adorned with diamond-set flowerheads. Knots have long formed part of the Van Cleef & Arpels tradition. Whether simple or elaborate, they gracefully play with effects of transparency and adorn a woman in splendor.
Zip necklace transformable into a bracelet. Gold, platinum, rubies, diamonds. 1954. From Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
This Zip necklace in yellow gold simulating surged fabric is highlighted by filigree flowers set with round brilliants and edged with round rubies. This piece from 1954 can be worn open as a necklace or closed as a bracelet. The rear section is detachable; the tassel made of gold strands can then slide up, transforming the zipper into a bracelet. Highly characteristic of the couture theme dear to Van Cleef & Arpels, this piece of jewelry reflects the Maison's interest for transformable objects and flexibility.
Gallery 2. The Earth
Since the birth of the Earth 4,540 million years ago, meteorite impacts, tectonic shifts, volcanic activity, erosion and biology have modified our planet extensively. Thanks to this tremendous activity, magnificent gems have formed. Some mineral treasures are exceptional because of their size, colour, transparency and other eye-catching properties: gems are thus the result of an interaction between the Earth’s productivity and our human sensory perception.
Meteorite (“pallasite”), Springwater, Saskatchewan, Canada. Found in 1986 (unknown fall date). MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Jasper “Marra Mamba”, Mount Brockman area, Western Australia, Australia. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Gallery 3. Abstractions
Van Cleef & Arpels is famous for its highly distinctive style, inspired by nature, couture and imaginary worlds. But another theme, less well known to the general public, has helped forge its character and identity. The Maison has also produced nonfigurative jewels influenced by the art of its times. Together, they form a tribute to the avant-garde: notably the minimalist, modernist, abstract and op art movements. These creations recalls a century of innovations in the field of design, architecture, sculpture and fashion.
Art Deco bracelet. Platinum, diamonds. 1925. From Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
In the 1920s and 30s, Van Cleef & Arpels was at the forefront of the Art Deco jewelry, characterized by vertical lines, strong symmetry and geometry.It may be worn on the wrist or at the top of the arm.
Ludo hexagone bracelet. Gold, rubies, Mystery SetTM rubies. 1939. From Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
This articulated yellow gold Ludo hexagone bracelet is designed as a ribbon in a honeycomb pattern, with star-set rubies at the center of each hollow. The clasp is a stylized belt buckle, decorated with a “bombé” motif set with Mystery Set rubies.
Cadenas wristwatch. Gold, rubies. 1943. From Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
This elegant lady's CadenasTM wristwatch from 1943 features a calibre-cut ruby motif. Its inclined dial enables the wearer to tell the time surreptitiously, while the straight lines of its case form a fluid combination with the curves of its clasp. Women may thus consult their watch with discretion and wear it as a genuine jewel.
Gallery 3. Pressure.
Within the Earth, pressure results from the weight of the materials located above. Surface pressure (about 1 bar) can increase 50,000 times at a depth of 150 kilometres. In the upper mantle, we are in the realm of the diamond. Composed of carbon atoms, diamonds’ exceptional hardness and fieriness are directly related to the mantle’s pressure where they crystallise.
Diamonds: octahedron (58.6 carats) and two twinned crystals (15.6 and 11.5 carats), Premier Mine, Gaunteng, South Africa. Gift of R.I., Bischoffsheim, 1889. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Cristaux de diamants, Premier Mine, Afrique du Sud © MNHN - François Farges
Yellow diamond (ca. 5 carats) on matrix (kimberlite), Kimberley, Republic of South Africa. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Misc fancy diamonds (31 carats), Cullinan and Kimberley, South Africa. Gifts of R.I., Bischoffsheim, 1889 and L. Taub, 1890. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Gallery 4. Influences.
A fascination for Far Eastern culture swept over Parisian jewelry in the 1920s. The Universal Exhibitions were opportunities for the public to discover ceramics, silks, bronzes and other wondrous pieces which fuelled Van Cleef & Arpels imagination. The trend for exoticism was at its height in 1931, at the “Exposition coloniale internationale” in Paris that drew millions of visitors. At the Maison's stand, viewers were enchanted by a yellow gold jewelry set called Chapeau Chinois, inspired by the Asian hat worn in rice paddies and awarded the exhibition’s Grand Prix.
Egyptian inspiration bracelet. Platinum, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, diamonds, onyx. 1924. From Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
This Egyptian bracelet, from Van Cleef & Arpels Collection, was created in 1924. It is decorated with scenes of offerings, hieroglyphic motifs such as scarabs, sphinx, amphora, taurus, ostrich feathers, lotus flowers and bees. It is set with buff-top emeralds, sapphires, rubies and pave-set diamonds, and calibrated onyx stones. These jewels of Egyptian inspiration are very rare, and highly sought after by collectors.
Chinese hat set. Gold. 1931. From Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
In 1931, the Exposition Coloniale Internationale set out to display the diverse cultures, arts and crafts of the European colonial empires and attracted some 33 million visitors from all over. For the event, Van Cleef & Arpels transformed the traditional Chinese hat from France’s Far Eastern colonies into the Chapeau Chinois set. A timeless work of art, this set was re-launched in 2000.
Dragon vanity case. Gold, enamel, jade, diamonds. 1923. From Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
Dating from 1923, this Dragon vanity case from Van Cleef & Arpels Collection is set with an enamel band featuring a gold dragon motif. The ends are decorated with carved jade and diamond details. A black and red enamel ring acts as a handle, and the vanity is mounted on yellow gold. It is an epitome of the Asian influence on Van Cleef & Arpels artistry.
Gallery 4. Temperature.
Inside the Earth’s crust, only a few kilometres down, temperature controls the way minerals crystallise from molten rocks: temperature ranges from about 1,000°C down to a couple of hundred degrees. Among the many minerals able to crystallise from these magmas, quartz is among the most widespread. It can even form giant crystals if time and volume permits: a few million years of perfectly steady crystallisation without any disturbance.
Rock crystal (quartz), aggregate of crystals, Isère, France. French Royal Collections (18th century). MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Rose quartz crystallized around smoky quartz crystals, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Former Roger Caillois collection; gift of A. Caillois, 1988. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Tourmaline, elbaite species, rubellite variety, Pala, California, USA. Gift of J. Pierpont-Morgan, 1905. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Gallery 5. Transport.
A key principle in “gem-making” is transport. Thanks to that transport, elements can aggregate together to make a bigger crystal out of a mass of smaller ones. Again, it takes time, like most geological processes. They must also be as constant as possible so that the result is sufficiently voluminous and homogeneous. Some incredible minerals can develop in that context like gold, topaz and two varieties of beryl: aquamarine and emerald.
Crystals of imperial topaz (orange and pink), Ouro Preto area, Minas Gerais, Brazil. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Blue topaz crystal, 21560 carats, Virgem de Lapa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. One of the largest gem crystal known Virgem da Lapa, Minas Gerais, Brazil Gift of the Maison Christofle, 1999. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Large plates of native gold crystals on quartz (2 kg), Jamestown, California, USA. Gift of the Total Foundation, 1994. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Gallery 6. Water.
Water is an excellent “migration agent” inside the Earth’s crust but also near its surface, where pressure and temperature are close to ambient. In Colombia, it is water percolation within sediments that induced emeralds to form, with only a moderate input from pressure and temperature. Amethyst and opals are also formed thanks to this ubiquitous phenomenon.
Emerald crystal on pyrite and calcite (possibly reconstructed), El Chivor, Boyaca, Colombia. Gift of H.-J. Schubnel, 1987. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Amethyst gem crystals, Las Vigas, Veracruz, Mexico. Gift of the Total Foundation, 1998. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Améthystes de l'Impératrice Marie-Louise, joyaux de la couronne française © MNHN - François Farges
White massive noble opal and two black precious opal cabochons, Queensland, Australia. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Gallery 7. Precious Objects.
Since the 1910s, many examples have testified to Van Cleef & Arpels skill in raising utilitarian objects to the rank of precious works of art. This talent was first exercised on tiny vanity cases. Then, in the early 1930s, these “nécessaires” bags were taken one step further and developed into a larger box in lacquer or yellow gold, named the Minaudière™. Accessories for men were often personalized: sumptuous motifs embellished cigarette cases, letter-holders and leather goods. Certain exclusive special orders proved to be of the most poetic or imaginative kind, made to satisfy the whims of clients whose eccentricity had no bounds.
Model of the Varuna Yacht. Gold, silver, jasper, wood, enamel. Circa 1907. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
An amazing precious object from Van Cleef & Arpels Collection, it is made of yellow gold, silver, white and green enamel, jasper and ebony, and was originally electrically wired to call the butler. It’s a small-scale model of the yacht Varuna of New York created circa 1907. This trompe l’oeil item was reputedly a special order from Mr. Eugene Higgins, a leading figure of New York society, who wanted a tangible keepsake of his yacht.
Roses Vanity Case. Platinum, gold, jade, enamel, rubies, yellow sapphires, emeralds, diamonds. 1926. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
This Roses vanity case is mounted on yellow gold and platinum, made of mauve jade and decorated with blooming roses set with diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires. The edges are detailed in black and green enamel and rose-cut diamonds. It is an emblematic piece of the Maison’s Art Deco period.
Wild rose Minaudière, 1938. Gold, Mystery Set rubies. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
Bird cage. Gold, glass, lapis lazuli, coral, beryl, agate, enamel, wood, rubies, sapphires. 1935. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
All the romance of princely India is manifest in this extravagant cage, created by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1935 for an unnamed Maharaja. The cage houses two green beryl lovebirds with cabochon ruby eyes, perched on a gold and walnut swing with cabochon sapphire and coral detail. They are swinging above a central wading pool ornamented with two coral branches.
Gallery 7. Oxygen.
Oxygen is produced by living organisms – originally cyanobacteria, since 3.5 billion years. Oxygen oxidises and some metals – like iron or copper – can be significantly affected in their physical, chemical and mineralogical properties depending on the amount of oxygen present in their environment. Hence, oxygen has deeply modified the mineralogy of the Earth’s surface by producing a huge amount of minerals that did not exist as extensively before, including malachite and turquoise.
Malachite (cut and polished), Tourtscheninoswki, Ural Mountains, Russia. Former collection of the King's Cabinet of Natural History. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Two turquoises (with polished surfaces), Montebras, Creuse, France. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Turquoise cabochons (95 carats), Iran. Former collection of the French Crown Jewels. Gift of the French State, 1887. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Gallery 8. Nature.
A major theme for the Maison since its foundation, nature is a rich source of inspiration. Delicate flowers and blossoms and real or imaginary animals have brought vitality and poetry to its creations from the 1920s to the present day. In this wondrous garden, stunning birds of paradise, dragonflies and lovebirds live amongst poppies, camellias and orchids, all transformed into virtuoso jewels.
Bouquet clip, 1940. Gold, sapphires, rubies, diamonds. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
Orchid clip. Platinum, diamonds. 1927. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
This magnificent piece depicts a stylized cattleya with open petals. It is entirely set with round diamonds, with a larger round diamond mounted on platinum at its center. It is an exceptional jewel that has never been reproduced. This award-winning Orchid clip is testimony to Van Cleef & Arpels' floral style, where a nature in constant movement is captured in an instant of fleeting beauty.
Passe Partout jewel, 1939. Gold, sapphires, rubies, diamonds. Transformable into a bracelet or a belt. Detachable clips. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels.
Passe Partout jewel. Gold, yellow and blue sapphires, rubies, diamonds. 1939. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
This is one of the first examples of the transformative pieces pioneered by Van Cleef & Arpels. Designed to adapt to its wearer’s mood, the Passe Partout is based on an ingenious technical innovation. Hidden by two flower clips, a system of metal rails enables a flexible yellow gold snake chain to slide in and out, transforming the piece into a necklace, a choker, an opera-length necklace, a bracelet or a belt.
Pastilles clip. Platinum, gold, Mystery SetTM rubies, diamonds. 1951. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
This Pastilles clip comprises a brooch depicting a flower with circular calibre-cut ruby petals and graduated baguette-cut diamond trim and stem. The Mystery Set™ technique has been synonymous with Van Cleef & Arpels since it was first patented in 1933, perhaps because its invisible structure suggests a magical fantasy world, with no trace of prongs or claws that could ruin the overall harmony on the surface of the jewel.
Gallery 8. Life.
For 3.5-billion years, life has deeply modified the Earth’s surface. Not only have some organisms synthesised oxygen, but many have also produced shells and skeletons. These are formed of “bio-minerals,” meaning minerals produced by living organisms. They include coral, pearls and mother-of-pearl, among many others. This is where geodiversity meets biodiversity.
Oyster shell with two fine pearls, Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia. Gift of J. Pierpont-Morgan, 1903. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Fine pearls from French Empress Eugénie (384 grains). Former collection of the French Crown Jewels. Gift of the French Government, 1887. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Coral variety coralium rubrum (the white species), Japan, mid-19th century. Gift of M. Madier de Montjean and A. Borie, 1876. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Gallery 9. Icons, Fairies & Ballerinas.
Inaugurating an emblematic tradition at Van Cleef & Arpels, the Maison’s first ballerina clips were created in New York in the early 1940s. Born out of Louis Arpels' passion for dance, these feminine figures rapidly won over collectors with their grace and the beauty of their costumes. The fairy clips, constantly portrayed in movement and a variety of postures, are clad in equally dazzling bejeweled attire, sometimes completed with a magic wand.
Spirit of Beauty Fairy clip. Platinum, rubies, emeralds, diamonds. 1941. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
This rare piece was purchased by the American socialite Barbara Hutton and now forms part of Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Instantly recognizable with its winged silhouette symbolizing joy and hope, this Fairy clip has become one of the Maison's best-loved icons.
Spanish ballerina clip, 1941. Platinum, gold, rubies, emeralds, diamonds. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
Peony clip, 1937. Platinum, gold, Mystery Set rubies, diamonds. In the former collection of Her Royal Highness Princess Faiza of Egypt. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
Barquerolles necklace. Gold, emeralds, diamonds. 1971. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
Among Elizabeth Taylor’s legendary jewels is this Barquerolles necklace from 1971, a gift from Richard Burton on the occasion of her becoming a grandmother. Today part of Van Cleef & Arpels Collection, the diamond and yellow gold choker is transformable into two bracelets and a clip depicting a lion with emerald eyes and a double hoop pendant.
Wedding set. Platinum, pearls, diamonds. 1953-1956. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
Private Collection of Her Serene Highness Grace of Monaco in the Principality of Monaco.
Belonging to the Private Collection of Her Serene Highness Grace of Monaco in the Principality of Monaco, this wedding set was created for HSH Prince Rainier of Monaco as a wedding gift, when he married the celebrated American actress Grace Kelly. As lovely as Grace herself, the pearls enhanced her natural beauty, and accompanied her on many private and official occasions, leading the Maison to be named “Official Supplier” to the Principality of Monaco.
Gallery 9. Metamorphism.
With fossilisation, the Earth’s materials are buried back at greater depths. Little by little, mineral accumulations are subjected to increases in pressure and temperature, inducing re-crystallisation: this is metamorphism. Metamorphism can also take place when two continents collide together. This is how Afghan lapis lazuli and Burmese rubies formed, based on limestone deposited within a lost ocean; a limestone that recrystallized into marble. In addition, other rocks can be metamorphosed, like clays, to recrystallise into particular rocks within which amazing sapphires can grow, blue or fancy in colour. At even higher pressures, imperial jade can even appear.
Lazurite crystals in white marble, Sar-e-Sang, Badakhshan, Afghanistan. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Single ruby crystal on marble. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Gemmy ruby single crystals (13 carats), Mogok, Myanmar. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Sapphire single crystal (13.5 carats polished) showing growth patterns, Sri Lanka. MNHN Collection, Paris. © François Farges
Van Cleef & Arpels: The Art and Science of Gems © Van Cleef & Arpels, Photography by Edward Hendricks.
Van Cleef & Arpels: The Art and Science of Gems © Van Cleef & Arpels, Photography by Edward Hendricks
Tags : 1928, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1971-1972, Art Deco bracelet, Bird clip and pendant, Bouquet clip, Cadenas wristwatch, Collaret, Jasper “Marra Mamba”, Lace bow clip, Ludo hexagone bracelet, meteorite, Van Cleef and Arpels, Zip necklace transformable into a bracelet
A ROMAN GOLD RING WITH NICOLO INTAGLIO, CIRCA 3RD...
Lot 91. A Roman Gold Ring with Nicolo Intaglio, circa 3rd Century A.D. Estimate 8,000 — 12,000 GBP. Photo:...
ITALIAN ARTIST GIUSEPPE PENONE INSTALLS NEW...
Giuseppe Penone at the picture respirare l'ombra (2000). Photo Vincent Mentzel AMSTERDAM.- A bronze tree...
George platt lynes, chester nielson, c. 1940; wilbur wright, c. 1943 & rory calhoun, 1947
Bijoux suzanne belperron @ pierre bergé & associés
Exceptional stones & historic designs drive sotheby's $52.3 million auction of magnificent jewels
Balthus at the bank austria kunstforum
Sotheby’s hong kong presents fine chinese paintings autumn sale on 4 october 2016
Vanity case 'cypress tree', 1928, by alfred langlois for van cleef and arpels
La joaillerie à l'honneur le 13 juin chez christie's paris
Bonhams presents hong kong jewels and jadeite sale featuring jewellery for contemporary collectors for all occasions
A ceylon sapphire and diamond ring, van cleef & arpels
€5,915,313 for the jewels sale at christie's paris, 13 june 2019
Commentaires sur Van Cleef & Arpels: The Art and Science of Gems at ArtScience Museum, Singapore
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Home North America USA Jalsa Salana West Coast USA
Jalsa Salana West Coast USA
Anwer Mahmood Khan
USA Correspondent
On Friday, 21 December 2018, prominent civic, political and religious leaders across Southern California lauded the efforts of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in USA during its 33rd West Coast Jalsa Salana at Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino, California.
More than 2,000 delegates, including 220 guests, took part in a special session to discuss ways to establish peace. The special event kicked off the weekend convention that saw members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat from several western states, as well as Canada and Europe, convene in Chino. The gathering featured various speeches on social and religious topics for men, women and children.
The theme of the evening gathering was Justice – the Foundation of Lasting Peace. National vice president and missionary in-charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in USA, Azhar Haneef Sahib, highlighted the life example of the founder of Islam, the Prophet Muhammadsa, and his standards of kindness and justice to all: “It’s not just about being kind to one another, its being kind even to the one who hates you.”
California Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes acknowledged the work of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat towards promoting peace, commenting, “I value your voice at the table. We must promote peace and interreligious harmony. We must focus on building bridges and finding common grounds.”
Mayors from the cities of Chino and Pomona, alongside local police chiefs, voiced their deep appreciation for the Jamaat’s efforts to unite faith communities across southern California. They were joined by prominent faith leaders from the San Bernardino Diocese, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Jewish and Buddhist communities, as well as local academics from University of La Verne and Chaffey College.
Chino Mayor Eunice Ulloa commented, “I will admit to you, as I did when I was first invited to the mosque, I was fearful… there is so much misunderstanding out there. Now when I come here, I am completely at peace in visiting the mosque, and in visiting you. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is truly a community of peace.”
California State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon sent a special message to the convention acknowledging the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat’s True Islam campaign which was launched in the aftermath of the 2015 San Bernardino attacks to educate the public about Islam: “The actions enacted by your community across California inspire both hope for the future and goodwill for those around us. The campaign to educate people about the basic tenets of Islam is an important example of outreach and expression.”
As is customary in all Jalsas around the world, food was served to the guests throughout the course of the event with a special marquee being put up for seniors. A tent was installed in the basketball court where dinner was served to guests.
The weather overall was excellent and the event was hailed a success. Alhamdolillah.
Guests commend efforts of Jamaat on Day 2 of Jalsa USA 2019
“Deal with each other affectionately” – Message from Huzoor to attendees of Jalsa USA 2019
Marshallese Delegation Mulaqat
Hurricane Michael Relief Operation
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David Pilling
David Pilling's journalism caught my eye with his account of lunch with the novelist David Mitchell.
So a few days ago I asked him what he was reading. His reply:
Because of my job, Tokyo bureau chief of the Financial Times, I read a lot of non-fiction about Japan both in English and Japanese. I tend to have several books on the go at once, which is probably not a good thing. At the moment, these include (in no particular order) Alan Macfarlane's Japan Through the Looking Glass, a book that grapples intelligently with the question of just how different is Japan; Totetsumonai nihon (Incredible Japan), a book by Taro Aso laying out his bid to be the next p rime minister; A History of Japan to 1334 by George Sansom, the first part of a three-part classic.
I have just finished the diaries of Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's spin-doctor in chief. This was a fascinating if somewhat self-serving account of the Blair Years, but it includes a lot of Clinton, Bush, Iraq and Ireland as well. A really interesting read.
I also try to keep up with fiction, but not very successfully. For work (though it turned out for pleasure) I recently read three David Mitchell novels, the best of which was Cloud Atlas followed by Black Swan Green, the latter a much more personal childhood autobiography than his usual romps through time and space.
I would like to go back and read Turgenev's books, especially Fathers and Sons. I also love Chinua Achebe, especially the marvellous Things Fall Apart.
"Lunch with the FT" isn't always free, but you can always have a taste of Pilling's account of lunch with David Mitchell.
Christopher Goffard is a general assignment reporter at the Los Angeles Times. His first book, the literary crime novel Snitch Jacket, will be released in the U.S. in October.
A few days ago I asked him what he was reading. His reply:
I just finished American Prometheus, the excellent Robert Oppenheimer biography, which is about how cold war hysteria devoured one of our greatest scientists, and which reminded me that during the first test of the atom bomb, the Los Alamos gang did not even know if the explosion would ignite the atmosphere.
At an airport I picked up Malcolm Gladwell's engrossing The Tipping Point -- his exploration of the subterranean life of social trends from smoking to suicide to kids' TV shows -- and read it on a cross-country flight in nearly one gulp.
I'm now deep into Don DeLillo's Libra, which is a reimagining of the Kennedy assassination as a conspiracy hatched by disaffected CIA agents, with a fascinating psychological portrait of Lee Harvey Oswald as this angry cipher desperate to merge his life with history.
Publishers Weekly gave Snitch Jacket a starred review:
In Goffard's impressive debut, a darkly comic romp through the Southern California underworld, Benny Bunt, a 41-year-old dishwasher, finds his main escape in the Greasy Tuesday, a blue-collar bar in Costa Mesa. Among the recidivist misfits, his is a harmless familiar face. What they don't know is that Benny is a snitch who earns pocket money by ratting out his buddies to the cops. Enter one Gus “Mad Dog” Miller, a massive, bearded Vietnam vet, covered with prison tattoos; Gus holds court at the bar with outrageous tales of his exploits, military and criminal. Gus soon becomes Benny's best friend, and seeks his assistance in a contract killing. Only problem is, the police “botch” their surveillance and Benny ends up taking the fall for a double homicide committed at the Howling Head festival in the Mojave desert. Goffard's prose shimmers with intelligence and humor, and he has a keen ear for telling detail. Fans of such cultish neo-noir scribes such as Charlie Huston and Duane Swierczynski will be richly rewarded.
The Page 99 Test: Snitch Jacket.
Richard Zimler
Richard Zimler is the author of seven novels over the last decade: The Seventh Gate; The Search for Sana; Guardian of the Dawn; Hunting Midnight; The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon; The Angelic Darkness; and Unholy Ghosts.
His novels have appeared on bestseller lists in 12 different countries, including the USA, Great Britain, Portugal, Italy, and Australia, and he has won numerous prizes for his work, including a 1994 National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship in Fiction and the 1998 Herodotus Award for the best historical novel.
I am in Helsinki at the moment and I am reading two books. The first is a novel by an Irish writer named Brian O'Doherty called The Deposition of Father McGreevy, published in Britain by Arcadia Books. It's about a remote Irish mountain village where all the women die of a mysterious disease, leaving the priest, Father McGreevy, to try to keep the men and their way of life going despite all the logistical and emotional problems . I'm not entirely sure where the narrative is going at the moment, since I'm only on page 57, but the writing is good and I'm intrigued. What exactly happened up there on top of the mountain that left the women dead?
The second book I just picked up yesterday at a fantastic bookshop in downtown Helsinki. It's entitled Ancient Ro me on Five Denarii a Day. It's a great idea: what would a traveler to Rome in 200 AD find and how would he or she spend his days? The book has chapters on Dining Out and What to Buy, as in a modern guidebook. I've read the first chapter, called "Getting There." It's full of surprising information and is written in an engaging style: who knew, for instance, that a person living in a Roman province needed an exit visa from his area of residence in order to go to Rome? If I ever decide to write about ancient times, I'm sure the book will be very helpful. It's published by Thames & Hudson.
Visit Richard Zimler's website to learn more about his books, short stories, and reviews and interviews.
The Page 99 Test: Guardian of the Dawn.
Thomas Perry is the author of the Jane Whitefield series as well as the bestselling novels Nightlife, Death Benefits, and Pursuit, the first recipient of the Gumshoe Award for Best Novel. He won an Edgar Award for The Butcher’s Boy, and Metzger’s Dog was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
His latest novel is Silence.
I was going to say that this isn't a moment when what I'm reading is typical, but then I realized there is no such moment. So here, without apology, is what I've been reading. I just finished the second of two hard-boiled British novels that Harcourt is publishing in U.S. The first was Allan Guthrie's Hard Man. This one is Ray Banks's Saturday's Child. I found it a special treat. The central characater is an ex-convict working as an unlicensed private detective His current client is a murderous old small-time crime boss. The story is told through the consciousnesses of the "detective" and the boss's psychotic son, both of whom are always more or less drunk, drugged, and groggy from their latest head injuries. I liked it for the same reasons I like foreign and independent films. The people who write them haven't fallen automatically into the assumptions and structural cliches of American popular storytelling (although they may have conventions of their own), and so the vision is fresh and new to us, and makes us think occasionally.
When I finished that I happened to have Nadine Gordimer's The Pick-Up, which I received in the mail a couple of days ago. Cornell, where I went to school, has its freshmen and alumni read one book at the start of each school year, and I picked it up last night. I'm not finished yet, but even without the academic recommendation and the Nobel Prize, she's very good.
As a rule, I read mostly non-fiction. Next on the pile is Buda's Wagon: A Brief History of the Car Bomb by Mike Davis, and then Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point. I've been traveling much of the summer trying to promote my latest book, Silence. I never write or read while I'm traveling, because trips are my best opportunity to look and listen and start conversations with strangers, but that always puts me behind in both writing and reading, so the unread book pile continues to grow.
The Page 69 Test: Silence.
The Page 99 Test: Nightlife.
Peter Spiegelman
Peter Spiegelman is the author of three John March novels. His debut novel, Black Maps, was published by Knopf in August, 2003 and won the 2004 Shamus Award for Best First Novel. It was followed in 2005 by Death's Little Helpers, which Ken Bruen called "...a multi-layered novel of compassion and power." Earlier this year Knopf brought out the third John March novel, Red Cat.
Spiegelman is also editor of and contributor to Wall Street Noir.
I recently asked him what he was reading. His reply:
I've been reading a fair amount of non-fiction lately, both for research purposes and because it's always been a significant component of my reading diet. I recently finished re-reading A.L. Kennedy's beautiful On Bullfighting which, yes, is actually about bullfighting. It's also part memoir and part rumination on death and art and work. Really, a one of a kind book -- and gorgeous writing.
Currently I'm in the midst of Tim Weiner's lucid history of the CIA, Legacy of Ashes. And a damning history it is, of an organization that's apparently been dysfunctional from the start. Weiner lays bare a spectacle of arrogance, incompetence, willful blindness, and terrible waste (of lives, money, opportunity) -- all horribly relevant to the current mess we're in. Maddening, scary, entirely fascinating.
Visit Peter Spiegelman's official website, and read my rave review of Red Cat.
Evan Thomas is assistant managing editor of Newsweek. He has won a National Magazine Award and taught writing at Harvard and Princeton.
I am reading the last Harry Potter. I just finished Walter Isaacson's Einstein and Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel.
My favorite fiction this summer was Claire Massoud's The Emperor's Children.
Evan Thomas has written seven books, including Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945, The Very Best Men: The Daring Early Years of the CIA, and John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy.
Robert Louden
Robert Louden is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern Maine. He is the author of Kant's Impure Ethics: From Rational Beings to Human Beings (OUP, 2000) and Morality and Moral Theory: A Reappraisal and Reaffirmation (OUP, 1992), co-editor and translator of Kant, Anthropology, History, and Education (CUP, 2007) and Kant, Lectures on Anthropology (CUP, 2008), translator of Kant's Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View (CUP, 2006), editor of Schleiermacher's Lectures on Philosophical Ethics (CUP, 2002), and co-editor of The Greeks and Us (University of Chicago Press, 1996).
His new book is The World We Want: How and Why the Ideals of the Enlightenment Still Elude Us (Oxford University Press).
1) Leopold Mozart, A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing. This book, originally published in German in 1756 & written by Wolfgang Amadeus's father, is still in print with Oxford University Press. It was the major work of its period on the violin. I'm an amateur violinist, & first turned to the book because I am a big fan of W. A. Mozart's violin sonatas. However, I'm happy to report that Leopold studied philosophy & logic at Salzburg University before embarking on a music career. There is more than a little philosophy in this classic violin text.
2) Frans de Waal, Primates & Philosophers: How Morality Evolved (Princeton U. Press, 2006). This book is a quasi-debate between those who hold that morality has its roots in our evolutionary past, & those who believe that morality is part of what sets human beings apart from other animals. Based on de Wahl's 2004 Tanner Lectures, it includes responses by Robert Wright, Christine M. Korsgaard, Philip Kitcher, and Peter Singer. Both sides of the debate are well represented, and in listening to all parties present their arguments & data the old question "what exactly do we mean by 'morality'?" takes on a new significance.
3) J. A. May, Kant's Concept of Geography and its Relation to Recent Geographical Thought (University of Toronto Press, 1970). This book is out of print, but I located a 2nd hand copy last week through Alibris.com. I looked briefly at it 10 years ago when I was doing research for my book Kant's Impure Ethics (Oxford U. Press, 2000), & am taking a closer look at it now for a new piece I'm writing about Kant's physical geography lectures. The author died in 1989, & this work (a revised version of his Ph.D. dissertation) is, I believe, the only book he published. For those interested in what I call the 'impure' Kant (i.e, the empirical Kant), it is a gold mine of information.
4) Stephen Darwall, The Second-Person Standpoint: Morality, Respect, and Accountability (Harvard U. Press, 2006). I'm reading this book with other members of an ethics reading group that meets monthly at Bowdoin College. Am not sure that I would have taken a look at it if it hadn't been on the reading group's list. But this is part of the purpose of reading groups: to cajole us into reading things that we otherwise wouldn't pay attention to....
Visit Robert Louden's university homepage to learn more about him and his work, and to read the answer to "Why Philosophize?"
Learn more about The World We Want at the Oxford University Press website.
Terese Svoboda
Terese Svoboda is the author of several books of prose and poetry, including Trailer Girl and Other Stories, Cannibal, Treason, and Tin God.
I recently asked her what she was reading. Her reply:
I have four days to finish the final rewrite of a memoir/mystery story called Black Glasses Like Clark Kent (Graywolf Press). It's about my uncle, an MP in postwar Japan who guarded a stockade full of our GIs and the gallows that was built inside it. Toward that end, I've just reread Japan's Comfort Women by Yuki Tanaka, particularly the expose on the joint US/Japanese scheme for satisfying the GIs in postwar Japan.
I'm also frolicking through the last four books of poetry that Paul Muldoon has published (I made it through the first nineteen or so) for an extended essay called "Summer in Muldoonland."
I'm also thrilled to be reading All Things are Labor: Stories by Katherine Arnoldi. About being a Mennonite woman, single motherhood and life on the fringe in the Lower East Side, it's her first collection but she's been writing wild sentences for a long while.
For fun, I just finished Gerald Durrell's Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons, a naturalist's hilarious take on endangered species in Mauritius. I've read all his others, the best being My Family and Other Animals.
In 2007 Terese Svoboda won the Graywolf Nonfiction Prize for Black Glasses Like Clark Kent, a memoir about her uncle as an MP who reported executions of GIs in the stockade he was guarding in postwar Japan — and then committed suicide.
Robert Polito wrote: "Few books over the past decade have surprised and moved me as much as Black Glasses Like Clark Kent. A family romance in the guise of a biography and memoir, this is also a mystery in the spirit of writers as various as Dashiell Hammett and Sigmund Freud, Patricia Highsmith and D. W. Winnicott. Black Glasses is, as Svoboda intimates, a 'triptych,' a three-story house that spans World War II Japan and contemporary America, creating imaginative space for the intricate lives of her uncle and cousin as well as her own. Resourceful, elegantly phrased, angry, stubborn, fierce, beautiful and ultimately devastating."
Graywolf will publish Black Glasses Like Clark Kent in February 2008.
Jonathan Santlofer
Jonathan Santlofer is a highly respected artist whose work has been written about and reviewed in the New York Times, Art in America, Artforum, and Arts, and appears in many public, private, and corporate collections such as Chase Manhattan Bank and the Art Institute of Chicago. He serves on the board of Yaddo, one of the oldest artist communities in the country.
His books are Color Blind, The Death Artist, The Killing Art, and Anatomy of Fear.
Yesterday I asked him what he was reading. His reply:
I'm in the midst of finishing my sequel to Anatomy of Fear, which means I am crazed and reading a bit less than usual, but let's see...
In the new book Nate is investigating a case that involves human experimentation so I have been reading all sorts of related material, like Andrew Goliszek's In the Name of Science, and three books by Jonathan Moreno, Director of the Center for Bio-medical Ethics at the University of Virginia, most recently Is There an Ethicist in the House? -- all really fascinating and terrifying stuff.
Also, more of Paul Ekman's face reading books, Emotions Revealed.
In between, I read Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, which is tons of fun, and for diversion I just finished Megan Abbott's Queenpin, an over the top and hilarious noir homage.
Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union is sitting on my night table staring at me and that's up next. Once I finish the book I'll tackle that and more!
Visit Santlofer's official website, and read his take on Anatomy of Fear and the Page 99 and Page 69 Tests.
Watch the Anatomy of Fear video.
Walt Mossberg is the Personal Technology columnist for the Wall Street Journal.
While I write about technology, one of my major interests is the American Revolution. I find it inspiring, both in a political and military sense, and believe it has had a profound impact, not only in the U.S., but around the world. It is simply extraordinary that so many amazing people, from different backgrounds, were able to come together to challenge and defeat the mightiest power on earth, in a principled struggle that was almost lost many times.
Over the years, I have read many histories and analyses of the Revolution, but am currently thoroughly enjoying a two-volume historical novel by Jeff Shaara that tells the story through th e eyes of major figures like Washington, Adams, Franklin, and the British generals. The first of the books, Rise to Rebellion, covers the leadup to the formal break with England, from events like the Boston Massacre and the burning of the British ship Gaspee in Rhode Island through the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The second volume, The Glorious Cause, takes the reader from the Declaration through victory. They are wonderful books.
In addition to the columns he writes and edits for the Wall Street Journal, Mossberg also publishes periodic interviews for the Journal and occasional blog posts at his website. With Kara Swisher, he co-produces and co-hosts D: All Things Digital, a major high-tech and media conference.
Richard Lange
Richard Lange is the author of Dead Boys, his debut collection of short stories published this month by Little, Brown.
T.C. Boyle, George Pelecanos, Alice Sebold, Scott Wolven, Scott Smith, Michael Connelly, Chris Offutt, Anthony Doerr, and Daniel Woodrell number among those with early, enthusiastic endorsements for Dead Boys.
I’m currently reading three books. First is Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield. I think you’re supposed to have read this at 12, but I didn’t. In fact, this is my first Dickens novel. And you know what? I’m glad I waited, because now I can really appreciate what a feat this is. While the plot chugs along like an old steam engine – a bit creaky, but charming in its music-box complexity – the characters are utterly human, drawn with much love and great insight into human nature, which, if this book is any indication, hasn’t changed much in the years since. It’s like visiting some insanely-detailed Victorian-themed amusement park – pure entertainment.
Next is a collection of stories, Heaven Lies About Us, by Eugene McCabe. The stories are set in the border counties of Ireland, the characters mainly rural folk, but these are not pastoral tales of bucolic country life. McCabe shines a bright light on the various webs that ensnare these people; the many enmities – ancient and modern, private and political – that set them at one another’s throats. It’s English against Irish, loyalist against rebel, Protestant against Catholic, and, finally, brother against brother and mother against son. The prose is simple and direct, the sociology mind-boggling, especially to an outsider. I keep thinking of Iraq as I read this, with its occupying army, warring religious sects and tribal grudges. Man, we certainly stirred up a hornet’s nest.
Finally, there’s Fat City, by Leonard Gardner. His first and only book. Originally published in 1969, it chronicles with staggering empathy the foibles of a group of bottom-tier boxers and trainers in ‘50s Stockton, CA. This is 24 chapters packed full to bursting with the sad poetry of ordinary life and dialogue that kills. You don’t have to be a boxing fan to enjoy the book, just human. We are inside these men’s heads as they work, train, fight, drink and fall in and out of what passes for love in this world. Their small victories thrill us, their great failures bring us to our knees. Gardner doesn’t waste a word in his terse yet gorgeous descriptions of skid row flophouses, musty gyms and sun-baked tomato fields, but he gives us absolutely everything we need. I haven’t been this moved by a book in years, and these characters will haunt my dreams forever.
Read more about Dead Boys at the Little, Brown website, and check out Lange's brief essay "Taking The Long Way 'Round" about how twenty years of hard work at writing finally paid off with the publication of Dead Boys.
Read "Fuzzyland," one of the stories from the collection.
Visit Lange's website and the MySpace page for Dead Boys.
Thomas C. Schelling
Looking through The Harvard Guide to Influential Books recently, I discovered Thomas C. Schelling's entry. He wrote: "These books give readers a taste of the best in natural science, social science, classical and modern history and literary style," and went on to cite Darwin's The Origin of Species, Thucydides' History, Erving Goffman's Interaction Ritual, Sterne's Tristram Shandy, and John Keegan's The Face of Battle.
When I asked him in February 2007 if his selections would differ if he named such a list today, he had an interesting reply.
That's the backstory to his reply to my query about what he has been reading lately:
I'm willing to add two authors, partly because readers may have missed them.
One is Ryszard Kapuscinski, the Polish journalist and novelist who died recently. His The Emperor, Vintage Books, 1984, is probably the most underlined book in my collection. When I read it I went out to the nearest book store and bought all the copies they had and gave them to friends. It takes quite a few pages to catch on to what it is.
The other is José Saramago, whose books are nearly impossible to read until one learns the style. (He doesn't punctuate, for one thing.) He makes the most fantastic events seem natural. It's important to start with an easier book; I suggest Blindness, or The Stone Raft. By then you'll find his style easy going and you can go on to the rest, especially The History of the Siege of Lisbon.
Thomas C. Schelling is an American economist and an authority on foreign affairs, national security, nuclear strategy, and arms control. He was awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize in Economics for "having enhanced our understanding of conflict and cooperation through game-theory analysis."
His many influential publications include the books The Strategy of Conflict, Arms and Influence, Micromotives and Macrobehavior, and Choice and Consequence.
Influential books: Thomas C. Schelling.
Alan Weisman
Alan Weisman's writing has appeared in Harper's, the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic Monthly, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, Orion, Audubon, Mother Jones, Discover, Condé Nast Traveler, Resurgence, and in several anthologies (including The Best American Science Writing 2006).
His new book is The World Without Us (Thomas Dunne Books).
Recently, I asked him what he was reading. His reply:
For the past two years, I was solely, obsessively occupied by reading research material for The World Without Us, and now I'm finally gorging on books that piled up in the interim: dessert tempting me after a long, laborious meal. Although I'm a journalist, I read fiction constantly to feed my narrative skills, and the first thing I turned to when I was finally free of edits was John Gregory Dunne's final novel, Nothing Lost. Alternately dark and hilarious, it is masterful: unfortunately, what in fact is now lost is an incomparable voice following his unexpected death, profoundly memorialized in his wife Joan Didion's staggering The Year of Magical Thinking.
I followed that with a lovely and surprising novel, The World to Come, by Dara Horn.
Currently I'm finishing Bill McKibben's Deep Economy, which should be required reading for the entire western (and eastern) world, not just for economists. McKibben writes with such clarity and humanity that you come away truly understanding how civilization, and the money that lubricates it, can and should work.
I've also finally gotten to read Michael Pollan's delightful Botany of Desire.
Next on my list is Paul Hawken's new book Blessed Unrest, suggested by Barry Lopez as one of the most important and most overlooked books of 2007. Then I'll need another novel, so suggest away.
Publishers Weekly on The World Without Us: "If a virulent virus — or even the Rapture — depopulated Earth overnight, how long before all trace of humankind vanished? That's the provocative, and occasionally puckish, question posed by Weisman ... in this imaginative hybrid of solid science reporting and morbid speculation.... Weisman's enthralling tour of the world of tomorrow explores what little will remain of ancient times while anticipating, often poetically, what a planet without us would be like."
Read more about The World Without Us and learn more about Alan Weisman and his work.
Sharon Waxman
Sharon Waxman, author and journalist, writes for the New York Times.
She is working on a book about the tug-of-war over antiquities pitting Western countries and their great museums against the developing countries seeking restitution of ancient artifacts. Who ought to own the trophies of history, Western museums or the source countries? The book, tentatively titled, Stealing From the Pharaohs, will be published by Times Books, a division of Henry Holt.
I've been on a month-long research trip for a new book I'm writing about looted antiquities, and have been reading largely on that topic.
I've been vastly enjoying Traveling Through Egypt, a compendium of writings from travelers to ancient Egypt starting from the Greeks (Pliny the Elder) but with lots of entertaining material from Victorian travellers (ie advice for the ladies: leave the maid at home). It's edited by Deborah Manley and Sahar Abdel-Hakim.
And since I've been making my way through Greece, I've been reading Lawrence Durrell's travelogue of the islands, The Greek Islands. I have been advised to get ahold of Homer and reread the Iliad and Odyssey, which I intend to do next.
Read more about Waxman's book project.
Waxman has been a New York Times correspondent for Hollywood based in Los Angeles, a post she has held since the end of 2003. She is the author of Rebels on the Backlot: Six Maverick Directors And How They Conquered the Hollywood Studio System (2005), about the emergence of a new generation of writers and directors in the 1990s, making landmark films in a corporate-run Hollywood.
Joseph S. Nye Jr., University Distinguished Service Professor, is also the Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations and former Dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
I recently enjoyed Cullen Murphy's Are We Rome?: The Fall of An Empire and the Fate of America. Descriptions of America as the new Rome are rife today. I even used a few myself in The Paradox of American Power. Few are as well researched and enjoyably written, however, as Murphy's. He argues: "Rome and America are the most powerful actors in their worlds, by many orders of magnitude. Their power includes both military might and the 'soft power' of language, culture, commerce, technology and ideas." Both created global structures, were societies made up of many peoples, and open to newcomers. Both see themselves as peoples specially blessed by Providence, a "Roman exceptionalism" parallel to the American variety. Murphy is well aware of the important differences between Rome and the United States. Our science-based technology supports a dynamic economy based on innovation rather than extracting tribute from conquered peoples. Our middle-class society(absent in Rome) has (so far) supported a republic, a form of government that failed in Rome. He points out that Rome lasted for centuries after its apogee, was not defeated in battle, and did not suffer a sudden "fall" in the dramatic words of Edward Gibbons's famous title. Murphy argues that Rome successfully assimilated "barbarians" for centuries, just as America managed to accommodate waves of immigration. The decline occurred with the loss of assimilationist capacity in the 5th century. He draws four lessons for America today: instill greater appreciation of the wider world, stop treating government as a necessary evil, fortify the institutions that promote assimilation, and take some weight off the military. He provides a nice read and some useful lessons for those who are wondering where we are going after Iraq.
I also keep a novel by my bedside for evening enjoyment. I recently finished Peter Pouncey, Rules for Old Men W aiting. I found it in paperback while browsing in the Harvard COOP bookstore. I missed it when it was first published in 2005. Pouncey is a former president of Amherst and this is his first novel. As a former dean and author of a first novel (The Power Game: A Washington Novel), I was intrigued. It turns out to be a wonderful tale about a historian who has recently lost his wife and is nearing the end of his days in a farm house on Cape Cod. He sets out to write a novel about World War I in hopes of helping him understand his own role in World War II and the loss of his son in Vietnam. It is beautifully written and fully engaging. I hope he writes another!
Joseph S. Nye received his bachelor's degree summa cum laude from Princeton University, did postgraduate work at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, and earned a PhD in political science from Harvard. He has served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Chair of the National Intelligence Council, and Deputy Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance, Science and Technology.
His books include Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics; Understanding International Conflicts (6th edition); and The Power Game: A Washington Novel.
Anthony Shadid
Anthony Shadid is a foreign correspondent covering the Middle East for the Washington Post. He won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting, the Overseas Press Club Award, and was the first winner of the Michael Kelly Award.
His 2005 book Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War tells the story of ordinary Iraqis at the time of America's invasion of Iraq.
I'm actually tailoring my reading list toward the next book I'm working on, a more personal narrative of rebuilding my family's house in southern Lebanon and their story of emigration to America. In that vein, I've started Joan Didion's Where I Was From. I'm hoping to follow that with Michael Ondaatje's Running in the Family.
Along with both those, and more for the prose than anything else, since it's a little off-subject, I'm reading Sleepless Nights by Elizabeth Hardwick, which I have to say has one of the most remarkable openings I've ever read in a book. The writing is so graceful.
Read more about Night Draws Near and check out Shadid's latest reporting from the Middle East.
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Nick Drake's critically acclaimed novel Nefertiti was shortlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association Ellis Peters Historical Crime Award; his Tutankhamun was a Publishers Weekly top 100 books selection. He has published two award-winning collections of poetry, and his play Success was performed at the National Theatre in London, where he is a literary associate. Drake's screenplays include the critically acclaimed Romulus, My Father (starring Eric Bana), which won Best Film at the Australian Film Awards in 2007.
His latest novel is Egypt: The Book of Chaos.
Recently I asked the author what he was reading. His reply:
Having spent many years in Ancient Egypt in my imagination, while writing my Egypt trilogy, I've been enjoying reading about other worlds and other parts of the world. In 2010, I was lucky enough to be invited by Cape Farewell, the arts/climate change organization, to travel to Svalbard, the archipelago about 600 miles from the North Pole. Barry Lopez's Arctic Dreams is one of the most important, eloquent and deep-thinking books I have ever read; it's about how we make sense of landscapes, how landscapes confront us with who we really are as a species, and as individuals, and how beauty, terror and truth are to be found in places as extraordinary, hostile and above all precious, as the Arctic.
Climate Change holds a mirror up to us all, to how we live, and to our values; The New North by Laurence Smith and The Great Disruption by Paul Gilding are two impressive books that dare to look into the mirror of the future, and say honestly, cogently and thoughtfully what they see. The Arctic may seem remote, but what happens there because of what we do, or take from it, will always come back to haunt us. The Inuit say of us (that's to say, the industrial world) that we are the people who change nature; she is changing fast now; these two highly-informed books have the courage to think about what that's going to mean to us all, soon.
The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk is a brilliant novel about love, obsession, Istanbul, cinema, time and death. I couldn't put it down, returning every night to the mystery of the love story; it has such a powerful effect that I felt differently about being alive once I had finished it. The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst is also a masterpiece; set across decades in England, it's one of those rare novels where every line is a thing of beauty, somehow managing to draw together, with wit and grace and clarity, worlds of feeling and insight. I also loved Ali Smith's There but for the; she is the most ariel, the most daring of writers; the novel is gripping, and tells its stories from surprising, revealing angles, with incredible verbal vivacity, variety and zig-zag brilliance; wild and delightfully original writing.
Red Dust Road by Jackie Kay, the poet and novelist, is a memoir destined for classic status; with warmth, humour and candour it tells the acutely moving story of how she grew up in Scotland, the adopted black daughter of Helen and John Kay, how she traced her white birth mother and her Nigerian birth father, and what she found at the end of the red dust roads of Nigeria. It's a book about the strange complexities of identity, history, and love.
Visit Nick Drake's website.
The Page 69 Test: Egypt: The Book of Chaos.
My Book, The Movie: Egypt.
John Gribbin is one of today's greatest writers of popular science and the author of bestselling books including In Search of the Multiverse, In Search of Schrödinger's Cat, and Science: A History. He trained as an astrophysicist at Cambridge University and is now Visiting Fellow in Astronomy at the University of Sussex.
His new book is Alone in the Universe: Why Our Planet Is Unique.
Earlier this month I asked Gribbin what he was reading. His reply:
I have recently been reading two books inspired by the quest for a “theory of everything”, while waiting for news from CERN about the discovery of the Higgs particle. The books complement each other beautifully. The Infinity Puzzle, by Frank Close, is an erudite (but readable) history of particle physics in the twentieth century. As I said in a review for Focus magazine, it tells the story of the search for a unified field theory from the Second World War to the Large Hadron Collider, concentrating on the people involved and the sometimes tortuous path that led to what is now known as the Standard Model of physics. Along the way we get the true story (or as near as we are likely to get to the true story) of the “discovery” of quarks, find out why Peter Higgs is so embarrassed that his name is attached to a certain particle, and lays to rest the myth perpetrated by Thomas Kuhn that science proceeds by a series of revolutions.
Higgs Force, by Nicholas Mee, tells the same story in much more gossipy fashion, a delightfully readable and accessible account of the search for the force which ensures that there is something rather than nothing in the Universe. Mee explains as clearly as anybody what scientists mean by the concept of infinity, and how symmetry breaking gave rise to the Universe as we know it.
Of course, if the Higgs particle has not been found by the time you read this, both books will need revision, and physicists will have the exciting prospect ahead of them of explaining what went wrong with their “standard model”. Contrary to popular belief, this is what most physicists secretly hope for -- new discoveries to explain rather than a lifetime dotting the “i”s and crossing the “t”s of old theories.
Learn more about Alone in the Universe and the author at John Gribbin's website.
The Page 69 Test: John Gribbin's The Fellowship.
The Page 99 Test: Alone in the Universe.
Eric Anderson is an American sociologist at the University of Winchester known for his research on sport, masculinities, sexualities and homophobia. He shows an increasingly positive relationship between gay male athletes and sports, as well as a growing movement of young heterosexual men’s masculinity becoming softer and more inclusive. Anderson also researches matters related to men’s monogamy, men's improving recognition of bisexuality, and the increased acceptance of young heterosexual men kissing.
His new book is The Monogamy Gap: Men, Love, and the Reality of Cheating.
Recently I asked him what he was reading. His reply:
I’m currently re-reading Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Goffman is one of my favoured sociologists, namely because unlike many sociologists who write in densely inaccessible post-structuralist style, Goffman merged some aspects of interpretative sociology with a bit of philosophy to be meaningful in a way that is engaging and accessible. I’m revisiting this work because one of my undergraduates is endeavouring to publish an article in a highly-ranked sociology journal. His thesis builds on my work, suggesting that as cultural homophobia decreases masculine behaviours that were once highly stigmatized (and therefore kept in what Goffman called the ‘backstage’) are today proudly displayed in front of their peers. Thus, the backstage becomes the front stage. I’m impressed, so far, with how accurate my student has adapted Goffman!
Learn more about The Monogamy Gap at the Oxford University Press website.
The Page 99 Test: The Monogamy Gap.
J.J. Murphy
J.J. Murphy, an award-winning health care writer in Pennsylvania, has also been a long-time Dorothy Parker fan.
She started writing The Algonquin Round Table Mysteries after the birth of twin daughters, as an escape from toddler television.
Earlier this month I asked Murphy what she was reading. Her reply:
I love Tina Fey. I love the show 30 Rock. So, I was over the moon when her book Bossypants came out. It’s not exactly an autobiography and it’s not exactly a book of essays. It’s something in between. Personal vignettes, maybe? I don’t care. I loved the book.
(To be perfectly honest, I listened to the audiobook on CD, which is read by Fey herself. That was great. If you could get Mark Twain to read Huckleberry Finn for you, you’d do it, right? That’s not to say that Bossypants is any Huckleberry Finn, but you get the idea.)
Fey talks about growing up being a not-blonde and having body hair like a werewolf. She talks about her early days in the comedy circuit and her battles as one of the few women writers (and the first woman head writer) on Saturday Night Live. She talks just a little about 30 Rock—but not enough about working with Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan. (I’d have liked more behind-the-scenes anecdotes about that. Maybe she’s saving it for a sequel.)
One of the things that draws me to Tina Fey is that she’s a lot like my real-life protagonist Dorothy Parker. Both are witty writers who’ve made it in a “man’s world.” Both have an intellectual, subversive, wicked sense of humor. Both are pretty, petite, brown-haired and brown-eyed. Only one has affected U.S. politics by her portrayal of a vice-presidential candidate, but the other’s collected works have never gone out of print in more than 50 years.
There’s another interesting, unknown connection: 30 Rock itself. Dorothy Parker—cocktail in hand and quip on her lip—frequented a speakeasy that once stood on the site where Rockefeller Center (the GE Building specifically) now stands. So, if 30 Rock had a time-traveling elevator, you could get on with Tina Fey, press “down,” and wind up drinking bootleg booze with Dorothy Parker. Wouldn’t that be awesome?
Instead of inventing all these silly “apps” for the iPhone, scientists should be hard at work on that time-travel elevator!
Visit J.J. Murphy's website and Facebook page.
My Book, The Movie: The Algonquin Round Table Mysteries.
Tim Riley
NPR critic Tim Riley is the author of Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (Knopf/Vintage 1988); Hard Rain: A Dylan Commentary (Knopf/Vintage1992, Da Capo 1999); Madonna: Illustrated (Hyperion 1992); Fever: How Rock'N'Roll Transformed Gender In America (St. Martin's/Picador 2005).
His latest book is Lennon: The Man, The Myth, The Music.
Some time back I asked Riley what he was reading. His reply:
I'm a non-fiction obsessive. My favorite books from the past season include Adam Gopnik's Angels and Ages, a joyride comparing Lincoln with Darwin.
I also admired Peter Doggett's You Never Give Me Your Money, which soars as the best entry on the Beatles breakup with many new voices and stories I'd never heard before. More proof that Beatle soil is well worth tilling by the right scribes.
I also dive regularly into David Thomson's Biographical Dictionary of Film and "Have You Seen ...?" for explosive opinions on movies near and far, and Greil Marcus's Dylan compendium.
Oh yeah: The China Study turned me vegan, no regrets.
Visit Tim Riley's website.
Lennon: The Man, The Myth, The Music is on the Christian Science Monitor's list of the five best books on John Lennon.
My Book, The Movie: Lennon: The Man, the Myth, the Music.
Kameron Hurley currently hacks out a living as a marketing and advertising writer in Ohio. Her personal and professional exploits have taken her all around the world. She spent much of her roaring 20′s traveling, pretending to learn how to box, and trying not to die spectacularly. Along the way, she justified her nomadic lifestyle by picking up degrees in history from the University of Alaska and the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Hurley's novels include God’s War and Infidel.
A couple of weeks ago I asked her what she was reading. Her reply:
A good deal of my nonfiction reading involves tales of war and tactics, logistics and the psychology of killing. You would think I’d take a break from this when I read fiction, but because I’m fascinated with the exploration of war, terror, fear, and violence and how the way we divide, oppress and categorize people plays into that, I am just as interested in how other fiction writers explore these topics.
Just this week, I finished reading Stories from the New War by Joel Best. It’s a book of prose poetry that explores the stories of the people and places being transformed by a long, drawn-out conflict. One of the truths you uncover as you delve into the history of war is that often, who the enemy is and what people are fighting over isn’t as relevant to the personal stories of those affected by the conflict as you might think.
Most people are unwilling or unconscious participants in wars – we work in factories, write communications, make sure the trains run on time – but each of our actions is necessary for the continuation of the conflict that is slowly killing us. And it is in showing the everyday lives of these people that Best excels. This wasn’t about the soldiers on the field, or the people making decisions from on high. It was an exploration of how our everyday lives are changed and shaped by ongoing hardship.
For me, the strength of this book was in how well it evoked the many protagonists’ feelings of both helplessness and grim determination in the face of war. They reminded me of stories my grandmother told me of occupied France during WWII. The details of everyday life – from unending quotas for seemingly innocuous goods, to dealing with mad neighbors and non-paying clientele at a local restaurant – were vivid , heartbreaking… and highly recommended.
Visit Kameron Hurley's website.
My Book, The Movie: God’s War and Infidel.
Laura DiSilverio
Laura DiSilverio spent twenty years as an Air Force intelligence officer, serving as a squadron commander, with the National Reconnaissance Office, and at a fighter wing, before retiring to parent and write full time.
Her new novel is Swift Edge.
Not so long ago I asked her what she was reading. Her reply:
I’m currently reading Mr. Ives’ Christmas by Oscar Hijuelos, which seems appropriate since Christmas is just around the corner. It’s a tale of loss and relationship, told in a vaguely Dickensian way with an omniscient narrator that I find fascinating. It is inspiring me to attempt a similar narrator myself, probably in a short story. I usually dash through books, racing the detective to the conclusion, but Mr. Ives has a gravity that is making me read slowly and savor the experience. I’m rationing how much I read because I don’t want to reach the end. I foresee tears in the near future and I’m actually anticipating that release of emotion.
I just finished Reed Farrel Coleman’s Walking the Perfect Square. I met Coleman recently at a Mystery Writers of America event and was impressed by his thoughts about how a novel is structured/created, so I bought the second in his Moe Prager series, Redemption Street. When I wrote to tell him how brilliant I thought it was, he kindly sent me the first in the series. I like this series because Moe is a serious PI with a real family life, the mysteries have some edge but aren’t gory or over-the-top, and Coleman has a delicious way of playing with time throughout the series that makes it refreshing.
Finally, I’m reading poetry: Thirst by Mary Oliver. I don’t read poetry, but I picked up a copy of Thirst on a friend’s end table and read the first poem, “The Messenger,” and was hooked. She writes about nature and spirituality in a simple, accessible way that moves me. I only allow myself a poem or two a day. They sometimes bring on happy tears (I don’t usually cry so much—put it down to the emotional time of year), and the urge to sit on my front porch or deck, quiet my mind, and absorb the world around me. I have the deep conviction, reading her poetry, that if I did that more often, I’d be a far happier, more peaceful person.
Visit Laura DiSilverio's website and Facebook page.
Deborah Baker
Deborah Baker is the author of In Extremis: The Life of Laura Riding, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, as well as A Blue Hand; The Beats in India, and The Convert: A Tale of Exile and Extremism, a finalist for the 2011 National Book Award.
Earlier this month I asked her what she was reading. Her reply:
I’ve been reading Mary McCarthy’s trilogy of book length essays on the Vietnam War. I found them collected in a book called The Seventeenth Degree that I picked up at a used bookstore for a dollar. This is probably more than she made from them when they were published, in 1967, 1968 and 1972 as they were greeted with critical silence and left the bookstore only when the shop owners gave up the prospect of selling them. It is hard to see why no one paid attention, unless it was because people had already decided their views on the war and that was that. Or maybe people just felt there was nothing they could do. McCarthy was the only American novelist to visit North Vietnam. And in South Vietnam only John Steinbeck and Martha Gellhorn preceded her. Her decision to go began forming when talk of bombing North Vietnam first arose. She thought perhaps India or the Pope might intervene. Her need to find an alternative to the bombing, a way out of the impasse, she said, was evidence of how wedded she was to the “good image” she had of her country.
Until the war on Iraq actually began, I too was wedded to this image. I had imagined that the lessons we learned from Vietnam were somehow permanently tattooed on our national consciousness. If we were to ever forget them, I thought, it would be because too much time had passed. But the men who got us into the Iraq war, both the ones in the White House, and those at the editorial desks, were of an age to remember. I couldn’t get over that; I kept waiting for everyone to come to their senses. McCarthy describes a kind of peculiar mind freeze evident among those selling the Vietnam War to themselves. She explained it then as a conditioned reflex of Americans that is intimately bound up with our ironclad faith in free-enterprise; an idea that Occupy Wall Street now has by the throat. She believed that the laws of the market dictate our responses in ways that we are only dimly aware of, whether it comes to war or in smaller day-to-day decisions we all make. “The human damage involved,” she writes, “if seen close up, may elicit a sigh, as when a co-operative apartment building fires its old Negro elevator operators…to put in self-service. ‘We had to, you see. It was cheaper.’” But there are all kinds of mental prisons at work during a war. To hear him tell it, Johnson would have dearly liked to extract himself from his “commitment” to Vietnam, but he imagined himself powerless. “[T]he more deeply he involves himself in it, the more abused and innocent he feels.” In the end his entrapment and the nation’s was complete. If this sounds awfully familiar, it should.
While reading this book, I found myself substituting the word Iraqi or Afghan every time Mary McCarthy quoted the military on the Vietnamese. That the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were purported responses to the attacks of 9/11 doesn’t change the fact that they eventually morphed into something else entirely. These wars are coming to a close now, and we are free to turn our minds to other things. Still, I can’t help but wonder where our war’s Mary McCarthy was.
Visit Deborah Baker's website.
Lia Habel
Lia Habel was born in Jamestown, NY, and has lived there the majority of her life. Her first book, Dearly, Departed, is a sweeping tale of zombie-living romance set in a cyber-Victorian/steampunk future. When Dearly, Departed sold, she was swimming in debt incurred from her studies and years of un- and underemployment, with only a few dollars to her name. Habel enjoys attending anachronistic and steampunk events, watching zombie movies (she has watched over a hundred of them), commissioning ball gowns, and collecting Victorian and Edwardian books. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunities she has recently been given.
A couple of weeks ago I asked Habel what she reading. Her reply:
I'm currently reading Spook by Mary Roach, and I'm of two minds about it. The book chronicles her search for evidence for or against "the afterlife" - she does everything from interviewing scientists with incredibly expensive and complex plans for how one might measure the energy or weight of a departing soul to pulling apart lengths of fraudulent, spiritualism-age ectoplasm in university libraries. From the research and anecdotal side, it's fascinating - but it seems to have a mildly snarky tone that the first book of hers I read, Stiff, didn't have. It might be her inherent skepticism coming through.
Stiff, though, is one of my favorite books of all time. It has an honored place amongst my Dearly-related research materials. It's all about how dead bodies are used and treated, and how they occasionally benefit the living, which is a subject dear to my heart. I love finding and reading books like hers, because they provide so much inspiration for ways to deal with my zombie characters. Even though I write "good" zombies, I refuse to sanitize them completely, to shy away from the gore and grossness that's part of the zombie allure. Finding creative ways to deal with it is part of my job, so I end up reading a lot of books about the funeral business, physiology, etc. Honestly, I think just constantly exposing myself to these materials helps to cultivate the proper good-guy-zombie frame of mind - that bodies aren't to be feared, that we're all going to die and that isn't the end of our story, that there's nothing to panic about, etc.
Plus, Stiff taught me that I totally want to be frozen and shattered after I die. It's very Nora Fries.
Visit Lia Habel's website and blog.
Michael Broyles
Michael Broyles is Professor of Music at Florida State University and former Distinguished Professor of Music and Professor of American History at Pennsylvania State University. His book, Leo Ornstein: Modernist Dilemmas, Personal Choices, written with Denise Von Glahn, won the Irving Lowens Prize in 2007.
His new book is Beethoven in America.
Recently I asked Broyles what he was reading. His reply:
In addition to music, my two passions are history and photography. I am currently reading Paul Johnson’s A History of the American People. It’s a massive book, 1130 pages, physically fatter than any paperback should be. Johnson writes in an engaging style, and it is fascinating to read a Britisher’s take on American history. I have worked my way up to the Civil War, and Johnson is particularly adept at providing striking vignettes of important individuals. Most interesting was his depiction of Jefferson Davis, who viewed slavery from a moral, idealistic perspective, who practiced what he preached, but simply could not see the evils of the institution. Other vivid portraits are of Henry Clay and not surprisingly Andrew Jackson.
I recently finished Roland Barthes' last book Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography. Like the Madeline that ignited Proust, an old photograph of Barthes’ mother takes him on a journey of both loss (his mother had recently died) and the nature of photography itself. His ruminations are highly personal, almost quirky, as are his readings of photographs. He sees the medium of photography itself closely related to death. The terms “studium” and “punctum” are especially important: “studium” refers to the conventional qualities that make a photograph appealing or excellent – composition, content, tonal values. Punctum is more personal, that detail that makes a photograph alive, that grabs the viewer and stimulates interest. For Barthes the punctum could be strange indeed: in a Lewis Hine Photograph of “Idiot Children in an Institution” Barthes’ punctums are the collar on a boy and a bandage on a girl’s finger, or in the “James Van der Zee Family Portrait” he notices the strapped pumps on the mother. His punctums may not be my punctums, but Barthes gets close I believe to what really impacts us in a photograph beyond issues of form and technical mastery.
A very different photographic book is Images of Music by Eric Auerbach. Unlike the Barthes, a small thin paperback, this is a large hardback whose main appeal are the many photographs. The text, in three languages, English, German, and French, gives biographical and personal information about the musicians. Mostly black and whites taken in the 60s and 70s, they show conductors and soloists at work, in rehearsal, concerts and teaching. The images are candid and intimate, reminiscent of Henri Cartier Bresson. They present the many moods of artists engrossed in act of music making so vividly I feel and hear their music as I look at the photographs.
Learn more about Beethoven in America at the Indiana University Press website.
My Book, The Movie: Beethoven in America.
Derek Haas
Derek Haas is the author of the bestselling novel The Silver Bear. He also co-wrote the screenplays for 3:10 to Yuma, starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, and Wanted, starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, and Angelina Jolie. His forthcoming film, The Double, starring Richard Gere and Topher Grace, is directed by his screenwriting partner Michael Brandt and will be released in 2011.
Haas's latest novel is Dark Men.
His reply to my recent query about what he has been reading:
I've been all over the place with my reading this winter. First, I picked up Brown's Requiem by James Ellroy, because it was his first novel and it was .99 on Amazon as an e-read. Living in Los Angeles and an avid golfer, I dug the LA-centric references and appreciated the book's dark twists. He's done better work since, but it was a good beginning.
Then I read Charles Bukowski's Post Office which I picked up in a London bookstore as I was visiting. Don't know why I picked it, mainly because I'd never read him and felt I should. I loved it. It felt like the kind of snark that fills up internet message boards these days, only done better and forty years before.
Now, I'm reading Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks which the talented actor Ben Barnes gave to me. The book is fascinating… bringing to life the horrors of tunneling during WWI.
Visit Derek Haas's website.
My Book, The Movie: Dark Men.
Ed Kovacs
Ed Kovacs has worked for many years as a private security contractor deploying to challenging locations worldwide. He is a member of AFIO, Association for Intelligence Officers, the International Thriller Writers organization, and the Mystery Writers of America.
His new novel is Storm Damage.
Last month I asked Kovacs what he was reading. His reply:
I am trying to read The Kite Runner. I say trying because I’m currently working 13.5 hours a day, six days as week as a private security contractor in Central Asia, and my main concern in my free time is to get some writing done and catch more sleep. The whole team here is pretty tired. So I’m reading just a few pages as I can.
It must be a story of redemption because I really don’t care for the protagonist! Our hero is growing up rich, pampered, privileged, and sniveling in pre-Taliban, pre-Soviet invasion Afghanistan, and Kabul is portrayed as almost idyllic (as long as you’re rich). A good set-up, no doubt, for some tough life lessons to come.
I was attracted to the story since I’m working in “the Neighborhood” and since there are almost no English language books available where I’m quartered; another guy was rotating back to the States and he gave me the book, saying it was good. I’m sure he’s right, but it’s too soon to be definitive.
Visit Ed Kovacs's website.
My Book, The Movie: Storm Damage.
The Page 69 Test: Storm Damage.
Larry Karp
Larry Karp grew up in Paterson, NJ and New York City. He practiced perinatal medicine (high-risk pregnancy care) and wrote general nonfiction books and articles for 25 years, then, in 1995, he left medical work to begin a second career, writing mystery novels. The backgrounds and settings of Karp's mysteries reflect many of his interests, including musical antiques, medical-ethical issues, and ragtime music.
His new novel is A Perilous Conception.
A few weeks ago I asked Karp what he was reading. His reply:
My daughter claims I can't read for pleasure. She shakes her head at the way I go through a book slowly, thinking, considering, and reciting particularly apt lines aloud. I tell her, well, that is my pleasure. "Chacun à son goût."
I recently finished Revenge of the Radioactive Lady, by Elizabeth Stuckey-French. 77-year-old Marylou Ahearn has fantasized for years about killing the doctor whose experimental radioactive cocktail was responsible for the death of her 8-year-old daughter. Finally, she decides to put her plan into action. She moves to the neighborhood where the now-retired doctor lives with his daughter, her husband, and their three children, a dysfunctional family if there ever was one. But when Marylou confronts the doctor, she realizes he has early Alzheimer's, and has no recollection of his crime. What would be the purpose of killing him now, if he'd have no idea who she was and why she was killing him?
But Marylou can't let go of her fury. She shifts focus to try to destroy the doctor's family. Problem is, she gets to feel real affection for her targets, and, to the surprise of characters and reader, the story takes off in several directions, like a fireworks display out of control.
Much of my pleasure from this book came from the superb manner in which the author gives rein to her very odd characters, but never permits them to go over the edge and smother the story. And aside from their eccentricities, all the characters (with one exception) are complex and fully-developed, and the reader comes to care about them, and about the family. (That one exception is a right-wing fundamentalist preacher with a taste for young girls, who comes to a very satisfying end.)
No trouble seeing that in the hands of a lesser writer, this book would have been unreadable, and why that would have been so. In addition to the singular characters, the plot, involving as it does an unusual medical situation and very adroit blending of tragedy and dark humor, gave me a good deal to think about as I plan my own work. A real pleasure.
Visit Larry Karp's website and blog.
My Book, The Movie: A Perilous Conception.
The Page 69 Test: A Perilous Conception.
Brian Clegg
Brian Clegg is a British popular science writer. His books have included The God Effect, Before the Big Bang, and Inflight Science.
His latest title is How to Build a Time Machine.
Recently I asked Clegg what he was reading. His reply:
My reading involves a lot of popular science for research and reviews, and most recently I’ve enjoyed The Quantum Universe by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw. Cox has recently received a lot of media attention in the UK, becoming the best-known TV science presenter after David Attenborough, which is reflected in the book’s sales, pushing into the bestseller list. I loved the book, but a lot of those readers are going to be dissapointed. This isn’t the light and fluffy popular science of a TV show, it’s real, in-depth and gritty stuff. Allegedly many of those who bought Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time gave up pretty quickly. By comparison with The Quantum Universe, Hawking’s book is an easy bedtime read. I think the ideal use of this book would be as a primer for someone about to do a physics degree. It has a lot of meat – but it’s not really popular science.
I try to alternate with something lighter. Often this is fiction, but the most recent bit of light relief was the non-fiction title The Etymologicon. As the name suggests it’s a book about the origins of words, but it’s nowhere near the yawn that this topic might suggest. Author Mark Forsyth piles in the fascinating factoids and keeps the whole thing light and entertaining. He opens up many surprising origins of words (did you know that the game of pool got it’s name from the French word for chicken?) and keep up a relentless flow of new information that made me want to read ‘just one more’ time and again. It’s clearly formatted as a gift book, but this is a book I’d happily give to myself.
Follow Brian Clegg on Twitter, and visit his website and blog.
Writers Read: Brian Clegg (September 2009).
Coffee with a Canine: Brian Clegg and Goldie.
Leighton Gage
Leighton Gage has spent many years in Brazil where he maintains a home. He also lives in Miami and spends part of the year in the Netherlands.
His new Chief Inspector Mario Silva Investigation is A Vine in the Blood.
A few weeks ago I asked Gage what he was reading. His reply:
The civilized little country of Iceland has a population of slightly more than 300,000 people and a homicide rate akin to that of Japan – only about 0.5 murders per 100,000 people per year. And those (less than) two murders are usually alcohol-related and quickly solved.
Why, then, do they have so many crime writers? More to the point, why do they have so many good crime writers?
Maybe it’s something in the water. Or the fact that they have one of the highest literacy rates in the world. Or the fact that nobody reads more books, per year, than your average Icelander.
Whatever it is, I’m glad of it, because I just love Icelandic crime novels. And I particularly enjoy the work of Yrsa Sigudardottir, whose undark side you can sample every Wednesday on Murder is Everywhere.
Yrsa’s fourth book to feature the exploits of Reykjavik lawyer, Thora Gudmundsdottir, won’t be launched in the United States until the end of March, 2012, but I was fortunate enough to snag an Advanced Reading Copy – and, as is usual with Yrsa’s books, it kept me up all night.
On the 23rd of January, 1973, a volcanic eruption struck Heimaey, the only populated island of Iceland’s Westman Archipelago. The population, almost 5,000 people, was evacuated without the loss of a single human life, but almost a third of the village was covered by a thick layer of lava and ash. In June of 2005, an archeological dig began with the objective of uncovering some of the 400 homes and buildings buried for more than three decades.
That much is fact. But then Yrsa’s rich imagination takes over: corpses are discovered in the cellar of one of the houses being excavated. Multiple murders have been committed, and in one case, severe mutilation of one of the victims. It’s quickly determined that the dead aren’t islanders, and that their deaths took place at the time of the eruption.
Who are they? Who killed them?
The police don’t know, but they have good reason to suspect Markús Magnusson, Thóra’s client. And then Magnusson’s life is further complicated by the murder, back in Reykjavik, of his childhood sweetheart.
For which crime, too, he comes under suspicion.
I don’t think I’ll be giving away too much if I tell you that Markús is innocent.
As to who’s guilty, here’s an extract from the last page of the book:
“And who was the bad guy?” (Thóra’s) daughter asked eagerly. In her simple, childish world, criminals were easy to spot, like Robbie Rotten or the Beagle Boys in the books Thóra read to her.
“It was the one that I thought was the good guy,” replied Thóra…
Sigurdardottir’s latest book takes the form of a complex, intriguing puzzle, a puzzle Thóra is unable to solve until the very end.
But Ashes to Dust is more than just a mystery. Fans of the series are going to enjoy catching up on the continuing exploits of Bella, Thóra’s disagreeable secretary, and discovering how the lawyer’s love affair with Matthew, her German boyfriend, is progressing.
This one is, if anything, even better than Sigurdardottir’s previous novels.
And that is no mean trick, because Last Rituals, My Soul to Take and The Day is Dark are all seriously good books.
Visit Leighton Gage's website and the Murder is Everywhere blog.
Read more about A Vine in the Blood.
Brian Ruckley's books include the fantasy trilogy The Godless World, which consists of the books Winterbirth, Bloodheir, and Fall of Thanes.
His latest novel is The Edinburgh Dead.
Last month I asked Ruckley what he was reading. His reply:
I'm a bad reader. I've become constitutionally incapable of reading a single book, from start to finish, without getting distracted by some appealing new prospect. As a result, I've always got at least two or three books sitting at the bedside, which I'll dip into as the fancy takes me. Means it takes me a long time to finish a book, but at least it has the virtue of keeping things varied and interesting, I suppose.
Anyway, right now, three books I'm working my way through bit by bit:
Mussolini, A New Life by Nicholas Farrell. An intimidatingly thick, dense biography of Il Duce. I'm an incurable fan of all sorts of history, from cavemen to the 20th century, and this was a rather random pick at the library. By its sheer weight it looked certain to cure my ignorance of the guy who pioneered Fascism. And it's certainly doing that: a fascinatingly detailed look at his life and the amazingly chaotic state of Italian politics in the 1920s. It's more sympathetic to Mussolini than you might expect, which is interesting, though I'm not sure yet whether I'm entirely convinced.
Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay. One of my favourite authors, when it comes to the fantastical, and so far this is delivering what I've come to expect. An interesting adaptation of real world history to a directly analogous imagined setting (in this case, it's Kay's version of medieval China), with a focus on characters and their inter-relationships. The basic idea of the plot is a clever, simple one: our hero is given a gift - two hundred and fifty of the world's finest horses - so absurdly generous that it immediately makes him both immensely powerful and a target for killers, manipulators and conspirators.
Capital Caricatures, by Sheila Szatkowski. Etchings by John Kay. An obscure one, this, which I was given as a present. My most recent book, The Edinburgh Dead, was set in Edinburgh in the 1820s, and this collection of etchings, with historical commentary, of some of Edinburgh's most famous and eccentric inhabitants just before that date struck someone as a suitable gift. They were right, too, as it's fascinating and fun. It's an entertaining reminder of something all writers of historical fiction do well to remember: for all the distance between us and them in time, our forebears were really not so very different from us in their preoccupations, their vanities and foibles and oddities, or their hopes and aspirations. Human beings have been, and no doubt always will be, very human in their failings and their virtues alike.
Visit Brian Ruckley's website.
Ruckley's books include the fantasy trilogy The Godless World, which consists of the books Winterbirth, Bloodheir, and Fall of Thanes.
My Book, The Movie: the Godless World trilogy.
The Page 69 Test: The Edinburgh Dead.
Mignon F. Ballard
Mignon F. Ballard grew up in a small town in Georgia, and now lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Her new novel is Miss Dimple Rallies to the Cause.
Ballard's reply to my recent query about what she was reading:
Although I’m not currently reading this author, I do come back to him from time to time – especially when my spirits need a boost. I’m speaking of everybody’s favorite Yorkshire veterinarian, James Herriot. While adept at making fun of himself in just about any situation, he could also touch your heart. Unfortunately, he died several years ago so we fans have to be content to read his books over and over.
I’ll admit it – I’m an Anglophile, and Herriot’s tales place me right smack in the middle of the Yorkshire countryside with all those wonderful plainspoken characters. The relationship he shares with his eccentric co-workers never fails to involve some kind of complicated and comical dilemma that makes me forget my own problems because I’m laughing so hard at his. And I doubt if I’ll ever need to put this experience to use, but after reading Herriot, I do believe I might even be able to at least assist in delivering a calf!
Several years ago my husband and I had the good fortune of meeting the author during a trip to England. With a long line of others we were received and welcomed to his surgery where we had an opportunity to visit, and he was every bit as genial as I had thought he’d be with his warm smile and impish sparkling blue eyes. Before leaving the village of Thirsk, I donated a copy of one of my books to the local library and much to my surprise and delight, received a “thank you” note from James Herriot himself on our return home. I will treasure it always.
One day if I find myself faced with a serious illness, I plan to read again the works of James Herriot, and if they don’t cure me, at least I’ll die laughing!
Visit Mignon Ballard's website.
My Book, The Movie: Miss Dimple Rallies to the Cause.
The Page 69 Test: Miss Dimple Rallies to the Cause.
Tom Lowe
Tom Lowe's Sean O'Brien mystery/thriller series includes A False Dawn, The 24th Letter, and The Butterfly Forest.
Recently I asked Lowe what he was reading. His reply:
I'm currently reading Feast Day of Fools, by James Lee Burke. Burke is a lyrical storyteller, with a good sense of the human psychological condition and how close evil can live under the skin of some people.
The book I finally got around to reading is the first in the Stieg Larsson "Millennium Trilogy," The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I picked up because I'd seen the film trailer starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara. Yep, the cross-promotion can work. I think Larsson did a solid job with this novel. It's well paced, believable plot, and it features a book-end of two characters that draw sustenance from one another in a unique, symbiotic way.
Crusading journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, is hired by a rich, elderly man to find his niece, a woman who disappeared forty years earlier. Blomkvist brings in a tattooed, spiked hair, punk prodigy with more spunk than a dirty bomb. Lisbeth Salander is a woman with a calculated, brilliant mind that can walk through computer firewalls and into the dark heart of her past abusers, giving her the fuel to take no prisoners in the present.
Blomkvist and Salander begin to look for the needle in the corrupt haystack. And corruption only begins to set the tone of a story that leads to massive corporate greed infused with skeletons hidden not in closets, but rather in a torture room.
There are many subplots woven in a story that reaches deep inside the dark crevices of sexual and physical abuse. The nightmare history gives Salander a smoldering reticence of revenge that hits you in the face like the door opening to a blast furnace. You understand her motivation and find yourself wondering if the next pierced, tattooed young woman you see on the street broke away from the same deviant traps of abuse. And that makes a novel like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo even darker because its real world counterparts, its victims, are not fiction.
Learn more about the book and author at Tom Lowe's website.
The Page 69 Test: The 24th Letter.
My Book, The Movie: The Butterfly Forest.
The Page 69 Test: The Butterfly Forest.
Matt Rees
Matt Rees is an award-winning crime novelist and foreign correspondent. He is the author of the internationally acclaimed Omar Yussef crime series, including The Collaborator of Bethlehem. He is also the author of Cain’s Field, a nonfiction account of Israeli and Palestinian society.
His latest novel is Mozart's Last Aria.
Rees's reply to my recent query about what he was reading:
The Confession – Olen Steinhauer
I’ve read a few of Steinhauer’s excellent thrillers over the years, but after getting into The Nearest Exit, his best and most recent, I decided to fill in the gaps with this one. Given that I’ve written about Bethlehem and Gaza and Nablus during times of conflict in my Palestinian crime series, as an antidote to the usual journalistic perspective on them, I enjoy Steinhauer’s approach to Eastern Europe during the turbulent mid-1950s: it’s a period I’ve often read about in history books, but history like journalism tends to focus on politics instead of human interactions. For me, the big political picture was never really enough; I was more interested in the fact that Hungary, 1956, led my grandfather to quit the Communist Party. Steinhauer does a great job of making the Communist bloc of 50-plus years ago seem like today.
The Quality of Mercy – Barry Unsworth
There’s no historical novelist alive who’s even a patch on Unsworth. He’s now 80, so we should cherish every new word from him. He was part of the inspiration for my new novel MOZART’S LAST ARIA, because I wanted to make historical characters seem as vibrant and immediate as he does. This new book is the sequel to Sacred Hunger, a novel set on a slaveship which won the Booker Prize 20 years ago. Sacred Hunger was, in my opinion, on a par with War and Peace for the drama and humanity of its portrayal of a historical period. This one, I’m delighted to report, is just as good.
Travels with my Aunt – Graham Greene
This is the only Greene novel I haven’t read, so I recently decided it was time. Usually I love the mordant darkness of seedy old Graham, but this is a wonderfully comic novel (it’s still pretty seedy). The narrator’s Great-Aunt laments the departure of her West Indian lover by commenting that “his knackers were magnificent.” Not what you’d expect from Greene, but a fine testimony for anyone, I’d say.
Visit Matt Beynon Rees' website and blog.
My Book, The Movie: Mozart's Last Aria.
The Page 69 Test: Mozart's Last Aria.
Donna Gephart
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'Super Snake' Could Emerge from Everglades
'Super Snake' Could Emerge from Everglades Sept 2, 2018 20:34:25 GMT -5 pat likes this
Post by Joanna on Sept 2, 2018 20:34:25 GMT -5
A genetic study has raised the question of whether a super snake could emerge in the Florida Everglades after it was revealed a small number of Burmese and Indian pythons have been breeding. The journal Ecology and Evolution reported that experts examined tail tissue of 400 captured snakes from South Florida and found 13 had some genetic indicators that point to Indian pythons. Indian pythons, unlike Burmese pythons, prefer high and dry grounds.
Margaret Hunter, a geneticist at the U.S. Geological Survey and lead author of the report, said the Indian pythons have a “wider range.” Seeing the Indian marker was “unexpected,” she added and continued searching for data “to make sure what she was seeing was correct.”
Tens of thousands of pythons are estimated to be slithering through the Everglades and scientists say the giant constrictor snakes, which can grow to more than 20 feet in length, have eliminated 99 percent of the native mammals in the area, decimating food sources for native predators such as panthers and alligators. The region also was habitat for American crocodiles, one of the protected native species in the Everglades that officials say are losing ground to the invasive pythons.
In her report, Hunter stated that it is unclear how the species got crossed, but scientists believe the snakes could head north due to the warming planet. “Such a large population allows them to rapidly adapt,” she explained. “If some animals die out because of climatic issues, there are other animals that may not die out.”
The original purpose of the study was to look at the genetic makeup of South Florida snakes to better understand how they spread and how to help control them. Pythons began turning up in the 1980s, likely escapees from a South Dade breeding facility or released pets. Snake owners often release their pets when they become too large or when they tire of the reptiles. By 2000, pythons were declared official residents in Everglades National Park and have since continued to expand north into the state’s water conservation areas and west into Big Cypress Swamp. In 2016, they were discovered breeding in the Keys for the first time.
If snakes in different areas had different DNA, this might tell wildlife managers something about how they have been able to reproduce and spread so quickly. “We were initially looking for the population structure to get some information to shed some light on the invasion dynamics, or the core areas where the population may be breeding and then sending off migrants,” Hunter continued.
It is unclear where the species got crossed, she conceded. In their native ranges, Burmese and Indian pythons have remained mostly distinct either because of the prey they eat or barriers in habitat. But they could breed in the wild. Additionally, breeders frequently cross species to produce more desirable colors and patterns for the pet trade. The snakes may also have hooked up in the Everglades, but Hunter said it seems less likely since the markers she detected, which are only passed down through female snakes, were historical.
Sources: Jenny Staleovitch, The Miami Herald, August 23, 2018, and Fox News, August 27, 2018.
'Super Snake' Could Emerge from Everglades Sept 2, 2018 23:01:04 GMT -5
Post by pat on Sept 2, 2018 23:01:04 GMT -5
I'm not afraid of snakes, but if a constrictor type of snake that size got hold of you, it could squeeze you to death.
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Difference between revisions of "Loretta reads Mother's Questions and Answers:1955-11-30 part 2"
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[[File:Loretta Q&A single icon.png|right|link=Loretta reads Mother's Questions and Answers]]
This is the second part of the class, and it's a continuation of the class where Mother is explaining to the students and the ashramites about communicating with the elemental entities that bring weather. This is the day before the students' annual drama performance on December 1st. The school was opened for the first time on December 2nd, 1943 – twelve years earlier. And so every year on December 1st, they do a performance of Mother or Sri Aurobindo's works to celebrate the date.
Mother's Questions and Answers: November 30, 1955 (part 2 of 2)
by Loretta, 2016 (29:49)
Loretta reads Mother's Questions and Answers
November 30, 1955 (part 2 of 2)
Mother was open with people about being able to change the weather. She was willing to explain all about it; and she was equally able to bring rain and to stop rain. We have a situation here where everyone wants her to stop the rain. But there are other stories:
Once, there was a severe and very long drought, at the time when India still had princely states, each one with its own ruler. It stayed dry for so long in one particular state, that they were desperately doing special prayers and pujas; doing ceremonies and praying for rain. And they were asking all the holy men that they could find, to help them. But everything just stayed dry and desolate; nothing, nothing brought the rain.
The minister went to Pondy, and when he got to the Ashram he was given permission to see Mother. He came in, and he began to tell Mother what he wanted, but he had only time to say, “Mother, I have come – ”, when Mother spoke. She said, “Yes, I know, and it is done. It has rained there. But do not do such a thing again. Since you had assured your ruler that I could do it, I had to do it – for your sake. But these things are in the domain of the gods, and it is not right to interfere.
In early 1951, the ashramites were constructing a small bathroom in the Playground for Mother to use when she came there. They were putting this little room at the back of the room called 'the Captain's Room'. Its foundation and its walls were made of bricks, held together with mud. And the new room would connect with the Captain's Room.
One day, while this work was going on, they were working on the foundations, and the Ashram supervisor worked there until 7 p.m. They had dug away the earth around the foundation for the Captain's Room, because the new foundation was going to connect. At about 2 a.m. In the morning, the supervisor was awakened from sleep by thunder and lightning. He went out of his room and he saw dark clouds in the sky. A few drops of rain had already started falling. He knew that a heavy downpour could really damage the mud and brick foundation of the Captain's Room. And if the foundation collapsed or weakened too much, the whole mud and brick wall could also collapse. He was also worried of course about the new foundations that they were building.
But there wasn't anything he could do. It was 2 o'clock in the morning. He couldn't even go there to cover up the open areas. There was nothing he could do to protect the Captain's Room and the new construction from simply melting away in all of this rain.
He went back inside his room and he began to pray. He closed his eyes, and he called on Mother for help. And in his inner vision, he saw Mother descending as though she'd heard his prayer. And then as though she came in answer to his call, she stood in front of him and she waited. He poured out his heart to her and he said, “Mother, only you can save the foundation from damage. Even the wall may collapse, and I can't do anything now.” Mother listened to what he said; she didn't say anything, and slowly she vanished from his inner sight. But he felt as though a heavy load had been lifted from his heart. And feeling relieved and relaxed, he dozed off to sleep for about fifteen minutes.
When he woke up, he went back outside into the courtyard. The dark clouds were gone. There was no more thunder, no more lightning. Apart from the few drops he had seen before he prayed to Mother, no more rain had fallen. The next morning, he went to work as usual. The ashramite who was in charge of the whole construction – and therefore had to report to Mother about the supervisor's work – came running up to him looking very upset and worried. And he asked him if the exposed foundations had been damaged; because Mother had just asked him if the foundation of the new bathroom was safe.
Then he asked the supervisor if he had said anything to Mother about the construction. The supervisor told his manager everything in detail – everything that had happened. And when the manager went back to answer Mother's question about the construction, he told the whole story to Mother. Then he asked her if it was true. And she told him that the supervisor's story was a true description of a true experience.
In this class, Mother has been speaking about working with elemental beings who control weather. But it seems that there are other kinds of elemental beings, who do other jobs. And there are stories about them in the Ashram as well.
We have a story about a being who came to do something in the Ashram Press. When Mother was told about him, she explained about the kind of work this being did, but we don't have a record of her saying that she called it to come – so we don't know that – but we do know that he came, and that Mother knew all about who he was and what his customary work was.
This was during the time they were printing the Birth Centenary Edition of Sri Aurobindo's collected works. Sri Aurobindo's birth centenary was in 1972. So this work was going on a little bit before that; and the work was to get all of these books printed and then bound. Work was going on night and day. And although the work was going well – the ashramites were working 12 to 15 hours every day – they were worried about a part in the printing press. They were afraid that this part was going to break, and that all their work would be stopped.
This press was made in Heidelberg, Germany. The manager of the Press wrote to the agent in Madras who was supposed to have a mechanic who was trained to deal with this foreign printing press. The company wrote back, and said that their mechanic was out of station but they'd send him as soon as he returned.
The ashramites waited for a month, hoping every day that there would be no breakdown, and still the mechanic did not come.
One morning, at about 3:30 a.m., the watchman opened the door of the Press to make things ready for the workers who would be coming. When he opened the door to the room where the foreign press was, he saw someone near the machine. It looked like a small boy, with his hair piled up on top of his head in a strange fashion. When the watchman called out, this small person simply vanished.
The watchman searched for him, but he was nowhere in the press room, or in the room that was next to the press. And there was no other exit than the door which the watchman had just unlocked, and where he was standing when the strange figure seemed to vanish into thin air.
He told his story to the Press manager, who wrote it all down in a letter, and then he asked Mother's son André to give the letter to Mother. And this is what Mother told André:
“It was a gnome. In Europe, these creatures are called Heidelberg gnomes. Generally, they guard wealth. This one was taking care of the printing press. They are shy of human beings; the man who saw him is to be congratulated.”
The mechanic arrived the very next day. He told the Press manager that the part they were worried about was just on the verge of completely breaking down, and it needed to be fixed immediately.
So, we're going to go back to class now. Unfortunately, we don't have the original tape recording of Mother's class on this date. They transcribed the tape; and then they had to erase it to use it the following week. But here we are in Mother's class; we're not sure if it's outside in the Playground (because apparently it's raining a lot, so it may be in an enclosed room). So we're with all the students and the ashramites.
And Mother has been speaking about how the students have prepared for their performance with the right inner attitude. Now she's going to talk about how newcomers, strangers, and visitors only see the outside of things. So Mother has told the students that inwardly, their work is done very well. And then she says...
You see, it happens all the time to the newcomers, strangers, visitors, to those who come with all ordinary human mental constructions. They come here and say, “Bah, bah, bah, there is nothing so remarkable, it’s not so extraordinary, all their capacities are of the average kind.” But this is because they think like what I call dull-witted fellows, with an altogether ordinary consciousness; but if they could see behind the appearances the reality of things, they would see that it is not as easy as that, that there is something else which is advancing all together towards a realisation which goes infinitely beyond all their little conceptions; this they cannot see. And that is why, probably... this thing which was answering me said, “But what is it to you whether a thousand odd fools see or not the effort you have made?” For it is truly... one thing is certain, that if you see the deep law of things and are in contact with a higher consciousness in order to realise something that far surpasses all human conceptions,what can a human opinion mean to you? It is as though you asked a dog the value of a problem of science you have solved. It wouldn’t occur to you, would it? You know that the dog doesn’t have the elements necessary for judging your scientific problem. But here there’s a still greater difference... people haven’t even the slightest notion of what the spiritual life is and the divine realisation, and naturally because of their very ignorance they come and judge all this with a perfect ease, what you do or don’t do and the way of doing it and how you live, because they understand nothing about it and see nothing at all.
That is why to those who come and ask what qualifications are obtained at Sri Aurobindo International University, I reply: “Go then, go and see, there are numerous universities which are infinitely better than ours, much better equipped, much better organised. Ours is nothing, you see, it is just a drop of water in the ocean. Go then, there are others everywhere, there are many even in India, there are many in all the great countries, infinitely more important universities, better than ours. Go there then. You will have much more of what you need.” This is why we do not try to enter into competition with other institutions.
Then, Mother, what attitude should we have before these spectators?
To love them with all your heart, my children, and wish that they may be born to the light, that’s the only thing, that’s the only way of solving the problem. If they begin to talk thoughtlessly, you can be polite and not contradict them — not say anything at all to them. You must avoid above all discussing and trying to convince them, because that’s an impossible attempt. You must be absolutely indifferent to their compliments and their criticisms. It is much easier to be indifferent to criticism than to compliments.
When Mme. David-Neel — I have spoken to you about her, haven’t I? Mme. David-Neel who is a militant Buddhist and a great Buddhistic luminary — when she came to India she went to meet some of those great sages or gurus — I shan’t give you the names, but she went to one who looked at her and asked her... for they were speaking of yoga and personal effort and all that... he looked at her and asked her, “Are you indifferent to criticism?” Then she answered him with the classical expression, “Does one care about a dog’s barking?” But she added to me when telling me the story, very wittily: “Fortunately he did not ask me whether I was indifferent to compliments, because that is much more difficult!”
Still, there we are. Naturally you must avoid thinking that you are in the least superior, and I am going to tell you why. For I have just spoken to you about something and about an inner realisation, but except for a few vague and imprecise phrases, you would be almost absolutely incapable of telling me what I spoke about. You know vaguely, like that, that we are in the course of doing something, but what it is and what it’s leading to and what are the inner changes which can set us a little apart from ordinary humanity, you are not conscious of, and you would feel extremely uneasy if I asked you to explain to me what it is. So, as in a being it is only the consciousness which counts, you must not think yourselves at all superior.
For — one of two things — you cannot think yourselves superior unless you are unconscious. The minute you are truly conscious you lose this notion of superiority and inferiority completely. So, in both the cases, you must not feel yourselves superior—for it is a smallness and a meanness—but feel full of goodwill and sympathy and not care at all for what people say or don’t say, but be polite, because it is always preferable to be polite rather than impolite, for you put yourself into contact with more harmonious forces and can fight much better against the forces of destruction and ugliness, for no other reasons than these, because we like harmony and it is better to keep that; but essentially you should be far above all this and feel interested only in your relation with the Divine, what He expects from you and what you want to do for Him. For this is the only thing which matters. All the rest has no importance.
There are people who want to show their superiority. This proves that they are quite small. The more one wants to show his superiority, the more it proves that he is quite small. You see, a little child who lives simply without looking at itself and how it lives, is much greater than you because it is spontaneous.
There, then. Now, you have something to ask me?
No, nothing?
How is it possible that something almost perfectly done by a mass of goodwills can be spoilt by one single little ill-will?
That the little ill-will disturbs all the work of goodwill? Who said that?
It happens very often.
(Mother did not hear the disciple well.)
It always happens?
In the Letters Sri Aurobindo says it: The Supermind could have descended but because of the ill-will of the people in the Ashram it was obliged to withdraw.
But surely I have never seen this. I admit that I don’t understand. I rather find it just the other way, that even when there is a mass of bad wills, if there is only one good will somewhere (laughter), it makes the Grace act and everything goes well.
What you just said...
That has nothing to do with this.
If there is a concentration...
What did I say? Why, I am forgetting... I am hearing impossible things. What was it?
(Pavitra) An observation.
An observation of what?
(The disciple mutters an answer which Mother does not hear.)
Do you understand what he is saying? I don’t.
(A child) He took this for ill-will.
He hasn’t understood anything at all, understood absolutely nothing of what I said. Absolutely nothing. It is not at all that. It is not at all that. It did not come from below, it came from a much higher plane than your consciousness can reach. It is not ill-will, infinitely far from that...
That’s how people understand what I say! I must be really careful! Is there anyone else who has understood in this way? (To a child) You too understood it like this, didn’t you? (Laughter)
Look, it never even occurred to me. I understood nothing of what he wanted to say. It was so different. If for a moment I had thought it could be understood like this, I would never have said anything.
Then, that’s all, I think that’s enough for today...
How can one become indifferent to criticism?
By climbing somewhere up on the ladder — in one’s own consciousness — looking at things a little more vastly, a little more generally. For example, if at a particular moment there is something which holds you, grips you like that, holds you tight, close pressed, and you absolutely want it to happen, and you are fighting against a terrible obstacle, you see, something which is preventing it from happening; if simply just at that moment you begin to feel, to realise the myriads and myriads of years there were before this present moment, and the myriads and myriads of years there will be after this present moment, and what importance this little event has in relation to all that — there is no need to enter a spiritual consciousness or anything else, simply enter into relation with space and time, with all that is before, all that is after and all that is happening at the same time — if one is not an idiot, immediately he tells himself, “Oh, well, I am attaching importance to something which doesn’t have any.” Necessarily so, you see. It loses all its importance, immediately.
If you can visualise, you know, simply the immensity of the creation — I am not now speaking of rising to spiritual heights — simply the immensity of the creation in time and space, and this little event on which you are concentrated with an importance... as though it were something of some importance... immediately it does this (gesture) and it dissolves, if you do it sincerely. If, naturally, there is one part of yourself which tells you, “Ah, but for me it has an importance”, then, there, you have only to leave that part behind and keep your consciousness as it is. But if sincerely you want to see the true value of things, it is very easy.
There are other methods, you know. There is a Chinese sage who advises you to lie down upon events as one floats on one’s back upon the sea, imagining the immensity of the ocean and that you let yourself go floating upon this... upon the waves, you see, like something contemplating the skies and letting itself be carried away. In Chinese they call this Wu Weï. When you can do this all your troubles are gone. I knew an Irishman who used to lie flat on his back and look outside, as much as possible on an evening when stars were in the sky, he looked, contemplated the sky and imagined that he was floating in that immensity of countless luminous points.
And immediately all troubles are calmed.
There are many ways. But sincerely, you have only to... have the sense of relativity between your little person and the importance you give to the things which concern you, and the universal immensity; this is enough. Naturally, there is another way, it is to free oneself from the earth consciousness and rise into a higher consciousness where these terrestrial things take their true place — which is quite small, you see.
But... indeed, once, very long ago, when I was still in Paris and used to see Mme. David-Neel almost every day, she, you see, was full of her own idea and told me, “You should not think of an action, it means attachment for the action; when you want to do something, it means that you are still tied to the things of this world.” Then I told her, “No, there is nothing easier. You have only to imagine everything that has been done before and all that will be done later and all that is happening now, and you will then realise that your action is a breath, like this, one second in eternity, and you can no longer be attached to it.” At that time I didn’t know the text of the Gita. I had not read it completely yet, you see... (some words inaudible here)... not this verse which I translate in my own way: “And detached from all fruit of action, act.” It is not like this, but still that’s what it means. This I did not know, but I said exactly what is said in the Gita.
But it is not because you believe in your action that you ought to act; you act because you must act, that’s all. Only, it is a condition which can sometimes be a little dangerous from the external point of view, because instead of willing with a sovereign authority that the rain should stop, one looks on at what is happening. There we are. But I tell you, “If you like to pray, pray.”
We can pray now. (Laughter)
He is very witty!
Good, then, lights off. We shall pray.
↑ Questions and Answers 1955, p.386
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The Discus Thrower and his Dream Factory
Chapter 8. Munich Olympics 1972
The United States Olympic Trials are held every four years approximately two to three months prior to the beginning date of the Games. The purpose of the trials is to select, based on the best performances of the athletes, the team members who will represent America in the Olympics. All of the summer sports have these team selection events but I am most familiar with the track and field trials. Without a doubt, the U.S. Olympic Trials is the best national track meet in the world. There is no other athletic meeting quite like them as far as performance level and the enthusiasm of the participants and the spectators. The Olympic Games and the World Championships may have higher overall standards of performance, but no other national track championships can compare with the quality of the U.S. It is not just the statistical performances but rather the intense competitive process of the sudden-death form of selection that heightens the excitement. Make the top three in your event and you are on the team. Have an off day and you become an observer.
My first participation at the U.S. Trials was in 1972 in Eugene, Oregon. The city of Eugene has a fantastic history for sports and especially for track and field. For example, jogging was introduced to the U.S. through Eugene. It was brought from New Zealand by Bill Bowerman, who wrote the best-selling book "Jogging", and who coached the champion University of Oregon track and cross country teams. During Bowerman's tenure, his "Men of Oregon" won 24 individual NCAA titles, including titles in 15 out of the 19 events contested. During Bowerman's 24 years at Oregon, his track teams finished in the top ten at the NCAA championships 16 times, including four team titles. Bill Bowerman also invented the waffle sole for running shoes and, with Oregon alumnus Phil Knight, founded shoe giant Nike, Inc.
The environment of the Eugene area is rich with knowledgeable fans and supporters of track and field events. There is an excitement that seems to vibrate in the air and communicates to the athletes and coaches almost as soon as they step onto the field. Eugene is home to the University of Oregon's Hayward Field track. I was lucky enough to be at Hayward Field when the stands were alive with the crowd shouting “Pre! Pre! Pre!” for their home-town hero, Steve Prefontaine. Prefontaine was a middle and long distance runner who had both amazing good looks and an exciting style of running. For many members of the track and field world, Prefontaine is one of those legends who gave a magnificent performance every time he stepped onto the track and whose spirit continues to hover over Hayward Field. He was a joy to watch and it is one of my special memories of that time.
It was to this amazing track-crazy town, filled with some of the best athletes, that I arrived in the summer of 1972. My friend, George Dales, had invited me to attend the Trials and perform our biomechanical analyses on as many events as possible. He would then publish the results in the Track and Field Quarterly Review where he had printed other articles which I had submitted. One of my most recent articles was about the Training camp for Throwers is sited below.
Published Results of the Dartmouth US-Training Camp for Throwers
Ken Weinbel, one of my CBA partners and the Head Coach of the Dartmouth College Track and Field team, and I flew to Eugene with all of our photographic gear. At that time, movie cameras only used 16 mm film. The current digital movie cameras were not available in the consumer-level market until 1994. Therefore, in 1972, the entire filming process was quite lengthy and tedious during those early years of biomechanical analysis. The Olympic Trials follow the same schedule that the Games use, so Ken and I were able to film many of the events. We usually had to wait two or three days for the film to be developed, but, at least, we could watch the films to verify that we were capturing the events correctly. We had to include the entire activity, the scale factor for converting the athlete to full size, and the names, dates, and sequences for identification purposes. This involved different filming arrangements for each activity since the 100 meter sprint might only focus on the start while the run-up in the javelin required more complicated camera placements.
Ken Weinbel and I filming the Pole Vault with 2 cameras for 3D analysis
Frank Shorter, Olympic champion, in the 1972 Olympic Trials
We spent all day, every day, filming each of the Olympic Trial events so we were able to collect an enormous amount of data. In fact, we had so many reels of film, that I had to buy an extra suitcase to take all of them back to the Amherst office. George had requested several specific events that he wanted me to analyze quickly so he could include them in the next issue of the Track and Field Quarterly Review which would be published prior to the start of the Games.
One study I conducted was on the Pole Vault jump. The question that we needed to resolve with our technological process was what does the fiberglass pole contribute to the jump? The most important characteristics of the pole are strength and flexibility since it must support the athlete as well as providing a “whip” to propel the vaulter over the bar. The pole must have the capability to store energy and release it at the proper phase of the jump. Originally, poles had been made of ash and then bamboo but the modern ones were appearing with different materials, such as aluminum and fiberglass. The poles of the 21st Century employ even more sophisticated composites including carbon-fiber and E-glass and S-glass materials in order to create poles which are less heavy.
In the past when the poles were made of bamboo, they actually functioned like the subsequent fiberglass models. As pole materials, both fiberglass and bamboo possess similar characteristics for storing energy during the beginning phase of the jump and then, like a catapult, the energy is returned to the athlete to pass over the bar. Cornelius Warmerdam used the bamboo pole and held the pole vault world record for seventeen years, from 1940 to 1957. During the 1972 trials, the vaulters used only aluminum and fiberglass for their poles. Thus, George’s question was “is there an advantage or difference between poles?” If there were differences, George wanted to know what they were. The biomechanical analysis revealed that the fiberglass, while similar to the bamboo, exhibited better energy storage during the beginning phase and subsequently “whipped” or “threw” the vaulter over the bar. Aluminum was too stiff and lacked the flexibility necessary for reaching extraordinary heights.
Contribution of the Pole to the Vault
George Dales published the results of that study in the Track and Field Quarterly Review. Additionally, he suggested I submit the same paper to the International Scientific Olympic Congress for presentation in Munich. The Scientific Congress was held every four years during the Games. This scheduling allows many people to attend both the Congress as well as the Games. I submitted “The contribution of the Pole to the Vault,” as well as another paper, “Biomechanical Analysis of Javelin Throwing.” Both papers were accepted for presentation and would be included in the publication of the Scientific Congress for that year.
In his position as the president of the International Track and Field Association and the editor of Track and Field Quarterly Review, George asked me if I could collect data on the field at the Olympics in Munich for later publication in his journal. Since he had already published my article about Bob Bemon’s legendary Gold medal Long Jump in the Mexico City Olympics in 1968 as well as the studies from the Olympic Trials of 1972, I eagerly agreed. Now was a time of intense planning for all of the equipment that would be needed for this first major overseas event for me and for CBA. George also arranged for housing, participation in the Scientific Congress, and a special pass to get onto the field in the Olympic stadium for filming.
On August 23rd, I left Amherst and drove to JFK airport in New York City. By this point in my life, JFK did not seem nearly as daunting as it had in1963 when I had first arrived in America. With several suitcases packed with cameras and film, I boarded the plane for Munich filled with the excitement which accompanies each Olympic Games. In addition to the thrill of attending the Olympics, I was also excited about the anticipated reunion with my old friends on the Israeli team.
Most of the Israeli athletes who were participating, as well as their coaches in Track and Field and Weight Lifting were friends of mine from the past. After all, I had trained with many of these people in Israel, such as with track coach, Amizure Shapira, and Weight Lifting coach, Yakov Springer. Many of the athletes from my era were now coaches but old friends nonetheless. We had been together in the 1960 and 1964 Olympic Games in Rome and in Tokyo.
Israelis are extremely gregarious and friendly by nature and these old friends and colleagues were no exceptions. They insisted that I stay with them in the Olympic Village. What a grand beginning with everyone talking at once, smiles and back-slapping each other. The early stages of every Olympic Games are always filled with the anticipation and joy, companionship with other athletes, and hoped-for success in performances. Every athlete dreams of standing on the top of the podium and receiving the Gold medal. Even if that dream is beyond what, in your heart you know is unrealistic and unattainable, it is still a dream that everyone has. I stayed with my friends in the Village for the first two days and everyone in the Olympic Village bubbled with excitement amidst the tension and thrill of the upcoming competitions.
My presentation at the Scientific Congress was scheduled for September 6. George Dales suggested that I spend the few nights before the presentation in his hotel in town. From the hotel, we would be able to maneuver about the city more easily and we would be closer to the Conference location. The Scientific Congress was held in one of the main convention centers in Munich. Although the Germans had constructed an elaborate, modern subway system to move athletes, coaches, and fans around the city, it would be more convenient for George and me to stay in the hotel, rather than the Village, during the Congress. But it was a happy meeting with my old friends and I will always cherish those two days I was able to spend with them.
As it transpired, had I not been scheduled to give that presentation on pole vaulting, I would not be alive today. George’s idea of moving to the hotel was a live-saving request for me. The very night that I moved was the night the Arab terrorists broke into the complex where the Israeli athletes were sleeping and took them hostage.
The German Olympic organizers had planned meticulously for every aspect except security. Their goal had been of creating a “friendly” image in an atmosphere of harmony among the participants of so many different countries. They hoped and planned to dispel the old, historic image of Prussian aggression and the militaristic image of the 1936 Berlin Games exploited by Adolf Hitler. History now knows better that such an idea was a beautiful dream but did not anticipate the evil of the world.
Much has been written of that time and Steven Spielberg produced a movie that also accurately showed what happened. But to briefly recap the events, five Palestinian terrorists, calling themselves Black September, wore track sweat suits and climbed the six foot six inch fence surrounding the Olympic Village. They were seen by several people but no one paid particular attention to them since athletes had been routinely hopping over the fence. These five were joined by three more men who are presumed to have obtained credentials to enter the village, if asked at all.
The terrorists used stolen keys to enter the apartments one of which was the room where I had stayed only the day before. The Israeli wrestling referee, Yossef Gutfrend, answered the knock on the door and, when he saw the masked men, yelled “Hevre Tistalku! Guys, get out of here!” He threw his considerable weight against the door to stop the terrorists from coming into the room. In the meantime, many of the other athletes hid, tried to escape, or looked around for some kind of defensive weapon. The wrestling coach, Moshe Weinberg, also attacked the terrorists which enabled one of his wrestlers, Gad Tsobari, to escape. Unfortunately, Moshe was shot as was Yossef. The Arab terrorists then succeeded in rounding up nine Israelis to hold as hostages.
At 9:30 in the morning, the terrorists announced that they were Palestinians and demanded that Israel release 200 Arab prisoners and that they be given safe passage out of Germany. Golda Meir, the Prime Minister of Israel, refused to negotiate with the terrorists and told the German authorities that they should handle the situation.
After a grueling day of tense negotiations, the Palestinians agreed to a plan the Germans offered whereby the terrorists and hostages were to be taken by helicopter to the NATO air base at Firsstenfeldbruck where they and their hostages could fly to Cairo. The world’s press and television coverage had shown in extensive and repetitive details where all of the hostage takers and German sharpshooters were positioned. Unfortunately, all of the coverage was watched by the terrorists on the television sets in the Israeli’s rooms. The perpetrators were aware of everything that was happening outside of the buildings in addition to what all the plans were for the future.
The Israelis hostages and their Palestinians captors were taken by bus to the helicopters and flown to the airfield. In the course of the transfer, in what was to be a day full of ineptness, the Germans discovered that there were eight terrorists instead of only the five they expected. Suddenly, the Germans realized that they had not assigned enough marksmen to carry out the plan to shoot the terrorists at the airport. In addition, there were no means of communication among their snipers so the whole mess became increasingly worse each moment.
When the helicopters landed at the airbase around 10:30 pm, the German sharpshooters attempted to kill the terrorists and a bloody firefight ensued. At eleven o’clock in the evening, the media was mistakenly informed that the hostages had been saved and the news was announced to a relieved but much wounded Israeli public. However, nearly an hour later, new fighting erupted and one of the helicopters holding the Israelis was blown up by a terrorist grenade. The remaining nine hostages, restrained in the second helicopter, were shot to death by one of the surviving terrorists.
At 3 o’clock in the morning, a drawn and teary-eyed Jim McKay, who had been reporting throughout the day as part of ABC’s Olympic coverage, announced: “They’re all gone.” It was devastating announcement and broke the heart of many of those who had been watching the whole episode as it had unfolded.
The terrorists had killed eleven Israeli athletes and coaches and one West German police officer. Five of the eight members of the Black September were killed by German police officers during the failed rescue attempt. The three surviving terrorists were captured, but later released by West Germany following a Black September hijacking of a Lufthansa airliner. Israel allegedly responded to the massacre with Operation Spring of Youth and Operation Wrath of God as well as a series of airstrikes and killing of those suspected of planning the kidnapping. There have been highly placed sources within the government who deny these programs of retaliation but that is for future historians to unearth.
Fortunately or unfortunately, on that day, I awoke completely oblivious to the events underway at the Olympic Village. George Dales and I joined a tour to visit Saltsburg, Austria. It was only when we returned to the hotel that evening that we learned about the terrorist activities which were ongoing.
I was shocked and dismayed about these events. In Israel, we had learned how to cope with such terrorist activities by providing security within the country and for groups or teams when they traveled abroad. For the Olympic Games, Israel had relied on the German security at the athletes’ venue and had not provided their own protective measures. This false sense of security had backfired badly for the Israeli athletes and the host country Germany.
As events unfolded during the remaining few hours of the tragedy, all of us, within and outside of Israel, crossed our collective fingers, prayed, and clustered in groups for emotional support. Our collective hopes were soon dashed as the news of the violent, tragic results were transmitted across the airwaves. My own sense of despair deepened as I realized the scope of the massacre. In what seemed like the blink of my eyes, I had gone from the joy of again sharing the Olympic experiences to the loss of many of my good friends and coaches. Perhaps it is a type of survivor’s guilt, but I wished that I could have been with them and done something to help. I do not think I would have surrendered; I think I would have fought. After all, I was big, strong, and very fit. But who knows? Those who tried to fight were shot and the ones who initially fought back were as big and strong as I was.
One of the men who was able to escape was my friend Avraham Melamed. Avaham was the Israeli 200 meter butterfly champion for Israel. When the initial shouting began to lock the doors, Avaham did just that and then he escaped by climbing out of the window, walking along a small ledge, and jumping to the ground. Many months later, we learned that after Avraham jumped out the window and was creeping along the window ledge, he remembered that his camera was in the room. He hurried back, scrambled back into the room to retrieve his camera, and then retreated out of the window for the second time. In spite of this seemingly reckless behavior, his escape was successful. Avraham later became my student at the University of Massachusetts where he received his Master’s Degree.
Other developments from this tragedy surfaced in odd and unrelated ways. One of my friends in the class below me at Hadassim worked for Mossad. One of his assignments involved finding and disposing of the remaining living terrorists. Unfortunately, his directors sent him to Norway. The information provided to him was incorrect and he killed the wrong person. He became distraught and, at one time, came to stay with Ann and me. Another Hadassim connection was that Gila Almagor, a famous actress who was in my class at Hadassim, played one of the main characters, the mother, in Steven Spielberg’s film, Munich.
The Olympic building complex where we stayed
The Israelis Athletes and Coaches murdered at the Munich Olympics
After the murders, decisions were made for the Olympic Games and the other conferences to proceed with the scheduled activities. The idea underlying this decision was that this kind of violent behavior should not be encouraged by allowing it to interfere with all of life’s activities and events. The decision was to proceed legally against the terrorists through the courts of law but not to give media attention to senseless murders. From my perspective, I do not know if this was a correct idea or only a pacifier for the times, but it was extremely difficult to go forward with such a heavy weight on the heart. However, there was nothing to do but continue, so I presented my talk at the Congress with tears in my eyes. I was hardly able to talk. When I finished giving my paper, however, I looked up and all the attending members in the Hall were giving me a standing ovation. I am sure it was because I was an Israeli and the participants wanted to show their respect for our athletes and for what I was suffering.
One of my presentations at the Scientific Congress
After the Congress, as is common at scientific meetings, there were many gatherings and invitations to continue discussions about the topics presented. Not infrequently, many of the conversations continued with ample lubrication from the delicious German pitchers of beer where friends and foes joined with respect, camaraderie, and shared interests. One meeting I was invited to attend was with the East German and Russian coaches. Some of them I knew through the literature having read their published studies and others I had known when I was an Olympic competitor. At that time, the East Germans and the Russians were the most well-known sports scientists. This opinion of excellence was based on the athletic results they were able to produce on the playing field, in the gym, and in the swimming pool.
The tiny country of East Germany and the massive Soviet Union controlled their athletic training by having specific locations for the athletes to live, specially proscribed diets, unique training techniques, and, reportedly, specialized pharmaceutical “enhancements”. All of these systems were hidden from public view. It was rumored that the children were removed from their parents at very young ages and raised at these special training camps. There they focused all day on training and practicing their sport, physical fitness, and, presumably, some academic instruction. There was little, or no, media coverage and few visitors from the outside were ever allowed to see what and how they were training their athletes. In this way, the myths grew exponentially among those on the outside. Unable to see what was actually occurring on the other side of the opaque wall, the mystery deepened.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn how impressed these coaches and scientists were with my method of using high speed cameras and the computer to analyze events. During our conversations, I learned that they had neither main frame computers nor the programming ability that I was able to access. They were very curious and our discussions lasted for hours.
Some East German and Russian Sports Scientists and me
The conversations and scientific dialog were fascinating but I struggled to concentrate since I was unable to forget about my murdered friends. One of the very famous East German coaches, I recall that his name was Hochmouth, asked me if I would be willing to come with him to Leipzig, the East German city where their Sports labs were located. I liked the idea of leaving Munich and all the heartbreak that was around. Everyone knew that the East Germans currently dominated world sports but how were they able to this accomplished? What were their secrets? It was such a tiny country and yet such a major athletic power. What were they doing that the rest of the world was not?
One consideration was whether I could enter East Germany on my passport. At that time, I was still an Israeli citizen although I had an American Green Card. They told me that there would be no problem since I had the Participant card and, for the Olympics, the East German and West German border was basically open to Germans with the correct papers. George Dales was invited to travel with me. Unfortunately, because he was an American, entry into East Germany was forbidden by the American authorities. I was able to go only because I could use my Israeli passport.
Although George had to remain in Munich, his time was well spent. It took him 2 days of persistent dialing to the US, before he was able to connect to his wife in Kalamazoo, Michigan. When he was finally able to make phone contact with her, George brought her up to date with all of the events that had transpired in Germany. Of course, she had been watching the news coverage from Munich and had suffered through the agonizing events along with the rest of the world. She was quite relieved to hear from him since she was aware of the plans to stay with the Israeli team. He asked her to call Ann in Amherst and let her know that I was safe. Ann also knew of my plans to stay with my Israeli friends in the Village. In addition, during some of our trips to Israel, she had been acquainted with a few of the athletes who had been killed. Needless to say, Ann was a nervous wreck with worry so it was a tremendous relief to hear that I was safe and sound. After hearing the news from George, she could finally breathe. Ann had been shouldering an additional emotional burden during this time. While I had been in Germany, she was caring for my daughter, Geffen, who was eight years old at that time. It was quite a daily task to make sure that Geffen remained unaware of the activities taking place in Munich. Fortunately, for all concerned, there was a great sense of relief with the news that George and I were safe. Of course, by traveling into East Germany may have been a wonderful opportunity for me, but now Ann had another thing to worry about.
So, while George remained in Munich, off I went with Hochmouth and other East Germans. We drove for many hours at night in Coach Hochmouth’s old Mercedes sedan. I must have fallen asleep in the car since I have no recollection of crossing the border from West to East Germany.
After we arrived in Leipzig in the morning, I was given a tiny room in a small hotel. Everyone was very tired so the first order of business was a long afternoon nap. We met later for a quite dinner in the hotel. Of course, the conversations lasted late into the night, but we were also inspired by the subject matter. In the morning one of the scientists, picked me up at the hotel and we went to the Sports Center complex for breakfast. The food was delicious, well-prepared, and beautifully presented.
The athletes ate in a dorm-like restaurant, similar to what I remembered from my Wyoming days. The food was plentiful and very carefully orchestrated to be rich with specific vitamins as well as appropriately balanced for proteins and carbohydrates. The athletes were seated according to their events and the girls were separated from the boys. I asked the scientist why they were separated and he explained that the diet of the females was different from the males. He also said that each sport has its own specific diet composition which was specially designed by health and nutritionist scientists. Not only was the nutrition specific for each sport but it was further tailored for each athlete within that activity. For example, if one of the swimmers needed more protein, his or her portions were adjusted accordingly. This was completely different than my own Olympic training table in Israel! At that time, our food was rationed and routinely we received protein once a week rather than daily as did the East German athletes.
After breakfast, I met one of the scientists, Dr. Schmidt. He told me that he would not be able to reveal all of the secrets involved in the German Democratic Republic’s (GDR) athletic system. Obviously, he was unwilling to disclose all the secrets that had allowed the GDR to excel during the previous 10—15 years of athletic competitions. The record number of victories in World Championships and the Olympic Games reflected their successful selection and training of athletes. These successes indicated that they were doing something that the other countries were not.
“Well, what can you tell me?” I asked.
“Okay,” he smiled. “First of all, we start training the children at very young ages. All children have physical education in kindergarten. The physical education teachers in elementary and secondary schools have been thoroughly trained in our State Institution for Physical Education in Leipzig. These teachers know how to evaluate young children as well as how to encourage these young, talented athletes. There is tremendous emphasis, as well, on school sports clubs and athletic associations. It is in these sporting groups that we are able to identify young adolescents who are particularly suited for sprinting, jumping, flexibility, and other basic skills. From the 9th and 10th class onwards, the training becomes more focused and intense for their event. Once individual children are selected for training, they are placed in one of our sports centers to live, study, and train. All of the financial support for these sport training facilities is from the government.”
I nodded. So far, I had not heard anything that was different from my own experience as a discus and shot put thrower. No magic bullet had been revealed yet!
Dr. Schmidt continued, “By 12 or 13, a child is familiar with the whole range of exercises. The exercise routines are harmonized, of course, with the biological development. As they get older, we add resistive training with weights, squats, presses, and so on. These talented athletic kids attend school classes until 2 o’clock in the afternoon and then spend the next 4 or 5 hours working with a fitness trainer and practice the sport itself with a coach. Success usually results from the enthusiasm with which the trainer can attract these young promising athletes and their dedication to their activity.”
“But this was my story in Israel. I worked every day to increase my strength and I threw the shot and discus every day. I practiced between classes, after classes, and every other moment that I could find.” I told Dr. Schmidt.
He responded to my comment by providing additional insight in to the rationale of the system. “But I generated the idea for the GDR’s sporting program on the basis of our Marxist philosophy for children and young people. There is a paragraph from Engels’ book which describes ‘the role of work in the humanization of monkeys’ and this is a factor in the implementation of our sports system. In other words, at a young and tender age, we can develop a young person through very specific training methods which are designed to shape and train the body in that particular direction.” I recall thinking that this was an unusual attitude about children which compared them to monkey and trying to “humanize” them. I have often wondered what he felt in his heart about the individual children and their welfare. It certainly diverged from my own sensitivities of loving and caring for children. As I reflect on this meeting, these many years later, I have yet to know what he really felt about young people.
Dr. Schmidt believed that training was the key. Thus, enormous attention was focused at every athletic training camp on exercise and fitness. So far, I had not seen anything that was different from my own experience of focus and training that was making the GDR athletes so successful. Perhaps there would be some new revelations as the day proceeded.
Dr. Schmidt and I went to the main conference room and, to my surprise, I saw all my published studies in Biomechanics and Anabolic Steroids on the table. Each study had a German translation next to it. This was quite a shock. One of my studies, which was of particular interest to Dr. Schmidt, was the analysis of the East German Shot Putters published in the Track and Field Quarterly Review. East Germany held the world record in this event and I had tried to understand how and why they were so accomplished.
My Analysis of the East German Shot-putters
What perplexed these East German scientists was that I had calculated exactly what their throwers were doing which resulted in Gold Medals. They had developed a technique with no deceleration of the front leg prior to its initial hitting the toe board. In other words, the front leg continued to accelerate until it was stopped by hitting the toe board. After the front leg contacted the toe board, the back leg touched down. This was similar to driving a car into a wall without applying the brakes. In this case, the driver would be propelled through the windshield. For the shot put, the front leg block was the car hitting the wall and the shot put was the driver. The results produced many world records and Olympic medals.
The scientists were impressed with the technique I utilized since it was so much more advanced than the accurate, but elementary, procedures they employed. Their calculations were accomplished with the use of slide rules, paper and pencil, and hand calculators, but they applied the same basic Newtonian equations which I used. I had discovered what the East German throwers were actually doing without being there. My technological tools surpassed the more primitive methods that they used. We both employed the same Newtonian equations, but I was able to execute them faster, more accurately, and with greater detail. They were extremely impressed by the computerized system.
The tour proceeded to the resistive training facility. As I entered the weight training room, I received another surprise. There, in the center of the room, was my Universal machine.
“Wow!” I said. “Where did you purchase this and how did you get it here?” I asked.
The weight coach smiled. “It was made in East Germany.” He answered.
They had copied my machine precisely in every detail including the proper Cam. It was an exact duplicate with every one of the details described in my patent.
“I see there are no secrets anywhere,” I laughed. They laughed too and asked, “What about the secret machine you are working on with Universal which has a computer on it. The Intelligent Exercise Machine?”
I said, “You’ll have to wait for that.” As it turned out, in 1995, one of their scientists, Dr. Zinner, purchased my computerized intelligent machine. By then, there was no longer a division between East and West Germany since they had reunited after the destruction of the Berlin Wall. Until today, they continue to use the computerized exercise machine for research and to train some of their athletes. In 1995, I was invited to the Olympiastutzpunkt (OSP) Berlin for a two-day working visit. They published a description of my visit in their newsletter praising my accomplishment as well as my contributions to their own work at their Center. This report, “Simply the best”, can be found in its entirety in the appendix.
After they showed me the duplicate of my Universal weight machine, the tour of the 1972 facility continued. From the weight room, we walked down the hall and I was introduced to one scientist, whose name I do quite clearly remember since it was Dr. Israeli.
“Are you Israeli?” I immediately asked.
“Are you a Jew?”
Again it was “No”.
I have always wondered how he happened to have this Hebrew name. Shortly after meeting Dr. Israeli, I learned that he was the head of the pharmaceutical system for all of the training centers. This, I was to learn later, was of significance.
We returned to the room where all of my articles, in English and German, lay on the table. The discussions with all of the various scientists, as well as Dr. Israeli, continued for hours. They particularly interested in discussing my studies on Anabolic Steroids which had been published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Their specific interest was whether Anabolic Steroids caused augmentation in performance because of the muscular system or because of the nervous system. My research had shown the effect on muscular strength and the effect on motor integration. The neural muscular interaction was a function of the nervous system’s effect on increasing the speed of the stimulation of the motor units of the muscles. This finding indicated that the nervous system was able to activate and/or stimulate more of the motor units at the muscle and caused the subsequent contraction of the muscle fibers to be quickened. Thus, the time of muscular contraction following the arrival of the nervous system signals from the spinal cord, or “Motor Time,” was much faster under the influence of the steroid drug. Strength is important but speed was a more important factor. In order to generate power, force and velocity are essential but velocity is the most critical.
In 1972, Anabolic Steroids were legal for athletic usage. The East Germans had been using them, in what they believed were scientific methods. Of course, it was revealed at a much later date that the East Germans were manufacturing a steroid, artificial epitesterone, and administrating it to 14 year old athletes. These young people were unaware of the contents of the many pills which they ingested daily. They were given vitamins and supplements in addition to the anabolic steroids but they lived in a controlled environment in which they trusted everyone who worked with them. They had no reason to distrust the individuals nor the contents of the pills they were given. Unfortunately, the side effects of the anabolic steroids had lifelong damaging consequences. When the doctors were finally taken to court, they claimed to have been forced to give the athletes these drugs by the STASI, the secret police.
However, from what I observed during my visit to Leipzig, these scientists knew exactly what they were doing. In their defense, they may have been unaware of the long term consequences of these steroids but there is no doubt that they recognized the advantage of the short term effects. Unfortunately, females were particularly vulnerable to the adverse side effects of these anabolic steroids. On the one hand, their performances may have been spectacular: greater, in fact, than those of the men but the risks were substantially higher. Among the typical side effects resulting from administering these hormones to women were retarded growth, serious disturbances in fertility and fetuses, and heart disease. Other problems included deepening of the voice (mostly an irreversible situation), an increase in body hair on the legs, pubic hair extending to the navel and beyond, and more dangerously the enlargement of the clitoris.
Using drugs to enhance performance was nothing new in Germany. During World War II, Hitler issued vast quantities of steroids to the SS and the Wehrmacht so that his troops would better resist combat fatigue and be more ruthless in following any order. As early as 1941, Soviet Red Army observers had noted an unusually passionate fighting spirit among German soldiers, who often seemed eager to die for the glory of the Third Reich.
Now these girls were to be physically maimed for the glory of the German Democratic Republic. The doctors had taken the scientific knowledge gleaned in the Nazi era to carry this human engineering experiment a giant step forward. Their program had a single goal: to transform the GDR from a lackluster Soviet satellite into a giant in the global arena of competitive sport. Within this context, the quadrennial Olympic Games were the summit of ambition and the maximum, in effort and financial resources, was dedicated toward amassing Olympic medals.
Sadly, the researchers also discovered that the drugs affected the mind as well as the body. Sometimes after taking these drugs, the athletes – like the shock troops of Hitler’s elite SS unit – reported a sense of invincibility, unlimited energy, and an uncontrollable libido. Early in the program, female athletes as young as fourteen embarked on sexual rampages in the sports complexes which their trainers, coaches, and physicians ignored as long as the girls performed well in the pool or on the track.
So, as it transpired, the key to East German dominance and Gold Medal successes was the doping control laboratory in Kreischa. The laboratory was built in 1977 and this brain trust served to secure and to conceal the use of all performance enhancing medications. I personally did not visit that particular laboratory facility and, like everyone else, learned about it only after it was finally closed and outlawed.
Ignoring for the moment their drug program, what I had observed was that the East German program was systematized, scientific, and efficient. One thing was abundantly clear and irrefutable. The United States, or any other “free” country, would be unable to successfully perform against the GDR’s highly regulated, efficient, medicated system with the sports structure that currently existed in the US. In the US, we relied on DNA and talent but had no organized program to augment or increase performance skills or raise the levels of achievement. No athlete in the US was able to improve or enhance their own physical abilities to their optimal capacity as the East Germans successfully achieved with their athletes.
I returned from the visit to East German and now gathered with my Israelis friends to mourn the losses of our friends and colleagues who had been senselessly murdered. We stood in the sun, in an open field with all the athletes from around the world, and everyone on the entire field wept. My old friend Gilad, from Wyoming days, was on one side of me, and Yariv, my first coach and mentor, stood on the other. The grief among all of us was intense and palpable. This one moment in time with all the countries joined together to mourn was very moving. We were all athletes, not countries competing against each other. Each man and woman knew what our Israeli athletes went through to participate and how they had been senselessly murdered in their prime.
The Arab countries and Soviet Union were the only countries who refused to lower their flags. An additional insult was that the dead terrorists were welcomed as heroes when their coffins arrived in Libya. It was a disgusting display of insensitivity as well as an unfortunate form of victory. Rather than relentlessly pursuing peaceful solutions, murder had become a preferred victory.
The remaining days of the Olympics were very difficult for me and the other Israelis. I would have preferred that they cancel the remaining competitions. I heard the argument that cancelling the competitive schedule would prove to the terrorists that they had won their victory. Perhaps, from this perspective, it was the correct decision to continue with the Games. However, for me and for my friends, it was terribly difficult to be in the Olympic venues surrounded by ordinary daily events but covered with an umbrella of grief. I remember that Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote, “Incredibly, they’re going on with it. It’s almost like having a dance at Dachau.”
After I returned to the US, I knew I had to do something after what I had learned in East Germany. Our training system had to change if we wanted the American athletes to win future Olympic medals. At that time, the US had no training centers. All the athletes were trained at Universities, clubs, or at camps such as we conducted at Dartmouth College. The US could do better than that. We may have had superior athletes at that time because we were such a large population pool from which to select the best performers. But these athletes were severely hampered by the lack of a system to help them achieve their optimum performance level. American had the best technologies and the best equipment but now we needed a system to amalgamate technology with DNA.
In addition, there was the disadvantage of financial support. In the East German and Soviet Union, athletes were in the Army or some other government department so they were “paid” to do their job. In this way, they were not paid to play and could retain their amateur status as defined by the Olympic rules. Because no such system existed in the US, athletes had to find jobs to support their own athletic endeavors in order to be recognized as amateurs. It was difficult and inherently unfair, but it meant that the Americans had to find a clever way to overcome this imbalance. We needed to develop our own unique system so our athletes could excel to their maximum and defeat the Eastern Bloc countries at the next Olympics.
This was my mission. Now I had to find connections in order to make my case to the authorities who actually controlled Olympic Sports in the US. (Unfortunately, I was not able to work fast enough. At the next summer games in Montreal in 1976, East Germans dominated the gold medal count, especially in swimming, sweeping eleven out of a possible thirteen first place finishes.) But, tenacity is one of my most dominate characteristics, so I was determined to continue searching and working on the goal of improving the training system for US Olympic athletes. After Ann and I brought CBA up to date on our projects and my University duties were being satisfactorily addressed, I would track down the heads of the Olympic sports. I was confident that we could improve the situation. Although this was a burning issue for me, it would have to be on a back burner for the immediate future.
Now, my first order of business was to return to Amherst and take care of things there. I had classes to teach at the University and I had to help Ann with our CBA projects. We had a several important projects to complete which she had been working on while I had been in Munich. Our company was working well and we needed to continue our business progress. Things had been more successful than we had dreamed they could be and now we needed to maintain the initiative.
ACES; APAS; Biomechanics; Books; Capture; Discus; Exercise Machine; Legal; Media; Olympics; Performance Analysis; Personal; Science; Shoes; Sports; Steroids; Studies; Track and Field; Transform;
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Domestic tax updates : july 2018
Removal of the word ‘an Accountant’ from Rule 11UA
Notification No. 23/2018 dated 24th May 2018
Rule 11UA determines the fair market value (FMV) in respect of movable and immovable property. For determination of FMV of unquoted shares/securities as defined under Section 56(2)(viib), earlier the discounted free cash flow method could be used by obtaining a certificate from a merchant banker or an accountant. The Rule is amended by notification to omit the words ‘or an accountant’. Hence the Report for valuation of unquoted shares/ securities using the Discounted Free Cash flow Method can now be obtained only from a merchant banker.[/vc_column_text]
Applicability of provisions of Section 56(2)(viib)
Section 56(2)(viib) brings to tax the consideration for issue of shares if it exceeds the FMV of shares. This provision is not applicable if the shares are issued at face value, or are issued to non-residents, or are issued by a Venture Capital Undertaking from a Venture Capital Company or Fund. It is now notified that this provision will not apply to consideration received by eligible start-ups for issue of shares that exceed the face value of such shares, if the consideration has been received from an investor in accordance with the approval granted by the Inter-Ministerial Board of Certification.
Notification of Cost Inflation Index for FY 2018-19
Notification No. 26/2018 dated 13th June 2018
The Cost Inflation Index for FY 2018-19 is notified as “280”. The notification will come in force with effect from 1st April 2019 and should be applied to AY 2019-20.
54EC Capital Gains Bonds Notified
Notification No. 27-28/2018 dated 18th June 2018
The Central Government has notified ‘Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited 54EC Capital Gains Bond’ issued by Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited and ‘Power Finance Corporation Limited 54EC Capital Gains Bond’ issued by Power Finance Corporation Limited for claiming exemption under Section 54EC of the Act. The benefit under Section 54EC will not be denied in case of transfer of such bonds, provided such transfer is by delivery or endorsement and the transferee informs the Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited or the Power Finance Corporation Limited as the case may be, by registered post within 60 days of transfer.
Charitable Trust
Society, earning franchisee fees from other schools, which were used for furtherance of educational purposes, was entitled to exemption under Section 10(23C)(vi)
Director of Income-tax (Exemption) vs. Delhi Public School Society [TS-169-HC-2018(DEL)]
The assessee was a society registered with the Registrar of Societies and had established 11 schools. The assessee also permitted societies/ organizations/ trusts with similar objects to open schools under the name of “Delhi Public School”, in and outside India. 120 schools were functioning under the name “Delhi Public School”, in and outside India. The main objective of assessee society was to establish progressive schools or other educational institutions in Delhi or outside Delhi, open to all without any distinction of race or creed or caste or special status, with a view to impart sound and liberal education to boys and girls. The assessee applied for exemption under Section 10(23C)(vi). The ADIT, rejected the assessee’s application seeking exemption, on the grounds that it had earned franchisee fee from the satellite schools in lieu of its name, logo and motto etc. which amounted to a ‘business activity’ with a profit motive. Further, no separate books of account were maintained by the assessee for business activity as required under Section 11(4A).
The Supreme Court held that the determining test to qualify for exemption under Section 10(23C)(vi) lies in the final motivation on which the institution functions, regardless of what extraneous profit it may accrue in pursuit of the same. On review of the assessee’s audited accounts, the surpluses accrued by the assessee society were being fed back into the maintenance and management of the assessee schools themselves. The assessee, thus fulfilled the requirements under Section 10(23C)(vi) to qualify for exemption. The assessee society was maintaining its 11 schools and the 120 satellite schools, in furtherance of the education purpose that also qualified as a ‘charitable purpose’ within the meaning of Section 2(15) and was not in contravention of Section 11(4A).
Profits & Gains from Business and Profession
Software expenses incurred by assessee to upgrade computer software which brought better efficiency in functioning of business was held as, revenue in nature
Principal Commissioner of Income Tax vs. Holcim Services (South Asia) Ltd. (93 taxmann.com 271) (Bom.)
The assessee claimed expenditure incurred by it for purchase of software, as revenue in nature. The AO disallowed the claim by treating the same as capital expenditure. The Tribunal while deciding the matter in favour of the assessee had rendered a finding of fact that the software purchased by assessee brought about better efficiency in the business. The Tribunal had also recorded the fact that in view of fast changing technology, software had to be regularly updated, so as to keep pace with the changing technology.
In view of the above finding of facts as recorded by the Tribunal, the Bombay High Court held that the appeal filed by the Income Tax department did not give rise to any substantial question of law and therefore, dismissed the appeal.
Discount on price offered to retailers which is lower than the cost price cannot be considered as goodwill or brand value and loss on such transactions is not marketing intangible
Flipkart India (Pvt.) Ltd vs. ACIT (Bangalore ITAT) – 92 taxmann.com 387
The assessee was engaged in the business of wholesale trading/distribution of books, mobiles, computers and related accessories. The assessee sold goods to retailers, at a price less than the cost price. The assessee had acquired goods from unrelated parties and sold the same to retailers, who subsequently sold those goods as sellers on internet platform under the name ‘Flipkart.com’. During the year, the assessee in its tax return disclosed losses of Rs. 796 Crores. The AO opined that selling of goods at less than cost price was not a normal business practice and was a predatory pricing practice. The same was incurred to establish goodwill and brand value in the long run, to reap benefits in future years. The AO treated the losses incurred by the assessee as expenditure for creating marketing intangible asset and disallowed the same by treating it as capital expenditure.
The ITAT, relied on the judgement of Supreme Court in the case of CIT v. Calcutta Discount Ltd. [1973] 91 ITR 8, wherein it was held that transfer of goods at a price less than the market price cannot be tampered with by the tax authorities provided the parties to transaction are unrelated. This option is available to the AO only if Section 40(A)(2)(a) of the Act applies viz., where the parties to the transaction are related. There was no expenditure incurred by the assessee except those that are set out in the Profit and Loss Account. The question of incurring expenditure on creating intangibles does not arise for consideration at all. The ITAT held that the action of the AO in presuming that the assessee had incurred expenditure for creating intangible assets/brand or goodwill is without any basis. Even assuming that expenditure was incurred by the assessee, the expenditure for building brand or creating intangible or goodwill would be revenue expenditure, allowable as deduction.
Waiver of loan for acquiring capital assets cannot be taxed as perquisite under Section 28(iv)
CIT vs. Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd (Supreme Court) – 93 taxmann.com 32
The assessee had entered into an agreement with KJC, a company based in USA, wherein KJC agreed to sell the dies, welding equipment and die models to the assessee. For the procurement of the said tooling and other equipment, KJC agreed to provide loan to the respondent @ 6% interest, repayable after 10 years in installments. Subsequently, AMC, another company took over KJC and agreed to waive the principal amount of loan advanced to the assessee. The assessee wrote off the loan in their books. Considering the same as capital in nature, the assessee, in the tax return did not offer the same to income tax. The AO concluded that the waiver of loan amount was an income and not a liability. Accordingly, he made addition by treating the write off as income under Section 28(iv) of the Act.
Section 28(iv) deals with taxing any benefit or perquisite derived from business or profession, in a form other than money. In the present case, the amount is considered as cash receipt, due to the waiver of loan and therefore, cannot be considered as a benefit or perquisite. The very first condition of Section 28(iv) is not satisfied, in the present case.
As per provisions of Section 41(1), it is a sine qua non that there should be an allowance or deduction claimed by the assessee, in any AY in respect of loss, expenditure or trading liability incurred by the assessee. Since, no amount of loan was considered as deduction, nor had the assessee claimed deduction for interest payment. Thus, there was no cessation of a trading liability and accordingly, Section 41(1) will not apply.
Accordingly, it was held that waiver of loan would not be taxable in the hands of assessee as per Section 28(iv) or Section 41(1) of the Act.
Amendment in Section 40(a)(ia) by the Finance Act, 2010 is curative in nature and would apply retrospectively w.e.f. AY 2005-06.
Commissioner of Income-tax, Kolkata vs. Calcutta Export Company (93 taxmann.com 51) (SC)
The assessee firm was a manufacturer and exporter of casting materials. The AO disallowed deduction of export commission paid by the assessee by invoking Section 40(a)(ia) of the Act. The assessee had deducted the TDS, but the payment thereof was made after the end of the previous year. The Tribunal as well as the High Court deleted the said disallowance by holding that amendment made by the Finance Act, 2010 in Section 40(a)(ia) is retrospective in nature.
The purpose for bringing the said amendment was to ensure tax compliance. The intention of the legislature was not to punish the assessee. It only shifted the year in which the expenditure can be claimed as deduction. The Finance Act, 2010 further relaxed the rigors of Section 40(a)(ia) to provide that all TDS, made during the previous year, can be deposited with the Government by the due date of filing the return of income. The idea was to allow additional time to the deductors to deposit the TDS so made. The Memorandum explaining the provisions of the Finance Bill, 2010 expressly mentioned that ‘This amendment is proposed to take effect retrospectively from 1st April 2010 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the AY 2010-11 and subsequent years.’ The controversy surrounding the above amendment was whether the amendment being curative in nature should be applied retrospectively i.e., from the date of insertion of the provisions of Section 40(a)(ia) or should be applicable from the date of enforcement.
The Supreme Court held that the amended provisions of Section 40(a)(ia) should be interpreted liberally and equitably. Accordingly, the said amendment would apply retrospectively from the date when Section 40(a)(ia) was inserted i.e., with effect from the AY 2005-06.
Interest income from share application money ought to be set off against public issue expenses as it is inextricably linked with requirement of company to raise share capital.
CIT vs. Shree Rama Multi Tech Ltd. (403 ITR 426)(SC)
The assessee was engaged in the manufacture of multilayer tubes, other specialty packaging and plastic products. The assessee had come out with public issue during the year under consideration. The amount of share application money received was deposited by the assessee with the banks on which interest of Rs. 1.71 crores was earned. The assessee during the year had also incurred expenditure towards public issue. The AO taxed entire interest income in the hands of the assessee and did not allow set off of interest income against public issue expenses. The issue before the SC was whether interest accrued on deposit of share application money with the bank was taxable income at the hands of the assessee or could be set off against public issue expenses.
The SC observed that the assessee was statutorily required to keep share application money in the separate account, till the allotment of shares was completed. The interest earned was inextricably linked with requirement of the assessee to raise share capital. Where there is any surplus money which is lying idle and is deposited in the bank for the purpose of earning interest, then it is taxable as ‘income from other sources’. But where the income accrued is merely incidental and not the prime purpose of doing the act, which has resulted into accrual of some additional income, and then such income is not liable to be assessed separately. Such income to be first set off against expenditure incurred. Accordingly, interest accrued on share application money deposited with the bank was allowed to be set off against the public issue expenses.
Lease equalization charges from lease rental income are allowable deduction under Act. The assessee entitled to bifurcation of lease rental as per the Accounting Standard prescribed by the ICAI
CIT vs. Virtual Soft Systems Ltd. (302 CTR 65)(SC)
The assessee company filed its return of income for AY 1999-2000 declaring loss of Rs. 70.24 lakhs, after claiming Rs. 1.65 crores as deduction of lease equalization charges from lease rental income. The AO disallowed deduction of such lease equalization charges, on the ground that there is no express provision regarding such deduction in the Act. Where the Act is silent on allowability of certain items as deduction, it was obvious for the assessee to take recourse to Guidance Notes prescribed by the ICAI, if it was available. Only after applying such method which is prescribed in the Guidance Note, the assessee can show fair and real income which is liable to tax under the Act. A conjoint reading of Section 145 of the Act read with Section 211 of the Companies Act makes it clear that the assessee was entitled to do such bifurcation. There was no illegality in such bifurcation as it was according to the principles of law. The rule of interpretation says that when internal aid is not available then for the proper interpretation of the Statute, the Court may take the help of external aid. If a term is not defined in a Statute, then its meaning can be taken as is prevalent in ordinary or commercial parlance.
The SC held that assessee was entitled for bifurcation of lease rental as per the Accounting Standards prescribed by the ICAI. There is no express bar in the Act regarding the application of such Accounting Standards. There was no force in the contentions of the revenue that the Accounting Standards prescribed by the ICAI could not be used to bifurcate the lease rental to reach the real income for the purpose of tax under the Act.
Capital Gains
Amount received by retiring partner on retirement from firm on account of goodwill will not be subjected to tax as capital gains in his hands.
Principal Commissioner of Income-tax, Mumbai vs. R. F. Nangrani HUF (93 taxmann.com 302) (Bom.)
The assessee was a partner in the firm namely Landmark Development. The assessee retired from the firm. As per the deed, it was mutually agreed between the retiring partners and continuing partners to pay a sum of Rs. 15 Crore to the assessee. While completing the assessment, the AO made an addition as long terms capital gain, in respect of the aforesaid amount.
The Mumbai Tribunal relying on various decisions, including decision of Supreme Court in the case of CIT vs. R. Lingamallu Rajkumar (247 ITR 801) and Bombay High Court in case of CIT vs. Riyaz A. Shekh (41 taxman.com 455) held that amounts received by a partner on his retirement from partnership firm are exempt from capital gains tax. The Income Tax department filed further appeal before the High Court.
The Bombay High Court held that the appeal filed by the Income Tax department does not give rise to any substantial question of law and therefore dismissed the appeal.
Section 56(2)(viia) of the Act would not be applicable where the Company has bought back its own shares, at price lesser than its book value
Vora Financial Services Pvt. Ltd vs. ACIT (ITA NO 532/Mum/2018)
The assessee made an offer to existing shareholders for buy back of 25% of its existing share capital at a price of Rs.26 per share. One of the directors offered certain shares under the buyback scheme. The AO noticed that the book value of shares as on 31st March of the preceding year was Rs.32.80 per share. The AO, assessed the difference between the book value of shares and purchase price of shares as income of the assessee under Section 56(2)(viia) of the Act.
Primary condition for invoking Section 56(2)(viia) is that the shares should become a property of the firm or a company, at a consideration which is lesser than fair market value. It follows that the shares should become ‘property’ of recipient company. In that case, it should be shares of any other company. It could not be its own shares because own shares cannot be become property of the recipient company.
The ITAT held that the assessee, in the instant case had purchased its own shares under buyback scheme. The same has been extinguished by reducing the capital and hence, the tests of “becoming property” and also “shares of any other company” fails. Accordingly, the AO was not justified in invoking the provisions of Section 56(2)(viia) for buyback of own shares.
Note: The ratio of this decision would apply equally in the context of the new Section 56(2)(x).
Purchases duly supported cannot be treated as Bogus
Pr. Commissioner Of Income Tax vs.Tejua Rohitkumar Kapadia – SC – Special Leave Petition (Civil) Diary No(S). 12670/2018 (itatonline.org)
The Assessing Officer had disallowed purchases made of Rs. 5.19 crores made from Raj Impex by the assessee who is a trader, treating the purchases as bogus based on the findings of the Investigation Wing. The CIT(Appeals) allowed the appeal inter alia on the ground that all payments were made by the assessee by Account Payee cheques and there were corresponding sales in respect thereof. On appeal by the Department, the Tribunal dismissed the same on the ground that the purchases are duly supported by bills, all payments are made by account payee cheques, the supplier has confirmed the transactions, there is no evidence to show that the purchase consideration has come back to the assessee in cash, the sales out of purchases have been accepted and the supplier has accounted for the purchases made by the assessee and paid taxes thereon. The Gujarat High Court dismissed the Departments appeal holding that no question of law arose in view of the above findings which were accepted by the Department. The SC dismissed the SLP filed by the Department.
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“Juliana’s voice is integral in this time, because she truly is a beacon of hope. She exists at the crux of almost every type of intersectionality, but still thrives”
Juliana Huxtable straddles the worlds of art, fashion, and night life, exploring the intersections of race, gender, queerness, and sexuality through a fluid mix of media including self-portraiture, text-based prints, club music and parties, poetry, and social media. Throughout her practice, Huxtable combines and reinvents cultural histories, questioning the presentation and perception of identity in artworks that often reference her own body and history as she examines socio-political issues. The art icon and powerhouse DJ creates a new work combining video, sound, spoken word, and performance in her ongoing exploration of what it is to be human and the resistance to the caging of people within fixed selves, private bodies, and prescribed identities.
Image: Courtesy of the artist
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“magnetic, inescapable…one of the most provocative ongoing bodies of work by any the crux of almost every type of intersectionality, American musician.”
“Panoramic sound-quilting” is the term internationally renowned composer, saxophonist, sound experimentalist, and mixed-media practitioner Matana Roberts uses to describe her combination of instrumental music, singing, text, and visual imagery. Exploring themes of American history, memory, and ancestry, her very personal and improvisatory body of sound work is startling in its originality and gripping in its historic, political, and social power. She brings her creative practice as a musician merged with social consciousness to the Veterans Room for a site specific performance in her ongoing anthropological examination of music, storytelling, and the long, diverse history of her birth country.
Matana Roberts’ visual work will be on view at Fridman Gallery March 25–April 25, 2018.
Image: Paula Court
Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (212) 933-5812 Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM. The Box Office is open for walk-up sales only on days of performances and during the open hours of visual art installations. On performance days, Will Call opens one hour prior to the performance.
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List of artists of Jewish extraction who painted Jewish scenes or whose works came to reflect their attachment to their roots.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ...
Bacon, Yehuda
Birth - Death : 1929-
Nationality : Czech then Israeli
Painter and graphic artist. Bacon was detained at thirteen in Theresienstadt with his father. He produced works there after receiving lessons from Leo Haas, Otto Ungar and Karel Fleischmann who were detained with him. Only about 100 of the 13,000 children sent to Theresienstadt survived. In December 1943, Yehuda Bacon was transferred to Auschwitz, where his father died while he survived the Holocaust and immigrated to Palestine after the war. He then studied at the Bezalel Academy of Jerusalem before teaching there. Bacon exhibited his works in Israel, Europe and the U.S while some of his post-war drawings notably served as evidence in the trial of Adolf Eichmann.
Bagel, Moses Bahelfer called Bagel
Birth - Death : 1908-1995
Nationality : Lithuanian then French
Born in Wilno, Bagel was linked at 17 to the “Jung Wilno” group of Jewish artists. He then studied art in Munich with Klee and Kandinsky at the Bauhaus School between 1928 and 1932 before settling in 1933 in Paris, where he produced decors for the Paris Yiddish Theatre and illustrated books. During the war, Bagel sought refuge in Toulouse and produced false identity papers for the French resistance movement. Back in Paris in 1945, he worked for several Yiddish periodicals and produced a series of paintings commemorating the 100th anniversary of Sholem Aleichem's birth date.
Baharier, Daniel
Birth - Death : Active from the last third of the 20th Century
Nationality : British then Israeli
Painter. Baharier settled in Israel in 1980.
Bak, Samuel
Nationality : Lithuanian then Israeli
Born in Wilno Vilna
Bakst, Lev Smoilevitch Rosenberg called Bakst
Nationality : Russian
Bakst studied painting in St. Petersburg and then visited Paris before settling in Moscow, where he was first known as a painter depicting Russian popular life. He then worked in 1899 in Munich as a portrait painter. Much influenced by French modern art, he radically changed his palette and produced some aesthetic works. Bakst co-founded the “Mir Iskousstva” the Artistic World
Balas, Judy
Birth - Death : 20th-21st Century
Nationality : Israeli then American
Born in Herzlia, Judy Balas moved with her family to the U.S, where she has been working as a photographer. She notably produced scenes from the war in Israel.
Balgley, Jacob
Nationality : Byelorussian then French
Balgley's father was a rabbi. After studying in a yeshiva, he turned to painting small icons to earn a living and attended the school of Fine Arts of Odessa before settling in 1911 in Paris, where he later exhibited his works at the Salon d'Automne. He also studied at the School of Decorative Arts in 1920 and met Alice Kerfers, his future wife. Both then traveled to southern France, Italy and Palestine before he exhibited his works in Paris in 1924, the year he took French nationality. Balgley, who died of a heart failure in 1934, painted many works depicting Jewish scenes.
Balicki, Szymon
Birth - Death : 1912-?
Nationality : Polish then Israeli
Painter. Born in Dombrowa, Poland, Balicki escaped in 1941 from a convoy that was leading him towards a Nazi labour camp. From the end of 1941 until May 1945, he was detained in various camps, where he managed to draw scenes depicting inmates but most of these drawings were lost. Balicki immigrated in 1957 to Israel, where he produced works depicting Jewish life in Eastern Europe before and during the war.
Balint, Endre
Nationality : Hungarian
Balint studied painting at the School of Decorative Arts in Budapest and stayed in France several times between 1934 and 1962. He worked as a Surrealist artist under the influence of Lajos Vajda in Hungary and in Paris between 1957 and 1962 and took part in several exhibitions in France, Belgium, Holland and Hungary. He notably produced 1,200 illustrations for the Bible of Jerusalem.
Banay, Miki
Nationality : Israeli
Painter. He studied art in Florence and at the Bezalel School in Jerusalem.
Band, Debra
Birth - Death : Active from the last decade of the 20th Century
Nationality : American
She has been specialising in the creation of Ketubot marriage certificates
Bar Shay Avital
. This artist showed her own interpretation of the promised land as a “submerged continent” at an exhibition held in Ghent, Belgium, between January 20th and February 14th 2004.
Bar-Am, Micha
Nationality : German then Israeli
After settling in 1936 in Palestine with his family, Bar-Am fought with the Palmach during Israel's War of Independence in 1948 and 1949. He then took part in archaeological expeditions searching for scrolls in the Judean desert and worked as a photographer. He notably covered the Sinai War in 1956 and worked as an independent photojournalist from 1966. He also covered the June 1967 Six-Day War with Kornell Capa and the Yom Kippur War six years later. Bar-Am was in charge of the Photographic Dept of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art between 1977 and 1992 and had a one-man retrospective at this Museum in 1996.
Bar-Lev, H.
Painter.
Baradon, Doron
Birth - Death : Active during the 2nd half of the 20th Century
Baram, Sioma
Nationality : Rumanian then Israeli
Baram fought during World War Two in Italy where he was wounded in action. He exhibited his works in Israel, in Paris and in England. He was much inspired by Jewish traditions in his works. First influenced by Russian Constructivist artists he produced figurative paintings and then moved towards abstraction showing machines and robots in his works.
Barash Moses
Birth - Death : 20th Century
Nationality : German then American
Baratynsky Anatoly
Nationality : Russian then Israeli
Painter. Living in Jerusalem from 1991, he exhibited his works in Israel and abroad.
Bareket, Sharon
Bareket, Yael
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ArtCult - Around Jewish Art - ArtCult the art center : News, Market analysis, and forecasting, stories of the world of Art, paintings, museum, fine arts
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Havard University - Havard Business School
The PhD in Business Economics" joint degree offered by HBS and the Department of Economics in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Havard University - Havard Business School - The PhD in Business Economics" joint degree offered by HBS and the Department of Economics in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
U.S.A. - North America
All about this master
Exclusive Counsel
Wyss House
Masters of Arts in International and Development Economics
Yale University - Graduate School - Economics Department
Stanford University - Stanford Graduate School of Business
Master of Arts (M.A.) Economics
McGill University - Faculty of Arts
Maîtrise en Gestion (M. Sc.) – Economie Appliquée
HEC Montréal
Economics, Ph.D. (Ithaca)
Cornell University - Cornell University Graduate School
Ph.D in Economics
University of California, Berkeley - College of Letters & Science
Economics Ph.D.
Northwestern University - Weinberg College of Arts and Science
MASTER OF ARTS PROGRAM IN ECONOMICS
Columbia University - Department of Economics
Duke University - Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
M.A. in Economics
University of British Columbia - Vancouver School of Economics
MS (Economics)
Purdue University - Krannert School of Management
PhD program in Applied Economics
University of Pennsylvania - Wharton School
MA Program in Economics
New York University (NYU) - Leonard N. Stern School of Business
Master's Degree and PhD in Economics
The University of Chicago - The Department of Economics
Ph.D. Program in Economics
University of California, Los Angeles - UCLA Department of Economics
Masters of Economics
Texas A&M University - Department of Economics
MA & Ph.D.in Economics
MA Economics
University of Western Ontario - Department of Economics
MBA Economics
York University - Schulich School of Business
MA in Business Economics
Queen's University - Smith School of Business
PhD in Economics
Carnegie Mellon University - Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business
Masters in Applied Economics
Georgetown University - Georgetown Center for Economic Research
University of Michigan - LSA College of Literature, Science and the Arts
The Economics Ph.D.
Emory University - Emory College of Arts and Sciences
Maîtrise en Économique
MA in Economics
Temple University - College of Liberal Arts
Master of Arts in Global Development Economics (MA GDE)
Boston University - College of Arts & Sciences - Economics Department
University of Florida - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Georgia State University - Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
MBA in Economics
Baruch College - City University Of New York (CUNY) - Baruch's Zicklin School of Business
University of Massachusetts - College of Liberal Arts
M.Sc. in Economics
Drexel University - Drexel Lebow School of Economics
Masters in Economics & Policy Analysis
Depaul University - College of Business
Master of Arts in Business Economics
Baylor University - Hankamer School of Business
Master of Business Economics
MS Economic Data Analytics
College of Business - The University of Texas at Arlington
University at Buffalo - The State University of New York - Department of Economics
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State Reserve-Museum Pavlovsk
Pavlovsk is located 25km to the south of Saint Petersburg and about 3km away from Pushkin. The Reserve-Museum is made of an imperial Palace and the surrounding park. The construction of the palace originated from Catherine II. She gave it to her only son: future Paul I. Her personal architect, Charles Cameron, was put in charge of the project. The first stone was laid in 1882 and the palace was completed in 1886. Ten years later, it became imperial residence at the coronation of the Emperor and it was entirely rebuilt and extended under supervision of Italian architect Vincenzo Brenna. The Palace, in its current style, has a semicircular shape and a paladin style. The park covers an area of 543 ha which makes it one of the largest in Russia and Europe. It reflects the landscaping art of the late 19th-early 20th century. Several architects left their trace: Charles Cameron, Vincenzo Brenna, Pietro Gonzaga. It is also the result of the care that Marya Fyodorovna, Paul I’s wife, put in it for fifty years. The Park is divided into seven landscaped spaces, each with its own style.
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Home › Forums › General discussion › Suggestions › Taron Johnson Jersey
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October 26, 2018 at 8:47 am #17034
Spending on signing bonuses for international amateur free agents dropped 25 percent to $153 million from $203 million in the first year of restraints [url=http://www.greenbaypackersteamonline.com/davante-adams-jersey]http://www.greenbaypackersteamonline.com/davante-adams-jersey[/url] , which cost Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani more than $100 million.
Spending was capped by baseball’s collective bargaining agreement beginning with the signing period from last July 2 through June 15.
Dominican shortstop Wander Franco received the largest bonus, $3,825,000 from Tampa Bay. Venezuelan catcher Daniel Flores was second at $3.3 million from Boston.
Just five other players received bonuses of more than $2 million: Cuban outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez ($2.8 million from Texas) was third, followed by Bahamian outfielder Kristian Robinson ($2.55 million from Arizona), Dominican shortstop Luis Garcia ($2.5 million from Philadelphia), Ohtani ($2,315,000 from the Los Angeles Angels) and Dominican shortstop Rony Mauricio ($2.1 million from the New York Mets).
Under the new rules, international amateurs were redefined as under 25 years old and with less than six years of professional experience, up from 23 years old and less than five years of experience. That meant teams were limited to what they could offer Ohtani, who hit .289 with six homers and 20 RBIs in 34 games and went 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA before the right-hander hurt his pitching elbow. Under the old rules, he would likely have signed a long-term deal for more than $150 million.
During the 2016-17 signing period, four Cubans were given contracts that included signing bonuses above $5 million: Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert agreed to $26 million, followed by San Diego pitcher Adrian Morejon at $11 million, and Cincinnati shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez and Padres outfielder Jorge Ona at $7 million each.
San Diego spent $40.8 million on international amateurs in the 2016-17 signing period, incurring a $37.4 million tax. Other big spenders were the White Sox ($29 million in bonuses [url=http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-keelan-cole-jersey]Keelan Cole Jersey[/url] , $25.2 million in tax), Cincinnati ($17.7 million/$12.4 million) and Atlanta ($17.3 million/$12.8 million).
Under the labor contract agreed to in November 2016, hard restrictions were put in place. Sixteen teams initially were limited in 2017-18 to $4.75 million, six to $5.25 million and eight to $5.75 million – all not counting bonuses of up to $10,000. Teams were able to trade allocations, and the New York Yankees boosted theirs to $8,309,000, followed by Texas at $8.1 million and Boston at $8 million.
Baltimore lowered its pool to $500,000.
Teams’ bonus pools totaled $153.5 million and they spent $149,676,750. Counting bonuses of up to $10,000, which don’t count against the pool, spending totaled $153,362,100. The 2018-19 pools total $158 [url=http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-marcell-dareus-jersey]Marcell Dareus Jersey[/url] ,889,500, up 3.5 percent.
Spending on international amateurs had increased from $74 million in 2012-13 to $156 million in 2015-16.
As a result of exceeded thresholds in 2016-17 under the rules of the previous collective bargaining agreement, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Houston, Oakland, St. Louis, San Diego and Washington were prohibited from signing international amateurs for bonuses of more than $300,000 both in 2017-18 and will be again in 2018-19. The Chicago Cubs, Kansas City, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco were not allowed to in 2017-18.
Restraints were introduced in the 2012-16 labor contract on spending on draft picks, players who reside in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Bonuses for those players totaled $234 million in 2011, dropped to $223 million in the first year of the new rules and didn’t reach their prior level until 2015’s $249 million, according to Major League Baseball. Draft spending rose to $269 million for 2016 selections and $289 million for 2017 picks.
AP baseball:
A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
Old-Timers’ Day is always a special occasion at Yankee Stadium, and this year’s festivities are set to feature Hall of Famers Whitey Ford and Reggie Jackson [url=http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-josh-lambo-jersey]Josh Lambo Jersey[/url] , along with first-timers Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi and current Yankees manager Aaron Boone. The fun begins before New York takes on Tampa Bay. The Yankees are the only team in the majors that regularly holds these events, and this marks the 72nd annual Old-Timers’ Day in the Bronx – Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb were among those in attendance at the very first one on Sept. 28, 1947, two days before the Yankees hosted the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series opener.
ASCENDING ASTROS
Houston has won 10 in a row overall, and the World Series champions aim to finish off a 10-0 road trip when Lance McCullers Jr. starts against the Royals. Coincidentally, the Astros had an 11-game winning streak end in Kansas City last year.
The Indians expect to know more about Carlos Carrasco, a day after the right-hander was struck in his pitching arm by a line drive from Minnesota’s Joe Mauer. The team announced Carrasco was diagnosed with a forearm contusion; manager Terry Francona said the pitcher was struck on the elbow.
OH THOSE O’S
The Orioles try to avoid a team-record 12th straight home loss when they face Miami. Baltimore has the worst record in the majors at 19-50, including nine losses in a row overall. Dylan Bundy (4-7) starts for the O’s against rookie Trevor Richards, who earned his first big league win on Tuesday against San Francisco.
HARDLY HARPER
Bryce Harper’s batting average has dropped to .221 after he went 0 for 4 and struck out twice Saturday at Toronto. The former MVP still leads the National League with 19 home runs.
”What I think I’d like for him to do is maybe not swing so much,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. ”He’s been swinging a lot, and I really think now is the time to take less swings and just go play.”
Yovani Gallardo, who has pitched for three different major league teams since leaving his hometown Rangers after the 2015 season, is expected to start for Texas at home against Colorado. The 32-year-old righty has been at Triple-A since signing a minor league deal in April after being designated for assignment by Cincinnati.
Cardinals rookie Jack Flaherty (3-2, 2.96 ERA) gets the Sunday night start at Busch Stadium. The 22-year-old righty opposes Jose Quintana (6-4, 4.10) and the Cubs.
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Editor-in-Chief of ArtReview and ArtReview Asia
Mark Rappolt founded ArtReview Asia in 2013, sister publication of ArtReview, a magazine that has been in print since 1949. He studied history of art at the Courtauld Institute in London and is a former editor of AA Files, the journal of the Architectural Association, where he has also taught in the Histories and Theories department. Books on architecture include Gehry Draws (2004) and Greg Lynn Form (2008). His writing on art has appeared in a number of publications, ranging from The Times to i-D, and includes catalogue essays on Bharti Kher, Slater Bradley, Alex Katz, David Cronenberg, and women artists of the 1960s, amongst others. He has delivered talks and lectures everywhere from the London School of Economics to Art Basel Miami Beach, and organises an annual series of talks on art for CHART in Copenhagen. He was formerly a member of the Jarman Award Jury and this year he was a judge for the Prudential Eye Awards in Singapore and the Leopold Bloom Art Award in Hungary.
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Best Picture Winners #5 – Grand Hotel (1932)
Grand Hotel.
It’s grand. And it’s a hotel.
It’s also a movie! 😀
But of course it’s a movie. And more than that, the only Academy Award winning movie to not have any of its participants nominated in any of the other categories.
Pretty cool, huh? I think so!
Now on to the movie itself.
After the disaster that was Cimarron, I was really hoping for something much better. Something with engaging characters, a moving plot, and most of all, something not too long (unlike the next movie in this series, Cavalcade, which I’ll talk about next time). I have no problem with long movies, but make sure it’s something that will keep my interest. Or I’ll be spending more time on Twitter and Google Plus than watching the screen.
And fortunately, more engaging and overall better movie I did get with this 1932 drama Grand Hotel! In this story (based on a play, which was based on a book), we get to know the inhabitants of the Grand Hotel in Berlin at the turn of the 30s, and see how their lives intersect. We meet a baron (played by Drew Barrymore’s grandfather John Barrymore) who has to get by with card games and occasionally stealing jewels, and a disgruntled factory worker named Otto Kringelein (played by John Barrymore’s brother Lionel) who is dying (we never find out what his ailment is) and wants to live in the lap of luxury for once in his life.
Then there’s General Director Preysing, who was Kringelein’s former boss and who is at the hotel to close a major deal and hires a stenographer Flaemmchen (Joan Crawford) to help him.
And let’s not forget Grusinskaya (Greta Garbo), a high-strung Russian ballerina whose popularity has faded and who seems to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Throughout the movie, we get to see these very different characters intersecting with one another, often in very interesting ways. Such as the Baron and Grusinskaya. He enters her room while she’s at the theater one evening so that he can steal her jewels, but instead, they fall in love when he comes out of hiding to console her, since he overhears her talking about ending it all. Then later in the hotel bar, Kreigelein, his former boss, Flaemmchen, and the Baron all interact when Flaemmchen wants Kreigelein to dance with her, but instead, he gets into a fight with his former boss.
It’s all really intriguing to see these stories play out. There is always something going on, unlike the sarcastic comment made by another character at the beginning and end of the movie. And I for one, thoroughly enjoyed this movie. You could totally remake this movie in 2016 and the story would still hold up!
Next time: What I thought would be another Western, turns out to be anything but. The harder-to-find epic Cavalcade, another Best Picture winner based on a play.
Writer Research – Contacting Real People Instead of the Internet
Best Picture Winners #6 – Cavalcade (1933)
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US Supreme Court Decisions On-Line> Volume 134 > UNITED STATES V. JONES, 134 U. S. 483 (1890)
UNITED STATES V. JONES, 134 U. S. 483 (1890)
United States v. Jones, 134 U.S. 483 (1890)
United States v. Jones
Submitted March 3, 1890
Decided March 24, 1890
The decision of a commissioner of a Circuit Court of the United States upon a motion for bail and the sufficiency thereof, and his decision upon a motion for a continuance of the hearing of a criminal charge, are judicial acts in the "hearing and deciding on criminal charges" within the meaning of Rev.Stat. § 847, providing for a per diem compensation in such cases.
The approval of a commissioner's account by a Circuit Court of the United States is prima facie evidence of its correctness, and, in the absence of clear and unequivocal proof of mistake on the part of the court, should be conclusive.
This was an appeal from a judgment rendered by the Court of Claims against the United States in favor of Richard M. Jones, for services rendered by him as a commissioner of the Circuit Court of the United States for the Western District of North Carolina.
The material facts of the case, as found by the court upon the evidence, were that the claimant had been a commissioner of the said court from 1883 to the bringing of the action; that from December 3, 1885, to June 30, 1886, as such commissioner, he issued warrants in six cases in which issue was joined and testimony taken; in three cases in which issue was joined and no testimony was taken, and in three cases in which issue was not joined, the defendants discharged, and no testimony taken, and that he duly made his docket entries in each and all of those cases by order and authority of the court, and in the manner required by its rules.
His accounts for fees and for keeping his dockets were verified by oath, and presented to the court in the presence of the district attorney, and approved by the court in due form. For those accounts thus approved he was allowed a fee of three dollars in each case where issue was joined and testimony taken, two dollars where issue was joined but no testimony taken, and one dollar where issue was not joined, chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
and the defendant discharged. His account also showed charges on eleven different days from March 12, 1884, to September 15, 1887, in as many criminal cases, each of which charges was either "for hearing and deciding on criminal charges, in deciding on amount of bail and sufficiency thereof," or " for hearing and deciding on criminal charges, in hearing and deciding on motion for continuance." These charges were approved by the Circuit Court, but not paid.
The court found as a conclusion of law that the claimant was entitled to $55 for these last eleven cases, and entered a judgment in his favor for $76. From that judgment, the United States brought this appeal.
The only assignment of error presented by the government in this appeal was that the court erred in finding that claimant is entitled to $55 for hearing and deciding on amount of bail and sufficiency thereof in four cases, and for hearing and deciding on motion for continuance in seven cases. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
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US Supreme Court Decisions On-Line> Volume 136 > DAVENPORT V. PARIS, 136 U. S. 580 (1890)
DAVENPORT V. PARIS, 136 U. S. 580 (1890)
Davenport v. Paris, 136 U.S. 580 (1890)
Davenport v. Paris
Submitted April 8, 1890
Decided April l4, 1890
Glenn v. Fant, 134 U. S. 398; Raimond v. Terrebonne Parish, 132 U. S. 192; Andes v. Slauson, 130 U. S. 436, and Bond v. Dustin, 112 U. S. 604, affirmed and applied to the stipulation filed in this case by counsel, the jury being waived.
This was an action to recover on bonds and coupons issued by the defendant, a municipal corporation, in aid of the construction of a railroad. The record contained the following stipulation "as to facts, etc." being signed by the counsel:
"It is stipulated in the matter of Charles Davenport v. The Town of Paris, in assumpsit, now pending in the U.S. Circuit Court for the Southern District of Illinois, that the instruments sued on, being bonds numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 31, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 and 80, with coupons now attached, which purport to be the bonds of the Town of Paris, were signed, respectively, by Henry Van Sellar and James A. Dittoe on the dates of said instruments, and that the said Henry Van Sellar was on that date Supervisor of said Town of Paris, and that the said James A. Dittoe was on said date the Town Clerk of said Town of Paris. "
"It is also agreed that a jury is waived in said matter. The above coupons are as are as follows: 61 of series 8, 9 and 10 and 51 of series 7, being 234 coupons."
"It is further stipulated that said bonds and coupons are identical in character with the bonds and coupons in the matter of Skinner v. Town of East Oakland, tried in this Court and appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, tried there and reported in 94 U. S. 94 U.S. 255, and issued in same manner, the only difference being that these bonds and coupons were issued by the Town of Paris instead of the Town of East Oakland."
"In case of appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, this case may be submitted under Rule 20 on written briefs."
Judgment below for the defendant, to review which the plaintiff sued out this writ of error.
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UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT DECISIONS - ON-LINE
US Supreme Court Decisions - On-Line> Volume 82 > RAILROAD COMPANY V. JOHNSON, 82 U. S. 195 (1872)
RAILROAD COMPANY V. JOHNSON, 82 U. S. 195 (1872)
Subscribe to Cases that cite 82 U. S. 195
Railroad Company v. Johnson, 82 U.S. 15 Wall. 195 195 (1872)
Railroad Company v. Johnson
82 U.S. (15 Wall.) 195
The constitutionality of the Acts of Congress of February 25, 1862, and of subsequent acts in addition thereto, making certain notes of the United States a legal tender in payment of debts, reaffirmed.
Johnson sued the Norwich and Worcester Railroad Company on certain coupons for interest attached to bonds, made by the said company A.D. 1860. When the coupons fell due, the amount was tendered in the legal tender notes of the United States, issued under the act of Congress of February 25, 1862, and the several acts in addition thereto, and they were refused. The state court rendered judgment that this tender was not good, and that the plaintiff should receive the amount with interest in the gold and silver coin of the United States. This writ of error was brought to reverse that judgment.
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Melbourne to host 4th APMN conference in October 2019
The Australian Pastoral Musicians Network Inc. (APMN) promotes the art of Religious Music in the service of the Catholic Church in Australia through education, support, networking and advocacy, with a special focus on supporting the use of Australian compositions.
The fourth APMN conference will take place in Melbourne from 1-3 October 2019 and features three keynote presentations, two plenary workshops, more than 40 workshops, conference Mass and conference dinner.
Download flyer | Visit Conference website
Tony Alonso is a theologian and composer whose work is animated by the diverse needs of the contemporary church. His compositions embrace multicultural musical expressions and reflect a commitment to strong ritual song. Tony’s music appears in compilations and hymnals across Christian denominations throughout the world. He holds a Bachelor of Music in choral conducting, a Master of Arts in theology and a PhD in religion from Emory University. Tony is Assistant Professor of Theology and Culture at Candler School of Theology at Emory University where he also serves as Director of Catholic Studies.
Diana Macalintal is the cofounder of TeamRCIA and an acclaimed author and speaker on Catholic liturgy, music, and the catechumenate. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Master of Arts in Theology, and has served in campus, parish, and diocesan ministries for 30 years, including 15 years as the Director of Worship for the Diocese of San Jose in California. She has written or contributed to numerous books and articles on liturgy, music, sacraments and RCIA and has served as an editorial advisor to GIA and Liturgical Press. Diana has had compositions published by WLP and is an accomplished cantor and presider for lay-led liturgy.
Registrations for the conference open 1 March 2019 with special early bird rates available until 30 June. Register now >
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Transformative Roles of Science in Society: From Emerging Basic Science Toward Solutions for People’s Wellbeing
Science and Sustainability. Impacts of Scientific Knowledge and Technology on Human Society and its Environment
Evolving Concepts of Nature
Complexity and Analogy in Science
The Scientific Legacy
Scientific Insights into the Evolution of the Universe and of Life
Predictability in Science: Accuracy and Limitations
Paths of Discovery
The 400th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
Raccolta di studi scientifici
Resoconto della Sessione Plenaria, XIII anno accademico
Tornata inaugurale e prima Tornata ordinaria, XII anno accademico
Tornata inaugurale e 2 Tornate ordinarie, VII anno accademico
Tornata inaugurale e 3 Tornate ordinarie, VI anno accademico
Prima e seconda Tornata privata, V anno accademico
Tornata inaugurale, Commemorazione di S.S. Pio XI, 3 Tornate ordinarie, IV anno accademico
Tornata inaugurale e 3 Tornate Ordinarie, III anno accademico
Tornata inaugurale e 2 Tornate ordinarie, II anno accademico
Seduta inaugurale e prima Tornata, I anno accademico
Walter Thirring - Commemoration
Walter Thirring left us on 19 August 2014 in his 87th year. He was an Austrian physicist after whom the Thirring model in Quantum Field Theory was named.
Walter Thirring was born in Vienna, where he earned his Doctor of Physics degree in 1949 at the age of 22. In 1959, at the remarkable age of 32, he became Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Vienna.
Thirring participated in challenging and profound life experiences, growing up under Nazi occupation, serving in the war, striving to establish scientific excellence and reaching out across the Iron Curtain.
Thirring is one of the last physicists who worked on the greatest discoveries and with the greatest scientists of the 20th century. He recollected his encounters with old masters like Einstein, Schrödinger, Heisenberg, Pauli and others.
Starting from his degree in 1949 Walter Thirring extensively travelled abroad. He worked for one year with Erwin Schrödinger in Dublin, with Werner Heisenberg in Göttingen and Wolfgang Pauli in Zürich. In 1953, when he was 25, he went to Princeton and met Albert Einstein, 48 years his senior. During the two long encounters, they discussed politics, freedom and, of course, physics. A healthy mutual skepticism developed between the two men over new ideas about Gravitation and about the influence of Quantum Mechanics.
Thirring held various positions at other leading institutes and universities such as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He then returned to Vienna, teaching as Professor at the University of Vienna until 1968, when he took the position of Head of the Theoretical Physics group at CERN which he held up to 1971.
I personally met Walter when he arrived at CERN in 1968. Our friendship continued since then in very different locations and most importantly during my visits to Austria where meeting him amongst my many friends was for me a recurrent event.
Besides pioneering work in quantum field theory, Walter Thirring devoted his scientific life to mathematical physics. He is the author of many scientific papers, of one of the first textbooks on quantum electrodynamics as well as of a four-volume course in mathematical physics, which he published during a 10-year-long period from 1888 to 1998.
In his writings he presented the challenges faced when the shift away from atomistic theory and Newtonian physics towards field theory and quantum mechanics took place. Every step is presented in clear, understandable language that reflected Thirring's extensive experience in training the next generations.
In 2007 Walter Thirring authored «Cosmic Impressions», with the introduction of Cardinal Franz König on the relation between Science and Religion. In that book he sums up his feelings about the scientific discoveries made by modern cosmology: «In the last decades, new worlds have been unveiled that our great teachers wouldn't have even dreamed of. The panorama of cosmic evolution now enables deep insights into the blueprint of creation... Human beings recognize the blueprints, and understand the language of the Creator... These realizations do not make science the enemy of religion, but glorify the book of Genesis in the Bible».
Thirring was also a music composer and played the organ. In his biography he wrote: "Music is a subject that one cannot clarify through physics concepts".
Throughout his life he received numerous awards such as the Erwin Schrödinger Prize, the Max Planck Medal, and the Henri Poincaré Prize.
In addition to being a member of our Pontifical Academy of Sciences he was also a member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the National Academy of Sciences, USA, the Academia Europaea, and of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He held an Honorary doctorate from the Comenius University in Bratislava (1994).
He received many honors:
Eötvös Medal (1967); Erwin Schrödinger Prize (1969); Max Planck Medal of the German Physical Society (1978); Prize of the city of Vienna (1978); Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (1993); Honorary Medal of the Austrian capital Vienna in Gold (1993); Honorary doctorate from the Comenius University in Bratislava (1994); Henri Poincaré Prize of IAMP (International Association of Mathematical Physics) 200
His memory will be respectfully remembered by all of us.
Plenary Session 25-29 November 2016 – We invite all members of the PAS to reflect on which already... Read more
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Padre Pio: A saint comes to YOU!
By Mary Lou Rosien On Sep 11, 2018
Relics of St. Pio of Pietrelcina. Photo courtesy of the Saint Pio Foundation
St. Pio of Pietrelcina. Photo: Public Domain
The day began with an announcement from Fr. Walter Grabowski: “Not many of us can go to San Giovanni Rotondo, but St. Pio comes to us!”
Born May 25, 1887, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, affectionately known as Padre Pio, first expressed a desire for the priesthood at age 10. He was ordained when he was only 23. He was known for his laughter, ability to touch souls in a dramatic way through the sacrament of Penance, and his love for the Mass and the Eucharist. He was a mystic who bore the stigmata (wounds of Christ).
St. Pio died in 1968, and on this, the 50th anniversary of his death, the saint is being remembered through a national tour of his relics (made available for public veneration). The tour resumes this fall with stops planned from Sept. 8 to Nov. 11.
One stop on the tour, sponsored by the Saint Pio Foundation, was St. Gabriel Church, in the Diocese of Buffalo (New York) on April 21. The day included Mass celebrated by Bishop Richard J. Malone, an opportunity for confession, and veneration of the relics. The relics included St. Pio’s glove, a lock of his hair, crusts of his wounds, cotton gauze with his blood, his mantle, and a handkerchief soaked with sweat hours before he died.
Bishop Malone reminded those at Mass that Catholics are an “incarnational people” and all creation mediates the grace and presence of God.
People were drawn to the saint in his lifetime, and that devotion has spread since his death and subsequent canonization in 2002. Many people who attended the event (6,000 to 7,000 according to event coordinator, Michael Pratt) expressed special devotions to this saint; many times they had been led to him through another person who shared with them.
He truly is a friend of a friend to Sandy L. and Marie W. who came to venerate the relics. Another woman, Ellen S., explained that her mother-in-law had a great devotion to the saint and kept a picture of him on her wall as she was dying. Ellen took on that devotion as part of her own spiritual life following her mother-in-law’s death.
Jeff K. came to venerate the relics as a way of thanking St. Pio for answered prayers. Jeff transferred to a job in another state, and it was not bringing him the peace he desired. He found a book on Padre Pio and began praying to him for help. He then discovered a website, PadrePioDevotions.org, and found prayers that moved him deeply. Following a novena to the saint, he secured employment back home in Buffalo, which led him to his beautiful fiancée, who attended the event with him.
Ben R., 17, learned about Padre Pio in his high school. He loved the stories of miracles, especially one about a blind girl with no pupils who regained her sight after she met the saint. He called St. Pio “super holy!”
Maria M., 12, loved the “interesting life” and “miracles, especially the stigmata” that were part of the saint’s history.
Some came for the opportunity to venerate the relics close to home, echoing the earlier sentiments of Fr. Grabowski. One couple didn’t know that much about the saint, but they were excited that they had the chance to see first-class relics in their home parish.
Fr. Grabowski, the pastor of St. Gabriel’s, shared that about 800 people attended the special Mass, and they came for two reasons: the relics and the Eucharist! He reported that miracles had occurred — miracles in the confessional — especially people returning to the sacrament after 20 years away from it. “As St. Faustina was a channel of God’s mercy, St. Padre Pio is a channel of God’s grace in the confessional.”
Joseph T., 7, and his sister, Brianna, 5, summed it up. When asked why they came, they replied, “We want to be blessed.”
From left to right, relics of St. Pio: blood-stained cotton gauze, a handkerchief, a glove, a mantle (brown garment), hair locks, and crusts of his wounds. Photo courtesy of the Saint Pio Foundation.
HOW TO UNDERSTAND RELICS
Relics are holy objects that are venerated by the Church. This is not to be confused with worship. We worship God alone, but we recognize certain objects in a way that inspires us. In sacred Scripture, we read that miracles often were performed using physical objects.
So extraordinary were the mighty deeds God accomplished at the hands of Paul that when face cloths or aprons that touched his skin were applied to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
(Acts 19:11–12)
Catholicism is an “incarnational” religion, meaning that the physical and spiritual are connected.
Relics are classified in three ways:
First class: A part of a saint’s body such as a bone (or a bone fragment), hair, nails. Also, the instruments of Christ’s passion.
Second class: An object directly belonging to a saint or the object of torture used against a martyr.
Third class: Anything touched to a first-, second-, or third-class relic. The Code of Canon Law, paragraph 1190, speaks to the specific treatment of relics. It forbids the buying and selling of relics; however, in some cases donations to cover costs are allowed.
ASHES AND RELICS
If the Church doesn’t allow the scattering of a dead person’s ashes, how does it allow a saint’s body parts to be separated?
The sensus fidelium through the centuries has clearly seen a distinction to be made between the respect to be shown the remains of the deceased for the repose of whose souls we still pray, and the honor that is given to God by the use of the remains of saints to effect miracles and find grace (see 2 Kings 13:21).
(Fr. Peter B. Mottola, JCL)
The saints, as members of the body of Christ, have a right to have their remains venerated. And this right, flowing from their dignity as members of the body of Christ, supersedes their right to have their remains remain in burial.
(Fr. Carlos Martins, CC, “Is it weird that Catholics venerate relics? Here’s why we do,” Mary Rezac, Catholic News Agency, Nov. 1, 2017)
FIVE WAYS TO LEARN FROM ST. PIO
You don’t have to be “worthy,” just willing.
God will never allow anything that is not for our greater good.
God will always give us more than we deserve.
Serve the Lord with laughter.
Pray, hope, and don’t worry.
Source: Bishop Richard J. Malone, Diocese of Buffalo (New York), homily at St. Gabriel’s Parish, April 21, 2018
THE TOUR CONTINUES
Visit SaintPioFoundation.org/American-Tour-2018 for tour dates and locations.
Mary Lou RosienPadre PioPadre Pio relics tourSaint Pio FoundationSaintsSpiritualitySt. Pio of Pietrelcina
Mary Lou Rosien
MARY LOU ROSIEN is a Catholic author, speaker, and columnist. She is the RCIA coordinator at St. Leo’s Church in Hilton, New York. She is a frequent contributor to Catechist magazine, Today’s Catholic Teacher magazine, and CatholicMom.com. Visit her online at CatholicFamilyBootCamp.com.
At the hour of our death
Apollo 11 memories: How a sleepy kid almost missed Armstrong’s ‘one small step’
Five ways to grow spiritually during the summer
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About Clayton
Community Building Partnership
Raising the Barr
News, Speeches, and Opinions
Clayton Barr MP / Speeches / Cessnock City Council
Cessnock City Council
August 29, 2013 Clayton BarrNo CommentsSpeeches
It is with pleasure I make a statement to clear the good name of councillors of Cessnock City Council. Twelve months ago in this House I referred to problems at the council that had been referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption and to my concerns at that time that the then general manager was using whistleblower legislation to protect her own job at the expense of the councillors. I make it clear to the House that I am talking about councillors of Liberal, Nationals, Independent and Labor backgrounds; in other words, I am talking about all the councillors, and I am not singling out any particular political party or making a political point. However, part of being a member of Parliament is that we often make character judgements. My judgement of the good councillors of the Cessnock City Council is that they are far and away of good character.
At the time I made my speech, the general manager had found something that concerned her. Instead of addressing it using a formal internal process, given the threat of her job being lost—the councillors had decided that they would move to terminate her employment—she wrote to the Independent Commission Against Corruption asking it to investigate some fairly loose and flimsy allegations of corruption. As a result, the councillors were told that they could not, must not, and would not move to sack her, which gave her approximately 12 months of extra wages and salary from Cessnock City Council. Most importantly, I am making this speech today to make three main points. The first is that when I spoke about this issue last year, some people condemned me and said it was a bit outrageous that I would speak so aggressively about the actions of the general manager.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption report that has been made available tells me that I was pretty much in line—that I was true and accurate. Secondly, Cessnock City Council has not done as well as it could have done over these past 12 to 18 months if we had had proper, astute management at the helm. Thirdly, I want to point out, as I did 12 months ago, that this has cost the ratepayers of Cessnock $2 million. I commend and dip my hat to the councillors for their bravery. At the time seven councillors had to pay their own legal fees, somewhere in the vicinity of $150,000 to $200,000, to clear their names. In an amazing turn of events, at the time the councillors were made an offer: if they signed a declaration that they would not move to sack the general manager they would no longer be deemed corrupt but if they continued to try to sack the general manager they would be deemed corrupt and would need legal advice and representation to defend their position.
Three of the 10 councillors who were originally deemed corrupt because they wanted to sack the general manager, signed a waiver to say that they would no longer try to sack the general manager. All of a sudden, those three were no longer corrupt and they were removed from the investigation process. It cost the community of Cessnock $2 million—from a total budget of $60 million. That means $1 in every $30 paid by ratepayers of Cessnock or realised through grants or other sources of income—$1 in every $30 available to Cessnock City Council—was being spent on legal fees to defend the position of the general manager that the councillors were corrupt, in order to protect her own position.
On top of that, the general manager led the council to an unfortunate incident with the airport manager. The council was also asked to pay damages to Mr Peter Roberts to the value of $500,000 because they had unlawfully and ill-advisedly terminated his contract. The legal costs for that were $200,000. So $2.7 million of Cessnock City Council money—ratepayer money—was lost due to the bad decision-making of the general manager at the time. Fortunately, that general manager has moved on, and Cessnock looks like going onward and upwards from here. I reiterate that this is not about party politics. It is about the good people who stick up their hands as councillors of Cessnock City Council. It is about the work they have done in the past and the work they will do in the future. It is about somebody loosely using the whistleblower Act to protect her own income.
CessnockCouncilsICACLocal Government
Raising the BARR – Week ending 30 June 2019 July 8, 2019
Raising the BARR – Week ending 14 June 2019 June 21, 2019
Raising the BARR – Week ending 31 May 2019 June 6, 2019
Raising the BARR – Week ending 17 May 2019 May 27, 2019
Raising the BARR – Week ending 3 May 2019 May 10, 2019
Clayton's Community Calendar
118 Vincent Street
Cessnock NSW 2325 Phone: (02) 4991 1466 or toll free 1300 550 114 Fax: (02) 4991 1103 E-Mail: cessnock@parliament.nsw.gov.au
© Copyright 2019 Clayton Barr MP
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Stop Saudi Genocidal War in Yemen: Interview with Fouad Alghaffari
LaRouchePAC conducted an exclusive interview with Fouad Alghaffari, chairman of the Yemeni Advisory Office for Coordination with the BRICS, who has been actively promoting the ideas of the LaRouche movement in Yemen, leading the effort to bring Yemen into the "peace through development" paradigm of the New Silk Road.
Alghaffari speaks with us from Sana’a, Yemen, which has been the target of an aggressive genocidal war by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,which has already killed over 10,000 people. LaRouchePAC has issued an emergency state, "Enemy of the New Silk Road Paradigm: Saudi Genocide in Yemen" which can be found here.
Enemy of the New Silk Road Paradigm: Saudi Genocide in Yemen
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Two-Year Loan to Europe Ideal for DaSilva
Jay DaSilva had never made an appearance at the senior-level when he arrived, on loan, at the Charlton Athletic Football Club. The pla...
http://www.chelseadaft.org/2018/05/two-year-loan-to-europe-ideal-for.html
Jay DaSilva had never made an appearance at the senior-level when he arrived, on loan, at the Charlton Athletic Football Club. The player went for 90 minutes in his first ten games, missing one because he was called up for the England U20s, and ended his season with a total of 41 appearances.
This made him the player with the fifth-most minutes on the team, at 3 332, and garnered him the Supporters’ Player of the Year Award. And, while there’s no doubt that Charlton would welcome him back with open arms, especially if they get promoted to the Championship, Chelsea should view the option of sending him out of England for the next spell of his loan.
Vitesse or a Bundesliga Club
Following a template that worked for Matt Miazga and Andreas Christensen, as punters who enjoy NZ betting will well know, Chelsea should look at loaning DaSilva to a club in the Bundesliga or to Vitesse for two years. This hitch allows players to quietly learn and absorb the technical demands these leagues put on them, and it works particularly well with defenders.
Clubs to Advance His Game
DaSilva, a physical left-back with extraordinary footwork on the ball, would be a perfect fit for Germany and Holland, and playing there would allow him to gain progress in both sides of his game. Working with these leagues would see him expanding his technical and tactical repertoire a lot beyond what he may learn here.
DaSilva’s Biggest Liability
The styles of plays in these European Clubs would help DaSilva to prevail over his biggest hindrance: his stature.
At just 1.7 meters tall, DaSilva is a full eight centimetres shorter than Cesar Azpilicueta, and only slightly taller than N’Golo Kante. He will need to gain knowledge of the tactical movements and bodily positions that will go towards ensuring that he doesn’t get bowled over by bigger players cutting inside, and he’ll need to be very fit to ensure he’s always on the defensive.
Similarly to Azpilicueta, he is powerful in tackles, holding his own against players of any size, but he still needs to learn how to win games of the likes of the Premier League.
Playing in the Bundesliga or Vitesse could also be an opportunity for DaSilva to try a defensive midfield position. He is a short, left-footed defender who is incredibly comfortable when it comes to a soccer ball, and holds a distinctive set of tools that could work very well in the pitch’s middle.
Were he partnered with a box-to-box midfielder like Kante, DaSilva could become a very effective option in terms of pivoting play out from the centre-back above and beyond his defensive duties. DaSilva’s experience as a Charlton full-back shows that he could become a considerable threat in the half-space in an offensive possession, were his midfield partner in charge of covering defence.
Chelsea Football Club has solid depth for the left-back for the foreseeable future, with Emerson Palmieri and Marcos Alonso leading the way as far as the next few seasons are concerned. Should it become necessary, Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta could cover the position too.
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Press Release: Insurance rate for Washington kids remains stable
Cover All Kids
September 10, 2009—Data released by the U. S. Census Bureau this morning show that 93.2 percent of children in Washington State had health coverage in 2008, the same rate as in 2007. The rate remained the same only because an increase in the number of children enrolled in public coverage made up for the loss of employer-based coverage.
The number of children covered under employer-based plans dropped to just under 60 percent in 2008, compared with 65 percent the prior year. At the same time the percentage of children on public insurance jumped to 36.7 percent, from 30 percent in 2007. Overall, about 107,000 Washington children lacked health coverage in 2008.
“What this data show us is that public coverage in Washington, the Apple Health for Kids program, is making up for a loss in employer-based coverage in our state,” said Lori Pfingst, Assistant Director of Washington Kids Count. “If families did not have the option of a public insurance plan, we would have seen a significant drop in coverage rates for Washington children.”
Early this year, the Washington State Legislature maintained funding for the Apple Health for Kids program and preserved comprehensive coverage for children in families making up to 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.
“We can all be very proud that we as a state have been able to keep children covered as the economy went south and as employers cut back or eliminated coverage for families,” said Jon Gould, Deputy Director of the Children’s Alliance.
“Our leaders in government deserve a great deal credit for maintaining the commitment to cover all kids by 2010. Governor Chris Gregoire and legislative leaders such as Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, Senator Chris Marr, House Speaker Frank Chopp and Representative Larry Seaquist all fought to make sure families would have an insurance option for their children when they really needed it.
“We encourage state policymakers to continue current efforts to find and enroll eligible kids until every child in our state is covered.”
The most recent state data show that 452,385 children in Washington were enrolled in public children’s health coverage programs in April 2009, up from 409,383 children enrolled in April 2008 and 370,830 in April 2007.
“The census data released today captures only the very beginning of the effects of the recession,” Pfingst said. “We would expect the number of children on employer-based plans to further erode in the second half of 2008 and in 2009 as unemployment increased. Additionally, current trends show more businesses cutting back on family coverage or increasing the employee contribution for such plans significantly.”
Nationally, the new Census report shows that the number of uninsured children in the United States is at the lowest level since 1987. In 2008, there were 7.3 million uninsured children, a decline of 800,000 from 8.1 million in 2007. (See the Center for Children and Families blog, Say Ahhh!, for more information.)
The health reform debate going on in the U.S. Congress has not yet settled on how children’s coverage will be handled under a reformed health insurance system, although plans to date would put children above 133% or 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, depending on the plan, in an insurance exchange along with their parents. Advocates for children are urging our representative in Washington, D.C. to ensure that any health reform package includes safeguards to ensure that families continue to have the kind of comprehensive coverage available under Apple Health for Kids.
“Apple Health for Kids works; the census data show that,” Gould said. “Health reform is critical to both children and their parents. As Congress works out the details, Washington State offers an example of how to ensure that children get the health coverage they need to develop and thrive.”
In two weeks the Census Bureau is scheduled to release data from the American Community Survey (ACS), which is conducted in a different manner and will include more recent data and county-level data. The ACS does not, however, include historical data for comparison. In addition, the Washington State Office of Financial Management releases its population survey every two years, which includes uninsurance rates. The population survey has historically shown lower uninsurance rates than the census data. The next release is scheduled for late 2010.
Jon Gould, Deputy Director, Children’s Alliance, (206) 324-0340 x19, cell: (206) 683-2674, jon@childrensalliance.org
Ruth Schubert, Senior Communications Manager, Children’s Alliance (206) 324-0340 x18, cell: (206) 498-0185, ruth@childrensalliance.org
Lori Pfingst, Assistant Director, Washington Kids Count, (206) 616-1506, pfingst@u.washington.edu
2009CensusDataRelease.pdf109.6 KB
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Regional Cooperation[remove]48
Financial Crisis43
International Organization41
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Finnish Institute of International Affairs17
EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations10
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United States Institute of Peace6
You searched for: Content Type Policy Brief Remove constraint Content Type: Policy Brief Publishing Institution Centre for European Policy Studies Remove constraint Publishing Institution: Centre for European Policy Studies Topic Regional Cooperation Remove constraint Topic: Regional Cooperation
1. Falling short of expectations? Stress-testing the European banking system
Author: Viral V. Acharya, Sascha Steffen
Institution: Centre for European Policy Studies
Abstract: The eurozone is mired in a recession. In 2013, the GDP of all 17 eurozone countries fell by 0.5% and the outlook for 2014 shows considerable risks across the region. To stabilise the common currency area and its (partly insolvent) financial system, a eurozone banking union is being established. An important part of the banking union is the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM), which will transfer the oversight of Europe's largest banks to the European Central Bank (ECB). Before the ECB takes over this responsibility, it plans to conduct an Asset Quality Review (AQR) in 2014, which will identify the capital shortfalls of these banks.
Topic: Economics, International Trade and Finance, Regional Cooperation, Monetary Policy
Political Geography: Europe
2. EU-Turkey Relations: Turning vicious circles into virtuous ones
Author: Steven Blockmans
Abstract: Concerns about the deterioration of democracy in Turkey are not new: the trials over the 2003 „ Sledgehammer ‟ alleged coup plan (2010-12) and over the ‟ Ergenekon ‟ secret organisation (2008-13) broke the military‟s influence over politics, but were widely criticised because of their reliance on secret witnesses and disputes over evidence. Ironically, their outcome has recently been challenged by Prime Minister Erdoğan himself, who has disowned the trials now that the judiciary has the AK Party in its sights. International concern was also stirred by the violent crackdown on the countrywide protests of May/June 2013. Unrest then was triggered by the planned redevelopment of Istanbul‟s Gezi Park in May 2013, but developed into a wider movement critical of government corruption, increasing restrictions on freedom of speech and concerns about the erosion of secularism. Protests simmered on through September, winding down in autumn and winter only to reignite in March of this year.
Topic: Government, International Cooperation, Politics, Regional Cooperation, Reform
Political Geography: Europe, Turkey
3. Does ASEM work?
Author: Jacques Pelkmans, Weinian Hu
Abstract: This CEPS Policy Brief is based on a larger study for the EEAS and European Commission, written by the same authors in the run-up of the Milan ASEM summit of 16-17 October 2014. The main idea of the study is to assess whether ASEM works and how, by verifying the factual evidence in detail. After all, ASEM has no institutions, no budget and no treaty, whilst dialogues and a loose improvement over time in Asia-Europe relations refer to process much more than genuine 'results'. The stocktaking covers all ASEM activities since the 2006 Helsinki summit. Summit and foreign ministers' declarations and ASEM calendar of activities (and interviews) are used to trace ASEM activities in the three ASEM pillars (political, economic, and peoples-to-peoples/cultural). All the 'regular' ASEM meetings at ministerial and other levels (many of which are only known to relatively few) have been mapped. Also the ASEM working methods, based on the 2000AECF framework and many subsequent initiatives, have been scrutinised, including whether they are actually implemented or not or partially. Such methods refer to how to work together in areas of cooperation (beyond the typical ASEM dialogue), organisation, coordination and ASEM visibility.
Topic: International Cooperation, Regional Cooperation, Governance
Political Geography: Europe, Singapore
4. Proposal for a Stabilisation Fund for the EMU
Author: Bernard Delbecque
Abstract: This paper argues that it should be possible to complement Europe's Economic and Monetary Union with an insurance-type shock absorption mechanism to increase the resilience of member countries to economic shocks and reduce output volatility. Such a mechanism would neither require the establishment of a central authority, nor would it lead to permanent transfers between countries. For this mechanism to become a reality, however, it would be necessary to overcome certain technical problems linked to the difficulty of anticipating correctly the position of an economy in the business cycle.
Topic: Economics, Regional Cooperation, Governance
5. The Governance Gap in European Security and Defence
Author: Giovanni Faleg
Abstract: Let us take three assumptions: The demand for security provision continues to increase in Europe's fragile neighbourhood (notably following the 'Arab Spring'); Austerity restrictions have hit national defence budgets heavily; The balance of power is shifting 'from the West to the rest' and the Americans are pivoting eastwards. Under these circumstances, it is no surprise that the EU is struggling to establish itself as a credible and effective security actor. The final report of High Representative Catherine Ashton, released in preparation for the December 2013 European Council on Security and Defence, admits that Europe "faces rising security challenges within a changing strategic context while the financial crisis is increasingly affecting its security and defence capability". But these are not the true causes of CSDP inertia.
Topic: Defense Policy, Regional Cooperation
6. Rule of law or rule of thumb? A New Copenhagen Mechanism for the EU
Author: Sergio Carrera, Elspeth Guild, Nicholas Hernanz
Abstract: The European Union, and its Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ), is founded on a set of common principles of rule of law, democracy and human rights. This has been officially enshrined in the body of Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) which lists "respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities" as the shared values on which the Union is rooted. One of the current modalities of action to ensure that all member states of the EU respect Article 2 TEU is to filter their compliance with these values before they accede to the Union. The so-called 'Copenhagen criteria' have been established in 1993 to ensure that all new EU member states are in line with the Union's common principles before crossing the bridge towards membership.
Topic: Democratization, Human Rights, International Law, Regional Cooperation
7. How to Negotiate under Co-decision in the EU: Reforming Trilogues and First-Reading Agreements
Author: Lukas Obholzer, Christine Reh
Abstract: The Constitutional Affairs Committee is currently reviewing the European Parliament's Rules of Procedure to increase the effectiveness, transparency and inclusiveness of first-reading agreements under co-decision. This CEPS Policy Brief takes a stand as to which rules should be adopted to achieve these objectives. Given the steep rise of early agreements and Parliament's role as a guarantor of EU legitimacy, we place a premium on inclusiveness and transparency. The rules suggested are designed to maintain efficiency for technical proposals, facilitate effective decision-making on urgent files and increase the overall legitimacy of legislative decision-making in the EU.
Topic: Regional Cooperation, Treaties and Agreements, Governance
8. In Search of Symmetry in the Eurozone
Author: Paul De Grauwe
Abstract: One of the major problems of the eurozone is the divergence of the competitive positions that have built up since the early 2000s. This divergence has led to major imbalances in the eurozone where the countries that have seen their competitive positions deteriorate (mainly the so - called ' PIIGS ' – Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain ) have accumulated large current account deficits and thus external indebtedness, matched by current account surpluses of the countries that have improved their competitive positions (mainly Germany).
Topic: Economics, Markets, Regional Cooperation, Global Recession, Financial Crisis
Political Geography: Europe, Greece, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland
9. An Agenda for the European Council: Feasible steps to bring the eurozone back from the precipice
Author: Stefano Micossi
Abstract: Once again the European Council will meet in an emergency session at the end of June, with the eurozone economy in recession and actually plummeting in its Southern periphery. Further doubts are also growing on the sustainability of sovereign debts due to the vicious spiral of deteriorating bank balance sheets, ballooning potential liabilities from banking rescues and widening spreads on government borrowings. The sovereign debt crisis in the periphery has now turned into a fully fledged banking crisis that threatens to spread from Greece to Spain and tomorrow, who knows, to Italy, France and even Germany itself.
Topic: Debt, Economics, Regional Cooperation, Financial Crisis, Governance
Political Geography: Europe, Greece, France, Germany, Spain, Italy
10. 'Grexit': Who would pay for it?
Author: Daniel Gros, Cinzia Alcidi, Alessandro Giovannini
Abstract: What would be the cost if Greece were to exit from the eurozone? This much-debated question cannot be answered with a single number. The consequences of Greece's exit would depend decisively on the exact circumstances of events in the country itself as well as the general state of financial markets in the eurozone.
Topic: Debt, Markets, Regional Cooperation, Monetary Policy, Financial Crisis
Political Geography: Europe, Greece
11. Unleashing Competition in EU Business Services
Author: Henk L.M. Kox
Abstract: In most EU member states, the business services industry has booked no productivity growth during the last two decades. The industry's performance in the other member states was weaker than that of its US counterparts. Exploring what may be causing this productivity stagnation, this policy brief reports that weak competition has contributed to the continuing malaise in European business services. The study analyzed the persistence (over time) of firm-level inefficiencies. The evidence further suggests that competition between small firms and large firms in business services is weak. Markets for business services work best in countries with flexible regulation on employment change and with low regulatory costs for firms that start up or close down a business. Countries that are more open to foreign competition perform better in terms of competitive selection and productivity.
Topic: Economics, International Trade and Finance, Markets, Regional Cooperation
12. The EU should not shy away from setting CO2-related targets for transport
Author: Christian Egenhofer
Abstract: Transport is the only sector in the EU in which greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. Unless this trend can be reversed, the EU will have little chance of reaching its objectives in the context of global obligations on industrialised countries to reduce emissions between 80% and 95% by 2050 compared to 1990. Many different solutions exist, including, for example, new technology such as electrification of road transport, modal shift, optimising existing technologies and policy measures and more radical measures such as binding GHG emissions targets. While there is some merit to all of these approaches, this Policy Brief argues that current EU policy thinking is not (yet) bold enough to credibly tackle the GHG emissions challenge from transport.
Topic: Climate Change, Regional Cooperation, Treaties and Agreements
13. Lobbying the European Parliament: A necessary evil
Author: Maja Kluger Rasmussen
Abstract: Despite the growth of lobbying in the EU over the past two decades, the EU has taken a rather laissezfaire approach to regulating lobbying activity. While the European Parliament (EP) is in many ways more transparent and more accessible than many of the EU's national parliaments, the code of conduct for lobbyists and the Parliament's own rules of procedure are rather vague. As a result of the 'cash for laws' scandal, the EP President, Jerzy Buzek, has established a working group to draw up a new set of rules to govern the access and behaviour of lobbyists and to formulate a code of conduct for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The working group is currently considering seven proposals put forward by Jerzy Buzek, including a mandatory lobbying register for all EU institutions; a strengthening of MEPs' declarations of financial interests, with more frequent updates; a code of conduct for MEPs; a 'legislative footprint' for rapporteurs and tougher sanctions for non-compliance with these rules. While the reform proposal, as it stands now, offers a significant improvement of the Parliament's current rules, it does not go far enough, however.
Topic: Regional Cooperation, Governance
14. On the Tasks of the European Stability Mechanism
Author: Stefano Micossi, Fabrizia Peirce, Jacopo Carmassi
Abstract: In recent weeks pressures on the euro and eurozone sovereign debtors have subsided. Buoyant growth in the global economy, increasingly benefiting also the European economy, has of course played an important role in calming financial markets. But even more important has been the perception that France and Germany are again working constructively for a strong economic Europe. More broadly, the acute turbulence in financial markets since the spring of 2010 may have finally convinced our political leaders, notably including the German political establishment, that the benefits of a stable currency far outweigh the costs that may have to be borne to make it work properly. The euro will only be trusted if the member states effectively coordinate their economic policies not only to ensure fiscal stability, but also to eliminate persistent divergences in productivity leading to unsustainable imbalances between national savings and investment (Schäuble, 2011).
Topic: Security, Economics, Regional Cooperation, Monetary Policy, Financial Crisis, Governance
Political Geography: Europe, France, Germany
15. The Case for 'More Single Market'
Author: Jacques Pelkmans
Abstract: With the Commission's consultation period on the Single Market Act (European Commission, 2010) nearing its end, it is high time for the EU to get its act together. Priority should immediately be restored to the issue of the Single Market, and EU powers to deepen and widen the internal market, where economically justifiable, ought to be utilized to the full. This CEPS Policy Brief explains why.
Topic: Economics, Regional Cooperation
16. How to assess a rotating presidency of the Council under the Lisbon rules
Author: Piotr Maciej Kaczyński
Abstract: On 1 January 2011, Hungary, the third member of the European Union to join the club in 2004, took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union. This represents the first presidency of a newer member state under Lisbon Treaty rules. After the new treaty entered into force on 1 December 2009, all rotating presidencies are, in a sense, first time presidencies. Their relative success now depends more on administrative ability than political leadership.
Topic: Politics, Regional Cooperation, Governance
17. Britain, Ireland and Schengen: Time for a smarter bargain on visas
Author: Michael Emerson
Abstract: For the present UK government, full accession to the Schengen area, a passport- free travel area covering most of Europe, is a red line that it will not cross. Ireland shares a common travel area and land border with the UK and is also bound by this decision. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the UK, along with Ireland, is suffering serious economic and reputational costs as a result of its separate visa and border management policies.
Political Geography: Britain, United Kingdom, Europe, Ireland
18. The General Affairs Council: The Key to Political Influence of Rotating Presidencies
Author: Piotr Maciej Kaczyński, Andrew Byrne
Abstract: In spite of the formal role laid out for the General Affairs Council (GAC) in the Treaties, it has been weakened since it was extracted from the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) and set up to function on its own. Its current uneven composition is leading to further marginalisation. Reforming the GAC can bring it to the centre of gravity of the Council proceedings and address a number of problems in the current institutional structure. For that to happen, however, countries holding the rotating Council presidency need to consider placing their head of state or government in the chair of the GAC meetings. Upgrading GAC in this way would streamline the diverse work of the Council, it would help in alleviatin g the heavy political burden that now falls on the understaffed President of the European Council and it would allow the institution of the rotating presidency to regain a higher political profile by creating out of national leaders a de facto Vice President of the European Council.
19. Partial sovereign bond insurance by the eurozone: A more efficient alternative to blue (Euro-)bonds
Author: Hans-Joachim Dübel
Abstract: 'Blue' or Eurobonds guaranteed via joint and several liability by the eurozone member states have been proposed as an important tool to stabilise and structure the eurozone sovereign bond markets. But in this new Policy Brief, Hans-Joachim Dübel argues the case for a partial insurance of sovereign bonds by the European Stability Mechanism. Hans-Joachim Dübel is an independent financial sector consultant based in Berlin and founder of Finpolconsult.
Topic: Economics, International Trade and Finance, Markets, Regional Cooperation, Monetary Policy
Political Geography: Europe, Berlin
20. The Eurozone Debt Crisis: From its origins to a way forward
Author: Diego Valiante
Abstract: The Eurozone debt crisis has now reached a turning point. This paper argues for a more organised intervention by the ECB to stop contagion through the creation of a quantitative easing programme, coupled with a political agreement among member states on a more federalist budget for the Eurozone.
Topic: Debt, Economics, Regional Cooperation, Financial Crisis
21. Only a more active ECB can solve the euro crisis
Abstract: The biggest threat for the eurozone is the contagion of the Greek sovereign debt crisis to the rest of the system. If the Greek crisis could be isolated, it would barely matter for the eurozone as a whole. After countless crisis meetings of the European Council, however, it has to be admitted that the European leaders have failed to isolate the Greek crisis and to stop the forces of contagion. The latest meeting of the heads of state or government of the euro area on July 21st is no exception.
Topic: Debt, Markets, Regional Cooperation, Financial Crisis
22. Misguided policies risk breaking up the eurozone and the EU
Abstract: I met Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa in the early 1970s as a new young professional in the Research Department of Banca d'Italia, where he was head of the monetary policy unit. Many of us newcomers, fresh from American graduate studies, were appalled by the Bank's monetary approach, replete with quantitative controls and administrative measures to channel funds to an insatiable Treasury.
Topic: Economics, Regional Cooperation, Monetary Policy, Governance
Political Geography: America, Europe
23. EU Federalism in Crisis
Author: Karel Lannoo
Abstract: One positive effect of the euro crisis is that it has provoked Europe to engage in a profound debate on the form and degree of federalism it needs. Even if, until recently, many would have argued that Europe is not a federal state, the EU already has many elements of such a governance model in place, of which European citizens are hardly aware. Many competences are uniquely attributed to the EU. Legislation in several fields of EU competence can be adopted with a qualified majority of member states. Only in a few areas, such as taxation, is unanimity still required, even after the new Lisbon Treaty has come into effect. The same applies for changes to the EU Treaty itself.
Topic: Economics, Regional Cooperation, Monetary Policy, Financial Crisis, Governance
24. Agreement needed on liquidity provision to restore confidence in the eurozone
Abstract: Some eighteen months after the first Greek rescue (May 2010), there is little doubt that the multiple attempts at crisis management in the eurozone have failed to restore confidence. Indeed, following each round of emergency measures agreed by the eurozone summits, matters have turned for the worse (see Figure 1 for the widening spreads, over the German Bund, for sovereign borrowing in the eurozone). At the time of writing, contagion has spread beyond Spain and Italy to the core sovereigns, with France close to losing its triple A rating and even Germany experiencing partial failure in a Bund auction on November 23rd. Spreads are also opening up for Austria, Belgium, Finland and even the virtuous Netherlands. Meanwhile, the banking system Europe- wide is under increasing strain, with term funding all but closed for any bank with significant exposure to distressed sovereign debtors and the interbank market close to seizing up. Deposit withdrawals have surfaced in a number of large banks from the periphery. The euro has started to weaken in foreign exchange markets, narrowing the room for a distinction between eurozone debt crisis and euro-currency crisis from which some observers were until recently drawing comfort.
Topic: Economics, Regional Cooperation, Monetary Policy, Financial Crisis
Political Geography: Europe, Germany
25. Looking afresh at the external representation of the EU in the international arena
Author: Michael Emerson, Piotr Maciej Kaczyński
Abstract: In the wake of the Lisbon Treaty, it is important to review the present arrangements for the institutional representation of the European Union in international organisations, and more broadly, in the processes of international negotiations and the way the EU acts as contracting party to conventions of international law.
Topic: Diplomacy, Globalization, Regional Cooperation, Governance
26. Europe 2020 and the Financial System: Smaller is beautiful
Abstract: Meeting Europe's 2020 objectives of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth is even more of a challenge for the financial sector than for the EU as a whole. Smart, sustainable and inclusive growth is just the opposite of what the financial sector stood for, and how it continues to be perceived by the public. The huge regulatory agenda that is on the table should tame the financial sector, but whether it will help it to meet the Europe 2020 objectives is an open question (see European Commission, 2010a).
Topic: International Trade and Finance, Markets, Regional Cooperation, Financial Crisis
27. How to Change the EU Treaties: An Overview of Revision Procedures under the Treaty of Lisbon
Author: Peadar ó Broin
Abstract: Less than a year has passed since the Lisbon Treaty became part of EU law, thereby bringing to an end almost a decade of intergovernmental wrangling over EU institutional reform. Yet despite its protracted ratification process and pledges from national administrations and EU authorities that the Lisbon Treaty had closed the issue of treaty reform for the foreseeable future, a number of modifications to the EU treaties are currently in the pipeline. One such proposal, relating to the number of seats in the European Parliament, has already left the drawing board and is presently pending national ratification. But perhaps most significant are those proposals that could amount to major treaty reform in areas such as the Franco-German Declaration of Deauville, which proposes significant changes in the area of economic and monetary union and, possibly also institutional reform.
Topic: Regional Cooperation, Treaties and Agreements
28. What kind of governance for the eurozone?
Abstract: The survival of the eurozone hinges on the capacity of its leaders to improve its governance. This has become very clear since the eruption of the government debt crisis in the eurozone in 2009, which can be said to result from a failure of economic governance. In order to answer the question of how the economic governance of the eurozone should be reformed, we should first make a diagnosis of the crisis in which the eurozone has been mired since 2009.
29. A Renewed Political Deal for Sustainable Growth within the Eurozone and the EU: An Open Letter to the President of the European Council
Author: Daniel Gros, Stefano Micossi, Richard Baldwin, Giuliano Amato, Pier Carlo Padoan
Abstract: Under current policies, the European Union will only be able to pull itself out of low growth and high unemployment very slowly – too slowly to exclude dangerous economic and political assaults on the Union's continuing cohesion and viability. What is needed is a substantial increase in the EU output growth rate, which has been persistently low for too long a time. With low growth, sovereign debt sustainability in a number of member states will remain uncertain, possibly leading to renewed strains in financial markets and rising spreads that will aggravate the costs of budgetary consolidation. The divergences in productivity and competitiveness and the current external imbalances they engendered can be unwound at an acceptable cost only if growth accelerates in the core and the periphery. On present trends, the adjustment burden might be unbearable for peripheral countries and generate strains that may eventually undermine the euro.
30. The European Council Summit and the Political Economics of the EMU Crisis
Author: Christian Fahrholz, Cezary Wójcik
Abstract: Roger Ailes, a former advisor to Ronald Reagan, recalls in his book an intriguing practice of the ancient Romans: when they finished building a bridge or an arch, they enforced accountability by placing the engineer in charge beneath the construction when the scaffolding was removed. If the edifice did not hold, he was the first to know. We do not follow such drastic practices these days in Europe, but with some European economies shaking and the Greek sovereign debt crisis still not over, the architecture of the euro area has been certainly come under severe stress. Unfortunately, the 28-29 October 2010 European Council Summit has not made this architecture much safer.
31. Two new leaders in search of a job description
Author: Piotr Maciej Kaczyński, Peadar ó Broin
Abstract: The first permanent European Council President and second High Representative for EU foreign policy have been chosen. After weeks of speculation, the question of who will occupy the roles has now been answered: Herman Van Rompuy will take office as European Council President on 1 January 2010; and Catherine Ashton will be appointed the EU's foreign affairs chief on 1 December 2009. The presidency of the European Council has until now been performed by the head of State or government of the member state holding the rotating presidency, but the Lisbon Treaty clearly stipulates that from its entry into force, the President of the European Council may not hold national office. The position of a High Representative had previously existed, but the function has been significantly re-written by the Lisbon Treaty. So, in addition to new faces, there are also new unknowns. The question of precisely what powers the President and High Representative will exercise remains largely unknown, as it is not yet clear how they will perform as individuals and in tandem. Nevertheless, the Treaties give at least a general indication of the powers these two leaders will wield.
Topic: Foreign Policy, Regional Cooperation
32. The Treaty of Lisbon and the Czech Constitutional Court: Act II
Author: Ivo Slosarcik
Abstract: In October 2009, the lion's share of media and political attention given to the ratification process of the Lisbon Treaty in the Czech Republic has been devoted to the antics of the President, Václav Klaus. However, it is important to point out that the process is being delayed not only by the President's reservations and requests for a Czech (quasi)opt-out from the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, but also by the pending review of the Treaty by the Czech Constitutional Court (CCC), which is set to give a second ruling on the Lisbon Treaty on November 3 rd, having delivered its first decision in autumn 2008.
Political Geography: Europe, Czech Republic
33. Making sense of Sarkozy's Union for the Mediterranean
Abstract: resident Sarkozy's proposed Union for the Mediterranean (or UMed) has so far been poorly conceived and, to say the least, awkwardly presented politically. However this does not mean that nothing good can come of it. The Barcelona process and its confusing combination with the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) have neither been a disaster nor a brilliant success. There is a case for streamlining a single European Mediterranean policy, rationalising and properly integrating Barcelona, the ENP and new ideas that the UMed initiative may produce. Both Italy and Spain as well as the South Mediterranean states themselves appear concerned not to undermine the existing structures (Barcelona and ENP). Steps could be made to lighten the overweight participation of the EU and all its 27 member states in too many meetings with too many participants and too few results, drawing on models that have emerged in the EU's Northern maritime regions. However, the EU as a whole will not agree to delegate the essential initiative on strategic matters to just its Southern coastal states – as has been made clear in recent exchanges between President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel. In addition the EU will also want to maintain a balance between its Northern and Southern priorities, and if the UMed becomes a new impetus for the South, an equivalent but different policy move can be contemplated for the EU's East European neighbours
Topic: International Relations, Security, Foreign Policy, International Political Economy, Regional Cooperation
Political Geography: Europe, Spain, Italy, Barcelona
34. Adaptation to Climate Change: Why is it needed and how can it be implemented?
Author: Christian Egenhofer, Asbjørn Aaheim, Darryn McEvoy, Frans Berkhout, Reinhard Mechler, Henry Neufeldt, Anthony Patt, Paul Watkiss, Anita Wreford, Zbigniew Kundzewicz, Carlo Lavalle
Abstract: This Policy Brief provides a first overview of the state of ADAM research that was discussed during the first ADAM-CEPS seminar on 12 October 2007. It brought together academic experts, policy-makers and the civil society to discuss adaptation issues and (preliminary) ADAM research results.
Topic: Climate Change, Environment, Regional Cooperation
35. What next? How to save the Treaty of Lisbon
Author: Daniel Gros, Sebastian Kurpas
Abstract: In the wake of the Irish no-vote on the Treaty of Lisbon, numerous scenarios are currently being debated. This paper critically assesses the legality and political feasibility of the principal proposals and then puts forward an alternative 'Plan B', which we believe would amply satisfy both criteria.
Topic: International Organization, Regional Cooperation, Treaties and Agreements
Political Geography: Europe, Lisbon
36. Essential Steps for the European Union after the "No" Votes in France, the Netherlands Ireland
Author: John Temple Lang, Eamonn Gallagher
Abstract: In the referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon in June 2008, Irish voters who voted against the Treaty gave several specific reasons as well as a variety of vague or general reasons that were unrelated to anything that was in the Treaty. These vague or general reasons are important because they probably were also significant influences in the “no” votes in France and the Netherlands. Moreover, they may be shared by a substantial but unknown number of people in other EU member states who did not get an opportunity to vote in a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty or the Treaty for a Constitution. There were positive referendum results in Luxembourg and Spain. Other countries promised referenda, but did not hold them.
Topic: International Organization, Regional Cooperation, Sovereignty
Political Geography: Europe, France, Netherlands, Ireland
37. Closing the Community Deficit in the EU
Author: Amitai Etzioni
Abstract: The main challenge currently facing the EU is a community deficit: the low valuation the majority of its citizens accord the evolving collectivity. The EU is challenged by the mismatch between its increasing supranational decision making and the strong loyalties of its citizens to their respective nation states. To deal with this community deficit, the EU must either introduce strong measures of community building or else significantly scale back its plans for action in unison.
Topic: International Organization, Regional Cooperation
38. European Neighbourhood Policy Two Years on: Time indeed for an 'ENP Plus'
Author: Michael Emerson, Gergana Noutcheva, Nicu Popescu
Abstract: Conceived in 2003 and 2004, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) has now had two years of operational experience. This initial experience has seen a sorting out of the partner states, with Action Plans drawn up for five Eastern and seven Southern partner states. We would distinguish among these 12 states between the 'willing' and the 'passive'; and among the other partner states without Action Plans between the 'reluctant' and the 'excluded'. These groupings should be the basis for stronger differentiation in the policy packages offered by the EU. In general the political context now calls for a strong reinforcement of the ENP, since the benign situation of 2004 has given way now to a more menacing one, given threats to European values bearing down on the EU from all sides. The EU institutions recognise these needs in principle, and last December the Commission advanced many valuable proposals. 'ENP plus' is a term being used by the current German Presidency, without this yet being defined in a public document in operational detail. In our view, 'ENP plus' could mean: Plus an advanced association model for the able and willing partner states, Plus a strengthening of regional-multilateral schemes, Plus an upgrading of the standard instruments being deployed, and Plus the offer of an 'ENP light' model for difficult states or non-recognised entities.
Topic: Development, Regional Cooperation
Political Geography: Europe, Eastern Europe
39. A Synergy for Black Sea Regional Cooperation: Guidelines for an EU Initiative
Author: Fabrizio Tassinari
Abstract: On 17 July 2006, Fabrizio Tassinari, Assistant Professor at the University of Copenhagen and visiting Research Fellow at CEPS, presented his study entitled \'A Synergy for Black Sea Regional Cooperation: Guidelines for an EU Initiative\', financed by the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond.
Political Geography: Europe, Balkans
40. Trail to Failure: History of the Constitutional Rejection and Implications for the Future
Author: Richard Baldwin
Abstract: The French and Dutch no-votes were a huge blow to the Constitutional Treaty. The deadline for ratification is suspended and as of early 2006, neither the French nor the Dutch government had a plan for reversing the fatal votes. In short, there is no plan for putting the Constitution into force.
Political Geography: Europe, Dutch
41. A New Agreement between the EU and Russia: Why, what and when?
Author: Michael Emerson, Fabrizio Tassinari, Marius Vahl
Abstract: The 10th anniversary of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the EU and Russia, which falls on 1 December 2007, is already prompting thoughts on whether and how to replace it. This raises basic issues about the form, purpose and content of bilateral treaties in the context of an integrating Europe. The following scenarios are discussed: Retire the PCA without replacement, Extend the status quo, Extend the status quo, adding a Political Declaration on Strategic Partnership, Replace the PCA with a short Treaty on Strategic Partnership, Replace the PCA with a comprehensive Treaty on Strategic Partnership, Negotiate a Treaty of Strategic Union.
Topic: International Cooperation, Regional Cooperation
Political Geography: Russia, Europe, Asia
42. Bulgaria and Romania's Accession to the EU:Postponement, Safeguards and the Rule of Law
Author: Gergana Noutcheva
Abstract: On the day before the European Commission's decision on the fitness of Bulgaria and Romania to become EU members on 1 January 2007 (due to be delivered 16 May 2006), it is becoming increasingly evident that the EU has fallen into its own 'rhetorical trap' from which there is no easy way out. Most EU officials and politicians would agree that the governance standards in the two Balkan candidates are not up to EU level yet, but everyone knows that there is not much the EU can do about it at this point.
Political Geography: Europe, Bulgaria, Balkans, Romania
43. The Commission's White Paper on Communication: Mapping a Way to a European Public Sphere
Author: Sebastian Kurpas, Christoph Mayer, Michael Brüggemann
Abstract: In its recent White Paper on a European Communication Policy, the European Commission has promised a “fundamentally new approach”. The policy is meant to narrow the communication gap looming between the European Union and its citizens and ultimately to map a way towards the development of a European public sphere. In contrast to the socalled 'Action Plan' for improving the Commission's own communication from July 2005, the White Paper is addressed to the EU as a whole, including other central institutions, member states, European political parties and even 'civil society'. The purpose of this Policy Brief is to critically evaluate the proposals emanating from the White Paper and to advance several suggestions aimed at helping the current initiative to have a more tangible and long-term effect than its many predecessors, authored by Messrs Tindemans, Adonnino, Oostlander, DeClerq, Pex or Pinheiro.
44. Fixing the Services Directive
Abstract: In the spring of 2004, the European Commission approved a draft Directive on Services in the Internal Market and sent it to the Council and the European Parliament. The proposal is the cornerstone of the ailing Lisbon strategy to revive growth and jobs in the European Union: services account for 70% of GDP and employment in advanced countries, and their performance is a main determinant of overall productivity and employment growth. In the European Union, the markets for services are still organised along national lines, cross border trade remains relatively underdeveloped and competition is scarce. The productivity gap with the United States is largely explained by these obstacles.
Topic: Economics, International Cooperation, Regional Cooperation
Political Geography: United States, Europe, Lisbon
45. What should the Community of Democratic Choice do?
Abstract: In August 2005, President Saakashvili of Georgia and President Yushchenko of Ukraine met at Borjomi, Georgia, and decided to launch an initiative to promote democracy among a community of like-minded states of Central and Eastern Europe. This led to a meeting in Kyiv on 2 December 2005, of a wider group of countries of the Baltic-Black-Caspian Sea region, which adopted a declaration announcing the creation of a Community of Democratic Choice (CDC) as a governmental and non-governmental forum to promote the strengthening of democracy, human rights and civil society. The next meeting of the CDC will take place as a Baltic and Black Sea Summit in Vilnius in May 2006.
Topic: Democratization, Politics, Regional Cooperation
Political Geography: Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Georgia
46. What Could be Saved from the European Constitution if Ratification Fails? The Problems with a 'Plan B'
Author: Sebastian Kurpas
Abstract: The pressure is on for the defenders of the European Constitution. Although initially it seemed as if referenda would only be problematic in countries that have a reputation for a certain degree of Euroscepticism, now even France and the Netherlands look like unsafe candidates for public approval. While there is still a fair chance that a majority of the French will vote 'yes' when actually at the ballot box, there is an understandable nervousness among prointegrationists. A French 'no' would be the most serious obstacle that any one member state among those holding a referendum could create. In the likely case that other member states besides France then reject the text – possibly for entirely different or even opposing reasons – it would become extremely difficult to 'save' the Constitution in its entirety.
Topic: Government, International Organization, Regional Cooperation
47. Institutionalising the Wider Europe
Abstract: The Wider Europe has become a prominent feature in European foreign policy discourse. The EU's first policy documents on this subject, however, have been thin in substance, mainly seeking to develop more active bilateral relations with countries such as Ukraine and Moldova. At the same time, however, the EU is discussing bilaterally just with Russia a set of common European policy spaces that should be at the heart of a Wider Europe policy. This paper argues that the EU should adopt a systematic approach to defining a complete set of seven common European policy spaces, with multilateral institutional developments to match, thus bringing together the bilateral and multilateral approaches. The overarching institutional mechanism should be through transforming the present very weak 'European Conference' into a seriously structured 'Pan-European Conference', led by a Coordinating Group consisting of the EU, Russia and a few other rotating places for non-EU states, with institutionalised linkages to the Council of Europe and other European multilateral organisations for the specific common policy spaces.
48. A Primer on the Balance Sheet of the Eurosystem
Author: Daniel Gros
Abstract: The ECB has just published the opening balance sheet for the Eurosystem, which is the official name given to the ECB plus the 11 national central banks of the euro zone. All 15 national central banks are part of the ESCB, but the participation of the four outsiders is purely formal. The balance sheet, which is reproduced at the end of this Commentary, reveals two very interesting facts: During 1998, the national central banks of the euro zone increased their holdings of dollar foreign exchange reserves by the equivalent of about 38 bn euro. This means that they de facto intervened consistently to support the dollar during that year. The ECB starts with huge foreign exchange reserves: 237 bn euro plus gold worth 100 bn euro. This is much more than the amount held by the US Federal Reserve and constitutes a major share of the reserves held by all OECD countries.
Topic: Economics, International Trade and Finance, Regional Cooperation
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May. 12, 2015 | 12:21 AM
EU seeks U.N. help on migrant crisis
Federica Mogherini (front L), European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, addresses the UN Security Council meeting on cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations in maintaining international peace and security as Peter Sutherland (front R), Special Representative of the Secretary-General on International Migration and Development listens May 11, 2015. AFP PHOTO UNITED NATIONS/LOEY FELIPE
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on May 12, 2015, on page 9.
Moammar Gadhafi
Europe appealed to the United Nations Security Council Monday to back its plans to stem the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean and pledged that those intercepted at sea while making the precarious trip would not be repatriated.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told the Security Council that details of the operation were still being worked out and the issue would be discussed by European foreign ministers on May 18 .
European members of the Security Council – Britain, France, Lithuania and Spain – are drafting a resolution to approve the European operation under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which allows the use of force, diplomats said.
About 1,800 migrants have perished in the Mediterranean this year, the U.N. refugee agency said.
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Send announcements to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454. This free listing is reserved for activities and events that are open to the public at no or minimal cost.
Loudoun Women Business Forum, is June 1, noon, at the River Creek Country Club, Leesburg. Speaker is Gary Golman on the topic of How to be a High Performance Professional Networker. $13.50, includes lunch. 703-728-8900.
The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce presents the LeadShare Luncheon, Friday, June 2, 10:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Holiday Inn Washington Dulles, 1000 Sully Road, Dulles. Special presentation by Geno Stampora of Creative Consulting. Tickets, includes lunch, $25 chamber members in advance; $30 chamber members and nonmembers at the door Free for current LeadShare members, but must preregister.
RSVP to Programs@loudounchamber.org or call 703-777-2176, Ext. 9023.
Eclips KidÕs, a salon and day spa for youngsters, will celebrate the grand opening of its second location in the Ashburn Village Shopping Plaza, at 44110 Ashburn Village Shopping Plaza, Suite 180, Ashburn. The new Eclips KidÕs will cater to a younger clientele.
This new location opened for business Tuesday, May 23, and will be celebrating its grand opening Saturday, June 3, including free face painting, door prizes, refreshments, $5 gift cards.
Small Business Golf Tournament, Wednesday, June 7, 8:30 a.m. shotgun start, Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club, 41601 Raspberry Drive, Leesburg. Cost $100 per player, includes 18 holes, green fees, open range, barbecue lunch, prizes and more. Register by calling 703-777-2176, Ext. 9023 or RSVP to programs@loudounchamber.org.
The Loudoun County Chamber is holding a business showcase breakfast, Thursday, June 8, 7:30-9 a.m., Belmont Country Club, 19961 Belmont Manor Lane, Ashburn, which requires business attire. Tickets $15 for members in advance; $20 for members at the door; $25 for nonmembers.
Registration and payment required no later than Tuesday, June 6, at 5 p.m. Visit www.loudounchamber.org to register online or RSVP to programs@loudounchamber.org.
The Loudoun County Chamber is holding lunch and learn, Tuesday, June 13, 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at That's Amore Restaurant, 46300 Potomac Run Plaza, Sterling. Speaker Rick Miller, master fitness trainer and owner, Total Fitness Group, on aging. Tickets $15 per person chamber members, in advance; $20 per person chamber members and nonmembers at door. Register by calling 703-777-2176, Ext. 9023 or RSVP to programs@loudounchamber.org.
My Safe Zone, 43723 Lees Mill Square, Lansdowne, a new company making safety and security realistic for families, opened operations April 14. The company offers safety and security inspections by highly trained crime prevention and safety specialists, plus seminars, a safety and security kit and more.
Specialists will visit homes to check for 123 different criteria to protect against crime and promote child safety, emergency preparedness, fire prevention, cyber safety and identity theft. David Harbour, a former Washington Redskin, formed the company with fellow real estate agent and former IT executive Jeff Lubell.
The Nova Medical and Urgent Care Center Inc. has hired three new staff members to the Nova Medical Group.
Elise Schroeder, ND (naturopathic doctor), holds a BS degree in human biology from the University of Albany, and completed her Doctorate in naturopathic medicine at National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Ore.
Michael Jabalee, Lic. Ac., M.Ac., joins the group most recently from Mancos, Colo. He is a licensed and nationally certified acupuncturist practicing five element acupuncture for more than 14 years. He holds a BS in biology, pre-med from Salisbury State University and a masterÕs degree in acupuncture-herbs-nutrition from the TAI-SOPHIA Institute in Laurel, Md.
Stephanie Dacko, MS, RD, joins Nova having worked in outside medical practices for several years. She holds a bachelorÕs degree in dietetics from James Madison University and a masterÕs degree in exercise, fitness and health promotion from George Mason University. She is a registered dietitian credentialed with the Commission on Dietetic Registration and is an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University.
At its April 6 meeting, the Community Services Board recognized Michaels Arts and Crafts general manager, Jeff Green, and members of the River Creek Home and Garden Club for their support of people with mental disabilities.
Green, was recognized for the influence he is making in the lives of two clients that work at Michaels through the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services Job Link Program, which helps people with mental retardation or serious mental illness get and keep jobs in the community.
The River Creek Home and Garden Club was recognized for its $1,794 donation to the Healing Garden at Friendship House, Loudoun County's psychosocial rehabilitation program in Leesburg that provides opportunities and support to people with mental illnesses allowing them to develop the work and social skills required to live successful in the community.
Two staff teams were also recognized the Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention and Community Outreach Services staff and the Division of Mental Retardation Potomac Terrace Group Home staff.
Mason Dixon Funding, a full-service mortgage lender, has been recognized by The Washington Business Journal as one of the regionÕs best places to work. The award recognizes the companyÕs achievements in creating a positive work environment that attracts and retains employees through a combination of employee satisfaction, working conditions and company culture. Mason Dixon Funding, headquartered in Rockville, Md., with offices in Fairfax, Chantilly, Culpeper and Sterling.
Randy Collins, former president and CEO of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce, has joined McLean Insurance Agency as its operations manager. Collins started his position March 13. Collins left the Loudoun Chamber in January after 10 years as CEO.
Relocation Systems, a Dulles-based moving and storage company, has hired Brian Martin. Martin has two years of moving experience in all aspects of the business, mostly recently in moving sales. He is pursuing a degree from University of Maryland.
The second Let's Dish! held a grand opening event, April 25, at Leesburg's Prosperity Center, 705 E. Market St., with Leesburg Mayor Kristen C. Umstattd, Supervisor Jim Clem, and Loudoun Chamber of Commerce president Bob Steere on hand for the ribbon cutting and ceremonial ÒFirst Dish.Ó The company's Ashburn store has been open since August 2005.
On April 1, Laila Oinas, general manager of Candlewood Suites Sterling, was named operating partner by The Generation Companies LLC (Generation), a Research Triangle Park-based real estate developer, asset manager and operator of extended stay hotels. The Operating Partner Program, promotes hotel general managers to owner-partners, giving them not only more autonomy, but also more financial interest in their hotel.
Oinas has won numerous awards, including 2003 Assistant General Manager of the Year, Candlewood Suites-Herndon; Intercontinental HotelsÕ 2005 NewComer Hotel of the Year, Candlewood Suites Sterling; and 2005 Generation Squeaky Clean Candlewood of the Year, Candlewood Suites Sterling.
Vaaler Real Estate Company, in Leesburg and Winchester, has been chosen by Middleburg Bank as its exclusive broker to identify appropriate Northern Virginia building sites and assist with acquiring those new properties.
JK Moving & Storage will be on national television Friday, June 16, from 8-9 p.m., for its role on HomeTeam DC, a nationally-syndicated reality/ÒcauseÓ television show that airs in the Washington, D.C. market on WJLA-TV 7.
Filmed in dozens of markets throughout the nation HomeTeam selects deserving individuals or families to appear on the show, then surprises them with a new home of their own, by providing a cash down payment for the new home; as well as all of the housing costs, aside from utilities, for the entire first year; and significant home improvements and furnishings along with life skills and financial coaching.
The next Loudoun County Procurement's Buyer/Seller Information Exchange is Thursday, June 22, 2 p.m., in the Lovettsville Room on the first floor of the County Government Center, 1 Harrison St., S.E., in Leesburg. The purpose of the informal session is to give area businesses the opportunity to meet the county's procurement staff and become familiar with the county's procurement process. Call 703-771-5142 or send an e-mail to sfields@loudoun.gov.
The next Loudoun County Procurement's Buyer/Seller Information Exchange is Monday, July 24, 10:30 a.m., in the Lovettsville Room on the first floor of the County Government Center, 1 Harrison St., S.E., in Leesburg. The purpose of the informal session is to give area businesses the opportunity to meet the county's procurement staff and become familiar with the county's procurement process. Call 703-771-5142 or send an e-mail to sfields@loudoun.gov.
The Maids Home Services of Sterling, a professional residential cleaning service owned by Mark and Helena Gilbert, was honored with the companyÕs PresidentÕs Club Award for outstanding achievement in franchise sales and growth during the past year. The GilbertsÕ franchise was selected from more than 160 franchises throughout the United States.
Inova Loudoun Hospital has been awarded the Magnet designation, the highest institutional honor awarded for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Only 2 percent of the 6,000 hospitals in the United States have earned this designation, Inova Loudoun being only the fourth in the state of Virginia, following its sister organization Inova Fairfax Hospital, which was one of the first in the country to be recognized. There have only been 202 hospitals in the nation to earn Magnet designation.
JK Moving and Storage was honored as a finalist for the Washington Business JournalÕs award for the Best Place To Work in the Large Company, Headquartered Locally Division. JK was recognized among a field of 15 competitors. The announcement took place Friday, May 12, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Tysons Corner. The Washington Business Journal profiled the companyÕs achievement its May 12-18 edition.
Hamid and Sahar Tavassoli are opening a Web-based children's themed-parties business and preschool enrichment program, Oogles n' Googles, to serve Northern Virginia, Chantilly and South Riding. Fifteen themes are available for parties; while the enrichment program is designed to complement existing preschool curriculum. Visit the Web site at www.ooglesngoogles.com.
The World Trade Center Dulles Airport and Signature Worldwide, a leading provider of training outsourcing and business solutions based in Columbus, Ohio, plan to partner together to develop an international sales and customer service training program. The WTC Dulles Airport is an organization that assists foreign companies in entering the U.S. marketplace.
The international sales and customer service training program will be offered at the WTC Dulles Airport and will be located in the future 365-acre, mixed-use project One Loudoun, a business, retail and residential community.
The Washington, D.C., Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA-DC) announced the winners of the 2006 M Awards, May 11, recognizing regional marketers and their successful initiatives.
The 2006 Hall of Fame Award winner was Ted Leonsis, vice chairman of AOL and president of the company's audience business and chairman and majority owner of the Washington Capitals hockey team. The award recognizes his pioneering work in Internet and new media marketing. This year's M Awards marketing campaign winners were: Marketer of the Year, Home Safety Council; Education, Mindshare Interactive Campaigns, LLC; General Business, Hinge Inc.; Government, Military and Politics, Federal Trade Commission and JDG Communications Inc.; Health Care, George Washington University Hospital; Media and Multimedia, Booz-Allen Hamilton; Nonprofit/Association, Home Safety Council; On a Shoe String (Under $100,000), SQN Communications Design; Technology and Telecommunications, iDirect Technologies and Member of the Year, April January.
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Butterflies, Bees and the Health of Our Planet
– April 8, 2019Posted in: Headlines
There have been five “great mass extinctions” during the last half a billion years, Creighton biologist Ted Burk, DPhil, told faculty, staff and students at an Earth Month lecture in the Skutt Student Center on Friday. “And some people are concerned that we’re actually in the midst of a sixth great mass extinction … a human-caused one,” he said.
Burk joined with biology colleague Carol Fassbinder-Orth, PhD, to present a lunchtime sustainability forum titled “Protect Our Species,” which is the theme for this year’s April 22 Earth Day. Burk has been a member of the Biology Department at Creighton since 1982 and his research has focused on insect conservation biology, especially butterflies and other pollinators. Fassbinder-Orth’s research includes studying the plight of the honeybees; she grew up on a honeybee farm in Iowa.
Burk began the forum by ticking off a list of troubling statistics.
28% of all species on earth are threatened with extinction in the next few centuries, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
25% of all mammals are threatened with extinction.
200 vertebrate species have gone extinct just in the last century, which is 100 times the natural extinction rate.
“And this one kind of staggered me,” Burk said. “The weight of all humans on earth is nine times that of the weight of all wild mammals on earth. The weight of livestock on earth is 14 times the weight of all wild mammals on earth.”
He added that 60% of all animals on earth are livestock, and 70% of all birds on the planet are poultry. “It really shows you the impact of the human footprint,” he said.
Some scientists project that within the next 200 years, the largest mammal on the planet will be the cow.
While large animals are in peril, nature’s smaller creatures are also facing difficult times.
Burk referenced one study by Francisco Sánchez-Bayo and Kris Wyckhuys that showed that 40% of all insects were in decline, about a third of insect species are threatened with extinction, and insect bio-mass is decreasing by 2 ½ % per year. A 2018 New York Times Magazine headline labeled these disturbing trends the “Insect Apocalypse.”
Burk reminded the audience that insects are important pollinators. “About one-third of our food comes from insect-pollinated crops,” he said. Insects are also important in the control of other insect pests. And, in general, they are critical to our earth’s ecosystem.
“They provide food for other animals; they regulate plant populations; they clean up the environment of dead carcasses,” Burk said.
Fassbinder-Orth said honeybee numbers have also been declining in the U.S. over the last 30 years. “Globally, the worst areas for colony loss have been Europe and the United States,” Fassbinder-Orth said. “And, actually, the U.S. Midwest has been the area with some of the highest rates of colony loss.”
Urbanization, intensive agriculture practices, various pesticides and parasites have all contributed to colony loss, she said.
So what can we do?
Get involved, Burk said, whether it’s lobbying for environmental legislation, joining a citizen science project or planting an insect-friendly garden. (He recommended two books: Never Home Alone and Bringing Nature Home.)
“Insects have beautiful, wonderful stories. They are a special part of creation,” Burk said. Quoting a line from prominent American biologist E.O. Wilson, Burk said, “Losing a species … is like losing a great work of art.”
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Grand Fantasia review
Publisher: Aeria Games
Genre: anime style MMORPG
"Grand Fantasia is worth a definite recommendation. Provided that you can put up with those slightly-annoying nuances, you'll find a lot to enjoy in Grand Fantasia."
Grand Fantasia "Grand Fantasia is worth a definite recommendation"" reviewed by Jeffrey Davis, Written on Mar 23, 2012 Rating: 4 stars
Trust me on this: I've definitely seen my fair share of MMO games that are so far off the road that you don't know what to expect right away. Or those with surprise twists in the means of your average tutorial missions (the pre-credits implementation from Vindictus comes to mind here). Or those with surprise, in-your-face extremities that dump you into a double-take situation. But when I stepped into the role of a so-called “sprite messenger” in the world portrayed in Grand Fantasia, I certainly wasn't expecting anything like this before I started playing the game for this Grand Fantasia review.
...Something for everyone
Grand Fantasia, like so many of the MMO games inspired by the anime visual style, has charming, colorful visuals that remind me of so many pan-Asian imports that you'll find in everything from Dragonball to Pokemon with that special flair that makes the visual style into the friendly, “everyone in the house” aspect that it evokes thereof. You'll also find those simplistic elements of friendly, “something for everyone” dialog and content that makes this one of the more family-friendly MMO titles out there, as opposed to some of the upper-deck maturity in games such as Shaiya and World of Warcraft that would be more of a nuisance to the underage crowd. There's definitely something for everyone in Grand Fantasia, and a full truckload of surprisingly-charming monster designs and in-your-face shenanigans that will evoke the occasional sens of hilarity that you might not be expecting to come over from the left side of the field. Indeed, from the very moment that you start your journey you're going to see everything in the book show up in front of you – sans the kitchen sink, of course.
Painful start
But first off, I need to make a big confession thereof: actually getting started on this journey wasn't entirely painless, or at least in the way that I was expecting. For starters, the downloader for the game absolutely will not function like it should under certain specific conditions that I haven't quite figured out yet – which, as a result, would ultimately require me to either locate another means of downloading the game, or use another computer as an intermediary source for the installation files. This wasn't immediately apparent just from the download page however, as someone on the inside had somehow decided to drop the axe onto the download mirror links – and thus woulds end up forcing me to locate an alternate source of files in order to start downloading the game, which I didn't manage to locate until I got into the relevant discussion pages thereof. That's definitely not a good way to make a first impression of course, but once I got a functionally-usable set of installation files and had the game set up correctly it was all good to go.
Another tricky element of Grand Fantasia is in its centralized calling card, in this case being the sprite system. As it turns out, those little suckers are very easy to screw over the head. If left unattended for too long, your sprite will very likely be so pissed off that it will not respond to a summons call, and will even gripe and grumble about it. You'll definitely have to keep a close watch on how your sprite feels about you, or the little sucker will act as if it doesn't even give a rat's backside about you. I'm dead serious about this. Those little suckers will get so mad at you if left idle for too long that you're probably going to have to shop around for some good consumables that will help your sprite feel better about you before you can do much of anything with it should you even dare to allow the whole entirety of the situation to go that far. Consider this to be your first and only warning thereof.
the Positives
That much being said, there are many positives to share in regard to gameplay in Grand Fantasia. Combat is as easy as “target your foe, right-click to commence battle.” Simplified enough to be understood immediately, and very easy to do right away. Traditional “left-clicking to move around” is also standard in Grand Fantasia, though you're also free to use the WASD approach whenever you don't need or want to pick a fight with anything (or anyone), or if you simply need to escape from the potentially-devastating consequences of an unintentional enemy aggro situation gone wrong, or one of the same that you simply can't handle on your own for whatever reason thereof. Triggering NPC conversations is also just as easy (and set to the same controls thereof), and the NPC dialog is very easy to understand and progress through (despite the fact that I would have preferred the labeling of the button provided for closing out of the dialog for a post-quest debriefing to have something more sensible than “cancel” as its label (something like “done” or “close” would make a whole load's worth of better sense thereof).
Sense of humor
Grand Fantasia also manages to have an extreme sense of humor with a full dump-pile's worth of the entire game, even going so far as to include a few of the enemy types within the entirety of the head-rushing insanity overload. For example, so-called “smiling crabs” will have a happy-faced emoticon on their shells. Worm-like enemies may have ringed bull-nose faces on them, along with various names to match up to their looks (with “cowterpillar” being one of the biggest offenders in this category, not to mention one of the best such examples). Slime-like enemies aptly known as jelly rabbits have loose ears that are similar to their namesake, putting even their old-school, happy-faced console RPG equivalents to shame. Oh yeah, and that opening animation following your character creation is so bat-blank crazy that I could have split a hole in my jeans simply on account of the in-your-face insanity factor thereof. Not to mention that I'm not making any of this just come the hell up and out of my own friggin' head. This is so hilarious to the extreme that you just might end up doing a complete double-take (as in “did I just see what I think I did?”)
Grand Fantasia review : The verdict
All things considered, Grand Fantasia has a lot of surprises, has the simplicity of practically any MMO out there, and despite some issues with getting things started (and with its “sprite messenger” element) has a few creative touches that you may not be expecting. Grand Fantasia is worth a definite recommendation (provided that you can put up with a extremely personality-sensitive companion) and offers a fair bit of in-your-face shenanigans that give the whole of the experience a surprisingly-charming personality that will probably evoke a smirk, smile or even a moment of pure hilarity that you otherwise wouldn't expect were this to be your average, dead serious MMO experience. This is truly one for the whole family (or even the “young at heart”) who are looking for something on the “road less traveled” in the MMO genre, and shines in nearly every single way despite any flaws thereof. Provided that you can put up with those slightly-annoying nuances, you'll find a lot to enjoy in Grand Fantasia. Case closed.
© 2012 DevilsMMO.com
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When the Twin Towers Quietly Commanded the New York Skyline by Colin Moynihan
The photographer Brian Rose was in Amsterdam on September 11, 2001, when he learned, over the phone, that a plane had just flown into one of the Twin Towers. Within a few days, he was airborne himself, on one of the first flights permitted into New York City from Europe, feeling a sense of urgency and dread. Much of downtown had been cordoned off, but on the day that Rose returned he was able to walk down Broadway carrying a 4 x 5 camera. He stopped to take a handful of pictures on the edge of the zone that had been named Ground Zero.
PDF Press Page
Click here to view the full article on browser
A 30-Year Time Lapse of the Lower East Side by Colin Moynihan
Toward the end of 1979, Brian Rose and Edward Fausty began roaming the Lower East Side of Manhattan with a Japanese view camera attached to a tripod. New York City’s fiscal crisis was a fresh memory, and gentrification had not yet arrived. Tenements seemed to burn daily. But the frontierlike nature of the neighborhood and the availability of cheap rent encouraged an explosion of creativity.
The Meatpacking District's Amazing Transformation by Tom DiChristopher
Two years ago, photographer Brian Rose stumbled upon a collection of negatives he snapped nearly three decades earlier. They showed a bleak, desolate pocket of Manhattan — the Meatpacking District — by day. In the images, the droves of abattoir workers had packed it in for the day, having completed their morning butchery and its attendant packing and shipping.
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Vocal Ranges
Copy Cats
[Video Spam] Demi Lovato, Ellie Goulding, Lana Del Rey, Britney Spears, Regina Spektor and Beyonce
Video spam time again! Get ready to be hit with a random assortment of Diva related videos!
First up we have Ellie Goulding's new track, Burn. Clearly hoping to capitalise on the success she's enjoying in the club with her Calvin Harris duet I Need Your Love, Burn has Ellie continuing in a similar vein. Dance floors beware!
Burn is taken from the re-release of second album Halycon, now called Halcyon Days, and a useless fact for you: a version of the song was originally recorded by Leona Lewis for her Glassheart album!
Demi Lovato time! Single number two from Demi gets the video treatment, and unsurprisingly for a song entitled Made in the USA there are patriotic themes peppering the visual. I'm not mad on the song, something slightly generic about it, but kudos to Demi for getting her fingers dirty and co-directing the video.
This video isn't for a new song, but is for an accompanying remix that has been doing the rounds recently. Summertime Sadness was released in its original format June of last year, but probably hoping to capitalise on this year's summer this Cedric Gervais remix now also has a video.
Awww, check Britney Spears looking more alive (literally) than she has in a decade! It warms my heart! That alone is the reason I'm posting the video for, The Smurfs 2 tie-in, Ooh La La. The song itself isn't brilliant, though it isn't anywhere near as terrible as I was expecting it to be. Actually I'm a little afraid of giving it a second listen in case I start to enjoy it. Let's move swiftly on.
Okay, this isn't strictly a video- it's more a picture with music playing over it- but I like Regina Spektor so I thought I'd post it. You've Got Time is definitely a different sound from the quirky singer-songwriter, but me likey!
There are a lot of comments about it being from "a series" on the YouTube page, so I'd imagine it's been used for a television show or something. Hopefully it'll open up this wonderful artist to a wider audience.
And finally we have Beyonce. This video was taken from a live show in the States and was her first performance of Bow Down. Just be prepared for crazy fan screaming before you watch. You have been warned! There's also a weird, brief promo thing featuring the song- so check that out too. (Apparently it's for her website.)
Submitted by divadevotee at 19:06
Labels: beyonce, britney spears, demi lovato, ellie goulding, regina spektor
Ahmed Tarek 18 July 2013 at 19:17
Isn't Beyonce supposed to be a feminist, right? Then why is she using degrading words for women like "b**ches" in her song? Weird...
Black Robin 18 July 2013 at 19:50
It is a song specifically to shut people up. You know here haters and critics, not to every to every single person who looks up to her. Lol
Serendipity.- 18 July 2013 at 20:21
Bitch =/= A woman.
It's just as degrading to assume that she is automatically talking about a woman, like bitch and woman are two interchangeable terms.
-Sincerely, A feminist.
Mel R 18 July 2013 at 21:10
Surprisingly, I like the remix of Summertime Sadness.
I wonder can Demi do those low notes live? I like the vocal delivery, the lyrics are decent but the instrumentation is so typical pop blandish. That was the only bad thing I can point out from the song.
Nope Nope 18 July 2013 at 23:44
although i don't give a crap if she is referring to women or men when she says bitch, she does say, "I know when you were little girls" before the bow down part.
I think she shaded Wendy Williams and the team of hookuhs that claimed she wasn't pregnant.
She can't, she dodges them.
Well it is a shame considering the fact that I like her delivery. Maybe if she is sitting on an acoustic set? lol IDK.
Probably not, those are Eb's and she loses comfort below G3 live.
I've never really listened to the song, just the 'bow down' part.
Looking at the lyrics though, It seems she was targeting a specific group of people who made comments on her pregnancy and marriage?
But from the general vibe of the song it seems to be a shot at everyone in the game right now, plain and simple, "Bow down bitches".
I just felt the need to say something to that guest post. The guest post made it seem they wanted to revoke Beyonce's feminist card and whatnot LOL. That's like if an atheist said "thank god" and someone retorted "Pfft. I thought you were atheist".
Thank you Hannah :)
Opie Ever 19 July 2013 at 03:09
Well.....;-)
Beyonce and Jay-z share each other's last name, they go by Knowles-Carter respectively. No one gave up their name.
Opie I didn't mean literally thanking god lol, there are plenty of atheist out there who hold no such belief in any form of after life and higher power yet will throw out "Thank god" "God dammit" " Oh my god" and whatnot.
I agree with the last sentiment. I'm guessing the sexuality comment was directed at a certain 'Lady' popstar?
First to the last. Actually no, that's a different point. She does actually claim to be Bi. I am talking about non famous folk who go around claiming to be gay yet enjoying sex with the opposite sex on a regular basis.
The atheist thing went not to whether you yourself believe to really be thanking god but to the fact that you by using those phrases ARE by proxy validating that nonsense of a god. ;-)
http://www.beyonce.com/tour-dates
I am genuinely pleased to see Britney looking so much better than she has done in years. And I hope that's for real and not a video effect.
The only video the actual music of which I enjoyed was Regina Spector's.
jeremiahsaint 19 July 2013 at 05:49
i love bey but seriously i cannot get over the fact that bow down is just such a horrible song
brit looks great but seriously ooh la la.... such a bad song
i like regina ALOT but im still on the fence about the song
glad shes trying to mix it up though
i have also been obsessed with ellie ever since i heard lights - but honestly this song
"burn" just doesn't do it for me plus ive heard leona's take on it and i prefer her version
as for demi i think its a great vid but the song - like people are saying - sounds so generic
Ricky Yong Chin Yuan 19 July 2013 at 06:25
I am furious DD didn't post about Marina's Part 10: Lies' video.
Might have been too new Ricky?
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps!
Still... *sigh*
Okay. http://cache.ohinternet.com/images/e/e6/Okay_guy.jpg
Great video though eh? :-)
Yes, it was quite straight to the point, without much gimmicks. Just emotions.
shes so beautiful id go str8 for her lol
POOPYPANTS 19 July 2013 at 15:40
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MarkB 19 July 2013 at 16:51
So baby come with me and be my Ooh la la <3! She is soooo cute it makes my heart all warm <3.
She's not calling WOMEN bitches, she calls haters bitches :P. Kind of like when Britney says "It's Britney, bitch!"
Child, this is so pointless. We can simply collapse your unimaginative spamming.
Why don't you go see a therapist. If only for some occupational therapy.
Eh, I don't really like the lyrics. They're so generic and predicable and sometimes don't make sense (Their love won't break because it was made in the USA? Bye. China would've made more sense anyway)
It's odd, Marina always releases a new part to the Electra Heart series around the time DD post these spam posts, but Marina never makes it into the spam :((
Lol, those lyrics made perfect sense. It is a patriotic song, of course. It basically is saying since their love was founded on trust and care, everything else comes on like a foreign entity, hence their love "was made in the USA." This song is also a type of satirical price. I don't know which OEM it is taking cracks at but I'm pretty sure all the american OEMs looking for cheap labor in other countries rather than making stuff in the U.S. You know, there is nothing better than the quality of home? That is the sense o get from this song.
Joel 19 July 2013 at 19:06
She's obviously not talking about an automobile.
Yeah that makes sense, but the absolute basicness of the lyrics doesn't convey that concept imo.
It's a joke.
I think she delivered lyrically. I prefer her to Taylor Swift lyrically because Demi will go down to dark places where Taylor would drown.
Don't know why you decided to bring up Taylor, but ok. Taylor's lyrics are much deeper imo although Demi sometimes discusses darker topics. However, she discusses those darker topics with predictable, generic lyrics that don't dive deeply into the dark subject. I prefer deep lyrics about lighter topics to lyrics of mediocre depth about darker topics.
Emmy 19 July 2013 at 19:36
Let's get real now. "Made in the USA" was a desperate plea to be "Party in the USA" and it failed. The patriotism in the song's lyrics don't make any sense and instrumentation is generic as they come. Why are people over-praising this girl? Seriously, enough.
Lol, you know how I like to try and strike nerves. TBH, I don't even listen to taylor enough to know how dark her lyricism is. LMAO
I don't think Demi gets that dark...I mean there's "For the Love of A Daughter" but really nothing else.
Not to mention, Demi doesn't write that much of her own content...
I fell for it xD
I agree with you on the patriotism not making sense and the generic production, but I don't know about the Party In The USA thing...Don't think that was intentional.
LOL Well...your leg is very easily pulled when it comes to Taylor. ;-)
Yeeaaahhhh don't see how "Made in the USA" and "Party in the USA" are related...besides the last 3 words in the name...
Don't like the "Summertime Sadness" remix...
Yup, I get defensive xD
Mine is too. An American made automobile?...
LOL I'm too slow, I just got it now.
Hahaha so did I..get it only just now.
Hopefully I can't trick a pony twice....We'll see in the oh'so unpredictable future. lol
There is an interview in which Demi says she wanted to make a "grown up" Party in the USA, it was intentional. Look at the wikipedia page, it has many blurbs about this.
They are... It was her intention to make her own "Party in the USA". There are interviews in which she says this.
No there aren't. I just scanned the wiki and not a single mention except that the song has been compared to Party in the USA, that's it.
Hmm.. since Ellie is calling the re-release Halcyon Days, I'm assuming it's going to have more upbeat numbers? Just a hunch.
I saw the article somewhere... It's on the internet. It might've been her producers that were interviewed.
Then find it and link it.
It's on the internet...therefore it must be true!
Billboard called the song "a grown up version" of Party in the USA.
Haha no there aren't.
Sigh, and he never seems to post it the next time he has a video spam :<
found it -http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1705202/demi-lovato-new-album-sound.jhtml
Good thing Serendipity IS located in the US because it sure isn't visible for those of us outside it. MTV is always like that...nationalistically ridiculous.
Strange, I can get access to MTV UK. Here's a little excerpt for those outside the US. "Evigan also helped conceive "Made in the USA," which he considers Demi's answer to Miley Cyrus' massive "Party in the USA." He said, "It's like our love was made in the USA. It sounds kind of cheesy but it could be the biggest song of the year because it's that 'Party in the USA' kind of vibe like love song."
Thanks. :-)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAre you okay?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAre you retarded?
The first Summertime Sadness single mix was the best. Toetally made me fell in love with the song. This one is just... Not good enough.
"Evigan also helped conceive "Made in the USA," which he considers Demi's answer to Miley Cyrus' massive "Party in the USA." He said, "It's like our love was made in the USA. It sounds kind of cheesy but it could be the biggest song of the year because it's that 'Party in the USA' kind of vibe like love song." That is his opinion, but he doesn't say the song was made as such or that Demi wanted a more mature version of Party in the USA. I don't doubt that was the intention, however there are no solid statements saying so.
Vinicius Ferreira Mendes 20 July 2013 at 23:50
The whole tour is centered around female issues (like most of her discography :v), and even if the tours name bothered me (A LOT) at first, after watching some videos of it and taking a look at the tour book it really seens to me to be sarcasm, and a pretty agressive one, considering Beyoncé still is frequently reduced to "Jay Z wife" by both media and a part of the public.
And as Serendipity said, she is not Mrs. Carter, she is Mrs. Knowles-Carter, and Jay Z is Mr. Knowles-Carter.
Critic of Music 21 July 2013 at 00:14
Stay Awake is being included and that was originally a Halcyon bonus track. It's definetly a "shut down the dance floor" type track so you're probably right.
She is mrs Knowles-Carter in private. the tour is NOT called Mrs Knowles-Carter. It is called Mrs Carter.
If getting hitched is a "female Issue" ..indeed, she sings about female issues. But just because something is a female " issue" , doesn't mean it's a feminist one. And just because a woman does it, doesn't mean it's a feminist act.
And if it's sarcasm, it still is not really a feminist act because...plenty of women wouldn't take their husbands names. To do so and then complain you are Jay Z's wife...is disingenuous.
But actually, I am guessing the only media that do so is rap/hip hop oriented one and the only audience members who do that are Jay Z fans. I think Beyonce in the general media was already too big a name in her own right. Bigger than Jay Z in fact. I suspect in actuality in mass media more often Jay Z is referred to as Beyonce's husband than the other way around.
So you might as well claim the sarcasm is intended the other way around as well.
Again I say...you don't see Jay Z name his tour the Mr Knowles tour in response to being called the husband of Beyonce.
Considering I read people calling her "the wife of Jay-Z" or even worst, "she only got famous because of Jay-Z", I'm pretty sure it wasn't only rap/hip hop oriented material as I don't consume rap/hip hop oriented media (and the times I did so, they actually were pretty respectful about her). We still live on a society women are defined by who they married, and we still live on a society that always try linking the success of women with their relationship with men. I'm just sharing with you, who I assume doesn't know much about the tour as you don't like/follow her (and that's ok, I don't know much about the artists I don't like/follow either), why I believe that maybe this tour name could not be that literal. She names a tour after her husband, but she didn't get his name when she married. The tour's name and promotional material gives the idea that being with Jay-Z makes her "a queen", while the overall message of the tour is that of female empowerement and how many of her songs are about, as a woman, being successful by yourself and not because of your man. Still, I'm not saying the tour is feminist as I didn't actually watched it in full quality to actually take my take understanding it, and even if I did, I'm pretty aware feminist is not a homogenious block and some stuff is indeed considered feminist by some people and not considered by other people. You said Beyoncé can't be feminist based on the tour name (and you are being pretty conclusive when you do so), and I'm just saying, that based on what I could find about the concert, maybe (and as I didn't watch the tour neither am a personal Beyoncé friend to ask her about it, and as I said, had problems with the tour name myself) she isn't being literal over her, but using sarcasm to make an statement that can be or not be feminist.
Well any article that claims " she just got famous because of Jay Z" obviously is not exactly written by a knowledgeable person now is it? ;-)
As a matter of curiosity..where DID you read those things?
I am a woman and no, "we" don't live in a society which defines where women are defined by who they married. I live in a society where that is only done by some women themselves.
Are you pasting that stuff about Feminists not being a homogenious block? Because you posted the same thing before. (ps just in case you want to know for future use.. .it's spelled homogeneous)
Indeed it is not a homogeneous group. But some things we do all agree on. And that is that not every act by a woman is a feminist act. Or that every female issue is a feminist issue.
And no, I did not say Beyonce can't be a feminist based on the name of her tour. I said the name of that tour is not a feminist act. It doesn't really matter how people who know her career and who do know her personally interpret it. Most who see a poster for a Beyonce tour are not going to get much more than.." hey a certain mrs Carter is touring." And if they already know that is actually Beyonce, they are only going to register..
" Oh, Beyonce is going by her husband's name now".
But fyi I do not think Beyonce's work is feminist. I do not think " you should a put a ring on it" is all that feminist a statement. Seeing as it says basically..if a man puts a ring on a woman's finger he owns the rights to her body.
Nor do I think her visual imagery choices shows much feminism.
I had a pretty intense day today and I'm a little sleepy, so I will answer point by point:
1 - Maybe I missunderstood you over here, them, but I do read it as "she can't be feminist because of the name of the tour":
"Before I start...this is not about private live but,
i don't think you can be called a feminist if you call a tour of you singing and " dancing" your ass off under the name The mrs Carter tour or some such.
I mean, is the husband doing the singing and dancing? Did he before they got married while she established herself?
No and no. So no to being a feminist if you after signing a piece of paper suddenly give up your identity for your husbands name."
2 - Considering the tour is being really successful and the tickets aren't all that cheap, I believe people are well aware of who is performing. A "certain mrs Carter" wouldn't be able to sell out arenas and stadiums around the world, as this is something that needs some time building a career before working smoothly (our dear Lady Gaga didn't know that). Anyway, when you say the tour name can't be a feminist act as people may interpret it on other ways, well, this mean sarcasm can't be considered a valid way of expressing views of the world or that no art is never political as everything on both art and comunication is pretty much open for interpretation according to the viewer's background. I disagree about being or not being a fan doesn't matter on the sense that if the tour really has this concept (what I never stated as a fact, I'm waiting to watch it), it only can be understood by actually watching the thing. On the same way you can't review a book based on its cover or a movie by its title.
3 - "Indeed it is not a homogeneous group. But some things we do all agree on. And that is that not every act by a woman is a feminist act. Or that every female issue is a feminist issue." We agree over here...
4 - "I am a woman and no, "we" don't live in a society in which women are defined by who they married. I live in a society where that is only done by some women themselves." I'm pretty sure this could be read as blaming a social group by its own problems as it was isolated from the rest of society. A lot of women do define themselves and others by who they marry, but a lot of men do the same... I don't really believe most people on position of power being men and women being defined (by a big part of the society, both men and women) by who they marry is just some unlinked coincidence.
5 - Thanks! I will remember the "homogeneous tip! English is not my first language and one of the reasons why I engage on this kind of discussion is to actually keep the language fresh on my mind, so, corrections are always very very welcome! =)
1: don't read it as anything other than it says.
The terms of condition was clear...I don't think you can be called a feminist if you call your tour after your husbands name.
Like i said, it doesn't send a feminist message. Insider jokes do not count..they can only be understood by insiders.
The last line was a general statement to any woman who goes around calling herself by her husband's last name after getting married. It's their own choice but I don't think it can be called a feminist one.
2: yes the people who bought a ticket , one would hope, knows who they are going to see. But I wasn't speaking about fans. I said generally people who see that announcement.
No matter how well the ticket sales go, that is always but a small percentage of the people who are going to see a poster hanging in a city or hear/read showbiz news etc.
I was speaking of the general message that is send out by it.
That is what the majority of people will get. Not any " concept" nor how that concept is actually played out.
Indeed a lot of so called art is not generally understood. Only again...by insiders.
Feminism is a political movement aimed AT society on a whole. Not a message just for insiders.
4: No, I meant that you and I do not live in the same society. You live in Brasil. I live in western Europe. Different societies with different views on women and their positions AND their choices. There is no "we live in" is what I meant to convey.
I btw don't know about Brasilian society but most certainly where I come from men have not been defined by whom they marry for decades. I dare say a century.
Women were a little longer and in some small circles still are. But as a "society", we frown upon such a defining of a woman and if a well know person would publicly do so, he would be generally ridiculed.
also any social group imo is always at least partially to blame for their own position. Most of the time power is granted as much as it is taken.
5: I hear you, it's not my first language either and I indeed see discussion such as these as an opportunity to practice my English( and I personally btw find this a pleasant one. A genuine exchange of views. :) )
I most certainly didn't mean to correct you for any other reason than that I noticed you spelled it different but incorrectly both times I saw you use it. :-)
1 - Got it. =)
2 - Well, Beyoncé (or any other artist) can't do much more than comunicating with her own public, and once she tries way too much to make her work reach people out of her public, she puts herself on the risk of losing what made this public hers once. Feminism is a political moviment and it's not just for Beyoncé fandom, but one of the functions of both art and pop culture is translating complex concepts to ordinary people. I like Beyoncé, and even if I admit she has some pretty bizarre "feminist" positions sometimes, I do believe (as naive as it may be) that she takes those positions not only because there's a market share for it or because there's no other popstar working around the gender issues of women of color (that are different of those of white women on may ways), but because it's a theme I believe she probably identify herself with... And I admire her for it, even if the result is a little problematic from times to times.
4 - We don't live on the same society and as an north american performer she doesn't live on the same society as both of us... And maybe this causes some problems for both of us on the way she do her stuff. A lot of things that are well solved over there or over here may still be interesting for her fans to have a public person singing as a subject. I also saw north american feminists praising and bashing Beyoncé with the same intensity, so, even if she is not 100% seen as someone in touch with the moviment, she is not 100% seen out of it either.
5 - I really like being corrected when I'm wrong, it's one of the most efficients ways of learning. =) As someone who makes a living by writing, I MUST have an above than average knowlegment of my language... And sometimes I see myself correcting people when they are writing/saying something... Not out of arrogance or to call that person dumb (if this was the case I wouldn't even try :V), but just because it will help that person. So, I can understand you. :) A friend of mine got really offended once I corrected him on a grotesque spelling mistake on the title of a college project and I never really understood why... What did he prefer? Delivering it wrong? :P
I'm in complete agreement regarding 5.
4 partly agree because the sad thing is, having lived long enough to have seen US entertainment and societal development over a good number of years,, I say was a time when women's cause had moved on further but the pendulum swung back a bit again I think.
I noticed that a while back in discussing Madonna and..won't mention her name so as not to attract the stans. ;-D
In some ways US society was more enlightened 25 years ago than it is now.
2. Really, I was speaking of the message of that tour title only originally.
Which is a message which reaching more than just her fans.
When it comes to her lyrics I do not consider her a feminist because the message isn't much of a feminist one plus much of it is written by men actually. ;-)
Generally speaking though as far as who she can reach..I don't think I can go with the excuse she can only reach her fans. I don't believe you are much of an artist if you go around deliberately catering to your already fans.
But then...never thought she was an artist in that sense. She is a pop singer/actress. Her main business is selling albums. Not creating meaningful art.
Which is fine as far as I am concerned. As long as you, or in most cases your fans, don't go around claiming it is more than that.
But having said all that...as an individual, she very obviously is very independent and in control of her own live. That is definitely a feminist " lifestyle" so to speak.
2 - Well, even if her lyrics are written by men she is the one picking those she wants to sing according to what she wants to convey... On this sense the message is as hers as it is from the producers (and I honestly prefer that over self-penned bad music, or bad self performed good written music). But I agree with you she won't be cited on feminist theory books by her body of work so far (and maybe never :v).
When I said about reaching the fans, I meant that she can't really expect to release stuff easy enough to be totally understood on the first glance by everyone... And most of those who will take a 2nd or 3rd look at her releases are her fans. Even if I agree with you she isn't an artist on the "art producer" sense (called her an "artist" as society usually does with anybody that works on creative areas), even pop music can be multi-layered when it comes to meaning, and a lot of the most recognizible pop music is. I'm not saying she has a lot of depth on her body of work (she has some stuff that do, still, it's far of being the majority of it), but some stuff will need some knowlegment of her past releases and overall position, on the same way it happens with any other artist or popstar.
And fans are stupid... This is the conclusion I came after seeing the same stuff happening over and over again on any fanbase I got it touch with, so, I try to ignore what they say about their idols when it's way too far from reality. I never really saw Beyoncé claiming her work to be far more than what it is, like that beloved person of us, damn, not even Madonna claimed she was producing more than what she is :V. But back to B, she always seemed pretty aware that she is producing pop music, and that it's not up to her to produce an artistic revolution.
Agreed. I never got the impression she claimed to be more than she is as a singer.
he is not my cup of tea but I have no issue with Beyonce really. Just dislike irrational fans claiming nonsense. Dislike that even when they do so about my favorites.
Also agreed on better well written songs by someone else than poorly self written stuff. My remark only went to whether I would consider such a work feminist.
As a Kate Bush fan, I also agree.... pop music can be art and can be multi layered. These days Florence Welch and Marina Diamandis spring to mind.
I can relate to that... Sometimes you will see me bashing my faves out of disconfort of what a part of the fandom says... I love Beyoncé and she is pretty much my 2nd favorite anglophone popstar (Madonna coming first). I do find her to be really talented, but no, Beyoncé can't sing and dance at the same time (and she almost never try doing both at the same time), she does get a lot of suspicious songwriting credits and she is way too safe (or was, I feel that this is changing after she get rid of her father). She should never direct one of her concerts DVD again too... I Am... World Tour register was a disaster.
LOL You pretty much summed every claim Beyonce stans made that I argued at some point on this here blog.
I never really got the "she can dance and sing at the same time" thing, actually... Girl can sing, and even if she did sound like a lifeless robot while doing so for most of her career, I'm really feeling her since 2008 or so, and she is an OK dancer for popmusic standarts (and this is how most popstars dance anyway: Ok. Just Ok. Those who are amazing dancers like Madonna or J-Lo were dancers way before they started singing), but she almost never try dancing and singing at the same time... And I'm not even claiming she lip-synchs (what she does sometimes, but I'm starting to believe the only american popstar not lip-synching is, surprise, Miley Cyrus), but because she doesn't even pretend she is not singing while dancing. The microphone is far way her mouth, the voice heard is the original recording track, and during some songs (Videophone, Dance 4 You) she isn't even holding a microphone. At the same time, while she is singing her verses she is standing still or walking most of the time.
Diva Devotee 22 July 2013 at 21:56
Lol! it's not intentional!!
SORRY! It's not on purpose!
It's okay. I forgive you <3
You can be my marina alarm clock. Email me when anything new comes from her please!
You forgot about Pink.
And yes, I have argued Beyonce stans on that dancing thing. I really don't think she is such a great dancer and also noticed the things you raised there regarding her supposed singing and dancing at the same time.
I also never understood why it should be so special...any showgirl does the singing and dancing all the time.
Oh yeah, P!nk! I have some problem with her... I just can't get into her music. Skill-wise she is probably the best performer over there, and still, I can't get through her concerts because I just can't like her material. I personally don't care much about lip-synching if the performance is good enough (Madonna does that often, like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTaXtWWR16A) but is very rare the performance being good enough.
Well, like her or not, I just meant she sings live...even while dancing.
Personally I love Pink. I do hate lip syncing. But as far as Madonna goes, there is a lot there to compensate for the lip syncing. And after so many years...I got to accept she lips. LOL
But imo...of all the supposed great Super Bowl Half time shows...for my money Madonna's was the best one. :-)
And even if I love Beyoncé, hers wasn't nearly as good. There's a rumour they want Britney there next year, that would be pretty interesting having 3 pop divas in a row.
Surely that is but a rumor? I don't think artistically she is up to that challenge but mostly I don't think mentally her people and/or she herself, should put her under that much pressure.
If I'd had to guess though, I think we sooner see Mumford and son there. they seem to have reached a point of popularity which my very well put them on the official list of possibles( if such a list exists LOL)
There's a rumour her medications where a big part of the way she was performing lately, and that X Factor was a kind of a final test to see how she would react on uncontrolled situation (as it was live television) without the chemical suport. I started following Britney recently (like, 2 or 3 years ago) when I noticed her comments about fame were far more interesting than the one's by a certain italo-american girl. Watching the fan recordings to her recent tours, she did had some strong days and some pretty bad ones, what makes me think about the medicine rumour being real.
Still... I believe in the end I just wished to see her kicking some ass after everything that happened, haha.
Stuey 24 July 2013 at 09:42
I am actually disappointed she is repackaging the album. And being even more honest I don't like Burn. Its totally throwaway in my opinion. Halcyon was a thing of beauty to me and packaging it with this rubbish (thanks again Ryan Recycling Tedder) just diminished the quality of the product.
I am with you, the original version blows this out of the water!!
I agree with Opie, the only one here I feel that is musically interesting is Regina...talk about classy stuff! As for Ellie, I am unimpressed! Britney had me cringing in all the wrong ways and Beyonce had me nodding off....there goes my in depth and intellectual input for the morning haha
I'm not a fan of the re-releasing everyone is doing, I cannot wait for the trend to die down.
With ya there ;)
Mikhail 25 July 2013 at 16:20
She can - but tends to get softish.
DivaDevotee status
Currently it's dead. Thought I'd state because I'm still getting emails.
I know everything shouldn't be about money, but it just wasn't worth the time I was putting in. I've left it up because people are still reading the profiles.
Was a ride!
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Eagle Lake & West Branch Railroad
Eagle Lake and West Branch Railroad
Meeting the Challenge of Logging in the North Maine Woods
by: Richard N. Symonds, Jr.
Many of those who explore, hunt, snowmobile, and canoe in the Allagash area in the North Maine Woods are familiar with two abandoned locomotives sitting on tracks located between Eagle Lake and Chamberlain Lake in an area known as Tramway. Tramway was named for a mechanical tramway that moved logs the 3,000 feet or so across the divide between Eagle and Chamberlain Lakes for six years in the early 1900s. While most of the visitors to the area, accessible only by water or hiking over land, are awestruck when they come across the locomotives, few are aware as to why they are there, what they did, or how they did it.
A new book, titled “Eagle Lake and West Branch Railroad, Meeting the Challenge of Logging in the North Maine Woods” by Richard N. Symonds, Jr., documents the history of the little railroad including its construction, operations, abandonment, efforts to preserve the locomotives, and importance to the logging industry in Maine. A major player in the logging industry in the area and financial backer of the building of the railroad was the Great Northern Paper Company (GNP). GNP also had a major influence on the development of the Maine towns of Millinocket and East Millinocket where their mills were located.
While the emphasis of the book is on the Eagle Lake and West Branch Railroad (EL & WB RR) and its role moving logs from one watershed to another, its history is not complete without discussing the railroad’s relationships to related logging activity. The geography of the Allagash area results in the rivers and streams flowing north to the St. John River and Canada. The demand for timber products at American mills needed waterways flowing south and easterly. In the 1800s dams, locks, and cuts were constructed to modify the natural free flow direction of many of the rivers and streams. In the early 1900s, first a tramway and then a railroad accomplished the task of moving timber from one watershed to another. Then with environmental laws of the 1970s, the transportation of timber products by water gave way to the log trucks as the method of transportation. This provided not only a quicker method of moving product but also provided more flexibility in destination.
The GNP also started construction of another logging railroad prior to the EL & WB RR called the Seboomook Lake and St. John Railroad (SL & SJ RR) which later provided equipment for use on the EL & WB RR. The SL & SJ RR; the construction and operation of the Tramway; and the preservation of the Tramway and the Allagash River Waterway are discussed as an integral part of the EL & WB RR history. A five-mile connecting supply railroad called the Chesuncook and Chamberlain Railroad constructed by GNP is also discussed as an important component of the EL & WB RR history.
The EL & WB RR was constructed by Edward (King) Lacroix’s Madawaska Company for the GNP Company as the Umbazooksus and Eagle Lake Railroad (U & EL RR) in 1926 and 1927. It was never operated under that name as the railroad was purchased by the Great Northern Paper Company which renamed it the EL & WB RR. The train operated from 1927 to 1933 hauling logs 13 miles from Eagle Lake to the head of Umbazooksus Lake where logs were dumped into the lake from a 600 foot long trestle for the final leg of the trip to the Millinocket Mills by water.
There are a number of myths and discrepancies relating to the history of the railroad. Some attempts are made to resolve these issues. Ten of the more common discrepancies are discussed with the idea of trying to resolve the inconsistencies or to provide the reader with adequate information to draw their own conclusions. Some of the discrepancies could not be resolved prior to publication.
Questions or comments may be submitted by contacting the author, Richard N. Symonds, Jr., at 92 Torry Rd, Tolland, CT 06084, e-mail RNSJR2@juno.com or telephone (860) 875-5002. Copies of the book are currently out of print.
Revised February 16, 2012
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Congres 2014 @en
Esther (Etty) Hillesum, Middelburg January 15, 1914 – Auschwitz November 30, 1943
Etty Hillesum was born in her parent’s house in Middelburg on January 15, 1914. Her father dr. Louis Hillesum (1880-1943) was a teacher in Classical languages. After his appointment in Hilversum, Tiel and Winschoten he became rector in 1928 of the “Stedelijk Gymnasium” in Deventer, where he worked from 1924 onwards. Her mother, Rebecca Hillesum-Bernstein (1881-1943), came originally from Russia. In 1907 she moved to Amsterdam, where she married Louis Hillesum in 1912. Etty had two younger brothers, Jaap en Mischa. Jaap (1916-1945) became a doctor and Mischa (1920-1943) was a talented pianist.
In 1932, after having successfully matriculated in her “gymnasium alfa” studies, Etty Hillesum moved to Amsterdam where she enrolled into the University to study Law. She finished her Law studies in 1939 and moved on to study Slavic Languages in Amsterdam and Leiden. During her student years in Amsterdam Etty Hillesum spend her time among left wing circles without committing herself to any particular party. She had many friends, with whom she kept a lively contact. Because of Nazi persecutions in Germany there were German Jews who moved to Amsterdam, bringing their own culture and customs. For Etty Hillesum this was a very interesting World. Among these refugees there was a chiro-psychologist Julius Spier (1887-1942), whom she had met in 1941. Spier, whom she addressed as “S.” in the Diaries, became her great teacher, but also her big love. Because of his unusual and warm personality he had a strong influence on her. He advised Etty to keep a diary to write down the inner movements and growth in her. Together with their mutual friend Henny Tideman (1907-1989) Spier opened the way to God for Etty Hillesum. He died of lungcancer on September 15, 1942. At that time Etty Hillesum’s life had already drastically changed which made it possible for her to accept and deal with her loss.
On July 15, 1942, Etty Hillesum got a job at the department “cultural affairs” of the Jewish Council in Amsterdam. She only worked there for two weeks and didn’t like it at all. On July 30, 1942 she was, on her own request, transferred to Camp Westerbork in order to work for the department “Sociale Verzorging Doortrekkenden.” As a member of the Jewish Council she had a special travel-visa, which made it possible for her to return to Amsterdam on several occasions. It was there that she became ill in the winter of 1942-43. When she had recovered, she refused the offers of her friends to go into hiding. She chose to stay with her people and returned to Westerbork, where she wanted to undergo the fate of her fellow human beings, she explained. On September 7, 1943, on a special order of Rauter, the Hillesum family was transported to Poland (except Jaap Hillesum, who was taken at a later stage). On November 30, 1943, Etty Hillesum died in Auschwitz.
Etty Hillesum left us an impressive literary oeuvre, which consists of Diaries and Letters. Already during the War an illegal edition was published. On Hillesum’s request, the Diaries were given to her friend and housemate Maria Tuinzing (1906-1978) who gave them to an earlier friend of Etty, the writer Klaas Smelik (1897-1986) – with the task that he would take care of the publication. This wish, however, Smelik could not fulfil, because of the lack of interest in the fifties and sixties of the last century among publishers in Hillesum’s philosophical views on the War and on the persecution of the Jews. When in 1979 his son Klaas A.D. Smelik tried again to bring Hillesum’s wish into fulfilment, times had changed. In 1981 “Het verstoorde leven: Dagboek van Etty Hillesum, 1941-1943” (An Interrupted life) was published by J.G. Gaarlandt. This beautiful anthology, taken from Hillesum’s Letters and Diaries and translated in many languages, was immediately a great success worldwide. In 1986, under the editorial supervision of Klaas A.D. Smelik the complete and unabridged edition of her Works were published with the title: “Etty: de nagelaten geschriften van Etty Hillesum 1941-1943.” In 2002 the official English edition came out with the title: “Etty: The Letters and Diaries of Etty Hillesum 1941-1943.“
Etty Hillesum’s Diaries reveal the inner change of a young Jewish woman during World War Two. Striking is the contrast between her growing spirituality and the consequences of the ever increasing persecution of the Jews in the Netherlands. The Diaries show how Etty rapidly developed, through her meeting with Spier and other friends and the reading of existential literature, into a grown up woman, with a mature personality and her own life’s vision.
She learned to accept herself and the fate of her people, without any bitterness. The Diaries have become a monument of spirituality and spiritual resistance against persecution and hatred. It is this quality that brings them up to date.
Her work has evoked a mixed reaction ever since her writings were published. Two points that stand out: A different perception on why Hillesum chose not to go into hiding and the insecurity of the Jewishness of her vision. A careful reading, however, of the complete texts show that much of these discussions go back to an incorrect understanding of the Letters and Diaries, partly caused by the one-sided selection of “Het verstoorde leven” (An Interrupted Life). The attempts to make Hillesum a Christian Saint or the efforts to question and confuse her Jewish identity are completely out of tune with her own personal desire to be an independent spirit, not to be bound by faith or any political conviction, but it also goes against her firm wish to be a Jewish woman in solidarity with her people.
In 1993, fifty years after her death, the Etty Hillesum Foundation gave the original diaries cahiers and letters to the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam, where they are kept. In Deventer, the Netherlands, there is the Etty Hillesum Centre and at Ghent University we find the Etty Hillesum Research Centre (EHOC). Various schools have been named after her: in Deventer and in Den Helder. Worldwide the interest for Etty Hillesum is growing and bringing forth new initiatives. The most important is, however, the influence her work has on the personal lives of those who read her.
Klaas A.D. Smelik
POWERPOINT PRESENTATIE
Click here. download presentation on Etty Hillesum
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Report Shows Property Prices In Australia Up By .3 Percent
The prices of properties in major capital cities in Australia jumped up by .3% last February. With this news, the annual rise in property values in Australia increased to 8.3% according to the latest released data. The properties include residential properties, display homes for sale and commercial residences.
The largest increase was recorded in the city of Sydney with an increase of 13.7 percent. Melbourne trailed to the second spot garnering an increase of 7.4 percent while Brisbane came in third at 5.9 percent. This was according to the report of CoreLogic RP Index.
However, the dwelling values in capital cities over the years have increased only by less than 4 percent. The growth cycle began in June 2012 and since then, the dwelling values have moved to at least 22 percent higher in all of the capital cities combined.
The head of the research team, Tim Lawless, pointed out that this phenomenon demonstrates the demand coming from the market of greater Sydney. The values in a cumulative basis reach to 34.8 percent in every cycle which is demonstrated across the largest capital city in Australia.
The latest result showed a slowing down in the growth rate of the dwelling value when being compared with the figures last December and January. As the data shows, the pace of monthly growth has slowed down from .9 percent last December then to 1.3 percent in January. Despite these draw backs, it is still foreseen that the trend will remain to be very strong especially in the cities of Sydney as well as in Melbourne.
What are the possible factors that could decrease the rate of consumer confidence in the Australian market? Analysts believe that among these factors include the weaker growth in job availability, high unemployment rate, low yields in rental, declining affordability and uncertainty in the political world.
According to the recent report, there is also a sizable amount of evidence on compressed rental yields that continue in the markets of every capital city in Australia. Last year, the gross yield in house rental in the capital cities was averaging at 4.3 percent but by February this year, the gross yield rolled down to only 3.7 percent. This was due largely to the consistently high dwelling value growth.
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苏州夜网
After two decades Yi father
By admin 0 Comment 2019-01-14
That day, far away in the home of her brother called and said she wanted the twentieth anniversary of the death of his father, when do a decent annual ritual, passed away many years ago in order to comfort the father of the deceased. Put down the phone, I thought for a long.Yes, his father died that year, we are all brothers and a few have not yet married, home conditions are not very good, to do his father’s funeral was not too decent, and now conditions are good, as is the heavenly father do something. His father died twenty years, in retrospect, have been like the father of a little fuzzy, but his father’s upright character, broad-minded, selfless love for us, but deeply imprinted on my mind, engraved in my hearts.Standing beneath the building, people braved freezing winter wind slightly, holding just hang up the phone, the depths of my eyes, I clearly saw my father up to. Father was born thirties, experienced Japanese aggression, hunger fifties and sixties, during the Cultural Revolution, every time, father’s suffering, hungry and helpless, every growth, he saw his father make people strong , patience and love.Just a way of life for 58 years, his father suffered a worldly, human well-being; 58 long years and responsible way, a clear conscience father in the village, relatives and friends; and we have these kids for decades, the father has even more tough love , honest love, love grievances, to reflect our learning, food and clothing, work and other daily bits and pieces. Since I can remember, my father’s image will freeze in my mind: emaciated body, sunken cheeks, messy beard, plus a cigarette between his fingers, coughing sound.In that memory in pre-school, I tried to search his father’s shadow, mind only one thing in Utah. It was a night in front of the elementary school, kerosene lamps lit main room there was a dim light, and my father slept in the north wall of the ground covered by.Not just black long winter in rural areas has entered its dreams.Young but I can not sleep, pestering my father taught me how to read.Dredging just a hard day’s father sitting on the edge of the bed, the TV drama Hushanhushan kerosene lamp, from a dilapidated desk and took out a small length pencil, written on yellow paper of the “Shao-ping “word, neat and the atmosphere.I know little flat in the name of my family tree, and the word I was in relative terms with names, both studious and good writing.I lie on the table, exposing half a small head, with a tender little hands crooked to write a “little flat” word, clumsy and ugly.But his father was very happy, he smiled and said, this child will certainly amount to anything, for the first time hold a pencil to write so good.At that time, I did not know that “little flat” two words written in the end is good, but I know I listened to the words of my father felt happy.Father’s encouragement that so far has been good enough for me, now, to my colleagues in the discipline and education of children, I have been encouraged in the majority, also received good results. From that day I can remember, my father is the head of the farm in our village apple orchard tree farm, and I used to play in that place.But then I always do not want to with my father, because his father would not let me in naughty little apple picking tree, tree farm to get something, even when I know a little bit big affair, his father even let me go home bring some pick up from under the trees due to wind down the bad apples, and I do not let him eat bread Forest Farm.However, for others it is just the opposite father.In the south end of the orchard, my family just share more than half an acre of sand, there is no good harvest of crops other species, his father was there planted a variety of small melon (the “Guayuan memory thing” I mentioned), but hospitable father took a variety of small ripe melon tree farm so that we have got to eat, so that was a tree farm staff who often eat melon to melon ground.At that time, I often enraged at my father that the father of our brethren no good to others.Later, after I was older and wiser, my mother told me my father when I was not yet born, and notes some of the family. Father in the early 1970s, a few of our team captain, holds the village’s economy and food.In that era of hunger, food is a big issue for every family, if there are more or less food, though not fill its belly, but that does not starve people.Our family brothers and more fundamental points of rations enough to eat, the mother playing the father of the idea, let my father came back to pick up some food from the production team, let them eat little children.Father may never won back a little bit of food, there is no way the mother.At that time, our brothers eldest brother is the body a long time, hungry ran to the village to pick up following bad apricot apricot eat, even the inside of almonds nothing left to eat, who can imagine, those not treated almonds are some toxic, it is so, that I am 15-year-old big brother passed away very early.Although it was their father guilty, but he did not regret.Father say that he is a team long, the village people are starving, he could not have it, according to a private, while falling infamy.Later, I slowly learned the words of his father, his father also understood that time inner frustration and difficulties, we feel his father’s great and selfless. After school, his father more severe for our education and bundle.He warned us, it means we have the ability to go to school thinking, distinguish right from wrong, it means that we have to temper character, ambition grew in beauty and ugliness of good and evil in human nature, it means that we are dealing with people to abide by the ethics of the bottom line, no matter how poor not steal or rob, do not want to re-hungry, care for the young, good with people, once mistakes, punished.Father says so, is to do so. The mid-eighties, I was in elementary school in the neighboring village.At that time, the school gate is often some of the older elderly people to eat a small snack stand selling small things and play, in which an old man selling walnut attracted me, I can not remember what I had reason to lure a very it’s the desire to eat.Walnut is based on a sale, as if two a penny.This time I thought of the lock on the main room of our house drawer.At that time, our village opened a cannery, had just graduated from high school brother in there as an accountant, work, often there will be some coins, he put the coin on the far left of the three court room drawer we fight desk , the drawer is locked on, and it was the middle of the next drawer unlocked.I started wondering when no one in the next two drawers, finally found the top two drawers are interlinked, from the middle of this drawer, you can hand out the most left in that drawer, of course, you can get it inside the coin.I found this to be happy, began to secretly take a coin there, Ganna only 1 point, 2 points to buy a few walnuts eaten at the beginning, but also fear.Later found brother did not see it, slowly bold, and development to take five minutes to buy a few toys. Can not remember which day, and has not been back home for dinner, my father stood in the courtyard to see the black face, the mother looked at me, he kept winking at me Run.Yet to figure out how it happened, I was a father pulled in the past, is followed by a good fight, I remember the beginning of his father beat my ass with his feet shoes (we called the amount spilled shoe), I do not know how much fight next, anyway, I was crying in pain wah-wah chaos.Many neighbors around here, are persuaded her father to stop, can not listen to his father, and later replaced by another as if a stick, while his father also played his mouth, never had any rules, calamity will grow up.After that incident, I no longer dare stole anything at home, including the future in the community, I always abide by the teachings of his father, not his thing must not do touch the sky will not fall out, only self-reliant It is king. Eighties, the land assigned to the hands of farmers.We were more than brothers at home, and all small.Father not like other parents as children to drop out early labor at home, but we all went to school, go to school, I think this is a few years to learn his father’s vision.Be this way, our family life is a little more difficult, and thus, had improper captain’s father began to seek a livelihood.Slowly, several of our brothers have grown up, because when the Chinese conditions and historical reasons, my sister and two brothers above the high school failed to take the exam, and forced labor at home, and this time, father began to lead them to the rich cotton.Be like this, the family life did not turn out. Later, the married father’s sister let our village opened a retail store, selling what some of the people in the village of everyday products, earn a little money to support their family.Shop opened in front of our house, one built their own small house, by the time the body has been bad fifty-year-old father watched by.This time, I was just in junior high school, and occasionally care for his father for a while.After all, I’m on the school, in the accounts, book keeping or faster than his father, so long as I have time, let my father and his shop with care.Later, before we know, in my father’s eyes, I was the only person likely to achieve the aspirations of the father, the father distressed me, to let me tired, you find a reason, so the above Gesao who let me go to the fields to work.But at night, we slept in fear of his father’s small shop outside cold, a person sleeping in a small shop in the evening with the village a lot of old men talking and laughing until late sleep. Late one night, sleeping in the back yard of a sudden we heard a small shop in front of his father’s shouts: “Catch thieves, thief ah!”When people around and so we rushed over, only know that the two young people do not know, in the middle of the night knock on the door of the store, he said to be passing here, hungry to die, want to buy something to eat.Good father did not think, put on clothes opened the shop door.Can be mended, two people have come up with a knife and took away a lot of alcohol and tobacco.Many of us do not chase to catch up, let the matter rest.Although it has some sad their father, but he just told us, the two men must have difficulties, no one would run the risk of do the job, and after more careful on the line.I think that this is the father of tolerance and generosity of others for life, it made me understand, treat even a bad thing, but also to see the other side of it. I sell something in a small shop more and more time, slowly I actually love this line of business.One day my father and I mentioned when chatting about it, my father say, is not necessary the sweat university entrance exam, the shop earns enough for two people to eat, and then open a bigger store in the future, may also better.I remember that my father did not speak, I did not think.The next day, the father let the little sister store everything taken away, shut up shop.In our family’s surprise, the father said a word, fed and warm, think of lust, complacency no ambition, off you want to read, to go to school.So many years to come, my father was the kind of “broken wrist aspirations,” the spirit really let us admire, this spirit also prompted me to study hard, to complete his father’s wishes. Hear my mother say, our family is a middle peasant in the era of my grandfather’s house, former home of a very wealthy, large fruit trees throughout the village is our home.But our family is not as rich as some of the villagers bad, our family and treated like a family member, like the village people to get along, to let them raise fruit trees so that they receive, and later in the overthrow landlords, our family’s fruit trees also points to the village people, but our family has not denounced by the people in the village, but the father also became captain.When the captain father and Forestry center grows when a radius of a few people in the village just as good and get a lot of people’s respect.When my father took me out together, if met people who are familiar with the road, the other certainly at first bicycle or horse-drawn carriage, and his father all the way to say hello, just leave after a few pleasantries.I think this is the father image and status in people’s minds, only selfless dedication and open minds, hearts will get people really respect and love. Not to open shop, and his father began a street waste collection.Then there is no car, my father with a shelf car, the family bought a small donkey pulling, so, my father began to make a living for several years in the waste collection.Several villages around people know his father, his father came to see, they put the waste out ready, let me just give you the money my father casually points.First, they believe the father, the other is the poor father.Whenever this time, my father does not feel any embarrassment, on the waste front of their face a little clear enough for them to change, does not account for a penny cheaper.In the waste collection process, most father happy, than to hear people praise me to learn in front of him.Sometimes, the father of our waste collection just after school, he would wait until my school, so I sat down his donkey board the car, yelling all the way to the little donkey trot to rush home. At the time I was young, did not know what, just remember sitting on a donkey board the car, feeling the car a Britain Britain ran a forward quickly, very happy.Car loaded with all sorts of waste, folded neatly in front of old cardboard boxes, is scheduled to be back in uniform glass jar, covered with wrinkles father’s face in the sun even more old, lean body in dray on down a long shadow, his mouth smoking a cigarette smoke of wind drift.Father has given us that people are not doing what line shame, as long as self-reliant, others will respect you. The summer of 1991, I successfully admitted to the county high school.This year, my family’s economy more difficult, above sister and three brothers were born in the same year the boy, his father at the same time happy ear to ear, but also worry about my school tuition.Later, his father had to borrow a monthly interest rate of 3 cents village of usury (father is reluctant to lend money to someone else’s), borrowed $ 200, wait until autumn to repay $ 260.High school to live on campus, everyone must pay to go to school food.Home more than adults, has stimulated the poor harvest, the family met at the end of wheat soon, big winter, my father went to a neighbor borrowed wheat.That one said by wheat, several people put the wheat came through my door, scrambling to let us use.Father with a silent action to support my studies, so I work harder in the future to study in. However, his father’s body is getting worse.Father does not drink, but he smokes particularly severe, about two packs a day for.He repeatedly tried to persuade his mother, but his father said the family needed him to take care of life, it is his strong spirit tobacco support of a family medicine.Good father never smoked cigarettes, until his death, he smoked the most expensive smoke nine cents a box of “Buddha” brand cigarettes.Effects of smoking on the body of a great father, his father often coughing, spitting, but he was just like nothing, like, often to comfort us, and often personally bustling about.At that time the rural medical condition is not very good, and her father just grab some medicine to eat a little sick at the time of birth, and not too much into the hospital check-ups. The first winter on going past high school, I also ushered in the first high school final exam.I remember that morning before a final exam in English, in school we met Uncle back home grandson, he told me he had come to act, to find the way I play, and so I say I find exam.At that time I did not think it Anan Sheng habitat finished the last one.After finished, we put the winter break, I went home and nephew. In the village bike it did not take long, and I heard the Suona Sheng, the heart suddenly had a sense of foreboding, turned the corner, I saw hanging in front of the big white banner, my father died.I suddenly ignorant, and fell off the bike, with my nephew came too late to help me, and I cried and cried climbing towards home.Father’s illness in much the night before, called the doctors in the village, they got me to the county, but did not save his father’s life.My mother speak, the father said to them in the car, do not tell me, I’m exams.This is the last wish of his father’s family who tearfully promised. Father so he was 58 years old, left his birth, and raised his land, leaving love him, respect him of our mother, he left his beloved, fighting off the village, left him kissed, love too, played, scolded children.Tai father since childhood experienced family tragedies from rich to poor, has experienced the pain of young childless middle-aged death of his father, but experienced too poor to eat grass and bark and age, but his father never complained to a tolerant attitude towards life, a selfless attitude towards the village a broad mind to treat the future of a harsh attitude towards children.His father’s death, let us great pain, so that villagers marvel.Father left, a few of our brethren harder life, college to college, doing business to do business, lived in the forefront of people in the village, did not live up to his father’s wishes.And our father during his lifetime, quiet life, tolerance of others, low-key work.This is my father left us a precious legacy. A short period of two decades later, his father’s memories still fresh, there may not know his father well?(Three Wo)
Up, she spoke up: “Why do not we first look for a place to sell clothes nearby?”
On with a polite smile.
But who knows, this large Qian clutching his stomach awkward climb down from the carriage, while crawling on all fours while also cursed: “Jiang Chu dead girl would really be long skill, and I think she ?”
If, like summer and you do not want the money to go to juvenile Huaicheng, for you to stay in the city of Mukden.”
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Insight into Universal Basic Income
Martin Luther King Jr - Minister, Civil Rights Activist
“I am now convinced that the simplest approach will prove to be the most effective — the solution to poverty is to abolish it directly by a now widely discussed measure: the guaranteed income."
Jeremy Rifkin - Economic and social theorist, writer, public speaker, political advisor, and activist.
“Basic income is not a Utopia, it's a practical business plan for the next step of the human journey."
Michael Bohmeyer - Head of the German initiative ‘Mein Grundeinkommen’ (‘My Basic Income’)
“Basic income is about power, about letting it go… It’s about trusting people. It gives them the freedom to say no and ask the question, ‘how do I really want to live’?"
Erik Brynjolfsson - Director of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy and author of "The Second Machine Age."
“We already do this for some kinds of people today. Just consider social security, Medicare, and welfare — these are types of basic income. As automation makes society richer — unevenly — then there’s scope for a more generous social safety net."
Douglas Rushkoff - Author and Institute for the Future fellow
“The marketplace in which most commerce takes place today is not a pre-existing condition of the universe. It’s not nature. It’s a game, with very particular rules, set in motion by real people with real purposes."
Ray Kurzweil - Author, computer scientist, inventor and futurist.
“Adopting a universal basic income for all people can help society think creatively with new ideas, develop new industries — and free-up people to work on important future projects."
Rutger Bregman - Journalist and author of Utopia for Realists: The Case for a Universal Basic Income
“Basic income would give people the most important freedom: the freedom of deciding for themselves what they want to do with their lives."
Stephen Hawking - Theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge.
“Everyone can enjoy a life of luxurious leisure if the machine-produced wealth is shared, or most people can end up miserably poor if the machine-owners successfully lobby against wealth redistribution. So far, the trend seems to be toward the second option, with technology driving ever-increasing inequality."
Erich Fromm - Social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, humanistic philosopher, and democratic socialist.
“Guaranteed income would not only establish freedom as a reality rather than a slogan, it would also establish a principle deeply rooted in Western religious and humanist tradition. Man has the right to live, regardless!"
Friedrich Hayek - Economist and philosopher
“The assurance of a certain minimum income for everyone, or a sort of floor below which nobody need fall even when he is unable to provide for himself, appears not only to be a wholly legitimate protection against a risk common to all, but a necessary part of the Great Society in which the individual no longer has specific claims on the members of the particular small group into which he was born."
Buckminster Fuller - Futurist architect, designer and inventor.
“We must do away with the absolutely specious notion that everybody has to earn a living. It is a fact today that one in 10 thousand of us can make a technological breakthrough capable of supporting all the rest."
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Revenge: A Love Story
The unusual contradictions at the heart of Revenge: A Love Story are evident even from the title. From Hong Kong director Ching-Po Wong, this is on one-hand a hard boiled and ultraviolent tale of revenge. On the other, it's a love story about two people with an uncertain place in society and their attempts to traverse the rough waters ahead of them. While it's an interesting approach, the film is ultimately unable to convincingly marry the two disparate narratives together.
It begins with the titular acts of vengeance. The pregnant wives of Hong Kong police officers are being murdered along with their unborn children. Caught off guard, the grieving police rush to catch the culprit. They eventually apprehend Kit (Juno Mak). The film then makes a significant time leap backwards, and follows Kit's relationship with schoolgirl Wing (who, we're unconvincingly informed, is mildly mentally ill), played by Sola Aoi. The story tracks this blossoming romance between two social outcasts, but eventually the reasons for Kit's inevitable kill rampage become more and more evident.
Have you spotted the biggest problem with Revenge: A Love Story yet? It's the uncertain morality of the film that makes it a difficult one to fully engage with. On one hand we're asked to sympathise with Kit and Wing. Yet knowing what the future holds for them, it's hard to root for 'em. Kit's actions that open the film are every bit as deplorable and depraved as the ones that led him down the path of vengeance. It's uncertain if the film and characters revel in violence or are repulsed by it. There are sweet scenes scattered throughout the 'love' story, but ultimately it's the sour that pervades every frame. A last act attempt at arthouse ambiguity falls flat as well, emphasising the often unclear tonal identity of the film.
Not that this is a bad film in the traditional sense. Taken as an exaggerated and slightly offbeat genre film, there are things to like. The grey colour palette creates a palatable sense of dread and despair, and quite suits the tone of the story. Despite often falling short of hitting the mark, the film does at least deserve kudos for having a novel approach to the revenge thriller: it's at least moderately interesting seeing the film attempting to explain a character's motivations for becoming a cold-blooded serial killer. There are also a handful of unexpected twists and enjoyable setpieces throughout. Revenge: A Love Story certainly isn't boring.
If recent cinema is anything to go by, East Asia is a place full of extreme acts of vengeance. Yet Wong's film falls short when compared with the stellar revenge films that have been produced by his South Korean and Japanese neighbours (I Saw the Devil and Confessions, most recently). As the credits roll, I was uncertain if Revenge: A Love Story was exploitative or insightful. Ultimately, I think it's a somewhat awkward mix of both.
Labels: ching-po wong, hong kong, juno mak, revenge, revenge: a love story, romance, sola aoi, thriller
Review: This Must Be The Place
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Neil Finn and Mike Campbell Replace Lindsey Buckingham
Fleetwood Mac to Tour With Neil Finn, Mike Campbell as Lindsey Buckingham’s Replacements
by Jem Aswad
Shortly after Variety confirmed that Lindsey Buckingham has been fired by Fleetwood Mac, the group announced plans to tour this Fall with two new members: Mike Campbell longtime lead guitarist for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Crowded House frontman Neil Finn will be joining the Mac for their upcoming tour, with final dates being confirmed shortly.
“Fleetwood Mac has always been about an amazing collection of songs that are performed with a unique blend of talents,” Mick Fleetwood said. “We jammed with Mike and Neil and the chemistry really worked and let the band realize that this is the right combination to go forward with in Fleetwood Mac style. We know we have something new, yet it’s got the unmistakable Mac sound.”
“We are thrilled to welcome the musical talents of the caliber of Mike Campbell and Neil Finn into the Mac family. With Mike and Neil, we’ll be performing all the hits that the fans love, plus we’ll be surprising our audiences with some tracks from our historic catalogue of songs,” said the group collectively. “Fleetwood Mac has always been a creative evolution. We look forward to honoring that spirit on this upcoming tour.”
In a statement, Neil Finn said: “Two weeks ago I received a wonderful invitation to be a part of a truly great band. A few days later I was standing in a room playing
music with Fleetwood Mac. It felt fresh and exciting, so many great songs, a spectacular rhythm section and two of the greatest voices ever. Best of all, we sounded good together. It was a natural fit. I can’t wait to play.”
A source close to the situation tells Variety that Buckingham did not exit voluntarily — rather, says the insider, “He was fired” — although a source notes that the term may not quite fit the situation.
Fleetwood Mac was founded by Peter Green in 1967 and was named after Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. After Peter Green left in 1969, Fleetwood and McVie remained as original members, and the band has since featured a cast of brilliant talents. Most notably, Christine McVie joined the band in 1970, with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joining in 1974. When Buckingham left the group in 1987 for 10 years, he was replaced with two singer/guitarists, Billy Burnette and Rick Vito.
The statement concludes: “Lindsey Buckingham will not be performing with the band on this tour. The band wishes Lindsey all the best.”
Campbell worked with Tom Petty for nearly 50 years as lead guitarist and main musical foil in both their early band Mudcrutch as well as the Heartbreakers. Petty and the Heartbreakers backed Stevie Nicks on her first solo album, 1981’s “Bella Donna,” duetting with her on the hit single “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” Petty and the Heartbreakers had just completed a 40th anniversary tour last year when Petty died suddenly of an accidental drug overdose. While the group’s connection to Finn is not quite as strong, he is friendly with Mick Fleetwood, who performed with Neil’s son Liam at an event in New Zealand last year.
Buckingham last performed with Fleetwood Mac when the band were honored as MusiCares Person of the Year during a concert at New York’s Radio City Music Hall during Grammy Week. Former President Bill Clinton inducted the group and a number of acts covered their songs, including Alison Krauss, Lorde, Miley Cyrus, Little Big Town, Imagine Dragons, Zac Brown Band, Keith Urban, Haim, Jared Leto and Harry Styles, who not only introduced the band but joined them for “The Chain.” The group then played a short set to close out the night.
Posted by Nickslive at Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Labels: Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham
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Did he jump or was he pushed?
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The Church Bureaucracies Have to Go - David Mills
The following ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT ARTICLE was written back in 2004 by David Mills for TOUCHSTONE MAGAZINE. I believe that it deserves a much wider dissemination, on account of the way that the layers of church bureaucracy and the manipulation of “representative” democracy in synodical processes is slowly strangling the people of God. (But don’t expect to see a copy of David's article anytime soon in your diocesan mailing!) It should be said that David’s observations are not “Anglican specific.” They apply across the board to all mainline churches.
Every time those who genuflect to self absorbed bureaucracies and manipulative managerialism get their way, gospel proclamation suffers, the life of the Spirit is quenched, and the kind of clergy who pour all their energy into nurturing worshipping communities tend to be mocked and marginalised.
Of particular importance is David’s observation (at the end of the article) of the crushing impact of all this on the non-bureaucrat clergy - and their parishes - who are the ones that actually inspire vocations. David also deals with the gospel principle that is at stake, in terms of how spiritual leadership actually develops . . . what some of us call the "Paul - Timothy" principle.
David Mills is executive editor of First Things, having been editor of Touchstone from 2003-2008. His books include: The Pilgrim’s Guide: C. S. Lewis and the Art of Witness (1999), Knowing the Real Jesus (2001) and Discovering Mary - Answering Questions about the Mother of God (2009). Former director of publishing at Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, and member of the Forward in Faith North America Council before becoming a Roman Catholic in 2001, he regularly wrote the "Letter from America" for New Directions.
A few years ago, a high official in the Church of England announced that the new prayer books would cost the parishes millions of pounds but the Church of England would make a small profit. It was a slip, of course, but one that revealed how deeply those at the center of the Western churches identify their central structures with the churches themselves.
This is a very bad mistake, because these structures have an unfair advantage over the local and personal, from which the most effective, and generally the most orthodox, ministry come. They take from them more than they give, and misdirect their resources and energies even when acting quite sincerely and with the best of intentions. They are the sort of friend who “for your own good,” weeds your library, changes the settings on your computer, replaces your furniture, and rearranges your finances—and then charges you a large fee for doing so because “we’re all in this together.”
Abandon It
Any revival in these churches will require not the reform but the abandonment of the many layers of bureaucracy they have built up over the last few decades, giving the local bodies the authority to act as they think best and forcing the center to be as close as possible to the local bodies, in particular guiding, aiding, and inspiring them far less by law—giving requirements, for example—than by personal authority, and to rely for its support on the voluntary giving of the flocks it serves.
I am not criticizing bureaucracy as such, because it is natural and inevitable. A bishop begins a diocesan bureaucracy as soon as he hires a secretary or convenes a small group to help him with the finances. But some subtle line is crossed, and crossed quickly, when these people and their work become authorities in their own right and work more by rule and process than personal relation.
It is crossed, for example, when the bishop appoints someone because he has to satisfy some political need—to satisfy powerful people in the diocese, for example—not because the man is godly, wise, and discerning. It is generally being crossed when a bishop thinks he is being shrewd.
Bureaucracy is simply one way of getting things done, and the questions to be asked of it are whether it does them well and whether it does other things than it is supposed to do. I want only to suggest that it is not the best form of organization for modern church life. The resources and energy these bureaucracies consume (not only from those who work in them but from those who must spend time and money to oppose them) and the ends to which they direct their work make it harder for the churches to bring the gospel to the people who need to hear it, and make it much harder for the churches to say the clear word the culture needs to hear from it.
Centralized structures can do many things much faster and with less effort than individuals can. Yet they are complex machines far more likely to break down and needing far more energy to run, and require such an investment that no one wants to junk them when they stop working. Even when they are working well, they tend to develop a mind of their own and sometimes to go where even their handlers do not (consciously) intend.
And individuals matter: The most complex bureaucracy run by St. Francis of Assisi will express in its life more of the gospel than the most personal system led by Machiavelli. A committee may be a fellowship helping others or a bureaucracy insisting on its own way, depending on the man who appointed its members and the people he appoints.
My observations and examples will reflect the experience of the Episcopal Church, which as an activist I observed for almost twenty years, but examples could easily be taken from any other Western church. I will use the diocese as the example and the ordination and deployment of clergy as a test case, though what I say of diocesan bureaucracies applies even more to national bureaucracies because they are even less directly accountable to the members of the church and all the more likely to give themselves the sort of general, abstract projects that require a bureaucracy to pursue.
The problem is not so much what the bureaucracies say. Who remembers 99 percent of the vast numbers of reports issued by the churches’ many boards, commissions, committees (standing and ad hoc), consultations, conventions, and councils?
If the bureaucracies only put out statements, no one would mind them much, other than lamenting the waste of paper. The problem is mainly what they do. Even at their best, they devour resources and energy that could be better put to local uses, and set the churches’ corporate witness and public agenda to reflect the bureaucratic consensus, which means a general and minimalist statement too indefinite to inspire and guide action. At their worst, they actively distort the churches’ witness and work by demanding too much of their resources and proclaiming an alien gospel.
This centralization harms the work of the Church more than it helps. I know this is a generalization, but it is based on a discernible pattern in the churches I have observed and a tendency in human institutions. There will be exceptions, when a problem is avoided or a ministry advanced through the structures. They do sometimes work, as when a man with subtle emotional problems not obvious to a priest or bishop is weeded out of the ordination process because it includes people trained to see them.
On the other hand, even in this case these people will at least as often reject a perfectly sane orthodox man because he is orthodox, though this is never the reason they give. They take his settled belief in the Creed as “rigidity” or “legalism” or intellectual immaturity, perhaps hiding deep insecurity if not something worse. If he shows any passion in his care for truth, he will be judged to be “angry” or to have “authority issues” or to be “unable to work with others.”
If he holds to the tradition on sex and ordination, he will almost have to castrate himself to prove he is not a misogynist. If he offends anyone on the commission, which he can do in any one of several hundred possible ways—using a generic “he,” for example, or criticizing a pop theologian some member of the commission likes—he will be said to be “pastorally insensitive.” Youthful clumsiness will be held against an orthodox man that would be praised as “youthful enthusiasm” in a liberal.
If he tries to defend himself against any of these charges, no matter how gently he speaks, he will be accused of “defensiveness” and an inability to listen to others, and probably also of the ever-useful “issues with authority.” (I have heard, with some bemusement, men and women who proudly rejected most Christian doctrines, including the ones the authorities of their churches insisted they hold, cluck with annoyance at someone who had “issues with authority” because he disagreed with some diocesan resolution which had no actual authority whatever.)
Any of these are enough to get a very good man turned down, even in a conservative diocese. Not, I suggest, only because they signal a theology some on the commission do not want represented among the clergy, but because they signal someone who is not adequately conformed to the process. In any case, they will tell him that he does not have “gifts for ministry,” though if they like him they may suggest he is better suited for an academic career.
Why Centralization Harms
So: on the whole and over time, the centralization of the churches and the expansion of their bureaucracies impairs and inhibits their work, for several reasons.
First, it tends to define the mission of the church as the continuing life and success of the institution as it is, which means, putting it simply, that its processes continue to process. The machine has been designed to run a certain way and produce a certain product, and cannot be changed, any more than a coal-burning power plant can be turned into a nuclear reactor.
Bureaucratic processes prefer “process people,” people who by personality and usually conviction fit into the system and will not work outside it. Commissions on ministry, for example, will be thought to work well if they run the needed number of people through the ordination process, even if the strong leaders and entrepreneurs the churches now need desperately (evangelists and church planters, for example) are weeded out because they are impatient with such processes and will not be socialized by them. The surest way to be rejected by the guardians of a process is to question their process.
These commissions will define “gifts for ordination” as the skills and personality needed to maintain the system more or less as it is. In other words, they judge people’s vocation by whether they will be good parish pastors who will maintain the parishes, which in practice often means inoffensive therapeutic types with a suitably elastic theology and a commitment to “be a part of the diocesan team,” which means, among other things, being happy to transfer a good part of the parish’s wealth to the diocese. Jesus would not have made it through the usual ordination process, nor would any of the apostles save Judas. I am not joking, though this may be unfair to Judas.
Second, to the extent that a bureaucracy does define a mission, it tends to define it as a moderated form of liberalism. Orthodox Christianity requires a set doctrine, but liberalism in its initial stages requires only the agreement to treat the doctrine as open for discussion.
This means that commissions on ministry will tend to favor centrist conservative and moderately liberal candidates. Even in conservative dioceses, they will have an articulate and often aggressive liberal or two, who will be able to obstruct if not defeat an unapologetically conservative candidate, and therefore can extract from him at least a rhetorical nod to “moderation” or “centrism.” The candidate will not be expected to speak as a liberal, but in a “nuanced,” “sensitive,” “pastoral” way—in other words, as a “moderate,” which is to say a tame conservative.
Even the conservative members of the commission will expect this, because it will show that he can “function in the diocese” and “minister to a diverse congregation,” and because they naturally come to like their liberal colleagues and come (“grow,” they will say) to appreciate the value of their point of view. And always, they do not want to be blamed for approving a man who will later do something seriously upsetting to the diocese, such as demanding more separation from the national body than the authorities want.
In my observation, conservative priests will always coach conservative candidates to speak tamely, and think they are being shrewd. The effect, however, is to teach these men to tell what are effectively lies, and to train them to lie in the same way, or worse ways, for the rest of their ministry. It teaches them to save their honest speech for a time that will probably never come, to make honesty a matter of strategy rather than character.
And bureaucracies tend to define their church’s mission as a form of liberalism for another reason: They are easily taken over by politically organized groups, both because such people tend to join them to advance their cause and because an organized group can easily be given a place in the process. Liberals are politically more active and better organized, in part because traditional believers are working on their sermons or running soup kitchens or raising their children or helping their neighbors.
In fact, if a group is dissident enough, it will give the bureaucracy something more to do, which tempts bureaucrats greatly. By challenging the church at some point, a dissident group poses a problem, and addressing problems is the reason such bureaucracies exist. Problems require meetings, and more meetings, and more members, and more money, and more time to address the diocesan convention. That the answer to a problem may be “This is ungodly” is not allowed to be said, because answering it would then require only one meeting and give no chance to propose new actions and ask for more money.
Power & Authority
Third, bureaucracies must operate by rules objectively and impersonally applied, rather than personal discernment sensitive to individual differences and gifts. In most churches, dioceses are so big and so diverse that bishops cannot know everyone well enough to discern whether they are in fact called to priesthood, nor can bishops guide them personally, form their reading and study, and teach them to pray.
For the testing of vocations and the formation of future priests, the bishop has to rely on a committee and its processes, to whom and to which he has to give up much of his authority. He cannot easily or safely refuse someone they approve or approve someone they reject, whatever he thinks of the candidate. The commission’s decisions, bishops will insist, are only “advisory,” but the political cost of rejecting their advice is almost always too high to pay.
Fourth, in a bureaucracy personal responsibility is diffused while power is concentrated. Or rather, the structure diffuses responsibility for those problems for which no one wants to be responsible, such as making statements on bitterly disputed moral questions, and it concentrates the power that people at the center want, such as the power to select and ordain clergy and increasingly (in the mainline churches) to appoint them to parishes even over the objections of the parishes themselves. The extent and complexity of the processes allow those in the center to hide when they do not want to be seen.
Fifth, the bureaucracies’ decisions, even the least important, demand more time and energy than they are worth, time and energy that would otherwise be given to local projects. To justify their existence, bureaucratic workers must keep producing reports, proposals, projects, resolutions. Because these come from an official body, they will be given priority in any meeting of the whole diocese.
No matter what real needs the people should be considering, an official report will be discussed earnestly, t’s crossed and uncrossed, i’s dotted and dotted again, a modified version passed in the end or the whole thing referred back to the committee for more study, and everyone will go home feeling they had “done some good work today,” without having done very much at all.
Distorting Decisions
A sixth reason bureaucracies inhibit the work of the churches is that they make decisions on matters best left to local parishes, and worse, the process itself distorts the decisions. Because they represent such a diversity, a diocesan committee needs to exclude or deny much that they should affirm, and that a local parish acting on its own would affirm.
A diocesan missions committee compiling a list of mission agencies worth supporting would be unlikely to include a group evangelizing Jewish people, despite its explicitly New Testament ministry, because evangelizing Jewish people is too controversial. Even if everyone on the committee approves of it—itself unlikely, as even a conservative bishop will almost certainly have appointed a token liberal or two, to cover himself while assuring himself that they can’t do any harm—the inevitability of angry protest from some influential people is usually enough to cause them to leave it out.
Even in conservative dioceses, such a ministry will become a “non-person,” like a Soviet dissident sent to the Gulag, about whom it is not safe to talk in public. And every diocese will include a large number of critics of any conservative venture, and in conservative or “moderate” dioceses some of them will feel a semi-divine calling to defend liberalism against the narrowness and intolerance of the fundamentalists. (And they will always find conservatives to help them do this.) As liberal clerics often have very small parishes, or parishes with big endowments to pay for large staffs, they have more time to organize and agitate than their orthodox brethren.
Seventh, as I’ve suggested already, bureaucracies encourage the growth of liberalism in their members and in the churches’ corporate life. The liberalism they encourage may be overt, as when an ideologically committed group captures a central structure and uses it to proclaim its peculiar innovation, or it may be implicit, as when it slights or relativizes Christian doctrine by treating it as an open matter.
Bureaucracies tend, even in conservative dioceses, to encourage a reticence and even timidity in pressing the Christian claims too far or drawing out their harder and less popular implications. When a significant and vocal minority argues for an innovation (doctrinal, moral, or liturgical), the bureaucracy’s instinct is to suspend the traditional teaching because it has become divisive, and to treat it as a matter for “dialogue” because (this unconsciously) any such exchange increases the importance of the bureaucracy by making it a necessary mediator and “facilitator.”
The bureaucrat sets up dialogues in which the question is treated as open, at which point, to assert the biblical teaching is taken as “short-circuiting the process” or refusing to listen to one’s brothers and sisters. Most conservatives, hoping to avoid conflict, convince themselves that it is only a discussion, and of course the truth will win in the end, if only they are faithful to the process and do not leave it to the liberals. The system, alas, is stacked against them. If they do not join in, the official results will inevitably favor the innovation, but if they do join, the official results will almost inevitably favor the equivalence of the tradition and the innovation.
The energies of the church are then consumed in trying to reconcile the irreconcilable, in dialogues that rarely change anyone’s mind, though they weaken many people’s faith by saying with the church’s authority that the question is open. (No one, after all, proposes a dialogue with racists or child-molesters.) This in itself advances the innovation.
This process effectively promotes a general skepticism about traditional Christian teaching, but sometimes a bureaucracy actively rejects that teaching. Bureaucracies do so not only as people with a cause take control of them, but also because their status depends upon their specialized expertise and their superiority to their clients, and superiority is most easily established by doing something radical. (As many people have noted about liturgical revisers.)
If a bureaucracy only affirms what has been done already or believed since the beginning, someone is likely to ask why it is needed at all, a question the bureaucrat does not want asked. Intensifying this tendency is the common self-identification of bureaucrats as “change agents,” who believe themselves called to do things that will upset the average Christian, who has not their expertise and insight.1
But Centralization Works
That centralization so harms Christian ministry does not mean that it does not work. It works very well, but it works on its own terms. Its processes process as they are supposed to do.
In the case of the ordination process, good pastors will make their way through it and some people who do not have a vocation will fail. The people inside the process will be satisfied with it, while admitting that it can always be improved, while the outsider will have trouble criticizing it effectively because its failures are hidden or visible only to a few.
No one will see the church that is not planted and the souls not brought into the Kingdom through that church, because the process will have weeded out the entrepreneur or discouraged the evangelist from applying, or will have made his life so difficult that he gave up. (I have heard smug clerics claim that no one with a real vocation would give up, as an excuse for doing to men they opposed anything they pleased.)
When a good man is turned down, only his friends and pastor and perhaps his parish will know, and they will usually get over it. In my observation, the pastor will get over it with unseemly speed and not learn from his parishioner’s experience anything about the structures in which he himself almost certainly has a part he does not want to give up.
To everyone else, the system appears to be working marvelously. The problems with such a system will only be seen in times of crisis, and then only by certain critical outsiders. When radical change is needed, the bureaucracy will be almost completely blind to it, and unless radically threatened (by a loss of funding, usually) will not easily be brought to see it. To change will mean to give up what they are doing, which very few of those in the center can easily accept.
The centralized, impersonal, and bureaucratic structures of modern churches exist. They serve a purpose. The people in them want them to continue, and the people outside them do not know much about them or do not care. Yet if it is true that, on the whole and over time, they deform and hinder Christian ministry, what should be done?
I am not proposing anything very radical here. Very few if any of the serious studies of the future of the Church in America give a role to the central structures. Even the Baptist sociologist Tony Campolo, in his much too optimistic Can the Mainline Denominations Make a Comeback?, calls for reducing the central bureaucracies and nearly eliminating their programs. Princeton’s Robert Wuthnow believes that denominations already function mainly as a source of identity, but not of programs or ministry.
Simply put, the Western churches must radically change the way they work. They must reorganize their lives, by exchanging a centralized system run by processes with impersonal rules and directed towards centrally chosen ends, for a decentralized system allowed to work and grow organically towards ends individuals within it discern and test in local practice.
The center will have to give up much or most of its power and lead by example and persuasion. It will have to demand very little from the parishes but offer them whatever unique help a centralized body can offer. And, institutional life being what it is, the churches must change their structures, in a way not easily revoked or evaded.
Changing the structures will not of itself bring revival, but it will make revival easier. It will certainly make the need for revival more urgent, by removing the structures the Western churches now use to avoid seeing and admitting their problems.
Reforming a church’s structure to one more appropriate to Christian ministry will require several changes, which can be summarized as adopting a patristic style of leadership and church life. (For our purposes, leadership may be individual, as with episcopally governed churches—including those who do not call their bishops bishops—or corporate.)
Patristic Style
What does “a patristic style of episcopacy and church life” mean?
First, it means that the relationships between the bishop and his clergy and people should be primarily personal, in that the bishop leads by persuasion and example and allows the parishes and people to respond as (and if) they will. Such bureaucracy as is necessary, for bureaucracies there will be, should be as small, as short-lived, and as limited in power as possible. To institutionalize this change, dioceses should ask parishes for support, not force them to give through assessments and quotas.
This is not a new idea, though the power of the churches’ central bodies has grown so great that people forget the mainline churches were once mostly local and personal bodies, who gave their national bodies what powers and money they had, and who were tied together by a common faith and ministry. Their authorities were in the same position in dealing with them as St. Paul was in dealing with the Corinthians or the Galatians: having to appeal to personal authority and the faith they shared, not to the law, canonical and civil, and their ability to take from dissidents their property.
The great models of this, of course, are to be found in the New Testament, in Jesus’ relationship with his disciples and St. Paul’s with Timothy, and in the life of the early Church. The early Christians shared what they had not because they were forced to but because the apostles had showed them how to live sacrificially and created both a general expectation that they would do so and a community that helped them to do it.
Second, such reform will usually require smaller dioceses, in which personal relationships can be nurtured, which happens only when the bishops and their clergy and people spend much time together, most of it spent in conversation, ministry, and prayer, not in satisfying an agenda. Their friendship will bear fruit, because disciples are more effective ministers—more committed, more sacrificial, clearer about their goals and work—than employees.
Such bureaucracies as inevitably and rightly arise should be created in response to real needs and from real commitment, the members chosen as much as can be because God has brought them, and the whole given but a short time to live. The bishop who feels a call to evangelism should call evangelists and give them a task and the authority to carry it out, rather than waiting until the annual diocesan convention to ask that a committee be appointed representing the diversity of the diocese, which will bring back a report to the next convention, including a study of the budgetary implications for its proposals and a coordinated multi-step phased-in implementation plan.
This would seem a simple thing to do, but surprisingly few bishops would ever act so boldly if they had the option of safely referring such a choice to a committee, or of creating a committee, which they may stock with orthodox people while putting in a few token liberals, whose effect will inevitably be far greater than their number should allow. To act so boldly would be to risk failure.
Structural Reform
Third, reform will require a less programmatic and more “spiritual” understanding of ministry and parish life, a renunciation of the rationalist mind that believes centralized bodies will work better than a decentralized system, a giving up of our belief in our own final powers of design and purpose. People will have to care more for faithfulness to the biblical standards than for visible results (so easily faked or misinterpreted) and thereby understand that the fruits of ministry are often invisible, or indirect, or to come.
The necessarily radical structural reform will, in other words, require a greater trust in the Holy Spirit and in his people. And considerably more difficult, a trust that the people are listening to the Holy Spirit. Only those confident in the Holy Spirit’s leading can do without bureaucratic structures and allow their fellow workers in the vineyard the freedom to act.
The temptation to direct and control by centralizing the process, or to hedge and qualify by submitting the ministry to a bureaucracy, is far too great—and not unreasonably, given the dangers—to risk without a real belief in the work of the Holy Spirit through his people. One is not going to “let go and let God” if one is not very sure God knows what he is doing and will do it.
And finally, for most dioceses in the Western churches, to so deeply trust in the Holy Spirit will require a revival and renewal, such as will bring bishop, priests, and people to a deeper unity in the Faith, a unity so deep that they act instinctively and in unity, without crippling disagreements or negotiations or the temptation to create a committee to do the work for them. I do not mean the faith as it has come to be defined in religiously pluralistic churches, which affirm a range of models and images and paradigms but favor none, but the Faith in the God who has revealed himself in the Scriptures and the consensus of Christians through the ages.
Not to put too fine a point on it, a revival will require the rejection of what is usually called liberalism, or better, the conversion of liberals to a fuller and more exactingly biblical faith. Without it, they will resist such radical reform of the system because liberalism needs elaborate structures, because it defines the faith as the accomplishment of this-worldly ends, and because it fails in the market and can only succeed by manipulating a system.
The test of the reform is evangelism: whether the bureaucratic or the personal styles of ministry will reach the world most effectively. The extraordinary growth of the churches in Africa and Asia, where bureaucracies are small and bishops and their priests are usually evangelists as well as pastors, suggests the superiority of the personal to the bureaucratic.
When their churches are growing so rapidly, even as they are persecuted for their faith, the West might wisely defer to their wisdom. It can’t claim to have had great success doing things its way. The Western churches might see the beginning of a revival if their bishops filed all the reports and resolutions, dissolved all but the essential committees, and canceled the legislative meetings, and went out into the streets of their sees with a bishop from Africa to tell people about Jesus.
1. My fellow editor James Hitchcock’s Catholicism and Modernity (New York: The Seabury Press, 1979), pp. 96–125, is one of the very few books that analyze the effect of bureaucracy on the modern church. Even such a highly praised study of the mainline churches as Thomas Reeves’s The Empty Church: The Suicide of Liberal Christianity (New York: The Free Press, 1997) does not.
Labels: Bureaucracy, Centralization, David, management, Mills, ministry
Love beyond measure - the Sacred Heart
S. Bonaventure (Giovanni di Fidanza) was born in Tuscany, Italy, around 1217-1221. He became known as "Bonaventure" when he was little and S. Francis of Assisi prayed for him to be healed of a grave illness. While he was praying, Francis received a divine revelation of the boy's future ministry and cried out "O buna ventura" ('O good fortune).
At 22 years of age (about 20 years after the death of Saint Francis), Giovanni joined the Franciscan order and was sent to Paris to continue his studies. This is where he became a close friend of St. Thomas Aquinas.
At 35 S. Bonaventure became Minister General of the Franciscans. He wrote a biography of S. Francis as well as many devotional and theological works, becoming known as the "Seraphic Doctor." He refused a good many honours but eventually became a Cardinal and Bishop of Albano.
Pope Benedict XVI, in his Holy Men and Women from the Middle Ages and Beyond(2012) (page 53) writes: "... for Saint Bonaventure the ultimate destiny of man is to love God, to encounter him, and to be united in his and our love. For him, this is the most satisfactory definition of our happiness."
I share this wonderful passage from S. Bonaventure with you on this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Largely a reflection on John 19 and Psalm 36, it is set for today's Office of Readings:
Take thought now, redeemed man, and consider how great and worthy is he who hangs on the cross for you. His death brings the dead to life, but at his passing heaven and earth are plunged into mourning and hard rocks are split asunder.
It was a divine decree that permitted one of the soldiers to open his sacred side with a lance. This was done so that the Church might be formed from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death on the cross, and so that the Scripture might be fulfilled: They shall look on him whom they pierced.
The blood and water which poured out at that moment were the price of our salvation. Flowing from the secret abyss of our Lord’s heart as from a fountain, this stream gave the sacraments of the Church the power to confer the life of grace, while for those already living in Christ it became a spring of living water welling up to life everlasting.
Arise, then, beloved of Christ! Imitate the dove that nests in a hole in the cliff, keeping watch at the entrance like the sparrow that finds a home. There like the turtledove hide your little ones, the fruit of your chaste love. Press your lips to the fountain, draw water from the wells of your Savior; for this is the spring flowing out of the middle of paradise, dividing into four rivers, inundating devout hearts, watering the whole earth and making it fertile.
Run with eager desire to this source of life and light, all you who are vowed to God’s service. Come, whoever you may be, and cry out to him with all the strength of your heart. O indescribable beauty of the most high God and purest radiance of eternal light! Life that gives all life, light that is the source of every other light, preserving in everlasting splendor the myriad flames that have shone before the throne of your divinity from the dawn of time!
Eternal and inaccessible fountain, clear and sweet stream flowing from a hidden spring, unseen by mortal eye! None can fathom your depths nor survey your boundaries, none can measure your breadth, nothing can sully your purity. From you flows the river which gladdens the city of God and makes us cry out with joy and thanksgiving in hymns of praise to you, for we know by our own experience that with you is the source of life, and in your light we see light.
Labels: Calvary, love, Sacred heart, sacrifice
"Because of this sacrament earth becomes heaven for you." (St John Chrysostom)
St John Chrysostom was born of Christian parents, about the year 344, in the city of Antioch. His mother, at the age of 20, was a praised for her holiness and faith. John studied rhetoric under Libanius, a pagan, the most famous orator of the age.
In 374, John began to lead the life of an anchorite (or hermit) in the mountains near Antioch, but in 386 the poor state of his health forced him to return to the city, where he was ordained a priest.
In 398, he was made Bishop of Constantinople and became one of the greatest teachers the Church has known. But because he did not hold back from denouncing the abuses of authority and wealth he witnessed both in the Church and in the Empire, he had enemies in high places, not least of all Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria (who repented of this before he died), and the empress Eudoxia. Several false accusations were brought against him in a pseudo-council, and he was sent into exile.
In the midst of his pain, suffering, and rejection, like the apostle, St Paul, whom he so greatly admired, he knew the peace and happiness of the Lord. It reassured him, too, that the Pope remained supportive of him and did what he could. But Chrysostom’s enemies were not satisfied with the sufferings they had already caused him; they exiled him still further away, to Pythius, at the extremity of the Empire. He died on his way there on September 14, 407.
It was after his death that he was called Chrysostom, which comes from the Greek for “golden-mouthed.”
The following passage is from St John Chrysostom’s sermon on 1 Corinthians 10. It speaks not just of the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and our need to be prepared for Holy Communion, but also of the merging of earth and heaven together when we gather at the altar.
(The illustration above, so sumptuously expressing the joining of earth and heaven in the Eucharist, is the work of Thomas Noyes-Lewis, 1863-1946, a famous Anglo-Catholic artist and illustrator of children's books, who was for many years a parishioner of All Saints' Benhilton.)
The wise men paid homage to Christ’s body even when it was lying in a manger. Foreigners who did not worship the true God left their homes and their native land, set out on a long journey, and on reaching its end, worshiped in great fear and trembling.
Let us, the citizens of heaven, at least imitate these foreigners.
They only saw Christ in a manger, they saw nothing of what you now see, and yet they approached him with profound awe and reverence. You see him, not in a manger but on an altar, not carried by a woman but offered by a priest; and you see the Spirit bountifully poured out upon the offerings of bread and wine.
Unlike the wise men, you do not merely see Christ’s body: you know his power as well, and whole divine plan for our salvation. Having been carefully instructed, you are ignorant of none of the marvels he has performed.
Let us then awaken in ourselves a feeling of awe and let us show a far greater reverence than did those foreigners, for we shall bring down fire upon our heads if we approach this sacrament casually, without thinking of what we do.
By saying this I do not mean that we should not approach it, but simply that we should not do so thoughtlessly. Just as coming to it in a casual way is perilous, so failing to share in this sacramental meal is hunger and death.
This food strengthens us; it emboldens us to speak freely to our God: it is our hope our salvation our light and our life. If we go to the next world fortified by this sacrifice, we shall enter its sacred portals with perfect confidence, as though protected all over by armor of gold.
But why do I speak of the next world? Because of this sacrament earth becomes heaven for you. Throw open the gates of heaven—or rather, not of heaven but of the heaven of heavens—look through and you will see the proof of what I say.
What is heaven’s most precious possession? I will show you it here on earth.
I do not show you angels or archangels, heaven or the heaven of heavens, but I show you the very Lord of all these. Do you not see how you gaze, here on earth, upon what is most precious of all?
You not only gaze on it, but touch it as well. You not only touch it, but even eat it, and take it away with you to your homes.
It is essential therefore when you wish to receive this sacrament to cleanse your soul from sin and to prepare your mind.
Labels: Benhilton, Chrysostom, Eucharist, glory, heaven, Jesus, Noyes-Lewis
Monsignor Ronald Knox preaching on Corpus Christi 1939
A Corpus Christi sermon preached by Monsignor Ronald Knox in 1939, and published in The Tablet on 10th June that year:
“It is said to me daily, Where is thy God ? “ (Ps. xxxxi. 4.)
“Shew me, 0 thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou Rest in the mid day.” (Cant. i. 6).
“They said to him, Where dwellest thou ? He saith to them, Come and see. They came and saw where he abode, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about the tenth hour.” (Jno. i. 39).
If it may be said with reverence, what a bad story-teller is St. John! His gospel is a series of fragments - infinitely precious fragments, but fragments nevertheless - preserved from the hoarded memories of a very old man, who follows his own train of thought, as old men will, not stopping to consider what details it is that his hearers want to know. Nobody, you might say, would have been a worse journalist. He just recalls for us those unforgettable hours when he and St. Andrew paid an afternoon call on Our Blessed Lord in His own lodging-place, and put the sun to rest as they sat talking with Him. On that memory his mind reposes, and he tells us no more - what manner of habitation it was, whether Our Lord was staying with friends, or with His Mother, or quite alone, what His habits of life were, all the things we want to know. He lodged with Zacchaeus, he lodged with Martha and Mary; otherwise the gospels, I think, give us no picture of the entertainment earth gave to him, who had not where to lay his head. For once, we think we are to hear more, and we go away disappointed.
And yet St. John himself had felt just that curiosity, long before. What a natural instinct it is, when we meet somebody casually whose personality impresses itself on us, dominates us, to want to see more of him, and to want to see him in his own setting, against his own background, where he lives! The pictures on the walls, the books that lie on the shelves, the very knick-knacks on the mantelpiece will have something, surely, to tell us about him; they will make a frame for his personality, and we shall feel that we know him better. So it is with the bride in the Canticles; “ Shew me, 0 thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou Rest in the mid day”—in those voluptuous airs of King Solomon’s harem, he is out of place, he does not fit into the picture; let her see him among his flocks in the still, midday countryside, and she will know him as he is. So it was with St. John and St. Andrew; they know Our Lord only as a passer-by in the crowded ways; they follow as if to track him down to His lodging, and He divines their purpose, and invites them to pass the rest of the day there.
What kind of picture are we to form of it ?
Possible, no doubt, that when Nicodemus came to see Our Lord by night he found Him in some rich dwelling where a devout host made everything comfortable for him. But I think we are all inclined to imagine the scene of that sacred hospitality as a more makeshift affair; a deserted house, perhaps, with the windows half boarded up; a straw mattress in a corner and not much else in the way of furniture; or just a cave in the cliffs, beyond Jordan. And this is the Prince who has come to suffer for His people; this is the palace which suffices for His earthly needs! That was the kind of picture, I imagine, that conjured itself up in the memory of the old apostle, and he did not tell us about it; why should he ? After all, it is what we should expect.
At the same time, I think St. John will have read in that old question of his, “Master, where dwellest thou ? “the echo of a much older question which has been tormenting humanity since man’s eyes were first troubled with a human soul. King David complains of those enemies who mocked at his misfortune by asking him, “Where is thy God ? “ And we, because the age in which we live is impatient of old formulas, because the set of its mind is against the supernatural, share, often enough, that confusion and hesitation of his. “Where is your God ? “they ask us. “Men of science have swept the heavens with their telescopes, and they have not found Him. They have peered with their microscopes into the very heart of being, and they have brought us no word of Him. Does He dwell in infinite space ? But we are not sure, any longer, that space itself is infinite. Where is He, that we may worship Him ? Where is He, that we may reproach Him for all the unhappiness that He suffers to mar His creation ?”
These questions of theirs, though it be only at the back of our minds, disconcert us; we know that they are foolish, based on a wrong apprehension of what it is that spirit means, and how it is related to matter. But for all that, the imagination, tied down as it is to the world of space and of sense, will not be satisfied by the answers which commend themselves to the reason. We demand that, somehow, we should be allowed to locate the presence of God as concentrated and focussed in one particular spot. “Master,” we cry, “where dwellest Thou ?“
We know, of course, that He is everywhere, that He cannot be confined in space, but still we ask for evidences of, His presence, and would trace the influence of it, if we might, here rather than here. When a storm of wind howls about our ears with unaccustomed fury, we catch an echo, as it were, of His omnipotence; when a sunset paints the sky with unwonted richness of colour, it seems like a mirror, however imperfect, of His uncreated beauty. But the illusion only lasts for a moment; when we think about it, we realize that this is a trick of the fancy; we are isolating an experience and making something divine of it; God is not in fact any nearer to us - how could He be nearer to us ? - in the storm than in calm, in the cool of evening than under the brazen sky of noon. God is everywhere, but He is not here or there, that we should find Him here or there more than anywhere else.
Has He done nothing, then, to make it easier for us to find Him ? Why yes, surely; in the mystery of His Incarnation, so full of His condescension, this is perhaps the greatest condescension of all - that He who is without limit should be limited, as Incarnate, to one position in space. When Moses drew near to the burning bush, when Elias heard from his cave a whisper of the Divine voice, God manifested His presence in a special way, but that was all. When Our Lady bent over the crib at Bethlehem, God was there. It was not necessary for her to say “Show me, 0 thou whom my, soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest in the mid day”; He lay in her arms, He fed at her breast. It was no use for the scornful unbeliever to challenge St. John or St. Andrew with the old question, “Where is thy God ?“ - those first apostles could say, and did say, “Come and see.” For thirty-three years of human history it was possible to say, “There is God! Look, where He feeds, with publicans and sinners! Look, where He lies, asleep in the forepart of a ship which the waves threaten with destruction!“
Yes, for thirty-three years, but afterwards ? We can make our pilgrimage to the Holy Places, pass by the roads which were once trodden by Divine feet, mount the hill on which Our Lord suffered, worship, perhaps, at His very tomb. But it is all a story of yesterday; what use is it (we complain) that God should draw near to us in space, if He does not also draw near to us in time ? It is not enough that our God should make himself present to us; why does not my God make himself present to me ?
As we know, God has foreseen that complaint of ours, and has condescended to make provision for it.
Everything else about the Blessed Sacrament may be obscure to us; we do not see Our Lord as He is, we cannot fathom the mystery of that change which is effected in the consecrated elements, we have no clue to the manner in which Holy Communion imparts its virtue to our souls. But one thing we can say, without bewilderment or ambiguity - God is here. Like those two disciples when they heard St. John the Baptist acclaim the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world, we, taught by the Church that all salvation is to be found in Christ, are eager to know more of Him, to see Him in the most representative light possible, to catch a glimpse of Him in the setting, in the surroundings which most truly manifest His character. “Master” we ask Him, “where dwellest Thou ? “ And He points to the tabernacle with the invitation, “Come and see.”
Let us look at Jesus Christ in His home, in the tabernacle, and see how those surroundings fit Him, illustrate His dealings with us. First, He dwells in a very public place. The lodging in which the two disciples found Our Lord was in the wilderness, I suppose;beyond Jordan; but it was a place of coming and going, for all Jewry went forth to John, we are told, to be baptized by him. Our Lord was near the centre of things, then; and so He is today; in the heart of the greatest city in the world, you can find Him without difficulty. So great is His desire to be of use to us that He throws Himself in our way, makes Himself cheap by familiarity. He is not afraid of irreverence, so long as He can be there when we want Him. When they ask us where our God is, we do not have to map out the route of some far pilgrimage in foreign parts; He is close by, at the end of the next street. 0 Thou whom my, soul lovethwe should do ill not to love Him, when He makes Himself so accessible as that.
Yet He lives there very quietly, a Prince in incognito. He walked beyond Jordan for all the world to see; but it was the tenth hour when He invited the two disciples to follow Him; it was an evening interview; and it was under cover of night that He talked to Nicodemus. Easy to find out where Our Lord dwells; but if we would converse with Him, be intimate with Him, it must be in the obscurity of faith—the veil of the sacramental species hides Him from our sight. He demands something of us after all; we must make a venture of faith in order to find Him. So accessible to all, and yet such depths of intimacy for those who will take the trouble to cultivate His friendship!
And when He makes the tabernacle His home He dwells among us very humbly, in great simplicity. St. John tells us nothing, as we were complaining just now, about the hospitality he and St. Andrew enjoyed that evening. But everything we know about Our Lord’s life and Our Lord’s attitude makes us feel certain that it was only a mean lodging to which He brought them; I picture Him as stooping low, and warning them to stoop in their turn, as they entered the door of it. So in the tabernacle He lives a life of utter humility. Oh, we try to make the best of it with gold and marble and precious silk; but He has chosen simple things, common things, to be the hiding-place of His majesty. And as He has stooped, so we must stoop if we are to keep our appointment with Him in His chosen meeting-place. We must come to Him in abject consciousness of our own unworthiness. For, see, there is something more He wants to tell us about the lodging He has chosen on earth.
Master, where dwellest Thou? Come and see, He answers - and bids us look into ourselves, into our own souls. It is there that He has chosen His lodging’: there, amid all those tainted ambitions and unholy desires, there, in the heart of our warped nature, He dwells in us, and what we are! 0 Thou whom my soul loveth, show me where Thou dwellest - heaven knows we need a guide to assure us of it, before we would dare to guess that He is content to dwell here.
If by chance thou e’er shalt doubt
Where to turn in search of Me,
Seek not all the world about;
Only this can find Me out—
Thou must seek Myself in thee.
In the mansion of thy mind
Is My dwelling-place; and more
There I wander, unconfined,
Knocking loud if e’er I find
In thy thought a closed door.
A door closed, to Him? Not here, Lord, not in these hearts; come, take possession of them, and make them more worthy to be Thy home.
Labels: Corpus Christi, Jesus, Knox, Real Presence
St Barnabas - Son of Encouragement
Today is the feast day of St Barnabas, a Jew of the tribe of Levi, born on Cyprus. Barnabas was, according to Clement of Alexandria and the early historian Eusebius, one of the seventy sent out by Jesus to preach the gospel and heal the sick (Luke 10:1). His original name was Joseph or Joses. But because of the kind of person he was, he became known in the Church community as “ Barnabas” which means “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36).
He is described as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith,” (Acts 11:24) meaning that not only was he was good in the sense of being understanding and kind, but he knew the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in his life, and he was full of faith (which I take to mean not just in the sense of believing the right things, but in trusting God’s promises in difficult situations).
Barnabas started out as a man of means. But he was among those who sold their property, placing the proceeds at the feet of the apostles for the support of the needy (Acts 4:36-37).
We next see Barnabas when Saul of Tarsus has become a Christian. On account of Saul’s reputation as a key persecutor, the Church in Jerusalem had trouble trusting him when he arrived back there three years after his conversion (see Acts 9:26). Barnabas, however, gave Saul the benefit of the doubt. He had the faith to believe that God could turn someone’s life around. So he encouraged Saul and got close to him. He introduced him to the apostles, defending him and urging them to accept him (Acts 9:27).
Some time later when news reached Jerusalem that Greeks who lived at Antioch were being converted to Christ (Acts 11:20), the apostles sent Barnabas to see what was happening and care for the work there. When Barnabas saw the sincerity of those who had became believers, he began nurturing them into a real community of faith, and expanded the ministry, (Acts 11:23). Feeling that he needed help in this task, he went without delay to the city of Tarsus to find Saul and brought him back to Antioch (Acts 11:25). Barnabas and Saul were a very successful team. They spent a year there during which time the Church went from strength to strength . . . they “taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians” (Acts 11:26).
Around this time it became clear that a famine was on the way that would make life hard for the Christians of Judea. So the Church at at Antioch took up a special collection and gave it to Barnabas and Saul to take to Jerusalem. (Acts 11:29-30). When Barnabas and Saul returned to Antioch (Acts 12:25) they had with them John Mark, Barnabas’ cousin (see Colossians 4:10), in whose mother’s house we know Jerusalem Christians would gather for prayer (Acts 12:12).
Eventually, the Church at Antioch sent out Barnabas and Saul on a missionary journey. John Mark went with them. They travelled to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. While at Cyprus, Saul began to be called Paul, and Barnabas allowed him to take over the leadership role. (Acts 13:9). They continued their journey to Salamis, to Paphos, and then to Perga. It was here that John Mark left them to go home to Jerusalem, while Paul and Barnabas completed their journey.
When a second missionary journey was planned, Barnabas agreed to go with Paul (Acts 15:36) and suggested taking John Mark with them. But Paul refused on account of John Mark’s failure to fulfil his commitment on the first journey. A big argument ensued that resulted in a parting of ways. Barnabas, ever the encourager, took John Mark with him to Cyprus. It seems that whatever the problem was, Barnabas was able to restore him, for Paul himself, some years later, writes to Timothy, "Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry" (2 Timothy 4:11).
Acts doesn’t talk about Barnabas again after the big argument. But he is mentioned several times in Paul’s letters (1 Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 2:1,9,13; Colossians 4:10).
According to ancient tradition Barnabas was stoned to death in 61 AD at Cyprus, and as he was dying he held onto a copy of the Gospel of St Matthew that he had copied by hand.
O God, who decreed that Saint Barnabas, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, should be set apart to convert the nations, grant that the Gospel of Christ, which he strenuously preached, may be faithfully proclaimed by word and by deed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Labels: Antioch, Barnabas, Converted, Cyprus, Encouragement, Generous, Paul
Get your 2020 ORDO now!
Without doubt, the best ORDO available to western Christians is the one under the imprint of Tufton Books (i.e. The Church Union), still compiled each year by Father John Hunwicke, now of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. It painstakingly provides full information both for the Roman Rite (Third Typical Edition) and the Church of England's Common Worship. There is also guidance for those who use the old Prayer Book.
Go HERE to purchase your 2020 copy online.
Labels: 2020 Ordo, anglican, Hunwicke, Roman Catholic
OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY
On Saturday 4th May (when I was busy at All Saints' Benhilton with a wedding), Westminster Abbey, in collaboration with the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, held a day of celebration in honour of Our Lady of Walsingham. The following details are from the Abbey's website. Friends who attended were overwhelmed by the spiritual significance of the occasion, as well as by its ecumenical dimension. At the end of the article below, I have put a link directly through to the powerful homily preached by Bishop Philip North.
At the start of the day, the image of Our Lady of Walsingham was processed from St Margaret's Church into the Abbey for a Sung Eucharist at 11.00am. The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, presided at the high altar.
The sermon was preached by the Right Reverend Philip North, Bishop of Burnley, and Master of the Guardians of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.
The Baroness Easton DBE DL, Guardian of the Holy House, read Isaiah 7:10-14; Michael Dixon, Lay Pastoral Assistant, St Michael and All Angels with St James, Croydon, read Galatians 4:4-7; and the Reverend Anthony Ball, Canon Steward and Almoner, read St Luke 1:26-38.
Visiting Bishops and Guardians of the Holy House were robed and seated in the Sacrarium and many Priests Associate of the Holy House were robed and seated in the Lantern.
Professor Eamon Duffy, Magdalene College, Cambridge, gave a lecture in the Abbey at 2.00pm. During the afternoon, visitors followed a pilgrimage route through the Abbey, and offered devotions in the Lady Chapel, in the Chapel of Our Lady of Pew, at the tomb of Cardinal Langham in the South Ambulatory, in St Faith’s Chapel, and at the image of Our Lady of Walsingham in the Sacrarium.
The day concluded with Solemn Evensong at 5.00pm, at which the Dean offered a welcome and pronounced the Blessing. The sermon was preached by the Most Reverend Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation.
Go HERE to read or listen to Bishop Philip North's sermon at the Eucharist
Labels: Abbey, Bishop Philip North, Eamon Duffy, Walsingham, Westminster
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New health surcharge for certain migrants
New legislation that came into effect earlier this month has made it compulsory for certain migrants to pay a health surcharge when making their immigration applications, regardless of whether they use the NHS or not. This surcharge also applies to certain migrants already in the UK who wish to extend their stay.
As of 6 April, migrants coming to the UK for longer than six months from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) need to pay £200 for each year of their stay upfront when making their applications. A lower rate of £150 per year applies to students. Non-EEA nationals already in the UK who apply to extend their stay need to pay the same fees.
Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire said: "The health surcharge will play a vital role in ensuring Britain’s most cherished public service is provided on a basis that is fair to all who use it... Our health services will still be available to all those who need them, but now people coming from outside the EEA will make a fair contribution to the costs of healthcare incurred by temporary migrants living in the UK."
Whilst the cost of £150 or £200 per year is considered by the government to be competitive to the costs of medical insurance required in some competitor nations (e.g. the US), many non-EEA nationals who enter the UK actually already have their own private insurance - especially those under Tier 2 work permits, who are often insured by their employers. This means that such migrants will be paying extra for a public service that they simply will not need to use.
Other migrants have commented that they are not satisfied with the quality of the NHS and will always opt for private treatment or treatment abroad. This dissatisfaction with service quality is even evident amongst UK nationals, thousands of whom go abroad each year for medical tourism purposes.
Moreover, the extra costs for students could prevent some international students from undertaking studies in the UK, particularly as student visas come with strict restrictions about working alongside studying.
Non-EEA nationals who visit the UK on tourist visas will not pay the surcharge but will continue to be liable for paying the full costs of any NHS treatment. Some migrants have argued that this should be the case for all non-EEA migrants in the UK so that the costs of use are exactly recovered by the NHS.
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FROM GUILT TO TRANSFORMATION: Re-imagining Lent
February 09, 2016 by Meghan Sobocienski
Suffering. Guilt. Pain. Death. These have for so long been the first things I think of when I hear the word “Lent”. “A time to shame ourselves for how terrible we are”, was my basic understanding of this season for most of my life.
Does this sound familiar to anyone else? I think Lent has been officially labeled the biggest downer of the year. And why is it so darn long? In our lives, we already have to face so many challenges; feelings of regret and shame; depression and hardship. Why on Earth do we need to chastise ourselves even harder for 40 days straight?
What I want to say to you today, is that Lent is not actually about ANY of those things I just mentioned. Instead, it is about one thing: TRANSFORMATION.
In the gospel today, Jesus gives very specific instructions about how to pray, how to fast, and how to give alms. But behind all the detail of his instructions, there is one central purpose. He is calling them back from a life centered on themselves, to a life centered on each other.
Between heavy taxes enforced by the Romans, and demands for tribute and sacrifice from the religious elites, the people of Israel were under extreme financial pressure. Under all this pressure, people had abandoned the values and teachings that they had inherited from their ancestors, and had adopted an “every man for himself” attitude. Everyone was trying to get a one up on everyone else, even to the point of trying to prove something by how well they prayed, how much money they gave to beggars, or how long they fasted. These practices, which had originally been created as a means to benefit the whole community, had been turned into a means of self-promotion.
But Jesus saw this, and he cut through all of it and instructed his followers to the opposite; in essence, to turn their behavior around. Instead of make a big deal about how great they were, so they could get social and economic benefits, he told them to do things in secret, so that it COULDN'T be about themselves – it could only be about God and others. And at the end, he laid out for them a clear vision of what a fully restored and healed community would look like: one where everyone had enough bread to each; people forgave each other's debts; and instead of bring each other to judgment, they would treat each other with love and generosity.
In a moment, we will come forward to receive ashes on our foreheads. But the ashes aren't just something we do every year, because we are “supposed to”. They are a reminder of our own impermanence, that the selves we work so hard to serve and promote will one day return to the earth from which we came, and provide nutrients to the soil, so new life can be born. This lent, I challenge you to forget about all of that guilt, shame, and suffering stuff, and reflect on the prayer Jesus taught us. Rather than looking out for ourselves, how can we look out for each other? How can we make it so that others around us have enough to eat? That they can be free from debt? How can we stop judging and condemning others, and begin to embrace each other with love?
It is only by shifting our focus from inward to outward that we can truly be freed from the guilt, shame, pain, or regret that can bind us and limit us. In teaching us to love each other, Jesus shows us how we can truly be free. Amen.
February 09, 2016 /Meghan Sobocienski
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