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Posted by: APO | 5 January 2015
Ebola Survivors Across West Africa Share Life-Saving Tips Via Mobile App
‘Yes, I Survived Ebola’ Says Guinean Woman in First-Ever Message Sent Through the Interactive App
CONAKRY, Guinea, January 5, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — #ISurvivedEbola (http://www.isurvivedebola.org), the groundbreaking West African multimedia campaign, has launched a new, interactive mobile app that allows Ebola survivors to connect with each other, share public health advice, and update the world on the challenges they still face during their post-recovery lives.
Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/tackleebola.png
The innovative digital tool debuted in Guinea on January 5. It is being piloted by the first Guinean survivor to share her story with the #ISurvivedEbola campaign. The updates from the app appear on the newly launched #ISurvivedEbola website (http://www.isurvivedebola.org), which also houses the stories of a growing community of Ebola survivors from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.
In the first-ever message sent via the mobile app, Camara “Fanta” Fantaoulen of Guinea stated in French, “Yes, I survived Ebola, thanks to the help of the brave healthcare workers who treated me. And I’ve learned that together, we can defeat this virus and protect our families and communities.”
After losing her father and five other family members to suspected or confirmed Ebola, Fanta believed her death was imminent when she tested positive for the virus. Thanks to a combination of early treatment, strict adherence to her treatment plan, and sheer determination, Fanta recovered from the virus and is now providing psychosocial support to Ebola patients.
View Fanta’s survivor story video here: A Pillar of Strength and Support for Fellow Ebola Victims: Fanta’s Story of Survival and Solidarity: https://vimeo.com/115735196
The mobile app is the latest component of the #ISurvivedEbola campaign, which leverages survivor stories from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea to deliver vital public health information about Ebola to affected populations, and to reduce the stigma faced by Ebola survivors. A key way in which the campaign does this is by documenting survivor stories in video, audio, and print formats; then disseminating these stories broadly via local, national, and international media, online platforms, and other distribution channels. Educational radio dramas that tell fictional yet reality-based stories of survival, and radio call-in shows that feature Ebola survivors as guests, are among the equally important campaign activities.
Funded by Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions in response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa, #ISurvivedEbola is part of the #TackleEbola initiative (http://www.tackleebola.com) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation’s commitment of at least $100 million for Ebola relief. The campaign is implemented by PCI Media Impact in collaboration with UNICEF.
Carole Tomko, General Manager and Creative Director of Vulcan Productions, states, “The mobile app really changes the face of this campaign by empowering the people of West Africa to share stories about Ebola and survivorship with each other and the world. The app gives a human face to survivorship and has the potential to create a sense of community in which the survivors, rather than being stigmatized, become leaders and heroes in this fight. The new digital components of the campaign extend our reach beyond West Africa, allowing these very moving, personal stories to be seen and heard globally.”
Currently, campaign staff in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea are providing each survivor who has shared his or her story through the campaign with a smartphone installed with the app, thereby enabling these individuals to use the technology to share information about their lives after recovery. The smartphones and the app were provided and developed with support from the charity fundraising website GlobalGiving. Campaign staff expect survivors in all three countries to begin utilizing the app within two weeks. The mobile app updates will be shared globally on the newly launched #ISurvivedEbola website.
With the release of the app and launch of the website, the #ISurvivedEbola campaign has completed Phase I of its roll-out in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. With active distribution of campaign products across radio, print, digital, and video platforms in West Africa and beyond, the #ISurvivedEbola campaign is also continuing to add stories of hope and resilience to the world’s focus on the Ebola outbreak. These stories include two additional survivor story videos from survivors in Liberia and Sierra Leone, respectively.
The latest Liberia video introduces the world to Decontee Davis, a 23-year-old who overcame Ebola but lost her fiancé to the virus. Decontee now works in an Interim Care Center for children who have come in contact with Ebola patients and are under 21 days of observation. Many of these children have lost one or both parents to the disease. In the new Sierra Leone video, audiences meet Aminata Kargbo, a university student who, after surviving Ebola, has arisen as a leader in efforts to educate her fellow countrymen and women on the benefits of early treatment.
View the two new videos here: Mother of Many: Ebola Survivor Decontee’s Mission to Help Children Touched by the Outbreak (https://vimeo.com/115734700), and The Power of Early Treatment: Aminata’s Story of Ebola Survival and How She is Using it to Help Others (https://vimeo.com/115734353)
“The campaign is really accelerating, especially in the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak,” said Sean Southey, CEO of PCI Media Impact. “We began in early December with the launch of the campaign and release of the first survivor video (https://vimeo.com/113323185) out of Liberia. Then, the campaign launched educational Ebola-focused radio programs in Liberia and released the premier survivor story out of Sierra Leone (https://vimeo.com/115082561). Now, we have activated the mobile app, released the first survivor story out of Guinea, and launched a website that will allow concerned citizens throughout the world to join the movement.”
The multiple #ISurvivedEbola campaign products and activities are reinforcing the existing work being done by organizations like UNICEF in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea to spread key messages on Ebola to the public.
“While treatment of Ebola patients is critical, the best way to end the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is to cut the chain of transmission and prevent further infections,” said Rafael Obregon, Chief of the Communication for Development Section at UNICEF. “As the global UN lead for the Social Mobilization Pillar of the Ebola response in West Africa, UNICEF is at the helm of efforts to stop transmission by working with national governments and partners to educate the public in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea about how to protect themselves, their families, and their communities from the virus. #ISurvivedEbola is reinforcing our efforts by providing this information in multiple, highly entertaining forms, including through the testimonies of actual survivors.”
Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of #TackleEbola.
CONTACT: Carolyn Kindelan, Communications Manager, PCI Media Impact
ckindelan@mediaimpact.org, +1-757-675-2110
Carolyn is available to respond to media queries about #ISurvivedEbola and to liaise with campaign staff on the ground in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
Link to the #ISurvivedEbola campaign on Facebook: (http://www.facebook.com/ISurvivedEbola.org)
Download videos for the #ISurvivedEbola campaign: (http://www.vimeo.com/isurvivedebola)
Download audio for radio: (https://soundcloud.com/isurvivedebola)
Download photographs of Ebola survivors: (https://www.flickr.com/people/isurvivedebola)
Follow the new #ISurvivedEbola campaign on Twitter @SurvivedEbola (http://www.facebook.com/ISurvivedEbola.org), and on Instagram @isurvivedebola (http://instagram.com/isurvivedebola), and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ISurvivedEbola.org.
Follow the #TackleEbola campaign at http://www.tackleebola.com.
Founded by philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen and Jody Allen, Vulcan Productions (http://www.vulcanproductions.com/index.html) produces compelling feature films, television series, specials, and digital content and creates outreach initiatives designed to inspire people to take action on the critical issues of our time. Vulcan Productions is committed to supporting projects of significance that ignite progress and motivate audiences to generate measurable impact on the world. As part of a comprehensive relief campaign through which the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has committed at least $100 million to stop the spread of Ebola, Vulcan Productions is engaged in media partnerships that bring life-saving information to populations who are most affected by this global public health crisis. Current media partners in the campaign are BBC Media Action (http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaaction) and CNN, with the production of The Unseen Enemy, a feature documentary that explores the global impact of pandemics. Vulcan Productions projects have won numerous awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award, the Emmy Award, the Grammy Award, the Wildscreen Panda Award, and the Sheffield Doc/Fest Green Award. Acclaimed films and series from the Vulcan Productions group include We The Economy (http://www.vulcanproductions.com/projects/detail/we-the-economy.html), Pandora’s Promise (http://www.vulcanproductions.com/projects/detail/we-the-economy.html), Girl Rising (http://www.vulcanproductions.com/projects/detail/girl-rising.html), Success at the Core (http://www.vulcanproductions.com/projects/detail/success-at-the-core.html), Hard Candy (http://www.vulcanproductions.com/projects/detail/hard-candy.html), The Blues (http://www.vulcanproductions.com/projects/detail/the-blues.html), and Racing Extinction (http://www.racingextinction.com).
About PCI Media Impact:
PCI Media Impact (http://www.mediaimpact.org) is an international leader in the Entertainment-Education (E-E) field, leveraging the combined power of the media and the inspiration of storytelling to change communities around the world. In its 29 years of work with partners, PCI Media Impact has produced more than 5,000 episodes of 100 E-E radio and television programs that increase knowledge, change attitudes, and facilitate behavior change on some of today’s most pressing issues. Topics of these programs have included HIV/AIDS prevention, reproductive and sexual health, child and maternal survival, human rights, sustainable development, and now, Ebola prevention. These productions have reached more than 1 billion people in 45 countries to date.
About UNICEF:
UNICEF (http://www.unicef.org) promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in 190 countries and territories around the world, with a special focus on reaching those in greatest need. As the UN’s dedicated agency for children, UNICEF’s programs and humanitarian actions address the full range of issues affecting children: from survival and development to protection and participation. To advance its goals, UNICEF collaborates with partners to harness the power of communication and social networks to make a positive difference in the lives of children, their families, and their communities. Using Communication for Development (C4D) principles and practice, UNICEF promotes the use of a judicious mix of participatory communication strategies and approaches in order to increase the impact of development programs and enhance the ability of families and communities to achieve results for children and realize their rights. Click here for more information on C4D at UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org/cbsc/
#TackleEbola
Posted in AFRICA / AFRIQUE, Guinea, HEA Healthcare/Hospitals, IDC Infectious Disease Control, Libéria, Sierra Leone, TLS Telecommunications
« Somalie – Attentat à proximité de l’aéroport de Mogadiscio (4 janvier 2015)
Des personnes ayant survécu à Ebola en Afrique de l’Ouest donnent des conseils permettant de sauver des vies via des applications mobiles »
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Nonviolent Resistance
“Refusing to be Enemies”, an exclusive video interview with Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta at the Peoples Social Forum 2014
Refusing to be Enemies: Palestinian and Israeli Nonviolent Resistance to the Israeli Occupation is an interview-based study that presents the voices of over 100 practitioners and theorists of nonviolence, the vast majority either Palestinian or Israeli. In their own words, these activists share examples of effective nonviolent campaigns and discuss obstacles encountered in their pursuit of a just peace. Attention is also devoted to the special challenges of joint struggle and to hopes and visions for a shared future in the region. OFFICIAL WORDPRESS BLOG
PATHS TO PEACE
by Eduardo Carli de Moraes / Awestruck Wanderer
While the People’s Social Forum was taking place in Ottawa, between August 21 and 24, the bloodbath in Gaza was still raging. Even mass demonstrations and rallies, held in several cities all around the world (London, Cape Town, New York, Toronto, and many others), couldn’t stop Zionism’s genocidal machine, which once again bombed Palestine with total disregard for basic human rights. Many protests were voiced during the Forum against Israel’s regime, which is backed-up in North America not only by the United States but also by Stephen Harper’s regime in Canada (watch Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines with Avi Lewis).
According to the latest report from UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees), dated September 11, 2014, at least “503 Palestinian children are confirmed killed” and “the cumulative death toll among Palestinians is at least 2,150, including 260 women. It is reported that the cumulative Israeli fatality toll is 71, of whom 66 were soldiers and one civilian fatality was a child.”
The huge disparity between the two sides of this “conflict” makes it almost obscene to call it anything but genocide. Let’s drop the euphemisms: Israel has obviously attacked once again not only military targets or Hamas militants; it has engaged in mass killings of Palestine’s civil population. Gaza, once again, looks like Guernica, but with no Picasso to paint it. Its infrastructure has been blown to smithereens, including hospitals, schools, power plants, universities and thousands of houses. The excuse for all this is, of course, The War On Terror, which seems to permit acts of unspeakable terror as means to attain victory over terrorists…
Anyone who deems justifiable the murder of more than 500 children and 260 women is nothing but a dangerous psychopath, and the doctrine of “collateral damage” is but the lunacy of serial killers which unfortunately hold State power. To put it plainly: these were monstruous war crimes and repeated violations of Human Rights, which the state of Israel can only get away with because of its Western allies:
“Israel’s staunchest political and military ally is and always has been the US government. The US government has blocked, along with Israel, almost every UN resolution that sought a peaceful, equitable solution to the conflict. It has supported almost every war that Israel has fought. When Israel attacks Palestine, it is American missiles that smash through Palestinian homes. And every year Israel receives several billion dollars from the US.
What lessons should we draw from this tragic conflict? Is it really impossible for Jewish people who suffered so cruelly themselves — more cruelly perhaps than any other people in history — to understand the vulnerability and the yearning of those whom they have displaced? Does extreme suffering always kindle cruelty? What hope does this leave the human race with?” – ARUNDHATI ROY [Read the full post, including 3 documentaries]
During the Peoples Social Forum, I’ve listened carefully to a highly captivating lecture by Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta, author of Refusing to Be Enemies, and afterwards she was kind enough to grant this blog an exclusive interview (watch at the end of this post). She is “a Quaker Jew who lived in Jerusalem for seven years and has written widely on Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent activism and related topics”.
What’s fascinating about Maxine’s work is how devoted she is to the discovery of paths to peaceful coexistence among Palestinians and Israelis. More than one hundred people were interviewed by her about the whys and hows of their choice for nonviolent resistance. Veronica Cohen, for example, states: “Violence begets more violence. I’m morally and tactically opposed to violence.”
This is a common thread of non-violent activists: they refuse to add more fuel to the fire of violence both because they deem it morally wrong (killing people in order to reach peace: isn’t this a sick interpretation of the doctrine of “the end justifies the means”?) and because it doesn’t work pragmatically (it provides the enemy an excuse for violent retaliation). Nuri el-Okbi, a Bedouin Israeli activist, sums it up beautifully: “One who is right does not need to use violence. Every drop of blood that is spilt is a sad waste.” Similarly, Jean Zaru, Palestinian Quaker, argues: “Violence dehumanizes the powerful and the powerless. Nonviolent resistance is the only way to bring transformation.”
Nonviolent resistance has many faces: civil disobedience, boycotts, demonstrations, hunger strikes, and so on and so forth. Mass media in the West usually depicts Palestinian resistance as relying heavily on terrorism and violence, but Maxine argues that we shouldn’t believe that Hamas-way is the only way: the bulk of the resistance against the systemic Zionist violence and military occupation is a non-violent resistance, including simply refusing to leave. She mentions, for instance, the movements in Gaza and the West Bank who oppose Israel’s invasive policy which aims to grab Palestinian territories, demolish Palestinian homes and build Jewish settlements, in explicit violation of International Law.
During the Second Intifada, in 2000, Maxine jokes that she was “a little bit older to be blocking bulldozers”. She is not alone in feeling that throwing rocks and molotovs against the Israeli’s war tanks will hardly serve the purpose of building lasting peaceful relations in the area. Refusing to Be Enemies attempts to provide various nonviolent ways to fight against Israel’s policies, including non-cooperation with institutions of the occupation and attacks made not against the living bodies of Israelis, but on the separating walls and barbed-wire fences that stink like Apartheid.
While discussing the “rockets” fired by Hamas militants into Israeli territory, which serves as a justification for Israel’s war of aggression against Gaza, Maxine suggested quite a radical approach: “I like the idea of firing rockets at the wall instead of over the wall.” If I understood her well, she means that the walls of Apartheid needs to be brought down and that dialogue and co-existence are the way to go.
As long as Israel isolates itself behind the walls of a bunker state, and refuses to acknowledge the rights of Palestinians to lead normal lives, without being crushed by military occupation and genocidal aggression, the cycle of violence won’t stop. An attitude of openness is needed, then; an ability to respect otherness, to relate healthly with difference. My doubt is, however, if this is possible in a context of religious creeds dogmatically believed in. Perhaps the path to peace lies only in moving away from fundamentalism and fanaticism, and into the realm of a secular democracy which respects and protects multi-culturalism?
Huwaida Arraf (ISM), from the Free Gaza Movement, argues: “If you want to fight Mike Tyson, you’re not going to do it in the boxing ring.” The military power of Israel, with all the aid it receives both in cash and weaponry from the U.S., makes it a Mike Tyson, unbeatable on the boxing ring, and that’s one of the reasons why nonviolent resistance is the chosen path by many activists, who inspire themselves on the examples, practices and theories of Gandhi, Thoreau or Gene Sharp.
Among the Israelis, there are many who refuse to serve the Army, even though they can be jailed for that. Peretz Kidron, one of this refuseniks, explains his choice of refusing to follow the orders of the military authorities: “I will not obey a law who is part of a broader policy and exemplifies it in a nutshell. It’s like Gandhi going down to beach to make his own salt. It was illegal. It wasn’t violent but it was deliberately flouting the law and inviting prosecution.”
A significant number of both Israelis and Palestinians are involved in nonviolent resistance, argues Maxine, and they use their criativity to come up with innovative ways to act, including writing protest songs with satyrical lyrics, refusing to engage in battle (and accepting disagreements to be dealt with through dialogue discussion), or wearing the colors of the Palestinian flag as a sign of solidarity with the independence struggle. The international community can also join this struggle by boycotting corporations whose cumplicity with Israel’s war crimes are proved: a large movement calling for Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) has gained momentum in 2014 as Gaza was under attack, and mass demonstrations have erupted all around the world, as the streets screamed out their solidarity with the Palestinian people. Global civil society is also a player in this nonviolent resistance movement and we must voice our outrage with all global powers who have blood in their hands.
It’s possible that the World Wide Web is truly helping out in the job of re-shaping international solidarity: while people were been slaughtered in Gaza by the hundreds, the Internet was flooding with reactions. Quickly, protest movements have come to life whose efficacy and immediacy would be unthinkable without the use of social media as tools. Sadly, 2014 is another tragic year for Mankind (we still haven’t managed to give peace a chance), but maybe there’s reason to be hopeful that Marshall McLuhan prophecy about the Global Village is becoming flesh: Gaza doesn’t stand alone. Its suffering is not being ignored. War crimes and Human Rights violations won’t be forgotten. It’s our collective duty to struggle to find paths to peace amidst these endless turmoils of violence. However, the question remains: will those who refuse to be enemies one day outnumber or overpower those who refuse to be friends?
In the following video, Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta provides some of her insights about these matters and how could we built another world by refusing to be enemies:
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Al Jazeera, Apartheid, Arundhati Roy, Avi Lewis, Ethnic Cleansing, Fault Lines, Gandhi, Gene Sharp, Genocide, Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta, Military Occupation of Palestine, Nonviolent Resistance, Pacifism, Peoples Social Forum 2014, Refuseniks, Refusing to be Enemies: Palestinian and Israeli Nonviolent Resistance to the Israeli Occupation, Thoreau, UNRWA, War on Terror, Warsaw Ghetto, Zionism | 1 Comment
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Zapatista National Liberation Army
Theather in Toronto: a review of Bertolt Brecht’s “Rifles” @ Next Stage Festival, January 2014, Factory Theathe
Synopsis: “In the midst of the Spanish Civil War, Senora Carrar refuses to pick sides: her husband died in combat and she’s determined to keep her two sons alive and out of the conflict. But as Franco’s army marches towards their village, her resolve is challenged.”
Based on Bertolt Brecht’s
Señora Carrar’s Rifles
Written by Nicolas Billon and directed by Michael Wheeler.
Cast: Kate Hennig, Ben Sanders, Cyrus Lane, Araya Mengesha and more.
Seen at The Next Stage Theatre Festival,January 18th,
at The Factory Theatre in Toronto.
Article by Eduardo Carli de Moraes:
Bertolt Brecht‘s work is almost unanimously considered one of the best in 20th century’s dramaturgy. In 1952, Hannah Arendt hailed Brecht as “beyond a doubt the greatest living German poet and possibly the greatest living European playwright”. She was not alone in praising him: an intelectual of the stature of Walter Benjamin also cherished Brecht’s oeuvre and these “independly-minded Marxists” met in the 1920s, becoming involved in a dialogue and correspondence that is really worthwhile to get acquainted it. Toronto’s 2014 Next Stage Theatre Festival has honoured Brecht accordingly with an intense and lively staging of his 1937 play “Señora Carrar’s Rifles”.
Rifles is an one-act play with a minimalist setting: the whole action takes place inside a Spanish household during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Inside this house, wounded by a bullet and with a broken arm, lies in bed a British writer, Eric Blair, worldwidely known by his nom de plume George Orwell (1903-1950), who would publish Homage to Catalonia about his experience in war-drenched Spain. In Brecht’s play, while Orwell waits to be taken to a hospital, he spits words of rage: “I would fight the fascists with only one arm!”
In Carrar’s home, while the sound of bullets and battle are heard all around, a heated controversy arises. In an historical situation such as this, with Fascism gaining terrain in Europe (Hitler was in power since 1933 in Germany, and Mussolini since 1922 in Italy…), what would be the best decision for the common people: to take arms and join the militias that are resisting the fascists? Or to stay unarmed and neutral, just observing the events without actively engaging in them?
If Rifles was a movie, it could be shot in one single take, inside an apartment, similarly to Hitchcock’s Rope or Tommy Lee Jones’s The Sunset Limited. But, despite the fact that Brecht’s play focus his attention only at the Carrar’s home (this play could be called a “chamber piece”), it’s amazing how public matters flood in from all sides, attacking the Carrar’s house like a snowstorm, until it becomes impossible for the family to retreat into private life.
The drama is centered on the mother of the family, recently widowed by the civil war: her husband has been killed in combat by Franco’s soldiers, and now she’s determined to forbid their two sons of following the same path. Señora Carrar has had enough of emotional loss and is convinced that her family should completely withdraw from battle. Then enters the scene Señora’s Carrar brother, who has joined the anti-fascist militias: he comes to get the rifles that are hidden in a trunk of the Carrar’s household. Brother and sister then engage in a heated debate, until bloody events leads them to agree on the necessary course of action.
The ethical dilemma proposed by Brecht is one of the enduring virtues of this work-of-art, which still has so much to say to audiences nowadays. One of the greatest dialogues in the play opposes Señora’s Carrar brother and the priest of the village, Francisco. The warrior in the militias, defending the need for the people to rise in arms against General Franco’s killing machine, clashes against the pacifist of the clergy who praises resignation and unresistance. This debate is still alive today – for example, in Mexico, where the Zapatista uprising has resorted to armed struggle against neoliberalism, imperialism and ethnocide since January 1st, 1994: the EZLN (Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional), according to its leader Subcomandante Marcos, has decided that the only way they had to be heard was to get armed, an defends this choice by claiming this the path to empowerment that the powerless had to take in order to no longer by crushed by capitalism’s devastating powers.
Brecht’s message, in Rifles, seems to be that pacifism can’t be seen as an absolute ethical value, to be defended in all circumstances, with no possible exception. This play written in the 1930s seems to state that there are historical circumstances in which it’s almost impossible to discern between pacifism and complicity with a genocidal dictartoship. Those who do nothing are being simply “neutral”, or is neutrality a fallacy, a mask that cowardice hides behind?
In an excellent study about concentration camps and gulags, Tzvetan Todotov’s Facing The Extreme, the author asks the question: could the genocidal machinery of the III Reich be stopped by any other way than by the an armed struggle against it? What would have happened to Europe, and especially to its Jewish population, if France, England and U.S.A. had chosen the path of pacifism? Todorov’s impressive description of the up-rising in the Jewish ghettos of Warsaw, in 1943, leads the reader to a similiar state of mind than the one aroused by Brecht’s play: is it better to walk sheepishly to the slaghterhouse, or is it better to fight until death in the resistance?
In Brecht’s Rifles, Señora Carrara starts the play believing that the fascists “can be reasoned with” and that pacifism (or neutrality) is the best course of action. But when innocent and beloved blood gets spilled all over her face, once again, she experiences a sudden transformation, not unlikely the one that Lars Von Trier’s Grace (Nicole Kidman) goes through by the last acts of Dogville (2003) – perhaps the most Brechtian movie filmed in our century. After witnessing too many murderous acts by Franco’s genocidal regime, she finally decides that the rifles shouldn’t be left rusting inside the trunks. In an Orwellian twist of events, she goes outdoors to fight the fascists with her whole family. What will happen from this moment on, Brecht prefers not to reveal us: we’re left to wonder and debate about it after the curtains have dropt.
Posted in Literature & Poetry, Philosophy, Politics, Theatre & Dramaturgy, Writers | Tagged 20th Century History, Bertolt Brecht, Dogville (2003), Dramaturgy, EZLN, Facing the Extreme (book), Fascism, General Franco, Hannah Arendt, Hitler, Homage to Catalonia, III Reich, Lars Von Trier, Marxism, Mussolini, Nicole Kidman's character Grace, Pacifism, Philosophy, Politics, Rifles (Next Stage Theatre Festival), Senõra Carrara's Rifles (1937 play), Social Science, Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), Theatre, Toronto Fringe, Toronto's Factory Theathe at Bathurst Street, Tzetan Todorov, Walter Benjamin, Zapatista National Liberation Army, Zapatistas | Leave a comment
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Tag: logo
Center Stage Unveils New Name, Logo and Website
Ed Gunts
In preparation for its grand reopening after a $28 million renovation, Center Stage has unveiled an updated name, a new logo and a new website.
Johns Hopkins Deals with an Identity Crisis
Last month, Johns Hopkins unveiled its brand-new logo. That may not sound like a big deal, but when you consider that the university comprises two dozen schools, research centers, and institutes, each with its own constituents and aesthetics, the task starts to seem quite a bit more complex.
The Return of the Cartoon Bird
Robert M. O'Brien
The down-on-their-luck Orioles might be looking to recapture a little magic from their glory days. They’ve unveiled their 2012 uniforms, which include caps that feature a variation on the cartoon bird logo from the seventies and eighties, and an orange jersey (which hasn’t been worn since the O’s moved from Memorial Stadium to Camden Yards in 1992) to be worn for select home games.
Fans either love the change, or they like the old cartoon bird but not the white-panel cap, or they think that the “ornithological” oriole is far classier, or they would prefer to have both bird logos in use and drop the “O’s” caps, or they would welcome a logo change, but one that looks to the future instead of the past, or they don’t care what the players wear as long as they start winning.
Well, if classic jerseys and caps can’t help them turn it around, they could always try playing games outside of the YMCA in Waverly.
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Libertarian Party ticket: Is Bill Weld in or out?
By Tim Forkes · October 27, 2016 · 3 Comments
In a stunning statement that caught the eye of many people following the presidential campaigns, the Libertarian Party vice presidential candidate Bill Weld (Massachusetts) appeared to concede the election with a written statement on the Johnson-Weld campaign website. Authored by Gov. Weld, it said “joining Gov. Johnson in the campaign has been an honor,” but he now fears for the country if Donald Trump were to be elected president. The Johnson-Weld campaign has since denied Weld is dropping out.
Below is his statement in full, which can also be viewed on their website. The Communication Director’s response — which is also on the campaign website — is below. Is Gov. Weld in or out?
•••• •••• ••••• •••• ••••
“It is a privilege and an honor to participate in this year’s national election campaign. I am grateful to Governor Gary Johnson for the opportunity to do so. Under Governor Johnson’s leadership the Libertarian Party has made great strides in this election cycle. Gary and I will carry our message of fiscal responsibility, social inclusion, and smaller government through November 8, and I hope that this election cycle will secure for the Libertarian Party a permanent place in our national political dialogue.
“We are making strides toward breaking the two party monopoly, and America will be stronger when we do, but given the position of the Commission on Presidential Debates, the deck is still stacked against even a credible third party ticket with two proven former Governors.
“Against that backdrop, I would like to address myself to all those in the electorate who remain torn between two so-called major party candidates whom they cannot enthusiastically support. I’m speaking particularly to those Republicans who feel that our President should exhibit commonly accepted standards of decency and discipline.
“I would not have stepped out of the swirl of the campaign to make this statement if I did not fear for our country, as I do.
“A President of the United States operates every day under a great deal of pressure — from all sides, and in furtherance of many different agendas. With that pressure comes constant criticism.
“After careful observation and reflection, I have come to believe that Donald Trump, if elected President of the United States, would not be able to stand up to this pressure and this criticism without becoming unhinged and unable to perform competently the duties of his office.
“Mr. Trump has some charisma and panache, and intellectual quickness. These qualities can be entertaining. Yet more than charisma, more even than intellectual ability, is required of a serious candidate for this country’s highest office. A serious candidate for the Presidency of the United States must be stable, and Donald Trump is not stable.
“Throughout this campaign, Mr. Trump has demonstrated an inability to handle criticism or blame well. His first instinct is to lash out at others. When challenged, he often responds as a child might. He makes a sour face, he calls people by insulting names, he waves his arms, he impatiently interrupts. Most families would not allow their children to remain at the dinner table if they behaved as Mr. Trump does. He has not exhibited the self-control, the discipline, or the emotional depth necessary to function credibly as a President of the United States.
“From the beginning of his campaign, Mr. Trump has conjured up enemies. First it was eleven million criminals in our midst, all bent on obtaining the benefits of citizenship, at our expense. Over time, the enemies became any trading partner of the United States. He says they are nothing but foreigners seeking to threaten our livelihoods. Now we have reached the point where his idea of America’s enemies includes almost anyone who talks or looks different from him. The goal of the Trump campaign, from the outset, has been to stir up envy, resentment, and group hatred.
“This is the worst of American politics. I fear for our cohesion as a nation, and for our place in the world, if this man who is unwilling to say he will abide by the result of our national election becomes our President.
“This great nation has weathered policy differences throughout our history, and we will do so again. Not in my lifetime, though, has there been a candidate for President who actually makes me fear for the ultimate well-being of the country, a candidate who might in fact put at risk the solid foundation of America that allows us to endure even ill-advised policies and the normal ebb and flow of politics.
“In the final days of this very close race, every citizen must be aware of the power and responsibility of each individual vote. This is not the time to cast a jocular or feel-good vote for a man whom you may have briefly found entertaining. Donald Trump should not, cannot, and must not be elected President of the United States.”
UPDATE: The Johnson-Weld Campaign Communications Director Joe Hunter released a statement denying Weld had endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton (other websites have made that claim) and they imply Gov. Weld is still on the ticket, although they do not explicitly say that.
In the statement Hunter wrote, “Governor Weld and Governor Johnson are campaigning nonstop, with rallies and appearances scheduled over the next few days across the country from Alaska to Cincinnati, and are fully committed to giving voters the third choice they deserve in this election.
“Any suggestion to the contrary is the product of active imaginations and partisans in both the Republican and Democrat camps who see how many independents, millennials and other disenfranchised voters are looking to the Johnson-Weld ticket as a vote they can cast in good conscience. ”
Makes me wonder: Was this some sort of campaign stunt to get some badly needed coverage in the press? If so it was a bust. None of the major news outlets have covered it. In press interviews Gov. Johnson has displayed an appalling lack of knowledge about important foreign affairs and has displayed erratic behavior. Makes us wonder if he went back on his pledge not to smoke pot during the campaign.
But, like the Clinton-Kaine and Trump-Pence campaigns, the Johnson-Weld campaign still has its supporters who will go on the attack at any hint of reality when the Libertarian candidate is criticized.
Same with the Stein-Baraka campaign. They have little to no (heavy on the “no”) chance of winning even a single electoral vote, and during interviews Jill Stein herself has proven she is woefully unqualified for the Oval Office.
Tim Forkes started as a writer on a small alternative college newspaper in Milwaukee called the Crazy Shepherd. Writing about entertainment issues, he had the opportunity to speak with many people in show business, from the very famous to the people struggling to find an audience. In 1992 Tim moved to San Diego, CA and pursued other interests, but remained a freelance writer. Upon arrival in Southern California he was struck by how the business of government and business was so intertwined, far more so than he had witnessed in Wisconsin. His interest in entertainment began to wane and the business of politics took its place. He had always been interested in politics, his mother had been a Democratic Party official in Milwaukee, WI, so he sat down to dinner with many of Wisconsin’s greatest political names of the 20th Century: William Proxmire and Clem Zablocki chief among them. As a Marine Corps veteran, Tim has a great interest in veteran affairs, primarily as they relate to the men and women serving and their families. As far as Tim is concerned, the military-industrial complex has enough support. How the men and women who serve are treated is reprehensible, while in the military and especially once they become veterans. Tim would like to help change that reality. Contact the author.
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June Genis says:
A dis-endorsement of Trump does not equate to an endorsement of Hillary. To Weld she is obviously the lesser of the two great evils but that doesn’t mean he thinks that she is better than Johnson or that he is telling people to vote for her rather than Johnson. It just means he doesn’t think anyone should vote for Trump.
Great_Timbini says:
The one issue I agree on with Gary Johnson is legalization of cannabis. I really don’t have a problem with Johnson smoking pot.
As far as what I’ve done: As a Marine I did a great many things, like run 5-10 miles five to six days every week, Scuba diving and sky diving and a great many things that would be considered risky activities.
But I’ve watched him in several interviews where issues were discussed and I found Johnson to be a risky choice for president. On the other hand, Bill Weld seems to be a better choice than Gary Johnson. But Weld isn’t at the top of that ticket.
Unkadoug says:
You can call him a pothead, and anybody who disagrees has already been disarmed as one going on the attack whenever he is criticized. Great.
He won’t win, but he’s not stupid. If he gets 5% in the popular vote, then Libertarians get ballot access and federal campaign funds in 2020, so a vote that gets him to 5% isn’t a wasted vote, if you think that the current duopoly is hopelessly corrupt and disfunctional.
So many attack pieces and lies, and so little coverage of Johnson’s history in government, or his positions. He’s not the candidate for everybody, but he sure doesn’t get a fair hearing. He started with nothing and got rich. He got elected and then reelected governor. He climbs mountains and runs marathons. What have you done?
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The Bellisario College of Communications has a rich tradition of fostering integrity and a commitment to ethics and social responsibility. As part of its strategic plan, the College seeks to build upon that tradition. It does so through a fostering of these values among its faculty—through the promotion of ethical inquiry and a concern for the ethical impact of research and creative endeavors. Likewise, it fosters these values among its students—through active engagement with relevant courses and course work and through a pledge and active commitment to the College’s Honor Code.
As part of our effort to promote integrity, ethics and social responsibility, the Bellisario College of Communications hosts an ongoing series of communication ethics events. Please visit this page throughout the year to check for regular updates.
Martin Baron, editor of Washington Post
Freedman Auditorium (HUB)
The executive editor of one of the top national newspapers, who has been involved with an array of Pulitzer Prize-winning work, is set to present the Oweida Lecture in Journalism Ethics at 7 p.m. March 21 in the HUB-Robeson Center’s Freeman Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public
Big Science, Politics and the Press
Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library
Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael Hiltzik, will present a free public lecture titled "Big Science, Politics and the Press." A Los Angeles Times business columnist, Hiltzik is the author of "Big Science -- Ernest Lawrence and the Invention That Launched the Military-Industrial Complex." His presentation and campus visit is sponsored by the Norman Eberly Professsorship.
The Armor of Light
WPSU Studios
Free public event, a screening and panel discussion moderated by Matt Jordan as part of yearlong Talking Together About Guns initiative. The film documents the journey of an evangelical minister trying to find the moral strength to preach about the growing toll of gun violence in America.
Capitalist Kermit and his chubby cousin
A cultural history scholar will discuss how feelings toward American culture changed in several European countries in the 1970s with the advent of Sesame Street on children’s television. Helle Strandgaard Jensen, an assistant professor of contemporary cultural history at Aarhus University in Denmark, will present “Capitalist Kermit and his Chubby Cousin: Sesame Street and the 1970s Transatlantic Battle for Children’s TV." The lecture is presented by the Department of History, the University Libraries, and the College of Communications Pockrass Lectureship at Penn State.
The media politics of Colombia's transition toward peace
Kern Auditorium
A free public lecture focusing on the road ahead for Colombia after the Nov. 29, 2016, peace accord between Columbia's Congress and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), an armed insurgency the government has been fighting since 1964. Lecture by Jose Antequera Guzman, an award-winning activist, author and lawyer. His owrk on human rights and historical memory in Colombia has been highly acclaimed.
For other ethics-related events across the University, please visit the Rock Ethics Institute events page.
Please submit communications ethics-related events to the Page Center's communications strategist Jonathan McVerry (jmac@psu.edu) and Yael Warshel (ywarshel@psu.edu), assistant professor of journalism and telecommunications.
The 2016 campaign: Is it the media’s fault?
Brooke Gladstone, host and managing editor of NPR's "On the Media"
Hintz Family Alumni Center
Free public lecture by Brooke Gladstone, host and managing editor of NPR's "On the Media," which has won numerous awards, including the Bart Richards Award for Media Criticism presented by the College of Communications at Penn State. Gladstone will discuss the current election cycle and the media's role and impact in what's happening with the campaign. She is the recipient of two Peabody Awards, a National Press Club Award and an Overseas Press Club Award. Her visit is sponsored by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy.
Pulitzer Prize panel
Panel: Jacqueline Larma, Associated Press East Coast photo chief; Bill Marimow, editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer; and Barbara Laker and Wendy Ruderman of the Philadelphia Daily News
Schwab Auditorium
In observance of the 100th anniversary of the Pulitzer Prizes, the Department of Journalism presents a panel discussion featuring Pulizer Prize winners with Pennsylvania connections. Panelists are: Jacqueline Larma, Associated Press East Coast photo chief who was part of a photo team that won a Pulitzer in 1995; Bill Marimow, editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who won a Pulitzer for investigative reporting in 1985; and Barbara Laker and Wendy Ruderman of the Philadelphia Daily News, who won a Pulitzer for investigative reporting in 2010.
Foster-Foreman Conference of Distinguished Writers Series
Keynote: Kevin Merida, editor of The Undefeated
Free public session with Kevin Merida, editor of The Undefeated, ESPN's website reporting on issues of sports and race. Merida previously served as managing editor of The Washington Post. He had worked at the Post since 1993 and a series he edited became the book "Being a Black Man: At the Corner of Progress and Peril." He also coauthored a biography of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Elisabeth Rosenthal, editor-in-chief of Kaiser Health News
Freeman Auditorium, HUB-Robeson Center
This free public lecture will feature Elisabeth Rosenthal, editor-in-chief of Kaiser Health News. She previously worked 22 years for The New York Times covering medical issues and authoring an acclaimed crowd-sourced series about the high costs of medical care in the United States.
Oscar-award winning film 'Spotlight'
State Theatre, downtown State College
Screening of Academy Award-winning "Spotlight," followed by a question-and-answer session including Penn State alumnus Tom Ortenberg, an executive producer for the film and CEO of Open Road Films.
The Role of Ethics in Sports
Joel Litvin, former president of league operations for the NBA
Sutliff Auditorium, Lewis Katz Building
Joel Litvin, former president, league operations, for the NBA, will draw on his experience as a lawyer and his 27-year career in the league office for a discussion on sports ethics. The event is sponsored by the Penn State Roundtable on Sports and Society, which includes the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism in the College of Communications. The is free and open to the public.
Lecture by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Carol Guzy
Carol Guzy, a four-time Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist for the Washington Post and native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, will be speaking abour her career and her craft. Her presentation is organized by the Department of Journalism and sponsored by Nikon.
Big Data, Ethics and Philosophy
A Harold K. Schilling Memorial Lecture
Daniel Susser, assistant professor of philosophy at San Jose State University
Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library
A trend has emerged in discussions about privacy, surveillance, and the ethics of big data, wherein a distinction is made between the collection of information about people and the uses to which that information is put. The idea is that the cat is already out of the bag, so to speak, with regard to collection: an incredible amount of information is collected about each of us by a large and rapidly growing number of parties for a wide variety of reasons, both good and bad, and there is no stopping it.
Arthur W. Page Spring 2016 Professional-in-Residence
Jennifer Stapper, chief of communications for the United Nations Volunteers
Keynote presentation: Feb. 3, 2016
HUB-Robeson Center - HUB Auditorium
Through a generous donation from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Arthur W. Page Center has established the Arthur W. Page Center Professional-in-Residence Lecture Series that attracts and hosts top communication professionals to the Penn State Campus. Professionals spend one week during a semester speaking to communication classes, meeting with faculty, delivering a keynote address, and networking with others on campus.
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The Alliance for Education, Science, Engineering and Development in Africa and the University Office of Global Programs
Yael Warshel, assistant professor of journalism-telecommunications
Millennium Science Complex - Cafe Commons (Third floor)
Yael Warshel will present on the topic of "Becoming Moroccan and/or Saharawi?: Children's Co-Constructions of Citizenship."
Journalism Ethics
N. N. Oweida Lecture in Journalism Ethics
David Folkenflik, NPR media correspondent
A free public lecture and question-and-answer session by David Folkenflik, an NPR media correspondent based in New York City. His stories are broadcast on NPR's newsmagazines and shows, including "All Things Considered," "Morning Edition" and "Talk of the Nation." The endowed annual Dr. N.N. Oweida Lecture in Journalism Ethics focuses on journalism ethics. Previous lectures focused on theoretical and practical challenges facing journalists every day.
Gazan Refugee Children's Media Uses: Implications for Establishing a Children, Youth, Media and Conflict Zone Lab at Penn State
The Rock Ethics Institute
Noon - 1 p.m.
133 Sparks Building
Responding to research about children and media that has emphasized an analysis of the effects or interpretation by children living in peace zones of fictive violence, nascent literature about children, media and conflict, has instead emphasized an analysis of the effects or interpretation by children living in peace zones of non-fiction violence, or news. In this brownbag, Yael Warshel will discuss alternative conceptions for the analysis of children, media and conflict based on research she conducted with Palestinian children. That research is discussed in the article made available for this talk, “It’s All about Tom and Jerry, Amr Khalid and Iqra, Not Hamas’s Mickey Mouse: Palestinian Children’s Cultural Practices Around the Television Set”. Warshel describes Palestinian family television viewing dynamics, including how parents of children living in Gazan refugee camps attempted to “use” media (regardless of their contents) as mediating artifacts to manage the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They did so in an effort to safely divert their children’s leisure practices into the home (attempting to navigate them away from becoming victims of centralized Israeli violence on the one hand, and learning “bad” habits from youth mobilizing in the camps to perpetrate networked Palestinian violence, on the other hand). Warshel uses the theoretical and methodological frameworks she discusses in the article as a basis for which to introduce the concept of a globally-focused transdisciplinary initiative about Children, Youth, and Media in Conflict Zones at Penn State. She will conclude by referencing her continued use of these frameworks in the research she conducts across the North and West African Sahara.
RSVP required via Rock Ethics Institute:
http://sites.psu.edu/rockethics/co-fund-faculty-brown-bag-series-registration/
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Don Davis Lecture in Advertising Ethics
Pamela Divinsky, founder of the consulting firm The Divinsky Group
Freeman Auditorium (HUB Robeson Center)
Free public lecture by Pamela Divinsky whose company works with organizations to define what they stand for and develops "stand strategies" that strengthen their business, fortify their reputational equity, cultivate loyalty and ambassadorship, and drive material social impact. The event is conducted under the auspices of the Davis Symposium in Advertising Ethics, conducted annually by the Department of Advertising/Public Relations at Penn State.
Fair Play in Sports News
The Ben Bronstein Lecture in Ethics and Public Relations
Lester Munson, ESPN senior writer and legal analyst
Jennifer Ridgley, senior director of communications for the Pittsburgh Penguins
A panel discussion and question-and-answer session focusing on the cultural shift in sports ethics and how communications professionals (sports communicators and journalists) should respond. The endowed annual Ben Bronstein Lecture in Ethics and Public Relations, is free and open to the public. Featured guests are Lester Munson, senior writer and legal analyst for ESPN and an adjunct instructor at Northwestern University, and alumna Jennifer Bullano Ridgley ('03 Ad/PR), senior director of communications for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Film: 'The Line'
State Theatre
As part of Women’s Day of Global Entrepreneurship Week, Ms. Shwartzman visits Penn State to screen her film on date rape and discuss her work with Circle of 6 a mobile app cited as a stand-out tool to prevent violence by harnessing mobile technology to strengthen community and encourage bystander intervention. In January 2014, the White House highlighted the film, The Line, and Circle of 6 at the White House Council on Women and Girls call to action to outline best practices for prevention of violence on college campuses. Since then, the app and film have garnered attention and forged relationships with campuses across the country to educate and empower young leaders to create a world without sexual violence.
Arthur W. Page Fall 2015 Professional-in-Residence
Lewis Goldstein, VP of marketing & branding at Organic Valley
Keynote presentation: Dec. 1, 2015
HUB-Robeson Center - Alumni Hall
Goldstein will speak about the challenges of promoting organic foods as a form of sustainable consumption, issues related to ethics in labeling, and GMO information on packaging. He will also focus on the Organic Valley brand and highlight a recent communication campaign, "Save the Bros."
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Support the Curley Center
Sports journalism is one of the most dynamic concentrations in today’s media landscape. At the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, we are equipping future sports journalists with the tools they need to become the leaders in their field.
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Home › 2000s Dotcom Collection › $5 A Day (2008) DVD
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$5 A Day (2008) DVD
$5 A Day (2008)
Director: Nigel Cole
Writers: Neal H. Dobrofsky, Tippi Dobrofsky
Stars: Christopher Walken, Alessandro Nivola, Sharon Stone
A terminally-ill con man and his estranged son endeavor to live on $5 a day during a cross country drive in this road trip comedy from director Nigel Cole (Saving Grace, Calendar Girls). Nat (Christopher Walken) may be a great con man, but as a father to Flynn (Alessandro Nivola) he always came up short. Informed by his doctor that he's suffering from a terminal illness, Nat learns of an experimental treatment that could offer him a second chance at life. But that's all the way on the other side of the country, and in order to make the drive he'll need a wheelman. Enter Flynn: the son Nat never really knew. Despite the bitterness Flynn feels toward his ailing father, he eventually agrees to take the trip. Unfortunately money is tight these days, and if Nat and Flynn hope to reach their destination without coming up short, they'll have to meet the sizable challenge of living on just $5 a day.
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Revolt on the horizon? How young people really feel about digital technology
GenTech aren't happy about how their data is being collected and used.
Dr. Mike Cooray & Dr. Rikke Duus
As digital technologies facilitate the growth of both new and incumbent organisations, we have started to see the darker sides of the digital economy unravel.
In recent years, many unethical business practices have been exposed, including the capture and use of consumers' data, anticompetitive activities and covert social experiments.
But what do young people who grew up with the internet think about this development? Our research with 400 digital natives – 19- to 24-year-olds – shows that this generation, dubbed “GenTech", may be the one to turn the digital revolution on its head. Our findings point to a frustration and disillusionment with the way organisations have accumulated real-time information about consumers without their knowledge and often without their explicit consent.
Many from GenTech now understand that their online lives are of commercial value to an array of organisations that use this insight for the targeting and personalisation of products, services and experiences.
This era of accumulation and commercialisation of user data through real-time monitoring has been coined “surveillance capitalism" and signifies a new economic system.
A central pillar of the modern digital economy is our interaction with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms. We found that 47% of GenTech do not want AI technology to monitor their lifestyle, purchases and financial situation in order to recommend them particular things to buy.
In fact, only 29% see this as a positive intervention. Instead, they wish to maintain a sense of autonomy in their decision making and have the opportunity to freely explore new products, services and experiences.
As individuals living in the digital age, we constantly negotiate with technology to let go of or retain control. This pendulum-like effect reflects the ongoing battle between the human and technology.
My life, my data?
Our research also reveals that 54% of GenTech are very concerned about the access organisations have to their data, while only 19% were not worried. Despite the EU General Data Protection Regulation being introduced in May 2018, this is still a major concern – grounded in a belief that too much of their data is in the possession of a small group of global companies, including Google, Amazon and Facebook. Some 70% felt this way.
In recent weeks, both Facebook and Google have vowed to make privacy a top priority in the way they interact with users. Both companies have faced public outcry for their lack of openness and transparency when it comes to how they collect and store user data. It isn't long ago that a hidden microphone was found in one of Google's home alarm products.
Google now plans to offer auto-deletion of users' location history data, browsing and app activity as well as extend its “incognito mode" to Google Maps and search. This will enable users to turn off tracking.
At Facebook, CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is keen to reposition the platform as a “privacy focused communications platform", built on principles such as private interactions, encryption, safety, interoperability (communications across Facebook-owned apps and platforms) and secure data storage. This will be a tough turn around for the company that is fundamentally dependent on turning user data into opportunities for highly individualised advertising.
Privacy and transparency are critically important themes for organisations today – both for those that have “grown up" online as well as the incumbents. While GenTech want organisations to be more transparent and responsible, 64% also believe that they cannot do much to keep their data private. Being tracked and monitored online by organisations is seen as part and parcel of being a digital consumer.
Despite these views, there is a growing revolt simmering under the surface. GenTech want to take ownership of their own data. They see this as a valuable commodity, which they should be given the opportunity to trade with organisations. Some 50% would willingly share their data with companies if they got something in return, for example a financial incentive.
Rewiring the power shift
GenTech are looking to enter into a transactional relationship with organisations. This reflects a significant change in attitudes from perceiving the free access to digital platforms as the "product" in itself (in exchange for user data), to now wishing to use that data to trade for explicit benefits.
This has created an opportunity for companies that seek to empower consumers and give them back control of their data. Several companies now offer consumers the opportunity to sell the data they are comfortable sharing or take part in research which they get paid for. More and more companies are joining this space, including People.io, Killi and Ocean Protocol.
Sir Tim Berners Lee, the creator of the world wide web, has also been working on a way to shift the power from organisations and institutions and back to citizens and consumers. The platform, Solid, offers users the opportunity to be in charge of where they store their data and who can access it. It is a form of re-decentralisation.
The Solid POD (Personal Online Data storage) is a secure place on a hosted server or the individual's own server. Users can grant apps access to their POD as a person's data is stored centrally and not by an app developer or on an organisation's server. We see this as potentially being a way to let people take back control from technology and other companies.
GenTech have woken up to a reality where a life lived "plugged in" has significant consequences for their individual privacy, and are starting to push back, questioning those organisations that have shown limited concern and continue to exercise exploitative practices.
It's no wonder that we see these signs of revolt. GenTech is the generation with the most to lose. They face a life ahead intertwined with digital technology as part of their personal and private lives. With continued pressure on organisations to become more transparent, the time is now for young people to make their move.
Dr Mike Cooray, Professor of Practice, Hult International Business School and Dr Rikke Duus, Research Associate and Senior Teaching Fellow, UCL.
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Polyp
Polyp Definition
In biology, polyp is a term with several meanings. It can refer to a stage in the development of certain species of invertebrates, or it can refer to a growth in the tissues of organs. Both are described below.
Types of Polyp
Polyps as a Life Cycle
Cnidarians, or jellyfish, anemones, and coral have special cells on the surface of their tentacles called nematocysts. These small explosive cells are used to deliver poison or stick to the prey. Once the prey is captured, it can be eaten. All cnidarians have some sort of nematocysts, and many exist in the polypoid form, although some do not.
The above image shows a group of coral polyps. These small organisms start as a planula or small, free-swimming larvae. These larvae are formed when two coral gametes meet in the open sea. The larvae travel away from the parent, to establish new colonies. When a planula finds a hard surface with plenty of nutrients in the surrounding water, it can begin to establish a new colony by developing into a polyp. Polyps of most species have the same general layout. A polyp attaches to the hard surface with a special tissue on the bottom called the pedal disc. Extending away from the pedal disc, the stalk suspends the mouth and tentacles in the water column. The polyp uses these tentacles to filter food from the surrounding water and deliver it to the mouth. The polyps can reproduce asexually by budding apart. This is how large coral formations are made. Alternatively, when it is time to reproduce sexually, the corals release their gametes in the water column. When the gametes meet, new planula larvae will form and seek new places to colonize.
In the same class, Anthozoa, sea anemones also take a polyp shape for the majority of their lives. Although much bigger than individual coral polyps, the sea anemones operate in the same way. A pedal plate attaches the anemone to a hard surface, and they use their tentacles to catch food and deliver it to the mouth. Each tentacle has many nematocysts, which can sting and disable passing prey. Sea anemones reproduce in much the same way as coral polyps. They exist as polyps, release gametes which form new larvae capable of colonizing new areas. The polyp can also reproduce asexually, by budding off small pieces which can develop into full anemones.
Other cnidarians, like jellyfish, also have a polyp stage. The typical form of free-swimming jellyfish is known as the medusa stage. The polyps of jellyfish resemble those of coral and anemones, however they give rise to the medusa stage, instead of gametes. The medusas then develop and release gametes. The gametes, once fertilized, will develop into a planula larva which will grow into a polyp. The polyps of jellyfish, known as scyphistoma, develop small medusa and release them as they develop. Some jellyfish do not have a polyp stage, and the larvae develops directly into another medusa.
Polyps as a Medical Condition
A polyp, in the medical community, is an outgrowth of organ tissue. Like the polyps seen in invertebrates, some tissue polyps are attached to the mucous membrane by a thin stalk. Unlike invertebrate polyps, medical polyps are not individual organisms. Instead, they are the result of some tissue growing faster than the tissue around it. A common type of polyp, the colorectal polyp is seen in many people. Typically, these polyps are not cancerous, and do not have the potential to do harm. These small growths can be removed during a routine colonoscopy to decrease the likelihood they will develop into cancer. Large, abnormal polyps can be made of malignant cancerous tissue. These polyps will tend to grow and merge with surrounding tissues, creating a tumor. Cancerous or not, polyps are often detected by the additional bleeding they cause from the tissues they originate in. Their presence may be detected by a blood test showing higher levels of certain proteins, which indicate internal bleeding.
What Causes Polyps?
A wide variety of sources can give rise to polyps. Much like cancerous cells, polyps generally form when cell division becomes dysregulated. The cause of the dysregulation could be DNA damage, inflammation in the tissue, or any other stress on the cell that causes increased cell division. A number of genetic conditions can lead to an increase in polyps or an early-onset of polyps. Genetic mutations could also be caused by carcinogens in the environment. Carcinogens are molecules that can change DNA, sometimes leading to increased cell division and polyps. Other polyps, such as nasal polyps, can be caused by the repetitive inflammation caused by allergies. The same polyps could also be caused by inflammation due to drug use or exposure to toxic chemicals.
Medusa – The free-swimming form of animals that can also exist as polyps, attached to the sea floor.
Polypoid – The general shape of a polyp, consisting of an upside-down bell attached to a stalk.
Hyperplasia – A condition in which too many cells occupy a given area in the body.
Tumor – Any mass of cells growing too large or out-of-place, polyps included.
1. A patient goes to the doctor for a routine checkup. Since the patient is over 50, the doctor performs a colonoscopy. During the colonoscopy, a small polyp is found and removed. The doctor tells the patient what happened, and that there is nothing to worry about. The patient goes home, gets on the internet, and learns that polyps can be cancerous or arise from genetic conditions. The patient is worried. What could you say to comfort the patient?
A. A single polyp was probably caused more by luck than disease.
B. Colorectal cancer cannot start as a polyp.
C. It cannot be genetic, or the polyp would have been larger.
A is correct. Both B and C are false statements. Colorectal cancer can start as a polyp, although small, singular polyps are often considered to have a low risk of cancer. In genetic conditions that give rise to polyps, the polyps are often the same size, there are just many of them or they are seen at a young age. The best thing to tell this patient is that a single small polyp is probably just a cellular mistake and nothing to worry about.
2. Coral polyps reproduce asexually to form large structures underwater. Fish and other forms of marine life use these structures to catch food, for protection and as a place to reproduce. Currently, rising ocean temperatures and pollution are killing many of the small polyps that build these reefs. Why is it important that these small creatures are protected?
A. They are a source of food for humans.
B. Fragmented coral creates sand, which we need for our beaches.
C. The polyps foster an enormous amount of biodiversity.
C is correct. The polyps, like many animals, provide nothing to humans directly. While we do enjoy sandy beaches, it would take millions of years for all the sand on the beaches to wash away. Because of their small size, polyps are inedible to humans. Besides, they encase themselves in limestone and would be much too crunchy. However, the limestone structures built by these creatures protect millions of other species. Without this fundamental platform which life can flourish on, many of the fish and creatures that humans do need would also decline, due to the lack of suitable habitat.
3. A jellyfish, swimming in the open ocean, releases a gametes, which fertilizes a gamete nearby. This gamete becomes a planula and swims until it finds a hard surface to settle on. The single cell multiples and grows until it has a mouth, surrounded by tentacles and attached through a stalk to the hard bottom. What is this new creature?
A. A polyp
B. A medusa
C. A scyphistoma
A is correct. This small polyp will collect food and grow, remaining attached to the bottom. Eventually, when the polyp feels it is time to reproduce, a scyphistoma will form. The scyphistoma produces medusas and releases them into the water. The medusas will grow large and start the process over again.
Sessile
Ecological Succession
Gastrulation
Bilateral Symmetry
Diploid
How Climate Change Affects the Biodiversity of…
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No matter the colour of your collar, #MindYourBusiness
A recent study by Columinate reveals that nearly 30% of South African women have been victims of unwanted sexual advances in the workplace - 57% from peers and 26% from superiors, the very people employees look up to for leadership and inspiration.
The worst part is that nearly one third of these women remained silent, mainly due to a lack of faith in management’s ability and willingness to take action. This can be justified by further findings that more than 50% of workplaces don’t have clear sexual harassment policies in place and only 37% of organisations have a clear reporting process.
#MindYourBusiness aims to bring CEOs closer to the reality of sexual harassment in their businesses. The initiative relies on the power of real stories to expose the truth and remind us of our shared responsibility towards each other’s mothers, daughters, wives and sisters in the workplace.
More than 40 CEOs were asked to be a voice for the victims by reading out anonymous stories of sexual harassment in prominent South African businesses and institutions. Three have broken the silence and more will come.
Inspire others by sharing this initiative or break your own silence at https://www.facebook.com/MindYourBusinessZA/.
Knowledge is power and to break this cycle, every South African should know their rights and responsibilities when it comes to sexual harassment.
What is sexual harassment?
Sexual harassment refers to any unwanted sexual behaviour such as unsolicited sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, or any other verbal, physical or written conduct of a sexual nature. In the workplace, it also refers to the use of influence over another’s job security, working conditions or advancement opportunities to coerce someone into non-consensual sexual acts.
In essence, sexual harassment is anything of a sexual nature that makes you feel uncomfortable, offended, humiliated or intimidated, and that threatens your livelihood and professional growth.
What does the law say about sexual harassment?
Sexual harassment is illegal and holds severe consequences for perpetrators in the workplace. The Employment Equity Act, No 55 of 1998 stipulates that sexual harassment must be reported immediately, after which employers must take all the necessary steps to address the allegations.
Employers can also be held liable for the unlawful behaviour of employees, or if they fail to address allegations in accordance with the company’s sexual harassment policy. According to South African law, all employees have the right to a safe workplace where they will be treated equally and with dignity and respect.
The true cost of sexual harassment
Perpetrators often get away with it, while the lives of survivors and their loved ones are impacted in multiple ways. For South African businesses there is also much at stake. Sexual harassment can have severe consequences for business such as litigation, bad publicity, absenteeism, high staff turnover, disrupted workplaces and reduced productivity.
South Africa cannot remain silent. Thankfully, #MeToo has ignited the conversation globally, and South Africa now has a space to break the silence.We live in modern times and it’s now the time to #MindYourBusiness in the workplace.
Follow #MindYourBusiness and let real change in the workplace begin.
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Misty Copeland And Calvin Royal III Become The First Black Couple To Dance Lead With The American Ballet Theatre
Representation matters.
Photo credit:Instagram/Calvin Royale III
Ashleigh Lakieva
| January 16 2019,
Ballet pioneer Misty Copeland is shattering another ceiling.
The esteemed American Ballet Theatre (ABT) dancer will team up with Calvin Royal III to perform in Harlequinade as a couple, reports the Los Angeles Times. The pairing is monumental because it is very rare to see two Black dancers perform as leads. It’s even rarer to see them do it as a couple.
They will portray secondary leads Pirrette and Pierrot, and will become ABT's first ever Black couple dancing in lead roles.
The significance of this accomplishment isn’t lost on Royal, who joined ABT in 2010 and didn’t become a soloist until 2017.
“I remember being that person looking to ABT and hoping that I could see myself there. By us being in that position, we’ll do that for somebody else,” he said. “To finally be able to take the stage, two leading dancers in a production with ABT, I see it as such a huge step forward in terms of visibility.”
Copeland is used to paving the way for future dancers. Her brown skin, socioeconomic background and nontraditional body make her stand out, and she embraces her differences.
“I don’t have to follow in anyone else’s path. I don’t have to look like the person next to me,” she told Forbes in November. “I didn't have a typical path or journey of what people expect from a classical dancer, not growing up in a family that's supportive or that has money, not being white,” she said.
She became the troupe’s first Black female principal dancer almost four years ago.
“Beyond my personal goals as a ballerina, I want to celebrate, elevate and give opportunities to talented Black and brown dancers to share the stage with me while I have the power and presence that I do. And to build a structure which can continue to exist beyond me,” Copeland said.
This will not be the first time the couple has worked together. Copeland personally chose Royal as her partner for a charity dance. She also brought him in for her shoot for the famed Pirelli tire company calendar. Their shoot was a departure for Copeland, who portrays an exotic dancer with dreams of going to Paris.
“My character is in a relationship with a dancer, and he actually is a coworker of mine, Calvin Royal, who plays my boyfriend within this story that Albert created. I just think it was captured so beautifully, and just to see all of the struggles, and things that dancers face. You know, we’re often struggling to financially survive and get to where we want to get to, and my dream was getting to Paris to dance as a classical dancer,” she told People Magazine last month.
Royal and Copeland are the only Black dancers in ABT history to dance as principals and soloists.
She believes Royal’s “exquisite talent” speaks for itself. Seeing them together is magic and much-needed representation.
“When two talented dancers can come together, it’s ideal and exciting. But when two of those dancers are Black, it’s explosive. At least for me!” she said. “I’ve always put Calvin at the forefront of my mind to bring with me as a partner whenever I’m doing gigs outside of ABT. It’s because of his talent first and foremost, but also the significance and importance to our communities for two Black dancers to dance together. It’s rare. Like REALLY rare.”
Harlequinade will premiere at Segerstrom Hall in California on Friday.
Black Businesses Are On The Come Up, But Here’s Why We Need to Seriously Commit To Supporting Them
Khari, Malia And Nia Are The New Dolls Determined To Make A Lasting Positive Impact On Our Black Girls
Repudiating Farrakhan: The Delusional Notion Of White Supremacy That Black People Are The Ones Who Need To Denounce Bigotry
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MathEd.net
Building bridges between research, policy, and practice
RYSK: Staples's Supporting Whole-Class Collaborative Inquiry in a Secondary Mathematics Classroom (2007)
This is the seventh in a series of posts describing "Research You Should Know" (RYSK).
In her book What's Math Got to Do With It?, Jo Boaler recounted her first contact with the math wars. A group of parents at a local school had organized against the adoption of reform textbooks, and were telling students that if they took the classes with the new books, they wouldn't be eligible for college. Apparently the parents had called admissions offices and asked a question like, "Would you accept a student who had not taken any math in high school but had just talked about math?" (Boaler, 2008, p. 33). Of course the colleges said no, and from that question and response parents based a claim about reform texts and college admission.
If we try to put angry politics aside for a moment, where did the parents in Boaler's story get the idea that reform math was all about talking about math? Certainly that thought was not a total fabrication. In fact, the learning theories that influenced much of the reform math movement led teachers and researchers to think about how to structure classrooms in ways that maximized learning, and that led to an attention to classroom discourse -- the teacher-student and student-student speaking and writing that happens in classrooms. By studying classroom discourse, we can gain key insights about what and how math is learned, and how our experiences and our environment affect that learning. (This, I believe, is not unique to reform classrooms -- all good math teachers and students pay careful attention to how we talk about and otherwise communicate mathematics.)
Megan Staples, a former advisee of Jo Boaler, is an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut specializing in mathematics education and classroom discourse. In her article Supporting Whole-Class Collaborative Inquiry in a Secondary Mathematics Classroom (2007), Staples takes on the challenges of being the teacher and supporting students in "collaborative inquiry." Instead of simply viewing collaboration as working in groups, or cooperating to complete a task, Staples says collaboration, "implies a joint production of ideas, where students offer their thoughts, attend and respond to each other's ideas, and generate shared meaning or understanding through their joint efforts" (p. 162). As for inquiry, Staples sees it as a way of "engaging with and making sense of the world" (p. 163), and applies the term to "both inquiry into mathematics and inquiry with mathematics" (p. 163). Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is how Staples defines learning mathematics itself. Using a situative perspective, Staples sees mathematics as a cultural practice, where "learning results from, and is evidenced by, student participation in both standard and disciplinary practices (e.g., justifying, representing algebraically) and an array of other practices of mathematical communities (e.g., questioning, communicating, informal reasoning)" (p. 163). With these conceptions of collaboration, inquiry, and learning mathematics in mind, Staples conducted a year-long observation and analysis of Ms. Nelson, a veteran, award-winning teacher known for her dedication to reform mathematics principles. The class Staples analyzed was called "Math A," a lower-track 9th grade class for students with a history of low performance in traditional mathematics classrooms.
Staples's analysis yielded two models for teaching that support student participation in class discussion. The first model describes the role of the teacher in a whole-class discussion, while the second describes how Ms. Nelson increases the class's ability to collaborate over time. I'll present Staples's findings in outline form, with attention to specific recommendations for teachers wishing to support collaborative inquiry in their own classrooms. (Be patient -- the original article is 57 pages long, after all.)
Model 1: The teacher's role in supporting whole-class collaborative inquiry
Supporting students in making contributions
Eliciting student ideas -- Instead of just asking questions like, "Why?" or "How do you know?," Ms. Nelson presses students to share with comments like, "Come on, I'm really interested, come on, you can do it" (p. 175), gave students adequate time to formulate explanations, and offered participation points as a reward for contributing ideas.
Scaffolding the production of student ideas -- Ms. Nelson helps direct struggling students to use multiple representations and models, such as number lines, graphs, diagrams, etc. The key, says Staples, is to provide structure for the mathematics without constraining how the students will work out the mathematics (p. 178).
Creating contributions - Ms. Nelson treated incomplete and incorrect contributions by students the same as correct ideas, saying things like, "Remember the idea is to go up and give us some good discussion...that helps the class move along regardless of whether it's right or wrong, it enables us to have good discussion" (pp. 178-179).
Establishing and monitoring a common ground
Creating a shared context -- Ms. Nelson focused on creating shared contexts among students. This was accomplished by repeating of student statements and encouraging students to record and share their representations and ideas on the board.
Maintaining continuity over time -- Ms. Nelson emphasized a sense of purpose when asking students to contribute. She directed students with phrases like, "Come up [to the board] please. Ron says that there are more diagonal lines. That Oscar didn't put enough in" (p. 181). Ms. Nelson also gave students time to understand and add clarity to other students' ideas before introducing new ideas.
Coordinating the collective -- Ms. Nelson actively positions students to respond to each other. When a student, Jay, had difficulty explaining an idea and Ken raised his hand, Ms. Nelson asked, "OK, do you wanna explain some more Ken? Or do you have a question for Jay?" (p. 185).
Guiding the mathematics
Guiding high-level task implementation -- Ms. Nelson selected tasks that were difficult enough to invite collaboration, but guided students in ways that avoided unproductive exploration. This sometimes involved recounting the steps students had taken to reach their current thinking or requesting new representations of ideas. Either way, the focus was on how the students were thinking about the problem, and not just giving hints for the next step.
Guiding with a map of students' algebra learning -- This is where Ms. Nelson showed her experience with mathematics and the learning of mathematics, knowing the "pressure points" (p. 190) where students needed to pay particular attention to the structure of the mathematics.
Guiding by following: "going with the kids" -- Ms. Nelson showed a willingness to let go and follow students' thinking and be flexible with the intended destination of the lesson.
Model 2: The development of a community of collaborative learners
The development of practices over time -- High school is a difficult time to introduce collaborative inquiry because students have longer histories with traditional mathematics and because classes meet for a limited time each day. Expectations need to be made explicit and modeled for students.
The model -- Developing community is an iterative process involving tasks or strategies that Staples calls "cycle starters" (p. 196) that spur student participation, which elicits negotiation of meanings, which leads to student interpretations and understandings. From there the cycle can repeat and improve.
Negotiation of meanings -- For example, early in the year students, when asked to explain, automatically assume they've given a wrong answer. Once this practice is established, students improve in the ways they respond to questions about their thinking.
Helping students make sense of practices -- Early in the year, Ms. Nelson would fill in commentary when students did work silently in front of the class, saying things like, "He is noticing a pattern over here" (p. 198). This modeled the practice of thinking aloud for the class and emphasized the value of sharing one's thinking.
Providing evidence for the value for learning -- When students struggled, Ms. Nelson encouraged them to stop and express what it was they were struggling with. Making mistakes became an acceptable part of doing mathematics so long as they became opportunities to learn and correct misunderstandings.
Negotiation of the joint enterprise -- Ms. Nelson explained early in the year that these students were doing to do mathematics differently than in the past, and that they didn't need the math dumbed-down just because they hadn't been successful before.
Cycle starters -- Ms. Nelson included not only engaging tasks, but helped create a vision of how that task could be accomplished, sometimes by describing the expected collaboration but also by showing a video of older students collaborating and discussing how they worked together.
Students' interpretations and understandings of practices -- From student interviews and surveys, Staples found that students interacted with each other during class either for social reasons or to make the class less boring. By the end of the year, students reported that working together helped them learn because of the opportunities to listen and respond to each others' ideas.
Transforming a community's repertoire -- Ms. Nelson's effort to transform the way it does mathematics was an ongoing effort that lasted the entire year. The effort is a negotiation, where as the class built new experiences together they could reflect on what was working and adjust their practices in future lessons.
In her discussion, Staples focuses on how teachers support collaborative inquiry while maintaining their role. It is certainly possible for a teacher to ask students to share ideas or report strategies, but it takes extra effort to build that common ground where students analyze and evaluate each other's ideas. Defining this common ground is difficult and it will be different in every classroom, but it is up to the teacher to develop and maintain it throughout the school year. Teachers also must be mindful of the mathematics, even when "going with the kids." It takes a skillful teacher to subtly push the mathematics while keeping the class collaborative. Lastly, the teacher must maintain a sense for a "long-term trajectory of student learning" (p. 210), although having such a sense does not necessarily support collaboration by itself. Staples's research is thorough and well-grounded in qualitative methodology, but it is not without its criticisms. I see critiques coming from two directions: from a more cognitive perspective, Staples doesn't attend much to individual student thinking, preferring to focus on social practices and classroom norms for participation. From a more purely sociocultural perspective, Staples doesn't account for how the influence of other, beyond-the-classroom cultures and community norms affect how students approach and understand mathematics. This is not to fault Staples, however -- she prefaced her findings with defining a situative perspective, and she maintained that perspective throughout. This just means that there are multiple ways of describing classroom communities and learning, and more work can be done to describe and build bridges across multiple perspectives.
Boaler, J. (2008). What’s math got to do with it? How parents and teachers can help children learn to love their least favorite subject (p. 273). New York, NY: Penguin Group.
Staples, M. (2007). Supporting whole-class collaborative inquiry in a secondary mathematics classroom. Cognition and Instruction, 25(2), 161-217. doi:10.1080/07370000701301125
Posted by Raymond Johnson at 4/04/2012 09:00:00 PM
Labels: classroom management, instruction, learning theory, reform, research, RYSK
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Author: Horohito Norhatan (page 1 of 3)
The Impact of Catalonia Crisis on Basque’s Bid for an Independence
February 1, 2018 / Horohito Norhatan / 0 Comments
The Basque region situated in the northern Iberian Peninsula possesses its unique language, culture and long history of self-determination. In 19th century the Spanish King took an oath under the Guernica tree that the Spanish Kingdom would honor the autonomy of Basque region. Nevertheless, the Basque right to autonomy was scraped in 1876 and had remained so until the brief period of the Spanish Civil War. For many Basques, autonomy was not genuine enough, which perpetuated militant group ETA which aimed at achieving full independence for Basque motherland. ETA, however, formally gave up its violence approach last year when the separatist group handed over weapons to French authorities. It is no surprise that many Basques naturally sympathize the with Catalan independence bid. Tens of thousands of Basques rallied in Bilbao the day before the Catalan referendum to show support for Catalan nationalists. Nevertheless, the Catalan crisis has markedly increased Basque cautious approach to its own independence bid.
Following the aftermath of the Catalan independence referendum in October 2017, the opinion poll indicated that 63 percent of Basques were not interested in pursuing Catalan’s path to independence and only 22 percent were in favor. In addition, 44 percent of the participants demanded larger autonomy, and just 23 percent were interested in full independence. A Basque author who produces literature in Euskara (the Basque language), Kirmen Uribe argued that Basque citizens were exhausted after 40 years of separatist violence, thus, many plea for a timeout. Uribe added that there is fear that aggressive efforts to gain independence would split the Basque community again, further exacerbating the Basque approach to independence. While it does not end the dream that one day Basque will be an independent country, there is no need to rush the process, according to Andoni Ortuzar, the leader of the Basque Nationalist Party PNV..
For further reading please visit the following website:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/28/world/europe/spain-catalonia-basque-independence.html
The Basque Country might be benefited from economic opportunities following the Brexit
November 2, 2017 / Horohito Norhatan / 0 Comments
The hysteria and hype of Brexit (The British Exit from the E.U.) might not be over yet. Every region in the world from Tokyo to Brussels has expressed their concerns regarding the doomsday scenarios of such an epic divorce between the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). However, like anything else in the world, a bleak situation might offer a glimmer of light that brings the unthinkable opportunity into reality. Following the aftermath of a financial crisis in 2008, many Basque scientists left their homes to find work in the UK. Close to a decade later, these capable scientists have produced major patents and have contributed to the advancement of technology in a foreign land far from home. With Brexit, the pendulum swings back again and this time around it swings to the Basque side. Many of the Basque scientists will find the UK less favorable for the progression of their careers following Brexit, as Theresa May’s Government declines to secure the working permits of highly-skilled migrants once the UK leaves the EU. Such a momentum is a great opportunity for the Basque country to lure their capable scientist home after Brexit.
The regional government of the Basque Country has dispatched Ivan Jimenez, the head of Bizkaia Talent to win over Basque engineers and scientists and bring them home by alluring them with comfortable salaries and generous research funding. Several headhunter apps have been established to recruit Basque scientists in the UK and arrange job interviews with tech firms in the Basque Country. These experienced scientists will bring their patents and technological advancements to Basque firms. Thus, it will cement and potentially enhance the Basque Country’s position as a leading-edge producer of science and technology-related products and services. This strategy will also help ease some of the brain drain challenges that the region’s financial hub, Bilbao, has endured due to a dire shortage of high-skilled laborers. The decision to attract Basque scientists to come back home is actually perceived as a good opportunity by the many talented Basque men and women in the UK. The UK based companies where they currently work might soon lose their privileged access to the European market which affects companies’ ability to pay workers high salaries and provide them with bright career paths. Therefore, fulfilling their civic duty at home is not a bad choice after all.
For further reading please visit:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/06/basque-country-bid-lure-spanish-scientists-home-brexit/\
How the Basque Country provides intriguing solutions to some of the world’s thorniest challenges
September 27, 2017 / Horohito Norhatan / 0 Comments
The Democratic Party’s Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders took inspiration from Denmark when he proposed a 60 percent income tax increase in exchange for public services. However, American voters apparently did not welcome a candidate who wanted to increase taxes. Had Mr. Sanders taken inspiration from the Basque Autonomous Government instead of northern Europe, he may have had a better chance of gaining support from American voters.
The Basque Country, with a total population of 2.2 million, is the richest and most advanced economic region in Spain. According to an article by Sami Mahroum in the National, “it is among Europe’s top 20 percent of regions in wealth.”It also has the highest percentage of employment for medium to high-tech manufacturers in Europe. Many regard the Basque Country as a robust competitor to the advanced manufacturing regions in Germany. However, the greatest achievement of the Basque Country is how it has overcome local terrorism, globalization, and leadership challenges rather smoothly compared to both the Spanish state and the European Union.
Mr. Sanders could have also learned from the Basque Cooperative economic model. 60 years ago, Jose Maria Arizmendiarrieta formed the Mondragon federation of cooperatives. Today, Mondragon is Spain’s largest cooperative group, providing employment for more than 75,000 people and contributing 12 percent of the region’s GDP. Mondragon owns subsidiaries in 125 countries around the world. The Mondragon cooperative model is unique, as it has a cap on the CEO’s salary, limiting it to six times the lowest salary offered at the cooperative. Employees put aside 6.5 percent of their earnings toward a foresighted fund as a part of their pensions and contingencies.
The Basque Country’s unique cooperative model provides an inspiration in innovation for the world’s poverty and inequality issues. This model echoes the sentiments of American voters well, who are dissatisfied with globalization, rambling capitalism, big government, and high taxes. The Mondragon model serves as a mutual-capitalism or democratic capitalism model rather than the “invisible hand.”
For further reading: https://www.thenational.ae/opinion/how-the-basque-country-provides-intriguing-solutions-to-some-of-the-world-s-thorniest-challenges-1.623572
New restaurants reflect contemporary Basque dining in the US
July 11, 2016 / Horohito Norhatan / 0 Comments
Family-style dining, often in an historic hotel premises, has been at the heart of traditional Basque-American gastronomy for years. But in recent times a different kind of Basque restaurant has burst onto the scene offering a more contemporary twist on the Basque dining experience.
One of the latest of these to emerge is Urdaneta in Portland, OR. Chef Javier Canteras, the winner of a reality show, used his $150,000 prize to establish the restaurant, which will open in mid-July and is based on the cuisine of the Basque Country and northern Spain, including pintxos, hand-carved Spanish ham, and tortilla. Check out two reports on this new restaurant here and here.
Urdaneta is following in a more recent trend in Basque-American dining that was established by the likes of Basque bistro Fringale in San Francisco, originally opened by chef Gerald Hirigoyen and J.B. Lorda in September 1991, and now owned by Jean-Marie Legendre; and Hirigoyen’s new venture with the “West Coast Basque cuisine” of Piperade, also in San Francisco, which he opened with his wife Cameron in 2002.
Diners in Southern California can now also get a flavor of the Donostia pintxo experience at A Basq Kitchen in Redondo Beach, where owner Beñat “Chef Bernard” Ibarra brings the flavors of authentic Basque cuisine to Los Angeles’ Southbay. See a report on this restaurant, which opened just last year, here.
The East Coast, too, is not short of contemporary Basque dining options, with New York home to (among others) Alex Raij and Eder Montero’s Txikito and the pintxos bar Huertas, And further down the coast is La Bergerie in Alexandria, VA, founded in 1974 by the brothers Bernard and Jean Campagne-Ibarcq, which offers a range of French and Basque cuisine.
This list, which is by no means comprehensive, serves to highlight a new trend in Basque-American dining toward a more contemporary culinary experience. That said, there will always be a place for the traditional family-style experience of the Basque-American restaurant.
If you’re interested in Basque food, check out a publication from the Etxepare Basque Institute, On Basque Cuisine, by Hasier Etxeberria, which is available free to download here.
5,000-year-old Livestock Pens Found in Araba
July 5, 2016 / Horohito Norhatan / 0 Comments
A join research and exploration initiative between the University of Basque Country (UPV-EHU), the University of Barcelona, and the CSIC-National Research Council, led by UPV-EHU Professor of Prehistory Javier Fernández-Eraso, has discovered 5,000-year-old livestock pens in Araba.
The find demonstrates the use of rock-shelters as encloses for sheep and goats by agropastoral communities during the Chalcolothic period (also known as the Copper Age) in the Basque Country and across the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. The find also complements previous research conducted by the same team, which documented the presence of livestock enclosures dating back to the Neolithic Era, approximately 6,000 years ago.
Ana Polo-Díaz, a researcher at the University of Basque Country’s Department of Geography, Prehistory, and Archeology added, “This is a piece of pioneering work in the studies on agropastoral communities on the Iberian Peninsula. We have evidence that the human groups that occupied San Cristóbal during the Chalcolithic used the shelter as a pen for goats and/or sheep and that this use, although repetitive throughout hundreds of years, was not ongoing but of a temporary nature linked to a seasonal exploitation of the rich natural resources available on the Sierra de Cantabria. We also know thanks to the microscopic study of the sediments that every now and again they used to burn the debris that had built up, probably to clean up the space that had been occupied and that this combustion process was carried out in line with some specific habits: they used to pile up the debris and on top of them pile up wood remains, perhaps to help to get the fire going before going on to burn the debris.”
See a report on the find here.
Boise and Bilbao: Two Boomtowns
June 28, 2016 / Horohito Norhatan / 1 Comment
A recent report by the Idaho Statesman looks at the links between two boomtowns, Boise and Bilbao. The visit of a Basque delegation, led by Basque President Iñigo Urkullu, to Idaho last year enhanced the historic connection between the two regions. There have been economic ties between the city of Boise and the Basque Country since the nineteenth century, when the burgeoning sheep industry in Idaho increased the need for talented sheepherders from the Basque Country. A century later, these connections were still evident through cultural events such as the Basque Soccer Friendly and Jaialdi in 2016, celebrating the Basque heritage and culture. These events only served to take the exisitng economic and cultural exchange to new heights.
This year, a business delegation from the Basque province of Bizkaia visited Boise to renew the economic and cultural partnership between Boise and Bilbao. According to Asier Alea Castaños, General Manager of Trade Promotion for the Bizkaian Government, at present over a million people reside in Greater Bilbao with a GDP per capita reaching 122 percent of the European Union (EU) average. Bizkaia’s economic competitive advantage is backed by higher education institutions that rank higher than the rest of Europe in terms of research and development. And this Bizkaian economic and technological edge, coupled with the existing links between the two cities, provides the Boise business community with huge opportunities.
Boise has itself experienced technological booms in recent years with high-tech projects such as Trailgead poised to attract investment from the Basque Country. With a cost of doing business only one-third of that in California or Washington, Boise can be an attractive investment option for Basque investors.
Boise has extensive business clusters in software, environmental technology, advanced energy, hi-tech manufacturing, hardware assembly, national call centers, and agricultural technology. And Boise’s comprehensive business cluster complements that of some of the main industries in and around Bilbao such as the aeronautic, automotive, electronic, information technology, energy, and maritime sectors. It would appear, then, that there are multiple opportunities for new links to be developed between these two Basque boomtowns.
The Center has published several books on the Basque economy. For a general introduction, see Basque Economy from Industrialization to Globalization by Mikel Uranga, free to download here.
Tow other works address innovation policies in the Basque Country:
Implications of Current Research on Social Innovation in the Basque Country, edited by Ander Gurrutxaga Abad and Antonio Rivera, free to download here.
And Innovation: Economic, Social, and Cultural Aspects, edited by Mikel Gómez Uranga and Juan Carlos Miguel de Bustos, available free to download here.
For some general historical background on the particular tax and finance system that so defines the particularity of the Basque Country, see Basque Fiscal Systems: History, Current Status, and Future Perspectives, edited by Joseba Agirreazkuenaga and Eduardo Alonso Olea.
Another key feature of the Basque economy in recent years has been its urban transformation. This process is examined in Transforming Cities: Opportunities and Challenges of Urban Regeneration in the Basque Country, edited by Arantxa Rodríguez and Joseba Juaristi.
And for a wonderful monograph of one of the most controversial economic issues in the Basque Country today, namely the plans for a new high-speed rail network to create a single interconnected “Basque city,” check out Building the Basque City: The Political Economy of Nation-Building, by Nagore Calvo Mendizabal.
A “21st-Century Michelangelo” Basque Artist Paints Floor-to-Ceiling Murals in Church
June 27, 2016 / Horohito Norhatan / 0 Comments
With the approval of Bishop Miguel Jose Asurmendi, the bishop of the Diocese of Victoria-Gasteiz, and the pastor of the Iglesia de San Miguel in Antezana/Andetxa, Araba, the Basque muralist Xabier Egaña is painting the walls, floors, and ceilings of the church in the style of a contemporary Michelangelo. The mural includes a three-level scene that follows Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (at the bottom) to the Last Supper (in the middle) and Christ ascending the cross (at the top). In addition, the mural also encompasses reflections of war, peace, and social justice. Egaña further explains the narrative of his mural, which incorporates upended towers from a nuclear power plant and tombstones from a Jewish cemetery in Prague, positioned alongside Jesus in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Last Supper with Roman soldiers as ominous shadows, and Christ appearing to fall and rise simultaneously from the cross.
The 72-year-old Egaña, from Getxo (Bizkaia) though resident in Zarautz (Gipuzkoa), works alone and unpaid with his brushes and buckets of paint, although some volunteers do also offer assistance. Egaña further elaborates his enthusiasm with his project: “It gives me great satisfaction at my age to do such a work at this grand scale. It is gratifying that the humble townspeople value all that I am doing and make it their own.” The goal of the project is to demonstrate religious, cultural, social, and spiritual themes, while at the same time incorporating the human condition. The color, figures, and forms applied on the painting serve as a pathway for enhancing one’s individual beliefs, regardless of any specific religious attachment.
For further reading please visit the following websites:
http://cadenaser.com/emisora/2015/07/08/ser_vitoria/1436359758_695765.html
http://www.noticiasdealava.com/2015/06/20/araba/puesta-de-largo-de-la-asociacion-ormandetxea-reabierto-por-obras-en-antezana
Hidden Mountains in Donostia, Basque Country
Gabriel Urza recently wrote an interesting travel piece for The Guardian on what for some may be a little-known part of Donostia-San Sebastián: the three hills surrounding the city.
Mount Ulia in the foreground, with Urgull and Igeldo in the background. Photo by Etor – Entziklopedia Enblematikoa, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
In many ways, Igeldo, Urgull, and Ulia serve as the frame for the dramatic setting of Donostia next to the bay of Biscay. Igeldo is the most accessible of the three. At the base of this westernmost peak one can find Eduardo Chillida’s famed “Wind Comb” sculpture and an old amusement park. Urgull, meanwhile, is located near the old part of the town and close to San Telmo Cathedral. This is the site of a huge statue of Jesus, looming over the old fishing boats in the harbor. Ulia, the eastern bookend to the city, is the smallest of the three mounts and the least ‘developed’. according to the article, some effort is required to find your way up there, from Gros Beach, but interesting sights certainly await the intrepid traveler. See the full article here.
Basque Country and Andalucía the Best Performing Spanish Wine Regions
According to a recent report by Granconsumo.tv, the Basque Country and Andalucía have earned the highest growth rates in wine exports from Spain during the first quarter of 2016. The Basque Country experienced the biggest growth in sales ( 4.7 million euros) and Andalucía in production (1.4 million liters).
This phenomenon is interesting because overall wine exports in the Spanish regions have declined in both sales and volume due to steep price increases. Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Valencia, and Murcia have all experienced a fall in sales and production. According to the report, the strategy to focus on added value has made the products of Basque Country and Navarre more competitive, hence mitigating the impact of price upsurge.
See http://www.esmmagazine.com/basque-country-and-andalucia-the-best-performing-spanish-wine-regions/28781
Two Designers Unite the Basque Country
The New York Times recently reported on the efforts of a Basque industrial designer from Iparralde, Jean Louis Iratzoki, to collaborate with another Basque designer from Hegoalde, Ander Lizaso (see some of his creations here), with the aim of creating a multipurpose design studio inspired by the Basque Country on both sides of the border.
The two of them have already made waves with a table collection that subtly combines solid oak and iron forged at a historic ironworks in Navarre. Iratzoki is known for his signature of the world’s first bioplastic chairs made of a biodegradable plant-based polymer. Iratzoki was born in Donibane lohitzune (St. Jean-de-Luz) and recently designed the interiors of a luxurious eco-lodge in Saubion, north of Biarritz. For both Iratzoki and Lizaso, their collaboration will connect both the French and Spanish side of Basque Country: “For both my partner Ander and me, that border doesn’t exist. We cross it everyday. We speak Basque, but also Spanish and French. We work in both southern and northern sides of the Basque country. And of course the products that we design travel much further; they can be exhibited in Milan, Cologne or Chicago.”
See the original report here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/10/arts/international/a-designer-unites-the-basque-country.html?_r=0
If you’re interested aspcets of design in the Basque Country, check out a couple of publications that are free to download courtesy of the Etxepare Basque Institute:
Architecture and Design, by Peio Aguirre, free to download here; and A Collection of Prints, by Miren Jaio, free to download here.
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Beatle Me Do
Half of what I say is meaningless…
About Beatle Me Do
Are You a Beatlemaniac?
Talking ‘Bout My Generation
solo beatles albums
My Top 10 Favorite Solo Beatle Albums
Posted by Elizabeth
So with an unexpected snow day today, I thought I’d post what I said I would post yesterday! For each album, I’ll also post some songs that I would recommend in particular. Keep in mind that this list is just my opinion, and because I mostly listen to George and Paul’s solo music, 90% of this list is composed of George and Paul albums. Sorry John and Ringo fans if you feel neglected, but I feel that even when John was still alive and making albums, George’s and Paul’s albums were better overall and more interesting. So anyway, here we go!
10. Imagine- John Lennon
I felt obliged to put one of John’s albums on here just to make it a bit more complete, and between this and Plastic Ono Band, I prefer this. For some reason, I prefer listening to John’s songs on shuffle rather than as full albums, but I do genuinely love this album. It has a number of my favorite John songs on it and it’s generally regarded as his best album, and I completely agree.
Recommended songs: Imagine, Jealous Guy, How Do You Sleep, Oh Yoko
9. Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1- Traveling Wilburys
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1
This supergroup formed by George Harrison only made two albums, but I prefer this over the other one and listen to it quite frequently, which is why I’ve included it here. The songs are a good mix of compositions from George, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty, and I love that it doesn’t sound like any individual member, but like a completely unique band. This is a great album to throw on when it’s a sunny afternoon and you just feel like listening to some cheerful music, and it always puts me in a good mood!
Recommended Songs: Handle With Care, End of the Line, Dirty World, Tweeter and the Monkey Man, Heading for the Light
8. Band On The Run- Paul McCartney and Wings
This album is consistently ranked as Paul’s best, and while I personally prefer a number of his other albums, I do concede that this is a stellar album. All of the songs are well-crafted and interesting, but the reason that it’s #8 on this list is that, for whatever reason, I just don’t listen to it all that much. Therefore, I can’t really consider it a favorite of mine. But I am listening to it now, and loving it!
Recommended songs: Band on the Run, Jet, Let Me Roll It, Mrs. Vandebilt, 1985
7. Flaming Pie- Paul McCartney
Flaming Pie
I often listen to this album while I’m doing homework, but it’s definitely not a background music-type of album. What I love most about it is the incredible diversity of songs on it that I don’t think Paul had done since Tug of War, another great album. This album sounds very timeless to me, and many regard it as Paul’s modern-day “comeback,” but honestly, I don’t think he ever left!
Recommended Songs: The Song We Were Singing, Flaming Pie, Somedays, Young Boy, Beautiful Night (which also features Ringo!)
6. Cloud Nine- George Harrison
Here it is, the first George solo album on this list, and I guarantee it won’t be the last! This is regarded as George’s major comeback album because it was a huge hit and featured his last #1 single “Got My Mind Set On You,” which was originally recorded in 1962 by Rudy Clark. I think this is probably George’s most fun and upbeat album, and I love that it was produced by ELO legend Jeff Lynne and also features Elton John on electric piano. What a great combo!
Recommended Songs: Cloud Nine, Got My Mind Set On You, Fish On The Sand, This Is Love, When We Was Fab, Devil’s Radio
5. Brainwashed- George Harrison
This was produced by Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison and released posthumously in 2002. I believe it won a Grammy for something, but even if it didn’t, this is an absolutely beautiful album. George’s lyrics here are better than ever and the songs are his most honest since All Things Must Pass. Knowing that this was his last album, I sometimes get a little teary while listening to it, but I’m glad that he left us with one last beautiful creation before he passed.
Recommended Songs: Brainwashed, Any Road, Looking For My Life, Stuck Inside a Cloud, Pisces Fish
4. Venus and Mars- Paul McCartney and Wings
Here’s why I like this Wings album better than Band On The Run: The songs all tell an individual story, something that I don’t quite get with Band On The Run. I love that fellow band members Denny Laine and Jimmy McCullough each get to sing a song, which makes it feel more like a Beatles album. This album also contains my #1 favorite Paul solo song, Venus and Mars/Rockshow. Basically, if you like good old fashioned rock and roll, get this album!
Recommended Songs: Venus and Mars/Rockshow, Listen To What The Man Said, Magneto and Titanium Man, You Gave Me The Answer, Call Me Back Again
3. Chaos and Creation in the Backyard- Paul McCartney
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
Out of all of Paul’s solo albums, this is perhaps his most honest and intimate. I love how piano-heavy it is, and the songs each have a certain magical quality that harkens back to the Beatle days. This is definitely Paul’s darkest album, and somehow after 40 years it also manages to be quite inventive and new-sounding. Paul is always reinventing himself, and that is definitely evident on this album.
Recommended Songs: Fine Line, English Tea, Too Much Rain, Riding to Vanity Fair, Friends to Go, How Kind of You
2. NEW- Paul McCartney
You may be thinking, “Didn’t this just come out? How can it be one of your favorites?” Well folks, it’s just that good. While many may not agree, I think this might be Paul’s best album ever; from start to finish, it’s perfection. It also sounds completely unlike anything he’s ever done, and for that I applaud him. Also, out of all of his albums, I think that I honestly enjoy listening to this the most. While the lyrics may not be his most inspired, this album is a true listening pleasure, and that’s why I love it!
Recommended Songs: Just get the whole album. Really. You won’t regret it!
1. All Things Must Pass- George Harrison
All Things Must Pass
This is definitely the easiest #1 choice on any list I’ve done so far, because there’s just no competition. All Things Must Pass is BY FAR the best solo Beatles album! This was a huge hit back in 1970, reaching #1 on the charts and featuring a #1 hit in My Sweet Lord. George made a lot of fantastic albums in his career, but none quite reach the mastery of this one. Song after song after song, it’s brilliant. If you own one album by a Beatle that’s not a Beatles album, it should absolutely be this one.
Recommended Songs: No even remotely subpar songs here. Get it all!
Whew, that was long! Sorry about that. But I hope you enjoyed this list, and if you’ve never listened to any solo Beatles music, it’s time to start! Enjoy the week!
Posted in George Harrison, John Lennon, Music, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, The Beatles, Uncategorized
Tagged all things must pass, amazing, awesome, band on the run, beatles, brainwashed, chaos and creation in the backyard, cloud nine, fantastic, favorites, flaming pie, george harrison, imagine, john lennon, lists, music, new, paul mccartney, solo beatles, solo beatles albums, songs, traveling wilburys, traveling wilburys vol 1, underrated, venus and mars
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“The Beatles Anthology”: 10+ hours of glorious nostalgia
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My Favorite Pictures of George Harrison!
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Why We Are Marching on Washington August 24th
August 8, 2013 randyshannon Leave a comment
Why We Are Marching – 50th Anniversary March on Washington Talking Points
The name of the march on August 24th is the “National Action to Realize the Dream March”.
For more information for Beaver County buses contact Tina Shannon, MLK 50th Anniversary Committee 724-683-1925.
It is important that you use the name when speaking about the march so that people understand that this march is not just a commemoration, but a continuation of the efforts 50 years ago.
Why We Are Marching – 50th Anniversary March on Washington – Talking Points
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place 50 years ago on August 28th at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. It was during this march that Dr. King gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech that has reverberated for decades. While we celebrate all that was achieved in the 50 years since that march, we recognize that the “Dream” has not been fulfilled and the battle for justice is ongoing.
The name of the march on August 24th is the //”National Action to Realize the Dream March”.// It is important that you use the name when speaking about the march so that people understand that this march is not just a commemoration, but a continuation of the efforts 50 years ago.
The talking points for the march are below:
Jobs & the Economy – Jobs are still a major focus of the march 50 years later. Unemployment is still plaguing many communities. The black community still sees double the unemployment rates of the rest of the country. Youth unemployment is nearly six times higher.
Voting Rights – Voting Rights have been thrust to the forefront of the agenda after the Supreme Court dismantled a crucial section of the Voting Rights Act. Now, without protections to keep states with a history of disenfranchising voters, those states are left susceptible to new laws that threaten to keep them from the polls. This after winning crucial battles in 2012 against misleading claims of voter fraud.
Workers’ Rights – Workers’ Rights have been under attack in states across this country. Low wage earners in certain industries have been banned the right to unionize and collectively bargain for fair pay, benefits and other protections. Others who have been protected have had their rights attacked or taken away through the introduction and passage of bills that threaten workers’ protections.
Stand Your Ground Laws & Gun Violence – The Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander cases put Stand Your Ground laws under the microscope. The cases brought to light the inequalities that lie within its interpretation and the fact that it is in place in a majority of states underscores that we must fight to repeal the laws. Gun violence has been an issue in low income communities for years, but the Sandy Hook tragedy created an urgency to address gun laws. While Congress failed to act on sensible gun legislation, we must continue to demand action.
Women’s Rights – Women continue to have to fight laws that limit their ability to make decisions about their own health. Many states have legislation that has either recently passed or that has been introduced that eliminates a woman’s right to choose even in instances of incest, rape or health. Women are also still making less than male counterparts but living longer. The implications of this are numerous but keep women in vulnerable positions.
Immigration – Immigration reform has been discussed for many years, but gained traction in the recent months with the introduction and passage of a bill in Senate. While it has stalled in the House, this legislation will have a huge, positive impact on the economy and create civil rights for the millions of immigrants living in this country. Despite the fact that many immigrants are Latino, this is not just a Latino issue – it is an American issue. We need to grant amnesty to the many illegal immigrants who are here and allow them to achieve the American Dream.
LGBT Equality – This year the LGBT community made progress in their work to achieve equality. With 13 states now allowing gays to marry and the Supreme Court overturning DOMA and Prop 8, the crucial victories set up a forward march. However, the gay community still faces employment discrimination and other challenges that block their ability to achieve full rights.
Environmental Justice – Many low income people and minorities face environmental challenges that threaten their health and their lifestyle. In Los Angeles, African Americans are twice as likely to die in a heat wave. 68% of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal plant and this creates more incidences of asthma. Latino children are twice as likely to die from an asthma attack as non-Latino children. There are many more issues related to the environment that impact outcomes for these communities.
Youth – Many of the aforementioned issues affect youth, but in addition to those challenges, youth often deal with college loans. In recent years the college loan interest rate has been at risk for doubling multiple times.
When and why will there be a March on Washington?
The 50th Anniversary March on Washington will take place on //Saturday, August 24, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall.// Fifty years after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, leaders from civil rights, organized labor, housing, media, education and politics will once again convene in the nation’s capital to urge Congress to create more jobs, protect voting rights, and to address the litany of recent attacks on immigration and workers’ rights, and equality for the LGBT community.
Who is organizing the March?
The march has been convened by the Reverend Al Sharpton, President and Founder of National Action Network (NAN), and Martin Luther King, III, the eldest son of Coretta and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President of Realizing the Dream. Participating groups include but are not limited to: The King Center, A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI), NAACP, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), NAACP LDF, National Urban League (NUL), National Council of Negro Women, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), Tom Joyner, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), 1199 SEIU, United Federation of Teachers (UFT), United Here, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, American Federation of Government Employees, AFGE, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Communities Without Boundaries International, Inc. (CWBI), Military Families Speak Out, Fair Vote, United for Peace & Justice, Veterans for Peace, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, National Congress of Black Women (NCBW), , National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. (NCBW), Black Women’s Health Imperative, Human Rights Campaign (HRC), National Black Justice Coalition, Family Equality Council, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Old Lesbians Organizing for Change, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), The Hip Hop Caucus, Operation Hope, Impact Black Youth Vote, OurTime.org, Skinner Leadership Institute and many others.
How many people will attend?
We are expecting at least one hundred thousand people will rally with us in DC and hundreds of thousands more will rally through social media to take a stand against the many issues that are plaguing our broad community. Issues such as racial profiling, Stand Your Ground laws, unemployment, poverty attacks on women’s rights, workers’ rights, gun violence equality for gays and concerns over healthcare, housing and the environment will be the focus of the march. Like the 250,000 people who converged on Washington, D.C fifty years ago, this gathering will be multi-racial and intergenerational.
Who is scheduled to speak at the event?
In addition to Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King, III, the current list of speakers includes the families of Trayvon Martin and Emmett Till, along with Congressman John Lewis, the only one of the six leaders of the March on Washington of 1963 that is still alive; House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi; Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer; Randi Weingarten, President of American Federation of Teachers (AFT); Lee Saunders, President of AFSCME; Janet Murguia, President of The National Council of LaRAZA; Mary Kay Henry, International President of Service Employers International Union (SEIU); Dennis Van Roekel, President of National Education Association (NEA), Terri O’Neill, President of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and many others. Speakers will be listed on the National Action Network website in the near future.
I’m interested in attending or organizing a bus to attend the March. How do I register myself and find out information about buying a bus ticket to attend? How do I register the bus I’m organizing and get a parking pass?
To register yourself for the march, go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net/mow/register/ or call 877-626-4651. The contact information for bus coordinators from across the country can be accessed at or by calling the NAN hotline at 877-626-4651. To register a bus that you are sponsoring or selling seats on, please visit.
I am interested in financially supporting the March. How do I go about doing so?
Your financial support will help us to cover increased costs to make August 24th a huge success. Support the March by making a donation to the National Action Network. Your support will ensure that our voices are heard as we work to realize the dream of Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.
Your donation can be made by visiting or by mailing a check or money order to:
I saw a website that said the March on Washington will be on the 28th. Is that correct?
No. The National Action to Realize the Dream March is taking place on Saturday, August 24th and is part of the official schedule of events being hosted by the King Family, four of the remaining organizations who executed the 1963 March – A. Philip Randolph Institute, NAACP, National Urban League, and SCLC in conjunction with NAN, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), National Park Service, The Children’s Defense Fund and The Skinner Leadership Institute. The full schedule of events can be found by visiting mlkdream50.com. The march on August 28th is being led by a private citizen and is not part of the official events.
You can call our House of Justice at 1-877-626-4651. We will continue to update our FAQs online, so please check back for more information. Please also look for updates and trend with us on our social media sites:
Facebook.com/nationalactionnetwork
Twitter.com/NationalAction
Instagram.com/NationalActionNetwork
In preparation for attending the March, I am interested in learning more about the 1963 March and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Are there books that you would suggest that I read to gain a better understanding of this historic event?
Although this is by no means a comprehensive list, the following books are recommended:
The March on Washington, by William P. Jones (W.W. Norton, 2013)
The King Years: Historic Moments in the Civil Rights Movement, by Taylor Branch (Simon & Schuster, 2013)
My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by Martin Luther King, III (Harpers & Collins, 2013)
Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, by David Garrow (William Morrow Paperbacks, 2004).
Let Freedom Ring: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the March on Washington, by Kitty Kelley (Thomas Dunne Books, 2013)
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Launch of Brain Canada’s 20th anniversary year at the 2018 Annual General Meeting – June 6th in Toronto
News | June 18, 2018
On June 6th, 2018, Brain Canada held its Annual General Meeting in Toronto. The theme of the event, Science without barriers or borders, reflected our vision of collaboration in science. Our work joins people, labs and platforms across the country, as well as institutions, organizations and sectors – in order to accelerate the pace of discovery and create the conditions to drive innovation.
The event was attended by more than 60 members of the academic, philanthropic and business communities and featured four speakers who receive funding from Brain Canada, as well as opening remarks from the Chair of Brain Canada’s Board, Dr. Naomi Azrieli, and our President and CEO, Inez Jabalpurwala. A brief description of the presentations is provided below.
The event also marked the launch of Brain Canada’s 20th anniversary year. Over the last 20 years, Brain Canada has granted more than $250 million to 281 projects involving more than 1,000 researchers based at more than 100 hospitals, universities and research institutes across Canada. We invite you to consult our website and social media channels to stay up-to-date on the celebrations leading up to next year’s Annual General Meeting.
Speakers at Brain Canada’s 2018 AGM. From left to right: Alex Parker, Ph.D.; Kari Hoffman, Ph.D.; Lynn Posluns; and Hendrik Poinar, Ph.D.
Left: Dr. Naomi Azrieli, Brain Canada Board Chair, delivers opening remarks. Right: Inez Jabalpurwala, Brain Canada’s President and CEO, thanks the speakers for their presentations and invites the audience to ask questions.
Kari Hoffman, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Vanderbilt University (formerly Associate Professor at York University), spoke about her Brain Canada team grant that looked at the use of deep brain stimulation as a potential treatment option for epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease, as both these diseases involve impairment to memory circuits. The research was aimed specifically at understanding these memory circuits and determining where and how to apply electrical stimulation to modulate these circuits. She discussed how the project brought together a range of expertise from basic scientists to clinicians and how the project introduced some new interesting research questions and directions such as sex differences in the memory circuits of the brain.
Hendrik Poinar, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Paleogenomics in the Department of Anthropology at McMaster University, discussed the work being done as part of CIFAR’s Humans & the Microbiome program, which is supported by Brain Canada. He discussed the microbiome from an evolutionary standpoint and how disappearing microbiota diversity may be leading to the increased incidence of immune disorders. He also explained the gut-brain connection and how changes in the microbiome are being implicated in everything from autism, ADHD, degenerative brain disorders to jet lag. He finished by elaborating on the collaborations that have resulted from the CIFAR program, between fellows within the Microbiome program and also across other CIFAR programs.
Lynn Posluns, Founder and President of the Women’s Brain Health Initiative (WBHI), highlighted the importance of conducting research on brain aging in women – women represent more than 2/3 of all Alzheimer’s diagnoses – and shared the progress made to date, thanks in part to a partnership between WBHI and Brain Canada. The goal of this partnership is to help translate and communicate the outcomes of brain research by engaging and educating Canadians, especially young women, on the importance of brain health, and in particular of women’s brain health, through the creation in English and French of the Mind over Matter magazine and of digital content, and by supporting the delivery of two six-part series of educational events by the Young Person’s Cabinet, called Engaging Millennial Minds. To date, most of the Engaging Millennial Minds have been sold out, and the latest version of Mind Over Matter magazine was distributed through the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star, to doctors’ offices, hospital waiting rooms, care centres, Canadian and US speaking engagements and global symposia and to book and social clubs as requested, for a total of 155,000 copies.
Alex Parker, Associate Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Université de Montréal, explained how C. elegans worms could be used in drug discovery (particularly drugs for ALS), and highlighted the importance of collaboration across labs and disorders in order to accelerate the process. He outlined how his lab is quickly and relatively inexpensively able to screen a large number of potential therapeutic compounds, as well as how suitable compounds are tested in other more complex preclinical models such as zebrafish and mice. From these original thousands of compounds, a few eventually move up to clinical trials in humans.
Photo credit (all photos): Owen Egan
Discover Other News
The 8th issue of WBHI’s Mind Over Matter magazine is out, with a foreword from our Board Chair and our President & CEO
CQDM, Healthy Brains for Healthy Lives (HBHL), Corbin Therapeutics and Brain Canada award $1.5 million to McGill Professor Philippe Gros who will pursue the development of new molecules to fight neuroinflammation
New $40-million investment in Budget 2019: planning stage for future Brain Canada competitions
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Rutgers alumni rank among top 100 figures in NJ politics
November 30, 2017 /in Around the Web /by brickcityreads
Raymond Lesniak (D-N.J.), a state legislator since 1983, Modia “Mo” Butler, former chief of staff to Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Susan McCue, former chief of staff to retired Sen. Harry Reid (D-N.V.). Ruth Mandel, director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics, said despite the vast amount of Rutgers alumni …
https://brickcitylive.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Brick-City-Live-Logo-White-Red.png 0 0 brickcityreads https://brickcitylive.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Brick-City-Live-Logo-White-Red.png brickcityreads2017-11-30 00:03:002017-11-30 00:03:00Rutgers alumni rank among top 100 figures in NJ politics
Launch Pad coworking community is coming to Newark Newark Holiday Market hosted by Greater Newark Conservancy comes to town this...
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Tag Archives: US Government
Chumph – Ethnic Cleansing the Government
What is going on at State Department is playing out all over the government as the Chumph assembles his Gestapo.
This is also interesting because of the announcement of Mr Tillerson’s exit from State…
Diplomats Sound the Alarm as They Are Pushed Out in Droves
Of all the State Department employees who might have been vulnerable in the staff reductions that Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson has initiated as he reshapes the department, the one person who seemed least likely to be a target was the chief of security, Bill A. Miller.
Republicans pilloried Hillary Clinton for what they claimed was her inadequate attention to security as secretary of state in the months before the deadly 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya. Congress even passed legislation mandating that the department’s top security official have unrestricted access to the secretary of state.
But in his first nine months in office, Mr. Tillerson turned down repeated and sometimes urgent requests from the department’s security staff to brief him, according to several former top officials in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Finally, Mr. Miller, the acting assistant secretary for diplomatic security, was forced to cite the law’s requirement that he be allowed to speak to Mr. Tillerson.
Mr. Miller got just five minutes with the secretary of state, the former officials said. Afterward, Mr. Miller, a career Foreign Service officer, was pushed out, joining a parade of dismissals and early retirements that has decimated the State Department’s senior ranks. Mr. Miller declined to comment.
The departures mark a new stage in the broken and increasingly contentious relationship between Mr. Tillerson and much of his department’s work force. By last spring, interviews at the time suggested, the guarded optimism that greeted his arrival had given way to concern among diplomats about his aloofness and lack of communication. By the summer, the secretary’s focus on efficiency and reorganization over policy provoked off-the-record anger.
Now the estrangement is in the open, as diplomats going out the door make their feelings known and members of Congress raise questions about the impact of their leaving.
In a letter to Mr. Tillerson last week, Democratic members of the House Foreign Relations Committee, citing what they said was “the exodus of more than 100 senior Foreign Service officers from the State Department since January,” expressed concern about “what appears to be the intentional hollowing-out of our senior diplomatic ranks.”
Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, sent a similar letter, telling Mr. Tillerson that “America’s diplomatic power is being weakened internally as complex global crises are growing externally.”
Mr. Tillerson, a former chief executive of Exxon Mobil, has made no secret of his belief that the State Department is a bloated bureaucracy and that he regards much of the day-to-day diplomacy that lower-level officials conduct as unproductive. Even before Mr. Tillerson was confirmed, his staff fired six of the State Department’s top career diplomats, including Patrick Kennedy, who had been appointed to his position by President George W. Bush. Kristie Kenney, the department’s counselor and one of just five career ambassadors, was summarily fired a few weeks later.
None were given any reason for their dismissals, although Mr. Kennedy and Ms. Kenney had been reprimanded by Trump transition officials for answering basic logistical questions from Nikki R. Haley, President Trump’s pick as United Nations ambassador. Mr. Tillerson is widely believed to dislike Ms. Haley, who has been seen as a possible successor if Mr. Tillerson steps down.
In the following months, Mr. Tillerson launched a reorganization that he has said will be the most important thing he will do, and he has hired two consulting companies to lead the effort. Since he decided before even arriving at the State Department to slash its budget by 31 percent, many in the department have always seen the reorganization as a smoke screen for drastic cuts.
Mr. Tillerson has frozen most hiring and recently offered a $25,000 buyout in hopes of pushing nearly 2,000 career diplomats and civil servants to leave by October 2018.
His small cadre of aides have fired some diplomats and gotten others to resign by refusing them the assignments they wanted or taking away their duties altogether. Among those fired or sidelined were most of the top African-American and Latino diplomats, as well as many women, difficult losses in a department that has long struggled with diversity.
One of them was Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a career Foreign Service officer who served as ambassador to Liberia under Mr. Bush and as director general of the Foreign Service and assistant secretary for African affairs during the Obama administration. Ms. Thomas-Greenfield was among those asked to leave by Mr. Tillerson’s staff, but she appealed and remained until her retirement in September.
“I don’t feel targeted as an African-American,” she said. “I feel targeted as a professional.”
For those who have not been dismissed, retirement has become a preferred alternative when, like Mr. Miller, they find no demand for their expertise. A retirement class that concludes this month has 26 senior employees, including two acting assistant secretaries in their early 50s who would normally wait years before leaving.
The number of those with the department’s top two ranks of career ambassador and career minister — equivalent to four- and three-star generals — will have been cut in half by Dec. 1, from 39 to 19. And of the 431 minister-counselors, who have two-star-equivalent ranks, 369 remain and another 14 have indicated that they will leave soon — an 18 percent drop — according to an accounting provided by the American Foreign Service Association.
The political appointees who normally join the department after a change in administration have not made up for those departures. So far, just 10 of the top 44 political positions in the department have been filled, and for most of the vacancies, Mr. Tillerson has not nominated anyone.
Posted by btx3 on November 30, 2017 in American Genocide, Daily Chump Disasters, Domestic terrorism, High Crimes, The Definition of Racism, Trump Impeachment
Tags: chumph, employment, ethnic cleansing, High Crimes, race, Racism, rex tillerson, trump, US Government
Black White Wealth Gap in DC…Likely to Get Worse Under the Chumph
Black workers are more likely to be employed in the public sector than are either their white or Hispanic counterparts. In 2011, nearly 20 percent of employed Blacks worked for state, local, or federal government compared to 14.2 percent of Whites and 10.4 percent of Hispanics.
Blacks are 30 percent more likely than nonblacks to work in the public sector, according to the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Labor Research and Education. And roughly 21 percent of black workers are public employees, compared with 16.3 percent of nonblacks.
So when Putin’s bitch says he is going to “reduce government” who exactly gets hurt here?
George W. Bush (AKA the Bushit) “privatized” significant swaths of the Federal Government by outsourcing jobs to the private sector resulting in “whitening” Government.
More than a third (36.2%) of the Military are Minorities. Depending how you count (multiracial, other, etc) something between 17 and 20% of the US Military is black.
Partially as a result, the “wealth gap” between black and white is very bad in Washington, DC.
In D.C., White Families Are on Average 81 Times Richer Than Black Ones
Other major cities aren’t much better
The wealth discrepancy between blacks and whites is one of the most stark examples of inequality in America. White American families have, on average, around $142,000 in savings and assets, minus debt. Black families’, meanwhile, amounted to only $11,000, according to a 2014 Pew Research study. The gulf between black and white wealth is the worst it has been since the 1980s. Put differently, an average white family has 13 times the wealth of an average black family.
But as though the median numbers for the country as a whole weren’t bad enough, things look much worse in America’s cities, according to a new paperfrom the Urban institute—even cities such as D.C. where the prevalence of public-sector jobs, a large black population, and a high share of black business owners might make it seem like a place that black families could thrive. But in Washington D.C., the median white family has a staggering 81 times as much wealth as the median black family.
D.C. is not an outlier: In general, urban areas have much more severe racial inequalities, in part because of the concentration of white wealthy people, and the fact that their wealth has not “trickled down” to poor and middle-class black families. According to a 2015 National Asset Scorecard for Communities of Colors, D.C.’s racial wealth gap falls just behind Los Angeles’s, where median wealth for whites was closer to 89 times as much as blacks’. In Miami it was 30 times as high; in Tulsa, 18 times.
Darrick Hamilton, a professor at the New School and one of the authors of the Urban Institute’s study—along with fellow economists Kilolo Kijakazi, Rachel Marie Brooks Atkins, Mark Paul, Anne Price, and William A. Darity Jr.—says that while many ethnic groups might do poorly in one city and thrive in another, that’s not the case for black Americans. “No matter what the geographical context is, black Americans are a low-wealth group,” he told me. “I think the disparities are going to be dramatic wherever we look.”
Hamilton says that while the statistics about magnitude are useful for distilling the gap in balance sheets, they do little to capture what the wealth gap means for black families. In practice, less wealth means diminished access to the education and opportunities that help many Americans reach the middle class. Less wealth decreases opportunities for savings, homeownership, and economic security. And limited wealth accumulation also means that parents and grandparents have little to pass along to the next generation—from paying for school to helping with down payments—which dampens opportunities for intergenerational mobility.
D.C.’s wealth inequality stems from a combination of factors. According to the study, homeownership plays a significant role: Whites living in the District are much more likely than blacks to own homes—something that’s true around the country. In the District, whites with less than a high school education were more likely to own their homes than blacks at any education level, even those with college degrees. And for those who do own their own place, home values for black owners were around $250,000, about 30 percent less than the average value for white owners. Blacks in the District have a much higher unemployment rate, lower education rates, and are much more likely to have received a subprime mortgage.
The District’s racial wealth divide has old and deep origins in centuries of racist policies. The authors highlight a few in particular: the “black codes” of the 1840s, which prevented black people from owning successful stores or working in certain professions; the return of land in the District to the South in the 1870s, which decreased opportunities for ownership among newly freed blacks; the demolition of Barry Farms—a black enclave founded by freed blacks—in the 1940s to make way for public housing and highway projects; the wave of “urban renewal” projects that swept out black businesses and residents in the 1960s and 70s. The effects of these policies have never been adequately dealt with. “Black people in D.C. have faced more than two centuries of deliberately constructed barriers to wealth building, and some of the highest barriers were embedded by design in law,” the study says….More…
Posted by btx3 on November 28, 2016 in The New Jim Crow
Tags: black, DC, discrimination, federal workers, predatory loans, race, Racism, redlining, US Government, Washington, wealth gap, white, white privilege
US Bans Hoverboard Imports – Hoverboards Banned
And not because of them catching fire!
The U.S. Just Banned Hoverboard Imports
And it has nothing to do with their fiery explosions.
The International Trade Commission announced Wednesday that the United States is banning imports of so-called hoverboards.
But while some brands of the auto-balancing scooters are known to spontaneously combust, the U.S.’s decision had nothing to do with safety and everything to do with a request from Segway, the hoverboard’s nerdy uncle.
Hoverboards are often described in media reports as Segways without handlebars, or a cooler Segway. But it turns out the new scooters have more in common with their Paul Blart-endorsed predecessor than meets the eye.
Segway filed a complaint with the ITC in 2014, claiming that hoverboards, the vast majority of which are manufactured in China, infringed on some of their patents and copyrights. The particular patents they listed mostly have to do with technologies that allow Segways to self-balance and read user inputs.
“In recent years, there has been an influx of low quality two-wheel personal transporters built on the intellectual property developed by DEKA and Segway,” the company, which licenses the technology from research firm DEKA, said at the time. “If this influx is allowed to continue, this iconic American product and the U.S. jobs dependent on it will be threatened.”
While Segway is based in New Hampshire and continues to manufacture its products there, it was bought last April by Ninebot, a Chinese company that Segway actually listed as a respondent in its 2014 complaint.
The ITC’s ruling goes on to name several brands that are no longer allowed to be imported into the country, including UPTECH, U.P. Technology, U.P. Robotics, FreeGo China, Ecoboomer and Roboscooters.
Segway said it would work with both U.S. customs and the ITC to help implement the ban, although demand for these products is likely at a new low. Just last month, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced voluntary safety standards for all manufacturers, importers and retailers of self-balancing scooters due to their pesky tendency to catch on fire. Online retailer Amazon even agreed to refund all hoverboard purchases.
All of which means there might be a gaping new hole in the self-balancing scooter market. One that Segway could be poised to fill if it would only get cracking on asmaller, cooler-looking model.
The last isn’t going to happen. Segway will continue to sell vastly overpriced product now that there is no competition.
Posted by btx3 on March 17, 2016 in Great American Rip-Off, News
Tags: banned, fire, Hoverboard, infringement, ITC, Lawsuit, patent, Segway, US Government
The War That Never Ended – John Horse and the Seminoles
Met a Seminole Chief many years ago, and got a real education about what was called by the US “The Seminole Wars”, which were actually a 50 year series of battles between the US Government and the Seminoles, and their black allies, sometimes referred to as Black Seminole because some of the leaders of this revolt were black. The longest and most expensive War fought by the US prior to the Civil War, and the most expensive of the “Indian Wars” in terms of GDP by the US. Which never officially ended.
Wiki actually has a reasonably good write-up of this period to get an understanding from the “65.000 ft view”.
Posted by btx3 on January 15, 2016 in Black History
Tags: Black History, black people, Seminole wars, slaves, US Government
Tuskegee 626… In Guatemala!
Seems that rural black folks weren’t the only ones used in unethical scientific experiments… What you have to realize – is in the 30’s and 40’s and even into the 60’s – our medical and scientific community really wan’t all that different from Hitler’s.
U.S. apologizes for syphilis experiment in Guatemala
The United States apologized on Friday for an experiment conducted in the 1940s in which U.S. government medical researchers deliberately infected Guatemalan prison inmates with syphilis.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and other top officials issued a statement about the experiment, which echoed the infamous 1960s Tuskegee study in which black American men were deliberately left untreated for syphilis.
“The sexually transmitted disease inoculation study conducted from 1946-1948 in Guatemala was clearly unethical,” the statement reads.
“Although these events occurred more than 64 years ago, we are outraged that such reprehensible research could have occurred under the guise of public health. We deeply regret that it happened, and we apologize to all the individuals who were affected by such abhorrent research practices.”
The experiments, aimed at testing whether penicillin could prevent syphilis, were discovered by Susan Reverby, professor of women’s studies at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.
“In 1946-48, Dr. John C. Cutler, a Public Health Service physician who would later be part of the Syphilis Study in Alabama in the 1960s and continue to defend it two decades after it ended in the 1990s, was running a syphilis inoculation project in Guatemala, co-sponsored by the PHS, the National Institutes of Health, the Pan American Health Sanitary Bureau (now the Pan American Health Organization), and the Guatemalan government,” she wrote.
“It was the early days of penicillin and the PHS was deeply interested in whether penicillin could be used to prevent, not just cure, early syphilis infection, whether better blood tests for the disease could be established, what dosages of penicillin actually cured infection, and to understand the process of re-infection after cures.”
The prison inmates were deliberately infected by prostitutes, but were treated with penicillin afterwards.
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said regulation prohibited such “risky and unethical” research today.
Posted by btx3 on October 1, 2010 in Black History, News
Tags: experiments, government, Guatemala, medical experiments, medical testing, murder, syphilis, Tuskegee 626, US Government
Gulf Oil Spill Much Bigger Than Claimed By BP and Government
Hat Tip to the Destructionist who actually figured this one out and posted it two days ago –
How Bad is it? If Overlayed on the DC-Baltimore Area - This Bad
You can overlay the size of the surface spill on any Geographic area at Google Earth here. To get a feel of the damage so far, here is a great collection of images.
The U.S. government estimates it’s 5,000 barrels a day, but scientists and environmental groups say it could be much larger.
National Public Radio reported late Thursday that scientific analysis of a video of the spill, released Wednesday by British Petroleum, put the estimate closer to 70,000 barrels a day. It says those findings suggest the spill is already much larger than the 1989 Exxon Valdez accident in Alaska.
Rough calculations using satellite imagery suggested the leak could “easily be four or five times” the U.S. government estimate, Ian R. MacDonald, an oceanographer at Florida State University who is an expert in the analysis of oil slicks, told the New York Times.
The 5,000 barrels a day figure was produced quickly by government scientists in Seattle, the Times reports. It appears to have been determined using a method not specifically recommended for major oil spills…
Independent scientists estimate the renegade wellhead at the bottom of the Gulf could be spewing up to 25,000 barrels a day, the Christian Science Monitor reported.
Meanwhile, BP Execs continued to downplay the size of the spill, dis-inviting scientists from Woods Hole Laboratory to come and get accurate measurements – Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by btx3 on May 14, 2010 in American Greed
Tags: BP, ecological disaster, Gulf, Larger than claimed, oil spill, size of spill, US Government
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Single Writer Mama
Cancer Chronicles
By reality_mom on July 18, 2013 at 2:55 PM
I have spent the last four years writing about dating, divorce, and writing tips and encouragement. Something has occurred in my life to cause me to want to deviate from that. And since the tag to this blog includes the word “horrific, but possibly rewarding adventures” I’m going to assume these stories still fit. That is, until someone tells me otherwise.
A man I had never met before called Monday morning to tell me I had breast cancer. He never even gave me the benefit of thinking he misdialed because he recited my name, birth date, social security number, and medical history before saying, “I’m sorry, but all three biopsies came back cancerous.”
I fell to the floor. The room began to spin. Unfortunately, I was aware enough to realize I was acting like Meredith Baxter (formerly Baxter Birney) in a Lifetime movie. “God, I’m such a cliché,” I said to myself. “I actually just thought the words, ‘my life changed with a phone call.’”
The man on the phone prattled on about infiltrating lobular carcinoma, mastectomies, chemotherapy, and radiation, all of which it appeared were now, or soon to be, a part of my life. He explained margins and tests, but I think I hung up on him mid-sentence to call my friend Jill.
“I have cancer!” I cried to her voice mail. I tried Diane next. “I have cancer,” I admitted again to an automated message. Lori-same thing and then Cedar, another damn voicemail. “Where the fuck are my friends!” I screamed out loud. I tried my ex-husband, who always answers his phone. “Hi, this is Jason with Stella Color, I’m sorry I can’t…”
Jesus Christ!” I screamed and crawled into bed. While there, I had a little chat with JC’s father. “Really God?” I asked his All Mighty. “I was just starting to believe in you and you throw this shit at me? Well, fuck you, I want no part of it. This was my year to be normal, remember? I’m finally not grieving my past, fretting about my future, or processing my present. I’m just being. And I thought we were in agreement on that is EXACTLY what I should be doing, but no, you changed the game on me.”
A call from my ex came in and I figured talking to a live person would be better than with a deity I may or may not believe in.
“Oh my God!” he cried.
“I know,” I cried back.
He asked several questions, none of which I knew the answer of. Meredith wasn’t a very good note taker. I hung up with my ex to call the doctor back. Shockingly, he, not his receptionist, answered on the first ring.
“Hi, It’s Corbin. I know we just spoke, but I don’t remember anything you said. In fact, don’t bother reciting all of that just tell me what stage it is.”
“I shouldn’t say because… blah blah margins this and test that”
I interrupted his very scientific ramblings to ask again, “What stage is it?”
“At least 2, perhaps 4”
You guessed it, I fell to the ground again. And then asked him the only question that really mattered, “Will I die?”
“I can’t answer that.”
Click. Back to bed I went.
A constricting feeling occurred in my chest as a fear, one thousand times more intense than I had ever experienced, overcame me. “Hello, Death,” I thought. I let myself go down its very dark tunnel. It was both terrifying and calming to face the fear that I’ve had since early childhood. Even as a young four-year-old, thoughts of dying caused panic attacks. I’d race from my bed in search of my mother. She’d hold me on her lap and rock me, saying something I didn’t really understand, but it didn’t matter, her voice and the rocking motion were all I needed. As a teenager, I can remember racing out of a math class during one of these episodes. No mother was in sight on that day, but by then I had learned how to calm myself. “That won’t happen for a really, really long time.” I’d say to myself. “And who knows, by then, maybe you’ll be ready for it.”
When I woke up this Monday morning, at the age of forty-three, I was far from being ready, or expecting death. But there I sat in my bed thinking (a mere two hours later), “Bring it on.”
A life in and out of hospitals was not living, so I chose death. Trying to conquer my disease was also not an option, because I felt as if I had been fighting for close to a decade and didn’t have any more fight in me. Places I hadn’t been, goals I had not accomplished, and adult people who I loved, didn’t even cause a moment hesitation for me. “What about my kids?” was the only thing that caused me to waiver. My kids were everything to me. But most of the time my fear of leaving them motherless was overruled by the thought, “I hope I gave them what they needed in their mere seven and ten years on this planet.”
With that settled, I snuggled into bed with death and took a nap.
Evening of 6/10/13
And then the unthinkable occurred-I took a walk. I didn’t think about cancer or breasts or even my kids, I just walked. And then I showered. And then I poured myself a large glass of wine and took out a “Cougar Town” video. I think it was the most inane show ever produced, but I don’t remember much of it. I was numb and I liked being so. After a show or two, I paused Courtney Cox’s hysteria to rummage through my fridge for some food. Outside, my ex was impersonating John Cusack in “Say Anything.” He didn’t have the boombox, but he was crying and telling me how much he loved me and how scared he was and…
“Dude,” I interrupted. “Thanks, but see this?” I said pointing to my wine glass. “This is the first time all day I haven’t been freaking out so you need to go home and I need to go in and watch some more Cougar Town.”
Hugs, tears, more endearments ensued and back to Courtney I went.
The following day I said, “I can’t possibly meet with a client this afternoon. I just got told I have cancer.” But then I met with the client. “I can’t deal with calling surgeons right now,” I said. But then I called Swedish to schedule an appointment with a surgeon.
“Do you have a preference for a female surgeon or maybe a specific one in mind?” the receptionist asked me.
“Yes, the one who can see my quickest.”
“I won’t tell my kids yet,” I told myself and their father. But within five minutes of picking them up, I knew they knew something was amiss, so I told them.
My son cried, immediately grasping what “breast cancer” was, but my seven-year-old daughter took a little longer to understand. “Is that something I can catch?” she asked.
“No,” I replied. I explained it in terms of how it would affect them, “I’ll be more tired. I’ll have to have surgery so Jenn will watch you. I may go bald.” When they had heard enough, my son went out to his yoga ball—a place where he talks to himself and sorts things out—and my daughter crawled into bed with me.
A friend offered to take my kids to the end of the year picnic that evening, because I “couldn’t possibly face that today.”
“You’re right,” I agreed. “Thank you.”
But ten minutes later Conor joined Stella and me in bed and I said, “Let’s go get some chicken for the picnic.”
“The picnic’s tonight?” they asked. But their excitement was short-lived once they remembered the big C.
“You guys can do and say whatever you want tonight, but personally, I’m taking the night off from cancer. A couple of people there know I have it, and they’ll hug me and I’ll cry, but for the most part, I’m not going to talk about it. If you want to talk to your friends about it, feel free, but if you don’t want to, that is absolutely all right as well.”
“I’m going to tell Evelyn, but that’s it,” Stella said. “Because picnics are supposed to be fun.”
“I’m going to tell Jack and Lonnie, but that’s it.” Conor said. And then followed it with, “Well, maybe I’ll wait.”
I placed my store bought fried chicken next to the vast organic home-made quinoa and kale salads on the park’s picnic table. “Beer?” my friend Carlos offered. “Hell yeah!” I responded. We chatted about the Mountain Goats, his art show at the Sunset Tavern, and his upcoming trip to San Francisco. For three hours I ate, laughed, chatted, and watched my kids frolic and play. “OK, God,” I said in my head. “Maybe, just maybe, I can do this.”
Corbin Lewars
Single Writer Mama Search
All About the Trees Part 2
Mistress, Church, Underwear Drawer
My Favorite Children
Score one, score two
Tough Broads
It’s all about the trees
I’m Not in Seattle
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5 ways technology is improving governance, public service delivery in developing Asia
Governance and public sector managementInformation and Communications Technology
Jakarta is using traffic apps to cut travel time and boost ridership on public transport.
By Abdul Abiad, Sameer Khatiwada
India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand are paving the way for technology to make governance more effective.
One aspect of new technology that receives considerably less attention is the transformative impact that it could have in improving the effectiveness of government.
According to the World Governance Indicators compiled by the World Bank, on a scale of 0 to 100 in terms of government effectiveness, for e.g., India scores 57, Indonesia 55, the Philippines 52, and Thailand 67. For perspective, advanced economies in Asia such as Japan and Singapore score 93 and 100, respectively.
New technologies hold great promise for improving government effectiveness, a multi-faceted concept that includes, among other things, control of corruption and efficient delivery of public goods such as education, health, social security, and transport. Here are five examples of how governments in developing have begun harnessing technology for better government.
1. National ID systems to improve tax compliance and provision of public services.
Asia is home to nearly a quarter of the world’s population with no official proof of identity. India’s Aadhaar digital ID program has now registered approximately 1.2 billion Indians covering 99% of the adult population, and it is being used to deliver government subsidies, benefits, and services.
Success of India’s Aaadhar ID system has spurred interest across Asia
On the back of this national ID program, India is improving governance in other areas such as tax enforcement and compliance. In July 2017 it rolled out the Goods and Services Tax (GST), with all filings required to be done electronically through the GST Network, a web-based one-stop shop for all of India’s indirect tax requirements.
The GST Network is linked with the national ID system, which is in turn linked to individuals’ bank accounts; unlinked accounts are to be frozen by banks. The mandatory electronic tax filing minimizes taxpayers’ physical interaction with tax officials and has already broadened the tax base substantially – in just six months the Indian government added 3.4 million new indirect taxpayers to its rolls.
The success of India’s national ID system has spurred interest in putting in place similar systems in other countries in Asia. As of today, other large-scale digital ID initiatives in the region include Indonesia’s e-KTP card, Malaysia’s MyKad, and Pakistan’s NADRA system.
2. Reducing corruption in land management systems using blockchain.
According to a study by Transparency International, an estimated $700 million is being paid in bribes at land registration administrators across India. The government of Andhra Pradesh state is utilizing blockchain technology to address issues of fraud and corruption in the state by implementing a blockchain-based platform which would make land ownership data records encrypted and thus incorruptible and transparent.
Crowdsourcing technology can improve quality of public education
3. Quality education and training: skills for the future.
As highlighted by the 2018 Asian Development Outlook theme chapter How Technology Affects Jobs, quality education is key for preparing the workforce of the future. Workers with better foundational skills—which include not only basic reading, writing, numeracy but also social and emotional skills and digital literacy—are better placed to learn new skills and adapt to working with new technologies.
Quality formal education is the foundation of skills development. For instance, leveraging the widespread use of social media in the Philippines, the CheckMySchool (CMS) initiative is a community monitoring tool that uses crowdsourcing technology to improve the quality of public education. Developed in partnership with the Department of Education, CMS monitors and produces reports on various aspects of public education services, from specific government education programs to the quality of education infrastructure. Its use has resulted in faster response times from government on a range of issues, from the lack of textbooks to classroom repairs to misreported enrolment rates.
More generally, new technologies have the potential to transform public education through new approaches such as adaptive learning (powered by machine learning) and massive online open courses.
4. Better provision of healthcare services.
Thailand is pursuing ambitious plans in healthcare delivery, spurred by its desire to become Asia’s healthcare hub. The government created a Ministry for Digital Economy and Society in 2016 and has developed a National Digital Economy Masterplan with a four phase 20-year schedule.
Jakarta deploying Trafi, Waze, Google Maps apps to help decongest city
The first masterplan (2017-2022) includes a digital ID system, with plans to establish government Big Data with a Data Analytics Centre, which “will create preparedness for utilizing artificial intelligence.” It will integrate the Thai Public Health System and Personal Health Records (PHR), allowing both professionals and patients to access information to monitor progress, seek advice and make doctor appointments online. The PHR system will issue smart health ID numbers to access healthcare services.
5. Transport and urban management.
We do not need to wait until automated vehicles to arrive in mega cities in developing Asia to see that new technology promises to transform public transportation and urban development.
A number of cities in Indonesia are actively using technology to improve services. The Jakarta Transport Authority collaborated with several application providers including Trafi, Waze, and Google Maps to evaluate alternative traffic schemes, eventually reducing travel times of Transjakarta buses by 20% and increasing ridership by 30%.
The Jakarta Smart City Unit has developed apps for public crime reporting, school placement, and traffic reporting, as well as a Citizen Relation Management platform to improve response times. And Surabaya has developed an e-Health service system that allows citizens to schedule appointments in public health centrers or government-owned hospitals without the need to stand in line.
Abdul Abiad Director, Macroeconomic Research Division Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department
Sameer Khatiwada Economist, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department
Assessing Asia’s infrastructure investment needs
Can Asia reach high-income?
In the age of automation, how can the services sector provide decent jobs?
Let’s boost private investment in Asian infrastructure
Philippine BPOs: Getting ahead of the automation curve
Putting derivatives to work in development finance
Trade policy uncertainty is at all-time highs—and that’s bad news
Sustainable tourism for sustainable development
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Presenters and hosts gather for a group photo at lunch on Saturday
On Saturday, February 27th, 20 undergraduate, graduate and professor level economics scholars gathered at Grove City College to present their latest research. The Austrian Student Scholars Conference was inaugurated at GCC in 2004 by Economics Department Chair Jeffery Herbener, formerly the director of the Austrian Scholars Conference at the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama. The ASSC serves a similar role to the Mises Institute’s ASC (now AERC), providing a forum for students of the “Austrian School” of economics, associated with Mises, F.A. Hayek, Murray Rothbard, Israel Kirzner and Joe Salerno. However, what makes the ASSC unique is that, as the name suggests, it is intended for undergrads and graduate students to get their first experience in presenting papers and engaging in discourse with fellow students.
This presents a very special opportunity for the serious undergraduate scholar, especially Grove City students. As part of the ECON 420 ‘Economics Colloquium’ capstone class, every economics major is required to present a paper their senior year, but some students write and present papers even sooner in their careers. At this year’s conference, of the 10 Grove City students who presented two were juniors and one a freshman. Other presenters included undergraduates from Ferris State University, Ph.D. students from Auburn University, George Mason University and the University d’Angers along with a few faculty members from various institutions.
Dr. McCaffrey speaks Friday night
The fun kicked off with great conversation between the different groups represented at the conference over a delicious meal of salmon and pilaf on Friday night. The evening’s keynote lecture, named in honor of former economics department chair Hans Sennholz, was delivered by Dr. Matthew McCaffrey from England’s University of Manchester who spoke about the economics of social entrepreneurship. He presented a convincing argument that social enterprises, which provide social good in the context of business (such as TOMS shoes), can deliver aid more efficiently than conventional non-profits or the government. This is due, he said, to business firms being subject to economic calculation which forces them to weigh profit and loss. By weighing these, the social enterprise can be more effective than a traditional charity that just has money given to it.
Showtime for Presenters
Dr. Jeff Herbener introduces GCC’s Susannah Estoker before her presentation
Saturday morning marked the beginning of a full day of paper reading and discussion. The sessions were organized into 1.5 hour blocks, with three papers presented in each. Sessions sorted papers into common themes which this year included Domestic Policies; Technology, Modeling and Economics; Ethics and Economics; International Policies; Labor and Wages; and Money Production. After the papers were presented, with each presenter allocated 20 minutes, there followed 30 minutes of discussion about the papers where listeners could ask questions to clarify points, or make suggestions on issues raised in the papers that could be further investigated.
After two series of sessions it was time for lunch and then on to more papers. By the end of the day, topics including Social Security, labor policy, the Gold Standard and international development had all been discussed. This diversity of topics made the day a quick introduction to serious academic thought on a variety of issues.
Before the papers were presented, they were read and judged by a panel of Grove City College faculty for the Richard E. Fox Prize. First place (with a $1,000 cash prize) went to Ph.D. student Karl-Friedrich Israel from the University d’Angers, while 2nd and 3rd prizes went to two GCC seniors, David Werner and Jon Nelson. Israel’s paper: “Modern Monetary Policy Evaluation and the Lucas Critique” addressed Robert Lucas’s argument that the results of changes in economic policy can not be adequately predicted using economic modeling. David Werner presented an overview of the effects the California Gold Rush of 1849 had on the monetary supply in his paper: “Gold: Rushing and Minting”, and Jon Nelson’s “The Economics of Science, Technology and Government Intervention” assessed some effects that governmental subsidization of applied research can have on the economy.
L-R: David Werner, Karl-Friedrich Israel, Jon Nelson
Dr. Brandly makes a point
After the presentation of the prizes, Dr. Mark Brandly of Ferris State University delivered the Ludwig von Mises Memorial Lecture on “Mises, Calculation and Government Land Ownership”. His recounting of how he came to economics after majoring in math in college and working in the petroleum industry had the crowd laughing. He also managed to make the main topic of his talk: explaining how the government’s ownership of land affects investment decisions in harvesting natural resources, accessible to audience members less familiar with economic theory.
It was a busy weekend, but a fun one, and a great opportunity to meet students from other institutions. The Austrian Student Scholars Conference is just one of many ways Grove City provides unique experiences to its students.
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About Matthew Leverknight
Matthew Leverknight ('17) is an economics major at Grove City College. His interests include public policy and entrepreneurship,. He is a resident assistant in Ketler Hall and treasurer of the Swing Dance Club. In his free time he enjoys reading (especially historical biographies and books on culture) and is an enthusiastic ballroom dancer.
View all posts by Matthew Leverknight →
An Inside Look At Grove City College’s Admitted Student Day
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Caleb Plant doesn’t want to hear about Mike Lee’s ‘pain’ ahead of their July 20 fight
NEW YORK — Caleb Plant couldn’t contain himself. His body language said it all.
Mike Lee took the podium Tuesday at Gotham Hall in Manhattan and began addressing getting a shot at Plant’s IBF super middleweight title July 20 in Las Vegas.
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“This has been a culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice, pain, in and out of hospitals,” said Lee, “most importantly getting somewhere no one thought I could get.”
Plant immediately began shaking his head. Despite the shades covering his eyes, you could see the disgust plastered over his face.
After all, it’s hard for the 26-year-old champion to hear his opponent paint a picture of pain, when inconceivable tragedy has been attached to Plant’s name and not Lee’s.
In January 2015, Plant had to make the painful decision of taking his 19-month-old daughter, Alia, off life support after she had been suffering from repeated seizures caused by a brain condition, as reported by the Tennessean.
After defeating Jose Uzcategui to become a world champ and dedicating the victory to Alia in January, tragedy struck Plant again in March, when his mother was shot and killed by a police officer following a heated confrontation. (USA Today reported that she flashed a knife at a sheriff, leading to the fatal gunshot.)
That being said, hearing Lee talk about his own pain, when he has a finance degree from Notre Dame and can seemingly cope without boxing, didn’t sit well with Plant at all.
The newly-minted world champ let Lee know about it by giving one of the most impassioned speeches you’ll ever hear at a boxing press conference.
“Mike Lee may have a financial degree, but in boxing, I have a Ph.D and that’s something you don’t know anything about,” Plant said at the podium, turning his head and glancing down at his future opponent. “Something else I have a Ph.D in is being cold, being hungry and being deprived — that’s something you don’t know anything about.
“Coming from very rock bottom — that’s something you don’t know anything about. Coming from ‘No Man’s Land,’ where nobody makes it out — that’s something you don’t know anything about.
“So, if this guy ever thought for one second that I would let him mess this up for me and send me back there — because unlike him, I have everything to lose; this is how I keep a roof over my head and food in my belly — that’s something he don’t know anything about,” he continued.
“So, if he thinks he’s going to mess this up for me, he’s not half as educated as I thought he was.”
Pausing for a second, Plant (18-0, 10 KOs) let Lee (21-0, 11 KOs) know that there’s no way that he’s walking out of the MGM Grand Garden Arena without the hardware that he’s been working all his life for and just won in January.
“Every night from now until July 20, I hope him and his team before they go to bed at night envision the words ‘and still,’” Plant said, “because that’s all that him and his team and any of you who are tuned in are going to hear July 20.”
“Unlike him, he has nothing to lose. But for myself, I have everything to lose.”@SweetHandsPlant gives a passionate speech ahead of his fight vs. @MikeLeeBoxing on July 20. #PlantLee pic.twitter.com/WMIgyefyIx
— Sporting News Fights (@sn_fights) May 21, 2019
After the faceoff between the two, Plant stepped off the stage to his right and granted Sporting News a one-on-one interview, still fired up over what he perceives as Lee’s gall to talk about pain.
“He hasn’t had nightmares about some of the things I’ve been through,” Plant told SN. “I think in those moments of being in that deep water, it’s have you been in that deep water? Everyone’s been in deep water and I don’t claim to have the worst story because I know I don’t. I’m a blessed man, I’ve had many blessings in my life. But I’ve had many trials as well and those trials have made me have to dig deep.”
Choked up, Plant briefly stopped and exhaled to gather himself.
“I’ve had to look in the mirror and really decide if I could go on or not and every time, I said, ‘Yes, you will.’
After each tragedy, Plant turned to boxing as a solace, just like he’s doing now.
“Some people say pain is a fuel for greatness,” Plant said, “and if that’s true, then my tank will forever be full.”
“Sweethands” has already won over plenty of boxing fans for his fighting style and more importantly, fortitude. He can win over plenty more with another rousing performance, with this one bound to get more eyes, as it will serve as the co-main event on FOX to Manny Pacquiao vs. Keith Thurman on FOX Sports pay-per-view.
After dedicating his inspiring win over Uzcategui to Alia five months ago, Plant said that he’ll be dedicating his first title defense to his late daughter, mom and one more person.
“Most importantly, I’ll be defending that world title for myself because my future and everything I have and everything I want depends on it,” Plant said. “Because unlike [Lee], he has nothing to lose.
“But for myself, I have everything to lose.”
Feature by Mark Lelinwalla
Struggling to locate a copy of The Ring Magazine? Try here or
You can order the current issue, which is on newsstands, or back issues from our subscribe page.
The post Caleb Plant doesn’t want to hear about Mike Lee’s ‘pain’ ahead of their July 20 fight appeared first on The Ring.
Conte wants deal for old Chelsea favourite as first Inter Milan signing
Luckbox announces partnership with sportsbook solution OddsMatrix
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WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder Defends Against Mandatory Challenger Dominic Breazeale
Undefeated WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder will put his title on the line for the ninth time when he steps into the ring against hard-hitting mandatory challenger Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale live on SHOWTIME and presented by Premier Boxing Champions on Saturday, May 18 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.
Wilder vs. Breazeale promises the type of explosive displays of power that fans have come to expect from the red-hot heavyweight division as the two knockout artists have combined for 57 knockouts in 62 professional bouts. Both men stand at 6-foot-7-inches tall, have engaged in numerous dramatic clashes and are fan-favorites at Barclays Center. Wilder will be fighting at the arena for the fourth time and Breazeale will be making his third appearance.
Tickets for this BombZquad event go on sale Friday, March 22 at 10 a.m. ET and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com, or by calling 800-745-3000. Beginning Saturday, March 23 at 12 p.m. ET, tickets can be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.
Wilder (40-0-1, 39 KOs) is the most exciting heavyweight in the world with a power-punching style that has fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish, knowing the tide of a fight can change in the blink of an eye. He has only gone the distance twice in his career with 39 of his 41 matches ending inside of the distance. He battered Bermane Stiverne over 12 rounds to win a lopsided unanimous decision and claim the WBC title on Jan. 17, 2015. In the rematch two years later Wilder crushed Stiverne with a brutal first-round knockout that left the challenger crumpled on the bottom rope.
The 33-year-old Wilder is coming off a thrilling battle with British heavyweight contender Tyson Fury that resulted in a split draw on Dec. 1. Wilder scored knockdowns in the ninth and 12th rounds of the fight. The last knockdown appeared to finish off Fury, but he beat the referee’s count and made it to the final bell.
Born in and still living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Wilder picked up the nickname “The Bronze Bomber” in honor of Joe Louis, who was known as “The Brown Bomber” after he won the bronze medal as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic boxing team. Wilder got a late start as a boxer, taking up the sport at age 20 hoping to become a professional and earn enough money for the medical treatments of his daughter Naieya, who was born with spina bifida. He won the U.S. Olympic trials with just 21 amateur bouts under his belt.
“I’m very happy that I get a chance to get a mandatory out of the way, because I consider mandatories like flies buzzing around my head,” said Wilder. “They bother me. I’m busy. I have things that I want to do. I want to get him out of the way. I’m about to smash this fly. This is a personal fight for me. As the universe works this is the perfect time. I haven’t been this excited about destroying an opponent since Bermane Stiverne. I’m also excited to have the very first event for BombZquad Promotions at what I consider one of best arenas in the country, Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It’s go time baby. I can’t wait.”
Breazeale (20-1, 18 KOs) is nicknamed “Trouble” and that’s exactly what he has been for his opponents. The 33-year-old has a durable chin and a slugger’s mentality, throwing heavy-handed shots that have seen him score 18 knockout victories in his 21 professional fights.
Breazeale, who was born in Glendale, California and now lives in Eastvale, California, was an outstanding high school football player who played quarterback at Northern Colorado University before taking up boxing. The 6-foot-7 Breazeale was a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic boxing team.
He put himself into position to challenge for the WBC world title by ripping off three straight knockout victories following the only loss in his career, a seventh-round TKO to Anthony Joshua in a heavyweight world title match in 2016. In December he scored a knockout victory in Brooklyn over Carlos Negron for his second-straight win at Barclays Center.
“I’m excited for the event more so than just fighting Deontay Wilder,” said Breazeale. “I want that WBC title. What I bring to the fight is excitement and consistent action. I’m going to bring the action all night. I’m not scared to stick my nose out there and look for the big shot. I know the big shot is coming as long as I set it up the right way.”
The post WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder Defends Against Mandatory Challenger Dominic Breazeale appeared first on BoxingInsider.com.
Trainer: Vargas has to break Berchelt down in rematch
eFootball.Pro to broadcast on French television through ES1
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8 May 2018 18:58:19 UTC
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<a href="http://archive.today/dpe6N"> <img style="width:300px;height:200px;background-color:white" src="https://archive.is/dpe6N/c8b95095bf17c8ded932b71f4b65fdb5d8eda924/scr.png"><br> Ancient Rome - Wikipedia<br> archived 8 May 2018 18:58:19 UTC </a>
{{cite web | title = Ancient Rome - Wikipedia | url = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome | date = 2018-05-08 | archiveurl = http://archive.today/dpe6N | archivedate = 2018-05-08 }}
For the modern-day city, see Rome. For other uses, see Ancient Rome (disambiguation).
This article uses citations without providing full publisher and source details. Please consider adding fuller citations so that the article remains verifiable and that the origin of sources becomes clearer. Several templates are available to assist in formatting. (January 2017)
753 BC–476 AD
Senātus Populus que Rōmānus
Territories of the Roman civilization:
Western Roman Empire
Capital Rome, several others during the late Empire, notably Constantinople and Ravenna.
Languages Latin
Government Kingdom (753 BC–509 BC)
Republic (509 BC–27 BC)
Empire (27 BC–476 AD)
Historical era Ancient history
• Founding of Rome 753 BC
• Overthrow of Tarquin the Proud 509 BC
• Octavian proclaimed Augustus 27 BC
• Collapse of the Western Roman Empire 476 AD
Roman Kingdom
753–509 BC
509–27 BC
27 BC – AD 395
Principate
AD 395–1453
AD 1204 – 1461
Roman Constitution
Constitution of the Kingdom
Constitution of the Republic
Constitution of the Empire
Constitution of the Late Empire
Legislative assemblies
Executive magistrates
Ordinary magistrates
Promagistrate
Aedile
Extraordinary magistrates
Consular tribune
Titles and honours
Tetrarch
Precedent and law
Collegiality
Roman citizenship
Centuriate
Curiate
Other countries ·
Atlas ·
In historiography, ancient Rome is Roman civilization from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, encompassing the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and Roman Empire until the fall of the western empire.[1] The term is sometimes used to just refer to the kingdom and republic periods, excluding the subsequent empire.[2]
The civilization began as an Italic settlement in the Italian peninsula, dating from the 8th century BC, that grew into the city of Rome and which subsequently gave its name to the empire over which it ruled and to the widespread civilisation the empire developed. The Roman empire expanded to become one of the largest empires in the ancient world, though still ruled from the city, with an estimated 50 to 90 million inhabitants (roughly 20% of the world's population[3]) and covering 5.0 million square kilometres at its height in AD 117.[4]
In its many centuries of existence, the Roman state evolved from a monarchy to a Classical Republic and then to an increasingly autocratic empire. Through conquest and assimilation, it eventually dominated the Mediterranean region, Western Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa, and parts of Northern and Eastern Europe. It is often grouped into classical antiquity together with ancient Greece, and their similar cultures and societies are known as the Greco-Roman world.
Ancient Roman civilisation has contributed to modern government, law, politics, engineering, art, literature, architecture, technology, warfare, religion, language, and society. Rome professionalised and expanded its military and created a system of government called res publica, the inspiration for modern republics[5][6][7] such as the United States and France. It achieved impressive technological and architectural feats, such as the construction of an extensive system of aqueducts and roads, as well as the construction of large monuments, palaces, and public facilities.
By the end of the Republic (27 BC), Rome had conquered the lands around the Mediterranean and beyond: its domain extended from the Atlantic to Arabia and from the mouth of the Rhine to North Africa. The Roman Empire emerged with the end of the Republic and the dictatorship of Augustus Caesar. 721 years of Roman-Persian Wars started in 92 BC with their first war against Parthia. It would become the longest conflict in human history, and have major lasting effects and consequences for both empires. Under Trajan, the Empire reached its territorial peak. Republican mores and traditions started to decline during the imperial period, with civil wars becoming a prelude common to the rise of a new emperor.[8][9][10] Splinter states, such as the Palmyrene Empire, would temporarily divide the Empire during the crisis of the 3rd century.
Plagued by internal instability and attacked by various migrating peoples, the western part of the empire broke up into independent "barbarian" kingdoms in the 5th century. This splintering is a landmark historians use to divide the ancient period of universal history from the pre-medieval "Dark Ages" of Europe. The eastern part of the empire endured through the 5th century and remained a power throughout the "Dark Ages" and medieval times until its fall in 1453 AD. Though the citizens of the empire made no distinction, the empire is most commonly referred to as the "Byzantine Empire" by modern historians during the Middle Ages to differentiate between the state of antiquity and the nation it grew into.[11]
1 Founding myth
2 Kingdom
3.1 Punic Wars
4 Late Republic
4.1 Marius and Sulla
4.2 Caesar and the First Triumvirate
4.3 Octavian and the Second Triumvirate
5 Empire – the Principate
5.1 Julio-Claudian dynasty
5.1.1 Augustus
5.1.2 From Tiberius to Nero
5.2 Flavian dynasty
5.2.1 Vespasian
5.2.2 Titus and Domitian
5.3 Nerva–Antonine dynasty
5.3.1 Trajan
5.3.2 From Hadrian to Commodus
5.4 Severan dynasty
5.4.1 Septimius Severus
5.4.2 From Caracalla to Alexander Severus
5.5 Crisis of the Third Century
6 Empire – the Dominate
6.1 Diocletian
6.2 Constantine and Christianity
7 Fall of the Western Roman Empire
8 Society
8.1 Class structure
8.2 Family
8.4 Government
8.5 Law
8.6 Economy
9 Culture
9.1 Language
9.3 Art, music and literature
9.4 Cuisine
9.5 Games and recreation
9.6 Ethics and morality
12 Historiography
12.1 In Roman times
12.2 In modern times
Founding myth
Main article: Founding of Rome
According to the founding myth of Rome, the city was founded on 21 April 753 BC by the twin brothers Romulus and Remus, who descended from the Trojan prince Aeneas,[12] and who were grandsons of the Latin King Numitor of Alba Longa. King Numitor was deposed by his brother, Amulius, while Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silvia, gave birth to the twins.[13][14] Because Rhea Silvia had been raped and impregnated by Mars, the Roman god of war, the twins were considered half-divine.
According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus and Remus, who were raised by a she-wolf
The new king, Amulius, feared Romulus and Remus would take back the throne, so he ordered them to be drowned.[14] A she-wolf (or a shepherd's wife in some accounts) saved and raised them, and when they were old enough, they returned the throne of Alba Longa to Numitor.[15][14]
The twins then founded their own city, but Romulus killed Remus in a quarrel over the location of the Roman Kingdom, though some sources state the quarrel was about who was going to rule or give his name to the city.[16] Romulus became the source of the city's name.[14] In order to attract people to the city, Rome became a sanctuary for the indigent, exiled, and unwanted. This caused a problem, in that Rome came to have a large male population but was bereft of women. Romulus visited neighboring towns and tribes and attempted to secure marriage rights, but as Rome was so full of undesirables he was refused. Legend says that the Latins invited the Sabines to a festival and stole their unmarried maidens, leading to the integration of the Latins with the Sabines.[17]
Another legend, recorded by Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus, says that Prince Aeneas led a group of Trojans on a sea voyage to found a new Troy, since the original was destroyed at the end of the Trojan War. After a long time in rough seas, they landed on the banks of the Tiber River. Not long after they landed, the men wanted to take to the sea again, but the women who were traveling with them did not want to leave. One woman, named Roma, suggested that the women burn the ships out at sea to prevent their leaving. At first, the men were angry with Roma, but they soon realized that they were in the ideal place to settle. They named the settlement after the woman who torched their ships.[18]
The Roman poet Virgil recounted this legend in his classical epic poem the Aeneid, where the Trojan prince Aeneas is destined by the gods to found a new Troy. In the epic, the women also refuse to go back to the sea, but they were not left on the Tiber. After reaching Italy, Aeneas, who wanted to marry Lavinia, was forced to wage war with her former suitor, Turnus. According to the poem, the Alban kings were descended from Aeneas, and thus Romulus, the founder of Rome, was his descendant.
Main article: Roman Kingdom
Etruscan painting; dancer and musicians, Tomb of the Leopards, in Tarquinia, Italy
The city of Rome grew from settlements around a ford on the river Tiber, a crossroads of traffic and trade.[15] According to archaeological evidence, the village of Rome was probably founded some time in the 8th century BC, though it may go back as far as the 10th century BC, by members of the Latin tribe of Italy, on the top of the Palatine Hill.[19][20]
The Etruscans, who had previously settled to the north in Etruria, seem to have established political control in the region by the late 7th century BC, forming an aristocratic and monarchical elite. The Etruscans apparently lost power by the late 6th century BC, and at this point, the original Latin and Sabine tribes reinvented their government by creating a republic, with much greater restraints on the ability of rulers to exercise power.[21]
Roman tradition and archaeological evidence point to a complex within the Forum Romanum as the seat of power for the king and the beginnings of the religious center there as well. Numa Pompilius the second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus, began Rome's building projects with his royal palace the Regia and the complex of the Vestal virgins.
Main article: Roman Republic
This bust from the Capitoline Museums is traditionally identified as a portrait of Lucius Junius Brutus, Roman bronze sculpture, 4th to late 3rd centuries BC
According to tradition and later writers such as Livy, the Roman Republic was established around 509 BC,[22] when the last of the seven kings of Rome, Tarquin the Proud, was deposed by Lucius Junius Brutus and a system based on annually elected magistrates and various representative assemblies was established.[23] A constitution set a series of checks and balances, and a separation of powers. The most important magistrates were the two consuls, who together exercised executive authority such as imperium, or military command.[24] The consuls had to work with the senate, which was initially an advisory council of the ranking nobility, or patricians, but grew in size and power.[25]
Other magistrates of the Republic include tribunes, quaestors, aediles, praetors and censors.[26] The magistracies were originally restricted to patricians, but were later opened to common people, or plebeians.[27] Republican voting assemblies included the comitia centuriata (centuriate assembly), which voted on matters of war and peace and elected men to the most important offices, and the comitia tributa (tribal assembly), which elected less important offices.[28]
Italy in 400 BC
In the 4th century BC, Rome had come under attack by the Gauls, who now extended their power in the Italian peninsula beyond the Po Valley and through Etruria. On 16 July 390 BC, a Gallic army under the leadership of a tribal chieftain named Brennus, met the Romans on the banks of the Allia River just ten miles north of Rome. Brennus defeated the Romans, and the Gauls marched directly to Rome. Most Romans had fled the city, but some barricaded themselves upon the Capitoline Hill for a last stand. The Gauls looted and burned the city, then laid siege to the Capitoline Hill. The siege lasted seven months, the Gauls then agreed to give the Romans peace in exchange for 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of gold.[29] (According to later legend, the Roman supervising the weighing noticed that the Gauls were using false scales. The Romans then took up arms and defeated the Gauls; their victorious general Camillus remarked "With iron, not with gold, Rome buys her freedom.")[30]
The Romans gradually subdued the other peoples on the Italian peninsula, including the Etruscans.[31] The last threat to Roman hegemony in Italy came when Tarentum, a major Greek colony, enlisted the aid of Pyrrhus of Epirus in 281 BC, but this effort failed as well.[32][31] The Romans secured their conquests by founding Roman colonies in strategic areas, thereby establishing stable control over the region of Italy they had conquered.[31]
Punic Wars
Main article: Punic Wars
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The Temple of Hercules Victor, Rome, built in the mid 2nd century BC, most likely by Lucius Mummius Achaicus, Roman commander in the Achaean War that destroyed Corinth
The Temple of Portunus, Rome, built between 120–80 BC
Roman bronze bust of Scipio Africanus the Elder from the Naples National Archaeological Museum (Inv. No. 5634),
dated mid 1st century BC[33]
Excavated from the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum by Karl Jakob Weber, 1750–65[34]
In the 3rd century BC Rome faced a new and formidable opponent: Carthage. Carthage was a rich, flourishing Phoenician city-state that intended to dominate the Mediterranean area. The two cities were allies in the times of Pyrrhus, who was a menace to both, but with Rome's hegemony in mainland Italy and the Carthaginian thalassocracy, these cities became the two major powers in the Western Mediterranean and their contention over the Mediterranean led to conflict.
The First Punic War began in 264 BC, when the city of Messana asked for Carthage's help in their conflicts with Hiero II of Syracuse. After the Carthaginian intercession, Messana asked Rome to expel the Carthaginians. Rome entered this war because Syracuse and Messana were too close to the newly conquered Greek cities of Southern Italy and Carthage was now able to make an offensive through Roman territory; along with this, Rome could extend its domain over Sicily.[35]
Although the Romans had experience in land battles, to defeat this new enemy, naval battles were necessary. Carthage was a maritime power, and the Roman lack of ships and naval experience would make the path to the victory a long and difficult one for the Roman Republic. Despite this, after more than 20 years of war, Rome defeated Carthage and a peace treaty was signed. Among the reasons for the Second Punic War[36] was the subsequent war reparations Carthage acquiesced to at the end of the First Punic War.[37]
The Second Punic War is famous for its brilliant generals: on the Punic side Hannibal and Hasdrubal; on the Roman, Marcus Claudius Marcellus, Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus and Publius Cornelius Scipio. Rome fought this war simultaneously with the First Macedonian War.
The war began with the audacious invasion of Hispania by Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who had led operations on Sicily in the First Punic War. Hannibal, son of Hamilcar Barca, rapidly marched through Hispania to the Italian Alps, causing panic among Rome's Italian allies. The best way found to defeat Hannibal's purpose of causing the Italians to abandon Rome was to delay the Carthaginians with a guerrilla war of attrition, a strategy propounded by Quintus Fabius Maximus, who would be nicknamed Cunctator ("delayer" in Latin), and whose strategy would be forever after known as Fabian. Due to this, Hannibal's goal was unachieved: he could not bring enough Italian cities to revolt against Rome and replenish his diminishing army, and he thus lacked the machines and manpower to besiege Rome.
Still, Hannibal's invasion lasted over 16 years, ravaging Italy. Finally, when the Romans perceived that Hannibal's supplies were running out, they sent Scipio, who had defeated Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal in Spain, to invade the unprotected Carthaginian hinterland and force Hannibal to return to defend Carthage itself. The result was the ending of the Second Punic War by the famously decisive Battle of Zama in October 202 BC, which gave to Scipio his agnomen Africanus. At great cost, Rome had made significant gains: the conquest of Hispania by Scipio, and of Syracuse, the last Greek realm in Sicily, by Marcellus.
More than a half century after these events, Carthage was humiliated and Rome was no more concerned about the African menace. The Republic's focus now was only to the Hellenistic kingdoms of Greece and revolts in Hispania. However, Carthage, after having paid the war indemnity, felt that its commitments and submission to Rome had ceased, a vision not shared by the Roman Senate. When in 151 BC Numidia invaded Carthage, Carthage asked for Roman intercession. Ambassadors were sent to Carthage, among them was Marcus Porcius Cato, who after seeing that Carthage could make a comeback and regain its importance, ended all his speeches, no matter what the subject was, by saying: "Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam" ("Furthermore, I think that Carthage must be destroyed").
As Carthage fought with Numidia without Roman consent, the Third Punic War began when Rome declared war against Carthage in 149 BC. Carthage resisted well at the first strike, with the participation of all the inhabitants of the city. However, Carthage could not withstand the attack of Scipio Aemilianus, who entirely destroyed the city and its walls, enslaved and sold all the citizens and gained control of that region, which became the province of Africa. Thus ended the Punic War period.
All these wars resulted in Rome's first overseas conquests (Sicily, Hispania and Africa) and the rise of Rome as a significant imperial power and began the end of democracy. [38][39]
Late Republic
After defeating the Macedonian and Seleucid Empires in the 2nd century BC, the Romans became the dominant people of the Mediterranean Sea.[40][41] The conquest of the Hellenistic kingdoms brought the Roman and Greek cultures in closer contact and the Roman elite, once rural, became a luxurious and cosmopolitan one. At this time Rome was a consolidated empire – in the military view – and had no major enemies.
Gaius Marius, a Roman general and politician who dramatically reformed the Roman military
Foreign dominance led to internal strife. Senators became rich at the provinces' expense; soldiers, who were mostly small-scale farmers, were away from home longer and could not maintain their land; and the increased reliance on foreign slaves and the growth of latifundia reduced the availability of paid work.[42][43]
Income from war booty, mercantilism in the new provinces, and tax farming created new economic opportunities for the wealthy, forming a new class of merchants, called the equestrians.[44] The lex Claudia forbade members of the Senate from engaging in commerce, so while the equestrians could theoretically join the Senate, they were severely restricted in political power.[44][45] The Senate squabbled perpetually, repeatedly blocked important land reforms and refused to give the equestrian class a larger say in the government.
Violent gangs of the urban unemployed, controlled by rival Senators, intimidated the electorate through violence. The situation came to a head in the late 2nd century BC under the Gracchi brothers, a pair of tribunes who attempted to pass land reform legislation that would redistribute the major patrician landholdings among the plebeians. Both brothers were killed and the Senate passed reforms reversing the Gracchi brother's actions.[46] This led to the growing divide of the plebeian groups (populares) and equestrian classes (optimates).
Marius and Sulla
Gaius Marius, a novus homo, who started his political career with the help of the powerful Metelli family soon become a leader of the Republic, holding the first of his seven consulships (an unprecedented number) in 107 BC by arguing that his former patron Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus was not able to defeat and capture the Numidian king Jugurtha. Marius then started his military reform: in his recruitment to fight Jugurtha, he levied very poor (an innovation) and many landless men entered the army; this was the seed of securing loyalty of the army to the General in command.
At this time, Marius began his quarrel with Lucius Cornelius Sulla: Marius, who wanted to capture Jugurtha, asked Bocchus, son-in-law of Jugurtha, to hand him over. As Marius failed, Sulla, a general of Marius at that time, in a dangerous enterprise, went himself to Bocchus and convinced Bocchus to hand Jugurtha over to him. This was very provocative to Marius, since many of his enemies were encouraging Sulla to oppose Marius. Despite this, Marius was elected for five consecutive consulships from 104 to 100 BC, as Rome needed a military leader to defeat the Cimbri and the Teutones, who were threatening Rome.
After Marius's retirement, Rome had a brief peace, during which the Italian socii ("allies" in Latin) requested Roman citizenship and voting rights. The reformist Marcus Livius Drusus supported their legal process but was assassinated, and the socii revolted against the Romans in the Social War. At one point both consuls were killed; Marius was appointed to command the army together with Lucius Julius Caesar and Sulla.[47]
By the end of the Social War, Marius and Sulla were the premier military men in Rome and their partisans were in conflict, both sides jostling for power. In 88 BC, Sulla was elected for his first consulship and his first assignment was to defeat Mithridates VI of Pontus, whose intentions were to conquer the Eastern part of the Roman territories. However, Marius's partisans managed his installation to the military command, defying Sulla and the Senate, and this caused Sulla's wrath. To consolidate his own power, Sulla conducted a surprising and illegal action: he marched to Rome with his legions, killing all those who showed support to Marius's cause and impaling their heads in the Roman Forum. In the following year, 87 BC, Marius, who had fled at Sulla's march, returned to Rome while Sulla was campaigning in Greece. He seized power along with the consul Lucius Cornelius Cinna and killed the other consul, Gnaeus Octavius, achieving his seventh consulship. In an attempt to raise Sulla's anger, Marius and Cinna revenged their partisans by conducting a massacre.[47][48]
Marius died in 86 BC, due to age and poor health, just a few months after seizing power. Cinna exercised absolute power until his death in 84 BC. Sulla after returning from his Eastern campaigns, had a free path to reestablish his own power. In 83 BC he made his second march in Rome and began a time of terror: thousands of nobles, knights and senators were executed. Sulla also held two dictatorships and one more consulship, which began the crisis and decline of Roman Republic.[47]
Caesar and the First Triumvirate
Bust of Caesar from the Naples National Archaeological Museum
In the mid-1st century BC, Roman politics were restless. Political divisions in Rome became identified with two groupings, populares (who hoped for the support of the people) and optimates (the "best", who wanted to maintain exclusive aristocratic control). Sulla overthrew all populist leaders and his constitutional reforms removed powers (such as those of the tribune of the plebs) that had supported populist approaches. Meanwhile, social and economic stresses continued to build; Rome had become a metropolis with a super-rich aristocracy, debt-ridden aspirants, and a large proletariat often of impoverished farmers. The latter groups supported the Catilinarian conspiracy – a resounding failure, since the consul Marcus Tullius Cicero quickly arrested and executed the main leaders of the conspiracy.
Onto this turbulent scene emerged Gaius Julius Caesar, from an aristocratic family of limited wealth. His aunt Julia was Marius' wife,[49] and Caesar identified with the populares. To achieve power, Caesar reconciled the two most powerful men in Rome: Marcus Licinius Crassus, who had financed much of his earlier career, and Crassus' rival, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (anglicized as Pompey), to whom he married his daughter. He formed them into a new informal alliance including himself, the First Triumvirate ("three men"). This satisfied the interests of all three: Crassus, the richest man in Rome, became richer and ultimately achieved high military command; Pompey exerted more influence in the Senate; and Caesar obtained the consulship and military command in Gaul.[50] So long as they could agree, the three were in effect the rulers of Rome.
In 54 BC, Caesar's daughter, Pompey's wife, died in childbirth, unraveling one link in the alliance. In 53 BC, Crassus invaded Parthia and was killed in the Battle of Carrhae. The Triumvirate disintegrated at Crassus' death. Crassus had acted as mediator between Caesar and Pompey, and, without him, the two generals manoeuvred against each other for power. Caesar conquered Gaul, obtaining immense wealth, respect in Rome and the loyalty of battle-hardened legions. He also became a clear menace to Pompey and was loathed by many optimates. Confident that Caesar could be stopped by legal means, Pompey's party tried to strip Caesar of his legions, a prelude to Caesar's trial, impoverishment, and exile.
To avoid this fate, Caesar crossed the Rubicon River and invaded Rome in 49 BC. Pompey and his party fled from Italy, pursued by Caesar. The Battle of Pharsalus was a brilliant victory for Caesar and in this and other campaigns he destroyed all of the optimates' leaders: Metellus Scipio, Cato the Younger, and Pompey's son, Gnaeus Pompeius. Pompey was murdered in Egypt in 48 BC. Caesar was now pre-eminent over Rome, attracting the bitter enmity of many aristocrats. He was granted many offices and honours. In just five years, he held four consulships, two ordinary dictatorships, and two special dictatorships: one for ten years and another for perpetuity. He was murdered in 44 BC, on the Ides of March by the Liberatores.[51]
Octavian and the Second Triumvirate
The Battle of Actium, by Laureys a Castro, painted 1672, National Maritime Museum, London
Caesar's assassination caused political and social turmoil in Rome; without the dictator's leadership, the city was ruled by his friend and colleague, Mark Antony. Soon afterward, Octavius, whom Caesar adopted through his will, arrived in Rome. Octavian (historians regard Octavius as Octavian due to the Roman naming conventions) tried to align himself with the Caesarian faction. In 43 BC, along with Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, Caesar's best friend,[52] he legally established the Second Triumvirate. This alliance would last for five years. Upon its formation, 130–300 senators were executed, and their property was confiscated, due to their supposed support for the Liberatores.[53]
In 42 BC, the Senate deified Caesar as Divus Iulius; Octavian thus became Divi filius,[54] the son of the deified. In the same year, Octavian and Antony defeated both Caesar's assassins and the leaders of the Liberatores, Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, in the Battle of Philippi.
The Second Triumvirate was marked by the proscriptions of many senators and equites: after a revolt led by Antony's brother Lucius Antonius, more than 300 senators and equites involved were executed on the anniversary of the Ides of March, although Lucius was spared.[55] The Triumvirate proscribed several important men, including Cicero, whom Antony hated;[56] Quintus Tullius Cicero, the younger brother of the orator; and Lucius Julius Caesar, cousin and friend of the acclaimed general, for his support of Cicero. However, Lucius was pardoned, perhaps because his sister Julia had intervened for him.[57]
The Triumvirate divided the Empire among the triumvirs: Lepidus was given charge of Africa, Antony, the eastern provinces, and Octavian remained in Italia and controlled Hispania and Gaul.
The Second Triumvirate expired in 38 BC but was renewed for five more years. However, the relationship between Octavian and Antony had deteriorated, and Lepidus was forced to retire in 36 BC after betraying Octavian in Sicily. By the end of the Triumvirate, Antony was living in Ptolemaic Egypt, an independent and rich kingdom ruled by Antony's lover, Cleopatra VII. Antony's affair with Cleopatra was seen as an act of treason, since she was queen of another country. Additionally, Antony adopted a lifestyle considered too extravagant and Hellenistic for a Roman statesman.[58]
Following Antony's Donations of Alexandria, which gave to Cleopatra the title of "Queen of Kings", and to Antony's and Cleopatra's children the regal titles to the newly conquered Eastern territories, war between Octavian and Antony broke out. Octavian annihilated Egyptian forces in the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide. Now Egypt was conquered by the Roman Empire, and for the Romans, a new era had begun.
Empire – the Principate
Main article: Roman Empire
In 27 BC and at the age of 36, Octavian was the sole Roman leader. In that year, he took the name Augustus. That event is usually taken by historians as the beginning of Roman Empire – although Rome was an "imperial" state since 146 BC, when Carthage was razed by Scipio Aemilianus and Greece was conquered by Lucius Mummius. Officially, the government was republican, but Augustus assumed absolute powers.[59][60] His reform of the government brought about a two-century period colloquially referred to by Romans as the Pax Romana.
Julio-Claudian dynasty
The Julio-Claudian dynasty was established by Augustus. The emperors of this dynasty were: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero. The dynasty is so-called due to the gens Julia, family of Augustus, and the gens Claudia, family of Tiberius. The Julio-Claudians started the destruction of republican values, but on the other hand, they boosted Rome's status as the central power in the world.[61]
While Caligula and Nero are usually remembered as dysfunctional emperors in popular culture, Augustus and Claudius are remembered as emperors who were successful in politics and the military. This dynasty instituted imperial tradition in Rome[62] and frustrated any attempt to reestablish a Republic.[63]
Augustus gathered almost all the republican powers under his official title, princeps: he had powers of consul, princeps senatus, aedile, censor and tribune – including tribunician sacrosanctity.[64] This was the base of an emperor's power. Augustus also styled himself as Imperator Gaius Julius Caesar divi filius, "Commander Gaius Julius Caesar, son of the deified one". With this title he not only boasted his familial link to deified Julius Caesar, but the use of Imperator signified a permanent link to the Roman tradition of victory.
The Augustus of Prima Porta, 1st century AD, depicting Augustus, the first Roman emperor
He also diminished the Senatorial class influence in politics by boosting the equestrian class. The senators lost their right to rule certain provinces, like Egypt; since the governor of that province was directly nominated by the emperor. The creation of the Praetorian Guard and his reforms in the military, creating a standing army with a fixed size of 28 legions, ensured his total control over the army.[65]
Compared with the Second Triumvirate's epoch, Augustus' reign as princeps was very peaceful. This peace and richness (that was granted by the agrarian province of Egypt)[66] led the people and the nobles of Rome to support Augustus increasing his strength in political affairs.[67]
In military activity, Augustus was absent at battles. His generals were responsible for the field command; gaining such commanders as Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Nero Claudius Drusus and Germanicus much respect from the populace and the legions. Augustus intended to extend the Roman Empire to the whole known world, and in his reign, Rome conquered Cantabria Aquitania, Raetia, Dalmatia, Illyricum and Pannonia.[68]
Under Augustus's reign, Roman literature grew steadily in what is known as the Golden Age of Latin Literature. Poets like Virgil, Horace, Ovid and Rufus developed a rich literature, and were close friends of Augustus. Along with Maecenas, he stimulated patriotic poems, as Virgil's epic Aeneid and also historiographical works, like those of Livy. The works of this literary age lasted through Roman times, and are classics.
Augustus also continued the shifts on the calendar promoted by Caesar, and the month of August is named after him.[69] Augustus brought a peaceful and thriving era to Rome, known as Pax Augusta or Pax Romana. Augustus died in 14 AD, but the empire's glory continued after his era.
From Tiberius to Nero
The Julio-Claudians continued to rule Rome after Augustus' death and remained in power until the death of Nero in 68 AD.[70] Augustus' favorites for succeeding him were already dead in his senescence: his nephew Marcellus died in 23 BC, his friend and military commander Agrippa in 12 BC and his grandson Gaius Caesar in 4 AD. Influenced by his wife, Livia Drusilla, Augustus appointed her son from another marriage, Tiberius, as his heir.[71]
Extent of the Roman Empire under Augustus. The yellow legend represents the extent of the Republic in 31 BC, the shades of green represent gradually conquered territories under the reign of Augustus, and pink areas on the map represent client states; areas under Roman control shown here were subject to change even during Augustus' reign, especially in Germania.
The Senate agreed with the succession, and granted to Tiberius the same titles and honors once granted to Augustus: the title of princeps and Pater patriae, and the Civic Crown. However, Tiberius was not an enthusiast of political affairs: after agreement with the Senate, he retired to Capri in 26 AD,[72] and left control of the city of Rome in the hands of the praetorian prefect Sejanus (until 31 AD) and Macro (from 31 to 37 AD). Tiberius was regarded as an evil and melancholic man, who may have ordered the murder of his relatives, the popular general Germanicus in 19 AD,[73] and his own son Drusus Julius Caesar in 23 AD.[73]
Tiberius died (or was killed)[73] in 37 AD. The male line of the Julio-Claudians was limited to Tiberius' nephew Claudius, his grandson Tiberius Gemellus and his grand-nephew Caligula. As Gemellus was still a child, Caligula was chosen to rule the Empire. He was a popular leader in the first half of his reign, but became a crude and insane tyrant in his years controlling government.[74][75] Suetonius states that he committed incest with his sisters, killed some men just for amusement and nominated a horse for a consulship.[76]
The Praetorian Guard murdered Caligula four years after the death of Tiberius,[77] and, with belated support from the senators, proclaimed his uncle Claudius as the new emperor.[78] Claudius was not as authoritarian as Tiberius and Caligula. Claudius conquered Lycia and Thrace; his most important deed was the beginning of the conquest of Britain.[79]
Claudius was poisoned by his wife, Agrippina the Younger in 54 AD.[80] His heir was Nero, son of Agrippina and her former husband, since Claudius' son Britannicus had not reached manhood upon his father's death. Nero is widely known as the first persecutor of Christians and for the Great Fire of Rome, rumoured to have been started by the emperor himself.[81][82] Nero faced many revolts during his reign, like the Pisonian conspiracy and the First Jewish-Roman War. Although Nero defeated these rebels, he could not overthrow the revolt led by Servius Sulpicius Galba. The Senate soon declared Nero a public enemy, and he committed suicide.[83]
Flavian dynasty
The Flavians were the second dynasty to rule Rome.[84] By 68 AD, year of Nero's death, there was no chance of return to the old and traditional Roman Republic, thus a new emperor had to rise. After the turmoil in the Year of the Four Emperors, Titus Flavius Vespasianus (anglicized as Vespasian) took control of the Empire and established a new dynasty. Under the Flavians, Rome continued its expansion, and the state remained secure.[85][86]
Bust of Vespasian, founder of the Flavian dynasty
Vespasian was a general under Claudius and Nero. He fought as a commander in the First Jewish-Roman War along with his son Titus. Following the turmoil of the Year of the Four Emperors, in 69 AD, four emperors were enthroned: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and, lastly, Vespasian, who crushed Vitellius' forces and became emperor.[87]
He reconstructed many buildings which were uncompleted, like a statue of Apollo and the temple of Divus Claudius ("the deified Claudius"), both initiated by Nero. Buildings once destroyed by the Great Fire of Rome were rebuilt, and he revitalized the Capitol. Vespasian also started the construction of the Flavian Amphitheater, more commonly known as the Colosseum.[88]
The historians Josephus and Pliny the Elder wrote their works during Vespasian's reign. Vespasian was Josephus' sponsor and Pliny dedicated his Naturalis Historia to Titus, son of Vespasian.
Vespasian sent legions to defend the eastern frontier in Cappadocia, extended the occupation in Britain and reformed the tax system. He died in 79 AD.
Titus and Domitian
Titus had a short-lived rule; he was emperor from 79–81 AD. He finished the Flavian Amphitheater, which was constructed with war spoils from the First Jewish-Roman War, and promoted games celebrating the victory over the Jews that lasted for a hundred days. These games included gladiatorial combats, chariot races and a sensational mock naval battle on the flooded grounds of the Colosseum.[89][90]
Titus constructed a line of roads and fortifications on the borders of modern-day Germany; and his general Gnaeus Julius Agricola conquered much of Britain, extending the Roman world to as far as Scotland. On the other hand, his failed war against Dacia was a humiliating defeat.[91]
Titus died of fever in 81 AD, and was succeeded by his brother Domitian. As emperor, Domitian assumed totalitarian characteristics,[92] thought he could be a new Augustus, and tried to make a personal cult of himself.
Domitian ruled for fifteen years, and his reign was marked by his attempts to compare himself to the gods. He constructed at least two temples in honour of Jupiter, the supreme deity in Roman religion. He also liked to be called "Dominus et Deus" ("Master and God").[93] The nobles disliked his rule, and he was murdered by a conspiracy in 96 AD.
Nerva–Antonine dynasty
The Roman Empire reached its greatest extent under Trajan in AD 117
The Nerva–Antonine dynasty from 96 AD to 192 AD was the rule of the emperors Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus, and Commodus. During their rule, Rome reached its territorial and economical apogee.[94] This was a time of peace for Rome. The criteria for choosing an emperor were the qualities of the candidate and no longer ties of kinship; additionally, there were no civil wars or military defeats in this period.
Following Domitian's murder, the Senate rapidly appointed Nerva to hold imperial dignity. This was the first time that senators chose the emperor since Octavian was honored with the titles of princeps and Augustus. Nerva had a noble ancestry, and he had served as an advisor to Nero and the Flavians. His rule restored many of the liberties once assumed by Domitian[95] and started the last golden era of Rome.
The Justice of Trajan (fragment) by Eugène Delacroix
Nerva died in 98 AD and his successor and heir was the general Trajan. Trajan was born in a non-patrician family from Hispania and his preeminence emerged in the army, under Domitian. He is the second of the Five Good Emperors, the first being Nerva.
Trajan was greeted by the people of Rome with enthusiasm, which he justified by governing well and without the bloodiness that had marked Domitian's reign. He freed many people who had been unjustly imprisoned by Domitian and returned private property that Domitian had confiscated; a process begun by Nerva before his death.[96]
Trajan conquered Dacia, and defeated the king Decebalus, who had defeated Domitian's forces. In the First Dacian War (101–102), the defeated Dacia became a client kingdom; in the Second Dacian War (105–106), Trajan completely devastated the enemy's resistance and annexed Dacia to the Empire. Trajan also annexed the client state of Nabatea to form the province of Arabia Petraea, which included the lands of southern Syria and northwestern Arabia.[97]
He erected many buildings that survive to this day, such as Trajan's Forum, Trajan's Market and Trajan's Column. His main architect was Apollodorus of Damascus; Apollodorus made the project of the Forum and of the Column, and also reformed the Pantheon. Trajan's triumphal arches in Ancona and Beneventum are other constructions projected by him. In the Second Dacian War, Apollodorus made a great bridge over the Danube for Trajan.[98]
Marble bust of Trajan
Trajan's final war was against Parthia. When Parthia appointed a king for Armenia who was unacceptable to Rome (Parthia and Rome shared dominance over Armenia), he declared war. He probably wanted to be the first Roman leader to conquer Parthia, and repeat the glory of Alexander the Great, conqueror of Asia, whom Trajan next followed in the clash of Greek-Romans and the Persian cultures.[99] In 113 he marched to Armenia and deposed the local king. In 115 Trajan turned south into the core of Parthian hegemony, took the Northern Mesopotamian cities of Nisibis and Batnae, organized a province of Mesopotamia (116), and issued coins announcing that Armenia and Mesopotamia was under the authority of the Roman people.[100]
In that same year, he captured Seleucia and the Parthian capital Ctesiphon. After defeating a Parthian revolt and a Jewish revolt, he withdrew due to health issues. In 117, his illness grew and he died of edema. He nominated Hadrian as his heir. Under Trajan's leadership the Roman Empire reached the peak of its territorial expansion; Rome's dominion now spanned 2,500,000 square miles (6,474,970 square kilometres).[101]
From Hadrian to Commodus
The prosperity brought by Nerva and Trajan continued in the reigns of subsequent emperors, from Hadrian to Marcus Aurelius. Hadrian withdrew all the troops stationed in Parthia and Mesopotamia, abandoning Trajan's conquests. Although facing another revolt in Judea, Hadrian's government was very peaceful, since he avoided wars: he constructed fortifications and walls, like the famous Hadrian's Wall between Roman Britain and the barbarians of modern-day Scotland.
The Pantheon, Rome, built during the reign of Hadrian, which still contains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world
A famous philhellenist, Hadrian promoted culture, specially the Greek. He also forbade torture and humanized the laws. Hadrian built many aqueducts, baths, libraries and theaters; additionally, he traveled nearly every single province in the Empire to check the military and infrastructural conditions.[102]
After Hadrian's death in 138 AD, his successor Antoninus Pius built temples, theaters, and mausoleums, promoted the arts and sciences, and bestowed honours and financial rewards upon the teachers of rhetoric and philosophy. Antoninus made few initial changes when he became emperor, leaving intact as far as possible the arrangements instituted by Hadrian. Antoninus expanded the Roman Britain by invading southern Scotland and building the Antonine Wall.[103] He also continued Hadrian's policy of humanizing the laws. He died in 161 AD.
Marcus Aurelius, known as the Philosopher, was the last of the Five Good Emperors. He was a stoic philosopher and wrote the Meditations. He defeated barbarian tribes in the Marcomannic Wars as well as the Parthian Empire.[104] His co-emperor, Lucius Verus died in 169 AD, probably victim of the Antonine Plague, a pandemic that killed nearly five million people through the Empire in 165–180 AD.[105]
From Nerva to Marcus Aurelius, the empire achieved an unprecedented happy and glorious status. The powerful influence of laws and manners had gradually cemented the union of the provinces. All the citizens enjoyed and abused the advantages of wealth. The image of a free constitution was preserved with decent reverence. The Roman senate appeared to possess the sovereign authority, and devolved on the emperors all the executive powers of government.[clarification needed] The Five Good Emperors' rule is considered the golden era of the Empire.[106]
Commodus, son of Marcus Aurelius, became emperor after his father's death. He is not counted as one of the Five Good Emperors. Firstly, this was due to his direct kinship with the latter emperor; in addition, he was passive in comparison with his predecessors, who were frequently leading their armies in person. Commodus usually took part on gladiatorial combats, which often symbolized brutality and roughness. He killed many citizens, and his reign was the beginning of Roman decadence, as stated Cassius Dio: "(Rome has transformed) from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust."[107]
Severan dynasty
Commodus was killed by a conspiracy involving Quintus Aemilius Laetus and his wife Marcia in late 192 AD. The following year is known as the Year of the Five Emperors, during which Helvius Pertinax, Didius Julianus, Pescennius Niger, Clodius Albinus and Septimius Severus held the imperial dignity. Pertinax, a member of the senate who had been one of Marcus Aurelius's right hand men, was the choice of Laetus, and he ruled vigorously and judiciously. Laetus soon became jealous and instigated Pertinax's murder by the Praetorian Guard, who then auctioned the empire to the highest bidder, Didius Julianus, for 25,000 sesterces per man.[108] The people of Rome were appalled and appealed to the frontier legions to save them. The legions of three frontier provinces—Britain, Pannonia Superior, and Syria—resented being excluded from the "donative" and replied by declaring their individual generals to be emperor. Lucius Septimius Severus Geta, the Pannonian commander, bribed the opposing forces, pardoned the Praetorian Guards and installed himself as emperor. He and his successors governed with the legions' support. The changes on coinage and military expenditures were the root of the financial crisis that marked the Crisis of the Third Century.
The Severan Tondo, c. 199, Severus, Julia Domna, Caracalla and Geta, whose face is erased
Severus was enthroned after invading Rome and having Didius Julianus killed. His two other rivals, Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus, were both were hailed by other factions as Imperator. Severus quickly subdued Niger in Byzantium and promised to Albinus the title of Caesar (which meant he would be a co-emperor).[109] However, Severus betrayed Albinus by blaming him for a plot against his life. Severus marched to Gaul and defeated Albinus. For these acts, Machiavelli said that Severus was "a ferocious lion and a clever fox"[110]
Severus attempted to revive totalitarianism and in an address to people and the Senate, he praised the severity and cruelty of Marius and Sulla, which worried the senators.[111] When Parthia invaded Roman territory, Severus waged war against that country. He seized the cities of Nisibis, Babylon and Seleucia. Reaching Ctesiphon, the Parthian capital, he ordered plundering and his army slew and captured many people. Albeit this military success, he failed in invading Hatra, a rich Arabian city. Severus killed his legate, as the latter was gaining respect from the legions; and his soldiers were hit by famine. After this disastrous campaign, he withdrew.[112]
Severus also intended to vanquish the whole of Britain. To achieve this, he waged war against the Caledonians. After many casualties in the army due to the terrain and the barbarians' ambushes, Severus went himself to the field. However, he became ill and died in 211 AD, at the age of 65.
From Caracalla to Alexander Severus
Bust of Caracalla from the Pergamon Museum, Berlin
Upon the death of Severus, his sons Caracalla and Geta were made emperors. During their youth, their squabbles had divided Rome into two factions. In that same year Caracalla had his brother, a youth, assassinated in his mother's arms, and may have murdered 20,000 of Geta's followers. Like his father, Caracalla was warlike. He continued Severus' policy, and gained respect from the legions. Caracalla was a cruel man, and was pursued by the guilt of his brother's murder. He ordered the death of people of his own circle, like his tutor, Cilo, and a friend of his father, Papinian.
Knowing that the citizens of Alexandria disliked him and were speaking ill of his character, he served a banquet for its notable citizens, after which his soldiers killed all the guests. From the security of the temple of Sarapis, he then directed an in-discriminant slaughter of Alexandria's people.[113][114] In 212, he issued the Edict of Caracalla, giving full Roman citizenship to all free men living in the Empire, and at the same time raised the inheritance tax, levied only on Roman citizens, to ten percent. A report that a soothsayer had predicted that the Praetorian prefect Macrinus and his son were to rule over the empire was dutifully sent to Caracalla. But the report fell into the hands of Macrinus, who felt he must act or die. Macrinus conspired to have Caracalla assassinated by one of his soldiers during a pilgrimage to the Temple of the Moon in Carrhae, in 217 AD.
The incompetent Macrinus, assumed power, but soon removed himself from Rome to the east and Antioch. His brief reign ended in 218, when the youngster Bassianus, high priest of the temple of the Sun at Emesa, and supposedly illegitimate son of Caracalla, was declared Emperor by the disaffected soldiers of Macrinus. Bribes gained Bassianus support from the legionaries and they fought against Macrinus and his Praetorian guards. He adopted the name of Antoninus but history has named him after his Sun god Elagabalus, represented on Earth in the form of a large black stone. Elagabalus was an incompetent and lascivious ruler,[38] who was well known for extreme extravagance, that offended all but his favorites. Cassius Dio, Herodian and the Historia Augusta have many accounts about his extravagance. He adopted his cousin, Alexander Severus, as Caesar, grew jealous, and attempted to assassinate him. The Praetorian guard preferred Alexander, murdered Elagabalus, dragged his mutilated corpse through the streets of Rome, and threw it into the Tiber.
Elagabalus was succeeded by his cousin Alexander Severus. Alexander waged war against many foes, like the revitalized Persia and German peoples who invaded Gaul. His losses made the soldiers dissatisfied with the emperor, and some of them killed him during his German campaign, in 235 AD.[115]
Crisis of the Third Century
Main article: Crisis of the Third Century
The Roman Empire suffered internal schisms, forming the Palmyrene Empire and the Gallic Empire
A disastrous scenario emerged after the death of Alexander Severus: the Roman state was plagued by civil wars, external invasions, political chaos, pandemics and economic depression.[116][38] The old Roman values had fallen, and Mithraism and Christianity had begun to spread through the populace. Emperors were no longer men linked with nobility; they usually were born in lower-classes of distant parts of the Empire. These men rose to prominence through military ranks, and became emperors through civil wars.
There were 26 emperors in a 49-year period, a signal of political instability. Maximinus Thrax was the first ruler of that time, governing for just three years. Others ruled just for a few months, like Gordian I, Gordian II, Balbinus and Hostilian. The population and the frontiers were abandoned, since the emperors were mostly concerned with defeating rivals and establishing their power.
The economy also suffered during that epoch. The massive military expenditures from the Severi caused a devaluation of Roman coins. Hyperinflation came at this time as well. The Plague of Cyprian broke out in 250 and killed a huge portion of the population.[117]
In 260 AD, the provinces of Syria Palaestina, Asia Minor and Egypt separated from the rest of the Roman state to form the Palmyrene Empire, ruled by Queen Zenobia and centered on Palmyra. In that same year the Gallic Empire was created by Postumus, retaining Britain and Gaul.[118] These countries separated from Rome after the capture of emperor Valerian by the Sassanids of Persia, the first Roman ruler to be captured by his enemies; it was a humiliating fact for the Romans.[117]
The crisis began to recede during the reigns of Claudius Gothicus (268–270), who defeated the Gothic invaders, and Aurelian (271–275), who reconquered both the Gallic and Palmyrene Empires.[119][120] The crisis was overcome during the reign of Diocletian.
Empire – the Dominate
A Roman follis depicting the profile of Diocletian
In 284 AD, Diocletian was hailed as Imperator by the eastern army. Diocletian healed the empire from the crisis, by political and economic shifts. A new form of government was established: the Tetrarchy. The Empire was divided among four emperors, two in the West and two in the East. The first tetrarchs were Diocletian (in the East), Maximian (in the West), and two junior emperors, Galerius (in the East) and Flavius Constantius (in the West). To adjust the economy, Diocletian made several tax reforms.[121]
Diocletian expelled the Persians who plundered Syria and conquered some barbarian tribes with Maximian. He adopted many behaviors of Eastern monarchs, like wearing pearls and golden sandals and robes. Anyone in the presence of the emperor had now to prostrate himself[122] – a common act in the East, but never practiced in Rome before. Diocletian did not use a disguised form of Republic, as the other emperors since Augustus had done.[123] Between 290 and 330, half a dozen new capitals had been established by the members of the Tetrarchy, officially or not: Antioch, Nicomedia, Thessalonike, Sirmium, Milan, and Trier.[124]
Diocletian was also responsible for a significant Christian persecution. In 303 he and Galerius started the persecution and ordered the destruction of all the Christian churches and scripts and forbade Christian worship.[125]
Diocletian abdicated in 305 AD together with Maximian, thus, he was the first Roman emperor to resign. His reign ended the traditional form of imperial rule, the Principate (from princeps) and started the Dominate (from Dominus, "Master").
The Aula Palatina of Trier, Germany (then part of the Roman province of Gallia Belgica), a Christian basilica built during the reign of Constantine I (r. 306–337 AD)
Constantine and Christianity
Constantine assumed the empire as a tetrarch in 306. He conducted many wars against the other tetrarchs. Firstly he defeated Maxentius in 312. In 313, he issued the Edict of Milan, which granted liberty for Christians to profess their religion.[126] Constantine was converted to Christianity, enforcing the Christian faith. He began the Christianization of the Empire and of Europe – a process concluded by the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages.
He was defeated by the Franks and the Alamanni during 306–308. In 324 he defeated another tetrarch, Licinius, and controlled all the empire, as it was before Diocletian. To celebrate his victories and Christianity's relevance, he rebuilt Byzantium and renamed it Nova Roma ("New Rome"); but the city soon gained the informal name of Constantinople ("City of Constantine").[127][128] The city served as a new capital for the Empire. In fact, Rome had lost its central importance since the Crisis of the Third Century-–Mediolanum was the western capital from 286 to 330, until the reign of Honorius, when Ravenna was made capital, in the 5th century.[129]
Constantine's administrative and monetary reforms, that reunited the Empire under one emperor, and rebuilt the city of Byzantium changed the high period of the ancient world.
Germanic and Hunnic invasions of the Roman Empire, 100–500 AD
Main article: Fall of the Western Roman Empire
In the late 4th and 5th centuries the Western Empire entered a critical stage which terminated with the fall of the Western Roman Empire.[130] Under the last emperors of the Constantinian dynasty and the Valentinian dynasty, Rome lost decisive battles against the Sasanian Empire and Germanic barbarians: in 363, emperor Julian the Apostate was killed in the Battle of Samarra, against the Persians and the Battle of Adrianople cost the life of emperor Valens (364–378); the victorious Goths were never expelled from the Empire nor assimilated.[131] The next emperor, Theodosius I (379–395), gave even more force to the Christian faith, and after his death, the Empire was divided into the Eastern Roman Empire, ruled by Arcadius and the Western Roman Empire, commanded by Honorius, both of which were Theodosius' sons.[citation needed]
The situation became more critical in 408, after the death of Stilicho, a general who tried to reunite the Empire and repel barbarian invasion in the early years of the 5th century. The professional field army collapsed. In 410, the Theodosian dynasty saw the Visigoths sack Rome.[132] During the 5th century, the Western Empire experienced a significant reduction of its territory. The Vandals conquered North Africa, the Visigoths claimed Gaul, Hispania was taken by the Suebi, Britain was abandoned by the central government, and the Empire suffered further from the invasions of Attila, chief of the Huns.[133][134][135][136][137][138]
General Orestes refused to meet the demands of the barbarian "allies" who now formed the army, and tried to expel them from Italy. Unhappy with this, their chieftain Odoacer defeated and killed Orestes, invaded Ravenna and dethroned Romulus Augustus, son of Orestes. This event of 476, usually marks the end of Classical antiquity and beginning of the Middle Ages.[139][140]
After some 1200 years of independence and nearly 700 years as a great power, the rule of Rome in the West ended.[141] Various reasons for Rome's fall have been proposed ever since, including loss of Republicanism, moral decay, military tyranny, class war, slavery, economic stagnation, environmental change, disease, the decline of the Roman race, as well as the inevitable ebb and flow that all civilizations experience. At the time many pagans argued that Christianity and the decline of traditional Roman religion were responsible; some rationalist thinkers of the modern era attribute the fall to a change from a martial to a more pacifist religion that lessened the number of available soldiers; while Christians such as Augustine of Hippo argued that the sinful nature of Roman society itself was to blame.[142]
The Eastern Empire had a different fate. It survived for almost 1000 years after the fall of its Western counterpart and became the most stable Christian realm during the Middle Ages. During the 6th century, Justinian reconquered Northern Africa and Italy. But within a few years of Justinian's death, Byzantine possessions in Italy were greatly reduced by the Lombards who settled in the peninsula.[143] In the east, partially due to the weakening effect of the Plague of Justinian, the Byzantines were threatened by the rise of Islam. Its followers rapidly brought about the conquest of Syria, the conquest of Armenia and the conquest of Egypt during the Byzantine-Arab Wars, and soon presented a direct threat to Constantinople.[144][145] In the following century, the Arabs also captured southern Italy and Sicily.[146] On the west, Slavic populations were also able to penetrate deep into the Balkans.
The Byzantines, however, managed to stop further Islamic expansion into their lands during the 8th century and, beginning in the 9th century, reclaimed parts of the conquered lands.[144][147] In 1000 AD, the Eastern Empire was at its height: Basil II reconquered Bulgaria and Armenia, and culture and trade flourished.[148] However, soon after, this expansion was abruptly stopped in 1071 with the Byzantine defeat in the Battle of Manzikert. The aftermath of this battle sent the empire into a protracted period of decline. Two decades of internal strife and Turkic invasions ultimately led Emperor Alexios I Komnenos to send a call for help to the Western European kingdoms in 1095.[144]
The West responded with the Crusades, eventually resulting in the Sack of Constantinople by participants of the Fourth Crusade. The conquest of Constantinople in 1204 fragmented what remained of the Empire into successor states; the ultimate victor was the Empire of Nicaea.[149] After the recapture of Constantinople by Imperial forces, the Empire was little more than a Greek state confined to the Aegean coast. The Byzantine Empire collapsed when Mehmed the Conqueror conquered Constantinople on 29 May, 1453.[150]
The Roman Forum, the political, economic, cultural, and religious center of the city during the Republic and later Empire
The imperial city of Rome was the largest urban center in the empire, with a population variously estimated from 450,000 to close to one million.[151][152][153] The public spaces in Rome resounded with such a din of hooves and clatter of iron chariot wheels that Julius Caesar had once proposed a ban on chariot traffic during the day. Historical estimates show that around 20 percent of the population under jurisdiction of ancient Rome (25–40%, depending on the standards used, in Roman Italy)[154] lived in innumerable urban centers, with population of 10,000 and more and several military settlements, a very high rate of urbanization by pre-industrial standards. Most of those centers had a forum, temples, and other buildings similar to Rome's. Average life expectancy was about 28.[155][timeframe?]
Class structure
Main articles: Social class in ancient Rome and Status in Roman legal system
The Patrician Torlonia bust of Cato the Elder, 1st century BC
The Orator, c. 100 BC, an Etrusco-Roman bronze statue depicting Aule Metele (Latin: Aulus Metellus), an Etruscan man wearing a Roman toga while engaged in rhetoric; the statue features an inscription in the Etruscan alphabet
Roman society is largely viewed as hierarchical, with slaves (servi) at the bottom, freedmen (liberti) above them, and free-born citizens (cives) at the top. Free citizens were also divided by class. The broadest, and earliest, division was between the patricians, who could trace their ancestry to one of the 100 Patriarchs at the founding of the city, and the plebeians, who could not. This became less important in the later Republic, as some plebeian families became wealthy and entered politics, and some patrician families fell economically. Anyone, patrician or plebeian, who could count a consul as his ancestor was a noble (nobilis); a man who was the first of his family to hold the consulship, such as Marius or Cicero, was known as a novus homo ("new man") and ennobled his descendants. Patrician ancestry, however, still conferred considerable prestige, and many religious offices remained restricted to patricians.
A class division originally based on military service became more important. Membership of these classes was determined periodically by the Censors, according to property. The wealthiest were the Senatorial class, who dominated politics and command of the army. Next came the equestrians (equites, sometimes translated "knights"), originally those who could afford a warhorse, and who formed a powerful mercantile class. Several further classes, originally based on the military equipment their members could afford, followed, with the proletarii, citizens who had no property at all, at the bottom. Before the reforms of Marius they were ineligible for military service and are often described as being just above freed slaves in wealth and prestige.
Voting power in the Republic depended on class. Citizens were enrolled in voting "tribes", but the tribes of the richer classes had fewer members than the poorer ones, all the proletarii being enrolled in a single tribe. Voting was done in class order, from top down, and stopped as soon as most of the tribes had been reached, so the poorer classes were often unable to cast their votes.
Women shared some basic rights with their male counterparts, but were not fully regarded as citizens and were thus not allowed to vote or take part in politics. At the same time the limited rights of women were gradually expanded (due to emancipation) and women reached freedom from paterfamilias, gained property rights and even had more juridical rights than their husbands, but still no voting rights, and were absent from politics.[156]
Allied foreign cities were often given the Latin Right, an intermediary level between full citizens and foreigners (peregrini), which gave their citizens rights under Roman law and allowed their leading magistrates to become full Roman citizens. While there were varying degrees of Latin rights, the main division was between those cum suffragio ("with vote"; enrolled in a Roman tribe and able to take part in the comitia tributa) and sine suffragio ("without vote"; could not take part in Roman politics). Some of Rome's Italian allies were given full citizenship after the Social War of 91–88 BC, and full Roman citizenship was extended to all free-born men in the Empire by Caracalla in 212.
A gold glass portrait of a Roman family. According to legend, it has been believed to depict Galla Placidia and her children, and even Queen Ansa and her children; the Greek inscription on the medallion may indicate either the name of the artist or the pater familias who is absent in the portrait.[157] Academics have suggested it may actually be a family from Roman Egypt (with clear similarities to the Fayum mummy portraits);[158][159] the central knot worn by the woman in the center most likely indicates her as a cult follower of the Egyptian goddess Isis;[160] gold glass portrait (most likely by an Alexandrian Greek due to the Egyptian dialect of the inscription), dated 3rd century AD[161][162][163][164]
The basic units of Roman society were households and families.[165] Households included the head (usually the father) of the household, pater familias (father of the family), his wife, children, and other relatives. In the upper classes, slaves and servants were also part of the household.[165] The power of the head of the household was supreme (patria potestas, "father's power") over those living with him: He could force marriage (usually for money) and divorce, sell his children into slavery, claim his dependents' property as his own, and even had the right to punish or kill family members (though this last right apparently ceased to be exercised after the 1st century BC).[166]
Patria potestas even extended over adult sons with their own households: A man was not considered a paterfamilias, nor could he truly hold property, while his own father lived.[166][167] During the early period of Rome's history, a daughter, when she married, fell under the control (manus) of the paterfamilias of her husband's household, although by the late Republic this fell out of fashion, as a woman could choose to continue recognizing her father's family as her true family.[168] However, as Romans reckoned descent through the male line, any children she had belonged to her husband's family.[169]
Little affection was shown for the children of Rome. The mother or an elderly relative often raised both boys and girls. Unwanted children were often sold as slaves.[170] Children might have waited on tables for the family, but they could not have participated in the conversation.
In noble families a Greek nurse usually taught the children Latin and Greek. Their father taught the boys how to swim and ride, although he sometimes hired a slave to teach them instead. At seven, a boy began his education. Having no school building, classes were held on a rooftop (if dark, the boy had to carry a lantern to school). Wax-covered boards were used as paper, papyrus, and parchment were too expensive—or he could just write in the sand. A loaf of bread to be eaten was also carried.[171]
Groups of related households formed a family (gens). Families were based on blood ties or adoption, but were also political and economic alliances. Especially during the Roman Republic, some powerful families, or Gentes Maiores, came to dominate political life.
In ancient Rome, marriage was often regarded more as a financial and political alliance than as a romantic association, especially in the upper classes (see marriage in ancient Rome). Fathers usually began seeking husbands for their daughters when these reached an age between twelve and fourteen. The husband was usually older than the bride. While upper class girls married very young, there is evidence that lower class women often married in their late teens or early 20s.
Main article: Roman school
In the early Republic, there were no public schools, so boys were taught to read and write by their parents, or by educated slaves, called paedagogi, usually of Greek origin.[172][173][174] The primary aim of education during this period was to train young men in agriculture, warfare, Roman traditions, and public affairs.[172] Young boys learned much about civic life by accompanying their fathers to religious and political functions, including the Senate for the sons of nobles.[173] The sons of nobles were apprenticed to a prominent political figure at the age of 16, and campaigned with the army from the age of 17 (this system was still in use among some noble families into the imperial era).[173] Educational practices were modified after the conquest of the Hellenistic kingdoms in the 3rd century BC and the resulting Greek influence, although Roman educational practices were still much different from Greek ones.[173][175] If their parents could afford it, boys and some girls at the age of 7 were sent to a private school outside the home called a ludus, where a teacher (called a litterator or a magister ludi, and often of Greek origin) taught them basic reading, writing, arithmetic, and sometimes Greek, until the age of 11.[173][174][176]
Beginning at age 12, students went to secondary schools, where the teacher (now called a grammaticus) taught them about Greek and Roman literature.[173][176] At the age of 16, some students went on to rhetoric school (where the teacher, usually Greek, was called a rhetor).[173][176] Education at this level prepared students for legal careers, and required that the students memorize the laws of Rome.[173] Pupils went to school every day, except religious festivals and market days. There were also summer holidays.
Main articles: Roman Constitution and History of the Roman Constitution
Initially, Rome was ruled by kings, who were elected from each of Rome's major tribes in turn.[177] The exact nature of the king's power is uncertain. He may have held near-absolute power, or may also have merely been the chief executive of the Senate and the people. At least in military matters, the king's authority (Imperium) was likely absolute. He was also the head of the state religion. In addition to the authority of the King, there were three administrative assemblies: the Senate, which acted as an advisory body for the King; the Comitia Curiata, which could endorse and ratify laws suggested by the King; and the Comitia Calata, which was an assembly of the priestly college that could assemble the people to bear witness to certain acts, hear proclamations, and declare the feast and holiday schedule for the next month.
Representation of a sitting of the Roman Senate: Cicero attacks Catilina, from a 19th-century fresco
The class struggles of the Roman Republic resulted in an unusual mixture of democracy and oligarchy. The word republic comes from the Latin res publica, which literally translates to "public business". Roman laws traditionally could only be passed by a vote of the Popular assembly (Comitia Tributa). Likewise, candidates for public positions had to run for election by the people. However, the Roman Senate represented an oligarchic institution, which acted as an advisory body.
In the Republic, the Senate held actual authority (auctoritas), but no real legislative power; it was technically only an advisory council. However, as the Senators were individually very influential, it was difficult to accomplish anything against the collective will of the Senate. New Senators were chosen from among the most accomplished patricians by Censors (Censura), who could also remove a Senator from his office if he was found "morally corrupt"; a charge that could include bribery or, as under Cato the Elder, embracing one's wife in public. Later, under the reforms of the dictator Sulla, Quaestors were made automatic members of the Senate, though most of his reforms did not survive.
The Republic had no fixed bureaucracy, and collected taxes through the practice of tax farming. Government positions such as quaestor, aedile, or praefect were funded by the office-holder. To prevent any citizen from gaining too much power, new magistrates were elected annually and had to share power with a colleague. For example, under normal conditions, the highest authority was held by two consuls. In an emergency, a temporary dictator could be appointed. Throughout the Republic, the administrative system was revised several times to comply with new demands. In the end, it proved inefficient for controlling the ever-expanding dominion of Rome, contributing to the establishment of the Roman Empire.
In the early Empire, the pretense of a republican form of government was maintained. The Roman Emperor was portrayed as only a princeps, or "first citizen", and the Senate gained legislative power and all legal authority previously held by the popular assemblies. However, the rule of the Emperors became increasingly autocratic, and the Senate was reduced to an advisory body appointed by the Emperor. The Empire did not inherit a set bureaucracy from the Republic, since the Republic did not have any permanent governmental structures apart from the Senate. The Emperor appointed assistants and advisers, but the state lacked many institutions, such as a centrally planned budget. Some historians have cited this as a significant reason for the decline of the Roman Empire.
Further information: History of citizenship § Roman conceptions of citizenship
Main article: Roman law
The roots of the legal principles and practices of the ancient Romans may be traced to the Law of the Twelve Tables promulgated in 449 BC and to the codification of law issued by order of Emperor Justinian I around 530 AD (see Corpus Juris Civilis). Roman law as preserved in Justinian's codes continued into the Byzantine Empire, and formed the basis of similar codifications in continental Western Europe. Roman law continued, in a broader sense, to be applied throughout most of Europe until the end of the 17th century.
The major divisions of the law of ancient Rome, as contained within the Justinian and Theodosian law codes, consisted of Ius Civile, Ius Gentium, and Ius Naturale. The Ius Civile ("Citizen Law") was the body of common laws that applied to Roman citizens.[178] The Praetores Urbani (sg. Praetor Urbanus) were the people who had jurisdiction over cases involving citizens. The Ius Gentium ("Law of nations") was the body of common laws that applied to foreigners, and their dealings with Roman citizens.[165] The Praetores Peregrini (sg. Praetor Peregrinus) were the people who had jurisdiction over cases involving citizens and foreigners. Ius Naturale encompassed natural law, the body of laws that were considered common to all beings.
Main articles: Roman agriculture, Roman commerce, Roman finance, and Roman currency
Night view of Trajan's Market, built by Apollodorus of Damascus
Ancient Rome commanded a vast area of land, with tremendous natural and human resources. As such, Rome's economy remained focused on farming and trade. Agricultural free trade changed the Italian landscape, and by the 1st century BC, vast grape and olive estates had supplanted the yeoman farmers, who were unable to match the imported grain price. The annexation of Egypt, Sicily and Tunisia in North Africa provided a continuous supply of grains. In turn, olive oil and wine were Italy's main exports. Two-tier crop rotation was practiced, but farm productivity was low, around 1 ton per hectare.
Industrial and manufacturing activities were smaller. The largest such activities were the mining and quarrying of stones, which provided basic construction materials for the buildings of that period. In manufacturing, production was on a relatively small scale, and generally consisted of workshops and small factories that employed at most dozens of workers. However, some brick factories employed hundreds of workers.
The economy of the early Republic was largely based on smallholding and paid labor. However, foreign wars and conquests made slaves increasingly cheap and plentiful, and by the late Republic, the economy was largely dependent on slave labor for both skilled and unskilled work. Slaves are estimated to have constituted around 20% of the Roman Empire's population at this time and 40% in the city of Rome. Only in the Roman Empire, when the conquests stopped and the prices of slaves increased, did hired labor become more economical than slave ownership.
Although barter was used in ancient Rome, and often used in tax collection, Rome had a very developed coinage system, with brass, bronze, and precious metal coins in circulation throughout the Empire and beyond—some have even been discovered in India. Before the 3rd century BC, copper was traded by weight, measured in unmarked lumps, across central Italy. The original copper coins (as) had a face value of one Roman pound of copper, but weighed less. Thus, Roman money's utility as a unit of exchange consistently exceeded its intrinsic value as metal. After Nero began debasing the silver denarius, its legal value was an estimated one-third greater than its intrinsic value.
Horses were expensive and other pack animals were slower. Mass trade on the Roman roads connected military posts, where Roman markets were centered.[179] These roads were designed for wheels.[180] As a result, there was transport of commodities between Roman regions, but increased with the rise of Roman maritime trade in the 2nd century BC. During that period, a trading vessel took less than a month to complete a trip from Gades to Alexandria via Ostia, spanning the entire length of the Mediterranean.[101] Transport by sea was around 60 times cheaper than by land, so the volume for such trips was much larger.
Some economists consider the Roman Empire a market economy, similar in its degree of capitalistic practices to 17th century Netherlands and 18th century England.[181]
Main articles: Military history of ancient Rome, Military of ancient Rome, Structural history of the Roman military, Roman army, and Roman navy
Military of ancient Rome
753 BC – AD 476
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Military of ancient Rome portal
Modern replica of lorica segmentata type armor, used in conjunction with the popular chainmail after the 1st century AD
Roman tower (reconstruction) at Limes – Taunus / Germany
The early Roman army (c. 500 BC) was, like those of other contemporary city-states influenced by Greek civilization, a citizen militia that practiced hoplite tactics. It was small (the population of free men of military age was then about 9,000) and organized in five classes (in parallel to the comitia centuriata, the body of citizens organized politically), with three providing hoplites and two providing light infantry. The early Roman army was tactically limited and its stance during this period was essentially defensive.[182][183][184]
By the 3rd century BC, the Romans abandoned the hoplite formation in favor of a more flexible system in which smaller groups of 120 (or sometimes 60) men called maniples could maneuver more independently on the battlefield. Thirty maniples arranged in three lines with supporting troops constituted a legion, totalling between 4,000 and 5,000 men.[182][183]
The early Republican legion consisted of five sections, each of which was equipped differently and had different places in formation: the three lines of manipular heavy infantry (hastati, principes and triarii), a force of light infantry (velites), and the cavalry (equites). With the new organization came a new orientation toward the offensive and a much more aggressive posture toward adjoining city-states.[182][183]
At nominal full strength, an early Republican legion included 4,000 to 5,000 men: 3,600 to 4,800 heavy infantry, several hundred light infantry, and several hundred cavalrymen.[182][185][186] Legions were often significantly understrength from recruitment failures or following periods of active service due to accidents, battle casualties, disease and desertion. During the Civil War, Pompey's legions in the east were at full strength because they were recently recruited, while Caesar's legions were often well below nominal strength after long active service in Gaul. This pattern also held true for auxiliary forces.[187][188]
Until the late Republican period, the typical legionary was a property-owning citizen farmer from a rural area (an adsiduus) who served for particular (often annual) campaigns,[189] and who supplied his own equipment and, in the case of equites, his own mount. Harris suggests that down to 200 BC, the average rural farmer (who survived) might participate in six or seven campaigns. Freedmen and slaves (wherever resident) and urban citizens did not serve except in rare emergencies.[190]
After 200 BC, economic conditions in rural areas deteriorated as manpower needs increased, so that the property qualifications for service were gradually reduced. Beginning with Gaius Marius in 107 BC, citizens without property and some urban-dwelling citizens (proletarii) were enlisted and provided with equipment, although most legionaries continued to come from rural areas. Terms of service became continuous and long—up to twenty years if emergencies required although six- or seven-year terms were more typical.[191]
Beginning in the 3rd century BC, legionaries were paid stipendium (amounts are disputed but Caesar famously "doubled" payments to his troops to 225 denarii a year), could anticipate booty and donatives (distributions of plunder by commanders) from successful campaigns and, beginning at the time of Marius, often were granted allotments of land upon retirement.[182][192] Cavalry and light infantry attached to a legion (the auxilia) were often recruited in the areas where the legion served. Caesar formed a legion, the Fifth Alaudae, from non-citizens in Transalpine Gaul to serve in his campaigns in Gaul.[193] By the time of Caesar Augustus, the ideal of the citizen-soldier had been abandoned and the legions had become fully professional. Legionaries received 900 sesterces a year and could expect 12,000 sesterces on retirement.[194]
At the end of the Civil War, Augustus reorganized Roman military forces, discharging soldiers and disbanding legions. He retained 28 legions, distributed through the provinces of the Empire.[195] During the Principate, the tactical organization of the Army continued to evolve. The auxilia remained independent cohorts, and legionary troops often operated as groups of cohorts rather than as full legions. A new versatile type of unit - the cohortes equitatae – combined cavalry and legionaries in a single formation. They could be stationed at garrisons or outposts and could fight on their own as balanced small forces or combine with other similar units as a larger legion-sized force. This increase in organizational flexibility helped ensure the long-term success of Roman military forces.[196]
The Emperor Gallienus (253–268 AD) began a reorganization that created the last military structure of the late Empire. Withdrawing some legionaries from the fixed bases on the border, Gallienus created mobile forces (the Comitatenses or field armies) and stationed them behind and at some distance from the borders as a strategic reserve. The border troops (limitanei) stationed at fixed bases continued to be the first line of defense. The basic unit of the field army was the "regiment", legiones or auxilia for infantry and vexellationes for cavalry. Evidence suggests that nominal strengths may have been 1,200 men for infantry regiments and 600 for cavalry, although many records show lower actual troop levels (800 and 400).[197]
Many infantry and cavalry regiments operated in pairs under the command of a comes. In addition to Roman troops, the field armies included regiments of "barbarians" recruited from allied tribes and known as foederati. By 400 AD, foederati regiments had become permanently established units of the Roman army, paid and equipped by the Empire, led by a Roman tribune and used just as Roman units were used. In addition to the foederati, the Empire also used groups of barbarians to fight along with the legions as "allies" without integration into the field armies. Under the command of the senior Roman general present, they were led at lower levels by their own officers.[197]
Military leadership evolved over the course of the history of Rome. Under the monarchy, the hoplite armies were led by the kings of Rome. During the early and middle Roman Republic, military forces were under the command of one of the two elected consuls for the year. During the later Republic, members of the Roman Senatorial elite, as part of the normal sequence of elected public offices known as the cursus honorum, would have served first as quaestor (often posted as deputies to field commanders), then as praetor.[198][199] Julius Caesar's most talented, effective and reliable subordinate in Gaul, Titus Labienus, was recommended to him by Pompey.[200]
Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus, c. 122 BC; the altar shows two Roman infantrymen equipped with long scuta and a cavalryman with his horse. All are shown wearing chain mail armour.
Following the end of a term as praetor or consul, a Senator might be appointed by the Senate as a propraetor or proconsul (depending on the highest office held before) to govern a foreign province. More junior officers (down to but not including the level of centurion) were selected by their commanders from their own clientelae or those recommended by political allies among the Senatorial elite.[198]
Under Augustus, whose most important political priority was to place the military under a permanent and unitary command, the Emperor was the legal commander of each legion but exercised that command through a legatus (legate) he appointed from the Senatorial elite. In a province with a single legion, the legate commanded the legion (legatus legionis) and also served as provincial governor, while in a province with more than one legion, each legion was commanded by a legate and the legates were commanded by the provincial governor (also a legate but of higher rank).[201]
During the later stages of the Imperial period (beginning perhaps with Diocletian), the Augustan model was abandoned. Provincial governors were stripped of military authority, and command of the armies in a group of provinces was given to generals (duces) appointed by the Emperor. These were no longer members of the Roman elite but men who came up through the ranks and had seen much practical soldiering. With increasing frequency, these men attempted (sometimes successfully) to usurp the positions of the Emperors who had appointed them. Decreased resources, increasing political chaos and civil war eventually left the Western Empire vulnerable to attack and takeover by neighboring barbarian peoples.[202]
Less is known about the Roman navy than the Roman army. Prior to the middle of the 3rd century BC, officials known as duumviri navales commanded a fleet of twenty ships used mainly to control piracy. This fleet was given up in 278 AD and replaced by allied forces. The First Punic War required that Rome build large fleets, and it did so largely with the assistance of and financing from allies. This reliance on allies continued to the end of the Roman Republic. The quinquereme was the main warship on both sides of the Punic Wars and remained the mainstay of Roman naval forces until replaced by the time of Caesar Augustus by lighter and more maneuverable vessels.[203]
As compared with a trireme, the quinquereme permitted the use of a mix of experienced and inexperienced crewmen (an advantage for a primarily land-based power), and its lesser maneuverability permitted the Romans to adopt and perfect boarding tactics using a troop of about 40 marines in lieu of the ram. Ships were commanded by a navarch, a rank equal to a centurion, who was usually not a citizen. Potter suggests that because the fleet was dominated by non-Romans, the navy was considered non-Roman and allowed to atrophy in times of peace.[203]
Information suggests that by the time of the late Empire (350 AD), the Roman navy comprised several fleets including warships and merchant vessels for transportation and supply. Warships were oared sailing galleys with three to five banks of oarsmen. Fleet bases included such ports as Ravenna, Arles, Aquilea, Misenum and the mouth of the Somme River in the West and Alexandria and Rhodes in the East. Flotillas of small river craft (classes) were part of the limitanei (border troops) during this period, based at fortified river harbors along the Rhine and the Danube. That prominent generals commanded both armies and fleets suggests that naval forces were treated as auxiliaries to the army and not as an independent service. The details of command structure and fleet strengths during this period are not well known, although fleets were commanded by prefects.[204]
Main article: Culture of ancient Rome
The seven hills of Rome
Life in ancient Rome revolved around the city of Rome, located on seven hills. The city had a vast number of monumental structures like the Colosseum, the Forum of Trajan and the Pantheon. It had theatres, gymnasiums, marketplaces, functional sewers, bath complexes complete with libraries and shops, and fountains with fresh drinking water supplied by hundreds of miles of aqueducts. Throughout the territory under the control of ancient Rome, residential architecture ranged from modest houses to country villas.
In the capital city of Rome, there were imperial residences on the elegant Palatine Hill, from which the word palace derives. The low Plebeian and middle Equestrian classes lived in the city center, packed into apartments, or Insulae, which were almost like modern ghettos. These areas, often built by upper class property owners to rent, were often centred upon collegia or taberna. These people, provided with a free supply of grain, and entertained by gladatorial games, were enrolled as clients of patrons among the upper class Patricians, whose assistance they sought and whose interests they upheld.
Main article: Latin
Roman fresco of a blond maiden reading a text, Pompeian Fourth Style (60–79 AD), Pompeii, Italy
The native language of the Romans was Latin, an Italic language the grammar of which relies little on word order, conveying meaning through a system of affixes attached to word stems.[205] Its alphabet was based on the Etruscan alphabet, which was in turn based on the Greek alphabet.[206] Although surviving Latin literature consists almost entirely of Classical Latin, an artificial and highly stylized and polished literary language from the 1st century BC, the spoken language of the Roman Empire was Vulgar Latin, which significantly differed from Classical Latin in grammar and vocabulary, and eventually in pronunciation.[207]
While Latin remained the main written language of the Roman Empire, Greek came to be the language spoken by the well-educated elite, as most of the literature studied by Romans was written in Greek. In the eastern half of the Roman Empire, which later became the Byzantine Empire, Latin was never able to replace Greek, and after the death of Justinian, Greek became the official language of the Byzantine government.[208] The expansion of the Roman Empire spread Latin throughout Europe, and Vulgar Latin evolved into dialects in different locations, gradually shifting into many distinct Romance languages.
Main articles: Religion in ancient Rome, Roman mythology, and Roman temple
Further information: Constantine the Great and Christianity and State church of the Roman Empire
Punishment of Ixion: in the center is Mercury holding the caduceus and on the right Juno sits on her throne. Behind her Iris stands and gestures. On the left is Vulcan (blond figure) standing behind the wheel, manning it, with Ixion already tied to it. Nephele sits at Mercury's feet; a Roman fresco from the eastern wall of the triclinium in the House of the Vettii, Pompeii, Fourth Style (60–79 AD).
Archaic Roman religion, at least concerning the gods, was made up not of written narratives, but rather of complex interrelations between gods and humans.[209] Unlike in Greek mythology, the gods were not personified, but were vaguely defined sacred spirits called numina. Romans also believed that every person, place or thing had its own genius, or divine soul. During the Roman Republic, Roman religion was organized under a strict system of priestly offices, which were held by men of senatorial rank. The College of Pontifices was uppermost body in this hierarchy, and its chief priest, the Pontifex Maximus, was the head of the state religion. Flamens took care of the cults of various gods, while augurs were trusted with taking the auspices. The sacred king took on the religious responsibilities of the deposed kings. In the Roman Empire, emperors were deified,[210][211] and the formalized imperial cult became increasingly prominent.
As contact with the Greeks increased, the old Roman gods became increasingly associated with Greek gods.[212] Thus, Jupiter was perceived to be the same deity as Zeus, Mars became associated with Ares, and Neptune with Poseidon. The Roman gods also assumed the attributes and mythologies of these Greek gods. Under the Empire, the Romans absorbed the mythologies of their conquered subjects, often leading to situations in which the temples and priests of traditional Italian deities existed side by side with those of foreign gods.[213]
Beginning with Emperor Nero in the 1st century AD, Roman official policy towards Christianity was negative, and at some points, simply being a Christian could be punishable by death. Under Emperor Diocletian, the persecution of Christians reached its peak. However, it became an officially supported religion in the Roman state under Diocletian's successor, Constantine I, with the signing of the Edict of Milan in 313, and quickly became dominant. All religions except Christianity were prohibited in 391 AD by an edict of Emperor Theodosius I.[214]
Art, music and literature
Main articles: Roman art, Latin literature, Music of ancient Rome, Roman sculpture, and Theatre of ancient Rome
Woman playing a kithara, from the Villa Boscoreale, 40–30 BC
Roman painting styles show Greek influences, and surviving examples are primarily frescoes used to adorn the walls and ceilings of country villas, though Roman literature includes mentions of paintings on wood, ivory, and other materials.[215][216] Several examples of Roman painting have been found at Pompeii, and from these art historians divide the history of Roman painting into four periods. The first style of Roman painting was practiced from the early 2nd century BC to the early- or mid-1st century BC. It was mainly composed of imitations of marble and masonry, though sometimes including depictions of mythological characters.
The second style of Roman painting began during the early 1st century BC, and attempted to depict realistically three-dimensional architectural features and landscapes. The third style occurred during the reign of Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD), and rejected the realism of the second style in favor of simple ornamentation. A small architectural scene, landscape, or abstract design was placed in the center with a monochrome background. The fourth style, which began in the 1st century AD, depicted scenes from mythology, while retaining architectural details and abstract patterns.
Portrait sculpture during the period[which?] utilized youthful and classical proportions, evolving later into a mixture of realism and idealism. During the Antonine and Severan periods, ornate hair and bearding, with deep cutting and drilling, became popular. Advancements were also made in relief sculptures, usually depicting Roman victories.
Latin literature was, from its start, influenced heavily by Greek authors. Some of the earliest extant works are of historical epics telling the early military history of Rome. As the Republic expanded, authors began to produce poetry, comedy, history, and tragedy.
Roman music was largely based on Greek music, and played an important part in many aspects of Roman life.[217] In the Roman military, musical instruments such as the tuba (a long trumpet) or the cornu (similar to a French horn) were used to give various commands, while the bucina (possibly a trumpet or horn) and the lituus (probably an elongated J-shaped instrument), were used in ceremonial capacities.[218] Music was used in the amphitheaters between fights and in the odea, and in these settings is known to have featured the cornu and the hydraulis (a type of water organ).[219]
Most religious rituals featured musical performances, with tibiae (double pipes) at sacrifices, cymbals and Tambourines at orgiastic cults, and rattles and hymns across the spectrum.[220] Some music historians believe that music was used at almost all public ceremonies.[217] Music historians are not certain if Roman musicians made a significant contribution to the theory or practice of music.[217]
The graffiti, brothels, paintings, and sculptures found in Pompeii and Herculaneum suggest that the Romans had a sex-saturated culture.[221]
Main article: Ancient Roman cuisine
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Ancient Roman cuisine changed over the long duration of this ancient civilization. Dietary habits were affected by the influence of Greek culture, the political changes from kingdom to republic to empire, and empire's enormous expansion, which exposed Romans to many new, provincial culinary habits and cooking techniques. In the beginning the differences between social classes were relatively small, but disparities evolved with the empire's growth. Men and women drank wine with their meals, a tradition that has been carried through to the present day.[222]
Games and recreation
Choregos and theater actors, from the House of the Tragic Poet, Pompeii, Italy. Naples National Archeological Museum
The "bikini girls" mosaic, showing women playing sports, from the Villa Romana del Casale, Roman province of Sicilia (Sicily), 4th century AD
The youth of Rome had several forms of athletic play and exercise, such as jumping, wrestling, boxing, and racing.[223] In the countryside, pastimes for the wealthy also included fishing and hunting.[224] The Romans also had several forms of ball playing, including one resembling handball.[223] Dice games, board games, and gamble games were popular pastimes.[223] Women did not take part in these activities. For the wealthy, dinner parties presented an opportunity for entertainment, sometimes featuring music, dancing, and poetry readings.[215] Plebeians sometimes enjoyed similar parties through clubs or associations, but for most Romans, recreational dining usually meant patronizing taverns.[215] Children entertained themselves with toys and such games as leapfrog.[224][215]
Public games were sponsored by leading Romans who wished to advertise their generosity and court popular approval; in the Imperial era, this usually meant the emperor. Several venues were developed specifically for public games. The Colisseum was built in the Imperial era to host, among other events, gladiatorial combats. These combats had begun as funeral games around the 4th century BC, and became popular spectator events in the late Republic and Empire. Gladiators had an exotic and inventive variety of arms and armour. They sometimes fought to the death, but more often to an adjudicated victory, dependent on a referee's decision. The outcome was usually in keeping with the mood of the watching crowd. Shows of exotic animals were popular in their own right; but sometimes animals were pitted against human beings, either armed professionals or unarmed criminals who had been condemned to a spectacular and theatrical public death in the arena. Some of these encounters were based on episodes from Roman or Greek mythology.
Chariot racing was extremely popular among all classes. In Rome, these races were usually held at the Circus Maximus, which had been purpose-built for chariot and horse-racing and, as Rome's largest public place, was also used for festivals and animal shows.[225] It could seat around 150,000 people;[226] The charioteers raced in teams, identified by their colours. The track was divided lengthwise by a barrier that contained obelisks, temples, statues and lap-counters. The best seats were at the track-side, close to the action; they were reserved for Senators. Behind them sat the equites (knights), and behind the knights were the plebs (commoners) and non-citizens. The donor of the games sat on a high platform in the stands alongside images of the gods, visible to all. Large sums were bet on the outcomes of races. Some Romans offered prayers and sacrifices on behalf of their favourites, or laid curses on the opposing teams, and some aficionados were members of extremely, even violently partisan circus factions.
Like many ancient cultures, concepts of ethics and morality, while sharing some commonalities with modern society, differed greatly in several important ways. Because ancient civilizations like Rome were under constant threat of attack from marauding tribes, their culture was necessarily militaristic with martial skills being a prized attribute.[227] Whereas modern societies consider compassion a virtue, Roman society considered compassion a vice, a moral defect. Indeed, one of the primary purposes of the gladiatorial games was to inoculate Roman citizens from this weakness.[228][227][229] Romans instead prized virtues such as courage and conviction (virtus), a sense of duty to one's people, moderation and avoiding excess (moderatio), forgiveness and understanding (clementia), fairness (severitas), and loyalty (pietas).[230]
Contrary to popular descriptions, Roman society had well-established and restrictive norms related to sexuality, though as with many societies, the lion's share of the responsibilities fell on women. Women were generally expected to be monogamous having only a single husband during their life (univira). Women were expected to be modest in public avoiding any provocative appearance and to demonstrate absolute fidelity to their husbands (pudicitia). Indeed, wearing a veil was a common expectation to preserve modesty. Sex outside of marriage was generally frowned upon for men and women and indeed was made illegal during the imperial period.[231] Nevertheless, prostitution was seen entirely differently and indeed was an accepted and regulated practice.[232]
Main article: Roman technology
Pont du Gard in France is a Roman aqueduct built in c. 19 BC. It is a World Heritage Site.
Ancient Rome boasted impressive technological feats, using many advancements that were lost in the Middle Ages and not rivaled again until the 19th and 20th centuries. An example of this is insulated glazing, which was not invented again until the 1930s. Many practical Roman innovations were adopted from earlier Greek designs. Advancements were often divided and based on craft. Artisans guarded technologies as trade secrets.[233]
Roman civil engineering and military engineering constituted a large part of Rome's technological superiority and legacy, and contributed to the construction of hundreds of roads, bridges, aqueducts, baths, theaters and arenas. Many monuments, such as the Colosseum, Pont du Gard, and Pantheon, remain as testaments to Roman engineering and culture.
The Romans were renowned for their architecture, which is grouped with Greek traditions into "Classical architecture". Although there were many differences from Greek architecture, Rome borrowed heavily from Greece in adhering to strict, formulaic building designs and proportions. Aside from two new orders of columns, composite and Tuscan, and from the dome, which was derived from the Etruscan arch, Rome had relatively few architectural innovations until the end of the Republic.
The Appian Way (Via Appia), a road connecting the city of Rome to the southern parts of Italy, remains usable even today
In the 1st century BC, Romans started to use concrete widely. Concrete was invented in the late 3rd century BC. It was a powerful cement derived from pozzolana, and soon supplanted marble as the chief Roman building material and allowed many daring architectural forms.[234] Also in the 1st century BC, Vitruvius wrote De architectura, possibly the first complete treatise on architecture in history. In the late 1st century BC, Rome also began to use glassblowing soon after its invention in Syria about 50 BC. Mosaics took the Empire by storm after samples were retrieved during Lucius Cornelius Sulla's campaigns in Greece.
With solid foundations and good drainage,[235] Roman roads were known for their durability and many segments of the Roman road system were still in use a thousand years after the fall of Rome. The construction of a vast and efficient travel network throughout the Empire dramatically increased Rome's power and influence. They allowed Roman legions to be deployed rapidly, with predictable marching times between key points of the empire, no matter the season.[236] These highways also had enormous economic significance, solidifying Rome's role as a trading crossroads—the origin of the saying "all roads lead to Rome". The Roman government maintained a system of way stations, known as the cursus publicus, that provided refreshments to couriers at regular intervals along the roads and established a system of horse relays allowing a dispatch to travel up to 80 km (50 mi) a day.
The Romans constructed numerous aqueducts to supply water to cities and industrial sites and to aid in their agriculture. By the third century, the city of Rome was supplied by 11 aqueducts with a combined length of 450 km (280 mi). Most aqueducts were constructed below the surface, with only small portions above ground supported by arches.[237][238] Sometimes, where valleys deeper than 500 m (1,640 ft) had to be crossed, inverted siphons were used to convey water across a valley.[51]
The Romans also made major advancements in sanitation. Romans were particularly famous for their public baths, called thermae, which were used for both hygienic and social purposes. Many Roman houses came to have flush toilets and indoor plumbing, and a complex sewer system, the Cloaca Maxima, was used to drain the local marshes and carry waste into the Tiber river.
Some historians have speculated that lead pipes in the sewer and plumbing systems led to widespread lead poisoning, which contributed to the decline in birth rate and general decay of Roman society leading up to the fall of Rome. However, lead content would have been minimized because the flow of water from aqueducts could not be shut off; it ran continuously through public and private outlets into the drains, and only a few taps were in use.[239] Other authors have raised similar objections to this theory, also pointing out that Roman water pipes were thickly coated with deposits that would have prevented lead from leaching into the water.[240]
Main articles: Legacy of the Roman Empire and Classics
Ancient Rome[241] (13:47), Smarthistory at Khan Academy
Ancient Rome is the progenitor of Western civilization.[242][243][244] The customs, religion, law, technology, architecture, political system, military, literature, languages, alphabet, government and many factors and aspects of western civilization are all inherited from Roman advancements. The rediscovery of Roman culture revitalized Western civilization, playing a role in the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment.[245][246]
Main article: Roman historiography
Although there has been a diversity of works on ancient Roman history, many of them are lost. As a result of this loss, there are gaps in Roman history, which are filled by unreliable works, such as the Historia Augusta and other books from obscure authors. However, there remains a number of reliable accounts of Roman history.
In Roman times
The first historians used their works for the lauding of Roman culture and customs. By the end of Republic, some historians distorted their histories to flatter their patrons—especially at the time of Marius's and Sulla's clash.[247] Caesar wrote his own histories to make a complete account of his military campaigns in Gaul and during the Civil War.
In the Empire, the biographies of famous men and early emperors flourished, examples being The Twelve Caesars of Suetonius, and Plutarch's Parallel Lives. Other major works of Imperial times were that of Livy and Tacitus.
Polybius – The Histories
Sallust – Bellum Catilinae and Bellum Jugurthinum
Julius Caesar – De Bello Gallico and De Bello Civili
Livy – Ab urbe condita
Dionysius of Halicarnassus – Roman Antiquities
Pliny the Elder – Naturalis Historia
Josephus – The Jewish War
Suetonius – The Twelve Caesars (De Vita Caesarum)
Tacitus – Annales and Histories
Plutarch – Parallel Lives (a series of biographies of famous Roman and Greek men)
Cassius Dio – Historia Romana
Herodian – History of the Roman Empire since Marcus Aurelius
Ammianus Marcellinus – Res Gestae
In modern times
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Interest in studying, and even idealizing, ancient Rome became prevalent during the Italian Renaissance, and continues until the present day. Charles Montesquieu wrote a work Reflections on the Causes of the Grandeur and Declension of the Romans. The first major work was The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon, which encompassed the period from the end of the 2nd century to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453.[248] Like Montesquieu, Gibbon paid tribute to the virtue of Roman citizens. Barthold Georg Niebuhr was a founder of the examination of ancient Roman history and wrote The Roman History, tracing the period until the First Punic war. Niebuhr tried to determine the way the Roman tradition evolved. According to him, Romans, like other people, had an historical ethos preserved mainly in the noble families.
During the Napoleonic period a work titled The History of Romans by Victor Duruy appeared. It highlighted the Caesarean period popular at the time. History of Rome, Roman constitutional law and Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, all by Theodor Mommsen,[249] became very important milestones. Later the work Greatness and Decline of Rome by Guglielmo Ferrero was published. The Russian work Очерки по истории римского землевладения, преимущественно в эпоху Империи (The Outlines on Roman Landownership History, Mainly During the Empire) by Ivan Grevs contained information on the economy of Pomponius Atticus, one of the largest landowners at the end of the Republic.
Edward Gibbon (1737–1794) – The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
John Bagnall Bury (1861–1927) – History of the Later Roman Empire
Michael Grant (1914–2004) – The Roman World[250]
Barbara Levick (born 1932) – Claudius[251]
Barthold Georg Niebuhr (1776–1831)
Michael Rostovtzeff (1870–1952)
Howard Hayes Scullard (1903–1983) – The History of the Roman World[252]
Ronald Syme (1903–1989) – The Roman Revolution[253]
Adrian Goldsworthy (born 1969) – Caesar: The Life of a Colossus and How Rome fell[254]
Ancient Rome portal
Ancient Roman architecture
Daqin, the Chinese name for the Roman Empire, see Sino-Roman relations
Outline of classical studies
Outline of ancient Rome
Constitution of the Roman Republic
History of Rome
Timeline of Roman history
Legacy of the Roman Empire
Regions in Greco-Roman antiquity
Roman agriculture
List of ancient Romans
List of Roman Emperors
^ "ancient Rome | Facts, Maps, & History". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2017-09-05.
^ "Ancient Rome". Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2017-09-05.
^ There are several different estimates for the population of the Roman Empire.
Scheidel (2006, p. 2) estimates 60.
Goldsmith (1984, p. 263) estimates 55.
Beloch (1886, p. 507) estimates 54.
Maddison (2006, p. 51, 120) estimates 48.
Roman Empire Population estimates 65 (while mentioning several other estimates between 55 and 120).
McLynn, Frank (2011). Marcus Aurelius: Warrior, Philosopher, Emperor. Random House. p. 3. ISBN 9781446449332. [T]he most likely estimate for the reign of Marcus Aurelius is somewhere between seventy and eighty million.
McEvedy and Jones (1978).
an average of figures from different sources as listed at the US Census Bureau's Historical Estimates of World Population Archived 13 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
Kremer, Michael (1993). "Population Growth and Technological Change: One Million B.C. to 1990" in The Quarterly Journal of Economics 108(3): 681–716.
^ * Taagepera, Rein (1979). "Size and Duration of Empires: Growth-Decline Curves, 600 B.C. to 600 A.D". Social Science History. Duke University Press. 3 (3/4): 125. doi:10.2307/1170959. JSTOR 1170959.
Turchin, Peter; Adams, Jonathan M.; Hall, Thomas D (December 2006). "East-West Orientation of Historical Empires". Journal of world-systems research. 12 (2): 222. ISSN 1076-156X. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
^ Furet, François; Ozouf, Mona, eds. (1989). A Critical Dictionary of the French Revolution. Harvard University Press. p. 793. ISBN 0674177282.
^ Luckham, Robin; White, Gordon (1996). Democratization in the South: The Jagged Wave. Manchester University Press. p. 11. ISBN 0719049423.
^ Sellers, Mortimer N. (1994). American Republicanism: Roman Ideology in the United States Constitution. NYU Press. p. 90. ISBN 0814780059.
^ Ferrero, Guglielmo (1909). The Greatness and Decline of Rome, Volume 2. Translated by Zimmern, Sir Alfred Eckhard; Chaytor, Henry John. G. P. Putnam's Sons. p. 215.
^ Hadfield, Andrew Hadfield (2005). Shakespeare and Republicanism. Cambridge University Press. p. 68. ISBN 0521816076.
^ Gray, Christopher B (1999). The Philosophy of Law: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1. Taylor & Francis. p. 741. ISBN 0815313446.
^ "Byzantine Empire". Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2017-09-05.
^ Adkins, Lesley; Adkins, Roy (1998). Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 3. ISBN 0-19-512332-8.
^ Cavazzi, F. "The Founding of Rome". Illustrated History of the Roman Empire. Retrieved 8 March 2007.
^ a b c d Livius, Titus (Livy) (1998). The Rise of Rome, Books 1–5. Translated by Luce, T.J. Oxford: Oxford World's Classics. pp. 8–11. ISBN 0-19-282296-9.
^ a b Durant, Will; Durant, Ariel (1944). The Story of Civilization – Volume III: Caesar and Christ. United States: Simon and Schuster, Inc. pp. 12–14. ISBN 978-1567310238.
^ Roggen, Hesse, Haastrup, Omnibus I, H. Aschehoug & Co 1996
^ Myths and Legends- Rome, the Wolf, and Mars. Retrieved 8 March 2007.
^ Mellor, Ronald and McGee Marni, The Ancient Roman World p. 15 (Cited 15 March 2009)
^ Matyszak, Philip (2003). Chronicle of the Roman Republic. London: Thames & Hudson. p. 19. ISBN 0-500-05121-6.
^ Duiker, William; Spielvogel, Jackson (2001). World History (Third ed.). Wadsworth. p. 129. ISBN 0-534-57168-9.
^ Ancient Rome and the Roman Empire by Michael Kerrigan. Dorling Kindersley, London: 2001. ISBN 0-7894-8153-7. page 12.
^ Langley, Andrew and Souza, de Philip, "The Roman Times", Candle Wick Press, Massachusetts
^ Matyszak, Philip (2003). Chronicle of the Roman Republic. London: Thames & Hudson. pp. 43–44. ISBN 0-500-05121-6.
^ Adkins, Lesley; Adkins, Roy (1998). Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 41–42. ISBN 0-19-512332-8.
^ Hooker, Richard (June 6, 1999). "Rome: The Roman Republic". Washington State University. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2007.
^ Magistratus by George Long, M.A. Appearing on pages 723–724 of A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities by William Smith, D.C.L., LL.D. Published by John Murray, London, 1875. Website written 8 December 2006. Retrieved 24 March 2007.
^ Livius, Titus (Livy) (1998). "Book II". The Rise of Rome, Books 1–5. Translated by Luce, T.J. Oxford: Oxford World's Classics. ISBN 0-19-282296-9.
^ Adkins, Lesley; Adkins, Roy (1998). Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 39. ISBN 0-19-512332-8.
^ These are literally Roman "libra," from which the pound is derived.
^ [1] Plutarch, Parallel Lives, Life of Camillus, XXIX, 2.
^ a b c Haywood, Richard (1971). The Ancient World. United States: David McKay Company, Inc. pp. 350–358.
^ Pyrrhus of Epirus (2) and Pyrrhus of Epirus (3) by Jona Lendering. Livius.org. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
^ AncientRome.ru. "THE DATABASE OF ANCIENT ART." Retrieved 25 August 2016.
^ AncientRome.ru. "Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus." Retrieved 25 August 2016.
^ [2] Cassius Dio, Roman History, XI, XLIII.
^ New historical atlas and general history By Robert Henlopen Labberton. Page 35.
^ Hugh Chisholm (1911). The Encyclopædia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information. Encyclopædia Britannica Company. pp. 652–. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
^ Rome: The Punic Wars by Richard Hooker. Washington State University. Written 6 June 1999. Retrieved 22 March 2007.
^ Bury, John Bagnell (1889). History of the Later Roman Empire. London, New York: MacMillan and Co.
^ Rome: The Conquest of the Hellenistic Empires Archived 1 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine. by Richard Hooker. Washington State University. Written 6 June 1999. Retrieved 22 March 2007.
^ Duiker, William; Spielvogel, Jackson (2001). World History (Third ed.). Wadsworth. pp. 136–137. ISBN 0-534-57168-9.
^ Fall of the Roman Republic, 133–27 BC. Purdue University. Retrieved 24 March 2007.
^ a b Eques (Knight) by Jona Lendering. Livius.org. Retrieved 24 March 2007.
^ Tuma, Elias H. (1965). Twenty-six Centuries of Agrarian Reform: A Comparative Analysis. University of California Press. p. 34.
^ a b c William Harrison De Puy (1893). The Encyclopædia britannica: a dictionary of arts, sciences, and general literature ; the R.S. Peale reprint, with new maps and original American articles. Werner Co. pp. 760–. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
^ Henry George Liddell (1855). A history of Rome, to the establishment of the empire. pp. 305–. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
^ Plutarch Parallel Lives, Life of Caesar, I,2
^ Scullard, Howard Hayes (1982). From the Gracchi to Nero (5th ed.). Routledge. ISBN 0-415-02527-3. Chapters VI-VIII.
^ Julius Caesar (100BC – 44BC). [3]. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
^ [4] Plutarch, Life of Caesar. Retrieved 1 October 2011
^ Augustus (31 BC – 14 AD) by Garrett G. Fagan. De Imperatoribus Romanis. Written 5 July 2004. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
^ Coins of the Emperor Augustus Archived 25 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine.; examples are a coin of 38 BC inscribed "Divi Iuli filius", and another of 31 BC bearing the inscription "Divi filius" (Auguste vu par lui-même et par les autres by Juliette Reid Archived 19 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine.).
^ [5] Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Augustus, XV.
^ [6] Plutarch, Parallel Lives, Life of Antony, II, 1.
^ Ancient Library Archived 5 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved 9 September 2011
^ [7] Plutarch, Parallel Lives, Life of Antony, LXXI, 3–5.
^ Augustus (63 BC. – AD14) from bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2007.
^ Langley, Andrew and Souza, de Philip:"The Roman Times" pg.14, Candle Wick Press, 1996
^ The Julio-Claudian Dynasty (27 BC −68 AD). by the Department of Greek and Roman Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Written October 2000. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
^ James Orr (1915). The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia. Howard-Severance Company. pp. 2598–. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
^ Charles Phineas Sherman (1917). Roman law in the modern world. The Boston book company. pp. 50–. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
^ [8] Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Augustus, XXVII, 3.
^ Werner Eck, The Age of Augustus
^ [9] Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Augustus, XVIII, 2.
^ Hugh Chisholm (1910). Encyclopædia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information. Encyclopædia Britannica Company. pp. 912–. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
^ [10] Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Augustus, XXI, 1.
^ [11] Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Augustus, XXI.
^ [12] Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Augustus, LXIII.
^ [13] Cassius Dio, Roman History, LVII, 12.
^ a b c John Charles Tarver (1902). Tiberius, the tyrant. A. Constable. pp. 342–428. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
^ Johann Jakob Herzog; John Henry Augustus Bomberger (1858). The Protestant Theological and Ecclesiastical Encyclopedia: Being a Condensed Translation of Herzog's Real Encyclopedia. Lindsay & Blakiston. pp. 99–. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
^ The Chautauquan. M. Bailey. 1881. pp. 445–. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
^ [14] Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Caligula, LV, 3.
^ Compendium (1858). A compendium of universal history. Ancient and modern, by the author of 'Two thousand questions on the Old and New Testaments'. pp. 109–. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
^ Sir William Smith (1890). Abaeus-Dysponteus. J. Murray. pp. 776–. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
^ [15] Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Claudius, XVII.
^ Claudius By Barbara Levick. Page 77.
^ [16] Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Nero, XVI.
^ [17] Tacitus, Annales, XXXVIII.
^ Nero (54–68 AD) by Herbert W. Benario. De Imperatoribus Romanis. Written 10 November 2006. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
^ Suetonius
^ O'Connell, Robert (1989). Of Arms and Men: A History of War, Weapons, and Aggression. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 81. ISBN 0-19-505359-1.
^ Kreis, Stephen. "Augustus Caesar and the Pax Romana". The History Guide. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
^ [18] Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Vespasian, I.
^ [19] Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Vespasian, IX.
^ [20] Cassius Dio, Roman History, LXVI.
^ [21] Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Titus, VII, 3.
^ [22] Cassius Dio, Roman History, LXVII, 6.
^ [23] Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Domitian, X.
^ [24] from roman-empire.net – Titus Flavius Domitianus. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
^ Five Good Emperors from UNRV History. Retrieved 12 March 2007.
^ [25] Cassius Dio, Roman History, LXVIII, 1.
^ [27] Cassius Dio, Roman History, LXVIII, 14.
^ Ferdinand Gregorovius (1898). The Emperor Hadrian: A Picture of the Graeco-Roman World in His Time. Macmillan. pp. 16–. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
^ [29] Cassius Dio, Roman History, LXVIII, 17–30.
^ a b Scarre, Chris (September 1995). The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-051329-9.
^ [30] Historia Augusta, Life of Hadrian.
^ [31] Historia Augusta, Life of Antoninus Pius, V, 4.
^ [32] Cassius Dio, Roman History, LXXVII.
^ Past pandemics that ravaged Europe by Verity Murphy. BBC News. 7 November 2005.
^ Gibbon, Edward (1906). "Chapter I". In Bury, J.B. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Online version). Fred de Fau and Co.
^ [33] Cassius Dio, Roman History, LXXII, 36, 4.
^ Cary, Max (1967). A History of Rome Down to the Reign of Constantine (Second ed.). New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 704.
^ [34] Cassius Dio, Roman History, LXXV, 13.
^ [35] Machiavelli, Il Principe, XIX (in Italian).
^ [36] Cassius Dio, Roman History, LXXVI, 7.
^ [37] Cassius Dio, Roman History, LXXVI, 9–12.
^ [38] Cassius Dio, Roman History, LXXVIII, 22–23.
^ [39] Historia Augusta, The Life of Caracalla, VI.
^ [40] Historia Augusta, The Life of Alexander Severus, LIX.
^ Skip Knox, E.L. "Crisis of the Third Century (235–285)". History of Western Civilization. Boise State University. Archived from the original on May 3, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2007.
^ a b Gibbon, Edward (1906). "Chapter X". In Bury, J.B. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Online version). Fred de Fau and Co.
^ [41] Historia Augusta, The Lives of the Thirty Pretenders, III et XXX.
^ [42] Historia Augusta, The Life of Aurelian, XXXII.
^ [43] Historia Augusta, The Life of Claudius, I.
^ [44] Lactantius, De Mortibus Persecutorum, VII.
^ Joannes Zonaras, Epitome: From Diocletian to the death of Galerius.
^ Diocletian (284–305 AD) by Ralph W. Mathisen. De Imperatoribus Romanis. Written 17 March 1997. Retrieved 20 March 2007.
^ Ward-Perkins, John Bryan (1994). Roman Imperial Architecture. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-05292-3.
^ [45] Lactantius, De Mortibus Persecutorum, X-XVI.
^ Gibbon, Edward (1906). "Chapter XX". In Bury, J.B. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Online version). Fred de Fau and Co.
^ Gibbon, Edward (1906). "Chapter XVII". In Bury, J.B. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Online version). Fred de Fau and Co.
^ Constantine I (306 – 337 AD) by Hans A. Pohlsander. De Imperatoribus Romanis. Written 8 January 2004. Retrieved 20 March 2007.
^ Honorius (395–423 AD) by Ralph W. Mathisen. De Imperatoribus Romanis. Written 2 June 1999. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
^ Gibbon, Edward (1906). "Chapter XXVI". In Bury, J.B. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Online version). Fred de Fau and Co.
^ Lapham, Lewis (1997). The End of the World. New York: Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 0-312-25264-1. pages 47–50.
^ [46] Bury, J.B.: History of the Later Roman Empire, 8, §2.
^ [49] Bury, J.B.: History of the Later Roman Empire, 9.
^ "The Germanic Invasions of Western Europe". University of Calgary. August 1996. Archived from the original on August 12, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2007.
^ "Roman Emperors – DIR Romulus Augustulus". www.roman-emperors.org.
^ Romulus Augustulus (475–476 AD)--Two Views by Ralph W. Mathisen and Geoffrey S. Nathan. De Imperatoribus Romanis. Written 26 August 1997. Retrieved 22 March 2007.
^ Durant, Will; Durant, Ariel (1944). The Story of Civilization – Volume III: Caesar and Christ. United States: Simon and Schuster, Inc. p. 670. ISBN 978-1567310238.
^ Morris Bishop, The Middle Ages, 1996. p. 8
^ a b c Hooker, Richard (June 6, 1999). "The Byzantine Empire". Washington State University. Archived from the original on February 24, 1999. Retrieved April 8, 2007.
^ Bray, R.S. (2004). Armies of Pestilence. Cambridge: James Clarke & Co. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-227-17240-7.
^ Kreutz, Barbara M. (1996). Before the Normans: Southern Italy in the Ninth and Tenth Centuries. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-1587-8.
^ Basil II (AD 976–1025) by Catherine Holmes. De Imperatoribus Romanis. Written 1 April 2003. Retrieved 22 March 2007.
^ Gibbon, Edward (1906). "Chapter LXI". In Bury, J.B. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Online version). Fred de Fau and Co.
^ Mehmet II by Korkut Ozgen. Theottomans.org. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
^ Abstract of The population of ancient Rome. by Glenn R. Storey. HighBeam Research. Written 1 December 1997. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
^ The Population of Rome by Whitney J. Oates. Originally published in Classical Philology. Vol. 29, No. 2 (April 1934), pp 101–116. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
^ N.Morley, Metropolis and Hinterland (Cambridge, 1996) 174-83
^ Gawande, Atul (2014). Being Mortal. London: Profile Books. p. 32. ISBN 9781846685828. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
^ Frank Frost Abbott, Society and Politics in Ancient Rome, BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2009, p. 41
^ See "Masterpieces. Desiderius' Cross". Fondazione Brescia Musei. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
^ For a description of scholarly research on the Brescia Medallion, see Daniel Thomas Howells (2015). "A Catalogue of the Late Antique Gold Glass in the British Museum (PDF)." London: the British Museum (Arts and Humanities Research Council), p. 7. Accessed 2 October 2016.
"Other important contributions to scholarship included the publication of an extensive summary of gold glass scholarship under the entry ‘Fonds de coupes’ in Fernand Cabrol and Henri Leclercq’s comprehensive Dictionnaire d’archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie in 1923. Leclercq updated Vopel’s catalogue, recording 512 gold glasses considered to be genuine, and developed a typological series consisting of eleven iconographic subjects: biblical subjects; Christ and the saints; various legends; inscriptions; pagan deities; secular subjects; male portraits; female portraits; portraits of couples and families; animals; and Jewish symbols. In a 1926 article devoted to the brushed technique gold glass known as the Brescia medallion (Pl. 1), Fernand de Mély challenged the deeply ingrained opinion of Garrucci and Vopel that all examples of brushed technique gold glass were in fact forgeries. The following year, de Mély’s hypothesis was supported and further elaborated upon in two articles by different scholars. A case for the Brescia medallion’s authenticity was argued for, not on the basis of its iconographic and orthographic similarity with pieces from Rome (a key reason for Garrucci’s dismissal), but instead for its close similarity to the Fayoum mummy portraits from Egypt. Indeed, this comparison was given further credence by Walter Crum’s assertion that the Greek inscription on the medallion was written in the Alexandrian dialect of Egypt. De Mély noted that the medallion and its inscription had been reported as early as 1725, far too early for the idiosyncrasies of Graeco-Egyptian word endings to have been understood by forgers."
"Comparing the iconography of the Brescia medallion with other more closely dated objects from Egypt, Hayford Peirce then proposed that brushed technique medallions were produced in the early 3rd century, whilst de Mély himself advocated a more general 3rd-century date. With the authenticity of the medallion more firmly established, Joseph Breck was prepared to propose a late 3rd to ear
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ZA COM MR-T-1344
Part of Tributes
To mark the occasion occasion, Leiden University founded the Mandela Scholarship Fund for South African (post) graduate students to study for a period of a year at Universiteit Leiden
Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia, Canberra
Presented with the insignia of the order by Australian Prime Minister John Howard in Tshwane
In celebration of the 900th anniversary of the Order of St John, the South African Post Office issued a special miniature sheet and an official commemorative cover featuring Nelson Mandela, who is a Knight of Grace of the Order, wearing the Knight of Grace mantle
Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Durban-Westville (now part of the University of KwaZulu Natal)
Honorary doctorate in Laws from the University of Durban-Westville
Certificate conferring the degree of doctor of laws upon Mr Mandela from the University of Durban-Westville, South Africa. University is now merged with the UN and is called the UKZN
Congressional Recognition of the Congress of Texas for Lifetime Achievements
Third Juliet Hollister Award was presented to Nelson Mandela during a plenary gathering in the Parliament of the World religions in Cape Town
This award is given annually to religious and secular leaders who actively promote interfaith values. The presentation of the award to Mr Mandela recognizes his struggle for freedom and tolerance in South Africa and lifts up his model of reconciliation with non-violence.
Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel week in the City of Seattle
Proclamation declaring December 6 - 12 , 1999, Nelson Mandela and Gracia Machel Week in the City of Seattle, USA
Office of the City Council City of Seattle
Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel Days in King County
Certificate proclaiming December 8, 1999 to December 10, 1999 as Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel Days in King County, USA
King County Executive
Gandhi Peace Prize 2000
Highest civilian order from the Government of India given to Dr. Nelson Mandela to pay tribute to an unusual international hero in the Gandhian mould
University of Natal Medical School has been renamed to the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) (previously University of Natal)
Nelson Mandela Chair in Humanities at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) to promote creative writing in Afrikaans and other Southern African languages
Campania Award for Peace and Human Rights
Certificate of a joint resolution to honour Nelson Mandela by the State of Maine
Honorary Degree from Southern Methodist University, Dallas
Award presented to Mr Mandela in recognition of his contribution to the 7th Annual Summit from the Emirates International Forum
Certificate welcoming Mr Mandela to Louisiana and recognizing his contributions to the world from US Senator Mary L
Landrieu
Award recognising Mr Mandela's many achievements and contributions to the world and thanking him for his visit to Louisiana from US Senator John Breaux
Nelson Mandela Monument in Mvezo, Eastern Cape
The monument forms part of the Nelson Mandela Museum, a development that also comprises the proposed Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre at Qunu, a few meters from Mandela's home, and a museum in Mthatha that houses gifts and awards.
Honorary Citizenship of the Jaguar Nation and Nelson Mandela Day from The Southern University
Resolution to recognize the conferral date of Mandela's Honorary doctorate as Mandela Day and declaring him to be an honorary citizen of the Jaguar Nation from the Southern University in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
Southern University
From the Medical Education for South African Blacks (MESAB). MESAB operated from 1985 to 2007
MeSAB
Mandela Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, aims to encourage and promote "capacity building" in developing countries through intensive training in trade negotiation and international commercial law
To honour the contribution of Mr Nelson Mandela to the transformation of South Africa. The Institute is located in the Wits Law School
Honorary Doctorate in Laws from Trinity College
Honorary Queen's Coucil by Queen Elizabeth II
Certificate appointing Mandela as an Honorary Queen's Council by Queen Elizabeth II, UK
Award recognizing Mr Mandela's many achievements/contributions to the world from US Senator for Louisiana, John Breaux, USA
Honorary Citizenship of the City of Sao Bernardo
Honorary doctorate of Laws from the University of Technology in Sydney
Award conferring an honorary Doctor of Laws upon Mr Mandela from the University of Techonology in Sydney, Australia
Honorary doctorate of Laws from the Australian National University
Award recognizing Mr Mandela as the recipient of a Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia
Recognition of outstanding service and sacrifice from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
Award presented to Mr Mandela in recognition of his outstanding service and sacrifice In the struggle for the Liberation of our Country at the 7th National Congress of COSATU, South Africa
Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
Most Distinguished African of the Year Award from the Pan-African Broadcasting and Achievements Awards (PABHA)
Ultimate outcome of the World Commission on Dams (WCD) was published under the patronage of Nelson Mandela; formed in 1997 to research the environmental, social and economic impacts of the developments of large dams globally
Bust of Mandela at the Tatazela Hight school
The school was opened on 3 November 2000 by Nelson Mandela
Mandela Mural by pupils of the Hillcrest and Potternewton Primary Schools
Award recognizing Mr Mandela's dedication to the Rambam Charitable Trust's ideals and principles
Recognition and apprecitation award presented to Mr Mandela for his devoted and immeasurable service to humanity in South Africa from the Educational International Africa Region and the All Africa Teachers Organisation
Merit of Gold for his service to Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) from the Minister of Defense
Award recognizing Mr Mandela's contribution to Black Economic Empowerment and black business and industry in South Africa from Impumelelo - South Africa's Top 300 Black Empowerment Companies
Exemplary Leadership Award from the Global Center for Transformational Leadership For his exceptional achievements and his unwavering commitment to be a source of inspiration to his community and for his dedication to the upliftment of his community and society
Nelson Mandela Business Breakfast was organised by the Rambam Trust to raise funds for Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and the trust itself
Honorary Life Membership of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) for his exceptional contribution to nursing
Bust of Mr Mandela at the South African Embassy in Beijing
Honorary Fellowship from Magdalen College at the University of Cambridge
Certificate admitting Mr Mandela to an honorary fellowship of Magdalen College, UK
Magdalene College
Recognition and Appreciation Award from the Educational International Africa Region and All Africa Teachers Organisation
Presented to Mr Mandela in recognition of his devoted and immeasurable service to humanity in South Africa and the world at the Fourth Pan African Conference held in Johannesburg, South Africa
Educational International Africa Region and All Africa Teachers Organization
International Patron of the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre at the University of South Australia
Honorary Citizenship from the State of Maryland
Proclamation and award conferring upon Mr Mandela honorary citizenship in the State of Maryland, USA
Govenor - The State of Maryland
Honorary Citizenship of Maryland conferred by the Governor, Parris N
Glendening,
Honorary Doctorate for Public Service from the University of Maryland in College Park
Honorary doctorate of Laws from Ryerson Polytech University
Award conferring an honorary Doctor of Laws upon Mr Mandela from Ryerson University, USA
Ryerson Polytech University
Park Public School is renamed to the Nelson Mandela Park Public School after the school had been selected by the Canadian Friends of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund
Honorary Doctorate in Laws from the University of the Free State
National Human Rights Award for Lifetime Achievement from the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for outstanding contribution in the promotion and protection of human rights
Planet and Humanity 2002 Award from the International Geographical Union
Award from the International Geographical Union (IGU) during their conference in August 2002 in Durban.
Internationl Geographicl Union
Award from the Afrikaanse Handels Instituut (AHI) in Sandton in recognitions of his contribution to the international exposure of South Africa, nation building and reconciliation and his self-less service to the people of the country
Honorary Citizen of Cesena
Series of postage stamps depicting Nelson Mandela issued in Mozambique
Mandela Rhodes Foundation was announced by Nelson Mandela and Lord Waldegrave, the chairman-elect of the Rhodes Trustees as part of the centenary celebrations of The Rhodes Trust, UK
The central purpose of The Mandela Rhodes Foundation is to build exceptional leadership capacity in Africa through its various leadership development and leadership training programmes
Honorary doctorate of Laws from the University of Ghana, Accra
Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Ghana, Ghana
Nelson Mandela Scholarship Programme at the Unilever Foundation for Education and Development
The UK programme is administered by Canon Collins Educational Trust for South Africa since 1998, enables postgraduates from disadvantaged communities to study in the UK in areas, which are not available in their own country, and will contribute positively to the transformation process-taking place there
Franklin D Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award, created to honour individuals and institutions whose work gave special meaning to the freedom of speech and religion, Middelburg, The Netherlands
Patron Emeritus of My Acre in Africa, Kruger National Park
Theatre Play named 'Mandela Mandela' directed by Sisil Gunasekera depicting his life story and the struggle of South Africans
Mandela wrote to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Shri Lanka and the director to congratulate them with the play
Mandela Path in the City of Purmerend
Nelson Mandela Art Museum, previously known as the King George VI Art Gallery
Order of Mapungubwe, Platinum
One of South Africa's National Orders. Awarded to Mandela for his exceptional and unequalled contribution to the liberation struggle, national reconciliation and nation-building in South Africa, and for his unwavering commitment to peace and justice in the world. Presented by President Thabo Mbeki. Mandela was the first recipient of the order in the Platinum class.
Miguel Aleman Velasco Medal from the City of Veracruz, Mexico
Miguel Aleman Velasco (former governor of Veracruz) medal from the city of Veracruz in Mexico.
State of Veracruz
Elected an Honorary Life Member of the Literary and Debating Society of the National University of Ireland, Galway
Award presented to Mr Mandela in honour of his leadership and contribution in opening world markets for South African wine - KWV
KWV Board of Directors
Award for Outstanding Literary Work from the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), the oldest civil rights organisation in the United States
The award is for the book 'Madiba's Favourite Folktales', a collection of stories Mr Mandela admired
Humanity Fellowship from the British Red Cross
Certificate recognizing Mr Mandela as a British Red Cross Humanity Fellow, UK
British Red Cross Society
South Africa Special Forces Brigade honour
Medal from the South Africa Special Forces Brigade to Nelson Mandela - 18 July 2003, South Africa
South Africa Special Forces Brigade
Nelson Mandela Bridge in Newtown, Johannesburg
The largest cable-stayed bridge in South Africa (284m). Links the cultural precinct of Newtown with other key areas identified in the inner city renewal project of the City of Johannesburg. The bridge was opened by Nelson Mandela in 2003. It won an award for outstanding civil engineering achievement by the South African Institute of Civil Engineers (SAICE).
Co-Patron with Queen Noor of the Fifth International Union for Concervation of Nature (IUCN) World Parks Congress in Durban, a ten yearly event
The IUCN is the first global Environmental organisation
South Africa's Most Popular Personality First Place from the Sunday Times and Markinor Top Brands Awards 2004
Award naming Mr Mandela as the first place winner in the 2004 Sunday Times and Markinor Top Brands South Africa's Most Popular Personality Award, South Africa
Sunday Times and Markinor
Nelson Mandela Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution at the Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi
Civicus Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel Innovation Grant was launched at the 5th Civicus World Assembly in Gaborone and is aimed at providing seed funding for innovative ideas emerging from organisations or groups of participants at the CIVICUS World Assembly
Award naming Mr Mandela as the first place winner in the 2004 Sunday Times - Markinor Top Brands South Africa's Most Popular Person
Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John from Queen Elizabeth II
Certificate presented by the University of Cape Town and Steve Biko Foundation, in appreciation of Nelson Mandela who presented the fifth Steve Biko Memorial Lecture
Award presented to Mr Mandela on the occasion of his visit to Trinidad and Tobago from the President of the Rebublic
ReD-Award 2004
Order of Disa: Commander from the Western Cape Government
Robben Island a work of art in wood, metal,plastic stone and paint by George Sawchuk
Perspex key on plastic and marble base
Plaque reads: This is the District Apartheid once destroyed. Mandela was the first foreigner to receive it. Mandela was the first foreigner to receive it. This is the District recaptured with sadness and joy. Honorary residency bestowed on Comrade Mandela on 11 February 2004.
Award from the Congress of the Republic of the Philippines House of Representatives
Award conferring the Congressional Medal of Achievement to Mr Mandela, Philippines
Congress of the Republic of the Philippines House of Representatives
Gandhi-King-Ikeda Community Builders Prize from Morehouse College
Award conferring the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Community Builders Prize upon Mr Mandela from Morehouse College in Atlanta, USA
Mr. Mandela and Mr. FW de Klerk received the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Community Builders Prize. The Prize is given in recognition of current efforts toward building peace in our world’s communities; from the Gandhi Institute for Reconciliation.
Mandela and Mr FW de Klerk received the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Community Builders Prize. The Prize is given in recognition of current efforts toward building peace in our world’s communities; from the Gandhi Institute for Reconciliation
African Elephant Award from the Africa Scout Committee
The highest Award from the African Scout Committee in recognition of outstanding service rendered to scouting in Africa, Nigeria
Africa Scout Committee
Africa Elephant Award in recognition of his outstanding service to scouting in South Africa from the Africa Scout Committee
It is the highest and only award given by the Committee
Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa from the University of the Transkei (now the Walter Sisulu University)
Award presented to Mr Mandela in welcome and appreciation in 2004, SA Embassy, Bangkok, Thailand
South African Embassy Bangkok
Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award from Action Against Hunger
Award conferred upon Mr Mandela as an individual who has made a major contribution in the fight against hunger from Action against Hunger, New York City, USA
UKC Hero Award 2005 International
Award recognizing Mr Mandela's contribution to the fight against HIV and Aids from the UK Coalition of People living with HIV/AIDS (UKC), UK
UK Coalition of People living with HIV/AIDS
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in recognition of his outstanding leadership in the fight against apartheid and racial discrimination, in South Africa and worldwide
Award of recognition conferred to Mr Mandela by the Vice Foreign Minister for Africa of Venezuela, Dr Reinaldo Bolivar
Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the National Association of African Journalists
Plaque from the International Islamic University Islamabad
Award presented to Mr Mandela for Education in Muslim Ummah: Present Realities and Future Aspirations, Pakistan
International Islamic University Islamabad
Honorary doctorate of Laws from the International Islamic University Islamabad
Award conferring honorary Doctor of Laws degree upon Mr Mandela, Pakistan
Madiba Secondary School in Eastlynne, Tshwane
Honorary Doctorate in Laws from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Honorary doctorate from the Karolinska Institute
Honorary doctorate conferred by the Karolinska Institute (medical university) to Mr Mandela, Sweden
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ostrich dilemma —
Australia doesn’t care to break its coal habit in the face of climate change
US not the only nation with a complicated relationship with coal.
Megan Geuss - Oct 11, 2018 12:16 am UTC
Enlarge / Coking coal.
Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Earlier this week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a dire warning about climate change: unless governments of the world coordinate to implement multiple long-term changes, we risk overshooting the 2°C warming scenario that countries strived to target in the Paris Agreement. This would lead to ecosystem damage, increasingly dramatic heat waves and previously irregular weather patterns in different regions, and subsequent health impacts for humans.
Retiring coal-fired power plants is a significant action that could limit our race toward an unstable future. But Australia's officials don't quite care. According to The Guardian, the country's deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, said that Australia would "'absolutely' continue to use and exploit its coal reserves, despite the IPCC's dire warnings the world has just 12 years to avoid climate-change catastrophe."
McCormack also reportedly said that Australia would not change its coal policies "just because somebody might suggest that some sort of report is the way we need to follow and everything that we should do."
The country's previous prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, abandoned emissions reductions targets that the nation had agreed to, and Australia's renewable energy targets are set to expire in 2020. In September, government analysis showed that Australia's greenhouse-gas emissions increased last year, and independent analysts said the country would likely not meet the greenhouse-gas emissions reductions that it committed to under the Paris Agreement. Unlike the US, Australia has not exited the Paris Agreement, but the country's current prime minister has declined to add any more money to the global climate fund.
McCormack said on Monday that coal provides 60 percent of Australia's electricity, and coal mining operations support 50,000 jobs. Australia exports significantly to other Pacific countries. One of those countries is China, which is the world's largest consumer of coal products.
But what about the big battery?
Despite Australia's coal habit, the country is also home to the world's largest grid-connected battery, a Tesla system connected to a wind farm in South Australia. The Australian Energy Market Operator recently praised the system for its quick response to frequency abnormalities on the grid. After the success of that grid-connected battery, Tesla seemed keen to install a "virtual power plant" made of distributed solar panels on Housing Authority homes. But the new South Australian premier has cast doubts about whether the plan would go forward.
On Monday, "McCormack said he 'understands the concerns' expressed in the IPCC report, but admitted he hadn't read it yet," The Guardian wrote. McCormack added in a Monday interview that coal-fired power stations would be around in Australia "for more than just 10 years."
Environment Minister Melissa Price seemed just as unconcerned as McCormack, saying that "it would be 'irresponsible' to commit to phase out coal by 2050 because clean coal technology could be available by then," the Guardian reported. Carbon Capture and Storage has not yet been proven to be an economic solution—without a price penalizing carbon emissions, adoption of CCS techniques are prohibitively expensive.
Still, Australia ranks only fourth for economic coal resources, with the US, Russia, and China ahead of it. In the US, which has the world's largest economic coal resource, the Trump administration has had a difficult time fighting to save coal. On Wednesday, US coal supplier Westmoreland filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the face of $1.4 billion in debt. That makes the company the fourth major US coal supplier to file for bankruptcy in recent years due to the significant decline in coal use.
Although coal production in the US increased slightly in 2017 after years of punishing loses, 2018 is shaping up to show more declines according to the Energy Department's most recent Quarterly Coal Report. The first and second quarter of this year showed less coal produced than in each of the similar quarters last year.
spindizzy Ars Scholae Palatinae
reply Wed Oct 10, 2018 7:24 pm
They're not technically officials, they're parliamentarians or government ministers who set the policy. Officials would be the public servants who have to do their bidding , enacting that policy who are mostly horrified by this current government.
Doesn't stop them from obeying their idiocy but that's authoritarian power structures for you.
The public service is made of 'good men doing nothing'.
Not helped by the fact our media refuses to hold them to account. Even the Guardian (socially progressive but economically centre right) doesn't actually call them out on blatant lies and hypocrisy. ALP sadly not much better as they are also beholden to the same industries.
Ushio Ars Tribunus Militum
Irrelevant as just like in the US once renewables beat coal economically the Australian power companies will switch if they aren't already.
StorminNorman Seniorius Lurkius
The fact that Australia has had FIVE PRIME MINISTERS in a decade because a bunch of reality-denying IDIOTS on the backbench of one of our two major political parties continue to dictate climate policy is the saddest, most depressing thing about this country.
Well, that and the whole thing where we lock refugee children up on prison camps on remote pacific islands.
But hey, Australia! The fun country with all the poisonous animals! Yay us!
SomeRandomGuy Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
StorminNorman wrote:
And! Wildfires! Droughts! Jellyfish!
On the plus side, you guys also grow Galaxy hops. But I guess I should add Monster! Hail! Storms! since most of the crop was wiped out a couple years ago.
dusk Smack-Fu Master, in training
This, as an Australian upsets me greatly. We have the ability and natural renewable resources to be a world leader with green tech. Instead we are driven by a quick buck and bad politics based on ideology, not evidence.
Tom the Melaniephile Moderator et Subscriptor
dusk wrote:
With electricity prices as high as they are, grid defection has some real driving force in Australia.
25215 posts | registered Jul 2, 1999
At least the US doesn't have a monopoly on stupid.
Crozby Seniorius Lurkius et Subscriptor
As an Australian citizen I am appalled and ashamed of my government's response to the IPCC warning, and shall vent my displeasure at the next election.
In Australia we are regularly subjected to TV advertisements extolling the virtues of clean coal. Its fucking appalling.
Akemi Ars Praefectus
I wouldn't worry. Eventually economics will dictate coal out of existence, just like what's happening here in the US. Politicians can bleat on about saving coal all day long. But when it's less expensive to use natural gas, wind and solar with battery backup for storage, and hydro - well, that's where the power generation plants turn to rather than coal.
Marlor_AU Ars Praefectus et Subscriptor
The current governing party federally in Australia is the Liberal Party. Don't let the name deceive you - the party adheres to "classical liberalism", particularly a belief in free markets, individualism and self-reliance. However, within that broad liberal church, there are two main groups, the "small-l liberals" or "moderates" who adhere to more social liberal policies, and the hard-line "conservatives" who believe in free markets and small government.
The latter group is absolutely in the ascendancy over the past several years. While the previous Prime Minister came from the moderate camp, he only got the job through personal popularity, and was absolutely hamstrung in every sense by the hardliners. They've since toppled him as leader, and the new Prime Minister, while being a "consensus choice", is much closer to the conservative camp.
The spiritual leader of the conservative faction is Tony Abbott, the former Prime Minister, who famously declared that the "so-called settled science of climate change" is "absolute crap", akin to the beliefs of "primitive people once killing goats to appease the volcano gods”. A year ago, he declared that it's "Climate change policy that’s doing harm. Climate change itself is probably doing good; or at least, more good than harm". It's a pretty safe bet that many of the conservative faction are behind him 100% in these beliefs, even if they are not so outspoken about them.
So, we have a governing party that is currently under the sway of its conservative faction, which seems to have very strong doubts about climate change. This has led to bizarre policies, like replacing the "renewable energy target" with a "reliable energy target" aimed at lowering prices, regardless of emissions, and demanding decrepit old coal-fire power plant stay open, even as its operator says that it's falling apart and that it is costing far more to run than renewable alternatives.
Coal is one of Australia's main exports, so it's not hard to see that a pro-business party, that still has real doubts about climate change, will try to prop up the industry, even as everyone else sees the writing on the wall.
sjl Ars Centurion
See also Adani, who are trying to build a massive coal mine in the Galilee Basin of Queensland. Never mind that the coal there is of a relatively low grade. Never mind that it's right on top of the Great Artesian Basin, which is the source of water for a large part of the country. Never mind that it would require building out a massive amount of infrastructure to ship the coal to ports. Never mind that this is a company that has already breached its environmental license on multiple occasions.
Nope, it's full steam ahead, and damn the consequences, just so we can get a few extra jobs for a few years - and probably line a bunch of politicians' pockets into the bargain.
The Australian Labor Party may not be hugely better than the Liberal/National Coalition (don't be fooled by the name; the Australian Liberal Party is actually a bunch of conservatives, and they've essentially been taken over by the far-right faction in the past few years), but they're the best (realistic in the short to medium term) option we have in this respect, at least.
It's ridiculous. Here we are, a country with massive amounts of sparsely populated land, almost custom made to be a world leader in solar power, and this is what we're encouraging? For fuck's sake.
isparavanje Ars Tribunus Militum
Akemi wrote:
I would worry. Relying on economics would result in extremely slow change as existing plants would likely remain cheaper than the capital investment required for new wind and solar. We simply can't afford to sit around waiting for coal power plants to be retired according to their usual life cycle.
auhsor Seniorius Lurkius
The sad thing is that each change in Prime Minister can be connected directly or indirectly to Climate Change policy: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-23/c ... s/10152616
If politicians could just get on board with what the experts are saying we would not be in this mess.
danielravennest Ars Tribunus Militum
Crozby wrote:
Maybe someone should start sending packages of "clean coal" around to ministers and news outlets. As someone who used to do blacksmithing as a hobby, I can attest that coal is dirty nasty stuff.
SomeRandomGuy wrote:
You forgot the gympie gympie. (Look it up. It's a real thing; fortunately, it doesn't grow in my area of the country.)
RobDickinson Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius
Fuck Australia's government. Honestly its a perfect country for offshore and solar with grid level batteries.
Yet here they are burning coal at every chance.
Its sad because theres a decent ground level support for the environment and renewable .
Only upside is it wont be long until renewable is so obviously better and cheaper it'll happen regardless of government.
danielravennest wrote:
When you have our now-Prime Minister bringing a lump of coal into parliament (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... cy-is-this) I don't see this doing much. Until the government changes (possibly next year), Australia is stuck with this.
ScruffyKiwi Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
Unfortunatly Australia has been sticking it's head in the sand for a LONG time. It was one of the few countries under the original Kyoto protocol that actually promised to INCREASE it's CO2 output by 8%!!!!
Hyoubu Ars Praetorian
More like established interests and industries. Change requires social and political willpower. There isn’t much ideology involved here.
So, what are the problems Wind Power and Solar Power face in Australia?
ThinkingMore wrote:
Batteries don't generate electricity, nor do they replace coal plants.
South Australia batteries are primarily for ancillary services.
The batteries are primarily to handle voltage fluctuations in an energy grid that is increasingly dependant on wind, where the voltage is constantly fluctuating as wind speeds decrease in some areas while increasing elsewhere - and it's for primary power in a state where electricity is mostly used for residential homes and offices.
Coal is commonly used in other states that have much higher energy needs such as producing aluminium. Even with dirt cheap coal power, it costs somewhere around $1 per kg to provide energy to an aluminium plant. Increase power costs by even a small amount, and those industries will all be forced to shutdown, as they're already on the verge of being unprofitable (especially when compared to China, where hydro power is available at around half the price of coal power - Australia has almost no mountains, so Hydro doesn't really work at large scales).
Perhaps packages of powdered "clean" coal with a dispersion mechanism triggered by opening, similar to glitter bombs. Which is fitting, as an early "rise to fame" glitter bombing company was in Australia.
raxadian wrote:
Largely political.
Hyoubu wrote:
You could be right, however with the way people like Abbott spout off their mouths I tend to think it likely both.
Last edited by dusk on Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:45 pm
Namarrgon Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
auhsor wrote:
Worth adding that the lump of coal in question was carefully lacquered for him before he handled it (about the only way to make it clean).
Environment Minister Melissa Price seemed just as unconcerned as McCormack, saying that "it would be 'irresponsible' to commit to phase out coal by 2050 because clean coal technology could be available by then," the Guardian reported.
Clean coal technology will never be available because it is simply a thin excuse to keep burning dirty coal.
astroHack Smack-Fu Master, in training
I'm a physicist working for a University in Sydney. Myself and most of my colleagues are absolutely appalled by the federal government's attitude to science. When the current prime-minister was treasurer he brought a lump of coal into parliament, saying "don't be scared". The current Federal government is in thrall to the extreme right wing of the Liberal party, which is populated by many climate change deniers.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/ ... _21710206/
Interestingly, a significant majority of the electorate believe in anthropomorphic climate change and that the government should be focusing on renewable energy:
https://theconversation.com/lowy-instit ... cade-98625
Uptake of solar panels in Australia is also high(plenty of sunshine!) and poses a real threat to the coal industry here:
https://theconversation.com/newsflash-s ... fuels-7215
https://theconversation.com/solar-will- ... iness-2557
The coal industry *is in decline here* and yet the government is failing to plan for that change. Many town that rely on coal-mining will be gutted in the next decade and its in the governments power to help find alternatives.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ng-the-way
Apparently wind power causes "wind turbine disease". There's no evidence such a thing exists. In fact, all the evidence points to a weak correlation between wind farms and the disease, but a very strong link between "wind turbine disease experts" arriving in a town and reported symptoms.
But the Independent Scientific Committee on Wind Turbines has been set up to investigate, and a National Wind Farm Commissioner appointed to deal with the issue, and to report on whether wind farms are safe.
isparavanje wrote:
At least in the US the solar and wind are starting to fall under the O&M cost of coal. Meaning it is cheaper to stop using an existing already built and paid for coal plant and build wind or solar instead. It is still heavily site dependent but it is leading to coal plants shutting down even when they have 5, 10, even 15 years of life left. Wind and solar is only going to get even more cheaper.
Last edited by Statistical on Wed Oct 10, 2018 8:23 pm
alanmies Ars Tribunus Militum
Marlor_AU wrote:
Oh, wow. Here in Finland the local populists (well, some nutters of them anyway - although they all seem to be nutters in one way or another) have been arguing that wind power causes bats to explode.
What implications this would have, or why this would happen, hasn't been conclusively explained. But sure, somebody please think of the bats!
(Just to be absolutely clear, I have nothing against wind power. Especially offshore wind farms are like sci-fi as fuck, which somehow is very pleasing to me.)
Last edited by alanmies on Wed Oct 10, 2018 8:14 pm
Japan is Australia's number 1 importer of coal, in part for steel (apparently, you either need a GINORMOUS amount of renewable energy or coal in order to make high quality steel), but also for electricity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_in_A ... alian_coal
Apparently, Japan is galloping ahead with coal fired generating plants.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/05 ... coal-power
If it makes Aussies and Americans feel better, Japan is also firmly in the stupid club.
NickBII Ars Praefectus
Don't be unrealistic.
Both recent non-Liberal PMs -- Rudd and Gillard -- lost their jobs due to conflicts over the Carbon Tax. Both were elected to three-year-terms, and despite the fact that three years is shorter then any term I've heard of outside the US House neither made it a full three years. If Labor tries again, and does the Carbon Tax thing again, that PM will also get canned at about 18 months.
Which means that the logical conclusion is not that evil fat cats are destroying democracy to protect climate change, it's that Australian Democracy will not let you solve climate change with a Carbon Tax. Which should make sense. Anyplace a Carbon Tax is proposed it's widely hated, and countries that actually succeed at fixing the problem tend to do literally everything except a Carbon Tax. In Germany's case Merkel even guaranteed a minimum number of coal jobs.
In other words, an idea that is very good from an economics wonk perspective (tax you want less of is the economist' favorite way to regulate) is totally unworkable in the real world because people hate paying taxes. In public policy in a democracy you need both the politics and the economics to work or your idea is shit.
So if you want to solve Australia's carbon problem please shut the fuck up about carbon taxes. Subsidize the fuck out of solar, wind, and tidal, but shut the fuck up about carbon taxes. And if Shorten won't shut the fuck up about carbon taxes get him fired now to save yourselves the trouble of doing it fucking later.
There's a wind farm near my city (in Australia) that has just completed construction and is currently undergoing final testing before hooking up to the grid.
The only problem they faced was 10 years of grass roots protest movements preventing them from opening in all of their preferred location. They finally did find one where there were minimal protests, but it wasn't the best location in terms of how much wind there is and it's also much further away from the city than it should have been. If you drive within an hour of that location, the roadside is full of protest signs still trying to block the farm, with every quack theory imaginable (wind farms cause cancer, etc etc).
Basically they would find a good location, undergo expensive environmental approval process, get approved by the government, only to have approval later rejected on some technicality after widespread protests.
Solar has less problems, it's all over the place on rooftops everywhere, but obviously it doesn't provide power at night. I don't think the economics for solar are there yet if you need to store an entire night of energy? Does anyone know the numbers? All I ever see is small panels that sell power to the grid at ridiculously low prices (in my city, the solar feed in tariff is 9c per KWH (7c in US Dollars)).
We have hydro pretty much everywhere that makes sense, but since it's a very flat country with only a handful of rivers (and all of them small) there's only so much power you can get out of that.
Last edited by Abhi Beckert on Wed Oct 10, 2018 8:22 pm
Solar has less problems, it's all over the place on rooftops everywhere, but obviously it doesn't provide power at night. I don't think the economics for solar are there yet if you need to store an entire night of energy? Does anyone know the numbers?
Maximum power demand is in the middle of the day ESPECIALLY in places like South Australia with heavy air-con use so the fact you don't get any power produced at night by solar isn't a problem. Personally I think Australia is perfect for solar.
sjl wrote:
The bit where the fruit is apparently edible if remove the stinging bits with the neurotoxin really just makes it kind of awesome. God, you learn something new every day.
Tom the Melaniephile wrote:
I would be for locking them in a room with some smoking clean coal.
NickBII wrote:
Which means that the logical conclusion is not that evil fat cats are destroying democracy to protect climate change, it's that Australian Democracy will not let you solve climate change with a Carbon Tax. Which should make sense. Anyplace a Carbon Tax is proposed it's widely hated, and countries that actually succeed at fixing the problem tend to do literally everything except a Carbon Tax.
Kevin Rudd proposed a cap-and-trade scheme (the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme), not a carbon tax. It was agreed to by Turnbull (the opposition leader) after some revisions, but then Turnbull was knifed by Abbott before it could be voted on. The opposition then declared it would no longer support the scheme. Some time later, Rudd dropped the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, deciding that he didn't have the numbers to pass it through parliament. As soon as he abandoned the scheme, he saw an immediate drop in his personal support in the polls.
In the end, Rudd's downfall was due to his decision to enact a mining industry super profits tax (nothing to do with carbon or emissions). There was a massive industry-wide campaign against this tax, saying it would threaten jobs, and the result was a huge swing against the Government in the polls.
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Tag: suicide
Walking the Via Dolorosa through Amsterdam (Part 2)
April 11, 2019 May 20, 2019 Victoria Emily Jones2 Comments
This is part two of my commentary on Art Stations of the Cross: Troubled Waters, a multisite exhibition in Amsterdam running from March 6 to April 22. (Read part one.) Unless otherwise noted, all photos are by Eric James Jones/ArtandTheology.org.
STATION 4. Ocean Eden by Lynn Aldrich is a whimsical coral reef assemblage made out of everyday household cleaning supplies—sponges, scrubbers, scouring pads, mop heads, brushes, plastic gloves, and plungers, a rich biodiversity. Sea urchins, sea anemones, starfish, and snails are among the animals evoked.
Lynn Aldrich (American, 1944–), Ocean Eden, 2008. Sponges, scrubbers, scouring pads, mop heads, brushes, rubber gloves, plungers, and wood, 234 × 168 × 61 cm.
Playful though it is, this bricolage of commercial products, arranged to represent an underwater ecosystem, creates a crass juxtaposition of natural and unnatural that makes the piece tragicomic. The subtext is ecological concern—in particular, for the endangerment of coral reefs. Let’s clean up our oceans, the work seems to say. The assignment of Ocean Eden to station 4, “Jesus meets his mother,” reinforces the traditional conception of nature as mother. Here we meet Mother Nature, who grieves our mistreatment of her.
Station 4 is sited at the Keizersgrachtkerk, a church built under the leadership of Abraham Kuyper just two years after the 1886 schism of the Dutch Reformed Church. (Kuyper led the conservative offshoot, the Doleantie.) Aldrich’s assemblage is visible from the street through the main glass entrance doors and so can be viewed even when the church is locked. Luckily, a staff member was there to let us in after hours through a side entrance, so we could see the work closer up. It’s located in a small lobby that dips between stairwells on either side.
STATION 5. Next on the route is the Amsterdam Museum, whose building complex served from 1580 to 1960 as Burgerweeshuis, the city orphanage. Before that it was a monastery. To mark this change of function, a large entrance gate was built in 1581 off the Kalverstraat, which, as Marleen pointed out to me, features a relief sculpture of a group of orphans gathered around the Holy Spirit, entreating passersby for help:
Wy groeien vast in tal en last. Ons tweede vaders klagen
Ay ga niet voort door dese poort, of help een luttel dragen.
We grow steadily in number and burden. Our second fathers ask with heavy hearts:
“Do not go forth through this gate without helping us a little in our care.”
Relief sculpture by Joost Jansz Bilhamer (Dutch, 1541–1590), above the entrance to the courtyard of the former City Orphanage of Amsterdam. Address: Sint Luciensteeg 27. The inscription is by the Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel. The paint colors, which are not original, seem to me a bit gaudy; to view the sculpture in its pre-restoration state, click here.
Their “second fathers” are, of course, their new caretakers, who run the orphanage. These children are asking for someone to help them carry their burden (poverty, hunger, sickness, lack of education, lack of prospects for the future, feelings of abandonment, longing for love, etc.), which the fathers are helping to shoulder but who can do only so much with their limited power. This sixteenth-century sculpture and inscription resonate with the fifth station of the cross, “Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross.”
But this is only supplementary to the main artwork we’ve come to see: Out of History by Iris Kensmil, located in the Schuttersgalerij (Civic Guards Gallery). Part of the Amsterdam Museum, this gallery is a covered passageway that visitors can enter for free, featuring portraits of Dutch citizens through the centuries. (Admission to the rest of the museum is €15.)
Iris Kensmil (Dutch, 1970–), Out of History, 2013. Triptych, oil on canvas, 105 × 465 cm.
An artist of Surinamese descent committed to highlighting black contributions to Dutch history, Iris Kensmil was commissioned by the Amsterdam Museum in 2013 to create a new work to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the Netherlands. (The Netherlands was a major player in the transatlantic slave trade from the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries.) She chose to depict three strong black figures from eighteenth-century Surinam (a former Dutch colony in the Guianas) who rose above colonial oppression to secure a position and a future for themselves.
The left panel of this triptych shows Elisabeth Samson (1715–1777), who, through her business acumen, became one of the richest women in Surinam. After this socioeconomic rise, she then successfully petitioned the Dutch government to be allowed to marry a white man, and became the first black woman in Surinam to do so; this consolidated her power. But despite overcoming huge obstacles, Elisabeth’s legacy is somewhat controversial because she amassed and maintained her wealth the same way the rest of the Dutch of Surinam did at that time—through slavery. (She owned a coffee plantation and some forty slaves.) Hear Cynthia McLeod’s super-entertaining TedX talk about Elisabeth Samson, which is just fifteen minutes long. (I could listen to this woman teach me history all day long!)
Elisabeth Samson
The central panel of Out of History shows Wilhelmina Kelderman (1734–1836), about whom less is known. What we do know is that she was an enslaved woman from Surinam who purchased her own freedom and that of her son. I think that’s a moneybag she’s holding. Continue reading “Walking the Via Dolorosa through Amsterdam (Part 2)” →
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Black Practical Theology
Andrews, D.P.
Grayling, A. C.
Paperback, 01/07/2014, £8.99
What is the nature of friendship, and what is its significance in our lives? The author tracks historical ideas of friendship, gathers a diversity of friendship stories from the annals of myth and literature, and provides unexpected insights into our friends, ourselves, and the role of friendships in an ethical life.
Good Book: A Secular Bible
Towards the Light: The Story of the Struggles for Liberty and Rights that Made the Modern West
Democracy and Its Crisis
Hardback, 01/09/2017, £14.99
An urgent exploration of the challenges facing democracy today
War: An Enquiry
Wittgenstein: A Very Short Introduction
GRAYLING A C
A. C. Grayling's accessible introduction to Wittgenstein's work describes both his early and later philosophy, the differences and connections between them, and gives a fresh assessment of Wittgenstein's continuing influence on contemporary thought.
Russell: A Very Short Introduction
Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) is one of the most famous and important philosophers of the twentieth century. In this account of his life and work A. C. Grayling introduces both his technical contributions to logic and philosophy, and his wide-ranging views on education, politics, war, and sexual morality.
Age of Genius: The Seventeenth Century and the Birth of the Modern Mind
Bestselling author A. C. Grayling explains how--fueled by original and unorthodox thinking, war, and technological invention--the seventeenth century became the crucible of modernity.
God Argument: The Case Against Religion and For Humanism
There has been a bad-tempered quarrel between defenders and critics of religion in recent years. Both sides have expressed themselves acerbically because there is a very great deal at stake in the debate. This book thoroughly and calmly examines all the arguments and associated considerations offered in support of religious belief, and does so in full consciousness of the reasons people have for subscribing to religion, and the needs they seek to satisfy by doing so. And because it takes account of all the issues, its solutions carry great weight. The God Argument is the definitive examination of the issue, and a statement of the humanist outlook that recommends itself as the ethics of the genuinely reflective person.
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Inventory Control Specialist in Jacksonville, Florida.
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Jacksonville | Florida | United States | 32246
We work to ensure that each customer that shops with us has a unique experience. Making sure we are the largest in-stock flooring retailer is how this position came to life. As an Inventory Control Specialist at Floor and Decor, your attention to detail, love for the product and great service will help create a memorable experience for our customers.
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Keeping updated daily on inventory count, ensuring counts are accurate
Conduct audits
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Jacksonville Florida United States Jacksonville, Florida, United States, 32246 Store Operations Store Operations
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First Quantum swings to profit in Q4, major new mine begins processing ore
TORONTO — First Quantum Minerals Ltd. swung to a profit in the fourth quarter as it works to ramp up initial production at its big new copper mine in Panama.
The Toronto-based copper miner, which reports in U.S. dollars, says adjusted net earnings came in at $198 million or 29 cents per share in the quarter ending Dec. 31, up from a loss of $115 million or 17 cents for the same quarter a year earlier.
Analysts had expected earnings of $166.91 million or 20 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters Eikon.
The company said it had record production of about 158,000 tonnes of copper for 2018 thanks largely to a 17 per cent increase in production at its Sentinel copper mine in Zambia.
First Quantum and other miners have been grappling with proposed changes to the tax regime in the copper-rich nation, with talks ongoing.
The company announced on Wednesday that it had started to process the first ore at its Cobre Panama plant, part of a major new mine at which it will be ramping up production through the year.
Companies in this story:(TSX:FM)
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Makers of ‘BE.V.I’ celebrate 10 years
in All News / By: BVI News Online on July 3, 2017 at 7:42 AM /
Owners of T-Shirt Genius Kenrick Headley (left) and Cleteist Mathavious
Releasing a branded T-Shirt is like putting out a song and hoping it climbs to the top of the Billboard charts.
There is no chart per se in the design industry. But, had there been one, Kenrick Headley Jr and Cleteist Mathavious would have topped it repeatedly.
Over the 10 years that their T-Shirt Genius business has been in operation, the duo has created three of the hottest T-Shirt brands to have hit the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
The brands – Hard Times, Cre8tive Arts, and BE.V.I – have captured the eyes and spirits of a wide cross section of the BVI. “The most successful of the three is BE.V.I,” Headley told BVI News Online.
That brand has been a standout since it was created in 2014, and it will not banish anytime soon. “The BE.V.I design has been a hit, and so we will be doing other souvenirs for it also. We will be coming up with BE.V.I packages for people who want to buy these items overseas, or people who just want to represent where they are from. We will also be selling our products online,” Headley disclosed.
He further stated that his three brands have been successful because people had become tired of the hackneyed types of T-Shirts usually sold locally.
“People were just getting tired of the Crafts Alive shirts with ‘Tortola’ and ‘Beautiful Virgin Islands’ on them,” Headley said.
“We started to do the brand called Hard Times; and that’s where we started to build a clientele. Then we came up with another one called Cre8tive Arts in about 2011/2012. Hard Times didn’t die out, but people started to ask for Cre8tive Arts.”
“I then came up with the BE.V.I idea when people started to ask for BVI products to send away to family abroad,” Headley explained. “The local community has been responding very very well,” he added.
Founder of T-Shirt Genius Cleteist Mathavious strikes a pose with guests during the company’s 10th anniversary celebration
The young artist disclosed that the release of each T-Shirt brand is strategic; the actual conceptualization of each brand is never a brain buster.
“It’s not hard. As an artist, you see a lot of stuff; your mind is all over the place putting something together,” Headley explained.
“I think I want to come up with a next brand; I am not sure as yet. But the brands we have in the street now can hold down the fort for a little while – especially the BE.V.I brand.”
No piggy-backing
Headley further stated that, although he dabbled in the Arts when he attended Elmore Stoutt High School, he had no clue he would have leapt headlong into the field. In fact, he wanted to become an engineer, working especially in the marine industry.
But the youngster fell on tough times. He ended up with a criminal record, and lost his Government job.
With only a few options remaining, Headley took up an offer previously made by Mathavious, who at the time was the sole owner of T-Shirt Genius.
Mathavious actually founded the design arts company when he returned from the United States in 2007.
“I came along and started to help him designing some of the graphics and stuff like that,” Headley told BVI News Online, adding that the company also designs signs and stickers for motor vehicles.
The young man, who has transformed from an apprentice to a genius in graphic arts, speaks highly of Mathavious. “We are still together after 10 years; we will always be together,” he said.
Headley further told BVI News Online that 10 years means a lot for the T-Shirt Genius family, who actually celebrated the milestone last week Thursday with a party at Tortola Pier Park.
“It feels good as a young entrepreneur, knowing I am among the few who are in a position to inspire young people who want to achieve,” he said, adding that he already has fulfilled two of his big goals.
Headley said he wanted to be married and to own a successful business. “Those were my goals, and I have fulfilled all those,” he declared.
But, according to him, success came with sacrifices. “I don’t mess with social media at all, because it takes away from the work time,” Headley further asserted.
He, in the meantime, thinks other young people can flourish in business locally, but they must be prepared to think outside the proverbial box.
“Don’t just say ‘T-Shirt Genius looks like it is doing good’ and start to put your art on T-Shirt too,” Headley advised. “The community is very very small; don’t just piggyback off other people. You have to find your niche; you have to look around and see how your art can fit into the community,” he further said.
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If you have any issues with booking online, please call customer services on (+44) 3333 000 128
Prices can rise for your Salerno - Amalfi trip as departure time approaches
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Salerno to Amalfi Ferry
The Salerno Amalfi ferry route connects Italy with Italy and is currently operated by 2 ferry companies. The NLG service runs up to 7 times per week with a sailing duration of around 40 minutes while the Travelmar service runs up to 11 times per day with a duration from 35 min.
So that’s a combined 12 sailings on offer per day on the Salerno Amalfi route between Italy and Italy. Compare now and get the best fare at the time that you want to travel.
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Salerno Guide
The Italian city of Salerno is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea, and is the capital of the Salerno region of Italy, and is close to the Amalfi Coast. The town is well known as the home of the first medical school in the world, the Schola Medica Salernitana. The city, which is the cultural hub of the region is popular with visitors who enjoy strolling around the city taking in the wonderful sights, many of which are located close to the city centre. The city is characterised by beautiful pedestrian street, large piazzas and lovely shops.
The city is located in the centre of a geographical triangle nicknamed the Tourist Triangle of the 3 P's, whose corners take in the towns of Pompeii, Paestum and Positano. Because of this there are many points of interest including the Lungomare Trieste (Trieste Seafront Promenade), the Castello di Arechi (Arechi's Castle), the Duomo (the Cathedral) and the Museo Didattico della Scuola Medica Salernitana (the Educational Museum of the Salernitan Medical School).
Amalfi Guide
The Italian town of Amalfi is the largest town located along the Amalfi Coast which is in the Province of Solerno. The town lies on the shores of the Gulf of Solerno and at the base of Monte Cerreto. Along with many other towns along the Amalfi Coast such as Ravello and Positano, Amalfi has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town's written history dates back to the 6th century AD and soon after became an important maritime power by trading grain from its neighbours, slaves from the interior, salt from Sardinia and timber, in exchange for gold dinars minted in Egypt and Syria. This trade was carried out in order to purchase Byzantine silks that it then sold on to the West.
The town is used to looking after its visitors with several former monasteries having being converted into hotels. The Luna Convento was converted in the beginning of the 19th century and the Cappuccini Convento was converted in the 1880's. Celebrated visitors to Amalfi included the composer Richard Wagner and the playwright Henrik Ibsen, who both completed works whilst staying in Amalfi.
Seasonal hydrofoil routes connect the resorts on the Sorrentine and Amalfi coasts as well as Pozzuoli, Ischia, Procida, Naples, Torre Annunziata (for Pompeii), Ercolano (for Herculaneum), Capri, Salerno, Agropoli (for Paestum) and Palinuro on the Cilento Coast.
Location: Amalfi, Salerno to Amalfi Ferry
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October 12, 2016 / 5:37 AM / 3 years ago
Celebrating the Ute – Australia’s modern day workhorse
Jason Reed
SYDNEY (Reuters) - In the small rural town of Deniliquin, on the edge of Australia’s vast outback, around 20,000 “ute” lovers gathered in the mud to champion a national treasure deemed surplus to requirements by the big car manufacturers.
Men ride on the back of a truck driving through mud on the final night of the Deni Ute Muster in Deniliquin, New South Wales, Australia, October 1, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Reed
Part car, part pickup truck, the Australian-made utility vehicle has become synonymous with farmers Down Under and is the centerpiece of the annual Deni Ute Muster festival, a two-day alcohol-fuelled celebration of all things rural Australia.
Now in its 18th year, the festival has grown to include country music performances from Grammy award-winning artist Keith Urban, a rodeo, whip-cracking championship and gallery of artwork created with chainsaws.
But it’s the “utes” that keep the revelers coming back, even though a deluge of rain turned the usually dusty New South Wales state venue, some 300 km (186 miles) north of Melbourne, into a mud pit.
Sky Fulcher drove her black and pink Ford Falcon XR8 named “Rumble Princess” around 3,300km (2050 miles) from Perth for three days across the Nullabor Plain to attend the festivities, played out at a difficult time for the vehicle in Australia.
Ford rolled their last Australian-made Falcon “ute” off the production line in July and Holden said they will cease making similar vehicles in 2017 as buyers look to more fuel-efficient, smaller cars.
Both brands trail Toyota, Mazda and Hyundai, according to September sales data for the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.
“It is extremely sad that they (Ford) are closing down production in Australia, but we don’t believe that this will affect our festival,” Anika Ahmad Bull, part of the organizing team, told Reuters.
Folklore says the humble “ute” was born when a farmer’s wife wrote to a car manufacturer in the 1930s asking for a vehicle that could go to church on Sunday and carry the pigs to market on Monday.
While nationwide popularity has dropped, Bull and her not-for-profit team have been able to buck the trend and grow the festival from a humble vehicle ‘show and shine’ into a wild celebration of all things Australian country.
A A$10,000 ($7,500) prize was up for grabs for the ‘Ute of the Year’, while A$500 rewards were on offer in 13 other categories including best ‘chick’s ute’ and best ‘refurbished ute’.
Others, though, just wanted to drink in the mood.
“It’s a party that doesn’t stop, it’s a great atmosphere and everyone gets on with everyone,” said 27-year-old delivery driver Darren McGarvie, who used the backtray of his “ute” as a bed for the festival.
Editing by Patrick Johnston and Michael Perry
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Once Upon A River | Diane Setterfield
The Thirteenth Tale was
an instant #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal,
and Publishers Weekly bestseller
#5 on USA Today bestseller list
9 Weeks on the New York Times bestseller list
Diane Setterfield’s The Thirteenth Tale was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and an unforgettable phenomenon.
And now comes
ONCE UPON A RIVER
Three girls missing.
One is returned.
A story begins.
Praise for THE THIRTEENTH TALE
“Eerie and fascinating.”
“A book that you wake in the middle of the night craving to get back to…Timeless, charming, a pure pleasure to read…The Thirteeth Tale is a book to savor a dozen times.”
“A wholly original work told in the vein of all the best gothic classics. Lovers of books about book lovers will be enthralled.”
“Readers will feel the magnetic pull of this paean to words, books and the magical power of story.”
“Enchanting.”
“A novel brimming with atmosphere and labyrinthine plotting that recalls the gothic-like chillers by Daphne du Maurier and Joyce Carol Oates, spiced with flavors reminiscent of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. The language is rich, the elements intriguing.”
Praise for Once Upon a RiveR
“Diane Setterfield masterfully weaves a beautiful, suspenseful mystery.”
“A mesmerizing, moody tale of identity, family, secrets, and storytelling…Setterfield fills this richly layered plot with a fascinating cast of memorable characters.”
“Celebrates the timeless secrets of life, death, and imagination—and the enduring power of words. Fans, rejoice!”
“Setterfield braids miracle and mystery in this marvelous tale… not to be missed.”
“Setterfield is a master storyteller, her language flowing with a dark magic very like the river at the heart of her tale: swift and entrancing, profound and beautiful. Give yourself a treat and read it!”
—Madeline Miller, internationally bestselling author of Circe and The Song of Achilles
“Diane’s masterful storytelling draws you in to a beguiling tale, full of twists and turns like the river at its heart, and just as rich and intriguing. It lures you into its depths and carries you along in its vividly evoked world.”
—M L Stedman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Light Between Oceans
“It’s a gripper. It takes you by the elbow on the very first page. It should do so well.”
—Jim Crace, National Book Critics Circle and Booker Prize winner and author of Being Dead and Harvest
“Setterfield’s prose is beautiful, dark and eerily atmospheric, and her rich cast of characters convincingly illustrate the best and worst of humanity. Utterly brilliant!”
—Ruth Hogan, internationally bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things
“Once Upon a River is a delight, just marvelous. I devoured it in gulps.”
—Jo Baker, internationally bestselling author of Longbourn
“Once Upon A River succeeds in doing what you hope every book will do - pull you in from the first page, hold you captive in the middle, then leave you satisfied and thoughtful at the end. I loved it.”
—Renee Knight, critically-acclaimed author of Disclaimer
Available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook
Diane Setterfield is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Tale and Bellman & Black, and a former academic, specializing in 20th century French Literature, particularly the works of Andre Gide. She lives in England.
told in the vein of all the best gothic classics. Lovers of books about book lovers will be enthralled.”
her language flowing with a dark magic very like the river at the heart of her tale: swift and entrancing, profound and beautiful. Give yourself a treat and read it!”
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Thyroid Cancer Still a Problem for ‘Chernobyl Children’
by Mordechai Telsner | Oct 23, 2015 | Chernobyl in the News
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The latency of radiation-induced differentiated thyroid cancer appears to last longer than 30 years, according to researchers in the Ukraine, which bore the brunt of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe. Click here for rest of...
Svetlana Alexievich Wins Nobel Prize in Literature
by Mordechai Telsner | Oct 8, 2015 | Chernobyl in the News
Svetlana Alexievich, a Belarussian journalist and prose writer known for deeply researched works about female Russian soldiers in World War II and the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, won the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday “for her polyphonic...
‘Voices From Chernobyl’: An Excerpt
Svetlana Alexievich won the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday. The following excerpt of her work is taken from “Voices From Chernobyl.” The book, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award, is a compilation of interviews with survivors of the nuclear reactor...
Chernobyl cap could be casualty of Ukraine crisis
by Nis Frome | Sep 13, 2015 | Chernobyl in the News
Ukraine’s political and economic meltdown could spell doom – or at least delay – for a containment dome being built over Chernobyl. Construction of the coated steel, climate-controlled sarcophagus was begun in 2010 to cover the site of the infamous...
Vanishing Chernobyl: Aerial photos show how devastated town in radiation disaster zone is being reclaimed by nature
Former power plant and neighbouring city of Pripyat are slowly becoming hidden from view by Red Forest Ukrainian government evacuated 350,000 residents from Chernobyl and Pripyat following 1986 disaster Read...
Chernobyl Cleanup Workers Had Significantly Increased Risk of Leukemia
ScienceDaily (Nov. 8, 2012) — A 20-year study following 110,645 workers who helped clean up after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in the former Soviet territory of Ukraine shows that the workers share a significant increased risk of developing...
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Charity Anthology Blast: Finding Love!
Posted on June 17, 2015 by Charley Descoteaux
I’m thrilled to host a benefit anthology for The Trevor Project! TTP is my favorite national charity, they do amazing work to help LGBTQ youth in crisis. Not only does this post contain an exclusive excerpt, there’s also a Rafflecopter giveaway. Follow the tour through the rest of June for more excerpts and chances to win!
Excerpt From Iridescent (An Angels All Fire Series Short) by M. LeAnne Phoenix
“Something You’re Not Telling Me”
“Jen…” He sighed, folding his arms over his bare chest. “I thought we said all we could say this evening. What more could possibly be spoken between us that would not exacerbate an already strained conversation?”
“You’re holding out on me. There is something you’re not saying. We are the best of friends, have been for a while now, I don’t like secrets. Ask River. He’ll tell you it’s my top pet peeve.” Jensen Whitfield had been in his life for a little over five years and they’d been close since the day they met.
Hephaistion looked up to meet the gaze of those incredible green eyes as Jensen stepped closer to him, one hand outstretched. “I hate it, actually. More than that, I hate that there’s something you haven’t told me, but clearly, when you and Gann were arguing in—”
“Greek. We were arguing in Greek,” he supplied in another sigh.
“He said something that hurt you, that took you aback and well, I don’t speak Greek, but I wanted to punch him for whatever it was that he threw out there.” Jensen stepped closer still, the man’s warm hand sliding across his bearded cheek to cup his skull as long fingers threaded through his dripping hair. “I don’t like it when Gann speaks to you in such a way. It’s not fair of him, fucking winged or no.”
He chuckled lightly, moving to take a step back and out of Jensen’s touch—Sweet Aphrodite! He’ll never know how much I relish it when he touches me!—as he murmured, “What he said to me was not offensive. It was… disappointing… is all. Nothing for you to worry about, Jen, but… gratitude.”
“Disappointing how?” At the shake of his head in muted reply, Jensen went on. “Phai… I don’t like to see you shaken. Talk to me, man.”
“How long did it take you to accept that Darien Gann was actually Gannicus the Celt in the tale of Spartacus?” he blurted out, wishing that he could be doing anything but having the conversation in which he was currently participating.
“I think it was easier to accept that he was Gannicus than Cassiel,” Jensen admitted with a chuckle, leaning against the bathroom counter. “Why do you ask?”
“You told me once that if I ever lied to you about anything, that would be it.” He lifted his eyes to the carven stone ceiling as he took a shaky breath. “I knew then, as I remember now, that your edict was because of River’s long delay in telling you about his condition.”
Crossing the bathroom, Jensen reached out to grasp his arms. “You’re right… and man, if you’re about to tell me that you have a secret identity, I’m gonna say duh.” Jensen’s hands squeezed gently. “I know that you’ve kept that secret not because you’re worried about being attacked, but because you’ve been worried about me—the still human guy—getting too close to you and becoming a casualty.”
He lowered his gaze, fighting his body’s natural reaction to Jensen’s closeness. “I have not kept it from you because I do not trust you, Jen. I trust you with everything, with my very life.” He moved from Jensen’s touch, stepping back a second time, but this time, his back hit the cold stone wall, startling him—
BOOK NAME: Finding Love: Box Set of M/M Stories That Celebrate Pride
AUTHOR NAMES: Jamie Lynn Miller, T.K. Paige, M. LeAnne Phoenix, Carly Rose, D.C. Williams
PUBLICATION DATES: June 8, 2015 – September 30, 2015
GENRES INCLUDE: Gay (M/M), Romance, Contemporary, New Adult, Fantasy
BUY LINKS: Amazon US Amazon UK (Coming soon to ARe and in Print)
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25665642-finding-love
RAFFLECOPTER: June 12th – June 30th
BLOG TOUR PAGE: http://carlysbookreviews.blogspot.com/2015/06/finding-love.html
COVER ARTIST: Dakota Trace
5 Authors – 5 Stories – 1 Charity
Available for purchase through September 2015, Finding Love is a limited edition box set of brand new, full length, stand-alone M/M romance stories that share the theme of celebrating pride.
The authors banded together with the goal of raising funds for The Trevor Project and the proceeds are being donated to help support their efforts to provide life-saving and life-affirming services to LGBTQ youth.
His Fragile Heart by Jamie Lynn Miller
Do you believe in the power of love, even after death? After losing his lover in a car accident two years ago, actor Nathan Marshall wasn’t interested in another relationship. Until he meets waiter Justin Kowalski. Something about him seems so familiar that Nathan is instantly drawn to the younger man. Surprised at his capacity to love again, his relationship with Justin blossoms. But then an unbelievable truth is revealed – one that could break both their hearts for good.
Through New Eyes by T.K. Paige
Roommates Jed and Doyle have been best friends since meeting in college. Now that they’ve graduated and are starting new jobs they have no intentions of letting that change anything. Doyle is everything Jed isn’t, smart, cute and active at the LGTB center. Jed has always looked out for his friend and been there for him. They have plans and an amazing relationship, everything planned out to the smallest degree. Any changes could make it all go off the rails. So why can’t Jed get over how annoying he finds Doyle’s ex turned friend, who seems to be around way too often? Why can’t he stop noticing Doyle in new ways? If Jed doesn’t take a risk, he could miss what’s been there all along.
Iridescent (An Angels All Fire Series Short) by M. LeAnne Phoenix
Best friends, trusted confidants, partners in crime— call it what you like, Phai and Jen have been two halves of a whole ever since they met just over five years ago. The trouble is, that while Phai is falling more in love with his best friend every day, Jensen Whitfield seems content to call him brother. Hephaistion Amyntoros has faced many challenges during his long, long life, but the idea of confessing his heart’s desire to Jen and discovering that he doesn’t feel the same, terrifies him… but what happens if he does share his feelings? When the whole of Phai’s past rages into blistering life, ready to consume the very sun, Phai must focus on getting them out alive. Will they emerge from the fire intact or will the love in his life burn like a supernova once more?
Unexpectedly Lucky (The Bradford Boys, Book 1) by Carly Rose
Lincoln and Ryan have been best friends since the fifth grade. Their friendship has always been effortless, but a single night of passion threatens to change everything. Will the emotional fallout drive them apart or will they be lucky enough to find love unexpectedly?
What the Heart Wants by D.C. Williams
Will has just graduated from high school and is struggling with coming out. A surreptitious visit to NYC Pride brings Kev into his life. Will is immediately attracted to Kev, but they’re separated by a huge age difference, and Will is still coming to terms with himself. Their friendship grows over the course of a year, but can it become more?
About The Trevor Project
Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.
The life-saving, life-affirming work of The Trevor Project springs from the powerful intersection of storytelling on stage and film.
In 1994, producers Randy Stone and Peggy Rajski saw writer/performer James Lecesne bring to life Trevor, a character he created as part of his award-winning one-man show WORD OF MOUTH. Convinced Trevor’s story would make a wonderful short film, Stone and Rajski invited Lecesne to adapt it into a screenplay. Rajski directed the movie and TREVOR went on to win many prestigious awards including the Academy Award® for Best Live Action Short Film.
The Oscar-winning film eventually launched a national movement. When producer Randy Stone secured an airing on HBO with Ellen DeGeneres hosting, director/producer Peggy Rajski discovered there was no real place for young people like Trevor to turn when facing challenges similar to his. She quickly recruited mental health experts and figured out how to build the infrastructure necessary for a nationwide 24-hour crisis line, and writer James Lecesne secured the funds to start it. On the night their funny and moving coming-of-age story premiered on HBO in 1998, these visionary filmmakers launched the Trevor Lifeline, the first national crisis intervention and suicide prevention lifeline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.
Since then, hundreds of thousands of young people in crisis have reached out to The Trevor Project’s multiple in-person and online life-saving, life-affirming resources–Trevor Lifeline, TrevorChat, TrevorSpace and Trevor Education Workshops.
The Trevor Project is the premier organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ teens and young adults.
Watch ‘Trevor’ on YouTube
(20 minutes)
AUTHOR PROFILES:
Jamie Lynn Miller has been writing fiction since childhood and decided to take the plunge and go pro in 2008, finding to her amazement that people truly enjoyed her love stories. She’s a romantic at heart, and her tales reflect the desire we all have to find “the one,” persevering through trials and heartache for that happy ending.
Jamie has a degree in fine arts and has spent the last twenty years working as a graphic designer, though she’d much rather be writing. She was born in Chicago and still lives there today with her husband and their two furry, four-footed children, er… cats.
If she’s not brainstorming story ideas, you can find Jamie at a sci-fi convention, in front of a furnace doing glass blowing, or on a mat twisted into a yoga pose.
Website – Facebook
T.K. Paige picked up her first book to read around the age of four and hasn’t stopped since. She discovered the M/M genre in August of 2012 and an addict was hooked.
If you see her and she is not reading, then she is thinking about the books that live in her head. It doesn’t matter what else she is doing, it is guaranteed half her brain has a plot running through it.
A stay at home mom for more years than she would like to think about, she is lucky enough to be married to a wonderful guy who encouraged her to write throughout their years together.
Then when she finally did it and she told him what she was writing, he turned only slightly green and asked “Do I have to read it?” Apparently, he had dreams of her being the next Urban Fantasy sensation with her taste in movies.
Website – Facebook – Tumblr
LeAnne Phoenix would tell you that the worst time of her life was the two years that she attempted to take off from writing. If you asked her to explain exactly why she did such a thing, you would most likely get the mad attempt to arch an eyebrow like her dad and then a shake of the head as she told you it was unlucky to speak of such things. Suffice it to say, it will never happen again!
Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas in the mid-1970’s, Ms. Phoenix was young and wild (and even free!) during the crazy wondrous decade known as the 1980’s and the even crazier but now grungy decade of the 1990’s. Music is second only to the muses that live and breathe to fill her mind with beautiful men, and music always helps them to tell their stories. She is never without her iPod or her computer no matter where she goes, although, she does like to hike and take pictures of the sky and the moon, and even the occasional shot of the sun through the branches of a tree.
An avid cat lover, Ms. Phoenix has been owned by many throughout her life, though her current owner is one Lily-Rose, who really would like for her to step away from the keyboard and pay her some attention! After all, hasn’t she earned it?
Website – Facebook – Twitter
Carly Rose was named after her grandmother, an accomplished poet, and a character her mom met in a romance novel while awaiting her birth, I guess you could say that writing has always been in her blood.
As a child her parents used to threaten to take away her books and make her play outside when she wasn’t getting her chores done. Now she’s all grown up and her roles as wife, mother of two, and part-time nurse keep her hopping. As a blogger, book reviewer, freelance editor, and author, she still manage to spend time each day with her nose in a book.
She’s a student of life who’s always looking for new opportunities to learn and discovered early on that the love of family, friends and a positive attitude are all you really need. A free spirited motorcycle enthusiast who loves butterflies, dancing in the rain, and believes that everything is better in purple, she love to hear from reader so stop by and say “hi” anytime!
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Book Review Blog
D.C. Williams is a funny little middle aged woman who mostly lives in Pennsylvania and writes romance novels you wouldn’t expect.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Book Blast, charity, MM Romance by Charley Descoteaux. Bookmark the permalink.
9 thoughts on “Charity Anthology Blast: Finding Love!”
Carly (Carly's Book Reviews) on June 17, 2015 at 8:32 am said:
Thank you for hosting us today Charlie. Isn’t M. Leanne’s excerpt delicious??
Charley Descoteaux on June 19, 2015 at 8:42 pm said:
My pleasure! You’re welcome anytime, Carly. And yes, i really want to know what happens next! 🙂
Jamie Lynn Miller on June 17, 2015 at 4:32 pm said:
Thank you for featuring our book!
You’re very welcome, Jamie Lynn. Such a great cause, i’m happy to do anything i can to promote the great work you’re doing. 🙂
juliesmall1959 on June 18, 2015 at 6:00 am said:
Communicate with the people in your life. Let them know and show them that they are not different and how much they mean to you!
Hear, hear! ❤
JenCW on June 26, 2015 at 4:58 pm said:
Thanks for another great excerpt! In light of today’s Supreme Court decision, this book tour is fantastic!
Jennifer on June 28, 2015 at 4:44 am said:
Great post! Looking forward to reading this book!
sula22 on June 29, 2015 at 3:35 pm said:
I am intrigued by the character names from this extract, as Hephaistion Amyntoros was the name of Alexander The Greats lifelong companion and general?
Thank you for being part of this blog hop and for supporting this lifesaving cause 🙂
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Originally from the San Francisco bay area, percussionist Chris Thompson has enjoyed collaborations with dozens of performing artists, bands, and ensembles spanning a wide range of musical genres and resulting in the world premieres of over 100 new works and the release of 20 studio albums.
In addition to being a founding member of the Chamber Orchestra of New York, Chris has been a member since 2008 of Alarm Will Sound, called “SEAL Team Six of new music” (New York Magazine), and “The Future of Classical Music” (New York Times) and known for its versatility in presenting music of a wide variety of styles, from arch-modernist to the pop-influenced. Since 2004 he has also been a member of NY-based ACME (American Contemporary Music Ensemble) and the Line C3 Percussion Group, of which he is a founding member.
As a guest, Chris has performed or recorded with an eclectic mix of ensembles and musicians including Antony and the Johnsons, Björk, Tyondai Braxton, The Brooklyn Philharmonic, Dirty Projectors, Doveman, Efterklang, GLANK, The Knights Chamber Orchestra, The Metropolitan Opera, Oklahoma and Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestras, Nico Muhly, The Stamford Symphony, They Might Be Giants, and Wordless Music Orchestra.
When at home in New York City, he is active in musical theater and has performed in the Broadway productions of Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, Cinderella, On a Clear Day, Anything Goes, See What I Wanna See,and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
Chris is recorded on numerous solo and chamber music projects, including for Nonesuch, Sony Classical, Bedroom Community, Cantaloupe, Naxos, New Amsterdam, New Focus, and New World Records. His early musical training came from drum and bugle corps, which had a profound influence on his musical direction; at the age of 15 he became one of the youngest ever members of the Santa Clara Vanguard tenor line, where he marched for two seasons. He later went on to study classical and contemporary percussion at UCLA with Mitchell Peters, and then at Juilliard with Daniel Druckman.
chrispthompson.com
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Addressing the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past: Response to NIO public consultation
A joint QUB/UU/CAJ team has published a detailed response to the latest proposals for addressing the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past. The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has been seeking views on a draft legacy bill for Northern Ireland. If enacted, this bill would see the establishment of four new institutions for dealing with the past...
BrexitLawNI Launch of Project Reports
16/08/2018Committee on the Administration of JusticeEvents
When: 1pm to 4.45 pm, Friday 14 September 2018. Where: Canada Room, Lanyon Building, Queen’s University Belfast. BrexitLawNI is a collaborative research project between CAJ and the Schools of Law at Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University. The project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and was set up to examine...
Briefing on the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill 2018
From a human rights perspective, there are numerous objections to the contents of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill 2018. The proposed bill also contains measures that could have worrying implications if applied to their full extent in Northern Ireland. The bill, which is currently making its way through the UK parliament, includes provisions that...
Launch Event: Response to Stormont House legacy consultation – QUB/UU/CAJ Model Bill Team
When: 11am to 1pm, Thursday 30 August 2018. Where: Moot Court Room, School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast. The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is currently consulting on a draft legacy bill to take forward the establishment of the four legacy bodies negotiated and agreed by the NI political parties and the Irish and UK governments...
Open letter to General Sir Nick Carter
03/08/2018Committee on the Administration of JusticeNews
CAJ has written an open letter to the UK’s new Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, in response to his remarkable statement that former soldiers who served in Northern Ireland will not be chased by people making “vexatious claims” on his watch. He also said he “would absolutely stamp on any of...
Just News June/July 2018
06/07/2018Committee on the Administration of JusticeJust News, News, Publications
Inside this issue: The release of the RUC Walker Report, proposals to create an Oral History Archive, and more. Link: JN-June-July-18
RUC Walker Report 1980
02/07/2018Committee on the Administration of JusticePublications, Reports
Following Freedom of Information proceedings, a lightly redacted copy of the 1980 Walker Report has been released to CAJ : Walker-Report-1980
CAJ’s submission to CEDAW on the List of Issues for the UK
S471-CAJ-submission-to-CEDAW2c-June-2018
CAJ welcomes decision of the Irish Government in Hooded Men Case
12/06/2018Committee on the Administration of JusticeNews, Press releases
The Irish Government has today confirmed that it will refer the decision in Ireland versus UK to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights. The case concerns the “interrogation in depth” of the Hooded Men during their internment in 1971. In 1978 the European Court of Human Rights held that the treatment...
EU Withdrawal Bill, Clause 13 – ‘new border arrangements’ Freedom of Movement in the Common Travel Area: The planned non ‘routine’ passport controls in and out of Northern Ireland and the risks of increased racial profiling, a CAJ briefing
EU-Withdrawl-Bill-HCPP-NI-Border-Controls-and-racial-profiling-CAJ-Briefing-May-2018 Summary Clause 13 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill as amended on Report at the House of Lords relates to the “Continuation of North-South co-operation and the prevention of new border arrangements” on the island of Ireland. This clause was inserted in the Lords further to a cross-party amendment. The UK Northern Ireland and...
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Weekly Case Summaries: October 29 – December 3, 2018
Case Updates Criminal Law Criminal Law eNews
Reprinted with permission from the Central California Appellate Program
Case Name: People v. Vera (2018) 28 Cal.App.5th 1081 , District: 4 DCA , Division: 2 , Case #: E069367
Opinion Date: 11/5/2018 , DAR #: 10746
Case Holding:
Trial court did not err in denying defendant’s motion to suppress drug evidence where a dog sniff that occurred while an officer was writing a citation did not unconstitutionally prolong defendant’s detention for a traffic stop. A police officer with a narcotics-certified dog stopped Vera because his car windows were illegally tinted. Because the officer could not see into Vera’s car, he ordered Vera out of the car. Vera gave the officer permission to retrieve his driver’s license and registration. During this time, a second officer arrived. The first officer performed a records check and did not find any warrants. He also examined a knife that he found during a pat-search of Vera and determined it was not an illegal switchblade. He then asked the second officer to write a citation for the window tint violation. While he was retrieving his citation book and his dog from his patrol car, the first officer repeatedly asked Vera for consent to search his car and Vera refused. Before the second officer finished writing the citation, the dog alerted on the trunk of the car and the interior dashboard. Drugs were found during a search of the car. Vera was charged with a drug offense and filed a motion to suppress the evidence, arguing that that his traffic stop was unreasonably prolonged under Rodriguez v. United States (2015) __ U.S.__, 135 S.Ct. 1609. The motion to suppress evidence was denied. Vera pleaded no contest and appealed. Held: Affirmed. In Rodriguez,the U.S. Supreme Court held a seizure of a driver that is justified only by a police-observed traffic violation becomes unlawful when a suspicionless dog sniff prolongs the traffic stop beyond the time needed to handle the matter for which the stop was made. Applying Rodriguez’s reasoning to the facts of this case, the Court of Appeal concluded there was no reason to conclude that Vera’s traffic stop was unconstitutionally prolonged by the use of a dog to sniff his vehicle. The court noted that it did not necessarily end the inquiry that the dog alerted before the citation was issued. A defendant in this situation could still demonstrate that the dog alert came after the time at which the citation reasonably should have been issued had there been no dog sniff, but Vera did not make this showing.
The full opinion is available on the court’s website here: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/E069367.PDF
Case Name: People v. Acosta (2018) 29 Cal.App.5th 19 , District: 2 DCA , Division: 6 , Case #: B263849
Opinion Date: 11/13/2018 , DAR #: 10878
Where trial court pronounced an aggregate sentence for multiple felony convictions in three separate cases, it could reimpose prior prison term enhancements, subject to Proposition 47, after all but one of the offenses were reduced to misdemeanors. In May 2014 Acosta was sentenced in three separate cases. The sentence in case 2 included six years for six prior prison term enhancements (Pen. Code, § 667.5, subd. (b)). In case 1, the trial court purported to dismiss the six prior prison term enhancements because the same enhancements had been used to add six years to Acosta’s sentence in case 2. After Proposition 47 passed, Acosta successfully petitioned to reduce all but one of his felony offenses in the three cases to misdemeanors. When the trial court resentenced Acosta on the remaining felony in case 1, the sentence included six years for the previously dismissed prior prison term enhancements. On appeal, Acosta argued the trial court exceeded its jurisdiction by enhancing the sentence with the six previously dismissed prior prison term enhancements. Held: Subject to Proposition 47, trial court had authority to reimpose the prior prison term enhancements. Prior prison term enhancements are status enhancements that can be imposed only once, on the aggregate sentence. The trial court’s purported dismissal of the six enhancements in case 1 was not a true dismissal. The sole reason for the “dismissal” was that the enhancements had already been imposed in case 2 and therefore could not be imposed again to increase the aggregate sentence. When the trial court resentenced appellant to a misdemeanor in case 2, the prior prison term enhancements in that case became inapplicable because they can be imposed only where the new offense is a felony. “Subject to Proposition 47, they remained available for sentencing purposes because they had been imposed on the aggregate sentence and were not attached to a particular count or case.”
Trial court must strike three of the prior prison term enhancements because the underlying felonies were reduced to misdemeanors and the judgment containing the enhancements was not final when Proposition 47 took effect. During Acosta’s Proposition 47 proceedings, the trial court also reduced the felony convictions that were underlying three of the prior prison term enhancements to misdemeanors. However, the trial court still imposed the prior prison term enhancements that were based on these offenses. Relying on the California Supreme Court’s decision in People v. Buycks (2018) 5 Cal.5th 857, which was decided after Acosta’s resentencing, the Court of Appeal remanded the matter to the trial court with directions to strike the three prior prison term enhancements based on the felony convictions reduced to misdemeanors under Proposition 47. In Buycks, the court held that “a successful Proposition 47 petitioner may subsequently challenge, under subdivision (k) of section 1170.18, any felony-based enhancement that is based on that previously designated felony, now reduced to misdemeanor, so long as the judgment containing the enhancement was not final when Proposition 47 took effect.” Acosta’s judgment was not final when Proposition 47 took effect on November 5, 2014. “Therefore, Buycks requires the trial court to strike the three prior prison term enhancements based on felony convictions reduced to misdemeanors under Proposition 47.” On remand, the trial court shall conduct a full resentencing so it can exercise its sentencing discretion in light of changed circumstances.
The full opinion is available on the court’s website here: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/B263849A.PDF
Case Name: Caretto v. Superior Court (People) (2018) 28 Cal.App.5th 909 , District: 2 DCA , Division: 8 , Case #: B265256
The balances in bank accounts linked to stolen debit cards may be considered in determining the fair market value of the stolen cards. Caretto pleaded no contest to two counts of receiving stolen property (Pen. Code, § 496) after he was found with two stolen debit cards. After Proposition 47 amended section 496 to provide that receiving stolen property valued at $950 or under is a misdemeanor, Caretto filed a motion during his probation violation proceedings requesting that these offenses be reduced to misdemeanors. The trial court concluded that the value of the cards was the amount of money in the accounts linked to the cards, which exceeded $950, and denied the motion to reduce the felony offenses to misdemeanors. Caretto filed a writ of mandate and the California Supreme Court ultimately transferred the matter to the Court of Appeal to reconsider the issue in light of People v. Romanowski (2017) 2 Cal.5th 903, which was decided after the trial court proceedings in this case. Held: Petition granted. In determining the value of stolen access card information, the court in Romanowski held that the “reasonable and fair market value” test for theft crimes requires courts to identify how much stolen access card information would sell for, and this can include illegal sales. After analyzing Romanowski, the Court of Appeal concluded that “a host of evidence could be relevant to the fair market value of stolen access cards, from actual fraudulent charges and the balances in linked accounts to expert testimony on the illegal market for stolen cards.” Although the trial court here was entitled to credit the victim’s statement about the amount of money in his accounts to infer that the stolen debit cards would have been valued in the marketplace at or near the balances in the linked accounts, Caretto should be given an opportunity to present evidence consistent with Romanowski in order to rebut the People’s showing.
Case Name: People v. Kelly (2018) 28 Cal.App.5th 886 , District: 5 DCA , Case #: F071934
Where defendant’s two prior convictions were redesignated as misdemeanors prior to his sentencing in a new case, prior prison term enhancements (Pen. Code, 667.5, subdivision (b)) based on these prior convictions could not be imposed. Kelly was convicted of several felonies and the court found true nine prior prison term enhancements under section 667.5. Prior to sentencing in this case, Kelly’s seventh and eighth prior prison term felonies were reduced to misdemeanors under Proposition 47. At sentencing for the current offenses, he argued that he should only be subject to a prior prison term enhancement for his two most recent convictions. The trial court disagreed and imposed eight of the nine prior prison term enhancements. Kelly appealed. Held: Judgment modified to strike seven of the eight prior prison term enhancements, and the matter was remanded for resentencing. Section 667.5, subdivision (b) imposes a one-year enhancement for a prior, separate prison term served on a felony conviction and requires proof that the defendant: (1) was previously convicted of a felony; (2) was imprisoned as a result of that conviction; (3) completed that term of imprisonment; and (4) did not remain free for five years of both prison custody and the commission of a new offense resulting in a felony conviction. In People v. Buycks (2018) 5 Cal.5th 857, 871, the California Supreme Court “conclude[d] that Proposition 47’s mandate that the resentenced or redesignated offense ‘be considered a misdemeanor for all purposes’ (§ 1170.18, subd. (k)) permits defendants to challenge felony-based section 667.5 . . . enhancements when the underlying felonies have been subsequently resentenced or redesignated as misdemeanors.” Because Kelly successfully petitioned for the reduction of the felonies underlying his seventh and eighth prior prison term enhancements to misdemeanors prior to his sentencing, these section 667.5, subdivision (b) enhancements could not be imposed.
When a felony conviction is reduced to a misdemeanor under Proposition 47, the prison term associated with that conviction may not be used to bar application of the washout provision of section 667.5, subdivision (b). Kelly also argued that, once his seventh and eighth prior convictions were redesignated to misdemeanors, over five years passed from his release from custody for prior conviction six to when he committed prior conviction nine and, therefore, all of his prior convictions except prior conviction nine washed out under section 667.5, subdivision (b). The Court of Appeal agreed. Under the washout provision, the section 667.5, subdivision (b) enhancement is not imposed if the defendant is free of both felony convictions and incarceration in prison for five years following release from the previous incarceration. In People v. Warren (2018) 24 Cal.App.5th 899, 915 (also a Fifth District case), the majority held that the language of section 1170.18, subdivision (k), construing recalled or redesignated felonies as “misdemeanors for all purposes,” should be interpreted broadly and the only way to harmonize that language with the literal language of the washout provision of section 667.5 was to reject the language of the washout provision. The court here agreed with the reasoning of Warren and concluded Buycks further supported the decision. “Buycks held that a conviction reduced to a misdemeanor under Proposition 47 could not be considered a felony under section 667.5(b), and we see no basis as to why the application of Proposition 47 should not likewise extend to the washout provision of section 667.5(b).”
Under the facts of this case, trial court did not err under Penal Code section 654 when it imposed a sentence for evading a pursuing peace officer consecutively with a sentence for transportation of methamphetamine. The court imposed a 16-month sentence for evading a pursuing peace officer consecutively with an 8-year sentence for transportation of methamphetamine. Kelly argued the trial court erred in imposing a consecutive sentence for his evading a pursuing peace officer conviction rather than staying the sentence under section 654, which bars multiple punishment for the same act or omission. He argued that the actions forming the bases of the convictions for both charges consisted of the single act of driving the car. The Court of Appeal disagreed. Substantial evidence supported the trial court’s implicit finding that Kelly’s crimes were committed for different objectives and the court, therefore, did not err in ordering a consecutive sentence for the evasion conviction. Prior to encountering law enforcement, there was ample evidence that Kelly was transporting a significant amount of methamphetamine in his car. At that time, his intent was an intent to transport methamphetamine for its eventual sale. Once sheriff’s deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop, his conduct and objective changed. His new objective was to evade the peace officers, and his driving behavior reflected that intent based on his several traffic violations in his attempt to get away.
The full opinion is available on the court’s website here: http://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/F071934M.PDF
Case Name: People v. Franske (2018) 28 Cal.App.5th 955 , District: 3 DCA , Case #:C081591
The theft of items from an employee’s purse in a commercial establishment while open during regular business hours may qualify as shoplifting under Penal Code section 459.5. In 2010, Franske went into Dole Transportation to inquire about a motor home for sale and an employee left the main lobby to contact the owner. When the employee returned she found Franske had taken items from her purse, which had been in her office. Franske pleaded no contest to second degree burglary (in addition to other offenses committed earlier), and her sentence was enhanced under Penal Code section 12022.1, because she was out of custody on bail for another offense when she committed the burglary. The trial court later granted Franske’s Proposition 47 petition in part and reduced the burglary to shoplifting, but denied her request to strike the on-bail enhancement. Franske and the People both appealed. Held: Affirmed. Proposition 47 added section 459.5, subdivision (a), which defines shoplifting “as entering a commercial establishment with intent to commit larceny while that establishment is open during regular business hours, where the value of the property that is taken or intended to be taken does not exceed nine hundred fifty dollars ($950).” Based on the plain language of the statute, Franske’s conduct fits within the definition of misdemeanor shoplifting. The Court of Appeal disagreed with the People’s argument that “shoplifting” is meant to cover only the stealing of openly displayed merchandise. [Editor’s Note: In an unpublished part of the opinion, the Court of Appeal concluded that the trial court properly denied Franske’s request to strike the on-bail enhancement because her conviction was final when Proposition 47 passed. (See People v. Buycks (2018) 5 Cal.5th 857.)]
The full opinion is available on the court’s website here: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/C081591A.PDF
Case Name: People v. Bonilla (2018) 29 Cal.App.5th 649 , District: 3 DCA , Case #:C082144
Trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to defend against vandalism charges by asserting the victim’s violation of a civil statute because a person may not commit a crime in response to the breach of a civil statute. The three defendants were convicted of felony vandalism. The case arose out of a confrontation between the defendants and a repossession agent who was in the process of taking a car. On appeal, defendants raised a number of issues, primarily based on ineffective assistance of trial counsel (IAC). Held: Affirmed. A defendant asserting IAC must show that counsel’s representation fell below an objective standard of reasonableness under prevailing professional norms, and that defendant was thereby prejudiced. Defendants argued trial counsel erroneously failed to raise a defense based on California Uniform Commercial Code section 9609, which provides that a secured party may take possession of collateral without judicial process if it proceeds without a breach of the peace. Defendants argued that as soon as they protested the attempted repossession of their car, the repossession agent was required to cease any attempts to take the car and that any acts on his part after that time were at his own risk to himself and his property. However, section 9609 has no application to the criminal charge of felony vandalism and does not provide a defense to that offense. Defendants’ conduct in retrieving the car was not one of the lawful remedies to a violation of section 9609, as enumerated in section 9625. Further, there is no authority permitting a person to commit a crime in response to an unsanctioned repossession that results in a breach of the peace. Comparative fault is not a defense in criminal proceedings.
Trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to clarify the vandalism jury instructions.During deliberations the jury asked what items of property were included in the vandalism charge. Pursuant to defense counsel’s request, the trial court told the jury it must decide what, if any, property was vandalized. On appeal, defendants argued trial counsel should have made sure the jury understood the instructions and was ineffective in not doing so. However, the instructions provided to the jury gave a complete and accurate statement of the governing law. Defendants failed to state how trial counsel should have sought to clarify the instructions, or how any clarification would have created a reasonable probability of a more favorable verdict. The record also revealed that defendants’ counsel could have made a tactical decision in failing to provide additional guidance to the jury’s question, since the question indicated the jury disagreed as to what items, if any, the prosecution proved were vandalized.
The trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying defendants’ motion for new trial.A trial court may grant a new trial when new evidence is discovered material to the defendant, and which he could not, with reasonable diligence, have discovered and produced at trial. The court must consider whether the newly discovered evidence is of such strength that a result more favorable to the defendant is probable had the evidence been admitted at trial. In support of their motion, defendants offered the declaration of one of their former employees as to matters he witnessed the day of the incident. However, defendants failed to show that this witness could not have been discovered with reasonable diligence before trial. The motion was properly denied.
The trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying defendants’ request to reduce their felony convictions to misdemeanors under Penal Code section 17. Defendants filed a motion with the trial court asking the court to exercise its discretion under section 17, subdivision (b), to reduce each of their felony convictions to misdemeanors and not to impose custody time as part of their sentences. They argued that they did not have criminal intent, and the incident resulted from a mistake and bad luck. The trial court denied the motion and the defendants challenged this ruling on appeal. The Court of Appeal concluded the trial court did not abuse its discretion. The decision to reduce a wobbler from a felony to a misdemeanor under section 17, subdivision (b) is solely in the discretion of the trial court. The relevant criteria include the nature and circumstances of the offense, the defendant’s attitude toward the offense, or his behavior and demeanor at trial. (People v. Superior Court (Alvarez) (1997) 14 Cal.4th 968, 977.) Here, the trial court was well within its discretion in finding that the nature and circumstances of the offense did not merit either reducing the felonies or granting defendants’ request for no custody time, where the defendants resorted to self-help in committing the crime before leaving the scene.
The full opinion is available on the court’s website here: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/C082144.PDF
Case Name: People v. Phea (2018) 29 Cal.App.5th 583 , District: 3 DCA , Case #: C080488
Trial court did not err by instructing the jury with CALCRIM No. 1191 regarding defendant’s prior uncharged sex offenses. Phea was charged with 31 child molestation offenses against three minors and two offenses for furnishing controlled substances to a minor. Two additional witnesses testified about uncharged conduct that occurred many years before when they were under 16 years old. The court instructed the jury that it could consider the uncharged conduct if the prosecution had proven by a preponderance of the evidence that Phea committed those uncharged sexual offenses and, based on that conduct, Phea was likely to commit the charged offenses. (CALCRIM No. 1191.) The jury convicted Phea. On appeal, he argued that the instruction was flawed because it allowed jurors to infer guilt based merely on the commission of other crimes established only by a preponderance of the evidence and that the instruction contradicted CALCRIM No. 224 regarding circumstantial evidence. Held: Affirmed, but remanded on other grounds. Evidence Code section 1108 allows the admission of evidence of uncharged sexual offenses subject to Evidence Code section 352. Requiring section 1108 evidence be proved by a preponderance of the evidence does not reduce the prosecution’s burden of proof as to the charged offenses. (People v. Reliford (2003) 29 Cal.4th 1007, 1012.) CALCRIM No. 224, addressing circumstantial evidence, instructs the jurors that each fact essential to a conclusion of guilt must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. The two standards are reconciled by the different purposes for which the evidence is used. The court concluded that the jurors could readily understand the distinction drawn, and the differing burdens of proof attached to CALCRIM Nos. 224 and 1191. It is not reasonably likely a jury would conclude that the lower standard of proof would apply to the proof of the charged offenses.
In the Third District, McKinney v. Rees (9th Cir. 1993) 993 F.2d 1378 will not provide a basis for finding Evidence Code section 1108 unconstitutional because the case has no application in the context of uncharged sexual misconduct evidence. To preserve the issue for further review, Phea argued that admission of the section 1108 testimony violated his due process and fair trial rights, citing McKinney and other older cases, while acknowledging that the California Supreme Court has found section 1108 to be constitutional. (See People v. Falsetta (1999) 21 Cal.4th 903.) The Court of Appeal here concluded that the contention that section 1108 is unconstitutional is “completely meritless.” The Third District previously observed that reliance on McKinney in the context of uncharged sexual misconduct evidence is misplaced. In McKinney, the Ninth Circuit held the admission of evidence that was probative only of the defendant’s character violated due process. However, McKinney did not involve uncharged sexual misconduct evidence and was decided before the enactment of the federal and state rules allowing evidence of uncharged sexual assault and child molestation. The Ninth Circuit and other federal courts have long since upheld the constitutionality of these evidentiary rules. (See, e.g., U.S. v. LeMay (9th Cir. 2001) 260 F.3d 1018, 1027.) The court explained that it “expressly reject[s] McKinney v. Rees, supra, 993 F.2d 1378 as grounds upon which to find that section 1108 is constitutionally invalid on its face and conclude[d] that trial counsel’s performance was not deficient for failure to rely upon it.”
The full opinion is available on the court’s website here: http://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/C080488.PDF
Case Name: People v. Rodas (2018) 6 Cal.5th 219 ,CalSup , Case #: S237379
Opinion Date: 11/26/2018 , DAR #: 111083
Where a criminal defendant had been restored to competence through medication, evidence the defendant was no longer taking the medication and was exhibiting signs of incompetence required a new competency hearing. Prior to his trial for three murders and two attempted murders, criminal proceedings against Rodas were suspended to conduct a competence examination. (Pen. Code, § 1368.) The doctors found appellant suffered from severe mental illness and he was committed to a state hospital. After several months of treatment, doctors found he was competent due to medication he had been given, and that he had to continue his medication to remain competent. The court reinstated criminal proceedings. Trial counsel again expressed a doubt as to Rodas’ competence. The trial court also learned Rodas was off his medications. After conducting a short colloquy with Rodas, the trial court concluded he was competent. A jury found him guilty on several counts. Rodas appealed. The Court of Appeal affirmed and the California Supreme Court granted review. Held: Reversed. A person cannot be tried or punished while mentally incompetent. A person is incompetent to stand trial if, as a result of mental disorder, the defendant is unable to understand the nature of the criminal proceeding or of assisting in his defense. Penal Code section 1368 requires a trial court to make inquiry regarding a defendant’s mental state if it has any doubt as to the defendant’s competence. Here, the trial court erred by not instituting a second round of competency proceedings when it was presented with a substantial change of circumstance that cast doubt on the competency finding. Its discussion with Rodas did not discharge this duty. A retrospective competency hearing cannot redress the error in this case because there is insufficient evidence to reliably determine Rodas’ mental competence at the time of his trial.
The full opinion is available on the court’s website here: http://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S237379.PDF
Case Name: People v. Morales (2018) 29 Cal.App.5th 471 , District: 6 DCA , Case #:H043837
There was sufficient evidence of defendant’s lewd intent based on other incidents involving the same minor and on the defendant’s coercive threats immediately after the touching. Morales was convicted by a jury of four counts of committing a lewd act on a child under 14 (Pen. Code, § 288, subd. (a)), one count of committing a forcible lewd act on a child under 14 (Pen. Code, § 288, subd. (b)), and various other sex offenses. The jury also found true an allegation that Morales had committed sexual offenses against multiple victims (Pen. Code, § 667.61, subd. (e)(4)). The court sentenced Morales to a term of 75 years to life consecutive to a 6-year determinate term. He appealed, challenging the sufficiency of the evidence of lewd intent as to two acts supporting convictions for section 288, subdivision (a). Held: Affirmed in part, remanded for resentencing. To determine whether a particular touching is prohibited as a lewd or lascivious act, a factfinder may infer the defendant’s intent from all the relevant circumstances, including his extrajudicial statements, other acts of lewd conduct admitted or charged in the case, the relationship of the parties, and any coercion, bribery, or deceit used to obtain the victim’s cooperation. (People v. Martinez (1995) 11 Cal.4th 434, 445.) Here, the court found that while defendant’s conduct in touching the minor as he pushed her on the swing did not by itself disclose a lewd intent, the fact that on another occasion he touched her thigh and reached toward her private parts, stopping only when she started crying, was indicative of his sexual intent on all three occasions. Defendant’s coercive threat to harm her family if she told anyone confirmed his own understanding of the illicit nature of the touching. The court affirmed the judgment of conviction for two counts of section 288, subdivision (a).
There was sufficient evidence of force used to accomplish the prohibited act beyond what was inherent in the act itself. Morales argued that there was insufficient evidence of force to support the forcible lewd act count under section 288, subdivision (b) against Jane Doe 1. The Court of Appeal disagreed. A defendant uses force if the prohibited act is facilitated by the defendant’s use of physical violence, compulsion, or constraint in addition to the physical contact which is inherent in the prohibited act. Acts of grabbing, holding, and restraining that occur in conjunction with the lewd acts themselves are sufficient to support a finding that the lewd act was committed by means of force. (People v. Alvarez (2009) 178 Cal.App.4th 999, 1005.) The court found that the minor’s testimony amply established that defendant used force to facilitate the lewd act rather than merely incidentally touching her in the course of the lewd act. The defendant’s picking up, holding, and restraining of the minor to facilitate his lewd act was substantial evidence of the requisite force. However, it was undisputed at trial that the two section 288 counts against Jane Doe 1 were based on a single act. The section 288, subdivision (a) conviction cannot be upheld as it is a lesser included offense of the section 288, subdivision (b) count. The superior court was directed to strike the section 288, subdivision (a) count involving Jane Doe 1.
The trial court properly imposed a life term for the section 288, subdivision (a) count because the language in the accusatory pleading was sufficient to show that defendant was ineligible for probation. Morales argued that the trial court erred in imposing a life term for one of the section 288, subdivision (a) counts because the offense occurred in 2004, before section 667.61 (known as the One Strike law) was amended to apply to all section 288, subdivision (a) offenses. The 1998 version of section 667.61, which was in effect in 2004, provided that the law applied to a violation of section 288, subdivision (a) unless the defendant qualifies for probation under section 12033.066, subdivision (c). The 1997 version of section 12033.066 required that the existence of any fact that would make a person ineligible for probation shall be alleged in the accusatory pleading and either admitted by the defendant or found to be true by the jury. The accusatory pleading in this case did not allege that Morales was ineligible for probation but it did allege the “fact that would make a person ineligible for probation.” That is, the information alleged that defendant “has been convicted in the present case of committing an offense against more than one victim.” This allegation was found true by the jury. Therefore, Morales fell within section 667.61 as it read in 2004 and could properly be sentenced to a life term for the section 288, subdivision (a) conviction.
The trial court correctly imposed multiple life terms under Penal Code section 667.61, but the current version of the statute requires a life term of 25 years to life for some of the lewd acts, not 15 years to life. The court imposed one life term for the forcible lewd act count against Jane Doe 1, two life terms for the two lewd act counts against Jane Doe 2, and one life term for the lewd act count against Jane Doe 3. The life terms were 15 years to life. Morales argued that the trial court erred in imposing multiple life terms under section 667.61 because the statute authorizes only one life term for qualifying offenses against more than one victim on multiple separate occasions. The Court of Appeal disagreed, concluding that every court that has ever considered this issue has rejected the contention that section 667.61 does not permit multiple life terms to be imposed based on the multiple-victims circumstance. The 1998 version of section 667.61, in place at the time of the offense against Jane Doe 3, mandated a term of 15 years to life for Morales’ lewd act on Jane Doe 3. It provided that a life term “shall be imposed on the defendant once for any offense or offenses committed against a single victim during a single occasion. If there are multiple victims during a single occasion, the [life term] shall be imposed on the defendant once for each separate victim.” The current version of section 667.61, which was in effect when defendant committed the counts against Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, does not contain this language and instead provides “[a]ny person who is convicted of an offense specified in subdivision (c) under one of the circumstances specified in subdivision (e), upon a victim who is a child under 14 years of age, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for 25 years to life.” (Pen. Code, § 667.61, subd. (j)(2).) On appeal, Morales conceded the trial court’s imposition of 15-year-to-life terms for the three lewd act counts against Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, rather than 25-year-to-life terms, was an unauthorized sentence. The case was remanded for resentencing.
The full opinion is available on the court’s website here: http://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/H043837.PDF
Case Name: People v. Fish (2018) 29 Cal.App.5th 462 , District: 2 DCA , Division: 6 , Case #: B290108
Where a valid search warrant authorizes a blood draw from a defendant arrested for DUI, and the circumstances of the blood draw are typical and routine, the defendant bears the burden of showing the blood was not drawn in a “reasonable manner.” Fish was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI). His blood was drawn at a hospital pursuant to a valid search warrant. The trial court granted Fish’s motion to suppress the results of the blood test because the prosecution failed to prove the blood was drawn in a reasonable manner. The prosecution appealed to the appellate division of the superior court, which reversed. The Court of Appeal granted a transfer petition. Held: Affirmed. When blood is drawn from a person arrested for DUI, the Fourth Amendment requires that the blood be drawn in a reasonable manner. The U.S. Supreme Court has not determined which party has the burden of proof when the defendant claims that a warrant was improperly executed. However, it has expressed a strong preference for warrants and there is a presumption that a search warrant and the affidavit supporting the search warrant are valid. Under California case law, the defendant bears the burden of proof that a search went beyond the scope of the warrant. After analyzing relevant case law, the Court of Appeal here concluded that there was no unfairness in requiring Fish to assume the burden of presenting evidence that the blood was drawn in an unreasonable manner, which he did not do. Fish’s blood was statutorily required to be drawn in a reasonable, medically approved manner (Pen. Code, § 1524, subd. (a)(13)), and there is a presumption that official duties have been regularly performed. (Evid. Code, § 664.) The blood draw occurred in a hospital in the presence of an officer. The circumstances of the blood draw were typical, routine, and not peculiarly within the government’s knowledge or control.
The full opinion is available on the court’s website here: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/B290108.PDF
Case Name: People v. Caldwell (2018) 29 Cal.App.5th 180 , District: 1 DCA , Division: 3 , Case #: A148828
The denial of a motion for a finding of factual innocence (Pen. Code, § 1485.55) is an appealable order. In 1990, Caldwell was convicted of second degree murder and attempted murder based on a drug deal gone bad. In 2009, he filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus which in part challenged his conviction based on ineffective assistance of trial counsel. The trial court granted the petition. Because a prosecution witness had died since the initial trial and the trial court would not permit her recorded testimony to be introduced at a retrial, the prosecution dismissed the case. In 2015, Caldwell filed a motion for finding of actual innocence to support his claim with the California Victim Compensation Board. The motion was denied and Caldwell appealed. The prosecution moved to dismiss the appeal as from a nonappealable order, arguing that Penal Code section 1485.55 does not provide a right to appeal the denial of an actual innocence motion. Held: Order is appealable. The court in In re Anthony (2015) 236 Cal.App.4th 204, concluded the granting of a motion for finding of actual innocence is not appealable by the prosecution. This decision is supported by the provisions of Penal Code section 1238, which strictly limit the prosecution’s right to appeal. However, Penal Code section 1237, subdivision (b) affords defendants broad rights of appeal where the trial court’s order affects a substantial right. The California Supreme Court regularly allows defendants to appeal notwithstanding the absence of a specific appellate mechanism in the statute under which a defendant seeks relief and liberally interprets section 1237, subdivision (b)’s requirement that the challenged order must affect the defendant’s substantial rights. As Caldwell is pursuing a substantial right in asking the appellate court to reconsider his factual innocence claim, the denial of his motion is appealable. [Editor’s Note: In an unpublished part of the opinion, the Court of Appeal concluded the trial court properly denied Caldwell’s factual innocence motion.]
The full opinion is available on the court’s website here: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/A148828M.PDF
Case Name: Williams v. Filson (9th Cir. 2018) 908 F.3d 546 , Case #: 13-99002
Federal habeas petitioner was entitled to equitable tolling where he relied on the unsettled state of the law related to the relation-back standard in deciding when to file his amended petition. In 1983, Williams pleaded guilty to murder and a three-judge panel sentenced him to death. In January 1998, he filed a federal writ petition, which he amended in 1999 and again in May 2002. In 2003, the federal court stayed proceedings while Williams pursued additional state claims. In 2007, having exhausted his state claims, he reopened his federal proceeding, adding new issues. The district court held the new claims barred by AEDPA or procedurally defaulted, and that Williams was not entitled to equitable tolling. Williams appealed. Held: Reversed in part. To assert equitable tolling, a habeas petitioner must show: (1) that he was diligently pursuing his rights, and (2) that some extraordinary circumstance stood in his way and prevented timely filing. Here, the state did not contest that Williams diligently pursued his rights. Further, he relied on the unsettled state of the law when he assumed that his new claims in his amended petitions related back to those asserted in his initial petition. Federal law allows an amendment to a pleading to “relate back” to the original pleading when the amendment asserts a claim or defense that “arose out of the conduct, transaction or occurrence set out . . . in the original pleading.” (Fed. Rules Civ.Proc., rule 15.) When the Supreme Court limited the scope of the relation-back standard in Mayle v. Felix (2005) 545 U.S. 644, it was too late for Williams to cure any timeliness issues that arose as a result. His “reasonable assumption” that the unsettled state of the law allowed him to assert additional claims under Rule 15 constituted an extraordinary circumstance that prevented him from filing a timely petition, entitling him to equitable tolling.
The full opinion is available on the court’s website here: http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2018/11/09/13-99002.pdf
Case Name: Maquiz MacDonald v. Hedgpeth (9th Cir. 2018) 907 F.3d 1212 , Case #: 16-55240
Under AEDPA, there was no reasonable basis on which the California courts could have rejected petitioner’s argument that the gang enhancement was unsupported by sufficient evidence. Maquiz was convicted of multiple counts of robbery with gang and gun use enhancements. He challenged the gang enhancement tied to one of the robberies in which he acted alone. After exhausting state remedies, Maquiz filed a federal habeas petition, which the district court denied. He appealed. Held: Reversed and remanded. When a federal habeas petitioner challenges the sufficiency of the evidence used to obtain a state conviction on federal due process grounds, the federal court must determine whether the decision of the state court reflected an unreasonable application of Jackson v. Virginia (1979) 443 U.S. 307, 319 to the facts of the case. Under Jackson, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, the court must determine whether any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. To sustain an enhancement under Penal Code section 186.22, subdivision (b)(1), the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that (1) the defendant committed a felony for the benefit of a criminal street gang, and (2) the defendant did so with the specific intent to promote, further, or assist in any criminal conduct by gang members. Here, evidence at trial showed only that Maquiz committed the robbery alone, hiding his face, and without wearing or displaying gang symbols, signs, or colors. There was no evidence that the victims were aware of Maquiz’s gang association or that Maquiz discussed the robbery or shared the $70 proceeds of the crime. The only evidence relevant to the gang enhancement came from an officer, and the court determined the officer’s opinions and conclusions were purely conclusory and factually unsupported. Applying AEDPA’s deferential standard of review, the court concluded the evidence was insufficient to support the gang enhancement under Jackson.
Case Name: People v. Garcia (2018) 28 Cal.App.5th 961, District: 4 DCA , Division: 2 , Case #: E068490
Trial court did not err by excluding the testimony of a defense eyewitness identification expert where the identification was substantially corroborated by evidence giving it independent reliability. Opinion on rehearing. A jury convicted Garcia of residential burglary. He admitted having a strike prior/prior serious felony conviction. On appeal, he argued the trial court abused its discretion and denied his due process right to present a defense by refusing to allow a defense expert to testify concerning the reliability of eyewitness identifications. Held: Affirmed. Expert testimony is admissible on subjects that are sufficiently beyond common experience when the opinion of an expert would assist the trier of fact. (Evid. Code, § 801, subd. (a)). A trial court has discretion to exclude relevant evidence if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the probability its admission will consume undue time, mislead the jury, or confuse the issues. (Evid. Code, § 352.) However, it is error to exclude eyewitness expert evidence when an eyewitness identification of the defendant is a key element of the prosecution’s case but is not substantially corroborated by evidence giving it independent reliability. Here, the trial court did not abuse its discretion by excluding the expert eyewitness testimony. Ample other evidence substantially corroborated the identification of defendant, thereby reducing the probative value of the defense expert’s testimony. Defendant’s vehicle was reported at the scene of the burglary. The eyewitness also identified defendant’s good friend, who was placed at the scene of the crime by his ankle monitor, and who admitted to his involvement in the burglary. During jail calls, defendant expressed concern that his fingerprints may be found at the house and tried to set up an alibi. In addition, the jury was instructed on the many factors that may affect eyewitness identification. (CALCRIM No. 315.) Lastly, given the totality of the evidence, any error in excluding the testimony was harmless.
The case must be remanded to allow the trial court to consider whether to strike defendant’s five-year prior serious felony enhancement. On September 30, 2018, the Governor signed SB 1393, which grants trial courts the discretion to strike a prior serious felony enhancement, effective January 1, 2019. (See Pen. Code, §§ 667, subd. (a), 1385.) After SB 1393 was signed, Garcia petitioned for rehearing, arguing that the matter must be remanded for resentencing so the trial court may exercise its discretion to dismiss or strike his prior serious felony enhancement. The Court of Appeal granted rehearing and agreed with Garcia. When an amendatory statute lessens the punishment for a crime or vests in the trial court the discretion to impose a lesser penalty than under the old law, it is reasonable to infer, absent evidence to the contrary, that the Legislature intended the new law to retroactively apply to all cases not final when the statute becomes effective. It was not likely that Garcia would exhaust all his appeal rights by January 1, 2019. Therefore, the case was remanded for resentencing after the effective date of the law.
Case Name: People v. Baldivia (2018) 28 Cal.App.5th 1071, District: 6 DCA , Case #:H043736
Plea agreements contemplate changes in the law when the Legislature intended those changes to apply and such issues may be raised on appeal without a certificate of probable cause (CPC). Appellant committed several offenses when he was 17 years old and was charged with those crimes in criminal court. In May 2016, he pleaded guilty to two robberies, evading an officer, and admitted a gun use enhancement. He filed a notice of appeal and did not obtain a CPC. While his appeal was pending, Proposition 57 passed. This new law requires cases involving minors to be filed in juvenile court and a fitness hearing held before transfer to criminal court. In addition, SB 620 was enacted, granting trial courts discretion to strike gun use enhancements. On appeal defendant urged application of both new laws to his case. Held: Remanded for transfer hearing and, if necessary, a resentencing hearing. Generally, when a defendant enters into an agreed-term plea, a CPC is required to challenge the sentence because this is in essence a challenge to the validity of the plea. However, defendants may generally obtain retroactive relief from new potentially ameliorative statutes if their cases are not yet final. The latter line of authority prevails in these cases, because plea agreements are deemed to incorporate changes in the law. The California Supreme Court concluded the “inference of retroactivity” meant that Proposition 57’s transfer hearing provisions applied “to all juveniles charged directly in adult court whose judgment was not final at the time it was enacted.” (People v. Superior Court (Lara) (2018) 4 Cal.5th 299.) In addition, SB No. 620 was enacted after Penal Code section 1237.5 (the CPC requirement) and should therefore be given priority. Further, SB 620 expressly contemplated that it would have retroactive effect. Since these laws are retroactive, their changes apply to all nonfinal cases, including all preexisting plea agreements. Therefore, appellant’s issues on appeal do not concern the validity of his plea and do not require a CPC.
The full opinion is available on the court’s website here: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/H043736.PDF
Case Name: People v. Henry (2018) 28 Cal.App.5th 786 , District: 6 DCA , Case #:H044626
Felony false personation conviction reversed where defendant’s conduct constituted a violation of a more specific misdemeanor statute. Henry was convicted by a jury of felony false personation (Pen. Code, § 529, subd. (a)(3)) after he gave a friend’s name to a police officer at a traffic stop and signed a citation with that name. Henry appealed, arguing that his conviction violated the Williamson rule (In re Williamson (1954) 43 Cal.2d 651), which prohibits prosecution under a general statute when the conduct at issue is covered under a more specific statute. Held: Reversed and remanded. The Williamson rule applies when (1) each element of the general statute corresponds to an element on the face of the special statute, or (2) when it appears from the statutory context that a violation of the special statute will necessarily or commonly result in a violation of the general statute. When a special statute can be violated in two different ways, one of which does not violate the general statute, the reviewing court should consider only if the present conduct at issue would commonly violate the general statute. Here, Henry argued that his conduct should have been charged as a misdemeanor under Vehicle Code section 40504, subdivision (b), which criminalizes the signing of a false or fictitious name on a promise to appear for the traffic citation. Section 529, subdivision (a)(3), makes criminal the act of falsely impersonating another in a way that would make that person liable to any suit or prosecution. Vehicle Code section 40504, subdivision (b) can be violated by signing either a false or a fictitious name. The signing of a fictitious name would not constitute a violation of Penal Code section 529, subdivision (a)(3). However, because Henry falsely gave the name of a real person, his conduct violated both the special and general statutes. In reviewing the legislative history of Vehicle Code section 40504, the court determined that the Legislature intended to create an exception to the felony punishment as stated under the more general statute, and therefore the Williamson rule applied.
Case Name: People v. Acosta (2018) 28 Cal.App.5th 701 , District: 6 DCA , Case #:H045175
Trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to request a hearing on defendant’s ability to pay sexual offender fines; however, trial courts are encouraged to independently inquire about defendant’s ability to pay. Acosta was convicted of committing a lewd or lascivious act on a child under age 14 (Pen. Code, § 288, subd. (a)) and contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense (Pen. Code, § 288.3, subd. (a)). At sentencing, the court imposed two fines pursuant to Penal Code section 290.3 without making any findings about Acosta’s ability to pay the fines. Counsel did not ask for a hearing and did not object to their imposition. Acosta appealed, arguing that his case should be remanded for a hearing on his ability to pay the fines because his counsel was constitutionally ineffective for failing to object to the fines. Held: Affirmed. Section 290.3 requires a defendant be fined for certain sex offenses (including sections 288 and 288.3) “unless the court determines that the defendant does not have the ability to pay the fine.” (Pen. Code, § 290.3, subd. (a).) In order to demonstrate that an attorney provided ineffective assistance of counsel, appellant must establish that his counsel’s performance was deficient and that appellant suffered prejudice due to the deficient performance. (Strickland v. Washington (1984) 466 U.S. 668, 687.) Here, the court found it was possible counsel had made a tactical decision not to object to particular fines because it was not in the defendant’s interest to do so. Counsel could have determined that he would be unable to establish that Acosta had no ability to pay based on his age, work history, and intended plan to pursue employment after serving his sentence. However, in light of these considerations and the reality that many felony defendants are indigent, the Court of Appeal urged trial courts to inquire sua sponte into a defendant’s financial circumstances before imposing a sexual offender fine.
Other Published Decisions With Recent Supreme Court Actions
On 10/30/2018, the First District, Division One issued a published decision in People v. Grzymski (2018) 28 Cal.App.5th 799 (A153015). On 2/13/2019, the California Supreme Court granted review (case number S252911) and ordered briefing deferred pending decision in People v. McKenzie (2018) 25 Cal.App.5th 1207, review granted 11/20/2018 (S251333/F073942), which presents the following issue: When is the judgment in a criminal case final for purposes of applying a later change in the law if the defendant was granted probation and imposition of sentence was suspended?
The Court of Appeal’s opinion in Grzymski is available here:
https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/revpub/A153015.PDF
During October 29, 2018, to December 2, 2018, the California Supreme Court granted review in the following cases:
When is the judgment in a criminal case final for purposes of applying a later change in the law if the defendant was granted probation and imposition of sentence was suspended? (People v. McKenzie (2018) 25 Cal.App.5th 1207, review granted 11/20/2018 (S251333/F073942).)
Did the prosecutor improperly vouch for the testifying correctional officers by arguing in rebuttal that they had no reason to lie, would not place their careers at risk by lying, and would not subject themselves to possible prosecution for perjury? (People v. Rodriguez(2018) 26 Cal.App.5th 890, review granted 11/28/2018 (S251706/F073594).)
(1) Can the prosecution charge theft and shoplifting of the same property, notwithstanding Penal Code section 459.5, subdivision (b), which provides that “Any act of shoplifting as defined in subdivision (a) shall be charged as shoplifting. No person who is charged with shoplifting may also be charged with burglary or theft of the same property”? (2) If not, was trial counsel ineffective for failing to object to the theft charge? (People v. Lopez (2018) 26 Cal.App.5th 382, review granted 11/20/2018 (S250829/F074581).)
On 11/28/2018, the court directed the parties in People v. Lopez (2018) 26 Cal.App.5th 382, review granted 11/20/2018 (S250829/F074581) to brief the following issues in addition to the issues stated in the order granting review. In briefing these additional issues, the parties are to assume, solely for the sake of argument and without prejudice to any contrary argument, that Penal Code section 459.5, subdivision (b), prohibits the prosecution from charging both shoplifting and theft of the same property under any circumstances. (1) Did defendant forfeit the argument under Penal Code section 459.5 by failing to object to the prosecution’s charging both shoplifting and theft? (2) If defendant had objected, what should the trial court’s ruling have been? Might it have ordered the prosecution to choose between a shoplifting charge and a theft charge? If so, and given the potential difficulty in proving the intent required for shoplifting, might the prosecution have chosen to charge only petty theft with a prior? In that event, would defendant have been prejudiced by the failure to object? (3) Was petty theft with a prior a lesser included offense of shoplifting under the accusatory pleading test? If so, could the trial court have instructed the jury on shoplifting as the charged offense and on petty theft as a lesser included offense? (See People v. Reed (2006) 38 Cal.4th 1224, 1227-1231.) If not, and assuming defendant had objected to charging both crimes, could the prosecution have moved to amend the charging document to make the theft charge a lesser included offense of shoplifting under the accusatory pleading test? If that had occurred, could the trial court have instructed on shoplifting as the charged offense and on petty theft as a lesser included offense? In that event, would defendant have been prejudiced by the failure to object?
Grant and Hold
People v. Stevenson (2018) 25 Cal.App.5th 974, review granted 11/14/2018 (S251071/A143337, A143415, A143477). Briefing deferred pending decision in People v. Canizales (2014) 229 Cal.App.4th 820, review granted 11/19/2014 (S221958/E054056, which presents the following issue: Was the jury properly instructed on the “kill zone” theory of attempted murder?
For a list of cases with unpublished decisions where review has been granting with briefing deferred, see the California Supreme Court’s Summary of Cases Accepted and Related Actions During Week of October 29, 2018: http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ws102918.pdf.
For a list of cases with unpublished decisions where review has been granting with briefing deferred, see the California Supreme Court’s Summary of Cases Accepted and Related Actions During Week of November 12, 2018: http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ws111218.pdf.
The U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in the following case:
Petitioner Curtis Flowers has been tried six times for the same offense in Mississippi state court. Through the first four trials, prosecutor Doug Evans relentlessly removed as many qualified African American jurors as he could. He struck all ten African Americans who came up for consideration during the first two trials, and he used all twenty-six of his allotted strikes against African Americans at the third and fourth trials. (The fifth jury hung on guilt-orinnocence and strike information is not in the available record). Along the way, Evans was twice adjudicated to have violated Batson v. Kentucky–once by the trial judge during the second trial, and once by the Mississippi Supreme Court after the third trial.
At the sixth trial Evans accepted the first qualified African American, then struck the remaining five. When Flowers challenged those strikes on direct appeal, a divided Mississippi Supreme Court reviewed Evans’ proffered explanations for the strikes deferentially and without taking into account his extensive record of discrimination in this case, and affirmed. Flowers then sought review here, asking: “Whether a prosecutor’s history of adjudicated purposeful race discrimination must be considered when assessing the credibility of his proffered explanations for peremptory strikes against minority prospective jurors?” This Court responded by granting certiorari, vacating the Mississippi Supreme Court’s judgment, and remanding “for further consideration in light of Foster v. Chatman, 136 S. Ct. 1737 (2016).” Flowers v. Mississippi, 136 S.Ct. 2157 (2016).
On remand, a divided Mississippi Supreme Court again affirmed. Over three dissents, the state court majority emphasized deference to the trial court, and insisted both that the “[t]he prior adjudications of the violation of Batson do not undermine Evans’ race neutral reasons,” and that “the historical evidence of past discrimination . . . does not alter our analysis . . .” Flowers v. Mississippi, 240 So.3d 1082, 1124 (Miss. 2018). The state court majority then repeated, nearly word-for-word, its previous, history-blind evaluation of Evans’ strikes.
The court granted the petition for certiorari limitied to the following question: Whether the Mississippi Supreme Court erred in how it applied Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79 (1986) in this case. (Flowers v. State (Miss. 2017) 240 So.3d 1082, cert. granted 11/2/2018 (17-9572).)
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10 Weird Gestures From Around The World Explained
Gestures are a crucial and irreplaceable part of how we communicate with each other, whether it’s serious conversations that have to be ended with the “talk to the hand” sign or casual occasions like asking the waiter how much the drink costs in a crowded bar. It’s not just a substitute for the spoken word, either. In many cases, gestures help get the point across much more effectively than any string of words ever could.
As any traveler will tell you, though, gestures aren’t universal even if you think they are. In many countries, signs that you may have grown up with may mean something completely—and bafflingly—different elsewhere. These are some of the most confusing gestures that you either never knew existed or know to mean something completely opposite of what they do in these places.
10 Shaking Hands Over A Threshold
We understand that shaking hands isn’t a globally recognized form of greeting like it is in most of the Western world. Many countries do it differently, like folding your hands and doing the namaste in India or bowing to each other in Japan.
Even in those countries, however, handshakes aren’t considered to be offensive or inauspicious. They just think that their way of greeting is better than the handshake, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
In Russia, though, shaking hands over a threshold (for example, while entering the house) is considered to be incredibly bad luck as the threshold is where the ghost of the house is believed to reside. While that’s also something we have no problems with, it does raise the important question of why the spirit of the house is choosing to stay in such a cramped space in the first place.
Nevertheless, when you’re in Russia, always wait to step inside a house to offer the handshake.[1]
9 Toasting
One of the best parts of traveling around the world is exploring the drinking cultures of various countries, something you’d never be able to do just sitting at your local bar. The first thing you’d notice is how different places do toasts.
While some countries don’t toast at all and just get busy drinking as soon as the drink is poured, other places like to do it with the classic “cheers” to give the whole thing a communal vibe. Not in Hungary, though. There, saying “cheers” and banging your beer glasses together brings back some horrific memories from the country’s past, which is a strict no-no.
You see, back when Hungary was under the Austrian Empire and tried to revolt, the rebellion was brutally crushed by the empire’s forces. To celebrate the victory, the Austrians did the whole cheers routine right before executing captured Hungarian leaders.
This lingers in the psyche of the nation to this day. They even outright banned the practice for 150 years. Even when the ban was lifted, the Hungarians just never took to the practice like other parts of the world.[2]
8 Patting On The Head
Patting on the head is usually reserved for rewarding a kid for an accomplishment that isn’t good enough for an actual physical gift or in postcoital situations where cuddling after the act isn’t a desirable option. It definitely doesn’t carry any negative connotation, even though it doesn’t fit most situations other than those specific ones.
That’s not true for many parts of Asia, though, where it’s considered extremely rude to even touch the head, let alone outright pat it.
In many Asian countries, the head is considered to be the most important part of the body. Touching it in any way is strictly off-limits without proper consent. It’s mainly restricted to countries with large Buddhist populations like China and Thailand, though we’d suggest just not doing it in any Asian country to be on the safe side of things.[3]
7 Devil’s Horns
If you’ve ever been to a rock concert, you’re familiar with the devil’s horns. Made by keeping the index and the little finger upright with the two middle fingers held down with the thumb, this is a universally accepted gesture for calling something “metal,” so to speak.
Originally made popular by Ronnie James Dio, once a vocalist for Black Sabbath, the gesture is generally understood to carry a positive tone, though not in Italy.
Making the devil’s horns in Italy means something completely different and can land you in a verbal argument at best and a full-blown bar brawl at worst. It simply depends on whom you point it toward and how drunk the person is. In Italy, devil’s horns imply that a man’s wife is unfaithful, though more as an insult to him than his wife.[4]
6 Shake And Nod
If you’re the adventurous kind and regularly find yourself in places with a completely different language and culture, you know that it’s not easy. Other than being ripped off all the time for basic day-to-day commodities, navigation can be a problem, too, as you never know where to go next the whole time you’re there.
Despite the language barrier, there’s one form of communication you can count on to work across the world—nodding your head for “yes” and shaking it for “no.” Universally understood, it’s one of the things that everyone in the world shares no matter where they’re from. Well, except in the Balkans, where it means the complete opposite.
In countries like Albania and Bulgaria, the shake is used to say “yes” and the nod means “no.”[5]
5 The OK Sign
The OK sign—made by forming an “O” with your index finger and thumb and a “K” with the other three fingers—is another gesture that’s universally recognized. While the intensity of its meaning may vary from place to place, it’s generally taken to mean that everything is okay (as its name suggests).
It’s also an important communication tool if you’re learning how to dive. It usually signals from far away that all the equipment is working as intended.
However, none of this extends to Brazil as well as many other Latin American countries. In those places, the A-OK sign means “screw you,” to put it politely. When Richard Nixon landed in Brazil in the 1950s and made the sign with both hands, the reactions he got from the crowd were exactly what you’d expect them to be.[6]
Closing your fingers in a fist with the thumb sticking out is a common gesture to indicate that you’re perfectly fine with whatever you’re pointing toward. It may sound like a strictly American thing. But if you travel around, you’ll know that it’s also intuitively understood in other parts of the world without an explanation.
In Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries, however, the classic thumbs up carries a more negative connotation. In essence, pointing it at someone suggests that you’re asking them to shove it up theirs, as the advancing US soldiers experienced firsthand from the crowd during the Iraq War.
In Roman history, the thumbs up was used by the generals to signal “kill them.” We’re not entirely sure why or when it started being seen as the positive gesture that it is today.[7]
3 Shaking Head At An Angle
Photo credit: BBC
As we mentioned above, nodding and shaking your head to indicate approval or disapproval, respectively, is understood around the world except in the Balkans. It’s one of the few things that is common among humans, and you can count on it to get you around if you’re in a foreign country.
If you go to India, though, you’d come across an additional gesture that’s somewhere between a nod and a shake. If you see it but don’t know how it works, it can be a bit confusing as anyone doing a half-nod-half-shake by tilting the head from side to side is supposed to be. While it’s highly contextual and can even convey sarcasm, it generally indicates a less enthusiastic agreement than an all-out nod.[8]
2 Three-Finger Salute
Depending on what type of a gig you’re attending, raising a certain number of fingers in the air and grooving is considered to be perfectly normal behavior almost everywhere in the world. Of course, it becomes a bit murkier outside concerts.
For example, doing it with two fingers in the wrong circumstances (like when the other person is drunk and angry) can be taken to mean mimicking a gunshot and could lead to a brawl. However, doing it with three fingers is just a harmless reference to The Hunger Games except when you’re in Thailand. There, it’s outlawed.
Possibly taken from the movie and possibly chosen because of how cool it looks, quite a few people in Thailand had taken to doing the three-finger salute to protest the military rule, which ticked off the government enough to make it illegal.
So unless you’re planning to make a particularly strong political stand the first time you visit Thailand and go to jail for it, we’d recommend staying away from The Hunger Games salute when you’re there.[9]
1 Cutis
If you don’t know what the Cutis sign is, just make a fist, put your thumbnail under your front teeth, and flick. It sounds like a random thing you can do with your hands at best and a fairly bad attempt at amusing a child at worst. However, if you’re in India or Pakistan, this gesture carries a specific and offensive meaning.
Essentially, the sign is a nonverbal way to say “screw you” in the Indian subcontinent. It can also involve keeping your fingers outstretched instead of curling them into a fist. It’s not widely recognized across the country and would possibly only work in the northern parts. Even so, we’d advise against doing it wherever you are in the region just to be safe.[10]
You can check out Himanshu’s stuff at Cracked and Screen Rant, get in touch with him for writing gigs here, or just say hello to him on Twitter.
10 Kitchen Gadgets You Didn’t Know You Needed
10 Fascinating Facts And Stories About Belugas
Coolest and Weird Frogs
10 Rumored Locations Of The Lost Amber Room
Ways to Use Your Pee to Improve Your Life
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Federal contractors get 10 percent raise
“Excessive reimbursements are wrong and must stop,” Mack said. “We call on Congress to follow the lead of those members who have already recognized the importance of lowering the executive compensation cap so that taxpayers are no longer liable for these wasteful and unnecessary payments.”
Washington Post Joe Davidson The Federal Diary May 7, 2012
Uncle Sam isn’t as flush as he used to be, but he still has enough money to pay individual private contractors as much as $763,029.
That’s the federal cap on reimbursement to executives of private firms doing government work. The cap was raised in April, from $693,951, by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy
It’s worth pointing out that this 10 percent raise comes as federal employees are in the midst of a two-year freeze on basic pay rates.
But Obama administration officials had no choice in raising the cap. The compensation formula was set by law.
“In accordance with an outdated statute, the federal government was forced to raise the cap on agency reimbursements to contractors for the pay of senior executives who contract with the government,” said Moira Mack, an Office of Management and Budget spokeswoman. “With this latest congressionally mandated increase, taxpayers will be on the hook for contractor reimbursements far in excess of what is reasonable.”
A notice to federal agency heads, from Lesley A. Field, acting administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, said “this rate of growth in the cap . . . has far outpaced the rate of inflation, the rate of growth of private-sector salaries generally, and the rate of growth of Federal salaries — forcing our taxpayers to reimburse contractors for levels of executive compensation that cannot be justified for Federal contract work
May 7, 2012 Posted by defensebaseactcomp | Civilian Contractors, Contractor Oversight, Follow the Money, Government Contractor | Executive Reimbursement, Federal Contractors, Office of Federal Procurement Policy | Leave a comment
America’s Shame: The U.S. Government’s Human Trafficking Dilemma
Project on Government Oversight May 7, 2012
For Vinnie Tuivaga, the offer was the answer to a prayer: A job in a luxury hotel in Dubai–the so-called Las Vegas of the Persian Gulf–making five times what she was earning as a hair stylist in her native Fiji.
She jumped at the chance, even if it meant paying an upfront commission to the recruiter.
You probably know how this story is going to end. There was no high-paying job, luxury location or easy work.
Tuivaga and other Fijians ended up in Iraq where they lived in shipping containers and existed in what amounted to indentured servitude.
Journalist Sarah Stillman told Tuivaga’s story and that of tens of thousands of other foreign workers in acute detail almost a year ago in her New Yorker piece, “The Invisible Army.”
In some cases, Stillman found more severe abuses and more squalid living conditions than what Tuivaga and her fellow Fijians experienced.
But like Tuivaga, thousands of foreign nationals in the U.S. government’s invisible army ended up in Iraq and Afghanistan war zones because they fell victim to human traffickers.
This human trafficking pipeline wasn’t benefitting some shadowy war lord or oppressive regime. No, these are workers who were feeding, cleaning up after, and providing logistical support for U.S. troops—the standard-bearers of the free and democratic world.
In its final report to Congress last year, the Commission on Wartime Contracting said it had uncovered evidence of human trafficking in Iraq and Afghanistan by labor brokers and subcontractors. Commissioner Dov Zakheim later told a Senate panel that the Commission had only scratched the surface of the problem. He called it the “tip of the iceberg.”
In essence, despite a 2002 presidential directive that set a “zero tolerance” on human trafficking, modern-day slavers have been operating with impunity under the aegis of the U.S. government.
Nick Schwellenbach, who until last month was the director of investigations at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), and author David Isenberg also wrote about the conditions some of these foreign workers endured in Iraq.
Nick and David uncovered documents that showed how one U.S. contractor—in this case KBR—was well aware that one of its subcontractors, Najlaa International Catering Services, was involved in trafficking abuses.
May 7, 2012 Posted by defensebaseactcomp | Afghanistan, Civilian Contractors, Contingency Contracting, Contractor Corruption, Contractor Oversight, Follow the Money, Halliburton, Human Trafficking, Iraq, KBR, Politics | Commission on Wartime Contracting, David Isenberg, Foreign Workers, Human Trafficking, KBR, Modern Day Slavers, POBO, Project on Government Oversight, TCN's, Vinnie Tuivaga | 1 Comment
Slaves to the private military in Iraq Cheap help from Uganda
Private security firms won lucrative contracts to supply support staff and security guards to back up US forces in Iraq. They recruited Ugandans and pushed them to the limit, on low pay and no benefits
Like all foreign nationals working for PMCs under contract to the Pentagon, sick or wounded Ugandans repatriated from Iraq are, in principle, covered by the Defense Base Act, which guarantees that their employer’s insurer will reimburse their medical expenses. It also provides for disability pay for the most unfortunate. “But, all too often, the Ugandans do not receive the medical care and disability that they are supposed to,” American lawyer Tara K Coughlin told me.
by Alain Vicky LeMonde Diplomatique May 6, 2012
“I realised immediately that I’d just made the worst mistake in my life. But it was too late. I’d signed up for a year. I had to take it like a man,” said Bernard (1), a young Ugandan who worked for an American private military company (PMC) operating in Iraq. He was part of the “invisible army” (2) recruited by the US to support its war effort. Bernard returned to Uganda last year. He is ill, but has been denied the welfare and healthcare benefits promised in his contract.
White recruits — from the US, Israel, South Africa, the UK, France and Serbia — hired by PMCs that have won contracts with the Pentagon (worth $120bn since 2003) have received substantial pay, often more than $10,000 a month; “third country nationals” (TCNs) like Bernard have been treated badly and their rights as employees have been abused. Some, sent home after being wounded, get no help from their former employers.
In June 2008, when the US began its withdrawal from Iraq, there were 70,167 TCNs to 153,300 regular US military personnel; in late 2010 there were still 40,776 TCNs to 47,305 regulars. TCNs (men and women) were recruited in the countries of the South to work on the 25 US military bases in Iraq, including Camp Liberty, an “American small town” built near Baghdad, which at its peak had a population of over 100,000. They made up 59% of the “basic needs” workforce, handling catering, cleaning, electrical and building maintenance, fast food, and even beauty services for female military personnel.
Some, especially African recruits, were assigned to security duties, paired up with regular troops: 15% of the static security personnel (guarding base entrances and perimeters) hired by the PMCs on behalf of the Pentagon were Sub-Saharans. Among these low-cost guards, Ugandans were a majority, numbering maybe 20,000. They were sometimes used to keep their colleagues in line: in May 2010 they quelled a riot at Camp Liberty by a thousand TCNs from the Indian subcontinent.
The high ratio of Ugandans was due to the political situation in central Africa in the early 2000s. In western Uganda the war in the Great Lakes region was officially over. In northern Uganda the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels had been brought under control. In neighbouring Sudan the civil war was over, opening up the way to independence for the south (3). More than 60,000 Ugandan troops were demobilised; Iraq seemed like an opportunity. The Ugandan government, a key ally of the US in central Africa, was one of the few to support the Bush administration when the Iraq war began in 2003. US and Ugandan armed forces have collaborated since the mid-1980s. Ugandan journalist and blogger Angelo Izama (4) told me that in 2005 the US needed more paramilitary security — “They were looking for reliable labour from English-speaking countries, veteran labour” — and turned to Uganda.
Please see the original and read the entire article here
May 7, 2012 Posted by defensebaseactcomp | Africa, AIG and CNA, Civilian Contractors, Contractor Casualties, Defense Base Act, DynCorp, Follow the Money, Iraq | ACE, AIG, CNA, Defense Base Act, Defense Base Act Insurance Companies, DynCorp, EODT, PMC's, PSC's, SOC, Tangiers International, Torres, Triple Canopy, Ugandan PMC's | Leave a comment
US abandons consulate site in Afghanistan, citing security risks
Washington Post May 6, 2012
After signing a 10-year lease and spending more than $80 million on a site envisioned as the United States’ diplomatic hub in northern Afghanistan, American officials say they have abandoned their plans, deeming the location for the proposed compound too dangerous.
Eager to raise an American flag and open a consulate in a bustling downtown district of the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif, officials in 2009 sought waivers to stringent State Department building rules and overlooked significant security problems at the site, documents show. The problems included relying on local building techniques that made the compound vulnerable to a car bombing, according to an assessment by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul that was obtained by The Washington Post.
May 7, 2012 Posted by defensebaseactcomp | Afghanistan, Civilian Contractors, Safety and Security Issues, State Department | Mazar e Sharif, US Consulate, US Embassy, US State Dept | Leave a comment
Marine EOD, Sgt John Patrick Huling killed by Afghan National Army Soldier
Cincinnati.com May 6, 2012
A local U.S. Marine has been killed in Afghanistan.
The Marine Corps informed Sgt. John Patrick (JP) Huling’s mother, Debbie Huling, on Sunday that he was killed while on foot patrol in Anwar Province.
“He was brave and selfless and gave his life for his country so everybody could enjoy the freedom that we live now,” said Huling of West Chester.
Huling said that he was ambushed by a man who appeared to be an Afghan military policeman. She said she was led to believe that the man may have been a Taliban militant.
Sgt. Huling, 25, suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. He was flown to a hospital, where he later died.
The Moeller High School graduate and bomb disposal specialist is survived by his wife of two years, Priscilla, and their dog, Soco; a brother, Justin, 23, who also is a Marine; a sister, Lauren Coach, 30, of Cincinnati and a niece, Tyrah, 12.
May 7, 2012 Posted by defensebaseactcomp | Afghanistan, Bomb Disposal, Explosive Ordnance Disposal | Afghan National Army, ANA, EOD, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Green on Blue, Marine EOD, Sgt John Patrick Huling | Leave a comment
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Led Zeppelin Presence (1976)
From classicrockreview.com
In late 1975, Led Zeppelin had planned a world tour to capitalize of the phenomenal success of their latest album Physical Graffiti. the band was at the absolute zenith of their popularity with a string on top-selling albums going back to 1969. However, a serious car accident involving lead singer Robert Plant while he was vacationing on the island of Rhodes with his wife, made the tour impossible. Plant was confined to a wheelchair for nearly six months and this tilted the band towards writing and recording a new “unplanned” album. The result was Presence, the least successful album in the Zeppelin catalog commercially and one with very mixed reviews critically. However, Presence is the album that the band themselves consider to be their “most important”.
During his recovery period in Malibu, CA following the accident, Plant began to write some lyrics. He was soon joined by guitarist and producer Jimmy Page to further work on these compositions. When enough material had been written, bassist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham were summoned to rehearsals in California. The band then migrated to Munich, Germany for recording, all with Plant still in a wheelchair. The studio was small, in a basement, and very difficult for Plant to work in. Further, the band found out that they had just 18 days for the entire production as the Rolling Stones had the very same studio booked for their next album, Black and Blue. As producer, Page pretty much stayed awake for the entire 18 days in order to complete the album in Munich.
The result is, perhaps, the most unusual Led Zeppelin album (although each of their albums are quite distinct). Page developed a cleaner, “twang-ier” guitar sound in contrast to his signature “crunch” riffs of earlier days. Bonham’s drumming is furious and strong with a sound extended from that on Physical Graffiti, while Jones continued his migration from a dynamic blues to that of a more standard rock bass player. As Plant himself admits, his vocals dynamics suffered a bit due to his confinement. Further, he was a bit upset with the band’s management for keeping him from his wife, who was also seriously injured in the car wreck and recovering back in England, mainly due to tax reasons. Still, Robert Plant at 50% is superior to most rock singers and his performance on Presence is far from embarrassing.
The album was completed on November 26th, the day before Thanksgiving, which was a suggested title for the album. This title was rejected in favor of “Presence”, a representative force surrounding the band. The cover artwork features various images of random people interacting with a black obelisk-shaped “object”, a sort of play on the space object in the film 2001.
Presence is the only Led Zeppelin album with neither acoustic or keyboard tracks, as the band made a concerted effort to forge and updated version of their earliest “raw” sound. This strategy succeeds well on the first side but is less successful on the second side as the three songs on the first side are far superior to the four on the second. Still, it is refreshing that the band never lost their capacity for experimentation even with this quickly rushed album.
Unlike most albums which tend to build towards an epic song late on either sides this album kicks off right away with “Achilles Last Stand”, the tour de force of Presence. The song starts with dreamy, flanged guitar intro by Page which gives way to a rapid trigger-like riff that gets variated throughout. It is a true journey of a song lead by Plant’s lyric and vocal telling of his misfortune in the land of the Greek heroes. One flaw with the song is that it lasts just a bit too long and becomes a little repetitive towards the end. It perhaps would have worked better as a 7-minute song than this 10½ minute goliath.
This last point is magnified with the album’s closer “Tea For One”, another extended cut but with alot less action. The truth is, the best part of this 9-plus-minute song is the first 21 seconds when the band does a riff completely out of context with the rest of the song, which is a slow and depressing diddy that wallows in misery and desperately cries for a kick into a higher gear at some point. Some have pointed to the shorter songs on the album as “filler”, but I believe the filler actually lies within the longer compositions themselves by virtue of repetitiveness. Which begs the question – if the band didn’t feel like they had enough material, why not add some older material like they had with Physical Graffiti? We know now that there were some fine, unreleased songs out there like “Travelig Riverside Blues”, “Poor Tom”, and “Hey, Hey What Can I Do?”
Royal Orleans by Led ZeppelinRounding out side one is a couple of unique Zeppelin gems. “For Your Life” is the quintessential Led Zeppelin song, filled with bluesy licks over a catchy riff and dynamic, much-improvised vocals by Plant belting out lyrics that are hard to decipher completely, but with a vibe “felt” to the bone. The song contains nice changes, an interesting bridge, and a precise, simple, and strong beat throughout by Bonham. “Royal Orleans” is a fun and funky tune alledgedly retelling a story involving John Paul Jones and a transvestite.
Launching the second side, “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”, Plant’s guilt-ridden song about bad things befalling him (presumably the car wreck) due to his own actions. The song contains an excellent blues harp solo, unlike anything he had done since “When the Levee Breaks” on Led Zeppelin IV, five years earlier. It is the first of two distinct leads, followed by Page’s own bluesy guitar lead, combined these make up the best part of the song. Much like “Achilles”, this composition would be better if more succinct and less repetitive, but it is still a fine track.
The heart of the second side contains two fine sounding throwback songs. “Candy Store Rock” is an Elvis tribute, which uses the candy store as an analogy for sex in the same fashion that “Trampled Underfoot” used the car on the previous album. It is not a terrible listen but just a little disappointing in the minimalist approach of Page and Jones. Bonham, on the other hand plays a very interesting beat with entertaining variations throughout. “Hots On for Nowhere” is one of the forgotten gems of the Zeppelin catalog, a stop-start rockabilly riff and beat with some nice changes. It is a song with a very upbeat vibe despite the mainly depressing lyrics.
Presence did initially rush to #1 on the Billboard charts (probably due to the band’s popularity alone) but quickly fell and tracks from this album have rarely received airplay. Also, because of it being completely built in the studio, few songs from the album were played live on subsequent tours. Still, despite this initial subdued reception, Presence is an excellent listen that has held up well over the decades and cannot be overlooked by any true fans of Led Zeppelin today.
April 7, 2013 - Posted by Jerry | Led Zeppelin Presence | Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin Ultraviolence (Cleveland, January 1975)
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Will CMAP Stop Prioritizing Increasing Road Capacity in Next Regional Plan?
By Steven Vance
The GO TO 2040 regional plan says we should encourage transit use, but CMAP’s policy would allow road binging projects if they cost a minimum of $100 million, while applying a $250 million threshold on other project types. Photo: David Grant
This is the second post in a two-part series on the upcoming ON TO 2050 regional plan. The first discussed public outreach goals for the new plan, and this one critiques its predecessor, GO TO 2040.
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning has launched the process to create the successor to the regional comprehensive plan, GO TO 2040. The new plan, called ON TO 2050, will illustrate with ideas, strategies, predictions, and research, what the region will be like in 2050, and how communities can get there.
GO TO 2040 is a good plan: it envisions a growing region, with an aim for sustainable, compact development in already developed areas, plus big gains in transit ridership, and bicycling and walking. What it did poorly is connect the dots between those goals and how municipalities, including Chicago, in the seven-county region can achieve them. Here are some of the praiseworthy aspects of GO TO 2040, as well as some of plan’s shortcomings.
“Parking pricing” is a strategy in GO TO 2040 to maximize the use of existing resources and reduce car dependence in a neighborhood. Liz Schuh, a principal policy analyst at CMAP and ON TO 2050 co-manager, said in a phone interview, “There hasn’t been much progress.” That doesn’t mean they haven’t made inroads.
In 2013, CMAP and Metropolitan Planning Council staff thoroughly analyzed the so-called parking crunch in the area administered by the Wicker Park-Bucktown Special Service Area, a business improvement district. They found that there’s plenty of unused, on-street parking, even during busy shopping or nightlife times, if only people were willing to walk an extra block or two to their destinations.
They recommended, among other ideas, testing congestion pricing in the area, with meter prices going up during high-demand periods, and falling during off-peak periods, in an effort to ensure that there’s almost always a space for the person willing to pay for it, which could reducing the amount of driving people do while searching for a spot.
Another area where GO TO 2040 has fallen short is detailing how to reach certain goals, like doubling transit ridership from 2 million daily rides to 4 million daily rides by the year 2040. The plan also recommends increasing the the proportion of residents who can walk to transit from home and work. The plan doesn’t say how the region can achieve these goals within the next couple of decades, beyond recommending that more transit service be provided and that new development should focus on existing developed areas, which would limit suburban sprawl. Sprawl persists.
In addition, CMAP doesn’t have much power to enforce the guidelines in its existing regional plan, but that’s the case with most metropolitan planning organizations across the country. Aside from the ability to decide which local transportation projects receive federal funding, CMAP doesn’t have authority to use GO TO 2040 to influence development patterns. It funds and writes local plans for municipalities in the Local Technical Assistance program, but can’t enforce implementation. As such, even though the plan warns that low-density sprawl requires expensive infrastructure to support it, we’re still seeing plenty of new car-centric development in the region.
Members of the CMAP MPO Policy Committee. Photo: Steven Vance
However, there are a few regions in the country where the local MPO has more teeth. The Portland, Oregon area, for example, has an elected regional government that also acts as the region’s planning agency, with more power to influence development in local municipalities. As a result, Portland sprawls less than many metropolitan areas.
ON TO 2050 co-manager and principal planner Kristin Ihnchak said that CMAP is refining the “infill development” part of the GO TO 2040 plan. “We want to get more specific on what we mean by ‘existing developed areas’,” she said. Staff are looking at community and sub-community level plans across the region “to identify areas already identified by municipalities that are ‘high priority areas’,” Ihnchak said, which could include “commercial corridors, downtown and mixed use areas, and transit hubs and job centers.” She said they might list specific geographies, but the plan will identify “types of areas in the region where we should be investing.”
GO TO 2040’s effectiveness has also been compromised by politics, which has resulted in CMAP endorsing projects that weren’t on the plan’s high priority list. The agency’s board voted against endorsing the Governor Quinn’s boneheaded idea to spend some $500 million on the Illiana Tollway, but CMAP’s policy committee voted for it. Governor Rauner has put the breaks on the Illiana plan, but is still leaving his options open to revive it.
Another example of a project that is only included on CMAP’s low priority list but is still moving forward is is Mayor Emanuel’s plan for an express train between the Loop and O’Hare. While he’s said that his goal is not to use any taxpayer money on creating pricey rail service geared towards business travelers, he’s already spending $2 million for a feasibility study.
The lists of high-priority and low-priority projects from the GO TO 2040 Plan won’t necessarily get copied over to the new plan. Schuh said they are reaching out to implementers – municipalities, counties, and transportation agencies – “to ask them about projects they want to put on here.” She said they’re currently looking for “regionally significant projects,” whereas GO TO 2040 focused on “very large projects.” “This time we’re looking at our transportation networks,” Schuh said, including ways to support bus rapid transit and arterial extensions.
For ON TO 2050, CMAP is implementing a new policy on a trial basis. To be considered for inclusion in the new plan, most types of projects need to have a projected cost of at least $250 million. However, the new policy allows projects that “change capacity on the National Highway System (NHS) or that are new expressways or principal arterials” or “change capacity on transit services with some separate rights-of-way or shared right-of- way where transit has priority over other traffic” to be included if they’re estimated to cost at least $100 million.
But that $100 million threshold still sets too high a bar for many bus-priority projects. For example, while the Ashland BRT project, estimated to cost $160 million, would meet that threshold, the Loop Link project, which cost $41 million, wouldn’t have been eligible.
Meanwhile, the policy sets too low a bar for projects that would add highway capacity for single-occupant vehicles. As I’ve written before, these kind of projects conflict with anti-sprawl goals of GO TO 2040.
Perhaps because it has been difficult to implement GO TO 2040, CMAP has proposed administering a new revenue source called FUND 2040. It could be used to fund transit stations, multi-use trails, and stormwater management infrastructure, among other things. This would give the agency more power to get these “regionally-significant projects” implemented.
Did you appreciate this post? Streetsblog Chicago is currently funded until April 2016. Consider making a donation through our PublicGood site to help ensure we can continue to publish next year.
Filed Under: Bicycling, Bus Transit, Chicago, Chicago Suburbs, Driving, Infrastructure, News, Policy & Planning, Rail Transit, Walking, Ashland BRT, CMAP, GO TO 2040, Illiana Tollway, Kristin Ihnchak, Liz Schuh, O'Hare Express, ON TO 2050
The FUND 2040 is a great idea — even better than the Cook County initiative to create a local funding source for transit. We could really use some more regional government in Northeastern Illinois. The Toronto region has done this. Unfortunately, I just don’t see that happening politically.
And when I say “more regional government,” I mean that we should combine units of government rather than layer more on top of what we have. We need far, far fewer units of government. For example, if Cook county and its municipalities merged (see Indianapolis for an example), then the forest preserve district, the MWRD, and many other local units could become functions of that unified government. I’m not usually one for mind-numb MBA speak, but think of the efficiencies to be had! Not to mention, the better regional coordination.
J. Geoff Rove
First do a forensic audit of all the state and fed. gas taxes and license plate fees generated in the RTA zone. Maybe no tolls are needed to add a forth lane on I-55 instead of keeping it at a Peoria Metro level of service.
CMAP Launches Input Process for ON TO 2050, Chicago’s Next Regional Plan
By Steven Vance | Mar 8, 2016
This is part one of a two-part series about ON TO 2050, the new comprehensive regional plan for Chicagoland. The official planning agency for the Chicagoland region is looking for your big ideas on what the region should look like – and how it could get there – in 2050. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning […]
Preckwinkle, Environmental Groups Want CMAP to Drop Illiana
By Steven Vance | Sep 9, 2014
The Sierra Club and other organizations intend to petition the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to remove the Illiana Tollway from its regional plan, effectively disallowing the state from building the new highway. The deletion is possible because CMAP, the federally-designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for this region, is finalizing a mandatory update of its GO […]
CMAP Plan Update Includes Sobering Look at Region’s Funding Shortfall
By Steven Vance | Jun 17, 2014
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s GO TO 2040 regional comprehensive plan has weathered some major ups and downs in its four-year lifespan. CMAP has received several awards for the plan, which required a huge effort on their part to reach out to local residents and overwrite decades of uncoordinated transportation “plans.” Last year, though, the […]
Circle Interchange Project Highlights Flaws in Regional Planning Process
By Steven Vance | Mar 15, 2013
The Illinois Department of Transportation’s Circle Interchange highway project appeared out of nowhere. It wasn’t around when the GO TO 2040 regional plan was being crafted and then adopted by 7 counties and 284 municipalities, a process that lasted from 2005 to 2010. It didn’t show up until 2012, when IDOT asked the Chicago Metropolitan Agency […]
As IDOT Postpones Illiana Vote, Planners Say the Region Doesn’t Need It
By Steven Vance | Sep 27, 2013
Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider has pushed back a crucial vote about the Illiana Expressway a week to October 17. The vote by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning policy committee will decide if building 47 miles of tolled highway south of the urbanized areas of Chicagoland and into Indiana can proceed. If […]
Metra and Pace Vote For Transit-Crushing Illiana Tollway in Advisory Meeting
Chicago-area transportation organizations are poised to shoot themselves in the foot and harm the region by allowing the Illinois Department of Transportation Department to squander limited transportation infrastructure funds on the $2.75 billion Illiana Tollway. On Friday the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s transportation committee voted to recommend moving forward with this wasteful, destructive project, […]
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What objective, foolproof method do Eastern Orthodox have for working out which side is correct in the case of a Schism?
I'm Catholic but I have a great respect for and interest in Eastern Orthodoxy. I almost became Orthodox when I was converting out of protestantism but I became Catholic for reasons of convenience. Treat this question as one from a sincere seeker.
I had a few questions which protestants simply could not answer. For example
"Two or more protestants claim to have the Holy Spirit. They all go and interpret a given passage of scripture. They all come up with different and conflicting conclusions. How do you go about determining which one of them has the correct interpretation, if any of them do?"
Every protestant I've ever posed that question to has completely fumbled in response. They seem to misunderstand or not even recognise the fundamental problem which I'm posing. They fail to put themselves into the thought experiment and so fail to realise that THEY are the protestant with the conflicting interpretation. Some of them will espouse some nonsense about how "whoever agrees with scripture the most is correct", which is just begging the question. Some of them will be totally tribalistic and just assume that their interpretation is correct and anyone who disagrees is wrong: They don't seem to recognise that they are "playing pope", and so never get around to asking that crucial question "What gives me the authority?"
In any case protestants invariably end up completely failing to provide a compelling response to this question, which drives me away from protestantism and towards apostolic Christianity, which DOES have an answer to the question: ie, look to the dogmatic, holy tradition of the church; a church which can be identified by the apostolic succession of bishops. Anything which has been defined within this tradition is indisputable truth. Anything that it doesn't talk about is open to further interpretation and speculation until the church magisterium dogmatically rules otherwise.
The problem now is that there are multiple competing strands of apostolic tradition. How can I tell which one is the 100% correct, "Holy" tradition? And it is to this question that I have not yet heard a compelling response from anyone save the Catholic church.
I'll put it in a thought experiment again: Imagine that there is only one united church. However some theological dispute arises and splits the bishops down the middle: half of them are for the proposition in question and half of them are against. Each half anathematises the other half. How do you determine which half represents the true tradition and the true church?
From what I've gathered reading Orthodox blogs online, the Orthodox response is similar to the protestant response in the previous thought experiment. Orthodox will say "look at the church fathers, look at history, look at the bible. See how what we do matches up with that stuff more closely than anyone else. We must be correct!" But the thing is, the Catholics say exactly the same thing, as do the Oriental Orthodox, and the Church of the East. All of whom have valid apostolic succession and sacraments. How can you differentiate between these claims? Something else is needed.
In Catholicism this is where the crucial role of the Pope comes in. The Pope is that objective focal point for the entire church and the entire tradition. In the thought experiment just described, the Catholic solution is to side with the half of the bishops that are in communion with the Pope, and the other half are excluded from the church. This solves the problem neatly: The Pope is the visible centre to the church, whoever is connected to him is connected to the true church.
What foolproof method do you have for working out who is correct in the event of schism? To bring it even closer to home, imagine for the sake of argument that Eastern Orthodox are correct about Catholics and all the rest being entirely apostate. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the One True Church. But what if then the Eastern Orthodox church is split down the middle over some theological controversy? How do you determine which side of the schism is correct? Both sides are going to be yelling "Heretics!" at each other and both sides are going to be claiming to be correct. What Objectively foolproof way do you have for determining who is right? (similar to the Catholic method of "communion with the Pope"). Remember: Up to this schism both sides were getting along just fine and recognising each other as Eastern Orthodox Christians. All of a sudden all of that changes and lines are drawn in the sand, so how do you work out who is legitimate?
catholicism eastern-orthodox tradition apostolic-succession papal-magisterium
The validity and office of Pope is a dealbreaker in the discussion, I think. Especially as regards the Scriptural arguments in favor of it. It's simple things like 'if this is taught in Scripture beyond reasonable doubt', then whichever holds it (especially uniquely) is definitely the safest option conscience-wise. Similar to how Protestantism can't be th true Chruch because it rejects the perennial teaching on the Eucharist, especially the Scripture proof for it. – Sola Gratia Jun 21 '17 at 12:59
What if the schism was about whether or not the Pope should have authority? What would happen then? Even this doesn't seem foolproof. – 4castle Jun 21 '17 at 13:34
"For catholics it's simple: just follow the pope." - well it wasn't quite so simple when there were multiple popes! – bruised reed Jun 21 '17 at 14:53
@DKing I completely reject the "perspicuity of scripture" doctrine, it seems to be utter nonsense to me and only leads to doctrinal chaos. Whereas the Catholic solution of Having a pope and bishops guarding a sacred dogmatic tradition shoots down all the problems. I dunno what you're talking about with my stated reason for my move to the catholic faith not being as sound as I believed. I didn't even go into that in the question. Are you able to read minds? – user35774 Jun 22 '17 at 1:56
If you'll look at the history of the ecumenical councils, as well as those councils not considered ecumenical, and those considered heretic, you'll find that this question is far from hypothetical. It's an excellent question. What made the Council of Chalcedon in 451 authoritative, and not the Second Council of Ephesus in 449? Particularly considering that the Council of Chalcedon led to a schism lasting to this day? I'm Eastern Orthodox myself, but I find this question definitely worth asking. – Kyralessa Jun 23 '17 at 8:38
In essence you are asking an epistemological question: How can one side "know" that it is correct in a theological debate? The question could just as well apply to any Christian body, let alone the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Within the eastern Church exists a notion called prelest. It is a Russian word that basically means "deception", but it is a kind of spiritual deception in which the one deceived is absolutely convinced of his (or her) correctness and can sometimes even logically "prove" their position. There are literally volumes written on the subject in the eastern tradition, dating back to the Desert Fathers of Egypt and witnessed in Scriptures such as 2 Corinthians 11:14 (And no marvel; for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light.)
One might be tempted to say that such a schism as the one you suggest could be resolved by an 8th Ecumenical Council, or some such thing. Vincent of Lerin prescribes a method for consulting and weighing the writings of the Church Fathers when disputes over Scriptures arise.1
The Orthodox are sobered, however, by the recollection that on many, many instances those in the past - both pre- and post-schism - who held to what is understood today to be the truth were defeated by just such mechanisms themselves. Perhaps the greatest example of this was the Council of Florence in 1438, wherein all but one eastern hierarch in attendance agreed to reunification with Rome more or less under Rome's terms. A pre-schism example would be that of monothelitism, held for a time during the 7th century by the eastern Patriarchs, but rejected by Rome.
The simple answer to your question is that in the mind of the Eastern Orthodox Church, there is no objective, foolproof method for working out logically who is on the right side of the schism, simply because the Church is not rational in the sense you suggest. Some - perhaps just a few - will remained guided by the Holy Spirit, but others will be deceived or deluded. Those who are deluded will be able to present sound arguments for their position. Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky writes:
Philosophy [of which logic and epistemology are branches] is rational and abstract. It proceeds not from faith, like theology, but seeks to base itself either on the indisputable fundamental axioms of reason, deducing from them further conclusions, or upon the facts of science or general human knowledge. Therefore one can simply not say that philosophy is able to raise the religion of the Fathers to the degree of knowledge.2
The Church admits the possibility that schisms may arise that are so severe that only a small body of believers may be left. During the schism that resulted during the Council of Florence only a single hierarch - Mark of Ephesus - remained. Although the eastern Patriarchs eventually rejected the council, there is nothing to prevent such a thing from occurring again and remaining in place. "The truth of the One Church," writes Father Michael, "is defined by the Orthodoxy of its members, and not by their quantity at one or another moment."3
1. Commonitory III.7-8
2. Orthodox Dogmatic Theology (3rd ed.), pp.363-364
3. Ibid., p.222.
guest37guest37
excellent answer. It doesn't quite resolve my dilemma, but it gives some great stuff to chew on and stew over. I tried to upvote but the system wouldn't let me cause I don't have enough rep :/ – user35774 Jun 21 '17 at 14:47
I am a Roman Catholic convert to Orthodoxy, schooled by Benedictine monks, so I can fully appreciate your question. I've found that in Orthodoxy there's a lot more "Use the Force, Luke" than in the western Christian tradition. – guest37 Jun 21 '17 at 14:49
I must admit, i have the highest respect for mysticism (I believe mystical experience is superior to rational knowledge), and it seems to me that Eastern Orthodoxy is a much more mystical religion. Perhaps that's what you're getting at? (I note that I also have great respect for logic and rationality, philosophy etc. I feel like they should work in tandem with the mysticism, but the mysticism has priority) – user35774 Jun 21 '17 at 14:53
@JohnnySubterfuge Check the Wikipedia article on Thomas Aquinas, one of the most rational teachers in the Catholic Church - and then look at the article's section (currently) titled "Final Days and 'straw' (1272 - 1274)". Aquinas was a mystic too. – Matt Gutting Jun 21 '17 at 14:57
It's not mysticism in the conventional sense that most people understand - it is mysticism in the sense of admitting that there are not only things that are not fully known, but things that cannot be fully known. Read John of Damascus Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (he is a Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church - "Orthodox" is meant in the pre-schism sense). He describes that God is so incomprehensible to us that it is wrong to even talk of His existence - He is beyond existence. That kind of "mystical". – guest37 Jun 21 '17 at 14:58
As far as deciding on a question that may be divisive within the Church, the Orthodox Church may not have one "center" such as the Pope, but they do still have Councils of Bishops, much like the Catholic Church, in which such questions can be discussed and decided upon. Even in this manner an agreement may be reached, but unfortunately, there is never any way to totally eradicate division if its proponents are completely unwilling to compromise or let go. So, they may continue on, but by no longer remaining within the community of the Church as it was before the issue.
Another matter you might be interested in, given your conversion from Protestantism, is the nature of the relationship between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. You are correct that they were One Church until a time, but the "official" separation of the Churches, circa 1055 A.D. and again circa 1438 A.D., was more or less a confirmation of events that had long since past.
One such example is when the Eastern Church (think Orthodox) asked for assistance from the Holy Father in the form of an army to combat the Muslims at their doorstep, the understanding, or "deal", reached was that the Eastern Church would once again come into full communion with the Western Church (think Catholic) in exchange for said army. However, at the end of it all (the totality of all the events) only part of the Eastern Church came back into communion with the Western Church, such as some of the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches, and afterward the two Churches went down their individual paths.
But the true beginnings of this affair had roots in the past. One was the fall of the Western Roman Empire. After some time, those in the still thriving Eastern Roman Empire, including the Emperor, began to question why they should take any direction from the Supreme Pontiff in Rome that was now, to them, nothing more than part of a fallen empire and civilization that had crept into the dark ages. Hence the two Churches developing from that time forward, with the events later being more of a culmination.
Lee Woofenden
One.of.the.last.True.TemplarsOne.of.the.last.True.Templars
Welcome to Christianity.SE. For a quick overview, please take the Site Tour. For more on what this site is all about, see: How we are different than other sites. – Lee Woofenden Jun 22 '17 at 4:38
With due respect, I think you are oversimplifying things here. The Pope of Rome held a position of primacy of honor before and after Rome's fall to the Goths. He was appealed to as a theological authority during the monothelitist heresy of the 7th century and during the iconoclast heresy of the 8th century. The false premise is that the Pope at one time somehow "directed" bishops outside the See of Rome. This was never the case and was something expressly forbidden by the 1st and 2nd Ecumenical Councils. The relation of the Pope to the other Patriarchs was conciliar not administrative. – guest37 Nov 20 '17 at 18:23
There are at least three ways that the Eastern Orthodox use to determine "correctness" on any issue.
First and foremost, they believe they are the earliest church founded by Christ and apostles. "The Orthodox Christian faith is that faith "handed once to the saints" (Jude 3), passed on in Holy Tradition to the apostles by Jesus Christ, and then handed down from one generation to the next, without addition or subtraction." from https://orthodoxwiki.org/Introduction_to_Orthodox_Christianity
Two is they use the earliest occurrence. "The Church keeps the early traditions of Christianity, " from https://orthodoxwiki.org/Orthodox_Church
Three is they use the council approach. For example, Nicea structures the church authority over areas, rather than later idea of a single man over all. See Canon VI of the First Ecumenical Council. This also refers to #2.
So, earliest tradition, council type government, direct unbroken succession with Christ Jesus.
SLMSLM
I'd like to add a little extra to the previous (very good) answers:
The most widespread answer I keep encountering in various Orthodox publications (both online and in books touching such issues) is basically rooted in Matthew 7:15-17 "By their fruit you will recognize them". The flawed teaching shall eventually yield bad fruit and fade away even if takes centuries or even millennia.
For consolidating the argument, the same orthodox scholars use as a precedent example the iconoclast movements of the first millennium BC which were quite tense, with people being persecuted and even martyred for not denouncing icons. And even with it's power and many supporters, after quite a few centuries the iconoclast movement slowly faded away, the truth (or Will of God) came to light and icons were reinstated.
Claims that Orthodoxy is, well, the orthodox path are supported with: following the 7 ecumenical councils (including not altering the Creed with Filioque), having Jesus Christ as Head of the Church (as per scripture) and not the Bishop of Rome etc. The argument I've presented above is not used to claim the righteousness of Orthodoxy, rather it is left as a, quite powerful, open ending, the point being that the will of God - through history and it's convulsions - will eventually tell.
FlorianFlorian
@JohnnySubterfuge - My experience is very similar to yours. After being brought up in Protestant evangelicalism, I asked the same epistemological questions and started thinking about converting to an apostolic tradition while a junior in college. I briefly looked into Eastern Orthodoxy, but the whole thing seemed a bit too foreign for me, and I converted to the RCC when I was 21. In retrospect, I think I did not give Orthodoxy a good enough look. This year, some 30 years later, I have been going to Orthodox catechism classes, and am thinking seriously about making the move.
One thing I have learned this year, is that for Orthodox, less is sometimes more. Yes, on major issues of the faith and practice they are going to be very strict. But on more minor issues, they simply don't take an official position on them. The RCC, on the other hand, feels it necessary to take an authoritative position on even minor issues. For example, the immaculate conception of Mary. The RCC feels it is a necessary position because their doctrine of original sin dictates that a person would be guilty of sin genetically at birth, and since they want to maintain the truth that Christ was fully human, but sinless, they feel this is a necessary doctrine, that was dogmatized at Vatican I even though there was quite of bit of dissension on the issue within the RCC before that. On the other hand, the Orthodox have no such problem to solve. To them original sin is loosely defined so as only include the consequences of it (death) being passed on from generation to generation. We are all guilty because we all choose to sin, and we all choose to sin because that's what we choose to do. They don't try to explain it further, and therefore there is no Christological issue.
So - to answer your question. Major issues within the Orthodox Church would be solved by an Ecumenical Council, and not by any one bishop. But they would believe that all the major issues were already solved long ago by the early Councils. So there is no need for a mechanism to solve a hypothetical 50/50 split between bishops because minor issues are left as mysteries of the Church.
David PDavid P
In which other churches do Roman Catholics recognize apostolic succession?
How can common believers in the Eastern Orthodox Church be sure that the Church's decisions are correct and not erroneous?
For Eastern Orthodox churches, what are the main references concerning Biblical Interpretation methodology?
How is it that Georgian Orthodox Church are in full communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church when they have a different biblical canon?
What differences are there between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox understanding of the sacrament of marriage?
From the perspective of Roman Catholicism, what do Orthodox churches have to do to become “Eastern Catholic Churches”?
How do the Eastern Orthodox view using the term 'catholic', particularly in regard to Roman Catholicism?
What is the Roman Catholic view on using the term 'orthodox', particularly in regard to Eastern Orthodoxy?
At what point did the Eastern Church start self-identifying as the Orthodox Church?
Churches that Teach Tradition as Inspired have Different Traditions. How do They Explain This?
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Commentary on the Gospel of John
On the Gospel of John, Part 2: The Light of the World
CHR20180525-John02.mp3 — Downloaded 4423 times
Introducing our presentation of the Gospel of John in the opening segment of this series, we gave evidence from the earliest post-apostolic Christian writers, the so-called Church Fathers, and from the texts of those books of our Bibles which are attributed to John, which is sufficient to demonstrate that one and the same John the apostle – the young man who of all the apostles had been closest to Christ – was indeed the author of the Revelation, the first epistle of John, and this Gospel. There was also circumstantial evidence given to help establish that John was indeed the author of the two shorter epistles which have been attributed to him from the earliest times.
Here we shall offer a brief summary of our discussion. Little is known of the life of John after the early chapters of Acts, and he last appears in Scripture in Jerusalem in 47 AD, in the events which are recorded in Acts chapter 15 and the early verses of Galatians chapter 2. Later in his life, ostensibly after the deaths of the elder James around 62 AD in Jerusalem and Paul of Tarsus about that same time in Rome, John is in Ephesus where he committed this Gospel to writing. Then during the reign of Domitian, some time after 81 AD John was exiled to Patmos on account of his Christian profession, which is where he received the Revelation. After the death of Domitian in 96 AD, John was able to return to Ephesus. If the Revelation was not already committed to writing, it certainly was after John’s return, which is indicated in the accounts of the early Christian writers. All of John’s three epistles were also written in Ephesus, and very likely around this late time, as John fulfilled the role of an elder and apostle to the Christian assemblies at Ephesus and the neighboring districts. This John had reportedly done until his death some time during the reign of Trajan, which began in 98 and ended in 117 AD. If John were 16 when the ministry of Christ began in 28 AD, he would have been no younger than 86 when he died.
In our opening presentation we discussed only the first five verses of John’s Gospel. We shall repeat them here and offer another summary of some of our conclusions. From John chapter 1:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Yahweh, and the Word was Yahweh. 2 He was in the beginning with Yahweh. 3 All things were through Him, and without Him was not even one thing [P66, א and D, “was nothing”]. That which was done 4 in Him was [א and D, “is”] life, and the life was the light of men [B wants “of men”]. 5 And the light shines in the darkness; yet the darkness comprehends it not.
We have already explained the depth of the meaning of the word λόγος, and everything which its use here implies. From that we concluded that Yahshua Christ is the fleshly embodiment of everything which the Word of Yahweh stands for in the Old Testament, and therefore He is the physical manifestation of man’s estimation of the God of the Old Testament. He is the God of the Creation taking part in His creation, and He is the Law and the Prophets. This is the essence, or the fabric, of Christianity.
For example, the Word of God says in Genesis chapter 15: “1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” Therefore Yahshua Christ is the manifestation in the material world of that promise, “I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”
Again, we may read in 2 Samuel chapter 22: “31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. 32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?” Later, in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, Paul of Tarsus, speaking of those who were with Moses in the Exodus, said “4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” So once again we may see that Yahshua Christ is the physical manifestation of the same God who presented Himself in different ways to man in the time of the Old Testament. A rock in the desert is no less a physical manifestation than the body of a man, which even Abraham proclaimed was only “dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27). So rather than a trinity, Scripture may describe a quadernity, but then there is the burning in the bush, so perhaps we should perceive God as a quintinity, or the fire on the mountain, which gives us a hexinity, or the glory in the temple, so we may see God as a heptinity. Yet there are other physical manifestations of one and the same God, so we can count an octinity, noninity, decinity, or more. But Yahweh is truly an infinity, and our God cannot be contained by the comparatively fatuous numerological systems of men. Here I only endeavor to illustrate the folly of what is called the trinity, since it is evident that Yahweh had said to Moses “I AM THAT I AM”, as the King James Version reads in Exodus 3:14, and Yahshua Christ is the I AM that He chose to be: the very Word made flesh. He is another physical manifestation of God, but He is not a separate person from God.
That Yahshua Christ is the fleshly incarnation of this same God is evident in many other ways in John and in the rest of the New Testament Scriptures, such as the event where Thomas had realized that Yahshua had overcome death, and therefore he exclaimed “My Lord and my God.” In contrast, Herod Agrippa I was struck dead because when the people imagined him to be a god, he did not deny them. So we read where after Herod had given a speech, in Acts chapter 12: “22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.”
But where Thomas had referred to Yahshua Christ as God, the response was not a denial, rather, it was a confirmation, where it is written in John chapter 20: “29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” What did Thomas believe except that which he had exclaimed, that Yahshua Christ is his God? This is the same Christ who professed that “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord”, as it is recorded in Mark chapter 12.
In the prelude to the promise of the New Covenant, in Jeremiah chapter 31, we read: “10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. 11 For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.” Yahshua Christ is that Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, and therefore Yahshua Christ is also “He that scattered Israel” as well as He that “hath redeemed Jacob”, the fulfillment of the promise being certain long before the act was completed.
The apostle Peter, in chapter 1 of his first epistle, said: “25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” Yahshua Christ is the physical embodiment of that Word as well as the God who uttered it, because “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Yahweh, and the Word was Yahweh.” There is no distinction.
During our first discussion of these opening verses of John, I had made a few last-minute comments concerning the dangers and fallacies of the so-called trinity doctrine. I wanted to elaborate on that here, and then I realized that I had already discussed the topic in the recent past, in a presentation of the prophecy of Malachi, in Part 2, The Corrupted Priesthood. So here I shall repeat and revise that:
We must reject any notion of “trinity” as a doctrine. Yahweh our God is real, He is omniscient, and He is omnipotent – but He is also One, regardless of how He chooses to manifest Himself. So He can be God the Father, and God the Son, and the burning in the bush, and the rock in the desert, and the fire on the mountain, and the voice from out of the clouds. He can be all of these things at once and at any given time if He so desires. When the apostles realized that He had overcome death, they proclaimed Him as God not because Jesus somehow became as God, but because they themselves realized at that point that He was God, knowing from the implications of the Scripture that He was Yahweh who had promised that He would redeem Israel. That is the essence of the Word made flesh.
Some fools have said to me, ‘Oh, God was not the pillar of fire, but He was in the pillar of fire.’ That is tantamount to saying ‘Oh God was not Christ, God was only in Christ.’ But the very purpose of the physical manifestation is to represent the ethereal being for which the physical manifestation is a vessel, and the physical manifestation would not at all exist except for that purpose. So the fools are foolishly splitting hairs. Even our physical bodies are not the real us, so to speak. Our bodies are only vessels for our spirits; our spirits are the real us, so to speak. The pillar of fire, the rock in the desert, the glory in the temple and the man who stood on the mount of Olives were all vessels for the spirit of one and the same God.
The trinity doctrine is the first of heresies. There is no real support for it in the original Scriptures, except for the coincidence that in the apostolic age God manifested Himself first in two ways, from the spiritual plane as a voice from heaven, and in the form of the Son of David, and then in a third way which is referred to as the Holy Spirit, which is merely the manifestation and operation of the spirit of that same God within our physical world and without a vessel to represent it physically. This is not really a third person at all but rather it is only another manifestation of the first person. When Christ was near to His departure and He promised the apostles a Comforter, He proclaimed “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.” This is the reading of the King James Version, but the word for comfortless in that passage is from the same Greek word ὀρφανίζω, from which we derive the English word for orphan, and it really means fatherless, showing that Christ is also God the Father as well as God the Holy Spirit, where He assured them that they would receive a Comforter and He said “I will come to you.” He did not say “He will come to you,” but “I will come to you.”
The trinity doctrine is a dangerous heresy because it leaves space for antichrists to claim that they can worship a part of the Deity which is somehow void of Christ. Therefore Christians are deceived into imagining that Jews and Muslims and other antichrists ultimately have the same God, which is a lie and a deception. Therefore the trinity doctrine is really just a way to compromise with devils. The antichrists themselves introduced this doctrine so that they can maintain a facade of legitimacy, but beneath the veneer there is every form of wickedness. With it, they can lay claim to a piece of the Godhead and purport to have a path to piety without Christ, when in the gospel Christ Himself informs us that “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one goes to the Father except through Me!” Then almost immediately after that He said “He who has seen Me has seen the Father!” So Christians must understand that Christ being Yahweh God manifest in the flesh, there is no part of the Deity which could possibly be void of Christ! One cannot read the Word of that Old Testament God without imagining that those are the words of Christ, who is that Word made flesh, and one cannot read the words of Christ without imagining that they are the Word of Yahweh, the Old Testament God, because He is that Word made flesh. Where He spoke to Himself, where He prayed to Himself, He did so because He lived as a man for an example to men, for the benefit of men and not for Himself. Therefore all of the devils must be rejected, because there is no God without Christ, who is God. There is no room for devils in the Kingdom of Heaven, and neither should there be any space given to them here on earth.
Now we shall commence with our presentation of John chapter 1:
6 There was a man, having been sent by Yahweh [θεός, where D has κύριος], whose name was Iohannes. 7 He came for a witness, in order that he would testify concerning the light, that they all would believe through him.
The phrase “whose name was Iohannes” is literally “the name for him Iohannes”, or in the Codices Sinaiticus (א) and Bezae (D), “the name for him was Iohannes.” There are very few variations among the ancient manuscripts in the first fourteen verses of John’s gospel, and none of them are significant. Of course, Iohannes is the Greek form of the common name John. I chose to maintain Greek forms of names throughout our translations, except in a few cases, such as for Noah or Abraham, or for God and Christ where I retained transliterations of the Hebrew for purposes which I have already explained elsewhere. But I have not yet fully explained my reasoning for maintain the Greek forms of most names. My thinking in this area was to bring an awareness of a separation of culture to the reader, since often modern readers fail to understand that the words expressed, in the context of their original culture, often do not mean what they mean to modern readers. So I thought that keeping the foreign forms of the names would help the reader understand that in some degree we are outsiders looking into a different world. While I am not yet certain of its effectiveness, I realized the potential utility of this method when in 1998 I had read the translations of Homer by Robert Fitzgerald, who had done that same thing in his English versions of the Iliad and Odyssey.
There are two apparent prophecies of John the Baptist in the Old Testament. The first is in Isaiah chapter 40. But this is a prophecy with an immediate fulfillment, as well as a long-term fulfillment. Earlier, in Isaiah and in the historical accounts in Kings and Chronicles, we see that Hezekiah had taken ill, that much of Judah had been carried into Assyrian captivity, and Jerusalem itself was threatened. So we read in Isaiah chapter 40: “1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. 3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”
In the immediate context, Jerusalem had a reprieve from the Assyrians and a time of relative peace which lasted almost a hundred years, until the earlier prophecy of Isaiah chapter 39 was fulfilled with the Babylonian captivity. Isaiah himself was the voice which cried that message in the wilderness. However throughout the surrounding chapters there is also an overarching theme of salvation for Israel and Judah in spite of the conquests of their enemies, and this prophecy also continues that theme. The true pardon for iniquity is in the person of Yahshua Christ, and John the Baptist was the prophetic fulfillment of the voice crying in the wilderness. In that regard, we read a little further on in the same chapter: “10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”
So in Matthew chapter 3, it is explained that John the Baptist is indeed the subject of the prophecy of Isaiah chapter 40, where the apostle wrote: “1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias [Isaiah], saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” The connection of John the Baptist to this prophecy in Isaiah was also made very clearly in Luke chapter 3. There are many scoffers who often claim that the apostles of Christ took passages of prophecy out of context in order to apply them to Christ. That is certainly not true, because the scoffers fail to see the aspects of prophecy which clearly have a dual meaning, which in our presentations of Zechariah we described as a near-vision and a far-vision.
The second significant prophecy of John the Baptist is more explicit, and is found in Malachi chapter 3: “1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. 2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.”
That messenger, John the Baptist, prepared the way for Yahweh, incarnate in the person of Yahshua Christ. Part of that preparation was to “purify the sons of Levi”. Then, when Christ Himself was baptized by John, he proclaimed “behold the Lamb of God”. With this it is evident that John symbolically fulfilled the role of the Levitical priest, being a Levite himself, and washing both the priests and the lamb before the Passover, as the law required. Anyone else that he may have baptized along the way was only a collateral benefit, and those who refused his baptism were not legitimate priests in the first place. By that means John was a refiner, as the silver and the dross were made evident in his baptism.
Now while Matthew and Luke connected John the Baptist to Isaiah’s voice crying in the wilderness to announce the coming of Yahweh, John’s language does not identify John the Baptist precisely as either the messenger of Isaiah chapter 40 or of Malachi chapter 3. However generally, it can be understood to refer to either of those prophecies. John’s gospel instead focuses on the purpose of the messenger and his message, having informed us that he was to testify concerning the light, and saying:
8 Not that he was the light, but that he would testify concerning the light. 9 The light was the truth, which coming into the Society enlightens every man.
This is of course the same light which John described in verse 5 where he said “5 And the light shines in the darkness; yet the darkness comprehends it not.” The theme is continued in verse 14 of this chapter, and the connection to the God of Genesis is reiterated, where he wrote “14 And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we beheld His splendor, splendor as the most-beloved by the Father, full of favor and truth.” There the word for splendor, or glory in the King James Version, is δόξα. This word characterizes what we had said of the word λόγος, that λόγος is not only the thought projected by God in His Word, but it is also the estimation which men have of the Old Testament God by His Word, the concept of God as it can be understood from the body of His Word, since before Christ men could only know God through that Word. This word δόξα, translated as glory in the King James Version and as splendor here, is primarily an expectation, a hoping for, opinion, estimation or repute. The meaning is deeper than a mere appearance and here in verse 14 it describes the character of Christ, it refers to the truthfulness of His words as well as to His ability to express them; to form and substance, not merely to form.
In a Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 9:1, in relation to the children of Israel who were being incrementally taken into Assyrian captivity, we read: “1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee [or the circuit] of the nations. 2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” This light was connected to Yahshua Christ and His ministry in Matthew chapter 4, which professes that Christ fulfilled this prophecy.
In Psalm 43 in a plea to Yahweh we read: “3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.” In Psalm 119: “105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” The Septuagint version had law rather than word. Of course, Christ is also that Word made flesh.
Here, insisting that Christ was the light come into the world, John once again identifies Yahshua Christ as Yahweh, the God of Creation, the Light of Truth, at least according to an interpretation which we are now going to propose. In Genesis chapter 1 we read: “3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” But physical light cannot exist unless something burns energy in order to generate it. This was upon an earth which was “without form, and void”, and the creation of the sun and moon are yet to be described. The light of day and the darkness of night preceded them, and therefore they are still only concepts, rather than actual physical manifestations, as it is only the first day, and there is no sun until the fourth day.
So we believe that this aspect of the creation account in Genesis is actually describing the order of an important concept, that before anything else existed on earth or in the heavens, light and darkness are distinguished as what emanates from God, and what is not of God. So we read “4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.”
The light makes manifest darkness; we cannot even comprehend darkness is it were not for light, the existence of darkness is manifest when light is created. But Yahweh never spoke the darkness into existence, it did not need to be created, and He never called the darkness good. The formation of light created darkness. In the same manner, sin is not manifest without the law. The Creation account is not a scientific treatise. Rather, it is written in a way so as to teach men particular lessons, and the lesson here is that everything which does not originate with God is darkness. Yahshua Christ, whom John tells us is the Light, is also the lamb slain before the foundation of the world, so John’s words certainly seem to imply that Christ being the Light come into the world is also Yahweh God Himself coming into the world as an element of His Own creation.
Everyone who is of God can understand Yahshua Christ, because there is light in them, that light representing the spirit of man which comes from God. So we read in Isaiah chapter 8: “16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. 19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? [Or why should the living – the children of Israel – seek after the dead?] 20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
Later, in his first epistle, John writes in the opening chapter: “6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Likewise, in another Messianic prophecy found in Isaiah chapter 42 we read a promise from Yahweh in regard to the scattered children of Israel: “16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.”
The children of Israel, who had fallen into the idolatry of the accursed people around them, were described as being in darkness. So a little earlier in that same prophecy we see another allusion to the Genesis creation where it says: “5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Nations; 7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. 8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” The Word of God represents the Light, the first words spoken by God in Scripture called Light into existence, and Christ being that Word made flesh is the Light come into the world.
But here John wrote “9 The light was the truth, which coming into the Society enlightens every man.” Yahshua Christ, the light coming into the society, enlightens every man. In him, the darkness is made light before the children of Israel. But not all presumed men can accept Yahshua Christ, and that brings us back to our theory. Those which are from God can maintain the word of God, and those who can not keep the Word of God do not have the spirit of God in them. Therefore, they cannot be from God, and according to John, we can deduce that they cannot properly be men, because the light “enlightens every man.” The light reveals what every man is made of, and it is made evident by Christ Himself that there are men who were planted by Himself, the wheat which are the sons of God, and there are men who are spurious, the tares planted by the devil. As Paul had written in Hebrews chapter 13, one is a son, or one is a bastard, and there is no third choice. One is of the day, being born from above, or born from of God, or one is of the night, being born from below, or born out of rebellion to God in the corruption of His creation.
Paul himself alluded to this in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, where he wrote: “1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they [evidently the children of darkness] shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” As we see in Genesis, Yahweh did not create the darkness on the earth, it was already there. So Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 5: “13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.” And John in this gospel wrote in chapter 3: “21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” So while the light “enlightens every man”, the apostles knew that there were people here, if we can call them people, who could never be thus enlightened. Their failure to be enlightened reveals their true nature.
Asserting that Yahshua Christ is the light come into the world has meaning in yet another dimension. It is a direct refutation of the ancient claims of kings to be the bearers of light, and the ancient assertions of many pagan religions. We see in Isaiah chapter 14 an admonishment directed at the king of Babylon which reads in part: “12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” That word, Lucifer, was not written by Isaiah as a personal name or title. Rather, it means “light-bearer”, and using it Yahweh is mocking a man, the king who thought that he was the light of the world, that he could be as God.
In ancient times, the kings of the nations believed themselves to be the light of their respective worlds, or their particular societies. Therefore they esteemed themselves to be the incarnation of the sun on earth. This is evident in Hittite inscriptions presented Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament (hereinafter ANET), edited by James B. Pritchard, and published in its third edition in 1969 at Princeton University Press.
On page 203 there is a treaty between the Hittite king Mursilis and Duppi-Tesseb, king of the Amorites, which opens with the following lines: “These are the words of the Sun Mursilis, the great king, the king of the Hatti land, the valiant, the favorite of the Storm-god, the son of Suppiluliumas, the great king, the king of the Hatti land, the valiant.” A footnote by the translator says “Sun is the title with which the Hittite king is addressed.” The Hittite kings thought that they became gods when they died, so further on, speaking of a rebellious subject king, Mursilis said “When my father became god and I seated myself on the throne of my father, Aziras behaved toward me just as he had behaved toward my father.” Later, on page 204, in a clause regarding future relations, we read again: “As I, the Sun, am loyal toward you, do you extend military help to the Sun and the Hatti land. If an evil rumor originates in the Hatti land that someone is to rise in revolt against the Sun and you hear it, leave with your foot soldiers and your charioteers and go immediately to the aid of the king of the Hatti land!”
On other Hittite inscriptions, on pages 210 and 211 of ANET, are preserved letters of instructions from the Hittite king to the commanders of the border guards. Regarding the pagan temples situated in the various towns, they are commanded to “make an inventory of the god's utensils and send it before the Sun”, or to submit the inventory report to the king himself. Then further on, concerning matters for judgment: “If anyone brings suit by means of a sealed brief, the commander of the border guards shall judge it according to the law and set it right. If the case is too much, he shall send it before the Sun”, meaning that the king himself would hear cases involving great amounts.
In another context, in a chapter containing Sumero-Akkadian hymns and prayers presented in ANET on page 389, there is a line referring to “the enemy of the king”, and an accompanying footnote says: “The word translated ‘king’ means literally ‘sun’ and is fundamentally the same word as the name of the sun-god. In this case the scribe has indicated by a phonetic complement that the word is to be read šamši; elsewhere in the text he writes the name of the sun-god consistently without a phonetic complement even when it is grammatically in the genitive case. It is probable, then, that the sun-god is not meant here. Frankfort has pointed out in Kingship and the Gods, [pages] 307-8, that in Mesopotamia as well as in Egypt the king often bore the epithet ‘the sun.’ Such an interpretation of the text fits in well here with the general context.”
As it was in Sumer and Akkad and among the Hittites, so it was in Egypt. The Egyptian pharaohs also believed that they became divine after death, as also did the later Roman Caesars. In early Egypt, the sun god Ra was closely associated with the pharaoh. The pharaohs were seen as the embodiment of Horus, and Ra and Horus were linked together with the title Ra-Horakhty, or “Ra Horus of the Horizons”, for which various interpretations are given. From the 5th Dynasty the pharaoh was referred to as the son of Ra and the name of Ra was a part of the throne name of every king thereafter. As Egypt became an empire, composite gods Amun-Ra and Atum-Ra emerged, and the concept of a creator god was fused with the concept of a sun god. Not long after the time of the Exodus, Pharaoh Amenhotep III gave himself the epithet Aten-tjehen which means “the Dazzling Sun Disk”.
Returning to ancient Babylon, from a time which is far earlier than that of Isaiah, we see in a chapter of ANET titled Laws from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor, on p. 165, a portion of the Code of Hammurabi which makes the following boast: “… the king, who made the name of Inanna glorious in Nineveh in Emishmish; the devout one, who prays fervently to the great gods; the descendant of Sumu-la-el; the powerful son and heir of Sin-muballit, the ancient seed of royalty, the powerful king, the sun of Babylon, who causes light to go forth over the lands of Sumer and Akkad; the king who has made the four quarters of the world subservient; the favorite of Inanna am I. When Marduk commissioned me to guide the people aright, to direct the land, I established law and justice in the language of the land, thereby promoting the welfare of the people.” That was perhaps 1,200 years before Isaiah addressed the king of Babylon as Lucifer, or the Light-bearer, in his own time, and shows for how long these pagan ideas had prevailed.
Around the same time as the birth of Christ, the Zoroastrian cult of Mithra was beginning to spread had Helios, they were relatively minor gods in ancient literature. But Mithra was an angelic divinity of light, a protector of truth, and the god of oaths and covenants. So the assertions concerning Christ were also an affront to the pagan religion of ancient Persia, which at that time was a significant portion of the Parthian empire.
So the assertion of Yahshua Christ, and of John on His behalf, to be the Light and the Truth come into the world, supplants the claims of all of these kings and law-givers and the pagan religions of the surrounding nations from the dawn of antiquity. Later on in John’s gospel, in chapter 12, we see this same assertion in words attributed to Christ Himself: “46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” Here we are quoting the King James Version, and as we shall see, we would translate that word world as society.
Those who reject Christ reveal by their rejection their own true nature and origin, since “the light… enlightens every man”, and His Word, which is the Word of God, shall judge them in the end, where they will ultimately be rejected.
Finally, we read in Revelation chapter 21, in the description of the City of God: “ 22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. [The person of Christ remains as the physical manifestation of Yahweh, the invisible God.] 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.” Yahshua Christ is the creator of Light, He was the only Light at the beginning, and He shall be the only Light at the end.
Continuing with one more verse from John chapter 1:
10 He was in the Society, and the Society came to be through Him, yet the Society knew Him not.
The King James Version has this passage to read “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” So here we must ask, what is the world? Is the world the entire planet, as denominational Christians typically claim? Or is the world only a small portion or a certain segment of the planet?
So here we shall present, and also augment with more recent research, an article which we first wrote and presented at Christogenea in August of 2010, titled What is the World? We are obligated to include this here because we cannot expect those now following our commentary on John to find this much older article.
One cannot possibly understand the gospel of John as he wrote it without first understanding what he could have meant when he used words which are now translated as world. Notice that we said words:
There are three Greek words which appear in the Scriptures of the New Testament and which are commonly translated as world in English. They are αἰών (aeon), κόσμος (cosmos), and οἰκουμένη (oikoumene, oy-koo-men-ay). The first two of these words give us our English words eon and cosmos. It has become very important to the doctrines of mainstream denominational churches that whenever these words appear and are translated as world, that they are understood to refer to the entire planet and everything or everyone on it. However that was certainly not the case to the ancient Greeks, it was certainly not what was meant by the apostles, and it is the meaning of these words to Greek readers in the first century which should govern how Christians must understand them, because the modern conception of the word is certainly alien to any ideas which the Greeks themselves had when the New Testament was written. It was also alien to later Christian writers such as Irenaeus and Martin Luther.
First, each of those three words often translated as world shall be discussed. Unless otherwise noted, the definitions are all from Liddell & Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon.
The first word, αἰών (Strong’s # 165) is “a period of existence...one’s lifetime, life...an age, generation...a long space of time,… a definite space of time, an era, epoch,… period...hence its usage in plural, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας for ever…” The related word αἰώνιος (166) is “lasting for an age… everlasting, eternal…” According to Strong’s Concordance, these words were rendered world(s) a total of 42 times in the King James Version of the Bible. While the word world has meanings which transcend its ordinary spatial sense, and, as we shall see below, the original meaning of the term was, indeed, temporal and not spatial, the general perception of the word's meaning today is certainly spatial, and not temporal. Rendering αἰών and αἰώνιος, which always have a temporal sense in Greek, as world, which today is most often perceived with a spatial sense in English, can create serious misconceptions in the interpretation of scripture.
The next word, and the word which appears three times in this passage of John, is κόσμος (Strong’s # 2889), which appears approximately 182 times in the New Testament. According to a count of verses in Moulton-Geden’s Concordance to the Greek Testament, about 85 percent of those occurrences are in the writings of John and Paul. The related verb, κοσμέω (Strong’s # 2885), is “to order, arrange...to deck, adorn, equip, furnish, dress....” The definition of a related verb is always important to understanding the definition of a noun. So κοσμέω means to order or arrange, and Liddell & Scott define κόσμος as “order… good order, good behaviour, decency… the form, fashion of a thing… of states, order, government… II. an ornament, decoration, embellishment, dress… III. a regulator… IV. the world or universe, from its perfect order… mankind, as we use ‘the world’, N.T.” That last definition, where Liddell & Scott show how the various New Testament translators and commentators perceive the meaning of the word world in the Bible, deserves further scrutiny.
But first, of the other words translated world in the King James Version, αἰών and αἰώνιος, discussed above, are literally age and lasting for an age, temporal and not spatial terms, and that in itself may give further insight into the flexibility of the meaning of the word world in the King James translators’ minds, especially once the original meaning of the word itself is examined. Second, there is another word translated world that does indeed explicitly refer to a geographic area, and that is οἰκουμένη. Once we understand what οἰκουμένη means, and how it was used, then perhaps we can perceive the meaning of the word κόσμος as the Greeks did.
In the edition of the Merriam-Webster dictionary found on the Internet, two relevant definitions of the modern English word cosmos are given. 1) “an orderly harmonious systematic universe”, which is the way the term is used in modern times, and 2) “a complex orderly self-inclusive system”, which is close to the original Greek meaning of the term. A κόσμος is the order of something, and in Biblical and historical writings the κόσμος is the order of the οἰκουμένη.
Liddell & Scott define οἰκουμένη, which appears in the New Testament approximately 15 times, as “the inhabited world, a term used to designate the Greek world, as opposed to barbarian lands… so in Roman times, the Roman world…” Strabo, the geographer, who died about 25 A.D. and therefore who had written not long before Paul, described the οἰκουμένη in his 17-book Geography. It included practically all of the lands inhabited by the White races – and not only the Romans, but the Parthians, Scythians and others of Asia, and all of northern Africa, as well as western Europe. Diodorus Siculus, writing about 40 B.C., referred to the lands about India as the “limits of the inhabited world”, using that same word οἰκουμένη, in his Library of History (1.19.7). This was the οἰκουμένη – the physical world which the race of Adam inhabited (Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 17:26) – the physical world in spite of the fact that Strabo, Diodorus and others who used the term knew very well of the lands inhabited by alien tribes in places such as Africa to the south and India or China to the east, which were not considered a part of the οἰκουμένη, nor could they be included in their perception of the κόσμος.
In Luke chapter 2, we see this same use of the word οἰκουμένη, where it is translated as world and it says “1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.” So “all the world” to Luke was the land ruled over by Caesar Augustus which he had the authority and the ability to tax, and that was actually only a very small portion of the planet. So the following is from Strabo of Cappadocia, the famous Greek geographer who died in 25 AD, so he wrote this not long before the ministry of Christ began, in defense of the importance of the study of geography:
And that other argument, it seems to me, is adduced with especial force in reference to present-day conditions, namely, that the greater part of geography subserves the needs of states; for the scene of the activities of states is land and sea, the dwelling-place of man. The scene is small when the activities are of small importance, and large when they are of large importance; and the largest is the scene that embraces all the rest (which we call by the special name of "the inhabited world") and this, therefore, would be the scene of activities of the largest importance. Moreover, the greatest generals are without exception men who are able to hold sway over land and sea, and to unite nations and cities under one government and political administration. It is therefore plain that geography as a whole has a direct bearing upon the activities of commanders; for it describes continents and seas — not only the sea inside the limits of the whole inhabited world, but also those outside these limits. And the description which geography gives is of importance to these men who are concerned as to whether this or that is so or otherwise, and whether known or unknown. For thus they can manage their various affairs in a more satisfactory manner, if they know how large a country is, how it lies, and what are its peculiarities either of sky or soil. But because different kings rule in different quarters of the world, and carry on their activities from different centres and starting-points, and keep extending the borders of their empires, it is impossible either for them or for geographers to be equally familiar with all parts of the world; nay, the phrase "more or less" is a fault much in evidence in kings and geographers. (Geography, 1.1.16)
Where the word world, or the phrase inhabited world appears in this portion of Strabo, the Greek word is οἰκουμένη, and we can clearly see that the οἰκουμένη was not the entire planet, as he explicitly mentioned portions of the planet within and outside of the οἰκουμένη. An overall examination of Strabo’s οἰκουμένη reveals a description of the lands inhabited almost exclusively by the White race of his time. In this manner Luke used the same word to describe only that portion which Caesar had the power to tax. The greater portion of the White world in Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East was indeed under the power of Rome.
It should be quite evident that if the οἰκουμένη was the portion of the physical world inhabited by the Adamic man, the White man, then the κόσμος described the order, decorum, and arrangement of that οἰκουμένη. While the οἰκουμένη was the physical world, the κόσμος was its society and its embellishment, or arrangement. Of course, the heavenly bodies were considered by the Greeks and Romans to be only another part of that arrangement, and much more an important part of their ancient world than we perceive them to be of ours today. The ancients actually used the heavenly bodies to keep track of the times and seasons, to govern their lives in areas such as travel and agriculture. But that was only a small part of the κόσμος. The sum total of the ancient concept of κόσμος can only be described by us in one word as society, and that is the way in which we translated it in the Christogenea New Testament.
Support for this idea that κόσμος is society is found in the May-June 2004 issue of Archaeology Odyssey, on p. 26 in an article entitled “Is Homer Historical?” by one Gregory Nagy, and while I can’t agree with all of the author’s opinions concerning Homer and his writings, the definition of κόσμος found in the article on p. 31 is a good one, where he explains that to the Spartans, the κόσμος was the sum total of their government and their social order – their society. There Nagy specifically stated that “the Cosmos also referred to the social order of Sparta as idealized by the Spartans – the cosmos, as it were, of their society.”
We have just seen in ANET an assertion by the ancient king of Babylon, the lawgiver Hammurabi, that he was “the king who has made the four quarters of the world subservient.” Since four quarters are a whole, did Hammurabi rule over the entire planet? Or did he rule only a portion of the ancient Near and Middle East? It is plainly evident in history that he only ruled over a small portion of the planet, but to him that small portion was all four quarters of his world.
From a source much closer to the translators of the King James Version, which is a Christian writer that they all must have at least been familiar with, we shall see once again what is meant by the word world. We recently said the following here in a presentation titled Christianity in the Old Testament, Part 1, an Introduction: What is a Catholic?:
Now, we have already made the assertion that the “world” is not the “planet”. Here we want to quantify that statement. There are statements throughout the early Christian writers that refer to the “whole world”. For instance, Irenaeus, in Against Heresies, Book 1, Chapter 9, makes the remark that “The Universal Church, moreover, through the whole world, has received this tradition from the apostles.” Unfortunately, the translators themselves display a Roman Catholic bias here. But if we examine the Greek manuscripts, the word καθολικός was translated as “universal”, however we have already demonstrated that such was not the meaning of the word. The corresponding Latin phrase in Irenaeus is Ecclesia autem omnis per universum orbem hanc accepit ab apostolis traditionem. The English translation here is deceptive, as universum is an adjective modifying orbem, or world, but definitely not ecclesia, or church. Literally, it should say, in regard to what had preceded, that “The whole assembly throughout the entire world received this from apostolic tradition.” This one example, among many, helps to establish that the world of Irenaeus was not the entire planet. In his time, Christians were not spread all over the planet, but only within the White European world. The “world” of Irenaeus was the Roman world, and not the entire planet.
But nevertheless, to Luther the whole world was not the entire planet. This is evident where Luther mentions the “world”, in Chapter 13 of On the Jews and Their Lies. There he wrote:
It is a great, extraordinary, and wonderful thing that the Gentiles in all the world accepted, without sword or coercion, with no temporal benefits accruing to them, gladly and freely, a poor Man of the Jews as the true Messiah, one whom his own people had crucified, condemned, cursed, and persecuted without end.
Luther was most likely confused and thought that Jesus was a Jew because he learned much of his Christianity from converso-Jews. Now, we can certainly establish with many proofs from History and Scripture that Christ was a Judaean, but He was certainly not a Jew – not as we know the term Jew or the people it represents. His sheep heard His voice, and they followed Him. The Edomites, Canaanites and other bastards rejected Him because they, who retained the label of Jew to this very day, are not His sheep, as He Himself had told them. Notice, however, that Luther said that “the Gentiles in all the world accepted” Christ, using the past tense. At Luther's time, the Indians, Asians, Arabs, Turks and others were rejecting Christ while Roman Catholicism, which Luther rejected as Christianity, was being forced on the squat monsters of the Americas by the sword: in a manner which Luther also rejected! Therefore, to Luther, Christian Europe alone represented “the Gentiles… all the world”.
This is certainly a far departure from the universalist theologian’s view of the world as the planet and everyone in it, which is surely not an accurate view when compared with the ancient texts and the original meanings of the words. Yet by necessity, in the Biblical context I must understand the word to refer to the society in the sense of Adamic society. Anything more or less is intellectually dishonest. Interpreting scripture, like interpreting any other archaic writing, one cannot honestly change the meaning of a word or assign a word a modern meaning, contrary to the way it was used by its original authors and still presume to understand the original message.
Now to take all of this a step further, it may very well be that the way in which the King James Version translators understood the word world is itself quite different than how we understand it today. If we investigate the word world in the American Heritage College Dictionary, 3rd Edition, we find that it is derived from an Old and Middle English word, weorold, and we are referred to an entry for a supposed proto-Indo-European word (wi-ro) in their appendix of Indo-European Roots. When we check this entry, we find that the word world comes from the Germanic word wer, which is akin to the Latin vir, for man, and the Germanic word ald, which is a life or an age, and that is the word from which we get our word old. When the Germanic words wer and ald are put together the word world means age of man. Therefore, originally, in English, world is a temporal term and not a spatial term! It means to refer to our Adamic age, and it does not mean to refer to everyone and everything on the planet, or especially to the planet itself! Our confusion over the meaning of this word has led us into total confusion when attempting to understand our own literature, and especially our Bibles! Why do we let satan publish dictionaries? The world is the age of Adamic man, and it should be nothing else, because it is only the (White) Adamic nations which Yahweh our God concerned Himself with throughout our Bibles, as evidenced in Genesis Chapter 10, Deuteronomy 32:8, Luke 2:1 and Acts 17:26!
The world is not the planet and all that it contains – not even in King James’ English, and certainly not in our Bibles!
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Tags > visual function
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Chart of Visual Impairment by Race/Ethnicity for National (States and DC) – 2007 to 2012
2007-2008, 2011-2012. This dataset is a de-identified summary table of vision and eye health data indicators from NSCH, stratified by all available combinations of age group, race/ethnicity, gender, risk factor and state. NSCH is a telephone survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics at CDC (currently conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau) that examines the physical and emotional health of children 0-17 years of age. Approximate sample size is 95,000 over two rounds of data collection. NSCH data for VEHSS includes one question related to Visual Function. Data were suppressed for cell sizes less than 30 persons, or where the relative standard error more than 30% of the mean. Data will be updated as it becomes available. Detailed information on VEHSS NSCH analyses can be found on the VEHSS NSCH webpage (link). Additional information about NSCH can be found on the NSCH website (http://childhealthdata.org/learn/NSCH). The VEHSS NSCH dataset was last updated in June 2018.
Tags visual function nsch contact lenses glasses vision impairment
American Community Survey (ACS) – Vision and Eye Health Surveillance
2014 - 2015. This dataset is a de-identified summary table of vision and eye health data indicators from ACS, stratified by all available combinations of age group, race/ethnicity, gender, and state. ACS is an annual nationwide survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau that collects information on demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics of the U.S. population. Approximate sample size is 3 million annually. ACS data for VEHSS includes one question related to Visual Function. Data were suppressed for cell sizes less than 30 persons, or where the relative standard error more than 30% of the mean. Data will be updated as it becomes available. Detailed information on VEHSS ACS analyses can be found on the VEHSS ACS webpage (link). Additional information about ACS can be found on the U.S. Census Bureau website (https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/programs-surveys/acs/about/ACS_Information_Guide.pdf). The VEHSS ACS dataset was last updated in June 2018.
Tags glasses acs contact lenses visual function
Behavioral Risk Factors – Vision and Eye Health Surveillance
2013-2017. This dataset is a de-identified summary table of vision and eye health data indicators from BRFSS, stratified by all available combinations of age group, race/ethnicity, gender, risk factor and state. BRFSS is a system of telephone surveys conducted by CDC that collect state data about U.S. residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. BRFSS completes more than 400,000 adult interviews each year across 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories. BRFSS data for VEHSS includes one question from the core component related to Visual Function. Data were suppressed for cell sizes less than 30 persons, or where the relative standard error more than 30% of the mean. Data will be updated as it becomes available. Detailed information on VEHSS BRFSS analyses can be found on the VEHSS BRFSS webpage (link). General information about BRFSS can be found on the BRFSS website (https://www.cdc.gov/brfss). The VEHSS BRFSS dataset was last updated in June 2018.
Tags contact lenses glasses visual function brfss
National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) – Vision and Eye Health Surveillance
Tags contact lenses vision impairment visual function nsch glasses
National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) – Vision and Eye Health Surveillance
2014. This dataset is a de-identified summary table of vision and eye health data indicators from NHIS, stratified by all available combinations of age group, race/ethnicity, gender, and risk factor. NHIS is an annual household survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics at CDC that monitors trends in illness, disabilities, and progress towards national health objectives. Approximate sample size is 35,000 households and 87,500 persons annually. NHIS data for VEHSS includes questions related to Visual Function. Data were suppressed for cell sizes less than 30 persons, or where the relative standard error more than 30% of the mean. Data will be updated as it becomes available. Detailed information on VEHSS NHIS analyses can be found on the VEHSS NHIS webpage (link). Additional information about NHIS can be found on the NHIS website (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/about_nhis.htm). The VEHSS NHIS dataset was last updated in June 2018.
Tags nhis contact lenses visual function blind vision correction and 1 more
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) – Vision and Eye Health Surveillance
1999-2008; 2005-2008. This dataset is a de-identified summary table of vision and eye health data indicators from NHANES, stratified by all available combinations of age group, race/ethnicity, gender, and risk factor. NHANES is a program of studies conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics at CDC designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the U.S, and combines interviews and physical examinations. NHANES stopped collecting vision and eye health data in 2008. Approximate sample size is 5,000 persons per year. NHANES data for VEHSS includes questions and examinations related to Visual Function, Vision Exam Measures, Eye Health Conditions, Service Utilization, and Examination Measures. Data were suppressed for cell sizes less than 30 persons, or where the relative standard error more than 30% of the mean. Data will be updated as it becomes available. Detailed information on VEHSS NHANES analyses can be found on the VEHSS NHANES webpage (link). Additional information about NHANES can be found on the NHANES website (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm). The VEHSS NHANES dataset was last updated in June 2018.
Tags visual function visual acuity blind glaucoma cataract and 4 more
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Hyde & Goodrich Retailer Marked 3rd Model Tranter Pocket Revolver "Belly Gun"
Product Code: FHG-2114
The revolvers produced by English gunmaker William Tranter were some of the most advanced and modern handgun designs to see use by the Confederacy during the course of the American Civil War. Tranterwas born in 1816 and died in 1890. During his working life he was one of the most prominent Gun, Rifle & Pistol Makers in the Birmingham (England) gun trade. He went into business for himself circa 1840, after completing his apprenticeship with Hollis Brothers & Co, which he had begun in 1830. Tranter continued in the trade until 1885, just five years before his death. In 1840, after spending a decade learning the gun trade at Hollis Bros & Co (later Hollis & Sheath), Tranter bought the established gun making business of Robert Dugard at 29 ½ Whitehall Street. Over the next decade, he worked for himself and was also involved in joint ventures with his old employers John & Isaac Hollis as well as with Isaac Sheath. By 1850, he had located his primary business at 50 Loveday Street, where he was listed in a period directory as having “shops, sheds, steam machinery, yard & premises”. Tranter secured his first British patent related to firearms in October of 1849 when he registered a “pepperbox mechanism and lever catch for pistol locks”. In January 1853, he registered British Patent Number 212 (1853) for a pair of “self-cocking” pistol mechanisms and a safety mechanism. In December of the same year he registered designs for a double-action revolver mechanism, lubricated bullets and wadding, and a breech loading mechanism, all of which were covered by Patent Number 2921 (1853). In August of 1856 he registered the designs for a “double trigger revolver mechanism”, along with several other designs, all of which were covered by British Patent Number 1913 (1856). Tranter continued patenting firearm designs as late as 1887, even though he was no longer directly active in the gun trade on a day-to-day basis.
Tranter’s most successful series of arms were his “self-cocking” revolvers, which were initially introduced in 1853. The earliest revolvers utilized Robert Adams’ patent for a solid, one-piece frame and barrel that were machined from a single forging. Tranter’s initial production run of revolvers included both Adams 1851 Patent lock works, and Tranter's own patented lock works. The original “Tranter” type revolvers, known to collectors as 1stModel Tranter revolvers had no provision for a fixed loading lever. The lever swiveled on a stud that projected from the left side of the frame, which had no provision to retain the lever when it was mounted on the revolver. The lever was intended to be stored in a case or carried in the pocket; hardly a practical solution if the user actually had to reload the revolver in the field. Most of these guns were manufactured on Adams Patent frames and have Adams Patent serial numbers (really patent tracking numbers to pay royalties to Adams) and these numbers are followed by a Y-suffix. The 2ndModel Tranter revolvers also had a pin on the frame that allowed the attachment of a removable loading lever, but the pin had a small projection that allowed the lever to remain attached to the gun unless a notch in the lever was aligned with the stud projection to remove it. The later example of these guns, manufactured after about 1856, have Tranter Patent serial numbers and end with a T-suffix. These guns not only include Tranter Patent lock works, but also a newly improved version of the Adams solid frame, which was patented by Tranter in 1856. At this point, Tranter revolvers rarely have Adams allocated serial numbers. The 3rdModel Tranter revolvers had a more permanently attached loading lever, which was secured by a screw. The 3rdModels appear to have all been produced in the T-suffix Tranter serial number range. All three of these models were based on his “double-trigger” system (initially referred to as his “hesitating mechanism” on the early production guns), which utilized a second “trigger” under the trigger guard to rotate the cylinder and cock the hammer. The trigger inside the triggerguard was used to trip the sear and release the hammer to fire the revolver. The 4thModel Tranter revolvers (which were introduced in 1856 and are all in the Tranter T-suffix series) used a single trigger and utilized a lock work that would be referred to as a conventional “double action” mechanism today. All the Tranter revolver patterns were produced in a variety of calibers, with 54-Bore (.442) “Holster Size” and 120-Bore (.338) “Pocket Size” revolvers being the most commonly encountered calibers and frame sizes, with the mid-sized 80-Bore (.387) “Belt Size” being less often encountered. Some of the guns were also produced in the exceptionally large and powerful 36 and 38 bore sizes, which were larger versions of the holster size guns, and were about .50 caliber! Barrel lengths varied as well, with the larger caliber arms typically having longer barrels, and the smaller caliber guns having shorter barrel. All of the guns were 5-shot percussion revolvers, and typically featured checkered one-piece walnut grips, although smooth wooden grips and other grip materials are known to have been used on a special order basis. Tranter even produced some revolving rifles based upon the same mechanisms and patents, with some of those in calibers as large as .577.
The Tranter patent revolver was the primary competitor with the Adams and Adams-Beaumont patent revolvers in England and was also exported widely. Pre-Civil War Tranter revolvers are known with US retailer marks, indicating that his designs were at least somewhat successful in the United States during the antebellum period. The majority of the retailer marked guns are from the southern states, with the largest majority of them being marked by New Orleans retailers. Based upon extant examples, the firm of Hyde & Goodrich (later Thomas, Griswold & Co) appears to have been the primary importer of Tranter Patent revolvers into the southern United States. Most of these retailer-marked guns were sold cased with accessories, although some guns were certainly sold without the expensive casings and accouterments. During the course of the American Civil War, it appears that the importation of Tranter revolvers was somewhat limited, at least in terms of Confederate central government purchases. However, period advertisements in the south and extant examples with southern provenance make it clear that the guns were imported by blockade-runners as speculative items for sale in the south. Such famous Confederates as General John Hunt Morgan (3rdModel #3758T), General J.E.B. Stuart (4thModel #8673T) and General John Magruder and Colonel Dabney H. Maury (3rdModel #7993T), who served on the staff of General Earl Van Dorn, all owned documented 54-Bore Tranter revolvers. The famous “Pratt Roll”, which lists the revolvers in the possession of Lt. Julian Pratt’s squad of troopers in Company H of the 18thVirginia Cavalry in July of 1864, lists two Tranter revolvers, with the serial numbers 15,465 and 15,476. This indicates that Tranter revolvers in the mid 15,XXX serial number range were in use by southern forces, and in the field by that time. While models are not listed in the list, it is generally assumed that these guns were either 3rdof 4thmodel revolvers and were likely 54-Bore. Other Tranter revolvers with southern provenance include guns which are retailer marked by T.W. Radcliffe of Columbia, SC. Additionally, a March 10, 1863 advertisement in the Richmond Times Dispatch for H. E. Nichols of Columbia, SC read in part:
“Fine English Revolvers. Just received from England, six Tranter’s fine revolving pistols, 80 and 120 bore. Price $220 each.”
All of this evidence indicates that at least some of the Tranter revolvers produced during (as well as prior to) the Civil War, saw Confederate use. Dating Tranter revolvers based upon their serial numbers is somewhat problematic, as frames were sometime produced in advance and the guns completed at a later date. What we do know is that the “T” serial number suffix came into use around serial number 2200, sometime between 1854 and 1856. We also know that Tranter produced revolvers using Adams patent serial numbers and a “Y” suffix from about 1853 through about 1856. These guns appear in several serial number ranges, as assigned by Adams, including the 2X,XXX range. All “Y” suffix guns predate the Civil War by at least four or five years. From extant examples of Tranters with specific presentations, dated invoices and dates of usage associated with them, it appears that those Tranter revolvers with serial numbers through about the 20,XXX range (and possibly some of the early guns in the 21,XXX range) with T suffixes appear to have been produced prior to the end of 1865, making them “Civil War era”. Post-Civil War southern retailer marks begin to appear in the high 20,XXX to low 21,XXX range, suggesting that these guns are likely 1865 production, or possibly slightly later. One example of a post-war A.B. Griswold retailer marked Tranter revolver is known, but this appears to be a case of “new old stock”, with a gun made before the end of the war being sold to the post-Civil War retailer in New Orleans.
Offered here is an incredibly scarce Hyde & Goodrich Retailer Marked 3rdModel Tranter Pocket Revolver in FINE condition. The retailer mark on this revolver is rather scarce and probably the most desirable of all the Hyde & Goodrich markings. The topstrap is engraved in two lines:
W. TRANTER’S PATENT
HYDE & GOODRICH. AGENTS FOR THE UNITED STATES SOUTH
Of the variations of Hyde & Goodrich retailer marks found on revolver, this is the most intriguing and is believed by some researchers to indicate that the gun was offered for sale sometime between the formation of the Confederacy (February 1861) and the close of Hyde & Goodrich’s retail operations (mid-1861), when the firm became Thomas, Griswold & Company. Hyde & Goodrich had been operating in New Orleans from about 1852, offering jewelry, silver and a variety of high-end imported and locally produced items ranging from household goods to fine English firearms. The pocket-sized revolver is 120-bore (approximately .334 caliber). The pistol is engraved on the lower right side of the frame No 12,267 T, the serial number of the revolver. While Tranter’s cannot be dated specifically by serial number like Colt and Winchester firearms, based upon known extant examples that are identified or dated, I believe that this revolver was produced circa 1860, but due to the various delays associated with importing the gun, it may have been sold by Hyde & Goodrich as much as a year or more after its manufacture. I will also note that there are a small number of extant Hyde & Goodrich marked Tranter’s in the 8,XXX range (including one on display at the Confederate Memorial Hall museum in New Orleans) as well as guns in the 11,XXX-12,XXX range. It appears that the firm acquired a shipment of at least a couple dozen of the revolvers that were all produced circa 1858-1859 and marked with Hyde & Goodrich retailer information and likely tried to obtain even more of the guns as the clouds of war gathered. The left side of the frame of the gun is not marked with the typical arced two-line TRANTER’S PATENT cartouche, which is commonly encountered on later production revolvers. However, this mark is present on left side of the trigger and would be present on the loading lever if it was still attached.
As noted above, the revolver is in about FINE condition. The gun remains very crisp with strong edges and lines throughout. The gun retains about 45%+ of its original bright blued finish, most of which is present on the frame, with the balance of the metal showing a mostly smooth pewter and plum patina. The metal shows some areas of evenly distributed age discoloration, some flecks of light surface oxidation and some very lightly scattered pinpricking. Usually these pocket models have nominally 3 ¾-inch octagonal barrels, but this gun has been altered during the period of use, with the barrel shortened to 2 5/8-inches. The original front sight has been reset in the barrel in a period added dovetail slot that partially obscured the word “South” in the barrel marking. The fact that the new sight location alters the very desirable barrel marking for modern collectors is additional proof that the alteration is from the period of use. The shortened barrel turns the gun into a very effective “belly gun”, capable of being easily concealed and carried in a discreet manner. Reducing the overall length of the revolver by slightly more than 1-inch really does make a difference in the overall size and concealability. The barrel bears the expected Birmingham commercial view and proof marks on the left angled flat, just in front of the frame juncture, as well as on the cylinder between the chambers. The cylinder appears to have been color case hardened, as were most Tranter cylinders of this period and minute traces of darker mottling are visible on the otherwise pewter colored metal. The cylinder retains all its original cones (nipples), and they are all in crisp and usable condition with good edges and no significant battering or damage. The bore of the revolver rates about VERY GOOD, with sharp five-groove rifling. The bore is lightly mottled and shows scattered areas of bright and dark metal. The bore shows patches of oxidation as well as some scattered light pitting along its length. The usual Tranter style, light foliate scroll engraving is present on the rear of the frame and at the frame to barrel junction. The cylinder shows boarder line engraving on its edges and rear, as well as beaded engraving along the front edge. All of the engraving remains clear and crisp throughout. The left side of the frame retains the original Tranter’s patent spring safety that prevents the hammer from contacting the cones unless the trigger is pulled. Using the safety places the hammer on a pseudo “half cock” position, allowing the cylinder to be turned freely for loading. The original arbor pin retaining spring catch is also present on the forward right side of the frame. Both the safety and the arbor catch are in perfect mechanical condition. The original, screw-retained, Tranter “3rdModel” loading lever is no longer attached to the right side of the frame. Due to the shortening of the barrel, the loading lever has been removed, another period concession to making the pistol that much more concealable and easier to carry. The original front sight is in place in the period added dovetail near the muzzle. The one-piece checkered walnut grip is in about VERY GOOD+ to NEAR FINE condition as well and matches the condition of the pistol perfectly. The grip is solid and free of any breaks, cracks or repairs. The checkering remains fairly crisp but does show some light to moderate wear and some dings and handling marks. The action of pistol work very well and the revolver times, indexes and locks up, exactly as it should.
Overall this is an extremely nice, solid and scarce example of a rare Hyde & Goodrich – Agents for the United States South retailer marked 3rdModel Tranter percussion revolver. The gun is 100% period and original in every way, with a very professional period shortening of the barrel to turn the revolver into the ultimate southern “belly gun”. The pistol functions very well, which is nice as the safety mechanisms of these revolvers are often broken. For any collector of secondary Confederate revolvers, this is a nice opportunity to acquire a nice southern imported Tranter with the most desirable of the Hyde & Goodrich retailer marks that was imported for sale in New Orleans just prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War.
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With lawyers and legal executives onsite, we are equipped with a wide range of legal knowledge and experience.
Our office is also farmer-friendly, so feel free to just come in straight from the farm, leave your gumboots at the door and step inside so we can get started and get you sorted right away.
I’m interested in people who know about
Any expertise Commercial Conveyancing Estates General Law Litigation & Dispute Resolution Local Government Property Rural Trusts
Doug Rowan
LLB/BA
Hi, I'm Doug.
I'm a Director and I specialise in Commercial, Estates, General Law, Rural and Trusts.
Doug joined CS Law in 1996 after graduating from Victoria University with an LLB, BA and a BA (Philosophy). Doug is the first Director of CS Law after Cullinane Steele incorporated having become a partner in 2003.
Doug practices in the areas of commercial and property law, trusts, wills, estates and relationship property specialising in business transactions, commercial lending and advice on asset protection and business structures. Having grown up on a dairy farm Doug has a particular interest in rural transactions.
Doug is married to Hannah and has two teenage daughters. He is the Chair of Te Hinaki Education Trust and is passionate about improving educational outcomes for all children in Horowhenua.
He values the role Christian faith has in his life and in his spare time he is a keen Cricket and Rugby fan, enjoys a good bike ride and relaxing with a book or the paper!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?
If you’d like to meet with Doug, Natasha can arrange one for you.
Hannah Wood
LLM/BSc
Hi, I'm Hannah.
I'm a Director and I specialise in Commercial, Conveyancing, General Law, Property and Trusts.
Hannah joined CS Law in 2012 after graduation from Victoria University of Wellington, graduating in law and science, majoring in chemistry. As a student she enjoyed traveling overseas and has spent time living in a foreign country.
Hannah’s area of practice includes commercial law and general law. She is also the team leader of the Trust Management Team and the Conveyancing Team.
Hannah is married to Sam and they enjoy renovating their house and spending time on their hobbies.
If you’d like to meet with Hannah, Cheryl can arrange one for you.
Mark Duston
M027 242 3012
Hi, I'm Mark.
I'm a Lawyer and I specialise in Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Mark joined CS Law in November 2013, after being the Principal Sole and Managing Director of a practice located in Porirua and formerly Levin.
He graduated from Victoria University in 2003 after obtaining a LLB degree as an adult student, before gaining a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration endorsed Dispute Resolution.
Mark also has a Diploma in Business Studies and National Certificate in Adult Education & Learning. Mark has a keen interest in using Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) techniques to assist clients’ achieve effective outcomes to disputes / legal problems.
For most of his legal career Mark has been a litigation specialist who also managed a general law practice. Mark is also a Lead Provider for legal aid relating to Family, Civil and Employment law, as well as being an approved Lawyer for Child, Mark’s previous occupations include managing businesses, compliance, adult education, and human resource management.
Mark is married to Rhonda and between them have five adult children and four grandchildren. He is an active member of the Levin Golf Club (currently a board member), is the Honorary Solicitor for (and does pro bono work with) the Levin branch of Citizens Advice Bureau, and is a member of BNG Levin networking group.
If you’d like to meet with Mark, Janice can arrange one for you.
Frances Shaw
LL.B (Hons)
Hi, I'm Frances.
I'm a Lawyer and I specialise in Commercial, Conveyancing and General Law.
Frances joined CS Law in November 2017 after previously working at National Australia Bank, Russell McVeagh, Westpac and in the family business.
Frances graduated LL.B (Hons) from the University of Auckland.
Frances has come back to live in Palmerston North after twenty years living in Singapore and the UK and has two adult daughters.
In her spare time she enjoys gardening, dog-walking and the gym.
If you’d like to meet with Frances, Natasha can arrange one for you.
Bridget Tyson
Hi, I'm Bridget.
Bridget joined CS Law in February 2018 after previously working at The Treasury.
Bridget graduated LLB/BA from Victoria University.
In her spare time Bridget enjoys spending time with friends and family, riding her horses and working on her farm.
Alexandra Cannell
Hi, I'm Alexandra.
I'm a Lawyer and I specialise in Commercial, General Law and Trusts.
Alexandra joined CS Law in 2015 after previously working for the Ministry of Justice. She completed her law degree and Bachelor of Arts at Victoria University of Wellington. Alexandra works part time from home, and when she is not working she is raising her young family.
Samuel Wood
Hi, I'm Sam.
I'm a Lawyer and I specialise in Commercial, Conveyancing, General Law and Local Government.
Sam joined CS Law in 2018 after previously working for the Horowhenua District Council in an operational, and later a legal capacity, a busy family law practice in Porirua and the Ministry of Justice.
After receiving a royal commission in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 2006, Sam decided that flying wasn't for him and he attended the University of Otago graduating in Law, excelling in the usual accolade of extra-curricular activities that one expects from an Otago student!
Sam is married to Hannah and he enjoys renovating and landscaping their Levin home, forging & metal work, playing video games (ranging from classic MS-DOS titles through to modern AAAs), reading and watching documentaries. Sam has a keen interest in the environment and he and Hannah work on minimising their waste and are looking forward to pursuing a self-sufficient home in the Horowhenua District.
Callum McPetrie
Hi, I'm Callum.
I'm a Lawyer.
Callum joined the CS Law team as a Law Clerk in September 2018 after graduating from Victoria University of Wellington in 2017. In March 2019, he was admitted to the Bar and is now our newest Lawyer.
During his time studying, Callum interned at the Whitireia Community Law Centre in Porirua.
In his spare time, Callum enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.
Connie Hyslop
Hi, I'm Connie.
I'm a Law Clerk.
After finishing at Horowhenua College and starting her studies at the University of Otago, Connie joined CS Law as a student intern over the summer of 2015, returning in her summer breaks over the next two years. Connie took up a full-time position at CS Law at the start of 2019 and has plans to be admitted to the Bar in June.
Connie graduated from the University of Otago in 2018 obtaining an LLB and BA, majoring in both History and Japanese. She enjoyed involving herself in the Dunedin community including with Rotaract and other social based volunteering opportunities.
Born in Japan, Connie has enjoyed travelling back to meet with family friends and experience the culture first-hand. In her spare time, she also enjoys reading, concerts, delving into the latest crime documentaries and doing road-trips around the country.
Mark Collis
I'm a Registered Legal Executive and I specialise in Estates
Mark started with the firm in a junior position and, during this time, completed a Legal Executives course and qualified in March 1984. He is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute Legal Executives Inc and has experience in residential, rural and commercial conveyancing, estate administration, Wills and Powers of Attorney and his main area of the practice is estate administration, Wills, and Powers of Attorney.
His early years of education were at a rural school and he was a foundation member of Waiopehu College. Mark is married and has two sons and lives locally.
He enjoys spending time with family and friends, gardening, reading and is a member of the local Horowhenua Dance Club and is a current committee member and a past president.
Helen Sharpe
Hi, I'm Helen.
Helen is an integral part of our Estate Administration Team and attends to all aspects of this area of law. She is also proficient in residential property transactions and can assist you with any enquiries you may have.
Helen began her legal career in 1988 as a legal secretary in a Wellington law firm. Helen also studied to become a legal executive for which she qualified in 1999. In April 2012 Helen joined the team at CS Law.
Helen is an Associate member of the New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives and the New Zealand Law Society.
In her spare time Helen enjoys spending time with family and friends and working on her property.
Kirsty Beatson
Hi, I'm Kirsty.
I'm Registered Legal Executive and I specialise in Conveyancing
Raised in Levin, Kirsty spent twelve years in Wellington before returning home. Starting off with a career in sport administration, Kirsty worked for Wellington Rugby on a variety of events including the Rugby World Cup 2011 and the Sevens. When she returned home she took up a position with the District Court in Levin and case managed files in both the criminal and family jurisdictions for several years.
Now qualified as a Registered Legal Executive, Kirsty is part of the Conveyancing and Trust Management teams at CS Law. She aims to make the process as smooth as possible for all clients, especially first home buyers with KiwiSaver and Housing New Zealand Home Start Grants.
In her spare time Kirsty likes to spend time with family and friends and also enjoys a good book.
Rebecca Ellery-Winchcombe
Hi, I'm Rebecca.
I'm the Office Manager & Trust Accountant.
Rebecca joined the team at CS Law in 2001 after completing a certificate in Business Administration and Computing.
Rebecca started as a junior receptionist and with increasing responsibility has worked her way to being the Trust Accountant and Office Manager where she brings a wealth of knowledge of the business and its workings.
Rebecca lives locally on a life style block and has many animals, plays and coach’s roller derby, is a member of Levin Spinners and Weavers and a local Medieval Living History group.
Gillian Parsonson
Hi, I'm Gillian.
I'm a Legal Assistant and I specialise in Conveyancing
Gillian joined CS Law in January 2014 and she has been involved in many aspects of law over the past 17 + years.
Gillian is an integral part of the conveyancing team as a Legal Assistant.
Natasha Matenga
Hi, I'm Natasha.
I'm PA to Doug Rowan and I specialise in Conveyancing
Natasha has extensive knowledge in the administration sector with National Certificates in Computing and Business Administration. Currently she is PA to the Conveyancing and General Law teams.
With her free time she enjoys her family time with her husband and 2 beautiful girls.
Diana Buckley
Hi, I'm Diana.
I'm a Receptionist.
Diana joined the firm in 2006 and has the role of Receptionist/PA Support and is part of the Administration Team.
Diana enjoys getting away with her husband in their campervan for trips around the countryside. There is always somewhere new to explore. She also enjoys the pastimes of fishing and gardening.
Jo-Anne Half
Hi, I'm Jo.
I'm an Administration Assistant.
Jo is the Administration Support/Receptionist and part of the Administration Team. She has worked for CS Law since 2017.
Jo lives in Levin, enjoys playing Mini Golf and Ten Pin Bowling with her children.
Cheryl Bolton
Hi, I'm Cheryl.
I'm PA to the Trust Management, Commercial and General Law Teams.
Cheryl has 25 years experience with law firms in Wellington and Paraparaumu and has experience in all areas of the legal profession.
Cheryl has two daughters, three granddaughters and one grandson. She loves spending time with her family and gardening in her spare time.
Janice Wagstaff
P06 3660179
Hi, I'm Janice.
I'm PA to the Estates and Litigation Teams.
Janice has worked at CS Law for 30+ years. She has worked in all the various departments during that time currently working as a Personal Assistant for our Estates and Litigation Teams.
Janice is married with two daughters. She loves spending time with family and friends, walking and reading in her spare time.
100 years in the making
Our staff work in teams, giving you access to a range of specialised expertise relating to your needs.
Our firm first began in 1906 and one of our founding lawyers was William Park.
This is the High Court order admitting William Park to the bar as a Solicitor and Barrister of the High Court of New Zealand.
Staff photo from 1961.
Amalgamation of local law firms.
In the 70s the firms of Park, Cullinane, Turnbull and Partners and that of Harper Thompson Steele amalgamated to create Cullinane, Turnbull, Steele and Partners. Little has changed in our name since the amalgamation we are still known as Cullinane Steele but have recently rebranded to shorten our name to CS Law.
Peter Butler retires from the Partnership of Cullinane Steele.
Doug Rowan becomes a partner of Culinane Steele.
Cullinane Steele celebrates 100 years of serving the communities legal needs.
Levin Lawyer Keith De Ridder becomes a District Court Judge.
CS Law wins employer of choice at Electra Business Awards.
CS Law welcomes Hannah Wood as Director and opens new premises upgrade
CS Law gets a new director, solicitor Hannah Wood, who has been with the firm 6 years. They also open their new client premises to the public as part of their much over due building refurbishment.
With an established history and a solid reputation, CS Law has been serving the legal needs of clients in and around the Horowhenua District for over 100 years, providing legal advice and services to residents, business owners and institutions around Levin, including those living in Foxton, Shannon and Tokomaru.
Our Conveyancing Team work with you on property transactions, guiding you in each step of your property sale or purchase.
Our Estates Team help with administering all aspects of estates including succession planning.
Our Commercial and General Law Team can provide practical advice in all aspects of business transactions including commercial and rural property and advice on lending matters. As well as personal matters such as estate planning including wills and enduring powers of attorney.
Our litigation team can work with you to resolve relationship property disputes, employment issues, family law matters, mediation and negotiations.
As a member of NZ Law we are in touch with law firms all around the country, ensuring that we have the latest legal information at our fingertips.
Member firms practise in a wide range of legal disciplines ranging from business law, home buying and selling, immigration law and intellectual property to aviation law, viticulture and tourism. Cullinane Steele is able to utilise the services of NZ Law legal experts from across the country in order to solve your unique legal problem.
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Home Real Estate Delray Fire Rescue To Get Training Facility Of Its Own
Delray Fire Rescue To Get Training Facility Of Its Own
By: Marisa Herman Associate Editor
Delray Beach will soon be able to train its firefighters and paramedics at home, inside the city’s limits.
In a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Shelly Petrolia dissenting, commissioners approved spending $2.9 million to purchase land at 15 SE 10th St. to be used as a training facility for the Fire Rescue Department.
Currently, the city pays to send its employees outside of the city to maintain training requirements and certifications. Delray personnel can be called to any facility that has an opening.
Because those facilities can be located in northern Palm Beach County or even Broward County, fire chief Neal de Jesus said the department’s response times to emergency phone calls increases.
“We are already challenged to cover calls for service and we are sending [units] out of the city for training,” de Jesus said. “Regardless of the cost to provide our own training center, my recommendation as your fire chief would be that we have a training center so we can provide a level of service that residents of this community expect and demand. We can’t continue to roll the dice.”
Commissioner Petrolia said she had concerns with the cost of the land and the proximity to the Osceola Park neighborhood.
Mayor Cary Glickstein said the training center has been a priority for the city for the past three years and there is no perfect location for the facility.
“This whole conversation about public safety starts and ends with life and death,” he said. “Our response times are far too high because we are sending personnel and equipment out of this city. There is no location in this city that isn’t going to have ramifications for a training center.”
With a training center of its own, de Jesus said the department can control what units train when and if they need to be called in to assist, they are already located within city limits.
The 2.5 acre site already has two buildings that can be used for classrooms, offices and storage. The department would build a fire tower for fire suppression training.
He said it will take a while before the facility receives the certifications it needs to invite other departments to train there. But once that happens, he said the city can charge other departments to use the space training. He said the city’s would be modeled off of the training facility in Coral Springs.
“This isn’t predicated on making a profit,” he said. “I have a responsibly for the health, safety and welfare for those we serve. If this didn’t generate a dime my recommendation would be to still move forward.”
Previous articleRep. Frankel, Realtors® Of The Palm Beaches And Greater Fort Lauderdale Discuss Impact Of Proposed Tax Cuts On Homeowners
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Construction On Downtown Boca Mandarin Oriental Underway
Vie Management Acquires Boca Student Housing Complex University View, Plans Upgrades
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Solar Developers
Thought leadership, news, and commentary from the front lines of the clean energy revolution.
We deliver real-world energy solutions today to build a sustainable tomorrow. - See more at: http://www.blueoakenergy.com/blog/#sthash.XOerM0Fn.dpuf
As Money-Losing Coal Plants Eye a Bailout, Solar Forges Ahead
By Matthew Crosby
Late last week, news broke that the Trump administration was planning to order grid operators—via “emergency measures” under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy—to buy electricity from struggling coal and nuclear power plants in the name of national security and reliability. Apart from those who would directly benefit from such unprecedented federal intervention into the nation’s electricity markets, the industry’s reaction was swift and negative in opposition.
There is no emergency or national security threat emerging from the energy transition that justifies this measure. Rather, an alternative narrative is emerging that should be considered by the Administration as part of its broader efforts to bolster the economy: the energy transition should not be viewed as a threat to the few, but rather a massive opportunity for a wide swath of the economy. Investors from Berkshire Hathaway to Softbank & Saudi Arabia to the current U.S. Department of Energy clearly see the opportunity and job creation benefits that the energy transition presents. The results of the Xcel Colorado all-source process firmly establish that ratepayers can save millions while converting the fleet from coal to a mix of solar, wind, natural gas and storage. Like Thomas Edison’s radical lightbulb, utility-scale renewable energy represents the evolution of the electric system. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has succeeded through placing bets not on the technologies of the past but on disruption and innovation. The transition and economy are thus intertwined.
The sector’s galvanization against the move has made from an impressive (and surprising) list of united bedfellows: the American Petroleum Institute, Advanced Energy Economy, American Council on Renewable Energy, American Wind Energy Association, Energy Storage Association, Natural Gas Supply Association, and Solar Energy Industries Association, among others.
“A policy to spend billions of dollars keeping uneconomic power plants afloat, while trying to put clean and affordable solar on the sidelines, is not a recipe for economic success,” noted Christopher Mansour, vice president of federal affairs for SEIA. “Energy experts across a range of industries, within the federal government and in academia have agreed that this sort of effort will create a bloated power sector deploying outmoded technologies. We urge policymakers to again block this ill-advised effort to keep plants running that most electric utilities have already decided to abandon, and for good reason.”
The idea that emergency measures in the form of billions of dollars in subsidy borne ultimately by taxpayers in their utility bills over the next two years are needed to prop up grid reliability and security are, not surprisingly, just a façade to save a failing corner of the market. Study after study—from CAISO to PJM to ERCOT—find no risk to grid reliability arising from coal’s demise at the hands of natural gas, energy efficiency and flat demand, and the rise of solar and wind renewable energy.
While such studies are important, we can also look to real-world examples for confirmation. In the U.S., those states and regions with the highest percentages of renewable energy have maintained their grid reliability, even as the generation mix has evolved significantly. Meanwhile, in Europe countries such as Denmark, Germany, and others—whose grid mixes include far more renewables than the U.S.—boast significantly better grid reliability. It’s almost as if reliability has nothing to do with on-site fuel supplies, but rather sustained investment in flexible, resilient transmission and distribution systems.
The Trump administration’s latest attack on the clean energy is unlikely to have long term ramifications. It could, however, have short-term impacts that will ripple throughout the industry. Customers will bear billions of dollars of additional costs for electricity supply to support uneconomic coal- and nuclear-fired generation. Other generators could find themselves less economic and thus struggling to avoid bankruptcy in the face of artificially distorted market economics. And plans to replace retiring coal-fired generation with cost-competitive, cleaner solar, wind, natural gas, and other resources could be delayed.
We here at Coronal Energy remain undeterred in our own mission to seize the opportunity that the energy transition presents: Powering a Cleaner Grid. We’ve been around solar long enough to see it weather proverbial storms and other market interventions, from the planned phase out of the Investment Tax Credit to the current administration’s imposition of tariffs on imported solar modules.
If solar has shown us anything in recent years, it is its ability to demonstrate a different kind of resilience: a continual evolution and forward march to become ever more cost competitive; to supply ever more reliable, clean generation to the grid mix; to pair with other technologies such as energy storage to expand its capabilities and grid value; to be a central component of the largest companies’ core economic strategies. That’s the long-term trajectory. In the short term, we remain united with our colleagues across the industry to oppose the administration’s current harmful, unnecessary actions.
Matthew Crosby is policy director for Coronal Energy
© 2019 Coronal Energy
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Category Archives: transportation
Progress in Gaza and Ukraine as Russian Soldiers Return Home, Escalation Between Obama and ISIS Cast a Big Shadow Over 9/11 Rememberance and an Important Global Warming Update
In an interview with Al Quds TV on Thursday, Hamas No. 2 Musa Abu Marzouk said “Hamas is willing to talk directly to the Israelis” regarding issues including Gaza border crossings and prisoner releases, according to Ibrahim Barzak, Hamas Says It’s Ready For Direct Talks With Israel. Obtained by the Associated Press, in the taped interview, he said: “Just as you negotiate with weapons you can also negotiate by talk. Up till now our policy was no negotiation with (Israel), but others should be aware that this issue is not taboo.” Israel has consistently said it will not talk directly with Hamas until the group recognizes its right to exist and renounces violence. Abu Marzouk insist the reason for considering take such steps reflects growing tensions with Abbas, whom Hams believes is trying to reclaim control of Gaza. He said, “Hamas finds itself compelled to make this move when the natural rights of the people in Gaza come under pressure from the Palestinian Authority and the government.” Hamza Hendawi and Josef Federman report, Evidence growing that Hamas used residential areas, that evidence is mounting against Hamas militants regarding the use of residential areas as cover for launching rockets at Israel several times which Hamas now admits mistakes were made. According to the Associated Press, Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas official in Gaza, said: “Gaza, from Beit Hanoun in the north to Rafah in the south, is one uninterrupted urban chain that Israel has turned into a war zone. The Israelis kept saying rockets were fired from schools or hospitals when in fact they were fired 200 or 300 meters (yards) away. Still, there were some mistakes made and they were quickly dealt with.” According to Palestinian figures, 2,000 Palestinians died with three quarters of them civilians and more than 500 children included, while 11,0000 were wounded and 100,000 left homeless. On the Israeli side, seventy two people died including six civilians. Ahead of the U.N. investigation, the Israeli military released reams of evidence, including satellite photos and aerial footage, to support its claims that it acted appropriately and tried to minimize casualties, while Hamas made no effort to disguise its aim of maximizing Israeli casualties. Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an Israeli military spokesman, said, “Hamas’ excuses are outrageous, misleading and contrary to the evidence supplied by the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) and the reality documented by international journalists on the ground in Gaza.” A visit to the area uncovered three separate military sites possibly training grounds larger than a football field near state schools concealed from the street with barriers made of corrugated iron. Hamas restricted access to these areas making it impossible for photographers to enter the site and Israel confirmed that the areas were targeted in airstrikes. Another site identified by Israeli military as a rocket launching site is in northern Gaza near the new Indonesian hospital in close proximity to residential homes. The two Hamas military facilities are across the road to the west of the two story hospital which stands intact. Hamad, the Hamas official, said the buildings shown in Israeli videos were either a safe distance from the rocket launchers or the building were vacant during fighting. Bill Van Esyeld, a senior researcher at the Human Rights Watch, said: “I don’t think there’s any doubt urban areas were used to launch rockets from in the Gaza Strip. What needs to be determined is how close to a populated building or a civilian area were those rocket launches.” Sami Abdel Shafi, a Palestinian American representing the Carter Center in Gaza, said: “Yes, Hamas and others may have used civilians as human shields, but was that consistent and widespread? The question is whether Israel’s response was proportionate.” The death toll and number of civilian deaths led to harsh condemnation of Israel and raised questions on the proportionality of Israeli’s response causing Israel, in order to prevent an international investigation, on Wednesday to open its own criminal investigation into two high profile cases involving Palestinian civilian casualties. Hamas also has been sharply criticized for launching rockets aimed at Israeli cities and towns. Israel says its own civilian death toll would have been much higher had it not been for its rocket defenses. The U.N. Human Rights Council has appointed a commission to look into the latest fighting. Its report is expected no sooner than March.
While long standing peace could remain elusive for Gaza and progress is slow to say the least, Ukraine is taking steps forward to ensure peace in eastern Ukraine as Russia beefs up its military strategy. Laura Mills reports, Ukraine’s President Pledges To Give The Country’s East More Autonomy, Ukraine’s president Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday said he will introduce a bill next week offering greater autonomy to the pro-Russian east but rejects the idea of federalization that both Russia and the rebels want. During a televised Cabinet meeting, Poroshenko explained: “[the ceasefire deal reached] envisages the restoration and preservation of Ukrainian sovereignty over the entire territory of Donbas, including the part that is temporarily under control of the rebels. Ukraine has made no concessions with regards to its territorial integrity.” Ukraine and the West both accused Russia of fueling the separatists with arms, expertise and its own troops, something Russia denies. In late August, NATO estimated more than 1,000 troops were operating on Ukrainian spoil and helping the rebels to turn the tide of the war in their favor. In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Wednesday for new sanctions against Russia that would deepen earlier penalties targeting Russia’s energy and arms sectors and tighten Russia’s access to International loans. Merkel told German parliament that the ceasefire improved the situation but there was “a lack of clarity on the fulfillment” of many other points of the peace plan. Ambassadors from EU nations were meeting Wednesday to discuss the sanction against Russia in Brussels. Poroshenko says since the agreement, 70 percent of the Russian troops in Ukraine have been withdrawn and 700 Ukrainian prisoners have been freed from rebel captivity with 500 more being freed by the end of the week. Mills reports: “Col. Andriy Lysenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian National Security Council, told journalists that only 20 servicemen had returned home so far. In Donetsk, a rebel spokesman said a planned exchange of 36 soldiers from each side had been put off until Thursday, blaming the government for the delay. The cease-fire has been violated numerous times and Poroshenko accused the separatists of “provoking” Ukraine’s troops. Ukraine says five servicemen have been killed and 33 injured since Friday. A volley of rocket fire was heard in the rebel-held city of Donetsk late Tuesday.” In a statement carried by Russian news agencies, the leader of the rebels in Luhansk, Igor Plotnitsky, reacted to Poroshenko’s commnets: “Neither we, nor our friends in Donetsk, are going to abandon the course to build our own state. A temporary cease-fire cannot cancel the results of the people’s vote. People voted unanimously for the independence of our republics. There’s no way back to the previous status.” Other rebels have been in favor of a broad autonomy. Plotnitsky said the next round of talks between Moscow, Kiev, the insurgents and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is likely to discuss the status of the rebel-held areas. The Ukrainian public has been largely supportive of the war against the separatists. Peter Leonard reports, Ukraine, rebels exchange prisoners in peace deal, government and revel forces on Friday exchanged dozens of prisoners captured during fighting in Ukraine as part of a ceasefire agreement earlier this month outside the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk under the watch of international observers. Yurly Tandit, a negotiator for the government, said: “There is an ongoing process of talks. We are meeting each other’s demands and fulfilling our promises.” Meanwhile, Reuters reports, Russia Tests Nuclear Missile, Russia successfully tested their new Bulava intercontinental nuclear missile on Wednesday and will perform two more test launches in October and November, according to the head of its naval forces. The 12-meter long Bulava, or mace, has undergone numerous tests, some of which have failed, causing setbacks for the project that aims to be the cornerstone of Russia’s nuclear arsenal over the next decade. Thomas Grove and Maria Tsvetkova report, Moscow stifles dissent as soldiers return in coffins, that 15 Russian soldiers were killed in Ukraine and hundreds more are in the hospital, according to human rights workers and military workers. A survey by pro-Kremlin pollster Fund of Social Opinions said 57 percent of Russians support the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk, but only 5 percent support an invasion of Ukrainian territory. Russian authorities have worked to systematically silence rights workers’ complaints over soldiers’ deaths, intimidating those who question the Kremlin’s denials regarding Ukraine. Vladimir Isachenkov reports, Putin: Russia to focus on new offensive weapons, on Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin announced Russia is developing a variety of new nuclear and conventional weapons to counter the U.S. and NATO and weighing the cost to avoid overburdening its economy. Putin said potential threats must be analyzed and an adequate response given to avoid excessive military spending. In addition, he said Russian defense industries must rid themselves of dependence on imports and become capable of producing key components at home, referring to recent Western sanctions imposed on Russian arms sales. Russian West relations are at their lowest point since the Cold War with NATO deciding last week to create a rapid reaction spearhead force to protect Eastern Europe from Russian bullying. Meanwhile, Fred Westerbeke of the Dutch National Prosecutors Office told reporters that most likely the downing of MH17 in eastern Ukraine on July 17 was shot down as a separate Dutch air crash investigation concluded this week that the plane was hit from the outside by numerous high energy objects, according to Mike Corder, Shooting down of MH17 ‘most likely’ scenario. Police chief Patricia Zorko said detectives are poring over 350 million webpages and thousands of photos and films that could contain evidence and are trying to authenticate intercepted phone conversations. Corder reports: “A highly placed rebel officer told the AP in an interview after the disaster that the plane was shot down by a mixed team of rebels and Russian military personnel who believed they were targeting a Ukrainian military plane. Intercepted phone conversations between the rebels released by the Ukrainian government support that version of events.” Detectives and forensic experts are looking at 25 metal objects recovered from bodies and wreckage to see if any clues surface. Westerbeke warns the complex investigation is complex and time consuming comparing it to the Lockerbie bombing hat took years to identify suspects.
As the rebels and Ukraine government try to reach some sort of long lasting peace and stability internally and externally with Russia, the United Stated joined by other countries in their alliance try to wage war against an entity that has spread quickly throughout the Middle East and internationally through recruitment of foreigners to brutal battles. Julie Pace reports, Obama orders airstrikes in Syria for first time, President Barack Obama authorized U.S. airstrikes inside Syria for the first time Wednesday night with expanded strikes in Iraq as part of a “steady, relentless effort” to root out Islamic State extremists. In a prime time address to the nation from the White House, Obama declared: “We will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are. This is a core principle of my presidency: If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.” Obama announced he will send 500 more U.S. troops to advise and assist Iraqi security forces as well as conduction intelligence and reconnaissance flights, bringing the total number of American forces this summer to 1,500. He urged Congress to authorize a program to train and arm Syrian rebels fighting both the Islamic State militants and Syrian President Bashar Assad. He added: “But I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil.” Officials said Obama plans to proceed with both broader airstrikes in Iraq and Syria without seeking new authorization from Congress as he is acting under a use of force authorization Congress passed in the days following 9/11 to give President George W. Bush the ability to go after those who perpetrated the terror attacks. Obama previously called for its repeal, but used it as support for strikes against terror targets in Yemen and Somalia. Pace reports: “Obama said his approach in Syria is modeled after those long-running U.S. counterterrorism campaigns. But it is different in important ways, starting with the fact that it marks the first time since 9/11 that a U.S. president has authorized the bombing of terror targets in another nation without seeking permission or at least notifying it in advance.” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, praised Obama for acknowledging the grave and growing threat that the Islamic State poses, but said Obama was coming to that conclusion too late. Boehner said: “He has finally begun to make the case the nation has needed him to make for quite some time: that destroying this terrorist threat requires decisive action and must be the highest priority for the United States and other nations of the free world.”The White House wants Congress to include the authorization in a temporary funding measure lawmakers will vote on before they adjourn this month. Republicans have made no commitment to support the request and the House GOP has so far not included the measure in the funding legislation, while a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the Nevada Democrat might opt to seek separate legislation. The White House announced Wednesday that it was also providing $25 million in immediate military assistance to the Iraqi government as part of efforts to combat the Islamic State. David Cohen, Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, wrote in a blog post that the U.S. would be working with other countries, especially Gulf states, to cut off the group’s external funding networks and its access to the global financial system. The U.S. has been pressing allies in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere to help with efforts to degrade the terror group. Meanwhile, rebels, desperate and disenchanted, don’t believe help will come from the West, blaming the United States and its allies for past failures when support was promised and not delivered allowing the rise of ISIS, according to Sophia Jones, Cash-Strapped Moderate Syrian Rebels Blame West For Rise Of Islamic State. The Islamic State has amassed considerable wealth from foreign donations, oil smuggling, extortion and hostage ransoms. They’ve taken control of crucial weapons warehouses and supplies, such as weaponry the U.S. gave to the Iraqi Army. In addition, the new found power has allowed them to gain support by setting up needed infrastructures and imposing order as well as strictly enforced rules such as bans on smoking, and mandates that women wear full-face veils. Jones reports: “Three and a half years into a devastating civil war that has ripped apart the country, Syrian fighters say that if something doesn’t change they’ll lose more and more moderate fighters to the Islamic State. As secular, moderate rebel groups face infighting, divisions and a lack of necessary equipment and training, some may be enticed by the rich and highly organized Islamic State. The group of fighters gathered in the Turkish border town said they usually make roughly $50 a month. But they’ve heard that Islamic State fighters can make $600 or more.” As the rebels fight both the regime and Islamic State, they fear the threat of the jihadi group will cast a shadow over their efforts to curb the regime’s grip on Syria. While the Islamic State beheads U.S. journalists and persecutes and kills religious minorities, the Assad regime continues to indiscriminately bomb civilian areas and likely is using chemical weapons against its own population.
Meanwhile, international, the U.S. tries to rally allegiance from neighboring countries int he Middle East and allies to fight the Islamic State casting a shadow on the 13 anniversary of 9/11. On Thursday, Key Arab allies promised to help in the fight against the Islamic State, but NATO member Turkey refused, Lara Jakes and Adam Schreck report, Arab allies pledge to fight Islamic state group. As the CIA doubled its assessment of how many fighters the extremist group can muster, the Arab states’ endorsed the broad strategy to stop the flow of fighters and funding to the insurgents and to join possible military action. On Thursday, both Republicans and Democrats in Congress joined the President in his call to combat the militants after laying out his long term campaign to include expanding airstrikes against the fighters in Iraq, launching strikes against them in Syria for the first time and bolstering the Iraqi military and moderate Syrian rebels to allow them to reclaim territory from the militants. After a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in thr Red Sea city of Jiddah, 10 Mideast allies announced their backing for a strategy to destroy the group wherever it is. Kerry’s visit, on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, was aimed at pinning down regional allies and so far 40 nations have agreed to contribute to what Kerry said would be a worldwide fight to defeat the group. Kerry said of the terror attacks on the U.S. 13 years ago: “The devastating consequences of extremist hate remain fresh in the minds of all Americans, and to so many of our friends and allies around the world. Those consequences are felt every day here in the Middle East.” New intelligence assessments estimate the extremists have between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria, up from a figure of 10,000, the CIA said Thursday. CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani said the new total reflects stronger recruitment by extremists since June, following battlefield successes and the group’s declaration of an Islamic State or caliphate on territory under its control. On Friday, Larak Jakes reports, US, Turkey mull strategy against Islamic militants, the United States pressed Turkey to harden its borders against fighters and funding going to the Islamic State and sought clarity on how far Ankara is willing to go to help a world coalition to destroy the group. While Turkey sits on the front line battlegrounds of Iraq and Syria as it assists refugees and cracked down on cross border traffic from both countries, Turkey resist endorsing the new strategy as 49 Turkish citizens have been kidnapped including diplomats. At the start of a meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu cited “challenges and threats” in Iraq and Syria. Jakes reports: “It was the third meeting so far this month between Kerry and Cavusoglu, who also together participated in talks during the annual NATO summit in Wales and this week in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, about the Islamic State threat. Kerry said the two men also will chair a counterterrorism forum at the United Nations General Assembly at the end of September. But the U.S. is being careful to not push Turkey too hard as it grapples with trying to free its hostages. The Turks were kidnapped from their consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul when it was overrun by the Islamic State in June.” In addition, American hostages are being held as payback for the 150 airstrikes that Washington has launched in Iraq since last month. Kerry said: “But I think for the moment, they have a few sensitive issues. We respect those sensitive issues, and we’re going to work with them very carefully.” Rachelle Blinder and Jonathan Lemire report, New terror fight casts shadow over 9/11 ceremonies, due to the growing threat of the Islamic State, a heavy cloud hung over the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks Thursday causing many to feel anxiety and determination in coming to ground zero to remember loved ones. The silence to mark the attack and the roll call of the nearly 3,000 lives lost came hours after President Barack Obama told the country he is authorizing expanded strikes in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State group. Vasile Poptean said as he left the ceremony, where he had gone to remember his brother, Joshua Poptean: “It’s an ongoing war against terrorists. Old ones die out and new ones pop up. If we don’t engage them now, there’s a possibility there will be another 9/11 down the road.” Victims’ relatives and dignitaries gathers in the plaza where the twin towers stood and now where the soon to open 1,776 foot One World Trade Center stands to commemorate the attacks, while in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where former House Speaker Dennis Hastert gave the flag that flew atop the U.S. Capitol on 9/11 to the Flight 93 National Memorial, did the same. At the Pentagon, Obama spoke at the wreath laying ceremony without mentioning the rise of Islamic State extremists specifically, but noted: “We cannot erase every trace of evil from the world. That was the case before 9/11 and that remains true today.”
As many try to heal old wounds and remember those they lost to what it seems is an endless war, the United Nations along with scientist this week had some good news about the health of the planet. Seth Borenstein reports, Scientists say the ozone layer is recovering, earth’s protective ozone layer has begun to heal largely due to the phase out since the 1980s of certain chemicals used in refrigerants and aerosol cans, the U.N. scientific panel reported Wednesday. Scientists said the development demonstrates that when the world works together, it can counteract a brewing ecological crisis. For the first time in 25 years, scientists confirmed a statistically significant and sustained increase in stratospheric ozone shielding the planet from solar radiation that causes skin cancer, crop damage and other problems. Paul A. Newman, a NASA scientist and co-chaired the every four years ozone assessment by 300 scientist published by the United Nations, said from 2000 to 2013 ozone levels climbed 4 percent in key mid-northern latitudes at 30 miles up. The ozone layer has been thinning since the 1970s due to man made chlorofluorocarbons called CFCs which release chlorine and bromine destroying ozone molecules high in the air. After scientists raised the alarm, countries agreed to a treaty in 1987 that phased out CFCs allowing those chemicals to decrease between 30 and 50 miles up. The United Nations calculated in earlier reports that without the pact, by 2030 there would be an extra 2 million skin cancer cases a year around the world. Newman added that heat trapping greenhouse gases are also helping to rebuild the ozone layer as the cooler air caused by carbon dioxide and other gases increase the amount of ozone. MIT atmospheric scientist Susan Solomon said the chemicals that replaced CFCs contribute to global warming and are on the rise expecting that a dramatic increase will occur by 2050 and make a big contribution to global warming. The long lasting ozone eating chemicals still linger in the atmosphere creating a yearly fall ozone hole over the extreme southern Hemisphere and the hole hasn’t closed up. By Newman’s calculations, the ozone layer is still 6 percent thinner than in 1980. Achim Steiner, executive director of the U.N. Environment Program, said there are encouraging signs that the ozone layer “is on track to recovery by the middle of this century.” He added: “More than 98 percent of the ozone-depleting substances agreed over time have actually been phased out. If not for such efforts, Steiner said, “we would be seeing a very substantial global ozone depletion today.” Earlier this week, the United Nations announced that atmospheric levels of the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, surged to another record high in 2013. The increase from 2012 was the biggest jump in three decades.
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The Ebola Crisis Keeps Getting Worse, Battling ISIS Around the World, The War On Drugs and America’s Wealth Gap Unsustainable
The Ebola epidemic sweeping across Western Africa this summer shows no signs of slowing down as researchers say it’s about to get worse. According to AOL, Health officials say Ebola outbreak about to get worse, Frieden, the director of the Center for Disease Control, said: “It is the world’s first Ebola epidemic and it’s spiraling out of control. It’s bad now, it’s going to get worse in the very near future.” The World Health Organization told officials to “prepare for an ‘exponential increase’ in Ebola cases in countries currently experiencing intense virus transmission.” The Who suspects that normal containment measures aren’t working due to Ebola victims and their communities mistrust of medical experts. The New York Times: “Now, armed gangs chase health workers away from villages while the sick hide.” As of Monday, The World Health Organization reports the virus has killed 2,105 people with half from Liberia and the rest from Guinea and Sierra Leone mostly. According to WHO: “The whole world is responsible and accountable to bring the Ebola threat under control. Let’s do it. Action, action, and action.” President Obama on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” announced the U.S. military would deploy its resources and logistical expertise to help aid workers on the ground. NBC’s “Meet The Press”: “If we don’t make that effort now, and this spreads … there is the prospect then that the virus mutates … and then it could be a serious danger to the United States.” Currently, 53 percent of the people diagnosed with Ebola die as there is no cure for it. On Sunday, the Guardian reported a potential breakthrough saying the human trials were underway for a vaccine that worked on monkeys. However, best case scenario if a vaccine works it will take months to deliver it to victims while victims and people try to help them are on their own. Eleanor Goldberg reports, More Women Than Men Are Dying From Ebola, the current Ebola outbreak may infect as many ads 20,000 people with a disproportionate number being women, experts say. According to UNICEF, more women than men are contracting the disease as they traditionally serve as health care workers and are the ones who take care of the sick in their families. Women account for 55 to 60 percent of the victims who die from Ebola in the current epidemic in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The Washington Post reported, health teams in Liberia recently reported that women made up 75 percent of victims infected with Ebola. Irin News reports the outbreak can be attributed to the consumption of infected bushmeat of wild animals which many rely on for their livelihood and main source of protein. Sia Nyama Koroma, first lady of Sierra Leone, told the Washington Post: “Women are the caregivers — if a kid is sick, they say, ‘Go to your mom. Most of the time when there is a death in the family, it’s the woman who prepares the funeral, usually an aunt or older female relative.” Marpue Spear, executive director of the Women’s NGO Secretariat of Liberia, told Foreign Policy: “If a man is sick, the woman can easily bathe him but the man cannot do so. Traditionally, women will take care of the men as compared to them taking care of the women.” Because of the confrontation associated with the disease due to military surrounding homes and healthcare workers not respecting a patient’s traditions, Ebola victims do not go to treatment centers. However, if these relationships can be mended, then these epidemics could be stopped before they spread to this level. Frankfurter wrote in a blog for Wellbody Alliance: “Health workers should acknowledge, publicly, how frightening this disease will be for affected communities and how difficult it is for families to part with loved ones to likely die in isolation wards. Such sympathetic gestures would serve to align the priorities of communities and the public health response.”
While the world fights to contain and stop the Ebola epidemic ravaging West Africa, the U.S. and other world leaders are discussing plans to rid the world of another political and social disease, ISIS. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told members of the Southeastern New England Defense Industry Alliance at a conference on defense innovation Wednesday that unsophisticated militaries and terrorist groups are acquiring destructive weapons and Moscow and Beijing are modernizing their armed services including electronic warfare and special operations capabilities, Lolita C. Baldor reports, Chuck Hagel: U.S. Needs To Maintain Military Superiority. Hagel said: “We are entering an era where American dominance on the seas, in the skies, and in space — not to mention cyberspace — can no longer be taken for granted. And while the United States continues to maintain a decisive military and technological edge over any potential adversary, our continued superiority is not a given. We must take this challenge seriously, and do everything necessary to sustain and renew our military superiority. This will not only require active investment by both government and industry — it will require us to once again embrace a spirit of innovation” in how American buys and develops new technologies. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Baghdad Wednesday to press Iraq’s Shiite Leader to give more power to Sunnis or jeopardize any hope of defeating the Islamic State group as Iraq’s new government has finally been put in place and the threat of ISIS increases, the Associate Press reports, Kerry to meet with new Iraqi Prime Minister. Kerry’s arrival happened just two days after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was sworn in and seated his top government ministers. The trip marks the first high level U.S. meeting with the new prime minister and symbolizes the Obama administration’s support for Iraq three years after the U.S. left. However, it also signals to the Shiite Muslim leader that the U.S. is watching to make sure he gives Iraqi Sunnis more control over local power structures and security forces. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Kerry will “meet with Iraqi government officials to welcome them on the successful formation of a new government” and “discuss how the United States can increase its support to Iraq’s new government in our common effort to defeat ISIL and the threat that it poses to Iraq, the region, and the world.” Kerry’s trip comes on the eve of a meeting win Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he and Arab leaders across the Mideast will discuss what nations can contribute to the fight against ISIS. Officials hope to have a strategic blueprint against ISIS with specific steps nations are willing to take by the opening of the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York at the end of the month. White House official said Tuesday that Obama will ask Congress to authorize the arming and training of Syrian opposition forces but will press forward without formal sign off from lawmaker on a broader military and political effort to combat the Islamic State. The president’s broader strategy could include more wide ranging airstrikes against Iraq and Syria and hinges on military and political commitment from allies in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere. A senior U.S. official said the conference participants will discuss how to dry up foreign funding for the Islamic State and counter propaganda used to recruit people into the extremist group. In addition, al-Abadi promised to create a national guard of local fighters to secure Iraq’s 18 provinces run by a governor. This would ensure the Iraqi army and its mostly Shiite forces would not be in charge of security in Sunni regions along for salaried jobs, government pensions and other benefits to areas of Iraq where al-Maliki, the former prime minister, denied for years. Zeina Karam reports, UN Aid Reaches Record Number Of Syrians, the World Food Program has assisted 4.1 million Syrians in the last month reaching more of those in need with shipments traversing borders and front lines on Tuesday. Syria’s civil war has touched off a massive humanitarian crisis, with some 10.8 million people in need of assistance, including 4.7 million in hard-to-reach areas, according to the U.N. Previously, humanitarian aid was block without Syrian government approval first ensuring the rebel held areas remained off limits, but in July, the U.N. Security Council authorized movement of humanitarian aid to Syrians in opposition areas without government approval. IN a statement Tuesday, the World Food Program said over the last six weeks it and its partners have reached more than 580,000 people with deliveries crossing battle lines. The August figures include five cross-border convoys that delivered rice, lentils, oil, pasta and other staples for 69,500 in difficult zones to reach in Aleppo, Idlib, Quneitra and Daraa provinces. Muhannad Hadi, WFP’s Regional Emergency Coordinator for Syria, said: “We are reaching more people every day with urgently needed food assistance — many of them have been going hungry for months. We will build on these gains in the coming weeks and months and hope that all parties to the conflict will continue to facilitate our access to the women, children and families that remain out of our reach behind conflict lines.” The U.N. agency said fighting and security concerns continue to hamper access to many areas, particularly in Hassakeh, Deir el-Zour and Raqqa provinces.
Meanwhile, the war on drugs, which has had little if any success, has left hundreds of thousands dead and fleeing, leading to demands to completely overhaul the drug policies around the world including legalization of psychoactive substances like marijuana. Matt Ferner reports, World Leaders Condemn Failed Drug War, Call For Global Reform, on Tuesday in New York City, 10 members of the Global Commission on Drug Policy urged all governments to embrace models that include decriminalization of consumption, legal regulation of drug markets and strategic refocusing of criminal enforcement. Sound policy, former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso said, “does not allow human rights to be put aside in order to extend the repression of drugs.” The commission consists of 21 former presidents and other prominent individuals who are trying to advance “humane and effective ways to reduce the harm caused by drugs to people and societies.” Its members include Cardoso; former Swiss President Ruth Dreifuss; former Colombian President César Gaviria; former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo; Louise Arbour, former United Nations high commissioner for human rights; and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson. Cardoso believes the new approach should stress public health and ensure drug users have access to health care. Gaviria argues the legalization of marijuana and other illicit substances “strengthens the fight against cartels.” Cardoso said the world’s governments must put pressure on the Untied Nations before the United Nations before the 2016 U.N. General Assembly Special Session on Drugs (UNGASS) to begin incremental change in the “inadequate” strategies of the “war on drugs” found in current international conventions. Zedillo points out the current U.N. system of prohibition has led to increase in consumption and “created a disaster, not a world free of drugs.” Cardoso said: “We cannot abolish the use of drugs. So we need cultural modification.” Zedillo accuses the U.N. of straitjacketing the effort to adopt new policies, adding: “2016 is an opportunity to start a new international regime where governments can really control this drug problem. Our objective is to have a framework that empowers governments to pursue more rational policies. The specifics of those policies are to be defined by those governments and their civil societies.” The report comes as punished for drug oriented crimes around the world are already being reconsidered and in some countries reshaped. Cardoso said there were experiments going on all around the world with great reform success in the United States, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain and Uruguay. he said: “We have experiences in Portugal since 1991, where they have decriminalized the use of drugs. Users get treatment assistance but are not put in jail. It has been very effective in Portugal; the results are quite clear.” In 2013, Uruguay became the first country to approve legal regulation of the production, distribution and sale of marijuana. While the U.S. government bans the use, some states, Colorado and Washington, have legalized the recreational use of the drug and 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical use. Tom Angell, chairman of Marijuana Majority, in an interview with The Huffington Post, said: “These world leaders have seen, from their own experience, how the failed war on drugs harms countries and populations. I have no doubt that President Obama will evolve and join this group and the majority of Americans in at least endorsing the legalization of marijuana, just as he did with marriage equality. The only question is if this evolution will occur before or after his term as president ends. I’m sure the global commission’s members would welcome him to their ranks as one more former head of state on the record for legalization, but it’ll be a lot more impactful if he undergoes this transformation while he still has the power to change failed policies that harm people every day.”
While the war on drugs seems to be making some headway in the world, the socioeconomic war being fought between classes, namely the wealthy and poor, has grown. Reuters reports, America’s Wealth Gap ‘Unsustainable’ According To Harvard Study, Harvard Business School released a study Monday titled “An Economy Doing Half its Job” said American companies were showing signs of recovering their competitive edge in the world market since the financial crisis, but workers keep struggling to demand better pay and benefits. The report says “such a divergence is unsustainable” based on a survey of 1,947 Harvard Business School alumni around the world highlighting the problem with the U.S. education system, transport infrastructure, and the effectiveness of the political system. Some 47 percent said the next three years they expect U.S. companies to be both less competitive internationally and less able to pay higher wages and benefits versus 33 percent who though the opposite. According to the survey, the results are an improvement from a 2012 Harvard Business School survey of its alumni showing 58 percent expected a decline in U.S. competitiveness. However, Harvard wrote the respondents of the 2014 survey “were much more hopeful about the future competitive success of America’s firms than they were about the future pay of America’s workers.” Harvard called on corporate leaders to help solve America’s wealth gap by working to buttress the kindergarten-to-12th-grade education system, skills-training programs, and transportation infrastructure, among other things. The report said: “Shortsighted executives may be satisfied with an American economy whose firms win in global markets without lifting U.S. living standards. But any leader with a long view understands that business has a profound stake in the prosperity of the average American. Thriving citizens become more productive employees, more willing consumers, and stronger supporters of pro-business policies. Struggling citizens are disgruntled at work, frugal at the cash register, and anti-business at the ballot box.” Meanwhile, in a speech given at the Urban Institute Monday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew put U.S. companies using tax inversion on notice, according to CNBC: “This practice allows the corporation to avoid their civic responsibilities, while continuing to benefit from everything that makes America the best place in the world to do business. … This may be legal, but it’s wrong. And our laws should change.” Lew urged Congress to address the problem through comprehensive tax reform, but also warned the Treasury would act independently to crack down on inversions in the very near future. Tax inversion, which involves a company relocating its headquarters to a low tax nation while still maintaining their U.S. operations, has become common practice over the last year with Burger King being the latest corporation accused of inversion after merging with Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons. Bloomberg’s Peter Cook says the Treasury’s options are limited: “They have several ideas on the table, I’m told, at the Treasury Department. They haven’t decided on one single fix. But Lew’s message this morning was: we can only do this at the margins. Only Congress can have a real, long-term fix here.” The Obama adminsitration estimates there are dozens of inversion in the works which have not been announced, but Lew urges Congress to make any legislative fix for inversion retroactive to all deals since May including the Burger King-Tim Hortons merger. According to Ryan Gorman, Amid tax backlash, Burger King acquires Tim Horton’s but keeps US HQ, Berger King announced Tuesday it purchased Tim Hortons but will keep its headquarters in the U.S. after speculation that the it would move north to avoid taxes. In a Facebook post, Burger King said: “We hear you. We’re not moving, we’re just growing and finding ways to serve you better. Our headquarters will remain in Miami where we were founded more than 60 years ago and… BKC will continue to pay all of our federal, state and local U.S. taxes.” According to Congressional Research Service data complied by the Post earlier this year, Burger King would have been the 48th company to immigrate abroad with more than 70 making the move since 1983.
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Tagged 420, Al Qaeda, Al-Qaida, Burger King, China Military, Congress, Congress Approval, Decriminalization, Doctors Without Borders, Doctors Without Borders Ebola, Drug Decriminalization, Drug Use, Drug War Marijuana, Drugs, Ebola, Ebola Africa, Ebola Africa Aid, Ebola Farmers, Ebola Food Prices, Ebola Guinea, Ebola Liberia, Ebola Nigeria, Ebola Sierra Leone, Ebola UN, Global Drug Policy, Inequality Income, Inequality Wealth Gap, Iraq Islamic State, Isil, Isis, ISIS Middle East, Legalization of Drugs, Marijuana, Marijuana Prohibition, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Medecins Sans Frontieres Ebola, Military 3D Printing, Military Robotics, Rebels Syria War, Reuters, Russian Military, Secretary of State John Kerry, Spending Military, Syria Aid, Syria Un Aid, Syria UN Record Aid, Tax loopholes, Tech, The Homestretch Documentary, The Homestretch Urban Progress, u.s .Military Strength, u.s. Homeless, u.s. Military, U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Tax Inversion, u.s. v. Russia Military, UN Aid Blocks, UN Aid Syria, UN Humanitarian Aid Blocks, United Nations, US Drug Policy, video, War On Marijuana, Wealth Inequality, Widening Wealth Gap, World Food Program, World Food Program Syria, Youth Chicago Homeless, Youth Homeless, Youth Homelessness
September 8, 2014 by craftymcclever
Ebola Vaccine Testing Promising, Post-War Gaza Update, and Islamic Militants Increase Activity As U.S. Puts Together Game Plan
Sierra Leone has decided for three days to lockdown the country in order to curb the Ebola epidemic sweeping across West Africa as the WHO announced that over 2,000 people have died from the outbreak across the three hardest hit countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. AOL reports, Sierra Leone Plans lockdown to fight Ebola, Sierra Leone hopes it will stop the spread of the virus that killed 491 people in the country, according to WHO estimates. Sierra Leone’s information minister told CNN,” “Locking down the country is like turning the whole country into an open laboratory. … When they develop symptoms within three days, they will be identified and taken to treatment centers.” However, a Doctors Without Borders spokesperson told reporters, lockdowns and quarantines “end up driving people underground and jeopardizing the trust between people and health providers. This leads to the concealment of potential cases and ends up spreading the disease further.” One medical official told the New York Times educating communities about the risk of harboring Ebola patients is much more effective than lockdowns. Liberia responded with lockdowns as well in August when the Liberian government shit down a neighborhood in the capital of Monrovia that led to protests and clashes between residents and security forces. The Ebola epidemic shows no signs of slowing down, and agencies around the world are racing to develop a treatment. Yesterday, the WHO greenlit the use of blood transfusions from Ebola survivors to combat the virus. Josh Funk reports, Nebraska doctors say Ebola patient making progress, the Nebraska doctors treating Dr. Rick Sacra, 51, who arrived at the Nebraska Medical Center on Friday for treatment in the specialized isolation unit after contracting the disease in Liberia, said he remains stable and was more alert Sunday. Dr. Phil Smith, one of the doctors, said on Sunday: “We are encouraged by what we see, but it’s too early to say he has turned a corner.” In the race to treat the disease, Lauran Neergaard reports, Researchers rolling up their sleeves for first human safety study of Ebola vaccine, that new monkey studies show one shot of an experimental Ebola vaccine triggers fast protection and waned if the animal did not get a booster shot in a different way. Some healthy people are rolling up their sleeves at the National Institutes of Health for the first human safety study of this vaccine in hopes it eventually might be used in the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The NIH on Sunday published some of their findings in the Nature Medicine journal that showed a single dose of vaccine protected all four vaccinated monkeys when exposed to high levels of Ebola just five weeks later. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it didn’t take multiple doses to trigger protection which is in line with other vaccines today. The problem is the vaccine wanes over time as researchers exposed monkeys to Ebola 10 months later to find that only half were protected. The vaccine is made with a chimpanzee cold virus, used as a delivery system for pieces of an Ebola gene. Since giving another dose two months later was not enough, researchers used a different approach called “prime boost” where the fist does primes the immune system which was the original virus based Ebola vaccine then for the booster two months later encased the Ebola gene inside a poxvirus used to make a vaccine against smallpox. This time, all four monkeys were still protected 10 months later. Neergaard explains: “The booster-shot findings illustrate an added complexity to speeding an experimental vaccine into the field. The initial first phase study results would shed light only on that “priming” vaccine made from the chimp cold virus, Fauci said. The poxvirus booster step would be tested later only if scientists decided the initial vaccine was promising enough.” Still, manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline has said it plans to begin manufacturing up to 10,000 doses of the initial NIH-developed vaccine. Canadian researchers created a similar Ebola vaccine that works in monkeys. Manufacturer NewLink Genetics of Ames, Iowa, said first-stage safety testing in healthy volunteers is set to begin in a few weeks.
Meanwhile, back in Gaza, President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday threatened to dissolve his alliance with Hamas if the Islamic militant group does not hand over power in Gaza Strip, Mohammed Daraghmeh and Sarah El Deeb reports, Palestinian President Urges Hamas To Give Up Power In Gaza. Hamas has controlled Gaza since overrunning Abbas’ forces in 2007, however due to international isolation and deep financial crisis, the Islamic militant group agreed to form a new unity government with Abbas’ Fatah movement in June which would restore power to Abbas in the territory. Unfortunately, it has yet to yield any power. Late Saturday in Cairo in comments carried by Egypt’s state news agency MENA, Abbas said: “We will not accept having a partnership if their status in Gaza remains this way. Unity has terms. This situation does not represent any kind of unity. If Hamas does not want one authority, one law, one weapon, we will not accept a partnership with it.” Abbas said that as long as Hamas remains in control of Gaza, he added, “the government of national unity can do nothing on the ground.” Ismail Radwan, a Hamas leader, denounced Abbas’ comments, saying they “contradict the spirit of the new partnership and play down the victory of the resistance.” Abbas under the new deal will form a Cabinet of apolitical technocrats as Hamas offers its backing from the outside. Israel has boycotted the government saying Hamas’ involvement is clear, while Western countries want to give the government an opportunity to prove itself. Abbas criticized the heavy death toll and damage saying, “With every passing day, more blood was shed. Is this the victory they talk about? Regrettably, I can only say the results are tragic.” Daraghmeh and El Deeb sum up what each side in the negotiation are asking for: “In the coming weeks, Israel and Hamas are expected to start a new round of indirect, Egyptian-mediated talks for an extended cease-fire. Hamas is demanding a full lifting of an Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza, including the reopening of a sea and airport. Israel has said the blockade will remain in effect as long as Hamas controls Gaza. The international community has made clear that all funding and reconstruction efforts be handled through Abbas’ government. Israel, and the West, want guarantees that none of the aid will be diverted for military use by Hamas. A conference of donor nations is expected to take place in October. Hamas has expressed willingness to turn over control of border crossings with Israel and Egypt to Abbas’ forces. But over the weekend, Ismail Haniyeh, a top Hamas leader in Gaza, rejected Israel’s demand that the group be disarmed as a condition for ending the blockade.” In internal Palestinian negotiations, Abbas’ aides said he president will seek full control of Gaza.
While the fighting has temporarily stop in Gaza with one branch of al-Qaida, other branches, possibly more extreme, continue to ravage the Middle East and Nigeria. Lolita C. Baldor reports, U.S. Launches Airstrikes Around Iraq’s Haditha Dam, the U.S. military on Sunday launched airstrikes around Haditha Dam in western Iraq targeting Islamic State insurgents in order to prevent the group from capturing the vital dam. The strikes are part of a broader U.S. campaign against the group moving the military operation closer to Syria where the group also operates. Speaking in Georgia at his meeting with government and defense officials, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said if the dam falls into militant hands “or if that dam would be destroyed, the damage that that would cause would be very significant and it would put a significant additional and big risk into the mix in Iraq” including U.S. interests there. Georgian Minister of Defense Irakli Alasania said Georgia will provide some assistance in the campaign against the Islamic State such as training and carrying out military exercises with the Iraqi forces with plans to discuss it further. U.S. officials said while the Anbar Province dam remains in control of the Iraqis, the U.S. offensive was an effort to beat back the militants who are try to take over key dams across the country. Hagel said the Iraqi government asked the U.S. to launch airstrikes and the Iraqi forces on the ground conceived the operation. Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby, in a statement said: “We conducted these strikes to prevent terrorists from further threatening the security of the dam, which remains under control of Iraqi Security Forces, with support from Sunni tribes. We will continue to conduct operations as needed in support of the Iraqi Security Forces and the Sunni tribes, working with those forces securing Haditha Dam.” U.S. officials are concerned that militants could flood Baghdad and other large swaths of the country if they control the dams and could gain control over the residents if they control the electricity. Water is a precious commodity in Iraq, a largely desert country of 32.5 million people. The decline of water levels in the Euphrates over recent years has led to electricity shortages in towns south of Baghdad, where steam-powered generators depend entirely on water levels. Ibrahim Abulaziz and Michelle Faul report, Islamic extremists grab towns in northeast Nigeria, the Nigerian Islamic extremist group, Boko Haram, has seized more towns in northeastern Nigeria along the Cameroon border and is adopting a strategy of encouraging civilians to stay as militants carve out an Islamic caliphate, witness said Sunday. Nigerian army soldiers fled when hundreds of insurgents in stolen military armored personnel carriers, trucks and motorcycles attacked Gulak, an administrative headquarters of Adamawa state, said resident Michael Kirshinga. The nearby towns of Duhu, Shuwa, Kirshinga and others also fell in assaults over Friday night and Saturday, witnesses said. Further north, soldiers fought off rebels advancing Saturday on Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, headquarters of the military campaign against the insurgency and the birthplace of Boko Haram. The military attacked the rebels’ camp at a village outside Kondudga, just 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Maiduguri. In Gulak, Kirshinga said, “They assured us that they will not attack us, but people begun to run for their lives, some of us have fled for fear that, after subduing the soldiers, the insurgents will turn their (gun) barrels on us.” The Nigerian Emergency Management Agency reported 26,000 people fled Bama adding to the 1.5 million people forced to flee their homes since Nigeria declared a state of emergency in May 2013, according to U.N. figures. They need shelter and food which officials war of a looming food crisis since most refugees are farmers. Boko Haram’s April kidnapping of more than 300 schoolgirls, of whom more than 200 remain captive, attracted international attention and promises of help from several countries including the United States, China and former colonizer Britain. Nigeria has a large army of 80,000 troops and a $2.3 billion budget but soldiers say they are outgunned with some of their colleagues colluding with and fighting for the insurgents. Boko Haram now holds a string of towns in all three of the northeastern states that have been under a military emergency since May 2014 – Adamawa, Yobe and hardest-hit Borno. The seizures come as the United States announced it would launch a major border security program for Nigeria and its neighbors to fight Boko Haram. Meanwhile three German men suspected of being members of Somalian terrorist organization al-Shabab were arrested at Frankfurt airport attempting to re-enter the country, according to prosecutors Monday, AOL reports, 3 al-Shabab suspects arrested in Frankfurt. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office said they were arrested Saturday after landing in Frankfurt from Kenya on charges of membership in a foreign terrorist organization and preparing acts of violence in connection with their time in Somalia. At the moment, however, “there is no evidence the suspects had made any concrete preparations or plans for attacks” in Europe, the office said. The three – identified only as Steven N., 26; Abdullah W., 28; and Abdulsalam W., 23, in line with German privacy laws – are alleged to have gone to Somalia in 2012 and 2013 to join al-Shabab, and received weapons and combat training.
While Islamic extremist groups seems to be spreading like a cancer throughout the world, President Barack Obama said this week his plan to start his offensive against the Islamic State militants, who he said could pose a threat to the U.S., will be explained to Americans and congressional leaders, according to Roberta Rampton, Obama To Announce Game Plan Against ISIS. Obama will make a speech Wednesday to “describe what our game plan’s going to be,” and meet congressional leaders on Tuesday for support for his strategy to halt the group controlling parts of Syria and Iraq. Aired on Sunday, Obama in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” said: “I just want the American people to understand the nature of the threat and how we’re going to deal with it and to have confidence that we’ll be able to deal with it. The next phase is now to start going on some offense. I want everybody to understand that we have not seen any immediate intelligence about threats to the homeland.” However, the group has attracted foreign fighters from Western Nations who could travel to the United States, which over time could be a serious threat to the homeland, according to Obama. He ruled out sending in ground troops into Iraq and Syria as this is not the same as the Iraq war. He did say that this is going to be “similar to the kinds of counterterrorism campaigns that we’ve been engaging in consistently over the last five, six, seven years.” He added: “We are going to be a part of an international coalition, carrying out air strikes in support of work on the ground by Iraqi troops, Kurdish troops. We are going to systematically degrade their capabilities. We’re going to shrink the territory that they control. And ultimately we’re going to defeat ’em. The strategy both for Iraq and for Syria is that we will hunt down ISIL members and assets wherever they are. I think, for … perhaps the first time, you have absolute clarity that the problem for Sunni states in the region, many of whom are our allies, is not simply Iran. It’s not simply a Sunni-Shia issue.” Obama wants regional allies to help win over and work with disaffected Sunni tribes in Iraq which could include an “economic element.” Meanwhile, Lawmakers returned to Capital Hill after a summer vacation for a September session where feuding Republicans and Democrats promise action to prevent government shutdown while holding votes aimed at defining the parties for the fall campaign, Andrew Taylor reports, Congress Returns To Work With Government Shutdown Threat Looming. Republicans control the House and intend on a drama free passage of temporary spending bill to prevent a shutdown at the end of the month and fund government agencies into mid-December. The Senate is hopeful it will pass as long as it is free of objectionable add ons. House Republicans plan to votes aimed at drawing attention to legislation they say would boost jobs and energy production. Republicans and Democrats are clamoring for legislation authorizing Obama to use military forces against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, but the short session and lack of consensus raises doubts about whether congressional action is possible. Some lawmakers say the president under the 1973 War Powers Resolution has the power to act without permission and several Republicans are willing to give Obama blanket authority without a detailed strategy from the administration. Several lawmakers want new economic penalties against Russia in response to its aggressions toward Ukraine, but it’s doubtful Congress will move quickly on a measure.
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Losing the War Against Ebola, ISIS Threat Cast A Heavy Shadow Over NATO Summit and Ukraine Ceasefire Deal Met With Skepticism
On Tuesday, Doctors without Borders said the world is losing the battle against Ebola and is saddened by the fact most people who enter the West African treatment centers go there to die alone. In separate remarks following a United Nations meeting on the matter, the World Health Organization chief said everyone underestimated the crisis that has killed 1,500 people in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. U.N. officials implored governments worldwide to send medical workers and material contributions. In Liberia, a missionary organization reported that another American doctor has been infected. Doctors without Borders whose treated 1,00 Ebola patients in West Africa since March is overwhelmed, according to the organization’s president, Joanne Liu. She called on other countries to contribute civilian and military personnel familiar with biological disasters, AOL reports. At a U.N. forum, Liu explains, “Six months into the worst Ebola epidemic in history, the world is losing the battle to contain it. Ebola treatment centers are reduced to places where people go to die alone, where little more than palliative care is offered.” In Sierra Leone infectious bodies rot on the street, while Liberia had to build a new crematorium instead of Ebola care center, Liu reported. As for countries already involved in the fight, WHO Director Margaret Chan acknowledged and thanks them at the U.N. meeting: “We need more from you. And we also need those countries that have not come on board.” President Obama urged West Africans on Tuesday to wear gloves and masks when caring for Ebola patients or burying those who died as this has been one of the ways the virus has spread through the populations. In a brief video message, Obama explained, “You can respect your traditions and honor your loved ones without risking the lives of the living.” Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the situation is now the world’s first Ebola epidemic, given how widely it is spreading. The latest missionary to contract the disease, a male obstetrician, was not immediately identified by the group Serving in Mission and did not work in the Ebola ward. A Liberian doctor on the treatment team said it was too soon to tell whether he will be evacuated. U.S. offcials on Tuesday announced a $24.9 million 18 month contract with Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. to speed development of ZMapp which will allow a small amount to be used for early stage safety testing while the Department of Health and Human Services works on speeding up production. The outbreak has taken a heavy toll on health care workers and nurses in Liberia and Sierra Leone have gone on strike to demand hazard pay and better protective gear. However, as of Tuesday, the governments report the disputes have been resolved and nurses are back at work. In addition, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization warn that food in countries hit by Ebola has become more expensive and will become scarcer due to farmers who can’t reach their fields. AOL reports: “Authorities have cordoned off entire towns in an effort to halt the virus’ spread. Surrounding countries have closed land borders, and airlines have suspended flights to and from the affected countries. Seaports are losing traffic, restricting food imports to the hardest-hit countries. Those countries – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – all rely on grain from abroad to feed their people, according to the U.N. food agency. For instance, the price of cassava root, a staple in many West African diets, has gone up 150 percent in one market in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia.” Vincent Martin, coordinator for the food agency’s response to the crisis, said, “Even prior to the Ebola outbreak, households in some of the affected areas were spending up to 80 percent of their incomes on food. Now these latest price spikes are effectively putting food completely out of their reach.”
While Ebola ravages West Africa and continues to spread, another kind of disease has continued to spread its message of hate across the Middle East raising international concern and garnering international condemnation from the political arena. Sinan Salaheddin and Diaa Hadid report, Group accuses extremists of war crimes in Iraq, Amnesty International accused the Islamic State extremists on Tuesday of systematic “ethnic cleansing” in northern Iraq. In a new 26 page report, Amnesty said miltants abducted hundreds maybe thousands of women and girls of the Yazidi faith, killed hundreds of Yazidi men and boys and in one incident rounded them up on trucks, took them to the edge of their village and shot them. On Monday, the United Nations’ top human rights body approved a request by Iraq to open an investigation into crimes committed by the Islamic State group against civilians, aiming to provide evidence of atrocities in Iraq that could be used in international war crimes prosecution of the group. In Amnesty’s report, the advancement of the group has expelled 830,000 people mostly Shiites and tiny religious minorities including Aramaic-speaking Christians, Yazidis, a faith that traces to ancient Mesopotamia, the Shabak, an offshoot of Islam, and Mandeans, a gnostic faith. Thousands of Christians live in schools and churches in northern Iraq, Shiites mostly drifted to southern Iraq and Yazidis crowd into displaced persons camps and half finished building. Donatella Rovera of Amnesty International, said, “Minorities in Iraq have been targeted at different points in the past, but the Islamic State (group) has managed, in the space of a few weeks, to completely wipe off of the map of Iraq, the religious and ethnic minorities from the area under their control.” Yazidi lawmaker, Mahma Khalil, said, “They have been trying hard to force us to abandon our religion. We reject that because we are the oldest faith in Iraq, that has roots in Mesopotamia.” Meanwhile, CNN reports, Leaders hold pivotal NATO summit as threats of ISIS, Russian aggression loom, the spread of ISIS across Syria and Iraq and hundreds of deaths in Ukraine’s struggle to remain independent from Russia mark a pivotal moment for the NATO alliance, leaders on Thursday said. British Prime Minister David Cameron said, “We meet at a crucial time in the history of our alliance. The world faces many dangerous and evolving threats, and it is absolutely clear that NATO is as vital to our future as it has been in our past.” Cameron spoke at the beginning of the two day NATO summit to discuss the alliance’s response to threats int he Middle East and Ukraine as well as Afghanistan’s future. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said, “We will take important decisions to keep our nations safe, to keep the vital bond between Europe and North America strong and to help build stability in a dangerous world.” The discussion happened amid a peace plan discussed by Ukraine and Russia expected to be implemented Friday, according to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s Twitter account Thursday. The day before, Poroshenko’s office via phone said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had reached an agreement on the process toward peace between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels. Putin presents a seven point road map to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine even though Russia denies involvement. Rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk said in joint statements Thursday they would order a ceasefire at 3p.m. Friday if “if agreements are achieved and Ukrainian officials sign a plan for a political settlement of the conflict.” Rebel leaders will also take part in talks in Belarus on Friday, the statement said, where they will present proposals on ensuring compliance with the plan. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk along with NATO and United States have greeted Russia’s plan with skepticism seeing it as a disguised rescue plan for pro-Russian rebels. Meanwhile in a statement Thursday, Dutch Safety Board said a preliminary report will be released next Tuesday on the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over rebel controlled eastern Ukraine that killed all 298 people on board on July 17. The report, according to the statement, “will present factual information based on sources available” to its investigators including satellite imagery, radar details and data from the plane’s “black box” recorders. Tuesday’s report will set out what investigators believe happened, but will not apportion blame. Back at the summit, Rasmussen calls on Russia to end the annexation of Crimea and withdraw from Ukraine: “We call on Russia to step back from confrontation and take the path of peace. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has been a wake-up call. It has … reminded all of us that our freedom, security and prosperity cannot be taken for granted, that some are trying to redraw dividing lines in Europe with force and in blood. We will adopt a readiness action plan that will make our forces faster, fitter and more flexible, ready to address any challenges whenever they come and from wherever they come.” NATO members will be urged to prioritize defense as some member states are not pulling their weight. U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Wales for the summit after a visit to Estonia aimed at reassuring nervous Eastern European nations that NATO’s support for its member states is unwavering. In a joint opinion piece in the Times of London Thursday, Obama and Cameron warn against isolationism: “To the east, Russia has ripped up the rulebook with its illegal, self-declared annexation of Crimea and its troops on Ukrainian soil threatening a sovereign nation state. To the south, there is an arc of instability from north Africa and the Sahel to the Middle East…the problems we face today threaten the security of British and American people, and the wider world.” Cameron told CNN ahead of the summit that NATO leaders would discuss the poisonous ideology of Islamist extremism and members should agree on how to help Middle Eastern nations tackle the threat. Also on the agenda, Afghanistan, NATO’s biggest overseas commitment of troops, where votes in the contested presidential election are being audited and Rasmussen said the Afghan government needs to finalize a Status of Forces Agreement to protect NATO forces there as they switch to an advisory and training role. But he did say he was “encouraged” that both candidates in the runoff vote, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani, have agreed on the need for a new agreement.
Prior to these discussion of the dire situations across the Middle East and Russia on Thursday, President Barack Obama authorized the State Department request for 350 additional troops in Iraq ” “to protect our diplomatic facilities and personnel in Baghdad,” according to a Tuesday statement from the office of the White House Press Secretary, reports Ashley Alman, Obama Authorizes Sending Additional Troops To Iraq. According to the White House statement regarding the request: “This action was taken at the recommendation of the Department of Defense after an extensive interagency review, and is part of the President’s commitment to protect our personnel and facilities in Iraq as we continue to support the Government of Iraq in its fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.” In addition, the statement said, Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and President Obama’s counterterrorism advisor will soon travel to Iraq “to build a stronger regional partnership.” Earlier Tuesday, the Islamic State group released a video claiming it depicts the beading of captured American Steven Sotloff, which is the second one in two weeks following the video release in August of James Foley’s execution, another American Journalist killed by ISIS.
While the United States tries to take steps to protect its interests in the Middle East after the execution of two of its citizens, India and Israel are both concerned about possibly confronting the group that is now on their doorstep. Daniel Estrin reports, Israelis worry with Syrian al-Qaida on doorstep, fir the first time in the Syrian civil war, al-Qaida fighters are now hunkered down on Israel’s doorstep as Israelis in Golan Height could be their next targets. The push by Nusra Front, a well-known branch of al-Qaida, comes two weeks after Israel ended its 50 day war with Hamas on its southern border with Gaza causing concern in the conflict weary nation. Last weeks seizure of strategic Quneitra border crossing by Nusra fighters who expelled Assad’s forces from eh area plus abducted 45 U.N. peacekeepers in the process has brought the extremists within a few yards of Israeli positions in Golan Heights. For the past three years, Israelis in the Golan have had a relatively safe front seat view of the civil war as Syrian government forces battled rebels attempting to wrest control of the strategic area between Israel and Syria. Some Israelis are convinced it’s a matter of time before the Islamic radicals target them due to their ideology and the fact Israel is a Jewish state. According to Estrin: “Israel captured the Golan, a strategic plateau overlooking northern Israel, in the 1967 Mideast war from Syria. It later annexed the area, a move that has never been recognized internationally. Since the aftermath of the subsequent 1973 war, U.N. monitors have helped to enforce a stable truce and the area has been tense but generally quiet. That started to change when the Syrian conflict erupted in March 2011. Israel has largely stayed on the sidelines of the war next door, quietly content to watch Assad’s forces battle to a stalemate against the various rebel groups trying to oust him. However, Israel has occasionally responded to mortar fire that spilled over the border, usually unintentionally, and is believed to have carried out several airstrikes on weapons shipments thought to be bound for Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. As the Nusra Front took over the border area last Wednesday, the Israeli army ordered Kuniel’s 200 farmhands out of the fields for three days, forcing them to leave behind freshly picked fruit in vats to rot.” However, Israeli officials believe Syrian rebels are focused on battles in Syria not Israel, but do pose a threat to Israel. Oviv Oreg, former head of the al-Qaida desk on the Israeli National Security Council, said the Nusra Front sees Israel as a “legitimate target” as its fighters now “have direct access.” Israeli defense officials estimate that a few thousand Syrian rebels are now positioned along the border in the Golan, with a few hundred in the Quneitra area, including the Nusra fighters. After taking control of the crossing, Nusra Front captured 45 Fijian U.N. peacekeepers and trapped 8o others from the Philippines who later fled to safety. The Philippines announced it would withdraw its troops front the U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNDOF due to this situation. Stephane Cohen, former Israeli military liaison to UNDOF, said the peacekeeping force is collapsing and can no longer serve its purpose to enforce a truce between Israel and Syria leaving Israel alone in front of al-Qaida. Meanwhile, more countries are pulling out of the force and others will not contribute forces in such an uncertain security environment. In addition, the collapse will undermine regional stability as the force provides an important outlet for Israel and Syria to air their grievances. As Uzi Dayan, former deputy military chief of stat, puts it: “In Syria there are no good guys and bad guys. There are bad guys, very bad guys and extremely bad guys.” Meanwhile, al-Qaida has expanded into India, according to a video released by al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahri on Thursday, vowing that its militants would bring Islamic law to the entire subcontinent and wage jihad against its enemies,” AOL reports, Al-Qaida says it has expanded into India. Three Indian states with large Muslim populations are on alert following the video’s release, local TV stations report, though no indications of an increased security are present. Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahri said in the video seen online by the SITE monitoring group that the new group “is the fruit of a blessed effort of more than two years to gather the mujahedeen in the Indian subcontinent into a single entity.” Al-Zawahri message seems largely directed at his own rivals in the international jihad movement and with raising the group’s profile in the wake of repeated success by the Islamic State group. Ajai Sahni, a top Indian security analyst with the New Delhi based Institute for Conflict Management, said: “Al-Qaida is struggling for its legitimacy in the eyes of the radicalized Muslim world. Osama bin Laden has been killed and (al-Qaida’s) entire top leadership, apart from Zawahri and a few others, one by one have been decimated by the American drone attacks.” Al-Zawahri said the group, Qaedat al-Jihad in the Indian subcontinent, would fight for an Islamic state and laws across the region, “which was part of the Muslims’ territories before it was occupied by the infidel enemy.” The leader of the new group, Essam Omar, said in an audio recording released with the video, that Jews and Hindus – who he referred to as “apostates of India” – “will watch your destruction by your own eyes.” Fighters will “storm your barricades with cars packed with gunpowder,” Omar said, decrying what he called the region’s “injustice toward Muslims.” In the past few months, the Islamic State has grown in India. Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh met Thursday morning with top security and intelligence officials to discuss the threat. India, however, has suffered from underfunded and ill trained security infrastructure that has allowed Pakistani militants in 2008 to attack Mumbai, a financial hub, that shut down the city for days killing 166 people and New Delhi has fought an insurgency in Kashmir, a majority Muslim state, with militants wanting to bring independence to the Himalayan region or join it to Pakistan leaving thousands dead.
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Tagged Captured Soldiers, CDC Ebola, Flight 17 crash Ukraine, India al-Qaida, India ISIS threat, Iraq, Iraq Isis, Iraq Islamic State, Iraq Troops, Iraq Violence, Isil, Isis, ISIS Government Syria, Isis Kills Captured Soldiers Iraq, Isis Syria, Islamic State Barack Obama, Islamic State Iraq, Islamic State of Iraq and Sham, Islamic State Syria, Israel al-Qaida, Israel ISIS threat, Malaysian Airlines, MH 17 report, NATO, NATO Summit, NATO Summit ISIS, NATO Summit Russia, news, Obama Iraq Troops, Obama Russia, Raqqa, Reuters, Russia Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Syria Islamic State, Syria News, Syria War, U.S. Baltics, Ukraine Ceasefire, Ukraine Crisis, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, UN Ebola, United Nations, West Africa Ebola, Who Ebola, World Health Organization, ZMapp, ZMapp Ebola
August 22, 2014 by craftymcclever
The Brutal Gaza War Continues, Ukrainian Troops Advance, Shocking Details Involving the Islamic State and Deported Children Face Certain Death
On Friday, 18 alleged spies include seven shot behind a mosque after midday prayers were killed by Gaza gunmen in response to Israel’s deadly airstrikes against top Hamas leaders, the Associate Press reports, Hamas kills 18 suspected informers for Israel. Two killed were women, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, who also called for an immediate end to the “extra-judicial executions.” Al Majd website which is close to the Hamas security services said suspects will no now be dealt with “in the field” not in the courts in order to create deterrence. One witness to the executions behind the mosque, 42-year-old Ayman Sharif, said masked gunman lined up the seven against the wall along with a piece of paper above each explaining his crime and his initials. One of the gunmen said that the seven “had sold their souls to the enemy for a cheap price” and had caused killing and destruction. The bodies were collected by an ambulance and the gunmen left after shooting each one with their automatic rifles. According to Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell, Gaza War Rages On As Israeli Airstrikes Kill 11 Palestinians, Including Hamas Leader’s Wife And Son, more than a 180 rockets were launched by Palestinians on Tuesday and Wednesday at southern Israel with some intercepted by the Iron Dome system, the military sad with no casualties reported on the Israeli side. Since the failure attempted at a ceasefire on Tuesday by Egypt that collapse into violence, Israeli aircraft has carried out more than 100 strikes in Gaza Strip, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said adding it was “targeting terror sites”. Hamas an medical officials said 23 people died in the latest Israeli raids. Netanyahu, speaking at a news conference in Tel Aviv, said Israel’s Gaza campaign will last a while and described its goal as seeking calm and safety for Israeli citizens. Ya’alon, his defense chief said “all options are open, including renewed ground operations” in Gaza. Gaza health officials report that five children were killed in separate airstrikes and the Israeli military said it had targeted four gunmen in norther Gaza. In total, the Palestinian Health Ministry said 2,040 people mostly civilians have been killed din Gaza, while Israel says it killed hundreds of Palestinian militants in fighting that the United Nations says has displaced 425,000 people. A diplomatic source said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas whose Fatah party participated in the Cairo talks, was due to meet the emir of Qatar, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Doha on Wednesday. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement he was “gravely disappointed by the return to hostilities” and urged the sides not to allow matters to escalate.
On Friday, Ukraine alleged that Russia has launched a “direct invasion” of its territory after Moscow sent a convoy of aid trucks across the border into eastern Ukraine where pro-Russian rebels are fighting government forces, Dmitry Madorsky, Russian aid convoy drives into Ukraine. Kiev said Ukrainian forces would not attack the convoy allowing it to pass to avoid “provocation” as thousands of Russian troops are stationed at the border. The Ukraine conflict has cause the deepest rift between Moscow and the West since the Cold War with Western states imposing sanctions on Moscow and the Kremlin retaliating causing NATO to deploy additional troops in member states bordering Russia. Regarding Russian aid convoys, Ukrainian Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told journalists:”They passed into Ukraine without clearance or participation of the International Red Cross or (Ukrainian) border guards.” Ukrainian state security chief Valentyn Nalivaychenko in a statement to journalists added: “We consider this a direct invasion by Russia of Ukraine.” However, Ukrainian authorities said the convoy would pass through the area where the rebels were firing and security could not be guaranteed. In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry said: “All excuses to delay sending aid have been exhausted. The Russian side has taken the decision to act. We warn against any attempts to disrupt this purely humanitarian mission. Responsibility for any possible consequences of provocations … will lie, completely and entirely, with those who are prepared to further sacrifice human lives for the sake of their ambitions and geo-political ploys.” The International Committee for the Red Cross has decided “due to the volatile security situation” not to supervise the convoy. The last few weeks of fighting has seen a string of rebel defeats in the conflict that has claimed 2,000 lives. Russia says the trucks contain food, medical supplies, water and some clothing amid fears by many western countries that the aid convoy is a cover for a Russian invasion. After four months of fighting in Russian speaking eastern Ukraine, the area faces a humanitarian crisis, lacking food, medicine and clean water. Meanwhile, fierce fighting continued in eastern Ukraine as government troops try to take back territory from pro-Russian rebels before the arrival of the Russian aid convoy overseen by the Red Cross, according to Nataliya Vasilyeva, Deadly Fighting In Ukraine As Government Troops Advance Into Rebel-Held Territory. Trucks loaded with water, generators and sleeping bags for civilians in the rebel city of Luhansk have begun to move through Ukrainian customs after being held for a week at the border. The trucks are expected to cross into Ukraine Friday morning on their way to Luhansk, a city with a war reduced population of a quarter of a million people 20 miles from the Russian border. At Russia’s urging, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for a ceasefire during the humanitarian mission. Fighting on Thursday was reported in Luhansk, a day after the government said it had retaken the city which has been under siege fro 19 days and lacking the basics of running water and electricity.
Even more concerning, the United Nations human rights office on Friday reported that at least 191,369 people have been killed in the Syria conflict through April, Stephanie Nebehay reports, UN: Death toll from Syrian civil war tops 191,000. The U.N. report included cross-checked data from four groups and the government and according to U.N> high Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay reflects a reality of killing and torture while the civil war has “dropped off the international radar.” In a statement, Pillay explained: “With additional killings reported from earlier periods, in addition to the new killings that have taken place, the total is more than double the number documented a year ago. Nevertheless, as the report explains, tragically it is probably an underestimate of the real total number of people killed during the first three years of this murderous conflict.” An additional 51,953 killings were not included due to a lack of information, according to the report issued in Geneva. Nebehay reports: “The highest number of documented killings were recorded in Rural Damascus province(39,393), followed by Aleppo (31,932), Homs (28,186), Idlib (20,040), Daraa (18,539) and Hama (14,690).” Pillay repeated her call for referring alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by all sides in Syria’s conflict to the International Criminal Court: “The killers, destroyers and torturers in Syria have been empowered and emboldened by the international paralysis. It is essential governments take serious measures to halt the fighting and deter the crimes, and above all stop fueling this monumental, and wholly avoidable, human catastrophe through the provision of arms and other military supplies.”
On Thursday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel at a Pentagon news conference said the U.S. airstrikes in Iraq has helped Iraqi and Kurdish forces regain footing, however, well resourced Islamic State militants are expected to regroup and stage a new offensive, Robert Burns reports, Pentagon: Islamic state militants will regroup. Army. Gen. Martin Dempsey added that although the Islamic State can be contained it cannot be defeated unless it is attacked in Syria. Hagel said, “Overall, these operations have stalled ISIL’s momentum and enabled Iraqi and Kurdish forces to regain their footing and take the initiative.” Dempsy said,”They can be contained, not in perpetuity. This is an organization that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated. To your question, can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organization which resides in Syria? The answer is no. That will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a nonexistent border. And that will come when we have a coalition in the region that takes on the task of defeating ISIS over time. ISIS will only truly be defeated when it’s rejected by the 20 million disenfranchised Sunni that happen to reside between Damascus and Baghdad.” A new report states that hundred of American citizens are among the roughly 12,000 ruthless fighters backing the ISIS led Islamic State’s reign of terror in the Middle East, according to Ryan Gorman, Hundreds of Americans have joined the brutal ISIS militia. The National Journal reports American and European officials are concerned about the growing number of citizens taking up the mujahedeen cause: “ISIS today represents a direct and growing threat to the United States… including hundreds of Europeans and Americans who can travel freely with Western passports.” Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, outgoing director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told the Journal: “Some have both the intention and some capability to attack the United States homeland… we’re doing all we can to understand the outflow of foreign fighters from Syria and Iraq, many of them with Western passports.”
Meanwhile, back in the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported that minors deported to Honduras over the last month are being killed, according to a morgue director in the city of San Pedro Sula, who said “at least five, perhaps as many as 10” children killed there since February had been deported from the United States. Hector Hernandez, of the San Pedro Sula morgue, told Times reporter Cindy Carcamo: “There are many youngsters who only three days after they’ve been deported are killed, shot by a firearm. They return just to die.” Rogue Planas reports, Children Deported To Honduras Are Getting Killed: Report: “Almost 63,000 unaccompanied minors — the vast majority from the violence-plagued Central American countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala — have crossed illegally into the United States since October. Many are fleeing the gang violence, poverty and political instability that has made the so-called ‘Northern Triangle’ countries some of the most dangerous in the world.” House Republicans joined by four Democrats last month to do away with the president’s policy of deferring deportations for undocumented immigrants who arrive as children despite little evidence that the policy caused the crisis. According to a Public Religion Research Institute poll last month, most Americans see young migrants as refugees with 70 percent of Americans thinking the country should provide temporary support while their cases proceed in court as a majority say that hose facing the threat of violence should not be immediately deported. The White House has responded by pushing to expedite the deportation process for Central American minors and families traveling together in order to send the message to other migrants that they won’t be able to stay. On Wednesday, eleven undocumented immigrants are pleading with Obama to protect them and others in similar circumstances from being deported as the administration considers a broad executive action on immigration enforcement, Elise Foley reports, Jose Antonio Vargas Among Undocumented Immigrants Making Urgent Plea To Obama. Wednesday morning, the undocumented immigrants including journalist-activist Jose Antonio Vargas announced the initiative at a press conference organized by Vargas’ organization, Define American, and in partnership with the National Immigration Law Center. They are applying for deferred actions that would allow them to stay in the U.S. temporarily, while urging President Barack Obama to halt deportations. Vargas in an interview with HuffPost about the 1 of 11 Million campaign said, “This is our way to insist on the urgency and the humanity of the 11 million people like us. For us, it’s really important to ask the question of how inclusive is the Obama administration’s relief going to be?. Who is going to get left out, and why? This is our effort to get in front of that and make sure that people understand that we’re talking about human beings here with families.” Besides Vargas, the other documented immigrants asking for deferred action on Wednesday have been int he U.S. for years and include people ages 22 to 55 from Mexico, Senegal, South Korea, Honduras, Germany and the Philippines with some already in deportation proceedings. Vargas said he hopes the White House will meet the group and undocumented immigrants in general to discuss any executive action taken.
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Liberia Ebola Crisis Worsens, Ukraine Faces New Challenges, Gaza Talks Collaspe into Chaos and Islamic State Militants Up the Pressure
On Wednesday, acting on their president’s orders, riot police and soldiers used scrap wood and barbed wire to quarantine 50,000 people inside their Liberian slum in order to contain the Ebola outbreak that has killed 1,350 people and counting across West Africa, according to Jonathon Paye-Layleh and Wade Williams, Liberia Seals Off Slum To Control Ebola, Angry Residents Clash With Troops. The World Health Organization said the death toll has risen quickly in Liberia accounting for 576 of the fatalities, while 2,473 people have been sickened across West Africa making this outbreak larger than the caseloads of all the previous two dozen combined. The U.N. health agency warned of food shortages, water shortages, and other essential supplies in West Africa’s population centers. In West Point, a densely populated slum surrounded by floating sewage, suffers from government neglect in the best of times and mistrust of authorities with open defecation being a major problem. Drinking water is carried in wheelbarrows and people need the market for their food. Mohamed Fahnbulleh, a resident, said: “Why are you ill-treating people like this? How can we take this kind of government to be peaceful? It is not fair — We are human.” Days earlier, residents ransacked a screening center where people in contact with Ebola victims were being monitored causing dozens of potential carriers to be taken somewhere else in the city. In a national address late Tuesday, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf imposed a nighttime curfew and ordered the quarantine of West Point and Dolo Town adding: “There will be no movements in and out of those areas. We have been unable to control the spread due to continued denials, cultural burying practices, disregard for the advice of health workers and disrespect for the warnings by the government. Fellow citizens, these measures are meant to save lives … May God bless us all and save the State.” Via telephone, Deputy Police Chief Abraham Kromah said, “Please remain law-abiding; throwing stones at police officers and security officers is not the best way out.” While counties and districts have been sealed off in Sierra Leone and Liberia, Guinea has imposed internal travel restrictions. The agency responded to shortages of food, fuel and basic supplies, by saying: “WHO is working with the U.N. World Food Program to ensure adequate food and supplies, but calls on companies to make business decisions based on scientific evidence.” Nigeria’s heath minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said Tuesday that a fifth person has died of Ebola, but all reported cases have been people in direct contact with a Liberian American man who arrived already infected. On Monday, Jonathan Paye-Layleh reported, 17 who fled Liberia Ebola clinic still missing, authorities were looking for the dozen or so patients who abandoned the Ebola quarantine center in Liberia’s capital during looting last weekend, even though several were still being tested and under observation. During the raid, 37 patients left possibly to return to their own communities, according to Information Minister Lewis Brown, however, 20 have been brought back to two hospitals. Meanwhile, the experimental drug from California based pharmaceutical company, ZMapp, was given to three Liberian health workers who contracted the virus are showing signs of recovery, officials reported Tuesday, Jonathon Paye-Layleh and John Heilprin report, Liberia: 3 receiving untested Ebola drug improving. In addition, two infected American received the treatment and are improving, while a Spaniard who also received the treatment died.
Turning our attention to a different kind of war, on Thursday, Nataliya Vasilyeva reports, 5 Ukrainian troops killed; fierce battles reported, five troops and two civilians were killed in the past 24 hours in rebel held areas of eastern Ukraine as government forces try to regain territory from pro-Russian separatists. So far, the conflict has claimed 2,000 lives and displaced 340,000 people from their homes. Ukraine celebrates Independence Day on Sunday, while government forces aim to achieve a breakthrough by that date. On Monday Ukraine accused rebels of killing dozens of civilians in an attack ear on a convoy fleeing a besieged rebel held city, according to Vasilyeva, Refugee Convoy In Ukraine Hit By Rocket Fire, Dozens Reportedly Killed. The rebels denied any attack, while the U.S. confirmed the shelling of the convoy but did not know who was responsible. Col. Andriy Lysenko, Ukraine’s National Security Council spokesman, told reports: “Many people were killed, among them women and children” between the towns of Khryashchuvate and Novosvitlivka adding: “We are not able to count the death toll at this point.” Oleksiy Dmytrashkivsky, a Ukrainian government’s military operation spokesman, told the Associated Press 15 bodies had been recovered from the smoldering vehicles and servicemen were collecting the body parts of at least 10 more people. Donetsk rebel chief Alexander Zakharchenko said no attack took place and Andrei Purgin, his deputy, said he had no information either: “If someone was killed, it wasn’t us but the Ukrainian military.” The U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told report in Washington: “We strongly condemn the shelling and rocketing of a convoy that was bearing internally displaced persons in Luhansk and express our condolences to the families of the victims. All sides must take every precaution to protect innocent lives. We are unable to confirm reports of who was responsible for the shelling and rocketing.” Residents of Luhansk have had no running water, electricity or phone connections for 16 days as fighting continues around the city and food is short in supply making it harder to secure food. Tensions have increased as Russia over the past week said it plans to send a massive aid convoy to help rebel held eastern Ukraine. A Red Cross spokeswoman in the region told the Associated Press that they are still waiting for security guarantees as 200 Russian aid trucks.
In the Middle East on Tuesday, Egyptian attempts to make a deal to end the month long conflict between Israel and Hamas has collapsed into heavy fighting Tuesday as Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets and Israeli responded with airstrikes across Gaza killing two people, Ibrahim Barzak reports, Egyptian cease-fire efforts collapse. The violence erupted hours before the temporary truce ended as Israel withdrew its delegation from Cairo Tuesday afternoon and quickly resumed its airstrikes following rocket fire. The two fatalities were the first since a temporary truce last Wednesday started. An Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said, “The Cairo talks were based on an agreed premise of a total cessation of hostilities. When Hamas breaks the cease-fire, they also break the premise for the Cairo talks. Accordingly, the Israeli team has been called back as a result of today’s rocket fire.” No one knows if the team will return to Cairo or whether Israel will continue to talk as Egyptian security officials are still pressing the two sided to agree to a ceasefire. So far, more than 2,000 Palestinians mostly civilians have been killed, according to Palestinian and U.N. officials, with tens of thousands displaced compared to 64 Israeli solider, two Israeli citizens and a guest workers dying.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, U.S. officials said military planners were weighing the possibility of sending a small number of additional U.S. troops into Baghdad as insurgents threaten to kill a second American captive in retribution for airstrikes that have pounded Islamic state militants, Lolita C. Baldor and Lara Jakes reports, Military Considering Sending Additional Troops To Iraq, Officials Say. The strike came hours after militants released a gruesome video Tuesday showing U.S. journalist James Foley being beheaded and underscored President Barack Obama’s promise Wednesday to continue attacks against the group. According to senior U.S. officials the number would be fewer than 300 additional troops. The militants threatened to kill Steven Sotloff, an American journalist who is being held captive, if the U.S. continues to conduct airstrikes. According to Baldor and Jakes: “Currently there are about 748 U.S. forces in Iraq, in addition to the approximately 100 troops that have routinely been assigned to the Office of Security Cooperation in Baghdad. Under the current war powers resolutions sent to Congress, Obama authorized up to 775 U.S. troops for security assistance, assessment teams, and advisers at two joint operations centers in Baghdad and Irbil.” Foley, a 40 year old journalist from Rochester, New Hampshire, went missing in northern Syria while freelancing for Agence France-Presse and the Boston-based media company GlobalPost. Sotloff was kidnapped near the Syrian-Turkish border in August 2013 and freelanced for Time, the National Interest and MediaLine. Larak Jakes reports, Obama: US won’t stop confronting Islamic State, while the execution of journalist James Foley drew international condemnation as western nations stepped up their efforts to counter the militants, in capitals across the Middle East, Foley’s death was met with silence even in Syria and Iraq. On social media, people condemned Foley’s killing, but stressed the Islamic State has been committing atrocities against Iraqis and Syrians for years. On Wednesday, outside their home in Rochester, New Hampshire, Diane and John Foley addressed reporters: “We are just very proud of Jimmy and we are praying for the strength to love like he did and keep courageous and keep fighting for all the people he was fighting for. We pray for all the remaining Americans.” Obama, from Martha’s Vineyard, said: “Today, the American people will all say a prayer for those who loved Jim,” Obama said. “All of us feel the ache of his absence. All of us mourn his loss.” Since August 8, 84 airstrikes have been carried out in Iraq on Islamic State targets including security checkpoints, vehicles and weapons caches. The New York based Committee to Protect Journalist said more than 80 journalist have been abducted in Syria and estimates 20 are still missing. On Monday, Pope Francis endorsed the use of force to stop Islamic militants from attacking religious minorities in Iraq but said the international community not one country should decide how to intervene, Nicole Winfield reports, Pope Francis Endorses Use Of Force In Iraq To Stop Persecution Of Religious Minorities. Francis responded as follows to whether or not he approved of U.S. airstrikes on Islamic State militants: “In these cases, where there is an unjust aggression, I can only say that it is licit to stop the unjust aggressor. I underscore the verb ‘stop.’ I’m not saying ‘bomb’ or ‘make war,’ just ‘stop.’ And the means that can be used to stop them must be evaluated.” However he said, in history, such excuses to stop an unjust aggressors has been used by world powers to justify a war of conquest in which entire people have been taken over. He added, “One nation alone cannot judge how you stop this, how you stop an unjust aggressor. After World War II, the idea of the United Nations came about: It’s there that you must discuss ‘Is there an unjust aggression? It seems so. How should we stop it?’ Just this. Nothing more.” The Associated Press reported Wednesday, US mission to rescue hostages in Syria failed, that the administration disclosed that President Barack Obama sent special operations troops to Syria this summer on a secret mission to rescue American hostages, including journalist James Foley, held by Islamic State extremists, but they did not find them. Lisa Monaco, Obama’s top counterterrorism advisor, said in a statement: “The U.S. government had what we believed was sufficient intelligence, and when the opportunity presented itself, the president authorized the Department of Defense to move aggressively to recover our citizens. Unfortunately, that mission was ultimately not successful because the hostages were not present.”
Posted in 2014, activism, al-Qaida, bombing, catholic church, civil rights, conflict, congress, controversial, crime, death, disease, goverment, health, human rights, inspirational, insurgency, international, Iran, Iraq War, Islamic State, law, militants, military, news, peace, people, politics, religion, Russia, terrorism, tragedy, transportation, travel, United Nations, United States, US, violence, war, wellness, white house, world, world financial crisis, world health
Tagged Barack Obama, Barack Obama Iraq, Barack Obama James Foley, Ebola isolation unit looted Liberia, Ebola Liberia, Ebola Liberia News, ebola outbreak, Ebola Outbreak Liberia, Ebola patient California, Ebola Virus Liberia, Ebola West African countries, Ebola West Point Slum, Gaza, Gaza Cease Fire, Gaza Ceasefire, Gaza Ceasefire Israel, Gaza Rockets Israel, Globalpost, Globalpost James Foley, Iraq Troops, Iraq War, Iraqi insurgents, Iraqi Refugees, Isil, Isis, Isis Barack Obama, Isis Iraq, Isis James Foley Death, Islamic State, Islamic State Iraq, Islamic State James Foley, Islamic State of Iraq and Sham, Islamic State Syria, Israel, Israel Ceasefire, Israel Gaza Cease Fire, Israel Rockets Gaza, James Foley, James Foley Beheading, James Foley Execution, James Foley Globalpost, Kurdish forces, Liberia, Liberia curfew, Liberia Ebola, Liberia Ebola curfew, Liberia Ebola Outbreak, Monrovia Liberia, Monrovia quaratine, Mosul Dam, news, Obama James Foley, Peshmerga, Pope Francis, Pope Francis Iraq, Reuters, Russia, Russia Missiles, Russia Surface to Air Missiles, Russia Test Fires Missiles, Syria, Syria Fighting, Syria News, Syria War, Troops Obama, Ukraine, Ukraine Fighting, Ukraine Refugee Convoy, Ukraine Refugees, Ukraine Rockets, Ukraine Violence, Ukraine War, UN Aid Iraq, Untested Ebola drug, West Point, ZMapp Ebola
Ebola Crisis Faces New Problems, Gaza Talks Continue as Deadline Looms, While Iraqi and Ukrainian Forces Continue to Make Progress
Scientists and health officials see an even bigger threat than the current Ebola outbreak: The fact that no one knows where the virus came from or how ti stop it from starting new outbreaks. Mike Stobbe and Marilyn Marchione report, Another Ebola problem: Finding its natural source, since 1976, two dozen outbreaks of the deadly virus has occurred in Africa with its possible origin beginning in bats, but experts don’t know exactly its origins in nature. The current outbreak has claimed 1,100 people in four countries making it the highest death toll in history of Ebola. Jonathon Towner, a scientist who helped to find the bat source of another Ebola like disease called Marburg, said: “First and foremost get the outbreak under control. Once that piece is resolved, then go back and find what the source is.” Towner works for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Richard Wenzel, a Virginia Commonwealth University scientist formerly a lead for the International Society for Infectious Diseases, says, “confirming the source would definitely be important.” Throughout history, halting a deadly infections not only involved limiting person to person contact but finding and controlling the source of the infection in nature. Stobbe and Marchione explain: “Plague was halted after the germ was tied to rat-riding fleas. With the respiratory disease SARS, civet cats played a role. With typhus it was lice, and with bird flu, live poultry markets. Efforts to control MERS, a virus causing sporadic outbreaks in the Middle East, include exploring the role of camels.” Health experts think the initial cases in each outbreak began with eating or handling infected animals such as certain bats that in parts of Africa are considered a delicacy. The World Health Organization lists chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines as possibly playing a role and pig farms where fruit bats may reside. Part of the puzzle is how long the virus has been in West Africa as previous outbreaks have been in the east and central regions of Africa. However, some scientist believe the virus had been in the are for years pointing to a case of a lone scientist who got sick in 1994 after doing an autopsy on a wild chimp in the Ivory Coast and to a recent study exploring the possibility that past Ebola cases in the region were undiagnosed. On Saturday, armed protestors raided an Ebola clinic in Liberia’s capital stealing blood stained bedding and forcing 20 infected patients to flee into the densely populated city, according to the article, Ebola isolation clinic looted in Liberia, patients flee. According to the United Nation’s Integrated Regional Information Networks, the West Point shantytown of 70,000 residents suffer from debilitating sanitary conditions with access to only four public toilets meaning defecation in the street is common. A senior Liberia police official told BBC: “This is one of the stupidest things I have ever seen in my life” and that the looting of blood-stained mattresses and bedding could spread the virus to all of West Point. Front Page Africa reports the assistant health minister on Thursday said there are plans to quarantine the area, but food and water must be brought into the township. The looting came the same day the Kenyan government banned travel to West African countries afflicted with the deadly Ebola virus. According to WHO, more than 400 people have died in Liberia from Ebola with more than 1,100 in total between Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Adam Schrek reports Monday, Nigerian woman suspected of Ebola dies in UAE, that a Nigerian woman who arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus, later died in the city, according to health officials. In a statement carried by the Emirati state news agency WAM Sunday, the health authority said the 35 year old woman was traveling to India from Nigeria fro treatment of advanced metastatic cancer. Her health deteriorated in transit at the Abu Dhabi International Airport as medics tried to resuscitate her and found signs of possible infection. The medical staff who treated the woman followed the measures outlined by the World Health Organization, however, the woman’s husband, who sat newt to her on the place, and the five medics who treated her were isolated pending test results on the deceased woman. All are in good health and show no signs of illness, health officials reported.
Meanwhile, as the clock winds down in the Gaza truce, the Palestinians remain divided Sunday on the latest Gaza ceasefire with Hamas opposed to a compromise Egyptian proposal to ease closure of the territory and other factions including delegates for President Mahmoud Abbas were inclined to accept, Mohammed Daraghmeh reports, Palestinian Divisions Emerge In Gaza Truce Talks. Hamas officials said they wanted more concessions in the Egypt mediated talks as the temporary truce expires late Monday. The outcome if a deal is not reached would be a return to fighting bringing more devastation to Gaza, an unofficial understanding falling short of a formal negotiated deal or another extension to negotiations. Nearly 2,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,000 people wounded since July 8, according to United Nations figures. In Israel, 67 people have been killed with all but three soldiers. A Palestinian and Israeli negotiators returned to Cairo on Sunday following a weekend of consultations across the Middle East as the gap remained wide. The current five day ceasefire will end at midnight Monday. According to negotiators, the Egyptian proposal calls for compromise on both sides as it seeks to ease the blockade by allowing more imports and exports for Gaza and increase movement of people in and out of the territory’s Israeli controlled crossing. However, Hamas’ demands for Gaza’s air and seaports to be reopened are to be left until later. Gaza will not be forced to disarm rather Gaza’s border crossing will be controlled by forces loyal to Abbas and international reconstruction efforts in Gaza will also be controlled by Western backed Abbas to make sure money and materials don’t fall into the hands of Hamas. One member of the delegation said even if Hamas refuses the deal, Abbas’ forces are prepared to oversee the crossings and reconstruction. Other members said both Israel and Hamas appeared to agree on one thing which is neither wants to return to heavy fighting like in the past month. One official said, under conditions of anonymity: “The proposed agreement is not bad and can be amended a little bit. That prevents bloodshed and opens the way for rebuilding Gaza.” On Monday, Israeli troops destroyed the home of two Palestinians suspected of the abduction and killing of three teenagers in the occupied West Bank in June, the army said, according to Reuters, Israel destroys homes of Palestinians suspected of killing Israeli teens. Troops set charges to destroy the homes of Hussam Kawasme and Amar Abu Aysha in the southern West Bank before dawn and sealed off the home of a third suspect, Marwan Kawasme. Israeli accused Hamas militants, however, Hamas will not confirm or deny the accusations. Hussam Kawasme, a 40 year old resident Hebron, was arrested July 11 and the other two suspects remained at large. The killings sparked the current cycle of violence that led to a month long offensive between Israel and militants in Hamas dominated Gaza. The military statement said Israel’s supreme court affirmed the military’s wish to demolish the homes and rejected three appeals by the suspects’ families against their destruction.
In a turn of events, on Sunday, Ukraine’s government said separatists shot down a Ukrainian fighter plane after troops entered into the rebel controlled city in the east marking a possible turning point in the four month long conflict, Peter Leonard reports, Ukraine says troops entered rebel-held city. Ukraine’s national security council said government forces captured a district police station in Luhansk after intense clashes in the Velika Vergunka neighborhood. Weeks of fighting in Luhansk has left the city on the verge of humanitarian catastrophe as the siege mounted by government forces has prevented delivery of basic provisions and cut off power and running water. Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksiy Dmitrashkovsky on Sunday said the separatists shot down a Ukrainian fighter plane over the Luhansk region after launching an attack on rebels. Fortunately, the pilot ejected and was taken to a secure place. Meanwhile Sunday, part of the Russian convoy carrying food and supplies for Luhansk and other afflicted zones headed to the section of border closest to the city, but stopped short of the frontier crossing in early afternoon. The Red Cross, responsible for distributing the aid, on Saturday said the main holdup was the lack of security guarantees from both sides of the conflict. In a video posted online this weekend, the leader of the self-proclaimed rebel government in Donetsk region, Alexander Zakharchenko, said new military equipment was on its way from Russia including tanks and some 1,200 fighters who undergone training in Russia. Lysenko said the government had information that separatists have received reinforcements from Russia, but not all the equipment allegedly promised. Russia has denied the accusations of supporting the rebels with equipment and training, however, Ukraine’s President on Friday said that Ukraine had destroyed a large number of military vehicles crossing from Russia recently.
Meanwhile, back in the Middle East on Monday, following two days of U.S. airstrikes, Iraqi and Kurdish forces took back control of the country’s largest dam from Islamic militants, according to a military spokesman in Baghdad as fighting was underway for the rest of the strategic complex, Sinan Salaheddin reports, Iraq forces retake Mosul Dam; militants deny claim. Soon after the announcement, the Islamic State group, controlling the Mosul Dam for two weeks from the Tigris River just north of the city of Mosul, denied the claims insisting it was still in control. The retaking would be the first victory for the Iraqi and Kurdish forces battling the group since the airstrikes started earlier this month. The dam and its broader complex hold a strategic advantage as they supply electricity and water to a large part of the country. Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said the dam itself was secured by Kurdish peshmerga troops and Iraqi security forces on Monday, but the southern side of the complex remains contested and fierce fighting is underway. Al-Moussawi said the Iraqi and Kurdish forces “hoisted the Iraqi flag over” the dam adding that the troops were backed by joint aerial support. Iraq’s Ministry of Defense said security forces “liberated a large part of the Mosul Dam” with the help of U.S. airstrikes, while U.S. Central Command would not confirm their involvement. In an internet statement, the Islamic State denied losing the dam and dismissing the government claim as propaganda. The U.S. military said U.S. forces conducted nine strikes Saturday and another 16 on Sunday. The decision to launch the airstrikes was the first direct U.S. military intervention in Iraq since the last American troops left in 2011 and reflect growing international concern about the extremist group. In a letter to Congress Sunday, the White House said that its air campaign in Iraq “is consistent with the president’s directive that the U.S. military protect U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq, since the failure of the Mosul Dam could threaten the lives of large numbers of civilians and threaten U.S. personnel and facilities – including the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.” It also stated that the failure of the dam could “prevent the Iraqi government from providing critical services” to the Iraqi people.
Posted in 2014, activism, al-Qaida, bombing, civil rights, community, conflict, congress, controversial, crime, death, disease, economy, goverment, human rights, insurgency, international, Iran, Iraq War, Islamic State, law, lawmakers, militants, military, news, peace, people, politics, religion, Russia, terrorism, tragedy, transportation, travel, United Nations, United States, US, violence, war, white house, world, world financial crisis, world health
Tagged East Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis, Ebola Cases, Ebola Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ebola Death Toll, Ebola drug, Ebola Guinea, Ebola isolation unit looted Liberia, Ebola Liberia, Ebola Nigeria, Ebola origins, Ebola Sierra Leone, Ebola West Africa, Ebola West African countries, Fighting East Ukraine War, Gaza Conflict, Gaza Crisis, Gaza Peace, Gaza Peace Talks, Gaza War, Iraq Conflict, Iraq War, Islamic State, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Islamic State Yazidis, Israel Gaza, Israeli Palestinian Conflict, Israeli Palestinian Peace Talks, Israelis, Kurdish forces, Kurds Islamic State, Luhansk, Luhansk eastern Ukraine, Mosul Dam, Nigeria Ebola Cases, Palestinian Territories, Palestinians, Russian convoy, Ukraine Conflict, Ukrainian War, United Arab Emirates Ebola, Who Ebola, Who Ebola 2014
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Attention Recent Grads! Employment Opportunities in the Washington Courts, Immigration Law, and Public Defense
November 23, 2015 November 19, 2015 uwcpsl
KIND Seeking Children’s Coordinating Attorney and Pro Bono Coordinating Atorney in Seattle
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is an innovative partnership among the Microsoft Corporation, Angelina Jolie and other interested philanthropists, law firms and corporate supporters.
KIND seeks a Children’s Coordinating Attorney to provide representation to unaccompanied immigrant children in Seattle area.
Based in KIND’s Seattle field office, the Children’s Coordinating Attorney will have the following responsibilities:
Provide appropriate legal orientation presentations to immigrant children at risk of deportation;
Complete detainee intakes following presentations;
Prepare and conduct pro se workshops and individual orientations to assist these children;
Undertake direct representation as permitted for children in their cases before the immigration court and/or review boards;
File all relevant paperwork and applications with government agencies, immigration court, and state courts, where applicable;
Recruit, train, and provide hands-on mentorship to volunteer attorneys representing unaccompanied children in immigration matters;
Participate in staff meetings and KIND-wide calls;
Assist in the supervision of law student interns and volunteers;
Assist with periodic trainings and presentations; and
Serve as an ambassador of KIND with local coalitions, courts, and agencies.
Responsibilities of the Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney include, but are not limited to, the following:
Interview and screen individual child clients, some in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, and help them prepare for their immigration hearings;
Match child clients with pro bono attorneys;
Recruit, train, and provide hands-on mentorship to volunteer attorneys representing unaccompanied children in immigration matters and related state court matters;
Develop and maintain updated guidance materials, sample filings, and legal training presentations;
Foster and manage KIND relationships with law firms and corporate counsel in coordination with the Director of Pro Bono Recruitment and Training;
Assist in office operations, including case management, data entry and maintenance, and reports;
Participate in conferences, meetings and trainings as needed;
Potentially provide direct representation to individual child clients in immigration or state court dependency proceedings; and
Collaborate with KIND management in support of KIND’s mission.
American Civil Liberties Union – Capital Punishment Project Seeking Spring 2016 Legal Intern for ACLUF Capital Punishment Project
For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
The Capital Punishment Project (CPP) of the ACLU’s National Office in Durham, N.C. seeks applicants for its Spring 2016 Legal Internship. A stipend is available for those students who do not receive outside funding and/or course credit. Arrangements can be made with the student’s school for a work/study stipend or course credit.
The Capital Punishment Project, part of the ACLU’s Center for Justice, challenges the unfairness and arbitrariness of capital punishment while working toward the ultimate goal of abolishing the death penalty. The Project engages in public advocacy and strategic litigation, including direct representation of capital defendants. The Project’s litigation is conducted throughout the country, with a particular focus on the South.
Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem Seeking NDS Fellow for Fall 2016, Due 11/25
THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEFENDER SERVICE OF HARLEM (NDS) is a community-based, holistic public defender office located in Harlem.
NDS Fellows assume the responsibilities of a Staff Attorney, representing clients on misdemeanor cases. This includes appearing in court at clients’ arraignments, regular court appearances, plea negotiations, hearings, and trials. NDS Fellows interview clients and their families in the office or the local jails, conduct legal research, write motions, and compose pre-pleading and pre-sentencing memoranda. NDS Fellows spearhead and coordinate work performed by team members (investigators, social workers, team administrators).
NDS Fellows participate in a rigorous and comprehensive training program over the course of the Fellowship. This training includes significant internal training and orientation at the commencement of the Fellowship period, as well as ongoing internal and external training opportunities over the life of the Fellowship. NDS places a high priority on continuing education for staff, and the Fellows are expected to participate in our training program.
US Department of Health & Human Services Office of the General Counsel, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Division Seeking 2016 Summer Honors Legal Intern, Due 11/27
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the General Counsel (OGC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Division, is seeking motivated and enthusiastic applicants for its 2016 Summer Honors Legal Intern Program. Legal internship opportunities are available in our Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD offices.
The OGC-CMS Division recruits law students to work as interns each summer. Interns will have the opportunity to assist Division attorneys in all aspects of their work, including research, writing, and client meetings.
Attention 1Ls & 2Ls! Public Counsel Seeking Summer Interns
Public Counsel has nine exciting law projects and several subprojects that accept summer interns. Our projects include a sophisticated appellate law practice, a comprehensive children’s rights program that handles school condition and discipline matters, special education cases, and adoptions, a community development team that supports affordable housing development and assists non-profit and small businesses with a variety of transactional needs, an immigrants’ rights group that does compelling asylum work on behalf of victims of torture and political persecution, a homelessness prevention unit that defends unlawful detainer complaints, advocates for welfare benefits, and eliminates outstanding tickets and warrants for persons at-risk of homelessness, and complex consumer fraud and impact litigation that addresses the injuries of individuals as well as systemic reform.
Public Counsel’s 2016 summer internship program will run for ten weeks, commencing on May 31, 2016, and ending on August 5, 2016. Both 1L’s and 2L’s are eligible for these internships. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Applications from 2L’s are currently being received and considered. Applications from 1L’s will not be accepted until December 1, 2015. If you are a 1L, please wait until December 1 to transmit your application.
Interested in Working for the US Department of Justice This Summer?
Wide Range of Practice Areas: As the nation’s largest legal employer, DOJ offers opportunities for law students and attorneys in virtually every legal practice area. Explore the work of various DOJ organizations and find those that best match your interests and expertise.
Offices Nationwide: Several organizations have offices throughout the country, including the Antitrust Division, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Trustee Program, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Environment and Natural Resources Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are organized into districts and located in every state and territory. More information about Justice field-office locations employing attorneys is available on the DOJ Offices by State Chart.
Law Student Opportunities: Learn everything you need to know about interning or externing at the DOJ. From the Volunteer Internship Program* to the paid SLIPS Program** there’s an opportunity out there for you!
*Please note that application deadlines for the volunteer internship program varies by office.
** The summer 2016 SLIPS deadline has passed. Summer 2017 applications will open in July 2016.
Court of Appeals, Division I of Seattle Seeking Staff Attorney, Position Open Until Filled
Staff Attorneys assist the court in resolving all types of motions and cases before the court and in handling court administrative matters as requested. Typical duties include reviewing briefs and trial court record, drafting prehearing memoranda, opinions, rulings, and orders. Knowledge and experience handling personal restraint petitions is highly desirable.
Graduation from an accredited law school AND a member in good standing in the Washington State Bar Association AND four years experience in public or private appellate practice, an appellate court, or judicially related system
Seattle University School of Law’s Center for Professional Development Hiring Associate Director
Seattle University has an exciting, dynamic opportunity for a Associate Director to join our community.
Reporting to the Director of the Center for Professional Development(CPD), this position will counsel law students and law school alumni/ae to identify their career interests and goals, as well as to develop skills and strategies for their job searches and professional development.
This position will focus on public interest and government opportunities including the Presidential Management Fellowship Program and the law school’s Summer in D.C. Program.
Attention Attorneys with 2+ Years Experience! Nez Perce Tribe Seeking Tribal Prosecutor
Nez Perce Tribe seeks Tribal Prosecutor to:
Represent the Tribe in all criminal and juvenile cases before Nez Perce Tribal Court, reviewing reports and charging cases, drafting written complaints, motions, proposed orders, legal briefs, jury instructions, sentencing recommendations, and other legal documents.
Work closely with the Tribal Police Department, Conservation Enforcement, Social Services, Probation, Domestic Violence Programs, and other tribal agencies in filing and prosecuting their cases in Tribal Court.
Supervise an office assistant, deputy prosecutor, and Child Support Enforcement attorney.
City of Seattle Seeking Race and Social Justice Initiative Manager, Position Open Until Filled
The City of Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Manager will provide leadership and vision to ensure innovative, effective strategies to achieve racial equity in the City of Seattle.
The ideal candidate is an experienced and effective advocate for structural change, grounded in principles of racial equity and social justice; a creative thinker; and an effective collaborator, supervisor and project manager.
The RSJI Manager reports directly to the Director of the Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR), which coordinates RSJI across Seattle city government. The RSJI Manager and the SOCR Director serve as the primary public faces of the Initiative, establishing and ensuring the integrity and impact of the Initiative within City government and the community. The RSJI Manager supervises 5-7 SOCR staff members who work directly on the Initiative.
Are You Interested in Human Rights? Attorney and Internship Positions Open
October 19, 2015 September 30, 2015 uwcpsl
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Offering Paid Summer 2016 Law Clerkship
The AFSCME Office of the General Counsel seeks law clerks for the summer term of 2016. AFSCME primarily represents employees within the public sector. The Office of the General Counsel provides in-house legal advice to the officers and employees of AFSCME and to affiliates throughout the country. The Office of the General Counsel is active in initiating and defending litigation before state and federal courts and administrative agenciesto safeguard the interests of the union.In addition to traditional issues of labor and employment law, the Office confronts numerous issues of constitutional law – especially federalism and First Amendment questions. The Office also provides substantial assistance to the union’s organizing and legislative departments in developing strategy and drafting legislation.
Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law Seeking Equal Access Fund Staff Attorney, Position Open Until Filled
The Center for Human Rights & Constitutional Law is a nonprofit, public interest law office dedicated to furthering the legal, civil, and human rights of immigrants, refugees, children, prisoners, and the poor.
The Center seeks a full-time attorney to work on complex litigation, policy analysis and advocacy, and to assist in providing technical support, advocacy support, and training to lawyers and paralegals employed by California legal services programs. The position also requires recruitment and coordination of law clerks and volunteers to assist in the Center’s work.
The position requires a pro-active and rigorously intellectual approach to the practice of law, ability to handle multiple projects at the same time, a positive attitude as well as a strong desire to work in the public interest.
Human Rights Watch Seeking International Justice Summer Intern
Human Rights Watch (“HRW”) is seeking a student to intern with the International Justice Program (“IJP”) in the New York office for summer 2016. The intern will primarily focus on monitoring international law developments in targeted country situations and researching and drafting papers on issues of international justice.
This internship is open to law students and graduate students who are studying international criminal or humanitarian law. Applicants should be well-organized, self-motivated, and reliable with a strong interest in international human rights. Strong writing skills are essential. Relevant coursework is highly desirable. Fluency in oral and written English is required. Fluency in other languages, particularly French, is highly desirable. Computer skills (i.e., Microsoft Office, internet applications) are required. Ideally this internship is full-time and a minimum commitment of ten weeks is requested.
UW’s Office of Planning & Budgeting Seeking Higher Education Policy Analyst, Position Open Until Filled
The Office of Planning & Budgeting (OPB) reports to the Senior Vice President of Planning & Management and provides analysis and information services to enhance university-wide planning and policy formation. OPB is responsible for planning and allocation of financial and physical resources to help the University fulfill its mission. OPB also leads University efforts in the fiscal and policy analysis of state budgets and legislation.
We have an outstanding opportunity for a Higher Education Policy Analyst to work within the OPB and across its departments to provide fiscal and policy analysis and research on national and state higher education policies and practices in support of the executive branch of the University. This position will require expertise and in-depth knowledge of state legislative processes, state-level and national higher education data, and budget cycles. During state legislative sessions, this position will provide front line analysis and communication to the Assistant Vice Provost of Planning & Budgeting as well as the Office of State Relations. As such, this position requires flexibility, adaptability and experience in analyzing fiscal and policy information from a wide variety of sources. This position will report to the Assistant Vice Provost of Planning & Budgeting and provide support to the Provost and staff, the University President, college deans and administrators, and faculty senate committees. Additionally, this person will work closely with the Office of Institutional Analysis, the University’s Budget Office, and the Office of State Relations in the execution of state budget development and analysis as well as miscellaneous research, reports and presentations, and other projects as assigned. Finally, this position will liaise with counterparts in the Council of Presidents as well as the other institutions of higher education in the state.
Brooklyn Defender Services Seeks Immigration Practice Summer 2016 Intern, Due 1/30/2016
The Immigration Practice of Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) seeks summer 2016 law student interns. BDS represents more than 45,000 clients per year in a variety of legal proceedings in New York City, primarily indigent criminal, family, and immigration defense. We believe all people—regardless of economic means—deserve respect, individualized care, and the fullest extent of legal protections whether accused of a crime or facing a civil legal obstacle to justice and opportunity.
BDS’s Immigration Practice has three primary focus areas: Padilla, Youth and NYIFUP.
The focus of the Padilla team is to advise noncitizen clients of the immigration consequences of their criminal cases. Padilla Immigration Practice attorneys work in close collaboration with BDS defenders to avoid or minimize the negative immigration consequences of their noncitizens’ criminal cases. In a limited number of cases, immigration practice attorneys continue to advocate for BDS clients in the immigration system even after the criminal case is disposed. We advocate against our clients’ immigration detention, defend them in immigration removal proceedings, and provide assistance applying for immigration benefits.
Department of Homeland Security – Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Seeking CRCL Interns, Due 3/1/2016 for Summer
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties seeks to provide motivated law students entering their second or third year of law school with an internship opportunity in Washington, D.C. The internship will provide experience in the fields of Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Employment Law, Homeland Security, and the practical workings of the Federal Government.
The Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL)supports the Department’s mission to secure the Nation while preserving individual liberty, fairness, and equality under the law. The statutory authority for the Office is described in 6 U.S.C. § 345 and 42 U.S.C. § 2000ee-1.
Environmental Law Foundation Seeking 2016 Summer Legal Intern, Due 3/1/2016
ELF is looking for one or more legal interns to work on a part- or full-time basis during the summer of 2016. We highly value interns’ contributions and we’re looking for someone who’s ready to produce legal work at a high level.
ELF’s legal interns will assist in all aspects of litigation on our docket. Generally, the interns will be conducting legal research and drafting memos, briefs, discovery and/or pleadings. To the extent feasible, the interns will also attend hearings and settlement meetings. The interns will work closely with a staff attorney who will supervise their work and provide feedback. Because of our small size and fast-paced environment, interns will be heavily involved in all aspects of our work, from strategy meetings to brief writing. We are proud that we can offer interns the opportunity to do real, substantive, important work.
Interested in Climate Change Law? Check Out Columbia’s Fellowship Opportunity!
December 22, 2014 November 26, 2014 uwcpsl
Hanford Challenge Seeking Legal Externs, Applications Accepted on a Rolling Basis
Hanford Challenge is 501c3 Nonprofit Organization working to ensure the safe and effective cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Site—the world’s largest environmental remediation project. Hanford Challenge exists to transform Hanford’s nuclear legacy into a model of safe and effective Hanford Challenge is looking for interns to assist with case preparation, legal research, and policy work.
Working at Hanford Challenge is an opportunity to gain experience in case strategy, legal drafting, case preparation, whistleblower and environmental policy, FOIA and state records act requests, and—depending on timing—even litigation. Students will also get exposure to the regulatory agencies involved at Hanford such as the Department of Energy, WA State Department of Ecology, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Attention Post-Grads with 3-6 Years Experience, Kantor Taylor Seeking Low Income Housing Tax Credit Attorney
Kantor Taylor is currently seeking a qualified attorney for its Seattle office in transactions utilizing Low Income Housing Tax Credits, with an emphasis on representation of nonprofit and governmental entities in the development and financing of affordable housing projects.
The ideal candidate will have with 3-6 years of experience working with developers and/or tax credit equity investors in connection with the acquisition, financing and syndication of affordable housing projects using low income housing tax credits and other public and private financing sources. Experience with general real estate work is desired as well, such as drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, easements, condominium declarations and leases.
Kantor Taylor is a 14-attorney law firm located in Seattle, WA with a focus for affordable housing and community development. We have a national practice across the areas of LIHTC, NMTC, HUD, Bond, and Real Estate transactions.
Please send resume in confidence to Lauren Lindheimer at llindheimer@kantortaylor.com
Attention 1Ls & 2Ls! WSBA Elder Law Section Seeking Peter Greenfield Senior Advocacy Intern, Due 2/13/15
The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Elder Law Section in partnership with the Washington State Bar Foundation, the University of Washington School of Law, and Columbia Legal Services (CLS) is pleased to continue the Peter Greenfield Senior Advocacy Internship for the summer of 2015. This is a 10-12 week, full-time, paid internship ($5000 stipend for the summer) funded by the WSBA Elder Law Section, administered by the Washington State Bar Foundation, and UW School of Law. The intern will work in the Seattle CLS office providing advocacy and research in support of low income seniors. The internship for the summer of 2015 is open to students at the UW School of Law.
American Bar Association’s Section of Antitrust Law Seeking 2015 Summer Janet D. Steiger Fellow
The Janet D. Steiger Fellowship Project provides law students the extraordinary opportunity to work in the in the consumer protection and antitrust departments of state and territorial Offices of Attorneys General throughout the United States, as well as the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, the Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs, and the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Protection.
Selected students will serve for a minimum of eight weeks during the summer of 2015.
Applicants are encouraged to apply for locations near their place of residence. In the event that a Steiger Fellow is not living at home during their fellowship, there is a possibility that an optional travel/housing stipend allowance in anamount yet to be determined may be available. Applicants should not rely upon receiving an allowance in deciding whether to apply for a fellowship.
US Department of Energy Seeking General Counsel Law Student Intern
The Office of the General Counsel offers an exciting opportunity for law students to gain firsthand exposure to the fast-moving and evolving practice of energy law. The General Counsel is charged by the Secretary of Energy with the authority to determine the Department’s authoritative position on any question of law. The General Counsel’s Office provides legal advice, counsel, and support to the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, and program offices throughout DOE to further the Department’s mission of advancing the national, economic, and energy security of the United States through scientific and technological innovation and the environmental cleanup of the national nuclear weapons complex. The intern program is designed for a select group of law students to become integrated components of our practice groups by working closely with attorneys throughout the Office of the General Counsel. Interns can expect demanding legal research and writing assignments concerning an array of energy-related practice areas, including: energy efficiency, nuclear security and non-proliferation, renewable technologies, alternate fuels vehicles, environmental compliance, intellectual property, alternative dispute resolution, and loan guarantee programs. We require interns to work a minimum of ten weeks during the summer.
Columbia Law School Now Accepting Applications for Fellowship in Climate Change Law, Applications Accepted on Rolling Basis Until 2/1/15
Sabin Center for Climate Change Law (SCCCL) develops legal techniques to fight climate change, trains students and lawyers in their use, and provides up-to-date resources on key topics in climate law and regulation.
Applications are invited for a fellowship in climate change law at Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. The salary will be $60,000/year plus benefits. Applicants must have received a J.D. or LL.M. degree within three years prior to the beginning of the Fellowship. Strong academic qualifications and background in environmental or energy law and policy will be expected. The Fellow will work on a wide variety of research and writing projects; will help organize conferences, seminars, and collaborative publications; and will contribute to other research- and advocacy-oriented projects concerning climate change mitigation and adaptation.
For complete details, click here.
Planned Parenthood of America Offering Legal Internships in New York and Washington DC, Due 2/28/15
Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is the nation’s leading women’s health care provider, educator, and advocate, serving women, men, teens, and families. For more than 90 years, we’ve done more than any other organization in the United States to improve women’s health and safety, prevent unintended pregnancies, and guarantee that safe and legal abortion services are available to women who need them.
The Public Policy Litigation and Law Department of PPFA seeks 1L and 2L law student interns for its New York and Washington, D.C. offices for the summer of 2015.
For more information about the Washington DC position, click here.
For more information about the New York City position, click here.
Center for Democracy & Technology Seeking Summer Legal Intern, Due 3/15/15
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is pleased to host volunteer interns interested in law, policy, and technology, who wish to contribute to CDT’s work. We offer internships over the summer and during the academic semester in our Washington, DC, office.
Interns work closely with CDT’s attorneys, technologists, and policy experts on a broad array of issues related to technology, civil liberties, and human rights, including online free expression, electronic surveillance, digital copyright, health and consumer privacy, cybersecurity, and global Internet governance.
Interns who are current law students – or who already earned a law degree – can contribute to CDT’s work by conducting legal and policy research, drafting reports and legal analyses, assisting in the preparation of testimony, presentations, legislative proposals and briefs, and creating online educational resources.
Federal Communications Commission’s Wireless Telecommunications Seeking Summer Intern, Due 3/31/15
WTB is a dynamic and innovative bureau concentrating on a portfolio of contemporary issues addressing the nation’s telecommunication needs. The Wireless Bureau is responsible for facilitating the rapid and widespread deployment of wireless broadband services, ensuring an effective and interoperable communications environment supporting homeland security and public safety first responders, fostering a forward-looking and cohesive focus concerning spectrum policy and competition, and promoting efficient and transparent access to spectrum including the transition to innovative uses.
Wide variety of legal issues and tasks related to the telecommunications industry and services which may include but are not limited to the following duties: prepare legal documents, conduct research on rulemakings and proceedings, and assimilate comments on rulemakings.
Interested in Working for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights? Applications Open Now for 2015 Fellowship!
October 20, 2014 October 6, 2014 uwcpsl
National Immigration Forum Seeking Policy and Advocacy Intern in Washington DC
We are hiring interns to assist us with research, analysis, drafting of written materials, and monitoring activities of the executive and legislative branches of government on immigration issues. The National Immigration Forum advocates for the value of immigrants and immigration to the nation. For over 30 years, the Forum has worked to advance sound federal immigration solutions through its policy expertise, communications outreach and coalition building work, which forges powerful alliances of diverse constituencies across the country to build consensus on the important role of immigrants in America.
For a complete job description and application details, click here.
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Offering 2015 Romulo Gallegos Fellowship, Due 10/29
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is pleased to inform about the launching of a new automatized system to apply for fellowships, which as of today is the only means of presenting applications. The goal of this new digital system is to facilitate and streamline processes, to the benefit of all involved parties.
The Commission appreciates the cooperation and support of all users in the current process of modernization and digitalization of our systems.
For more information about the fellowship, click here. Deadline 10/29.
Poverty & Race Research Action Council Seeking 2014-2015 Housing Fellow, Due 10/31
At the present time, PRRAC’s work is focused in the areas of housing, education, environmental justice, and domestic human rights, with a particular emphasis on the continuing consequences of historical patterns of housing segregation and development.
In addition to national-level law and policy research and advocacy, we are engaged in local technical assistance work in Baltimore and Hartford, in support of regional desegregation cases filed by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the ACLU. PRRAC is also working to support the development of a regional housing mobility program in the Philadelphia area.
The incoming Fellow will focus on our housing, community development, and environmental justice portfolios. The position is based in Washington, D.C. , and the fellowship term will run through summer 2015 (beginning and end dates negotiable).
For a complete job description and application instructions, click here.
Environmental Law Foundation Seeking Summer 2015 Legal Intern in Oakland, CA
ELF is looking for one or more legal interns to work on a full-time basis during the summer of 2015. We highly value interns’ contributions and we are looking for someone who is ready to produce legal work at a high level.
Attention Rising 2Ls and 3Ls! Spitzer Internship Program Now Accepting Applications
The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) is excited to accept applications for the Spitzer Summer Internship Program in honor of immediate past Executive Director Emily Spitzer. NHeLP seeks up to three law students to participate in the program, with the paid positions divided among offices in Washington, DC, Carrboro, NC, and Los Angeles, CA.
Potential Spitzer interns are rising 2L or 3L students, with a proven and demonstrated commitment to social justice and an interest in working toward the expansion and protection of health care access for low-income and underserved populations.
Spitzer interns will work closely with NHeLP staff attorneys, who work collaboratively across offices and engage in the primary work of the organization–providing high-quality advice and support to state-based health lawyers, administration officials, and policymakers.
Urban Justice Center Seeking Summer 2015 Legal Intern in Community Development Project, Due 1/9/15
The Community Development Project (CDP) of the Urban Justice Center (UJC) seeks law student interns who are interested in working with us during the Summer of 2015 to protect the rights of low-income individuals and provide legal, technical and research assistance to grassroots community organizations working on various social justice issues. The main types of substantive areas in which we work include: housing; workers’ rights; consumer justice; and transactional legal services (e.g. legal help for community organizations and worker cooperatives). By providing legal support in these substantive areas, our mission is to advance community groups’ campaigns for social and economic justice.
Hadsell Stormer & Renick LLP Seeking Summer 2015 Law Clerk, Applications Accepted on Rolling Basis Through 1/30/15
Hadsell Stormer & Renick LLP is currently accepting applications for law clerk positions in Summer 2015.
Job duties will entail researching and drafting legal memoranda and briefs, participating in meetings with clients and attorneys, developing prospective cases, and attending depositions, hearings, and mediations.
The ideal candidate will possess a demonstrated commitment to work in public interest law, have strong research and writing skills, and will be in their second year of law school.
Gearing up for 2015? Many Fellowships Now Accepting Applications!
October 6, 2014 September 25, 2014 uwcpsl
Ella Summer Internship Program with the Center for Constitutional Rights Now Accepting Applications, Due 10/24 for 2Ls and 12/19 for 1Ls
The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) is a non-profit legal and educational organization dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
CCR created the Ella Baker Summer Internship Program in 1987 to honor the legacy of Ella Baker, a hero of the civil rights movement, and to train the next generation of social justice lawyers. Our program uses a combination of theory and practice to train talented and committed law students on how to work alongside social movements, community organizations, and impacted individuals. Through our program, interns gain practical litigation experience and sharpen their theoretical understanding of the relationship between social change, organizing and lawyering.
The Ella Baker Program is sponsored by the Bertha Foundation which hosts law students and emerging lawyers at legal organizations across the world. As a result, Ella Baker Interns are connected to a global community of social justice law students and lawyers through the Bertha Legal Network.
Attention 3Ls and Recent Grads! Roderick and Solange Macarthur Justice Center at New Orleans Seeking Attorney, Due 10/31
The MacArthur Justice Center is seeking an attorney for its office located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Center is a public interest law firm that brings high-impact cases targeted at reforming the criminal justice system.
The Center is looking for a talented, dedicated attorney to fill an attorney position. Applicants should have a minimum of two years of experience in criminal or civil litigation, high academic qualifications, exemplary writing and oral argument skills, ability to work in a team, and a demonstrated commitment to the rights of poor persons in the criminal justice system. Membership in the Louisiana Bar is preferred, but persons eligible to take the bar examination within 6 months of hiring may apply.
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Offering Fellowship Program Beginning September 2015, Due 11/17
The Legal Department of the America Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (“AFL-CIO”) is offering a one-year fellowship beginning in September 2015. The fellowship offers an excellent opportunity for recent law school graduates to work with experienced union-side lawyers on a wide variety of issues.
The AFL-CIO Fellow will work with lawyers in the AFL-CIO Legal Department and with other union lawyers around the country on a wide range of activities. The Fellow will assist experienced lawyers working on cases and regulatory matters that affect the legal movement and the rights of workers. The AFL-CIO’s litigation caseload includes cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, the NLRB and a small number of state appellate suits. In addition, the AFL-CIO Legal Department frequently presents the views of the labor movement on federal regulatory initiatives affecting workers. Whenever possible, the Fellow will be given the opportunity to participate in meetings with union lawyers and to attend oral arguments. The AFL-CIO Fellow will also participate in Lawyers Coordinating Committee activities, including preparation for attorney conferences, outreach to new labor lawyers and law students, and regular opportunities to attend LCC meetings and conferences.
Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Offering Temporary Position
The Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is soliciting applications for an extra help deputy prosecuting attorney in the Civil Division to perform work in the areas of land use, real estate, public contracting, and Washington general municipal law.
To apply, please submit a résumé, cover letter, and writing sample to Jacquelyn M. Aufderheide, Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, 614 Division Street, MS-35A, Port Orchard, WA 98366, or apply online here.
Tom Steel Post-Graduate Fellowship, Due 1/15/15
The Tom Steel Post-Graduate Fellowship provides funding for a new lawyer to work in the United States on an innovative, public interest law project that serves the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
The Fellowship will help ensure that unmet legal needs are recognized and prioritized on an on-going basis, and that the next generation of legal advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community develops the critical skills necessary to secure civil rights into the future.
Pride Law Fund seeks to fund “cutting edge” projects with the potential to make a lasting impact. Persons are eligible to apply if they are law students eligible to graduate in the Spring semester, or are lawyers within three years of their graduation from law school. Additional requirements are set forth in the application materials.
For a complete description and application details, click here.
MENA Human Rights Advocacy Fellowship Seeking Applicants, Fluency in Arabic Required
The Gender Law and Policy Project (GLPP) is seeking applicants for a one year Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Human Rights Advocacy Fellowship Position working on gender-based violence and LGBT violence and discrimination in the MENA region. The fellow will also work closely with MADRE, an international women’s human rights organization.
Our project works to promote the rights, protection and physical security of marginalized and at-risk populations. We integrate advocacy and capacity building, with documentation and reporting of LGBT and women’s human rights violations in order to bring accountability and redress for these crimes in transitional justice processes. We also aim to increase participation of women within national and international venues charged with upholding human rights and building peace.
Lambda Defense and Education Fund Offering Fair Courts Project Internship for Fall, Spring, and Summer
Lambda Legal’s Education and Public Affairs Department seeks a law student for Fall, Spring and Summer semester internships.
Lambda Legal is the nation’s oldest and largest legal organization committed to achieving full equality for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and people with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in New York City, Lambda Legal has regional offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas. Lambda Legal’s law reform, policy and education work encompasses a wide range of areas, including federal and state constitutional law issues, discrimination in employment, benefits, housing, insurance, schools and other areas, harassment and violence, antigay ballot initiatives, access to healthcare and HIV-related treatments, child custody, visitation and adoption, the freedom to marry and sodomy law reform.
Earthjustice’s Seattle Office Seeking Externs for Winter & Spring 2015
The Northwest office of Earthjustice is currently accepting applications for externships for Winter and Spring 2015, with a preference for at least 20 hours per week.
Earthjustice is a nonprofit environmental law firm, representing—without charge—hundreds of public interest clients, large and small. Earthjustice works through the courts to safeguard public lands, national forests, parks, and wilderness areas; to defend the right of all people to a healthy environment; to reduce air and water pollution; to prevent toxic contamination; and to preserve endangered species and wildlife habitat. Founded in 1971 as Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, Earthjustice has played a leading role in shaping the development of environmental law.
Externs will have an opportunity to work with several attorneys on case development and litigation. Students may draft pleadings, briefs, and other legal documents; perform legal research and prepare legal memoranda; develop strategy and legal theories; and attend court proceedings, full-office argument moots, meetings with clients, and conferences with opposing counsel.
Still Looking for a Job? Check Out These New Positions!
August 18, 2014 August 15, 2014 uwcpsl
Attention Recent Grads! Northwest Justice Project Hosting Employment Opportunity Legal Corps Fellow, Due 8/22
The Northwest Justice Project (NJP) is hosting an Employment Opportunity Legal Corps (EOLC) Fellow sponsored by Equal Justice Works and the Corporation for National and Community Service/AmeriCorps. The EOLC Fellow will focus on removing legal barriers to employment facing economically disadvantaged individuals, including but not limited to, legal assistance with vacating/sealing eligible criminal records, revocation/denial of occupational licenses, and driver’s license suspensions.
The EOLC Fellowship will target low-income and economically disadvantaged communities in Southwest Washington, including Grays Harbor, Pacific, and Lewis Counties. The AmeriCorps Fellow will be a full-time attorney based in NJP’s Aberdeen, Washington office. The attorney selected for the Fellowship will work closely with NJP’s Coordinated Legal Education, Advice and Referral system (CLEAR), NJP field offices serving the region, and will also work in collaboration with local social service providers and Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council to identify and target barriers to employment in the service area.
Public Citizen Litigation Group Offering Summer Clerkship
Public Citizen Litigation Group, a public interest law firm in Washington, DC, is seeking two summer law clerks for the summer of 2015. The Litigation Group is a division of Public Citizen, a research, lobbying, and public advocacy organization founded in 1971. Our areas of practice include federal health and safety regulation, access-to-courts issues, consumer litigation, open government, and the First Amendment. We litigate cases at all levels of the federal and state judiciaries. Litigation Group lawyers have argued 63 cases in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Summer law clerks do research and write legal memoranda for use in current Litigation Group cases, under the supervision of the Group’s staff lawyers. When possible, we provide summer clerks with an opportunity to draft actual litigation documents (such as briefs or complaints). Law clerks are also encouraged to participate in moot courts, observe court and congressional hearings, and attend meetings with clients.
For a complete description and application instructions, click here.
Washington State Board of Health Seeking Health Policy Advisor, Due 8/24
There is one (1) opening for a permanent full-time Health Services Consultant 4 within the Washington State Board of Health. This position is part of a team of dedicated and enthusiastic public health professionals that supports the Board. The incumbent will be a Department of Health employee on loan to the Board.
The Board’s mission is to provide statewide leadership in advancing policies that protect and improve the public’s health. It does this by reviewing and monitoring the health status of all people in Washington; analyzing policies, providing guidance, and developing rules; promoting system partnerships; and encouraging public engagement in the public health system.
This position is citical to all those activities, particularly as they relate to environmental health and communicable disease control. It coordinates rule writing, tracks health status, analyzes policies, supports efforts to gather public input, and helps forge and maintain system partnerships.
Attention Post Grads with 3-5 Years’ Experience! Farmworker Justice Seeking Health Policy Attorney in Washington, DC
Farmworker Justice is a national organization based in Washington, D.C. that empowers migrant and seasonal farmworkers to improve their wages, working conditions, immigration status, health, occupational safety, and access to justice. FJ engages in advocacy and policy analysis, litigation, education and training, and coalition building, and has a respected national reputation for its high-quality, dedicated, and innovative service to farmworkers.
The Health Policy Attorney is responsible for analyzing federal and state law and policy affecting farmworkers’ health and safety and access to healthcare, and representing farmworkers and their families in administrative agencies. The Health Policy Attorney supports FJ’s legal team in litigation and legislative advocacy efforts to ensure healthy and secure living and working conditions for workers and their families. The Health Policy Attorney disseminates policy analyses through written and oral presentations, including reports and policy briefs, website and blog postings, and conference and webinar presentations. The Attorney also provides legal and technical assistance to farmworkers, farmworker organizations, legal advocates and healthcare providers. This position reports to FJ’s Director of Occupational and Environmental Health and collaborates closely with other FJ staff. The position is in Washington, D.C.
ACLU of Washington Seeking Technology and Liberty Director
The ACLU of Washington invites applications for the full-time position of Technology and Liberty Director to lead its work at the intersection of civil liberties and technology. The Technology and Liberty Director identifies and addresses civil liberties issues arising from the use and development of new technologies. The position works closely with senior legal, legislative, and communications staff and has significant interaction with its national ACLU counterparts. The position reports to the Executive Director through the Deputy Director.
The ACLU-WA’s staff of 30+ employees and numerous volunteers work in a fast-paced, friendly and professional office in downtown Seattle. The ACLU-WA is a leader in state-level policy advocacy on privacy, free speech and access issues. It has participated in law reform and policy advocacy related to geo-location devices, RFID, data aggregation, surveillance, and online free speech. The ACLU-WA is among the top affiliates of the national ACLU network.
Department of Health & Human Services Offering Two New Positions
The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is the legal team for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), providing quality representation and legal advice in a wide range of highly visible national issues. OGC supports the development and implementation of the Department’s programs by providing the highest quality legal services to the Secretary of HHS and the organization’s various agencies and divisions.
General Attorney Claims & Employment Law Branch
This is a General Attorney position for the Claims and Employment Law Branch in the General Law Division. The Office is seeking an attorney with experience in federal employment and labor law. The incumbent will litigate cases before the MSPB, EEOC, FLRA and arbitrators. Other duties will include providing litigation support to U.S. Attorney Offices when cases are appealed into federal court and preparing legal opinion on all aspects of federal employment and labor law matters.
For a complete job description and application instructions click here or check out the posting on Symplicity.
General Attorney Information Law Team
This is a General Attorney position for the Information Law Team in the General Law Division. The incumbent will provide advice on the use, disclosure, protection of federal information for the entire Department. Specifically, the Team advises HHS agencies and offices regarding the Freedom of Information Act, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Privacy Act, the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Federal Information Systems Management Act, the Federal Records Act, as well as other administrative law topics, including the Administrative Procedures Act, the Congressional Review Act, and policies and regulations relating to the use of HHS logos and seals, delegations, and statements of organization. The Team also provides substantial assistance to the Department of Justice in information law-related Federal court litigations.
Position Openings in Seattle’s Legislative Department! Also, Fellowship & Other Clerkship Opportunities for 2015!
August 11, 2014 August 7, 2014 uwcpsl
City of Seattle’s Legislative Department Offering Employment Opportunities
Position Opening for Policy Analyst to Work in Central Staff Division, Due 8/12 by 4:00 PM
The Legislative Department, Central Staff Division, has an outstanding opportunity for an experienced Policy Analyst. Analysts conduct research and analysis on public policy and budget issues; evaluate proposed policy initiatives; draft legislation; and make recommendations regarding local, regional, and state issues for Seattle’s full-time, nine-member City Council. Analysts work with the Councilmembers, Legislative Aides, high-level government officials, and a wide variety of stakeholders. This “at-will” appointment serves at the discretion of the Central Staff Director.
This position will perform complex, independent policy analysis and advise the City Council on a wide-range of policy and budget issues with a focus on human services and education, including but not limited to preschool education, support for the Seattle School District, civil rights, evaluation of human services programs, domestic and youth and domestic violence prevention.
For a complete job description an application instructions, click here.
Position Opening for Legislative Assistant in the Office of Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, Due 8/19
The Legislative Department is seeking applicants for the position of Legislative Assistant in the office of Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. This is a dynamic and fast paced environment which provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate your skills in constituent relations, public policy development, research, analysis and community outreach. The office is comprised of three staff members and this position reports to the City Councilmember.
The position’s primary functions are to ensure the timely and accurate response to constituent requests and messages; to assist in the development of public policy through legislation, identify emerging issues, conduct research and analysis and recommend policies and course of action for successful outcomes. The person in this role provides advice to Councilmember on issues of policy, politics and procedures, including local, regional and state issues. The Legislative Assistant articulates and advances the goals and polices of the Councilmember and helps develop strategies for a successful passage of legislation and implementation of policies as requested by the Councilmember.
This at-will appointment serves at the discretion of the Councilmember. The Councilmember seeks an organized individual, with a passion for public service, who can meet deadlines and who has strong analytical, written and oral communication skills.
For a complete job description, click here.
Attention 2Ls and 3Ls! Environmental Defense Center Seeking Summer Law Clerk/Semester Extern, Due 9/1
The Environmental Defense Center (EDC) is a nonprofit public interest environmental law firm, established in 1977, that represents community groups dedicated to environmental quality in California’s South Central Coast region (Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties). EDC represents clients in court and before government agencies, provides legal counsel and advice, and offers educational opportunities to the community on issues involving land use, open space and habitat protection, watersheds and water quality, wetland and natural resource protection, toxics, offshore oil and gas development, public lands, endangered species, marine protection, and public access.
EDC hires law students for summer clerkships as well as externships during the regular school year. Law clerks and externs are involved in substantive activities such as conducting legal research; drafting memos and pleadings; participating in client meetings, strategy discussions and negotiations; appearing before public agencies; and observing court arguments. EDC attorneys involve students in every aspect of actual cases.
Position Opening For Research Analyst 4 on Aging & People With Disabilities in Oregon’s Department of Human Services, Due 9/5
The Oregon Department of Human Services, within Office of Business Intelligence, is seeking to fill one permanent, full-time Research Analyst 4 position to provide services to the Research and Analysis Unit. This position is located in Salem (500 Summer St NE) and is represented by a union.
This position will be heavily involved in the design and creation of a SQL-server-based data warehouse for the APD Case Management system. This includes working independently to understand the data tables and relationships in the online-transactional database of the Oregon Access Case Management system and to determine business rules that help transform this data into more usable reporting constructs. Independently or in consultation with users identify areas and topics needing data/report support. Focus on the design and development of automated and distributed reports for APD Program. Work with other program areas as needed to further the goals of DCRU.
Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota (LSNM) Offering Employment Opportunity for Legal Corps Fellow, Due 10/5
Equal Justice Works and AmeriCorps have partnered together to provide the new Employment Opportunity Legal Corps (EOLC) Fellowship opportunity to remove legal barriers to employment for economically disadvantaged individuals across the nation. The EOLC Fellow will provide legal assistance to individuals in northwest Minnesota with a legal barrier to employment such as an expungement-eligible criminal record, revocation/denial of an occupational license, and the loss of a driver’s license.
Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota (LSNM) provides high quality legal representation and community legal education to low-income and elderly persons in 22 northwestern Minnesota counties, using three staffed law offices and 210 private Judicare attorneys. One Fellowship is available in LSNM’s Alexandria regional office. Based on Equal Justice Works/AmeriCorps guidelines, the term of service will begin on (Date TBD) for two years, pending renewal after the first year.
Attention Rising 3Ls and Recent Grads! Fellowship Sponsor – Marvin M. Karpatkin Fellowship in New York Seeking Applicants for the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program! Due 10/15
For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. Whether it’s achieving full equality for the LGBT community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, ending mass incarceration, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach. With more than a million members, activists, and supporters, the ACLU is a nationwide organization that fights tirelessly in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., for the principle that every individual’s rights must be protected equally under the law, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or national origin.
The Fellowship was established by the ACLU Board of Directors in memory of Marvin M. Karpatkin, the late General Counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union, who died in January 1975, at the age of 48. Mr. Karpatkin was one of the ACLU’s most active attorneys during the 1960s and early 1970s. He left his special mark in the areas of selective service and military law. His interest in those areas grew out of his own strong opposition to the Vietnam War and his desire to help those who, younger than himself, were faced with performing military service in a war they would not support.
Racial Justice Program (RJP) attorneys and staff work to challenge racial discrimination and related issues that have a disparate impact on communities of color, particularly in the areas of criminal justice and education and seeks to provide full access to participation in the economic system regardless of race or ethnicity. In the area of criminal justice, we are dedicated to reducing the unwarranted and disproportionate targeting and incarceration of people of color. In the area of education, we seek to ensure that all children have access to quality education, regardless of race or ethnicity. Specifically, we have filed civil challenges to the inadequate provision of indigent criminal and juvenile defense, racial profiling, and disparate educational opportunities. We have also campaigned against the racially-disproportionate imposition of incarceration and school discipline and are working to counteract the negative effects of discrimination in mortgage lending on communities of color.
Legal Foundation of Washington Offering 2015 Summer Goldmark Internship in Walla Walla, WA, Due 10/17 by 5:00 PM
The program is named for Charles A. Goldmark, the Foundation’s second president at his untimely death in January 1986. Chuck was a firm believer in, and a forceful advocate for, equal access to the justice system. The internship was created as a tribute to Chuck and to encourage young lawyers to emulate his ardent commitment. The Goldmark Equal Justice Internship is made possible by a matching grant from the Goldmark Family Foundation.
The STAR Project serves individuals with felony convictions, most having been released from incarceration in the past year. A majority of clients
have significant Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs) which impede their integration back into society as contributing members. The Goldmark Intern will aid clients who receive Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability benefits to have their LFOs waived by the courts, and work to establish reasonable restitution payments for clients seeking employment but who have holds on their driver’s licenses.
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Certifications Framework
The Digital Marketing Institute Certification Framework defines the digital certification and progressions routes available to students, professionals, educators and industry.
Institute Certifications Framework
The Digital Marketing Institute’s Certification Framework describes what a professional should know, understand and be able to do on the basis of a given certification level. A framework also demonstrates how learners can progress through higher levels of certification within a framework. Universities, colleges, training companies and employers in over 90 countries now implement certifications from the Digital Marketing Institute’s Certification Framework.
The Framework operates internationally and importantly also provides a basis for professional certifications within the Digital Sales & Marketing Industry. It allows students, educators and employers to easily understand a professional’s competency and assists in portability between countries or employers.
The Digital Marketing Institute Certification Framework provides a system around which the key stakeholders can gather – Students, Professionals, Educators and Employers. It allows all groups to understand the certification standards, the skills and competencies and modes of assessment and furthermore it relates these certifications to industry-specific roles and jobs. The certification is the currency that flows between these key stakeholder groups.
Objectives of the Framework
The objectives of the Digital Marketing Institute Certification Framework is to provide a contemporary and flexible system that:
acts as a reference point for curriculum development that leads to a Digital Marketing Institute professional certification
supports industry education pathways which provide access to certifications that allow individuals to move easily between different educators and industry roles
defines a clear progression route for professionals
supports and enhances the recognition of the value of Digital Marketing Institute certifications in industry
enables a level of alignment with other international certification and qualification frameworks
Digital Marketing Institute Industry Advisory Council
The Industry Advisory Council (formally called the Syllabus Advisory Council), representing the world’s largest and most influential digital brands, validates all Digital Marketing Institute certification standards, syllabus, curriculum and assessment tools. By providing expert review and recommendations on a regular basis, the Council ensures that Digital Marketing Institute Certified Professionals have learned the most up to date digital skills, core competencies and knowledge needed to thrive in their digital careers.
The Industry Advisory Council’s role is to provide:
Industry validation of the certifications through an iterative review process
Industry policy advice on professional certifications
maintain, monitor and promote the Digital Marketing Institute Certification Framework
support the stakeholders and users of the framework - students, professionals, educator and employers
The Industry Advisory Council includes an independent chair and members from the digital industry, educators, employers and recruitment specialists, and policy makers.
The majority of our certifications are mapped to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and are also defined in terms of their position within the EHEA.
The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) is a “translation tool that helps communication and comparison between qualifications systems in Europe. Its eight common European reference levels are described in terms of learning outcomes: knowledge, skills and competences. This allows any national qualifications systems, national qualifications frameworks (NQFs) and qualifications in Europe to relate to the EQF levels. Learners, graduates, providers and employers can use these levels to understand and compare qualifications awarded in different countries and by different education and training systems.” http://ec.europa.eu/
The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) was launched in March 2010, and is designed to ensure more comparable, compatible and coherent systems of higher education in Europe. It is designed to foster student mobility and employability through the introduction of a system based on undergraduate and postgraduate studies with easily readable programmes and degrees. http://www.ehea.info/
Industry ready courses
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Supported by Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems
POWER SECTOR CARBON INDEX Created By The Carnegie Mellon University: Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
PSCI Home
About PSCI
The Launch of the Power Sector Carbon Index
Costa Samaras , Inês Azevedo
The way electricity is generated in the United States is changing
As the way we generate electricity changes, so do the associated greenhouse gas emissions. Thanks to low natural gas prices, 2016 was the first year that more electricity was generated from natural gas than from coal. At the same time, continued decreases in costs and sustained incentive policies for wind and solar power have accelerated the growth of renewable electricity. In 2016, the new combined capacity added of wind and solar was larger than the new capacity for natural gas. All of these changes directly affect how much carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted by each megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity generated. Deep emissions reductions are needed in the electricity sector to limit the impacts of climate change. To track the progress of reducing the emissions intensity of electricity, our interdisciplinary research team at Carnegie Mellon University’s Scott Institute for Energy Innovation launched the Power Sector Carbon Index. The index reports an accessible metric—the carbon intensity of U.S. electricity generation. We rely on publicly available data to create an easily understood, analytically transparent, and timely summary of the current trends in U.S. power sector CO2 emissions intensity and electricity generation. The Power Sector Carbon Index lets us know how far we’ve come, how we’re doing now, and how far we still have to go.
Why is an index needed right now?
While the Power Sector Carbon Index uses publicly available data that can be obtained by anyone, up until now we lacked a standardized way to calculate the carbon intensity of the U.S. electricity system. Furthermore, organizing those datasets, identifying missing or incorrect values, and compiling the information was cumbersome and time consuming. With the Power Sector Carbon Index, we've removed this barrier and mad these data accessible for all. Policy makers, industry, academia, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and the public can rely on the index to quickly understand up-to-date trends in carbon intensity of the U.S. electric power sector, and get insight into the underlying drivers of these trends every three months.
How is the index calculated?
The index is calculated by dividing the direct emissions generated from all electricity generation sources in the U.S. electricity sector in a given time period by the total net electricity generation in that time period. The index is calculated for yearly, quarterly and monthly time periods, and values are given in pounds (lb) of CO2 per MWh, representing the CO2 emissions intensity of electricity in a specific time period. Since 2005 is often used as a benchmark year for measuring progress made in reducing emissions, the index also provides the percentage change between the current value and the annual value in 2005. For more details please see our report on “Power Sector Carbon Index: Data, Sources, and Methods" which details the sources, data, and methods for calculating the index. One of the features we always want when we visit an energy website is the ability to download the charts and the data, so our team built that capability into the Power Sector Carbon Index. We also have put our analysis code on GitHub, to enable energy analysts everywhere to build off of our work.
What are the key findings?
The U.S. power sector has been getting cleaner and more efficient. CO2 emissions intensity from U.S. electricity generation decreased by 24% between 2005 and 2016 (from 1,324 lb CO2 per MWh to 1,005 lb CO2 per MWh - or 600 to 456 g CO2 per kWh). About 53% of this decrease is due to the shift in the mix of electricity generation from coal to natural gas, and an additional 4% is due to natural gas power plants becoming more efficient. About 40% of the decrease in carbon intensity is due to the increase in renewable generation since 2005. Our team provides some additional details about the drivers of change compared with 2005 in this post. The competition between coal and natural gas can also influence emissions trends from year-to-year. The Power Sector Carbon Index was 1,001 lb CO2 per MWh in Q4 of 2016, an increase of 1% when compared to Q4 of 2015. Coal returned as the electricity source contributing the largest share of electricity generation in Q4 of 2016, after natural gas held that spot in Q4 of 2015. Electricity generation from renewables and nuclear was higher in Q4 of 2016 when compared to Q4 of 2015, reducing some of the impact on the Power Sector Carbon Index from the increased electricity from coal.
While the 24% decrease in emissions intensity since 2005 is a great start, there remains work to be done to achieve deep de-carbonization in the electricity system. Reducing emissions intensity by 40% relative to 2005 values would require 530 lb CO2 per MWh (360 g CO2 per kWh), and getting an 80% reduction requires 265 lb CO2 per MWh (120 g CO2 per kWh). As the power sector evolves, our team of researchers looks forward to tracking its progress and providing the data on the carbon intensity of our electricity sector.
About CMU PSCI
Citation: Scott Institute for Energy Innovation. (2017). Power Sector Carbon Index. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved from https://www.emissionsindex.org.
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Daily Archives: 6 Jun 2019
Accountability, Austerity cuts, East Devon economy, EDDC
Parish and town councils raising bills at a higher rate than larger authorities
“Villagers paying council tax are seeing their parish bills rise at a higher rate than the share they pay to larger authorities.
BBC News analysed the bills of more than 8,500 town and parish councils from 2013-14 to 2016-17.
Parish councillors say they are being asked to take on more responsibilities as their larger local authority counterparts make cuts.
The government said it expected parish councils to “demonstrate restraint”. …
BBC England’s data unit and BBC Newcastle found:
The total amount of tax collected by parish councils rose from £361m to £434m from 2013-14 to 2016-17
That saw the average bill rise from £50 to £57, a rise of 14%
Some parish councils have raised their share of the bill by far larger amounts
Parts of Kettering, West Berkshire, Peterborough, Rutland, Pendle, Harborough, Cornwall and Copeland saw the largest increases
Some 318 parish and town authorities out of 8,583 issued levies in 2016-17 that were at least double the amount they charged in 2013-14
Larger authorities are obliged to hold a referendum for any increases above 2%, although those responsible for adult social care are now allowed to increase bills by a further 3% for this purpose only.
Parish councils, which generally represent people with populations of less than 2,500, are not subject to the same cap. …”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38827421
Ben Ingham, East Devon Alliance, East Devon Tories, EDDC, Lib Dem (local), TiggerTories
Lib Dems and Indies unite against Tories – in Torbay, not East Devon
Here in East Devon it seems the larger group of Independents is working with Tories and very recently ex-Tories (called TiggerTories by Owl), leaving the smaller Lib Dem and East Devon Alliance Independents groups out in the cold. Not what most non-Tory voters were expecting. … or wanting.
“The new political leadership of Torbay Council has announced plans to invest £100m in the local economy.
The authority’s Liberal Democrat leader Steve Darling revealed the initiative to drive economic growth in a video posted on social media.
He said they had told council officers to develop business plans for £100m worth of investments.
The strategy was a key election pledge by the Liberal Democrats, who saw a big rise in support at the election in May.
The party’s councillors have joined with the Independents in a formal alliance to take control of the authority, leaving the Tories in opposition. …”
https://www.devonlive.com/news/new-council-leaders-announce-100m-2949176
Accountability, Austerity cuts, Inequality, Poverty
“2.4 Million Britons In Poverty Despite Having Jobs”
“An estimated 2.4m working people were in poverty in 2017, of which 31% also experienced in-work poverty in 2016, new data has shown.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also revealed that a third of people cannot face unexpected expenses, while 23.7% cannot afford a one-week annual holiday.
However, persistent poverty rates in the UK in 2017 are comparable to levels in 2008, equivalent to roughly 4.7 million people, or 7.8% of the population.
Peter Briffett, co-founder and CEO of the income streaming app, Wagestream, which campaigns against payday poverty, said: “For nearly five million people in the UK to be living in persistent poverty is a damning indictment of the state we’re in.
“It’s the 21st Century and yet for far too many households life is borderline Dickensian.
“High inflation and negligible wage growth will have accentuated persistent poverty in recent years, although some will invariably point the finger at austerity measures.
“Hopefully strengthening wage growth and inflation returning to target will be helping more people out of persistent poverty.
“For many people, the knock-on effect of persistent poverty is recourse to high cost credit simply to keep their heads above water and this only makes matters worse. The result is a cycle of debt from which it is near impossible to break free …”
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/24-million-people-in-the-uk-are-in-poverty-despite-having-jobs_uk_5cf8c5bee4b0638bdfa4b29d?
Women cheated out of their pensions have no right to fairness says government lawyer
“Nearly 4 million women who lost up to £47,000 each when their retirement age was increased from 60 to 66 have no right to expect fairness from the government, according to a lawyer representing the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
On the second day of a judicial review at the high court brought by the campaign group Back to 60, many of whose members received little or no notice that their pension age had been changed, Sir James Eadie QC also argued that the group had no right to expect either notification of the changes or legal remedy to soften its impact.
“Parliament has no substantive, freestanding obligation of fairness,” Eadie told a courtroom so packed that many supporters of the action had to wait outside. “It’s clear from case law that the enactment of primary legislation carries with it no duty of fairness to the public.”
But Michael Mansfield QC, representing the protest group, argued that a “subclass – of women, not men – has been created by this discriminatory legislation.”
Citing the case of a woman known only as PS, who after a lifetime of working and never drawing benefits was now reduced to what she described as a “degrading and humiliating life” visiting food banks and subsisting on tinned food and biscuits, Mansfield said: “They have pushed women who were already disadvantaged into the lowest class you can imagine.
“They’re on the brink of survival, and I’m not overstating that. This group – especially the percentage of the group affected born in 1953 onwards – are increasingly having taken away from them four to six years’ worth of state pension. We’re dealing with very serious sums: £37,000 to £47,000. I think any citizen would be concerned by that withdrawal.”
Eadie said there was no onus on the government to advertise changes to primary legislation or to individually inform the 3.8 million women affected by any changes.
“There is precisely no obligation on parliament to notify those affected by its judgments,” he said. “Indeed, any such suggestion that a duty of that kind exists would be contrary to established principles. There is no basis in principle for the creation of any such duty.”
Pressed by Lord Justice Irwin on whether there could be legal remedy for the women for the lack of notice of the changes, Eadie said there were no principles of natural justice or principles of fairness in play. “There can be no legal remedy,” he said. …”
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jun/06/no-duty-of-fairness-to-women-hit-by-pension-age-rise-court-told?
Hugo Swire
Guardian satirist’s view on Swire’s choice for PM
“With every new appearance, Dominic Raab increasingly resembles a man who views Hannibal Lecter movies as self-help documentaries. The anger is so barely repressed you expect his hand to explode through the screen and slit your throat. All done with the perfect rictus smile. It’s what you would have wanted.”
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/06/rory-stewart-seems-to-have-forgotten-its-the-tories-he-wants-to-lead?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Affordable and Social Housing, Cranbrook, Economy, EDDC, Help to Buy, Housing (local), Inequality
Cities (with highest wages) too expensive for young people to buy homes in
So, what happens when the towns and villages you do come from are just as expensive as Bristol (with wages in Exeter lower than those in Exeter)?
Well, in East Devon, you are mostly funnelled into Cranbrook – as that is where most so-called “Help to Buy” new homes are being built.
The national article uses an example of someone moving from East Devon to Bristol.
“More young people are getting stuck where they grew up or went to university because they cannot afford rents in places where they can earn more money, according to the Resolution Foundation thinktank. It found the number of people aged 25 to 34 starting a new job and moving home in the last year had fallen 40% over the last two decades. …
In 1997, moving from east Devon to Bristol increased median incomes by 19%, but rising rents cut that increase to 1% in 2018. …
Landlords blamed the government for failing to sufficiently increase the supply of new homes. The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) also criticised measures which appear to be encouraging landlords to sell up, including reduction in mortgage interest relief for landlords and an increase in stamp duty.
“The biggest threat to rent levels are the policies being pursued by the government which are choking off the supply of homes for private rent as demand is increasing,” said the RLA policy director, David Smith.
The findings came as the affordable housing commission released research found 43% of all renters were now facing affordability problems and that 5.5 million renters were unable to buy a home of their own.
The commission, which was established by the Smith Institute thinktank and chaired by the crossbench peer Richard Best, said that when rents or purchase costs exceeded a third of household income for those in work, it could lead to financial difficulties and these problems became critical where housing costs were 40% or more of household income.”
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/06/high-rents-in-english-cities-forcing-young-to-stay-in-small-towns?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
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Dilbert: The Board Game
Design by: Eric Lang
Published by: Hyperion
3 – 6 Players, 1 -2 hours
Anyone who works in an office – particularly those who find themselves toiling away in one of those confining cubicles – can appreciate the humor of the comic strip Dilbert. Filled with zany, yet somehow easy to relate to characters, the comic concentrates on the day-to-day grind of office workers, and the often insane world of office politics.
Dilbert: The Board Game, designed by Eric Lang, is an attempt to recreate the comic in a board game format. Many of the characters are present, including Alice, Wally, Tina, Asok, Ratbert, and of course, Dilbert. As always, they are attempting to avoid being assigned work-related tasks, and spend their time scurrying about the office attempting to kill projects, avoid the pointy-haired boss and his cronies, and increase their happiness.
Players each represent one of the main characters, each having their own special ability. For example, Wally has mastered the art of looking busy, so receives one less “work” token, while Asok knows the secret paths of the office and may move through cubicle walls. Throughout the game, players track their traits of apathy, incompetence, and offensiveness, as well as their happiness, on board charts, with the ultimate goal being the happiest employee when the boss is finally encountered.
Six project cards are revealed, with characters being assigned to these projects based upon the criteria listed upon them. These criteria will generally be based on the traits and/or happiness of the characters. If multiple players are tied on the specified criteria, the player whose cubicle is closest to the boss’ office is stuck with being assigned to the project. Bummer! This will cause players to attempt to move their cubicle further from the boss’ office during the course of the game. The cards will also list the number and type of signatures required in order to “kill” those projects. These signatures are collected by visiting the corresponding departments, which are scattered across the office.
A player begins his turn by taking a memo card. Memo cards give the player a variety of abilities, often allowing the rules to be bent or broken. Some of these can be quite beneficial to a player, or harmful to opponents. Many can be used at any time, while others can only be played at the specified time. A player can only hold five memo cards, so hoarding is not allowed.
Players then scurry around the office, moving as far as their “motivation” limit, which is listed on their character card. Walls and other characters generally block passage, unless the character has a special ability or memo card which supersedes this restriction. A player can opt to run, which usually increases his movement capacity, but runs the risk of being caught by Phil, the Lord of Insufficient Light, who causes the character to immediately be knocked down and end his turn. This further reduces the character’s movement on the following turn, as points are used to stand up.
Several offices have special functions that are activated when a player enters. The Conference room is the most dramatic, as it causes a new “Consultant” card to be revealed. These cards can have a dramatic effect on play, and a card’s effects remain in force until a new one is revealed to supplant it. While the cards are an attempt to further inject humor into the game, in reality many are silly – and often inane – and hinder the progress and flow of the game. The most extreme of these is the absurd Proprietary Non-Disclosure Policy, which penalizes players for using the letters “D, X and W” in ANY word that they say. I can appreciate the attempt at humor and absurdity, but most of these cards truly do harm game play.
If a player enters an office that depicts a needed signature icon, he may mark the corresponding icon on any project card he is attempting to kill using one of the glass stones. If the final signature required to kill a project is obtained, the project is killed, with the project in the “schedule” area takings its place. The player killing the project increases his happiness by two, and characters assigned to that project retrieve their work tokens from it.
Some offices depict a “die” icon. Players entering this office must roll the die and consult the appropriate section of the Office Roll Chart, which sadly, is only printed on the last page of the rules. These effects can be harmful or beneficial, and can affect traits, projects, happiness, etc. The outcome cannot be controlled, and is based on the roll of the die.
After all players have completed their turn, the Boss, a non-player character, checks the projects and moves. All active projects affect certain characters as described on the cards. Most projects cause the workers assigned to them to lose happiness, while a few actually increase the workers’ happiness. These latter cards generally need to be killed quickly by the other players. Losing happiness causes a player’s marker to move down on the happiness track, ever closer to the dreaded Boss.
After checking projects, the boss is moved three spaces along the happiness track. If his figure reaches any other player’s marker on this track, the game immediately ends. Otherwise, a new turn is conducted. When the game ends, players modify their happiness total based on the final position of the cubicle, which can be either positive or negative based on how close it is to the boss’ office. The player with the greatest happiness is victorious.
Atmospherically, the game does a good job of capturing some of the spirit of the Dilbert series. The text on the various cards is sometimes humorous, and the names of the projects and consultant cards can be eerily reminiscent of many misguided office policies. The idea and mechanism employed for killing projects is also interesting. So, there are some clever ideas here, and I give the game high marks for thematic faithfulness. Sadly, as a game, it is less than satisfactory.
Like many games that attempt to establish humor as the main ingredient, the humor wears thin quickly and the game surrounding it is often lacking. Here, the mechanism of scurrying around the office, attempting to reach certain departments, grows tiresome. While a die is not always used for movement, it still often takes two or more turns to reach your desired destination, and this can sometimes be prolonged by the play of memo cards or by the presence of other characters blocking the path. Many turns are often unexciting with little of any significance happening.
Happiness can be lost quickly and in a variety of fashions. It is possible for one or more players to be victimized often by various events that cause happiness to vanish. Sometimes, it is difficult to regain these losses, and it is quite possible for several players to be out of contention for victory with quite a bit of time still remaining in the game. That is never a pleasant circumstance.
I have already voiced my distaste for the chaotic and truly absurd Consultant cards. Truthfully, these could be removed from the game and the only thing lost would be a bit of humor. Their deletion would likely speed-up the proceedings, which would be HIGHLY desirable, as my biggest complaints against the game is its length. For me, a game involving lots of strategic choices and great depth can last for hours and I am perfectly content. A light, chaotic game that depends heavily upon humor for its appeal, however, should play to conclusion quickly. That doesn’t happen here. Rather, the game drags on and on, quickly outlasting its limited appeal. There are some changes that can be made to quicken its pace, including the removal of the Consultant cards and starting the Boss further along the happiness track. However, even with those changes, the game simply is not that enticing or exciting. I fear it will only truly appeal to die-hard Dilbert fans, which is quite likely the target market anyway. All others are best advised to remain out of the office.
« Die Weinhändler
Domaine »
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Posted by: gschloesser | August 11, 2011
Struggle of Empires
Designed by: Martin Wallace
Released by: Warfrog
4 – 7 Players, 3 – 4 hours
There is little doubt that, for me, the most anticipated game to be released at each Essen Spiele Faire is the new release from Warfrog. The last three years has produced a steady stream of winners from the jolly British lads: Liberté, Age of Steam, and Princes of the Renaissance. All of those games have great depth and are personal favorites.
After praising Princes of the Renaissance, designer Martin Wallace teased me a bit by saying that if I enjoyed Princes, I would REALLY enjoy his next design. Unfortunately, I had to wait the better part of a year before having the opportunity to affirm or contradict his prediction.
After playing Struggle of Empires several times, I am pleased to say that Martin was absolutely correct. Struggle of Empires is a thing of beauty, a true gamer’s game. The game is overflowing with tough choices, rich flavor, and numerous strategic options. Further, all of this is wrapped in a game that is not difficult to learn, and plays in less than four hours. Sometimes it can be difficult to assess a game after only one playing, but I feel confident enough here to declare that this is yet another winner from Mr. Wallace and the Warfrog team.
Struggle of Empires is set in the 18th century, when the European powers were vying to spread their influence and power not only throughout the continent, but around the world as well. Players struggle to find the most successful combination of military, diplomatic, economic and expansion policies that will carry them past their formidable opponents. Creating an empire is the ultimate goal, and this usually must be achieved at the expense of one’s rivals.
Up to seven players lead the powers of Britain, France, Spain, Russia, Austria, Prussia and the United Provinces. I have now played with 5, 6, and 7 players, and the game works equally well. Yes, playing with a full contingent of 7 players does add a bit of length to the game, but it also adds even more tension and decision-making.
In addition to the seven major powers listed above, the colorful board also depicts numerous other areas, both within Europe and overseas. These additional areas are the focal point of the players’ expansionist efforts, as they will award victory points to the players who establish control or a strong presence in those areas. Some areas will award points to the three most influential nations, while others will only grant points to the top two powers present in the area. Deciding on where to concentrate your efforts, and how best to accomplish those tasks, are main decisions to be made throughout the game.
Before beginning the game, the board is seeded with ten “country” counters, which are placed directly into the country named on the counters. These country counters list a inherent defense strength of the area, and once defeated, allow a player to place one of his own control markers into the area. Control markers are vital when determining the awarding of victory points following each of the three turns (known as “wars” in game parlance). Ten more country counters will be placed at the beginning of both turns 2 and 3.
Players then each seed the board with five of their control markers and five of their military units. The location of these initial control markers is determined randomly, while players do control where their initial military units begin. Some players may opt to send their military units to the areas where they have already established control in order to protect their interests, while others may send them to new areas in order to begin efforts to gain influence in those territories.
Each of the three turns follows the following sequence of play:
1. Place Country Counters. Ten new country counters are drawn at random and placed into their respective territories. This provides the players with new areas in which to expand. This is NOT performed on turn one since the seeding of the board prior to the beginning of the game serves this purpose.
2. Determine Alliances and Play Order. Yes, the auction mechanism is present here, but the twist is somewhat different. During this phase, alliances are determined. In the bidding round, players will have the opportunity of nominating two nations which will be in different alliances. Each player can accept this suggestion, or change it by bidding a higher amount. Ultimately, the player who bids the most will have his nomination approved.
This is a very important aspect of the game as it will split the players into two alliances. Players who are allied CANNOT attack each other during the current turn. Thus, players are faced with tough choices. No doubt, there is an incentive to force a rival into an alliance so that he cannot attack your possessions, but then you must also realize that you cannot attack his possessions! Of course, each player will have their own designs, so this alliance phase can be quite spirited.
Another consideration is that this division of powers also determines the player order for the current turn. Turn order can be critical, so it is yet another aspect to consider when participating in the bidding.
The currency being bid is gold, which is usually in precious short supply. However, a player can bid more gold than he possesses, and simply raises the excess amount by taxing the population. The bad news is that people generally don’t enjoy being taxed (that sure has not changed in 250 years!), so the player must increase his unrest by taking 1 unrest counter for each 2 gold he secures in taxes. Unrest can come back to haunt a player in numerous ways:
3. Player Actions. Here is where most of the time in each turn will be spent. Players may perform two actions per round, and they will each have five (or six, depending upon the number of players) rounds per turn. So, players will have a total of 10 (or 12) actions to perform during each war.
a) Buy a Tile. A player may only select one action tile each round (5 total per turn). While there really are not many different actions from which to choose, there are dozens of different action tiles a player can select, including, temporary alliance tiles, which grant the player combat aid in specific territories, and “company” tiles, which grant extra income in the specified areas, and wide variety of special tiles. Each of these provides different advantages and powers, and understanding each of them can – and will – take time. In fact, it will likely take several games before a player is familiar enough with each of the tiles before he can make his selections in a timely fashion.
Deciding upon which tiles to choose during the course of the game is extremely critical. Players can formulate long-term strategies and choose their tiles accordingly. However, changing situations often require players to alter their strategies and react to various threats or opportunities. This will likely alter a player’s tile selections. Further, many of the tiles are extremely limited in quantity, so there is an urgency to grab those tiles early so as not to be left out. These decisions can be tough, as players often would love to have many of the available tiles, but can only choose one per round. It is the acquiring of these tiles in the correct combination so as to maximize one’s performance and effectiveness that helps make this game so rich.
b) Build Unit. Players may build an army, navy or fort. Each unit causes the player to lose a population point, as citizens are in-scripted into the services. Population is usually very limited, meaning players do not have the ability to build huge military forces.
A unit is constructed in one’s home country, then immediately shipped to a foreign land. There are dangers, however, when shipping to overseas areas, which will be explained in a bit.
Some action tiles (militia, mercenaries, trained natives, press gangs) allow players to construct extra units each turn, but many do cost an extra population point. Ouch.
c) Move Two Units. For one action, a player may move two of his units already on the map. Movement within Europe is fairly easy, with a few restrictions dealing with where a player already has control or adjacency. Movement overseas, however, is a bit more risky.
In order to move a unit to the colonies, a player must first roll a die to see if the unit is able to complete the journey. Only a “1” is dangerous, as that requires another roll, with a “1” or “2” resulting in the unit being lost at sea. A “3” or “4” on the second roll forces the unit to remain in its place of origin. Thus, the risk is not that great – but disaster can occur. In one of my games, I lost two units to the perils of the deep.
The other restriction involves the transportation of an army unit overseas. A player must have a ship present in the area where he wishes to transport the army unit.
d) Attack. Attacking is the only way to expel foreign troops, or place or replace a control marker. Attacking is often a two-step process, and requires the expenditure of two gold pieces.
Before combat begins, both players may call for assistance from their allies, provided those allies have military units present in the area. Usually, calls for alliance result in bribes being offered in order to entice the wary – and greedy – allies into the fray. The danger for allies is that they incur any military losses in the ensuing conflict. Thus, extortion usually occurs before anyone comes to the aid of a beleaguered ally.
First, if both players have naval units present in the area, a naval battle must occur. The victor of that battle will have naval supremacy in the ensuing land combat, which equates to a +1 modifier when rolling the dice. Either opponent may opt to not participate in the naval conflict and automatically cede naval supremacy to his opponent.
The combat procedure is fairly simple. If fighting an active player, each player tallies the number of army units present in the area. The player who has naval supremacy receives a +1 modifier. Further, the player who possesses the most “Army Training” tiles receives an additional +1 modifier. Finally, if the defender has a fort present, he receives a +2 modifier.
Both opponents then roll two dice and add the DIFFERENCE between their dice to their combat total. High value wins. For example, if Keith had 2 army units and a fort in an area, and had the most Army Training tiles, his base value is “5” (2 + 2 (fort) + 1 (army training) = 5). If Keith rolls a “2” and a “5”, he adds “3” to this amount, giving him a total of “8”. Jim’s total must be higher than “8” if he is to win this battle.
The losing player must remove one of his army units and he receives an unrest marker, as the population back-at-home doesn’t take too kindly to military defeats. Further, the victor gets to replace one of the vanquished opponent’s control markers with his own. Since control is the name of the game, this is critical.
If the result was a tie, both players lose an army unit and must take an unrest marker. No control markers are replaced. Further, if any or both players dice roll totals “7”, they lose an additional army unit and take an additional unrest token. Since “7” is the most common roll on two dice, this is a frequent occurrence, causing the players unrest tokens to creep steadily upwards.
Combat against the neutral country counters is held in a similar fashion, with the exception that no players can form an alliance with the neutral country. The neutral country’s defense strength is listed on its counter.
e) Colonization / Enslavement. Here is the controversial part of the game. Some neutral country counters will have the word “pop” or “slave” listed on it. No problem with “pop”, as players may simply replace one of these counters with their own control marker by losing a point of population. The controversy erupted over the “slave” counters.
A player may convert a slave neutral country counter into one of his own control markers IF he has a ship present in Africa. There is no loss of population due to this action. The simulation, of course, is the shipping of slaves from Africa into the region. There is no escaping that this was a historical fact and a major aspect of colonial policy for many European powers. The game system in no way glorifies or condones slavery. However, it includes it since it was a vital aspect of this time period and the colonization process. Some folks have taken exception to the inclusion of slavery into the game system. It is certainly there right not to purchase or play the game. Personally, I think omitting the subject would have been a more grievous affront, and the matter is treated here in a very inoffensive manner.
f) Pass. Do nothing. Sometimes, a player will execute this option if he has previously selected a tile and does not wish to perform any of the other actions.
4. Income and Maintenance. After all players have performed – two-at-a-time – their two actions, player will then receive income based upon the number of control markers they have on the board, one gold piece for each marker. However, they then must pay one gold piece for maintenance for each military unit they possess on the board. Many times, a player’s large army will require more upkeep than the income a player’s possessions are generating. That, of course, leads to unrest.
Finally, each player restores five points of population. The only other way to acquire new population is by securing a “Improved Agriculture” tile, which gives the player one new population point each turn.
5. Victory Points. Players then tally their victory points, examining each country and earning points as indicated on the board and described above. Certain areas are more valuable than others (German States, Central Europe and Mediterranean), but it is critical to secure a strong control presence in as many areas as possible. This aspect of the game is kin to many other majority control games, but all of the surrounding features elevate it above most of its brethren.
There are a few other methods by which players can earn victory points during the course of the game. Some neutral country counters grant a victory point when defeated, and the “Industry” tiles award three victory points, but at the cost of two population points and two unrest markers.
6. End of War. This is the clean-up phase. Players return any alliance tiles, which are temporary, to the available stock, and the formal alliances between the players are dissolved. The same procedure detailed above is conducted for Wars 2 & 3, after which point the game ends with a final accounting.
After victory points are earned following the third war, players reveal the unrest counters they have acquired during the course of the game. If any player has 20 or more points of unrest, his country collapses in revolution and that player is out of contention for the victory. The player with the most unrest loses 7 victory points, while the player with the second-most unrest loses 4 victory points. After these deductions, the player with the most victory points is declared the victor.
Wow! What a game! In all of my matches, I have been completely and thoroughly enamored. This is a very rich, and very deep game, with loads of strategic options and difficult choices. Every action seems critical and often has profound impact upon the options and actions of one’s opponents. However, an early misstep is not fatal, as each player has 30 actions in a typical game.
Although Wallace does borrow some ideas from other games, including several of his own titles, the alliance mechanism seems highly original. The struggle to maneuver certain players into alliance status, while slotting others into the opposition faction, is a vital aspect of the game and often evokes quite a bit of diplomatic discussions and tense atmosphere. It helps gives the game a boost to a higher level.
Problems? Perhaps, but it really depends upon the individual gamers’ tastes. A full game will take nearly four hours to play to completion, perhaps a bit more with seven players. I certainly don’t mind such length, particularly when the game in question is engaging and challenging. Struggle of Empires is certainly in that category. Folks accustomed to traditional German-style games, however, may balk at this time frame.
Another possible bone of contention with some folks will be the downtime between turns. Since there are so many action tiles to consider, and so many strategic options to ponder, players will often take several minutes or more on each of their turns. One of our players – and the only one out of nine different people with whom I have played to rate the game poorly – cited this downtime as the primary reason for his poor rating. This downtime doesn’t bother me, however, as I am keenly interested in the actions of my opponents as it usually has a direct impact upon my subsequent actions and overall strategy. Apparently it didn’t bother the rest of the players, either, as all of the remaining ratings were 8.5 or higher.
Aside from these two very subjective factors, the game is very tightly constructed and appears to have been thoroughly play-tested. In what is quite likely a first for the Warfrog crew, the rules are concise and easy to understand with few, if any, ambiguities. Martin and his crew have constructed a mighty fine game here, one that will have great appeal to those folks who enjoy sinking their teeth into meatier fare.
« Steel Driver
Succession: Intrigue in the Royal Court »
Very good. The forced alliances are a great mechanic. Hard to stop the leader in some games. Long which hurts the ranking but worth it. 7/10
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Home Education Review Can you have a life and be a primary teacher at the...
Can you have a life and be a primary teacher at the same time?
A large part of the reason behind tomorrow’s industrial action boils down to one big question: can you build a life and be a primary school teacher at the same time? The four people interviewed for this story, who are in and around the day-to-day of that life, say the answer, as matters stand, is categorically ‘no’. By JAYLAN BOYLE.
Regardless of anything that may come of tomorrow’s strike, primary teacher Anita Horsley has already booked her ticket out of New Zealand. She’s attending a job fair in Melbourne in January, in hopes of finding a placement at an international school somewhere out there in the big wide world.
Anita stresses that this isn’t her ‘big OE’. A self-described 38-year-old ‘homebody’, she’s more concerned with cultivating some roots here at home than finding herself.
“I’m sure it will be a great experience, but I’m just sorry that it’s come to this. I can’t get ahead basically, there’s just no way I can afford a house or anything like that, especially living in Auckland.”
Anita has been a teacher at Riverhead School in northwest Auckland for three years, the same school she found work at after she qualified. She says she’s a ‘late bloomer’, having made the decision to follow her dream of being a teacher after plenty of life experience, which she thinks stands her in good stead in the classroom. Anita put in the hard yards at Auckland University between 2013 and 2016. When she applied for the job at Riverhead, things were very different.
“I found it really hard to find a job when I first graduated. I applied for many positions throughout the Auckland region. Some schools got back to me to tell me I’d been unsuccessful, but lots didn’t bother. Now beginning teachers are being sought after straight out of university, but just three years ago, I would have taken anything.”
Anita says she knows that her principal would love to keep her, and she’d love to stay, but her predicament has become acute – she finds herself simply unable to even get started on the life she wants for herself and her partner.
“If I stay, this time next year I’ll be in the same situation. At 38 years of age, I live in Whenuapai with my parents.
“My brother is a secondary teacher who’s been teaching overseas in Doha, Qatar, for years. When I was doing my degree, maybe I had it in mind to do the same, but you know what? After being at Riverhead for three years, I don’t want to leave. That’s the thing – I’ve grown a connection with 390 students, I’ve made connections with them. I’m leaving because I want a life, and financially that’s just impossible. And I’m sure that lots of other beginning teachers are thinking the same.”
“I knew going into teaching that it wasn’t a well-paid job. But teachers don’t do this job for the money. I knew it was going to be a hard struggle and stuff like that, but I can’t even save a hundred bucks a week, living in Auckland. That’s why I’m living with my parents – so I can save money, so I can go overseas, and have a more realistic chance of coming back eventually.
“I’ve got family and friends here, I’m a homebody – I don’t want to turn my back on New Zealand, but I feel like I have to, to have a chance at some independence, and to make a normal life for myself.”
If it looks like a crisis, and feels like a crisis…
The Minister of Education said in a recent interview that he’s not prepared to call the current teacher shortage a ‘crisis’. Begging to differ is Dr Ngaire Hoben, Associate Dean and Head of Initial Teacher Education at Auckland University.
“We’ve been trying to tell the Ministry about the patterns we’re seeing for some years. None of this should be a surprise to them. I just don’t understand, it perplexes me that we can go from oversupply a few years ago to the crisis we’re now seeing.”
Ngaire reports that Auckland University doesn’t have it quite as bad as other institutions that have reported a 40 per cent drop in enrolment – at least among primary students, ECE numbers have been worse – but it wouldn’t be far off.
Ngaire says that the factors underpinning this crisis aren’t murky – people who would have considered becoming a teacher see a lot of responsibility and workload, and a not a lot of reward. As a society, says Ngaire, we all need to look at why that’s been allowed to happen.
“I think one of the main factors is an absolute lack of public esteem for teachers and teaching. People are not seeing teaching as a first choice occupation because teachers are just simply not valued.
“When you look at first-year salaries, as I have over the last few days, for starting teaching and sustaining a family – or even sustaining yourself – they’re just absolutely miserable, how can you do it?”
As is repeated by everyone involved in this story, Ngaire says that teachers don’t do what they do for the money – teachers, she says, get an enormous amount of job satisfaction from the classroom. But she says that what’s crippling the profession in these times is workload, and constant demands for accountability – that she says come first from the public. Coupled with low remuneration, it’s easy to see why someone who might have made for a passionate and determined teacher will think more than twice about taking out a student loan and heading for one of the courses Ngaire oversees.
“We know that the quality of the teacher is really important. But I think this mania for accountability has gone too far – now we tend to lay the blame for anything and everything at the teachers feet.
Ngaire wonders how as a society, it’s come to this.
“There’s been a couple of articles out there lately that have looked at poverty, and they’ve used single parent teachers as the exemplars. I just looked at that and thought ‘my God’.”
Industrial action not taken lightly
NZEI Te Riu Roa president Lynda Stuart has had a busy week. The first strike in the education sector for many years clearly isn’t a decision that’s been taken lightly, but the current crisis can’t be allowed to continue, she says. The steep slump in numbers signing on to teacher training courses is reason enough for alarm, but we also need to consider the number of teachers like Anita who are leaving the profession after a handful of years, because they view the profession as incompatible with the life goals we as New Zealanders still rightly see as something we should all be able to attain.
“We might get people into teaching, but we don’t keep them. People like myself went into teaching as a career, we went in for the long haul. Teachers build their craft over the years, and that’s what we want to see, because it benefits our young people.”
The message from the government is that it is listening, and doing what it can to address the work-life balance issue that, along with remuneration, are cited as the big disincentives that are fuelling a worsening crisis. Minister Hipkins was quick off the mark in making good on a central campaign promise to kill National Standards, which he points to as evidence of willingness to enter into dialogue. Lynda says that’s not a silver bullet in terms of easing what is perceived as an onerous workload, that swings the balance toward the ‘con’ column for anyone considering a career in primary education.
“We’re really pleased that National Standards is gone. We acknowledge and applaud the current government for doing that, that’s wonderful. However there are a lot of other things that impact on workload for teachers.
“There are significantly challenging students in classrooms that teachers are spending an awful lot of time on differentiating programmes for, without the support that they need for those children. That means that teachers are working many, many hours in the evenings and on their weekends. They’re dealing with children who have got foetal alcohol syndrome, they may have suffered trauma, all of those things. We actually want to give every single child the very best that we possibly can.
“If you’re in a classroom with 32 children, and within that classroom you have a number of children who have significantly challenging behaviours, or significant learning difficulties, then you need to be able to give those children more resourcing, and more help. So workload must be seen as much, much bigger and broader than just getting rid of National Standards.”
Lynda says she wants the public to know that no one involved takes tomorrow’s industrial action lightly. But perhaps the public has a couple of pertinent questions that she can help clear up: given the government’s apparent concessions in the form of the death of National Standards, and it’s avowed willingness to engage, is this a government that the NZEI thinks it can work with? Because obviously industrial action would suggest not. And secondly, why now? Lynda’s answer, very possibly not unintentionally, recalls the government’s key election marketing pitch to the country.
“None of our teachers and principals take industrial action lightly. It’s not something that we want to do, it’s something that our members say we need to do, because we need to show that we are in a crisis – we keep hearing that we’re not in a crisis, but we are. This is a sign of the huge frustration that’s in the sector. We’ve come into this negotiation space with limited claims, which may have significant cost implications, but that’s because teaching has been underfunded for the last nine years.”
Others have wondered whether the industrial action is some sort of an early-term message to the government, precisely because there is perceived cause for hope – some sort of double-down scenario: ‘if you think you can continue to paper over the cracks as the previous government did, think again.’ Lynda says the members of the NZEI don’t feel like there are any remaining options, and that it’s just unfortunate that this government finds itself in the breach after just months in the job.
“What I’m hearing from principals is that the tank’s empty. We’re at the point now where this just needs to be fixed. That’s the message to the government. We can’t do stop-gap measures any longer. We have to look at the solutions that are being put forward, now.
“We’re pleased to have the government that we have. But unfortunately they’ve inherited the mess. Every government though has the responsibility to fix what is in front of them. We look to this government with hope, but we look to this government expecting them to reinstate education to the place and the space that it should be in. It’s not that we can’t work with this government, absolutely not. What we’re saying is, this is where we’re at, you have the wherewithal to address these issues. Come on, lets just do this.”
If they’ve got a pulse
Matt Skilton, principal at Tahatai Coast School in Papamoa, Tauranga, says that the Western Bay of Plenty Principals’ Association is a fantastic vehicle for stimulating professional conversations among his regional peers. Those conversations recently seem to keep returning to a theme causing big headaches among Tauranga principals, a malaise that really shouldn’t be affecting an affluent and desirable corner of the country: how do we find more teachers, when we’re getting one or two applicants for most jobs advertised?
“We’ve got a growing region, new schools being built, and strong new entrant growth. We’ve just opened our fifth new entrant class, because of roll growth, and other schools around here are experiencing that too. That really drains resources, and before you know it, you’re at the bottom of the barrel so to speak, in terms of what you’d normally have as surplus staff.
“[At our latest meeting] we also talked about a rumour we’ve heard that a new school in Auckland had just 11 applicants across the entire school. That number would probably include those non-New Zealand trained teachers who may have applied from overseas countries such as India and South Africa.
“There is this shared understanding that we’re all experiencing shortages. Many of these schools are very reputable schools, and we talked about say, a country school in the middle of East Cape somewhere – it must be really dire for them.
“It’s quite scary. I feel that part of the problem in terms of why we’re not seeing these applicants coming through, especially coming out of ITE, is that the sector has gone through the last nine or ten years under the last government, trying to create transparent classrooms with such high levels of accountability, and a narrower curriculum, that they’ve sort of forgotten the focus of a primary school – that to me is generating really good memories, and engaging kids in authentic learning, and actually seeing the curriculum as something beyond reading, writing and maths. I think that because of that, the sector has been talked about negatively, and put people off the idea of a career in teaching.
“We’ve had as low as one applicant applying for jobs we’ve advertised. Thank goodness that person would have got the job even if thirty had applied – so we got away with it, by good luck not good management!”
“We used to have 140 applying, only a year or two ago, to a school like ours. Now I’m hearing principals say they’ll take applicants if they have a pulse – which of course is a facetious way of saying ‘that’s how thin on the ground the situation has become’.”
NZEI Te Riu Roa
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James Nicholas August 15, 2018 at 8:46 pm
From the outside, the current situation could make teachers look somewhat like mercenaries, but their jobs have become an endless cycle of trying to fit circles into square holes. If you’re the Government, you’re either gonna have to make their job more accommodating or pay them more money… I suspect they’ll eventually concede to the latter because the former would require bold thinking thus opening them up to criticism from those opposed to changing the status quo. It’s a pity though, because other social services will probably be sacrificed in order for it to happen.
Andy Espersen August 17, 2018 at 11:04 pm
The central theme, the central problem, in Jaylan Boyle’s excellent article above is our teachers’ onerous workload, constant demands for accountability, time-consuming work on various differentiating programmes and plans for children with varying handicaps, etc. To me it looks as if most teachers would gladly keep working on their meagre income if they could only spend their life teaching normal children in their classrooms without any distractions – and that was indeed how teaching used to be not so many years ago. 60 years ago I myself spent a delightful 6 months as a sole teacher of 40 children between ages 10 – 14 – there was such a shortage of teachers then (in Denmark) that some schools simply had to make do with unqualified teachers.
It is only over this last generation things have changed – and they have changed because successive governments have continually added more and more work (new plans, new programmes, new ways of doing things) onto teachers – without first doing their homework, namely ascertaining exactly how much time these changes would actually absorb. If a CEO in an ordinary business wishes to produce more, or do things differently, he/she will first of all determine how many new workers are needed, how much extra training employees will need and whether perhaps the lay-out of the premises needs altering or increasing – i.e. what is the actual cost of enacting the changes? Education ministers in the last 30 years have blithely neglected such basic considerations : they just blindly plough ahead and expect teachers to absorb all the extra work. The Teachers’ Union have been extraordinarily accommodating – no wonder they now finally have had enough. I totally agree with their strike’
However I doubt more pay will solve the problem – money cannot buy happiness in your work situation. I believe that it will be necessary to scale back or cancel many of the time-consuming, ideologically based plans and programmes – yes, even the sacred cow of mainstreaming should be seriously looked at. It is not at all proving successful.
Election year special: what do we want New Zealand education to...
With a General Election looming, Education Review asked political and sector leaders for their respective thoughts on the direction that New Zealand education should be taking.
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https://www.facebook.com/European-Union-in-Eritrea-1734612070126112/
Delegation of the European Union to Eritrea
EEAS homepage > Eritrea > Statement by the Spokesperson on the occasion of the International Albinism Awareness Day, 13 June
Statement by the Spokesperson on the occasion of the International Albinism Awareness Day, 13 June
Bruxelles, 12/06/2019 - 12:09, UNIQUE ID: 190612_4
On the occasion of the International Albinism Awareness Day, we celebrate the courage and strength of persons with albinism, in countering the discrimination, stigmatisation and violence they face in many countries in the world.
Misconceptions of albinism persist, putting both adults and children at risk of abductions and killings. Since 2010, there have been around 700 reported cases of attacks and killings of persons with albinism in 28 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa - and these crimes are still taking place every day. The European Union continues to call for the effective investigation of crimes against people with albinism and for fair trials.
Persons with albinism are also being denied equal access to health care, social protection, education and employment in some countries, directly hindering their fundamental human right to participate and contribute in all aspects of life and society. This is why we strongly advocate for the implementation of laws that guarantee the protection of people with albinism and their full inclusion in social, economic and political life, and that prohibit, prevent and bring redress for the discriminations they suffer from.
As people with albinism are becoming more vocal about their rights and taking leading roles in their countries, we are inspired by their determination and achievements.
In our human rights and political dialogues with our partners, addressing the situation of people with albinism remains an important political priority. At international level, the European Union will pursue its support to the UN Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of Human Rights by Persons with Albinism, and to the effective implementation of the Regional Action Plan on Albinism in Africa 2017-2021, a continental response endorsed by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The financing of programmes to protect and promote the rights of persons with albinism, such as the National Initiative for Civic Education in Malawi or the Access to Social Services for Persons with Albinism programme in Nigeria, will be carried on, showing our commitment to concrete actions on the ground.
We stand together with people with albinism worldwide and will continue to fight for their fundamental human rights to be respected by all.
Maja KOCIJANCIC
Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations
+32 (0)2 29 86570
Claire STRUSS
Press Assistant to Maja Kocijancic & Carlos Martin Ruiz de Gordejuela
Eastern Partnership
Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs)
South Georgian and South Sandwich Islands
Vatican City and the Holy See
Middle East & North Africa (MENA)
Palestine (*) - Occupied Palestinian Territory, West Bank and Gaza Strip
EU and partners fostering youth skills- young people's real storiesActive engagement of youth in sustainable development efforts is key to achieving sustainable, inclusive and stable societies and to preventing challenges to sustainable development, including climate change, unemployment, poverty, gender inequality, conflict, and migration. However, truth be told,
Marsa Teklai Street 192, Zone 2, Subzone 03, House No 20/22
Telephone: +291-1-126470
Fax: +291-1-126578
delegation-eritrea@eeas.europa.eu
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(Redirected from Blues music)
This article is about the music genre. For other uses, see Blues (disambiguation).
Blues is a music genre[2] and musical form which was originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1870s by African Americans from roots in African musical traditions, African-American work songs, and spirituals. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads.[3] The blues form, ubiquitous in jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll, is characterized by the call-and-response pattern, the blues scale and specific chord progressions, of which the twelve-bar blues is the most common. Blue notes (or "worried notes"), usually thirds, fifths or sevenths flattened in pitch are also an essential part of the sound. Blues shuffles or walking bass reinforce the trance-like rhythm and form a repetitive effect known as the groove.
Stylistic origins
folk music[1]
Cultural origins
Late 1800s, U.S. Deep South
Typical instruments
blues harp
Derivative forms
jug band
Subgenres
Boogie-woogie
classic female blues
dirty blues
hokum blues
Fusion genres
Biker metal
gospel blues
punk blues
soul blues
Regional scenes
British blues
Canadian blues
Chicago blues
Detroit blues
Hill country blues
Kansas City blues
Louisiana blues
Memphis blues
New Orleans blues
Piedmont blues
Texas blues
West Coast blues
List of genres
list of musicians
lists of musicians by genre
list of standards
Blues as a genre is also characterized by its lyrics, bass lines, and instrumentation. Early traditional blues verses consisted of a single line repeated four times. It was only in the first decades of the 20th century that the most common current structure became standard: the AAB pattern, consisting of a line sung over the four first bars, its repetition over the next four, and then a longer concluding line over the last bars. Early blues frequently took the form of a loose narrative, often relating the racial discrimination and other challenges experienced by African-Americans.
Many elements, such as the call-and-response format and the use of blue notes, can be traced back to the music of Africa. The origins of the blues are also closely related to the religious music of the Afro-American community, the spirituals. The first appearance of the blues is often dated to after the ending of slavery and, later, the development of juke joints. It is associated with the newly acquired freedom of the former slaves. Chroniclers began to report about blues music at the dawn of the 20th century. The first publication of blues sheet music was in 1908. Blues has since evolved from unaccompanied vocal music and oral traditions of slaves into a wide variety of styles and subgenres. Blues subgenres include country blues, such as Delta blues and Piedmont blues, as well as urban blues styles such as Chicago blues and West Coast blues. World War II marked the transition from acoustic to electric blues and the progressive opening of blues music to a wider audience, especially white listeners. In the 1960s and 1970s, a hybrid form called blues rock developed, which blended blues styles with rock music.
The term Blues may have come from "blue devils", meaning melancholy and sadness; an early use of the term in this sense is in George Colman's one-act farce Blue Devils (1798).[4] The phrase blue devils may also have been derived from Britain in the 1600s, when the term referred to the "intense visual hallucinations that can accompany severe alcohol withdrawal".[5] As time went on, the phrase lost the reference to devils, and "it came to mean a state of agitation or depression." By the 1800s in the United States, the term blues was associated with drinking alcohol, a meaning which survives in the phrase blue law, which prohibits the sale of alcohol on Sunday.[5] Though the use of the phrase in African-American music may be older, it has been attested to in print since 1912, when Hart Wand's "Dallas Blues" became the first copyrighted blues composition.[6][7]
In lyrics the phrase is often used to describe a depressed mood.[8] It is in this sense of a sad state of mind that one of the earliest recorded references to "the blues" was written by Charlotte Forten, then aged 25, in her diary on December 14, 1862. She was a free-born black from Pennsylvania who was working as a schoolteacher in South Carolina, instructing both slaves and freedmen, and wrote that she "came home with the blues" because she felt lonesome and pitied herself. She overcame her depression and later noted a number of songs, such as Poor Rosy, that were popular among the slaves. Although she admitted being unable to describe the manner of singing she heard, Forten wrote that the songs "can't be sung without a full heart and a troubled spirit", conditions that have inspired countless blues songs.[9]
LyricsEdit
American blues singer Robert Johnson (1911–1938). His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians.
American blues singer Ma Rainey (1886–1939), the "Mother of the Blues"
The lyrics of early traditional blues verses probably often consisted of a single line repeated four times. It was only in the first decades of the 20th century that the most common current structure became standard: the so-called "AAB" pattern, consisting of a line sung over the four first bars, its repetition over the next four, and then a longer concluding line over the last bars.[10] Two of the first published blues songs, "Dallas Blues" (1912) and "Saint Louis Blues" (1914), were 12-bar blues with the AAB lyric structure. W.C. Handy wrote that he adopted this convention to avoid the monotony of lines repeated three times.[11] The lines are often sung following a pattern closer to rhythmic talk than to a melody.
Early blues frequently took the form of a loose narrative. African-American singers voiced his or her "personal woes in a world of harsh reality: a lost love, the cruelty of police officers, oppression at the hands of white folk, [and] hard times".[12] This melancholy has led to the suggestion of an Igbo origin for blues because of the reputation the Igbo had throughout plantations in the Americas for their melancholic music and outlook on life when they were enslaved.[13][14]
The lyrics often relate troubles experienced within African American society. For instance Blind Lemon Jefferson's "Rising High Water Blues" (1927) tells of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927:
"Backwater rising, Southern peoples can't make no time
I said, backwater rising, Southern peoples can't make no time
And I can't get no hearing from that Memphis girl of mine."
Although the blues gained an association with misery and oppression, the lyrics could also be humorous and raunchy:[15]
"Rebecca, Rebecca, get your big legs off of me,
Rebecca, Rebecca, get your big legs off of me,
It may be sending you baby, but it's worrying the hell out of me."
From Big Joe Turner's "Rebecca", a compilation of traditional blues lyrics.
Hokum blues celebrated both comedic lyrical content and a boisterous, farcical performance style.[16] Tampa Red's classic "Tight Like That" (1928) is a sly wordplay with the double meaning of being "tight" with someone coupled with a more salacious physical familiarity. Blues songs with sexually explicit lyrics were known as dirty blues. The lyrical content became slightly simpler in postwar blues, which tended to focus on relationship woes or sexual worries. Lyrical themes that frequently appeared in prewar blues, such as economic depression, farming, devils, gambling, magic, floods and drought, were less common in postwar blues.[17]
The writer Ed Morales claimed that Yoruba mythology played a part in early blues, citing Robert Johnson's "Cross Road Blues" as a "thinly veiled reference to Eleggua, the orisha in charge of the crossroads".[18] However, the Christian influence was far more obvious.[19] The repertoires of many seminal blues artists, such as Charley Patton and Skip James, included religious songs or spirituals.[20] Reverend Gary Davis[21] and Blind Willie Johnson[22] are examples of artists often categorized as blues musicians for their music, although their lyrics clearly belong to spirituals.
FormEdit
The blues form is a cyclic musical form in which a repeating progression of chords mirrors the call and response scheme commonly found in African and African-American music. During the first decades of the 20th century blues music was not clearly defined in terms of a particular chord progression.[23] With the popularity of early performers, such as Bessie Smith, use of the twelve-bar blues spread across the music industry during the 1920s and 30s.[24] Other chord progressions, such as 8-bar forms, are still considered blues; examples include "How Long Blues", "Trouble in Mind", and Big Bill Broonzy's "Key to the Highway". There are also 16-bar blues, such as Ray Charles's instrumental "Sweet 16 Bars" and Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man". Idiosyncratic numbers of bars are occasionally used, such as the 9-bar progression in "Sitting on Top of the World", by Walter Vinson.
Chords played over a 12-bar scheme: Chords for a blues in C:
I I or IV I I7
IV IV I I7
V V or IV I I or V
C C or F C C7
F F C C7
G G or F C C or G
The basic 12-bar lyric framework of a blues composition is reflected by a standard harmonic progression of 12 bars in a 4/4 time signature. The blues chords associated to a twelve-bar blues are typically a set of three different chords played over a 12-bar scheme. They are labeled by Roman numbers referring to the degrees of the progression. For instance, for a blues in the key of C, C is the tonic chord (I) and F is the subdominant (IV).
The last chord is the dominant (V) turnaround, marking the transition to the beginning of the next progression. The lyrics generally end on the last beat of the tenth bar or the first beat of the 11th bar, and the final two bars are given to the instrumentalist as a break; the harmony of this two-bar break, the turnaround, can be extremely complex, sometimes consisting of single notes that defy analysis in terms of chords.
Much of the time, some or all of these chords are played in the harmonic seventh (7th) form. The use of the harmonic seventh interval is characteristic of blues and is popularly called the "blues seven".[25] Blues seven chords add to the harmonic chord a note with a frequency in a 7:4 ratio to the fundamental note. At a 7:4 ratio, it is not close to any interval on the conventional Western diatonic scale.[26] For convenience or by necessity it is often approximated by a minor seventh interval or a dominant seventh chord.
A minor pentatonic scale;
play (help·info)
In melody, blues is distinguished by the use of the flattened third, fifth and seventh of the associated major scale.[27]
Example of Detroit blues rock shuffle
G7 Shuffle
Example of Chicago blues shuffle
Problems playing these files? See media help.
Blues shuffles or walking bass reinforce the trance-like rhythm and call-and-response, and they form a repetitive effect called a groove. Characteristic of the blues since its Afro-American origins, the shuffles played a central role in swing music.[28] The simplest shuffles, which were the clearest signature of the R&B wave that started in the mid-1940s,[29] were a three-note riff on the bass strings of the guitar. When this riff was played over the bass and the drums, the groove "feel" was created. Shuffle rhythm is often vocalized as "dow, da dow, da dow, da" or "dump, da dump, da dump, da":[30] it consists of uneven, or "swung", eighth notes. On a guitar this may be played as a simple steady bass or it may add to that stepwise quarter note motion from the fifth to the sixth of the chord and back.
Blues shuffle or boogie in E major (
Play (help·info)).
Guitar tablature for a blues shuffle in E major[31]
"The Memphis Blues"
The Memphis Blues, composed by W.C. Handy in 1912 and recorded by the Victor Military Band, the first known commercial recording of Handy's first commercially successful blues composition
Crazy Blues
The first commercial recording of vocal blues by an African-American singer: Mamie Smith's performance of Perry Bradford's "Crazy Blues" in 1920
Keep your lamp trimmed and burning
Traditional spiritual performed by Texas gospel singer Blind Willie Johnson (vocal and guitar) and Willie B. Harris (vocal) in 1927, an example of the close relationship between gospel and blues music
Dupree Blues
Piedmont blues, performed in 1930 by Blind Willie Walker
Milwaukee Blues
Bluegrass, performed in 1930 by Charlie Poole, a bluesman of Irish descent
Good Liquor Gonna Carry Me Down
Chicago blues of the late prewar era, the so-called Bluebird sound, recorded by Big Bill Broonzy
Rockabilly version of a traditional blues recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis in 1956 or 1957
OriginsEdit
Main article: Origins of the blues
The first publication of blues sheet music may have been "I Got the Blues", published by New Orleans musician Antonio Maggio in 1908 and described as "the earliest published composition known to link the condition of having the blues to the musical form that would become popularly known as 'the blues.'"[32] Hart Wand's "Dallas Blues" was published in 1912; W.C. Handy's "The Memphis Blues" followed in the same year. The first recording by an African American singer was Mamie Smith's 1920 rendition of Perry Bradford's "Crazy Blues". But the origins of the blues were some decades earlier, probably around 1890.[33] This music is poorly documented, partly because of racial discrimination in U.S. society, including academic circles,[34] and partly because of the low rate of literacy among rural African Americans at the time.[35]
Reports of blues music in southern Texas and the Deep South were written at the dawn of the 20th century. Charles Peabody mentioned the appearance of blues music at Clarksdale, Mississippi, and Gate Thomas reported similar songs in southern Texas around 1901–1902. These observations coincide more or less with the recollections of Jelly Roll Morton, who said he first heard blues music in New Orleans in 1902; Ma Rainey, who remembered first hearing the blues in the same year in Missouri; and W.C. Handy, who first heard the blues in Tutwiler, Mississippi, in 1903. The first extensive research in the field was performed by Howard W. Odum, who published an anthology of folk songs from Lafayette County, Mississippi, and Newton County, Georgia, between 1905 and 1908.[36] The first noncommercial recordings of blues music, termed proto-blues by Paul Oliver, were made by Odum for research purposes at the very beginning of the 20th century. They are now lost.[37]
Other recordings that are still available were made in 1924 by Lawrence Gellert. Later, several recordings were made by Robert W. Gordon, who became head of the Archive of American Folk Songs of the Library of Congress. Gordon's successor at the library was John Lomax. In the 1930s, Lomax and his son Alan made a large number of non-commercial blues recordings that testify to the huge variety of proto-blues styles, such as field hollers and ring shouts.[38] A record of blues music as it existed before 1920 can also be found in the recordings of artists such as Lead Belly[39] and Henry Thomas.[40] All these sources show the existence of many different structures distinct from twelve-, eight-, or sixteen-bar.[41][42]
John Lomax (left) shaking hands with musician "Uncle" Rich Brown in Sumterville, Alabama
The social and economic reasons for the appearance of the blues are not fully known.[43] The first appearance of the blues is usually dated after the Emancipation Act of 1863,[34] between 1870 and 1900, a period that coincides with post-emancipation and later, the establishment of juke joints as places where blacks went to listen to music, dance, or gamble after a hard day's work.[44] This period corresponds to the transition from slavery to sharecropping, small-scale agricultural production, and the expansion of railroads in the southern United States. Several scholars characterize the development of blues music in the early 1900s as a move from group performance to individualized performance. They argue that the development of the blues is associated with the newly acquired freedom of the enslaved people.[45]
According to Lawrence Levine, "there was a direct relationship between the national ideological emphasis upon the individual, the popularity of Booker T. Washington's teachings, and the rise of the blues." Levine stated that "psychologically, socially, and economically, African-Americans were being acculturated in a way that would have been impossible during slavery, and it is hardly surprising that their secular music reflected this as much as their religious music did."[45]
There are few characteristics common to all blues music, because the genre took its shape from the idiosyncrasies of individual performers.[46] However, there are some characteristics that were present long before the creation of the modern blues. Call-and-response shouts were an early form of blues-like music; they were a "functional expression ... style without accompaniment or harmony and unbounded by the formality of any particular musical structure".[47] A form of this pre-blues was heard in slave ring shouts and field hollers, expanded into "simple solo songs laden with emotional content".[48]
Blues has evolved from the unaccompanied vocal music and oral traditions of slaves imported from West Africa and rural blacks into a wide variety of styles and subgenres, with regional variations across the United States. Although blues (as it is now known) can be seen as a musical style based on both European harmonic structure and the African call-and-response tradition that transformed into an interplay of voice and guitar,[49][50] the blues form itself bears no resemblance to the melodic styles of the West African griots, and the influences are faint and tenuous.[51][52] Additionally, there are theories that the four-beats-per-measure structure of the blues might have its origins in the Native American tradition of pow wow drumming.[53]
No specific African musical form can be identified as the single direct ancestor of the blues.[54] However the call-and-response format can be traced back to the music of Africa. That blue notes predate their use in blues and have an African origin is attested to by "A Negro Love Song", by the English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, from his African Suite for Piano, written in 1898, which contains blue third and seventh notes.[55]
The Diddley bow (a homemade one-stringed instrument found in parts of the American South in the early twentieth century) and the banjo are African-derived instruments that may have helped in the transfer of African performance techniques into the early blues instrumental vocabulary.[56] The banjo seems to be directly imported from West African music. It is similar to the musical instrument that griots and other Africans such as the Igbo[57] played (called halam or akonting by African peoples such as the Wolof, Fula and Mandinka).[58] However, in the 1920s, when country blues began to be recorded, the use of the banjo in blues music was quite marginal and limited to individuals such as Papa Charlie Jackson and later Gus Cannon.[59]
Blues music also adopted elements from the "Ethiopian airs", minstrel shows and Negro spirituals, including instrumental and harmonic accompaniment.[60] The style also was closely related to ragtime, which developed at about the same time, though the blues better preserved "the original melodic patterns of African music".[61]
Charley Patton, one of the originators of the Delta blues style, playing with a pick or a bottleneck slide
The musical forms and styles that are now considered the blues as well as modern country music arose in the same regions of the southern United States during the 19th century. Recorded blues and country music can be found as far back as the 1920s, when the record industry created the marketing categories "race music" and "hillbilly music" to sell music by blacks for blacks and by whites for whites, respectively. At the time, there was no clear musical division between "blues" and "country", except for the ethnicity of the performer, and even that was sometimes documented incorrectly by record companies.[62][63]
Though musicologists can now attempt to define the blues narrowly in terms of certain chord structures and lyric forms thought to have originated in West Africa, audiences originally heard the music in a far more general way: it was simply the music of the rural south, notably the Mississippi Delta. Black and white musicians shared the same repertoire and thought of themselves as "songsters" rather than blues musicians. The notion of blues as a separate genre arose during the black migration from the countryside to urban areas in the 1920s and the simultaneous development of the recording industry. Blues became a code word for a record designed to sell to black listeners.[64]
The origins of the blues are closely related to the religious music of Afro-American community, the spirituals. The origins of spirituals go back much further than the blues, usually dating back to the middle of the 18th century, when the slaves were Christianized and began to sing and play Christian hymns, in particular those of Isaac Watts, which were very popular.[65] Before the blues gained its formal definition in terms of chord progressions, it was defined as the secular counterpart of spirituals. It was the low-down music played by rural blacks.[19]
Depending on the religious community a musician belonged to, it was more or less considered a sin to play this low-down music: blues was the devil's music. Musicians were therefore segregated into two categories: gospel singers and blues singers, guitar preachers and songsters. However, when rural black music began to be recorded in the 1920s, both categories of musicians used similar techniques: call-and-response patterns, blue notes, and slide guitars. Gospel music was nevertheless using musical forms that were compatible with Christian hymns and therefore less marked by the blues form than its secular counterpart.[19]
Prewar bluesEdit
The American sheet music publishing industry produced a great deal of ragtime music. By 1912, the sheet music industry had published three popular blues-like compositions, precipitating the Tin Pan Alley adoption of blues elements: "Baby Seals' Blues", by "Baby" Franklin Seals (arranged by Artie Matthews); "Dallas Blues", by Hart Wand; and "The Memphis Blues", by W.C. Handy.[66]
Sheet music from "Saint Louis Blues" (1914)
Handy was a formally trained musician, composer and arranger who helped to popularize the blues by transcribing and orchestrating blues in an almost symphonic style, with bands and singers. He became a popular and prolific composer, and billed himself as the "Father of the Blues"; however, his compositions can be described as a fusion of blues with ragtime and jazz, a merger facilitated using the Cuban habanera rhythm that had long been a part of ragtime;[18][67] Handy's signature work was the "Saint Louis Blues".
In the 1920s, the blues became a major element of African American and American popular music, reaching white audiences via Handy's arrangements and the classic female blues performers. The blues evolved from informal performances in bars to entertainment in theaters. Blues performances were organized by the Theater Owners Bookers Association in nightclubs such as the Cotton Club and juke joints such as the bars along Beale Street in Memphis. Several record companies, such as the American Record Corporation, Okeh Records, and Paramount Records, began to record African-American music.
As the recording industry grew, Country blues performers like Bo Carter, Jimmie Rodgers (country singer), Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonnie Johnson, Tampa Red and Blind Blake became more popular in the African American community. Kentucky-born Sylvester Weaver was in 1923 the first to record the slide guitar style, in which a guitar is fretted with a knife blade or the sawed-off neck of a bottle.[68] The slide guitar became an important part of the Delta blues.[69] The first blues recordings from the 1920s are categorized as a traditional, rural country blues and a more polished city or urban blues.
Country blues performers often improvised, either without accompaniment or with only a banjo or guitar. Regional styles of country blues varied widely in the early 20th century. The (Mississippi) Delta blues was a rootsy sparse style with passionate vocals accompanied by slide guitar. The little-recorded Robert Johnson[70] combined elements of urban and rural blues. In addition to Robert Johnson, influential performers of this style included his predecessors Charley Patton and Son House. Singers such as Blind Willie McTell and Blind Boy Fuller performed in the southeastern "delicate and lyrical" Piedmont blues tradition, which used an elaborate ragtime-based fingerpicking guitar technique. Georgia also had an early slide tradition,[71] with Curley Weaver, Tampa Red, "Barbecue Bob" Hicks and James "Kokomo" Arnold as representatives of this style.[72]
The lively Memphis blues style, which developed in the 1920s and 1930s near Memphis, Tennessee, was influenced by jug bands such as the Memphis Jug Band or the Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers. Performers such as Frank Stokes, Sleepy John Estes, Robert Wilkins, Joe McCoy, Casey Bill Weldon and Memphis Minnie used a variety of unusual instruments such as washboard, fiddle, kazoo or mandolin. Memphis Minnie was famous for her virtuoso guitar style. Pianist Memphis Slim began his career in Memphis, but his distinct style was smoother and had some swing elements. Many blues musicians based in Memphis moved to Chicago in the late 1930s or early 1940s and became part of the urban blues movement.[73][74]
Bessie Smith, an early blues singer, known for her powerful voice
Urban bluesEdit
City or urban blues styles were more codified and elaborate, as a performer was no longer within their local, immediate community, and had to adapt to a larger, more varied audience's aesthetic.[75] Classic female urban and vaudeville blues singers were popular in the 1920s, among them "the big three"—Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Lucille Bogan—and Victoria Spivey. Mamie Smith, more a vaudeville performer than a blues artist, was the first African American to record a blues song in 1920; her second record, "Crazy Blues", sold 75,000 copies in its first month.[76] Ma Rainey, the "Mother of Blues", and Bessie Smith each "[sang] around center tones, perhaps in order to project her voice more easily to the back of a room". Smith would "sing a song in an unusual key, and her artistry in bending and stretching notes with her beautiful, powerful contralto to accommodate her own interpretation was unsurpassed".[77]
In 1920 the vaudeville singer Lucille Hegamin became the second black woman to record blues when she recorded "The Jazz Me Blues".[78] These recordings were typically labeled "race records" to distinguish them from records sold to white audiences. Nonetheless, the recordings of some of the classic female blues singers were purchased by white buyers as well.[79] These blueswomen's contributions to the genre included "increased improvisation on melodic lines, unusual phrasing which altered the emphasis and impact of the lyrics, and vocal dramatics using shouts, groans, moans, and wails. The blues women thus effected changes in other types of popular singing that had spin-offs in jazz, Broadway musicals, torch songs of the 1930s and 1940s, gospel, rhythm and blues, and eventually rock and roll."[80]
Urban male performers included popular black musicians of the era, such as Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy and Leroy Carr. An important label of this era was the Chicago-based Bluebird Records. Before World War II, Tampa Red was sometimes referred to as "the Guitar Wizard". Carr accompanied himself on the piano with Scrapper Blackwell on guitar, a format that continued well into the 1950s with artists such as Charles Brown and even Nat "King" Cole.[69]
A typical boogie-woogie bass line
Boogie-woogie was another important style of 1930s and early 1940s urban blues. While the style is often associated with solo piano, boogie-woogie was also used to accompany singers and, as a solo part, in bands and small combos. Boogie-Woogie style was characterized by a regular bass figure, an ostinato or riff and shifts of level in the left hand, elaborating each chord and trills and decorations in the right hand. Boogie-woogie was pioneered by the Chicago-based Jimmy Yancey and the Boogie-Woogie Trio (Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson and Meade Lux Lewis).[81] Chicago boogie-woogie performers included Clarence "Pine Top" Smith and Earl Hines, who "linked the propulsive left-hand rhythms of the ragtime pianists with melodic figures similar to those of Armstrong's trumpet in the right hand".[75] The smooth Louisiana style of Professor Longhair and, more recently, Dr. John blends classic rhythm and blues with blues styles.
Another development in this period was big band blues. The "territory bands" operating out of Kansas City, the Bennie Moten orchestra, Jay McShann, and the Count Basie Orchestra were also concentrating on the blues, with 12-bar blues instrumentals such as Basie's "One O'Clock Jump" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside" and boisterous "blues shouting" by Jimmy Rushing on songs such as "Going to Chicago" and "Sent for You Yesterday". A well-known big band blues tune is Glenn Miller's "In the Mood". In the 1940s, the jump blues style developed. Jump blues grew up from the boogie woogie wave and was strongly influenced by big band music. It uses saxophone or other brass instruments and the guitar in the rhythm section to create a jazzy, up-tempo sound with declamatory vocals. Jump blues tunes by Louis Jordan and Big Joe Turner, based in Kansas City, Missouri, influenced the development of later styles such as rock and roll and rhythm and blues.[82] Dallas-born T-Bone Walker, who is often associated with the California blues style,[83] performed a successful transition from the early urban blues à la Lonnie Johnson and Leroy Carr to the jump blues style and dominated the blues-jazz scene at Los Angeles during the 1940s.[84]
The transition from country blues to urban blues that began in the 1920s was driven by the successive waves of economic crisis and booms which led many rural blacks to move to urban areas, in a movement known as the Great Migration. The long boom following World War II induced another massive migration of the African-American population, the Second Great Migration, which was accompanied by a significant increase of the real income of the urban blacks. The new migrants constituted a new market for the music industry. The term race record, initially used by the music industry for African-American music, was replaced by the term rhythm and blues. This rapidly evolving market was mirrored by Billboard magazine's Rhythm and Blues chart. This marketing strategy reinforced trends in urban blues music such as the use of electric instruments and amplification and the generalization of the blues beat, the blues shuffle, which became ubiquitous in R&B. This commercial stream had important consequences for blues music, which, together with jazz and gospel music, became a component of R&B.[85]
Muddy Waters, described as "the guiding light of the modern blues school"[86]
Otis Rush, an originator of the "West Side sound"
After World War II, new styles of electric blues became popular in cities such as Chicago,[87] Memphis,[88] Detroit[89][90] and St. Louis. Electric blues used electric guitars, double bass (gradually replaced by bass guitar), drums, and harmonica (or "blues harp") played through a microphone and a PA system or an overdriven guitar amplifier. Chicago became a center for electric blues from 1948 on, when Muddy Waters recorded his first success, "I Can't Be Satisfied".[91] Chicago blues is influenced to a large extent by Delta blues, because many performers had migrated from the Mississippi region.
Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Jimmy Reed were all born in Mississippi and moved to Chicago during the Great Migration. Their style is characterized by the use of electric guitar, sometimes slide guitar, harmonica, and a rhythm section of bass and drums.[92] The saxophonist J. T. Brown played in bands led by Elmore James and by J. B. Lenoir, but the saxophone was used as a backing instrument for rhythmic support more than as a lead instrument.
Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) and Sonny Terry are well known harmonica (called "harp" by blues musicians) players of the early Chicago blues scene. Other harp players such as Big Walter Horton were also influential. Muddy Waters and Elmore James were known for their innovative use of slide electric guitar. Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters were known for their deep, "gravelly" voices.
The bassist and prolific songwriter and composer Willie Dixon played a major role on the Chicago blues scene. He composed and wrote many standard blues songs of the period, such as "Hoochie Coochie Man", "I Just Want to Make Love to You" (both penned for Muddy Waters) and, "Wang Dang Doodle" and "Back Door Man" for Howlin' Wolf. Most artists of the Chicago blues style recorded for the Chicago-based Chess Records and Checker Records labels. Smaller blues labels of this era included Vee-Jay Records and J.O.B. Records. During the early 1950s, the dominating Chicago labels were challenged by Sam Phillips' Sun Records company in Memphis, which recorded B. B. King and Howlin' Wolf before he moved to Chicago in 1960.[93] After Phillips discovered Elvis Presley in 1954, the Sun label turned to the rapidly expanding white audience and started recording mostly rock 'n' roll.[94]
In the 1950s, blues had a huge influence on mainstream American popular music. While popular musicians like Bo Diddley[89] and Chuck Berry,[95] both recording for Chess, were influenced by the Chicago blues, their enthusiastic playing styles departed from the melancholy aspects of blues. Chicago blues also influenced Louisiana's zydeco music,[96] with Clifton Chenier[97] using blues accents. Zydeco musicians used electric solo guitar and cajun arrangements of blues standards.
In England, electric blues took root there during a much acclaimed Muddy Waters tour. Waters, unsuspecting of his audience's tendency towards skiffle, an acoustic, softer brand of blues, turned up his amp and started to play his Chicago brand of electric blues. Although the audience was largely jolted by the performance, the performance influenced local musicians such as Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies to emulate this louder style, inspiring the British invasion of the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds.[98]
In the late 1950s, a new blues style emerged on Chicago's West Side pioneered by Magic Sam, Buddy Guy and Otis Rush on Cobra Records.[99] The "West Side sound" had strong rhythmic support from a rhythm guitar, bass guitar and drums and as perfected by Guy, Freddie King, Magic Slim and Luther Allison was dominated by amplified electric lead guitar.[100][101] Expressive guitar solos were a key feature of this music.
Other blues artists, such as John Lee Hooker had influences not directly related to the Chicago style. John Lee Hooker's blues is more "personal", based on Hooker's deep rough voice accompanied by a single electric guitar. Though not directly influenced by boogie woogie, his "groovy" style is sometimes called "guitar boogie". His first hit, "Boogie Chillen", reached number 1 on the R&B charts in 1949.[102]
By the late 1950s, the swamp blues genre developed near Baton Rouge, with performers such as Lightnin' Slim,[103] Slim Harpo,[104] Sam Myers and Jerry McCain around the producer J. D. "Jay" Miller and the Excello label. Strongly influenced by Jimmy Reed, Swamp blues has a slower pace and a simpler use of the harmonica than the Chicago blues style performers such as Little Walter or Muddy Waters. Songs from this genre include "Scratch my Back", "She's Tough" and "I'm a King Bee". Alan Lomax's recordings of Mississippi Fred McDowell would eventually bring him wider attention on both the blues and folk circuit, with McDowell's droning style influencing North Mississippi hill country blues musicians.[105]
1960s and 1970sEdit
Blues legend B.B. King with his guitar, "Lucille"
By the beginning of the 1960s, genres influenced by African American music such as rock and roll and soul were part of mainstream popular music. White performers such as the Beatles had brought African-American music to new audiences, both within the U.S. and abroad. However, the blues wave that brought artists such as Muddy Waters to the foreground had stopped. Bluesmen such as Big Bill Broonzy and Willie Dixon started looking for new markets in Europe. Dick Waterman and the blues festivals he organized in Europe played a major role in propagating blues music abroad. In the UK, bands emulated U.S. blues legends, and UK blues rock-based bands had an influential role throughout the 1960s.[106]
Blues performers such as John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters continued to perform to enthusiastic audiences, inspiring new artists steeped in traditional blues, such as New York–born Taj Mahal. John Lee Hooker blended his blues style with rock elements and playing with younger white musicians, creating a musical style that can be heard on the 1971 album Endless Boogie. B. B. King's singing and virtuoso guitar technique earned him the eponymous title "king of the blues". King introduced a sophisticated style of guitar soloing based on fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato that influenced many later electric blues guitarists.[107] In contrast to the Chicago style, King's band used strong brass support from a saxophone, trumpet, and trombone, instead of using slide guitar or harp. Tennessee-born Bobby "Blue" Bland, like B. B. King, also straddled the blues and R&B genres. During this period, Freddie King and Albert King often played with rock and soul musicians (Eric Clapton and Booker T & the MGs) and had a major influence on those styles of music.
Eric Clapton performing at Hyde Park, London, in June 2008
The music of the civil rights movement[108] and Free Speech Movement in the U.S. prompted a resurgence of interest in American roots music and early African American music. As well festivals such as the Newport Folk Festival[109] brought traditional blues to a new audience, which helped to revive interest in prewar acoustic blues and performers such as Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, and Reverend Gary Davis.[108] Many compilations of classic prewar blues were republished by the Yazoo Records. J. B. Lenoir from the Chicago blues movement in the 1950s recorded several LPs using acoustic guitar, sometimes accompanied by Willie Dixon on the acoustic bass or drums. His songs, originally distributed only in Europe,[110] commented on political issues such as racism or Vietnam War issues, which was unusual for this period. His album Alabama Blues contained a song with the following lyric:
I never will go back to Alabama, that is not the place for me (2x)
You know they killed my sister and my brother,
and the whole world let them peoples go down there free
Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan
White audiences' interest in the blues during the 1960s increased due to the Chicago-based Paul Butterfield Blues Band featuring guitarist Michael Bloomfield, and the British blues movement. The style of British blues developed in the UK, when bands such as the Animals, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, the supergroup Cream and the Irish musician Rory Gallagher performed classic blues songs from the Delta or Chicago blues traditions.[111]
In 1963, LeRoi Jones, later known as Amiri Baraka, was the first to write a book on the social history of the blues in Blues People: The Negro Music in White America.
The Argentine power trio Manal in 1970, the first blues group to perform in Spanish
In 1970 the trio Manal established in Argentina the basics of blues sung in Castilian. Influenced poetically by the tango and generate Beatnik,[112] and musically by the blues, rock, jazz and African music of River Plate, the trio composed of Alejandro Medina, Javier Martinez and Claudio Gabis created a music that fused the roots of a genre born in the Mississippi Delta with elements of idiosyncrasy and local geography Porteña.[112] The lyrics of Manal emphasize existentialism, the industrial city and the railroads, is notable in one of his most well-known songs, "Avellaneda Blues":
Vía muerta, calle con asfalto siempre destrozado.
Tren de carga, el humo y el hollín, están por todos lados.
Sur y aceite, barriles en el barro, galpón abandonado. Charco sucio, el agua va pudriendo, un zapato olvidado.
Dead rail, street with asphalt always shattered. Freight train, smoke and soot, are everywhere.
South and oil, barrels in the mud, abandoned shed. Dirty puddle, the water is rotting, a forgotten shoe.
"Avellaneda Blues" by Manal (1970).[113]
The British and blues musicians of the early 1960s inspired a number of American blues rock fusion performers, including the Doors, Canned Heat, the early Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, The J. Geils Band, Ry Cooder, and the Allman Brothers Band. One blues rock performer, Jimi Hendrix, was a rarity in his field at the time: a black man who played psychedelic rock. Hendrix was a skilled guitarist, and a pioneer in the innovative use of distortion and audio feedback in his music.[114] Through these artists and others, blues music influenced the development of rock music.[115]
Santana, which was originally called the Carlos Santana Blues Band, also experimented with Latin-influenced blues and blues rock music around this time. At the end of the 1950s appeared the bluesy Tulsa Sound merging rock'n'roll, jazz and country influences. This particular music style was popularized in the 1970s by J. J. Cale and the cover versions performed by Eric Clapton of "After Midnight" and "Cocaine".
In the early 1970s, The Texas rock-blues style emerged, which used guitars in both solo and rhythm roles. In contrast with the West Side blues, the Texas style is strongly influenced by the British rock-blues movement. Major artists of the Texas style are Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Fabulous Thunderbirds (led by harmonica player and singer-songwriter Kim Wilson), and ZZ Top. These artists all began their musical careers in the 1970s but they did not achieve international success until the next decade.[116]
1980s to the presentEdit
Italian singer Zucchero is credited as the "Father of Italian Blues", and is among the few European blues artists who still enjoy great international success[117]
Since the 1980s there has been a resurgence of interest in the blues among a certain part of the African-American population, particularly around Jackson, Mississippi and other deep South regions. Often termed "soul blues" or "Southern soul", the music at the heart of this movement was given new life by the unexpected success of two particular recordings on the Jackson-based Malaco label:[118] Z. Z. Hill's Down Home Blues (1982) and Little Milton's The Blues is Alright (1984). Contemporary African-American performers who work in this style of the blues include Bobby Rush, Denise LaSalle, Sir Charles Jones, Bettye LaVette, Marvin Sease, Peggy Scott-Adams, Mel Waiters, Clarence Carter, Dr. "Feelgood" Potts, O.B. Buchana, Ms. Jody, Shirley Brown, and dozens of others.
During the 1980s blues also continued in both traditional and new forms. In 1986 the album Strong Persuader announced Robert Cray as a major blues artist. The first Stevie Ray Vaughan recording Texas Flood was released in 1983, and the Texas-based guitarist exploded onto the international stage. John Lee Hooker's popularity was revived with the album The Healer in 1989. Eric Clapton, known for his performances with the Blues Breakers and Cream, made a comeback in the 1990s with his album Unplugged, in which he played some standard blues numbers on acoustic guitar.
However, beginning in the 1990s, digital multitrack recording and other technological advances and new marketing strategies including video clip production increased costs, challenging the spontaneity and improvisation that are an important component of blues music.[119]
Denise LaSalle
In the 1980s and 1990s, blues publications such as Living Blues and Blues Revue were launched, major cities began forming blues societies, outdoor blues festivals became more common, and[120] more nightclubs and venues for blues emerged.[121]
In the 1990s, the largely ignored hill country blues gained minor recognition in both blues and alternative rock music circles with northern Mississippi artists R. L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough.[105] Blues performers explored a range of musical genres, as can be seen, for example, from the broad array of nominees of the yearly Blues Music Awards, previously named W.C. Handy Awards[122] or of the Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary and Traditional Blues Album. The Billboard Blues Album chart provides an overview of current blues hits. Contemporary blues music is nurtured by several blues labels such as: Alligator Records, Ruf Records, Severn Records, Chess Records (MCA), Delmark Records, NorthernBlues Music, Fat Possum Records and Vanguard Records (Artemis Records). Some labels are famous for rediscovering and remastering blues rarities, including Arhoolie Records, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings (heir of Folkways Records), and Yazoo Records (Shanachie Records).[123]
From the late 2000s to the present day, blues rock has gained a cultural following, especially after the rise of the Internet, when artists started creating YouTube channels, forums, and Facebook pages. Notable blues rock musicians of this period include Joe Bonamassa, Gary Clark Jr., John Mayer, Shemekia Copeland, Eric Gales, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Walter Trout, Beth Hart, Warren Haynes, Jason Ricci, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Ben Harper (in collaboration with Charlie Musselwhite) and Orianthi. Alternative rock artists still combine strong elements of blues in their music, especially ZZ Ward, Cage the Elephant, Jack White, and the Black Keys.
Musical impactEdit
Blues musical styles, forms (12-bar blues), melodies, and the blues scale have influenced many other genres of music, such as rock and roll, jazz, and popular music.[124] Prominent jazz, folk or rock performers, such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Bob Dylan have performed significant blues recordings. The blues scale is often used in popular songs like Harold Arlen's "Blues in the Night", blues ballads like "Since I Fell for You" and "Please Send Me Someone to Love", and even in orchestral works such as George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Concerto in F". Gershwin's second "Prelude" for solo piano is an interesting example of a classical blues, maintaining the form with academic strictness. The blues scale is ubiquitous in modern popular music and informs many modal frames, especially the ladder of thirds used in rock music (for example, in "A Hard Day's Night"). Blues forms are used in the theme to the televised Batman, teen idol Fabian Forte's hit, "Turn Me Loose", country music star Jimmie Rodgers' music, and guitarist/vocalist Tracy Chapman's hit "Give Me One Reason".
"Blues singing is about emotion. Its influence on popular singing has been so widespread that, at least among males, singing and emoting have become almost identical—it is a matter of projection rather than hitting the notes."[125]
—Robert Christgau, 1972
Early country bluesmen such as Skip James, Charley Patton, Georgia Tom Dorsey played country and urban blues and had influences from spiritual singing. Dorsey helped to popularize Gospel music.[126] Gospel music developed in the 1930s, with the Golden Gate Quartet. In the 1950s, soul music by Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and James Brown used gospel and blues music elements. In the 1960s and 1970s, gospel and blues were merged in soul blues music. Funk music of the 1970s was influenced by soul; funk can be seen as an antecedent of hip-hop and contemporary R&B.
R&B music can be traced back to spirituals and blues. Musically, spirituals were a descendant of New England choral traditions, and in particular of Isaac Watts's hymns, mixed with African rhythms and call-and-response forms. Spirituals or religious chants in the African-American community are much better documented than the "low-down" blues. Spiritual singing developed because African-American communities could gather for mass or worship gatherings, which were called camp meetings.
Edward P. Comentale has noted how the blues was often used as a medium for art or self-expression, stating: "As heard from Delta shacks to Chicago tenements to Harlem cabarets, the blues proved—despite its pained origins—a remarkably flexible medium and a new arena for the shaping of identity and community."[127]
Duke Ellington straddled the big band and bebop genres. Ellington extensively used the blues form.[128]
Before World War II, the boundaries between blues and jazz were less clear. Usually jazz had harmonic structures stemming from brass bands, whereas blues had blues forms such as the 12-bar blues. However, the jump blues of the 1940s mixed both styles. After WWII, blues had a substantial influence on jazz. Bebop classics, such as Charlie Parker's "Now's the Time", used the blues form with the pentatonic scale and blue notes.
Bebop marked a major shift in the role of jazz, from a popular style of music for dancing, to a "high-art", less-accessible, cerebral "musician's music". The audience for both blues and jazz split, and the border between blues and jazz became more defined.[128][129]
The blues' 12-bar structure and the blues scale was a major influence on rock and roll music. Rock and roll has been called "blues with a backbeat"; Carl Perkins called rockabilly "blues with a country beat". Rockabillies were also said to be 12-bar blues played with a bluegrass beat. "Hound Dog", with its unmodified 12-bar structure (in both harmony and lyrics) and a melody centered on flatted third of the tonic (and flatted seventh of the subdominant), is a blues song transformed into a rock and roll song. Jerry Lee Lewis's style of rock and roll was heavily influenced by the blues and its derivative boogie woogie. His style of music was not exactly rockabilly but it has been often called real rock and roll (this is a label he shares with several African American rock and roll performers).[130][131]
Many early rock and roll songs are based on blues: "That's All Right Mama", "Johnny B. Goode", "Blue Suede Shoes", "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On", "Shake, Rattle, and Roll", and "Long Tall Sally". The early African American rock musicians retained the sexual themes and innuendos of blues music: "Got a gal named Sue, knows just what to do" ("Tutti Frutti", Little Richard) or "See the girl with the red dress on, She can do the Birdland all night long" ("What'd I Say", Ray Charles). The 12-bar blues structure can be found even in novelty pop songs, such as Bob Dylan's "Obviously Five Believers" and Esther and Abi Ofarim's "Cinderella Rockefella".
Early country music was infused with the blues.[132] Jimmie Rodgers, Moon Mullican, Bob Wills, Bill Monroe and Hank Williams have all described themselves as blues singers and their music has a blues feel that is different, at first glance at least, from the later country pop of artists like Eddy Arnold. Yet, if one looks back further, Arnold also started out singing bluesy songs like 'I'll Hold You in My Heart'. A lot of the 1970s-era "outlaw" country music by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings also borrowed from the blues. When Jerry Lee Lewis returned to country after the decline of 1950s style rock and roll, he sang his country with a blues feel and often included blues standards on his albums.
In popular cultureEdit
The music of Taj Mahal for the 1972 movie Sounder marked a revival of interest in acoustic blues.
Like jazz, rock and roll, heavy metal music, hip hop music, reggae, rap, country music, and pop music, blues has been accused of being the "devil's music" and of inciting violence and other poor behavior.[133] In the early 20th century, the blues was considered disreputable, especially as white audiences began listening to the blues during the 1920s.[67] In the early twentieth century, W.C. Handy was the first to popularize blues-influenced music among non-black Americans.
During the blues revival of the 1960s and '70s, acoustic blues artist Taj Mahal and legendary Texas bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins wrote and performed music that figured prominently in the popularly and critically acclaimed film Sounder (1972). The film earned Mahal a Grammy nomination for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture and a BAFTA nomination.[134] Almost 30 years later, Mahal wrote blues for, and performed a banjo composition, claw-hammer style, in the 2001 movie release Songcatcher, which focused on the story of the preservation of the roots music of Appalachia.
Perhaps the most visible example of the blues style of music in the late 20th century came in 1980, when Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi released the film The Blues Brothers. The film drew many of the biggest living influencers of the rhythm and blues genre together, such as Ray Charles, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, and John Lee Hooker. The band formed also began a successful tour under the Blues Brothers marquee. 1998 brought a sequel, Blues Brothers 2000 that, while not holding as great a critical and financial success, featured a much larger number of blues artists, such as B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Erykah Badu, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Charlie Musselwhite, Blues Traveler, Jimmie Vaughan, and Jeff Baxter.
In 2003, Martin Scorsese made significant efforts to promote the blues to a larger audience. He asked several famous directors such as Clint Eastwood and Wim Wenders to participate in a series of documentary films for PBS called The Blues.[135] He also participated in the rendition of compilations of major blues artists in a series of high-quality CDs. Blues guitarist and vocalist Keb' Mo' performed his blues rendition of "America, the Beautiful" in 2006 to close out the final season of the television series The West Wing.
The blues was highlighted in Season 2012, Episode 1 of "In Performance at The White House", entitled "Red, White and Blues". Hosted by President Obama and Mrs. Obama, the show featured performances by B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Gary Clark Jr., Jeff Beck, Derek Trucks, Keb Mo, and others.[136]
Blues portal
Blues dance
Blues Hall of Fame
Mississippi Blues Trail
Blues – Wikipedia book
List of blues festivals
List of blues musicians
List of blues standards
List of British blues musicians
List of films based on blues music
List of train songs
20th-century music
National Blues Museum
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^ Ferris, p. 230.
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^ Morales, p. 276. Morales attributed this claim to John Storm Roberts in Black Music of Two Worlds, beginning his discussion with a quote from Roberts: "There does not seem to be the same African quality in blues forms as there clearly is in much Caribbean music."
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^ Schuller, cited in Garofalo, p. 27.
^ Garofalo, pp. 44–47: "As marketing categories, designations like race and hillbilly intentionally separated artists along racial lines and conveyed the impression that their music came from mutually exclusive sources. Nothing could have been further from the truth... In cultural terms, blues and country were more equal than they were separate." Garofalo claimed that "artists were sometimes listed in the wrong racial category in record company catalogues."
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Garofalo, Reebee (1997). Rockin' Out: Popular Music in the USA. Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 978-0-205-13703-9.
Herzhaft, Gérard; Harris, Paul; Debord, Brigitte (1997). Encyclopedia of the Blues. University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 978-1-55728-452-5.
Komara, Edward M. (2006). Encyclopedia of the Blues. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-92699-7.
Kunzler, Martin (1988). Jazz Lexikon (in German). Rohwolt Taschenbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-499-16316-6.
Morales, Ed (2003). The Latin Beat. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-81018-3.
Oliver, Paul; Wright, Richard (1990). Blues Fell This Morning: Meaning in the Blues. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-37793-5.
Palmer, Robert (1981). Deep Blues. Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-49511-5.
Schuller, Gunther (1968). Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-504043-2.
Southern, Eileen (1997). The Music of Black Americans. W. W. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-03843-9.
Curiel, Jonathan (August 15, 2004). "Muslim Roots of the Blues". SFGate. Archived from the original on September 5, 2005. Retrieved August 24, 2005.
Brown, Luther. "Inside Poor Monkey's", Southern Spaces, June 22, 2006.
Dixon, Robert M.W.; Godrich, John (1970). Recording the Blues. London: Studio Vista. 85 pp. SBN 289-79829-9.
Oakley, Giles (1976). The Devil's Music: A History of the Blues. London: BBC. p. 287. ISBN 978-0-563-16012-0.
Keil, Charles (1991) [1966]. Urban Blues. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-42960-1.
Oliver, Paul (1998). The Story of the Blues (new ed.). Northeastern University Press. ISBN 978-1-55553-355-7.
Oliver, Paul (1965). Conversation with the Blues, Volume 1. New York: Horizon Press. ISBN 978-0-8180-1223-5.
Rowe, Mike (1973). Chicago Breakdown. Eddison Press. ISBN 978-0-85649-015-6.
Titon, Jeff Todd (1994). Early Downhome Blues: A Musical and Cultural Analysis (2nd ed.). University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0-8078-4482-3.
Welding, Peter; Brown, Toby, eds. (1991). Bluesland: Portraits of Twelve Major American Blues Masters. New York: Penguin Group. 253 + [2] pp. ISBN 0-525-93375-1.
Bluesat Wikipedia's sister projects
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The American Folklife Center's Online Collections and Presentations
The Blue Shoe Project – Nationwide (U.S.) Blues Education Programming
"The Blues", documentary series by Martin Scorsese, aired on PBS
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The Music in Poetry – Smithsonian Institution lesson plan on the blues, for teachers
American Music: Archive of artist and record label discographies
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Cochin International Airport
Cochin International Airport, Cochin (IATA: COK, ICAO: VOCI) is an international airport serving the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. Located at Nedumbassery, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) northeast of the city, Cochin International Airport is the first airport in India developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model and was funded by nearly 10,000 non-resident Indians from 30 countries.[4]
IATA: COK
ICAO: VOCI
Airport type
Owner/Operator
Cochin International Airport Limited
Kochi Metropolitan Area, Thrissur
Nedumbassery, Kerala, India
10 June 1999 (1999-06-10)
Hub for
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL
9 m / 30 ft
cial.aero
COK
Show map of Kerala
Show map of India
09/27 3,400 11,200 Asphalt
Helipads
H1 19 63 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2018 - March 2019)
Aircraft movements
Cargo tonnage
Source: AAI[1][2][3]
It is the busiest and largest airport in the state of Kerala. As of 2019, the Cochin International Airport caters to 61.8% of the total air passenger movement in Kerala.[5] It is also the fourth busiest airport in India in terms of international traffic[6] and eighth busiest overall. In fiscal year 2018-19, the airport handled more than 10.2 million passengers with a total of 71,871 aircraft movements.[5] The airport is a primary base for Air India Express operations which is also headquartered in the city.
The airport operates three passenger terminals and one cargo terminal. With over 150,000 square metres (1,614,587 sq ft) in area,[7] the airport's Terminal 3 is one of the largest terminals in India.[citation needed] On 18 August 2015, Cochin International Airport became the world's first fully solar powered airport with the inauguration of a dedicated solar plant.[8][9] On 26 July 2018, the airport was selected for the coveted Champion of the Earth award, the highest environmental honour instituted by the United Nations.[10]
The original air facilities inn Kochi was an aerodrome and airstrip on Willingdon Island, built in 1936 by the British Residency of Kingdom of Kochi, intended for transporting British officials involved in the development of Cochin Port. The airstrip was converted into a military airport by the Indian Navy during World War II. The Royal Navy chose it as a strategic site for their headquarters in Southern India and as an air station cum landing craft and seaplane base.[11] The military facility hosted naval fighter planes and was intended to thwart possible Japanese air raids.[12] A small naval unit set up operations just two days before the outbreak of World War II.[13]
After Indian Independence, the Indian Navy operated the airport, though it permitted civilian aircraft to use the facility. The Gulf economic boom of the 1980s made it necessary to develop international transportation to Kochi in the interests of expatriates working in the Middle East.[14]
In October 1990, the Kerala Chamber of Commerce, supported by local industry, passed a resolution to expand the naval airport to accommodate large jets and facilitate direct flights to the Middle East.[citation needed] The resolution was rejected by the Navy for security reasons. However, the Airports Authority of India did not have enough funds to commence a greenfield airport.[citation needed] This led to the formation of a novel idea of collecting funds from the public and individuals to construct an airport, which was indeed for the first time in India. The idea was put forward by VJ Kurien.[citation needed]
ConstructionEdit
The original proposal for the airport outlined an estimated cost of ₹1 billion (US$14 million) and an expected date of commission in 1997. Approval was granted in May 1993. The funding was envisaged to be from interest-free loans from non-resident Indians working abroad, donations from industrial undertakings, exporters, cooperative societies and loans from the state government. A body called the Cochin International Airport Society, under the chairmanship of the chief minister of Kerala, was registered in July 1993 to execute the project. To better fund mobilisation, as well as administrative convenience, a public limited company under the name Cochin International Airport Ltd. (CIAL) was registered in March 1994 with an authorised capital of ₹900 million (US$13 million).[15]
A total of 491 ha (1,213 acres) of land was acquired for the construction of the airport.[16] Approximately 2,300 landowners and 872 families were resettled under a rehabilitation package.[17] Major electric lines and an irrigation canal had to be diverted.
The facility was formally inaugurated by the then President of India, KR Narayanan on 25 May 2000 and the first commercial service began on 10 June 2000. The operations from the old naval airport were moved to CIAL on 1 July 2000.[18]
ExpansionEdit
Phase 1Edit
The airport had 18,580 m2 (200,000 sq ft) of floor space at its inauguration. CIAL envisioned six phases of expansion over 20 years, the third phase of which was completed in 2009. The original airport terminal was small enough envisioned to handle just 100 passengers at a time. However, by 2001, the international passenger traffic were growing, making necessary to redevelop the terminal.
Most of the expansion has occurred in the international terminal, as it accounts for more than 78% of all traffic. In 2002 the original airport's floor area had risen.
Airport Main Entrance
CIAL Golf and Country Club
CIAL Museum
With a rising number of airlines operating at the airport, CIAL decided to construct an exclusive terminal for international arrivals[19] which increased the floor space to 37,161 m2 (400,000 sq ft), increasing passport controls and baggage carousels in addition to expanding the international departures floor space. As part of phase two of the expansion plans, an airline center complex of 7,500 m2 (81,000 sq ft) was constructed on the western side of the terminal to accommodate airline and CIAL's administrative offices. The cargo terminal was also expanded in the second phase.
Work on the third phase was intended to accommodate 5 million passenger movements annually and was started in 2007.[20] The third phase involved the commissioning of a central block, connecting the domestic and international terminals and enlarging the airside area to accommodate more gates and waiting areas along with increased shopping areas. This increased the built-up area by another 29,700 m2 (320,000 sq ft).[21] The airside area of the international arrivals and departures blocks were integrated and glass walls were installed to allow for more natural light. The runway was re-surfaced in 2008.[22] The number of parking areas were increased from 15 to 24, including three dedicated for cargo airlines. The third phase also completed the expansion of the cargo village and a second aircraft taxi-way to the MRO facility.[23][24]
The fourth phase of expansion was originally planned to upgrade the domestic terminal, which has remained untouched in the past three phases.[25][26] However, the expansion plans were changed after the new UDF government took over the administration of the state in May 2011.
As per the revised plans, the international terminal is to be converted completely into a domestic terminal, while a new state-of-the-art international terminal is coming up. As per the new plans announced by the board of directors in September 2011, the new international terminal would come up on the eastern side of the existing structure. The built-up space of the new terminal would be 140,000 m2 (1,500,000 sq ft) having segregated departures and arrivals at different levels.[27][28][29][30] The new terminal with an elevation featuring Kerala temple architecture will have all the latest features of international standards. Construction major Larsen & Toubro is building the facility which will be ready within 30 months. The two-level terminal will have provisions for 112 check-in counters, with in-line baggage screening facilities, 100 immigration counters, 3,716 square metres (40,000 sq ft) of duty-free shops at departure and arrival lounges, 19 boarding gates, 15 aerobridges, six baggage conveyor belts and fully covered alighting and boarding area.[31]
The current domestic terminal would be converted into "Executive Pavilion" and would handle VIP and private chartered flights and jets. The current international terminal, once converted into a domestic terminal, will have 5 aerobridges and 10 boarding gates facility, apart from increased parking bays.
ManagementEdit
Cochin airport is the first in India to be built in a public–private partnership and is owned by a public limited company called Cochin International Airport Limited, better known as CIAL, floated by the Government of Kerala in 1994. The Government of Kerala holds 33.36% stake, making it the single largest investor in the project.[32] Indian government companies like Air India, BPCL, AAI hold 8.74% stake, while foreign companies like Abu Dhabi based Emke Group, the Oman-based Galfar Group, UAE based Majeed Bukatara Trading holds 5.42% stake. Indian companies hold 8.57% stake, while scheduled commercial banks like Federal Bank, SBT and Canara Bank holds 5.91%.[33] The remaining 38.03% stake is held by more than 10,000 personal investors from 29 countries, mostly non-resident Indians.[34]
The company has decided to go for public offering and giving 10 million shares to HUDCO as part of debt settlement, which would to lead HUDCO having 3.37% stake in the company and reduction of stake of other holders.[33]
The Chief Minister of Kerala is the ex-officio chairman of CIAL. V. J. Kurian is the managing director, appointed on 10 June 2011.[35]
TerminalsEdit
Cochin International Airport has three main terminals: two domestic and one international. There is also a cargo terminal.
Check-in counters at Terminal 1
Terminal 2 Check-in Counter
Terminal 3 Departure Area
Inside the Terminal 3 Departure Facility Area
Terrace lounge
Terminal 1 (domestic)Edit
Terminal 1 used to be an international terminal until the operations were shifted to the new international Terminal 3. The terminal underwent a massive upgrade and renovation after that, which took its total handling capacity to 4,000 passengers per hour which is 5 times the previous capacity. The renovated Terminal 1 was opened to travelers on 12 December 2018.[36]
With a total built-up area of 55,742 m2 (600,000 sq ft),[36] the Terminal 1 has 56 check-in counters, 7 aerobridges and conveyor belt system to transfer baggage from 12 flights at a time. It is also equipped with 6 reserve lounges, art area, a food court, executive lounge, and a 4,645-square-metre (50,000 sq ft) shopping area.[36] The terminal has a solar carport facility that can generate 2.4 MW of power and can house 1,400 cars. Together with the solar carport at the international Terminal 3, it can generate 5.1 MW of power which is the largest in a carport in the world.[37]
The domestic terminal has an area of 10,000 m2 (110,000 sq ft) and is designed to handle up to 400 passengers at peak times. The departure hall has 26 common use terminal equipment (CUTE) enabled check-in counters, including 6 premium check-in counters, 4 self check in counters. It has 6 security gates and a common waiting area that can accommodate 400 passengers at a time. There is also a family lounge and a premium lounge for business class passengers and a food court is housed in the waiting area, while a restaurant operates in entry lobby. There are 4 remote gates facility available for domestic passengers. The arrivals hall has 2 baggage carousels.[38] This will be shortly converted into Executive terminal once the domestic operations shifts to Terminal 1.
Terminal 3 (international)Edit
The new International Terminal 3 was opened to travellers on March 2017. The theme of the terminal is inspired from Thrissur Pooram and is built in traditional Kerala architecture. 15 real size fibre elephants, adorning traditional costumes welcome the travellers at the departure facility area. The terminal has 5 entry gates, 84 check-in counters and 80 immigration/emigration counters. It is equipped with 10 escalators, 21 elevators, and 3 moving walkways.[39] The terminal has a solar carport facility with capacity of generating 2.7 MW power and can provide parking facility to 1,400 cars. Along with the solar carport at the domestic terminal T1, it is the largest solar carport in the world with a total capacity of 5.1 MW of power and parking facility to 2,800 cars.[37]
With a total area of more than 150,000 m2 (1,614,587 sq ft), the terminal is built over 4 levels. The ground level handles arrivals. With a total ground area of around 41,156 m2 (442,999 sq ft), it has 10 customs counters, 3 bank counters, shopping complex for passengers and general public, VIP lounge, arrival duty-free shops and baggage claim area.[39] The second level (5.5 metres above ground level) also handles arrivals and is equipped with 30 immigration counters, 10 e-T-Visa counters, 5 health check counters, and 2 moving walkways.[39] The third level (10.5 metres above ground level) is the departure facility area. It has a 20,836 m2 (224,277 sq ft) check-in area, 3 check-in islands having total of 84 counters, 40 emigration counters, an 800-square-metre (8,611 sq ft) departure duty-free shop, 3 VIP reserved lounges, airline offices, 2 prayer rooms, and 1 moving walkway. The fourth level (15.5 metres above ground level) is the departure security hold area. With an area of more than 8,674 m2 (93,366 sq ft), it has a food court, restaurant, 3 airline executive lounges, smoking lounge, bar and reclining area.[39]
With the commissioning of Terminal 3, Cochin International Airport became India's 4th largest airport after Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, with a total built up area of more than 213,677 m2 (2,300,000 sq ft) for commercial operations.
CargoEdit
Cochin Airport has a dedicated cargo centre on the eastern side of the complex. The cargo centre is one of the largest facilities in India with a total floor space of 11,000 m2 (120,000 sq ft) in 20 hectares (50 acres) of land. There are three complexes in the cargo village:
The Centre for Dry Cargo (CDC), with an area of 4,600 m2 (50,000 sq ft), has a dedicated warehousing facility and air-customs inspection facility for both import and export.[40]
The Centre for Perishable Cargo (CPC) is the largest dedicated cold storage centre for perishable goods in India. It has a floor area of about 2,000 m2 (22,000 sq ft) and can handle approximately 25,000 tonnes of cargo. It was commissioned in 2008 at a cost of ₹380 million (US$5.5 million) jointly by CIAL, Government of India through Agricultural and Food Promotion Export Development Authority (APEDA), and Government of Kerala.[41][unreliable source?]
The Transshipment Cargo Complex is a dedicated warehouse allocated for transshipment cargo. The import and export cargo from the customs warehouses in the catchment area, as well as from airports like Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore, etc., are handled and stored at this centre for export.[40]
In addition, an exclusive domestic cargo complex has also been constructed for private domestic logistics firms and India Post services.
Air traffic controlEdit
The air traffic control (ATC) tower is 60 m (200 ft) tall. Cochin ATC controls flights below an altitude of 7,800 m (25,500 ft). The airport has two instrument landing systems (ILS) using distance measuring equipment (DME) which enable flights to land from both sides of the runway even in rough weather conditions. CIAL is the only airport in the country besides the airport in metros to have such facility.[42] The ATC uses Doppler VHF omni range I and II.[43]
Large-scale upgrades such as the latest AIRCON 2100 air traffic control automation system were also introduced.[44]
Airport surveillance radarEdit
The Airports Authority of India has installed an advanced airport surveillance radar (ASR) as well as monopulse secondary surveillance radar (MSSR).[45][46] In addition, a surface movement radar was installed for effective monitoring of flights in the runway and parking bays.[47]
RunwayEdit
Cochin International Airport has one 3400m long runway oriented as 27/09, which can handle Code E planes. It has a full-length parallel taxiway of 3,400 m (11,200 ft). The 807 m × 125 m (2,648 ft × 410 ft) apron comprising 16 stands can accommodate five wide bodied and eight narrow bodied aircraft.[48][49][50] The runway is spread over the panchayat areas of Nedumbasserry, Sreemoolanagaram and Kanjoor.
Cochin Airport has one helipad for dedicated use of helicopters, meant for air-taxi purposes. Plans for constructing a heliport is underway.[51]
Naval Air EnclaveEdit
Naval Air Enclave at the airport
The Indian Navy has set up a Naval Aircraft Enclave at Cochin International Airport Ltd. (CIAL). The Naval Aircraft Enclave comprises a hangar for bigger aircraft of the Navy, administrative office, disbursal centre, apron capable of holding 2 Boeing type aircraft (P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft) and a taxi track. The Naval Aircraft Enclave at Cochin airport is the second such facility of the Navy attached to an international airport, after Mumbai. It is the first public-private participation model airport to hand over land to the Navy for such a facility.
Construction began in 2013 on 4 hectares (10 acres) of Navy-owned land at the airport.[52][53]
Indian Coast Guard Air EnclaveEdit
The Indian Coast Guard has taken space in CIAL to develop its second air squadron in Kochi after INS Garuda facility to improve coastal air surveillance and air related assistance.
The facility comprises 2 hangars to accommodate the Chetak helicopter squadron, and the Dornier squadron along with advanced light helicopters are expected to be based here. The Air Enclave would have a 50m taxi link to the runway at CIAL and would consist of aircraft hangars, technical areas and administrative buildings. which is towards last phase of construction.[54]
Airlines and destinationsEdit
PassengerEdit
Air Arabia Sharjah
AirAsia Kuala Lumpur–International
AirAsia India Bangalore, Mumbai
Air India Bangalore,[55] Chennai, Delhi, Dubai–International, Jeddah, Mumbai, Riyadh, Thiruvananthapuram
Air India Express Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Bangalore,[56] Dubai–International, Doha, Kozhikode, Madurai, Muscat, Salalah, Sharjah, Singapore, Thiruvananthapuram
Alliance Air Agatti, Bangalore, Mysore
Arkia Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion (begins 27 September 2019)[57]
Emirates Dubai–International
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
flydubai Dubai–International
GoAir Ahmedabad, Delhi, Hyderabad(resumes 7 Aug 2019), Jaipur, Mumbai
Gulf Air Bahrain
IndiGo Abu Dhabi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Doha, Dubai–International, Goa, Hubli, Hyderabad, Kannur, Kolkata, Kuwait,[58] Malé,[59] Mumbai, Nagpur,[60] Pune, Tiruchirappalli, Thiruvananthapuram
Jazeera Airways Kuwait
Kuwait Airways Kuwait
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International[61]
Malindo Air Kuala Lumpur–International
Oman Air Muscat
Qatar Airways Doha
Saudia Jeddah, Riyadh
Scoot Singapore (ends 27 October 2019)[62]
SilkAir Singapore
SpiceJet Chennai, Delhi, Dubai–International, Malé, Mumbai, Pune, Port Blair
SriLankan Airlines Colombo
Thai AirAsia Bangkok–Don Mueang
Vistara Delhi
Refs.
Blue Dart Aviation Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai
FitsAir Chennai, Colombo
Qatar Airways Cargo Colombo, Doha
Saudia Cargo Dammam
Top 10 domestic destinationsEdit
Busiest domestic routes from COK (2019)[63]
1 Mumbai Air Asia India, Air India, Go Air, Indigo, Spicejet
2 New Delhi Air India, Go Air, Indigo, Spicejet, Vistara
3 Bangalore Air Asia India, Air India, Air India Express, Indigo
4 Chennai Air India, Indigo, Spicejet
5 Ahmedabad Go Air, Indigo
6 Hyderabad Go Air, Indigo
7 Pune Indigo, SpiceJet
8 Kolkata Indigo
9 Guwahati Indigo
10 Thiruvananthapuram Air India, Indigo
SecurityEdit
Cochin International Airport is listed among the 12 major airports of India. Its safety and security is handled by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security through the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Cochin was the third international airport and the first private airport in the country to come under the cover of CISF in 2001,[citation needed] after the Government of India decided to hand over airport security to CISF in the wake of the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814. Security was handled by the Kerala Police; Special Branch of Kochi Police before the CISF. The airport company's Aviation Safety Wing (ASW) oversees security facilities and equipment. The ASW is also responsible for fire and emergency services.
Security management training is provided by CIAL's Aviation Academy and personnel are employed by the company as security agents – deployed in baggage screening rooms, entry gates, the general cargo area and the lounge areas. CIAL ASW employs Army-trained sniffer dogs to check for explosives in baggage areas, the only Indian airport to have such a facility.[64] CIAL has introduced three state-of-the-art ION scanning detectors that can identify small amounts of material, down to nanograms, of explosives.[65]
The airport is under the direct protection of the Kochi City Police, who have a station outside the terminal. CISF maintains two armed squadrons and one bomb detection and disposal squad.[66] CISF has a command center 250 metres outside the terminal, with an intelligence division and mobilization cell. The air customs division operates a narcotics detection squad in the terminal. The CIAL ASWs are working on installing a fully automated perimeter intrusion detection system that will detect any possible violation, using sensors that will provide critical time for the security forces to react. Phase one of the intrusion prevention system is in place with barricades, automatic retractable bollards, surveillance cameras, parking gate management systems and the introduction of biometric ID cards for staff.[67]
The immigration department is handled by Kerala Police, Special Branch officials trained by the Bureau of Immigration.[68]
The airport company also has a high-end robotic security system capable of remote-handling of explosive devices and fire-fighting and hostage situations . The system is operational from September 2014, making CIAL the first in South India to have such a facility. It comprises safety robots developed by Canada-based Pedsco Ltd. and Threat Containment Vessel (TCV) and sophisticated luggage containment vehicle — both developed by Nabco, USA. The main equipment of the system is a threat containment vessel (TCV) carried by robots, which is capable of containing a blast of minimum 8 kg of TNT or equivalent quantity of explosive, triggered by suspected luggage including chemicals, radioactive materials and bombs. The container is reusable as it withstands repeated detonations and size of the TCV can be adjusted with the size of the suspected baggage.In addition to TCV, the technology also comprises a remote mobile Investigator (RMI)-9WT, which is a multipurpose six-wheel vehicle with removable tracks for step climbing capability. Using fixed arm extenders, the robot can be configured for different applications such as under car searches and second-storey window access.[69]
Since 2008, CIAL has been the first airport to venture into providing higher education in aviation management and technical areas to overcome the shortage of skilled manpower in the aviation industry.[70] CIASL has teamed up with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to start two schools in aviation education.
CIAL Aviation Academy provides two-year management degrees in aviation and airport management, operations, economics, finance and human resources, along with short-term aviation oriented vocational diplomas. The academy also trains technical manpower required for airport operations. Air India Express has its temporary stewards grooming and training center in the facility.[71][72]
Aviation Security Training Institute — The Aviation Security Training Institute (ASTI), envisioned by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has been inaugurated in February 2014. The institute has state-of-the-art facilities like X-ray simulators (21), explosive model room, two classrooms with LCD projectors and other training infrastructures. Explosive model rooms display different types of switch mechanism to trigger explosion. Library consists of CDs, catering to International Civil Aviation With the establishment of ASTI in Kochi, employees and management personnel from Mangalore, Kozhikode, Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai and Thiruvananthapuram airports can take training here. Employees of the proposed Kannur international airport are also likely to be trained here.[73]
Ground transportationEdit
CIAL is located between National Highway 544 (NH 544), one of the main highways of South India and the Main Central Road (MC Road), one of the State Highways of Kerala. An expressway is planned from NH 49 to the MC Road to facilitate faster transport.[74] Though the main railway line is only about 500 metres from the airport, the nearest station is Angamaly about 8 km away.
Air-taxi servicesEdit
Cochin airport has dedicated air-taxi services for passengers to travel to major pilgrim destinations in Kerala as well as to cities like Trivandrum and in northern Kerala like Kozhikode.[citation needed] In association with Bharat Airways, it provides scheduled air-taxi services to Sabarimala.[75]
BusesEdit
Buses are the primary means to connect the airport with major parts of the city. Services are mainly operated by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation which operates two classes of bus service. The nearest bus stations are Angamaly bus depot and Aluva Rajiv Gandhi Municipal bus station from where local, long-distance and inter-state buses operate.
Transportation Network/Ride-sharing [app-based]Edit
Rides on Uber or Ola can be booked via their dedicated apps. Rides commence at designated points that are marked in their apps. They offer multiple choices of cars including hatchbacks, sedans and SUVs. They offer InterCity rides from Cochin airport, allowing passengers to ride beyond Ernakulam district to other major cities of Kerala.
TaxisEdit
Cochin airport manages a fleet of its own cabs, operating as the Cochin Airport Taxi Society (CATS), providing prepaid and regular cab facilities. CATS taxis can be booked at prepaid counters in the arrivals sections of both the international and domestic terminals.
HelicopterEdit
Chipsan Aviation air charter services operating Helitaxi service from the airport to the various locations. Booking counter at domestic terminals.
CIAL AerotropolisEdit
One of the future projects for the airport is the CIAL Aerotropolis, or Airport City, with a total area of 202 hectares (500 acres).[76][77] The Aerotropolis was proposed by its founder, V.J. Kurien, to ensure additional revenue sources for the growth of the company and to increase airport traffic through tourism and allied activities. The proposed Aerotropolis will be in Nedumbassery and nearby villages, aiming to convert into a self-sustainable town, with the airport forming the core element with a residential zone. Work on the Aerotropolis commenced in 2007.[citation needed]
A part of the Solar Plant powering the Cochin International Airport
Manufacturing and business zoneEdit
The master plan envisages the creation of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for aircraft-allied industries, especially spare parts and OEM manufacturing units, an airline research and development center, workshops and service zones. In addition to this an Information Technology Park, with dedicated airline support technology, design and development centers is also proposed. An integrated logistics center and central container freight station are planned at the cargo village.[78]
CIAL's proposal for establishing the SEZ was approved by the Board of Approval of SEZs in 2008; however, work is yet to start due to the global recession. The project is estimated to begin by August 2011.
CIAL solar power projectEdit
CIAL Solar Power Project is a 15 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power station built by CIAL. Cochin International Airport became the first fully solar-powered airport in the world with the commissioning of the plant.[79][80]
The plant comprises 46,150 solar panels laid across 18 ha (45 acres) near the international cargo complex. The plant has been installed by the Germany-based M/s Bosch Ltd. It is capable of generating 50,000 units of electricity daily, and is equipped with a supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA), through which remote monitoring is carried out. The project components include PV modules of 265Wp capacity manufactured by Renesola, and inverters of 1MW capacity manufactured by ABB India.[81]
The plant is coupled with a 1.1 MW solar plant that was commissioned in 2013, the first megawatt scale installation of Solar PV system in the state of Kerala. This plant was installed by Emvee Photovoltaic Power Pvt. Ltd., consisting of 4,000 monocrystalline modules of 250Wp and 33 string inverters of 30 kW capacity each.[82]
CIAL plans to double the solar production to 28.8 MW of power production within 2 years as part an ambitious plan to expand solar power with 3 major projects which are on construction stages. The first will come up over a 3.4 km-long (2.1 mi) canal near to the airport, the second is through development of India's first solar carport roof utility plan and the third will use ground level panels on open space near the airport.[83]
IncidentsEdit
On 25 April 2010, Emirates Flight EK 530, a Boeing 777-200 from Dubai, dropped around 61 metres (200 ft) during heavy turbulence as the aircraft entered a thick cumulonimbus cloud while on its descent. 20 passengers were injured and some internal damage was caused to the plane. The aircraft was on descent into Kochi when the incident occurred. There were 350 passengers and 14 crew on board.[84]
On 25 August 2011, a 13-year-old boy was found roaming around the runway area, raising questions about the security system of the airport.[85]
On 29 August 2011, Gulf Air Flight GF 270, an Airbus 320 from Bahrain, carrying 137 passengers skidded off the runway at 3.55 am during its descent. The reason for the crash is suspected to be the heavy rain at the time. The aircraft had been said to have slipped off the runway and landed nose first. The aircraft broke one of its wings while landing and stalled air traffic for hours. Passengers after the crash, in chaos, were reported to have jumped from the aircraft through emergency exit doors even before stairways were brought into place. The crash caused seven minor injuries and two serious injuries due to the chaos that followed.[86]
On 4 September 2017, Air India Express Flight IX 452, a Boeing 737-800 which arrived from Abu Dhabi, got stuck in the drain canal while taxiing to the international terminal after landing. Passengers and crew were safely evacuated. The incident happened when the pilot took a wrong turn from the parallel taxiway, almost 90 meters before the link taxiway through which the aircraft was supposed to vacate.[87]
2018 Kerala floodsEdit
As a consequence of 2018 Kerala floods, the airport was closed 14–29 August 2018. Water in the Periyar, which flows 500 metres (1,640 ft) away from the airport, rose to 1,433 mm (4.7 ft) during these days.[88] The runway and other facilities were non-functional due to excessive flooding and inclement weather.[89] Flights to Kochi were diverted to and were operating from other airports in the state like Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.[90][91][92] From 20 August 2018, INS Garuda (a naval airbase in Kochi) was used as a civilian airport for small aircraft operations to neighbouring cities like Bangalore, Chennai, and Coimbatore.[93][94][95] The airport reopened on 29 August 2018, 14:00 Indian Standard Time (UTC+05:30).[96] It suffered an estimated loss of ₹3 billion (US$43 million) during the closed period.[97][98][99]
Awards and accoladesEdit
Cochin International Airport has received numerous awards and accolades over the course of period. The airport achieved major international recognition in 2015 when it became the first fully solar-powered airport in the world. In 2017, it also became the first airport in the world to implement a solar carport, a parking bay with rooftop solar panels. The airport was selected as "the best non-metro airport in India" in 2016 by the Air Passengers Association of India.[100] The airport has also won numerous awards for energy conservation, productivity and infrastructure.[101] In July 2018, the airport was selected for the coveted Champion of the Earth award, the highest environmental honour instituted by the United Nations.[10]
Trivandrum International Airport
Calicut International Airport
Kannur International Airport
Aranmula International Airport
Sabarigiri International Airport
Quilon Aerodrome
Agatti Airport
List of busiest airports in India by passenger traffic
^ "Traffic News for the month of March 2018: Annexure-III" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. 1 May 2018. p. 4. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
^ "Traffic News for the month of March 2018: Annexure-II" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. 1 May 2018. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
^ "Traffic News for the month of March 2018: Annexure-IV" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. 1 May 2018. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
^ "Kochi airport is the first aviation venture owned by the public". rediff.com. 6 December 1999. Archived from the original on 20 January 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2007.
^ a b "Crore plus transit CIAL in 2018-19; domestic travellers exceed international". The New Indian Express. 8 April 2019.
^ "Cochin International Airport's new terminal to open in March". Deccan Chronicle. 28 January 2017.
^ "Cochin International Airport new T3: From solar power to world-class facilities, this Kerala airport is special". Financial Express. 18 July 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
^ "Cochin International Airport set to become worlds's first fully solar-powered major airport". LiveMint. Kochi, India. 18 August 2015.
^ Menon, Supriya. "How is the world's first solar powered airport faring? - BBC News". Bbc.com. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
^ a b "CIAL chosen for UN environmental honour". The New Indian Express. 26 July 2018.
^ [1] Archived 7 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
^ The origin of INS Venduruthy can be traced to 31 August 1939, when a small naval contingent was positioned in Kochi under Royal Indian Navy Captain L. Wadeson, who assumed the duties of Naval Officer-in-Charge, Cochin. http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/02/stories/2010070250590200.htm
^ "Kerala / Kochi News : INS Venduruthy celebrates anniversary". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 24 June 2006. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
^ "The Official Website of Cochin International Airport". Cial.aero. 30 March 1994. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
^ "CIAL – A NOVEL VENTURE IN INDIAN CIVIL AVIATION". Government of India, Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
^ "CIAL: Corporate Project Details". CIAL. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
^ "GOVERNANCE ISSUES IN AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT: LEARNINGS FROM COCHIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LTD" (PDF). IIM Ahmedabad. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
^ "A Brief History". CIAL. Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
^ "Exclusive terminal for International arrivals". 14 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 December 2010.
^ Travel & Tourism Newsletter, hotels, airlines, destination – January 2007 Archived 31 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine "Phase 3 expansion". 14 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 December 2010.
^ "New international departure terminal to be opened soon". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 22 October 2008. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
^ "Flights to Kochi airport to be rescheduled". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 18 March 2008. Archived from the original on 28 October 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
^ "Capabilities". Cochin International Aviation Services. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
^ "About CIAL Overview". Cochin International Airport. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
^ "Rs.100 crore for airport expansion". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 30 January 2009. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
^ "Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) - Airport Details". AERA. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
^ "State-of-the-art terminal at CIAL soon — Kochi — The Hindu". thehindu. Chennai, India. 16 December 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
^ "CIAL to have new International terminal — Kochi — The Hindu". business-standard.com. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
^ "New terminal at CIAL soon — Kochi — The Hindu Business Line". thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
^ "CM: New international terminal for Kochi airport — National — news — Business Standard". Ibnlive.in.com. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
^ "CIAL". Cial.aero. 1 February 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
^ "Finance Accounts 2008–09, Govt of Kerala" (PDF). Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
^ a b "Cochin airport to go for initial public offering". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 9 February 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
^ "Investor Info". CIAL. Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
^ "Welcome to Cochin International Airport...The travel friendly airport!". CIAL Ltd. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
^ a b c "Ethnic charm awaits travellers at Cochin International Airport". The New Indian Express. 16 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
^ a b "World's largest carport in Kochi". Deccan Chronicle. 9 February 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
^ "The Official Website of Cochin International Airport". Cial.aero. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
^ a b c d "Cochin International Airport - Terminal 3" (PDF). CIAL. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
^ a b Cargo facilities at Cochin Airport Archived 1 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Cochin Airport to have largest perishable cargo centre in India". Freshplaza.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
^ "Cochin International Airport Ltd installs second Instrument Landing System". Deccan Chronicle. 11 May 2018.
^ "The Official Website of Cochin International Airport". Cial.aero. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
^ "New radar to be commissioned at Kochi airport Friday". IBN Live. Press Trust of India. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
^ "Airports Authority of India". Aai.aero. 30 January 2012. Archived from the original on 24 June 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
^ "New radar for Kochi airport in 6 months". The Times of India. 3 September 2011.
^ "CIAL to install radar at airport". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 29 September 2011.
^ "Kochi Airport (COK) Details — India". World-airport-codes.com. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
^ "Kochi (COK) - Airport details". Theairdb.com. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
^ Heli taxi service launched at Kochi airport The New Indian Express "Helipad at Kochi airport". 14 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 December 2010.
^ "Aircraft enclave for Navy at Cial — Times Of India". Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
^ Our Bureau (10 April 2013). "CIAL to have Naval Aircraft Enclave | Business Line". Thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
^ Posted by chacko Joseph (9 January 2010). "Brute Gorilla: Foundation Stone Laying Of Indian Coast Guard Air Enclave, Kochi". Brutegorilla.blogspot.in. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
^ "Air India timetable". airindia.in. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
^ "Air India Express schedules". airindiaexpress.in. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ "Arkia to launch 2 Israel - India routes". Globes. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
^ "IndiGo New Flights". goindigo.in. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
^ "IndiGo New Flights". goindigo.in. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
^ https://www.goindigo.in/information/new-flights.html
^ "Malaysia Airlines Reinstates Kochi". Malaysia Airlines. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
^ 2018, UBM (UK) Ltd. "Scoot / Silk Air 2019 network adjustment as of 30NOV18". Routesonline.
^ Statistics – Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India) 8 March 2018
^ Passenger Terminal Today Archived 15 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine "Sniffer dogs at airport". 14 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 December 2010.
^ CIAL introduces The New Indian Express "ION scanning detectors". 14 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 December 2010.
^ KERALA. "BDDS to enhance security at Cochin airport - KERALA". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
^ "Enhanced security equipment at Cochin airport". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 19 January 2010. Archived from the original on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
^ Radhakrishnan, S. Anil (15 June 2010). "Airport facing lack of immigration officials". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
^ "Robotic security for Kochi airport". The Hindu. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
^ "CIAL academy". The Times of India. 9 March 2009. Archived from the original on 23 July 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
^ "Aviation academy: CIAL ties up with IGNOU". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 11 March 2009. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
^ Cochin International Aviation Services Ltd Archived 23 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine "Cochin International Aviation Services Ltd". 14 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 December 2010.
^ Mampilli, Joseph (23 January 2014). "Aviation Security Training Institute to be Ready Soon". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
^ Expressway to the airport Archived 14 December 2010 at WebCite "Expressway to the airport". 14 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 December 2010.
^ Helicopter service launched for pilgrims in Kochi "Helicopter service launched for pilgrims in Kochi". 14 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 December 2010.
^ [2] CIAL Aertropolis
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 January 2012. Retrieved 2011-12-25. CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link) CIAL.AERO
^ Kochi Aerotropolis Archived 12 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine "Kochi Aerotropolis". 14 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 December 2010.
^ "How is the world's first solar powered airport faring?". BBC news. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
^ Crew, Bec (20 August 2015). "India Establishes World's First 100 Percent Solar-Powered Airport". report. scienceAlert. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
^ "Kochi airport installs 12MW solar plant". The Hindu business line. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
^ "CIAL all set to become the first solar powered airport in the country". Retrieved 13 August 2016.
^ Times News Network (6 July 2016). "Cial places three more solar bets - Times of India". Times of India. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
^ 'Emirates pilot couldn't avoid Cumulonimbus cloud'- TIMESNOW.tv – Latest Breaking News, Big News Stories, News Videos Archived 28 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine "Emirates pilot couldn't avoid Cumulonimbus cloud". 14 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 December 2010.
^ "Boy trespasses into Kochi Airport — southindia — Kochi — ibnlive". Ibnlive.in.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
^ Gulf Air skids off runway at Kochi Airport NDTV, 29 August 2011
^ "Air India Express aircraft veers off taxiway at Kochi airport, all passengers safe". The Indian Express. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
^ "After being shut for 15 days due to floods, Kochi airport finally reopens". The News Minute. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
^ "Kerala floods: Kochi airport to remain closed till August 26 afternoon - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
^ "Kochi Airport Shut Till Saturday, Flights Diverted to Calicut and Thiruvananthapuram". News18. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
^ "Reschedule Kochi flights to Trivandrum and Calicut, Centre tells airlines - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
^ "Kerala floods: GoAir, IndiGo to operate special flights to and from Trivandrum airport - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
^ Chowdhury, Anirban; Krishnakumar, P. K. (21 August 2018). "Naval air base at Kochi opened up for commercial flights". The Economic Times. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
^ "Alliance Air to fly ATR to Kochi naval airbase from Monday, other airlines may follow suit - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
^ "Alliance Air To Operate Flights From Kochi Naval Base For Rescue Ops". NDTV.com. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
^ "Kochi airport reopens after 15 days of closure". The Hindu. Special Correspondent. 30 August 2018. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 31 August 2018. CS1 maint: others (link)
^ "Kerala floods: Kochi airport suffers estimated loss of over Rs 220 crore". The Economic Times. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
^ "How Kochi airport reopened in 14 days after floods caused Rs 300 cr-worth loss". The News Minute. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
^ "CIAL seeks Dutch help to tackle flood at the airport". Deccan Chronicle. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
^ "National award for Cochin international airport". Deccan Chronicle. 30 August 2016.
^ "About CIAL". Cochin International Airport. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
Media related to Cochin International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
Cochin International Airport at Airports Authority of India web site
Cochin Airport Official Website
Airport information for VOCI at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
Accident history for COK at Aviation Safety Network
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cochin_International_Airport&oldid=906066092"
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Cocoa is a city in Brevard County, Florida. The population was 17,140 at the 2010 United States Census.[2] It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
City of Cocoa
Top row: Cocoa Welcome sign; Bottom row: Cocoa City Hall
Location in Brevard County and the state of Florida
Council-Manager
Henry U. Parrish, III
• City Manager
John Titkanich, Jr.
15.41 sq mi (39.91 km2)
2.07 sq mi (5.36 km2)
36 ft (11 m)
1,389.31/sq mi (536.40/km2)
www.CocoaFL.org
Several stories circulate among Cocoa old timers as to how the town got its name. One story says that the mail used to come by river boat and was placed in an empty tin box labeled Baker's Cocoa. The box was nailed to a piling in the river next to downtown. Additionally, an early hotel in the area, located on the Indian River lagoon, was named Cocoa House.[6]
In 1885, the S. F. Travis Hardware store opened. It is still in business in 2014.[7] Cocoa's business district was mostly destroyed by fire in 1890. But soon, significant development was stimulated by the extension of the Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Indian River Railway to Cocoa.[citation needed]
The city was chartered in 1895.[8] In the winter of 1894-1895, Cocoa had an economic setback when the "Great Freeze" destroyed the citrus crop and forced many citrus workers to seek new jobs. According to one source, by 1903, the population of Cocoa had dropped to 382.
During the second decade of the 20th century, population growth and economic development in Cocoa accelerated. The state business directory of 1911-1912 set the population at 550. By 1925, the population was estimated at 1,800. During the Great Depression, the local economy declined and the two local banks failed. Still, by 1930, the population had risen to 2,200.[citation needed]
The population rose dramatically following the development of the space industry, quadrupling from 3,098 in 1940 to 12,244 in 1960. Cocoa and the surrounding area also became integrated with the tourist industry for the first time, as thousands visited the area to witness the launches from Cape Canaveral. By 1980, the population had grown to 16,096.[9]
Education was segregated until the 1960s, at which time Monroe High School and elementary schools for black students were closed.[10]
In 1964, the Cocoa Expo Sports Center (Cocoa Stadium) was built for the Colt 45s spring baseball training and Grapefruit League games. The team later became the Houston Astros.[11] In the early 1980s, the city attempted to upgrade the stadium by asking the Astros to pay for needed repairs. In 1985, the team responded by moving its training to Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. As a result, it was decided that future negotiations with major league teams would be done by the county government.
Clearlake Middle School was closed in 2013. Students were moved to Cocoa High School, which was converted to a junior and senior high school.[12]
In 2018, Cocoa was listed as the 11th most dangerous city in America by the National Council for Home Safety and Security. [2]
The Hubert H. Humphrey Bridge spans the Indian River Lagoon, linking Cocoa with Merritt Island.
Cocoa is located at 28°22′10″N 80°44′38″W / 28.369334°N 80.743779°W / 28.369334; -80.743779.[13]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.4 square miles (39.9 km2). 13.3 square miles (34.5 km2) of it is land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2) of it (13.46%) is water.[14] Cocoa is home to the highest point in Brevard County, listed by the USGS as being 83 feet (25 m) above sea level at its apex.[15]
The Cocoa Bird Count has annually counted species of birds in or near Cocoa since 1950. In 2010, it counted 150 species. There was an annual "Christmas Bird Count" before this, starting in 1900.[16]
GovernmentEdit
Cocoa first approved the Council-Manager form of government in 1959, and subsequent changes to the state statutes mirrored the City of Cocoa's Council-Manager Plan. The City Council serves as the Board of Directors for the City, with the Mayor as Chairman. The City Manager serves as the Chief Executive. The City Council for the City of Cocoa is made up of five members; the Mayor is elected at large and the four council members are elected by each of their districts.
Mayor - Henry U. Parrish, III[clarification needed]
Councilman, District 1 - Michael Blake
Councilwoman, District 2 - Brenda Warner
Councilman, District 3 - Don Boisvert
Councilman, District 4 - Tyler Furbish
City Manager (appointed) - John Titkanich, Jr.[17]
Downtown, now called "Cocoa Village", has been revitalized by funding for public infrastructure through the Cocoa Redevelopment Agency, City and private investment.
In 2007, the city had a taxable real estate base of $1.18 billion.[18]
Cocoa has its own fire department with three stations. There is a county fire department within the city limits.[19]
In 2015 there were 69 police officers and 44 firemen.
DemographicsEdit
Est. 2017 18,532 [3] 8.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[20]
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 16,412 people, 6,939 households, and 4,232 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.3 inhabitants per square mile (849.4/km2). There were 8,064 housing units at an average density of 1,081.1 per square mile (417.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 62.47% White, 32.28% African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 1.58% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.93% of the population.
There were 6,939 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.0% were married couples living together, 19.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city, the population was distributed as follow: 26.4% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
Cocoa Riverfront Park; Emory Bennett statue
Personal incomeEdit
According to the 2013 American Community Survey:
Median household income = $32,162
Median family income = $40,252
Median income for males = $45,274
Median income for females = $28,779
Per capita income = $20,350
Below the poverty line:
Population = 27.1%
IndustryEdit
In 2008, Kel-Tec CNC Industries, located in Cocoa, was the third-largest manufacturer of pistols in the United States.[21][22] Cocoa has 1,198 registered businesses that include light manufacturing and industrial, retail and office businesses.[citation needed]
WorkforceEdit
In 2015, 7,813 persons were employed, with 84% having a high school education or higher.
Tourism is high in the downtown historic business district. Cruise passenger tourists come from Port Canaveral on excursions or day trips.[citation needed] In addition, tourists are attracted to the historic sites and local attractions such as the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science, the Eastern Florida State College Planetarium and Observatory, Historic Cocoa Village, the Florida Historical Society, Indian River Queen (excursion boat), Indian River Drive scenic by-pass, the Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse, Historic Porcher House, and Riverfront Park. Historic Cocoa Village has shopping and two Golden Spoon award-winning restaurants, and boutiques. The city sponsors more than 50 special events each year.[citation needed]
The city area has the following educational institutions:
Eastern Florida State College - Cocoa Campus[23]
University of Central Florida, Cocoa Campus[24]
Public school system:
Cocoa High School[25]
Cambridge Elementary School[26]
Saturn Elementary School[27]
Endeavor Elementary Magnet School[28]
Private schools:
Emma Jewel Charter Academy[29]
St. Marks Episcopal Academy[30]
TransportationEdit
Major roadsEdit
All are at least four-lane roads, unless otherwise designated.
SR 520. 25,000 vehicles/day drive through downtown Cocoa.[31]
RailEdit
The Florida East Coast Railway runs through Cocoa. A planned Virgin Trains USA higher speed rail expansion is designed to connect Orlando to Miami making a turn in Cocoa (designated the "Cocoa Curve").
BusEdit
Space Coast Area Transit operates a public bus service in Cocoa and vicinity.[32][33]
WaterEdit
Since 1957, Cocoa has supplied the communities of central Brevard County with potable water. Cocoa made major investments in the water supply and treatment facilities needed to produce a sub-regional water system.
In 2017, Cocoa provided an average of 23,000,000 US gallons (87,000,000 l; 19,000,000 imp gal) of water daily to over 80,000 customers (250,000 people)[34] in Cocoa, Rockledge, Port St. John, Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Suntree/Viera, Patrick Air Force Base, Kennedy Space Center and Port Canaveral.
Cocoa's water system includes the wellfield and raw water collection system, Wewahootee Water Treatment Plant, transmission mains, and the Dyal Water Treatment Plant (WTP). Cocoa's drinking water sources include the Floridian Aquifer, Intermediate Aquifer, Taylor Creek Reservoir, and Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wells. All of these facilities are located in east Orange County. A distribution system and storage pumping facilities are located in Brevard County.
The Dyal WTP processes about nine billion gallons per year, with peak flows reaching 38 million gallons per day (mgd) during the summer. Daily flows average 25 mgd. The Dyal WTP is unusual for Central Florida because it is capable of treating both ground and surface water.
The flag was originally painted on the water tower free of charge by a Greek immigrant. He wanted to decorate the tower in time for the United States Bicentennial celebration in 1976.[35] In 2014, the City re-furbished and re-painted the tower with the iconic American Flags.
Radio stationsEdit
WMMV 1350 AM
WWBC 1510 AM
WMIE-FM 91.5
WJFP 93.9 FM
WRRQ-LP 96.9 FM
Television stationEdit
WUCF-TV 68, a PBS member station operated by a consortium of the University of Central Florida and Eastern Florida State College.
Points of interestEdit
Florida Solar Energy Center
Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science
Alma Clyde Field Library of Florida History[36]
Historic sitesEdit
Aladdin Theater
Aladdin Theater (also known as Cocoa Playhouse)
Community Woman's Club
Historic Derby Street Chapel
Porcher House
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
Porcher House in Cocoa Village
The Houston Astros held spring training in Cocoa from 1964 through 1984, and the Florida Marlins trained in Cocoa in 1993. Cocoa Stadium was also the long-time home of the Florida State League Cocoa Astros.
In 2009, the Space Coast Surge, a member of the Florida Winter Baseball League, had Cocoa Stadium as its home stadium.[37] The league suspended operations in November 2009.[38]
Cocoa High School has numerous state champion athletic teams. In 2015, the Cocoa High School football team was ranked 13th in the State of Florida and 1st in the county and had a 35-game winning streak against other Brevard County schools.
Notable peopleEdit
Jumaine Jones, professional basketball player [39]
Tarean Folston, football player at the University of Notre Dame [40]
Emory L. Bennett, United States Army soldier during the Korean War and Medal of Honor recipient.[41] A statue of him is in Cocoa Riverfront Park.
Sister cityEdit
Beit Shemesh, State of Israel. On October 7, 2007, the city became a sister city with Beit Shemesh.[42] Eastern Florida State College announced that it would participate by exchanging students.
^ "2017 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Sep 20, 2018.
^ a b "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Cocoa city, Florida". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
^ a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved March 24, 2018.
^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
^ Mike Miller (2016). "Cocoa Florida from the Civil War to the Space Age". Florida Backroads Travel. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
^ "History". The S.F. Travis Company. 2014-02-26.
^ "History". cocoafl.org. 2010-01-17. Archived from the original on November 2, 2010.
^ History Archived 2010-10-21 at the Wayback Machine Cocoa, Fla. Official Website. Accessed on 2009-06-24.
^ Basu, Rebecca (14 March 2010). "Cocoa's class of 1950 shares life stories at reunion". Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 1D.
^ "Houston Astros Spring Training". Spring Training Online. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
^ "School Board Votes To Shutter Three Schools". Retrieved 3 February 2015.
^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Cocoa city, Florida". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
^ USGS, USGS (April 19, 2007). "High Point Height". USGS. Archived from the original on October 24, 2004. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
^ Winston, Keith (25 December 2010). "Brevard Naturally:Citizen scientists collect vital information". Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 4D.
^ Berman, David (November 27, 2011). "Cocoa pays manager $115,000". Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. pp. 1B.
^ Dean, James (April 26, 2008). More taxes or fewer services. Florida Today.
^ "The Fact Book". Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. March 26, 2011. p. 29.
^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
^ according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
^ [1] retrieved August 24, 2008 Archived May 12, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
^ Eastern Florida State College
^ Cocoa Campus
^ Cocoa High School
^ "Cambridge Elementary School". Edline. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
^ "Saturn Elementary School". Edline. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
^ "Endeavour Elementary Magnet". Edline. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
^ "Emma Jewel Charter Academy". Edline. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
^ "stmarksacademy". stmarksacademy. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
^ Rick Neale (2010-09-15). "'State of the System' identifies Brevard County's busiest roads". Florida Today. Florida Today. Missing or empty |url= (help)
^ Space Coast Area Transit official website Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Interactive System Map". Retrieved 3 February 2015.
^ Waymer, Jim (October 22, 2017). "How the system came undone". Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. pp. 8A. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
^ David Salisbury (1986-05-18). "What's The Answer?". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
^ "Libraries and Collections | Florida Journalism History Project". Uflib.ufl.edu. 2009-11-23. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
^ "車査定". Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
^ "Leesburg Daily Commercial article, November 19, 2009". Archived from the original on 2009-11-22. Retrieved 2009-11-22.
^ "Jumaine Lanard Jones". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
^ "Tarean Folston". UND.com. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
^ "Emory Bennett - Recipient - Military Times Hall Of Valor". militarytimes.com. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
^ Schaefer, Gayla. "Communities create ties: Cocoa, Israeli town become sister cities with ceremony", Florida Today, September 28, 2007. Accessed October 7, 2007. "As of Sunday, Oct. 7, the city of Cocoa and the city of Beit Shemesh, Israel will become sisters."
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Demographics of Africa
This article is about the contemporary demographics of Africans. For historical information, see List of ethnic groups of Africa.
"Africans" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Afrikaans.
The population of Africa has grown rapidly over the past century[1] and consequently shows a large youth bulge, further reinforced by a low life expectancy of below 50 years in some African countries.[2] Total population as of 2017 is estimated at more than 1.25 billion, with a growth rate of more than 2.5% p.a. The most populous African country is Nigeria with 191 million inhabitants as of 2017 and a growth rate of 2.6% p.a.[3]
36.4/sq km (2017 est.)
2.5% per annum (2017 est.)
Map of Africa indicating Human Development Index (2004).
above 0.950
under 0.300
Population growthEdit
Population of Africa 1955-2019
Source: Worldometers[4]
Most African countries have annual population growth rates above 2%.
Further information: Projections of population growth and Human overpopulation
Further information: List of African countries by population
As of 2016[update], the total population of Africa is estimated at 1.225 billion, representing 17% of the world's population.[3] According to UN estimates, the population of Africa may reach 2.5 billion by 2050 (about 26% of the world's total) and nearly 4.5 billion by 2100 (about 40% of the world's total).[3]
The population of Africa first surpassed one billion in 2009, with a doubling time of 27 years (growth rate 2.6% p.a.).[5]
Population growth has continued at almost the same pace, and total population is expected to surpass 2 billion by 2038 (doubling time 29 years, 2.4% p.a.).[3]
The reason for the uncontrolled population growth since the mid 20th century is the decrease of infant mortality and general increase of life expectancy without a corresponding reduction in fertility rate, due to a very limited use of contraceptives. Uncontrolled population growth threatens to overwhelm infrastructure development and crippling economic development.[6] Kenya and Zambia are pursuing programs to promote family planning in an attempt to curb growth rates.[7]
The extreme population growth in Africa is driven by East Africa, Middle Africa and West Africa, which regions are projected to more than quintuple their populations over the 21st century. The most extreme of these is Middle Africa, with an estimated population increase by 680%, from less than 100 million in 2000 to more than 750 million in 2100 (more than half of this figure is driven by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, projected to increase from 47 million in 2000 to 379 million in 2100). Projected population growth is less extreme in Southern Africa and North Africa, which are expected, respectively, to not quite double and triple their populations over the same period.[3]
Life expectancy by region in 2016[8][9][10][11]
Population estimates by region (in billions):
Eastern Africa 0.26 0.89 (+242%, +2.5% p.a.) 1.58 (+507%, +1.8% p.a.)
Middle Africa 0.096 0.38 (+300%, +2.8% p.a.) 0.75 (+680%, +2.1% p.a.)
North Africa 0.17 0.36 (+112%, +1.5% p.a.) 0.47 (+176%, +1.0% p.a.)
Southern Africa 0.052 0.086 (+65%, +1.0% p.a.) 0.092 (+77%, +0.6% p.a.)
West Africa 0.24 0.81 (+238%, +2.5% p.a.) 1.58 (+558%, +1.9% p.a.)
Africa 0.82 2.53 (+209%, +2.3% p.a.) 4.47 (+454%, +1.7% p.a.)
World 6.15 9.77 (+60%, +0.9% p.a.) 11.18 (+82%, +0.6% p.a.)
HealthEdit
World map indicating infant mortality rates per 1000 births in 2006.[12]
Further information: HIV/AIDS in Africa
History of health care development in sub-Saharan AfricaEdit
In September 1987, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee announced the launching of the Bamako Initiative— chartered in response to financial issues occurring in the region during the 1980s, and with the aim of increasing access to vital medications through community involvement in revolving drug funds.[13][14] The 1987 Bamako Initiative conference, organized by the WHO was held in Bamako, the capital of Mali, and helped reshape the health policy of sub-Saharan Africa.[15] The meeting was attended by African Ministers of Health who advocated for improvement of healthcare access through the revitalization of primary healthcare.[13][14] The new strategy substantially increased accessibility through community-based healthcare reform, resulting in more efficient and equitable provision of services. The public health community within the region raised issues in response to the initiative, of which included: equity, access, affordability, integration issues, relative importance given to medications, management, dependency, logistics, and sustainability.[13] As a result of these critiques, the Initiative later transformed to address the increase of accessibility of health services, the enhancement of quality of health services, and the overall improvement of health system management.[13] A comprehensive approach strategy was extended to all areas of health care, with subsequent improvement in the health care indicators and improvement in health care efficiency and cost.[16][17]
Life expectancy in
Source: World Population Prospects[18]
Major health challengesEdit
The sub-Saharan African region experiences disproportionate rates of infectious and chronic diseases in comparison to other global regions.[19]
DiabetesEdit
Type 2 diabetes persists as an epidemic in the region posing a public health and socioeconomic crisis for sub-Saharan Africa. Scarcity of data for pathogenesis and subtypes for diabetes in sub-Saharan African communities has led to gaps in documenting epidemiology for the disease. High rates of undiagnosed diabetes in many countries leaves individuals at a high risk of chronic health complications, thus, posing a high risk of diabetes-related morbidity and mortality in the region.[20]
HIV/AIDSEdit
In 2011, sub-Saharan Africa was home to 69% of all people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.[21] In response, a number of initiatives have been launched to educate the public on HIV/AIDS. Among these are combination prevention programmes, considered to be the most effective initiative, the abstinence, be faithful, use a condom campaign, and the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation's outreach programs.[22] According to a 2013 special report issued by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the number of HIV positive people in Africa receiving anti-retroviral treatment in 2012 was over seven times the number receiving treatment in 2005, with an almost 1 million added in the last year alone.[23][24] The number of AIDS-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa in 2011 was 33 percent less than the number in 2005.[25] The number of new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa in 2011 was 25 percent less than the number in 2001.[25]
MalariaEdit
Malaria is an endemic illness in sub-Saharan Africa, where the majority of malaria cases and deaths worldwide occur.[26]
Maternal and infant mortalityEdit
Studies show that more than half of the world’s maternal deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa.[27][28] However, progress has been made in this area, as maternal mortality rates have decreased for multiple countries in the region by about half since 1990.[28] Additionally, the African Union in July 2003 ratified the Maputo Protocol, which pledges to prohibit female genital mutilation(FGM).[29]
The sub-Saharan African region alone accounts for about 45% of global infant and child mortalities. Studies have shown a relationship between infant survival and the education of mothers, as years of education positively correlate with infant survival rates. Geographic location is also a factor, as child mortality rates are higher in rural areas in comparison to urban regions.[30]
MeaslesEdit
Routine immunization has been introduced to countries within sub-Saharan Africa in order to prevent measles outbreaks within the region.[31]
Neglected tropical diseasesEdit
Neglected tropical diseases such as hookworm infection encompass some of the most common health conditions which affect an estimated 500 million individuals in the sub-Saharan African region.[32]
Non-communicable diseasesEdit
Results of Global Burden of Disease studies reveal that the age-standardized death rates of non-communicable diseases in at least four sub-Saharan countries including South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and Ethiopia supersede that of identified high-income countries.[19] Improvement in statistics systems and increase in epidemiological studies with in-depth analysis of disease risk factors could improve the understanding of non-communicable diseases (i.e.: diabetes, hypertension, cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, etc.) in sub-Saharan Africa as well as better inform decisions surrounding healthcare policy in the region.[19]
OnchocerciasisEdit
Onchocerciasis ("river blindness"), a common cause of blindness, is also endemic to parts of the region. More than 99% of people affected by the illness worldwide live in 31 countries therein.[33] In response, the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) was launched in 1995 with the aim of controlling the disease.[33]
TuberculosisEdit
Tuberculosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality on a global scale, especially in high HIV-prevalent populations in the sub-Saharan African region, with a high case fatality rate.[34]
National healthcare systemsEdit
National health systems vary between countries. In Ghana, most health care is provided by the government and largely administered by the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Services. The healthcare system has five levels of providers: health posts which are first level primary care for rural areas, health centers and clinics, district hospitals, regional hospitals and tertiary hospitals. These programs are funded by the government of Ghana, financial credits, Internally Generated Fund (IGF), and Donors-pooled Health Fund.[35]
A shortage of health professionals compounded by migration of health workers from sub-Saharan Africa to other parts of the world (namely English-speaking nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom) has negatively impacted productivity and efficacy of the region’s health systems.[36]
More than 85% of individuals in Africa use traditional medicine as an alternative to often expensive allopathic medical health care and costly pharmaceutical products. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) Heads of State and Government declared the 2000s decade as the African Decade on African Traditional Medicine in an effort to promote The WHO African Region’s adopted resolution for institutionalizing traditional medicine in health care systems across the continent.[37] Public policy makers in the region are challenged with consideration of the importance of traditional/indigenous health systems and whether their coexistence with the modern medical and health sub-sector would improve the equitability and accessibility of health care distribution, the health status of populations, and the social-economic development of nations within sub-Saharan Africa.[38]
Map of Africa colored according to the percentage of the adult (ages 15–49) population with HIV/AIDS.[39]
Life expectancy has fallen drastically in Southern Africa a result of HIV/AIDS.[40]
EthnicityEdit
Main article: List of ethnic groups of Africa
Further information: Languages of Africa
San man from Botswana.
Yoruba drummers in Kwara State, Nigeria (2004).
Mongo family in the Province of Équateur, DRC
Speakers of Bantu languages (part of the Niger–Congo family) predominate in southern, central and southeast Africa. The Bantu farmers from West Africa's inland savanna progressively expanded over most of Africa.[41] But there are also several Nilotic groups in South Sudan and East Africa, the mixed Swahili people on the Swahili Coast, and a few remaining indigenous Khoisan (San and Khoikhoi) and Pygmy peoples in southern and central Africa, respectively. Bantu-speaking Africans also predominate in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, and are found in parts of southern Cameroon. In the Kalahari Desert of Southern Africa, the distinct people known as the "San" have long been present. Together with the Khoikhoi, they form the Khoisan. The San are the pre-Bantu indigenous people of southern Africa, while Pygmies are the pre-Bantu indigenous African peoples of Central Africa.[42] The peoples of West Africa primarily speak Niger–Congo languages belonging mostly, though not exclusively, to its non-Bantu branches, though some Nilo-Saharan and Afroasiatic-speaking groups are also found. The Niger–Congo-speaking Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani, Akan and Wolof ethnic groups are the largest and most influential. In the central Sahara, Mandinka or Mande groups are most significant. Chadic-speaking groups, including the Hausa, are found in the more northerly parts of the region nearest to the Sahara and Nilo-Saharan communities such as the Kanuri,[43][44] Zarma[44] and Songhai[44][45] are present in eastern parts of West Africa bordering Central Africa.
The peoples of North Africa comprise three main groups: Berbers in the northwest, Egyptians and Libyans in northeast, and Nilo-Saharan-speaking peoples in the east. The Muslim settlers who arrived in the 7th century introduced the Arabic language and Islam to the region, initiating a process of linguistic Arabization of the region's inhabitants. The Semitic Phoenicians (who founded Carthage) and Hyksos, the Indo-Iranian Alans, the Indo-European Greeks, Romans and Vandals settled in North Africa as well. Berber-speaking populations still make significant communities within Morocco and Algeria and are still also present in smaller numbers in Tunisia and Libya.[46] The Berber-speaking Tuareg and other often-nomadic peoples are the principal inhabitants of the Saharan interior of North Africa. In Mauritania, there is a small Berber community and Niger–Congo-speaking peoples in the South, though in both regions Arabic and Arab culture predominates. In Sudan, although Arabic and Arab culture predominates, it is also inhabited by originally Nilo-Saharan-speaking groups such as the Nubians, Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa[47] who over the centuries have variously intermixed with migrants from the Arabian peninsula. Small communities of Afro-Asiatic-speaking Beja nomads can also be found in Egypt and Sudan.
Beja nomads from Northeast Africa
In the Horn of Africa, Afro-Asiatic-speaking groups predominate. Ethiopian and Eritrean groups like the Amhara and Tigrayans (collectively known as Habesha) speak languages from the Semitic branch of Afro-Asiatic language family, while the Oromo and Somali speak languages from the Cushitic branch of Afro-Asiatic. In southern Ethiopia and Eritrea, Nilotic peoples related to those in South Sudan are also found, while Bantu and Khoisan ethnic minorities inhabit parts of southern Somalia.
An Afrikaner family from South Africa, 1886.
Prior to the decolonization movements of the post-World War II era, Europeans were represented in every part of Africa.[48] Decolonisation during the 1960s and 1970s often resulted in the mass emigration of European-descended settlers out of Africa – especially from Algeria and Morocco (1.6 million pieds-noirs in North Africa),[49] Kenya, Congo,[50] Rhodesia, Mozambique and Angola.[51] By the end of 1977, more than one million Portuguese were thought to have returned from Africa.[52] Nevertheless, White Africans remain a minority in many African states, particularly South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Réunion.[53] The African country with the largest native European African population is South Africa.[54] The Afrikaners, the British diaspora and the Coloureds are the largest native European-descended groups in Africa today.
Native European colonization also brought sizable groups of Asians, particularly people from the Indian subcontinent, to British colonies. Large Indian communities are found in South Africa, and smaller ones are present in Kenya, Tanzania, and some other southern and East African countries. The large Indian community in Uganda was expelled by the dictator Idi Amin in 1972, though many have since returned. The islands in the Indian Ocean are also populated primarily by people of Asian origin, often mixed with Africans and Europeans. The Malagasy people of Madagascar are Austronesian people and native African people, but those along the coast are generally mixed with Bantu, Arab, Indian and European origins. Malay and Indian ancestries are also important components in the group of people known in South Africa as Cape Coloureds (people with origins in two or more races and continents). Beginning with the 21st century many Hispanics, primarily Mexicans, Central Americans, Chileans, Peruvians, and Colombians, have immigrated to Africa. Around 500,000 Hispanics have immigrated to Africa, most of whom live in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and Ghana. During the 20th century, small but economically important communities of Lebanese and Chinese[55] have also developed in the larger coastal cities of West and East Africa, respectively.[56]
LanguagesEdit
Main article: Languages of Africa
1996 map of the major ethnolinguistic groups of Africa, by the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division (substantially based on G.P. Murdock, Africa, its peoples and their cultural history, 1959). Colour-coded are 15 major ethnolinguistic super-groups, as follows:
Afroasiatic
Hamitic (Berber, Cushitic) + Semitic (Ethiopian, Arabic)
Hausa (Chadic)
Niger–Congo
"Guinean" (Volta-Niger, Kwa, Kru)
"Western Bantoid" (Atlantic)
"Central Bantoid" (Gur, Senufo)
"Eastern Bantoid" (Southern Bantoid)
Mande
Nilo-Saharan (unity debated)
Nilotic
Central Sudanic, Eastern Sudanic (besides Nilotic)
Khoi-San (unity doubtful; Khoikhoi, San, Sandawe + Hadza)
Malayo-Polynesian (Malagasy)
Indo-European (Afrikaaner)
There are three major linguistic phyla native to Africa: Niger–Congo languages (including Bantu) in West, Central, Southeast and Southern Africa; Nilo-Saharan languages (unity debated) spoken from Tanzania to Sudan and from Chad to Mali; Khoisan languages (probably no phylogenetic unit, see Khoe languages), concentrated in the Kalahari Desert of Namibia and Botswana; There are several other small families and language isolates, as well as languages that have yet to be classified.
In addition, the Afroasiatic languages are spread throughout Western Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa and parts of the Sahel. The Afroasiatic homeland may be either in Western Asia or in Africa.
More recently introduced to Africa are Austronesian languages spoken in Madagascar, as well as Indo-European languages spoken in South Africa and Namibia (Afrikaans, English, German), which were used as lingua francas in former European colonies.
The total number of languages natively spoken in Africa is variously estimated (depending on the delineation of language vs. dialect) at between 1,250 and 2,100,[57] and by some counts at "over 3,000",[58]Nigeria alone has over 500 languages (according to the count of SIL Ethnologue),[59]
Around a hundred languages are widely used for inter-ethnic communication. Arabic, Somali, Berber, Amharic, Oromo, Igbo, Swahili, Hausa, Manding, Fulani and Yoruba are spoken by tens of millions of people. Twelve dialect clusters (which may group up to a hundred linguistic varieties) are spoken by 75 percent, and fifteen by 85 percent, of Africans as a first or additional language.[60]
Niger–Congo is the largest phylum of African languages, with more than 500 million speakers (2017); it is dominated by the Bantu branch, spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa in the Bantu expansion, Bantu speakers accounting for about half of Niger–Congo speakers. Arabic is the most widely spoken single language in Africa by far, with a population of Arab Africa of the order of 330 million (2017). Other Afroasiatic languages are spoken by of the order of 100 million speakers in Africa (2017). Nilo-Saharan are spoken by of the order of 100 million speakers (2017). Khoisan groups a number of mostly endangered click languages, the largest being Khoekhoe with of the order of 300,000 speakers (2016).
Africa portal
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Demographics of Africa.
List of ethnic groups of Africa
Capoid
Congoid
Linguistic demographics of Africa
List of countries by fertility rate
Poverty in Africa
Youth in Africa
Religion in Africa
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^ Epstein, Edmund L.; Kole, Robert, eds. (1998). The Language of African Literature. Africa World Press. p. ix. ISBN 978-0-86543-534-6. Retrieved 23 June 2011. Africa is incredibly rich in language—over 3,000 indigenous languages by some counts, and many creoles, pidgins, and lingua francas.
^ "Ethnologue report for Nigeria". Ethnologue Languages of the World.
^ "Human Development Report 2004" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 2004.
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French nobility
Find sources: "French nobility" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The French nobility (French: la noblesse) was a privileged social class in France during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period to the revolution in 1790. The nobility was revived in 1805 with limited rights as a titled elite class from the First Empire to the fall of the July Monarchy in 1848, when all privileges were abolished for good. Hereditary titles, without privileges, continued to be granted until the Second Empire fell in 1870. They survive among their descendants as a social convention and as part of the legal name of the corresponding individuals.
In the political system of pre-Revolutionary France, the nobility made up the Second Estate of the Estates General (with the Catholic clergy comprising the First Estate and the bourgeoisie and peasants in the Third Estate). Although membership in the noble class was mainly inherited, it was not a fully closed order. New individuals were appointed to the nobility by the monarchy, or they could purchase rights and titles, or join by marriage.
Sources differ about the actual number of nobles in France; however, proportionally, it was among the smallest noble classes in Europe. For the year 1789, French historian François Bluche gives a figure of 140,000 nobles (9,000 noble families) and states that about 5% of nobles could claim descent from feudal nobility before the 15th century.[1] With a total population of 28 million, this would represent merely 0.5%. Historian Gordon Wright gives a figure of 300,000 nobles (of which 80,000 were from the traditional noblesse d'épée),[2] which agrees with the estimation of historian Jean de Viguerie,[3] or a little over 1%. In terms of land holdings, at the time of the revolution, noble estates comprised about one-fifth of the land.[4]
PrivilegesEdit
A signet ring with coat of arms
The French nobility had specific legal and financial rights and prerogatives. The first official list of these prerogatives was established relatively late, under Louis XI after 1440, and included the right to hunt, to wear a sword and, in principle, to possess a seigneurie (land to which certain feudal rights and dues were attached). Nobles were also granted an exemption from paying the taille, except for non-noble lands they might possess in some regions of France. Furthermore, certain ecclesiastic, civic, and military positions were reserved for nobles. These feudal privileges are often termed droits de féodalité dominante.
With the exception of a few isolated cases, serfdom had ceased to exist in France by the 15th century. In early modern France, nobles nevertheless maintained a great number of seigneurial privileges over the free peasants that worked lands under their control. They could, for example, levy the cens tax, an annual tax on lands leased or held by vassals. Nobles could also charge banalités for the right to use the lord's mills, ovens, or wine presses. Alternatively, a noble could demand a portion of vassals' harvests in return for permission to farm land he owned. Nobles also maintained certain judicial rights over their vassals, although with the rise of the modern state many of these privileges had passed to state control, leaving rural nobility with only local police functions and judicial control over violation of their seigneurial rights.
In the 17th century this seigneurial system was established in France's North American possessions.
DutiesEdit
However, the nobles also had responsibilities. Nobles were required to honor, serve, and counsel their king. They were often required to render military service (for example, the impôt du sang or "blood tax").
The rank of "noble" was forfeitable: certain activities could cause dérogeance (loss of nobility), within certain limits and exceptions. Most commercial and manual activities, such as tilling land, were strictly prohibited, although nobles could profit from their lands by operating mines, glassworks and forges. A nobleman could emancipate a male heir early, and take on derogatory activities without losing the family's nobility. If nobility was lost through prohibited activities, it could be recovered as soon as the said activities were stopped, by obtaining letters of "relief". Finally, certain regions such as Brittany applied loosely these rules allowing poor nobles to plough their own land.[5]
Forms of French nobilityEdit
The nobility in France was never an entirely closed class. Nobility and hereditary titles were distinct: while all hereditary titleholders were noble, most nobles were untitled, although many assumed titres de courtoisie. Nobility could be granted by the king or, until 1578, acquired by a family which had occupied a government or military post of high enough rank for three generations. Once acquired, nobility was normally hereditary in the legitimate male-line for all male descendants. Wealthy families found ready opportunities to pass into the nobility: although nobility itself could not, legally, be purchased, lands to which noble rights and/or title were attached could be and often were bought by commoners who adopted use of the property's name or title and were henceforth assumed to be noble if they could find a way to be exempted from paying the taille to which only commoners were subject. Moreover, non-nobles who owned noble fiefs were obliged to pay a special tax (franc-fief) on the property to the noble liege-lord. Properly, only those who were already noble could assume a hereditary title attached to a noble fief (i.e. a barony, viscounty, countship, marquisate or dukedom), thereby acquiring a title recognised but not conferred by the French crown.
The children of a French nobleman (whether a peer or not), unlike those of a British peer, were not considered commoners but untitled nobles.
Inheritance was recognized only in the male line, with a few exceptions (noblesse uterine) in the formerly independent provinces of Champagne, Lorraine and Brittany.
The king could grant nobility to individuals, convert land into noble fiefs or, elevate noble fiefs into titled estates. The king could also confer special privileges, such as peerage, on a noble fief. In general, these patents needed to be officially registered with the regional Parlement. In the case of an unwilling Parlement, the land-owner was termed à brevet (as in duc à brevet or duke by certificate).
Classes of French nobilityEdit
French nobility is generally divided into the following classes:
Noblesse d'épée (nobility of the sword), also known as noblesse de race ("Nobility through breeding"): the hereditary gentry and nobility who originally had to swear oaths of fealty and perform military service for the King in exchange for their titles.
Noblesse uterine ("Nobility of the female line"), was for titles that were matrilineal (held through the mother's line) and could be inherited by female heirs; this was found in some families in the former independent territories of Champagne, Lorraine and Brittany.
Noblesse d'extraction ("Nobility of descent"): Nobility of seize-quartiers ("sixteen Quarterings"): having a coat of arms of at least sixteen quarterings (partitions on the field of a composite coat of arms showing each coat of arms the person is entitled to). This means that the person has pure noble or gentle ancestry going back at least four generations (parents [2 "quarterings"], grandparents [4 quarterings], great-grandparents [8 quarterings], and great-great-grandparents [16 quarterings]).
Noblesse de robe (nobility of the robe): person or family made noble by holding certain official charges, like masters of requests, treasurers, or Presidents of Parlement courts.
Noblesse de chancellerie (nobility of the chancery): commoner made noble by holding certain high offices for the king.
Noblesse de cloche ("nobility of the bell") or Noblesse échevinale/Noblesse scabinale ("Nobility of the Aldermen"): person or family made noble by being a mayor (Bourgmestre) or alderman (échevin) or prévôt (Provost, or "municipal functionary") in certain towns (such as Abbeville and Angers, Angoulême, Bourges, Lyon, Toulouse, Paris, Perpignan, and Poitiers). Some towns and cities received the status temporarily or sporadically, like Cognac, Issoudun, La Rochelle, Lyon, Nantes, Niort, Saint-Jean-d'Angély and Tours. There were only 14 such communities by the beginning of the Revolution.
Noblesse militaire (military nobility): person or family made noble by holding military offices, generally after two or three generations.
Nobles sometimes made the following distinctions based on the age of their status:
Noblesse chevaleresque (knightly nobility) or noblesse ancienne ("Old Nobility"): nobility from before the year 1400, who inherited their titles from time immemorial.
Noblesse des lettres (nobility through Letters Patent): person made noble by letters patent from after the year 1400.
Commoners were referred to as roturiers. Magistrates and men of law were sometimes called robins.
The acquisition of titles of nobility could be done in one generation or gradually over several generations:
Noblesse au premier degré (nobility in the first generation): nobility awarded in the first generation, generally after 20 years of service or by death in one's post.
Noblesse graduelle: nobility awarded in the second generation, generally after 20 years of service by both father and son.
The noblesse de lettres became, starting in the reign of Francis I, a handy method for the court to raise revenues; non-nobles possessing noble fiefs would pay a year's worth of revenues from their fiefs to acquire nobility. In 1598, Henry IV undid a number of these anoblissments, but eventually resumed the practice.
The noblesse de cloche dates from 1372 (for the city of Poitiers) and was found only in certain cities with legal and judicial freedoms, such as Toulouse with the "capitouls", acquiring nobility as city councillors; by the Revolution these cities were only a handful.
The noblesse de chancellerie first appeared during the reign of Charles VIII at the end of the 15th century. To hold the office of chancellor required (with few exceptions) noble status, so non-nobles given the position were raised to the nobility, generally after 20 years of service. Non-nobles paid enormous sums to hold these positions, but this form of nobility was often derided as savonnette à vilain ("soap for serfs").
The noblesse de robe existed by longstanding tradition. In 1600 it gained legal status. High positions in regional parlements, tax boards (chambres des comptes), and other important financial and official state offices (usually bought at high price) conferred nobility, generally in two generations, although membership in the Parlements of Paris, Dauphiné, Besançon and Flanders, as well as on the tax boards of Paris, Dole and Grenoble elevated an official to nobility in one generation.
These state offices could be lost by a family at the unexpected death of the office holder. In an attempt to gain more tax revenues, the king's financial advisor, financier Charles Paulet, instituted the Paulette in 1604. This was a yearly tax of 1/60th of the price of the office that insured hereditary transmission. This annual tax solidified the hereditary acquisition of public office in France, and by the middle of the 17th century the majority of office holders were already noble from long possession of thereof.
Henry IV began to enforce the law against usurpation of titles of nobility, and in 1666–1674 Louis XIV mandated a massive program of verification of hereditary titles. Oral testimony maintaining that parents and grandparents had been born noble and lived as such were no longer accepted: written proofs (marriage contracts, land documents) proving noble rank since 1560 were required to substantiate noble status. Many families were put back on the lists of the taille and/or forced to pay fines for usurping noble titles. Many documents such as notary deeds and contracts were forged, scratched or overwritten resulting in rejections by the crown officers and more fines.[6] During the same period Louis the Great in dire need of money for wars issued blank letters-patent of nobility and urged crown officers to sell them to aspiring squires in the Provinces.[citation needed]
Titles, peerage, and ordersEdit
There were two kinds of titles used by French nobles: some were personal ranks and others were linked to the fiefs owned, called fiefs de dignité.
During the ancien régime, there was no distinction of rank by title (except for the title of duke, which was often associated with the strictly regulated privileges of the peerage, including precedence above other titled nobles). The hierarchy within the French nobility below peers was initially based on seniority; a count whose family had been noble since the 14th century was higher-ranked than a marquis whose title only dated to the 15th century. Precedence at the royal court was based on the family's ancienneté, its alliances (marriages), its hommages (dignities and offices held) and, lastly, its illustrations (record of deeds and achievements).
Duc: possessor of a duchy (duché—a feudal property, not an independent principality) and recognition as duke by the king.
Prince: possessor of a lordship styled a principality (principauté); most such titles were held by family tradition and were treated by the court as titres de courtoisie—often borne by the eldest sons of the more important duke-peers. This title of prince is not to be confused with the rank of prince, borne by the princes du sang, the princes légitimés or the princes étrangers whose high precedence derived from their kinship to actual rulers.
Marquis: possessor of a marquessate (marquisat), but often assumed by a noble family as a titre de courtoisie
Comte: possessor of a county (comté) or self-assumed.
Vicomte: possessor of a viscounty (vicomté) or self-assumed.
Baron: possessor of a barony (baronnie) or self-assumed.
Vidame: a rare title, always with the name of a diocese, as their origin was as the commander of a bishop's forces. The Vidame de Chartres is the best known.
Fils de France: son of a king or dauphin.
Petit-fils de France: grandson of a king in the male line.
Prince du Sang ("prince of the blood"): a remote, legitimate male-line descendant of a king of France.[7]
Peer of France was technically a dignity of the Crown (as, e.g., marshal of France), but became in fact the highest hereditary rank borne by the French nobility—always in conjunction with a title (e.g. "Duc et Pair", "Comte-Pair"). The peerage was originally awarded only to princes of the blood, some legitimised and foreign princes, often the heads of the kingdom's most ancient and powerful families, and a few bishops. Eventually it was almost always granted in conjunction with the title of duke. Gradually the peerage came to be conferred more broadly as a reward for distinguished military or diplomatic service, but also on favourites of the king (e.g. les mignons). The peers were entitled to seats in the Parliament of Paris, the most important judicial court in the kingdom.
Prince légitimé: legitimised son or male-line descendant of a king. Precise rank depended upon the king's favour.
Prince étranger ("foreign prince"): members of foreign royal or princely families naturalized at the French court, such as the Clèves, Rohan, La Tour d'Auvergne, and Lorraine-Guise.
Chevalier: an otherwise untitled nobleman who belonged to an order of chivalry; earlier, a rank for untitled members of the oldest noble families. Later distinction was that a Knight (Sieur) went through the dubbing ceremony (touched with a sword on the head and shoulders by the King), while the lesser rank of Chevalier or Knight Bachelor received the rank without the ceremony.
Écuyer ("Squire" and literally: "shield bearer"): lowest specific rank in the nobility, to which the vast majority of untitled nobles were entitled; also called valet or noble homme in certain regions.
Gentilhomme: lowest non-specific rank indicating nobility
Seigneur ("Lord of the manor" and literally: "lord"): term for the untitled owner of a feudal property; strictly, neither a title nor a rank, it indicated that a landlord's property had certain noble rights attached, although properly it did not indicate the owner was noble, especially after the 17th century.
Bâtard: recognized bastard son of a gentleman or nobleman. They could not usually inherit a title (if any claimants of legitimate birth existed) but could be employed in their father's retinue. Bastard sons and daughters were often married off to allied or subordinate families to strengthen ties or to bind lesser families to them.
The use of the nobiliary particle de in noble names (Fr: la particule) was not officially controlled in France (unlike von in the German states), and is not reliable evidence of the bearer's nobility. In certain small parishes, every commoner from merchant to blacksmith was topped up with a "de" on church registers. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the de was adopted by large numbers of non-nobles (like Honoré de Balzac or Gérard de Nerval) in an attempt to appear noble.[8] These attempts were easily endorsed by civil officers. They were originally sneered at but became accepted within one or two generations. It has been estimated that today 90% of names with a particle are non-noble, or that only 10% of such names are carried by authentic nobility. A few authentic "extraction" nobles are even without any particle at all.[9][10][11]
Each rank of nobility — royal prince, prince belonging to collateral lines of the royal family (prince du sang), duc, marquis, comte, vicomte, baron, etc. — conferred its own privileges; dukes for example could enter royal residences in a carriage, duchesses could sit on a stool (tabouret) in the queen's presence. Dukes in France — the most important group after the princes — were further divided into those who were also "peers" (Duc et Pair) and those who were not. Dukes without a peerage fell into one of two groups: those never granted peerage fiefs by the king, and those for whom the Parlement of Paris refused to register the king's lettres patentes, permanently or temporarily, as a protest against the promotion.
Noble hierarchies were further complicated by the creation of chivalric orders — the Chevaliers du Saint-Esprit (Knights of the Holy Spirit) created by Henry III in 1578; the Ordre de Saint-Michel created by Louis XI in 1469; the Order of Saint Louis created by Louis XIV in 1696 — by official posts, and by positions in the Royal House (the Great Officers of the Crown of France), such as grand maître de la garde-robe (the grand master of the royal wardrobe, being the royal dresser) or grand panetier (royal bread server), which had long ceased to be actual functions and had become nominal and formal positions with their own privileges. The 17th and 18th centuries saw nobles and the noblesse de robe battle each other for these positions and any other sign of royal favor.
Attending the ceremony of the king's waking at Versailles (the smaller and intimate petit lever du roi and the more formal grand lever du roi), being asked to cross the barriers that separated the royal bed from the rest of the room, being invited to talk to the king, or being mentioned by the king... all were signs of favor and actively sought after.
Economic statusEdit
Economic studies of nobility in France reveal great differences in financial status. At the end of the 18th century, a well-off family could earn 100,000–150,000 livres per year, although the most prestigious families could gain two or three times that much. For provincial nobility, yearly earnings of 10,000 livres permitted a minimum of provincial luxury, but most earned far less.[12] The ethics of noble expenditure, the financial crises of the century and the inability of nobles to participate in most fields without losing their nobility contributed to their poverty.
In the 18th century, the Comte de Boulainvilliers, a rural noble, posited the belief that French nobility had descended from the victorious Franks, while non-nobles descended from the conquered Gauls. The theory had no validity, but offered a comforting myth for an impoverished noble class.[13]
Aristocratic codesEdit
The idea of what it meant to be noble went through a radical transformation from the 16th to the 17th centuries. Through contact with the Italian Renaissance and their concept of the perfect courtier (Baldassare Castiglione), the rude warrior class was remodeled into what the 17th century would come to call l'honnête homme ('the honest or upright man'), among whose chief virtues were eloquent speech, skill at dance, refinement of manners, appreciation of the arts, intellectual curiosity, wit, a spiritual or platonic attitude in love, and the ability to write poetry. Most notable of noble values are the aristocratic obsession with "glory" (la gloire) and majesty (la grandeur) and the spectacle of power, prestige, and luxury.[14] For example, Pierre Corneille's noble heroes have been criticised by modern readers who have seen their actions as vainglorious, criminal, or hubristic; aristocratic spectators of the period would have seen many of these same actions as representative of their noble station[verification needed].
The château of Versailles, court ballets, noble portraits, and triumphal arches were all representations of glory and prestige. The notion of glory (military, artistic, etc.) was seen in the context of the Roman Imperial model; it was not seen as vain or boastful, but as a moral imperative to the aristocratic classes. Nobles were required to be "generous" and "magnanimous", to perform great deeds disinterestedly (i.e. because their status demanded it – whence the expression noblesse oblige – and without expecting financial or political gain), and to master their own emotions, especially fear, jealousy, and the desire for vengeance. One's status in the world demanded appropriate externalisation (or "conspicuous consumption"). Nobles indebted themselves to build prestigious urban mansions (hôtels particuliers) and to buy clothes, paintings, silverware, dishes, and other furnishings befitting their rank. They were also required to show liberality by hosting sumptuous parties and by funding the arts.[15]
Conversely, social parvenus who took on the external trappings of the noble classes (such as the wearing of a sword) were severely criticised, sometimes by legal action; laws on sumptuous clothing worn by bourgeois existed since the Middle Ages.
Traditional aristocratic values began to be criticised in the mid 17th century: Blaise Pascal, for example, offered a ferocious analysis of the spectacle of power and François de La Rochefoucauld posited that no human act—however generous it pretended to be—could be considered disinterested.
By relocating the French royal court to Versailles in the 1680s, Louis XIV further modified the role of the nobles. Versailles became a gilded cage: to leave spelled disaster for a noble, for all official charges and appointments were made there. Provincial nobles who refused to join the Versailles system were locked out of important positions in the military or state offices, and lacking royal subsidies (and unable to keep up a noble lifestyle on seigneurial taxes), these rural nobles (hobereaux) often went into debt. A strict etiquette was imposed: a word or glance from the king could make or destroy a career. At the same time, the relocation of the court to Versailles was also a brilliant political move by Louis. By distracting the nobles with court life and the daily intrigue that came with it, he neutralized a powerful threat to his authority and removed the largest obstacle to his ambition to centralize power in France.
Power and protestEdit
Before Louis XIV imposed his will on the nobility, the great families of France often claimed a fundamental right to rebel against unacceptable royal abuse. The Wars of Religion, the Fronde, the civil unrest during the minority of Charles VIII and the regencies of Anne of Austria and Marie de Medici are all linked to these perceived loss of rights at the hand of a centralizing royal power.
Before and immediately after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, many Protestant noble families emigrated and by doing so lost their lands in France. In certain regions of France a majority of the nobility had turned to Protestantism and their departure significantly depleted the ranks of the nobility. Some were incorporated into the nobility of their countries of adoption.[citation needed]
Much of the power of nobles in these periods of unrest comes from their "clientèle system". Like the king, nobles granted the use of fiefs, and gave gifts and other forms of patronage to other nobles to develop a vast system of noble clients. Lesser families would send their children to be squires and members of these noble houses, and to learn in them the arts of court society and arms.
The elaboration of the ancien régime state was made possible only by redirecting these clientèle systems to a new focal point (the king and the state), and by creating countervailing powers (the bourgeoisie, the noblesse de robe).[16] By the late 17th century, any act of explicit or implicit protest was treated as a form of lèse-majesté and harshly repressed.
Nobility and the EnlightenmentEdit
Many key Enlightenment figures were French nobles, such as Montesquieu, whose full name was Charles de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2008)
The abolition of privileges during the French RevolutionEdit
The abolition of privileges, relief by Léopold Morice at the "Monument to the Republic", Paris
At the beginning of the French Revolution, on August 4, 1789 the dozens of small dues that a commoner had to pay to the lord, such as the banalités of Manorialism, were abolished by the National Constituent Assembly; noble lands were stripped of their special status as fiefs; the nobility were subjected to the same taxation as their co-nationals, and lost their privileges (the hunt, seigneurial justice, funeral honors). The nobles were, however, allowed to retain their titles. This did not happen immediately. Decrees of application had to be drafted, signed, promulgated and published in the Provinces, such that certain noble rights were still being applied well into 1791.
Nevertheless, it was decided that certain annual financial payments which were owed the nobility and which were considered "contractual" (i.e. not stemming from a usurpation of feudal power, but from a contract between a landowner and a tenant) such as annual rents (the cens and the champart) needed to be bought back by the tenant for the tenant to have clear title to his land. Since the feudal privileges of the nobles had been termed droits de feodalité dominante, these were called droits de féodalité contractante. The rate set (May 3, 1790) for purchase of these contractual debts was 20 times the annual monetary amount (or 25 times the annual amount if given in crops or goods); peasants were also required to pay back any unpaid dues over the past thirty years. No system of credit was established for small farmers, and only well-off individuals could take advantage of the ruling. This created a massive land grab by well-off peasants and members of the middle-class, who became absentee landowners and had their land worked by sharecroppers and poor tenants.[17]
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen had adopted by vote of the Assembly on August 26, 1789, but the abolition of nobility did not occur at that time. The Declaration declared in its first article that "Men are born free and equal in rights; social distinctions may be based only upon general usefulness." It was not until June 19, 1790, that hereditary titles of nobility were abolished. The notions of equality and fraternity won over some nobles such as the Marquis de Lafayette who supported the abolition of legal recognition of nobility, but other liberal nobles who had happily sacrificed their fiscal privileges saw this as an attack on the culture of honor.
Nobility since the RevolutionEdit
See also: Nobles of the First French Empire
Nobility and hereditary titles were abolished by the Revolutions of 1789 and 1848, but hereditary titles were restored by decree in 1852 and have not been abolished by any subsequent law. However, since 1875 the President of the Republic neither confers nor confirms French titles (specific foreign titles continued to be authorised for use in France by the office of the President as recently as 1961), but the French state still verifies them; civil courts can protect them; and criminal courts can prosecute their abuse.
The Bourbon Restoration of Louis XVIII saw the return of the old nobility to power (while ultra-royalists clamored for a return of lost lands). The electoral laws of 1817 limited suffrage to only the wealthiest or most prestigious members (less than 0.5%) of the population, which included many of the old nobility.
Napoléon Bonaparte established his own hereditary titles during the Empire, and these new aristocrats were confirmed in legal retention of their titles even after his overthrow. In all, about 2200 titles were created by Napoleon I:
Princes and Dukes:
sovereign princes (3)
duchies grand fiefs (20)
victory princes (4)
victory dukedoms (10)
other dukedoms (3)
Counts (251)
Barons (1516)
Knights (385)
In 1975, there were 239 remaining families holding First Empire titles. Of those, perhaps 130–140 were titled. Only one title of prince and seven titles of duke remain.
Napoleon also established a new knightly order in 1802, the Légion d'honneur, which still exists but is not officially hereditary. Napoleon had decided by decree that three successive generations of legionnaires would confer the family hereditary nobility with the title of "chevalier". A small number of French families meet the requirement but the Napoleonic decree was abrogated and is not applied today.[citation needed]
Between 1830 and 1848 Louis Philippe, King of the French retained the House of Peers established by the Bourbons under the Restoration, although he made the peerage non-hereditary, and granted hereditary titles, but without "nobility".
The Second Empire of Napoleon III also conferred hereditary titles until monarchy was again abolished in 1870. While the Third Republic returned once again to the principles of equality espoused by the Revolution (at least among the political Radical party), in practice the upper echelons of French society maintained their notion of social distinction well into the 20th century (as attested to, for example, by the presence of nobility and noble class distinctions in the works of Marcel Proust).
The First World War took a huge toll on noble families. It has been estimated that one third of noble family names became extinct through the deaths of their last bearers.[citation needed]
French courts have, however, held that the concept of nobility is incompatible with the equality of all citizens before the law proclaimed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man of 1789, and which remains part of the Constitution of 1958. "Nobility", as a legal concept and status, has therefore been effectively abolished in France.
Nonetheless, extant titles which were hereditary under one of France's monarchical regimes are considered part of the legal name which descend according to their original grants (insofar as they pass from and to males only).[18] They are incapable of becoming a legal part of the name by self-assumption or prolonged usage,[19] and are entitled to the same protections in French civil and criminal courts as the name, even though they afford neither privilege nor precedence (cf. peerage of the United Kingdom).[20] Regulation of titles is carried out by a bureau of the Ministry of Justice, which can verify and authorize the bearer to make legal use of the title in official documents such as birth certificates.[21]
SymbolsEdit
In France, the signet ring (chevalière) bearing a coat of arms is not, by far, a sign or proof of nobility; thousands of bourgeois families were allowed to register their arms, and they often bore them "as if". At best the ring is a more or less discreet sign of allegiance to certain values, moral virtue and cultural heritage.[citation needed]
However all noble families do have a coat of arms. The ring is traditionally worn by Frenchmen on the ring finger of their left hand, contrary to usage in most other European countries (where it is worn on the little finger of either the right or left hand, depending on the country); French women however wear it on their left little finger. Daughters sometimes wear the signet ring of their mother if the father lacks a coat of arms, but a son would not.[citation needed]
The chevalière may either be worn facing up (en baise-main) or facing toward the palm (en bagarre). In contemporary usage, the inward position is increasingly common, although for some noble families the inward position is traditionally used to indicate that the wearer is married.[citation needed]
There is no legal or formal control or protection over signet ring carrying.[citation needed]
Ancien RégimeEdit
King (Roi de France)
Dauphin of France
Royal Prince of the Blood
Prince of the Blood
Duke and Peer of France
Marquis and Peer of France
Count and Peer of France
Count (older)
Vidame
Knight's crown
Knight's tortillon
Napoleonic EmpireEdit
Prince Imperial
d'honneur
July MonarchyEdit
King of the
Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou (1113-1151)
Joan II, Countess of Auvergne (1378-1424)
Jean de Villiers de L'Isle-Adam (1384-1437)
Philip I de Croÿ (1435–1511)
Louis d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours (1472-1503)
Charles II d'Amboise (1473-1511)
Henri I de Montmorency (1534-1614)
François de Bonne, Duke of Lesdiguières (1543-1626)
Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1600-1675)
Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier (1605-1627)
Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne (1611–1675)
François VI, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marcillac (1613–1680)
Anne Hilarion de Tourville (1642–1701)
Madeleine de l’Aubespine (1646-1696)
Claude Louis Hector de Villars, Prince de Martigues (1653–1734)
Madame de Ventadour (1654-1755)
François Louis, Prince of Conti (1664-1709)
François-Marie, 1st duc de Broglie (1671-1745)
Armand de Vignerot du Plessis (1696–1788)
Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, Count of Maurepas (1701-1781)
François-Henri d'Harcourt (1726-1802)
Stéphanie Félicité, comtesse de Genlis (1746-1830)
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754-1838)
Agenor, duc de Gramont (1819-1880)
Henri d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale (1822-1897)
Prince Jean, Duke of Guise (1874-1940)
Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque (1902-1947)
Dukes in France and List of French dukedoms
List of French marquisates
List of coats of arms of French peers
List of French peers
List of French peerages
Peerage of France
Seigneurial system of New France
Surviving families of the French nobility (in French)
^ Bluche, 84.
^ Wright, 15.
^ Viguerie, 1232.
^ Hobsbawm, 57, citing Henri Eugène Sée's Esquisse d'une histoire du régime agraire en Europe aux XVIIIe et XIXe siècles (1991).
^ Pike, John (2011). "Nobility - Classes and Precedence". Global Security org.
^ Dewever, Richard (June 2017). "On the changing size of nobility under Ancien Régime, 1500-1789∗" (PDF). Paris School of Economics.
^ some very remote but legitimate descendants of French kings were never acknowledged by the Valois or Bourbon kings as princes of the blood royal, e.g. the Princes de Carency, cadets of Jean I de Bourbon, Count of La Marche and the Princes de Courtenay, cadets of Louis VI of France
^ Lucas, Colin (August 1973). "Nobles, Bourgeois and the Origins of the French Revolution". Past & Present. Oxford University Press. 60: 90–91. doi:10.1093/past/60.1.84.
^ Velde, François R. (June 2008). "Nobility and Titles in France". Heraldica.
^ McDermott, John Francis (1941). A Glossary of Mississippi Valley French, 1673-1850, Números 12-13. Book on Demand. p. 65. ISBN 9785873562893.
^ Mordell, Anne (January 2018). "Everyone Wants a French Noble Among Their Ancestors". The French Genealogy.
^ See Bénichou.
^ For more on this, see Elias. This kind of expenditure mandated by social status also links to the theories of sociologist Marcel Mauss on the "gift".
^ See Major.
^ See Soboul, 192–195 for information on the abolition of privileges.
^ "La transmission des titres ne se fait plus, dans le droit moderne, que de mâle à mâle." Trib. Civ. Falaise, 21 Fév 1959
^ "si le titre nobiliaire suit, en général, les règles du nom patronymique, il ne s'acquiert pas, comme lui, par le simple usage, même prolongé; il lui faut, à l'origine, une investiture émanant de l'autorité souveraine" Civ. 11 mai 1948, Dalloz 1948 335.
^ "Les titres nobiliaires, dépouillés aujourd'hui de tout privilège féodal et même de tout privilège de rang, n'ont plus qu'un caractère personnel et honorofique et ne peuvent même plus être considérés, du point de vue juridique, que comme un complément du nom patronymique permettant de mieux distinguer l'identité des personnes, tout en perpétuant de grands souvenirs; si, en vertu de cette sorte de lien de subordination entre le titre nobiliaire et le nom patronymique, il est dû la même protection au titre qu'au nom, on ne lui doit pas une protection spéciale et privilégiée." Paris, 2 Jan 1896. Dalloz 1896 2.328
^ Texier, Alain. Qu'est-ce que la noblesse? Paris, 1987, pp. 407-10
Bénichou, Paul. Morales du grand siècle. Paris: Gallimard, 1948. ISBN 2-07-032473-7
Bluche, François. L'Ancien Régime: Institutions et société. Collection: Livre de poche. Paris: Fallois, 1993. ISBN 2-253-06423-8
Chaussinand-Nogaret, Guy. The French Nobility in the Eighteenth Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985.
Ford, Franklin L. Robe & Sword: The Regrouping of the French Aristocracy after Louis XIV. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press, 1953.
Dioudonnat, Pierre-Marie. Encyclopedie de la Fauss Noblesse et de la Noblesse d’Apparence. New ed. Paris: Sedopols, 1994.
Hobsbawm, Eric. The Age of Revolution. New York: Vintage, 1996. ISBN 978-0-679-77253-8
La Chesnaye-Desbois et Badier, François de (comp). Dictionnaire de la Noblesse de la France. 3d ed. 18v. Paris: Bachelin-Deflorenne, 1868–73 (Kraus-Thomson Organization, 1969).
Major, J. Russell. From Renaissance Monarchy to Absolute Monarchy: French Kings, Nobles & Estates. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 1994. ISBN 0-8018-5631-0
Elias, Norbert. The Court Society. (Originally publ., 1969) New York: Pantheon, 1983. ISBN 0-394-71604-3
Pillorget, René and Suzanne Pillorget. France Baroque, France Classique 1589–1715. Collection: Bouquins. Paris: Laffont, 1995. ISBN 2-221-08110-2
Soboul, Albert. La Révolution française. Paris: Editions Sociales, 1982. ISBN 2-209-05513-X
Viguerie, Jean de. Histoire et dictionnaire du temps des Lumières 1715-1789. Collection: Bouquins. Paris: Laffont, 1995. ISBN 2-221-04810-5
Wright, Gordon. France in Modern Times. 4th ed. New York: Norton, 1987. ISBN 0-393-95582-6
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=French_nobility&oldid=906577627"
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This article is about the composer. For the entrepreneur, see Howard Shore (entrepreneur). For the judge, see Howard H. Shore.
Howard Leslie Shore OC (born October 18, 1946) is a Canadian composer who is notable for his film scores.[1] He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. He won three Academy Awards for his work on the first trilogy, with one being for the original song "Into the West", an award he shared with Eurythmics lead vocalist Annie Lennox and writer/producer Fran Walsh, who wrote the lyrics. He is also a consistent collaborator with director David Cronenberg, having scored all but one of his films since 1979.
Shore in May 2013
Howard Leslie Shore
(1946-10-18) October 18, 1946 (age 72)
Classical, orchestral, film scores
Composer, orchestrator, conductor, music producer
Clarinet. saxophone, organ, flute
www.howardshore.com
Shore has also composed a few concert works including one opera, The Fly, based on the plot of Cronenberg's 1986 film premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on July 2, 2008,[2] a short piece Fanfare for the Wanamaker Organ and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and a short overture for the Swiss 21st Century Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to his three Academy Awards, Shore has also won three Golden Globe Awards and four Grammy Awards.
Early life and careerEdit
Howard Shore was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the son of Bernice (née Ash) and Mac Shore.[3][4] Shore is Jewish.[5] He started studying music at the age of 8 or 9. He learned a multitude of instruments and began playing in bands at the ages of 13 and 14. When Shore was 13, he met and became good friends with a young Lorne Michaels in summer camp, and this friendship would later be influential in his career.[6] By 17, he decided he wanted to pursue music in his adult life too.[7] He studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston after graduating from Forest Hill Collegiate Institute.[8][9]
From 1969 to 1972, Shore was a member of the jazz fusion band Lighthouse.[10] In 1970, he became the music director for Lorne Michaels and Hart Pomerantz's short-lived TV program The Hart & Lorne Terrific Hour. Shore wrote the music for Canadian magician Doug Henning's magic musical Spellbound in 1974 and, from 1975 to 1980, he was the musical director for Lorne Michaels' influential late-night NBC comedy show Saturday Night Live,[11] appearing in many musical sketches, including Howard Shore and His All-Nurse Band, and dressed as a beekeeper for a John Belushi/Dan Aykroyd performance of the Slim Harpo classic "I'm a King Bee". Shore also suggested the name for The Blues Brothers to Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi.[12]
Film scoringEdit
Shore's first film score was to the low budget thriller I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses (1978), followed by David Cronenberg's first major film, The Brood (1979).[8] He would go on to score all of Cronenberg's subsequent films, with the exception of The Dead Zone (1983), which was scored by Michael Kamen. The first film he scored that was not directed by Cronenberg was Martin Scorsese's After Hours (1985). Following that, he scored The Fly (1986), again directed by Cronenberg. Two years later, he composed the score to Big (1988), directed by Penny Marshall and starring Tom Hanks. He then scored two more of David Cronenberg's films: Dead Ringers (1988) and Naked Lunch (1991).
During 1991, Shore composed the score for the highly acclaimed film The Silence of the Lambs, starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, and directed by Jonathan Demme. He received his first BAFTA nomination for the score. The film became the third (and most recent) to win the five major Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress). Shore is the only living composer to have scored a "Top Five" Oscar-winning film.
During 1993, he composed the scores for M. Butterfly (another collaboration with Cronenberg), Philadelphia (his second collaboration with Jonathan Demme), and Mrs. Doubtfire, directed by Chris Columbus. The latter two films were highly successful, Philadelphia winning Tom Hanks his first Oscar.
Shore scored another three films in 1994: The Client, Ed Wood, and Nobody's Fool. Ed Wood is notable for being one of the three films directed by Tim Burton that did not feature a score by Danny Elfman.
Shore continued to score numerous films from 1995 to 2001, including two David Fincher films, Seven (1995) and The Game (1997), and The Truth About Cats and Dogs (1996), directed by Michael Lehmann; he also collaborated on two films with Cronenberg, along with Tom Hanks' directorial debut, That Thing You Do!. Shore also composed the score of the 2000 film The Cell.
Shore at a press conference for The Lord of the Rings in Wellington, New Zealand, 2003
Major success came in 2001 with his score to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the first film in the highly acclaimed The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The news that Shore would score the trilogy surprised some, since he was primarily associated with dark, ominous films and had never scored an epic of this scale. However, the score was hugely successful and won Shore his first Oscar, as well as a Grammy Award, and garnered Shore nominations for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. A cue from this film (The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm) was used in a teaser for 2013's Superman film, Man of Steel.[13]
The following year, Shore composed the scores to Panic Room, Gangs of New York (replacing Elmer Bernstein), and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the second film in the trilogy. (The latter two films were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.) Initially, Shore's score for The Two Towers was going to be deemed ineligible for submission to the Academy, due to a new rule that disallowed the submission of scores which contained themes from previous work. However, the implementation of this rule change was subsequently postponed, meaning the score remained eligible.[14] Ultimately, The Two Towers score did not receive an Academy Award nomination; Shore did, however, receive a BAFTA nomination for Gangs of New York.
In 2003, he composed the score for the final film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The film was the most successful film in the trilogy and the most successful of the year. Shore won his second Oscar for Best Original Score, as well as a third for Best Original Song for "Into the West", which he shared with Fran Walsh and Annie Lennox. Shore also won his first Golden Globe, his third and fourth Grammy (the fourth for Best Song), and was nominated for a third BAFTA. The scores of The Lord of the Rings, performed primarily by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, became one of the most successful film scores ever written and the biggest success in Shore's career. The score has been repeatedly voted to be the best film score, and the review site Filmtracks named Shore's score "arguably the most respected and impressive trilogy of music of all time: Howard Shore's massive work for Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings."
In 2004, Shore again collaborated with Martin Scorsese, scoring his epic film The Aviator, this time with the Brussels Philharmonic.[15] He won a second Golden Globe for the score, becoming the third composer to have won consecutive Golden Globes in the Original Score category. He also received his sixth Grammy nomination, and his fifth BAFTA nomination.
He collaborated again with David Cronenberg in 2005 to score A History of Violence, starring Viggo Mortensen.[16] The film was a success and received two Oscar nominations. In 2006, he collaborated for the fourth time with Martin Scorsese, this time to score The Departed.[17] The film was highly successful and won four Oscars, including a long-awaited win for Scorsese, and Best Picture.
Although Shore was originally commissioned to compose the soundtrack for King Kong, he was later replaced by James Newton Howard due to "differing creative aspirations for the score" on his and the filmmakers' parts.[18] This was a mutual agreement between himself and Peter Jackson. Despite this, Shore has a cameo near the end of the film as the conductor of the orchestra in the theater, performing portions of Max Steiner's score to the original 1933 version of the film.
2007–presentEdit
In 2007, Shore composed the music for Soul of the Ultimate Nation, an online multiplayer video game. The soundtrack is notable for being the first video game soundtrack to feature Lydia Kavina on the theremin. During 2007 he also composed the scores for The Last Mimzy and Eastern Promises, the latter of which includes a section that has been performed in concert as Shore's Concertino for violin solo and chamber orchestra.[19] Eastern Promises was another collaboration with David Cronenberg and earned Shore his fourth Golden Globe nomination. In 2008, he scored Doubt, starring Meryl Streep and directed by John Patrick Shanley. The film was a success, earning five Oscar nominations.
In 2010, Shore composed the score to Eclipse, the third installment in the Twilight film series, following Carter Burwell and Alexandre Desplat, who scored the first and second films, respectively. He also replaced John Corigliano to score Edge of Darkness, starring Mel Gibson.
Shore's 2011 projects were A Dangerous Method, continuing his long-term collaboration with director David Cronenberg. He also composed the score to Martin Scorsese's Hugo, his fifth collaboration with the director, which earned him a sixth Golden Globe nomination and fourth Oscar nomination.[9]
He also composed the score to Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film series.[20]
Conducting and performingEdit
Main article: Music of The Lord of the Rings film series
Since 2004, he has toured the world conducting local orchestras in the performance of his new symphonic arrangement of his highly acclaimed Lord of the Rings scores. The new work is entitled The Lord of the Rings: Symphony in Six Movements. There are two movements for each of the movies, and an intermission between the second and third (or first and second film titles[21]) movements. The concert presentation of the symphony also includes projected still images of sketches by John Howe and Alan Lee relating the music being performed to scenes from the films. Recently, however, Shore has been busy with other projects, leaving other conductors including Markus Huber, Ludwig Wicki, Alexander Mickelthwaite, and John Mauceri to lead the orchestras.
April 24, 2008 marked the North American Live to Projection debut of Fellowship of the Ring, with the score performed live by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ludwig Wicki. Wicki also conducted the Filene Center Orchestra at the Wolf Trap Farm Park in Vienna, Virginia on May 21 and 22, 2008 in the U.S. premiere of the Fellowship of the Ring Live to Projection.
September 16, 2010 Shore conducted the RSO Vienna (Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra) which performed "In Dreams from The Fellowship of the Ring" at Hollywood in Vienna in Vienna, Austria. Shore was commissioned by Macy's to write a Fanfare for the Store's 150th anniversary featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Wanamaker Organ, the world's largest playing pipe organ.[22] The work was debuted in the Grand Court of Macy's Philadelphia Store on September 27, 2008 in a concert that drew reviews from most of the major East Coast newspapers.
Shore's opera The Fly had its world premiere performance at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on July 2, 2008 and its United States premiere at Los Angeles Opera on September 7, 2008. The production was directed by David Cronenberg and conducted by Plácido Domingo. The Fly had a new production mounted by Theatre Trier in Germany in 2014 staged by Sebastian Welker and conducted by Joongbae Jee.[23]
Shore was commissioned by the Beijing Music Festival to write Ruin and Memory, a piano concerto, for renowned pianist Lang Lang. The world premiere was on October 11, 2010 performed by Lang Lang, The China Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Long Yu.[24] His second concerto, Mythic Gardens, premiered April 27, 2012 with Sophie Shao on cello solo, The American Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Leon Botstein.[25]
Shore's song cycle A Palace Upon the Ruins premiered in 2014 at the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival and at the La Jolla SummerFest featuring mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano. A Palace Upon the Ruins is a song cycle of six songs with words by Elizabeth Cotnoir.[26]
Sea to Sea was commissioned by New Brunswick Youth Orchestra in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary of confederation and premiered on July 2, 2017 in Moncton, New Brunswick with soloist Measha Brueggergosman and Antonio Delgado conducting. Sea to Sea has lyrics by Elizabeth Cotnoir.[27]
The song cycle L’Aube premiered October 19 & 20, 2017 in Toronto at Roy Thompson Hall conducted by Peter Oundjian and performed by soloist Susan Platts and commissioning orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. L’Aube consists of five songs with text by Elizabeth Cotnoir.[28]
The Forest a guitar concerto composed for Miloš Karadaglić will premiere in Ottawa on May 1 & 2, 2019 with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Alexander Shelley conducting.[29]
TelevisionEdit
In addition to writing the original theme song for Saturday Night Live,[30] as well as the closing theme,[31] Shore also co-wrote the theme song for Late Night with Conan O'Brien with John Lurie.[32] The theme was carried over to The Tonight Show when O'Brien succeeded Jay Leno as host.[33]
RadioEdit
Shore narrated a one-hour CBC Radio documentary/soundscape on music in thriller/suspense film genres also including references to radio dramas and other media. The episode was called "Unsettling Scores"[34] and premiered on the program called Inside the Music.
Shore is married to Elizabeth Cotnoir, a writer, producer and documentary filmmaker. He has a daughter, Mae.[35] He is the uncle of film composer Ryan Shore.[36]
As of 2004, Shore lives in Tuxedo Park, New York.[35]
Shore has received four Academy Award nominations, winning three, two for Best Original Score, for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). He also won the Oscar for Best Original Song for "Into the West" from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.[37] He received his fourth nomination for his work on Hugo.[38]
Shore has also received six Golden Globe nominations, winning three consecutive awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song - "Into the West" for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) and The Aviator (2004), making him the second composer (after Alan Menken) to have received consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Original Score. He also won three consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Score for each of the Lord of the Rings films, and received a second award in 2003 for the song "Into the West" from "Return of the King" in the category of Best Song. He has also received five BAFTA nominations, but has not won.
On June 11, 2007, Shore was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree from York University in Toronto for "his sweeping artistic vision".[39]
Shore has also been honored with awards from The National Board of Review, Recording Academy Honors, The Broadcast Film Critics, Chicago Film Critics, Genie Award, World Soundtrack Award, New York's Gotham Award, and The Saturn Award for Science Fiction.
Shore is the first recipient of the Film & TV Music Award for Best Score for a Science Fiction Feature Film for The Last Mimzy.
In May 2008, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music during Berklee's commencement ceremony at the Agganis Arena.[40]
On September 16, 2010 he was awarded the Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award by the City of Vienna at the yearly film music gala concert Hollywood in Vienna.[41]
In 2012, he received Canada's Governor General's Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.[42]
In 2016, he was appointed as a Officer of the Order of Canada for his work towards the film and music industry.[43]
I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses (1978)
The Brood (1979)
Scanners (1981)
Videodrome (1983)
Nothing Lasts Forever (1984)
After Hours (1985)
Nadine (1987)
Moving (1988)
Big (1988)
Dead Ringers (1988)
She-Devil (1989)
An Innocent Man (1989)
The Local Stigmatic (1990)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
A Kiss Before Dying (1991)
Naked Lunch (1991)
Prelude to a Kiss (1992)
Single White Female (1992)
Sliver (1993)
Guilty as Sin (1993)
M. Butterfly (1993)
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Philadelphia (1993)
The Client (1994)
Ed Wood (1994)
Moonlight and Valentino (1995)
Seven (1995)
Before and After (1996)
Looking for Richard (1996)
The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)
That Thing You Do! (1996)
Ransom (1996) (unused score)
The Game (1997)
He Got Game (1998)
Gloria (1999)
eXistenZ (1999)
Analyze This (1999)
Dogma (1999)
High Fidelity (2000)
The Cell (2000)
The Yards (2000)
The Score (2001)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Gangs of New York (2002)
Panic Room (2002)
Spider (2002)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
The Aviator (2004)
A History of Violence (2005)
King Kong (2005) (unused score)
The Departed (2006)
Soul of the Ultimate Nation (2007)
The Last Mimzy (2007)
Eastern Promises (2007)
Doubt (2008)
The Betrayal – Nerakhoon (2008)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)[44]
Edge of Darkness (2010)
A Dangerous Method (2011)
Hugo (2011)
Cosmopolis (2012)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)[20]
Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian (2013)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)[20]
Maps to the Stars (2014)[20]
Rosewater (2014)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)[20]
Spotlight (2015)
The Catcher Was a Spy (2018)
Selected concert music worksEdit
Fanfare, organ (2008)
The Fly, opera (2008)
Ruin and Memory for Lang Lang, piano concerto (2010)
Mythic Gardens, cello concerto (2012)
A Palace Upon the Ruins, song cycle (2014)
L’Aube (The Dawn), song cycle (2017)
List of film director and composer collaborations
^ Handy, Bruce 'Lord of the Rings' Composer Howard Shore Talks Hobbits, His Start on 'SNL' and Working With Martin Scorsese Billboard. February 25, 2015
^ "The Fly The Opera". The Fly The Opera. Archived from the original on August 18, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
^ "Howard Shore Biography (1946-)". Film Reference. Advameg, Inc. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
^ "Mac Shore". Variety. November 5, 2002. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
^ "Toronto's Jewish community will have lots to watch on Oscar night". Jewish Tribune. January 31, 2012. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
^ "Movie Geeks United Interview". Movie Geeks United. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
^ "Movie Geeks United Interview of Howard Shore". Movie Geeks United. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
^ a b Greiving, Tim (December 30, 2016). "Before he won Oscars for his music, composer Howard Shore helped kick off SNL". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
^ a b Symkus, Ed (April 12, 2017). "'Lord of the Rings' composer Howard Shore counts his achievements by the score". The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
^ Appelo, Tim (November 5, 2014). "'Lord of the Rings' Composer Howard Shore on Scoring 80 Movies: "I Often Felt Like Frodo"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
^ Steinblatt, Jim. "Howard Shore". ASCAP. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
^ Zeman, Ned (December 18, 2012). "Soul Men: The Making of The Blues Brothers". Vanity Fair. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
^ "Theme from The Lord of the Rings Featured in 'Man of Steel' Teasers". TheOneRing.net. July 21, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
^ Burlingame, Jon (January 18, 2003). "'Two Towers' score remains eligible, the academy says". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
^ "'Alfie,' 'Aviator' and 'Ray' Rack Up Awards". Billboard. 117 (5): 12. January 29, 2005. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
^ "Howard Shore Scores 'A History of Violence'". NPR. October 9, 2005. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
^ Debruge, Peter (November 16, 2006). "The Departed". Variety. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
^ "Shore leaves Jackson's King Kong". The Guardian. October 18, 2005. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
^ Radio 3 Live in Concert, program called "BBC Concert Orchestra - London on Film" (broadcast June 11, 2012 on BBC Radio 3)
^ a b c d e Adams, Doug (October 27, 2010). "Why NZ Matters". The Music of The Lord of the Rings Films. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
^ "The Lord of the Rings Symphony". Howardshore.com. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
^ Patrick Stearns (September 28, 2008). "Pulling out all the stops Wanamaker Organ, Philadelphia Orchestra team up, 80 years late". articles.philly.com. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
^ "The Fly". Howardshore.com. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
^ "Howard Shore's Ruin and Memory Premiered by Lang Lang at the Beijing Music Festival". Schott Music. Archived from the original on March 10, 2015.
^ "Fisher Center Bard Events". Fishercenter.bard.edu. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
^ "A Palace Upon The Ruins (A Song Cycle)". Howardshore.com. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
^ Wheeler, Brad (December 7, 2017). "New Brunswick Youth Orchestra's soaring anthem Sea to Sea has illustrious roots". The Globe and Mail.
^ Robb, Peter. "Ottawa Symphony Orchestra: Howard Shore honours Maureen Forrester with a special song cycle". Artsfile.
^ "Miloš Performs Howard Shore". National Art Center.
^ "Howard Shore". imdb.com. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
^ Deanna Darr (May 16, 2013). "ON THE RECORD: 'Tapestry,' SNL songs close, but not the same". rapidcityjournal.com. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
^ Nate Chinen (May 1, 2009). "Steady Gigs, Late Shows". jazztimes.com. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
^ Josef Adalian (October 29, 2010). "Conan Will Have a New Theme ... Co-Written by Conan". vulture.com. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
^ Inside The Music: Unsettling scores. CBC radio. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
^ a b Adler, Carlye (April 29, 2004). "N.Y. minute: Howard Shore". Variety. Retrieved December 1, 2014. I live in Tuxedo Park, N.Y. and spend time in the West Village, where my wife Elizabeth Cotnoir, a writer-producer and documentary filmmaker, has an office.
^ "The SIRmon – The Official SModcast Internet News Portal". Newsaskew.com. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
^ ""Into the West" Wins Best Song: 2004 Oscars". Academy Awards. February 4, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
^ "Oscars 2012: 'Hugo' composer Howard Shore on Scorsese collaboration". Los Angeles Times. January 24, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
^ "YFile - Film composer honoured for 'sweeping artistic vision'". Yorku.ca. June 13, 2007. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
^ "Steve Winwood To Receive Honorary Doctor of Music Degree". Stevewinwood.com. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
^ "Hollywood-Komponist Howard Shore in Wien". September 15, 2010. Archived from the original on September 17, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
^ "Rush wins Governor General's Award". CBC News. March 6, 2012. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
^ "Governor General Announces 100 New Appointments to the Order of Canada as Canada Turns 150". The Governor General of Canada His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
^ "Composer Howard Shore to Score The Twilight Saga: Eclipse". FirstShowing.net. January 24, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Howard Shore.
Howard Shore on IMDb
Howard Shore Interview at Tracksounds
A Composer's Dream, a short film tribute to Shore on his Governor General's Performing Arts Award, National Film Board of Canada website
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Howard_Shore&oldid=899536950"
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One country, two systems
For the think tank, see One Country Two Systems Research Institute.
"One country, two systems" is a constitutional principle formulated by Deng Xiaoping, the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China (PRC), for the reunification of China during the early 1980s. He suggested that there would be only one China, but distinct Chinese regions such as Hong Kong and Macau could retain their own economic and administrative systems, while the rest of the PRC (or simply "China") uses the socialism with Chinese characteristics system. Under the principle, each of the two regions could continue to have its own governmental system, legal, economic and financial affairs, including trade relations with foreign countries.
Yīguó liǎngzhì
I4 Kuo2 Liang3 Chih4
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization
yāt gwok léuhng jai
Jyutping
jat1 gwok3 loeng5 zai3
Um país, dois sistemas [ũ pɐˈiʃ ˈdoiʃiʃˈtemaʃ]
Background in the context of Hong KongEdit
Main article: History of Hong Kong
Hong Kong was a colony of the United Kingdom, ruled by a governor for 156 years from 1841 (except for four years of Japanese occupation during WWII) until 1997, when it was returned to Chinese sovereignty. China had to accept some conditions, stipulated in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, such as the drafting and adoption of Hong Kong's mini-constitution before its return. The Basic Law ensured Hong Kong will retain its capitalist economic system and own currency (the Hong Kong Dollar), legal system, legislative system, and people's rights and freedom for fifty years, as a special administrative region (SAR) of China. Set to expire in 2047, the current arrangement has permitted Hong Kong to function as its own entity in many international settings (e.g., WTO and the Olympics) rather than as a part of China.[1][2][3]
The Chinese renminbi is not legal tender in Hong Kong. Likewise, the Hong Kong Dollar is not accepted in stores in China. With this arrangement, a permit or visa is required when passing between the borders of Hong Kong and China, and people in Hong Kong generally hold Hong Kong SAR passports rather than Chinese passports. The official languages are a major factor besides the history of the former colony that has made Hong Kong and China distinct from each other, as Cantonese and English are the most widely used languages in Hong Kong while Mandarin is the official language of China. The central government in Beijing maintains control over Hong Kong's foreign affairs as well as the legal interpretation of the Basic Law. The latter has led democracy advocates and some Hong Kong residents to argue that the territory has yet to achieve universal suffrage as promised by the Basic Law, leading to mass demonstrations in 2014.[1][2][3]
Hong Kong and MacauEdit
See also: Sino–British Joint Declaration and Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau
Office of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR in Beijing
Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR
Office of the Macau Special Administrative Region in Beijing
Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macau SAR
Deng Xiaoping proposed to apply the principle to Hong Kong in the negotiation with the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher over the future of Hong Kong when the lease of the New Territories (including New Kowloon) of Hong Kong to the United Kingdom was to expire in 1997. The same principle was proposed in talks with Portugal about Macau.
The principle is that, upon reunification, despite the practice of socialism in mainland China, both Hong Kong and Macau, which were colonies of the UK and Portugal respectively, can retain their established system under a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after reunification. What will happen after 2047 (Hong Kong) and 2049 (Macau) has never been publicly stated.
Chapter 1, Article 5 of the Hong Kong Basic Law, the constitutional document of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, reads:[4]
The socialist system and policies shall not be practised in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the previous capitalist system and way of life shall remain unchanged for 50 years.[5][6]
The establishment of these regions, called special administrative regions (SARs), is authorised by Article 31 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, which states that the State may establish SARs when necessary, and that the systems to be instituted in them shall be prescribed by law enacted by the National People's Congress in light of the specific conditions.
The SARs of Hong Kong and Macau were formally established on 1 July 1997 and 20 December 1999 respectively, immediately after the People's Republic of China (PRC) assumed the sovereignty over the respective regions.
FrameworkEdit
The two SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are responsible for their domestic affairs including, but not limited to, the judiciary and courts of last resort, immigration and customs, public finance, currencies and extradition. Important cultural effects are exemption of the SARs from mainland laws mandating the use of simplified characters in publishing and Mandarin in public education and most broadcasting. The diplomatic relations and regional defence of the two SARs however, is the responsibility of the Central People's Government in Beijing.
Hong Kong continues using English common law and Macau continues using the Portuguese civil law system.
ImplementationEdit
In Hong Kong, the system has been implemented through the Basic Law of Hong Kong, which serves as the "mini-constitution" of the region, and consistent with the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Similar arrangements are in place with Macau. Under the respective basic laws, the SARs have a high degree of autonomy and enjoy executive, legislative and independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication. They formulate their own monetary and financial policies, maintain their own currencies, formulate their own policies on education, culture, sports, social welfare system, etc. within the framework of the basic laws.
As stipulated by the Basic Law, while the Central People's Government of the PRC is responsible for foreign affairs and defense in relation to the SARs, representatives of the Government of the SARs may participate, as members of delegations of the PRC, in diplomatic negotiations that directly affect the Regions, and in other international organizations or conferences limited to states and affecting the region. For those international organizations and conferences not limited to states, the SARs may participate using the names in the form of Hong Kong, China and Macau, China. As separate economic entities, both SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are members of the World Trade Organization. Hong Kong is also one of the member economies of APEC.
The Hong Kong Basic Law also provides constitutional protection on various fundamental human rights and freedoms. Specifically, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and international labour conventions which are implemented under Article 39 of the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance.
Nonetheless, the governments of the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong both consider the principle to have been successfully implemented, quoting official reports of both the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Central People's Government in Beijing maintain relations with Hong Kong government through the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Hong Kong. For Macau, Beijing uses the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region in Macau. While the counterpart offices of the Hong Kong government for the Central People's Government in Beijing is the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing, and Macau government's office in Beijing is the Office of the Macau Special Administrative Region in Beijing.
Perceptions of the erosion of autonomy of Hong KongEdit
After Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, Beijing promised that the Hong Kong citizens would be free to elect their local government. However, Beijing seemed to have a different idea of these free elections than Hong Kong's democracy movement. It seemed as if the Communist Party of China would allow Hong Kong's citizens free elections, but only out the candidates who had been selected by Beijing. One of the reasons for the protests by Hong Kong's citizens and students was because Beijing had broken its promise to grant them open elections by 2017; thus, they demanded "true universal suffrage."[7]
Several incidents have caused portions of the Hong Kong public to call into question the PRC's pledge to allow a high degree of autonomy in Hong Kong. Some international observers and human rights organisations have expressed doubts about the future of the relative political freedoms enjoyed in Hong Kong.
In the year after the Handover, surveys showed high levels of satisfaction with Beijing's hands-off relationship with the former colony.[8]
The year before, the Provisional Legislative Council passed laws restricting the right of abode, leading to a case brought against the government, which ended in a loss for the government in the Court of Final Appeal in 1999. The government then took its case to the National People's Congress. The legal establishment expressed its disapproval of the act Martin Lee described as "giving away" Hong Kong's autonomy with a silent march. Polls showed the events had knocked the public's confidence in the government, despite the fact that most were in favour of the government's stance over the court's.[8]
The proposals in Article 23 of the Basic Law in 2003 (which were withdrawn due to mass opposition) were claimed to undermine autonomy.
2007 NPCSC decision
On 10 June 2014, Beijing released a new report[9] asserting its authority over the territory. This ignited criticism from many people in Hong Kong, who said that the Communist leadership was reneging on its pledges to abide by the "one country, two systems" policy that allows for a democratic, autonomous Hong Kong under Beijing's rule.[10]
During the 2014 Hong Kong protests, students demanded more political freedom in direct response to the "831 decision" of the NPCSC. The participants demanded freedom of choice, electoral freedom, democracy and, in particular, they wanted to participate during the elections of the head of the administration of Hong Kong. The name "umbrella movement" originated because the students protected themselves with umbrellas from the pepper spray of the police. Thus, umbrellas became the symbol of this movement.[7] In 2016, Joshua Wong, Alex Chow and Nathan Law, student leaders of the protests, were indicted for their roles in the protests and found guilty.
Causeway Bay booksellers caseEdit
Main article: Causeway Bay Books disappearances
The disappearances of five staff at Causeway Bay Books – an independent publisher and bookstore – in October to December 2015 precipitated an international outcry as cross-border abductions were widely suspected. Although at least two of them disappeared in mainland China, one in Thailand, one member was last seen in Hong Kong, but apparently had found his way across the Chinese land border in Shenzhen without the necessary travel documents.[11] The unprecedented disappearance of a person in Hong Kong, and the bizarre events surrounding it, shocked the city and crystallised international concern over the suspected abduction of Hong Kong citizens by Chinese public security bureau officials and their likely rendition, in violation of several articles of the Basic Law and the one country, two systems principle.[12][13][14] It was later confirmed that they are under detention in mainland China although most had reappeared in Hong Kong and cancelled their missing persons' reports with the police.
On 16 June 2016, shortly after he returned to Hong Kong, Lam Wing-kee gave a long press conference in which he detailed the circumstances surrounding his eight-month detention, and describing how his confession and those of his associates had been scripted and stage-managed. Lam implicated the involvement of the Central Investigation Team, which is under direct control of the highest level of the Beijing leadership. His revelations stunned Hong Kong and made headlines worldwide, prompting a scurry of counter-accusations and denials from mainland authorities and supporters.[15][16]
Hong Kong National Party banEdit
Main article: Hong Kong National Party
On 17 July 2018, the Hong Kong Police Force served the party convenor a notice under the Societies Ordinance, seeking to ban the Party for sedition, on grounds of national security with respect to Chinese territorial integrity. The party and its convenor Andy Chan submitted their case against being outlawed. Ten days later, in an unprecedented move, Secretary for Security John Lee on 24 September 2018 officially banned the party on national security grounds.[17]
The ban prohibited anyone who claims to be a HKNP member, or is found to provide aid to the party in any way, under the threat of being fined and jailed for up to two years. The definition of “providing aid” to the party and the two leaders were not made clear. Chan’s lawyers wrote to the Department of Justice seeking an assurance that providing legal assistance to him would not be regarded as providing assistance to the HKNP, but that assurance was not forthcoming.[18]
Victor Mallet controversyEdit
Main article: Victor Mallet visa controversy
In August, a controversy erupted in 2018 when the FCC hosted a lunchtime talk with Andy Chan, convenor of the Hong Kong Independence Party (HKIP) to take place on 14 August. Victor Mallet, Vice-chairman of the press organisation, chaired the session.[19] The governments of China and Hong Kong had called for the cancellation of the talk, because the issue of independence supposedly crossed one of the "bottom lines" on national sovereignty.[20][21] After a visit to Bangkok, Mallet was denied a working visa by the Hong Kong government.[22] Mallet was subjected to a four-hour interrogation by immigration officers on his return from Thailand on Sunday 7 October before he was finally allowed to enter Hong Kong on a seven-day tourist visa.[23]
In the absence of an official explanation, Mallet’s visa rejection was widely seen to be retribution for his role in chairing the Andy Chan talk which the FCC refused to call off.[19][21] Secretary for Security John Lee insisted the ban on Mallet was unrelated to press freedom, but declined to explain the decision.[23] The incident caused a furious debate over restrictions to freedoms that were supposedly protected by the Sino-British Joint Declaration under One Country Two Systems.[24]
Background in the context of MacauEdit
Main article: History of Macau
Macau was a colony of Portugal, ruled by a governor for 442 years from 1557 (except for 4 years of limited Japanese occupation during WWII, because of Japanese respect to Portuguese neutrality) until 1999, when it was returned to Chinese sovereignty. China had to accept some conditions, stipulated in the Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau, such as the drafting and adoption of Macau's mini-constitution before its return. Like Hong Kong, the Basic Law ensured Macau will retain its capitalist economic system and own currency (the pataca), legal system (which is based on Portuguese civil law), legislative system, and people's rights and freedom for 50 years, as a special administrative region (SAR) of China. Set to expire in 2049, the current agreement has permitted Macau to function as its own entity in many international settings (e.g., WTO and the Olympics) rather than as a part of China.
As Macau has its own currency, the Chinese renminbi is not legal tender in Macau; the pataca is not even accepted in stores in China. With this agreement, a permit or visa is required when crossing between the borders of Macau and China, and people in Macau generally hold Macau SAR passports rather than mainland Chinese passports. Like Hong Kong, the official languages are a major factor that has made Macau and China distinct from each other besides the history of the former colony, as Cantonese and Portuguese are the most widely used languages in Macau, while Mandarin is the official language of China. The central government in Beijing also maintains control over Macau's foreign affairs as well as the legal interpretation of the Basic Law.
TaiwanEdit
See also: Chinese unification
This system has also been proposed by the PRC government for Taiwan, but the Government of the Republic of China has refused this suggestion (it has also been claimed that the system was originally designed for Taiwan[citation needed] in order for it to be reunified with the PRC). More specifically, special provisions for the preservation of the military in Taiwan have also been proposed by the Chinese Communist Party (the ruling political party of the PRC), unlike that of Hong Kong and Macau, which are territories protected by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of the PRC. All of the major political parties in Taiwan, however, including those that lean towards Chinese reunification, have come out strongly against the "One country, Two systems". Some proposed instead "One country, Two governments", which was opposed outright by the PRC government, while some proposed that the "one country" highlighted in the system should be the ROC instead of the PRC. One of the few Taiwanese who have publicly supported the "One country, Two systems" is Li Ao, a Mainland-born novelist.[citation needed]
Although the "one country, two systems" guarantees that Hong Kong's economic and political systems will not be changed for 50 years after the British handover in 1997, Mainland Affairs Council of the Republic of China has cited 218 cases between 1997 and 2007 in which they claim the PRC has breached the right of the people of Hong Kong to self-rule and severely intervened in the judicial system as well as freedom of speech.[25]
Since the accession of Hu Jintao as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China on 15 November 2002, the PRC has stopped promoting immediate unification via "one country, two systems", although it remains official policy. The "one country, two systems" framework was not mentioned in the Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China passed on 14 March 2005 to prevent the growing Taiwan independence movement at that time. A new policy of gradual economic integration and political exchanges is now preferred under the 1992 Consensus:[26] this new policy was emphasised during the 2005 Pan-Blue visits to mainland China in April 2005[27] as well as all subsequent major cross-strait exchanges, especially after Ma Ying-jeou from the pro-reunification Kuomintang party won the 2008 Republic of China presidential election. During his visit to Beijing in March 2012, former Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Po-hsiung proposed the one country, two areas (simplified Chinese: 一国两区; traditional Chinese: 一國兩區) framework to govern the cross-strait relations.[28] During the 2013 National Day of the Republic of China address on 10 October 2013, President Ma Ying-jeou addressed the public stating that people of both sides of the Taiwan Strait are all Chinese by ethnicity and that cross-strait relations are not international relations.[29]
Due to the growing pressure for the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to engage in the cross-strait development over the past recent years developed by KMT-CPC, the DPP finally softened its stance on its Taiwan independence movement when the former chairman Frank Hsieh visited Mainland China on 4–8 October 2012, a groundbreaking visit by the highest rank in DPP, although he claimed that this trip was done in his private capacity and as a non-politician.[30] The DPP also established its party China Affairs Committee on 21 November 2012[31] and proposed the Broad One China Framework (simplified Chinese: 大一中原则; traditional Chinese: 大一中原則) on 27 May 2014 led by former chairman Shih Ming-teh.[32]
Comparison to proposals for TibetEdit
Jiang (2008) notes that the concept of "one country, two systems" is based on the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet signed in 1951, and that its mechanism is similar to how the Qing emperor integrated new territories it had conquered by permitting local elites in these regions to continue to enjoy power for a time and to exercise autonomy without apparently threatening distinct local customs. As the concept was merely a "tactical and transitional arrangement", a point of view argues that the territory of Hong Kong will gradually experience the same fate as Tibet since 1959 – forced assimilation and tight direct control by the central government. Over time, full assimilation, and abolition of local autonomy, would take place in a manner "illustrative of a similar Chinese imperial expansionist mentalité".[33]
The 14th Dalai Lama's 2005 proposal for "high-level autonomy" for Tibet, evolved from a position of advocating Tibetan independence, has been compared to "one country, two systems". He has said that his proposals should be acceptable to China because "one country, two systems" is accommodated for in the Chinese Constitution. State media rejected this claim, pointing out that "one country, two systems" was designed for the capitalist social systems of Hong Kong and Macau, which had never existed in Tibet.[34]
One country, two systems proposals for other countriesEdit
Muhammad Cohen, writing for Asia Times, suggests the One country, two systems formula is possible solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[35]
North Korea suggests the One country, two systems formula to bring about Korean unification, through a confederation of two systems within one country.[36] China has also promoted the idea; the difference between North Korea's motivation and China's is that North Korea seeks to maintain two separate governments, while China seeks gradual unification as it brings stability to the Korean peninsula with one centralised government.[37]
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the arrangement linking Hong Kong with China could be a possible solution for addressing the fate of Northern Ireland after Brexit. The border between EU member Ireland and British-ruled Northern Ireland is becoming an increasing concern in divorce talks with Britain, with Dublin demanding that the frontier remain completely open, to avoid endangering the peace process.[38]
China portal
Hong Kong portal
Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China
Autonomous administrative division
Basic Law of Macau
Democracy in China
Hong Kong Basic Law
Hong Kong law
Legal system of Hong Kong
Legal system of Macau
Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
Hong Kong–Mainland conflict
^ a b Boland, Rory. "What Country Is Hong Kong in? China or Not?". About.com Travel.
^ a b "China Resumes Control of Hong Kong, Concluding 156 Years of British Rule". The New York Times.
^ a b "1898 and all that—a Brief History of Hong Kong." The Economist, 28 June 1997
^ "Chapter I : General Principles". Government of the Hong Kong SAR. 17 March 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
^ Luo, Jing. Over A Cup of Tea: An Introduction To Chinese Life And Culture. [2004] (2004). University Press of America China. ISBN 0-7618-2937-7
^ Wong, Yiu-chung. [2004] (2004). One Country, Two Systems in Crisis: Hong Kong's Transformation. Lexington Books. Hong Kong. ISBN 0-7391-0492-6.
^ a b Jonathan Kaiman, Hong Kong’s umbrella revolution – the Guardian briefing, The Guardian, 30 September 2014, retrieved on 23 July 2017
^ a b Carroll, John M (2007). A Concise History of Hong Kong. Hong Kong University Press. pp. 221–228. ISBN 978-962-209-878-7.
^ "Full Text: The Practice of the "One Country, Two Systems" Policy in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". Xinhua News Agency. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014.
^ "Beijing's 'White Paper' Sets Off a Firestorm in Hong Kong". The New York Times. 11 June 2014. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
^ "Hong Kong unsettled by case of 5 missing booksellers". The Big Story. Associated Press. 3 January 2016.
^ "Disappearance of 5 Tied to Publisher Prompts Broader Worries in Hong Kong". The New York Times. 5 January 2016.
^ Ilaria Maria Sala (7 January 2016). "Hong Kong bookshops pull politically sensitive titles after publishers vanish". The Guardian. London.
^ "Unanswered questions about the missing booksellers". EJ Insight. 5 January 2016.
^ "In Pictures: Over 1,000 protesters chant 'no to authority' in support of returned bookseller - Hong Kong Free Press HKFP". 18 June 2016.
^ "Returned bookseller says he was detained by 'special unit' in China, TV 'confession' was scripted". hongkongfp.com. 16 June 2016.
^ "Hong Kong National Party's call for 'armed revolution' no mere political slogan but a threat to safety and order, security minister John Lee says". South China Morning Post. 24 September 2018.
^ Lum, Alvin (24 October 2018). "Hong Kong National Party founders lodge separate appeals against ban in effort to avoid legal action". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
^ a b "Financial Times Editor Barred Entry Into Hong Kong". Time. 8 October 2018.
^ "Hong Kong rejects visa for FT editor". BBC. 6 October 2018.
^ a b "Ex-British foreign minister, US senator urge action on Hong Kong visa refusal". South China Morning Post. 9 November 2018.
^ "Journalist Victor Mallet allowed back into Hong Kong – for seven days only". 8 October 2018.
^ a b "Ban on journalist risks undermining business confidence, UK minister warns". South China Morning Post. 9 November 2018.
^ "Financial Times editor given one week to leave Hong Kong". Deutsche Welle. 8 October 2018.
^ "Analysis Report: 20 Years After Hong Kong's Handover" (PDF). Mainland Affairs Council. 29 June 2006. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
^ "The Risk of War Over Taiwan is Real". Financial Times. 1 May 2005. Archived from the original on 31 December 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2006.
^ "Hopes grow as second Taiwan leader visits China". The Age. Melbourne. 13 May 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2006.
^ "'One country, two areas' proposed by Wu Po-hsiung – Taipei Times". Retrieved 12 September 2014.
^ Press release: "President Ma Ying-jeou’s National Day Address 10/10/2013" Archived 29 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Taipei Representative Office in Finland, 15 October 2013
^ "Frank Hsieh confirms visit to China – Taipei Times". Retrieved 12 September 2014.
^ "General news: Su to Chair DPP’s 'China Affairs Committee'". Kuomintang, 21 November 2012
^ "'Broad one-China framework' set". Taipei Times. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
^ Hung, Ho-fung. "Three Views of Local Consciousness in Hong Kong". The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol. 12; Issue 44, No. 1; 3 November 2014.
^ ""One country, two systems" not possible for Tibet". China Tibet Information Center. Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States. 28 July 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
^ "Try 'one country, two systems' where it might work". Asia Times. 26 June 2017.
^ "N. Korea proposes 'one country, two systems' reunification". The Sun Daily.
^ "China backs 'one country, two systems' in Korean unification effort". english.yonhapnews.co.kr. 22 January 2013.
^ Irish minister suggests ‘Hong Kong solution’ for post-Brexit Northern Ireland, AFP, South China Morning Post, 22 November 2017
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Expert on Islam: “What Muslim Leaders Say in English Means Absolutely Nothing”
Gideon Israel | 02/05/2017 03/05/2017
Professor Moshe Sharon explains what Trump needs to say to Abbas during their upcoming meeting; why a nuclear Iran is so dangerous; and why the West has trouble understanding the Muslim world
Understand Their Language. Prof. Sharon. Photo: Issam Rimawi /Flash90
President Trump will be meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas this coming Wednesday. Unlike his predecessor, President Trump understands that the major problems in the Middle East are Iran, ISIS and Syria, and that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has a minor connection, if any, to the broader conflicts in the Middle East. Still, President Trump is looking to take a swing at solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, a feat that has eluded all of his predecessors. Is a solution possible, and if so, what needs to be done to reach it?
I spoke with Professor Moshe Sharon, professor emeritus at Hebrew University, and world renowned expert on Islam, about the possibilities of President Trump striking a peace agreement in the Middle East. A former student of Professor Bernard Lewis, Sharon is considered Israel’s most highly respected authority on Islam, and served under Prime Minister Menachem Begin as his advisor on Arab affairs where he took part in the negotiations with Egyptian President, Anwar Sadat.
In my interview with Professor Sharon, we discussed what President Trump should say to Mahmoud Abbas when they meet; why Iran might actually use a nuclear weapon if they obtain one; and whether such a term as moderate Muslim exists.
Understanding Their Language
Professor Sharon is fluent in Arabic and Farsi among other languages. More than 50 years ago, Sharon knew that he wanted to study Middle Eastern Studies and thus went to live with the Bedouins in Southern Israel and Israeli Arabs from the Galilee to better understand their culture. At the beginning, they knew he was Jewish, but once he became fluent in Arabic, it was indiscernible. “I had my own sheep, my own little flock, I spoke their language, I was like one of them,” remembers Sharon. “The most important thing was to learn their language, their habits, their nuances, and once that happens you hear not only what they say to you, but also what they don’t say, which is just as important.”
Sharon lived with the Bedouins for a period of time, and then went to live with the Arabs to understand them. From the outside, the Arabs can be seen as a homogenous people, but in reality they are very different one from another. When discussing a two state solution, many Westerners talk about combining Gaza and the West Bank together as one Palestinian state that will live alongside Israel, Sharon disagrees.
“Arabs from Gaza and the West Bank are from two different worlds. If you say to the West Bankers that the Gazans are coming to live with them, they will be absolutely flabbergasted, they won’t believe you. If a Gazan went to live in Nablus, he would be in a bad situation. Even more than that, if an Arab from Hebron went to live in Nablus (60 miles north of Hebron), he wouldn’t be in a good situation, because these cities are made up of families, clans, and tribes, they aren’t homogenous societies.”
According to Sharon, the way Israel negotiates with the Palestinians needs to be different. For decades, he has been critical of the way Israel’s leaders have handled negotiations with Arab leaders in general, and has written a guide as to how to negotiate in the Middle East bazaar. One important change is to remove the English language from negotiations. “I want negotiations to be in two languages: Hebrew and Arabic. Israel will speak Hebrew and they will speak Arabic. Because then you will really hear what the Arabs have to say, and what they don’t have to say. The Arabs know that what they say will be quoted in their media and therefore they will be very careful what they say and you will hear their true positions. In English, they can say anything they want, and then later when confronted with what they said they will say it wasn’t understood correctly and taken out of context.”
Sharon says that as a general rule, what Muslim/Arab leaders say in English means absolutely nothing. First, because they will always say what the English audience wants to hear, even if it has no resemblance to reality. Second, Muslims don’t view themselves as obligated to the Western audience. “When Muslims speak in front of their own people, they know that when they commit to something they are expected to supply the goods. That is not so with English audiences.”
But the divide is even greater.
Sharon explains that when Muslim leaders speak in front of English audiences they will not only say what their Western audience wants to hear, but also use it as a basis to extract concessions from them. For example, when discussing commitment to peace with Israel or to a certain deal, the Arab/Muslim leader goes on and on about peace, their commitment to it, its importance and so forth. The Western listener believes everything that has been said and will interpret the words and declarations of the Muslim leader as to actually mean the concept and ideas that he believes in. When the European hears about ‘peace’ from an Arab leader, he thinks about the Western concept of peace which is very different from the Muslim’s concept of peace.
“No one ever asks the Muslim speaker to explain what is it he means when he says ‘peace’ and ‘tolerance’, because they think that they know what it means since there is a definition of peace. When the Muslim speaker tells the Western audience what they want to hear, he will then take advantage of the fact that the Westerner heard what he wanted to hear, as if the Muslim made a concession to him, and as a result will demand concessions from the Westerner, since the Muslim leader has given the perception that he has made concessions to the Westerner.”
When Trump Meets Abbas
Sharon explains that there is a major difference between agreements in the Muslim world and agreements in the West. “In the Muslim world you only keep an agreement because you have to keep it, but the moment the agreement can be terminated, you terminate it, because you are the stronger party.”
In regard to a peace agreement, there is a difference between how the West understands the nature of this agreement as opposed to the Muslim world. “In Islam, the normal situation is war until the world is conquered. However, there are times when the Muslims cannot continue the war because they are not strong enough to win or for other reasons that might cause them to lose the war. The solution for type of situation in Islamic legal terms is called Sulha. This is when the Muslims stop their battles with the non-Muslims for a limited period of time which is the Sulha. This idea has rules and it can be renewed, but it is only temporary since Muslims cannot stop Jihad forever. Jihad is a normal situation, but to stop Jihad temporarily there must be a very good reason – the Muslim needs to have an alibi. However, even if there is a Sulha, it is only valid as long as the Muslims feel they are not strong enough to fight the non-Muslims, the minute this changes, they are required to return to Jihad.”
Sharon believes that there is no chance for any peace agreement because in simple terms, Israel wants peace whereas the Palestinians are committed to Israel’s destruction. “If Abbas and the Palestinians wanted to make peace, they could have done it numerous times already. The Palestinians received conditions for peace from former Prime Ministers Barak and Olmert that would have led to the destruction of the State of Israel. If Abbas would have accepted then what was offered it would have been the end of the State of Israel without question, because Hamas would have taken over the West Bank, and then there would be a situation where not one airplane could take off from Ben Gurion airport due to missile and mortar threats.” Sharon is referring to territorial concessions that both Prime Ministers made to the Palestinians which would allow them to have control of the hills overlooking Ben Gurion International Airport, only about five miles away.
If that is the case, what does Abbas want from Trump and how should Trump conduct his meeting with Abbas?
“Mahmoud Abbas is going to meet President Trump in the White House in order to get the American President on his side because he has a plan, which is not to make peace with Israel, but rather to destroy it. Part of this agenda is to find allies for his cause, and the best ally is the United States. The minute the U.S. becomes the ally of Palestinians it ceases to be the ally of Israel, as happened during the Obama Administration.”
How should Trump conduct his meeting with Abbas?
“He needs to say to Abbas: what is your peace plan and show me your covenant.” Sharon is referring to the PLO charter which was established in 1964, three years before Israel took control over the West Bank. In that charter, Israel’s existence or recognition of its existence is not mentioned at all. This document was the blueprint for the principles that would guide the PLO in their efforts to reclaim all of Palestine from Israel.
“Trump needs to ask Abbas what is the meaning of his covenant and to go through the articles of the covenant and understand what each means.” For example, what does Article 2 mean when it says that ‘Palestine with its boundaries at the time of the British Mandate is a regional indivisible unit.’ “Trump needs to ask Abbas what exactly is your plan and what are you willing to give Israel. He should say ‘we only hear about what you want from Israel, but what are you willing to give Israel.’
But what if Abbas says he is ready to stop terror attacks against Israel?
“No, that’s not enough. I’m ready to stop killing you, that is giving you something?!”
So, let’s say he says I’m ready to stop incitement?
“No, what are you ready to give in real terms, not that you are going to stop to killing Jews. You want from the Israelis a list of concessions connected to territory that brings you within seven miles of Israel’s main cities, but what are you willing to give them in terms of real things.”
So what if Abbas says he is ready to recognize Israel as a Jewish state according to the 1967 borders?
“Yes, that is very important. To recognize Israel is important and Trump needs to tell Abbas, ‘Go back to Ramallah, stand up in public and give a speech saying the Palestinian people recognize Israel as a Jewish state’ in those exact words in Arabic, but Abbas will never do it. In any event, this is only the declarative part, the second part is what is Abbas willing to give Israel in real terms, in real estate? Sometimes people ask me in public lectures ‘what is your plan for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict’? I say I have no plan. I want to know what is the Arab’s plan. The Arabs will never present their plan first, they will always create a situation where you have to present your plan first and they work from there.”
A Religious Or National Conflict
Some people get mixed up when they see the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. On the one hand there is the PLO which seems like a secular nationalist movement, and on the other hand there is Hamas and other Jihad organizations which speak in terms of a religious war against Israel – which is it? “There is no secularism in Islam, there is no such word for secularism in Islam. That is a mistake people make since they look at Islam like they look at Christianity. Even if a Muslim doesn’t go to mosque, doesn’t fast during Ramadan, doesn’t make a pilgrimage to Mecca, he is still a Muslim, because Islam is a source of identity, remember that. Islam is a center of identity. We are not talking about a religion on a scale of less and more. There is no separation between state and religion.”
Do Moderate Muslims Exist
“There are about 1.25 billion muslims in the world, 99% want to go to work and bring food home, but the ones that set the tone for Islam are the 1%. ISIS is very small, but they give the tone, same with Iran, those who have the power and give the tone are a fraction of the community.”
But are all the Muslims happy with that tone?
“Most are not happy with the leaders, but they are irrelevant. That makes no difference, no one is asking about happiness. If you have power you don’t ask about happiness because you can behead the people that don’t agree with you. Think about Saudi Arabia, under any normal standards the government should have collapsed years ago. Whoever has the power to kill has the power to rule. There are many Muslims who are nice and talk about peace, but the person who speaks about peace and how wonderful it would be, ask him not what he thinks, but what he could do for it? And if he is truthful he will say he can do nothing about it, because he has no power.”
But are these people who want peace adhering to Islam which calls for Jihad and commands Muslims to takeover the world?
“Yes, but they can’t do anything about it.”
Are Muslims happy when they have an alibi that they don’t have to go to jihad?
“This is not the question. They will have to go to jihad if a call for jihad is issued by their own leader. They are like a sheep looking for the shepherd who will take them to the water or a grazing area. There are a few thousand in the western world who want to be westerners – let them be westerners – which means that they are ready to lose their identity. Some people say “I met a wonderful Muslim who wants peace” and I say: Wonderful I want peace also, but what he can do about it? Nothing, he doesn’t set the tone.
And there will never be a situation where the leader of Islam can give a tone of reconciliation?
“The question of reconciliation is impossible. Why? Because then you put on parity Muslims and non-Muslims and that is impossible. “
But these people in the West who want peace, if they became leaders of Islam, would they be talking differently?
“The idea is very simple. The rules which control the Muslim who is a leader are not the same rules that control a regular Muslim running around Paris, London, and NY. When he has no power, a person can live by different rules but if he becomes a leader then there are other rules that govern him because he is now a ruler with the power to do something.”
Iran Might Use An Atomic Bomb
In a previous interview, Professor Sharon said that there is real possibility that Iran would use a nuclear weapon should they obtain one. “Iran is ruled by fanatic rulers who live with a feeling of impending apocalypse. The Shia is a messianic movement which means that it lives with the idea that the messiah, or Mahdi, exists somewhere, but he is hidden. This messiah is waiting to appear. There is one possibility where the Shia leadership would do everything they could to induce the Mahdi to appear – mainly through wars which would lead to major catastrophes. This would remain in the realm of religion, but there are other dangerous things that Iran’s leaders might pursue. The Shi’ites are the sufferers of the Islamic world, they are the minority in Islam and they have been persecuted by the majority of Islam which is the Sunnis. For them, the greatest in enemy of the world are the Sunnis, and they will do everything they can to destroy them. I always say that if Iran obtains nuclear weapons Saudi Arabia will be the first to be on the receiving end, since Saudi Arabia, more than any other country, represents pure Sunni Islam.”
“When Ahmadinejad was Mayor of Tehran he spent about six million dollars to build a royal entrance so that the Mahdi could enter into Tehran in a very respectable way. So they are not just talking abstractly. We may think it is ridiculous, but understand his thinking, he believes that he can bring the Mahdi and that is why builds this entrance.”
While the Iranians talk about bringing the Mahdi, Islam has been around for almost 1,400 years, have they not tried to bring the Mahdi before? Didn’t they have not a powerful army before that could bring destruction and catastrophe? Sharon says that bringing the Mahdi has never before been tried by the Shia, though they talk about it all the time.
“The Shi’ites never created for themselves a real powerful army, to such an extent where they could challenge the powers of the Sunni. Almost all of the time they were under Sunni rule. Until the 16th century Iran was a Sunni country. The Shia are a minority in Islam, maybe six or seven percent of all Muslims. What is unique now is that Iran presents themselves not only as the leaders of Shia, but also they are claiming to be the leaders of the Islamic world in general, because they are presenting a goal which is acceptable to all Muslims. This goal is first fighting the “Great Satan” which is represented by the U.S., a Christian country which is so big and so strong that in order to take over the world it needs to be brought down, and then they have this helper which runs around between its legs which is Israel.”
For Muslims, Israel is both ritually unclean and dangerous since it is suicidal by nature in the sense that Muslims don’t know what Israel going to do, and Israel also puts the whole Muslim world to shame. Islam is a shame oriented society as opposed to the Christian world which is a guilt oriented society. In a guilt oriented society, the antidote for wrongdoing is either punishment or forgiveness, whereas in a shame oriented society, the only way to deal with shame is revenge, to obliterate the thing that caused the shame. Israel puts the Muslim world to shame, and therefore the only thing they can do to Israel is destroy it.
How does Iran view President Trump?
“They see him as a real leader. He talks a language that they understand. The Iranians saw Obama as weak, and scared of Iran. The Iranians are trembling because they believe that Trump is the other side of Obama. They think to themselves, ‘maybe we should reach an agreement with him before he starts to damage us’. The stronger Trump acts towards Iran the better. They are not saying it openly, but if you read between the lines in Iranian newspapers they are far more careful, but still trying to project strength. But if Trump continues the way he is going, he could bring them down.”
Roland Bastiaans M.D. says:
This is a real masterpiece ! It should be read and internalize. Our western way of thinking is indeed so different from their way of thinking often code to Magic Thinking, a pathological phenomenon.
https://en.mida.org.il/2017/05/02/expert-islam-muslim-leaders-say-english-means-absolutely-nothing/
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Argentina, IMF reach deal to boost financing to $57 billion
Argentina's Treasury Minister Nicolas Dujovne, right, listens as International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, left, speaks during a press conference at the Consulate of Argentina, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The International Monetary Fund agreed Wednesday to increase a lending package with Argentina by $7.1 billion to a total of $57.1 billion, seeking to calm markets over the country's ability to meet its debt amid growing economic turmoil.
Argentina had secured $50 billion in financing as part of a deal worked out with the IMF in June after South America's second-largest economy was battered by a run on the Argentine peso amid double-digit inflation.
IMF Director Christine Lagarde said Wednesday that Argentina's central bank has agreed as part of the deal to intervene in currency markets only in case of extreme circumstances and that the new amount will help Argentina's government face its challenges.
"The Central Bank of Argentina has decided to adopt a floating exchange rate regime without intervention," Lagarde said at a joint news conference with Argentine Economy Minister Nicolas Dujovne in New York.
"In the event of extreme overshooting of the exchange rate, the (bank) may conduct limited intervention in foreign exchange markets to prevent disorderly market conditions."
Argentine Central Bank Chief Guido Sandleris later told reporters that under the revised deal, the central bank initially will intervene only by selling $150 million worth of pesos a day when the currency drops below 34 pesos or rises above 44 pesos per U.S. dollar.
"This will allow us to reduce inflation and recover the stability and predictability in prices that Argentina so badly needs," said Sandleris, who was named to the job Tuesday after Luis Caputo surprisingly resigned.
The new deal will also speed up disbursements to $13.4 billion from $6 billion previously agreed for this year and to $22.8 billion from $11.4 billion previously approved for 2019.
Argentina has been badly hit by a severe drought that has damaged crop yields in the world's third-largest exporter of soybean and corn. The situation worsened beginning in the first quarter of 2018 as world oil prices rose and then interest rate hikes in the United States led investors to pull dollars out of Argentina.
That caused panic among Argentines, who have stashed away dollars as a cushion since the country's worst crisis in 2001 when banks froze deposits and the currency tumbled.
The rush to buy dollars led the peso's value to collapse. Despite several interest rate hikes by the Central Bank, the peso has lost more than half its value this year, making it one of the world's worst performing currencies.
Following the run on the peso, President Mauricio Macri began pushing for early IMF disbursements under a revised deal. He aimed to restore investor confidence and ease concerns that Argentina will not be able to meet its debt obligations next year.
Consumer prices are rising at an estimated annual rate of about 40 percent. Many Argentines joined in a nationwide strike Tuesday to protest Macri's handling of the economic crisis and his decision to turn to the IMF for help.
Most Argentines blame the international lending institution for encouraging policies that led to the country's economic implosion in 2001. It resulted in one of every five Argentines being unemployed and millions sliding into poverty.
The IMF has admitted it made a string of mistakes that contributed to the economic implosion. A 2004 report by the IMF's internal audit unit concluded it failed to provide enough oversight and overestimated growth and the success of economic reforms, while it continued to lend Argentina money when its debt burden had turned unsustainable.
Without further IMF support, the government was forced to declare a record $100 billion sovereign debt default.
Argentina says country without means to rescue sub
Argentina announces new taxes, ministry cuts
Argentina asks early release of IMF funds
Google employees walk out to protest treatment of women
World News Americas Business International Argentina IMF
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Research in the University
ESP Across Cultures
ESP Across Cultures, Journal of the University of Foggia, Italy, is a double-blind refereed journal published under the supervision of its Chief Editor (henceforth referred to as ‘the editor'), assisted by an Editorial Board for the evaluation of the papers submitted for publication.
Save for exceptional cases and at the discretion of the editor, articles submitted for publication must be unpublished works, and shall not have been simultaneously submitted to other journals. ESP Across Cultures retains full copyright on the published papers.
In order to ensure a wide international readership, ESP Across Cultures accepts only articles written in English.
All contributions should be submitted to the editor, together with the corresponding illustrations (graphs, tables, photographs, etc.). In the final version, the articles will be accepted only as an attachment to an e-mail message to the editor.
All contributions will be submitted to the evaluation of the editor. Individual members of the Editorial Board will be asked to give their evaluation on individual proposals for publication, and all members of the Editorial Board will be informed in advance of the articles scheduled to appear in each issue, together with an abstract of each article. The identity of the members of the Editorial Board assessing the articles will be kept confidential. Experts who are not members of the Editorial Board may sometimes be asked to review proposals for publication.
The authors bear full responsibility for the opinions expressed in their respective articles, which do not necessarily reflect the position of the editor or of the Editorial Board.
Each author is entitled to receive a pdf copy of ESP Across Cultures and reprints of his/her published article may be downloaded free of charge.
The original is to be presented in the following order: title, name(s) and surname(s) of the author(s), affiliation of the author(s), abstract, text, acknowledgements, references, and appendices.
Abstracts should be 250-300 words. Articles should normally be 3,000-5,000 words (including abstract, footnotes, references and appendices).
All manuscripts of the final version of the article must be word-processed in Times New Roman font, double spaced throughout on A4 paper (21cm x 29.7cm), justified, with the following set margins:
Page set up: Top 3; Bottom 3; Left 3; Right 3.
No set spaces between paragraphs. Page numbers on all pages (position: bottom of page: alignment: centre, font 12). Indent each new paragraph (but not the first line of the Abstract). Set the left tab stop at 0.5cm.
Format of the article
Header: Title of the article (font 11, italic, align left – not on first page)
Title: Font 14, bold, italic, centre
Name & Surname: Font 12, italic, centre
Affiliation: Font 12, italic, centre
Abstract: Font 12
Main headings: Font 12, bold
Body text: Font 12. Quotations included in double inverted commas. Italics to indicate foreign words and neologisms.
Footnotes: Font 11. Footnotes are to be numbered consecutively throughout the article. Footnotes should appear at the end of each page, not as endnotes.
Tables & Figures: They are each to be numbered consecutively to correspond to the order in which they are referred to in the text of the article. Each table and figure must carry a title and should appear in the main body of the text.
Bibliography: Font 12. Only include in the references section works actually cited in the body of the text. Bibliographical references in the body of the text should be limited to the indication of the author's last surname and the date (year) of publication. In case of more than one publication of the same author with the same date, add an alphabetical sequence (1993a, 1993b, etc.). References, to be inserted at the end of the text, shall be structured as follows:
Books as a whole - author(s)'s name(s), date of publication, title (in italics), place, publisher;
Books referred to in part - author(s)'s name(s), date of publication, title of the article, chapter or essay (no special marking), the preposition "In" followed by the references as indicated immediately above, page numbers;
Article published in a journal - author(s)'s name(s), date of publication, title of the article (no special marking), name of the journal (in italics), volume and number of the journal, and page numbers.
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This article is about the year 1961. For other uses, see 1961 (disambiguation).
Millennium:
2nd millennium
Centuries:
Decades:
1961 by topic
Lists of leaders
Sovereign state leaders
Territorial governors
Birth and death categories
Establishments and disestablishments categories
Disestablishments
Works category
1961 in various calendars
Gregorian calendar 1961
MCMLXI
Armenian calendar 1410
ԹՎ ՌՆԺ
Assyrian calendar 6711
Bahá'í calendar 117–118
Balinese saka calendar 1882–1883
Bengali calendar 1368
Berber calendar 2911
British Regnal year 9 Eliz. 2 – 10 Eliz. 2
Buddhist calendar 2505
Burmese calendar 1323
Byzantine calendar 7469–7470
Chinese calendar 庚子年 (Metal Rat)
4657 or 4597
— to —
辛丑年 (Metal Ox)
Coptic calendar 1677–1678
Discordian calendar 3127
Ethiopian calendar 1953–1954
Hebrew calendar 5721–5722
Hindu calendars
Holocene calendar 11961
Igbo calendar 961–962
Iranian calendar 1339–1340
Islamic calendar 1380–1381
Japanese calendar Shōwa 36
(昭和３６年)
Javanese calendar 1892–1893
Juche calendar 50
Julian calendar Gregorian minus 13 days
Korean calendar 4294
Minguo calendar ROC 50
民國50年
Nanakshahi calendar 493
Thai solar calendar 2504
Tibetan calendar 阳金鼠年
(male Iron-Rat)
2087 or 1706 or 934
阴金牛年
(female Iron-Ox)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1961.
1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1961st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 961st year of the 2nd millennium, the 61st year of the 20th century, and the 2nd year of the 1960s decade. As MAD Magazine pointed out on its cover for the March 1961 issue, this was the first "upside-up" year — i.e., one in which the numerals that form the year look the same as when the numerals are rotated upside down, a strobogrammatic number — since 1881.[1] The next such year will be 6009.[2]
1.13 Date unknown
4 Nobel Prizes
Events[edit]
January[edit]
Main article: January 1961
United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba. Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015.
At the National Reactor Testing Station near Idaho Falls, atomic reactor SL-1 explodes, killing three military technicians.
Aero Flight 311 (Koivulahti air disaster): Douglas DC-3C OH-LCC of Finnish airline Aero crashes near Kvevlax (Koivulahti) on approach to Vaasa Airport in Finland killing all 25 on board, due to pilot error: an investigation finds that the captain and first officer were both exhausted for lack of sleep and had taken excessive alcohol at the time of the crash. It remains the deadliest air disaster to occur in the country.
Italian sculptor Alfredo Fioravanti marches into the U.S. Consulate in Rome, and confesses that he was part of the team that forged the Etruscan terracotta warriors in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
After the 1960 military coup, General Cemal Gürsel forms the new government of Turkey (25th government).
January 7 – Following a four-day conference in Casablanca, five African chiefs of state announce plans for a NATO-type African organization to ensure common defense. The Charter of Casablanca involves the Casablanca Group: Morocco, the United Arab Republic, Ghana, Guinea, and Mali.
January 8 – In France, a referendum supports Charles de Gaulle's policies on independence for Algeria.
January 9 – British authorities announce they have uncovered a large Soviet spy ring, the Portland Spy Ring, in London.
President Dwight Eisenhower gives his final State of the Union Address to Congress. In a Farewell Address the same day, he warns of the increasing power of a "military–industrial complex."
Patrice Lumumba of Republic of Congo is assassinated.
Jan. 20: John F. Kennedy inaugurated as the 35th President of the United States
January 20 – John F. Kennedy is sworn in as the 35th President of the United States.
January 24 – A B-52 Stratofortress, with two nuclear bombs, crashes near Goldsboro, North Carolina.
In Washington, D.C., President John F. Kennedy delivers the first live presidential news conference. In it, he announces that the Soviet Union has freed the two surviving crewmen of a USAF RB-47 reconnaissance plane shot down by Soviet flyers over the Barents Sea July 1, 1960 (see RB-47H shot down).
One Hundred and One Dalmatians is released in cinemas.
Acting to halt 'leftist excesses', a junta composed of two army officers and four civilians takes over El Salvador, ousting another junta that had ruled for three months.
January 26 – President John F. Kennedy appoints Janet G. Travell to be his physician, the first woman to hold this appointment.
January 28 – Supercar, the first family sci-fi TV series filmed in Supermarionation debuts on ATV.
January 30 – President John F. Kennedy delivers his first State of the Union Address.
January 31 – Ham the Chimp, a 37-pound (17-kg) male, is rocketed into space aboard Mercury-Redstone 2, in a test of the Project Mercury spacecraft, designed to carry United States astronauts into space.
February[edit]
Main article: February 1961
February 1 – The United States tests its first Minuteman I intercontinental ballistic missile.[3]
February 3 – China buys grain from Canada for $60 million.
February 4 – The Portuguese Colonial War begins in Angola.
February 5 – February 9 – In Congo, President Joseph Kasa-Vubu names Joseph Iléo as the new Prime Minister.
February 9 – The Beatles perform for the first time at The Cavern Club.
February 12 – The USSR launches Venera 1 towards Venus.
February 13 – The Congo government announces that villagers have killed Patrice Lumumba.
February 14 – Discovery of the chemical elements: Element 103, Lawrencium, is first synthesized in Berkeley, California.
President Kennedy warns the Soviet Union to avoid interfering with the United Nations pacification of the Congo.[4]
A Sabena Boeing 707 crashes near Brussels, Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team and several coaches.
A total solar eclipse occurs in the southern part of Europe.
February 25 – The last public trams in Sydney, Australia, cease operation, bringing to an end the Southern Hemisphere's largest tramway network.
February 26 – Hassan II is pronounced King of Morocco.
March[edit]
Main article: March 1961
March–April – Drilling for Project Mohole is undertaken off the coast of Guadalupe Island, Mexico.
March 1 – United States President John F. Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps.
March 3 – Hassan II is crowned King of Morocco.
Max Conrad circumnavigates the earth in 8 days, 18 hours and 49 minutes, setting a new world record.
The first U.S. Polaris submarines arrive at Holy Loch.
Black and white £5 notes cease to be legal tender in the UK.
A dam bursts in Kiev, USSR, killing 145.
United States delegate to the United Nations Security Council Adlai Stevenson votes against Portuguese policies in Africa.
United States President John F. Kennedy proposes a long-term "Alliance for Progress" between the United States and Latin America.[5]
Cyprus joins the Commonwealth of Nations, becoming the first small country in the Commonwealth.[6]
Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, takes in its first students.
A second B-52 crashes near Yuba City, California after cabin pressure is lost and the fuel runs out. Two nuclear weapons are found unexploded.
South Africa announces it will withdraw from the Commonwealth of Nations upon becoming a republic (31 May). The nation rejoins the organization in 1994.
The Union of Peoples of Angola, led by Holden Roberto, attacks strategic locations in the north of Angola. These events result in the beginning of the colonial war with Portugal.
A ceasefire takes effect in the Algerian War of Independence.
Nous les amoureux by Jean-Claude Pascal (music by Jacques Datin, text by Maurice Vidalin) wins the Eurovision Song Contest 1961 for Luxembourg.
March 29 – The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to vote in presidential elections.
March 30 – The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs is signed at New York.
April[edit]
Main article: April 1961
April 12: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin through outer space.
April 5 – The New Guinea Council of Western Papua is installed.
April 8 – The British passenger ship Dara blows up and sinks off Dubai; 238 passengers and crew are killed.
April 11 – The trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann begins in Jerusalem.
Vostok 1: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space, orbiting the Earth once.
Albert Kalonji takes the title Emperor Albert I Kalonji of South Kasai.
April 13 – In Portugal, a coup attempt against António de Oliveira Salazar fails.
The Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba begins; it fails by April 19.
The 33rd Academy Awards ceremony is held.
April 18 – Portugal sends to Angola its first military reinforcement.
April 20 – Fidel Castro announces that the Bay of Pigs Invasion has been defeated.
April 22 – Algiers putsch: Four French generals who oppose de Gaulle's policies in Algeria fail in a coup attempt.
April 23 – Judy Garland performs in a legendary comeback concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
April 24 – The Swedish ship Vasa is removed from the water after being sunk 333 years earlier.
President Kennedy urges newspapers to consider national interest in times of struggle against "a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy" in an address before the American Newspaper Publishers Association.[7]
Sierra Leone becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
May[edit]
Main article: May 1961
May 4 – U.S. Freedom Riders begin interstate bus rides to test the new U.S. Supreme Court integration decision.
May 5 – Mercury program: Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space aboard Mercury-Redstone 3.
May 6 – Tottenham Hotspur F.C. becomes the first team in the 20th century to win the English league and cup double. As of 2018[update] this is the last time Tottenham have won the English League.
May 8 – Briton George Blake is sentenced to 42 years imprisonment for spying.
May 9 – In a speech on "Television and the Public Interest" to the National Association of Broadcasters, FCC chairman Newton N. Minow describes commercial television programming as a "vast wasteland".
May 14 – Civil rights movement: a Freedom Riders bus is fire-bombed near Anniston, Alabama and the civil rights protestors are beaten by an angry mob of Ku Klux Klan members.
May 15 – J. Heinrich Matthaei alone performs the Poly-U-Experiment and is the first person to recognize and understand the genetic code. This is the birthdate of modern genetics.[8]
May 16 – Park Chung-hee takes over in a military coup in South Korea.
May 19 – Venera 1 becomes the first man-made object to fly-by another planet by passing Venus (however, the probe had lost contact with Earth a month earlier and does not send back any data).
May 21 – Civil rights movement: Alabama Governor John Patterson declares martial law in an attempt to restore order after race riots break out.
May 22 – An earthquake rocks New South Wales.
May 24 – Civil rights movement: Freedom Riders are arrested in Jackson, Mississippi for "disturbing the peace" after disembarking from their bus.
May 25 – Apollo program: President Kennedy announces before a special joint session of Congress his goal to put a man on the Moon before the end of the decade.
May 27 – Tunku Abdul Rahman, Prime Minister of Malaya, holds a press conference in Singapore, announcing his idea to form the Federation of Malaysia, comprising Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, Brunei and North Borneo (Sabah).
May 28 – Peter Benenson's article "The Forgotten Prisoners" is published in several internationally read newspapers. This is later considered the founding of the human rights organization Amnesty International.
May 30 – Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, totalitarian despot of the Dominican Republic since 1930, is killed in an ambush, putting an end to the second longest-running dictatorship in Latin American history.
In France, rebel generals Maurice Challe and Andre Zelelr are sentenced to 15 years in prison.
South Africa becomes a republic, and officially leaves the Commonwealth of Nations.
President John F. Kennedy and Charles de Gaulle meet in Paris.
Benfica beats Barcelona 3-2 at Wankdorf Stadium, Bern and wins the 1960–61 European Cup (football).
June[edit]
Main article: June 1961
June 1 – Ethiopia experiences its most devastating earthquake of the 20th century, with a magnitude of 6.7. The town of Majete is destroyed, 45% of the houses in Karakore collapse, 17 kilometers (11 mi) of the main road north of Karakore are damaged by landslides and fissures, and 5,000 inhabitants in the area are left homeless.
June 4 – Vienna summit: John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev meet during two days in Vienna. They discuss nuclear tests, disarmament and Germany.
June 16 – Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev requests asylum in France while in Paris with the Kirov Ballet.
A Paris-to-Strasbourg train derails near Vitry-le-François; 24 are killed, 109 injured.
The New Democratic Party of Canada is founded with the merger of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and the Canadian Labour Congress.
June 19 – The British protectorate ends in Kuwait and it becomes an emirate.
June 22 – Moise Tshombe is released for lack of evidence of connection to the murder of Patrice Lumumba.
June 23 – The Antarctic Treaty comes into effect.
June 25 – Iraqi president Abd al-Karim Qasim announces he is going to annex Kuwait (such an annexation of Kuwait would occur in 1990).
June 27 – Kuwait requests British help; the United Kingdom sends in troops.
July[edit]
Main article: July 1961
July 4 – The Soviet submarine K-19 suffers a reactor leak in the North Atlantic.
July 5 – The first Israeli rocket, Shavit 2, is launched.[9][10]
July 8 – A mine explosion in Czechoslovakia leaves 108 dead.
July 12 – A Czechoslovakian Ilyushin Il-18 crashes while attempting to land at Casablanca, Morocco, killing all 72 persons on board.
Two dams that supplied water to the City of Pune in India burst causing lasting damage.
July 17 – Baseball legend Ty Cobb dies at the age of 74 at Emory University Hospital.
July 21 – Mercury program: Virgil I. Grissom, piloting the Mercury-Redstone 4 spacecraft Liberty Bell 7, becomes the second American to go into space (sub-orbital). After splashdown, the hatch prematurely opens, and the spacecraft sinks. (It is recovered in 1999.)
July 25 – U.S. President John F. Kennedy gives a widely watched TV speech on the Berlin crisis, warning "we will not be driven out of Berlin." Kennedy urges Americans to build fallout shelters, setting off a four-month debate on civil defense.
At Fenway Park in Boston, the first Major League Baseball All-Star Game tie occurs, when the game is stopped in the 9th inning due to rain (the only tie until 2002).
Ireland submits the first application from a non-founding country to join the European Economic Community.
August[edit]
Main article: August 1961
August – The United States founds the Alliance for Progress.
August 1 – The Six Flags Over Texas theme park officially opens to the public.
August 6 – Vostok 2: Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov becomes the second human to orbit the Earth, and the first to be in outer space for more than one day.
August 7 – Vostok 2 lands in the Soviet Union.
August 10 – The United Kingdom applies for membership in the European Economic Community.
August 11 – An annular solar eclipse was visible from Southern Ocean.
August 13 – Construction of the Berlin Wall begins, restricting movement between East Berlin and West Berlin and forming a clear boundary between West Germany and East Germany, Western Europe and Eastern Europe. On August 22 Ida Siekmann jumps from a window in her tenement building trying to flee to the West, becoming the first of at least 138 people to die at the Wall.
August 21 – Jomo Kenyatta is released from prison in Kenya.
August 25 – João Goulart replaces Jânio Quadros as President of Brazil. He is ousted in 1964.
August 30 – Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness signed at the United Nations in New York, coming into effect 13 December 1975.[11]
September[edit]
Main article: September 1961
The Eritrean War of Independence officially begins with the shooting of the Ethiopian police by Hamid Idris Awate.
The first meeting is held of the Non-Aligned Movement. The Soviet Union resumes nuclear testing, escalating fears over the ongoing Berlin crisis.
September 7 – Tom and Jerry make a return with their first episode since 1958, Switchin' Kitten. The new creator, Gene Deitch, makes 12 more Tom and Jerry episodes until 1962.
September 10 – During the F1 Italian Grand Prix on the circuit of Monza, German Wolfgang von Trips, driving a Ferrari, crashes into a stand, killing 14 spectators and himself.
September 12 – The African and Malagasy Union is founded.
The new military government of Turkey sentences 15 members of the previous government to death.
The Focolare Movement opens its first North American center in New York.
Military rulers in Turkey hang former prime minister Adnan Menderes, together with the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Fatin Rüştü Zorlu and former Minister of Finance Hasan Polatkan.
The world's first retractable roof stadium, the Civic Arena, opens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
September 18 – United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld dies in an air crash en route to Katanga, Congo.
September 21 – In France, the OAS slips an anti-de Gaulle message into TV programming.
The old Deutsche Opernhaus in the Berlin neighborhood of Charlottenburg is returned to its newly rebuilt house as the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
In the U.S., the Walt Disney anthology television series, renamed Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, moves from ABC to NBC after seven years on the air, and begins telecasting its programs in color for the first time. Years later, after Disney's death, the still-on-the-air program will be renamed The Wonderful World of Disney.
September 28 – A military coup in Damascus, Syria effectively ends the United Arab Republic, the union between Egypt and Syria.
September 30 – The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is formed to replace the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC).
October[edit]
Main article: October 1961
October 1 – Baseball player Roger Maris of the New York Yankees hits his 61st home run in the last game of the season, against the Boston Red Sox, setting a new record for the longer baseball season. The record for the shorter season is still held by Babe Ruth.
October 10 – A volcanic eruption on Tristan da Cunha causes the whole population to be evacuated to Britain, where they will remain until 1963.
October 12 – The death penalty is abolished in New Zealand.
October 17 – Paris massacre of 1961: French police in Paris attack about 30,000 protesting a curfew applied solely to Algerians. The official death toll is 3, but human rights groups claim 240 dead.
October 18 – West Side Story is released as a film in the United States.
October 19 – The Arab League takes over protecting Kuwait; the last British troops leave.
October 25 – The first edition of Private Eye, the British satirical magazine, is published.
October 26 – Cemal Gürsel becomes the fourth president of Turkey. (His former title is head of state and government; he is elected as president by constitutional referendum.)
An armistice begins in Katanga, Congo.
Mongolia and Mauritania join the United Nations.
Confrontation at Checkpoint Charlie: A standoff between Soviet and American tanks in Berlin, Germany heightens Cold War tensions.
Fahrettin Özdilek becomes the acting prime minister of Turkey.
DZBB-TV Channel 7, the Philippines' third TV station, is launched.
Devrim, the first ever car designed and produced in Turkey, is released. The project has been completed in only 130 days almost from scratch, a period including decision on the project, research, design, development and production of four vehicles.
Nuclear weapons testing: The Soviet Union detonates a 58-megaton yield hydrogen bomb known as Tsar Bomba over Novaya Zemlya. It remains the largest ever man-made explosion.
The Note Crisis: The Soviet Union issues a diplomatic note to Finland proposing military co-operation.
Hurricane Hattie devastates Belize City, Belize killing over 270. After the hurricane, the capital moves to the inland city of Belmopan.
Joseph Stalin's body is removed from the Lenin Mausoleum.
November[edit]
Main article: November 1961
The Hungry generation Movement is launched in Calcutta, India.
The Interstate Commerce Commission's federal order banning segregation at all interstate public facilities officially comes into effect.
The Madame Alexander Doll Club is founded by Margaret Doris Winson of Sweet Springs, MO.
November 2 – Kean opens at Broadway Theater in New York City for 92 performances.
November 3 – The United Nations General Assembly unanimously elects U Thant to the position of acting Secretary-General.
November 6 – The U.S. government issues a stamp honoring the 100th birthday of James Naismith.
Imperial Airlines Flight 201/8 crashes while attempting to land at Richmond, Virginia, killing 77 persons on board.
KVN, Russia's longest running TV show, airs for the first time on Soviet television.
November 9 – Robert White records a world air speed record of 4,093 mph (6,587 km/h) in an X-15.
November 10 – Catch-22 by Joseph Heller is first published.
Congolese soldiers murder 13 Italian United Nations pilots.
Stalingrad is renamed Volgograd.
November 17 – Michael Rockefeller, son of New York Governor and later Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, disappears in the jungles of New Guinea.
November 18 – U.S. President John F. Kennedy sends 18,000 military advisors to South Vietnam.
November 19 – A military uprising overthrows the Trujillo regime in the Dominican Republic.
The funeral of longtime House Speaker Sam Rayburn is held in Washington, D.C. Two former Presidents (Truman, Eisenhower) and one future one (Lyndon B. Johnson) join President Kennedy in paying their respects.
İsmet İnönü of CHP forms the new government of Turkey (26th government, first coalition in Turkey, partner AP).
November 21 – The "La Ronde" opens in Honolulu, the first revolving restaurant in the United States
November 24 – The World Food Programme (WFP) is formed as a temporary United Nations program.
November 30 – The Soviet Union vetoes Kuwait's application for United Nations membership.
December[edit]
Main article: December 1961
December 1 – Netherlands New Guinea raises the new Morning Star flag and changes its name to West Papua.
December 2 – Cold War: In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro announces he is a Marxist–Leninist, and that Cuba will adopt socialism.
December 5 – U.S. President John F. Kennedy gives support to the Volta Dam project in Ghana.
Tanganyika gains independence as a Commonwealth realm, with Julius Nyerere as its first Prime Minister, with Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Tanganyika, and represented locally by the Governor-General of Tanganyika.
1961 Australian federal election: Robert Menzies' Liberal/Country Coalition Government is re-elected with a one-seat majority, narrowly defeating the Labor Party led by Arthur Calwell. One of the closest election results in Australian history, such a result would not be replicated again until 2016. Notably, former Prime Minister Earle Page lost his seat, although he died a few days later never knowing the result.
December 10 – The Soviet Union severs diplomatic relations with Albania.
The American involvement in the Vietnam War officially begins, as the first American helicopters arrive in Saigon along with 400 U.S. personnel.
Adolf Eichmann is pronounced guilty of crimes against humanity by a panel of three Israeli judges, and sentenced to death.
December 14 – Walt Disney's first live-action Technicolor musical, Babes in Toyland, a remake of the famous Victor Herbert operetta, is released, but flops at the box office.
December 15 – An Israeli war crimes tribunal sentences Adolf Eichmann to death for his part in The Holocaust.
December 17 – A circus tent fire in Niterói, Brazil kills 323.[12]
December 18 – India opens hostilities in its annexation of Portuguese India, the colonies of Goa, Damao and Diu.
The Portuguese surrender Goa to India after 400 years of Portuguese rule.
Indonesian president Sukarno announces that he will take West Irian by force if necessary.
December 21 – In Congo, Katangan prime minister Moise Tshombe recognizes the Congolese constitution.
December 23 – Luxembourg's national holiday, the Grand Duke's Official Birthday, is set on June 23 by Grand Ducal decree.
December 30 – Congolese troops capture Albert Kalonji of South Kasai (who soon escapes).
December 31 – Ireland's first national television station, Telefís Éireann (later RTÉ), begins broadcasting.
Date unknown[edit]
"Barbie" gets a boyfriend when the "Ken" doll is introduced in the United States.
Sheila Burnford's The Incredible Journey, a story of three pets travelling through the Canadian wilderness, is published in the United Kingdom.
Births[edit]
Dexter King
Sergei Babayan, American classical pianist
Sam Backo, Australian rugby league footballer
Gabrielle Carteris, American actress and trade union leader
Neil Dudgeon, English actor
Todd Haynes, American film director
Mokhzani Mahathir, Malaysian businessman
January 5 – Iris DeMent, American singer-songwriter
Lorraine Ashbourne, English stage,film and television actress.
January 7 – Supriya Pathak, Indian actress
January 8 – Calvin Smith, American athlete
Al Jean, American television writer
Candi Milo, American voice actress and singer
January 10 – Mark Venturini, American actor (d. 1996)
Jasper Fforde, British fantasy novelist
Karl Habsburg-Lothringen, Austrian politician and noble
Wayne Coyne, American musician and frontman of the band The Flaming Lips
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, American actress, producer and comedian
Rob Hall, New Zealand mountaineer (d. 1996)
Mike Tramp, Danish rock singer (White Lion)
January 16 – Peter Tanfield, British concert violinist
January 17 – Maia Chiburdanidze, Georgian chess player
Peter Beardsley, English footballer
Mark Messier, Canadian hockey player
Bob Peterson, American animator and voice actor
January 19 – William Ragsdale, American actor
Daniel Johnston, American singer-songwriter, musician and artist
P. Kalimuthu, Malaysian gangster (d. 1993)
Shigeru Nakahara, Japanese voice actor
January 24 – Guido Buchwald, German football player
Sharyl Attkisson, American author, television journalist and investigative correspondent
Wayne Gretzky, Canadian hockey player
Li Cunxin, Artistic Director for Queensland Ballet
January 28 – Arnaldur Indriðason, Icelandic writer
January 27 – Gillian Gilbert, British keyboard player
January 29 – Petra Thümer, German swimmer
January 30 – Dexter King, American social activist, son of Martin Luther King Jr.
January 31 – Lloyd Cole, English rock singer-songwriter
Davey Allison
Mark Latham
February 1 – Volker Fried, German field hockey player
February 2 – Michael Kay, American sportscaster
February 3 – Jim Balsillie, Canadian CEO and philanthropist
February 6 – Yuko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
February 8 – Vince Neil, American singer
John Kruk, American baseball player and commentator
Jussi Lampi, Finnish musician and actor
February 10 – George Stephanopoulos, American political consultant and commentator
February 11 – Mary Docter, American speed skater
February 13 – Henry Rollins, American musician and activist
February 14 – Maria do Carmo Silveira, Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe
Benoît Chamoux, French alpinist (d. 1995)
Cheam Channy, Cambodian politician (d. 2018)
Meir Kessler, Israeli rabbi
Andrey Korotayev, Russian anthropologist, economic historian and sociologist
February 18 – Hironobu Kageyama, Japanese singer
February 19 – Justin Fashanu, English footballer (d. 1998)
Phil Powers, American alpinist
Dwayne McDuffie, American writer of comics and television (d. 2011)
February 21 – Geoff Moore, American Christian musician
February 22 – Akira Takasaki, Japanese guitarist
February 25 – Davey Allison, American race car driver (d. 1993)
February 27 – James Worthy, American basketball player and analyst
Mark Latham, Australian politician
Richard Waugh, Canadian voice actor
Kassie DePaiva
Milorad Mandić, Serbian actor (d. 2016)
Mary Page Keller, American actress
John Matteson, Pulitzer Prize-winning American biographer
Ray Mancini, American boxer
Steven Weber, American actor
Roger Wessels, South African golfer
March 5 – Charles Poliquin, Canadian strength coach
March 6 – John Blake American football coach
Mike Leach, American college football coach
Rick Steiner, American professional wrestler
Mike Bullard, American hockey player
Laurel Clark, American astronaut (d. 2003)
Mitch Gaylord, American gymnast
March 11 – Elias Koteas, Canadian film and television actor
Kim Boyce, American Christian musician
Gary Dell'Abate, American radio producer
Marc Koska, English businessman and inventor
Brett Kenny, Australian rugby league player
Michiru Ōshima, Japanese composer
Umayya Abu-Hanna, Palestine-born Finnish writer and politician
Alexander Bard, Swedish musician (Army of Lovers)
Sam Bowie, American basketball player
Dana Reeve, American actress, singer and activist (d. 2006)
Casey Siemaszko, American actor
Kassie DePaiva, American actress
Lothar Matthäus, German footballer
Norrie McCathie, Scottish footballer (d. 1996)
Ali Hewson, Irish activist and businesswoman
Helmi Johannes, Indonesian television newscaster
Mitsuru Ogata, Japanese voice actor
Yanis Varoufakis, Greek economist, current Greek Finance Minister
March 25 – Reggie Fils-Aimé, American businessman
March 27 – Tak Matsumoto, Japanese guitarist (B'z)
March 28 – Byron Scott, American basketball player and coach
Amy Sedaris, American actress, comedian and writer
Gerardo Teissonniere, Puerto Rican pianist
March 31 – Gary Winick, American filmmaker (d. 2011)
Vincent Gallo
Susan Boyle, Scottish singer
Kujira, Japanese voice actress
April 2 – Christopher Meloni, American actor
Eddie Murphy, African-American actor and comedian
Edward Highmore, English actor
April 5 – Lisa Zane, American actress
April 6 – Gene Eugene, Canadian actor and singer (d. 2000)
DONDI, American graffiti artist (d. 1998)
Thurl Bailey, American basketball player
April 9 – Mick Kennedy, Irish footballer (d. 2019)
April 10 – Rudy Dhaenens, Belgian road bicycle racer (d. 1998)
April 11 – Vincent Gallo, American actor
April 12 – Lisa Gerrard, Australian musician
Robert Carlyle, Scottish film and television actor
Neil Dougherty, American basketball coach (d. 2011)
Humberto Martins, Brazilian actor
Frank J. Christensen, American labor leader
Boomer Esiason, American football player and color commentator
Daphna Kastner, Canadian actress
April 18 – Jane Leeves, English actress
Konstantin Lavronenko, Russian actor
Don Mattingly, American baseball player
April 21 – Cathy Cavadini, American voice actress
April 22 – Alo Mattiisen, Estonian musician and composer (d. 1996)
Dirk Bach, German actor and comedian (d. 2012)
George Lopez, American actor and comedian
Mike Francis, Italian singer and composer (d. 2009)
Anthony Cumia, American radio personality
April 27 – Moana Pozzi, Italian porn actress (d. 1994)
April 28 – Futoshi Matsunaga, Japanese serial killer
April 29 – Fumihiko Tachiki, Japanese voice actor
April 30 – Isiah Thomas, African-American basketball player, coach and team owner
Joe Murray
Wally Wingert
May 1 – Marilyn Milian, American judge
May 2 – Steve James, English snooker player
Joe Murray, American animator
David Vitter, U.S. Senator (R-LA)
Jay Aston, British singer (Bucks Fizz)
Mary Elizabeth McDonough, American actress, producer, director and author
Hiroshi Hase, Japanese professional wrestler
Sarah Zivale, American actress
George Clooney, American actor
Wally Wingert, American actor and voice actor
May 7 – Robert Spano, American conductor and pianist
Bill de Blasio, 109th Mayor of New York City
Janet McTeer, British actress
Akira Taue, Japanese professional wrestler
Rene Capo, American judoka (d. 2009)
John Corbett, American actor and country music singer
May 10 – Danny Carey, American drummer (Tool, Pigmy Love Circus)
Paul Begala, American political commentator
Lar Park Lincoln, American actress
May 12 – Billy Duffy, British guitarist (The Cult)
May 13 – Dennis Rodman, American basketball player and actor
Urban Priol, German Kabarett artist and comedian
Tim Roth, English actor
Solveig Dommartin, French actress (d. 2007)
Kevin McDonald, Canadian comedian and actor
Charles Wright, American professional wrestler
May 17 – Enya, Irish musician
May 18 – Jim Bowden, American baseball executive
May 20 – Clive Allen, British footballer
Mike Breen, American sports announcer
Ann Cusack, American actress
Mitar Subotić, Serbian musician and composer (d. 1999)
Karen Duffy, American actress
May 24 – Ilaria Alpi, Italian journalist (d. 1994)
May 27 – Peri Gilpin, American actress
May 28 – Roland Gift, British singer and musician (Fine Young Cannibals)
May 29 – Melissa Etheridge, American musician
Ralph Carter, American actor
Harry Enfield, English comedian, actor, writer and director
Ray Cote, Canadian ice hockey player
Justin Madden, Australian footballer and politician
Lea Thompson, American actress
Bidhya Devi Bhandari
Joko Widodo
Paul Coffey, Canadian hockey player
Dilipkumar Viraji Thakor, Indian politician
June 2 – Dez Cadena, American musician
Lawrence Lessig, American academic and political activist
Ed Wynne, English musician (Ozric Tentacles)
El DeBarge, American urban singer; was member of American urban group DeBarge
Sam Harris, American actor and pop musician
Mary Kay Bergman, American voice actress (d. 1999)
Anthony Burger, American musician and singer (d. 2006)
Rosie Kane, Member of Scottish Parliament
June 6 – Tom Araya, Chilean-born rock musician (Slayer)
June 8 – Katy Garbi, Greek singer
Michael J. Fox, Canadian-American actor, producer and author
Aaron Sorkin, American screenwriter, producer and playwright
Kim and Kelley Deal, American musicians
Maxi Priest, born Max Elliott, British reggae singer
June 14 – Boy George, born George O'Dowd, British singer-songwriter and music producer
June 15 – Dave McAuley, Northern Irish boxer
Muslimgauze, British ethnic electronica and experimental musician (d. 1999)
Kōichi Yamadera, Japanese voice actor
Andrés Galarraga, Venezuelan baseball player
Alison Moyet, English singer-songwriter
June 19 – Bidhya Devi Bhandari, 2nd President of Nepal
June 20 – Karin Kania, German speed skater
June 21 – Joko Widodo, 7th President of Indonesia
Zoran Janjetov, Serbian comic artist
David Leavitt, American novelist
Raja Yong Sofia, Malaysian aristocrat
Lisa Bevill, American Christian musician
Iain Glen, Scottish actor
Curt Smith, British singer and keyboardist
Mike Breen, American broadcaster
Ricky Gervais, English comedian, actor, writer, director, and singer in Seona Dancing
June 26 – Greg LeMond, American cyclist
Tim Whitnall, English playwright, screenwriter and actor
Meera Syal, British-Indian comedian and actress
Jeff Malone, American basketball player
Eliezer Melamed, Israeli rabbi
Greg Hetson, American rock guitarist
Sharon Lawrence, American actress, singer and dancer
Zbigniew Zamachowski
Elizabeth McGovern
Milind Gunaji
Diana, Princess of Wales, British Princess and first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales (d. 1997)
Vito Bratta, American rock guitarist
Ivan Kaye, English actor
Jefferson King, British bodybuilder and wrestler
Carl Lewis, American athlete
Fredy Schmidtke, German track cyclist (d. 2017)
Michelle Wright, Canadian country music artist
Tetchie Agbayani, Filipina actress
Jimmy McNichol, American child actor
Samy Naceri, French actor
Ram Chiang, Hong Kong actor and singer-composer
Tatiana Aleshina, Russian composer, singer-songwriter, theater artist, and poet
Mosi Alli, Tanzanian sprinter
Suzanne Dando, English Olympic gymnast
Joe Moreira, Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and mixed martial artist
Charles Hector, Malaysian Human Rights advocate and activist
Andrew Zimmern, American television personality (Bizarre Foods)
July 5 – Patrizia Scianca, Italian voice actress
Richard Mofe-Damijo, Nigerian actor
Rick Price, Australian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer
Peter Michael Escovedo, American percussionist and musical director
Eric Jerome Dickey, American writer
Toby Keith, American country music singer
Olaf Johannessen, Faroese stage and actor
July 9 – Raymond Cruz, American actor
Jacky Cheung, Hong Kong singer and actor
Lee Heung-sil, South Korean footballer
Liyel Imoke, Nigerian politician
Killion Munyama, Zambian-Polish economist, academic lecturer and politician
João Donizeti Silvestre, Brazilian businessman, historian, biologist and politician
Ron Luce, American writer
Ophir Pines-Paz, Israeli politician
Sylvester Tung Kiem San, Indonesian bishop
July 12 – Mark McGann, English actor, director, writer and musician
July 14 – Jackie Earle Haley, American actor
Forest Whitaker, American actor and film director
David Cicilline, American politician
Li Ruiying, Chinese media personality and politician
J. Alan Brogan, Irish programmer
António Costa, Portuguese politician, 119th Prime Minister (2015–present)
Jeremy Hardy, English comedian (d. 2019)
Guru, American rapper (Gang Starr) (d. 2010)
Jonathan Potts, Canadian actor
Zbigniew Zamachowski, Polish actor
July 18 – Elizabeth McGovern, American actress and musician
Campbell Scott, American actor, director, producer, and voice artist
Noriyuki Abe, Japanese anime director
Maria Filatova, Soviet gymnast
Benoît Mariage, Belgian film director
Lisa Lampanelli, American stand-up comedian, actress and insult comic
Kenji Haga, Japanese entertainment talent, actor and businessperson
Mokgweetsi Masisi, 5th President of Botswana
Irina Rozanova, Russian actress
Masumi Hayashi, Japanese serial killer
Keith Sweat, American singer
Milind Gunaji, Indian actor, model, television show host
Woody Harrelson, American actor and comedian
David Kaufman, American actor and voice actor
July 24 – Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army
Katherine Kelly Lang, American Actress
Hugo Teufel III, 2nd Chief Privacy Officer, Department of Homeland Security
Raquel Dodge, General Prosecutor of Brazil
Gary Cherone, American rock singer and songwriter
David Heyman, English film producer and founder of Heyday Films
Keiko Matsui, Japanese pianist and composer
July 28 – Aleksandr Kurlovich, Soviet-Belarusian Olympic weightlifter (d. 2018)
July 30 – Laurence Fishburne, American actor and film director
Lauren Tom
Stephen Hillenburg
Art Porter Jr., American jazz saxophonist (d. 1996)
Molly Hagan, American actress
Nick Harvey, English politician
Robin Carnahan, Secretary of State of Missouri
Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States
Lauren Tom, American actress and voice artist
Mercedes Aráoz, 1st Vice President of Peru
Janet McTeer, English actress
Brian Conley, English actor, comedian, singer and presenter
Yelena Davydova, Soviet gymnast
Maggie Wheeler, American actress
The Edge, Irish rock guitarist (U2)
Bruce Matthews, American football player
Rikki Rockett, American rock drummer (Poison)
August 9 – John Key, 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand
August 10 – Beatrice Alda, American actress and filmmaker
August 11 – Jukka Tapanimäki, Finnish game programmer (d. 2000)
August 12 – Lawrence, English musician
August 13 – Mahesh Anand, Indian actor (d. 2019)
August 14 – Susan Olsen, American actress
Elpidia Carrillo, Mexican-American actress
Urara Takano, Japanese voice actress
August 17 – Uwe Schmitt, German sprinter (d. 1995)
Huw Edwards, BAFTA award-winning Welsh journalist and presenter
Bob Woodruff, American television journalist and activist
August 20 – Tony Longo, American actor (d. 2015)
August 21 – Stephen Hillenburg, American marine biologist, cartoonist and animator (d. 2018)
August 22 – Roland Orzabal, British musician and songwriter
August 23 – Bhupesh Baghel, Indian politician and current Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh
August 24 – Jared Harris, English actor
August 25 – Billy Ray Cyrus, American actor and singer
August 27 – Tom Ford, American fashion designer and film director
Jennifer Coolidge, American actress and comedian
Deepak Tijori, Indian actor and director
August 30 – Brian Mitchell, South African boxer
August 31 – Saleem, Malaysian singer (d. 2018)
E. G. Daily
Edward M. Kennedy Jr.
Bam Bam Bigelow, American professional wrestler (d. 2007)
Boney James, American saxophonist, songwriter and record producer
Carlos Valderrama, Colombian footballer
Anthony Wong Chau-sang, Hong Kong actor
Eugenio Derbez, Mexican actor, comedian and filmmaker
September 3 – Andy Griffiths, Australian author
September 4 – Felix Wong, Hong Kong actor
Akira Kuroiwa, Japanese speed skater
Bruce W. Smith, American animator, director and producer
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Norwegian rock musician and songwriter (A-ha)
September 7 – Kevin Kennedy, British actor
E. G. Daily, American actress, voice artist and singer
Virginia Madsen, American actress
September 12 – Mylène Farmer, Canadian singer and songwriter
September 13 – Dave Mustaine, American metal singer, guitarist
September 14 – Martina Gedeck, German actress
Dan Marino, American football player
Lidia Yusupova, Chechen human-rights lawyer
September 16 – Jen Tolley, American-Canadian actress, voice actress and singer
September 18 – James Gandolfini, American actor (d. 2013)
Lisa Bloom, American lawyer
Caroline Flint, British politician
Bonnie Hunt, American actress, comedian, writer, director and television producer
Catherine Oxenberg, American actress
September 23 – William C. McCool, U.S. Army Commander and astronaut (d. 2003)
September 24 – Michael Tavera, American composer
Heather Locklear, American actress
Steve Scott, British journalist and presenter
Wes Hopkins, American football player (d. 2018)
Edward M. Kennedy Jr., son of U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy
September 27 – Andy Lau, Hong Kong actor and singer
Yordanka Donkova, Bulgarian athlete
Wayne Westner A South African Golfer who won twice on the European Tour (d. 2017)
September 29 – Julia Gillard, 27th Prime Minister of Australia
Crystal Bernard, American actress and singer
Eric Stoltz, American actor and director
Sally Yeh, Hong Kong singer and actress
Amr Diab
Rachel De Thame
Gary Ablett, Australian rules footballer
Rico Constantino, American professional wrestler
October 3 – Ludger Stühlmeyer, German cantor, composer and musicologist
Philippe Russo, French singer
Jon Secada, Cuban-American singer and songwriter
October 5 – Matthew Kauffman, American journalist and George Polk Award winner
October 6 – Mark Shasha, American artist, author, illustrator
October 10 – Jodi Benson, American actress and singer
Amr Diab, Egyptian singer
Steve Young, American football player
October 12 – Diego García, Spanish long-distance athlete (d. 2001)
Rachel De Thame, English gardener and television presenter
Doc Rivers, American basketball player and coach
Jim Burns, British science-fiction illustrator
D. B. Sweeney, American actor
October 15 – Meera Sanyal, Indian banker (d. 2019)
Scott O'Hara, American pornographic performer, author, poet, editor and publisher (d. 1998)
Randy Vasquez, American actor
Paul Vaessen, English footballer (d. 2001)
Kim Wayans, American actress
Wynton Marsalis, African-American trumpeter and composer
Rick Moody, American writer
Gladstone Small, Barbadian-English cricketer
Les Stroud, Canadian survival expert, filmmaker and musician
Michie Tomizawa, Japanese voice actress
October 22 – Robert Torti, American actor
October 24 – Dave Meltzer, American wrestling journalist
Ward Burton, American NASCAR driver
Pat Sharp, British radio DJ and host
Chad Smith, American musician
October 26 – Dylan McDermott, American actor
October 29 – Randy Jackson, African-American musician
Alonzo Babers, American runner
Peter Jackson, New Zealand film director
Larry Mullen, Jr., Irish rock drummer (U2)
Nadia Comăneci
November 1 – Anne Donovan, American basketball player and coach (d. 2018)
November 2 – k.d. lang, Canadian singer and songwriter
Daron Hagen, American composer
Dominic Heale, British journalist and newsreader
Ralph Macchio, American actor
Jeff Probst, American television personality
Jerry Sadowitz, American-born British stand-up comic and card magician
Nigel Worthington, Northern Irish footballer and football manager
November 5 – Alan G. Poindexter, American astronaut (d. 2012)
Jill Dando, British journalist and television presenter (d. 1999)
Jackie Kay, Scottish poet and novelist
November 12 – Nadia Comăneci, Romanian gymnast
Jurga Ivanauskaitė, Lithuanian writer (d. 2007)
Ben Coleman, American basketball player (d. 2019)
November 16 – Corinne Hermès, French singer, Eurovision Song Contest 1983 winner
Steven Moffat, Scottish screenwriter
Anthony Warlow, Australian singer
November 19 – Meg Ryan, American actress and film director
November 20 – Dave Watson, English footballer
November 21 – Maria Kawamura, Japanese voice actress
Mariel Hemingway, American actress
Randal L. Schwartz, American computer programmer
November 24 – Arundhati Roy, Indian writer and activist
November 28 – Alfonso Cuarón, Mexican film director, screenwriter and producer
November 29 – Kim Delaney, American actress
Matthew Waterhouse
December 3 – Marcelo Fromer, Brazilian guitarist
Roy L. Dennis, disabled American boy (d. 1978)
Frank Reich, American football player
December 5 – Laura Flanders, British born American journalist
December 7 – Dawn Sears, American country singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
December 8 – Ann Coulter, American author, conservative commentator and attorney
Beril Dedeoğlu, Turkish politician and academic (d. 2019)
David Anthony Higgins, American actor
December 10 – Nia Peeples, American actress
Daniel O'Donnell, Irish singer
Sarah Sutton, British actress
Karen Witter, American actress and model
Per Øystein Sørensen, Norwegian lead singer Fra Lippo Lippi
December 15 – Karin Resetarits, Austrian journalist and politician
Shane Black, American film director
Bill Hicks, American comedian (d. 1994)
Sam Robards, American actor
Eric Allin Cornell, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
Matthew Waterhouse, British actor
Reggie White, American football player (d. 2004)
December 20 – Mohammad Fouad, Arab singer and actor
December 21 – Francis Ng, Hong Kong actor
December 22 – Kassim Majaliwa, 10th Prime Minister of Tanzania
December 23 – Ezzat el Kamhawi, Egyptian novelist
Ilham Aliyev, 7th Prime Minister of Azerbaijan and 4th President of Azerbaijan
Wade Williams, American actor
Íngrid Betancourt, Colombian senator
David Thompson, 6th Prime Minister of Barbados (d. 2010)
December 26 – John Lynch, Northern Irish actor
December 27 – Guido Westerwelle, German politician (d. 2016)
December 29 – Jim Reid, Scottish musician
Douglas Coupland, Canadian author
Bill English, 39th Prime Minister of New Zealand
Sean Hannity, American radio/television host and conservative commentator
Ben Johnson, Canadian athlete
Deaths[edit]
Patrice Lumumba
January 3 – Auvergne Doherty, Australian businesswoman (b. 1896)
January 4 – Erwin Schrödinger, Austrian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1887)
January 8 – František Flos, Czech novelist (b. 1864)
January 9 – Emily Greene Balch, American writer and pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1867)
January 10 – Dashiell Hammett, American writer (b. 1894)
Nino Marchesini, Italian actor (b. 1895)
Blanche Ring, American singer and actress (b. 1871)
January 14 – Barry Fitzgerald, Irish actor (b. 1888)
January 17 – Patrice Lumumba, 1st Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (b. 1925)
January 18 – Thomas Anthony Dooley III, physician (b. 1927)
Blaise Cendrars, Swiss writer (b. 1887)
John J. Becker, American composer and pianist (b. 1886)
January 24 – Alfred Carlton Gilbert, American swimmer and inventor (b. 1884)
January 26 – Stan Nichols, English cricketer (b. 1900)
January 29 – Jesse Wallace, American naval officer, 29th Governor of American Samoa (b. 1899)
January 30 – Dorothy Thompson, American journalist (b. 1893)
King Mohammed V of Morocco
February 2 – Anna May Wong, Chinese-American actress (b. 1905)
February 3 – Viscount Dunrossil, Australian Governor-General (b. 1893)
February 4 – Sir Philip Game, British army officer, colonial governor and police officer (b. 1876)
February 6 – Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland, British politician (b. 1876)
February 7 – William Duncan, American actor (b. 1879)
February 9 – Carlos Luz, Brazilian politician, 19th President of Brazil (b. 1894)
February 12 – Richmond K. Turner, American admiral (b. 1885)
February 13 – Arthur Ripley, American film director (b. 1897)
February 15 – Laurence Owen, American figure skater (b. 1944)
February 16 – Dazzy Vance, American baseball player (Brooklyn Dodgers) and a member of the MLB Hall of Fame (b. 1891)
Horatio Berney-Filkin, British army general (b. 1892)
Nita Naldi, American actress (b. 1894)
February 20 – Percy Grainger, Australian composer (b. 1882)
George de Cuevas, Chilean-American ballet impresario and choreographer (b. 1885)
Nick LaRocca, American jazz musician (b. 1889)
Karl Albiker, German sculptor (b. 1878)
King Mohammed V of Morocco (b. 1909)
February 28 – Aaron S. "Tip" Merrill, American admiral (b. 1890)
Victor d'Arcy
Carlos Duarte Costa
March 3 – Paul Wittgenstein, Austrian-born pianist (b. 1887)
March 6 – George Formby, British singer, comedian & actor (b. 1904)
Sir Thomas Beecham, English conductor (b. 1879)
Gala Galaction, Romanian writer (b. 1879)
Victor d'Arcy, British Olympic athlete (b. 1887)
Belinda Lee, English actress (b. 1935)
March 17 – Susanna M. Salter, first woman mayor in the United States (b. 1860)
March 22 – Nikolai Massalitinov, Soviet-born Bulgarian actor (b. 1880)
March 23 – Valentin Bondarenko, Russian cosmonaut (b. 1937)
March 25 – Arthur Drewry, English administrator, 5th President of FIFA (b. 1891)
March 26 – Carlos Duarte Costa, Brazilian Roman Catholic archbishop and saint, founder of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church (b. 1888)
Ahmet Zog/Zog I, Skanderberg III
Padma Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana
Mbarek Bekkay
Robert Garrett
April 2 – Wallingford Riegger, American music composer (b. 1885)
April 6 – Jules Bordet, Belgian immunologist and microbiologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1870)
Vanessa Bell, English artist and interior designer (b. 1879)
Jesús Guridi, Spanish Basque composer (b. 1886)
April 9 – Ahmet Zog/Zog I, Skanderberg III, Albanian political leader, 11th Prime Minister of Albania, 7th President of Albania and King of Albania (b. 1895)
April 10 – Sir John Hope Simpson, British politician (b. 1868)
April 11 – Padma Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana, 16th Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1882)
Mbarek Bekkay, 1st Prime Minister of Morocco (b. 1907)
Aziz Ezzat Pasha, Egyptian politician (b. 1869)
April 21 – James Melton, American tenor (b. 1904)
April 24 – Lee Moran, American actor (b. 1888)
Robert Garrett, American Olympic athlete (b. 1875)
George Melford, American actor (b. 1877)
Roy Del Ruth, American film director (b. 1893)
Minoru Sasaki, Japanese general (b. 1893)
Dickie Dale, English motorcycle road racer (b. 1927)
Jessie Redmon Fauset, American editor, writer and educator (b. 1882)
Rafael Trujillo
Lajos Dinnyés, 41st Prime Minister of Hungary (b. 1901)
Maurice Merleau-Ponty, French phenomenological philosopher (b. 1908)
May 6 – Lucian Blaga, Romanian poet and philosopher (b. 1895)
May 13 – Gary Cooper, American actor, better known for his role in High Noon (b. 1901)
May 14 – Albert Sévigny, Canadian politician (b. 1881)
May 16 – George A. Malcolm, American jurist & educator (b. 1881)
May 22 – Joan Davis, American actress (b. 1912)
May 30 – Rafael Trujillo, Dominican politician and soldier, 2-time President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1891)
May 31 – Walter Little, Canadian politician (b. 1877)
June 2 – George S. Kaufman, American playwright (b. 1889)
June 6 – Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist (b. 1875)
June 9 – Camille Guérin, French bacteriologist and immunologist (b. 1872)
June 14 – Eddie Polo, Austrian-American actor (b. 1875)
June 15 – Peyami Safa, Turkish journalist and writer (b. 1899)
June 16 – Marcel Junod, Swiss physician (b. 1904)
Jeff Chandler, American actor (b. 1918)
Thomas Darden, American Rear admiral, 37th Governor of American Samoa (b. 1900)
June 18 – Eddie Gaedel, American with dwarfism (b. 1925)
June 23 – Nikolai Malko, Soviet conductor (b. 1883)
William J. Connors, American politician (b. 1891)
George Washington Vanderbilt III, American philanthropist (b. 1914)
June 25 – John A D McCurdy, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia & pilot (b. 1886)
June 27 – Paul Guilfoyle, American actor (b. 1902)
June 30 – Lee de Forest, American inventor (b. 1873)
Nasuhi al-Bukhari
Nasuhi al-Bukhari, Syrian soldier and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Syria (b. 1881)
Louis-Ferdinand Céline, French writer (b. 1894)
July 2 – Ernest Hemingway, American writer, Nobel Prize laureate (suicide) (b. 1899)
July 4 – Franklyn Farnum, American actor (b. 1878)
Konstantinos Logothetopoulos, Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1878)
Woodall Rodgers, American politician, 43rd Mayor of Dallas (b. 1890)
July 9 – Whittaker Chambers, American spy and witness in Hiss case[13][14][15] (b. 1901)
July 17 – Ty Cobb, American baseball player and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame (b. 1886)
Esther Dale, American actress (b. 1885)
Valentine Davies, American screenwriter (b. 1905)
Princess Teru (b. 1925)
July 28 – Harry Gribbon, American actor of silent films (b. 1885)
Sidney Holland
August 1 – Domingo Pérez Cáceres, Spanish Roman Catholic priest and saint (b. 1892)
Zoltán Tildy, 39th Prime Minister of Hungary (b. 1889)
Maurice Tourneur, French film director (b. 1873)
August 5 – Sidney Holland, New Zealand politician, 25th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1893)
August 8 – Mei Lanfang, Beijing opera star (b. 1894)
August 9 – Walter Bedell Smith, American general and diplomat (b. 1895)
August 11 – William Jackson, American gangster (b. 1920)
Henri Breuil, French priest, archaeologist, anthropologist and ethnologist (b. 1877)
Clark Ashton Smith, American writer and sculptor (b. 1893)
August 20 – Percy Williams Bridgman, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1882)
Gotthard Sachsenberg, German World War I naval aviator and fighter ace (b. 1891)
Beals Wright, American tennis player (b. 1879)
Howard P. Robertson, American physicist (b. 1903)
Gail Russell, American actress (b. 1924)
August 30 – Charles Coburn, American actor (b. 1877)
Adnan Menderes
Georgia Ann Robinson
September 1 – Eero Saarinen, Finnish architect (b. 1910)
Richard Mason, British explorer (b. 1934)
Fay-Cooper Cole, American anthropologist (b. 1881)
September 4 – Isidore Fattal, Syrian Orthodox bishop (b. 1886)
September 10 – Leo Carrillo, American actor (b. 1880)
September 11 – George Irving, American actor (b. 1874)
September 16 – Hasan Fehmi, Turkish politician (b. 1879)
Miguel Gómez Bao, Spanish-born Argentine actor (b. 1894)
Adnan Menderes, Turkish statesman, 9th Prime Minister of Turkey (executed) (b. 1899)
September 18 – Dag Hammarskjöld, Swedish diplomat, politician and author, 2nd Secretary General of the United Nations, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1905)
September 21 – Georgia Ann Robinson, community worker and first African American woman to be appointed a Los Angeles police officer (b. 1879)
September 22 – Marion Davies, American actress (b. 1897)
Elmer Diktonius, Finnish poet and composer (b. 1896)
John Elderdge, American actor (b. 1904)
September 24 – Sumner Welles, American diplomat (b. 1892)
September 25 – Frank Fay, American actor (b. 1897)
Robert L. Eichelberger, American general (b. 1886)
Juanita Hansen, American actress (b. 1895)
Sergio Osmeña
October 1 – Donald Cook, American actor (b. 1901)
October 2 – Essington Lewis, Australian industrialist (b. 1881)
Metropolitan Benjamin, Soviet Orthodox missionary and writer, Exarch of Russian Church in North America (b. 1880)
Max Weber, Polish-American artist (b. 1881)
Lucy Tayiah Eads, Kaw tribal chief (b. 1888)
Chico Marx, American comedian (b. 1887)
Maya Deren, Russian-born filmmaker (b. 1917)
Zoltán Korda, Hungarian screenwriter and director (b. 1895)
Dun Karm Psaila, Maltese writer (b. 1871)
Paul Ramadier, French politician, 63rd Prime Minister of France (b. 1888)
Harriet Shaw Weaver, English political activist (b. 1876)
Şemsettin Günaltay, Turkish historian and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1883)
Sergio Osmeña, Filipino politician, 4th President of the Philippines (b. 1878)
October 21 – Karl Korsch, German Marxist theoretician (b. 1886)
Joseph Schenck, Russian-born film studio executive (b. 1878)
Aloys Van de Vyvere, 25th Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1871)
October 26 – Milan Stojadinović, 12th Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1888)
October 30 – Luigi Einaudi, Italian economist and politician, 2nd President of Italy (b. 1874)
Anselmo Alliegro y Milá
November 1 – Mordecai Ham, American evangelist (b. 1877)
James Thurber, American humorist (b. 1894)
Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa I, 12th Hakim of Bahrain (b. 1894)
November 3 – Thomas Flynn, British Roman Catholic prelate and reverend (b. 1880)
November 9 – Ferdinand Bie, Norwegian Olympic athlete (b. 1888)
Elsie Ferguson, American actress (b. 1883)
Johanna Westerdijk, Dutch plant pathologist (b. 1883)
November 16 – Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1882)
November 22 – Anselmo Alliegro y Milá, Cuban politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Cuba, leader of World War II (b. 1899)
November 24 – Ruth Chatterton, American actress, novelist, and aviator (b. 1892)
November 25 – Adelina de Lara, British composer (b. 1872)
Anna Gould, American heiress and socialite; daughter of financier Jay Gould (b. 1875)
Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, German scientist (b. 1899)
December 2 – Herbert Pitman, British sailor, third officer of the RMS Titanic (b. 1877)
December 6 – Frantz Fanon, Caribbean philosopher (b. 1925)
December 13 – Anna Mary Robertson Moses aka Grandma Moses, American naïve painter (b. 1860)
December 15 – Gioacchino Failla, Italian-born American physicist (b. 1891)
Moss Hart, American dramatist (b. 1904)
Earle Page, Australian politician, 11th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1880)
December 23 – Kurt "Panzermeyer" Meyer, German Generalmajor der Waffen-SS and war criminal (b. 1910)
December 25 – Otto Loewi, German-born pharmacologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1873)
December 28 – Edith Wilson, First Lady of the United States from 1915-1921 (b. 1872)
Anton Flettner, German aviation engineer and inventor (b. 1885)
Sibyl Morrison, first female barrister in New South Wales, Australia (b. 1895)
Nobel Prizes[edit]
Physics – Robert Hofstadter, Rudolf Mössbauer
Chemistry – Melvin Calvin
Physiology or Medicine – Georg von Békésy
Literature – Ivo Andrić
Peace – Dag Hammarskjöld (posthumously)
Upside down year
^ "Doug Gilford's Mad Cover Site - Mad #61".
^ Gardner, Martin (2001). The Colossal Book of Mathematics: Classic Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Problems : Number Theory, Algebra, Geometry, Probability, Topology, Game Theory, Infinity, and Other Topics of Recreational Mathematics. Norton. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-393-02023-6.
^ "The 6555th, Chapter III, Section 8, The MINUTEMAN Ballistic Missile Test Program".
^ "Selected Milestones of the Kennedy Presidency - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum". Jfklibrary.org. Archived from the original on May 21, 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
^ JFK Library.org Archived May 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
^ McIntyre, W. David (April 2008). "The Expansion of the Commonwealth and the Criteria for Membership". Round Table. 97 (395): 273–85. doi:10.1080/00358530801962089.
^ John F. Kennedy (April 27, 1961). "The President and the Press. Before the American Newspaper Publishers Association, New York City". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
^ Hans-Jörg Rheinberger, "Experimentalsysteme – Eine Geschichte der Proteinsynthese im Reagenzglas" Wallstein; ISBN 3-89244-454-4
^ "Missile Overview". Nuclear Threat Initiative. Archived from the original on January 5, 2008. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
^ "July 1961". NASA. Archived from the original on November 17, 2007. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
^ Françoise Bouchet-Saulnier, et al., The Practical Guide to Humanitarian Law (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007) p.435.
^ "Incêndio Gran-Circus Norte-Americano 1961". Blogger. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
^ "About". Whittaker Chambers. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
^ "Death of the Witness". Time. July 21, 1961. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
^ "Chambers Is Dead; Hiss Case Witness; Whittaker Chambers, Hiss Accuser, Dies". New York Times. July 11, 1961. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1961&oldid=906219771"
Use mdy dates from March 2011
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Max Cavalera performing live with Soulfly at Pinkpop Festival in 2006
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
nu metal (early)
Nuclear Blast, Roadrunner
Marc Rizzo & The Corrupters
Buck Satan and the 666 Shooters
Lody Kong
www.soulfly.com
Max Cavalera
Marc Rizzo
Zyon Cavalera
Mike Leon
Marcelo "Cello" Dias
Roy Mayorga
Lúcio Maia
Mikey Doling
Joe Nunez
Bobby Burns
David Kinkade
Tony Campos
Soulfly is an American heavy metal band formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1997. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality, political and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, slavery, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera, who formed the band after he left the Brazilian group in 1996. To date the band has released eleven studio albums, one tour EP, twenty-three singles, one video album, and twelve music videos. Their debut album, Soulfly, was released on April 21, 1998, while their most recent album, Ritual, was released on October 19, 2018.
Soulfly incorporates many styles of metal with Brazilian tribal and world music. All of their first six studio albums debuted on the United States Billboard 200, with a peak position at number 32 for their second album, Primitive.[1] Soulfly has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.[2] The band has gone through numerous line-up changes, with Cavalera being the only constant member. In an interview with Max in 2015, it is revealed that the band's name was taken from the song "Headup" by Deftones, a song that Max collaborated on.
1.1 Self-titled album and Primitive (1998–2001)
1.2 3, new line-up and Prophecy (2002–2004)
1.3 Dark Ages (2005–2007)
1.4 Conquer and Omen (2008–2010)
1.5 Line up change, Enslaved and Savages (2011–2013)
1.6 Archangel and Ritual (2014–present)
2 Musical style
5 Concert tours
Self-titled album and Primitive (1998–2001)[edit]
Cavalera was troubled during the recording of Soulfly's self-titled album, and on the band's website he said that he founded the band "with the idea of combined sounds and spiritual beliefs". As well as leaving Sepultura, one of the world's most renowned thrash/groove metal bands, he had to deal with the death of his stepson and best friend Dana Wells. The self-titled debut album was released in April 1998,[3] and reached number 79 on the Billboard 200.[4]
"Bleed feat. Fred Durst" (1998)
30 second sample of the Soulfly track "Bleed".
In addition to the core band, which at the time consisted of Lúcio Maia (Jackson Bandeira) on guitar, Cello Dias on bass, and Roy Mayorga on drums, Soulfly featured Burton C. Bell, Dino Cazares and Christian Olde Wolbers from Fear Factory, Fred Durst and DJ Lethal from Limp Bizkit, Chino Moreno from Deftones, Benji Webbe formerly of Welsh band Dub War and now a member of Skindred, Eric Bobo from Cypress Hill, Jorge do Peixe and Gilmar Bola Oito from Chico Science & Nação Zumbi, and Mario C.. The album was recorded at Indigo Ranch Studios in Malibu, California, and was overseen by producer Ross Robinson.
In addition to fronting Soulfly, Cavalera also branched out into other areas not usually associated with heavy metal musicians. He became a speaker at music conventions, appearing at CMJ's New Music Marathon in New York and Holland's Crossing Border Festival, both in late 1997, and sang a TV commercial for Sprite in Brazil. After recording the first album, Jackson Bandeira returned to Brazil with Nação Zumbi and was replaced by Logan Mader of Machine Head for the live tour that followed. Soulfly played on the 1998 Ozzfest mainstage alongside Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth, and Tool, and played small club tours around the world with bands such as System of a Down and Snot. After the world tour in support of Soulfly, Logan Mader was replaced by Mikey Doling who had just been displaced by the breakup of Snot.
A variety of influences, including nu metal, appeared on 2000s Primitive, and it was the most successful album by the band in the U.S., reaching number 32 on the Billboard 200 and number 11 on the independent charts. Joe Nunez, from Chicago, replaced Roy Mayorga on drums for Primitive. The album featured a number of guest appearances as well, including Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour, Sean Lennon, Chino Moreno of Deftones, Tom Araya of Slayer, Grady Avenell of Will Haven, Cutthroat Logic, Babatunde and Asha Rabouin and was produced by Toby Wright. In addition, artwork was created by longtime Bob Marley artist Neville Garrick. The release of the album was followed by world tours with the likes of Pantera, Morbid Angel and Ozzfest.
3, new line-up and Prophecy (2002–2004)[edit]
In late 2001, Joe Nunez left Soulfly to join Stripping the Pistol, saying that it was "time for [him] to move on". Roy Mayorga departed from his band Medication to rejoin Soulfly for the recording of their third album. 3[5] was the first Soulfly album which was produced by Max Cavalera. Other musicians performing on 3 included Cristian Machado of Ill Niño, and guitarist Wiley Arnet and drummer Greg Hall, and Max's stepson Richie Cavalera. The album reached number 46 on the Billboard 200 in that year. After the release of 3 on June 25, 2002, Soulfly toured throughout Europe and North America with bands such as Slayer, In Flames, God Forbid, and Will Haven.
In September 2003, after the world tour for 3, Marcelo Dias was fired from the band, and Mikey Doling and Roy Mayorga both left the band in protest, leaving Cavalera as the sole remaining member for a period of three weeks.
Cavalera recruited a new lineup in October 2003 for the recording of Soulfly's Prophecy album. Joe Nunez returned on drums with New Jersey native Marc Rizzo, formerly of Ill Niño, on guitar and Kentucky native Bobby Burns, formerly of Primer 55, on bass. David Ellefson, formerly of Megadeth at the time, also played bass on several of the album's songs.
Max Cavalera explained on the band's website that he wanted to use different musicians as part of the group for each album. "This is an approach that I've wanted to do for a while. I never wanted Soulfly to be a band like Metallica, with the same four guys. On every Soulfly album, we've changed the line up and it will probably continue that way. In order to do that, I had to start from the inside out and bring in people who caught my attention, that I had never played with before, and create this." While a member of Sepultura, Cavalera had shown an interest in world music as shown in Roots, featuring elements of the music of Brazil's indigenous peoples. This approach continued on the Prophecy album, with Cavalera traveling to Serbia to record with traditional musicians. On the song "Moses", he worked with Serbian band Eyesburn, which also features reggae influences from one of his heroes, Bob Marley. Other tracks on the album feature instruments from the Middle Ages, sheepskin bagpipes, and Serbian Gypsies. Danny Marianino and Asha Rabouin returned as guest vocalists on Prophecy, as well, and Max Cavalera produced the album. Prophecy was released on March 30, 2004 and in April of that year had reached a peak of number 82 on the Billboard 200, although it has reached the top 50 of the Australian album charts. Soulfly followed the album release with tours supporting Black Sabbath and Morbid Angel.
In February 2005, Soulfly released their first DVD, entitled The Song Remains Insane. This was a biography of the band, containing live footage from all over the globe, interviews, and all of the band's music videos. In August 2005, Roadrunner Records reissued their self-titled first album as part of the label's 25th anniversary celebration.
Dark Ages (2005–2007)[edit]
In December 2004, as recording was beginning for Soulfly's fifth studio album, the band was rocked by several tragedies that affected the outcome of the album. On December 8, Max's friend Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott was shot to death while playing in Ohio, and on December 10, Cavalera's 8 month old grandson Moses unexpectedly died due to health complications. The following fall, on October 4, 2005, Dark Ages was released. Many critics have described Dark Ages as a return to Cavalera's thrash metal roots of the early Sepultura days; however, the world music influence found on the first four Soulfly albums is still present. In fact, this time, Cavalera traveled to five different countries — Serbia, Turkey, Russia, France, and the United States — in order to record all the sounds that he desired to have on the new album.
The core band on Dark Ages still consisted of Max Cavalera, Marc Rizzo, Joe Nunez, and Bobby Burns, and on this album, Dave Ellefson came back to lend his talents to a couple of tracks, Eyesburn vocalist Coyote sang on "Innerspirit", Stormtroopers of Death vocalist Billy Milano and Russian singer Paul Fillipenko of FAQ screamed on the hardcore influenced "Molotov", and Max's stepson, Ritchie Cavalera from Phoenix-based band Incite, sang on "Staystrong". Soulfly supported Dark Ages on a world tour with various bands such as Deftones, Korn, Throwdown, and Skindred that has stretched through North America, South America, Europe, Russia, and Australia. On August 17, 2006, Soulfly played the 10th Annual D-Low Memorial show with several guest artists including Dave Ellefson and Roy Mayorga, the latter of whom who currently plays with Stone Sour. Most notably, Max was reunited onstage for the first time in 10 years with his brother Igor Cavalera. Max and Igor formed Sepultura together in the early 1980s, but had not played together since Max's departure in 1997. Igor joined the band midway through the set for a jam on the drums and stayed onstage to play the Sepultura classics "Roots Bloody Roots" and "Attitude" on Joe Nunez's drum kit.
In the time between legs of Soulfly's world tour for Dark Ages and afterwards, members of Soulfly stayed extremely busy by focusing on projects and activities outside of the band. Max Cavalera guested on the Apocalyptica single "Repressed" with Bullet For My Valentine vocalist Matt Tuck during a visit to Germany, went to Russia in January 2007 to guest on the album Circus Dogs by Russian hardcore band FAQ and played on Saint-Petersbourg with Radiohead album sound producer Nike "Naik" Groshin, played a surprise jam session in Serbia with Dan Lilker of Brutal Truth and S.O.D., and spent time in Arizona writing for future releases. Marc Rizzo spent the year on the road throughout North America playing his solo flamenco-meets-shred metal, gaining him further recognition as one of the world's premier metal guitarists. Earlier in 2005 Marc had released his debut solo album, Colossal Myopia, through Shrapnel Records, and in 2007 he prepared his follow-up, The Ultimate Devotion, which has now been released. Bobby Burns purchased a studio in Orlando, FL with his partner Tim Lau, revived his former band Primer 55, and worked on new releases for his Love Said No and King Street projects. In September 2006 Bobby suffered a mild stroke, was forced to sit out of Soulfly's North American tour, and his spot in the band was briefly filled by Dave Ellefson and Danny Lilker. Joe Nunez worked on the development of several drum accessories with Slug Drums, and taught drum lessons and worked construction in Chicago. Soulfly ventured to Undercity Recording Studios in March 2007 to record a cover of the Marilyn Manson single "The Beautiful People" with Logan Mader producing. The song was later released in June 2007 by Kerrang! magazine in issue 1164 as part of their Higher Voltage compilation. During time in the studio, Max Cavalera also recorded vocals for the song "War Is My Destiny" with Ill Bill and Immortal Technique for Ill Bill's second studio album, The Hour of Reprisal, which released on September 16, 2008.
Conquer and Omen (2008–2010)[edit]
In August 2007, Soulfly did a tour that consisted of a mixture of festival and club shows through Europe before playing the 11th Annual D-Low Memorial Show in Tempe, AZ on August 31, 2007. Cavalera Conspiracy also made their debut live performance at the show by opening for Soulfly. One week after performing the show, Soulfly went to Bobby Burns and Tim Lau's newly renovated Porch Studio in Orlando, FL to begin work on their sixth studio album, which Cavalera had begun writing during the summer. After working halfway through recording until September 29, Cavalera halted the session to travel throughout Egypt to record more sounds to integrate into the new songs. In November 2007, Cavalera returned to Orlando to complete tracking and the album was mixed by Andy Sneap in early 2008. The album featured collaborations Dave Peters from Throwdown and David Vincent from Morbid Angel.
Tony Campos, 2015
Marc Rizzo, 2015
Soulfly released their sixth album entitled Conquer on July 29, 2008. Following the release of the album, the band toured the United States with Devastation and Bleed the Sky in the fall,[6] toured Europe in winter of 2009 with Incite,[7] played a small UK and European festivals during the spring and summer of 2009,[8] and went on a fall 2009 U.S. headlining tour with Cattle Decapitation, Prong, and Mutiny Within.[9]
Soulfly entered the Edge of the Earth Studios in Los Angeles, California, on November 6, 2009 to begin recording their seventh album with Max Cavalera and Logan Mader both producing.[10] Through a series of streaming web video updates, frontman Max Cavalera revealed on November 13, 2009 that the album would be called Omen[11] and would feature guest appearances by Tommy Victor of Prong and Greg Puciato of The Dillinger Escape Plan.[12] Additionally, the album features performances on drums from Max's sons: Zyon Cavalera on a b-side cover of Sepultura's "Refuse-Resist" and Igor Cavalera (not to be confused with his brother of the same name) on a cover of Excel's "Your Life, My Life". Omen has been released worldwide on May 25, 2010.[13]
From May 13 – December 16, 2010, Soulfly conducted a world tour in support of their new album Omen.
On July 18, 2010, bassist Bobby Burns posted following message on his Twitter profile: "To all the fans... SOULFLY and I have decided to part ways. Stay tuned for my next projects already in the works. Thanks 4 ur support!!!"
Line up change, Enslaved and Savages (2011–2013)[edit]
On July 1, 2011, Soulfly has announced that the group has recruited former Static-X and current Asesino, and then Prong, and Ministry bassist Tony Campos into the band, replacing former bassist Bobby Burns, who left the group in July of last year.[14]
In August 2011, Joe Nunez was replaced by Borknagar drummer David Kinkade. In September 2011, the band announced they entered the recording studio to make their next album due for an early 2012 release. In late October it was revealed that recording had finished, and Kinkade claimed that the new album is like "Arise on crack". Confirmed guests on the album were Adam Warren of Oceano and Dez Fafara of Coal Chamber and DevilDriver,[15] although Warren pulled out of recording and was replaced by Cattle Decapitation frontman Travis Ryan.[16] In the December 2011 issue of Metal Hammer, Cavalera stated that the main theme of the album will be slavery, with confirmed song titles "Slave", "Chains", "Legions" (a song about the Roman Empire), "Gladiator", "Redemption of Man by God" (featuring Dez Fafara), and "Revengeance" (with Max's 3 sons featuring: Zyon on drums, Richie on vocals and Iggor writing half the guitar riffs). The album was produced by Zeuss with artwork from Marcelo Vasco, who has designed album artwork for bands such as Borknagar, Obituary, and Dimmu Borgir. On December 6, the album title was announced to be Enslaved and has a release date of March 13, 2012.[17] Soulfly performed at the 13th annual Gathering of the Juggalos in Cave-in-Rock, IL August 2012. Throughout 2012, Soulfly have headlined the "Maximum Cavalera Tour", supported by Incite (fronted by Richie Cavalera) and Lody Kong (featuring Igor Cavalera Jr. and Zyon Cavalera). In October 2012 Kinkade announced his retirement from drumming, leaving Soulfly after their show in Bangkok.[18] Max's son Zyon, who performed during the South America tour earlier in the year, will take over drums for the upcoming US tour and for the foreseeable future.
In April 2013 Max announced Soulfly's intention to record more material after their tour, with producer Terry Date,[19] and confirmed on May 3 that Zyon would perform drums on the album. In July Max announced that the album would be called Savages.[20] The band released the album on September 30 in the UK, October 1 in the US, and October 4 in Europe. Savages features a number of guest vocalists including Igor Cavalera Jr. of Lody Kong, Jamie Hanks of I Declare War, Neil Fallon of Clutch, and Mitch Harris of Napalm Death.[21]
Archangel and Ritual (2014–present)[edit]
Main article: Archangel (Soulfly album)
On December 6, 2014, Max Cavalera said through an interview that he started writing for the tenth Soulfly record.[22] Cavalera and his gang entered the studio on January 3, 2015. On May 1, bassist Tony Campos announced via his Facebook page that he was leaving Soulfly to join Fear Factory.[23] Archangel, produced by Matt Hyde, was released on August 14, 2015 through Nuclear Blast.[24] They embarked on the "We Sold Our Souls To Metal" tour on September 30, 2015 to promote the album. The tour was accompanied by the bands Soilwork, Decapitated and Shattered Sun. The tour lasted for a 27 show trek ending in Albuquerque, NM on October 30. They played at The Rockbar Theater in San Jose, CA on Dec 12, 2015.[25][26][27][28]
In 2017, they toured North America with Cannabis Corpse, Harm's Way, Noisem and Lody Kong. In this tour, they played the Nailbomb album Point Blank in full, bringing Igor Jr. into the band as co-lead vocalist and keyboardist/sampler for the tour. After releasing his latest album with Cavalera Conspiracy, Max revealed his plans to finish writing and recording the next Soulfly album in early 2018, while also declaring his intentions to bring back some of the tribal elements from the band's early days to commemorate 20 years since Soulfly's self-titled debut album. A live album of their performance at 1998 Dynamo Open Air, entitled simply Live at Dynamo Open Air 1998, was released on 22 June 2018.[29]
"Jumpdafuckup feat. Corey Taylor" (2000)
30 second sample of the Primitive track "Jumpdafuckup". Soulfly's early material is noted for featuring a nu metal sound.
Soulfly released their eleventh studio album, Ritual, on October 19 2018.[30]
Musical style[edit]
Soulfly have been described as nu metal,[31][32][33][34] thrash metal,[32][35] groove metal,[34][36] and death metal.[32] Soulfly originally played nu metal but then moved away from the nu metal genre after the early 2000s.[32] Soulfly often incorporate elements of world music such as tribal music and Middle Eastern music into their music.[33][35]
Band members[edit]
Soulfly, live at With Full Force 2018
Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Max Cavalera
Lead guitarist Marc Rizzo
Bassist Mike Leon
Main article: List of Soulfly members
Max Cavalera – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1997–present)
Marc Rizzo – lead guitar (2003–present)
Zyon Cavalera – drums, percussion (2012–present)
Mike Leon – bass, backing vocals (2015–present)
Main article: Soulfly discography
Soulfly (1998)
Primitive (2000)
Dark Ages (2005)
Conquer (2008)
Omen (2010)
Enslaved (2012)
Ritual (2018)
Concert tours[edit]
Supporting Snot (April–May 1998)
The Song Remains Insane Tour (May 1998–February 1999)
Bring Da Shit Tour (April–August 1999)
Ozzfest 2000 (July–September 2000)
Primitive Tour (September 2000–June 2001)
Supporting Static-X (January–February 2002)
Call to Arms Tour (June–July 2002; November 2002–July 2003)
Supporting Slayer (August–September 2002)
Prophecy Tour (March–October 2004)
Disturbing the Peace (February–July 2005)
The Dark Ages Tour (October 2005–October 2006)
Australian Gigantour (October 2006)
The Dark Ages Tour II (April–December 2007)
Conquer Tour (August 2008–October 2009)
Conquering North American (March–April 2010)
Omen Tour (May–December 2011)
Enslaved Tour (February–July 2012)
Maximum Cavalera Tour (July 2012–August 2013)
Savages Tour (October 2013–October 2014)
From The Amazon To The Nile Tour Co-headlining with Nile (April 2018–May 2018)
Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-380-81127-8
^ "Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales". Billboard Music Charts. Retrieved 2009-02-28. [dead link]
^ "GOLD AND PLATINUM - Searchable Database". RIAA. Archived from the original on 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
^ Prato, Greg. "Soulfly > Biography". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
^ "Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales". Billboard Music Charts. Archived from the original on September 4, 2014. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
^ Official Soufly website Archived 2010-01-06 at the Wayback Machine determines the album title as "3"
^ "Soulfly Announces Support For U.S. Tour". Metal Underground]. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
^ Borivoj Krgin. "SOULFLY: European Tour Dates Announced". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2008-11-26. [permanent dead link]
^ "Soulfly: Set To Play Short UK Tour In June". Sonic Dice. Archived from the original on 2009-05-25. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
^ "SOULFLY Announce Tour with PRONG, CATTLE DECAPITATION, MUTINY WITHIN". www.apeshit.org. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
^ Jon Wiederhorn. "Soulfly Returning to Studio in November". Noisecreep. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
^ Robert Pasabini. "Exclusive SOULFLY In-Studio Update (including tentative album title)". MetalInjection.net. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
^ Bobby Burns. "7th album in 2009???". Soulflyweb.com. Retrieved 2009-02-27. [dead link]
^ Borivoj Krgin. "Soulfly to release Omen in May". www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net. Archived from the original on 2010-01-14. Retrieved 2010-01-12.
^ "Soulfly Reveals New Bass Player Tony Campos". Metalunderground.com. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
^ "New SOULFLY Drummer Talks About Band's Next Album in Video Interview". www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/. 2011-11-11. Archived from the original on 2012-09-12. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
^ "CATTLE DECAPITATION Frontman Comments on SOULFLY Collaboration". www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/. 2011-11-17. Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
^ "SOULFLY: New Album Title, Release Date Revealed". www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/. 2011-12-06. Archived from the original on 2012-01-08. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
^ SOULFLY Drummer DAVID KINKADE To Play His Final Show In Bangkok Blabbermouth.net. 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
^ Soulfly's Max Cavalera Discusses Extreme Groove (and His New Supergroup, Featuring Members of Mars Volta, Dillinger Escape Plan, Mastodon) Phoenix New Times
^ Interview mit Soufly Metal4 Magazine
^ NEW SOULFLY ALBUM TO FEATURE MEMBERS OF CLUTCH AND NAPALM DEATH Metal Insider July 24, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
^ MAX CAVALERA - Interview 6th December 2014. YouTube.
^ Childers, Chad (3 May 2015). "Soulfly Bassist Tony Campos Exits Band, Takes Bassist Spot in Fear Factory". Loudwire. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
^ "SOULFLY's New Album To Be Released In August". Blabbermouth. February 28, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
^ "Soulfly 2015 We Sold Our Souls To Metal Tour Schedule With Decapitated, Soilwork & Shattered Sun". Concert Tour News Hub. May 9, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
^ "SOULFLY: 'Archangel' Release Date Revealed; Tour With SOILWORK, DECAPITATED Announced". Blabbermouth. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
^ "Soulfly Announces North American Tour Dates With Soilwork". Metal Underground. May 8, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
^ "Soulfly". Soulfly.com. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
^ Live Album from 1998 Dynamo Open Air Announced, Featuring Pantera and Soulfly Metalsucks]
^ "Soulfly To Release 'Ritual' Album In The Fall; Listen To New Song 'The Summoning'". Blabbermouth.net. July 7, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
^ "Artists :: SOULFLY". MusicMight. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
^ a b c d Heaney, Gregory. "Omen - Soulfly". Allmusic.
^ a b "Review - Soulfly - The Dark Ages - Blogcritics Music". Blogcritics.org. Archived from the original on 2011-10-27.
^ a b "Apoch's - Soulfly: Omen CD Review". Apochs.net. Archived from the original on 2011-09-04.
^ a b "Soulfly - Conquer Review". About.com. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
^ Turull, Alisha. "New Releases: Infected Mushroom, Ensiferum, 3 Inches of Blood, Threat Signal, Chevelle". Noisecreep.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Soulfly.
Jackson Bandeira
Joe Nuñez
Extended plays
The Song Remains Insane
"Eye for an Eye"
"Umbabarauma"
"Bleed"
"Tribe"
"Back to the Primitive"
"Son Song"
"Jumpdafuckup"
"Seek 'n' Strike"
"Downstroy"
"Prophecy"
"Carved Inside"
"Frontlines"
"Unleash"
"Blood Fire War Hate"
"Rise of the Fallen"
"World Scum"
"Bloodshed"
"Master of Savagery"
"Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla"
"We Sold Our Souls to Metal"
"Sodomites"
"Archangel"
Notable songs
"Tree of Pain"
"El Comegente"
Snot
Once Human
MusicBrainz: 832a43c7-aa7d-439b-a6b4-4f1afa671c24
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soulfly&oldid=906028639"
American death metal musical groups
American groove metal musical groups
American nu metal musical groups
American thrash metal musical groups
Political music
Heavy metal musical groups from Arizona
Musical groups from Phoenix, Arizona
Musical quartets
Nuclear Blast artists
Roadrunner Records artists
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Топики по английскому языку с переводом
A good buy
Christopher loved to shop at thrift stores. Almost a month ago, he bought a popular word game that uses little chips of wood with different letters on them. As he was purchasing it, the clerk said, “Oh, look, the game box hasn’t even been opened yet! That might be worth some money.”
Christopher examined the box and, sure enough, it was completely enveloped in factory-sealed plastic. When he looked at the box cover, he saw that beneath the name of the game and the description was a copyright date of 1973.
“You should put that up for auction on the Internet, and see what happens,” the clerk said.
“Yes, you’re right,” Christopher agreed. “I think I’ll give that a try. The rarity of something is part of what increases its value, and I can’t imagine there being very many unopened boxes of this game still around 30 years later. Maybe it’s worth millions!”
“Well, if it is, don’t
forget who told you about the wrapper,” the clerk smiled.
“No problem. You’re getting a percentage of anything over $10,” Christopher said. The game itself was priced at only $1.99, and the clerk gave Christopher the usual 10 percent senior discount.
“You’ve got yourself a deal, partner,” she replied, laughing.
At home, Christopher went online to several auction sites looking for his specific product. He couldn’t find it anywhere on the auction sites. Then he typed in the name of the word game and hit Search. The response was 5,543 sites containing that name. Christopher examined the first 10 sites and found a site that listed people looking for various versions of the game. Over the years, the game had been produced using different chip sizes, colors, materials, and even fonts. In addition, different game boards were produced over the years, themselves consisting of different colors and fonts. The game board had never changed in size or material. Most of the game seekers seemed content with used games. Only a few even mentioned “fresh” unopened games. Those who wanted unopened games all promised top dollar. Christopher emailed all of them, telling them what he had.
Two weeks later, Christopher went back to the thrift shop. He said to the clerk, “How are you doing, partner?”
She looked at him for a second, then recognized him and said, “Oh, hi, partner!”
“I’ve got something for you,” he beamed. “I’m sorry it didn’t turn out to be millions. Maybe if I waited another 20 years, but by then the plastic wrapper might have rotted off. Here’s your share.” He handed her three $100 bills.
“Wow!” she exclaimed. “Thank you! You’re such a nice partner. How much did you get for it?”
“One thousand. I hope that you’re okay with 30 percent.”
“Okay?! I’m thrilled! I never expected to see a dime. We’ll have to do more business together.”
“You got it, partner!” Christopher smiled.
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FCA Heritage joins Miki Biasion in celebrating the Lancia myth
by Jason King September 5 2018 3281 AMORE?
The department charged with conserving the company’s historic heritage takes part in “Amiki miei”, the international gathering organised by the Bassano del Grappa-born champion and open to Lancia cars built up to 1994.The event includes two special races and a scenic regularity event, as well as a concours d’élegance and a sportiness competition. FCA Heritage is in attendance with a splendid 1982 Lancia Rally, the car in which Biasion made his racing debut with Lancia.
On the weekend of 8 and 9 September, Bassano del Grappa will host “Amiki Miei”, an international gathering dedicated to the history of the Lancia brand, organised by world champion Miki Biasion, whose name will always be remembered for his legendary victories at the wheel of the Delta HF Integrale. Together, Lancia and Miki Biasion wrote some of the most splendid chapters in the history of motorsport- he won two consecutive world rally titles with the Delta, in 1988 and 1989 – and together they continue to inspire thousands of fans all over the world even today. Created specifically to celebrate the myth of the Lancia brand, its models, its victories and, of course, its drivers, “Amiki miei” is only open to cars built by the Turin constructor up until 1994.
Featuring food and wine tastings and “elegance” and “sportiness” competitions, the event enjoys the support of FCA Heritage, which will be present with a Lancia Rally – also known by its design code number 037 – in road version. This choice is no coincidence, as Miki Biasion made his racing debut at the wheel of a Lancia in 1983 actually in the Group B Rally. In that year, the driver from Bassano del Grappa took part in the European Championship, winning 11 out of 12 races and bringing home first international title, while simultaneously gaining the title of Italian Champion.
Lancia Rally (1982)
The car was designed at the beginning of the 1980s to replace the glorious but by then dated Fiat 131 Abarth Rally in international competitions. Characterised by project number SE037, it was based on the central core of the Lancia Beta Montecarlo, to which a front and a rear space frame were added by Pininfarina, who also designed the body. The 2-litre, 16-valve Fiat twin shaft engine supercharged with volumetric compressor was designed by Abarth and arranged longitudinally in rear mid position to the benefit of traction. The 037 street-legal version (the car displayed is one of the 200 made to obtain Group B type approval) produced 205 HP. It had a top speed in excess of 220 km/h and went from 0 to 100 km/h in less than seven seconds. The racing version (tuned up to deliver 310 HP of peak power) debuted at the Costa Smeralda Rally in April in 1982 and competed officially in the 1983 season, dominating the world championship from the very first race (the Monte Carlo Rally won by Walter Röhrl). In that year, in spite of the fierce competition from the new four-wheel drive Audi Quattro cars, Lancia won the World, European and Italian Championships.
See The New Ferrari F8 Tributo In Action
Ferrari issue F1 quit threat
Scuderia Ferrari: Drivers Clock Up More Miles In Testing
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Karl Shapiro at the Enoch Pratt Free Library
By Amelia Grabowski
Tour navigation: Tour Info | Next Close
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Karl Shapiro was a true Baltimorean. As a young man in the 1920s and 1930s, Shapiro fed his literary ambitions with the city's rich cultural history; for instance, writing love poems at Fort McHenry where Francis Scott Key was inspired to pen the Star-Spangled Banner. In 1939, Shapiro enrolled in the Enoch Pratt Library School at the library's central branch, an experience that would greatly influence his life and his writing.
Shapiro later expressed his gratitude to Enoch Pratt Free Library, by capturing it in the lines:
"Voltaire would weep for joy, Plato would stare.
What is it, easier than a church to enter,
Politer than a department store, this center,
That like Grand Central leads to everywhere?"
Open to all Baltimoreans since its 1894 founding, the city's first non-segregated cultural institution does indeed "lead to everywhere," thanks to the library's numerous resources and founder Enoch Pratt's firm belief in inclusiveness. The architecture of the 1933 Central Branch building exemplifies Pratt's philosophy. Designed to mirror a department store, library patrons, not just librarians, could access the books, and large exhibit windows advertised library news to passersby. Following Pratt's requirements, the building's entrance remained without stairs for the convenience of women pushing strollers. This revolutionary design went on to inspire library architecture nationwide.
Shapiro enjoyed studying to be a librarian; however, World War II intervened. "I couldn't take the final exam because I was drafted," Shapiro explained. "Because of my background of two years of college...they put me in the company headquarters office and gave me a typewriter." As the company clerk, Shapiro was never far from writing materials and had "endless amounts of empty time"–-everything a poet needs. He wrote prodigiously, sending his poems stateside to his Baltimorean fiancée, Evalyn Katz, who then published them.
Although 9,000 miles from home, the Pratt Library was never far from Shapiro's mind. He frequently wrote to his former colleagues, signing his letters with "Very best wishes to you and the Library." Meanwhile, the library also contributed to the war effort, housing various headquarters and providing basement air-raid shelters.
When the war ended in 1945, the library returned to business as usual, but Shapiro did not. Having left America only a student, he returned home an established poet. Shapiro published four books and received several prizes including the Pulitzer Prize during the war. Assuming a radically different life than the one he had left, Shapiro taught at several universities, and describes his role as "not really a professor, but a sort of mad guest." He also worked as the Poetry Consultant to the Library of Congress, a position known today as the Poet Laureate; edited poetry magazines; and of course, wrote poetry. All the while, Shapiro embodied the philosophy of Enoch Pratt, relentlessly fighting against prejudice and injustices both in his poetry and with his actions, until his death in 2000.
Enoch Pratt Free Library (1972): View of the Enoch Pratt Free Library on Cathedral Street. ~ Source: BG&E Collection, Baltimore Museum of Industry, BGE.48484 ~ Date: November 9, 1972
400 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Central Library – Enoch Pratt Free Library
Amelia Grabowski, “Karl Shapiro at the Enoch Pratt Free Library,” Explore Baltimore Heritage, accessed July 17, 2019, https://explore.baltimoreheritage.org/items/show/117.
Literary Heritage in Baltimore
Baltimore Literary Heritage Partnership
"History of the Library." Enoch Pratt Free Library. Enoch Pratt Free Library, n.d. Web. 7 June 2012.
Phillips, Robert. "Karl Shapiro, The Art of Poetry, No. 36." The Paris Review Spring 1986. Web. 7 June 2012.
Shapiro, Karl. Interview with Don Swaim. Wired for Books. Ohio University, 1988. Web. 7 June 2012.
Published on Jul 31, 2012. Last updated on Nov 27, 2018.
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HomePosts tagged 'kissing'
Coat Hangers, White Chocolate And Kissing. Must Be Fact Day!
October 7, 2014 October 6, 2014 fasab Factoids, Unusual afraid of bees, afraid of mice, American Film Institute, army, battle, best American musical films ever made, Bobby Leach, brain cells, Calabash pipe, Chandragupta Maurya, chocolate, coat hanger, cocoa liquor, cocoa solids, commissioned, convicted criminals, cut off their own heads, dare devils, dart-throwing convention, darts, death defying stunts, Department of Philatelic Fulfillment, education, elephants, empire, Entertainment, fact, factoid, factoids, facts, go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, Holmes, humans, Humor, Indian subcontinent, information, Josh Hanson, King Goujian of Yue, kissing, latitude 60 degrees south, Leach, lobster, Mauryan Empire, Minneapolis, New Zealand, philematology, picture stamps, reeding, ridges on the sides of coins, sail around the world, science of kissing, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Sherlock Holmes, trivia, United States, United States Postal Service, white chocolate, William Gillette
Looks like another day of random facts.
Hope you find something that you like.
A coat hanger is 44 inches long if straightened
White chocolate technically isn’t chocolate.
It contains no cocoa solids or cocoa liquor.
The science of kissing itself is called philematology.
Elephants aren’t afraid of mice
but they are afraid of bees
The Mauryan Empire was founded by
Chandragupta Maurya in 322 B.C and was
the largest empire ever on the Indian subcontinent.
In 2007, While attending a dart-throwing convention
at a Minneapolis hotel, Josh Hanson (heavily intoxicated)
fell out of a window, plummeting 160 feet and
slamming into the ledge of the first floor.
He sustained a broken leg, two collapsed lungs and
a few bruises but lived to play darts again.
Humans have more brain cells at the age of two
than at any other point in their lives
Images for picture stamps in the United States
are commissioned by the
United States Postal Service Department of Philatelic Fulfillment.
It takes a lobster approximately
seven years to grow to be one pound.
Bobby Leach was one of the greatest dare devils to ever live.
He would regularly perform death defying stunts
and was only the second person in history
to go over the side of the Niagara Falls in a barrel.
One day, however, while walking down
a quiet street in New Zealand,
Leach slipped on an orange peel, broke his leg,
and died due to complications that he developed afterwards.
The ridges on the sides of coins are called reeding.
At latitude 60 degrees south you can
sail all the way around the world.
King Goujian of Yue placed a row of
convicted criminals at the front of his army.
Before the battle they would all cut off their own heads
to show the other army how crazy King Goujian’s army was.
The “Calabash” pipe,
most often associated with Sherlock Holmes,
was not used by him until William Gillette (an American)
portrayed Holmes onstage.
Gillette needed a pipe he could keep in
his mouth while he spoke his lines.
In 2006, American Film Institute
named Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
as one of the best American musical films ever made.
Yeeeehaaaaaa!!!
Another Week, Another Quiz!
February 17, 2014 February 16, 2014 fasab Questions, Tests 1666, 1984, Academy Award for best actress, Academy Awards, Arabian nights, bakery, Bill Murray, books, bossa nova, Brezhnev, capital city, car, city, Colombia, country, Crossing the Rubicon, Dan Aykroyd, education, Elaine Paige, empress of India, Entertainment, facts, famous city, famous movie, first test, general knowledge, Geography, H Bomb, Harold Ramis, Helen, highest mountain in Africa, history, Hollywood, island, Julie Covington, King George V, kissing, Lenin, lips, literature, Madeira, Madonna, Mexican, movie, movies, music, mythological creature, mythology, Name, nations, pass a point of no return, Pastry war, politics, popular song, Pudding Lane, Queen Mother, questions, quiz, quizzes, recorded, Rio Grande, river, Sabu, Sarah Brighman, seceded, Sinead O’Connor, small island, South American country, Stalin, Susan Erens, tattooed, television, test, tests, The Carpenters, tv, unpardonable sin, US president, USA, Vienna, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Hi, and welcome to another week and to start it off, another quiz.
The usual selection of random questions to test your knowledge.
And, as usual, if you get stuck you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please, NO cheating!
Q. 1: This one is the name of a famous city and also the man who ran away with Helen?
Q. 2: What is the highest mountain in Africa?
Q. 3: On which river does the city of Vienna stand?
Q. 4: Who was the Empress of India in 1876?
Q. 5: In which South American country did the ‘bossa nova’ originate?
Q. 6: The so-called “Pastry war” of 1838 was fought between which two nations?
Q. 7: Which capital city features in the name of a movie starring Sabu and based on the Arabian Nights?
Q. 8: What started in a bakery in Pudding Lane in 1666?
Q. 9: To which country does the island of Madeira belong?
Q. 10: It’s almost time for the Hollywood Academy Awards again, but who won the Academy Award for best actress two years in a row in 1967 and 1968? (Bonus points if you can also name the movies.)
Q. 11: How old was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when he died in 1791?
Q. 12: What U.S. President committed an unpardonable sin by kissing Britain’s Queen Mother on the lips?
Q. 13: On which small island did the USA first test their H bomb in 1954?
Q. 14: Most people have heard of the phrase “Crossing the Rubicon” meaning to pass a point of no return, but who was the source of the phrase when he crossed the Rubicon and who was his opponent? (A point for each.)
Q. 15: What make of car did Lenin and Stalin have one of that Brezhnev had three of?
Q. 16: Which country seceded from Colombia in 1903?
Q. 17: Which famous movie title is the Mexican name for the river known in the USA as ‘Rio Grande’?
Q. 18: in 1984 who were Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis?
Q. 19: What mythological creature did Britain’s King George V have tattooed on his right arm?
Q. 20: Versions of this popular song have been recorded by Julie Covington, Madonna, Sarah Brighman, Elaine Paige, Sinead O’Connor, Susan Erens and The Carpenters, among others, what is it?
A. 1: Paris.
A. 2: Mt. Kilimanjaro.
A. 3: The River Danube.
A. 4: Britain’s Queen Victoria.
A. 5: Brazil.
A. 6: Mexico and France.
A. 7: Baghdad, the name of the movie is “The Thief of Baghdad”.
A. 8: The great fire of London.
A. 9: Portugal.
A. 10: Katharine Hepburn, in 1967 for ‘Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner’ and in 1968 for ‘The Lion In Winter’.
A. 11: Only 35 years old.
A. 12: President Jimmy Carter.
A. 13: Bikini.
A. 14: The phrase originated when Julius Caesar crossed the River Rubicon to fight Pompey.
A. 15: Rolls Royce.
A. 16: Panama.
A. 17: Rio Bravo
A. 18: They were the ‘Ghostbusters’, a group of misfit parapsychologists Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis).
A. 19: A Dragon.
A. 20: “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina”
Day Two 2013, Are You Scared Yet?
January 2, 2013 fasab Humour, Medical, Phobias, Uncategorized, Unusual a penis, alcohol, algophobia, amusing, bald people, beards, becoming bald, being eaten, being in love, being rained on, belly buttons, birds, childbirth, children, cold, color purple, crowds, daylight, dental surgery, disease, dolls, Domatophobia, dreams, drugs, education, Eicophobia, everything, eyes, fear of birds, fear of crowds, fearns, feathers, feet, Fever, figure 8, fire, flying, fools, Friday the 13th, frost, funny, ghosts, glaring lights, health, Heaven, heredity, house, Humor, Humour, ice, idiots, imaginary crimes, kissing, lice, Life, light, medical doctors, mental-health, mind, Misc, Miscellaneous, mobs, mother-in-law, Novercaphobia, Obesophobia, ochlophobia, ochophobia, octophobia, Odynephobia, oenophobia, oikophobia, olfactophobia, ombrophobia, Ommatophobia, ommetaphobia, omphalophobia, oneirogmophobia, oneirophobia, onomatophobia, oophobia, ophidiophobia, ophthalmophobia, opiophobia, optophobia, ornithophobia, orthophobia, osmophobia, Osphresiophobia, ostraconophobia, otophobia, ouranophobia, overworking, pagophobia, pain, panophobia, panthophobia, Pantophobia, papaphobia, paper, papyrophobia, paralipophobia, paraphobia, parasites, parasitophobia, paraskavedekatriaphobia, parthenophobia, Parturiphobia, pathophobia, Patroiophobia, Peccatophobia, Pediculophobia, Pediophobia, Pedophobia, Peladophobia, pellagra, Pellagrophobia, Peniaphobia, Pentheraphobia, People, Phagophobia, Phalacrophobia, Phallophobia, Pharmacophobia, Phasmophobia, Phengophobia, Philemaphobia, Philematophobia, Philophobia, Philosophobia, philosophy, phobias, Phobophobia, Phonophobia, Photoaugliaphobia, Photophobia, Phronemophobia, Phthiriophobia, Phthisiophobia, Placophobia, Plutophobia, Pluviophobia, Pneumatiphobia, Pnigerophobia, Pnigophobia, Pocrescophobia, Podophobia, Pogonophobia, Poinephobia, poliomyelitis, Poliosophobia, politicians, Politicophobia, Polyphobia, Ponophobia, Porphyrophobia, Potamophobia, Potophobia, poverty, Proctophobia, progress, property, Prosophobia, Psellismophobia, Psychophobia, Psychrophobia, Pteridophobia, Pteromerhanophobia, Pteronophobia, punishment, Pupaphobia, puppets, Pyrexiophobia, Pyrophobia, Random, rectums, responsibility, running water, sexual perversion, shellfish, sinning, smells, smells or odors, smothered, Snakephobia, snakes, spirits, stupid, stupid people, stuttering, sunshine, swallowing, taking medicine, teeth, telephones, the Pope, thinking, tombstones, tuberculosis, Uranophobia, vehicles, video, virgins, wealth, weight, wet dreams, wines, young girls
If you aren’t scared yet the chances are you are not afflicted with anything on the following list of phobias or irrational fears that seem to grip some unfortunate people. For them 2013 will be as frightening as 2012. Imagine, for example, spending the whole year with proctophobia – what a bummer!
In today’s list are the ‘O’s and the ‘P’s.
Obesophobia……….fear of gaining weight. (Pocrescophobia)
Ochlophobia……….fear of crowds or mobs.
Ochophobia……….fear of vehicles.
Octophobia ……….fear of the figure 8.
Odontophobia……….fear of teeth or dental surgery.
Odynophobia or Odynephobia……….fear of pain. (Algophobia)
Oenophobia……….fear of wines.
Oikophobia……….fear of home surroundings, house. (Domatophobia, Eicophobia)
Olfactophobia……….fear of smells.
Ombrophobia……….fear of rain or of being rained on.
Ommetaphobia or Ommatophobia……….fear of eyes.
Omphalophobia……….fear of belly buttons.
Oneirophobia……….fear of dreams.
Oneirogmophobia……….fear of wet dreams.
Onomatophobia……….fear of hearing a certain word or of names.
Ophidiophobia……….fear of snakes. (Snakephobia)
Ophthalmophobia……….fear of being stared at.
Opiophobia……….fear medical doctors experience of prescribing needed pain medications for patients.
Optophobia……….fear of opening one’s eyes.
Ornithophobia……….fear of birds.
Orthophobia……….fear of property.
Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia……….fear of smells or odors.
Ostraconophobia……….fear of shellfish.
Ouranophobia or Uranophobia……….fear of heaven.
Pagophobia……….fear of ice or frost.
Panthophobia……….fear of suffering and disease.
Panophobia or Pantophobia……….fear of everything.
Papaphobia……….fear of the Pope.
Papyrophobia……….fear of paper.
Paralipophobia……….fear of neglecting duty or responsibility.
Paraphobia……….fear of sexual perversion.
Parasitophobia……….fear of parasites.
Paraskavedekatriaphobia……….fear of Friday the 13th.
Parthenophobia……….fear of virgins or young girls.
Pathophobia……….fear of disease.
Patroiophobia……….fear of heredity.
Parturiphobia……….fear of childbirth.
Peccatophobia……….fear of sinning or imaginary crimes.
Pediculophobia……….fear of lice.
Pediophobia……….fear of dolls.
Pedophobia……….fear of children.
Peladophobia……….fear of bald people.
Pellagrophobia……….fear of pellagra.
Peniaphobia……….fear of poverty.
Pentheraphobia……….fear of mother-in-law. (Novercaphobia)
Phagophobia……….fear of swallowing or of eating or of being eaten.
Phalacrophobia……….fear of becoming bald.
Phallophobia……….fear of a penis, especially erect.
Pharmacophobia……….fear of taking medicine.
Phasmophobia……….fear of ghosts.
Phengophobia……….fear of daylight or sunshine.
Philemaphobia or Philematophobia……….fear of kissing.
Philophobia……….fear of falling in love or being in love.
Philosophobia……….fear of philosophy.
Phobophobia……….fear of phobias.
Photoaugliaphobia……….fear of glaring lights.
Photophobia……….fear of light.
Phonophobia……….fear of noises or voices or one’s own voice; of telephones.
Phronemophobia……….fear of thinking.
Phthiriophobia……….fear of lice. (Pediculophobia)
Phthisiophobia……….fear of tuberculosis.
Placophobia……….fear of tombstones.
Plutophobia……….fear of wealth.
Pluviophobia……….fear of rain or of being rained on.
Pneumatiphobia……….fear of spirits.
Pnigophobia or Pnigerophobia……….fear of choking of being smothered.
Pocrescophobia……….fear of gaining weight. (Obesophobia)
Podophobia……….fear of feet.
Pogonophobia……….fear of beards.
Poliosophobia……….fear of contracting poliomyelitis.
Politicophobia……….fear or abnormal dislike of politicians.
Polyphobia……….fear of many things.
Poinephobia……….fear of punishment.
Ponophobia……….fear of overworking or of pain.
Porphyrophobia……….fear of the color purple.
Potamophobia……….fear of rivers or running water.
Potophobia……….fear of alcohol.
Pharmacophobia……….fear of drugs.
Proctophobia……….fear of rectums.
Prosophobia……….fear of progress.
P-P-P-P-P-Psellismophobia……….fear of stuttering.
Psychophobia……….fear of mind.
Psychrophobia……….fear of cold.
Pteridophobia……….morbid fear of fearns.
Pteromerhanophobia……….fear of flying.
Pteronophobia……….fear of being tickled by feathers.
Pupaphobia ……….fear of puppets.
Pyrexiophobia……….fear of fever.
Pyrophobia……….fear of fire.
How are you after all that? Are you developing symptoms or are you feeling good?
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After Slash left Guns N’ Roses, his career has been a somewhat bouncy road. His Slash’s Snakepit didn’t work out even though they released two good records – It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere (1995) and Ain’t Life Grand (2000) and neither did Velvet Revolver, despite two really good records. Velvet Revolver was the second time Slash, Duff and Matt Sorum had to go through crap with a lead singer, but for different reasons. So what to do? A solo record, of course. And as always with Slash, we could expect the unexpected. So, instead of forming a new solo band he decided to use different singers on each track, letting the singers, for the most part, write their own lyrics and melodies while he took a step back himself and play the guitar and writing the basics of the songs. A pretty smart thing to do. This way the album never gets boring or predictable. On the other hand, it sometimes gives you the feeling of a compilation record if the songs sounds too close the singers’ original bands. But if the music is this good, then who cares? Also, we always get a good treat of Slash’s guitar playing – which is never a bad thing.
Opener ”Ghost” with The Cult singer Ian Astbury at the mike opens up the album and it’s a great song. In many ways it sounds like Slash guesting on a Cult song. Astbury definitely was given a lot of room to write here. Ozzy appears on ”Crucify The Dead” and it sounds like a Ozzy track – heavy, dark and in a slower pace. It’s an ok tune, no more, no less. Next up is Fergie from the Black Eyes Peas – a very unpredictable and unexpected choice. Black Eyed Peas are a dance/pop band and nobody would have thought of Fergie as a rock chick, right? Well, Fergie nails “Beautiful Dangerous” rock-hard, sounding very natural in a hard rock environment and her voice fits the song like a glove. It’s a groovy piece with a chorus that sticks right off the bat. Maybe Fergie really is a closet hard rock woman. Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy, who will be touring with Slash, appears on two tracks, “Back From Cali” and ”Starlight”. The first is a med-tempo groover, quite heavy but still very melodic and a chorus that could move mountains. The latter is more in the vein of a ballad, also very catchy and has a refrain that very well could result in a hit. Kennedy is an amazing singer and will most likely be an asset to Slash’s touring band. Chris Cornell (ex- Soundgarden, Audioslave) is one of the most hyped lead singers right now and there’s a reason for that – the guy is brilliant. “Promise” is a more laid back number, more reminiscent to Cornell’s solo work than either of his old bands. It’s a very good song that comes in a mid pace but still with a groove – and on top, Cornell’s fantastic voice – great.
On ”By The Sword” we hear Andrew Stocksdale of Wolfmother. It’s a bit dark and heavy with big 70’s hard rock vibes. It’s a great song and if you’re a Wolfmother-fan, you’ll love it because it sounds exactly like Wolfmother. ”Gotten” is a ballad sung by one Adam Levine, the voice from Maroon 5. Now, there might be the odd song or two by his band that I like, but I’m no fan and quite frankly, I really don’t get his involvement here. The song is laid back and mellow but at the same time dull, forgettable and goes nowhere. Lemmy is a guy who would never put his voice on bad song and on ”Dr Alibi” he proves it. This is a real killer. And it sounds like Motörhead but with Slash’s signature guitar sound – can’t go wrong with that – and they don’t! “Watch This” is an instrumental that features Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) and Duff McKagan. Doesn’t help. The song goes in one ear and out the other but when Kid Rock guests on ”I Hold On” things get better again. Kid Rock are an underrated singer who can write really catchy melodies and this pop song has really got the hooks. And no, Kid is not rapping all over some samples. Avenged Sevenfold are a band I’m not very familiar with, they play in the modern American metal-core hard rock league, a genre I’m not very big on, to tell the truth so I wasn’t sure what to expect of singer M Shadows and the song, “Nothing To Say”. Well, it’s a somewhat thrashy, riff-happy number with a pretty laid-back vocal melody. It’s not catchy as in radio-hit, but it sticks and I like the tune.
”Saint Is A Sinner Too” is a weak ballad sung by some guy named Rocco DeLucia. I’m totally clueless of who he is but he has a great voice, a bit melancholy and sad, but the song fades away more or less unnoticed. Iggy Pop closes the CD with a bang with ”We’re All Gonna Die”. Must be the best song Iggy has recorded in years. Not only is this little garage rocker both catchy and groovy, it also sports some really great lyrics – very Iggy. The bonus tracks I will review here (there are like four different editions of this album) are ”Mother Maria”, a mellow but great track sung by the fantastic Beth Hart – that voice sounds like it’s gonna crumble any second, so full of soul and ”Sahara”, a killer track sung in Japanese by Inaba Kashi. I have no idea what she’s singing about but it sure sounds like the real deal. There’s also a new take on Guns N’ Roses’ old hit “Paradise City”, done by dopey rappers Cypress Hill together with Fergie, once again. I prefer the original 24/7 but the tune isn’t all that bad. Especially Fergie’s vocals works brilliantly.
This album is easily the best Slash has done since the glory days of Guns N’ Roses and it’s really cool with all the different singers. On the other hand, the case here is just how I described it above, this really does sound like a compilation album. I can’t really get a grip on how Slash sounds as a solo artist here because every song really could be an original by the singer in question’s own band with Slash guesting on guitar – Fergie is the exception. Otherwise it has mostly great songs and a real cool production. Yes, there are some fillers but nowhere close to sink the album. And hearing Myles Kennedy here, I hope that it is he and Slash who is going to form the next supergroup. Top-hats off!
1. Ghost (feat. Ian Astbury)
2. Crucify The Dead (feat. Ozzy Osbourne)
3. Beautiful Dangerous (feat. Fergie)
4. Back From Cali (feat Myles Kennedy)
5. Promise (feat. Chris Cornell)
6. By The Sword (feat. Andrew Stockdale)
7. Gotten (feat. Adam Levine)
8. Doctor Alibi (feat. Lemmy Kilmister)
9. Watch This (feat. Dave Grohl & Duff McKagan)
10. I Hold On (feat. Kid Rock)
11. Nothing To Say (feat. M. Shadows)
12. Starlight (feat. Myles Kennedy)
13. Saint Is A Sinner Too (feat. Rocco DeLuca)
14. We’re All Gonna Die (feat. Iggy Pop)
15. Mother Maria (feat. Beth Hart)
16. Sahara (feat. Koshi Inaba)
17. Paradise City (feat. Cypress Hill & Fergie)
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Search Using:
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Q What percentage of rape reports are false?
Q When is it appropriate to prosecute someone for filing a false report of sexual assault?
Q Is there guidance available on prosecuting someone for filing a false report?
A What percentage of rape reports are false?
This may seem like a straightforward question, but in fact determining the percentage of false reports is complex. The OLTI module False Reports: Moving Beyond the Issues to Successfully Investigate Sexual Assault clarifies that a report can only be determined false based on the evidence from a thorough investigation:
…the determination that a sexual assault report is false can only be made if the evidence establishes that no crime was completed or attempted. This evidence will only be available after a thorough investigation, not after only a preliminary investigation or initial interview with the victim.
While there is a wide range of figures in the literature, methodologically rigorous research shows that the estimated range of false reports is between 2-8%. These studies include:
The “Making A Difference” (MAD) study of approximately 2,000 cases from law enforcement agencies in eight communities – 7.1% false
David Lisak and colleagues’ (2010) study of reports made to a university police department – 5.9% false
A review of sexual assault cases reported to the Los Angeles Police Department (Spohn, White, & Tellis, 2014) – 4.5% false
British police cases reviewed for compliance with the official criteria for false allegations (Kelly, Lovett, & Regan, 2005) – 2.5% false
These studies indicate a far lower prevalence of false reports than people often believe. EVAWI’s Start by Believing campaign is designed to address this misconception and prevent unwarranted suspicion from compounding the trauma of sexual assault with disbelieving reactions from friends, family members, and responding professionals.
False reports are sometimes confused with other types of disclosures or cases. An article published in Violence Against Women identifies important distinctions among related concepts:
Deliberate falsehoods. This is what most think of, when an individual deliberately files a false report for some personal gain or other purpose.
Untrue statements without malice. This would include reports made by an individual suffering from delusions or a young person who simply does not understand the consequences of making a particular statement or allegation.
Inconsistent statements. There are countless reasons why victims might make statements that are inconsistent or even untrue. This could be the result of trauma as well as drug or alcohol use, which may be voluntary or part of the crime. Victims’ statements may also be inconsistent because they are striving to make their report sound more “believable,” or because they are embarrassed or uncomfortable discussing certain aspects of the crime. However, a report that is made with inconsistent or even untrue statements is not necessarily a false report.
“Unfounded” criminal cases. These cases include reports that are false as well as those that are baseless. A false report is defined above; baseless reports include those that do not meet the elements of a criminal offense.
To better understand these issues, see the EVAWI article Incomplete, Inconsistent, and Untrue Statements Made by Victims: Understanding the Causes and Overcoming the Challenges.
A When is it appropriate to prosecute someone for filing a false report of sexual assault?
This issue is articulated in a study conducted by the English Crown Prosecution Service in 2013, to examine cases involving “allegedly false allegations of rape or domestic violence, or both” (p. 2). In that study, a total of 121 rape cases were examined where prosecution was considered for filing a false report.1 Yet analysis revealed that many of those cases did not appear to be false reports – or even if they were false, they were not made with deliberate intent.
For example, just over half (51%) of the cases involved young people, many of whom “showed a clear failure to think about (or even awareness of) the seriousness of making an allegation of rape” (p 26).
Almost one in five (19%) of these individuals had “mental health difficulties.” In some of these cases, it was clear that the person “did not understand the legal definition of consent” (p. 31).
Almost half (46%) of the cases were initially reported by a third party (more than half of which also involved a victim who was under 18 years old). In many of these cases, the person “later reported that the whole thing had spiraled out of control and he or she had felt unable to stop the investigation” (p. 14).
Alcohol and drug use was particularly common in these cases, including those where the person “might have been raped, but could not recall because s/he had drunk alcohol or taken drugs” (p. 32).
In fact, many of the cases included in the Crown Prosecution Service study involved no clear allegation of rape at all. This was particularly true when the person was young, where drugs or alcohol were involved, and/or when the report was made by a third party.
For example, in some cases, the person “had undoubtedly been the victim of some kind of offence, even if not the one which he or she had reported (p. 4).
In other cases, analysis revealed that there was no evidence to support the charge of a false allegation: “On close examination … there was nothing to show that what she was saying was untrue” (p. 31).
In such cases, it doesn’t make any sense to prosecute a person for filing a false report. As described by the researchers, some of these victims called police to report that they might have been raped, but they could not recall any details because of their drug or alcohol use.
When someone is not sure whether she/he was raped, the burden is on law enforcement to investigate and determine whether there is evidence to corroborate a sexual assault. The determination can only be made on the basis of the investigative findings – not the victim’s initial statement. At that point, the report should typically be documented as an informational report and only scored as a crime report if and when the evidence establishes that the elements of a sexual assault offense have been met.
For more information on this topic, please see the OLTI module: False Reports: Moving Beyond the Issues to Successfully Investigate Sexual Assault.
1. These 121 cases constituted all of the rape cases considered for prosecution by the Crown Prosecution Service during a 17-month period. Of these, 35 were ultimately charged with the felony crime of “perverting the course of justice,” whereas 10 were charged with the misdemeanor offense of “wasting police time.” The report begins by contrasting these numbers with the 5,651 prosecutions for rape in the same time frame.
A Is there guidance available on prosecuting someone for filing a false report?
In a first-of-its-kind study, the Crown Prosecution Service in the UK released this research report and the accompanying recommendations on cases where someone is prosecuted for filing a false report of sexual assault, domestic violence, or both. (This charge is called “Perverting the Course of Justice” in the UK.) The report also outlines steps the Crown Prosecution planned to put in place as a result of the findings. This report shows that any such charge must be considered in the context of the total number of prosecutions brought for those offences. It also highlights the complex nature of these cases.
© Copyright 2019 End Violence Against Women International. Site created by Threegate Media Group
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Forty-Eight Review
Celebrating Asian culture and literature. 48 countries. 1 continent.
What is Forty-Eight Review?
Forty-Eight Review strives to feature the works of Asian students around the world. The journal believe in the power of words and its ability to bring people together, aiming to increase Asian representation in media, and celebrate Asia’s diversity through literature. We are strong advocates for diversity in fiction and other forms of media.
Taking its name from the forty-eight countries on the Asian continent, Forty-Eight Review hopes to demonstrate the diversity of Asia and encapsulate the experiences of Asians all around the world. It is not currently a paying market, but hopes to eventually support Asian writers by offering payment.
We publish the works of students only, effective April 2019, and hope to encourage a new generation of Asian writers.
See submissions for deadlines and to learn how to submit your work.
Note: Currently on break – check back later this summer.
Follow Forty-Eight Review on WordPress.com
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No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 16 Washington advance to title games
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Kyler Murray threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, No. 6 Oklahoma scored two defensive TDs and the Sooners beat No. 12 West Virginia 59-56 Friday night for a spot next week in the Big 12 championship game.
The Sooners (11-1, 8-1, No. 6 CFP) survived a wild and mostly defenseless affair that featured 1,372 yards of offense to earn a rematch Dec. 1 in Arlington, Texas, against No. 11 Texas, which beat Kansas earlier Friday.
Oklahoma also kept its College Football Playoff chances alive.
West Virginia (8-3, 6-3, No. 13 CFP) lost to Oklahoma for the seventh straight time since joining the league in 2012.
Murray finished 20 of 27 for 364 yards and converted a late fourth down to seal a matchup of Heisman Trophy hopefuls. West Virginia’s Will Grier threw for four touchdowns and a career-high 539 yards on 32 of 49 passing. But Grier lost two fumbles, both of which were returned for touchdowns.
Oklahoma linebacker Caleb Kelly had a 12-yard TD return in the second quarter.
NO. 16 WASHINGTON 28, NO. 7 WASHINGTON STATE 15
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Myles Gaskin broke free for an 80-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, and Washington won its second Pac-12 North Division title in three years.
On a blustery cold night with snow falling and blanketing the turf at Martin Stadium, Gaskin found enough traction to carry the Huskies into the Pac-12 title game and ruin yet again the title hopes of Washington State.
It was Washington’s sixth straight win over the Cougars and the third straight year the Huskies denied Washington State the North crown. Gaskin rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns, a year after running for 192 yards and four scores against the Cougars.
He was the best player on the field on a night Washington needed its senior ball carrier to be just that. The Huskies (9-3, 7-2 Pac-12) will face Utah in the conference title game next Friday in Santa Clara, California. The winner will earn a spot in the Rose Bowl.
Washington State (10-2, 7-2) carried the Pac-12’s last remaining hope of finding a way into the College Football Playoff, but the Air Raid was mostly grounded by a combo of blowing snow and Washington’s sticky secondary. Gardner Minshew was 26 of 35 for 152 yards, but his longest pass to a wide receiver went for 11 yards.
Keep up with the latest commentary and interviews from Tom Temin and the Federal Drive by subscribing to our newsletters.
The Washington band did not perform, a day after one of its three charter buses rolled onto its side while traveling from Seattle. The Washington State band performed the Washington fight song “Bow Down to Washington” during a pregame performance on the field.
NO. 8 UCF 38, SOUTH FLORIDA 10
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — UCF lost quarterback McKenzie Milton to injury but still trounced South Florida to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 24 games and complete a second consecutive undefeated regular season.
Milton hurt his right knee when he was tackled at the end of a 5-yard run in the second quarter. Darriel Mack Jr. replaced him and may make his second start of the year when UCF (11-0, 8-0, No. 9 CFP) faces Memphis next week in the American Athletic Conference title game.
Players from both schools, which are located about 100 miles apart via Interstate 4, kneeled on one knee while a cart was rolled onto the field and Milton received medical attention in front of the South Florida bench. The entire UCF squad left their sideline at one point to form a crowded circle around Milton, who was placed on the cart and taken to the locker room and later a nearby hospital.
Milton completed 5 of 10 passes for 86 yards, including a 14-yard scoring throw to Gabriel Davis for a 7-0 lead. The Knights kicked a field goal on the first play after the quarterback departed to make it 10-0.
Greg McCrae McCrae scored on runs of 40, 39 and 31 yards, with the second of the three TDs re-establishing a 14-point after South Florida briefly pulled to 17-10 on Johnny Ford’s 34-yard catch-and-run. McCrae finished with 181 yards rushing on 16 carries for the Knights, who amassed 558 yards total offense and have scored at least 30 points in 24 consecutive games.
South Florida (7-5, 3-5) finished the regular season on a five-game losing streak.
NO. 11 TEXAS 24, KANSAS 17
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Sam Ehlinger threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score and Texas held off Kansas to reach the Big 12 title game.
The Longhorns opened a 24-7 lead on Cameron Dicker’s 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, but the lowly Jayhawks responded with Peyton Bender’s 31-yard touchdown pass to Daylon Charlot and recovered the ensuing onside kick.
After Gabriel Rui made it a one-score game with a 45-yard field goal with 1:37 remaining, Kansas was unable to recover another onside kick and Texas (9-3, 7-2, No. 15 CFP) closed out its third consecutive victory. Tre Watson finished with 79 yards on 14 carries as Texas continued its strong second season under coach Tom Herman.
Kansas (3-9, 1-8) dropped its last four games in David Beaty’s final season as Jayhawks coach. Les Miles was hired Sunday to replace Beaty.
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
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Tag: steve case
My Early Entrepreneurial Heroes
bill gates, dan bricklin, mitch kapor, steve case
I woke up from a dream about being in my early 20’s. It was a complicated one that included struggling to finish my graduate degree (yup – that’s clearly an anxiety dream) along with meeting with Bill Gates and trying to sell him my company (something that never happened but clearly has some fantasy element to it.)
As I was brushing my teeth, parts of the dream stuck with me, as some do. In my waking haze, I inhabited some of my memories from my early 20’s. The fantasy meeting with Bill Gates led to the Microsoft / Lotus battle for #1, which reminded me of several Lotus meetings I attended with my Uncle Charlie when I was in college and he was CIO for Frito-Lay (I can’t remember his exact title – I think it was something like VP MIS, but he was what we would call a CIO today). Mitch Kapor loomed large there and at MIT, even after he left Lotus and started On Technology.
I flashed to a meeting in my late 20’s with Dan Bricklin at a restaurant in the Boston suburbs where I met with him and the founding team of Trellis when I was considering joining them as president or CEO (I can’t remember what the title was going to be – but Dan and I were going to be partners.) This was during a phase after Feld Technologies when I was making lots of angel investments and considering being founding-CEO of a company for a year at a time and then hiring a CEO and becoming chairman. This led to a memory of meeting Lisa Underkoffler, the aunt of John Underkoffler (close friend and CEO of Oblong) in the kitchen of my fraternity. I think Lisa ran product for TK Solver, the product from Software Arts (Dan’s company) product that came out after VisiCalc was a monster hit (the first killer app for the Apple II.)
Lotus 1-2-3 was the killer app for the IBM PC, so there’s Mitch again. By this point, the dream was merely wisps as I thought about the early entrepreneurial heroes of mine. Steve Case then popped into my mind, and I remembered how central AOL was to my life at the time. The “bfeld” moniker that I use came from my AOL address, long before I was using it anywhere else.
Robert Merton’s On the Shoulders of Giants was a powerfully important book that I read in graduate school. As we fetishize today’s entrepreneurial heroes in the software industry, let us not forget that we are standing on the shoulders of many giants. Mine include Bill Gates, Mitch Kapor, Dan Bricklin, and Steve Case. There are many more, but these four shaped my entrepreneurial path and shone a bright light of inspiration that lit the way.
America Is Pushing Entrepreneurship To Other Countries
immigration, international entrepreneur rule, nvca, startup visa, steve case
Yesterday, the White House announced it was delaying and likely eliminating the International Entrepreneur Rule. This rule is the closest we’ve come to a Startup Visa, something I’ve been working on with numerous other people since 2009. Several failed bills in Congress, a failed bipartisan Senate comprehensive immigration reform bill, and an Executive Order later, and we still have nothing.
I’m disappointed but not surprised. Steve Case says it really well in his article America Will Fall Behind Without Immigrant Entrepreneurs. I won’t repeat his words here because I agree 100% with them. I encourage you to go read his post if this is a topic you care about.
If you just want Steve’s punch line, it follows:
“The data is clear: immigrant entrepreneurs are job makers, not job takers. And today, we just pushed them to create jobs somewhere else.”
Jeff Farrah of The National Venture Capital Association wrote a thoughtful post titled An Unforced Error for Job Creation. It explains what the International Entrepreneurship Rule is and why delaying and rescinding it is at fundamental odds with a number of goals of the Trump Administration. Jeff’s article ends with a clear message.
“Finally, rescinding the rule is at odds with the administration’s goal of advancing emerging technology. Last month, top VCs joined President Trump at the White House to discuss how to bring to life next-generation technology. What was one of the key recommendations from venture leaders? Retain the International Entrepreneur Rule so the best technology is created and developed here rather than overseas. Today’s action is 180 degrees from the recommendation of successful startup leaders.
The administration’s move is certainly a setback, but it’s far from the end of the road. NVCA will continue to be the leading voice in Washington for immigrant entrepreneurship. We’ll continue to advocate that the Trump Administration reverse course and allow the International Entrepreneur Rule to take effect. Only then will the United States realize the full benefit of immigrant entrepreneurs to our nation.”
While I agree that it’s a setback, in the eight years since a group of us started advocating for a startup visa, entrepreneurship has taken off around the world. A number of other countries now have startup visas modeled after the original US startup visa idea. As entrepreneurship is democratizing the world, the US has exported a great idea for attracting entrepreneurs to one’s country, while denying the US’s ability to do this for itself.
That’s unfortunate and disappointing for the US, but great for the rest of the world.
YPO Innovation Week
interview, steve case, techstars, ypo
In March, YPO and Techstars launched a partnership to support high-growth entrepreneurship and innovation. As a kickoff to that, Techstars co-sponsored YPO Innovation Week.
I did a one hour interview with Kate Rogers from CNBC last Friday. It was a fun interview for me and I felt like we covered a lot of good stuff.
Steve Case kicked off YPO Innovation Week with an interview, also with Kate Rogers. I listened to it in advance of my interview and thought it was extremely well done.
We Were Right – Just a Decade Early
acquisition, flatiron partners, fred wilson, gartner, jerry colonna, steve case
This is a line my friend Jerry Colonna uses when something like the AT&T – Time Warner deal occurs. As time passes, the line has shifted to “We were right – just fifteen years early.”
Jerry was Fred Wilson‘s partner at Flatiron Partners. We were all investing in Internet-related stuff at the end of the 1990s. Jerry and Fred had one of the most successful VC funds during this time period until the Internet bubble burst and blew us all up for a while. We made plenty of investments together and I sat on a number of boards with Jerry – we had some big winners and a handful of craters in the ground.
At the peak, AOL bought Time Warner for $162 billion. We only know that was the peak in hindsight – at the time it looked like it validated a lot of what we were doing by investing in the Internet.
“This merger will launch the next Internet revolution,” said Steve Case, America Online’s chairman and chief executive, told a news conference Monday. “We’re still just scratching the surface.”
The market responded according to plan.
“Analysts expect competing Internet and entertainment companies to seek similar deals in hopes of keeping pace with AOL and Time Warner, and some of those stocks also got a lift Monday. Disney jumped $4.81 1/4 to $35.93 3/4 and News Corp. rose $7.31 1/4 to 45.06 1/4 on the NYSE. Lycos leaped $9 to $79.75 and Yahoo! climbed $28.81 1/4 to $436.06 1/4 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.”
Yup – you saw that correctly, Yahoo was at $436 / share. I think it split 2:1 twice, which would have made it priced at $109 / share. It’s currently at $42 / share so if I got the splits right, after its collapse in 2001 to a low of around $5 / share it took it 15 years to claw its way back to $42 / share (a 10x from the low, 40% of its high at the peak.)
Ponder Gartner’s Hype Cycle for a moment. You can apply this to pretty much anything in tech.
2000 was the Peak of Inflated Expectations. 2002 was the Trough of Disillusionment.
Now, choose any new and exciting technology now. Apply Gartner’s Hype Cycle to it. Ponder where you end up.
Steve Case wrote a book earlier this year called The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future. In addition to looking forward to the future, Steve uses his lessons from the past to explore how things play out. It spans the time frame from 1985 – 2015 which you can just lay down on the Gartner Hype Cycle.
1985 – 1994 was the initial entrepreneurial Grind
1995 – 2000 was the climb up to the Peak
2001 – 2002 was the collapse to the Trough
2003 – 2012 was the climb to Enlightenment
2013 forward has been the plateau of Productivity
In the context of this, the AT&T – Time Warner deal seems extremely well timed and relevant. Now it’s all about execution.
Consider any of Apple / Google / GM / Ford buying Tesla. Where does that fall on Gartner’s Curve? How about the auto industry. Or drones. Or what people are currently calling AI. Or – well – keep going.
One of the biggest challenges in tech is not being right. It’s being ten or fifteen years too early.
Book: The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future
aol, book, entrepreneurship, steve case, third wave
Every entrepreneur out there should grab a copy of The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future by Steve Case and read it.
If you don’t know Steve, you’ve probably heard of him. He’s had a remarkably entrepreneurial journey starting with co-founding AOL in the 1980s. While AOL has now been absorbed into Verizon (after having been bought, spun out, and bought again) at its peak around 2000 nearly half of all Internet users in the US accessed the internet via AOL and everyone over the age of 40 knows how to say “You have mail.”
I’ve gotten to know Steve over the past six years through the Startup America Partnership (where he was Chairman) and then UP Global (where he was also Chairman). I’ve learned a lot from him both from reflecting on the past and talking about the future.
I was excited when he told me he was finally writing a book. I loved the title, as I’m a big Alvin Toffler fan as I describe in my post from nine months ago titled What Is The “Third Wave” Of This Generation? I didn’t have an answer for this question got an email a few days later from Steve.
“Hi Brad. I saw your tweet and blog. I too was inspired by Toffler’s Third Wave. I’m now working on a book (my first!) with some of my recollections of the past, but mostly my perspectives on the future. And, in part to honor Toffler, I’m calling it The Third Wave. I’m finalizing the manuscript now. It builds off the article I wrote for the Washington Post a few months ago. Happy to send the current draft to you to critique, if you have time to read it in the next week. (I have told Simon & Schuster they’d get a final manuscript at the end of the month.) Let me know if you’d like to see it. Thanks.”
A week later I’d read it and got some specific suggestions back to Steve with the punch line:
“Overall I think the book is excellent. I love the thesis about The Third Wave as applied to entrepreneurship.”
This is an important book that I think will stimulate a lot of thinking about the future for any entrepreneur. It also helps understand the potential futures better by reflecting on the past through Steve’s own journey, especially around AOL.
If you are an entrepreneur, make time to read The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future. Steve – thanks for taking the time to write it.
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Tag Archives: Atlantic Coast Conference
Pastors, leaders travel to Israel and Palestine
by Brook Musselman, for the Come and See tour
This week, we are sharing several reflections from participants on the October 2014 “Come and See” tour to Israel and Palestine. The tour is part of a broader initiative by Mennonite Church USA which encourages Mennonite pastors and leaders to travel to the region, to “come and see” what daily life is like for those who live there.
Our group of 12 pastors and leaders–from Atlantic Coast, Eastern District and Franconia Mennonite Conferences–traveled to the West Bank town of Bethlehem, having intellectually prepared ourselves by reading the history of and various perspectives on the Israel-Palestine conflict. We weren’t prepared for our encounter with the hard realities of life in this country that would shake our hope in humanity and reshape our worldview.
The group sits on steps outside of the Damascas gate, Jerusalem. Photo by Sheri Wenger.
One day, we were taken to a shrinking, dusty Palestinian village that sat in the shadow of a recently-built Israeli settlement. Our guide showed us the farm land that had been confiscated from the villagers for the use or disuse of the settlers. We saw the pond where the village children used to swim in the summer heat before they were chased away by armed settlers who came to the pond for their own recreation. We passed the entrance to the village where a checkpoint was often set up that made access to the outside world incredibly difficult.
We heard the perspectives of Jews who are hardened to the suffering they cause by decades and centuries of fear, persecution, and constant threat. They told us of the hope they have because of Zionism and the establishment of their homeland, but we were deeply frustrated to see the harm that this continues to cause nearly 70 years after independence.
The group on a tour of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The church is said to be built over the place where Jesus was born. It was site of refuge for Palestinians during recent violence. Photo by Sheri Wenger.
We also met Jews who love their country but cannot support the oppressive actions of their government, so they endure teargas, rubber bullets, beatings, and arrests by the Israeli Army to stand alongside those without power.
In our brief time touring both sides of the dividing wall, we heard stories from the people that were both encouraging and discouraging. At times, we felt like throwing up our hands and admitting that there is no hope for justice or peace in this place. Each of us felt frustrated by the discrimination, inhumanity, and senseless violence inflicted upon the Palestinian people. We also felt anger toward the international community and especially our own government that acknowledges these atrocities but doesn’t take action.
But in spite of the discouragement we so often felt, we heard story after story showing the tenacity of the Palestinian people and their hope for a future. One of our guides was a Palestinian Christian with ancestry tracing back to the earliest disciples, who works tirelessly and daily risks imprisonment to raise awareness and promote peace in the area. Stories like this inspired us to come home and tell the stories of those in need of a voice and to promote shalom at home and abroad by encouraging all to be peacemakers in our broken world.
December 9, 2014 Articles, conference, Front Page, global, NewsAndrew Huth, Atlantic Coast Conference, Eastern District, intercultural, Israel Palestine, Joe Hackman, Josh Meyer, Joy Sutter, Mennonite Church USA, missional, Samantha Lioi, Yvonne PlattsConference Office
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← The Last Supper
Losing a Loved One While Abroad →
Posted on October 1, 2017 by austinbrittlindsay
Marble walls, boasting opulent showcases intercalated with ornate caryatids, rise majestically towards staggering heights. With grace and confidence, an iron-framed, translucent quilt of intricate stain glass panels dome over the walkways of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. At the foot of the ceiling, four beautiful frescos depict the continents of America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Below, the walkway unites the mosaic emblems of Italian regions in the shape of a cross, illustrating the significant accomplishments of King Vittorio Emanuele II. The immense sense of grandeur is uncatchable by any camera, preserved for only the eye of the beholder.
The peaceful chirps of birds hidden above, echo throughout the mall. Occasional clanks followed by soft rumbles circle around the air, as a Russian trio from Moscow dances on rollerblades. A perfect opportunity has surfaced. Soon I am also, shakily, feeling the breeze on my face. The air is still, and there is an unexpected void of the badgering swindlers that hand out “free” bracelets. The bustling swarms of traveling want-to-be-merchants are unusually absent from the windows, where they desperately stare for seemingly forever at Prada leather purses. It is near sunrise. The true splendor of the Galleria opens itself willingly, a private, romantic hidden treasure.
The crest of Turin depicts a bull, rearing up on its hind legs. His testicles are a smooth hole, carved from millions of spinning feet. According to tradition, a person who spins three times, counterclockwise, will be fortuned with good luck. Unfortunately, I spun many times in the opposite direction. As this is likely a common mistake, I cross my fingers for the smiling visitors who leave every day with a false sense of hope. Speaking of misfortune, the designer of this Galleria, Giuseppe Mengoni, fell to his death from a scaffold at the worksite on December 30, 1877, the eve of the inauguration. In memory of the great architect, a plaque is displayed on the left column of the arch of triumph entrance to the Galleria.
The name of this Gallery is significant in the history of Italy. Italians are prideful of the Risorgimento, the Italian unification movement of the 1850s and early 60s. The heroes of this time are forever honored as the names of several buildings and streets in Milan, and throughout Italy. During this time, copious estates were still practicing feudalism under lords, segmenting Italy. Then, a King of Sardinia, Vittorio Emanuele II, became a powerful instigator of a new unification movement. A friend of Emanuele II, Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian general, was ripe for the opportunity to conquer Italy for the King. Garibaldi gathered an army of a thousand volunteers called I Mille. With ease, this army fueled rebellion and support in each estate across Italy. Quickly, the estates fell and feudalism was replaced by a form of capitalism under the new king of Italy, Vittorio Emanuel II. Today, Milan contains a street called Corso Garibaldi, and a metro station called Port Garibaldi.
For an example of Garibaldi’s swift invasion, the upheaval of Sicily is elegantly portrayed in the famous book and movie, The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. The story follows Prince of Salina, a noble and scholarly aristocrat, as he attempts to preserve his family and class. There is also an opera adaption of The Leopard called La Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni.
Giuseppe Garibaldi in front of the Sforza Castle
Before the annexation, the House of Bourbon, a Spanish royal family, ruled Sicily. With the rebellion, their lands were divided and bought as investments by wealthy men. During the shaky transition of government powers, the mafia was born.
King Vittorio Emanuele II ruled an entire country of Italy. His services and power were stretched to the max. In Sicily, there were little boundaries between politics, economics, and crime. Many people in Sicily despised the control from northern powers. They wanted the law to be conducted in the Sicilian way. In addition, people needed to buy protection for their land properties from a specialist in violence, a Mafioso. Organized families of crime began to spread across Italy, and infiltrate business markets and politics. Today, the mafia is still large and influential. In Milan, a mafia family controls the majority of the fresh produce. The clues that hint at the unstable past and present of Italy are hidden across Milan and even branded across one of the oldest malls in the world, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Top of the Galleria
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LeVar Burton Reads: Season One
Ever since I discovered LeVar Burton Reads, which is an outstanding podcast showcasing short stories, I have listened to LeVar’s melodious voice on a weekly basis, and kept track of the stories through my Goodreads account. Now that I have finished season one, I am ready to share!
Kin by Bruce McAllister
Kin is a short story that builds momentum as you suddenly see how the title relates to the relationship between an Earth boy and an assassin alien. Young Kim contacts an Antalou alien and convinces him to prevent the forced abortion of his yet-to-be-born sister. At first you will wonder why this alien follows through on the boy’s request, but this quietly menacing story will show you how the mercenary alien recognizes that the two share a kinship of character. Evil can put on an innocent face and the alien knows Kim’s true nature will soon reveal itself.
The Lighthouse Keeper by Daisy Johnson
This magical realism short story tells of a solitary woman who is a lighthouse keeper. One night while swimming in the ocean she comes across a unique fish and becomes entranced with it. Worried that the local fisherman will catch it, she tries to protect it, although many townspeople think her actions strange. While the tale was poetic and filled with symbolism, I did not connect with the woman or the narrative in a larger sense.
Empty Places by Richard Parks
Empty Places, a high fantasy short story about a wizard and a rogue, started slow but ended quite satisfactorily. The wizard employs a thief to put an unknown package in the nursery of the newborn prince. The thief, having some morals, asks if the package will hurt the child and the two have a battle of wits as they journey towards the castle. While you might assume the wizard is up to no good, there was a surprising and poignant ending.
What It Means When a Man Falls From The Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah
Author Lesley Nneka Arimah quickly world builds and establishes believable characters in this short story. This story is an interesting mix of magical realism, sci-fi and even folk lore with the idea that “grief counselors” can use advanced math equations to take away people’s grief. But as the story advances we learn that taking on other’s people sadness is too heavy a burden and there are repercussions. This tale is layered and you will think of the metaphors in the story long after you finished it.
Graham Greene by Percival Everett
The short story Graham Greene is refreshing, not only in how it’s told but that it is set on a Wyoming Arapaho reservation. The story subverts your expectations and details a story about Roberta, an 102 year old woman, who is looking for her son before her death. She claims she has not seen him in decades and entreats Jack, who had worked on a water project on the reservation years ago, to find him. Given a picture, but few additional details, Jack goes out into the community to search for him. Not only does Jack make some assumptions about the son, but so do people who see the picture he has (hence the name of the story). The ending is bittersweet and you will think back to Roberta’s motivation for the favor and why she specifically asked Jack to do it.
Chivalry by Neil Gaiman
This short story was sweet- no more, no less. A British matron finds an interesting chalice in a local thrift sale only to discover it is the mythical Holy Grail when Sir Galaad comes to her door in search of it. Mrs. Whitaker lives a quiet peaceful life, so her reaction to a knight requesting this holy relic is surprisingly subdued. She puts him off as she is fond of the chalice on her mantle piece- not because she is hoping for some great power for owning it. Sir Galaad persists and offers her several rewards, but she ends up giving it to him more out of kindness than any desire for what he is offering her in return. She is content in simple pleasures while he wants a grand adventure, but ultimately both are chivalrous to one another and both are happy with the end result.
The Second Bakery Attack by Haruki Murakami
The Second Bakery Attack is a short story that details an unusual robbery by newlyweds. This odd tale has a husband and wife wake up in the middle of the night ravenously hungry, and while they search their apartment fruitlessly for food, the husband shares that he once robbed a bakery store with a friend back in his college days. The wife believes they must rob another bakery store to break the curse of their hunger, but they end up robbing a Tokyo McDonalds of 30 hamburgers instead. Mysteriously the wife has a sawed-off shotgun that her husband knew nothing about, so you begin to wonder how well this married couple truly know one another.
1,000 Year Old Ghosts by Laura Chow Reeve
A bittersweet short story about how a family tried repressing memories to avoid pain, but the practice has long term consequences for the women. The story is told from the granddaughter’s perspective, and she recounts how her grandmother taught her how to remove her bad memories and pickle them in jars. The Chinese grandmother and granddaughter share a kinship, while the mother disapproved of the practice, and soon you see why. By removing the bad memories, gaps are left and the entire memory becomes corrupted. The good memories left become hazy, with no corresponding bad memories to balance them. A coping mechanism started in one generation ends up affecting future generations, and you hope that the granddaughter will stop this practice and appreciate and cope with the life she is living now.
Navigators by Mike Meginnis
This short story grew on me, as you start to realize how the title of the story ties in with the narrative. Joshua is a young boy living with his newly divorced father who bond over the RPG Legend of Silence they play together every day. The twist in the game is not to level up, but for the heroine to lose her power by the end of the game. This parallels their lives, as father and son are living in diminished circumstances, with unpaid bills and food rationing. You hurt for this little family, for as they pour their attention into navigating the game, they are not navigating real life well. Joshua’s mother is not in the story, yet her presence is felt, and you hope that once they reach the conclusion of the game, the father will find some stability for them both.
The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu
Bi-racial Jack is a young boy who is comforted by his Chinese mother one night after a nightmare as she folds him an origami collection of paper animals. She breathes life into them and the small menagerie become Jack’s favorite play toys. But as Jack grows up, he becomes embarrassed by his mother in his American neighborhood, and tries to fit in with his peers by rejecting her language and customs. His mother becomes silent, stung by his exclusion, and his origami animals are forgotten. During his college years, Jack’s mother is dying of cancer, and only after her death does he receive a letter from her in one of the origami animals that explains how she came to be a mail-order bride to Jack’s white father. The tale of her youth was heartbreaking and explained so much, but it was too late for Jack to rectify their relationship. The excellent story about identity brought into sharp focus how some mistakes can not be fixed, and how becoming Americanized can sadly lead to rejection of one’s culture and heritage.
No Man’s Guns by Elmore Leonard
Author Elmore Leonard is known for his Western tales and crime/thrillers, some of which have been adapted to screen- Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Hombre, 3:10 to Yuma and Jackie Brown. In one of his earlier Western short stories, No Man’s Gun, a newly-discharged soldier runs into trouble on his journey home, and he must fight for his innocence in a case of mistaken identity. He has to convince a group that he is not an outlaw as to avoid a lynching. He narrowly avoids the quick frontier justice by out smarting someone who was trying to double-cross him, and there is a hint he will ride off into the sunset with a woman he recently met on the trail. If you are a fan of westerns, this short tale will interest you.
Goat by James McBride
When a 12 year old boy shows a talent for running, which could lead to scholarships and further schooling opportunities, a well-meaning teacher tracks down the family of her student, nicknamed Goat. She finds out the family has more needs than she ever envisioned, but she is determined to do right by the family, and helps them with paperwork that will help Goat at school and for an older brother to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War. The story seems to be going in one direction, when the birth certificate twist at the conclusion of the story changes everything and puts a pall on the entire story. That ending…no, just no.
These twelve episodes were a varied lot- different genres included magical realism, western, sci-fi, fantasy and realistic fiction. I will absolutely be listening to further episodes, as LeVar sucks you into the story no matter if you think you’ll like the story or not. Check out the podcast LeVar Burton Reads yourself, “but you don’t have to take my word for it.”
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AFN airing world premiere of award-winning animated film
by George A. Smith
Defense Media Activity
The American Forces Network (AFN) is premiering “Celebrate the World – The Hey Wordy! Movie,” an award-winning animated family film before anyone else in the world this weekend. The film is a 2017 Parents’ Choice Recommended Award Winner with high marks for educating, while it entertains and delights children and their families through fully-orchestrated original songs and magical adventures. The title track of the film, “Celebrate the World,” is an up-tempo pop song performed by Vanessa Bryan who is currently on a world tour with Idina Menzel (“Frozen” and “Glee”).
The movie brings children into the world of Professor Dabblebee Dun, a quirky, fun-loving wizard and inventor, who lives in an animated flying house high above the clouds. Together with his animated friends, Dabblebee and his pal Wordy - a young dictionary - travel around the globe seeking adventures as they learn about different cultures and gather new words in a variety of languages.
“Celebrate the World - The Hey Wordy Movie” premieres Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. during the network’s Together Time, on AFN|family. The movie inspires children to celebrate difference and each other, and parents are encouraged to share this experience with their young kids. The movie will air on AFN before it is broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations across the United States.
“It’s a fun, upbeat and exciting movie,” says the film’s producer and star David Burke. “It’s perfect for children living in military families who are scared of moving from country to country. It turns fear and trepidation into excitement and anticipation of the new adventure lying in front of them living in a new country.”
For the past few years, AFN|family has aired short-form “Hey Wordy!” programming and music videos, which have been embraced by military families worldwide. This is the first full-length movie in the “Hey Wordy!” franchise with plans to launch the half-hour series next year.
“We are so excited to host the premiere of “Celebrate the World - The Hey Wordy! Movie” for all our military and DoD civilian families around the world,” says AFN|family programmer Myia Alston. “Kids and their families can sing along to the infectious music while learning words from other languages.”
Following the premiere of the movie, the AFN|family audience will be the first to get a sneak peek at an episode from the upcoming series. As an added bonus, David Burke will host the Together Time programming block on Sept. 3 on AFN|family. Show breaks will feature the “Hey Wordy” gang as they promote the movie premiere with a mix of funny kids-centric antics.
“Celebrate the World – The Hey Wordy! Movie” is a THK Media production, executive produced by Howard Kazanjian (“Star Wars,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark”), directed and produced by Mendel Tropper (“My Sister’s Keeper”), and produced by David Burke and David Harvey. The film stars David Burke and Jenn Reese as the voice of Wordy.
UMUC Guam Commencement May 13
DoDEA Pacific names 2016 Volunteer Excellence Award recipients
Humphreys athletes chase individual, team titles on track
GCC 5th Global Cardboard Challenge Oct. 6
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Hamilton seeks hat-trick as Ferrari aim for revival
Formula One resumes with first European race of season in Spain
Technicians work on Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo in the outskirts of Barcelona on May 9, 2019 ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix. Image Credit: AFP
Barcelona: Lewis Hamilton will seek to complete a hat-trick of Catalan triumphs and regain the lead in this year’s drivers’ world championship as Formula One returns home to this year’s first European race at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.
The defending five-time champion is a single point behind his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas in the embryonic standings, following their unprecedented four successive season-opening one-twos.
But, like his Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff, he is wary of any suggestion that rivals Ferrari are a fading force and knows that the Italian team, armed with an upgraded power unit being introduced two races sooner than planned, will mount a fierce challenge on the track where they shone in pre-season testing.
“The results may seem to paint a clear picture, but the truth is that they’re too flattering,” said Wolff, who rejected the notion put forward by Ferrari’s four-time champion Sebastian Vettel that his team were now the underdogs.
“The performance has fluctuated in the first four races. Our opponents were blisteringly quick in the winter testing here so this Spanish Grand Prix will be anything but easy.”
The pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya, where Sunday’s race is to be run, seems a long time ago now as Vettel and his new teammate Charles Leclerc struggle to rediscover those dominant displays when it matters.
Predictably, most of the teams will arrive in Spain with an array of updates for their cars that may make it more difficult to predict performance, but Ferrari appear to have chosen to adopt a downbeat approach in advance.
“Obviously, Mercedes are very strong at the moment so I am pretty sure they will be very strong as well in Barcelona,” said Mattia Binotto, the newly installed team boss facing the challenge of ending Mercedes five years’ domination.
“The last four races, on average, we were not quite there,” added Vettel. “So we are not the favourites.”
Binotto added that Ferrari were pushing hard to catch Mercedes. “We will have a new power unit that we are introducing ahead of schedule,” he said. “This second specification was due to be taken to Canada and it’s only down to a big team effort that we have been able to do this.”
Hamilton, almost perversely, has said he wants to see Ferrari lift their performance to ensure a thrilling season of competition for himself and Bottas, as their intra-team rivalry promises to turn into a scrap for the drivers’ title.
After a winless year in 2018, Bottas has come back determined to prove his pace and power this year — he and Hamilton have two wins each, the Finn adding an extra point to his total by clocking the fastest lap in Australia.
“Lewis has been world champion many times so being his teammate is great for me,” said Bottas, revelling this year in the competition. “It’s a good reference and a benchmark and it also gives us an opportunity to have a very strong team.
“On the other hand, it’s not easy. It’s so difficult to get ahead of him, but I know it’s possible. I see it as a great opportunity and I would not choose another teammate even it made my life easier.”
While the focus will surely fall on Ferrari, as they bid to end their forlorn start to the season, other teams like Red Bull could also emerge as a threat to them.
Max Verstappen, who claimed his maiden victory on his Red Bull debut in Spain in 2016, is expected to challenge for a place on the podium where, in the first race since the 25th anniversary of the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, a joint Austrian and Brazilian flag is expected to be on display in their memory.
More From Motorsport
Jules Bianchi charted the route for Leclerc & Co
Verstappen, Leclerc to spice next generation’s battle
Hamilton thanks fans after claiming sixth British GP
Bottas grabs pole as Mercedes lock out front row
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CAAMFest—Asian American film, food, music and comradery kicks off Thursday, March 12, and runs for 11 days in San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland
Nikiko, Korio, Marci and David “Mas” Masumoto have an 80 acre farm in Del Ray, south of Fresno, where they grow several varieties of prized heirloom peaches and nectarines. They are the subject of the CAAM-produced documentary “Changing Season: On the Masumoto Family Farm,” which lyrically recounts the daughter Nikiko’s decision to take over the reins of the family’s peach business from her father, Mas, the celebrated peach farmer and author. In their lifelong search for the perfect peach, the Masumotos till much more than the soil; they embrace the soul of farming which is an intimate act of bravely nurturing what life throws at you. The Masumotos are being honored at CAAMFest 2015 with a CAAMFeast Award and a special evening at the Oakland Museum of California where the film will have its world premiere. Image: CAAMFest
The Center for Asian American Media’s CAAMfest turns 33 this year and continues its morph from a pure film festival into a series of festive happenings that fuse cutting edge independent film with music and food—all with an Asian American twist. CAAMFest takes place over the next 11 days in venues all around the Bay Area including the Asian Art Museum and the Oakland Museum of California, which add their enticing exhibits to the mix. Formerly the San Francisco Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF), CAAMFest 2015 offers more than 100 movies and videos focused on the discovery of new talents, voices and visions. It’s by far the largest festival of Asian American movies in North America. Under the leadership of Masashi Niwano, now in his fifth year as festival & exhibitions director, the event has become one of the country’s major platforms for conveying the richness and diversity of the Asian American multicultural experience. ARThound loves this festival because it’s so excellently curated, delivering rich and unusual stories from around the globe that stay with you for years.
This year, you’ll see Asian American broadly defined too. Iranian director Rakshan Banietemad’s new film, Tales, which picked up the award for Best Screenplay at Venice, caught the CAAMFest programmers’ eyes, not just because it’s a great film but because the director, working under dior conditions in Iran, creatively stitched together a series of shorts, stories from her previous films, to create a full length film. In so doing, she managed to navigate the bureaucracy of the Iranian cultural ministry which requires a license for a feature but not for shorts. Bravo! There are also stories involving the Asian diaspora. Juan Martín Hsu’s La Salada is set in Argentina’s bustling discount market, La Salada, just outside of Buenos Aires, and involves an ensemble cast of Korean, Taiwanese, and Bolivian immigrants whose experiences all converge at the market. It’s thus no surprise that “travel” is this year’s theme. Opportunities for armchair travel abound and over 200 guests will be flying in CAAMFest.
BIG NIGHTS:
Opening Night: The festival kicks off at the historic Castro Theatre on Thursday evening (March 12), with Benson Lee’s Seoul Searching (2015), his new feature film which garnered quite a buzz when it premiered at Sundance in January. A tribute to the 1980’s teen movies of John Hughes, but infused with a Korean sensibility and Lee’s own experiences, this dramedy is set in a state run summer camp in Korea that brings together Korean teens from all over the globe for the purpose of teaching them about their culture. Lee uses the teen’s stories, and their unexpected twists, to explore the Korean diaspora. Lee’s Planet B-Boy, about break-dancers in an international competition, won best documentary and the audience award at CAAMfest in 2008. Lee and several cast members will attend.
Opening Gala: After the screening, there’s an opening night gala at the Asian Art Museum, with a 1980’s dance party with cocktails and fine food amidst the Seduction exhibit of Edo-period Japan. The exhibition has over 60 works of art and features Japanese artist Hishikawa Moronobu’s (1618-1694) spectacular 58 foot long painted silk handscroll, A Visit to the Yoshiwara, which is shown completely unfurled for the first time. The masterpiece, on loan from the John C. Weber, depicts daily life in the entertainment district in the 17th century.
Kalki Koechlin plays Laila in Shonali Bose’s second feature film, “Margarita with a Straw” (2014), CAAMFest’s Centerpiece film, the first Indian film that introduces a character with cerebral palsy. Image: CAAMFest
CAAMfest’s Centerpiece movie: Shonali Bose’s Margarita with a Straw (2014) screens at Castro on Sunday, March 15th and represents the powerful storytelling and moments of palpable intimacy that CAAMFest is famous for. Kalki Koechlin plays Laila, a young woman from Delhi who is determined not to let her cerebral palsy interfere with her life —she writes lyrics for a rock band, flirts wildly with her classmates and dreams of going to New York to participate in NYU’s prestigious creative writing program to which she’s been admitted. Set in Delhi and New York, the film is a brave and glorious homage to that old adage—“follow your heart.”
Closing Night: The festival’s closes with Bruce Seidel’s Lucky Chow, a six-part PBS series which will be showcased over the course of two days—Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and 22—at Oakland’s New Parkway Theater. The series features Danielle Chang (LUCKYRICE culinary festival founder) as she travel across America, taking in the Asian food landscape. Accompanying the film will be an Asian-inspired curated menu from the New Parkway kitchen. Other food-related films are Grace Lee’s Off the Menu: Asian America and Edmond Wong’s Supper Club exploring Bay Area restaurants.
As part of a Spotlight on San Francisco documentary filmmaker Arthur Dong, CAAMFest presents the world premiere of his documentary “The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor” chronicling the period of the Khmer Rouge’s tyrannical stronghold over Cambodia. The story is told through the eyes of the late Dr. Haing S. Ngor, arguably the most recognizable survivor of the Cambodian genocide. Ngor fled to the U.S. and became a worldwide ambassador for justice, recreating his experience in the film “The Killing Fields” (1984), for which he won an Academy Award in 1984, only to be murdered in a Los Angeles Chinatown alley in 1996. Using animation and rare archival material, anchored by Ngor’s richly layered autobiography, this remarkable story brings you face to face with a man who embodied the harsh duality of danger and opportunity. Image: CAAMFest
Honoring the 40th anniversary of Cambodia’s fall to the Khmer Rouge: Lest we not forget the tragic moments that also define cultures, CAAMfest is presenting a collection of powerful stories of survival and resiliency from Cambodia’s tragic Khmer Rouge period. As part of the Spotlight feature on acclaimed filmmaker Arthur Dong, his new documentary, The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor, chronicles the years encapsulating the Khmer Rouge’s tyranny through the eyes of Dr. Haing S. Ngor, who escaped to America and recreated his experience in the film The Killing Fields, for which he won an Academy Award in 1984. Dong will be in conversation with film critic and author B. Ruby Rich on Friday, March 20 at New People Cinema.
Perfectly Peachy: The festival is also honoring the Masumoto Family, fourth generation peach California peach farmers, with a CAAMFeast Award and a special evening of storytelling at the OMCA (Oakland Museum of California) on Friday, March 20, where the CAAM-produced documentary, Changing Season: On the Masumoto Family Farm, will have its world premiere. The entire family— Mas, Marcy, Nikiko and Korio Masumoto—will be in attendance. The Masumotos, who have an 80 acre farm south of Fresno, are famous for their highly-prized heirloom Sun Crest peaches and tenacious adherence to sustainable practices as well as their lyrical writing on farming and food. When was the last time you visited the Oakland Museum? CAAMFest provides a perfect opportunity to combine film with art. Fertile Ground: Art and Community in California (ends April 12) is an exciting collaboration between SFMOMA and OMCA that explores California artists, many of them Bay Area artists. Marion Gray: Within the Light (ends June 21) is a riveting exploration of San Francisco-based photographer Marion Gray’s work over the past 40 years documenting Bay Area artists and art happenings. Bees: Tiny Insects, Big Impact (ends September 20) will educate and entertain the entire family.
In Albert Shin’s second feature “In Her Place,” (2014), Yoon Da-Kyung stars as a wealthy Seoul woman who is desperate to have a child. She arrives at an isolated farm where a struggling widow (Hae-yeon Kil) is hoping to capitalize on her teen daughter’s pregnancy. The woman moves in with the family to wait for the birth, telling her friends at home that she’s decided to have her baby in the U.S. Ahn Ji Hye’s raw performance as the conflicted teen anchors this heart wrenching drama of secret pregnancy. Toronto based director stumbled upon the story while eavesdropping in a café in South Korea. In Korea, adopted children are still stigmatized and the act of adoption is a shameful one. Screens twice at CAAMFest 2015. Image: CAAMFest
Music: In addition to the movies, Korean musicians have a strong presence at CAAMFest with performances from Awkwafina (Chinese Korean American rapper Nora Lum from Queens) and Suboi, the Vietnamese “Queen of Hip Hop” and a host of other party rockers who will keep things lively before and after the movies.
Stay tuned to ARThound for an interview with the Masumotos about all things peachy.
CAAMFEST Details:
When/Where: CAAMfest 2015 runs March 12-22, 2014 at 8 screening venues in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland and as well as select museums, bars and music halls.
Tickets: This popular festival sells outs, so advance ticket purchase is highly recommended for most films and events. Regular screenings are $14 with $1 to $2 discounts for students, seniors, disabled and current CAAM members. Special screenings, programs and social events are more. Festival 6-pack passes are also available for $75 (6 screenings for price of 5). All access passes are $450 for CAAM members and $500 for general. Click here for ticket purchases online. Tickets may also be purchased in person and various venue box offices open one hour before the first festival screening of the day. Rush Tickets: If a screening or event has sold all of its available tickets, there is still a chance to get in by waiting in the Rush line. The Rush line will form outside of the venue around 45 minutes before the screening is set to begin. Cash only and one rush ticket per person and there are no guarantees.
Unpacking the festival: Click here to see full schedule in day by day calendar format with hyperlinks for film and event descriptions and for ticket purchase. The official website— CAAMFest 2015
March 11, 2015 Posted by genevaanderson | Asian Art Museum, Film, Food, Gardening, Oakland Museum of California | Ahn Ji Hye, Albert Shin, Arthur Dong, Asian American Film, Asian Art Musuem, Awkwafina, B. Ruby Rich, Bees: Tiny Insects, Benson Lee, Big Impact, CAAM, CAAMFest, CAAMFest 2015, Changing Season: On the Masumoto Family Farm, Dr. Haing S. Ngor, Fertile Ground: Art and Community in California, Hae-yeon Kil, Iranian film, John C. Weber, Juan Martín Hsu, Kalki Koechlin, La Salada, Margarita with a Straw, Marion Gray, Marion Gray: Within the Light, Mas Masumoto, Masumoto Family, Planet B-Boy, Rakshan Banietemad, Seduction, Seoul Searching, SFMOMA, Shonali Bose, Suboi, Sun Crest peaches, The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor, Venice Film Festival, Yoon Da-Kyung | Leave a comment
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House of Commons Hansard
Commons Chamber
GCHQ Centenary
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—(Iain Stewart.)
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Alex Chalk (Cheltenham) (Con)
I secured this debate this evening because I wanted this House to have the opportunity to pay tribute to GCHQ in this its centenary year and, most importantly, to the staff who work there. They are some of the finest public servants anywhere in our country—people who work night and day, often at considerable cost to themselves and their families, to keep this nation safe. It is worth reflecting on what is meant by that expression. It means bluntly that there are people alive today able to return to their families who would not be able to, but for the skill and professionalism of those working at GCHQ. Some are British soldiers on operations abroad. Others are ordinary citizens who may never have had the faintest idea that they were ever in harm’s way. There are others who have been protected from the devastation wrought by serious violating crime that shatters lives and robs innocence, and there are those who have been spared the anguish of seeing their jobs, livelihoods and futures destroyed by the actions of cyber gangsters and hostile state actors. That is what is meant by keeping our country safe.
Many of those professionals who have provided that blanket protection and security are my constituents. They work necessarily in the shadows, with discretion and professionalism. They are committed to the mission, but they do not chase recognition or plaudits. They do, however, deserve them. And I wanted us to send out the message, at this time and from this place, that they are admired and appreciated here in the democratic epicentre of the country they serve.
Sir Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex) (Con)
I agree entirely with everything that my hon. Friend has said, endorse it and give my profound thanks to those people. They do us honour all over the world; many countries depend on the work of GCHQ, for which they are eternally grateful, and we should be eternally grateful to those people for what they do in our name.
Alex Chalk
I am extremely grateful to my right hon. Friend, who makes an excellent point with his customary eloquence and force.
Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East) (Con)
I congratulate my hon. Friend on bringing this debate forward. Will he also pay tribute to the people who did so much in the predecessor organisation GCHQ during the second world war, and lived out their lives afterwards in complete secrecy, claiming no credit for their great achievements? I can remember the year 1974—two years before he was born—when the book “The Ultra Secret” revealed what had happened, by which time it was far too late for many of the people who had done those deeds to claim the credit they deserved.
I am very grateful to my right hon. Friend. Selflessness and discretion are the watchwords that so many of these dedicated public servants live by, and he has explained the point extremely well.
John Howell (Henley) (Con)
Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 9(3)).
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—(Iain Stewart).
I give way.
My hon. Friend mentioned cyber. Would he pay tribute, with me, to all those people who work in cyber, because that is the most incredibly difficult area to deal with, and they are doing us a great service?
I am very happy to do so, and I will come on to that in a moment. Let me make some progress now.
As the title of the debate suggests, GCHQ has been at the frontline of our nation's security for 100 years and, although based in Cheltenham, it is truly a UK-wide institution. Three of GCHQ’s directors have come from Scotland. Scots were behind the founding of signals intelligence. The Director of Operations for the National Cyber Security Centre is Welsh. Today, GCHQ has sites across our nation.
The organisation was formed in 1919 under the original name of the Government Code and Cypher School, specialising in cyphers and encryption—securing our own codes and cracking those of our adversaries. As the engaging GCHQ Instagram stories have reminded us, cryptography and military intelligence are as old as war itself. The Spartans used cyphers. Julius Caesar did too. Elizabeth I’s famous spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, used the methods of a 9th-century Arabian scholar, Abu Yusuf al-Kindi, to crack enemy codes. Shakespeare wrote in the play “Henry V”:
“The king hath note of all that they intend,
By interception which they dream not of.”
Those words are engraved on a plaque at Bletchley Park.
Back in 1919, the Government Code and Cypher School was the result of the merger of Room 40 in the Admiralty, responsible for naval intelligence, and MI1(b) in the War Office, responsible for military intelligence. It was said in one of the books that I have read on this subject to be,
“an eccentric mix of art historians, schoolmasters, Cambridge dons and Presbyterian ministers”.
In those days, being able to solve the Daily Telegraph crossword in under 12 minutes was, it appears, routinely used as part of the recruitment test; but of course we know that GC&CS broke the German Navy’s codes, and famously it intercepted the 1917 telegram for German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann that revealed the German plan to begin unrestricted submarine warfare in the north Atlantic, in breach of the commitment to US President Woodrow Wilson. That contributed to the US joining the allied war effort.
In 1939, GC&CS was given the name GCHQ to better disguise its secret work. In that year, shortly after Munich, Neville Chamberlain was given an intelligence report that showed that Hitler habitually referred to him in private as “der alter Arschloch”. Parliamentary decorum prevents me translating that, Mr Speaker, but I can say that that revelation, in the words of one diplomat, was said to have
“had a profound effect on Chamberlain.”
By June 1944, Bletchley Park had accessed the communications between Gerd von Rundstedt, the Commander of the German Army in the west, and his superiors in Berlin. The importance of decrypted German communications—known as the “Ultra secret”—which my right hon. Friend the Member for New Forest East (Dr Lewis) has referred to, to the war effort is universally recognised. It gave the Allies an invaluable insight into the enemy’s capabilities and intentions.
Of course, the world has moved on a great deal since then. In 1984, Denis Healey said in this House of Commons:
“GCHQ has been by far the most valuable source of intelligence for the British Government ever since it began operating at Bletchley during the last war. British skills in interception and code-breaking are unique and highly valued by…our allies. GCHQ has been a key element in our relationship with the United States for more than forty years.”—[Official Report, 27 February 1984; Vol. 55, c. 35.]
As the director of GCHQ said at an event I attended in London only yesterday, GCHQ might be 100 years old, but its time is now.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (The Cotswolds) (Con)
Will my hon. Friend give way?
I will in a moment.
That is because it is a matter of public record that in recent months and years GCHQ has detected and disrupted numerous threats against our country—from nuclear proliferation to cyber-attacks that could cause immense harm. It supports British troops, providing the vital nugget of information that can make the difference between life and death. It is reported to have played its part in the arrest and conviction of Matthew Falder, a prolific paedophile later described by the judge as “warped and sadistic” and sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment. Nowadays, of course, defending our nation in cyberspace means having the ability to strike back—not just deterring the threat but sometimes disabling or even destroying it. Only recently, the director of GCHQ has stated that this has been used to suppress Daesh propaganda, hindering its ability to co-ordinate attacks and brainwash vulnerable young people overseas, no doubt including in this country.
I want to say a little about the solemn responsibilities that any intelligence agency has in this, our nation of laws—but before I do, I give way to my hon. Friend the Member for The Cotswolds (Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown).
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
On the comment by the director of the GCHQ that its time is now, does my hon. Friend agree that the threat against this country and its citizens is becoming ever more multi-faceted and ever more universal, that therefore the task that GCHQ undertakes on our behalf is ever more needed, and that we should pay tribute, as he has done, to the people who work there? I would like to pay particular tribute to my constituents who work there.
I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who puts the point well. It is an extremely complex threat landscape, but I am pleased that there are people working there—my constituents and his—who are equal to the task.
As I had begun to indicate, successive Foreign Secretaries have made clear their respect for GCHQ and their deep appreciation of its responsibilities. William Hague perhaps put it best when, referring to the surveillance and interception decisions made by GCHQ and others, he stated in this House:
“If the citizens of this country could see the time and care taken in making these decisions, the carefully targeted nature of all our interventions, and the strict controls in place to ensure that the law and our democratic values are upheld, and if they could witness, as I do, the integrity and professionalism of the men and women of our intelligence agencies, who are among our nation’s very finest public servants, I believe they would be reassured by how we go about this essential work.”—[Official Report, 10 June 2013; Vol. 564, c. 34.]
He cited the work of the Interception of Communications Commissioner, who had said:
“it is my belief…that GCHQ staff conduct themselves with the highest levels of integrity and legal compliance.”
I believe that the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, which I and other hon. Members grappled with on entering Parliament in 2015, creates probably the strongest system of checks and balances and democratic accountability for secret intelligence anywhere in the world. In particular, the stringent judicial double-lock safeguard that I and others argued for means that the most intrusive investigatory powers require the approval of a judge—and that is exactly as it should be. That is not to say, of course, that mistakes will not be made—I am afraid that is inevitable whenever human beings are involved—but professional integrity and respect for the law are institutionally ingrained at GCHQ.
I want to say a word or two about the National Cyber Security Centre, which is superintended by GCHQ. Since the introduction of the national cyber security strategy in 2015, the NCSC has the mission of making the UK the safest place in the world to live and work online. It supports British business, with its “Small Business Guide: Cyber Security” providing guidance on improving resilience. Its “10 Steps to Cyber Security” guidance is now used by two thirds of FTSE 350 companies. And it is having success. The UK’s global share of phishing attacks has dropped from 5.4% in 2016 to below 2% in March 2019. In 2016, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs was the 16th most phished brand globally; now, it is 146th. That suggests the UK is becoming a harder target, thanks in large part to the work of the NCSC and GCHQ.
What about the impact on Cheltenham, my constituency? After the end of world war two, GCHQ staff reduced from about 10,000 to fewer than 1,800 and left Bletchley Park. They moved to Gloucestershire in September 1949, and GCHQ has had a continuous presence in Cheltenham ever since. In 2004, the famous “Doughnut” building opened—the largest secret intelligence building outside the United States. It is that impact on Cheltenham that I want to take a few short moments to talk about.
In 2013, when I was first selected to stand for Cheltenham, I thought long and hard about how I could try to make my home town better for the people who live there. One of the issues that really troubled me was that, of the 18 wards that make up the constituency of Cheltenham, three were in the bottom decile of income per capita anywhere in our country and had been for many years. Wherever we sit in the political spectrum, every Member has to have a plan for how to try to address that issue. It always struck me that GCHQ could be better harnessed to galvanise the local economy and generate the invaluable opportunities that can break the cycle of deprivation and turn lives around.
I then read a Policy Exchange paper called “Silicon Cities”, and the penny dropped that GCHQ could support a local tech cluster to foster start-ups in the growing cyber-security industry. That was the main message of a speech I gave to Gloucestershire businesses at local IT firm Converge in 2014.
How far we have come since then. In November 2015, George Osborne, then Chancellor of the Exchequer announced at GCHQ that Cheltenham would receive a cyber-innovation centre and cyber accelerator, which he described as
“an ecosystem in which our best people move in and out of institutions like this one, bringing the best minds and deepest expertise into the private sector, and the latest innovation back into government.”
That accelerator is now up and running, and 21 companies have been through it so far. Between them, they have invested £30 million and created valuable tech jobs.
As was always hoped for, this is now starting to catalyse the local cyber-economy. Hub 8—a play on Bletchley Park’s Hut 8—in the centre of Cheltenham is a new co-working space where start-ups in this £5 billion a year sector can scale up. Meanwhile, Gloucestershire College is now offering cyber-degrees accredited by GCHQ in collaboration with the University of the West of England. There are exciting plans for a cyber-park adjacent to GCHQ, with a GCHQ-avowed building close to the Doughnut, to anchor a local cyber-ecosystem. The plans continue to be supported by Government and the local borough council and are progressing at pace. The new frontier is cyber, and Cheltenham is uniquely well placed—through the presence of GCHQ and its connectivity to the midlands, the south-west and the Thames valley—to benefit from it, securing a better future for people of all backgrounds.
I now want to say a word about the extraordinary community work that GCHQ staff do. GCHQ is truly Cheltenham’s charity superpower. It has raised more than £1.5 million for charities over the last 10 years. GCHQ staff use their three days’ special volunteering leave a year to regularly volunteer at local charities. That has included supporting projects such as the hamper scamper, a Christmas scheme run by Caring for Communities and People that provides gift hampers to vulnerable families; the James Hopkins Trust Easter Egg appeal; and GCHQ’s Poppyfall installation, which was hanging in Gloucestershire cathedral last year and was incredibly and unbearably poignant. On 19 May this year, a charity bike ride from Bletchley Park to Cheltenham raised around £30,000.
To secure its future, GCHQ continues to recruit new generations of people with the right skills, aptitude and mindset. It sponsors the young entrepreneurs competition, which aims to encourage young people to think creatively and innovatively, with the final held at GCHQ. Its CyberFirst Girls competition had 40 finalists from 40,000 participants. Meanwhile, the NCSC has supported its first ever cyber schools hubs in Gloucestershire. I have seen their work, and it is incredibly uplifting and exciting to see young people engaged in such a dynamic way.
The UK may not have faced a category 1 attack yet—one that causes sustained disruption to the UK’s essential services or affects our national security—but the director said on BBC Radio 4 earlier this year that he thought it was a question of when, not if. Those seeking to act against our country in that way or perpetrate organised crime know that this is a nation with the capability, partnerships and resolve to protect its citizens in accordance with our laws and values.
Sarah Jones (Croydon Central) (Lab)
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving way. He is making a powerful speech and I am privileged to be here. A dear friend of mine is a senior official in the NCSC, and I know the important work done there. The hon. Gentleman is talking about protecting the institution in the future. We have been talking about the ever more complex and universal threat against citizens. Does he agree with me and many other Members who have spoken in recent days that it is incumbent on all of us as Members of Parliament to back up our excellent civil servants, fight the politicisation, in any form, of the civil service and give them all the support they need?
The hon. Lady makes an excellent point extremely well. The strength of our civil servants is their scrupulous independence and preparedness to serve political masters of whatever hue. We see that across our civil service and we see it very clearly at GCHQ. That is its strength and that is what we must safeguard.
The point I really want to emphasise is that this is a nation that can defend itself because it has the capability, partnerships and resolve to do so in accordance with the law and with our values, and it is able to do so because of the skill and integrity of those working at GCHQ.
GCHQ’s centenary just so happens to coincide with the 175th anniversary of the first use of Morse code to send a message between cities. It is, therefore, perhaps fitting that I should conclude by playing a message to GCHQ in the form of Morse code, which will last for 13 seconds:
[. . . . . - . - - . . - - . - . - - / - . . . . . . - . - . . . . - . . . - - . - - / - - - - / - - . - . - . . . . . - - . -]
Happy birthday to GCHQ.
I think the whole House is grateful to the hon. Gentleman for bringing forward this debate and for the way in which he has conducted it. We look forward to the Minister’s reply.
The Minister for Europe and the Americas (Sir Alan Duncan)
I am truly grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Alex Chalk) for securing this debate, and indeed for concluding it in such a unique historical way. He has the added advantage of being one of the few Members of this House who can actually reach the microphone above him.
Somewhat inevitably, given the nature of its work, GCHQ—Government Communications Headquarters, to give it its full name—has clocked up many extraordinary achievements, but some of them of course have to go unrecognised. Its brilliant, dedicated and creative staff do not receive the public recognition they truly deserve. In this, its 100th year, I am grateful for the opportunity, on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, to rectify that as far as I can.
Parts of the agency’s illustrious past are now known. The codebreakers of Bletchley Park were pivotal to the success of D-day and directly responsible for saving so many allied lives. Throughout the cold war, GCHQ adapted quickly to changes in technology, and helped to build the extraordinary security partnership that the UK enjoys today with the United States. For a century, GCHQ’s dedicated service and expertise have protected us from many serious threats. However, as my hon. Friend has said, the future brings with it new challenges—from terror attacks and conflicts to hostile state activity on UK soil—and GCHQ intelligence continues to play a vital role in maintaining our national security and protecting our people.
In the past two years alone, GCHQ has helped to foil 19 sophisticated terror attacks. When Daesh exploited the internet to export extreme ideologies, GCHQ used a whole range of capabilities and degraded its ability to radicalise and recruit. The agency continues to identify, analyse and disrupt terror threats on a daily basis. In addition to combating terrorism, GCHQ takes a leading role in countering new hybrid threats to UK interests, such as the WannaCry ransomware attack launched by North Korean actors in 2017, and the Novichok nerve agent attack in Salisbury. As these threats to national, regional and global security evolve, so GCHQ continually learns and adapts, just as it has always done since its early days following world war one.
One thing that many people will perhaps be unaware of is the contribution made by GCHQ officers deployed in support of British troops. Indeed, the insights given by GCHQ intelligence officers to our military personnel have made a positive impact in every overseas conflict of the past 100 years and continue to do so today—I am pleased to see my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence in her place. That contribution is the reason why more than 300 civilian staff have been quietly awarded campaign medals for their support of military operations.
GCHQ also combats serious and organised crime—something responsible for more deaths than all other national security threats combined. GCHQ collaborates with law enforcement agencies such as the National Crime Agency and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. Their co-operation has recently resulted in the identification and arrest of prolific child sex offenders. That is just one example of their many successes.
GCHQ remains at the forefront of technological development as we enter the fourth industrial revolution. Agency director Jeremy Fleming said at Mansion House last month that
“this technology revolution is providing extraordinary opportunity, innovation and progress—but it’s also exposing us to increasing complexity, uncertainty and risk.”
To defend us against those risks, GCHQ established the National Cyber Security Centre in 2016, as a single authoritative body, to provide cyber-security advice to citizens, businesses and Government. In October last year, thanks to diligent NCSC staff, the Foreign Secretary was able to attribute a range of reckless cyber-attacks to Russian military intelligence. Those attacks disrupted targets as diverse as a small UK television station and parts of Ukraine’s transport system. The NCSC’s ability to attribute such attacks diminishes the Russian military intelligence service’s sense of impunity and undermines its domestic credibility.
Cyber-security is about protecting Government and commercial interests, but also individuals’ personal data. The Government firmly believe in the right to privacy, and the NCSC’s advice and guidance help with this protection. End-to-end encryption provides billions worldwide with privacy and protection online, but it is abused by a minority to conceal criminal, terrorist and paedophile activity. That impedes the ability of tech companies to tackle harmful content and limits our agencies’ access to the information needed to keep our country safe. Last November, we published a set of principles that set out how the Government will approach encryption. This is part of our desire to have an informed and open public debate about these technical challenges.
As with all our security and intelligence agencies, GCHQ is subject to democratic accountability and rigorous oversight. The Investigatory Powers Act 2016, which my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham mentioned, strengthened GCHQ’s legal framework, so that oversight by both the Foreign Secretary and an independent judicial panel provides one of the strongest legal assurances in intelligence. GCHQ is a powerful and skilled organisation. We can be confident that it uses those powers lawfully, in line with our values and for the national good.
Sir Nicholas Soames
My right hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. Does he agree that the diligence, thoroughness and level of detail with which GCHQ and the other agencies do this work greatly adds to the credibility and authority of what they produce?
As always, my right hon. Friend absolutely nails it. He is absolutely right, and I agree with his judgment about the way in which GCHQ goes about its business.
Perhaps most importantly, I would like to return to the people of GCHQ. They are not only brilliant and dedicated, but increasingly diverse and representative of the nation for whom they work. GCHQ is known to champion diversity of thought, which is vital for innovation and problem solving, and it is creating an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive. Since the days of Bletchley Park, it has been a good employer for women and it is actively working to recruit more. It is also, very proudly, a Stonewall Top 100 Employer. Two years ago, the agency attained the highest level in the Government’s Disability Confident scheme.
The Government hugely value the diligence and dedication of all those who work for GCHQ. They keep us safe from terrorism, they fight serious crime and they protect our troops. They have consistently stayed one step ahead of technological advances. They conscientiously protect our security and our democratic values. I thank my hon. Friend for initiating this centenary tribute debate. He is known in this House as the hon. Member for GCHQ as much as he is the hon. Member for Cheltenham.
On behalf of the Government, I thank GCHQ, and everybody who works or has worked there, for 100 years’ dedicated service. I am confident that they will continue to play a vital role in tackling the challenges of the future, to the great credit of the United Kingdom.
Question put and agreed to.
House adjourned.
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Informal leadership
Love Your Customers
M. Ellen Peebles
From the July–August 2006 Issue
6 Buy Copies
July–August 2006 Issue
Reprint: F0607F
Joe Girard, the world’s greatest salesperson, reveals the secret to his unparalleled achievement.
Born into poverty, Joe Girard sold 13,001 cars over the course of 15 years—not fleet sales but sales to individual car buyers. He holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s greatest salesman. In 1973, he sold 1,425 cars, and in one month, he sold 174—a record that still stands today. HBR senior editor M. Ellen Peebles spoke with Girard about overcoming personal hardship and how he created thousands of relationships, one at a time. Now out of the car business, he speaks to people around the world about how to sell.
Most car salespeople sell four or five cars a month. You averaged six or more cars a day for years. How is that possible?
When you bought a car from me, you didn’t get just a car. You got me. I would break my back to service a customer; I’d rather service a customer than sell another car. After a few years, there was pandemonium outside my office, there were so many people waiting to see me. So I started seeing people by appointment only. And the reason people were willing to wait a week for an appointment rather than go buy from someone else right away is because they knew that if they got a lemon, I would turn it into a peach.
People are sick to death of sitting around in service departments. When I was selling cars, my right-hand man could go to the service department while the customer’s car was at the curb and get three or four mechanics to come right out with toolboxes and take care of the customer in 25 minutes. Sometimes they would install $15 or $20 worth of parts—a lot of money back then—and the customer would say, “How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing,” I’d say. “I love you. Just come back.”
You get service like that, where are you going to buy next time? That’s what makes businesses big: word of mouth. If you create it, it’ll make you. If you don’t, it’ll break you.
And the reason I could get the mechanics to come out right away is that I loved them, and I let them know. I made a deal with a nice Italian restaurant, and every third Wednesday I would take all of the service people to dinner—the people who wrote up the service orders, mechanics, the parts department, everyone. I would eat with them and tell them how much I appreciated them, how much I loved them. Once a year, I invited all the service people and their families over to a big barbecue at my house, to eat with me and my family. This is something that all executives should think about: There are service people in every company. They are the ones you wine and dine.
You say you love your customers. What if they aren’t so likable?
It’s like a marriage. You need to like each other. And if you treat people right, you will love them. I told my customers that I liked them, that I loved them, all the time. I would send a card every month with a different picture, a different greeting, and the card would say, “I like you.” I would close a sale, and I would say to my customer, “I love you.” I even gave them buttons that said “I like you.” People may have had to wait for an appointment, but when I was with them, I was with them body and soul.
I grew up in the ghettos of Detroit. I started selling cars in 1963 at the age of 35. I was out of a job, had no savings, and was in serious debt after a failed home construction business, and my wife told me there was no food in the house to feed our children. I pleaded with a local car dealer for a desk and a phone and promised that I would not take business away from any of the other salespeople. I wore my finger black dialing a rotary phone trying to get leads, and that night, when all the other salesmen had gone home, I saw a customer walk in the door.
What I saw was a bag of groceries walking toward me. I literally got down on my hands and knees and begged, and I made my first sale. The customer said that with everything he had bought over the years—insurance, houses, cars—he had never seen anyone beg like that. Then I borrowed $10 from my boss against my commission and bought food for my family. So I appreciate every person who bought from me so much. I would tell them, “I thank you, and my family thanks you. I love you.”
A version of this article appeared in the July–August 2006 issue of Harvard Business Review.
M. Ellen Peebles is a senior fellow at the International Consortium for Executive Development Research.
This article is about INFORMAL LEADERSHIP
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HootWriting
Spanish & English literary work by London-based translator and writer Fátima López Sevilla. (http://fatimalopezsevilla.com)
The 100 best novels in English?
Earlier this week I was asked to think of my favourite book in English. Well, at least I had a limitation: it had to be written originally in English, no translations allowed.
Still, as my friend and I thought and mumbled looking at each in other in horror: “It’s so hard!” How can you choose a favourite book?
I haven’t written in a very long time, and there is no excuse. I could talk about my change of jobs, my moving houses and other changes in my life during these months. The main reason is: there were other things always in the way of my writing. Either fiction or for the blog.
But here I am again. I have recently changed jobs again, I am working on normal hours after two years on night shift, and I can do stuff around London as I used to do during my first year here.
So this Thursday I brought a friend along to the presentation of the book “The 100 best novels in English”, by Robert McCrum, a recompilation of his articles published regularly in The Observer.
As the own Robert McCrum explained, this list was compiled with only four rules in mind:
– They had to be novels written in English, no translations allowed, as said above.
– They had to be presented in chronological order.
– He would stop at the year 2000, as to get some perspective on the books: you can’t really tell if a book is historically or literally that important with only 5-10 years of life.
– It would only feature one book per author, though it would be unfair to some great authors/novels.
So, which are the books featured in this book? You can find the full list here.
And now back to the author’s question: Which one is your favourite book in English?
For me, as I guess for most of you, this is a very difficult question, as it not only involves literary merit, but also the mood we are in at the moment, and the memories this or that book brings.
By the end of the evening, I narrowed my list to three:
– Little women, by Louisa May Alcott. This one actually appears in the list.
When I was a kid, we had at home a collection of classics adapted for children: each short chapter was followed by a page where the chapter was summarised in comics format. I guess this is also why my love of comics involve anything from Asterix & Obelix, Tintin, Mortadelo y Filemón, Lucky Luke to Spiderman, The Watchmen, passing through more “literary” works. Comics are a good way to get into the pleasure of reading.
But back to Little women. Since I first read that children’s version of the novel, I fell in love with the story, and I so wanted to be like Jo when I grew up, if not having a friend like hers. Then came the movie with Susan Sarandon, Claire Danes, Christian Bale… I not only wanted to be Jo, I wanted Susan Sarandon as a mother. I wanted sisters.
Jo wanted to be a writer, she was tomboyish, she loved living life. I fell in love with her.
The only problem is, I have never read Little women in English. All my approaches to the book took place in Spanish. But now I have a Kindle and have the whole series in English, ready for me to go back to the March family.
It was one of the first classics I fell in love with.
– Dracula, by Bram Stoker. Another one in the list. This one, I don’t think I ever read it in Spanish in its full version. I bought a Penguin paperback of it at Casa del Libro ages ago in Madrid, and since then I have browsed it, read and re-read it uncountable times. It is one of my favourite classic books, and one of my favourite myths, the vampire. It is also the book that introduced me to the classical gothic literature, and thanks to the count I met Dr. Jekyll, Dr. Frankenstein, Poe, Lovecraft… and fell in love with gothic England and, more specifically, London. It was the city to visit, to be.
Dracula is the first classic book I read in English, and the first book to show me that to be someone in literature you didn’t have to follow the rules or the schemes set before you. Dracula is such a good book because of its format. It is a compendium of bits of diaries and letters. It is not an orthodox novel, as it is not an orthodox subject, the one treated.
With Dracula it happens a bit like with Sherlock Holmes: I would take everything related to the man, as long as they respect him.
(By the way: if there is no Sherlock Holmes book in this list, is because a) I couldn’t choose one, b) I know there are better books and more important books for me in my life. Anyways, Sherlock Holmes is a very dear character and I will love him for ever, even if he doesn’t appear in every list.)
– High fidelity, by Nick Hornby. This one was not in the list, but it follows the rules: it is a book from the 1990s. Nick Hornby is, easily, my favourite contemporary English author. In High fidelity he introduces us to Rob, who loves music and lists. Yes, he is the perfect match for me. And, to make things better, he is a literary character who actually feels real: he makes mistakes, he falls down, he is rude and inconsiderate… until he has a revelation via Bruce Springsteen’s music, where he realises that, if you love someone, it doesn’t mean it is going to be easier, because such is life. But it is worth fighting for, falling a bit more, getting punched… Even bad songs deserve a second opportunity.
I had got into Nick Hornby via About a boy, the movie. After watching it, I needed to read the book it was based on. Both of these introductions to Hornby’s work happened in English. I looked more of his books. The next one was High fidelity. Then, the movie came in. And then both again in English. From there, it’s been a bilingual relationship with his books and movies: A long way down (given by my dad one Christmas… in Spanish), Slam, Fever pitch… and from there into his other non-fiction. Even if About a boy was the first book of his I read, High fidelity thematic makes it stand out for me. And stay there for me for ever, to come and re-read it fully, or just on bits, to review the music lists and look for inspiration, any time I want to. And the fact that John Cusack plays Rob in the movie version made the relationship easier and nicer.
Even when I use it to analyse translations and cultural adaptations for uni projects.
So… which one(s) is/are your favourite book(s) in English?
2 comments on “The 100 best novels in English?”
fatimalopezsevilla
Reblogged this on Entre dos lenguas and commented:
I am back, with difficult questions, such as… which one (s) is/are your favourite book(s) in English?
My absolute favorite book written in English is To kill a mockingbird, by Harper Lee. And my favorite character is, of course, Mr. Atticus Finch. It’d be a hard task to name other 99 books in English, mostly because most of my reading is done in Spanish, both original texts in Spanish and translations from other languages.
This entry was posted on November 22, 2015 by fatimalopezsevilla in 2015, English, Favourite books, November, Uncategorized.
https://wp.me/p3iZ5q-2S
What’s a tuco?
DRAE:
tuco (4).
(Del quechua tuku).
1. m. Perú. Especie de búho.
In Quechua, pre-Columbian language of the Inca Empire, tuco means owl or, as the Spanish dictionary puts it, a kind of owl.
So... why a tuco?
Gabriela on The 100 best novels in En…
fatimalopezsevilla on The 100 best novels in En…
fatimalopezsevilla on Goodbye, tuco.
Beaded Quill on Goodbye, tuco.
fatimalopezsevilla on ‘A literary love’
I’m reading…
Blog ‘Entre dos lenguas’
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But seriously
What you need to know about the 'hoodie ban' everyone's talking about
Margaret Eby
Hoodies are particularly useful this time of year. It’s chilly and you might not have a hat, making the ear-covering potential of a sweatshirt hood very appealing. They’re good for jogs or under jackets or as slouchy loungewear.
But they’re also pieces of clothing that are incredibly contentious, long symbolic of youth and race. The hoodie became a political flashpoint after black 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was fatally shot while wearing one on his way home from the store. (After Martin’s death, protestors often wore hoodies in support of Martin.)
Now, the hoodie is again becoming at the center of a conversation, after an Oklahoma City lawmaker named Don Barrington introduced a new bill that would make wearing a hoodie—hood up—a punishable offense if you use it to “intentionally conceal” your identity. (The law would make exceptions for things like pranks, parades, and religious beliefs.)
The news, reported by local Oklahoma City news stations, caused a furor in the media. “This is a violation of an individual’s right to choose what they want to wear as long as it doesn’t violate the realm of public decency and moral values,” attorney James Siderias told KFOR-TV.
But here’s the thing: As Vocativ reports, there was already a law in Oklahoma, established in 1923, nothing that wearing a mask or hood while committing a crime is illegal. The law was put in place as a way to combat crimes from the Ku Klux Klan. The difference in Barrington’s bill, an amendment to the law, is the word “intentionally” in front of conceal.
So the law is nothing new, but that doesn’t mean that it’s at all OK.
As Sarah Kaufman at Vocativ said, “While it is ironic that the provision stemmed from a response to the rising threat of the KKK, the concern now is that this new take on it could allow authorities to legitimize violence or prosecutorial bias in a racist manner.”
In an odd way, Barrington was doing us all a favor by calling attention to this law. It’s not just a problem that he proposed the amendment. It’s a problem that this law already exists, and now has the potential to lead to racial injustice.
(Image via)
By Margaret Eby
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Case In Point
Ontario Court Declines to Consider Wrongful Dismissal Action Where Ontario Resident Worked in Michigan
September 7, 2017 By: Edward J. O’Dwyer
In its recent decision in Koutros v Persico USA Inc., the Ontario Superior Court of Justice set aside the service of a Statement of Claim and stayed an action on the basis that Michigan (not Ontario) was the appropriate jurisdiction in which to dispute the termination of an employment contract.
The plaintiff lived near Windsor and worked for Toolplas, a company in Windsor. The owner of Toolplas had a related company, Auto-Plas, which operated out of Michigan.
In April 2013, the plaintiff signed an employment contract with Auto-Plas and began commuting daily to Michigan. In September of 2013 Auto-Plas was bought out by the defendant, which had no facilities in Canada. That same month, the plaintiff entered into an employment contract with the defendant. All of the negotiations regarding the employment contract were conducted in Michigan. The employment contract contained an “at will” termination clause, providing that the plaintiff’s employment could be terminated at any time, with or without notice. In September of 2014 the plaintiff received a call advising him that his employment was terminated.
The plaintiff commenced an action in Ontario in March of 2015. The plaintiff also served the Ontario Statement of Claim in Michigan, without leave. The defendant brought a motion to dismiss and/or stay the action, or, in the alternative, to have the Court set aside the service of the Statement of Claim, both on the basis that pursuant to Rule 17.06 of the Ontario Rules of Civil Procedure the Court should decline jurisdiction over the matter as there was no “real and substantial connection” with Ontario.
The Court agreed and set aside the service of the Statement of Claim and stayed the action.
In doing so, the Court considered the factors for determining whether a “real and substantial connection” exists as set out in the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Club Resorts Ltd. v. Van Breda. In that case, the Supreme Court set out the following factors which presumptively connect a matter to a jurisdiction and that, prima facie, entitle a court to assume jurisdiction over a dispute:
the defendant is domiciled or resident in the province;
the defendant carries on business in the province;
the tort was committed in the province; and
a contract connected with the dispute was made in the province.
Applying the presumptive factors to the case at hand the Court concluded there was a failure of a real and substantial connection between the action and Ontario. The Court specifically noted that the employment contract was made in Michigan and it contained no provision as to the applicable law. The Court held that if the employment contract was breached, it was simply breached outside Ontario when the defendant determined the plaintiff was to be terminated and communicated that message. Importantly, the Court also noted that the fact the plaintiff worked from home or on weekends/holidays and travelled to plants in Ontario did not mean that his employer was carrying on business in Ontario.
Notwithstanding its finding with regard to the real and substantial connection, the Court went on to consider whether Ontario or Michigan was the most convenient forum for the litigation (in the event it should be found in error in declining jurisdiction over the action). The Court noted that the essence of the analysis of whether Ontario or Michigan is the most convenient forum (the forum non conveniens analysis) is contextual and is aimed at achieving fairness and efficiency in the litigation. The Court held that in the case at hand the “factors overwhelmingly dictate that the State of Michigan was the most convenient forum” and that the plaintiff, who lived close to the border, would not be inconvenienced by attending trial in Michigan.
The Court’s ruling is a welcome decision for employers who do not operate in Ontario, but are nonetheless faced with an action brought in Ontario from a former employee. While a court’s analysis in any given case will be highly fact dependent, the Court’s decision in this case shows that when there is little-to-no connection between an action and Ontario, Ontario courts are willing to decline jurisdiction. To minimize the risk that an Ontario court will assume jurisdiction over a matter, employers who do not operate in Ontario, but who are (for whatever reason) hiring employees who live Ontario, should ensure that any employment contract is negotiated and entered into in the jurisdiction where they operate and that the contract specifies the law of that jurisdiction as the governing law and not the law of Ontario.
Practice Areas: Employment Law, LitigationIndustries: ManufacturingTags: Jurisdiction, Pleadings, Wrongful Dismissal
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ICLG.com Practice areas Litigation & Dispute Resolution India
India: Litigation & Dispute Resolution 2019
The ICLG to: Litigation & Dispute Resolution Laws and Regulations covers common issues in litigation and dispute resolution laws and regulations – including preliminaries, before commencing proceedings, commencing proceedings, defending a claim, joinder & consolidation and duties & powers of the courts – in 45 jurisdictions.
Siddharth Thacker
Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe
Litigation – Preliminaries
Before Commencing Proceedings
Commencing Proceedings
Defending a Claim
Joinder & Consolidation
Duties & Powers of the Courts
Judgments & Orders
Alternative Dispute Resolution – General
Alternative Dispute Resolution Institutions
1. Litigation – Preliminaries
1.1 What type of legal system has your jurisdiction got? Are there any rules that govern civil procedure in your jurisdiction?
India is a common law jurisdiction. The country itself is a federal union of 29 States and seven Union Territories. The Code of Civil Procedure 1908 (“CPC”) provides the procedural framework for all civil litigation in India. In addition to the procedure prescribed by the CPC, the Supreme Court of India and the High Courts of each State have framed and adopted their own respective rules.
1.2 How is the civil court system in your jurisdiction structured? What are the various levels of appeal and are there any specialist courts?
Despite the country being federal in setup, there is only one constitution, which is written in form. The Constitution of India provides for a single, integrated, multi-layered, hierarchical, judicial system. The apex of this system is the Supreme Court of India, which is the highest appellate Court in the country. Underneath the apex Court are 24 High Courts each having appellate, supervisory and administrative jurisdiction over the judiciary in their respective State or set of States and Union Territories. Three of these High Courts, viz. the High Courts of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras, are chartered High Courts founded pre-independence, under the Letters Patent granted by Queen Victoria in 1862. The three Chartered High Courts, unlike the other 21 High Courts, additionally enjoy original jurisdiction for civil and commercial disputes over their respective pecuniary jurisdictions.
Below the High Courts is a hierarchy of subordinate Courts of original jurisdiction comprising district and session Courts and the lowest level of Courts, viz. Courts of the civil Judge, munsif magistrate or judicial magistrate first class.
In 2016, with the passing and introduction of the Commercial Courts Act 2015, the CPC was amended to set up specialised commercial Courts to hear “commercial disputes” (as defined in the Act). In addition, there are also various specialist tribunals constituted by legislation to adjudicate disputes on specific subject matters, for example, consumer-related disputes, income tax, debt recovery, custom excise and service tax, intellectual property rights, etc.
1.3 What are the main stages in civil proceedings in your jurisdiction? What is their underlying timeframe (please include a brief description of any expedited trial procedures)?
Court proceedings are adversarial in nature and the principles of natural justice have been recognised and enshrined in case law of the Supreme Court of India. The framework of the different stages in civil proceedings under the CPC is summarised below:
1. Institution of a Suit:
A suit is instituted by lodging a plaint at the Court of first instance which has jurisdiction (i.e. territorial, pecuniary and subject). It must be lodged within the time period prescribed under the Limitation Act, 1963 (“Limitation Act”).
2. Summons to Defend:
Based on the principle of the maxim audi alteram partem, the Defendant is intimated by issuing a Summons, inter alia, calling upon him to appear in Court to present his defence. The Summons is signed by the Judge/officer appointed by such Judge and is sealed with the seal of the Court and thereafter served upon the Defendant by the Court.
3. Written Statement:
Within 30 days from the Service of Summons, the Defendant is required to file a written statement setting out the defence, inter alia, dealing with every material fact alleged by the Plaintiff in the plaint. This period, however, can be extended up to 90 days.
4. Discovery, Inspection and Production of Documents:
After filing of the pleadings by the parties, if it appears to either party that the nature of his opponent’s case is not sufficiently disclosed in the pleadings, such party can call upon his opponent to disclose all material facts constituting the case of the opposite party and all documents in their possession that are relevant to the issue in the suit.
5. Framing of Issues:
In light of the pleadings and documents filed by parties, the Court frames issues to ascertain the specific dispute between the parties and to narrow the area of conflict. It is the issues as framed that guide appropriate adjudication of the matter.
6. Examination of Witnesses:
The parties to the suit are required to submit a list of the witnesses in support of their case. The CPC also provides provisions that empower Courts to enforce attendance of witnesses by issuing Summons.
7. Hearing:
All cases brought before the Court are generally heard in open Court under superintendence of the Judge. However, where the requirement of the administration of justice makes it necessary for the Court to hold a trial in camera, the Judge will hold such trial where proceedings are not open to the public. Evidence of witnesses is generally taken orally in open Court in the presence and under directions of the Judge. However, since a considerable time of the Court was consumed on such procedural matters, changes have been made by the CPC Amendment Act, 2002 to enable oral evidence to be recorded by the Court Commissioner.
Oral arguments are advanced by the parties or their pleaders before the Court. For such oral arguments, the Court may fix time limits if it deems fit. The Court may also allow parties or their pleaders to submit written arguments, which form a part of the record.
8. Judgment:
Post the conclusion of the hearing, the Court pronounces its judgment in open Court. A judgment is to contain: (i) a concise statement of the case; (ii) points of determination; (iii) the decision thereon; and (iv) the reason for such decision.
9. Decree:
A decree follows the judgment. A decree is drawn up within 15 days from the date of the judgment. The Court may pass a preliminary decree or a final decree, depending on the nature of the case.
10. Execution of Decrees:
Parties may seek enforcement of a decree/judgment through the judicial process of the Court. A decree may be executed by the Court which passed it or by the Court to which it is sent to for execution. Under the Limitation Act, an application for execution for the enforcement of a decree is to be made within 12 years and, in case of mandatory injunction, within three years from the date of the decree.
11. Appeal:
An appeal can be made to the HC or the appellate Court from the subordinate Court, depending upon the jurisdiction prescribed in the CPC. The time limit is 30 days to 90 days, depending on the nature of the appeal.
1.4 What is your jurisdiction’s local judiciary’s approach to exclusive jurisdiction clauses?
The Supreme Court of India, in the landmark case of A.B.C. Laminart Pvt. Ltd. v. A.P. Agencies, Salem AIR SC 1239, set out the guiding principles as to when an Indian Court would recognise where to enforce an exclusive jurisdiction clause: where parties to a contract agree to submit disputes arising from the contract to a particular jurisdiction, the agreement would be valid, so long as the particular jurisdiction would otherwise also be a proper jurisdiction under law. Hence parties may:
■ Elect to give one of two Courts who have concurrent jurisdiction exclusivity. An ouster of the jurisdiction of Court with concurrent jurisdiction by contract in such a scenario does not violate public policy.
■ Parties are, however, not free to give a Court exclusive jurisdiction by a clause in the contract if such Court did not have jurisdiction absent in such clause. Such a clause is void, being opposed to public policy.
1.5 What are the costs of civil court proceedings in your jurisdiction? Who bears these costs? Are there any rules on costs budgeting?
A Plaintiff is required to pay Court Fees to the State at the time of institution of the suit, depending upon the valuation of the suit by the Plaintiff. This is governed by the Court Fees Act, 1870 and the Suits Valuation Act, 1887. The quantum differs from State to State as this is administered by State legislation.
The rule of thumb for awarding costs in India is that “the loser pays”. Unfortunately, costs awarded by Courts in India are nearly never on an indemnity basis. The CPC, however, provides compensatory costs for false and vexatious claims or defences and this provision is applicable only to suits and not to appeals. There are no specific rules on costs budgeting.
1.6 Are there any particular rules about funding litigation in your jurisdiction? Are contingency fee/conditional fee arrangements permissible?
Litigation funding is not specifically regulated in India. The Supreme Court of India has, however, opened the door by observing in its recent judgment, in the case of Bar Council of India v. A.K.Balaji & Ors. AIR 2018 SC 1382, that there appears to be no restriction on third parties (non-lawyers) funding litigation and getting repaid after the outcome of the litigation.
While it is technically open for an unconnected party with no interest to fund litigation, there is no such common practice of third-party funding and such practice has always been frowned upon. Any contract to fund litigation in India would need to meet the subjective criteria of Indian Contract law, and Section 23 of the Indian Contract Act 1872. Any contract is deemed to have an unlawful object and consideration if it involves or implies injury to the person or property of another, or a Court regards it to be immoral and/or opposed to the public policy of India. All such contracts are void.
Lawyers in India are not permitted to enter into a fee arrangement with a client wherein he or she is to receive a fee or share in proceeds that is contingent upon the outcome of litigation. This has been expressly provided for under Rule 20 of the Standard Rules of Professional Conduct and Etiquette issued by the Bar Council of India under Section 49(1)(c) of the Advocates Act.
1.7 Are there any constraints to assigning a claim or cause of action in your jurisdiction? Is it permissible for a non-party to litigation proceedings to finance those proceedings?
The assignment of claims or causes of action would fall broadly into four categories:
■ Category 1 would be those claims which are in the nature of debts secured by a mortgage of immovable property, a hypothecation or a pledge. Transfers related to these are not considered to be transfers to claims to property, but are considered under Indian law to be a transfer of the property itself. Hence any such transfer would need to be in writing and would need to comply with the relevant provisions of the Registration Act, Transfer of Property Act and the Indian Contract Act.
■ Category 2 would be governed by Section 130 of the Transfer of Property Act 1882 (“TPA”). These comprise all claims relating to an unsecured debt, or a liquidated sum of money or a price or a beneficial interest in property whether present future, conditional or contingent. Such transfer would need to be effected in writing and would need to be signed by the transferor. Furthermore, it is recommended (while there is no legal requirement) that the Transferee give express written notice of such transfer to the debtor.
■ Category 3 relates to claims arising under a Marine Insurance Policy or a Fire Insurance Policy. Such assignment is governed by the requirements of Section 135 of the TPA. These policies may be assigned in writing or by endorsement to an assignee, who on the date of such assignment is vested with title to subject of insurance (e.g. a purchaser/consignee of goods).
■ Category 4 relates to a mere right to sue for claims in the nature of damages arising out of tort or compensation for fraud or for harm illegally caused etc. Claims of this nature are expressly prohibited from being transferred pursuant to Section 6 (e) of the Transfer of Property Act 1882.
With respect to third-party litigation funding, kindly refer to the answer to question 1.7.
1.8 Can a party obtain security for/a guarantee over its legal costs?
Any defendant may obtain an order for security of costs at any stage of its litigation, either on its own motion or a suo-moto motion of the Court. The Court is required to pass a reasoned order. An order as to security of costs is usually given when all of the Plaintiffs do not reside in India, or do not possess sufficient property, barring the property in question in the suit. The failure to pay security for costs as ordered could result in the dismissal of the suit itself.
2. Before Commencing Proceedings
2.1 Is there any particular formality with which you must comply before you initiate proceedings?
There is as such no particular mandate prior to initiating proceedings; however, depending on the specific facts, a Court may require a legal notice to have been issued by the Plaintiff upon the Defendant calling upon the Defendant to comply with the demands put forth by the Plaintiff. Section 80 of the CPC, however, declares that no suit shall be instituted against the Government or against public officers in their official capacity, without issuing two months’ notice in writing. This requirement can, however, be waived by the Court in cases of grave urgency, with leave of the Court.
2.2 What limitation periods apply to different classes of claim for the bringing of proceedings before your civil courts? How are they calculated? Are time limits treated as a substantive or procedural law issue?
The Limitation Act 1963 stipulates different time limits for different causes of action. If, however, such limitation period is prescribed under a specific statute (for, e.g., the Negotiable Instrument Act, 1881, the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, etc.), the limitation period under the specific statute will apply.
The period of limitation is calculated in the manner set out in Part III of the Limitation Act. Generally, the period of limitation begins from the day following the date on which the cause of action arises. Once time begins to run, it does so on a continuous basis, unless one of the exceptions in Part III apply; these relate to death, insolvency, proceedings filed before a Court with wrong jurisdiction, etc. If a party relies upon one of the exceptions stipulated in Part III, it is a requirement that such exception be specifically pleaded in the plaint.
The law of limitation in India is procedural law. However, it is important to keep in mind that while delays to file an appeal or an application are condonable by a Court, if sufficient reasons have been made out, any delay to bring about and file a suit beyond the prescribed period is fatal and any such action would be time-barred.
3. Commencing Proceedings
3.1 How are civil proceedings commenced (issued and served) in your jurisdiction? What various means of service are there? What is the deemed date of service? How is service effected outside your jurisdiction? Is there a preferred method of service of foreign proceedings in your jurisdiction?
Civil proceedings are commenced by presenting a plaint (in duplicate) to the Court or the officer appointed on the Court’s behalf. The Court registry is required to inspect the plaint to see whether it has complied with all the requirements of the CPC; thereafter, details of the suit are entered in the register of civil suits, with each entry being numbered in every year according to the order in which the plaints were admitted.
Once the suit is lodged and numbered, the Court issues a Writ of Summons calling upon the Defendant to file its written statement within a period of 30 days from the date of service.
Service of summons is usually done by the Court registry through the bailiff of the Court or by registered post or registered courier or by any other means prescribed under the rules of such Court. Upon an application of the Plaintiff, the Court may also permit the Plaintiff to effect service of the Writ of Summons.
The date of actual service is considered as the date of service in each of these cases. However, where the Defendant/his agent refuses to sign the acknowledgment or the serving officer after due diligence cannot find a Defendant, the Court in its discretion may also order Service of Summons by an advertisement in daily local newspaper(s) in the area in which the Defendant is last known to have resided/carried on business/personally worked for gain, or by affixing the summons on the door of the Defendant’s last known address. The date of such advertisement or affixation shall in such case be the deemed date of service.
India is a signatory to the Hague Convention on the Service abroad of Judicial and Extra Judicial Documents and Civil and Commercial Matters. It has also entered into bilateral arrangements with certain countries. Service abroad is thus effected pursuant to the methods prescribed under these international arrangements.
3.2 Are any pre-action interim remedies available in your jurisdiction? How do you apply for them? What are the main criteria for obtaining these?
There is no provision for pre-action interim remedies. However, once the proceedings are instituted, the Plaintiff can apply for interim remedies in the form of temporary and interlocutory injunctions. Separate application (Notice of Motion and/or Chamber Summons depending on the relief sought) seeking such remedies is filed in Court to protect the interest of the applicant. Three criteria for obtaining interim remedies are as follows:
(i) the applicant has a prima facie case;
(ii) in case injunction is not granted, grave, irreparable loss and injury will be caused to the applicant; and
(iii) balance of convenience lies in the applicant’s favour.
3.3 What are the main elements of the claimant’s pleadings?
The main elements of a Claimant’s pleading, namely the plaint, must set out the following:
(i) Name of the Court in which the suit is brought.
(ii) Name, description and place of residence of the Plaintiff and Defendant.
(iii) Whether the Plaintiff or Defendant is a minor or of unsound mind, a statement to that effect.
(iv) Facts constituting the cause of action and when it arose.
(v) Facts showing that the Court has jurisdiction.
(vi) A statement of the value of the subject matter of the suit for the purpose of jurisdiction and Court fees.
(vii) Relief claimed; simply or in the alternative.
(viii) Where the Plaintiff has allowed a set-off or relinquished a portion of his claim, the amount so allowed or relinquished.
(ix) If the suit is a representative suit, facts showing that the Plaintiff has an existing interest in the subject matter.
(x) The precise amount claimed if the suit is for recovery of money.
(xi) If the suit is for accounts/mesne profits/a debt which cannot be determined, the approximate amount or value.
(xii) Interest and liability of the Defendant in the suit.
(xiii) Where the suit is time-barred, the grounds upon which the exemption to the law of limitation are claimed.
3.4 Can the pleadings be amended? If so, are there any restrictions?
Pleadings can be amended by either party with leave of the Court at any stage of the proceedings but before commencement of trial. Amendments seeking to alter or substitute a cause of action on the basis of which the original claim was raised or the defence taken are not allowed.
3.5 Can the pleadings be withdrawn? If so, at what stage and are there any consequences?
Yes, it is possible for a Claimant to withdraw its plaint; however, unless leave of the Court is sought and sufficient cause shown, such withdrawal would be with prejudice and the principles of res judicata would apply.
4. Defending a Claim
4.1 What are the main elements of a statement of defence? Can the defendant bring a counterclaim(s) or defence of set-off?
The written statement/statement of defence must contain specific denials. It is not sufficient for a Defendant to deny generally the grounds alleged by the Plaintiff. The Defendant must specifically deal with each allegation of fact which he does not admit to be the truth, except damages.
The Defendant in a suit may in addition bring a counterclaim/claim or defence of set-off. The Defendant must bring his counter-claim against the claim of the Plaintiff or any right or claim in respect of a cause of action accruing to the Defendant against the Plaintiff. The Defendant can file his counterclaim before he has delivered his defence/written statement or before the time limit for delivering his defence/written statement has expired.
4.2 What is the time limit within which the statement of defence has to be served?
The Defendant must file his written statement in Court within 30 days from the date of Service of Summons on him. If the Defendant fails to do so, the Court may allow such filing within a time period set by the Court. Such time period cannot, however, exceed 90 days from the date of Service of Summons.
4.3 Is there a mechanism in your civil justice system whereby a defendant can pass on or share liability by bringing an action against a third party?
Yes, under the Indian civil justice system the Defendant can pass on liability by bringing an action against a third party. However, the Court will ensure that the action brought against the third party is within that particular Court’s jurisdiction.
4.4 What happens if the defendant does not defend the claim?
In the event the Defendant does not appear when the suit is called out for hearing, the Court will continue the proceedings on the allegations contained in the plaint and may pass an order directing the suit to be heard ex parte. This can be so only if it is proved that the Summons was duly served upon the Defendant. In the event it is not proved that the Summons was duly served, the Court will direct the second Summons to be issued and served on the Defendant.
4.5 Can the defendant dispute the court’s jurisdiction?
Yes, the Defendant can dispute the Court’s jurisdiction, i.e. place of suing, competence of a Court with reference to pecuniary limits of its jurisdiction, provided such objection/dispute was taken at the earliest possible opportunity.
5. Joinder & Consolidation
5.1 Is there a mechanism in your civil justice system whereby a third party can be joined into ongoing proceedings in appropriate circumstances? If so, what are those circumstances?
Yes, a third party can be joined into ongoing proceedings in appropriate circumstances at the Court’s discretion. All persons can be joined in one suit as Plaintiffs or Defendants in the circumstances when any right to relief in respect of or arising out of the same act or transaction is alleged to exist against such persons, whether jointly or severally.
5.2 Does your civil justice system allow for the consolidation of two sets of proceedings in appropriate circumstances? If so, what are those circumstances?
Yes, so long as it is not inconvenient and is in the interests of justice, multiple suits may be tried jointly where a Plaintiff may unite in the same suit several causes of action against the same Defendant, or the same Defendants jointly. Further, any Plaintiffs who have causes of action in which they are jointly interested against the same Defendant or the same Defendants jointly may unite such causes of action in one suit.
5.3 Do you have split trials/bifurcation of proceedings?
Where it appears to the Court that any joinder of Defendants will embarrass or delay the trial of the suit, the Court may order a separate trial or pass such orders to expedite the process in the interest of justice.
6. Duties & Powers of the Courts
6.1 Is there any particular case allocation system before the civil courts in your jurisdiction? How are cases allocated?
Each Court has a Chief Judge/Justice/Magistrate who is the master of rolls of that Court and assigns types of matters to the various Judges in each Court by subject area jurisdiction as well as chronological order of cases. These assignments are periodically shuffled at the discretion of the Chief Judge.
6.2 Do the courts in your jurisdiction have any particular case management powers? What interim applications can the parties make? What are the cost consequences?
Courts in India have inherent powers to manage cases under the CPC, depending on the relief claimed.
A party can make interim applications for security, temporary injunction or the appointment of a receiver. The Court can make interim cost orders against the parties depending on the nature of default.
6.3 What sanctions are the courts in your jurisdiction empowered to impose on a party that disobeys the court’s orders or directions?
Courts have inherent powers to punish a party for contempt of Court with simple imprisonment, a fine or both.
6.4 Do the courts in your jurisdiction have the power to strike out part of a statement of case or dismiss a case entirely? If so, at what stage and in what circumstances?
Courts in India have the power to strike out unnecessary matters/part of a statement of case if it causes a delay in the fair trial of the suit or abuses the process of law.
6.5 Can the civil courts in your jurisdiction enter summary judgment?
Yes, Civil Courts may enter summary judgments as per the rules of the summary procedure, provided under Order 37 of the CPC.
6.6 Do the courts in your jurisdiction have any powers to discontinue or stay the proceedings? If so, in what circumstances?
The Supreme Court and the High Courts have the power to discontinue or stay the proceeding on an application made by an aggrieved party. The aggrieved party must show that the continuance of the proceeding prejudices his case.
7. Disclosure
7.1 What are the basic rules of disclosure in civil proceedings in your jurisdiction? Is it possible to obtain disclosure pre-action? Are there any classes of documents that do not require disclosure? Are there any special rules concerning the disclosure of electronic documents or acceptable practices for conducting e-disclosure, such as predictive coding?
Where a Plaintiff sues upon a document or relies upon a document in his possession or power, such Plaintiff is required to, under the provisions of the CPC, produce such document in Court when the plaint is presented. A copy of the document is required to be filed along with the plaint. Where a document which is relied upon is not in the possession of the Plaintiff, the Plaintiff must state in whose possession or power such document is in. Documents relied upon in relation to facts admitted by the opposite party need not be disclosed. There are no specific rules prescribed presently for disclosure of electronic documents.
7.2 What are the rules on privilege in civil proceedings in your jurisdiction?
Under Indian law, a “without prejudice” privilege is attached to communications that are genuinely aimed at settling a dispute before it goes to trial/litigation. Such communication would be privileged from being disclosed in any Court proceedings.
Any confidential communication between a legal advisor and client in relation to the subject matter of the dispute or litigation is privileged. However, if such a person offers himself as a witness, he may be compelled to disclose any such communication as the Court may deem necessary to be known in order to explain any evidence which such person has given.
Further, no person who is or has been married shall be compelled to disclose any communication made to him during marriage by his spouse. Additionally, the spouse receiving the communication is not permitted to disclose such communication unless the disclosing spouse or representatives in interest consent, except in cases between such married persons.
7.3 What are the rules in your jurisdiction with respect to disclosure by third parties?
A trial Judge has the power to call witnesses not called by either party, without their consent, if he considers that course to be necessary in the interest of justice.
7.4 What is the court’s role in disclosure in civil proceedings in your jurisdiction?
The CPC makes specific provisions for “Discovery and Inspection”. The Court has the discretion to grant leave for the delivery of interrogatories for the examination of the opposite party.
The Plaintiff or Defendant can with the permission of the Court deliver interrogatories in writing for an examination of such interrogatories.
The Court additionally has the power to, at any time during the pendency of a suit, pass an order directing the production of any documents by any party to the suit, upon oath, which are or have been in such party’s possession or power.
Where a party has been directed to produce documents but has not done so, the Court has the power to draw an adverse inference against such party. Further, where a witness refuses to answer, the Court may presume or draw an inference that the answer would be unfavourable if given.
7.5 Are there any restrictions on the use of documents obtained by disclosure in your jurisdiction?
Once a document has been disclosed, there are no prescribed restrictions as to its use in the suit proceedings; however, only documents relevant to the issues in dispute in the suit can be used as evidence.
8.1 What are the basic rules of evidence in your jurisdiction?
The basic rules of evidence are stipulated under the CPC and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
The basic principles which underlie the law of evidence in India are:
(1) evidence must be confined to the matter in issue;
(2) hearsay evidence will not be admitted; and
(3) the best evidence will be entertained in all cases.
The Court may entertain secondary evidence if justification is established that documents of primary evidence have been lost or destroyed.
8.2 What types of evidence are admissible, and which ones are not? What about expert evidence in particular?
Though the terms “relevancy” and “admissibility” are commonly used as synonyms, their legal implications are quite distinct. A fact which may be relevant may not be admissible – for instance, communication between spouses or between an advocate and client.
Relevant evidence is prima facie admissible unless excluded for some reason. Irrelevant evidence, on the other hand, is not admissible. A relevant fact is one which, when applied to another, would be so related according to the common course of events, and which proves or renders probable the past, present or future existence or non-existence of the other.
A relevant piece of evidence may become inadmissible only on the application of a rule or discretion, based on convenience or policy.
When the Court is required to form an opinion on certain subjects such as foreign law, science or art, identity of handwriting or fingerprints, the opinion of a person skilled on such a subject becomes relevant. In general, expert evidence is not safe to rely upon without seeking independent and reliable corroboration. However, once the experts’ evidence is accepted by the Court, it ceases to be the opinion of the expert and becomes the opinion of the Court.
8.3 Are there any particular rules regarding the calling of witnesses of fact, and the making of witness statements or depositions?
The witness in his affidavit deposes to the facts of the case and is called in Court to facilitate the trial. The witness is called for examination or cross-examination and if necessary re-examination, as per the rules laid down in the CPC and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
8.4 Are there any particular rules regarding instructing expert witnesses, preparing expert reports and giving expert evidence in court? Are there any particular rules regarding concurrent expert evidence? Does the expert owe his/her duties to the client or to the court?
The law relating to Opinion of Experts or commonly known as “expert opinion” is enumerated under Section 45 to Section 51 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. An expert is appointed for his unique skill and knowledge in areas of foreign law, science and arts to assist the Court in better adjudicating the dispute before it. The expert owes a duty to the Court to be impartial and unbiased. The Act does not specify any rules on how the expert report must be prepared or expert evidence must be given; however, the expert is expected to be unbiased and present his findings on the basis of the relevant facts at hand. There are no rules regarding concurrent expert evidence in India.
9. Judgments & Orders
9.1 What different types of judgments and orders are the civil courts in your jurisdiction empowered to issue and in what circumstances?
Civil Courts in India are empowered to issue two types of judgments: interim judgments and final judgments. While interim judgments do not terminate a case and are instead for the purpose of advancing the proceedings, a final judgment resolves all the contested issues and concludes the case.
However, an Order is a direction or mandate of a Judge or a Court directing that something be done or that there is a prohibition against some act.
9.2 What powers do your local courts have to make rulings on damages/interests/costs of the litigation?
Indian Courts have discretionary powers to award damages, interests and costs of the litigation, as provided under the CPC. The Courts can impose compensatory costs in respect of false or vexatious claims or defences.
9.3 How can a domestic/foreign judgment be recognised and enforced?
India is not a signatory to any international multilateral convention for the purposes of enforcing judgments/decrees. Enforcement thus depends upon India’s bilateral ties.
The provisions for enforcing a foreign decree/judgment have been made in the CPC. Pursuant to Section 44A of the CPC, a holder of a decree passed by a Superior Court in a reciprocating country may execute the foreign decree in the same manner as if a Civil Court in India passed the foreign decree. This procedure is initiated by filing an application seeking execution in the executing Court, along with a certified copy of the foreign decree, and a certificate of the Superior Court certifying the extent to which the foreign decree has been satisfied. The executing Court is normally the district Court in whose jurisdiction the subject matter of the decree is located.
The executing Court may refuse to execute the judgment/decree where it finds that any of the following conditions are met:
(a) the judgment has not been pronounced by a Court of competent jurisdiction;
(b) the judgment has not been given on the merits of the case;
(c) it appears on the face of the proceedings to be founded on an incorrect view of international law, or a refusal to recognise the law of India in cases in which such law is applicable;
(d) it is found that the judgment was obtained in proceedings that were opposed to the principles of natural justice;
(e) the judgment was obtained by fraud; or
(f) the judgment sustains a claim founded on a breach of any law in India.
The statute of limitations applicable for such enforcement would be the time period prescribed under Indian Law.
In the case of foreign judgments/decrees from non-reciprocating countries, there is unfortunately no prescribed procedure for automatic enforcement. Such foreign judgment/decree may only be executed by way of filing a suit upon the judgment in the competent Court of civil jurisdiction.
9.4 What are the rules of appeal against a judgment of a civil court of your jurisdiction?
The CPC sets out a list of which orders are appealable. The rules pertaining to appeals are found in Order 51 of the CPC. An appeal is preferred by a memorandum setting out the grounds of appeal being signed by the appellant or his attorney. This must be accompanied by a copy of the impugned judgment.
The filing of an appeal and its admission does not automatically operate as a stay of the impugned judgment; a separate stay must be obtained in this regard.
Where the appeal is against a decree for money, the appeal Court will require security to be furnished in respect of the amount disputed in appeal.
An appeal lies to the Supreme Court only if the case involves a substantial question of law of general importance.
No appeal is permitted from a decree or judgment that is passed by both parties.
10. Settlement
10.1 Are there any formal mechanisms in your jurisdiction by which parties are encouraged to settle claims or which facilitate the settlement process?
Yes, the Lok Adalat, which means people’s Courts, have been established by the government, and settle disputes through conciliation and compromise. The Lok Adalat is presided over by a sitting or retired judicial officer as the chairman, with two other members, usually a lawyer and a social worker. The Government of India has designated several ombudsmen for the redressal of grievances and complaints from individuals in the banking, insurance and other sectors being serviced by both private and public bodies and corporations.
11. Alternative Dispute Resolution – General
1.1 What methods of alternative dispute resolution are available and frequently used in your jurisdiction? Arbitration/Mediation/Expert Determination/Tribunals (or other specialist courts)/Ombudsman? (Please provide a brief overview of each available method.)
Arbitration, Conciliation and Mediation, are the methods of alternative dispute resolution available and frequently used in India.
Post the 2015 amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 (“AA”), arbitration in India is a time-bound process, with the Arbitral Tribunal having to render its award within a period of 12 months from the Arbitral Tribunal’s formation. The AA is based upon the UNCITRAL Model Law and Rules. The provisions for conciliation under the AA are based on the UNCITRAL Conciliation Rules 1996.
The AA is divided in four parts. Each part governs a different aspect of the arbitration and conciliation process: Part 1 governs domestic commercial arbitrations; Part 2 governs the enforcement of foreign awards in line with India’s commitments under the Geneva and New York Conventions; Part 3 governs the conciliation process; and Part 4 contains supplementary provisions.
1.2 What are the laws or rules governing the different methods of alternative dispute resolution?
Please see the answer to section II, question 1.2 above.
1.3 Are there any areas of law in your jurisdiction that cannot use Arbitration/Mediation/Expert Determination/Tribunals/Ombudsman as a means of alternative dispute resolution?
Yes, a non-exhaustive list of such matters is: (i) insolvency matters; (ii) matrimonial causes (except matters pertaining to settlement terms of separation of divorce); (iii) testamentary matters involving questions on the validity of a will; (iv) disputes pertaining to a suit under Section 92 of the CPC; (v) proceedings for appointment of a guardian; (vi) industrial disputes; (vii) criminal proceedings; (viii) disputes relating to charitable trusts; (ix) matters pertaining to the dissolution or winding up of a company under the Companies Act, 1956; (x) disputes relating to tittle to immovable property in a foreign country; (xi) matters relating to possession of leased premises governed by the Bombay Rent Act; (xii) disputes pertaining to taxation and public rates; and (xiii) admiralty suits that are pending in rem.
1.4 Can local courts provide any assistance to parties that wish to invoke the available methods of alternative dispute resolution? For example, will a court – pre or post the constitution of an arbitral tribunal – issue interim or provisional measures of protection (i.e. holding orders pending the final outcome) in support of arbitration proceedings, force parties to arbitrate when they have so agreed, or order parties to mediate or seek expert determination? Is there anything that is particular to your jurisdiction in this context?
Section 89 of the CPC empowers a Court to transfer cases pending before it (with consent of parties) for alternative dispute resolutions if, in its opinion, there exists a possibility of an amicable, peaceful and mutual settlement.
Arbitration is a creature of contract; while a Court may encourage arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, they have no power to force parties into such methods of dispute resolution.
The AA also empowers a party to approach a Court and seek interim relief prior to the commencement of an arbitration. Once arbitration is invoked, a party may only approach the Arbitral Tribunal for interim reliefs unless there is sufficient cause to approach the Court.
The one unique feature of the AA is that Courts in India are specifically empowered to grant interim relief pursuant to Section 9 of the AA in aid of foreign seated arbitrations.
1.5 How binding are the available methods of alternative dispute resolution in nature? For example, are there any rights of appeal from arbitration awards and expert determination decisions, are there any sanctions for refusing to mediate, and do settlement agreements reached at mediation need to be sanctioned by the court? Is there anything that is particular to your jurisdiction in this context?
Any party aggrieved by the award may challenge it under Section 34 of the AA. The challenge must be filed within a period of 90 days from receipt of the award. Courts in India may only set aside an award if satisfactory proof is furnished by the party challenging the award that one of the criterion stipulated in Section 34 is met.
A settlement agreement entered into between parties pursuant to the conciliation process under Part 3 of the AA has the same force as an arbitration award and is binding.
12. Alternative Dispute Resolution Institutions
2.1 What are the major alternative dispute resolution institutions in your jurisdiction?
The ICC, LCIA and SIAC are the international arbitral institutions which are both widely active as well as accepted by Indian Parties. In addition, India also has local arbitration institutions like the Indian Council of Arbitration and the Mumbai International Arbitration Centre.
Cartels & Leniency
Class and Group Actions
Enforcement of Foreign Judgments
Environment & Climate Change Law
Investor-State Arbitration
Vertical Agreements and Dominant Firms
It is a very useful guide for everybody who is involved in International Arbitration.
Professor Dr. Klaus J. Hopt
Max-Planck-Institut
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He’s the genius inventor who helped save millions of lives during the Second World War, but whose achievements went unheralded following an early death. However, this is not the tale of Alan Turing – but Alan Dower Blumlein, who was killed in a plane crash while developing Britain’s superior airborne radar system. Blumlein will receive…
IPS sells out at BVE
When IPS Chairman Simon Bishop gave his talk on “Good Sound Cheap” at BVE, such was the interest that it was standing room only as the crowd spilled out from the theatre.
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June/July 1999 Israel My Glory
Eye on the Middle East Jun/Jul 1999
I was sitting on the balcony of my hotel room in Tel Aviv, Israel, a few weeks ago. It was about three in the morning, and it seemed to me that, although I couldn’t sleep, the rest of the world should be in bed. But it was not—at least not in the small speck of time and space I occupied at that moment. I didn’t regret my inability to slip off into a dreamless few hours of sleep. The night was quiet, broken only by the sounds of late night traffic on the street below and the breaking of waves from the Mediterranean washing the sands of the beach across the way.
Between the water and the street in front of the hotel was a strip of sand that had been turned into a lovely playground for children. As I looked down, I was astonished to see a group of youngsters swinging happily from the various formations of wood and metal that shaped the playground equipment. Astonished because, after all, I was in Israel, a place many of my friends avoid for fear of meeting a wretched and violent end.
As I sat there, I wondered why kids would be out on the beach at that time of the night. That thought was pushed aside by another: How many children in any U.S. city of more than one million people would dare or be allowed to be out that late?
Two things came to mind. Even though Israel exists in a neighborhood generally regarded as less than peaceful, things are not nearly as volatile as we are led to believe. People—Arabs and Jews—go about their daily routines in ways quite comparable to those in big city and small town America. People from the Western world should, therefore, not fear to visit the country and personally show their support for the people of Israel.
Then, there is something about looking out across the waters of the beautiful Mediterranean as the swells softly rise and fall with a sort of melodious quality. The thought is of another day that will surely come—we trust soon. It will be a time when there will be true peace throughout all the land, and “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab 2:14).
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Zvi Jun/Jul 1999
There is a threadbare story that I tired of hearing years ago. It had too much of the smell of musty homespun about it to appeal to me and many of my generation, but it made a point. The story had to do with a crusty farmer and his mule.
Possibly no subject in history has been as inflammatory to the Jewish people as the question, Who killed Christ? Time and again, the accusation of Christ-killer has been hurled against the Jewish people. Centuries of hatred have been built...
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On Nisan 14 in the year 73 A.D., Jerusalem was quiet. Normally the city would have been full of Jewish pilgrims waiting in line for the Temple priests to sacrifice their Passover lambs. But on this day there were no pilgrims. There were no...
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Home » Dispatches » Iraq Still Honors This Jewish Star Known as the ‘Voice of Baghdad’
Iraq Still Honors This Jewish Star Known as the ‘Voice of Baghdad’
ijao | י״ב בכסלו ה׳תשע״ט (20/11/2018) | 0 Comments
by: Eness Elias
Salima Mourad, a singer who rose to fame in the early 1900s in Iraq – but remained there unlike many Jewish musicians – still strikes a chord today
Salima Mourad. Recorded a huge number of songs (between 800 and 1,200), mainly in the 1920s and ‘30s
Salima Mourad takes the stage with her head slightly bowed and a big smile, wearing a sleeveless dress. She always looks stylish; she doesn’t shout it out, it’s simply part of her. She’s hypnotic. You can’t take your eyes off her, in the old film clips. She has a virtuosic voice that she uses in any way she sees fit, spanning a broad vocal range, singing softly and forte. She seems to know exactly what she’s doing. There’s a reason why Mourad, who passed away in 1974, is still considered one of the most famous and admired singers in Iraq.
Last week, a unique tribute was paid to Mourad within the framework of the Jerusalem International Oud Festival. Called “The Voice of Baghdad,” the event took place under the auspices of the city’s Confederation House and featured an impressive group of singers and instrumentalists, as part of a collaboration involving veteran producer and musician Yair Dalal, with artistic direction by Effie Benaya.
The life of Salima Mourad, who was born in 1900, sounds like something out of a Hollywood film: A young Jewish Iraqi woman begins to sing and turns out to be one of the greatest talents in the country and in the entire Arab world. She performs in the most prestigious venues, in cafes, at nightclubs and family parties, and becomes a famous and admired figure, as great as Egyptian singers Umm Kulthum and Laila Mourad – who was also Jewish.
Mourad, dubbed “the voice of Iraq,” recorded a huge number of songs (between 800 and 1,200), mainly in the 1920s and ‘30s, when the Jews dominated the music industry in Iraq. Although during the rule of Saddam Hussein it was forbidden even to mention the names of Jews, after his downfall there was renewed interest in the history and the music of that period, which had brought about a genuine artistic revolution in Iraq.
Today Mourad and other local Jewish musical talents are studied in Iraqi academic institutions, articles are written about them, new musical arrangements are made for their songs, and they are even the topics of television shows. A few years ago Iraqi television broadcast a 14-episode drama series called “Salima,” about Mourad’s life.
In the 1920s and ‘30s, Baghdad was home to an acclaimed music industry, which played a central role in Iraqi culture and Arab culture in general, and was almost entirely dominated by Jews.
“Until about 1920 most of the songs there belonged to the ataba genre, [traditional Iraqi] love songs and dirges, along with Bedouin songs and the traditional Iraqi maqam,” says Dalal, in an interview before the concert, referring to a popular system of melodic modes in Arabic music.
No one was composing modern songs in the country, adds Dalal, 63, who himself has roots in Iraq, “until [Jewish] brothers Saleh and Daoud al-Kuwaiti began to write such songs, and Salima Mourad sang them. And suddenly there was an orchestra of 20 players instead of four – something more powerful, with violins for the first time, with more orchestration.”
At the Congress of Arab Music in Cairo in 1932, Jewish performers showcased modern Iraqi maqam, and in 1936 the Al-Kuwaiti brothers, the most successful composers and instrumentalists in the country at the time, created the Radio Baghdad orchestra, to which they added for the first time instruments such as the ney, a type of flute, and the cello.
“The maqam was sung in cafes, at family celebrations, they would play and sing until morning,” Dalal says.
Until the early 1950s, members of the Chalrey Baghdad ensembles who played modern Iraqi maqam, and eventually expanded into larger orchestras, were exclusively Jewish.
In 2008 the Iraqi maqam was declared by UNESCO as one of its “New Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”
Iraq comes to Israel
One of the best-known stories in the history of the Iraqi Jewish community is the one about the Iraqi prime minister who turned on the radio one day and didn’t hear any music. When he realized that the reason was that it was Yom Kippur, he asked the station manager: “Don’t you have Arab musicians?” “No,” was the simple answer.
One reason why Jews dominated the music scene in Iraq in the early and mid-20th century was the Jewish music school for blind children in Baghdad, which was founded by Yusuf Za’arur, a famous player of the qanun, a string instrument resembling a zither. Many of the students there became successful musicians; some of them immigrated to Israel beginning in the early 1950s, as did Za’arur, and established the Arab Kol Israel (Voice of Israel) Orchestra there.
“The Kuwaitis, the greatest musicians in Iraq, sold eggs at the Hatikva market,” says Dalal, referring to the poor Tel Aviv neighborhood. “I remember their store – I grew up with those people. It’s true, they performed in the Noah Café, with the Israel Broadcasting Authority Orchestra. But it was closed down and they were sent home on early retirement.”
Returning to the subject of Salima Mourad, Dalal notes that unlike many of her fellow Jewish musicians at the time, she decided to remain in Iraq, where “every song she released became a hit. She contributed a great deal to Iraq’s musical culture and to this day one can hear new renditions of her songs – in Iraq and elsewhere.”
In general, a substantial number of noted Iraqi Jewish composers, instrumentalists and singers – among them the Al-Kuwaiti brothers and Za’arur, plus Filfel Gourgy, Ezra Aharon, Yusuf Za’arur, Yaakov al-Ammari, Yosef Shem Tov, Elias Shasha, Salim Shabbat, Yechezkel Katzav and others, considered masters of the maqam – followed the Zionist dream. However upon arrival in Israel, in many cases, they found themselves overwhelmed by the burden of survival and the struggle for basic dignity.
Adds Dalal, “She was an Iraqi first, and then a Jew. She loved her homeland and didn’t want to leave. She felt it was a betrayal: Who would sing in Iraq if not she? The son of Saleh al-Kuwaiti tried to convince her to come to Israel, and told her there was no place for Jews in Iraq. And she asked him: ‘But what will I do there? My audience is here. Here I have millions.’ And the truth is she wouldn’t have had anything to do here.”
Mourad’s career continued to flourish in Baghdad, from the 1930s onward. She received honor and admiration and to this day her influence on Iraqi culture is evident. During her career she also made sure to nurture many young artists.
“Yosef Shem Tov, who played with her from the age of 12, was also in her orchestra,” says Dalal, referring to a well-known Iraqi Israeli talent. “She heard him play and wanted him with her. She was a very generous woman, was nice to everyone around her and always helped people in need.”
One of the singers nurtured by Mourad became her husband, and one of the most famous singers in Iraq, Nazem al-Ghazali. He was a Muslim and she was a Jew, which didn’t seem to matter to her; she was always proud of her heritage.
Dalal: “He was 15 years younger than she, and they fell in love and married. She stayed there together with him and had a glorious career in Iraq and throughout the Arab world, as well as in Paris and London. In 1963 Al-Ghazali died suddenly of cardiac arrest. From that moment she refused to sing and didn’t leave the house. When she died, in 1974, they buried her alongside him in a Muslim cemetery.”
“We lost out,” says Dalal. “The older generation that lived her lost out, but at least the intermediate generation will get to hear these songs on a stage with an orchestra, and not at some party at home.”
The salute to Mourad last week featured experts in Iraqi music, vocalists and instrumentalists alike, starring the Hiba Orchestra, brainchild of Elad Gabai, a singer who plays the qanun and oud. Dalal says he wanted to make the performance as authentic as possible, without using new arrangements of the music, as if the performance were taking place in an auditorium in Baghdad decades ago.
“All this love is coming out of my chest,” he says. “I can’t even define it. I hear and play a lot of music, but suddenly when I hear an Iraqi song I melt. It’s stronger than me.”
Category: Baghdad, Iraq, Israel, Video
« A Group of Young Iraqis Risk Imprisonment to Reconnect With Their Country’s Jewish Past
Israel said set to seek $250b compensation for Jews forced out of Arab countries »
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jonpattiemusic
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If you could break upon the cells of Jon Pattie and code his DNA, you would probably find eighth notes where the nitrogenous bases should be. Eighth notes would be connected to guitar strings instead of phosphate groups. You’re probablyIf you’re won... Read More
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My music is a mixture of pop and soft acoustic rock. My songs are written about things that have happened so far in my life which I think a lot of people can relate to (young love/broken heart etc). I really hope you like my music. Please take the ti...
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jonpattiemusic Music Style
If you could break upon the cells of Jon Pattie and code his DNA, you would probably find eighth notes where the nitrogenous bases should be. Eighth notes would be connected to guitar strings instead of phosphate groups. You’re probablyIf you’re wondering why I am using so many in-depth biological terms are being used to describe him, i. It’s because along with studying music since the 8th grade, he is a 4th year student at The University of Texas at Austin pursuing a chemical engineering degree. He’s and is also pre-med. Although he has a great deal of proficiency in math and science, he has always had a deep-seeded passion for playing music, beginning at age 13 when he first picked up a guitar. He takes inspiration from some of today’s greatest musicians. “If I had to choose five artists that my music is really inspired by, it would be John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, James Bay, Bon Iver, and City and Colour,” says Pattie.. He started playing guitar at the age of 13 and began singing at the age of 17, although he sounds like he has been performing for a lot longer. His dedication and drive to make a name for himself in today’s industry astonishes many and can clearly be seen through the progress he has made after releasing his demo EP only 8 months ago. His previous performance schedule includes festivals such as SXSW 2016 and the Texas Crawfish Festival, and he has been featured on blogs such as Mytacism Music,Music Notez, and Et Musique Pour Tous.With a heavy performance schedule in and around Austin, Texas and two national tours booked for the Fall of 2016, Jon Pattiehe has Performing 3-4 shows a week in the Austin area and with his first 2 national tours coming up later this year, Jon Pattie has developed a stellar live show that captivates every audience he performs in front of.He has performed in many cities around Texas, concentrating on the Austin, Houston, and Dallas area. Jon Pattie’sHis newest EP, 3 2 1, will be released in August 2016 and will demonstrate his many years of experience in songwriting, singing, and guitar playing that he has developed over the years. . He has made an effort, successfully, to demonstrate his marketability and appeal that he can infuse into his music while still making it sound unique. His music uses common phrasings themes found in today’s popular music while also incorporating a personal, unique, jazzy voicings touch and chord progressions that mirror the music of John Mayer. He will be releasing his first EP, 3 2 1, this coming August on all major music retailers and will be performing an online show to 50 special quests on August 26th.
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Notes On St. Norbert
St. Norbert is a bilingual community located just outside the perimeter. The original inhabitants of this area were First Nations peoples who were drawn to its abundance of hunting and fishing. The community bordered on two rivers the Red and LaSalle and a bison trail ran from the south bank of the La Salle River to bison hunting grounds nearly 50 kilometres away. The Pembina Trail ran through St. Norbert, delivering travelers from Upper Fort Garry (now downtown Winnipeg) to the primary southern outpost of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Today, it is a community of about 5,000 residents and is home to Winnipeg’s largest and most popular farmers’ market in the summer, drawing in people from all over the city. It is also home to the Trappist monastery, now an arts and cultural centre and St. Norbert Provincial Heritage Park. St. Norbert is approximately located 17km from downtown and 21km from the airport.
Housing Types & Costs
Most of the dwellings are single family detached homes, but there are some attached homes in the area that keep the affordability for the area quite attractive. There are also some high-rise condominium complexes within the area including newer construction complexes. Price ranges for residential dwellings in the area range from $150,000 - $1,000,000 for custom-built homes. The majority of the houses were built in the 70's with the majority being bungalows followed by two storeys and split levels. Price ranges for condominiums in the area range from $150,000 for smaller one-bedroom bungalow to $500,000 for large riverfront condominiums.
Schools and Services
St. Norbert is part of the Seine River School Division and has 4 schools in total. Parc La Salle is an elementary school and is taught in English. La Barriere Crossing would be considered the English middle school in the area. École St. Norbert Immersion is Kindergarten to grade 8 and is all French Immersion. The high school in St. Norbert is College St. Norbert Collegiate. The University of Manitoba is situated just north of St. Norbert and is only a short bus ride away.
There is no major hospital in St. Norbert however Victoria General Hospital is only a 5 minute drive north on Pembina Highway.
From June to the end of October, pick up farm fresh eggs and produce, baked goods, meats, fish and local crafts at St. Norbert’s Farmers’ Market. Manitoba’s largest farmers’ market attracts thousands of visitors and more than 70 vendors from all over the province.
The popular St. Vital Center is just a quick ride on the perimeter highway and has a variety of retail stores.
St. Norbert Community Center is the only recreational facility in the area. The center accommodates for hockey games, Bingo, socials, the famous farmers market, etc.
St. Norbert is the new home of the redesigned Private Southwood Golf and Country Club. Its Wind-swept bunkers and tempting water hazards challenge the play of most holes. Nostalgic views of the river valley, oak tree grove and nearby monastery speak of a rich history.
The Trappist monastery is also situated in St. Norbert. In 1891, the Abbot of Bellefontaine in France agreed to establish a Trappist monastery on a secluded piece of parish land along the La Salle River, and monks arrived in St. Norbert in 1892. A short time after that St. Norbert had become a much more urban area, and the Trappist monks relocated to a more protected and rural location in Holland, Manitoba. In 1983, vandals set fire to the vacant chapel and monastery, reducing the historic buildings to shells, which still stands today. The guesthouse, located some distance away, remained untouched, and is now the home of the St. Norbert Art Center.
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Communication Spec II
Cornell University's College of Engineering, the preeminent engineering school in the Ivy League, has a rich history of experimentation, innovation, and leadership. Consisting of almost 3,000 undergraduate students, 1,700 graduate students, and over 200 faculty members, Cornell Engineering is recognized as a global leader in the discovery of new knowledge and the creation of transforming inventions. Cornell Engineering students and faculty members possess an independent spirit that allows for the development of innovative interdisciplinary research, the creation of exciting new programs, and the education of students who will better the future.
The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell University is among the largest schools in College of Engineering, and consistently ranks among the top ECE schools nationally. ECE's programs encompass digital and computer systems, embedded processors, digital signal processing, RF (wireless) systems, optical communications, atmospheric and space plasmas, energy and power engineering, solid-state electronics, integrated circuit design and fabrication, bioelectrical devices and circuits, and biomedical applications such as image processing, sensors, and signal analysis, and more.
The Communication Specialist II will manage and oversee the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering's Web site, social media, print and video media and general communications; write short articles and introductions regarding school news, awards, events, celebrations, etc.; work in concert with College of Engineering and University communication resources to publicize ECE to both internal and external audiences and media channels.
In addition they will be expected to manage the School's internet and intranet sites and electronic forms and tools; perform maintenance and train contributors in the use of Drupal and WordPress content management systems; assist in the creation and management of social media content for the school's site; provide graphic design and writing services for online, electronic and print marketing efforts, and manage outside vendors as appropriate; manage the School's communications assets and brand, maintaining standards set by the College and University, initiate creative concepts and projects for the school's communications portfolio, including websites, newsletter(s), visual displays (including print and electronic displays) and other marketing-orientated applications.
In this role, the Communication Specialist will also work as part of the College's marketing and communication team to enhance video creation, graphics and promote on social media. Also, assist on special projects and manage interns who will also provide video production for social media.
Bachelor's degree in English, creative writing, journalism, Web design, interactive/new media or related marketing field and a minimum of two years of Web experience in a professional environment (or an equivalent combination of education and experience).
Proven customer service skills, high attention to detail.
Experience with graphic editing software, including Adobe Creative Suite.
Must be able to provide a portfolio of CMS-based Web sites maintained and managed as well as writing samples.
Ability to develop excellent working relationships including communicating with faculty, students, and staff in a professional and collaborative manner.
Ability to work independently, to respond quickly and effectively to multiple assignments, to manage conflicting priorities and deadlines.
Experience with video capture, editing, and posting and enthusiasm for emerging social media.
Typically lifts less than 10 lbs
Close Visual Concentration
Limited exposure to hazards
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Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also visit the office of Workforce Recruitment and Retention Monday - Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. to use a dedicated workstation to complete an online application.
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Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University's heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose, and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement.
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About Cornell University
In 1865, Ezra Cornell founded an institution "where any person can find instruction in any study." From the beginning, all students were welcome, regardless of race, gender, ideology, or socioeconomic status. Today, we invite you to join our talented and diverse students and accessible faculty who, together, form a living and learning community unmatched in its breadth of opportunities.Cornell University's college, schools, and other academic units offer more than 4,000 courses, 70 undergraduate majors, 93 graduate fields of study, undergraduate and advanced degrees, and continuing education and outreach programs.
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Public Safety Issues
Before performing the duties of Newtown Township Supervisor Definition, I took an oath to "support, obey and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth." Article I Section 27 of the Pennsylvania constitution states: "The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment."
More than that, however, I believe it is my duty to do whatever I can to ensure the safety of the citizens of Newtown. This duty involves overseeing the police department, emergency services, and helping to fund the Newtown Fire Association (NFA). Part of my responsibility as a Supervisor is being a member of a joint Newtown Township-Newtown Borough Commission comprised of two Supervisors, two Borough Council members, two members of the NFA and the Township EMS Chief. The goals of this commission are to improve the working relationship between NFA and EMS, evaluate equipment needs, coordinate fire call data and training records, and improve recruiting and financing.
Excerpts from Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes
Details of important Public Safety related Newtown Board of Supervisors' Definition decisions and discussions in last few years (organized by issue in reverse chronological order). This is NOT a complete list of items. You can find complete minutes of BOS meetings here.
Jump to Topic:
11-Oct-2017: Geographic Information System (GIS) Mapping Technology. Mr. Ferguson commented that the 2018 budget will include expansion of the Geographic Information System (GIS) Mapping Technology capacity for Police and Fire personnel. This function can quickly locate fire hydrants in snow storms, identify all of the inlets in case there is a concern of damage to the water supply, etc.
Back to Topic List...
14-Feb-2018: Fire Apparatus Study/Fire Needs Analysis. Mr. Ferguson asked that a motion be made to hire Dr. Harry Carter, not to exceed $18,900, to evaluate fire safety equipment and personnel. This was a budgeted item. Mr. Calabro called the motion, and the motion passed 4-0.
Newtown Township Releases the 2018 Fire and Emergency Services Study
10-Feb-2018: Fire Apparatus Study. Mr. Ferguson also mentioned there was $30,000.00 budgeted for the fire study. Of the bids that were received, the maximum is $25,000.00. Mr. Ferguson made a suggestion that the budgeted number be lowered from $30,000.00 to $25,000.00. The motion carried 4‐1, Mr. Davis voted ‘nay’.
25-Oct-2017: Fire Apparatus Study. Fire Chief Forsythe and Mr. Ferguson have been working on an apparatus study and prepared a rough draft of an RFP to be submitted by December 15. A steering committee consisting of Township, Borough and NFA representatives will help facilitate the completion of the report.
9-Aug-2017: Review of Accomplishments. Just completed is a standard operating guide which combines the two departments' operations in one book, we have collaborative efforts working on training, fundraising, beer fest, recruiting efforts, the Act 172 Plan for the benefit of the volunteers, we also made great progress on sharing a computer system, reporting fire call data and training records. We are making progress in this relationship to the credit of Mrs. Dix, the mayor, and head of the Borough Council, Mr. Walker, and the three fire chiefs in the fire departments.
26-Apr-2017: Manager's Report Newtown Fire Association Agreement. Mr. Ferguson asked the Board to approve an extension of the existing NFA agreement through December 31 , 2018. This will allow for continued negotiations without a time pressure. The motion passes 5-0.
9-Nov-2016: Removal from Budget funding for a Township Volunteer Fire Department. Mr. Davis said that since the last meeting, the Supervisors have met individually with members of the Newtown Fire Association, Newtown Borough Council and Newtown Borough's mayor and the Township Manager and have now removed consideration of a Township volunteer fire company from the budget and will keep our agreement with NFA.
26-Oct-2016: Establishment of Fire Commission. Mr. Ferguson said that he believed many residents were in attendance to discuss issues raised in his budget presentation regarding fire protection. He explained that after a study was conducted on the Township's fire protection, it was recommended that the Township hire a fire chief to oversee both the paid EMS department and the all-volunteer Newtown Fire Association. Extensive public discussion followed. Mr. Gallagher applauded Mr. Ferguson's efforts to address the fire agreement through the budget process but also would like to further examine continuing our agreement with the NFA. He urged forming a commission with two Supervisors, two representing Borough Council, two NFA members. The partnership between the Township and NFA goes back 127 years and should not be rescinded lightly. Mr. Couch said that he has great respect for what our volunteers in the NFA do. He believes the issues may be structural and that there are possibly ways to address the differences other than rescinding the partnership. He offered to serve on any committee or commission formed to examine this issue further. Mrs. Dix asked Mr. Gallagher who he would want on a commission to review this matter. Mr. Gallagher suggested two Supervisors, two Borough Council members, two members of the Newtown Fire Association and Chief Forsyth.
9-Jan-2013: 2013 Fire Services Agreement with Newtown Fire Association. Mr. Ferguson asked the Board to approve this one-year fire services agreement between the Township and the Newtown Fire Association. The agreement provides for fire service coverage from the Association for a set payment and defines terms of control at the scene of fire emergencies. It addresses some concerns with training for both the Township EMS Department and the volunteers. The agreement will run for one calendar year, with a goal of working out a long term agreement during the course of this year. The agreed upon cost to the Township will be $150,000. Dr. Ciervo questioned the wording of the agreement regarding structure of command. He did not want any difficulty as to command when the fire chief responds to events where Fire Association members have arrived first. Mr. Ferguson said that when EMS responds between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday, the Township’s EMS Department is in charge, even should the fire chief not be in attendance. The agreement attempts to provide continued command through the course of the event.
27-Jul-2018: Gun Safety Resolution. Mr. Calabro noted that a letter was received from Governor Wolf commending the Township for Ms. Bobrin’s gun resolution. [Read "Governor Wolf Responds to Newtown Township's Gun Safety Resolution".]
13-June-2018: Gun Safety Resolution. The board voted 4-1 (Kyle Davis voting “nay”) to pass a non-binding “gun safety” Resolution Definition. This is the same resolution passed by other municipalities, including Yardley Borough (more here...). The resolution (here) states that as many as 116,225 people are shot each year in America, and that 35,141 people die from gun violence in "murders, assaults, suicides, suicide attempts, unintentional shootings or by police interventions." The resolution was passed after testimony from several Council Rock students (see video below).
28-Feb-2018: Guns in Parks. Mr. Calabro requested the Solicitor to review the ordinance regarding people to carry weapons in the Township parks; it was mandated by the State legislature. He believes the Townships can reverse this. Mr. Calabro went on to state that the Township has seven schools and a few colleges. It is the intent of the Township to keep everyone safe, and not intending to impinge of the Second Amendment, but to ban anyone carrying a concealed weapon in the parks.
23-May-2018: Police Chief Search. Mrs. Dix made a motion to hire Safe City Solutions to conduct a police chief search at a cost not to exceed $14,150.00. Ms. Bobrin seconded. The motion carried 4-0.
28-Feb-2018: Police Dept Reorganization. Authorization is sought to advertise an Ordinance amending the Newtown Administrative Code of 2000, as amended, to provide for two Lieutenants within the Newtown Police Department. No new personnel are proposed. Mrs. Dix made a motion to approve. Ms. Bobrin seconded, and the motion passed 5-0.
9-Aug-2017: Police Pension. Board authorized for advertisement the ordinance which would amend the police pension ordinance so as to eliminate the Killed In Service provisions in the ordinance. The reason for that is that the State legislature adopted a statute to basically assume the responsibility for benefits to surviving heirs in the event of a police officer's death in the line of duty. Based on that recommendation, the ordinance was prepared, reviewed by the manager and advertised in the Courier Times. There needs to be a public hearing.
9-Jan-2013: Ordinance Amending the Administrative Code to Eliminate the Position of Police Captain. Mr. M. Gallagher said that the Ordinance Definition will eliminate the office of police captain, allowing for one police lieutenant who will be second in command to the police chief. The qualifications for this position as well as the job description have been modified to more efficiently fit the needs of the police department. In addition, the position of police business manager has been eliminated, with those duties now part of a new position of police administrative assistant.
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