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Write your own eBooks online with Adobe Buzzword
Adobe has a new service called Adobe Buzzword at the new Acrobat.com website (free registration required). The service allows you to write and publish your own ebook in a format that is compatible with most ebook readers (including the Kindle, Nook, and Sony eBook Reader). Adobe Buzzword is an online word processor that you can use to create and edit documents in any web browser. The service supports collaborative editing so multiple authors can work simultaneously on the same document from their respective location.
Buzzword allows you to write an eBook on any browser and then export documents directly as EPUB files, a format that is supported by all popular ebook readers - including apps like Stanza that let you read ebook on a mobile device. You just compose your document inside Buzzword, export it as an ePUB file and then import it in your ebook reader.
LexisNexis Academic adds database
LexisNexis Academic has announced the addition of a new database called "Discover America's Story". The publications in "Discover America's Story" focus on small-town and rural articles. The product is rich with articles relevant to geographic locations often under-reported or overlooked by mainstream news coverage such as natural resources, agriculture, land use, water rights and farming. "Small-town" news, op-ed, business, arts, government and life in general are covered well, plus published legal notices and obituaries are included. To see a list of publications included in the collection, go to LN Academic, click the “Browse Sources” tab and type “Discover America’s Story” in the blue Find a Source box. Click the “I” icon next to the source title for more information. You'll see a long list of smalltown publications including the Beverly Hills Weekly, Mouse River Journal, Turtle Mountain Star and Wahkiakum County Eagle.
Google Scholar Advanced Scholar Search Now Includes Free Case Law Database
The blawgosphere has been abuzz the past week about a new feature in Google Scholar: you can now use Google Scholar Advanced Scholar Search (still in beta) to find case law as well as patents and articles in legal journals! (Search options include Search all legal opinions and journals; Search only US federal court opinions; Search only court opinions from individual states).
According to Justia, the Google Scholar database includes US Federal Appellate, District Court, Bankruptcy & Tax Opinions since 1924, US 50 State Cases since 1950. Google Scholar also gives alternatives versions of cases from legal websites including Cornell's LII, Justia, and Carl Malamud's Public.Resource.org.
The Case Western law library blog has done some testing and has a useful post that reports in more depth about how to use this feature and what content you can find.
Google explains the reasons for the new addition on the Official Google Blog: "Laws that you don't know about, you can't follow — or make effective arguments to change. Starting today, we're enabling people everywhere to find and read full text legal opinions from U.S. federal and state district, appellate and supreme courts... We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of several pioneers, who have worked on making it possible for an average citizen to educate herself about the laws of the land: Tom Bruce (Cornell LII), Jerry Dupont (LLMC), Graham Greenleaf and Andrew Mowbray (AustLII), Carl Malamud (Public.Resource.Org), Daniel Poulin (LexUM), Tim Stanley (Justia), Joe Ury (BAILII), Tim Wu (AltLaw) and many others. It is an honor to follow in their footsteps. We would also like to acknowledge the judges who have built this cathedral of justice brick by brick and have tried to make it accessible to the rest of us. We hope Google Scholar will help all of us stand on the shoulders of these giants."
Pitt's University Center for Social & Urban Research resources
Last week the University Library System hosted a workshop session on the publications, research, and services provided by University Center for Social & Urban Research (UCSUR). UCSUR serves as a resource for researchers and educators interested in the basic and applied social and behavioral sciences, and as a hub for inter-disciplinary research and collaboration, it promotes a research agenda focused on the social, economic, and health issues most relevant to our society.
In addition to the programs described on their website, they host the Pittsburgh Neighborhood Community Information System (PNCIS) project, which is a large collection of data describing property and neighborhood conditions in the Pittsburgh area. This data is freely available to all non-profit, government, or University-affiliated users, at the PNCIS website. A basic layer of data is readily available just by accessing as a guest (click on that tab), but to access the property level of detail, you need to register by attending a brief (1 hour) training session (more will be scheduled after the holidays).
hat tip: Sallie Smith
Two new databases from ULS
The University Library System has added two new databases to its Databases A-Z list:
1. GreenFILE from EBSCO is a research database focusing on the relationship between human beings and the environment. Comprised of scholarly and general interest titles, as well as government documents and reports, GreenFILE offers perspective on the positive and negative ways humans affect the ecology. GreenFILE draws on the connections between the environment and a variety of disciplines such as agriculture, education, law, health and technology. Topics covered include global climate change, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more. The database provides indexing and abstracts for ~ 384,000 records and full text for more than 4,700 records.
2. Rand Reports is a full text archive of over 17,000 Rand Corporation titles dating back to 1948. The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis. Their research areas are wide-ranging and include Child Policy, Civil Justice, Population & Aging, Terrorism and Security, Transportation & Infrastructure, International Affairs, Education, Health & Health Care, Environment, Substance Abuse, and the Arts. Recent reports include Going Jihad: The Fort Hood Slayings and Home-Grown Terrorism: testimony presented before the Senate Homeland Security & Govt. Affairs committee, Nov. 19, 2009.
From Harvard: Report from Task Force on University Libraries
Now available online, Harvard University's Report from the Task Force on University Libraries suggests sweeping changes. From the report: "At a time of rapid change and severe financial stress, the Task Force on University Libraries was
charged to make clear recommendations to the President and Deans to adapt the Harvard
Library system to the 21st century and to make a stronger and more efficient library system.
Given the long history and labyrinthine complexity of the library system, the pressing need to
move forward effectively in the face of technological change and financial challenge, and the
universal desire to avoid unintended harm to the existing strengths of the library, the Task Force
recommends that the University and its libraries undertake a significant and focused initial effort
in five principal areas. "
New resource: Regulation Room (beta)
A new resource from those excellent folks at Cornell law, Regulation Room is "a public participation research site" for "people talking to people talking to government". It has the laudable ambition of making federal agency rulemaking more transparent and participatory. It also educates users about the federal rulemaking process and how any interested citizen can participate effectively. As a first step in the beta test of Regulation Room, users are encouraged to learn about, react to, and discuss a proposed National Highway Transportation Safety Administration rule: Tire Efficiency Consumer Information Program. Please note that the comment period for this proposed rulemaking closed in late August; Reg.Room is using materials from this rule for testing purposes only. Users can read and respond to daily posts on the tire rule and comment on particular aspects of the rule. Next Nov. 23, the research team will post a summary of the discussion. Users will then be able to comment on that summary and suggest changes to it.
Lawberry Camp Midwinter
Excellent news announcement from the AALL Computer Services SIS via Sarah Glassmeyer and Jason Eiseman!: Save the Date
When: January 16, 2010 9am - 5 pm (Casual dinner outing Friday evening)
Where: Harvard Law School Library
Why: Why wait until July to meet, learn and laugh with other law librarians and legal information professionals?
Lawberry Camp Midwinter will be a full day of activities...including lightning talks, open round table discussions and ending with the exciting and fun Battledecks Powerpoint Karaoke competition.
Have you tried an interesting project in your library and want to give a 5 minute talk about it? Is there some pressing issue that you'd like to hash out and discuss? Public services, technical services, private, court or academic...whatever your job title is and no matter where you work, if you are interested in law libraries or legal information, you should come to Lawberry Camp!
Registration is not open yet! We'll announce that closer to the date. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the organizers, Jason Eiseman or Sarah Glassmeyer. We hope to see you in Boston!
Jason Eiseman and Sarah Glassmeyer
p.s. Sharp eyed individuals may note that this is the same weekend as ALA Midwinter, also happening in Boston. This is not entirely a coincidence! So come to Boston! Make a weekend of it! ALA exhibit passes are available for only $25…double your professional development fun!
PACER survey
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts announced on November 2 that it is looking for feedback on PACER through an online survey to assess user satisfaction and generate suggestions for future improvements to the system. The survey is part of the Administrative Office's year-long, comprehensive assessment of PACER. According to the announcement, the survey will be open for approximately 30 days.
It's important for the Courts to hear from law faculty, law librarians, and law students. Please take a moment to participate in the survey, and share this info with your chapters and colleagues. Note that you must have a PACER account to take the survey.
Helpful info for law journals
Lee Ryan at the University of San Francisco School of Law has put together a great resource for students who are cite checking for law reviews. Called the Source Collection for Law Reviews & Journals at USF , it provides information on where to find reliable digital versions of documents that are frequently cited in law reviews and journals. Many of the sources are subscription databases, but fortunately we have most of those subscriptions.
hat tip: Elmer Masters
CRS Report: Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress
The Congressional Research Service has published a report (37 page pdf) entitled Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress. It is a must-read for gov docs librarians (and law librarians who deal with Congressional documents). The report gives an overview of the GPO and the statutory requirements it must fulfill, as well as the actual practices of the GPO and statistics of what it publishes and how much it spends.
Some tidbits from the Summary:
"In current practice, more than half of all government documents originate in digital form, and are distributed electronically. As a consequence of electronic production and dissemination, some congressional materials are now more readily available to wider congressional, governmental, and public audiences than when they were only produced and distributed in paper form."
and " (T)he transition to electronic distribution of materials may raise questions about the capacity of current law and congressional practices to effectively oversee GPO’s management and distribution responsibilities regarding congressional information."
Finally, the report lists "Potential Options for Congress", should Congress believe that action on government printing practices might be necessary or desirable, (p. 16) which include:
1. Maintain the status quo.
2. Conduct Studies related to congressional printing policieson such topics as how users access congressional documents; whether current distribution practices for GPO-printed and electronic documents
are effective or efficient; the costs of creating paper and electronic documents, including retention of
archival documents, and disposal of obsolete materials; the extent to which current congressional printing and document distribution practices support Congress in its work; and what potential changes to congressional rules and practices might be necessary if Congress were to transition to “paperless” operations.
3. Consider legislation to amend current printing authorizations, found in 44 U.S.C. 906 and 44 U.S.C. 701 , to reflect current printing practices.
United States Supreme Court’s Recorder of Decisions to visit Pitt Law
Who edits and compiles the official US Supreme Court case decisions? And what is it like to deal with the dynamic and powerful personalities of the Supreme Court justices? And, by the way, do the justices write their own opinions or do they farm that work out to the clerks? Wouldn’t you love to know what goes on behind the scenes in the making of the U.S. Reports?
Here’s your chance….
On Thursday November 19, 2009 from Noon-1:00 Mr. Frank Wagner, the United States Supreme Court’s Recorder of Decisions will speak at University of Pittsburgh School of Law in Room G-12. Please join us for this exciting and illuminating presentation. For more information, contact Marc Silverman. Please note that this program is being sponsored by Jurist- Legal News and Research .
hat tip: Linda Tashbook
Veterans' Day
Today, Nov. 11, is Veterans' Day in the US. The date commemorates the signing of the Armistice that ended WWI, when Germany signed the Armistice on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday; "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'."
Other US legal documents from 20th Century wars:
April 2, 1917 President Woodrow Wilson's Joint Address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Germany (1917)
April 6, 1917 40 Stat. 1 Public Resolution 65-1 Joint Resolution: Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial German Government and the Government and the people of the United States and making provision to prosecute the same.
Dec. 8, 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Joint Address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Japan
Dec. 8, 1941 55 Stat. 795 Public Law 77-328 Joint Resolution: Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial Government of Japan and the Government and the people of the United States and making provisions to prosecute the same.
Aug. 7, 1964, 78 Stat. 384 Public Law 88-408 The Tonkin Gulf Resolution This joint resolution of Congress (H.J. RES 1145) authorized "all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the UniteStates" and all steps necessary for the defense of U.S. allies in Southeast Asia. This gave President Lyndon Johnson authority to increase U.S. involvement in the war between North and South Vietnam.
CALI webinar: law profs using CALI lessons
This Friday, Nov. 13, at 3pm Eastern time, CALI will host a free webinar for law school faculty about using CALI lessons in your course, including how you can integrate CALI lessons with TWEN. The presenters will be Prof. Debra Cohen, Visiting Associate Professor & Interim Director of Academic Support at the University of Baltimore School of Law; and Prof. Sally Wise, Director of the Law Library and Professor of Law at the University of Miami School of Law Register for the webinar on the CALI website.
Don't be Evil for the holidays...
Two items of Google (our motto: Don't be evil") holiday news. First, CNET reports that Google is subsidizing free wifi in 47 airports from now until January 15 - and indefinitely in the airports of Burbank CA and Seattle WA. A full list of the airports is at Google's free holiday Wi-Fi site.
Second, Computer World has a report that Google has unveiled - also in time for the holidays - a new search engine service called Google Commerce Search, designed specifically for e-commerce sites.
Penn State's Second Life requirement
Hard to believe, but the Chronicle of HIgher Ed. reports that academic advisors at Penn State are required to be available at the Penn State World Campus Island in Second Life. The site provides the avatar names for advisors, though I don't see any real-life photos..
Luzerne County court asks lawyers to hear cases
The ABA Journal reports that the court in Luzerne County PA, where two judges were forced to resign due to federal corruption charges in the "kids for cash" scandal, is asking for seasoned lawyers to volunteer as special trial masters. According to the Luzerne County Times Leader the county court is facing a serious backlog in the trial calendar with 24 pending homicide cases (seven of which are death penalty cases) and 356 civil cases. Luzerne County President Judge Chester Muroski has asked experienced lawyers to lend a hand by serving as judges in some civil cases.
New ULS database: Brill's Encyclopedia of China
ULS has added Brill's encyclopedia of China to its database content. According to the description, Brill's contains "sound, in-depth information on China from its early beginnings up to today, with a clear focus on the modern period from the mid-nineteenth century to the 21st century. The encyclopedia is the result of an international academic effort, and covers the history, geography, society, economy, politics, science, and culture of China." It includes articles on the history of the legal system in China , Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and much more.
Google Books adds magazine browsing
Google Books is in the process of scanning new and old magazines for the Google Books database. They have added a webpage for browsing and searching magazines; at the top you will find a search field that lets you limit your search to the content of magazines. You can also browse the editions of a given magazine - for example, you can browse every edition of Life magazine from 1935 to 1972. The magazines are all at least one year old, the number of magazines included is limited and they are all American.
Supreme Court Database
The Supreme Court Database created by Prof. Harold Spaeth (Michigan State College of Law) has been around for a long time, but it was just this week updated with new technology to make it much more user-friendly. The database has 247 pieces of information for each case, roughly broken down into six categories: (1) identification variables (e.g., citations and docket numbers); (2) background variables (e.g., how the Court took jurisdiction, origin and source of the case, the reason the Court agreed to decide it); (3) chronological variables (e.g., the date of decision, term of Court, natural court); (4) substantive variables (e.g., legal provisions, issues, direction of decision); (5) outcome variables (e.g., disposition of the case, winning party, formal alteration of precedent, declaration of unconstitutionality); and (6) voting and opinion variables (e.g., how the individual justices voted, their opinions and interagreements). The interface has been modernized to make it easy to access all variables (with descriptive names) and quickly select a case or set of cases.
Friday fun: Making it fun to take the stairs
Maybe next time an elevator breaks we should do this...
GPO's annotated Constitution
Senator Russell Feingold, chairman of the Constitution Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has sent a letter requesting that the Government Printing Office post the Constitution Annotated online in xml format. He points out that the Constitution Annotated has been continuously published by the Congressional Research Service for almost 100 years and contains analysis of nearly 8,000 Supreme Court cases. Currently the Constitution Annotated is only available in pdf format and is cumbersome to browse. Sen. Feingold points out in his letter that it would be much more navigable if it were available in xml format - and since CRS provides the publication to the GPO in xml format it shouldn't be difficult for GPO to comply with his request.
leaks of Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement negotiations are taking place in Seoul, Korea with representatives from the United States, European Union, Canada, Mexico, Korea and a few other countries. The US government has been disappointingly secretive about the agreement, claiming national security interests. Prof. Michael Geist of the University of Ottawa Law School has been writing about the negotiations on his blog (Prof. Geist is a specialist on internet law and compiles BNA's Internet Law News). Despite the secrecy of the talks, he has been getting leaked information that he summarizes on his blog. BoingBoing blogged about the leaks succinctly in a post entitled "Secret copyright treaty leaks. It's bad. Very bad. " If you are interested in internet law, it is well worth taking the time to follow Prof. Geists reporting and discussion.
Password complexity
Has the Westlaw "Strong OnePass Initiative" got you down? Do you worry that your aging brain will never be able to remember all the passwords and updates? Do you fear that some day you will be unable to use Purdon's because you just can't remember how to get into Westlaw?
Well cheer up, some people have it worse. Here's a (tongue-in-cheek) McSweeney's post containing a letter from Corporate Security on Secure Passwords. A quote from the letter:
"Here's a sample password that meets the new requirements: J8JΒΝzγΨfΛδ@6%vΤfShr57w/
(This password is for example purposes only and cannot serve as your personal password.)"
Carl Malamud on Law Librarian radio
This Friday, November 6, at 3:00 PM Eastern Time,The Law Librarian on BlogTalkRadio will welcome Carl Malamud, founder of EDGAR, FedFlix, and Public Resource dot org to discuss his newest project,Law.Gov. Host Richard Leiter of the University of Nebraska law school, co-host Marcia Dority-Baker, Margi Maes, (Executive Director of LIPA) and Roger Skalbeck, Associate Librarian of Electronic Resources, will delve into the subject of Open Access to Law, and explore the nuances of the "nation's operating system." You can call in and/or join the chat room to participate. (Follow the link above for phone numbers and log in information.) The transcript of the chat room will be posted online after the show.
CRS report on ADA implications for Flu
In a recent report , the Congressional Research Service said that individuals now infected with the H1N1 virus “would most likely not be considered” individuals with a disability under the ADA but warned that situation might change if “the virus were to mutate to cause more severe illness.” The report outlined possible applications of the ADA for employers and individuals who might become infected with the H1N1 virus, aka “swine flu.”
Library of Congress rebuffs calls to retract Honduras report
The Resource Shelf reports that the Law Library of Congress is refusing calls from Sen. John Kerry, Chair of the Senate foreign relations committees and Rep. Howard Bermanthe, Chair of the House foreign relations committee, to retract a report on the military-backed coup in Honduras that the lawmakers say is flawed. A spokesperson for the Law Library of Congress said that the research agency stands by the report and that Librarian of Congress James Billington is preparing a response to the lawmakers who, according to Resource Shelf, don’t like what the August report said: that the government of Honduras had the authority to remove deposed President Manuel Zelaya from office.
Somerset County Jail to allow Westlaw for prisoners
The Somerset (PA) Daily American reports today that Somerset County Jail inmates will be able to research cases online with Westlaw after Jan 1. Currently, when inmates do their legal research they have to ask jail staff to go to the county law library to look up and print cases that they want. The jail’s subscription will be restricted to Westlaw so inmates can’t navigate away from that site to see other online sites. They will only be able to see Pennsylvania and Supreme Court cases, not others.
Google Scholar Advanced Scholar Search Now Include...
Pitt's University Center for Social & Urban Resear...
From Harvard: Report from Task Force on University...
CRS Report: Congressional Printing: Background and...
United States Supreme Court’s Recorder of Decision...
Library of Congress rebuffs calls to retract Hondu...
Somerset County Jail to allow Westlaw for prisoner...
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Hope for the Baltic Sea
On our front yard we have an ecosystem on the verge of collapse. The state of the poor Baltic Sea has long been critical but there is some reason for optimism. The Gulf of Finland has benefitted from the improved wastewater treatment in Russia and the sea was recently granted two big saline pulses bringing oxygenated water from the Atlantic.
The Baltic Sea is the world second largest brackish water area in the world. It is also especially vulnerable by nature. The sea is shallow, almost entirely enclosed and on this account the water changes slowly, which affects to the oxygen conditions in the Baltic Sea. The average depth of the Baltic Sea is 54 meters, whereas the average depth of Mediterranean Sea is 1500 meters.
In addition to the uncommon marine characteristics, the Baltic Sea is enclosed by eleven countries, the catchment area is four times the surface area of the sea and home to approximately 85 million people. Human activities are influencing the marine environment, and as a result, the Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world.
The Baltic Sea has seven of the of the world's ten largest marine dead zones — areas where the sea's oxygen has been used up. At worst the dead zones cover 90 000 km², more than twice the surface area of Denmark.
Algal bloom in the Baltic Sea
Hazardous substances – a global growing problem
The biggest threats to the Baltic Sea are eutrophication, marine traffic, hazardous substances and the loss of biodiversity connected to these problems. The Baltic Sea is one of the most heavily trafficked seas in the world. There are about 2000 ships in the Baltic marine area at any given time, mostly cargo vessels and tankers. More traffic means a bigger risk for marine accidents. Oil catastrophe or other kind of spill of hazardous substances would be critical for already polluted Baltic Sea.
In the recent years the amount of often monitored hazardous substances have decreased considerably in the Baltic Sea, but instead new chemicals are found in researches. Often the substances are accumulating and form cocktails with uncharted impacts on the marine ecosystem or humans. These substances are not currently caught in the wastewater treatment.
In addition to the concentration levels in the Baltic Sea, hazardous substances have been stored to old landfills in the Baltic Se catchment area. These landfills contains serious threat to the diversity of the Baltic Sea. Such a situation is taking place at the Krasny Bor hazardous waste landfill near St. Petersburg. The Krasny Borlandfill is in alarming condition, the waste ponds are leaking and the risk for overflow is high. Urgent action would benefit the residents of St. Petersburg, as the Neva river, the source of drinking water for the city gets its’ share of unknown chemicals from the landfill.
Valuable nutrients are wasted
The most severe problem of the Sea is eutrophication, nutrient enrichment caused by the leakages on our food production cycle. Nutrients, phosphorus and nitrogen are essential to all life and used as fertilizers in food production. They are still in many cases wasted in the food production, at homes as well as further up the chain in the wastewater treatment.
However the mineral phosphorus resources are rapidly shrinking. Nitrogen fertilizers, for their part are produced in highly energy intensive processes that accelerate climate change. Nitrogen compounds originating from nitrogen fertilizers are emitted into the atmosphere causing global warming.
It is increasingly evident that a systemic change in our societies is required to keep the planet safe for humans. The same major changes that would help the Baltic Sea would also strongly counteract the climate change. In the international level the EU circular economy package is a step towards that as is the Paris Climate Deal. For the Baltic Sea the rethinking the food production chain and urban waste water treatment practices are on the top of the list. That can be done already in the national scale.
Recycling of phosphorus and nitrogen is beneficial for us, food production and for the Baltic Sea!
Forerunner companies have the Baltic Sea on their agenda
The Baltic Sea is an exclusively beautiful and unique ecosystem. The Sea has been under heavy stress of pollution and nutrient emissions for a long time. The countries and different organizations around the Baltic Sea have been working to change the situation since the 70’s. In 2009 Baltic Sea Action Group, BSAG was established to speed up the work. The key idea is that all levels of society are needed to make the change and help the Baltic Sea.
BSAG finds the needed organizations to make public Commitments to act for a healthier Baltic Sea. For example food manufacturers can do their part for by recycling nutrients from their side-streams and by ensuring that the cultivation practices are environmentally sustainable. Commitment maker companies such as Altia, Viking Malt, Sinebrychoff and Fazer are focusing on best farming practices which will lead to reduced nutrient leakage. Through Commitments from such major actors in the sector, one third of Finland’s farm land is already under the influence of BSAG’s actions.
Baltic Sea friendly production and cultivation practices such as using fertilizers based on prevailing need is also linked to higher quality products and better cost-efficiency. The best Commitments help both the Baltic Sea and the Commitment maker.
EU needs nutrient policy
In the last years BSAG concentrated on advancing nutrient cycling. Nitrogen and phosphorus are nutrients essential to all life and indispensable in food production. In the water bodies they cause eutrophication.
To keep valuable nutrients from the sea and in the use of food production, BSAG works also in the EU level. BSAG has successfully promoted including nutrients in the EU commission’s action plan for circular economy, which was released in December 2015. The plan is functioning as a framework for legislation. The implementation process has started with the fertilizers regulation revision, which BSAG follows closely.
In Finland BSAG has advanced nutrient cycling since 2010 when first Baltic Sea Action Summit was arranged. In 2010 summit the government of Finland made a Commitment to become the model country for nutrient cycling. Today the nutrient cycling can be found for example in the spearheads initiatives of the current government. There it is linked to the piloting new technologies as well as achieving a good ecological status for waterbodies.
BSAG brought the Baltic Sea region decision makers together with Finland’s then Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and President Tarja Halonen
Today the best companies are taking environmental responsibility as an asset. Also investors have started to consider sustainable business more risk free and profitable. Taking environment into account when developing strategies should be a starting point for any business - or society.
Nicholas Wardi
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National Training Days Begin
As part of the Serious Illness Conversation Programme UK cancer specialists and GPS from three pilot areas have completed a National Training Day
The programme is designed to support clinicians in having structured, meaningful conversations with people diagnosed with serious illnesses to identify their goals and priorities for care. Doctor and patient will then agree a treatment plan that meets the patient’s personal needs and wishes and, as far as possible, enables them to achieve their goals and priorities throughout their illness.
Consultant oncologists (cancer specialists) from The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust in Merseyside, along with GPs from Airedale in Yorkshire and Southend in Essex, took part in the first series of National Training Days.
Dr Arvind Arumainathan from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital said,
“I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to take part in the National Training Day. The ongoing training and support provided by the programme will support me as a clinician to offer my patients the opportunity to discuss their treatment options, plan for their future care, and make their choices known which will be of huge benefit to them.”
The UK programme is a partnership between The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust in Merseyside, Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute Liverpool and Ariadne Labs in Boston, USA.
NHS England is funding a one-year pilot that will see GPs in the areas covered by NHS Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven CCG and Southend CCG being trained and using the programme, as well as consultant oncologists from The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
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Meet Dan Levine of Engaging Minds in Newton and Natick
Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Levine.
Dan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The idea for Engaging Minds had been brewing since my work in admissions at Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School in the late 1990s. It was there that I saw for the first time the power of teaching academic skills and strategies as part of the curriculum, rather than purely focusing on teaching content. After earning my MBA and moving to NYC for a few years, I returned to Boston and began to focus more intently on developing this business. Working with a few savvy and strategic educators, we took the vision of a skills-based academic tutoring program and built a methodology around it that we began piloting with students in 2010. We worked out of public libraries in Newton, Needham, Natick, and Wellesley and once we found we had an approach that worked in strengthening these vital skills, and that families were interested in this “alternative” approach to tutoring, we opened our first location on Needham Street in Newton in July 2011. We opened our second location in Natick in August 2017.
There are many challenges in developing and growing a business, but the three that stand out are:
1. Clearly articulating and defining a skills-based approach to tutoring to families. Most people think of subject-specific support when they think of tutoring. The term “executive function” was not as big a part of the vernacular in 2010 as it is today. One of our challenges was seeing if we could change the tutoring conversation away from pure content tutoring to a more holistic, skills-based approach. As we began our work, I learned that there were a few other groups already out there doing similar work, so I knew if we could make a compelling case for this approach (which was not difficult to do!), there was a growing market for it.
2. How to guarantee delivery of a strong product – always. One thing I learned very clearly in business school: if the product and its delivery are not excellent, the business will not survive for very long. We worked (and continue to work) tirelessly to ensure that our families are getting exactly what they need:
Our methodology is revised and updated at least every six months as we learn new strategies and hone our current ones. We have two Lead Educators who provide ongoing professional development and coaching with our instructors pre- and post-sessions to ensure we’re delivering exactly what each student needs.
Our Learning Specialist is available to delve deeper into academic testing to help identify key points of focus for each student. We’ve developed a stringent hiring protocol to ensure we are bringing the very best and brightest on board to work with students.
3. Managing our growth. We’ve grown organically and slightly faster than we anticipated. Managing that growth, especially from an operational standpoint, has been something we’ve been focused on since the beginning. From our hiring practices, to our operations management, to our instructor oversight and support it’s been a balance we’ve learned to walk quite effectively. As we continue to grow and expand into new markets, new challenges will certainly arise, and we’ll meet those with the same patience and thoughtfulness we’ve used all along the way.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Engaging Minds story. Tell us more about the business.
Engaging Minds offers a unique approach to traditional (content/subject-specific) tutoring: we teach students how to learn and provide them with academic skills and strategies they need to succeed over the long-term. In addition to providing content support in writing, reading comprehension, and problem-solving, we focus on teaching the increasingly important executive function skills (organization, prioritization, initiation of tasks, time management, goal-setting, planning) and guide students to become independent and self-confident learners. With these fundamental skills in place, students are better able to effectively approach, manage and complete nightly homework assignments, and are better poised to achieve their full potential.
In today’s world, with a smartphone and immediate access to Google, content now resides in our pockets. Our focus educationally must begin to include, more intentionally, the teaching of skills and strategies that students need to manage, synthesize, and organize that content when they find it, and manage themselves to achieve their goals and fulfill their potential. Many students require explicit instruction in how to do this and while most teachers endeavor to teach these skills in class, it’s difficult for them to reach every single student exactly where they are. Therefore, we work only one-on-one and help students determine their best approach to school work.
Engaging Minds has developed a methodology specifically designed to teach the vital executive function skills, all within the context of students’ own school work. By using students’ own schoolwork as the foundation of our instruction, we not only pick up right where the classroom teacher leaves off, but we also engender greater engagement, teach students how to apply the skills they’re learning to meaningful work, and build self-confidence. Our methodology is founded in teaching “best practice” and incorporates many “tried and true” strategies, as well as many of our own, specifically designed to focus on executive function skills.
Another hallmark of our approach is our attention to strengthening intrinsic motivation in our students. At Engaging Minds, we believe it’s important that students are engaged learners who understand the “why” behind the work they’re doing and the skills they’re learning, and who feel in control of their success. Intrinsically motivated learners become life-long learners. Together with our students, we establish short, attainable action plans each week to help students find success quickly and often. And over time, as the successes build, students come to realize that success is within reach and achievable, and self-confidence begins to soar.
Address: Engaging Minds
188 Needham Street • Suite 215 • Newton, MA 02464
190 N. Main Street • Natick, MA 01760
Website: http://www.engagingmindsonline.com/contact-us
Email: info@engagingmindsonline.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/engagingmindsonline/
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Dance Into Daylight
Elite Escort Services
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Features /
By Alice Rawsthorn
One Take: Studio Formafantasma's Ore Streams
Alice Rawsthorn on the Italian design duo’s response to ecological and political concerns
It is a rubbish bin – rather a fetching one. What else would you expect of an object coated in gold leaf, which was painstakingly applied using a centuries-old technique by the skilled artisans working for one of Italy’s finest gilders? The delicate layers of gold look exquisite, yet they were salvaged from unwanted computers and other digital devices that had ended up in recycling plants.
The gilded bin is one of half-a-dozen products designed by the Italian duo Simone Farresin and Andrea Trimarchi – who work together as Studio Formafantasma – for their research project Ore Streams (2017), which explores design’s relationship with the gargantuan, partially illicit global trade in electronic and digital waste. All of the objects were designed for use in an imaginary office. They include a table, chair, desk, cabinet and computer screens, each of which was made from salvaged materials and components constructed from recycled digital junk. Not that you can tell at first glance: only on closer inspection do you notice that these sleekly refined objects, subtly glimmering with gold plating, contain the corpses of discarded electronic products. The SIM card and circuit board of a phone are embedded in the seat of the chair, the innards of a microwave oven in the desk and computer cases in the cabinet.
Ore Streams was initially commissioned in 2015 by Ewan McEoin, a senior curator in the department of contemporary design and architecture at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne, where it will be exhibited in the inaugural NGV Triennial of Art and Design, which opens in December. The office objects will be accompanied by a video installation of the interviews Farresin and Trimarchi conducted over the last two years with recyclers, manufacturers, scientists, designers, recycling specialists at NGOs and the Interpol officials responsible for policing the electronic waste trade. The work also includes animated digital renderings, which illustrate their assessment of what designers should – and should not – do to ensure that their products can be recycled as easily and efficiently as possible.
Studio Formafantasma, ‘Ore Streams’, Chair and Cubicle 1, 2017, preparatory rendering, anodized aluminium, metalized paint, digital print on aluminium, electronic waste components, gold-plated aluminium
Design’s ecological and political responsibilities have been defining themes of Farresin and Trimarchi’s work since they graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands in 2009. They have produced successive collections of objects, which, like those in Ore Streams, appear exquisitely composed and fabricated, yet are laden with coded references to polemical issues, including the depletion of natural resources, the rise of racism, the refugee crisis, rural poverty, the legacy of Italy’s brutal colonial history and its craft heritage. The development of new materials has been the focus of several of their projects, including a biomaterial they formulated in Autarchy (2010) and a natural polymer they devised in Botanica (2011) as well as their De Natura Fossilium (2014) experiment, in which they constructed objects from the volcanic lava from an eruption of Mount Etna in Sicily. At a time when design is becoming increasingly politicized, Farresin and Trimarchi have proved to be unusually eloquent and incisive in articulating their concerns in both conceptual exercises and practical interventions. In May, they ran a design and fabrication course for a group of mostly Syrian refugees at Villa Magni, a 17th-century farming complex near Ragusa in southern Sicily, where the humanitarian design group Architecture Sans Frontières has established a training centre. All of Farresin and Trimarchi’s projects have been grounded in intensive research, though Ore Streams is by far the most ambitious in scale.
Recycling is an ancient industry and one that can be immensely lucrative – for which reason it has always been tainted by exploitation and criminality. By the mid-1800s, hordes of pickers, searchers and sorters were scouring the huge dust heaps and dunghills that towered over London’s slums in the hope of spotting something sellable, such as rags to be recycled into paper or animal bones to be turned into soap. Most notorious of all was the mammoth Great Dust Heap between Battle Bridge and the Smallpox Hospital in Kings Cross, whose contents were shipped to Russia in 1848 to be crushed into building materials for the reconstruction of Moscow. Charles Dickens described the squalor and brutality of the Great Dust Heap in Our Mutual Friend (1865), and mounted a campaign to purge London of its dumps and crack down on their noxious trade.
Environmentally aware designers have championed responsible recycling ever since the late 1920s, when the maverick US designer and activist R. Buckminster Fuller raised the alarm about the design community’s duty to conserve, rather than squander, natural resources. The waste industry has since been subjected to an arsenal of legal and regulatory constraints. Yet, there are still lapses and abuses. These range from the erroneous claims made by manufacturers for the ecological impact of their products to the contemporary equivalents of the Great Dust Heap, like the dystopian Agbogbloshie dump near Accra in Ghana, where thousands of desperate people pick over the toxic remains of smartphones, computers, fridges and television sets.
As well as probing the human and environmental devastation caused by such hellholes, Farresin and Trimarchi have mapped the labyrinthine global industry of legalized electronic disposal and recycling in Ore Streams. Currently, less than a third of all digital devices used in the European Union are responsibly recycled. In Ore Streams, the duo set out to identify ways in which design can be deployed to correct the flaws in the current system and to make it more productive and sustainable. As their research progressed, they became increasingly convinced that an attitudinal change was required within the design community. During the industrial age, designers tended to focus their time and energy on the manipulation of materials into finished products. Farresin and Trimarchi believe that, in future, they should be equally absorbed by the origins of those materials, just as craftspeople are by the provenance of the woods, metals or yarns they use in their work.
The Ore Streams research flushed out examples of apparently innocuous design decisions that impede recycling to greater and lesser degrees. Covering copper wire in black rubber prevents the optical recognition software in recycling plants from identifying it. Black plastic packaging suffers from the same problem, while mixing metal and concrete makes it difficult for recyclers’ magnets to detect the former and to separate it from the latter. Another increasingly common and damaging obstacle is for the waterproof seals on smartphones to be so strong that it is impossible to open them up to remove the batteries and any recyclable components.
Studio Formafantasma, ‘Ore Streams’, Table and Cubicle 1, 2017, preparatory rendering, metalized paint, digital print on aluminium, electronic waste components, gold-plated aluminium
Ore Streams also identifies models of good practice, such as Fairphone, the Dutch social enterprise whose smartphones are designed to be robust, durable and made from responsibly sourced materials, many of them recycled. Miele, the German domestic appliances manufacturer, is praised for the rigour with which it has integrated recycling into product development and manufacturing, notably by designing its washing machines so that individual components can be removed for repair or replacement, while the cases remain unchanged for several years. Farresin and Trimarchi also analyzed the cottage industries that have emerged to service the electronic waste trade, such as the new genre of ‘end of life’ consultancies. Among them is Close the Loop, an Australian company which specializes in waste recovery and recycling and advises manufacturers on how to adapt their design processes to maximise the use of recycled materials and the possibility of reusing and recycling them again.
Despite such advances, there are frequent abuses, including breaches of the Basel Convention’s ban on the shipment of hazardous waste from developed to developing countries by unscrupulous dealers and shippers. Even lawful developments can have unexpectedly malign consequences. Take the railway constructed in Mauritania to transport iron from mines in the interior to the coast for shipment to China: no sooner was it completed than human traffickers started using it to smuggle people.
Farresin and Trimarchi believe that the same factor which fuels such horrors – the lure of profit – may also help to encourage the tech industry to step up its efforts to ensure that, in the future, more of its products are recycled. The rationale is that the contents of electronic and digital waste can be extremely valuable. Take computers, which contain gold in their chips and printed circuit boards, silver in keyboard membranes and cobalt, platinum and palladium in hard drives. If computers are designed from the outset to facilitate it, it should be possible for those precious metals to be ‘mined’ faster and less expensively from discarded electronic products than from the ground – just like the gold leaf on the Ore Streams rubbish bin.
Studio Formafantasma was co-founded by Simone Farresin and Andrea Trimarchi, who are based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Their work has been acquired for the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA, the Art Institute of Chicago, USA, and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK. Studio Formafantasma recently completed its first industrial project for the Italian lighting manufacturer Flos. Ore Streams will be displayed at the NGV Triennial, Melbourne, Australia, from 15 December until 15 April 2018.
Main image: Studio Formafantasma, Ore Streams, 2017, video still. Courtesy: the designers and National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Alice Rawsthorn
Alice Rawsthorn is the author of Hello World: Where Design Meets Life (2013) and Design as an Attitude (2018). She lives in London, UK.
First published in Issue 191
British Museum Trustee Resigns Over BP Sponsorship, Restitution Silence and Employment Precarity
Olafur Eliasson at Tate Modern Review: Spectacle in an Age of Climate Crisis
Smithsonian Interested in Acquiring Drawings Made by Migrant Children Held in US Custody
What Can We Learn from the Violence of 1969?
Women Outnumber Men at Art School – Why Do More Men Make it Into Galleries?
Serious Play: the Democratic Ideals Behind Siah Armajani’s Public Sculpture
César Aira on the Cultural Legacy of His Childhood Home
‘All Of My Bones Are Broken’: Heike Geissler on Christine Blasey Ford, Religious Devotion and Surviving the Present
The Body Electric - The Necessary Effrontery of Miriam Cahn
Denzil Forrester: ‘I Had to Find Something That Shook Me Up’
Two Transgender Activists to Be Honoured with Statues in New York
Louvre Workers Strike Over Growing Visitor Numbers and Dwindling Staff
Jonathas de Andrade Gives Voice to the Dispossessed
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As Ethiopia works for reform, church tries to support people in many ways
Boys in transition
St. Francis-St. Joseph Homes change along with the youths they serve
BENSALEM – Keion, Lester, Daniel, Brian and Kerry were impressed. They had never met a real bishop before. During an April 6 pastoral visit to St. Francis-St. Joseph Homes for Children, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph R. Cistone chatted with the quintet at Bouvier House, their group home.
They talked about basketball – who was going to win the NCAA championship, North Carolina or Michigan State? North Carolina was the prophetic consensus. They sang “I’m Gonna Let it Shine” for the bishop. Keion, who like most of the boys at St. Francis-St. Joseph, is not Catholic, asked Bishop Cistone for his blessing.
“You have a lot of talents, let your light shine,” Bishop Cistone told them. “You are not alone. There are a lot of wonderful people here, and they are here for you.”
“I had a good experience. I met the bishop, I got to sing. It was a good day,” Keion said.
St. Francis-St. Joseph, like the youths it serves, is an institution in transition.
It is the end product of the merger of two venerable institutions, both coincidentally founded in 1888. St Francis Industrial School (later St. Francis Vocational School) was founded and funded by the Drexel sisters – Elizabeth Drexel Smith, St. Katharine Drexel and Louise Drexel Morrell – as a residential school for academic and vocational training of adolescent boys, mostly from the now-defunct St. John’s Orphan Asylum.
St. Joseph’s House for Homeless Boys, which at its foundation literally took homeless boys from the street, gave a similar education. For years, St. Francis was run by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, and St. Joseph’s by the Holy Ghost Fathers. Now combined into a system of group homes headquartered on the old St. Francis campus, it is directed by archdiocesan Catholic Social Services.
“This is our second largest (youth services residential) facility and St. Gabriel’s System is the biggest,” said archdiocesan Secretary for Catholic Human Services Joseph J. Sweeney. At St. Francis-St. Joseph’s on-campus school, “The interaction between the teachers and the classes is incredible. It’s beehive of activity,” he said.
The changes in recent years go well beyond combining two institutions. At the time the predecessor schools were founded, typically boys would enter at age 11 or so, and leave at 16, which was then considered a reasonable age to enter the workforce. Although Bouvier House, which Bishop Cistone visited, does have boys in that age range, residents of the other group homes are older, even 20 or 21.
“I would say 40 percent of our residents are over 17,” estimated Francis Swiacki, St. Francis-St. Joseph’s director. The reason is that most of the boys or young men received by the school are far behind in their education and need intensive if belated tutelage to acquire a high school diploma or G.E.D. “They are aging out of other schools without a diploma or job skills,” Swiacki said.
Staffing is also quite different because of the needs of the students. A half-century or so ago St. Francis alone had about 18 Christian Brothers aided by half a dozen lay workers and vocational teachers for a population of 250 boys.
Today, Swiacki oversees a highly professional full-time staff of 210 with about 30 part-time staff, caring for an average of 128 resident boys and young men.
“All of the kids have problems,” Swiacki said. “We are seeing more kids with pronounced mental health problems who have previously been in psychiatric hospitals. Many are coming out of an environment of drugs and violence, and we have about 54 who are adjudicated delinquents.”
St. Francis-St. Joseph works with the youth and young men, teaching them academic and life skills and bringing them to a point where they can be discharged, often into an independent living program rather than back into the toxic and often abusive community experience from which they came. Most are discharged with what is considered a positive outcome, which makes all of one-on-one care well worth the expense.
“I was really impressed by the staff and their enthusiasm for reaching out to these young men. I guess I have a better understanding of how hard life has been for the young men and boys and how much we take for granted,” Bishop Cistone said at the end of his visit. “They have a lot of challenges, but they have a great staff with genuine care and spiritual motivation to reach out and give them hope to see their own potential and to help them see, with God’s help, what they can be and do in life.”
Kerry, one of those young men he’d spoken to, agreed. “I’ve learned good things here and I’ve come a long way,” he said.
PREVIOUS: Catholic Charities kicks off annual appeal
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“Séraphin, L’Histoire Illustrée d’un home et son péché “ was a cartoon strip that appeared in Le Bulletin des agriculteurs from October 1951 to September 1970. It was drawn by Albert Chartier using scripts for the radio then television series “Les Belles Histoires des pays d’en haut” written by Claude-Henri Grignon. In its television format the series, broadcast by Radio Canada, ran from October 8, 1956 to June 1970. The series was in turn based on the novel L’homme et son péché “ written by Grignon in 1933. The novel was a simple story of a young woman Donalda who is forced to forsake her true love Alexis and marry the rich but parsimonious Séraphin who is mayor of the town. She dies of a strange sickness and he is killed in a house fire trying to save his money. However, when transformed into the radio and cartoon series the story was greatly expanded to become episodes in the lives of various citizens of the town.
BOOK GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:
Biography & Folio:
“Albert Chartier: A Retrospective On The Life and Work Of A Pioneer Quebecois Cartoonist.” Drawn & Quarterly v. 5: August 2003: 166-172.
BOOK GRAPHIC COLLECTION:
Strip cartoon:
Séraphin. Writ., Claude-Henri Grignon. Illus., Albert Chartier. les Éditions Les 400 coups, 2010.
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Siegfried Springer, Bridgebuilder between East and West, Passes Away
By William Yoder, Ph.D., April 23, 2019 09:04 AM
Siegfried Springer(Provided by William Yoder, Ph.D.)
B e r l i n - On 16 February, Bishop Siegfried Springer passed away shortly before his 89th birthday. A memorial service was held in his hometown of Bad Sooden-Allendorf/Hesse, on 9 March. Born in the Caucasus city of Mineralnie Vody, USSR in 1930, he needed to come to terms with the execution of his father and a grandfather seven years later. His ethnic German family lived in Ukraine after that. Their flight to Germany began in 1944. He was finally able to set up housekeeeping in West Germany in 1947. He later studied theology and became a pastor in the provincial Lutheran church of Hanover. Commuting between Germany and Russia, he served as bishop of the "Evangelical Church in European Russia" from 1992 to 2007.
Siegfried Springer was one-of-a-kind. As a pietist, he moved constantly between the mainstream German church and the confessionalist Lutheran denominations. This refers to the "Evangelical Church in Germany" (EKD) along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) on the one side and the German Synod of the evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK) of the Missouri Synod (LCMS) on the other. He always saw Lutheranism in its entirety. He was able to converse and joke with everyone. Virtually no one was tabu. But he went his own way based on his own theological convictions. This insured that he not only had friends. Yet he had a loyal following within the ELCA - which was less true within the EKD's foreign office in Hanover. That relationship in any case became more difficult as the foreign office came to be increasingly "open" and syncretic.
Springer was very much honored among the Lutherans of Russia - he was after all one of them. He was a father figure for many. He understand very well that Russian-German Lutherans were virtually all pietists and he acted accordingly. He knew they had little tolerance for same-sex marriage and "scientific" theology as practiced in Germany. During his last years as bishop in Russia, he even spoke out against the ordination of women. But his reasons were primarily pragmatic; ecumenical considerations in the context of an Orthodox Russia made being a women pastor complicated.
Bishop Springer was also courageous. When he was still single, he traveled to the Soviet Union in 1957 - the first time for him since the war - without any guarantee that he would be allowed to return westward. Allied agreements at war's end had freed the USSR from any need to recognize new citizenships acquired during the course of the war. (Of course: Those who lived full-time as committed Christians in the USSR were more courageous.)
At the World Youth Festival in Moscow in July and August 1957, the Soviet Komsomol youth organization then asked him and the budding evangelist Klaus Vollmer (1930-2011) to participate in a debate on the question of God's existence. The two of them were thereby able to preach to thousands at Stalin's massive „VDNKh" exhibition grounds. Following the exchange, their atheistic hosts even conceded that the guests from Germany had won the debate! Springer reported on this in his memoirs from 2013, „Closer to Heaven in Russia". (They have also appeared - or are appearing - in Russian and English.)
The return of ethnic Germans from Russia played a major role in his work and thinking. He regarding leaving as entirely normal, as a matter of course. He did not criticize those thousands and was always concerned to ease their integration into German church life. This irritates some of who have chosen to remain in Russia.
His efforts to aid evangelical pastors from Romania emigrating to Germany during the 1980s were also controversial. He believed they should be permitted to continue their work as pastors within the EKD. He had in any case a big heart for the suffering and needs of others.
He was nevertheless also committed as no other to the restoration and growth of Russian Lutheranism after 1991. He paid little attention to his own health; he traveled thousands of kilometers with a heart condition. He was a bridge between those who had left Russia and those who remained at home.
Bischof Siegfried Springer will not be easy to replace - a pastor at home in two worlds. May persons with a similar amount of passion and attention to detail be found willing to commit many years of their lives to service in Russia! Russian Lutheranism needs them badly.
Ukraine‘s Baptist Union Breaks Its Ties with John MacArthur
A Russian Prayer Breakfast Met in St. Petersburg
Moscow‘s Baptist Seminary Back in Operation
A Church Fellowship with Endangered Future
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@CO_Comicさんをフォロー
Page 20 in Kids these Days...
13th Dec 2012, 5:48 AM
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Coding Notes : AlphonsoxqHogbenqa
Safety when living in suburbia
People live in the suburbs for a vast array of explanations. In a lot of ways it is similar to the underlying variables involved in any given area. People move to new areas for a whole host of reasons. But there is usually two or one that almost everyone in a particular region can concur. When it comes to the suburbs, that reason generally involves security. The suburbs have a particular attraction for men and women who wish to protect their family from the hazards of the world. The suburbs are almost synonymous with safety and family oriented tasks. People go to the suburbs in hopes of locating a friendly community where they can look ahead to potlucks and block parties. They want to have an area where they can simply relax and anticipate fine visits with neighbors. However one thing people tend to forget about is that there's quite a few strategies to endanger that situation. And it is not necessarily in an intentional or perhaps visible method. The suburbs might be safe from most kinds of home invasion. But suburban houses are still vulnerable to the a variety of insects, rodents and other various animals which live there. What's more, people tend to be exposed to the pesticides and methods used to rid oneself of household pests.
Approaches to keep everybody safe
Nobody would like their neighbors spraying toxic Chemicals into the air. Likewise, it is a precaution people should take with their home too. Apparently, dealing with pest control in a non-toxic way isn't always easy. But that is why one depends on specialist advice and services. Non-toxic pest control Eastern suburbs style can be carried out. It mixes the style one sought from the suburbs with an extremely conscious attention to pest control. The end result is pest control that removes invaders in one's home. But pest control which doesn't endanger the environment or the people inside. It's a type of pest control which returns a sense of safety to one's suburban home. See [[https://blakesector.scumvv.ca/index.php?title=Is_It_Worth_Hiring_The_Best_Pest_Control_Eastern_Suburbs Eastern Suburbs pest control]].
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outdoors, sports, trips
5 Vacation Spots for Sporty People
Spain is known for being a vacation destination for those who want to relax; it’s food, wine, and sun abound around here. But luxuriating on beaches and sampling tapas isn’t the only thing you can do in Spain. It’s also a great destination for sporty people.
Everyone knows the Pyrenees are a great place to ski and the Basque Coast a great place to surf, but there are other affordable and out of the way places with a lot to offer a sporty and independent traveler. Here are our 5 favorites.
In the 1500s during the rise of Spanish and Portuguese exploration, the area around Cadiz and Tarifa was either a blessing or a curse – going south was as easy as unfurling a sail, while going north meant fighting quite a jet stream. The area is known for its high winds, which makes wind sports like kite surfing and wind surfing extremely popular, and extremely fun.
Add to it that Tarifa has some of the best beaches in the country, the region’s gastronomy, and the fact that nearby Cadiz was once the seat of a pre-Roman age civilization, and you’ve got yourself quite a package. Plus, Tarifa’s weather is nice year round – gorgeous in the summer, and mild in the winter.
Ask about our services in Tarifa!
Granada/Las Alpujarras/Sierra Nevada
Granada is best known for its gastronomy and being the home of tapas. But it’s also right next to the zone of Las Alpujarras which is right in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. In the winter, the Sierra Nevadas are a great destination for skiing, which is surprising as they’re relatively close to the Mediterranean coast. But high altitudes make for good snow and the ski life there is prominent every winter.
In the summer the area is just as active. It’s easy to hike for miles along the foothills and find plenty of places to go mountain climbing as well. And, though the area is not as often frequented as more popular destinations it is well prepared to support sporty vacationers who want long and challenging hikes across beautiful landscapes. There are also natural mountain spring spas and ecofriendly hotels and restaurants dotted throughout the area, for after a long day of trekking it.
Ask about our services in Granada!
Navia is the little known Asturian cousin to Gijón and Ribadesella, located on the other side of the province from them near the Galician border. It’s a small town but with some fabulous country homes you can rent for cheap, even in high season. Aside from the fact that Navia and its surrounding area is a hiker’s paradise, boasting miles of trails by the coast and inland where the paths go winding through the waterfalls and the hillsides, it’s also a fantastic spot for water sport.
Lately surfing and paddle surfing have grown by leaps and bounds in popularity. With its many rivers and ample beaches, it makes a perfect place to learn to get on a board and ride. And when you’re done that for the day, there are always the local cider houses, music festivals, and ruins of ancient Celtic settlements to visit that are all a stone’s throw from the beach.
Read our feature on surfing in Navia! – or – Ask about our services in Navia!
Soria is a surprise that shows up on almost all of our lists. It’s inland and tucked away between Madrid and Logroño, so it’s often overlooked for either the capital or the wine country. Besides the perk that it’s close to both aforementioned zones, it’s a mountain paradise for sportspeople.
Mountain biking, climbing, and paragliding have all taken the area by storm in recent years. The high peaks make it a great place for all three, though only during the summer. It’s the coldest place in Spain during the winter, with temperatures often subzero, but in the milder months it’s not too hot and a welcoming outdoor arena.
Horseback riding is also an easy option to find. Soria has some incredible heritage, between the Monastery of Saint Bartholomew hidden in the canyons, or the Celtiberian ruins of Numancia, once the site of a famous Roman siege, and all of these incredible visits can be done by walking or by horse.
Ask about our services in Soria!
5. La Pedriza/Madrid
La Pedriza is just outside of Madrid in the Sierra de Guadarrama. It has over 1,500 trails for hiking and for mountain biking, and the incredible rock formations make for an unforgettable climbing experience. Most of the locals in the central plains go there for their sporty weekends, so you’ll be in good company.
Plus, it’s only a few hours drive from Madrid, and even closer to the sierra towns like Rascafria, which are surviving testaments of Middle Ages architecture.
Ask about our services in Madrid!
hikingoutdoorsspainsportssurfingtourtourstraveltripvacation
archaeology, outdoors, trips
Trekking Inside Spain’s Prehistoric Caves
January 8, 2016 Colorfully Spain 3 Comments
It’s a short drive down into Ronda’s ravine, then back up a small mountainside by foot to get to the new entrance of La Pileta Cave. There are roughhewn stairs set into the hill to help travelers find the entrance the site where, 500m into the rock face, our prehistoric ancestors once dwelled. But it wasn’t an easy hike, especially considering I’d already hiked the ravine back in Ronda the day before.
But I make it to the top, to an unceremonious iron gate that looks something between a Resistance friendly steam tunnel entrance and a bootlegger’s storehouse. It is actually there to bar people from getting in to the cave without supervision, and is the entrance to the office and the gift shop. Both are inside the cave, which I find a clever economy of space.
Our guide that day speaks good English and informs us to please watch our step – where we’re going, there’s no natural light. Before we go much further, he lays out some ground rules – everyone must carry a lantern, which he passes out to us. No touching anything, an unsurprising and standard rule inside caves (even touching just the rock face can leave oil and damage the tracks the water takes to form stalactites. These caves are heavy and the open space is vast, he tells us, and one day it won’t be able to support its own weight anymore. We would like to delay that as long as possible).
There will be no photography, either. Not only is it bad for the art, the same reason museums have this policy, but the sensors are bad for the many hundreds of bats who are in residence. So we pocket our phones. After all, we’re in their home, it wouldn’t do to be rude.
Though it’s mid-September, and in Andalucía that means just this side of roasting hot, as soon as we start into the cave I start feeling clammy. I see why Jose – that is, our guide – told us to watch our step; everything, every surface of the limestone is slick with a slight and slippery alkaline water sheen. We move slowly up the carved stairs, which had been cut into the rock during previous periods of exploration and excavation.
One of the first caves we come to is called the Gallery of Bats. The ceiling is far too high to see any of them, but we are assured that they are there. As they are asleep at 3pm, as good little nocturnal creatures should be, we don’t even hear them chittering. For some guests that is probably a good thing.
The next room on the open circuit (we pass a few small tunnels that Jose tells us are restricted access due to slipping or rock slide hazards), is the Castle Room. It is named for the incredible rock formations that do honestly look like castle turrets. I wonder who could have lived here before? It’s already growing cold and so dark I feel miles beneath the earth. In reality, we’ve only gone in about a hundred meters.
They call this cave Pileta, meaning pool, and in the third ‘room’ I see why. To my right, over a flimsy rope strung along precariously posted rebar, is a deep cave pool. The water is dark, until I shine my lantern over it, and I see that the water is perfectly clear. But the lantern only penetrates so far, and beyond the weak reach of the light I imagine eyeless fish sliding around unseen. Jose tells us there are no fish in these waters, but with the echoes of water dripping and the occasional groaning of the rock, the darkness and the awareness of vast, empty, cold space around me, I find it easy to perceive some eldritch monstrosity waiting in the caverns. I shiver – but it’s mostly with delight.
It’s about this time that we start to see cave paintings. Running animals, symbols no one can discern the true meaning of. Like all prehistoric caves, animals, especially in motion, is a continued motif. In the central nave there are several depictions of what appear to be horses. As to what the symbols mean, well, the automatic go to is fertility. It’s always the easiest to assume that, the guide explained, but realistically there is no hard evidence.
The paintings are red and black and caper across the walls haphazardly. The guide informs us that most of these paintings probably date to the Solutrean period, that is, the Upper Paleolithic about 25,000-20,000 years ago. These paintings are the origins of art. One has to wonder, were they for didactic purposes? Showing the youngers how to hunt and forage? Warnings? Or just for the pure fun of drawing them?
From the central nave to the Hall of the Fish, as they call it, we see many more drawings, and other evidences of human occupation. It seems to me, and the guide confirms, that the occupation was aggregate, meaning it was not only one people at one time that used this cave for shelter. There is evidence of bone disposal and rock deposits – the kind you find when early peoples make stone tools and discard the flakes they don’t need. There is also evidence of fires having burned in alcoves, and some smoke residue still on the walls. Somehow the atmosphere of the cave has preserved all of this, and it’s aweing.
We’re almost 400m back now and it has taken us a while, carefully stepping, sometimes slipping, to navigate our way back here. We would have been in total darkness had it not been for the lanterns. I try to imagine any diurnal creature living in here, indeed, ones that make art and share meals. The space is certainly big enough to house a whole community, but how could anyone bear living in this kind of dank cold? It’s Tolkienian. I expect something slinky to coalesce beside me and ask me riddles in the dark.
Finally we arrive at the last chamber of the cave, well, the last one we’re able to visit. The final chamber, Jose says, is too dangerous to go into, the same as the subterranean caves that run beneath us (at several points during our 45 minute long trek I have had creeping moments of realization that there is only one layer of rock between us and the yawning caverns beneath the ones I’m already in. The weight of the mountain bears down on me in those moments). In this final chamber we see the famous Fish. It’s a pretty good rendering. Even though some of these drawings seem crude, the sense of motion and proportion is not bad, especially considering they’re drawn on uneven limestone. Probably better than I could do!
The Fish solidifies the idea that these caves are from the Solutrean period, which was around the time fishing as a human practice was beginning to develop. There are other depictions of fish across southern Spain in caves near to this one from the same period. But none as big and as well preserved as this one.
Around the Fish (as you can see) are a lot of hash marks. The other animals have them too, some that seem to correspond with the animal drawing, some that are simply hash marks by themselves. Common postulation is a numerical notation, or a calendar. Seems logical enough.
There is also an alcove that is wall to wall, floor to ceiling covered in rough depictions of what appear to be female genitalia. ‘Fertility’ the guide says again. Fertility is always the going theory. Someone asks whether or not this could be seen as a form of religion. The guide, nor I, am completely convinced. Begging for luck or associating symbols with a human event (such as drawings of female genitails with healthy childbirth), does not a religion make (despite a ‘venus’ having been found in the Gallery of Bats. It is an hourglass shaped creation that looks more like a bowtie than a venus, so it’s intention is much more debatable than the obvious alcove of genitalia). There isn’t any hard evidence of religious practice, so it might be a stretch to call this, ah, coital corner a belief in a Goddess. Could it have been? Could it have been the precursor to a more complex and fleshed out belief system? Anything’s possible, but no one really knows.
As the guide is explaining this someone next to me nudges me. Jose’s got a flashlight, not a lantern, and it’s resting on his shoulder, the beam pointed up. It spotlights on the end of a stalactite, where a tiny bat yawns and stretches out one wing. It’s about three feet up from Jose’s head. Turn off the lights, it seems to say, don’t you know what time it is?
It’s time to be heading out, the tour is ending. We carefully make our way back through the caves, two people slipping but thankfully not falling. Sturdy shoes are a must for this adventure. Once we’re back to the gift shop area, there are books about the cave paintings, in Spanish and in English, and postcards with some decent photographs of what we couldn’t take pictures of. None of it is expensive, and the cave needs the money for upkeep. One of these days, Jose says, they want to do more exploration of the lower chambers. But that takes grant money and a lot of equipment.
It is a shame they haven’t excavated the rest, because there seem to be more skeletal deposits and perhaps other paintings in the caves below. Still, there’s time. The cave might eventually collapse in on itself as Jose told us, but something tells me it’s going to be around, at least for a little while longer.
Many thanks to the Bullón family for the tour and the photos.
Interested in the Cuevas de la Pileta? Check out our trips to Ronda or contact us to build your own trip that includes this prehistoric wonder.
adventurearchaeology 101cave arthikinghistorynatureneolithicoutdoorsprehistoricspainsportssurfingtourtrip
gastronomy, outdoors, sports, trips
Surf Gastronomy Fusion Tours in Asturias
August 7, 2015 Colorfully Spain Leave a comment
Colorfully Spain announces brand new, exciting surf based tours in northern Spain for the summer of 2016!
The north of Spain is not only a great place to eat and taste wine, it’s also a natural paradise and a heaven for hikers and surfers alike. Now, Colorfully is offering innovative new tours that combine the two!
From paddle surfing down the green mountain rivers, stopping at cider houses along the way, to surfing by day and tapas crawls by night, Colorfully has a range of options for outdoor adventurers. And of course, a sampling of the region’s history and archaeology, from the castros of the north, to the church of Santiago de Compostela.
If you are interested in our outdoor adventure focused summer packages, contact us for more information!
adventureceltiberiaceltsfoodgastronomyhikingnatureoutdoorssportssurfingtourtourstraveltripvacationwine
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Home | Herman Badillo's Political Legacy: From Caguas to Congress
Save the Date – Forum on Herman Badillo’s Political Legacy
Glass Café, West Building, 3rd Floor
Please join us next Wednesday, March 18, for a forum discussing the legacy of the pioneering Puerto Rican politician Herman Badillo. Badillo was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico and moved to New York after both his parents died when he was 11. From these humble and tragic beginnings, he rose to prominence as the first Puerto Rican elected to the United States House of Representatives.
Centro is very pleased to welcome Badillo’s son, David (Associate Professor, Lehman College), as well as Virginia Sánchez-Korrol (Professor Emerita, Brooklyn College) and Juan Cartagena (President and General Counsel, LatinoJustice PRLDEF) to discuss Representative Badillo’s political legacy. Particular attention will be paid to his contributions to the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which ensured greater electoral participation for racial and ethnic minorities in the United States.
In an article published in Centro Voices at the time of Badillo’s passing, Cartagena discusses Badillo’s testimony, which led to the “uniquely Puerto Rican provision” of the Voting Rights Act:
Herman Badillo's testimony was eloquent and befitting of a person who put himself through college and law school at the top of each class after arriving in New York as an orphan with no English proficiency. Reading the transcripts of the hearings years later I visualized Herman epitomizing the stubborn pride of the Island's jíbaro culture as he challenged the "myth in our state of New York that a citizen can be an intelligent, well-informed voter only if he is literate in English."
We hope you will join us for what promises to be a wide-ranging and fascinating look at Badillo’s pioneering work in politics. The event will feature an audience question and answer session, and light refreshments will be provided.
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NCT Biography Copernicus in Warmia (1503-1543)
Controversies: private life
Little is known about the private life of Nicolaus Copernicus until he reached an age sufficiently mature for it to be difficult to suspect him of promiscuity. Before the year 1538, a mysterious woman appeared in his life who was the source of several interventions by Bishop Dantyszek (Dantiscus). He rebuked the old astronomer and requested the dismissal of the "housekeeper" from his see. Her name was Anna Schilling.
Previously she was regarded as the daughter of Matthias Schilling, a known minter who ran a mint in Toruń (1529-1535), and later in Gdańsk (1535-1540). However, there is no evidence concerning any relationships of Copernicus with Schilling and his family. There was a relative of the astronomer - Anna Krüger who, in 1515, married Arend von den Schellings, a merchant from Gdańsk. She was a daughter of Heinrich Krüger, mayor of Toruń (1504) and Christine von Allen, the daughter of Tileman and a cousin of Copernicus. The astronomer repeatedly visited Gdańsk and maintained close relations with his cousins living in that city. He had special relations/ties with the Feldsteds, as was mentioned before, and with the Schellings. Together with Arend, the husband of Anna, he was a co-carer of the Feldsted widow and her children. According to family tradition, the previously mentioned Arend was to die in 1537, so very close to the events of interest to us, and his wife Anna was to die soon after in 1538. Both of these dates are uncertain. They are not confirmed by the information from the oldest register of deaths from St. Mary parish in Gdańsk, started in the same year 1537. Arend might have left the city, disappeared without trace, or in fact died in 1537. In either case it would have been justifiable that Anna was looking for help from her wealthy uncle. The most probable solution to the riddle is to assume that Anna lived on and it was she who - as the closest relative of Copernicus - stayed in his household in Frombork in 1538 and 1539. In his response to the second "fatherly admonition" by Bishop Dantyszek of 2nd December 1538, demanding the dismissal of the housekeeper, Copernicus wrote that he treated it with due seriousness, but it was difficult to find quickly an honest housekeeper who was a relative. The argument in favour of the identity of Anna von der Schellings and Anna Schilling is the fact that after moving from Copernicus’ household in March 1539, the woman, who was dear to Copernicus, sent her things to Gdańsk, so this is where she came from.
Anna returned to Gdańsk probably as early as 1539. After the astronomer’s death she once more visited Frombork, where she sold a house she owned. In any event, it must be recognized that Anna treated Copernicus as her closest relative. He was her great uncle. Upon arrival at Frombork, in 1537 or 1538, she was 47 or 48 years old, so she was about 15 years younger than the astronomer. Anna was a rich woman, and this could have been the reason for the envy of the canons, hostile to Copernicus, and of Bishop Dantyszek. It is possible that the astronomer became a victim of another conflict taking place at this time, namely one between the Bishop and a friend of the aged canon Aleksander Sculteti. Both were interested in cartography - Sculteti was preparing a map of Livonia and took advice from an older friend from the chapter. While in Livonia (where he was a Dorpat canon) he had been under the influence of Lutheran preachers. Nevertheless, he did not give up his duties in the chapter, but he did also establish a permanent relationship with Miss Suchten from Gdańsk, whom he brought to Frombork. The Bishop may not have been as much appalled by the fact that Sculteti had sexual intercourse with a woman as by the fact that he officially resided with her in his see in Frombork. This conflict backfired on Copernicus. Sculteti ultimately did not succumb to the pressures of the Bishop, but converted to Lutheranism and married his life companion. It is also worth noting that Bishop Dantyszek, before becoming a priest, had been famous for his amorous disposition, and was later a caring father. He took care of his illegitimate daughter, born in faraway Spain, until she married a man proper to her background.
The astronomer remained under the attentive watch of the Bishop until the end of his days. Dantyszek admonished him personally twice - in September and October of 1538, then in January 1539. However, he did not stop at that. He wrote a letter to ask for intervention in this matter to the sick canon Felix Reich, and then to Tiedeman Giese who was Copernicus’ host in Lubawa in April and May, and then from June to September 1539. Whether the relationship between Anna Schilling and her relative was only a profound friendship or something else, remains a mystery.
Krzysztof Mikulski
Nicolaus Copernicus University
K. Mikulski, Nicolaus Copernicus. Life and work, Toruń 2009.
J. Repheck, Copernicus’ secret: how the scientfic revolution began, New York 2007.
J. Sikorski, Prywatne życie Mikołaja Kopernika, Olsztyn 1973.
J. Wasiutyński, Kopernik – twórca nowego nieba, Warszawa 1938.
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Joe Ingles represented South Australia in basketball at a young age and having been identified as a future star of the sport was awarded a scholarship at the AIS in 2005. He played in the 2005 Australian Youth Olympic Festival for Australia alongside Patrick Mills and debuted in the NBL for the Souths Dragons in 2006. Ingles made his first national team in 2007and would soon make his Olympic debut at the Beijing 2008 Games.
Following Beijing he headed to Spain where he lined up for CB Granada before moving to Barcelona. He was a starter for the Australian side at the 2010 World Championships. He went on to compete at his second Olympic competition at the London 2012 Games. With Australia losing their opening two preliminary matches to Brazil and Spain, they went on to defeat China, hosts Great Britain and Russia to set up a quarter-final match against the USA. The Australians went down 119-86 to the eventual gold medallists to finish seventh.
A season at Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel was followed by a move to the Utah Jazz in the NBA where he has played since 2014.
He returned to compete at his third Olympic Games in Rio 2016 where Australia went in search of a historic first Olympic men’s basketball medal. The Australian side began the competition with wins over medal contenders France and Serbia. A close loss to the USA was backed up by strong wins over China and Venezuela to see the side finish their group in second. They eased past Lithuania in the quarter-finals before going down to Serbia 87-61 in the semi-finals. The result set up a bronze medal clash with Spain which went down to the wire. Australia again missed a medal by the barest of margins as the Spanish scored two free throws with just over 5 seconds remaining to take the final position on the Rio podium.
Ingles averaged 7.8 points, 3.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds in just under 27 minutes a game in Rio.
Men's Basketball Wrap: Aussies depth almost reaps rewards
In a team of 12, everyone plays their part
Australia to play Serbia for gold medal match berth
Australia dominate Lithuania and shoot to semis
Goulding shines in fourth Aussie win
Ingles to rejoin team after twins' birth
Gaze tips Aussie men to contend for medal
Path to the podium: Men’s basketball
London 2012: Basketball
Aggressive gameplay and self belief key for Aussie basketball team
Basketball men aim for Rio gold
Ingles confident ahead of Rio qualifiers
One Year to Go Press Conference
Australia vs Brazil - Men's Basketball Day 2 London 2012
Bring on USA: Boomers
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Busch Gardens Williamsburg Howl-o-Scream 2011
Haunts, Immersive Experience Design
Nick and I took a trip to Williamsburg back in October to check out Busch Garden’s annual halloween festivities: Howl-o-Scream! At first glance, Halloween activities might not seem to have anything to do with mysteries or puzzles, but I think Halloween shares the same appealing spirit of adventure and intrigue. After all, it’s a night where everyone wears a disguise! And haunted houses are full of mystery (what’s around the next corner, and where will the next ghoul surprise me from?). There might not be any puzzles or mysteries to solve, but the atmosphere is definitely in the same family.
I had been wanting to check out Busch Gardens’ Halloween stuff for a long time, so I was super excited that we got to go this year. I was a little bit wary after we had a lackluster experience with the Halloween efforts at Six Flags Fiesta Texas last year, but BG turned out to be leaps and bounds better.
Howl-o-Scream consists of several different elements that transform Busch Gardens into a fun Halloween experience:
Theme and Decor: Creepy decorations and music all over the park, and all promotions for the park follow a central theme.
Shows: Halloween-themed shows and performances,
“Scare Zones”: Five different themed zones, set up in transition areas between park sections, where actors jump out and scare you
Haunted Houses: Five different haunted houses set up throughout the park
While the decor and shows were available the whole day, the Scare Zones and Haunted Houses began at 6:00pm. This gave visitors with small children the opportunity to enjoy the park for most of the day without the young ones getting too spooked. Although it meant we had to wait until evening to enjoy some of the Halloween stuff, I think the dramatic transition of the park to “spooky” time was definitely worth the wait. We tried to plan our eating and show schedule so that we would be ready to get in line for a haunted house before 6:00, but that didn’t quite work out. The line to eat at the Trappers Smokehouse was pretty long, and we lost track of time. (The wait was totally worth it though, it was the best theme park food I’ve had in a long time!) We were just finishing up our meal when we heard the buzz of chainsaws nearby. We checked the clock and it was 6:00, on-the-dot! As we started to make our way towards the nearest haunted house, fog machines turned on along the path and spooky music started to play. It was a magical transformation, and I was already having a great time!
Foggy in France. (Photo by rclatter)
Here’s my rundown on the four elements that made up Howl-o-Scream this year:
Theme and Decorations:
The theme this year was “The Dark Side of the Gardens,” which featured heavy imagery of garden hedges, big red roses (with eyeballs in the center), an evil-looking screaming lady, and a theme song sung by a little girl, inviting you to “Come play in my gardens.” They certainly got their money’s worth with that theme song. Between standing in line and taking a few train rides, I had the lyrics memorized pretty quickly (and I could still recite them now!). Luckily, the song wasn’t particularly annoying and fit very well with the subtle, haunting theme. I actually wished they had taken the garden theme a little bit further. It seemed like it was only used in the song, the promotional materials, and a few decorations. It’s a solid theme, and it seems like they could have taken advantage of it a bit more, maybe with something like a hedge maze or a Little Shop of Horrors type of botanical-themed area. In any case, it was cool to see a fresh theme in the sea of zombies (or the generic “gore” theme) that Halloween has become over the past few years.
We were both fairly impressed with the decorations overall, but we might have just been coming in with a low standard after our Six Flags experience. Where the Six Flags decorations seemed pretty lazy (throw some cobwebs here, put a weird statue there, whatever), the Busch Gardens decorations seemed to be more plentiful, and thoughtfully placed throughout the park. Dozens of ghosts were hung super high up in the trees in one area, another area had a huge troll statue for photo opportunities, and all the decorations in general seemed to have been put in effective and appropriate places. Busch Gardens has always been a beautiful (and beautifully-themed) park, and it’s nice to see that they bring that standard of quality to seasonal events as well.
We only saw one of the Halloween-themed shows, a music and dance performance called Fiends, held in the Das Festhaus in the Germany area. Fiends followed the story of a mad scientist and his many monstrous creations. Different classic monsters like vampires, mummies, and werewolves gave singing and dancing performances to punny pop tunes (for example, the werewolf soloist sang “Hungry Like the Wolf”). The set was great, and the show was entertaining enough, though we were both surprised at the racy costumes and dance moves of the scientist’s legion of sexy nurses. We even heard some parents near us expressing discomfort at how scantily clad they were.
This type of issue brings up an interesting dilemma. On the one hand, you might say “This is supposed to be a family park, how could they put on such an inappropriate performance?” On the other hand, it’s Halloween and the park decorations are all gruesome and gore (the circle of monsters displayed right outside Das Festhaus were particularly nasty), how is a sexy nurse any more offensive than blood and severed limbs? For some reason, our culture almost always considers sex to be much more obscene than violence.
Aside from worrying about the family next to me, I thought the show was pretty fun. The sexy nurses had great routines, they got to wear bubble-gum pink bobbed wigs, and they looked like they were having a ton of fun. And there was a little bit of equal-opportunity sexiness as the upper-half of Dracula’s costume was nothing more than a bare torso-revealing vest. The stage was well-decorated, and fog machines and laboratory sounds helped set the mood. The characters lines were a little hard to hear, and it was a little difficult to follow the story at times, but the musical performances were cute.
Scare Zones
There were five different “Scare Zones” set up in the transition areas between park sections. The themes were Widow Makers (lumberjacks vs. mutant spiders? Didn’t make it to this one), Grin and Scare it (creepy clowns), Unleashed (werewolves), Stitchin’ Time (bodysnatching/Frakensteining), and Scavengers (evil crows/scarecrows). We managed to make it to all of them except for Widow Makers, but auditory clues implied that chainsaws featured prominently.
All of the Scare Zones were pretty similar in format, just short 30-60 second walk-through decorated areas with lots of actors hiding behind things to jump out and scare you. The Scavengers actors had some pretty creepy bird masks and noisemakers, and the Unleashed section had some very well-camouflaged actors that got me even after I started looking out for them. The Grin and Scare It area was my least favorite. It’s not that I’m afraid of clowns, I just don’t like the way they get all up in your face as their primary scare tactic. It’s sort of like they’re saying “I’m a clown, aren’t I creepy? I bet I’m creeping you out right now!” when really they’re just making me feel awkward, because what do I do if I’m not scared? Just stare them down? More likely I turn away because I feel awkward, which reads as me being scared and uncomfortable, which means they get more up in my face! Clowns are confrontational and I am not!
I thought the Scare Zones helped add a lot of atmosphere to the whole event. It was fun to be walking around at night and hear the sounds of chainsaws and frightened people echoing through the air (maybe a little too fun?). It helped give a sense that exciting things were happening all around. It also gave a sense of anticipation just for traversing the park, which is a huge plus. And even though we had walked through the decorated areas several times during the day, they seemed so much different at night with the actors and the sounds and the darkness.
Now for the meat of the post! I was most looking forward to the Haunted Houses, and I think they’re definitely the feature that draws so many people into the park for Howl-o-Scream. I had heard that they close off admission in the evening because the park hits max capacity, and that people were waiting a whole hour to get into certain houses, so I was really hoping the crowds wouldn’t keep us from making it to all five houses. Still, I wasn’t prepared to pay any extra money to make that happen. All of the lines had some sort of quick pass system going on, and park attendants convinced a lot of the people in line near us to pay $5 and get in the quick pass line. No thanks!
The first haunted house on our path was Catacombs, located in the France area of the park and themed after the famous bone-lined Catacombs of Paris. The house was set up in the building that houses the stage for the Royal Palace Theatre. We got there at 6:04, and the line already seemed pretty long at first glance. That turned out to be an optical illusion, and we definitely didn’t wait for any more than 10 minutes. Our brief wait was made a little more interesting with some cool gothic statues they had placed along the way.
This first haunted house kind of set the tone for what we would experience for the rest of the night, as far as the structure of the haunted houses went: Walk a few feet, turn a corner, get spooked, repeat. No subtly here. In fact, when it was almost our turn to go in to the Catacombs, we could plainly see and hear that a ghoul spooks you pretty much the moment you step through the entrance. Only people who weren’t paying attention could have gotten spooked by that one!
The first half of the Catacombs house was almost pitch black, and you had to really follow the people in front of you to keep from running into something (though I did run into a few walls and corners). This reminded me a lot of the house we went through at Six Flags Fiesta Texas (that one was blackness almost the whole way. Talk about cost-saving measures!). I like this idea when used in moderation, and since they didn’t use it in any of the other haunted houses, it got my approval.
The second half of Catacombs brightened up a bit, and we could actually see some set design that resembled an underground catacombs, with arched ceilings and brick patterns. Very nice decorating here! The path also elevated a bit at this point (we all tripped when we reached the ramp), and ghouls would hit the path from below.
Overall, I’d say Catacombs had the weakest theme, which was basically “The French catacombs are a creepy place to be.” This house had the fewest decorations (or at least the fewest visible decorations), but the pitch-black first half helped make it unique from the other four.
Spraypaint + fabric = cool faux statue effect! (Photo by rclatter)
13: Your Number’s Up
Next on the route was 13: Your Number’s Up. This was where we encountered our first big line of the night, and it was truly large this time. This house was set up in kind of a hilly area of the park (I’m not sure what building it was set up inside of, I’m not super familiar with BG), so you ended up climbing this incline and then, from the top, looking out over this massive winding line. We had to stop and think for a minute before committing to that line for sure. Early in the line, we saw a lot of people take the $5 quick pass that the park attendant came by and offered. From a money-making standpoint, it was definitely in Busch Gardens’ best interest to make sure you could see the whole line before you got in it. They definitely weren’t taking the Disney World approach of distracting guests from the long lines here (though they probably wouldn’t even have the space/budget for that sort of thing, these being seasonal attractions placed in an already mostly full park).
Overall, we had about a 45 minute wait. Luckily, we had a pretty adorable family in front of us with two funny kids. They taught the youngest one “how to scream” for the haunted house. He seemed a little too young to be going through, and we were worried he was going to get scared and start crying, but instead he hilariously gave his high-pitched practiced “scream” right in the face of every actor he passed by! I bet he spooked other people more than he got spooked that night!
The theme for this house was phobias, with each of the 13 rooms dedicated to a different phobia. Signs set up along the line gave guests a primer on the phobias that would be covered, which was helpful. They were your typical phobias like darkness, bugs, dentists (nice use of waiting room muzak here), snakes, torture, etc. I don’t remember any of the rooms particularly standing out, and the themeing was pretty heavy-handed. Though the 13 phobias theme sounded interesting at first, it really boils down to “Here are a bunch of rooms with scary stuff in them”, which is what every haunted house is about. I thought the best room was the final phobia: death. “How will they represent death?” I wondered, cringing at the thought of a dude in a stereotypical grim reaper costume staring us down as we exited the house. To my delight, they did something really creative. When you got to the room, it was just two huge billowing walls of black trash bag plastic (with fans behind them I suppose), pushing out against each other. To progress, you had to sort of walk right in between them and be consumed by the walls and the darkness. It was kind of claustrophobic, a little artsy, and very cool. It was one of the most simple effects I saw the whole night, but it left a huge impact.
Other than that last part, I didn’t think 13 was anything special. It also suffered from a few flaws, namely There’s Too Much Damn Stuff Hanging From the Ceiling Syndrome. A few strategically placed snakes or streamers hanging from the ceiling in a dark room is great for a creepy effect. But I ended up being so focused on pushing these heavy rubber snakes and crap out of my way just to get through the room that I couldn’t be bothered to be spooked by the actors or pay attention to the rest of the themeing. I was annoyed, and annoyance is like a fear repellent. I can’t be scared of something if I’m MAD AT IT.
Another small issue I had with this house was in the marketing. Copy from the promotional material for this particular haunted house read: “For 13 long years, the dark tower was locked away from the world—existing only in the nightmares of those who had dared to experience Howl-O-Scream’s first and most terrifying maze.” It goes on to talk about how the tower is open now, and you should go to the 13th floor and get scared. Giving this a quick glance before our visit, I foolishly assumed that 13 was actually going to be a maze, which sounded awesome. I also heard someone else in line talking about the same thing, so I wasn’t the only one who made that mistake. What the copy was actually saying, I think, is that on the first year of Howl-o-Scream, 13 years ago, they had a totally sweet maze that had a dark tower in it. Now we get to go into that tower (but not the maze). It’s cool that they were trying to tie things back into the whole 13th anniversary thing, but I wonder how similar any of the elements of this house were to the one 13 years ago. Does anyone remember there being a maze 13 years ago? Did they really need to mention it? I think I’m just sore because there was no maze, and this wasn’t really a problem they could have foreseen. (Interestingly, in my research for this post, I came across a different website that referred to all of the HOS haunted houses as “mazes,” which is baffling to me. I think, by definition, a maze cannot be clearly linear (as in, only one path). And the haunted houses at Busch Gardens were nothing if not linear.)
Dead Line
I think Dead Line was my favorite house of the night. First of all, it was set up underneath the Escape from Pompeii ride. That ride already creeps me out (I have a slight phobia of machines in water, which includes, but is not limited to, water rides with moving parts and fire features), and it’s one of the best-decorated rides in the park, in my opinion. I love the ride, and I love seeing things behind the scenes, so I was pretty excited to get to go under that huge ruined temple facade.
The theme for this house was that construction on a new Pompeii Metro line met disaster when workers hit an ancient pipe. A strange gas began leaking out, and the in-progress subway was totally sealed-off, trapping the workers inside. All the trapped workers were presumably killed by the poisonous gas… OR WERE THEY? (Spoiler: They were not. They were turned into scary gas zombies) This ride had a promotional video playing near the line where they went over the story and the reason we were being sent underground with this dangerous gas. I can’t tell you why we were being sent underground. The line for this house was actually quite short, and we didn’t have a lot of time to get acquainted with the video. Or maybe I was just too busy staring at the ride’s raft-moving machinery under the eerily still water. In any case, this was the only house that had a video feature, and really the only one that had a story.
I really liked the theme for this one. The story and decorations were fairly unique as far as haunted houses go. The actors were all pretty much just zombies, but the settings were awesome. One area was an under-construction subway platform, with vending machines and newspaper stands and stuff like that scattered about. Then we went inside an actual subway car (or a very well-fabricated replica), cool! There was also a public bathroom-themed room, which was definitely something new and different! The creepiest room for me was some kind of power/control room, where there were exposed wires hanging from the ceiling, sparks flashing, and electrical buzzing sounds. For me, this room touched on a very real fear that we’re taught from the first time we try to stick a fork in an outlet as little kids. Live wires are scary! Electrocution is super scary! The exposed wires hanging down made me really uncomfortable, which none of the other houses really managed to do. Well done, Dead Line!
Dead Line also used an effect similar to the black trash-bags and fans used in the Death room of 13, but Dead Line used white trash bags instead. I think it was supposed to represent getting decontaminated from the gas or something?
Overall, strong theme, great sets and decor, fun story, awesome location, A++ would go through again. Also, the most brightly lit of all the houses, despite supposedly being underground. Not everything has to be dark to be scary!
Fear Fair
I wasn’t particularly looking forward to Fear Fair, due to my aforementioned distaste for clowns’ usual in-your-face scare tactics. Plus the line was super long. Though this house was last on my list, interest-wise, it turned out to be one of the more unique houses of the night. The theme basically turned out to be circus and freak show, which is more creative and interesting than straight-up clowns. They really stuck to this theme and did a good job with it, starting with the vintage-style freak show posters hanging up as you got closer to the entrance.
This was the only outdoor (well, partially-outdoor) house, and was set up in a grassy area behind the Roman Rapids (you could actually see part of it from the train!). Instead of traversing from room, to hallway, to room, to hallway like the other four houses, this house was set up as a series of small circus tents. The tents were separated by a short walk outside, which made this house feel a lot bigger and also helped the keep the specific themes feel distinct from tent to tent. Each tent was dedicated to a different “freak” in the show, or other circus attraction, with posters outside each tent to let you know what’s inside. Unfortunately, I can’t remember what most of the rooms were supposed to be. One was sort of bearded woman/hair themed, with long hanging from the ceiling and all over everything. Another room had a quite disturbing chicken theme, with feathers everywhere and a distinct chicken coop smell. Bleh! (But bonus points for being the only room in a haunted house that has ever engaged my sense of smell!) Some of the other rooms seemed to have more of a funhouse theme. One room was full of huge inflatable balls that guests had to get past, another had big heavy panels full of sand hanging from the ceiling that were difficult to get past as well. One room had a maze-like section that was pretty disorienting and fun. Most of the rooms had some spooking actors, and most of the transition spaces outside had them too, though the open layout made it pretty easy to see or anticipate most of their hiding places.
Great theme, okay rooms, a few creative ideas, and a unique layout. Not bad for what I thought was just going to be clowns in my face.
We almost didn’t go to Bitten. I had read on the park’s Facebook page that people had waited an hour to get in the night before. In hindsight, there was probably a certain time period where most of the houses had around an hour wait, not Bitten specifically for any reason. When we got in line, we heard an attendant say he thought it would be about a 45 minute wait. We had been in the park all day, and we were getting pretty tired, but we decided to stick it out. That line turned out to only be about 10 minutes, so that ended up being a good call.
Bitten was set up in, I think, the old operating area for the late Big Bad Wolf roller coaster in Germany, or some similar building nearby anyway. All we knew about Bitten was that it was supposed to be Vampire/gothic themed. The waiting area was sparse, just some strings and poles set up to make the line area and basically no other decorations other than wrought-iron gates at the entrance to the house (unless it was too dark to see any other decor). For atmosphere, they did have some big red flood lights (Bitten will always be “the red one” in my memory), and music. That music. I guess I wouldn’t really call it music. It was a track with one grandiose, dissonant chord being played by strings and horns, in slow repetition over and over again, in kind of a Jaws/Psycho sort of way. The chord stings would get louder and louder, more and more ominous and blaring, until they reached a peak. Then they would get a little quieter and start over again. It was an eternal climax, constant suspense and terror. I find that when you try to crank the emotional level of something up to 11, and then you just leave it at 11, the effect isn’t a constant emotional high, but a flatline. They may as well have had an airhorn blasting continuously.
Maybe the boring music was a preview for what was to come. I thought Bitten was by far the weakest of the five haunted houses. The theme here was not very strong at all. If I hadn’t known in advance that it was supposed to be vampires, I don’t think I would have been able to figure it out just by going through the house. Props to the designers for not filling it with stereotypical high-collared, widow’s-peaked Draculas, but it still left a lot to be desired. It did seem to have the gothic/aristocratic sort of decor and costumes, and looked like maybe it was set in a mansion or something, but the whole thing just seemed kind of disjointed and bland.
Bitten did have one unique feature used well near the end of the house: a hallway where the walkway was full of sand. At first, I was annoyed. My general reaction to sand in any setting is “I hope it doesn’t get in my shoes.” Then I felt impressed that they would put sand in their haunted house, knowing that people like me would find it annoying. And then I started noticing the effect the sand was having. It was hard to walk, in kind of a fun way. It also made me feel anxious, like if something scary started chasing me, I would have a hard time getting away quickly. A hallway full of sand made me feel a little scared. Simple, effective, and like the Death room in 13, it left a bigger impact than any spooky actors or severed limb props scattered about.
Overall, I had a great time at Howl-o-Scream and felt like I got my money’s worth. The decorations were great, the one show we saw was fine. The Scare Zones had some really creative themes, which impressed me since they could have just made them all extensions of their closest haunted houses and thought of five fewer ideas than they did (well, technically Grin and Scare it was circus themed). But there is always room for improvement, and my criticism falls most heavily on haunted houses. I hesitate to complain too much, since the entire Howl-o-Scream experience pretty much met or exceeded my expectations, and I know that the event already takes a huge amount of money and effort to coordinate as-is. But I don’t think there’s any harm in taking an analytic approach to some of its weaker points.
My biggest beef with the haunted houses was that all five of them followed the same basic structure. At their core, each house had the guests following the same pattern: Walk through a predetermined route, where you will see some decorations, and where you will have about a 30% chance of an actor jumping out at you approximately every 10-20 steps. The end. Having gone through all five houses, this formula became very repetitive and boring. If all the houses follow the same formula, that means their uniqueness relies on their theme and special features, which seemed to be hit or miss.
It is difficult to be too critical, though. A haunted house inside a theme park must have to deal with a lot of unusual obstacles and limitations. They have to work within a very limited and inflexible space, they have a strong incentive to get as many guests through as quickly as possible, and guest safety and comfort is the highest priority (not that it isn’t a priority for all haunted houses, but a large company like BG, with a reputation and investor interests to protect, might be less likely to try something new and interesting if there is any chance that a guest could have a bad experience. Another reason the sand in Bitten surprised me!). I’m not a theme park owner/operator, so I don’t know the challenges that type of venue presents and my ideas and suggestions may be impractical. For example, I might think something like making the train ride into a haunted attraction would be totally sweet, but there are probably a lot of reasons something like that wouldn’t work out (Guests who are actually using the train as a way to get around the park more easily might have to wait in a 45-minute line to do so!). And since the haunted houses are included in the price of park admission, the budget for the houses is probably fairly limited. The restraints discourage risks, innovation, subtlety, and interactivity, while they unfortunately encourage streamlining, efficiency, heavy-handedness, and repetition.
Taking all of that into consideration, I guess my only advice would be to try and push the creative limits of those restraints. If your haunts must follow the same basic formula, then the themes need to be really strong and well-executed with interesting, engaging rooms. Play on more subtle fears, like the sand hallway and the live-wire room. Distract your guests with their own thoughts to keep them from just anticipating the next scare. Try not to repeat too many tricks across the different houses (I’m looking at you, actor who is hiding behind a sliding panel in the wall that makes a loud sound when it opens). Get creative with lights and sounds. You don’t need an actor around every corner.
I always imagine (and this may or may not be true at all) that modern haunted houses are plagued with this problem where they feel like they have to be “scary.” And by “scary,” I mean the very juvenile definition where scary means extremely gross and gruesome and that dude jumped out at me and made my heart stop for a second. And so, I imagine that haunted house creators might think that if they don’t put a jumpy scare around every corner and don’t cover their actors in gory make-up and masks, then the kids who visit their haunted house will tell all their friends it was lame, and dumb, and, worst of all, “not scary.” And as the years go by, that standard of “scary” is going to get pushed more and more to the extreme, and the kids will get more and more jaded, and suddenly your haunted house is nothing but gross zombie monsters jumping out at people over and over and over again. It’s “scary” turned up to 11, it’s trying to throw “scary” in your face, and at a certain point, it ceases to be scary at all. Or interesting. Or even entertaining.
When I was in high school, I helped with a fundraising haunted house put on by my school’s Fine Arts department. The American remake of the Japanese horror movie, The Ring, had just come out, and I had dressed up as the creepy little girl, Samara, the previous Halloween. I decided to use that costume for my part in the haunted house. I volunteered to be in an area where I would be alone (I still don’t understand why I would do such a thing), and my area was at the end of a very long hallway. When guests rounded the corner of the hallway, they could see me standing at the end, with a red light behind me. As they started to make their way down the hall, I turned off the light and hid inside a room off the hallway. Meanwhile, the creepy background track from the Ring video was playing on a boombox nearby. Once the group got close to my room, I would emerge from behind the door, all that black hair in my face, and slowly lumber towards them. From some of the guests, I didn’t get much of a reaction. Just a “Hah, it’s that girl from The Ring, she’s acting creepy!” and they exited the hallway. But for others? They freaked. The hell. Out. I never made any quick movements, I never even made a sound, but it was like magnets repelling. One group of kids actually hid behind obstacles in the hallway that put me between them and the exit. I had to back off so they would feel comfortable enough to leave. And for any punks who liked to push or grab the actors, they got a nice surprise. I had covered my arms in vaseline and periodically sprayed down my hair and clothes with water, so I always had that fresh-from-the-bottom-of-the-well slick, wet feeling that you do not want to feel in a haunted house.
This was when I first learned the joy of scaring people, and though my example certainly isn’t the most subtle, I felt that I had done it in a way that seemed much more satisfying and lasting than just making them jump, or grossing them out with my monster face. All forms of “scariness” have their merits, but I feel like the more subtle methods that get under your skin and into your head are really underexplored in modern haunted houses.
So, in short, the haunted houses at Howl-o-Scream could have used more variety, but I can understand the restrictions that make this difficult. We made an effort to hit all five houses, but maybe the expectation is that you only end up making it to one or two, so it doesn’t matter if they’re all basically the same thing. Still, from a marketing standpoint, it’s wise to leave your guests feeling like that there was more they could have done and seen. Maybe even enough more that they’d be willing to come back tomorrow to see the rest. If I go back to Howl-o-Scream next year, I certainly won’t feel like I’ve missed out if I only make it to a couple of the houses since I now know they’re basically all the same.
spooky scary
2011 Post Hunt
My 3 Most Anticipated Puzzle/Mystery Games of 2012
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New international fund for protecting heritage in armed conflict areas
The creation of a US$100 million international fund to safeguard endangered cultural heritage in areas of armed conflict was one main outcome of this week’s Abu Dhabi Conference
Nevine El-Aref , Monday 12 Dec 2016
Delegates at Abu Dhabi Conference
On the initiative of French president François Hollande and Abu Dhabi crown prince sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed al-Nahyan, an International Conference for the Protection of Endangered Cultural Heritage in Armed Conflict Areas (ICPECHACA) was held late last week under the patronage of UNESCO in Abu Dhabi.
The two-day Conference brought together heads of state and ministers from over 40 countries affected by heritage loss due to armed conflicts, alongside key players involved in the field of heritage preservation, international public and private institutions, museums and private donors engaged in the field of cultural heritage, as well as experts working in the field.
After various speeches, commentaries and presentations, the Conference launched a Declaration on the Protection of Endangered Heritage that endorsed the creation of a new International Fund for the Protection of Heritage with an initial contribution by France of US$30 million and the objective to collect US$100 million in the future. It also recommended a follow-up conference in 2017 to help assess the implementation of the initiatives outlined in the Abu Dhabi Declaration.
According to a UNESCO press release, Hollande said that the “Fund will provide much-needed resources to protect heritage under attack and will be managed in close collaboration with UNESCO and respect UNESCO Cultural Conventions and international norms.”
“One year ago, we adopted the Paris Climate Agreement at the COP21 Conference for the preservation of our planet and for future generations. Today, we adopt this Abu Dhabi Declaration, with concrete measures and new tools to protect the legacy of our ancestors. This is a call to action, as there is no greater responsibility than that of building bridges between the past and the future of humanity,” Hollande said.
UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova said that “over recent years, we have built a new cultural landscape, a new approach for the protection of heritage as a key security issue. This initiative and the creation of this Fund break new ground. It sends a powerful signal of hope, and I see this as the starting point of something larger – a new commitment for culture, education and human dignity.”
Bokova highlighted UNESCO’s achievements in Mali and other countries as well as the importance of a coordinated approach for the safeguarding of heritage. She noted that the Conference would reinforce international efforts to prevent, to respond, and to rehabilitate heritage after destruction and was testimony to the power of culture to unite.
"The cultural cleansing we have seen in the Middle East has affected people everywhere, and UNESCO is fully mobilised, catalysing a global movement for heritage. Together, we are building a new cultural landscape, a new approach to protect culture for peace and security. The protection of heritage cannot be delinked from the protection of human life, and it cannot wait,” Bokova said.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed al-Nahyan recalled the importance of culture to building resilient societies at the Conference. “The world has a shared responsibility for protecting human cultural heritage,” he said, calling on participants to strengthen commitments against the illicit trafficking of cultural property, which was weakening identities and contributing to the financing of terrorism.
Among the participants at the Conference were Kuwaiti emir sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, Yemeni president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, Malian president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, prime minister of the Government of National Accord of Libya Fayez al-Sarraj, and the prime ministers of Senegal and Greece. Omani minister of foreign affairs Yousuf bin Alawi was among the attendees, as well as the Aga Khan, head of the Ismaili Muslims.
“I am personally very glad that finally the political players are giving enough attention to cultural heritage preservation,” Monica Hanna, a professor at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Cairo, told the Weekly, adding that it was good that France was spearheading such efforts.
She said she hoped more states would join with their expertise and local efforts, but pointed out that some may suspect the western interest in cultural heritage preservation efforts.
She added that many end-market countries in the heritage trade had ratified the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, but some had not agreed to all its articles, including Israel, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates. Qatar and Saudi Arabia had signed the Convention, she said, but their support had tended to be only on paper.
“The current Conventions and legislation are not enough to safeguard the cultural heritage, and the current laws in Europe and the US are much less severe on illegal antiquities dealing than they are on drugs, arms and human-trafficking,” Hanna said.
There should be prosecutions of antiquities dealers who trade in stolen heritage from the Middle East as well as private collectors. A main challenge was object-laundering, she said, in which objects are given falsified identities and auctioned off or sold to museums and private collectors.
Syria and Iraq have been badly hit by the illegal smuggling of antiquities, but so have Libya and Yemen, she said. She added that she had been asked by one woman in Yemen to talk about the country’s cultural heritage on the grounds that this could “reduce the current airstrikes.” “The view among the Arabs is that the West cares more about heritage than about Arab lives. This could cause negative attitudes towards cultural heritage,” Hanna said.
Hanna said that Reinhard Bernbeck of the Freie Universitat in Berlin had already argued that the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha statues by the Taliban in 2001 had been seen as sending a political message rather than being an act of hate against the cultural heritage. She argued that the scientific committee of the new Fund should consist of 90 per cent Arab heritage professionals from different Arab countries. There should be an involvement of the Arab Archaeologists Union and the Arab League.
“Western intervention should be limited to the transfer of expertise to Arab colleagues, such as training on protecting museums or archaeological sites in situations of armed conflict,” Hanna said. Other examples could be training local heritage professionals in state-of-the-art conservation, restoration and preservation work. Work could then be carried out by Arab professionals through proper community engagement and not by foreign missions.
Hanna suggested that part of the Fund created by the Abu Dhabi Declaration should be targeted towards training the police and army on illicit digging and illegal antiquities dealing with a proper exchange of information between Europe and the Arab countries.
“Now, information is mostly shared between the European countries, UNESCO and Interpol, without enough collaboration with the affected Arab states,” she said, adding that a clear risk map and priority list for intervention with stakeholders identified ahead of funds transfer needed to be put in place.
Greater awareness of the need to make heritage work accessible to Arab audiences was essential, Hanna said. She said that 95 per cent of such work in the past had been published in English, French and German, with only minimal work published in Arabic. The Arab audience could not appreciate something they did not know about, she said, and it was essential that more academic and other publications should be made available in Arabic.
“All this will not be achieved only with a Fund of this type. It will be achieved through political lobbying in the affected countries suffering from cultural heritage desecration,” Hanna asserted, explaining that greater efforts should be made in transferring knowledge and training and in framing clearer legislation and tougher penalties.
There was a need to work collaboratively with UNESCO member states on a similar footing, rather than reproducing the stereotype of orientalist western interest in the Orient, Hanna concluded.
This article was originally published in Al-Ahram Weekly Newspaper
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74 killed after rival jihadists clash in eastern Syria
Civilians accompanied by Free Syrian Army fighters gesture as they march during a protest against fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the Kadi Askar neighborhood of Aleppo. (File photo: Reuters)
AFP, Beirut Monday, 5 May 2014
Fighting between rival jihadist groups in eastern Syria killed 74 people on Monday, despite a call from al-Qaeda’s chief for a ceasefire, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The clashes between al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have prompted 60,000 people to flee towns in the oil-rich province.
The Observatory said 69 fighters on both sides had been killed in the clashes on Monday, along with five civilians.
The deaths bring to 150 the toll since the latest confrontation between the groups erupted last week in Deir Ezzor, bordering Iraq.
It comes after Islamist and moderate rebels eventually joined by al-Nusra launched an offensive against ISIS earlier this year.
While al-Nusra has been accepted as an ally by many rebels, ISIS has been criticized for its abuses of civilians and rival opposition groups.
The fighting with ISIS has killed around 4,000 people, according to the Britain-based Observatory.
The two jihadist groups have continued to clash despite a call from al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri for an end to hostilities.
In an audio recording released on Friday, Zawahiri urged al-Nusra to stop fighting ISIS and focus on battling the Syrian regime.
He also a repeated a call for ISIS to restrict its activities to Iraq, a plea that the group has rejected on several occasions.
In a response to Zawahiri’s call, al-Nusra said it would stop fighting ISIS if the group ended its attacks.
“We will follow the orders of... Ayman al-Zawahiri... to stop any attack from our side against ISIS, while continuing to respond whenever they attack Muslims and all that is sacred to them,” al-Nusra said in a statement.
“As soon as ISIS announces the end of its attacks on Muslims, we will spontaneously stop firing,” said the jihadist group, adding it had only fought ISIS in areas “where it was on the attack.”
Last Update: Tuesday, 6 May 2014 KSA 23:01 - GMT 20:01
AL-NUSRA FRONT
SYRIA JIHADISTS
SYRIAN CONFLICT
SYRIAN REBELS
60,000 flee inter-jihadist battle in east Syria
Around 60,000 people have fled towns in Deir Ezzor province of eastern Syria that have been the scene of fierce clashes ...
Video shows Syrian govt aircraft in rebel hands
Syrian opposition forces recently released rare footage allegedly showing the capture of a number of regime aircraft in ...
Malaysian police deny al-Qaeda links to MH370
Malaysian police on Sunday rejected a British report linking the missing Malaysian flight with al-Qaeda, describing it ...
Al-Qaeda sets conditions to stop battling ISIS
Syria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate on Sunday set its conditions to stop battling the rival Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ...
ISIS and al-Nusra Front clashed in eastern Syria despite a call from al-Qaeda’s chief for a ceasefire
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::: SiteMap
About CHU
CHU E-BOOK
Chung Hua University (CHU) was founded by a group of entrepreneurs who were ardent proponents of education in Hsinchu local areas with the mission to realize technological education, assist development of local industries and promote regional extension education. In response to government call to nurture higher professional talents for national development on the one hand, and to fulfill their grand wishes to feed back the society with whatever earned from it on the other, the entrepreneurs set up Chung Hua Polytechnic Institute, predecessor of CHU, in March 1990 before it started recruiting student in July. With joint efforts of Board of Directors, faculties, staffs and students, CHU was granted current name by Ministry of Education on August 1, 1997 due to its outstanding performance in education
Core Values, Visions, Positioning and Mission
We, Chung Hua University, are an outstanding educational institution with the mission of nurturing and shaping future leaders for the betterment of society. Our University, with all of its constituents, while celebrating its diversity, aims to strive in unity in pursuit of common goals in adherence to the follow guiding principles:
Core Values: We, the community, foster a spirit of Diligence, Integrity, Compassion, and Innovation.
Visions: We, the university, envision an institution reputed for its forward thinking and being exemplary throughout the Asia Pacific region.
Positioning: We, the organization, commit to providing our students with quality education, enhanced by our drive toward industry-university collaboration.
Mission : We, as one, aim to cultivate innovative and compassionate leaders and professionals for the purpose of betterment of their community, their country, and the world.
Features of CHU
CHU is the first university in the country that put into effect the universal education of innovation and creation. Students are required not only to study relative courses but also to complete practical projects so that their competitiveness in prospective career may be strengthened by stimulation of creative or innovative thinking. In addition, CHU is the only higher academic institution in Hsinchu and Miaoli counties with College of Architecture and Design as well as College of Tourism. Both colleges may facilitate the development of educational programs with respect to intelligent green buildings and tourism – two of the six key industries designated by government to support for national economic growth.
Character and Moral Education
CHU emphasizes five guidelines for student to cultivate in campus to make a holistic “sunshine youth” – strong and healthy body; sound personality; enthusiastic for knowledge and wisdom; service inclination; and artistic tastes. CHU encourages volunteer services by promoting one-department-to-serve-one-neighborhood project so that concept of community care may be developed among students. In addition, CHU had invited Dr. Chien Fu, ex-president of Control Yuan, to be honorary Dean of Chung Hua Residential College. The purpose of the residential college is to cultivate civil literacy of student by combining academic activities with residential environment. It is expected that student may learn through interactions within the residential college to develop individual integrity and potentials, to serve the community and to preserve the earth.
Landscape of CHU was designed in accordance with concept of ecological sustainability. Not only the campus looks like a beautiful garden, but also possesses convenient living function facilities such as restaurants, bookstore, library, cultural center, stadium, track & field, swimming pool and recreational center. Besides, e-education is easily accessible in campus for both faculties as well as students (e.g. e-classroom, e-campus, e-portfolio, wireless network, e-books and e-databases.)
The proximity of CHU to Hinchu Science Park, Industrial Technology Research Institute and a couple of industrial parks avail it to expand cooperative programs with industries near-by. The well-connected traffic network provides easy access to and from the university
With full support of Board of Directors, and joint efforts of faculties, staffs as well as students over past years, CHU has become a comprehensive university consisting of College of Engineering, College of Management, College of Architecture and Design, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Computer Sciences and Informatics, and College of Tourism. At present, three hundred faculties (with 82% of them assistant professors and above) as well as eighty-seven hundred students either teach or study in twenty-seven departments, four BA programs, sixteen MA programs, three Ph.D. programs, and seventeen on-the-job advanced study programs.
707, Sec.2, WuFu Rd., Hsinchu, Taiwan 30012, R.O.C.
Phone：03-5374281~5 Fax：03-5373771 Emergency Phone：03-5182111（Daytime）0972590728（Cell Phone）
Dormitory Phone：03-5376000，03-5375015
Copyright © 2013 Chung Hua University All Rights Reserved.
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Targeting Mr Average: Participation, gender equity and school sport partnerships
Flintoff, A (2008) Targeting Mr Average: Participation, gender equity and school sport partnerships. Sport, Education and Society, 13 (4). 393 - 411. ISSN 1357-3322 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13573320802445017
The School Sport Partnership Programme (SSPP) is one strand of the national strategy for physical education and school sport in England, the physical education and school sport Club Links Strategy (PESSCL). The SSPP aims to make links between school physical education (PE) and out of school sports participation, and has a particular remit to raise the participation levels of several identified under-represented groups, of which girls and young women are one. National evaluations of the SSPP show that it is beginning to have positive impacts on young people's activity levels by increasing the range and provision of extra curricular activities (Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), 2003, 2004, 2005; Loughborough Partnership, 2005, 2006). This paper contributes to the developing picture of the phased implementation of the programme by providing qualitative insights into the work of one school sport partnership with a particular focus on gender equity. The paper explores the ways in which gender equity issues have been explicitly addressed within the 'official texts' of the SSPP; how these have shifted over time and how teachers are responding to and making sense of these in their daily practice. Using participation observation, interview and questionnaire data, the paper explores how the coordinators are addressing the challenge of increasing the participation of girls and young women. The paper draws on Walby's (2000) conceptualisation of different kinds of feminist praxis to highlight the limitations of the coordinators' work. Two key themes from the data and their implications are addressed: the dominance of competitive sport practices and the PE professionals' views of targeting as a strategy for increasing the participation of under-represented groups. The paper concludes that coordinators work within an equality or difference discourse with little evidence of the transformative praxis needed for the programme to be truly inclusive. © 2008 Taylor & Francis.
Carnegie > Sport
https://doi.org/10.1080/13573320802445017
School sport; Gender; Girls; Equity; Physical education
A Flintoff
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Dancers' Biographies
2018-2019 Company Members
ARIA ROACHwas raised in Vermont and graduated summa cum laude from Virginia Commonwealth University with her BFA in Dance and Choreography. As an undergraduate, Aria spent a semester at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and received a 2015 VCUarts Dean’s International Study Grant to travel to Vienna, Austria. Following graduation, she joined The Yard as Artist Services Intern. Aria has performed works by Deganit Shemy, Martha Curtis, Autumn Waddell, Alison Manning, and Jesse Keller, and has presented her choreography at VCU Dance, Iona College, and The Yard. She is thrilled to perform as Guest Artist with Eva Dean Dance.
KATIE MONCEBAIZ is thrilled to return to the stage dancing with Eva Dean Dance! Ms. Moncebaiz has previously performed with EDD in The Fringe Festivals in Amsterdam, Prague, and Germany. She has also performed with EDD in Fringe Jr NYC and EDD’s site specific Peter Pan performance in Prospect Park. Since 2006, Katie has taught various dance and fitness classes to students of all ages throughout New England, and has performed with many local dance companies in Connecticut, Boston, and NYC. While living in Boston, Katie was voted one of Boston's Best Zumba Instructors. In addition to a love of dance and fitness, Katie is extremely passionate about arts education. Katie was in the inaugural cohort of the Lincoln Center Scholar Master's in Education candidate in the Arnhold Graduate Dance Education program at Hunter College. She graduated in 2016, Cum Laude. She currently teaches dance at a public elementary school in Brooklyn, NY.
KIRANA PETERS was born in Saint Paul, MN where her training began in ballet at Minnesota Dance Theater. She pursued a BFA in Dance and a BS in Psychology at the University of Minnesota. It was there she had the privilege of dancing works by Shapiro and Smith Dance Company. Kirana made the move to NYC to study at the Alvin Ailey School's Independent Study Program, and shortly after she jointed JT Lotus Dance Company. Kirana is excited to be working with Eva Dean and her dancers.
MANUELA SANCHEZ is a native New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn. She attended Talent Unlimited High School, Ballet Hispánico and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance during her training years. She also holds a BFA degree from Long Island University- Brooklyn Campus with a minor in Psychology. Ms. Sanchez has worked with several choreographers and companies including Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Amalgamate Dance Company, Eva Dean Dance, Christal Brown’s INSPIRIT, nathantriceRITUALS, Maverick Dance, MoveWorks and more. Most recently she worked with Augusto Soledade Brazzdance in Miami, FL as rehearsal director and company member from 2013-2017. She is currently an artist with Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, Inc. and a certified Pilates and Yoga instructor. Manuela continues to work as a freelance dance artist and fitness instructor throughout NYC, spreading her passion for movement with all people.
2018-2019 Guest Artists
FRANCES BARKER is a native of Lafayette, LA and graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a B.F.A. in Performing Arts with a concentration in Dance and Choreographic Design. She was also a recipient of the UL Lafayette College of the Arts Dean’s Scholarship and has also received scholarships to attend the American Dance Festival and Urban Bush Women Summer Leadership Institute. After graduation Ms. Barker began working as a freelance dancer, choreographer and instructor with various artists around the state of Louisiana such as Image Animee’, Movement Lab Dance Group and Clare Cook Dance Theater. As a dance educator she has served on the faculty of private dance studios and Ovey Comeaux High School in Lafayette, LA. Upon moving to New York City, she has worked with companies such as Vanessa Long Dance Company, Time Lapse Dance and Harambee Dance Company. Frances is excited to be performing with Eva Dean Dance for Liquid Silver: Sanctuary in Prospect Park.
KAREEM WOODS is a freelance graphic designer and contemporary hip hop dancer who specializes in improvisational work. In addition to being an Eva Dean Dance 2018 Guest Artist, Kareem is currently dancing with a company (Dancers Unlimited) and is actively seeking out more dance opportunities. To see more of his work or to reach out, Kareem can be contacted via Instagram (@andrekwoods).
RICHARD SCANDOLA joined the Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble in 2012. He is a native of southern France where he performed with Les Ballets des Alpes Maritimes, Horizons, and Corps Accord. Richard moved to New York City to study in the Cunningham Summer intensive and in Limón Institute PSP program, where he discovered a special affinity with this technique and met Jim May who became his mentor. He soon became one of the dancer of the Sokolow Ensemble. He has since worked with Barkin/Selissen Project, Brice Mousset OUI Danse, HT Chen Dance and Dancers, Valerie Green Dance Entropy, Shadow Box Theatre as co-director for the show “ The Earth and Me”, dancer and puppeteer. Richard kindles his passions for photography and spiritual healing by offering treatment and inspiration to others. He’s currently working on different dance projects and creating his unique performance style.
You are here: Home About EDD Bios Dancer's Bios
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What You Lose When You Lose Your Job: The Lasting Impacts of Unemployment
Lecture | March 1 | 4-6 p.m. | 2521 Channing Way (Inst. for Res. on Labor & Employment)
Speaker: Jennie Brand, Professor of Sociology, UCLA
Panelist/Discussant: Danny Yagan, Professor of Economics, UC Berkeley
Speaker/Performer: Sandra Smith, Director, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment
Sponsors: Institute of Research on Labor & Employment, Center for the Study of Law and Society, Department of Economics, Berkeley Population Center
As the US economy improves, the unemployment rate continues to fall. But job loss has far-reaching and long-lasting consequences, and many Americans are still dealing with the economic, social, and psychological effects of layoffs. Professor Brand will explore the complex ways that the shock of job loss impacts workers career achievement, economic outcomes, and wellbeing, and how these effects reverberate in their families and communities.
The discussion will be moderated by Danny Yagan of the UC Berkeley Economics Department and Sandra Smith of IRLE.
Please register to secure your spot.
Thursday, March 1, 4:00 pm
2521 Channing Way
Please join us for a reception after the talk.
Jennie E. Brand is a professor of sociology and statistics at University of California, Los Angeles. She studies social stratification, with a focus on job loss and access to higher education. She is currently working on a book, The College Counterfactual, on the role community colleges play in social stratification.
Danny Yagan is an assistant professor of economics at UC Berkeley. He is an applied micro economist studying topics of macroeconomic importance: taxes and investment, employment hysteresis from the Great Recession, and income distribution and mobility.
Sandra Smith is Interim Director of IRLE for the 2017-2018 academic year. Her research focuses on questions of urban poverty and joblessness, social capital and social networks, racial inequality, and trust. She is also a professor of sociology at UC Berkeley, and is working on a book entitled Want, Need, Fit: Cultural Logics of Job-Matching Assistance.
RSVP recommended
RSVP info: RSVP online
Event contact: charlotterutty@berkeley.edu
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Richard Pryor's America
[This essay appears in the new box set No Pryor Restraint: Life in Concert]
It is not uncommon in this rapidly expansive digital age, with so many media outlets available, for some would-be entertainer to emerge on the scene demanding their Warhol time. Fifteen minutes is about all they get though, as their fleeting flirtation with fame passes before the blink of a blood-shot eye. Famous for being famous has unfortunately become a reality these days. The type of fame that once emerged as a result of impeccable skills mixed with sweat equity often seems to be a relic of a bygone era now. There are no shortcuts to greatness however. This desired destination is only reached after putting in much work. One hit wonders need not apply. It takes years for this. Dues must be paid.
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor’s tenure as a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer, and unabashed American icon stretches from the 1960s to his death in 2005. The 60s were his formative years, while the 80s represented his ascent to movie star status in Hollywood. Yet the 70s were his decade. He owned it. Having absorbed the lessons of the 60s, while cashing in on his hard work during the 80s, it was in the 70s that he made his most lasting mark.
The 1970s were a magical time in the history of American popular culture. In the decade set between the counter-cultural 1960s and the newly conservative 1980s, the 70s offered a decade of free spirited expression unrivaled in modern times. Central to this vibrant decade was the emergence of a new black cultural style motivated by the shifting social and political currents in this enlightened era immediately following the heyday of the Civil Rights movement.
In the last days of the dominance of the three major broadcast networks, television ratings were ruled by black situation comedies like Sanford and Son, Good Times, and The Jeffersons. The mini-series Roots inserted the problematic racial history of slavery and American society into the prime time mainstream when it premièred in 1977. In music, stalwarts like James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, and Stevie Wonder created sounds rooted in both the black church and the black protest tradition, while expanding the American musical palette in ways both profound and proficient. This sense of genius would be equally matched in the sporting arena, as a transcendent athlete like Muhammad Ali set about changing the game. Following on the heels of Melvin Van Peebles’ black power classic Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971) Hollywood embarked on an era that would come to be known as “Blaxploitation,” where the sights and sounds of the streets represented gritty urban fare previously absent on the vaunted silver screen.
Black entertainers and performers had emerged from the ash heap of a segregated racial past to command attention on the main stage of American life in the 1970s. The demands of a newly liberated populace would not be suppressed. Blackness was on the march and authenticity was its theme. As the dust settled and the clouds moved away a new voice could be heard in the distance. That voice would grow louder and louder. No longer exiled in the foreign land of unspoken black frustration, that voice had moved from margin to center. The voice in question belonged to none other than the great Richard Pryor.
Pryor’s live performances and his stand-up comedy albums, catalogued in this collection, along with his numerous film and television appearances define his creative output during this time. But it was the brilliantly provocative and outspoken albums that functioned more like graduate seminars of the streets, providing us with the foundation upon which all else would be built. Representing the best of the oral tradition, Pryor used the comedy stage as both a bully pulpit and a chopping block. Nothing was sacred, nothing deemed off limits. Pryor scrutinized his own personal shortcomings as much as he dissected the racial hypocrisy that had defined this nation for so long. If it is true that the same things that make you laugh will make you cry then Pryor’s comedy turned tears into unmitigated hilarity. Things once considered infuriating now prompted belly laughs. Topics that had previously only been spoken of in private were suddenly circulating in an open forum.
When Richard Pryor emerged in the 1960s, moving from a series of low budget industrial Midwestern gigs to New York’s celebrated Café Wha? he was a joker, not yet a comedian. Trying to find his own voice, he, for a time, opted to use Bill Cosby’s instead. But one can only imitate someone else for so long before the appropriation becomes a burden. Cosby’s college-educated humor was certainly helpful in integrating both the comedy stage and the television dial, but Cosby’s user friendly approach would not work for Pryor. Though Cosby was knocking down previously segregated doors with rapid precision, Pryor couldn’t yet walk through these doors because he was still wearing Cosby’s ill-fitting hand-me-downs while trying to attend what was in essence a formal gathering. Pryor simply needed more schooling.
When Pryor arrived in Berkeley, the Mecca of the counter-culture in the late 60s, he was there to get his degree, but his degree would not come from the University of California, instead it would be conferred by the academy of the underground. Mingling amongst the creative and intellectual black vanguard of the Bay Area, Pryor, counting Black Panther Party leader Huey P. Newton among his new friends, immersed himself in the speeches of Malcolm X, with Marvin Gaye’s colossal What’s Going On serving as his soundtrack.
Evidence of Pryor’s coming to consciousness during this time can be heard in a previously unreleased radio interview that originally aired on Berkeley’s KPFA/KPFB in 1971, now available in this collection. Sounding especially somber, and particularly disturbed by the infamous murder of black prisoners at the hands of the state in Attica, Pryor begins the interview by saying that it’s really “hard to be funny” in the aftermath of such a notorious event and concludes that what happened at Attica “ain’t cool.”
There is nothing funny about what he’s saying though. It’s actually quite real. Pryor’s own frustration with American racial politics can be heard loud and clear, without a laugh track in site. In the parlance of the 70s, Pryor here is as serious as a heart attack. The deep conviction that can be detected in Pryor’s voice speaks to the transition that he had undergone while contemplating life in Berkeley. When he emerged from this self-imposed exile, he was a new man. He had discovered gold underneath the trash. The old imitator of Cosby had been laid to rest. In his place the newly discovered Richard Pryor would emerge.
Pryor’s sojourn in Berkeley had revealed to him that his best assets lie in his own colorful upbringing. The voices inside Richard’s head were the ghosts of ghettoes past. The comedian went to the dark side of American life so as to introduce the nation to the long lost underground characters who populated the nefarious confines of a Dickensian urban environment seldom seen by the outside world. The brothels, juke joints, street corners, dope dens, and the jailhouses that had defined Richard’s own life became familiar landmarks in his newly energized comedy. Pimps, winos, and dope fiends now had a voice. Serving as their agent, Richard was going to make sure that everyone heard what these people had to say.
Take for example, Pryor’s detailed description of “the backroom where the Negroes shoot craps,” on “Crap Game,” included here, which originally appeared on Craps (After Hours). Complete with sound effects, Pryor describes the motley crew that inhabits this colorful underworld space; the old man who observes the crap game but never bets, two white “hillbillies” trying to acquire the services of black prostitutes, Big Black Bertha with her 280-pound “sculptured ass”, the Uncle Tom ebony and awkward ivory cop tandem looking for the elusive Jesse, Raymond who “ain’t seen nobody since 1922,” and the aptly titled Cool Breeze, who needs his money “like a hog needs slop.”
Not only did Pryor bring a new class of ghetto inhabitants to the party with him, but he brought their unique take on language to bear as well. Pryor worked with the precision of a linguist when he articulated the sounds of the urban streets. His liberal deployment of what by the time of the OJ Simpson trial in the 90s would be known as the “n word” provoked some, while embarrassing others. Yet Richard was not simply in search of shock value, he was using the word “nigger” like a surgeon wielding a scalpel as he went about dissecting the rhetorical heritage of a nation’s ugly racial past, while demonstrating the liberating properties of unfettered free speech in the process.
Prior to Pryor, the “nigger” was a passive, helpless victim of white verbal abuse. Pryor would turn this hapless victim of racism into an empowered representation of a newly defiant black urban identity, an identity that merged an aggressive disdain for bullshit with an impassioned performance of enlightened indifference. In the process, he had transformed the “nigger” into a “nigga;” though it would take a new generation of rappers to fully recognize what Pryor had unearthed in his groundbreaking urban research. It is this reconsideration of a word like nigga by the hip hop generation that truly demonstrates Pryor’s lasting influence. The impact had moved from one generation to the next, here offering evidence of Pryor’s profound cultural contribution long after he had initially made his presence felt.
In the 1970s people were experimenting with a range of new social freedoms, previously denied them. In the age of Deep Throat (1972), Plato’s Retreat, and suburban key parties like those portrayed in Rick Moody’s The Ice Storm, Pryor’s open and frank discussions about sex provided an X-rated voice-over commentary that was directly in line with the mood of the times. In the decade after the introduction of the birth control pill and in the lead up to and aftermath of the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, Pryor’s comically explicit reflections on his own wildly abundant sex life helped solidify that the personal was indeed political. With Pryor nothing was off limits, no matter how embarrassing. The awkwardness of personal intimacy co-existed alongside the at times sheer absurdity of it. Again, Pryor put words to a topic that was challenging this Puritanical society at its very core.
Another social taboo that Pryor tackled in his 70s comedy involved dissecting his own prodigious drug use. This emerged at a time when Richard Nixon was declaring a so-called “war on drugs” that lingers on to this day. As underworld drugs stared to flood the urban landscape and as many Vietnam vets returned home with their own debilitating drug habits, Pryor wore his drug usage like a badge of honor. It was his choice to get high and he wanted the world to know that this was an act of liberty not to be confused with an uncontrollable addiction. Pryor had the money and access to “cop” as much dope as he wanted, choosing to live in the nether world where being high was the password for admittance to this secret society. Yet he willingly talked about his penchant for an elevated mind state in spite of the destruction that such activities could have on one’s life. In this regard, Pryor was like Charlie Parker and Billie Holliday, before him, indulging in a sort of method acting performance that offered equals parts creative genius and self-destructive tendencies. Burning the candle at both ends allowed Pryor a unique vantage point from which to observe and comment on a picture of America that was not always pretty to look at. The greatest performers often give as much of themselves as they do their art. Pryor was no different in this regard. He got high on cocaine, while his listeners in turn got high on him.
There was something radical about Pryor’s very being during this time. In an era when black people were supposed to be transitioning into the mainstream, as demonstrated by the numerous first-time black mayors who were being elected in major cities during the 70s, Richard took it back to the streets. Pryor embraced the streets over politics and the pulpit, though his mocking renditions of the black preacher still prompt uncontrollable laughter. Standing a healthy distance from the masses, observing the action through a mind-altered scope, Pryor was able to speak truth to power through his embodiment of this indifferent street persona. He gave life to the clandestine locales exclusive to those to prefer the darkness of night to the light of day.
Yet as Pryor introduced America to the ghetto streets his own success in the entertainment industry began to challenge his connections to these very roots. Pryor had survived life in the nation’s underbelly. The question had become whether or not he would survive the roller coaster ride of success in white America that his incredible comedic skills had afforded him. Making it out of the ghetto was one thing. Surviving the unexpected drama of fame was another thing entirely. The man who had risen to the top by deconstructing America, now had to exist in the America that he had deconstructed.
Pryor’s mantra through all of this is best summed up on a track in this collection entitled “I Don’t Give a Fuck.” Echoing the sentiment embedded in his friend Miles Davis’ classic “So What,” Pryor relishes having come to a point in his life where the anger he once felt so deeply had been replaced by evolved feelings of extreme indifference. The reality is however that Pryor never really “gave a fuck,” as it were. It was his indifference to the dictates of the status quo that had always made him so important. If he had given a fuck, in his life and in his work, then he certainly would not have been as funny nor as revolutionary as he turned out to be. As an audience we would have all been deprived of his ability to channel that anger into conscious reflective comedy. Thank you for the sacrifice Richard.
The material contained in this box set covers the breadth and depth of Pryor’s illustrious career as a stand-up comedian. The collected comedy is representative of an entire body of work. This is no one hit wonder we’re talking about. The opportunity to accumulate a body of work was certainly not a given for a black man when Pryor started out in the entertainment industry. In many ways the very existence of the material assembled here demonstrates his massive success. Richard Pryor was a major American artist and the voluminous nature of this material implies just that.
In studying a career worth of work, one gets the opportunity to experience a long journey, one that stretches from obscurity to superstardom. Noticing the developments along the way can provide as much fulfillment as reaching the destination. One gets to listen to the ideas as they take shape, the characters as they develop, and the bits as they become perfected over time. This box set represents what one might call “The Richard Pryor Experience.” One should indulge this experience to the fullest, as it is a uniquely American experience. Thanks to the numerous changes that have reshaped American since Richard first emerged on the scene one shouldn’t expect such an experience to unfurl again. Richard was an American original and originals are of course one of a kind.
Posted by Dr. Todd Boyd at 3:17 PM No comments: Links to this post
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Valore:Recorded in many forms including Caffin, Coffin, Caffyn, Chafen and Chaffin, this interesting name is English. It is however a Norman French introduction, after the 1066 Invasion, and is a medieval descriptive nickname. The original development is from 'calrus' - a latin word meaning, 'bald', through the later French, 'chauf' plus the diminutive ending '-in' - a short form of kin. This gives a meaning 'The son of the Bald One'. The name development has included: Henry Coffyn of Somerset in the year 1273, Richard Caffyn in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex for 1327, and later Thomas Chafyn, in the Register of Oxford University in 1505. In 1788 Thomas Coffin married Agatha Waterman at St George's Chapel, Hanover Square, London, whilst in 1794 John Caffin and Isabella Blandell, were married at the same place. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Richard Chaufin. This was dated 1273, in the 'Hundred Rolls' of the city of Nottingham, during the reign of King Edward 1st of England, 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to 'develop' often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
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← 1) mAb (BD Biosciences) Two hundred micrograms of
Methods: We examined urinary level of PCX, podocyte numbers in gl →
Given that IL17A+IFN-γ+
double-positive population has an
double-positive population has an important effect on pathogenesis, the crucial Pirfenidone mouse role of IL-23 in autoimmunity can be understood. Since under our experimental conditions, the Th17 cells were differentiated in the presence of IL-23, the expression of Rorc mRNA was reduced in one-round differentiated Th17 cells in the absence of polarizing cytokines. But as early as 18 h following restimulation, the expression level of RORγt protein was similar in the presence or absence of the polarizing cytokines, yet its binding activity at the Il17a promoter was decreased significantly. Therefore, the regulation of the recruitment of RORγt preceded the decline in its expression and might be an early step for Il17a silencing. The subsequent silencing of Rorc probably establishes the quiescent status of the Th17 phenotype. The interrelation between the lineage specifying transcription factors and the generally expressed epigenetic regulators as the PcG proteins in the maintenance of the Th-transcriptional programs, and the way the polarizing cytokine regulate
the association of these factors with key genes should be further studied. Female BALB/c mice were purchased from Harlan Everolimus cell line Biotech (Israel) and maintained under pathogen-free conditions in the animal facility of the Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The studies have been reviewed and approved by the Inspection Committee on the Constitution of the Animal Experimentation at the Technion (IL-108-09-10). CD4+ T cells were purified from the spleen and lymph nodes of 3- to 4-wk-old mice with magnetic beads (Dynal). For Th differentiation, the cells were stimulated with 1 μg/mL anti-CD3ε (145.2C11, hybridoma supernatant) and 1 μg/mL anti-CD28 (37.51, BioLegend) in a flask coated with 0.3 mg/mL goat anti-hamster antibodies (ICN) as described 66. Th1 and Th2 differentiation was performed as Pregnenolone described 66. For Th17 differentiation, the cells were stimulated in the presence of 10 ng/mL IL-6 (Prospec), 10 ng/mL IL-23 (R&D Systems), 5 ng/mL
TGF-β (Peprotech), 10 μg/mL purified anti-IL-4 antibodies, 10 μg/mL purified anti-IFN-γ antibodies and 10 μg/mL purified anti-IL-12 antibodies. After 2 days, the medium was expanded (fourfold) in the absence of anti-TCR or anti-CD28 antibodies, but in the continued presence of cytokines and other antibodies, which included 12 U/mL IL-2 for Th1 and Th2 only. The medium was then expanded every other day. After 6 days, the cells were left unstimulated or were restimulated with either PMA (15 nM) and ionomycin (0.75 μM) or with anti-CD3ε and anti-CD28 antibodies. When indicated, 1 μM CsA was added 0.5 h before stimulation. The ChIP analysis was carried out as previously described 66. Quantitative PCR was performed using Absolute Blue SYBR-Green ROX mix (Thermo Scientific, ABgene), according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and a Corbett Rotor gene 6000 (Qiagen).
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You are here: Home / The Blog / Unpacking the Political Crisis in Egypt: its Implications for Israel and the West
Unpacking the Political Crisis in Egypt: its Implications for Israel and the West
February 1, 2011 By eJP
by Steven Windmueller, Ph.D.
The current Egyptian crisis at best creates a heightened level of uncertainty for Israel and at its worse a fundamental reordering of the power structure of the region. Clearly there is little that the Jewish state can or ought to do at this moment. But for Israel to now possibly face a destabilized Egypt on its flank will not be a comforting notion. But far more problematic would be reordering of the power base in Cairo with the emergence of an array of forces that may well reject the current state of relations with the Jewish State in favor of aligning the Arab World’s largest country with those forces who are committed to the destruction of Israel.
The focus of mob anger and the character of the demonstrations reflect a series of internal messages to the respective governments about economic and social policies and with regard to political access and representation. These grassroots expressions are not about the Arab-Israel conflict. For those who tie the politics of the Middle East exclusively to the policies of the State of Israel, these national expressions in support of democratic ideals refute such a scenario.
But the strategic concerns as a result of these events are clearly not limited to Jerusalem. Across the region Arab leaders are watching with grave concern. The “traditionalist” camp within the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Jordan and Morocco, ought to be extremely worried about the chain of events unfolding in Cairo. The real possibilities for revolutionary change may well not be limited to Tunisia or to Egypt. To maintain the status quo will seem much more problematic for these regimes, and the fall-out for Western interests could be far reaching and potentially challenging as there is the possibility for a significant shift in the region’s balance of power. Should radical regime change occur, these current friends of the United States could abruptly disconnect or alter their relationships with Washington.
The “rejectionist” front led by Iran and supported by Syria and its allies, Hezbollah and Hamas, see the potential here to redefine the power balance in the region. Radical Islamic forces are quick to understand that the “Arab Street” can serve as the organizing grounds for promoting a restructuring of those forces aligned against Israel and the West. The unfolding discontent may well have its consequences in the West Bank as well. Inspired by the scenes in Cairo, Amman, and Tunis, and encouraged by Hamas supporters, Palestinians may elect to opt for a different course by rejecting the Palestinian Authority. At the same moment, this revolutionary enthusiasm may result in a more rapid movement to achieve statehood for the Palestinians.
In the power vacuum that may emerge in Egypt and elsewhere, parties such as the Muslim Brotherhood, may be able to mobilize public support in the absence of a unified coalition of opposition parties. Such a development would represent a major challenge both to Washington and to Jerusalem, where a new Islamic coalition could forge its presence as the major power broker. Other forces including Al Qaeda will seek to take advantage of a weakened central government in Cairo as a way of forging their agenda and influence.
Foreign Offices in European capitals along with the State Department seem to be taken by surprise surrounding these events and even at this hour are struggling to find ways to embrace the regimes in power while encouraging efforts to promote greater democracy; on the one hand Western governments are expressing their desire to ensure stability while on the other recognizing the need for governmental reform throughout the region.
For the United States and for Israel, the implications of the change of political balance could be significant, possibly undermining any effort to secure agreements between Israel and Palestinians and unraveling the security arrangements brokered by Washington that have created a framework for stability within the region covering the past forty years. It is now conceivable that Israel will find itself surrounded as it did in 1948 by a ring of nation-states committed to its destruction.
Whatever may lie ahead, the Middle East tomorrow will be most certainly a different political playing field than it has been over the past half century. These potential developments will fundamentally recast American global interests and in turn, redefine Jewish philanthropic and political priorities.
Steven Windmueller, Ph.D. is the Rabbi Alfred Gottschalk Emeritus Professor at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. Dr. Windmueller has written extensively on foreign affairs and Jewish communal issues. He holds a doctorate in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania.
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FedUp says
Washington and Israel are one and the same. Why do you think the administration doesn’t pick a side? As strange as it appears, Mubarak and Netanyahu are best buds. The US won’t side with the Muslim Brotherhood, for fear of alienating the Jews. Be done with it already. Let Israel stand or fall on their own, they are an aggravating piece of sand in the oyster; misplaced in a region in which they are not welcome, but allowed to stay, and continue to disrupt, with the full backing of the US. If the US pulled support to Israel, they’d be gone in a heartbeat.
To FedUp,
The friendship between Mubarak and Netanyahu is based on a mutual fear over Iran’s strengthening and the rising power of Islamists. Best buds? Where did you come up with that?
Also, “Let Israel stand or fall on their own, they are an aggravating piece of sand in the oyster; misplaced in a region in which they are not welcome, but allowed to stay”, What? Allowed to stay? Read up on your history.
“If the US pulled support to Israel, they’d be gone in a heartbeat.” Again, what? The United States is not the only Country that backs Israel or is neutral to Israel. Example, France, Germany, UK, India,Turkey, Jordan, etc…
Here is a little bit of history taken from state.gov:
On May 14, 1948, soon after the British quit Palestine, the State of Israel was proclaimed and was immediately invaded by armies from neighboring Arab states, which rejected the UN partition plan. This conflict, Israel’s War of Independence, was concluded by armistice agreements between Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria in 1949 and resulted in a 50% increase in Israeli territory.
A little more education for you fro newsflavor.com:
If the root cause of the conflict is the Israeli “occupation”, how do you explain that the conflict was there before the “occupation”? How do you explain that the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] was established in 1964, three years before the 1967 Six day war? How is it that the terrorism, wars and bloodshed of the conflict was there before the “occupation”? How was the terrorism there before the conflict? Why does the terrorism increase when Israel leaves the territories, like during the Oslo period from 1995-1996, which got the “hardline” Benjamin Netnayahu elected as Prime Minister on the basis that he can bring security? How is it that after Israel left Gaza, rocket attacks on Israel increased and Gaza became a terrorist base? How is it that in 2007, Hamas captured the Gaza strip? Could it be that the root cause of the conflict is not the “occupation”, but the refusal to recognize the existence of the Jewish State?
FedUp, Israel is not going anywhere. Support will remain intact.
Imagine what would happen if there was no Israel? You believe that terrorism would decrease? You truly want the Hamas to be in charge?
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Famous Speech Friday: Anita Hill's Senate testimony about Clarence Thomas
Twenty years ago this month, Anita Hill, then a 35-year-old law professor, appeared before a Senate committee considering the confirmation of nominee Clarence Thomas as a U.S. Supreme Court justice and ignited a firestorm that still smolders today: She accused the nominee of sexual harrassment in formal testimony, describing situations in which they worked together while Thomas headed the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the very government body intended to work against workplace harrassment and discrimination.
The hearing was highly charged from the outset. It was an unusual second confirmation hearing, forced by news reports about the allegations, which had been ignored by the committee in its first review of Thomas. Carried live by major television networks all over the world, the hearings brought sexual harrassment issues out into the open as never before.
Early in her testimony, she introduced not just the start of the harrassment, but the difficulty she experienced in speaking about it:
After approximately 3 months of working there, he asked me to go out socially with him. What happened next and telling the world about it are the two most difficult things, experiences of my life. It is only after a great deal of agonizing consideration and a number of sleepless nights that I am able to talk of these unpleasant matters to anyone but my close friends.
Speaking about the issue came up again at the end of her opening statement as well:
It would have been more comfortable to remain silent. It took no initiative to inform anyone. I took no initiative to inform anyone. But when I was asked by a representative of this committee to report my experience I felt that I had to tell the truth. I could not keep silent.
Anita Hill's statement and testimony brought a new women's topic out in the open and put it on the table, with lasting impact. NPR notes that EEOC sexual harrassment cases climbed in the years following the hearing, and that more women ran for and were elected to the Senate than ever, prompted by the frank discussion of a common but underground problem:
Before the hearings, women didn't talk about their harassment experiences. Often, they were embarrassed and blamed themselves, says Ruth Mandel, director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics' Center for American Women and Politics. There "was a beast out there," Mandel says. "But it was invisible and it hadn't been named." According to University of Colorado Law Professor Melissa Hart, "the hearings certainly brought this issue into the public eye, and people started being willing to say, 'This happened to me.'"
The backlash against her began almost immediately. Thomas called the testimony and the hearing a "high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves," and the committee chair, then-Senator Joe Biden, chose not to call witnesses to appear who might corroborate Hill's account. Here's what you can learn from this famous statement:
Difficult topics make the most powerful content: As I note in my essay on finding your voice as a speaker, you'll have especially compelling and riveting content if you can bring yourself to speak about the topics you find most difficult to discuss. This testimony proves that tenet. Hill's testimony riveted television viewers and spurred intense debate and discussion, particularly because sexual harrassment is so often not discussed publicly--something on which harrassers rely.
Sharing your difficulty in speaking can be important to your credibility, especially for women: While I often coach nervous speakers to avoid sharing their nervousness with the audience, in this case, Hill needed to establish her credibility and her motive in coming forward, in order to connect with not only the committee, but the audience watching on television. Mentioning that she did not seek to testify but was asked to do so, that she found it difficult and painful, and that she had not even informed anyone officially all helped answer questions that would otherwise have immediately been raised. Even with these points made, the backlash against her accusations was swift and angry in many quarters.
Simple language is best to convey complex issues: Hill is a learned and accomplished attorney, but this testimony is notable in the simplicity of its language--a quality that helped her frame the issue and the episodes she wanted to describe clearly, leaving no room for confusion.
Thomas was confirmed and serves today on the court; Hill is now a professor of social policy, law and women's studies at Brandeis University. You can see the transcript of Anita Hill's famous testimony here, and read an interview from last month in which she reflects on the testimony and what followed. I've included the video of her opening statement below. What do you think of this famous speech? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Labels: famous speeches
Famous Speech Friday: Anita Hill's Senate testimon...
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Being Matt Ghaffari
By Timothy Hands
Photo: Ross Kinnaird
Next time you feel overwhelmed and decide your life needs some direction, just take a look at Matt Ghaffari.
Everyone remembers the wrestling. The popular heavyweight was the anchor for those USA Greco teams of the 90’s that helped re-establish the style’s place in this country. There were the uphill battles against Russian destroyer Alexander Karelin, the World medals, the Olympic silver, and numerous other titles. They are all important, each examples of how the Iranian-born American plied his trade. But people need “human”, they need flesh, blood, laughter, and tears. They need something, someone to identify with. Ghaffari was there to provide that, too.
That’s why it is never as simple as associating what happens on a mat with the plasma of those in battle. We tend to think we know someone and have a bead on who they are based on performance. There is some credence to that. Absolutely, wrestling can reveal the power of a person’s pulse. But it doesn’t show you the machines at play behind the curtain, the struggles you endured to get there and the victories won in offices and classrooms. Referees don’t usually show up at your home to award points because you make sure your family is taken care of. Medals aren’t given for the successes, be them tiny or monstrous, which are achieved on a daily basis. That’s okay, too. Ghaffari didn’t need those.
Instead, he goes after life the same way he did competition — willing to pay the price. Aggression, endurance, and opportunistic technique served Ghaffari well as a world-class competitor and those attributes are certainly evident following his wrestling career. He also never ceases being an open book. He wants YOU to know about his life partly because he’s rightfully proud but also, because he’s interested in letting you know there isn’t exclusivity to his achievements. You can do it, too. You can be Matt Ghaffari.
5PM Interview with Matt Ghaffari
5PM: A lot of people may not know this, but one of your most impressive achievements is that following your wrestling career, you earned your MBA. What was your motivation for going after your Master’s?
Matt Ghaffari: I had my college degree before the Olympics but after that I had to reinvent myself to join the work force, and an MBA was the next step for me. After Atlanta, my family had grown from three to five, so I had to go to school to provide for my family.
5PM: What exactly is your current career field?
MG: I am the Business Management Development Director for OSPORTS, a division of Osborn Engineering, which is 125 years old next year. We do architectural engineering for sports arenas. My company was the original architect for Fenway, Yankee Stadium, Michigan’s “Big House”, Notre Dame, Ohio Stadium. It’s a very rich history and right now my division works on renovating stadiums, gyms, wrestling rooms, weight rooms, and swimming pools. We work with the best coaches and athletes so they can get architectural design that works for sports. Plus, I’m around sports that I enjoy.
My company has a rich history like the Olympics. I get motivated externally. I have done everything I could possibly do by going to the Hall of Fame. There’s nothing more I can achieve in my sport, I’ve achieved all honors. Aside from winning a state championship in New Jersey, but life is good (laughs).
5PM: When you first came over to America from Iran, did you find the transition in that era, that generation, particularly tough? Did you face any kind of discrimination?
MG: No, no, no. Learning to speak the language was the most difficult part. But sports gave me the venue to bond and make friends. I never had any kind of political affiliation and thank God because of my size, people were always nice to me.
5PM: Let’s talk about your start in Greco Roman wrestling. This is an interesting aspect of your career.
MG: Coach Savage, my high school coach, would take us to summer tournaments in New Jersey. There were less people showing up for Greco, which meant I was making it to the finals when I was learning. I only wrestled my junior and senior years. My medals in the state of New Jersey were in Greco more than freestyle. It was upper-body, plus I had bad knees from playing soccer. I was just natural at it with my upper-body strength.
5PM: When you graduated to the Senior level of competition in this country, how did you come to realize that becoming an Olympian was a realistic goal?
MG: In the 1980’s I tried out for the Olympics but it was a boycott year and I was in the top six, but you know, I wrestled at the the Olympic Trials, Junior Olympics, AAU’s. I almost didn’t make it to my high school graduation because I was in Chicago at the National AAU tournament and my flight was delayed. I almost didn’t make it to my graduation ceremony. Wrestling was my focus, it was an important thing and I tried again at the AAU Summer Olympic Trials.
In 1984, I was the alternate at the camp, the first alternate, and Coach Gable told me that if anything happened to Bruce Baumgartner I had to be ready. So I was the Olympic alternate behind Bruce in ‘84 and ‘88. In 1989, I switched over to Greco 100%.
5PM: As you look at Greco Roman wrestling in the United States, what do you think needs to be improved?
Matt Ghaffari: They need to get kids to do Greco in college. People receive room and board to basically study college freestyle. So if you put it in the simple analogy of baseball, college is the minor league for Olympic freestyle. All of the greatest freestyle wrestlers came from colleges. But Greco, we have nobody. So you go from doing college wrestling to switching to Greco. We need to have Greco wrestling with room and board scholarships so people can study what they want to study and train all year ‘round.
We have a program in Marquette at Northern Michigan, that’s the only place. But that’s the downfall of Greco in this country. There is a residency program available, but people can’t bypass their college scholarship and the sexiness of being a college and freestyle wrestler, they’re more popular.
Ghaffari (red) holds onto Billy Pierce at the 2000 Olympic Trials.
5PM: How do you like this year’s heavyweight, Robby Smith?
MG: Yeah, he’s going to medal. We should have three medals out of our guys. I’m very familiar with everybody. I was at the Olympic Trials, I was going to talk to you then (laughs). I know the team, I know Matt Lindland, the national coach, I am in contact with Chris Saba. We have a very good team, we are very optimistic. It all depends on your attitude when you get the draw the night before. Because the night before is when medals are decided, that’s when you know who’s tough, who you want. I wrestled Karelin, if he was on my side I won a bronze, if he was on the other side, I won a silver. Every time I went to weigh-ins I said, “I don’t want Karelin.” And then in Atlanta I didn’t pick, it was all decided. I waited and that was it. In Barcelona, I picked. So it’s the luck of the draw, it’s what you tell yourself when you know who is going to be your next two matches or your next three matches.
5PM: As an Olympic-level athlete, how have training methods changed compared to when you were competitive?
MG: There’s more sponsorships and funds available from USA Wrestling as a stipend. There’s also specific weight training, Olympic-style ballistics, Crossfit-type, ultimate fighting-type, to give you the endurance you need. There is a lot of evolution in the technology, sponsorships, and health. Right now if you get a gold medal it’s $250,000 and $50,000 for silver. I was lucky to get my shoes. After 1996, it was, “You’re on your own, son, good job!” Life has changed, but it should be like this.
5PM: Yeah, considering the US doesn’t have a state-sponsored program.
MG: Yep, we’re the only country that doesn’t get funding from the government.
5PM: Obviously, a lot of people tie you and Karelin together just like they do with Gardner. You came so close at the 1996 Olympics, but that wasn’t the end of the series for you and him.
Matt Ghaffari: In 1998, I wrestled Karelin in the finals of the World Championships one last time and it wasn’t as close as Atlanta, but the rules had changed. He wasn’t happy that we were close in Atlanta and he let me know he was scared in that final. I knew I had him. That’s also when I knew Rulon Gardner could beat him in 2000, and I predicted it in USA Today three days before that Rulon was going to beat Karelin. Karelin would not be the Olympic champion.
5PM: Do you think you played a role in exposing Karelin’s vulnerability?
MG: Oh yeah, I knew I could beat him, and that’s what I told Gardner at the Olympic Trials. With the new rules in the clinch, I knew I could beat him. And Gardner beat me, and I was a gold medalist in my mind. Yes, I mean, every year as you get older with injuries, you are more vulnerable. I had good matches with him and I knew I had his number. Right before 2000, in 1999 there were a bunch of tournaments and he (Karelin) didn’t come because he was saving himself for the Olympics. Every dog has his day, basically.
Ghaffari dealing with Karelin.
5PM: When you came back in 2010, how did that all get started?
MG: The resident coach, Anatoly Petrosyan, and I had a bet that I couldn’t make 120 kilos. So I made the weight and I trained hard to make it, so he said, “Well, you made the weight, you have nothing to lose, so go wrestle.” That’s how it got started.
5PM: How did you feel physically at 48 years of age?
MG: I didn’t think of my age because I don’t drink and I don’t smoke, I’m healthy. I trained how I used to for the Olympics. Mentally I knew I could do it, but physically I was slow and the new rules at the time was micro-match style of one and half minutes and then two more 90-second periods. They were much smaller matches basically.
5PM: Is that one of the reasons why you didn’t continue on after that tournament?
MG: No, it was a one-time thing. I mean, when you’re training and and you’re beating college kids because they don’t do Greco, you have a false assessment. I never lost to Japan before and once I lost to Japan, I knew my time had passed.
5PM: You had a couple of MMA fights. If that sport was around when you were younger and competitive, would you have gravitated more towards it?
MG: Yeah, I trained with Randy Couture, Matt Lindland, and Dan Henderson, those are all my teammates. And I most likely would have focused on it if I didn’t have a wife and kids to provide for. I want to say I would have done very well at it. The conditioning is the key. MMA is a natural attraction. There is no pro Greco Roman wrestling, and wrestlers do really well. I coach a lot of athletes who wrestle who should do ultimate fighting because they would do well. It’s the technique where a boxer cannot hit you if he’s on the ground, it could only be on his feet. On the other hand, a jiu jitsu guy can’t do anything unless he’s on his back or in the guard position. So if you pick him up and slam him down a couple of times, you knock the wind out of him. The wrestler is the only complete athlete who can do all of it — throw, fight on the bottom, fight on the top. The only thing it would take us to learn is the kicking. Kicking is big-time because you’re balance is off every time you lift a leg up. No one knows, but I had a lot of knee surgeries and that’s when I got into the coaching part of it and the fighting part of it.
In 1984, my roommate at the Olympics was Dan Severn as an alternate. He was a 220 lbs alternate. Dan and I are good friends and he was the first hall of fame wrestler and a King of the Cage, so we talk a lot.
Ghaffari is currently a Business Development Manager with OSPORTS, a division of Osborn Engineering.
5PM: During your career, you traveled quite a bit overseas on tours and such. What were some of your favorite countries to visit?
MG: When we wrestled I was too focused on competing to enjoy the countries. It’s hard to say. I can tell you that if I won, that trip was a good trip. If I lost, it was a bad trip. In Cuba, I never lost, I was double gold in freestyle and Greco. Even at the Pan American Games, Fidel Castro came and they moved my match from last to first because out of ten wrestlers, they thought I was the only one who had a chance to beat the Cuban. That way, Fidel Castro would see the big sweep of nine goals in a row. You know, it shook me up a little bit, moving me from last to first. We had a really good showing. Randy won a gold, a lot of people won gold medals. But the Cubans were thinking that they were all going to lose and that I was the only one who was supposed to win.
If you were to ask me where would I like to go visit? Sweden, Finland, and Norway have good Greco tournaments and I always went there during the winter when the sun would only come up for two hours. I had a lot of relatives and friends who only wanted to go there in the summertime. France was historical but I never got a chance to go the museums, we were always training at their Olympic training center. It was like 60 minutes outside of Paris and we would take the train. We’d tried not to get tired but on our days off we liked to rest. Every country has its good parts and its bad parts, it depends on what you’re looking for. I’d spend a lot of time researching what were the best gyms, who I knew. I had the Rotary Club of Sweden at the World Championships. They would pick me up, take me shopping because I didn’t have a car there. Everybody was like “Wow, he’s organized!” And at that time, there wasn’t email. It was a lot of calling the wrestlers and finding out who speaks English, who could help you, things like that.
Every country I had fun. If you tell me where you don’t want to go, I say I’ll go to all of them again. People told me that Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, was dirty. I stayed there and trained with the heavyweight for six weeks. I thought it was a great, great city, you know? Every city I have been to, from Hawaii to San Diego, has been awesome. I can’t tell you which one is better than the other. Barcelona, I didn’t do good there at the Olympics. But in 1991, we went there for some tournament on a scouting trip, and I loved it. I would go visit it again. It was artsy, gaudy, and interesting. In Atlanta, I won my medal and my brother lives there. Every time I go to Atlanta, I get excited, I get happy. I go visit all of the Olympic sites.
I don’t know, that’s a rough question for me because I was born in Iran. I loved the country I was born in, but I also haven’t visited there in 38 years. Every country has its good places and bad places, and it depends on what your interests are.
5PM: You’re like a citizen of the world.
MG: Yep! I was the Mayor of Olympic-Land, that’s one of my titles.
5PM: What would you say to young wrestlers out there who want to follow in your footsteps and attain World and Olympic-level success?
Matt Ghaffari: I would say to the coaches and to USA Wrestling, that if someone told me just to do Greco I probably wouldn’t have wrestled. I did both freestyle and Greco for a long time. At three nationals I’d win in Greco but I’d lose to Baumgartner or (Tom) Erickson. I say just go wrestle. Have fun. College, Greco, freestyle. Don’t try to win every match 1-0 or 2-0. If it’s the finals of the NCAA or the Olympics, technique still wins. If you lose 8-9, it’s much better than winning 1-0. You don’t learn that way.
Also, don’t be afraid. Try new techniques and go wrestle. And the more you wrestle, you will find you way, your passion.
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Mossad-linked group holds anti-BDS legal seminar
Shurat HaDin, an organisation with links to Israel's government and security services, is holding a seminar this week in Jerusalem "to train lawyers from abroad to litigate BDS." The gathering follows a period of intensified attacks by Israeli officials on the Palestinian-led boycott movement, including reports of imminent Justice Ministry-initiated lawsuits.
According to media reports, some 70 lawyers from around the world, including the US, Singapore, the Netherlands, South Africa, Germany, Canada and Belgium, will attend. The goal - to "equip" them with "the tactical tools and broader courtroom strategies they need" to fight BDS.
The schedule of workshops and lectures covers topics such as "Learn to Combat BDS and other Anti-Semitic Movements" and "Prepare to Defend Israeli Soldiers Against War Crimes Complaints". Speakers include Alan Dershowitz and former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler.
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, president of Shurat HaDin, believes that attendees will go on to implement "proven strategies" in Israel and worldwide. "The anti-Israel BDS and delegitimization movement has been ramping up its efforts at the campus and corporate-organizational levels," said Darshan-Leitner, and "we must expand the fight dramatically."
Shurat HaDin uses courts around the world "to go on the legal offensive" against those it perceives to be "Israel's enemies." In its own words, "as an NGO operating in the private sector", the organisation "is positioned to undertake actions that the Israeli government is unable to formally engage in."
The group is often presented as a "civil rights organisation" working "to stop the flow of terror money" - as Newsweek put it, "attacking the terrorists in their pocketbooks". In fact, as revealed by Wikileaks, Darshan-Leitner "privately admitted to taking direction from the Israeli government over which cases to pursue and relying on Israeli intelligence contacts for witnesses and evidence."
In other words, as an Israeli journalist wrote in 2013, Shurat HaDin "files lawsuits at the behest of the Israeli government", yet still "dares to define itself as a 'human rights organisation'."
One of Shurat HaDin's most infamous attempts to undermine the BDS campaign was their 'anti-discrimination' case brought against the pro-boycott Australian academic Jake Lynch, which ended in failure in July 2014.
Even before the courts dismissed the case, Israel advocates had warned that litigation was "inappropriate and likely to be counter-productive." Shurat HaDin's track record also includes an unsuccessful lawsuit against Jimmy Carter, and threats to global charity Oxfam.
Shurat HaDin's focus on counter-BDS lawfare comes as Israel's Ministry of Justice is "preparing to file lawsuits against [boycott] activists", with a "plan of action" being put together that will reportedly form part of "a wider plan to combat the 'delegitimisation' of Israel."
On Sunday, meanwhile, a major Israeli think tank presented its recommendations to PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet on how best to fight BDS, including "the denunciation of American college faculty who demonise Israel."
The report urged the Israeli government to "promptly adopt an appropriately budgeted comprehensive strategy, and task a senior government official, who reports directly to the prime minister, with coordinating its operational implementation."
Here in Britain, UK Lawyers for Israel is currently recruiting [PDF] a "full-time Director of Operations" on £40,000-50,000. In the job advert, the organisation describes itself as "increasingly recognised for its valuable efforts in combating BDS and other attempts to undermine Israel."
As the Israeli government and international lobby groups escalate their efforts to undermine Palestine solidarity and the BDS campaign, an increase in 'lawfare' tactics is almost certain. Whether this will prove effective, however, is much less clear.
Israeli Officers Captured, Killed in Yemen Attacks
Tens of Israeli, Saudi Officers Killed in Yemen Missile Attacks
Some 20 Israeli officers and 63 Saudi military men and officials were killed and many others taken captive in a special military operation of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement in Amir Khalid airbase in Southern Saudi Arabia, a top security official announced on Wednesday.
“The Ansarullah fighters backed by the Yemeni army hit Amir Khalid airbase in Khamees al-Mushait region in Southern Saudi Arabia with a scud missile and several Najm al-Saqeb (Striking Star) missiles last week, killing over 20 senior Israeli officers and 63 Saudi military men and capturing 35 others,” Mehdi Nasser al-Bashi told FNA on Wednesday.
He mentioned that the Israeli officers were agents of the Mossad spy agency and were in the region to help the Saudi army, and said, “At the time of the attack the Israeli officers were working on a plan to attack some regions of Yemen with prohibited Israeli-made weapons.”
The Yemeni army targeted Amir Khalid military base in Khamees al-Mushait region by Scud missiles last week. The Saudi army claimed that it had intercepted the Scud by two Patriot missiles, but the Arabic-language Al-Mayadeen news channel showed footage of the missile attack, reporting that it had hit the target. Following the attack the Saudi army evacuated the passenger terminals of two airports in nearby areas.
Later reports revealed that Saudi Arabia’s Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Muhammad bin Ahmed al-Shaalan had been killed in the missile attack. Earlier today, a senior commander of Ansarullah confirmed that the Yemeni popular forces and the army had killed the Saudi Air Force Commander in the missile attack.
“Shaalan was killed 5 days ago in the Yemeni army’s special operations against Amir Khalid airbase in Khamees al-Mushait border area in Saudi Arabia,” Colonel Salih Mohammad told FNA on Wednesday.
“The attack against Khalid airbase was waged by missiles and weapons systems that were not very special; the operation was planned by Ansarullah and the Yemeni army conducted it after Ansarullah provided it with the information about Muhammed Shaalan’s presence at Khalid airbase in Khamees al-Mushait,” he added.
Colonel Mohammad, meantime, said that the Yemeni army has also come in possession of advanced US-made weapons systems after capturing the Saudis’ Khalid airbase following the initial missile attack.
Last Wednesday, the official Saudi Press Agency quoting the Ministry of Defense declared the death of Lieutenant General Muhammad bin Ahmed al-Shaalan, but asserted that the commander had died of a heart attack during a work trip outside the kingdom.
Only a few hours later, informed sources in New York challenged the Saudi news agency’s report, and said the General had been killed in Yemen’s missile attacks. An informed Yemeni source who called for anonymity said in New York last Wednesday that “Shaalan was killed in the Yemeni army’s missile attacks against Saudi Arabia’s Khamees al-Mushait region five days earlier”.
Then later on Wednesday, another well-known Saudi source rejected the reports that Shaalan had died of a heart attack, and disclosed that his body was charred showing that he has been killed in an enemy attack.
Jamal Bean wrote on his Tweeter page that Shaalan and his accompanying team have been killed in the Yemeni army’s missile attack since their corpses were scorched by the fire of a blast.
US, Israel are world’s two leading terrorist organizations: Analyst
The largely unknown leader of the ISIL terrorist group, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, confirmed in the photo with Senator John McCain
An American political commentator believes that the United States and Israel are undoubtedly the world’s “two leading terrorist organizations.”
“There really can be no serious doubt that the United States and Israel are the two leading terrorist organizations in the world which is the reason why the Department of State has to made incoherent claims such as that Iran is classified as a terrorist organization,” said American philosopher James Fetzer.
He made the remarks in a phone interview with Press TV on Saturday when asked to comment on an annual report by the US State Department that has accused Iran of supporting international terrorist groups, including those militant groups fighting against ISIL terrorists in Iraq and Syria.
The report, however, makes almost no mention of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, which are widely believed to be the main supporters of terrorists in the Middle East. The US itself stands accused of financing and arming militants in the region.
Fetzer said “the United States created the ISIS (ISIL), the United States is sponsoring the ISIS, the United States has opposed the United Nations’ declaration that ISIS is a terrorist organization.”
He also stated that “[Senator] John McCain [Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services] flew to Syria and was photographed with the leader of ISIS who is recognized as a Mossad agent.”
“The latest reports in fact have two high ranking advisers of ISIS, also Mossad agents being captured by American Special Forces in Iraq, which must have been inadvertence of the United States is supporting ISIS, which is widely known in Washington and it’s John McCain’s army,” he added.
“The United States is a great sponsor of terrorism as is Israel, which occurs repeatedly around the world. We should be supporting Syria and Iran and not attacking them or seeking to undermine them,” Fetzer noted.
Comment: Al Baghdadi , is in fact the french Citizen with the real Name Simon Elliot, mother and father French ( Mediterranean Jews ).
Israeli F16s Bombing Yemen?
With freshly painted Saudi markings..
Two F16 jets were shot down over Yemen this month. When the wreckage was examined, both were found to be of types never supplied to an Arab nation, not Saudi Arabia, nor anyone. The only “buyer” in the region for that type of plane is Israel, an online US military journal claimed in a report Tuesday.
According to Veterans Today, “fresh Saudi markings were painted on the two ‘Israeli’ warplanes.”Analysis of the wreckage showed those planes to be of unknown origin. While they carried Saudi paint jobs, they couldn’t be Saudi aircraft and in fact were Israeli aircraft flown by Arabic speaking Israeli Air Force pilots, the journal claimed.
On May 11, the Yemeni fighters shot down a Moroccan fighter jet violating the country’s airspace in the Noshour Valley in the northern province of Sa’ada.
Earlier in the day, another Saudi F16 fighter jet was downed in the Bayt Khayran area of the district of Bani Harith in the north of the northwestern province of Sana’a. The fighter jet had reportedly conducted a number of airstrikes against Yemen’s al-Dailami air base.
One of the two F16s was shot down by an updated BUK system supplied by Russia — Yemen is well-equipped with modern Russian weaponry including MiG-29s and advanced air-defense systems, a fact that has clearly been overlooked by the Saudis and their Israeli allies.
Photo analysis of the shot down F16 in Yemen showed it was probably one of the 50 surplus US F16 A models given to Israel during the Clinton administration or it was a recently surplus ex-NATO aircraft either from Italy or Portugal.
The only other option is that they were directly supplied from the US covertly, VT added.
With the distance between Israel and to Yemen being 1,200 miles an F16 with 3 drop tanks, 4×1000 lb. bombs and two sidewinder missiles for self-defense is do-able from Israel — the very same distance and mission configuration as needed to hit Iran, the US edition claimed in a report.
Netanyahu: We'll keep making every effort to bring Eli Cohen to Israel burial
Eli Cohen (left) during his trial in Damascus
50 years after being caught and executed in Damascus, Mossad spy is remembered in ceremony; 'Eli Cohen was an extraordinary hero of Israel,' says President Rivlin.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Tuesday at a ceremony in memory of Mossad spy Eli Cohen that Israel will not rest until it brings Cohen back home for burial, 50 years after he was caught and executed in Damascus.
"Children are named after Eli, streets and neighborhoods across the country commemorate his memory, and thanks to heroes like him, whose extreme modesty is inversely proportional to the greatness of their actions, we are able to survive," Netanyahu said.
"As we speak, Mossad agents are working worldwide to continue Eli's legacy, and they are also worthy men and women, to the full appreciation of our people, even if their actions are not known and I hope are never known," he added.
Netanyahu stressed the importance of Israel's control over the Golan Heights. "Imagine the Syrian army or rebel forces or extremist Islamic terrorist organizations or Hezbollah, under the command of Iranian generals, coming down from the Golan Heights to the Kinneret and the valleys of the north. Thanks to Eli Cohen this has been prevented," he said. The prime minister also vowed to include Eli Cohen's story in school curriculum.
"Those who were not raised in the world of covert operations will have a hard time understanding the full significance of the warrior in the Mossad," Mossad chief Tamir Pardo said. "Only a select few are fit to fill this role. It requires a unique personality and a rare combination of qualities. Eli was one such warrior ... the legacy left by Eli, our man in Damascus, will survive for eternity."
Nadia Cohen, the spy's widow, spoke at the ceremony, saying, "Don't forget where Eli is, he is not with us. I'm asking, on this occasion, to do everything to bring him back home, to the country he fought for and for which he paid with his life."
President Reuven Rivlin, who hosted the ceremony at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, said: "Few people are remembered for generations. Among those few, there are almost none from the heroes of the intelligence community.
Unknown soldiers who put their souls on the line and risk losing their lives at any minute, under a blanket of secrecy. "Eli Cohen was an extraordinary hero of Israel. He merited that the entire country would know him well and maintain his legacy. We, citizens of Israel, will forever remember Eli Cohen as a true hero, who sacrificed his life in the defense of our security and for the freedom of our country."
The president also talked about the obligation to remember Eli Cohen and his work, "The passing of the years can dim and blur the memory. Yet, our heroic brothers, who sacrificed their lives for our sake, deserve to be forever remembered." He went on to stress, "This memorial ceremony marks a debt of honor to our brother Eli Cohen, and to his legacy. An eternal legacy which forever remains in our hearts. The legacy of our 'man in Damascus', for whom the safety to the State of Israel was ingrained in his very being."
Cohen's three children and three brothers also attended the ceremony, as well as former Mossad heads Danny Yatom and Zvi Zamir. Eli Cohen joined Army Intelligence in 1960 and in 1963, he moved to the special operations unit. His unique skills and exceptional professionalism helped him penetrate the top Syrian echelons and produce valuable and vital intelligence that improved Israel's preparedness ahead of the Six-Day War.
Cohen helped thwart Syrian plans against Israel and passed on information on a Syrian plot to sabotage the National Water Carrier of Israel, the formation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), and the armament of the Syrian Army - issues of the utmost importance to Israel's defense establishment in those years. When Cohen was caught, Israel made a great effort to rescue him and made different proposals to the Syrian leadership for Cohen's release, but those were rejected out of hand. On May 18, 1965, Eli Cohen was hanged in Damascus.
Even 50 years after his execution, Eli Cohen is still considered a legendary warrior whose story and operations are told and taught in the Mossad to this very day.
Revealed: Mossad was asked to kill Ayatollah Khomeini
Book by former Mossad official Yossi Alpher details secret relationships with Irans Shahs and an unusual request to take the life of the revolutionary Ayatollah.
In a shocking revelation at a special conference at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, it was revealed that former Iranian Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar, the last prime minister before the Islamic Revolution, asked Mossad agents in Tehran to assassinate the leader of the Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini.
The new information was revealed with the release of a new book from Yossi Alpher, a former Mossad official. In it's pages, Alpher saying that Eliezer Tzafrir received the request from Bakhtiar in January 1979 to kill Khomeini who was living in Paris at the time after being deported from Iraq.
Iraq offered to hand Khomeini to the Shah in Iran to be executed, but the leader refused and the revolutionary found assylum in France. Israel maintained a top secret relationship with the Shahs of Iran and carried out deals that included extensive sales of arms produced in Israeli factories.
Additionally, the two countries created an intimate relationship in the field of intelligence. After Tzafrir received the request of serious implications, the message was passed on to Mossad officials in Tel Aviv who met to discuss their options.
"Mossad director Yitzhak Hofi announced at the beginning of the meeting that wasn't prone to support the request on moral grounds but asked to hear the opinions of those who were present," said Alpher. "I told the heads of the Mossad that I had difficulty supporting the request because we didn't know enough about who and what Khomeini was. I really regret not supporting that request."
Israeli Fighter Jets Join Saudi Arabia in War on Yemen
unconfirmed...
Israel’s fighter jets have taken part in the Thursday Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen, sources in Sanaa disclosed on Friday. “This is for the first time that the Zionists are conducting a joint operation in coalition with Arabs,” Secretary General of Yemen’s Al-Haq Political Party Hassan Zayd wrote on his facebook page.
He noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had issued direct orders for the Israeli air force to send fighter jets to the Saudi-led air raid on Yemen.
Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes against Yemen and killed, at least, 25 civilians early Thursday, one day after the US-backed Yemeni president fled the country.
Also, 15 more people were killed and injured in a second round of massive attacks by the Saudi Arabian fighter jets in the Northwestern Yemeni city of Sa’ada on Friday.
Yemen’s al-Massira TV reported that the Saudi air force targeted the Yemeni’s civilians who were shopping in a market.
Five Persian Gulf States — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait — backed by the US have declared war on Yemen in a joint statement issued earlier Thursday.
US President Barack Obama authorized the provision of logistical and intelligence support to the military operations, National Security Council Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said late Wednesday night.
She added that while US forces were not taking direct military action in Yemen, Washington was establishing a Joint Planning Cell with Saudi Arabia to coordinate US military and intelligence support.
Riyadh claimed that it has bombed the positions of the Ansarullah fighters and launched attacks against the Sana’a airport and the Dulaimi airbase.
Despite Riyadh’s claims that it is attacking Ansarullah positions, Saudi warplanes have flattened a number of homes near Sana’a international airport. Based on early reports, the Saudi airstrikes on Yemen have so far claimed the lives of 25 civilians with more deaths feared, Yemeni sources said.
The Saudi aggression has received growing international condemnation as it is pushing the region and the world into an unprecedented fast-growing war as its ISIL mercenaries are on the brink of complete annihilation in Iraq and Syria.
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U.S. presidential election, 1920
Presidential electoral votes by state.
By the time of the U.S. presidential election of 1920, World War I was over. The wartime boom had collapsed. Diplomats and politicians were arguing over peace treaties and the question of America's entry into the League of Nations. Overseas there were wars and revolutions; at home there were strikes, riots, and a growing fear of radicals and terrorists. Disillusionment was in the air.
The giants who had dominated the political scene for a generation were gone -- Theodore Roosevelt died in 1919 and Woodrow Wilson was an invalid living in seclusion. Even so, the presidential election of 1920 continued the debate between the nationalistic activism of Roosevelt's presidency and the global idealism of Wilson's administration.
1.1 Republican Party nomination
1.2 Democratic Party nomination
1.3 Other nominations
2 General election
2.1 Campaign
2.2 Results
Republican Party nomination
On June 8, 1920, the Republican National Convention meeting in Chicago nominated Warren G. Harding, an Ohio newspaper editor and United States Senator, to run for president with Calvin Coolidge, governor of Massachusetts, as his running mate. Harding was a compromise candidate after the convention deadlocked between General Leonard Wood and Governor Frank O. Lowden of Illinois. Harding campaigned as advocating, in his own phrase, "A Return to Normalcy" ("normalcy" was a corruption of "normality" and later became part of the American dialect) after the trying times of the World War.
Democratic Party nomination
The Democrats, meeting in San Francisco, nominated another newspaper editor from Ohio, Governor James M. Cox, as their presidential candidate, and thirty-seven-year-old Under-Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt, a fifth cousin of the late president Teddy Roosevelt, for vice president.
Other nominations
Socialist Party candidate Eugene V. Debs received 913,664 popular votes (3.4%), despite the fact that he was in prison at the time (for advocating non-compliance with the draft in World War I). Debs was later released from prison by President Harding. This was the most ever popular votes received by a Socialist Party candidate.
Parley P. Christensen of the Farmer-Labor Party took 265,229 votes (1.0%), while Prohibition Party candidate Aaron S. Watkins came in fifth with 189,339 votes (0.7%), the poorest showing for the Prohibition party since 1884; as the Eighteenth Amendment starting Prohibition had passed the previous year, this single-issue party seemed less relevant.
The election was primarily decided by the unpopularity of Wilson and the League of Nations.
On election night, November 2, 1920, commercial radio broadcast coverage of election returns for the first time. Announcers at KDKA AM, Pittsburgh, read telegraph ticker results over the air as they came in. This single station (with few competitors on the airwaves) could be heard over most of the Eastern United States by the small percentage of the population that had radio receivers.
This was the first election in which all women were allowed to vote, following the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
Tennessee's vote for Warren G. Harding marked the first time since the end of Reconstruction that one of the 11 states of the Confederacy had voted for a Republican.
Source: Library of Congress (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/nfhtml/nfexpe.html)
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U.S. Senate election, 1920
History of the United States (1918-1945)
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Retrieved from "http://footwww.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/U.S._presidential_election%2C_1920"
Categories: 1920 elections | U.S. presidential elections
This page was last modified 13:19, 23 Jun 2005.
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The Church Office will be closed on Monday, September 3rd in observance of Labor Day.
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed in 1885 and 1886. From these, a movement developed to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During 1887 four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1884, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
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Volume Two
Family Tree Forum
FTF Reference Library
Walter did well in a Naval career
Written by Anne in Carlisle.
This was just about the only thing which we knew about my great x2 uncle, Walter Coleman. He was part of my dad’s family, and a long letter written to Dad in the 1980s by his cousin gave lots of details about the family, including the above little snippet about their great uncle who had died before they were born.
It was just the sort of thing to get my dad interested in family history!
When I began researching our family in the 1990s there was not much available online, but one valuable resource was the 1881 census transcription. I had a merry time looking for everyone I could think of and eventually looked for and found Walter.
He was serving aboard 'HMS Hector', which was moored off Hampshire. He was described as an 'Engineer (Naval Officer)'. This perked my dad up even more because he too had a career in engineering, British Railways in his case.
When the 1901 census became available we found Walter again. This time he was lodging in Barrow in Furness (then in Lancashire), a town with a proud history of building naval ships. Walter was now a fleet engineer. That sounded important and it looked as if he really had ‘done well in his naval career’.
My dad was now keen to find out more and, for an 83rd birthday treat, my brother took him to London and they spent the day at The National Archives in Kew. They found Walter’s complete naval service record and also records of certificates he had passed during his career. Dad was also able to find out what type of ships Walter had served on.
Walter Coleman was born in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, on 22nd May 1852. He was the eleventh of the twelve children of Edward Coleman and his wife Ann.
The Coleman family can be traced in Ampthill from 1693 and during that time they had been, firstly, leather sellers and cordwainers, and had later turned to wholesale grocery and had become a fairly prosperous family. All the other branches of this family are from Bedfordshire as far back as I can trace them. In other words they are a very ‘landlocked’ family, far from the sea and with no interest whatsoever in engineering!
What was it that sparked Walter’s interest? While he was still a child he must have read about the new types of ship just entering service; ships that didn’t rely on sails but had steam engines and propellers. These were large ‘ironclad’ ships and must have seemed exciting to young Walter. Did he have to work at persuading his father to allow him to start as an engineering student at Sheerness in Kent, when he was only 15? Or perhaps Edward was only too pleased to have one less grocer to find work for!
The service record that Dad copied at The National Archives only begins when Walter had passed his first exams and become 'Assistant Engineer 2nd Class' in 1874. He had started in Sheerness as an engineering student on 25th February 1868 and qualified on 21st September 1874. I assume that this is equivalent to an apprenticeship in civilian life and that Walter’s father would have had to contribute towards his keep.
The service record goes on to list all the ships and periods of study during Walter’s entire career. It finishes with his retirement on 5th August 1908 and his retired pay of £550 per year. It even notes the date of his death in 1914 and that probate of his will was given to his wife Elizabeth.
Interpreting the service record takes some time. The first column is the list of ships and it takes a while to realise that some names are those of shore training bases. They are either ships permanently in harbour or land buildings. 'HMS Pembroke' occurs at intervals throughout Walter’s service. It was a naval barracks at Chatham Dockyard.
The second column lists the rank attained at each stage. Walter began as an 'Assistant Engineer 2nd Class' and progressed to an 'Engineer', a 'Chief Engineer', a 'Staff Engineer', an 'Engineer Commander' and finally an 'Engineer Captain' in the last years of his service.
The service column lists the dates of start and end of each period and also makes a running list of his total time in the Royal Navy.
The final column is 'Remarks' which has jottings about various certificates passed, a spell in hospital in the Far East and ships travelled on to postings, mainly in China and the Far East.
Walter’s naval career covered a period of great change but also of great stability in the Royal Navy. When he entered the Navy, most ships still had sails in case their newfangled engines failed. By the time he left the huge battleships used in WWI were being launched. The launching and fitting out of 'HMS Vengeance', a 12,950 ton battleship, was the reason for Walter being in Barrow in Furness at the time of the 1901 census. He saw the change from coal steam powered ships to those powered with oil fuel turbines and was an oil fuel instructor when he retired. The Navy was strong and powerful but during the whole of his career there were no major wars. He died just as WW1 was starting, so never knew the full horror of world conflict.
Walter Coleman brought family history to life for my dad, and gave him a huge amount of pleasure in researching his service and finding all the details of the ships he had served on. Dad died in 2006, but I still have all his notes about Walter and his ships.
Anne in Carlisle
© Anne in Carlisle 2008
1. You can now search for and download Royal Naval Officers’ Service Records from TNA at a cost of £3.50. I have not bought Walter’s since I already have them but I have found his name in the index.
2. If you are searching for an engineer in the RN you need to bear in mind that engineers only became commissioned officers in the Navy in 1847. Before this they were warrant officers.
Francis Peck, my great grandfather
Granny’s postcard collection
Copyright © 2019 FTF Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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DTC has advised the Trust as follows: it is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code and a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the 1934 Act. DTC was created to hold securities of its participants (“DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (“Indirect Participants”). DTC agrees with and represents to DTC Participants that it will administer its book-entry system in accordance with its rules and by-laws and requirements of law. Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such laws may impair the ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in Shares.
While these rules are by no means the only lessons you need, they’re definitely a great starting point. Sometimes, though, things are easier said than done, such as watching your portfolio value plummet and still having the iron willpower of resisting the sell button. One of the best solutions I’ve found to this was to join a community of like-minded cryptocurrency investors. Educated and smart crypto-traders, as well as the community members, will all be there to support your efforts and will be holding with you in the rough times.
In traditional financial markets, derivatives are used as speculation objects as well as insurance against losses. The latter is known as hedging. One popular variety of derivatives used for hedging are called futures. A future is a contract between two parties in which one party agrees to pay the other a predetermined amount of money for an underlying asset at a specific point in time.
New altcoins often make unsubstantiated claims about their products. Recently the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed fraud charges against two ICOs it says were sold on the basis of fraudulent claims. China has banned the sale of ICOs, and many individuals familiar with fraud, including the famed Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort, have described ICOs as the biggest scam ever.
The above futures curve shows that in the short term (< 1month) bitcoin-USD futures prices tend to be at or higher than the respective spot prices, with the highest premium to spot reached for futures maturing in approximately 9 days. In the mid term (1-3 months), bitcoin futures prices increase rapidly with mid prices at a premium of approximately 2% compared to the spot price. In the long term (>3months), premiums are positive and prices increase with a relatively stable velocity. Long term prices are at a slightly higher level compared to mid-term maturities. The absolute difference between long-term and short-term premium is positive, revealing an overall positive view about bitcoin among investors for the future. To summarize, this curve reflects modest investor optimism in the short term, due to a possibly high level of volatility around the launch of U.S.-listed bitcoin futures contracts, and an increasingly positive view on bitcoin-USD rates in the medium and long term. In the distant future (>3months) the curve may reflect a belief that the long-term true value of bitcoin will be at a higher level than today, possibly due to increased institutional participation and the maturation of digital assets as a potential asset class.
If an investor gets the timing of the oscillations right, they can make money at every point along the way, going long when the market goes up and short when it drops. However, it is also difficult to come across any reliable strategy that has thus far been able to predict which events influence the price of bitcoin to which extent. The initial calling off of the Segwit2x fork is a good example of that. Shortly after the news broke, the market appeared to be divided into two camps – those who saw less value because they would not receive the equivalent amount of their holdings in the new currency (“dividends”), and those who saw the news as a consolidation of bitcoin’s strength. The two camps pushed the price in opposite directions in a way that made it hard to predict which side would have the upper hand at which point in time.
Although certain securities exchanges attempt to provide continuously liquid markets in which holders and writers of options can close out their positions at any time prior to the expiration of the option, no assurance can be given that a market will exist at all times for all outstanding options purchased or sold by a Fund. If an options market were to become unavailable, the Fund would be unable to realize its profits or limit its losses until the Fund could exercise options it holds, and the Fund would remain obligated until options it wrote were exercised or expired. Reasons for the absence of liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening or closing transactions or both; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or the OCC may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options) and those options would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange that had been issued by the OCC as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
In order to provide current Share pricing information, an Exchange disseminates an updated Indicative Optimized Portfolio Value (“IOPV”) for each Fund. The Trust is not involved in or responsible for any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IOPVs and makes no warranty as to the accuracy of the IOPVs. IOPVs are expected to be disseminated on a per Fund basis every 15 seconds during regular trading hours of an Exchange.
The investment restrictions of the Funds specifically identified as fundamental policies may not be changed without the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities of that Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act. The investment objectives and all other investment policies of the Funds not specified as fundamental (including the index of a Fund) may be changed by the Board without the approval of shareholders.
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The potential of renewables
Thanks to Gerry Wolff for this extremely valuable resource.
There is no question that renewables can meet the UK's present and anticipated future demands for electricity, even allowing for future uses of electricity for such things as space heating (eg using electrically-driven heat pumps) and the electrification of transport by road and rail -- more below. Here is some of the evidence:
A network of land-based 2.5-megawatt (MW) turbines restricted to nonforested, ice-free, nonurban areas operating at as little as 20% of their rated capacity could supply more than 40 times current worldwide consumption of electricity and more than 5 times total global use of energy in all forms. There is additional potential in offshore wind farms. See Global potential for wind-generated electricity (PDF, 1.9 MB, Xi Lua, Michael B. McElroya, and Juha Kiviluomac, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, June 22, 2009, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0904101106, http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/06/19/0904101106.full.pdf+html).
The "economically competitive potential" of wind power in Europe comfortably exceeds projected demands. In principle, it could meet all of Europe's energy needs as well. See Europe's onshore and offshore wind energy potential (PDF, 3.5 MB, European Environment Agency, 2009, http://www.mng.org.uk/gh/resources/Europes_onshore_and_offshore_wind_energy_potential.pdf).
Wind, water and solar technologies can provide 100 percent of the world’s energy. See "A path to sustainable energy by 2030", an article by Mark Z. Jacobson and Mark A. Delucchi in the November 2009 issue of Scientific American, and Review of solutions to global warming, air pollution, and energy security (Mark Z. Jacobson, Energy & Environmental Science, 2009, 2, 148–173). See also the interactive presentation about this research: Powering a green planet: sustainable energy, made interactive (Scientific American, November 2009). In the scenario described in the Scientific American article, wind supplies 51 percent of the demand worldwide, provided by 3.8 million large wind turbines (each rated at five megawatts). Although that quantity may sound enormous, it is interesting to note that the world manufactures 73 million cars and light trucks every year.
The variability of sources such as wind power is much less of an issue than is sometimes suggested, as described in Managing Variability (PDF, 402 KB, Greenpeace, WWF, RSPB, Friends of the Earth, July 2009, http://www.trec-uk.org.uk/reports/milborrow_managing_variability_final_July_2009.pdf). Fluctuations in wind strength can be managed technically and at modest and declining cost, high proportions of wind power are feasible in the UK's energy mix, and new technological developments could allow for a steadily increasing use of wind power and the phasing out of conventional carbon based fuels as a backup technology. See also "Matching variable electricity supplies with variable demands", http://www.trec-uk.org.uk/elec_eng/supply_demand.html.
Photovoltaics could generate about 266 TWh in the UK - about 66% of the UK's present electricity demand. See Renewable Energy and Combined Heat and Power Resources in the UK", Tyndall Centre, 2002, http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/sites/default/files/wp22.pdf)
Using concentrating solar power (CSP), less than 1% of the world's deserts could produce as much electricity as the world is using. Less than 5% of the world's deserts could produce electricity equivalent to the world's total energy demand. These calculations, which are quite conservative, are based on research from the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). Although it would be possible to obtain all the world's energy from deserts, there are several reasons why Europe and the UK (and other regions and countries) should use a variety of renewable sources of power, as described in the TRANS-CSP report from the DLR which may be downloaded via links from http://www.trec-uk.org.uk/reports.htm.
The government's own plans for the growth in renewables and energy conservation in the UK can ensure adequate generating capacity in the UK until at least the mid 2020s. See Implications of the UK meeting its 2020 renewable energy target (PDF, 734 KB, Pöyry Energy (Oxford) Ltd for WWF-UK and Greenpeace-UK, August 2008, http://www.mng.org.uk/gh/resources/Implications_of_UK_renewable_energy_targetv1.0.pdf).
There are now several reports on how to decarbonise the world's economies via renewables and the conservation of energy. Many of them are listed, with notes and download links, on http://www.mng.org.uk/gh/scenarios.htm.
Electrification of road and rail transport in the UK would add to the UK's demand for electricity but not as much as one might think:
In terms of energy, about 50% more electricity would be needed (see Appendix 8 of "Energy UK" (PDF, 378 KB, http://www.mng.org.uk/gh/resources/energy_UK3.pdf). The reason it is not more is that electric motors are very much more efficient than internal combustion engines. Much of the energy that we are using now for overland transport is simply wasted.
In practice, the additional amount of generating capacity that will be required is likely to be less than 50%. This is for two reasons:
It is likely that much of the charging of electric vehicles will be done at night when there is likely to be a lot of spare capacity from sources such as wind power. To that extent, it does not add to the generating capacity that would be required.
The electrification of road transport will facilitate the introduction of grid-to-vehicle technologies allowing two-way flows of electricity between vehicles that are on charge and the transmission grid. This will help to keep demands for electricity in balance with supplies, thus helping to minimise the amount of spare capacity that is required.
It seems likely that, in the future, there will be increasing use of electrically-driven heat pumps to provide space heating in buildings. But, with good insulation of buildings and the use of technologies such as inter-seasonal heat transfer (see, for example, http://www.howedell.herts.sch.uk/eco_issues/sustainable_elements.pdf), residual needs for the heating of buildings could turn out to be small.
Energy costs
Accurate information is critically important in any kind of cost-benefit analysis. In weighing up the pros and cons of various sources of power, it is important to take account of the fact that energy markets are distorted:
In a report published in 2004 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3818995.stm) the New Economics Foundation made a conservative estimate that worldwide subsidies for fossil fuels amounted to about $235bn a year—and there seems not to have been much change since then.
The continued existence of subsidies for oil, gas and coal is confirmed by recent reports that the G20 countries intend to remove them (see, for example, http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE58O3RN20090925).
Contrary to what is suggested by the nuclear industry, and widely believed, nuclear power is heavily subsidised. The subsidies are described in Nuclear Subsidies (PDF, 167 KB, http://www.mng.org.uk/nsubsidies.pdf), a report from the Energy Fair group. If just one of those subsidies was to be removed—limitations on liabilities—the cost of nuclear power would rise to about 41 US cents per kWh, a level that would make it deeply unattractive to investors.
There is still no global cap on emissions of CO2 and schemes such as the EU ETS are not working properly. For those kinds of reasons, the price of CO2 emissions is far too low.
Removal of these distortions would transform our perception of what is or is not 'economic'. It is likely that most renewable sources of electricity would be seen to be cheaper than electricity from fossil fuels or nuclear power.
Removal of these distortions would mean that subsidies for some renewable sources of power could be reduced or removed altogether (see http://www.nonukes.org.uk/reducing-subsidies).
There would probably be a need to retain subsidies for renewables that have not yet reached the bottom of their cost-reduction curves.
In some cases there may be special reasons for providing support. For example, if the majority of people feel that onshore wind farms spoil the landscape (and that is by no means clear) there may be a case for providing a subsidy to cover the extra cost of putting wind turbines out at sea.
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Elon WBB Continues Road Swing at Hofstra on Sunday
Posted by Press Release on January 5, 2019 at 7:46 pm under College | Comments are off for this article
ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women’s basketball team continues its two-game road swing to open Colonial Athletic Association play with a trip to Hofstra on Sunday, Jan. 6. The Phoenix and the Pride are scheduled to tip-off at 1 p.m. inside the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex.
Follow @ElonWBasketball
The game will be streamed via Pride Productions at gohofstra.com. Fans can also listen to the game on WSOE 89.3 with Drew Gentry and Andrew Vendelis on the call. Other updates of the game between the Phoenix and the Pride will be provided on Twitter at the handle @ElonWBasketball.
Series History (Elon leads 7-2)
Sunday’s matinee will be the 10th all-time meeting between Elon and Hofstra with each of those contests coming as foes in the CAA since 2015. The Phoenix holds a 7-2 advantage in the series and has won five straight versus the Pride including an 80-55 victory in the most recent meeting last season in Elon. Hofstra’s last win in the series came in 2016 with a 59-49 victory on its home floor.
The Phoenix opened the CAA season on Friday, Jan. 4, at Northeastern where Elon fell to the Huskies 79-71. The maroon and gold was down by as many as 20 points in the final period, but battled to trim its deficit to single digits however saw its comeback fall ultimately short. Lexi Mercer led the Phoenix with 17 points while freshman Kayla Liles posted her first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, both season-highs for the Owings Mills, Md., native. Emily Maupin also added 11 in the contest for Elon.
Fastbreaks
• The Phoenix has been one of the top scoring offenses in the CAA this season and currently ranks second in the league at 68.2 points per game.
• While Elon has allowed opponents to score 72.2 points per contest against them, the Phoenix is only allowing 65 points per game versus non power-five conference opponents. Versus those opponents, Elon is putting up 71 points per game.
• Elon currently has four active players averaging seven points or more with three of the four in their first or second year of collegiate basketball. Maupin leads the team with 11.7 points per game followed by Mercer, the lone active upperclassman for the Phoenix, at 11.6. Ariel Colón rounds out the double-digit scorers at 10.1 points per game.
• Liles posted her third double-digit scoring output of the season with her career-high 15 points at Northeastern. She also became the fourth player this season for Elon to have posted a double-double along with Colón, Maupin and Brie Perpignan.
• Maupin leads the Phoenix in rebounding at 6.7 boards per contest. Colón is currently second at 6.1 boards per contest and is also second in the CAA in double-doubles with three this season.
• Sophomore guard Saadia Munford made her first start of the season against the Huskies on Friday. The Atlanta, Ga., native had a season-best eight assists in the contest and scored seven points.
• The Phoenix won its 299th game as a program at the Division I level versus North Carolina A&T on Dec. 18. It was also the 1,300th game for the team all time. The win was also the 144th career victory for Phoenix head coach Charlotte Smith.
• Elon returns eight letterwinners from its team that successfully defended its Colonial Athletic Association Tournament title and made a return trip to the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
• The Phoenix closed out 2017-18 with a 25-8 record overall and a 14-4 mark during league play including a 13-game winning streak to close out the regular season and conference tournament.
• The Phoenix was tabbed to finish third in the 2018-19 CAA Preseason Poll as conducted by the league’s head coaches on Oct. 18. Elon received one first-place vote en route to 61 points for a tie for third place. James Madison (79 points) and Drexel (71 points) were selected in front of the Phoenix, who tied with Delaware for third with 61 points.
• Elon returns three starters from last year’s team including sophomore guard Saadia Munford, an CAA All-Rookie team selection in 2017-18. Munford was chosen as a Preseason All-CAA selection this season with her spot on the third team.
• Additionally, the Phoenix added five newcomers to the 2018-19 roster, which will again be one of the youngest in the nation with only two upperclassmen and no seniors.
Scouting Hofstra (6-7, 0-1 CAA)
Hofstra opened CAA play last Friday, hosting William & Mary. The Pride erased an overall deficit of 15 points and eventually took the lead in the fourth quarter, but the Tribe closed the game on a 10-3 run to earn a 60-55 victory. The setback snapped Hofstra’s three-game winning streak and set its record to 6-7 on the season.
The Pride are averaging 60.8 points per game while allowing the opposition to score 62.6 PPG. Hofstra is shooting .394 percent from the floor and is one of the better teams in the CAA in defending the three-pointer with opposing teams shooting only .270 percent. Senior guard Boogie Brozoski paces the Pride in scoring at 15.0 points per game, good for seventh overall in the league. The Cambria Heights, N.Y., native was a 2018-19 Preseason All-CAA choice and scored 17 points versus William & Mary on Friday.
Sica Cuzic is the only other Hofstra player scoring in double figures for the Pride at 11.6 points per game. She is also the team’s top rebounder pulling down 7.5 rebounds per contest and leads the CAA in double-doubles with four. Another player to watch is junior Ana Hernandez Gil, who along with Brozoski is ranked in the the top-10 of the league in three-pointers per game, as the duo combines for over 12 points from beyond the arc.
Schar Center
After playing its home games in Alumni Gym since the start of the program in 1972, Elon moves into its new facility, Schar Center, this season. The 5,100-seat facility will provide an elite venue for Phoenix basketball and volleyball games in addition to convocations, speakers and other major campus events. The facility is named for Dwight and Martha Schar, of Palm Beach, Fla.
20-Game Winners
With 25 victories last season, Elon posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time as a Division I program. Overall, Elon has posted three 20-win seasons during the Division I era.
Elon is back at home to host College of Charleston in its CAA home-opener at Schar Center on Friday, Jan. 11. The Phoenix and the Cougars are scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m.
Tags: Womens Basketball
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Trailers de Películas
Sinopsis de Películas
6 July, 2019 Un día como Hoy Grupo Stereo Siete
2019.- With 13 weeks at #1, “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X breaks the record for longest-running hip-hop song on the Hot 100. “Lose Yourself,” “Boom Boom Pow” and “See You Again” all had runs of 12 weeks.
2016.- In a small ceremony at Peckforton Castle in Liverpool, England, Ciara marries Russell Wilson, quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks.
2009Alanis Morissette begins an eight-episode stint on the Showtime drama Weeds, playing obstetrician Audra Kitson.
2009 Guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker announce they are leaving Panic At The Disco. That leaves vocalist Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith to continue the band.
2003 Skip Battin (bassist for The Byrds, NRPS, Flying Burrito Brothers) dies of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at age 69.
1999 Folk singer Richie Havens publishes his autobiography, They Can’t Hide Us Anymore.
1998 Roy Rogers, star of many Western films in which he sang, dies of heart failure at 86. The other singing cowboy of his era, Gene Autry, dies a few months later.
1994 The light-hearted drama Forrest Gump hits theaters. Aside from becoming the top-grossing film of the year in North America and winning multiple Academy Awards, the movie spawns a hit soundtrack with songs from Elvis Presley, Three Dog Night, The Doors, The Byrds, The Mamas & the Papas, Buffalo Springfield, and more.
1991 Grunge music takes baby steps into the mainstream as the Alice in Chains album Facelift peaks at #42 in the US, and “Man In The Box” goes to #18 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
1987Neil Young & Crazy Horse release Life, their last album under the Geffen label. With the exceptions of studio recordings “Cryin’ Eyes” and “We Never Danced,” the tracks are all taken from live performances.
1985 Phil Collins’ “Sussudio” – a song about a girl with a funny name – hits #1. It holds the position for one week.
1979 Van McCoy, known for the 1975 disco hit “The Hustle,” dies of a heart attack at age 39.
1967 Pink Floyd appear on the British TV show Top Of The Pops for the first time, performing “See Emily Play.”
1966Elvis Presley’s Paradise Hawaiian Style movie opens nationwide.
1965 Marty Balin starts recruiting members for the band that will become Jefferson Airplane.
1965.- Jackie Wilson releases “Higher And Higher.”
1964The Beatles’ movie A Hard Day’s Night debuts in London.
1963 Guitarist Tim Bricheno (of The Sisters Of Mercy) is born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England.
1959 John Keeble (drummer for Spandau Ballet) is born in Hampstead, London, England.
1953Nanci Griffith is born in Seguin, Texas.
1949 Mike Shrieve (drummer for Santana) is born in San Francisco, California.
1945 Rik Elswit (lead guitarist for Dr. Hook) is born in California.
1943 Soul singer Jan Bradley, who becomes popular by covering Curtis Mayfield tunes before writing her own songs, is born Addie Bradley in Byhalia, Mississippi.
1937Gene Chandler is born Eugene Dixon in Chicago, Illinois.
1932 Big Dee Irwin is born DiFosco T. Ervin Jr. in Harlem, New York. Recorded a popular version of “Swinging on a Star” with Little Eva.
1931Della Reese is born Delloreese Patricia Early in the Black Bottom neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan.
1925Bill Haley is born in Highland Park, Michigan.
1924 Jazz drummer Louie Bellson, famous for his work with Duke Ellington, is born in Illinois.
1911 Contralto singer LaVerne Sophia Andrews (firstborn of The Andrews Sisters) is born in Mound, Minnesota.
1865 Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, a composer who developed Dalcroze Eurhythmics to teach music to students, is born in Vienna, Austria.
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MICHELLE’S STORY NOMINATED FOR THREE AWARDS AT SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SCREEN AWARDS
Meryl Tankard’s Michelle’s Story, produced by Kate Croser, has picked up three nominations at the 2016 South Australian Screen Awards, including Best Short Film and Best Documentary. As South Australia’s highest film accolades, SASAs celebrate South Australian talent in the film industry. Also nominated is Alies Sluiter for Best Composer, shared with NSW based composer Elena Kats Chernin. The winners will be announced at the gala award night on 13 May at the Mercury Cinema in Adelaide.
Michelle’s Story premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2015 where it won the Audience Award for Best Short Film. It was also broadcast nationally on ABC in March 2016. A study guide will be available mid 2016 for educational use.
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Hewlett Anderson
Pete Hewlett - Lead Singer, Guitar
Pete Hewlett is a world-class singer who happens to make Pittsburgh his home. He has toured and recorded with Billy Joel, Elton John, Carly Simon, Joe Jackson, Julian Lennon, Amy Grant, and Eric Carmen to name a few.
Pete got his first recording contract at the age of 16. His band, "Peter's Pipers," won a local Battle of the Bands contest which sent them on to the National finals. They came in 6th place and that got them a deal with Phillips Mercury Records.
In the early seventies, Pete joined "Sweet Lightning," a local Pittsburgh group and signed a contract with RCA Records. The band recorded an LP and a few singles that had some regional success. In the mid seventies, Pete moved to Cleveland where he recorded with Eric Carmen of The Raspberries, then joined the "Euclid Beach Band."
But the real turning point came a few years later when Hewlett's former "Sweet Lightning" band mate, Sid McGinnis (David Letterman's guitarist), recommended Pete to Carly Simon who was looking for a new back-up singer/guitarist. Pete got the job, moved to New York, recorded "Come Upstairs" and headed out on tour with Simon. It was during this time in New York that Hewlett hooked up with drummer Michael Shrieve (Santana) and formed "Novo Combo." They were signed to Polygram and released two albums. Music reviewer George Thatcher said, "The songs which stand out for me are the ones in which Pete Hewlett sings." Novo Combo toured with The Who, Cheap Trick, Greg Lake and performed at the 1981 Montreux Jazz Festival.
Hewlett joined Billy Joel for the "Innocent Man" (1984) and "The Bridge" world tours. And then came the tour that made international news: Billy Joel would bring a fully-staged rock production to the Soviet Union as part of the Reagan-Gorbachev 1987 Geneva summit. Hewlett performed with Joel in Moscow and Leningrad and made history as part of the first live rock radio broadcast in Soviet history, which was also simulcast in the United states. The live double-album, Kohuept (translation: 'In Concert'), chronicled the trip.
Back in the States, Hewlett recorded the "Starlight Express" Broadway soundtrack with Andrew Lloyd Weber, Joe Jackson's "Big World" recording and U.S. Concert Tour, Julian Lennon's "Secret Value of Day Dreaming" album, and Amy Grant's 1997 World Leader Summit performance.
Pete won an Emmy Award in 2007 as host/performer of WQED's (PBS affiliate station) "Live FromStudio A".
In July 2008, Pete reconnected with Billy Joel for the The Last Play at Shea Concerts performing with Tony Bennett, John Mayer, Roger Daltrey, Garth Brooks, Don Henley, John Mellencamp, Steven Tyler and Sir Paul McCartney.
Scott Anderson - Keyboard, Vocals
Scott Anderson is an Emmy Award-winning composer, music director, producer, and one of the Pittsburgh region's most sought-after keyboard players.
Scott received an Emmy award in 2006 for his work composing the score for the award-winning documentary "From Pittsburgh to Poland: Lessons from The Holocaust." In 2007 he won BOTH an Emmy and a Telly award for his work as music director and co-producer of "Live From Studio A: American Standards". Scott was also nominated for Emmy awards in 2003 and 2004 for his work as Music Director of WQED’s “Live From Studio A” television show and again in 2010 for music contributed to the film "In Service", a joint production of Pittsburgh Filmmakers and Bricolage. He was the organist for the Pittsburgh Penguins and a member of the Penguin’s house band, The Blue Line Band, for three years.
Scott’s musical diversity is what propelled him to preferred status as a keyboard player for the region’s top performers, including Joe Negri, Maureen Budway, HB Bennett, Eric DeFade, Lisa Bleil, Pete Hewlett, Chizmo Charles, Billy Price, Kenny Blake, Benny Benack and on and on. He can go from Jazz to Big Band to straight-ahead Rock & Roll without missing a beat.
His own current projects include playing keyboards, singing and writing songs for the Hewlett-Anderson band. He is also the Keyboardist for Cityscape.
And here’s an interesting bit of pop culture trivia: Scott was the Keyboardist & Musical Director of The Vogues from 1989-1995!
He’s played with a number of National artists including The Temptations, The Drifters, Bo Diddley, Jackie Evancho, Kristen Chenoweth, The Coasters, Ronnie Specter, Lou Christie, Leslie Gore, The Shirelles, Little Anthony, Sam Moore (Sam & Dave), Peter Noone, Barbara Lewis, Frankie Ford, Len Barry, Bryan Hyland, Tommy Roe, The Crystals & Jay and the Americans.
As far as regional bands – Scott has played or recorded with Modern Times, The Late Edition, The Sleaze, Up Front, Grapevine, Vibro Kings, Ice Cream Headache, The Balcony Big Band, Jazz for Juniors & The Benny Benack Band.
Scott is a graduate of the Duquesne University School of Music. While he was at Duquesne, He played with some top National Jazz artists including Claudio Roditi, Jerry Niewood and Marvin Stamm.
Upcoming performances!
Houlihan's, Pittsburgh
Piazza Talerico & Papa Joe’s Wine Bar, Pittsburgh
Rileys Pour House, Carnegie
Check us out on:
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Dooley to manage hurling-shinty team again
Joe Dooley
Joe Dooley will manage Ireland for a third consecutive year in the forthcoming hurling-shinty international series.
The three-time All-Ireland winner, who will be succeeded by Ollie Baker as Offaly hurling manager next month, led Ireland to back-to-back successes against the Scots in 2009 and 2010. The first test will take place in Athy, Co. Kildare on Saturday week, October 22, while the second test has been pencilled in for Bught Park in Inverness a week later on October 29.
Dooley is expected to include a mixture of players from the leading hurling counties with those from the so-called weaker counties.
Meanwhile, the Ireland U21 team will be managed by Kilkenny's Michael Walsh with Kerry boss John Meyler, who has been linked with the managerial vacancy in Waterford, as one of his selectors.
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Home Unknown Eddie Wen' Go at the Hawaii Theatre
Eddie Wen' Go at the Hawaii Theatre
Giant puppets bring the story of Eddie Aikau and the Hokulea to life onstage
Hawaii Theatre Photo: Kaveh Kardan
It takes up to seven people to operate Tutuwahine, a large whale puppet in the upcoming play, Eddie Wen' Go: The Story of the Upside-Down Canoe, at the Hawaii Theatre. But, after a few minutes, you won't even notice them. You'll think you're underwater as sea creatures gather totell the story of what happened to Eddie Aikau when the Hokulea capsized on its journey to Tahiti in 1978.
"I originally imagined the sea creatures as very adept actors who, with a simple dorsal fin hat, a turtle shell on a back or arms outstretched like a soaring bird, would become the creatures," says Marion Lyman-Mersereau, who adapted her children's book of the same name for the stage. But with the help of Hawaii Theatre Center's education director, Eden-Lee Murray, UH's Department of Theatre and Dance got involved. Professor Mark Branner became director, and his students of the Theatre for Young Audiences program designed the masterful puppets. "I never dreamed of the brilliantly conceived and gracefully animated puppets which have been created for the show!" Lyman-Mersereau says.
Five graduate students not only designed the six puppets, they also worked on everything from lighting and video projections to the educational packet that goes along with the play. "At first we were only going to project images from the book, which are quite nice, and have actors read the lines," says Branner, but as they explored other, more engaging ways of the telling the story, they decided to go all out with giant puppets. Finding the right people to actually put them together, however, was a challenge, until they recruited the McCall family of Theatre Design & Productions to construct the puppets. It took several months.
Tutuwahine is made of five segments that stretch a total of 24 feet long. Mr. Mano, a shark in the play, is 8 feet long and worn by a single actor. Three people operate Kaleo, a 12-foot-long whale. It takes a cast of nine people, both from the UH's Department of Theatre and Dance and the community, to bring the production to life.
"It's all been a very great process," Branner says. "There are incredible elements in there," so even though it's meant as a children's story, "we as adults are just kind of in awe."
In addition to the puppets, Eddie Wen' Go has all-new original music by Danny Carvalho, who also provided music for the audiobook. "Between the whole new collection of scenes, the new cast and the added enhancement of lighting and giant puppets, it felt like I needed to create something new to help bring this one to life," he says. He will perform live with the cast.
As part of the HTC Ohana Series, Eddie Wen' Go is directed toward keiki in grades Pre-K-8.
There will be two performances: Friday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m., with tickets ranging from $5--$10. Children under 4 are free.
Call 528-0506 to purchase tickets or learn more about school matinees Sept. 16--19 at 9:15 a.m. The Hawaii Theatre is located at 1130 Bethel St. hawaiitheatre.com
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Home > Catholic Encyclopedia > E > St. Ephraem
St. Ephraem
(EPHREM, EPHRAIM).
Born at Nisibis, then under Roman rule, early in the fourth century; died June, 373. The name of his father is unknown, but he was a pagan and a priest of the goddess Abnil or Abizal. His mother was a native of Amid. Ephraem was instructed in the Christian mysteries by St. James, the famous Bishop of Nisibis, and was baptized at the age of eighteen (or twenty-eight). Thenceforth he became more intimate with the holy bishop, who availed himself of the services of Ephraem to renew the moral life of the citizens of Nisibis, especially during the sieges of 338, 346, and 350. One of his biographers relates that on a certain occasion he cursed from the city walls the Persian hosts, whereupon a cloud of flies and mosquitoes settled on the army of Sapor II and compelled it to withdraw. The adventurous campaign of Julian the Apostate, which for a time menaced Persia, ended, as is well known, in disaster, and his successor, Jovianus, was only too happy to rescue from annihilation some remnant of the great army which his predecessor had led across the Euphrates. To accomplish even so much the emperor had to sign a disadvantageous treaty, by the terms of which Rome lost the Eastern provinces conquered at the end of the third century; among the cities retroceded to Persia was Nisibis (363). To escape the cruel persecution that was then raging in Persia, most of the Christian population abandoned Nisibis en masse. Ephraem went with his people, and settled first at Beit-Garbaya, then at Amid, finally at Edessa, the capital of Osrhoene, where he spent the remaining ten years of his life, a hermit remarkable for his severe asceticism. Nevertheless he took an interest in all matters that closely concerned the population of Edessa. Several ancient writers say that he was a deacon; as such he could well have been authorized to preach in public. At this time some ten heretical sects were active in Edessa; Ephraem contended vigorously with all of them, notably with the disciples of the illustrious philosopher Bardesanes. To this period belongs nearly all his literary work; apart from some poems composed at Nisibis, the rest of his writings-sermons, hymns, exegetical treatises-date from his sojourn at Edessa. It is not improbable that he is one of the chief founders of the theological "School of the Persians", so called because its first students and original masters were Persian Christian refugees of 363. At his death St. Ephraem was borne without pomp to the cemetery "of the foreigners". The Armenian monks of the monastery of St. Sergius at Edessa claim to possess his body.
The aforesaid facts represent all that is historically certain concerning the career of Ephraem (see BOUVY, "Les sources historiques de la vie de S. Ephrem" in "Revue Augustinienne", 1903, 155-61). All details added later by Syrian biographers are at best of doubtful value. To this class belong not only the legendary and occasionally puerile traits so dear to Oriental writers, but also others seemingly reliable, e.g. an alleged journey to Egypt with a sojourn of eight years, during which he is said to have confuted publicly certain spokesmen of the Arian heretics. The relations of St. Ephraem and St. Basil are narrated by very reliable authors, e.g. St. Gregory of Nyssa (the Pseudo?) and Sozomen, according to whom the hermit of Edessa, attracted by the great reputation of St. Basil, resolved to visit him at Caesarea. He was warmly received and was ordained deacon by St. Basil; four years later he refused both the priesthood and the episcopate that St. Basil offered him through delegates sent for that purpose to Edessa. Though Ephraem seems to have been quite ignorant of Greek, this meeting with St. Basil is not improbable; some good critics, however, hold the evidence insufficient, and therefore reject it, or at least withhold their adhesion. The life of St. Ephraem, therefore, offers not a few obscure problems; only the general outline of his career is known to us. It is certain, however, that while he lived he was very influential among the Syrian Christians of Edessa, and that his memory was revered by all, Orthodox, Monophysites, and Nestorians. They call him the "sun of the Syrians," the "column of the Church", the "harp of the Holy Spirit". More extraordinary still is the homage paid by the Greeks who rarely mention Syrian writers. Among the works of St. Gregory of Nyssa (P.G., XLVI, 819) is a sermon (though not acknowledged by some) which is a real panegyric of St. Ephraem. Twenty years after the latter's death St. Jerome mentions him as follows in his catalogue of illustrious Christians: "Ephraem, deacon of the Church of Edessa, wrote many works [opuscula] in Syriac, and became so famous that his writings are publicly read in some churches after the Sacred Scriptures. I have read in Greek a volume of his on the Holy Spirit; though it was only a translation, I recognized therein the sublime genius of the man" (Illustrious Men 115). Theodoret of Cyrus also praised his poetic genius and theological knowledge (Hist. Eccl., IV, xxvi). Sozomen pretends that Ephraem wrote 3,000,000 verses, and gives the names of some of his disciples, some of whom remained orthodox, while others fell into heresy (Church History III.16). From the Syrian and Byzantine Churches the fame of Ephraem spread among all Christians. The Roman Martyrology mentions him on 1 February. In their menologies and synaxaria Greeks and Russians, Jacobites, Chaldeans, Copts, and Armenians honour the holy deacon of Edessa.
Works of St. Ephraem
The works of this saint are so numerous and important that it is impossible to treat them here in detail. Let it suffice to consider briefly: (1) the text and the principal versions and editions of his writings; (2) his exegetical writings; (3) his poetical writings.
Texts and principal versions and editions
The Syriac original of Ephraem's writings is preserved in many manuscripts, one of which dates from the fifth century. Through much transcription, however, his writings, particularly those used in the various liturgies, have suffered no little interpolation. Moreover, many of his exegetical works have perished, or at least have not yet been found in the libraries of the Orient. Numerous versions, however, console us for the loss of the originals. He was still living, or at least not long dead, when the translation of his writing into Greek was begun. Armenian writers seem to have undertaken the translation of his Biblical commentaries. The Mechitarists have edited in part those commentaries and hold the Armenian versions as very ancient (fifth century). The Monophysites, it is well known, were wont from an early date to translate or adapt many Syriac works. The writings of Ephraem were eventually translated into Arabic and Ethiopian (translations as yet unedited). In medieval times some of his minor works were translated from the Greek into Slavonic and Latin. From these versions were eventually made French, German, Italian, and English adaptations of the ascetic writings of St. Ephraem. The first printed (Latin) edition was based on a translation from the Greek done by Ambrogio Traversari (St. Ambrose of Camaldoli), and issued from the press of Bartholomew Guldenbeek of Sultz, in 1475. A far better edition was executed by Gerhard Vossius (1589-1619), the learned provost of Tongres, at the request of Gregory XIII. In 1709 Edward Thwaites edited, from the manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, the Greek text, hitherto known only in fragments. The Syriac original was unknown in Europe until the fruitful Oriental voyage (1706-07) of the Maronites Gabriel Eva, Elias, and especially Joseph Simeon Assemani (1716-17), which resulted in the discovery of a precious collection of manuscripts in the Nitrian (Egypt) monastery of Our Lady. These manuscripts found their way at once to the Vatican Library. In the first half of the nineteenth century the British Museum was notably enriched by similar fortunate discoveries of Lord Prudhol (1828), Curzon (1832), and Tattam (1839, 1841). All recent editions of the Syriac original of Ephraem's writings are based on these manuscripts. In the Bibliotheque Nationale (Paris) and the Bodleian (Oxford) are a few Syriac fragments of minor importance. Joseph Simeon Assemani hastened to make the best use of his newly found manuscripts and proposed at once to Clement XII a complete edition of the writings of Ephraem in the Syriac original and the Greek versions, with a new Latin version of the entire material. He took for his own share the edition of the Greek text. The Syriac text was entrusted to the Jesuit Peter Mobarak (Benedictus), a native Maronite. After the death of Mobarak, his labours were continued by Stephanus Evodius Assemani. Finally this monumental edition of the works of Ephraem appeared at Rome (1732-46) in six folio volumes. It was completed by the labours of Overbeck (Oxford, 1865) and Bickell (Carmina Nisibena, 1866), while other savants edited newly found fragments (Zingerle, P. Martin, Rubens Duval). A splendid edition (Mechlin, 1882-1902) of the hymns and sermons of St. Ephraem is owing to the late Monsignor T. J. Lamy. However, a complete edition of the vast works of the great Syriac doctor is yet to be executed.
Exegetical writings
Ephraem wrote commentaries on the entire Scriptures, both the Old and the New Testament, but much of his work has been lost. There is extant in Syriac his commentary on Genesis and on a large portion of Exodus; for the other books of the Old Testament we have A Syriac abridgment, handed down in a catena of the ninth century by the Syriac monk Severus (851-61). The commentaries on Ruth, Esdras, Nehemias, Esther, the Psalms, Proverbs, the Canticle of Canticles, and Ecclesiasticus are lost. Of his commentaries on the New Testament there has survived only an Armenian version. The Scriptural canon of Ephraem resembles our own very closely. It seems doubtful that he accepted the deuterocanonical writings; at least no commentary of his on these books has reached us. On the other hand he accepted as canonical the apocryphal Third Epistle to the Corinthians, and wrote a commentary on it. The Scriptural text used by Ephraem is the Syriac Peshito, slightly differing, however, from the printed text of that very ancient version. The New Testament was known to him, as to all Syrians, both Eastern and Western, before the time of Rabulas, in the harmonized "Diatessaron" of Tatian; it is also this text which serves as the basis of his commentary. His text of the Acts of the Apostles appears to have been one closely related to that call the "Occidental". (J. R. Harris, "Fragments of the Commentary of Ephrem Syrus upon the Diatessaron", London, 1905; J. H. Hill, "A Dissertation on the Gospel Commentary of St. Ephraem the Syrian", Edinburgh, 1896; F. C. Burkitt, "St Ephraim's Quotations from the Gospel, Corrected and Arranged", in "Texts and Studies", Cambridge, 1901, VII, 2.) The exegesis of Ephraem is that of the Syriac writers generally, whether hellenized or not, and is closely related to that of Aphraates, being, like the latter, quite respectful of Jewish traditions and often based on them. As an exegete, Ephraem is sober, exhibits a preference for the literal sense, is discreet in his use of allegory; in a word, he inclines strongly to the Antiochene School, and reminds us in particular of Theodoret. He admits in Scripture but few Messianic passages in the literal sense, many more, however, prophetic of Christ in the typological sense, which here is to be carefully distinguished from the allegorical sense. It is not improbable that most of his commentaries were written for the Christian Persian school (Schola Persarum) at Nisibis; as seen above, he was one of its founders, also one of its most distinguished teachers.
Poetical writings
Most of Ephraem's sermons and exhortations are in verse, though a few sermons in prose have been preserved. If we put aside his exegetical writings, the rest of his works may be divided into homilies and hymns. The homilies (Syriac memrê, i.e. discourses) are written in seven-syllable verse, often divided into two parts of three and four syllables respectively. He celebrates in them the feast of Our Lord and of the saints; sometimes he expounds a Scriptural narrative or takes up a spiritual or edifying theme. In the East the Lessons for the ecclesiastical services (see DIVINE OFFICE; BREVIARY) were often taken from the homilies of Ephraem. The hymns (Syriac madrashê, i.e. instructions) offer a greater variety both of style and rhythm. They were written for the choir service of nuns, and were destined to be chanted by them; hence the division into strophes, the last verses of each strophe being repeated in a kind of refrain. This refrain is indicated at the beginning of each hymn, after the manner of an antiphon; there is also an indication of the musical key in which the hymn should be sung. The following may serve as an illustration. It is taken from an Epiphany hymn (ed. Lamy, I, p. 4).
Air: Behold the month.
Refrain: Glory to Thee from Thy flock on the day of Thy manifestation.
Strophe: He has renewed the heavens, because the foolish ones had adored all the stars / He has renewed the earth which had lost its vigour through Adam / A new creation was made by His spittle / And He Who is all-powerful made straight both bodies and minds
Refrain: Glory to Thee etc.
Mgr. Lamyu, the learned editor of the hymns; noted seventy-five different rhythms and airs. Some hymns are acrostic, i.e., sometimes each strophe begins with a letter of the alphabet, as in the case with several (Hebrew) metrical pieces in the Bible, or again the fist letters of a number of verses or strophes form a given word. In the latter way Ephraem signed several of his hymns. In Syriac poetry St. Ephraem is a pioneer of genius, the master often imitated but never equalled. He is not, however, the inventor of Syriac poetry; this honour seems due to the aforesaid heretic Bardesanes of Edessa. Ephraem himself tells us that in the neighbourhood of Nisibis and Edessa the poems of this Gnostic and his son Harmonius contributed efficaciously to the success of their false teachings. Indeed, if Ephraem entered the same field, it was with the hope of vanquishing heresy with its own weapons perfected by himself. The Western reader of the hymns of Ephraem is inclined to wonder at the enthusiasm of his admirers in the ancient Syriac Church. His "lyricism" is by no means what we understand by that term. His poetry seems to us prolix, tiresome, colourless, lacking in the person note, and in general devoid of charm. To be just, however, it must be remembered that his poems are known to most readers only in versions, from which of course the original rhythm has disappeared---precisely the charm and most striking feature of this poetry. These hymns, moreover, were not written for private reading, but were meant to be sung by alternating choirs. We have only to compare the Latin psalms as sung in the choir of a Benedictine monastery with the private reading of them by the priest in the recitation of his Breviary. Nor must we forget that literary taste is not everywhere and at all times the same. We are influenced by Greek thought more deeply than we are aware or like to admit: In literature we admire most the qualities of lucidity, sobriety, and varied action. Orientals, on the other hand, never weary of endless repetition of the same thought in slightly altered form; they delight in pretty verbal niceties, in the manifold play of rhythm and accent, rhyme and assonance, and acrostic. In this respect it is scarcely necessary to remind the reader of the well-known peculiarities and qualities of Arabic poetry.
As stated above there is no complete edition of the works of St. Ephraem; nor is there any satisfactory life of the great doctor. Mention has been made of the Assemani edition of his works: Opera omnia quae extant graece syriace latine in sex tomos distributa (Rome, 1732-46). It is considered imperfect from the textual standpoint, while the Latin translation is rather a paraphrase. OVERBECK, S. Ephraemi Syri opera sclecta (Oxford, 1865); BICKELL, Carmina Nisibena (Leipzig, 1866); LAMY, Hymni et Sermones (Mechlin, 1882-86 and 1902). Among the versions it may suffice to mention the Armenian version edited by the MECHITARISTS (Venice, 1856, 1893). See also BICKELL, Conspectus rei Syrorum literariae (Munster, 1871); WRIGHT, A Short History of Syriac Literature (London, 1894); Zingerle in Kirchenlex., s.v. Ephraem; especially BARDENHEWER, Patrology, tr. SHAHAN (Freiburg im Br., 1908), 387-93, excellent appreciation and extensive bibliography; RODIGER-NESTLE in Realencyk. F. prof. Theol. und Kirche, s.v. Ephram; DUVAL, Hist. de la litt. Syriaque (3d. ed., Paris, 1906); IDEM, Histoire d' Edesse, 150-61; LAMY, Prolegomena to Vols. I and II of the Hymni et Sermones.
APA citation. Labourt, J. (1909). St. Ephraem. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05498a.htm
MLA citation. Labourt, Jérôme. "St. Ephraem." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05498a.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Thomas M. Barrett. St. Ephraem pray for us.
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Moroni’s Visitation to Joseph Smith
April 10, 2018 March 26, 2019 admin
If it hadn’t been for a dating app on our phones, we probably would have never met each other. We talked for a short while before deciding to meet for our first date on Memorial Day in I refused to give any suggestions about where we should go for dinner, so Corey, being the clever and funny man that he is, decided to take me to Kouri’s Pub. He invited me to watch the Blackhawks game at his home after dinner, if I was so inclined, but he suggested I drive myself so I had an escape route if I decided he seemed like the creepy murderer type. Isn’t that so thoughtful! Our dinner conversation was great and he did not act like a complete buffoon while watching the game, so I definitely knew I wanted to see him again.
OurTime Reviews by Users & Experts
Melissa 91 comments Jamie M. When did people stop thinking it was OK to marry your cousin? In modern western society, marrying your cousin is not well accepted, particularly in the United States.
Home > Genealogy > Cousins > Dating Can Cousins Date, Marry or Have Children? A number of people ask me that question after reading my page about cousins, which explains first cousins twice removed and second cousins once removed. Short answer: sure, unless your .
He invited me to an event he was throwing and after that we started talking almost everyday. I have started to really like him and I feel like I screwed things up by rejecting him at the start. How can I get him to start chasing me again? When he was pursuing you, you felt like you had control and could choose whether or not you wanted him around.
At that time, you chose to reject him. You came back together and over time, things changed. In other words, he learned how to act if he wants to get rejected by you and he learned how to act if he wants you to chase him.
Are Me And My Grandma’s Brother’s Great Grandson Considered 4th Cousins
Share this article Share ‘She certainly would not be a burden to the British public, we have shown to the Home Office that we can care for her. What are the eligibility requirements for ‘leave to remain’ in Britain? Permanent residence in Britain is known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’. One of the requirements for applicants is that they have been a resident of Britain for at least five years before the date of their application.
They may not have spent more than days outside the UK in the last five years, nor days in the last year. Those who have held leave to remain status for at least one year can then apply for British citizenship, but must not have spent more than 90 days outside of the UK for the five years before their application.
The second part of once removed is a generational statement in that it describes how many generations your cousin is from you. Once removed equals one generation. To clarify, once removed means that your cousin is one generation from you, for example, the age of your parents.
But since he lived with 10 other people, this is an opportunity to examine whether or not the possibly verifiable parts of his divine experiences can be confirmed by other people rather than just taking Joseph’s word for it. Equally puzzling is that there is no record that Joseph told any of his brothers, or the rest of his family, about his experience upon waking up. You would think that he would immediately wake up his brothers and tell them what happened.
Joseph apparently didn’t mention it to anyone until later that day and then perhaps only to his father. This sounds every much like the alien abduction stories where someone swears that they were abducted in the middle of the night by aliens and taken aboard a space ship but their spouse was never woken up by this. The alleged abductee of course says that the all-powerful aliens have the ability to keep people asleep or erase their memories so their spouses can never see the aliens and verify their stories.
Relationship Terms
Even minute details, such as how Pam wore her hair each day, were considered by executive producer, Greg Daniels. Those were her words. Dare to bore me.
The law doesn’t think you’re too closely related to your second cousin once removed. That’s a fairly distant genetic relationship, and far more distant than gives the law any concern.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. March Canon Law Relationship Chart. See an example of how to use chart. Another visual chart used in determining the legal relationship between two people who share a common ancestor is based upon a rhombus shape, usually referred to as a ” canon law relationship chart”. The chart is used by placing the “common progenitor” the most recent person from whom both people A and B are descended in the top space in the diamond-shaped chart, and assigning a direction arbitrarily, left or right to each of the two people, A and B.
Then follow the line down the outside edge of the chart for each of the two people until their respective relationship to the common ancestor is reached. Upon determining that place along the opposing outside edge for each person, their relationship is then determined by following the lines inward to the point of intersection.
The information contained in the common “intersection” defines the relationship. For a simple example, in the illustration to the right, if two siblings use the chart to determine their relationship, their common parent either one, if there are two is placed in the topmost position, and each child is assigned the space below and along the outside of the chart.
Then, following the spaces inward, they would intersect in the “brother” diamond. In cases where one side descends the outside of the diamond further than the other side because of additional generations removed from the common progenitor, following the lines inward shows both the cousin rank 1st cousin, 2nd cousin plus the number of times generations “removed”.
In the example provided at the right, generations one child through ten 8th great-grandchild from the common progenitor are provided; however, the format of the chart can easily be expanded to accommodate any number of generations needed to resolve the question of relationship. Cousin marriage Cousin marriage is important in several anthropological theories which often differentiate between matriarchal and patriarchal parallel and cross cousins.
What Does the Bible Say about Marrying Cousins
Continue When this happens, the girl becomes desperate to know why. Maybe his vanishing act came after a period of him pulling away. Or maybe it came suddenly, out of the blue. Maybe he met someone else or maybe he just had an epiphany.
As a 3rd cousin, there does not seem to be an issue for law. There IS a higher chance for birth defects. When I did my family tree, I found that birth defects happened more often in the family branches where cousins, and other distant relatives married.
A reader, anonymous, writes 12 November Just started a relationship with my 3rd cousin. It took us 30 years to discover we have the same feeling for each other We both have children and have been married to other people. Strangely enough our attraction never went away and through our friendship we discovered our attraction while talking to each other.
I have done some research and the world seams to be surrounded by immediate family. Parents and siblings and extended to 1st cousins in some parts of the world.
My halfsister is dating HER cousin which I think is really wrong what do I do
Everyone wants to fall in love. It’s the stuff of movies, songs and dreams. But what if you fall in love with your cousin?
For example, the second cousin once removed relationship is a second-degree cousin with one removal. The removal of the cousin relationship is the number of generations the cousins are apart. When the cousins are separated by a different number of generations from the most recent common ancestor, the cousin relationship is removed.
Basic definitions[ edit ] Family tree. Cousins are colored green. Generations are shown by alternating stripes of gray and white. People are related with a type of cousin relationship if they share a common ancestor and the most recent common ancestor is two or more generations away from both people. For example, the second cousin once removed relationship is a second-degree cousin with one removal. The removal of the cousin relationship is the number of generations the cousins are apart.
When the cousins are separated by a different number of generations from the most recent common ancestor, the cousin relationship is removed. The difference between the number of generations for each cousin is the removal.
Genealogy question
Unique Slide Rule Company Dating a slide rule becomes difficult if a manufacturer did not imprinting a date code or serial number on the stock. Even then, some manufacturers recycled their serial numbers over time, and the stock could have been left on a shelf for a period of time before the slide rule was assembled and shipped.
Catalogs are an excellent indication of when a model was produced or discontinued. Sometimes the copyright date in a manual is used to determine the approximate age, but one printing could span several decades.
Your mother’s first cousin would be your first cousin, once removed. She is one generation younger than your grandparents and you are two generations younger than your grandparents. Twice removed means that there is a two-generation difference.
Larry, a Wisconsin native from a large family, has just moved into his first apartment in Chicago , and is savoring his first taste of privacy when Balki, a hitherto-unknown cousin from a Mediterranean island, Mypos, arrives intending to move in with him. Balki, who was a shepherd on Mypos, interprets what little he knows about the United States by relying on his own often out-of-context recollections of American pop culture “America: Land of my dreams and home of the Whopper “.
It usually begins with Balki saying, “Now we are so happy. We do the dance of joy! After initially gently rebuffing his cousin’s request to stay at his apartment, aspiring photographer Larry decides to take Balki under his wing and teach him about American life. However, the neurotic Larry frequently proves to be as inept as Balki, if not more so, and often gets the pair into situations that only Balki can set right.
Miller claimed that the series’ inspiration came in the wake of the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles , when America experienced a wave of renewed patriotic sentiment. In December , Bronson Pinchot garnered notice for his role in Beverly Hills Cop as Serge, an effeminate art-gallery employee with an unplaceable foreign accent. When Miller and company pitched Pinchot as the star of their immigrant show, ABC signed on to the project, originally entitled The Greenhorn.
By this time, however, Pinchot had become unavailable, as he had taken the role of a gay attorney in the NBC series Sara alongside star Geena Davis. Sara failed to find an audience, and was canceled by May
Genetic And Quantitative Aspects Of Genealogy
Acceptable to date your third cousin? The degree first, second, third cousin, et cetera indicates one less than the minimum number of generations between both cousins and the nearest common ancestor. For example, a person with whom one shares a grandparent but not a parent is a first cousin; someone with whom one shares a great-grandparent but not a grandparent is a second cousin; and someone with whom one shares a great-great-grandparent but not a great-grandparent is a third cousin; and so on.
Dec 27, · That means hooking up with your 3rd cousin is 1/8th as gross as hooking up with your sister. This is quantitatively meaningful when considering the number of deleterious alleles your kids are.
But that is ok! This post contains affiliate links. Are you excited or what??? The game is also sometimes known as Heart Attack. Super fun for kids to! Each player tries to make four of a kind. Or, grab this child-friendly version. Testing your memory skills while playing with all cards face down! Object is to take as many cards as possible for the win! It helps develop counting and sequencing skills too.
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Vocation of a Lutheran College Conference
The 2019 theme is Beyond Privilege: Engaging Diversity, Inclusion and Equity. Registration required.
4:45pm to 8:00pm, Hagfors Center, Room 150
Related: Lutheran College Conference
The sights and sounds of Paris
It is said that Paris is never more French than in the winter. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why a group of students and two Augsburg faculty spent part of their holiday break taking in the sights and sounds of Paris.
Actually, they were in the City of Light to experience the art and music. In this course, professors Merilee Klemp of the music department and Tara Sweeney of the art department worked together to develop a program that would help students understand and appreciate the intersections between the disciplines.
The result was a two-week itinerary filled with excursions to churches, museums, concert halls, opera houses, artisan studios, even a cruise on the Seine.
Throughout the course, all students recorded thoughts about their experiences in a journal. This is a common practice for study abroad participants, but keeping a sketchbook is not. Art majors and non-art majors alike created sketches at every site the group visited.
Klemp and Sweeney say the combination of writing and sketching was meant to teach students to see and listen more deeply and to begin to appreciate art and music as interrelated.
For first-year art major Melissa Herrick, sketching helped her experience the art and music more intensely. "It gets etched in your brain and helps you identify what speaks to you."
Colby Reineke, a senior computer science major, said he didn't want to sketch and journal on his first trip to Paris. "I don't think I draw very well, but if I really like something then I put a lot of focus into it," he says.
Reineke was especially taken with the Opera Garniér and did what he calls the best drawing of his life in the space. Though he says he was not very interested in art and architecture, experiencing the detail of the opera house was "information overload" for Reineke. "The color, the statues, the staircase, the marble, the velvet, the chandeliers… Every experience topped the one before."
Sketching and journaling helped Reineke see art differently. "I used to just look at art and go 'Wow! Cool!' but now I can look at a painting and describe what I feel."
For Courtnie deGrand, a senior music therapy major and a pianist, the program was a chance to hear the music she loves in the place where it was created. "I've always been fascinated by French music, especially Debussy," she says. She even plans to incorporate some of the art she saw and sketched with the music she will be playing at her senior recital this March.
In addition to their scheduled excursions, students had four opportunities to plan activities using Pariscope, a popular weekly events publication. With a small budget, students chose events or venues to explore in small groups. These activities helped the students meet local people, speak a little French, develop travel smarts, and make informed and independent programming choices.
This exercise allowed the students to see an ice sculpture garden at the Champs-Élysées, visit the Museum of Natural History, learn about the Gobelins Tapestry Museum, and hear a Chopin piano recital at the Church of St. Julien le Pauvre.
deGrand especially enjoyed the Chopin and Beethoven recital. "It was amazing to hear his music in a venue where he might have been," she says. She was also surprised by the influence of American music in Paris, particularly jazz. On their last evening in the city, deGrand and some friends went to a club and heard the music of Louis Armstrong. "Jazz is my first love, and that was a great synthesis for me to have my experience in Paris end that way.
The students said the program changed them in ways they hadn't anticipated. "Even if you think you won't come back a different person, you do," says Herrick. "An experience like this broadens your view and gives you a deeper understanding of the world."
Photo top: students with Sweeney and Klemp on the stairs of the Rodin museum
Photo middle by Nora Dahlberg
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MCBC Holdings, Inc. Appoints TJ Chung to Board of Directors
VONORE, Tenn., Dec. 23, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MCBC Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:MCFT) today announced that Tzau-Jin (TJ) Chung has been appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors as an independent director, effective December 21, 2016. Mr. Chung will also serve on the Compensation Committee.
In May 2016, Mr. Chung retired as President of Teletrac Navman, a global market leader in commercial fleet and asset management solutions and a Danaher Operating Company. Mr. Chung was previously CEO, President, and Director of the Board of Navman Wireless Holdings prior to the company’s acquisition by Danaher. Mr. Chung assumed this position in mid-2007 upon the acquisition of Navman Wireless from the New Technologies Division of Brunswick Corporation. Previously, Mr. Chung served as President of the New Technologies Division of Brunswick Corporation from 2002 to 2007. Prior to that, he served as Vice President - Strategy of Brunswick Corporation, where he was responsible for corporate-wide strategic planning, mergers and acquisition and information technology.
Mr. Chung earned his bachelor’s degree in science, electrical and computer engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He also holds a Master of Science degree in computer science from North Carolina State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.
The Company also announced that Joseph M. Deignan, a member of the Company’s Board of Directors since 2009 and currently a Partner with Wayzata Investment Partners LLC, and Christopher Keenan, a member of the Company’s Board of Directors since 2009 and currently a Principal with Wayzata Investment Partners LLC, resigned from the Board effective December 21, 2016.
“Joe and Chris have contributed enormously to the success of MasterCraft. We are grateful for their dedication, service and valuable contributions to the Board,” said Frederick A. Brightbill, Chairman of the Board of Directors.
About MCBC Holdings, Inc.
Headquartered in Vonore, Tenn., MCBC Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:MCFT) is the parent of MasterCraft Boat Company, a world-renowned innovator, designer, manufacturer, and marketer of premium performance sport boats. Founded in 1968, MasterCraft has cultivated its iconic brand image through a rich history of industry-leading innovation, and more than four decades after the original MasterCraft made its debut the company’s goal remains the same – to continue building the world’s best ski, wakeboard, wakesurf and luxury performance powerboats. For more information, visit www.mastercraft.com.
Tim Oxley
Tim.Oxley@mastercraft.com
Matt Sullivan
Matt.Sullivan@padillacrt.com
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St. Louis Space Frontier
St. Louis Space Frontier is a chapter of National Space Society (NSS). The National Space Society is an independent, educational, grassroots, non-profit organization dedicated to the creation of a spacefaring civilization.
St. Louis Space Frontier was active in the 1980s and early 1990s. In September 2013 a new chapter formed and members voted to retain the earlier chapter name. Currently we are very active with monthly meetings, outreach events at the Science Center and local schools, special events, a book club, monthly newsletter, and Facebook page. We use Meetup to advertise events and have a website, StLouisSpaceFrontier.org. Our monthly meetings are held on the fourth Saturday of the month at Washington University. The chapter has worked to build relationships with Washington University, Saint Louis University, St. Louis Astronomical Society, St. Louis Science Center, Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri (ASEM), ArchReactor, and AIAA. The chapter hosts a regional space development conference, Gateway to Space, in the fall. We earned the NSS Chapter of the Year Award for 2015.
We are excited that the St. Louis Space Frontier will be the local hosts for the 36th annual International Space Development Conference® in May 25-29, 2017 at the Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, MO.
Please join us as we explore, and settle, the Universe! To learn more, visit
http://stlouisspacefrontier.org.
St. Louis and Space
Article By Gloria Lloyd
“This is a frontier good for millions of years. The only time remotely comparable was when Columbus discovered a whole new world.”
James S. McDonnell in an interview with TIME Magazine, 1967
“Spring break in Ibiza or Miami? I’d rather be in St. Louis, with the future.”
Will.I.Am at the FIRST Robotics World Championships at the Edward Jones Dome, April 26, 2014
St. Louis first became a city of exploration when it was just a river town on the edge of a vast expanse of unknown wilderness, where Lewis and Clark set out to explore the West. So it is fitting that St. Louis has played a key role in both aviation and space history, designing, engineering and manufacturing the planes and spaceships that some of the world’s greatest explorers used to travel around the world – and out of it.
St. Louis first secured its spot in engineering history in 1867 when James Eads connected Missouri and Illinois with the world’s first steel bridge, the Eads Bridge (up to that time, steel was not used as a construction material, and no bridges had ever been built across a river as wide as the Mississippi).
Skeptics told Eads such a contraption could never work. Andrew Carnegie kicked off the modern steel industry, and America’s Industrial Age, when he saw how difficult it was to get steel to St. Louis to build the bridge. Before the Arch, the Eads Bridge became an iconic symbol of St. Louis, compared to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and called the seventh wonder of the modern world. The bridge is still in use today, for cars, pedestrians andMetroLink light rail trains.
The St. Louis airport, Lambert Field, has a rich history of amazing experimental flights and of innovation – it was a key link in the first transcontinental air-rail service, the first airport with an air traffic control system and housed manufacturing facilities that produced the United States Navy’s first jet fighter – and America’s first spaceship.
Although Charles Lindbergh is undoubtedly the headliner of St. Louis aviation history, the city already had an esteemed list of record-holders even before his flight, including a long-held record for thelongest hot-air balloon flight, set in 1859 by John Wise on a flight between St. Louis and Henderson, N.Y. At the 1904 World’s Fair – thebiggest spectacle the world had ever seen up to that point – aeronauts dazzled spectators with the first-ever public powered flights, of airships. Theodore Roosevelt became the first president to fly here in 1911, and military installation Jefferson Barracks saw the first parachute jump from a plane in 1912.
But it was Lindbergh’s first transatlantic solo flight in 1927 – and the St. Louis spirit that got him there – that changed the course of the 20th century. When Lindbergh wanted to do what no one had done before – fly nonstop across an ocean – it was nine entrepreneurs in St. Louis, where Lindbergh lived and flew airmail flights, who funded his unlikely transatlantic dream. He honored them by naming his plane the Spirit of St. Louis, and he successfully flew between New York and Paris (after a record-setting long-distance stopover in St. Louis) in 1927.
As the headquarters of the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation from its inception in the 1930s, as well as many other aviation companies that formed in the wake of Lindbergh’s successful flight and the resulting aviation mania, St. Louis produced many legendary civilian and military aircraft – including, as one example, the 1929 Curtiss Robin used by “Wrong Way” Corrigan for his famous flight across the Atlantic, and the St. Louis Robin that set a world endurance record.
Even before the Soviet Union launched Sputnikin 1957, James S. McDonnell tasked 45 engineers in St. Louis to start working on the first manned spaceship. That foresight made St. Louis ground zero for America’s first human spaceflight program,
Project Mercury, and McDonnellmanufactured 20 space capsules to send the first Americans – and chimpanzees – into space, and much of the simulation and training America’s first astronauts underwent happened in St. Louis. Through the Mercury program, America sent its first man to space, Alan Shepard, and John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth in the Friendship 7 capsule, now on display at the Smithsonian alongside theSpirit of St. Louis.
“It is essential that the United States be first, and I can imagine no action, no adventure, which is more essential and more exciting.” – President John F. Kennedy, in remarks to McDonnell employees working on America’s first spaceship following his visit to St. Louis to see the Mercury space capsule in September 1962.
“At the president’s departure, he stated that he was greatly impressed by what he saw in St. Louis.” – newscaster in historic newsreel footage, recounting Kennedy’s visit.
NASA’s follow-up program, Project Gemini, saw the second American in space, astronaut Gus Grissom, arrive in St. Louis to assist McDonnell engineers in building their next spaceship. Gemini astronauts spent time in St. Louis at McDonnell on training simulators for their missions.
In all, 10 manned Gemini capsules were made in St. Louis and launched from Cape Canaveral in 1965 and 1966 as a runup to the Apollo program, which had the lofty goal of landing Americans on the Moon by the end of the 1960s. Gemini astronauts took some of the first spacewalks, stayed in the spacecraft long enough to reach the Moon and perfected rendezvous and docking in preparation for the eventual Moon landing.
During the successes of the Gemini program and just past the heyday of Route 66 – when a generation of travelers traveled to St. Louis to “get their kicks” on the Mother Road – the Gateway Arch was erected on the downtown riverfront, serving as the city’s foremost symbol of its status as the Gateway to the West. It is America’s largest man-made monument.
Although NASA’s space shuttles were not entirely manufactured in St. Louis like their spaceship predecessors had been, St. Louisplayed an important role in the space shuttle program. NASA later noted that native St. Louisan and McDonnell Douglas engineer John Yardley, who helped design and develop the shuttle while at McDonnell and then headed the entire program for NASA, was “as responsible as any individual for getting the Space Shuttle program off the ground.”
McDonnell Douglas also manufactured the aft propulsion pods that helped the shuttle get into orbit and turn once it reached space. As a mark of appreciation for McDonnell Douglas’s impact on the space shuttle program, NASA flew the first space shuttle, theEnterpise prototype, to St. Louis. Today, the most storied of the space shuttles,Discovery, is housed at the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in the James S. McDonnell Hangar, a fitting nod to McDonnell’s enduring and continuing contributions to America’s space program.
Nine current or former astronauts were born in, raised or went to school in Missouri, including Eileen Collins, the first female spaceship commander. McDonnell Douglas engineer Charlie Walker was the first non-government astronaut to fly in space, during the space shuttle program. Sandra Magnus, from St. Louis suburb Belleville, Ill., flew on the final space shuttle flight in 2011. Dick Richards flew four space shuttle flights. Tom Akers flew four space shuttle flights, including the maiden flight of Endeavour, and is now a professor at nearby Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla,Mo.
Other Missouri and Illinois native astronauts include active astronaut Bob Behnken of St. Ann, who has flown in space twice and is currently the Chief Astronaut, Janet Kavandi, who is active and has flown on three space shuttle flights, Linda Godwin andSteven Nagel, who are married and both now professors at the University of Missouri at Columbia,Scott Altman of central Illinois and Michael Hopkins, who recently returned from the International Space Station, after tweeting a picture of St. Louis from space.
Since St. Louis was at the forefront of aviation and America’s space program, it comes as no surprise that it has also played a key role in the emergence of commercial spaceflight. In 2004, at a ceremony held at the St. Louis Science Center, the St. Louis-based X-Prize Foundation awardedits Rs1,373.52 million Ansari X-Prize to SpaceShipOnefor the first successful private spaceflight.
Today, St. Louis continues its longtime legacy of exploration as an aerospace hub, serving as the headquarters of Boeing’s Rs4,532.61 billion Defense, Space and Security Division, with 58,000 employees worldwide – a combined division of the company that emerged after the 1997 merger of Boeing, then based in Seattle and the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, with St.
Louis-based McDonnell Douglas, then the world’s second-largest aircraft manufacturer. The combined company now gets 45 percent of all American military contracts and designs and engineers and manufactures some of the most sophisticated aircraft ever seen.
Three military jets, the F-15 Eagle, the E-18 Growler and the F-18 Hornet, are manufactured in St. Louis, and military operations and logistics around the world are commanded from the Department of Defense’s mobility and transportation hub at Scott Air Force Base. St. Louis is also home to Boeing Phantom Works, which is Boeing’s cutting-edge, classified military technology prototyping division and manufactures cutting-edge aircraft in St. Louis under a veil of secrecy.
After the retirement of the space shuttle and completion of the International Space Station, NASA’s focus has turned to commercial spaceflight to take cargo and supplies to the astronauts that are now a permanent presence on the space station, with an eye toward moving out of low-earth orbit to land humans on an asteroid and then Mars. During this transition, St. Louis still remains at the forefront of space: Boeing engineers in St. Louis are designing and building parts ofBoeing’s Crew Space Transportation-100 (CST-100) capsule that, along with SpaceX’s Dragon capsule and Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaserspaceplane, is one of NASA’s top contenders to ferry America’s astronauts to space for the Commercial Crew Program, NASA’s new commercial spaceflight program and partnership.
Meanwhile, scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have taken the lead scientific roles in the Mars Opportunity rover mission, and many scientists right here in St. Louis are currentlyconducting groundbreaking scientific research on Mars in collaboration with Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the Mars Curiosity rover mission.
Oh, and did we mention that Apollo 13 flight director Gene Kranz (“Failure Is Not an Option”), graduated from St. Louis University’s Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology? In addition to Washington University (which has had 22 Nobel Laureates) and SLU, St. Louis is a university town where many colleges and universities are currently training future stars of space and science, even before the debut of a newly-formed aerospace consortium among community colleges and universities. Every day, children take field trips and simulate missions to space at the St. LouisChallenger Learning Center. St. Louis also hosts the FIRST Robotics World Championships every year – where teams of the world’s smartest high school students work together to build robots to compete in a challenge that changes every year.
St. Louisans continue to witness aviation history – in 2013, the first solar-powered airplane, Solar Impulse, stopped in St. Louis on its first cross-country flight to follow in Lindbergh’s footsteps (watch it land at Lambert Field in a time-lapse video here). And on the silver screen, the plane-themed movie Up in the Air filmed in St. Louis.
Visitors to St. Louis have the opportunity to see some of the city’s space history through exhibits on display at the St. Louis Science Center and the James S. McDonnell Planetarium, one of the premier facilities in the country for space education. A Mercury and Gemini capsule manufactured in St. Louis (like all Mercury and Gemini capsules were) are on display at the Science Center and planetarium, which are connected by a skybridge over Interstate 64.
Exploration buffs can also find the replica Spirit of St. Louis used in the movie about Lindbergh’s flight hanging from the ceiling at the Missouri History Museum, also in Forest Park. At times, the History Museum has extensiveCharles Lindbergh exhibits, since Lindbergh chose to donate his papers, artifacts and memorabilia from his storied career in aviation to the museum. The museum also features many St. Louis aviation artifacts and special exhibits.
The Creve Coeur Spirit of St. Louis Airport hosts a museum that displays one of the largest collections of vintage aircraft in the country. The Boeing Prologue Room is a museum of McDonnell Douglas and Boeing history that is open to the public in the summer.
The Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museumfeatures many McDonnell Douglas aircraft and is located in a historic hangar at the St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia, Ill., which was a stop of almost all the notable early aviators, including Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart.
One of Lindbergh’s iconic planes – donated by Lindbergh himself – hangs in the terminal at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.
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Europe, Middle East and India Tour
JMU
Welcome to the International Public Relations
2012 Study Abroad Website!
James Madison University students visited with a wide range of international professionals as well as other experts in several of the most dynamic and diverse communication centers. The small group of enthusiastic students traveled through London, England; Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; New Delhi, Agra, and Mumbai, India; Istanbul, Turkey; and Paris, France. While abroad, the students had the opportunity to enhance their professional knowledge by exploring cutting-edge global issues at organizations ranging from corporations and public relations agencies to non-profit and NGO groups. The students also had the opportunity to meet with local and international government agencies and select media. The 21-day tour visited eight cities in five countries with a brief stopover in Bahrain. The total travel by plane, train, and bus was 18,092 miles (29,115 kilometers).
Professional Briefings
Professional briefings in each country provided invaluable opportunities to gain first-hand knowledge, insights, and comprehensive perspectives focusing on best professional practices and socially significant issues. This program, established in 2008, is one of the most extensive public relations study abroad programs offered by any university.
The 2012 program included 21 professional briefings conducted by over 40 international communication professionals and other subject matter experts from public relations, government, research, academic, news media, and other organizations.
The 2012 professional briefings included: APCO Worldwide, ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller, Bates PanGulf, and Hill and Knowlton in Dubai; Echo Global Research, APCO Worldwide, Ketchum Pleon and Edelman Public Relations in London; Genesis Burson-Marsteller and Penn Schoen Berland in New Delhi; and APCO Worldwide in Mumbai. Istanbul meetings included Cumhuriyet Daily, the Istanbul Municipality, and APCO Worldwide; Paris included a briefing at Burson-Marsteller.
Along with the world-class professional briefings, the students benefited from invaluable perspectives provided by a number of leading international professors and students at Zayed University, the Higher Colleges of Technology, and Istanbul University. The students participated in the 10th International Symposium: Communication in the Millennium hosted by Istanbul University. The students also enjoyed several social meals with professionals and academics from all over the world.
Time and Weather Around the World
JMU Office of International Programs
Communications at JMU
Taj Mahal photo courtesy of Wallpaperstock.net
Extracurricular Adventures
In addition to enriching the students’ international experience and knowledge, the tour’s extracurricular experiences offered adventure as well as cultural enhancement. There were over a dozen extracurricular activities, including guided city and museum tours, river cruises on the Bosphorus and Seine, a desert dune-bashing "safari" with camel riding and sand boarding, and a view from the world’s tallest building.
The students visited the Taj Mahal and Red Fort in Agra, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and Hagia Sophia Byzantine architectural masterpiece and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Other highlights included the Pearl Museum in Dubai, Tower of London in London, the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and even sand and indoor snow skiing in the United Arab Emirates.
Briefings in previous years have included: the U.S. Embassy, UNESCO, and Bailiwick in Paris; Al Jazeera, Brown Lloyd James, and Cornell Medical College in Doha; the European Parliament in Brussels; the Turkish Journalist’s Association, Marketing Tukiye, Colins Company, and Leo Burnett in Istanbul; the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and RADA Research and Public Relations in Cairo; the Public Relations Society of India; the German Press Association and Pelon Public Relations in Berlin; and Donath Burson-Marsteller in Prague.
Students have also visited American University in Cairo and American University of Paris and participated in a majlis and enjoyed an Emarati banquet with His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak al Nahayan, United Arab Emirates Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
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Joel Kinnaman Network
News - The Suicide Squad
Joel to Reprise Role on ‘The Suicide Squad’
After several speculations on whether we will see Joel again as Rick Flagg, Discussing Film has confirmed that he will be back for The Suicide Squad!
In 2019, we have ‘The Suicide Squad’ going into production in September in Atlanta with James Gunn set to write and direct and Peter Safran set to produce. Fans wondered who from the original film would return, and as of writing, it has been revealed that Margot Robbie will reprise her role as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney will reprise his role as Captain Boomerang, Viola Davis will reprise her role as Amanda Waller and although Will Smith will not return, Idris Elba will instead take over the role of Deadshot.
However, fans have wondered about whether Joel Kinnaman will reprise their respective role as Rick Flagg, and now we can confirm that Joel Kinnaman will reprise his role as Rick Flagg in James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’.
James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ seems to be continuing the story of Task Force X whilst building the universe with Collider reporting that Ratcatcher, Peacemaker, King Shark and Polka Dot Man will feature in the new team roster as well as Revenge of the Fans reporting that an alien woman will also appear in the film (maybe Rampage?).
News - The Secrets We Keep
‘The Secrets We Keep’ Sells Wide
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER – Noomi Rapace and Joel Kinnaman starrer The Secrets We Keep, Israeli director Yuval Adler’s follow-up to his Berlin out-of-competition entry The Operative, has pretty much sold out worldwide at Berlin’s European Film Market.
Stuart Ford’s AGC International has wrapped up multiple territory presales for the upcoming period thriller.
AGC closed deals for The Secrets We Keep in France (Amazon), Germany (Universum), Italy (Cloud Nine), Scandinavia (Svensk), Japan (Tohokushinsha), China (Jushi) and with Sun Distribution for Spain, Portugal and Latin America. Vertical Entertainment nabbed rights for the film across most of Eastern Europe, with CTB/Nashe Kino taking the title in CIS. Other deals include ones for Greece (Odeon), Indonesia (Cinema 21), Taiwan (Applause), Israel (United King) and the Middle East (Selim Ramia).
Adler, in Berlin for the world premiere Sunday night of his latest, the spy thriller The Operative, starring Diane Kruger and Martin Freeman, met with buyers one-on-one at AGC’s suite at the Ritz Carlton earlier in the week to pitch his new project. Rapace, who is an executive producer on the project, was at AGC’s offices pitching the project to buyers in Berlin.
Prometheus actress Rapace will play Maja, a holocaust survivor rebuilding her life in New York after World War II. But a random encounter with an eerily familiar man (Suicide Squad‘s Joel Kinnaman) — who seems to resemble her chief tormentor as she fled from the Nazi occupation in WWII — sets Maja off on a revenge mission. When she takes matters into her own hands, kidnapping the man, Maja sets in motion a series of memories and events that will change her whole perception of the truth.
News - Posters - Stills - The Informer
‘The Informer’ New Poster & Release Date
The official poster of The Informer has been released along with the news of a new release date. Originally set for a March 2019 release, the film was pushed back to August 16th. Check out the poster and one additional still in our gallery!
MOVIEWEB – The Informer has received a new poster and release date. Instead of opening in theaters at the end of next month, the movie with now be released on August 16th. Aviron Pictures did not reveal the reasoning behind the decision.
The Informer is based on the novel Three Seconds by Borge Hellstrom and Anders Roslund and focuses on honorably discharged Special Ops soldier Pete Koslow (Joel Kinnaman) as his world is turned upside-down when he is jailed after a fight to protect his wife (Ana de Armas). He’s given a chance for early release by becoming an informant for the FBI (Rosamund Pike and Clive Owen) and using his covert skills in an operation to take down The General, the most powerful crime boss in New York. But when the FBI sting meant to finally earn Koslow his freedom results in the death of an undercover NYPD cop, Koslow finds himself caught in the crossfire between the mob and the FBI. Caught in a world of impossible choices, Pete Koslow knows he must return to prison, where he then formulates a plan to escape the clutches of three of New York City’s most powerful organizations, the mob, the NYPD and the FBI, in order to save himself and his family.
The Informer (2019) - Behind the ScenesThe Informer (2019) - Production StillsThe Informer (2019) - Trailer #01 - Screencaps
Stills - The Informer - Video
‘The Informer’ Official Trailer
Check out the first official trailer, including a behind-the-scenes photo and a production still, for The Informer! The film was previously known as Three Seconds, and is set for a March 2019 release.
Films - News - The Secrets We Keep
Joel Kinnaman to Star in Thriller ‘The Secrets We Keep’
It’s a Swedish invasion! Noomi Rapace and Joel Kinnaman are set to star in the independent thriller, The Secrets We Keep. We’re already excited about this!
VARIETY – Yuval Adler will direct from a script by Ryan Covington. Rapace will play a woman rebuilding her life along with her husband in New York after World War II — and when they encounter an eerily familiar man, their life starts to unravel as they wonder if he could be the officer who was one of their chief tormentors at a concentration camp. Kinnaman is in talks to play the mysterious but somehow familiar stranger.
Stuart Ford’s AGC is financing and repping sales at the American Film Market, which has launched in Santa Monica, Calif., this week. Producers are Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Erik Howsam of Di Bonaventura Pictures, AGC’s Ford and Greg Shapiro, and Adam Riback of Echo Lake Entertainment. Production is expected to begin early next year.
“‘The Secrets We Keep’ is that rare kind of thriller that is equal parts shocking and cathartic,” Shapiro said. “The kind of film that will demand attention. Stuart and I are so thrilled to be working with the entire creative team that has been assembled for this unique and exciting project.”
Films - News - The Horse Boy
Ari Folman Set to Direct ‘The Horse Boy’ with Lea Seydoux & Joel Kinnaman
Léa Seydoux and Joel Kinnaman are set to topline the film adaptation of Rupert Isaacson’s New York Times bestseller, The Horse Boy. Israeli filmmaker, Ari Folman, is set to direct. The film is scheduled to start filming in October in the U.K., Mongolia, and in Joel’s home country, Sweden!
VARIETY – The film follows the journey of Emily and Jonathan’s son, Noah, an autistic child who rarely talks and isn’t improving despite his parents’ efforts to connect with him. When Jonathan notices that Noah is more peaceful and seems more able to communicate while riding horses, he sets off to take his family for a ride through the Mongolian plains to meet shamans in order to cure his son.
“‘Horse Boy’ is a passion project for Folman, who said he felt compelled to explore this important story in a cinematic way. “‘Horse Boy’ is a love story about a man and a woman who, against all odds are willing to take the biggest possible risk, not only to rescue their son, but to rescue their love for each other, their memories of the bond they used to share,” said Folman, who added that Mongolia will be portrayed in a unique way in the film.
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Welcome to joel-kinnaman.net
Joel Kinnaman Network aims to be your ultimate online resource for all things related to actor, Joel Kinnaman. You may know him for his roles in several films such as the Easy Money trilogy, the 2014 RoboCop remake, Suicide Squad, and in television shows such as The Killing, House of Cards, and Altered Carbon. He currently stars as Erik Heller in the Amazon series, Hanna. Thank you for visiting the site, and come back soon for the latest updates on Joel. Please note that this site will stay free from gossip articles and paparazzi photos.
The Amazon drama is described as a high-concept thriller and coming-of-age drama which follows the journey of an extraordinary young girl as she evades the relentless pursuit of an off-book CIA agent and tries to unearth the truth behind who she is.
The Informer follows reformed-criminal and former special ops soldier Pete Hoffman who, in order to free himself from jail and return to his wife and daughter, has been working undercover for crooked FBI handlers to infiltrate the Polish mob’s drug trade in New York. In a final step towards freedom, Hoffman must return to the one place he’s fought so hard to leave, Bale Hill Prison, where his mission becomes a race against time when a drug deal goes wrong and threatens his identity as a mole.
The series explores what would have happened if the global space race had never ended.
A pair of Holocaust survivors make a new life for themselves in New York after the war.
The Horse Boy
Emily and Jonathan's son Noah, is an autistic child. He rarely talks and isn't improving despite his parents' efforts to connect with him. Yet, there is a silver lining: Jonathan notices that Noah is more peaceful and seems more able to communicate while riding horses. It sparks a crazy idea: he will take his family for a ride through the Mongolian plains to meet shamans. The journey will be transformative. « Horse Boy » is the powerful story of two parents' love for their child as they decide to take the biggest risk imaginable. A life-changing experience not only to rescue their son, but also to rescue their family.
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Joel Kinnaman Network is an unofficial, non-profit fan site dedicated to Joel Kinnaman. We are in no way affiliated with Joel, or any of his representatives. All media, photos, trademarks, and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. We do not claim ownership of the images used on this site, unless stated otherwise. No copyright infringement intended. If there's anything you find on the site that belongs to you and needs to be removed, please contact us before taking legal action. This site is proudly paparazzi and gossip free. View our Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.
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1st JoPPP Conference
28-29 August 2019 | Shah Alam
Instructions for presenter
Entering Malaysia
Professor Dr. Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar
Professor in Medicines and Healthcare, University of Huddersfield.
Director, Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice Centre, University of Huddersfield Research
Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar is Professor in Medicines and Healthcare at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom.
Professor Zaheer Babar is globally known for his work in pharmaceutical policy and practice, including quality use of medicines, pharmacy education, clinical pharmacy practice, access to medicines and issues related to pharmacoeconomics.
Previously he was the Head of Pharmacy Practice at School of Pharmacy, University of Auckland and received prestigious Vice Chancellor’s Research Excellence Award in 2012 from the University.
He has taught in leading Universities in Malaysia and New Zealand and has in-depth understanding of health and pharmacy systems in both high and low-income countries. His high-profile work includes consultancy assignments with WHO, World Bank, HAI, FIP and with the Pharmaceutical Management Agency of New Zealand.
His recent work also includes a number of high-quality books including "Economic evaluation of pharmacy services", ”Pharmaceutical prices in 21st century”, “ Pharmacy Practice Research Methods” and “Pharmaceutical policies in countries with developing healthcare systems. Published by Elsevier and Adis/Springer, the work is used in curriculum design, policy development and for referral all around the globe.
Professor Babar is also the Editor-in-Chief of BMC Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice and can be contacted at z.babar@hud.ac.uk
Plenary 1: Pharmacy Practice Research: What’s the Future Like?
Forum: Academic and Practitioners, Opposed or Complimentary?
Symposium: Planning, Funding and Purchasing of Medicines, What do it take?
© 2019, Universiti Teknologi MARA
Level 11, FF1 Building, UiTM Selangor, Puncak Alam Campus, 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor. MALAYSIA
+603 - 32584645
https://pharmacy.uitm.edu.my
Copyright © 2019 Universiti Teknologi MARA. All rights reserved.
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The Keg Royalties Income Fund announces February 2016 cash distribution
VANCOUVER, BC, February 10, 2016 – The Keg Royalties Income Fund (the “Fund”) (TSX: KEG.UN) today announced that its February 2016 distribution of $0.0875 per unit has been declared and is payable to unitholders of record as at February 21, 2016. The February 2016 distribution will be paid on February 29, 2016.
With approximately 9,500 employees, over 100 restaurants and system sales of approximately $580 million, Vancouver-based KRL is the leading operator and franchisor of steakhouse restaurants in Canada and has a substantial presence in select regional markets in the United States. KRL continues to operate The Keg restaurant system and expand that system through the addition of both corporate and franchised Keg steakhouses. KRL has been named one of the "50 Best Employers in Canada" by Aon Hewitt for the past fourteen years.
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Why Going To Washington DC In Support Of Fort Stewart Matters
E-News: July 5, 2019
Liberty’s LeConte Pear Was Once Famous
Categories: Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart is the U.S. Army’s premiere heavy force power projection platform on the East Coast. The mission as a training base and power projection platform involves training, equipping, deploying and redeploying both early deploying and follow-on active component Army units; and mobilizing, training, equipping, deploying and redeploying Reserve Component Army National Guard and Army Reserve units and soldiers. Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield have consistently proven rapid deployment capabilities in operations ranging from the 1990 Gulf War through subsequent annual deployments to Egypt, Kuwait, Bosnia, and Kosovo; and, most recently, to operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our primary customer, the 3rd Infantry Division is home based at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield.
Getting on Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart Gate Hours
Gate 1 (Main Gate): 24 hours daily
Gate 2 (Troupe Gate): 5 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday – Friday
Gate 3 (Harmon Ave) : 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Gate 4 (Vanguard Rd, 4IBCT): 24 hours daily
Gate 4A (Austin Rd): 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. on 3ID Physical Training (PT) weekdays
Gate 5 (Gulick Ave): 24 hours daily
Gate 6 (Wilson): CLOSED
Gate 7 (15th St.): 24 hours daily / 7C (COMMERCIAL): 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Gate 8 (Veterans Parkway): 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Gate 9 (WAAF): 24 hours daily
Fort Stewart Registration Office (Vehicle and Weapons)
Building 226, 757 East Bultman Avenue
Hours: Monday through Friday; CLOSED Federal Holidays
Phone: (912) 767-5195 (DSN 870)
You must present the following items to register your vehicle:
– Certificate of registration
– Valid driver’s license
– Military ID card/civilian ID card or statement of employment from contractor
– Proof of insurance, MDDC or MSF card for motorcycles
– Valid safety inspection (if required by licensing state)
Location and Demographics
Fort Stewart’s cantonment area is located 42 miles southwest of Savannah, Georgia. Fort Stewart encompasses 279,270 (32 x 17 miles, including parts of five Georgia counties), is the largest military installation east of the Mississippi River, and is the largest federal landholding in the state of Georgia. The Fort Stewart Reservation is ideally situated and resourced to support the training and deployability requirements of the 3rd Infantry Division.
The massive acreage provides the Division’s soldiers unequaled training opportunities. All of the Division’s weapon systems can fire simultaneously utilizing the Post’s numerous ranges and multiple impact areas. The training area also offers sufficient maneuver space to allow an entire Brigade Combat Team to operate in a tactical field environment. Additionally, the Reservation can accommodate training for 50,000 reserve component soldiers annually. Given that the Reservation is about 80% wetland, the integrity of the area as a military training site is guaranteed for years to come.
Rapid deployability of the Division is assured by Fort Stewart’s proximity to the Port of Savannah and Hunter Army Airfield. The Port is a major deep water port capable of simultaneously loading all nine of the Navy’s SL7 fast sealift ships. Only 40 miles from Fort Stewart and five miles from Hunter Army Airfield, the Port is easily accessed by an interstate road network and multiple rail lines leading directly to dockside. Hunter Army Airfield boasts the longest runway on the east coast, and facilities on the 5,372 acre airfield can handle both 747 and C5B Aircraft. Hunter Army Airfield is also accessed by rail and a major road network, with the driving time from Fort Stewart being only 45 minutes to an hour.
An additional resource available to both Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield is an experienced and dedicated civilian workforce representing men and women of all ethnic backgrounds. Together with their military counterparts, they are devoted to achieving excellence in all areas to ensure the Marne Division is properly trained and equipped when it is called upon to fight.
For current information about Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, please visit the
community’s military newspaper, The Frontline.
Press, Media & Film
Eat, Play & Stay!
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WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER? FREDDIE MERCURY'S FINAL DAY
It was twenty-seven years ago today. Freddie stopped taking his medication. Everything except the painkillers. He was going to be the one to decide when he should die. For weeks, twenty-four hours a day, the world's press had camped on his doorstep at Garden Lodge, Kensington. He was a prisoner in his own home. Nothing could be done about it. Except, perhaps, what he did do - which was to let go. He'd had enough. The will to live was ebbing away. His only regret at the end was that there was so much more music still inside him.
'The Show Must Go On', Queen's brave, heart-rending single backed by 'Keep Yourself Alive', had been released in October. The band, their management, their publicists and entourage, all sworn to secrecy, continued to contradict rumours about Freddie's health. EMI continued to pump out product: 'Greatest Hits II', 'Greatest Flix II'. With their frontman's life hanging by a thread, the band appeared more prolific than ever.
Freddie's friends and housemates, Peter Freestone and Joe Fanelli, nursed him through the final days. Freddie had now begun to cut people off. He just didn't want to see them. His parents, for example. They had visited during those final weeks, and wanted to come again, the Saturday before he died. But Freddie refused. 'I've seen them,' was all he said. Part of the reason for the decision had to be that he didn't want them to see him as he now was. He wanted to be remembered as he had been. It was the reason why he had turned his back on so many friends during the final year. A few really close pals continued to be there for him: Dave Clark, Tony King, Elton John; and there was help from medical staff at Westminster Hospital. Gordon Atkinson, Freddie's physician and friend, made regular visits throughout the week. Terry Giddings, Freddie's driver, still came every day, despite the fact that Freddie wasn't going anywhere. In the end, he did entertain his parents at tea, one final time.
On 23rd November, with manager Jim Beach at his bedside for a long meeting, they agreed the wording of Freddie's last-ever statement, admitting to his fans and to the relentless press that he had AIDS. After years of keeping his biggest secret, his friends now had to stand by helplessly as the truth was broadcast to the world. Less than twenty-four hours later, Peter Freestone made the call to Jer and Bomi Bulsara with the news they were dreading to hear. Their beloved son, the king of Queen, the Great Pretender, was dead.
FREDDIE MERCURY 5th September 1946 - 24th November 1991 R.I.P.
'Bohemian Rhapsody: The Definitive Biography of Freddie Mercury' by Lesley-Ann Jones, published by Hodder & Stoughton UK, Simon & Schuster USA, and in translation worldwide.
It's hard to believe that today would have been Freddie Mercury's seventy-second birthday. He feels as alive to me today as he did thirty years ago. Forever young, vibrant and full of it. I remember him as a tangle of contradictions. So shy at his own parties, he'd emerge from the bedroom only when the guests were all in place and when the bash seemed in full swing. He'd go round filling everyone's glass with champagne himself, so that he 'had an excuse to talk to them'. In the wings before a gig, he looked small and terrified. He was never a star away from the spotlight. He put on the stardom like an overcoat, and took it off again at the end of the show. I was never unamazed by the way he seemed to treble in size out on stage.
I've told it once or twice before, the way he shared his deepest secrets with me. We were in Montreux, at the White Horse Tavern. Freddie was with the French boys. He knew me. I'd watched from the side of the stage as Queen p…
THIS OX WAS NO ASS
My friend the Ox died in 2002. It's as if it were yesterday. Today, 9th October 2014, would have been his 70th birthday. Rock on, John.
His death, as he himself would have joked, was the ultimate self-fulfilling prophecy: out of his head on booze and cocaine, in the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel. Not New York, like Sid Vicious (been there) nor like John Belushi in L.A.(done that), but Vegas: easy, sleazy, where the liquor comes fast, where the chips are never anything but down. You couldn’t make it up: exactly the kind of final curtain John Entwistle used to laugh about. It was ‘what he would have wanted,’ to use a phrase he'd so often uttered himself. It will be ten years in June, incredibly, since the legendary Who bassist raved his last. Never one to do things by halves, his demise was as seedy as it gets. Hoped he’d die before he got old, to quote the Who’s most famous lyric? At just 57 he was overweight and hypertensive, with a zooming cholesterol level and one co…
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English Defence League Jewish division leader Roberta Moore quits
Posted by Antifascist 0 Comment (s)
The hardline activist at the forefront of the "Jewish Division" of the extreme right-wing English Defence League has announced that she does not wish to be a part of it any longer because of Nazi elements within it.
Roberta Moore, who has led the Jewish Division since it was launched more than a year ago, was accused earlier this month of being a divisive figure in the EDL. Ms Moore had attempted to co-ordinate her efforts with those of the far-right American Jewish Task Force, whose leader Victor Vancier has been imprisoned for terrorism offences. The move, in February, was heavily criticised by the EDL leadership.
In a statement which she posted on Facebook, the Brazilian-born Ms Moore said she had been offered work on "an international level" elsewhere and so had decided to step down from the Jewish Division. Although she described the EDL as "doing a fantastic job" she said the party had been hijacked by elements who wanted to use it "for their own Nazi purposes".
Ms Moore said she still supported the EDL leaders and "all the genuine patriots out there who struggle to get their voices heard" but added that she no longer wished to be a part of it.
"I sincerely hope that the leaders will get the strength to squash the Nazis within," she said.
Mark Gardner, from the Community Security Trust, said: "This latest development shows, yet again, why Jews should not be involved in such circles. They will destroy this movement if allowed to remain."
Labels: Community Security Trust, EDL, English Defence League, Facebook, far-right, Jewish, Roberta Moore
The hatred sickness
Posted by John P 9 Comment (s)
The BNP leader Nick Griffin has tweeted how he hopes a visitor to the House of Commons tonight blows himself up in what would presumably be, some sort of suicide bombing.
A controversial Muslim cleric is due to address a meeting at the House of Commons this evening. Griffin wrote: "..they've invited a banned Islamist to speak in House of Commons this evening. Hope he blows himself up there! "
Griffin, who has failed in a number of attempts to get elected to the house himself, shows his bitter and vile disregard not just to the democratic institution itself, but to the loss of innocent lives that would follow such an outrage.
Time and time again we warn people about the vulgar, true nature of the BNP and having as good as smashed his tiny Nazi party to pieces by his own vulgar egotism, the truth about Griffin, his policies and his hatreds is becoming more and more obvious to everyone.
Who on earth would want to benefit for instance, from a suicide bombing at the House of Commons or indeed anywhere in a country that they purport to love so much?
After the dreadful 7th July suicide bombings in central London back in 2005, the BNP took images of the carnage and distress and turned them into a vile leaflet which the BNP delivered three days later in Barking and Dagenham during a council by election there. The candidate standing against the BNP was a Muslim, something that the BNP tried to make a great deal of. The BNP were hammered by the electorate, who were rightly disgusted.
This disgusting party will be trying to get itself elected back on to the Greater London Assembly (GLA) again next year. The people of London have long memories. We will make sure they do not forget the BNP leader’s vulgar cynicism and hatred.
Thanks to Nick Lowles at HOPE not Hate.
Labels: Barking and Dagenham, BNP, GLA elections, Nick Griffin
'I’m embarrassed', says toilet graffiti dauber at age of 62
A man has been ordered to pay compensation after graffiting racist abuse on the doors of Hebden Bridge train station.
James Allen, 62, of Wood Villas, Hebden Bridge, appeared unrepresented at Calderdale Magistrates’ Court. He admitted causing £700 damage and possessing two bags of cannabis.
On seven different occasions between April 23 and June 7, station staff found graffiti supporting the English Defence League daubed on the back of doors in the male toilets. An undercover officer from British Transport Police went to the station on June 7 to wait for the culprit. He saw Allen enter the toilets at 1.41pm.
Paul Ramsey, prosecuting, said: “He sat on a bench watching all men who were going in. A minute later Allen was seen to leave his bike on the platform. The defendant exited two minutes later with what was believed to be a white marker pen in his right jeans pocket.”
After the officer checked the door, he followed Allen and arrested him. While searching Allen, he found two bags of cannabis. [Allen] admitted both offences to police.
Allen told officers he was not a member of the English Defence League but he wrote graffiti in support of the group to “vent his frustration”.When asked to explain his actions to magistrates, he said he had nothing to tell them.
“I’m just embarrassed about it,” he said.
He was given a 12-month community order and told to complete 60 hours of unpaid work, pay compensation of £100 and £85 towards costs.
Halifax Courier
Labels: cannabis, EDL, English Defence League, graffiti, sad twat
A proudly diverse nation
Posted by Antifascist 22 Comment (s)
This article was submitted by one of our readers, Daniel Pitt. We welcome any contributions from our supporters (as long as those contributions conform to the law and are in reasonably good taste). Please send your articles to us via email.
Britain is a land built by migrants. After all, there was no one inhabiting these islands 50,000 years ago, and for most of human history there were no international borders. The emergence of the modern British nation state and the advent of a global economy brought with it the movement of capital in search of profit and the movement of people in search of work. Britain, home of the industrial revolution, saw successive waves of immigration from the 19th century onwards. It was driven by the needs of capitalists to find an adequate supply of workers. However, from the beginning, the capitalist class also grasped that the migration of cheap labour into the country provided them with a ready mechanism for dividing working people.. This was not automatic; it depended on an invented common identity of Britishness, which offered a false sense of solidarity between workers and bosses, while dividing native born from “foreign workers”. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in the treatment of Irish workers who came to Britain in the 19th century to work on the canals and railways. They were forced to leave their homes—much like Roma people in Slovakia today—because of impoverishment or oppression, and usually both.
Our rulers have always tried to sow divisions among workers but there is a powerful history of class solidarity.The next time you walk down a canal towpath or ride a train think of the thousands of Irish labourers—the navvies—who died building the infrastructure of the industrial revolution, housed in the most squalid living conditions imaginable. Textile mill bosses also imported Irish workers. Initially this was often to use them as strikebreakers. In situations of sharpened competition in the labour market among low-skilled workers, it is not difficult to see how tensions arose. Karl Marx observed the process and got straight to the heart of the matter: “Every industrial and commercial centre in England now possesses a working class divided into two hostile camps… The ordinary English worker hates the Irish worker as a competitor who lowers his standards of life. In relation to the Irish worker he feels himself a member of the ruling nation and so turns himself into a tool of the aristocrats and capitalists of his own country against Ireland, thus strengthening their domination over himself.” Marx went on to explain how this antagonism was kept alive by “the press, the pulpit and the comic papers” in much the same way that the Sun, the Daily Mail and the Daily Express do today, with their relentless attacks on migrants and Muslims. But there was another process cutting aganist the divisions between workers. The bringing together of workers in the factory system created a need for unity against the common enemy exploiting their labour. Despite the best efforts of the capitalists to stoke racism, the impulse to class solidarity was often stronger. Many leading members of the Chartists, Britain’s first mass workers’ movement in the mid 19th century, came from the ranks of Irish labourers. Class fighters such as Feargus O’Connor and James Bronterre O’Brien led British workers into struggle, as did other “foreign” workers like the black Chartist organiser William Cuffay. Unfortunately the Chartists were defeated, and racist ideas were able to fester.
The New Unionism of the 1880s brought a new wave of Irish activists into politics. Ireland was officially part of Britain at this time so there was no issue of immigration controls—it was the availability of work not controls that adjusted the flow. At the end of the 19th century millions of Jews from the economically undeveloped parts of eastern Europe fled poverty and persecution. State-sponsored anti-semitic pogroms killed thousands of Jews in Russia and Poland. Three million largely poor Jews migrated to the US and perhaps a quarter of a million to Britain. Ruling class figures responded with racism. Tory MP William Evans Gordon said in parliament in 1902, “Not a day passes but English families are ruthlessly turned out to make room for foreign invaders.” This racism paved the way for the Aliens Act of 1905, the first to limit immigration and which defined some groups of migrants as “undesirable”. It made it easier for racists to argue that Jewish people were a problem in British society - however, Jewish workers came together with other sections of the working class. In the 1930s fascist attempts to turn “native” Britons against Jews were defeated on the streets. The long economic boom after the Second World War saw capitalists respond to increasing demand for labour by again looking to workers from overseas.
This time they looked further afield in the British Empire—to the Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent—for workers to plug the shortages in areas such as public transport and the hospitals. Black people soon found that the land of opportunity was also a land of racism. Some landlords and pubs in places like London and Birmingham put up signs saying, “No blacks, no Irish, no dogs”. But socialists and trade unionists organised reception committees to welcome the new workers and to help them settle in. However there was no automatic unity among the oppressed. Some established migrants, who had become assimilated into British society, came to view more recent immigrants as outsiders, and at times as a threat.
Some British people of Irish backgrounds could be among the most antagonistic towards Black people, seeing their own “whiteness” as making them superior to African-Caribbeans. Post-war Britain’s open door policy wasn’t to last as the boom ebbed and turn into crisis towards the end 1960s. The Tory politician Enoch Powell who had once implored Jamaicans and others to come to find work in the “mother country”, now scapegoated black and Asian immigrants for the mounting problems faced by a British economy in decline. This was even though many so-called immigrants were in fact born in the country. The 1971 Immigration Act brought a shuddering halt to “primary” immigration to Britain. Future migrants would be the dependants of those already here and not new workers. But the rising racism, especially in the mid 1970s, led to a powerful anti-racist response that reached a crescendo with the formation of the Anti Nazi League (ANL). The ANL drove the predecessors of the Nazi British National Party (BNP), the National Front, off our streets. Today asylum seekers, living in forced destitution, are blamed for “ruining areas” and bringing crime. Or in the case of “economic migrants”, like those from new European Union countries in eastern Europe like the Irish before them, lowering wages.
It can sometimes appear easier to kick the “foreign” worker next to you, especially during times of low class struggle, such as after the defeat of the Chartists in the 19th century. Equally however, during times of rising struggle, divisions are overcome time and time again. A key task of socialists today is to harness that class solidarity to fight both against the bosses and in defence of the rights of all working people, regardless of spurious notions of nation and race. Socialists must act as “tribunes of the oppressed”, as the Russian revolutionary Lenin put it. We must oppose all racism and bigotry. Today that means standing up against Islamophobia and racism, and breaking the back of the organisations these twin poisons are breeding, the Nazi BNP and the English Defence League.
Labels: Anti Nazi League, anti-semitism, British National Party, diversity, English Defence League, Enoch Powell, immigration, multiculturalism, National Front, racism
Man sprays anti-mosque graffiti at West Bridgford site
A 25-year-old English Defence League member has pleaded guilty to daubing racist graffiti on land being considered as a site for a mosque.
Christopher Payne of Hucknall admitted spraying the graffiti but denied putting a pig's head on the site in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire. He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court and will be sentenced on 21 July.
Police went to the property on 23 June where the slogan "No Mosque Here" was found spray painted on the ground.
Payne pleaded guilty to causing racially or religiously aggravated alarm, dissent or distress and causing racially aggravated criminal damage. Three other men aged 19, 21 and 31, have been arrested and questioned about the incident.
Payne, of Beardsmore Close, Hucknall, who is an events planner for the English Defence League, told the court that he sprayed the slogan but did not put the pig's head on the grassland. He was granted bail with a curfew but ordered to stay out of West Bridgford and not to go within 200m of a mosque. He has also been told not to have any public association with the English Defence League.
A member of the public reported finding the graffiti near Collington Way in West Bridgford on Thursday.
Labels: anti-mosque, EDL, English Defence League, racially aggravated public order offence
Islamophobia and antisemitism
There is some violent prejudice against Muslims in Britain today. But is there a more subtle insistence that they're really foreign?
The great thing about being in Dubai last week was being a foreigner once more. It's how I spent much of my childhood, how I grew up, and how I feel most at home; but it brings professional rewards as well as personal pleasures. I was for the first time in my conscious life in an environment where the most important thing about Muslims was not that they were Muslims. It gave me a moment of sudden awareness, like waking in a log cabin without electricity when all the background hum and tension of electric motors that you never normally hear is suddenly audible by its absence.
The people I was hanging out, and sometimes drinking, with were Muslim intellectuals whom I know and like in England. They're not in any way discriminated against in this country, as far as I can tell: their lives are not impeded by the kind of people who think that Muslims are a problem to be solved. The kind of crude and open prejudice that flourishes online – and go and look at comments on the Telegraph website, or the videos of Pat Condell, if you want to know what I mean – is very rare in liberal circles, and when we catch ourselves at it, we feel guilty.
But there is a more subtle and general sort of prejudice which holds that Condell is not an extremist outcast. Richard Dawkins, for example, has praised Condell, and used to sell his videos on his website, which reminds of the way that Oswald Mosley remained a member in good standing of the English upper classes until the outbreak of the second world war, despite his views on Jews.
What I realised in Dubai was that in England today Muslims can't escape being Muslims, any more than Jews in England in the 20s or 30s could escape being Jewish. They can't just be unremarkable, as Jews in England can be now.
In Dubai, or neighbouring Sharjah, being a Muslim did not matter in the same way. Obviously, people made a huge amount of fuss about Islam. But when you're in a room full of Muslim academics and students arguing about culture, or censorship, or why there is so little science in the Arab world, the arguments themselves make one thing wholly plain. Neither side is more Muslim than the other. None of the flaws of the Islamic world are essential or intrinsic to it. They may be widespread, and in some cases quite horrible. But they're all cultural and not just religious.
I don't mean by this that all the bad bits are cultural and all the good bits religious. That's both false and simplistic. Cultures can be both good and bad and both are still authentically Islamic. But the whole idea of an "essential" or "true" way of being Muslim makes little sense when looked at historically, no matter how important, indeed indispensable, that style of argument is between Muslims. The same is of course true about "real" Christianity, or, for that matter, "real" atheism.
We don't have any real difficulty accepting this about Christians in this country. Except for a few noisy bigots, it's accepted that nice, good Christians are just as Christian as nasty and vile ones: that Jesus would be just as much at home among the Quakers as in Ian Paisley's congregation; in fact most Guardian readers believe that he would like the Quakers more. Certainly this is true about Jews. No one really believes that Lionel Blue is less Jewish than the chief rabbi (unless the chief rabbi does).
But with Muslims, in Britain today, there is a feeling that the civilised, funny, clever ones aren't really proper Muslims at all. And don't think that these civilised, funny, clever people people don't notice it.
This is subtle and pervasive – more of a smell than a substance – and I'm not sure whether it's a very diluted version of the stench that comes off Condell or Robert Spencer or something essentially different. Either way, it is a smell of which I spend most of my life unaware, and Muslims notice much more often. I shall try to flare my nostrils a little more often.
Andrew Brown's Blog
Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up
Labels: anti-semitism, Islamophobia, Muslims, Oswald Mosley
EDL founder denies rally assault
The founder of the English Defence League (EDL) has denied assaulting a man during a rally of the far-right group in Blackburn.
Stephen Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, was arrested and charged with the offence this month following the alleged incident at an EDL gathering in Blackburn on April 2. He is said to have committed common assault against Alan McKee.
Around 2,000 members of the group gathered in the centre of the Lancashire town in April as they were kept about 150 yards apart from a counter-protest by up to 500 anti-fascists. About 50 EDL supporters gathered at Blackburn Magistrates' Court to support their leader with a visible police presence outside.
Lennon, 28, of Luton, Bedfordshire, will go on trial at Preston Magistrates' Court on September 29. The hearing was listed for one day. Lennon was granted bail on conditions of residence, that he reports to his local police station on Saturday afternoons and does not participate in public protests that are 12 miles away from his home town.
The Garstang Courier
Labels: Blackburn, EDL, English Defence League, Stephen Lennon, Tommy Robinson
Of bullshit-fests and makeovers...
This was the scene outside the Rockware Hotel, Standish Street, St. Helens, where the BNP was holding its EGM at which (surprise, surprise) Nick Griffin is working extremely hard at lying to gullible BNP members to get them to vote for him in the coming leadership challenge - if there is a leadership challenge at all, which some of our correspondents are beginning to doubt.
The usual dossers are standing around outside, with the biggest dosser of all, porky pervert Martin Reynolds, still head of personal security for the paunchy pig farmer himself, over on the extreme left for a change.
Mysteriously, the Lie Lorry was treated to a makeover of strawberry pink and egg white while the meeting was going on. Click on the image to see it full-size. Doesn't it look luvverly. :-)
Cheers to the anonymous picture provider.
Labels: BNP, British National Party, EGM, lie lorry, Martin Reynolds, Nick Griffin
BNP teacher accused of sending 'inappropriate' emails to ex-pupil
He faces charges of unprofessional conduct after corresponding with 17-year-old girl
A prominent member of the British National Party faces being banned from the classroom by the General Teaching Council for England (GTC) after it emerged he will face charges of unprofessional conduct.
Mark Walker - whose brother Adam, a fellow BNP member and teacher, also fought a high-profile battle with the disciplinary body - is accused of misusing his school computer. Mr Walker, who now works for the far-right political party, is said to have used a school email account for "inappropriate email exchanges" with a 17-year-old female former pupil. He is expected to be charged with unprofessional conduct when he appears before the GTC this autumn.
The former teacher has already lost an employment tribunal case. He has claimed he was unfairly sacked from Sunnydale Community College in Shildon, County Durham, for his political views and involvement with the BNP.
In September 2007, more than 100 people demonstrated outside the school with placards in support of Mr Walker, claiming he had been suspended because of his membership of the BNP.
Mr Walker's GTC hearing was due to take place last week, but instead the panel held a "case management" meeting about his case. The GTC has not yet released details of the charges he faces.
His representative, Patrick Harrington, general secretary of the Solidarity union, told The TES that Mr Walker had referred himself to the disciplinary body because he wants to "challenge" allegations recorded on his Criminal Records Bureau enhanced disclosure form as a result of his dismissal.
"He is resigned to the fact he won't teach again. He feels there is a vendetta against him but he knows it's unlikely any employer would now give him a job," Mr Harrington said. "The school and local authority have flung huge numbers of charges at him, and he wants them to be tested."
A tribunal rejected Mr Walker's case for unfair dismissal, concluding that the school had been justified in letting him go because of his sickness record at the end of 2008.
Mr Walker, a technology teacher, was first suspended in March 2007 after concerns were raised that he and a teaching assistant had watched video footage of "sexual activity" on a school computer.
The allegations made in September 2007 of using a school email account for "inappropriate email exchanges" with the 17-year-old ex-pupil sparked an investigation by children's charity the NSPCC. It concluded that the correspondence suggested a sexual relationship between Mr Walker and the girl, and questioned whether he should be put in a position of trust.
During the same period, Mr Walker became ill and remained unfit for work.
THE WALKERS - In the family
Mark Walker's brother, Adam Walker, who stood as a BNP candidate at last year's general election, was cleared of religious intolerance by the GTC last year, despite posting comments about "filth from other countries" on a website while he should have been supervising pupils.
The drawn-out case cost the GTC £72,746. Mr Walker, who taught at Houghton Kepier Sports College, County Durham, used a school laptop to post his views.
The GTC said he had not broken any rules to bar him from the profession. Education secretary Michael Gove cited this decision as one of the reasons he decided to axe the disciplinary body.
Labels: Adam Walker, BNP, British National Party, General Teaching Council, Mark Walker
Brought down...man who yelled abuse at EDL demo
Three men arrested after the English Defence League protests in Halifax have appeared in court.
Mark Martin, 23, of Four Gates End, Hebden Bridge, admitted using threatening words or behaviour during the demo on April 16.
Prosecutor Paul Ramsey said: “There were 200 members of the EDL congregated in Halifax to take part in a demonstration. Police had reason to arrest two men but at the time Martin was also present. He took exception to the arrest.”
He shouted abuse at the officer.
“It was said in the middle of Halifax on a busy Saturday morning and members of the public were present,” said Mr Ramsey. “He tried to run away from the police but he was rugby tackled to the ground,” he said.
Martin was given a 12-month community order. He was told to pay £85 costs.
Also appearing at Calderdale Magistrates’ Court were Richard McTear, 29, of Brooksbank Gardens, Elland, and Mark Swidrak, 32, from Keighley. McTear pleaded not guilty to failing to follow the instructions of a police officer issued when he was in Princess Street, Halifax. Swidrak also pleaded not guilty to two charges. He denied using abusive, threatening or insulting words at Cow Green, Halifax. Both also denied obstructing police officers in their duty.
They were both given conditional bail until their next hearing on July 9. Their joint trial was listed for September 5.
Labels: demonstration, EDL, English Defence League, Halifax, threatening behaviour
MoD investigates EDL soldiers
The Ministry of Defence confirmed last month that an investigation is underway concerning photographs of eight soldiers standing next to a flag of the anti-Islam English Defence League (EDL) at a homecoming parade for the Duke of Lancaster Regiment.
One of the photographs shows soldiers from regiment, which recruits in Cumbria, posing next to the flag of the EDL at a homecoming parade for the regiment in Blackburn last year. Eight soldiers are seen standing next to the flag, bearing the words: “EDL supports Duke of Lancaster Regiment.” Another more controversial photograph shows a uniformed solider, allegedly in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, his face hidden by a black scarf as he brandishes a pistol and stands in front of the EDL flag.
A spokesman for the MoD told The Muslim News: “Individuals are free to join political parties but they’re not permitted to take an active role in political campaigning and must abide by our values and standards in all they do. Instances of unacceptable behaviour in the armed forces are investigated, and appropriate action taken up to and including dismissal.
“An investigation is already underway into allegations that individuals have breached army regulations through their involvement with the EDL.”
Former Chair on the Commons Counter Terrorism Sub-committee, Patrick Mercer, urged servicemen to steer clear of the EDL. He said the photographs could be used as propaganda by extremists in Afghanistan. “That could only damage our cause,” he said.
Muslim News
Thanks to the many people who sent this in
Labels: anti-Islam, EDL, English Defence League, Ministry of Defence
The fundamentally decent Nicholas Griffin
Posted by Unknown 7 Comment (s)
As the ever-shrinking BNP heads towards its rigged General Members' Meeting on Sunday, we thought it timely to republish a Lancaster Unity article from May 2008, unamended and still referring to the "Activist Declaration" form idea that was quickly, quietly and very wisely dropped when it theatened further dissension in what had been yet another period of violent turbulence as Nick Griffin's paranoiac leadership entered its ninth year.
Now led by the (for anti-fascists) dream team of Griffin and Patrick Harrington, the BNP has become little more than a fascinating case study in derangement, phsychopathy, corruption, greed, deceit and delusion. It seems more suited to psychiatric than political analysis - but wasn't that always true?
Without apology then, from May 2008...
Nine years of vision and vermin
It's been nine long years since Nick Griffin unseated John Tyndall as BNP leader in what can fairly be described as the only relatively honest leadership election (in purely mechanical terms) the BNP ever held. And it's only ever held two.
Naturally, neither man was entirely honest in how they conducted their campaigns, and still less honest with their respective supporters as to their future intentions - but of the two only Nicholas Griffin was presented with the opportunity to demonstrate the fact, and upon winning lost very little time in giving the BNP a hefty dose of the control freakery and paranoia he had once administered to the National Front, the same which sent that organisation into terminal decline.
What is striking at this remove is John Tyndall's magnaminity in allowing the then recently arrived Griffin's 1999 challenge, to the point of permitting Griffin the full use of BNP structures and mechanisms even as the six-month campaign quickly descended into a long series of visceral dog-fights. It is, after all, John Tyndall who we see pictured in Nazi uniform, not the alleged "moderniser" Nick Griffin.
In 1999 Griffin claimed to be running an "open and honest" leadership challenge based on "positive ideas for the future", calling himself the candidate with "flair and vision". This certainly struck a chord with the BNP's newer members, and even appealed to some hardline BNP veterans all too aware of Tyndall's advancing years and of the tiredness of his leadership.
It did, however, obscure Griffin's woeful record in the National Front, where he spent much of his time engaged in factional activities, seemed to view political positions as expendable commodities, and was even then the subject of much disquiet in the matter of finance.
Griffin passed himself off as the BNP's "unity candidate", threatening that a Tyndall win would "lead inevitably to a most disastrous split" (presumably Griffin would be the leader of this putative split) - words that would earn anybody in today's Griffinite BNP instant expulsion. There were also dire warnings of purges ahead at the hands of Tyndall, while, "in happy contrast", Nick's "mature, level-headed and fundamentally decent approach" would restore unity and stability to the BNP. There would be "not one single expulsion" if Nick were to assume the leadership - "No cronysim, no favouritism, no grudges" he promised.
History tells a very different story.
One of Nick's first "positive ideas" as leader was to ensure that no challenger would ever again have the scope or freedom to campaign as he had done, and there began the first of a series of changes to the BNP constitution that should have rung loud alarm bells among those who had taken Griffin at his word
People like convinced Griffin supporters Steve and Sharron Edwards, who, within a year of Griffin's assumption of the leadership found themselves asking some searching questions about the new man's financial probity and as a result became victims of paranoic accusations that were the pretext for expelling them from the party.
They were among the first, and many legally dubious expulsions have passed under the BNP bridge since then.
That first proof that Griffin the BNP leader preserved exactly the same frame of mind as Griffin the National Front chairman (and author of the insane and infamous "Attempted Murder" pamphlet), gave wider currency to Tyndallite grumbling and opened the eyes of many early Griffin loyalists, few of whom have remained in place, due either to being cast aside as their usefulness to Griffin came to an end, were purged, or grew disillusioned.
The problem was that the only person capable of mounting a credible challenge against Griffin was John Tyndall, at the time subject to a campaign of vilification for that very reason - but Tyndall, with his Nazi past and barely reconstructed views, was anathema even to those Griffinites who had come to loath their leader.
Tyndall's death removed the biggest thorn in Griffin's side, and there has since been no other personality within the BNP who stands out even remotely as likely leadership material - not that a personality likely to present a future threat to Griffin will ever have the chance to stand out, as Jonathon Bowden discovered last summer (2007).
Had the BNP not begun to experience its first real electoral successes as disaffection with Griffin began to rise then it quite likely that the party would have descended into vicious faction-fighting, which might have been the end of the extreme-Right for a decade or more. But election success - albeit localised - did come, and Griffin was quick to take the credit.
BNP members - more like the "sheeple" they despise than they care to believe - were happy to go along with him, and in so doing were prepared to overlook their leader's less savoury character traits and blind themselves to the stark evidence that the BNP was increasingly beginning to look like what Martin Webster christened "the Griffin Family Business".
Of course there are many reasons for the BNP's initial spurt of electoral success, none of them much at all to do with Nicholas Griffin.
It might be argued that the best election agent the BNP ever had was Blairism and its apparent (if not intentional) attempts to disconnect itself from its core electorate - an electorate unlikely, especially in the northern towns where the first BNP gains came, to find any merit in voting for the then divided and demoralised Tories, or the Liberal Democrats. We must add in to that the 2001 Oldham riots, and the fact (much as it grieves us to say it) that in certain areas of strength the BNP did have capable organisers who ran intelligent, competent local campaigns with which Nick Griffin had no connection at all.
Further gains followed, of course, and Nick identified himself with every success, to the point where many BNP members really did (and still do) believe that without the guiding hand of Griffin the BNP would have achieved nothing at all.
This is utter nonsense. If there were any truth to it at all then the BNP would have achieved comparable results to those it obtained in places like Oldham and Burnley over the remainder of the country. Save for some small pockets where the circumstances outlined above pertained, it did nothing of the kind - but Nick was never eager to take the credit for that.
The probable truth is that finding himself the leader of the most electorally successful British racist party to date came as of much as a surprise to Griffin as it did to everybody else. Even so, Griffin seemed fixed on undermining "his" achievement by continuing the ludicrous (and legally expensive) hunt for John Tyndall's scalp, the unending litany of expulsions and proscriptions, and was quite prepared to wreck the BNP in its strongest electoral areas (Burnley being the textbook case) if he smelled the least whiff of personal disloyalty.
To many, even the BNP's enemies, these seemed like the actions of a demagogue more interested in preserving his hide than those of a man possessed of "flair and vision" with "positive ideas for the future".
Tyndall died, and the BNP's then electoral high point came and went, Griffin and his leadership team reduced to promising breathroughs to come.
Last year, as we all remember, along with the BNP itself we expected the party to add to its tally of 49 sitting councillors at the 2007 local elections. Everything seemed set fair for them to do so. We gritted our teeth, the racists prepared to crow - but early into the election night results it was clear who would be doing the crowing, and it wasn't the BNP.
The next morning we wrote:
The BNP's march to power turned into a cul-de-sac of indifference yesterday, with the racist party failing to make any impression in the English local elections.
Predicting at least a doubling of their 49 councillors, a devastated BNP finds its tally (at the time of writing) remains 49. Though the BNP did pick up seats it lost the same number, making no net gains. Of the nine BNP councillors up for re-election only one successfully defended his seat.
Claiming "mixed results" in an attempt to hide an electoral calamity from its shell-shocked members, there was no real disguising of the BNP's utter failure over large swathes of the country. The party's fortunes stalled and went into reverse in areas where its hopes were high, notably Sandwell and Birmingham, where thousands of votes were lost. Votes in cities such as Coventry were barely improved over those obtained thirty years ago by the National Front. In an effort to distract attention from the Birmingham debacle, the BNP is focussing attention on the fact that it gained more votes than the renegade Sharon Ebanks and her tiny number of New Nationalist Party candidates.
Griffin did not rush to identify himself with this particular set of results, nor did he attempt to explain why, when - by its own assessment - conditions had never been better for the BNP, all that could be reported was abject failure.
Of course, Griffin had other concerns by then, the lacklustre leadership challenge of Chris Jackson assuming a new and threatening importance in the light of the appalling election results, which challenge had to be hamstrung (as it was) before any damage to Griffin's position was done.
The paranoid sequel to Jackson's challenge was well enough reported here and is fresh enough in our minds not to bear a full re-telling, save to recall Griffin's infamously insane "vermin", "thieves" and "liars" blog diatribe, backed up by an equally hysterical and inventive four page spread in the BNP's "Identity" magazine - and, naturally, the purging and proscribing quickly followed.
Post the 2007 locals, the BNP continued to fight in by-elections, where it could concentrate its resources in pursuit of the best possible showing. Their results were lamentable - though there were areas, the East Midlands and adjacent districts being salient cases, where the party could produce a good first-time vote. Unfortunately for them, where the party's performance could be measured against previous outings in the same ward, their vote invariably fell.
Seeking a crumb of comfort, the party was overjoyed to retain a seat in Loughton, making a great deal of fuss over this "achievement" - and going to great lengths to silence wiser voices which pointed out that the BNP vote had fallen by a notable 5% and that the seat had been retained by a margin of 20 votes against a candidate who did not belong to one of the major parties. To say, as some did, that this was no small cause for concern was to invite attack as a "troublemaker", a "splitter", an "anti-BNP Red" and all the usual epithets beloved of the Griffinite BNP.
All that mattered was that the seat had been retained, and to hell with any unwelcome analysis.
They were to pay for this self-deluding complacency.
Ignoring for now the damp squib of the BNP's Decembrist revolt, the BNP began mustering its electoral troops early for the 2008 locals. As was clear from their numerous blogs and their posts on their usual internet hang-outs, they had worked themselves up for a real breakthrough.
This was going to be their year - they could feel it in their bones.
We couldn't. Everything we'd seen and recorded of BNP performances over the past year told us that though some gains were likely, nothing much was going to change and the established picture of electoral stagnation and reverse would continue.
For once, the BNP leadership cultivated a healthy restraint in its predictions, even inventing the meaningless spin-phrase "quiet revolution" to explain the BNP's snail's pace growth (or lack thereof) to a potentially restive membership. And there was a distinct air of unreality in the lead up to election day.
What struck us was the idiotic claim made by BNP deputy chairman and Griffin cheerleader Simon Darby that he had made a "breakthrough" by sealing a deal with the Pensioners Party whereby that party would recommend its members and supporters to vote BNP. The only fly in the ointment was that the PP had a total of six members, was completely unknown and without influence, and its leadership seemed to be unaware of any deal with the BNP. Members of other parties might have resented this cynical attempt to con them, but, all too typically, the BNP sheeple seemed more outraged that the con had been exposed.
Unreality continued as virtually powerless parish councillors became equated in Griffinite BNP spin with district councillors, an exercise designed purely to push up the total number of BNP "councillors" gained and to prove to an all too gullible membership of how well things were progressing for the BNP - proof in itself that the BNP's leadership had no great expectations for the 2008 locals. Several non-political parish council seats fell unopposed into the hands of the BNP, each "gain" being proudly reported on the BNP website.
It was so much whistling in the dark.
The BNP gained a grand total of ten "real" councillors, and its vote in its own heartlands fell, frequently by considerable margins.
Nick Griffin did not rush to bask in the reflected glory of this particular success, and though many BNP members still regurgitate the Griffinite smoke-and-mirrors line that something remarkable happened on May 1st, it is apparent that hard reality is finally beginning to bite for some of their number.
The plain fact, which they cannot ignore, is that by its own lights electoral conditions were never better for the BNP than they were on May 1st. A long serious of immigration controversies preceded the elections, some in the same week, there was the 40th anniversary of Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech, falling together with the BBC "White Season" series, and the party frequently received completely uncritical press coverage. They themselves were reporting on ecstatic doorstep receptions for their canvassers.
And still Nick Griffin could deliver only 10 extra councillors from the 612 seats fought by the BNP.
Following the locals we had to wait 24 hours for the results of the London Mayoral race and the GLA elections - 24 hours in which Griffin must have prayed for a miracle. At all events, the BNP's spinmeisters began to play down expectations (and with good reason), uncertain whether they would gain anything at all.
Disaster seemed to beckon for what party apparatchniks were calling the BNP's finest campaign, but finally the much-hyped Richard Barnbrook scraped a GLA seat with 5.4%.
In the wake of this apparent "landmark" victory, as they touted it, the BNP seemed oblivious to the fact that 30 years ago the more honestly racist National Front averaged pretty much the same vote and better over large swathes of London. The truth is that the BNP should have achieved election on 7-8% of the vote if there was to be any credibility to their claim of "progress". They did not.
Again Nick Griffin failed to deliver.
After nine years of Nick Griffin's "vision and flair", in the most favourable circumstances imaginable, the BNP still manages a miserable grand total of 55 (real) local councillors and one elected (just) member of the GLA.
This is not a record that would wash in any political party other than the BNP.
To sum up the nine years of Nick Griffin's leadership, then, there has been, from the beginning and ever since, a long series of legally challengable expulsions of those who either cast doubt on Griffin's financial management of the party or who were deemed a threat to his position. There has been a ruthless willingness to wreck the BNP in its own areas of strength for no better reason than that members in those areas felt their loyalties to the party over-rode any presumed loyalty to a man they did not trust or in who they lacked confidence. In short, there has been continual internal strife since 1999.
If the incessant amendments to the BNP's risible constitution were not enough to make Nick feel safe, then, as some of you will be aware, the party has issued "Activist Declaration" forms - the only case we know of in British politics where ordinary members of a political party are being forced to swear something not a million miles removed from the Nazi oath of allegiance, and at the same time to give themselves as hostage to fortune to whatever constitutional changes Griffin chooses to enact.
Clearly a trap is being loaded, since: "I agree to abide by the British National Party’s Constitution and any amendments made to it under the provisions of the Constitution".
Those signing this (Barnsian?) document, especially those closely allied with Griffin's internal opponents, may as well hand the man a loaded gun and wait to be shot the moment the inevitable constitutional amendments are made.
It can have no other purpose.
Perhaps the sudden appearance of this scurrilous document can be best explained by the fact that elections for the European parliament are now a year away, and if there is one thing we know Griffin longs to do it is to bag his ticket on the Euro gravy-train.
To that end he has already deposed Chris Jackson as North-west Regional Organiser in favour of himself, and parachuted himself in as the BNP's number one candidate in the region. We also saw, when a general election seemed but weeks away last autumn, that Griffin's overarching concern was to preserve BNP finances for the Euro elections - strange behaviour for a British "national" party.
You or I might think a good general election performance would be of more lasting benefit to the BNP than Griffin's flying off to Strasbourg and the riches of an MEP on the back of a tiny vote in north-west England, but the BNP have convinced themselves that this is the way forward - failing to notice that a similar exercise has done the UKIP no good at all, and never really asking themselves exactly what a lone BNP representative in Europe is going to achieve for the party.
However that may be, with the prize now in sight the Griffin Family Business must be protected from hostile takeover, and we can't help but to think that the "Activist Declaration" form is a large and sinister part of that protection.
In perspective, then: in nine years Nick Griffin has taken the BNP from nowhere to next to nowhere. In the most favourable conditions ever to exist in which a racialist and nationalist party could expect to grow, the BNP under Griffin has remained stunted, its membership numbering well under 10,000, despite the regular repetition of the lie that hundreds join every week.
It remains electorally moribund, and where it has met with success it has done so despite the turbulent Griffin, not because of him. His record is, by any measure, lamentable, nine years of effort and eye-watering expenditure on the part of the BNP producing a paltry crop of 55 local councillors who all too often are not up to the job and all too prone to find themselves confronted with past indiscretions.
That Griffin has managed for so long to pass off his leadership as a story of unparalleled success is an achievement of sorts, we suppose, but we on our side of the fence really do thank our stars that the BNP chose to land itself with the most divisive and incompetent leader ever to grace the stage of the far-Right in Britain.
"Flair and vision"? It seems more like stuff and nonsense to us.
Labels: BNP, British National Party, John Tyndall, Nick Griffin, Patrick Harrington, Richard Barnbrook
EDL founder in court after far-right rally clashes
The founder of the English Defence League (EDL) will appear in court today accused of common assault.
Stephen Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, was arrested after a rally of the far-right group in Blackburn, Lancashire, on April 2.
The demonstration saw minor skirmishes among the 2,000 members of the group who had gathered in the centre of the town. Police kept EDL supporters about 150 metres apart from a counter-protest by around 500 anti-fascists.
Lennon, 28, of Layham Drive, Luton, will appear on bail at Blackburn Magistrates Court.
Labels: Blackburn, common assault, EDL, English Defence League, Stephen Lennon, Tommy Robinson
Edmonton mosque among targets of 'hate mail campaign'
An Edmonton mosque was the target of hate mail and a package of suspect powder sent through the post.
The Edmonton Islamic Centre was among a host of mosques across the UK targeted in a suspected hate mail campaign over the last few weeks.
Tariq Chaudhri, secretary of the trust which runs the centre, called in police after opening a package on Tuesday, June 14. He told the Enfield Independent: “The envelope seemed a bit heavier than usual, and when I opened it some powder came out. I washed my hands and put the letter to one side, and called police.”
Officers evacuated the centre, in Raynham Road, as a precaution, just after 1pm, until specialist officers had determined the powder was harmless.
An accompanying letter included, according to Mr Chaudhri, insults to the Prophet Mohammed and offensive drawings. He added: “We haven't had any problems here before, we've got a good relationship with the community and don't have problems with extremist views. It seems someone is going round [the] whole of London, it has happened in quite a few places.”
The Met confirmed it is investigating a series of suspicious packages being sent to mosques around London, Dorset, Merseyside, Sussex, and Gloucestershire. The North London Central Mosque in Finsbury Park was among those targeted, and police have sent a letter to all mosques in the capital warning them to be cautious when opening mail.
No one has been arrested, and detectives are looking at whether the incidents are linked.
This is Local London
Labels: anti-Muslim, hate mail, Islamophobia, mosques
BNP leader Griffin addresses demonstrators outside court
British National Party leader Nick Griffin led a demonstration outside Bolton Crown Court yesterday in response to a high-profile case involving an alleged child prostitution ring.
The controversial politician, who was joined by about 30 BNP activists, spoke to the assembled crowd on a megaphone as his supporters waved placards and handed out leaflets. A BNP trailer blaring out the theme from Dam Busters was also being driven around the town centre. There was a large police presence in Black Horse Street as officers from Bolton and Rochdale ensured the demonstration passed off peacefully.
It was triggered by a preliminary hearing in a Rochdale court case which was being heard in Bolton yesterday. Eight men from Rochdale are accused of offences including rape, paying for the sexual services of a child, trafficking a child and controlling child prostitution. They have yet to plead to the charges.
Mr Griffin, who was accompanied by a bodyguard, said: “We want to keep the pressure on so action is taken in every town.”
Among the demonstrators was local BNP candidate Dorothy Sayers. She said: “We’re not racist. We’re simply standing up for the British people because no other party is prepared to.”
But onlookers condemned the demonstration. Rev Les Allmark, the Bolton town centre chaplain, said: “This is racist propaganda. If they were here every time there was a paedophilia trial they might get more respect. What we’re seeing here is a small number of activists trying to stir up trouble where there is none.”
Worker Helen Jones added: “I don’t think there’s any place for the BNP in our country. All they do is promote intolerance, ignorance and prejudice in a way that will ultimately divide communities. We live in a multicultural society and we should be embracing that, not inciting hatred.”
Nishielle-Tamar Lloyd, aged 20, from Heaton, who was waiting for a bus nearby, said: “I don’t agree with it. I’m a Christian and something doesn’t feel Christian about what they’re saying.”
Police said the event passed peacefully. Insp Paul Murphy, who was overseeing the operation, said: “We’re here to facilitate a peaceful protest and prevent a breach of the peace.”
The Bolton News
Labels: BNP, Bolton, British National Party, demonstration, Nick Griffin
Arrests after Yorkshire anti-racism gig stormed
Police are continuing to investigate after an anti-racism concert was stormed by protesters chanting support for the English Defence League.
Three men were arrested on suspicion of affray after a hail of rocks and bottles were thrown into the 150 strong crowd of music fans and at windows at The Well venue, Chorley Lane, near the city centre. Two people were injured at Saturday’s all day Rage Against Racism event. One man had teeth knocked out.
Kevin Berry, assistant manager at The Well, formerly Joseph’s Well, suffered an injured wrist during the fracas while shielding himself from a missile as he stood behind the bar. He said: “A group of around 15 people, estimated to be aged between 16 and 23 barged into the premises shouting and chanting ‘EDL’. They were throwing bottles and rocks. The police attended quickly and arrests were made. Despite the incident, the event continued without a problem. We had to carry on. It would mean that these people would have stopped the benefit gig and all the hard work done to arrange it. The group also allegedly posted their plans on Facebook and afterwards boasted on the internet about what had happened.”
Organisers today said that the concert continued as planned until the early hours of Sunday morning. Star guests at the punk, ska and reggae event included The Mighty Oppressed, Low-Life UK and DJs Jon Firth and Jamie Headcharge.
Four windows were broken, including one at offices above the venue. Two people were injured in the attack.
All money raised at the event will be donated to the Unite Against Facism organisation and local projects.
The EDL claims to be a street protest movement which opposes what it sees as the spread of Islamism, Sharia law and Islamic extremism in England.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “Officers were called shortly before 2.40pm on Saturday to reports of a disturbance at The Well. One man received a serious facial injury and others received minor injuries, with damage also caused to the premises. Three men were arrested on suspicion of affray, and were bailed pending further enquiries, which are being led by City and Holbeck CID.”
Witnesses are asked to call 0845 6060606.
Yorkshire Evening Post
Labels: affray, EDL, English Defence League, Rage Against Racism, Unite Against Fascism
EDL Acronym Trouble: Forgetting Who They Are?
It seems the English Defence League (EDL) have been having an identity crisis. Their members, many of whom have trouble spelling their own first name, have got themselves confused over their own 'organisations' acronym. Recently heard chanting “E L D!” during a town centre smash up, it was speculated the organisation had changed their name, however, it turns out it's a simple case of them all being a bit thick.
It was thought the constant chanting of “E E E D L” for hours on end, was a battle cry of some sort, to make their presence known when vandalising town centres and intimidating shoppers. However, it now appears this is a method, introduced by the leadership, for helping the membership remember the complicated three letter acronym.
Facebook posts are a gold mine of EDL cock-ups, some of the best include; “ELD All The Way! No Surrender”, “ELD til I die!”, “E-On Yeah!! No to Islammyfication” and “DEL Forever, No Surrender”. Whilst some could possibly be put down to typos, a number of EDL supporters have been seen sporting ELD tattoos and wearing ELD clothing, and a source reported that the EDL leadership spent thousands manufacturing ELD merchandise, which is now for sale online.
Tommy Robinson, the leader, has blamed the crisis on the BNP's leader Nick Griffin. He said in a statement: “This is all his (Nick Griffin's) fault, when he started saying we were a state sponsored pressure valve, we had to sit down and think, what's a pressure valve? And we had to think, why a state sponsored one? We just didn't understand it, we still don't. All this thinking made us stop chanting and we forgot what the acronym was.”
Robinson later claimed the “new range of ELD merchandise” is for the new EDL French Division, he said “the French say things the other way round so you see it's actually quite clever”. This resulted in a backlash from EDL supporters, ranting via Facebook “them dirty frogs aren't even English so they can't join our defence league, if they want a French Defence League then fine, but no way are we having a French Division, it just isn't democratic!”.
When we phoned for comment, the spokesperson asked us what an acronym was and if it was poisonous, “I heard we've been having trouble with em and I don't want to get hurt or owt, tha knows, I ant even got me feet on the floor just in case".
Turkey Breath
Labels: EDL, English Defence League, Facebook, Nick Griffin, Tommy Robinson
400 will march against new Cambridge mosque, claims EDL
The English Defence League (EDL) claims 400 people will march through Cambridge against plans for a new mosque in Mill Road.
Cambridgeshire police are gearing up for the far-right group’s demonstration and a counter-protest by Unite Against Fascism on Saturday, July 9.
EDL leader Tommy Robinson told the News he expects up to 400 people will attend the march against plans for a new £13 million mosque in Mill Road to replace the one in Mawson Road, which has space for just 500 of the city’s 4,000 Muslims.
He said: "We are against the building of this mosque which will be the biggest in East Anglia and we have had a lot of people in Cambridge contacting us who are worried about it. We are against the building of all mosques because they preach homophobia and anti-Semitism which we should not tolerate in this country."
The march clashes with The Ridgeons Big Weekend on Parker’s Piece.
An EDL march in Peterborough last year was policed by about 1,000 officers from 18 forces.
A police spokeswoman said: "Plans are under way to ensure an appropriate police response on the day. The force fully supports people’s right to peaceful protest, as well as ensuring minimal disruption to the people of Cambridge."
Councillors, trade unionists, Cambridge Muslim Council and Cambridge Islamic have signed a declaration saying EDL is "deeply Islamophobic" and aim to "divide us by making scapegoats of one community, just as the Nazis did with the Jews in the 1930s".
Richard Rose, Cambridge’s national officer for Unite Against Fascism, said: "The EDL is trying to divide our city but Cambridge loves its multi-cultural mix and they will fail."
Muslim leader Abdul Arain, Mill Road store owner and Chancellor of Cambridge University candidate, said: "In Mill Road you will find the melting pot of Cambridge and you will find the EDL really do not have any support here or indeed across the city."
Labels: anti-mosque, Cambridge, EDL, English Defence League, Islamophobia
EDL's Vicious Attack on Muslim Bystanders
The Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPACUK) reports an attack on two Muslim bystanders during an anti-Muslim march in Dagenham by the far-right group, the English Defence League.
The viscous attack occurred on Saturday 18th June, when the two Muslim men, both in their mid 20’s, were walking through their town when they encountered the EDL march. It is estimated that around 250 EDL members were present at the march and were shouting Islamophobic and racist chants.
Surprisingly, there was not a single uniformed policeman in the area and local residents were not warned by the police prior to the march that they must remain vigilant.
The two victims, Aftab Baig and Mohammed Baig crossed over to the other side of the road to avoid the EDL thugs but some of the EDL protesters followed them and started hurling abuse at the two men. Six of the EDL members then launched a violent attack on the two men, throwing them to the ground where they were kicked and punched repeatedly.
Both men sustained multiple injuries and Mohammed Baig was hospitalised suffering head injuries and a broken jaw.
MPACUK would like to know why the problem of the EDL is not being taken seriously by the government or the police despite the EDL having a track record of violence and disorder. A number of EDL members have criminal records for violent offences. The EDL is an extremist group that should be banned.
MPACUK
Labels: anti-Muslim, Dagenham, demonstration, EDL, English Defence League
EDL Attack Rage Against Racism Gig
Last night The Oppressed, among other acts, entertained hundreds of militant anti-fascists at the excellent Rage Against Racism gig at The Well in Leeds. The gig was organised by local anti-fascists for the benefit of Leeds and Cardiff Anti Fascist Action, the event was not related to Unite Against Fascism or Hope not Hate despite what the EDL thought. Manchester Anti Fascist Alliance were, again, offered to do a stall at the gig selling our merchandise .
The English Defence League had threatened to disrupt the event on the grounds that the “UAF racists” shouldn’t be at an anti-racist gig. Around a dozen members of the EDL, thought to be from Bradford, turned up to conduct a smash and run type operation. Unfortunately it was successful in that they put through two windows, three of them got banged (including one leading mixed race EDL member who was sporting a cracked head) and then ran away only to be arrested latter on. One anti-fascist was injured by a stray bottle thrown as the legged it. Hope Not Hate claim to have photographic evidence but they have handed it over to the police *groan*. The gig carried on and the consensus is that it was fantastic!
However this is another worrying development the EDL are carrying out their threats against anti-racists although they are yet to realise there is a difference between the UAF and Anti Fascist Action types, hopefully the cracked skull will make them realise. The EDL have stepped up their militant activities especially in the North due to the North West Infidel and North East Infidel (NWI & NEI) split. These two groups, along with what remains of the Scottish Defence League, are disillusioned with the pathetic marching from the train station and back in some racial diverse town or city.
The NWI & NEI want to take the fight to the UAF and other “reds” and we must be prepared to defend ourselves and our activities. the UAF are constantly turning a blind eye to these attacks, which are mostly aimed at the UAF due to the intense hatred the EDL have for the UAF. The UAF must not allow themselves to be beaten off the streets and their ever decreasing turn outs to their useless counter demonstrations give evidence to this happening already. The UAF denounce militant anti-fascists as chuvenistic and “squaddist” but militant anti-fascist must be a weapon always in our arsenal and we must not be afraid to deploy it. Let us be prepared to defend the working class communities from fascists and to prevent their infiltration by fascists. The UAF has failed working class communities and allowing the EDL to take the place of what should be the left. The NWI & NEI must be watched too, if these groups move outside of the EDL they will no longer be constrained by the EDL marching tactics. They are a more openly racist group, openly using “white power” on their facebook group, and are more inclined to militant and violent tactics than the EDL officals.
To end on a positive note: MAFA would like to thanks the organisers for holding an excellent gig and we hope that we see more of them. Also thank you for inviting MAFA to do a stall. A special mention has been requested to thank the anti fascist organisation who stewarded the meeting so professionally and well and thwarted the attempted attack outnumbered.
This article will be updated once new information comes out. All the specifics in this article have already been written about in the public domain, if you have any further information and amendments please post it in the comments.
No Retreat
Written by Fat Lad at Manchester Anti Fascist Alliance
Labels: EDL, English Defence League, Leeds, Manchester Anti Fascist Alliance, Rage Against Racism
EDL thug abused old men
An English Defence League member who threatened two elderly asian men has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Darren Buck, 50, was involved in the demonstration with the far-right group in Halifax town centre on April 16. Calderdale Magistrates Court heard how around 200 EDL members turned out for the demonstration which they claimed was in protest at two of their number being attacked the week before.
At around 2.30pm police reported that a large gathering of protestors were congregating outside The Plummet Line pub, Bull Close Lane, Halifax, and were trying to break through the police line. It was at this time that officers saw Buck, a former sheet metal worker, acting aggressively towards the two elderly asian men. Officers said he was seen trying to punch the two men but he missed and was consequently arrested.
Buck was interviewed by police and admitted the offence saying he was demonstrating to show solidarity with his fellow members. He also told them he had been an EDL member for about a year but didn’t have any racist beliefs.
Buck pleaded guilty to a charge of using insulting or abusive language with the threat of violence.
Judith Poole, chair of the magistrates, said: “We feel this offence is so serious that only custody is appropriate. You were part of a group of 200 people, over 200 police officers had to be in attendance and it was a Saturday afternoon with a lot of people around who must have been really frightened.”
Buck, from Wombwell, Barnsley, was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison which was suspended for 12 months. He will be subject to a curfew on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 9pm for 20 weeks and must pay costs of £85.
Labels: demonstration, EDL, English Defence League, far-right, Halifax, threatening behaviour
Racist chants by EDL in pub
The first two English Defence League members charged after a town-centre demo have appeared in court.
Peter Craven, 28 and Michael Riley 23, both from Hull, each admitted stealing a pool ball and possessing an offensive weapon. The men admitted they were in Halifax for the EDL protest that engulfed the town centre on April 16.
They were part of a 16-man group who left the main organisation and moved to the Beehive and Cross Keys pub in King Cross Street near Park ward – an area police were trying to shield from EDL members. In the pub, EDL members chanted racist songs, snapped pool cues and hunted through waste bins for bottles. Police arrested the men outside the pub shortly after they left.
They will be sentenced at Bradford Crown Court July 19.
Thanks to Abu for the heads-up
Labels: EDL, English Defence League, Halifax, racist chanting
BNP Way Forward Meeting Tonight
Posted by John P 12 Comment (s)
A BNP way forward meeting will be taking place tonight at:-
The Park Hotel,
Park Road,
Mexborough,
S64 9PE.
The meeting starts at 7.30pm.
Perhaps you would like to register your displeasure at this event taking place by calling 01709 582 367 and telling the manager politely that Grinnin is not welcome in South Yorks.
Labels: BNP, British National Party, Nick Griffin
From the British People. To Victory! We are With You!
70th Anniversary T-shirt from Philosophy Football marking the seventieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Front.
Design based on an original wartime poster by the English artist Reginald Mount. These were attached to aircraft sent from Britain to aid the Soviet war effort. In 1941 this included RAF No 151 Wing Hurricanes and their aircrew joining the Red Army in their fight against the Nazi
invaders.
Available from Philosophy Football
Labels: nazi, Philosophy Football, RAF, Second World War
Breaking news: BNP loses two more councillors
Paul and Linda Cromie
I've just got news that Paul and Linda Cromie, the two BNP councillors in Bradford, have left the BNP.
I'll write more when I get further information but this is another hammer blow for Griffin as he fights off a leadership challenge from fellow MEP Andrew Brons.
Nick Lowles at Hope not hate
Labels: Andrew Brons, BNP, British National Party, Linda Cromie, Nick Griffin, Paul Cromie
EDL leader Stephen Lennon faces Blackburn assault charge
The founder of the English Defence League (EDL) has been charged with assault following an altercation at a rally in Lancashire.
Stephen Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, was arrested in connection with a brawl at the EDL demonstration in Blackburn on 2 April.
On Wednesday, he was charged with one count of common assault. Mr Lennon, 28, of Layham Drive, Luton, is due to appear at Blackburn Magistrates' Court on 24 June.
Thanks to Abu and Gregg for the heads-up
BNP lose another councillor
The BNP last night lost another councillor when Amber Valley member Cliff Roper resigned from the party whip and became an Independent.
In his resignation statement he said:
"It is with sadness that I have this evening resigned the British National Party whip on Amber Valley Borough Council. I will now sit as an Independent Member of the Council, though I retain my membership of the British National Party and, of course, my nationalist views.
This change will make no difference to the way I assist and deal with enquiries from my constituents, but is a symbolic protest at recent events within the British National Party, both at a national and local level."
Labels: Amber Valley Borough Council, BNP, British National Party, Cliff Roper, councillor
Pro-Nazi, Pro-Rape, Pro-Paedo Music in London
On 25 June and 1 Oct 2011, London's Slimelight nightspot plan to stage concerts by musicians with links to Fascism, Nazism and violent anti-Feminism
Warning - highly offensive content!
On 25 June 2011 a nightspot called the Slimelight in Islington, London, UK, plan to stage a concert that has attracted criticism over the involvement of musicians with links to Nazism. The headline band are an awful folk group called Sol Invictus, led by a singer called Tony Wakeford, who makes no secret of his past membership of the British Fascist party the National Front. Tony Wakeford was a founder member of Fascist bands Above the Ruins and Death In June, but says (on the Sol Invictus website) that his NF membership was the worst mistake he made. Tony Wakeford claims to have left his Fascist past behind him, but alot of people don't believe him, because still collaborates with racist musician Andrew King. Debate over the ethics of going ahead with this concert is divided between the small clique of fans, friends and members of these bands who bombard the WWW with comments claiming (usually without any proof) that (roughly summarizing) "they're alright mate", and anti-Nazis who present evidence showing that even if these bands aren't outright Nazis, at the very least they revel in displaying imagery that is highly offensive to victims of Nazism (1).
Slimelight manager Mayuan Mak told The Islington Gazette (newspaper) that "we would not tolerate an event that has a Neo-Nazi focus" (2), but Mayuan Mak is lying, because the Slimelight already staged concerts by Nazi performers Death In June, Luftwaffe and Non, and because, despite the ruckus caused by the Sol Invictus concert, on 1 Oct 2011 the Slimelight plan to stage a concert headlined by an electronic music group called Sutcliffe Jugend, who created their name by joining the terms "Peter Sutcliffe" (the name of a misogynist mass-murderer from Great Britain) with "Hitler Youth", while one of the support acts planned for 1 Oct is a convicted child sex offender and Nazi called Peter Sotos (3).
Sutcliffe Jugend is led by musician Kevin Tomkins, who is also an occasional member of another electronic music group called Whitehouse. Whitehouse leader William Bennett wrote a manifesto in the Belgian fanzine Force Mental (issue 1), also quoted in Flowmotion fanzine (issue 6), that explained how Whitehouse are "concerned with the struggle against the unhealthy Negroid influence in popular music". Whitehouse member Philip Best published a compilation (also featuring Sutcliffe Jugend) called White Power. Whitehouse member Peter Sotos was convicted for possessing child pornography after he was busted by Chicago PD for producing a fanzine called Pure, in which Sotos says "females are dogs whose only worth is as pawns for my pleasure" and describes death camps as "Triumphs of Nazism" (4). In a section called "Kiddie Torture" Peter Sotos describes "the sublime pleasure of child abuse" (sic), and shows graphic photographs of a man pleasuring himself over photographs of missing children (5). William Bennett also ran a record label called Come Organisation, who published a 10xC60 cassette box-set by Sutcliffe Jugend, entitled We Spit On Their Graves (extracts from which were reissued on CD by another UK label called Cold Spring Records), which features dozens of tracks which celebrate misogynist crime and Nazism (6+7). Many of the track titles from that release are named after women victimized by serial killers, refer in detail to murder techniques used by Peter Sutcliffe, and celebrate Nazism. Titles like "Storm Detachment Hitler", "SS 1982", "Reinard Heydrich", "Dictator Rule", "This Is Pommerenkke" and "New Camps" are some of the less offensive.
Debate about the morality of the music produced by the likes of Slimelight performers Peter Sotos and Sutcliffe Jugend is complicated, a little, by the defense put about by William Bennett, who (whenever anyone can be bothered to listen to him) argues against the huge weight of evidence provided by Pure fanzine and dozens of similar projects, that the ideas promoted by him and his friends do not come from National Socialist ideology, but that they come from a hyper-extreme interpretation of libertarian philosophy. William Bennett's self-justification takes libertarianism to the limits of self-parody, to an extreme in which the "rights" of the individual (as conceptualized in the Whitehouse track "Right to Kill") over-ride all rights and liberties due to all other people, period. William Bennett's self-justification distorts the meaning of libertarianism to equate the libertarian with the most psychotic libertine, who, through the broken lens of "Sadeian" cod-philosophy, identifies with "libertines" such as the Marquis de Sade, Ted Bundy, Peter Sutcliffe, and the Nazi war criminals who Bennett praised (in the Spanish music fanzine ADN) for enacting "glorious pleasures" rather than for their titular ideology. Bennett's defense is intellectually sub-zero, factually dishonest (as Bennett colleagues like Albin Julius are still Fascists), and a moot point when it comes to actual victims, because the bottom line is, legally and morally, that if some Nazi war criminals killed for "fun" rather than because they believed in Nazism... so what, they were still Nazi war criminals.
This is an issue of feminism and child protection as much as (if not more than) it is an issue of anti-Nazism, and attempts to discreetly stop these concerts at Slimelight, without publicity, have previously failed, which is (in case of asking) why the campaign's now gone public.
Both concerts are organised by promoter Gaya Donadio (who performs her own music under the name Anti-Child League). Objections to the Slimelight's entertainments license should forward this information to:
Licensing Service Public Protection Division
Islington Council
222 Upper Street
London N1 1XR Tel: 020 7527 3031
Fax: 020 7527 3430
Email: licensing@islington.gov.uk
1 - http://www.whomakesthenazis.com/2011/04/weather-warning-shower-of-shit-expected.html
2 - http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/online_campaign_attacks_controversial_islington_gig_1_914659
3 - http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--qZWk4oN0mg/TfItm4wzMMI/AAAAAAAAATM/y1iQuuTlwz0/s1600/newpicoct11.jpg
4 - http://www.uncarved.org/othertexts/pure.html (reprinted from OVO magazine)
5 - These photos are documented in a book called Apocalypse Culture (Amok Press 1988)
6 - http://www.artnotart.com/come/cassettes.html
7 - http://noiz.tripod.com/sutcliffe.html
Photo 1 - Tony Wakeford (far left of photo) at NF newspaper stall in London's Brick Lane
Photo 2 - Boyd Rice of Non wearing Swastika pendant and "Rape" T-shirt
Photo 3 - Advertisement for Sutcliffe Jugend and Peter Sotos at the Slimelight
Photo 4 - Front cover and Whitehouse feature from Flowmotion fanzine, issue 6
Photo 5 - Detail from Flowmotion 6
Photo 6 - White Power compilation packaging
Not for Profit at Indymedia
Labels: child pornography, fascist, Hitler, National Front, neo-Nazi, white power
Ebay and Paypal dump the EDL
No surrender to Al Qaeda, just Ebay and Paypal
News has reached us that both Ebay and Paypal have closed down accounts owned by The English Defence League.
Announcing the news on their Facebook page,admins tried to reassure angry members who had paid money for items so far not received.
It isn't clear yet as to the reasons behind the closure, however there is a strong possibility that after months of flaunting Ebay's strict rules and regulations, the EDL broke one rule too many.
Paypal along with closing down the EDL account have frozen all the EDL's money held in their account. This will no doubt leave a serious dent in the EDL's all important merchandising operation.
Labels: eBay, EDL, English Defence League, Facebook, Paypal
Fears that EDL march could bring repeat of clashes to city's streets
An English Defence League protest in Stoke in
January last year, during which 40 police officers were injured
Fears have been voiced that a planned English Defence League march in Derby will bring problems experienced by other neighbouring cities.
Police and the council say they have not yet received official confirmation of the demonstration, which organisers are legally required to give. But a page on social networking website Facebook states that the event is one of five that will take place across the country on July 9 and more than 290 people have said they will be attending. Posters have also been made.
A campaigner for multiculturalism is worried that unless it is properly controlled the march could result in violent clashes, like those witnessed previously in Leicester and Stoke.
Those demonstrations have cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds to police. In October last year, 1,000 EDL supporters and 750 counter-protesters descended on Leicester. Supporters of the EDL pelted officers with bottles, cans, bricks and coins during the protest. The operation to police it cost £715,000, with 18 people arrested. Forty police officers were hurt at a similar event in Stoke in January last year.
Superintendent Gary Parkin, head of operational policing in Derby, said: "Since the EDL was formed in 2009 they have held between 20 and 25 major demonstrations where there have been around 1,000 people. That is a major drain on the resources of any city."
Mr Parkin said that when the EDL held a "flash-demo" in Derby in January it did not require extra policing. He said: "We have had a flash-demo, where very few people turned up, but how much it will cost depends on the number of people who turn up from the EDL and how many people decide to protest against it. There are, however, four other events planned for the same day so it might dilute the support."
Under the Public Order Act, groups are required to notify police of any demonstration and details of their route if they plan to march. Mr Parkin said: "People are free to protest within the boundaries of the law."
It is expected that members of Unite Against Fascism, who have protested against the EDL in other areas, will hold a counter-demonstration. And organisers of a free music festival aimed at celebrating Derby's multiculturalism have brought forward the date of the event so it coincides with the proposed EDL demonstrations. It will be held in the Market Place and will feature live music and speeches.
Organiser Baby J said: "Derby is very diverse and always has been, that is something that the people of Derby are really proud of. We live in peace and harmony and have done for a long time."
Baby J said he had been at several EDL marches in other cities, some of which descended into violence.
He said: "It all depends on how it is policed. If EDL and protesters are in the same space, city centres have been shut down. I would hope that they are put somewhere else, like at the Cattle Market. I know that the EDL had meetings in Leicester and Nottingham at the weekend to discuss it so there will be at least a few hundred. It will not be like the previous one which was a flash demonstration organised the night before."
This is Derbyshire
Labels: Derby, EDL, English Defence League, Facebook, Unite Against Fascism
‘Caged’ EDL leader vows to return to Dewsbury in thousands
Hundreds of police officers wait for the EDL as they arrive outside Dewsbury railway Station
The leader of the far-right English Defence League has vowed to stage a large national protest in Dewsbury after complaining that supporters were treated like “caged animals” at a demonstration in the town on Saturday.
A protest by 400 EDL supporters passed off without serious incident but leader Tommy Robinson was angered that the protesters were contained within high steel barriers. He said the EDL should have been allowed to protest at Dewsbury Town Hall, rather than a tightly cordoned area of the railway station car park.
Mr Robinson said Saturday’s protest was a regional demonstration but the next one in would be national and “the EDL bandwagon will be coming back to Dewsbury in our thousands.”
Many of the EDL protesters were from outside West Yorkshire, including members from Merseyside, Teeside, Burnley, Bolton, Leicester and Mansfield. A nearby counter-protest by Unite Against Fascism attracted about 50 people at its height. A large police operation ensured that the day passed off relatively peacefully, although traders in the town said they were thousands of pounds out of pocket because many shoppers stayed away.
Kirklees Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent John Robins said: “On duty in West Yorkshire in relation to this operation there has been around 700 police officers in total but I stress they have not all been at Dewsbury. They have been around West Yorkshire in support of this operation.”
Six men were arrested by West Yorkshire Police and British Transport Police. They were: A 31-year-old from Batley, for possessing an offensive weapon; a 44-year-old from Barnsley, a 39-year-old from Merseyside and a 41-year-old from Cleckheaton, all for public order offences; a 16-year-old from Bradford for criminal damage; and an 18-year-old from Preston for trespass on railway property.
Labels: demonstration, Dewsbury, EDL, English Defence League, Tommy Robinson
Muslims call for action against hate crimes
Islamophobic attacks have been on the rise, with an increase in assaults, vandalised mosques and desecrated graves
Britain's largest mainstream Muslim organisation will today call for "robust action" to combat Islamophobic attacks amid fears of growing violence and under-reporting of hate crimes. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) will challenge the "ethnic profiling" of members of its community, claiming that minorities are 42 times more likely to be targeted under the Terrorism Act.
MCB secretary-general Farooq Murad will tell the council's AGM in Birmingham that there must be more monitoring of anti-Muslim crimes in response to incidents including violent assaults, death threats and the desecration of graves. He will also complain that not enough is being done to encourage communities to report crimes to the police.
The calls, supported by leading academics, a counter-terrorist think-tank and Muslim groups, come as the Metropolitan Police confirmed a total of 762 Islamophobic offences in London since April 2009, including 333 in 2010/11 and 57 since this April. A spokesman said the Met was aware of "significant" under-reporting of hate crime, and acknowledged "missed opportunities" to keep victims safe.
Despite rising concerns about the impact of hate crime on all communities, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) said that data on such offences are not collated centrally as this would be an "overly bureaucratic process for local forces". Assistant Chief Constable Drew Harris, who leads the police on hate crime, was unavailable for comment.
In his speech, Mr Murad is expected to warn that attacks are increasing. "Islamophobic attacks, on persons and properties, are committed by a tiny minority, but the number of incidents is increasing. Robust action is necessary and this means we must have a systematic manner of recording, monitoring and analysing such attacks. Only a small number of police forces record anti-Muslim hate crimes."
He will claim that figures collated from only two police forces indicate 1,200 Anti-Muslim crimes in 2010, as opposed to 546 anti-Semitic crimes from all the police forces in the UK.
Muslims from across the country have reported attacks on imams and mosque staff, including petrol bombings and bricks thrown through windows, pigs' heads being fixed prominently to entrances and minarets, vandalism and abusive messages.
Mr Murad will tell the gathering at the Bordesley Centre: "It is not a piece of cloth on someone's head or face, the shape of someone's dress, a harmless concrete pillar on a religious building or even not speaking a common language that creates alienation."
Dr Robert Lambert, co-director of the European Muslim Research Centre and research fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, Exeter University, said a decade of research will report before the 10th anniversary of 11 September. His report will provide comprehensive figures on attacks on mosques, Islamic organisations and Muslim institutions, while avoiding confusion over race-related or random attacks.
Dr Lambert, a former counter-terrorism police officer, said problems over data collection stemmed from a lack of political will, rather than from the police efforts – and that the onus was on Muslim communities to emulate the "outstanding" data collection around anti-Semitic crimes conducted by the Community Security Trust.
He added: "When I was working in the police, some of the notable spikes in incidents came after terrorist events such as 9/11 and 7/7. We have more than 50 incidences of fire-bomb attacks and we have yet to reach the 10-year anniversary. But no leading politician has seen fit to stand shoulder to shoulder with mosque leaders. That is quite something."
Ghaffar Hussain of the counter-extremism think-tank Quilliam said: "Anti-Muslim bigotry is very real. It does exist. There are sections of our society who are deeply suspicious of Muslims, even of Muslims building mosques, and are threatened by the idea of Islamification across Europe."
Some 40 to 60 per cent of the mosques, Islamic centres and Muslim organisations in the UK have suffered at least one attack since 9/11.
Taji Mustafa, spokesman for Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain, said: "Xenophobic attacks on Muslims have increased under successive governments. In a manipulative alliance with some sections of the media, they have demonised Islam as part of their foreign policy propaganda."
Case study: Community leader and diversity trainer
Mohammed Khaliel, 48, lives in High Wycombe and was among horrified families who discovered Muslim graves at a local cemetery had been desecrated on 20 April
"I am the community representative, but, equally, I'm a victim of it as well. My mother had been buried there four weeks earlier. This is not the first time that there has been desecration. This time it was much more severe, with more than 25 graves attacked. I've got photographic evidence of someone hammering them. It was a proper effort to deliberately do it.
It was pure hatred. You have a graveyard that is 200 years old that has a small section for Muslims, and only that section was attacked. It was clearly Islamophobia.
I'm on a number of advisory boards, including Scotland Yard, so I get notified as a courtesy on any Islamic issues relating to the community. On this one, they asked me to sit down before they told me.
A lot of the relatives belong to our mosque. We called an emergency meeting, and we had to calm people down. There was a stage at which, if we had not handled things properly, it could have turned into an expression of anger. But that didn't discount the hurt they felt for [their] loved ones to be attacked like that."
Labels: Community Security Trust, Islamophobia, Muslim Council of Britain
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UN Security Council set to impose new North Korea sanctions
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House lawmakers sign on to Jewish rep's letter seeking Bannon dismissal
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You are here: Home » UMG
Taylor Swift signs global recording agreement with Universal Music Group!
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The Lights That Presaged Death
Has anybody else heard of the Island Lights of Crusheen, in County Clare, Ireland? They were well known in the village at least until the middle of last century. Of course, readers in the field of anomalies and nature mysteries will be aware that enigmatic lights have been reported from many parts of the world. After all, here in Queensland we have our own Min Min Lights. Although unexplained, there is no reason to connect them to anything paranormal. Except that the Island Lights of Crusheen were believed to be harbingers of death.
That, by itself, should arouse no wonder. Throughout history, all sorts of things have been labelled omens of death or bad luck. But there appears to have been something more to the Island Lights.
Crusheen is a village just 10 km from Ennis, not far from the famous Galway Bay. According to the Wikipedia article, its population today amounts to only 864. In the 1950s, it was little more than a single street of houses. Traditionally, the local families were buried on an island called Inchicronan, set in a small lake two miles to the south, next to the ruins of an old priory. A raised causeway, often submerged in winter, links the island to the western shore.
If you were one of those whose your family graveyard was on the island, then according to tradition, you would be granted the dubious privilege of being informed a day or two beforehand of your impending death. At that time - and you might still be in perfect health - two candlelike flames, of unequal size, would spring up on the island and then, moving at a height of about six feet, proceed across the causeway, down the roads, and up onto the rooftop of yoour house, there to rest a few minutes before returning the way they had come. Needless to say, such a phenomenon could not be present without a legend arising to explain its origin. It is said to be the ghost of a lazy monk who, having failed to answer the summons of a dying woman, leaving her to perish without the last rites, is now doomed to do penance by warning others of their fate.
Superstition! you may say. But engineer, P. Corbett, who often stayed with relatives in the village, had a sobering experience. He was visiting his uncle's family when, out for a night-time stroll with friends, he saw a peculiar light approaching down the road. At first, he imagined it was a feeble lantern. But as it came closer, he noticed it was moving, naked and unsupported, about six feet off the ground, and created no luminescence around it. Closer still, and it resolved into two candlelike flames, one bigger than the others. One of his companions cried out that they were the Island Lights. As the flames drew abreast, Mr Corbett noticed that they did not flicker in the wind. Following them, he was amazed to see them climb up to the roof of his relatives' house, remain there a few minutes, and then return the way they had came. Not a single feature was missing from the traditional account.
Needless to say, his uncle's family was filled with consternation. However, they assured him that he had no need to be worried. After all, his family's burial site was not on the island. About midday the following day, his first cousin set out for his farm a few miles away, as he did twice every week. He was a good driver, and he knew the route thoroughly, but half an hour later, he ran off the road, and was killed.
Mr Corbett was able to authenticate two other cases. Two young ladies were walking home one night, when they met a young male family friend. Having conversed briefly with him, they went on their way, turned a bend in the road - and ran into the Island Lights, which then passed them in the direction the young man had taken. That night, shortly after the young man arrived home, his brother died suddenly. Interestingly, the youth had not himself seen the lights, although they felt sure they must have passed him.
Another night, two local men went out to the lake in order to hunt geese, when they saw the lights appear on the island, then cross the causeway, and head off to the northeast - away from the village. Nobody, they were sure, whose family graves were on the island, lived in that direction. But next morning, an oldtimer pointed out that there was an old recluse named John Cavan who would fit the bill. Need I say more? When they arrived at his home, and the police had broken down the locked door, it transpired that the old man had been dead for several days. The lights had been late!
And so you have it. "One of the most curious of human characteristics," commented the author, "is the disposition to accept as commonplace any happening, however inexplicable it may appear, provided it occurs sufficiently often to be no longer regarded as a novelty."
That was more than sixty years ago. What is the situation today? As I said before, Crusheen is still a village, albeit a larger and more up-to-date one. Are the inhabitants still buried on the island? And do the Island Lights still came to warn them of their impending demise? In any case, it is important to set the record down, because one day people will forget that such things ever happened.
Reference: "The 'Island Lights'" by Dr John M. Langan and P. Corbett, B. Eng. The Wide World, January 1954, pp 176-8. (This is the Australian and New Zealand editions. The UK edition would have been December 1953.)
Labels: lights
When the Devil Talks in Tongues
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Cinemas Go Digital with Levy Funds
Nils Klevjer Aas
Norwegian Film Institute
Following pre-notification contacts between the European Surveillance Authority, the EFTA watchdog body, and the Norwegian exhibitors’ organisation Film & Kino, full digital roll-out to all 440 cinema screens in 220 locations across Norway will commence this autumn, to be completed by 2011. Implementation of the ambitious scheme follows the publication by the ESA in May of a preliminary assessment, in which it declared itself satisfied that no State aid is involved in the funding of the digitalisation programme.
Norway’s exhibition structure is dominated by municipally owned and operated cinemas, which hold 72.6 per cent of the market (calculated on the basis of admissions). Publicly and privately owned cinemas, however, have co-operated closely in developing the exhibition sector since the early 1970s, using the so-called “Cinema Fund” to bankroll projects of common interest and benefit. Since the late 1980s, video retailers have also participated. The fund, originally a voluntary mutual fund, was enshrined in the 1987 Act relating to Films and Videograms, which made obligatory the Cinema Fund levy on all cinema ticket sales (2.5 per cent) and video/DVD sale and rental transactions (NOK 3.50 per transaction). Regulations delivered under the 1987 Act provide general aims for the use of the Fund’s resources, while also establishing a legal base for Film & Kino to determine concrete operations and lines of action, under the supervision of the Ministry for Culture. The levy currently brings some EUR 7.5 - 8 million per year into the Fund.
Total costs of digital roll-out in Norway are estimated at NOK 400 million (EUR 45 million). Film & Kino has negotiated the roll-out directly with Hollywood studios and agreed on the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) specifications as the applicable technical standard, with a minimum 2K projection. Funding will be split between distributors, who will pay a 40 per cent Virtual Print Fee (VPF) over a period of up to six years, while cinemas can choose between paying by cash or in instalments and taking out a six-year loan. To bankroll the programme, Film & Kino will use NOK 100 million from the Cinema Fund to leverage a NOK 400 million (EUR 45 million) financial package and will launch a tender to financial institutions in the European Economic Area (which includes the EU, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) to manage the package.
Technical implementation will be handled by “system integrators”. To avoid monopolisation, Film & Kino has divided the country into ten zones; potential suppliers of technical services may place bids to service one or more zone(s) for a minimum period of ten years. Tenders will be issued to potential system integrators in the EEA area.
Lov om film og videogram av 15. mai 1987 nr. 21 NO
Act relating to Films and Videograms of 15 May 1987 no. 21 EN
Unofficial translation into English of Act relating to Films and Videograms EN
Forskrift om film og videogram av 20. desember 1999 NO
Regulations relating to Films and Videograms of 19 December 1999 EN
For a more comprehensive description of the Norwegian digital roll-out, see European Audiovisual Observatory, “Digital Roll-Out in Norwegian Cinemas”, available at: EN
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LAURA INGRAHAM: What the politicians will never say about the LA RAZA invasion, occupation and looting
Laura Ingraham’s COMMON SENSE APPROACH FOR SAVING OUR NATION FROM MEXICO’S INVASION, LOOTING AND CONTROL OF OUR BORDERS, LAWS AND POLITCIANS
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/07/09/The-Government-vs-the-People?utm_source=e_breitbart_com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Breitbart+News+Roundup%2C+July+9%2C+2014&utm_campaign=20140709_m121268851_Breitbart+News+Roundup%2C+July+9%2C+2014&utm_term=More
Two weeks ago, Obama told ABC News that most of the recent illegal border crossers would be sent home. Then on Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson refused to answer straightforward questions about deporting them. And now as the President seeks an additional $3.8 billion from Congress to deal with the crisis, the White House is trying to convince us anew that they are serious about enforcement. Right, and if you like your health insurance plan, you can keep it.
“The immigration system is broken.” If only I had a dollar for the number of times politicians or pundits have used this meaningless cliché. Of course, what's really "broken" is the trust between the American people and their leaders. After years of failing to enforce immigration law, the voters correctly do not believe that the politicians are telling them the truth.
Our government threatens Border Patrol and healthcare workers who want to tell the truth about this new crop of illegal aliens. It restricts media access and reporting on the detention facilities. Recently we learned it set free 36,000 criminal aliens, including rapists, kidnappers, arsonists, burglars, sex offenders, and car thieves. Both Republicans and Democrats warn about the threat posed by ISIS after it overran Iraq’s borders but are strangely silent as our own borders are swamped. These same pols hang on every word of pro-amnesty billionaires, who enjoy lives of solitude behind their own high walls and locked gates. Meanwhile, when we raise our own voices in protest, we are branded as racists and xenophobes. And we’re supposed to trust these people?
Until this relationship is repaired, it will be extremely difficult to rally support for any immigration plan whatsoever. So what concrete steps can the Administration take and the GOP support to shrink this trust deficit? Here’s a start:
BLOG COMMENT: WE WILL NOT FIND THE HISPANDERING POLITICIANS EVER DISCUSSING THESE IDEAS… ANY MORE THAN THEY DISCUSS THE STAGGERING COST OF THE LA RAZA WELFARE STATE AND CRIME TIDAL WAVE!
1. Start deporting people. Far from being cold-hearted or “draconian,” deportations will save lives and restore much-needed credibility to the U.S. immigration system. The thousands of illegals who risk their lives and those of their minor children to cross our southwest border are doing so in large part because they believe once here, they will not be sent back. Here is where Obama’s actions speak louder than his words. Contrary to the Administration’s claim of toughness on deportation, interior removals have dropped by 40 percent over the past three years. In 2013, for instance, Obama’s Administration deported less than 0.2 percent of illegal aliens who had not committed a major crime. As John Sandweg, Obama’s former director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told the Los Angeles Times in April: “If you are a run-of-the-mill immigrant here illegally, your odds of getting deported are close to zero.” No surprise that a plurality of Americans in the latest Rasmussen poll believe President Obama helped create the current crisis.
2. Halt foreign aid, work, and tourist visas for any country that refuses to assist in the repatriation of its citizens who have entered our country illegally. Ditto for countries that facilitate the transport of illegals to the U.S., as Mexico is currently doing. In egregious cases, we should consider suspending trade agreements and freezing the bank accounts of the political leaders of offending nations. If you abuse your relationship with America by effectively dumping your low-skilled workers here, you should suffer the economic consequences.
3. Order U.S. financial institutions to stop remittances illegal immigrants wire back to their home countries. For decades, other nations have enjoyed the economic benefit of money made illegally here but sent there. Last year, remittances topped a whopping $51 billion, and almost half of that went to Mexico. The best way for people to fix their own countries is to work in their home countries and fight for political reforms there. The incentive to come here illegally will be greatly reduced if they can’t transfer money out of the country.
4. End birthright citizenship. The citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment was never meant to require automatic citizenship to infants born here where neither parent is a U.S. citizen. Even Harry Reid has railed against this absurdity. Every day, women in their 3rd trimesters of pregnancy travel to the U.S. from China, Mexico, and beyond to deliver their new U.S. citizen babies—and gain unlimited access to U.S. welfare. Once their infants get U.S. passports, they know that there is little political appetite to deport that child’s family (see Step 1 above). One need only Google the words “birth tourism” to see how out of hand the situation has become. Canada and the U.S. are the only two developed countries that allow birthright citizenship; the U.K., Australia, Ireland, New Zealand are among the dozens of other countries that have done away with it.
5. Inflict severe penalties against companies that hire illegal aliens. E-verify should make the system rather simple to administer. If you can’t get legal workers to do your field or roofing work at the wage you’re offering, raise the wage. If you cannot make a profit without breaking the law, you should go out of business and make room for someone who can.
6. Deny privileges of citizenship and legal immigrant status to immigration lawbreakers. No Obamacare, food stamps, welfare, disability payments, driver’s licenses, apartment rental contracts, mortgages, or bank accounts.
7. Lifetime ban of returning to America for illegal aliens who use stolen Social Security numbers or other fraudulent identification. These people should be in a fast-tracked deportation proceeding, then sent home.
8. Pass legislation to amend the George W. Bush-era human trafficking law that made it exceedingly cumbersome to deport unaccompanied minors to countries without contiguous borders.
9. Give ICE the manpower and resources it needs to do its job. Work cooperatively with border states and local governments to accomplish the common goal of expediting removals and reducing new arrivals. After three months, if ICE isn't doing its job well, send the remaining funds to the border states to do it themselves.
10. Finish the border fence. As Israel has demonstrated, properly constructed and monitored fences work.
11. Streamline adoptions from countries such as Guatemala for qualified U.S. families. I know what you’re saying—how does this relate to immigration? It directly relates to the abiding concern we have for innocent orphaned children trapped in a system that doesn’t adequately attend to their needs. Thousands of otherwise indigent and abandoned children are waiting to be adopted throughout Central America. As someone who has spent time a good deal of time in El Salvador and Guatemala going back to the mid-'80s, I am acutely aware of how desperate the situation remains for millions in the region.
My experience in Guatemala is part of what drove me to adopt my daughter Maria from an orphanage there 6 years ago. Since then, international adoptions from Guatemala have slowed to a trickle, with many families heartbroken after years of waiting to bring their adoptive children home. When loving families are willing to open their hearts and homes to abandoned children, we should as a nation support that. Senators Mary Landrieu and Roy Blunt have worked tirelessly on this issue; let’s rally behind their efforts.
I don’t pretend to have all the answers on immigration, but I do know that the American people deserve and demand better. Six in ten Americans now believe that the American Dream is out of reach. While the rich get richer, most middle-income earners see prices for basic necessities skyrocketing as their incomes flat-line. It’s no wonder that recent polling shows that Americans want less immigration—even as legislators are promoting endless increases to the number of foreign workers imported into the nation. Yet, up to now, their desire seems to fall on deaf ears.
Until both parties rebuild the trust they so cavalierly squandered on immigration, there is no sense in trying to pass an immigration deal of any kind. It’s time for our political class to start valuing our Constitution and the well-being of their own citizens over the big business lobby, immigration activists, or their own political futures.
Laura Ingraham is the host of the nationally syndicated radio program The Laura Ingraham Show. She is a regular Fox News contributor. Follow her on Twitter @IngrahamAngle.
MORE LINKS AND ARTICLES THAT SUPPORT THESE COMMON SENSE APPROACHES.
THE REALITY OF OBAMA’S SABOTAGE OF OUR BORDERS TO BUILD THE LA RAZA
By Stephen Dinan
The Homeland Security Department has granted legal status to 99.2 percent of all illegal immigrants who have applied under President Obama's new non-deportation policy for young adults, according to the latest numbers released Friday.
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2013/05/obama-pleds-with-mexico-to-up-exports.html
H-1B VISAS – THE CONSPIRACY TO KEEP WAGES DEPRESSED WITH ENDLESS BOATLOADS OF FOREIGNERS IMPORTED TO LOOT OUR JOBS
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/06/h-1b-visas-how-wages-are-depressed-in.html
MEXICO and OBAMA’S CONSPIRACY to destroy America’s borders to build the LA RAZA WELFARE STATE in AMERICA and keep wages depressed with endless hordes of heavy breeding Mexicans pouring over our borders.
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/07/mexico-and-obamas-partnership-to.html
"They hauled them down to the border," Sakuma said. "Three days later, they were standing in our office, but they had a different name and a different Social Security number."
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2013/04/here-come-la-raza-hordes-for-our-jobs.html
Obama and Justice Sotomayor Vow to Illegals to SABOTAGE E-verify!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2013/02/obamas-amnesty-thrust-illegal-in-every.html
“What employers really want in many cases by hiring immigrants is to hold down wage costs, experts say.”
UNDER OBAMA, TWO-THIRDS OF JOBS GO TO HIS PARTY BASE OF ILLEGALS!
THE STAGGERING EXPANSION OF THE LA RAZA MEXICAN WELFARE STATE UNDER BARACK OBAMA: Gringos pay through the nose and give up their job to an illegal!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-la-raza-mexican-welfare-state-in.html
DEPT. HOMELAND SECURITY – OBAMA’S LA RAZA WELCOME WAGON
As Barack Obama has squandered BILLIONS defending the borders of Muslim dictators, he has from day one sabotaged American borders with NARCOMEX.
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/07/protecting-our-borders-or-welcome-wagon.html
THE LA RAZA FASCIST PROPAGAND MACHINE FUNDED BY BARACK OBAMA with American tax dollars
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2012/01/heather-mac-donald-la-raza-fascist.html
STATE by STATE... city by city … 49 more mexifornias
BELL, CA welcomes Obama’s expansion of the MEXICAN WELFARE STATE and LA RAZA SUPREMACY… but Americans (Legals) will still be handed the tax bills for Mexico’s looting!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-city-of-bell-california-la-raza.html
THE DEMOCRAT PARTY BUILDING THE LA RAZA MEXICAN WELFARE STATE OFF OUR BACKS. ARE THEY BUYING THE ILLEGALS’ VOTES??? You bet!
As Maywood Goes, So Goes the Country
Maywood, California, then, with an estimated illegal
population of 22,500, about half the city’s population, is a
microcosm of what happens when illegals become dominant
in a city.
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-city-of-maywood-mexifornia-case.html
Extrapolating these two examples across the nation paints a frightening picture: Illegal aliens are not only weakening the country financially, but are also often enticed to come here because of governmental social-welfare programs that should not even exist much less be available to illegal residents. The cost to American taxpayers is billions of dollars.
BUT ISN'T BARACK OBAMA GEORGE W. BUSH'S THIRD and FOURTH TERMS ON STEROIDS? Hard-right House lawmakers
Hard-right House lawmakers
THE RISE OF BARACK OBAMA and the FALL of AMERICA
HOW A SOCIOPATH CONNED A NATION CALLING IT “HOPE & CHANGE” AND THEN BECAME GEORGE BUSH’S THIRD & FORTH TERMS ON STEROIDS.
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-rise-of-barack-obama-and-fall-of.html
POLL: MOST INCOMPETENT AND DISHONEST PRESIDENT SINCE…. Well, isn’t Obama merely Bush’s THIRD and FOURTH TERMS??
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/07/poll-obama-worst-president-since-wwii.html
Income inequality grows four times faster under Obama than Bush …. we bankroll Mexico's welfare state in our borders as the number of Americans (Legals) sink into poverty! Illegals also get all the jobs!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2013/09/obamas-assault-on-american-people-on.html
The study noted that, in the aftermath of the Great Depression, the US undertook policies “during the New Deal [that] permanently reduced income concentration until the 1970s.” In contrast, the study noted a striking absence of any measures to reign in social inequality in the present crisis. Far from it, the Obama administrations’ bank bailouts, austerity program and wage-cutting policies have vastly expanded the prevalence of social inequality.
BANKS and GEITHNER ….He was the banksters' HOPE & NO CHANGE man in the white house!
CRONY CAPITALISM: HOW OBAMA AND HIS CRONY BANSKSTERS LOOTED AMERICA – It’s a work still in progress!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/06/geithner-bankster-boys-lies-timothy.html
As he puts it, “We did save the economy, but we lost the country doing it.” Geithner adds, “Conventional wisdom still holds that we abandoned Main Street to protect Wall Street.”
THEY COME BY INVITATION OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY POLITICIANS! Hoyer: If We Built Border Fence, Children Would Just Stand Behind It | CNS News
Hoyer: If We Built Border Fence, Children Would Just Stand Behind It | CNS News
MEXICAN CONSULATES – HEADQUARTERS FOR THE MEXICAN FASCIST PARTY of LA RAZA “THE RACE” INSTRUCTS CRIMINAL ILLEGALS ON LOOTING AMERICANS… but then it’s by invitation of the DEMOCRAT PARTY! …. these same illegals already get our jobs!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-expansion-of-la-raza-mexican.html
USDA/Mexico Spanish-language flyer: Get kids on food stamps without showing documents
DEPORTATION LIES… they’re climbing our borders, jobs and voting for more welfare right now…. BY INVITATION of the DEMOCRAT PARTY!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/02/deportations-one-million-deported.html
THE RISE of BARACK OBAMA and the FALL of AMERICA - Dick Morris: Obama facing avalanche | TheHill
Dick Morris: Obama facing avalanche | TheHill
Immigration: It is about to become the conventional wisdom — in this case, correct — that Obama’s manipulation of the deportation system has triggered the tidal wave of unaccompanied children coming across the southern border. Even as his policies lead to a massive unintended consequence, he seems determined to double down and ratchet deportations back further.
One can predict that stories of crimes by illegal immigrants, of disease borne here by the immigrants and the dislocations in communities across the land will dominate the news for years. It will be like the Cuban Mariel boatlift of 1980, when Fidel Castro emptied his prisons and mental hospitals and shipped their inhabitants here. Ironically, the backlash helped defeat then-Gov. Bill Clinton’s bid for reelection in Arkansas that same year.
……. there was a reason why the banksters invested so many bribes in BARACK OBAMA even before his first term!
No bank or executive has been criminally charged in relation to these crimes.
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/07/obama-and-his-criminal-banksters-still.html
Mexico and Obama's partnership to destroy America's borders and build the LA RAZA welfare state in the United States
LAURA INGRAHAM: The solution to Mexico’s invasion, occupation and ever expanding welfare state in American borders.
saving our nation from LA RAZA FASCISM
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/07/laura-ingraham-what-politicians-will.html
NO ONE PULLS DOWN MORE WELFARE THAN MEXICANS ... they also get our jobs!
ARTICLE HERE:
Our own government, when they’re not serving WALL STREET, has endlessly sabotaged American borders and laws to assure their corporate paymasters of an endless flood of “cheap” labor illegals to keep wages depressed.
The cost of all this “cheap” labor is staggering not only financially, but resulting from the assault the Mexican invaders have on our culture.
MEXICO’S EXPORT OF THEIR POOR, CRIMINALS and ANCHOR BABY BREEDERS for WELFARE IS NOT NEW!
After Katrina, when the White House finally got Bush off the golf course to go see the devastation, he landed with a no-bid deal for his cronies at Cheney-Haliburton to clean up the mess. He ordered the miserable federal minimum wage eliminated so Haliburton would not be troubled by having to pay even that miserable amount (later Congress rescinded Bush’s presidential directive).
Then Bush signaled that it was OPEN BORDERS as usual. The Mexicans poured in for the jobs and brought their usual LA RAZA MEX GANG VIOLENCE and their anchor baby breeders for 18 years of welfare. The real cost of Mexico’s invasion at Katrina was staggering.
The Mexican invasion and occupation has now spread throughout the southwest, where illegals are voting for LA RAZA SUPREMACIST DEMS by the droves, to nearly all states. Washington state alone pays out millions in welfare to illgals and has the usual LA RAZA crime rate that comes with the Mex invasion.
MEXICO’S BIGGEST EXPORTS NEXT TO DRUGS IS POVERTY, CRIMINALS AND ANCHOR BABY BREEDERS - Mexico made deal to send more illegal aliens to the U.S.
Dave Gibson
Immigration Reform Examiner
On Monday, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Guatemalan president Otto Perez Molina held a joint press conference in Playas de Catazaja, Mexico, to officially announce an agreement to make it easier for those making the illegal journey to the United States from Central America, to cross into Mexico.
The Southern Border Program to Improve Passage, will provide for more border checkpoints along Mexico's border with Guatemala, and offer more protection and even emergency medical care to those making their way north. The illegal aliens will receive a so-called Regional Visitor's Card, according to El Universal.
Officially, the program will grant the cards to only illegal aliens from Guatemala and Belize, allowing them to remain in Mexico's southern states for 72 hours (more than enough time to reach the U.S./Mexican border by train). While, those two countries share a border with Mexico, the program will undoubtedly benefit anyone who makes it to the border, which would explain why our Border Patrol stations are currently overflowing with illegal aliens from El Salvador and Honduras as well.
The program will also give special protection and even financial assistance to unaccompanied minors now pouring across our border. Of course, these efforts, chiefly by the Mexican government, will only increase the number of illegal aliens coming to this country by the thousands, now on a daily basis.
The official announcement only confirms what many of us have known all along...the current chaos on the border which the Obama administration has sympathetically (and dishonestly) characterized as a "humanitarian crisis," only exists due to collusion between the governments of Mexico, Guatemala and likely the United States.
You see, unlike the United States, Mexico actually defends their southern border...
In September 2010, the head administrator of the Mexican Superintendency of Tax Administration, Raul Diaz, told the Inter-Press Sevice (IPS) that his government was building a wall in the state of Chiapas, along the Mexican/Guatemalan border. The official reason given was to stop contraband from coming into Mexico, but as Diaz readily admitted: "It could also prevent the free passage of illegal immigrants."
Furthermore, Article 33 of the Mexican Constitution states:
“The President of the Republic shall have the power to expel from national territory any foreigner, according to the law and after a hearing. The law shall establish the administrative procedure for this purpose, as well as the place where the foreigner should be detained and the time for that. Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country.”
Of course, in the U.S. illegal aliens are not only free to stay without fear of deportation, but they now protest openly, regularly invading Congressional field offices to demand amnesty legislation, as well as actually physically blocking the entrances and exits of the Washington D.C. headquarters of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in 2013.
Obviously, the American people are under daily assault from foreign invaders, bringing with them crime and disease, but the bigger threat is from government corruption, both foreign and domestic...governments that manufacture crises which threaten to "fundamentally transform" ours into a Third World nation in less than a generation.
Hey, let's treat ILLEGAL aliens just like Mexico does!
Presidentes Nieto, Calderon and Fox should approve of that!
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=14632
* in the country legally;
* have the means to sustain themselves economically;
* not destined to be burdens on society;
* of economic and social benefit to society;
* of good character and have no criminal records; and
* contributors to the general well-being of the nation.
* immigration authorities have a record of each foreign visitor;
* foreign visitors do not violate their visa status;
* foreign visitors are banned from interfering in the country's internal
politics;
* foreign visitors who enter under false pretenses are imprisoned or
deported;
* foreign visitors violating the terms of their entry are imprisoned or
* those who AID in ILLEGAL alien immigration will be sent to prison.
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2012/01/this-cruel-cruel-cruel-usa.html
MEXICO IS THE MOST RACIST, CORRUPT AND VIOLENT NATION IN THE HEMISPHERE, AND BIRTH TO THE MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL.
HERE’S MEXICO’S POLICY ON ILLEGALS IN THEIR DUMPSTER OF A COUNTRY:
In 2006, we witnessed hundreds of ranting Mexicans march on this nation, waving their Mexican flags and demanding their “rights”.
Here’s the policy in racist Mexico on illegals!
New Immigration Laws
New Immigration Laws: Read to the bottom or you will miss the message....
1. There will be no special bilingual programs in the schools.
2.. All ballots will be in this nation's language.
3. All government business will be conducted in our language.
4. Non-residents will NOT have the right to vote no matter how long they are here.
5. Non-citizens will NEVER be able to hold political office.
6. Foreigners will not be a burden to the taxpayers.. No welfare, no food stamps, no health care, or other government assistance programs. Any burden will be deported.
7. Foreigners can invest in this country, but it must be an amount at least equal to 40,000 times the daily minimum wage.
8. If foreigners come here and buy land... options will be restricted. Certain parcels including waterfront property are reserved for citizens naturally born into this country.
9.. Foreigners may have no protests; no demonstrations, no waving of a foreign flag, no political organizing, no bad-mouthing our president or his policies. These will lead to deportation.
10.. If you do come to this country illegally, you will be actively hunted &, when caught, sent to jail until your deportation can be arranged. All assets will be taken from you.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Too strict?.......
The above laws are current immigration laws of MEXICO !!!
As an American These sound fine to me, NOW, how can we get these laws to be America 's immigration laws??
WAKE UP, AMERICA - We are losing our country.........
MEXICAN VIOLENCE IS NOT NEWS!
LA RAZA RACISM AND VIOLENCE AGAINST NON-MEXICANS:
El Salvador Says Three Migrants Abducted in Mexico, 5 Escape
By Diego A. Mendez, Associated Press
San Salvador, El Salvador (AP) - Gunmen kidnapped nine migrants in a southern Mexican state where 50 disappeared last week, El Salvador's Foreign Ministry announced Monday.
Five of the migrants escaped and reported the kidnapping, the ministry said in a statement. Another was killed as he tried to flee and the other three remain missing.
The survivors said seven gunmen kidnapped the Central Americans on Dec. 21 from a train near the Ixtepec, a town in Oaxaca state, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Mexican authorities are investigating and have the five witnesses in protective custody. Mexican police found the body of the slain migrant, identified as Salvadoran national Tomas Ferman Pineda, 41, and were arranging to repatriate his body.
The nationality of the other migrants was unclear.
Mexican authorities announced last week that they were investigating the possible Dec. 16 kidnapping of 50 illegal migrants in Oaxaca, after initially saying there was no evidence of the crime.
El Salvador's Foreign Ministry was also first to report that kidnapping. Witnesses say those migrants -- 30 men, 15 women and five children -- were held up by gunmen while trying to cross the country by train.
Honduran, Guatemalan and Salvadoran migrants have been interviewed by officials at Mexico's federal Attorney General's Office about the assault.
But Oaxaca state authorities said Monday that investigators have no leads despite scouring the train route in the region.
"We have nothing, there is no evidence of a kidnapping, and state and federal operations have not produced favorable results," said Oaxaca state Attorney General Manuel de Jesus Lopez Lopez.
Mexico is the transit route for thousands of illegal migrants seeking to reach the United States, with many falling victim to gangs and organized crime. The government's National Human Rights Commission reported in 2009 that nearly 10,000 migrants are kidnapped a year by gangs.
In the most horrifying case to date, 72 slain migrants were found in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas in August, a massacre blamed on members of the Zetas drug gang, which controls transport routes in that area for drugs and other contraband.
criminal illegals and the benefits to society
http://www.usillegalaliens.com/impacts_of_illegal_immigration_property_crimes_and_operation_predator.html
THE LA RAZA OCCUPATION
Illegals cheat, distribute drugs, lie, forge documents, steal and kill as if it’s a normal way of life. For them, it is. Mexico’s civilization stands diametrically opposed to America’s culture.
Mexico's own migra
If you think the U.S. is rough on illegal immigrants, look at how Mexico treats the undocumented.
WHEN HOUSE Republicans last year sought to make the mere presence of illegal immigrants in the United States a felony punishable by one year in prison, the odious legislation sparked international condemnation. No country was more loudly indignant than Mexico. Then-President Vicente Fox called the legislation "shameful" and its targets "heroes" who make a crucial contribution to the U.S. economy.
Yet Mexico is hardly in a position to criticize. Since 1974, foreign immigrants in Mexico illegally have been subject to prison sentences of two years, plus a fine. Immigrants who are caught reentering Mexico after deportation face 10-year prison sentences, compared to two years here.
That is, until now. Mexican President Felipe Calderon has decided to tackle immigration reform of his own, and he is seeking the repeal of Article 123 of the General Population Law, which makes illegal immigrants the Mexican equivalent of felons.
The vast majority of the 185,000 illegal immigrants caught, detained and deported by Mexican officials each year come from Guatemala and Honduras, and many of them are in transit toward the Rio Grande. Human rights advocates have documented a lengthy list of abuses faced by these migrants — threats, extortion and even violence — stemming in part from their status as felons. In addition to amending Mexico's draconian and hypocritical law, Calderon's government is vowing to improve living conditions and medical services at the 48 detention centers where illegal immigrants are held pending deportation. Proposed upgrades include the addition of hot water and telephone service.
In a recent report, Mexico's National Commission on Human Rights accused immigration agents of numerous violations, citing one instance in which 78 migrants were crammed into four cells, each designed to hold only five people, and denied food and water for more than 24 hours.
These reforms would certainly improve the plight of detained migrants and also Mexico's relationship with its southern neighbors, as well as giving Mexico more moral standing to agitate against laws affecting its citizens in the United States. Those in this country who oppose guest-worker programs and a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants often cite Mexico's own harsher policies as the ones we should adopt, or at least complain about first.
Mexico can declaw that argument by closing the gap between its advocacy for Mexican nationals in the United States and how it treats illegal immigrants within its borders. Mexico is under pressure from the U.S. to block the flow of migrants heading north, and recent crackdowns, in part, have been to that end. Ensuring the human rights of its migrant population, however, is not only the right thing to do, it's good politics.
IN A TIME OF NATIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS AND
MEXICAN NARCOMEX TERRORISM, BARACK OBAMA
HAS SABOTAGED OUR BORDERS TO BUILD HIS LA RAZA
PARTY BASE of ILLEGALS.
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mexicos-biggest-exports-drugs-poverty.html
IT HAS WORKED OUT QUITE NICELY FOR MEXICO! NEXT TO DRUGS, MEXICO’S BIGGEST EXPORT IS POVERTY, ILLITERACY, CRIMINALS AND PREGNANT WOMEN WHO GIVE “ANCHOR BABY” BIRTH, AND THEN COLLECT 18 YEARS OF WELFARE!
THERE ARE ONLY EIGHT STATES THAT HAVE A POPULATION GREATER THAN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, WHERE HALF THOSE WITH A JOB ARE ILLEGALS USING STOLEN SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS! THE SAME COUNTY PAYS OUT $600 MILLION IN WELFARE TO ILLEGALS, AND HAS THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF HIGHLY VIOLENT MEXICAN GANGS IN THE NATION. THE MEXICAN TAX-FREE UNDERGROUND ECONOMY IS CALCULATED TO BE OVER $2 BILLION PER YEAR. Really want Obama’s amnesty?
CLIMBING OUR BORDERS, JOBS, WELFARE LINES, AND JAILS EVERY DAY! WHO PAYS?
(http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/mexico/2011/01/getting-over-the-border-fence-fast.html
http://www.wehirealiens.com/browse/index.asp
“At the hearing, Dr. Rakesh Kochar, Associate Director for Research at the Pew Hispanic Center, testified that in the year following the official end of the recession (June 2009), foreign-born workers gained 656,000 jobs while native-born workers lost an additional 1.2 million jobs.”
POSTED! NO LEGAL NEED APPLY!!!
JOE LEGAL AMERICAN vs LA RAZA JOSE ILLEGAL: Joe Legal Still Gets the Tax Bills To Pay For the LA RAZA Welfare State!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2011/05/joe-american-legal-vs-la-raza-jose.html
EXPORTING POVERTY... we take MEXICO'S 38 million poor, illiterate, criminal and frequently pregnant
The Mexican Invasion................................................
Mexico prefers to export its poor, not uplift them
OBAMA’S AMERICA: Open & Undefended Borders!
“What we're seeing is our Congress and national leadership dismantling our laws by not enforcing them. Lawlessness becomes the norm, just like Third World corruption. Illegal aliens now have more rights and privileges than Americans. If you are an illegal alien, you can drive a car without a driver's license or insurance. You may obtain medical care without paying. You may work without paying taxes. Your children enjoy free education at the expense of taxpaying Americans.”
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2011/05/at-southern-border-obama-calls.html
http://www.FAIRUS.org
http://www.JUDICIALWATCH.org
ANCHOR BABIES - LA RAZA ANCHORS THEIR OCCUPATIONA AND BUILDS THE MEX WELFARE STATE ON OUR BACKS IN OUR BORDERS
HISPANIC FAMILY VALUES: LOOT GRINGOS, GANGS, VIOLENCE, ANCHOR BABY BREEDERS and FRAUDULENT SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS WILL GET YOU AN AMERICAN JOB!
WILL THE DEMS’ ANCHOR BABY WELFARE PROGRAM FOR ILLEGALS DESTROY AMERICA?
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2012/03/hispanic-family-values-you-wondered.html
OBAMA’S BORDER LIES: From day one he has turned America’s DEPT. of HOMELAND SECURITY into a welcome wagon for illegals… even as he has squandered BILLIONS defending the borders of MUSLIM DICTATORS over there.
WIKILEAKS EXPOSES OBAMA’S SECRET AGENDA OF SURRENDERING AMERICA’S BORDERS TO NARCOMEX:
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/07/big-fucking-deal-there-are-more-guards.html
CALIFORNIA – LEGALS PAY FOR MEX OCCUPATION
LA RAZA-OCCUPATION and LOOTING in MEXIFORNIA…. shocking!
Americans (Legals) have become a passive society while Mexico loots and occupies.
Here’s what the Democrat Party and Mexico have done to CA.
CALIFORNIA: MEXICO’S LOOTED WELFARE STATE
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2012/11/california-mexicos-looted-welfare-state.html
MEXIFORNIA ... 49 more states to fall!
WILL THE DEMOCRAT PARTY, THE MEXICAN FASCIST PARTY of LA RAZA and MEXICO DESTROY CALIFORNIA? ISN’T IT ALREADY A LOOTED WELFARE COLONY OF MEXICO’S WHERE ALL THE JOBS ALSO GO TO MEXICANS?
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2013/12/will-democrat-party-mexican-fascist.html
LA RAZA POLITICIANS ELECTED BY ILLEGALS IN MEXIFORNIA: WHERE LA RAZA LOOTS FIRST!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/06/la-raza-supremacist-politicians-in.html
WHOSE COUNTRY IS IT???
PAT BUCHANAN ON OBAMA’S HISPANDERING FOR THE ILLEGALS’ VOTES:
more at this link – post on your Facebook and email broadcast
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2013/01/patrick-buchanan-how-barack-obama-and.html
BUCHANAN ON HISPANDERING OBAMA’S CONTEMPT FOR OUR LAWS AND BORDERS:
What is the response of Barack Obama, who took an oath to see to it that federal laws are faithfully executed?
He is siding with the law-breakers. He is pandering to the ethnic lobbies. He is not berating a Mexican regime that aids and abets this invasion of the country of which he is commander in chief. Instead, he attacks the government of Arizona for trying to fill a gaping hole in law enforcement left by his own dereliction of duty.
MEXICO BANKRUPTS CALIFORNIA HOSPITALS - MEX CONSULATES URGE LOOTING OF LEGALS
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mexico-bankrupts-california-hospitals.html
JUDICIAL WATCH:
While the Obama Administration halts deportations to work on its secret amnesty plan, hospitals across the U.S. are getting stuck with the exorbitant tab of medically treating illegal immigrants and some are finally demanding compensation from the federal government.
OBAMA and MEXICO ESTABLISH NEW GATEWAYS FOR THE LA RAZA HORDES TO INVADE BEFORE OBAMA’S AMNESTY:
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2013/04/crisis-mexico-is-pouring-over-our.html
OBAMA AND THE DEMOCRAT PARTY BUILD THEIR RANKS WITH HEAVY BREEDING MEXICANS
ANCHOR BABY FACTORIES…who pays?
AMNESTY IT IS! OBAMA AND MEXICO ANNOUNCE EXPANDED ANCHOR BABY FACTORIES!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2013/04/amnesty-or-more-looting-obama-and.html
THE DEMOCRAT PARTY BEEDERS (AT GRINGO EXPENSE):
“Through love of having children, we are going to take over.” AUGUSTIN CEBADA, BROWN BERETS, THE LA RAZA FASCIST PARTY – OBAMA FUNDS LA RAZA WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS AND IT OPERATES OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE UNDER LA RAZA SUPREMACIST CECLIA MUNOZ – GOOGLE IT!
Pat Buchanan: U.S. Lacks 'Moral Moxie' to 'Defend Our Borders'
By Susan Jones
(CNSNews.com) - "Why has the government of the United States not got the moral moxie to do its duty and defend our borders?" asked conservative columnist Patrick J. Buchanan.
The problem rests with presidents of both parties, he told Fox News's Sean Hannity Monday night.
"We do need a secure fence, a double or triple-link fence all along the border of the United States with Mexico. We got to tell folks we know how much you want to come, but we decide who comes into our national home."
Buchanan said what's happening on the U.S.-Mexico border is the same thing that's happening in Europe, as people from failed, Third World states are flooding in.
It's no surprise that people want to come to the U.S. "But as Ronald Reagan said, a country that can't or won't control it's borders isn't really a country anymore."
"The truth is, if you do not get control of folks pouring into your country from all over the world, they will alter the character and composition of your country and change it forever without the consent of the American people."
Buchanan noted that in 1992, when he was running against George H.W. Bush, he went to the border in San Diego: "And they were coming across the border at 5,000 every weekend, pouring in, and they all talked about secure the border because illegals are pouring into the United States. And if the government had acted then, we would be dealing not with 12 million or 20 million illegals but with 3 million. Many would have been gone."
He also recalled that in 1953, President Eisenhower sent a U.S. general to Texas, to deal with an influx of illegal aliens. "And they put them on buses and ships and they sent them back into Central Mexico..."
A NATION LOOTED – THE DEMOCRAT
PARTY PARTNERS WITH MEXICO TO
SURRENDER OUR BORDERS AND BUILD
THE MEX WELFARE STATE in AMERICA –
It’s all about keeping wages depressed and
building the party base!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/07/amnesty-mexican-fascist-party-of-la.html
EVERY DAY THERE ARE CHILDREN MOLESTED BY ILLEGALS FROM MEXICO.
THERE ARE ALSO 12 AMERICANS MURDERED. WHERE’S THE OUTRAGE ABOUT OUR OPEN BORDERS?
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/07/four-time-deportee-arrested-for.html
NO END TO THEIR LOOTING!
OBAMA’S LA RAZA PARTY BASE of ILLEGALS RAKE IN BILLIONS FROM !!! FRAUDULENT TAX RETURNS!!!
IT’S only ONE WAY OBAMA HAS BOUGHT THE ILLEGALS’ ILLEGAL VOTE!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2014/07/president-remains-passive-while-his-la.html
LAURA INGRAHAM: What the politicians will never sa...
BUT ISN'T BARACK OBAMA GEORGE W. BUSH'S THIRD and ...
THEY COME BY INVITATION OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY POL...
THE RISE of BARACK OBAMA and the FALL of AMERICA -...
Mexico and Obama's partnership to destroy America'...
IS OBAMA RUNNING OUT OF BORDER LIES? What Democrat...
THE BANKSTER-FUNDED DEMOCRAT PARTY WORKING HARD FO...
BUT WILL HISPANDERING HILLARY BE ELECTED BY ILLEGA...
EXPANDING THE LA RAZA WELFARE STATE IN AMERICA'S O...
LA RAZA HARRY REID IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ILLEGALS V...
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JUDICIAL WATCH - THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL CRIMINALS RELEASED!
Calls to Abolish ICE Omit that Majority of Immigrants Agency Arrests are Convicted Criminals
As a growing number of Democrats and their allies call for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), it’s important to remember that the overwhelming majority of illegal immigrants arrested by the agency have criminal convictions.
In 2017 immigrants with criminal convictions accounted for 74% of all arrests made by ICE, according to government data used by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center in a study published earlier this year. Sixteen percent of those arrested by ICE had pending criminal charges and only 11 % had no known criminal convictions or charges, the Pew analysis found.
Nearly 60,000 illegal aliens deported by ICE last year were convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and another 57,438 for possessing or selling dangerous drugs such as opioids. More than 52,000 ICE arrestees were convicted of immigration offenses, including false claim to American citizenship and tens of thousands had pending criminal charges for assault, driving under the influence and a variety of other crimes. Some had pending charges for more violent crimes like sexual assault, kidnapping and homicide.
Los Angeles, an illegal alien sanctuary city, topped the list with nearly nine out of 10 ICE arrests consisting of immigrants with criminal convictions. Newark, New Jersey had the lowest number with 60% criminal arrests but every region had one thing in common: “In all ICE areas, considerable majorities of arrests were for those with prior convictions,” the Pew study says.
The figures make the calls to abolish ICE, the 20,000-employee Homeland Security agency, preposterous. The growing movement includes elected officials—some presidential contenders—at the federal, state and local level as well as those running for office. Among them are senators Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts), Kamala Harris (California) and Kirsten Gillibrand (New York). Warren and Harris are reportedly making White House runs in 2020.
Other federal lawmakers calling for the dismantling of ICE include Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan and Massachusetts Congressman Mike Capuano. In a piece published by a mainstream media outlet, a law professor running for New York Attorney General writes that ICE is a “tool of cruelty and lawlessness and dehumanization.” The agency was born in xenophobia and fear, the lawyer asserts, and it is doing exactly what it was designed to do: “Terrorize immigrant communities, bring a police state inside our borders and treat people as less than human.”
Not surprisingly, the mainstream media appears to support the abolish ICE movement and has demonstrated it with biased reporting as well as the promotion of radical leftist ideas such as those published by the New York Attorney General candidate.
A mainstream national newspaper writes that the nation doesn’t need ICE and refers to it as an “agency that harms Latino and immigrant communities.” A northern California newspaper blames the Trump administration’s “hardline immigration policies” for transforming the idea of abolishing ICE from a pipe dream for liberal activists to a legitimate political issue. The article refers to abolish ICE as a movement that has seen a “remarkable rise from fringe issue to Democratic rallying cry.” A multitude of media outlets around the country have followed suit, shamelessly displaying their pom poms for the insane abolish ICE movement.
The reality is that ICE needs to be strengthened because the agency is overwhelmed, officers can’t keep up with monstrous workloads and repeatedly lose track of hardcore criminals inside the United States.
As a result hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens with criminal records are getting released by local authorities in the U.S., according to a federal audit released last year by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General. A surge in illegal immigrants under the Obama administration pushed matters into crisis mode with deportation officers so overworked that they often lose track of dangerous illegal aliens with serious criminal histories, the probe found.
This includes individuals who represent critical national security threats. One ICE agent cited in the report said this: “You might work 18 hours a day, but you still won’t get caught up.” Inspectors visited four key field offices and determined that the management deficiencies and unresolved obstacles make it difficult for the feds to deport aliens expeditiously. “ICE is almost certainly not deporting all the aliens who could be deported and will likely not be able to keep up with growing numbers of deportable aliens,” the DHS watchdog found.
Calls to Abolish ICE Filled With ‘Dangerous Hatred,’ Says Expert
https://www.theepochtimes.com/calls-to-abolish-ice-filled-with-dangerous-hatred-says-expert_2581588.html
By Charlotte Cuthbertson
ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents arrest a suspected MS-13 gang member and Honduran national in Brentwood, N.Y., on March 29, 2018. (John Moore/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON—Democratic politicians and advocacy groups calling for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are saying the agency is a “racist deportation force” and a “terrorist organization.”
Heather Mac Donald, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of “The War on Cops,” says these groups are “fomenting hatred, and it’s dangerous hatred.”
“They are playing a race card … the most powerful poison they’ve got, to try to delegitimize a lawful activity,” Mac Donald said. “ICE agents are not racist. ICE is not racist. It’s enforcing color-blind laws.”
ICE is the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement arm that operates in the interior of the United States as well as overseas. The agency employs more than 20,000 officers to carry out deportations of illegal and criminal aliens, as well as investigations into drug, gang, and cross-border crime.
On an average day in fiscal year 2016, ICE agents arrested seven child predators, seized 4,000 pounds of narcotics, arrested 13 transnational gang members, and refused 24 visas due to terrorist connections, according to the agency.
President Donald Trump has been a staunch supporter of ICE and law enforcement since taking office.
On June 30, as calls to abolish ICE swirled, the president took to Twitter to express support for the agency.
“To the great and brave men and women of ICE, do not worry or lose your spirit,” Trump wrote. “You are doing a fantastic job of keeping us safe by eradicating the worst criminal elements. So brave! The radical left Dems want you out. Next it will be all police. Zero chance, It will never happen!”
In an executive order issued days after his inauguration, Trump asked for an additional 10,000 ICE officers to be hired.
Heather Mac Donald, fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of “The War on Cops.” (Courtesy of Heather Mac Donald)
‘Simply Ludicrous’ Analogies
The outcry over ICE gained steam in June after the administration called for all adult illegal border crossers to be prosecuted, in line with the law. Consequently, around 2,000 children were temporarily separated from their parents while the parent awaited prosecution.
Mac Donald said the media is partly to blame for the resulting hype and hysteria.
“It’s hardly neutral. I mean the constant coverage and hysteria over the border, Trump’s travel ban, and the zero tolerance policy—the analogy [they’re using] is to Nazism, to the Japanese internment analogies, which is simply ludicrous,” she said.
Holocaust survivor David Tuck told “American Voices” that he is “sickened” when he hears the comparison of children’s shelters in the United States to concentration camps.
“Please, this is not a concentration camp—they’re free. … I would think it’s a country club,” Tuck said in a video posted on Facebook. “You can’t compare. Anytime I hear it, it’s sickening.”
Politicians in New York have been progressively more outspoken about ICE.
Actress Cynthia Nixon, the Democratic primary challenger to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, called ICE a “terrorist organization” that should be abolished, during a speech at a church in New York on June 21. Cuomo himself issued a cease-and-desist letter to ICE on April 25.
Then-Acting ICE Director Tom Homan responded to Cuomo by saying ICE arrested nearly 5,000 criminal aliens from the streets of New York last year.
“So rather than a cease-and-desist letter, a letter of thank you would be appreciated,” Homan said at an event on June 5.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a socialist who beat incumbent Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) in the Democratic primary on June 26, included “abolish ICE” as part of her platform.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has since joined the “abolish ICE” chorus and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) called for the same on Twitter.
“I believe we need to protect families who need help, and ICE isn’t doing that. It has become a deportation force,” Gillibrand wrote on June 28. “We need to separate immigration issues from criminal justice. We need to abolish ICE, start over and build something that actually works.”
Gillibrand, along with several other Democrat senators, joined hundreds of women who staged a sit-in protest at a Senate building in Washington on June 28. Almost 600 women were arrested and charged with unlawfully protesting.
Protesters demonstrate inside the Hart Senate Office Building against family detentions and ICE, in Washington on June 28, 2018. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Anti-ICE encampments started springing up near ICE field offices in several cities in late June, and individuals connected to the far-left Antifa group have collected and released the personal information of ICE agents online.
“That’s just absolutely irresponsible, shocking,” said Mac Donald. “Again, they are playing with fire, and it’s part of both the anti law enforcement hysteria that has taken over the country for the last four years and then just shows the depth of resolution on the open-borders left to impose their will by force and illegitimate means.”
The advocacy group United We Dream sent an e-newsletter out on June 30, calling ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) “a dangerous and racist cancer on the liberties of all people.”
“They exist for the purpose of enforcing the racist doctrine of mass deportation. Members of Congress must immediately stop voting to give billions of dollars to the deportation force,” the group said.
Mac Donald said more politicians need to disavow this type of “poisonous rhetoric.”
“You are playing with fire every time you use this sort of incendiary language against law enforcement,” she said.
“If you can’t deport someone in the country illegally—if that lawful response is taken off the table—then there is simply no more national sovereignty, and the citizens of the country have lost any say over who comes into the country, and immigration policy is set then by people living outside the country.”
She said the “abolish ICE” rhetoric is the natural extension of a longstanding crusade against deportation as a response to illegal entry and illegal presence.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent works in Los Angeles on Oct. 14, 2015. (John Moore/Getty Images)
The Sanctuary Movement
The sanctuary city movement, which originated in Los Angeles in 1979, is the beginning of a larger push for open borders, said Mac Donald.
Sanctuary policies shield illegal immigrants from deportation, especially those who are convicted criminals, often by not allowing local law enforcement to communicate and cooperate with ICE.
By this logic, Mac Donald said, proponents of sanctuary cities are clearly saying it’s illegitimate to deport any illegal alien who has not gone on to commit another crime, beyond entering the country illegally.
From the beginning of the Trump administration until the end of the 2017 fiscal year, administrative arrests increased 42 percent compared to the same period the previous year—from 77,806 to 110,568, according to Department of Homeland Security statistics.
Ninety-two percent of those arrests were aliens who had a criminal conviction or a pending criminal charge, were an ICE fugitive, or had illegally re-entered the United States after deportation (which is a felony).
Acting ICE Director Tom Homan speaks at an event hosted by the Center for Immigration Studies, on June 5, 2018. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
Homan has repeatedly hit back at sanctuary cities for releasing criminal aliens back into communities rather than handing them to ICE.
“When you release a criminal alien from a jail, that criminal alien is going to return to his community and victimize the very community in which he lives—which are immigrant communities,” Homan said on June 5.
“This whole thing about sanctuaries protecting immigrant communities—it’s false, it’s inaccurate, it’s just putting politics over public safety. That’s all it is.”
Nationwide Manhunt for Three Illegal Aliens Accused of Kidnapping, Raping Teen Sisters
https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/07/04/nationwide-manhunt-for-three-illegal-aliens-accused-of-kidnapping-raping-teen-sisters/
Bowling Green PD
4 Jul 2018 Bowling Green, OH4,960
A nationwide manhunt is underway for three illegal aliens who are accused of kidnapping and raping two underage, teenage sisters in Bowling Green, Ohio.
According to WISTV10, four illegal aliens are alleged to have kidnapped and raped a 13-year-old girl and her 14-year-old sister at a Days Inn near Wooster Street in Bowling Green.
The teen sisters allegedly escaped the four illegal aliens after being held against their will and sexually assaulted, and were quickly taken to the hospital by their mother and stepfather.
Already in custody is 24-year-old illegal alien Simon Juan Thomas from Guatemala. Thomas was arrested and charged by Bowling Green Police with raping minors and is currently imprisoned on a $50,000 bond.
Illegal alien Simon Juan Thomas was arrested and charged with sexual misconduct with a minor and is being held on a $50,000 bond. His illegal alien accomplices are on the loose.
Meanwhile, the other three illegal aliens remain on the run with Bowling Green Police officials saying they believe the men have fled the region.
The three illegal aliens wanted are:
David Ramos Contreras
Arnulfo Ramos
Juan Adiel
Police say 27-year-old Contreras is from Mexico, while Adiel had been using a fake ID that claimed he was a legal resident of Fellsmere, Florida. All four illegal aliens were using fake IDs, according to police.
Police are asking the public to focus on the photos of each illegal alien, rather than their names, as they are unclear whether these names are real or fake.
Two of the illegal aliens allegedly worked as drywallers while the other worked at Greenline Foods in Bowling Green.
Police are advising anyone with information on the whereabouts of the men are to contact the Bowling Green Police Division at 419-352-1131, Wood County CrimeStoppers at 1-800-54-CRIME, or a local law enforcement agency.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the men is allowed to stay anonymous and are eligible for an up to $1,000 reward should the information provided lead to the arrest and conviction of any of the suspects.
HOW “CHEAP” IS ALL THAT INVADING “CHEAP” LABOR?
Natalio Vitervo-Vasquez was deported twice but returned to provide “cheap” labor. He can’t read or write and raped his 10-year-old daughter.
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2017/08/illegal-natalio-vitervo-vasquez-goes-to.html
“Prosecutors say the girl, who was 11-years-old at the time, went to a medical center where it was determined she was pregnant. Officials say she would have conceived the child at ten years of age.”
MEXICAN MOLESTATION
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2018/01/mexicans-and-child-molestation-mex.html
MEX GIVES 7-YEAR-OLD CHILD HERPES AFTER REPEATEDLY RAPING HER
“The molestation was reported after the child was taken to a hospital for an outbreak of g enital h erpes early this month. When asked how she might have contracted the disease, the child claimed that Morales had molested her “a lot of times.”
"The legal age of sexual consent in Mexico is 12 years old. Sex with children at this age and younger is socially acceptable in Mexico. For example: A Mexican Lopez-Mendez pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a 10-year-old-girl in West Virginia." FROSTY WOOLDRIGE
Mexicans cheat, distribute drugs, lie, forge documents, steal and kill as if it’s a normal way of life. For them, it is. Mexico’s civilization stands diametrically opposed to America’s culture.
The legal age of sexual consent in Mexico is 12 years old. Sex with children at this age and younger is socially acceptable in Mexico. For example: A Mexican Lopez-Mendez pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a 10-year-old girl in West Virginia.
THE GRUESOME MS-13 GANGS FROM
LOS ANGELES: THEIR MURDER, RAPE,
AND CRIME TIDAL WAVE IN AMERICA’S
OPEN BORDERS
THE ILLEGALS’ AND THEIR CRIME TIDAL WAVE!
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2018/01/michael-cutler-illegals-and-their.html
Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute has testified before a Congressional committee that in 2004, 95% of all outstanding warrants for murder in Los Angeles were for illegal aliens; in 2000, 23% of all Los Angeles County jail inmates were illegal aliens and that in 1995, 60% of Los Angeles’s largest street gang, the 18th Street gang, were illegal aliens.
ILLEGAL RAPES 9 YEAR-OLD STEPDAUGHTER
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2011/06/illegal-rapes-9-year-old-stepdaughter.html
LA RAZA GANG RAPE:
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2011/06/la-raza-mexican-gang-rape.html
8 Alleged Gang Members Arrested For Kidnap And Rape For 2 Teen Girls
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53103
Border Patrol Arrests Gang Members, Child Molesters in South Texas
https://www.breitbart.com/texas/2018/07/02/border-patrol-arrests-gang-members-child-molesters-in-south-texas/
Photo: U.S. Border Patrol
Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector stopped five illegal immigrants from successfully making their way back into the U.S. The agents arrested two 18th Street gang members, two child molesters, and a man previously charged with felony sexual contact.
In a series of separate incidents, Border Patrol agents kept numerous criminal aliens from successfully re-entering the U.S. after previous removals, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.
Agents arrested two 18th Street gang members in separate incidents in South Texas. In the first, Rio Grande City Station agents arrested a Honduran man near Roma. Elsewhere, Kingsville Station agents arrested a Salvadoran man about 80 miles inland, near Sarita. In both cases, biometric background investigations revealed the two men were members of the violent 18th Street gang.
In Donna, Texas, Weslaco Station agents apprehended a Mexican national after he illegally crossed the border. When agents investigated the man’s records, they discovered a 2007 conviction in Hidalgo County, Texas, for indecency with a child. He received a three-year prison sentence for his crime.
Further up the highway, agents at the Falfurrias Station came across a Guatemalan national illegally present in the U.S. The agents conducted a background check which revealed a 2004 conviction in Redwood City, California, for sex with a minor. The California court sentenced the criminal alien to 45 days in jail and three years of probation.
Agents assigned to the Rio Grande City Station arrested a Salvadoran man after he illegally crossed the border. The agents transferred the Salvadoran national to the station for processing where they learned the man had been arrested by the Saint Paul Police Department in Minnesota for felony sexual contact in the third degree. A court convicted the foreign national to three years in prison and placed him on probation for 15 years.
Agents processed all of the criminal aliens and turned them over to Homeland Security Investigation who will hold them for prosecution on immigration violations. Illegal re-entry after removal is a felony punishable by a prison sentence of up to 20 years. Their previous orders of removal will also be reinstated, officials said.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX, GAB, and Facebook.
WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN OF LEGALS LEFT ORPHANED DUE TO A MEX MURDER???
http://mexicanoccupation.blogspot.com/2018/06/illegals-separating-american-children.html
Instead Francis Hernandez, an illegal alien driving 81 miles an hour, slammed into a pickup truck, killing the two women inside, and smashing it through the glass wall of the Baskin Robbins.
Francis Hernandez had been arrested 16 times in 5 years without ever being turned over to immigration authorities. That failure to enforce immigration law separated a little boy from his family forever. DANIEL GREENFIELD – FRONTPAGE
ALEXADRA OCASIO-CORTEZ - PHONY SOCIALIST AND GREEDY LATINA BITCH!
Ocasio-Cortez pockets the tip cup?
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2018/07/ocasiocortez_pockets_the_tip_cup.html
By Jeannie DeAngelis
New York's 14th District's congressional nominee, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is currently the darling of the Democratic Party. Running as a Democratic Socialist, the 28-year-old Latina managed to defeat ten-term Democrat incumbent and number-four Democrat in the House Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.), and she did it by touting the virtues of wealth being socially and collectively owned.
In addition to believing that it's time for generational, racial, and ideological change, and in the spirit of former first lady Michelle Obama, who shared none of her pie but wanted the rest of us to "give up a piece of [our] pie so that someone else [could] have more," allegedly, Alexandria, aka Sandy, isn't all that into sharing, either.
Official campaign photo.
According to a food-server who worked with the former bartender at an East 16th Street taco and tequila bar, Flats Fix, on Cinco de Mayo 2017, the newly minted politician proved that when it came to divvying up the tips, collective ownership lost its appeal.
On the Democratic Socialist website, it says that "Democratic socialists believe that both the economy and society should be run democratically – to meet public needs, not to make profits for a few."
If "profits for a few" is what Ocasio-Cortez condemned when running against Joe Crowley, why would she begrudgingly throw $50 at a waitress and pocket $510 for herself? If the soon-to-be congressional contender was really against pay inequity, shouldn't the server she worked alongside have been given half of Alexandria's take?
The only explanation for pocketing 90% of the contents of the tip cup and doling out a pittance to a co-worker is that, deep down inside, "people vs. money" Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez considered herself the top 1% of Flats Fix and secretly believed that mixing Mayan Mules has more worth than schlepping fish tacos.
Wasn't it Ocasio-Cortez who said, "The definition of Democratic Socialism to me, again, is the fact that in a modern, moral, and wealthy society, no American should be too poor to live"? Is this the same woman who allegedly gave a waitress $50 for a night's work and kept $510 for herself?
The server was so shocked by the small amount of money she received that a complaint was registered with the management, who wrested another 50 bucks from Alexandria's tightfisted Democrat-Socialist hands.
The offended waitress told Richard Johnson of the New York Post's Page Six that after being treated that way by Ocasio-Cortez, "[f]rom that point on, I wouldn't talk to her. I couldn't look at her. It says so much about her character."
Six months after slighting a low-wage worker trying to make an honest buck, Alexandria packed up her tip cup and left Flats Fix to run against Congressman Joe Crowley as a Democrat Socialist and won.
Jeannie hosts a blog at www.jeannieology.com.
WILL OUR CURRENT POLITICAL CONFLICTS TURN VIOLENT?
https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/270655/will-our-current-political-conflicts-turn-violent-bruce-thornton
Do today's "woke" leftists really have the guts?
Bruce Thornton
Bruce Thornton is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center.
President Trump’s recent string of wins ––especially the victories in the Supreme Court decisions and the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy–– has incited the Democrat “resistance” to even loonier excesses of rhetoric and rudeness. Celebrities indulging juvenile vulgarities, boorish protestors harassing cabinet members in public spaces, the twitterverse smoldering with calls for violence and a “summer of rage,” and the buffoonish Representative from California Maxine Waters calling for even more public harassment: all have some people worrying that we are on the track of escalating violence that will turn the “cold civil war” hot.
Count me as skeptical for now. As bad as today’s political discord may seem, American history from its beginnings has been filled with worse political conflict and violence, from Shays’ Rebellion to Bleeding Kansas, from the Wall Street bombing to the Haymarket Riot. And having spent more than forty years in the university, the nursery of leftism and today’s parlor pinks, I see few people with the gumption to actually back their blustering threats with risky action.
Any claims that we are living on the brink of civil conflict inflamed by violent political rhetoric must answer the question, compared to when? The Sixties and Seventies saw urban riots that killed hundreds, wounded thousands, and caused millions of dollars in damages. Politically motivated kidnappings and shootouts were endemic. The 1968 protests at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago featured televised vicious battles between the police on one side, and antiwar protestors and left-wing groups like the Yippies and Students for a Democratic Society on the other. A jumpy national guard contingent killed four student protestors at Kent State. During this same period, thousands of bombings from a plethora of radical groups took place ––according to a 1970 Senate investigation, more than 4,300 just between January 1969 and April 1970, killing 43 and inflicting $22 billion in damage. And presidential primary candidate Robert Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King were assassinated.
And what are we fretting over? Vulgar insults on late-night television, a rhetoric of violence used by people who have never fired a weapon, public rudeness to politicians, anonymous threats and virtual stalking, and other forms of bullying perpetrated mostly by well-fed people of leisure who have no intention of risking their lives and possessions for their zombie leftism. Of course, these sorts of attacks can be disturbing to the victims, and any credible threat of violence should be taken seriously by the authorities and investigated. But the worst of what we’re seeing is still light-years from the assassinations and bombings of 50 years ago. And don’t forget, that leftist violence of the Sixties and Seventies created a backlash that helped elect Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.
Our dearth of that sort of genuine violence may be why we try to elevate murders by psychopaths––like the ones who fired on the Republican congressional baseball team last year, or more recently a Baltimore newsroom––into acts of political violence stoked by ideological conflicts. In reality they’re no more political than was the paranoid loser Travis Bickle’s rampage in the movie Taxi Driver. In contrast, the violence of the Sixties was perpetrated by self-styled revolutionaries whose acts were the consequence of their conscious beliefs in revolutionary violence as the justified means to an ideological end. They were psychopaths with seemingly rational and respected arguments, infinitely more dangerous than your typical school-shooter egged on by his private demons and paranoid hallucinations.
Compared to the Weathermen, the Symbionese Liberation Army, or the SDS of the Sixties and Seventies, our violent “resistance” comprises mostly posers and day-trippers like Antifa. The level of their violence, mostly against property, does not reach that of soccer hooligans, let alone the daily mayhem in inner-city hell-holes. And unlike the ’68 protestors in Chicago, who faced beat-downs from the police, these days protestors know the police don’t want to risk their jobs by using the force necessary to deter such antics. They also know that most of those arrested don’t face serious legal consequences. Their “resistance” is more like theater for iPhone and news cameras, rather than the serious violence that radicals in the Sixties committed.
Today’s “activists,” then, are performing in a revolutionary operetta that isn’t really about radical change, but about making a fashion statement and preening morally. Of course, they may seem “passionate” about their beliefs, and even believe they really are, but the true test of commitment is not attending a demonstration to provide selfies for your Facebook page, nor blustering comments and threats on an online site, nor browbeating your MAGA-hatted aunt at Thanksgiving, nor verbally bullying a cabinet member out for a meal. This is not Yeats’ “passionate intensity” that he saw in the political religions and their violence in the Thirties, but a cheap knock-off that substitutes a “revolutionary” pose and attitude for the real deal. It’s revolution in the virtual world, where flourish the images and rhetoric that make us think a violent civil war is looming. Meaningful commitment is the willingness to get blood on your hands.
Typical of this symbolic and gestural “radicalism” is the latest mascot of the “woke” resistance, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who beat the fourth ranking Democrat in the House in a New York district primary. This daughter of an architect, denizen of tony Westchester County, and Boston University grad styles herself as a “working class girl from the Bronx” and a committed socialist. But she’s really what the Mexican kids I grew up with called a gringada, a Latina culturally indistinguishable from a white girl. Her ethnicity is a costume she uses to make herself attractive to her half-Latino district. As Daniel Greenfield writes, she’s “an upscale lefty hipster drifting after college from one activist gig to another, developing the contacts that put her in the right place at the right time. These are the bios of ten thousand professional lefties who infest the non-profit sector. They’re all angry, self-righteous and interchangeable.”
In other words, an aspiring race-tribune like the ancient Roman variety, the aristocrats on the make who professed to champion the cause of the plebs in order to advance up the cursus honorum of political power. The difference is, many a Roman tribune fought and died in the Forum in pursuit of their revolutionary reforms. Our race tribunes can look forward to dying in their comfortable beds with a fat 401K or state pension, all funded by the wealth free-market capitalism has created. Just ask Bernie Sanders, today’s “socialist” Pied Piper whose “activism” has made him a millionaire.
Careerist hipster “activists” like Ocasio-Cortez are not the sort of leaders who can galvanize the masses for violent revolution, no more than are geriatric plutocrats like Nancy Pelosi or George Soros, or political ventriloquist’s dummies like Bill Maher or Joe Scarborough. And their “woke” ersatz-socialist fans are just like them: well-fed court jesters for the rich and powerful of the Acela corridor, lap-dogs who will snarl and nip but know exactly where to sit in order to snatch the scraps dropped from the tables of the bipartisan power elite. They know better than to risk biting the hands that feed them by actually fighting with bombs and guns rather than safely blogging and protesting while the police stand down, and the fellow-traveling media advertise their “commitment” and “passion.”
Nor are today’s “woke” millennials the budding shock-troops of the revolution. Snowflakes of uncertain “gender” and vulnerable to verbal “microagressions” are not promising recruits for class warfare. Guys who’ve never been punched in the face and fret over their “toxic masculinity” won’t make it through Marxist boot-camp. The kind of people needed for violent change these days are living in off-the-grid rural compounds, or the “gangster paradise” where the businesses of drugs, guns, and prostitution are much more lucrative than “transforming” America along Cuban lines.
So let’s calm down a bit with the rhetoric of impending violence. When we discover that sizable battalions of organized, disciplined “resistance” outfits are stockpiling guns and ammo, importing illegal armaments, spending time at the range learning which end of the gun to point, and figuring out how to build bombs by studying jihadist websites, then we’ll need to take them more seriously. And do something about.
This doesn’t mean civil violence is impossible. But if political violence returns to the streets of America, it’s unlikely to come from aging hippies and entitled millennials who treat politics like performance art, which is the luxury of well-fed consumers with ample leisure time and discretionary wealth. It will more likely come on the heels of economic dislocation and dwindling wealth to redistribute. And while today we are fighting the rhetoric wars over trivial “scandals” and lurid predictions of democracy’s demise, we are creating the conditions for such economic disorder by our feckless policies of unsustainable entitlement spending, rising deficits, and metastasizing debt. Those fiscal chickens may be coming home to roost in just a couple of decades.
Moreover, the social disorder of a serious economic downturn may be more extreme for us. The greater affluence that we take for granted will make the decline in living standards even more intolerable than in the past. Then we may painfully learn the wisdom in Thucydides’ timeless warning about how people in times of wealth and comfort––such as we are enjoying now with the economy booming and full employment–– find it easier to indulge revolutionary words and gestures, rather than take lethal revolutionary action. But when they “fall under the dominion of imperious necessities,” whether because of war or, what is more likely in our case, economic deprivation, the ensuing breakdown in order can “take away the comfortable provision of daily life.” War or want becomes a “hard master and tends to assimilate men’s characters to their conditions.” That is, in the lean years we may find ourselves capable of brutal actions we’d never consider during the fat years. Right now, the antics of the “resistance” are affordable luxuries for the richest cohort of young people in human history. Let that affluence disappear, and rhetoric indulged in times of comfort can turn to lethal violence and the temptation of collectivist solutions that have paved the road to tyranny in the past.
If we’re really worried about civil violence coming to our streets, let’s do something about the economic dysfunctions that are insidiously making possible the conditions for such violence. That’s a more credible threat than are the social media tantrums and potty-talk of spoiled brats.
JUDICIAL WATCH - THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL CRIMINALS...
ALEXADRA OCASIO-CORTEZ - PHONY SOCIALIST AND GR...
THE MOVEMENT TO INVADE NARCOMEX TO STOP THE MEXICA...
FBI - SERVANTS OF THE CRIME DUAL OF HILLARY AND BI...
HER CORRUPTNESS, SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN COMES OUT F...
WELFARE FOR BILLIONAIRES - BILLIONS HANDED TO S...
TEN YEARS AFTER THE BANKSTER-CAUSED CRASH, THE BAN...
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@ltaCITIES Finds Just Stand Up for Fight Against Cancer
"Just Stand Up!" is a song featuring the vocals of an all-star group of pop/R&B/rock/country performers, including Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Natasha Bedingfield, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis, Carrie Underwood, Keyshia Cole, LeAnn Rimes, Ashanti and Ciara. This group purposely was billed as Artists Stand Up to Cancer to the public. American songwriter and producer Antonio "L.A." Reid conceived the collaboration after a meeting with the founder of Stand Up to Cancer, which will benefit from the proceeds of the record. Reid co-produced the track with American singer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and the single was released on August 21, 2008.
The singers performed the song live on the "Stand Up to Cancer" telethon which aired simultaneously on ABC, CBS and NBC on September 5.
The single was re-released on September 30, 2008 with the original recording, as well as the audio of the live perfor…
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White-nose syndrome, a disease that has killed millions of bats in the East, has now been confirmed in two bats in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Biologists found WNS in both a tricolored and a little brown bat found in a park cave, officials said today. Only the fungus that causes the disease had been previously confirmed in the sprawling park of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.
The disease is named for a white fungus that forms on the faces of many victims. The fungus makes bats restless during hibernation in caves, moving about and burning up fat reserves or losing body moisture needed to survive winter. There is no cure.
Of the 11 bat species found in the Smokies park, at least six hibernate in caves and old mines, making them susceptible to WNS. The park closed all 16 of its caves and two mining complexes to the public in 2009 in an effort to prevent spread of the disease.
The disease does not appear to be a risk to humans, but dead bats or animals that are acting strangely should not be handled because bats carry rabies.
"While the confirmation of WNS in the park is not a surprise," said park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson, "it is still a sad day for the resource." Go here for a podcast on WNS in the Smokies.
Posted by Bruce Henderson at 11:37 AM 4 comments
Have you spotted a loggerhead shrike in Mecklenburg County lately? How about a barn owl? Or an American kestrel?
The Mecklenburg Breeding Bird Atlas, a three-year work in progress by the Mecklenburg Audubon Society and the county natural-resources staff, needs your eyeballs. Shrikes, barn owls and kestrels are all ranked as "critically imperiled" species in the county, and the first year of fieldwork for the atlas found none breeding here.
About 110 volunteers took part in 2011. More, of any skill level, are needed. Information on observations of bird nests or other breeding clues, such as birds seen carrying food or nest materials, can be reported on the center-left side of the Mecklenburg Audubon site.
Preliminary results of the first year of fieldwork:
-- Of the 117 species expected to breed in the county, 87 percent were documented.
-- One new species, the Eurasian collared-dove, was found nesting in the county.
-- One pair of American redstarts was confirmed breeding, the first such record in Mecklenburg since 1941.
Of particular interest are loggerhead shrikes (left), which were once common in Mecklenburg County. Sightings have declined in the past two decades as they lost habitat, says county biologist Don Seriff, who is coordinating the atlas project. The birds look like a mockingbird with a black mask and are easy to see in open or brushy fields.
"We'd love to know if (volunteers) can find any within the county," Seriff says.
Birders, consider that a challenge.
The installed cost per watt of solar photovoltaic systems in North Carolina dropped 36 percent between 2006 and 2011, the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association reports.
The NCSEA credits falling prices for a spike in solar installations. By last September, it says, North Carolina ranked eighth-highest in the nation for installed solar PV capacity. More than 1,100 systems with a total capacity of 128 megawatts registered with the N.C. Utilities Commission between 2006 and 2011.
Conventional electricity costs in the state, meanwhile, rose at an annual 3 percent average over the past decade, the study says.
The study projects that the largest solar PV systems, those larger than 500 kilowatts that take state and federal tax credits, will become cost-competitive with commercial retail electricity prices for all N.C. utilities in 2015. The smallest systems, 10 kilowatts or less, would reach parity by 2020.
Posted by Bruce Henderson at 8:00 AM 30 comments
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Duke Energy silent on ALEC ties
Duke Energy isn't saying whether it's a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council, known as ALEC, the conservative, state-level policy group that is a frequent target of the left.
The British newspaper The Guardian released internal documents last week that list Duke as a lapsed ALEC member. ALEC counts as members nearly one-third of North Carolina's Republican-led legislature, including House Speaker Thom Tillis of Cornelius, the documents show.
Duke won't confirm or deny being a member. Duke has supported ALEC's past events, including spending $50,000 to sponsor a 2012 meeting in Charlotte, and might do so again, says spokesman Tom Williams.
All six of the states in Duke's territory -- the Carolinas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky -- have Republican-majority legislatures, Williams notes, and five have Republican governors.
"It's all about having a seat at the table as discussions are held, and sometimes supporting things and sometimes not," Williams says.
Greenpeace and other groups say Duke's status matters because of ALEC's positions on renewable energy. Among them is a proposal that, critics say, would make it more expensive for owners of rooftop solar panels to pay utilities to use the electric grid.
"Duke's customers deserve to know whether their utility stands with an organization that plans to attack homeowners in North Carolina who have installed solar panels," Greenpeace researcher Connor Gibson said by e-mail. Duke's membership would "prove," he said that the utility supports the ALEC proposal.
ALEC lost support following the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida last year for its support of "stand-your-ground" laws.
Dozens of bills introduced in the N.C. legislature this year, including measures on voter identification and private school vouchers, reflected the group's positions, Raleigh's News & Observer has reported.
Fewer Charlotte commuters get to work by car
A slightly smaller proportion of metro Charlotteans is commuting by car as working from home, public transit use and biking increase, says a new study based on federal transportation and census data.
The study was commissioned by the NCPIRG Education Fund, a Raleigh-based consumer group. The group declared the results, which showed an overall drop in miles traveled by vehicles, to mean "the driving boom is over." It urged policy makers to invest more heavily in public transit and biking.
The proportion of commuters using cars dropped in 99 of the 100 largest U.S. cities in recent years, the report says. That included a 3.4 percent drop in metro Charlotte between 2000 and the period of 2007-11, the ninth-largest decrease nationwide.
Public transit passenger-miles transit increased in a majority of cities, including Charlotte. So did biking, although Charlotte showed little recent change. Every metro area showed an increase in employees working from home.
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Miracle Carpet 106 Strand Street Martin, TN 38237 Call Us At 731-587-3346
12 Weird Facts About Carpet We Bet You Didn’t Know
Where does the word “carpet” come from? Know the phrase, “Carpe Diem?” The word carpet is derived from the same Latin word, carpere, which means to pluck or to seize, probably because carpets were made from unraveled, or “plucked” fabric. (This brings a whole to meaning to our job as carpet cleaners. 😉 )
The five-second rule is a myth: bacteria can live after four weeks on carpet. And, thanks to “microbial adhesion,” germs such as the following are immediately transferred to food: Salmonella typhimurium, Campylobacter, and Salmonella enteritis, a nasty bacterium that causes horrible diarrhea and vomiting.
3. The oldest surviving carpet is the celebrated Pazyryk carpet, which is over 2,000 years old. It was found in the 1940s in a Scythian tomb in southern Siberia. Check it out:
https://nazmiyalantiquerugs.com/blog/pazyryk-carpet-oldest-rug-the-world/
4. The phrase “to sweep under the carpet” in its figurative sense was first recorded in 1963.
5. Each year, several pounds of soil can accumulate in and under a carpet. (……especially if you sweep things under the carpet alot…..)
6. In the Middle Ages, floors were covered with rushes, which acted like a disposable carpet. If it got dirty, it was thrown away. Check it out:
Eventually they weaved mats out of the rushes, which made it easier to remove when it got dirty.
7. All carpet should be professionally cleaned a minimum of every 12 to 18 months.
8. When properly cleaned and maintained, carpeting may improve the quality of air through trapping allergy-inducing dust and allergens. Most people, however, do not clean their carpets correctly, which can actually exacerbate allergies. Check out what it looks like when the carpet filters dirt from the air, but isn’t properly cleaned.
9. Vacuum cleaners in the early 20th century were large, powered by coal, and required three people to operate them. Other early vacuums cleaners had to be parked outside a building and had long hoses that went through the windows. Yet another early version of the vacuum was installed in the house cellar and connected to a network of pipes that led to each room in the house.
http://vacuumcleaner.umwblogs.org/invention/
10. The American floor covering industry argues that the difference between a “rug” (related to the words “rag” and rough”) and a “carpet” is strictly a matter of size. Any piece smaller than 40 square feet is considered a rug while anything larger is a carpet. According to the American carpet industry, then, the “flying carpet” or “magic carpet” is technically a rug.
11. Oriental carpets first became highly prized possessions in Europe during the Middle Ages when the crusaders likely returned home with them. The influence was very unilateral, with Europe hardly influencing the design of Oriental carpets.
http://tea-and-carpets.blogspot.com/2009/06/renaissance-european-painters-passion.html
Source: http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/08/03_carpet.html
Gif images taken from https://giphy.com/
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Home Your Family Older Adults Health Concerns: Head to Toe Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease See All
Alzheimer's Disease See All
Parkinson's Disease See All
Anatomy of the Brain in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease
The brain is an important organ that controls thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, vision, respiration, and every process that regulates your body....more
Overview of Nervous System Disorders in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease
Disorders of the nervous system include stroke, infections, such as meningitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and functional disorders, such as headache and epilepsy....more
Neurology in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease
Neurology is the branch of medicine that is concerned with the study and treatment of disorders of the nervous system....more
Neurological Surgery in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease
Neurological surgery is used to treat disorders of the brain, spine, and nerves. The healthcare provider who specializes in neurological surgery is called a neurosurgeon or neurological surgeon....more
Diagnostic Tests for Neurological Disorders in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease
Evaluating and diagnosing damage to the nervous system is complicated and complex. Many of the same symptoms occur in different combinations among the different disorders....more
Neurological Exam in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease
A neurological exam may be performed with instruments, such as lights and reflex hammers, and usually does not cause any pain to the patient....more
Neurological Rehabilitation in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease
Neurological rehabilitation is a physician-supervised program designed for people with diseases, trauma, or disorders of the nervous system. Neurological rehabilitation can often improve function, reduce symptoms, and improve the well-being of the patient....more
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This paper was first published in the proceedings of 18th International Research Conference in The Planetary Collegium’s Series “Art & consciousness in the postbiological era”, Shanghai, 2015. Technoetic Arts Journal, Intellect, 2016.
https://medium.com/@olivierauber/refounding-legitimacy-fbaa4c67081d
Refounding Legitimacy
Towards Aethogenesis
OlivierAuber
The fusion of humans and technology takes us into an unknown world, described by some authors as populated by quasi-living species that would relegate us — ordinary humans — to the rank of alienated agents, emptied of our identity and consciousness. I argue instead that our world is woven of simple, though invisible, perspectives, which — if we become aware of them — may renew our ability for making judgments and enhance our autonomy. I became aware of these invisible perspectives by observing and practicing a real-time collective net art experiment called the Poietic Generator. As the perspectives unveiled by this experiment are invisible, I have called them anoptical perspectives (i.e. non-optical), by analogy with the optical perspective of the Renaissance. Later, I have come to realize that these perspectives obtain their cognitive structure from the political origins of our language. Accordingly, it is possible to define certain cognitive criteria for assessing the legitimacy of the anoptical perspectives, just like some artists and architects of the Renaissance defined the geometrical criteria that established the legitimacy of the optical one.
I will not say a word about the first singularity of the universe (the alleged Big Bang). I will not say much about the second singularity that took place on earth and probably on many other planets: the explosion of biological codes called Abiogenesis, which realized ‘the transition of a world without biology to a world with biology’. Most species that emerged during the Abiogenesis disappeared or mutated, while a small number have proliferated into the present.
However, let me express an interest in the third singularity: The origination of human language, and especially what could lead to the fourth one, as a consequence of the inception of two possible classes of artificial living species: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Mindplexes (Yudkowsky, Goertzel, 2003).
The political origin of language
The evolutionary anthropologist Cadell Last has recently described a condition he calls Atechnogenesis (Last 2015) as ‘the passage of a world without technology to a world with technology’, which we are experiencing at the moment on earth and which that may have also occurred on other planets. According to him, the Atechnogenesis will lead to the birth of technological life on a cosmological scale.
Following Claude Lévi-Strauss and André Leroi-Gourhan, we can easily imagine that one can trace the Atechnogenesis on our planet back to the emergence of the genus Homo itself; that is to say, to the emergence of a proto-language among some hominids in conjunction with the inception of the first tools. The cognitive scientist Jean-Louis Dessalles specifies the link between language and technologies: he puts forward strong arguments that suggest that the invention of weapons was the singularity that triggered the explosion of our symbolic codes (Dessalles 2014a, 2014b).
According to his theory, weaponry in its most prehistoric version would have made the social order based on physical domination brutally obsolete. For the first time, weapons would have allowed hominids to kill without risk, not only wild beasts, but, above all: dominant peers.
Once, for whatever reason, easy killing became possible among our hominid ancestors, the absolute right of the strongest instantaneously became obsolete.
2001 space odyssey
This political crisis induced by the armed threat of the dominated against the dominants would have put enormous stress on our species, to the point of becoming a factor of natural selection. The individuals whose behavior could have contributed to the collective survival would have been selected. The selected individuals would have been those who proved their capability to both identify unexpected signs of danger to the community and to communicate them to their peers by hand gestures, vocalizations, and later by an increasingly articulated language. As analyzed by Dessalles, language would have been our Evolutionarily Stable Strategy (ESS), which allowed us to escape the political crisis triggered by the invention of weapons. The appearance of human language would have overthrown the brute force to become our main daily activity, as well as the driving force that shapes our social structure.
The fourth singularity?
If weapons were the factor that triggered the emergence of human language, both continued to evolve together until they were almost inseparable. This is so much so the case now that we live within their complex entanglement. Even more refined than military weapons, I believe that the mother of all weapons lies within the language itself. It is invisible, immaterial, and essentially logical. That is: money.
While the primordial weapons were used by dominated peers in order to threaten the dominant ones, contrariwise, the monetary weapon is exclusively in the hands of the dominants (who should not be confused with the elites, as we shall see). Money is not only a social code that promotes one class over another; by driving the technological development, it becomes an instrument of total domination. Indeed, capital–traditionally seen as the accumulation of stocks and means of production — has been suddenly dematerialized in the form of complex economic and symbolic values activated by robots and artificial intelligence working for an ever-smaller number of people, i.e., the ‘vectorialist class’, which owns the vectors of our interactions (Wark 2004). In its hands, the monetary weapon is both the goal and the tool of a global cyberwar.
Who cannot see that this exponential concentration leads to the creation of vast desert areas, where currency, as well as other economic and symbolic values, are in the best cases maintained under perfusion? The monetary code, based on its mode of creation by debt (Graeber 2013), appears more and more like a carnivorous operating system that inevitably leads to destruction. It is as if its unrestricted expansion allows a kind of quasi-living system to practice a systemic predation of our species. That is to say, it can safely, blindly, and indiscriminately kill our fellow humans (as well as animals), whatever their social ability, to the point that the ancient order, based on our language, seems to have become obsolete.
Our species seems in the process of being submitted to a new political stress, similar to the one that led to the invention of language, but in the opposite direction:
Dominants > dominated
What is this phenomenon of such a magnitude if it is not the announcement of a new singularity?
Many researchers think that the economic crisis summarizes all other crises and that it drives us to a singularity. Some of them are considering a radical rebuilding of the monetary system on the foundation of a monetary creation process based on a universal dividend (Laborde, 2010). Some others imagine how to match offer and demand without using any currency (Heylighen 2015a). There are uncountable other proposals of alternative currency models (ACM), all of which are possible seeds for new monetary orders. Some might be beneficial, but others could also reboot an even worse domination.
Artificial Currency Models as artificial living species
If these ACMs are potential new weapons, we should control them a priori from a certain perspective. But in practice, distributed autonomous organizations (DAO) emulated by ACMs are popping up everywhere like spontaneous generations of artificial living species within a transitioning ecology. As they try to proliferate on the same playing field of our economic relations, they compete with one another. We know that they will combine, mutate, or disappear until a new, revitalized ecosystem emerges.
Among the different scenarios that I will explore is perhaps hided the pathway of our future Evolutionarily Stable Strategy. The question arises, how to detect it, build it, and select it? I will argue that this is all a question of legitimacy.
Anoptical perspectives as a pattern of cognitive awareness
To assist us, we can try to observe a fact that has gone relatively unnoticed since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, and particularly since the emergence of telecommunications: It is the inception of two invisible perspectives that are driving the topology of our networks. Since these perspectives are invisible, I propose to call them anoptical perspectives (i.e. non-optical) by analogy with the optical perspective of the Renaissance (Auber 2001).
Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–April 15, 1446). Two panel paintings illustrating for the first time around 1413 the geometry of the optical perspective.
Just as Brunelleschi’s experiment demonstrated the concept of optical perspective at the beginning of the Renaissance, the observation and the practice of a very simple net art experiment called the Poietic Generator may unfold the anoptical ones.
The Poietic Generator allows a large group of people to perform a real-time collective interaction over a network. The experiment can run either on a centralized or on a distributed peer-to-peer network. In both cases, the Poietic Generator achieves seemingly the same kind of human interaction: A feedback loop between the individuals and the group produces an emergence of unpredictable shapes that can be seen and interpreted by all, and in which everyone can take action.
Poietic Generator., collective performance (rehearsal), Shanghai Institute of Visual Art, 2015.
The Poietic Generator may be seen as a generic model of multiple complex systems such as informational, financial, urban, or ecological networks in which everyone is involved daily. But unlike these ‘real’ networks, the rules and infrastructure of which are often opaque, the Poietic Generator is perfectly transparent. Everything is known or knowable, in particular the fact that it operates according to a centralized or a distributed structure. Indeed, the networks that determine every economic and symbolic value can operate according to these two architectures. The reasons why the centralized architecture is chosen in the majority of the cases will be discussed below.
Poietic generator’s centralized or distributed network.
In the case of a centralized network architecture, one can speak about a temporal perspective (TP). Indeed, the center is the physical place where the network’s subjective time emerges moment by moment from the interaction among its members. One can call this physical place: a ‘temporal vanishing point’. For example, that could be a server.
In the case of a distributed peer-to-peer architecture, one can speak about a digital perspective (DP): an arbitrary digital code guarantees the emergence of the network’s own subjective time in each of its nodes. One can call this code: a ‘vanishing code’. That could be, for example, a multicast IP address, a hashtag, or a blockchain, and in the case of a biological network, it could be a molecule, a genome, a DNA sequence, etc.
The two anoptical perspectives (TP, DP), unveiled by the Poietic Generator over two different types of networks, share numerous topological and symbolic attributes with the optical perspective.
In both network architectures, the vanishing point/code is the symbol of the infinite and the unknowable. Indeed, even if it is perfectly defined and/or located (the server is somewhere, the source code of the network is accessible and readable), the emergence of the global image/phenomena remains unpredictable.
The vanishing point/code is also homologous to a certain point of view, which is analogous to the painter’s eye in the optical perspective. This point of view defines the set of rules of the network. In the case of the Poietic Generator’s experiment, this is simply me.
At last, as the optical perspective is working according to some geometrical rules, the anoptical perspectives are working according to cognitive ones. In this regard, it is possible to define some criteria of legitimacy for the building of anoptical perspectives, just as painters and architects defined the legitimate optical perspective during the Renaissance.
The ideal city attributed to Luciano Laurana or Melozzo da Forlì. 15th century.
The legitimacy of the anoptical perspectives can be observed in the conditions that determine the feedback loop between the local agents and the global emergence. One can consider as a first approximation that — if the feedback loop is thoroughly achieved without any external manipulation; that is: If each agent of the network can observe its own input among the other ones — then it is possible to pretend that the anoptical perspective is legitimate. In that case, one can trace this legitimacy back from the patterns that emerge from the vanishing point/code. The global network behaves like an autopoietic system with an operational closure (Maturana ∧ Varela 1992); that is, a pure living organism.
On the contrary, the legitimacy of the anoptical perspective is not achieved in the case where some external manipulations somehow break or disturb the feedback loop by injecting some alien data or modifying, hiding, or retaining some parts of the agent’s inputs. In that case, we can say that the agents are ‘alienated’ in the sense defined by Heinz Von Foerster, which is, in short:
They cannot recognize or observe their own trace among the whole.
One can trace the manipulation back in the patterns designed by the system, even though it is difficult because the network behaves ‘like’ a living organism; that is, an organism that mimics life according to a certain model of life injected by the author(s) of the manipulation (consciously or not).
Feedback manipulations are called by my friend Florence Meichel: Noloops. She finds Noloops in every corner of human activity (industry, media, finance, politics, religion, science, and, above all, ‘social networks’). This is not a surprise. Indeed, in a context where ‘third order structural couplings’ (Maturana & and Varela 1992) between systems are everywhere, Noloops are the norm. Practicing social networks (which are in fact interconnected ‘social silos’) show this very well. Some Noloops are well known and somehow tolerable, while some others are hidden and ethically highly problematic. Think about Volkswagen’s cheating algorithms.
Upon this basis, let me try to define more precisely the notion of legitimacy of the anoptical perspectives, not in philosophical, moral, political, or legal terms, but in cognitive ones.
Three criteria of legitimacy (A, AB, ABC)
Noloops refer to questions of cheating and autonomy. These notions can be considered in the framework of Dessalles’ model of human language, which I take the risk of summarizing succinctly in a single sentence:
Signalling unexpected events allows the individuals to strengthen their social network in order to reduce their chances of being killed by surprise.
Some peers choose an ‘honest signalling’ strategy. Their main quality is to detect inconsistencies or to restore consistency. The peers who show this ability, among other qualities, are accepted as members of the group and, step by step, they constitute its ‘elite’.
On the other hand, some other individuals choose to cheat in order to get a dominant position in a less costly manner. Basic cheaters are the ones who over-signal irrelevant events to get some attention or advantage from their peers. The latter are easily neutralized by the ones who can ‘restore consistency’, just by damaging their reputation.
There exist, of course, highly various and uncountable cheat strategies that are far more difficult to detect. Countermeasures are also numerous. Nevertheless, one thing has not been considered in Dessalles’ framework so far. Cheating strategies may apply to the vectors of the signalling activity ; nowadays, that is: Networks and technology in general. Yet, we can try to classify these cheating strategies in the framework of the anoptical perspectives.
Cheating can intervene at three main levels of these perspectives:
(1) peer level, (2) network level, and (3) vanishing point/code level.
Here are some examples taken from contemporary practices:
Peer levelOver-signalling, fake, noise injection, high frequency trading, multiple identities, identity theft, obfuscation, virus, groupthink, harassing, etc.
Network levelSpying, real-time filtering, deep packet inspection, backdoor, intentional network outage, manipulation of counters and social graphs, etc.
Vanishing point/code levelInstitutional bias, nudge, fiction, Ponzi scheme, lying algorithms, irrelevant model injection, lobbying, star system, monopoly, takeover, putsch, paradigmatic blindness, etc.
All these cheating strategies applied to the vectors of our signalling activity tend to deprive us of our feedback or to mislead us. Since we are ‘alienated’, even if we have a great ability to ‘restore consistency’, we cannot be recognized as friends by the others (and eventually given access to a position of eliteness). In the ecological niches defined by these cheating activities, dominant positions are definitely taken by cheaters (who are cheating consciously or not).
The globalization of these ‘vectorial cheating strategies’ gives us a cognitive explanation for the new political stress that we are facing as a species in this critical stage of Atechnogenesis: these strategies let the dominants not only practice a systematic predation over the dominated, but let them definitively neutralize the elites, which could/should restore the consistency. That leads to an overall failure of consistency; A global mismatch between the behavior of our organization and the state of its environment.
In these dramatic conditions, peers have to urgently find some countermeasures for deactivating the ‘vectorial cheating’ in order to recover their autonomy and their capability of judgment.
Here we propose three basic criteria that could help agents/peers/users to evaluate the legitimacy of any given centered or distributed network (TP or DP) to which it/he/she belongs:
Does any agent A have the actual right to access the network if he requests it? Can A leave the network freely?
Is any agent B (present or future, including agents that conceive, administer, and develop the network) treated like A?
If agents A, B, and C (where ABC is the beginning of a multitude) belong to a network that meets the first two criteria, are they peers? That is, are they able to recognize, trust, and respect each other, thereby building common representations and common sense?
In other words: The A criterion aims to avoid any form of hostage taking; people are free to come and go. The networks that they practice are appreciated under this criterion for their ‘exchange value’ and their ‘use value’. Contrariwise, the networks that are irreversible for technical reasons, or those that are built to maximize their ‘hostage value’ for speculative and predatory purposes, are removed.
The AB criterion offers to evaluate the symmetry of the network using an approach of reciprocity. Networks whose design is mechanically producing concentrations of power are abandoned.
ABC is a more complex criterion. It proposes to consider the notion of ‘peer’ without giving any definitive answer. For example, is it enough that a peer takes part in my network for looking at him as a peer? On the contrary, can I nevertheless consider someone who does not belong to my network as my peer? Does a peer have to be necessarily human? Could it be non-human? If so, what should be the ratio human/non-human? Etc. In the era of Atechnogenesis, nobody will escape the need to answer these questions, and it is likely that answers will be contingent and scalable.
Nevertheless, the beginning of a generic response is given by the concept of anoptical perspectives. Indeed, this ABC criterion suggests ultimately to question the imaginary projections that we make on networks and other technological artifacts. We know that, in a certain way, they play the roles of ‘transitional objects’ (Winnicott), ‘instinctual objects’ (Freud) or ‘object a’ (Lacan). In terms of anoptical perspectives, we can say that we cannot avoid to project onto their vanishing point/code our desire, our need of a symbol that connects us to the Other and differentiates us from it. As has already been said, these anoptical vanishing points/codes are completely unknowable. Consequently, the shared mourning of their mastery and their knowledge constitutes paradoxically the common base of our social links.
Allegory of the Jesuits’ Missionary Work. Between 1691 and 1694. Sant Ignazio, Rome
In reality, we try by all means to grasp them, just like in paintings of the Baroque era, where the vanishing point of the optical perspective is obscured by the Christ, the Virgin Mary, or the dove of the Holy Spirit. Today we superimpose some abstract notions and some political slogans on the vanishing points/codes of the networks, according to the case: ‘the market’, ‘the performance’, ‘the competitiveness’, ‘the communication’, etc. Maybe tomorrow we will use concepts such as ‘the extension of life’ or ‘eternal life’. In fact, these slogans exclude the peers who are not within ‘the market’, who are neither ‘effective’ nor ‘competitive’, those who know how to live without the illusion of ‘communication’ or ‘eternal life’. Therefore, the network selects the peers. But as we will see further, the strict respect of the anoptical legitimacy should be the opposite: the peers should select the networks.
To conclude this part: The above-mentioned criteria of legitimacy (A, AB, ABC) are in line with many other attempts of mankind to restore some consistency. They propose a reformulation appropriated to networks of some ancient and somewhat forgotten principles, for example, those of the French Republic:
LIBERTY — EQUALITY — FRATERNITY.
They are also expanding the principles of free software (Stallman R. 1983) to a whole information system.
Four evolutionary scenarios
As is well known, about two centuries were required for the literacy of the optical perspective to spread around the world after its inception by Brunelleschi in the early 1400s, which triggered enormous effects. It quickly became the main tool that we use to project ourselves in time and space; that is, to evaluate distance, the time/energy needed to travel across it, as well as the resources that may be gathered. This literacy was certainly the relevant intellectual tool for an era of conquerors, explorers, and builders.
This is no longer the case, as has been announced by the deconstruction of the concept of space made by major artists of the twentieth century. Anoptical perspectives that are driving the development of networks definitely prevail upon the optical one, which organizes our spatial perception.
Unfortunately, despite the warnings, the optical perspective still remains the current imaginary mode of our society. In particular, this representation mode, which is inconsistent with the very nature of our environment, directly affects the current monetary system. Indeed, everything happens as if our social relationships as well as our minds were considered as territories that can be conquered, occupied, and exploited. In this regard, the notion of emotional capitalism (Pierre, Alloing 2015) — which is the total industrialization of emotions — seems to constitute a relevant description of this dramatic drift.
The anoptical perspective’s literacy could offer a countermeasure to that drift. To understand the phenomena it may trigger, let us consider the research of Dessalles again. By following his basic assumptions about the origin and the function of human language, Dessalles deduces a mathematical model of our signalling activity that has been validated by actual data. In short, the level of our signalling activity and our personal attractiveness are linked in a surprising manner. One can observe three classes of people on Dessalles’ diagrams:
The Y-axis measures the level of the personal signalling. The X-axis measures the ‘quality’ of individuals, that is, the attractiveness that determines the size of their social network. (in Dessalles J-L 2014b, ‘Optimal Investment in Social Signals’, pp. 9, Evolution, 68(6), 1640–1650).
The left side of the diagram includes individuals who have a low attractiveness and get only a limited social network. These individuals are showing a low signalling activity.
The central part of the diagram includes individuals who are competing with each other through their signalling activity in order to increase their personal attractiveness and thus the size of their own social network.
In the right side of the diagram, the high personal attractiveness of individuals has almost no impact on their signalling activity, which remains limited in comparison to their social status. Individuals in this group are very slightly competing with each other.
Consequently, this modeling, which is directly deduced from the characteristics of our language, shows how far the shape of our social hierarchy is itself an aspect of our ESS.
From that moment on, the question is whether the global industrialization (vectorization) of our overall social signalling behavior implemented by centralized or decentralized networks has any impact on our ESS, and whether the awareness of the anoptical perspectives may produce a slight change?
On the brink of the fourth singularity, let me propose below four evolutionary scenarios of our current ESS for discussion:
Four evolutionary scenarios of our current ESS (curve S black) on the brink of the fourth singularity.
S’ (red): Concentration of power induced by centralized networks.
S’’ (dashed red): Centralization around some Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
Z (green): Anoptical perspectives’ acculturation towards a global immune system.
Z’’ (dashed green): Mindplexes, Global Brain.
Scenario #1: the concentration of the economy in the hands of a few tends to transform the initial black curve S into the red one S’. That would mean:
Section S’1: A bigger proportion of unattractive individuals with a poor social network and a low level of signalling activity.
Section S’2: Much more competition between the individuals of this competitive class, which has proportionately a more limited size.
Section S’3: Proportionally fewer individuals in this non-competitive class whose members are more attractive because they are fewer.
This transformation S->S’ does not change the S shape of the curve. So there is no actual transformation of our ESS in that scenario, despite all the alleged ‘disruptions’ promised by the technology. Even if we extrapolate S’ into S”:
Scenario #2: S” suggests that some Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) — eventually controlled by some rare dominants considered as a semi-god — had taken over the whole human species and transformed all individuals into some asocial zombies. Say it is not really a desirable scenario, though some people dream about it as the only solution to solve human problems.
Scenario #3: This scenario requires making a bold assumption. Imagine that one day some scandals expose the disastrous ethical consequences of centralized networks and their illegitimate temporal perspective (the exploitation by a few of the emotions of the masses). Imagine that thereafter, some literacy about the anoptical perspectives begins to spread around the world driven by the vital need of the people to recover some autonomy. Imagine that these events trigger a tipping point where the second type of anoptical perspective (the digital perspective) attains the dominant position. Hence, S could mutate into Z, which has an inverse shape. That would mean:
Section Z1: A quick socialization of individuals at the bottom of the ladder.
Section Z2: A larger middle class with less competition among its members. Enjoy!
Section Z3: A competitive elite would have replaced the non-competitive dominant individuals.
The inversion of shape S->Z would suggest that a slight change of our ESS has happened in order to restore the consistency and the autonomy of our society. One more time, our language would have prevailed upon the brute force and the misuse of our weaponry, especially the power of money.
Scenario #4: One can also extrapolate Z to Z’. Z’ suggests the formation of some sort of Mindplexes where artificial intelligence and the human mind have combined with each other. Mindplexes would pave the way to the Global Brain, where radically new languages, for example like the one developed by Pierre Levy, would be practiced, between humans, and between humans and machines. According to Francis Heylighen, the Global Brain would pave the way to a new form of Eden (Heylighen 2014b).
This Z->Z’ hypothesis would definitively put the world under the reign of the anoptical perspective of distributed networks. Its vanishing code would be some ACM or more generally a new social protocol. This may be seen as a new weapon that would enforce a new social order. In this case, it is not difficult to imagine that legitimacy issues would be very difficult because of the indescribable complexity of distributed networks. Only the acute and permanent awareness of all agents may prevent the possible takeover by some illegitimate systems or predatory artificial species. In other words, if one day, the Global Brain is a reality, it will need a Global Immune System to ensure its viability.
The evolutionary hypothesis I have explored disputes the admitted framework of the Darwinian theory, in which the notion of collective benefit is not included. Indeed, for Darwin and his successors, selective pressure rests upon the individuals only. However, Darwin himself noticed that the selective pressure on individuals can paradoxically lead to the selection of anti-selective behaviors. This ‘inverse effect’ (Tort, 1983) induces in fact a kind of selection of the social organizations considered as quasi-living species.
According to my hypothesis, human beings have specific cognitive resources that enable them to consider the perspectives created by their own technology. After having taken advantage of the optical perspectives for the development of our species, this would be the time of the anoptical ones. As network agents structured by the anoptical perspectives, we are (on the curve S) most often in the position of the ‘selected’, allowing them to shape our imagination and our judgments. But by becoming aware of these perspectives and by questioning their legitimacy, we could choose to evolve (towards the curves Z and Z’) in order to be in the position of the ‘selectors’ of the quasi-living species to which we belong.
The Global Immune System, to which in this way we could participate, could select artificial species according to their legitimacy seen as an evolutionary advantage. Finally, it would be the relevant and proportionate update of our Evolutionarily Strategy. That could lead us to a new era, which I propose to call Aethogenesis: The passage of a world without ethics to a world with ethics. The Aethogenesis, as a fourth singularity, would trigger a new explosion of codes respecting the beings of all species, by beginning with our own one.
Auber, O. (2001). ‘Du générateur poïétique à la perspective numérique’/’From the Poietic Generator to the Digital Perspective’, Revue d’Esthétique, n°43. Paris: Éditions Jean-Michel Place, pp. 127–136.. Éditions Jean-Michel Place.
Dessalles, J. L. (2014a). ‘Why talk?’, in D. Dor, C. Knight and& J. Lewis (eds.), The Social Origins of Language, 284–296. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, pp. 284–96.
Dessalles, J-L. (2014b). ‘Optimal investment in social signals’., Evolution, 68(:6), pp. 1640–1650.
Yudkowsky, E., Goertzel, B. (2003). ‘Mindplexes: The potential emergence of multiple levels of focused consciousness in communities of AI’s and humans’,. Dynapsyc . Novamente LLC. Available at http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/GB-issue/GB-Goertzel.doc, accessed 25 April 2016.
Graeber, D. (2013). Debt: The First 5,000 Years, New York: Melville House Publishing.
Heylighen, F. (2014a), ‘Towards an Intelligent Network for Matching Offer and Demand: from the sharing economy to the Global Brain. Technological Forecasting and Social Change’, in press. Available at http://pcp.vub.ac.be/Papers/GB-OfferNetwork.pdf, accessed 25 April 2016.
Heylighen, F. (2014b). ‘Return to Eden? Promises and perils on the road to a global superintelligence’,. in B. Goertzel ∧ T. Goertzel (eds.), The End of the Beginning: Life, Society and Economy on the Brink of the Singularity, Humanity+ Press, pp. 359–372.
Laborde, S. (2010). ‘Théorie Relative de la Monnaie’/ (‘Relative Theory of Money’). Available at http://en.trm.creationmonetaire.info, accessed 25 April 2016.
Last, C. (2015)., ‘Big historical foundations for deep future speculations: Cosmic evolution, atechnogenesis, and technocultural civilization’,. Foundations of Science, Berlin: Springer, pp 1–86.
Maturana, U., Varela, F. (1992). Tree of Knowledge: The Biological Roots of Human Understanding,. revised. edition, Boulder Colorado: Shambhala Press.
Pierre, J. and, Alloing, C. (2015). ‘Questionner le digital labor par le prisme des émotions : le capitalisme affectif comme métadispositif ?’/‘Questioning digital labor through emotions: Affective capitalism as a meta device’, Colloque international ‘La communication numérique au cœur des sociétés : dispositifs, logiques de développement et pratiques’, Echirolles, 4 et 5 mai 2015. Available at: http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01171594, accessed 25 April 2016.
Stallman, R. (1983). GNU General Public License[S8] , available at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html, accessed 25 April 2016.
Tort, P. (1983). La pensée hiérarchique et l’évolution, Paris,: Aubier, pp. 165 et 166–-197 (“L’effet réversif et sa logique”).
Wark, McKenzie? (2004). A Hacker Manifesto, Harvard:. Harvard University Press.
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Music and more from a Christian perspective
Slow down, and have your change ready
The Peter Furler Band at Lancaster Bible College
Written by Bert Saraco
The band produced a solid sound with a raw feel. No guitar techs, no strobe lights. The Peter Furler Band was Old School…
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When the heat index is over 100 degrees one of the last things you want to do is to stand in line under a blazing sun – yet that’s exactly what an ever-growing line of people was doing outside the doors of the mercifully air conditioned venue where the Peter Furler Band would be playing in a little over an hour. An hour? Yes – a long hour. If you had to guess what would be going on by looking at the crowd you’d have a pretty hard time. There were young children, there were people that could have conceivably been their grandparents, and everything in-between. There were the hip, the not-so-hip, hipsters, and people with artificial hips – all more than willing to perspire away a few quarts to see what would be happening onstage.
Make no mistake – this was rock and roll. Peter Furler, of course, spent years fronting one of the most successful of all Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) bands ever: Newsboys – and although that iconic band straddled many rock genres, they were essentially an adventurous, often quite creative pop band. The Peter Furler Band is a more threatening, though more streamlined unit. Furler, on guitar and vocals, is backed up by former guitarist and keyboard man for Superchick, Dave Ghazarian and former drummer for Audio Adrenaline and Bleach, Jared Byers. The trio is a powerful, stripped-down rock band that plays without the safety net of pre-recorded back-ups and triggered keyboard effects – it almost seems like the set-list (if there is one) is more like a suggested program, not to be slavishly adhered-to….
Of course, the Newsboys songs are there – but they’re looser, they feel a bit more in touch with the moment, and feel less like it’s youth-group night. Furler’s unmistakable voice is still in excellent form, his guitar playing was solid but not flashy, serving the songs with guts and fury where needed, and his banter between songs was appropriate to the moment (often levelled at the group of kids down front). Ghazarian’s bass playing is strong and melodic – nowhere to hide in a three-piece, the bass lines need to shine and growl and they did both. Byers’ drumming was solid and supplied the thunder to make the trio rock when needed. Together, the band produced a solid sound with a raw feel, yet was sophisticated enough to add depth to some of the evening’s more challenging moments. No guitar techs, no strobe lights… The Peter Furler Band was Old School – free-range rock ‘n roll.
By the end of the show, the band played 19 or 20 songs – a generous set. Furler’s newer songs, from his two excellent solo albums, On Fire and Sun And Shield, were mixed with familiar Newsboys classics like “Something Beautiful,” a reggae treatment of “Shine,” “It’s All right,” and (among others) his personal favorite – the last song on the Take Me To Your Leader album – “Lost The Plot.” Pointing out the relevance of the lyrics, especially these days, he sang:
“Sigh. …Let's be blunt.
We're a little distracted. What do You want?
Once we could follow, Now we cannot.
You would not fit our image, So we lost the plot
Once we could hear You. Now our senses are shot.
We've forgotten our first love. We have lost the plot. …”
A surprise for this audience was a moving rendition of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” – a surprise for Peter was being harassed into a few bars of “Breakfast” by a group of children who wouldn’t stop asking for it. Skillfully balancing fun and poignancy is something that Furler does well, and before ending with the celebratory “I Am Free,” there was a communal sing-along to “Amazing Love,” “It Is You,” and the buoyant “I Am Free.”
At the end of the concert a line of those same people that earlier found themselves broiling in the sun for over an hour waited on line again – this time to meet the band and to say ‘thank you’ to the man responsible for so many of those songs that we all knew, but maybe didn’t know who it was that wrote them… nah – I guess we all actually did know it was that guy from Australia who was once a Newsboy…
Words and pictures: Bert Saraco
For more pictures from this and other concerts go to:
www.facebook.com/express.image
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Charles Counter Opens Fall Season with "Split Sticks."
The Pattern Shop Studio’s first fall exhibit will be Charles Counter’s Split Sticks. The show features both sculpture and prints of new dynamic work and will open with a public reception on first Friday, September 7th, 6 to 9pm. The exhibit will also be on view first Friday October 5th, 6-9pm. An artist’s Salon will be held on October 13th, 4-6pm. The show will conclude on Friday, October 19th. The Pattern Shop Studio is open seven days a week for groups and individuals by appointment (303-297-9831).
Charles Counter received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the seventies from Colorado State University and went on to receive a graduate degree in fine art from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. While at Otis, he served as the graduate assistant in sculpture, developing a particular interest in wood sculpture. Later, this interest broadened through an apprenticeship and full-time employment as an industrial wood pattern maker.
Returning to his native Colorado, Counter has worked exclusively in the field of exhibition design and production. In the nineties he received an appointment at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, where he currently serves as Senior Designer and Developer of Exhibitions at the Museum and is a Senior Adjunct Instructor in the graduate program of Museum Studies. His work has been exhibited at The Denver Botanic Gardens, the Longmont Museum, Republic Plaza/Denver, Ironton Gallery, The Pattern Shop Studio and the William Havu Gallery. Counter lives and maintains a studio in Denver.
Pattern Shop Summer: Sharon Brown's Classic "Virginia: A Life"
After hanging for 18 months out at Red Rocks Community College, Sharon's oil painting series, Virginia: A Life, has come home to The Pattern Shop Studio and will hang all summer. Based on old photographs rescued from a dumpster after a neighbor died, the series (so far totalling 88 art works), chronicles the lives of two ordinary people from the 1930's until the 1980's. The exhibit can be seen on First Fridays in June, July, and August, 6-9pm, and any time by appointment (303-297-9831).
Barbara Shark Continues at the Pattern Shop through May 4
The Pattern Shop Studio’s spring exhibit of figurative painter Barbara Shark’s oil paintings, About Time, continues on First Friday, April 6th and First Friday May 4th. An Artist’s Salon will be held on Saturday, April 14th, 4-6pm, which will also include the official release party for Shark’s newly published memoir, How I Learned To Cook, An Artist's Life. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and the artist will be signing copies. The Pattern Shop Studio, in the heart of the RiNo Art District, is open seven days a week for groups and individuals by appointment (303-297-9831).
Colorado artist Barbara Shark has built a long and successful practice creating large format, photo-realistic paintings. Her works capture their subjects outdoors or in animated conversations around the dinner table, doing almost anything, but always actively doing something. In her pieces, Shark invites the viewer to imagine narratives about what’s going on, the personalities interacting, and what relationships undergird their interactions. Working both in luscious black and white and in vibrant color, Shark takes everyday life and elevates it to the level of fine art. Spanning the time period from the early 1990’s to the 2010’s, About Time explores the artist’s focus, her skill and her growth as one of the region’s preeminent painters. Click on "Exhibits" to see more examples of her large scale oils.
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Jain Holdings, LLC
48w 48th St. Suite 1301, New York, New York 10036
New York County
JAIN HOLDINGS, LLC is corporation filed with the New York State Department of State (NYSDOS). The DOS ID is 3192217. The business entity is incorporated in New York County. The entity type is DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. The initial DOS filing date is 04/18/2005. The address is 48w 48th St. Suite 1301, New York, New York 10036. The city is New York, New York. The zip code is 10036.
Jain Holdings, LLC · 48w 48th St. Suite 1301, New York, New York 10036
Current Entity Name JAIN HOLDINGS, LLC
County Incorporated NEW YORK
DOS Process Address JAIN HOLDINGS, LLC
48W 48TH ST.
5395436 Warriors Sheet Metal Corporation 355 West 41 Street Suite 2fe, New York, New York 10036
2113596 Mair's Sons Jewelry, Inc. 55 West 47th St, New York, New York 10036-2801
5275257 Cre Global Enterprises LLC 135 West 41st Street 5th Floor, New York, New York 10036
5558779 Bayam Group Inc 10 W 46th Street #1307, New York, New York 10036
5389764 Chinese By Yoniski LLC 7222 Main Street, Flushing, New York 10036
2166782 The Wiener Family Foundation, Inc. 530 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10036
5494430 Jccm-hanley LLC 559 W. 45th Street, New York, New York 10036
5566311 Fifth Avenue Acup Health Inc. 2 W 45th Street Suite 1702, New York, New York 10036
3634490 Seg Wealth Advisory Corp. 45 West 45th St 15th Fl, New York, New York 10036
5106510 Save The Raisins Limited Liability Company 165 West 46th Street Suite 704, New York, New York 10036
5295295 Do It Love Inc. 7 West 45th Street 14th Fl, New York, New York 10036
5017733 41 Body Spa Inc. 141 W 41st St, New York, New York 10036
2231539 D. A. W. Jewelry Inc. 2 West 47 Street, Room 402 A, New York, New York 10036
3653688 Hamra Diamonds LLC 15 West 47th Street Suite 1102, New York, New York 10036
5055392 587 Dp Owner, LLC 560 Fifth Avenue 3rd Floor, New York, New York 10036
5365004 Thai Healing Hands LLC 1501 Broadway 12fl Suite 12064, New York, New York 10036
5417603 Djj Fine Art LLC 311 W 43rd St, New York, New York 10036
5538865 Cheesus Crust Inc. 500 West 43rd St 33e, New York, New York 10036
2468769 Madison Capital Partners LLC 1114 Avenue of The Americas, New York, New York 10036
5504614 Cori Stolbun Productions, LLC 350 W. 42nd Street #33d, New York, New York 10036
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Fast Structural Alignment of Biomolecules Using a Hash Table, N-Grams and String Descriptors
Bauer, R. A. and Rother, K. and Moor, P. and Reinert, K. and Steinke, T. and Bujnicki, J. M. and Preissner, R. (2009) Fast Structural Alignment of Biomolecules Using a Hash Table, N-Grams and String Descriptors. Algorithms and Molecular Sciences, 2 (2). pp. 692-709. ISSN 1999-4893
Official URL: http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4893/2/2/692
This work presents a generalized approach for the fast structural alignment of thousands of macromolecular structures. The method uses string representations of a macromolecular structure and a hash table that stores n-grams of a certain size for searching. To this end, macromolecular structure-to-string translators were implemented for protein and RNA structures. A query against the index is performed in two hierarchical steps to unite speed and precision. In the first step the query structure is translated into n-grams, and all target structures containing these n-grams are retrieved from the hash table. In the second step all corresponding n-grams of the query and each target structure are subsequently aligned, and after each alignment a score is calculated based on the matching n-grams of query and target. The extendable framework enables the user to query and structurally align thousands of protein and RNA structures on a commodity machine and is available as open source from http://la jolla.sf.net.
Mathematical and Computer Sciences
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A quantum-dot-based device combines all of the attributes necessary for producing a reliable source of entangled photons for quantum information applications.
C.-Y. Lu/ University of Science and Technology of China
Quantum photonic technologies require sources that create entangled, indistinguishable pairs of photons on demand that can be extracted from the source at a high rate. Previous experiments have achieved each of these four criteria individually, or in some combination, but have fallen short of fulfilling them all. For example, the method of creating entangled pairs by splitting a single high-energy photon into two—so-called spontaneous parametric down-conversion—lacks the capability to generate such photons on demand. Now, Hui Wang at the University of Science and Technology of China and colleagues demonstrate a semiconductor quantum-dot photon emitter that simultaneously achieves all the requirements in a single device.
The team illuminated an InGaAs quantum dot with a laser, producing an excited state made from two electron-hole pairs. When this state decayed back to the ground state, it yielded a pair of indistinguishable, entangled photons. The dot was embedded in the center of a circular grating, which functioned as a resonant cavity, enhancing photon emission and directing the entangled photons toward a lens, where they were collected. Using this scheme, the team avoided the disadvantage of other quantum-dot sources, which typically have poor photon extraction efficiency, as most of the photons generated by the dots are lost into the device.
The experiment’s performance is no record breaker by any individual measure. But this device is the first “all-rounder” and, as such, the team says, represents a significant milestone for quantum photonic applications. By refining the setup, the researchers hope to improve its capability on all four fronts, allowing for its eventual use in technologies such as quantum communication networks and optical quantum computers.
This research is published in Physical Review Letters.
–Marric Stephens
Marric Stephens is a freelance science writer based in Bristol, UK.
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Last Updated: Monday, 21 November 2005, 10:38 GMT
Number with HIV 'at highest yet'
The UNAids report details the incidence of HIV/Aids around the world
The number of people living with HIV is at its highest yet, a report shows.
UNAids says there are an estimated 40.3m people currently living with the virus across the world, with almost 5m infected in 2005.
And it warns there are growing epidemics in Eastern Europe and Central and East Asia.
But the report says falls in HIV incidence have been seen in certain groups, including sex workers and their clients in Thailand and Cambodia.
Aids epidemic update December 2005 (4.7MB)
Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Reader.
Download the reader here
Other groups in which education and prevention efforts have helped reduce HIV infection rates are young people in Uganda, injecting drug users in Spain and Brazil and men who have sex with men, across Western countries.
Overall, the report says more than 3m people died of Aids-related illnesses in 2005. Of these, more than 500,000 were children.
The report says Sub-Saharan Africa is still hardest hit by HIV/Aids.
Two thirds of the people living with HIV - 25.8m - are in this area.
In 2005, 2.4m people in Sub-Saharan Africa died of an HIV-related illness, and a further 3.2m were infected with the virus.
The report says access to antiretroviral treatments for HIV have improved dramatically, with many more people across the world able to access the drugs.
It says: "It is no longer only in the wealthy countries of North America and Western Europe that persons in need of treatment have a reasonable chance of receiving it.
"Treatment coverage in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Cuba now exceeds 80%."
But UNAids says the situation is still difficult for people in the poorest countries of the world.
The downturn in new infections in some communities shows we can win this fight but we need resources, public pressure and political action
Nick Partridge, Terrence Higgins Trust
Aids in a Malawi village
"At best, one in 10 Africans and one in seven Asians in need of anti-retroviral treatment were receiving it in mid-2005.
Dr Peter Piot, UNAids executive director, said: "The reality is that the Aids epidemic continues to outstrip global and national efforts to contain it.
"It is clear that a rapid increase in the scale and scope of HIV prevention programmes is urgently needed.
"We must move from small projects with short-term horizons to long-term, comprehensive strategies."
Nick Partridge, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust said: "We're still not containing the HIV epidemic.
"The downturn in new infections in some communities shows we can win this fight but we need resources, public pressure and political action."
He added: "We need to do more to see figures decrease around the world.
"At home we need greater investment in safer sex campaigns for gay men and African people.
"This report reminds us yet again that these campaigns really work."
More funds needed
Anton Kerr, of Christian Aid, called on governments to contribute more to the Global Fund for HIV/Aids, TB and Malaria.
A Global Fund replenishment conference in September heard that double the £2.1bn donated to that point was needed to fund new prevention, treatment and care programmes in 2006 and 2007.
Mr Kerr said: "Millions of people are relying on the promises made by the most powerful and rich countries in the world.
"However, the scandal of their failure to fully fund the Global Fund shows that they are not acting quickly enough to save the lives they have committed to saving. Empty promises mean death sentences."
Yusef Azad, of the National Aids Trust said many people were dying unnecessarily.
"Fewer than a fifth of those at risk of HIV have access even to the most basic prevention services; only one in ten of those living with HIV have been tested and know they are infected and only 15% of those who need life-saving HIV drugs in low and middle-income countries actually receive them.
"What is needed is the political will to end this global health injustice and a determination to roll out what works rather than be tempted by dogma or prejudice."
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Beauty and poverty
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1:03 pm ET July 17, 2019
Two men are accused of conspiring to murder Saudi Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir.
Live blog: FBI, DEA thwart terror plot in U.S. involving Iran, officials say
Editor's note: The FBI and the DEA have disrupted a plot involving Iran to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States and commit other attacks, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Two men - one arrested, the other at large - have been charged in connection with the plot, which the Justice Department says was directed by elements of the Iranian government.
The Justice Department says one of the men - Manssor Arbabsiar, a naturalized U.S. citizen holding an Iranian passport - arranged to hire for the assassination someone in Mexico who he thought was an associate of a drug trafficking cartel. The person in Mexico actually was a DEA confidential source who was posing as a cartel associate, the Justice Department says.
Follow below for the latest developments and read the Justice Department complaint (PDF).
[Updated at 8:09 p.m. ET] In their investigation into an alleged plot to kill Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, federal agents interrogated suspect Manssor Arbabsiar for 12 days, a senior counterterrorism official said Tuesday.
Cooperation from Mexican officials played a key role in the investigation, the official said. U.S. authorities arranged with Mexican officials for Arbabsiar to be denied entry into Mexico, the official said.
From there, he was placed on an airplane to New York, where he was taken into custody and quietly taken to a U.S. government facility, the counterterrorism official said. U.S. authorities interviewed him there every day and compiled dozens of intelligence reports.
[Updated at 8:04 p.m. ET] Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss released a statement Tuesday, congratulating the FBI, DEA and other federal agencies involved in the case.
"While I believe our justice system will deal appropriately with the defendant in custody, our government must also deal with the Iranian regime," Chambliss said. "In addition to allegedly sponsoring this plot, Iran has supported and provided weapons for attacks on our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. This has continued far too long with no repercussions."
[Updated at 7:41 p.m. ET] Iran's UN Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee responded to U.S. accusations that the Iranian government was involved in a murder-for-hire plot Tuesday night, telling CNN's Erin Burnett that the whole thing was "a lie."
“The whole issue is a provocation against Iran," Khazaee said. "We strongly reject this accusation," he said, suggesting that the narrative was a "blatant" ploy by Washington to terrorize the American public.
[Updated at 7:41 p.m. ET] Tom Kean, former chairman of the 9/11 Commission said the alleged plot "surprises me." Speaking to CNN's Erin Burnett, Kean said the plot is "pretty close to an act of war. You don’t go in somebody’s capital to blow somebody up.”
[Updated at 7:07 p.m. ET] New York Rep. Peter King, speaking to CNN’s Erin Burnett, said the alleged Iranian plot should be taken seriously by U.S. officials. “This would have been an act of war [if carried out]. It has raised this relationship, between the United States and Iran, to a very precipitous level,” King said.
“This violates all international norms, it violates all international laws. ... We can’t allow this to go without a strong reaction," King, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee," told CNN.
After saying he would back whatever action the administration might take, King said “we should at least consider a sign of military action. ... something to indicate how seriously we're taking this." He added that U.S. officials should even consider removing Iranian diplomats from the country. “I think everything should be kept on the table.”
[Updated at 6:52 p.m. ET] A spokesman for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that the alleged plot was "a child's story" and "a fabrication."
The Iranian government was awaiting details about the accusations, spokesman Ali Akbar Javanfekr said. He suggested U.S. authorities were attempting to distract American citizens.
"They want to take the public's mind off the serious domestic problems they're facing these days and scare them with fabricated problems outside the country," he said.
[Updated at 6:40 p.m. ET] Mexican immigration officials blocked Manssor Arbabsiar, now accused of plotting to kill Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, from entering Mexico last month, Mexico's foreign ministry said in a statement released Tuesday.
Mexican immigration authorities blocked his entry because of an arrest warrant issued by the United States, the foreign ministry said. U.S. authorities later arrested him in New York, it said.
[Updated at 5:57 p.m. ET] U.S. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon in recent weeks went to Saudi Arabia to brief Saudi King Abdullah on the terror plot, a senior administration official familiar with the terror plot said, according to CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger.
The Saudis were “outraged" not only because of the plot, but because the ambassador is "someone who is close to the king,” the official said.
The Obama administration has specific information tying senior officials in Iran's Quds Force - a special unit of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - the official said. One question, according to the official, is whether the Quds officials were freelancing or got approval from senior officials in the Iranian regime.
The administration intends to “go to other countries and say this is a serious escalation of Iran’s use of political violence,” the official said. “Some may build on their sanctions; some could cut off relations with the IRGC.”
[Updated at 5:37 p.m. ET] Mexico's foreign ministry, explaining why Arbabsiar was denied entry into Mexico on September 28, says Mexican immigration officials blocked him because of an arrest warrant issued by the United States.
U.S. authorities arrested Arbabsiar a day later in New York, where he had flown after being denied entry into Mexico, the U.S. Justice Department has said. The Justice Department says Arbabsiar had intended to go to Mexico to guarantee final payment for an assassination of the Saudi ambassador to the United States. Arbabsiar had arranged to hire someone for the assassination that he thought was a drug cartel associate, but actually was a DEA confidential source, the Justice Department says.
"In strict compliance with domestic and international law, Mexico was able to neutralize a significant risk to Mexico’s national security, while at the same time reinforcing bilateral and reciprocal cooperation with the United States," the Mexican foreign ministry said in a statement released Tuesday. "This operation confirmed that adequate mechanisms and procedures are in place to anticipate and prevent the presence in Mexico of individuals that pose a risk to national security and interests."
[Updated at 5:03 p.m. ET] U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters that the United States "will be consulting with our friends and partners around the world about how we can send a very strong message that this kind of action, which violates international norms, must be ended."
She also said the United States would consult with nations about possibly taking measures to "further isolate (Iran) from the international community."
[Updated at 4:52 p.m. ET] A preliminary hearing has been set for October 25 for Manssor Arbashiar, who is alleged in a federal complaint to be involved in a terror plot to kill the Saudi Ambassador to the United States, according to CNN's Jason Carroll.
The U.S. Justice Department alleges that Arbashiar, a naturalized U.S. citizen who holds an Iranian passport, arranged to hire someone in Mexico he thought was a drug cartel associate to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States. That person in Mexico actually was a DEA source posing as a cartel associate, the department says.
Arbashiar, 56, was arrested on September 29 at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport, where he flew to after being denied entry into Mexico a day earlier, the Justice Department says. The department says Arbashiar had intended to go to Mexico to guarantee final payment for the assassination.
The Justice Department alleges that the second man who has been charged - Gholam Shakuri, who the department says is an Iran-based member of Iran's Quds Force - and other co-conspirators were aware of and approved of the plan. Shakuri is at large, the department says.
With Shakuri's approval, Arbashiar arranged to wire about $100,000 to a U.S. bank account for the DEA source as a down payment for the assassination, according to the Justice Department. The total price was set at $1.5 million, according to the department.
According to the Justice Department, Arbashiar and the DEA source discussed carrying out the assassination with explosives, possibly by bombing a U.S. restaurant that the Saudi ambassador frequented. When the source told Arbashiar that others - including U.S. senators that visit the restaurant - could be killed, Arbashiar allegedly dismissed those concerns as "no big deal," the department says.
[Updated at 4:42 p.m. ET] The chairman of the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Mike Rogers, released a statement condemning the alleged plot.
"This is dangerous new territory for Iran," Rogers said. "It is the latest in a series of aggressive actions - from their nuclear program to state sponsorship of terrorism, from complicity in killing our soldiers in Iraq to now plotting hostile acts on U.S. soil. This episode underscores the need for concerted international unity to confront Iran.”
[Updated at 4:30 p.m. ET] The Saudi embassy in the U.S. has released the following statement relating to the alleged plot:
"The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia would like to express its appreciation to the responsible agencies of the United States government for preventing a criminal act from taking place. The attempted plot is a despicable violation of international norms, standards and conventions and is not in accord with the principles of humanity."
[Updated at 3:52 p.m. ET] Ali Akbar Javanfekr, a spokesman for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, told CNN he had never heard of those accused in connection with the alleged plot.
“I think the U.S. government is busy fabricating a new scenario and history has shown both the U.S. government and the CIA have a lot of experience in fabricating these scenarios and this is just the latest one,” he said. “I think their goal is to reach the American public. They want to take the public’s mind off the serious domestic problems they’re facing these days and scare them with fabricated problems outside the country.”
Javanfekr says if the Iranian government verifies that these individuals are Iranian citizens, the Iranian government will make every effort to help them.
[Updated at 3:44 p.m. ET] A senior defense official said there has been no change to U.S. military posture in reaction to the terror plot allegedly backed by Iran. The official says American Navy ships in the region have not been re-positioned, and at this point there are no plans to do so.
“The act is already done. One of the people involved is still at large, but the other principal is in custody. So what does changing military posture do?" the official said.
The official says while the Pentagon continues to concentrate on keeping an eye on the Quds Force and Iran’s actions in the region, especially Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf, this incident is “much more of a law-enforcement matter.”
The official was not surprised at the level of cooperation apparently given by the Mexican government to foil the terror plot.
“We’ve got a very good working relationship with the Mexican military in a number of ways, especially counter-narcotics. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are very involved with their Mexican counterparts, and work together in several ways, including training.”
[Updated at 3:42 p.m. ET] Senior U.S. officials tell CNN that the U.S. will impose further sanctions against Iran in the wake of the alleged foiled terror plot.
[Updated at 3:36 p.m. ET] Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Robert Jordan told CNN that he believes the current ambassador would be a target for Iran because he is a man who can "be counted on to be a collaborative and positive force between the United States and Saudi Arabia."
"It is also an attack on the United States to attack this ambassador," Jordan said, because of the ambassador's relationship with the United States.
Jordan, who said he is a close friend of Saudi Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir, said he has impeccable credentials and is a consummate diplomat."
"Its very important to understand that the Saudis and the Iranians believe that they are in a mortal battle for supremacy in the Middle East," he told CNN. "The Saudis view Iran as a threat to their hegemony in the Arab world and Iran has been insinuating itself into many of the struggles in the Middle East that is in the contrary to the Saudi national interest."
It is because of the ambassador's position as well as the struggle in the region that Jordan believes he may have been a target.
"I think he is a target [that] there is credibility to this story," he said. "The Saudis have viewed Iran as a threat."
[Updated at 3:15 p.m. ET] Here's how the alleged plot began according to the Justice Department:
In the spring of 2011 through October 2011, Manssor Arbabsiar and his Iran-based co-conspirators, including Gholam Shakuri of the Quds Force, began plotting the murder of the Saudi Ambassador to the United States.
At one point Arbabsiar "allegedly met on a number of occasions in Mexico with a DEA confidential source who has posed as an associate of a violent international drug trafficking cartel," according to the Justice Department.
In May 2011, Arbabsiar met with the confidential source in Mexico and asked about explosives. There he allegedly expressed a specific interest in attacking an embassy in Saudi Arabia. The informant allegedly said he had knowledge about C-4 explosives. It was in a meeting in June that Arbabsiar allegedly explained to the information that he and his associated in Iran had "discussed discussed a number of violent missions" that included "the murder of the Ambassador."
[Updated at 3:06 p.m. ET] A senior Obama official said the administration won't tolerate the targeting of a diplomat on U.S. shores, CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jessica Yellin reported.
The official said the administration believes the alleged plot is a dangerous escalation by Iran and a flagrant violation of international law. The official said the U.S. will work with other international partners to isolate the government, specifically the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and the Quds force.
The official said overall, the impact of the plot, means that the U.S. will continue to isolate Iran.
The official added that the administration has been talking and coordinating with Saudis and remains in close touch with the Saudi government. They have also been in touch with the ambassador at the center of the plot.
[Updated at 2:55 p.m. ET] CNN's Peter Bergen said that based on his knowledge of the region the Saudi ambassador to the United States may have been targeted because he is a key foreign policy adviser to Saudi King Abdullah.
[Updated at 2:41 p.m. ET] National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor released the following statement regarding the plot:
“The President was first briefed on this issue in June and directed his Administration to provide all necessary support to this investigation. The disruption of this plot is a significant achievement by our intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and the President is enormously grateful for their exceptional work in this instance and countless others.”
[Updated at 2:35 p.m. ET] Attorney General Eric Holder, when asked how Iran would be held "accountable" in an alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States, said he expected action from the White House, the State Department and Treasury within the next few hours.
A U.S. official expanded more about how the U.S. might hold Iran accountable. The official told CNN's Elise Labott that there are likely to be more sanctions and the U.S. will be taking this up with to the United Nations Security Council and other members of the international community.
[Updated at 2:32 p.m. ET] One of the suspects, Manssor Arbabsiar, allegedly discussed bombing a restaurant in the United States that the Ambassador frequented, according to the complaint.
The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York said Tuesday there had been a "discussion of using explosive devices" to carry out the alleged Iranian-linked terror plot against the Saudi ambassador to the United States.
[Updated at 2:27 p.m. ET] "The criminal complaint unsealed today exposes a deadly plot directed by factions of the Iranian government to assassinate a foreign Ambassador on U.S. soil with explosives,” Attorney General Eric Holder said. “Through the diligent and coordinated efforts of our law enforcement and intelligence agencies, we were able to disrupt this plot before anyone was harmed. We will continue to investigate this matter vigorously and bring those who have violated any laws to justice.”
[Updated at 2:25 p.m. ET] The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York called the alleged Iranian-linked terror plot against the Saudi ambassador to the United States "well-funded and pernicious."
"Details of that murder plot are chilling," Preet Bharara said in a news conference Tuesday.
[Updated at 2:22 p.m. ET] The criminal complaint filed Tuesday in the Southern District of New York names Manssor Arbabsiar, a 56-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen holding both Iranian and U.S. passports, and Gholam Shakuri, an Iran-based member of Iran’s Quds Force, which is a special operations unit of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that is said to sponsor and promote terrorist activities abroad, according to the Justice Department.
Arbabsiar was arrested on September 29, 2011, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. He will make his initial appearance on Tuesday before in federal court in Manhattan, the Justice Department said. He allegedly confessed to his participation in the murder plot, according to the Justice Department.
Shakuri remains at large.
The men are charged with the following crimes according to the Justice Department: "conspiracy to murder a foreign official; conspiracy to engage in foreign travel and use of interstate and foreign commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire; conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives); and conspiracy to commit an act of international terrorism transcending national boundaries. Arbabsiar is further charged with an additional count of foreign travel and use of interstate and foreign commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire."
[Updated at 2:19 p.m. ET] FBI Director Robert Mueller said the alleged terror plot involving Iran "reads like the pages of a Hollywood script."
"This case illustrates that we live in a world where borders and boundaries are increasingly irrelevant," Mueller said.
[Updated at 2:14 p.m. ET] An alleged plot - involving Iran - to commit terrorism inside the United States "is a fabrication," Ali Akbar Javanfekr, spokesman for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said Tuesday.
Javanfekr said the Iranian government is awaiting details, but suggested U.S. authorities are attempting to distract American citizens from "domestic problems" by convincing them there is an outside threat.
[Updated at 2:12 p.m. ET] An FBI agent's affidavit obtained by CNN Tuesday accused two men of conspiring to murder Saudi Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir.
The complaint alleges that Manssor Arbabsiar and Gholam Shakuri began a plot this past spring to kill Al-Jubeir.
Attorney General Eric Holder said in a news conference that the terror plot was a $1.5 million dollar "murder-for-hire" plan.
Officials also said one of the suspects told an informant that killing civilians, including senators, during the attack was "no problem" and "no big deal."
[Posted at 2:00 p.m. ET] The FBI and the DEA have disrupted a plot involving Iran to commit terrorism inside the United States, a senior U.S. official told CNN.
The official said the alleged plan was directed by elements of the Iranian government and involved a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States.
This story is developing. We'll bring you the latest information as soon as we get it.
Post by: CNN news blog editor Mallory Simon, CNN Senior State Department Producer Elise Labott, CNN's Jason Hanna, Journalist Craig Johnson, The CNN Wire
Filed under: Iran • Saudi Arabia • Terrorism • U.S.
We Americans are getting more and more stupid with our stupid comments and conspiracy theories, Keksi.
October 11, 2011 at 2:11 pm | Report abuse |
You are...Iranian hiring Mexican drug mob to kill Saudi ambassador.
truthspeaks
Its not stupid comments and conspiracy theories its called questioning the media, its no wonder why 100% of all time all people are sheeps, who believe whatever the media tells them, they never the question there great media, people like you tony would rather let the media think for you rather then you starting to think for yourself for once.
Bruce Cutlass
Keksi......NO, you are And my dad is bigger than your dad....and you're a childish goof
malcolmscott
1nd3p3nd3nt
the scary part is we are all stupid, but the stuff happening is real. It's not all conspiracy theories. People are being killed in the streets of mexico, disemboweled on the streets of mexico, and a nuclear weapon capable country has attempted not just an assassination, but a visible explosion of an assassination that if it had happened, would have delivered a message.
And what message is that???
i'm not sure, but it would at the least be a declaration of some sort of aggression by iran. Maybe they're going after israel, this was the opening salvo in a string of events, again, i don't know. Maybe it's the opening of a play of shiite vs shia, since saudi arabia was involved. The potential of them having capable nuclear weapons is scary, on top of a U.S. economy might not be able to support another war, our military numbers can't, that's for sure, we're looking at a draft.
That would embolden any enemy of the united states to strike now, if they were thinking of making a play for it, now's a good time to strike.
but again, i don't know. I only know people that kill people professionally don't blow people up unless there's a reason for it, you want someone to know they were killed. You want everyone to know they were killed.
...unless it's a gas stove accident looking plan, it's a message
Jobs Act?
This has already happened. They had time to interrogate the guy. Why is this top news? Why was this released just before the president was going to speak on jobs and the senate is to vote on the jobs act? This is another distraction to keep the public from focusing on what's important ... Jobs and our economy.
Dirtdan
Because Tony too many people watch TV..... I don't believe the media. What I do believe is the formal complaint signed by a US judge that is there for anyone to actually READ. People ask WHY did they wait to break the story until now..???? SIMPLE.... They have recorded phone conversations with the defendant and his handlers in Tehran AFTER he was arrested.... DUH..... Just a little MORE proof to try to convince a populace that refuses to believe anything that the Gov't does anymore. People in this country truly disappoint me.
I am assuming Tony S and the S stands for Stupid? ? ? Moron, our military found Iranian made weapons in Iraq that were supplied by the Iranian regime to murder our soldiers..! How stupid can you be? This regime murders its own citizens!!!
us1776
Oh, by all mean we must have FEAR, FEAR, FEAR. We must have more FEAR !!
TheTruth72
Fear not those which can destroy the body, but the One who can destroy both soul and body. Interesting how you associate this article with fearmongering, but yet, if you have no fear, you wouldn't care and have a need to call it out. I myself look at this article and see that the Lord Jesus Christ will be returning soon. I'm rejoicing in the Lord's return.
Fred Evil
Do us all a favor? Hold your breath while you wait for YOUR lord? The rest of us would appreciate the peace and quiet!
Dan in Alberta
Amen to that, Fred.
Oh by all means.....we must have CONTEMPT,CONTEMPT and MORE CONTEMPT......and while we're at it, let's not believe in anything....that way we can call everyone a liar, everyone but those who call everyone a liar......you tin foil hat goofs have an amazing grasp for ........................nothing...................... matches your contribution to society
Really???
Actually my emotion right now is ....GOT THOSE SOBS! WAHOO! Unlike some I do not FEAR FEAR FEAR. Rather silly I think. However, I do believe we learn caution & wisdom from events. It looks like Iran is being it's usual warlike self. Fortunately. we have some good people in the FBI & the DEA. Thanks to them for preventing a war over the assassination bombing!
October 11, 2011 at 11:36 pm | Report abuse |
Jonboy
Lets invade Iran and put it's leaders on trial for crimes against humanity already!
TrojanMan
Nothing like more wars in nations halfway around the planet to solve all of our problems, right?
mountaindawg
Yes, and let's send you there first, perhaps with a suicide vest. C'mon man, be a patriot and go kill those evil sand *******.
lets not, but send all you internet soldiers instead. then lets see how badly you want a war...
If we dont stop this regime, we are going to see a nuclear war... Their leadership is sick and twisted..
Here comes the World War!!!!!!!
BobcatUSN
Nobody wants war. In fact that is why Iran always trains and funds Terrorists to attack innocent people all over the world to disrupt thier way of life and peace. I as a veteran of Peace-Keeping in the Middle East to stop war have witnessed the evil Terrorist State of Iran kill our Marines, torture, take a Methodist Minister hostage, and assasinate the Lebanese President. Our Marines were trying to protect Palistinians and Lebanese people from the invading forces from Israel who were goated into responding to the corupt PLO Hezbolla, and Hammas who were all trained, armed, and funded by none other then Iran, and Assad who is on a terrorist rampage to kill his own people because they want freedom. Someone does however have to stand up to Iran, and if we have to get a coolition to attack Tehran, then so be it. I don't like war, but I am all for defending ourselves from this Terrorism that some of you take so lightly while our country's men and women in the American Military protect our way of life along with the freedom you have speak here in the media yesturday, today, and every day. I support our President, and our Military, and Homeland Security to do everything its power to sqwash these Terrorists and Terrorist States like Iran who perpetrate thier evil here in America, and through out the world.
@BOBCAT the squid,Very well said indeed!!!!!! There is only two ways this ends 1 we win and subdue these islamists.Or two we all convert too Islam. I think you hippy liberals would like choice #1 better.Sharia law is notoriously harsh on dissadents and free thinkers.
Actually; we have a slight reprieve right now, brought to you by the fine work of the FBI & DEA. The assassination of the Saudi Arabian ambassador could have resulted in a formal declaration of war by both the US & Saudi governments. The US casualties from this bomb probably would have included senators & representatives. Iran would have woken this sleeping giant & reaped the results. Anyone who accuses the US of trying to start a war with this news, should note that a war was PREVENTED by the combined efforts of two fine US government agencies. I thank them for the respite. I sincerely hope the US gets the UN security council to lower stiff sanctions on Iran for this outrage.
October 12, 2011 at 12:02 am | Report abuse |
Davethecanuck
Wierd.... the anti-america/isreal crowd rejecting something before they've even heard the facts.
It's common sense not to believe everything you hear... it's stupidity to reject ANYTHING you hear.
Well since the US is blaming them they are actually denying it. So its their word vs the Americans.
RedlineMoo
A thousand times, this. What's more amazing is the people who scream that there is no way they're going to drink the proverbial kool-aid, yet by doing that... they're drinking the OTHER kool-aid.
Once Again your just trolling the same comment over and over.
you're a canuck... you wouldn't understand. we're at the end of our rope.
Notdumb
Because it's all been done before, people see right through the government/propaganda machine now.
JMK
People have a hard time knowing when to be skeptical or not. "The government was behind 9/11? I instantly believe it! A government official said something? It must be a lie! No if and's or but's about it!"
How many times are you going to post this? I love America and I really have no opinion on Israel. I'm just sick of being lied into war after war so the global elites can prosper.
IDontTrustTheGovernmentoftheUS
I've read the complaint... all hearsay and entrapment.
Dude, enough! What, are you getting paid by the post or something?
Paul Ransom
So far you are the only person on here that is not pro-Iran!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA and the rest can go fly a kite (if they know how) (LOL)
You are so right about our local, national, and international Ant-American/Israel crowd has always had a precense here in our free media. Something they would never be able to say anything against Iran, Syria, Pakistan, or North Korea in thier own countries. The jealous Hate-America crowd are right here in our own country as well as the Socialists Dictatorships, and Communists around the world. They all come here to America to have freedom while they mock it every day.
extra medium
Bear with us, Dave. Our government's been crying wolf for so long that anything they say is immediately met with skepticism.
You do realize that "America" is an ambiguous word, right?
You reject this based on the facts that you know! not because you heard it!
Iran has many internal problems right now, add to this the other international sanctions and etc, plus there is lack of motivation cuz they do want to have good relations with saudi arabia, plus Iran never do such a stupid direct act, they sure give help to others but they never act directly, hell this is ridiculous.
svann
The motive is absurd.
Isolationist
At least no one is over reacting. Hopefully they won't.
If you're anti-Israel then you're PRO-US by definition. Israel INTENTIONALLY ATTACKED a US navy vessel, which is 1000x worse our supposed enemy Iran has ever done.
It's amazing isn't it Dave? that they are so into their little tinfoil hat world where they refuse to believe facts and evidence that they immediately dismiss any report from the Government as a conspiracy... there's no hope for these people... they are basically insane. Ignoring facts right in front of your face or choosing to believe a fairy tale of lies they've either heard over the internet or made up in their own mind... that's the definition of being insane.
RUHOOD
Who has Iran attacked in the past say 50 years, no one, I do not beleive we have had any proof of nuclear weapons, or of them actually being involved in Al-Quada, but we do have solid proof Pakistan has attacked other countries and us and they are involved in terror, solid proof, we do nothing to them. Holder is in serious trouble with Fast and Furious, nice deflection, Obama, Holder and Durbin liers always have been there is a way to the means
garc
I'm one of those "bleeding heart liberals," and even I smell something fishy about the majority of the comments here too. This feels like a troll attack by a small number of people. I dunno.
Really? Why even add on Israel to the end of your "anti American" attack on another comment..
I'm so tired of hearing the same old reaction ("Anti-Semitic" "Anti-Israel" etc) to anyone that speaks out about the atrocities that Israel has allegedly committed. Now, every time someone is skeptical of their government's motives, they labeled "anti-America/Israel", even though our government has given their people good reason for distrust. It has been proven again and again that the US gov. has lied to their citizens.
Take a minute to research "false flag" strategy. You might not be so kin on blindly following you beloved government.
AreWeTherYet
Dave – that all depends on the source....
I fully agree but so far i hear is empty words. Where is the proof? They all blame Iran but they refuse to share the details. WHY?
This whole fairy tale is a distraction from US bad economy and to pressure Iran's nuclear program. Again i dont support Irans regime but i hate this whole fabrication without a proof and trial.
Well Dave stupidity is spelling Israel wrong to begin with.
Well said. The USA is the hope of the world. Not perfect, but would you rather have China or Russia setting the standards for human life and democracy?
Jose M. Pulido
Davethecanuck:
It is stupidity on your part to ignore what we already know. You are probably one of those stinking Iraninas who never take showers neither use bath soap and toilet paper.
Ballson Chinn
Finally, an excuse to bomb Iran. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttttttttttttttttt
I'd love to see Ahmadinejad and Khamenei left hanging from the Iranian capital. Seriously what kind of retard country has two leaders?
Bimbo the Birthday Clown
Let the Saudis do it. That would be sweeter.
I'm plump with anticipation
leecherius
Jonboy..there's only one...the other is a muppet.
fearlessdude
Hey Bimbo. The Saudis support terrorism. Most of the 9-11 bombers were Saudies. They still finance the terror groups in Pakistan. Iran has never done anything against the US though we have shot down one of their airplanes carrying passangers to Mecca. Obama is closely folowing in Bush's steps, or he can't control the CIA.
GJVT
LOL – thanks for the chuckle
Its on my TV right now
Here we go...war #3. I'm sure they will find a way to blame Obama for this!
Oh, they're already doing it. Read further down. He's the antichrist, don't you know? He destroyed much of his electability by trying to actually bring the most basic of health care to this nutjob nation (compassion–sure sign of the devil, right?), he tries to negotiate with the party of No (hmm, more signs of reasonable-ness, must be the antichrist), and he believes in education (DEFINITE sign of the devil).
Seriously? You are playing politics with this?
Who cares? I could care less about stupid terrorism.
We got people starving in the streets for chrissake !!
If you're so worried about them, then buy them a Happy Meal.
Who cares about terrorism? Uh, you should since the Al Qaeda has declared war on western civilization. You comment has to be the stupidest I've ever heard. People are starving, ok. Lets make all news about starving. Lets devote 100% of our government funds to feeding people. Lets shut down the government so people that are bad with money can pay for food. Seriously the government helped people in poverty and later found out these people were using the money for strip clubs, cigarettes, and alcohol.
al-Qaeda is bankrupt you morons !! They have lost all of their supporters.
The Arab Spring successes killed al-Qaeda. It showed the Middle-East that terrorism was not the path to travel.
You tell 'em Jonboy! YEEHAAA! BTW, Aunt momma and uncle daddy say you need to warsh up fer supper....
Who cares? The people in the restaurant they intended to bomb, of course. Especially the staff of innocent people & the other customers. Plus the restaurant probably has families living above it in apartments. Do you understand that now? The FBI has arrested terrorists who have wanted to blow people up at a holiday tree lighting. Yeah, a crowd of mostly families with children.You should know that it is pretty hard to starve to death in this country, even now. Get your priorities straight, keeping people alive & not blown apart is damn important. Who cares?.....Obviously not you!
You mean Iran is getting desperate because we have them surrounded on 3 sides.
How long do we have to wait until we find that International Pressure isn't working? Haven't we wasted enough time?
Let's move in and wrap this up.
Hell, it'll boost our economy as a Bonus.
Clark Nova
The US would have a 90% casualty rate in a war with Iran on their own soil.
Yes – the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have done wonders for our economy – we've never been better! Point is – if this WAS a plot sponsored by the Iranian government then we should act, but make no mistake it will be costly and do NOTHING to help our economic situation.
How's the last 10 years of war doing for our economy? Right – I thought so.
yes mike, because all these other wars have done marvels for our economy, havent they?
you mean the way the iraqi war boosted our economy?
H in Texas
Boost the economy? Maybe you haven't been keeping score but Iraq cost us a bundle and we didn't get a whole lot out of the deal.
MechaX
I dont think you are an american for you to suggest to move in and wrap it up.. Boost your economy as a bonus with another war? haha you must be a pathetic idiot or simply ignorant living in your own world.. didn't your economy have suffered enough with two ongoing battle? what a jerk
jkINC
Oh yeah, good idea another war. I don't like these lying, murderous, SOB's either but they aren't worth a single American life. Keep them in a box, beat on their economy and let the UN work on them. They know that if they ever use even one of their nukes, they'll be wiped out.
JKR79
How well have the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya and billions of dollars in support and aid going over there boosted our economy? Our taxes are stilling going over there and our gas continues to increase. How will going into a 4th country help?
You're a moron. How does another war boost our economy. You'd think with 2 or 3 we'd be living it up right now if that was the case.
MightyMoo
Sooo how are you going to pay for that? Credit? How's the US credit limit these days?
pzanga
Sure, another unfunded war would be great for the economy.
Anchorite
You should go into comedy. Iran has 50 million people and is three times the size of Iraq and their people are fighting for sovereignty. The US would lose an invasion with Iran so bad it's painful to think there are Americans who still want to do it. The most they and Israel could ever do is bomb Iran out of spite that they don't control its oil.
CAL USA
Can we asssume that you're willing to lead the invasion force, or at least accept a tax increase to pay for it? Or, are you like most conservatives, only interested in going to war with other people's kids and other people's money?
Micheal, you are exactly the type of idiot the government is counting on to stand behind them to invade Iran. America doesn't need another war. We can't even get out of the wars we have been in for a decade. How do you think another war is going to boost our economy? We need to leave this to the UN Security Counsel and stop trying to impose our will on the world. The American Government would not tolerate a country invading another country even with justification (i.e. Russia invading Georgia after Georgia invaded a part of Russia). Whether this story is really true or not, America has no business invading Iran. We can't let this distract us from the internal problems we are struggling with. Americans are ready for change and are ready to do what it takes to get it no matter what our government does to try and keep its corrupted power.
Tell me something, Michael. If going to war is so great for the national economy, then why is our economy in such bad shape? All we need is another useless and unnecssary war to drag our economy down even further and increase the national deficit but I'm afraid that the right-wing thugs in Washington will start one just to boost their sagging prestige!!!
But at what cost?
M-Theory
Let's see the evidence. Government administrations need to realize that they have consistently fed lies and misinformation to the public in relation to our enemies and possibly pretense for actions. Bottom line: we don't trust you because you have an agenda.
Americans that have already bought into the agenda propaganda use any story like this as proof of their conviction.
The question is are you smarter than your nationalistic instincts and the propaganda machine? Then view the evidence with impartiality.
We have to "find" that yellow cake. Maybe Cheney could help us out on that. He is good at fabricating evidence.
GluttonForNonsense
Not even Iran would be that stupid.
RLSmith
Yeah, just like the Afghan and Iraq wars are boosting our economy.
thanks for clarification on sorrunding issue,cuz from here it looked like they were F* you threeway.
kaizoman
Really? You think another war will boost our economy. If that was the case, we'd have the strongest economy since the end of WWII with the other two wars we're fighting.
Are you insane or just misinformed?
Avi Shlomo
Iran is desperate..I had no Idea Eric Holder is working for them on Fast and Furious..I guess the Iranians want to cover up the latest Holder's investigation.
And of course you will go there with courage, ready to give your life for this good cause ......and boost your economy.
yo, reply-bot, ask your nco for more s**t shovelling time, i don't think people are buying the lies.
everettreb
"Let's move in and wrap this up."
Didn't we hear the same thing when we went into Afghanistan and Iraq ten years ago?
RUFFNUTT
Tell me Michael, if going to war is so good for the national economy, then why is our economy in such bad shape??? Besides, who would be dumb enough to believe the right-wing thugs in Washington anyway? Only a stupid Tea Partying simpleton would!
Keksi blowz
Hey Keksi, I hope you are the first one they kill you ignorant sack of nutz.
Bimbo the Birthday Clown (blowing tea out my nose laughing)
she really needs to be sebding out from America.because of people like her we are in this kind of situations.go away! leave !
You made me, spray. Not nice, but funny.
tank rothchild
First the pastor story, then the actress, now a terror plot. The media is really turning up the volume of war propaganda noise.
DON'T BUY INTO IT.
XPLSV
Everyone, if you would please focus your attention on this terrorism deal. Nothing to see here at the Occupy
Wall Street protests, move along...
So, you wish to remain not just ignorant, but willfully ignorant. Focused only upon yourself. I think I'll open a window....something smells like corruption. The stench of a coward.
JEDI 1
Iran just made a major mistake. The war machine is about to turn back on.
When did it ever turn off?
Err, we have no fresh horses in our fighting stable, you dig? If we went to war with Iran we would lose. They know that, and hope to lure us into a fight.
@ extra medium, There are other ways of warfare than just the "boots on the ground" approach. Drones have broken the back of Al Qaeda by removing their leaders. I think Iran is actually looking to rule their region by taking on Saudi Arabia first. Trying to sour US/Saudi relations might be an attempt to isolate Saudi Arabia from our support. However, if they choose to commit an act of total hubris by taking on the US, we might see an underground response from Iran's dissidents.
RollingHillz
Chaz is a girl...?
LOL. not anymore (s)he isn't...
...was a girl, oh plulezzzze.
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Americans will need to cut their beef consumption by about 40% and Europeans by 22% for the world to continue to fe�twitter.com/i/web/status/1…gK
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ICCO Archived Blog
The Matryoshka Effect: exploring Russia's global brand
This is a guest blog post by Andrey Barannikov, CEO of SPN Ogilvy, Chairman of Russian PR Association AKOS and ICCO Board Member There are topics that one can discuss forever. For Russian PR practitioners, one of those is the country's image in the world. This issue has been regularly raised on key national industry events over the past few years, so you would think that the topic is rather outworn. However, recent news on the business, political and other arenas keep bringing the issue up, urging us to look at it again and again, each time from a new angle. On April 24th, SPN Ogilvy, in partnership with the leading global PR industry expert The Holmes Report, held a panel discussion in Moscow dedicated to the brand of Russia and the way corporate and product brands affect it. The panel became The Holmes Report's debute event in Russia. As Arun Sudhaman, partner and Managing Editor of The Holmes Report, noted, the Russian PR industry shows an impressive development dynamics, both in terms of quantitative and qualitative indicators, and the appearance of The Holmes Report in Russia is, in a way, an acknowledgement to this. The panel called “The Matryoshka Effect: Russia’s face within and without" featured several senior Russian PR practitioners representing such companies as VTB Capital, Shell, MegaFon, UTAir and a government agency Rossotrudnichestvo dealing with foreign affairs. I will try to give you an overview of what was discussed. A national brand: why does it matter? The presence of Russia at the international scene, as our colleague Arun highlighted, is getting more and more noticeable, in terms of Russian companies entering the global market, and also in the light of the political transformations and upcoming sports events. That's why the question of the national image obtains a particular importance, taking into consideration the growing globalization – after all, it affects the success of domestic business in the world and the ability of a country to attract foreign investments. According to the latest international research Arun cited (Futurebrand etc.), the reputation of Russia as an investment destination is quite strong – it ranks fourth among the European countries – however, the number of projects is decreasing, and the brand of Russia is in the state of decline (alongside with Pakistan and Paraguay – not the most desirable company for a country aiming to boost its reputation before investors…). The coming Universiade, the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and the 2018 FIFA World Cup are opening ample opportunities to change this situation. Referring to the London Olympics, Arun fairly mentioned that such events help to change not only the country's image abroad, but also the way citizens perceive their country, business, culture and themselves, which is probably even more important. Business takes the lead "Business is an avant-guard of the international dialogue, it is a communicator and mediator. The way it looks and behaves shapes an idea of the possibility to work with this country". This very important point was made by Olga Podoynitsyna, Managing Director and Head of Global Corporate Relations and Marketing of VTB Capital, a company for which improving the perception of Russia internationally is an organic part of their communications with the global media. Leading international media outlets are the key “opinion leaders” shaping investors’ attitude to the country. However, as Olga sadly concluded, today the international media are still influenced by the same stereotypes as 5-6 years ago: in their eyes, Russia is still made up of matryoshkas (nest dolls), vodka, caviar, the Kalashnikov machine gun and girls. However, the surveys show that the image of Russia also has a few characteristics investors consider attractive – those are connected not only with its economic potential, but also with intellectual and cultural resources. These are the things Russians should communicate more actively to key global decision-makers. It’s not that simple! However, a country’s image is a complex phenomenon. Petr Lidov, PR director of MegaFon (one of Russia's top 3 mobile operators), argued that it would be wrong talking about the creation of Russia's image as a single entity, which would be the same all over the world and for everybody. Indeed, the perception of Russia differs from country to country, depending on the history of our relationships and on the national values. If the West, where democracy stands above all, treats Russia cautiously, then in China, where power is revered, our country is deeply respected. The sector discussed also matters: e.g., Russian oil, gaz and banking industries look very attractive to foreign investors, while no one can call Russia a much-desired tourist destination (although perhaps the potential here lies within positioning it as an extreme travel experience?..). Finally, the country's geopolitical image and its leaders' images also form the context of its perception. You know who we mean. Language is power The discussion on Russia's image would be incomplete without representatives of government agencies. Oleg Belyakov, Adviser of the Head of Rossotrudnichestvo, recalled a statement of the Ambassador of Switzerland in Russia: "I have never been to any other country the reputation of which would differ so much from the reality". Unfortunately, all the efforts to improve the country's image undertaken on the federal level so far have not been able to improve the prevalent negative attitude towards it. One of the major problems is that there is no one "in charge" of it – however, the country’s image is indeed everybody's concern. In this respect, the government, the business and the PR community should be playing as one team. Another problem is that, sadly, we are often not aware of our own resources and the new generation doesn't feel the connection to the cultural and historical heritage of the country. It is important to show that this heritage is not gone – it is there and present, and it is one of the strongest sides of Russia, in particular, in the eyes of the global community. A powerful resource, the potential of which is underestimated, is also the Russian language, which does not only helps spreading the culture of Russia, but also affects its economic positions in the world: you do business with those who speak the language you know. My father used to be a respected indologist, and I still remember that magazine published in Russian in India – a simple and cheap tool, but what an effect! So there is a huge opportunity for the government and business cooperation lying in the development of Russian language and culture centers across the world. Think globally To succeed on the international scene, domestic companies must remember that Russia is part of the global world. Igor Ignatiev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Shell Russia, felt the importance of the global vision when he worked at the Sakhalin 2 project, where the tiniest event on the oil platform would instantly become a global news. The company's task was to educate the employees that the way each of them acts forms the perception of Russia as a global energy leader. According to Lev Koshlyakov, Deputy CEO for Corporate Communications of UTair (one of the leading Russian airlines working internationally), when entering the international scene it is important to think, first of all, what values we bring there. For his business, the expert defined the following combination: "international expertise of a company with a Russian experience". A riddle wrapped in a mystery It would of course be impossible to elaborate a strategy of building the country's image within 2 hours. However, the experts and the audience agreed that for the country in general and for every Russian company it is crucially important to:
Think in a global perspective;
Tell the truth about the problems and, at the same time, take measures to solve them;
Appreciate and leverage the resources available;
Start from small details, such as putting signs in English in the underground or ensuring adequate behaviour of Russian tourists abroad, for a start.
And, going back to the matryoshka metaphor, perhaps the most elegant way to close the discussion on this rich subject was sir Winston Churchill’s saying quoted by Lev Koshlyakov: "Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma". May be, after all, that’s what Russia's brand is?..кредитка онлайн заявка на кредит
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The perception in the Middle East is that the American superpower status is in decline
The perception in the Middle East and the Arab World is that the United States of America, supposed leader of the free world and international superstar, is becoming weaker according to Avi Gil who is a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, who also said that America no longer leads as it once did but now follows or leads from behind.
The United States has called for Israel to withdraw from land that is Biblically, historically, and strategically essential for the very existence of the Jewish state among the Arab-Islamic nations in the Middle East which would put the Jewish state in harm's way.
Jimmy's Prophetic Prospective on the News
With America's superpower status in decline and the rising power of the radical Arab Islamic world, we can now see better the end of times scenario that can be found in Bible prophecy.
The America that we knew 10 to 15 years ago is no longer at the peak of the pedestal as a world superpower and even the Arab Muslim world recognizes this as the case for America politically and economically. Much of the way that Israel is perceived is directly dependent upon its relationship with America. This report begs the question, where is the United States in Bible prophecy? Is it a superpower in the last days or not there at all?
The United States is not mentioned by name anywhere in Bible prophecy but it seems to refer to the United States and in fact all nations in Zechariah 14:2 when the ancient Jewish prophet wrote that at the end of the seven year Tribulation period, all nations will gather in Jerusalem. But before that, the superpower will be the Antichrist, the world dictator who will control a one world economic, political, and governmental system from Babylon in modern-day Iraq.
This is foretold in Revelation 18. Under the leadership of Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet, this massive body of people will confront Jesus Christ as He returns to the Mount of Olives and then after the Battle of Armageddon, goes into the Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to set up His kingdom (Zechariah 6:12-13).
Perception has become fact as America continues to decline in leadership and character in our world today. The prophecies of God's Word will indeed be fulfilled.
Posted by Shofar Communications at Wednesday, February 26, 2014
The perception in the Middle East is that the Amer...
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Christina Aguilera Makes Full-Throttle Comeback With ‘Accelerate’
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines — Christina Aguilera's officially back, and she's got her foot firmly pressed to the pedal.
The Lotus singer, whose last album dropped six years ago, has once again stormed the pop arena, and released a brand new single called "Accelerate" featuring Ty Dolla $ign and 2 Chainz Thursday morning (May 3) with an accompanying sexy, glitter- and milk-soaked video.
"I'll be with my ladies you can find me there / Try to play us we gon' start a riot up in here / Accelerate, come on babe pick up your speed / Stamina, fill me up that's what I need," Aguilera bites with the type of defiance she dispensed on "Dirrty." Still, "Accelerate" is more relaxed, and the work of a fully resolved artist who's got nothing left to prove.
Aguilera began teasing new work earlier in the week. On May 1, she uploaded a Twitter preview of forthcoming work with a voiceover that observed "I feel in life when you get to a place where you feel so comfortable, then you know you have to stop and start from scratch."
Aguilera also sent mysterious polaroid images to 14 of her most avowed fans on Twitter, including Rupaul's Drag Race alum Farrah Moan.
Aguilera told Paper as part of the magazine's newest cover story that she's ready for a totally new era.
"I've always been someone that obviously loves to experiment, loves theatrics, loves to create a storyline and play a character in a video or through stage," she said. "I'm a performer, that's who I am by nature. But I'm at the place, even musically, where it's a liberating feeling to be able to strip it all back and appreciate who you are and your raw beauty."
Aguilera has since revealed that her album will be called Liberation and will drop on June 15. Check out the full track list below.
Xtina Through the Years
Filed Under: Christina Aguilera
Categories: Music News, News, Videos
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RadiantTribes
Business Development for the New Economy
You are here: Home / blog / A Master’s Class for Those Who Still Believe in Love
A Master’s Class for Those Who Still Believe in Love
May 11, 2016 By Karen Rifkin Leave a Comment
Jed Diamond, PhD at his home office in Willits. Jed has counseled over 30,000 people and has been happily married to his 3rd wife, Carlin, for over 30 years.
Willits resident Jed Diamond, Ph.D., internationally renowned author and therapist, will be presenting an all-day workshop on Saturday, May 14th at the Little Lake Grange entitled The Enlightened Marriage: A Master’s Class for Those Who Still Believe in Love.
Diamond, founder and director of MenAlive, a health program that helps men live long and well, gleans much expertise from his own personal experience and remembers a pivotal event in his life as a very young boy when his father, who was having a difficult time supporting their family, experienced a mid-life crisis resulting in a a nervous breakdown, an attempted suicide and a stay in a mental hospital.
“For me, I grew up wondering if what happened to him would happen to me,” he says. “Those two questions began my journey to understand relationships, what happens to them and what happens to men when they are living under seemingly irreconcilable stress.”
With the idea of entering the helping professions, he attended UC Santa Barbara as a pre med student and then went to medical school at UCSF. At the time the medical field was narrow, very biologically oriented, and he wanted something that would embrace a broader perspective, including the social, political and family aspects of stress.
He dropped out and attended UC Berkeley where in 1968 he earned a Master’s degree in social work. He was married and, when confronted with being refused entry to the delivery room where his wife was giving birth to his first son, pushed open the doors and said he was staying.
“As I held my son, I made a vow to him that I would be a different kind of father to him than my father had been able to be for me,” he says.
After ten years, he and his wife split up, and in accordance with the gestalt of the time, their son and adopted daughter stayed with their mother.
Practicing as an LCSW and married for the second time, he was struggling to put into practice in his own life that which he was teaching others—how to have a good marriage.
“I felt like a fraud as a therapist, as a marriage counselor and as a man,” he says. “In order for me to have kept going, I knew I had to learn the secret of a successful marriage.”
As his second marriage came to a close, he realized that his conception of marriage, or his love map, was flawed. He needed time for reflection and meditation and, after a number of years, he met his present wife Carlin; the third time has been the charm.
The Marriage Master’s class, derived from his 14th book, The Enlightened Marriage: The Five Transformative Stages of Relationships and Why the Best is Still to Come, is a presentation of what he has learned over the last 36 years, being together in a loving and enlightened marriage and attaining a lasting love.
The myth of the two-stage marriage—falling in love and then living happily ever after—is erroneous.
“Many people hit a wall of disillusionment and disconnection; that’s when they people break up. Instead of leaving, that’s the time to go deeper; rather than signaling the end, it’s really the beginning of the third stage, letting go of the illusions we have of ourselves and the other person,” he says. “We have to learn to see them as they really are, not what we project onto them, and to learn to become more forgiving, honest, accepting and real.”
This disillusionment has its roots in childhood relationships and problems with parents are projected into the marriage. The deeper journey to heal present-day rifts begins with healing the unfinished parts of our earlier life with the family with which we grew up. From this, the relationship can move into real lasting love.
“The notion that romantic love and that first stage of love is limited to a few months or a number of years is not true. People want to be in love; it’s a human need and, with the enriched power of two, we can make the world a better place.”
The one-day workshop, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. is for those who are in a good relationship and want it to be great; those in a troubled relationship and want to keep their marriage together; singles looking for a soul mate; and particularly those in mid life, single or married. The price for the workshop is $350 for couples and $195 for singles. Payment options are available and there is a, no risk, money back guarantee, if for any reason the class didn’t meet your needs.
“Having been in two marriages that didn’t last, I would like to be able to save people from that pain and suffering. I want them to know the joy and experience of real love, how good a marriage can be when you have the right tools. I want to share that joy and for people to know they can have real love that can last through time,” he says.
Lunch, provided by The Zocalo Collective, will be included. For more information call 707 459 5505 or go to www.menalive.com/mastersclass.
Photo Credit: http://www.printingplus.ink/
About Karen Rifkin
Karen Rifkin is a former teacher and currently is a freelance writer and editor.
What They Are Saying About Radiant Tribes:
“My passion is helping men, and the women who love them. Radiant Tribes has helped me reach people from all over the world They’ve created a website that draws attention and a social media presence that touches hearts and souls. Without them I would be much less effective. I recommend them to anyone who wants to make a difference.”
– Jed Diamond PhD MenAlive.com
“Radiant Tribes brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion to the table. As a result of their efforts, we’ve successfully built our own “tribe” and have been able to engage effectively with our community.”
– Patty Bruder, Executive Director North Coast Opportunities
Willits, California
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Johnson Silver
JOHNSON SILVER, son of the late Ben Silver and Minnie Burgess Silver, was born in Halifax County, North Carolina, on February 6, 1942, six minutes before his twin brother, Jameson Silver.
God saw the roads were getting rough and the hills were hard to climb, so around noon on Monday, June 19, 2017, with his family and Pastor Alonzo West at his bedside, God gently closed “John’s” eyes and whispered, “Peace be thine.”
He was educated in the Tabron School Community of Hollister, North Carolina, and received his high school diploma from the former Eastman High School in Enfield, North Carolina, with the class of 1960.
During John’s early years, he accepted Jesus Christ into his life, was baptized, and joined the Lee’s Chapel Baptist Church in Littleton, North Carolina. In February 2016, he changed his membership to the White Rock Baptist Church in Hollister, North Carolina, with the love of his life, his wife, Lucy. He joined the male chorus and enjoyed the worship, fellowship, and Christian mission at his church.
John’s parents instilled in him a strong work ethic at an early age. He exercised these attributes in the positions he held in the textile industry with JP Stevens and Company and The Bibb Company in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. He retired in 2004, after thirty-seven years of loyal, dedicated service to Westpoint Stevens in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. He thoroughly enjoyed retirement and spending time with his family and friends. His most precious moments were spent with his wife, children, and grandchildren. He was lovingly regarded as a father and uncle to everyone.
In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his siblings, Ceocy, Lucy Mae, Ben Junious, Clarence, Artis, Haywood, Eva, Dock, Sr., and his twin, Jameson.
Loved ones remaining to memorialize his life and legacy are his devoted wife of fifty-two years, Lucy Silver of the home; two sons, John C. Silver (Minister Trina) of Roanoke Rapids, NC, and Rodney Silver (Kimya) of Hollister, NC; three grandchildren, Johnathan, Joshua, and Diamond; a god granddaughter, Re’Shae; a great-god grandson, O’mauri; four special children whom he loved as his own, Negreta, Toreka, Keegan, and Allana; his four siblings, Robert Silver (Gussie) and Leola Alston all of Littleton, NC, Claude Silver (Fannie) of Farmville, VA, and Ruth Pullen of Baltimore, MD; one brother-in-law, James Lynch (Tassie) of Hollister, NC; four sisters-in-law, Lither Wilkins, Rachel Silver, Cathleen Silver, and Hattie Silver; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. Plus, we can’t forget the family dog, “CoCo”, whom John enjoyed relaxing with.
Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon on Friday, June 23, 2017, at the White Rock Baptist Church in Hollister, NC. The Pastor, Rev. Alonzo West, will eulogize, and burial will follow in the church cemetery. The body will repose at the funeral home on Thursday, June 22, 2017, from 12:00 noon until 8:00 P.M.
← Carstine Barbara Ann Johnson Hogan
Alonzo “Lonzo” Clements →
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Pozieres British Cemetery »
Pozieres is a village 6 kilometres north-east of the town of Albert.
The Memorial encloses Pozieres British Cemetery which is a little south-west of the village on the north side of the main road, D929, from Albert to Pozieres.
On the road frontage is an open arcade terminated by small buildings and broken in the middle by the entrance and gates. Along the sides and the back, stone tablets are fixed in the stone rubble walls bearing the names of the dead grouped under their Regiments.
The village of Pozieres was attacked on 23 July 1916 by the 1st Australian and 48th (South Midland) Divisions, and was taken on the following day. It was lost on 24-25 March 1918, during the great German advance, and recaptured by the 17th Division on the following 24 August.
Plot II of POZIERES BRITISH CEMETERY contains the original burials of 1916, 1917 and 1918, carried out by fighting units and field ambulances. The remaining plots were made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the cemetery, the majority of them of soldiers who died in the Autumn of 1916, but a few represent the fighting in August 1918.
There are now 2,758 Commonwealth servicemen buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 1,380 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 23 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. There is also 1 German soldier buried here. The cemetery is enclosed by the POZIERES MEMORIAL, which relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918
The Memorial commemorates 14685 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died in France during the Fifth Army area retreat on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918. The Corps and Regiments most largely represented are The Rifle Brigade with over 600 names, The Durham Light Infantry with approximately 600 names, the Machine Gun Corps with over 500, The Manchester Regiment with approximately 500 and The Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery with over 400 names.
The cemetery and memorial were designed by William Harrison Cowlishaw. Sculpture by Lawrence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.
Casualty Details: UK 1829, Canada 219, Australia 708, Germany 1
Photographs from my visit to Pozieres British Cemetery - 27 October 2013
Photographs from my visit to Pozieres British Cemetery - 29 June 2016
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The Light and Dark Side of the Internet: April 2011
By @ChristieM
This blog is a part of RP’s new media and technology for social change series, in anticipation of our new film WEB.
In the last few weeks I have read numerous stories about how social media is being used against protesters in the Middle East and Africa, so I thought it would be interesting to share these examples of the dark side of the Internet, just in case you missed them. But being the eternal optimist, there have also been some amazing uses of new and social media that are worth sharing. So here is your roundup of the dark and light sides of the Internet!
Uganda: Earlier this month the Uganda government asked the regional Internet Service Providers to block access to Facebook and Twitter, as protesters started employing the hashtag #walktowork as part of their protest against the riding food and fuel prices. Godfrey Mutabazi, the executive director of the Ugandan Communications Commission, said to Reuters that the blame for the violence in Uganda lies squarely in the laps of Twitter and Facebook as a vehicle for allowing mass law-breaking. Ridiculous.
Syria: I can almost (ALMOST!) respect the government for getting creative with their retaliation. First, the Syrian intelligence agency set up fake accounts on Twitter (known as Twitter Eggs) that threatened and insulted anyone criticizing the government, or tweeting in support of the protests. THEN various spam accounts were created to automatically send out Syria loving and random topic tweets every few minutes with the hastag #syria, so to dilute the conversation about the protests. You can view these accounts here.
Ivory Coast: Earlier this year, the country was in deep political turmoil as Laurent Gbagbo refused to abdicate his position as president after losing the election. Displaced persons across the country used the Twitter hastag #civ2010 to locate family members, get news updates and seek humanitarian aid and clean water. But then others started using the hastag to spread messages of hate and it essentially turned into a forum for various hate groups to verbally abuse each other online, again diluting the tweet stream. A new twitter hashtag (#civsocial) was created by the community to replace #civ2010.
Cameroon: President Paul Biya tried to get ahead of the game and prevent protests that might be inspired by neighboring countries, by shutting off mobile Twitter. Which only drew more attention to the tool! As blogger Dibussi Tande noted “…even though Twitter played a prominent role in informing the world of what was happening in Cameroon, over 95% of the tweets which the international media relied on for updates did not originate from within Cameroon. It was information obtained via mobile phones, regular SMS and email which ended up on Twitter and not real-time tweets from activists on the ground. Thus, banning the Twitter short code does little to change the balance of power online.”
U.A.E: The United Arab Emirates are getting even more ahead of the game. Their Telecommunications Regulatory Authority released plans to limit access to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server system to large-scale organizations, meaning smaller businesses and organizations would need to rely on a less-secure system that is easier for authorities to monitor in the hopes of preventing an uprising. This is also very likely to also be applied to all smart phones.
THE LIGHT SIDE
Rwanda: On May 5th, Rwandan President Paul Kagame will be the first African leader to be interviewed on YouTube, through their WorldView program which launched in January of this year. Although, since December of last year he has been a twitter machine! So you could probably ask him anything on twitter and he will likely respond.
Saudi Arabia: With protests and revolutions happening in countries all across the Middle East and Africa, women in Saudi Arabia are taking this opportunity to get their voices heard and try to gain the right to vote. A statement was released in March, followed by a Facebook page and a twitter hashtag, #saudiwomenrevolution. Unfortunately the media is paying very little attention. Until today I could find only a few stories about the group of women who attempted to register to vote last week. Their applications were denied.
Chile and Hungry: Hungarian doctor, Bertalan Mesko (@berci), and Chilean Nurse, Cristina Bizama (@cristi_enf), have both successfully used Twitter to help to save lives. Cristina tweeted that there was no way to transport ready organs to patients in need, and as word got out, the Health Minister jumped in to help make it happen. Dr. Mesko is using his twitter account to crowdsource medical opinions and information. For me, this just proves that everything on Grey’s Anatomy is true.
World: I recently learned about the website IndigenousTweeets.com , which was created by a computer professor at St. Louis University. IndigenousTweets was created to not only monitor the number of languages on twitter (currently 71) but also to help protect these native languages and keep cultures alive. One of my favorite examples of how the Internet is being used to protect the uniqueness of culture.
TheNextWeb
Anas Gtiesh
This entry was posted on Friday, April 29th, 2011 at 9:11 am and is filed under blog and tagged with @ChristieM, Chile, Hungry, Ivory Coast, middle east, Rwanda, saudi arabia, social media, syria, twitter, UAE, uganda. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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Roslindale Monogatari
Rambling observations of a Roslindale fan of Asian films
Sasameyuki or The Makioka Sisters: Two Tales of Four Sisters
Sasameyuki / Makioka Sisters / Light Snowfall (Yutaka Abe, 1950)
Junichiro Tanizaki began publishing his Sasameyuki (literally "light snowfall") in serialized form in 1943. After just two installments, however, government censors informed the magazine serializing it that no further episodes should be published (inconsistent with the self-discipline needed for the war effort). Tanizaki published the complete first volume in 1944; the whole novel was finally published in 1949. The story is set in the latter half of the 1930s. It tells the story of a once very prominent Osaka family -- the Makioka family -- which had to make major adjustments after the death of the family patriarch years before (and the gradual withering away of the family business).
The focus is on the four sisters -- Tsuruko (nearing 40 at the outset), Sachiko (mid-30s), Yukiko (near 30) and Taeko (26). The Tsuruko is married to a rather stuffy bank executive; Sachiko to a much more urbane white collar worker. Yukiko, the beauty of the family, is still unmarried. When younger, her family had blown off several promising marriage proposals due to arrogance. As the family's position declined, and Yukiko grew older, the range of possibilities contracted. Taeko has long wanted to marry Okubata (nicknamed "Kei-bon") -- but has not been allowed to do so -- because her older sister still remained unmarried -- and because Kei-bon (whose family owned a jewelry business) was a bit irresponsible. Yukiko and Taeko had been taken care of by Tsuruko for over ten years (after the death of their mother, 17 years prior to the period of the novel). For the past 6 years, however, they had mainly lived with Sachiko and her husband -- in a more modern suburb of Osaka.
While Sachiko is (informally) the primary viewpoint character of the novel, most of the story deals with the family's attempt to marry off Yukiko suitably and Taeko's misadventures as she remains in limbo, waiting for her sister to get married. Taeko continues to maintain a closer relationship with Kei-bon than her family likes (the two had tried to elope when they were younger) and runs a doll-making workshop (and later a dress-making business as well). She also has other romantic entanglements. The first is with a photographer named Itakura, who dies due to medical malpractice, She later gets involved with a bartender named Miyoshi -- and becomes pregnant at a very inopportune time (just as Yukiko is finally on the verge of an excellent marriage). In addition to the romantic adventures of Yukiko and Taeko, the novel also looks at a succession of foreigners who live next door to Sachiko's family, the goings on of Sachiko's daughter Etsuko, and Tsuruko's move (along with her many children) from the old family mansion in Osaka to a new home in Tokyo (due to a promotion her husband receives).
The novel's narration is quite elliptical, so it is a bit hard to tell just how much time passes from start to finish -- my guess is that it is about 3 years or so. The 500+ page novel is, as can be seen above, far too complex to allow a film to cover more than a fraction of its content. As we shall, see the two film versions I've been able to see deal very differently with the problem of adapting the book to the screen.
Shintoho, a new studio that came into being as a result of the labor unrest at Toho, wasted no time in getting out it high-profile adaptation. Its director, Yutaka Abe, though now unknown in the West, had first gained fame as part of the Japanese contingent in Hollywood during the 'teens (where, as an actor, he was known as "Jack"). along with Sessue Hayakawa and Thomas Kurihara. After Hollywood decided it had no further use for Japanese in the early 20s, he returned to Japan, where he began a long and varied career as a director. Very little has been written about Abe in English -- and virtually none of his films have been shown in the West (in the past few decades, at least). so far as I can tell, his version of Sasameyuki in his only film released on DVD in Japan to date.
Abe's solution (and that of script writer Toshio Yasumi, a veteran with a long list or important scripts) to simplifying Tanizaki's complicated novel is quite straightforward -- focus almost exclusively on Taeko's story, with matters involving Yukiko and the rest of the family being presented only in a background fashion, as necessary. The centrality of Taeko in this film is further emphasized by the casting -- the most high-profile star was the actress who played Taeko -- Hideko Takamine (a star since her childhood, a pin-up girl during the war -- very popular but not yet fully established as "grown-up" actress).
In terms of structure, insofar as it goes, Abe's adaptation is quite clear and effective. In terms of acting, it is quite convincing. Takamine is quite good here -- alternately engaging and moody (and conniving). I''m sure she appreciated a role that left her "good girl" film image in tatters -- and she seems to have made the most of it. Abe's version falls a bit flat, however, in terms of visual stylishness. Both staging and cinematography (by Susumu Yamanaka -- otherwise unknown to me) are not especially imaginative and are even a bit clunky at times. While Abe does try to convey a sense of the just-past time period, he does little to establish a sense of place overall. He does provide a good contrast between Sachiko's Western art moderne-ish home and Tsuruko somewhat gone-to-seed family "mansion". All in all, a decent (albeit self-limited adaptation). The new Japanese DVD is unsubbed -- but otherwise passable.
Sasame-yuki / The Makioka Sisters (Kon Ichikawa, 1983)
Abe's novel was re-made (by Daiei) less than a decade after Abe's version. This version, directed by Koji shima (probably best known now as an innovative science fiction film director) featured the cream of Daiei's crop of excellent performers and was shot in color. As far as I can determine, this has never been released on home video -- and I haven't seen any reports as to the quality of this version. Ichikawa's version dates from much later -- at a point when the novel would have been considered a "classic". It is certainly a far "prettier" film than Abe's -- and it tries to retain a balance between the stories of both younger sisters. Otherwise, however, it is a far less satisfactory effort.
Sadly, by the time Ichikawa filmed Tanizaki's masterpiece, his brilliant script-writer spouse Natto Wada was dead (she had actually retired by the mid-60s, however). The script writer here was Shinya Hidaka, who had written scripts for a number of previous (by reputation -- utterly undistinguished) Ichikawa films. The script here is a mess -- smashing most of the key events of the novel into a very short span of time (no more than a year). Obviously, with this such extreme compression, Taeko has no time for an illicit pregnancy (and disastrously botched obstetric care). All in all, the sense of the sisters mainly just drifting along with the tide of time is almost totally lost. And while this version does give more or less equal time to Yukiko and Taeko, it also wastes a considerable amount of time on the relationship of the two older sisters (a minor aspect of the book) -- and tries to make the eldest sister more likable than Tanizaki intended her to be. As with Abe's film, the subsidiary theme of foreign neighbors is completely missing.
The cast here is largely a lackluster one and the performances here are almost uniformly inferior to those in the earlier version. Yuko Kotegawa's Taeko is utterly insipid compared to Takamine's. While Sayuri Yoshinaga makes a lovely-looking Yukiko, her character's part is so poorly written that Yukiko's behavior seems a bit random. As to other roles, the parts are not-well crafted -- so good performers are not able to be really successful.
The cinematography is indeed often pretty -- but rarely beautiful. The prettiness is usually superficial -- if not saccharine. And the one visual element Abe captured wonderfully -- the striking contrast between Sachiko's modern-style home and Tsuruko's imposing but inconvenient old one -- Ichikawa botches. Similarly, where Abe (closer in time to the time in which the novel is set) captures clothing and hair styles of the late 30s fairly well, Ichikawa's film is quite sloppy in this respect. If one is not familiar with either Tanizaki's novel in particular or Japan of the late 1930s in general -- this might be a passably entertaining film. However, judged both in terms of quality of adaptation and overall cinematic quality, Ichikawa's film is sadly lacking. (Especially sadly -- as the kind individual who lent me a copy of the out-of-print subbed video is so fond of the film). I think it is safe to say that the auteur of Ichikawa's best work was the team of Wada and Ichikawa. Ichikawa alone (without even his wife's informal advice) seems to have only a limited capacity to turn out quality films.
Posted by Michael E. Kerpan Jr. at 6:08 PM
Labels: cinema, literature
Steven H said...
I've had Makioka Sisters sitting on my shelf for some time now, and hopefully soon I'll get around to reading it. Would one be able to follow Abe's version decently only knowing Ichikawa's version?
Michael Kerpan said...
I was able to follow almost everything in Abe's film version due to having read the novel. I don''t think acquaintance with only Ichikawa's film version would be nearly so helpful. I think the last scene of the Abe film may have deviated from the novel -- but I don't have a copy of the book on hand to double-check.
Naruse's Apart From You (Kimi to wakarete) -- Senses of Cinema
Ozu's Passing Fancy (Dekigokoro) -- Senses of Cinema
We Love BAE Doo-na (with Kevin Lee)
My IMDB Comments
Observations on film art and 'Film Art'
Aaron Gerow's Tangemania
Mark Schilling's Tokyo Ramen
A Mikio Naruse Companion
Kevin B. Lee's alsolikelife
Daniel Kasman's Mubi Notebook
EROS PLUS MASSACRE エロス＋虐殺
Michael E. Kerpan Jr.
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by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, Chicago Theological Seminary
Structural injustice in our time can be called “Trumpism,” but it is a system that has been decades in the making. I do not believe you can confine your opposition to this system to the classroom. The very structure of our institutions and the broader social, political, and economic context all need to be actively addressed. If we limit our engagement of this system to the classroom, we end up teaching hypocrisy.
The current occupant of the White House is a symptom, not the cause. This system is multinational and rooted in economic and political trajectories that deprive human beings of a living wage and basic human rights in order to enrich a staggeringly few people. This system is growing. The world’s wealthiest people became one trillion dollars richer in 2017. In fact, right now, the three richest Americans own more wealth than the bottom 50% of the United States combined.
This larger system is a powerful teacher; it is often called the “informal” curriculum, and the way power is distributed in our institutions as well as in our society is often a far more potent educator than our “formal curriculum” of lectures, readings, and discussions. You know this in theory, but these are the days when moving from theory to practice is indispensable. Taking a hard look at the informal curriculum, from our institutions to the situation of our society, is key to understanding what theological education needs to be and do today. If, for example, the informal curriculum of our institutions replicates the structural injustice that is gaining momentum not only in the United States, but also around the world, then whatever we say in the classroom that seems to contradict that might as well be called “alternative facts.” Or, more accurately, lies.
In our own academic venues, this trajectory of the rich-get-richer and the poor-get-poorer is represented in many types of changes. The “for-profit” schools (Trump University!) are the worst offenders as they systematically exploit more vulnerable student populations, get them to take out loans, overpromise post-graduation employment, and drive these students into debt. The whole structure of student debt has taken a turn for the worse as the current Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, has rolled back protections for students who have gone in to debt due to for-profit education. She has been sued by eighteen states. “Since day one, Secretary DeVos has sided with for-profit school executives against students and families drowning in unaffordable student loans,” said Maura Healey, the Massachusetts attorney general, who led the multistate coalition in the lawsuit. “Her decision to cancel vital protections for students and taxpayers is a betrayal of her office’s responsibility and a violation of federal law.” DeVos is a prime example of Trumpism.
While it is the case that the vast majority of theological education is not a private, for-profit, enterprise, our seminaries and graduate schools of religion get students who have been victimized by this system. It is, therefore, crucial that our schools do debt counseling and in turn provide as much scholarship money as we can. Another crucial area for activism is in stemming the trend toward part-time and contingent faculty. The American Academy of Religion Academic Labor and Contingent Faculty Working Group (see Facebook page) highlights the precipitous decline in tenure-track positions (45% in 1975 to 30% in 2015) and the staggering increase in part-time and contingent faculty (55% in 1975 to 70% in 2015).
I went by the booth run by the Academic Labor and Contingent Faculty Working Group at the 2017 Annual Meeting to compliment them on the excellent poster campaign they were doing during the Annual Meeting. I wanted to ask them about its reception. They, in turn, asked me to wear the #AARSolidarity ribbon for the campaign and the person in the booth indicated that they were asking tenured faculty to wear them as contingent and part-time faculty often “felt vulnerable” if they wore the badge. “Felt vulnerable” is a revealing insight into how this unjust structure replicates the same kind of economic and social pressures perpetrated by Trumpism. School administrators will tell you that they “have to” turn to part-time and contingent faculty because of “economic pressures” and there is some truth to this, as higher education itself is under attack by Trumpism, but it is not the whole truth. Here is a more complete picture from the American Association of University Professors:
The turn towards cheaper contingent labor is largely a matter of priorities rather than economic necessity.
While many institutions are currently suffering budget cuts, the greatest growth in contingent appointments occurred during times of economic prosperity.
Many institutions have invested heavily in facilities and technology while cutting instructional spending.
Though incoming students may find finer facilities, they are also likely to find fewer full-time faculty with adequate time, professional support, and resources available for their instruction.
We do have choices and we privilege some over others. I was the president of Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) for ten years, from 1998 until 2008, and I know that at smaller schools like my own—and progressive theological seminaries in particular—the economic pressures are real. But it is also a matter of institutional priorities. Progressive seminaries have lofty mission statements, but these are hollow if the structure of the school itself replicates Trumpism. CTS has struggled with this issue for years, and while we cannot claim to be the Kingdom of God’s justice on earth, I believe we have made just and equitable decisions. We do have a robust, full-time, tenured and tenure-track faculty. We hire in tenure track positions. We do not have a huge number of adjuncts. Yet, it is the case that we can always do better.
But there are many, many wealthy schools that are doing far worse. The Yales and Harvards in this country have high numbers of part-time and contingent faculty, and efforts at unionization have been met with institutional resistance. This is “Trumpism” in higher education and it is appalling. At the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature meeting in Boston in November of 2017, many of us attending left the conference venue and held a press conference at the landmark New England Congregational Church, Old South. We wore sackcloth over our heads and put ashes on our faces to mourn the corruption of US Christianity and how it has sold itself to the basest kind of political maneuvering. Later, at our AAR panel on our volume Faith and Resistance in the Age of Trump, I was still wearing my ashes, but the sackcloth fell off when I stood up to speak at the podium! I connected what we had done in mourning to the depths to which many in conservative white Christian evangelicalism were willing to stoop to gain political power with the degrading employment situation of many who teach in higher education. I referenced the campaign by the Academic Labor Working Group and held up my badge. I charged the audience to show solidarity with the “serfs” of academia. I said, “If you want to change theological education, it’s not what you as teachers say, it’s what you do. Don’t tell me you are going to resist Trump and not resist this system in your own institutions.”
This informal curriculum of the exploitation of students through debt and exploitation of faculty through adjunct and contingent “serfdom” is teaching our students far more than anything I may assign on “liberation theology” in the classroom. The larger context in which we do our work, including activism to resist its most pernicious trends, has to be part of the whole of theological education. Let me be specific about what I mean when I say activism. I mean that as a faculty member (or as an administrator) I need to call my institution to account for how it handles student debt and the hiring, promotion, benefits, and tenure structure. Adjunct and contingent faculty are particularly vulnerable in this process, and I believe it is up to those with tenure and senior administrators to step forward in this process. Our students, many of whom are at the graduate level, are often being ground down as adjuncts at other institutions, or even at our own, and we should be frank about this structural inequality and supportive of their efforts to get better wages, to get proportional benefits, and to advocate for paths from part-time and contingent to full-time and tenure-track.
In regard to the larger social and political spheres, I often have students design activist projects that they plan to carry out to engage the many social and economic injustices we face. I share my own engagements and commitments, though dictating to students about what they should do is, in my view, totally inappropriate. We cannot defend freedom by suppressing freedom. But I believe if we do not connect teaching and activism, then we make a mockery not only of the word “resistance” as in the title of our recent book, but also the term “faith.” And God will not be mocked.
Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite is professor of theology and president emerita (1998–2008) of Chicago Theological Seminary, where she has taught for over thirty years. She is the author and/or editor of thirteen academic books, and she worked on two translations of the Bible. She has also recently published two works of fiction. In addition to service on many not-for-profit boards including Interfaith Youth Core, and Faith in Public Life, which she helped found, she has also served the American Academy of Religion as the editor of the Academy Series for Scholars Press, the first chairperson of the Committee on the Status of Women in the Profession, cochair of Women and Religion Unit, and more recently cochair of the Religion and Politics Unit.
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Stealing Charlie Chaplin
I had the following conversation with Mrs. Deathrage about this documentary:
Me: I fell asleep watching this documentary last night, and I'd like to finish it. It's about that one time someone stole the corpse of Charlie Chaplin and held it for ransom.
Mrs. Deathrage, unblinking, daring me to scoff at her absurdity: That doesn't sound very interesting.
Utilizing interviews of various vintages, news footage from the period, and brief clips from his films, Stealing Charlie Chaplin examines the ghoulish two month period following Chaplin's death where inept bodysnatchers unearthed his simple wooden coffin from its grave in Switzerland and extorted his widow.
The documentary stretches for time by recounting Chaplin's career; after being placed into a destitute home as a child and the deaths of his parents, Chaplin busked and pantomimed, being discovered by Keystone and becoming one's the world's greatest filmmakers. As his career waned, he was accused of sympathizing with communists and was investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and was involved in a paternity suit orchestrated by the FBI. President Hoover and Senator McCarthy banned him from America, and revoked his visa.
One rainy night nine weeks after his death, Chaplin's grave was disturbed, and his coffin stolen. Neo-Nazis were initially thought to be the ones to blame, stealing his corpse in response to his film The Great Dictator.
The documentary goes at length discussing the minutia of the ploy to capture the criminals while paying the ransom, where a police officer would drive Chaplin's Rolls disguised as a chauffeur wearing a Swiss Air Uniform.
Overlong and slow-moving, Stealing Charlie Chaplin could easily have been condensed to a short, but it's still a lurid, fascinating subject, no matter what Mrs. Deathrage thinks.
Don't tell her I said that.
Posted by Stabford Deathrage at 10:29 AM 2 comments:
Stabford Deathrage
I watch movies. Most of the time they're really, really bad.
Cinematic Catharsis
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Down Among the "Z" Movies
Down Among the Z Men (1952)
kliːvlənd 41°28′56″N 81°40′11″W
Dinner and a Movie: Unbroken and Brown Sugar
Fourth Row Center
sjwatson
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St Anne's and St Andrew's NW6
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1. Agreement. In this Service Agreement ("Agreement") "you" and "your" refer to each customer and "we", "us" and "our" refer to Alden Hosting. This Agreement explains our obligations to you, and explains your obligations to us for our various services. By selecting our service(s) you have agreed to establish an account with us for such services. When you use your account or permit someone else to use it to purchase or otherwise acquire access to additional service(s) or to cancel your Alden Hosting service(s) (even if we were not notified of such authorization), this Agreement covers such service or actions. By using the service(s) provided by Alden Hosting under this Agreement, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to be bound by all terms and conditions of this Agreement and any pertinent rules or policies that are or may be published by us.
2. Selection of a Domain Name. We cannot and do not check to see whether the domain name you select, or the use you make of the domain name, infringes legal rights of others. We urge you to investigate to see whether the domain name you select or its use infringes legal rights of others, and in particular we suggest you seek advice of competent counsel. You may wish to consider seeking one or more trademark registrations in connection with your domain name. You should be aware that there is the possibility we might be ordered by a court to cancel, modify, or transfer your domain name. You should be aware that if we are sued or threatened with lawsuit in connection with your domain name, we may turn to you to hold us harmless and indemnify us.
3. Fees, Payment and Term. As consideration for the services you have selected, you agree to pay Alden Hosting the applicable service(s) fees. Registration will not be processed until payment for services is verified or received. All fees payable for domain name thereunder are nonrefundable unless we provide otherwise. This section does not apply to fees payable for Alden Hosting's Web Hosting and Web Hosting services. Payment policy for Web Hosting can be found at: http://www.AldenHosting.com/billingpolicy.shtml. As further consideration for the domain name service(s), you agree to: (1) provide certain current, complete and accurate information about you as required by the registration process and (2) maintain and update this information as needed to keep it current, complete and accurate. All such information shall be referred to as account information ("Account Information"). You hereby grant Alden Hosting the right to disclose to third parties such Account Information. The Registrant, by completing and submitting the Domain Name Registration Agreement ("Registration Agreement"), represents that the statements in its application are true and that the registration of the selected Domain Name, so far as the Registrant is aware, does not interfere with or infringe upon the rights of any third party. The Registrant also represents that the Domain Name is not being registered for any unlawful purpose.
4. Modifications to Agreement. You agree, during the period of this Agreement, that we may: (1) revise the terms and conditions of this Agreement; and (2) change the services provided under this Agreement. Any such revision or change will be binding and effective immediately on posting of the revised Agreement or change to the service(s) on Alden Hosting's web site, or on notification to you by e-mail or by telephone or by mail. You agree to review Alden Hosting's web site, including the Agreement, periodically to be aware of any such revisions. If you do not agree with any revision to the Agreement, you may terminate this Agreement at any time by providing us with notice by e-mail or by fax. Notice of your termination will be effective on receipt and processing by us. You agree that, by continuing to use the Alden Hosting services following notice of any revision to this Agreement or change in service(s), you abide by any such revisions or changes. You further agree that we, in our sole discretion, may modify our Dispute Policy at any time. You agree that, by maintaining the reservation or registration of your domain name after modifications to the Dispute Policy become effective, you have agreed to these modifications. You acknowledge that if you do not agree to any such modifications, you may request that your domain name be deleted from the domain name database.
5. Modifications to your Account. In order to change any of your account information with us, you must use your Account Identifier and Password that you selected when you opened your account with us. Please safeguard your Account Identifier and Password from any unauthorized use. In no event will we be liable for the unauthorized use or misuse of your Account Identifier or Password.
6. Domain Name Dispute Policy. If you reserved or registered a domain name through us, or transferred a domain name to us from another registrar, you agree to be bound by our current Domain Name Dispute Policy ("Dispute Policy") which is incorporated herein and made a part of this Agreement by reference. The current version of the Dispute Policy may be found at our web site: http://www.AldenHosting.com/domainnameregterms.shtml#Dispute. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with such policy.
7. Domain Name Disputes. You agree that, if the registration or reservation of your domain name is challenged by a third party, you will be subject to the provisions specified in the Dispute Policy in effect at the time of the dispute. You agree that in the event a domain name dispute arises with any third party, you will indemnify and hold us harmless pursuant to the terms and conditions contained in the Dispute Policy. For any dispute, you agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the courts of your domicile, the courts of the geographic location indicated by your WHOIS information for your domain name, and the courts of Bergen County, New Jersey.
8. Agents. You agree that, if an agent for you (i.e., an Internet Service Provider, employee, etc.) purchased Alden Hosting service(s) on your behalf, you are nonetheless bound as a principal by all terms and conditions herein, including the Dispute Policy.
9. Announcements. We reserve the right to distribute information to you that is pertinent to the quality or operation of our services and those of our service partners. These announcements will be predominately informative in nature and may include notices describing changes, upgrades, new products or other information to add security or to enhance your identity on the Internet.
10. Limitation of Liability. You agree that our entire liability, and your exclusive remedy, with respect to any Alden Hosting services(s) provided under this Agreement and any breach of this Agreement is solely limited to the amount you paid for such service(s). Alden Hosting and its contractors shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages resulting from the use or inability to use any of the Alden Hosting services or for the cost of procurement of substitute services. Because some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, in such states, our liability is limited to the extent permitted by law. We disclaim any and all loss or liability resulting from, but not limited to: (1) loss or liability resulting from access delays or access interruptions; (2) loss or liability resulting from data non-delivery or data mis-delivery; (3) loss or liability resulting from acts of God; (4) loss or liability resulting from the unauthorized use or misuse of your Account Identifier or Password; (5) loss or liability resulting from errors, omissions, or misstatements in any and all information or services(s) provided under this Agreement; (6) loss or liability resulting from the development or interruption of your Web site or e-mail service. The registrant agrees that Alden Hosting will not be liable for any loss of registration and use of registrant's domain name, or for interruption of business, or any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages of any kind (including lost profits) regardless of the form of action whether in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, even if Alden Hosting has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall Alden Hosting's maximum liability exceed five hundred ($500.00) dollars.
11. Indemnity. You agree to release, indemnify, and hold Alden Hosting, its contractors, agents, employees, officers, directors and affiliates harmless from all liabilities, claims and expenses, including attorney's fees, of third parties relating to or arising under this Agreement, the Alden Hosting services provided thereunder or your use of the Alden Hosting services, including without limitation infringement by you, or someone else using the Alden Hosting E-mail Service with your computer, of any intellectual property or other proprietary right of any person or entity, or from the violation of any Alden Hosting operating rule or policy relating to the service(s) provided. You also agree to release, indemnify and hold us harmless pursuant to the terms and conditions contained in the Dispute Policy. When Alden Hosting is threatened with suit by a third party, Alden Hosting may seek written assurances from you concerning your promise to indemnify Alden Hosting; your failure to provide those assurances may be considered by Alden Hosting to be a breach of your Agreement and may result in deactivation of your domain name.
12. Breach. You agree that failure to abide by any provision of this Agreement, any Alden Hosting operating rule or policy or the Dispute Policy, may be considered by us to be a material breach and that we may provide a written notice, describing the breach, to you. If within thirty (30) calendar days of the date of such notice, you fail to provide evidence, which is reasonably satisfactory to us, that you have not breached your obligations under the Agreement, then we may delete the registration or reservation of your domain name or terminate your account without further notice. Any such breach by you shall not be deemed to be excused simply because we did not act earlier in response to that, or any other breach by you.
13. No Guarantee. You agree that, by registration or reservation of your chosen domain name, such registration or reservation does not confer immunity from objection to either the registration, reservation, or use of the domain name.
14. Disclaimer of Warranties. You agree and warrant that the information that you provide to us to register or reserve your domain name or register for other Alden Hosting service(s) is, to the best of your knowledge and belief, accurate and complete, and that any future changes to this information will be provided to us in a timely manner according to the modification procedures in place at that time. You agree that your use of our Alden Hosting service(s) is solely at your own risk. You agree that such service(s) is provided on an "as is," "as available" basis. Alden Hosting expressly disclaims all warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. Alden Hosting makes no warranty that the Alden Hosting service(s) will meet your requirements, or that the service(s) will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error free; nor does Alden Hosting make any warranty as to the results that may be obtained from the use of the service(s) or as to the accuracy or reliability of any information obtained through the Alden Hosting e-mail service or that defects in the Alden Hosting service(s) software will be corrected. You understand and agree that any material and/or data downloaded or otherwise obtained through the use of the Alden Hosting service is done at your own discretion and risk and that you will be solely responsible for any damage to your computer system or loss of data that results from the download of such material and/or data. Alden Hosting makes no warranty regarding any goods or services purchased or obtained through the service or any transactions entered into through service. No advice or information, whether oral or written, obtained by you from Alden Hosting or through the service shall create any warranty not expressly made herein. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties, so some of the above exclusions may not apply to you.
15. Revocation. You agree that we may delete your domain name or terminate your right to use other Alden Hosting service(s) if the information that you provided to register or reserve your domain name or register for other Alden Hosting service(s), or subsequently to modify it, contains false or misleading information, or conceals or omits any information we would likely consider material to our decision to register or reserve your domain name. You agree that we may, in our sole discretion, delete or transfer your domain name at any time.
16. Right of Refusal. We, in our sole discretion, reserve the right to refuse to register or reserve your chosen domain name or register you for other Alden Hosting service(s), or to delete your domain name within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of your payment for such services. In the event we do not register or reserve your domain name or register you for other Alden Hosting service(s), or we delete your domain name or other Alden Hosting service(s) within such thirty (30) calendar day period, we agree to refund your applicable fee(s). You agree that we shall not be liable to you for loss or damages that may result from our refusal to register or reserve, or delete your domain name or register you for other Alden Hosting service(s).
17. Severability. You agree that the terms of this Agreement are severable. If any term or provision is declared invalid or unenforceable, that term or provision will be construed consistent with applicable law as nearly as possible to reflect the original intentions of the parties, and the remaining terms and provisions will remain in full force and effect.
18. Non-Agency. Nothing contained in this Agreement or the Dispute Policy shall be construed as creating any agency, partnership, or other form of joint enterprise between the parties.
19. Non-Waiver. The failure of Alden Hosting to require performance by the Registrant of any provision hereof shall not affect the full right to require such performance at any time thereafter; nor shall the waiver by Alden Hosting of a breach of any provision hereof be taken or held to be a waiver of the provision itself.
20. Notices. Any notice, direction or other communication given under this Agreement shall be in writing and given by sending it via e-mail or via regular mail. In the case of e-mail, valid notice shall only have been deemed to have been given when an electronic confirmation of delivery has been obtained by the sender, in the case of notice to us to nic@AldenHosting.com. Mail shall be sent to: Alden Hosting LLC, 37 Cottage Lane, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458, and to you at the mailing address provided in your application or as updated from time to time. Any e-mail communication shall be deemed to have validly and effectively given on the date of such communication, if such date is a business day and such delivery was made prior to 4:00 p.m. EST and otherwise on the next business day. Any communication sent via regular mail shall be deemed to have been validly and effectively given 5 business days after the date of mailing.
21. Entirety. You agree that this Agreement, the rules and policies published by Alden Hosting and the Dispute Policy are the complete and exclusive agreement between you and us regarding our Alden Hosting services. This Agreement and the Dispute Policy supersede all prior agreements and understandings, whether established by custom, practice, policy or precedent.
22. Governing Law. You agree that this Agreement shall be governed in all respects by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey and the federal laws of the Unites States of America applicable therein without reference to rules governing choice of laws. Any action relating to this agreement must be brought in the County of Bergen courts located in Bergen County, New Jersey and you irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of such courts.
23. Infancy. You attest that you are of legal age to enter into this Agreement.
24. Acceptance of agreement. You acknowledge that you have read this agreement and agree to all its terms and conditions. You have independently evaluated the desirability of participating in the affiliate network and are not relying on any representation, guarantee or statement other than as set forth in this agreement.
Uniform Domain Name
Policy Adopted: August 26, 1999
Implementation Documents Approved: October 24, 1999
(As Approved by ICANN on October 24, 1999)
1. Purpose. This Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Policy") has been adopted by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN"), is incorporated by reference into your Registration Agreement, and sets forth the terms and conditions in connection with a dispute between you and any party other than us (the registrar) over the registration and use of an Internet domain name registered by you. Proceedings under Paragraph 4 of this Policy will be conducted according to the Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Rules of Procedure"), which are available at www.icann.org/udrp/udrp-rules-24oct99.htm, and the selected administrative-dispute-resolution service provider's supplemental rules.
2. Your Representations. By applying to register a domain name, or by asking us to maintain or renew a domain name registration, you hereby represent and warrant to us that (a) the statements that you made in your Registration Agreement are complete and accurate; (b) to your knowledge, the registration of the domain name will not infringe upon or otherwise violate the rights of any third party; (c) you are not registering the domain name for an unlawful purpose; and (d) you will not knowingly use the domain name in violation of any applicable laws or regulations. It is your responsibility to determine whether your domain name registration infringes or violates someone else's rights.
3. Cancellations, Transfers, and Changes. We will cancel, transfer or otherwise make changes to domain name registrations under the following circumstances:
a. subject to the provisions of Paragraph 8, our receipt of written or appropriate electronic instructions from you or your authorized agent to take such action;
b. our receipt of an order from a court or arbitral tribunal, in each case of competent jurisdiction, requiring such action; and/or
c. our receipt of a decision of an Administrative Panel requiring such action in any administrative proceeding to which you were a party and which was conducted under this Policy or a later version of this Policy adopted by ICANN. (See Paragraph 4(i) and (k) below.)
We may also cancel, transfer or otherwise make changes to a domain name registration in accordance with the terms of your Registration Agreement or other legal requirements.
4. Mandatory Administrative Proceeding.
This Paragraph sets forth the type of disputes for which you are required to submit to a mandatory administrative proceeding. These proceedings will be conducted before one of the administrative-dispute-resolution service providers listed at www.icann.org/udrp/approved-providers.htm (each, a "Provider").
a. Applicable Disputes. You are required to submit to a mandatory administrative proceeding in the event that a third party (a "complainant") asserts to the applicable Provider, in compliance with the Rules of Procedure, that
(i) your domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the complainant has rights; and
(ii) you have no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name; and
(iii) your domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.
In the administrative proceeding, the complainant must prove that each of these three elements are present.
b. Evidence of Registration and Use in Bad Faith. For the purposes of Paragraph 4(a)(iii), the following circumstances, in particular but without limitation, if found by the Panel to be present, shall be evidence of the registration and use of a domain name in bad faith:
(i) circumstances indicating that you have registered or you have acquired the domain name primarily for the purpose of selling, renting, or otherwise transferring the domain name registration to the complainant who is the owner of the trademark or service mark or to a competitor of that complainant, for valuable consideration in excess of your documented out-of-pocket costs directly related to the domain name; or
(ii) you have registered the domain name in order to prevent the owner of the trademark or service mark from reflecting the mark in a corresponding domain name, provided that you have engaged in a pattern of such conduct; or
(iii) you have registered the domain name primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of a competitor; or
(iv) by using the domain name, you have intentionally attempted to attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to your web site or other on-line location, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the complainant's mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of your web site or location or of a product or service on your web site or location.
c. How to Demonstrate Your Rights to and Legitimate Interests in the Domain Name in Responding to a Complaint. When you receive a complaint, you should refer to Paragraph 5 of the Rules of Procedure in determining how your response should be prepared. Any of the following circumstances, in particular but without limitation, if found by the Panel to be proved based on its evaluation of all evidence presented, shall demonstrate your rights or legitimate interests to the domain name for purposes of Paragraph 4(a)(ii):
(i) before any notice to you of the dispute, your use of, or demonstrable preparations to use, the domain name or a name corresponding to the domain name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services; or
(ii) you (as an individual, business, or other organization) have been commonly known by the domain name, even if you have acquired no trademark or service mark rights; or
(iii) you are making a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the domain name, without intent for commercial gain to misleadingly divert consumers or to tarnish the trademark or service mark at issue.
d. Selection of Provider. The complainant shall select the Provider from among those approved by ICANN by submitting the complaint to that Provider. The selected Provider will administer the proceeding, except in cases of consolidation as described in Paragraph 4(f).
e. Initiation of Proceeding and Process and Appointment of Administrative Panel. The Rules of Procedure state the process for initiating and conducting a proceeding and for appointing the panel that will decide the dispute (the "Administrative Panel").
f. Consolidation. In the event of multiple disputes between you and a complainant, either you or the complainant may petition to consolidate the disputes before a single Administrative Panel. This petition shall be made to the first Administrative Panel appointed to hear a pending dispute between the parties. This Administrative Panel may consolidate before it any or all such disputes in its sole discretion, provided that the disputes being consolidated are governed by this Policy or a later version of this Policy adopted by ICANN.
g. Fees. All fees charged by a Provider in connection with any dispute before an Administrative Panel pursuant to this Policy shall be paid by the complainant, except in cases where you elect to expand the Administrative Panel from one to three panelists as provided in Paragraph 5(b)(iv) of the Rules of Procedure, in which case all fees will be split evenly by you and the complainant.
h. Our Involvement in Administrative Proceedings. We do not, and will not, participate in the administration or conduct of any proceeding before an Administrative Panel. In addition, we will not be liable as a result of any decisions rendered by the Administrative Panel.
i. Remedies. The remedies available to a complainant pursuant to any proceeding before an Administrative Panel shall be limited to requiring the cancellation of your domain name or the transfer of your domain name registration to the complainant.
j. Notification and Publication. The Provider shall notify us of any decision made by an Administrative Panel with respect to a domain name you have registered with us. All decisions under this Policy will be published in full over the Internet, except when an Administrative Panel determines in an exceptional case to redact portions of its decision.
k. Availability of Court Proceedings. The mandatory administrative proceeding requirements set forth in Paragraph 4 shall not prevent either you or the complainant from submitting the dispute to a court of competent jurisdiction for independent resolution before such mandatory administrative proceeding is commenced or after such proceeding is concluded. If an Administrative Panel decides that your domain name registration should be canceled or transferred, we will wait ten (10) business days (as observed in the location of our principal office) after we are informed by the applicable Provider of the Administrative Panel's decision before implementing that decision. We will then implement the decision unless we have received from you during that ten (10) business day period official documentation (such as a copy of a complaint, file-stamped by the clerk of the court) that you have commenced a lawsuit against the complainant in a jurisdiction to which the complainant has submitted under Paragraph 3(b)(xiii) of the Rules of Procedure. (In general, that jurisdiction is either the location of our principal office or of your address as shown in our Whois database. See Paragraphs 1 and 3(b)(xiii) of the Rules of Procedure for details.) If we receive such documentation within the ten (10) business day period, we will not implement the Administrative Panel's decision, and we will take no further action, until we receive (i) evidence satisfactory to us of a resolution between the parties; (ii) evidence satisfactory to us that your lawsuit has been dismissed or withdrawn; or (iii) a copy of an order from such court dismissing your lawsuit or ordering that you do not have the right to continue to use your domain name.
5. All Other Disputes and Litigation. All other disputes between you and any party other than us regarding your domain name registration that are not brought pursuant to the mandatory administrative proceeding provisions of Paragraph 4 shall be resolved between you and such other party through any court, arbitration or other proceeding that may be available.
6. Our Involvement in Disputes. We will not participate in any way in any dispute between you and any party other than us regarding the registration and use of your domain name. You shall not name us as a party or otherwise include us in any such proceeding. In the event that we are named as a party in any such proceeding, we reserve the right to raise any and all defenses deemed appropriate, and to take any other action necessary to defend ourselves.
7. Maintaining the Status Quo. We will not cancel, transfer, activate, deactivate, or otherwise change the status of any domain name registration under this Policy except as provided in Paragraph 3 above.
8. Transfers During a Dispute.
a. Transfers of a Domain Name to a New Holder. You may not transfer your domain name registration to another holder (i) during a pending administrative proceeding brought pursuant to Paragraph 4 or for a period of fifteen (15) business days (as observed in the location of our principal place of business) after such proceeding is concluded; or (ii) during a pending court proceeding or arbitration commenced regarding your domain name unless the party to whom the domain name registration is being transferred agrees, in writing, to be bound by the decision of the court or arbitrator. We reserve the right to cancel any transfer of a domain name registration to another holder that is made in violation of this subparagraph.
b. Changing Registrars. You may not transfer your domain name registration to another registrar during a pending administrative proceeding brought pursuant to Paragraph 4 or for a period of fifteen (15) business days (as observed in the location of our principal place of business) after such proceeding is concluded. You may transfer administration of your domain name registration to another registrar during a pending court action or arbitration, provided that the domain name you have registered with us shall continue to be subject to the proceedings commenced against you in accordance with the terms of this Policy. In the event that you transfer a domain name registration to us during the pendency of a court action or arbitration, such dispute shall remain subject to the domain name dispute policy of the registrar from which the domain name registration was transferred.
9. Policy Modifications. We reserve the right to modify this Policy at any time with the permission of ICANN. We will post our revised Policy at <URL> at least thirty (30) calendar days before it becomes effective. Unless this Policy has already been invoked by the submission of a complaint to a Provider, in which event the version of the Policy in effect at the time it was invoked will apply to you until the dispute is over, all such changes will be binding upon you with respect to any domain name registration dispute, whether the dispute arose before, on or after the effective date of our change. In the event that you object to a change in this Policy, your sole remedy is to cancel your domain name registration with us, provided that you will not be entitled to a refund of any fees you paid to us. The revised Policy will apply to you until you cancel your domain name registration.
Comments concerning the layout, construction and functionality of this site
should be sent to webmaster@icann.org.
Page Updated 05-Feb-2002
©2000, 2002 The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. All rights reserved.
(the "Rules")
Administrative proceedings for the resolution of disputes under the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy adopted by ICANN shall be governed by these Rules and also the Supplemental Rules of the Provider administering the proceedings, as posted on its web site.
In these Rules:
Complainant means the party initiating a complaint concerning a domain-name registration.
ICANN refers to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
Mutual Jurisdiction means a court jurisdiction at the location of either (a) the principal office of the Registrar (provided the domain-name holder has submitted in its Registration Agreement to that jurisdiction for court adjudication of disputes concerning or arising from the use of the domain name) or (b) the domain-name holder's address as shown for the registration of the domain name in Registrar's Whois database at the time the complaint is submitted to the Provider.
Panel means an administrative panel appointed by a Provider to decide a complaint concerning a domain-name registration.
Panelist means an individual appointed by a Provider to be a member of a Panel.
Party means a Complainant or a Respondent.
Policy means the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy that is incorporated by reference and made a part of the Registration Agreement.
Provider means a dispute-resolution service provider approved by ICANN. A list of such Providers appears at www.icann.org/udrp/approved-providers.htm.
Registrar means the entity with which the Respondent has registered a domain name that is the subject of a complaint.
Registration Agreement means the agreement between a Registrar and a domain-name holder.
Respondent means the holder of a domain-name registration against which a complaint is initiated.
Reverse Domain Name Hijacking means using the Policy in bad faith to attempt to deprive a registered domain-name holder of a domain name.
Supplemental Rules means the rules adopted by the Provider administering a proceeding to supplement these Rules. Supplemental Rules shall not be inconsistent with the Policy or these Rules and shall cover such topics as fees, word and page limits and guidelines, the means for communicating with the Provider and the Panel, and the form of cover sheets.
(a) When forwarding a complaint to the Respondent, it shall be the Provider's responsibility to employ reasonably available means calculated to achieve actual notice to Respondent. Achieving actual notice, or employing the following measures to do so, shall discharge this responsibility:
(i) sending the complaint to all postal-mail and facsimile addresses (A) shown in the domain name's registration data in Registrar's Whois database for the registered domain-name holder, the technical contact, and the administrative contact and (B) supplied by Registrar to the Provider for the registration's billing contact; and
(ii) sending the complaint in electronic form (including annexes to the extent available in that form) by e-mail to:
(A) the e-mail addresses for those technical, administrative, and billing contacts;
(B) postmaster@<the contested domain name>; and
(C) if the domain name (or "www." followed by the domain name) resolves to an active web page (other than a generic page the Provider concludes is maintained by a registrar or ISP for parking domain-names registered by multiple domain-name holders), any e-mail address shown or e-mail links on that web page; and
(iii) sending the complaint to any address the Respondent has notified the Provider it prefers and, to the extent practicable, to all other addresses provided to the Provider by Complainant under Paragraph 3(b)(v).
(b) Except as provided in Paragraph 2(a), any written communication to Complainant or Respondent provided for under these Rules shall be made by the preferred means stated by the Complainant or Respondent, respectively (see Paragraphs 3(b)(iii) and 5(b)(iii)), or in the absence of such specification
(i) by telecopy or facsimile transmission, with a confirmation of transmission; or
(ii) by postal or courier service, postage pre-paid and return receipt requested; or
(iii) electronically via the Internet, provided a record of its transmission is available.
(c) Any communication to the Provider or the Panel shall be made by the means and in the manner (including number of copies) stated in the Provider's Supplemental Rules.
(d) Communications shall be made in the language prescribed in Paragraph 11. E-mail communications should, if practicable, be sent in plaintext.
(e) Either Party may update its contact details by notifying the Provider and the Registrar.
(f) Except as otherwise provided in these Rules, or decided by a Panel, all communications provided for under these Rules shall be deemed to have been made:
(i) if delivered by telecopy or facsimile transmission, on the date shown on the confirmation of transmission; or
(ii) if by postal or courier service, on the date marked on the receipt; or
(iii) if via the Internet, on the date that the communication was transmitted, provided that the date of transmission is verifiable.
(g) Except as otherwise provided in these Rules, all time periods calculated under these Rules to begin when a communication is made shall begin to run on the earliest date that the communication is deemed to have been made in accordance with Paragraph 2(f).
(h) Any communication by
(i) a Panel to any Party shall be copied to the Provider and to the other Party;
(ii) the Provider to any Party shall be copied to the other Party; and
(iii) a Party shall be copied to the other Party, the Panel and the Provider, as the case may be.
(i) It shall be the responsibility of the sender to retain records of the fact and circumstances of sending, which shall be available for inspection by affected parties and for reporting purposes.
(j) In the event a Party sending a communication receives notification of non-delivery of the communication, the Party shall promptly notify the Panel (or, if no Panel is yet appointed, the Provider) of the circumstances of the notification. Further proceedings concerning the communication and any response shall be as directed by the Panel (or the Provider).
3. The Complaint
(a) Any person or entity may initiate an administrative proceeding by submitting a complaint in accordance with the Policy and these Rules to any Provider approved by ICANN. (Due to capacity constraints or for other reasons, a Provider's ability to accept complaints may be suspended at times. In that event, the Provider shall refuse the submission. The person or entity may submit the complaint to another Provider.)
(b) The complaint shall be submitted in hard copy and (except to the extent not available for annexes) in electronic form and shall:
(i) Request that the complaint be submitted for decision in accordance with the Policy and these Rules;
(ii) Provide the name, postal and e-mail addresses, and the telephone and telefax numbers of the Complainant and of any representative authorized to act for the Complainant in the administrative proceeding;
(iii) Specify a preferred method for communications directed to the Complainant in the administrative proceeding (including person to be contacted, medium, and address information) for each of (A) electronic-only material and (B) material including hard copy;
(iv) Designate whether Complainant elects to have the dispute decided by a single-member or a three-member Panel and, in the event Complainant elects a three-member Panel, provide the names and contact details of three candidates to serve as one of the Panelists (these candidates may be drawn from any ICANN-approved Provider's list of panelists);
(v) Provide the name of the Respondent (domain-name holder) and all information (including any postal and e-mail addresses and telephone and telefax numbers) known to Complainant regarding how to contact Respondent or any representative of Respondent, including contact information based on pre-complaint dealings, in sufficient detail to allow the Provider to send the complaint as described in Paragraph 2(a);
(vi) Specify the domain name(s) that is/are the subject of the complaint;
(vii) Identify the Registrar(s) with whom the domain name(s) is/are registered at the time the complaint is filed;
(viii) Specify the trademark(s) or service mark(s) on which the complaint is based and, for each mark, describe the goods or services, if any, with which the mark is used (Complainant may also separately describe other goods and services with which it intends, at the time the complaint is submitted, to use the mark in the future.);
(ix) Describe, in accordance with the Policy, the grounds on which the complaint is made including, in particular,
(1) the manner in which the domain name(s) is/are identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights; and
(2) why the Respondent (domain-name holder) should be considered as having no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name(s) that is/are the subject of the complaint; and
(3) why the domain name(s) should be considered as having been registered and being used in bad faith
(The description should, for elements (2) and (3), discuss any aspects of Paragraphs 4(b) and 4(c) of the Policy that are applicable. The description shall comply with any word or page limit set forth in the Provider's Supplemental Rules.);
(x) Specify, in accordance with the Policy, the remedies sought;
(xi) Identify any other legal proceedings that have been commenced or terminated in connection with or relating to any of the domain name(s) that are the subject of the complaint;
(xii) State that a copy of the complaint, together with the cover sheet as prescribed by the Provider's Supplemental Rules, has been sent or transmitted to the Respondent (domain-name holder), in accordance with Paragraph 2(b);
(xiii) State that Complainant will submit, with respect to any challenges to a decision in the administrative proceeding canceling or transferring the domain name, to the jurisdiction of the courts in at least one specified Mutual Jurisdiction;
(xiv) Conclude with the following statement followed by the signature of the Complainant or its authorized representative:
"Complainant agrees that its claims and remedies concerning the registration of the domain name, the dispute, or the dispute's resolution shall be solely against the domain-name holder and waives all such claims and remedies against (a) the dispute-resolution provider and panelists, except in the case of deliberate wrongdoing, (b) the registrar, (c) the registry administrator, and (d) the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, as well as their directors, officers, employees, and agents."
"Complainant certifies that the information contained in this Complaint is to the best of Complainant's knowledge complete and accurate, that this Complaint is not being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass, and that the assertions in this Complaint are warranted under these Rules and under applicable law, as it now exists or as it may be extended by a good-faith and reasonable argument."; and
(xv) Annex any documentary or other evidence, including a copy of the Policy applicable to the domain name(s) in dispute and any trademark or service mark registration upon which the complaint relies, together with a schedule indexing such evidence.
(c) The complaint may relate to more than one domain name, provided that the domain names are registered by the same domain-name holder.
4. Notification of Complaint
(a) The Provider shall review the complaint for administrative compliance with the Policy and these Rules and, if in compliance, shall forward the complaint (together with the explanatory cover sheet prescribed by the Provider's Supplemental Rules) to the Respondent, in the manner prescribed by Paragraph 2(a), within three (3) calendar days following receipt of the fees to be paid by the Complainant in accordance with Paragraph 19.
(b) If the Provider finds the complaint to be administratively deficient, it shall promptly notify the Complainant and the Respondent of the nature of the deficiencies identified. The Complainant shall have five (5) calendar days within which to correct any such deficiencies, after which the administrative proceeding will be deemed withdrawn without prejudice to submission of a different complaint by Complainant.
(c) The date of commencement of the administrative proceeding shall be the date on which the Provider completes its responsibilities under Paragraph 2(a) in connection with forwarding the Complaint to the Respondent.
(d) The Provider shall immediately notify the Complainant, the Respondent, the concerned Registrar(s), and ICANN of the date of commencement of the administrative proceeding.
5. The Response
(a) Within twenty (20) days of the date of commencement of the administrative proceeding the Respondent shall submit a response to the Provider.
(b) The response shall be submitted in hard copy and (except to the extent not available for annexes) in electronic form and shall:
(i) Respond specifically to the statements and allegations contained in the complaint and include any and all bases for the Respondent (domain-name holder) to retain registration and use of the disputed domain name (This portion of the response shall comply with any word or page limit set forth in the Provider's Supplemental Rules.);
(ii) Provide the name, postal and e-mail addresses, and the telephone and telefax numbers of the Respondent (domain-name holder) and of any representative authorized to act for the Respondent in the administrative proceeding;
(iii) Specify a preferred method for communications directed to the Respondent in the administrative proceeding (including person to be contacted, medium, and address information) for each of (A) electronic-only material and (B) material including hard copy;
(iv) If Complainant has elected a single-member panel in the Complaint (see Paragraph 3(b)(iv)), state whether Respondent elects instead to have the dispute decided by a three-member panel;
(v) If either Complainant or Respondent elects a three-member Panel, provide the names and contact details of three candidates to serve as one of the Panelists (these candidates may be drawn from any ICANN-approved Provider's list of panelists);
(vi) Identify any other legal proceedings that have been commenced or terminated in connection with or relating to any of the domain name(s) that are the subject of the complaint;
(vii) State that a copy of the response has been sent or transmitted to the Complainant, in accordance with Paragraph 2(b); and
(viii) Conclude with the following statement followed by the signature of the Respondent or its authorized representative:
"Respondent certifies that the information contained in this Response is to the best of Respondent's knowledge complete and accurate, that this Response is not being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass, and that the assertions in this Response are warranted under these Rules and under applicable law, as it now exists or as it may be extended by a good-faith and reasonable argument."; and
(ix) Annex any documentary or other evidence upon which the Respondent relies, together with a schedule indexing such documents.
(c) If Complainant has elected to have the dispute decided by a single-member Panel and Respondent elects a three-member Panel, Respondent shall be required to pay one-half of the applicable fee for a three-member Panel as set forth in the Provider's Supplemental Rules. This payment shall be made together with the submission of the response to the Provider. In the event that the required payment is not made, the dispute shall be decided by a single-member Panel.
(d) At the request of the Respondent, the Provider may, in exceptional cases, extend the period of time for the filing of the response. The period may also be extended by written stipulation between the Parties, provided the stipulation is approved by the Provider.
(e) If a Respondent does not submit a response, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, the Panel shall decide the dispute based upon the complaint.
6. Appointment of the Panel and Timing of Decision
(a) Each Provider shall maintain and publish a publicly available list of panelists and their qualifications.
(b) If neither the Complainant nor the Respondent has elected a three-member Panel (Paragraphs 3(b)(iv) and 5(b)(iv)), the Provider shall appoint, within five (5) calendar days following receipt of the response by the Provider, or the lapse of the time period for the submission thereof, a single Panelist from its list of panelists. The fees for a single-member Panel shall be paid entirely by the Complainant.
(c) If either the Complainant or the Respondent elects to have the dispute decided by a three-member Panel, the Provider shall appoint three Panelists in accordance with the procedures identified in Paragraph 6(e). The fees for a three-member Panel shall be paid in their entirety by the Complainant, except where the election for a three-member Panel was made by the Respondent, in which case the applicable fees shall be shared equally between the Parties.
(d) Unless it has already elected a three-member Panel, the Complainant shall submit to the Provider, within five (5) calendar days of communication of a response in which the Respondent elects a three-member Panel, the names and contact details of three candidates to serve as one of the Panelists. These candidates may be drawn from any ICANN-approved Provider's list of panelists.
(e) In the event that either the Complainant or the Respondent elects a three-member Panel, the Provider shall endeavor to appoint one Panelist from the list of candidates provided by each of the Complainant and the Respondent. In the event the Provider is unable within five (5) calendar days to secure the appointment of a Panelist on its customary terms from either Party's list of candidates, the Provider shall make that appointment from its list of panelists. The third Panelist shall be appointed by the Provider from a list of five candidates submitted by the Provider to the Parties, the Provider's selection from among the five being made in a manner that reasonably balances the preferences of both Parties, as they may specify to the Provider within five (5) calendar days of the Provider's submission of the five-candidate list to the Parties.
(f) Once the entire Panel is appointed, the Provider shall notify the Parties of the Panelists appointed and the date by which, absent exceptional circumstances, the Panel shall forward its decision on the complaint to the Provider.
7. Impartiality and Independence
A Panelist shall be impartial and independent and shall have, before accepting appointment, disclosed to the Provider any circumstances giving rise to justifiable doubt as to the Panelist's impartiality or independence. If, at any stage during the administrative proceeding, new circumstances arise that could give rise to justifiable doubt as to the impartiality or independence of the Panelist, that Panelist shall promptly disclose such circumstances to the Provider. In such event, the Provider shall have the discretion to appoint a substitute Panelist.
8. Communication Between Parties and the Panel
No Party or anyone acting on its behalf may have any unilateral communication with the Panel. All communications between a Party and the Panel or the Provider shall be made to a case administrator appointed by the Provider in the manner prescribed in the Provider's Supplemental Rules.
9. Transmission of the File to the Panel
The Provider shall forward the file to the Panel as soon as the Panelist is appointed in the case of a Panel consisting of a single member, or as soon as the last Panelist is appointed in the case of a three-member Panel.
10. General Powers of the Panel
(a) The Panel shall conduct the administrative proceeding in such manner as it considers appropriate in accordance with the Policy and these Rules.
(b) In all cases, the Panel shall ensure that the Parties are treated with equality and that each Party is given a fair opportunity to present its case.
(c) The Panel shall ensure that the administrative proceeding takes place with due expedition. It may, at the request of a Party or on its own motion, extend, in exceptional cases, a period of time fixed by these Rules or by the Panel.
(d) The Panel shall determine the admissibility, relevance, materiality and weight of the evidence.
(e) A Panel shall decide a request by a Party to consolidate multiple domain name disputes in accordance with the Policy and these Rules.
11. Language of Proceedings
(a) Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, or specified otherwise in the Registration Agreement, the language of the administrative proceeding shall be the language of the Registration Agreement, subject to the authority of the Panel to determine otherwise, having regard to the circumstances of the administrative proceeding.
(b) The Panel may order that any documents submitted in languages other than the language of the administrative proceeding be accompanied by a translation in whole or in part into the language of the administrative proceeding.
12. Further Statements
In addition to the complaint and the response, the Panel may request, in its sole discretion, further statements or documents from either of the Parties.
13. In-Person Hearings
There shall be no in-person hearings (including hearings by teleconference, videoconference, and web conference), unless the Panel determines, in its sole discretion and as an exceptional matter, that such a hearing is necessary for deciding the complaint.
14. Default
(a) In the event that a Party, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, does not comply with any of the time periods established by these Rules or the Panel, the Panel shall proceed to a decision on the complaint.
(b) If a Party, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, does not comply with any provision of, or requirement under, these Rules or any request from the Panel, the Panel shall draw such inferences therefrom as it considers appropriate.
15. Panel Decisions
(a) A Panel shall decide a complaint on the basis of the statements and documents submitted and in accordance with the Policy, these Rules and any rules and principles of law that it deems applicable.
(b) In the absence of exceptional circumstances, the Panel shall forward its decision on the complaint to the Provider within fourteen (14) days of its appointment pursuant to Paragraph 6.
(c) In the case of a three-member Panel, the Panel's decision shall be made by a majority.
(d) The Panel's decision shall be in writing, provide the reasons on which it is based, indicate the date on which it was rendered and identify the name(s) of the Panelist(s).
(e) Panel decisions and dissenting opinions shall normally comply with the guidelines as to length set forth in the Provider's Supplemental Rules. Any dissenting opinion shall accompany the majority decision. If the Panel concludes that the dispute is not within the scope of Paragraph 4(a) of the Policy, it shall so state. If after considering the submissions the Panel finds that the complaint was brought in bad faith, for example in an attempt at Reverse Domain Name Hijacking or was brought primarily to harass the domain-name holder, the Panel shall declare in its decision that the complaint was brought in bad faith and constitutes an abuse of the administrative proceeding.
16. Communication of Decision to Parties
(a) Within three (3) calendar days after receiving the decision from the Panel, the Provider shall communicate the full text of the decision to each Party, the concerned Registrar(s), and ICANN. The concerned Registrar(s) shall immediately communicate to each Party, the Provider, and ICANN the date for the implementation of the decision in accordance with the Policy.
(b) Except if the Panel determines otherwise (see Paragraph 4(j) of the Policy), the Provider shall publish the full decision and the date of its implementation on a publicly accessible web site. In any event, the portion of any decision determining a complaint to have been brought in bad faith (see Paragraph 15(e) of these Rules) shall be published.
17. Settlement or Other Grounds for Termination
(a) If, before the Panel's decision, the Parties agree on a settlement, the Panel shall terminate the administrative proceeding.
(b) If, before the Panel's decision is made, it becomes unnecessary or impossible to continue the administrative proceeding for any reason, the Panel shall terminate the administrative proceeding, unless a Party raises justifiable grounds for objection within a period of time to be determined by the Panel.
18. Effect of Court Proceedings
(a) In the event of any legal proceedings initiated prior to or during an administrative proceeding in respect of a domain-name dispute that is the subject of the complaint, the Panel shall have the discretion to decide whether to suspend or terminate the administrative proceeding, or to proceed to a decision.
(b) In the event that a Party initiates any legal proceedings during the pendency of an administrative proceeding in respect of a domain-name dispute that is the subject of the complaint, it shall promptly notify the Panel and the Provider. See Paragraph 8 above.
19. Fees
(a) The Complainant shall pay to the Provider an initial fixed fee, in accordance with the Provider's Supplemental Rules, within the time and in the amount required. A Respondent electing under Paragraph 5(b)(iv) to have the dispute decided by a three-member Panel, rather than the single-member Panel elected by the Complainant, shall pay the Provider one-half the fixed fee for a three-member Panel. See Paragraph 5(c). In all other cases, the Complainant shall bear all of the Provider's fees, except as prescribed under Paragraph 19(d). Upon appointment of the Panel, the Provider shall refund the appropriate portion, if any, of the initial fee to the Complainant, as specified in the Provider's Supplemental Rules.
(b) No action shall be taken by the Provider on a complaint until it has received from Complainant the initial fee in accordance with Paragraph 19(a).
(c) If the Provider has not received the fee within ten (10) calendar days of receiving the complaint, the complaint shall be deemed withdrawn and the administrative proceeding terminated.
(d) In exceptional circumstances, for example in the event an in-person hearing is held, the Provider shall request the Parties for the payment of additional fees, which shall be established in agreement with the Parties and the Panel.
Except in the case of deliberate wrongdoing, neither the Provider nor a Panelist shall be liable to a Party for any act or omission in connection with any administrative proceeding under these Rules.
The version of these Rules in effect at the time of the submission of the complaint to the Provider shall apply to the administrative proceeding commenced thereby. These Rules may not be amended without the express written approval of ICANN.
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Trump supporters donate $366,000 to black college band to attend inaugural
Donald Trump supporters want to see the Talladega College marching band in the Inaugural Parade.
So much so, the band’s GoFundMe goal of $75,000 to attend the inaugural was surpassed by over 500%.
Fox & Friends reported Saturday morning that the “historically black” Great Tornado Band’s fundraising haul had reached $278,069.
Rep. John Lewis Cashes In On Trump Flap
Rep. John Lewis Saturday cited the rift with President-elect Donald Trump in a letter to raise money for the Democratic National Committee, calling on supporters to help "stand up to injustice."
The letter was included in a tweet posted by Time magazine political reporter Zeke Miller:
"Today Donald Trump attacked me on Twitter," the civil rights icon and longtime Georgia congressman began. "He said that I’m 'all talk' and 'no action.'
"I’ve been beaten, bloody, tear-gassed, fighting for what’s right for America," Lewis said. "I’ve marched at Selma with Dr. [Martin Luther] King.
"Sometimes that's what it takes to move our country in the right direction.
"We refuse to stop now," Lewis continued. "We’re not done fighting for progress.
"We’re ready for the next four years," he added. "Join me and chip in whatever you can today to help Democrats stand up to injustice."
"Mainstream Mediasaurus"
They once ruled the earth...
Sen. Joe Manchin: Rep. John Lewis’ rejection of Trump ‘uncalled for’
Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday called out Rep. John Lewis for saying President-elect Donald Trump would be an illegitimate president and refusing to attend the inauguration.
Mr. Manchin said the remarks from Mr. Lewis were “uncalled for.”
“I’ve got the utmost respect for Congressman Lewis. He’s an icon, if you will, and we all have the most respect for him. I just think that was uncalled for,” the West Virginia Democrat said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Mr. Manchin said the divisive rhetoric is playing into the hands of the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bid to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral process.
U.S. To Pay Billions To Veterans Exposed To Contaminated Water At Marine Base
The Obama administration has agreed to provide more than $2 billion worth of disability benefits to veterans who were exposed to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Up to 900,000 service members were potentially exposed to the ground water containing the volatile organic compounds: trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene, benzene and vinyl chloride. Contact and consumption of the water has been linked to adult leukemia, aplastic anemia, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as well as Parkinson’s disease.
According to a document published in the federal register, any veteran that was stationed at the Marine base for at least 30 cumulative days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987 and is suffering from one of the eight diseases linked to the water will be eligible. The estimated taxpayer cost of $2.2 billion is expected to be paid out over a five-year span.
Federal records show that Marine leaders were aware of the contaminants but were slow to act on this information. Evidence of the contamination was discovered in the early 1980’s, leading to the closure of some of the drinking water wells in 1984 and 1985. The documents show that the water was contaminated by fuel leaking from on-base tanks and chemicals from an off-base dry cleaner. The Marine Corps claims the contamination was unintentional and that it occurred when federal law didn’t place limits on toxins in drinking water.
In 2012, a bill was signed into law by President Obama to extend free V.A. medical care to affected veterans and their family members. However, veterans were not automatically provided disability aid or survivor benefits. According to the V.A., approximately 1,400 disability claims are already pending. Cash payouts are expected to begin in March of 2017 as a supplement to the health care already being provided to those affected.
Sen. Rand Paul disagrees with ‘partisan’ John Lewis on Trump
Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday that Rep. John Lewis‘ status as a civil rights hero doesn’t make him immune to criticism.
“I do appreciate him being a civil rights icon, but I would also say that that doesn’t make us immune from criticism or debate,” the Kentucky Republican said on “CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“None of us actually want to be considered to be racially insensitive and so it’s a very, very important subject, but I think we shouldn’t ignore that people are partisan,” said Mr. Paul, who as a GOP presidential candidate clashed with Mr. Trump but later endorsed him as the party’s nominee.
“John Lewis is a partisan. I have a great deal of respect for him, but he’s a partisan and I disagree with him on issues,” he said. “I should be able to honestly disagree with him and not have it all come back to I have no appreciation for a civil rights icon because of this.”
Mainstream Media Meltdown: 'Journalists' Seek 'Safe Space' To Discuss "How To Cover Trump"
After the president-elect's first press conference since the election this week, it appears the mainstream media is in need of a 'safe space'. As The Hill reports, so-called journalists from the Huffington Post, Slate, CNN, and Univision will gather days before Donald Trump’s inauguration to publicly discuss "how the news media can and should proceed to cover" the president-elect.
After this happened...
Source: Branco
Slate will host the event next Wednesday, called “Not the New Normal.” CNN’s Brian Stelter will moderate the panel at New York University. As The Hill details,
The focus of the discussion will include "how journalists and media companies at large can play a bigger role in making sure that fact prevails over fiction in the coming months and years," according to Slate.
Slate’s editor in chief Julia Turner and Slate Group chairman Jacob Weisberg — who hosts “Trumpcast,” a podcast dedicated to covering the president-elect — will participate in the panel.
Joining them will be Borja Echevarría, Univision Digital’s vice president and editor in chief; Huffington Post editor in chief Lydia Polgreen and New Yorker editor David Remnick.
Most of the panelists were staunchly critical of Trump during the campaign and since Election Day.
Tickets will cost $30, with proceeds benefiting the Committee to Protect Journalists.
‘It’s time to come together’
Reince Priebus, the incoming White House chief of staff, called on President Obama to tell Democrats to stop trying to delegitimatize the election of President-elect Donald Trump.
“President Obama could step up,” Mr. Priebus said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”
Mr. Priebus said of the latest attack on Mr. Trump’s legitimacy form civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis, Georgia Democrat: “That’s insanity and it’s wrong.”
“The administration can do a lot of good by telling folks that are on their side of the aisle, ‘Look, we many have lost the election on the Democratic side, but it’s time to come together and stop questioning legitimacy,’” he said.
Democratic leaders increasingly have questioned the legitimacy of Mr. Trump, who is set to be sworn in Friday as president, citing evidence that Russian hackers attempted to interfere in the election and unproven allegations that Mr. Trump was involved.
Mr. Priebus stressed that Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper has said that there was no evidence that Russia affected the outcome of the Nov. 8 vote.
“Here’s the problem. We need folks like John Lewis and others who I think have been champions of voting rights to recognize the fact that Donald Trump was duly elected, is going to put his hand on the Bible in five days,” he said. “I think it is incredibly disappointing and irresponsible for people like himself to questions the legitimacy of the next United States president.”
Trump vs. the Deep State
As President-elect Donald Trump fights off fierce assaults by the massed national security apparatus, Democrats, the neocon Praetorian Guard, and a host of other political foes, I am feeling a sharp sense of déjà vu.
Trump claimed that these attacks were like ‘living in Nazi Germany.’ Not so. The president-elect could have found a much better analogy: Moscow in August 1991.
I was in Moscow, Central Asia and the Caucasus covering the Soviet Union’s last days and meeting with senior KGB leaders. What a dramatic and exciting time it was. In fact, on my first night in Moscow a Russian friend and I, fired from drinking potent Georgian moonshine, managed to wake up the then director of KGB, Viktor Chebrikov, at two am by playing very loud music under his apartment. He kept stamping on the floor. My Russian-Georgian friend said, ‘just ignore the old fool.’
Two years later, another old Soviet fool, KGB chief Vladimir Kryuchkov, tried to overthrow the reformist leader Mikhail Gorbachev. A so-called ‘gang of eight’ of senior Communist Party officials, intelligence bigwigs, and military men secretly formed to overthrow party leader Gorbachev.
Reformist Gorbachev was trying to remake the Communist Party, end its brutal policies, stop the stalemated war in Afghanistan, and allow restive nationalities, like the Baltic peoples, to edge away from the USSR. Gorby also wanted to cut way back on military spending – then almost 40% of GDP – that was bankrupting the Soviet Union. He sought good, peaceful relations with the West.
We will not be Trumped': Al Sharpton calls for protests against Jeff Sessions
Rev. Al Sharpton called for an occupation of senators' offices to call on them to block Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Session from becoming President-elect Trump's attorney general, chanting "We will not be Trumped."
Sharpton, speaking at a march in Washington organized by his National Action Network on Saturday, called on his supporters to take action to stymie Trump's agenda.
Read the full story here >
257 minutes: the time teens can spend on computers each day before harming wellbeing
Parents should worry less about the amount of time their children spend using smartphones, computers and playing video games because screen time is actually beneficial, the University of Oxford has concluded.
The rise in technology in the past decade has led to fears that teenagers could be damaging their social skills and mental health by spending increasing amounts of time online or immersed in a virtual world.
Yet when researchers at Oxford University quizzed 120,000 15-year-olds about their wellbeing and compared it to screen time, they found the use of gadgets had a positive impact.
In fact, wellbeing peaked at four hours and 17 minutes of computer use a day before starting to dip again, suggesting devices have a Goldilocks Zone where the amount of screen time is ‘just right.’ For smartphones the ‘sweet spot’ was around two hours and one hour 40 minutes for video games.
Dow Chemical Wants Farmers to Keep Using a Pesticide Linked to Autism and ADHD
ON MONDAYS, MAGDA and Amilcar Galindo take their daughter Eva to self-defense class. Eva is 12 but her trusting smile and arching pigtails make her look younger. Diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, Eva doesn’t learn or behave like the typical 12-year-old. She struggles to make change, and she needs help with reading and social situations. Eva’s classmates are sometimes unkind to her, and Magda worries for her daughter’s feelings and her safety. So once a week, after they drive her from her middle school in Modesto, California, to her tutor in nearby Riverbank, the Galindos rush off to the gym where they cheer Eva on as she wrestles with a heavy bag and punches the air with her skinny arms.
The Galindos wish they could have protected their daughter from whatever originally caused her troubles, which began in infancy, when she screamed incessantly. As she got older, Eva was slow to talk and make friends. Nine years ago, when her pediatrician diagnosed her with autism, he told the Galindos that nobody really knew why children developed such problems. And in some ways, that is still true; both the causes of these neurodevelopmental conditions and their increase among American children remain mysterious.
But a study the family participated in when Eva was 3 has pointed to one possible culprit: chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide that was sprayed near their home when Magda was pregnant. At the time, the family was living in Salida, a small town in central California surrounded by fields of almonds, corn, and peaches. The Galindos could see the planted fields just down the street from their stucco house. And Magda could smell them from the patio where she spent much of her pregnancy. Sometimes the distinct essence of cow manure filled the air. At other times she sniffed the must of fertilizer. And there was a third odor, too — “the smell of the chemical,” said Galindo. “You can tell, it’s different from mulch and manure. When they sprayed, the smell was different.”
Supreme Court considers suit over 2001 detention of Muslims
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ahmer Abbasi speaks softly as he describes the strip searches, the extra shoves, the curses that he endured in a federal jail in Brooklyn following the Sept. 11 attacks.
“I don’t think I deserved it,” Abbasi said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press from his home in Karachi, Pakistan.
Abbasi’s quiet, matter-of-fact tone belies his determination, even after 15 years, to seek justice in American courts — provided the Supreme Court will let him.
The justices on Wednesday are hearing an appeal from former Attorney General John Ashcroft, former FBI Director Robert Mueller and other former U.S. officials that seeks to shut down the lawsuit that human rights lawyers have filed on behalf of Abbasi and others over their harsh treatment and prolonged detention.
“Somebody has to be accountable, somebody has to be responsible,” said Abbasi, 42, who works in real estate in Pakistan.
Getting Rid Of The Lawyers In His Cabinet May Be Trump’s Best Move Yet
As a lawyer, I can fairly describe this article as what lawyers refer to as a statement against interest. I have practiced law for 15 years since leaving my original field of engineering. Nevertheless, I believe the prospective cabinet of President-elect Donald Trump is an extraordinary and welcome break from a trend plaguing our government and society at large: the overrepresentation of lawyers in positions of power and leadership.
The Trump Administration represents leaders drawn from citizens at large, and not policy wonks who have made Washington policymaking their careers. It is a throwback to the “dollar-a-year” cabinet secretaries who left the business world and brought their experience to Washington in times of crisis. It is a perfectly timed experiment in citizen governance.
The Obama Administration has been shot through with lawyers in some of the most important government positions. All of the following are attorneys: President Obama; Vice President Biden; Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security; Janet Napolitano, former Secretary of Homeland Security; Tom Perez, Secretary of Labor; Tom Donilon, former National Security Advisor; Valerie Jarrett, one of the president’s closest advisors; John Kerry, Secretary of State; Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State; Ken Salazar, former Secretary of the Interior; Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture; Gary Locke, former Secretary of Commerce; Nancy DeParle, the health care czar; and several others. From health care to national security to foreign policy, lawyers have been at the center of policy making for the last eight years.
Pence looks like he will be Trump’s inside man in Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) — When Mike Pence landed in Congress after the 2000 election, he was a conservative agitator who often bucked President George W. Bush’s agenda. Seventeen years later, he’s the vice president-elect and Donald Trump’s inside man on Capitol Hill.
Pence, who spent a dozen years in Congress before becoming Indiana’s governor, is visiting frequently with lawmakers and promising close coordination after Trump’s inauguration Friday. In a sign of his attentiveness, Pence will have an office in the House as well as the traditional honorary office for the vice president in the Senate.
Pence’s role takes on greater importance, given Trump’s ascension to the White House without any experience in elective office.
Trump has few long-standing political alliances in Congress and a strained relationship with the Republican establishment, a hangover from the 2016 campaign. Trump’s agenda doesn’t always align with Republicans’ priorities, and his inflammatory remarks about immigrants, Muslims and women made many in the GOP cringe.
Memo to Congress When Replacing Obamacare – Health Insurance Is Not Health Care
Healthcare and health insurance are different things. They are related but different products. Conflating the two was destined to create one failed product – Obamacare.
On the evening of September 9, 2009, President Obama presented his namesake health plan to a joint session of Congress. He correctly identified the amount spent on underlying health costs (i.e. hospitals, physicians, labs and drugs) as the reason for skyrocketing insurance premiums, stating: “We spend one and a half times more per person on health care than any other country, but we aren’t any healthier for it. This is one of the reasons that insurance premiums have gone up three times faster than wages.”
However, the plan he put forth ignored this fundamental problem and merely addressed health insurance reform, the question of how those skyrocketing health costs were to be financed. The net result is our nation still spends “one and a half times more per person on health care than any other nation.."
Why aren’t healthy Americans buying Obamacare healthcare insurance? Put simply, from the consumers’ perspective, the costs and benefits to buying Obamacare healthcare insurance don’t make sense.
Furthermore, in the process of pushing a failed insurance product that consumers don’t want to buy, Obamacare has destroyed both the healthcare service and the healthcare insurance markets for the other 300 million Americans, and thereby created significant financial demands on the US economy.
Former Talbot County Man Sentenced to Over 28 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Child to Produce Child Pornography
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III sentenced Patrick Shawn Sutphin, age 44, formerly of Easton, Maryland, today to 345 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, after Sutphin pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child to produce child pornography. Judge Russell also ordered that upon his release from prison Sutphin must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Judge Russell ordered that Sutphin’s federal sentence is to be served concurrently to the sentence imposed in a related case in the Circuit Court for Talbot County.
The guilty plea and sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Talbot County Sheriff Joseph Gamble; and Talbot County State’s Attorney Scott G. Patterson.
According to his plea agreement, between August and November 2015, Sutphin engaged in sexual acts with a 13 year old girl. Sutphin purchased gifts for the girl, including jewelry and clothing. At one point Sutphin transported the girl to Pennsylvania, where he also engaged in sexual acts with the victim. Sutphin communicated with the girl using text messages, video chat and social media applications. In some of his communications Sutphin discussed the sexual conduct he had engaged in with the victim, and the conduct he wished to engage in in the future. On a number of occasions, Suphin used his cellular phone to take sexually explicit pictures of the victim.
On November 3, 2015, Sutphin’s abuse of the victim was reported to law enforcement officers and the next day a search warrant was executed at Sutphin’s residence. Law enforcement seized Sutphin’s cellular phone and a subsequent search revealed many images of the victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Dressed to thrill: Inaugural ball gowns
“They’re on the world stage, every camera that’s available will be here photographing the inauguration and that first dance in the inaugural gown,” said Ann Stock. She should know; as a former White House social secretary and a former Bloomingdale’s executive, she believes that inaugural gowns tell an important story.
“It’s the history of who we are,” Stock told Braver. “it’s our humanity and our history unfolding before us.”
And so, the “First Ladies” collection at the National Museum of American History is one of the the most popular exhibits in the whole Smithsonian.
Cooper: If a Republican Said About Clinton What John Lewis Said About Trump…
During a discussion on CNN tonight about John Lewis‘ comments about Donald Trump, Anderson Cooper couldn’t help but wonder how Democrats would have reacted if any Republican said the same about Hillary Clinton if she won.
Lewis said earlier today that he doesn’t consider Trump a “legitimate president,” citing Russian attempts to interfere in the election.
“I get he doesn’t like Donald Trump,” Cooper said, “I get he doesn’t accept the results of the election, but is this helpful in any way?… If a Republican had said this about President-elect Hillary Clinton, Democrats would be up in arms.”
More with video
Confirmation hearings offer glimpse of possible Trump impact on Maryland
President-elect Donald J. Trump's choice for housing secretary, a longtime critic of government spending, assures lawmakers that he sees a role for the safety-net housing programs on which tens of thousands of Marylanders rely.
The likely next attorney general, who would be tasked with upholding the federal end of the consent decree signed Thursday by the city of Baltimore and the Justice Department to reform policing, says he's skeptical of such agreements.
After the parade of Senate confirmation hearings last week, the contours of the incoming Trump administration — and how its policies might affect Maryland — are beginning to take shape.
In some cases, the responses of the nominees have surprised adversaries and allies alike.
Fake News: Wash Post Changes Story on Trump ‘Firing’ D.C. Nat’l Guard General
The Washington Post wrote on Friday that President-elect Donald J. Trump “fired” the commanding General of the D.C. National Guard who is heading up the military presence during the coming inaugural event — in the middle of the oath of office ceremony. Yet a second story on Saturday did not contain the claim.
The Post’s original report set off a wave of stories across the world, causing raised eyebrows over Trump’s “extremely unusual” decision to fire a general in the middle of the presidential oath of office ceremony, especially during these dangerous times.
The paper reported that Major General Errol R. Schwartz, an African-American who has commanded the D.C. National Guard since his appointment to the position by George W. Bush, was told to vacate his office the moment Trump says his “I dos” to the oath of office. The decision was presented to readers as unfathomable, if not dangerous, by a president who doesn’t know what he is doing.
In an interview, General Schwartz told the paper that his firing was strange. “The timing is extremely unusual,” the general said.
“My troops will be on the street,” Schwartz continued. “I’ll see them off, but I won’t be able to welcome them back to the armory.” The general added he would “never plan to leave a mission in the middle of a battle.”
Subsequent to the publishing of the paper’s story making Trump appear incompetent, news emerged that the incoming Trump administration offered to let General Schwartz keep his position through inauguration day, but it was the general himself who refused the offer, preferring instead to quit at 12 noon on January 20, the hour Trump takes his oath of office.
The general then ran straight to the media to “argue his case in the press,” as a recent Fox News report noted.
For the Record: Atlanta Crime Rate IS Very High
The overall crime rate in Atlanta is 131% higher than the national average.
For every 100,000 people, there are 18.13 daily crimes that occur in Atlanta.
Only 2% of the cities in the United States are safer than Atlanta.
In Atlanta you have a 1 in 16 chance of becoming a victim of any crime.
The number of total year over year crimes in Atlanta has decreased by 5%.
[Atlanta is in Georgia's 5th Congressional district, represented by John Lewis (D-GA) --Editor]
Smackdown: Jennifer Holliday backs out of Trump inauguration performance
Broadway star Jennifer Holliday has backed out as a performer at next week's presidential inaugural, saying she did not realize that her participation would be interpreted as a statement of support for President-elect Donald Trump.
Holliday, best known for her Tony-winning role in Broadway's "Dreamgirls," faced pressure from her gay, lesbian and black fans when it was announced she would sing at a Thursday concert at Washington's Lincoln Memorial.
Holliday said in a statement Saturday that she apologized for her lapse of judgment, for being uneducated on the issues and causing heartbreak for her fans.
"My only choice must now be to stand with the LGBT Community and to state unequivocally that I WILL NOT PERFORM FOR THE WELCOME CONCERT OR FOR ANY OF THE INAUGURATION FESTIVITIES!" she wrote.
The performer, who most recently starred on Broadway in "The Color Purple," said she was hurt by the angry backlash, which included calls to boycott her music. Others called her "Uncle Tom" and there was even a suggestion that she take her own life.
"It just really made my heart drop to my feet," Holliday said. "How could I have this much hate spewing at me, and I haven't even done anything? I guess it's not like those old days when political views were your own and you had freedom of speech.."
Border tunnels left unfilled on Mexican side pose security risk
Mexican drug cartels have burrowed dozens of tunnels in the last decade, outfitted them with rail and cart systems to whisk drugs under the U.S. border and, after being discovered by authorities, abandoned them.
But some of the illicit passageways live on.
At least six previously discovered border tunnels have been reactivated by Mexican trafficking groups in recent years, exposing a recurring large-scale smuggling threat, according to U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials.
The breaches of border defenses, most recently in December, occur because Mexican authorities, unlike those on the American side, do not fill the tunnels with concrete once they have been discovered. Mexican authorities say they lack the funds.
Instead, only the tunnel openings are sealed. That allows traffickers to simply dig a new entry point to access the largely intact subterranean passageways leading to the U.S. border.
The security lapse is a boon for traffickers, experts say, saving them time and money and reducing their risk of being caught as they haul away dirt.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Due To Close In May After 146 Years
ELLENTON, Fla. (WJZ/AP) — After 146 years, the curtain is coming down on “The Greatest Show on Earth.” The owner of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus told The Associated Press that the show will close forever in May.
The iconic American spectacle was felled by a variety of factors, company executives say. Declining attendance combined with high operating costs, along with changing public tastes and prolonged battles with animal rights groups all contributed to its demise.
“There isn’t any one thing,” said Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. “This has been a very difficult decision for me and for the entire family.”
The company broke the news to circus employees Saturday night after shows in Orlando and Miami.
Report Reveals Massive Indoctrination of Students at Universities
Students at hundreds of colleges and universities are being systematically indoctrinated into the “New Civics” of social justice activism, according to a report released this past week by the National Association of Scholars.
The report’s findings suggest that the suppression of free speech on college campuses that is making headlines is only the tip of a very large iceberg. What lies beneath the surface is a massive, publicly funded program of indoctrination through a remaking of the curriculum as a vehicle for advancing the political agenda of progressivism.
The full NAS report, MAKING CITIZENS: HOW AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES TEACH CIVICS, can be found here.
The “New Civics” can accurately be called indoctrination because it is far more ambitious and open than the left-liberal bias in classroom instruction encountered by students for decades. Yes, 90% of college faculty in the liberal arts and humanities are liberal and progressive, and classroom propaganda is a growing problem, but the “New Civics” has ambitions for transforming the entire institution and all academic disciplines into “change agents.”
The “New Civics” is replacing traditional “civic literacy,” and it’s campus-wide ambitions have the endorsement and support of university administrators. In public institutions like the four cases documented in the MAKING CITIZENS report, it sees no conflict in using taxpayer dollars to accomplish its progressive mission.
Six False Accusations by John Lewis, Hero-Turned-Hack
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) is a civil rights hero. He is also one of the most partisan members of the Democratic Party, and frequently accuses his political opponents, falsely, of racism.
Lewis also uses his iconic stature to deflect criticism when he is called out for these false attacks, exploiting — and, arguably, demeaning — the civil rights movement.
Here are five of the worst recent examples of what has become, for Rep. Lewis, a shamefully routine practice.
2008: Falsely accused Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Gov. Sarah Palin of racism. .
Trump: Dems 'most angry' that 'Obama Democrats' voted for me
President-elect Trump tweeted Sunday that Democrats are angriest of all that "Obama Democrats" voted for him.
"The Democrats are most angry that so many Obama Democrats voted for me," Trump wrote. "With all of the jobs I am bringing back to our Nation, that number ... will only get higher. Car companies and others, if they want to do business in our country, have to start making things here again. WIN!"
Sharpton calls for protests against Sessions
Al Sharpton called for an occupation of senators' offices to call on them to block Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Session from becoming President-elect Trump's attorney general, chanting "We will not be Trumped."
Sharpton, speaking at a march in Washington organized by his National Action Network, called on his supporters to take action to stymie Trump's agenda.
"We've come not to appeal to Donald trump, because he's made it clear what his policies are and what his nominations are," he said. "We come to say to the Democrats in the Senate and in the House, and to the moderate Republicans, to get some backbone and get some guts."
"We didn't send you down here to be weak-kneed and to get in the room and try and make friends. We sent you down here to stand up."
EPA Says it Can't Pay Economic Damages From Mine Spill
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday it will not repay claims totaling more than $1.2 billion for economic damages from a mine waste spill the agency accidentally triggered in Colorado, saying the law prohibits it.
The EPA said the claims could be refiled in federal court, or Congress could authorize payments.
But attorneys for the EPA and the Justice Department concluded the EPA is barred from paying the claims because of sovereign immunity, which prohibits most lawsuits against the government.
"The agency worked hard to find a way in which it could pay individuals for damages due to the incident, but unfortunately, our hands are tied," EPA spokeswoman Nancy Grantham said.
Records show timesheet falsifications at NSA
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — The National Security Agency’s internal watchdog has found more than 100 cases in five years in which civilian employees and contractors falsely claimed to have been at work.
Details about the cases were released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the Baltimore Sun (http://bsun.md/2iuZO9g ). An NSA spokesman says the incidents cost the agency almost $3.5 million, though about 80 percent of the money lost to the fraud has been recovered.
Investigators in the agency’s inspector general’s office substantiated allegations in 44 “civilian time and attendance cases” and 68 “contractor labor mischarging cases,” according to the records.
Top Bishop: Europe Will Soon Be Muslim Because of Our Stupidity
Everyone in Italy and the rest of Europe will “soon be Muslim” because of the country’s “stupidity”, a prominent Italian archbishop has said.
Monsignor Carlo Liberati, Archbishop Emeritus of Pompeii, said that Islam will soon become Europe’s main religion thanks to the huge number of Muslim migrants alongside the increasing secularism of native Europeans.
Speaking to Italian Catholic journal La Fede Quotidiana, the archbishop said: “In 10 years we will all be Muslims because of our stupidity. Italy and Europe live in a pagan and atheist way, they make laws that go against God and they have traditions that are proper of paganism.
“All of this moral and religious decadence favours Islam.”
“We help without delay those coming from outside and we forget many poor and old Italians who are eating from the trash,” the archbishop said. “We need policies that take care of Italians first: our young people and the unemployed.
“I am a protester. If I were not a priest, I’d be out there demonstrating in the squares. What is the point of so many migrants that instead of thanking for the food we give them, they just throw it, spend hours with their cell phones and even organise riots?”
Latinos Set to Toast Tequila to Trump
A group of patriots, who happen to be Hispanic, will gather to celebrate the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump.
It will be the kind of moment that runs counter to the narratives of the political and the media elite, but to those of us in the room, our celebration makes perfect sense.
If news of our inauguration party surprises you, recall that 29 percent of the Hispanic vote went to Trump. Remember, too, that Latinos are feeling the sharp pain of economic adversity that Trump has convincingly promised to change.
Remember also that one of the great economic beacons of hope for Hispanic Americans is small-business ownership, which is in precipitous decline in this country. Most traditional politicians have done nothing but pay lip service to small-business growth for a generation or more.
Finally, recall that Hispanic parents, like all American parents, want to be empowered to make the choice of sending their children to the best schools possible.
Soros’ Son Quietly Steps Up as Major Liberal Donor
Alexander Soros, the son of liberal billionaire George Soros who acts as the managing partner for Soros Brothers Investments, has quietly emerged as a major donor to Democratic campaigns and causes.
Alexander has remained relatively unknown in the world of political giving thanks to his father garnering a bulk of the family’s attention. However, Alexander has stepped up his political contributions even as his father continued to pour tens of millions into the coffers of Democratic campaigns and political action committees.
Alexander gave more than $4.5 million to Democratic campaign committees and political action committees in 2016, according to campaign finance records. The millions in donations from Alexander throughout the past election cycle is a sharp increase from years past.
The Senate Majority PAC, the political action committee of former Sen. Harry Reid (D., Nev.), was the biggest recipient of cash from Soros’ son. Between August and November 2016, Alexander cut four checks to Reid’s leadership PAC totaling $3.5 million.
Md. school district fires employee after sassy tweet
WASHINGTON — Frederick County Public Schools has fired an employee over her reply to a student’s Jan. 5 tweet to “close school tammarrow PLEASE.”
Katie Nash told the The Frederick News-Post, that she was terminated from her $44,000-a-year job as web experience coordinator after replying, “But then how would you learn how to spell ‘tomorrow?’ :)”.
The clever reply got quite a bit of attention on Twitter before it was deleted. It even inspired the hashtags “#KatiefromFCPS” and — after Twitter feared she was no longer running the account — “#FreeKatie.”
But while even the recipient of Nash’s reply thought the tweet was in good fun, the district apparently wasn’t comfortable with her approach and dismissed her Friday.
The Inauguration War
The Left prepares its counter-attack on American democracy.
According to Gallup, the average presidential honeymoon lasts seven months. This is a window when the losing party declares a partisan peace, allows the incoming president to pick his cabinet and launch the agenda his victory mandates. Presidential honeymoons are not only a venerable American tradition they are one of democracy’s pillars. For generations they have been ceremonial supports for the peaceful transition of power, and the peaceful resolution of partisan conflicts.
Not this election year. There will be no honeymoon. This year even before Trump arrives in the Oval Office, the opposition cry has been Resist! Block! Reject! It is not just anti-American radicals like Michael Moore, who has indeed called for “100 days of resistance” to the Trump presidency, but by the leadership of the Democratic Party which has vowed to fight Trump’s appointments, has attacked the election result as an expression of popular racism, attempted to discredit the Electoral College by falsely calling it a legacy of slavery, and even accused Trump of being a Russian agent, a pawn in the chess game of its dictator Vladimir Putin. It is a sad day for America when the world’s oldest political party, whose name proclaims it a partisan of democracy, comes out in force as a saboteur of that same system.
Nor is all this simply a fit of Democratic absent-mindedness. Instead, it is the culmination of a long developing shift in Democratic Party politics, a shift symbolized by the current favorite to become its next leader. Keith Ellison is a Muslim radical who spent his formative adult years as a vocal supporter of the anti-American, anti-Semitic racist Louis Farrakhan. Ellison reflects the power of the Bernie Sanders radicals in the Democratic Party who according to recent Gallup polls now represent its majority, even though they lost a rigged primary election which would have made him the party’s presidential nominee.
The face of this new Democratic Party was revealed during a seminal moment in the second Clinton-Trump presidential debate.
Bikers for Trump Ready to Stand up to Protesters
A motorcycle group led by a South Carolina chainsaw artist will ride into the nation’s capital on Inauguration Day in support of the 45th President of the United States.
Bikers for Trump, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts, will likely be toeing the line with protesters, who are also expected to be at the event.
“The bikers are certainly used to being outnumbered and we are prepared to form a wall of meat,” Chris Cox, the founder of the organization, told the FOX Business Network.
However, Cox said he doesn’t foresee any problems occurring during the event, especially after the group’s experience at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where police successfully maintained order between Trump’s supporters and protesters.
“We’re anticipating a celebration here. We don’t anticipate any problems. We have a strict code of conduct where we don’t condone violence. But again in the event that we’re needed, you can certainly count on the Bikers for Trump,” Cox said.
He added: “The backbone of the biker community is the veteran. So these are guys that aren’t really used to backing down. You certainly won’t see bikers out there screaming, calling for destruction of private property or the death of police officers.”
Pelosi blames Bush for trillions of debt amassed during Obama tenure
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has a theory on who should shoulder the blame for over $9 trillion in debt the nation has amassed over the last eight years: former President George W. Bush.
Social Security, Medicare, and ballooning costs for unfunded federal mandates were not singled out on Friday by Mrs. Pelosi during a press conference as the prime drivers of U.S. debt. Instead, the California Democrat said Mr. Bush was culpable for debt incurred during President Obama’s time in the White House.
“When President Obama stood on the steps on the Capitol eight years from next week, the [budget] deficit was $1.4 trillion — one year deficit,” Mrs. Pelosi said, the Washington Examiner reported. “It’s reduced by 70 percent in his administration. Much of the increase in the national debt that has occurred from this time still springs from two unpaid-for wars, cost that we owe our veterans following that, giveaways that they gave to the pharmaceutical industry, and the high-end tax cuts that have carried forward without any job production. Absent the work of President Obama, this national debt would be even higher.”
Mrs. Pelosi also blamed Republicans under Mr. Bush for abandoning a pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) law that theoretically saved the federal government one dollar for every dollar spent.
Obama’s Purge: Why Has Frank Marshall Davis Been Quietly Removed From Dreams From My Father?
[This article originally appeared on October 3, 2012]
In 1995, an aspiring politician named Barack Obama published an autobiography called Dreams from My Father. There, Obama acknowledged the people who influenced him throughout his life. Among the most prominent influences was a figure that Obama gingerly acknowledged only as “Frank.” Remarkably, however, not once in the entire book did Obama divulge Frank’s full name. Even more mysterious, in 2005, a presidential aspirant named Barack Obama released the audio version of Dreams from My Father where, this time, “Frank” was purged altogether, as Jack Cashill called attention to in column on my book last July.
How did this happen? And who is “Frank?” The answer helps explains Obama’s concealment.
As readers of The Blaze know, Frank Marshall Davis (1905-87) was a mentor to a young Barack Obama throughout the 1970s, the period of Obama’s adolescence. Davis was also a literal card-carrying member of the Communist Party—Party number 47544. My book on Davis, The Communist: Frank Marshall Davis, The Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mentor, was published this summer by Mercury Ink.
Davis edited and wrote for Party-line publications such as the Honolulu Record and the Chicago Star, which included contributors who served as actual agents to Stalin’s Soviet Union. Davis did outrageous Soviet propaganda work in his columns, at every juncture agitating and opposing U.S. attempts to slow Joseph Stalin.
Obama's Transparent Presidency
We learned precisely who he is.
President Barack Obama promised that his would be the most transparent administration in US history.
And the truth is, it was. At least in relation to his policies toward the Muslim world, Obama told us precisely what he intended to do and then he did it.
A mere week remains of Obama’s tenure in office.
But Obama remains intent on carrying on as if he will never leave power. He has pledged to continue to implement his goals for the next week and then to serve as the most outspoken ex-president in US history.
In all of Obama’s recent appearances, his message is one of vindication. I came. I succeeded. I will continue to succeed. I represent the good people, the people of tomorrow. My opponents represent the Manichean, backward past. We will fight them forever and we will prevail.
Tuesday Obama gave his final interview to the Israeli media to Ilana Dayan from Channel 2’s Uvda news magazine. Dayan usually tries to come off as an intellectual. On Tuesday’s show, she cast aside professionalism however, and succumbed to her inner teenybopper. Among her other questions, she asked Obama the secret to his preternatural ability to touch people’s souls.
The only significant exchange in their conversation came when Dayan asked Obama about the speech he gave on June 4, 2009, in Cairo. Does he still stand by all the things he said in that speech? Would he give that speech again today, given all that has since happened in the region, she asked.
Protest group vows to block inaugural ceremony, parade
WASHINGTON — The 58th Presidential Inauguration on Friday seems certain to draw plenty of protesters. One group that is expected to be among the most active inaugural week has vowed to try to block President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural ceremony and inaugural parade.
The group DisruptJ20, which references the Jan. 20 date of Inauguration Day, is spending time this weekend in training sessions wherein veteran protesters share their experience.
While the workshops are being conducted on the campus of American University, the university banned news media from reporting on the two-day sessions, which are being held in the atrium of the School of International Service.
Woodward: Trump Is Right – Intel Community Attacking Him With Garbage
Bob Woodward blasted as "garbage" an unsubstantiated dossier released by U.S. intelligence agencies that alleges deep ties between President-elect Donald Trump and Moscow.
In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," the celebrated Washington Post editor said he sided with Trump in his fight with intel agencies on the salacious document.
"I’ve lived in this world for 45 years where you get things and people make allegations," he added. "That is a garbage document."
Professors Organize National ‘Teach-In’ to Challenge ‘Trump-ism’
Some 25 colleges and universities – many of them public – have answered a call by professors at UCLA to use their regular class time to “teach, organize, and resist” what they view as the discriminatory political agenda of President-elect Donald Trump.
Slated for Wednesday, January 18, the teach-in, dubbed #J18, is taking place between the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and Trump’s inauguration. The event’s planners say:
Let it be known that on #J18 and beyond, universities, colleges, and high schools refused to bear silent witness to the politics of hate and fear; that in these times, these places of teaching and learning not only served as a sanctuary for its students and workers but also stood up to proclaim the power of knowledge on the front lines of social justice.
On January 18, the professors are calling upon their colleagues to “Teach, Organize, Resist,” and “affirm the role of critical thinking and academic knowledge in challenging Trump-ism.”
They continue:
'There's a media campaign to bring down the government'
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday evening issued a lengthy statement on his Facebook page about recent media publications on the issues on which he is being probed. These include the transcripts of conversations between him and Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon (Noni) Mozes that have been published by the media in recent days, as well as other reports about the second probe, which deals with alleged gifts Netanyahu received from wealthy tycoons.
“In recent days, there has been an orchestrated media campaign, unprecedented in its scope, to bring down the Likud government under my leadership. This propaganda campaign is designed to pressure the Attorney General and other factors in the prosecution to indict me.
“The method is simple: Every day and every night carefully filtered transcripts and intentional lies are distributed on both issues on the agenda.
“Of course, as long as the investigation is ongoing, I cannot defend myself. I cannot tell the public the real story behind these things, which makes it clear that there was no crime here.
You Can't Even Give The Daily Times Away
When you go into the Berlin WalMart you'll find the Daily Times display along with all the FREE newspapers and magazines. You see, if it's not rung up from its bar code, WalMart doesn't have to pay the Daily Times. Mind you, this is just before you walk out the door.
Image Released of Man Wanted In Connection With Murder of 53 Cowboys in Arlington, Texas
The Arlington and Dallas police dept have revealed to us an artists sketch of the suspect that is believed to be responsible for the murder of over 53 Cowboys and emotionally assaulting millions of people at home VIA the Television.
We are unsure of exactly how this is going to be handled, but a visibly shaken and crying Tony Romo was not able to be consoled on the sidelines after Sunday's game.
The man named in the murder is Aaron Rodgers. He's typically seen throwing hail marys or filming awful TV commercials. He could be hiding anywhere. Please keep an eye out.
Auto Stocks Slump After Trump Threatens German Carmakers
Shares in German carmakers BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen fell on Monday after United States President-elect Donald Trump warned he will impose a border tax of 35 percent on vehicles imported from abroad to the U.S. market.
All three carmakers have invested heavily in factories in Mexico, where production costs are lower than the United States, with an eye to exporting smaller vehicles to the U.S. market.
In an interview with German newspaper Bild on Sunday, Trump sharply criticised the German carmakers for failing to produce more cars on U.S. soil.
"Freetrade is certainly under threat. But everyone in Europe knows - especially in Germany - that as an export nation, the U.S. has more leverage. They have the bigger market and a stronger domestic economic activity. They do not depend on exports as much as Germany does. And if they decide to tighten the thumbscrews we will not have a choice but to obey. Because otherwise jobs in Germany will face difficulties. So car makers will think about more investment in the U.S. now to calm down Mr. Trump", said Robert Halver, head of capital markets analysis at Baader Bank.
It's No Wonder Why He Took So Many Family Vacations
Alec Baldwin, Michael Moore, Mark Ruffalo, More to Protest Outside Trump Hotel in NYC Before Inauguration
Not their president. Michael Moore tweeted on Saturday, January 14, that he, Alec Baldwin,Mark Ruffalo and other celebrities will be staging a protest against Donald Trumpoutside his NYC hotel the night before the inauguration.
“Mark Ruffalo, Alec Baldwin & myself will be holding a massive rally in NYC in front of Trump International Hotel this Thursday, 6 pm! Come!” the 62-year-old filmmaker tweeted. He later retweeted an NBC News story that other big names like New York Mayor Bill de Blasio,Rosie Perez and the Rev. Al Sharpton will also be joining in on the protest on Thursday, January 19.
How Martin Luther King Jr. Changed The Life Of A Street Kid In Kenya
When Kennedy Odede was a kid, he lived on the streets of a slum in Kenya.
He'd grown up in tough circumstances. His stepfather was violent. There wasn't enough food to go around. He wasn't sent to school. A friend convinced him he'd do better out on his own. He'd have his freedom, he'd be able to find his own food.
So when he was around 10, Kennedy left home. His new world was a world of violence. He was caught up in gang fights. He remembers being stabbed in the arm: "I still have the scar," he says.
Then one day, when he was 12 or so, he met Martin Luther King Jr. — on the pages of a book that an older friend at a community center gave him.
"I was looking for hope in my life," says Kennedy, who's now in his early 30s. "When I read the story of Dr. King, it was a powerful story. Dr. King gave me a reason to believe you can change your own life and change your own community. His idea is that you don't have to wait. Anyone's path can change. For me that was really powerful."
Legislator in Minnesota takes Oath on a Quran
Minnesota-Somali Muslim Legislator, Ilhan Omar was elected to be a State Representative for District 60B November 8, 2016 and she just took her oath on a giant Quran.
Omar is a refugee who came to the U.S. when she was 12 years old.
Asad Zaman who is the Executive Director for Muslim American Society of Minnesota said:
The Muslim community needs a win. The ethos of America that can embrace a Somali American, Hijab clad woman as their representative…I think that says something amazing about America.
The Majority Of Salisbury Residents Wouldn't Qualify, Guess Why...
I Don't Care Who You Are, That's Funny!
SOME OF OUR MILITARY EQUIPMENT
3 CARRIER SHIPS TOGETHER
These pictures represent a very rare occasion when three carrier
groups can be in the same hemisphere long enough to do a photo op.*
And then some. Don't miss the last few photos!
http://jwvsw.org/carriers.pdf
Do You Think It Would Be Any Good?
Would You, If You Lost A Bet?
What Nickname Have You Given Your Pet/s
Now That's A Party!
If You Know Someone Who'd Do This, Put Their First Name In Comments
Do You Agree?
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If You Know Someone Who'd Do This, Put Their First...
► Jan 29
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Singapore Gardens By The Bay Tour
General Information About Singapore Gardens By The Bay Tour
Come and discover Singapore’s new botanical wonder, the Gardens by the Bay, a breathtaking horticultural paradise and cutting-edge green space built on land reclaimed from the sea. In the short time the Gardens have been open they have established themselves as one of the island’s must-see destinations.
Bay South Garden, which was opened to the public in 2012, is the largest of the three gardens, with its 54 hectares showcasing the best of tropical horticulture and garden artistry. Make your way to the two cooled conservatories situated along the edge of the Marina Reservoir: the Flower Dome, featuring plants from the Mediterranean and other semi-arid tropical regions, including thousand year-old olive trees, baobabs and cacti; and the Cloud Forest, which replicates the conditions found in tropical mountain regions and features orchids, ferns, pitcher plants and many other species besides. It even boasts a 35-metre man-made mountain and waterfall.
Then it’s time to step outside to explore the Supertree Grove. The Supertrees are colossal tree-like structures, each with vertical gardens, ranging in height between 25 and 50 metres. Don’t miss the stunning bird’s eye view to be had from the 22-metre high Skyway linking two of the tallest Supertrees. In the evening, when darkness falls, the Supertrees come to life with a spectacular light and sound show at 7:45pm and 8:45pm nightly. Round off your visit by picking up some souvenirs at one of the three garden shops. The tour ends here and there is no drop off back to the hotel.
Meeting/pick-up point:: City hotels but for some located in narrow streets, a nearby location will be advised.
Start/opening time: 8.30am. ( Pick up at 8am).
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92% of DeKalb students pass Ga. High School Writing Test
Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer
Monday, December 10th, 2012, 12:09pm
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- Nearly 92 percent of high school juniors and seniors in DeKalb County passed the Georgia High School Writing Test in 2012.
DeKalb's 91.7 percent is very close to Georgia's 93 percent, up from 91 percent in 2011 and 88 percent in 2007, when the more rigorous test was rolled out.
Students must pass the annual writing assessment to receive a high school diploma. A perfect score is 350; a student must earn at least 200 points to pass. They may take the test multiple times during their junior and senior years.
A breakdown for each DeKalb County high school is as follows:
Arabia Mountain HS
299 students took the test
98.7 percent passed the test
Cedar Grove HS
Chamblee HS
DeKalb County Court to announce Division V Art Challenge Contest winners
Submitted by GA Lottery
Friday, November 30th, 2012, 1:17pm
DECATUR, Ga. -- The winners of the second annual Division V Art Challenge Contest will be announced by DeKalb County State Court Judge Eleanor L. Ross on Monday, December 4.
At 4:00 p.m. at the DeKalb County Courthouse Courtroom C, middle and high school students will learn how their work ranked. Around 36 pieces including pencil drawings, watercolor and photographs were submitted from around 15 schools.
Judge Ross will select winners based on creativity, through the promotion of children and the community. When the contest ran, Ross contacted Elizabeth Epps, the Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for the K-12 DeKalb County School System. Epps spread word of the contest to all schools in DeKalb County.
Tucker HS basketball court dedicated to former coach
Wednesday, November 28th, 2012, 8:33am
TUCKER, Ga. -- Tucker High School will dedicate its basketball court to legendary former coach A.Z. Johnson.
A dedication ceremony will be held at the school at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8.
Coach Johnson graduated from Tucker High in 1937 and went on to receive a bachelor's degree in social studies from Oglethorpe University in Brookhaven, where he was the leading scorer on the basketball team. He has since been inducted into the university's Sports Hall of Fame.
During his 32 years coaching in DeKalb County -- 21 years at Tucker High and 11 years at Chamblee High -- Johnson became one of the winningest high school basketball coaches in Georgia, with an overall record of 501 wins and 274 losses.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club awarded Johnson a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997, and the Georgia State Legislature passed a resolution honoring his life and career in 2000.
Special state funding adds 49 school busses in DeKalb County
Monday, November 12th, 2012, 5:48pm
DEKALB COUNTY -- The DeKalb County School District is adding 49 new busses to its fleet, without impacting the general budget.
Funds given from the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission will make it easier to transport DeKalb's 62,000 students to and from school each day, according to DCSD.
The Board of Education approved the purchase of the busses at a meeting on October 8. The Blue Bird busses carry up to 72 passengers. As of now, 20 Blue Bird busses have passed inspection and have arrived ready-to-use. The rest of the busses will be put to use over the next several weeks.
"Our mechanics and drivers work diligently to care for and maintain our fleet of more than 850 busses, but it can be challenging with the incredible volume of miles that we drive each day," DCSD Bus Fleet Director Anthony Jackson said.
According to DCSD, its busses travel 11 million miles in one year.
Look for JROTC cadets collecting for the Empty Stocking Fund Nov. 3-4
Submitted by msleff on Friday, November 2nd, 7:02 am
More than 2,000 JROTC cadets from 30 metro Atlanta high schools
to participate in historic fundraising effort
On Saturday, November 3rd and Sunday, November 4th, visitors to metro Atlanta Kroger stores are likely to be met by a smiling, uniformed JROTC cadet with an Empty Stocking Fund logo, as more than 2,000 cadets representing 30 metro Atlanta high schools’ JROTC programs will be working outside metro Kroger stores to raise awareness of and contributions for The Empty Stocking Fund, an Atlanta-based, Atlanta-serving non-profit organization that has been providing holiday gifts to Atlanta’s neediest children since 1926.
Confused over the Charter School Amendment?
Submitted by Paul Crawley, 11Alive Reporter
Wednesday, October 31st, 2012, 7:41pm
ATLANTA -- If you're confused about Amendment One on this year's general election ballot, you're not alone.
Wednesday we asked some early voters in Cobb County what they thought of the wording, which asks:
"Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?"
"It was a bit confusing," said voter Brett Atkinson.
Voter Larshaun Williams said she would not have understood it without doing a lot of homework first.
"Definitely," she told 11 Alive, "I would not have known which direction to go."
Even more confusing to some is the wording of the preamble, just before the actual amendment question:
"Provides for improving student achievement and parental involvement through more public charter school options."
There's now a lawsuit claiming that preamble wording is misleading in favor of the amendment.
2 Chick-fil-A employees win $1,000 scholarships
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012, 1:26pm
TUCKER, Ga. -- Two employees at the Northlake Festival Chick-fil-A in Tucker have been selected to receive this year's Chick-fil-A Leadership Scholarship.
The $1,000 scholarship is given annually to Chick-fil-A team members across the country who go above and beyond in their jobs and in the classroom.
Tucker's winners, Nick Pallas and Lauren Spratte, have both worked for Chick-fil-A for more than four years. Pallas is a member of the Class of 2014 at Georgia State University, where he is studying finance. Spratte is majoring in marketing at the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business and is scheduled to graduate in the spring.
"These students have had a positive influence on our business for many years and both have the potential to accomplish great things," Brad Spratte, operator of the Northlake Festival restaurant, said in a statement.
3-Day Golf Intensive for Women
Jul 19, 4:00PM
Credit Restoration Seminar
EDEN FRIDAYS
Eden Lounge 3364 Chamblee Tucker Rd
Atlanta Track Club All-Metro High School Track & Field Awards (6 photos)
DeKalb native honored with ADC's prestigious JFK Award (16 photos)
PHOTOS | Missing Georgians (10 photos)
PHOTOS | 2-year-old Myrai Robinson found safe (14 photos)
PHOTOS | Georgia's Olympic athletes and hopefuls (19 photos)
PHOTOS | 11Alive helps 'Smart Lunch, Smart Kid' (15 photos)
PHOTOS | Kroger raises $375K for MDA (5 photos)
PHOTOS | Pollen coats metro Atlanta (18 photos)
Today's WIZometer
Area Radar
City of Tucker
DeKalb Co. Fire/Rescue
DeKalb Co. Police
DeKalb Co. Restaurant Health Reports
Rowson's Crime Scene: Find crime in your neighborhood!
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‘Lifeblood of local communities’
Unite welcomes Labour’s new pledge to reverse Tory cuts to bus services
Hajera Blagg, Friday, April 26th, 2019
Unite has welcomed a new pledge made by Labour to restore swingeing cuts to bus services funding which have seen 3,000 routes axed under successive Tory-led governments.
Announcing its pledge this week, the Labour party said it would create a Bus Transformation Fund that would invest £1.3bn in services each year – more than enough to reverse the £645m a year real-terms funding cuts made by the Conservatives since 2010.
The latest Labour commitment complements a suite of initiatives the party has developed to restore and bolster bus services, including bringing local bus services back into public ownership and introducing free bus fares for young people.
Labour’s support for bus services aims also to play an important role in combatting climate change and helping the vulnerable, elderly, rural residents and others who rely on buses as a primary mode of transport.
Announcing Labour’s latest commitment to bus services on Thursday (April 25), Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn said, “Bus services have been devastated by nine years of austerity. Thousands of routes have been axed, fares have soared and passenger numbers are in freefall.
“Local services are a lifeline for many, particularly the elderly and those in rural areas,” he added. “Cuts have had disastrous consequences for our towns and city centres and for air pollution and the environment.
“Bus networks are essential for towns and cities and for tackling rural poverty and isolation, which is why Labour is committed to creating thriving bus networks under public ownership.”
Research from the Campaign for Better Transport has found in 2017/2018 alone, nearly 300 bus routes across England have been reduced or withdrawn entirely, with services in the North West facing the greatest number of slashed routes.
Unite member and Middlesbrough bus driver Tan Rashid has been driving buses for more than 15 years and has witnessed first-hand the impact of cuts to bus services.
“When I first started in 2003, many bus routes were subsidised by the council. This allowed buses to reach under-served communities since many of these routes – to villages outside Middlesbrough for example – are considered unprofitable. I remember we would go out early in the morning and late in the evening to these areas.
“But since big funding cuts, the council has stopped many of these subsidies – now some of the villages have no bus services to or from after 7pm and none at all at the weekend.”
Tan believes this is deeply unfair for local communities like his.
“Many of the people who live in communities under-served by buses are elderly, disabled or vulnerable in other ways,” he said. “They’re effectively locked out of society and left isolated.”
Research from the Campaign for Better Transport reflects Tan’s views that the elderly and disadvantaged are hit hardest by bus cuts – 64 per cent of people on Jobseekers Allowance, for example, have no other mode of transport besides buses; people over 60 are among the most frequent users of buses.
The Campaign has also found that buses are much better for the environment – cars, for example, produce 60 per cent of all road transport C02 emissions, while buses only emit 5 per cent.
Tan said that this fact alone should be reason enough to invest in bus services as Labour has pledged to do.
“The recent climate protests have highlighted the urgency that we now face under the threat of climate change – it’s something that we have to tackle now, not in some distant future. Supporting bus services is an absolutely vital part of improving air quality and lowering emissions.”
Tan hailed Labour’s latest commitment to bus services.
“Local bus services are the lifeblood of local communities. When we fund bus services, we support local economies – there’s a positive knock-on effect on the high street when towns and cities have good public transport. Funding can also go into improving buses themselves and roads which have deteriorated badly over the last few years. This would be good for both passenger comfort and for bus workers alike.”
Unite national officer for passenger transport, Bobby Morton agreed.
“Bus services provide an essential lifeline for people living in towns and rural communities,” he said.
“Labour’s commitment to invest in bus services is to be strongly welcomed. As well as providing much needed employment it will help to tackle the twin evils of poverty and isolation that takes hold in communities when bus services are cut.
“Frequent and reliable bus services boost social mobility which helps to expand the local economy and creates local employment opportunities.”
Manchester bus travel ‘renaissance’?
Bus drivers ‘exhausted’ by long hours
Mark of respect
← Heathrow strike suspended
‘Message of unity and hope’ →
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Todd Simon
rehearsing the Northwest Sinfonia for the 2005 Red Bull Music Academy ArRange concert
“Todd is one of the main players in the city of angels.” – Gilles Peterson, BBC 6
“A ridiculously good trumpet player who does freakin’ beautiful horn arrangements.” – Kelis
“The soldier of funk!” – Garth Trinidad, KCRW
Todd Simon is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and performer living and working in sunny Los Angeles, CA. Todd has found a niche providing soulful horn and string sounds for countless projects whether they are on wax, TV, or on the big screen and has had his unique sound sampled by artists such as Ghostface Killah, DJ Premier, and Lily Allen. In addition to working out of his own NuFi Studios, Todd frequents Hollywood’s finest studios.
After helping brew the funky-breakbeat institution known as Breakestra, Todd went on to tour the world with Macy Gray where he refined his deeper Soul roots. LA wasn’t enough so Todd relocated himself to NYC where he found himself immersed in the scene with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Antibalas, Ming + FS, DJ Spinna, Ticklah’s Roots Combination, Dub Is A Weapon, Sugarman 3 and El Michels Affair.
Todd returned to LA and reunited with Breakestra-mate Dan Ubick to help create Connie Price and the Keystones, a cinematic-soul inspired outfit that has gone on to back up Big Daddy Kane, Percee P, Too Short and many other Hip-Hop masters. Impressed by his arranging chops, Stone Throw Records asked Todd to arrange and conduct for Madlib’s YNQ project: Sound Directions.
Soon after, Todd became a close friend and collaborator with Will Holland aka Quantic. Quantic and Todd would send sounds to each other via email resulting in some great recordings for the Tru Thoughts label and Holland’s strictly 45 label, Magnetic Fields. Their dreams came true when they got to record together on the Spanky Wilson/Quantic Soul Orchestra in studio at the historic Electro-Vox Studios in Hollywood.
In 2004, Todd joined forces with the Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA) acting as arranger, conductor, and trumpeter for an exciting concert event called ArRange, combined old school arrangers David Matthews (James Brown, CTI, Kudu, etc), Claire and Brent Fischer (Prince, Dizzy Gillespie, MPS, etc.) and Deodato (Bjork, Kool and the Gang, Joao Donato, etc.) with new school producers OHNo, Underground Resistance and Kirk DiGiorgio. Todd prepared and led the ensemble in a performance with the Northwest Sinfonia at a live performance in Seattle’s McCaw Hall. RBMA was so impressed with Todd’s work that they asked him to take part as a studio mentor/lecturer for their 2006 Melbourne Academy with incredible peers Wajeed, Flying Lotus, Cut Chemist, Andreya Triana and the Bamboos.
Using his rolodex of LA’s top musicians, Todd pursued a dream of recording his own Jamaican inspired project The Lions. One of the gems out of The Lions sessions was a funky-Rock Steady arrangement of Lyn Collins’ “Think (About It)” featuring Fitz and the Tantrums vocalist, Noelle Scaggs. This led to yet another arranging opportunity, this time with Ubiquity Records, where Todd has arranged for artists such as: DJ Greyboy, Quantic, Clutchy Hopkins, Ohmega Watts, Orgone and Shawn Lee.
Todd’s skill for arranging/orchestration has also been relied upon by Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio, Kelis, Beady Eye, Maximum Balloon, etc.); John Hill (Cee Lo & Santigold); Om’Mas Keith (Kali Uchis); David Holmes (Oceans 13 & Primal Scream); Adrian Younge; Eighteenth Street Lounge‘s Ocote Soul Sounds; Rockstar Games (L.A. Noire and Undead Nightmare); composers Stephen Trask (Sexdrive) and Mike Andrews (Stuck On You); and TLC’s Take Home Chef (where Todd co-wrote the theme song as well).
As a live performer, Todd’s career flourished performing with longtime heroes Mulatu Astatke and Arthur Verocai as part of the Mochilla TIMELESS Series, becoming a staple in the ESPY Awards house band (backing up the likes of Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, Janelle Monae, Wyvlef Jean, Nas and Swizz Beats) in addition to countless appearances on The Ellen Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel Live! with acts such as Santigold, Lukas Graham, TV On The Radio, El-P, Antibalas, and more.
Various acts, such as Kelis, Bonobo, Lady Antebellum, Lukas Graham, The Gaslamp Killer, Solange, Unkown Mortal Orchestra, Sly 5th Ave, Quantic, RHYE, Quadron, Lauryn Hill, Ziggy Marley (for the grammy winning Fly Rasta album) count on Todd to help put together and contract the perfect group of instrumentalists for hire while on the West coast for television performances, sessions and live venues.
Todd is a staple musician with many LA institutions directing performances and as a featured guest at Grand Performances (Minnie Riperton tribute & Ethio Cali feat. Dereb Desalyn & the Celebrate Fela Gala), KCRW, The Blue Whale, Broad Stage, The Getty Center, Fowler Museum, and Hammer Museum.Recently,he’s been busy with some new projects of his own: the African-Jazz ensemble, Ethio Cali; the African-Colombian inspired banda,The Angel City All-Star Brass Band; his #JazzOn45 DJ series and his new pop-up music night HODGEPODGE that highlights DJ’s who play instruments and musicians who spin great records.
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Tom Allen FRGS
Explorer, Author & Caucasus Travel Expert
Why I Waited 4 Years To Make My Next Two Adventure Films
A Tale Of Two Rivers (Kickstarter Campaign), Adventure Filmmaking 1
“Will you continue travelling? And are you planning any more films?”
These questions always came up after screenings of Janapar. And I always answered them… vaguely.
I replied that I’d keep travelling regularly – but only while it remained relevant to my life.
And I replied that I’d definitely consider making another film – but because filmmaking is incredibly difficult, immensely time-consuming and remarkably thankless, it’ll really have to be a story I feel passionate about, just as Janapar was.
Well – you know the joke about waiting hours for a bus and then two coming along at once…?
Last year, while I was travelling in Iran and Patagonia together with fellow adventure filmmaker Leon McCarron, I stumbled upon two stories I felt needed to be told, and about which there were two new films begging to be made.
We’ve just launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund them, and I want to tell you why – out of all the films I could have chosen to make after Janapar – I chose these two.
The first is the story of Tenny’s homeland, which is, as you’ll probably know, the Islamic Republic of Iran.
I’ve been back every year since we first cycled there together in 2008. I travelled there alone in 2013 to learn Farsi. And last year I went back with Leon and a video camera to try and capture more of this beautiful, inspiring and misunderstood nation.
To do this, we followed the Karun, Iran’s longest river, from source to sea by foot, packraft and (of course) bicycle, in order to see and film as broad a slice of culture and geography as we could.
But Iran has its problems too. And despite having no political agenda, we felt some of the more needling issues throughout our journey; issues concerning the fundamental freedoms we take for granted in the West.
These intangible forces affected and directed our trip – in part, ironically, because of my growing familiarity with Iran and my ability to speak and understand the language.
And so there’s another story here, one which tells the raw, undiluted story of our experiences there and delves into the issues and complexities, as well as all that’s wonderful about travel in Iran. This’ll be the focus of the new, feature-length film of this adventure.
More than ever, I believe that we need to understand each other across cultural boundaries to make the world a better place. That, to me, involves acknowledging that the world is incredibly complex, and that we all struggle to understand these complexities.
That’s a healthier worldview than either viewing everything new through rose-tinted spectacles, or (worse) viewing everything new with fear and xenophobia – both of which are lazy, generalised approaches to something which cannot honestly be thus reduced.
The second story is from Patagonia and was found as we crossed the region on horseback.
This one was Leon’s idea – I went along as the filmmaker of the group. The original plan was to follow a historical exploration made by Charles Darwin and Captain Robert Fitz-Roy, among others. But that’s not the story we found when we got there.
Instead, we found an impending social and environmental injustice of epic proportions, happening in a part of the world where there’s nobody there to watch it happen. The majority of a 250-mile-long wilderness river valley, the Santa Cruz, is set to be destroyed by the building of two Chinese-funded megadams, despite an increasing number of question marks over the credibility of the project and the reasons for it being rushed into construction.
I’m usually a fairly rubbish environmentalist, outside of the incidentals of my naturally low-impact lifestyle. But journeys like this can’t help but forge attachments to places and people, as I discovered on the journeys that became Janapar.
And so, when I heard of the concern, the confusion, the indignation and the hopelessness of many who stand to be directly affected by the Santa Cruz dam project, I once again realised that this was a story that needed to be told, and that by virtue of simply being there, we were the best people to tell it.
Why are these two films all of a sudden the ‘right’ films for me to make?
It has to do with evolving personal motivations.
Whether we spend our lives planning, filming and writing about adventures, or putting our skills and interests to entirely different ends, most of us experience this. It’s not just about stagnation and repetition in a given craft, either – it’s about redefining our values based on what we learn as we go through life.
When we made Janapar, I was well aware that it was a personal narrative first and foremost. It was about what happened to me as I grew up on the road. It resonated with lots of people, because, well, everyone has either grown up or is in the process of doing so. The basic lessons we learn are broadly the same. I just happened to articulate a few of them to a video camera in a particularly unusual set of circumstances!
But you only grow up once (or so I’m told). Whatever happened next, I wanted to turn the lens away from myself and towards the stories I found as I travelled. And, after a filmmaking hiatus of several years (we made Janapar in 2011), I found and filmed two such stories last year in Iran and Patagonia.
Now, there are a lot of challenges associated with travelling and storytelling. Journeys tends to follow a predictable pattern – you make some miles, something happens, you learn something, you make some more miles – and that pattern can easily get repetitive and lack depth. That’s why there are relatively few really strong travel narratives out there.
Travel enough and you become aware of this. You crave a renewal of meaning. And there seems to be three main ways to make adventures more meaningful – and thus strengthen the films you can make about them.
One is the mode of transport, which can also be thought of as the way in which you connect to and interact with the place you’re in.
The second comes from language, or the way in which you connect to and interact with the people who live there – how you communicate with the people you meet.
The final way lies in your attitude. When you’re young, it’s all about novelty and wonder, rounding off the rough edges of your personality in the process. Things can diverge from there in a multitude of ways; the personal, as you seek to use travel as an escape; or the professional, if you seek to make a living from it. Either way, you begin to specialise.
Transport and language are things I’m going to be writing about separately over the next few days, as they deserve to be elaborated upon. But in terms of attitude, my own path seems to be moving towards exploring and understanding issues that matter in today’s world.
It’s intrinsically satisfying to create something that moves the world a little closer to the one you’d like to live in, as I’m hoping we’ll be able to do with Karun: Misadventures On Iran’s Longest River, and later the Patagonia film.
And I’m hoping that – by connecting to the places through our mode of transport, connecting to the people through common language, and having our eyes open for issues that matter in their lives – we’ll have captured two stories that go far beyond the ins and outs of the journeys themselves and explore unique and unreported aspects of the world we all live in.
Tomorrow I’ll be writing about how this dyed-in-the-wool cycle traveller got on with walking, paddling and horse-riding. Turns out there’s a lot of not-so-obvious similarities – and a few big differences I hadn’t appreciated until I tried them. Stay tuned…
Announcing a community-backed project to make TWO brand new adventure films (about more than just heroics) Q&AA (Questions & Attempted Answers) About The New Film Project And The Kickstarter Campaign To Fund It
Adventure Filmmaking
Is The Canon XC10 The Adventure Travel Filmmaker’s Ideal Camera?
The State of Adventure Film: The War of Art & Money at Kendal Mountain Festival 2015
A Tale Of Two Rivers (Kickstarter Campaign), Karun (2015)
Early Reactions To The Revelation That Iran Isn’t The Place People Think It Is
Outbound: Japanese forest bathing and adventures closer to home | detour blog
[…] Tom, on moving from a personal story to making films about “moving towards exploring and understanding issues that matter in today’s… […]
Hi! I’m Tom.
I’m a self-unemployed creative explorer, author and filmmaker, specialising in Armenia & the Caucasus. Here’s where I share my personal journey as a world traveller, storyteller and advocate for the outdoors. More »
I don’t have a Facebook page and I rarely Tweet. Instead, once every few months, I write an email update for my community of supporters with a behind-the-scenes look at what’s happening with my projects. It’s free to join and you can opt out any time.
Five Of Armenia’s Most Spectacular Monastery Hikes
The Geghama Mountains: Exploring Armenia’s Volcanic Backcountry
How I Added ‘Guidebook Author’ To My List Of So-Called Professions
All content © Tom Allen 2019.
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Lufthansa rated Europe’s best airline
Lufthansa has been voted the “Best Airline in Europe”. The award was given at the Paris Air Show on June 20, 2017 in Le Bourget. The market research institute Skytrax, which specialises in aviation, surveyed around 18 million passengers from over 160 countries. In the survey, passengers from across the globe spoke in favour of the German premium carrier by giving the airline high ratings in service on board and at the airport.
Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO at Deutsche Lufthansa AG said, “The service offered by our crews on board and on the ground as well as our investments during the past few years in the fitting of our cabins, lounges and digitalization, have paid off. The Skytrax Award is evidence that Lufthansa passengers appreciate our quality. The combination of premium service and excellent facilities has impressed passengers worldwide and has made us Europe’s number one.” Lufthansa also won the award of “Best Airline in Western Europe” as well as the award “Best First Class Lounge Dining”.
Best Airline in Europe Le Bourget Lufthansa Paris Air Show Skyrax 2017-06-22
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“The Lion King” Same heart, incredible new technology in animation
July 11th, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““The Lion King” Same heart, incredible new technology in animation”
Disney has released yet another remake from their wonderful world with Jon Favreau in the director’s chair. After the success of the incredible melding of real life with animation in “The Jungle Book,” many anticipated equally extraordinary visualization of the memorable film “The Lion King.” Varying little if at all from the original story, this new version of “The Lion King,” a “photo-real” production is mesmerizing throughout thanks to the artistic and technological worlds colliding in beautiful harmony.
The story begins with the familiar Mufasa (voice of James Earl Jones) attempting to impart words of wisdom upon his adorable, fluffy, and feisty cub Simba (voice of JD McCrary). Doom and gloom ensues as Scar, always jealous of his older brother’s strength and place in life, plots to take down the king and in so doing, inflict seemingly irreparable damage to young Simba. Years pass and the missing heir to the thrown has made a new life, Hakuna Matata style, but he must follow the path his father and ancestors’ have paved for him.
While those who are familiar with the original animated version of the story will always cherish it, this new and visually impressive version tells the same father-son story, keeping all of the same key songs, but using the terminology of today and giving each of the characters a new, fresh voice.
The film is visually entrancing from the beginning, but it doesn’t really find its pacing until after the first third of the film when Simba meets Pumba (Seth Rogan) and Timon (Billy Eichner). Each of these characters are familiar yet their respective voices create new and interesting personalities as they help Simba get through each day. With laugh-out-loud moments, the film is a Disney multi-colored world of happiness and fun. Disney movies are known for their ability to make both kids and adults laugh and this updated version does exactly that, perhaps even more so than the original. Although the final portion of the film is much darker and more intense, and perhaps even scary for younger ones because it does feel and look so real, there’s also a message of environmentalism and honor as Simba stands up for what’s right and best for all.
With any remake, particularly Disney classics, you roll the dice when you cast a new voice for a beloved character. We saw mixed reactions to “Aladdin” (Will Smith vs. Robin Williams), but “The Lion King” thankfully continues with James Earl Jones as Mufasa and expertly or perhaps wisely casts Rogan and Eichner for incredible comedy and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the voice of Scar who formulates incomparable intimidation in his voice so that you can almost see the scheming and evil emanating from his character’s lips.
Zazu is voiced by John Oliver who brings us his own signature style and JD McCrary brings a youthful innocence to his character of young Simba. Growing older, Danny Glover takes over this part, spinning Simba in his own way, especially while he sings.
While many may argue whether or not a remake was needed, no one can argue this film’s astoundingly magical animation technique. Favreau reportedly blended “live-action filmmaking techniques with photo-real computer generated imagery” as the environments were designed within a game engine or VR (Virtual Reality) set up. Favreau’s vision and his team have revolutionized the world of animation and because of this we are in constant awe as we see the detail of the lion’s whiskers and fur, the graceful gallop of the giraffes, the rough and symmetrical ridges of the antelopes’ antlers, the intensity of the hyena’s dark and hateful eyes, or the billowing dust randomly rising and falling as we can almost feel the particles settle on our skin. The details are mesmerizing, capturing our attention and almost drawing it away from the story itself. Where the line of reality and animation blur is up for grabs as you cannot tell what is real and what is not. This truly gives the sense of anthropomorphism of the animals and immediate empathy for their lives.
Favreau masterfully creates an amalgam of worlds, real and animated, to retell a beautiful and familiar story which will mesmerize children and adults alike. With the skill, talent, knowledge and artistry involved in creating such a visual accomplishment, it’s too bad Disney didn’t put its efforts into creating a unique and original story to go along with it. However, fans of “The Lion King” will find that same heart of the original.
Tags: Disney, Donald Glover, remake, The Lion King
Hulu’s CULTURE SHOCK director Gigi Saul Guerrero talks about the reality and horror of her new feature episode
July 3rd, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on “Hulu’s CULTURE SHOCK director Gigi Saul Guerrero talks about the reality and horror of her new feature episode”
Hulu’s “Into the Dark” horror episodic series is underway and first-time feature director Gigi Saul Guerrero’s “Culture Shock” will be available to see on July 4th. It’s a timely release as the film tackles Mexican border crossings and the American Dream as the two collide in unimaginably horrific ways.
Guerrero was recently in Chicago to discuss not only the film, but how she personally connects with it and how it resonates with anyone who has a dream to live a better life.
To read the interview as published in the Wednesday, July 3rd edition of The Daily Journal, go HERE
Tags: 4th of July, Border Crossing, Culture Shock, Hulu, Mexican
“Spider-Man: Far From Home” A teen’s dream, but just another super hero film for the rest of us
June 27th, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““Spider-Man: Far From Home” A teen’s dream, but just another super hero film for the rest of us”
The never-ending onslaught of super hero films continues with the sequel to Tom Holland’s version of Spider-Man with “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” This teen-geared film finds Peter Parker (Holland) preparing to go on a school trip to Europe as he dreams of telling MJ (Zendaya) how he truly feels about her. It’s a grand romantic plan, but of course, there is evil to be fought and that pesky leader Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) just can’t let a kid be a kid for a summer. Donning his Spider-Man suit, the young boy must fill the shoes of his beloved hero, Iron Man and save the world.
Ultimately, this is just another formulaic super hero film, but it does have its unique appeal as the film pays homage to those heroes that were lost in battle. The concept of those who disappeared only to return is referred to as the 5 year “Blip” and the consequences are wonderfully creative as you laugh out loud. The film also capitalizes wonderfully on that awkward first-love or first crush in high school as both Peter and his comedic sidekick Ned (Jacob Batalon) navigate those choppy and unpredictable waters.
There are new threats that develop in the world as the evil Elementals begin to wreak havoc in every country. Fury looks to the young Spider-Man to help lead in this fight to save the world from imminent doom, but his reticence proves that he’s not quite ready for the big league. Thankfully, Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) steps in to help and we see Peter’s longing for that father-figure in his life. The first half of the film, thanks to comedy, dialogue, and the introduction of this new character, is great fun, but the remaining half of the film plummets into predictable chase and fight scenes overloaded with visually boggling CGI. The story also blatantly attempts to make several social statements about our world today, particularly in the realm of media, but these, like the fight scenes, are very heavy handed. There’s no subtlety here. What started out as cute, very funny, charming, and even novel, developed into exactly what every other film in this genre typically is…a big fight scene with good versus evil, lulling us into a light slumber.
The cast of characters makes the most of the script and they truly shine in the first half. Holland is supremely comfortable as the awkward teen charged with tasks only a man should be able to carry. It’s this internalized struggle which he conveys with humor that makes Peter Parker a super hero for young fans to relate to as well as emulate. Of course, that love interest with the smart, independent, and striking MJ gives the story a boost of adrenaline, but it’s Batalon’s portrayal of Ned that brings us the extra charge of levity in this story. His timing and reactions are brilliant with unexpected dialogue that will have you roaring. Jackson has honed his role as Fury, to no surprise, and Gyllenhaal is well-suited for playing Mysterio. He’s passionate and creates a believable character, no matter the situation.
With these elements shining in the film, it feels that a different writer took over the reigns for the second half of the film, losing the pacing and charming comedic edge. Of course, this is based on a graphic novel and the artistry in creating alternative realities is quite impressive, but it’s not enough to maintain a high interest level or carry the storyline. Perhaps it’s the 2 hour and 9 minute running time that taxed my attention span, wanting the editing staff to cut about 30 minutes.
“Spider-Man: Far From Home,” even with its charming subplot of teen love and angst, is just another super hero movie in a world where I need Captain No More to save me from seeing another film in this genre. Teens will love it as will those who are invested in this universe, but if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.
Tags: DC, DC Universe, Sequel, Spider-Man, super hero, Tom Holland
“Olympia” An undeniably strong, humorous, and creative first feature for writer Chinn
June 23rd, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““Olympia” An undeniably strong, humorous, and creative first feature for writer Chinn”
Chicago actress and writer, McKenzie Chinn, makes her feature screenwriting debut with “Olympia,” directed by Greg Dixon and distributed by Cow Lamp Films. Chinn, also the lead in the film, creates a relatable character of Olympia, a young woman at the cross roads in life as she must decide whether or not she can stand on her own two feet.
Olympia is an educated and talented young woman who is stuck in a dead-end, entry-level job while she valiantly attempts to cope with the knowledge that her mother is dying. Diligently visiting and comforting her mom and coming to terms with this inevitable future, she must also now deal with the fact that her understandingly wonderful boyfriend is moving across the country for his job. He wants nothing more than for Olympia to come with him, but that would mean she has to step out of her comfort zone and grow up. Feeling that it’s all spinning out of control, Olympia gently dips her toe in the waters of adulthood and sometimes makes quite a splash.
From the moment we meet Olympia, we love her. She’s real, complicated, and filled with love. But it is her honest depiction of her fears that makes Olympia such a relatable character. Adding that consistent touch of humor, most of which is situational, sets up a protagonist we root for, but never really know which decisions we would make if we were walking in her shoes. To create a character that we have empathy for is quite a feat and Chinn does exactly that.
“Olympia” also hones in on creating authentic dialogue, particularly as we see Olympia interact with her sister and her best friend. Of course, as with any young adult, relationships outside of our love lives are key to working out our issues and making decisions. Olympia angrily and unabashedly discusses her resentment toward her missing father and openly confides her fears with her best friend. And her hesitancy to be completely honest with her boyfriend, Felix (Charles Andrew Gardner), allows us to more fully understand and connect with Olympia.
The realities of the economic difficulties that young grads experience is not news, but the emotional havoc it wreaks on lives is eloquently portrayed in “Olympia.” It is at this stage of life that we find so many crossroads, professionally and personally, and we watch as Olympia contemplates daring to follow her dreams while needing to maintaining a sense of individuality, but lacking the self-confidence that is necessary. Who hasn’t gone through all of this on some level?
Chinn develops her character of Olympia with incredible ease, finding a way to give her the layers and complexities that any woman can relate to. We empathize with her reticence in making a commitment in love and her art while we connect with her trepidation in actually becoming an adult and the possibility of not having her mom to lean on. Chinn’s performance is exceptional as the young woman trying to grow up.
It’s a small ensemble cast in “Olympia” all giving extraordinary, heartfelt performances. From LaNisa Renee Frederick’s undeniably difficult performance as Olympia’s dying mother to Gardner’s remarkable portrayal as Olympia’s boyfriend, the chemistry with Chinn is readily conveyed on screen.
With Chinn’s succinct, humorous, and touching screenwriting paired Dixon’s deft direction, it’s a match made in heaven as the two create a well-balanced and meaningful story. There is a unique creative aspect to this film that makes it even more memorable as the film intertwines graphic artistry, a wonderful soundtrack, and cinematography giving it a sense of whimsy and wonder, capturing the beauty of art and the Second City.
Tags: Chicago, Chinn, CIFF, Olympia, young adult
Director Miranda Bailey talks about “Being Frank”
June 20th, 2019 Posted by pamela Interviews, Review 0 thoughts on “Director Miranda Bailey talks about “Being Frank””
“Being Frank,” traveled the film festival circuit for quite some time before getting its final edits and now a release across the country. The film stars Jim Gaffigan, a favorite stand up comic whose acting career is bursting at the seems right now, as Frank, a man who attempts to balance life with two families; each unknown to the other. Of course, all “good” things must come to an end and Frank finds himself in a pickle with his son Phillip (Logan Miller). It’s a dark comedy that keeps the laughs coming thanks to the creative writing and directing as well as the casts’ impeccable ability to play off of one another yet still maintain a level of drama.
In an interview recently, Director Miranda Bailey discussed the changes made to the original concept, how she balances life, her female review site Cherry Picks, and quite shockingly, the fact that she had never heard of Jim Gaffigan before casting her film! Shocking, simply shocking.
Pamela Powell (PP): I understand you had a few changes to the overall script, making it a more personal one.
Miranda Bailey (MB): When I first received the script…it was in modern times. The one (wife) that Frank really loved was the stay-at-home mom who cooked all the time and was perfect and the other [wife] was working…We’re not going to have the one he really loves as this kind, sweet mom and the working mom is this one that no one wants around. Those elements changed drastically, the roles of the women. [The film was also] moved to 1992 which was a time in my life that was when my parents got divorced…I felt the fear that Phillip (Miller) goes through. ***SPOILER*** I was able to … say everything that I wanted to say to my dad or to myself as a child through the character. When Anna Gunn [the character of Laura] is saying .. well, he’ll always be your dad even though he’s a total dick … I wish someone would have said that to me.
PP: Initially, I thought it was an odd casting choice to have Gaffigan, but now I can’t imagine anyone else being able to pull off this role!
MB: I actually didn’t even know him when we started casting, I didn’t even know Jim Gaffigan!
PP: NO!
MB: When the script was ready to go, and you want Jason Bateman, but it can’t be Jason Bateman, 1. Because we can’t afford him; 2. He’s not available, and 3. Then it’s a Jason Bateman movie. It’s quite hard, especially in that age range to try to find someone who can be likable and lovable and still doing something so cruel but with cowardice…Initially, we were thinking Louis CK …and I’m so lucky the agents never gave it to him!
PP: Can you imagine?
MB: ****SPOILER***** Oh, my God! That would be awful! We made this movie before…any of the Weinstein stuff came out. Movies take a long time to go from concept to [finish] so it’s been pretty interesting in editing based on those things. [In] the version at the festivals, “You Can’t Choose Your Family,” Frank was forgiven by his son and I changed that in the end because the world has changed in that year.
PP: Gaffigan’s comedy has a very dark edge to it in this film. As a director, how did you draw that out of him?
MB: He definitely does have the dark comedic elements to him. That’s not necessarily part of his standup, but, you know, tragedy is funny! I think he understands that.
PP: Frank’s relationship with Laura is based on a lie. Can you talk about the lies and all the relationships?
MB: A lot of this movie focuses on lies. Everyone in this film, not just Frank, is lying to someone else or lying to themselves. Whether it’s Phillip lying about where he’s going, that he’s not drinking, he’s studying and his best friend’s lying about being gay, and Anna Gunn’s character is lying about being in a happy marriage. Not lying, but she’s refusing, she knows, she’s reading that book, she knows that something’s going on, she knows she’s not in love, she’s staying the course, she’s lying to herself that it’ll be ok. Samantha [her character of Bonnie] is being lied to but she is oblivious and doesn’t know but that’s like part of why she keeps painting the same thing, her home in her own back yard, nothing changes. Something’s going on and she’s trying to find it. She doesn’t know what it is, it’s like this weird artful metaphor, but she doesn’t realize it’s her and her husband.
PP: I hadn’t thought about that being her subconscious talking to her! Let’s chat about your own balancing act in life as director, producer, wife, and mother.
MB: I have a stay-at-home husband and my mother [and in-laws] and brother living here. When I was filming “Being Frank,” I had a really solid support system. … I don’t think I could do it without a supportive partner who was like, ‘Hey, I really want my job to be the house person,’ which is like the hardest job there is. That said, when I come home from work, he’s like, here you go! Your turn!
PP: It’s a tough balancing act!
MB: There’s a lot of pressure on us from society… when I was producing…all the traveling…all the guys and women were single and I was married and I was like the “bad mom” ha ha ha. They’d joke about it, [saying], “You’re never around. You’re always in Toronto drinking beer with us ha ha ha.” I’m not a bad mom, I’m a very good mom, but you don’t say anything. I think we feel guiltiest. Like my dad never had to go to parent teacher conferences and never got the pressure to do that. … And I hate dealing with teachers and principals and report cards, so it’s good because I just make him [my husband] do all that. (Laughs)
PP: I bet he’s good at it!
MB: He is because he’s nice. There’s got to be someone as the tough one. I’m tough in my regular life which is not home so when I come home and they say, can I have ice cream for dinner, I’m like, yep! Sure!
PP: You’ve got so many irons in the fire all the time and Cherry Picks review site for women is one of them and has been live now for 8 months. How’s that going?
MB: We now have this fantastic design that’s operating and at the end of the month we’ll have this critics [area] where critics will be able to upload their own stuff … and we have our own articles … we’re still learning and growing. It takes a long time to build. It’s like remodeling a kitchen. It takes 10 times longer than you expect. Rotten Tomatoes is great, but it’s for a specific audience and Cherry Picks is also for a specific audience.
“Being Frank” expands across the country this weekend and you can find more information about Cherry Picks at thecherrypicks.com
Film Rating: 3/4 Stars
Tags: Being Frank, Cherry Picks, Comedy, drama, festival, Miranda Bailey
“Katie Says Goodbye” finds optimism in a sea of despair
June 18th, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““Katie Says Goodbye” finds optimism in a sea of despair”
First-time feature filmmaker Wayne Roberts executes an extraordinary story about a young woman’s quest to have a better life while dealing with the continual harsh realities of her circumstances. With an all-star cast including Olivia Cooke, Jim Belushi, Mary Steenburgen, Chris Abbott, Chris Lowell, and Mireille Enos, the story delves deeply into the human psyche, relationships, and hope.
Katie (Cooke) is a waitress and part-time prostitute in a desolate desert town, living in a trailer park, and supporting her mother and little sister, but she has dreams of one day escaping this less than desirable life. Her circumstances, to most, would seem overwhelming, but Katie never loses her positive spirit and goal of leaving…until she meets and falls in love with Bruno (Abbott), a newcomer to town. Establishing a relationship in a small community filled with gossip and cruelty is more difficult than she could have imagined. The consequences and challenges she must face begin to smother her and Katie’s emotional survival is at risk.
“People need to appreciate things more…life is so amazing,” says Katie even as we see her worthless mother take complete advantage of her and men doing the same. Your heart breaks as you see this young woman not only survive, but attempt to break free of the chains that hold her here. The spark of positivity is always shining…her goal of leaving always the focal point.
Relationships are complex and the story brings us deep within all that Katie experiences. She supports her mother who is more than physically capable of doing so, but relies on Katie. We see the disappointment in her face as she puts on the facade that everything is ok. Maybelle (Steenburgen) is wise, acting more like a mother than Katie will ever have, but again, Katie protects others from experiencing her atrocities. Surprisingly, although Katie’s father is missing in action, she prays each night to him, wanting him to be proud and perhaps this imaginative father is the consistent, positive “person” in her life to give her that unstoppable resiliency. The most unlikely man in her life, Bear (Belushi) is a “regular,” and quite surprisingly, also a sweet father-figure to Katie, giving her guidance in life. This character opposition is unusual, but in its own strange way, very loving.
The relationships that are most disturbing are with other males in town, from the teacher who “visits” to the young men who are brutal and harsh beyond words. There are scenes that will leave you speechless and take your breath away while tears stream down your face.
The ensemble cast expertly creates deep and realistic characters, some of whom you truly despise. Cooke’s performance is simply sensational. She develops a complex character, understanding her reactions, her disappointments, and her actions. Even though we don’t approve of her choices. She is at once frustrating as she is engaging and Cooke creates this character with whom we truly care for.
Belushi is one of the few actors that could portray “Bear.” He creates the kindness in a male character that the story needs for balance. The goodness he exudes, even though he is using Katie for sex, melts your heart. Enos portrays the epitome of a bad mom, but she, too, has depth and reasons for her situation. Enos conveys this expertly, allowing us to dislike her, yet understand her at the same time.
Lowell shines just as brightly as someone we immediately hate. We get a sense from him that he’s bad to the bone. His look, his body language, and his tone all create a truly despicable character as “Dirk.” Together, the entire cast tells this beautifully intimate story of life and desperation, but most importantly hope.
Roberts first attempt at screenwriting and directing expertly demonstrates the skills needed to tell this heart-wrenching story. The characters he creates are extraordinarily real and his style of directing and communication, according to the cast during an interview, is unusual and allows the actors to give their best performances. While the dialogue is powerful, it is his direction with scenes requiring no speaking that are most evocative exuding desperation, heartbreak, and even love.
“Katie Says Goodbye” takes us on a remarkable emotional journey of life, filled with hope and countered by reality. It’s a powerfully evocative story with outstanding performances, beautiful dialogue, and most importantly, a lasting effect of optimism.
3 1/2 out of 4 Stars
Tags: Chris Abbott, Chris Lowell, hope, Jim Belushi, Katie Says Goodbye, Mary Steenburgen, Olivia Cooke, psyche, psychology, Sexual Assault, Wayne Roberts
“Late Night” Is a bold new comedy for today’s world
June 12th, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““Late Night” Is a bold new comedy for today’s world”
Check out Mindy Kaling’s newest creation “Late Night” starring Emma Thompson as Katherine Newbury, a woman who is about to be ousted from her comfortable seat as a late night talk show host. Why? Because there’s a new, young, hip guy, Daniel (Ike Barinholtz), waiting in the wings to push her right off and teach this old stick-in-the-mud a few lessons on what it means to be funny. Of course, that’s all before Kaling’s naively bold and talented character fo Molly enters the scene. With a dream of writing for her idol, she inadvertently lands the job only because she’s female. What happens after this all rings true of society today, the issues at hand, and somehow still makes us constantly laugh till tears stream down our cheeks.
With Kaling in the writer’s chair and handing the director’s seat to Nisha Ganatra, the duo prove to be creatively powerful as they find the perfect chemistry needed to pull of a sometimes politically incorrect yet insightful perspective on sexism, agism, and racism not only in the country, but particularly in the entertainment industry.
Kaling, perhaps from real life experience of being the only female in a male dominated environment, is in the catbird’s seat as she skillfully and innocently portrays Molly. Her earnest outlook on her new job and why it was offered to her is the spice that this all-male team of late night writers needs to stir things up. Kaling’s performance is extraordinary as she allows us to watch her youthful character change and grow, seeing the world in a different light. Kaling is a comedic genius not only with writing, but with acting. Her depth of character, as with great comedy, peels away the layers to make her vulnerable and while we are laughing, we are also relating. It’s an extraordinary feat, yet Kaling makes it look easy.
While there are plenty of side stories taking place, this is Molly and Katherine’s story and how the two women learn and grow from one another. Katherine faces the reality of who she once was and who she now sees in the mirror, but Molly, who helps Katherine redefine herself, also has some growing to do. Together, they are magic on screen and the polar opposite personalities and looks just add to the fun chemistry and occasional explosions.
Thompson absolutely shines in this role, pushing her skills to showcase her comedic timing and her dramatic skills to create a well-rounded and realistic woman who has been at the top of her game and now faces almost-certain retirement. Thompson appears more than comfortable as the late night talk show host, carrying a burden of guilt from the opportunities that fame sometimes affords, which plunges her character into confronting other relationships in her life. Thompson is strong and powerful, yet there’s a sense of fragility within her character that allows us to connect with her.
John Lithgow is Walter, Katherine’s husband, and the one person who truly knows her and has the chutzpah to express his honest opinion. These are the moments that break your heart and inspire you as you see who this woman is and what she has experienced. The team of writers on the set of this late night show, from Max Casella to Denis O’Hare, give the film another element of authenticity. It is this honesty, sometimes a bit harsh, that elevates this film from just another comedy to one that is meaningful and even has an important message.
Ganatra directs this talented cast to give exceptional performances and deliver comedy with precision timing. It’s a difficult balancing act when you combine drama with comedy and Ganatra never loses sight of the comedic undertones, even when we are shedding a few tears.
We’re seeing more and more stories where women are the focal point which allows for new perspectives and ideas to be shared. “Late Night” is a film for everyone to see the world through a different and very entertaining lens.
To read the review in the Friday, June 14, 2019 edition of THE DAILY JOURNAL go to THE DAILY JOURNAL
Tags: Emma Thompson, female directors, female writers, Ganatra, Late Night, Mindy Kaling, Movies
“Men in Black: International” A disappointing attempt to revive a franchise
June 12th, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““Men in Black: International” A disappointing attempt to revive a franchise”
“Men in Black: International” aka MIB 4, attempts to re-create a fantastically fun and comedic franchise with new leads, but proves instead that sequels should just be a concept and nothing more. Starring Chris Hemsworth as Agent H and Tessa Thomspon as Agent M, the familiar storyline of an alternate world filled with aliens threatens the world as we know it and ultimately, the universe must be saved by the heroes.
The film starts out strong with an interesting concept as young Molly (Mandeiya Flory) encounters an alien. From this, her entire education and adult life (Thompson) is altered, driving her to join the Men In Black. Using her intelligence and wits, she finds a way to this world and partners with the renowned and rather cocky Agent H to earn her badge.
From this point, the film sputters to a near halt as the predictable “story” unfolds. Filled with plenty of special effects and chase scenes, this 4th installment of the franchise seems to have forgotten what made the first film so memorable: chemistry and dialogue. Thankfully, we are introduced to Pawny (Kumail Nanjiani), a CGI character who somehow is able to overshadow the handsome and charming Hemsworth character.
While it’s refreshing to see a female in the lead of a film with the word men in the title and a few comments regarding that, as well as Thompson doing an adequate job in the role, the interest level lacked for her character. Her personality was one-dimensional, much like Agent H’s, and together there was a feeling of forced chemistry that not even their acting skills could mimic. We craved information about who she is as a person and this lack of detail made her dull and benign.
Hemsworth is completely underutilized as an actor who has a range of skills untapped since Ron Howard’s direction of him in “Rush” (2013) or even Drew Goddard’s “Bad Times at the El Royale” (2018). Of course, he’s known as Thor and this film makes a humorous nod to it, but when an animated character can outshine this rock star of an actor, something’s missing. His valiant attempt at comedy is noted, but nothing more than that and we know he’s capable given his performances in all of his “Avengers” films.
Nanjiani brings the necessary and much needed comedic tone, but unfortunately, he’s not a major player in the film so we have to cherish his screen time when it’s there. Nanjiani is a master of vocal timing as Pawny with his parenthetical remarks. He makes you sit up and listen so as not to miss his hilarious comments.
If you’ve watched the trailer, you know that Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson are also in it, however, not even their regaled skills can elevate the level of entertainment of “Men in Black: International.”
Overall, the film is missing heart and consistent humor, and becomes a failed attempt to keep the franchise going. To its credit, the film has a female lead and allows Nanjiani to shine as the comedic wonder that he is, but this is just not enough to make this film worth seeing.
“Men in Black: International” is a disappointment particularly if you are a fan of that 1997 version starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The magic, humor, and chemistry of this pair cannot be replicated by Hemsworth and Thompson creating a lackluster fourth sequel. Please note that this film is rated PG-13 and not intended for kids under this age.
To read the review in the Friday, June 14, 2019 edition of The Daily Journal, go to THE DAILY JOURNAL
Tags: alien, franchise, Hemsworth, Men in Black, Neeson, Smith, Thomspon
“Aladdin” Disney updates story, message in live-action remake
May 22nd, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““Aladdin” Disney updates story, message in live-action remake”
Disney continues with its live-action remakes of their classic animated tales as it releases “Aladdin,” starring Will Smith as the Genie, Mena Massoud in the lead role of the beloved street thief Aladdin, and Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine. The question before us is, can Will Smith create the role of the Genie and make it his own or will we forever long for the Robin Williams’ version from 1992?
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
In expected Disney style, the film begins with vibrantly magical sweeping shots, creating the feeling of flying over the deep blue sea as we swoop down to meet a mariner and his children as he tells them a tall tale about a genie, a lamp, and a young man named Aladdin. We are then transported to a mystical time and place where we meet Aladdin and his monkey Abu, stealing and averting authorities and meeting a beautiful young woman. The story doesn’t appear to stray too far from the original, although with a running time of 30 additional minutes, there may be some additional—and unnecessary— scenes.
The pacing is what suffers slightly in this longer-running rendition, particularly in the middle of the film, which may elicit younger viewers to get a little wiggly in their seats. However, the energy picks back up in the final third of the film which is filled with impressively choreographed dance scenes and a few familiar songs. While the film is called “Aladdin,” it’s more of the Genie’s story and Smith uses his charm, looks, and style to bring a half CGI, half human character to life. The writers even bring us a love-interest side story for this chained yet powerful creature which is an unexpected and welcomed surprise. Smith makes this role his own and he shines in it, but if you’re a fan of the frenetically paced, uproariously funny Robin Williams version, he just doesn’t compare.
Massoud is extraordinary in his portrayal of a young man who knows his place in society, yet hopes that love can conquer all…with a little help from a genie. His lyrical voice captures your attention and your heart as he sings and dances his way in and out of trouble. Scott also shines in her role as the Princess with her expressively rich voice, and the writers take the time to allow her to have determination and intelligence which she easily conveys. Of course, she’s gorgeous, she is a Disney princess after all, but thankfully, there’s so much more to her than that.
Visually, this film is continually stunning with its jaw-droopingly gorgeous set designs and costuming. From elaborate castles to the forsaken desert, the Disney designers don’t miss a detail. The Far East allows for the use of bright and striking colors and the costumes reflect this perfectly. CGI is a character as well as it brings the Magic Carpet and Aladdin’s sidekick Abu to life and gives Smith’s on-screen presence an other-worldly feel. As Aladdin is frequently running away from situations and authorities, the extraordinary camera work takes you along on that chase, zipping in and out of tight spaces, over and under impossible roadblocks, to create dizzyingly exciting scenes. However, what appears to be missing, to a certain extent, is the humor. It’s funny, but it doesn’t have the comedic element that Williams was able to bring to the entire film. His style, talent, and memory cannot be superseded.
As we’ve come to expect from Disney, there are some life lessons in the film. The obvious ones regarding the evils of greed and power are there as well as the importance of word choice. Words do matter. The topic of gender equality also arises as the Princess tackles centuries of a patriarchal society, where women cannot be in a position of authority, let alone a sultan and she must marry to be successful in life. It’s another refreshing element to an updated Disney story.
“Aladdin” will reignite and to some extent reinvent the beloved Princess Jasmine story in live-action form. It’s a fun film with extraordinary special effects and designs as well as an updated vibe, but my heart holds Robin Williams in the role of the Genie and the classic animated version.
Tags: Aladdin, Disney, Massoud, Naomi Scott, remake, Will Smith
“John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum” is nothing more than a gluttonous onslaught of gratuitous violence
May 15th, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum” is nothing more than a gluttonous onslaught of gratuitous violence”
In the decade-long career of reviewing films, I cannot recall a more disturbingly grotesque display of violence in a film as I witnessed in “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” directed by Chad Stahelski and starring Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane, and Laurence Fishburne. Wick (Reeves) returns as the member of the elite assassins group who broke the rules in “John Wick: Chapter 2” and killed a target on sacred ground…all in retaliation for killing his puppy dog. The consequences? He then becomes the mark with a high price on his head—direct orders from the “High Table.” He must fight to survive and make allies in order to have a hope of living life again. And that, my friends, is all you need to know if you missed out on the film’s two predecessors or if you’re being dragged and tortured to see this film as a severe punishment for some unforgivable sin.
The beginning of the film is dark and turns incredibly violent in the blink of an eye. There’s a gory pun there, but I’ll let you find that out if you still go see this movie after reading my review. In fact, it was so brutally shocking that audible explicatives were uttered involuntarily throughout the film, much to the surprise of my colleagues sitting next to me. The killings begin “by the book” and within moments, our visual onslaught becomes the high-speed chase scenes and long action shots filled with outstanding choreography setting the tone for the entire movie. Wick appears to be some sort of super hero, without being one, as he is able to bounce back after being stabbed in the shoulder, hit by a car, twice, crash through windows, plummet from stories above, and still fight like a ninja warrior.
There really isn’t much of a story in this film, although when The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) shows up to mete out the consequences for her subordinates’ actions, there’s a promise that it just might get interesting. Unfortunately, that’s not what happens. The entire film is comprised of chase scenes, savage bloodshed that becomes mundane, and shots to the head killing faceless and nameless souls, ultimately creating a movie that is more like watching someone play a violent video game.
“John Wick: Chapter 3” is one of the most insipid movies of the decade. Some may argue that there’s humor in this film, and I would agree. Zero (Mark Dacascos) who is Wick’s biggest enemy and his biggest fan, provides a bit of unexpected levity, but it’s not enough to forgive this film its greatest transgression—no story. Much to my surprise, the audience seemed to find many of the most repulsive savagery laugh out loud funny.
Were the special effects impressive? Yes. So impressive that the hatchet to the head will forever be ingrained in my memory. And there are the multiple brain bursts against stone walls as the bullet explodes “the enemies” faces which in turn elicited high anxiety as I drove aggressively home from Chicago that night. There are also incredible motorcycle and horseback chase scenes that still boggle my mind as to how they were performed. And finally, the hand-to-hand combat choreography was as well-orchestrated as any Boshoi Ballet performance.
However, none of this impressive implementation of stunts or effects can make up for the lack of a story. And given this lack of any substance, is it possible to find characters that you care about? No. In fact, no actual acting is necessary in this film especially given the fact that there’s barely any dialogue. And any utterance from Wick is as flatlined as the myriad number of dead bodies piled up. I ask you this. How many times can you watch one person and sometimes a team of two fire a bullet to the groin, then body, then the head? This, too, becomes a trance-like dance: shoot the groin, shoot the body, shoot the head, fall, repeat.
The film created as many situations as possible to skirmish, as if going through a check-list, covering all bases including a gun fight under water. There’s even a portion of the film that adds attack German Shepherds for a change of pace. Again, the cinematography is extraordinary, working under extremely difficult conditions and set-ups with long shots of well-orchestrated combat scenes, but can you really watch over 2 hours of this alone?
I harken back to the wise words of Robert Redford—Is it a good story told well? And the answer to this question is a resounding, “No!”
“John Wick: Chapter 3” is going to the top of my list for worst film of the decade. Skip this absolute piece garbage.
1 Stars for the cinematographers and choreographers
Tags: Assassin, John Wick, Keanu Reaves, Laurence Fishburne, Violence
“Buffaloed” A top film at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival
May 8th, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““Buffaloed” A top film at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival”
Screenwriter Brian Sacca hands over the directing reigns to the talented Tanya Wexler as she tackles the real-life subject of the unscrupulous scavengers known as debt collectors in a fictional tale starring Zoey Deutch. The story takes place in the booming metropolis of Buffalo, NY, known for and priding itself on Buffalo Wild Wings (Anchor Bar or Duffs?) and the Buffalo Bills. With a sprinkling of The Big Short style to this story we learn everything about the entity of unregulated debt collecting while laughing out loud.
Bouncing back and forth in time and using narration to get us up to speed, Peg (Deutch) explains how she came to a point of wielding a gun and screaming at the top of her lungs. She’s whip-smart, but when she pits herself against the head honcho in the “industry,” she finds that debts aren’t always financial ones. It’s a high-paced, quick-witted film that capitalizes on the charisma of its lead actress and a story that is as engaging as it is informative and entertaining. With a supporting cast the likes of Judy Greer who plays Peg’s mom, Jai Courtney as a mob boss and a cast of personable misfits as her crew, it’s a winning equation.
For more great films made by women at this year’s festival, go to FF2 Media
“Long Shot” Makes a political-rom-com a winner
May 3rd, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““Long Shot” Makes a political-rom-com a winner”
Can there possible be such a thing as a political rom-com that appeals to everyone no matter what side of the fence they reside? The combination sounds impossible, but “Long Shot,” starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogan, does it with impeccable skill. Charlotte (Theron) is a high power political figure as the Secretary of State who, by chance, bumps into a rebellious journalist who she used to babysit for. The unlikely pair team up in a run for the upcoming presidential election, creating hilarious and unexpectedly charming situations.
Charlotte has always been a go-getter. With her single-minded drive and determination, she works under President Chambers (Bob Odenkirk) who used to play a president on television. Charlotte’s frustration is evident, but she plays by the books, her intelligence always keeping her one step ahead. Fred Flarsky (Rogan) is unkempt, volatile, but passionate about exposing the truth and never compromising his integrity, but as his “independent” newspaper is bought by a big-money tycoon, he quits…on principle, but those principles don’t pay the bills. Seeking solace in his best friend whose beyond successful, Lance, (O’Shea Jackson), the two hit the high profile party scene, and Fred makes a memorable if not awkward impression on Charlotte.
Fred becomes Charlotte’s speech writer and the two get reacquainted, both helping one another to become a better person, but as the two could not be more opposite, Charlotte becomes an easy target for manipulation, pushing the boundaries of her unyielding moral compass. Incorporating all the snares of public life that we are constantly exposed to such as social media platforms, videos, and good old fashioned blackmailing, the story becomes a lesson in what’s important. It’s an unlikely pairing and a fast-paced, crazy story that is completely consuming (and even a little believable) as they expound upon the realities of the world which is always watching.
Rogan, unkempt and dressed from a by-gone era, is certainly type cast in this role, but that’s a good thing as he hones his comedic skills and elevates his game with the “Hollywood royalty” as Jackson recently described Theron in a recent interview. As polar opposite as he seems to Theron, the two have chemistry and create a magic that captures your heart as you root for the two to succeed…however that may be defined.
Theron always plays a tough, smart woman who is not to be underestimated and now we can add comic wonder to her list of skills. Her timing is impeccable as she plays off of Rogan and her subtle gestures and expressions land a lot of laughs effortlessly. We also see her push the boundaries we have set for her as she reaches outside of the box to create an unpredictable character.
The entire cast is stellar, supporting the lead actors with deft skill. June Diane Raphael plays Maggie, the uptight, judgmental political assistant and advisor to Charlotte who never overplays her part, but slips right into the role easily. Jackson knocks his performance out to the park to create one of the most memorable supporting roles this year. Co-writers Dan Sterling and Liz Hannah give him an opportunity to shine and deliver a shocking twist that makes you not only laugh out loud, but also actually think about your own preconceived notions.
While this film, on the surface, is merely a comedy, there’s so much more to it. The characters are all well-developed with our main characters are richly layered in a way that we connect with them. Given the political environment that consumes us today, the film reels us back and helps to ground our thoughts making it a more insightful film than expected.
“Long shot” is a surprise on every level. It’s a rom-com with subtle political overtones that harmoniously coordinate to give us a film that just might rival “When Harry Met Sally” for a new decade of viewers.
Tags: Long Shot, politics, Rogan, Theron
“Avengers: Endgame” Is a dynamic, dramatic, and hilarious film worth all 181 minutes
April 24th, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““Avengers: Endgame” Is a dynamic, dramatic, and hilarious film worth all 181 minutes”
“Avengers: Endgame” is one of the most highly anticipated films of the year as the answers to all the fans’ questions come into clear focus and the super hero worlds not only overlap, but collide in surprising ways. It’s an all-star arena filled with “marvel”ous characters in a fight for life, humanity, and the future of the world and the universe. (Don’t worry–no spoilers ahead!)
The evil Thanos (Josh Brolin) possesses all the Infinity Stones making him the most powerful being in the universe. And with that power, he has cursed the world, culling the population by 50%. “Endgame” picks up exactly where “Infinity War” left off and it’s an affective beginning as we see Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) with his loving family enjoying their time together only to be turned to dust. The impact of this emotionally loaded initial scene is unexpectedly shocking and not only are we hooked, we care about and relate to this family and Hawkeye’s devastation. And then the opening credits begin to roll.
Fast forward to 5 years later and the catastrophic results of Thanos’ work is more than evident— cities are in a state of shambles, but the oceans and natural environment are beginning to balance once again. The remaining super hero allies band together in what seems to be a losing battle to right this sinking ship and not a spark of hope is detected among them…until an Avenger thought to be dead, resurfaces. And this is where the fun begins!
From the depths of an emotionally heavy load, we are immediately bouyed into hilarious one-liners, side notes, and quick-paced dialogue and antics to remind us why we love comic books. Without giving one surprise away (I fear losing friends if I do), “Endgame” ranks up in the comedy hierarchy with the hilarity of stand alone super hero films like “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Ironman.” With references to some of our favorite films of the last 40 years and costuming that transforms these heroes into unexpected yet disturbingly funny renditions of themselves, for most of the 3 hour 1 minute (yes, you read that correctly) running time, it’s a captivatingly intriguing and funny film while it still creates an entertainingly entangled story to wrap your head around.
The story truly needed most of that 3 hour time period in order to create the thorough and emotionally dynamic storyline, although the last 30 minutes could have been edited quite a bit as the CGI begins to feel a bit mundane. (But that’s my issue with every super hero film.) I must admit that it’s a complicated story that intellectually makes sense as it delves into the waters of our environment and the cost of humanity and our memories. It is these memories that make us human and compassionate; an element that adheres us to one another. The writers cover all their bases, leaving no possible stone unturned, pulling you into their vortex of logic and reason while they connect you to the characters. Every past story is covered in well-balanced detail and of course, we have the directors and actors to thank for bringing such textured performances to those words on the page.
Watching this all-star cast in their respective roles feels like a family reunion, everyone knowing each other like family, the good and the bad. They love one another and have their squabbles, only to have each others’ backs when they need to. They are family. There’s a comfort in seeing this relaxed and familiar camaraderie even during times of dire situations and it is this interaction among and between the characters that not only propels the story, but engages us. We have become an invested part of this family.
“Endgame” showcases female empowerment, too, as we watch them rise to any challenge, physically, emotionally, and intellectually, and these women shine. To single out any particular female super hero would be to spoil the film, so I won’t. Suffice it to say, the it’s a male-female gender balanced film.
This is also a visually powerful film. The action is impressive as are the special effects and while this is what makes fans of this genre happy, it’s the levity that Ironman, Thor, Rocket, Ant Man and Quill bring to the table. When Robert Downey, Jr. Paul Rudd, and Chris Hemsworth interact, you have a comedy team that could make the Queen of England belly laugh. All three of these actors have the comedic timing and pacing to get the most from their lines and scenes, but when the dramatic elements are needed, they are at the ready, adding just the right touch and never doing so in a heavy-handed way.
“Avengers: Endgame” was a wonderful surprise, filling almost each and every minute with excitement, drama, humor and visually interesting and entertaining intrigue. While the 3 hour running time was a bit long, needing a 10-minute edit, that’s not a huge detractor from the film. It’s a strong story, great acting and directing, and a wonderfully well-balanced film on every level. If you’ve seen all of the Marvel movies, and this truly is a must to get full enjoyment from “Endgame,” the film is perfect escapism and an all ‘round good time. (No need to stay after the credits roll.)
Tags: Antman, Avengers, Brolin, Comedy, Endgame, Environment, Hemsworth, Ironman, Marvel, Rudd, super hero, THanos, Thor, Universe
Chicago filmmaker Clare Cooney’s “Runner” available on VOD
April 20th, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on “Chicago filmmaker Clare Cooney’s “Runner” available on VOD”
What would you do, truly, if you witnessed an accidental, yet brutal murder? First-time filmmaker Clare Cooney plunges herself into that question in this captivating short film “Runner.”
Cooney stars in this thriller as Becca, a young woman going on a routine run in her neighborhood on a wintry day in Chicago. Stopping in the alley behind her apartment, ear pods in, music muting the situation before her, we see what she sees…a man and woman arguing. Suddenly, the woman is struck and she collapses. With eye contact made, Becca responds to fight or flight and she runs.
How she responds next is chillingly real. Finding safety in her apartment and with her boyfriend, her emotions pour, but her decision whether or not to report this man is what’s in question. Learning of the demise of the woman in the alley punctuates the emotional impact and trauma Becca experiences in her every day life, but where is this man? Does he live in her neighborhood? Will she ever bump into him? There’s a feeling of terror bubbling beneath the surface as Becca attempts to go back to her regular daily activities. It’s a visceral experience as we watch Becca in every scene, connecting with her, eliciting our heart to race in suspense, fearing for her safety. Internalizing her emotions, we question what we would do, but the film becomes even more profound as it delves subtly into gender issues of power and intimidation.
“Runner” is an extraordinary portrayal of one woman’s strength and integrity as she is thrust into life and death situations and moral ambiguity for self preservation. Cooney’s depth of character allows us to sense the complexity of the situation and the heightened emotional response, always with authenticity. With this, we are able to walk, or should I say, run, in her shoes, feeling as she does and thinking her every thought.
Cooney, wearing the hats of writer, director, editor, producer, and actress, demonstrates proficiency expected from a seasoned filmmaker, not a first-timer. Not for one minute is any aspect of this film compromised in her overwhelming attempt to wear all of these hats. The script is succinct, the camera work is exceptional, augmenting the storyline, and the overall production value on par with any “big” film. And with a $900 budget, an acting ensemble cast that supports her vision, an experienced co-producer, Shane Simmons, and one of the most promising Chicago cinematographers, Jason Chiu (“Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party” and “Mercury in Retrograde”), Cooney has set the tone for success.
This multiple award-winning short film is available online on Omeleto Channel beginning Tuesday, April 23rd.
OMELETO CHANNEL-YOUTUBE
Tags: Chicago, Chiu, Cooney, Runner, Simmons
“Breakthrough” Uplifting, but heavy-handed
April 20th, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““Breakthrough” Uplifting, but heavy-handed”
What could be better at this time of year, just before Easter Sunday, than the Christian-themed film “Breakthrough?” This uplifting, faith-affirming film stars Topher Grace (“Blackkklansman”), Chrissy Metz (“This Is Us”) and Marcel Ruiz and is based on a true story from St. Charles, Mo., in 2015.
The story is an amazing and inexplicable one, but unfortunately, the writer felt the need to hit you over the head with its messages of “have faith” and “the power of love.”
It’s a heavy-handed portrayal of these real life events as you always feel that you are watching a movie or even a play where the director is telling her actors, “Everyone look happy to be in school and you love each other!”
To read the review in its entirety, go to:
Tags: Breakthrough, Colton, Easter, Faith, Metz, Ruiz, Topher Grace
Director Gillian Greene on Comedy “Fanboy” and Finding Humor in Everyday Life
April 15th, 2019 Posted by pamela News, Review 0 thoughts on “Director Gillian Greene on Comedy “Fanboy” and Finding Humor in Everyday Life”
Hollywood appears to be ground zero for #MeToo and #TimesUp which has opened the eyes of all and the doors for women, especially in creating director seats. While we still have a long way to go, one woman, Gillian Greene, who’s been a part of Hollywood her entire life, is seated comfortably in that director’s chair and released her short film “Fanboy” via Amazon on March 22. While the film was only meant to demonstrate her skills as a director to get work for feature films, Greene wanted to share this charming comedy about a South Carolina video store employee (Fran Kranz) who dreams of being in Sam Raimi’s sequel to “For Love of the Game” and tries his hand at the Hollywood scene.
The vivacious mother of five who’s husband is Sam Raimi (“Spider-Man”) and is the daughter of the beloved actor Lorne Greene (“Bonanza”) spoke with me recently about making “Fanboy,” her life, and what’s next. (Edited for length and clarity.)
To read the interview as it appears in the Monday, April 15, 2019 edition, go to CINEMA FEMME
Tags: Fan Boy, Gillian Greene, Hollywood, Sam Raimi, Women Filmmakers
EBERTFEST Q&A’s prove to be unpredictably hilarious
April 14th, 2019 Posted by pamela Film Festivals, Review 0 thoughts on “EBERTFEST Q&A’s prove to be unpredictably hilarious”
Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon entertain a packed house at Ebertfest for their film BOUND. Watch the entire Q&A here: EBERTFEST
David Mirkin sets the record straight and sings a little song during his Q&A for ROMY AND MICHELE’S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION. Watch the entire Q&A here: EBERTFEST
Tags: Bound, Chaz, Ebertfest, Gershon, Koplinski, Michele, Mirkin, Reunion, Romy, Tilly
4th DOC10 Film Festival is right around the corner
April 9th, 2019 Posted by pamela News, Review 0 thoughts on “4th DOC10 Film Festival is right around the corner”
The Chicago Media Project’s Doc10 Film Festival is gearing up for its fourth year with 10 award-winning documentaries from other film festivals, such as the prestigious 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
The festival will take place April 11-14 in Lincoln Square at the Davis Theatre (4614 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago). It will showcase thought-provoking films, a VR-RV (Virtual Reality), special panel discussions and workshops as well as opening and closing night parties.
The films touch upon politics (“Knock Down The House,” “Mike Wallace is Here”) and our current immigration system (“The Infiltrators”) to environmental issues (“Anthropocene: The Human Epoch”) and religious beliefs (“Hail Satan?”) and more.
TO READ THE ARTICLE IN ITS ENTIRETY AS PUBLISHED IN THE APRIL 6 EDITION OF THE DAILY JOURNAL, GO TO
“The Brink”-Director Alison Klayman’s gives insight to her new documentary
April 6th, 2019 Posted by pamela Interviews, Review 0 thoughts on ““The Brink”-Director Alison Klayman’s gives insight to her new documentary”
Never in recent memory has there been such a volatile time in politics than today and one man has added his own fuel to the fire—Steve Bannon. Director Alison Klayman has opened the doors into this man’s life with her new film “The Brink,” giving viewers a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes action and the inner workings of politics like never seen before.
TRAILER TO THE BRINK
Klayman, responsible for documentary works of art such as “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry” and “The 100 Years Show,” recently spoke with me about her journey, both literally and figuratively, as she captured Bannon from all angles shedding light onto a subject previously existing in the shadows.
The concept of this film came from Marie Therese Guirgis with whom Klayman had collaborated for “The 100 Years Show.” Guirgis had worked closely with Bannon at Wellspring Media for three years and Klayman described that they had a good working relationship. She reported that the two had fallen out of touch “…until he burst on the scene of the Trump campaign…and she got back in touch with him, frankly to send him angry letters saying that she was really disappointed in him…”. These letters continued throughout Trump’s election and Bannon’s time in the White House, but the tipping point came after the Muslim Travel Ban and Guirgis “let him have it.” She shared, “ I witnessed the way she talks to him. She’s really not holding back.” But soon after, Guirgis realized that perhaps this candid relationship could be brought to a greater use which is was the spark for “The Brink.”
Approached by Guirgis to participate in this vérité style of film, Bannon initially declined, but eventually welcomed the proposal. Klayman, before accepting the director’s position, wanted to meet Bannon. Maria introduced the two, and before Bannon agreed, Guirgis “was in full form,” Klayman chuckled, worried that he wouldn’t agree under these circumstances. And this was just the beginning of peering through the Lookingglass, a term Klayman said that was used as an first working title of the film.
Klayman and Bannon traveled together around the country and the world for 13 months as she captured more than 100 hours of footage which were then distilled into the film we see today. While we see glimpses of Klayman’s personal viewpoint, the filmmaker expressed that she took great care in her editing process to create fairness in the film. “I felt like the strength of the movie would come from a fair treatment of the subject and the material. That didn’t mean that I came in as a neutral member of society. I think that would be a lie.” She continued, “This film has a filmmaker. Here are the clues to how the filmmaker sees this story.” She added, “ Documentary film is not just the facts ma’am kind of a thing, but I thought it needed to be fair in the sense that I was there to make a story out of what I actually found, not what I wanted to find or what I expected to find.” Klayman punctuated the fact that she was profoundly careful in her editing, saying, “If I found a person who was charming people and had charisma, I can’t cut that out. I can’t take a scene and edit it manipulatively, that will discredit the whole piece.”
Klayman had remarkable access to meetings, dinners, and casual moments with politicians and far right leaders from around the world. While she sometimes was limited in what she filmed, stating that she was occasionally “invited to leave,” indicating the private conversations were off limits for public knowledge, she was particularly proud of being able to film the meeting with global extremist leaders in London. She gave Bannon credit in calling him a “great advocate” as he would encourage others to be a part of the film.
In addition to the leaders, Klayman captured Bannon’s interviews with renowned and respected journalists, many who had heated conversations with Trump’s right hand man. In her down time, oftentimes waiting with the journalists for their time with Bannon, she explained her position to them as an independent filmmaker. Met with initial skepticism, which Klayman understood, most welcomed her filming and were excited to see the final product as journalists “don’t get the time or the space to write that kind of piece.”
The intimate and candid moments Klayman captured were not only eye-opening, but mind-boggling. From conversations with John Thornton, the former president of Goldman-Sachs to private meetings with Lena Epstein and John James, Congressional and Senate candidates in Michigan in 2018, Klayman was proud of the fact that these particular scenes “…raised a lot of questions I don’t have answers to.” However, she feels confident that the hypocrisy, false information, and “…the fact that a lot of Bannon’s messaging when it comes to helping people, the little guy, being revolutionary, with a different view of economics, that, to me, if anything, that shows that that’s false.” She deduced that he is not a threat to the super rich and that both he and Trump want the same thing. “I think that was really important to show.”
What is the ultimate goal of the film? Klayman hopes that the role of the media in upcoming elections is discussed; “…not whether to cover these people, but how.” She added, “As we have more elections coming up in the EU in 2020, it’s crucial to have a more thoughtful discussion…questions about who is funding these far right movements and how do we keep them honest about what they’re really fighting for and what they’re really doing. To me, those are the things that transcend and are still vitally important. And frankly, the cast of characters you see in the film are all also not going away…so who knows what’s going to come next.”
Bannon, as a courtesy, was shown the finished film prior to its premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. His response was guarded which Klayman interpreted as his way of waiting to see what the press thought of the film. “I think that’s what matters most to him.”
Education and knowledge are power and this powerful documentary, “The Brink, seen as a fly on the wall, allows you to ask and sometimes answer your own questions that will no doubt be relevant in the next news cycle, global election, and the 2020 campaign.
Tags: Bannon, elections, extremist, Klayman, media, nationalist, politics, Trump, Wellspring
“The Public” shines a light on homelessness
April 3rd, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““The Public” shines a light on homelessness”
Emilio Estevez is no stranger to the filmmaking world, but with his critically acclaimed film “The Way,” viewers began to see him and his talents in a new way. Now, Estevez writes, directs and stars in “The Public” surrounding himself with an all-star supporting cast including Christian Slater, Alec Baldwin, Taylor Schilling, Jeffrey Wright, and Michael Kenneth Williams, as he addresses the relevant topic of homelessness in our country.
Stuart is a librarian in Cincinnati, Ohio during a polar vortex. The homeless population has come to expect use of the library as shelter from the brutal winter conditions during the day, but as the cold begins to kill at night, Stuart takes action at the suggestion of a homeless man, Jackson (Williams), to keep the library open at night. Timing couldn’t be better as a local political race ensues, pitting a slick litigator against a media savvy preacher. Add to the mix a ratings-needy news anchor who tries to find the best angle to cover the event, and everyone’s world is impacted.
Stuart is a quiet man, living a quiet life until he meets Angela (Schilling), his building superintendent. We see a sweet charm about Stuart as we see the sparks begin to fly, but there’s also a certain calmness about him as he interacts with the homeless men and women awaiting the library doors to open. Compassion and respect are always at the forefront, endearing us more to this character, but when his job security is threatened, he finds himself at a crossroads and he plunges down a path with unknown consequences, tossing the balls of politics, ethics, and government in the air.
Finding humor in a film about homelessness seems impossible, but writer and director Emilio Estevez balances this like a professional tightrope walker; knowing that if he sways too far in one direction, he and the film will fall. He remains focused and steady as the story unfolds. The reality of the dramatic elements of how the homeless become that way and how they survive is heavy, yet not crushing. There’s also a comedically charming aspect of his new love interest and downright hilarious situations that occur on an every day basis at the library. “Sitting around reading books” is not what happens here!
While the main topic of the film is homelessness, there are many other subplots that develop throughout the film such as addiction as Detective Bill Ramstead (Baldwin) searches for his missing son, a drug addict. He’s torn as an officer of the law and a father whose never-ending love to help his son becomes his priority in life. Slater creates a slimy and very unlikeable, but intelligent lawyer/politician whose narcissism and ego steer his every move. Estevez creates a multilayered story and doesn’t forget to include how media impacts and influences our perception of events, all with a splash of humor and maybe even a little sweet revenge.
Estevez, wearing the three hats of writer, director, and star, could be a daunting task, but he easily and skillfully delivers on all three fronts. His portrayal of Stuart draws you to him as you know his backstory is an interesting one and you yearn to know more. There’s a sadness in his eyes and his body language exudes a heavy load that he has carried punctuated by the compassionate utterances as he interacts with everyone, no matter their position. It’s one of his best performances.
The film has so many stars, many of whom take their smaller, supporting roles and make them shine, helping to create a meaningful and thoughtful story. Slater comfortably creates his despicable role and Wright is kind yet conflicted as the head librarian who must make difficult and contrary decisions. Williams is extraordinary in his performance as a homeless man with his finger on the pulse of his community. His portrayal brings humanity to his situation and changes how you perceive the next man, woman, or child you see on the street.
“The Public” creates an engaging and entertaining film as it highlights very real social issues that plague our society today. With thoughtful dialogue and character development, no matter how small, we can walk in another’s shoes for a few miles. Shouldn’t every film to that?
Tags: Baldwin, Cincinnati, Emilio Estevez, Estevez, Homelessness, Library, Public, Schilling, social issues
“The View From Tall” a modern day ‘Scarlet Letter’
April 2nd, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““The View From Tall” a modern day ‘Scarlet Letter’”
Co-directors Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss tell a complicated story of a 17 year-old high school senior whose life takes a different direction after having an affair with her teacher. Amanda Drinkall and Michael Patrick Thornton star in this poignant and impactful tale, particularly in the era of #MeToo and #TimesUp.
The opening scene creates an immediate sense of compassion for Justine (Drinkall) who is shunned not only by her parents and sister, but her classmates as well. From glaring stares in the hall to physical intimidation in the classroom, Justine seems to be the victim of intense bullying. As the story begins to take shape through her sessions with a mandatory therapist, Douglas (Thornton), we begin to understand what has happened to this young woman. The punishment she receives from her family, friends, and community for being a victim, although initially she is unaccepting of this title, is beyond comprehension, yet the film demonstrates how easily this can and probably does occur. It is this exploration of sexuality and consent that is perfectly demonstrated in various situations that makes this story so insightful and extraordinary.
Justine’s breaking point severs her professional relationship with Douglas, but awkwardly we see a true friendship develop between the two as they both need a friend in their respective times of need. The writer has set up a delicate balancing act as we see Justine as a vulnerable yet wise teen and Douglas as an older man with high integrity. With this, we hold our breath, waiting for the next shoe to fall, the tension continually building, hoping we can breathe a sigh of relief.
Justine is heads and shoulders above her peers, physically and intellectually, although emotionally she is still a teen and responds like any other 17 year-old. Her relationship with her parents is strained to say the least, and we discover the harsh realities of both her parents’ reactions to her actions as well as other adults. And a sisterly friendship has gone devastatingly awry, as Paula (Carolyn Braver) deceives and denies Justine repeatedly. Justine’s intrinsic fortitude is imperative to her survival and most of us would have buckled under such pressure and scrutiny.
The storyline is reminiscent of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” as Justine is ostracized and ridiculed for her behavior. There are also assumptions about her character and therefore her rights as a human and a woman based on the fact that a teacher crossed a boundary. Justine is the guilty party in everyone’s eyes, not the teacher. We see everyone’s viewpoint regarding what happened and the humiliation and punishment Justine constantly receives. It’s heartbreaking, particularly as Justine looks back at the particular crossroad in her life, taking her down this life-changing road.
Drinkall and Thornton are extraordinary in these very complicated and deeply layered roles. Their genuine performances bring authenticity to not only their characters, but to the story itself. Both find nuanced subtleties to connect you to their characters and allow you to understand their thoughts and emotions. In fact, the entire cast is incredible and Braver shines as a typical teen, unable to handle her sister’s situation and the unrealistic expectations of her parents.
“The View from Tall” is a gripping story depicting sensitive topics told with deft skill. From underage drinking and eating disorders to bullying and rape, this film finds a way to gently tell a brutal story. And it’s not without humor, as Drinkall’s character is exceptionally bright and as she grows stronger, understanding her situation, she uses her razor sharp wit to cut those who deserve to receive it. Set in Chicago with an incredible musical score, this is a film to see.
Watch the film via FLIX PREMIERE or AMAZON
Tags: Amanda Drinksall, Chicago, Consent, Cow Lamp Films, Drinkall, rape, sexuality, The View From Tall, Thornton, Weiss
Grandmas get a new chance at love in new AARP web series
March 29th, 2019 Posted by pamela Interviews, News 0 thoughts on “Grandmas get a new chance at love in new AARP web series”
Reality television finds a new twist with the digital series “Date My Grandma” now streaming on AARP’s YouTube channel. This adorable, positive and often-times funny reality dating show “celebrates love, family and companionship.”
The six episodes, now available to view, can be seen at datemygram.com.
I recently spoke with Vice President and Executive Producer of AARP Studios Jeffrey Eagle, who shared the behind-the-scenes stories and his hopes for this show and more to come. (Edited for space and clarity.)
Pamela Powell (PP): How did you come up with this concept?
Jeffrey Eagle (JE): We’re always trying to look at ways to celebrate people and their lives in whatever life transition they’re in, but a keen focus on 50-plus [population]. AARP, in trying to speak to its 38 million members in terms of what they’re interested in, have long talked about companionship, relationships, social isolation, and we just thought what an interesting way to tap into a topic like dating. As we talk multiculturally, but also multigenerationally, how fun would it be to involve grandchildren?
To read the interview in its entirety as published in the March 28, 2019 edition of The Daily Journal, go to THE DAILY JOURNAL
Tags: AARP, Aging, dating, reality television, relationships, Web series
SHAZAM! is one of a kind
March 23rd, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on “SHAZAM! is one of a kind”
SHAZAM! Another super hero movie? Do we really need one? The answer, in this case, is a resounding YES! The DC Universe got this one right. “Shazam,” starring Zachary Levi, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Asher Angel, is written by Henry Gayden and directed by David F. Sandberg and this team creates an immediately engaging, funny, sweet, and sometimes scary story about life as we enter a world where good and evil fight hand to hand or sometimes lightning bolt to lightning bolt combat. “Shazam!” is exactly what a super hero movie is supposed to be—fun and complete entertaining escapism.
The story is loosely based on the original comic book series by C.C. Beck and all you comic book aficionados will have great joy in identifying the Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the film, but for those of us who are clueless about the genre, Gayden more than adequately lays the foundation for the story of Billy Batson (Angel) aka Shazam (Levi).
We begin in 1974, winter in Upstate New York, where a father and his two sons are driving the country snow-filled back roads to grandfather’s house when Thad, Magic 8 Ball in hand, is suddenly in the presence of The Wizard (Djimon Hounsou) who is searching for a pure soul to take his place in protecting the world from the 7 evils locked away in stone surrounding him. Failing the test, Thad is shot back into reality and a nearly tragic accident. It’s a jarring beginning to a film, but it lays a firm foundation and by no means is the overall tone for the film.
Fast forward to the turn of the century and we meet the young Billy who is separated from his mother. In a loss at finding her, Billy is placed in foster homes, one after another. He’s a delinquent constantly in search of his mother, hoping she has been doing the same. Placed in yet another foster home filled with an eclectic mix of kids, Billy makes no attempt to fit in, but he finds himself in front of The Wizard, reluctantly accepting his powers and this is where the fun begins as this 14 year-old transforms back and forth into a man with incredible powers, but still has the mentality of a boy.
Billy befriends his disabled foster brother who is a geeky expert on all things super hero. Together they test Billy’s new-found powers as his discovery of his new self lands him in hilarious situations, preparing him for his ultimate and yet unknown nemesis.
“Shazam!” takes us all back in time to our youth reminding us of how bullies wreak havoc and the social awkwardness of being a kid. Additionally, it creates a loving tone accentuating the importance of family and what that really means.
Angel and Grazer are magical together on screen typifying two polar opposites, but both with bold personalities that immediately connect you. Angel creates a hardened exterior with a heart of gold and we watch this young boy grow. He’s funny and energetic with an innocence of childhood yet this broken heart of his casts a shadow on his every move. This young actor has a bright future ahead of him proving that he can already find a way to create depth in what could have been a very superficial performance. Grazer equals Angel’s performance, embodying a boy with more hurdles to jump over than most of us can imagine. His quick wit and style of speech brings a sense of compassion and understanding to his character as you forget about his disability…something his character can never do.
While Angel and Glazer shine, it’s Levi’s ingenious efforts that are truly striking as he makes us believe he’s actually a 14 year old kid beneath that chiseled adult exterior. The genius doesn’t stop there as he is a gifted comedian, having fun and highlighting his timing and physically comedic attributes.
In fact, the entire cast of kids in the foster home, Mary (Grace Fulton), Eugene (Ian Chen), Pedro (Jovan Armand) and Darla (Faithe Herman) are simply marvelous, but it is Faithe who steals every scene she’s in. To describe her as adorable is an understatement and her need to hug everyone elicits an audible sigh from the audience whenever she says a word.
“Shazam!” is what a comic book movie should be—funny, charming, heartfelt, and just a good story told really well. Even the too long final fight scene that is in every comic book film doesn’t take itself so seriously (a cue upon which other super hero movies should use) so that flaw can be forgiven at least a bit. This is a laugh out loud funny movie that, as Levi said in a recent screening here in Chicago, may require ear muffs (PG-13), it’s a movie the entire family can enjoy! (Check out the video from that screening on YouTube HERE
Tags: Asher Angel, DC Universe, Marvel, movie review, Shazam, super hero, Zachary Levi
“Woman at War” Gorgeously balanced thriller
March 23rd, 2019 Posted by pamela Review 0 thoughts on ““Woman at War” Gorgeously balanced thriller”
Can one woman save Iceland and stop the envrironmental devastation from a large industry? Halla (Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir) certainly thinks she can, but is she ready for the consequences and the unexpected interpretation of her actions? The film’s universal message is an entertaining and thought-provoking one as the writers Benedikt Erlingsson and Ólafur Egilsson maintain a sense of whimsy throughout the film.
Halla is tough as nails as we meet this woman who reminds us of a Marvel superhero, Hawkeye, bow and arrow in hand as she expertly stops the electrical flow to an aluminum processing plant, Rio Tinto. As a major producer of this mineral and economic influencer of the country, her actions momentarily paralyze the region. The political action from around the world takes notice and with a small circle of friends who help her, she ups her game, intent on making people wake up to how we are devastating our earth.
On the surface, Halla appears to be a typical middle-aged woman, living life and teaching a choral group. Beneath that exterior lies a rebelliously intelligent woman with a heart of gold. Her goal of saving the world is a lofty and pure one, but as we soon learn, it may be at the cost of her immediate happiness. She finds that perhaps saving one might be as important as saving the world.
This is a gorgeous film as it captures the beauty of Iceland with its mountains, waterfalls, moss-covered lava rocks, streams, and indigenous people. Balancing dramatic elements and serious subjects such as climate change, dirty politics, the economy, and fighting big business with elements of comedy is a tough act, but director Benedikt Erlingsson does so with ease. No matter the scene, whether it’s running through the countryside away from her enemies, carrying out her well-planned acts of destruction for the greater good, or swimming with her twin sister at a community pool, a trio of musicians accompanies her. Initially perplexing, the band is there to augment her feelings and while the viewer and Halla are aware of their existence, no one else is. Additionally, we meet a hapless Spanish hiker who always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but this helps divert attention away from Halla, the benign woman who people think could never be responsible for such acts of “terrorism.”
The action in the film picks up quickly as Halla runs from the U.S. experts that have come in to save the political day and find the group that is responsible for interfering with the industry of Iceland. It becomes a cat and mouse game, heightening the anxiety of the viewer as Halla must use her intellect and common sense as well as her family connections, which if you’re familiar with Iceland, cousins are everywhere, to make her mark and save the world from eminent doom.
Geirharðsdóttir’s performance is exquisite as she expertly portrays a woman of both physical and intellectual strength. Her depth of character is equally extraordinary as she allows us to peel away the layers, revealing who she was and what is truly missing in her life. It is this element, becoming a mother to an orphaned girl, that is her crossroads in life. Again, balance is an element not only in the film, but in the main character which ultimately connects us with her emotionally. We believe in her, we are empathetic as she is outraged by the consequences of her actions, and most importantly, we root for her to win…one woman at war with the powers that be.
“Woman at War” is a gorgeously thoughtful, intense thriller filled with just the right touch of comedy throughout to give us an entertaining film that has social relevance to our world today. The twists and turns it takes will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Can one woman make a difference? Check it out at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago and other theaters nationally to find out.
Tags: Adoption, Aluminum, Environment, Hawkeye, Iceland, Motherhood, Music Box Theatre, Rio Tinto, Woman at War
An interview with Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, writer and director of “The Mustang”
March 22nd, 2019 Posted by pamela Interviews, Review 0 thoughts on “An interview with Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, writer and director of “The Mustang””
The following is an excerpt from FF2 Media:
Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre creates “The Mustang,” a revelatory film about a hopeless, isolated incarcerated man (Mattias Shoenaerts) who enters into a horse training rehabilitation program. Gorgeously shot, this evocative and soulful film delves into our penal system as it draws parallel lines between all creatures. Premiering at Sundance Film Festival, “The Mustang” is now playing in theaters. I had the opportunity to talk with Clermont-Tonnerre about the making of this film, working with Mattias Shoenaerts and Bruce Dern, and her hopes for the impact of this film.
To read the interview in its entirety as published in FF2 Media, March 21, 2019, go to FF2 Media
Tags: Bruce Dern, compassion, empathy, Prison, Rehab, Schoenaerts, The Mustang
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Monash – 0774 777 000
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UCL Launches the Monash Diploma of Science Programme
(COLOMBO, Sri Lanka) Universal College Lanka (UCL), the premier higher education institute in Sri Lanka which exclusively provides a guaranteed pathway to Monash University, a Top 100 University in the world, ceremoniously launched the Monash College Diploma of Science programme on 9 th May 2019 at a media conference which took place at the UCL Auditorium. The event was graced by UCL Directorate, Executive Management and the Academic staff. UCL Director – Dr. Harsha Alles, UCL CEO – Mr. Gihan Silva, UCL Dean of Academic Affairs – Dr. Dhananjay Kulkarni, Programme Coordinator MCD – Dr. Devangi Perera, Programme Coordinator MUFY – Ms. Asiri Perera and Head of Marketing for Monash – Ms. Tharanga Senarathna were amongst those who were present to mark the occasion.
The Diploma of Science programme was launched in Sri Lanka for students as a pathway which will help them prepare for a Monash Science degree. With over 23 areas of study to choose from, students will be exposed to an interesting and interactive learning environment which will also include hands-on laboratory work and classroom teaching. With the immense level of change that is currently taking place around us, global citizens are faced with challenges abound; from environmental burdens and climate change to a growing population and a rapidly expanding technological arena. The Monash Science degree has been designed for the future innovator who seeks to formulate solutions that could bring about relevant change to the world.
Adding his views about the recent course introduction to UCL, the Chief Executive Officer of UCL, Mr. Gihan Silva commented, “With the growing demand evident for sciences and science based education, we decided to introduce the Diploma of Science programme at UCL to provide an opportunity for students to pursue a globally recognised science programme affiliated with a Top 100 university in the world. Making it available here in Sri Lanka benefits students who otherwise were compelled to move to Monash Australia or Malaysia to follow Science based degree programme. From UCL’s perspective, this is a step forward in expanding our programme portfolio with Monash as well as strengthening STEM education at UCL.”
This type of preliminary approach will allow students to achieve a sense of confidence and immersion as well as the opportunity to ‘tailor-make’ their degree pathway to suit their area of interest through the various study areas that are made available to them. Students have the option of selecting their preferred area of study to major in the following disciplines upon completion of their first year. This includes Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Genetics, Environmental Science, Ecology and Conservation Biology, and Financial and Insurance Mathematics. The assessment stage will include group projects, oral presentations, poster presentations, tutorial assessments and a final exam.
The Diploma stage can be completed in 8 months in Sri Lanka at UCL. According to the 2019 QS Graduate Employability Rankings, Monash University was recognised among top global institutions for producing some of the most career-ready graduates with a high employability rate. Monash was also mentioned among the global top 40 for Employer Reputation, enhancing its status as one of the most prestigious universities in the world of which to hire graduates.
This Diploma of Science is the first year equivalent of their chosen Monash University Degree, and upon completion, students can transfer to Monash University Australia. Currently, UCL conducts courses such as the Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY), Monash College Diploma of Business, Monash College Diploma of Engineering and Monash College Diploma of IT, along with their latest launch of the Monash College Diploma of Science. Students who plan to enrol to the Science Faculty at Monash University in Australia following completion of their first year at UCL will have a great advantage of being eligible to receive study grants of up to $8000 from Monash University Australia during this year. Students will also be eligible for scholarships offered by UCL based on their academic, sports and leadership achievements when they enrol for the Diploma of Science and other Monash programmes in Sri Lanka.
Commenting on the new programme launch at UCL, Dr. Dhananjay Kulkarni, Dean of Academic Affairs stated, “Science is a highly sought-after field in Sri Lanka and abroad. With the strong track record of delivering Monash programmes in the past 3 years, UCL hopes to attract the best students and groom them into future scientists, biologists, bio-technology experts, pharmacologists and genetic engineers. Skilled professionals are certainly needed to make this world a better place, and UCL will be doing its part by producing the best Science graduates!”
Another important aspect that UCL leverages on is their possession of a highly qualified and competent faculty of academics among other private tertiary education institutes in Sri Lanka. Their highly qualified faculty also includes Monash alumni who have completed PhD/ MSc in Science and other fields, thus enabling them to offer students a superior learning experience in this programme. A well-integrated learning experience that is produced at UCL combines the imparting of knowledge, acquisition of skills, provision of industry exposure and the development of a winning attitude which would in turn, assist students towards carving out a career in their preferred fields, whilst flourishing as sought-after professionals in their industries.
About Monash Australia
Monash College is fully owned by Monash University, which is Australia’s largest international university. Playing a key role in the delivery of the university’s global engagement, Monash College provides a range of academic transition services that align with the high-quality standards of the University. Monash University is also a Top 60 University in the world and ranked 59th as per the QS University Rankings 2019. It is also one of the Group of Eight Universities (Go8) in Australia and is a highly research-oriented university that regularly updates its syllabi, modules and teaching methodology based on latest research findings.
Universal College Lanka (UCL) is the premier transnational education institute in Sri Lanka which exclusively provides a guaranteed pathway to Monash University. UCL is fully owned by Eduko Lanka, a private education services company serving high performing students and professionals. UCL possesses a highly qualified and competent faculty combined with state-of- the-art facilities which include internationally recommended classroom sizes for greater student interaction and engagement, modern laboratories, a well-equipped library, comfortable study areas and a unique rooftop lounge for student leisure and recreation. UCL also organises and conducts both indoor and outdoor events and activities that assist in developing student engagement and enhance the student experience at UCL.
For more information on how to enrol for the Diploma of Science and other Monash programmes at UCL, contact us on 0774 777 000 or info@ucl.lk or visit us at the UCL Campus conveniently located at #503, Sri Jayewardenepura Mawatha, Sri Jayewardenepura.
UCL Partners with Monash University to Combat Dengue in Sri Lanka
Monash Expert conducts Career Guidance Workshop for UCL Students
UCL highly committed to support degree students for internships and jobs
UCL students gain entry to Monash Medicine through MUFY
Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY) Semester-2 2018 results
UCL Fashion Show 2018 – Eyes on the Runway
UCL continues to prove academic prowess with 24 students securing
UCL Sponsors EDEX Expo 2019 as Gold Sponsor
Universal College Lanka (UCL) has carved out a niche as the premier transnational education institute in Sri Lanka which exclusively provides a guaranteed pathway to the prestigious Monash University, a world’s Top 100 university, to discerning students in South Asia.
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Creating a System - Beyond the initial welcome
Published: Thursday, 08 September 2016 11:36
Written by Paolo Balduzzi
A course of professional training and building of "networks" for integration that go beyond the initial reception. In Sicily there is a pilot project focusing on relationships.
Salvatore Brullo is managing director of the Cooperativa Foco, with decades of experience in immigration policies, social planning, management and reporting of projects. Salvatore is directly responsible in Sicily for the project Fare sistema-Oltre l'accoglienza (making system - Beyond hospitality) in tandem with AMU, AFN, the two partners of The Focolare Movement, which have always been at the forefront of work on concrete projects aimed at helping the weakest.
How did the project start?
"We have worked in the field of hospitality and service to others for years, and we teamed up with AMU, and AFN who felt the need to do something here in Italy to respond to the arrival of many migrants. AMU, in particular, decided to intervene in support of unaccompanied foreign minors who land here in Sicily in great numbers. As they contacted the various organisations dealing hands-on with integration and acceptance, they also came across us".
And what happened?
"We began to discuss the emerging needs in this sector. We became aware of the many young people between 17 and 19 years living in very delicate situations. As long as they are minors, they are welcomed into the community and offered substantial protection, however at 18, they lose the right to stay in the community and in fact find themselves out on the street. This is where we wanted to intervene, to accompany these young people until they can look after themselves".
Concretely what does the project aim for?
"We found that social integration becomes ephemeral if there are no career opportunities and specific measures to support this and that these people need help beyond the initial welcome. The project is catering for 40 youths who are not only migrants or refugees but also Italian. There are 20 in Catania, and 20 in the province of Ragusa. We are experimenting with two different ways of helping them enter the job market: in Catania we offer them a way of acquiring professional skills with training in business which lasts a month. In Ragusa and Chiaramonte and we are instead offering them internships directly within businesses so that they get work experience and learn about relationships within a professional environment".
In which professions can these young people test their skills?
'In Catania there is a very strong demand for warehouse workers, for workers in the hospitality sector and in various other facilities. In Chiaramonte the tradesman sector is very popular; one of the boys is learning to do the work of a blacksmith, another is working in a particular craft; There is a food farm and two agricultural cooperatives involved and they are employing five boys. Clearly, when we meet the boys we need to listen very carefully to their stories so as to be able to direct them to the right trade or profession".
How did you get in touch with the companies that host the boys?
"We found the companies through direct contact. We presented ourselves to the companies, we explained the project and asked them to help us. I must say that they were very welcoming and that the companies actually co-finance the project. In some cases the project was not taken on board, but this was not because of prejudice but due to the economic crisis".
How do you explain such a welcoming reception?
"We are in the initial stages of the project and this helps us keep our feet on the ground. But this being said, I think it all depends on the type of welcome that is being given to migrants in that particular area. For example, if one goes to Mineo or to Caltagirone, the population there is very annoyed by the presence of migrants because there are about 2000 of them and that is too much for such a small territory. Here efforts are mostly concentrated on the emergencies created by the arrivals and therefore people can't concentrate on other scenarios. Instead, we propose something that goes beyond the emergency phase; we help these boys to learn a trade. Only in this way will they be able to think of a better future concretely and be able to integrate with all the others without creating problems for the community. Instead they will become a resource. When we realize that some boys of the project are not migrants, but also Italians, one understands that this project is actually of great value even for the region, for the businesses and for the families".
You speak of widespread acceptance...
"Yes, I refer particularly to Chiaramonte, which is a very small town where we have 50 people who do not cut themselves off into a separate group but are homogeneously spread throughout the countryside in small residential apartments. This equally distributed presence generates the kind of relationships that lead to a new and stable social balance where fear is overcome and problems are solved".
To sum up, does this mean creating new systems?
"It means experiencing new practices that promote a true mix of cultures and a genuine integration with the population. The novelty that we propose is to try to network at the national level, by creating a system where needs and resources can meet across the nation. We're trying to make sure that the skills a boy acquired in Ragusa can then be used in Milan, for example; but to do this it takes a company and a family who will accept the young man. We are working on two specific national databases of families and businesses so as to create this "internal humanitarian corridor" that will promote integration at multiple levels".
LINK: MAKING SYSTEM BEYOND HOSPITALITY
© Photo Copyright Cooperativa Foco, all rights reserved
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Blue Quimper egg cups
Blue Quimper egg cups (marks)
Blue Quimper egg cups - 2½" (63 mm) high.
Quimper is a town in Brittany, North West France. The town has long been famous for producing faience - tin-glazed pottery. Faience is not peculiar to Quimper, indeed it is made in various places throughout Europe, but the Quimper faience is quite distinctive. Typical pieces have a white background with designs that nearly always include blue, and often green, yellow and orange. Traditional Breton figures often feature in the designs, the men with wide-brimmed round-crowned hats and the women with full skirts and aprons.
Pottery has been made in Quimper for a very long time, but the faience that we recognize as Quimper has been produced since the late seventeenth century by three factories. The first was Grand Maison, and it preceded the other two by nearly a century. Its mark was HB, the H for Hubaudière, the name of the family that owned it from the early eighteenth century to the early twentieth century, and the B for Bousquet, the name of the founder. The second was Porquier, founded in the middle of the second half of the eighteenth century, followed a few years later by the third, Henriot.
Identifying the factories by the marks can by confusing. Porquier used AB for a short time, but mostly PB. Henriot used HR, but the Grand Maison didn't like it, saying that it could easily be confused with HB. They took the matter to law, and Henriot had to stop using it, opting for HenRiot instead. Porquier folded in the very early years of the twentieth century, and in 1913 Henriot bought their molds and the right to use their marks. Subsequently the Porquier designs were made by Henriot and marked PB.
Confused? Well, in 1968, due to a road scheme, the Henriot factory had to be demolished, and they moved into the same building as Grand Maison. Both companies were separate, sharing the same roof. Both companies ran into financial difficulties in the 1980s, they were bought out by their American importers and are now the same company. The wares are currently marked HB Henriot.
Quimper new and old is widely collected, and has not, basically, changed much over the years. The connoisseur can spot differences between factories and ages instantly by the colour imparted by the glaze and subtle differences in the designs, which at first sight seem very similar.
Further Reading: Quimper Pottery: a Guide to Origins, Styles and Values by Adela Meadows
Quimper Pottery by Ann Marie O'Neill
You can buy this book on line
Quimper Pottery: a Guide to Origins, Styles and Values by Adela Meadows
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Two more prestigious awards from the DBA
Tuesday 1st November by Nick Ramshaw
Recognising the value of our design
This year, our Halloween has not just been about tricks, treats, and scary monsters. We also received some wonderful news from the Design Business Association (DBA). Each year the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards recognise the design that delivers most against its objectives.
To win is no mean feat. The awards are internationally recognised for the quality and strength of evidence the winners must provide to support their case for design effectiveness. With a uniquely rigorous judging process, the awards set the standard for quantifying the value of design.
Winning entries have succeeded against demanding criteria. Judged by leading figures from businesses including Phillips, Lego, Airbus, PepsiCo and Google, they demonstrate the value of investing in design to drive business success.
100% hit rate
Having won 7 DBA awards in the last five years, our work is regularly recognised in this way. But that doesn’t make winning any easier!
Competition has increased significantly as more and more big name brands (and their agencies) look to benefit from the tangible advantages that come with winning the awards.
Entering takes considerable time and effort from both agency and client, working together to build a compelling business case. This year, we completed two entries and were delighted to hear that both have won awards. We find out if these are gold, silver or bronze awards at the swanky do in February next year.
Helping young people when they need it most
For the last two years, we have been working with NHS Leeds South and East Clinical Commissioning Group and a host of partners, who are determined to bring the city together and create a safe place for young people with mental health issues. The place we created is called Mindmate.
Through agile, user-centric design, we have created a website that makes sense of the help available. But Mindmate is much more than just a website. It has quickly become the trusted friend that young people turn to – designed with them for them. We used design to make services more accessible and helped to transform support for young people with complex issues. We ran workshops, created forums and tested everything with the people who mattered most – the young people themselves.
Since launch, Mindmate has exceeded expectations. As well as smashing targets, it has inspired the sector, created an ambassador programme and become a template for other CCGs.
We continually look for ways to improve the site and the service it provides; and in terms of the numbers, there has been an increase of 101% in page views, 71% more young people are being helped and session times have increased by 68%. 1,495 young people were helped in the month of May 2016 alone.
What is most rewarding for us is that MindMate is a service that Leeds is truly proud of. It has given young people a place they can trust. A place that welcomes them when they need it most.
A clear positioning helps grow market share
The water market had been growing steadily for several years, not least because the Sugar Tax debate and greater health awareness have impacted on the soft drinks market overall. This has created more space for water. At the end of 2013, though, it looked like the growth was starting to plateau.
Our client, Harrogate Spring Water, recognised an opportunity to seize extra market share and offer a genuine challenge to the big players for the first time. They needed a brand identity and packaging that would support their growth and give them, for the first time, a clear positioning to help them to stand apart.
Working closely with the owners of the business we did just that. It allowed them to drive outstanding sales growth – far outstripping the market. EAT and Caffe Nero, who Harrogate previously supplied with water for own-brand, now take the branded Harrogate product, because it’s far stronger in the market. This has delivered a higher retail price for the product, yielding greater profits and increasing monthly shipments substantially.
Sustainable relationships
What is fantastic about both DBA award wins is that each proves, in very different ways, the tangible benefits that we have delivered for our clients. We work very hard to understand the key issues in all projects, and to see measurable proof of the impact our work has is truly rewarding.
To make sure you don’t miss out on our best ideas, news and insights, or if you’d like to receive invites to events that you really shouldn’t miss, you can subscribe to our mailing list here .
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Recent Post Popular Post News Stories
What Does It Take to Be the Next Leonardo da Vinci?
Not just an artist, he is also a scientist. Not just a scientist, he is also an inventor. Not just an inventor, he is also an architect. He is the world greatest Renaissance Man, Leonardo Da Vinci.
By vooyagers
Not just an artist, he is also a scientist.
Not just a scientist, he is also an inventor.
Not just an inventor, he is also an architect.
He is the world greatest Renaissance Man, Leonardo Da Vinci.
For some of you, the paintings of The Mona Lisa and the Last Supper might be the work of Leonardo that you are most familiar with. However, more than that, Leonardo was a futuristic inventor who came up with many brilliant ideas, which applications are hundreds of years ahead of their time. From calculators to helicopters, hydrodynamics to solar power; all the blueprints of the work of the machine parts, were drawn on his precious sketchbook. Not just stopping there, he also gave a contribution to the advancement of the medical field, with his detail experiment in the anatomy of the human body.
No, in addition, Leonardo also had a good sense of music, as he could play string musical instruments well. If it's not genius, I don’t know what kind of nickname is suitable for this man. But what made him this great? Did he born genius or made? Well, I guess, on one side he is indeed gifted, yet, on another side, his method of learning also what made him as wonderful as what the world knows him today.
In his book called “How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day”, Michael Gelb, formulated 7 principles of Leonardo’s approach to learning, which we can adapt in the daily basis, in order to inspire and guide us toward the realization of our own full potential.
Never Ending Curiosity
For most of the time, adults have killed the natural curiosity within us, when we were young, with this answer:
“you are asking too much. Can you stay quiet for a moment?”
Maybe they just do it out of exhaustion, however, they don’t realize that by doing so, they have taken part in killing our sense of curiosity. Which is really a big shame. Because only by maintaining curiosity throughout our life, we will never stop to ask questions which will enlarge our perspective and help us to gain new knowledge of the world and what’s inside it.
Just like Leonardo who relentlessly believe that the knowledge of all things is possible, don’t let anything stop ourselves from finding the answers to our questions. In addition, always remember, when we, in turn, become the adults, don’t become those adults who kill the curiosity of the younger generation.
Sharpen the Senses
Leonardo believes that through having sharp senses, we will get to experience and learn something new from day to day. That’s why he was sad to know that the average people “looks without seeing, listens without hearing, touches without feeling, eats without tasting, moves without physical awareness, inhales without awareness of odor or fragrance, and talks without thinking.” As a result, those people just live their life according to routine and never get to see interesting things which might lead to new discovery and learning.
Frequently allocate a quiet moment to observe the surrounding is a good start. We will be able to see small details which we might never see before. Don’t talk too much and try to listen more. By doing so, we will open the door for new perspective and perception.
Leonardo never let himself be swayed by what most of the people around him think or believe, instead he constantly challenged them with his relentless research and experiment. Moreover, he didn’t stop to evaluate his own work, even when other people said it was perfect already. As a result, he got to experience self-improvement and succeed in creating even better works from day to day. Therefore, continuous self-evaluation and constructive criticism from other people are the keys to independent thinking.
Embrace Uncertainty
Uncertainty is unavoidable, especially when we move into a new phase of our life, for example when we go to college or start working for the first time. That’s why don’t spend too much effort, worrying over it; because without uncertainty, we will get too comfortable with our lives and just stuck there, without being able to improve and develop the skills and talents within us.
So when uncertainty exists, take it as a chance to train and equip ourselves. By doing so, we can stay ahead of the others. Leonardo has proved the benefit of embracing uncertainty when he succeeds in coming up with many invention ideas that were centuries ahead of his time.
Interconnectedness/Systems Thinking
“Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”, is the message which Leonardo left for all of us. Everything and everyone is interconnected beyond our limited perception and narrow-minded logic. That’s why, try to see the bigger or the whole picture when making a plan or strategy for something, so we won’t leave anything important behind. Using SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound) measurement is one of the methods which can help us to imagine the whole picture.
Whole Brain Thinking
Many people like to emphasize that they are either good with their left brain (logical, analytical) or their right brain (imaginative, creative). However, to be like Leonardo, we need to be good at both. We have been given a complete, not a half, brain; so in order to optimize our full capacity, we must function both sides well. Leonardo said, “To develop a complete mind: Study the science of art; study the art of science.”
Mind mapping, a way of organizing ideas that integrates logic and imagination and helps people generate more ideas in less time, is the practice which Gelb proposes. Learn to pour our ideas and strategies into drawing, and see how magically new and more creative ideas will appear.
Body-Mind Fitness
Artists or inventors are often associated with poor health habits. However, that doesn’t apply for Leonardo. He made sure to go away and have a little relaxation every now and then, for he knows that fresh body and mind will help to stay creative, productive, and focus. Doing some sports, like swimming, fencing, and walking, are examples of activities which we can do to keep our body healthy. Other than that, going on a vacation regularly will help to relax our tired mind.
Those methods of learning of Leonardo da Vinci is what Vooya aims for its participants to experience, by joining Vooya’s program. Vooya provides an experiential study tour which focuses on hands-on learning experience. With its four classifications of the curriculum: STEM (Experimental Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Social Science, Physical and Personal education, and Arts; Vooya tries to implement a way of holistic learning that encompasses various forms of intelligence. The participants won’t only get to refresh their body and mind, but they will get to sharpen their senses and gain new knowledge and perspective which might answer some of the curiosity that they have.
Innovation by Leonardo da Vinci. (2014, April 09). Retrieved July 27, 2017, from http://thinkers50.com/blog/innovation-leonardo-da-vinci/
Home. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2017, from https://www.mos.org/leonardo/node/1
7 Steps to Think like Leonardo da Vinci: The Guide to Everyday Genius. (2016, June 16). Retrieved July 27, 2017, from http://www.andreabalt.com/7-ways-to-think-like-leonardo-da-vinci/
DesMarais, C. (2013, August 16). 7 Things Leonardo da Vinci Can Teach You About Creativity. Retrieved July 27, 2017, from https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/7-things-leonardo-da-vinci-can-teach-you-about-creativity.html
History.com Staff. (2009). Leonardo da Vinci. Retrieved July 27, 2017, from http://www.history.com/topics/leonardo-da-vinci
Also Read: 4 TOKOH TERKENAL INI PERNAH GAGAL DAN TERPURUK, 7 Activities to Make the Most of London in Summer, Experiential Journey to LINE HQ, Beyond the Classroom Walls, Liburan ke Luar Negeri yang Gak Cuma Ngabisin Uang?, DEAR PARENTS, YOUR KIDS DON'T HAVE TO BE DOCTORS, blog home
3 Attitudes that Make Millennials Standout
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Obama Aiming at Israel's Nuclear Weapons?
Allen Z. Hertz was senior adviser in the Privy Council Office serving Canada's Prime Minister and the federal cabinet. He formerly worked in Canada's Foreign Affairs Department and earlier taught history and law at universities in New York, Montreal, Toronto and Hong Kong. He studied European history and languages at McGill University (B.A.) and then East European and Ottoman history at Columbia University (M.A., Ph.D.). He also has international law degrees from Cambridge University (LL.B.) and the University of Toronto (LL.M.). This article was first published in the Times of Israel on February 19, 2014.
Mideast "linkage" is the notion that more distant issues like the Syrian civil war and/or Iran's race to nuclear weapons could in some significant sense be related to important questions touching Israel, such as the current negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.
With respect to linkage, recently published is Aaron David Miller's Wilson Center essay entitled: "It's Iran, Stupid: The real, unspoken reason America won't get involved in Syria." Miller's piece turns on insights offered by President Obama in a valuable January 27, 2014 New Yorker article by David Remnick. But, President Obama there refers, not to linkage between matters involving just Iran and Syria, but rather to a connection among his top three Mideast issues, namely some problems relating to Israel, Syria, and Iran:
Obama told me that in all three of his main initiatives in the region — with Iran, with Israel and the Palestinians, with Syria — the odds of completing final treaties are less than fifty-fifty. “On the other hand,” he said, “in all three circumstances we may be able to push the boulder partway up the hill and maybe stabilize it so it doesn’t roll back on us. And all three are connected."
Astonishing is President Obama's assessment that there's less than a 50% chance of success for the three sets of now separate negotiations about Iran, Israel and Syria respectively. Equally striking is his assertion that these three persistent problems are somehow interwoven.
Really? Are they substantially linked? If so, how are they connected? Or is it that President Obama might be signaling that he might take steps to connect them? The potential link could be that, in each of these three instances, President Obama might perhaps soon try to make Israel foot the bill.
Maybe this is what President Obama is now thinking in terms of "next steps" after the predicted failure of the three sets of separate negotiations? And, perhaps there might be a fair chance of "success" for his hinted strategy of addressing the three issues as one problem in a single negotiation. This might work, principally because Russia, China and Iran could perhaps perceive that his plan might enhance their own interests -- including by weakening the USA, which President Obama peculiarly wants out of the Mideast.
With respect to his expectation that the current negotiation with Iran would likely fail, President Obama is perhaps planning for an early diplomatic crisis. He might want this to coincide with the expected collapse of the bilateral peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Specifically, President Obama seems to want the three issues of Iran, Israel and Syria to align in the short term -- and in any event, before newly elected USA Senators and Representatives take their seats in early January 2015, after which Congress might be more determined to block him.
With references to "international peace" and also some empty threats to use force against Iran, President Obama might perhaps first posture dramatically, but then move quickly to exploit the perceived crisis in order to get Iran to solemnly agree to go no further than "threshold nuclear State," just like Japan.
For this (likely worthless) commitment from Iran, he might try to pay in gold coin, i.e. by denuclearizing Israel's defense. Namely, President Obama is perhaps planning to trade off Israel's nuclear weapons for a piece of paper promising that Iran would stop short of actually building a nuclear bomb. If so, this would dovetail with the President's strong emphasis on gradually creating "a world without nuclear weapons" and the relevant regional reference in his June 2009 Cairo speech.
Shafting Israel in the cause of "international peace"? Sounds like something that would be wildly popular in the Muslim World and among left-liberals in the USA and globally. Though Gallup continues to show that Israel is the Mideast country that Americans view most favorably (72%), President Obama's gambit would have that angle of peace-loving plausibility likely to appeal to some USA independents. Such a "peace" policy would also help him continue his stubborn efforts to divide Jewish Americans from Jews in Israel. And, it might even win him a second Nobel Prize.
In this same diplomatic constellation, President Obama might perhaps try to compel Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights to buy Iran's consent to some sort of a peaceful outcome in Syria. If so, the measure could be proposed by the USA and agreed by the other countries currently negotiating with Iran. These are collectively called the P5+1, i.e. the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany.
Part of this ambitious package might perhaps also be creation of a new Palestinian State in Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank (Judea and Samaria). But, we should also recall that President Obama has several times specifically promised a "contiguous" Palestine. Thus, there might be an attempt to equip the new Arab country with a land bridge linking Gaza with the West Bank; or Israel might even lose all the Negev. If so, this radical truncation might perhaps be imposed to "preserve the peace of the world," via agreement of Iran and the P5+1.
Once the fate of the Jewish State is to be decided entirely by foreigners, who knows what would happen and where it would end? For example, with an eye to the safety of the citizens of Tel Aviv, remember that controversial references to “international peace and security” were also used to justify extraordinary NATO bombing of Belgrade in 1999. That strange military operation was designed to force the government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia) to surrender multi-ethnic Kosovo to Muslim Albanians. Pertinent to the Jewish People's longstanding claim to Judea and Samaria, Kosovo was during the Middle Ages the hallowed homeland of the Serbian People. Perhaps the prospect of helping Muslim Palestinians by applying similar military pressure to Israel was exactly what motivated President Obama to choose, as Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel who was widely known as cold to the Jewish State.
Despite the camouflage, President Obama really is making every effort to do to Israel in 2014, what was done to Czechoslovakia in 1938. This message was already a subtle subtext in his June 2009 Cairo speech. From his first day in office, President Obama was tenaciously targeting Israel not Iran. In essence, President Obama always intended to spin the Iran crisis into a device for rendering Israel virtually defenseless -- just as in 1938 Czechoslovakia was strategically crippled by the cession of the Sudetenland.
If so, there is cynical dissimulation in President Obama's frequent trumpeting of both Israel's "right to exist" and a promise to always back the "security" of the Jewish State. Such sly equivocation would be fully consistent with the existence of nothing more than a truncated Israel, the security of which then would really have to depend mostly on USA mercy.
Is there a better explanation for President Obama's stunning assessment that the three separate negotiations are likely to fail and for his curious claim of interconnection of the substantive matters touching Syria, Iran and Israel? If so, I would be relieved to know it. But if not, this word to the wise should suffice.
Posted by Allen Z. Hertz at 10:46 AM 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: Iran nuclear weapons, Israel nuclear weapons, Mideast linkage, Obama's Mideast policy, Palestine, USA-Israel relations
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Life origin
World of translation : Science and Technology
150 years after the publication of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species, remains a question which the great scientist was not able to answer. How the first living being, which gave the rise to the origin of species on Earth was formed? In his work the English biologist escapes of answer, possibly due to lack of sufficient evidences and, perhaps because of his religious ideas. 1.5 century has already passed but still there is no convincing arguments in favor of any of this theories, but there are two opposite directions, supporters of one of which say that the primary form of life was emerged on the Earth, when the planet was still quite young. Others defend the theory of panspermia, and does not have a doubts, that life came from the space. According to the astronomers of Cardiff University (UK), the probability that life originated in outer space, is 28 times higher than the probability of its occurrence in the Earth. In their opinion, the universe is filled with cellular forms of life, located inside the comet, as in peculiar trap. About 38 billion years ago, one of these comets shattered into pieces, after the facing with the Earth's atmosphere. Although most of the bacteria have died then, their smaller part survived this long "journey" and marked the beginning of life on the Earth. According to supporters of the theory of panspermia bacteria, "floating" in space dust of the Universe are another argument in favor of extraterrestrial origin of life. This hypothesis is supported by the results of studies, that have shown that bacterias can withstand the extreme conditions similar to those in which they are located when they making the interstellar "flights."
The researcher of Autonomous University of Madrid, Ricardo Amils says: "A few years ago, starting a conversation about panspermia could lead to the fact that your colleagues would stop to say hello to you". Then he adds: "Today, no one smiles when you raise the issue". Amils studies the behavior of the bacteria, which are living in the Red River at Huelva (Spain). Environment in which they live is so huge, that it serves a great base for studies about the possible existence of primitive life on Mars. According to the expert, the life - is the phenomenon that is much more stable and enduring than was previously believed, and numerous studies have shown that some microorganisms can survive without problems in their space "travels". The disadvantage of the theory of panspermia is that it does not explain how the first bacterias, which came to the Earth were formed.
Many experts believe that the first spark of life flashed just in the Earth. This was exactly what Darwin presented as a hypothesis in a letter to his friend Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1871. He briefly described him hypothetical little warm pool with ammonia and other chemical substances, among which light or electricity could generate a reaction that leads to the appearance of the first protein. In turn, these compounds, could form other, more complicated forms, and so on until the formation of the primitive protocells.
Jack Szostak - a researcher of Harvard University (USA) says: " Darwin was right about a small pool, because, unlike the ocean, these small areas of water can dry, store chemicals, change the temperature and be subjected to other, necessary for life changes". His laboratory is one of the most advanced in the reproduction of chemical reactions that could lead to the first cell. Also Jack Szostak says: "But no one can guarantee that the primitive cell, created in the laboratory, will be the same as that one, which appeared on the Earth about 3.5 billion years ago. We can never know with precision what has actually happened".
Video: "Introduction to the Origin of Life"
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Fallen Heroes Memorial Dedication
Scripture reminds us that “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13) And so it is with members of the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office who sacrificed their lives so that citizens of Washington Parish can live in peace.
A campaign promise to honor a fallen hero, Deputy Sheriff Oneal Moore, evolved into a day of celebration to honor the memories of seven Sheriff’s Office officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. Sheriff Randy Seal will sponsor a Fallen Heroes Memorial Day on Wednesday, May 15. The ceremony will begin on the courthouse steps and then move to the lobby of the Sheriff’s Office where a Fallen Heroes Memorial will be unveiled. A bronze plaque honoring each fallen officer will be unveiled and remain on permanent display as a testimony to the sacrifices made by a few for all of us.
Since 1899, seven Washington Parish officers have been killed.
On April 7, 1899, Sheriff Henry S. Burkhalter, age 45, was riding with a posse in search of murder suspects when he was accidentally shot and killed by one of his own deputies. Sheriff Burkhalter was survived by his wife and six children.
The next deaths occurred twenty-four years later when two deputy sheriffs were killed while attempting to arrest two men for making moonshine. One of the suspects produced a handgun and shot and killed Deputy Sheriff Wiley Pierce, age 42, and Deputy Sheriff Robert Wesley Crain, age 35. The deputies were shot on March 3, 1923, the two men were convicted of murder on March 23, 1923, and one of the men was hanged on August 31, 1923. Deputy Pierce was survived by his wife and six children. Deputy Crain was survived by his wife and four children.
Eleven years later, on July 21, 1934, Deputy Sheriff Delos C. Wood, age 61, was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man at the man’s home. The man was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, but before the sentence could be carried out, an angry mob stormed the jail and shot him to death. Deputy Wood was survived by his wife.
No other line of duty deaths occurred for the next thirty-one years, until Deputy Sheriff Oneal Moore, age 34, was ambushed and killed while on patrol, a tragic event which focused the attention of the world on Washington Parish. On June 2, 1965, a pickup truck pulled alongside the patrol car and an occupant in the bed of the truck shot and killed Deputy Moore and seriously injured his partner, Deputy Creed Rogers. This is a unique case in that Deputy Moore was the first black deputy in Washington Parish, two men were arrested as suspects but never tried, and the murder was investigated by the FBI which assigned the case in 2009 to its Civil Rights Era Cold Case Initiative. As of this date, no one has been tried for this horrendous crime. Deputy Moore was survived by his wife and four daughters.
Forty years passed before the death of Deputy Sheriff Jeffery Bickham, age 43, on September 20, 2005. Deputy Bickham was killed when he was pinned between his patrol car and another vehicle. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.
On December 6, 2006, Deputy Sheriff Yvonne Pettit was on duty when she was shot and killed by her estranged husband who then was shot and killed by Deputy Pettit’s partner. She was survived by five children.
More details about the deaths of these fine officers can be found online at www.odmp.org.
Sheriff Seal stated, “It has been an honor to develop this memorial for the fine officers who sacrificed their lives on behalf of all citizens of Washington Parish. Donations have come in from inside and outside of Washington Parish to make this possible. I pray that the Fallen Heroes Memorial will provide comfort and healing not only to the families of these fine officers but also to all citizens of our beloved parish. I personally invite each person to join me in this solemn celebration of the lives of our Fallen Heroes.”
The public is encouraged to attend the May 15 event at 10:00 a.m. This will be a special time for all to gather in memory of those who laid down their lives for their friends.
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