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Behind the Scenes: Crazy Callers
by Ashton Wright - November 02, 2011
Make no mistake, crazy people call the newsroom all the time. Whether they want to 'make a comment', relay a story idea or are potential stalkers, we get at least 10 crazy phone calls a day.
The best ones are those who feel entitled to tell me how to do my job.
Take tonight for instance. This person from somewhere up north called to demand we give him credit for a video on our website. He was insistent that he was the only person who could possibly have the video and was upset that we had somehow 'altered' it.
It took me a good five minutes to convince him that we did have rights to use the video as it came from CNN and we pay good money to use material contributed to them. He was also reluctant to believe that the video was from the dash cam of a police car and had been contributed by a local television station.
He was convinced that we had stolen his video from YouTube somehow and vehemently demanded that it be removed from our website if we refused to give him credit.
Of course I refused to do either and directed him to call the contributing station.
Good luck, guys. This guy's a real winner.
Tags : behind the scenes
Shady Del Knight November 2, 2011 at 10:03 PM
You and I have shared horror stories about nuisance callers before, Ashton. When I was producing and anchoring I had a drunk who called every night during the Watergate scandal to defend Richard Nixon. The guy seemed to be reading from a prepared script because he said the same thing every night and I still remember it all these years later. It was like an open letter to Tricky Dick:
"To me..... (5 second pause for dramatic effect)..... you are doing a good job; but be careful about those around you who are trying to bring you down."
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Ashton King November 6, 2011 at 8:02 PM
Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong time. It would have been awesome to work in this business back when investigative journalism actually meant something and had measurable results. I envy you for that, my friend.
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Planning Permission Report
If you’re thinking about adding an extension to your home or buying a house with a view to developing it in the future, you may want to consider the possibility that you will need to seek planning permission for your project.
Planning permission is usually required for new buildings and major alterations to a structure or purpose of a building, for example building an extension on your house or changing a building from residential to commercial use. Decisions on the approval or refusal of planning projects are made by local planning authorities (LPAs).
The process of seeking these approvals can be challenging, so this study aims to discover what obstacles you may face in the process and what the likelihood of gaining approval is. We’ve looked at a range of government data sources on planning permission, as well as conducting a study with homeowners who have gone through the process.
Despite the difficulties often associated with the process, the good news is that around nine in 10 planning applications are granted by LPAs.
Our consumer research shows that the most common type of application is for the approval of an additional kitchen or a kitchen extension, with 18% of those who had sought planning permission citing this as their reason. Creating new rooms (16%) and extending the loft (12%) are other popular reasons for applying.
When asked, 65% of people felt that they fully understood planning permission, despite three quarters of respondents saying that the application process was an unpleasant experience. However, the majority feel that seeking to extend or modify your home is easier than looking to move to a new house, with just 18% rating the planning application process as the more complicated of the two.
Back in 2007/08, there were 648,000 applications submitted to LPAs (38% more than the most recent figures in 2018). It is notable that the amount sharply decreased in the years following the 2008 financial crisis, and the level of applications have never since recovered beyond 487,000 in any given year.
Obtaining approval on your project
Across England in 2017/18, LPAs made 431,000 decisions on applications, granting permission for 378,000 (88%) of these. The approval rate has steadily been on the rise in recent years, with this figure being as low as 82% back in 2006/07.
The approval rate also varies between the different LPAs around the country. Those looking to build or extend in Richmondshire might count themselves lucky as their LPA had the highest rate of approval in the final quarter of 2018 (99%). By contrast, only 62% of projects were granted by both Enfield and Hillingdon’s LPAs over the same time period.
Not all applications are successful and the reasons that projects are rejected vary. Possible reasons for refusal include complaints from neighbours, effects on conservation areas and poorly planned design documents.
However, approval is not always required for every project and 5% of respondents to our survey said they discovered this after submitting and paying for an application.
One common misconception about planning permission is around solar panels being installed on homes – one in five people were unaware that no approval is required to install the panels (unless it is a listed building) [1].
There is also legislation in place that means permission for certain types of development has already been granted nationwide. This is known as ‘permitted development rights’ and you may be able to go ahead with your project without notifying the LPA if you comply with this legislation – details of which can be found on the Planning Portal website.
Those in Swansea and York were statistically most likely to have been informed that they submitted an unnecessary application (21% and 16% did not require approvals respectively), which would cost them over £200 for an application for a single development [2].
Speed of decisions by Local Planning Authorities
Authorities are usually set an eight-week deadline (13 weeks for major projects) to grant a planning decision [3]. This period is only ever extended when agreed in writing between the applicant and LPA, and approved by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
On average, English LPAs meet their agreed deadline on 85% of occasions, which means over one in 10 decisions are late. When asking those who have gone through the process how long it took to hear back, the average wait-time was found to be around 10 weeks.
During 2018, of the 339 authorities analysed, 12 LPAs met their agreed deadline for every single application, including Bury, Brentwood, Chorley, Coventry, and Rotherham. In addition, 42 other authorities met the deadline in at least 95% of cases.
By contrast, some authorities’ records are not quite as impressive when it comes to sticking to the agreed timeframe. Craven, for example, is the only authority in England which met its deadlines on fewer than half of occasions (45%).
Appeals and overturning Local Planning Authority decisions
If you disagree with the outcome of your planning decision, you have a right to appeal – and it is free to do so. Delayed decisions by LPAs can also give rise to appeals. The standard window for you to launch an appeal is within six months of the decision notice, or from the decision due date in the case of delayed outcomes [4].
You may also wish to dispute a planning permission decision if you receive an enforcement notice, which could be sent to you if you start building work without seeking the necessary approvals first. If you wish to argue that you did not require permission from the LPA, the appeal timeframe drops to a much shorter 28 days.
Depending on the nature of the dispute, the full process – including stages such as validating the appeal and conducting a formal hearing – can last just short of a year.
The most recent publicly available figures (January 2016 – December 2017) reveal that 1.2% of decisions in England were successfully overturned. Hillingdon saw the greatest number of successful appeals (3.9%), while all of Rushmoor’s original 884 decisions were upheld at appeal over the time period.
Planning permission considerations
If you are considering a significant home improvement or are applying for a mortgage to buy a house for future development possibilities, it helps to be as clued up on the process as possible.
There are a range of government resources available, as well as sites such as Planning Portal, to help you understand the application and decision-making process and to also learn when you need to seek planning permission from your LPA and when it is not required.
If you are seeking permission to build your own home, you will also need to apply for a specialist self-build mortgage.
Building work can also be costly, with elements such as labour and materials to consider, so it is important you are certain you can afford to fund these types of projects – it’s best to draw up a budget and plan before you start work.
Larger planning projects, for example a major development of 50 houses, would also incur significant costs just for submitting planning applications.
While it is preferable to ensure that you have the means to cover the costs of the building work you have planned, suitable home improvement loans are also available. However, you will most likely need a good credit score and borrowing history to get a loan, and you would need to be sure you could afford to keep up with your monthly repayments before choosing to apply.
Compare top mortgage rates.
Find the mortgage for you.
Find a new mortgage deal
[1] https://hoa.org.uk/advice/
[2] https://ecab.planningportal.co.uk/
[3] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/
[4] https://www.gov.uk/appeal-planning-decision
Government planning permission data tables downloaded from: https://www.gov.uk/government/
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12 Ways Donald Trump Is Crushing Consumers
Love him or hate him, you can't deny that President Trump is attacking regulations and funding that was intended to help regular American consumers.
Stacy Johnson • April 14, 2017
Photo by Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com
You may love President Donald Trump or you may hate him. But there’s one thing you can’t deny: Trump and the Republican Congress have either cut or proposed to cut funding and regulations that were originally put in place to benefit regular Americans.
It can certainly be argued that some of these programs, services and regulations were inefficient and deserved to end up on the chopping block. It might also be argued that our government can’t afford to fund these initiatives, that the money is better spent on defense or that Uncle Sam shouldn’t be involved in these areas.
But even now — early in the Trump presidency — consumers are already feeling the pain.
Following is a partial list of specific changes already made, in process or proposed that will affect millions of Americans
1. He wants to slash funding for consumer-friendly federal programs
Phovoir / Shutterstock.com
On March 16, Trump revealed his proposed budget. Among the many agencies affected, he proposed slashing funding to the Environmental Protection Agency by 31 percent, the State Department by 28 percent, Health and Human Services by 18 percent, Departments of Labor and Agriculture by 21 percent each, Department of Education by 14 percent, Department of Transportation by 13 percent and Department of the Interior by 12 percent.
While it may be true these agencies are bloated, it’s also true they fund many consumer-friendly programs that could be radically reduced or eliminated. The list of proposed cuts includes the Legal Services Corporation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Institutes of Health, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, job training programs, Meals on Wheels (partially funded through community development block grants), the Weatherization Assistance Program and many more.
2. He wants to get rid of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Annette Shaff / Shutterstock.com
If the average American consumer has a friend in government, it’s the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Now in its sixth year, the CFPB has returned about $12 billion to American consumers, including students, borrowers, service people, credit users and more. Here’s how they describe themselves in their most recent annual report:
The premise that lies at the very heart of our mission is that consumers should have someone standing on their side to see that they are treated fairly in the financial marketplace. From July 21, 2011, through September 30, 2016, the CFPB has handled over 1 million consumer complaints, including complaints on credit reporting, debt collection, money transfers, bank accounts and services, credit cards, mortgages, vehicle loans, payday loans, student loans, and certain other consumer financial products or services, including prepaid cards, debt settlement services, credit repair services, and pawn and title loans.
Along with many of his Republican colleagues, Trump wants this agency gutted.
This article will tell you more about the CFPB, what it does and how you can harness it when you feel you’ve been wronged. Use it while you can.
3. He wants to slash government-funded climate change research
Alohaflaminggo / Shutterstock.com
The recently announced Trump budget proposal reduces the budget for the EPA by 30 percent. From the New York Times:
The budget calls for the elimination of about 3,200 staff positions — over 20 percent of the department. It would also eliminate all funding for enactment of the Clean Power Plan, the regulations designed to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. It would also discontinue funding for climate change research and international climate change programs.
Consumers have historically counted on the government to keep them safe from potentially cataclysmic events like global warming, a reality now accepted by the scientific community, but called a hoax by Trump on numerous occasions.
4. He will allow the collection and sale of your personal information
Mathias Rosenthal / Shutterstock.com
A recently passed Senate resolution voids a rule that the Federal Communications Commission established last year to protect your online privacy. When this legislation reaches Trump’s desk, he’s expected to sign it.
As we recently explained, under the rule, internet service providers, or ISPs — think Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, etc. — would have to ask your permission to collect and sell your information. Now they’ll be able to collect and sell it without your knowledge or consent.
Here’s how the Electronic Frontier Foundation summarizes the situation:
“If the bill is signed into law … big internet providers will be given new powers to harvest your personal information in extraordinarily creepy ways. They will watch your every action online and create highly personalized and sensitive profiles for the highest bidder. All without your consent.”
There are those who dispute the impact of this change. Here’s a response from the FCC chairman saying your privacy will be enhanced by the recent resolution, not weakened.
5. He wants to roll back net neutrality
Krasimira Nevenova / Shutterstock.com
In March, the Trump administration said it would soon be getting rid of net neutrality rules put in place by the Obama administration in 2015.
What’s net neutrality? You can read more about it here, but here’s a brief explanation.
Internet service providers, such as Comcast, AT&T or Verizon, are called “gatekeepers” because before any traffic reaches their subscribers, it has to first travel through their network. And because they control the network, they could be tempted to slow down — or even block — the content of their competitors. Or they could make more money by charging content providers for faster downloads.
In other words, even though ISPs are already charging consumers for access to the internet, if they decide the content we want to see doesn’t make them enough money, they can make it harder for us to see it. For example, Comcast might make it faster for us to stream their own pay-per-view movies rather than those of their competitors, like Netflix.
Rolling back these rules is great for broadband providers, which is why they spent millions lobbying Congress to oppose the net neutrality rules. But for consumers? It’s easy to see how this could cost them and hard to see how they could benefit.
6. He’s reversed environmental protections
Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH / Shutterstock.com
On March 28, Trump visited the EPA to sign an executive order rolling back key components of the Obama administration’s environmental protection rules. From the Washington Post:
The far-reaching order he unveiled Tuesday instructs federal regulators to rewrite key Obama-era rules curbing U.S. carbon emissions — namely the Clean Power Plan, which was intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s electric plants. It also seeks to lift a moratorium on federal coal leasing and remove the requirement that federal officials consider the impact of climate change when making decisions.
Trump signed the order surrounded by coal miners, a group he’s insisted will benefit from rolling back environmental protection regulations. But even coal miners know their primary problem isn’t regulation; it’s that, thanks to fracking, natural gas is now cheaper than coal.
7. He’s making immigration more difficult
David Litman / Shutterstock.com
Few would suggest that allowing illegal immigration is a good idea. But immigrants, illegal and otherwise, provide cheap labor. Removing them from the American workforce could result in higher prices for everything from housing to milk. According to a 2015 press release from the National Milk Producers Federation, losing immigrant workers on dairy farms would nearly double retail milk prices.
Tighter immigration rules, along with outright bans, are also a concern for another important sector of our economy: technology. From Reuters:
The immigration issue is still unfolding, but the broader and potentially more injurious effects could include a blow to the nation’s competitiveness in technology, hindering job growth and sending more capital overseas to the detriment of the American economy.
This is why nearly 100 tech companies recently joined forces to fight Trump’s travel ban. The executive order, the latest version which was put on hold by a federal judge in March, temporarily blocks visas for citizens of six Muslim-majority countries and bars refugees from those nations.
8. He stopped the Fiduciary Rule from going into effect
Kinga / Shutterstock.com
As we explained in a story last year, financial advisers who receive fees or other compensation are currently legally allowed to steer a client to an investment product that may not result in the highest return for the client, but offers a higher commission to the adviser.
Doesn’t sound very consumer friendly, does it? The Department of Labor didn’t think so either. That’s why it’s been working for years to force Wall Street to offer honest advice to Main Street. And the department would have succeeded if not for Trump.
In April 2017, something called the Fiduciary Rule was scheduled to go into effect. It would have required advisers to put their clients’ interests before their own, at least when dealing with retirement accounts.
As you might imagine, Wall Street hates the idea of being forced to provide honest advice to retirement investors.
But Wall Street won a reprieve. On Feb. 3, Trump ordered the Department of Labor to review the rule to see if it should be allowed to go into effect.
In a press release shortly after Trump’s order, AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond said, “It is time that all Americans can count on retirement investment advice that is in their best interest, not the interest of Wall Street. Unfortunately, for many Americans, today’s executive order means they will continue to get conflicted financial advice that costs more and reduces what they are able to save for retirement.”
In the first week of April, Trump delayed implementation of the rule by 60 days.
9. His plans could strip millions of affordable health care
romul014 / Shutterstock.com
From an interview then-President-elect Trump had with the Washington Post on Jan. 15:
“We’re going to have insurance for everybody,” Trump said. “There was a philosophy in some circles that if you can’t pay for it, you don’t get it. That’s not going to happen with us.” People covered under the law “can expect to have great health care. It will be in a much simplified form. Much less expensive and much better.”
On March 6, Trump’s plan for replacing Obamacare was unveiled. Not only did the bill not provide “insurance for everybody,” according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), but it also would result in 14 million Americans losing their existing coverage by 2018 and 24 million by 2026.
Since the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that Americans buy health insurance would be repealed, some of those leaving the system would do so voluntarily. But many would be forced out by higher premiums, lower subsidies and scaled-back Medicaid.
You can read the CBO report here.
The proposed bill never made it to a vote, because some Republicans thought it didn’t go far enough. But Trump and Congress are still working on repealing Obamacare.
11. He’s scaring off tourists and potential workers
jorisvo / Shutterstock.com
In January, Trump issued an executive order to ban citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries, later reduced in a revised order to six, from coming to the United States for any reason.
When you denigrate and/or outright ban people from one country, you may start getting fewer visitors from all countries. If you live in a place that depends on tourism for survival, that’s a big deal. From this AOL article:
According to Tourism Economics. about 4.3 million fewer international travelers will visit the U.S. this year because of the bans, a revenue loss of $7.4 billion. Another 6.3 million visitors and $10.8 billion that they would have spent will be lost in 2018.
The proposed travel ban will also affect those who want to come to our country to work. In February, six American tech giants, including Apple, Google, Facebook and others filed a legal brief supporting those who wanted the ban overturned. From that brief:
The Order effects a sudden shift in the rules governing entry into the United States, and is inflicting substantial harm on U.S. companies. It hinders the ability of American companies to attract great talent; increases costs imposed on business; makes it more difficult for American firms to compete in the international marketplace; and gives global enterprises a new, significant incentive to build operations — and hire new employees — outside the United States.
11. He prevented mortgages from getting cheaper
Andy-Dean-Photography / Shutterstock.com
Trump rolled back a planned Federal Housing Administration policy that would have reduced the insurance premiums homeowners pay monthly on FHA-backed mortgages.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the initiative could have saved homeowners hundreds of dollars annually on mortgage insurance, which is required with FHA-backed loans.
But the new Trump administration killed the planned fee cut on Jan. 20, just a week after the Obama administration had first announced the rule. It was supposed to take effect on Jan. 27.
According to the Times, the Trump administration indefinitely suspended the pending FHA insurance rate cut just an hour after Trump was sworn in as president. It was literally the first thing he did.
12. He raised the penalty for student loan late payments
sponner / Shutterstock.com
Student loan borrowers are being crushed by debt.
The Consumer Federation of America released an analysis showing that more than a million student loans were in default in 2016, and the default rate increased 14 percent from 2015 to 2016.
When student borrowers default, collection agencies attempt to collect the delinquent payments. But they can also try to collect something else: Fees as high as 16 percent of the entire loan can be tacked on.
Under Obama administration rules, delinquent student loan borrowers didn’t have to pay collection fees, provided they entered into a repayment plan within 60 days of defaulting on their loan and stuck with the plan.
On March 16, the Department of Education reversed that break for student borrowers. Now, whether or not they try to rehabilitate their loan, they can still be charged collection fees, making the loan that much harder to repay.
Which of these changes are affecting you, or will? Share with us in comments below or on our Facebook page.
7 Mistakes Guaranteed to Ruin Your Retirement
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FIT 2.1.1G 07/03/2016 RP
In determining a person's honesty, integrity and reputation, the FCA 5 will have regard to all relevant 3matters including, but not limited to, those set out in FIT 2.1.3 G which may have arisen either in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. The FCA 5 should be informed of these matters (see SUP 10A.14.17 R and SUP 10C.14.18R5), but will consider the circumstances only where relevant to the requirements and standards of the regulatory system. For example, under FIT 2.1.3 G(1), conviction for a criminal offence will not automatically mean an application will be rejected. The FCA 5 treats each candidate's application on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the seriousness of, and circumstances surrounding, the offence, the explanation offered by the convicted person, the relevance of the offence to the proposed role, the passage of time since the offence was committed and evidence of the individual's rehabilitation.1
FIT 2.1.1AG 07/03/2016 RP
5A relevant authorised person determining the honesty, integrity and reputation of staff being assessed under FIT, should consider all relevant matters, including those set out in FIT 2.1.3G, which may have arisen either in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. Firms should inform themselves of relevant matters, including checking for convictions for criminal offences (where possible) and contacting previous employers who have employed that candidate or person. If any staff being assessed under FIT has a conviction for a criminal offence, the firm should consider the seriousness of and circumstances surrounding the offence, the explanation offered by that person, the relevance of the offence to the proposed role, the passage of time since the offence was committed and evidence of the individual’s rehabilitation.
In considering the matters in FIT 2.1.1 G, the FCA 5 will look at whether the person's reputation might have an adverse impact upon the firm for which the controlled function is or is to be performed and at the person's responsibilities.
5In considering the reputation of staff being assessed under FIT 2.1.1AG a relevant authorised person should have regard to whether that person's reputation might have an adverse impact upon the firm for which the function is to be performed and the person's responsibilities.
The matters referred to in FIT 2.1.1 G to which the FCA 5 will have regard, and to which a relevant authorised person should also have regard, 5include, but are not limited to:
whether the person has been convicted of any criminal offence; this must include, where provided for by the Rehabilitation Exceptions Orders 4to2 the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 or the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 (as applicable)4, any spent convictions2; particular consideration will be given to offences of dishonesty, fraud, financial crime or an offence under legislation relating to companies, building societies, industrial and provident societies, credit unions, friendly societies, banking,4 other financial services, insolvency, consumer credit companies, insurance, 4 consumer protection, money laundering, market manipulation and 4insider dealing2, whether or not in the United Kingdom4;1
whether the person has been the subject of any adverse finding or any settlement in civil proceedings, particularly in connection with investment or other financial business, misconduct, fraud or the formation or management of a body corporate;
whether the person has been the subject of, or interviewed in the course of, any existing or previous investigation or disciplinary proceedings, by the appropriate regulator, by other regulatory authorities (including a previous regulator), clearing houses and exchanges, professional bodies, or government bodies or agencies;
whether the person is or has been the subject of any proceedings of a disciplinary or criminal nature, or has been notified of any potential proceedings or of any investigation which might lead to those proceedings;
whether the person has contravened any of the requirements and standards of the regulatory system or the equivalent standards or requirements of other regulatory authorities (including a previous regulator), clearing houses and exchanges, professional bodies, or government bodies or agencies;
whether the person has been the subject of any justified complaint relating to regulated activities;
whether the person has been involved with a company, partnership or other organisation that has been refused registration, authorisation, membership or a licence to carry out a trade, business or profession, or has had that registration, authorisation, membership or licence revoked, withdrawn or terminated, or has been expelled by a regulatory or government body;
whether, as a result of the removal of the relevant licence, registration or other authority, the person has been refused the right to carry on a trade, business or profession requiring a licence, registration or other authority;
whether the person has been a director, partner, or concerned in the management, of a business that has gone into insolvency, liquidation or administration while the person has been connected with that organisation or within one year of that connection;
whether the person, or any business with which the person has been involved, has been investigated, disciplined, censured or suspended or criticised by a regulatory or professional body, a court or Tribunal, whether publicly or privately;
whether the person has been dismissed, or asked to resign and resigned, from employment or from a position of trust, fiduciary appointment or similar;
whether the person has ever been disqualified from acting as a director or disqualified from acting in any managerial capacity;
whether, in the past, the person has been candid and truthful in all his dealings with any regulatory body and whether the person demonstrates a readiness and willingness to comply with the requirements and standards of the regulatory system and with other legal, regulatory and professional requirements and standards.
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Corporate News Huawei Press Release
Huawei founder says that the world relies on open collaboration for shared success
Karachi, June 19, 2019: Ren Zhengfei, founder and CEO of Huawei, was recently part of an open dialogue alongside other prominent guests examining the latest economic and political headwinds affecting the global ICT industry and Huawei in particular. The business leader stressed that the world ultimately relies on open collaboration for shared success.
Speaking to a select group of international press, the discussion was attended by Ren Zhengfei as well as Nicholas Negroponte, a tech visionary and co-founder of the MIT Media Lab; George Gilder, one of President Ronald Reagan’s most quoted authors and a venture capitalist in the United States; and Catherine Chen, Senior Vice President and Director of the Board of Huawei. Addressing how Huawei will engage American companies who wish to keep supplying it with products, Zhengfei commented: “All of the US companies that we work with are great companies that hold themselves to high standards in terms of business integrity and ethics. The current setbacks we are facing are not caused by those American companies, but by politicians who see things differently from the way we see them. We didn’t expect such extreme measures, but we did make some preparations.”
In the coming years, Zhengfei acknowledged that production capacity may decrease. In 2019 and 2020, the company’s annual sales revenue will be about USD$100 billion, according to Zhengfei. But around 2021, he believes Huawei we will regain its growth momentum and provide even better services to society.
“When this step is finished, we’ll become stronger.” Responding to questions about the US/China relationship and being seen together with Huawei, Gilder contested: “I think that I am contributing to saving the United States from the terrible mistake that it’s currently making, epitomized by the outrageous bans and tariffs, as well as restrictions it is placing on Huawei. But also, I can contribute to a re-construction of Internet architecture to address the terrible security collapse across the Internet that is making everybody paranoid and preventing everybody from trusting anybody else. This is really a technical problem that Huawei can address, and not a political problem.”
Building on that point, Negroponte added: “We agree on the fact that the United States is making a terrible mistake, first of all, picking on a company. I come from a world where what we value isn’t so much about trade, commerce, and stock values. We value knowledge, and we want to build on the people before, and the only way this works is if people are open at the beginning.” Recognizing that Huawei’s collaboration with a number of American universities and labs has been halted, Zhengfei responded that China is very strong in engineering inventions, and that the company invests heavily in R and D with more than 80,000 engineers. The company now supports more than 300 universities and 900 research institutes around the world.
When asked about whether cyber security is really behind the current confrontation with Huawei, Negroponte argued: “Our President has already said publicly that he would reconsider Huawei if we can make a trade deal. So, clearly, it’s not about national security. We don’t trade national security. It’s about something else. And this trade war has got to end, and that, I believe, will end sooner rather than later. We need to separate the issues of cyber security and information security,” added Zhengfei. “Cyber security relates to the networks connecting our society. We can’t ever allow these networks to break down or malfunction, and this is a security issue.”
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Researcher highlights
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
Faculty of Education and Arts
School of Architecture and Built Environment
School of Electrical Engineering and Computing
Faculty of Health and Medicine
Professional staff highlights
Professor Robert Melchers' research on marine corrosion at the University of Newcastle is leading the way towards safer, more resilient offshore engineering and construction.
Marine corrosion is known to be aggressive, but how aggressive it can be under long-term exposures is the critical question for the safety and economics of much industrial infrastructure, including harbour, coastal and offshore oil industry facilities.
Throughout the world, hundreds of thousands of kilometres of submarine pipelines cross the ocean floor. Every year they are used to transport hundreds of millions of tons of hazardous materials – particularly oil and gas – thus, the integrity of this infrastructure is critical.
Professor Melchers' research contributes to creating a better understanding of the corrosion of steel in marine environments. In particular, it addresses a big issue for the water industry worldwide; the corrosion of mooring chains and wire rope for offshore platforms, and the exterior corrosion of cast iron water pipes. In 2006 the International Ship Structures Committee adopted Melchers' corrosion models for the condition assessment of aged ship structures.
His research throws new light on the influence of bacteria and water pollution in relation to the severity of corrosion. Mathematical models have been developed for general corrosion and offered completely new interpretations of the statistics of maximum pit depth, which is especially important for pipelines, as any leak can be disastrous. These mathematical models also help to predict when corrosion may occur, allowing for efficient planning of resources.
With the world becoming increasingly reliant on concrete sea structures to meet its energy and resources needs, Professor Melchers and his team are also investigating corrosion of reinforced concrete in the marine environment. Reinforced concrete is used in the construction of advanced marine structures such as offshore drilling platforms, superspan bridges and undersea tunnels.
In conjunction with all the leading Water Authorities in Australia, Professor Melchers is developing a model for the loss of concrete on the inside walls of concrete sewer pipes. Used in almost all major cities, these pipes are increasingly at risk. The water industry is very concerned about their remaining life and is keen to hear about innovations to make them less prone to failure. The mathematical models developed so far will help to resolve this issue.
The Australian Research Council recently awarded Professor Melchers $1.1 million in Discovery Project Funding. This includes the award of a prestigious 'DORA' (Discovery Outstanding Researcher Award), one out of only 17 awarded nationally. This funding will further his investigations into the more fundamental aspects of marine corrosion.
Bacterial and microbiological activity is known to contribute to seawater corrosion. However, recent findings have observed very aggressive corrosion also under sterile and apparently benign conditions. No theory to explain these observations currently exists. Melchers has proposed the hypothesis that in certain circumstances second-phase constituents of steels will facilitate autocatalytic corrosion under anoxic conditions. His new research project explores the mechanisms and conditions likely to be involved.
A leading structural engineering academic in Australia, Professor Melchers was the founding editor of the Australian Journal of Structural Engineering. He was also a founding Principal of AMOG Consulting Pty Ltd in 1991, which now has offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Houston.
Professor Melchers' research into structural reliability and corrosion modelling of steel and concrete structures has won him many international awards and invitations to contribute to international research projects. In 2013 he was awarded the Engineers Australia John Connell Medal, presented annually to a structural engineer who has made a significant national and international contribution to the profession.
Professor Melchers' academic record is outstanding. He has received two five-year Australian Professorial Fellowships from the Australian Research Council, has published four books, over 200 refereed journal papers and numerous conference papers and reports.
Professor Melchers has managed to blend a highly successful academic career while still being a leader in industry and in the profession, through Engineers Australia.
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NR City Council considers long range utility needs, rate hike likely
By Tom Lindfors on Jun 25, 2019 at 1:40 p.m.
During a special joint session Monday evening between the New Richmond City Council and members of the Utility Commission, City Administrator Mike Darrow and City Finance Director Rae Anne Ailts presented the findings and recommendations of a comprehensive water and sewer rate analysis conducted by Trilogy Consulting LLC.
"We asked Trilogy to look at various options which included, no rate change at all, a tiered approach to the rate change, and if circumstances resulted in the loss of one of our largest customers what would be the impact on rates. Over the last six months, we've worked through a lot of those options with Trilogy," said Ailts.
Trilogy presented their analysis to the Commission in March. Over the next 60 days, Trilogy worked with commission members and city staff evaluating rate design based on cash flow impact, cash reserves, debt covenants, current and future capital expenditures, and financial sustainability. Detailed rate information and comparison materials can be reviewed at www.nrutilities.com/water-sewer-rate-study. Expect additional information to be added to the site prior to the Utility Commission meeting on July 10, 2019.
In an effort to keep residents informed of a potential rate hike and the reasons for that increase, the city hosted two open houses June 5 and June 19, mailed letters of explanation directly to utility customers, and promoted educational and informational materials posted to the city/utility website via social media. City staff also met directly with several commercial customers that would be significantly impacted by a rate increase.
In summary, water rates were last increased in 2014 and sewer rates in 2012. Growth has increased demand while government regulation, aging infrastructure and additional market costs have exceeded existing rates revenues requiring an infusion of cash from the utility reserve account.
To maintain a healthy reserve and in anticipation of significant capital expenditures over the next five years such as upgrades and replacement of core infrastructure at the wastewater treatment plant in 2020-2021, the city is looking at a sewer rate increase of $3.87 per month and a water rate increase of $5.35 per month for a typical household. The sewer rate increase if approved, is anticipated to take effect in the fourth quarter of 2019. The water rate increase if approved, would take effect in the first quarter of 2020. In addition to council approval, the water rate must also be approved by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.
The Utility Commission is expected to consider the rate hikes at its July 10 meeting which starts at 8 a.m.
The City Council is expected to consider the rate hikes at its Aug.12 meeting which starts at 7 p.m.
Beebe building, DQ development update
Five firms responded to the city's initial RFQ's pertaining to the development of the Beebe building and DQ property posted in January 2019. An initial round of interviews has narrowed the field to three firms.
"I can't stress enough how much more important it is to have a great relationship than it is to get it done fast. I've been doing this outside of the city on the private side prior to this for a long time. If you race to get it done because of public pressure, a lot of times you make mistakes. So it's really important during these interviews to get to know the firms that are interested," said Darrow.
Beginning on June 26, members of the City Council and Forward New Richmond will conduct interviews with three firms to assess the financial viability of each project. The initial focus of these interviews will be the redevelopment of the Beebe building (downtown project) only.
The city is proposing to facilitate three meetings in August to introduce the final firm or firms. The meetings will include a City Council meeting, Forward New Richmond meeting and a community discussion with residents prior to the project being awarded.
The city expects to highlight phase plans for both the Beebe building and DQ property sometime in August and September.
The city has been actively recruiting community members to participate in the interview and vetting process via the city newsletter and social media. The city has been meeting with interested parties since mid June and continues to seek folks interested in participating in the process. For questions or to participate, contact Darrow at 715-243-0401 or mdarrow@newrichmondwi.gov.
Although there is no firm deadline by which the City Council must select a final firm, the intended timeline is for the community vetting process to occur in August with a final decision coming in early fall.
The city is planning to produce a series of podcasts (Podcast New Richmond) which, along with social media updates, will document the process, facilitate community discussion and provide an alert for future meetings.
Following the joint meeting with the Utility Commission, council members approved an expenditure not to exceed $46,061 for the purchase of a Getac digital video system including six MVR squad cameras, 10 body cameras, 30GB of dedicated cloud storage, training and warranties for the police department. The projected life on the cameras is five years. The purchase of 10 body cameras will require deputies to transfer cameras between shifts. The capital budget allotment for 2019 was $32,500 in anticipation of replacing just the video cameras in the squad cars. The $5,984 annual fee for the dedicated cloud storage will be absorbed into the police department's annual operating budget. The remaining $7,577 will be funded through the 2019 capital budget financing packaging.
Explore related topics:Newsgovernment and politicsnew richmond city councilnew richmondWisconsin
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As heroin use spikes, Missouri lacks key to prevention
Missouri remains the only state in the nation without a prescription drug database
As heroin use spikes, Missouri lacks key to prevention Missouri remains the only state in the nation without a prescription drug database Check out this story on news-leader.com: http://sgfnow.co/1ISsd3j
Jon Swedien, JSWEDIEN@NEWS-LEADER.COM Published 8:34 p.m. CT July 11, 2015 | Updated 8:31 a.m. CT July 12, 2015
Willie Carter discusses addiction in his office on Friday. Carter was formerly a heroin addict and is now a drug counselor at Recovery Outreach Services.(Photo: Valerie Mosley/News-Leader)Buy Photo
As heroin use jumps in Springfield and throughout Missouri, the Show Me State stands alone in not having a prescription drug monitoring program — a key to curbing the drug's proliferation, according to federal experts.
Nationally, heroin use has been on the rise. It has become more prevalent among women and the middle class, and many of its users came to the narcotic after having first become addicted to prescription drugs, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The drug has made inroads in Springfield too, said police Lt. Shawn Williams.
“It's widespread. It's from teenagers to middle-aged adults, and from every socioeconomic background.”
Police Lt. Shawn Williams
"It's widespread. It's from teenagers to middle-aged adults, and from every socioeconomic background," Williams said.
Heroin's rise in Springfield can be seen in the amounts police have confiscated in recent years. Four years ago, Springfield police seized 13 grams of heroin. The next year the figure almost doubled to 22 grams. In 2013, it more than doubled again, shooting up to 52 grams. Last year, the department took possession of more than three times that amount — 180 grams.
Heroin confiscated by Springfield Police | Create infographics
The trend seems likely to continue. In the first six months of this year the department has already seized 288 grams, Williams said.
Heroin overdoses are also up, said Tom Van De Berg, chief investigator for the Greene County Medical Examiner's Office.
"In the first 10 years I worked here there was one heroin overdose," Van De Berg said. "In the past few months it's been weekly. There is a lot of it out there."
Looking statewide, Missouri also appears to have seen an increase in heroin use.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol seized 501 grams of heroin last year, said spokesman Sgt. Shawn Griggs. That figure was down 170 grams compared to 2013, but more than four times what the department confiscated in 2012 — 104 grams, according to Griggs.
Heroin MSHP | Create infographics
Unlike heroin, prescription drug abuse has haunted communities like Springfield for years. The prescription drugs most commonly abused are opioid painkillers, which produce a similar effect to heroin, and that's why there is such a strong connection between the two, said Griggs.
"Many people that we interview didn't wake up and decide to do heroin, but they started out with prescription drugs," he said.
About 75 percent of new heroin users first became hooked on prescription opiates, a class of morphine-like drugs that includes OxyContin and Vicodin, before turning to heroin, the CDC found.
Williams said prescription drug addicts are turning to heroin because it's relatively inexpensive.
“It's gotten to the point where they can buy heroin cheaper than prescription drugs on the street.”
"It's gotten to the point where they can buy heroin cheaper than prescription drugs on the street," he said.
Database debate
In order to feed their prescription drug addictions, some people go "doctor shopping." In this scheme, people seek prescriptions from multiple doctors in order to feed their drug habit or to sell prescription drugs illegally.
"There's a lot of doctor shopping that occurs," said Jim Anderson, CoxHealth vice president of marketing and public affairs.
Forty-nine states have prescription drug monitoring programs that allow, or in some cases require, pharmacists to consult a database to make sure clients are not buying extra drugs. Missouri is the lone exception.
Making monitoring programs stronger is key to curbing heroin use because prescription drug abuse is "the strongest risk factor for heroin addiction," according to the CDC report.
Legislation that would have created a monitoring program in Missouri has been stymied in recent years by filibustering senators.
"It has always been a challenge in the Missouri state Senate," Anderson said, adding CoxHealth supports a drug monitoring program.
Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, a family doctor, is one of the monitoring program's stiffest critics.
In previous years, Schaaf has filibustered bills aiming to create a monitoring program, arguing the creation of a database would violate Missourians' privacy rights. He has said the threat of hacking makes the idea of a prescription drug database especially troublesome.
But this year, Schaaf didn't filibuster.
"I agreed to sit down after they agreed to my concessions," Schaaf said, noting he was able to tack on an amendment to the bill that addressed some of his privacy concerns. Even with his amendment, however, Schaaf said he still opposed the bill.
Some Republican lawmakers from the Ozarks agree with Schaaf.
"Even though it has been passed in every other state, it has not stopped the problem," said Eric Burlison, R-Springfield.
Rep. Sonya Anderson, R-Springfield, said she too opposes the creation of a monitoring program because of privacy concerns.
But other Springfield Republicans, including Rep. Lincoln Hough and Rep. Kevin Austin, said they support a monitoring program.
"I think it's a good idea," Hough said, adding that a database would hopefully help identify addicts so they could get treatment.
By the time the legislation made its way through the Senate this year, several privacy protections had been added to it. Among them were that the database must be encrypted and prescription information could only be kept in the database for 180 days. The bill would also have required the legislature to reconsider the program in 2020.
"We probably have the most secure, the most effective PDMP (prescription drug monitoring program) in the U.S.," the bill's sponsor, Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville, a pharmacist, told the Associated Press in April.
Calls for comment made to Sater for this story were not returned.
The bill passed the Senate on a 24-10 vote. Meanwhile, a similar bill passed the House. But by session's end, neither piece of legislation made it through the other chamber.
The story behind why Sater's bill failed depends on whom you ask.
Anderson, the lobbyist for CoxHealth, said the bill had enough momentum to make it to the governor's desk, but it was left by the wayside when the statehouse more or less shut down during the end of the session.
The session ground to a halt early this year mostly because of a controversy created when former House Speaker John Diehl was caught sending flirtatious texts to a 19-year-old intern. A Senate filibuster over controversial right-to-work legislation also helped stymie progress.
"It would have passed, I'm convinced. And the governor would have signed it" had it not been for the controversies, Anderson said.
Schaaf and Burlison said they heard the bill had begun to lose steam before the end-of-session commotion.
"I was told it was snagging up over there (in the House) even before the right-to-work stuff," Schaaf said.
Anderson said he is optimistic a similar bill could pass next year.
"I am hopeful we can get it done this (coming) year," he said, but with it being an election year, he added, "You never know."
Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamer, who like Schaaf has been a strong opponent of a monitoring program, said there is a good chance he would try to filibuster the bill if it is brought back next year, even with the privacy protections that were added.
Overdoses on the rise
Last year, there were 79 fatal drug overdoses in Greene County, according to medical examiner's office records. That is up from 60 overdoses in 2013, and 63 in 2012.
Prescription drugs remained the county's No. 1 cause of lethal overdoses, killing 49 people last year. Illegal drugs — the office doesn't specify which type — killed 15 people. A combination of prescription and illegal drugs led to seven fatal overdoses.
Overdoes in Greene County | Create infographics
Nationwide, between the early 2000's and 2013, the number of people using heroin rose 150 percent, according to the CDC report. There were an estimated 517,000 people who used heroin or were dependent on it in 2013, the report said.
As use has grown nationally so have overdose rates. In 2013, more than 8,200 people died from opiate overdoses, almost four times as many as in 2000, the report said. than who died in 2000, the report said.
Heroin is sometimes more deadly today because dealers are cutting it with fentanyl, a opiate stronger than heroin used to treat intense pain.
Van De Berg said to date he has only seen one overdose where the victim had heroin laced with fentanyl. In other cases, people had overdosed on heroin and also had separately been using fentanyl patches.
But while heroin users are showing up in the morgue, not many have yet come to treatment programs, said Willie Carter, a drug counselor at Recovery Outreach Services in Springfield.
Carter said he knows the drug is out in the community, but he said many of its users in Springfield appear not to have hit rock bottom yet, and therefore aren't seeking treatment.
Most of the heroin coming into Springfield is being transported in from Mexico, coming from the country's drug cartels, by way of St. Louis and Chicago, said Williams, the police lieutenant.
In parts of Indiana, spikes in heroin use have led to an outbreak in new HIV cases because the users were sharing needles. Fortunately, that has not happened, at least not yet, in the Ozarks, said Bob Holtkamp, outreach and prevention director for Aids Project of the Ozarks.
Holtkamp did say his organization, which offers free HIV testing, has seen high rates of hepatitis C, which can also be spread by intravenous drug use. Is that trend related to heroin use? Holtkamp said he is not sure.
Read or Share this story: http://sgfnow.co/1ISsd3j
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Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment
David Howell
Professor of Urban Policy
howell@newschool.edu
David R. Howell is a professor of economics and public policy at the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment. He is an affiliated member of the New School’s economics department, a Faculty Research Fellow at the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (The New School), and a Research Scholar at the Political Economy Research Institute (U-Mass Amherst). His research focuses on social policy and labor market outcomes.
Degrees Held:
PhD 1982, Economics, New School for Social Research
“Introduction”, Russell Sage Journal Issue: “Changing Job Quality: The Rise of Low-Wage Jobs
and Nonstandard Work Arrangements,” (with Arne Kalleberg), forthcoming.
“Reframing the Minimum Wage Debate: Why “no job loss” is the wrong standard for setting the right
wage floor,” The American Prospect, Summer 2016.
“A ‘Living Wage’? Minimum Wage Policy and Employment in the US and France,” in D. Greenwood
and R. Holt, eds., A Brighter Future: Improving the Standard of Living Now and for the Next
Generation, with Bert Azizoglu and Ana Okatenko (M.E. Sharpe, 2014).
“The Austerity of Low Pay: US Exceptionalism in the Age of Inequality,” Social Research, vol. 80,
no. 3 (Fall 2013).
“Unemployment Benefits and Work Incentives: The US Labour Market in the Great Recession,”
Oxford Review of Economic Policy, vol. 27, no. 2, summer 2011 (with Bert Azizoglu).
"The Great Laissez-Faire Experiment: American Inequality and Growth from an International Perspective," Center for American Progress, December 2013. (PDF)
"A 'Living Wage'? Minimum Wage Policy and Employment in the US and France", forthcoming 2014, in Daphne Greenwood and Ric Holt, eds., A Brighter Future: Improving the Standard of Living Now and for the Next Generation (M.E. Sharpe), (with Bert Azizoglu and Anna Okatenko).
"Confronting Low Pay: Minimum Wage Policy and Employment in the U.S. and France," Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Revised October 31, 2012
"Institutions, Aggregate Demand and Cross-Country Employment Performance: Alternative Theoretical Perspectives and the Evidence," forthcoming in Eckhard Hein and Engelbert Stockhammer (eds): A Modern Guide to Keynesian Macroeconomics and Economic Policies (Elgar, 2012). (PDF)
"Unemployment Benefits and Work Incentives: The U.S. Labor Market in the Great Recession," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 27, No. 2, Summer 2011 (with Bert M. Azizoglu). (PDF)
Unemployment and Labor Market Institutions
"Unemployment compensation and high European unemployment: a reassessment with new benefit indicators," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Volume 25, Number 1, 2009, pp.60–93 (with Miriam Rehm). (PDF)
"Are Protective Labor Market Institutions at the Root of Unemployment? A Critical Review of the Evidence," Capitalism and Society" (Vol. 2, Issue 1): 2007, pp. 1-71 (with Dean Baker, Andrew Glyn and John Schmitt). (PDF)
"Vive Les Jeunes," The American Prospect, May-June 2006 (with John Schmitt). (PDF)
"Labor Market Reforms: The Evidence Does Not Tell the Orthodox Tale" Challenge, March-April 2006 (with Andrew Glyn and John Schmitt). (PDF)
"Unemployment and Earnings Inequality in OECD Countries: Demand Shifts, Labor Market Institutions and the Unified Theory," (with Friedrich Huebler), Chapter 2 in David R. Howell, ed., Fighting Unemployment: The Limits of Free Market Orthodoxy (New York: Oxford University Press), 2005. (PDF)
"Fighting Unemployment: Why Labor Market Reforms are not the Answer," in Jonas Olafsson, ed., "Den Tredje Arbetslingen" (The Third Work Principle), (Sweden: Arenagroup), 2005.
"Fighting Unemployment: The Limits of Free Market Orthodoxy," Oxford University Press, 2005 (editor, author of 2 chapters, co-author of two other chapters).
"Unemployment and Labour Market Institutions: The Failure of the Empirical Case for Deregulation," International Labour Organization, Working Paper #43 (with Baker, Glyn and Schmitt)
Download available at the SCEPA website.
"Labor Market Institutions and Unemployment: A Critical Assessment of the Cross-Country Evidence," (with Dean Baker, Andrew Gyn, and John Schmitt), Chapter 3 in David R. Howell, ed., Fighting Unemployment: The Limits of Free Market Orthodoxy (New York: Oxford University Press), 2005.
"Wage Compression and the Unemployment Crisis: Labor Market Institutions, Skills, and Inequality-Unemployment Tradeoffs," (with Friedrich Huebler), Chapter 2 in David R. Howell, ed., Fighting Unemployment: The Limits of Free Market Orthodoxy (New York: Oxford University Press), 2005. (PDF)
Labor Market Indicators
"By What Measure? A Comparison of French and U.S. Labor Market Performance With New Indicators of Employment Adequacy," International Review of Applied Economics (with Anna Okatenko), July 2010. (PDF)
"The Importance of Accounting for Job Quality: Charting U.S. Economic Performance with Alternative Labor Market Indicators," Challenge, January-February 2008, pp 26-44 (with Mamadou Diallo). (PDF)
"The Inadequacy of the Unemployment Rate," Challenge: The Magazine of Economic Affairs, Jan-Feb 2005 (pp. 5-28).
Skills, Institutions, and Earnings Inequality
, forthcoming in Daphne Greenwood and Ric Holt, eds., A Brighter Future: Improving the Standard of Living Now and for the Next Generation (M.E. Sharpe) (with Bert Azizoglu and Anna Okatenko).
"Wage Compression and the Unemployment Crisis: Labor Market Institutions, Skills, and Inequality-Unemployment Tradeoffs," (with Friedrich Huebler), Chapter 2 in David R. Howell, ed., Fighting Unemployment: The Limits of Free Market Orthodoxy (New York: Oxford University Press), 2005.(PDF)
"Increasing Earnings Inequality and Unemployment in Developed Countries: Markets, Institutions, and the ‘Unified Theory’," Politics & Society, Vol. 30, No 2, June 2002, pp. 193-243. (PDF)
"Skill Mismatch, Bureaucratic Burden, and Rising Earnings Inequality in the U.S.: What Do Hours and Earnings Trends by Occupation Show?," in Jim Stanford, Ellen Houston and Lance Taylor, eds., Power, Employment and Accumulation: Social Structures in Economic Theory and Policy, (Armonk: M.E. Sharpe), 2001 (with Ellen Houston and William Milberg). (PDF)
"Theory-Driven Facts and the Growth in Earnings Inequality," Review of Radical Political Economics, 31(1), 1999. (PDF)
"Skill-Biased Demand Shifts and the Wage Collapse in the U.S.: A Critical Perspective on the Conventional Wisdom," Eastern Economic Journal, September 1998, with susan Wieler). (PDF)
"Institutional Failure and the American Worker: The Collapse of Low-Skill Wages," The Jerome Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, 1997
"Employment and Growth in the Knowledge-based Economy," Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, 1996
Race, Immigration and Urban Labor Markets
essay posted online: Border Battles, Social Science Research Council, 2007. (Also appears as Working Paper WP #128, Political Economy Research Institute, U-Mass Amherst.) (PDF)
"The Effects of Immigrants on African-American Earnings: A Jobs-Level Analysis of the New York City Labour Market," in Globalization and the New City: Migrants, Minorities and Urban Transformations in Comparative Perspective, Malcolm Cross and Robert Moore, eds., (London: Palgrave), 2002 (with Elizabeth Mueller).
"Increasing Opportunities, Declining Pay: Immigrants in the New York Metropolitan Labor Market, 1980-1998," manuscript, 2001 (with Kimberly Gester).
"Immigration and native-born male earnings: a jobs-level analysis of the New York City metropolitan area labour market, 1980-90," Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol 26, no. 3: 469-93, July 2000 (with Elizabeth Mueller).
"The Declining Economic Status of African-American Men in the New York City Construction Industry," Economic Development Quarterly, Vol. 12, No.1, February 1998, pp. 88-100 (with Timothy Bates).
"Changes in the Structure and Quality of Jobs in the United States: Effects by Race and Gender, 1973-1990," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, April 1995 (with Maury B. Gittleman).
Econ for Mgmt & Pub Pol
Econ for Mgmt & Pub Pol (Spring 2019)
Environmental Economics (Spring 2019)
Inequality & Var of Capitalism (Spring 2019)
Political Econ & Public Policy
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Home » Sports » Iniesta contradicts FC Barcelona chief over contract extension
Sports • World
Iniesta contradicts FC Barcelona chief over contract extension
Contradicting FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu, veteran midfielder Andres Iniesta has denied an agreement in principle for him to extend his contract with the Catalan football giants beyond its expiry at the end of the season.
“I’ve experienced a lot of sensations I’ve not known before, but I think they’re normal. It’s a scenario which three years ago I could never have imagined. Let’s say I’m thinking about my future when before I wasn’t,” Iniesta was quoted as saying by espnfc.
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo on Tuesday, Bartomeu had said: “We have an agreement in principle for Iniesta to renew (his contract) and we hope to finalise it in the coming weeks.
“We’re waiting to continue talking, but Iniesta is a player we want to retire here when he feels it’s the right time to retire.
“The idea is that he has an indefinite contract which renews year on year until he feels it’s either time to retire or time for a change. We would like to announce it soon, but we’re still talking.”
He added that 33-year-old Iniesta is a one-club man and like Messi is an inspiration to many. A product of FC Barcelona academy, Iniesta has won eight La Liga and four UEFA Champions League titles for his childhood club. He currently captains the Catalan outfit.
“Andres is a player like Leo (Messi), a one-club man and a reference point due to his commitment and loyalty. They’re role models for the kids at La Masia and the new generation of players coming through.”
Iniesta is out of contract in the summer of 2018 and he has been linked with a move to Italian champions Juventus lately.
Trinity Institute register victory in RFYS Football meet
Kashmiri separatist leaders to court arrest after NIA raids 11 places in Valley
IPL 2019 final between MI vs CSK on Sunday, Watch live
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Leading Indian American tax expert Neeraj Bhatia honoured with Hind Rattan award
Leading Indian American tax expert…
7th Pay Commission, 7th CPC…
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to…
Sensex currently at 39,580.12, up…
An accounting professional and tax expert Neeraj Bhatia has been conferred with the prestigious Hind Rattan Award for 2018 at the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas. Instituted by the NRI Welfare Society of India, the Hind Rattan Awards honour high achievers of Indian origin from professional disciplines. During the past two decades of practice in Silicon Valley, Bhatia has helped around 1,000 start-ups get off the ground.
Over the past 37 years, the NRI Welfare Society has become a strong bridge connecting people of Indian origin with India
Leading Indian American tax consultant and certified public accountant Neeraj Bhatia has been conferred with the prestigious Hind Rattan Award for 2018. Bhatia is an accomplished accounting professional with over 30 years of practice in international and domestic tax planning and compliance for start-ups and multinational entities. Coinciding with the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas and instituted by the NRI Welfare Society of India, the Hind Rattan Awards honour high achievers of Indian origin from professional disciplines. Over the past 37 years, the NRI Welfare Society has become a strong bridge connecting people of Indian origin with India. Its focus is to “strengthen emotional bonds” between the diaspora and the country.
Bhatia runs a successful tax and accountancy firm in the heart of Silicon Valley with offices in New Delhi as well. He specializes in international tax, audit and review, accounting, compliance and reporting, immigration services and corporate compliance. Bhatia is a sought-after tax professional who has offered extensive commentary on US and India tax issues over the years. “With India-US trade, corporate and economic relations booming, companies on both sides of the world are always looking for professionals who have expertise in tax and corporate laws of America and India,” Bhatia said.
“My firm has the advantage of having accounting professionals who have decades of experience navigating tax laws in the two countries,” he said. During the past two decades of practice in Silicon Valley, Bhatia has helped around 1,000 start-ups get off the ground. It was his insights into the IT sector that led him to be associated closely with Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) — an Indian government undertaking — in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Bhatia has also kept his focus on helping several Indian American organisations representing half a dozen Indian states engaged in charitable causes. He assists them in maintaining their charitable status through strict regulatory compliance. Bhatia, a Certified Public Accountant in California, Colorado, and New York has a degree in chartered accountancy from India and holds an LL.M. in international taxation from the US. He was awarded a gold medal and monthly scholarship for three years by India’s Central Board of Secondary Education for securing the first rank in India in the Board exam.
He was also awarded a gold medal by Institute of Cost & Works (Management) Accountants of India for securing the first rank in north India. He is vice president and director of Indo American Chamber of Commerce and is also on the Board of the University of Silicon Andhra, a newly-formed university imparting post-graduate degree programmes in Indian languages, literature and arts.
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April 13, 2011 Special Issues & Guides » 55 Fiction
Yes! You Can Be a Famous Writer!
By Steve Moss
You can enter all year long and submit as many stories as you like. Winners in our annual contest will be published in New Times on July 7.
Deadline: Three weeks prior. All stories will be considered for our next book.
Now that you've become a 55 Fiction believer, it's your turn to write a 55-word short story so we can consider it for our next contest and for inclusion in our sequel to "The World's Shortest Stories." And what luck: We just happen to have the official rules right here to help guide you when crafting a mere 55 words into one of the truly great stories of our time.
Writing a 55 Fiction story isn't as easy as it looks.
HOW TO ENTER: Our 55 Fiction contest is held once a year, but you can submit stories all year long. Send them to 55 Fiction, 1010 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.You can also send a digital version to 55fiction@newtimesslo.com.
A haiku poem is short. So is a quarterback sneak. But nobody thinks they're simple to execute–it's just that the people who do them well make it seem that way.
Taking a great story concept and developing it within such a limited space is a little like carving a beautiful sculpture from a tiny block of wood. The working range is truncated and intimate, but the goal is no different than if you were creating on a much larger scale. You're trying to perfectly merge various elements into a coherent whole that ultimately makes people say, "Wow, that's really great!"
But don't be discouraged by such a lofty goal. Great storytelling starts with fair storytelling and gets better with practice. Ray Bradbury once told an audience that if they wanted to learn how to write, they should compose a short story every day.
"If you do that," he said, "by the end of the year you'll have written 365 stories“and, at the very least, three or four of them are bound to be good because it's impossible to write 365 bad stories!"
We've often thought about that when judging our 55 Fiction Contest each year. It's the perfect way for someone to apply Bradbury's One-Story-a-Day Theory of Writing. When you've mastered 55 words, you can go on to 110, then 220, and so on until you've written that great novel that's been inside you, struggling to get out.
But we're getting ahead of ourselves. 55 Fiction is the name of this writing game, a tiny literary genre with a proud tradition stretching back a full twelve years to a time when finding good copy to fill our arts and entertainment publication, New Times, was tough to do. Out of this necessity rose 55 Fiction.
The first rule we always tell 55 Fiction writers may seem obvious, but it's broken more often than you might think. We tell them to remember that we're talking about fiction, not essays or poems or errant thoughts.
A lot of people have a hard time getting that straight, no doubt because they have a hard time believing that writing something so short is really possible. They usually end up with only part of a story, often with their character stranded in a situation going nowhere.
So although some may have a more complex definition of just what constitutes a "story," for our purposes, a story is a story only if it contains the following four elements: 1) a setting; 2) a character or characters; 3) conflict; and 4) resolution.
For those who think this is limiting their creativity, consider for a moment that:
All stories have to be happening someplace, which means they have to have a setting of some kind, even if it's the other side of the universe, the inner reaches of someone's mind, or just the house next-door.
Characters can have infinite variations. People, animals, clouds, microbes. Anything.
By conflict, we merely mean that in the course of the story, something has to happen. The lovers argue. The deer flees. The astronauts wait in anticipation. Even in this last example, something is happening, even though no one is moving or talking. There is conflict, which leads us to:
The outcome of the story, known also as the resolution. This doesn't necessarily mean that there's a moral ("Justice is its own reward," "In the end, love triumphs"), or even that the conflict itself is resolved. It may or may not be.
But what it does mean is that when the story ends, someone has to have learned something. Tony found out his wife wanted to kill him after all; the soldiers successfully eluded the enemy when they thought they'd been discovered; Barbara was shown to be as much of a liar as her father. It's even possible to have none of the characters learn anything. But if that's the case, then we, the reader, must.
Consider "Bedtime Story" by Jeffrey Whitmore in our Story Samples section. Besides having a terrific story idea, Whitmore also goes about telling it well. How he does so is worth examining.
Notice how much he achieves through suggestion. We know the characters are lovers, but the author never says so. We also know there's a gun in the story, but it's never directly mentioned. In fact, Whitmore's tale is actually two stories. The second one “the other conspiracy“reveals itself in the final two words.
You'll also notice that there are no descriptive adverbs or adjectives, yet we see the entire scene perfectly. The author then stretches the form by having his story start even before his narrative begins, and end beyond his final phrase, making it seem longer than just 55 words.
The main advantage to suggestion is conveying information economically. When the reader knows what you're talking about without your saying so, fewer words are needed. The disadvantage, of course, is losing sight of whether the reader is following you. Too much suggestion becomes obscure and confusing. That's a common error. So is trying to tell too complicated a story in such a tiny space. This 55 Fiction demands a tight focus.
Telling a story in a traditional narrative mode is probably the best approach for new writers, but keep in mind that 55 Fiction encourages experimentation.
If you've got a copy of "The World's Shortest Stories," you'll know what we mean.
Can an entire story be told with every word starting with the same letter of the alphabet? Sure it can. You'll find it on page 69.
How about revealing a family's ongoing woes through just an answering machine's message? Check out page 131.
And on page 31, lovers meet clandestinely and discover more than they bargained for in a tale with only one sentence using almost all nouns.
Surprise endings are often found in 55 Fiction, but they're not a prerequisite for success. They probably turn up a lot because they're easy to work with and because many writers instinctively aim for the impact of a twist at the end. H. H. Munro had similar instincts in his finely crafted ministories. So did Rod Serling and Alfred Hitchcock in their famous half-hour TV programs. Pretty good storytellers to emulate.
A few other important points to keep in mind:
You can write about anything you like, but you can't use more than 55 words. Yes, you can use fewer if you'd like to, but we don't know why anyone would–don't shortchange yourself even more than we already have.
And what, exactly, is a word? Simple. If it's in the dictionary, it's a word.
Hyphenated words can't count as single words. For example, "blue-green dress" is three words, not two. Exceptions to this are any words that don't become two complete free-standing words when the hyphen is removed, like "re-entry."
Also, please note that your story's title isn't included in the word count. But remember that it can't be more than seven words long.
Contractions count as single words, so if you're really seeking word economy (as you should be), keep this in mind. If you write, "He will jump," it's three words. But if you write, "He'll jump," it's only two. Very economical. By the same token, any contraction that's a shortened form of a word is also counted as a full word. Like using "'em" for "them."
An initial also counts as a word (L.L. Bean, e.e. cummings, etc.) since it's basically an abbreviation of a full word. The only exception is when it's part of an acronym like MGM, NASA, or IBM. The reasoning here is that the wide use of these acronyms has in effect made them into single words.
Remember that numbers count as words, too, expressed as either numerals (8, 28, 500, or 1984), or as words (eight, twenty-eight, etc.). But keep in mind our hyphenated-word rule. "Twenty-eight" is two words when written out, but only one when expressed as 28. Don't cheat yourself out of an extra word that you may need.
Any punctuation is allowed, and no punctuation marks count as words, so don't worry about being miserly with them if they work to some effect.
There are a few clichés we suggest you avoid.
Unless you can come up with really fresh takes on these old chestnuts, stay away from stories where the reader eventually discovers the protagonist is a cat (or some other animal); characters appear to be having sex, but it turns out they're doing something innocent and mundane, and you just have a dirty mind; and any character who wakes up at the end and says, "Gosh, it was all a dream!" These find themselves in the trash pronto, as well they should.
So now that you've digested all the rules and you're putting all those great ideas of yours on paper, what are you going to do with the best ones after you've shown them to friends who all think you're brilliant? Good question. Here's a good answer. Send them to us so we can consider them for our next Fifty-Five Fiction book.
You can submit as many stories as you want, but remember that each story must be typed on its own sheet of paper. That means one story per page.
Make sure your name, address, and telephone number are included on each story, so we can contact you. This information needs to be with each one in case your stories get separated. Too many times, we've been unable to contact authors of great stories simply because they forgot this simple procedure.
So. If you think you've got some winning stories, put a stamp on that envelope and mail them off to us at Fifty-Five Fiction, Dept. 55, 1010 Marsh Street. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. No matter what time of year it is, we'll see they're entered in our annual contest. Unfortunately, we can't be certain we'll be able to acknowledge receipt of your work, so please send photocopies, not originals. If any of your stories are selected, one thing's for certain: You'll be hearing from us.
And remember: Just 55 words.
Our 55 Fiction contest is held once a year, but you can submit stories all year long. Send them to 55 Fiction, 1010 Marsh St San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.You can also send a digital version to 55fiction@newtimesslo.com.
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You can enter all year long and submit as many stories as you like. Winners in our annual contest will be published in New Times.
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Cover Story: George Booth Remembers Mawmaw
By Françoise Mouly and Mina Kaneko
The pianist on this week’s cover, George Booth says, “is an imaginary character, but the drawing is based on my mother, whose nickname was Mawmaw. She had a long chin, and she was one quarter Cherokee. Her father was half Indian—and his father was a full-blood Indian named Fly. She had one of those short pianos which I’ve used in many cartoons and covers, but you can’t blame her for that.”
Mawmaw played piano, guitar, harp, and sang. One time, Booth says, “she got up on the stage with her back to the audience. This is over in Princeton, Missouri, and she’s playing ‘When the Saints Come Marching In,’ and, to make it funny—the audience wasn’t paying much attention—she started bouncing up and down on the piano bench. And they just went crazy. They thought it was so funny they gave her a trophy,” he laughs. “She won the county fair.”
See a slide show of Booth’ covers below.
“February 4, 1974,” by George Booth.
“March 12, 1979,” by George Booth.
“January 23, 1984,” by George Booth.
“November 4, 1985,” by George Booth.
“September 23, 1991,” by George Booth.
“August 17, 1992,” by George Booth.
“A Laugh on Santa,” by George Booth, December 15, 2003.
“Oh, Say, Can You See,” by George Booth, July 4, 2011.
Françoise Mouly has been the art editor at The New Yorker since 1993.
Mina Kaneko is a member of The New Yorker’s editorial staff.
George Booth
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A Center for Surgical Excellence
Rachel Mavity2019-02-26T21:10:36+00:00Feb. 26|
As healthcare evolves, so too does the way people have surgery. Gone are the days when a person schedules surgery and is in the hospital for several days before going home. More and more surgeries are being done and the patient is going home the next day – or even the same day.
Beebe Healthcare leaders have been watching this and are responding by planning to build a $124 million Specialty Surgical Hospital at the Rehoboth Beach Health Campus.
This new state-of-the-art surgery center will allow patients with scheduled surgeries to have their own place to have the best surgery experience.
Instead of coming to the medical center at the Margaret H. Rollins Lewes Campus, patients will be ushered through a brand new lobby and operating room staffed by trained surgery teams.
Types of surgery offered at the new Surgical Hospital will be mostly orthopaedics, general surgery, urology, and gynecologic surgery. Surgeries will be minimally invasive and also through the Center for Robotic Surgery with certified robotic surgeons who will use the da Vinci Xi Surgical System – the latest in robotic surgery technology.
Having Beebe’s Center for Robotic Surgery at the Specialty Surgical Hospital will also allow for the latest in surgical options for Sussex County.
“We have designed the Specialty Surgical Hospital from the ground up. We engaged with team members and patients to design a world-class experience here at Beebe,” said Rick Schaffner, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Beebe. “The design team utilized Lean principles throughout the design process to plan for a surgical center that is streamlined and provides the best experience for all patients who walk through the doors.”
Beebe and its design and building teams have received approval for the building plans through Sussex County and state boards. The plans are now in the final design and planning phases. A groundbreaking is expected to take place in May.
The Specialty Surgical Hospital will take approximately two years to construct, with an anticipated opening in July 2022.
“One special part of how Beebe plans new buildings and services is that we work with a Patient-Family Advisory Council,” said Mr. Schaffner. “This is a group of actual patients and their family members who have come to us with questions and who are interested in making improvements here at Beebe. They tell us what they would like to see and we work to determine if and how we can make that happen.”
Beebe Healthcare is also working with a broad team of professionals to understand regulations and the highest standards of care, as well as what has worked well in other locations.
Patients coming to the new Surgical Hospital will recuperate in private rooms. They may go home the same day as surgery or they can stay up to three days.
One of the items the designers are working on – and a recommendation from the Patient-Family Advisory Council – is to make for a shorter distance from the parking lot to the front door. Then, once inside, there will be a direct route for patients and family to go from the lobby to the pre-surgery area and for visitors to go to the waiting areas.
Future plans for the Surgical Hospital will also include the future home of Women’s Health, where expectant families can deliver babies in a family-centered, dedicated environment.
“This is the largest of the locations we are building as part of the Creating the Next Generation of Care projects,” Mr. Schaffner said. “It’s exciting and will be a great surgical option for all of Sussex County and surrounding regions. We expect people will travel here to have surgery here at Beebe – where we are offering the latest in surgical advancements in an efficient and warm environment with a great team of surgeons and incredible staff.”
Beebe Medical Foundation – the fundraising arm for Beebe Healthcare – is raising funds to assist in the building of the Specialty Surgical Hospital as part of its “I Believe in Beebe” campaign. To learn more about giving opportunities, go to: www.beebemedicalfoundation.org or call (302) 644-2900.
Stay tuned to all the updates on Beebe services and facilities expansion by signing up to receive the Blueprint eNewsletter: www.nextgenerationofcare.org/get-updates.
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Enlarged Adenoids Treatment
This article explains enlarged adenoids treatment, symptoms and causes. Sore throats can be a seriously troubling condition, but when it is accompanied by breathing difficulties and heavy snoring, then it becomes a cause for real concern and the likely cause of these issues could be an enlarged adenoid or adenoiditis.
What is enlarged adenoid?
Adenoids are lymph tissues that are located just above the upper roof plate of the mouth and along the airway leading from the nostrils. Together with the tonsils, it plays a very important role in the immune system, helping to remove harmful microorganisms from the airway. But when the microbial population on the adenoid becomes overloaded, it can become infected and swollen leading to an enlarged adenoid.
Adenoids can be quite small in an average adult and are at their biggest during childhood, growing in size from birth till about 7 years after which they begin to reduce in size. This explains why enlarged adenoids are more common in children, but a number of adult cases have also been reported.
Reishi Capsule
Symptoms of enlarged adenoids
Some common symptoms include difficulty in breathing, sleeping problems, dry mouth and cracked lips, snoring, sleep apnea, persistent runny/stuffy nose, and enlarged adenoid may affect the middle ear resulting in ear infections and even deafness.
Causes of enlarged adenoids
The most common causes of enlarged adenoids include the following:
• Infection: A buildup of bacteria and germs in the adenoid can result in an infection which accounts for most cases of enlarged adenoid.
• Weakened immune system: A drop in the body’s natural immune system due to a prolonged illness or health conditions such as HIV/AIDs, can expose the adenoids to infections.
• Allergy: The body’s reaction to an allergen such as dust, peanuts, etc. can result in an enlarged adenoid. The adenoids may shrink if there is no further exposure to these allergens.
• Congenital: Some children are born with adenoids that are naturally larger than normal, the child needs to be monitored to see if the adenoid may reduce in size with age or lead to more serious complications.
Adenoids treatment
There are different methods for the treatment of adenoids depending on the severity of the condition. Some cases of enlarged adenoids may shrink without any treatment, but if the condition persists, some of the most effective treatment includes the following:
• Medication: Where the diagnosis shows that it is caused by an infection, antibiotics can be prescribed to help in the treatment for adenoids.
• Adenoidectomy: This is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of the adenoid, usually, the tonsils will also be removed to clear the airway and eliminate any further damage that can be caused by the condition.
• Herbal remedy: This is also becoming a popular adenoids treatment option as available herbal formulas contain strong antibiotic and anti-inflammatory agents that will naturally shrink the adenoid without causing any harmful side effects.
You can order for Reishi herbal medicine to treat enlarged adenoids, we sell member price to encourage patronage and membership after you have result that our food supplement works.
The price is N9,820 excluding cost of delivery. We offer prompt delivery of the product using courier services nationwide.
Call us on Mobile: 2348033205456 or click here to send mail.
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Archives|Greece Cancels Plan to Pardon Ex-Junta Members
https://nyti.ms/29k6YyH
Greece Cancels Plan to Pardon Ex-Junta Members
AP DEC. 31, 1990
December 31, 1990, Page 001003Buy Reprints The New York Times Archives
The conservative Government of Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis reversed itself today and said it would not go ahead with plans to pardon Greece's jailed former military dictators.
A Government announcement said the decision to back down from pardoning and releasing leaders of the right-wing military junta that ruled from 1967 to 1974 had been made to "avoid political tension."
The Government announced on Friday that it had decided to pardon nearly all the former members of the junta remaining in jail, including Col. George Papadopoulos, who led the 1967 coup in which it seized power. That provoked cries of outrage from conservatives as well as from Socialists, Communists and other leftists.
"The universal condemnation by the overwhelming majority of the people forced the Government to a hasty retreat," said Andreas Papandreou, the leader of the main opposition party, the Socialists. Most Politicians Were Persecuted
Most politicians, rightist and leftist alike, were jailed, tortured or exiled under military rule. The imprisoned junta members were convicted of treason, torture or the murder of pro-democracy student protesters.
Approval of the pardons had been expected by a Government committee this week and by President Constantine Caramanlis, but newspapers reported today that Mr. Caramanlis would not sign such a decree. His office would not confirm the reports.
The Government's change of heart came at a Cabinet meeting, its announcement said. "In order to avoid turning this issue into the object of artificial political tension, it decided to not advance the procedures for the granting of a pardon," it said.
It said the time for pardons was not ripe because "the larger issues of the land more than ever call for unity." It accused Socialists and Communists of trying to exploit the plan "because of their small-time interests." Protest Had Been Planned
A protest against the pardons had been planned for Monday. Mr. Papandreou, who was Prime Minister from 1981 to 1989, had said he would request an emergency debate in Parliament.
Leftists accused Prime Minister Mitsotakis of repaying a political debt to a pro-junta rightist group that had backed his New Democracy Party.
Eight members of the junta are serving prison terms ranging from 20 years to life. Those serving life sentences include Colonel Papadopoulos, 71 years old; his brother Constantine, 69, and former Brig. Gen. Dimitris Ioannides, 67.
Under Mr. Mitsotakis's proposal, the only junta member who would not have been pardoned was General Ioannides, who overthrew Colonel Papadopoulos in a 1973 coup and engineered a failed 1974 coup in Cyprus by rightists who wanted to unite the island to Greece.
A version of this article appears in print on December 31, 1990, on Page 1001003 of the National edition with the headline: Greece Cancels Plan to Pardon Ex-Junta Members. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
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New York|A Mayoral Hopeful Now, de Blasio Was Once a Young Leftist
A Mayoral Hopeful Now, de Blasio Was Once a Young Leftist
Bill de Blasio with Katharine Lewis at a news conference in 1988 held by the Quixote Center, a social justice group, to announce a $150,000 shipment of supplies to Nicaragua and to deride the United States’ financing of the contra rebellion.CreditCreditMarquette University Archives
By Javier C. Hernández
The scruffy young man who arrived in Nicaragua in 1988 stood out.
He was tall and sometimes goofy, known for his ability to mimic a goose’s honk. He spoke in long, meandering paragraphs, musing on Franklin D. Roosevelt, Karl Marx and Bob Marley. He took painstaking notes on encounters with farmers, doctors and revolutionary fighters.
Bill de Blasio, then 26, went to Nicaragua to help distribute food and medicine in the middle of a war between left and right. But he returned with something else entirely: a vision of the possibilities of an unfettered leftist government.
As he seeks to become the next mayor of New York City, Mr. de Blasio, the city’s public advocate, has spoken only occasionally about his time as a fresh-faced idealist who opposed foreign wars, missile defense systems and apartheid in the late 1980s and early 1990s. References to his early activism have been omitted from his campaign Web site.
But a review of hundreds of pages of records and more than two dozen interviews suggest his time as a young activist was more influential in shaping his ideology than previously known, and far more political than typical humanitarian work.
Mr. de Blasio, who studied Latin American politics at Columbia and was conversational in Spanish, grew to be an admirer of Nicaragua’s ruling Sandinista party, thrusting himself into one of the most polarizing issues in American politics at the time. The Reagan administration denounced the Sandinistas as tyrannical and Communist, while their liberal backers argued that after years of dictatorship, they were building a free society with broad access to education, land and health care.
Today, Mr. de Blasio is critical of the Sandinistas’ crackdown on dissenters, but said he learned from his time trying to help the Central American country.
“My work was based on trying to create a more fair and inclusive world,” he said in a recent interview. “I have an activist’s desire to improve people’s lives.”
Mr. de Blasio became an ardent supporter of the Nicaraguan revolutionaries. He helped raise funds for the Sandinistas in New York and subscribed to the party’s newspaper, Barricada, or Barricade. When he was asked at a meeting in 1990 about his goals for society, he said he was an advocate of “democratic socialism.”
Now, Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat, describes himself as a progressive. He has campaigned for mayor as a liberal firebrand who would set out to reduce inequality in the city by offering more help to poor families and asking wealthy residents to pay more in taxes. He said that seeing the efforts of the Sandinistas up close strengthened his view that government should protect and enhance the lives of the poor.
“It was very affecting for me,” Mr. de Blasio said of his work with Nicaraguans, in a recent interview. “They were in their own humble way, in this small country, trying to figure out what would work better.”
An Epiphany Abroad
The roots of Mr. de Blasio’s progressive brand of politics lie in the shadows of volcanoes, thousands of miles from the city he now hopes to lead, at a decaying health clinic in Masaya, a small Nicaraguan city.
Mr. de Blasio, bearded, gawky and cerebral, had arrived in the city as part of a 10-day tour of Nicaragua in 1988, the capstone of the year he spent as an employee of the Quixote Center, a social justice group in Maryland.
The center, founded by Catholic leaders, officially did not take sides in the Nicaraguan dispute, though much of its aid went to help families sympathetic to the Sandinistas. And its work was intensely political. One of the center’s leaders once likened American efforts in Nicaragua to a “policy of terrorism,” and its harshest critics accused it of hewing to a Marxist agenda. In the mid-1980s, the Treasury Department investigated whether the center had helped smuggle guns, but the claim was never substantiated, and the group’s leaders said the inquiry was politically motivated.
Mr. de Blasio, left, in 1988 in Nicaragua, where he distributed food and medicine.CreditMarquette University Archives
At the time, gunshots and protest songs permeated the Nicaraguan air as the Sandinistas waged war with the contras, a counterrevolutionary movement backed by the United States. The Sandinista slogan declared, “Free homeland or death!”
American leaders feared that the Sandinistas, who received weapons from the Soviet Union and supplies from Cuba, would set off a socialist movement across Latin America. But the United States’ decision to intervene in Nicaragua was unpopular, especially after it was revealed that the Reagan administration had covertly financed the contra rebellion, even after Congress had voted to cut off assistance to the fighters.
The involvement of the United States galvanized activists across the country who saw parallels to Vietnam. Tens of thousands of Americans — medical workers, religious volunteers, antiwar activists — flocked to Nicaragua hoping to offset the effects of an economic embargo imposed by the United States. Many were drawn to the idea of creating a new, more egalitarian society. Critics, however, said they were gullible and had romanticized their mission — more interested in undermining the efforts of the Reagan administration than helping the poor.
At the health clinic in Masaya, Mr. de Blasio had an epiphany, he recalled. It came in the form of a map posted on the wall, which showed the precise location of every family in town. The doctors used it as a blueprint for door-to-door efforts to spread the word about the importance of immunizations and hygiene.
The idea was simple, but Mr. de Blasio saw it as a symbol of what a robust government, extremely attuned to community needs, could achieve. “There was something I took away from that — how hands-on government has to be, how proactive, how connected to the people it must be,” he said.
Overseeing Aid Efforts
Communists, traitors, radicals: Many epithets were leveled against the American supporters of the revolutionary Nicaraguan government.
“The United States was doing something illegal and immoral, and our struggle was to end that,” said Dolly Pomerleau, a founder of the Quixote Center.
In 1987, Mr. de Blasio was hired as a political organizer, soon after he finished graduate school at Columbia, earning $12,000 a year. He worked inside the Quixote Center’s Maryland office, converted apartments filled with homegrown squash and peace posters. Hunched over his desk with a phone to his ear — his colleagues likened him to “Big Bird with a beard” — he oversaw efforts to solicit and ship millions of dollars in food, clothing and supplies to Nicaragua. He also proved to be a skilled provocateur, twice being arrested during rallies against United States foreign policy that were held in the Washington area.
It was not the first time Mr. de Blasio had dabbled in political protest. Growing up in Cambridge, Mass., he had spoken out as a high school student against the spread of nuclear power. As an undergraduate at New York University, he was a co-founder of a coalition to push for greater financial transparency and more student feedback at the school.
Mr. de Blasio traces his idealism in part to his parents, who were both intellectuals with activist streaks. His mother was a writer and union member, and his father, an economist, had led an effort to push for higher wages for maids as a student at Yale.
His parents were shaken during World War II, when his mother, then working at the Office of War Information in New York, was accused of being a Communist for attending a concert featuring a Soviet band.
Mr. de Blasio said his mother’s troubles left him with “a sense of not being paralyzed in the face of injustice, not accepting a lie and being scared because of the popularity of a lie.”
Later, when his mother began to have doubts about her plan to write a book about the Italian resistance, focused on themes of social upheaval, it was Mr. de Blasio who made sure she finished it.
Committed to a Cause
After more than a year in the trenches at the Quixote Center, Mr. de Blasio had begun to miss the round-the-clock rhythms and Italian food of New York City. So he took a job in the city at a nonprofit organization focused on an area he knew well — improving health care in Central America — and, shortly thereafter, joined the mayoral campaign of David N. Dinkins.
In 1984, in the Urban Fellows program in New York City.
His activism did not stop. In the cramped Lower Manhattan headquarters of the Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York, where he volunteered, Mr. de Blasio learned to cause a stir. He and a ragtag team of peace activists, Democrats, Marxists and anarchists attempted to bring attention to a Central American cause that, after the Sandinistas lost power in a 1990 election, was fading from public view. “The Nicaraguan struggle is our struggle,” said a poster designed by the group.
The activists tried everything: brandishing George H. W. Bush masks on subway cars, advertising parties to celebrate the Cuban revolution and hawking subscriptions to the international edition of Barricada. (Mr. de Blasio, who was living in a basement apartment in Astoria, Queens, was one of the first to sign up.)
Despite some debate over whether it should support only humanitarian causes, the Nicaragua Solidarity Network held dances to benefit the Sandinista party. “They gave a new definition to democracy,” Mr. de Blasio told The New York Times in 1990 in an article about the wistful reaction of American activists to the defeat of the Sandinistas. “They built a democracy that was striving to be economic and political, that pervaded all levels in society.”
At a retreat later that year, members of the network were asked to articulate their visions for society. One suggested a “real peace movement,” according to minutes of the meeting. “Rewards for altruism,” another said. Mr. de Blasio suggested “democratic socialism.”
In a recent interview, Mr. de Blasio said his views then — and now — represented a mix of admiration for European social democratic movements, Mr. Roosevelt’s New Deal and liberation theology.
Mr. de Blasio remained supportive of the Sandinistas, often referred to by their acronym, F.S.L.N., even after they lost power. “People who had shallow party sympathies with the F.S.L.N. pretty much dropped everything when they lost,” said Jane Guskin, a fellow activist in the solidarity group. “Bill wasn’t like that.”
He has remained interested in Latin America — he even honeymooned in Cuba (in violation of a United States travel ban). To this day, he speaks admiringly of the Sandinistas’ campaign, noting advances in literacy and health care. “They had a youthful energy and idealism mixed with a human ability and practicality that was really inspirational,” he said.
But Mr. de Blasio said he was also not blind to the party’s imperfections. He said the revolutionary leaders were “not free enough by any stretch of the imagination,” pointing to their efforts to crack down on dissent by shuttering newspapers and radio stations.
A Shift in Focus
By the beginning of 1990, Mr. de Blasio had a foot in two worlds — government official by day, activist by night.
He was becoming a part of the institution he had railed against — the establishment — as a low-level aide to Mr. Dinkins in City Hall. On the side, he helped raise funds for the Nicaragua Solidarity Network and forge alliances between New York and Nicaraguan labor unions.
Mr. de Blasio’s answering machine greetings in those days seemed to reflect a search for meaning. Every few weeks, he recorded a new message, incorporating a quote to reflect his mood — a passage from classic literature, lyrics from a song or stanzas of a poem.
Increasingly, he was distressed by what he saw as “timidity” in the Democratic Party, as it moved to the political center in the dawning of the Clinton era, and he thought the government should be doing more to help low-income workers and maintain higher tax rates.
In 1991, at one of his final meetings with the Nicaragua Solidarity Network, he argued that the liberal values the group had defended were “far from dead” around the world, with blossoming movements in places like Mexico, the Philippines, El Salvador and Brazil, according to minutes of the meeting. He spoke of a need to understand and build alliances with Islam, predicting it would soon be a dominant force in politics.
Over time, he became more focused on his city job, and using the tools of government to effect change. The answering machine messages stopped changing. He no longer attended meetings about Nicaragua.
His friends in the solidarity movement were puzzled. At a meeting early in 1992, Mr. de Blasio was marked absent. A member scribbled a note next to his name: “Must be running for office.”
IN THE RUNNING: The Fresh-Faced Activist Articles in this series are examining the lives and careers of the major candidates for mayor of New York.
A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: Possible Mayor Now, but Then A Young Leftist. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
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Technology|Hackers Trawl User Data in Hopes a Small Target Will Lead to a Big One
Hackers Trawl User Data in Hopes a Small Target Will Lead to a Big One
A Secret Service agent at the White House. When top-secret material reaches a personal email account, it can help foreign spies get to more valuable information.CreditCreditAl Drago/The New York Times
By Nicole Perlroth
SAN FRANCISCO — In disclosing that at least 500 million of its user accounts had been hacked, Yahoo blamed an unnamed “state-sponsored actor” for the intrusion. While Yahoo customers were caught by surprise, officials in Washington were not.
For more than a year, they had been getting warnings from threat researchers that hackers were targeting their personal Yahoo email. Even the accounts of their friends and family were in the cross hairs.
These days, intelligence and security experts say, nearly anyone can be the target of government-sponsored hackers. By perusing the personal accounts of people with even the thinnest thread of a connection to power, hackers can unearth the occasional gold nugget, like the low-level Democratic operative whose private email correspondence, published online by hackers on Thursday, detailed the movements of Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Hillary Clinton and what appears to be Michelle Obama’s passport.
This expanded hacking strategy presents a new challenge: While top-secret material is usually kept in more secure computer systems, it is hard — if not impossible — to predict what information people are exchanging in personal email accounts. And it is even harder to know if hacking into one person’s account can set off a cascading chain of events that could lead foreign spies to more useful information.
In 2014, Yahoo also investigated attacks by Russian hackers that targeted dozens of private Yahoo accounts, one person with knowledge of Yahoo’s investigation said, but it is not yet clear whether the same hackers were behind the larger hack.
“The Yahoo attack alone may not make sense, but when you combine the stolen data from Yahoo with other stolen data sets, it makes a lot more sense,” said Sean Kanuck, the former national intelligence officer for online security issues at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Hackers working on behalf of governments can match stolen Yahoo account data with their own material or information available on the criminal underground and published on the website WikiLeaks for a variety of purposes, Mr. Kanuck and other intelligence officials say.
Yahoo Says It Was Hacked. Here’s How to Protect Yourself.
Simple tips to follow if you think your personal information online has been exposed to hackers.
At this point, they’d have a lot to work with. In the two years since Yahoo believes the hackers first penetrated its network, state-sponsored hackers have stolen tens of millions of records from the insurance companies Anthem and Premera Blue Cross, including Social Security numbers, health records, birth dates, addresses, emails, passwords and employment information — basically, everything you’d need to know about a person.
Hackers amassed a vast collection of security clearance records, even fingerprints, in a yearlong hacking of the United States Office of Personnel Management. They have breached law firms and accounting firms, and last year they even made off with flight records for millions of United Airlines passengers.
It may sound like a crazy collection of unrelated information. But it is not that difficult to make connections among seemingly random bits of information using data-sifting technology.
Just as a corporation may use big data to figure out what a consumer might buy based on their past purchases, a spy agency can use big data to make connections to useful intelligence. A Palo Alto, Calif., company named Palantir sells this technology to American intelligence agencies, allowing them, for example, to match travel records and personal data to identify possible terrorists.
So while Yahoo’s announcement on Thursday that state-sponsored hackers — the company did not say what country it believes they are working for — had made off with more than 500 million customers’ personal records was stunning to many, intelligence officials say it can be seen as just the latest step in an escalating nation-state digital warfare campaign.
“A lot of people overlook why some of these seemingly purposeless breaches matter,” said Mr. Kanuck.
Intelligence services could use this information for a range of things — some trivial and some intrusive. They could match international flights taken by their own officials with those taken by American personnel to the same cities at the same time. They could comb the user names and emails released in a hacking of Ashley Madison, the online affairs site that was breached last year, with the personal Yahoo accounts of government officials and contractors or their spouses, and leak that information online or use it for blackmail.
And they can use the most intimate details of people’s lives — their medical records — to undercut the reputations of prominent American athletes, as Russian hackers did in a release of medical records stolen from the World Anti-Doping Agency that belonged to the gymnast Simone Biles, the tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams and other Olympic athletes.
The biggest worry, Mr. Kanuck and other American intelligence officials say, is the impact these data thefts can have on global politics. James. R. Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, warned Senate officials earlier this year that Russia was escalating its espionage campaigns against United States targets.
How Many Times Has Your Personal Information Been Exposed to Hackers?
Find out which parts of your identity may have been stolen in major hacking attacks over the last four years.
“Russia continues to take information warfare to a new level, working to fan anti-U.S. and anti-Western sentiment both within Russia and globally,” Mr. Clapper said in his annual worldwide threat briefing in February.
Intelligence officials and private security researchers say it’s not just prominent United States government officials that Russian hackers are after. It’s their spouses, staff members, lawyers, accountants and business partners, who may not have the same level of security on their data and communications.
“In the past year, we’ve seen personal webmail accounts and social network accounts specifically being targeted by Russian, Chinese and Iranian espionage operators, on several occasions,” said John Hultquist, an espionage analysis manager at FireEye, the security software company. “That’s where some of the most sensitive conversations take place, and hacking private accounts leaves a much lighter footprint.”
One of the most adept at this approach, Mr. Hultquist and other security researchers say, has been a Russian intelligence hacking group alternately known in the security and intelligence community as APT28, Fancy Bear or Pawn Storm. The group regularly uses the compromised personal webmail accounts of staff members, spouses and their colleagues as tools to glean more information on high-level government targets.
In just the last few months, the group has been blamed for attacks on the Democratic National Committee, the White House and the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Going back to last year, the Russian group also has been trying to break into the online accounts of 2,600 members of the Washington elite — lobbyists, journalists, officials, contractors and even their spouses, according to private security researchers at Trend Micro, the global security company, who briefed intelligence agencies on the hacking.
Among the Russians’ targets were Colin L. Powell, the former secretary of state, whose personal emails caused a sensation when they were leaked online last week, according to people with knowledge of the briefing who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
“This is the new normal,” said Tom Kellermann, one of the security experts who briefed intelligence officials last year in his former role as chief security officer at Trend Micro. “It’s not just the usual targets who are being hunted. It’s their spouses.”
Mr. Kanuck said no one should be shocked that this is going on. “Every prominent person in Washington, every publicly known intelligence official, congressman and significant staffer should presume they have been targeted,” Mr. Kanuck said. “You’d be a fool not to think that’s the case.”
A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: For Hackers, Small Targets Land Big Fish. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
What the Hacking at Yahoo Means for Verizon
How Yahoo’s Data Breach Could Affect Its Deal With Verizon
Yahoo Says Hackers Stole Data on 500 Million Users in 2014
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Music|Pauline Oliveros, Composer Who Championed ‘Deep Listening,’ Dies at 84
Pauline Oliveros, Composer Who Championed ‘Deep Listening,’ Dies at 84
Pauline Oliveros in 2015. Taking up the accordion as her principal instrument, she also learned to play violin, piano, French horn and tuba.CreditCreditHiroko Masuike/The New York Times
Pauline Oliveros, a composer whose life’s work aspired to enhance sensory perception through what she called “deep listening,” died on Thursday at her home in Kingston, N.Y. She was 84.
Her death was confirmed by her spouse, Carole Ione Lewis, a writer and performance artist known as Ione.
Early in her career in the 1960s, Ms. Oliveros avidly adopted cutting-edge technologies, working with magnetic tape and prototype synthesizers at the San Francisco Tape Music Center.
Already active as an improviser, she approached electronic music with a performer’s instincts; to make “Bye Bye Butterfly” (1965), which John Rockwell, The New York Times music critic, called “one of the most beautiful pieces of electronic music to emerge from the 60s,” she manipulated a recording of Puccini’s opera “Madama Butterfly” on a turntable, augmenting its sounds with oscillators and tape delay.
The resulting piece, Ms. Oliveros wrote, “bids farewell not only to the music of the 19th century but also to the system of polite morality of that age and its attendant institutionalized oppression of the female sex.”
Gender inequality would be a theme that she addressed repeatedly and tenaciously. An essay she wrote for The Times in 1970 started with a provocative question – “Why have there been no ‘great’ women composers?” – and then enumerated reasons, including gender bias and societal expectations of domestic compliancy.
Ms. Oliveros said in a 2012 Times profile that in 1971, after a period of intense introspection prompted by the Vietnam War, she changed creative course, eventually producing “Sonic Meditations,” a set of 25 text-based instructions meant to provoke thoughtful, creative responses.
“Native,” the most commonly cited example, is also the most succinct: “Take a walk at night. Walk so silently that the bottoms of your feet become ears.”
Embedded within that poetic instruction and the other meditations was a substantial proposition: a total inclusivity, meant to free music from elite specialists and open it up to everyone, regardless of status, experience, or ability.
“All societies admit the power of music or sound. Attempts to control what is heard in the community are universal,” Ms. Oliveros wrote in a preface to the meditations. “Sonic Meditations are an attempt to return the control of sound to the individual alone, and within groups especially for humanitarian purposes; specifically healing.”
Ms. Oliveros never quit composing, but from the 1970s favored improvisation, adapted elements of ceremonies and rituals encountered in her studies of Native American lore and Eastern religion, and conducted meditative retreats to share her artistic discipline.
One more turning point came in 1988, when Ms. Oliveros and two colleagues — the trombonist, didgeridoo player and composer Stuart Dempster and the vocalist and composer Panaiotis — descended into an extraordinarily resonant disused cistern in Port Townsend, Wash. Their drone-based improvisations were recorded, and selections issued on CD under the title “Deep Listening” in 1989.
Beyond a self-evident pun referring to music played 14 feet underground, “Deep Listening” signified Ms. Oliveros’s emerging aural discipline: a practice that compelled listening not just to the conventional details of a given musical performance — melody, harmony, rhythm, intonation — but also to sounds surrounding that performance, including acoustic space and extra-musical noise.
The process lent its name to a working ensemble, Deep Listening Band, for much of its duration a trio comprising Ms. Oliveros, Mr. Dempster and the keyboardist and composer David Gamper, who died in 2011. Over time, the Deep Listening banner would extend to cover retreats, workshops and lectures in which Ms. Oliveros shared her artistic discipline.
In 2005 Ms. Oliveros rechristened her Pauline Oliveros Foundation the Deep Listening Institute, defining as its mission “creative innovation across boundaries and across abilities, among artists and audience, musicians and nonmusicians, healers and the physically or cognitively challenged, and children of all ages.”
Among other projects, the institute supported the design of software that would allow children with severe physical or cognitive disabilities to improvise music. In 2014, the institute merged with the Center for Deep Listening at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.
In her final decades Ms. Oliveros formed close bonds with groups like the International Contemporary Ensemble, which brought her work closer to the mainstream canon with performances at Lincoln Center, Miller Theater at Columbia University and elsewhere.
“I’m not dismissive of classical music and the Western canon,” Ms. Oliveros said in 2012. “It’s simply that I can’t be bound by it. I’ve been jumping out of categories all my life.”
Pauline Oliveros was born on May 30, 1932, in Houston to John Oliveros and Edith Gutierrez. Her childhood was accompanied by the sounds of piano lessons taught by her mother and grandmother, bird song and buzzing cicadas, and the curious special effects used on favorite radio serials like “Buck Rogers” and “The Shadow.”
Taking up the accordion as her principal instrument, she also learned to play violin, piano, French horn and tuba.
At 20 Ms. Oliveros moved to California in search of a compositional mentor. She found one in Robert Erickson, a prominent composer, who as the music director of KPFA-FM, a Berkeley radio station, introduced Bay Area listeners to the latest trends in European avant-garde composition.
She explored free improvisation with colleagues like the composer Terry Riley and the bassist and koto player Loren Rush in the late 1950s, and joined Ramon Sender and Morton Subotnick at the trailblazing San Francisco Tape Music Center, founded in 1962.
When the center was absorbed by Mills College in 1966, Ms. Oliveros served for a year as its director. In 1967 she joined the faculty at the University of California, San Diego, where she taught until 1981. From 2001 she served as distinguished research professor of music at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Her honors include a John Cage Award from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.
In addition to her spouse, Ms. Oliveros is survived by three stepchildren, Alessandro Bovoso, Nico Bovoso and Antonio Bovoso; a brother, John Oliveros, and eight grandchildren.
Correction: Nov. 30, 2016
An obituary on Monday about the composer Pauline Oliveros misstated part of the name of the organization that presented her with the John Cage Award. It is the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, not the Foundation of Contemporary Arts.
A version of this article appears in print on , Section B, Page 8 of the New York edition with the headline: Pauline Oliveros, 84, Composer Who Championed ‘Deep Listening’. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
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Home Academic Learning at Oakham
Our challenge, as a school and as a community, is to equip our students with the knowledge, aptitude and skills to thrive in the world of 2030 and beyond.
This is essential given that the world is experiencing a remarkable rate of change. Technological innovation and changing patterns of work and communication mean that those children entering education today will need to develop a different set of abilities and attributes to succeed.
From 2018, we are embarking on the phased development and implementation of the internationally-celebrated IB Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) for our students aged 11 to 13.
The IB MYP is a framework of teaching and learning that encourages pupils to become creative, critical and reflective thinkers. It is more than just a set of subjects: it addresses their intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being, and gives them the opportunities to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to manage complexity and take responsible action for the future.
The IB MYP brings together everything we believe about education in a way that will give our young people the best opportunity to thrive in the world of 2030 and beyond, whether at university, in the world of work, or in their wider lives.
Oakham has always been active in embracing the very best thinking in education. We were pioneering in becoming the first truly co-educational independent school in the UK, and we were one of the first independent schools to introduce the IB Diploma. The IB MYP represents an incredibly exciting development in the holistic education that Oakham provides.
Oakham School is a candidate school* for the MYP.
This school is pursuing authorisation as an IB World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy- a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education- that we believe is important for our students.
* Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.
For further information about the IB and its programmes visit http://www.ibo.org
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Satellite Measurements Help Reveal Ozone Damage to Important Crops
By: Patrick Lynch
A U.S. Department of Agriculture study that looked at three states, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa, where soybeans are a critical crop in the farm economy. The upper midwest shows the highest yield of soybeans. Credit: USDA
Above a threshold concentration, ozone inhibits photosynthesis and reduces yield in soybeans, one of the more sensitive crops to high surface ozone levels. On the left are plants that have been exposed to "clean air" and are healthy, while on the right are plants exposed to ozone that are showing injury. Credit: NASA
In the U.S., soybeans are a multi-billion dollar crop. Credit: USDA
The U.S. soybean crop is suffering nearly $2 billion in damage a year due to rising surface ozone concentrations harming plants and reducing the crop’s yield potential, a NASA-led study has concluded.
The study, presented at the American Geophysical Union Joint Assembly meeting, May 24 in Toronto, is based on five years of soybean yields, surface ozone, and satellite measurements of tropospheric ozone levels in Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. It revealed summertime ozone concentrations consistently exceeded threshold levels at which crops are negatively affected. The states, three of the biggest soybean producers in the U.S., account for a large chunk of the country’s $27 billion annual soybean crop. The study estimates damage to the soybean crop – by a yield reduction of approximately 10 percent – of at least several hundred million in some years in those states alone, and possibly more than $2 billion nationwide.
Ozone, depending on where it resides, can protect or harm life on Earth. In the stratosphere (6 to 25 miles, or 10 to 40 km above the surface), it shields Earth's surface from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. Closer to Earth in the troposphere (surface to 6 miles, or 10 km), ozone forms from reactions between sunlight and manmade emissions and is a harmful pollutant, causing damage to lung tissue and plants.
The severe heat that descends on the farm country of the Midwest each summer has combined with manmade emissions to create increasingly higher levels of surface ozone over the past several decades. As temperature and the likelihood of stagnant summertime air masses increase, chemical reactions involving nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the air – often the emissions from fossil-fuel burning – create widespread smog and its most prevalent component, surface ozone.
At the ground level, too much ozone causes respiratory problems in humans. Research attributes as many as 4,000 deaths per year in the U.S. to elevated ozone levels in the summer. Ozone similarly affects plants. The compound enters plants through pore-like openings in their leaves and then reacts with surfaces inside the plant to cause oxidizing damage through tissue destruction. The result is depressed photosynthesis, stunted growth and, for sensitive crops such as soybeans, reduced yield.
Climate change scenarios present numerous global problems for agriculture in this century, with the probability of more severe and extended droughts. But there’s also the strong likelihood that as cars, factories and power plants both here and abroad continue to change the fundamental chemistry of the air, the altered atmosphere will negatively impact the biological processes of important crops.
"In the 19th and early 20th century, background surface ozone concentrations were relatively low so that an increase of 25 percent, (5 to 10 parts per billion), didn’t affect living organisms," said Jack Fishman, a research scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center. "But now, we’ve crossed the line where you can expect to see modest increases in surface ozone result in crop growth being stunted."
Since the early twentieth century, surface ozone levels in rural areas in the Midwest have doubled, Fishman said. The U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that surface ozone concentrations will rise another 25 percent by 2050. In the southern region of the three states studied, peak daytime concentrations often surpassed 60 parts per billion. And so the yields in the southern region definitively suffered. In the northern region of the area studied, averaged concentrations were nearly 20 percent lower, and the impact of ozone was less.
"Background conditions are rising. Precursor emissions are rising," said Elizabeth Ainsworth, a professor of crop biology at the University of Illinois. "This is likely to get worse in the future and impact a greater area of the Midwest."
The methodology used in this study provided a unique, broad-scale look at the impact of ozone on crops. The question of impact on yield has, until now, largely been addressed by closed, chamber studies and on a larger scale at open-air facilities like the one at the University of Illinois, called SoyFACE (Soybean Free Air Concentration Enrichment). This study proved that space-borne satellite measurements of tropospheric ozone – derived from NASA’s Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) prior to 2005, and from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) since 2005– have provided useful indicators of surface ozone concentration over a far broader area than ground-based monitors. The study used both satellite and surface observations of ozone, historic yield data and a sophisticated statistical model that also included factors such as ozone, temperature and soil moisture. The multiple linear regression analyses isolate the impact of those factors in order to outline ozone’s effect on crop productivity. The results compared favorably to the SoyFACE experiments and other experiments where ozone was artificially increased under controlled conditions.
Soybean yields – like that of most major crops – have risen dramatically over the last half-century due to advances in crop science and fertilization. This study suggests surface ozone concentrations in these key soybean-growing states represent a threat to the crop’s ability to, at the least, sustain such yield increases.
Jack Creilson, a former NASA Langley employee now at the Climate System Research Center at the University of Massachusetts, said the advantage of the satellite-derived method is that it can be used worldwide. Poorer countries have little monitoring capability and even in the U.S., croplands are so vast that a land-based network of ozone sensors would be extremely expensive to construct and maintain.
"You have these farming locations that have no way of measuring surface ozone," Creilson said. "What we had to do was come up with a way of showing them there’s a benefit of having the information."
The first benefit of having the information, Ainsworth said, is simply pointing out the problem. Soybeans – along with wheat and rice – are among the more sensitive crops to ozone. Observing ozone levels and extrapolating their yield impact could eventually play in role in the development of new, more tolerant cultivars, Ainsworth said.
Ainsworth pointed out that while the problem will likely get worse, its effects are being felt today.
"Yields across the country are lower than they otherwise would be," she said. "We are losing a very significant chunk of the potential yield."
> OMI: Ozone Monitoring Instrument
> TOMS: Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer
> SoyFACE: Soybean Free Air Concentration Enrichment
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“Brain Dead” Term Too Loosely Used
Human Exceptionalism
By Wesley J. Smith
About Wesley J. Smith
Follow Wesley J. Smith on Twitter
I have been following the tragic case of Jahi McMath, who went to Oakland Children’s Hospital for a tonsillectomy and suffered a catastrophic complication, resulting in cardiac arrest. According to the media, her doctors later declared her “brain dead” and told the parents she would be removed from life support. After a lawyer’s letter, Jahi’s life support continues.
“Brain dead” is a popular term, not a medical one–and it is too loosely used. Some use it to denigrate the moral value of profoundly disabled patients such as Terri Schiavo, who we now know may be aware and able to recognize family. Slinging “brain dead” as an epithet justifies dehydrating them to death or castigating family members, like the Schindlers, who fight to keep such patients alive–which they legally and biologically are.
In Jahi’s case, brain dead actually means a declaration of “death by neurological criteria,” one of the two legal methods for declaring the bona fide death of a human being. To be declared dead by neurological criteria does not mean there are no brain cells remaining alive. Rather, it means that medical tests, observation of the patient post injury, and history of the case demonstrate that the patient’s brain and each of its constituent parts have irreversibly ceased to function as a brain. As one doctor told me, it is as if the patient was functionally decapitated.
Death by neurological criteria is controversial. Some pro lifers see it as an excuse to harvest organs from living patients, and oppose its use as a clinical method of determining death.
Many bioethicists–of the type who once assured a wary public that brain dead was truly dead–agree (now) that brain dead isn’t dead. But not because they want to stop procuring organs from such people. Rather, they want to expand the pool of donors by obtaining access to the organs of patients with clearly working brains, such as a patient diagnosed as unconscious but who can breathe without medical assistance. In other words, they want to allow killing for organs and they believe that undermining the public’s belief in “brain death” can help them achieve that end.
Under the law, brain dead is “dead” when it connotes death by neurological criteria. In such circumstances, if accurately determined, there is no legal right to continue life support of what is, essentially, a cadaver. This isn’t true–yet–of patients thought to be permanently unconscious. But that may be coming, my pretties. That may be coming.
A huge problem in this field is that there are no uniform criteria for declaring death by neurological criteria, with testing requirements varying from state to state, and in some instances, hospital to hospital. That needs to change.
My wife, the San Francisco Chronicle columnist Debra J. Saunders, weighs in on the case here.
Wesley J. Smith is an author and a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism. @forcedexit
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11/9/2015 - With their phones in hand, they bow their heads, eyes narrowing in on their pocket screens. No awareness of the now, they wander like intoxicated drivers, veering to the left and the right. Scrolling through their Facebook feed, they try to ignite some kind of spark to keep their dying souls alive in...
Sound levitation technology could be used for medicine and 'surgical' manipulation of body tissues
11/9/2015 - The tractor beam, one of science fiction's most iconic devices, is one step closer to reality, scientists from the Universities of Bristol and Sussex announced recently in a paper published in the journal Nature Communications. But while the ability to move entire spaceships without touching them...
Fukushima clean-up is impossible with current technology; decontamination efforts could take 200 years
11/5/2015 - The head of Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has admitted in an interview with the Times of London that the technology does not yet exist that would allow the decommissioning of the three remaining melted-down reactors. He has no idea when such technology might be available, and...
When technology becomes religion and science becomes God
10/17/2015 - Are we in love with how smart we are? In America today, there are technology companies that have a much larger "cult following" than any religious organization. And there are millions upon millions of Americans that freely confess that they "believe in science". So what does this say about us? Does...
Assisted reproductive technology comes with a higher risk of autism, study finds
10/16/2015 - Children conceived via assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are twice as likely to suffer from autism as children conceived without such technologies, according to a study that was conducted by researchers from Columbia University, Fordham University and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and...
AI technology to eventually streamline the type of genocide and ethnic cleansing carried out by Planned Parenthood, experts warn
9/1/2015 - A who's-who grouping of the world's most prominent minds has signed onto a letter urging robotics researchers to be extremely cautious in developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology, warning that an inevitable military AI arms race could (and likely will) unfold, leading to "a third revolution...
New GMO "gene drive" technology could be used to unleash the world's most devastating biological weapon
8/3/2015 11:29:22 AM - The next generation of genetically engineered life will more than likely possess a novel trait known as "gene drive" that literally spreads gene alterations like a virus within the host population, whether it is a plant or an animal. Many scientists are starting to worry that if it is placed into the...
GMOs are dangerous to our health, according to latest independent research
7/19/2015 - There has been a debate raging about GMOs for a long time now. On one side of the debate is the idea that genetic engineering is progress for humanity, and it is a natural extension of more traditional breeding techniques. The other side believes genetically modified foods are unsafe for human consumption...
Environmentally conscious inventor introduces device to save water amid California drought
6/10/2015 - If every person currently living in California took a five-minute shower as opposed to the average 11-minute shower, the drought-stricken Golden State would save over 200 billion gallons of water annually. And a new device by inventor Ken Wright known as iMShowerSmart makes it easier than ever for people...
Tesla CEO: Google robots threaten to annihilate human race
6/4/2015 - He's a brilliant innovator whose fortunes came about as a result of ahead-of-their-time technological advancements that many said couldn't be done. But Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk is deeply concerned about some of Google's latest technological endeavors, which he believes could eventually wipe out...
Natural News to unveil revolutionary water filtration and water conservation breakthrough technology in 7 days; makes bottled water obsolete
4/21/2015 - As California suffers under brutal "Third World" drought conditions that are crushing the state's agricultural economy, Natural News is set to unveil a revolutionary new technology that makes bottled water instantly obsolete. This technology was not developed here at Natural News; it's something...
Companies begin planting microchips under employees' skin
3/9/2015 - The technology has been around for some years now, but the use of RFID (radio-frequency identification) chips and other beneath-the-skin implants has only recently become more widespread. A high-tech office complex in Sweden is now offering tenants' staff the option of having a small RFID chip implanted...
Wearable bananas, tomatoes among new devices in wearable technology trend
2/20/2015 2:30:48 PM - As technology advances, the development of ridiculous and mostly useless gadgets soar, many of which only receive attention due to their bizarreness. While wearable technology has grown increasingly popular, this latest invention leaves you wondering whether such a product will ever be in demand. If...
Biotech CEO says company technology to create unnatural beings will end up 'killing everyone'
1/20/2015 - The same Duke University graduate who recently told an audience of scientists in Austria that every living thing is intrinsically flawed and in need of genetic modification is back in the news after announcing plans to one day grant ordinary people the opportunity to create their own fake organisms...
Mainstream media finally realizing 3D printing could spur global revolutions
1/8/2015 - As someone who routinely considers the future ramifications of present-day trends, I'm always astonished when people are reluctant to acknowledge obvious trends. As I have begun to share here on Natural News in recent articles, 3D printing is rapidly taking shape as a revolutionary technology for liberty...
Scientist terrified of geoengineering technology being developed under guise of halting global warming
12/30/2014 - A prominent climate scientist who's actively involved in developing technologies to thwart the natural weather patterns of the globe says he's disturbed by the prospect of having to make such drastic changes to the common order of things in order to fight so-called "global warming." Dr. Matthew Watson...
SPECIAL REPORT: Police pre-crime algorithm uses social media posts against you in real time
12/26/2014 - (Story by Aaron Dykes and Melissa Melton , republished from TruthStreamMedia.com) We have finally reached the moment where Orwell's nightmare in 1984 meets the movie Minority Report. We're living there right now. And, astoundingly, we still hear people saying "Well, I haven't done anything wrong,...
New report: Wireless technology causes brain damage
12/12/2014 - In April 2014, the BioInitiative Working Group -- consisting of 29 experts from 10 countries, 10 holding medical degrees, 21 PhDs, and three MsCs, MAs or MPHs -- said there is growing evidence that wireless technology causes brain damage, tumors and a host of chronic health conditions. Based on a...
10 horrifying technologies that threaten humanity's existence
12/8/2014 11:11:02 AM - Technology is the archetypal golden calf of the modern age. Everything that naturally exists in a purely analog and resonant state is being artificially mechanized, computerized, digitized and hybridized (think half-human, half-robot on this one). And with this gradual suffocation of the living, breathing...
11/29/2014 - When big time entrepreneur Elon Musk headed to the podium at the MIT symposium at a recent meeting on technology, he turned heads as he spoke openly about the threat of artificial intelligence potentially causing human extinction. "I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence....
Why 3D printing is the ultimate game-changing technology for freedom, self-reliance and the spread of democracy
11/26/2014 - When I announced yesterday that the release of an important new invention in 2015 would be accompanied by posting downloadable 3D printer files for parts used in the invention, I was surprised to see some of the reader questions. (See that article here.) Many readers were wondering how they were going...
New solar technology transforms smartphones and windows into eco-friendly energy sources
11/26/2014 - With all the hazardous health and environmental aspects of our current energy sources -- like nuclear, coal, petroleum and natural gas -- innovative and nontoxic alternatives are in high demand. Regrettably, even "green technology" has serious drawbacks, where windmills and solar farms decimate bird...
U.S. government secretly searches for technology to combat aerosolized Ebola
11/2/2014 - Is the federal government seeking a near-term technological solution to combating airborne Ebola virus? A document posted at FedBizOpps.gov would seem to suggest as much. As reported by WorldNetDaily (WND), the sourcing document, titled "Chemical/Biological Technologies Department Ebola Broad Agency...
Health Ranger to launch revolutionary EMP-proof technology delivering sustainability breakthroughs for food, water, nutrition and medicine
10/14/2014 - In the first quarter of 2015, I'll be launching a new "low-tech technology" solution that will become an instant must-have among people who want to be more self-reliant. The timing of the Ebola outbreak makes this solution even more urgent, so I'm shifting my present priorities to really focus on this...
Ozone-infused oil pulling: A revolution in oral health combining modern technology with ancient medicine
9/16/2014 - There's a breakthrough in oral health that has the potential to help millions. It's an ozone-infused oil pulling remedy that you swish around your mouth for a few minutes each morning to radically transform your oral health. The practice of "oil pulling" has been used for thousands of years to pull...
Artificial Intelligence 'more dangerous than nukes,' warns technology pioneer Elon Musk
8/14/2014 - Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla Motors, maker of electric automobiles, is one of the driving forces behind super-intelligence computers that could eventually improve just about everything -- from alternatively powered autos to space travel. But Musk says that the technology that is coming could also...
Big Brother gone wild: Airport installs technology to track every passenger's footsteps around the airport
8/10/2014 - Big Brother just keeps getting more powerful and pervasive, thanks to technology, and what's more, hundreds of millions of people accept this as just "part of" living in the Digital Age. According to Britain's The Telegraph newspaper, all mobile phones that are logged into the Wi-Fi network at Helsinki...
Genetic scientists call for government regulation of genome editing before it's too late
8/4/2014 - Genetic hackers eager to open the floodgates to genetic engineering 2.0 are being met with resistance by level-headed scientists who recognize that new efforts to push genome editing, or the recreation of entire species at the genetic level, represent an irreversible threat to life on this planet. In...
Real global warming could be unleashed by a hidden technology most people don't even know exists
7/10/2014 - Depending on whom you ask, so-called "free energy devices" are either a total hoax or a systematically suppressed technology that's being kept away from the public. There's a lot of interesting ground to cover on this subject of "over unity devices," but that's not the point of this article. Instead,...
Monsanto suppresses information about dangers of RNA interference technology
4/16/2014 10:27:39 AM - A professor from South Carolina University who conducts medical research on plant genes is bringing forth new findings on RNA interference technology that have Monsanto squirming. Her research lines up with findings from Chinese researcher Dr. Chen-Yu Zhang, who has confirmed new dangers of RNA interference...
Breakthrough technology removes arsenic from groundwater
4/6/2014 - There's more to H2O than meets the eye. Life-threatening amounts of heavy metals like arsenic can go undetected in drinking water, ultimately destroying the health of entire communities. The most acute exposures are witnessed in countries like India and Bangladesh, where people show signs...
New fuel cell technology produces electricity from biomass and sunlight
2/28/2014 - The future of renewable energy is upon us, as a team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology has reportedly come up with a new way to extract energy directly from crude biomass, at room temperature, that avoids the need for expensive and pollutive precious metals or other conventional...
Conservationists using space technology to monitor world's whale population
2/22/2014 - In a bid to keep better track of the world's whale populations, conservationists have begun using satellite technology to monitor the hefty mammals. According to Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, the high-tech satellites being used in the conservation effort are orbiting 480 miles above the earth....
Israeli missile weapons technology can now check your colon for cancer
2/8/2014 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new method for inspecting the large intestine, also known as a colonoscopy, a procedure so unpleasant, and arguably painful, that many skip it, despite its high recommendation for those over 50 years old. While the new, less invasive method...
Google's big plans to make your brain irrelevant
2/7/2014 - Technology is advancing at an alarming pace - perhaps faster now than at any time in our history - and the major technology companies are leading the charge. One such firm is search and media giant Google, but the tech company isn't just interested in finding new and better ways to deliver ads and...
Designer babies: Chinese company working on technology to allow parents to pick 'smartest' embryos
1/25/2014 - Eugenics is quickly becoming big business in China, where at least one genomics company is attempting to pave the way for parents to literally pick and choose the "best" embryos to obtain the smartest possible children. Quartz reports that the cognitive genomics (CG) division at the Shenzhen-based genomics...
Biometric technology to conduct traveler identity verifications at airports
1/8/2014 - It's already tough to get a decent job in the Obama economy, but increasingly, technology is making it even tougher. That's because more and more functions of society are becoming automated - that is, machines are taking over duties that humans once performed. This has been the case in manufacturing...
Feds may force all new cars to broadcast their location, speed and direction to government authorities
11/27/2013 - You may have heard that driving is a privilege, and in some ways it is, but being afforded guarantees contained within the Constitution is an expectation, not a "privilege" to be doled out by the ruling class. So anyone who says the government should "have the right" to track you in your car, everywhere...
Scientists develop technology to turn the family dog into an obedient robot
9/10/2013 - Just when you thought that "man's best friend" couldn't get any better or any more loyal, here comes "science" with a better idea. Scientists at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Auburn University in Alabama think that maybe you, as a dog owner, are tired of having your pet roll over, shake,...
Revealed: NSA employees used government surveillance technology to spy on love partners
9/3/2013 - In the intelligence world, there are a number of acronyms describing the kind of intel that spy agencies gather. For example, there is "ELINT" - electronic intelligence - and "HUMINT" - human intelligence. Now, some analysts at the National Security Agency have invented a new one: "LOVEINT." What's...
Scientists develop new method of genetically screening IVF embryos to improve pregnancy rates, but is IVF even safe?
8/9/2013 - The viability of in vitro fertilization (IVF) as an effective way to become pregnant is on the upswing, thanks to a recent discovery out of the U.K. New technology that prescreens embryos for genetic defects before implanting them has the potential to boost IVF success rates by as much as 50 percent...
Massive security breaches in mobile phone technology are imminent
8/5/2013 - As I've said often enough, technology has become a double-edged sword, improving our daily lives and making us healthier and safer while at the same time being utilized by our unscrupulous government to shred our privacy and destroy the Fourth Amendment. Problem is, those kinds of privacy breaches...
Free energy breakthrough? Holy grail of water splitting technology now achieved with sunlight, mirrors and seawater
8/2/2013 - A team of scientists at the University of Colorado, Boulder, have achieved what appears to be the "holy grail" of water splitting technology for the production and storage of clean, abundant energy. Because sunlight is free, I'm calling this "free energy." To understand this breakthrough, it's important...
New technology capable of better detecting GMOs in food, animal feed and seeds
7/21/2013 - European scientists have come up with a new technology that is allegedly better able to detect the presence of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) in food, animal feed and seeds. As published in the open-access journal PLoS ONE, a new study out of Slovenia explains how the new technology, known as...
Monsanto-funded 'World Food Prize' awarded to Monsanto in ridiculously corrupt PR stunt
7/1/2013 - What a surprise! Among this year's winners of the international World Food Prize, which claims to recognize the achievements of individuals who have "advanced human development," is none other than a Monsanto executive. The World Food Prize, which is heavily funded by the biotechnology industry, has...
Biotech giant Monsanto announces expansion at Saint Louis HQ; Congressional members propose Federal GMO labeling laws
4/30/2013 - Showing no signs of slowing down, Monsanto announced expansion of its Chesterfield Village Research Center in St. Louis by 400,000 square feet. On the same day, April 24th, a bipartisan bill was introduced to Congress requiring the labeling of genetically modified foods. It seems nothing can stop the...
Upcoming technology would let citizens buy drone countermeasures that interfere with drone missions
3/21/2013 - In physics, there is an axiom that goes something like this: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The same principle can be applied to virtually every other aspect of life, including issues dealing with freedom and liberty. As more and more Americans become concerned about the...
NY lawmaker seeks total ban on 3D printing of firearm parts, even before technology emerges
2/13/2013 - Gun banners in Washington aren't satisfied with preventing you from taking full advantage of your Second Amendment rights regarding firearms and associated accessories that are already obtainable: They also want to ban future guns and gun gear as well. Take a recent proposal by U.S. Rep. Steve Israel,...
Gasoline from air? New technology delivers clean and green fuel of the future
11/1/2012 - The true cost of fossil fuel reaches far beyond what is paid at the gas pump -- the expense of waging war to protect oil interests, governmental corruption, global warming and environmental destruction all are part of the equation. And don't forget about the health consequences as well. Fortunately,...
Monsanto enters pharmaceutical business, acquires key 'gene silencing' technology for use in humans
10/3/2012 - The Monsanto company has forged a new partnership with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company whose primary focus seems to be on figuring out how to best crack the genetic code so as to manipulate the way genes inherently express themselves. And based on the agreement the two companies...
The evil of Monsanto and GMOs explained: Bad technology, endless greed and the destruction of humanity
9/23/2012 - By now, nearly all informed people recognize that Monsanto is widely regarded as the most evil corporation on our planet. But what, exactly, makes Monsanto so evil? Why is Monsanto worse than a pharmaceutical company, a pesticide company or even a weapons manufacturer? The answer to this question...
Nanoparticle technology turns personal care products toxic
7/24/2012 - Nanoparticle technology has been in popular use by skincare and cosmetics companies now for roughly a decade. The process takes normal sized, visibly detectable particles of materials like mica and other common ingredients and turns them so small they are invisible to the naked eye. What would be...
The end of privacy: Government to deploy laser-based 'molecular strip-search' devices across airports and roadside checkpoints
7/12/2012 - Within the next two years, a spooky, powerful and invisible new technology will be deployed by the U.S. government that can instantly scan and identify every molecule on your body or person: the cocaine residue on your dollar bills, prescription drugs in your purse, marijuana in your pocket and even...
Afraid of whistleblowers, TSA acquiring technology to spy on its own employees
6/27/2012 - What does it say when an agency is so afraid of what its own employees might say, that it is willing to invest in technology to spy on them to prevent (or, at a minimum, identify) whistleblowers? In this day and age, the Leviathan seems unwilling to stop at anything to protect its growing police state. According...
NSA social spy network Facebook to use facial recognition technology to track individuals across photos, videos
6/23/2012 - Have you ever been "tagged" by someone - a friend, a co-worker, or perhaps someone you don't really know that well but who may be a friend of a friend - on Facebook? You may want to rethink that whole concept, thanks to a little purchase the social media giant made recently. Facebook has purchased...
New technology can detect as little as 0.1 percent GMO contamination in crops, food
5/21/2012 - Identifying the presence of genetically-modified (GM) contaminants in food and food crops could soon become a whole lot easier and more accurate. Researchers from Lumora, a molecular diagnostics specialist company originating out of Cambridge University, have developed a unique method of illuminating...
At Disney World's 'Living with the Land' exhibit, teaching children about GMO agriculture is a fun activity for the whole family
5/14/2012 - Biotechnology has made its way to "the happiest place on earth," with an exhibit at Walt Disney World's EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) theme park now featuring genetically-modified (GM) fruits and vegetables, some of which are shaped like Mickey Mouse's head. According to several...
Universal Detection Technology may result in a smartphone radiation detector app for food
4/9/2012 - Smartphones just keep getting smarter as more and more apps are developed, and now, they may soon be able to detect radiation in food. Tech firm Universal Detection Technology (UDT), in collaboration with Honeywell International, one of the nation's larger defense contractors, is working to develop...
Google patent application admits existence of spy technology that listens to your ambient noise to target ads
3/31/2012 - Despite being labeled as conspiracy nuts, the prediction from a few voices in the wilderness that Google was planning to use the ambient background noise of a person's environment to direct targeted advertising to them through technology has come to pass. According to Infowars.com, which warned readers...
Do solar storms impact your health?
3/20/2012 - You may not know it, but all of the solar activity that is occurring now and likely to occur throughout 2012 could eventually have an impact on your overall health. According to scientists, http://news.discovery.com earlier this month hurled radiation towards earth at speeds of 6 million miles per...
AntiSec (Anonymous) engages in social justice hacking of Monsanto
3/5/2012 - The hacker community has risen to the challenge of targeting the single most evil corporation in the world -- a corporation responsible for countless crimes against humanity and the attempted overthrow of global agriculture. That firm, of course, is Monsanto, which was voted the "Most Evil Corporation...
NaturalNews issues urgent call for development of peer-to-peer alternative news distribution app
2/27/2012 - This is an open letter to the community of programmers, white-hat hackers and all those who wish to be part of an information revolution that may play a significant role in the future of freedom and liberty. As you well know, the internet is under attack. The corrupt, criminal governments and corporations...
Microsoft buys eugenics technology from Merck, becomes drug development partner with top global vaccine manufacturer
2/2/2012 - When you buy Microsoft products, you are now promoting the pharmaceutical industry and its global vaccine agenda. That's the new reality in which we live, where the world's largest software company is "in bed" with the world's largest vaccine pusher. How so? In 2009, Microsoft purchased a key piece...
Bill Gates funds technology to destroy your sperm
2/1/2012 - Mass vaccination is apparently not the only depopulation strategy being employed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as new research funded by the organization has developed a way to deliberately destroy sperm using ultrasound technology. BBC News reports that the Gates Foundation awarded a grant...
Google spider technology now capable of cataloging, archiving comments made through Facebook
11/5/2011 - The days of internet anonymity are waning as the veil of privacy that used to accompany making comments on articles and blogs is a thing of the past. TIME - Techland reports that Google has updated its "Googlebots" technology to track and index AJAX / Javascript comments made through Facebook, as well...
Solar Power Technology on the next NaturalNews Talk Hour
11/3/2011 - Can you imagine your electricity bill being ZERO? Thanks to sun energy and better technology - it's easier than you think. The NaturalNews Talk Hour presents Solar Power - Getting Off the Grid with our special guest Chris Anderson, Chief Technical Officer of one of the largest solar electric companies...
Technology can seriously damage your health
9/19/2011 - Did you know that technology can seriously damage your health? Tragically most people still don't get it. The World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) states very clearly that there are serious health risks from current exposure levels to electronic fields coming from wi-fi, laptops, mobile phones and ipads....
Suppressed Health Technology Revealed on the next NaturalNews Talk Hour
8/10/2011 - Would you like to learn about a scientifically-proven way to kill disease organisms without harmful side effects? This technology is here! But, government-run health agencies and the conventional medical community do NOT want you to hear about this life-saving information. The NaturalNews Talk Hour...
New air purifier technology removes 99% of indoor allergens
6/15/2011 - A consumer version of the air purification technology used in hospitals, governmental agencies and other high-traffic buildings is now available to home and small-business owners. Unlike many air purification systems that filter the air, the Guardian Air REME+ air purifier generates Ionized Hydro-Peroxides...
6/3/2011 - As a company, Apple has become a household name in such a way that one would be hard-pressed to find many people in the Western world who aren't at least somewhat familiar with the words "ipod" and "iphone". However, what you might not know is that Apple has found a place at the bottom of a list compiled...
Unreliable detection and twice the radiation - FDA approves new mammogram technology
3/8/2011 - The cancer industry is in the process of rolling out its latest tool of detection which is meant to improve current mammogram technology by offering three dimensional (3-D) imaging of breasts. Now with FDA approval, the first x-ray device of its kind meant to be used for cancer screening purposes has...
What's in your future kitchen? Food fabrication technology prints out your meals in seconds
1/26/2011 - In the not-so-distant future, instead of buying manufactured food items at the store, you may instead just "print" them right in your own kitchen. The technology is called "food fabrication," and it allows you to fabricate foods right in your own kitchen, layer by layer, in much the same way an inkjet...
Invisible DNA body spray technology may soon be installed at a business near you
10/22/2010 - A U.K. company has developed a technology that it says will help deter thieves from robbing local businesses. SelectaDNA Spray, as it is called, coats robbers with an invisible DNA mist that cannot be washed off and remains present on skin and hair for weeks, allowing authorities to better link culprits...
New non-invasive technology could replace X-rays, mammograms
9/28/2010 - Is it really possible for a simple, safe laser beam to detect the early signs of diseases like tooth decay, osteoporosis and even cancer, eliminating the need to use other more invasive technologies? According to researchers, the answer is yes. Such technology already exists, it works and it could become...
New plastic technology limits toxic outgasing
8/15/2010 - Researchers have come up with a solution to the problem of plastic outgasing -- or the toxic release of plastic chemicals into food and the environment. The new technology prevents chemical leeching from certain plastics by stopping polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a commonly used plastic chemical, from migrating...
Too much technology late at night disturbs sleep schedule for children
8/15/2010 - Research presented at SLEEP 2010, the 24th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, has revealed that children who use technology late at night are more prone to develop cognitive problems than children who have regular sleeping patterns that do not involve staying up late on their...
Monsanto: The world's poster child for corporate manipulation and deceit
7/30/2010 - At a biotech industry conference in January 1999, a representative from Arthur Anderson, LLP explained how they had helped Monsanto design their strategic plan. First, his team asked Monsanto executives what their ideal future looked like in 15 to 20 years. The executives described a world with 100...
Full-body scanners used on air passengers may damage human DNA
1/11/2010 - In researching the biological effects of the millimeter wave scanners used for whole body imaging at airports, NaturalNews has learned that the energy emitted by the machines may damage human DNA. Millimeter wave machines represent one of two primary technologies currently being used for the "digital...
Conflicts of interest? Dr. Mehmet Oz owns 150,000 option shares in vaccine technology company
11/10/2009 - Dr. Mehmet Oz is a huge promoter of vaccines. He's been on television reinforcing fear about H1N1 swine flu and telling everyone to get vaccinated. But what he didn't tell his viewing audience is that he holds 150,000 option shares in a vaccine company that could earn him millions of dollars in profits...
Royal Rife: Cancer Cure Genius Silenced by Medical Mafia
9/26/2009 - What if someone invented an electronic device that would destroy pathogens, bacteria, and even viruses with no toxic side effects? What if that same device could wipe out cancer by altering the cancer's cellular environment or by killing cancer viruses with an electronic or ultra sonic beam? That was...
NaturalNews Calls for Boycott on Kindle, iPhone and Other Big Brother DRM Technologies
8/8/2009 - Two weeks ago when Amazon.com remotely deleted copies of books that customers had purchased for their Kindle devices, it was a wake-up call for many consumer. "Huh? They can delete stuff I already bought?" Welcome to the world of DRM technology. DRM is a "Big Brother" technology that allows content...
Canola Oil is Another Victory of Food Technology over Common Sense
6/2/2009 - Should you be consuming canola oil? The FDA seems to think so, allowing canola labels to claim it supports heart health and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. Even Whole Foods Markets is on board with canola oil, and most foods on their hot bar are swimming in it. Proponents point out that...
Free Energy Technology Could Destroy the Natural World (But It Doesn't Have To)
4/24/2009 - As the editor of NaturalNews, I've long been a proponent of free energy technologies and research. I've written about the reality of cold fusion for more than ten years, braving the incessant whining of ignorant scientists who said it was all a hoax, year after year, right up until the U.S. Navy recently...
The Tragic Truth behind the Gardasil Nightmare
2/13/2009 - Why have the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries chosen to experiment with the first ever, large scale application of a new, unproven, genetically modified, inter-species gene mixing vaccine technology on the female youth of an entire generation? Under the ruse of attempting to eradicate...
The Flawed Theory Behind Vaccinations, and Why MMR Jabs Endanger Your Child's Health
2/11/2009 - Conventional medical doctors around the world (and the drug companies that support them) want all children to be vaccinated against measles, mumps, HPV, chicken pox and literally over a hundred other diseases. Bill Gates even supports the effort to "eradicate" disease from our planet by vaccinating...
New Lithium Nanowire Technology Boosts Lithium Ion Battery Capacity by 1000 Percent
8/1/2008 - Researchers at the Stanford University Department of Materials Science and Engineering have developed a technique for making lithium ion batteries that hold ten times more charge than current models. This could extend the driving time of electric cars and the life of mobile devices such as cell phones,...
Can Technology Improve Your Memory?
6/12/2008 - You have everything you need to keep you informed. Technology provides you with answers to almost any question instantly. If you need reminders, you can program devices to prompt you to remember your appointments and to-do list. Yet, you keep forgetting things. Right now you may not be sure where you...
Review of Google Health - Technology Achievement or Privacy Disaster?
5/20/2008 - Google Health was launched with much fanfare this week, positioned by Google, Inc. as a technological solution to the rather embarrassing problem of an advanced nation still running on medical records that seem to be stuck in 1970's-era technology. The Google Health service promises to give users a...
EEStor Technology: The End of Batteries?
4/20/2008 - For decades, battery storage technology has been a heavy weight on the back of scientific innovation. From cell phones to electric vehicles, our technological capabilities always seem to be several steps ahead of our ability to power them. Several promising new technologies are currently under development...
Want to be your own YouTube? Adams launches Zeop technology for creating instant video communities
7/24/2007 - One of the best things about the internet is free speech. I've exercised my free speech rights quite deliberately here on NaturalNews, and for the last year, I've been working with a development team to launch a free speech video technology that would enable any webmaster to instantly transform their...
NiMH battery charger showdown: Maha Energy MH-C9000 WizardOne vs. La Crosse Technology BC-900 AlphaPower
6/13/2007 - If you're searching for high-end NiMH battery chargers, you'll find the number of contending products is few. Only two consumer-level battery chargers are competing for the top slot: the La Crosse Technology BC-900 AlphaPower Battery Charger and the Powerex MH-C9000 WizardOne battery charger. For this...
New LED lighting technology embraced by consumers, Total Cost of Ownership saves money over incandescent, fluorescent bulbs
5/10/2007 - The launch of our new LED lights from EcoLEDs (www.EcoLEDs.com) is already proven to be a huge success. Thank you to all the customers who have purchased our new LED light bulbs from BetterLifeGoods (www.BetterLifeGoods.com). In the first 24 hours, the sales of these lights greatly exceeded our expectations. The...
Mike Adams launches eco-friendly LED lighting technology with 1000% improvement in energy efficiency
5/9/2007 - I'm passionate about solving problems and doing my part to make our world a better place. My passions focus on areas that include disease prevention through nutrition, green living, renewable energy, consumer safety, animal welfare and more. For the past four years, my efforts have focused primarily...
Solar thermal hot water heater technology gaining momentum in America
3/4/2007 - Let the sun's energy heat your water: It's an idea that's been around for generations and may be making a comeback in the coming years in the face of rising natural gas prices, predicted experts. Jump directly to: conventional view | resources | bottom line What you...
New mind probe technology could be used to interrogate the public
2/12/2007 - A new technology that scans the brain to read people's minds, giving details of what actions a person is thinking about, makes some critics wonder if neuroscience has gone too far. The prescient technology raises ethical questions whether it can be used to eavesdrop on people's thoughts, or incriminate...
Conventional medicine astonishingly slow to adopt online technology, e-mail
2/6/2007 - Despite the spread of increased internet availability, e-commerce, and a whole system of global communication made available by the internet, many doctors seem reluctant to offer online services to their patients. A study conducted in 2005 by Harris interactive for the online edition of The Wall...
Investment in green technology on the rise nationwide
1/30/2007 - A turnaround in Silicon Valley is happening, and the product is green technology. Newfound venture capital investment in clean environment technology – spanning from alternative energy such as solar panels and hybrid cars to new methods of solving environmental problems through the use of nanotechnology...
Liquid fuel from common trash: new technology coverts municipal waste into ethanol
1/24/2007 - A new conversion technology takes organic items otherwise headed for the landfill and turns them into usable fuel. The double-punch effect of this technology comes from the fact that it vaporizes organic material, releasing a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which can be synthesized to create...
Qflix technology for burning movie DVDs supported by major studios
1/8/2007 - Concerns about piracy have hampered consumers' ability to buy and burn to DVD digital versions of movies from the internet, but a new Hollywood-backed technology and licensing arrangement from Sonic Solutions Inc. could change that. Sonic Solutions' Qflix ads a standard digital lock -- called a content...
TSA to start using "naked" X-Ray technology that sees through clothing of air travel passengers
12/7/2006 - A new federal screening system that takes x-rays of all passenger's bodies in an attempt to detect concealed explosives and other weapons is about to be made operational inside the Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. The x-ray technology -- dubbed "backscatter" -- has been around...
New desalination technology converts sea water into fresh water at lower cost
11/10/2006 - UCLA researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science announced earlier this week the development of new reverse osmosis (RO) technology that could boost the productivity of seawater desalination and wastewater reclamation. Traditional RO desalination utilizes extremely...
Revolutionary solar panel technology start-up receives $35 million in funding
10/30/2006 - Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable energy technologies, but one of the hurdles standing in the way of it replacing quickly dwindling fossil fuel supplies is the cost of implementation on a mass scale. California-based company Miasole has an answer to that question with its cheaper copper...
ORNL hybrid lighting technology gaining momentum around nation (press release)
10/6/2006 - With five hybrid solar lighting systems already in place and another 20 scheduled to be installed in the next couple of months, the forecast is looking sunny for a technology developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Preliminary data from field units, which collect sunlight...
Fiber optic technology from Sunlight Direct pipes health-enhancing sunlight into workplaces and retail stores
8/30/2006 - Studies have found that natural lighting is best for human beings, so the Tennessee-based company Sunlight Direct developed a way to bring that light to workers who are cramped in florescent-bulb-lit cubicles or windowless offices. Sunlight Direct's hybrid solar lighting system collects light from...
Disease sniffer device could provide non-invasive early disease detection by "sniffing" patients
7/28/2006 - It's time to reveal another interesting invention. It's a non-invasive disease detection system, and it can be built using technology that exists today. In fact, I'm amazed that no one has built it. This device, which I call a "disease sniffer," detects cancer and other diseases by simply sniffing the...
The curse of immortality: Why anti-aging technology would spell disaster for humankind
7/19/2006 - There's a lot of talk about anti-aging research today, but with all the promises of longevity and even immortality, almost no one has apparently considered the consequences of human beings living forever. The more you think about it, the scarier the idea becomes. Think of the people who currently...
Space-age technology finds its way into exotic, but practical consumer products
6/29/2006 - Astronauts aren't known to be arbiters of style, but their suits and accessories are having a stellar impact on the textile industry. "The space program has, over the years, provided a catalyst for a lot of the progress we are seeing today in textiles," said David Raitt, technology transfer...
Ultrasound technology can regrow teeth, say Canadian scientists
6/29/2006 - A group of researchers at the University of Alberta in Edmonton have filed a patent for a low-intensity pulsed ultrasound tool that can re-grow teeth and bones. The device is smaller than a pea, and massages gums and stimulates tooth growth from the jaw when placed in the mouth. According to Jie...
Emerging technology is not the answer to the world's social and economic problems
2/15/2006 - I've been reading news reports about how technology is advancing so rapidly that by the year 2050, we're supposed to be able to download our entire consciousness into our laptop computers. That right, just plug in your brain, and apparently you can download your memories and all the data in your head. Now,...
Science news update: Clones, Mars, quantum computing, weapons technology and more (satire)
1/12/2006 - Here's the latest science news that's worth noting: My clone did it Our faith in science is now restored! It turns out that Korean stem cell researcher Hwang Woo-suk actually didn't fake his research. His clone did. "The fact that my clone faked this research on stem cells," explained Mr. Hwang,...
An overview of new health products, plant technology, superfoods and natural health research breakthroughs
5/22/2005 - In this article, we'll take a closer look at some of the more interesting products and issues we're uncovering these days. There’s a product that I highly recommend for those that want a nutritious food bar made with real food, and not a bunch of processed or manufactured ingredients. It's called LaraBar,...
Biomimetics breakthroughs: studying nature to develop practical technology for mankind
11/10/2004 - Biomimetics is a fascinating -- and fast-emerging -- field of research. Simply stated, it's the science of looking for solutions that have been engineered by nature. Previous biomimetics efforts lead to the development of velcro, and now an entire expo called "Nature's Wisdom" is dedicated to showcasing...
Breakthrough Food Technology Process Protects Foods With Thin Film Made From Natural Ingredients; Replaces Plastic Wrap
8/6/2004 - Every once in a while, new technology emerges in the field of food manufacturing that offers the potential for a real breakthrough in the delivery of fresh, nutritious food products to consumers. Such is the case with a new edible food film that has been developed by researchers from the Oregon State...
Augmented Reality Technology Promises Breakthroughs In Education And Cognitive Potential
8/6/2004 - NASA is developing new technology known as the wearable augmentable reality prototype, or WARP. It's a wearable personal computer very similar to the concept I have described in the report called The Ten Most Important Emerging Technologies For Humanity. These augmented reality wearable computers would...
V2G technology allows hybrid vehicles to feed electricity into city power grids
8/3/2004 - Twenty years from now, when you're driving your fuel cell vehicle, you may be able to earn money by plugging it into your city's electrical grid when you're not driving. That's the promise of V2G technology, or vehicle-to-grid. V2G technology takes advantage of the fact that gas/electric hybrid...
The Top Ten Technologies: #3 Augmented Reality
7/14/2004 - One of the greatest problems now facing humanity is the worrisome lack of quality education for each new generation. In industrialized nations, a quality education is attainable by very few people, and public schools -- especially in the United States -- suffer from a chronic lack of funding and education...
The Top Ten Technologies: Where is Nanotechnology?
7/14/2004 - You probably noticed that nanotechnology isn't on the top 10 list. This is no oversight. Nanotech isn't on the list because nanotechnology has been so distorted by the popular press and researchers who add "nano" to their projects in order to get funding that, today, it essentially means "anything that's...
The Top Ten Technologies: #9 Vibrational Medicine
7/14/2004 - Vibrational medicine is a promising area of "technology" (it's difficult to call it that) that covers a variety of pioneering healing modalities now known to be far more powerful than drugs and surgery in improving the lives of patients. These modalities include: Phototherapy: harnessing the healing...
The Top Ten Technologies: #8 Computer / Human Interface Systems
7/14/2004 - There's no mistaking the significant influence of personal computers and the Internet on our modern way of life. Many of us have so quickly adapted to regular use of search engines and web surfing that it's difficult to imagine life without the Internet. The Internet allow us to research products...
IRobot release new Roomba vacuum cleaner that uses minesweeping technology to clean dirt in your home
7/13/2004 - If you enjoy the thought of having a military robot running around your house, go buy a new Roomba. It uses the same technology found in the manufacturer's military robots that are right now helping the U.S. military function as more efficient killing machines in the Middle East. Althought I own an...
Vibrational medicine breakthrough: new technology uses sound waves to conduct surgery without scalpels or stitches
6/11/2004 11:50:24 AM - A researcher at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey has created breakthrough new medical technology based on sound waves. The use of sound for healing dates back thousands of years and is considered a branch of vibrational medicine, but this new technology does something different:...
I Built A Billion Nanotech Devices Yesterday, And So Did You
11/3/2003 7:38:22 PM - I chose this article because it offers a well grounded summary of the fundamental issues facing nanotechnology. As the article states, the requirement for social acceptance of each new technology isn't that the technology works, it's that the society believes in it. Do people believe in nanotechnology?...
Technology breakthrough could make LCD displays for pennies instead of dollars
11/3/2003 7:33:30 PM - This article is a good, quick read on a new technology by Xerox that promises to manufacture LCDs at a fraction of today's price and cost. Simply put, the technology uses inkjet printers to "print" LCD circuits rather than etching them with far more expensive chemical processeses.
See all 432 technology feature articles.
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CEO of Seventh Generation explains the benefits of natural cleaning products to health and home
Today's young generation too stupid to fix gadgets or mend broken objects, laments professor
Kevin Miller's New "Generation Rx" Documentary Exposes Mass Betrayal of Children by FDA, Big Pharma
Birth control pills and BPA are causing fish to become infertile, disrupting entire ecosystems
Scientists:
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Popular cigarettes found to contain toxic metals: Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic and Aluminum
Interview: Greg Kunin from Ola Loa reveals the health secrets of drinkable vitamins
Science:
The downfall of science and the rise of intellectual tyranny
Behavior:
Behavior rewards make ADHD drugs obsolete
Air traveler choked to death in police custody at Phoenix airport after being handcuffed, detained
World:
Hemp Can Save the World - new music video rocks the 'net with upbeat message about the hemp agricultural revolution
PlusDeck2 cassette tape converter has solid hardware, but weak software that fails to perform
Texas employers demand access to social media passwords - sign petition to fight for your privacy
Chronic drought, extreme weather patterns 'the new normal,' researchers say
Real world:
Virtual 'superhero' simulator makes people more altruistic in the real world, study shows
Urban Death Project seeks to compost dead humans to feed the crops: has it really come to this?
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61-Year-Old Man Struck and Killed by NYPD Van in Brooklyn
Felix Coss was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital after being hit by the van crossing Broadway in Williamsburg
By Sheldon Dutes
Published Jul 7, 2013 at 12:16 PM | Updated at 9:11 AM EDT on Jul 8, 2013
Former Classmates Remember Teacher Killed By NYPD Van
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/61-Year-Old-Man-Struck-Killed-NYPD-Van-Williamsburg-Brooklyn-214526891.html
A Brooklyn community is mourning the loss of a former teacher. He was walking in his Williamsburg neighborhood when he was struck and killed by a marked NYPD van. As News 4's Sheldon Dutes shows us, his former students and friends say he was a careful man and this news is devastating. (Published Friday, Aug. 29, 2014)
A 61-year-old former schoolteacher was crossing the street in his Brooklyn neighborhood over the weekend when police said he was hit by one of their marked vans.
Felix Coss, who died while being taken to Bellevue Hospital, was struck near the intersection of Hooper Street and Broadway in Williamsburg at around 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
Officials said Coss had the right of way, and friends describe him as a cautious individual who wouldn't have knowingly put himself in danger.
"He wouldn't cross without his light," said Denia Brache. "I'm sure of that."
Coss was remembered during Mass at Williamsburg's Transfiguration Roman Catholic Church, where he participated in the church's Bible study group. He also taught elementary school at the parish school for many years.
"He was a very soulful individual," said one of his former students, who identified herself as Ms. Garcia. "He loved his students and his students loved him and he's going to be greatly missed."
Funeral arrangements had yet to be scheduled, but fellow parishioners expect a number of his family members from Puerto Rico to come.
"We're waiting for them to come to join us so we can give a proper farewell," said Lucy Lucerna.
The name of the officer driving the van that hit Coss has not been released. Police say the case remains under investigation but that no criminality is suspected.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC New York
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Agency/Department
- Any -Across DNCRArchives and RecordsDivision of Land and Water StewardshipHistorical ResourcesNorth Carolina Aquariums / Jennette's PierNorth Carolina Arts CouncilNorth Carolina Historic SitesNorth Carolina Museum of Art / SECCANorth Carolina Museum of History / State History MuseumsNorth Carolina Museum of Natural SciencesNorth Carolina State ParksNorth Carolina SymphonyNorth Carolina ZooState Library
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Help Needed to Recover Another Missing N.C. Highway Historical Marker
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which manages the North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program, requests the public’s help in locating a missing historical marker. The marker was located at US 70 at Eno River bridge northwest of Hillsborough. It identified Hart’s Mill, which was located outside of present-day Hillsborough and was the site of a large, well-publicized meeting of Regulators opposed to British rule in 1766.
N.C. Highway Historical Marker to Recognize Preservationist/Humorist
He was appointed North Carolina’s “Ambassador of Goodwill” by Gov. R. Gregg Cherry in 1949 and was so recognized by seven governors. The Washington, N.C.
Help Needed to Recover Missing N.C. Highway Historical Marker
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which manages the North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program, requests the public’s help in locating a missing historical marker.
N.C. Highway Historical Marker Recognizes Convalescent Hospital
In 1948 polio rapidly spread through North Carolina causing 147 deaths with 2,517 cases recorded. The Guilford County outbreak was the highest per capita both in the state and the nation.
N.C. Highway Historical Marker Recognizes Journalist Louis Austin
An example that the pen is mightier than the sword is journalist Louis Austin, who advocated for and advanced social justice and civil rights as publisher of the “Carolina Times” newspaper in Durha
N.C. Highway Historical Marker to Honor NASA Mastermind
When most people think of the first landing of a man on the moon, they don’t think of a behind the scenes bureaucrat, but there was James E. Webb.
N.C. Highway Historical Marker Recognizes Black Sailor’s Escape from Slavery and His Diary
William Gould was a plasterer in Wilmington who escaped from slavery with seven other men via the Cape Fear River. They were picked up by the USS Cambridge and joined the Union Navy.
N.C. Highway Historical Marker to Honor Kay Kyser
A king of the swing era of big band music, Kay Kyser, will be recognized with a N.C. Highway Historical Marker, Oct. 5, at 4 p.m. in his hometown. Kyser was born in Rocky Mount and went on to become perhaps the best-known bandleader in America. The marker dedication will be at First United Methodist Church Annex, 273 Sunset Ave., Rocky Mount, N.C. It will be. followed by a musical performance at the Imperial Centre at 270 Gay St. in Rocky Mount.
North Carolina Highway Historical Marker to Commemorate Battle of Hayes Pond
The Ku Klux Klan planned a rally near Hayes Pond in Maxon, N.C. Jan. 18, 1958, with the intent of intimidating the area’s Lumbee Indians. Locals learned of the plans and decided to confront the Klan. As part of the annual Lumbee homecoming celebration, a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker will be dedicated July 5 to commemorate that Robeson County encounter. The 3 p.m. marker dedication will be part of a commemorative program that starts at noon. The dedication will be at the intersection of NC Highway 130 and Hayes Pond Road.
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You Are Here : Home / Your Council/ Council Governance / Elected Members Code of Conduct and Registers
Gifts and Benefits
Register of Allowances and Benefits
The Code of Conduct for the Council Members provides guidelines and sets out the principles of good conduct and standards of behaviour which are expected of the Elected Members within South Australia.
The Code of Conduct is made accessible in accordance with section 63 of the Local Government Act 1999. Elected Members of the City of Onkaparinga must comply with the provisions of the Code of Conduct in carrying out their functions as a public official. It is the responsibility of elected members to ensure that they are familiar with, and comply with, the standards in the Code at all times.
Code of Conduct - Elected Members(PDF, 88KB)
Procedure for investigation of complaints under the Code of Conduct for Elected Members(PDF, 663KB)
2. Gifts and Benefits
When an Elected Member receives a gift or benefit which is valued at more than $100, details of each gift must be recorded within a Gifts and Benefits register maintained and updated quarterly, as per the Code of Conduct.
This register is also available for public inspection at our Noarlunga office.
December 2018 to November 2022(PDF, 337KB)
November 2013 to October 2018(PDF, 106KB)
3. Register of Interests
The following information in relation to each Elected Member is maintained in a register by the City of Onkaparinga as per the Local Government Act 1999:
The Elected Member’s income sources or employer.
The name of any political party, any body or association formed for political purposes or any trade or professional association of which the Elected Member is a member
Any gifts received by the Elected Member that are required to be included in the Register.
Register of interests(PDF, 172KB)
4. Register of Allowances and Benefits
In accordance with Section 79 of the Local Government Act 1999, all Elected Member allowances and benefits will be recorded in the register of allowances and benefits.
To ensure transparency and good governance the City of Onkaparinga records all allowances and benefits in the register as required by legislation as well as any equipment, service or expenses incurred that supports the elected members in undertaking their role.
Register of allowances and benefits December 2018 - February 2019(PDF, 862KB)
Register of allowances and reimbursements March - June 2019(PDF, 638KB)
Elected Member training December 2018 - February 2019(PDF, 209KB)
Elected Member training March - June 2019(PDF, 296KB)
More information on their entitlements can be found in the below procedure.
Elected Member allowances, benefits and support(PDF, 678KB)
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Javien Hamilton
Experience: R
College: Ole Miss
The Packers signed CB Javien Hamilton on May 3, 2019.
Hamilton, 22, played two seasons at Ole Miss after spending two years at Jones County Junior College (Miss.). At Ole Miss, he played in 24 games with eight starts and registered 38 tackles (27 solo), 10 passes defensed, three interceptions and a tackle for a loss. He also returned one kickoff for 32 yards and three punts for 26 yards (8.7 avg.).
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Uploaded: Sun, Nov 9, 2014, 12:14 am
Stanford swimmers deliver double dual-meet win over Wisconsin
Kristian Ipsen won both diving events in Stanford's win over Wisconsin. Photo by Shirley Pefley/stanfordphoto.com
Senior sprinter Maddy Schaefer and sophomore diver Kassidy Cook each won two events to help the No. 3 Stanford women's swimming and diving team knock off No. 19 Wisconsin, 145-91, Saturday morning at sun-soaked Avery Aquatic Center.
The Stanford men also topped the Badgers as part of the event, 148-90.
"I thought we did a nice job of bouncing back from a tough loss last week," said head coach Greg Meehan. "We focused on the things we really need to focus on in our races; our details of kicks off the walls and how we were splitting our races."
Schaefer got the Cardinal started by helping the 200-yard medley relay squad, along with freshman Janet Hu, junior Sarah Haase and freshman Simone Manuel, win the first event (1:40.10) and turned around to take the 200-yard freestyle four events later (1:48.90).
She also won the 100-yard freestyle (49.15) and teamed with Hu, sophomore Lia Neal and Manuel to take the 400-yard free relay (3:18.08).
"For (Maddy Schaefer) to go 49.1 flat start (in the 100-yard freestyle) and more importantly come back and lead off the 400-free relay and go 49.1 again, to me that says a lot about some of the things she is working on," Meehan said.
The Cardinal's freshman class continued its winning-ways, as well. The newcomers picked up wins from Sacred Heart Prep grad Ally Howe (200-yard IM, 2:02.30), Lindsey Engel (200-yard butterfly, 2:01.25) and Hu (200-yard breaststroke, 1:57.91), while also taking up half the spots on the first-place relays.
Wisconsin's Ivy Martin finished first in the talent-filled field of the 50-yard freestyle (22.32), which included Stanford's Manuel and Lia Neal. All three aim to see each other on the blocks at the NCAA meet in March.
Cook was dominant on the boards, sweeping both the 1- and 3-meter events. She tallied 321.15 points in the 1-meter, 10.65 ahead of teammate Alex Clay, before going 1-2 with Clay against in the 3-meter.
"Kassidy did a great job for where we are in the season," First-year Cardinal diving coach Patrick Jeffrey said. "I see her getting stronger in every event. I am excited for the future because I know her best diving is yet to come."
Stanford swimmers, men and women, travel to College Station, Texas in two weeks for the prestigious Art Adamson Invitational
Men's swimming and diving
Stanford (2-0) rolled to the nonconference victory as Kristian Ipsen and Sam Perry were double winners, and the Cardinal collected nine overall victories.
Ipsen dominated the 3-meter (447.68) and 1-meter (427.65) diving events for his daily double.
Sam Perry sprinted to wins in the 50-yard freestyle (20.38) and 100-yard freestyle (44.58).
Additional Cardinal wins came from Danny Thomson in the 1,000-yard freestyle (9:18.16), Max Williamson in the 200-yard individual medley (1:47.69), Gray Umbach in the 200-yard butterfly (1:47.28) and David Nolan in the 200-yard backstroke (1:44.32).
The Cardinal's 200-yard medley relay won the meet's opening race in 1:28.36.
— Palo Alto Online Sports/Stanford Athletics
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Uploaded: Thu, May 21, 2015, 11:22 am
Help along the way
Author Francisco Jiménez to read from his latest memoir
by Joshua Alvarez / Palo Alto Weekly
Author Francisco Jiménez will read from his latest memoir at Palo Alto's Rinconada Library on May 28. Photo courtesy of Francisco Jiménez.
Francisco Jiménez has always taken hold of what he could.
For most of his youth, the Mexican immigrant and his family followed the crop cycles in central California. Along with his parents and older brother, he performed back-breaking work (literally, for his father) picking crops like cotton, strawberries and carrots, and thinning lettuce. He missed months of school, which was hard for a kid who did not speak English; he learned the language slowly, recording new words in a notebook he carried while he worked.
Those notes marked the beginning of what would become an illustrious career in writing and education. On Thursday, May 28, Jiménez will give a free reading from his latest memoir and hold a discussion at Palo Alto's Rinconada Library.
Jiménez and his family lived in constant fear of deportation, a fear that turned out to be justified: When Jiménez was in the eighth grade, a callous immigration officer detained him in the middle of class, just as he was about to recite the preamble of the Declaration of Independence. Back in Mexico, his family successfully applied for visas and again immigrated to the United States, this time legally. Jiménez was back in class.
He did not waste his second chance. Jiménez thrived in high school, despite discrimination and having to work before and after school. He went on to study at Santa Clara University where he again excelled.
Jiménez's life story up until his graduation from Santa Clara is captured in his three best-selling memoirs: "The Circuit," "Breaking Through" and "Reaching Out." His latest memoir, "Taking Hold," describes his time at Columbia University, where he received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Latin American literature, and his return to Santa Clara University. More than 40 years after his arrival, he's still at SCU, where today he is the Fay Boyle Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.
The synopsis of Jiménez's life seems to follow a Horatio Alger script: The young man immigrates to America, starts in desperate poverty, makes something of himself through sheer determination and and lives happily ever after. It's rags-to-riches stories like these that have stirred the imagination of Americans and would-be Americans since the late 19th century. Like so many mythologies, while based on some truths, it's now represented by calcified cliches like "the self-made man" who "pulls himself up by his bootstraps."
"Whenever I hear the bootstrap line, I always say, 'Someone had to buy him the boots,'" Jiménez said in a recent interview. "My story is as much about my struggles and efforts as it is about the people who helped me along the way. One thing I do not subscribe to is the over-emphasis on individualism. I could not have made it on my own."
The theme of receiving help recurs throughout his memoirs, including "Taking Hold." Professors, classmates, institutions, relatives and most of all his girlfriend-turned-wife Laura help Jiménez as he struggles to adapt to New York City and complete his studies.
Indeed, education is perhaps the strongest uniting theme in all four of his memoirs. The books are cleanly divided by periods in Jiménez's education: "The Circuit" ends when he gets deported in the eighth grade, "Breaking Through" ends when he graduates from high school, "Reaching Out" ends when he graduates from Santa Clara and "Taking Hold" ends after Jiménez receives his Ph.D. and takes up a teaching position.
"Education was a refuge, and it also helped me to discover my purpose in life: to be a teacher," the author explained. "When I was growing up, there were a lot of negative stereotypes about Mexicans that would constantly appear in conversation and the media. I thought about why that was and decided it was based upon ignorance. So I felt that going into education and teaching my culture would help combat that."
Another notable feature of Jiménez's collection is the use of voice. "The Circuit," his first book, narrates his grade-school years from the perspective of a young boy, while "Breaking Through" takes on the more mature perspective of a teenager, and "taking Hold," that of an older wiser man.
Yet the real power of "Taking Hold" lies in the life stories that precede it. Although readers of the new memoir will get an idea of what Jiménez experienced before he went to Columbia, the power of Jiménez's account is muted without the context of his impoverished childhood and his journey through the American academic system. To read "Taking Hold" without first reading the earlier works is like taking a helicopter to the summit of Mount Everest to learn about the climber's journey. Surely Jiménez has worked hard enough already; the reader should put in his own.
"That struggle gives meaning to what I do now," Jiménez acknowledged of his early life. "Struggle can be painful and good," he added, recalling the words of Cesar Chavez, with whom he marched as a college student during the Delano Grape Strike of the 1960s.
"Immigrants and their stories feed the American soul. But we need each other to help each other succeed. I wrote my stories because my experiences are not unique. I feel an obligation, having done well, to now help others. The danger is when our society decides to believe in the myth that people can make it on their own."
What: Author Francisco Jiménez, reading and Q&A session
Where: Rinconada Library, 1213 Newell Road, Palo Alto
When: Thursday, May 28, 7 p.m.
Cost: Free, but seating is limited
Info: Go to tinyurl.com/kom2y9x or call 650-329-2436.
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Uploaded: Sun, Aug 14, 2016, 11:15 pm
Walsh-Jennings, Ross reach beach volleyball semifinals
Kerri Walsh Jennings (right) and April Ross advanced to the semifinals. Photo courtesy of FIVB.
USA's Kerri Walsh-Jennings and April Ross advanced to the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games beach volleyball semifinals when they defeated Australia's Louise Bawden and Taliqua Clancy, 21-14, 21-16, at the Copacabana Beach Arena on Sunday.
They will now play Brazil's Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas in Tuesday's semifinals.
“Two more matches to go, one at a time. Our eyes are clear. We won't be put off," Walsh-Jennings said. “We respect Agatha and Barbara so much, we always have and we're going to bring our A game and give it our best."
Ross and Walsh Jennings have won all five meetings with the Aussies in FIVB World Tour competition, though this was their first meeting since April, 2015.
— FIVB
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Multnomah County DA: Police can't compel officer in fatal shooting to speak until criminal inquiry done
By Maxine Bernstein | The Oregonian/OregonLive
Portland police are considering a new policy that could cause a delay of weeks before an officer who kills someone on duty would be compelled to say what happened.
The proposed policy change results from the legal advice of the Multnomah County district attorney based on a 1984 Oregon Supreme Court ruling and an interpretation of the state constitution.
But it's raising concern among advocacy groups and the director of the city's Independent Police Review who worry that further delays in getting a statement from an officer involved in a fatal shooting would set the city backward and contradict repeated recommendations from hired police consultants.
The changes would follow the hard-fought and successful elimination of the controversial "48-hour rule" in the police contract that had allowed the officers to wait at least two days before making a statement to internal affairs.
"If the city abides by the district attorney's desire to delay administrative interviews, it may be in a position of not having a 48-hour rule but a de facto 40-day rule,'' Constantin Severe, director of the city's Independent Police Review, said in a memo to the mayor and police chief.
Under the proposal, police internal affairs investigators couldn't order an officer who fatally shoots someone or is responsible for a death in custody to answer questions for an administrative review without getting the approval of the Multnomah County district attorney. That approval would come only after the officer testified before a grand jury in the criminal investigation and no indictment was returned.
The only exception to compel an interview with an officer would be when information is "immediately necessary to protect life and/or ensure the safety of the public,'' according to a draft of the Police Bureau's revamped directive on use of force.
Officers still could volunteer statements earlier to investigators, but that would be up to them -- and it's been rare in fatal shootings.
The proposed directive also would allow the officer who fired the fatal shots to wait to write a report until after completion of a criminal investigation – contrary to what the U.S. Department of Justice sought last year.
The changes are the result of a legal opinion by Underhill and his staff, buoyed by support from the Oregon Department of Justice, which rests on a state Supreme Court ruling in a 1984 case called State v. Soriano. Underhill has met repeatedly with the U.S. Attorney's Office and federal civil rights lawyers, who say they now recognize Oregon's legal constraints.
"The legal landscape in Oregon is different," Oregon's U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said. "I think it's very important to understand that DAs have to comply with the realities of Oregon law. We don't want to be putting a policy in place that's going to affect the potential prosecution in a case."
In practice, the Police Bureau already has begun to adhere to Underhill's legal advice, outlined in a late March memo.
After a Feb. 9 shooting, for example, internal affairs interviewed all involved officers within 48 hours. After a police shooting on May 10, it was more than a month later before the officer involved was interviewed by either a detective doing the criminal investigation or internal affairs investigators doing the administrative review, Severe noted.
So far, the proposal has drawn the ire of Severe and the Albina Ministerial Alliance's Coalition for Justice and Police Reform.
"A return to delayed interviews of Police Bureau members in officer-involved shootings is untenable from the standpoint of community expectations and investigative best practice,'' Severe wrote in his letter.
The community coalition criticized both the proposal, posted on the Police Bureau's website, and the time afforded to weigh in on the changes. Coalition leaders are urging the City Council to require a public hearing before the Police Bureau adopts the changes.
"Otherwise Portland will be stuck with the 'Ten Times 48-Hour Rule' for years to come,'' the coalition wrote in a statement.
DA: WALL NOT RECOGNIZED
The crux of the issue is the dueling nature of separate police investigations when officers shoot or otherwise kill someone in the course of their jobs.
There's the criminal investigation when detectives seek to learn what occurred and if anyone should be held criminally liable. There's also a police internal affairs administrative review where police investigators work to determine whether an officer's actions followed bureau policies, procedures and training.
In recent years, the two investigations have occurred at the same time. Detectives in criminal investigations can't force an officer to talk or the officer would be granted immunity from prosecution. But until now, internal affairs investigators had the ability to compel officers to give a statement with no immunity from criminal prosecution.
In late March, Underhill advised Portland police and city officials that ordering an officer who has used deadly force to talk to internal affairs violates the officer's right against self-incrimination even if internal affairs doesn't share the information with detectives doing the criminal investigation.
"Such compulsion, absent a sufficient grant of immunity, is unlawful and violates Article 1, Section 12 of the Oregon Constitution,'' wrote Deputy District Attorney Ryan Lufkin in a memo to Underhill shared with police.
In state v. Soriano, the Oregon Supreme Court said the state could not realistically erect a wall between the officers who solicit a compelled statement and the prosecution team.
"It is unrealistic to give a dog a bone and to expect him not to chew on it. ... We hold that Article 1, Section 12, of the Oregon Constitution forbids giving the dog the bone. Only transactional immunity is constitutional in Oregon,'' the court said.
Document: The proposed changes to Portland Police Bureau's Use of Force Directive
Document: Memo from the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office, with Oregon Department of Justice support
Document: Memo of concern from Constantin Severe, of Portland's Independent Police Review
Document: Statement from Albina Ministerial Alliance's Coalition for Justice and Police Reform
Transactional immunity precludes the state from prosecuting someone for an offense related to their compelled statements. Case law has held that the state cannot force the statements of a witness without granting transactional immunity because they have the right to remain silent, according to the district attorney's office.
Underhill said he had growing concerns about Portland police being pushed by federal Justice officials to quicken the internal administrative investigations of police shootings.
Although police in other parts of the country have effectively maintained such a wall between internal affairs and criminal investigations, "it's impossible to build that impenetrable wall'' under Oregon law, Underhill said.
The change doesn't prevent the internal affairs reviews from proceeding immediately -- without the involved officer's statements, he said. The public also rarely has access to the internal affairs interview of an officer who fatally shot someone, he noted.
Underhill also advised that any requirement for the officer to write a report on the fatal encounter would be as if the officer was being compelled to speak and result in immunity.
MEDIATION CONTINUES
In February 2016, lawyers from the U.S. Justice Department urged the Police Bureau to require officers who use deadly force to file immediate accounts of what occurred. Waiting longer runs the risk of the account being contaminated by outside influences, police experts have said. The officer may hear talk about the encounter from other officers, get information from a lawyer or witness a video of the incident, they've argued.
The department entered into a settlement agreement with the city after an investigation that found a pattern of excessive force against people with mental illness.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hager argued that cases from across the country have held that routine reporting is part of a public employee's job and isn't considered a compelled statement. A statement is considered compelled only when officers face the threat of losing their jobs, not simply the possibility of discipline, Hager told City Council members then.
Michael Gennaco, a consultant with the California-based OIR Group hired by the city, told the City Council last year that many other major city police departments are able to avoid any contamination of their criminal investigations when internal affairs investigators compel officers in shootings to provide a statement in an interview room, walled off and protected from the detectives' inquiry.
"The concern about the risk that somehow the obtaining of that compelled statement could then jeopardize a criminal investigation in this context has never happened in the history of mankind with regard to officer-involved shootings," Gennaco told the council.
The federal Justice Department's report-writing recommendation would have addressed longstanding concerns about the controversial "48-hour rule," which had been part of the police union contract until last year. It required internal affairs investigators to give officers at least two days' notice before interviewing them after a deadly shooting or death in custody.
The 48-hour notice requirement was eliminated in a new police contract.
Yet it appears that won't make much of a difference in the investigation of fatal police shootings going forward.
The district attorney isn't likely to allow compelled interviews in internal affairs investigations to happen until after a criminal grand jury hears a case, which could be weeks after a shooting.
Federal Justice officials, however, are in continuing mediation talks regarding police accountability measures, Williams said. He declined to provide specifics.
Over the last several months, Underhill and his staff have met with Chief Mike Marshman, staff from Mayor Ted Wheeler's office, Severe with the Independent Police Review Division, city attorneys, federal Justice Department lawyers and a police union attorney.
"I have to balance protecting a prosecution of a potential suspect with the community desire to have a statement from officers," Marshman told The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Even if the indictments of police officers in on-duty shootings are extremely rare, "I'd be remiss in my duties if I were to just throw that criminal case out the window. Would you really want the chief of police to immunize an officer from prosecution?"
Marshman, who is working to retain his job as police chief as the mayor conducts a national search, said he was disappointed the Albina Ministerial Alliance issued a press release without calling him to try to understand the changes.
"I get their frustration, but I'm personally a bit frustrated because they're making it sound like I orchestrated all of this," Marshman said. The chief said he's been working with Justice Department lawyers, Underhill and others to try to make a policy that works and is legal.
Marshman said he's working to have the use-of-force directive done by October. Meanwhile, he said he understands explaining the changes to the public will be difficult because it's complicated and full of nuances, but expects federal officials to be on board.
"We're not going to put out a draft policy for the public to review if I don't think the Department of Justice is not going to approve it," Marshman said.
Mayor Ted Wheeler said the district attorney's legal advice complicates the city's effort to get a compelled statement soon after a shooting. "We will continue to evaluate our options," he said.
Severe has urged the mayor and chief not to accept the district attorney's position but seek other legal advice. If they don't, the city needs to be up front with the public about the ramifications, he said.
"Given the turmoil over the latest union contract and the public's understanding that the 48-hour rule no longer applies, it is unfair to not apprise the public that even longer delays are occurring because of the District Attorney's position,'' Severe wrote to the mayor.
-- Maxine Bernstein
mbernstein@oregonian.com
@maxoregonian
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Queensbury, NY, wood shavings manufacturer faces $233,870 in fines for combustible dust, confined space, chemical, mechanical, electrical hazards
OSHA News Release
Please note: Information in some news releases may be out of date or may no longer reflect OSHA policy.
Region 2 News Release: 13-948-NEW/BOS 2013-072
Contact: Ted Fitzgerald Andre Bowser
Email: fitzgerald.edmund@dol.gov bowser.andre.j@dol.gov
Queensbury, NY, wood shavings manufacturer faces $233,870 in fines for
combustible dust, confined space, chemical, mechanical, electrical hazards
RWS Manufacturing Inc. cited by US Labor Department's OSHA after complaint
ALBANY, N.Y. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited RWS Manufacturing Inc. for a total of 28 alleged willful, repeat and serious violations of workplace safety and health standards at its Queensbury manufacturing plant. The company, which makes wood shavings for animal bedding, faces a total of $233,870 in proposed fines.
"The sizable penalties proposed here reflect the breadth and severity of the hazardous conditions found at this plant. Left uncorrected, they exposed workers to the dangers of fires and explosions, engulfment, toxic or oxygen-deficient atmospheres, hearing loss, struck-by injuries, amputation, electrocution, and hazardous chemicals," said Kimberly Castillon, OSHA's area director in Albany. "The fact that a catastrophic incident has not occurred does not absolve this employer of its responsibility to reduce and prevent risk and eliminate hazards that could injure or kill its workers."
Inspections by OSHA's Albany Area Office, begun in November 2012 in response to a complaint, found hazardous accumulations of explosive, combustible wood dust on structural supports, pipes, fixtures, ductwork, equipment and floors. Furthermore, workers were allowed to smoke in areas where excessive wood dust and wood shavings were present and the plant's dust collection system lacked a fully enclosed motor and grounded or bonded ductwork. The accumulation of wood shavings, as deep as 1 foot in some locations, also posed a fall and slipping hazard.
In addition, the plant did not develop and implement a confined space entry program and provide training, warning signs and retrieval systems to protect workers in confined spaces; workers exposed to excessive noise levels were not provided a hearing conservation program, training, a choice of hearing protection and audiometric testing; respirator users were not provided necessary information; there was a lack of information and training on hazardous chemicals; powered industrial trucks were not inspected and/or were operated by untrained operators; and required guarding and fire watches were not used and maintained when welding near flammable wood shavings. Additional hazards include unguarded moving machine parts, exposed live electrical parts, ungrounded equipment and improperly stored oxygen cylinders.
In total, RWS was issued two willful citations with $107,800 in fines, 25 serious citations with $118,370 in fines and one repeat citation with a $7,700 fine for these hazards. The citations can be viewed online at http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/RWS_H.pdf and http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/RWS_S.pdf.
A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
"To prevent hazards such as these from occurring in the first place, employers should institute and maintain an effective illness and injury prevention program in which workers and managers work together to identify and eliminate hazards that can injure or sicken workers," said Robert Kulick, OSHA's regional administrator in New York.
Combustible dust is made up of fine particles that present an explosion hazard when suspended in air under certain conditions. A dust explosion can be catastrophic and cause employee deaths, injuries and destruction of entire buildings. Detailed information on combustible dust hazards and safeguards is available at http://www.osha.gov/dsg/combustibledust/index.html.
RWS Manufacturing has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, meet with OSHA's area director or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Albany Area Office at 518-464-4338.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The information above is available in large print, Braille or CD from the COAST office upon request by calling 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755.
* Accessibility Assistance: Contact OSHA's Office of Communications at 202-693-1999 for assistance accessing PDF materials.
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What’s the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?
- Henry David Thoreau
Jess Roskelley, David Lama and Hansjörg Auer: How the World Reacted.
On Friday, the world was forced to come to terms with the passing of three climbing pioneers. Perhaps the biggest loss to the outdoor community in decades, respects were paid from around the world.
Athletes & Explorers
Wilderness Porn
In the social media era, nature has become a commodity—hashtagged and hearted for mass consumption. But at what cost? Is our planet ultimately paying the price?
Netflix’s “Our Planet” and that Walrus Scene
This time, it’s uncomfortable. David Attenborough pulls off yet another incredible nature documentary - but beyond the 'wilderness porn', we're finally being shown what we need to see.
From The Journal...
Editor's Letters
White Death
Galvanised by their 6,000-meter ascent, a party of climbers disregard the most basic safety rule. The rescue worker is well reputed, but up there, life hangs by a thread.
More Than Just a Magazine
Johanne Defay: Surfer No. 5
A surfing star from a young age, Johanne had to make some tough life decisions when her main sponsor dropped her.
Supriya Vohra
Now ranked No. 5 in the world, she’s making a steady comeback, despite the brands that think she’s too athletic for a bikini.
Story by Supriya Vohra and images by Armand Dayde. Originally published in The Outdoor Journal print edition, Spring 2017.
Johanne was 19-years-old when she found herself at a crossroads in life. She had already been surfing professionally for nine years when Roxy, her main sponsor, refused to renew her contract. She had to choose if she wanted to continue surfing, or go back to a ‘normal life’ like the rest of her friends.
“I realised that, you are 19-years-old, you have been following something passionately since you were a child. And now you have to make a choice. Do you want to go back to school? Do you really want to keep surfing? Do you not like it? Do you want a normal life with education and a normal job? So a lot of questions just came up and I was like okay, I think I I really want to continue surfing, because it is a really cool opportunity to have right now,” says the French pro-surfer.
Photo © Armand Dayde
Johanne was 20 months old when her parents decided to shift to Réunion Island, a region of France and an island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. “Réunion Island is a little bit like Hawaii, but not so American,” Johanne explains. “You have a nicer cultural mix here. People are from everywhere. It’s been so nice to grow up here.”
“The place is mostly known for its amazing trails for running and hiking in the mountains. Surfing became big only 20 years ago, I think. When my dad used to surf there were only two, three people here. It’s grown like crazy now!” she exclaims.
Her father, a doctor and mother, a nurse, always supported her outdoorsy pursuits. “I tried gymnastics for two years when I was very little. But I didn’t enjoy it much. It’s a very strict discipline and I don’t think I have a personality for it.” Johanne shrugs.
“I still have this image in my mind so clear,” she says when asked about her introduction to the sport. “I remember walking on the beach near our house with my father, and there was a surfing lesson going on, and my dad just asked this guy “Hey so my daughter is interested to learn, how can we go about this?” and poof!, that’s how it all began. I was probably eight years old then, and started going for competitions in two years time,” she says. “I just enjoyed surfing so much, and there was such a good dynamic in Réunion Island. There used to be these weekend competitions, and girls of my age were competing, and I loved taking part in them,” she carries on to explain about her competitions.
Her first big moment arrived when she was 12-years-old, and surf brand Roxy decided to sponsor her. She won a bunch of competitions in Réunion Island that got her a ticket to travel all over France, where she met the main Roxy team. The following year, at the age of 13, she became a pro-surfer and started participating in a number of junior events in Europe. She celebrated her 14th birthday in Hawaii, won her first Junior European Champion Title at the age of 15 (she was the youngest to win at the time) and also participated in her first world championship at 15.
She always managed to be amongst the top surfers in every competition, making it to the semis and the finals every time. Consistency was her best friend.
Training Hard and Winning Big
By the time she turned 19 towards the end of 2012, Roxy, her main sponsor decided not to renew her contract. That’s when Johanne decided she really wanted surfing to be part of her life, and she had to take it very seriously. She made a strategy with her parents.
With their support and a couple of part-time jobs, she decided to focus on her physical training and participate in her last year of the European Junior Tour. She also decided to give herself two years to do the World Qualifying Series (WQS), which, if she performed well would qualify her for the World Championship Tour (WCT), a coveted championship that qualifies only 17 of the top girls in the world.
Joel Hauss, a friend of her father’s, was a coach for triathletes and trained his son for the Olympics. He along with his friend Nicolas Conradi decided to take it upon themselves to train Johanne to become physically superfit. In the spring of 2013, a few months before the WQS began, she began training in earnest. She would have two to four training sessions a day. She would begin her day by going for a run, have breakfast, go surfing, eat, have a nap, go for a bike ride or skate, and towards the end of the day work on crossfit training.
Within a year, in 2013, she won her third and final European Junior Champion title and qualified for the WCT. Earlier this year, she won the Fiji Women’s Pro and is now ranked overall No. 5 amongst the female surfers in the world. She attributes her success to her training regimen, initially handled by Joel and Nicolas, and then Simon Paillard, her boyfriend and current overall coach. A sports journalist and triathlete based in Réunion Island, Simon was introduced to Johanne via Joel, and started off as her mental strength coach. Joel’s busy schedule coaching his son ended up with Simon becoming her overall coach.
“Training is super essential,” says Johanne. “And you know, it is only in the recent years, six or seven years that surfing has been taken seriously. Surfers are now putting more physical training as part of their routine, something that pro surfers with serious career ambitions should do anyway.”
Sponsors and Female Athletes
Her major sponsors currently include SuperDry and GoPro, and she, along with her boyfriend handle all her social media and communications. No surfing brand has sponsored her yet, despite her being ranked among the top ten surfers in the world for the last three years.
“Brands don’t look at female athletes as just athletes. I didn’t have a sponsor for four years, and some girls below my level had some big sponsors being given the money that I would never really get,” she explains quite calmly when asked why surf brands haven’t supported her.
“I think as a woman surfer you are judged more than on just the way you are doing your sport. I think brands sometimes get lost about what they want. Do they want just to sell something, are they just looking for perfect bodies in beautiful places or do they want athletes? And I don’t think they get as lost for boys,” she says.
“Girls get less pay than boys anyway. And I just feel being judged on something else apart from surfing is not good. And I feel it is kind of tricky, and surfing is a lifestyle, and has not been treated professionally,” she shrugs.
These views may soon change, as the Olympics committee has officially declared that surfing will be included as a sport in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. When asked if she has Olympic dreams, Johanne’s face lights up. “Yes of course! I would love to compete in the Olympics in 2020! I am just waiting for them to decide the selection process for it,” she says.
She recently completed the Women’s Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour at Maui, Hawaii, finishing the year as the 5th best female surfer in the world.
“The best days are those when the weather is perfect and you get to ride the wave. I’m very lucky and happy to have that all the time,” she signs off with a smile.
Update: At the time of online publishing, May 11, 2018, Johanne Defay’s world ranking is listed at #7.
Feature Image © Armand Dayde
Alone Across Antarctica Part 3: Nowhere to Hide – Børge Ousland’s World Record Legacy
Norwegian legend Børge Ousland, who navigated unknown landscapes in 1997 to become the first person ever to cross Antarctica alone, has a message for would-be record breakers.
Davey Braun
In a 5-part series Alone Across Antarctica, The Outdoor Journal connected with the greatest living polar explorers to discuss their solo missions across Antarctica, the most inhospitable environment on the planet. In Part 1, Colin O’Brady detailed his most recent world record attempt. In Part 2, Captain Louis Rudd explained what it took to survive his simultaneous 56-day journey. In this installment, Børge Ousland recounts the first-ever solo crossing of Antarctica and shares his perspective on the latest record-breaking attempts.
Børge Ousland is a Norwegian explorer and adventurer, among the best who have ever lived. As the first person ever to cross both poles on solo expeditions, Børge is a leading expert on polar exploration.
Børge became the first man to complete a solo and unaided journey to the North Pole in 1994. Then in 1997, he made the first solo and unaided crossing of Antarctica from coast to coast, covering 1,864 miles (2,845 km) from the edge of the Ronne Ice Shelf to the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf. In his world-first solo crossing of Antarctica, Børge set out from Berkner Island in the Weddell Sea and reached the McMurdo base by the Ross Sea 64 days later, hauling a 390 pound (178-kg) sled. He used a windsail to help propel him on parts of the journey.
Børge is so dedicated to polar exploration that he even held his wedding ceremony at the North Pole in 2012, flying in guests via helicopter.
The Outdoor Journal connected with Børge to discuss his solo crossing of Antarctica, a world’s first, and how the latest record attempts by Colin O’Brady and Captain Louis Rudd stack up in the history of polar adventure.
WORLD’S FIRST SOLO CROSSING OF ANTARCTICA
TOJ: What initially inspired you to attempt the first solo crossing of Antarctica?
“We all have that need to overcome something difficult in life.”
Børge Ousland: That trip was up for grabs back in the day. I had skied across Greenland. I skied solo to the North Pole in ‘94, that was my big test. In polar conditions, you’re up there in the elements fighting yourself, overcoming difficulties and problems, and it’s just you, and you have to find these solutions and answers. And that’s fascinating for me. But the bottom line – the platform I’ve built my expeditions on – is adventure. I always liked the outdoors. I like to ski, I like to sleep in tents, I like to be physical, to move around, and be in the “here and now” in nature.
Børge Ousland hauled a 178 kilogram sled across Antarctica for 64 days.
The good part with the expeditions is that you are here and now. You focus on the weather, the equipment, the progress and not something that is going to happen tomorrow, which is more or less what we’re doing in daily life.
It’s also fascinating to look at something that nobody has done before and think, “Maybe I can do that.” Then you start to think about it and then finally you get that belief in yourself that, “Yes, I can do that!” And then you make it into a plan and you go. So it’s not about being first or greatest, it’s about overcoming something. I think we all have that need to overcome something difficult and get those victories in life.
This project is not just a trip starting from when you put your skis on. It’s one year of preparation and it’s the whole package, which fascinates me. It actually took me two years to do it. I went there in ‘95 but suffered blisters and frostbite, which got infected, because my gear was not windproof enough. After skiing solo and unaided only to the South Pole on that trip, I still thought I could do it, so I spent another year arranging sponsorship, training, pulling rubber tires, optimizing my equipment, and then I went again in ‘96 and I made it.
TOJ: Some of the explorers that inspired you were Amundsen and Nansen, who worked in teams. What drew you to take that extra step to go for a solo journey?
“Going solo is a mental experiment, it’s inner travel.”
Børge Ousland: In ‘93 I was on an expedition with my friend and we got separated in a whiteout. I wondered how it would be to be out there just by myself. So that’s how I first got the idea to go solo. Before I started on my solo trip to the North Pole in ‘94, I had never spent one night alone in a tent. I think that was a big mental leap. For me, going solo is mostly interesting from a mental and philosophical point of view. Physically, it’s more heavy to go solo because with a partner, you can share the tents and the common equipment, but overall it’s more or less the same. Going solo is a mental experiment, it’s inner travel. It’s hard because you can’t share the memories and joke with your partners but on the other hand you have a totally different dialogue with nature and yourself because there is no one to lean on.
Børge Ousland setting up overnight camp on Antarctica.
TOJ: Before a trip, is there any way to replicate or train for that sense of isolation?
“When the helicopter left me on Antarctica, I never felt so small in my whole life.”
Børge Ousland: I don’t think so. Actually, I did go to a sport psychologist who helps athletes win gold medals in the Olympics. I got a little bit fed up with him because he was just asking questions while I wanted to hear tangible tips on how to make it. But he understood that the point of asking all these questions was actually the right recipe because the whole deal was to make me get to know myself better, because on the South or the North Pole, there is nowhere to hide. You meet yourself. Good sides and bad sides. Feeling alone, or afraid of not succeeding, those feelings will come. If you accept that these feelings are a part of yourself, you’re in a better position to deal with them. So the answer is in yourself. But nothing could prepare me for when the helicopter left me there on Cape Arctichesky on my first solo trip. I never felt so small in my whole life.
A TRUE COAST TO COAST ROUTE
TOJ: Can you explain the process of selecting your route from Berkner to McMurdo, and the difference between your route and the one selected by O’Brady and Rudd?
“On the South Pole, there is nowhere to hide. You meet yourself. Good sides and bad sides.”
Børge Ousland: I planned my route based on aerial photos taken by the US Navy back in the 1950’s and 60’s. I just had a little copy of the images from that era with me and my map was 1 to 250,000 so I was just probing unknown landscapes down there.
I never considered going from the bottom of the mountains (like O’Brady and Rudd did). It always stood out to me as a very artificial route because it’s glacier ice, it’s not sea ice. Those ice shelves have been there as long as 100,000 years and that’s longer than those low lying countries like Denmark and Holland. So these ice shelves are ancient and they are part of the inland side. It doesn’t matter if you take away the ice and there is water underneath, which was found out later. I wanted to go from sea to sea. Berkner had been established by a couple other expeditions before. And I knew that it was possible to get out from McMurdo. So I paid a ticket for a cabin on a cruise ship, for several thousand dollars, that would leave from McMurdo in perfect timing with my expedition.
Illustration of Antarctica Solo Crossings; created by Eric Phillips, President of the International Polar Guides Association.
TOJ: Some of the more recent expeditions like Ben Saunders, Henry Worsely, and now Colin O’Brady and Captain Louis Rudd have chosen the inland start on a route that is about half as long as yours. Do you feel like this modern route is a legitimate crossing of Antarctica?
“Many have done the inland start, but you can’t claim an Antarctic Crossing.”
Børge Ousland: It’s a great trip, but it’s not going from coast to coast. Many have done the inland start, and it’s a great way to go to the South Pole, but you can’t claim an Antarctic crossing. You can see it more clearly when you look at a map. They are deleting the shelf ice from the map when they draw it, it looks like ocean. When Colin O’Brady came down on the shelf ice he said, “Now I am on sea ice.” But he’s not, he’s on one-kilometer thick glacier ice which is part of Antarctica. When you see a real satellite image of Antarctica, then you see the true extent of both ice and land. I have a great respect for their achievements but I don’t approve and I don’t have any respect for their claims.
Solo journey’s are more physically taxing because you have to create your own tracks.
TOJ: I tried to research the official guidelines for what constitutes a polar crossing and I found one source which is Adventurestats.com which said, “The start point has to be from a boundary between land and water – the coastline. Permanent ice is considered part of the ocean, not the land.” Which is kind of confusing to me. It seems like it should be the opposite. What is the source for the official guidelines for polar records?
“So it’s not impossible and it’s not the first.”
Børge Ousland: Those guys who made that definition, they did the inland start themselves, and they obviously had a reason for calling that the coast. So those things will be changed in the future. This isn’t something that’s just come up now. I’ve been fighting this battle for over 20 years. I think it was Ranulph Fiennes who was first to call the bottom of the mountains the coast, but his partner Mike Stroud disagreed with that. They were not able to make it all the way to McMurdo and they were totally wasted, so they stopped at the bottom of the mountains and said, “Well, let’s call this the coast and we can claim to be the first unsupported crossing.” And it’s been a controversy ever since. But it’s very good that social media has caused all this interest because people suddenly start to think about it with transparency and finally we can do something about it.
TOJ: One of the things I’ve been trying to make sense of is the “Messner start” because as I research it, I found out that it was not the point that Reinhold Messner was trying to start from, but it was an alternate start point based on a logistics issue with the plane. So is it a misnomer to call that the “Messner start?”
Børge Ousland: Reinhold Messner, he wanted to start from the coast. The guys who flew him had some logistical problems. That was a big issue. He wanted to sue them. He got so delayed so there was no other alternative than starting from where he started. But he definitely did not call that the coast.
TOJ: I read that he was actually furious that he was forced to change his plans.
Børge Ousland: Yeah he was, big time. I think they paid back some money to close the case. So it’s not impossible and it’s not the first.
WHAT CONSTITUTES “ASSISTANCE?”
TOJ: One of the other guidelines on Adventurestats.com says that using tracks created by a motorized vehicle is considered support and it seems like the South Pole Overland Traverse (SPOT) might constitute tracks created by motor vehicles because the big trucks groom the traverse. If that is the case, would that take away O’Brady and Rudd’s “unsupported” claim?
Børge Ousland: Sure it’s support because you can double the distance on that road and you don’t need to worry about navigation. There’s a flag every four-hundred meters, and crevasses are filled up, and you can ski blindfolded there actually. There is no danger at all and it’s so much easier to ski there than going on the side with sastrugi where you have to navigate yourself. They will never be able to claim that trip as unsupported.
Crossing the North Pole in 1994, Borge used simple equipment such as a compass and decades-old aerial photos to navigate.
TOJ: Do the official definitions of “support” and “assistance” make sense to you?
Børge Ousland: They want to change that now. It’s still in early parts of the discussion, but they wanted to change it to “assisted” or “unassisted” only, then if you have a sail or you have dogs or whatever, that’s just a method of transportation that will be noted under the expedition. So either you’re first or you’re not first, and whatever comes after is just a different way of doing it.
TOJ: O’Brady and Rudd are trying to make a distinction between other solo expeditions like yourself and Mike Horn by saying that you used the assistance of wind power, and that’s why they’re saying it’s a first because they didn’t use any device aside from human power.
“On the first trip to the South Pole in ‘95… I didn’t even have a radio.”
Børge Ousland: For me, the bottom line for being supported or not is if you have some outside help. It’s between being totally self-reliant or not. And then method of transportation is secondary. Because you could always walk instead of ski. Is ski “support?” If you stand on top of a hill, and you let yourself go, you will move forward if you have a ski. It’s just about using the techniques that are available to you to move forward. I never considered that using a ski sail, which I did on parts of the trip, would be a controversy in the future. I couldn’t use it on the way to the South Pole because of the headwinds and I couldn’t use it in other parts because of the sastrugi. Then some guys made up their own definitions of doing a traverse that is the first-ever “unsupported” and “unassisted,” thinking normal people will never know the difference, then it sounds like you’re the first ever to do it, and that’s actually what’s written in the papers.
TOJ: O’Brady and Rudd covered over 900 miles. Do you know what percentage of that was on the SPOT groomed road?
Børge Ousland: As far as I know, it’s half the trip.
I think the main thing for me is to get the truth out and I think these guys did great trips and I fully respect their achievements both in the distance and experience they had, but I’m not approving the claiming of first solo crossing and unassisted. That will never happen that I will agree with that.
TOJ: Do you think that there are some still possible first ascents out there?
Børge Ousland: Yeah, there is: to cross the North Pole solo and unassisted. Because I crossed the North Pole solo but I had to resupply because my sled broke. So that’s still up for grabs.
Børge Ousland enjoying the journey across Antarctica.
TOJ: One of the benefits of social media is it allows you to stay in touch with people who care about your journey and also your friends and family. I’m wondering, have you ever looked back and wished that you had social media on one of your earlier expeditions, so you’d be able to stay in touch with people and they’ll be able to track your progress, or do you think that that takes away from the isolation element of any adventure?
Børge Ousland: I’m still doing expeditions for the IceLegacy Project, which I do with Vincent Colliard from France, and every night in the tent we have one to two hours of office work (laughs). I think back on my big solo trips when I didn’t have a sattelite phone, and actually on the first trip to the South Pole in ‘95 when I didn’t even have a radio. I was just by myself for two months. Absolutely no outside contact. I think it was good just to be there with nature and concentrating on my journey and myself.
A LASTING LEGACY
TOJ: Can you describe the origin of the concept behind the Legacy Project and the significance of it on a global scale?
Børge Ousland: It is a very important project. It came about after I circumnavigated the Arctic in 2010. Me and a few friends sailed around the Arctic in a trimaran in four months through the northeast and northwest passage. Those areas used to be clogged with ice and it took six years to do it just a few decades ago. It really shocked me how much the ice had retreated in the Arctic. That’s what sparked this idea to cross the 20 greatest glaciers on Earth, to show what is happening with them, because almost all the glaciers in the world are retreating, contributing to sea-level rise. We want to document and tell the story of what’s happening. Our role is creating awareness as eyewitnesses. And secondly, we have two goals, we want to inspire people to get out in nature, that’s the best way to preserve it. And we’ve done nine glaciers now. Read more about the Legacy Project.
Learn more about Borge Ousland on his website. www.ousland.no/
Instagram: @borgeousland
Facebook: @borgeousland
Stay tuned to The Outdoor Journal for the next installment of our Alone Across Antarctica series.
Monday 8th July: Introducing Alone Across Antarctica Series 2019
Wednesday 10th: Unbreakable Colin O’Brady Achieves the Impossible Once Again
Monday 15th: For the Love of the Journey: An Interview with Captain Louis Rudd
Wednesday 17th: Nowhere to Hide on Antarctica: Børge Ousland’s World Record Legacy
Monday 22nd: A Race Against Time: Mike Horn on Antarctica
Wednesday 24th: The Impossible Truth on Antarctica
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He made a kid love Bruckner
John McLaughlin Williams writes - There will be many tributes to the late James DePreist, and all will bear eloquent witness to the complete mastery and great humanity of a musician who touched many lives. Unfortunately, I had no personal acquaintance with Mr. DePreist, but he was frequently with me, whether from listening to his myriad recordings (that of Korngold's Symphony in F# stands out among many high points), or from recalling my first encounter with his conducting and musicianship.
As a young violin student resident in Washington, D.C., I had the privilege of attending many concerts of the National Symphony Orchestra. On one occasion my mother took me to hear Bruckner's 4th Symphony performed by NSO and conducted by DePreist. It was my first encounter with both. Though I thought the music very long, I remember being mesmerized by what seemed endless paragraphs of sound, all marshaled seamlessly by the conductor. My mother made no special emphasis of the conductor's race, but I know in retrospect that she thought it important that I see this conductor, this African-American conductor, working at the top echelon of music. Though James DePreist's race was (and is) obvious, that is not what has stayed with me. Nor should it; it is his ability to make music speak across that divide where silence becomes poetry that remains timeless to all who heard his music making. He made a kid love Bruckner. Which I still do.
A picture has settled in my mind since I heard the news. I imagine the shades of Furtwängler, Klemperer, Toscanini, Szell, Walter, Ormandy, Bernstein, Solti and Reiner looking up to see James DePriest striding towards them. They greet him: "Jimmy, great to finally see you!"
Thank you James DePreist. May you rest with the Angels.
Photo credit Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times. Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s). Also on Facebook and Twitter.
Pliable at Sunday, February 10, 2013
Philip Amos 12:05 pm
A fine and fitting tribute by John McLaughlin Williams. I moved from London to Canada the same year DePreist became conductor of the Quebec Symphony. I heard many of their broadcast concerts and remained an ardent admirer of his work thereafter. He was there only four years, but his long tenure with the Oregon demonstrated that he was an orchestra builder par excellence -- he put it firmly on the map as an ensemble to be reckoned with, while endearing himself to orchestra and public alike. His orchestra he treated as colleagues, the public as friends, known as 'Jimmy' to all. Honours he did receive aplenty, but I should much like to see his recordings given more recognition. His Shostakovich cycle with the Helsinki Philharmonic should be mentioned alongside some of the best in comparative reviews, perhaps especially the tricky 11th, and I think also of his recording of Rachmaninov's 2nd symphony with the Oregon, a recording which also introduced me to Respighi's orchestration of one of the etudes-tableaux.
Any neglect of talent rankles with me, and yes, as with Dean Dixon, I should like to have seen Jimmy in charge of a top-ranking orchestra, but as an African American in a less than always welcoming milieu, and to boot a man who had to cope with the loss of the use of his legs owing to polio, his achievements were as wondrous as his spirit and humility.
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PBA Dreams! Come True
Undergraduate students Nicole Freire and Jenna Wolfram have been selected to receive research fellowships from The LeMieux Center for Public Policy at Palm Beach Atlantic University this academic year.
Left, Nicole Freire and Jenna Wolfram, right, are the 2017 LeMieux Center Fellows who will be mentored in their public policy research by former Senator George LeMieux, center.
Through The LeMieux Center Fellows Program, these two Frederick M. Supper Honors Program scholars will pursue an independent study of current or emerging public policy issues concerning individual freedoms, values, rights, religious liberties and institutions in the United States.
“Nicole and Jenna have chosen timely subjects for their research and I am very excited to work with them,” former U.S. Senator George LeMieux said. “They have demonstrated their capacities for scholarship through their immense talents and passion for learning.”
Freire, a senior biology major with a concentration in pre-health from Maputo, Mozambique, will study the global threat of chemical and biological agents, whether unleashed by malevolent individuals/nation states or caused by nature with aid of human negligence. Dr. Roger Chapman, professor of history, will support Freire in her research.
Freire’s experience and academic aptitude make her especially qualified to undertake this project, according to Chapman. Freire has lab experience as a research assistant for two science professors. In addition, her global experience, having lived and traveled to Mozambique, South Africa, Kenya, India and the United States, has exposed her to diverse worldviews and perspectives. On campus, she has served as a First-Year Experience Peer Mentor, a peer tutor for math and sciences, a House Representative for the Student Government Association and treasurer then vice-president for the Pre-Health Society. She was selected as a Student Health Education Leader through the campus Health and Wellness office.
The effects of Cuban immigration policies, in light of the global refugee crisis and renewal of relations with the U.S. government, is the topic selected by Jenna Wolfram, of Lakeland, Florida. A junior majoring in public relations and minoring in business administration, Wolfram will be assisted in her research by Dr. Elizabeth Stice, assistant professor of history.
Wolfram’s topic holds particular interest for residents of South Florida, she says. As a U.S. citizen who holds two foreign passports, Wolfram says that she expects immigration to be a prominent subject as a new U.S. president takes office.
Wolfram has held positions with Bass Egg LLC in West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Career Development office. She has completed internships with the International Polo Club, the Palm Beach Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and Superior Uniform Group.
The fellows receive a stipend to cover the cost of an independent study course as well as expenses, such as travel, incurred during the course up to $2,500 as well as ongoing guidance for their research project from Senator LeMieux. The application process included submission of a research proposal, résumé and a letter of support for the research from a faculty mentor. Selection of the fellows was based on the application and an interview.
Click here for video announcement of the 2017 LeMieux Fellows.
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Associated Press Associated Press
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/obama-scott-walker-trade-jokes-gridiron-dinner
Obama, Scott Walker trade jokes at Gridiron dinner
Politics Mar 15, 2015 10:30 AM EDT
WASHINGTON — Getting older changes a guy, President Barack Obama says, and he admits he’s getting crankier.
“Next week I’m signing an executive order to get off my lawn,” Obama joked Saturday night at the Gridiron Club and Foundation’s annual dinner. On top of that, the nation’s graying chief executive says he’s having trouble now with his morning cup of joe. “Coffee really disagrees with me these days,” he says, “which is why John Boehner just invited coffee to address the joint House.”
Obama’s standup routine drew laughs from the audience of more than 650 journalists, lawmakers, administration officials, military officials and others at the Gridiron’s 130th gathering. By tradition, Washington insiders put aside their differences for an evening of laughter, schmoozing and charity fundraising.
With the president providing the gibes on behalf of his administration, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe sharpened their wits for the Republicans and Democrats, respectively. Walker is considering a run for the GOP nomination for president while McAuliffe’s political connections extend to his work as Democratic Party chairman and Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton ally.
Obama targeted himself – “Just a few years ago I couldn’t imagine being in my 50s. Given my approval ratings, I still can’t” – as well as people in the government and the media that cover it.
Noting that Walker remarked recently that he couldn’t say whether Obama was a Christian, the president said his religion taught forgiveness and cracked, “So, Gov. Walker, salaam alaikum.”
Obama said he generally likes Boehner, the House speaker, and noted talk of unhappy House Republicans planning a coup – “or as Bill O’Reilly calls it, `reporting from the war zone.'”
Walker got in his own digs. “I believe that the president of the United States loves America and every American – except Rudy Giuliani.” He also joked about his failure to finish his college degree as he envisioned himself in the White House: “If my first term is anything like college, I won’t make it through four years.”
McAuliffe joined others in needling the presidential ambitions of Hillary Clinton. “If Hillary decides not to run … I decided not to finish that joke,” he said. He also joked, “Are any of the Secret Service sober enough to drive me home?”
The Gridiron Club and Foundation, founded in 1885, has drawn every president after Grover Cleveland to its annual dinner at least once. Obama made his third appearance, having attended in 2011 and 2013.
An early script for the evening’s musical send-ups included a jab at Republicans preparing presidential campaigns, sung to the tune of “If I Only Had a Brain” from “The Wizard of Oz.” One stanza singled out former Texas Gov. Rick Perry: “He’d be talking to reporters, `bout walling up the borders/ It’d be a fine campaign./And his head he’d be scratchin’ while his thoughts were busy hatchin’/If he only had a brain.”
To the tune of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” came this crack aimed at Hillary Clinton: “First lady’s second-rate/an’ secretary-ya state/Those jobs don’t satiate/this hungry candidate./Well Benghazi left not trace, those emails got erased/That’s the Clinton way-ee-ya. What eye do is okay-ee-ya.
Active membership in the Gridiron Club and Foundation is limited to 65 journalists based in Washington. Money raised through the dinner goes to college scholarships and journalistic organizations.
Left: President Barack Obama laughs at a joke during the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington May 3, 2014. Obama and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told jokes at the Gridiron Club and Foundation's annual dinner Saturday night. Photo by Joshua Roberts/Reuters
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Lisa Lerer and Ken Thomas, Associated Press Lisa Lerer and Ken Thomas, Associated Press
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/post-election-unity-clinton-trump-wont-say-yet
Post-election unity? Clinton and Trump won’t say yet
Politics Oct 27, 2016 9:06 AM EDT
WASHINGTON — With a dozen days left until Election Day, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are refusing to commit to working with each other after the election, putting in question their abilities to heal the country’s wounds after a volatile presidential race.
“I just want to make that decision at a later date,” said Trump, when asked whether he would cooperate with a Clinton administration. “Hopefully I won’t have to make that decision.” He spoke in an interview broadcast Thursday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Clinton, meanwhile, dodged a question about whether she would meet one-on-one with Trump after the election.
“I certainly intend to reach out to Republicans and independents, and the elected leadership of the Congress,” Clinton told reporters on her campaign plane Wednesday.
Traditionally, presidential candidates hold a well-publicized meeting in the weeks after the election. While the moment of bipartisanship is often short-lived, the public appearance sends an important signal to the country that both parties are ready to accept the will of the voters and move forward.
In 2012, President Barack Obama and defeated Republican nominee Mitt Romney shared an hour-long White House lunch of turkey chili and chicken salad. Four years earlier, Obama and Arizona Sen. John McCain pledged to work together on economic issues and national security after meeting in Chicago.
Privately, the 2016 candidates may be striking a more conciliatory tone. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the New York Archbishop, has said that in a warm private exchange at an otherwise testy charity dinner last week, Clinton had told Trump that “whatever happens, we need to work together afterward.” Trump, he said, told Clinton “you are one tough and talented woman.”
In the final weeks of the campaign, both candidates have begun to focus more on their post-election plans. Trump made two appearances at his hotels this week, raising questions about whether he’s trying to shore up his corporate brand, amid signs that his campaign has hurt his family businesses.
Trump has largely refused to back down from his defiant assault on the election’s integrity, remaining unwilling to say whether he’d accept the results if he loses. “Don’t worry about it,” he told ABC. He will visit Ohio for three campaign rallies on Thursday.
Clinton, too, has turned some of her focus to what happens after Nov. 8, though her efforts assume she wins. Deep in transition planning, she’s begun retooling her campaign message to emphasize unifying the country after a divisive race.
A new Associated Press-GfK poll released Wednesday found Clinton on the cusp of a potentially commanding victory, fueled by solid Democratic turnout in early voting, massive operational advantages and increasing enthusiasm among her supporters.
The survey shows her leading Trump nationally by a staggering 14 percentage points among likely voters, 51-37. That margin is the largest national lead for Clinton among recent surveys. But it’s consistent with trends in the race: Most polls have generally shown her ahead of Trump for the past several weeks.
Clinton will campaign with Michelle Obama today in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, marking the first joint appearance for the two first ladies on the campaign trail. Obama’s appearances have become a key part of Clinton’s effort to fire up women, particularly black women for whom she’s a model and a source of pride.
The presidential candidates and dozens of outside groups involved in the race are also due to file their final major fundraising reports before Election Day. These documents will show fundraising and spending between Oct. 1 and Oct. 19_giving a sense of what resources each side had available as the campaign entered its frantic final stretch.
Left: Photos of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton by Getty Images
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Nvidia unveils new Tegra chips for smartphones, tablets
By Agam Shah
U.S. Correspondent, IDG News Service | PT
Nvidia wants to bump up graphics and application performance on tablets and smartphones with two new Tegra mobile processors it announced Tuesday.
The new Tegra processors will be called Logan and Parker, and will succeed the Tegra 4 processor expected to reach smartphones and tablets later this year. The new chips were announced as part of a road-map update provided by Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang (shown above) during a keynote at Nvidia's GPU Technology Conference being held in Santa Clara, California.
Huang spent some time talking about major enhancements in the new chips, but did not provide detailed specifications such as processor speeds. Nvidia has a trend of naming Tegra chips after superheroes, and the Logan code name likely is based on a character in X-Men, while Parker could be a reference to Spiderman.
[ Further reading: The best CPUs for gaming ]
The Logan chip will be the size of a dime and will be the first to follow Tegra 4, Huang said. The first chip will likely become available later this year, though Huang indicated that mass manufacturing of the chips would begin next year.
The biggest enhancement in Logan is the inclusion of graphics cores based on the Kepler architecture, which will provide a big graphics performance boost to smartphones and tablets. The world's fastest supercomputer, called Titan and located at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, uses Nvidia's graphics processors based on the Kepler architecture. The supercomputer delivers 20 petaflops of peak performance.
Logan will also be the first Tegra chip to support CUDA for mobile processors, which will allow programmers to write applications that jointly harness the computing power of CPUs and GPUs. Logan will support CUDA 5, which is a set of programming tools offered by Nvidia for its graphics processors to develop and manage parallel task execution.
"Logan has something that we've been dying to bring to the world for so long," Huang said.
The follow-up to Logan will be Parker, which will be the company's first 64-bit Tegra processor. Parker will be based on ARM's 64-bit ARMv8 process architecture and Nvidia's chip design called Project Denver, which was announced two years ago.
The Parker chip will have Nvidia's upcoming graphics processor technology called Maxwell, which unifies the CPU and GPU memory. With the ability for GPU memory to read CPU memory and vice versa, developers may find it easier to write programs, Huang said.
Currently GPU and CPU memory are divided and based on different technologies, but can be theoretically linked via virtualization technologies. Linking them makes it easier for the processors to share multiple threads and ensures that workloads and their branches are handled and executed correctly.
The Parker chip will also have 3D transistors, in which transistors are stacked on top of each other. That is different from current chips in which transistors are arranged next to each other, also called the planar structure. The 3D structure, called FinFET by the semiconductor companies, usually yields performance improvements and power savings, which could help speed up smartphones and tablets while preserving battery life.
The 3D structure was first incorporated into Intel's chips based on the 22-nanometer process. Foundry companies that make ARM chips like TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.) and GlobalFoundries are in the process of incorporating technologies to manufacture chips with 3D transistors.
Huang did not provide a release date for Parker chips. However, ARM has said chips with its 64-bit processor architecture will reach devices around 2014.
The first Tegra 4 processors, based on ARM's Cortex-A15 design, will be used in a ZTE smartphone due to be released in China by midyear, and also will be used in Nvidia's portable handset called "Project Shield," which will become available in the second quarter this year. Nvidia has also announced a Tegra 4i chip, which has a modified Cortex-A9 processor core and an integrated software-defined LTE radio.
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ALEXANDER: Ex-Colton star Wright waits for shot…
ALEXANDER: Ex-Colton star Wright waits for shot with Chargers
Chargers third-round draft pick Shareece Wright, a cornerback sidelined with what is believed to be a groin injury, likely won’t play in tonight’s exhibition opener against Seattle and Pete Carroll, who was his college coach at USC.
By Jim Alexander | jalexander@scng.com | The Press-Enterprise
SAN DIEGO – There’s an old saying in pro sports: You can’t make
the club in the tub.
In other words, if you’re spending a lot of time nursing
injuries in the whirlpool — or the trainer’s room, period —
rather than being on the field, you’re falling behind.
At first glance, this would not seem to bode well for Chargers
cornerback Shareece Wright.
A former Colton High and USC star, the Chargers’ third-round
pick in the 2011 draft, probably will not play in tonight’s
exhibition opener (ESPN, 5 p.m.) against Seattle and his former
college coach, Pete Carroll.
He has been unable to practice for most of the past week with a
lower body injury, the specifics of which he wouldn’t disclose —
per head coach Norv Turner’s instructions — but which is believed
to be a groin injury.
And while Wright has stood on the sidelines, or performed
conditioning drills on a side field at Chargers Park, his
competition has had the opportunity to catch the coaching staff’s
eyes. Marcus Gilchrist, a second-round pick out of Clemson, has
been a frequent recipient of compliments in Turner’s post-practice
briefings.
Wright’s response? Burrow further into the playbook, watch more
film and treat every meeting as a precious opportunity to
“Basically I just have to know what I’m doing,” Wright said.
“I’ve got to pay attention in the classroom and know what’s going
on, so when I go out there I’m not forgetting plays or I don’t know
what the play is.”
But nothing beats being on the field.
“It’s all about muscle memory,” Chargers secondary coach Steve
Wilks said. “The more you’re out there going through repetition
(the more it helps). Marcus is at this point getting an edge.
Shareece just has to come back and, once he’s healthy, get back
into the mix and get the reps that he needs, and I think he’ll be
It is still early in camp, but this could have been something of
an opportunity lost, especially when cornerback Antoine Cason was
sidelined with a broken finger. Gilchrist and Dante Hughes were
getting those looks opposite Quentin Jammer, instead of Wright.
Still, there’s a reason Wright is here, and he likely will get
some benefit of the doubt as long as he can get back on the field
He started all 12 games for USC last year as a defensive
captain, was third on the team in tackles (73, 52 solo), with 2
½ sacks, 11 deflections and two fumble recoveries. This
after opting to return for his senior year instead of declare for
the 2010 draft, even with the hammer of probation about to fall on
his program.
“He’s got outstanding coverage skills and he’s a very, very
competitive player,” Turner said. “He’s a guy that we had a lot of
people (scouts) look at, and there was a consensus that he could be
an outstanding cover corner in the league.”
Does Wright carry a sense of desperation at this point?
“Yeah,” he said. “I mean, I’m a rookie. There’s a lot I’ve got
to prove still. I’m trying to get back as soon as possible, but
this is not like college. They’re not going to let you get back out
there if you’re not ready.
” … I’m not a first-round draft pick, and I’ve heard they’ve
cut a third-rounder in the past. So it’s not certain at all. I just
have to do what I can as far as my rehab and just be here, show up
every day. And when I get back out there, I’ve got to not lose a
step and perform.”
The numbers game is a factor. Last year the Chargers had six
cornerbacks on their initial 53-man roster but finished the season
with four.
Currently, they’ve got Jammer and Cason as the probable
starters. Gilchrist and Hughes right now are the main competitors
to be on the field in nickel coverages. And Wright also finds
himself competing with Ramon Broadway (a rookie free agent from
Arkansas), Traye Simmons (a second-year player from Minnesota who
was on the practice squad in 2010) and Stephen Harrison (rookie
free agent, Kansas State).
Wright could forge a roster spot as a special teams player,
similar to the way he got on the field initially at USC.
“I had people in front of me, and I just had to prove myself on
special teams,” he said. “It worked out, and hopefully it does the
One thing he has already learned: In the NFL, it’s serious
“There’s a lot more on the line than there is in college,” he
said. “These guys are playing to feed their families.”
Given those conditions, a little extra study or film work should
be no problem at all.
Jim Alexander
Jim Alexander is an Inland Empire native who started with his hometown newspaper, The Press-Enterprise, longer ago than he cares to admit. He's been a sports columnist off and on since 1992, and a full-time columnist since 2010. Yes, he's opinionated, but no, that's not the only club in his bag. He's covered every major league and major sports beat in Southern California over the years, so not much surprises him any more. (And he and Justin Turner have this in common: Both attended Cal State Fullerton. Jim has no plans to replicate Turner's beard.)
Follow Jim Alexander @Jim_Alexander
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CHARGERS: Familiar end to maybe final end
Denver quarterback Peyton Manning, right, greets Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers after the Broncos’ 27-20 win Sunday in both teams’ regular-season finale, and perhaps the Chargers’ final game as the San Diego Chargers.
By Pat Graham | Press-Enterprise
DENVER — Hard to imagine anyone would love this in L.A., either.
The Chargers were handed five turnovers — basically handed the game — and couldn’t figure out how to win on Sunday. They fell 27-20 to the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos in what could be their last game as the San Diego Chargers.
“If that game doesn’t summarize our season, I don’t know what does,” said coach Mike McCoy, whose team finished 4-12 and wound up winless in the AFC West.
Now, the Chargers are headed into an offseason filled with uncertainty: Will they remain in San Diego or bolt to Los Angeles? Will McCoy remain in charge? Dominoes could start falling Monday, when teams can file for relocation.
Nobody was thinking much about the big picture after their last loss. Only about the game that got away.
The Chargers forced Broncos starter Brock Osweiler and the offense into five turnovers. Only problem was, they converted all of those miscues into a measly 10 points. That was good for a 13-7 lead with 8:18 left in the third quarter.
But that’s when Broncos coach Gary Kubiak summoned Manning, who helped deliver a win for the Broncos (12-4). Along with it, Denver got the No. 1 seed in the AFC for the playoffs.
“Did it give them a spark? Sure. The place went crazy,” quarterback Philip Rivers said. “I’m kind of numb, really. Just how it’s been — just been the same.
“Every week we’ve lost the same, stinking way. I’m not trying to lessen the seriousness or how bad of a season it was, but it’s gone. It’s gone. Chalk it up to some missed throws, missed plays, missed tackles, missed all-that.”
Soon, maybe a missing team, too.
Last month, San Diego city and county officials made their final pitch to the NFL in what has been a contentious effort to keep the Chargers from moving to the Los Angeles area. The Chargers, Raiders and St. Louis Rams are all expected to file for relocation.
Asked if this loss hurts more because it could be the last time wears a uniform for the city, Rivers simply said: “No. I don’t think so.”
Rivers did give McCoy a vote of confidence, saying he’d like to see his coach back on the sideline next season — wherever they might be playing.
“Everyone has a hand in why we’re 4-12,” Rivers said. “Everyone in that building.
“I haven’t done my job good enough, either. Can you say Mike’s done good enough? I don’t know. None of us have. Considering what we’ve dealt with and the close games we’ve lost, is that an easy answer — ‘Oh, just get a new coach. We’ll be 12-4.’ That’s not true.”
Rivers completed 21 of 35 passes for 228 yards. That was 11 yards shy of breaking the team’s single-season mark held by Hall of Famer Dan Fouts, who threw for 4,802 yards in 1981.
That Rivers was even on his feet to close the season was a minor miracle, especially against the top-ranked defense in the NFL. His line was certainly decimated by injuries Sunday, losing center Trevor Robinson (shoulder), guard/tackle Chris Hairston (abdomen) and guard/tackle Tyreek Burwell, who was carted off the field with a right knee injury.
“As many times as we’ve thrown it and as few times as we’ve been sacked in relation to that, and really hit for that matter, I’m as healthy as I’ve been after a week 17 in any year I can remember,” Rivers said. “That’s a credit to how much they fight, how much they care.”
Longtime receiver Malcom Floyd left the game with a concussion as he took his last snaps in the league. He didn’t add a catch to a career that’s included 321 career receptions for 5,550 yards and 34 TDs.
“You hate to see him not be able to finish the game,” Rivers said. “But this by no means puts any damper on anything he’s done for 12 years. He’s had a heck of a run.”
NOTES: WR Tyrell Williams hauled in an 80-yard TD pass for his first career catch. … WR Dontrelle Inman was involved in a scary collision late when he was hit low, flipped into the air and hit again. Inman landed awkwardly and was helped off the field. … San Diego will have the No. 3 pick in the draft.
Inland Empire’s retail vacancies are highest in the nation. Was it e-commerce or overbuilding?
Pat Graham
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Edengrad Review
By Theodoros Eleftheriou on April 26, 2017
Edengrad
Edengrad is a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) from Hucklebery Games. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world where players must work together in an endless battle for survival.
There are 17 abilities, each with its own skill tree; the more you perform certain actions, the more you train a specific skill, for example, continuous usage of guns grants you proficiency with them. There is a wide area of aesthetic alterations when creating a character and the fact that your clothes not only can be bought but can also be crafted add to the uniqueness of your avatar’s appearance.
The world of Edengrad is a vast, hostile place; in order to survive you must build yourself a shelter and gather the necessary resources such as wood, building materials, water and food. Beware though, for there are numerous threats; from mutated animals to other players, there are many dangers lurking in the dark. Once you have your “residence” established you can go out and explore the world. The quest-driven story will have you visit different locations, all greatly depicted with their unique flora and fauna.
Edengrad’s ultimate goal is the creation of cities where players will live and work together and where they will have access to content created from others such as weapons, furniture, equipment and of course food. Towns will be the starting point for every quest, the place where you can form a party and go out to explore the world and where you will take up missions from your faction.
Edengrad is a game that offers features that very few representatives of the genre can match; the enormous, open world, where almost everything can and is created by players, the unique ability system and the continuous strive for survival create a unique experience, one that every true gamer must have!
Operating System: Windows 7 64 bit
Processor: Intel Core i3 or AMD Athlon II X4 with at least 2.3 GHz
Memory (RΑΜ): 8 GB
Hard Disk Space: 15 GB
Graphics Card: GeForce GTX 750
Overwatch Review
Robocraft Review
Crossout Review
Cabal 2 Review
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Chinese Satellite Detects Image Off The Southern Corridor
Posted on March 22, 2014 By: Pocket News
SEPANG:The Chinese government on Saturday revealed that their satellite had detected an image measuring 22 metres long and 13 metres wide off the Southern Corridor. This information was announced by acting Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein during a press conference held at the Sama-Sama Hotel here on Saturday, after receiving a mote from the Chinese ambassador to Malaysia, Huang Huikang.
“The Chinese ambassador has said that a detailed information of the location of the image will be informed in several hours, if it is related to the MH370 aircraft,” said Hishammuddin. This announcement comes six days after the announcement by the Australian government of a satellite imagery which could possibly connect to the missing MH370 aircraft.
On March 20, Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott had contacted Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak informing him of the findings of two possible objects spotted on satellite images taken on March 16 by the Australian government. Frustrations have been growing over the lack of progress in tracking down the two objects spotted by satellite, with a Malaysian official expressing worry that the search area will have to be widened if no trace of the plane was found. Search crews have been scouring the area where the satellite took images of objects, about 2,500 kilometres southwest of Perth. However, after three days of searching the area for the two objects, nothing has yet to be found.
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View KPTV's story on this Cold Case.
On December 16, 1976, 17-year old Sharon Ryan was making cookies at her sister’s house in the 2400 block of NE Flanders. Sharon realized that there were no eggs at her sister’s house and that she needed some for the cookie recipe. She told her sister that she was going to walk to a nearby store to buy eggs and would be right back. She never returned.
When Sharon had not returned in about a half-hour, her sister became alarmed and began to search the neighborhood with her husband. After searching for approximately one-and-a-half hours, they called the police and made out a missing report on Sharon. Sharon’s sister told the police that Sharon was a high school senior at Grant High School, was very reliable and had never done anything like this before.
On December 18, 1976, friends and family of Sharon Ryan again searched the area and a friend found an egg carton and broken eggs in a parking lot near Sharon’s home. Sharon’s body was subsequently found in an isolated, grassy area next to the parking lot and had been partially covered with plant material. Portland Police responded to the scene and an autopsy revealed that Sharon had been sexually assaulted and died from homicidal violence.
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Studies in Mark - Part 1:
“John Mark - The Man, His Method, and His Message”
Studies in Mark
(1 of 57)
Now we're turning to Mark's Gospel, and I want to use this morning as a study in introduction to this series on the Gospel of Mark, so we'll not be taking any of the verses of the first chapter this morning. First of all I want you to turn to Mark chapter 10, and then Mark 14, and then we'll look at a number of portions from the Acts of the Apostles. The title of my message this morning is: "John Mark - The Man, His Method, and His Message".
First of all let's look at John Mark, the man, and find out a little bit about his background...
Reading from chapter 10:45, just one verse - and this, if there is a key verse of the book, this is certainly it: "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister", or came not to be served, but to serve, "and to give his life a ransom for many". Then chapter 14 verse 50, speaking of the disciples: "And they all forsook the Lord Jesus, and fled. And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked".
Then turning to the Acts of the Apostles chapter 12, Acts chapter 12 verse 24: "But the word of God grew and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark". Then chapter 13 and verse 13: "Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John", that is, John Mark, "departing from them returned to Jerusalem". Then chapter 15 for our final reading, verse 36: "And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the LORD, and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches".
Over 2000 years of Christian history, traditions have developed concerning the apostles. Some of those traditions appear to be quite plausible. They are plausible in the sense that they don't seem to contradict any obvious Scriptures, and generally speaking they enjoyed acceptance in the early church who were nearest to them in a chronological sense. Other traditions concerning the twelve apostles, however, are less reliable. Take some concerning John Mark, who is before us in his Gospel. Some believe that he was nicknamed 'stump finger', probably because of some disability, supposedly - that may or may not be the case, it doesn't really matter. Others believe he was the founder of Christianity in Alexandria. There are reasons for that, but we're not sure about it. Others think he suffered a martyr's death in Alexandria, and then the Roman Catholic Church indicates that his body, John Mark's body, was taken from there to Venice and buried in that famous San Marco church in Venice (which I visited on my holidays), which was supposedly built in the 10th century to house the remains of Mark the evangelist.
He is a man who had a serious spiritual blip. He also became, through that backsliding error, a cause for division between two great men of God
Now we cannot be sure of any of those things, in fact some of them are highly dubious - but what we must always maintain is that we look to the Scriptures to construct reliable pictures of the apostles, and of circumstances that are the context for biblical doctrine and teaching. So let's look at the Scriptures this morning as we look at John Mark, the man, and find a reliable picture of him. Now some traditions, when they're helpful and reliable, we will use, but we want to look primarily at the Scriptures to find a portrait of the Holy Spirit for this man.
So first of all let's look at John Mark, the man, and find out a little bit about his background. 'John' was his Jewish name, 'John' simply means 'the grace of God'; 'Mark' was a Roman name, which was a bit like a surname, and it means 'the hammer'. We find out very early in the Acts of the Apostles, or somewhat early, about chapter 12, that he was the son of Mary of Jerusalem, who was a wealthy woman who owned a house in Jerusalem where the Christians met together to worship, a meeting place. Chapter 12 and verse 12 shows us that, if you care to turn to it, we find that after Peter was miraculously released from prison by an angel, it was to this home, to Mary of Jerusalem, John Mark's mother, that he went: 'And when he', verse 12, 'had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying'. Peter knew which house to go to, it was the house where the believers, some of them at least, in Jerusalem were met.
We also know from Colossians chapter 4 that John Mark was a cousin of Barnabas the encourager, the son of consolation. Of course, both Barnabas and Mark accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey that we read about in Acts chapter 12. But what becomes very clear by the time we get into chapters 13 and 15, is that this young man, John Mark, had a shaky beginning in Christian ministry. We read in chapter 13 verse 13 that he abandoned the apostle Paul, and decided that he had had enough and was returning home for whatever reason - it's not given. Paul the apostle was so unhappy with Mark that he refused to take him on his second missionary journey, even though his cousin Barnabas had recommended him and suggested this. This suggestion actually started a bitter quarrel between the apostle Paul and Barnabas, which ended with Paul and Silas going one way, and Barnabas and John Mark going another. Then we lose sight of John Mark for about six or seven years, and for all we know those may have been wasted years for him in a spiritual sense.
Although the details are lacking - I admit that - Paul and Mark, we find, later reconciled. Something happened in the life of John Mark to make him a mighty servant of God. When the apostle Paul was in prison in Rome, we read that there was some kind of reconciliation, and Mark actually served as the apostle Paul's aide, then he became a delegate to him in Rome in service, from Rome to Asia Minor - we find that from Philemon 24 and Colossians 4:10. Later we find that Paul would ask Timothy to bring John Mark back with him to Rome, because he was useful to him in the service of the Lord. If you care to turn to 2 Timothy chapter 4, we read these words in verses 9 through to 11 - 2 Timothy 4 verse 9, Paul says to Timothy: 'Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark', that is, John Mark, 'and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry'.
It's interesting not only to see how Mark was restored, but to see also how the apostle Paul - who had been so scathing and unwavering in his criticism of him earlier - is so generous in recognising Mark's restoration
Who is this man John Mark, this young man? Well, he is a man who had a serious spiritual blip. He also became, through that backsliding error, a cause for division between two great men of God. But the surprising thing to us this morning for our consideration, as we embark upon an exposition of Mark's Gospel, is that this was the man that the Holy Spirit turned to to write an account, as we read of in Mark 1 verse 1, of the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't know about you, but I'm left dumbfounded, expressing 'Amazing grace, how sweet the sound'! That, in application, is very sweet; because one may have been, as Mark, a failed servant in the service of Christ; one may even have been a cause for dissension among brethren, and unrest in the assembly; yet still here we have John Mark in his Gospel giving us an exemplary depiction of the servant of Christ.
It's interesting not only to see how Mark was restored, but to see also how the apostle Paul - who had been so scathing and unwavering in his criticism of him earlier - how he is so generous in recognising Mark's restoration, how he accepts the fact that God's grace had restored him, and therefore Paul very readily reinstates John Mark as an invaluable servant of Jesus. He recognised grace at work in the life of John Mark. What a tremendous lesson there is in this for us all. Erwin T. Lutzer wrote a book entitled 'Failure Is the Back Door to Success' - we often are familiar with the apostle Peter concerning failure and how he was restored, but do we ever think of John Mark? Here is a young man who, as far as we are concerned when we reach the middle of the Acts of the Apostles, his Christian service is over - but God turned to him by His Spirit to write an account of the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus!
Now when we turn to 1 Peter, we find that when Peter was writing his first epistle in Rome, Peter affectionately calls John Mark his 'son' - 1 Peter 5:13. Now Peter, of course, as I've said, was no stranger to failure himself. Who knows, it could've been his influence on the younger Mark that was instrumental in helping him out of his spiritual instability of youth, and into the strength and maturity that he would need to serve the Lord in the work that He had called him to. Whatever the case was, we believe that it was Mark's close relationship with the apostle Peter which motivated and enabled him to write the intimate portrait of Christ that we have in these sixteen chapters of Mark's Gospel. Now we can't prove this point, and scholars are generally in agreement on it, but we know that Mark and Peter were together in Rome in later years - we know that from 1 Peter 5:13. We also know that Peter was intending, before his own death, to make a permanent record of his memories of Christ. If we read 2 Peter 1:15-16, he says there: 'Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty'. He seems to indicate that he wanted to put down his reminiscences of the Lord Jesus Christ. Most of the early fathers in the church believed that what we have in Mark's Gospel is really the memory of the apostle Peter concerning our Lord.
The earliest statement about the Gospel of Mark was written by a man called Papius, the Bishop of Hierapolis in AD 140. He said this: 'Mark became Peter's interpreter and wrote accurately all that he remembered'. Justin Martyr, an early church father writing in AD 150, referred to Mark - that is, the Gospel of Mark - as the memoirs of Peter. Ireaneus, writing in AD 185, called Mark 'the disciple and interpreter of Peter' - and he recorded that 'the second Gospel' of Mark consisted of what Peter actually preached in his sermons about Christ. On that vein, it's interesting to note that the outline of Mark's Gospel parallels remarkably with Peter's sermon preaching Christ in Acts chapter 10 - that's for another day, but you should go home and look at that, it's the same outline.
The common belief of scholars is that the text we read in Mark 14:51 that refers to this young man in a linen cloth who ran away naked, that this is Mark's modest signature to the book. It's Mark's way of saying that it is he who has authored this Gospel. But I want you to get this point as we think of Mark the man, before we go on any further examining his method of writing: what a recovery this young man made! Am I speaking to a young man or a young woman, or a not so young man or woman, who had a blip in their spiritual experience in their youth? What a recovery this Mark made! Starting off as a companion of Paul, and then having this backslidden experience, causing dissension among brethren - and then God comes to him for a work that He still has him to do. The poet put it like this:
Am I speaking to a young man or a young woman, or a not so young man or woman, who had a blip in their spiritual experience in their youth? What a recovery this Mark made!
'They on the heights are not the souls
Who never erred nor went astray,
Or reached those high rewarding goals
Along a smooth, flower-bordered way.
Nay, those who stand where first comes dawn
Are those who stumbled - But went on'.
Mark stumbled, but went on. Now it's important to remember this when we consider Mark's message, which I'll deal with later on, but which was encapsulated in chapter 10 and verse 45: 'The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve'. Here we have...if anything, Mark's Gospel is the Gospel that portrays the perfect Servant of Jehovah in the person of the Lord Jesus. Now think about this: Mark, the failed servant, setting forth the perfect Servant. Mark, who was first the servant and attendant of Paul and then failed, and then became the servant and attendant of his cousin Barnabas, and according to reliable tradition later in life became the servant and attendant of the apostle Peter before his death - here he is, a man who had both failed and succeeded as a servant, setting forth the ideal Servant, Jesus Christ. He was the right man for the job.
Let's look secondly at John Mark, his method - because his message, which we'll deal with in a moment or two later, is reflected in the distinctive features that you have in Mark's Gospel, compared with Matthew, Luke and John. You do know that there are differences in the Gospels? For instance, most agree that Matthew's Gospel sets forth Jesus as the King, and His kingdom. Luke's Gospel sets forth the Son of Man, and the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ. John's Gospel sets forth how He is the Son of God, how He is divine. But Mark's Gospel sets forth the servanthood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now it's interesting to note that some believe that there is a type and representation of this in the faces of the cherubim that you have in various apocalyptic books of the Bible. For instance, the cherubim in Ezekiel have four faces, one face of a lion, one face of a man, one face of an eagle, one face of an ox. Many Bible teachers have seen the parallels here: the lion being the face of the King; the man obviously speaking of Christ's humanity; the eagle speaking of soaring in the heavenlies, the deity of Christ; and the ox, an animal of service, speaking of the servanthood of our Lord Jesus. One thing is clear, that this man Mark, who was a servant, in his method in writing this Gospel sets forth, even in the literary scheme of the book, how Christ came as the Servant of Jehovah.
One thing is clear, that this man Mark, who was a servant, in his method in writing this Gospel sets forth, even in the literary scheme of the book, how Christ came as the Servant of Jehovah
Let me show you this, and this is seen perhaps more in the things that are omitted from Mark's Gospel in comparison to Matthew, Luke and John, than that which is included. For instance, if you turn to the first chapter of Mark's Gospel, there's no genealogy of our Lord Jesus. You find it in Matthew and in Luke, but it's not there in Mark - there is nothing to be said about Christ's birth. I don't know why that is completely, but certainly one aspect of it is: there was a visit by the wise men to pay homage to the Lord Jesus as the one who would be born King, but people never pay homage to a servant. Mark is setting forth the Servant. Mark particularly emphasises the deeds of the Lord Jesus as opposed to the words of the Saviour. For instance, there are 19 miracles in Mark's Gospel but there are only four parables - and, incidentally, all of those four parables have to do with service as their theme. What Mark omits, for example, one parable he leaves out is the parable of the householder who hires the labourers - the reason being, because the Lord Jesus Christ in Mark's Gospel is depicted as a servant, He is in the place of a labourer, He isn't hiring anyone.
Another parable that he leaves out is the parable of the marriage of the King's son. You remember that one came into the marriage feast and was not adorned correctly, and he was cast out - it's not there, probably because it's not the servant's place to cast anyone out. There's no Sermon on the Mount in Mark's Gospel, because chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Matthew's Gospel where we find the Sermon on the Mount is understood as the King's Manifesto, the laws of the kingdom, it describes the character of the subjects of Christ the King in His kingdom - but Mark is not presenting Christ as a King, he is presenting Christ as the workman of God, the Servant who has no kingdom, who frames no laws. Nothing whatever is said in Mark's Gospel about Christ's command over principalities and powers and the angels. Nothing is said of His right to send them forth to do His bidding, instead what we actually find in chapter 1 and verse 13 is that the angels ministered unto Him. There's no sentence of judgment passed on Israel by Christ in Mark's Gospel, because obviously it's not the place of a servant to pass judgment on others, indeed anyone.
Then we see that there is an omission of divine titles within Mark's Gospel. Sometimes people think when you omit a divine title, even in your prayer, that you in some way are being dishonouring to the Lord Jesus Christ - well, this puts paid to that, because Mark leaves out divine titles. The only time that Christ is referred to as a King is in derision in Mark's account of the crucifixion. We do not read in Mark, as we do in Matthew, that 'They shall call His name Immanuel, God with us' - that doesn't mean He's not, or that Mark didn't believe it, it just means that what Mark is conveying to us is the servanthood of Christ. He's only once termed the 'Son of David', which is a regal title. Highly significant is the fact that He is frequently addressed in Mark's gospel as 'Master', and yet in parallel passages in the other Gospels, in the same instance, He's not called 'Master' but 'Lord'. For instance, I'll give you one example, Matthew chapter 8 and verse 25: 'And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying', as they were in the storm on the boat, 'Lord, save us: we perish'. Yet in Mark's account, in Mark 4:38: 'He', the Lord Jesus, it says, 'was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?'.
In Matthew He is 'Lord', in Mark He is 'Master'. I'll give you another example of it, if you look at Matthew chapter 17, the account of the Transfiguration. We read there that Peter, after seeing this great sight, and Elijah and Moses at either side of the Lord: 'said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here'...and then he talks about making little booths, little temples to worship in. But Mark, when he gives his account in chapter 9 verse 5, says: 'And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here'. Even when you come to the betrayal of the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 26, we find that around the table each disciple is asking themselves: 'Am I the one that is going to betray the Lord Jesus Christ?', and Peter said in verse 22 of Matthew 26 unto Jesus: 'Lord, is it I?'. Yet in Mark's Gospel 14:19 it says: 'They began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I?' - not 'Lord', just 'Is it I?'. The words of the dying thief are omitted from Mark's Gospel, what were they? 'Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom'. It's omitted from Mark because a servant doesn't have a kingdom, neither is he presented as Lord.
He omits things concerning the Lord Jesus that speak of His royalty, or of His Lordship, or of His deity - not because he doesn't believe in it, but the Holy Spirit has given him the responsibility to set forth Christ as the Servant of Jehovah
So Mark's message is reflected in the man who the Holy Spirit turned to to write the message - he was a servant who both failed and succeeded in service of others. But it's also reflected in his method, how he omits things concerning the Lord Jesus that speak of His royalty, or of His Lordship, or of His deity - not because he doesn't believe in it, but the Holy Spirit has given him the responsibility to set forth Christ as the Servant of Jehovah.
So we come thirdly to John Mark and his message. Now let me say a couple of things concerning his purpose in writing this Gospel. The first purpose I believe he had was to make the good news accessible to Gentiles. This, if you like, is a missionary book. Mark's Gospel is a Gospel that was written, and you find that it omitted what we would call 'insider language'. He uses Roman terms because he's writing to Gentile people in a Roman world. He explains Aramaic words, that is the language spoken in the day of Jesus, because Gentiles wouldn't have understood it. Incidentally, there's a scarcity of Old Testament quotations in Mark's Gospel - because Gentiles would not have been familiar with Old Testament Scriptures. Now, if I had the time, we could take a lot of lessons in our evangelism out of the fact that Mark's Gospel was to make the good news accessible to those who were not insiders, to those who had never heard - you work that out for yourself.
Secondly, his purpose was to be an apologist of the cross of Jesus. In other words, he wants to set forth the significance of Jesus' death, explaining it. Mark, as you find, and we will as we go through it week by week, he wants to make clear that the death of Jesus was not a tragic accident, but it was part of God's plan from the very beginning. Jesus knew He was going to die, and indeed He told His disciples that He was going to die, even though they misunderstood Him. So what Mark wants to set forth is that God chose to bring His kingdom to bear through the shameful death of His chosen Servant - now that was a great stumbling block, not only to the Jew but to the Gentile: that Messiah should die in shame, that He should not only come as a Servant, but die on a cross as a criminal. The Greek mind and the Roman mind could not conceive of how a Saviour could die for others in such shame and ignominy, and then arise again. The preaching of the cross was a stumbling block, and so Mark wants to set forth an explanation of why He was to die.
It's interesting that today the cross is still a stumbling block to those who do not believe. Muslims, for instance, cannot understand that God would have allowed a great man - that's all they see Him as, or even a good prophet - to die in such a terrible way. They go as far in their theology to say that He didn't die. Some say He revived again, other Muslims say that He was replaced by a substitute before He died, but Mark's point is this: Jesus was not merely a good man, He wasn't even a great prophet, but He was the Son of God, and He must die, He must be delivered into the hands of wicked sinners, He must be slain if we are to be saved!
He has a gospel purpose, he has a purpose in explaining the cross, but here's the third - and I think the one that comes to the forefront, and perhaps the one that is most applicable to us here this morning. His third purpose was to encourage those who were facing persecution, Christians who were facing persecution. Now if Peter was the source for the information in Mark's Gospel, as we believe, it's very likely that Mark's Gospel was written in Rome. We know that Rome was not only a sprawling city of a population of several million, but we know that it was from Rome that great persecution of Christians came by Nero in AD 64 - and we believe that many Christians, probably including Paul and Peter, died for their faith during Nero's reign. So Mark's Gospel has this possible background of Rome, and it seems to be aimed at Christians who were not just facing persecution, but going to face even worse persecution in the days that lie ahead. So what Mark is doing here is preparing them, he is telling them of the Christ who suffered and how He suffered, and how it was predicted that He would suffer, and He comes as the Servant of Jehovah - it's been fore-ordained, and through this suffering our redemption would come - but also, not only He suffered, but His followers would suffer.
He wants to show us Christ as the One who speaks, the One who acts and delivers in the midst of crises
So in other words, what Mark is doing is he's writing to encourage a minority church in a hostile environment to keep the faith. The One who you worship suffered, He was ordained to suffer, He came to suffer, but through His suffering your redemption has been bought - and you will suffer, but you are suffering in the line of your Saviour. Are we not a minority church today? Do we not live in a hostile environment? Should we not look to the Lord Jesus Christ and see the suffering Servant Saviour? That's why John Mark is arranging his material the way he does: he wants to show us Christ as the One who speaks, the One who acts and delivers in the midst of crises. In every age, whether you live under Neronian persecutions, whether you live during the time of Reformation where men of God have been burned at the stake, whether you live in the modern Western 21st-century of affluence and pleasure crazed society - in every age, in every circumstance the Christian needs to get a fresh focus on Christ.
I want to ask you today: have you lost focus of Him? My reason for embarking upon this study of Mark's Gospel is that we as God's people again will get taken up by seeing Jesus! How does Mark portray Jesus? He came not to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many. As such, Christ is the Christ of the crisis, but He's all action in the crisis - and that's why, in Mark's Gospel, Mark uses the historical present tense 15 times: Jesus comes, not 'came', Jesus comes; Jesus says, not 'said', says; Jesus heals, not 'healed', heals - all in the present tense, what to communicate? To communicate that in the crisis of his life and the life of the disciples, He was active, He was busy, He was instrumental, He was moving, He was doing. In the same way in our crisis, in our persecution, in our difficulties: Christ is still being our Servant.
There are more miracles recorded in Mark than in any of the other Gospels, even though it is the shortest of the four. Every scene is brilliant and vivid and fast-moving - if you've ever read through Mark you'll notice the word 'immediately'. The Greek word is mentioned 42 times: immediately, immediately, immediately. The conjunction 'and' is frequent, indeed it begins 12 of Mark's 16 chapters - and, and, and. There's a rush of action, Christ's life is portrayed as super-busy. In chapter 3 we find that He has trouble finding time to eat, and in chapter 6 as well. What's Mark showing us? This is the Servant of Jehovah, and He's come to serve men at great cost, at great price, at great suffering. Wherever you find yourself today, He's still serving those in crisis.
R. Kent Hughes says: 'It takes a slow reader about two hours to read Mark through at a single sitting. If you take the time, you feel surrounded by the crowds, wearied by demands and besieged by the attacks of demons'. It's all about how Christ served - but the big question is: what does it mean to us? R. Kent Hughes in his commentary on Mark, which is excellent, at the beginning of his first chapter he tells a story about one of the world renowned scholars of the classics, Dr E .V. Rieu. He completed a great translation of Homer into modern English for Penguin Classics, some of you have seen them. In his late 60s, Kent Hughes tells the story that, being an agnostic at the end of his career, the publisher, Penguin publishers, came to him and approached him again and asked him to translate the Gospels. Can you imagine this: an agnostic classical scholar being asked to translate Matthew, Mark, Luke and John! Now, when Rieu's son heard about this, he was heard to say - listen carefully: 'It will be interesting to see what father will make of the four Gospels', then he paused, 'It will be even more interesting to see what the four Gospels make of father'. He didn't have to wonder very long - within a year's time E.V. Rieu, the lifelong agnostic, responded to the Gospels. As he translated them he faced Christ, and he became a committed Christian. His story is a testimony to the transforming power of opening up of God's word.
The question is: not what will you make of Mark's gospel, or what will I make of it, but what will Mark's gospel make of you?
Now, as we open up Mark's Gospel in an in-depth study, and we see the Servant of Jehovah - the question is: not what will you make of Mark's gospel, or what will I make of it, but what will Mark's gospel make of you? I'll tell you what it will make of us if we respond to it: it will make us servants like the Master. It will make us servants who don't just run on theory, but on action. The freshness and the vigour of Mark will grip us and make us long to serve according to the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. I once read a doctor of the mind, I wish I could remember his name, and he was asked the question: 'What advice would you give to someone who is depressed?'. Now I know this is a very carte blanche simplistic answer, but he said: 'The main thing I would tell them to do is go away and help someone else'.
If you like, this is what Mark is showing us. You're in persecution, you're in difficulty, you're suffering for your faith or for whatever reason. The best way to cope in the midst of that is to get a glimpse of your suffering serving Saviour, and to go away and forget about yourself for a wee while and serve others. The truth is, many of us want to serve Christ, we just don't want to be treated as a servant. I don't know whether Mark's abandonment by the apostle Paul in his first missionary journey was due to a shallow view, a simplistic carnal view of Christian service that he had. One thing is sure: we're going to see from Mark's Gospel that John Mark learned what perfect service was through the perfect Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who stooped to serve. We sang:
'His were the planets and stars in the sky,
His were the valleys and mountains on high,
His all earth's riches, from pole unto pole,
But He became poor to ransom my soul'.
Oh, we rejoice in it, we exalt in that truth! The condescension of Christ, the humiliation of Christ - but what about our condescension? What about my humiliation? What about becoming poor that I might make others rich? In 1878 when William Booth's Salvation Army had just been named, a man came over from the United States to enlist. He once dreamed of himself as a bishop in the church, and he crossed the Atlantic from America to England to become a member of the Salvation Army. His name was Samuel Logan Brengle, and he ended up being the head man, the First Commissioner in America. But when he first came and introduced himself to Booth, Booth accepted his services reluctantly and grudgingly. Booth said to Brengle: 'You've been your own boss too long', and in order to instil some humility into Brengle, he set him to work cleaning the boots of the other trainees. Brengle said to himself: 'Have I followed my own fancy across the Atlantic in order to black boots?'. Then, as if in a vision, he saw Jesus bending over the feet of rough unlettered fishermen, and he said: 'Lord, You washed their feet, I will black their boots'.
He came not to be served, but to serve - the question is: as we encounter God's Servant King, will we serve Him and serve others?
Father, help us these Sunday mornings through Mark or Peter's eyes to see the garden of tears, to see His hands and His feet, and let us learn how to serve, and in our lives enthrone Him, each other's needs to prefer - for it is Christ we are serving. Lord, we thank You for the Lord Jesus, and we pray that through these studies we will not only be taken up with Him, but we will become more like Him in our service of Him and of one another. Amen.
Don't miss part 2 of our Studies In Mark: “John The Baptist, and The Beginning Of The Gospel”
This sermon was delivered at The Iron Hall Evangelical Church in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Pastor David Legge. It was transcribed from the first recording in his 'Studies In Mark' series, entitled "John Mark - The Man, His Method, and His Message" - Transcribed by Preach The Word.
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I bid you welcome gentle readers, and of course a cordial “Hi Y’all” to our assigned reader of all things that concern NASCAR on this very warm summer day in Georgia. I must confess, until I started reading through this piece, I’d truly forgotten what a great race that was and how it moved me. Written as “A Voice for the Fans”, the continuation of the title read, “When Awesome Isn’t Awesome Enough.” The year was 2013, and Jim Fitzgerald and I had been doing our tiny fledgling website together only since April. The Host we had back them just looked impossible to me, who could do all manner of things in Word Press, but not there. They shall remain nameless out of the kindness of my heart.
What follows is one of my earliest columns done for Race Fans Forever, and I wish I could feel exactly this way about every race I watch. Come along with me and we can remember together. I think you’ll agree.
Good day gentle readers. A warm welcome is bid to all of you and to our assigned reader for the day, whomever he or she might be. This humble missive should have been written in the wee hours of Thursday morning and ready to see sunlight only hours after the checkers flew at Eldora. Alas, we of some age must heed the call of Morpheus to join him in the land of slumber at some point. That, and my brain tends to shut down like a factory at 5:00 on Friday when I'm tired, and it was midnight.
Because in my world a Friday column is written and in the hands of the editor by the close of business hours on Wednesday, I had no way of including in this week's regular edition the Mudsummer Classic held at Eldora Speedway on Wednesday night. #MudsummerClassic for the many thousands of Twitter tweeters that watched the race with me. I found a way. It's called write another one.
[Editor’s Note: The truck race is no longer called the Mudsummer Classic. It seems that Major League Baseball thought that was too close to their Midsummer Classic and NASCAR and Tony Stewart were forced to change the name. Picky! Picky! I don’t know a single soul that can’t tell a race car from a baseball, but as Mike Helton would say, “It is what it is.]
Long before the sun set over Eldora on Wednesday, racing was already underway, with qualifying runs beginning at 5:00PM here on the right coast. Those didn't make it to the TV in your living room, but were available via the Live Leaderboard at nascar.com and provided the background music for my Chinese style evening repast. (Fancy word for "supper" don't ya know)
At 7:00 came the heat races that serve to further set the starting order for what would be called the "A Main" at many events. Though these were said to be available via the Live Leaderboard as well, I soon abandoned that little toy, as it was running well ahead of the obviously delayed TV broadcast. **Note to nascar.com… You might want to rethink that practice. Either stay with the TV or don't even bother. No one, on Wednesday night, wanted to miss a thing happening on track and for sure and certain didn't want to know the outcome before having seen it. In short, don't tell us how the movie ends.
Forgive me gentle readers if this column contains more of the first-person singular pronouns than usually found here. I try mightily to keep me, myself and I out of my writings, but the only observations I have of the racing at Eldora on Wednesday night are my own, so please indulge me. As noted, I spent the evening with a vast and diverse cross-section of America and indeed, the world, known as Twitter. Being somewhat of a cross-section my own self, representing the past as a living part of it and the present as a functioning septuagenarian in a young folks world, put simply… I had a blast!
In the short hours it took to run what many will call the best race ever, I was heartened, enlightened and quite humbled. Forget trying to teach the kids about the sport's history. Instead, show it to them! And that's exactly what was done Wednesday night. Yes, a lot of you younger fans seem to enjoy tales of yore such as the ones I write from time to time, but last night you saw with your own eyes and felt with your own emotions much of what made my generation fall in love with the new upstart sport of stock car racing. It's just plain fun!
I don't believe I've ever seen or heard the word "Awesome" used so many times by so many people in one place at one time. It was… well… awesome! To those that asked questions of me or sought explanations of terms and rules unfamiliar to many, there was no need to thank me. I'm always happy to oblige if it's within my scope of knowledge to share an answer. On Wednesday night, I was just thrilled that in most cases, I had that answer. I grew up learning it.
Yesterday, well before the racing began, I read a discussion between race fans as to whether these young whippersnappers could possibly perform a power slide on dirt as well as the good ol' boys of another era. My answer, both then and now is a resounding "Hell yes!" Of course, when a couple of those young whippersnappers turned out to be 58-year old Ken Schrader and 61-year old Norm Benning, I was screaming for them as loudly as anyone else in the crowd. How about that Norm, riding the wall… quite literally… while taking hit after hit, but hanging on in the heat race to transfer to the Main Event. Way to go Norm, you young whippersnapper you!
In the end though, after three separate segments totaling 150 miles, it was youth that triumphed over experience, as 23-year old Austin Dillon, a very practiced dirt racer in his own right, took the checkers despite the hard challenge repeatedly offered by soon-to-be 21-year old Kyle Larson, to the hoots, hollers and obvious approval of the sell-out crowd at Eldora. I think most everyone there was in agreement with my feeling that it didn't matter so much who won the race, but that the race was held and it was a smashing, barn-burning, Katie-bar-the-door success!
Everyone with an interest in racing that has access to a column, blog, forum or other means of putting words on this thing we call the Internet has already done so, so why am I adding my humble voice to the mix? Because through this column I represent the voices of a multitude of fans and they want to be heard along with everyone else. It's hard to issue individual thanks, as there are so many contributors to that wonderful event whose names I don't even know. If some are omitted, please know that they belonged here.
Tony Stewart, Roger Slack and the entire staff at Eldora Speedway, both hired and volunteer, who worked before, during and after the historic gala event… Thank you, from the bottoms of our race-loving hearts. The show was awesome, (There's that word again) from the Fan Salute to the fireworks at the end.
Mike Helton… I know you said you were only there as a fan, but I didn't believe that for one minute. I know that you, and your love of racing, had a definite hand in making the race at Eldora happen, and speaking for many, many fans that had such a wonderful, or might I say awesome, time… Thank you Sir.
To all at NASCAR and the Camping World Truck series in particular, many thanks from the fans to each and every one of you that contributed in any way to making the Mudsummer Classic the smashing success it was.
Thanks to the teams, and drivers… young and old… who put so much time and effort into becoming a part of the history being made at Eldora Speedway. Likewise, thanks to the fans… young and old… that came out in droves, both to the track and to their TVs, to watch that history being written and to add to it words of their own… the most commonly heard of which was certainly, "Awesome!"
I can't think of better words with which to close this accolade than with the words of my closing tweet last night, indicating the perfect end to a perfect evening. "Close it out with fireworks!!!! PERFECT! OK God, I'm ready now. I've seen Heaven and I approve!"
Full coverage of the race can be found here.
Just a quick note to Brent Dewar, Steve O’Donnell, Mike Helton and anyone else that cares… this is what the fans want, races that leave them breathless but oh, so happy. Not wrecks or bunched up cars artificially restricted. Honest, flat-out pedal to the metal racing! It’s truly awesome!
Time now for our Classic Country Closeout and what could be more appropriate than a full album of old Country Truckin’ songs?
Be well gentle readers, and remember to keep smiling. It looks so good on you!
~PattyKay
Email PattyKay
Follow @MamaPKL
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Below is a summary of our committee structure and membership information.
Control and Risks Committee
Click here for the Regulation of the Control and Risks Committee.
FRANCESCO GORI
Chairman - Control and Risks Committee
Florence (Italy), May 15th, 1952
Graduated with honors in Business and Economics from the University of Florence, working at the same time first in a software company and then in the paper industry, again in Florence.
He joined Pirelli in 1978 where he was promoted as an executive in 1984 and where, after various assignments in commercial, marketing and M&A roles in Italy and abroad, he was appointed General Manager of the Tyre Division in 2001, Chief Executive Officer of Pirelli Tyre Spa in 2006 and, in 2009, also General Manager of Pirelli & C.
During his 10 years tenure Pirelli Tyre doubled its revenues and from a cash burning, one digit Ebitda became a cash positive, high teens Ebitda company thanks to the execution of a premium strategy which translated into a higher top and bottom line growth than its peers, culminating with the entry in F1 as a sole supplier in 2010.
From 2006 to 2011 and for two consecutive terms he was elected president of ETRMA, the European Tyre and Rubber Association.
In 2012 he decided to leave the Pirelli group.
In 2013 he joined the board of Snam Spa as an independent director and became Chairman of the Control and Risk Committee for 3 years, then Chairman of the Nomination Committee.
From 2013 to 2015 he was an Industrial Advisor of Malacalza Investimenti and, from 2014, Managing Director of the CCR (Corporate Credit Recovery) fund of DeA Capital Alternative Funds Sgr where he currently is a Senior Advisor.
From 2015 he is a non-executive director on the Supervisory and Management boards of Apollo Tyres Ltd, a leading company in the sector and listed in India.
In 2016 he became Chairman of Benetton Group Srl for two years.
He has been appointed as a member of the Board of Directors on September 18th, 2018.
Joyce Victoria Bigio
Member - Control and Risks Committee
She was born in Norfolk, Virginia (USA) on 23/11/1954
She is an American-Italian citizen and she has a Degree in Economics from the University of Virginia.
She gained a wide international accounting and finance expertise through a 40 years career in various roles across sectors and geographies including the US, UK and Italy. She qualified as a Certified Public Accountant in the US and has also been certified by the Institute of Internal Auditors as a Quality Assurance Auditor. She started with Arthur Andersen in Washington D.C., spending 10 years in the audit divisions in USA and Milan. She then joined Euromobiliare as controller of this investment bank. In the early 90’s, she worked in London with Waste Management, first as head of European reporting and then in their merger and acquisition department. In 1998, she was appointed CFO for Sotheby’s Italy and served on the boards of directors in Italy and Switzerland. In 2002 she founded International Accounting Solutions S.r.l., a company specializing in accounting, financial reporting and outsourcing services.
She has served on various board of directors and as member/chair of control and risks committees. She serves on the board of directors of Rai Way S.p.A. since 2014. Since 2012 to 2014 she was member of the board of directors and member of control, risks & remuneration committee of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles S.p.A.; since 2008 to 2014 she was member of the board of directors of Simmel Difesa S.p.A.; since 2012 to 2014 she was member of the board of directors and member of risk & control committee of Gentium S.p.A.; since 2015 to 2017 she was member of the board of directors and chair of audit committee of Fiera Milano S.p.A.; since 2016 to 2017 she was member of the board of directors and member of control and risks committee of Veneto Banca. Currently she is Managing Partner of International Accounting Solutions S.r.l.; since 2015 to 2017 she was member of the board of directors of Borbonese S.p.A.
MARIA LETIZIA MARIANI
She was born in Rome on July 18th, 1960.
She graduated magna cum laude in Natural Sciences in 1984 at the University "La Sapienza" of Rome.
After a first experience in research, she joins Rank Xerox where, from 1986 al 1989, she held technical and commercial roles. In 1989 she became marketing manager at Apollo Computer, until October 1989 when, as result of an acquisition, she joins Hewlett Packard, where she remains until December 2010.
In Hewlett Packard she diversifies her experience, both in Italy and abroad, holding roles of increasing responsibilities in sales, marketing, services, software, general management.
In January 2011, she joins Philips as Vice President & General Manager Lighting Italy, Greece and Israel. She is currently Executive Vice President & General Manager Lighting Europe.
From 2011 till 2015 she is President of Luceplan and President of Iltiluce. From 2013 to 2015 she is also CEO of Iltiluce
She was elected to her current position by the Shareholders' Meeting on 16 April 2015 from the slate submitted by the Board of Directors, which obtained the majority of votes.
Compensation, Nomination and Sustainability
Click here for Regulation of the Compensation, Nomination and Sustainability Committee
MONICA DE VIRGILIIS
Chairman - Compensation, Nomination and Sustainability Committee
She was born in Turin on July 20th, 1967.
She has a degree in Electronic Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Turin
In more than twenty years of international career, she has accumulated various executive experiences across some key high technology sectors, combining operational and strategic leadership roles, and leading business model and value chain turnarounds in industries impacted by digitalization.
She started her career in 1993 with Magneti Marelli as Production Engineer in the Electronics Division, based in Pavia. In 1996, she joined the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) with the mission to develop collaborations with Italian companies. Following a highly successful partnership with ST Microelectronics, she joined STM in 2001 as Business Development Manager in the Telecom Wireline Division based in Agrate Brianza (Italy). In 2003, she became the Strategic Alliances Director for the Advanced Technologies Group and moved to their headquarters in Geneva. In 2004, she became Group Vice President in charge of System and Business Development for the Wireless Group.
In 2006, she became General Manager of the Home Video Division and in 2007, in conjunction with the changing business model for wireless customers and the advent of smartphones, she became General Manager of the Wireless Multimedia Division (with a turnover of over one billion dollars) and successfully brought about a transformation of the product portfolio and business model. She played a key role in both the acquisition of NXP-Wireless and the establishment of a Joint Venture with Ericsson.
In 2010, she left ST-Ericsson and returned to STM, placing her business experience at the disposal of the corporate programs – first as Group Vice President Organizational Development and then in the Corporate Strategy and Development Division.
In 2015, she joined Infineon Technologies as Vice President Industrial Microcontrollers at their offices in Munich and was able to turnaround the product line which she managed.
During 2017, she leads for Octo Telematics the integration of the newly acquired Mobility Solutions, operating services at that intersection of the sharing economy and the automotive technologies. She is currently Chief Strategy Officer of French national research institute Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA) and she is driving a mission along the digital and energy transition. She is based in Paris.
She served on the Board of Directors of several start-ups during the years 2010-2014.
She has been on the Board of Directors for the Stevanato Group since February 2016, and that of SNAM S.p.A. since April 2016.
an Independent Director of the Company.
PAOLO AMATO
Member - Compensation, Nomination and Sustainability Committee
He was born in Rome on 1 June, 1964.
He earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza” in 1989, a Certificate in Capital Markets from New York University in 1989 and a Master in Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1994.
He is an experienced senior corporate executive, with over 25 years of diversified international management practice in various sectors, including industrial, transportation, infrastructure, tech and in several geographies such as North and South America, broader Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific. From 1989 to 1992 he served at Leonardo-Finmeccanica New York office, being mostly involved in strategic M&A activities. After business school, in 1994 he joined McKinsey & Company in the Buenos Aires office and then transferred to the Rome and Zurich offices until early 2000, when he left as an Associate Partner to co-found and manage, as Co-CEO, eNutrix S.p.A., an early-stage venture capital investment firm in Milan. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Group Chief Financial Officer at Ariston Thermo S.p.A. in Fabriano and then as General Manager at Merloni Finanziaria S.p.A.. From 2009 to 2014 he joined Alitalia CAI S.p.A., first as Group Executive Vice President & Chief Financial & Strategy Officer and in March 2013 was appointed Deputy General Manager until the completion of the transaction with Etihad in Dec 2014. In 2015 and 2016, he served as Chief Financial Officer and Portfolio Manager of Renova Management AG in Zurich. He currently advises a number of Private Equity funds on potential investments.
He has served in the Board of Directors of AirOne S.p.A. (Rome, 2009-2013, Chairman of the Board 2013-2014), Advanced Capital S.G.R. (Milan, 2012-2013), Indesit S.p.A. (Milan, 2013-2014), Octo Telematics Ltd. (London, 2015-2017), CIFC Asset Management L.L.C. (New York, 2015-2016), and in the Supervisory Board of Airports of Regions (Moscow, 2015) and Kortros (Moscow, 2015).
He has been an independent member of Prysmian Board of Directors since 12 April 2018. He was elected to his current position by the Shareholders' Meeting on 12 April 2018 from the slate jointly submitted by a group of fund management companies and institutional investors, which was the second most voted slate after the slate submitted by the Board of Directors.
CLAUDIO DE CONTO
Milan, September 16th 1962
After graduating from the Luigi Bocconi University in Milan with a degree in Corporate Finance in 1986, he began his career at Ernst & Whinney in the UK. He then joined the Pirelli Group in 1988. After five years in our Treasury department, in 1993 he embarked on a long period of international experience in the Administration, Finance and Control areas of the Pirelli Group’s tyre subsidiaries in Brazil, Spain and Germany. In particular, between 1996 and 2000, he held the position of Chief Financial Officer of Pirelli Neumaticos S.A. in Spain and then of Chief Financial Officer of Pirelli Deutschland A.G. in Germany. In 2000, he became Director of Administration, Planning and Control at Pirelli S.p.A. In 2001, he was appointed General Manager of Administration and Control at Pirelli S.p.A., a role he has maintained in the holding company Pirelli & C. S.p.A. since its merger with Pirelli S.p.A. in August 2003. From November 2006 until September 2009, he was General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Pirelli & C. S.p.A. and was also a member of the board of Pirelli Tyre S.p.A. and Chairman of Pirelli Broad band Solutions S.p.A. In addition, from December 2008 to May 2010, he was Managing Finance Director at Pirelli Real Estate and from June 2009 to May 2010 Executive Chairman of Pirelli Real Estate Credit Servicing S.p.A. He has sat on the boards of RCS MediaGroup S.p.A. and Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. He has also been a member of the Management Board of Banca Popolare di Milano S.c.a.r.l. and a Senior Advisor to McKinsey. Currently he is CEO of Artsana Group, Chairman of Prénatal Retail Group S.p.A. and Chairman of the board of Star Capital SGR S.p.A. (formerly Efibanca Palladio SGR). Between 2002 and June 2008, he was a member of the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC), set up by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). He has also been a member of the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG).
He has been a member of the Board of Directors since July 2010. He was elected to his current position at the Shareholders’ Meeting on April 12 2018.
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Race, Class and Religion
by Paul B. Sturtevant on October 30, 2018
by Matthew Vernon on October 23, 2018
by Ken Mondschein on February 22, 2018
by Asa Mittman on February 15, 2018
by Ken Mondschein on February 1, 2018
Race, Racism and the Middle Ages: Looking Back, Looking Forward
by Paul B. Sturtevant on December 31, 2017
Saturday, October 27, 2018 saw the deadliest anti-Semitic terrorist attack on US soil to date. We here at The Public Medievalist are horrified. Some of our staff, several of our contributors, and many of our readers are Jewish or of Jewish descent. And more, all of us have Jewish friends, neighbors, and colleagues. But even if we didn’t, we would still stand with them in this moment of shock, rage, and unspeakable grief.
In the wake of horrific atrocities like this, one of the natural human responses is to ask “why?” In some ways, there is no adequate answer; in other ways, we have too many answers.
The President of the United States and far too many leaders from his party have harnessed hate. They’ve fanned the flames of anti-Semitism through a litany of dog whistles aimed squarely at an anti-Semitic audience and a public embrace of “nationalism.” They rail against “globalism” and “globalists”—a common anti-Semitic dog whistle referring to the supposed “global Jewish conspiracy.”
This anti-Semitism must not be viewed in a vacuum. It is intimately tied to the white nationalism and racism that endangers not just Jews, but also Muslims, LGBTQ+ people, African Americans, Latinx people, refugees, immigrants, and so many other communities in America.
At The Public Medievalist, we understand that there is no one solution to fix this problem. But we do believe, just like Sam Seaborn said on The West Wing, that education is one of them; maybe the most important one. It’s why we do what we do.
Distinguished Professor of History Jeffrey Herf published a call to action in The Washington Post this week:
It is time for us all, including our political leaders, to spend some time studying where hatred for Jews comes from and how it can and must be defeated—yet again. The time is long past to end American cluelessness about the history, nature and contemporary danger of anti-Semitism.
We agree, and we are here to help.
A Brief Medieval History of Anti-Semitism
Jews burned alive for the alleged host desecration in Deggendorf, Bavaria, in 1338, and in Sternberg, Mecklenburg, 1492; a woodcut from the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493).
Our series on Race, Racism, and the Middle Ages featured several articles—a kind of series-within-a-series—on anti-Semitism. This is because anti-Semitism, as we know it today, was a deadly problem in medieval history, and many contemporary anti-Jewish stereotypes are rooted in the medieval past. If we are to uproot the anti-Semitism in our midst, it helps to understand how deep its roots go.
First off, if you’re wondering why we would cover anti-Semitism in a series on Race, Racism, and the Middle Ages, then start here: “Jews, Antisemitism, and the Middle Ages.” There is ambiguity—even within the Jewish community today—over whether Jews consider themselves to be a racial group, a religious group, or a mix of both. And even more, as I wrote then:
the Jewish experience in the Middle Ages—and the oppression that the Jews faced—was instrumental in the formulation of how race is understood today, not just for Jews, but for all races.
Matthew Chalmers also weighs the case for the use of the phrase anti-Semitism—rather than what “anti-Judiasm”—in “Anti-Semitism Before ‘Semites’: The Risks and Rewards of Anachronism.” A key part of this is that anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim bigotries have often been linked:
narrowing our view leaves out another piece of the puzzle: it threatens to obscure Islam from discussion, when European Christian identity formation cannot be understood without examining the ways that both Jews and Muslims were treated and imagined.
The Sack of Jerusalem from CE 70, as depicted on the Arch of Titus in Rome.
This link—and the further link with Latinx, migrant, and refugee “otherness”—can be seen in the propaganda used by the far right today. A right-wing conspiracy theory claimed, falsely, that George Soros, now the go-to right-wing stand-in for an alleged Jewish world conspiracy, is somehow funding the so-called “migrant caravan” proceeding from Honduras to the United States. Trump also claimed, falsely, that “criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in.” Anti-Semitism. Anti-Muslim Bigotry. Racism. Xenophobia. It goes round and round.
Deputy Editor of The Public Medievalist Amy S. Kaufman explores some of the deepest roots of anti-Semitic thought in “Anti-Semitism is Older than You Think,” where she explains that anti-Jewish thought predates Christianity. In fact, many of our anti-Semitic ideas originated from bigoted Roman writers. Tacitus, for instance, thought the Jews stood in the way of the dream of Roman world domination, and so he eviscerated them in his propaganda. As Kaufman writes:
Tacitus doesn’t just demonize the Jews for rejecting Roman religion; he also targets them as a “race” that is “hateful to the gods,” laying the groundwork for an anti-Semitism that consistently conflates race and faith. Moreover, his screed against the Jewish people resounds with some painfully familiar anti-Semitic stereotypes.
A depiction of Simon of Trent, the toddler whose death instigated a wave of anti-Semitic violence. Giovanni Pietro da Cemmo, San Simonino, Brescia, ca. 1475.
Bianca Lopez, Richard Utz, and Richard Cole explored three different medieval anti-Semitic episodes that erupted across Europe. In “Deggendorf, and the Long History of Its Destructive Myth,” Utz explores a local German anti-Semitic conspiracy theory and how easily the Nazis co-opted it for their own purposes. In “The Importance of Being Absent,” Richard Cole explores how easy it is to hate people who you don’t know by looking at the example of Scandinavia’s anti-Semitism—despite there being no Jews in medieval Scandinavia.
In “The Sainted Toddler Who Sparked a Pogrom,” Bianca Lopez describes the popular anti-Semitic fervor that exploded after a toddler’s death was incorrectly ascribed to the local Jewish community. But even more importantly, she showed a way out: courageous leadership on the part of the Doge of Venice stopped the violence. And she concludes with a powerful call to action:
We need to better recognize the signs of a template that might turn us against each other. Persecutions and pogroms do not come out of nowhere: politicians, religious leaders, and other hate-peddling zealots set the stage for persecutory violence through propaganda and cultural dog whistles. Unlike Trent’s Christians, we can say no to those who might provoke animosities by refusing to accept the project of hate. We must.
Part of recognizing the signs means knowing our own more-recent history and how it connects to the medieval past. In the Middle Ages, just as today, violence against Jews came from the same wellspring of hatred as violence against other religious and ethnic minorities.
Jeremy DeAngelo, for example, draws links between the massacres of Jews during the Crusades and the Black Lives Matter movement in “Perfect Victims: 1096 and 2017.” The victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting were simply there to pray and enjoy their community. But the victims of hate crimes need not be “perfect” to deserve our compassion.
Several pundits have argued, wrongly, that the Pittsburgh shooting was the worst act of racially-motivated violence that America has ever seen. But in the same week as the massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue, two Black Americans were murdered by a man whose goal was to massacre worshipers at First Baptist Church in Jefferstown, Kentucky—a predominantly Black church. As Kaufman writes, America has a long history of racist violence, violence inflamed and encouraged by politicians and demagogues.
Now more than ever, we must not whitewash the American past if we hope to understand and fight what is happening in the present.
How to Find Hope
An image from the magnificent Barcelona Hagaddah, held at the British Library. BL MS 14761, f26r.
One of the most pernicious anti-Semitic lies is that Jews have always been in conflict with their neighbors, ‘citizens of nowhere.’ Amy Kaufman, Robert Chazan, and I dispel this myth by illustrating the important role Jews played in medieval culture. Kaufman takes on the complex history of the Spanish Convivencia in “A Tale of Two Europes: Jews in the Medieval World.” As she writes:
Southern medieval Europe may have been more diverse, but mere diversity of a population didn’t prevent violence in the Middle Ages. Diversity alone won’t solve violence now. People have to be ready and willing to learn from one another, to exchange ideas. It is worrying that today, despite the broad access we have to a panoply of beliefs and perspectives, people seem increasingly inclined to self-segregate by retreating to homogeneous enclaves online and in the real world.
Division Of The Red Sea (Detail), From A Collection Of Texts In Hebrew Produced In Central Italy In 1273. MS. BL Additional 14763, F. 135.
Eminent Historian Robert Chazan traces the broad sweep of medieval Jewish life and finds there many centuries where Jewish people lived at peace with their neighbors and flourished. As he points out in his “The Arc of Jewish Life in the Middle Ages:”
Despite all the negativity in their circumstances, the northern-European Jews did proceed from the humblest of beginnings to become the largest branch of the Jewish people.
Finally, in my “Resisting the Anti-Semitic Crusade,” I seek to find the stories untold in the accounts of anti-Semitic pogroms: those of the heroic survivors, and of those who helped them survive. The attack on Saturday happened in Squirrel Hill, in Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood. Mr. Rogers famously said in an interview:
My mother used to say, a long time ago, whenever there would be any real catastrophe that was in the movies or on the air, she would say: “Always look for the helpers. There will always be helpers on the sidelines.”
In the Middle Ages, there were helpers who stood in the way of hatred and violence, who risked their lives to rescue those in need. Today, we call upon you to be one of those helpers—whether you are Jewish or not. Whether you are Muslim or not. Whether you are a person of color or not. Whether you are a woman or not. Whether you are an immigrant or not. Whether you are transgender or not. Whether or not you are a member of any of the communities under attack or not, it is more critical than ever for us to speak up, show up, and put ourselves on the line for each other in the face of the hatred we are experiencing.
If we learn nothing else from the Middle Ages, let us learn that.
So please read, think, share, and remember.
If you appreciate our work at The Public Medievalist, please share it with your friends on Facebook, or on Twitter—it’s they key way that our work can reach more people. Additionally, you can subscribe here to receive every new article from The Public Medievalist the moment it launches.
This is Part XLIII of The Public Medievalist’s special series: Race, Racism and the Middle Ages, by Matthew Vernon. You can find the rest of the series here.
To read more about ways in which African Americans strove to forge a more comprehensive, difficult, and ultimately positive conception of the medieval world, read Dr. Vernon’s new book The Black Middle Ages: Race and the Construction of the Middle Ages. It is available through Palgrave McMillan, or on Amazon.com now.
Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther was a cultural landmark. Countless articles have been written about its impact. But none have explored how medieval it is. Black Panther’s plot could well be taken from the genre of “medieval romance”—tales of medieval heroic adventure.
The story of Black Panther revolves around princes and princesses, a hidden kingdom, the ethics of combat, and the responsibility of rule. And part of what made this movie surprising was how it illustrates how race functions in this type of story. Race is a critical difference through which those familiar story elements gained new meaning. The “commoner who learns that he is indeed a prince” is a very old story type. But as part of Black Panther’s central narrative, this is transformed into a story of the African Diaspora and the problems of retaining any sense of cultural identity.
King T’Challa: Medieval Hero.
Looking at Black Panther through a racial lens enables us to see African heroes in an otherwise overwhelmingly white genre. This looks very modern, but it is not new. In fact, African-American writers’ creative connection to medievalism is nearly as old as the United States itself.
African-Americans have long pushed back against the notion that whiteness, and “white medieval history,” are the full story of America’s foundation. African-Americans resisted and subverted the dominant myths of the nation. Looking at these acts of resistance can tell us a great deal about alternative—but equally valid—ways of perceiving American history.
White Medievalism in America
Medieval narratives have been used politically by white Americans since the foundation of the country. For example, Thomas Jefferson argued that “Anglo-Saxon law” was the basis for America’s government. He reasoned that this made the country distinct from England whose government, he claimed, was based on Norman law:
Are we not the better for what we have hitherto abolished of the feudal system? Has not every restitution of the antient [sic] Saxon laws had happy effects? Is it not better now that we return at once into that happy system of our ancestors, the wisest & most perfect ever yet devised by the wit of man, as it stood before the 8th century.
Jefferson wrote this in a 1776 letter; in that letter, he simultaneously argued for the rights of American colonists to break free from Great Britain and also for a continued military campaign against Native Americans. Jefferson entangles freedom and forceful subjugation.
And more, he does this by appealing to “Anglo-Saxonism.” Anglo-Saxonism is an ideology that used Anglo-Saxon language, culture, and genealogical heritage (real or imagined) as the spine around which the nation was imagined. In other words, he imagined himself, and his nation, the heroic ancestors of (what he imagined were) heroic 8th century Germanic tribes.
But this is no idle fantasy. Reginald Horsman, author of the groundbreaking book, Race and Manifest Destiny (1970), described the terrifying ends to the logics of Anglo-Saxonism:
the reign of world peace, order, and morality was to be established by the Anglo-Saxon-Teutonic Christians, and if necessary it was to be founded on the bodies of inferior races.
Anglo-Saxonism is one branch of a broader system of racist misappropriations of medieval iconography and language. These appropriations have haunted the United States since its inception, and been part of the rhetoric around national expansion, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and infused into all-too-familiar white supremacist groups like the Klu Klux Klan.
Frederick Douglass’ Medieval Freedom
A daguerreotype photograph of Frederick Douglass, taken in 1847. Click for the original at the Art Institute, Chicago.
African-American writers and intellectuals fought these currents of white supremacist ideology. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, they used the Middle Ages to reorient the ways in which they felt they belonged, and were seen by others to belong both within the United States and around the world.
The most famous example of this is Frederick Douglass. Though he is known as Frederick Douglass today, he did not always carry that name. He was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey. But upon escaping to the North, he changed his last name from Bailey to Douglass. He did this at the suggestion of his benefactor in New Bedford, Nathan Johnson. Johnson came across the name “Douglas” while reading Sir Walter Scott’s romance, The Lady of the Lake.
Not only did Douglass adopt the name, but when traveling to Britain to make his case for abolition, in an 1846 letter he compared himself with pride to a medieval Scottish chieftain, James Douglas, nicknamed “black Douglas”:
Frederick Douglass, the freeman, is a very different person from Frederick Bailey (my former name), the slave. I feel myself almost a new man—freedom has given me new life. I fancy you would scarcely know me. I think I have altered very much in my general appearance, and know I have in my manners. You remember when I used to meet you on the road to St. Michaels, or near Mr. Covey’s lane gate, I hardly dared to lift my head, and look up at you. If I should meet you now, amid the free hills of old Scotland, where the ancient “black Douglass” once met his foes, I presume I might summon sufficient fortitude to look you full in the face; and were you to attempt to make a slave of me, it is possible you might find me almost as disagreeable a subject as was the Douglass to whom I have just referred. Of one thing, I am certain – you would see a great change in me!
Douglass positions himself transnationally. He has freedom within the United States. But more broadly, he feels an unexpected transformation through his journey across the Atlantic.
Douglass rejects Jefferson’s “Anglo-Saxonist” logic, which saw white Americans empowered through their links to a medieval past. Instead, he suggests that an African-American could better understand freedom by escaping a fundamental American political structure—slavery—and by seeking his own connections to medieval history in Britain.
Medievalism in Novels by African-Americans
Charles Chesnutt, in his novel The House Behind the Cedars (1900), goes a step further than Douglass in thinking about the relationship between the Middle Ages and African-Americans. The novel is broadly about a mixed-race woman attempting to pass as white in the South soon after the Civil War. In it, there is a mock-jousting scene in which “knights” arm themselves in cardboard and gilt paper. This ostensibly pokes fun at Southern notions of chivalry borrowed from Walter Scott’s wildly popular Ivanhoe. But Chesnutt does something quite surprising with the novel as a whole: he fashions his main character after Ivanhoe’s heroine. His heroine and Ivanhoe’s even share the same name: Rowena.
At the end of the novel, she dies while fleeing from a white man of “the proud Anglo-Saxon race” and an African-American man who both seek to marry her. Positioning Rowena as akin to the heroine of Ivanhoe heightens the tragedy of the novel’s conclusions; this virtuous woman is destroyed by the paradoxes of American racial ideologies. She is considered guilty of the “crime” of trying to pass as white and, when exposed, moves to the margins of society and suffers from the impermissible erotic desire of her white suitor. Everyone suffers as a result.
The First Edition of Dark Princess, by W.E.B. Du Bois
Other African-Americans also used medieval narratives and tropes not only to make political points, but also to express a genuine love of the Middle Ages. W. E. B. Du Bois, in addition to his celebrated sociological work, also wrote a series of speculative fiction stories that borrow heavily from medieval ones. His novel Dark Princess (1928), which he calls a romance, fully inhabits the form of the medieval romance. This is not only reflected in the titular princess, but also in novel’s loose structure of vignettes that test the main character, Matthew. At one point in the novel, the princess even likens him to one of King Arthur’s knights, claiming that Matthew failed in a test to prove his live to her:
Like Galahad you would not ask the meaning of the sign. You would not name my name. how could I know, dearest, what I meant to you?
Throughout his career Du Bois used romance tropes in his writing, such as knights and questing. For Du Bois, the goal of using these tropes was to position the project of emancipation within a context that was much larger than that of the nation.
For example, there is a love story at the center of Dark Princess. In the novel, the protagonist Matthew is denied a career as an obstetrician because of his race. Devastated, he travels to Germany where he meets, and falls in love with, Princess Kautilya of Bwodpur, India. Their love story symbolizes his desire to imagine unity between all people of color across the globe. However, Du Bois also seemed to simply enjoy creating genre fiction that featured characters with whom he could identify. Many fans of Black Panther surely understand the appeal of such a simple change.
Recovering This History
Engraving of Dr. James McCune Smith.
African-American intellectuals also frequently critiqued the notion of “pure blood” deriving from the medieval period. They did this by pointing to the number of ethnic identities coexisting in medieval Britain. In 1859, the abolitionist and physician James McCune Smith argued that the meeting and cooperation of medieval peoples was a strength that contributed to Britain’s success:
[T]he frequent admixtures or amalgamation of variously endowed men which grew out of these repeated invasions, resulted in a composite intellect, greater in force, wider in grasp, more active in detail, than could have grown out of any one tribe or race, Cimbri or Celt, Angle or Norman, which ever dwelt on the British isle.
Smith’s account of British history has clear and pointed implications for a nation seeking to exclude a significant portion of its population on the basis of race and ethnicity. The nation’s continued rise would depend upon inclusion and learning from difference.
Many examples of African-Americans working on medieval topics are remembered out of context, if they are remembered at all. In 1884, Cordelia Ray wrote the poem “Dante”, which lingers over Dante’s exile and political alienation. It is easy to connect this focus on exile and alienation with the frustrations African-Americans had with a political system that had begun to abandon its promises of equal rights to all of its citizens.
For another example, look at the image at the top of this article. It is a painting by Robert S. Duncanson (1821–1872). Duncanson was once internationally-renowned landscape painter, but is now largely forgotten. Like Douglass, Duncanson gained the inspiration for this painting during a trip to Scotland—he chose to depict a site featured in Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake. This painting teeters between being merely an exercise in form (albeit an impressive one) and signifying an African-American interpretation of a text that has powerful connections to Scottish nationalism and independence movements. This painting reminds us how much of the context around this African-American work—and others like it—has been lost or ignored.
Other African-American artists, writers, and poets—such as the first generations trained in the humanities after the Civil War—touched upon medieval subjects for a variety of reasons. They used the Middle Ages in their work to demonstrate their erudition. They used it to situate contemporary racial problems within a long historical trajectory. They used the medieval to borrow from the readily accepted meanings that accompany medieval genres. They used it for all the reasons that artists, writers, and poets use the Middle Ages.
Decolonizing the American Mind
To return to where this article began, you can argue that Black Panther “decolonizes” its narrative by broadening the roster of voices working on and featured in superhero films. More importantly, the perspective the movie takes on the character of Black Panther has shifted from his early comic-book days as an exotic character to be wondered at, towards his current status as a popular character that challenges modes of storytelling familiar to Western audiences. This is particularly true in how it challenges the medieval romance.
In this way, Black Panther is part of a long tradition. Similarly, one might say that this reparative work—of creating an ever-expanding and inclusive Middle Ages—has been part of medieval studies since nearly the country’s founding. But this was not done by white people. It was done by African-American writers, poets, artists and intellectuals.
With their groundbreaking work, these creative people tried to move the public imagination of the Middle Ages. They fought to shift it away from a model that assumes that European whiteness was the primary medieval identity categories. And more, they strove to forge a more comprehensive, difficult, and ultimately positive conception of the medieval world.
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Part XLIII in our ongoing series on Race, Racism and the Middle Ages, by Ken Mondschein.
A working knowledge of medieval history once again offers insight into the national news. On February 12th, United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions pointed to sheriffs as “a critical part of the Anglo-American heritage of law enforcement” at the National Sheriffs’ Association annual conference.
This statement was incredibly fraught. While Sessions may have been technically correct, the fact that he added “Anglo-American heritage” to his speech as an improvised line, especially at a conference of sheriffs, was widely interpreted as being a racist dog whistle. Many saw the statement as implying the superiority or centrality of “Anglo-American (read: white) heritage” in the contemporary United States.
Given Sessions’ history of racist comments as well as of instituting policies which disproportionately negatively affect people of color, his critics were quick to call him out. For instance, in a statement, the NAACP said that Sessions’ comment is “an unfortunate yet consistent aspect of the language coming out of the Department of Justice under his tenure” and that it “qualifies as the latest example of dog whistle politics.”
Whether he realized it or not, Sessions’ statement had two references to medieval history buried deep within it: the idea of the power of sheriffs, and the idea of “Anglo-American” law. In this we can read Sessions’ words as a part of a disturbing pattern, where pieces of the medieval past are used to justify white supremacy.
“You’re not wrong…”
Sessions can use history as a fig leaf to suggest his intentions were innocent. But his words can easily be seen as another example of a “Schrödinger’s Medievalism,” that is, a symbol that can, depending on context, be interpreted in a racist or a benign way. In this case, unlike the case explored by Paul Sturtevant in his article, we don’t have a flag or other physical object. Instead, we have a common legal concept with medieval roots being used in a manner that suggests the superiority of white “Anglo-Saxon” culture.
Let’s look at the history behind the words. Though the word “sheriff” invokes a spur-clattering gunslinger from the Old West, historically, the sheriff was in charge of the ordering and defense of a shire. A “shire” is not just a locality in The Hobbit, but was actually one of the administrative divisions of Anglo-Saxon England and, after the conquest of 1066, of Norman England.
The word itself is a contraction of “shire reeve” (a reeve being a “guardian” or “protector”). Though the Angles and the Saxons conquered England in the fifth century ce, as W.A. Morris wrote in his 1916 article “The Office of Sheriff in the Anglo-Saxon Period,” the office of sheriff per se only seems to have come into existence in the mid-tenth century after King Æthelstan unified the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Later, the term “reeve” (such as the character of the reeve in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales) came to mean the managers of individual manors, while sheriffs remained in charge of administering royal justice. The office was later brought to the New World; the first sheriff in the English colonies was Virginia’s Captain William Stone, who was appointed in 1634. So, sheriffs are indisputably part of both medieval English history and, by extension, American law.
A recent Slate article by Daniel Horwitz explained why Sessions’ statements at a conference of Sheriffs is particularly bad. He writes:
To many people of color, who are still disproportionately targeted by local law enforcement today—even for minor crimes like jaywalking and marijuana possession—the disturbing history of institutional racism in the “historic office” of sheriff may resonate to this day.
To today’s white nationalists, however, Sessions’ full-throated embrace of “the Anglo-American heritage” of local sheriffs would mean something else entirely. For decades, far-right extremists have seized upon the mantle of “posse comitatus”—a legal doctrine providing for substantial deference and authority to county sheriffs—as a basis for rejecting the federal government’s authority to enforce civil rights laws. The notion that sheriffs reign supreme over federal law enforcement officers is also a central claim of self-styled “sovereign citizens”—right-wing anarchists who “recognize the local sheriff’s department as the only legitimate government official.”
Medieval history can offer even deeper roots to Horwitz’s analysis; sheriffs’ troubled relationship with civil rights also has roots in the medieval past.
For example, as elected officials, modern sheriffs are ultimately responsible to the voters. This is rooted in history: As J. R. Maddicott showed, by the thirteenth century, sheriffs were commonly selected from the notables of a shire, rather than the king, which placed their base of power closer to the people. As Richard Christopher Gorski wrote in his masterful PhD dissertation,
The fourteenth century therefore saw a gradual refinement of the qualifications that sheriffs and other officials were supposed to hold, and a consolidation of the gentry’s grip on local government.
In other words, medieval sheriffs had a vested interest in the status quo. This tradition was also carried over into the New World; William Stone, for instance, was a powerful landowner. While Stone was appointed, only twenty years later, in 1652, sheriffs began to be elected. Of course, considering, as the right to vote was limited only to white, male property-holders, early sheriffs tended to be men of property. This has meant that, over the years, some had a vested interest in both keeping the disenfranchised from voting, and in playing to the bigotry of the masses.
Since the Middle Ages, sheriffs also have had the right to summon the “posse comitatus”—which comes from medieval Latin for “power of the county.” A posse, for short, enabled a sheriff to conscript all available able-bodied, armed men to enforce the law. Posses are most often associated with the Old West, but they were not only used there. They were also responsible for numerous lynchings, such as the 1919 murder of 219 African-Americans in Arkansas.
Today, far-right activists have also seized on sheriffs as key to ensuring their particular idea of liberty. For instance, John Darash, a retired carpenter from New York and advocate of the “sovereign citizen” movement publishes material exhorting sheriffs to follow his ideas for disrupting the “unconstitutional” US government.
As in the Middle Ages, American sheriffs are also charged with executing warrants, ensuring public safety, and running local jails. But this authority often affords them considerable leeway, which has led to abuses like the infamous tent city jail run by Joe Arpaio of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
What about the idea of “Anglo-American law?” Like the office of sheriff, the United States’ legal system was modeled after the English system. “Anglo-American law,” thus, is actually a very common legal term. It is not typically racially charged. For instance, then-senator Barack Obama used the term “Anglo-American legal system” in a floor speech in 2006.
What makes these two systems relatively unique is that American law, like the English legal system it is derived from, is a common law system where the law is developed both from statues passed by the legislature and by judicial decisions made by courts. Our judiciary’s debates are over what the law is and how it should be interpreted—rather than what the law should be, which is the focus of a legislative body.
Harvard Law School’s copy of the medieval law book, Bracton’s De legibus et consuetudinibus Angliae. It was probably written around the year 1300. HLS MS 1.
This dates back to the thirteenth century, the customs of various places were being compiled by royal judges in volumes such as the Norman Très ancien coutumier (“Very Old Customary”) and the English jurist Bracton’s De Legibus et Consuetudinibus Angliae (“On the Laws and Customs of England”). These customals were early attempts to understand and catalogue the common law for royal judges; the first attempt to fully systematize this medieval common law on a national level was Edward Coke’s seventeenth-century Institutes of the Lawes of England. Coke’s work is still relevant today; it has been cited in over 70 US Supreme Court decisions.
Conversely, continental Europe, and most of the rest of the world, uses a statutory law system based, ostensibly, on Roman law. Broadly speaking, in these systems the law is what it is, and the job of the court is to apply it, not interpret it. Of course, the United States has statutes, as well, which are passed by the legislature; however, the concept of separation of powers, first articulated in its modern form by the Enlightenment philosopher Montesquieu (1689–1755), gives the Supreme Court the ability to strike them down via judicial review. The reasoning used in these decisions is derived from the principles of common law.
Originally, customary law systems were common on continental Europe as well. Roman legal principles generally were the foundations only of legal fields like as matrimonial law that were originally the province of the Church. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries however, and especially during the Napoleonic era, these were standardized into national law codes based on Roman principles. However, England retained its common law heritage, which it passed on to its colonies. Hence, “Anglo-American law.”
Words as Weapons
So, Sessions was factually correct. But, as Dorothy Kim has pointed out in another context, people should take care with how medieval history is deployed, since the past can so easily be “weaponized” as a tool of racism.
Sessions may have been careless, or he may have been intentional. And given Sessions’ reputation, he should have realized that this invocation of English history would be interpreted in the worst possible light. Whether he minds is another matter. His remark, to the lay observer, seems to be signaling that the “Anglo-American” origins of the legal system supports white supremacy.
Sessions likely did not realize the medieval context of his words. Whether he meant it as a medievalism or not, however, Sessions’ comments are part of a frustrating pattern where parts of our culture with medieval origins are weaponized to justify racist policies. It falls to each of us to remain vigilant, and to continue to push back against the use of the past to justify racism in the present.
Part XLII in our ongoing series on Race, Racism and the Middle Ages, by Asa Mittman. Asa’s newest book, Sea Monsters: Things from the Sea, Volume 2, coauthored with Thea Tomaini, is available now, and his next book, Medieval Monsters: Terrors, Aliens, Wonders (coauthored with Sherry Lindquist) is coming out June 12, 2018 and available for pre-order now.
Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for the final scenes of The Last Jedi.
It does not take a card-carrying medievalist to spot the echoes of medieval narratives in the Star Wars franchise. The Jedi call themselves “knights,” are called “wizards,” and dress like monks. In The Force Awakens, we find Luke Skywalker has retreated to a planet portrayed by Skellig Michael, an island off the coast of Ireland that hosts a stunning eighth-century island monastery.
The alt-right hates The Last Jedi. Charles Mudede explained why on The Stranger:
The Last Jedi is critical of meat ideology, of male leadership and mansplaining, of casino culture of the one percent, racial uniformity, an un-examined commitment to religious ideas, and arms commerce. As if this were not enough, the film ends (not really a SPOILER) with the beginning of an interracial relationship that doesn’t involve a white person […] Of course, the alt-right sees all of this as an attack on white males, and is now claiming responsibility for the low audience score the film currently has on Rotten Tomatoes.
Their obsessive hatred of The Last Jedi is also tied to white supremacists’ fascination with—even “love” for—the Middle Ages. It was therefore delightfully unexpected to see a near-perfect echo of an obscure medieval story in one of the culminating scenes. And it was even better to see that story utterly transformed into a direct refutation of alt-right ideology.
In the final act of the film, the Resistance (our heroes) have fled the First Order’s mighty army. They hole up in a cave, behind a massive wall, with no apparent escape route. Enter, the film’s crystal fox, aka the “vulptex,” who saves the day.
The vulptex seems to be a reference to a 600-year-old story, perhaps signaled through its name (derived, as it is, from Latin). This may be an intentional medieval Easter egg, or it may be just an astonishing coincidence. But the film’s progressive intentions—its thorough and clearly intentional challenges to white supremacy, toxic masculinity, misused medievalism, and the rest of the fascist alt-right ideology—crystallize (pardon the pun) in the medievalesque scene with the vulptex in a fascinating way.
John Mandeville and the Knights of Ren
The medieval story that the Star Wars fox seems to be referencing appears in several texts, including The Book of John Mandeville. The Book of John Mandeville is a fourteenth-century travel narrative about the exploits of a likely fictional narrator:
John Mandeville, Knight, albeit I be not worthy, that was born in England, in the town of St. Albans, and passed the sea in the year of our Lord Jesu Christ, 1322 … and have seen and gone through many diverse lands, and many provinces and kingdoms and isles.
The Book of John Mandeville is not very well known today. But, it was the most popular secular book of the entire thousand years of the Middle Ages. It survives in over 300 manuscripts, and in the Middle Ages was translated into nine languages. For comparison, Beowulf survives in just one badly damaged manuscript.
The Book of John Mandeville was also massively culturally influential. Among other effects, Mandeville shaped Christopher Columbus’s expectations of what he might find in “India.” Though he was deeply mistaken about his location when he came ashore, Columbus saw the people he met through the lens of Mandeville’s ideas about India.
Alexander’s wall, depicted on the Psalter World Map, made around CE 1265. BL Add. MS 28681.
Mandeville’s popularity is concerning, since it is deeply racist in outlook. It sets up a European norm against which the rest of the world is judged. And worse, it bears particular venom for one small minority in particular.
Mandeville recounts a story about a dangerous group that Alexander the Great is chasing, trying to wipe from the earth. He traps them in a cave behind the largest gate in the world; they cannot escape. This story was so well known that this particular gate was included on many medieval maps of the world, appearing as a giant door in a massive rock wall.
A Middle English version of Mandeville is online here (read it out loud and it will be more or less clear). In updated English (slightly modified for clarity), The Book of Mandeville says:
And if you wish to know how they shall find their way out, I shall tell you what I have heard. In the time of anti-Christ, a fox shall make there his den, and dig a hole where King Alexander made the gates; and he will mine and pierce the earth until he shall pass through towards that folk. And when they see the fox, they will marvel greatly at him, because that they saw never such a beast. For of all other beasts they have enclosed amongst them, save only the fox. And then they shall chase him and pursue him so strait, until he comes to the same place that he came from. And then they shall dig and mine so strongly, until they find the huge gates that King Alexander made of great stones, well cemented and made strong. And those gates they shall break, and so go out.
An illustrated copy of Mandeville in the British Library shows Alexander outside the gate, and the tribe, heavily armed but still trapped within the cave. BL Harley MS 3954, 53r.
So, in other words, a fox dug a hole in the area near the gate and found the people. The people see the fox and are amazed because they have all other animals with them, but no foxes. So they chased it back to its den, and are able to break out of the cave by digging through the hole made by the fox.
That’s exactly the scene in The Last Jedi. Right down to the fox.
Rey rocks in The Last Jedi.
The Resistance is trapped in a cave behind a massive gate, outside of which lurks the Imperial army in all its might. As C3PO tells them, “BB8 has analyzed the mine’s schematics, and this is the only way in—or out.” There is no escape. But then, they notice a vulptex, and “pursue him” to a hole that is partially blocked with “great stones.” Ultimately, Rey is able to break them apart and free her compatriots through the power of the Force.
But here’s the kicker: in the original 14th-century text, the people described are the Jews.
“Funny, she doesn’t look Druish…”
The “folk” are, as Mandeville calls them in Middle English, “the Jewes.” The story of Alexander the Great was borrowed from ancient history by medieval artists and authors (like Mandeville) and transformed into a model of Christian kingship.
Here, Alexander is trying to imprison and destroy the Jews. Why? Because, as Mandeville (along with many other medieval stories) tells us, if they do not, those Jews will escape and destroy the world order. Mandeville says:
In the time of anti-Christ, … [the Jews] shall make great slaughter of Christian men … [and will] destroy the Christian people … [and] Christian men shall be under their subjection, as long as they have been in subjection under them.
They will end what these authors saw as the rightful hegemony of white, male, Christian Europe. Mandeville’s author (who may or may not actually be someone called John Mandeville), and the majority culture of medieval Europe thought this would be a bad thing.
Kylo offers Rey a place at his side in a Slightly Newer Order, in The Last Jedi.
That is, when the trapped Jews follow the fox to escape from the caves, they will then destroy the all-powerful, world-controlling empire that has tried and tried to eradicate them, and then will hold in subjugation those who once subjugated them. This is also, in essence, Kylo Ren’s offer to Rey. After their battle in Snoke’s throne room, he offers for them to join forces (recalling Vader’s offer to Luke) and replace the violent, intolerant, fascist (new) First Order (which replaced the violent, intolerant, fascist Empire) with yet another of violent, intolerant, fascist Slightly Newer Order.
Outfoxing the Alt-Right
There are two crucial differences between the old and new fox tales. First, in Mandeville, the territory-conquering ruler is the hero of the story. In this story, Alexander is as good a representative of prideful, conquering, violent, imperial patriarchy as one could ever want. This makes him heroic (if flawed) in medieval narratives.
A comparison of the “look” of General Hux (left) and a member of the alt-Right (right).
In The Last Jedi, these roles are reversed. The villains are the colonialist conquerors, here embodied in the patricidal Kylo Ren and his second in command (with an alt-right haircut), General Hux.
The second important difference is that The Last Jedi refuses the racist narrative that birth and lineage are destiny, a narrative that unfortunately plagued other installments of the franchise. The officers of the jackboot-wearing First Order are almost entirely white, male, human, and hell-bent on the domination and elimination of all otherness. If anything, the seemingly only woman in their ranks, Captain Phasma, is as much an exception that proves the rule. And similarly, one frosted-tipped darling of the real-world alt-right characterizes their movement as celebrating “homogeneity over diversity,” which, not coincidentally, is a fundamental element of how they imagine the Middle Ages to have been.
The Resistance is resplendent with color and diversity.
The Resistance, on the other hand, is gloriously filled with plurality and color. This fundamental difference is at the core of why the fascists hate them. The fascist aesthetic of the First Order—its shiny, polished boots, buttons, and floors—is a reflection of an ideology that sees difference as disorder, and disorder as a problem to be polished out of existence. The aesthetic of the Resistance, by contrast, shows how difference is strength. Not only are the Resistance fighters not all members of a tribe or sect, they are not even all members of the same species.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi transforms a toxic medieval story into a celebration of diversity. The medieval tale is a celebration of (and anxiety about) the power of the conquering empire to imprison and eliminate those who refuse to be assimilated. It is a meditation on those who refuse to submit to a society based on whiteness, uniformity, conformity, masculinity, and barely sublimated daddy issues.
The Last Jedi tells the same story, with all these same themes, but turns it into a spark of hope for a better, more-inclusive world. The film provides a model for how to engage with the compelling stories of the medieval past without repeating the errors of their authors. That’s a fox worth following.
Part XLI in our ongoing series on Race, Racism and the Middle Ages, by Ken Mondschein. You can find his new book, Game of Thrones and the Medieval Art of War on Amazon here.
You can find the rest of the special series here.
Content notice: as you might suspect considering the title, this article contains images of historical and historical reproduction garments with swastikas in the pattern.
A recent incident in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) underscores the reason why public history is ground zero in the fight against alt-right appropriation of medieval imagery. Last month, two leading members of the organization had to answer for wearing fascist symbols as part of their costumes.
The SCA, estimated by the organization to be some 60,000 strong, is the world’s largest medieval living history organization. SCA members brew mead, cook feasts, fight in armor, and hold enormous camping events, creating an idealized image of the Middle Ages for their members to revel in. In some cases, their members also conduct historical research and reconstruction at high levels; SCA members have even presented at academic conferences on medieval studies.
On January 6, 2018, the “Kingdom of Caid” (a division of the SCA that encompasses primarily southern California and Nevada) held a “coronation” ceremony for its new king and queen—who go by the monikers Athanaric and Sigriðr within the Society. The group’s “kings” win their crowns in a fighting tournament. They and their preselected “queens” then “reign” for a fixed term—usually six months. There have been rare exceptions, such as when a woman won Crown Tournament in Texas in 1990 or when co-kings reigned in the American Midwest, but the interrelation of combat and rulership makes the system de facto patriarchal and hetero-normative.
During the ceremony, Athanaric and Sigriðr were seated on thrones on a stage in front of the population of the “kingdom” to be crowned. Afterwards, the “chivalry” (i.e. the top fighters who are also seen as role models) swore their loyalty to the new “royals”.
Such ceremonies are deeply meaningful to the participants. As scholar and Society member Michael A. Cramer wrote in his book Medieval Fantasy as Performance,
The effect of the SCA’s institutionalized ceremony and ritual… does more than simply build community. SCA ceremony, within the game of the SCA, exalts certain people and creates an almost cult-like atmosphere around the monarchs, which may be serious or tongue-in-cheek depending on who is playing the role.
But this is where the problem arose: during their coronation, the two SCA “royals” in question were photographed wearing costumes that included recreated 5th-century trim.
That trim included recognizable swastikas and HH (“Heil Hitler”) elements.
The Outcry and Apology
The offending outfit.
The presence of the swastikas and HH symbols only became clear when photographic portraits were posted online a week later. According to posts on Facebook, due to the distance, relatively small size, and the way the embroidery caught the light, these elements were not noticed by many people at the event itself. Additionally, the two reportedly did not wear the offending garb for the fealty-swearing portion of the ceremony.
Upon the publication of the photos, there was an immediate outcry from both SCA members and non-members. In light of the outcry, the two “royals” in question issued a statement on January 25 which read:
Sometimes you get so exited about something you downplay or ignore the negatives. In this case we have done so and have hurt some members of the populace. We got very exited about a piece of very complex historical art and making an extremely accurate presentation and felt the differences to modern interpretations would be sufficient and that everyone would agree with us. We were wrong. For this we apologize. Know that no offense was intended, no hidden message to interpret, and no hate to be displayed. For any communities hurt we are sorry to have caused you pain. The art created will not be further displayed upon the throne.
Their apology hinges upon two things: first, that the reproduction is an accurate reproduction of historical art, and second, that they did not mean offense by wearing it.
The original band, from the Snartemo V archaeological dig. Currently housed at the University of Oslo.
The former is true. The design came from the baldric of a sword found in 1933 in an archaeological dig in southern Norway. Both the swastika and “HH” elements are documentable to the original. The Hs are the rune Hagall in the Elder Futhark alphabet (used in Scandinavia from the 2nd to the 8th centuries CE). Both symbols were later appropriated by the Nazis. The sword itself has a history with the Third Reich: the Nazis coveted it as an authentic piece of “Aryan” heritage. They even had reproductions made of it. But it was hidden by the Norwegians until after the war.
However, this “historical accuracy” argument does not ring true to many.
“There are many equally old, equally documentable weaving patterns that do not have the history of these motifs,” wrote Lisa Evans, a textile scholar and SCA member from Easthampton, Massachusetts. She continued,
Despite its historicity, swastikas for personal heraldry were banned within three years of the SCA’s founding. I could see someone studying tablet weaving making a small sample to test a theory or improve their skill, since this is a complicated pattern. I could also see entering a piece in a competition with appropriate historical and contextual notes. However, there are plenty of other motifs that can be worn in lieu of swastikas.
For other SCA members, historical accuracy is no excuse for wearing a symbol widely known to be deeply offensive. As Arik Mendelvitz, a member of the SCA from Chicago, wrote on Facebook,
I have personally sat with elder members of my own family and had every third person in photo albums pointed to and described as “killed by the Nazis”… Wearing such a symbol on your person, especially as the public face of an entire kingdom, is utterly repulsive and can in no way be excused by “historical accuracy.”
Others also questioned the second aspect of the defense: whether the royals were as ignorant of the connotations of these symbols as they claimed to be. One SCA member, who did not wish to be quoted in this article, claimed in a Facebook post that Sigriðr had allegedly worn swastikas before, at least five years prior—and had been confronted for it. She allegedly rejected the objections at the time. If true, such a revelation undermines her claims of innocence in the more recent incident.
Schrödinger’s Swastika?
A fuller view of a reproduction Snartemo V trim.
It is also debatable whether their intent actually matters. In an earlier article in this series, Paul B. Sturtevant calls objects like this trim “Schrödinger’s medievalisms.” A Schrödinger’s medievalism is a piece of medievalia—like a Thor’s hammer—that is ambiguous because it has been appropriated by the far-right as a hate symbol, but is also used in other contexts. This ambiguity makes them unnerving, since it’s difficult to tell whether the person in question is a white supremacist or a Thor enthusiast.
There is an open debate amongst academic medievalists of how to deal with these sorts of “Schrödinger’s medievalisms.” Some medievalists feel that the use of any symbol that is used by the far right is not acceptable because it creates a space in which Jews, people of color, the LGBTQ community, and other historically targeted groups feel unsafe
However, in his essay on the subject, Sturtevant makes the case that ambiguous representations should interpreted in their context if their intent is unclear. The alt-right used milk as a white supremacist symbol last year; that does not mean that the few remaining milkmen are peddlers of hate speech.
The counterargument is that this approach can lead to “white innocence” (a denial of complicity or guilt that safeguards privilege). In today’s world, it is incumbent on each individual—particularly white people—to take into account the effect their words and actions might have on vulnerable groups.
In this incident, the denial of wrongdoing falls into the category of white innocence—or, perhaps, if they are true, in light of the allegations of past wearing of swastikas by the people in question, “white willful ignorance.” The royals made use of symbols whose connection to the Nazis is universally acknowledged, but attempted to excuse their actions through their intent. The same can be said of those SCA members who have argued that this is “not a big deal.” In other words, they promoted the precedence of declared intent over action or outcome.
There can be no imaginable defense for repeatedly wearing motifs that have become identified with the Third Reich, let alone at such an important ritual as a Coronation. The swastika is rarely an ambiguous symbol today, despite its historical origin.
The SCA’s Board of Directors also found the costume unacceptable. On January 27, the SCA issued an official press release stating that the organization:
strongly condemns hate speech in any form by any officers and participants of this organization. The SCA… strives to include and be respectful of all people, regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and politics. All participants are reminded of and expected to hold to these principles in participating in this organization and interacting with other people in person and in all forums, regardless of media. The Board of Directors… is concerned about this matter and has tasked the President of the SCA to immediately investigate.
When emailed for comment, the organization’s president, John Fulton, added that the “The SCA Board will not tolerate or allow groups or individuals who practice, display, or encourage hate, racism, or discrimination to damage our organization and participants.”
In the wake of this continued pressure, Athanaric and Sigriðr issued a second apology on January 28 and, on the evening of the 30th, stepped down. Their resignation is almost unprecedented in the SCA, and some within the SCA have found it disturbing. When reached for comment on the incident, Michael A. Cramer explained why:
People in the SCA are extremely invested in the underlying concepts, highly idealized, of honor and chivalry…. One reason this is causing such a rupture in the Kingdom of Caid is because the romantic ideal has been destroyed by something that the SCA is designed specifically to resist: modern politics… Most feel that their rightful king and hero has been unjustly taken from them. They feel like the Britons at the death of Arthur, or Troy after the defeat of Hector… They will probably get over it, because realistically, nobody has actually died… But right now, the ones who buy into the “dream” are devastated.
In other words, for some, the Society’s culture requires approaching the “dream” of the Middle Ages with a sort of un-ironic innocence. However, in a post-Charlottesville world, such innocence—especially when it manifests as white innocence about hate symbols like swastikas—is not acceptable within the organization.
This incident has spurred an intense conversation within the SCA about the display of hate symbols like the swastika. Cramer emphasized that, overall, the SCA is a tolerant, open, and diverse place:
Of course there are racists in the SCA, as there are everywhere, but open racism will get you kicked out quickly. The SCA is, on the whole, non-judgmental about people’s background.
Let us hope that he is right, and that the result of the fierce conversation happening in the SCA leads it into becoming a better, more consciously inclusive place.
Addendum: After this story went to press, it came out that another member of SCA royalty from An Tir (the Pacific Northwest) received and, despite some misgivings, wore a robe with similar trim in the summer of 2017, pre-Charlottesville. In the following months, he wore it twice more—once covered with fur, one not. In no case did anyone call attention to the swastika designs. In statements on Facebook, both he and the fabric artist who created the piece apologized and pledged to never wear it again, though he also stated that he would not “destroy a masterwork of art created by a friend who spent hundreds of hours on it” and expressed regret for what happened to the royalty of Caid. Nonetheless, it is encouraging to see the SCA and its members beginning to grapple with these difficult questions.
Addendum 2: Regarding the allegations of previous wearing of swastikas, according to several sources the conversation in question centered on whether or not a pin or brooch worn by the individual constituted a swastika or not. The object in question was a replica of a historical brooch or pin in the form of four horseheads arranged as a pinwheel (similar to that in the image to the right).
Part XXXX in our ongoing series on Race, Racism and the Middle Ages, by Paul B. Sturtevant. You can find the rest of the special series here.
“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” —Ida B. Wells-Barnett
The Public Medievalist launched our series on Race, Racism, and the Middle Ages in February, as a celebration of Black History Month. It was originally intended to have six installments.
This is number forty.
In that first month, it quickly became clear just how much there is to say on the topic of Race, Racism and the Middle Ages—and how much medievalists are interested in doing so. It is a complex set of interconnected issues that raise difficult questions about our past, our present, and our future.
So, we expanded the scope of the series, and asked for contributions. And medievalists answered the call! Ultimately, we have featured contributions from twenty-one different scholars working in four different countries. These scholars range from leading professors in this field to up-and-coming PhD students, and includes work by those within the traditional boundaries of academia and those, like myself, outside them. And ultimately, this series has been read over 300,000 times, and used by teachers in at least 60 classrooms.
This series became far more than we could have ever expected.
In light of all of this I personally felt it would be a good moment to pause and reflect on the series and where we go from here.
When launching this series, we hoped that maybe, just maybe, the articles might help to convince a white-nationalist or two of the error of their ways. I personally no longer think that’s entirely realistic (though if I’m wrong on that, feel free to say so in the comments below). But what all of us here at The Public Medievalist do hope is that we have helped. We hope that we have provided firm evidence that can counter the hate and misinformation that white supremacists spread. We hope that we have armed more people with the tools to counter white-nationalist narratives. We hope that we have shown how these narratives have wormed their way into our culture. And we hope that we have taken at least one small step in shifting the popular perceptions of the Middle Ages for the better.
To do that, we have provided repeated evidence of a handful of simple truths about the Middle Ages—truths that are important enough for everyone to burn into their retinas.
The Middle Ages did not just happen in Europe.
Our current ideas about “race” are not based in science.
Ideas about “race” have changed vastly over time.
Medieval people did not think about race the same way that we do.
Of course, many medieval European Christians were prejudiced. Violence and injustice happened then, as it does now. But we can also find those who did the right thing and stood up to that violence and hate, even in the darkest moments. Just like now.
Medieval Europe was not all white.
Medieval Italy, Spain, and Byzantium were melting-pot cultures—and all the better for it.
People of color lived in medieval Europe, and more and more migrated to Europe as the centuries went on.
The Middle Ages should not be defined by its conflict between peoples. There were long periods of peace, tolerance, and cooperation.
That being said, conflicts did happen.
For example, it was during the Middle Ages that many of the anti-Jewish stereotypes and prejudices that still plague us came into being.
But the medieval world was at its best during the periods of peace and cooperation. Just like now.
It’s a question of what history you want to celebrate, to learn from, and to emulate.
We at The Public Medievalist aim to make the latest-and-greatest research in medieval studies accessible to everyone. But none of these particular core truths are new. None are especially controversial among most scholars; medievalists have known them for decades. But they are still not very well known outside of academia.
This is partly because this expansive view of the Middle Ages is not always taught—whether at the elementary, pre-collegiate, or collegiate level. It is also partly because the version of the Middle Ages that is most often presented in popular culture typically falls afoul of one or many of these truths.
And this is because of the legacies of racism. It’s easy to see those legacies in the torch-wielding mob in Charlottesville, or the self-described “alt-right” trolls. But many of the first great enthusiasts of the Middle Ages studied it with a mindset of proving the greatness of their nation or their race. Many of the first great medievalists conducted their foundational research in that vein as well. That history has echoes that can be heard today.
So, it is unsurprising that the incorrect ideologies of western European superiority, or even white superiority, are entwined in the public perception of the medieval past. It will take time, and work, to dislodge them fully.
The Public Medievalist is glad to be part of that effort.
Aristotle, contemplative. BL Or.2784, f. 96r
This series is not over. In the coming months, we will be focusing on our new series Gender, Sexism and the Middle Ages (which, as you might expect, has a multitude of intersections with the subject of race). But we will publish new articles on the topic of Race, Racism and the Middle Ages as we receive them—so if you have an article you’d like to pitch, please do so.
There is still much more to be explored on the topic of Race, Racism and the Middle Ages. We did not have any contributions that addressed Byzantine history, or Constantinople as one of the great cultural melting-pot cities of the world. Speaking personally, I would love to see more articles on the medieval Muslim world (and I anticipate several will come in our new series). I crave more profiles of extraordinary medieval people who lived outside of Europe. Ibn Rushd. Al-Zahrawi. Maimonides. Mansa Musa Keita I. Al-Biruni. Arwa al-Sulayhi. The list goes on.
I need to see an article on the Cairo Geniza. Give me more articles on sub-Saharan Africa during the Middle Ages, and of the mounting archaeological evidence for contact between medieval Europe and the Islamic, Buddhist, and Mongol power centers. I would be absolutely thrilled to know more about the medieval skeletons of people from Africa that are being found in various corners of Europe (though in the meantime, I’ll content myself with reading everything Caitlin Green has ever written).
And, as has happened many times this year, I would love for an author to write an article on something I previously knew nothing at all about.
So in short, we here at TPM will continue to welcome articles on Race, Racism, and the Middle Ages, even if it is no longer our primary focus. We will keep publishing if you keep reading.
I never expected this series to become what it has. Thank you to everyone who has read, shared, commented, and written. This site’s audience has grown by orders of magnitude since this series began, and it is all thanks to you sharing it with your friends, family, colleagues, and social media networks. Thank you.
Special thanks as well to those who have assigned us to their students. I know that teachers at over 60 universities have assigned The Public Medievalist articles for their courses—everywhere from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge to small community colleges. And I know from our reader survey data and from personal anecdotes that our work is being used in high school and middle school classrooms as well. Thank you for sharing this series with your students. We hope they found it interesting, enlightening, and/or inspiring.
Thanks additionally go to our Deputy Editor, the no-longer-incognito Amy Kaufman (previously aka Dr. Dark Age), and to our newest editors Rob Houghton and Victoria Cooper, and editorial consultant Arielle Gingold. And double thanks to all of the contributors to the series, without whom it would not have become what it now is. I encourage you to check out all of their writing, both here and elsewhere on the internet.
I’ll see you in the New Year. Onward!
Schrödinger’s Medievalisms
Part XXXIX in our ongoing series on Race, Racism and the Middle Ages, by Paul B. Sturtevant. You can find the rest of the special series here.
Sometimes it starts with a flag on the beach.
But first, a little context. This September, I took a vacation in Ocean City, Maryland. There was a lot to get away from. In addition to the general chaos and madness that has populated the news all year, three weeks prior had been the Charlottesville rally, where neo-Nazi medieval cosplayers murdered Heather Heyer and were subsequently called “very fine people”. A few weeks after Charlottesville, a medievalist at the University of Chicago crossed a major line by calling on her friend, Milo Yiannopoulos, to help target a medievalist of color who criticized her. Predictably, Milo’s army of followers began a major harassment campaign.
There have been a number of similar incidents too; medievalists have been grappling—sometimes with each other—with the racism that many of them see, both at the roots of this field, and also in the way the Middle Ages show up in so many racist incidents. When we launched the Race, Racism and the Middle Ages series here at The Public Medievalist, I certainly didn’t expect that events linking racism and medievalism would be splayed across the national news seemingly every week.
So if your medievalist colleague, teacher, friend, or spouse has been a bit more haggard than usual of late, this might explain it. It was a stressful summer.
Which might explain why, when I saw the flag on the beach, I nearly lost my damn mind.
Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
The flag in question.
Ocean City is a strange place. Most of its vacationing visitors come from the heavily diverse Washington DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia areas. And Maryland fought for the Union in the Civil War—despite being a slave-holding state. But just by looking around, you can see how some locals have embraced a “Dixie” heritage that they never had. The tchotchke shops that line the beach have shelves upon shelves of items that bear the Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia (often incorrectly called the “Confederate Flag”).
As a stark reminder, it’s just down the road from Cambridge, Maryland, a heavily segregated city that saw violent clashes between its white and black residents during the civil rights movement. It is a place very much on the border.
On the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, there is a shop that sells, primarily, flags and kites. And like most boardwalk shops, they had set out a display—this time on the beach—of their wares: a line of flags from Britain, Romania, Lithuania, Serbia, Ukraine.
Then a flag at the end of the display caught my eye—a green field, with a Nordic cross in black. I flicked through my mental vexillological rolodex (built up from a youth wasted playing Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?), and couldn’t place it. It was clearly a Scandinavian flag, but it wasn’t a flag of any of the Scandinavian countries I knew.
With some Googling, I found the answer, and that set my medievalist spidey-sense tingling.
Vinland, Vinland, Vinland, the Country Where I Want to Be
That is the “Vinnland flag”.
The “Vinnland flag.”
For those unaware, “Vinland” is the name given to North America by the Vikings who visited it. The name is first reported in Adam of Bremen’s eleventh century text Descriptio insularum Aquilonis, where, in a conversation with King Sweyn II of Denmark, Adam relates:
He spoke of yet another island of the many found in that ocean. It is called Vinland because vines producing excellent wine grow wild there. [note: this etymology is probably incorrect] That unsown crops also abound on that island we have ascertained not from fabulous reports but from the trustworthy relation of the Danes.
But the Viking colony in North America was not to last. Scholars found a Viking village at L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, dating to around CE 1000. But it was not occupied for very long.
And they certainly didn’t make a flag.
So where did this come from?
The band Type O Negative in concert in Berlin in 2007. Note the flags flanking the stage.
The Vinnland flag was designed in the 1990s by Peter Steele, bassist and singer for the popular goth metal band Type O Negative. This was apparently a fusion of the band’s colors (all of their album covers are black and green), and a representation of the singer’s interests in his Nordic heritage, environmentalism, and socialism.
This isn’t completely out of character for metal bands of that era. Several bands from this era fashioned new Viking mantles for themselves, because they considered the Vikings the ultimate bad-boys of medieval Europe. Simon Trafford and Aleks Pluskowski traced the origins and permutations of the “Viking metal” scene in their article “Antichrist Superstars: The Vikings in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal.” Several metal bands, especially (though not exclusively) ones originating in Scandinavia, appropriated Viking imagery and mythos through an hypermedieval, hypermasculine, misanthropically anti-Christian, anti-establishment lens.
So I’m sure you can see where this is going: this hypermasculine anti-establishment form of heritage often crossed the line into racist far-right nationalism. This closely echoes Nazi Germany’s own attempts to appropriate Viking symbols and mythologies, as Julian Richards explains:
In Germany under the Nazis a more sinister interpretation of Vikings developed […] When they came to power in 1933 they began a crusade against modern ‘decadent’ culture, systematically replacing it with their own version of Aryan culture, based on Vikings, Old Norse mythology, Wagner, and German peasant culture. The Vikings became part of the fair-haired, blue-eyed, clean-living ideal of the National Socialist Party.
But, as Trafford and Pluskowski explain, it’s important not to paint all metal bands with the brush of neo-Nazism:
an undercurrent of racism, nationalism and anti-Semitism continues to permeate many parts of the black metal scene. On the other hand there are a number of bands who are merely extremely interested in the Vikings, and Norse mythology in particular […] There are perhaps as many definitions of what constitutes Viking Metal as there are fans.
The metal band Manowar. Did I really need to include this image? No. But here we are. Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns
Type O Negative wasn’t an out-and-out Viking metal band like Enslaved or even Manowar. They only very occasionally used Viking imagery; the clearest connection to an imagined Viking past was in the Vinnland flag. Like the Vikings themselves, Type O Negative was open for interpretation by their fans, some of whom were (or are) white-nationalists. For example, ‘Vinnland’ has had a (deeply odd) website since 2007, the very end of the band’s career. It seems to be fan-created—though it is unclear exactly who wrote the site or why. It espouses a bizarre mythological origin story for the band:
For over 300 years the peoples of Vinnland have been suppressed by their corrupted rulers. Their history eradicated, their culture trampled under the boot of American capitalism and imperialism. Many were driven westward and put in “reserves”. Others were made to abandon their old practices and forcefully integrate into the society of the capitalist oppressor. Futhermore they were violently forced to convert to Christianity, abandoning their believes in the Æsirs, and forced to believe a monotheistic lie.
But the Vinnland blood strain, pale skinned, black haired people are spread throughout the lands of America.
They live unnoticed among us and wait for the day they can reclaim the country which is legally theirs and which they love so much. Under the leadership of the fearless Peter Steele the United Vinnland Peoples Front (disguised as the band Type O Negative) spreads its message of paganism, love for nature and socialist political ideals to the indigenous population of Vinnland.
This has all the hallmarks of the worst excesses of the Viking metal scene: a mythos created around anti-establishment and anti-Christian narratives that quickly pivots into a racist mythology about superior blood lines. But further resisting simple readings, it’s possible that this was all a half-baked joke. As a profile of Peter Steele, the band’s frontman, in The Atlantic upon his death in 2010 states:
Steele took nothing and everything seriously. Upon moving record labels in 2005, the band released a tombstone image on its Web site faking Steele’s death. Indeed, no one was ever sure if Steele was joking when he created a false, quasi-Nordic nation Republic of Vinnland, including a flag. Though he grew up in Bensonhurst and was close with Jewish bandmate Josh Silver, Steele’s half-baked deconstruction of American social welfare policy “Der Untermensch,” may not have been the best choice of language and topic for a song. The “Nazi sympathizer” tag followed Steele throughout his life.
A Riddle, Wrapped in a Mystery, Inside an Enigma
A protester wearing a “Kekistan” flag popular with the so-called “alt-right” in Portland, Oregon, U.S. June 4, 2017. Photo credit: Newsweek.
It’s easy to see then how Type O Negative might appeal to neo-Nazis who, rightly or wrongly, saw their ideology reflected in the band’s music and mythos. And so, those neo-Nazis appropriated their symbol; when you Google “Vinland Flag”, the first result is an entry from the Anti-Defamation League’s Hate Symbols Database. As the ADL writes:
In the early 2000s, white supremacists (most notably, the Vinlanders Social Club, a racist skinhead gang) began to appropriate the flag as a white supremacist symbol. Common variants involve adding one or more other hate symbols to the flag.
Despite its increasingly common use by white supremacists, many non-racists (including fans of Steele and Type O Negative) also use or display this symbol, so it should always be judged carefully in its context.
Having discovered all of this, while staring at the odd flag waving in the summer breeze, my eye started to twitch.
I was suddenly confronted with two equally likely possibilities:
on the one hand, the Vinnland flag waving at me could be yet-another appropriation of the medieval (or in this case, a medievalism) by white-supremacists in order to push their hateful agenda;
on the other hand stood the possibility that someone in the shop was not a neo-Nazi at all but simply a fan of Type O Negative, or mistook the flag for one of a real country.
Was it a racist dog whistle? Or was it simply a band flag?
Following the ADL’s advice of judging carefully in its context didn’t help either; the shop was an innocent-seeming place, full of flags and toys and kites and no obvious signs of white supremacy. On the other hand, one of the flags they flew outside was the “Thin Blue Line” flag. This flag was originally created to honor the sacrifices of police officers, but, you guessed it, the flag has subsequently been appropriated by those advocating that “Blue Lives Matter” in opposition of the Black Lives Matter movement.
So was this flag a white supremacist appropriation of the Middle Ages? I don’t know. And without more information about the person who chose and raised that flag, I can’t know.
That’s why I call it a Schrödinger’s Medievalism.
Quantum Medievalism
In the famous “Schrödinger’s cat” thought experiment, Erwin Schrödinger said (entirely theoretically) that because of quantum mechanics, if you put a cat in sealed box with a flask of poison and a radioactive trigger, you cannot tell what state the cat is in—whether it is alive or dead—without opening the box. So, without more information, the cat can, weirdly, be considered both alive and dead at the same time.
So, that Vinnland flag was a “Schrödinger’s medievalism.”
A Schrödinger’s Medievalism, in the flesh.
To my mind, a Schrödinger’s medievalism is a piece of medieval culture found in the wild that you know has been appropriated as a symbol by right-wing nationalists or racists. But, that piece of culture also has a broader, potentially benign, meaning. You can’t tell which is it until you get more information—and sometimes doing so is impossible. So, sometimes you are left in the uncomfortable position of having to treat it as both benign and hostile at the same time.
Another example of a Schrödinger’s medievalism involves something that Sierra Lomuto discussed in an excellent essay at In the Middle. Lomuto relates how she encountered a tattoo artist—who specializes at translating Celtic imagery from medieval manuscripts into body art—at a conference. There is nothing inherently racist about getting a Book of Kells inspired tattoo. But, as Lomuto explains, things took a turn in the Q&A session:
When asked about her clients’ motivations by an audience member, the artist explained that her clients are white people looking for a heritage to celebrate during a time when “being white is bad.”
She further explains:
It is one thing for an Irish person to celebrate their ethnic heritage with a Celtic tattoo and quite another for a white person to use Celtic iconography to symbolize their racial whiteness despite their actual heritage. Race and ethnicity are not interchangeable categories of identity. To celebrate one’s Irish, German, or Italian ethnicity is akin to celebrating one’s Ethiopian, Chilean, or Thai ethnicity. There is no equation to be made between whiteness and ethnic heritage. Whiteness is a racial category of privileged dominance; it is a power structure upheld by the oppression and marginalization of non-whiteness.
And Lomuto was not speaking from theory here; the conference presenter’s name was fêted on the neo-Nazi website Stormfront as someone who could provide racist body art that could fly under the radar:
the OP [Original Poster] asks for tattoo ideas and our conference speaker’s name is suggested along with the advice that Celtic crosses work better for tattoos because they are not as obvious as a swastika. The OP expresses concern about being ostracized for his beliefs, fully aware of the negative perception of white nationalists, and his respondents offer him ways in which he might be more covert. A Celtic tattoo is one such suggestion.
The Celtic tattoo is thus also a Schrödinger’s medievalism; if you spot someone wearing one, it is not immediately obvious whether the person sporting it is doing so for toxic reasons. And naturally, not knowing this can be anxiety-inducing.
Another example: I attended the Maryland Renaissance Festival this year, and in the crowd I noted a small group of four young people. They were all cosplaying, and all wearing replica amulets of Thor’s hammer. Thor’s hammer amulets are complicated; the ADL Hate Symbols Database has an entry for it.
Idris Elba as Heimdall leads a diverse group of Asgardians in Thor: Ragnarok.
For some white-nationalists, Thor is an icon of white Aryan warrior masculinity. But Marvel’s Thor comic books and films have been reimagining the Norse mythological tradition in a way that is more inclusive than ever. And notably, three of the four cosplayers I saw were people of color. For them, it seemed that Viking religion was simply cool, and the amulets were part of a fun costume.
White supremacists try to appropriate these sort of symbols precisely for this reason: it’s easy for them to hide in plain sight, allowing them to slip under our radar. And even more insidiously, when it comes to light that these are sometimes used as symbols of hate, it can make white supremacists’ numbers seem greater than they really are. To extend the metaphor, it floods our radar with false positives, causing us to see white supremacy everywhere, even in places where it is not.
Having written about the white supremacist attempts to appropriate the Middle Ages this year, I now see Schrödinger’s medievalisms all the time. And in the light of the very real white supremacy splayed across our politics and our news every day, it’s very difficult not to get freaked out.
On What Hills Do We Die?
This leads us to the final question: what do we do about it? This is a critical question for anyone who loves the Middle Ages in a time of resurgent blatant racism. Broadly speaking, there seem to be two options: we can cede the territory, labeling these symbols entirely problematic and banning them outright. Or we can fight for them.
The answer is not quite as simple as it might seem—there are benefits to the former. If we cede the territory, that makes our radar clearer; if we make it clear that the Vinland flag should today be always considered a racist symbol, then we know what it means when someone flies it. It makes the world a little less ambiguous, a little less scary.
But that has drawbacks, too, because it is ceding the medieval history we love and study to those who would twist it for their aims. Of course, some symbols have definitely been compromised to such a degree that they are likely unrecoverable; unless you follow Hinduism, Buddhism, or Jainism, the swastika is not for you.
But there is value in fighting for our more-ambiguous historical symbols. It shows that, as people who love the Middle Ages, we are not willing to leave it to be twisted by those who would use it to promote a hateful agenda. It shows that the Middle Ages itself is not what those who abuse it say it is; it is broader, more complex, and more inclusive than they would ever imagine.
There is absolutely no reason that those cosplayers shouldn’t have worn Thor’s hammer to the renaissance fair. Though it is used as a racist symbol by some, it doesn’t belong to white supremacists. And even a supposed “historical accuracy” argument doesn’t hold water; we have found evidence that suggests that a few people of color may have worn them during the Viking Age!
Yes, the Nazis used (and neo-Nazis still use) Viking symbols. But let us not forget, as Lars Lönnroth reminds us in his chapter of The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings, that these also offered strength to those fighting the Nazis:
As a matter of fact, Viking symbols were also used by the Resistance movement in its underground war against the German occupation. One legendary Resistance group in southern Denmark, for example, was named Holger Danske after a famous Old Norse saga hero. Its members mainly consisted of farmer who had grown up in the Grundtvigian folk high school tradition and therefore found it quite natural to be inspired by Norse mythology in their struggle against the German enemy.
This is, in essence, what we have been trying to do with the The Public Medievalist’s Race, Racism and the Middle Ages series: fighting for the idea that the Middle Ages is not territory that we are willing to cede, and showing that the Middle Ages are also full of stories that can offer us strength and hope today. So if white supremacists want it, they are going to have to go through us.
The Virgin Mary: Beautiful and Black?
by Sarah Randles on December 21, 2017
Part XXXVIII in our ongoing series on Race, Racism and the Middle Ages, by Sarah Randles. You can find the rest of the special series here.
Medieval Christians did not care what race the Virgin Mary was.
That comes from the blog of Professor Rachel Fulton Brown, medievalist at the University of Chicago. While we here at The Public Medievalist try not to weigh in too heavily on active academic debates, this time, we’ll make an exception. The reason is that her article was snarkily titled ‘How to Signal you are not a White Supremacist’. Professor Fulton Brown appeared to be arguing that the Middle Ages could not be used to support modern white supremacism, because medieval people were not racist.
We here at The Public Medievalist have taken some rather great pains in the past nine months to uncover the answer of the deceptively simple question ‘Were medieval people racist?’ The answer has been, as they almost always are with deceptively simple questions like this, ‘it’s complicated’. But in that complexity, the answer is certainly not a simple ‘no’.
To briefly summarize her argument: Fulton Brown’s chief evidence is the stained glass window above, known as the Belle Verrière, at Chartres Cathedral. Fulton Brown interprets the figure at the centre as a dark-skinned Virgin Mary. She implies that this means medieval people understood the Virgin Mary as a dark-skinned Jewish woman. And thus, they cannot be racist.
This is not true; in that particular image Mary does not have dark skin, medieval European Christians did not generally think of her as dark-skinned, and many medieval people were racist (though race and racism were very different then).
There is a bigger question, however. Did medieval European Christians think of biblical characters—especially figures like the Virgin—as Jewish or dark-skinned? And what does that mean about their perception of race?
A Look at the Evidence
Face of Notre-Dame de la Belle Verrière, after cleaning © Stuart Whatling.
Thankfully, Marian at Mostly Medieval has already shown that the face of the Virgin in the Belle-Verrière was not originally intended to be dark. But I can show you why: the ‘close up’ photo of the Virgin’s face that Fulton Brown posted is from a Wikimedia photo taken by Hans Bernhard in 1964. After 1964, Belle Verrière underwent both restoration and cleaning; the glass had its patina of age removed, and its cracks were fixed. As you might guess, the Virgin’s face is now much lighter, as noted by Marian in her blog post. You can see the results in this detailed photograph by Dr. Stuart Watling (right).
So, this Virgin Mary in Chartres wasn’t dark-skinned, just dirty.
And moreover, she’s not even medieval. As Marian noted, a restoration was undertaken in 1906, which replaced the previous glass—which was itself a restoration of unknown date! The brown mottling still evident on the panel as it has been restored today suggests either that it underwent the same browning corrosion which affected the medieval glass, in a process which accelerated in the twentieth century, or that the 1906 restorer attempted to replicate the damage already evident in other medieval glass in the cathedral.
Cult of the Carts, Miracles of the Virgin Window, Chartres Cathedral © Stuart Whatling
Marian has also pointed out that the Virgin’s face, in its current state, is no darker than many of the other faces in the medieval stained glass at Chartres. To this I’d add that there are many figures at Chartres with a brown skin tone where there is no biblical precedent to suggest they might have been intended to represent Jewish or sub-Saharan African people. Even a scene from the “Miracles of the Virgin” window (believed to depict the parishioners of Chartres pulling carts to assist in the rebuilding of the Cathedral), shows people with a range of different skin tones, including some which are as dark as the cleaned version of the Virgin’s face in the Belle Verrière.
Simply put, we can’t know the original colour of the Virgin’s face in the Belle Verrière, but there is no evidence that she was ever intended to be depicted as having dark skin. Judging by the colour of her face in the many thirteenth-century windows at Chartres, it seems it would have been exceptional if she had been.
However, Mary was associated with an Old Testament text from the Song of Songs which reads:
I am black, but beautiful.*
[Nigra sum, sed formosa. Song of Songs 1:5]
These lyrics were commonly sung as a short refrain (called an ‘antiphon‘) in the feasts of the Virgin. But despite the association of the Mary with the ‘nigra sed formosa’ woman of the Song of Songs in Liturgy, I do not know of any depiction of the Virgin Mary as dark skinned in stained glass, or, for that matter, in any manuscript illuminations, wall paintings or embroidery.
In only two media in medieval art does the Virgin appear, at least on the face of it, to have been depicted with dark skin: wooden statues common in Western Europe, especially in France from the twelfth century onwards, and later, icon-like paintings to the east.
“La Moreneta” (the Virgin of Montserrat), housed at the monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat, Spain. Likely 12th century, and also likely not originally with such a dark skin tone. Photograph From Wikimedia Commons.
Hundreds of medieval black Madonna statues have been found in Western Europe, many of them venerated as cult objects at various times during the Middle Ages and beyond. However, it remains a subject of debate as to whether individual statues were originally intended to be black, or whether they have become so over time (by either being painted or losing their paint). For example, the famous black Virgin of Montserrat (right), and the Notre-Dame du Pilier statue at Chartres have recently been shown to have originally had much lighter skin tone.
The blackness of these statues and images became an essential part of why and how they were used in worship. However, this does not necessarily mean that that the blackness of the statues was ever clearly associated with the idea of dark skin or that the people who venerated them thought that the Virgin Mary herself had dark skin.
Was Mary Jewish?
So if she was not depicted as dark-skinned, was the Virgin Mary depicted as Jewish? This is a more difficult question to answer. In medieval Christian art, Jewish men are usually denoted by the Judenhut (Jewish hat), sometimes by long beards, and frequently by anti-Semitic caricatures. But there is no standard way that medieval Europeans depicted Jewish women. Often they were portrayed in a way that does not mark them as different from Christian women—including showing no difference in skin tone. When they are depicted with negative stereotypes, they are depicted as sexually promiscuous. Obviously the Virgin Mary isn’t going to be depicted that way.
There are a few pieces of medieval art where Mary is shown unequivocally as Jewish. Those typically depict the Presentation of the Virgin to the Temple, an event which takes place in Mary’s childhood (but only in the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James—which was, essentially, a New Testament prequel).
In these images Mary’s Jewishness is implied by the context, rather than in her dress or body. In fact, Jewishness was rarely associated with dark skin in medieval Christian art–it is likely that medieval Christian artists, especially those in Northern and Western Europe, were familiar with Jewish people in their own communities who likely did not necessarily have darker skin.
While medieval Christians, including artists, understood intellectually that Christ and Mary were both Jewish and from the Middle East, this was of not something that was generally emphasised in medieval art. And in the case of the Virgin, at least, there was no visual language of difference that could indicate that she was Jewish.
People of Colour in Medieval European Art
Detail of the Verduner altarpiece in Klosterneuburg, Austria by Nicholas of Verdun, c. 1181. Photograph by Hans A. Rosbach/CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Even though the Virgin was not depicted as a person of colour, many people of colour are depicted in medieval images—if you want to explore some, see the excellent series The Image of the Black in Western Art, or the popular Tumblr site People of Color in European Art History.
It is clear that over the course of the Middle Ages, there was a developing tradition of depicting blackness in medieval European art. But why, if the Virgin Mary was associated with the ‘nigra sum sed formosa’ text, did medieval artists not depict her as a sub-Saharan African woman? Was it because dark-skinned people were unknown to the artists?
In twelfth-century Western Europe when the Chartres windows were made, images of sub-Saharan African people were rare. But they become more common in the later Middle Ages, reflecting increased contact between people of different cultures. While the ‘nigra sum sed formosa’ text was used in medieval liturgies which celebrated the Virgin Mary, it was also associated with the Queen of Sheba, who is depicted as dark-skinned in some medieval works of art from the twelfth century onwards.
Detail of Hans Vintler, Die Pluemen der Tugent (Tirol 1411), Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Cod.13567 fol.6r. Photograph by Jeff Bowersox, under a Creative Commons 4.0 International Licence.
However, in other works, the Queen of Sheba is depicted with light skin, as in one late-twelfth-century window at Canterbury Cathedral. In one fifteenth-century manuscript (right) she was originally depicted as light skinned, with blonde hair, but her skin was overpainted by a later illuminator, suggesting that the later artist was aware of conflicting models for depicting the Old Testament queen.
It seems, then, that in spite of being familiar with the use in liturgy of the ‘nigra sum sed formosa’ text that associated the Virgin Mary with the ‘black but beautiful’ woman of the Song of Songs, medieval artists actively chose to depict her with light skin—at least in the vast majority of Western European medieval images.
Medieval Whitewashing?
Should this then be interpreted as evidence for medieval racism? Were medieval Christian artists deliberately whitewashing a woman they believed to have dark skin in order to recreate her in their own image?
For the most part, medieval artists depicted the Virgin and other biblical characters in clothing and settings which mirrored their own—although that changed a bit in the later Middle Ages, when some artists attempted to historicise biblical depictions. But this does not mean that the practice of depicting Mary as a medieval European light-skinned woman was intended to remove an existing understanding of Mary as a person of colour from the visual record.
Medieval artists did not inherit a tradition of depicting the Virgin with dark skin. The ‘nigra sum sed formosa’ text from the Song of Songs was not necessarily understood literally. Like other Old Testament texts, it was interpreted typologically—as prefiguring the New Testament—and may never have been understood as meaning that the Virgin had dark skin. Although some of the black Madonna statues have been inscribed with the text from the Song of Songs, more research needs to be done to determine whether the inscriptions were made at the same time as the statues, or whether they were added later (perhaps to explain the colour that the statues had become over time).
Moreover, dark skin did not always have negative connotations for medieval Christians. The black magus at the Nativity and St. Maurice were understood to be sub-Saharan African people, and they were revered figures in the later Middle Ages. But as other contributors have explored in their articles in this series, some medieval European thinkers did equate blackness with evil. Like I said at the beginning of this article: it’s complicated. Not all medieval Europeans believed the same things.
Nonetheless, in creating the Virgin and Christ in their own image, medieval Christian artists, perhaps unwittingly, produced a visual world where people of colour were clearly framed as other. In doing so, they may not have been racist in the modern sense, but the legacy of their imagery was centuries in which the Virgin and Christ were made white.
Chantal Bouchon, ‘Un vitrail emblématique: Notre-Dame de Belle-Verrière’, in La Grâce d’une Cathédrale: Chartres, ed. Michel Pansard et al. (Strassbourg: Nuée Bluee, 2013), 217–21.
* Editor’s Note: The original translation of the ‘Nigra sum sed formosa’ text is considered by many scholars to actually be a mistranslation into Latin from the original Hebrew, which should more-accurately (and less-pejoratively) read ‘Nigra sum et formosa’, or, ‘I am black and beautiful’. That being said, it does seem as though the medieval church used the original ‘sed’ mistranslation. For more on how this one word can change the entire meaning, have a look at Kate Lowe‘s article on the topic here.
Were Medieval People Racist? IV: Race, Religion, and Travel
by James Hill on December 14, 2017
Part XXXVII in our ongoing series on Race, Racism and the Middle Ages, by James Hill. You can find the rest of the special series here.
In a temple, incense and music offered by astrologers (Bakashi) before an altar to a female idol for protection against bad weather. Li Livres du Graunt Caam, by Marco Polo. MS. Bodl. 264, pt. III, fol. 235r.
In my previous article, I discussed how unconcerned medieval European travel writers were with the skin colour of the people they encountered in other parts of the world. But there was one thing these travel writers described about virtually every tribe, individual, or kingdom they encountered: their religion. Faith was an object of intense fascination that permeated the medieval worldview in a way physical ‘racial’ differences do not appear to have done. It might seem surprising that physical differences appeared to be so unimportant to medieval writers, but it is probably less surprising that discrimination was not absent: in medieval travel writing, it often manifested as religious prejudice.
For travel writers like Marco Polo, John Mandeville, or William of Rubruck, there was a fairly standard way of introducing a new people in their texts: their name, their faith, and a couple of pertinent points about them—usually a cultural practice or an interesting anecdote. That’s not to say that these writers had much in-depth knowledge about the religious practices of any given area. Some writers, such as Mandeville, probably didn’t actually go anywhere and were dependent on other sources for their information. However, none of this stopped them from opining about other faiths.
You’ve Got To Have Faith
For these writers, the world fell into five broad categories. People were either:
Christian (even if they were ‘heretics’, they were still Christians),
Muslim,
Jewish,
‘Pagan’, or
‘Idolaters’.
The last two terms—‘pagan’ and ‘idolater’—are not always used consistently, and they can hold different meanings, even within these texts. But the general distinction is that shamanistic or animistic practices are described as ‘pagan’, while more organized faiths such as Buddhism or Hinduism are described as ‘idolatry’. This doesn’t hold true for other medieval texts, and polemicists were happy to pile terms on other faiths, but within travel writings, which were ostensibly aiming to be geographic works, the distinctions are comparatively consistent.
These European travellers were definitely interested in other faiths, and not always to blanketly condemn them. In some instances it was to understand them—if through a vastly imperfect lens, and from a generally assumed position of religious superiority. Descriptions of people’s religious sensibilities take up a huge amount of space in these works, and they are often tied to social and cultural curiosities. For example, Marco Polo reports that the whirling dervishes of Tibet are ‘wicked’ and ‘sorcerous’. But to him, the Buddhist monks of China are devout and praiseworthy for their discipline, charity, and learning.
In many cases, though, the narrators are intent on forming alliances and converting the people they encounter. The religious neutrality expressed by the Mongol khans is a source of frustration for friars like John of Plano Carpini and William of Rubruck (who I introduced in my previous article). These men, both missionaries and diplomats, initially misunderstand the khans’ invitations to Christian missionaries into their courts as encouragement, but are then disappointed when the khans decline to convert. John reports that he was assured by Christians in the emperor’s household that ‘they believed he was about to become Christian’, as he kept ‘Christian clerks, and he has always the chapel of Christians in front of his great tent, and they were allowed to chant publicly and openly’. This optimism does not appear to have borne any fruit though. William also hoped to convert the Mongols during his visit. He justifies his visit to the Golden Horde by saying,
We have heard say in the Holy Land that your Lord Sartach is a Christian, and greatly were the Christians rejoiced thereat… it is for this I wish to go to Sartach and carry to him letters of the lord king, in which he admononisheth him of the weal of all Christendom.
His mission hit rocky ground when he discovered that Sartaq (the son of the khan, Batu) was not in fact a Christian at all, even if he sometimes showed preference to them, but was a Mongol first and always. The tolerance of all faiths in the courts of the khans did provide an opportunity for substantial discussion about the superiority of Catholicism against other religions and strands of Christianity, however, and William takes pleasure in asserting the superiority of Latin learning (by his own account) over the local Nestorians. But ultimately, he fails to convert the Mongols, or anyone else, and seems to have not made much of an impression locally.
Of course, many of the non-Christian characters portrayed in these travelogues are said to be wicked. The friars describe many of the Mongols (‘Tartars’) as greedy, materialistic, and petty, insisting on gifts and robbing the Christian authors. Polo depicts Muslim leaders as avaricious; we are told that Ahmed, the minister of finance to Kublai Khan, was assassinated due to his great power, and his even-greater financial corruption. Polo also tells us that the last Caliph of Baghdad was killed by being locked in his (full) treasury by the Mongols until he starved because of his greed and poor rule in failing to defend his city with his great wealth. That this ever actually happened is, seemingly, immaterial (the Caliph was executed by the Mongols, but he was killed by being trampled with horses).
‘Idolaters’ are often portrayed as sexually promiscuous, and sometimes those descriptions are salacious, such as when they enter into shocking non-monogamous relationships or do not wear ‘enough’ clothes for the comfort of the writer’s sensibilities. Marco Polo recommends that any man between 16 and 24 should visit a small region of Southern China because of their peculiar marriage customs:
nothing on earth would induce a man to marry a virgin; for they say a woman is worthless unless she has been intimately acquainted with many men… This, then, is how they go about getting married. You may take my word for it that whenever foreigners pass through this region and pitch their tents to make camp, the old women from the villages and hamlets bring their daughters, twenty or forty at a time, and thrust them at the men, begging them to have their way with them and sleep with them. And the chosen girls stay with the travellers, and the rest ruefully return home. The men are free to take their pleasure with them as long as they remain, but are not allowed to carry them off anywhere else. And when they have had their fill and are ready to leave, it is customary for each to give a jewel or token to the women he slept with, so that she can prove she had a lover when she comes to marry. Custom dictates too that before a girl can think of marrying she needs to have more than twenty of these tokens around her neck as proof that she has had many lovers and slept with many men.
The story goes on, but you get the idea. There are many similar stories of sexual openness, prostitution, and other exoticising narratives of women in the East. Many, or perhaps even all of these narratives were fictional. But they signal a beginning to a very long trend of exoticisation, objectification, and sexualisation of southeast Asian women by European men.
Despite glaring examples like this, non-Christian people are not always described in negative terms. The yogis of India are praised for their simple way of life. The astronomers of China are lauded for their great wisdom. The khans are often portrayed as very generous and just. The technological and social advancement of Chinese society was a marvel for travellers. Additionally, many of the peoples of the world are merely identified, and not judged. In all cases though, the reader is keenly aware of the faith of these people, whether they were good, bad, or simply there. This shows what writers thought was important information for their audience: a people’s religious and cultural practices were much more important than their physical characteristics. Perhaps it is this privileging of the substance of a person over their appearance that led to the apparent belief by some medieval Europeans that a person’s physical characteristics could change. If a physical characteristic represented a part of the character of a person, it had to be able to change with religion or culture, and could not be as important as the internal thing it reflected.
Monsters in the Deep
Monstrous people attributed to Andaman (from the Bay of Bengal) by Marco Polo: dog-faced man, a cyclops, and wild men. Bodleian, MS. Bodl. 264, part III Marco Polo. Click to enlarge.
The one set of people whose appearance takes priority over all other factors is the ‘monstrous peoples’ that occupy the pages of stories like John Mandeville’s Travels. These monstrous people are identified by their physical characteristics alone: men with dog’s heads, people with their heads in their chests, a people with a single leg they used to shade themselves from the sun. It is easy to tell that these are pure fiction (not just because we know that they are not real) but because in these works, they never have any contextual information. There are no descriptions of their cultures or religious practices, just their appearances. They are nothing more than their bodies. Most humans seem to be the inverse: little more than their religion and culture.
More monstrous people from Marco Polo, one of whom is a unicorn. Bodleian, MS. Bodl. 264, pt. III. Click to enlarge.
These mythical people usually come tacked on to the end of a survey of the world. They are always in far-off lands that the narrator does not actually visit, and separate from descriptions of ‘real’ people. For example, the story of the one-footed people in Mandeville’s book is separated from a much-more-detailed description of the Nubians, the Ethiopians, and the other peoples of what was referred to as ‘Assyria’. Other examples contain ‘wild men with horns on their heads’, who ‘dwell in woods and do not speak’, ‘ugly folk without heads, who have eyes in each shoulder; their mouths are round, like a horseshoe, in the middle of their chest’, ‘people who have feet like horses, and run so swiftly they overtake wild animals and kill them for food’, or ‘giants, foul and horrible to look at, who have only one eye’.
Many of these stories come from older classical myths. For instance, the dog-headed tribe of Northeast Asia existed in two separate ancient stories: one Greek, and one Chinese. They are included in the travel narratives of John of Plano Carpini, William of Rubruck (who places them in northeast Asia like the Chinese legend does), Marco Polo (who places them in North India, following Pliny), and John Mandeville (who oddly places them in Indonesia). It seems that dog-headed people were an expected part of the genre. But none of these writers treat them in the same way they treat the humans they encounter. The writers never describe them in any further detail other than explaining that they are a people with dog’s heads instead of human ones.
We can only assume that ‘monstrous’ peoples were to be seen as geographically linked to, but not the same as, actual humans. A monstrous people’s religion is never described in these travel texts. Medieval travel texts do not assess the morality of monstrous peoples, and they are not explicitly linked to ‘human’ races. Mandeville has a single paragraph devoted to them (with the occasional sentence elsewhere), and it is purely descriptive. Polo and William of Rubruck are similarly terse. Human people, whose faiths are examined in depth, are rarely given much in the way of a physical description. Monstrous people have nothing else.
How much should we assume that the stories of these monstrous peoples were supposed to reflect the real world, or even the imaginative landscape? It is unclear whether a medieval audience was even supposed to be treating them as real; travellers, despite regularly populating the world with such monsters, never seemed concerned about bumping into them. No one ever claims to have seen or interacted with them. Perhaps their main purpose is to conjure exoticism, adding drama and mystery to an area that no one will go.
So, Were Medieval European Travel Writers Racist?
In modern terms, these medieval European writers did not appear to make the same assumptions about people that constitute textbook racism today. They do not link skin colour with moral worth. They do not connect physical or intellectual characteristics to ‘racial’ characteristics like skin, eye, or hair colour. These features all crop up here and there: sometimes in classical works, sometimes in high medieval ones, and quite regularly in early modern texts. But the late-medieval travel writer did not define race the way we do today. This was not simply a quirk of genre, either. Earlier geographic works, particularly classical ones, were very happy to speculate about skin colour and its meaning. The fact that medieval ones don’t suggests that something else is happening.
Given the disinterest in the physical manifestations of difference in these examples of medieval travel writing, it would be tempting to say that racism wasn’t a feature of medieval Europe. But this is only possible if you use a very narrow, very modern understanding of what ‘race’ is. Travel writers divided up the world and stereotyped just as much as anyone else. But their social priorities do not seem to map particularly closely to our own. To the medieval traveller, the divide between faiths seemed to eclipse, almost entirely, the physical differences between them and other people. Faith was, by far, the most important factor in describing the world and ascribing meaning to actions.
People in the Middle Ages were certainly not model egalitarians. They were completely capable of disgust at other cultures and vitriolic hatred of other faiths. That hatred was just based on somewhat different criteria. Many medieval Europeans were not very tolerant of religious, social, or cultural differences. This can be thought of as ‘racism’, but a racism organised across very different lines, or perhaps not especially organised at all.
But there is a glimmer of hope as well. When medieval Europeans left Europe (or even just imagined leaving Europe), they did not treat everyone they met with scorn. These writers frequently show the humble, intrepid, and inquisitive spirit that has been the hallmark of great travellers throughout time. They reveal the two faces of travel—that of imposing your own values upon other cultures that you instinctively define as ‘inferior’, or of approaching them as men and women who display all the various ways in which a life can be lived well.
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To Russia, With Love: Courting a New Crusade
by Amy S. Kaufman on February 28, 2017
This is Part V of The Public Medievalist’s continuing series on Race, Racism and the Middle Ages.
Go back to the beginning of the series here.
This month, Trump is on the warpath over the media’s exposure of his administration’s ties to Russia. Many Americans find themselves confused: why would a Republican administration that wants to “Make America Great Again” be so interested in cozying up to an undemocratic world power? And why are so many Republican legislators unwilling to investigate Trump’s glaring foreign conflicts of interest?
The obvious financial ties between Russia and the Trump administration may be one explanation for Trump’s strange bedfellows, but these don’t explain why, as the Washington Post reports, “Vladimir Putin’s popularity is soaring among Republicans.” The truth—deeper and far more disturbing than economic corruption—is that some people on the American right hope to partner with Russia in a neomedieval crusade against Islam.
The Link between Russia and White Terrorism
This Crusader meme was shared enthusiastically on conservative websites, including Fox News commentator Stacey Dash’s blog.
In November 2016, anti-terrorist intelligence specialist Malcolm Nance warned that the Trump administration’s embrace of Russia was linked to white nationalism and possible plans for war in the Middle East:
“What we’re seeing is an alignment where people believe that they have to align the United States and Russia as an axis of Christendom against Islam, in a clash of civilizations that Osama bin Laden dreamed about.”
Nance even predicted that we would see an “Americanization” of terrorist acts committed by white supremacist neo-Crusaders like Anders Breivik in Norway. Breivik, who believed he was a Knight Templar, murdered seventy-seven people in what his own manifesto called a pre-emptive strike on behalf of a “pan-European Crusader Movement.”
Unfortunately, Nance has turned out to be exactly right. For example, the same anti-Muslim, white nationalist propaganda that caused Breivik to think he was reviving the Crusades drove Alexander Bissonnette to murder six people at a mosque in Quebec last month. Like Breivik, Bissonnette imagined himself as a neomedieval warrior, even posting this image on his Facebook page:
Image from the Facebook page of Quebec terrorist Alexandre Bissonnette.
Last week, two Indian engineers were murdered in Kansas by a man who thought they were Middle Eastern Muslims. It didn’t matter to the shooter where his victims were actually from: his white nationalism and his anti-Muslim “crusade” ensured that the only important factor when he chose his victims would be the color of their skin. For him, and for many others on the violent far right, race and religion are interchangeable.
But why would Nance tie white terrorism to Russia in particular? First of all, contemporary white nationalist terrorists get much of their motivation from the Internet, particularly from Reddit, Twitter, and 4chan, where paid Russian commenters actively promote far-right nationalism and anti-Islamic bigotry. Secondly, and more importantly, this cocktail of Islamophobia and white nationalism is being raised in a toast to one particular, neomedieval leader: Vladimir Putin.
The Great White Hope
Many of the alt-right’s pro-Putin memes are also anti-Obama. This one reimagines Putin as a violent, sociopathic billionaire with delusions of self-righteousness.
Shirtless on horseback, singing a charming song, and (literally) throwing down on Russia’s national Judo team with his “manly” martial arts prowess, Putin was the darling of media outlets like Fox News and Breitbart throughout the latter half of Obama’s presidency. Putin has long promoted this cult of personality, peddling himself as a leader who can reclaim the power that whites, men, and Christians believe they have somehow lost to “political correctness” and “social justice”.
Putin uses this myth of lost power to fuel his merciless persecution of LGBTQ people, his crackdown on feminism, and his elevation of the Orthodox Church in Russia. But his methods are brutal: he has outlawed “homosexual propaganda,” inspired mob violence against gays, and even endorsed the abuse of women by officially decriminalizing domestic violence.
Needless to say, American white supremacists are big fans. They laud Putin’s attempt to raise the white birth rate in his country. They praise the fact that his regime is causing Jews to leave Russia. And they glorify Putin as an “alpha” who, one American blogger argues, is teaching Russian men to “harness their testosterone.” Those to want to “preserve the privileged place of whiteness in Western civilization” and combat “anti-Christian degeneracy” see Putin as their “ideal ruler,” even “the leader of the free world.” The white supremacists over at Daily Stormer even say that “in the culture war for mankind’s future”, Putin is “one of us.”
Many radical eschatological Christians believe that Putin will help unite all of Christendom for a new crusade in the Middle East.
But it isn’t just extreme white supremacists writing love letters to Putin. Some American evangelicals also admire the Russian leader as “the lion of Christianity,” a heroic champion of the Christian faith in a ‘pagan’ world. Putin cultivates this neomedieval image. He even erected a giant statue to his medieval namesake Prince Vladimir the Great—the “founder of eastern Slavic Orthodox civilization.” In fact, he used this particular segment of medieval history to argue for his annexation of Crimea.
You would think religious Americans might be less eager to sacrifice their principles, and their Constitution, to partner with a world leader who silences the free press, jails and kills his political rivals, and who has shut down democracy to ensure that he’ll be president for life. But for those lost in a racist, Islamophobic fever dream, liberty and democracy are no longer the point. Instead, many of them believe the West needs to sacrifice these unrealistically lofty ideals to arm itself for a global war against Islam.
The New Crusade
Crudely photoshopped “alt-right” memes fuse crusader imagery, inside jokes and crypto-langauge to put a playful veneer on their hateful ideology.
Peter Beinart, writing for The Atlantic, identifies the segment of the right wing willing to cast aside democracy to ensure Christian supremacy as “civilizational conservatives.” Allied with the so-called “alt-right,” this splinter group believes that a “civilizational struggle” between Christianity and Islam is immanent. Unlike more tolerant, mainstream “ideological conservatives,” civilizational conservatives do not distinguish between radical Islam and the vast majority of ordinary, peaceful Muslims. Instead, they believe a new crusade between Islam and Christianity is inevitable, and that everyone must choose a side.
Unfortunately for peace-loving Americans of any religious affiliation, these civilizational conservatives are now in our White House and directing our foreign policy. Steve Bannon is the most infamous example. Bannon, Trump’s chief strategist and a member of his National Security Council, has warned of “a global war against Islamic fascism.” Bannon believes Christians are “already in” this war, and, in a 2014 speech at the Vatican alarmingly pointed to the medieval Crusades as a model for action:
“If you look back at the long history of the Judeo-Christian West’s struggle against Islam, I believe that our forefathers kept their stance, and I think they did the right thing. I think they kept it out of the world, whether it was at Vienna, or Tours, or other places… It bequeathed to us the great institution that is the church of the West.”
Bannon’s convoluted speeches are augmented by his filmmaking career, which includes a bizarre “documentary” called Torchbearer starring Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson. The duck-call-patriarch-turned-prophet believes that “the Roman Empire’s bloody debauchery, Robespierre’s French Terror, the Nazi genocide, the Khmer Rouge, Boko Haram, the ISIS terror army, and America’s embrace of abortion…are the predictable results of cutting God out of entire societies”; for Robertson, forming a “Judeo-Christian republic” is the only way to fight the forces of godless evil and save our civilization.
But despite his supposed championship of “Judeo-Christian” ideals, Bannon is the same man who allegedly did not want his daughters going to school with Jews. His recent CPAC speech was full of dog-whistles to white supremacists, including bashing the “corporatist, global media” (which translates as “Jews” in the “alt-right” ear). He declared that America was “Not an economy just in some global marketplace with open borders, but we are a nation with a culture and a reason for being.” To Bannon, Robertson, and white supremacists everywhere, this means America is a white Christian nation. Its existential mission is to defend against the “Islamic fascism” he warned about in 2014.
Alas, Bannon is not the only “civilizational conservative” in the White House. He was recently joined by Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to the president. Gorka argues that the Qur’an “predisposes” Muslims to acts of terror, has declared that a “Christian Holocaust” is underway in the Middle East, and persuades his lecture audiences to cheer at the sight of dead Muslim bodies. Unsurprisingly, Gorka’s hatred of Islam pairs with his ties to anti-Semitic groups.
As you can see, civilizational conservatism isn’t just about Islamophobia. It’s about white Christian supremacy. Any pro-Israel sentiments or pro-Jewish rhetoric only exist because they mistakenly see Jews as ‘natural’ allies against Muslims or, worse yet, because they are deep believers in the Christian prophecy that Jews in Israel will convert before the end times during a civilizational war in the Middle East. Like some of the medieval crusaders who believed that whiteness was a mark of Christian purity, these self-styled neomedieval warriors choose their enemies just by looking at the color of their skin. After all, when your strategy is to “bomb the hell” out of the Middle East and ban immigration from seven entire countries, including America’s wartime allies, your philosophy is, for all intents and purposes, Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius: “Kill them all. For the Lord knows those that are His own.”
Not coincidentally, that is just the kind of bombing campaign that Putin inflicted on Syria. To civilizational conservatives who long for white global power, Putin—baring his glorious white chest astride his horse, making Russian Christianity great again, and smiting “social justice warriors” at home and Middle Eastern civilians abroad—is just the role model they’ve been longing for.
The Real Bad Hombres
What’s most ironic about the civilizational conservative movement is how eager its members are to become the very thing they claim to hate. Those who accuse ISIS of medieval barbarity are bloodthirsty for their own war in the Middle East. The same men who rail against Muslim “sexism” are pro-patriarchy themselves. Alexandre Bissonnette, the Quebec shooter, didn’t just denigrate Muslims in his Facebook posts—he also targeted feminists. White neo-Crusaders use the same rhetoric as the ISIS members they claim to be fighting. On inauguration night, Sebastian Gorka said he had a message for America’s troops in the Middle East: “The alpha males are back.” This rallying cry to the red-pill-swallowing “alt-right”, much like ISIS propaganda, uses the promise of heroic masculinity to recruit young men into their own bloody reenactment of the Crusades.
The fanatics who are so eager to preserve “Western Civilization” by any means necessary are likely to be the very same people who end up destroying it. And now that both ISIS and this radical American regime seem to be pushing an apocalyptic neomedieval global war, the rest of us need to fight even harder to keep from being dragged into a new crusade. True patriots on the left and right need to join together, unpack the rhetoric, tune out the lies, and determine, to borrow Trump’s own words, just “what the hell is going on.”
Continue to Part VI of our Series: Were Medieval People Racist?
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Is “Race” Real?
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I would like to know the Medievalist’s opinion of Bernie Sanders’ supporters’ infatuation with Game of Thrones.
Callum Carmichael says:
It’s kind of worth noting that the perception we have of Putin being tough on Muslims is almost entirely fake. Some of it is faked by the man himself, as Putin has an obvious fondness for exaggerated self-promotion, but quite a bit is faked in translation for the benefit of Westerners, both by English language Russian propaganda and by Breitbart, Fox, etc.
In reality, Russia has a larger Muslim population than any European country and, while racism against Muslims is endemic to Russia’s European cities, Muslim leaders like Ramzan Kadyrov are given spectacular amounts of autonomy and money (and often used to murder critics of the regime). Russia has even jailed nationalists for insulting Islam on occasion. Russian nationalists themselves often use similar language to deride Putin as the alt-right uses against Merkel, namely that he lets too many Muslims into Russia, doesn’t assert the rights of Orthodox Christians enough, silences people in the name of political correctness, etc.
So in addition to being a corrupt dictator who is increasingly comfortable with assassinating his opponents, Putin has attitudes towards Muslims that would horrify the alt right if they bothered to learn anything about their new favourite country.
Amy S. Kaufman
Amy S. Kaufman is a writer and former professor who specializes in Arthurian legend, Chaucer, and medievalism in popular culture. She’s co-authoring the forthcoming book, Misusing the Middle Ages, with Paul Sturtevant, and she’s Co-Director of Conferences for the International Society for the Study of Medievalism. You can find more information about her work at www.amyskaufman.com or follow her on Twitter at @drdarkage. Read Full
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Former Fab Exec Stretches E-Commerce Muscles
Posted on January 12, 2015 December 20, 2016 4:51 pm
A former executive of the seemingly imploding e-commerce site Fab.com has decided to branch off into his own online shopping venture, giving him a chance, experts say, to succeed in an online shopping business model where Fab has failed.
Bradford Shellhammer is gearing up for the launch of Bezar, a fashion and home design site on which each product has a shelf life of only a couple days. In an interview with TechCrunch, Shellhammer says Bezar, which will start selling products in March, will feature designers’ products in art, jewelry, house and accessories, with product prices generally ranging from $50 to $100.
The executive took only two-and-a-half weeks to raise $2.25 million in venture capital, he said, with seed-stage venture capital fund Lerer Hippeau as lead investor. While investor confidence in Bezar is clearly strong, experts say the Fab label is branded to Shellhammer’s name, which may not prove too attractive to new backers of the site.
Fab started out as a gay dating site, eventually turning to e-commerce and again morphing into Fab co-founder Jason Goldberg’s latest project Hem; sources told reporters that Fab would be sold to PCH for anywhere between $15 million and $50 million – a far cry from the $1 billion valuation the company saw in 2013.
By the time of the acquisition, Fab had reduced its staff from 150 to just 20; all of Fab’s high-profile acquisitions have now been handed over to Hem.
With the future of Fab uncertain, Shellhammer is taking his e-commerce career solo, and said he remains confident Bezar will not follow in the footsteps of its failed cousin.
"For one,” Shellhammer said of why his site will succeed, “Bezar has one leader instead of two. That’s not meant to disrespect Jason, but at Fab we were always compromising between the two of us."
Bezar is a chance for Shellhammer to take the flash sale model of online shopping and show the market that it can succeed. Reports say the Bezar founder takes inspiration from firms like Whole Foods for promoting unique, authentic products from small, independent producers. Still, Shellhammer said, he knows it will be some time before Bezar can stand on its own two feet with confidence.
"When you’re building a retail brand, you have to earn trust over and over with each transaction,” he said. “It will take many years to build that trust, but this isn’t just a business to me. It’s my life."
Related Items:Bezar, e-commerce, Fab, What's Hot
The Consumer Discretionary Spending Stall
Paypal Co-Founder Bets Big On Marijuana
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High court will not hear case opening Virginia police records
News Media Update U.S. SUPREME COURT Freedom of Information
The U.S. Supreme Court last week refused to consider a case in which the Virginia State Police lost a series of court battles to seal files from the 1982 rape and murder investigation of Earl Washington Jr.
Nov. 15, 2004 — U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist denied an expedited request last week by Virginia State Police to seal its files from a murder investigation that wrongly sent Earl Washington Jr. to death row.
The entire U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond (4th Cir.) had previously rejected a request by Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore to review an earlier three-judge panel decision to unseal documents from the 1982 capital murder and rape trial of Washington, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. Washington was exonerated after almost a decade on death row.
Ten of 14 documents from Washington’s investigation file were ordered unsealed earlier this month in a civil lawsuit filed on his behalf in 2002. The appellate court upheld U.S. District Court Judge Norman K. Moon’s determination that the Virginia Department of State Police “failed to present a compelling governmental interest” — or in the case of one document, any interest at all — sufficient to warrant keeping the papers sealed.
Kilgore argued that releasing the 14 documents could compromise the “active and ongoing” investigation into the 1982 rape and murder of Rebecca Williams in Culpeper, Va. The state claimed the documents should be kept sealed because they contained information concerning a “certain suspect or suspects,” as well as DNA evidence related to that suspect, Kenneth Maurice Tinsley. The district court, however, rejected the state’s argument because the Tinsley information was already a matter of public record, and his status as a suspect in the Williams case had been extensively reported in the media.
News organizations, including The Times-Dispatch , sought to have more than a dozen documents unsealed.
(Virginia Dept. of State Police v. The Washington Post, Media Counsel: John Kester, Williams & Connolly, Washington, D.C.) — CB
Court upholds order to unseal police documents in 18-year-old case (10/7/2004)
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House the Homeless with a Building Revolution
There is a generally sad acceptance that we have stopped caring for the most vulnerable in society, the homeless. As numbers of homeless in the UK continue to rise, it is increasingly important to look beyond personal circumstances and turn to wider government policy as a reason for homelessness.
Social democratic policy during the 20th century led to a clear reduction in poverty and income inequality, and a subsequent drop in numbers of homeless. This number rose sharply under Thatcher’s neoliberal welfare retrenchment. There is an undeniable correlation between homelessness and a lack of investment in welfarism.
As homelessness has continued to rise in the UK, it has fallen by 35% in Finland over the same time period. This comes after the Finnish government rolled out their pilot ‘housing first’ scheme, which provides homes for the homeless on an unconditional basis. This differs from the UK system under which homes are only provided on the basis of engaging with social and treatment services.
The evidence from Finland, as well as other similar schemes around the world, is remarkable - a housing first approach not only reduces homelessness but improves engagement in treatment services and produces an addiction recovery rate similar to that of a ‘treatment first’ approach.
Further still, the scheme has resulted in overall government savings as the use of emergency health services, police and criminal justice systems have fallen. [1]
In August 2018, the UK government revealed plans for an ‘extra £100m’ to be invested into solving the problem of homelessness and rough sleeping. However, it was quickly revealed that half of this has already been committed and the other half was money set to be re-prioritised from other existing budgets.
Renew will tackle homelessness by:
Trialling a ‘housing first’ scheme, like Finland’s, which provides homes for the homeless and looks to create savings in other services.
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Europol breaks up multi-million euro Internet fraud gang
Director of Europol Rob Wainwright (R) speaks next to Spain's Security State Secretary Francisco Martinez during a news conference at the Interior Ministry in Madrid February 13, 2013. REUTERS/Paul Hanna
MADRID (Reuters) - A network of online fraudsters who masqueraded as European crime-fighting agency Europol and collected millions of euros in fake fines has been broken up - by Europol.
The group, which worked across 30 countries over the past two years, paralyzed computers with a virus and left messages purporting to be from organizations like Europol and the police, saying users could only regain access to their machines if they paid a fine.
“It’s impossible to know for sure how many citizens were affected by this, but we estimate hundreds of thousands of Europeans were,” Europol Director Rob Wainwright said at a news conference in Madrid on Wednesday.
“If we take into account that the average fine was 100 euros ($130) and 3 percent...paid it, then the estimated damage is millions of euros,” he said. Wainwright added his own name had been used to trick Internet users.
The virus was known as “Ransomware” and had up to 48 different mutations to overcome anti-virus software.
The leader of the fraud network, a 27-year-old Russian citizen, was arrested in December in the United Arab Emirates, Spain’s secretary of state for security, Francisco Martinez, said at the news conference.
Spanish police arrested 10 members of the group last week on the country’s southern Costa del Sol, a popular tourist destination, Martinez said.
Six of the detainees were Russians, two were Ukrainian and two from Georgia. These members mostly took care of money laundering and sending cash electronically to Russia, while the head of the group was responsible for developing the virus. ($1 = 0.7442 euros)
Reporting by Cristina Fuentes-Cantillana; Writing by Clare Kane; Editing by Pravin Char
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September 9, 2014 / 9:10 PM / 5 years ago
Cuba estimates total damage of U.S. embargo at $116.8 billion
Daniel Trotta
HAVANA (Reuters) - U.S. economic sanctions against Cuba have cost the island nation $3.9 billion in foreign trade over the past year, helping to raise the overall estimate of economic damage to $116.8 billion over the past 55 years, Cuba said on Tuesday.
Cranes at Mariel port are seen on the outskirts of Havana August 20, 2014. REUTERS/Enrique De La Osa
The figures were published in a report that Cuba prepares for the United Nations each year in requesting a resolution urging an end to the comprehensive U.S. economic embargo and other sanctions against Cuba’s Communist government.
The United Nations has passed the resolution for 22 straight years with overwhelming support. Last year the vote was 188 to 2, with only the United States and Israel voting against the resolution.
Although many U.S. allies join Washington in criticizing Cuba’s one-party system and repression of political opponents, the Americans have lost nearly all international support for the embargo since the collapse of the Soviet Union. No other nation besides the United States has an economic embargo against Cuba.
Cuba in turn uses the embargo to counter internal discontent over a stagnant economy.
“ ... There is not, and there has not been in the world, such a terrorizing and vile violation of human rights of an entire people than the blockade that the U.S. government has been leading against Cuba for 55 years,” Deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno told reporters.
After Fidel Castro’s rebels came to power in Cuba in 1959, the United States imposed initial sanctions in 1960, and then a full embargo in 1961.
Other U.S. laws have strengthened the embargo over the years, imposing fines on companies from third countries that have business in Cuba and also in the United States.
The damage to Cuba’s foreign trade from April 2013 to June 2014 was $3.9 billion, the government said.
Cuba would have gained an additional $205.8 million just from sales of cigars and rum without the embargo, according to the report.
The cumulative figure of $116.8 billion was expressed in current prices. When factoring in the depreciation of the dollar against the international price of gold, the figure rises to $1.11 trillion, the government estimated.
Editing by David Adams and Jeffrey Benkoe
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August 15, 2018 / 12:32 PM / a year ago
EU acting too slowly with Poland on court independence: top judge
Justyna Pawlak, Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk
WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland’s top judge Malgorzata Gersdorf, who is locked in a dispute with the ruling party, has urged the European Union to move faster to defend her country’s judiciary from government efforts to increase its influence over the courts.
Supreme Court President Malgorzata Gersdorf speaks during Reuters interview at Supreme Court in Warsaw, Poland August 13, 2018. Picture taken August 13, 2018. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel
The EU’s executive Commission appears “to have put faith” in the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party’s openness to negotiate, even as the government was “playing for time”, she told Reuters in an interview.
Gersdorf, who is president of the Supreme Court, is at the centre of a dispute over the rule of law in Poland, the largest ex-communist state in the EU. She has defied PiS legislation to force her early retirement, insisting her constitutional term expires in 2020.
Last month, Polish President Andrzej Duda declared Gersdorf retired and she isn’t hearing cases, but she is still working out of her office at the Supreme Court building and receiving a salary.
After months of on-and-off negotiations, the EU has launched a series of legal steps against Poland’s rules on the Supreme Court and other judicial reforms that it believes contravene the bloc’s democratic standards.
The government says the overhaul is needed to improve the efficiency of the courts and rid the country of a residue of communism, which collapsed in Poland almost 30 years ago. Further negotiations are due to take place with Brussels but so far Warsaw has offered only cosmetic concessions.
“What may happen is ... judges will be fired and (the government) will take a step back but it won’t need to because the judges will be gone,” said Gersdorf, adding that the EU is acting “too late”.
PiS says everything it is doing is legitimate and backed by the majority of voters.
Sitting in a courtroom at the Supreme Court, Gersdorf, 65, said the EU was probably preoccupied with the rising tide of populism elsewhere in Europe to focus squarely on Poland.
She expressed hope that PiS - an economically left-leaning party with a nationalist agenda - would back down over the Supreme Court, but said she would walk away once a new chief was appointed constitutionally.
“We can’t dig trenches here. (I will) have to leave with dignity,” she said.
Gersdorf and judges’ groups in Poland believe efforts to push her out of the Supreme Court, which validates general election results in Poland, are unconstitutional.
Through a series of hastily-approved laws, PiS has dismissed or replaced many judges from the Constitutional Tribunal and the National Judiciary Council, as well as heads of regular courts.
Replacements have been appointed under revised procedures that give parliament more say.
Once new judges are brought into the Supreme Court, it will face significant difficulties in adjudicating cases for years because of their lack of experience or a lack of continuity in the judicial process, Gersdorf said.
A politicisation of Polish courts which the EU has warned about has yet to show its full impact on how the courts function, she said.
However, some judges have already faced criticism from politicians over their decisions. In particular, Gersdorf pointed to a statement by the Supreme Court this month that its judges should continue working until the EU’s court rules on the legality of measures that effectively allow the government to choose the court’s staff.
“It’s been said that (Supreme Court) judges ... should face disciplinary proceedings. This is very dangerous.”
Reporting by Justyna Pawlak; editing by David Stamp
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December 4, 2018 / 2:57 PM / 7 months ago
Uber launches bus-booking service in Egyptian capital
CAIRO (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc has launched a bus-booking service in Cairo, the company’s chief executive said on his first visit to Egypt on Tuesday, as the company aims to tap a sprawling low-income market.
The company also announced a new Uber Lite app that, from early next year, will allow users with basic Android phones and little connectivity to book trips in the Middle East.
“There are millions of people in Egypt and around the world who still face real barriers to using Uber,” CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said, adding that the new products will make the company’s services more accessible.
Egypt is home to more than 5 million Uber users, he said, adding that the company is also investing more than $100 million in an Egyptian customer support center.
“Egypt and the Middle East region are hugely important to Uber and we will continue to heavily invest in this part of the world,” Khosrowshahi said.
The new bus service will be the cheapest of Uber’s services in Cairo, he said.
Uber has been testing the service since September and will expand across Cairo in the coming months.
The announcement came a day after Uber’s Middle East rival Careem launched a bus-booking service in Egypt.
Last month Reuters reported that Careem had been working with investment bank Jefferies on investment options and fundraising, including a potential deal with Uber.
Reporting by Lena Masri; Editing by Sami Aboudi and David Goodman
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And the string of questions relating to sexual orientation and transgender status irritated her.
“I’m ticked off. Why do they ask an 83-year-old this?”
Alexander said the caller told her new federal law necessitated these questions, but as local Meals on Wheels Program Director David Morikawa explained, it’s actually a direct response to new state legislation.
Morikawa said a new California law requires meal-delivery services to issue sexual and gender minorities (SGM) survey questions, potentially to any and all of the program’s recipients. It had already surveyed participants about ethnicity.
But response from the participants is voluntary and won’t affect their service from the nonprofit organization.
“She doesn’t have to answer that,” Morikawa said.
As outlined in Assembly Bill 959, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in October 2015, and AB 677, signed last October, California’s LGBT Disparities Reduction Act went into effect July 1 this year.
Its first provisions call for four state departments, including the Department of Aging, to gather demographic data regarding sexual orientation and gender identity during the course of conducting surveys on ancestry or ethnic origin.
AB 959, penned by David Chiu, D-San Francisco, cites studies on same-sex couple poverty, hate crimes and health disparities as ample reason to collect widespread demographic data on the groups. LGBT populations have been found to have higher risk of cancer, mental illness, substance abuse and other adverse health conditions, Chiu explained.
“It is in the best interests of the state to respect, embrace, and understand the full diversity of its residents and to collect accurate data to effectively implement and deliver critical state services and programs,” the bill reads.
The departments of Health Care Services, Public Health and Social Services are the other three with the legislation taking effect this year.
Seven additional agencies are due to adopt the policy by July 1: the Department of Education, Department of Fair Employment and Housing, Department of Industrial Relations, Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Labor and Workforce Development Agency, Employment Training Panel and Employment Development Department (excluding the unemployment insurance program).
Many LGBT advocates nationwide have pushed for such survey questions to be voluntarily posed to citizens, seniors or otherwise, to facilitate better demographic data sets.
The issue has grown complicated over the past year or so, particularly when examined at the federal level.
Programs like Meals on Wheels receive a mix of local, state and federal funding. The federal funds come from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living, which designated $226 million nationwide toward “home-delivered nutrition services” for fiscal 2018. The Older Americans Act of 1965 created the Administration on Aging, which now falls under the ACL’s umbrella.
Support services are provided and coordinated to single- or multi-county geographic areas known as Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). These are local public or private nonprofits designated at the state level, according to ACL’s website.
On its website, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging says it consists of 622 of these AAAs. Among them is Agency on Aging Area 4, which is a partner of Meals on Wheels Sacramento.
The ACL collects performance and demographic data via annual, nationwide surveys issued to Older Americans Act participants selected from a random sample pool containing about half of the 622 AAAs. Unclear is which years, if any, the Sacramento-area agency was included in that pool.
Sexual and gender minorities-related questions were included in the nationwide survey from 2014 to 2016, but the Trump administration removed them from a draft of last year’s survey, the Associated Press reported in March 2017. Sexual orientation questions were amended back into the survey last June after the ACL received critical comments from 89 organizations, as stated in a Federal Register notice.
But the new survey draft still omitted gender identity questions, and ACL received more complaints – this time from 62 organizations and 15 individuals, as stated in a September 2017 register notice.
Finally, in March of this year, yet another Federal Register notice published by ACL announced plans to overhaul the national survey.
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The surveys in 2014 to 2016 asked questions including, “Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself?” with options for gay or lesbian, straight, bisexual, “refused,” “don’t know” or “something else,” according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “Something else” redirected to a follow-up question, with options for queer, trisexual, omnisexual, pansexual, transgender, transsexual, unlabeled, refusal to answer and an “other” option for identities not listed.
Those questions and answer options appear much more encompassing than the SGM questions found in the full report on an older national survey. The 2005 questionnaire simply calls for one’s gender and includes an all-caps instruction to the surveyor: “DON’T ASK IF OBVIOUS.”
The topic is under debate nationwide. A bill calling for the LGBT Data Inclusion Act, “requiring the collection of voluntary, self-disclosed information on sexual orientation and gender identity in certain surveys, and for other purposes,” was introduced to the U.S. Senate last July by Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., with no legislative action taken on it since.
On Sunday, The New York Times reported the Trump administration is considering a narrow definition of gender that would effectively leave transgender people “defined out of existence.” That definition would “define sex as either male or female, unchangeable, and determined by the genitals that a person is born with,” The Times wrote, based on a review of an HHS memo draft.
It’s a topic of hot debate. LGBT advocates continue to fight a spectrum of battles ranging from voluntary survey questions to the federally mandated definition of transgender.
But Alexander, the Citrus Heights octogenarian who said she recently suffered a stroke, said she found the recent survey so offensive, she has considered leaving the Meals on Wheels program entirely.
“These are stupid,” she said of the questions. “It just blows my mind that they have to do this.”
Meals on Wheels by ACC Senior Services started serving Sacramento County and western Placer County in 2010. With 5,660 annual participants (2,387 getting home delivery, the rest getting meal site service), the organization estimates it serves about 500,000 meals a year in the region. More than 500 volunteers help serve and deliver hot and frozen food.
“We just want to make sure we’re representing the people that are in our community,” said Morikawa, the program director.
Volunteers deliver blankets to patients in Roseville
By Caroline Ghisolfi
One of the most popular American video games on the market, Minecraft has surprising plus-sides, experts at UC Davis say. This virtual environment teaches leadership and community-building skills that may be transferable to the real world.
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SADF Team
About SADF Publications
In the Web
SADF
Think South Asia
Deutsche Welle interviews Dr. Siegfried O. Wolf: “Banishing the ‘extremist’ image – A crucial task for British-Pakistanis”
By SADF.
https://www.sadf.eu
Written by Shamil Shams
British-Pakistanis are shocked and appalled by the fact that one of the suspected London attackers is from their community. Yet they find it increasingly difficult to dissociate themselves from the radicalist tag.
British police have identified Khuram B., a Pakistan-born British citizen, as one of the three suspected attackers that killed and wounded scores of people in Saturday’s deadly assaults in London. The other two are Rachid R., who claimed both Libyan and Moroccan nationality, and Moroccan-Italian Youssef Z.
The Pakistani diaspora in the UK is embarrassed and shocked to learn that yet another British-Pakistani has been identified as a perpetrator of a terrorist attack on British soil. They fear getting stigmatized following Khuram B’s association with the killings but at the same time find themselves in a tight spot given that many among them have chosen the path of radical Islam to express hatred against the very society they live in.
Read: British people ‘will not want to carry on as before’
Islamism, in various forms, has existed in the UK since the 1970s, but it started gaining strength after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US. The 7/7 London attacks in 2005 were a watershed moment when radical Islam received wider global attention. It is important to note that three of the 7/7 attackers were British-born, sons of Pakistani immigrants.
“Many British people associate Pakistanis with extremism because of hate preachers like Anjem Choudary,” Hassan Naeem, a British-Pakistani, told DW. He was referring to the hardline Muslim preacher of Pakistani descent who was sentenced to five years and six months in prison by British authorities for his support to self-styled “Islamic State” terror group.
Ammara Kanwal, a former development expert from Pakistan who now lives in London, believes the Muslim communities living in Britain are reluctant to integrate.
“I think some people, if not all, are trying to harm the very society they live in. I find it unfortunate,” Kanwal told DW.
Alarming radicalization
Pakistanis living in the West do oppose Islamist extremism and are truly incensed by the fact that people like Khuram B. and Choudary are bringing a bad name to their home country and religion. But they find it increasingly difficult to dispel the criticism that a majority of them are not willing to embrace Western values and culture.
“Most Muslim families don’t integrate easily, and they don’t even want to. They view the Western culture in contradiction with Islam and their values. That is when the radicalization process begins,” Arif Jamal, a US-based expert and author of several books on Islamism, told DW.
“Islamic radicalization without any doubt is a major challenge for the UK and the rest of Europe,” Siegfried O. Wolf, director of research at the Brussels-based South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF), told DW. “It is most severe in the UK with an entrenched Islamist culture due to the presence of a large Muslim population and local and international jihadist organizations in the country,” Wolf added.
Read: Opinion: Helpless in the face of terrorism
But Asim Ali Shah, a leftist member of the London-based Faiz Cultural Foundation, believes the London attacks should not be used to “create misperception, fear and division” in British society, of which Muslims and Pakistanis are an integral part.
“This should not be an excuse for the rise of racism and to further isolate the Muslim community in Britain,” Shah told DW, adding that the Muslim community must come forward not just to condemn and expose extremist elements but also to fight racism and bigotry.
But Naeem is of the view that the Muslim community living in Britain needs to be more vocal against extremists. “British-Pakistanis should welcome people from all faiths in their mosques, making it more like a place of inter-faith interaction.”
A lack of seriousness
On a number of occasions, British Muslims have reported Islamist extremists to the authorities, just like the case with Khuram B., who was known to intelligence officials. British-Pakistanis contacted by DW say the onus of the attacks is on the government as they perform the role of law-abiding citizens diligently.
“I worked in London’s Barking area for three years and I can tell you about its deprivation. The Tory party’s budget cuts have made the situation worse. The situation is conducive for radical Islamists to bring more people into their fold,” said Kanwal.
Following the Saturday attacks, Prime Minister Theresa May said there was “too much tolerance of extremism” in the country, and that Britain needed to have “embarrassing conversations” to put an end to it.
Read: In Britain, tolerance and the ‘acceptance’ of extremism
Shah says that instead of blaming the Muslim community for the rise of extremism in Britain, the government must re-evaluate its policies.
“British authorities have shown a lack of determination to tackle the root cause of radicalization. They have been selling arms to Saudi Arabia, which is the biggest promoter of Islamist extremism, and are unwilling to prevent the Saudi-funded radicalization,” Shah underlined.
“Conservatism is deep rooted within a large section of the Pakistani community. It has been exploited by the religious schools and mosques funded by Saudi Arabia. The hate preachers are using these mosques to propagate the hardline Salafi version of Islam. The government must review its counterterrorism policies,” Shah added.
With regard to the criticism targeting PM May and British authorities, some experts point out that it is not logistically possible for the government to keep track of some 20,000 people, who, according to some estimates, hold extremist views in one way or other.
As for Britain’s relationship with Riyadh, London-based political analyst Dwayne Ryan Menezes says “having close ties (with Saudi Arabia) does not mean having to be friends that affirm everything the country does.”
“If we are willing to be a critical friend to our closest ally – the United States – when necessary, then why must we be so obsequious to Saudi Arabia?” Menezes told DW in an interview.
Alternative models
Another reason why the authorities are reluctant to confront the radicalization issue is that British politicians do not want to alienate Muslim voters by taking action against Islamists. “They don’t want to be called ‘Islamophobes,'” analyst Jamal argued.
German expert Wolf believes that the European authorities want to continue with their pluralistic model, and for that reason they haven’t really tried to curb Islamism through force.
“The pluralistic model of integration and the state-sponsorship of ‘cultural diversity’ are in deep crisis. It seems that any decisive actions against radicalization will be perceived as a confirmation of the failure of their policies. This, in my view, is even blocking any meaningful debate regarding alternative models for successful integration in the UK as well as in some other European countries like France,” Wolf said.
Original article published by Deutsche Welle available here: http://www.dw.com/en/banishing-the-extremist-image-a-crucial-task-for-british-pakistanis/a-39129778
British election
British Muslims
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London attack
COMMENT 148 – On the Asian Century, Pax, Sinica & Beyond:...
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COMMENT 147 – The 2019 Intra-Afghan Conference: Another political feint by...
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Sokh Exclave: Two Decades Of Simmering Tension
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Out With The Troops, In With The Afghan Investment?
Afghanistan's Finance Ministry has drafted a package of incentives aimed at luring much needed investment over the next two years. But are the proposals enough to soothe fears over security and widespread corruption?
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Petar II Petrovic-Njegos: A Holy Saint Or A Racialist Scholar?
The Metropolitan of Montenegro has raised eyebrows in some circles by announcing that he is going to propose a controversial 19th-century prince-bishop for canonization.
Montenegrins Protest Vote Results
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Voting is under way in a presidential election in the tiny Balkan nation of Montenegro, where the country's 512,000 voters are expected to choose incumbent Filip Vujanovic over former Foreign Minister Miodrag Lekic. (Reuters)
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'It's Really Hard': Working Mothers Talk, From Tajikistan To Czech Republic
The question of how women balance work and child care is a topic of intense debate worldwide. In honor of International Women's Day on March 8, we look at the lives of working mothers in Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Montenegro, Iraq, Ukraine, Tatarstan, and the Czech Republic.
Afghan Rise In Press-Freedom Index
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Djukanovic Again Montenegrin PM
Montenegro's parliament has voted to give Milo Djukanovic a seventh term as prime minister of the former Yugoslav republic.
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Since he started as film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967, and began covering movies locally and at international film festivals, Roger Ebert has met and interviewed countless movie idols, artists and unknowns -- some of them even before they became famous. There's hardly a major figure in the history of movies, from the last part of the 20th century into the 21st, that he hasn't encountered.
A Horror Film About Beauty: Nicolas Winding Refn & Elle Fanning on “The Neon Demon”
by Brian Tallerico
June 21, 2016 | May Contain Spoilers
To attempt to describe too much of Nicolas Winding Refn’s “The Neon Demon” feels futile. It is a sensory experience, driven by the passion of its fearless filmmaker and a stunning central performance by Elle Fanning. She plays Jesse, the latest beautiful teenager trying to break into the fashion world, where she finds, well, you should really just see for yourself. The co-writer/director, who also made “Drive” and “Only God Forgives,” and the star sat down with us this week in Chicago to talk about the divisive response to the film, the purpose of art, and even “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.” I found it interesting that the provocateur director immediately wanted to know what I thought of the film, opening a discussion about reactions to it before I could even get my recorder going. He’s a filmmaker who wants a response, and he certainly got that at the world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last month.
What was it like seeing the movie at Cannes?
IN UNISON: Amazing. [They laugh]
You watched it, I assume?
NICOLAS WINDING REFN: You have to sit through it at Cannes. They make you. They don’t let you walk away. There’s no back door.
ELLE FANNING: You’re like in the middle. On display.
NWR: If you walk, everyone will see you walk.
Are there nerves? Or do you go in confident?
NWR: [Pauses] Honest answer?
Yeah, I want the honest answer.
NWR: We go in complete confidence because we knew we were the future.
And then the response is divisive and you seem to enjoy that too.
NWR: Well, isn’t that the essence of creativity? You don’t get far by being nice.
I’m paraphrasing, but you’ve implied that you would have considered it a failure if everybody liked it.
NWR: Oh, absolutely. I think failure is in if it’s just “nice.” I certainly believe that creativity must be an experience. If I’m to steal time away from people, we should give them something to react to. That’s half of what we do our daily lives—we react to our surroundings. Of course, we have to make it entertaining, and we are entertainers. In the end, we’re just showmen. But, I think that it’s an important factor. Not to be anything else but clear about that—for me, creativity is an important part of our evolution. Art has probably done more good for the world than war. But they’re equally powerful. They both create revolutions. Where war destroys, art inspires. And in order to inspire, you need to penetrate the brain. In order to penetrate the brain, you need something to react to. To have something to react to, you need to get your emotions up and running. To get your emotions up and running, you need to have something that … whatever direction you go in, it has to be a movement between you and the experience.
Within that, how do you avoid “shock for shock’s sake”? We’ve all seen art designed to instigate that’s hollow. How do you avoid making it hollow?
NWR: By being truthful in its creation. Nowadays, teenagers are so fast and quick to see through any form of manipulation. Sitting down and just thinking of something is like watching really bad pornography. There has to be some higher meaning to it. That’s what people react to. Nowadays, with all of the stuff we have going on in our world, if it’s not truthful then there is no reaction. That’s the good thing.
It requires a lot of trust on both your parts. How do you trust him that it won’t be hollow and shock for shock’s sake?
EF: I was always a fan of Nic. With his movie, you know it’s “A Nic Refn Movie.” I think as an artist that’s the best thing you can have—a personal stamp on something. I always respected that and wanted to be a part of his world, but knew he would never make a movie that has a teenage girl as a lead. Obviously not. Then I heard he was and it was in the fashion world. What? Just combining what we think of [with Refn]—masculinity and violence—in his films with that world was so interesting to me.
I hadn’t read the script and didn’t know the story at all and he asked to meet me, which is another psychic power that we had. I met him in L.A., and right from then we talked about the story. I read the script. What it actually meant. Right away, we talked about trust. The way he films his movies—in chronological order—and you’re constantly discovering things and because something happened yesterday we can’t do this anymore. We have to change it. You’re on this ride together. I felt like I had given so much personal … we would talk about it so much that it was like a baby to me. It was like a team together. We were trusting each other. We were going and pushing. So I never wavered. I never did. Each thing that we’d change it would be like, “Yes! It had to be that way.” The character was speaking through me or the story was speaking through him, and it just felt right. And when things got too normal, it wasn’t right.
NWR: When it became too much not of itself, you can steer it. It really started with a question that started our relationship. When we met, my agenda was “Get Elle Fanning.” I believe Elle’s was “Get the role.” But we didn’t know that.
EF: Right. [Laughs] Yeah.
NWR: It was like playing poker. There was no one else from my side who could play the role. It’s not like there were even options. It was get her or there would be no movie.
You created it and wrote it for her?
NWR: Mentally, as it went along, it became … as I was writing it, I had this invincible character that would have to be someone. But once you get down to reality, there’s no one to play her and there’s no movie. It would be ridiculous. The character requires so many elements. The only one who could fulfill that was this one person: Elle Fanning. So, get Elle Fanning. But I think that now … Elle just said something interesting that made me think of this … what started the process? We didn’t know each other when we met. Elle had not read the script. She didn’t know what she wanted to do. I was still trying to figure out what the essence of the film was. In order to avoid any shock for the sake of shock, we had to come up with what was the basis of the film. So, very quickly, I remember this in our “hello, how are you” awkwardness, I asked her, “Do you think you’re beautiful?” And Elle replied, “Yes.” And that was like an ignition. The movie has now begun, even though we hadn’t agreed to do the film together. The movie has now started. A year-and-a-half of prep had kind of been wiped out because now the film was going to be created. It was started on a very frank conversation. “Do you think you’re beautiful?” And her complete, honest-to-God answer was … "Yes." That, to me, was so refreshing. Then I was like, “I’m making a movie.” She’s going to guide this movie in a way that I could never imagine. I can do my part of the storytelling. I can carry it. I can paint it. I can maneuver it. I can massage it. But if I don’t have anything to work with, then there’s nothing. It became like a mutation between us. It became this experience.
Real collaboration.
NWR: Oh, absolutely.
Are you always that collaborative?
NWR: Yeah. I’ve done it in all my movies, and I think it’s part of what I enjoy about the process. This kind of intimacy that you create. Because it becomes very intimate.
Does what the film is “about” change? When you first met with Elle, was it a different film in your mind?
NWR: No. The themes were always there. Very clear.
What would you say those are?
NWR: It’s a horror film about beauty. It also happens to be a melodramatic, camp, funny, colorful, suspenseful, existential, vulgar, with a little bit of science fiction.
This is a very strange meeting because the one script that I always thought of while making the movie was “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.” I even showed it to Elle. I said “This is the only movie I can think of that combines everything into this experience." The journey was how do we touch upon all these themes? How does it continue to grow? Evolve? And we could only do that by shooting in chronological order.
And not really knowing the end.
NWR: The end never changed, meaning that how it ended was always the same thing. It was more of a practicality of how to tie up …
EF: … all the girls. Not Jesse.
NWR: Not her. That was clear. But, halfway through the movie, the Jesse character becomes less of the protagonist and more of “the enigmatic.” She becomes everyone else’s perception of her. It was how to round off all the other remaining characters. What happened was, in the first week of shooting, everything was going great, and a lot of the big opening scenes were between Elle and Jena Malone. Then Jena Malone had to do the big necrophilia scene, which was the only scene that I shot out of order because it was shot at Hollywood Cemetery and I couldn’t afford to go back. Jena Malone’s scene with necrophilia became such an experience that I was like … I had found the protagonist, but the antagonist was never really clear for me, even on script, even on prep, not even until we shot that scene with Jena Malone. Now, I know who the real antagonist is, and now the second half needs to change in order to fulfill that prophecy.
Amazon is releasing this and I’m curious about your thoughts on them and what they’re doing to film.
NWR: For me, Amazon has stepped in and presented the future of entertainment. Obviously, the future of entertainment is going to be on the internet. So, Amazon, being a provider—not just on the playing field—is, of course, opening up a whole new set of possibilities. At the same time, Amazon also understands platforms. For them, theatrical is an extremely important event. I also believe it’s the best way of seeing a movie. It’s certainly not the only way to see a movie. Theatrical is still part of an old eco-system of film. The problem is just the longevity is continuing to shrink. The digital revolution is forever. They put importance on that option as well. With Amazon, you’re getting the best of both worlds, with a whole new playing field.
And a lot of creative freedom.
NWR: They came in and bought the finished film but we’re already talking about the future. I’ve been very, very lucky.
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The place for everything that doesn't have a home elsewhere on RogerEbert.com, this is a collection of thoughts, ideas, snippets, and other fun things that Roger and others posted over the years.
More moviegoers see films on video in some form than ever before -- whether streaming on demand, cable or satellite, instant download services, DVD or Blu-ray. Even high-profile pictures become available to home viewers before or at the same time as their theatrical release. Reviewing them is a job for... The Demanders!
Our Far-Flung Correspondents are cinephiles from all over the world, hand-picked by Roger Ebert to write about movies from their unique international perspectives. They include contributors from (alphabetically) Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Great Britain, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Korea, Turkey and the U.S. They converge every year at Ebertfest.
Roger Ebert has attended international film festivals and events for almost half a century, from the Kolkata International Film Festival to the Academy Awards. In addition to his coverage, our contributors report the latest from Cannes, Telluride, Toronto, Sundance and other movie showcases world-wide.
"Life Itself," based on Roger Ebert's memoir and directed by Steve James, will open in theaters and be available On Demand on July 4, 2014.
The Cannes International Film Festival is the most talked-about film festival of the year, where directors from around the world showcase their newest work, from the most challenging art cinema to the big blockbusters. For many years, Roger Ebert and a team of contributors have covered Cannes, and we are continuing that tradition with start-to-finish coverage from around the festival.
A collection of tributes to Roger from various sources.
The opening shot of a movie can tell us a lot about how to view and interpret what follows. It can even represent the whole movie in miniature. The Opening Shots Project collects illustrated analyses of some of Jim Emerson's favorites, and contributions from Scanners readers.
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US launches air strikes on ISIS targets in Libya
Published time: 1 Aug, 2016 15:25 Edited time: 9 Aug, 2016 06:15
© U.S. Navy © Reuters
The US military has begun bombing targets around the Libyan city of Sirte, which is controlled by militias associated with Islamic State. The Pentagon says this was the first strike of a new campaign that currently has "no endpoint."
“The presidency council, as the general army commander, has made a request for direct US support to carry out specific airstrikes,” Fayez Serraj, the head of the Libyan presidency council, said in a televised statement broadcast on Monday afternoon, and uploaded to YouTube. “The first strikes started today in positions in Sirte, causing major casualties.”
Serraj added that there would not be a foreign-led operation on the ground. However, US officials told local media sources that the US was preparing to take a greater role in the war-torn country, and said that the Pentagon was preparing for a long-term campaign against Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS/ISIL).
BREAKING: US Defense official: New airstrikes on ISIS in Sirte will last “as long as needed" to capture Sirte, "decapitate" ISIS in Libya.
— NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) August 1, 2016
The bombings were personally authorized by US President Barack Obama, following consultations with Defense Secretary Ash Carter and senior military commanders.
US warplanes strike ISIS camp in Libya, more than 40 reported killed
Pentagon spokesperson Michelle Baldanza said the strikes were "consistent with our approach to combating ISIL by working with capable and motivated local forces.”
Baldanza said the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) has a chance of re-taking control of the country. The GNA is the official ruling body of Libya and has been endorsed by the UN, but much of the country is outside its control, including the capital Tripoli.
“GNA-aligned forces have had success in recapturing territory from ISIL thus far around Sirte, and additional US strikes will continue to target ISIL in Sirte in order to enable the GNA to make a decisive, strategic advance," said Baldanza.
In a press conference, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook explained that the strikes will be aimed at “precision targets” suggested by the GNA that will be “vetted” by US officials. He refused to say whether the US was entitled to hit targets without Libya's approval.
Cook said that there were likely "hundreds" and no more than 1,000 Islamic State fighters in Sirte, and said he had no accurate number for the civilians inside the city, famous as the birthplace of Muammar Gaddafi.
The campaign will intend to drive them out, with Libyan ground forces leading the assault.
“We don’t have an endpoint at this point,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook, “but we hope that this doesn’t take a significant period of time.”
A resolution passed by the UN Security Council last December entitles foreign countries to hit ISIS targets in Libya, if the attacks are sanctioned by the local government.
So far, the only previous US strikes in February were limited to eliminating a specific ISIS target – a training camp that housed Noureddine Chouchane, a terrorist thought to be responsible for attacks on a museum and the Sousse beach resort in neighboring Tunisia.
Chouchane was reportedly killed in the air strikes, which also took the lives of two Serbian diplomats who were held hostage by the radicals.
This new campaign will be the biggest since a NATO-led bombing helped rebels to overthrow the government of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Despite initial celebrations following the removal of the authoritarian Gaddafi, Libya soon collapsed into a civil war, with divisions along tribal and religious lines.
While ISIS holds power in a relatively small coastal segment of the country, Libya Dawn and other Islamists are in charge in Tripoli and the surrounding areas, while parts of the south are ruled by local militias.
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Moscow was capital of Russia before Peter the Great moved the capital to his new city, St. Petersburg. But Moscow never lost its intensity or spirit – one that has inspired authors and poets, ensnared the nobility with its charms, and proved to be the center of Soviet mystique during the Cold War. Moscow represents both Russia of yesterday and Russia of today.
Russia or Russian federation is a country with great history, home of famous scientists and land of natural beauty. Moscow is the capital of Russia and Vladimir Putin is the President of Russia ( Russian Federation). Russia (was formerly known as USSR United State of Soviet Republic) covers area of 17 075 500 km2 which makes Russia the largest country in the world, followed by Canada, China and USA. Russia occupies most of eastern Europe and northern Asia. It stretches from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caucasus in the south. It’s bordered by Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China and North Korea. Russia’s borders stretch for a total of 58,562 km (with 14,253 km bordering other states and 44,309 km bordering the sea).
Russia spans from the Eastern plains of Europe to the Orientals of Asia . The country covers 17,075,400 square kilometers, making it the largest country in the world. The official language is Russian, although there are about 100 languages spoken among the 160 ethnic groups who live within Russian borders. This makes Russia an incredible diverse country, with unique culture. Russian higher education is the most famous for its superiority within the areas of science and research. It is said that over one quarter of the world’s scientific literature is published in Russian language – a surprisingly uniform language despite its enormous spread across country and peoples. It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
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About Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (RNRMU)
We are happy to offer you following major programs for study: clinical medicine, pediatrics, medical biochemistry, medical biophysics, medical cybernetics, clinical psychology, social work, dentistry and pharmacy. Having got basic education you can continue your education at clinical internships, postgraduate studies, institutions of doctoral candidacy.
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https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/television/article/Police-release-hundreds-of-files-from-Smollett-14039048.php
Chicago police release video of Jussie Smollett with noose around neck
Don Babwin and Sophia Tareen, Associated Press
Updated 3:09 pm PDT, Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Police release videos from Smollett probe
Chicago police release hundreds of files from the investigation into Jussie Smollett's claim he was attacked by two men in January. (June 25)
Now Playing: Police release videos from Smollett probeAD:
Media: Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago police on Monday released more than 1,000 files from the investigation into Jussie Smollett's claim he was attacked by two men, including video footage that for the first time shows the "Empire" actor with a thin, white rope wrapped around his neck that he told detectives was a noose.
The footage from body cameras worn by police officers who responded on Jan. 29 to what Smollett said was a racist and homophobic attack by two large men has Smollett's face blurred out because, as police explained, he was considered a victim at that point. The footage shows officers walking into the apartment, where they encounter the actor wearing the rope, before one asks him, "Do you want to take it off or anything?"
This Jan. 29, 2019, image made from police body cam video provided by the Chicago Police Department purports to show Jussie Smollett, with a white rope wrapped around his neck, talking with police officers in his apartment in Chicago. Chicago police on Monday, June 24, released hundreds of files from the investigation into Smollett's claim he was attacked by two men, including releasing the video footage for the first time of the "Empire" actor wearing the thin white rope wrapped around his neck that he told detectives was a noose. The footage from the Chicago police blurred out Smollett's face because, police explained, he was considered a victim at that point. (Chicago Police Department via AP) less
This Jan. 29, 2019, image made from police body cam video provided by the Chicago Police Department purports to show Jussie Smollett, with a white rope wrapped around his neck, talking with police officers in ... more
"Yeah, I do. I just wanted you all to see it," Smollett says before unwinding the rope, loosening it and placing it on the kitchen counter.
Police have said he told them the attackers wrapped the rope around his neck.
In the video, he tells officers that the attackers poured bleach on him. After he is informed about the recording Smollett says he doesn't want to be filmed and the camera is turned off.
In all, police released nearly 1,200 different individual files on Monday, including thousands of pages of documents, arrest reports and handwritten notes from police. Added up, there is more than 90 hours of video, much of it hour after hour of surveillance cameras high above city streets.
As the hunt for the two men Smollett said attacked him continued for weeks, some in the city started to wonder if the whole thing was a hoax. And those suspicions made it into the documents.
On Feb. 1, Cmdr. Edward Wodnicki urged investigators to confirm key information given by Smollett about the night in question: "Verify and I mean verify that the victim got off a plane at O'Hare. Big issue if that was a lie. CALL me as soon as this is completed."
It was, in fact, confirmed.
Then on Feb. 25, a sergeant sent an email saying that she'd received a tip from a caller whose name is redacted. "He has a friend close to the inner circle of the subject," the email reads. "The friend shared that the entire event was orchestrated by (redacted)."
The footage itself illustrates the growing skepticism within the Chicago Police Department, starting with the fact that much of it was retrieved from surveillance cameras. Police collected the footage as they tried to piece together the route that two brothers took across the city to the spot where police say they acted out a staged attack of the actor.
The department released footage that shows the two brothers, Abimbola "Abel" Osundairo and Olabinjo "Ola" Osundairo, in a cab the night of the incident. Both are wearing what appear to be light-colored hazmat suits and gloves, with one of the brothers tightening his around his face.
There is also footage of officers handcuffing the brothers — who have acknowledged participating in a staged attack — on the tarmac at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport when they returned on a flight to Chicago from Nigeria, and putting them in police cars for a trip to a city police station where they were detained.
Monday's release of documents and video files was not expected to shed much new light on what happened — largely because so much information has already been made public in the case. In February, for example, when the charges were announced, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson laid out in minute detail how investigators came to conclude that the incident was not a hate crime as Smollett claimed but a carefully staged hoax directed by the actor himself to promote his career.
Also, in the wake of Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's office's stunning announcement in March that it was dropping all the charges against Smollett, the Police Department released more than 700 pages of documents and Foxx's office released another 2,000 pages of documents, including internal office communications.
Police said when Smollett was charged that there was no footage of the actual staged attack because the surveillance camera they said Smollett hoped would capture the incident was, unbeknownst to him, not working.
Among the footage released Monday is that of Smollett's creative director Frank Gatson meeting officers in the lobby of the Chicago high-rise apartment building and giving them a summary of the evening as they take the elevator to Smollett's apartment. Gatson tells officers that the alleged attack made him emotional.
"They put a makeshift, what do you call that thing, a noose around his (expletive) neck," he tells officers.
On Monday, Smollett's attorneys did not respond to a request for comment.
Fox Entertainment announced in April that Smollett would not appear in the sixth and final season of "Empire."
Associated Press writers Ed White and Roger Schneider contributed to this report from Detroit.
Check out the AP's complete coverage of the Jussie Smollett case.
Photos from article: Hilarious tweets tap into Bay Area psyche...
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Healthy Nevada Project
Health breakthroughs driven by DNA analysis
Artificial intelligence enables researchers to improve population health.
Personalized health care
for healthier communities
Healthy Nevada Project achieved this using • SAS® AI solutions
Community-based genetics study uses SAS® machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve population health in Nevada
Heather Allen’s health was deteriorating by the day. A young mother and high school math teacher, Allen was experiencing inexplicable symptoms, including fatigue and hard-to-fight infections. Doctors searched for answers, but nothing seemed to work, leaving them perplexed by her changing symptoms and conditions.
Heather Allen, Healthy Nevada Project participant
Then one night everything changed.
The previous year, Allen was one of 10,000 Nevadans to sign up for a groundbreaking health and genetics project called the Healthy Nevada Project. A recent breakthrough in the project allowed for further DNA testing, and soon after, her genetic results came in. Allen learned she has a high propensity for Alpha-1, a genetic condition that causes lung and liver disease. Tests confirmed the DNA results and made an official diagnosis, and soon the mother was on a path to monthly treatments.
“If not for the Healthy Nevada Project, I believe I’d be dead,” Allen says.
Reversing poor health outcomes with analytics
The Healthy Nevada Project, developed by Renown Institute for Health Innovation (Renown IHI), is one of the first community-based population health studies in the United States. By combining genetic data, environmental data and individual health information, researchers and physicians are gaining new insight into population health, enabling personalized health care while improving the health and well-being of entire communities in Nevada.
The Project comes at a time when the state continues to struggle with poor health outcomes and excess costs. Nevada ranks near the bottom of overall health rankings in the U.S. and suffers from high mortality rates for chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer and chronic respiratory disease.
“This was our call to action,” says Dr. Anthony Slonim, President and CEO of Renown Health.
To address Nevada’s most complex population health problems, investigators started by collecting data. Working in tandem with experts in environmental data at the Desert Research Institute, Renown Health fuels the project with de-identified electronic health care records, and supplements this with data from the Environmental Protection Agency and others.
“Everyone tends to focus on the genetics, but what we’ve created is a large data warehouse that has genetic data, clinical data, environmental data and social data,” Slonim says. “We know that clinical care is responsible for only 20 percent of your overall health status, with those other factors making up the rest.”
To see exactly how those other factors come into play, data scientists apply machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities to the DNA results generated by personal genomics partner, Helix. This forms connections between participant genetic information and varying environmental factors, such as air and water quality, to see who might be predisposed to certain conditions. This could allow analysts, for example, to identify people prone to breathing problems and notify them to stay indoors when air quality is poor.
“We’re working to understand how environmental factors can help predict who may be at risk, allow for quicker diagnoses, and encourage the development of more precise treatments,” says Jim Metcalf, Chief Data Scientist of the Healthy Nevada Project. “The modern statistical and machine learning methods, along with the intuitive data visualizations made possible by SAS, have been critical elements of our success to date.”
The modern statistical and machine learning methods, along with the intuitive data visualizations made possible by SAS, have been critical elements of our success to date. Jim Metcalf Chief Data Scientist Healthy Nevada Project
The Healthy Nevada Project benefits citizens and researchers alike.
For citizens, the project is one of the first broad genetics studies in the nation to return clinical results. Consenting study volunteers are learning of their risks for many serious genomic conditions including:
Familial hypercholesterolemia, which has a genetic tie to high cholesterol.
BRCA ½, a hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome.
Lynch syndrome, which is tied to endometrial and colon cancers.
For researchers, the project offers a unique opportunity to study pathogenic mutations and alert the people who have them. Recently, Project staff identified 90 people with FH, hereditary high cholesterol that’s related to increased risk for heart disease and not always diagnosed with cholesterol tests. With this information, administrators can contact these people and suggest they speak with a doctor.
“If we understand why people are at risk for certain diseases because of their DNA, we actually might be able to do something about it,” Dr. Slonim says. “We can give them the information, help them change their behavior and understand how to address those preconceived risk factors.”
Insight from the Healthy Nevada Project also helps Slonim with resource allocation. By knowing that a significant percentage of the population has a certain condition, he can implement prevention programs and hire doctors with the skills to treat those patients in five to 10 years.
“This is the ultimate strategic planning process for our community,” Slonim says. “If we can uncover things that put people’s health at risk, our health care providers can do appropriate screening and, ultimately, take better care of our people.”
Moving from patient health to community health is a large step that takes a lot of analytical power. “The flexibility in SAS allows us to ask for something in these reams of data and get an answer within 15 minutes,” says Slonim.
Metcalf agrees. “We’re living inside virtually all of the machine learning and AI procedures that SAS has. We are going to be solving some big problems in models with hundreds of variables. And so the ability for SAS to scale is crucial.”
Healthy Nevada Project – Facts & Figures
participants (and growing)
health predictions
connections with machine learning
Aspirations for a healthier America
Slonim aspires to make Nevada the country’s healthiest state, and one day use the Healthy Nevada Project to power a Healthy USA Project. More than 35,000 northern Nevadans have already donated their DNA, and soon the project will expand into southern Nevada and other health systems around the country.
“If we bring on just one major health system per state, this could really advance the work needed from a national perspective to get a grip on chronic disease,” Slonim says.
The health system President and CEO welcomes those seeking advice on similar projects. “Come to us,” he says. “We’ve acquired a lot of knowledge over the years. We’ve hardwired the consents. We’ve hardwired the institutional review board approvals. We’ve hardwired the reports. Don’t recreate the wheel. Let us help you do it. And let us help you evolve.”
The mission is personal for Slonim, a cancer survivor who credits early intervention for saving his life. “I’m a believer in this and this is what personally for me drives the project. I believe we can make large communities, large states and perhaps even America healthier if we use these tools for the benefit of good.”
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Young Lewis producer to shoot film inspired by Iolaire tragedy
The Royal Navy yacht Iolaire was approaching Stornoway harbour on 1 January 1 1919 when it struck a submerged reef.
Brian Ferguson
Published: 23:28 Saturday 04 May 2019 Updated: 07:44 Sunday 05 May 2019
A feature film inspired by the long-lasting impact of the Iolaire tragedy, which claimed the lives of 201 returning servicemen after the ship sank off the coast of Lewis, is in development.
A young filmmaker based on the island will be producing the movie, which has won the backing of a new talent project to find “Scotland’s filmmakers of the future” being funded by the BBC and Channel 4.
John Murdo MacAulay will be adapting As The Women Lay Dreaming. Picture: Robert Perry
John Murdo MacAulay will be adapting As The Women Lay Dreaming, an acclaimed new novel by Lewis writer Donald S Murray exploring how generations of the same family were affected by the legacy of the tragedy, which struck when a naval yacht crashed into rocks near Stornoway in the early hours of New Year’s Day, 1919.
MacAulay, 25, will be mentored by a team of writers, directors and producers who have worked on the likes of Killing Eve, Doctor Who, Derry Girls and Poldark during a week-long residency in the Isle of Skye. The Young Films Foundation was launched last year by Chris Young, producer of The Inbetweeners and the Gaelic drama Bannan, which he set up and made in the south of Skye.
MacAulay received Murray’s book as a Christmas present weeks after it was published last November and submitted an outline of the project to the Young Films Foundation initiative in March after securing the backing of the author.
He said: “There was a great deal going on in Lewis in the run-up to the 100th anniversary of the disaster. It felt like everyone on the island had come together to remember such a tragic event and the people that had lost their lives. Everyone on Lewis has obviously been aware of the Iolaire, but perhaps not the details we now know about because of the centenary.
“I actually learnt a great from the book itself as to what had gone on. Its account of the disaster is very accurate.
“As soon as I finished reading the book it just popped into my head that it would make a great screen project.
“Luckily I have a mutual friend with Donald and he was interested in taking it forward with me.”
MacAulay, who currently works for the Lewis-based production company Corran Media, is planning to produce the adaptation of the book.
It focuses on the ripple effect of surviving the disaster on islander Tormod Morrison, who is on his way back from serving in the First World War, when tragedy strikes on the last leg of the journey home, and events two decades later when his two grandchildren are sent from Glasgow to the island.
MacAulay added: “The thing about the book that really struck me was that all the nuances in it felt very real. There was nothing that was exaggerated or blown out of proportion. It’s a good and honest account of life in Lewis back then.
“It was obviously really important that nobody else had the rights for the book and also to build up a relationship with Donald and build up his trust. It’s his baby, as such. The idea for the film has to be true to the story in the book.”
Scottish Lotto syndicate plays happy families with £1m triumph
As The Women Lay Dream, described by the author as “a sideways look at the disaster,” was named Scottish book of the month by Waterstones when it was released and it was recently shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Prize, which will be decided later this month.
Murray said: “I actually started writing the book back in 2002, but just couldn’t get it right for a long time.
“I really wanted about the Iolaire disaster and the impact it had, particularly on the crofting townships of Lewis, because that’s where the bulk of those who died came from. “The disaster was clearly very traumatic for Stornoway in its initial impact, but it had a huge long-term effect around the island.
“In my childhood no-one really spoke about it - there was an in-built reticence on the subject. There were a lot of spinsters and widows left behind, but there were also a lot of men who did not want to trust themselves in a relationship as they could see how much pain the disaster had brought.
“That’s what I wanted to write about and decide to focus on the effect it had had on the life of one man.
“I was very lucky as my editor at the publishers Saraband, Craig Hillsley, helped bash it into shape. It was only in the last month of writing it that I felt I was getting it right. I was delighted to get it out.
“It’s already been successful beyond anything I had imagined. It was very timely when I put it out. It felt like its time had come.”
Young Films, which has been operated on Skye since 2014, has secured the backing of Film4, Channel 4, BBC Scotland, BBC Films, MG ALBA, Screen Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and Torabhaig Distillery for its new film school.
The other successful applicants to the foundation this year, all from Glasgow, include Michael Lee Richardson, with a TV drama exploring teenage male suicide, Emma Lennox, whose comedy series is about falling in love and running away with the fair, Omar Raza, with a comedy-drama about a Muslim man’s first “bromance,” Ali Taylor’s TV drama about a mother’s dilemma after her son is accused of rape and Daisy Costello’s psychological thriller series, set in a dystopian future, about a mother fighting for her child’s survival.
Young said: “We are back in 2019 with renewed vigour, knowing our model works.
“We’ve received another bumper crop of applications, and with new partners BBC Scotland and BBC Films, we’re relishing our opportunity to work with this year’s final six.”
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Jim Brunner
Seattle mayor, King County exec fear Trump will cut federal aid
Originally published November 20, 2016 at 3:45 pm Updated November 21, 2016 at 8:59 pm
Seattle’s mayor and King County’s executive are thinking about the consequences of a Donald Trump presidency, and they don’t like what they see. Ed Murray and Dow Constantine are worried about potential cuts to federal funding.
Daniel Beekman
Seattle Times staff reporter
When Seattle Mayor Ed Murray woke up the morning after Donald Trump was elected president, he knew his job had changed.
“I felt the weight and dread of being the mayor of a big city more than I’d ever felt it,” Murray said in an interview last week. “In a country that doesn’t view us and our values very positively, with an administration that’s openly hostile, how do I navigate this?”
Across town, King County Executive Dow Constantine imagined the region speeding away from Trump’s America. Puget Sound-area voters were on their way to approving a $54 billion transit plan with 62 new miles of light rail.
“I thought about how our region is headed in a different direction than much of the country,” Constantine said. “We’re going to continue to press forward.”
Murray and Constantine, leaders of a city and county as liberal as any in the nation, are just starting to grapple with the implications of Trump moving into the White House.
Talking Trump and local election results with columnist Jerry Large
Click here to listen to more episodes of our weekly politics podcast, The Overcast.
They say they expect the Republican president-elect and a Congress controlled by the GOP to slash funding for programs that benefit the Seattle area.
Trump has yet to take office, so their concerns are speculative — no one knows for sure what’s going to happen.
But the mayor and executive are particularly distressed about losing money used to help poor and sick people.
The city and county rely most heavily on Washington, D.C., for funding related to human-services and public-health programs.
“There will be cuts,” Murray said, predicting the changes could “worsen what happens with the homeless and the addiction crisis we see in this country.”
How much money flows from the nation’s capital to the city and county?
Seattle spent more than $85 million in federal funds last year, not including dollars passed through the state, according to Murray’s office. The city’s total budget was more $4 billion.
The largest federal contribution was $11.5 million for homelessness programs — part of $40 million used by the city’s human-services department.
The city’s transportation department spent $14.8 million in federal money, while its housing office spent $12 million. The Seattle Police Department spent more than $9 million.
Constantine says he expects reductions to programs tied to public health, homelessness and disease prevention.
More than 200,000 people across King County could be affected if Trump and Congress repeal or scale back the Affordable Care Act. More than 90,000 people patronized the county’s dozens of public-health clinics last year.
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Trump’s plan for his first 100 days includes canceling all federal funding for so-called sanctuary cities. The term “sanctuary city” has no legal definition — and no city can forbid federal authorities from arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants.
But Seattle and King County could be among jurisdictions targeted by Trump because each have policies limiting local involvement in immigration enforcement.
Murray and Constantine have vowed to retain those policies despite Trump’s threat, and it’s unclear whether the president-elect would be able to carry out his promise.
States and cities can’t be required to enforce federal law, and the U.S. Supreme Court has held that for Congress to impose conditions on the receipt of federal money, those conditions must be reasonably related to what the money is going to be used for.
Setting aside the sanctuary issue, any cuts in federal funding to Seattle may take GOP leaders some time — because cities receive money via complex competitive processes, Murray says.
Trump’s volatility is making the situation harder for the mayor and county executive to read, they say. The president-elect and his allies made contradictory statements during his campaign, and Trump has already begun to walk back some pledges.
More on Local Politics
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Chasing the unicorn: Suddenly the liberal dream of an income tax is tantalizingly real | Danny Westneat
King County's 2-day summit examines gun violence through a public-health lens
Seattle City Council votes to adjust human-services contracts as cost of living rises
“Things are vague and unformed,” Constantine said, sighing. “We’re doing our best.”
What’s that mean? The executive has met with his cabinet about imperiled funds, while the mayor has directed his department heads to report back on aspects of Trump’s 100-day plan.
“We have a little bit of a runway before the president-elect is inaugurated in January,” said Mike Fong, Murray’s chief of staff. “We, along with the other cities we’re talking to right now, are trying to do as much background research and legwork as possible.”
What neither Murray nor Constantine has yet is a specific plan to offset any reductions in federal funding.
The mayor has talked about the possibility of asking voters to approve a new property-tax levy for homeless services. But this past week, he said he’s not certain.
Requesting another levy could be politically challenging — and Murray has become convinced homelessness is intertwined with the heroin epidemic. For that reason, the mayor says the county, which oversees public-health issues, should be involved.
Murray is still hoping for more help from the state and counting on some version of President Obama’s budget — including its $1.1 billion to address prescription-opiod and heroin abuse nationwide — to get through Congress before the end of the year.
Another piece of Obama’s budget: $75 million for Seattle’s proposed First Avenue streetcar line. Trump has said he wants to roll out a $1 trillion infrastructure plan, but the GOP platform is anti-transit.
Echoing the mayor, Constantine says it’s “too early to tell” whether higher property taxes might replace lost federal funds. In a worst-case cuts scenario, however, “We won’t be able to plug all those holes,” Constantine said.
He says the 25-year Sound Transit 3 plan, which assumes $4.7 billion in federal money, will be able to move forward no matter what Trump does.
Former Mayor Mike McGinn says Seattle should be looking for nonessential projects to shelve and should consider asking its successful corporate giants to step up. He says a per-employee tax and a higher business-license tax are options.
“I don’t think you can keep adding on more property taxes as a solution,” he said, calling on Murray to assume the worst. “We made a big mistake in assuming Trump couldn’t win. Let’s not make a big mistake in assuming Congress won’t stick it to cities.”
Murray isn’t interested in tax hikes on businesses that he says wouldn’t raise enough money to make a difference. He says he’d enact an income tax, but state law doesn’t allow that.
Perhaps as much as the dollars Seattle may lose, Murray is worried about people whose rights may be in danger, he says.
The day after the election, he said marriage equality — “the rings on our fingers” — could come under attack. And he says he spent time with middle-school students afraid about deportation.
“These kids were incredibly anxious, and it became clear … most or a good number were undocumented immigrants or had family members who were,” Murray said.
The mayor says his education department is working on a strategy to help Seattle Public Schools support students from families that entered the country illegally.
Daniel Beekman: 206-464-2164 or dbeekman@seattletimes.com. Twitter @DBeekman
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Addis Ababa: The Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian Army was shot dead during a coup attempt in the northern Amhara region, the Prime Minister’s office announced on Sunday on state television.
General Seare Mekonnen died after being shot while trying to prevent the coup attempt on Saturday night, in which another military chief, General Gezai Abera, also died, the office said on state television ETV.
The President of Amhara region, Ambachew Mekonnen, as well as his adviser, Ezez Wasie, were also shot dead in their office in the regional capital, reports Efe news.
The coup against the government of this region, the second largest ethnic group in the country, began late Saturday in the capital, Bahir Dar, and was thwarted soon after by the federal security forces, the prime minister’s spokesman, Nigussu Tilahun, announced on ETV.
“The coup attempt in Amhara regional state is against the constitution and is intended to scupper the hard-won peace of the region,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in an initial statement. (IANS)
Also Read: Ethiopians domite Mumbai Marathon
Boeing 737 MAX Unlikely To Restart Operations By 2020
Washington: The globally grounded Boeing 737 MAX planes are unlikely to restart operations until 2020 as it will take time to fix a flight-control...
Crocodile Attacks To Rise Due To Global Warming: Expert
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SIPRI Yearbook 2014 Interactive Map
Did you know, for example, that in 2013, the Arms Trade Treaty was opened for signature in the UN HQ in New York City? This treaty, when it comes into force, will roll out international arms regulation for trading in arms, and prohibit the sale of any arms by a state party which will be used in genocide or crimes against humanity. Or that throughout 2013 the Democratic Republic of Congo, combined with international assistance, made considerable gains in stabilizing troubled regions of the country, bringing the state one step closer to security and safety?
With snippets taken from the SIPRI Yearbook 2014, which analyses significant events across the globe in the previous year, the map helps you explore the global state of affairs, as they happened in 2013. Click on the map image below to start exploring:
Find out how you can get access to editions of the Yearbook from 2010 to 2014
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History Science Innovation Arts & Culture Travel
SmartNews Keeping you current
Did a Prehistoric Surgeon Practice on This Cow?
Though an early human likely created the hole, the reason why remains less clear
(Scientific Reports)
By Jason Daley
One of the more astonishing facts about prehistoric humans is how early they went under the knife—or rather, the sharpened stone.
Starting at least 7,000 years ago, people practiced a procedure called trepanation, which involved punching or scraping a hole in the skull for medical or spiritual reasons. Now, reports Nicola Davis at The Guardian, researchers have found evidence that humans may have been performing the same procedure on cows, either as practice or as early veterinary medicine.
As Ashley Strickland at CNN reports, between 1975 and 1985, researchers were excavating the Neolithic site in France called Champ-Durand, which served as a trade center that focused on salt and cattle between 3,400 and 3,000 B.C.E. They found the bones of many domestic animals, but they also uncovered something relatively rare: a nearly complete skull of a cow with a hole drilled in it.
Stone Age humans used the whole animal, commonly crushing the cranium to extract the animal's tongue and brain. This means that intact skulls from that period are fairly unusual. But researchers were initially unimpressed with the find, suggesting the skull's prominent hole was merely a gore mark from another cow. But a recent reexamination of the skull suggests that ancient humans purposefully made the marks. They published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports.
This most recent examination suggests the hole was not inflicted by another animal due to a lack of other cracks or associated trauma to the skull. Microscopic scans ruled out a tumor, gnawing mice or other similar causes. Cut and scrape marks directly around the wound suggest purposeful creation. But since there was no healing around the bone, researchers surmise that the animal likely died from the procedure or was dead when it happened.
“I have analyzed many, many human skulls ... all from the Neolithic period and they all show the same techniques,” Fernando Ramirez Rozzi of the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris and first author of the study tells Davis, “and the technique you can observe in the cow’s skull [is] the same.”
The big question is why a Stone Age surgeon might cut a hole in the head of a cow. As Strickland reports, cattle were very common at Champ-Durand, comprising over fifty percent of the bones found. It’s unlikely that the locals would go to the trouble of trying to save one ailing cow. As Rozzi inquires: “What would be the interest to heal a cow which represent the most abundant animal among the archaeological remains?”
The other possibility is that a budding surgeon used the animal for practice. Many trepanations found in the archaeological record appear to be surprisingly precise and in some cases patients survived the procedure. It’s possible that practicing on animals was the way these surgeons developed their skills.
This leaves one big question: Why were people drilling into one another’s skulls 5,000 years ago in the first place?
As Robin Wylie at the BBC reports, this is a hotly debated topic. The Victorians believed the procedure was used to relieve migraine headaches, an idea that has since been debunked. Still, some researchers argue that it was primarily a medical intervention used to treat pain or neurological conditions as Stone Age humans understood them. It’s hard to say since many of those medical conditions don’t leave evidence in the skull.
Others believe there is evidence for trepanation used as a ritual. As Wylie reports, archaeologists in Russia have found the remains of 12 healthy adults, all of whom had a hole cut in their skull in an extremely dangerous area. Four died soon after the surgery. The other eight lived at least four years with the holes in their head. The researchers argue that these unusual trepanations were likely used not to heal disease but to give these people supernatural powers or connections.
Whatever the reason, trepanations was not an uncommon practice—with evidence found throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and even in the Americas. Versions of the procedure were used by the ancient Greeks and through the European Renaissance.
Today, it remains a valid way to relieve pressure in the brain under emergency situations. So we just might have cows to thank for helping early humans sharpen their skills in early versions of this procedure.
About Jason Daley
Jason Daley is a Madison, Wisconsin-based writer specializing in natural history, science, travel, and the environment. His work has appeared in Discover, Popular Science, Outside, Men’s Journal, and other magazines.
Read more from this author | Follow @jasondaley608
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Shin Bora Releases “Frozen” MV feat. A Pink’s Ha Young and B1A4’s CNU
by halves-in-unison
Comedian Shin Bora makes an official debut as a singer with digital single “Frozen.”
She previously showcased her singing talents through various segments on KBS’ comedy program “Gag Concert,” which did not go unnoticed by the public. Although the singing was used for comedic purposes, fans and critics alike have remarked about her natural singing talent.
“Frozen” is a ballad track that consists of a retro-melody and goes for a grand sound incorporating sixteen instruments. The song expresses the feelings of a lonely woman who experienced a breakup during the early part of winter. The music video features A Pink’s Ha Young and B1A4’s CNU experiencing a cute romance as lovers.
Shin Bora will perform the track for the first time on December 6 through KBS’ “Music Bank.”
Shin Bora
KPLG
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Home » Complex Litigation » Class Action and Mass Tort Litigation » Hospital Privacy HIPAA Violation Lawsuits
Hospital Privacy HIPAA Violation Lawsuits
Patients who exchange information about their medical condition, treatment, and finances with their healthcare entities and providers have a reasonable expectation that this information will be kept private.
However, as the result of a recent major breach, hundreds of prominent hospitals and healthcare facilities violated their patients’ privacy by sharing personally identifiable information with third parties, including Facebook, in violation of state privacy laws. The affected facilities are located in the following states:
HIPAA violations related to social media are not new. In 2017, a 24-year-old North Carolina medical technologist posted about a patient killed in a car crash, using the words, “Should have worn her seatbelt…” Although the employee said the purpose of her post was to remind people to wear their seatbelts, the post went viral and was considered to have disclosed private health information (PHI) about the patient. As a result of the breach, the employee was fired.
Privacy Laws Hospitals Must Follow
HIPAA, (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) not only gives patients rights over their health information, but also sets rules and limitations on who can look at and receive this information, whether it is electronic, written, or oral. Prior to HIPAA, no rules existed to protect patient health information, but with the emergence of new technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care, the number and severity of potential security risks also increased.
Most health care providers, including doctors, clinics, hospitals, psychologists, chiropractors, nursing homes, pharmacies, and dentists, must follow HIPAA’s privacy regulations, which apply to the following:
Information doctors, nurses, and other health care providers put in a patient’s medical record.
Conversations doctors have with nurses and others about a patient’s care or treatment.
Patient information contained in a health insurer’s computer system.
Billing information about patients.
Most other health information kept about a patient by those who are required to follow the regulations.
Under HIPAA’s Privacy Rule, covered entities and their business associates must put safeguards in place that will protect patients’ private health information (PHI) to ensure that it is not used or disclosed improperly. These individuals and entities are required to reasonably limit the use and disclosure of this information to the minimum necessary to accomplish their intended purpose, and must implement procedures to limit those who can access and view patients’ protected health information. Training programs to instruct employees about how to protect patient health information must be implemented.
HIPAA also includes a Security Rule that establishes a national set of security standards for protecting electronic health information that is created, received used, or maintained by a covered entity, and requires the appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of electronic PHI.
What is Considered a Breach of HIPAA?
According to federal law, a breach of protected health information occurs through the “acquisition, access, use, or disclosure of unsecured PHI in a manner not permitted by HIPAA which poses a significant risk of financial, reputational, or other harm to the affected individual.”
Some common examples of social media HIPAA violations include:
Posting information about a patient to unauthorized parties, even if the patient is not named.
Sharing any form of PHI, including photos, without written consent from a patient.
Assuming that posts are private or have been deleted when they are still visible to the public.
Sharing of comments or pictures that happen to contain protected patient information (charts or files).
Social media violations of HIPAA are becoming increasingly common, and although difficult to predict or prevent, their consequences can be severe. They can include civil lawsuits, loss of medical license, employee termination, civil fines ranging from $100 to $1,500,000, and criminal penalties of as much as $250,000 in fines and up to 10 years in prison.
Has a Hospital Violated Your Privacy? Contact an Attorney Today
A privacy breach is a very serious matter. You may be able to recover damages by filing a lawsuit if you:
Have a Facebook account.
Your hospital or doctor’s office was one of the affected facilities.
You have visited pages on the healthcare entity’s website and/or logged into a patient portal within the last two years.
Request A Free Legal Consultation
Online Form - SF-general
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CLASSIC TRACKS: 'Who Are You?' - The Who
Producers & Engineers: Jon Astley • Glyn Johns
By Richard Buskin
The Who live in New York, circa 1977.Photo: Richard E Aaron/Redferns
The Who's final album with Keith Moon took almost a year to record and pushed the band to the limit. Engineer and producer Jon Astley tells the remarkable story behind Who Are You?'s title track.
When The Who re-entered the recording studio in September 1977 following a couple of years on the road, it wasn't in the best of circumstances. For one thing, constant touring had been taking a toll on Pete Townshend's marriage, so the composer/guitarist determined to turn things around by adhering to office hours — hardly a recipe for no-holds-barred creativity. And after more than a decade of hellraising, Keith Moon turned up in no shape to drum at an acceptable level.
Moon relocated from Los Angeles to London for rehearsals, which took place at the band's Ramport Studio in Battersea, and right from the start it was clear that he might just have an attitude problem. On one of the first days, bored with all the hanging around, he used his gold-plated lighter to set a noticeboard on fire; and when producer Glyn Johns' assistant, Jon Astley, assiduously set about miking the drum kit with a setup far more intricate than the simple technique which Johns had traditionally employed, his work was quickly undone in classic Moon fashion.
"Glyn trusted my engineering, and for the first time he was interested in getting away from big, open miking and actually trying something different with close miking," Astley explains. "He was open to some of the things that I wanted to try and do, and it was quite interesting that he would let me do that — I used a bunch of different mics on Keith's kit, and Glyn came in the next day and said 'OK, we'll try it.' Up until then, Glyn had only ever used three mics on a drum kit, so it was a big step for him to take. You see, the sort of ambient recording thing had been and gone, and this was the disco era when everything was in your face and very dry and very, very close-miked. Jon Astley today.
"On the bass drum I used an AKG D30; I had a Neumann KM84 on top and underneath the snare; I used a Shure SM58 with a pad in it for the hi-hat; overheads were Neumann U87s; and for toms I used anything I could find that matched, such as Sennheiser 421s. Then, the day after I'd set all this up, Keith came in and went around the kit for me. I just wanted to make sure the stereo imaging was OK, so he played and then asked 'Is that all right?' I said 'Yeah, that's fantastic,' at which point he stood up and walked straight through the bloody kit. He obviously was aware that I'd put a lot of work into it, balancing the whole thing, but I just thought 'Oh, well, welcome to the Who. Here we go..."
It's Who You Know...
Not that Jon Astley was all that unfamiliar with the band members and their idiosyncracies. His sister Karen was then married to Pete Townshend, who had initially bonded with the teenage Jon by taking him to some of the group's gigs back in the mid-'60s. "Pete was courting Karen at the time, so it was probably to keep my parents happy that he'd take me off their hands," Astley surmises with a smile. "I was a Who fan anyway, and although I was a bit young to be a Mod [Astley was born in 1951], I embraced the whole Mod thing. Then, after my sister married Pete and I finished college in 1971, I bought a house in Twickenham, not far from where they lived. After working at the Radio Luxembourg studios for a couple of weeks, I then got my big break, working as a tape operator at Olympic in Barnes. For me, this was the home of rock & roll — the Stones had recorded there and, very soon after I joined, the Eagles were there, too, and that's when I met Glyn Johns."
During his time at Olympic Studios, Astley worked on David Bowie's Diamond Dogs as well as Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar. In the mid-'70s, he became full-time assistant engineer to Johns, producer and/or engineer of choice for everyone from Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, Eric Clapton, Joan Armatrading and the Steve Miller Band to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Who. "Glyn and I did a couple of Eric Clapton albums together, Slowhand and Backless, on which I was officially assisting, but some days Glyn didn't show up and Eric would say 'Oh, let's do a whole track. We'll show him!' In fact 'Tulsa Time' was all me — producing, engineering, the whole lot — and Glyn was fine with that. He didn't mind at all. He thought it was part and parcel of the job, and we got on very well.
"In '77, Glyn came up to me and said 'I don't think there will be a conflict of interest, but I have been asked to do the next Who record. Because you're working for me, I can't see that it'll be a problem. But if you do, then say so.' I said 'No, that's all right. I'd love to do that with you.' So we went to Battersea, to what we called 'The Kitchen', which was Ramport Studio, and started on Who Are You?."
Housing a newly built custom Neve 8088 black 40-input console, a 24-track 3M tape machine and 16-track Studer, Ramport had what was purported to be one of the first quadrophonic control rooms, with four huge JBL speakers at the front and two at the back.
"Pete would come in with a new song, which would serve as the backing track for The Who to perform on, and John [Entwistle] would do the same," says Astley. "Pete had a Polymoog that was programmed to play his backing tracks, and then the other guys would overdub their parts. The problem was, Pete was bringing in 24-track demos and Glyn wanted to work 16-track, because the sound coming off a two-inch head block with 16 tracks was so much better than a 24-track with Dolbys and everything else. In fact, the Dolbys at Ramport never seemed to be lined up properly — one day it used to sound bright, the next day it would sound dull, and I could never tell what was going on. Every night there was a different line-up of maintenance men, and the result was that things never sounded the same from one day to the next. It was very, very odd."
Not that this was the biggest problem during the recording and overdubbing sessions that took place during the last third of 1977. "Every time we came to overdub Keith, it wasn't great," remarks Astley with considerable understatement. "His timing was out, which was unusual for him, and this became frustrating for everybody. He was drinking a lot and taking drugs to stop himself putting on weight — which wasn't making that much difference — and while he was still the jovial Keith character, it sometimes wore a bit thin with everyone else."
The Who, backstage at a BBC studio in London. From left: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Keith Moon and John Entwistle. This photo is believed to have been taken during an appearance on Top Of The Pops to promote 'Who Are You?'.Photo: Harry Goodwin / Redferns
With tensions mounting, something had to give, and this is precisely what happened during a playback of 'Sister Disco' on Thursday, October 27, 1977. "Roger leaned over the desk while Glyn was sitting there and he said 'Can I hear a bit more bass?'" Astley remembers. "Glyn stopped the machine and said 'What?' and Roger said 'I just want to hear a bit more bass in the mix.' Glyn said 'We're listening to all this fucking work that they've done, and you want to hear a bit more bass?' At that point, things exploded. It was unbelievable. They both stormed out, and then I heard this kerfuffle in the corridor and Glyn came back in the control room with tears in his eyes, holding his nose and saying 'That's it. I'm going home.' Roger had nutted him and driven off in his Ferrari."
According to Daltrey's own recollection several years later, he'd told Johns that he thought the strings made the track sound over-produced: "He called me a little c**t, so I thumped him."
Thereafter, by not turning up at Daltrey's night-time vocal sessions, Johns basically delegated responsibility for producing these to Jon Astley. Not that reborn family man Townshend was there, either. "Pete would often leave the studio at four in the afternoon to pick up his kids from school, and we wouldn't see him again," Astley states. "Roger, on the other hand, only wanted to do his vocals in the evenings, so my days were very, very long. In fact, I remember Pete leaving when I was preparing to do a vocal session with Roger, and he said 'Make sure he sings the right notes.' I thought 'Oh, is that my job? I suppose it is now.'"
Drinking & Singing
The bar at Ramport Studios amounted to a fridge in the corner of the studio, out of which most present drank port — rock & roll! Entwistle preferred wine, and Moon indulged his taste for Coca-Cola mixed with whatever spirits were available, but Daltrey asserted that the port was good for his vocal cords.
"His voice was very good," Jon Astley confirms. "It held up when we put him under great strain, although he only did a lead vocal about once a week — it wasn't like he was doing two or three a night — and the two of us had great fun experimenting with different mics. I had cardioids and figure-of-eights, one above the other, to put his vocal into stereo by bringing it up on four channels... of course, you can buy a microphone now that does all that, but back then we had quite a hoot trying different things. The only thing was, it kind of made you sick when you listened to it, because if Roger moved slightly left or right the stereo image would move around in the speakers. I remember thinking 'I'm not sure whether or not this is a good thing,' so I ended up mostly using one Neumann U87 with a Urei 1176 on it.
"Still, something I didn't notice during the Who Are You? sessions, but which became evident when I worked with Roger during the '80s, was that if you go past four or five takes with him, even though he's still singing perfectly, he does lose an edge. It's very difficult to say exactly what that edge is, but it's a really good tone that cuts through stuff, and that disappears when his voice smooths out. Although that initially sounds nice, it isn't nice at all in real terms. And unless he's been on the road, singing every night, that happens in the studio after four or five takes. Having said that, I did comp his vocal from multiple takes on 'Who Are You?', and he also had to come back in and sing 'Ah, who the hell are you?' for the radio version, and I then matched it up. After the track had been picked as the single, we were worried that radio wouldn't play it because of him twice singing 'Ah, who the fuck are you?', so I had him come in and redo those parts when I was mixing the record at CTS in Wembley.
"I also remember getting Roger back to try to do some harmonies with himself on certain songs. However, he's one of those great singers who's note-perfect when doing a lead vocal and knows what he wants to do, but struggles when it comes to singing backing vocals. He'll pick harmonies that cross, and if you say 'I just want the third harmony on this line,' he might have a hard time. However, this seems to be a common thing with lead vocalists."
On The RAK
Things staggered on until the end of the year. That December, string sessions took place at Olympic, with Jon Astley's father Ted — composer of the music and theme tunes to such well-known British TV shows as The Saint, Danger Man, Department S and Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) — taking care of the arrangements for 'Had Enough' and 'Love Is Coming Down'. Then it was time for a very welcome Christmas break; a break that quickly evolved into an extended sojourn after Pete Townshend put his hand through a window and Roger Daltrey had surgery following a throat infection. Only in mid-March did the band reconvene, this time at RAK Studios in St. John's Wood, where Glyn Johns was interested in trying out the API console and, more to the point, experimenting with a much-needed change of scenery. This lasted less than a week.
"I remember an extraordinary day at RAK when Glyn brought in another bass player and I thought 'This is a bit funny,'" Astley recalls. "You see, John wanted to play kind of lead bass and Glyn felt they needed someone to play solid-bottom bass to nail down '905', which was very John-orientated. As it happens, John was fine about it. He went 'Yeah, yeah, whatever. Have a go,' and so in came Dave Marquee — who'd played on the Joan Armatrading sessions that I had done with Glyn — and we then had this very strange session where we tried to record a backing track with drums, two basses and keyboards. John had actually brought in a backing track that consisted of all these synths, and it was on two tracks of the 24-track machine... I'd left the first eight tracks and was recording the band on the last 16 tracks, but the maintenance man had wired up the remote with the wrong cable and when I put the last 16 tracks into Record it wiped the first eight. We were 10 seconds into it and I went 'Hang on a minute! Stop!' We'd already wiped John's backing track, although by managing to stop it before we got too far into the song I was able to copy a verse and splice it onto the front.
Jon Astley in his mastering studio in Twickenham, located in the same house that belonged to Pete Townshend for 12 years.
"I was thinking 'Oh no, I don't believe this day, I don't believe this day.' Keith was awful, Glyn went home early, the rest of us went out for a bit of dinner, and I sat down with the Who in a restaurant in St. John's Wood where they told Keith that he was out of the band. It was a case of 'Unless you do something drastic, Keith, we've got to find a new drummer.' I think Keith thought he'd been playing all right, but his attitude was like 'Oh yeah, OK. Whatever.' He probably went home and got depressed about it, but at the time he appeared to take it in his stride."
Taking Over The Reins
Another break followed, this time for a few weeks, before the sessions resumed at Ramport that April with Keith still behind the kit but without Glyn Johns behind the desk. Officially, this was due to a prior commitment, but there can be little doubt that he'd also had his fill of the Who. Suddenly, Jon Astley found himself producing as well as engineering.
"It was strange," he recalls. "The band came to me and said 'Er, we'd like you to take over as producer... if that's all right with you.' They were very reasonable! They seemed to have great faith in what I could do, although I have no idea why. I had never produced anybody before. I suppose for all they knew I could have gone off with Glyn, instead of which I thought 'Oh, yes please. Thank you very much. I've always wanted to produce the Who. I'm your man!'
"To be honest, I'm sure they just wanted to get the record finished. And I suppose my role changed, insofar as I was suddenly putting forward some of my own ideas — we had a piano player in, but I felt that Pete's piano on one of his demos was better. I said 'I'd prefer you to play it, Pete,' and I also suggested that he sing the middle eight. So I was contributing towards the production, which was something I'd always wanted to do. Fortunately, they were very, very open to suggestions."
But didn't Astley's promotion irk his erstwhile mentor, Glyn Johns? "No. If anything, it caused more of a problem between me and Pete. He said 'This is work, that's family. They're different things.' He was trying to be a normal dad and have a normal relationship with his family while making a record for this legendary rock & roll band. It was very, very odd. I remember him hating the drive to and from Battersea, so he bought himself a speedboat, thinking he could belt up and down the Thames at 90 miles per hour. He'd get to Battersea quicker than if he was driving... of course, he was wrong.
"When it came to his guitar playing, he did let it rip every now and again. For instance, when he did the main part with a Gibson Les Paul on 'Who Are You?', recorded in the control room by Glyn, using a Gelf preamp and some nice plate echo, everybody stopped and went 'Shit!' He reminded us of how great he was. And this must have been when Pete was starting to go deaf in one ear, because he had a specially built headphone box that would cut out whenever anything got too loud."
Separate Lives
Aside from the overdubbed lead vocal, lead guitar, bass, drums and Rod Argent's piano, most of the title track comprises the demo that Townshend recorded in his home setup, including the acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboards, handclaps and omnipresent backing vocals that he tracked himself. Forget the promo video, filmed at Ramport in early May of '78, which features the band members all gathered around the mic and working together as a band — in reality, their parts were overdubbed separately. On previous records the band had played together, even when overdubbing, but this time around Keith's faltering abilities dictated otherwise, and this was hardly aided by the six o'clock nightly routine of a maintenance engineer announcing 'The bar is open, gentlemen.'
Keith Moon at KROQ radio studio, Los Angeles, 1977.Photo: Michael Ochs Archives / RedfernsLittle was straightforward on the Who Are You? project, which saw the band's collective spirit showing definite signs of wear and tear. Little, that is, aside from Mr. Reliable, John Entwistle; ever present, ever consistent, he delivered few suprises both in terms of his demeanour and his bass-playing virtuosity. "If there was nothing to do, John would simply replace his bass parts," Astley says. "He'd set up exactly the same sound and say 'OK, run the tape,' and he'd play exactly the same thing. You could A/B between his bass parts over the course of five months and they'd all be exactly the same. Still, at least he was always there, staying on in the evenings to give Roger encouragement when he was singing, and he was just great to have around. It was also the first time he'd written three songs for an album, although that was probably because Pete, quite incredibly, had quite a few songs vetoed by Roger: 'Nah, I can't hear myself singing that.'"
Meanwhile, given one more chance, and with his back now firmly up against the wall, Keith Moon finally got his act together, laying down all of his drum parts within about 10 days. "He was great," asserts Astley. "The band couldn't believe it. When they did '905', which was bass drum, snare, off-beat, on-beat, everybody went 'That can't be Keith playing!' It was so unlike him. The timing was great and it was difficult to do, but he pulled it off. The only thing on which he couldn't play, which Pete warned me about, was 'Music Must Change'. Pete said 'It's in 6/8 and he doesn't feel 6/8. He never has, he never will. Don't even go there.' He was right. We ended up putting footsteps on the track. On Pete's demo he was walking around in a circle, and had it been quadraphonic it would have been wonderful to listen to — you could hear his squeaky shoes, and the sound of him walking around in a circle was the pace of the record... I mean, never mind 6/8, Keith never really felt 2/4 either. He felt orchestra — timpani here and big cymbals there. It was acting, it was theatre, and he really was great. I loved him.
"After completing all his drum parts, he got a job working for the Who as a PR man. He used to come into the studio and announce [in a very authoritative, upper-crust voice], 'Yes, well, I have another meeting today. I have to go and see these people...' He'd also go riding in Hyde Park. He just loved playing the English gentleman. Very odd."
The Producer's Intuition
"Glyn Johns is the only person I've ever worked with who knew when a hot take was about to happen," says Jon Astley. "He'd look at me across the control room or sit beside me at the desk and say 'Mark the next one on the box,' and nine times out of 10 he was right. He just knew when the band was about to come up with the right performance. With Joan Armatrading he was right every time. When we were recording 'Love And Affection' he would say 'We're not quite there yet, but the next one will be,' and then he'd say 'Got it.'"
Flying Faders
When it was time for the mix, Jon Astley initially got the cold shoulder as a result of the Who getting cold feet. "Pete came to me with this extraordinary excuse," Astley recalls. "He said 'Jon, this is the first thing you've ever produced, and we're worried that, if it backfires and becomes a complete flop, it won't be good for your career.' I thought 'Oh yeah, you fucker. I know what you're thinking.' Of course, I just said 'Oh, OK, Pete. All right,' and he said 'We've asked Glyn to mix it.'
The custom Neve desk that was built for the band's Ramport Studios, as it appeared in a Neve brochure of the time. The console, which later found its way to Bearsville Studios in New York State, was unique in several respects: details can be found on the web site of Phoenix Audio, the UK-based specialists in Neve restoration, who also build new products based on original Neve designs.
By this time, I was working with Glyn on Eric Clapton's Backless album, so I asked 'When's he doing it?' 'He's doing it at Olympic next week.' 'Oh, right. I wondered what I was booked for.' As a result, Glyn and I spent an excruciating few weeks inside Olympic's Studio One, where Glyn would push up a fader and give me this quizzical look across the room, as if to say 'What the fuck's that?' Then he'd push up the vocal and sigh 'Oh, you used a compressor on the vocal.' It was awful. Anyway, I sat through that, put together the master and delivered it as per his instructions, only for the Who's management to reject it and say to me 'Jon, you've got to mix this.' After all, I knew the record inside out, I knew what I was doing and I had an idea as to where I was going with it, and they heard that in my rough mixes. So, it was quite a step for them to take, rejecting Glyn's mixes, but they were very, very unsure about the record because it signalled a big change of direction in terms of Pete's writing and they were obviously quite worried.
"John was with me for the mix at CTS, and the Neve we were using was the first ever board to have little faders on motors going up and down. It was incredible. Then again, thanks to the great big motor, it was impossible to grab hold of a fader for just a second. I kept thinking 'Oh, I wish I could lift that snare drum just there,' and of course I couldn't. Anyway, after I had finished mixing the album, we had a playback session at Ramport, everybody loved it, and [management exec] Bill Curbishley came in and said 'Jon, I've got a pair of Concorde tickets here 'cause I know you love flying, and I want you to go and master the record in New York.' All my life I've loved aircraft, and the opportunity to fly on Concorde was amazing, so off I went to Masterdisk. That was management's way of saying 'Thank you for getting us through this,' which was really nice."
Taken Away
At a time when punk was questioning the band's sell-by date, Who Are You? resisted any urge towards bandwagon-jumping by diving head-first into synth-based prog rock and symphonic arrangements. In this regard, it's hardly surprising that doubts arose, yet the album was hugely successful following its release in August 1978, rising to number two on the American charts and going platinum in the process. The title track, released as a single the previous month, reached number 18 in the UK and number 14 in the US, yet all of this was overshadowed by the untimely death of Keith Moon on September 7 of that year — ironically, on the album cover he is sitting in a chair labelled 'Not To Be Taken Away'.
"He had got quite excited towards the end of making the record," recalls Astley, who is now a full-time mastering engineer for the likes of Tori Amos, Chris Rea and the Go-Betweens, while his remastering credits include all of the Who's recordings and others by Led Zeppelin, George Harrison, Abba, Them, John Mayall, Tears For Fears and Level 42. "I remember Keith really, really liking 'Guitar And Pen' and the things we did on that, and he was generally very up about the record. However, although he'd pulled himself together after being given the ultimatum, as soon as we finished the drum parts I know he went partying and clubbing. As it happens, John also went clubbing every night... but he did it in a very quiet way."
The original master tapes for the Who Are You? album.Photo: Harry Goodwin / Redferns
The Missing Minutes
Lastly, whatever happened to the 15 minutes of middle section that were edited out of 'Who Are You?' (see box, below)? Sitting in the upstairs studio of his Twickenham house that overlooks the home of British blues, Eel Pie Island — the house formerly owned by ex-brother-in-law Pete between 1968 and 1980 — Jon Astley looks pensive. "The stuff I cut out included Pete fiddling on piano and more acoustic guitar parts," he says. "I'd love to know what happened to it all. It must be on a reel somewhere, and it might be worth digging up... I bet it's down the road from here. Can you imagine putting together the original 20-minute version? The only problem is, most of it wouldn't have any lead guitar..."
Thanks to Andy Neill, co-author of 'Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle Of The Who 1958-1978' , for providing background information used in this article.
Write, Demo, Edit
The Who Are You? album marked a major departure in Pete Townshend's approach to songwriting, and the title track in particular saw him using his 24-track home studio in Goring, Berkshire to the full.
"Writing-wise, I think he was limited in terms of what he was trying to do," says Jon Astley, "because he was going through what I refer to as his Gilbert & Sullivan phase — 'Guitar And Pen' and 'Sister Disco'; all these operatic parts that didn't lend themselves to rock guitar. Still, he was really getting into his piano playing, and I thought his piano playing was quite astounding. On the previous album [The Who By Numbers] he'd played acoustic guitar almost all the way through, and now he was into the keyboards — all the little guitar bits in the middle eight of 'Who Are You?' are from his own demo — so he was always looking for something more to learn and master for each record.
"His demos were fantastic. He came in with a 24-track demo of 'Who Are You?' which was about 22 minutes long, and this consisted of one extra verse and chorus and a middle section that just went on and on into Neverland. Extraordinary. Glyn and I listened to it with the band, and he said 'I wonder what we should do with this?' Pete said 'Well, I think the middle section probably needs cutting down a bit,' so Glyn said 'Yes, that's a good idea... All right, we'll see you, um, tomorrow then, Jon.' And everyone went home! Because I knew Glyn wanted to work on 16-track, I actually edited the 24-track demo that Pete had made, and I had pieces all around the control room marked with Chinagraph, indicating where the various sections came from. God, it was such an absolute nightmare.
"I put together the middle section and I thought 'Oh yeah, that works. That's quite interesting.' Originally, it had gone on for about 15 minutes, whereas now it lasted about 90 seconds, representing all my favourite little bits. The whole thing was driven by Pete's angular rhythm guitar part, played through an ARP 2600 suitcase synth which had an auto-pan and a filter that was opening in time with the auto-pan. This created a kind of wah-wah synth sound, and since it was played in four-bar sections it was easy to edit together. Anyway, I bounced the whole thing down onto about six tracks of the 16-track, and when everyone returned we played the 16-track Studer and Glyn went 'Yeah, it sounds good. What do you think, Pete?' 'Yeah, it sounds good.' And that was it. That became 'Who Are You?', along with a slightly reworked intro. The song was down to around seven minutes, and there was a further edit that we did later when we took out another verse, but the lost-verse version has since appeared on the [1996 CD] reissue of Who Are You?."
In this article...
Session Notes: Spektakulatius Revisited July 2019
Devin Townsend July 2019
Mark Linett - Remixing The Beach Boys July 2019
The Young Punx - Recreate the Drum Sound of Stewart Copeland July 2019
Billie Eilish July 2019
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SPLC Sues to Protect Children in New Orleans School After First-Grader Handcuffed
Children at a New Orleans elementary school are subjected to unlawful seizures and arrests – including handcuffing and shackling – for minor violations of school rules, according to a SPLC lawsuit filed on behalf of a 6-year-old boy who was brutally handcuffed and shackled to a chair by a school security officer.
Children at an elementary school in New Orleans are subjected to unlawful seizures and arrests – including handcuffing and shackling – for minor violations of school rules, according to a class action lawsuit filed today by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana (JJPL).
The suit was filed on behalf of a first-grade student who was brutally handcuffed and shackled to a chair by an armed security officer after he argued with another youth over a seat in the lunchroom at Sarah T. Reed Elementary School. The school is part of the Louisiana Recovery School District.
The boy, known as J.W. in the court filing, was just 6 years old when the incident occurred on May 6. He had previously been handcuffed and shackled for a similar incident. School officials told the boy’s father that the arrest and seizure was required under school rules.
The boy’s father, Sebastian Weston, said his son is now terrified of school, his teachers and police. “These incidents, where our little boy was treated more like an animal than a young child, have affected him greatly,” Weston said. “He has gone from being a bundle of joy – excited about school and his friends – to now withdrawing into a shell.
"He doesn’t want to go outside and play with his friends anymore. He just wants to be alone in his room. He won’t do his homework anymore."
The complaint alleges that the school principal, one of several named defendants, “provided a clear directive to all employees … that students were to be arrested and handcuffed if they failed to comply with school rules.” The complaint also alleges that RSD officials – including Superintendent Paul Vallas and Director of Security Eddie Compass – allowed the enforcement of this policy at Reed Elementary and were deliberately indifferent to the rights of the students who attend school there.
"Handcuffing and shackling children to furniture is absolutely outrageous and can inflict not only physical injuries but psychological wounds that can have a profound impact," said SPLC attorney Thena Robinson. "School personnel acted unreasonably and continue to enforce a school policy that violates clearly established state and federal law."
For many years, local advocates have decried the RSD’s practices of arresting, handcuffing and shackling schoolchildren for minor violations of school rules that do not constitute probable cause of criminal activity. Most recently, Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children issued a report that documents the prevalence of the RSD’s unlawful arrest and seizure policies. JJPL representatives have repeatedly met with RSD officials in an effort to craft alternatives to this destructive practice.
"Since children returned to the city after Hurricane Katrina, schools have treated them like criminals," said JJPL Legal Director Carol Kolinchak. "In a city with such significant educational needs, our schools have a duty to provide support for students rather than respond with inappropriate aggression. While work with RSD has yielded some positive results, including a move away from private security contractors, we have reached a point where the courts must intervene to uphold the law, and clear policies and procedures to govern school security officers must be put in place."
The suit, which seeks certification as a class action, asks for a court ruling that the school’s policy to "unlawfully seize and arrest schoolchildren at Sarah T. Reed Elementary School absent probable cause of criminal activity" violates students’ rights under the U.S. Constitution.
"This must stop," said Weston. "Our children are not animals and should not be treated this way."
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Distribution of hospital inpatient stays and aggregate costs for U.S. children 2012
Distribution of hospital inpatient stays and aggregate costs for children in the U.S. in 2012, by age group
by Statista Research Department, last edited Dec 2, 2014
This statistic displays the distribution of hospital inpatient stays and aggregate hospital costs among U.S. children, aged 0 to 17 years, in 2012, by age group. During this year, 11.5 percent of aggregate hospital costs for children were due to children between one and four years old. Hospitalizations among children seem to have become more common among children with chronic conditions. Majority of hospitalizations among children were infants and newborns.
Newborns and infants under 1 year
Hospital stays 73% 8.2% 5.5% 6.1% 7.1%
Aggregate costs 57.9% 11.5% 8.6% 11.2% 10.9%
Leading busiest hospitals in England 2017/18, by number of admissions
Hospital services consumer price index (CPI) annual average in United Kingdom (UK)
Emergency admissions to NHS hospitals in Scotland 2005-2018
Admissions to NHS hospitals in England, quarterly Q1 2014/15 - Q4 2017/18
Statistics on "Hospital footfall in the United Kingdom (UK)"
Hospital finance
Hospital services- car park and food services
Consumer price index (CPI) of hospital services annually in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2003 to 2018Hospital services consumer price index (CPI) annual average in United Kingdom (UK)
Household expenditure on hospital services in the United Kingdom from 2005 to 2018 (in million GBP)*Expenditure on hospital services in the United Kingdom 2005-2018
Total turnover of hospital activities in the United Kingdom from 2008 to 2016 (in million GBP)Turnover of hospital activities in the United Kingdom 2008-2016
Approximate gross value added of hospital activities in the United Kingdom from 2008 to 2016 (in million GBP)Hospital activities gross value added (aGVA) in the United Kingdom 2008-2016
Net capital expenditure of hospital activities in the United Kingdom from 2008 to 2016 (in million GBP)Hospital activities net capital expenditure in the United Kingdom 2008-2016
Average weekly household expenditure on hospital services in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2017, by type (in GBP)Hospital services: weekly household expenditure in the UK 2017, by type
Leading 20 busiest hospitals in England in the period 2017/18, ranked by the number of admissionsLeading busiest hospitals in England 2017/18, by number of admissions
Number of admissions to NHS hospitals in England from 1st quarter 2014/15 to 4th quarter 2017/18Admissions to NHS hospitals in England, quarterly Q1 2014/15 - Q4 2017/18
Number of elective general and acute admissions to NHS hospitals in England monthly from November 2016 to June 2018Elective general and acute admissions to NHS hospitals in England, monthly 2016-2018
Number of non-elective general and acute admissions to NHS hospitals in England monthly from November 2016 to June 2018Non-elective general and acute admissions to NHS hospitals England, monthly 2016-2018
Number of admissions to NHS hospitals in Wales from 2004/05 to 2016/17Admissions to NHS hospitals in Wales 2004/05-2016/17
Number of emergency admissions* to NHS hospitals in Scotland from 2005/06 to 2017/18Emergency admissions to NHS hospitals in Scotland 2005-2018
Number of admissions to NHS hospitals in Northern Ireland from 2010/11 to 2017/18*Admissions to NHS hospitals in Northern Ireland 2010/11-2017/18
Leading NHS trusts ranked by hospital car parking charges in England in 2014/15 (in million GBP)NHS Trusts: ranking of hospital car parking fees in England 2014/15
Value of the daily cost of hospital parking in England in 2014/15, by region (in GBP)Daily cost of hospital car parking in England 2014/15, by region
Hospital car park charges for one-hour visit in England in 2015/16Highest charging NHS hospital car parks in England 2015/16
Hospital car park fines over the past three years in England in 2016 (in GBP)Highest NHS hospital car park fines in England 2016
Share of responses to the statement "there was a good choice of food last time I had to stay in hospital" in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2015 and 2017Improvement in variety of hospital food in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2015 and 2017
Share of responses to the statement "I think hospital food is generally much better than it was" in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2015 and 2017Improvement in quality of hospital food in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2015 and 2017
Stays and costs in U.S. hospitals with or without operating room procedures 2012
Leading major diagnostic categories in hospitalizations among U.S. children 2012
Rate change major diagnostic categories in hospitalizations U.S. children 2000-2012
Leading diagnoses in hospitalizations by number among U.S. children 2012
All hospital stay characteristics in U.S. children 2012
All hospital stay primary payers for U.S. children 2012
Nonneonatal and nonmaternal hospital stays for U.S. children 2012
Neonatal and maternal hospitalizations in U.S. children 2000-2012
Payer for nonneonatal and nonmaternal hospital stays in U.S. children 2012
Leading OR procedures in hospitalizations among U.S. children 2012
Hospital stays with leading operating room procedure paid by Medicare 2012
Rate of common operating room procedures in U.S. hospital stays 2012
Hospital stays with operating room procedure in the U.S. by patient age group 2012
Hospital stays with leading female operating room procedures in the U.S. 2012
Hospital stays with most common male operating room procedure in the U.S. 2012
Economic impact of community hospitals in California 2016
Economic impact of community hospitals in Oklahoma 2016
Economic impact of community hospitals in Utah 2016
Economic impact of community hospitals in Illinois 2016
Economic impact of community hospitals in Massachusetts 2016
Hospitals in the United Kingdom
Hospital footfall in the United Kingdom (UK)
Hospitals and hospital departments in the United Kingdom
Asthma Hospitalizations Among Children and Youth in Canada (2018)
Recent Trends in Hospital Drug Spending and Manufacturer Shortages (2019)
Hospital Admitted Patient Care and Adult Critical Care Activity 2017-18
Trends in Alcohol-Related Morbidity Among Community Hospital Discharges, United States, 20...
Components of Growth in Inpatient Hospital Costs, 1997–2009
The National Hospital Bill: The Most Expensive Conditions by Payer, 2008
Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit for Scotland Annual Report 2017-2018
Hospital Statistics: Mental Health and Learning Disability 2015/16
Wait Time for Treatment in Hospital Emergency Departments: 2009
Hospital Statistics: Mental Health and Learning Disability 2014/15.
Medicaid Hospitalizations, 2008
Most Expensive Hospitalizations, 2008
HealthGrades America´s 50 best Hospital Report (February 2011)
Consumer price index (CPI) of hospital services annually in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2003 to 2018
Household expenditure on hospital services in the United Kingdom from 2005 to 2018 (in million GBP)*
Total turnover of hospital activities in the United Kingdom from 2008 to 2016 (in million GBP)
Approximate gross value added of hospital activities in the United Kingdom from 2008 to 2016 (in million GBP)
Net capital expenditure of hospital activities in the United Kingdom from 2008 to 2016 (in million GBP)
Average weekly household expenditure on hospital services in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2017, by type (in GBP)
Leading 20 busiest hospitals in England in the period 2017/18, ranked by the number of admissions
Number of admissions to NHS hospitals in England from 1st quarter 2014/15 to 4th quarter 2017/18
Number of elective general and acute admissions to NHS hospitals in England monthly from November 2016 to June 2018
Number of non-elective general and acute admissions to NHS hospitals in England monthly from November 2016 to June 2018
Number of admissions to NHS hospitals in Wales from 2004/05 to 2016/17
Number of emergency admissions* to NHS hospitals in Scotland from 2005/06 to 2017/18
Number of admissions to NHS hospitals in Northern Ireland from 2010/11 to 2017/18*
Leading NHS trusts ranked by hospital car parking charges in England in 2014/15 (in million GBP)
Value of the daily cost of hospital parking in England in 2014/15, by region (in GBP)
Hospital car park charges for one-hour visit in England in 2015/16
Hospital car park fines over the past three years in England in 2016 (in GBP)
Share of responses to the statement "there was a good choice of food last time I had to stay in hospital" in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2015 and 2017
Share of responses to the statement "I think hospital food is generally much better than it was" in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2015 and 2017
Distribution of U.S. hospital stays and costs with or without operating room procedures in 2012
Top major diagnostic categories for hospital stays among U.S. children in 2012 (in 1,000)*
Change in rates of major diagnostic categories for hospital stays among U.S. children for the period 2000-2012
Top principal diagnoses for hospital inpatients among U.S. children based on number in 2012
Characteristics of all hospital stays for children in the United States in 2012
Distribution of expected primary payers of all hospital stays for children in the United States in 2012
Characteristics of nonneonatal and nonmaternal hospital stays for U.S. children in 2012
Number of neonatal and maternal hospital stays for children in the United States from 2000 to 2012
Expected primary payer for nonneonatal and nonmaternal hospital stays of U.S. children in 2012
Top operating room procedures for hospital inpatient stays among U.S. children in 2012
Total hospital stays with most frequent operating room procedures paid through Medicare in the United States in 2012
Rate of most common operating room procedures in United states hospital stays in 2012 (per 100,000 population)
Total hospital stays with operating room procedures performed in the United States in 2012, by patient age group
Total hospital stays with most frequent operating room procedures among women in the United States in 2012
Total hospital stays with most frequent operating room procedures among men in the United States in 2012
Economic impact of community hospitals in California in 2016 (in million U.S. dollars)
Economic impact of community hospitals in Oklahoma in 2016 (in million U.S. dollars)
Economic impact of community hospitals in Utah in 2016 (in million U.S. dollars)
Economic impact of community hospitals in Illinois in 2016 (in million U.S. dollars)
Economic impact of community hospitals in Massachusetts in 2016 (in million U.S. dollars)
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Road of Remembrance Naval Bunker
Written by Chris Rayner on 01 July 2011.
The Road of Remembrance, originally Slope Road, was renamed in the early 1920s in memory of the several million First World War servicemen who had passed down it as they marched from basic training at Shorncliffe Camp on their way to the harbour and embarkation for the continent.
Near the bottom of the road though is a strange concrete structure, a survival from two decades later and now one of the country’s oddest remnants of Second World War brutalist architecture. Where other bunkers strive to be unobtrusive, this tries to hide in plain sight by disguising itself as an upended biscuit box. But this roughly-built concrete structure with its blank square face is just the entrance and service end, and the important part, comprising several vaulted rooms, lies further back, buried deep into the cliff face behind.
The structure is believed to have been built to serve as a Naval (although run as Combined Operations) communications relay site which would have passed on information from coastal shipping radio traffic to Bletchley Park for decoding, possibly acting as one of its network of Y-Stations. A local boy, Tom Broderick, employed as a messenger, on several occasions delivered weather reports to the “offices”, as he called them, and once allowed past the sentry on the door found Wrens at work on typewriters in the front part of the bunker. He was not allowed to venture further down into the complex, however a woman who worked in the deeper sections of the bunker later described their work as “advanced communications”.
Entering into the bunker at the side of the concrete monolith one would have passed under an upper room containing ventilation plant and rusting filter drums. Ahead there are toilets, while turning through 90 degrees a passage and steps lead down into the bunker. The main sections consists of several rooms at an angle to the passage, two either side, with internal walls tiled with rectangular panels of unknown composition painted a beautiful ochre colour (possibly gas detection paint?), while old posters remind one that “Security Saves Lives”. An escape tunnel leads back to the road at the end of the two largest rooms, running parallel to the main tunnel, and there is a second bank of toilets.
The structure appears to have been built at a later stage of the war, based on a message from the Vice Admiral at Dover in October 1942 describing arrangements made to build an underground structure containing a telephone exchange and a small control room. The estimated cost of the project was given as £1000 and the construction period three months. Unusually for a secret bunker, it is believed to have been built by Otto Marx builders, a local firm also responsible for two other bunkers on the Leas, one of which was reputedly destroyed by a German bomb before the concrete had completely set. Using non-service contractors rather than say, the Royal Engineers, may have been a necessary relaxation of normal procedures due to manpower shortages.
Today it is sealed and ownership complications have, to date, sadly prevented its reuse as a heritage site.
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GROUP BACKS OUT OF RESTAURANT DEAL
KAI T. HILL Staff WriterSOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL
The upscale restaurant project the city approved for the beach won't be coming after all.
For more than six months, the city negotiated with The Restaurant People, which owns and operates two popular upscale restaurants in downtown Fort Lauderdale, to build a restaurant on the fishing pier, just north of Dania Beach Boulevard and A1A.
The deal, which commissioners approved on Nov. 14, called for the company to build a $2 million restaurant called Whiskey Creek Food & Tackle in exchange for a 20-year lease and $400,000 from the city. The city would have retained ownership of the building and the restaurant would have offered a breakfast menu, a city request.
However, while the city and the company were working out contract kinks, The Restaurant People withdrew its proposal about a week ago, said City Attorney Tom Ansbro.
No one from the company could be reached Thursday for comment. Ansbro said the company is now looking at a business venture in Delray Beach.
The biggest conflict that needed to be worked out after the commission approved the deal was the company's request that it be allowed to bring in outside investors to help run the restaurant.
The city turned down that request, and after extensive negotiations, Ansbro said the deal still looked promising.
"I just think its unfortunate that in the meantime other opportunities arose elsewhere," he said.
Ansbro said The Restaurant People faced no penalties for pulling out of the deal because the company had not yet signed a lease.
The restaurant would have been modeled after one of the Fort Lauderdale restaurants called Tarpon Bend Food & Tackle.
Plans for the Dania restaurant included a panoramic view of the ocean, landscaping and additional kiosks for such things as suntan lotion, sunglasses and towels.
The city, which chose The Restaurant People in May over two other bidders, would have been paid under the higher of two conditions: 4 percent of the restaurant's gross sales, or rent that would have started at $98,000 the first year and increased by roughly $3,000 each additional year.
City officials said The Restaurant People's success with its Fort Lauderdale restaurants Tarpon Bend Food & Tackle and the Himmarshee Grill influenced their decision.
"We like their concept. We liked their expertise," said City Manager Mike Smith.
Although the city had greatly anticipated the company bringing that same prosperity to the beach, the project will be reopened for bids, Smith said.
He said the project will likely be discussed at the next commission meeting, on Feb. 27.
Mayor C.K. McElyea was the only commissioner to vote against the deal because he disapproved of the 20-year lease.
"It was bad deal," McElyea said. "We should have built the restaurant ourselves."
However, Jan Davenport, a board member of the Dania Beach Chamber of Commerce, feels differently.
"I'm very upset that they pulled out," she said. "They were very qualified, very capable. They had all the qualities we needed."
Kai T. Hill can be reached at khill@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7925.
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Survey World History
Two ways to do history
Units 1-11
Unit 1: Creation, Flood, Babel
Unit 1.A How Old Is Mankind?
Unit 1.B Flood Stories
Unit 1.C Clocks and Calendars
1.D Creation and Darwinism
Unit 2: Mesopotamia & Egypt
Unit 3: Indus Valley
Unit 4: China
Unit 5: Greece
Unit 6: Rome
Unit 7..1 Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Unit 7.2 Church Conquers Empire
Unit 8: Byzantine Empire
Unit 9: Islam
Unit 10: Africa
Unit 11: Oceana & MesoAmerica
Units 12-23
Unit 12 - Charlemagne
Unit 13 - Princes and Popes
Unit 14 - New Forms of Government in England
Unit 15 - Middle Ages
Unit 16 - Christian Crusades
Unit 17 - The Mongols
Unit 18A - Renaissance Overview >
Unit 18B - Art in Renaissance
Unit 18C - Authors
Unit 18D - Great Women; Banking; Secular Popes
Unit 19 - Reformation INTRO >
Unit 19A - Martin Luther / 5 Solas
Unit 19B - John Calvin / Positive Results of the Reformation
Unit 19C - Henry VIII
Unit 19D The Counter Reformation
Unit 20 - Religious Wars
Unit 21 Absolutism vs. Constitutionalism
Unit 22 British Monarchs 1534-1700
Unit 23 English Bill of Rights
Unit 24 Exploration & Discovery
Unit 25: Revolution in Science
Unit 26A - Revolution in Thought (France) >
FEATURES OF THE AGE OF REASON
Unit 26B - Revolution in Thought (England & Scotland)
Unit 27i - Revolution in Government
Unit 27A - American War for Independence >
Unit 27.B Presbyterian Revolt
Unit 27F - French Revolution
Unit 28-Europe after 1815
Units 29-34 >
Click here for more units.
Unit 15 - The Middle Ages (c. 1050-1350 A.D.)
FHT Question:
A whole system of just law and representative government is contained in the U.S. Constitution. Where did these ideas come from? Were Franklin, Washington, Jefferson, Adams and the other Founding Fathers simply geniuses? Did they make this all up out of their own thinking? Or did they get their ideas from someplace and someone else? What other forms of government and law could they have created for our new nation? What were the alternatives? How successful would those have been?
Let’s add something more to the FHT Question. Recently (2012) the Florida Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church felt it necessary to release an official statement concerning the application of the First Amendment to what they perceive to be a time of planned federal government intrusion.
They stated:
“. . . . .Provided that the just civil and religious rights of others are not transgressed, religious bodies must possess the freedom to live out publicly what they believe. They must be free to gather for worship, to instruct their members, and to develop institutions that further the religious life of their members. From within the Catholic tradition this would include religious institutes and orders, schools, fraternities and sodalities, prayer groups, and Bible study groups.
“Likewise, religious bodies must be free to appoint and train their own ministers. For Catholics, that means the Church’s freedom at least to appoint bishops and ordain priests. It also means that Catholics are free to be loyal to their church and its leaders while also being loyal to their country and its leaders. Religious bodies should also be free to govern themselves financially.”
What fears do you think the Catholic leaders have in particular from what you read in their statement above? How was this issue resolved in the Middle Ages?
Introduction: The Middle Ages (c. 1050 A.D. - 1350 A.D.)
From about 1050 A.D. until the dawn of the Italian Renaissance in 1350 A.D. the features of this time period is usually referred to as the Middle Ages (“middle” between the Roman Empire and the Renaissance for the long view, or “middle” between 1050 A.D. and the Renaissance for the short view). During this period there was a burst of new activity in the arts, in culture, in learning, in architecture, and in new government systems.
However, in comparison to today, imagine waking up in the morning to no electricity, no alarm clocks, no toothpaste, no hot shower, no carpets on the floor, no closet full of clothes, no antibiotics, no internet. Those were the Middle Ages!
“Dark Ages” applies to the period immediately after the collapse of Charlemagne’s empire.
The term “Dark Ages” was not widely applied to the early Middle Ages until the 19th century, even though Petrarch used the term in the 14th century. There were those in during the Italian Renaissance who viewed the prior centuries to be dark. In the 19th century the times were considered to be ‘dark” because of the invasions into Europe by the Norse in the north and the Saracens from North Africa.
Schools were destroyed, books burned, and formal schooling sank into virtual oblivion. Communities were seeking simply to survive. Bartering (trading goods for goods instead of money) replaced the former Roman currency. And transportation grew more difficult as the Roman roads fell into disrepair. Safety from robbers was no longer provided by Roman troops.
During this period the village or manor priest was often the only source of knowledge for the common people. Tutors were hired by the lords and nobles for their own children. Nevertheless, most people in Europe were illiterate.
The loss of a collective memory (oral traditions, customary ways of doing things), of written records, and education in Europe generally has caused some historians to view Ireland as the sole custodian of Western civilization because of its isolation from the continent of Europe. (See, for example, How the Irish Saved Civilization, by Thomas Cahill.)
The Renaissance, which followed the Middle Ages, was viewed as the time of enlightenment. And so, in comparison, the Middle Ages seemed to some to be a time of darkness.
But this hardly was the case.
It was also the time of knights and nobles, of jousting tournaments, huge castles, feasts, construction of immense cathedrals in the larger cities, and the formation of Europe’s monarchies. It was hardly a dull period!
15.1 Feudalism
Feudalism arose in Europe following the disintegration of Charlemagne's Frankish Kingdom after his death in 804 A.D.
Feudalism is a system of social and economic organization that centers around an arrangement based upon usage of land in exchange for services. It is based upon a system of absolute ownership in which the lord or chief head of an area owns all of the physical land and loans it out to favored individuals called nobles and to workers of a lower economic and/or social class.
Feudalsim exists when one or more individuals own and control large amounts of land. They allow persons of lesser economic or social class to live on a section of the land, to work the land, and to raise animals on the land. In exchange those living on the land pay the land owner in crops, animals, and/or work the fields and herd the animals of the owner. When danger arises from other similar groups, the leader or major land owner promises protection. In turn, those living on and working the land pledge to help support the whole community against rival groups.
Feudalism has been practiced in virtually every section of the world, and in some parts of the world for longer periods of time than others. It was so wide spread, that everyone reading this unit is a descendant of someone who lived in a feudalistic relationship, either as a land-owner or as a worker.
The rise of towns and cities made it difficult for feudalism to continue. As people began to operate as merchants, to manufacture goods, or to perform specialized services, they began to abandon the feudal system.
In the modern era, although feudalism had disappeared from most areas of the world, communism, as it developed in the Soviet Union and in China, embraced the feudal concept. The large land owner or lord was the central government. The knights were the local government officials. Rather than individual farms, private property was confiscated and incorporated into collectives, owned and regulated by the central communist government. In towns and cities people lived in government-provided housing, worked in government-owned factories, and were given free health care. But there was little if any individual freedom.
15.2 Feudalism in Europe After Charlemagne
Feudal fiefdoms in France 1477
After the death of Charlemagne in 813 A.D. and the gradual disintegration of his Frankish kingdom, feudalism emerged as a new social organization in much of Europe.
“The Romans left long ago. Clovis, Pippin, and Charlemagne came and went. The Vikings are ravaging the coastal areas. We never know when they will attack. The Vandals are down south wreaking havoc. Many of our priests and monks are illiterate, and we simply need to find some way to survive!”
Although few at the time had the ability to view the times with such a sweeping overview, yet that a new day had dawned was evident to most, especially those of the nobility.
(Left: "Feudalism in France 1417", Attribute: By Zigeuner (original), Kaiser Torikka (translation) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) via Wikimedia Commons at http://commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/File%3AMap_France_1477-en.svg)
In the east, the Christian Byzantines maintained a high-level civilization during this period of time, with world-wide trade and rich art, literature, and architecture . The Muslim caliphs on the Byzantine borders kept order through Shariah law and like the Byzantines had a rich culture.
But in Europe in the west it was a somewhat different story.
Strong chieftains (lords) arose, surrounded by armed supporters (knights) in a mutual arrangement for survival. The lord was the rallying point for a united defense and the knights came to the defense of the lord or chieftain. Many of these were young men who had no hope of acquiring land through normal patterns of heredity, so they aligned themselves with a particular lord. Grouped around them were the peasants who worked the land and made certain everyone had enough to eat and that the cattle were sufficiently herded. From this simple arrangement came the feudal system.
Gradually individual chieftains were able to organize sufficient allies that they could invade the territory of other chieftains and take their possessions, usually incorporating land, peasants, and allies into a larger community. Increasingly in some areas very powerful lords emerged and set up localized kingships.
The map above shows how local fiefdoms developed in France by 1477. They were controlled by strong and wealthy families. While in some parts of Europe feudalism lasted until about 1100 A.D., in France is it was still in existence in 1789 A.D. Abolishing feudalism was one of the first actions taken by the Assembly in the French Revolution. In Russia feudalism was officially abolished in 1850 A.D., but the system remained in effect due to the tight control exerted by the Czar and the nobility over a peasant population which at the time of the Russian Revolution (1917-1922 A.D.) was 90% of the total population. Feudalism remained in the Austrian Empire until the early 19th century.
Feudal Social Pattern
15.3 The Feudal Pattern
After the invasions by the Norsemen and Vandals lessened, and after the wars between the Franks and the German tribes waned, Europe had thousands of trained soldiers available with far fewer wars to fight. Many were younger sons with no hope of gaining their own lands, since property generally was inherited by the oldest male child. The younger sons, who previously found their useful employment as defenders and soldiers, were now hired by wealthy lords to form their private armies. They were referred to as knights. Knighthood was a role conferred by a lord to a man who had proved himself to be loyal, strong, and otherwise worthy.
Anyone who swore loyalty and fealty to a lord was in a vassal relationship to the lord. This included nobles, knights, and peasants. The lord loaned out parcels of land, or fiefs, to the barons or nobles. They, in turn, gave management over to knights, who supervised the work of the peasants. In England, after the conquest by William of Normandy, those who supervised the work of the peasants were called reeves, from which the modern term "sheriff" is derived.
Lords owned the manor or the fiefdom.
Nobles, also called barons, held the clergy, vassals, and serfs subservient.
Those who worked -- the Peasants
Those who worked -- the Townspeople
Those who prayed -- the Monks and Priests
Those who battled -- the Nobles/Knights
Those who managed -- Reeves and Baliffs
Those who worked -- Peasants
Reeve and Serfs
15.4 Life of the Peasants
Peasants were given strips of land to plough, till, and harvest. They were expected to pay a percentage back to the lord of the manor. The entire holdings of the lord or local king was called a manor. Hence, the local lord was called the lord of the manor. In some manors the peasants also worked land preserved only for the lord, in addition to working their own fiefs. They also dug wells, built roads, constructed fences, cleared forests, and did whatever else the lord ordered. Peasants were usually illiterate, could only travel outside of the manor with permission from the lord, and most were born, lived, and died within the boundaries of the manor.
(Pictured above: Peasants (serfs) working under the direction of a reeve (manager): Attribute: By anonymous (Queen Mary Master) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AReeve_and_Serfs.jpg)
Feudalism was a difficult life for most people. It was not the romantic picture we often are given, of chivalrous knights riding around on splendid horses, jousting in tournaments, and wooing maidens. Life was difficult, even for lords and barons. Heating during winter was difficult, floors were either dirt or stone, windows were few, and insects were everywhere. The only light at night came from candles, usually made from animal fat or oil, which had a pungent odor. Beds were made of hay and other soft materials, and usually filled with bedbugs and other insects.
Clothing was usually made from rough, woven wool. Linen was available to barons and lords. Fabric for clothing was woven by the women. The usual wardrobe consisted of inner wear, which was frequently washed, and outwear, which was infrequently unwashed. Bathing, especially in the winter months, was infrequent. Cotton and silk fabrics were unknown in Europe until the 14th and 15th centuries, and their widespread use for the clothing of the upper classes took another century to spread through Europe.
The Church provided the major break from their bleak existence. Holy days and festivals provided entertainment, perhaps feasts of foods not available in their daily diet, and breaks from their labor in the fields.
15.5 Chivalry
Hiring a group of soldiers as one’s private little army could create a nightmare in the community. They had the training and the weapons. They could push their weight around town wherever they chose. Hence, the lords or local kings created codes of good conduct which the lords required of their military men. This was called chivalry. Chivalry was the ideal behavior and attitude expected of a Christian warrior.
A knight had to possess not only good military skills and maintain his horses, armor, and weapons, but he had to cultivate good manners and proper behavior. If he failed to live up to the local requirements established by the local king, he would soon be sent on a long journey, never to return!
Knights were expected to demonstrate exemplary behavior, or chivalry, in three major areas of life:
to God -- obedience, faithfulness, duty, defend against false religion
to other Christians -- honor, honesty, duty, courage, faithfulness
to all girls and women -- honesty, purity, extreme courtesy, and defense from harm
15.6 The Roman Church and the Feudal Contract
In almost every manor was found a local priest who gave Christian instruction to the people of the manor. Their impact was so powerful that Europe became known as Christendom.
The clergy were given their own fiefs in each of the manors or fiefdoms. It was called a feudal contract.
All ordinary fiefs were given by the lord for a lifetime only. Each fief reverted back to the lord of the manor upon the death of the holder and then was given out to another member of the lord’s court or military group. The widow and children did not generally have rights of inheritance.
The fiefs given to the local priests, however, reverted to the Roman Church at the death of the original priest or bishop and not back to the lord. In this way the Church gained increasing ownership of large properties until it finally was the largest landowner in Europe. Towards the end of the Middle Ages the Roman Church owned up to 10% of all the land!
This provided the Church with not only great wealth, but also immense economic and political power.
Wealth gained by the Church through property acquisition produced political independence from government powers, on the one hand, gave to the Church increased powers over civil rulers, on the other.
When civil authority developed in various localities, due to death, warfare, or plague, the Church increasingly provided law and order through its rules and regulations over its members. The greatest power it exerted was through the threat of denial of the sacraments to a local lord or king. And that did not get his attention, to everyone else in a local lord’s domain!
15.7 Sacramentalism
The use of the threat or exercising denying the sacraments to a nonconforming lord, king, knight, or peasant is referred to as sacramentalism.
The sacraments were visible signs of power. Had not the first pope Peter given to the Church the right to the keys to the kingdom of heaven? And if the Church had the right to use them, could not the keys be kept from those who disobeyed? The Roman Church purported to be able to grant or withhold the sacraments and even heaven.
To add even more significance to the issue of sacraments, the head bishop in Rome, Pope Leo III (750-816 A.D.), declared that participation in the sacraments was essential to salvation.
The granting of the sacraments became powerful tools to control kings, nobles, knights and peasants. And through sacramentalism the Roman Church became the most powerful entity in the Middle Ages.
When denial of the sacraments was threatened against a local lord or king, and especially a whole population, even a nonreligious ruler could be brought into line through the fear of a revolt by the people. They, themselves, did not want to be excluded from the sacraments due to the bad behavior of the ruler. Many examples from history can be given to show how unruly kings quickly snapped to attention when this threat was given to a whole population.
Of greatest importance to the people were the sacraments of baptism for their children, marriage, the Mass, and last rites.
15.8 New Forms of Government After Feudalism
By the late Middle Ages new forms of governing emerged. New aristocracies developed out of feudalism. An aristocracy is a system of governing possessed by a small group at the top of the social order. The “aristocrats” gained the dominant power. They held this power tightly and passed it to their children by hereditary powers. Hereditary monarchies were a unique development in Europe in the later Middle Ages. Kings were no longer chosen, based upon their abilities, but rather were the sons who received power upon the death or abdication of their kingly fathers.
The Holy Roman Empire revived after the dark ages and became the possession of the hereditary Habsburg family in Spain. Later in the 16th century, the emperor Charles V divided the empire into a Spanish line and an Austrian line.
With the rise of hereditary monarchies a power struggle developed between the monarchies and the Roman Church. The Church had filled the leadership gap during feudalism. Who has the ultimate power, was the question. Who appoints priests and bishops? Should the Church retain all of the properties acquired during feudalism through the system of feudal contracts? Who validates the coronation of kings? The new monarchs struggled to gain independence from Rome. The popes invoked sacramentalism as a response. The attitude of Rome was, “God is the center of the universe. We are his representatives. Therefore we control the universe! The Vatican is right up there with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!”
Rome resisted change. The struggle was not easily resolved. It was especially acute in France and continued for centuries through the French Revolution of 1789-1815.
15.9 Development of Towns Cities, and New Vocations
Large towns and cities formed. More and more people drifted away from the virtual slavery of peasant life on the manors to seek new hope in the towns and cities. There new kinds of vocations developed. Painters, carpenters, wood carvers, wagon makers, candlestick makers were but some of the new vocations. In feudalism, some people became skilled in one or several jobs that everyone had to perform for the household to survive. But in the towns and cities a person could devote full time to that skill and sell his or her product. And since there was little time to develop a list of clients or purchasers, merchants arose, selling on or several products locally or even as far away as Constantinople, or Damascus, or Baghdad, or China. In the late middle ages paper currency was introduced from China, making money exchange easily possible rather than barter.
15.10 Guilds
A guild is an association of people engaged in the same vocation, who establish standards for quality control, set pricing, shape the amount of competition that is permissible, and control production. In the middle ages a guild controlled production totally.
No one could be engaged in a particular trade or vocation unless he or she belonged to the guild.
Becoming a member of a guild was difficult. First, one had to be joined to a craftsman for several years as an apprentice to learn the vocation or skill. Often this meant living in the craftsman’s house, working for little or no payment, and being giving food and shelter.
After several years, if various tests were passed and skills achieved, the person moved from the category of apprentice to journeyman. He was approved to seek employment with whatever craftsman he could find. After a period of time as a journeyman, then the person could apply for membership in the guild. Very skilled craftsmen were leaders in their fields and called master craftsmen.
The guild carefully controlled membership. They did not want too many craftsmen in the same geographic location--they wanted to control competition. Controlling competition also meant controlling production, and controlling production enabled the guild to control pricing. If a particular product gained wide acceptance and the market demand outpaced the ability to produce, then the guilds expanded their membership. When the market decreased, the guild kept a lid on new membership.
Guilds were given full freedom in most areas of Europe until they ran up against the economic system of mercantilism that developed later in the 15th century (mercantilism is the system of economics where the central government controls production, pricing, and exporting and importing of goods--and not guilds). Guilds were banned in France during the second French revolution in the 19th century and went out of existence in Great Britain in the late 18th century when the free enterprise system was developed. Guilds later became the forerunners of labor unions that developed in Europe and the United States in the later 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Middle Ages contributed much to the development of Western Europe and America. In Eastern Europe feudalism remained firmly entrenched and in the Russian, the Austrian/Hungarian, and the Ottoman empires, it continued as a harsh system holding peasants as virtual slaves in serfdom. Feudalism was also introduced into Latin America by the colonizing Spanish in the 16th century.
15.11 Major Natural Events in the Middle Ages
The Medieval Warm Period (c. 950-1250 A.D.)
About the year 950 A.D. to 1250 A.D. there was a significant warming trend in the climate of Europe and a similar warm period reported also in China and Japan. This was followed by a much colder climate called the Little Ice Age (see Unit 10). Wheat could now be grown in northern Europe where prior to 800 A.D. the climate was too cold for sustained agriculture or cattle raising. Rivers and lakes expanded with the melting of glaciers and ice packs. Food supplies greatly increased and with it a rise in the population.
The Vikings took advantage of the warmer climate to colonize Greenland and Iceland. Archeological finds in Iceland indicate large farms with dairy cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats with extensive pasture land and fields of barley. In 960 A.D. a Norseman, Thorvald Asvaldsson, killed a man. He was banished from Norway and moved to northern Iceland with his young son, Eric, who later was known as Eric the Red. He, too, had a bad temper and in 982 A.D. killed two men. Eric was banished from Iceland and sailed westward to find a new land discovered several year before, and upon landing there found it to be a very lush area, producing the same climate, trees, and grasses as in Iceland. It was so favorable that he called the island “Greenland.” He was able to attract thousands of Norse to the island.
Barley was extensively cultivated and the abundant grasses supported a significant dairy cattle population. Today, however, the climate is so cold and snow and ice covers so much of the island year round that although Greenland is the largest island in the world, the total population is only about 56,000.
On the continent of Europe grapes were grown in southern England and in northern areas of France and Germany, where today such is impossible. As late as the reign of Henry VIII in England the production of grapes and wine was similar to that of Germany and France.
Increased agricultural production also produced increased population. People lived longer. More infants survived into childhood. Chronic illnesses diminished. More areas to the north were habitable and populations spread out more widely.
The Little Ice Age (c. 1050-1460, and 1560-1850 A.D.)
1000 year temperature comparison
But then, just as suddenly, the warming ended and was replaced by a gradual cooling of the climate in Europe between 1050 and 1460 A.D. This was followed by a very cold climate between 1560 and 1850 A.D. throughout the northern hemisphere resulting in increased glacier formation and fierce storms. The growing season in most areas decreased about 15-20%. In England the growing season was shortened by one to two months on average compared to today. There was a dramatic impact on agricultural production and the food supply.
The period between 1560 and 1850 A.D. is referred to as the Little Ice Age. Temperatures plummeted, winters were much longer, summers were virtually non existent in many areas, and shorelines extended out farther due to sea water being trapped in glaciers.
In the graph to the right, notice the plummeting temperatures of the period about 1300 to 1900 A.D.
(Chart above: Attributed: Dilaudid [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3A2000_ Year_Temperature_Comparison-template.png)
Seeking blessing from priest
The Black Plague (1347-1354 A.D.)
Plagues occurred frequently. Contact with Asia introduced new bacteria and strains of infection to Europe, which culminated in the Black Plague or Great Death of 1347-1354 A.D. In some areas up to 30% of the population died. Whole towns were wiped out. The plague spread from southern Europe to England and Scandinavia in seven short years. In Europe estimates of deaths are as high as 35 million, or a third of the population, and worldwide estimates are as high as 70 million deaths.
(Left: "Plague victims seeking blessing from priest"; Attributed: Public Domain file at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plague_victims_blessed_by_priest.jpg#file)
To view a map of how far and fast the plague spread, and to read more about the plague and its impact on Europe and Asia go see:(http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/1320Hist&Civ/chapters/06PLAGUE.htm.)
15.12 Literature and Art
Two major pieces of literature in the Middle Ages are the Canterbury Tales and the Magna Carta, both produced in England.
The Canterbury Tales were written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century and are a collection of tales, centered around the journey of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury to visit the shrine at the tomb of Saint Thomas à Becket. These tales are important because of their descriptions of life and beliefs in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The Magna Carta, “the Great Charter,” was a document that the nobility of England forced King John to sign in 1215 A.D, granting them freedoms formerly guaranteed by Alfred the Great in the ninth century, but removed from them by William of Normandy when he defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. John, a descendant of William, was the last of the absolute rulers in England. An original copy of the Magna Carta is on display in the Rotunda in Washington, D.C., because it served as one of the basis for the establishment of the Constitution of the United States of America. Only four original copies of the Magna Carta exist. (See Unit 14)
King John was not a happy camper when forced to sign the Magna Carta. He was relinquishing powers to the nobles that he believed, according to the theory of the divine right of the king, were reserved only for the monarch and not the nobility or the common people. It was his great-grandfather, William of Normandy, who had imposed absolute rule on England in 1066 A.D. as a result of the Battle of Hastings.
The production of art in the early middle ages was for the most part confined to monasteries. This was the result of the devastating effects of the invasions by the Vikings and the Saracens. Art was one-dimensional, was expressed in a variety of forms, and was primarily religious art. Mosaics in churches, ceramics, wood and ivory engraving, wood carvings (because paper was scarce and very expensive), stained glass windows, decorations of biblical and other manuscripts, elaborate covers for copies of the Bible, fresco and wooden panel painting, and tapestries and embroideries were some of the major work done primarily by monks living in monasteries.
There was little sculpturing, because it was viewed as a violation of the second commandment.
It was customary for art work to by done by anonymous artists. The major theme of the art of the middle ages was the glory of God and the anonymity of the artist. This would be in direct contrast with the art of the period that followed, the Renaissance, where humanistic artists took great pains to make certain that their names were attached to their works.
Flying buttress at Cathedral Notre Dame Paris
15.13 Architecture
When the Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. and then constructed Constantinople in 324 A.D. large church building were necessary to house the large crowds of Christians. He embarked on a major church building program, including the famed Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.
(Right: Example of flying buttress construction, Cathedral Notre Dame, Paris; Attributed: By Jean Lemoine from Béthisy-Saint-Martin, France (Flickr.com) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ANotre_Dame_buttress.jpg
During the Carolingian period, large basilicas built with a footprint in the shape of a cross were constructed with very large entrances, usually on the west side of the building.
From these early examples, church architecture was revolutionized in the late middle ages in the 12th century by French architects. This is known as the Gothic style of architecture.
The flying buttress was one of the major Gothic architectural innovations. The French wanted their cathedrals to be filled with light. They wanted large stained glass window to fill up large sections of the walls in order to let light in and to depict biblical stories to educate the worshippers. To do this, they developed the flying buttress. Rather than running large weight bearing columns (or “buttresses”) up the sides of the cathedrals, which would cut down on the area that could be devoted to stained glass windows, they designed buttresses that started at the top of the wall and sloping down towards the ground in the shape of a arc. This moved the buttress away from the walls. Famous examples of cathedrals with flying buttresses are the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris and the Westminster Cathedral in London. (Photo: Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris)
The need for light and the maximum use of stained glass windows extended also to the design of the ceilings or vaults of the Gothic cathedrals. The innovation of rib vaulting made possible the use of stained glass windows even at the very top of the cathedrals.
Pointed arch ribs at the very top carried the weight of the roof and created vaults of empty space where windows could be installed.
This was a major improvement to the Roman arch. (Photo: Angers Cathedral, France at sacred-destinations.com)
15.14 Science and Technology
The middle ages were hardly lacking in innovation in science and technology. This period was far more creative than given credit for by the Renaissance writers.
During this middle ages wind mills, mechanical clocks, the heavy plow which two or more oxen or horses could pull for faster and deeper plowing, the horse collar and horse shoe which the larger plows would require, manufacturing of transparent glass, which was useful not only for windows but also the creation of optical glass, the use of gun powder (an invention of the Chinese), canon for warfare, and the use of three-sectional crop rotation were but some of the innovations of the middle ages. A major ship-building innovation was the introduction of the rib and plank construction, which made ships faster, sleeker, stronger, and far more sea worthy.
15.15 Education and Universities
In the later middle ages education was primarily conducted in the cathedrals by the clergy and in the homes of the wealthy. Universities developed under the oversight of the Church. Some of these early universities were Oxford University and Cambridge University in England, University of Paris in France, University of Bologna in Italy, and the University of Constantinople. The major (and virtually only) studies were law and theology.
15.16 Scholasticism
A new approach to theology and philosophy emerged during this period of time, scholasticism, and its most famous scholar was Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274 A.D).
Scholasticism was based on the logic of Aristotle and served as the basis for Roman theology. Aquinas, in interpreting Aristotle’s form of logic, concluded such things as the following:
We cannot perceive God by an innate intuition, but we do perceive Him through the things that he has made (Aristotle: “If it can be weighed, touched, seen it is real”).
Things that move cannot be their own mover. Therefore, behind and under the universe is a Prime Mover, God. An infinite chain of things cannot exist because the chain cannot create itself. Therefore, a First Cause must exist. Further, because a chain of created things cannot sustain itself indefinitely, a Sustainer is necessary, or else the chain will collapse in on itself. (For example: stop watering your garden and see what happens! Or don’t put gas in your car and see what happens!) In the same way the whole universe would collapse without God’s sustaining power and personal involvement.
Created things can be separated into classes and orders, because there is an Intelligent Organizer who has created things in classes and orders and directs their ultimate end.
War can be considered just if (1) the authority calling for war has the rightful authority to do so, (2) those attacked are attacked because of something unjust or evil that they have done, and (3) the ultimate goal of the war is to promote and establish justice and good.
Aquinas also defined arguments for the existence of God in terms that are still used today, including: arguments from cosmology (what is evidenced in the physical universe), teleology (all things have an intended purpose), intelligent design (all things show a Designer), and causality (there is a direct relationship between cause and effect, the relationship between things that happen and what causes them).
The major theological work of Thomas Aquinas was his Summa Theologica, written in 1267-1274 A.D., which was an attempt to blend ancient Greek philosophy with Christian doctrine.
Aquinas differed from the Protestant Reformers in answering the question, “How does a person become right with God?” Aquinas taught the following:
Justification of the sinner is the result of God’s initiative and grace (cause and effect).
Because mankind is corrupted by sin, they cannot receive God on the basis of their own initiative (a thing caused cannot cause itself).
When God takes the initiative to justify a person, the process begins at baptism, God’s grace is infused -- which moves the person away from sin to God, and original sin is forgiven.
Aquinas views this as a restoration of original righteousness in the person and not the impartation of Christ’s righteousness to the person’s account. (Protestant theologians would later maintain that God imparts his righteousness but doe not infuse it, for if he did, that person would be in essence divine.)
Now that the person’s original righteousness has been restored at baptism, he or she now begins on a new journey where ongoing righteousness is earned or achieved through meritorious living which is either fact or fiction based upon actions of the person’s free will which was restored at baptism.
During the journey, because of the actions of free will, a person falls in and out of relationship with God, which can only be restored through acts of penance, including participation in the Eucharist (Lord’s Supper), the acts of penance which are usually prescribed by the priest at the confessional booth (“Say the Lord’s Prayer five times each morning--repeat a Hail Mary, Full of Grace seven times at bedtime, etc.)
A person can never be absolutely certain of their standing before God until the very end of all things when the final evaluation of that person’s righteousness is determined by God.
John Calvin, as an example of Protestant doctrine, taught the following in opposition to Aquinas’ scholasticism:
Mankind is lost and totally corrupted by Adam’s sin.
A person’s justification or restoration to right standing with God is the result of God’s grace and not human works.
God regenerates the person’s heart and mind so that they will accept God’s free gift of saving grace by faith.
The righteousness that is given to the person of faith is not a restored human righteousness, but it is the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ that is imputed, not infused, to the person.
When Christ’s righteousness is imputed, it is never taken away; neither can it be added to by personal works. Christ’s righteousness has been totally imputed to the sinner’s account.
The new heart and mind lives a life of obedience to God, but only through the desires and power of the Holy Spirit who lives inside the person.
Salvation is a gift that has been earned, not by the person’s subsequent acts of goodness, but by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is secure and a certainty.
Scholasticism elevated tradition and custom over new thinking and new interpretation of Scripture, operated within a fixed dogma of doctrine, and sought to solve the big questions of life philosophically, using the teachings of the ancient Church fathers and ancient Greek philosophers to do so.
Scholasticism was later ridiculed by the thinkers of the Italian Renaissance (see Unit 16) and later the Enlightenment (Unit 19), as being closed to new insights and change and placing too little value on human reasoning apart from divine revelation. But it has remained as the basis for Roman Catholic theology and dogma.
15.17 What led to the decline of the Middle Ages?
The middle ages were far from dull and non productive! But they declined, to be replaced by the Modern Era introduced by the Italian and North European Renaissance. What caused the decline of the middle ages in Europe? Historians do not always agree on the causes. However, some of the more common are the following:
a constant flow of Europeans to and from the Holy Lands during the Crusades (1098-1265 A.D.), brought new knowledge of Arab culture and language, medicine, mathematics, and astronomy; many of these returning crusaders were descended from families that had lived in the Holy Land for 3-4 generations without having stepped foot in Europe; they were not about to be absorbed into a dying feudalism or traditions in which they had not been raised;
increased contact with Asia, especially China, through merchants traveling to China over the Silk Road, and the return from China of Marco Polo in 1295 A.D.
wave of doubt and fear arising from the devastation of the Black Death in 1347-1354;
the outbreak of the Hundred Years War (1336-1453) between England and France, introducing Europe to a long siege of hatred, death, and bloodshed;
the invention of the movable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany in 1447, which facilitated the spread of new ideas and especially mass printing of the New Testament;
the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453, bringing the Byzantine Empire to an end;
the rise of humanism in Italy as a result of a rediscovery of Aristotle in Italy and Europe through Greek scholars fleeing to Italy after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 A.D.;
explorations by Columbus (1492), Magellan, da Gama and others, producing exposure to new people, new cultures, new religions, foods, etc.--”Gee! Not everyone is a Christian and they do not resemble Europeans in their dress, language, or religion!"
the Protestant Reformation which began in 1517.
All of these brought into question and seriously challenged the dogmas and traditions of the Roman Church and European cultures.
15.18 The Middle Ages: Were They “Dark”?
The term “Dark Ages” was not given to the Middle Ages until the 19th century. The age was considered to be ‘dark” because of the invasions into Europe by the Norse from the north and the Saracens from North Africa. Schools were destroyed, books burned, schooling and formal schooling became submerged in societies seeking to survive. Things in Europe were “dark.”
However, overall this period was hardly “dark.” Tremendous developments took place in government practices, literature, art, music, and architecture.
Feudalism was the common social, cultural, and political form during the Middle Ages in Europe. During feudalism the village or manor priest was often the only source of knowledge for the common people. Tutors were hired by the lords and nobles for their children. Nevertheless, many in Europe were illiterate.
Again, this hardly was a “dark period.”
Imagine waking up in the morning to no electricity, no alarm clocks, no toothpaste, no hot shower, no carpets on the floor, no closet full of clothes. Those were the Middle Ages!
But it was also the time of knights and nobles, of jousting tournaments, huge castles, moats and draw bridges, immense cathedrals in the large cities, and the formation of Europe’s monarchies. It was hardly a dull period in history!
It is also true that in feudalism there was little hope for the average villager who was usually born into serfdom and peasantry. One day often resembled the next. And there was little hope for moving up the social or economic ladder.
In Europe, at least, a new awakening was needed.
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Queen Anne’s County, Maryland
William A. Stavros is a Queen Anne's County lawyer who understands how stressful it is to be accused of a violation of the criminal law, a DUI/DWI or a serious traffic matter. He will utilize his many years of experience to explore the angles and options necessary to put your case in the best position possible given your particular circumstances. He also empathizes with the pain and uncertainty that result from a serious personal injury and the injured party's concern about being appropriately compensated.
The Eastern Shore law office of William A. Stavros is located in the heart of Centreville, Maryland, the county seat of Queen Anne’s County. His office is in the center of town on Lawyers Row just yards away from the Circuit Court House, the District Court Building and the Office of the State’s Attorney. Experienced trial lawyer William A. Stavros has significant knowledge of the local community and the Queen Anne’s County judicial system.
Both the District Court and Circuit Court for Queen Anne’s County are hearing an increasing number of cases for criminal matters, DUI/DWI and traffic violations due to a rapidly increasing county population as well as an increasing amount of thru traffic travelling on county highways. In recent years, state, and municipal police departments have increased the number of officers on patrol to match the increasing population of Queen Anne’s County as well as an ever increasing flow of traffic in and around the county. Law enforcement officers routinely patrol routes 50, 213 and 301. Maryland State Troopers and the Queen Anne’s County Sherriff’s Deputies patrol the highways throughout the county looking for drivers in violation of the traffic laws. The Maryland Transportation Authority Police have more limited jurisdiction but still account for a substantial number of the motor vehicle stops in Queen Anne’s County. During these stops by law enforcement officers an increasing number of drivers are being arrested for criminal and traffic charges such as drug offenses, handgun offenses, DUI/DWI, driving while suspended and other serious traffic violations. This includes a significant number of out-of-state drivers. If you find yourself facing criminal or traffic charges on the Eastern Shore it is vital that you contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible to assist you with your defense. William A. Stavros is a lawyer dedicated to insuring that your legal rights are protected.
If you need an attorney to discuss your criminal, DUI/DWI, traffic, or personal injury matter, you may call William A. Stavros for a free consultation. He will treat you as an individual and take the time necessary to understand the particular details and nuances of your case. He knows that understanding his client is a key component in achieving a positive result. Call Mr. Stavros today for a free consultation so he can get started putting his many years of experience to work for you. His Eastern Shore telephone number is (410) 739-0794. He may also be reached at (410) 825-3300.
Queen Anne’s County Judicial System
The Office of the State’s Attorney for Queen Anne’s County is located in the center of the town of Centreville within one block of both the Circuit Court and District Court buildings, at 107 North Liberty Street, Centreville, Maryland 21617. The Honorable Lance G. Richardson has served as the State’s Attorney for Queen Anne’s County since his appointment by Judge Thomas G. Ross in 2009, following the resignation of the Honorable Frank Kratovil, Jr., the now presiding Judge of the District Court located in Centerville. Prior to being appointed State’s Attorney by Judge Ross and running unopposed in the subsequent election, Mr. Richardson served as the County’s Deputy State’s Attorney.
The Honorable Thomas G. Ross was appointed to the Circuit Court for Queen Anne’s County on January 9, 2004. Generally, the Circuit Court’s jurisdiction covers major civil cases, juvenile cases and more serious criminal matters. The Circuit Court also decides de novo appeals from some administrative agencies. The address for the Circuit Court building is 100 Court House Square, Centreville, Maryland 21617.
The District Court of Maryland for Queen Anne’s County is located at 120 Broadway, Centreville, Maryland 21617. In early 2012, Judge Frank M. Kratovil, Jr. was appointed by Governor O’Malley to the District Court. The District Court of Maryland hears criminal matters, some civil cases and most violations of the Motor Vehicle Law. All matters in the District Court of Maryland are heard before a judge. Jury trials are heard only in the Circuit Court.
Queen's Anne County Personal Injury Lawyer
Free Consultation Centreville:
(Eastern Shore Office) (410) 739-0794 Towson:
(Greater Baltimore Area Office) (410) 825-3300
Centreville Office
115 Lawyers Row
Centreville, MD 21617 Call for appointment
Towson Office
Towson, MD 21204 Call for appointment
Mr. Stavros serves the Baltimore Metropolitan area and surrounding counties, including the Maryland D.C. suburbs from his office in Towson, Maryland. He also serves the entire Eastern Shore of Maryland, including Ocean City, through his Centreville office located in Queen Anne's County.
Queen Anne's Criminal Lawyer :: Centreville, Maryland DUI Attorney :: Law Offices of William A. Stavros, LLC
Copyright © 2019, Law Offices of William A. Stavros, LLC
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When I drive past Stephanie's workplace, my memories aren't of her several years healthy there; instead they're of helping her in and out when she could hardly walk and couldn't open the door without help. Hundreds of times we strolled around our neighborhood, but what comes to mind now is pushing her wheelchair gently over the cracks in the sidewalk. When I'm in our kitchen, thinking how she loved to cook, I remember helping her open the oven door, because guess what? It's nearly impossible to open an oven and put in or take out a pot full of food when you're in a wheelchair.
Her disability has taken over my memories of Stephanie, and that's not fair to her.
She was tough, and fearless. You can't get much more fearless than flying across the country to meet a potential boyfriend – me – and then flying back, only to start planning and packing everything, and then moving across the country to live with that guy she'd just met. That's our story, some of which I've already told on this site, and most of which is yet to be written (spoilers).
And of course, when we moved — every time we moved — Stephanie did her share of packing and loading the moving vans, and more than her share of the planning, driving, and navigating.
In San Francisco, we walked across the Golden Gate Bridge and back, and we weren't particularly tired afterwards. We walked from downtown to our apartment – three miles or so – with no worries. We climbed the city's hills and explored the ruins of the Sutro Baths. We walked miles along the Pacific Ocean shores and out in the Avenues.
In Kansas City, we walked up and down the hill to movies at the Country Club Plaza, a mile or so each way. We often walked to the museums, sometimes to visit the museums, but sometimes just to walk. When we discovered that an apartment without air conditioning was unlivable in the summer, Stephanie found a sale on portable air conditioners and brought two of them home – 25 pounds each, alone on the city bus, since I was at work and we didn't have a car.
In Madison, we walked every path in every park, and picnicked, and took pontoon boat rides, and went fishing. Stephanie often went shopping or ran errands without me. We might walk a dozen blocks from our apartment to a restaurant or a park, with no hesitation. We once walked across Monona Bay on the railroad tracks and would've had to jump into the water if a train came.
We went camping, and she didn't think twice about the long walk to the toilet pits. We bought baseball tickets in row 22 and made our way up the bleachers without any particular stress or strain. We would occasionally go on hikes and climb mini-mountains and lookout towers in state parks.
But wait, there's more. Stephanie was emphatically an independent and self-reliant woman, in control of her life and career – she was what used to be called liberated. She wasn't always on about it, and she wasn't looking for an argument, but she was very much a feminist. She understood from experience that some men, subconsciously or consciously, view women as inferior. She sometimes wasn't taken seriously herself, at work, at school, and in life, because of her gender.
That's just plain stupid, of course. Dismissing a good idea without a good reason is counterproductive to running a profitable business, or building a better society, or whatever your mission might be. Like any form of bigotry, misogyny ought to be challenged and never tolerated. Steph would challenge it, always. When someone tried to shush her or ignore her or dismiss her, she would insist upon being heard.
She was a strong, smart, vibrant, take-no-guff woman. She was college-educated, well-read, had thoroughly-thought-out opinions, and she had a natural attitude of being in charge in almost any situation — because in almost any situation, you'd want her to be in charge. And she certainly didn't change when we fell in love; I wouldn't have wanted her to change, and anyway, she wouldn't have.
She was never subservient to anyone unless she respected that person's expertise. She was never subservient to me, and I never wanted her to be. Adjectives like "dainty" or "demure" would not apply. She was a tough broad, in the best sense of that term.
We split the chores evenly, but there was nothing Stephanie couldn't do on a whim. When we decided we wanted to go somewhere or do something, she was ready to go quickly, usually before me. We went to movies, plays, parks, restaurants, shops, museums, libraries, casinos, garage sales, political rallies, sporting events, and everywhere else she wanted to go except France. Nothing held her back, except that she had a rather dull, not-too-bright husband.
When the garbage disposal clogged, she grabbed a wrench and took it apart and got it working again. When we filed bankruptcy, she handled all the paperwork, and the court clerk told her they were the tidiest forms he'd ever seen. When we needed to argue with anyone over poor service or billing errors, she knew exactly how to plead her case winningly and politely, while my style would have just been to holler ineffectively. There wasn't much Stephanie couldn't do, nor much she couldn't do better than me.
In all these ways and many more, Stephanie Webb kicked ass, perpetually. From the day we were married I was always proud to be her husband, and I grew more and more proud of her as the years went by, and prouder still as she battled her medical problems. In my eyes, she was astounding before her any of the diagnoses, and astounding after all of them.
I don't want to forget any of it, the bad or the good, but it seems unfair and unkind and below-the belt, that my strongest memories are of Stephanie at her weakest – like the time her legs gave out and she crumpled in a parking lot, when the doctors hadn't yet figured out why walking had become so difficult for her. Or the years when I did most of the household chores and almost anything that required physical strength. I drove her to the many medical appointments, picked up her prescriptions, helped her into the shower, pushed her wheelchair, etc.
I remember her fevers and chills, her vomiting and diarrhea, her leg amputation, her stay in a nursing home, and so much more – and her triumphs over all of it. Yeah, triumphs. What else do you call it, when she kept coming back from every diagnosis, every hospitalization? That was a winning streak, and I was and remain incredibly impressed by her.
But it's pissing me off that my memories of Stephanie when she was healthy are obscured in the back corners of my head. Toward the front, more clearly visible through my mental windows and curtains, are all the recent and less pleasant memories. That's the way memory works, but it's a thunderous disservice to the sensational woman she already was, before all the doctors descended on her.
I have never known a better person – wiser, stronger, or more autonomous – than Stephanie Webb. How traumatic and terrifying it was for her, to go from being a strong, stand-alone chick to being someone who literally couldn't stand alone. I did everything I could to help her, but what she wanted most was to not need any help.
7/17: Stephanie's cheesy potatoes
5/27: Can't wait
San Francisco, California (1997-2001)
Kansas City, Missouri (2001-04)
Madison, Wisconsin (2004-18)
Stephanie's cheesy potatoes
Stephanie's recipe cards
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Volume 1, Number 25
Summer at Saint Mary's
Twenty-seven people signed the guest book last Sunday at Saint Mary's. Church attendance was only 142, and that includes counting the clergy several times and adding the attendance at Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. Eleven of the twenty-seven are potential members geographically.
This was on a warm but not too hot summer Sunday. Although we had one excellent soloist, the full choir was not present. We had a modest complement of altar servers. There was an ordinary coffee hour afterwards. And again, as happens almost every Sunday, someone spoke to me about becoming a member of the parish.
One of the principal reasons people tell me they want to talk about joining Saint Mary's is the way they are received by members of the parish. I want you to know this because I suspect many members of the parish don't realize how crucial their ministry of hospitality is.
There will always be changes in life. Despite human unease with this reality, it is true and the examples of this are obvious and commonplace. You and I do have a great deal of choice about how we change. And you and I have a choice about how Saint Mary's will change. The future will be affected by the way you and I receive guests. It does not seem inappropriate to me in my role as rector to ask how you and I value the presence of newcomers to Saint Mary's. It also seems appropriate to remark that they are coming during the summer.
No parish can ever be a perfect place, but individual Christian communities can learn to use and rejoice in obvious ways to the gifts Christ has given them. No individual will ever be perfect in this life, but individuals can grow in their response to God's gifts. Saint Mary's was built to be a Christian community for many people. We are in the middle of one of the greatest metropolitan areas of the world. People are coming. I think there are more than 142 people in Manhattan alone who need and want a Christian community like Saint Mary's.
I am told that Saint Mary's was not built to be used in the summer months. What we know as Saint Joseph's Hall was the Saint Francis Chapel. Before there was a gymnasium on the third floor of the parish house (now a theater), there was an airshaft. Saint Francis was designed to be the summer church. The main church was built for the fall through the spring only. Well, the airshaft is gone and so is the Saint Francis altar. I'm not sure it occurs to any newcomer here during the summer months that church was a nine-month only activity. I wonder what Saint Mary's might be like if we planned really to be "open" twelve months a year? Stephen Gerth
PARISH PRAYER LIST . . . Your prayers are asked for the members of our Armed Forces on active duty in Kosovo and for Walter, Dennis, Eileen, Maxine, Edward, Mary Ann, Margaret, Scot, Shirley, Mark, Dorothy, Warren, Karen, Victoria, Frank, Florinda, Myrian, Charmaine, and Rodney, priest.
GRANT THEM PEACE . . . July 30: 1986 Edith Collins.
LITURGICAL NOTES . . . The Sunday Proper: 1 Kings 3:5-12, Psalm 119:129-136, Romans 8:26-34, Matthew 13:31-33,44-49a . . . 9:00 Celebrant & Preacher The Rector, 10:00 Celebrant & Preacher Father Shin, 11:00 AM Celebrant & Preacher The Rector, 5:00 PM Celebrant & Preacher Father Shin . . . On Saturday, July 24, Father Shin will hear confessions. On Saturday, July 24, Canon Garrison will hear confessions.
AROUND THE PARISH . . . We were delighted to receive the announcement that Yamily Bass-Choate will be ordained deacon on Saturday, July 31, in Meridian, Mississippi. Yamily is Father Choate's wife . . . Walter Morton wants to thank his friends who supported him with their prayers, calls and cards during his recent hospitalization . . . Eileen Sorensen stopped by the office on Wednesday after Mass. She is doing very well and we hope she may be back with us very soon . . . Remember, Mother Paulette Schiff and her husband, Walter Schiff, will be with us this Sunday. It will be good to have a chance to wish them Godspeed . . . The parish web site looks really great. Phil Burgess, thank you! The URL is www.stmvirgin.com . . . We had a letter from Chris Kamm who is at Parris Island. It's tough, but he's hanging in there! . . . Father Shin led a parents' meeting last Monday evening to make plans for the beginning of the church school in the fall. It looks as if we will have two groups of children to work with . . . Father Shin and the Rector are also working on the adult formation program for persons who wish to become Christians and for persons who wish to prepare for reaffirmation of their baptismal vows . . . The July-August issue of AVE is out. It was worth waiting for! You will enjoy the photographs from Corpus Christi . . . There was a good crowd for Evening Prayer last Wednesday, but the congregation disappeared to attend Father Shin's class. Mass could not be said. Someone was here and did ask for his confession to be heard! . . . Flowers are needed for the altar several Sundays in August. If you would like to give or to learn about giving them, please call the parish office . . . Remember: The Assumption, that is, August 15, the Feast of Saint Mary the Virgin, falls on Sunday this year. Our principal service will be the 11:00 AM Sunday liturgy with, weather permitting, the procession of the image of Our Lady of Walsingham through Times Square . . . Attendance last Sunday: 142.
NON-LITURGICAL CRISIS . . . I've hurt one of my knees. As we go to press, it's better. But as of today I am unable to genuflect. It started hurting while I was coming down the stairs on Tuesday morning for Morning Prayer. Kevin Farley, in fact, had to help me up when I came into church and tried to genuflect. Again, it's better today, but my guess is that it might be a week or more before it's back to normal. At this point I ask only that you not worry too much about my knee. Let me reassure you I am for genuflections! I am not one of those priests who thinks a bow will do or that words alone are all that is helpful. S.G.
MORE THINGS TO DO . . . The parish clergy want to make a special effort to be in touch with persons who should be on our list of shut-ins. If you know someone who should be receiving Holy Communion and is not able to come to Mass please write a note for the parish office and we will try to get this organized . . . The Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament has sent in a request for the list of members of Saint Mary's group. George Blackshire has asked the Rector to pull together a meeting. When would be a good time? Please speak with George or Father Gerth . . . The Prayer Book definition of membership in the Episcopal Church changed with the adoption of the new book in 1979. Then, the canons of the church were changed to recognize the change. Parishes are now supposed to keep a "register of baptized persons" in addition to the registers of baptisms, confirmations, communicants, marriages, and burials. It's going to be a big job!
Worship at Saint Mary’s
On Sundays Mass is said at 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM. A Solemn Mass is offered at 11:00 AM. Monday through Friday Mass is said at 12:15 PM and 6:15 PM. On Saturdays Mass is said at 12:15 PM.
The Daily Office
On ordinary Sundays Morning Prayer is said at 8:40 AM and Evening Prayer at 4:45 PM. Monday through Friday Morning Prayer is offered at 8:30 AM, the Noonday Office at 12:00 PM and Evening Prayer at 6:00 PM. On Saturdays the Noonday Office is offered at 12:00 PM and Evening Prayer at 5:00 PM.
The Reconciliation of Penitents
Confessions are heard on Saturdays between 11:30 and 12:00 and between 4:00 and 5:00. Appointments can also be made with members of the parish clergy for the Reconciliation of Penitents at other times.
Friday Abstinence
The Calendar of the Ninth Week after Pentecost
Monday Saint James the Apostle (transferred)
Tuesday William Huntington, priest
Wednesday Weekday
Thursday Saint Mary and Saint Martha
Friday William Wilberforce, abolitionist
Saturday Saint Ignatius of Loyola
The Parish Clergy
The Reverend Stephen Gerth, rector, The Reverend Allen Shin, curate,
The Reverend Arthur Wolsoncroft, The Reverend Canon Maurice Garrison, assisting priests,
The Reverend Canon Edgar F. Wells, rector emeritus.
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Summarizing ‘The Missing 28 Pages’: Who Was Behind 9/11?
The following summary consists of quotations from the suppressed 29 pages (previously miscalled ‘28 pages’) themselves, so that the accuracy of this summary won’t be doubted. The entire document is here; and, of course, it provides much more information adding to the account that’s here merely summarized by these quotations from it.
The document focuses mainly on FBI information regarding two of the 19 hijackers, and on the two individuals who were their handlers in the United States, and on those individuals’ connections to (including their receipts of funds from) the Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan al-Saud, and to other members of the Saudi royal family.
The SUMMARY (in its own words) now follows:
While in the United States, some [at least two] of the September 11 hijackers [Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi] were in contact with, and received support or assistance from …
Omar al-Bayoumi… FBI files suggest that al-Bayoumi provided substantial assistance to hijackers Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi after they arrived in San Deigo in February 2000. Al-Bayoumi met the hijackers in a public place shortly after his meeting with an individual at the Saudi consulate and there are indications in the files that his encounter with the hijackers may not have been accidental. During this same time-frame, al-Bayoumi had extensive contact with Saudi Government establishments in the United States and received financial support from a Saudi company affiliated with the Saudi Ministry of Defense. According to the FBI files, [redacted] at the company said that al-Bayoumi received a monthly salary even though he had been there on only one occasion. This support increased substantially in April 2000, two months after the hijackers arrived in San Diego, decreased slightly in December 2000, and stayed at the same level until August 2001. That company reportedly had ties with Usama Bin Laden and al-Qa’ida.
Osama Bassnan. Bassnan may have been in contact with al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi during their time in San Diego. Bassnan was a close associate of al-Bayoumi… He also lived across the street from the hijackers, and made a comment to an FBI asset that he did more than al-Bayoumi did for the hijackers… The document goes on to state that Bassnan and al-Bayoumi have been «close to each other for a long time». Bassnan has many ties to the Saudi Government, including past employment by the Saudi Arabian Education Mission… The FBI also received reports from individuals in the Muslim community alleging that Bassnan might be a Saudi intelligence officer. According to a CIA memo, Bassnan reportedly received funding and possibly a fake passport from Saudi Government officials. He and his wife have received financial support from the Saudi Ambassador to the United States [Bandar bin Sultan al-Saud] and his wife… The report states that during that trip a member of the Saudi Royal Family provided Bassnan with a significant amount of cash. FBI information indicates that Bassnan is an extremist and supporter of Usama Bin Laden…
[Also of potential interest are:]
Shaykh al-Thumairy. According to FBI documents and a CIA memorandum, al-Hazmi and al-Mihdhar may have been in contact with Shaykh al-Thumairy, an accredited diplomat in the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles and one of the «imams» at the King Fahad mosque in Culver City, California. Also according to FBI documents, the mosque was built in 1998 from funding provided by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Abdulaziz. The mosque is reportedly attended by members of the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles and is widely recognized for its anti-Western views…
Another Saudi national with close ties to the Saudi Royal Family, [redacted], is the subject of FBI counterterrorism investigations and reportedly was checking security at the United States’ southwest border in 1999 and discussing the possibility of infiltrating individuals into the United States.
According to FBI documents, several of the phone numbers found in the phone book of Abu Zubaida, a senior al-Qa’ida operative captured in Pakistan in March 2002, could be linked, at least indirectly, to the telephone numbers in the United States. One of those US numbers is subscribed to by the ASPCOL Corporation, which is located in Aspen, Colorado, and manages the affairs of the Colorado residence of the Saudi Ambassador Bandar… According to an FBI document, the telephone number of a body guard at the Saudi Embassy in Washington, DC, who some have alleged may be a [redacted] – was also found in Abu Zabaida’s possessions. …
Finally, the Committees are particularly concerned about the serious nature of allegations contained in a CIA memorandum found by the Joint Inquiry Staff in the files of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. That memorandum, which discusses alleged financial connections between the September 11 hijackers, Saudi Government officials, and members of the Saudi Royal Family, was drafted by a CIA officer [redacted], relying primarily on information from FBI files. The CIA officer sent it to the CTC to determine whether CIA had additional information. He also provided a copy to the FBI agent responsible for the investigation of one of the individuals discussed in the memorandum. Despite the clear national implications of the memorandum, the FBI agent included the memoradum in an individual case file and did not forward it to FBI Headquarters. FBI Headquarters, therefore, was unaware of statements in the memorandum until the Joint Inquiry brought the memorandum’s implications to the Bureau’s attention. [redacted]
Possible Saudi Government Connections to Terrorists and Terrorist Groups
While in the United States, some of the September 11 hijackers were in contact with, and received support or assistance from, individuals who may be connected to the Saudi Government. There is information, from FBI sources, that at least two of these individuals [al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi] were alleged to be Saudi intelligence officers. The Joint Inquiry’s review confirmed that the Intelligence Community also has information, much of which remains speculative and yet to be independently verified, indicating that Saudi Government officials in the United States may have other ties to al-Qa’ida and other terrorist groups…
An FBI agent was quoted as having testified on 9 October 2002 regarding al-Bayoumi, that he: «acted like a Saudi intelligence officer, in my opinion. And if he was involved with the hijackers, which it looks like he was, if he signed leases, if he provided some sort of financing… then I would say that there’s a clear possibility that there might be a connection between Saudi intelligence and UBL [Usama bin Laden]».
Moreover: «The FBI has now confirmed that only Osama Bassnan’s wife received money directly from Prince Bandar’s wife, but that al-Bayoumi’s wife attempted to deposit three of the checks from Prince Bandar’s wife, which were payable to Bassnan’s wife, into her own accounts… Bassnan was a very close associate of Omar al-Bayoumi’s and was in telephone contact with al-Bayoumi several times a day».
Furthermore: «Bassnan’s wife received a monthly stipend from Princess Haifa».
And: «On at least one occasion, Bassnan received a check directly from Prince Bandar’s account. According to the FBI, on May 14, 1998, Bassnan cashed a check from Bandar in the amount of $15,000. Bassnan’s wife also received at least one check directly from Bandar… for $10,000… FBI Executive Assistant Director D’Amuro commented on this financing: ‘I believe that we do have money going from Bandar’s wife, $2,000 a month up to about $64,000.’»
AlSo, «On March 28, 2002, US and coalition forces retrieved the telephone book of Abu Zubayda, whom the US Government has identified as a senior al-Qa’ida operational coordinator. According to an FBI document, ‘a review of toll records has linked [to] ASPCOL Corporation in Aspen, Colorado. … ASPCOL is the umbrella corporation that manages the affairs of the Colorado residence of Prince Bandar, the Saudi Ambassador… The US Government also located another Virginia number at an Usama bin Laden safehouse in Pakistan … [where a person was] interviewed by the FBI in June 2002. He could not explain why his number ended up at a safehouse in Pakistan, but stated that he regularly provides services to a couple who are personal assistants to Prince Bandar».
For a fuller account of the individuals who were behind 9/11, and of the individuals who have been protecting those individuals:
My July 20th article reported US President George W Bush’s connection to these persons, and to the 9/11 attacks, and also US President Barack Obama’s covering up for his predecessor-in-office, and for the Saud family. Both of America’s political Parties are in on this, and are covering up about it; the operation is bipartisan.
So, extensive evidence exists that 9/11 was financed by the Saudi royal family, and one item of conclusive stand-alone proof exists that George W Bush had instructed his National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to block anyone from being able to meet privately with him, or otherwise privately communicating to him, about whatever attacks involving airplanes and the World Trade Center and the Pentagon or any other US target, might be in preparation. And that evidence also shows that this Presidential refusal-to-know shocked the CIA Director, when Rice told him, «We’re not quite ready to consider this. We don’t want the clock to start ticking» on those matters, about which the CIA Director was, by that time, frantic to get in to speak alone with the President and warn him about the urgency of taking action to block the attacks.
In other words: The President knew about the matter from sources outside the US government, but he wanted to have, for the record (from the CIA and other official sources), plausible deniability that he had known anything at all about the impending attacks.
So, the long-bonded-together Bush and Saud families both had their own private – not merely their official and governmental – information sources about the impending attacks. Whereas the Sauds were masterminding and financing the operation (and so necessarily knew ahead-of-time the details of it), the US President (the American Bush) simply refused to be officially informed about any of its details until the attacks had already occurred and the CIA and FBI would then be assigned to do a report explaining why they had failed to prevent it from occurring (which actually wasn’t within their power to prevent); they were just Bush’s hirees, to take the fall for him after the attacks.
In other words: this was a carefully planned and coordinated inside-job, in which the President was obsessed to retain plausible deniability that he had had any reason to have prior knowledge of it which might implicate him personally in any intentional blame in the matter; and in which the Saudi US Ambassador and Prince, Bandar bin Sultan al-Saud (the man nicknamed «Bandar Bush»), paid the jihadists’ government-minders (who, in turn, paid, and rented apartments for, the jihadists, and paid for their pilot-training).
Furthermore, my 11 February 2015 article reported that Osama bin Laden’s bag-man who personally collected each one of the million-dollar-plus cash donations to the organization, had said in sworn court-testimony, that «without the money of the – of the Saudi you will have nothing» of al-Qaeda, and he specifically named Prince Bandar among the individuals from whom he had picked up at least one of those huge cash-donations. The other individuals were also Saudi Princes, and their close associates.
There also exists, from other sources, evidence that at least Building #7 of the World Trade Center might have been set up prior to the 9/11 attacks to be able to be brought down, on short notice, perhaps by means of prior placement there of nano-thermite and other professional multistory-building-demolition materials. The fall of Tower 7 uniquely resembled a controlled demolition, perhaps set up just in case the collapse of Tower 1 or Tower 2 would fail to bring down also Tower 7. Nano-thermite at each of those buildings was alleged to have been found in the only scientific analysis that has yet been done of surviving samples salvaged from 9/11. (However, proponents of the official story on 9/11 counter-argue that getting the requisite quantity of nano-thermite into these buildings would surely have been detected, and that it was not detected and so didn’t happen.) Proponents of the official account of how Tower 7 came down have never presented a credible explanation of how all of that building’s numerous supports somehow managed to become suddenly nonfunctional simultaneously. Part of a controlled demolition is precisely such simultaneity. If that simultaneity occurred without controlled demolition, it would be one of several historically unprecedented aspects of the way this building collapsed. Structural engineers very much need to know how it happened, because if they don’t find out, then all existing and future skyscrapers are and will be subject to whatever did cause that building’s collapse. If a coverup continues on that matter too, then architecture of skyscrapers is and will continue to be jeopardized.
In addition, there is evidence that major international investors knew in advance not only when the attacks would happen but what firms would be harmed by it – and invested so as to profit from those hits. The identities of the beneficiaries of those extremely profitable trades haven’t been tracked down, but their brokerage firms are known. Unless the identities of the beneficiaries (the principals) becomes known, there can’t be any investigation to determine precisely whom the sources of the new information were that had caused these investors to order those changes to be made to their investments. There might be a connection between these beneficiaries and the royal Sauds, and/or the Bushes (perhaps as their friends, or else as co-investors), but such matters are only idle speculation unless and until serious investigations are held regarding those specific trades. Thus far, all that has happened after 9/11 is cover-ups, stifled ‘investigations’, etc., and loads of propaganda alleging that the official story of 9/11 is true. Americans are sufficiently satisfied with those lies so as to still routinely refer to the country as a ‘democracy’, even fifteen years after 9/11, fifteen years with zero prosecutions of any of the higher-ups except killings of some key members of al-Qaeda (including some who had nothing to do with 9/11) – and fifteen years with serious unresolved issues for the world’s architects of skyscrapers.
In order to be able to reconstruct how the 9/11 attacks occurred, it’s not enough merely to know that the Saud family were paying the jihadists (bin Laden’s bagman even called the payments to them «salaries»), and that the US President had instructed his National Security Advisor to wall him off from private communication with the CIA chief about any such matter, but the elite beneficiaries of the 9/11 attacks need to be identified and prosecuted. However, unfortunately, that would require prosecution of people such as George W Bush for the crime plus the cover-up, and people such as Barack Obama for the continuation of the cover-up. And – for example – Obama blocks prosecution of Hillary Clinton; so, he would never prosecute himself, for anything. (He can’t do so, anyway; a President becomes prosecutable only after having left office. But his Administration could prosecute her.) And a President Hillary Clinton would likewise continue the impunity at the top of the American regime. (That’s obvious to everyone.) No one knows whether the impunity would continue if Donald Trump becomes the President; but, if he doesn’t at least state clearly during his campaign, that living prior Presidents will be seriously investigated for all possible violations of US criminal laws, and of their oath-of-office, then the only reasonable assumption would be that Trump will continue the existing dictatorship, no matter how much he might otherwise change some of its policies.
How can democracy ever be restored to America if this impunity at the top continues? If no American President will bite the bullet, then won’t that mean the death of democracy in America? Isn’t that a pre-revolutionary situation? If so, then the overriding question in this entire matter is: How much longer will America’s current dictatorship continue?
CIA FBI Saudi Arabia
July 29, 2016 | World
American writer and investigative historian
The Obama Ukrainian Nightmare Seems to Be Ending, at Last
US Government Tops All for Creating Refugees
Why Biden Is Wrong About the Rich
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TAPPI PIMA Executive of the Year Award
TAPPI PIMA Executive of the Year Winner 2018
Chairman and CEO of International Paper Named Recipient of TAPPI/PIMA 2018 Executive of the Year Award
TAPPI is pleased to announce that Mark S. Sutton has been named winner of the esteemed TAPPI/PIMA Executive of the Year Award. Mr. Sutton is Chairman of the International Paper Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Sutton was selected by the TAPPI/PIMA Nominating Committee for his ability to make tough decisions and stay focused on core products while maintaining a safe and successful company. Additionally, the Nominating Committee was impressed by his community and industry service.
Mark Sutton became chairman of the International Paper Board of Directors on January 1, 2015, and CEO on November 1, 2014. He has been a member of the International Paper Board of Directors since June 1, 2014.
Mr. Sutton joined International Paper in 1984, and has served in a variety of manufacturing, commercial, strategic planning and management roles and has led the company’s papers and industrial packaging businesses.
He serves on the American Forest & Paper Association Board of Directors, the Business Roundtable Board of Directors, and the International Advisory Board of the Moscow School of Management – Skolkovo. Mr. Sutton was appointed Chairman of the U.S.- Russian Business Council and also serves on the Board of Directors for The Kroger Company, Memphis Tomorrow and Board of Governors for New Memphis Institute. He is also a member of The Business Council.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Louisiana State University.
The award will officially be presented April 16 at TAPPI’s annual PaperCon conference in Charlotte, NC, USA.
About the TAPPI/PIMA Executive of the Year Award:
Among the highest honors bestowed by TAPPI and PIMA, the Executive of the Year Award is presented to senior-level executives in the pulp, paper or converting industries for excellence in management and outstanding contributions to the industry as a whole.
About TAPPI:
TAPPI is the leading association for the worldwide pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and converting industries and publisher of Paper360°, Tissue360° and TAPPI Journal. Through information exchange, events, trusted content and networking opportunities, TAPPI helps members elevate their performance by providing solutions that lead to better, faster and more cost-effective ways of doing business. It has provided management training and networking to the industry’s leaders for more than 100 years.
Membership Anniversaries
Division Honors
Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award
TAPPI’s 2019 Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award
Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award
2019 Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award
TAPPI’s 2017 Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award
Local Section Honors
TAPPI Paul W. Magnabosco Outstanding Local Section Award
2019 TAPPI PIMA Executive of the Year Winner
Young Professionals of the Year Award
TAPPI Selects Young Professionals of the Year for 2019
TAPPI Fellows
TAPPI JOURNAL Best Research Paper Award
Honors Manual
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Precision Medicine > BTK Inhibition in B-Cell Lymphomas >
BTK Inhibitors in Other B-cell Lymphomas
Published Online:12:24 PM, Fri July 12, 2019
Harry P. Erba, MD, PhD: How about some of the other, more indolent B-cell lymphomas—marginal zone lymphoma, Waldenström? Any data there with the BTKis [Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors]?
Anthony R. Mato, MD, MSCE: There’s approval for ibrutinib, both in marginal zone lymphoma and Waldenström macroglobulinemia. This has been, for these rare diseases, or these sort of orphan diseases that are very infrequently studied relative to the other B-cell malignancies, a paradigm shift. Patients with Waldenström, for example, who are MYD88-mutated and don’t have a WHIM [warts, hypogammaglobulinemia, infections and myelokathexis]-like mutation are very sensitive to ibrutinib and can do incredibly well. They can do much better than one would have expected from standard chemotherapy plus or minus anti-CD20 antibodies. The same is true for marginal zone lymphoma, which there are very few drugs that are actually indicated or approved for treating.
Harry P. Erba, MD, PhD: Were those approvals in those rarer subtypes based on randomized data, or just activity in subsets?
Anthony R. Mato, MD, MSCE: Activity.
Harry P. Erba, MD, PhD: That’s important. It’s very hard to do those randomized trials in small subsets of patients.
Anthony R. Mato, MD, MSCE: Correct.
Harry P. Erba, MD, PhD: How about the other BTK inhibitors, like acalabrutinib or zanubrutinib? Anything in Waldenström?
Anthony R. Mato, MD, MSCE: There are head-to-head comparisons underway in indolent lymphomas as well. For example, zanubrutinib is being compared head-to-head to ibrutinib. This is sort of an ambitious trial that we’ll be really eager to see the results of.
Harry P. Erba, MD, PhD: How about in somewhat more aggressive lymphomas, like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma [DLBCL]? Any data there?
Anthony R. Mato, MD, MSCE: These drugs, particularly ibrutinib, have been studied as single agents. They are not very impressive, but there may be a signal that there’s activity in the ABC [activated B-cell] subtype versus the GCB [germinal center B-cell] subtype of DLBCL. That’s led to trials examining a standard of care chemoimmunotherapy backbone, R-CHOP [rituximab/cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisone] plus ibrutinib, specifically with a focus on the ABC subtype. The primary endpoints of the trial were reported and not met. It may be that DLBCL is a lot more complicated than we thought. It’s probably not just the simple Hans criteria by immunohistochemistry breaking down subgroups. Maybe it’s 5 subgroups or more, based on more modern molecular methods. And so we may need to refocus. But at this point, in the primary registrational trial, the endpoint was not met.
And so, even in the ABCs, across the board, ibrutinib didn’t add in terms of progression-free survival [PFS]. That may be due to the fact that, for example, in younger patients, the AE [adverse event] profile of ibrutinib plus R-CHOP [rituximab/cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisone] is OK. Patients could tolerate it to get to the point where PFS and EFS [event-free survival] were improved. That was the case in subgroup analyses. Whereas, in older patients, that was not the case. But unfortunately, when you design your trial, the primary endpoint is what it is and retrospectively you can’t then decide, “Hey, this subgroup did better.” Somebody said at a meeting recently, and I think this is true, if 1 subgroup did better and the end point is a wash, then somebody had to do worse in order for those curves to be balanced. And so I think we need to keep that in our minds.
Harry P. Erba, MD, PhD: We have to be very careful about making large conclusions from subset analyses. Even though there may be some scientific basis for thinking so, I get why that has to make you a bit timid about doing it.
Ibrutinib and R-CHOP [rituximab/cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisone], that study didn’t meet its primary endpoint. How about acalabrutinib? Is that being added to rituximab/cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisone?
Anthony R. Mato, MD, MSCE: I actually don’t know the answer to that question if there’s an acalabrutinib/rituximab/cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisone study. Certainly, the BTK inhibitors are being added, for example, in mantle cell lymphoma to bendamustine/rituximab, but we don’t have those results back either. So I think you have to ask yourself the question: Is the treatment paradigm always going to be that chemoimmunotherapy has to be the backbone to move forward? I think we’re learning, at least from the CLL [chronic lymphocytic leukemia] experience, probably not in the relapsed/refractory setting, that chemotherapy backbones did nothing to enhance the activity of these targeted agents. Maybe that will be the case in lymphomas as well, where we really need to think outside the box in terms of pathway inhibition and not necessarily just throw something on top of a backbone in order to do better.
Harry P. Erba, MD, PhD: And moving past that, how about lymphoblastic lymphomas, Burkitt lymphoma? Is there any reason to suspect that BTK inhibition may be helpful?
Anthony R. Mato, MD, MSCE: I personally haven’t seen a lot of data, positive or negative, reported in the highly aggressive B-cell lymphomas. Certainly, not in the near future, there is no change in the standard of care with the addition of those drugs.
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The Gift of Sight and the Science of Seeing
By helping restore sight to blind children in India, Project Prakash founder Pawan Sinha, SM ’92, PhD ’95, is also able to study how the brain learns to see.
by Anne Trafton
Artists at work: Prakash children who’ve had surgery for blindness take part in Prakash Art Day—the first time any of them have ever painted.
Ten years ago, Pawan Sinha was visiting his father in Delhi when he noticed a startling and tragic sight: young children, many of them maimed or blind, begging on the streets. He could tell that many of the blind children had cataracts—a condition that can be corrected easily through surgery.
This story is part of our July/August 2012 issue
See the rest of the issue
Sinha, an MIT professor of brain and cognitive sciences who studies vision, immediately saw a chance to help those children and, at the same time, further his research on brain development. He had been looking for a way to investigate how the brain learns to make sense of visual input from the eyes, a question that neuroscientists have traditionally probed by studying babies. Babies, however, are usually not coöperative research subjects, limiting the value of such studies.
The ideal subjects, Sinha realized, would be people born blind who later gained sight. “It very quickly struck me that in providing these children with sight surgery, we would also have the answer to the question that I had been struggling with,” he says. “That confluence of being able to do something that would directly impact the lives of children, and also make headway into scientific questions, was a very attractive possibility.”
In 2005, Sinha launched Project Prakash to find children with curable forms of blindness and offer them free treatment. Since then, the project has screened more than 28,000 children, both in Delhi and in remote Indian villages, and nearly 2,000, including 162 with congenital blindness, have been treated for a variety of eye problems. By studying some of those children after surgery, Sinha and his colleagues have answered many questions about how the brain learns to see. Their findings have also influenced how certain forms of blindness are treated in India and elsewhere.
Watch videos of Professor Pawan Sinha, SM ’92, PhD ’95 discussing how the brain learns to see.
A preventable tragedy
India has an extremely large population of blind children; estimates range from 200,000 to more than a million. The rate of childhood blindness in developing countries is five times that in more affluent nations, and the World Health Organization says that in India, more than half of all congenitally blind children die before the age of five. Those who do survive have extremely limited opportunities: across the developing world, 90 percent go uneducated. In India, even those who attend schools for the blind get a minimal education that does not come close to preparing them for well-paying jobs. They might learn to count, for example, but typically get no further math instruction. Fewer than 1 percent of blind people in India are employed as adults.
Most treatable cases of blindness involve either cataracts or corneal scarring, which is often caused by vitamin A deficiency. Both can be repaired with surgical procedures that in developed countries are considered routine: cataracts can be removed, and scarred corneas can be replaced. In rural India, however, children with these conditions usually remain blind.
“In the United States, if I were to find one such untreated child, it would be headline news,” says Sinha. “But in India, because most of the children are born in their homes, they hardly have any contact with modern medical care.” Indeed, fewer than 20 percent of blind children in India receive treatment, says Sinha, though twice that many have conditions that could be cured. Fewer than 15 percent of India’s major hospitals have pediatric ophthalmic units, and most of the existing facilities are located in cities, with little access for rural villagers.
Project Prakash (prakash is the Sanskrit word for light) sends teams of optometrists and ophthalmologists to villages far from Delhi looking for children who can be helped. Visiting those villages has been a revelation for Sinha. Growing up in Delhi, where his father was an administrator at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), he was shielded from the poverty that grips most of rural India.
Sight for sore eyes: Suma Ganesh (top left), head of pediatric ophthalmology at Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital in Delhi, uses a slit lamp to examine a child. In 2003, Pawan Sinha (bottom left, in foreground) visited several rural villages to get a firsthand sense of childhood blindness in India. Here, he and Asim Sil, an ophthalmologist who hosted his visit, work with an 11-year-old girl who had gained sight in one eye at age seven. “This visit helped crystallize in my mind the potential humanitarian and scientific significance of the effort that would become Project Prakash,” says Sinha. At right, in 2006, Yuri Ostrovsky, PhD ’10, tested a patient named Abid on a shape perception task a few weeks after his surgery for congenital blindness. Abid’s sister, who had the same condition, was also treated.
“Even though I grew up in India, I hadn’t really appreciated how much of the country lives,” says Sinha, who usually returns twice a year. “It’s a very sobering realization that in a country that we think is developing so well, the reality seems to be very different when you go to the villages.”
Richard Held, an MIT professor emeritus of brain and cognitive sciences who accompanied Sinha on a 2008 trip to India and coauthored two papers on Project Prakash research, says the villagers are welcoming and curious about the newcomers. “Everybody comes out and looks at us. We’re on exhibit, because they don’t see too many visitors,” he says. Sinha, who is fluent in Hindi, easily establishes a rapport with the residents, says Held. “He’s a very generous person and wise in the ways of people, as well as being a good scientist,” he says.
A gradual process
The Project Prakash teams usually end up screening 100 to 200 children per village. Any good candidates for surgery are invited to come to Delhi, where they can be treated at a facility called Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital, Project Prakash’s main partner in India. Project Prakash, which is funded in part by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, pays for the surgeries and transportation costs, covering lost wages for the children’s parents as well.
Although cataract removal and corneal replacement had been done on infants in developed countries, such surgeries had rarely been performed on older children who had been blind from infancy, so the researchers weren’t sure what to expect. Yuri Ostrovsky, PhD ’10, who helped Sinha launch the project, recalls that in the beginning, he believed the most exciting moment would be removing the bandages after a congenitally blind patient’s surgery. “We got ready for that moment, and we asked them, ‘How does the world look now?’ And they said, ‘Pretty much the same,’” says Ostrovsky, now a postdoc in Sinha’s lab. “That was a little surprising and maybe, in some ways, a little bit of a letdown.”
By testing the children on visual tasks such as distinguishing between colors and identifying shapes, the researchers discovered that immediately following surgery, patients’ eyes can detect only light and some degree of color. That is, they can track a light source and determine that a green patch is different from two red patches (though they don’t know the colors by name). Their brains have not yet learned to process more complex images such as faces. “Their ability to understand what’s what—that takes time,” Sinha says. “A month for some tasks, longer for others.”
Studies published by Sinha and his colleagues in 2006 and 2009 found that children treated as late as their teens—and in one case, a 29-year-old adult—were still able to see well enough to recognize objects and navigate the world.
The tests on the children’s visual progress—performed a day, a week, and a month after surgery and beyond—form the basis of Project Prakash’s scientific studies. (Participation in the studies is voluntary, and children are offered treatment regardless of whether they participate.) The first significant finding altered the way doctors view the problem of childhood blindness. Previously, many doctors (in India and elsewhere) were convinced that once blind children reached a certain age, around six or seven years, there was no point in treating them. Their brains, it was believed, had lost the ability to learn to process visual information. This idea of a “critical period” has been around since the 1960s, when scientists showed that kittens with their eyes sewn shut from birth to three months of age have greatly reduced neural activity in the brain regions that process vision once their eyes are opened. This effect was not seen in cats deprived of visual input later in life.
However, studies published by Sinha and his colleagues in 2006 and 2009 found that children treated as late as their teens—and in one case, a 29-year-old adult—were still able to see well enough to recognize objects and navigate the world. This does not mean they have perfect vision—many will never have eyesight better than 20/80, even with glasses. “It seems like there is a critical period for development of perfect acuity,” says Sinha. “But for other tasks, they do not seem to have a critical period.” One early patient, Bablu, was treated for cataracts at age 16. Before his surgery, Bablu was shy and lacked confidence, often sitting with his shoulders hunched, says Ostrovsky. Not much changed during the first few months after his surgery, but about 10 months later, when Ostrovsky saw him again, he seemed like a different person.
“He interacted with people in a completely different way, because his vision had improved to the point where it was very useful to him,” says Ostrovsky. “He had moved out of the youth hospital, he could live on his own, he could go shopping on his own for food. You really saw the difference in his demeanor.”
Suma Ganesh, head of pediatric ophthalmology at Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital, says that seeing the improvements in Project Prakash patients has made many surgeons more willing to operate on older children. “These children were dependent on others for everything, or were studying in blind schools or not going out of their house,” she says. “There is improvement in functional vision—some children have started going to normal school, some have shifted from Braille to print.”
Answering questions
Once Sinha and his colleagues established that treated children did gain some visual abilities, they could start probing in more detail how those skills develop.
First they looked at a task called visual integration—the ability to pick out objects from a scene. Soon after surgery, patients were able to identify some shapes, such as triangles or squares, when they were side by side but not when they overlapped. Instead of seeing the outline of each shape, the patients saw each fragment of a shape as its own whole. If one of the shapes was put into motion, however, the patients could identify it much more easily. This suggests that motion provides the brain with critical information about what constitutes an object. Over time, between eight and 16 months after surgery, the brain learns that objects that move together also tend to share other features such as color and orientation, which helps it learn to identify stationary objects as well.
Studies have shown that sighted babies also learn to identify objects by how they move, suggesting that visual development in Prakash children may be following the same pattern normally seen in infancy. “If evolution has discovered some effective ways of learning about the world, it would make sense for similar algorithms to be deployed even later on in life,” Sinha says. (It’s still not certain whether that is what’s happening, he says, especially given that a 10-year-old child has far more experience of the world through other senses than a newborn.)
Project Prakash studies also recently helped answer a centuries-old philosophical conundrum. In 1688, the scientist William Molyneux asked whether a blind person who gained the ability to see would be able to identify by sight an object previously known only by touch. In other words, would information from one sense translate to another? Sinha and his colleagues found that their patients could not immediately recognize objects they had previously known by touch, but they acquired that ability within days.
“To finally get an answer to this question, and to have blind children in India provide an answer to a question that the most eminent philosophers in England had wondered about—that was very satisfying,” Sinha says.
The researchers are now studying how the ability to distinguish faces develops, and they are also using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the brain’s plasticity—that is, how its patterns of activity change as the newly sighted children learn to process what they are seeing. Preliminary results suggest that as the brain takes in new information, cells become specialized to encode different aspects of what the patient is seeing.
Before Project Prakash, large-scale studies of the newly sighted were impossible to conduct, says David Somers, an associate professor of psychology at Boston University. “Historically, there have been very few cases to look at over the past 1,000 years—maybe 20 subjects who had their vision restored later in life were scientifically studied, so it’s hard to draw big conclusions,” he says. “Now, with so many patients, the science is so much richer. What makes Project Prakash so beautiful is the combination of the scientific side with the philanthropic venture where they’re really helping people who just need a very inexpensive procedure that is hard for them to get access to but can dramatically change their quality of life.”
Taking the next step
One of the first children treated through Project Prakash was a 14-year-old boy named Junaid, who came to an eye screening in Delhi in 2005. Junaid suffered from untreated congenital cataracts in both eyes and was attending a school for the blind in Delhi, where he received very little education. His family, which had an income of $45 per month to feed seven children, would not have been able to afford the $350 cataract removal.
Farana, 14, is tested to determine her eyeglass prescription. She and her sister were treated for congenital cataracts in 2009 after being identified at a screening session a few hundred miles from Delhi.
After his surgery, Junaid showed a marked improvement in sight and was able to recognize people and objects and get around on his own. In August 2011, he came to the Shroff Hospital to get his glasses repaired and ran into Sinha, who was impressed with how much the boy’s vision had improved but disheartened to learn that he had still been unable to obtain an education. After his surgery, no traditional schools would take on a teenager whose education level would have placed him in first grade, so he was bouncing around Delhi looking for a job. But employers didn’t have much interest in hiring someone with so little education.
“That struck me as a great tragedy, a great disappointment, for a child who I knew was very smart and had great hopes for,” says Sinha. He enlisted students from the Indian Institute of Technology to tutor Junaid for two years. During that time, Project Prakash is also paying him a stipend to help support his family.
Another treated child, eight-year-old Paras, ended up returning to his school for the blind because no regular schools that his parents could afford would take him. “This problem seems to come up for many children,” says Sinha. “Somehow they are unable to be accepted into the mainstream schooling system, and we need to change that.”
Sinha is now making plans to build a Prakash Center that would include a hospital for eye surgery, scientific research facilities, and a school for newly sighted children. Students would be given a “crash course” to prepare them for their age-appropriate grade level, allowing them to enter the regular school system.
Sinha hopes to build the center near the city of Rishikesh, located about 250 kilometers from Delhi in the plains of the Ganges River—one of a cluster of four holy cities that draws millions of pilgrims each year. Sinha envisions that the center will help pay for its charitable efforts by offering eye care to visitors who can afford to pay for it.
Fund-raising to build the new center, which Sinha estimates will cost $16 million, has just begun. Once $1 million has been raised, the project will be able to buy a piece of land, which Sinha believes will help raise additional money. The focus for now is on restoring and studying sight, but ultimately Sinha would like to expand the center to address other childhood disabilities.
Though the center is still in the works, Project Prakash has already had a huge impact on the lives of many children, and that is very gratifying to Sinha. His sense of obligation to do something about the problem of childhood blindness became much more personal five and half years ago, when his son, Darius, was born.
“Since Darius’s birth, I’ve noticed that it feels like a visceral blow to see another child in pain, because you can’t help but see your own child in that situation,” he says. “You ask yourself, what would you want another person to do if your child was in that situation? And that just clarifies all decisions that you might ever have to make, of what’s the right thing to do. Every child that we are able to help, it’s like a personal victory. It’s deeply satisfying at a human level, and then of course the scientific results are a bonus.”
Anne Trafton
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Facebook Log-In Page Through The Years And Facebook Trivias From 2004 Onwards
Facebook has truly come a very, very long way from its humble beginnings as 'Facesmash' software in 2003 to now becoming more populous than the most inhabited nation on Earth! Let's take a quick look at the social networking site's history via these FB log-in page screengrabs and Facebook Trivias through the years.
On February 4, 2004, Harvard student - Mark Zuckerberg - launched Thefacebook.com, a website where he and his classmates could share school notes. Membership on Facebook was then restricted to students of Harvard College but eventually expanded to Stanford, Columbia, and Yale after barely a month of the site's online existence. After several weeks, students from other Ivy League universities and most universities in Canada and the US joined Facebook and greatly contributed to making the social networking site a smashing success in the academe. In June 2004, Facebook moved its base of operations to Palo Alto, California.
In September 2005, Zuckerberg opened Facebook membership to high school students and called it the 'next logical step' for the site. Later that year, Facebook expanded membership eligibility to employees of several companies, including Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corporation.
In 2006, Facebook launched News Feed, which is an algorithmically generated and constantly refreshing summary of posts and updates about the activities of one's friends. On the same year, registered an estimated revenue of $52 Million.
On October 24, 2007, Microsoft purchased 1.6% share of Facebook for $240 million -- implying that the site's value was already at $15 billion. Earlier that year, Facebook launched m.facebook.com and officially announced mobile support.
The revamped look of 2008 Facebook Login Page reflects the significant redesign of the site's overall user interface. "Facebook Beta" gave rise to The Mini-Feed, Tabbed Profiles and Wall -- new features that are integral to Facebook's efforts to create a "cleaner" interface.
In 2009, the New Oxford American Dictionary chose the word "unfriend" as its Word of Year. According to New Oxford, "unfriend" is a verb that means "To remove someone as a 'friend' on a social networking site such as Facebook."
In February 2010, thanks to Facebook's 90.2% reach in the country, the Philippines became the leading nation in the Asia Pacific Region when it comes to engagement in social networking websites.
By the end of 2011, Facebook had become the Philippines' most popular website with a penetration rate of 93.9%. On the other side of the world, on February 22, 2011, an Egyptian baby was named "Facebook" commemorating the vital role Facebook in Egypt's revolution.
On the 9th of April 2012, Facebook announced that it had bought then popular photo sharing app, Instagram, which then had a total of 150 Million users around the world.
By the end of 2013, over 556 million people had been accessing their Facebook accounts via their smartphones or tablets.
On February 4, 2014 - as part of its tenth anniversary celebration, Facebook introduced the 'Look Back' feature, which then created an automated video for each FB user looking back on his or her life as recorded on the social networking site
Facebook confirmed official support for GIFs on May 29, 2015.
On May 24, 2016, Facebook released Facebook Reactions to the general public. The feature allowed users to choose among five additional reactions on top of "like" action to convey how they feel towards to a post. The new reactions are "love", "haha", "wow", "sad", and "anger".
As of January 2017, 1.87 Billion people around the world are already on Facebook, representing a 17% increase year over year and making FB practically larger than China or India in terms of population.
On May 2, 2018, Facebook announced that it will launch its own integrated dating platform wherein users can create a separate profile that won't be visible to friends who've done the same. The system will then match users based on activities on their own Timelines as well as their Messenger content.
What year did you join Facebook? What's your first FB post all about? What's your most liked photo on Facebook so far? Share your FB story via the comment section below.
Labels: Facebook Facebook Log-In Page Featured Social Media Social Networking Sites Tech Basics TechPinas Exclusives
Facebook Log-In Page Through The Years And Facebook Trivias From 2004 Onwards Reviewed by TechPinas on 5/20/2018 Rating: 5
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This could be our first picture of the iPhone 6 running iOS 8
By Hugh Langley 2014-08-15T13:35:00.226Z Mobile phones
Lighter, curvier, but is it sapphire-ier?
Well it certainly LOOKS convincing
We've seen our fair share of iPhone 6 leaks over the last few months, but (as far as we can tell) they've all been dead units.
But today we're bringing you shots of a device that seems to be awake and running iOS 8. The source, TMZ, said it received the pictures from a source who swiped the phone from a Foxconn factory.
While we obviously can't confirm the validity beyond TMZ's word, the phone certainly fits with most of the leaks we've already seen. It's got the more rounded design in the edges, while the camera on the back looks to be slightly raised.
The raised camera is something we've heard about in earlier leaks, but we thought it might be changed come the phone's final release. If these latest shots are to be believed (and this isn't just an early prototype, which it might be) Apple's new camera may not be totally flush with the rest of the phone.
But the biggest thing here is the fact that the phone is running iOS 8, making it seem slightly more plausible that this is indeed the iPhone 6. However there's always a chance it's a good photoshop job, don't forget.
On the screen we can see the menu, which is blocking out some of the apps - possibly the Health app? TMZ's source said that the phone is "noticeably" lighter than its predecessor and includes a new sensor on the front.
From what we can tell, it looks like Apple has just moved the existing light sensor above the speaker grille and made it slightly bigger, but it's difficult to be sure just yet.
iOS 8: our in-depth review
See more Mobile phones news
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Why dropping your phone on a flight is more dangerous than you might think
Dozens of aircraft fires have been linked to lithium-ion batteries, which are used to power mobile phones Credit: alamy
Hazel Plush, travel writer
7 September 2016 • 12:08pm
Hazel Plush
When passengers were given a pre-flight safety briefing onboard a Qantas A380 flight from Sydney to New York last week, they were “told to ask the crew for help if they lost their phone… and not, repeat not, to try to find it themselves.”
The strange announcement, which was witnessed by a reporter from online technology website The Register, was issued in response to the fire risk that lithium-ion batteries – which are used to power mobile phones – pose if they are damaged by the moving mechanisms in reclining seats. Since then, similar announcements have been witnessed on British Airways and Cathay Pacific.
But why the sudden warning? In May, on a flight from Sydney to Dallas-Fort Worth, Qantas cabin crew were alerted to the “presence of smoke in the cabin”. The Australian Transit Safety Bureau (ATSB), which has recently released its investigation into the incident, notes that the source of the smoke was traced to seat 19F, in business class – to “a crushed personal electronic device [a phone] wedged tightly in the seat mechanism”.
The remains of the phone which started smoking after being "crushed" in a seat mechanism Credit: Qantas/ATSB
The phone was no longer emitting smoke when it was retrieved, but “a strong acrid smell remained in the cabin”.
The ATSB, which investigates all Australian aviation safety incidents, said that the crew “placed the [device] in a jug of water,” before putting it in a metal box for the rest of the flight. This tactic was deemed “an excellent example of an effective response to an emergency situation” by the ATSB, and the flight continued as scheduled – landing in Dallas-Fort Worth two hours later.
The crew “placed the device in a jug of water,” before putting it in a metal box for the rest of the flight
When pressure is applied to a lithium-ion battery, it is susceptible to short-circuiting. This causes the battery to overheat – and, in some circumstances, start smoking or combust. Aircraft seats must be fire-retardant by law, but that doesn’t stop the heat or smoke.
“We’re asking people to keep track of their phone in their seat, and if they do lose it down the side, to let a crew member know and to not move their seat,” a Qantas spokesperson told the Telegraph. “We find this tends to be more of an issue on longer flights and on our Business Class skybeds, where people might have their phone next to them as they relax and it slips down the side of the chair.
The real reason you're told you put your mobile in flight mode
“Our crew are trained to deal with this scenario and they’ve done a great job on the odd occasion where we’ve had a phone break and start to smoulder. But obviously, we’d much prefer if we could avoid this happening altogether.”
Dozens of aircraft fires have been linked to lithium-ion batteries: In 2014, a battery short-circuited in a passenger's bag on-board a Fiji Airways flight, according to an ATSB incident report.
Why do planes still have ashtrays?
What causes turbulence, and is it dangerous?
Samsung mobile phones, Tesla electric cars and hoverboards have also been recalled because of fire risks.
So if you drop your phone on a plane, don’t go shifting your seat to look for it. Not unless you want to risk causing a fire – and have your phone handed back to you as a burnt-out, soggy souvenir of your flight.
Why you should take a train to ski resorts in the Alps next winter
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Anna Friel: 'I can see myself living in Africa one day'
The £1,000 holiday challenge: Five clever ways to spend a grand on travel this month
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Is God Really Out There?
Is God Real or a Myth
Useful Sitemap Links
New Age Religion List
A section in De Imperatoribus Romanis, the on-line encyclopaedia of Roman Emperors.There are several maps here useful to the New Testament student. Note especially Selected Topographical Maps of.
What Is The New Age? The New Age movement means different things to different people. However, I feel that most all New Age topics have one basic underlying theme.
2018 Workplace Readiness Skills Report Published. In 2017, the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education continued Virginia’s long history of data-driven evaluation of its workplace readiness skills framework by requesting that the Demographics Research Group at the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service conduct research to identify and update the skills that.
Advocates for clergy sex abuse victims protested Thursday outside St. Agnes Cathedral, demanding that the Diocese of Rockville Centre release a list of credibly. in August in New York State, he.
She’s best known as the wife of New Zealand’s most controversial religious leader, Destiny Church Bishop Brian. showered.
Journal Of The Scientific Study Of Religion In their study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. but does not have any financial stake in any company. She serves on scientific advisory boards for Danone, Yakult. Any number of world religions may claim to have the monopoly on enlightenment, but a study published Thursday in the journal Psychology of Religion and Spirituality challenges the idea that being. Alpha-synuclein was focused as a target for parkinson’s disease (PD) treatment by the researchers
Under the laws enforced by EEOC, it is illegal to discriminate against someone (applicant or employee) because of that person’s race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
I discussed these trends with Dr. Alan List, president and CEO of Moffitt Cancer Center. Strategic, inclusive hiring can help. The age of personalization requires new capabilities that cross all.
Pentagram Symbol used in Witchcraft. Represents the elements, earth, wind, fire and water with the spirit surrounding them. Yin-Yang In Chinese philosophy, two great opposite principles or forces on whose interplay everything depends. Yang is male, light and positive, Yin is female , dark and negative.
The New Testament Book of Romans, the Jewish Torah and the Islamic Quran list homosexuality as one sin. Federal protected classes include sex, race, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry,
Glossary of religious terms starting with the letter N. Nabi (a.k.a. Navi): Jewish and Muslim term for prophet. Name it and Claim it: (a.k.a. Word of Faith movement, Health & Wealth Gospel, Positive Confession, and Faith-formula).A group of conservative Protestant para-church ministries which focus on "anointed" ministers and the health, wealth, and success of their viewers and donors.
PROVO — A new study ranks Provo the least. economic, household and religious diversity and found Provo ranked dead last out of the cities included. Orem is listed at 499 on the list. No Utah cities.
Americans are afraid of few things more than talking about religion. the New Year, Bowler wrote about the concept of hope and New Year’s resolutions through the lens of her illness. Instead of.
Following Curry in a close race for second and third place were famed evangelist Billy Graham, who died this year at age 99. journalists who write about religion in the news media. Other religion.
To add your name to our Ministry Update List and/or our Prayer Partners List please enter your email address below and then click on the "Go" button.
The rule, which details how HHS will define religious. trauma tops the list of severe injuries involving the use of electric scooters — injuries that in many cases could have been prevented with.
Jersey City, New Jersey. But a new report confirms. household diversity, and religious diversity. The report drills down into metrics such as industry diversity, income, age, religious affiliation,
Old St Mary’s Church Welcome. Our present community is the result of three parishes coming together under the charge of one priest. St Augustine’s serves Meir, which is a large housing development on the southern edge of. Welcome. Welcome to the website for St Mary’s Church and Parish, Derby. We hope you find it helpful and informative. Whether you are a visitor to the city or a local, you are warmly invited to visit our magnificent Pugin church. At
St John The Apostle Catholic Church Florida Recently, the popes have named patron saints but patrons can be chosen by other individuals or groups as well. Patron saints are often chosen today because an interest, talent, or event in their lives overlaps with the special area. This is a list of cathedrals in the United States, including both actual cathedrals (seats of bishops in episcopal denominations, such as Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism) and a few prominent churches from non-episcopal denominations that have
The Age of Enlightenment, sometimes called the Age of Reason, refers to the time of the guiding intellectual movement, called The Enlightenment. It covers about a century and a half in Europe, beginning with the publication of Francis Bacon’s Novum Organum (1620) and ending with Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason (1781). From the perspective of socio-political phenomena, the period.
The Big Religion Chart. This "Big Religion Chart" is our attempt to summarize the major religions and belief systems of the world – Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and dozens more – into a quick-reference comparison chart.
(The list will be updated as announcements continue. She is running as a Democrat. The spirituality and new age lecturer has written dozens of books, including “Healing the Soul of America:.
An illustration from the new graphic novel “Kismet. “He was basically abandoned to the public domain,” Lewis told Religion News Service in an interview at the comic store Comicazi, where he was.
Introduction. Do you think you are "Indian at heart" or were an Indian in a past life? Do you admire native ways and want to incorporate them into your life and do your own version of.
As someone who grew up in the New Age of. outlining key religious terms in music and analyzing their prevalence through the transition from the 90s to the 00s. All charts come from the Vocativ.
Catholic Church Fort Smith Ar Prayer service 5 p.m. Sunday, Chaney-Harkins Funeral Home, McAlester, and funeral Mass 10 a.m. Monday, St. John the Evangelist Catholic. Church. Foxx, Irma Jean, 74, Dairy Queen and Marvin’s Deli. 49, Homemaker, died Monday. Visitation Friday with family receiving friends 5PM-7PM. at funeral home. Services 10AM Saturday, May 25, Clifford D Garrett Family Funeral Home Chapel, Fort Gibson. “After the darkness of Good Friday has come a great light,” stated Karen Clifton, executive director of
Skype for Business is now available! Skype for Business can be used to enable your teams to collaborate in new ways. Instant Messaging and Presence is now available to all NHSmail users.
Spiritual Locations There are 0 results that match your request. Please refine your search terms. Piedmont Henry Hospital is a 215-bed not-for-profit hospital delivering high-quality care to the community of Stockbridge, GA. Cottage Health is a not-for-profit system of healthcare providers serving Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, Ventura, Oxnard, Lompoc, San Luis Obispo ShantiMayi is a rare being in that she embodies the living “Principle” that resides within us all. She is the only westerner,
THE “ELIJAH LIST” DOES IT AGAIN! (-New Age)-by Andrew Strom. People need to be warned about this. Seriously. The Elijah List is the biggest “Prophetic” email list on the planet.
Those most at risk for death and complications are children under age 5, pregnant women. would sign off on it. New York.
This Directory list articles on: the New Age Movement. The Secret unfolds further- the process of deceit-The Moses Code. The Ripening – Welcome Maitreya- The work of the Christ for the new age of spirituality and the coming holocaust. Attracted to Shiny Objects-On Adam the Dreamhealer. Chiropractry- Is there more to manipulating the spine for health.
The Observer-Dispatch is compiling a list of all Holy Week Masses. with the award-winning Young People’s Chorus of New York City. Their program, which runs the musical gamut from classical and pop.
Welcome to the Center for the New Age store in Sedona, AZ The New Age is a free flowing spiritual movement comprised of believers and practitioners who share beliefs integrating mind, spirit and body. It is the reemergence of earliest esoteric knowledge coupled with contemporary scientific advances.
The Axial Age (also called Axis Age) is the period when, roughly at the same time around most of the inhabited world, the great intellectual, philosophical, and religious systems that came to shape subsequent human society and culture emerged—with the ancient Greek philosophers, Indian metaphysicians and logicians (who articulated the great traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
Lewis’s Christian allegory The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2005 may be that popular fantasy has become increasingly religious at heart. realizing the intellectual poverty of the New Age,
The Elizabethan Age is the time period associated with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603) and is often considered to be a golden age in English history. It was an age considered to be the height of the English Renaissance, and saw the full flowering of English literature and English poetry.In Elizabethan theater, William Shakespeare, among others, composed and staged plays in a.
Like in the US, young adults around the globe are generally less devout than their elders, especially in Western Europe and Latin America; however, in other regions, many countries have resisted that.
Michael Hout, Professor of Sociology, New York University. By many measures of religious commitment, Millennials are less religious than older Americans. Why do you think this is? Most age.
The Project is 100% owned by New Age Metals. – The Project’s first economic study a Preliminary. element Project using the Prospector Generator business model. Opt-in List If you have not done so.
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Difference Between Gospel And Bible
The Initiative BlogChurch Of St Michael St Michael Mn
Mary Mother Of God Catholic Church
Church Of St Michael St Michael Mn
Nov 04, 2016 · St. Michael Catholic Church in West St. Paul held its final Mass on Nov. 27, 2016. Parish leaders said the church, which marked its 150th anniversary in September, was hampered by.
Services for Larry Bermel are set for 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 at the St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Corcoran. Judy (Kuehn), St. Michael; three sons, Shane (Jenny) Bermel of Buffalo, MN, Chad.
Dec 05, 2013 · Two local men and a third who spent more than a decade in nearby Buffalo are named in the Catholic Spirit announcement. He also served as an associate priest in St. Paul. The third local ties is Fr. Francis Reynolds, a former pastor of St. Francis Xavier church in Buffalo, who was removed from the priesthood in 1987, two years removed from a 17-year stint. Reynolds also interacted with students at.
Church of St. Michael (St. Michael, Minnesota) The Church of St. Michael is a historic Roman Catholic church building in St. Michael, Minnesota, United States, constructed in 1890. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 for having local significance in the themes of architecture,
Michael Foldesi, age 16, of Duluth. 5:00 p.m. and will continue until the 7:30 p.m. Wake Prayers at St. James Catholic Church, 721 N. 57th Ave. W. in Duluth. Visitation will continue from 10:00 a.m.
She was a member of Logan Church of the Nazarene in Logan, WV and Victory Church of the Nazarene in St. Michael (Brenda) Whitman of Largo, FL and Denise (John) Makranyi of Gaylord; grandchildren,
She was a member of the Ray Golf course, St. Michael Catholic Church and Altar Society. Jim (Paulette) Edwards of Red Wing.
St. Michael Church Physical Site 12026 Lake St Northome, MN 56661. Mailing Address P.O. Box 11 Bigfork, MN 56628 218-743-3255 Directions here Website here
Churches In Saint Michael Mn. St Michael Catholic Church can be found at 11300 Frankfort Pkwy Ne. The following is offered: Churches – In Saint Michael there are 5 other Churches. An overview can be found here. Reviews Write a review This listing was not reviewed yet: Your review for St Michael Catholic Church.
A celebration of Dawn’s life will be held at Westwood Lutheran Church, St. Louis Park, MN at 2:00 p.m., July 8th, with.
McCormick, Michael John Age 71 of Burnsville. Memorial Service Thursday, April 11 at 10 AM with Family and friends gathering 1 hour prior at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 4030 Pilot Knob Rd,
Catholic Parish Apps , the publisher behind many iOS app (Our Divine Saviour ,Holy Apostles East Wenatchee ,Corpus Christi Church ,Ave Maria Academy ,Catholic Student Union at FSU ,Saint Andrew Parish Fort Worth), brings St Michael – St Michael, MN with a.
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Catholicism, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Catholicism related articles on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks. Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the project’s quality scale.
What Religion Was George Harrison In the summer of 2001, there were press reports that George Harrison. Horticulture was Harrison’s other passion, and sometimes the best way to understand people is to understand their passions. The. First Baptist Church Mcalester Ok Service 11 a.m. Monday, Greater First Baptist Church. Arnold Moore & Neekamp. Broken Arrow, Donna "Chris" Schmidt, 57, Broken
She was raised in Hutchinson and Blue Earth, MN. She graduated from North Central College. Verdell married Larry R. Blokzyl on September 26, 1976. Mr. Blokzyl precedes in death. On August 14, 2016 at.
Doreen is survived by her sons Michael Smith of Milaca MN and Paul Smith of Mahtowa MN. Memorial Service will be 10:30am Saturday, July 20, 2019 at Trinity Lutheran Church, St. Peter. Visitation.
St Andrew’s Church is located approximately 8 miles from Saint Michael. Regarded as one of the best Churches in Saint Michael area, St Andrew’s Church is located at 566 4th St. Regarded as one of the best Churches in Saint Michael area, St Andrew’s Church is located at 566 4th St.
Church (61814) Diocese of St. Cloud | Rite: Roman Rite | Language: English Saint Cloud Minnesota 56303-0643
. Michael’s Church, 4901 E Superior St. Duluth, followed immediately by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11am. Burial at.
She moved to St. Paul, MN, at age 20 and began working for Montgomery Wards in retail, becoming a top saleswoman for the store in the Twin Cities. Evelyn met Michael Lentsch in. to St. George’s.
Inver Hills Community College, 2500 80th St. E., Inver Grove Heights; 651-450-8500. 7:30 p.m. April 12; Free. Christ Presbyterian Church, 6901 Normandale. the Badinovs, and Michael May, with a DJ.
First Baptist Church Mcalester Ok Service 11 a.m. Monday, Greater First Baptist Church. Arnold Moore & Neekamp. Broken Arrow, Donna "Chris" Schmidt, 57, Broken Arrow Public Schools and Oklahoma Turnpike Authority employee, died. Last reviews about First Baptist Church in McAlester, OK. Add your review. Your feedback helps to get feedback and an honest opinion about the First Baptist Church.
He was born November 11, 1933 in Minneapolis, MN, the son of Michael J. and Mary Bernadine (Moran) Welsh. He was a steel mill supervisor and a member of St. Paul Catholic Church. On November 20, 1954.
ST. Louis Park, MN and formerly of Aberdeen. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 409 2nd Avenue NE, Aberdeen, with Father.
The cafe was torn down, of course, as St. Michael renovated the downtown business district in the early 2000s. It was located where Eye West Eyecare now sits. Services for Norman are set for noon.
<p>The "new" St. Michael Catholic Church is home to more than 400 families and was constructed in about 15 months in 2003-2004. It opened with fanfare on Christmas in 2004 at a cost of more than $11 million. </p> <p>The church is a symbol of unity for East.
On July 21, 1969 she married Paul Strand and together they had two children, Tricia and Michael. Bonnie was an avid sports.
Ancient Egyptian Spiritual Beliefs Difference Between Gospel And Bible And, John's gospel is the latest, usually dated around 95, although it may have. William Goodwin Aurelio Professor of the Appreciation of Scripture, Boston University. What's the significant difference between Matthew and Luke and Mark? Jan 22, 2013. Gospel vs Bible. There are many books of importance when it comes
St. Joseph’s Church. 2312 222nd Ave. Beaulieu, MN 56557. St. Michael’s School 501 1st St. SW Mahnomen, MN 56557
St. Mary parish is currently an Area Faith Community with St. Michael in Gaylord and St. Brendan in Green Isle. The church has in recent years been blessed with a greater Hispanic presence. The first St. Brendan Church was built in 1863 in what is now known as Green Isle.
Kottke, age 89, of Howard Lake, MN passed away on March 2, 2013 at Howard Lake Good Samaritan Home in Howard Lake. Funeral service on Saturday, March 9, 2013 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Meryl.
The Church of St. Michael and St. Peter is a Catholic community committed to the Word and example of Jesus Christ. We seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of the Father as we support the local and world community.
Michael was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Peyla; stepmother, Patricia Peyla; and brother, Steven Peyla. The memorial.
Catholic Church Our Lady Of Fatima Oct 12, 2017. FALL RIVER—This year the Catholic Church celebrates the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, recalling the. May 12, 2017. First of all, it's important to note that the happenings of Fatima have been scrutinized and examined completely by the Catholic Church and. Welcome to the Our Lady of
Catholic Parish Apps , the publisher behind many iOS app (St Joseph Church Macon GA ,Annunciation Parish Evansville ,St Mary QOA Swartz Creek ,St Clare of Montefalco ,St Peter Park Rapids MN ,Life Teen CYMC), brings St Michael – St Michael, MN with a number of new features along with the usual bug fixes.
Her academic achievements and activities include Mayo Girls Tennis, Mayo Honor Society, Honors Choir of SE MN, Debate Team. Service Learning Certification Award, Saint Michael’s Book Award for.
1965 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Grand Forks. He was a longtime and active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Grand Forks. He is survived by his wife, Delphine; his sons, David (Karen).
Difference Between Gospel And Bible And, John's gospel is the latest, usually dated around 95, although it may have. William Goodwin Aurelio Professor of the Appreciation of Scripture, Boston University. What's the significant difference between Matthew and Luke and Mark? Jan 22, 2013. Gospel vs Bible. There are many books of importance when it comes to finding meaning of life
William “Bill” Michael Carter, 74, of Mantorville. On April 8, 1967, he married Carol Mullenbach at St Joachim’s Catholic Church in Plainview. William worked for Ford Motor Company for 18 years and.
Difference Between Gospel And Bible prev
Mary Mother Of God Catholic Church next
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Hillmer, Norman. "Silver Dart". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 28 May 2018, Historica Canada. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/silver-dart. Accessed 17 July 2019.
Hillmer, N., Silver Dart (2018). In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/silver-dart
Hillmer, Norman, "Silver Dart". In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published February 07, 2006; Last Edited May 28, 2018. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/silver-dart
Hillmer, Norman. The Canadian Encyclopedia, s.v. "Silver Dart", Last Edited May 28, 2018, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/silver-dart
Silver Dart
Article by Norman Hillmer
Published Online February 7, 2006
Last Edited March 4, 2015
J.A.D. MCCURDY was the principal designer and pilot; Glenn H. Curtiss developed the water-cooled engine, an advance on the association's earlier experiments.
Silver Dart, the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to fly in Canada; designed and built by the Aerial Experiment Assn (Oct 1907-Mar 1909) under Alexander Graham BELL, a flight enthusiast since boyhood. After several successful flights at Hammondsport, NY, early in 1909 the Silver Dart was dismantled, crated and brought to Baddeck Bay, NS, the Bells' Canadian home. The "aerodrome" (Bell's preferred term) had a 14.9 m wingspan and an all-up weight of 390 kg, pilot included.
J.A.D. MCCURDY was the principal designer and pilot; Glenn H. Curtiss developed the water-cooled engine, an advance on the association's earlier experiments. Pulled on to the ice of Baddeck Bay by horsedrawn sleigh on Feb 23, the silver-winged machine rose on its second attempt after travelling about 30 m, flying at an elevation from 3 to 9 m at roughly 65 km/hr for 0.8 km. Over 100 of Bell's neighbours witnessed the first flight of a British subject anywhere in the Empire. The Silver Dart flew more than 200 times before being damaged beyond repair upon landing in the soft sand of Petawawa, Ont, during military trials in early Aug 1909. The engine was later retrieved and restored and is now on display at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa. A full-scale model of the Silver Dart may be found in Ottawa's National Aviation Museum.
Canadair Challenger
Avro Canada Jetliner
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P.E.I.'s social assistance rates to rise
Published: Jun 07, 2018 at 5:06 p.m.
Updated: Jul 13, 2018 at 9 a.m.
Family and Human Services Minister Tina Mundy speaks with Regina Younker, committee member of the Poverty Reduction Advisory Council, at the Faith Bible Church in Charlottetown on Thursday following an announcement regarding changes to the province’s social assistance benefits. - Katie Smith
Family and Human Services Minister Tina Mundy announced changes to social assistance rates, which she says will help low-income Islanders overcome barriers associated with poverty.
The changes will allow those on social assistance to earn more income without having their benefits reduced, and will exempt child support payments from being clawed back.
The changes will also extend medical, dental and optical benefits by up to 24 months after individuals begin a new job, and will also initiate a new assistance fund to allow people to buy new clothes for job interviews.
The new rates will be:
$250 a month plus 30 per cent of any additional income for single Individuals
$400 a month plus 30 per cent of additional income for couples
$500 a month plus 30 per cent of additional income for persons with disabilities or couples
A new toll-free assistance line will also be established, specifically geared to questions about social assistance.
Mundy spoke about the changes in the legislature on Thursday afternoon.
“Our government recognizes that social assistance must have a stronger focus on helping people overcome barriers, gain self-confidence, and become more independent,” Mundy said.
The changes are part of the P.E.I. government’s poverty reduction action plan, first promised in the government’s 2015 throne speech.
According to the most recent data from Statistics Canada, 22 per cent of children and 16 per cent of adults in Prince Edward Island are living in poverty.
The 2018 report by the P.E.I. auditor general reviewed current government policy around social assistance. The report chastised the current government for irregular submissions of information related to social assistance rates.
“Information on specific rates and exemptions was only provided when changes were requested by the department,” auditor general Jane MacAdam said in her report.
The new income exemptions will allow single individuals to draw $250 per month, as well 30 per cent of any additional income. Prior to this change, the amount was $75 and 10 per cent of additional income.
Couples will be able to draw $400, as well as 30 per cent of additional income, while individuals or couples with disabilities will draw $500 per month and 30 per cent of additional income. Couples were previously limited to $400 per month, while persons with disabilities were limited to $500 per month. Both couples and persons with a disability previously were allowed to keep 10 per cent of their additional income.
Communities in Bloom judges in Summerside from July 18-20
Trade concerns dent stocks; U.S. Treasury yields rise
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U.S. housing starts fall further; permits at two-year low
Dollar holds steady, pound hits 27-month low
CHRIS KNIGHT: Disney's new live-action Lion King prompts one mane question: Why?
UK extremely concerned about jailed British-Iranian aid worker
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Feb 10 UPDATED - Mubarak [not] Stepping Down! Obama Did Not Miss Any Chances In Egypt!
TiMT
"Barack Obama", "Egypt", "Hosni Mubarak", "US"
Reading Bill Press, a syndicated columnist for Tribune Media Services in his article, Obama meets foreign policy test with the crisis in Egypt, he clearly depicts that Obama did not miss any chance in Egypt and in fact has executed a well planned methodical approach to send a message to Mubarak that he has to step down in a sweet and respectful manner in order to end the civil unrest in Egypt. Remember the 3am Ad?
"It's 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there's a phone in the White House and it's ringing. Something's happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call. Whether it's someone who already knows the world's leaders, knows the military, someone tested and ready to lead in a dangerous world. It's 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone?"
In all honesty, I am glad the President is the one that is answering the call and addressing our country's first foreign policy challenge. Bill Press goes on to expand the relatively difficult situation this President is/was in considering that "Mubarak's dual role of trusted ally and brutal thug" and the challenge of walking a fine line to insure a stable transition. America has always been looking the other way when it comes to its self interest and having Mubarak as an ally was most important for past Presidents even if we have to look the other way knowing that the regime's leadership is repressive to its own people. Hey, why mess with something that has been working for decades? After all, the policies of looking out for United States' best interest even if Democracy is compromised in Egypt has higher priority than the well being of the Egyptian people. So, for years, we empowered a country to be a one-man ruled nation. Our history in the Middle East has never been really about promoting Democracy but to do whatever necessary to benefit our national interest even if we have to go into cooked up wars based on lies and in the name Democracy. However, the President, understanding the history of our relations with Egypt and the Arab nations, has been threading very carefully and methodically in addressing this complex situation and relationship. In fact, he understood how America is being perceived so he stood before the Arab world and reached out for a new beginning seeding the seed of CHANGE that has given the entire Arab world a different look at how they perceive the United States today. If we go back to the President's Cairo speech, this is what he said:
I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles -- principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings. I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight. I know there's been a lot of publicity about this speech, but no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have this afternoon all the complex questions that brought us to this point. But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly to each other the things we hold in our hearts and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. As the Holy Koran tells us, "Be conscious of God and speak always the truth." That is what I will try to do today -- to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.
It is easy to just walk in the Oval Office and push a button calling for the down fall of Mubarak or any repressive regime. However the world does not just work out that way. Newton's law of motion clearly teaches us that "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" and as such it is very important to put critical thinking to seek out all the effects of a major decision. The approach President Obama has taken has been a winning approach while some obvious pundits have been calling it all wrong but they were not reading between the line as Press continued to point out in his column:
In the briefing room, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs informed us that Obama had pushed Mubarak to adopt serious reforms in eight different meetings. However, he insisted, the United States was not taking sides in this popular uprising, lest it appear we were trying to dictate the outcome in Egypt. But all you had to do was read between the lines. By supporting their demands for democratic reforms, it was clear that Obama was siding with the protesters. That became even clearer after Mubarak announced he would not seek re-election.
Let's revisit the President's remark on the Situation in Egypt when he addressed the world in a manner that makes it unequivocally clear that the United States stands with the Egyptian people:
my administration has been in close contact with our Egyptian counterparts and a broad range of the Egyptian people, as well as others across the region and across the globe. And throughout this period, we’ve stood for a set of core principles. First, we oppose violence. And I want to commend the Egyptian military for the professionalism and patriotism that it has shown thus far in allowing peaceful protests while protecting the Egyptian people. We’ve seen tanks covered with banners, and soldiers and protesters embracing in the streets. And going forward, I urge the military to continue its efforts to help ensure that this time of change is peaceful. Second, we stand for universal values, including the rights of the Egyptian people to freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and the freedom to access information. Once more, we’ve seen the incredible potential for technology to empower citizens and the dignity of those who stand up for a better future. And going forward, the United States will continue to stand up for democracy and the universal rights that all human beings deserve, in Egypt and around the world. Third, we have spoken out on behalf of the need for change. After his speech tonight, I spoke directly to President Mubarak. He recognizes that the status quo is not sustainable and that a change must take place. Indeed, all of us who are privileged to serve in positions of political power do so at the will of our people. Through thousands of years, Egypt has known many moments of transformation. The voices of the Egyptian people tell us that this is one of those moments; this is one of those times. Now, it is not the role of any other country to determine Egypt’s leaders. Only the Egyptian people can do that. What is clear -- and what I indicated tonight to President Mubarak -- is my belief that an orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now. Furthermore, the process must include a broad spectrum of Egyptian voices and opposition parties. It should lead to elections that are free and fair. And it should result in a government that’s not only grounded in democratic principles, but is also responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people.
So what has the President and his Administration been doing since? According to PBS NewsHour, they have been preparing for Egypt post Mubarak but ensure the movement comes from the people. In fact sources from within the Administration had amplified that:
"They don't want to push Mubarak over the cliff, but they understand that the Mubarak era is over and that the only way Mubarak could be saved now is by a ruthless suppression of the population, which would probably set the stage for a much more radical revolution down the road." //snip "It's a very difficult balance to be struck. Mubarak is, after all, a friend of the United States for the last 30 years. A lot of our allies in the region -- the Saudis, Jordanians and Kuwaitis -- will be particularly nervous if it looks like the U.S. is doing in one of their friends."
The bottom line is Mubarak is stepping down (see live MSNBC feed) without an all out civil war and bloody violence and the United States approach to the conflict has prevailed. Bill Press concludes his op-ed making the case how meticulous Obama's approach was that Republicans were all over the map in confusion as to what to say or what should be done regarding the situation in Egypt.
Perhaps the best sign that Obama's delicate public/private balancing act on Egypt worked is the total confusion it's created among Republicans. They're all over the place. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney credit Obama for getting it just right. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty argued that Obama should have called for Mubarak's resignation. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee condemned Obama for being too quick to throw Mubarak under the bus. And professional Obama critic Dick Morris blamed him for losing Egypt. What Republicans can't admit is that Obama has succeeded in helping bring democracy to the Arab world where President George W. Bush failed. And he did so not by launching another long, bloody and costly war, but by supporting the aspirations of the Egyptian people, who used Facebook, Twitter and cell phones, not guns, to overthrow their government without firing a shot. Bush spent billions on bombs. A laptop would have been cheaper and more effective.
According to the Egyptian state TV reports, late this afternoon President Hosni Mubarak has ended his meeting with his Vice President Omar Suleiman and is due to meet with Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq. When asked about the developments in Egypt, President Obama said, "We're going to have to wait and see what's going on." If I was to guess by now, the Administration knows clearly what is going to happen and I would guess that we will hear from President Hosni Mubarak that he will step down ending a 30 years old dictatorship in Egypt. Well, I am glad President Obama is answering that 3am call. How about you? PS: No pun intended to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton because I have grown to admire and respect our SoS. I think she makes our President shine and is one of his huge asset for the success he is enjoying. UPDATE I: If you are not following the news, President Mubarak has made a statement and is not stepping down saying he will not be leaving office immediately, as requested by the Egyptian people. He said from Punditpress.blogspot.com:
"The children of Egypt, men and women." Mubarak started. He said that he is making a speech from the heart "from father to children" and that he takes pride in the protesters, that they are dreaming of a bright future. He said that "martyrs" blood "will not go down the drain." Following, that those who hurt Egyptian citizens will be punished. //snip He said he felt the pain as they did. He's listening to their demands that will not be "waived." He is adamant to implement his promises. "This commitment stems from my firm commitment of the genuineness of your movement" and that they are "legitimate." He says he can find "no embarrassment at all" from listening to the concerns of the people of Egypt. He says that he will not take orders from outside. "I announced in very plain...words... that I will not run in the coming Presidential election." He says that he has taken an oath before God and the nation to "exit the current crisis." He says that he will implement reforms "hour by hour." The interests of the nation will be safeguarded by the armed forces that he will "exit the crisis."
We shall see how things are going to turn out but if there is anything that is powerful if you see the live feed per Aljazeera, the people of Egypt are just getting warmed up and we all must keep them in our prayers for their safety and will for a birth of a new nation to be a reality.
Feb 11 Elizabeth Warren roundup and friday open thread (and Mubarak quit)
Feb 9 "It's the one thing I want to do. I want to serve this country."
Jul 28 Stephen Marche: "How Can We Not Love Obama? Because Like It or Not, He Is All Of Us"
Feb 11 BREAKING - UPDATED: Mubarak Steps DOWN. Hear The Sound Of FREEDOM
Feb 3 Egypt and The Impact On Palestine, Israel and US!
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Faith Hill Where Are You Christmas Song
Posted on May 22, 2019 May 22, 2019 Author adminPosted in Religion Related
She’s done it again: Britney Spears in Las Vegas. consensual love to you. The Venetian wants the Midwestern, soft-country audience of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Planet Hollywood, with its hot pink.
But here are a few more honors from the telecast you. Faith Hill’s bizarre bellowing of “Goooooooood Bleeeeeessss Ameeeeerrrica” at the conclusion of her “American Heart” performance felt.
Faith Hill. This song is a variation of “Christmas, Why Can't I Find You?”, originally written for the movie… read more ». 8.8K. 1.
As another holiday season is upon us, I caution you not to take such. supportive community, and our faith-free celebrations start to look like mighty weak tea. Once, my son remarked that none of.
SART ends its season of "reNEWal" with this second annual production, including more jokes, more songs and more fun. Performances are Dec. 6-23 at the Owen Theatre on the campus of Mars Hill.
Strange, who performed Faith Hill’s. After Nico’s song, it was time for Levine to offer his thoughts, as he — along with Strange — was a member of Levine’s team. (Fenley was on Shelton’s team.).
Ed Sheeran, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have been hit. claims that the McGraw-Hill duet penned by Sheeran, “The Rest of Our Life,” bears substantial similarities to their 2014 song “When I Found You,
Langston Hughes was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance, the flowering of black intellectual, literary, and artistic life that took place in the 1920s in a number of American cities, particularly Harlem. A major poet, Hughes also wrote novels, short stories, essays, and plays. He sought to honestly portray the joys and hardships of working-class black lives, avoiding both sentimental.
Faith. female country music equals poor ratings. He also said playing female songs back-to-back isn’t a good idea, basing his point-of-view entirely on listener statistics. “If you want to make.
These are all factors that made Jon Hill– a 30-year-old percussionist and songwriter from Houston, Texas — want to give up faith in recovery. it would be to enjoy Christmas with her while being.
Oct 05, 2018 · Music and arts programming that will engage the mind, stir the spirit, encourage the heart and uplift the soul featuring the best in choral, instrumental and
Jennifer’s Books Click on the cover or title for more information on each book
Faith Hill singles chronology. "Let's Make Love" (2000), "Where Are You Christmas?" (2000), "If My Heart Had Wings" (2001). "Christmas, Why Can't I Find You?" is a song co-written by James Horner and Will Jennings for.
Kayleigh Rogers is a shy girl who makes up the 200-student team at Killard House School in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland. She has a type of moderate autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, but her music teacher, Lloyd Scates, noted that "when she sings, she just opens up" and encouraged the girl to sing and gain confidence through vocal training.
Though Kathie Lee Gifford is best. “After we wrote the song in Nashville, he flew up to my house to record it and he said, ‘Kathie, you’ve got to record this,’ because I was saying, ‘Let’s get.
Powerful Prayers To Destroy Your Enemies Many people use them to energize their body and mind power by mindful eating, meditation (dhyana) and prayers. Day 7 is devoted to Maa Kalratri. Form a clear image of the goddess in your mind. which would shock his enemies. Amissah-Arthur’s mother was said to have carried out a powerful prayer session when she was
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i find the publication Roots extremely useful for choosing hymns, as I have been receiving it for over four years I have a good choice for years A B & C, this combined with using the bible references in the tune books of Hymns & psalms, Singing the faith, Songs of Fellowship, Mission Praise, Hymns old and new & Church hymnary 4 gives me more than enough hymns to choose from.
Where Did The Mormon Religion Originated Bridge City Community Church Chattanooga The Ridge Community Church (Oak Creek) Oak Creek, WI. theridgecc.com Celeste Ward, a Chattanooga native and current Chattanooga Stake Relief Society president for The Church. The Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department responded and arrived on the scene reporting a. Pilgrim Church. the Year. Bridge Refugees provides opportunities for refugees to rebuild
Nov 23, 2018. Faith Hill's rendition of 'Where Are You, Christmas?' from the 2000 film "The Grinch" is the perfect Christmas song to celebrate the holiday.
You will have enthusiasm to the extent that God is actually present in you. It is a universally accepted fact that prayer supported by faith can work miracles in our lives.
Tickets to Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul residency. Antebellum’s new ‘On This Winter’s Night’ Christmas album is available in a number of different packages, with this deluxe holiday set.
was co-written by Mariah Carey, James Horner and Will Jennings based on the song "Christmas, Why Can't I Find You?" Written by the same composers for the.
Thanks to Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and McGraw’s mom, Betty Trimble, Christmas came a little early for a number. "She and her son and daughter-in-law will make a lot of families happy. Thank you for.
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She used to live on a Christmas tree farm Swift spent her early. to pursue country music in Nashville after watching a Faith Hill documentary. 5. She was inspired by Shania Twain’s songs Swift was.
Dec 6, 2018. Here are some facts about some of your favorite Christmas songs. Also, Faith Hill's "Where Are You Christmas" was written by Mariah, who.
as during the tour she featured appearances from country singers like Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and gave us major country vibes. Not only that, she also performed oldies but goldies like you Belong.
But country songwriting–Swift has said Faith Hill. you’re wrong,’ two or three times in a row. And she did." Liz Rose, Swift’s most frequent co-writer, says scores of girls have requested her.
Where Are You Christmas – From "Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas" Soundtrack, a song by Faith Hill on Spotify.
Dec 30, 2012. song that stuck out in my mind – Faith Hill's “Where Are You. This Christmas, however, it held a much different meaning in my heart.
Every December Billboard publishes a chart listing the year’s top songs based on their cumulative chart performance in the United States. The number of songs listed on the chart varied in the early years before becoming a top 100 chart in 1956.
Dec 7, 2018. Pentatonix has released a new music video for “Where Are You, Christmas?”. which was originally recorded by Faith Hill for the 2000 live-action film How the. The song is included on Pentatonix's latest Christmas album,
Nov 21, 2011 · Last Update November 21, 2011. The following list is a quick way to find the songs that people are always looking for this time of year — consider them a Christmas gift.
Flash Chorus (Motorco Music Hall, 723 Rigsbee Avenue, Durham) – Meet at Motorco at 7 for this family-friendly event where you can sing George Michael’s "Faith. hit song "Stay (I Missed You)" from.
Where Are You Christmas Chords by Faith Hill Learn to play guitar by chord and tabs and use our crd diagrams, transpose the key and more.
Country music lyrics, guitar tabs/tablatures, chords source #1.
Japanese. 1st – 3rd January. New Year’s Day celebrations in Japan are sometimes extended for up to three days, during which businesses are closed, families spend time together, decorations are put up and the first visit of the year is paid to local Shinto shrines.
When you hear songs that move you that much, you want other people to hear them.” Another poignant track — “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s,” a duet with wife Faith Hill, will have the couple traveling to.
Nov 19, 2018 · There’s no better way to get into the spirit of the season than to light the fire, cozy up with the family, and listen to some classic holiday music.And if you’re like us, it’s just not the same without the sounds of Blake Shelton, Dolly Parton, Luke Bryan, and the rest of our favorite southern stars.Here’s every country Christmas song you should add to your playlist this year.
Sunday 5 May, 2019 3rd Sunday of Easter What hymns have you chosen for today, and why? Do you have a comment about the suggestions here? Just click on “see details/comment” below and respond using the box at the bottom of the new page Hymns marked with an asterisk (*) are suggested for more than one reading Acts 9: 1-6 A charge to keep I have (StF 658) And can it be that I should gain (StF.
. than most Christmas shows,” said Cowboy Christmas co-organizer and founder Paul Larson of Rochford. “It’s a story of faith, so what you can expect is great fiddle music, poetry, great song and.
This song is by Faith Hill and appears on the movie soundtrack How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). Where are. You will feel like Christmas all the time, oh
Dec 12, 2016. Faith Hill delivers a beautiful performance of Where are You Christmas. “ Christmas, Why Can't I Find You?” is a song co-written by James.
Bridge City Community Church Chattanooga The Ridge Community Church (Oak Creek) Oak Creek, WI. theridgecc.com Celeste Ward, a Chattanooga native and current Chattanooga Stake Relief Society president for The Church. The Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department responded and arrived on the scene reporting a. Pilgrim Church. the Year. Bridge Refugees provides opportunities for refugees to rebuild their lives based on three
Where Are You Christmas – Faith Hill (The Grinch) – Custom Backing Track MP3. This title is a cover of Where. This song ends without fade out. Duration: 4:04.
I feel you Christmas I know I found you. You never fade away. Oh The joy of Christmas Stays here inside us. Fills each and every heart. With love. Where are you.
Also being unveiled by Deaton here: an all-star show opener that will include Eric Church, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, and Darius Rucker (with more likely to come), a solo spot by Urban, and a duet.
Aug 14, 2015. Co-written with Will Jennings the song was given a longer version and made. So it was re-recorded and released by Faith Hill and the rest,
Check out Where Are You Christmas (From "Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole. Faith Hill really makes this a heartfelt song. loved it in the Movie The Grinch too.
Hill's song from 2000's Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas will make your heart shrink as much as the Grinch's grew.
Their song “If I Needed You” was nominated for best country duo/group performance. In the tradition of such couples as John and June Carter Cash and Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, their blended voices.
Where Did The Islam Religion Originated His chief political strategist, Steve Bannon, has said that the Roman Catholic Church and the “Judeo-Christian West” have to “struggle against Islam” just as their ancestors did. He is reportedly. Jan 19, 2018 · The Bible is the holy scripture of the Christian religion, purporting to tell the history of the Earth from its earliest creation
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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences University of Illinois Springfield
Students and Alumni
About Donna K. Sollenberger
BA (1971) MA (1974) English Literature
Ms Donna Sollenberger has been appointed chief executive officer of the Baylor Clinic and Hospital, and executive vice president of BCM. Before her recent appointment, Ms. Sollenberger was President and CEO of the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, and responsible for more than 800 medical staff, 80 outpatient clinics, and six intensive care units.
Ms Sollenberger’s achievements go beyond managing complexity, though that in itself is impressive. She is recognized for a humane, empowering and imaginative administrative style that has brought measurable results in improved patient care and well being.
The Value of a Liberal Arts Education to a Leader
In a recent campus visit, when Donna Sollenberger received an Alumni Achievement Award, she spoke to a group of students about careers and leadership. Asked how she, as an English Literature major, could manage a large organization in a highly technical environment with such success, she said that “one of the most important classes that I took was one on the Victorian novel. Aside from being interesting to read, by analyzing and discussing these novels, I learned how to deal with a mass of complex information, to reduce it to essential themes, and to defend my interpretations. In small group discussions I learned to defend my point of view but also to listen. People can see things in very different ways, and out of discussion you become a bigger thinker. These skills are essential to my job as a leader.”
Sollenberger went on to develop the many ways that a liberal arts education is essential to effective leadership.
According to Sollenberger, a liberal arts and sciences education helps you to:
Focus on communication, and written and oral communication is essential
Synthesize large amounts of information to find meaningful patterns (themes) and to develop clear messages
Identify supporting ideas to advance a theme (persuasion)
Understand multiple points of view, and to value “dissenters”, which fosters creative thinking
Analyze problems and see multiple solutions
Hone discussion and argumentation skills in small group discussions
Become introspective and develop one’s own values and opinions
Giving to the College
What Other Students Say
Email: clas@uis.edu
Location: UHB 3000
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Items filtered by date: Monday, 11 March 2019
10 March 2019 - UN chief ‘deeply saddened’ by Ethiopia plane crash which killed more than 150, including 19 UN staff
An Ethiopian Airlines fight crashed shortly after take off from the capital Addis Ababa on Sunday, killing more than 150 people on board. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement that he was “deeply saddened at the tragic loss of lives” , as reports emerged that UN staff were also among the dead.
The Boeing airliner bound for the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, took off at 8:44 am local time, losing contact with air traffic control atj Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, just six minutes later, according to news reports. The plane was reportedly carrying passengers from more than 35 different countries.
Mr. Guterres conveyed his “heartfelt sympathies and solidarity to the victims’ families and loved ones, including those of United Nations staff members, as well as sincere condolences to the Government and people of Ethiopia”.
According to the UN Department of Safety and Security in Kenya, 19 UN staff perished in the crash. The World Food Programme (WFP) lost seven staff, the Office of the High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) lost two, as did the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Sudan, World Bank and UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) each lost one staff member. Six staff from the UN Office in Nairobi (UNON) were also tragically killed.
The cause of the disaster is not yet known, although weather conditions were reportedly good and the plane went down in a field near Bishoftu, around 35 miles southeast of the capital.
The UN is in contact with the Ethiopian authorities and “working closely with them to establish the details of United Nations personnel who lost their lives in this tragedy” the Secretary-General stated.
The disaster happened on the eve of the UN Environment Assembly when Heads of State, environment ministers and thousands of others will convene for five days in the Kenyan capital.
UN officials express condolences, sadness
Many senior UN officials took to Social Media to express their condolences and sadness. On Twitter, José Graziano da Silva, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO,) sent his “heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families”, saying that one FAO staff member was among the victims.
Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) David Beasley tweeted that “the WFP family mourns today”, adding that “we will do all that is humanly possible to help the families at this painful time. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers”, he said.
In a statement issued later in th day, he said Mr. Guterres had called him "to express his solidarity and support for the WFP family, and I want to thank him and all of the others around the world for their expressions of condolences."
"As we mourn, let us reflect that each of these WFP colleagues were willing to travel and work far from their homes and loved ones to help make the world a better place to live. That was their calling, as it is for the rest of the WFP family," he added.
Houlin Zhao, ITU SecretaryGeneral tweeted his "sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the plane crash" Noting that two ITU staff were on the flight, he said: "Our colleagues in Addis are providing support to their families during this difficult time."
“All of us at UNICEF mourn the tragic loss of our UN colleagues and all those who died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash today. May they rest in peace. Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones”, Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund, tweeted.
On behalf of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), whose Headquarters are in Nairobi, Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif tweeted here “deepest condolences and prayers to the Great Nation of Ethiopia and to the families of the passengers and crew members who lost their lives in this tragedy. May they rest in eternal peace”.
High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi issued a condolence statement saying: “UNHCR has suffered today a huge loss”.
IOM Director-General António Vitorino issued a statement expressing his deep sadness over the lives lost, “including a young IOM staff member Anne-Katrin Feigl”, who “was en route to a training course in Nairobi as part of her role as a Junior Professional Officer”.
Catherine Northing, Chief of the IOM Mission in Sudan where Ms. Feigl worked, called her “an extremely valued colleague and popular staff member, committed and professional”, saying “her tragic passing has left a big hole and we will all miss her greatly”.
As a mark of respect IOM said it would “fly its flag at half-mast at its offices tomorrow, as will the UN and it’s agencies”.
11 March 2019 - Training Session for Tarbiat Modarres University Students
TEHRAN, 12 March 2019 (UNIC) --The UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Tehran held a workshop on “Finding UN Information and Documentation” for some 15 graduate students of international law from Tarbiat Modarres University on 11 March 2019 at the UN Office in Tehran.
At the beginning of the session after welcoming the participates, UNIC Public Information Assistant Ms. Nazanin Ghaemmaghami requested them to observe a minute of silence for honoring the victims of the Ethiopia plane crash which killed 157, including 21 UN workers on 10 March 2019.
Finding UN information and documentation workshop participants
Then Ghaemmaghami addressed the participants on how to retrieve UN documentation and information from UNIC and UN websites and on the Dag Hammarskjold Library’s (DHL) web page during the workshop. As it was requested, she briefed the group about Academic Impact and focused on UNDP among the UN Funds, Programmes and Specialized Agencies as well as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Students got familiar with the structure of the UN document symbols as well as the structure of a UN resolution. There was also an overview of important information-searching tools located through DHL resources and databases, including the AudioVisual Library of International Law and Official Document System(ODS). The participants also navigated through the UN Treaty Collection webpage. They learnt where to find Glossary of terms relating to Treaty actions as well as a sample convention and it’s status.
Persian copies of the UN Charter, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN System Chart were distributed among participants.
Mr Rahimi Mehr one of the students who organized the programme found the workshop very useful and hoped that the University can have more cooperation with UNIC in near future.
Workshops “Finding UN Information and Documentation” are regularly organized by the UNIC for all interested groups. For more information about how to attend these workshops and learn how to navigate the UN web site, please contact UN Information Center: Reference Assistant Ms. Nazanin Ghaemmaghami (e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – Tel. No.: 0098 21- 22873837)
اسفند 97 - جلسه آموزشی برای دانشجویان کارشناسی ارشد حقوق بین الملل دانشگاه تربیت مدرس
مرکز اطلاعات سازمان ملل متحد کارگاه آموزشی "بازیابی اطلاعات و اسناد سازمان ملل متحد از طریق وب سایت این سازمان جهانی" را برای 15 نفر از دانشجوبان دوره کارشناسی ارشد حقوق بین الملل دانشگاه تربیت مدرس در تاریخ20 اسفند ماه 1397 در ساختمان سازمان ملل متحد در تهران برگزار کرد.
در ابتدای جلسه خانم نازنین قائم مقامی، کتابدار مرکز اطلاعات سازمان ملل متحد که عهده دار برگزاری کارگاه آموزشی بود، پس از خوشامدگویی به حاضران، به مناسبت گرامیداشت 157 نفر از جمله 21 نفر از کارکنان سازمان ملل متحد که در حادثه سقوط هواپیمای شرکت هواپیمایی اتیوپی در 19 اسفند ماه جان خود را از دست دادند،درخواست یک دقیقه سکوت و ادای احترام به آنان نمود.
شرکت کنندگان در کارگاه آموزشی "بازیابی اطلاعات و اسناد ملل متحد
جستار در وب سایت سازمان ملل متحد با ایراد توضیحاتی درمورد برخی نکات اساسی درباره ملل متحد از جمله تاریخ تاسیس آن و چگونگی بازیابی و جستجوی اطلاعات در وب سایت های مرکز اطلاعات سازمان ملل متحد و سازمان ملل متحد آغاز شد. وب سایت های برنامه توسعه ملل متحد و آرمان های توسعه هزاره نیز مرور شدند.
کتابخانه دگ همرشولد با تاکید بر راهنمای پژوهش و ابزارهای جستجوی اطلاعات و پایگاه داده برای بازیابی منابع آن کتابخانه از جمله کاتالوگ کتابخانه (UNBISnet) که اسناد بسیاری را می توان از طریق آن جستجو و بازیابی کرد و پایگاه ODS مورد بررسی قرار گرفت و درباره نشانه های اسناد و ساختار آنها و ساختار قطعنامه ها نکته هایی کلیدی مطرح گردید. شرکت کنندگان همچنین با بخش مجموعه معاهدات سازمان ملل متحد، کتابخانه دیداری شنیداری حقوق بین الملل، بازیابی نمونه ای از کنوانسیون ها و دولت های ملحق به آن آشنا شدند.
نسخه هایی از منشور ملل متحد، اعلامیه جهانی حقوق بشر و نمودار نظام ملل متحد بین دانشجویان توزیع شد.
هماهنگی برای تشکیل این جلسه به عهده آقای آرش رحیمی مهر، یکی از دانشجویان گروه دانشجویی بود. ایشان موضوعات مطرح شده در کارگاه آموزشی را بسیار مفید ارزیابی کرد و اظهار امیدواری نمود جلسات بیشتری برای گروه های دانشجویی این دانشگاه برگزار گردد.
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Aerodrome Certification: key to safe and efficient aerodrome operations
The international civil aviation network carries over four billion passengers around the world annually. In celebrating ICAO's 75th Anniversary Celebrations, we will be highlighting some of the crucial safety achievements that have enabled this. We hope you follow our UnitingAviation.com series throughout the year, and we encourage you to use the #ICAO75 hashtag to share your thoughts and memories with us through social media.
By Avner Shilo On May 3, 2019
Every flight starts and ends at an Aerodrome.
From their humble beginnings as relatively simple landing strips, international aerodromes have evolved into highly complex facilities. A modern international aerodrome’s environment is characterized by vast areas, distinct airside (movement area) and landside areas, sophisticated technologies, dozens of square kilometres of runways, taxiways, aprons, service areas, a multitude of equipment and integrated systems, and the growing activity of third parties. Added to all of this, today’s aerodromes are facing, more than ever, increasing commercial pressures with greater public awareness and expectations on safety and efficiency issues.
ICAO long-term traffic forecasts indicate that global passenger traffic will almost double by 2032, reaching more than 6 billion passengers annually – compared to 3.5 billion in 2016 – and there will be more than 60 million flights. As the number of aerodromes serving international operations is not expected to increase significantly (and certainly will not correlate with the forecast growth in passenger volume and aircraft movements), there is a need for ensuring the sustainable accommodation of this unprecedented growth, while maintaining safety and regularity of operations.
Aerodrome certification has been a requirement in ICAO Annex 14 – Aerodromes, Volume I – Aerodrome Design and Operations since 2001. It is a proven and effective way of ensuring safe and efficient aerodrome operations, through a defined encompassing process which examines various components of the aerodrome, with an aim to verifying their compliance with international Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
ICAO sets forth an array of provisions that encompass the whole lifecycle of the aerodrome certification process, from the establishment of a dedicated mechanism, to the planning of a certification project and its execution. These include, first and foremost, Annex 14, Volume I which sets the basic, high-level requirements in this area; the PANS-Aerodromes – Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Aerodromes (Doc 9981), which details a thorough global procedure for aerodrome certification; and the Manual on Certification of Aerodromes (Doc 9774) which provides guidance material supporting the SARPs and the PANS procedures. Furthermore, these three main documents are also supported by more than 20 other manuals which provide further guidance on specific subsets related to the aerodrome certification process, including, among others, aerodrome planning, design, rescue and firefighting, wildlife management, visual aids, obstacles control and more.
During a thorough certification process, aerodrome regulators and operators verify that the aerodrome’s facilities, design, equipment and operational procedures comply with relevant SARPs, thereby ensuring safe operations and supporting optimization of aerodrome capacity and efficiency.
According to Annex 14, Volume I, States shall certify the international aerodromes in the areas under their jurisdiction, through an established mechanism. The certification process is outlined in the PANS-Aerodromes (Doc 9981). Generally, it starts with a submission, by the aerodrome operator, of a formal application to the national authority responsible for civil aviation, which includes basic information on the aerodrome operator (to whom the certification will be granted in the end of a successful certification process), the aerodrome itself and its facilities, and the intended operations. It continues with a thorough review by the authority of the aerodrome manual, the key document submitted by the aerodrome operator, which details the day-to-day procedures for the operation of the aerodrome, as well as information pertaining to its planning and design.
The process is followed by technical inspections and on-site verification by the authority of the aerodrome facilities and operational procedures, including its safety management system, in order to complete the analysis and ensure compliance with applicable provisions, as well as the appropriateness of operating procedures. The process ends with the granting of the aerodrome certification, which may include details on specific operations-related features or limitations arising from the certification process, information on major facilities, and the validity of the certificate.
Of particular importance is the conduct, as part of the certification process, of compatibility studies and safety assessments as outlined in the PANS-Aerodromes, in order to address operational issues in a sustainable way, to facilitate the accommodation of new larger or more demanding aircrafts by the aerodrome, and to develop operational procedures and operating restrictions, if needed.
ICAO provides ongoing support to Member States in the area of aerodrome certification. This assistance is aimed at capacity building and implementing aerodrome certification worldwide, and primarily includes assistance to States in transposing ICAO provisions into their national regulations, conducting gap analyses, and addressing operational issues revealed in the certification process.
This carried out through continuous dialogue with States, direct support by ICAO Regional Offices, the organization and delivery of regional workshops and seminars on aerodrome certification and operations, and also the implementation of aerodrome certification projects by ICAO’s Technical Cooperation Bureau (TCB).
Avner Shilo is a Technical Officer at the ICAO Airport Operations and Infrastructure Section, responsible for aerodrome operations matters, including aerodrome certification, and the aerodrome operations-related working groups of the ICAO Aerodrome Design and Operations Panel (ADOP). He has 15 years’ experience in aviation as an Air Traffic Controller, Aerodrome inspector and manager of an Aerodrome section, involved in aerodrome design, planning, certification, and inspection. He possesses a BA and MA in environmental studies.
#ICAO75
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The Slave that Saved America!
James Armistead Lafayette
The Unpaid Labor Project has focused on the collective contribution of African Americans from 1607 to 1865. It’s the untold story of those who were the key to the United States becoming the most successful nation in modern history. But there are individuals in that stream of history who shine so brightly that they demand our attention. James Armistead Lafayette is such an individual.
James Armistead was a slave. He was born into slavery in Virginia in 1748. Some say he was born around 1760. He was born before the Revolutionary War. That war was fought by the American colonies of the British Empire to gain their independence. That war gave birth to the country we know today as the United States of America. Without winning that war the United States of America would not exist. Without James Armistead it is likely that the war would not have been won.
You see it was James Armistead who served the Continental Army as a spy under the Marquis de Lafayette. He would pose as a runaway slave. He would move freely from British military camp to military camp. He was so bright that the British made him a spy for them. He would pass on false information to the British about what the Americans were doing. He would pass on true information to the Americans about what the British were doing. He was so effective that he supplied the crucial information to General George Washington that allowed him to win the Siege of Yorktown. That was the decisive battle of the war. By gaining the confidence of the top leaders of the British war effort in America he helped to win the war that made America.
He would go on to change his name in honor of the general he served, the Marquis de Lafayette. The Marquis would go on to become one of the most important people in early American history. Years later his testimony would help Armistead to gain his freedom. Years later he would say "I would never have drawn my sword in the cause of America if I had known that thereby I would be founding a land of slavery."
Like the Unpaid Laborers whose contribution to America is indispensable, James Armistead Lafayette deserves the honor of our nation. He is the slave who saved America!
Revolutionary WarClifton Berry June 5, 2017 black history, General George Washington, James Armistead, James Armistead Lafayette, Marquis de Lafayette, revolutionary war, Siege of Yorktown
Black HistoryClifton Berry May 29, 2017 black history, civil war, revolutionary war
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How Richard Shepard Got Elisabeth Moss to Work for Free on Tokyo Project
A Visual Retrospective of the Cannes Film Festival
A Conversation with the Filmmaker about His New Half-Hour Short for HBO
By Sam Eichner · October 11, 2017
Armed with a residual check from an episode of Girls, director Richard Shepard purchased plane tickets to Tokyo for himself and the stars of his forthcoming short film, Emmy Award-winner Elisabeth Moss and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
“It was funny,” Shepard recalls over the phone, laughing mildly at his own antics. “I paid for Ebon and Lissie [Moss] to fly business class, and I flew coach because I was paying for it myself. So Ebon was on my plane, and I kept telling him to go fuck himself every two minutes.”
Once there, Shepard, Moss and Moss-Bachrach, both of whom opted to work without pay, shot Tokyo Project over five days with an intimate 12-man crew, using a free camera, a free editing system and a free score. Many locations were plucked from Shepard's prior experiences in the city: an old movie poster store, a charming bookshop, a bustling café. Often, Shepard would simply have the actors walk the streets and say their lines—no marks, no rules—as the camera shifted in and out of focus, trusting a freewheeling process to capture the energy he wanted.
“There’s something about doing something for free where no one complains, and everyone’s trying to come up with a creative solution,” Shepard says. “I can ask Lissie Moss to change in the backseat of a car and she’s like, ‘great.’ That couldn’t happen on a feature. It felt in a weird way like a student film, except everyone knew what they were doing.”
The result is a melancholic half-hour romance, as much about the love between its two characters as it is between Shepard and Tokyo, evinced in his twinkling, dreamlike shots of the city at night. Revolving around a traveling businessman’s encounter with an enigmatic American photographer, the film may call to mind Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. In reality, though, the short is more reminiscent of Shepard’s work on HBO’s Girls, where he directed several of the show’s widely-acclaimed bottle episodes—themselves short films in spirit—such as “One Man’s Trash,” “The Panic in Central Park” and last season’s instant-classic, “American Bitch.”
Fittingly enough, Tokyo Project counts Girls creator Lena Dunham and her creative partner Jenni Konner (also Shepard’s longtime girlfriend) as executive producers. While Shepard primarily made the film to satisfy his own artistic ambitions, it premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and was fortunate enough to be picked up by HBO, where it premieres this Saturday.
Recently, I had the pleasure of talking to the filmmaker about directing shorts over features, working with Dunham and his ongoing love affair with Tokyo.
I don’t mean this as an insult, but I actually found most of the short to be quite vexing. Then you get to the end and it casts the movie in an entirely different light. It kind of reminded me of some great short stories, where the last line kind of alters the meaning of everything you’d read prior. Which is a roundabout way of saying I enjoyed it.
It definitely felt like a short story to me when I was writing it. And I do enjoy that feeling where you’re carried into the storytelling but then you look back and go, “Oh, well that’s why that happened.” In a way you have to put pieces together to make the story work, and then at the end it shows you the pieces that really went together. I think that’s fun for the audience.
What was the germ of this idea for you?
I’ve been really wanting to write and direct something romantic for myself. And even though I’d been directing on Girls and doing a lot of work with great people, I hadn’t written and directed a movie in a few years. I was itching to have an experience where I lived and died on my own creative choices.
I was also in love with Tokyo. It was one of those cities where the second you land, you’re like, “I want to shoot everything." Many of the places that are in the movie are places I discovered visiting Tokyo, whether it be the old movie poster shop or beautiful book store or the coffee bar. Those places really zipped and I really connected to them. And then I had an idea for this love story...I think when you travel and you go to new places, in a way everything is new. I don’t know if this makes any sense, but you know when you’re in high school, every day feels like forever? And when you’re in regular life it just speeds by? When you travel a day can take forever again, because you’re taking in so much information and having so many experiences. You’re living twenty days in one day. I really liked that idea, in which you can reinvent yourself and be open to anything. You do things things [when you travel] that you would probably never do in your normal life.
What was it like working with Elisabeth Moss and Ebon Moss-Bachrach? How did they get attached?
I really love Ebon as a human being and I think he’s just a great actor. His role on Girls [as Marnie’s boyfriend, Desi] was so indelible and so funny, but it was certainly not who Ebon is. And I thought there was a more doleful side to him. So I wrote this for him thinking maybe he would do it.
For Elisabeth Moss, when I finished the script I gave it to Lena Dunham to get her notes and she loved it, and I said, “Will you help me get an actress for a role?” and she said, “Yes, who do you want?” and I said, “I want Elisabeth Moss.” And she’s like, “Well, let’s call her and see if she’ll be in it.” So we just cold-called Elisabeth Moss. I guess when you’re a celebrity you can just call other celebs and they’ll take your call. But god bless her, Lena got Lissie to read the script and she really responded to it. We met in New York and I think she understood that it would be a unique experience, the fact that we were going to shoot it with a crew of 12 people, that we were going to shoot it in five days, that we were going to go to Tokyo and shoot for 12 hours, have a delicious dinner, drink some sake, take an Ambien and go to sleep, wake up, drink a lot of coffee, go to set, work really hard and repeat the whole thing every day. It was just us. And that was a very unique way of making a movie.
I know you’ve directed features before (like Dom Hemingway and The Matador). What attracted you to this format? It’s not really dissimilar, it seems, from some of the bottle episodes you directed for Girls.
There’s definitely an inspiration from those Girls episodes—to believe that you could tell a really emotional story in 30 minutes...I did feel there was something nice about short storytelling. Also, from a purely professional point of view, if you’re making a feature...First of all, it’s so hard to get a movie made, but second of all, the pressure on you is unbelievable, because you’re spending a ton of money and you’re going to have to return the money to your investors. The idea of experimentation diminishes with each dollar sign you put on the product you’re making. So for me the idea of, “Can I do a short for basically no money?” took away all the pressure of having to make something that’s responsible to anything other than my own creative happiness.
I’m curious what movies, if any, inspired you here directly? I know there were stills and clips interspersed throughout the short from Japanese movies, and there’s a more direct reference to Don’t Look Now. Obviously, Lost in Translation came to mind, too, as a pretty seminal Tokyo love story...
Well, I purposefully didn’t watch Lost in Translation. I hadn’t seen it in awhile and I purposefully didn’t watch it, because I wanted to have my own experience of writing the movie. I’m obviously inspired by movies and I love Japanese cinema, and all of the clips I got to show were from movies I loved. But Tokyo Project wasn’t so much inspired by other movies as it was just inspired by my love of making movies. I just happen to love the process so much. And when actors or crew members are doing a movie for free, everyone is working on a different level. Even in movies in which people are loving the process from beginning to end, somewhere in your mind it’s a job. There’s something about doing something for free where no one complains, and everyone’s trying to come up with a creative solution. I can ask Lissie Moss to change in the backseat of a car and she’s like, “Great.” I can say, “Lissie we’re taking a subway somewhere but we’re going to film you on it but we don’t own it”—and she’s like, “Great let’s go.” That couldn’t happen on a feature. It felt in a weird way like a student film, except everyone knew what they were doing.
I was also inspired by this idea of trying to use what I had learned on Girls. So right after we filmed “The Panic in Central Park,” which was a very romantic episode and all handheld and all through New York, was when I wrote Tokyo Project. Normally on a movie you rehearse the scene and you put marks on the ground and the actor has to hit the mark completely right, because that’s where the light hits them. But on that episode of Girls we had no marks on the ground, we just let Allison [Williams] and Chris [Abbott] do what they wanted to do and the camera caught them and they had these moments. I really wanted to have that feeling when I was filming in Tokyo.
[Ed. Note: the following question and answer contain spoilers.]
You ride that tricky line between deceiving your audience and delivering a well-earned plot twist at the end. How did you navigate that?
When we were editing, there were some notes coming back from friends. Sometimes people were like, “Why is Lissie being so weird with him, why isn’t she being friendlier?” And we tried a version that softened her up a lot for the first part of the movie, which worked for the first part of the movie but destroyed the ending. I chose to do the more difficult version, which is to have it be a little troubling for the audience as it’s going down, but hopefully keep them involved through the sheer movement of the filmmaking, and then at the end have them go, “Of course that’s why she was cold, of course that’s why she acted that way, of course that’s why that happened,” because of what they end up learning at the end of the film.
I think filmmakers can take an audience places they don’t necessarily want to go or are uncomfortable going, if it feels like at least the filmmakers know what they’re doing. I always say that it’s about feeling like you’re in capable hands. Which is why the first few minutes of a movie are so important. If you suddenly think that the director doesn’t know what he's doing, then you’re not willing to go anywhere he wants to take you.
I know Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner exec-produced this. How involved were they creatively?
Lena and Jenni both read the script and gave me some the notes, and they helped me get Lissie Moss. Then I showed them the first cut and they gave me a huge amount of notes. So they did in a weird way exactly what an EP is supposed to do—get you your movie star and help you, at the end, make your movie as good as possible. I loved collaborating with them.
I made a movie about four years ago called Don Hemingway and Lena gave me copious notes. She’s really smart about post-production and ways of fixing things and solving issues and certainly on this movie, the notes they both gave were very incisive in terms of helping form the movie. Because I didn’t have a studio, I didn’t have a network and I didn’t have anyone else to have sign off on this, I was looking to them...because the worst thing you can do as a filmmaker is not want to hear any comments.
Any fun anecdotes that came out of this ragtag production process?
We could shoot in neighborhoods that don’t normally have movies shot there, because we didn’t have a truck. So we were shooting in an area that was basically controlled by the Japanese mafia, the Yakuza, and the Japanese crew said that if at any moment we tell you to stop filming, you have to stop filming. We were shooting all night and at one moment we stopped in front of this shop to get a shot. A lot of the Yakuza dress in this 1950s sort of way, they look like they’re almost extras in Grease or something. It’s very strange. And suddenly this guy came out in his suit and he said something to our Japanese assistant director, and the AD literally looked like he was about to faint. And he was like, “We have to move NOW.” You’ve never seen a group of people move more quickly.
This conversation has been edited for clarity.
Sam Eichner likes literature, reality television and his twin cats equally. He has consistently been told he needs a shave since he started growing facial hair.
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