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Medtech industry gets $10m boost
by Jacquelyn Cheok, 28/09/2013
A pilot initiative to grow Singapore's medical technology (medtech) industry was launched yesterday by the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA).
Known as the MedTech Industry Transformation Initiative (Miti), it aims to increase overall productivity and value of jobs through process redesign and training, and drive wage increments to attract and retain talent.
It is expected to benefit about 1,500 workers in the industry.
e2i and WDA will set aside $10 million over the next two years to fund Miti.
For the pilot phase, three medtech companies - Baxter Healthcare, Becton Dickinson Medical and Edwards Lifesciences - which collectively employ 40 per cent of the total medtech industry workforce in Singapore have taken the lead to participate in the initiative.
"These companies will look into the upgrading of their work processes and technologies through productivity-driven initiatives, and skills upgrading of their workforce to provide better career development for their employees," a Miti spokesman told The Business Times.
He added that 10 companies are expected to come on board Miti's initial phase over the next two years.
"We will evaluate the programme during these two years. If it is successful, we will push for more funds to get more companies on board," the spokesman said.
S Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs, and Trade and Industry, also spoke at the launch yesterday.
He said that Singapore is facing increasing competition as Asian countries with lower cost structures start to build up their medtech industries.
"For the Singapore medtech industry to remain globally competitive, we need to differentiate ourselves in terms of innovation, quality and value," Mr Iswaran said.
"We also need to up- skill the jobs . . . to meet the aspirations and maximise the potential of an increasingly well-educated Singapore workforce, and to ensure that the growth of this sector is sustainable."
Singapore's medtech industry has more than doubled its manufacturing output from $1.86 billion in 2002 to $4.25 billion in 2012.
The number of employees in the sector has doubled as well to 10,000 today compared to a decade ago.
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Sermon by the Reverend Doctor Brutus Green
Based on readings: Ezekiel 37.1-14, Acts 16.9-15, John 5.1-9
If you happened to be at church last week, you’ll be delighted to know that I’m sticking with the classic movie references.
Only this week moving from Taxi Driver to the superb 1954 film On the Waterfront. The film is less famous than one particular line in it, spoken by Marlon Brando, a boxer who is convinced by his brother under pressure from the Mob to lose fights for money. You may have never heard of the film but you’ll know the line: [I think it works better with an English accent, but this is not an accurate repetition of Brando’s working American man:] “I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody.” Not ‘I coulda been a champion’, but just ‘I coulda been a contender’. Against his conscience, against his pride, with no support, Brando has become a bum, a nobody. It’s not that he failed — he never even got a chance.
I bring this up because there’s a tension throughout history, but most clearly in the twentieth century between — paraphrasing Mr Spock —
‘the needs of the many’ and ‘the needs of the few’. That conflict is at the heart of most human tragedy. For when ‘as logic clearly dictates… the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few’, we are in to the language of ‘collateral damage’, of ‘necessary evils’. The evil of having to get up early every morning because the need of your partner to have half an hour more in bed, and your baby for his milk, outweigh your need to sleep. Necessary evils.
The great unsentimental wickednesses of Fascism and Socialism made no excuses here, but it also becomes the embarrassment of our own politics. Economic or ‘tough’ decisions are made regularly that even with every effort to be fair, require politicians, commanders, anyone making large-scale decisions, to set the needs of the few to one side.
Decisions called ‘brave’, ‘statesmanlike’, ‘justified’. I’m sure, like me, most of you are very much looking forward to seeing which of the ‘statesmanlike’ figures, vying to be contenders, becomes our next Prime Minister.
The novelist Arthur Koestler puts it concisely in Darkness at Noon, the book that signed him off from Communism. He writes:
There are only two conceptions of human ethics, and they are at opposite poles. One of them is Christian and humane, declares the individual to be sacrosanct, and asserts that the rules of arithmetic are not to be applied to human units. The other starts from the basic principle that a collective aim justifies all means, and not only allows, but demands, that the individual should in every way be subordinated and sacrificed to the community — which may dispose of it as an experimentation rabbit or a sacrificial lamb.
It’s not that having collective aims pursued at the cost of individuals is evil. That’s a principle inherent in all politics. But it is true that when this is pursued most rationally and ruthlessly, it’s led to some of the worst human catastrophes. Think of Javert in Les Miserables, of whom Victor Hugo says:
‘Probity, sincerity, candour, conviction, and the idea of duty, are things which, by deceiving themselves, may become hideous, but which even if hideous remain grand… they are virtues which have but one vice, error… Nothing could be more painful and terrible than this face, which revealed what we may call all the evil of good.’
This may be true even of politicians who have good intentions. But so much more when they do not. I hope you all voted last week.
When the mob who control the Waterfront in the Marlon Brando film start getting rid of those who threaten their control, Father Barry tells them:
Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary.
They better wise up! Taking Joey Doyle's life to stop him from testifying is a crucifixion… And every time the Mob puts the pressure on a good man, tries to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen, it's a crucifixion. And anybody who sits around and lets it happen, keeps silent about something he knows that happened, shares the guilt of it just as much as the Roman soldier who pierced the flesh of our Lord to see if he was dead.
When the individual is crushed beneath the collective will, the powers that be, it is a crucifixion.
I was intrigued watching a 3 year old playing with some older children in the house yesterday. You could see this was very new to the 3 year old, but it was also exciting being with these older children. Despite being very unsure about the game he went along with it. We are just naturally very sociable animals. Submitting to a group is something we do a little too easily. And a vicarage is an excellent place to play hide and seek.
It’s a theme that’s very clearly at work in the Gospel. Power – that is – not hide and seek. As John’s Gospel moves to a close, it’s revealed to the High Priest that ‘it is expedient that one man die for the people’. He doesn’t understand why this has been revealed or what it means, but goes along with it because it seems to him a political truth. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
And we see it in certain miracles. We’re told that the man is born blind in order that God’s power may be seen and Jesus revealed as the light of the world. Lazarus is allowed to die and Jesus delays his journey to this end, so that he may be raised from the dead and Jesus known as the resurrection and the life. Jesus’ divinity then appears to look past the plight of the individual to the higher goal of the revelation of God’s purposes.
And yet in today’s Gospel, we see Jesus, as he does so often, responding to individual need. Seeing someone struggling and not abstracting to the wider social or theological issues, lamenting the NHS, or making a speech about social justice, but simply acting on the basis of the need in front of him. We see him breaking the Jewish interpretation of the Law, which is no respecter of the man or woman in crisis. And as with his compassion for outcasts, the vilified and unclean, and his emphasis on forgiveness, Jesus in his humanity puts the individual first. He’s kind. So in the two natures of Christ, we see mercy seasoning justice, of the needs of the few held with the needs of the many.
This person-based ethics is infused in Christianity. In our reading from Acts we heard about the women of Macedonia and Lydia, hearing the Gospel and being baptised. And this is how Christianity went from a handful of people to a world religion. The simple sharing of stories and interpersonal relationships. The few caring for the few, despite the persecution of the many. As Lydia was baptised with her whole family, like last week, we baptise into the faith our children, as we promise to pass on the stories and bring them up with love and prayer. And as a parent loves a child, as the humanity of Christ speaks of God’s love for each of us despite our weakness and failure — so in baptism we’re reminded that nothing can separate a child from the love of God, and that we have this duty to try and replicate this love for one another, for our neighbours and those we share our lives with; despite early mornings, diva moments and an overabundance of bodily fluids.
So yes we have collective goals, and we should pursue justice. But we also have to protect one another from the justice and indifference of the world. We have to encourage one another to become the persons we are meant to be. We can all be contenders, but not alone. We can all become collateral damage, we can all face crucifixion, if we don’t watch out for the person who has fallen the wrong side of the tracks. And as the Bible continually exhorts, we must do what we can for the widow, the orphan, the refugee, the sick and the dying. And as Spock learns, where there is love, there is no counting of costs. Love will move time and space to meet the needs of the few, that one sheep gone astray, the prodigal and profligate, the outcast on the hill, whatever the purposes of the many. Amen.
The Ascension: The end from which we begin
SermonsLaura Giffard May 30, 2019 St Margaret's, Reflect, Connect, Grow, Putney, Death, Ascension, Life, Ezekiel, John, acts
Easter 5: Attention and Humility
SermonsLaura Giffard May 19, 2019 safeguarding, powerpoint, abraham, homer, the bible, faith
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Home » SPS Observer » Why I Work in Industry
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About JURP
Why I Work in Industry
Pathways - Advice from Experienced Voices
Physics can be used everywhere!
Kyle W. Elliott, Software Engineer
Two years ago, as I was getting ready to graduate from the University of Maryland with bachelor's degrees in physics and astronomy, I knew I wanted to be a contributing member of the physics community. At first I thought that meant a PhD. After all, those with PhDs are the ones publishing new research, right?
But I realized that you don’t have to have a PhD to be a valued contributor to research. After all, what science can be done if the instrumentation is not sufficient?
I am currently working with the Operations Scripts Subsystem (Commanding) team of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and making some intense, ground-breaking future science possible. I use the skills I learned as a physics and astronomy major, such as coordinate transformations and linear algebra, on a daily basis, and I must understand the reasoning behind certain scripts, such as those related to dithering, flats, and cosmic ray removal.
This is very satisfying work. While I was originally planning on attending graduate school for a PhD in astrophysics after my bachelors, after talking with various people—professors, mentors, supervisors, friends, and family—I came to the conclusion that industry makes the most sense for me at this point in time. I landed my first position after graduation in an internship with the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). This 10-month internship allowed me to greatly improve my software programming skills relative to science and engineering applications and made me a competitive candidate for the position I hold today.
My professional life has so far been filled with constant exposure to new research in physics and astronomy. To me that is just as nice as being a researcher—there is constant learning. Moreover, this is a good track to be on: I am still developing my skills, and the door is still open for me to apply to a PhD program later. I could also stay on this track and work my way up to, say, a principal software systems engineering position for a space telescope, which is a very prestigious and rewarding role.
Entering the workforce right after obtaining my bachelor’s degree and working full-time also made it easy for me to maintain financial security, manage my time, begin a tuition-reimbursed master’s education, and find a sense of balance with my hobbies and nonwork interests. I think a passion for physics and science in general can go hand-in-hand with sleep and a social life, and that it is by no means a betrayal of that passion to go into industry.
At this point in my career, I am happy with my choices. I am not a researcher (yet), and I do not think I will be doing traditional research anytime soon. But I realized that what I like most is using the skills and techniques associated with research to support teams. While going through graduate school may also have led me to this conclusion, I realized I do not need to be an academic or professional researcher to be a valued member of the scientific community and to have a wholly satisfying career.
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Emory Names First Black Female Dean of Business School
Emory University Provost Claire Sterk has announced that Erika Hayes James, Ph.D., has been appointed dean of the university’s Goizueta Business School.
James will assume her new role on July 15. She comes to Emory from Darden School of Business, where she served most recently as senior associate dean for executive education.
“Erika James has all of the qualities that we want for a leader at Goizueta,” Sterk says. “She brings a background of impressive scholarship and strong skills in academic administration, and she will work collaboratively with faculty, students, staff, alumni and supporters to take the school to the next level—all the while honoring the principled leadership of Mr. Goizueta’s legacy.”
Emory’s business school was founded in 1919 and was named in honor former Coca-Cola chairman and CEO Roberto C. Goizueta in 1994.
“I believe the Goizueta Business School is a world-renowned school that is on the verge of greatness,” James says, adding, “I want to be a part of helping the school reach that greatness.”
In Atlanta, Goizueta is positioned well for corporate partnerships, entrepreneurial activities and other collaborations with industry. James hopes to deepen the connections between Goizueta and Atlanta’s business community, nonprofit organizations and other universities.
“I see a real opportunity to align business thought leadership in Atlanta and, in the tradition of the academy, to bring research to bear on challenges,” she says.
James also sees opportunities to bring Goizueta’s business acumen together with Emory’s health care expertise to address the enormous national challenges facing health care delivery systems.
“I am sure our father would consider Erika James to be an inspired choice, given their shared interest in innovative teaching and learning, and developing business leaders who are committed to excellence and integrity,” says Olga Goizueta Rawls, chair and CEO of The Goizueta Foundation. “We are anticipating even greater successes for the Goizueta Business School and its graduates under her leadership.”
This entry was posted in School News and tagged Emory University, Erika Hayes James, Goitzueta Business School, new dean.
Tips for a Killer MBA Recommendation Letter
Seeing Your MBA Application Through AdCom’s Eyes
Stanford to Offer New Dual MA/MBA Program
MBA and Social Entrepreneurship
← Columbia Business School 2014-2015 MBA Essays
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Mother, May I?
Reading A Treasure for My Daughter, a 1950 guide to Jewish womanhood
By Eryn Loeb
June 11, 2009 • 7:05 AM
(Courtesy Eryn Loeb.)
My parents found the crumbling book, A Treasure for My Daughter, last year, while moving my 84-year-old grandmother to a new apartment. Published in Montreal in 1950, it’s a kind of textbook for Jewish womanhood, made up of recipes and instructions about major holidays and rituals. The spine of my grandmother’s copy is cracked and peeling, and the front cover—with the fading title embossed in gold above a simple Star of David—is barely holding on. Though I keep it swaddled in a plastic grocery bag and tucked in my closet, I pull it out to page through it often.
I’ve never been able to resist the thrill of a well-worn, hopelessly dated volume: I’m irrationally attached to a 1949 Baby Book from Better Homes and Gardens which I salvaged from a Maine junk barn. It is full of dubious advice (“If you have a job, you’ll want to know what to do about quitting work”), and made priceless by the lock of fine, blonde hair taped in and labeled “Cynthia, 14 months.” I’m a sucker for other people’s memories, and A Treasure for My Daughter appeals to my hunger for hidden stories. In my grandmother’s copy, a spread of Passover recipes (including ones for fried veal chops, potato puffs, coconut fruit pudding, and chicken fricassee) is spattered with cooking grease. The corner of page 161 is dogeared, suggesting her fancy was struck by either chocolate cream layer or chocolate fudge cake. The inside back cover bulges from the small pile of recipes—some clipped from magazines, others written in her languid script—stuck inside.
In Montreal, where my grandmother grew up, the book was ubiquitous; every bride-to-be was given a copy as a symbolic badge of Jewish womanhood. Aside from the occasional gastronomic shocker (the recipe for “Brain Latkes” begins, “Scald one pair brains”), the real novelty are the instructional texts, presented as prim, stilted conversations between a shadowy “Mother” and her daughter—appropriately named Hadassah—who is about to be married. Here, the two of them have a heart-to-heart:
Hadassah: “We were fortunate in procuring the synagogue for our ceremony.”
Mother: “Yes, the synagogue is the favorite place because of its sacredness.”
Hadassah: “Mother, I would like to know your ideas about the Jewish laws on marriage.”
Mother: “Marriage, Hadassah, is a divine institution, a holy estate in which man lives his true and complete life…. The affectionate consideration shown to the Jewish wife, as well as the domestic purity and the devotion that are the glory of the Jewish womanhood, are largely the fruit of our Torah.”
Hadassah is, necessarily, portrayed as something of a blank slate, and her role in these chats is mostly to offer a chorus of affirmations—“How dreadful, Mother! What trials we Jews have had to go through!”—and simple, frequently hilarious, queries like, “Isn’t it a strange coincidence that both my name and that of our organization should be ‘Hadassah’?” This model daughter was clearly the concoction of a group of cunning, hopeful mothers (their bylines uniformly formatted: Mrs. S. Schwartz, Mrs. H. Freeman, Mrs. R. Weinrauch) who could only dream that their own offspring would be so obedient and enthusiastic.
These sorts of pre-feminist guides were everywhere at the time, but it’s the specific collision of this brand of womanhood and a triumphalist sort of Judaism—the style and tone of the Better Homes guide brought to bear on faith in a fraught post-war culture—that draws me in. Surely given with the best of intentions, the book offered a clear-cut set of guidelines for my grandmother’s generation—rules for their lives as Jews, and as women, but more explicitly as Jewish women, with each element of that identity bound by the limits of the other. Instilling Jewish identity in future generations was decidedly a woman’s job, something children were expected to learn from watching their mothers in the home. A Treasure for my Daughter was designed to help women fulfill that responsibility.
Andrea Eidinger, a doctoral student at the University of Victoria in British Columbia writing her dissertation on Jewish identity and domesticity, filled me in on the book’s history. A Treasure for My Daughter was the brainchild of Bessie Batist, who immigrated to Canada from Odessa around 1905, and later worked with immigrants at the Montreal Y, where she found herself on the receiving end of questions from young women about how to keep a Jewish home. She thought it would be useful for them to have a guide they could readily consult—and that selling it would be a great opportunity for her Hadassah chapter to raise money for Israel. After the book was compiled, the committee combed through newspapers for announcements of engagements and weddings, and then called the mothers of the brides-to-be to suggest it as the perfect gift for their daughters or daughters-in-law.
My grandmother’s own mother died when she was 14, and so her copy was, quite unusually, a gift from her father and stepmother. I can only guess that in this case, he stepped into the role her mother ordinarily would have filled, giving her something he realized had become necessary in their community. A dedication is inscribed on the inside cover: To: Norma & Justin: With love and may you enjoy using this book. But neither my great-grandfather nor the book’s authors could actually have meant for it to be shared by husband and wife. Aside from the explicitly gendered title, the content isn’t something any husband in the early 1950s would ever have been expected to explore.
While the book’s lessons now seem staggeringly retro, its value as a traditional gift is so deeply rooted that it eclipses the actual content. Eidinger tells me that it’s still regularly bestowed on engaged women in Montreal—in fact, her own mother recently gave her a copy. And we’re not talking about a radically revised edition. Though it’s been reissued throughout the years, A Treasure for my Daughter has never been significantly updated. While the order of the chapters has changed and the amount of shmaltz in the recipes has decreased, those wooden exchanges between mother and daughter have been preserved in their original form. A reader of the 2000 version (the most recent) will still find a general obliviousness to the existence of something called a bat mitzvah, and sentences that, amusingly, explain that the pilgrims developed Thanksgiving based on their knowledge of Sukkot.
But that might not matter. Throughout the years, it seems the book was far more important as an acknowledgement of a stage of life, and an emblem of inclusion, than it was as a user’s manual. “Mother” sheds some on light on this. “I think, Hadassah, that your development and the development of the family, when you become a homemaker, stand a better chance if you realize early in life your responsibility to your people as well as to your home,” she explains. “There is nothing so stimulating as that sense of belonging.” Eidinger says that of the 30 women she interviewed about the book, every single one knew about it, nearly all of them owned it, very few of them used the recipes, and none had read these instructional texts. It didn’t matter what was actually written in the book. Its message was clear.
Eryn Loeb is a contributing editor for Tablet Magazine.
Eryn Loeb, a contributing editor for Tablet Magazine, is a freelance writer and editor in New York.
wow. fascinating piece about a book i had no clue existed.
Nikki Cook says:
I read and thoroughly enjoyed this article and would give my eye teeth to get the recipe for cinnamon buns from “A Treasure for My Daughter”. I used my copy of the book until the pages were falling off the spine. At that time, I copied some of my go-to recipes onto my computer, but neglected to copy the cinnamon bun recipe. Is it possible to get it now?
Marla Goodwin says:
A 14th edition was published in 2013 which includes updated information to modernize the book. Specifically, it includes a section on the naming of a baby girl, Bat Mitzvahs, an expanded blessings section and proposed gender neutral language to reflect the various different streams of Judaism practiced today. The recipes and conversation between “Hadassah and her mother” have remained generally untouched to maintain the authenticity of the book. I find that this latest edition combines the charm of the original with the information a modern reader would be looking for. Enjoy!
A Treasure for my daughter
advice books
Andrea Eidinger
Bessie Batist
betrothal
By Bridget Kevane
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Five Highly Cited Researchers at Teagasc named in Global Highly Cited Researchers 2018 List
Five Teagasc researchers have been named in the annual Highly Cited Researchers 2018 List. Now in its fifth year, the citation analysis identifies influential researchers as determined by their peers around the globe - those who have consistently won recognition in the form of high citation counts over a decade. The five Teagasc researchers named are:
Annual list from Clarivate Analytics identifies researchers with multiple papers ranking in the top 1% by citations for their field and year.
Professor Catherine Stanton, Senior Research Officer, Teagasc, Department Psychiatry, UCC and APC Microbiome Ireland. Her research includes nutritional aspects of dairy and functional foods, probiotic cultures, bioactive metabolite production, infant gut microbiota, and healthy proteins and fats (including conjugated linoleic acid, short chain fatty acids) that are produced by gut bacteria. She is also very interested in the microbiome during pregnancy and in infancy.
Dr Paul Cotter, Head of Department of Food Biosciences at Teagasc Food Research Centre and Principal Investigator in APC Microbiome Ireland. Paul’s research focuses on the microbiology and microbiomes of food (especially fermented and other dairy foods), food processing and production environments and the gastrointestinal tract with a view to maintaining/establishing a healthy gut microbiota through dietary interventions, especially in athletes.
Dr Orla O’Sullivan, Research Officer in Teagasc Food Research Centre and APC Microbiome Ireland. Her research focuses on elucidating the microbiome from various environments including human gut and lung, rumen and food. Of particular interest to her is the role of exercise and diet, specifically whey protein, on the human gut microbiome both in healthy and diseased cohorts.
Professor Brijesh Tiwari, Principal Research Officer, Food Chemistry and Technology Department at Teagasc Food Research Centre and Associate Professor (Adjunct) University College Dublin, Ireland. His research includes application of novel food processing, extraction and preservation technologies, with a strong focus on investigation of biochemical aspect of food and food products. A particular focus of his current research relates to the investigation of green and sustainable solutions to food industry challenges.
Dr Paul Allen is a retired Principal Research Officer whose research interests covered a range of cutting-edge approaches to important meat research challenges, including assurance of meat palatability, application of imaging and spectroscopic methods to prediction of meat eating quality, optimising and controlling colour in fresh meat, packaging solutions for fresh meat, objective carcass evaluation, and innovation in healthier meat products.
In total 33 Irish researchers feature in the 2018 list. The full Highly Cited Researchers 2018 list and executive summary can be found online at https://clarivate.com/hcr/.
About Web of Science
Web of Science is the world’s most trusted and largest publisher-neutral citation index, powering global discovery and citation analytics across the sciences, social sciences and art & humanities. With over 1.4 billion cited references going back to 1900 and millions of users per day – from leading government and academic institutions and research-intensive corporations – the Web of Science citation network serves as the foundation for the Journal Impact Factor, InCites and other powerful and trusted citation-impact measures. The Web of Science helps researchers, research institutions, publishers and funders discover and assess the citation impact of over a century of research publications found in the most prestigious books, conference proceedings and journals.
Twitter @WebofScience #HighlyCited2018 Facebook.com/clarivate
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June 1, 2015 | Electronics & Computers
Three-Dimensional Photovoltaics Array for Laser-Based Power Transfer
Potential applications include situations in which there is a need to create electrical power at a remote location.
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
A standard solar array is a flat panel configured of many individual solar cells, wired in series or parallel, depending on their junction configuration and material. Since the solar flux is constant depending on the distance from the Sun, the maximum energy conversion for a given solar panel depends upon the capability to absorb as many spectral peaks as possible (different materials) across the total solar spectrum. If the radiative source is a man-made device such as a laser, parked in a different orbit or on Earth, then the impinging intensity is narrow spectrally, coherent and accurately pointed, and capable of very high intensities. Thus, the materials can be tailored to match the incoming radiation for maximum absorption.
A three-dimensional solar panel structure has been designed to maximize laser-based energy capture for maximum electrical production with minimal heat production and near 100% conversion efficiency from photons to electrons. Furthermore, the solar cell configuration scheme minimizes sensitivity to its orientation to the laser source.
When using a simple laser transmitter as an optical source, light can be used as a means of power transfer between two remote locations. The solar cell structure can be configured in a 3D fashion in order to capture the incoming light through multiple reflections, increase solar cell total area for a given 2D equivalent panel area, and hold the relatively high incoming power to manageable intensities striking the cells to maintain safe operation, yet produce high electrical powers. The use of 3D structures on a solar panel can increase the active surface area 2 to 3 times, and help to capture off-nadir light to hold the absorption efficiency at near peak levels.
Specifically, this innovation uses lightweight cylindrical, hexagonal, or rectangular tubes, mounted vertically on a given panel structure area. Each tube is approximately 3 to 5 in. (≈7.6 to 13 cm) in diameter, and anywhere from 2 to10 in. (≈5 to 25 cm) in height. When arranged in a close-packed manner, the interior walls of each tube hold solar cells where maximum coverage is achieved. The floor or bottom of the tube could readily be a solar cell as well, but the design plans for a lightweight, reflective center structure. This center cone has a concave parabolic shape that directs incoming light from above to the respective wall. For example, should a hexagonal tube be employed, a hexagonal parabolic cone is installed inside.
The 3D structure of vertical tubes acts as temporary optical traps of the incoming light and produces reflective paths that enable multiple reflections within each tube, as opposed to a simple single surface reflection typical of a flat solar panel. These parameters must be further modeled and studied, but initial estimates show a significant increase in surface area, multiple reflections, less sensitivity to incident angle due to semi-captured light within each tube, and multiple reflections of unabsorbed light.
This work was done by Barry Coyle of Goddard Space Flight Center. GSC-16821-1
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BiKi.com Receives USD 5M Funds From Huobi Co-Founder Jun Du
By TechBullion PR
April, Singapore, Singapore – Fast-growing new Singapore exchange BiKi.com has recently received funding to the tune of USD 5 million as a personal strategic investment from Jun Du, Huobi’s Co-Founder and current CEO of Node Capital and Jinse, both of which are well-known entities in the crypto industry.
Launched on August 8 2018, the exchange has nearly 1 million registered users and boasts more than 100,000 active daily users, currently ranking among the top 30 exchanges worldwide.
BiKi.com is Jun Du’s largest personal investment in 2019 thus far. His ardour for the budding exchange was evident as he enthused, “The team is very strong in execution. I personally believe that BiKi has the potential to become a leading exchange!”
BiKi.com has set up a risk guarantee fund, which receives 20% of monthly revenues from the exchange, to ensure the safety of users’ assets. Jun Du’s USD 5M investment will be held in this fund.
The strong technical and operations team at BiKi.com is dedicated to creating the most secure, stable and efficient digital asset exchange for users. The trading platform supports Chinese, English, Korean and other languages, serving users from nearly 100 countries and regions. 100% of the transaction fees on the exchange will be used to purchase back the BiKi platform token.
About BiKi.com
BiKi.com is a global cryptocurrency exchange that provides a digital assets platform for trading more than 100 cryptocurrencies and 127 trading pairs. Since its inception in Aug 2018 and registration in Singapore, BiKi.com is considered as one of the fastest growing cryptocurrency exchange in the world with an accumulated 1 million registered users and 100,000 daily active users, ranking within the top 30 exchanges in the world.
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Interview with Martin Froehler, CEO at Morpher, Trading Platform Built for sophisticated investors.
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Combining Text Technologies: Text Mining & Voice to Text
By Rami Nuseir 2014-12-05T09:00:00.338Z Business software
The Future of Text Analytics
In 2001, the band Cake released a song entitled "Short Skirt, Long Jacket". It's one of my favorite songs of all time, and is still on rotation in my playlists. I first saw the music video in 2002, and was blown away: it's composed entirely of people listening to the song on headphones and giving the viewer their honest opinion.
Check out the video.
How cool is that?
At the time, I remember thinking it was brilliant. They were getting honest reviews of the song, on the spot. Makes me wonder why more bands don't do stuff like that. Maybe they don't like the criticism?
In any case, the music video stuck with me. And nearly 13 years later, when I saw how far voice-to-text technology had come, the first thing that came to mind was that video.
What if, every time anyone gave you an opinion, it was recorded and transcribed with voice-to-text technology? Then the transcription was subsequently analyzed with text analytics software, and the results were sent back to you? That would be amazing.
For any large company, that information is priceless. Every time someone calls a customer service line, or leaves a voicemail, or is interviewed about a product, that information could be analyzed almost instantly, with few resources.
Rather than hire a team of analysts to listen and transcribe hours of people talk, and compile the information to find patterns, it could all be done by one person equipped with the right software, in a fraction of the time.
The possibilities are endless, but all based on the same model: using text analytics software like Semantria, on top of voice-to-text software like Voci, they could determine how users feel about their latest product (positive or negative), find out what the most common problem they have is (billing? slow service? bad tech support), and chart the progress by running the same analytics on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
Let's bring it back to the music. For Cake, at the end of a long day of vox pop style street interviews, they'd go home and run the audio they recorded through the voice-to-text text analytics combination. The software would show them instantly how many people liked their song, how many didn't like it, the most common phrases used to describe their song, and so much more.
Rami Nuseir, Marketing Director, Semantria.
See more Business software news
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1,199,478 views • 16:23
Details About the talk
When we think about prejudice and bias, we tend to think about stupid and evil people doing stupid and evil things. And this idea is nicely summarized by the British critic William Hazlitt, who wrote, "Prejudice is the child of ignorance." I want to try to convince you here that this is mistaken. I want to try to convince you that prejudice and bias are natural, they're often rational, and they're often even moral, and I think that once we understand this, we're in a better position to make sense of them when they go wrong, when they have horrible consequences, and we're in a better position to know what to do when this happens.
So, start with stereotypes. You look at me, you know my name, you know certain facts about me, and you could make certain judgments. You could make guesses about my ethnicity, my political affiliation, my religious beliefs. And the thing is, these judgments tend to be accurate. We're very good at this sort of thing. And we're very good at this sort of thing because our ability to stereotype people is not some sort of arbitrary quirk of the mind, but rather it's a specific instance of a more general process, which is that we have experience with things and people in the world that fall into categories, and we can use our experience to make generalizations about novel instances of these categories. So everybody here has a lot of experience with chairs and apples and dogs, and based on this, you could see unfamiliar examples and you could guess, you could sit on the chair, you could eat the apple, the dog will bark. Now we might be wrong. The chair could collapse if you sit on it, the apple might be poison, the dog might not bark, and in fact, this is my dog Tessie, who doesn't bark. But for the most part, we're good at this. For the most part, we make good guesses both in the social domain and the non-social domain, and if we weren't able to do so, if we weren't able to make guesses about new instances that we encounter, we wouldn't survive. And in fact, Hazlitt later on in his wonderful essay concedes this. He writes, "Without the aid of prejudice and custom, I should not be able to find my way my across the room; nor know how to conduct myself in any circumstances, nor what to feel in any relation of life." Or take bias. Now sometimes, we break the world up into us versus them, into in-group versus out-group, and sometimes when we do this, we know we're doing something wrong, and we're kind of ashamed of it. But other times we're proud of it. We openly acknowledge it. And my favorite example of this is a question that came from the audience in a Republican debate prior to the last election.
(Video) Anderson Cooper: Gets to your question, the question in the hall, on foreign aid? Yes, ma'am.
Woman: The American people are suffering in our country right now. Why do we continue to send foreign aid to other countries when we need all the help we can get for ourselves?
AC: Governor Perry, what about that?
(Applause) Rick Perry: Absolutely, I think it's—
Paul Bloom: Each of the people onstage agreed with the premise of her question, which is as Americans, we should care more about Americans than about other people. And in fact, in general, people are often swayed by feelings of solidarity, loyalty, pride, patriotism, towards their country or towards their ethnic group. Regardless of your politics, many people feel proud to be American, and they favor Americans over other countries. Residents of other countries feel the same about their nation, and we feel the same about our ethnicities.
Now some of you may reject this. Some of you may be so cosmopolitan that you think that ethnicity and nationality should hold no moral sway. But even you sophisticates accept that there should be some pull towards the in-group in the domain of friends and family, of people you're close to, and so even you make a distinction between us versus them.
Now, this distinction is natural enough and often moral enough, but it can go awry, and this was part of the research of the great social psychologist Henri Tajfel. Tajfel was born in Poland in 1919. He left to go to university in France, because as a Jew, he couldn't go to university in Poland, and then he enlisted in the French military in World War II. He was captured and ended up in a prisoner of war camp, and it was a terrifying time for him, because if it was discovered that he was a Jew, he could have been moved to a concentration camp, where he most likely would not have survived. And in fact, when the war ended and he was released, most of his friends and family were dead. He got involved in different pursuits. He helped out the war orphans. But he had a long-lasting interest in the science of prejudice, and so when a prestigious British scholarship on stereotypes opened up, he applied for it, and he won it, and then he began this amazing career. And what started his career is an insight that the way most people were thinking about the Holocaust was wrong. Many people, most people at the time, viewed the Holocaust as sort of representing some tragic flaw on the part of the Germans, some genetic taint, some authoritarian personality. And Tajfel rejected this. Tajfel said what we see in the Holocaust is just an exaggeration of normal psychological processes that exist in every one of us. And to explore this, he did a series of classic studies with British adolescents. And in one of his studies, what he did was he asked the British adolescents all sorts of questions, and then based on their answers, he said, "I've looked at your answers, and based on the answers, I have determined that you are either" — he told half of them — "a Kandinsky lover, you love the work of Kandinsky, or a Klee lover, you love the work of Klee." It was entirely bogus. Their answers had nothing to do with Kandinsky or Klee. They probably hadn't heard of the artists. He just arbitrarily divided them up. But what he found was, these categories mattered, so when he later gave the subjects money, they would prefer to give the money to members of their own group than members of the other group. Worse, they were actually most interested in establishing a difference between their group and other groups, so they would give up money for their own group if by doing so they could give the other group even less.
This bias seems to show up very early. So my colleague and wife, Karen Wynn, at Yale has done a series of studies with babies where she exposes babies to puppets, and the puppets have certain food preferences. So one of the puppets might like green beans. The other puppet might like graham crackers. They test the babies own food preferences, and babies typically prefer the graham crackers. But the question is, does this matter to babies in how they treat the puppets? And it matters a lot. They tend to prefer the puppet who has the same food tastes that they have, and worse, they actually prefer puppets who punish the puppet with the different food taste. (Laughter)
We see this sort of in-group, out-group psychology all the time. We see it in political clashes within groups with different ideologies. We see it in its extreme in cases of war, where the out-group isn't merely given less, but dehumanized, as in the Nazi perspective of Jews as vermin or lice, or the American perspective of Japanese as rats.
Stereotypes can also go awry. So often they're rational and useful, but sometimes they're irrational, they give the wrong answers, and other times they lead to plainly immoral consequences. And the case that's been most studied is the case of race. There was a fascinating study prior to the 2008 election where social psychologists looked at the extent to which the candidates were associated with America, as in an unconscious association with the American flag. And in one of their studies they compared Obama and McCain, and they found McCain is thought of as more American than Obama, and to some extent, people aren't that surprised by hearing that. McCain is a celebrated war hero, and many people would explicitly say he has more of an American story than Obama. But they also compared Obama to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and they found that Blair was also thought of as more American than Obama, even though subjects explicitly understood that he's not American at all. But they were responding, of course, to the color of his skin.
These stereotypes and biases have real-world consequences, both subtle and very important. In one recent study, researchers put ads on eBay for the sale of baseball cards. Some of them were held by white hands, others by black hands. They were the same baseball cards. The ones held by black hands got substantially smaller bids than the ones held by white hands. In research done at Stanford, psychologists explored the case of people sentenced for the murder of a white person. It turns out, holding everything else constant, you are considerably more likely to be executed if you look like the man on the right than the man on the left, and this is in large part because the man on the right looks more prototypically black, more prototypically African-American, and this apparently influences people's decisions over what to do about him.
So now that we know about this, how do we combat it? And there are different avenues. One avenue is to appeal to people's emotional responses, to appeal to people's empathy, and we often do that through stories. So if you are a liberal parent and you want to encourage your children to believe in the merits of nontraditional families, you might give them a book like this. ["Heather Has Two Mommies"] If you are conservative and have a different attitude, you might give them a book like this. (Laughter) ["Help! Mom! There Are Liberals under My Bed!"] But in general, stories can turn anonymous strangers into people who matter, and the idea that we care about people when we focus on them as individuals is an idea which has shown up across history. So Stalin apocryphally said, "A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic," and Mother Teresa said, "If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will." Psychologists have explored this. For instance, in one study, people were given a list of facts about a crisis, and it was seen how much they would donate to solve this crisis, and another group was given no facts at all but they were told of an individual and given a name and given a face, and it turns out that they gave far more. None of this I think is a secret to the people who are engaged in charity work. People don't tend to deluge people with facts and statistics. Rather, you show them faces, you show them people. It's possible that by extending our sympathies to an individual, they can spread to the group that the individual belongs to.
This is Harriet Beecher Stowe. The story, perhaps apocryphal, is that President Lincoln invited her to the White House in the middle of the Civil War and said to her, "So you're the little lady who started this great war." And he was talking about "Uncle Tom's Cabin." "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is not a great book of philosophy or of theology or perhaps not even literature, but it does a great job of getting people to put themselves in the shoes of people they wouldn't otherwise be in the shoes of, put themselves in the shoes of slaves. And that could well have been a catalyst for great social change.
More recently, looking at America in the last several decades, there's some reason to believe that shows like "The Cosby Show" radically changed American attitudes towards African-Americans, while shows like "Will and Grace" and "Modern Family" changed American attitudes towards gay men and women. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the major catalyst in America for moral change has been a situation comedy.
But it's not all emotions, and I want to end by appealing to the power of reason. At some point in his wonderful book "The Better Angels of Our Nature," Steven Pinker says, the Old Testament says love thy neighbor, and the New Testament says love thy enemy, but I don't love either one of them, not really, but I don't want to kill them. I know I have obligations to them, but my moral feelings to them, my moral beliefs about how I should behave towards them, aren't grounded in love. What they're grounded in is the understanding of human rights, a belief that their life is as valuable to them as my life is to me, and to support this, he tells a story by the great philosopher Adam Smith, and I want to tell this story too, though I'm going to modify it a little bit for modern times.
So Adam Smith starts by asking you to imagine the death of thousands of people, and imagine that the thousands of people are in a country you are not familiar with. It could be China or India or a country in Africa. And Smith says, how would you respond? And you would say, well that's too bad, and you'd go on to the rest of your life. If you were to open up The New York Times online or something, and discover this, and in fact this happens to us all the time, we go about our lives. But imagine instead, Smith says, you were to learn that tomorrow you were to have your little finger chopped off. Smith says, that would matter a lot. You would not sleep that night wondering about that. So this raises the question: Would you sacrifice thousands of lives to save your little finger? Now answer this in the privacy of your own head, but Smith says, absolutely not, what a horrid thought. And so this raises the question, and so, as Smith puts it, "When our passive feelings are almost always so sordid and so selfish, how comes it that our active principles should often be so generous and so noble?" And Smith's answer is, "It is reason, principle, conscience. [This] calls to us, with a voice capable of astonishing the most presumptuous of our passions, that we are but one of the multitude, in no respect better than any other in it."
And this last part is what is often described as the principle of impartiality. And this principle of impartiality manifests itself in all of the world's religions, in all of the different versions of the golden rule, and in all of the world's moral philosophies, which differ in many ways but share the presupposition that we should judge morality from sort of an impartial point of view.
The best articulation of this view is actually, for me, it's not from a theologian or from a philosopher, but from Humphrey Bogart at the end of "Casablanca." So, spoiler alert, he's telling his lover that they have to separate for the more general good, and he says to her, and I won't do the accent, but he says to her, "It doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world."
Our reason could cause us to override our passions. Our reason could motivate us to extend our empathy, could motivate us to write a book like "Uncle Tom's Cabin," or read a book like "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and our reason can motivate us to create customs and taboos and laws that will constrain us from acting upon our impulses when, as rational beings, we feel we should be constrained. This is what a constitution is. A constitution is something which was set up in the past that applies now in the present, and what it says is, no matter how much we might to reelect a popular president for a third term, no matter how much white Americans might choose to feel that they want to reinstate the institution of slavery, we can't. We have bound ourselves.
And we bind ourselves in other ways as well. We know that when it comes to choosing somebody for a job, for an award, we are strongly biased by their race, we are biased by their gender, we are biased by how attractive they are, and sometimes we might say, "Well fine, that's the way it should be." But other times we say, "This is wrong." And so to combat this, we don't just try harder, but rather what we do is we set up situations where these other sources of information can't bias us, which is why many orchestras audition musicians behind screens, so the only information they have is the information they believe should matter. I think prejudice and bias illustrate a fundamental duality of human nature. We have gut feelings, instincts, emotions, and they affect our judgments and our actions for good and for evil, but we are also capable of rational deliberation and intelligent planning, and we can use these to, in some cases, accelerate and nourish our emotions, and in other cases staunch them. And it's in this way that reason helps us create a better world.
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How Populism Helped Wreck Venezuela
The story of how the country went from cheap fridges to no food is about more than socialism and corruption.
Uri Friedman
Hugo Chavez, in better daysMiraflores Palace / Reuters
What’s the problem with populism? Why, in some circles, has the term acquired such a negative connotation? After all, you could argue that populism is simply the promotion of popular ideas with which elites disagree. You could think of it as a movement to uproot a political establishment that has become unresponsive to the public. But populism can also be described as a political logic by which politicians claim to exclusively represent the righteous people in a struggle against the corrupt elite. And the hazards of adhering to that logic are on display right now in Venezuela.
Hugo Chavez, the late leader of Venezuela’s socialist revolution, once provided his people with subsidized refrigerators from China, appearing on television in a mock kitchen to personally cross out the “capitalist” price tag on a fridge and write in a “Chavez discount.” Now his successor’s people have little to refrigerate. Three-fourths of Venezuelans reported involuntarily losing an average of 19 pounds in 2016 because of rampant food shortages and runaway inflation, which is making basic goods unaffordable. A third of Venezuelans reported eating two or fewer meals a day last year—triple the number recorded a year earlier. Child malnutrition has reached crisis levels.
From a spiraling health emergency to creeping political anarchy, Venezuela is in the throes of “the kind of implosion that hardly ever occurs in a middle-income country like it outside of war,” as Moises Naim and Francisco Toro wrote in The Atlantic. While this implosion was accelerated by the 2013 death of Chavez and the 2014 drop in the price of oil, which accounts for nearly all Venezuela’s export revenue, it can be traced in part to the Venezuelan government’s failed socialist policies—price and currency controls, farm and factory nationalizations, government control of food distribution, and the like. It is also the product of government corruption, cronyism, and plain incompetence; by one measure, corruption is more widespread in Venezuela than in any other country in the Americas.
But Chavez and his shadow of a successor, Nicolas Maduro, are also textbook populists. “We are confronting the devil himself”—the American imperialists and their Venezuelan lackeys—“at the ballot box,” Chavez declared ahead of the country’s 2006 election. “You are not going to reelect Chavez really, you are going to reelect yourselves. The people will reelect the people. Chavez is nothing but an instrument of the people.”
And this populism has compounded the Venezuelan crisis in subtle ways that illustrate the downsides of one of the most potent political forces in the world today. Venezuela isn’t collapsing because of populism. But when populism turns sour, the result can look a lot like what’s happening in Venezuela.
Populism is “just one of the possible factors that could influence which way a country heads economically or politically. I think Venezuela shows pretty well that it’s not the only thing,” said Kirk Hawkins, an expert on Latin American populism at Brigham Young University.
“If we had a right[-wing] populist—if this were [former Peruvian President] Alberto Fujimori or even a … Donald Trump or a Marine Le Pen, the [Venezuelan] economy wouldn’t look like it does right now,” Hawkins told me. “Populism interacts with other features of the political environment to give you certain kinds of tendencies.” And in Venezuela, where most people are not property owners, many people work in the informal sector, and economic inequality has historically been high, populists are apt to gravitate toward socialism rather than, say, right-wing nationalism.
Chavez’s brand of populism has contributed to the collapse of Venezuela in at least three ways.
Short-term thinking
In an oft-cited 1991 study with Rudiger Dornbusch, the economist Sebastian Edwards noted a pattern: In several Latin American countries—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Mexico, and Nicaragua—economic populists had come to power amid profound dissatisfaction with the performance of the economy and therefore widespread receptiveness to populists’ anti-elite messages. As a result, the populists had pursued transformative economic change with abandon, focusing on swiftly stimulating growth, generating employment, and redistributing income rather than curbing inflation or balancing government budgets. They tended to succeed in the short term but fail in the long term, when these risky fiscal and monetary policies caught up with them. Many eventually lost power amid rising inflation and economic crisis.
All politicians want to be popular. All want to preside over economic growth. All are biased toward policies that will win them praise in the present rather than the future. But populists are particularly attracted to measures that produce “short-term gain and long-term pain,” Edwards argued. Since populists present themselves as political outsiders whose legitimacy comes from the people, “they need to establish themselves and maintain their popularity. And in order to do that, they need to generate [economic] highs very quickly.”
Chavez, for example, became president in 1998 by running as an anti-establishment figure who would revive a moribund economy (he had recently been imprisoned for staging a failed military coup). And over the next 14 years, as he continued to cast himself as an outsider despite leading the government, he funneled Venezuela’s flourishing oil revenues into popular social programs rather than stockpiling the proceeds for use in an economic downturn.
Despite his rhetoric, Chavez’s policies weren’t entirely socialist “in the old sense that [socialists] want to expropriate everything and advocate the dictatorship of the proletariat,” Edwards said. But they were consistently shortsighted, he argued: “The number-one rule for proper economic management in a natural resources-based country is to save during the boom years in order to be prepared to survive the lean years.” This is what Norway has done in investing oil money in a sovereign-wealth fund. But it is not what Chavez did.
“Venezuela ran large budget deficits every year, even as oil prices skyrocketed between 2005 to 2014,” Toro, a Venezuelan journalist, has written. “That meant the country was piling on debt even as government revenue exploded—a senseless, pro-cyclical policy that left Venezuela up a creek without a paddle when commodity prices tanked.” (Populists aren’t always so nearsighted; Toro notes that Evo Morales, the populist-socialist leader of nearby Bolivia, which is also rich in natural resources, registered budget surpluses every year between 2006 and 2014.)
Today, Edwards said, Venezuelan leaders “have run out of any possibility of generating an economic high because they don’t have any international reserves, they don’t have any foreign exchange, there are no spare parts for factories, there are no spare parts for buses or trains or cars. There is no food. There is not even employment. And there is no way they can revive the economy. Then they cling to power by becoming more and more authoritarian. This is what I call the ‘post-populist dictatorial mode.’”
Democratic breakdown
Hawkins is critical of Edwards’ thesis, arguing that it tends to lump together all unorthodox economic policies as “populist” and prone to disaster. But he agrees with Edwards that populism—whether of the left- or right-wing variety, whether in the Americas or Europe—can do serious damage to Western-style liberal democracy, which includes not just elections but civil rights and liberties, the rule of law, and checks and balances on political power.
Populists believe in popular sovereignty as expressed through elections and referenda. They often manage to increase voter turnout and public participation in politics. But they typically disdain and degrade the other institutions of liberal democracy. Since populists seek to delegitimize their opponents—characterizing them as enemies who are “consciously operating against the will of the people for [their] own selfish interests”—it isn’t much of a leap to deny those opponents certain freedoms, Hawkins explained. Since there is no such thing as a monolithic “will of the people,” populists are frequently charismatic leaders who can at least appear to unite people with different desires. And for the charismatic leader and his or her supporters, checks and balances on executive power are usually viewed as a bug, not a feature, of the political system. The supporters think, “‘We believe that the leader embodies our will, so we don’t need spaces in which this can be contested,’” Hawkins told me. “‘We should let the leader do the job.’”
In Venezuela, Hawkins continued, nearly two decades of populist governance has “resulted in the systematic rollback of civil liberties, beginning especially with media freedom.” (The independent press is routinely the first target of populists, who claim that news outlets are a tool of conniving elites.) Like many populists, who value elections for their capacity to affirm the people’s will rather than “resolve competing interests,” Chavez tampered with the fairness of the electoral process, restricting the opposition’s access to the media and deploying government resources to his party’s benefit. The country’s courts and Electoral Council are packed with Chavez/Maduro loyalists, and the Central Bank ceased to be independent long ago. Opposition leaders have been imprisoned and banned from politics. In recent months, the Supreme Court has tried to strip the opposition-controlled legislature of its powers and security forces have repeatedly used force to squash anti-government protests, resulting in dozens of deaths.
These measures have polarized and paralyzed Venezuelan politics, making it exceedingly difficult to remove from power those responsible for the country’s disastrous economic policies. “Maduro’s patronage and populism, combined with the opposition’s failure to reach out to the working classes and the poor, may prevent the creation of a broad all-Venezuelan protest coalition,” the political scientists Olga Onuch and Inaki Sagarzazu wrote recently. “That’s a problem if organizers hope to force change in Maduro’s government.”
The populist mindset may also help explain why the Chavistas have stubbornly stuck to their economic agenda even when the policies have failed so spectacularly. “Populism has a moral dimension that is ... dualistic,” Hawkins said. “You ascribe problems and wrongs and failures to a knowing, willing, evil opposition”—not to yourself.
The ravages of time
Populism isn’t necessarily a toxin to the body politic, but some strains can prove corrosive. The drawbacks of instant economic highs and incremental concentrations of power materialize slowly. “Our research shows that time matters,” Hawkins told me. “Populists don’t do away with democracy the first day that they enter office.”
When Chavez rose to power in the late 1990s, the political scientist Cristobal Rovira Kaltwasser points out, he was responding to “a serious crisis of democratic representation” stemming from the corruption and lackluster economic policies of a self-satisfied elite. Only gradually did he become a radical populist-socialist, as he sought to bolster his support among the poor, recovered from a coup attempt against him in 2002, and clashed with George W. Bush in the United States.
“Populists do actually come [into office] believing very firmly in democracy,” Hawkins noted. “It probably takes a while—repeated conflicts with their opponents, reinforcing their beliefs about conspiracies against them—to justify stronger and stronger moves against those institutions. … But I also think there has to be a public that is willing to see their own cherished institutions be chiseled away at and not question it. That is something that is very hard to do all at once.”
Something similar could be said about the economic impact of populism. Consider those refrigerators that Chavez once hawked. The fridges weren’t merely socialist giveaways. They were a short-term solution: As part of an oil-for-loans deal with China, which left Venezuela dependent on Chinese imports, Chavez’s government advertised the fridges at rock-bottom prices ahead of a close election. They posed a challenge to democratic pluralism: The appliances were distributed to Chavez supporters. And only with time, once the man behind the plan died and the food disappeared from the shelves, has the folly of the approach been exposed.
Uri Friedman is a staff writer at The Atlantic, covering national security and global affairs.
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A box, a pearl and Kinshasa: What 1 of President Packer's parables teaches about temple ordinances
The Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple.
Elder Dale G. Renlund, left, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles conducts the cornerstone ceremony of the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple, assisted by Elder Larry Y. Wilson, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department, on Sunday, April 14, 2019. The cornerstone ceremony symbolizes the completion of the temple and its readiness to be dedicated for sacred use.
Elder Kevin S. Hamilton of the Seventy, with his wife, Sister Claudia Hamilton, participate in the cornerstone ceremony of the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple, along with the members of the Africa Southeast Area Presidency — Elder Joseph W. Sitati, Elder S. Mark Palmer, Elder Joni L. Koch — and their wives.
Elder Dale G. Renlund of The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles greets a young Latter-day Saint during the cornerstone ceremony of the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple on Sunday, April 14, 2019.
A pair of Congolese youth embrace outside the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple on its dedication day Sunday, April 14, 2019.
A young Latter-day Saint child attends the cornerstone ceremony in conjunction with the dedication of the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple on Sunday, April 14, 2019.
Latter-day Saints gather outside the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple on its dedication day, Sunday, April 14, 2019.
Young women gather on the grass of the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple grounds Saturday prior to an afternoon youth devotional with Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Saturday, April 13, 2019, a day before the dedication of the temple there.
A pair of young women share an embrace prior to the Saturday, April 13, 2019, youth devotional in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo with Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Youth file into a meetinghouse neighboring the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple for an afternoon devotional with Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Saturday, April 13, 2019.
A pair of young women pause for a photo prior to the Saturday, April 13, 2019, youth devotional in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo with Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Young men gather prior to an afternoon youth devotional with Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo on Saturday, April 13, 2019, a day before the dedication of the temple there.
With the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo in the background, youth pose for a photo prior to an afternoon devotional with Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Saturday, April 13, 2019.
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, center, is joined by his wife, Sister Ruth L. Renlund, right, and their daughter, Ashley Renlund, as he conducts the cornerstone ceremony during the dedication of the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple on Sunday, April 14, 2019.
Young men sit on the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple grounds Saturday prior to an afternoon youth devotional with Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Saturday, April 13, 2019, a day before the dedication of the temple there.
Mucioko Banza and Régine Banza pause for a photo of Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple in April 2019. The couple — who were among the first Latter-day Saint permanent residents of the country formerly known as Zaire — now live in Utah's Salt Lake Valley and were helped by family members to return to Kinshasa for the temple dedication weekend.
By Scott Taylor
Preparing to attend and report on the April 14 dedication of the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple, I heard several acquaintances mention the building’s simplicity and smaller size.
In meeting with the members of the Africa Southeast Area presidency in Salt Lake City for April 2019 general conference, all three — Elders S. Mark Palmer, Joseph W. Sitati and Joni L. Koch — shared the Congolese Latter-day Saints’ delightful excitement and grateful anticipation for the 12,000-square-foot temple.
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, whom I met with and spoke with about that simplicity in advance of his presiding at the Kinshasa temple dedication, cited a parable shared by President Boyd K. Packer. The acting president of that same quorum shared the parable during the April 2000 general conference, the first in the then-new Conference Center.
“A merchant man seeking precious jewels found at last the perfect pearl. He had the finest craftsman carve a superb jewel box and line it with blue velvet. He put his pearl of great price on display so others could share his treasure. He watched as people came to see it. Soon he turned away in sorrow. It was the box they admired, not the pearl.”
By cautioning against focusing too much on the box instead of the pearl, Elder Renlund said President Packer underscored the difference of the attention given a beautiful, new Conference Center and the true value of the messages, teachings and testimonies offered inside.
The simplicity of the Kinshasa temple is “the exact opposite” of an elaborate, exquisite box, said Elder Renlund of the temple in DR Congo, a country he has visited some 40 times. “It needs to be adequately built and sufficiently lovely to reverence the Savior.”
Also, the simplicity is by design, so not to attract undue attention, as some temples have at times in parts of the world, he added.
“The Kinshasa temple is, to me, the most beautiful temple in the world,” Elder Renlund said, “and the ordinances there are going to bless people generationally.
“But the pearl is no different. And sometimes the box can distract from the pearl, so we won’t have that problem.”
He concluded: “The temple’s interior is such that everyone who comes from the temple district will feel like this is a remarkably beautiful place. And the ordinances — the pearl — are what enlivens the temple.”
In the end, I missed the dedication in the DR Congo, my trip negated by the losses of a visa application and accompanying passport submitted to the consulate office as well as the cancellation of a key flight on my itinerary to Africa. From my remote coverage of the weekend events, Latter-day Saints there spokereverently and gratefully for the temple.
And what I’ve learned is a Latter-day Saint temple is both a box and a pearl.
As boxes, temples come in various shapes, sizes and designs, with each one reflecting heaven and the local community.
The inside-the-box pearl is comprised of the endowments, ordinances, covenants and blessings helping us move forward along the covenant pathway. And that “pearl” is the same, no matter the shape, size or design of any temple worldwide.
I hope professional or personal travels one day take me to Kinshasa, to personally view the temple and even participate in sessions there.
And to experience the Kinshasa version of “the box and the pearl.”
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THE CITIZEN BUREAU | 29 MARCH, 2019
'We Could Not Give Up Begusarai,' Says Manoj Jha as RJD Finalises Seats in Coalition
#TCVotes - Three cornered contest in Begusarai
NEW DELHI: “We could not give up Begusarai (to CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar) as our candidate had defied the Modi wave in 2014 and lost the seat by only 40,000 votes”, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha told The Citizen in a short interview.
Jha, who is confident that the alliance which is now expected to hold will get at least 28 Lok Sabha seats of the 40 in Bihar, said that the party’s candidate Tanveer Hasan has a strong base in the constituency and could not be dropped without sending the wrong signal to RJD workers. He said that Hasan was of the old Karpoori Thakur school of thought, “an impeccable socialist.” He is one of three Muslims being fielded by the RJD in these elections.
Jha said that there had been considerable discussion about Begusarai within the party. And while “we felt sad” about not being able to accommodate Kanhaiya Kumar, it was “impossible” to give up this seat to the CPI without a major churning within.
Hasan has lobbied hard for the seat, and the RJD has been reluctant to give up on this candidate who has a good support amongst the Muslim constituents. Kanhaiya Kumar who is a big favourite in Delhi will have have to go deep into the sizeable Bhumiyar and Muslim community to win this Lok Sabha seat that also has a CPI base -- earning the party 19 per cent of the vote share in 2014.
Jha said the RJD had worked hard on the alliances, and brought in the regional groups, to bring in all castes and communities together behind the coalition in these elections. “It is a rainbow coalition” this time around.
The RJD leader was particularly enthused about the Dalit support for the coalition in Bihar. “I have never seen anything like this for at least ten years,” Jha said. In his view the Dalits were reacting strongly against the 10% reservation for the upper castes, the 13 point roster, and the vacillation of the BJP and the Modi government on the SC/ST Act. Jitan Ram Manjhi who has left the BJP to join the alliance with his Hindustani Awam Morcha is indicative of this.
Significantly the RJD has left the Arra Lok Sabha seat for the CPI-ML, the only communist party to have been accommodated by the coalition. Of the state's 40 seats the RJD will contest 20, and the Congress nine, with the remaining 11 divided between the regional parties.
Jha admitted that the Balakote response had impacted on Bihar initially, “but it is now rapidly fizzling out.” He said people had realised that there was another major side to the story, as reflected in the videos of soldiers' widows who spoke of being ignored and sidelined by the Modi government, which they said had shown no compassion for their husbands who died in the line of duty. He said “the people are not fools, they know what is going on.”
Asked about the popularity or otherwise of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Jha said that unlike Lalu Prasad Yadav who was a “spontaneous leader”, the Janata Dal-United chief was just a “managerial leader.” He said people had lost trust in him after he “betrayed” not the RJD, but the “mandate on which he had come to power.”
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Highlands Ranch man, Ryan Laber, opens up after loss of his wife and 2 boys to murder-suicide
By: Shannon Ogden
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. -- It was a tragedy for a Colorado family and the community as a whole. One year ago this month, a Highlands Ranch mom killed her two young sons and then herself in the family minivan.
The horrific set of circumstances left behind husband and father, Ryan Laber. It's impossible to imagine what he is going through but says he's beginning to stitch his life back together.
Ryan and Jen Laber's first year of marriage was not what they were expecting. It was 2005 in Minnesota and Jen fell into her first episode of depression.
She regained all the weight she lost for the wedding. She lost three jobs, and she tried to kill herself.
"Over the course of the next five years, she had four different attempts. Each with a hospitalization thereafter," Ryan said.
Jen was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It took dozens of different drug and therapy combinations, but they were finally able to get it under control. And after a year-and-a-half of stability, Ryan and Jen felt it was safe to talk about having kids.
Ryan asked her a tough question.
"Whether she could hurt children if she ever got back into a depressive state. She said ‘no.’ She could never hurt the kids," he said.
But they made a mistake during that conversation.
"The mistake we made was that we had forgotten that when she got into a depressed mode, she lost that rationality, and as a result, we didn't see that one coming," Ryan said.
They decided to have children, and in short order, Jen gave birth to Ethan and two years later to Adam.
“Ethan was our lover. Adam was our fighter. He loved to cuddle incessantly, particularly with Jen," Ryan said. "She was at peace being a mom. It was her most favorite thing in life."
Ryan accepted a great job in Denver, and the Laber family left Minneapolis for a beautiful cul-de-sac life in Highlands Ranch.
"You could literally walk to Ethan's elementary school. Tons of playsets and everything to play around with. It was perfect," he described.
It was perfect. And it had now been more than six years without even a hint of Jen's depression. But that would change.
November 29, 2016, was just a regular Tuesday when Ryan came home from work.
"The house was dark. I usually get home at 5 to 5:30 every night, my family there. She wasn't home. It wasn't unusual. Maybe she had an appointment. So I hung out at the house," Ryan recalled about that day.
There was a routine to weeknights: Dad home by 5:30 p.m., family dinner, Ethan and Adam in bed by 7:30 p.m. But this night, the boys' bedtime came and went, and they still weren't home, and Jen still wasn't answering her phone.
So, around 8 p.m. Ryan called the police. They said they'd keep an eye out. But the only possible explanation was that Ryan must have done something to make Jen mad, and she was headed back to Minnesota with the boys. In fact, that week they had talked about moving back home.
"There was no sign that she intended to hurt herself or the boys at all," he said.
The next morning, after a restless night, a friend called asking if he had seen the news.
"I booted up a local news site on the laptop and saw a helicopter shot over the top of the minivan, and that there were three bodies inside, according to the story. It was very clear it was the minivan," Ryan said.
Ryan called the police again. This time, they wouldn't say anything on the phone except they were sending officers to his house.
"It's at that point I decided I should pray. I went up to Ethan's room, and I clinched his bed and pressed his pillow to my face to pick up his scent. And then I saw three cars pull up with four police officers that got out. That was the 100 percent moment. I knew then," he recalled.
The day before, while Ryan was at work, Jen bought a Glock 9mm handgun and picked up Ethan early from kindergarten. She drove the two boys in the minivan to the loading dock area of a closed Sports Authority store in Lone Tree. She drugged them - both had opioids and Benadryl in their systems - and then, still strapped into their car seats, she shot 5-year-old Ethan and 3-year-old Adam in their necks and shot herself in the head.
Jen left a four-page letter in the minivan. In it, she explained that she felt ugly, unhealthy and needed to leave this world for a better one - for heaven.
"Then she talked about having no cognition of self-harm by taking the boys with her. That she thought it was OK for them all to go and that she would raise them there," Ryan said about Jen’s rationale detailed in her letter. "She actually said in the letter that they deserved a mother who was healthy 24/7, and that's the only place she could get that. So that she needed to go there and so did they."
Her depression had obviously returned, but this time she kept it secret, blindsiding everyone. Searches on her phone revealed the depression had only come back in October but consumed her in that final month and a half.
"She had a web history searching for homes back in Minnesota and how to commit suicide. Anywhere from how to buy a gun, what do you need, the methods she eventually used," he said.
None of us would dare imagine what the days and weeks following was like for Ryan -- seeing his little boys' bodies at the funeral home.
"You can feel Ethan's bony limbs. You can feel Adam's sturdy shoulders. And it brought back all sorts of memories, but it doesn't answer where they are," he said.
It wasn't until Father's Day - a cruel holiday this year - that his faith allowed him to settle on an answer he could live with.
“It struck me. I'm still a father. I'm just a father of angels,” Ryan said, with tears in his eyes.
This month, it'll be a year since Ryan's family was stolen from him. He still lives in the house and is slowly packing away their things.
"Little by little, as I'm able, I'm tackling room by room," he said. “I haven't been able to touch Ethan's room. Ethan's room had all the books we read at night, all the toys. So that's remained untouched."
The house is a connection to them.
"I can't let go of it yet," he said. "I've been told that at some point in time the house will no longer be filled with memories but filled with ghosts. I haven't gotten there yet."
The days are still hard, some harder than others. But through therapy and faith, Ryan is starting to stitch a life back together. He even occasionally allows himself to think about having a family again.
"Yeah, I have hope to have a wife and kids someday," he said.
As improbable as it seems, Ryan doesn't blame Jen. She was sick. Depression is a sickness, and that sickness is to blame.
"To the person who is suffering, I want them to know that there are a plethora of people out there who want to listen," he said. "It could be the police, a friend, a family member, a neighbor. It just takes one person to help you."
Jen was just one person away from still being here with Ethan, Adam and Ryan in their perfect cul-de-sac home.
If you or someone you know needs help, call the suicide crisis hotline at 1-844-493-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255. More resources can be found on the Colorado Crisis Services website.
Denver7 talked to mental health experts on dealing with depression and ways to get help. Watch the Facebook Live video below:
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Music · Reviews
Roll the Dice - Until Silence
Until Silence is still an album to be enjoyed, and post-rock fans that enjoy seeing a mix of electronica and the more traditional are in for a treat.
Barnabas Abraham18 Jun, 2014
Head here to submit your own review of this album.
Until Silence by Roll the Dice sounds like a soundtrack to the Bioshock video game series. It's almost impossible to listen to this record having played any of the games in the Bioshock series without thinking that certain moments perfectly suit soundtracking a homicidal maniac's rovings around an underwater city (Rapture) or city in sky (Columbia).
No, I haven't been playing a lot of video games recently, but sure, I am a fan of the Bioshock series. I may have taken the day off work on Bioshock Infinite launch day. And yes, I may have become antsy around midday as the game still hadn't arrived, and bought another copy from a local store (the deluxe edition - I still have the keyring) so I could play the game as soon as possible. Even given all of that, the more I listen to Until Silence, the more I can't sever the two. It's not an album that's grown out of that relationship. There are songs which sound almost exactly like tracks from the existing soundtracks which are out there (they are excellent). 'Coup de Grâce' is a mix of 'The Songbird' and 'Battle For Columbia I' from the Bioshock Infinite Soundtrack, 'Perpetual Motion' is like 'The Dash' from the first Bioshock soundtrack, and the closing track from that same original soundtrack, 'All Spliced up', has elements of nearly everything present on Until Silence.
Okay, hopefully that point has been made. For those of you who have never played a Bioshock game before, I have to go into a little more detail. This is post-rock, with strings that bite, crescendos and explosions of sound, unsettling tribal percussion, and a beating heart that makes the music come alive as it narrates its tale. Roll the Dice, a duo based in Stockholm, throw electronic sounds into the mix, sounds which manage to respect the rich, live instrumentation. Their third album, Until Silence, is a pleasant listen, but falls at a couple of key moments.
There's a lot of good here: 'Blood In Blood Out' is an engrossing opener that manages to set the tone well, and never feels as long as it actually is; 'Assembly' is the longest track on the record at just under ten-minutes, yet gets right the variation it needs to engross to the end; 'Aridity' plays with syncopation and feels the most un-earthly track on here, but still manages to feel alive, like Frankenstein's monster, built from stray parts into something horrible, but unmissable; 'Haunted Piano' is perhaps the most delicate piece here, and could easily have badly concluded in different hands. Unfortunately, there are some areas which just don't work as well as others.
One crucial aspect of post-rock is the nuanced touches that allow a repetitive few minutes of noise to hold the listener's attention. An outsider looking in may think that it's the same wall of noise constantly, but there's always something underneath the layers to find and devour. Roll the Dice have moments where this isn't the case, where you listen to the same parts over and over, and nothing jumps out as benefitting the additional run-time. 'Coup de Grâce' falters here, with a rather stodgy base it lays itself upon. 'Perpetual Motion' is perhaps the worst offender, a track that starts well but plateaus, ending up with repeated listens that still don't really develop interest in the track. 'Wherever I Go, Darkness Follows' feels a little neglected, like it's missing some key element that holds the track together, a shell without anything inside it. Closer, 'In Deference', too feels a little hollow, and it comes back to this missed attention to the value of the music here. It's a real shame, as this outside you're seeing looks so brilliant and exciting, but it's the sense of longevity that makes this record a hard one to invest in.
Until Silence is an easy album to enjoy; there are intense moments, peaceful moments, heartfelt ones, and they all contribute to this moody atmosphere that is an exciting ride while it lasts. For fans of Bioshock: Would you kindly give Until Silence by Roll the Dice a listen? For those who aren't, Until Silence is still an album to be enjoyed, and post-rock fans that enjoy seeing a mix of electronica and the more traditional are in for a treat. I'm just not sure that Until Silence offers you something to come back to.
This is the place you'll find reviews from 405 Readers. To join in, head here.
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Startups After raising $17-million, Toronto fintech firm eyes global expansion
After raising $17-million, Toronto fintech firm eyes global expansion
Sensibill employees Preetinder Kaur, Arindam Bhadra and Jan-Lukas Wolf at the company’s Toronto office
Sensibill
Brenda Bouw
Published March 2, 2017 Updated April 10, 2017
Sensibill Inc., a Toronto-based startup that offers digital receipt technology for banks, has raised $17.3-million to supercharge its global expansion and dig deeper into artificial intelligence.
It's one of the largest series A early-stage financing rounds for a Canadian technology startup and signals the growing quality and influence of financial technology (fintech) companies in the market.
"Generally, anything over $10-million has been a bit of a challenge in Canada," says Salim Teja, executive vice-president for Ventures at Toronto's MaRS Discovery District. "To me, what this signals is that the quality of our ventures and the problems they're trying to solve are important and being validated. ... This is a very important transaction given the scale it will allow Sensibill to grow to."
The financing is being led by fintech-focused Information Venture Partners of Toronto, which is throwing in more than $5-million, followed by Toronto-based OpenText Enterprise Apps Fund and San Francisco-based Operative Capital, among others. Toronto-based Impression Ventures, which was a key investor when Sensibill raised $2-million in 2015, is also committing more funds to this round.
Sensibill, which was founded in May, 2013, offers digital receipt technology for mobile banking apps, such as Scotiabank's eReceipts and TD Bank's UGO Wallet.
Corey Gross, Sensibill's co-founder and chief executive officer, says the new money will help the company expand its services in Canada and expand internationally including into the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Mr. Gross says the company's ability to crack the financial services sector in Canada, where there are only a few big banks, gives it the experience and clout to do business in other countries.
"If you can make it in Canada, you can make it anywhere," says Mr. Gross. "It's so hard to penetrate the Canadian banks."
The financing will also help Sensibill improve its products using artificial intelligence (AI) and so-called "deep learning" technology, which is when algorithms can make decisions about data.
Sensibill is working on ways to get its software to further categorize consumer products. For instance, pineapple on a receipt wouldn't just be listed as "fruit," but "tropical fruit." The company is also working on software that will allow consumers to split items on a restaurant bill by singling out and then summing up which items each person ordered.
The new financing will also be used to expand Sensibill's staff from about 50 today, to more than 100 by the end of the year, Mr. Gross says. The bulk of the jobs will continue to be based in Toronto, with sales and marketing positions in other countries where Sensibill is expanding.
David Unsworth, cofounder and general partner at Information Venture Partners, says the funding is one of the largest first cheques it has written for a fintech.
"It's a reflection of the way that we feel about the opportunity in front of Corey and plus our comfort with watching him execute over the last couple of years," says Mr. Unsworth, who believes fintech is still "in the early innings" of market expansion.
"The next decade represents just massive opportunities in how financial institutions change the relationship with their customer," says Mr. Unsworth. "By investing in B2B [business to business] fintech, we can help power that innovation."
He also highlighted the growing AI market and Toronto's position as a global leader in the technology.
The funding from Information Venture Partners comes a few months after it surpassed a $100-million fundraising goal, with backing from Manulife Financial Corp as well as RBC and Power Financial Corp., among others.
Information Venture Partners was spun out of the Royal Bank of Canada two years ago and has also backed a handful of fintechs including Toronto-based investor relations software and analytics firm Q4 Inc., anti-money laundering and fraud protection platform Verafin Inc. of St. John's, and Cambridge, Ont.-based eSentire, a cyber security startup.
"It's not just about money," says Mr. Unsworth about the Sensibill investment. "It's about mentorship and guidance as well."
Follow Brenda Bouw on Twitter @BrendaBouw
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https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Senator-Kirsten-Gillibrand-says-she-s-running-for-13535575.php
Gillibrand announces White House run
Senator uses 'Colbert' appearance to launch campaign
By Robert Gavin
Updated 7:20 am EST, Wednesday, January 16, 2019
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced her plans to run for president in 2020 on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019, in New York City.
Photo: Provided By CBS
NEW YORK — She's running.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told a national audience on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" Tuesday she plans to run for president in 2020 — which, if successful, would make the Albany native the first woman ever to hold the nation's highest office.
She's now one of five potential Democratic candidates looking to challenge and unseat President Donald Trump next year.
"I'm forming an exploratory committee for president of the United States — tonight," Gillibrand, 52, of Brunswick, told Colbert during an appearance on the CBS show, which is filmed in Manhattan. The program will air at 11:30 Tuesday.
Asked by Colbert why she was running, Gillibrand said, "Because as a young mom, I'm going to fight for other people's kids as hard as I would fight for my own."
TONIGHT: @SenGillibrand stops by @colbertlateshow to announce that she is forming an exploratory committee to run for President of the United States! #LSSC pic.twitter.com/vPUpF1gs8z
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) January 15, 2019
She cited expanding access to health care ("a right, not a privilege"), better educational opportunities and job training as three key issues.
"But you are never going to accomplish any of these things if you don't take on the systems of power that make all of that impossible — which is taking on institutional racism, it's taking on the corruption and greed in Washington, it's taking on the special interests that write legislation in the dead of night," she said. "And I know that I have the compassion, the courage and the fearless determination to get that done."
Gillibrand's announcement comes on the heels of her campaign representatives signing a lease for 4,000 to 5,000 square feet of space in the Frear Building in Troy at 2 Third St. She hired her Senate chief of staff, Jess Fassler, and Meredith Kelly, a former spokesperson for Sen. Charles Schumer and communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, to work on her nascent campaign.
Gillibrand on verge of 2020 presidential bid
Troy's Frear Building could be home to Gillibrand's presidential campaign
Gillibrand reps lease 5,000-square-foot Troy building
The appearance on Colbert's show kicks off a week that will take the senator from New York City to Troy to Iowa, site of the all-important caucuses a year from now.
On Wednesday, Gillibrand, her husband Jonathan and their sons Theo and Henry will appear at the Country View Diner on Hoosick Street to have brunch with family and friends and speak to reporters.
On Friday, she's set to arrive in Sioux City, Iowa, to make her first public appearance. Her stops in Iowa will include Boone, Ames and Des Moines, and wrap up Sunday in Cedar Rapids.
"What is the first thing you would do on Day One in office?" Colbert asked Gillibrand.
"Well, the first thing that I would do is I would restore what's been lost — the integrity and the compassion of this country," Gillibrand replied.
She said she would bring people together. She noted she sponsored legislation with nearly every Republican senator, including an anti-sexual harassment bill with Ted Cruz.
"Thank you for believing in something so much you were willing to work with Ted Cruz," Colbert cracked.
Asked how to end the government shutdown, now 25 days and going, Gillibrand pinned it squarely on Trump.
"What he has done is absolutely outrageous," Gillibrand said. "He created the problem himself. He created the crisis himself and he shouldn't be having a temper tantrum because he can't get what he wants ... shutting down the government is hurting people. Right now he's doing it because he wants his own way. If you're going to do something like that, you better be fighting for other people, not yourself."
In a lighthearted dig, Colbert reminded the senator of her propensity for four-letter words.
"Everybody knows you like to swear. Are you going to swear on the campaign trail?" Colbert asked Gillibrand, noting the campaign could be stressful.
"I'm gonna definitely try," Gillibrand replied.
"What's the word you'll miss the most?" Colbert pressed.
"It rhymes with duck," Gillibrand answered.
Colbert gave Gillibrand some parting gag gifts for states where she will campaign early on — an ear of corn for Iowa, granite from New Hampshire, mustard barbecue sauce for South Carolina. He also gave her plane ticket for Michigan so Gillibrand will remember to campaign there — a dig at Hillary Rodham Clinton, who lost the state to Trump.
A Gillibrand campaign official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the campaign is predicated on the notion that "The lesson of 2018 is that the future of the Democratic Party is with women."
The official provided statistics saying that 58 percent of women say they are paying more attention to politics since the election of Trump, a statistic that is reflected in stepped-up participation by women running for and winning seats in Congress.
"They contributed, volunteered, voted, ran for office, and won," the official said.
Gillibrand's campaign slogan is simple: "Now is our time."
The candidate raised more than $27 million in the 2018 cycle and has more than $10.5 million in the bank — a sum her campaign called the third-highest total of all declared or potential 2020 contenders.
Gillibrand supported action to combat climate change, gun violence, sexual assault and abuse in the military and on college campuses — a record that her campaign called the "most solidly anti-Trump voting résumé of any U.S. senator."
The senator's 2018 Republican opponent, businesswoman Chele Farley, was relentless in accusing Gillibrand of secretly holding presidential ambitions. In their lone debate, Farley managed to get the Democrat to state that, if re-elected, "I will serve my six-year term."
Two weeks later — after hammering Farley on Election Day by a 2-to-1 margin — Gillibrand appeared on Colbert's show to say that she was seriously considering a presidential run that would render her earlier statement inoperative.
It is not the first time Gillibrand has adjusted her previous stances, though not in such a brief span of time. Critics on the left and right have pointed to her shift leftward on issues included immigration and gun control — changes that corresponded with her ascension from regional congresswoman to statewide senator.
More recently, she took heat from some progressives for her decision to call for the resignation of U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., in late 2017 following numerous allegations of inappropriate behavior toward women. Gillibrand's action was followed by an avalanche of Democratic calls for Franken's exit, and he quickly announced his departure.
Gillibrand has deep political roots locally. She is the granddaughter of the late Dorothea "Polly" Noonan, the longtime confidante of late Albany Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd. Noonan, who led the Albany County Democratic Women's Club, mobilized women to support Democratic candidates in the old Albany political machine.
Gillibrand, who attended the Emma Willard school in Troy, is the daughter of Douglas Rutnik, an attorney and lobbyist, and Polly Rutnik, also a lawyer. A graduate of Dartmouth College and UCLA law school, she is a lawyer whose résumé includes work for then-federal Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo and at the New York City firm of Boies, Schiller & Flexner.
Cuomo, beginning his third term as New York's governor, has been mentioned as a potential Democratic candidate for president, though he has denied holding any interest.
Gillibrand defeated former U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, a Republican, in 2006. In 2009, Gov. David Paterson appointed her to fill the Senate seat left vacant after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was nominated for secretary of state by President Barack Obama.
"Kirsten Gillibrand is appealing to Americans because she represents so much what our generation is fighting for her," said Albany Commissioner of Administrative Services Rachel McEneny, who worked for Gillibrand from 2007 to 2011 and got to know the contender while they logged thousands of miles together.
"She listens, she's thoughtful, she has empathy, she understands federal government when it's broken," McEneny said. "She is extremely hard-working and tenacious.
McEneny noted Gillibrand has lived in New York City, Los Angeles and China but has embraced smaller communities by living near Hudson and Troy.
"She had a gift of connecting with people, and I believe it's from being a good listener," McEneny said. "You hear people she has spoken to and their words come out in her speeches. I hope she runs, she represents a lot of what I would like to hear as an American and I think in that she is someone who will create a better country for my daughter."
Other candidates in the race to unseat Trump include Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., former federal housing secretary and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro; and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California are seen as imminent entries in the contest.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has indicated interest if no viable Democrat emerges.
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The Evolution of the Internet
Less than forty years ago, researchers at ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) began using TCP/IP to create a “network of networks.” This was the first instance of what would evolve into the modern internet. Mull on that for a moment: the internet, one of the defining features of modern life, has only been around for a few decades. And yet, it’s evolved so rapidly it hardly resembles the simple program those researchers were using in 1983.
To use dial-up internet, the phone had to be connected to a modem.
For about seven years after ARPANET’s mission began, the internet was still fairly niche, only being used by military and professional individuals. New countries started their own services, expanding on the idea of global communications sparked by the launch of Sputnik in 1957. In 1989-1990, however, an employee at the European Physical Laboratory of CERN developed what he called the “World Wide Web.” Tim Berners-Lee created what is now considered the precursor to all modern websites, and the “www.” address is used to honor his creation. The World Wide Web opened to the public in 1991.
As the WWW went public, so did the first commercial versions of the internet. The services were all called dial-up, due to the requirement of a phone line. If you wanted to browse the web, any calls through a landline would be impossible. It was also slow and clunky, with file-sharing taking hours. Streaming video or audio was simply out of the question. While modems could amp up speeds somewhat, they were expensive. Nevertheless, services like Compuserve and AOL flourished during this time:
In the early 2000s, broadband began replacing dial-up. It was still slow by modern standards, but faster and more reliable than its predecessor. Some places still rely on broadband for internet, but this is increasingly rare. It’s more common to see broadband available for grounded connections through Ethernet cables or the like with Wi-Fi used for wireless devices. In fact, Wi-Fi has been available to the public since 1999, but the attachments needed to make it work were costly and difficult to come by.
Cables are needed for broadband and fiber optic networks.
Cable and fiber optic broadband are popular options as well, although are more suited for private businesses and homes than public spaces. Cable broadband is exactly what it sounds like: internet offered through cable television wires. It’s potentially faster than ADSL broadband but still unreliable. If the cable cuts out, so does the internet. Fiber optics are even faster by using fiber optic cables instead of the traditional copper wire. The most famous provider would be FiOS by Verizon.
Smartphones also had an interesting impact on the internet. Early on, the connection speeds were a whopping 9.6kps–even slower than dial-up. 2G would speed things up to home standards, but they wouldn’t hit their stride until the invention of 3G in 2001. Short for “third generation,” smartphones were now truly the successor to home computers and would continue with the release of 4 and 5G.
Lastly, there is the Internet of Things, made up of any device connected to the web. We covered this in depth in a previous article, but the basic concept is that home appliances could be controlled remotely using the internet. If you’re able to set your thermostat from your phone, for example, it’s considered part of the Internet of Things.
Using smart phones is only possible thanks to 3-5G.
No doubt the internet will continue to evolve. Everyday connections are getting faster, new sites are introduced, and new appliances are added to the IoT. If it didn’t already dominate our lives, it would soon be the defining factor of our lives. And it’s not even half a century old yet.
Imagine if human evolution moved at the same speeds.
Tomorrow's World Today
Sci Channel
© MMXIX Tomorrow's World Today
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Ray Davies – Americana
Graeme Thomson
Fine aural companion to 2013 memoir of the same name
Photo by Alex Lake
TAGS: Ray Davies
For an artist so widely associated with a very English sensibility – godfather of Britpop, grandmaster of kitchen sink self-deprecation – Ray Davies has harboured a long and deep obsession with American culture. Always a significant presence in his life, at the age of 72 he has finally pushed it to the centre of his music.
His first album of new material for eight years, Americana is an aural companion to Davies’ 2013 memoir of the same name. Through 15 songs (an expanded edition is already in the works), he traces an intimate relationship with the country which fired his imagination in the ’50s, turned his life upside down in the early ’60s, shunned him in the later ’60s, and became home in more recent decades. Americana may be unashamedly conceptual, but it wears its ambitions lightly. Davies tells Uncut his Americana is “an idea, an America of the mind rather than a style of music or the place itself”, a conceit which affords him the freedom to roam.
The scene-setting title track cribs from “Home On The Range”, recounting the explosive impact of US culture, particularly cowboy films, on the teenage Davies and his “baby brother” in their Muswell Hill terrace. Just one problem: “I can’t understand how I’m gonna get there from here.” Yet by the next song, “The Deal”, there he is, soaking up the Californian sun as a newly anointed pop star, his habitual British reticence simultaneously repelled and seduced by an unstoppable barrage of “awesome” Yankee optimism: “Feeling so fabulous, fraudulent, a counterfeit on the make.”
The mood throughout is of rueful, often humorous ambivalence. The tremendous “Poetry” – which has echoes of Cockney Rebel’s “Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)” – laments the brash vulgarity of the worst of Universal America, while “A Long Drive Home To Tarzana” uneasily embraces the American Dream via a haven in the San Fernando Valley. The airy chamber country of “The Invaders” relives the demonisation – not entirely without merit – of The Kinks as the thuggish footsoldiers of the British Invasion, ultimately resulting in them being banned from the States between 1965-’69: “They called us the invaders, as though we came from another world/The man from immigration shouted out, ‘Hey punk, are you a boy or a girl?’” This is a cultural earthquake with a very personal aftershock: “Things would never be the same,” not just for the world, but for Davies. A delicate duet, “Message From The Road” finds him battling time zones, desperate to connect with his wife and child back in Britain. He sings it with weary tenderness, while The Jawhawks’ keyboardist and vocalist Karen Grotberg plays the woman left at home, “out of sight and out of mind”.
One of the smartest moves Davies makes on Americana is using The Jawhawks as his core backing band. They bring a warm, uncomplicated cohesion. Given their input, and the themes, unsurprisingly the album has a prominent country flavour. “A Place In Your Heart” is a light-hearted hoedown, befitting a tale of travel, fleeting romantic assignations and wide-open possibilities; “Rock And Roll Cowboys” is an elegant country-rock waltz, piled up with Wild West metaphors; the title track is scored with swooning pedal steel. Yet the scope of Americana allows for a generous range of styles. Davies mines the blues on the swampy “Mystery Room” and the minimalist, somewhat malevolent “Change For Change”, while a brief spoken-word piece, the poignant “Silent Movie”, recalls a final meeting with his neighbour Alex Chilton, “the day before I left New Orleans”.
At times the influences are closer to home and enjoyably knowing. “The Deal”, with its familiar descending chord sequence, feels classically Kinksian; or perhaps – given that Davies wrote it during the age of Britpop – it’s closer to the sound of The Kinks filtered through Blur, a homage to a homage. “I’ve Heard That Beat Before” – a lovely, light, jazz-inflected shuffle musing on the dance between creative inspiration and domestic discord – features a snatch of “All Day And All Of The Night”, while Davies sings in his laziest Sunday afternoon voice.
He is entitled to flirt so openly with past glories. Entirely self-written and beautifully realised, Americana is a deeply satisfying reminder that Davies remains a songwriter with a huge reach, but few equals.
The July 2017 issue of Uncut is now on sale in the UK – featuring our exclusive interview with Roger Waters on the cover. Elsewhere in the issue, there are new interviews with Evan Dando, Jason Isbell, Steve Van Zandt and Kevin Morby and we look at shoegazing and the Scottish folk revival. We review The Beatles, Fleet Foxes, U2, Van Morrison and Dan Auerbach. Our free CD features 15 tracks of the month’s best music, including Can, Richard Dawson, Saint Etienne, Ride, The Unthanks, Songhoy Blues and more.
Uncut: the past, present and future of great music.
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Ayesha Curry Opens Up About Botched Boob Job She Got Amid Postpartum Depression
By Darrelle Lincoln
Writer for Total Pro Sports Since August 31, 2015
Ayesha Curry has never been afraid to speak her mind and it doesn’t matter what her critics have to say about her comments.
During a new interview with Working Mother, the wife of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry decided to open up about what she went through after having her second child.
Curry revealed soon after having her second daughter, Ryan, she decided to get a boob job because she felt a certain way about her body.
“I didn’t realize at the time, but after having Ryan, I was battling a bit of postpartum that lingered for a while,” she recalled. “It came in the form of me being depressed about my body. So I made a rash decision.”
She thought the new boobs would give her new confidence, but it didn’t go the way she thought it would.
“The intention was just to have them lifted, but I came out with these bigger boobs I didn’t want,” she continued. “I got the most botched boob job on the face of the planet. They’re worse now than they were before.”
While she claims she would “never do anything like that again,” Curry made it a point to state that she is “an advocate of if something makes you happy, who cares about the judgment?”
That botched boob job might have something to do with her revealing her insecurities on the Red Table Talk and her desires to want attention from men other than her husband.
Tags: ayesha curry, Golden State Warriors,
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IBS Symptoms in Men
More in Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Causes & Diagnosis
IBS With Constipation
IBS With Diarrhea
By Barbara Bolen, PhD
According to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD), between 25 million and 45 million people in the United States have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and one out of every three is male. For the most part, the condition affects men and women in similar ways, but there are a few differences.
How IBS Affects Men and Women
IBS is a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) that causes repeated episodes of severe abdominal cramps or stabbing or radiating pain, along with chronic constipation, frequent bouts of diarrhea, or both. Besides the primary symptoms, IBS sometimes also causes bloating, gas, mucus in the stool, and the feeling that a bowel movement was incomplete. While IBS can cause you to have diarrhea and constipation, sometimes it is predominantly associated with diarrhea (IBS-D), and sometimes it is predominantly associated with constipation (IBS-C).
Differences in How IBS Affects Men and Women
Some research has found differences in the ways men and women experience IBS.
In general, men are more likely to have problems with diarrhea and frequent stools, and less likely to experience pain. Men also tend to experience more interpersonal problems than women as a result of their IBS and are less likely to seek medical attention than women are.
There is a prevailing myth that IBS only affects women. Television commercials and magazine ads tend to portray irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as a problem that only women develop.
What's more, advertisers aren't alone in their bias that IBS is a woman's health problem. Researchers also have been more likely to focus on how the condition affects women than on how it affects men. Consequently, men often are often excluded from studies or there are too few of them to gather much statistically significant information.
The stereotype could be an unfortunate misperception for men who may have digestive symptoms caused by IBS. Men may not get the help they might need simply because they assume that something else is going on.
Gender differences in IBS prevalence appear to decrease with age. The rates of IBS in women begin to dip after the age of 45, a trend that's generally attributed to hormonal changes of menopause. By age 65, the rates of IBS in men and women are thought to be roughly equal.
Men are less likely to experience pain with IBS, and doctors believe that testosterone and other androgens (male hormones) could be the cause.
Androgens are natural steroids, and testosterone is an androgen. Research has indicated that higher levels of androgens lower a person's risk of developing a chronic pain disorder and that testosterone, in particular, may serve as a natural pain reliever. This might play into why pain is a predominant symptom of IBS in women, but not in men, and can partially explain why women report IBS symptoms more often than men.
In general, women with IBS are more likely to experience hard stools and bloating, while men are more likely to experience frequent stools and diarrhea. The explanation for these differences is unclear.
Overall, studies show that men with IBS have a more diminished quality of life than women with IBS. Dysphoria (a feeling of being unwell), body image, interference with activity, health worries, food avoidance, social interactions, and sexual function are all diminished in men and women with IBS, but more so in men.
Diagnosis and Treatment of IBS in Men
Women are estimated to be three times as likely as men to see a doctor for digestive problems. And the diagnosis of IBS may not be considered as readily when men are evaluated for digestive problems as it is for women. While the diagnosis of IBS may be somewhat delayed for men, the effective treatments are the same for men and women and include dietary modification and medication.
If you're a guy and you're having persistent stomach pain or digestive discomfort, don't discount the possibility that you might be dealing with IBS. Make an appointment to see your doctor and find out what the problem is. You could be among the 30 percent of people with this complex, disruptive disorder who happen to be male, and, with a diagnosis, you can get the treatment that will bring you relief.
One of the most challenging aspects of having IBS is trying to figure out what's safe to eat. Our recipe guide makes it easier. Sign up and get yours now!
Kopczyńska M, Mokros Ł, Pietras T, Małecka-Panas E. Quality of life and depression in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Prz Gastroenterol. 2018;13(2):102-108. doi: 10.5114/pg.2018.75819. Epub 2018 May 16.
Björkman I, Jakobsson Ung EJ, Ringström G, Törnblom H, Simrén M. "More Similarities than Differences Between Men and Women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome." Neurogastroenterology & Motility 2015;27(6):796–804.
Canavan C, West J, Card T. "The Epidemiology of Irritable Bowel Syndrome." Clinical Epidemiology 2014;6:71-80.
Mulak A, Taché Y, Larauche M. "Sex Hormones in the Modulation of Irritable Bowel Syndrome." World Journal of Gastroenterology 2014;20(10):2433-2448.
Thakur ER, Gurtman MB, Keefer L, Brenner DM, Lackner JM. "Gender Differences in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Interpersonal Connection." Neurogastroenterology and Motility 2015;27(10):1478-1486.
10 Ways IBS Symptoms Are Different for Women
Discover What You Need to Know About Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
A Closer Look at Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Why Fewer Men Are Diagnosed With IBS Than Women
What's Behind Your IBS Pain and When to See a Doctor
An Overview of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Which Antispasmodics Are Most Effective in Treating IBS Symptoms?
Understand What You Can Do About IBS Related Diarrhea
IBS-D Is IBS With Diarrhea and Abdominal Pain
Pain With Constipation May Be Constipation Predominant IBS
Do You Know What Could Be Causing Your IBS?
How the Rome Criteria Can Help Diagnose IBS
Can You Have IBS Without Pain?
Why IBS Used to Be Called Spastic Colon
Celiac Disease Symptoms in Men
How Doctors Determine if You Have IBS
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Home > Criminal
Robichaud’s adds associate
Tuesday, August 07, 2018 @ 11:55 AM | By John Chunn
Shalini Gunawardhane has joined Robichaud’s as an associate counsel.
Gunawardhane graduated from Carleton University with a bachelor of arts degree in global politics with a minor in law. During her time at Carleton University, she interned with Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in the Humanitarian Affairs and Natural Disaster Relief Unit.
She went on to attend Queen’s University Law School, graduating in 2017 with her juris doctor. Gunawardhane completed her articles with a litigation boutique in Toronto.
During her time at Queen’s, Gunawardhane volunteered with Queen’s Legal Aid, was an ambassador for the faculty’s recruitment team and obtained her certificate in public international law through the Queen’s International Study Centre at Herstmonceux Castle in the United Kingdom.
During her second year of law school, she participated in the Julius Alexander Isaac Diversity Moot. It was during her time as a competitive mooter that she developed a keen interest in issues of race and ethnicity as they relate to criminal procedure and the Charter.
Criminal Canada investing almost $2 million in two women’s legal organizations
Criminal Lawyer tries to do more than just pay ‘lip service’ to prisoners’ rights
Charged Environment Preconceived views on sex stereotypes affect male stripper case
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How to survive running with the bulls in Pamplona
pamplonasan ferminrunning of the bullsbulls
Acclaimed British author and bullfighting expert Alexander Fiske-Harrison has been running with the bulls at Pamplona for the last eight years and has participated in dozens of bull runs across Spain. He shares with The Local his top ten tips for survival.
What you should know before you arrive:
1. Pamplona's population swells more than sevenfold during the Fiesta de San Fermin to one and a half million people and the hotels hike their prices by exactly that multiple. Of course, many tourists make do with benches, parks or gutters. Unluckily for them this year the forecast is for rain.
2. Even though this is the best and biggest party in the world, it is also a feria for the (co-) patron saint of Navarre, an autonomous community of Spain sometimes regarded as a part of the Greater Basque Country, but also a part of the Kingdom of Spain. This means a little respect and sensitivity is necessary - the politics, the religion, the patriotism and the tribalism, they all have their darker side. Speaking of respect: just because everyone else litters - in the case of the French with their bodily fluids - you don't have to.
Alexander Fiske-Harrison training with Spanish bullfighter Juan José Padilla. Photo: Alexander Fiske-Harrison
What you need to know when you arrive:
(3) Pickpockets abound. In fact, the only thing more evident on the streets, day and night, are loud, distracted and extremely drunk people. Hence the pickpockets. You have been warned about both.
(4) Instrinsic to this fiesta is the Feria del Toro. Pamplona is about bull, and not just the stuff spoken at the bars. Large Spanish fighting bulls, toros bravos, from the most historic ranches in Spain stampede down the streets every morning at 8am. They come by the half dozen, and each evening, they are individually danced with, dared with and despatched in the plaza de toros. This is the corrida de toros, mistakenly called the bullfight - it is not a fight, nor meant to be, but a three act tragedy culminating in a ritual sacrifice: the bull always dies. A throwback to a bygone age? Perhaps. But remember, that is how they'll view the steak you eat with no dietary need in a hundred years time...
What you need to know about running the bulls:
(5) Read my book! The Bulls Of Pamplona is the official guide in English language to the Feria of San Fermin. The foreword is written by the mayor.
(6) Plan! Watch as many videos as you can and realise that you must be physically, psychologically and technically able to run between thousands of idiots, among which will appear, as though by magic, half-ton-plus wild animals with swords attached to their heads. They have never seen a human being on the ground before - they are ranched wild from horseback - so they may view you as a fellow herbivore fleeing the same predator and ignore you, or they may work out that it's humans who are the danger. Then God, and Saint Fermin, help you.
Fiske-Harrison running with the bulls in Pamplona. Photo: Foto Auma
(7) As a result of (6), if you get knocked down, STAY DOWN, in 1995 an American runner died trying to get up and thus putting his vital organs at waist - i.e. horn - height. The pastors - herdsmen - in green polo shirts who run with canes will intervene to take the bull off you as will the experienced runners.
(8) Experienced runners grew up with the bulls. There are practically no truly experienced foreign runners (I discount Joe Distler who ran every run in Pamplona from 1968-2012 and co-authored our eBook.) We are all just amateurs from outside Spain, no matter how gifted. The Spanish and Basque contributors to our e-book have run an estimated 10,000 encierros between the four of them across the entirety of Spain. Do not interfere with their work, their commands, and whatever you do, do not interfere with the bulls - DO NOT TOUCH THEM! Some people seem to think it's a game to hit them with newspapers. This is a game that leads to people in wheelchairs or the grave. Also, no cameras are allowed on the run. Fifteen people died in bull-runs in Spain last year, in at least one case while they were taking a selfie. An experienced Spanish runner died in Pamplona the year I first came in 2009. This is for grown ups.
Fiske-Harrison always runs in his very distinctive Eton blazer. Photo: Alexander Fiske-Harrison
What you need to know about after the running of the bulls:
(9) You have been a part of something remarkable. It is hard for the brain to process that. You will become - in this order - speechless, repetitively boring, drunk (this is necessary, otherwise the adrenaline makes you ill), overly affectionate to people including bemused waiters, and finally,wild in your exaggerations. We've all been there. No need to blush the next day, but tone it down a bit if you can.
(10) As a result of the above, you might like to come back. Do. It gets better. And you don't have to run the bulls every time by the way, but it's certainly better than espresso.
The Bulls Of Pamplona, a guide to San Fermin is now available to download from Amazon.
Co-authored by Fiske-Harrison, the book includes contributions from regular runner John Hemingway (grandson of Ernest), Beatrice Welles (daughter of Orson) and Joe Distler, a veteran bull runner who has earned a reputation as one of the greatest ever American participants, Larry Belcher the former Texan Rodeo Champion, and even a chapter on the tactics to deploy from gifted young bull-runner Captain (Ret'd.) Dennis Clancey of the 101st Airborne Division, as well as four Spaniards widely acclaimed as the greatest bull runners ever.
A version of this article first appeared in July 2018.
Famed Spanish bull run ends with two gored, dozens hurt
Black vs White clothes: Women at Spain's bull run festival divided over 'wolf pack' rape demo
One more American and a Brit injured in Spain's Pamplona bull run
Americans seriously injured after being gored at Spain's Pamplona bull run
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The Battle of the bulge
Sources and battle maps
- Atkinson, Rick. Guns at Last Light. Place of Publication Not Identified: Abacus, 2015.
- Cole, Hugh M. The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge. Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, LLC, 2012.
- MacDonald, Charles B. A Time for Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge. New York: Perennial, 2002.
- McManus, John C. Alamo in the Ardennes: The Untold Story of the American Soldiers Who Made the Defense of Bastogne Possible. New York: NAL Caliber, 2008.
- McManus, John C. Grunts: Inside the American Infantry Combat Experience, World War II through Iraq. New York: NAL Caliber, 2011.
- Patton, George S. "George S. Patton's Speech to the Third U.S. Army." Speech, Speech to the U.S. Third Army, England, London. June 5th, 1944.
https://web.archive.org/web/20060616031308/http://www.knox.army.mil/museum/pattonsp.htm
Full Transcript of episode:
The_Battle_of_The_Bulge_.mp3
[00:00:00.68] Welcome back to the Monday American podcast. I'd like to say right off the bat I am sorry of how long it took for me to get this episode out to you guys. Sometimes things in life just take a little bit longer than you expected and I apologize. This episode of The Podcast is brought to you by Michael Cannon. Michael is the author of the book called Last Judgment last judgment takes you through the story of a man who is down on his luck and he finds himself pretty much in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's a great story about mystery in the sudden disappearance of the protagonist himself and also the journey of his friends and his family to find him. It's a phenomenal book and if you know anything about me you would know that whenever I recommend something means you should get it. You can find a book on Google Play. It's only eight dollars. And if that isn't a deal I don't know what is. Just click on the highlighted link in the show notes to get your copy. Now not only can you get that book but Michael Cannon is also currently working on a graphic novel coming out early next year that is based on the Last Judgment book.
[00:01:05.54] You follow the link in the show notes again and watch a preview of the upcoming graphic novel for yourself and check out the storyline and it's it's actually a very impressive storyline. In my humble opinion I won't spoil the whole thing for you but it does deal with humans discovering that aliens are among them and the subsequent fight for the survival of man. You can even help in the fight yourself by visiting the link that I included to donate to the project's funding. All on your own. See what I did there. That's quite a few links in the show notes but I think that you're gonna be able to handle it. I believe in you. And again go by the book Last Judgment. The best eight bucks you're going to ever spend. Check out that preview for the upcoming graphic novel and if you want to help out an author and the team in their production of that graphic novel you can visit the link to donate to their cause. Because when you think about it the survival of the human species depends on it. You're listening to the Monday America
[00:02:04.88] The Show that puts the story back into history.
[00:02:10.6] Making history come alive. One episode at a time. This show made for the. Visit on Monday AMERICAN dot com to get more. Dive into the Monday America.
[00:02:30.72] Don't worry we'll be gentle. So as I'm sitting down here to record this episode I can't help but laugh to myself at my own inability to follow the very rule I gave myself in the last episode. If you listen to that episode I started off by explaining why I chose the topic and mentioning that I'm going to be try going to try to be careful to avoid topics that are too narrow. As far as just military history or just certain wars and that I'd be able to branch out a little bit more and that is the case. But this episode and laughing to myself because of it is on the battle of the Bulge which is a word or two military battle. One episode after I just said I was going to be more cautious to avoid just using military history topics. Maybe I'm just more of a do as I say not as I do kind of instruction giver. I don't know the reason I chose this topic was because I received an email back in April from Catherine Higgins who requested that I do do an episode part me on General George as Peyton and while this episode isn't exactly solely about Peyton he does play a very very large role in the story. So I decided to do this episode on one of the topics that I find the most interesting in almost all of American history which is the battle of the Bulge and incorporate that with cap Kathryn's topic request.
[00:04:04.53] So I hope you can excuse the humor of choosing yet another military topic. Immediately after I mentioned I wouldn't do that. But like I said Do as I say not as I do. For those of you that are not already familiar with what the battle of the Bulge exactly is it's one of the worst battles of the entire Second World War. And for that matter it's one of the worst battles in warfare history the world over. The Battle Of The Bulge took place in Belgium in the Arden forest. Now this was the late winter. It started on December 16th of 1944. There's quite a few different factors here that led to such an awful situation for the United States soldiers that were manning the front in that area. Let's back up a little bit remember that we invaded France on June 6 of 1944. And from that point on the United States Army and the allies had been pushing forward through France Liberating Paris and really the whole country. And they had fanned out from there as they approached the German border. And one of the reasons that this battle was bad was because we approached the German border so quickly and with such force that the overall consensus in the nation and in the army and the military thinking minds of the day was that the war would be over before the new year.
[00:05:34.32] The slogan was in the war in 44. And then eventually it became stay alive and 45 but this assumption that we would be done before the new year meant that these troops on the ground were in the same clothes that they landed in France with that summer. Now this is winter and it's in the Arden force of Belgium and its high altitude. It's cold and there's snow on the ground. Needless to say the troops didn't have the right clothing for the winter at all. That's an understatement. They had they had some of them didn't even have boots. Now another reason probably one of the biggest reasons why this battle was so bad is because at this point Hitler and the Vermont Army they were at a point of dire straits. They had retreated so rapidly and lost so many men they had no real chance of survival. And that's what everyone thought. And in the strategic minds of military experts the world over this is a situation where you have to make an attack in order to try to tilt the balance of the momentum of the war. And this was when Hitler chose to make his offensive. Now it wasn't really a surprise to the allies that there was an offensive coming they all knew it. They just didn't think it was going to be in the Ardennes Forest. Now the Ardennes Forest has been a site of a lot of World War history.
[00:07:11.58] The German army invaded France through that corridor in World War One. And they did so again in World War 2. And the reason that they did that was because it was a terrain that was incredibly unfriendly to a mobile army. It had very tall pines. It was mountainous. And it just didn't have good roadways. And that was exactly why Hitler decided to make his offensive there because it was a place that no one would suspect in because it was a place no one would suspect. We had been sending the army divisions that had fought a atrocious battle in the heart and forest just a few weeks before we had sent them to the frontlines in Belgium in the Arden region just to get some rest. So they were extremely worn out battle hardened and weary soldiers that were being sent to what was supposed to be one of the quietest fronts in the war. But when you as a military leader and as a group not just singling out one person assume that one area is a quiet zone or that there's just no action coming or even going on you tend to under man that area in order to send men elsewhere where they're needed. And that was exactly the case that had happened here. I mean there was so so little action that Marlene Dietrich.
[00:08:35.58] She was a incredibly famous performer at the time and a noted villain of the Nazis they hated her because she was German born and she didn't answer the call to serve the Third Reich. She was a mile away from the front lines performing the night before the operation began. So to say that they thought that nothing was really going on it really might be an understatement because it would be incredible propaganda for her to get captured by the Nazis at this time.
[00:09:08.28] But she was on a USO tour. You just don't have USO tours at the site of a battle right there. They're always behind the lines. But everyone felt so safe in that area that there wasn't gonna be anything going on that she was right up there that she just got to show you the casual nature of what was going on at the time in that casual nature was due to quite a few different things like I mentioned before. But just as a summation everyone thought Hitler was done. Everyone thought the German army had lost too much men too much material to be able to fully mount any type of meaningful offensive counter attack to the allies pushing ever farther east towards Berlin those that did think that they could do it. Thought the attack was coming elsewhere and the men were moved off the line in order to remain elsewhere. And the other men were sent there in order to rest and recover as well as the fresh troops who were sent there to start off their tour in Europe not in the hottest spot of the whole second world war. Right off the get go. And as we come to find out unfortunately those were all the wrong moves. One of the men that was high up in the army that actually understood that the German counterattack might be coming through that way was none other than General George S.
[00:10:35.9] Payton. He and his third army intelligence officer who is Brigadier General Oscar w Coke. They sensed what others didn't. That a dangerous in desperate enemy absolutely remained capable of wreaking havoc. Up until this point everyone assumed that the German reversal of ground in the recent months had been a rout or just a mass collapse of the army. The two men who understood that it was not anything of that sort. Were Peyton in his office Coke. They they knew that it hadn't been a rout and a total military defeat and that they were still capable of massing a large concentration of army groups. General Patton himself said quote The first army is making a terrible mistake and leaving the eighth corps static as it is highly probable that the Germans are building up east of them. But the concerns of Patton and his intelligence officer were essentially overruled by the consensus of the military minds above them. And like I said earlier just a few miles east of where Marlene Dietrich in her supporting cast were performing the war was still going on. And although it was a quiet sector of the war they were still dealing with the men on the front we're still dealing with all the usual complications of combat exposure to the elements. Fatigue and constant danger. General Norman Cota was the general in charge of the divisions that were stretched along a thin line of outposts and strong points that paralleled either side of the our river.
[00:12:11.69] And that is felt. Oh you are I don't know any other way to pronounce it. I'm sure it's wrong though. The divisions there were so sparsely manned. They were they were just very battered from the hurt in battle and the road from France to where they were at that point. Now initially they had the second infantry division to their north as their neighbor but just a few days before the German offensive was launched the brand new and entirely raw 106 and an infantry division had replaced them to the south. They had been bordered by a 9th armored division and the twenty eighth division bordered them. They had so much ground to defend. The general coda was forced to keep all three of his regiments on the front line in the north part of his sector of the hundred and 12th Infantry held the smallest sector who's actually in the middle of the Siegfried Line in the Siegfried Line is a line of defenses that the German army had built in order to keep out invaders. It was east of the river and it was in Germany itself just to the south of them was one hundred and tenth infantry and they were covering more than 13 miles of Ardennes territory. The hundred and tenth was responsible for twice as much territory as any regiment could be expected to control.
[00:13:33.86] Yet it only had two of its battalions at the front and to the south of the hundred and 10th was one hundred and Ninth Infantry and they were in a similar situation of their own patrolling more than ten miles of rolling country west of the river. So both of these divisions they didn't have any real bona fide defensive lines or plans they could only occupy towns and crossroads as a strong point in the vicinity of where they were supposed to be. So what they would do is they would outposts the river during the day and they would pull back at night in an after action report for the hundred and Ninth Infantry. It kind of described the area pretty succinctly. It said quote The terrain along the entire division front is extremely Hilly. Much of it covered with pine forests. Observation is difficult because of the many wood it draws. Hitler could not have planned a more perfect place to conceal a last ditch effort offensive. But by and large this front was very quiet. It seemed like neither side was really interested in doing much fighting at that point. You have to remember that these men aren't just going to always follow orders they are going to fight when they have to with help. They don't want to fight. They don't want to have a chance to die and they could all sense at the end of the war was coming.
[00:14:55.13] The surgeon for the 2nd Battalion of the hundred Ninth Infantry Bedford Davis recorded one such instance where it was clear that neither side had any interest in fighting each other. When he was visiting the frontlines with general Cota and it was a sunny day. Remember this is the winter it was cold and the weather had been horrible. So it was a sunny day they both observed soldiers from both sides out basically sunbathing. He said quote some of the men were lying on the ground outside their foxholes and slit trenches to absorb the welcome sunshine German soldiers. About 200 yards away were doing the same and as he watched he began talking to some of these sunbathing men and he said quote son do you see that man over there working a great uniform. And he replied yes sir. He said Don't you know he's your enemy. And he said Yes sir. He said Why don't you shoot at him then. And his reply is probably the best reply I think any soldier could give a non-combatant army or civilian anyone who isn't on the front line. He said quote sir he might shoot back they all laughed including General Koda. He wanted his troops to be aggressive but he knew in this quiet area of the war he was right. Why shoot at someone if he wasn't shooting at you.
[00:16:09.67] Occasionally a patrol from the German side would slip across the river. They'd look around for a bit and they pretty quickly go back. There was just rarely any shooting in the diary of private 1st class Robert pro back. He recorded witnessing a another kind of hilarious instance of the lack of war. He had been wounded earlier and he was just now returning to F Company of the hundred tenth infantry in on his way back. He said quote We would drive about three miles to the high banks overlooking the R river. We would wave to the Germans on the other side. Sometimes we would shout Good morning and they would respond the same way he said at times just to satisfy their superior officers the two sides would squeeze off a few rounds that were somewhat playful if that is even a possibility in war. They were unnamed shots at one another and naturally no one ever got hurt. Needless to say on the surface it seemed quiet on all fronts but for the combat soldiers who were living there day and night they were living near the enemy and watching the enemy's every move. Something began to seem a little bit strange. Gradually as the month of December unwound many of the frontline soldiers began to sense that the Germans were up to something in the accounts of some of the soldiers on those front lines.
[00:17:30.7] Afterwards they all describe it as a similar feeling an ominous disquieting troubling but distinct feeling they all had this new and serious concern that danger was building up out there and they were right. The Germans were after all moving more than a quarter of a million soldiers and thousands of accompanying vehicles and armor into position. Private Joe Norris and several of his buddies from B company of one hundred tenth infantry were on patrol one day when they heard the distinct sound of multiple vehicles from the direction of the German lines. They said quote we heard this massive noise just like trucks in a depot that we're getting ready to leave. You could hear the squeak of tank treads in an account from Private 1st Class Amos Meyers. He said quote throughout the night we heard engines running and noisy equipment moving about but all was hidden behind the hills in the nature of war is that it is controlled and planned by generals and people miles away in the unfortunate result is that it always comes down to the experiences of the people that are on the ground actually there they're always the first one to know what's going on as it's happening. The soldiers knew that something was going on and information was passed up the line but orders no real significant information or order was given in order to change the plans of the Army movements.
[00:19:00.18] Overall when you take all the information into account in just kind of run a final analysis of the preparedness of the allied army in the wake of the invasion the Americans didn't know the Germans were coming in the Arden forest because they didn't want to know their high level commanders and intelligence officers that just could not imagine that the Germans had any capability or even the audacity for a major offensive. It really couldn't be said any better than in the book called Time for trumpets written by Charles B MacDonald which is probably one of the best books written on the battle of the Bulge ever. He summed up the failures pretty perfectly by saying quote In no way did the intelligence officers alert their commanders to a threat in the Ardennes serious enough or imminent enough to warrant any change in Eisenhower's plans. North and South of the region allied intelligence officers had committed the most grievous sin of which one is capable. They had looked in the mirror for the enemy and seen only the reflection of their own intentions in regards to the weakness of the strength in that sector General General Omar Bradley called that sector a calculated risk. He and Eisenhower knew that they couldn't be strong everywhere and some portions of that 200 mile front had to be strengthened in the Ardennes simply seemed like the best place. And really that wasn't unreasonable.
[00:20:26.23] Like I said earlier Hitler in 1940 during his invasion of France chose the Arden forest in region because it did not seem to be a very likely place at all for an offensive. But although it didn't seem like the obvious place it was the place for one of the worst battles ever and it started on the other side of the R River where a mighty German war machine had amassed a massive army for their operation and offensive.
[00:20:54.29] Now I'm sure I will pronounce this wrong because I have a tendency to pronounce foreign languages incorrectly if I'm not very familiar with them. And this is German but the operation was called in German. The other man walked on Rhine which means Operation watch on the Rhine. They started with having a quarter of a million men. Hundreds of tanks hundreds of self-propelled guns thousands of trucks armored vehicles all that and even the Luftwaffe had assembled 1000 planes for this operation. And if you're unfamiliar with this era of the German or the word war to the Luftwaffe it was nearly obliterated entirely. So for them to assemble a thousand planes unnoticed is a massive feat and an overlook in the Allied intelligence. But it happened nonetheless for the entire watch on the Rhine offensive plan. Overall it was pretty ambitious but it was mainly basic in the northern sector of this offensive. The Sixth SS Panzer Army which was led by SS Gen. Joseph Dietrich was going to drive through mommy and essentially overrun the American army all the way to the city of Antwerp in Antwerp. It had been a contentious scene of battle during the entire war up to this point. It had changed hands several times and the reason was because it provided such a crucial port for an army's logistics. Logistical supplies and needs in that sector of where the fighting was that was the closest major port in an order for the German army to have any chance of life.
[00:22:36.05] They had to secure that port in general Joseph Dietrich the commander of this 6th SS Panzer Army was a notorious man all to himself like Hitler had been as well he had been an NCO a non-commissioned officer in World War 1 and he had no formal military education and in the early thirties he had formed Hitler's personal bodyguard that became known as the SS. He was a hard drinking man and he had fought on a lot of different fronts in this war and he earned a reputation for being pitiless and cunning. Hitler trusted him as much as he trusted anyone. In those days and he gave him the crucial task of racing to Antwerp in the south the fifth Panzer Army was supposed to basically envelop the lightly defended area capture the town of Saint 5th and roll north and that would put them right through the town of Bastogne. If you've ever watched the mini series Band of Brothers on HBO Bastogne should be a familiar town name for you. They were supposed to surge west through the Bastogne quarter general meant to full who's the commander of this fifth Panzer Army. He said quote The success or failure of the operation depends on an incessant and stubborn drive to the west and northwest the forward waves of the attack must not be delayed or tied down by any form of resistance Bastogne should fall on the second day of the operation or at least be encircled by then.
[00:24:10.7] This was a desperate offensive. It was not an offensive that they could afford to grind out slowly and so the overall objective of Operation walked on rhyme as it was initially called was to split the Allied armies in two and cut off and retake Antwerp which would ultimately force the Western allies into a negotiated peace as they thought. In that point Hitler assumed he could deal with the Soviet Union on his own. After that he actually assumed that the British and Americans would join the fight against the communists which is a ambitious assumption. It was an ambitious plan altogether but Hitler wasn't really the type to play it safe. He had always been a gambler at heart and he dreamed big dreams and courted major failures when he failed. Everything now depended on the speed of the operation but it also depended on an assumption. As for Hitler an article of faith he assumed that American soldiers would crumble in the face of adversity and that was the foundation of success really for this entire operation. The attack began precisely at 530 in the morning on December 16th of 1944 and it was opened by the German artillery opening fire and dropping what soldiers described felt like a sheet of flame onto their lines. Then it was accompanied by the sound of Panzer engines that were carrying along from the east and as the artillery crashed all around them.
[00:25:44.33] A rifleman in the ninety ninth division reflected quote you think the end of the world is coming and indeed it was coming through the trees. The infantry of German army emerged and shadowy figures in their snow suits and white caps. They were shouting and they were singing above that distinct with crack of rifle fire. One guy that was hiding in a barn among cows with another G.I. in they essentially just trying to avoid the slaughter that was all around them and coming towards them. He remembers distinctly whispering to the guy next to him that he felt like the entire German army had just landed in front of them. And although it would be just hours before the American commanders realized that the opening barrage was more than just a faint it would be days before some generals acknowledged the truth of what Gen. Runge debt had told his legions. In order that was captured by the Allies that early Saturday he said in German s gets Don's Guns which means everything is at stake. And they were attacking as though everything was at stake. It was a struggle that would last for more than a month. It would embroil more than a million men drawn from across half of this continent into this haunted scene of battle and because this battle is such a large battle with so many moving pieces simultaneously and it's hard to just over audio give you a precise description of everything that's happening.
[00:27:18.66] I've found some pretty good battle maps that pretty easily. You can see the movements of all the armies and groups that were involved and kind of see what happened. Those will be on the Web site on the episode of this on the Web site you will see a little button that you can push in and it will just say battle maps. If you are interested in that at all. Now I mentioned General D I think Field Marshal Dietrich or general Dietrich of the 6th SS panzer division that was leading the northern part of this attack for a specific purpose. I know I mentioned in the world war two series that I did a while back that the cultures of the German army the wear marked and the SS soldiers was wildly different. The SS was a bodyguard element of Hitler and they were the highly trained troops and they were the most loyal to Hitler himself. They would have they would have been more loyal to Hitler than Germany. The German army the very marked was just at the German army and their alliances differed. They were the army for Germany. The other was the army for the commander of Germany. And in any case an army that is severely loyal and devoted to the commander or the person over the country breeds fanaticism and that fanaticism unfortunately came out in large swaths during the Battle of the Bulge and one of the first instances was when the attacking portion of that northern sixth Panzer Division which was the first SS panzer regiment was just like the spearhead of that attack.
[00:29:01.38] It was commanded by a young lieutenant named Joakim Piper in his first SS regiment. They were an armored group of tanks and infantry men but they came into the town of Hunt's felt and they found the American vehicles had been parked in the doorways in the exhausted Americans were sleeping inside. And this was where the atrocities began commencing in an account of the instance it was said that eight soldiers were rousted outside in their underwear in their bare feet basically trying to surrender. They were lined up in the street and they were murdered with a machine gun. Five others emerged from a house nearby with a white flag. Four of them were shot in the Fifth pleading for mercy was crushed beneath a tank while he was alive. Four other Americans also carrying a large white banner of surrender were shot Piper's men would strip boots from the dead and they would press on to the next town of Bellingen to understand the fear of what it must be like to suddenly be at the business end of a sharp attack with no idea that it was coming on whatsoever. I found the story of these men hiding these American soldiers they were hiding in a cellar while the German army was advancing around them and it just it struck me as so unfortunate and sad about the battle and just the nature of warfare.
[00:30:28.91] I mean war is hell as the famous quote but they were so gripped with fear that these American soldiers they had a pet dog as a lot of army groups did. But they were so desperate after seeing all this murder before them that they had to strangle the dog to keep it from barking so that they could not be found. And if that doesn't show you the type of fear and carnage that was going on in front of these men I don't know what else would eventually Piper and his circus of horror had made their way to the Belgian town of Monte. As General Piper was coming up onto the town his armored armoured battalions and infantry they would already be there. You don't put your general in the front. But he remembered he stood there watching as the German soldiers had completely stunned and surprised and a group of American soldiers. I think it numbered about 200 and they were stripping them of their gear and you know going through the motions of accepting surrendering troops. No one ever knew which German soldier fired the first shot but once the first shot rang someone recorded the time was 215 PM. It was followed by an abrupt fusillade from two Panzer machineguns that chewed into the ranks of the prisoners that were still standing with their hands raised to surrender.
[00:31:56.57] Private 1st Class Homer D Ford was a military policeman who had been captured while directing traffic at the crossroads and he wrote about this event what it was like to be there while this was happening. He said that there were two whole minutes of gunfire that just tore through the ranks of these surrendering men. What would happen is these SS the SS men would they would walk through the bloody pile of dead men. They would kick groins of the men and they would issue the fatal verdict in German of duck Creek's knocked either loose which means this one still breathing. They were fired pistol shots into the skulls or the hearts of those that were still alive and he witnessed it and said quote I was wounded in the left arm while the group was being sprayed on the ground. I was laying in the snow and I was afraid they would see me shivering but they didn't. I could hear them pull the trigger back and then click. He was one of the lucky ones I guess. They were out of ammo. There was 20 minutes of essentially executioners prowling the field committing the atrocities that became known as the mommy massacre. And for the next two hours passing SS convoys would fire rounds into the mounted bodies until even the SS men tired of the sport. General Piper recorded later that he watched a German sergeant lead eight U.S. prisoners out back to Dave dig graves for three dead German soldiers.
[00:33:23.0] He then shot the Americans in the head killing seven of them and behind him and mommy. More than 80 corpses of surrendering men laid in the snow buried in quickly. Word of the melody massacre passed from foxhole to foxhole and up the chain of command. The ninth army war diary would note quote American troops are now refusing to take any more SS prisoners and it may well spread to include all German soldiers and one of the reasons that this war this battle is so notorious is because of the close nature of combat that ensued. This was a surprise attack and when you surprise your enemy you get right on top of them before he even knows you're there. That leads to the most gruesome and gory fighting that humans are capable of. It's the nightmare of hand-to-hand combat. But it also leads the advancing army the attacking army in this case the Germans into kill zones when they are advancing so rapidly they're not doing their due diligence to check and follow the normal I guess you could call them safety protocols of what you should do when you're making an offensive and such the case happened when the 112 infantry received a major enemy attack. It was in the town of Haas spelt in platoon sized groups the German army was attempting to rush the American position and it made them vulnerable to U.S.
[00:34:54.62] mortar and machine gun fire which either slaughtered them in large numbers or would force them to retreat. And one group of 50 enemy soldiers they somehow pushed past the town and approached Hill 5 3 9 on military maps. There was one company defending the hill with a 30 caliber machine gun. A couple of sections of those up there as the Germans ascended the Americans opened up. But the enemy just kept coming and we didn't know it. But they were like I said in the middle of a kill zone. Except they also had 50 caliber machine gun located just a few hundred yards from that hill and the First Battalion commanding officer was named Lt. Col. William Allen. He got on that gun and he fired a burst of 150 rounds right into the vulnerable German soldiers and it had a devastating effect. A 50 caliber bullet is enormous and fired like that. It tore off arms and shattered the heads and legs of humans in advancing column of German troops was coming from the town of Letson camp and that they had just taken and they were walking on the road and columns of twos and talking and laughing and joking. According to the recollection of one American soldier they were so oblivious that they got within twenty five yards of these 30 caliber machine guns not far away from that 50 before they opened up in a foxhole on the north side of the road private Cliff Hackett was blazing away at the Germans with that weapon and he could hardly miss.
[00:36:22.82] They were right in front of him still walking on the road. They went down in twos and threes and more just kept coming. A new guy standing next to hack it was firing his rifle at the enemy. In the next foxhole no one was shooting the two men were just hugging the ground cowering totally unhinged by fear and Hackett and his buddy just kept shooting clip after clip. It's an odd juxtaposition of war to have two men firing and slaughtering in advancing column of troops in the next foxhole over the other two are completely immobilized by a gripping fear to the south of them was the hundred and tenth infantry that was dealing with the attack of their own and they had the distinct advantage of using artillery to defend the advancing invaders. And one of the soldiers who was being defended by the artillery that they were using in that hundred and 10th to defend their position wrote about what it was like to watch an advancing column be mowed down by artillery. He said quote The German infantry was coming toward us in waves 20 30 min abreast the arc the artillery massacred the Germans the few Germans that got through the artillery fire. We then picked off with our rifles the German infantry kept coming out of the woods and we kept killing them with our artillery.
[00:37:44.07] They just kept coming. One wave after the other. It was one of the saddest things I'd ever experienced in my life a few miles to the south of them. The entire 3rd Battalion sector was aflame with attack. It was the hundred and tenth division. That was the only major unit directly between the Germans and Bastogne. And it was in serious trouble. They had a eighty two or eighty eight mile front and they were outnumbered by four times their amount of men. Now up until this point it was mainly just infantry versus infantry fighting each other in the one big thing to note is that when two infantry square off unless one has a massive numbers advantage or defensive fortifications built essentially they're pretty even it's just small arms against small arms and that's where tactics and position comes into play. But when one of those sides gets let's say armored tanks into the fray. Well it's quite a lopsided battle to say the least. And at four o'clock on that first day of the attack on December 16th the Germans finished building two bridges that allow them to cross their armored tanks over the our river and into the fight. One of the first towns they came across was lots and campaign in for about an hour to the Americans on the ground had heard German tank engines idling nearby while the enemy soldiers cleaned out the town of Letson campaign and as B company watched in horror the tanks accompanied by hundreds of infantry soldiers they emerged from the northern end of the town.
[00:39:19.83] Officers were calling for artillery frantically but there just wasn't any available. They had almost nothing with which to fight a tank in a foxhole on a hillside overlooking the town of Letson campaign. Private 1st Class Charles Hogg says he reflexively ducked in anticipation of the tank fire. He was sure was coming. He said quote The tanks seemed to crawl along about two or three miles an hour. We bit our lips and prayed the huge black obscene shapes they approached up the road from the middle of Watson camp and toward one of the farmhouses used by the company. All of a sudden there was a horrendous detonation from the cannon of the lead tank and the house collapsed and fell inward on itself in a shower of sparks. In one of these things that makes a tank so among the many things so horrifying to be going against is that a lot of them had flamethrowers. Reportedly the sound of the flame thrower was an eerie unearthly hydraulic terror private hog and his fellow runners had heard screams from somewhere up ahead. He said quote we witness the most horrible thing any G.I. dreams of. As he was talking about watching a tank a flamethrower tank stopping about 50 feet from an occupied foxhole and he said he continued quote as the two kids sat there helplessly a gigantic stream of roaring fire shot in on them.
[00:40:40.09] They had been burned to a crisp hog and many of the others around him were shaking uncontrollably crying in their holes and praying for deliverance and in what private Hogg described as one of the most amazing displays of fireworks he'd ever seen. The American artillery finally did muster up some resistance which knocked out some of their tanks and then the men were able to use shoulder fired bazooka type weapons and anti-tank guns that they did have which it can be good against a tank but it's really a last ditch effort to fight a tank. You want a tank or something bigger. Either way the enemy tanks and soldiers turned around and they headed back into the town carcasses of the destroyed German tanks continued to burn furiously so the Americans still firmly held the R in bridge. The survivors of B Company stayed in their foxholes and they kept watch in one of the most grotesque but recurring themes of warfare. The smell and the air stink around them reportedly of burned flesh which is supposed to smell like a sickly sweet distinctly crispy strange mixture of spoiled meat and charcoal and that would hang in the air for the entire rest of the evening. For those men and with that the first day of the counterattack was done. All of that was just the first day. Things would progress and get worse and the next day as the tanks were moving in for the Germans on the outskirts of a town named Fishback.
[00:42:20.41] There was a lieutenant. His name was Thomas Brierley. It was a tank battalion or I'm sorry a tank platoon of American tanks that had managed to make their way up to the front lines and try to repel the German tank advancing his platoon of tanks was descending a hill that was merely two miles away from the town of Mar Nock where they were trying to take all the sudden they were hit by an anti-tank gun which pretty much sliced through the lead tank Bali's account read that they basically methodically picked off each tank in the stalled column in the first one broke down. None of the other tanks could move to go back because of the steep shoulders on the road. It was a death trap and I think a lot of people out there when they're reading back on these accounts of history tend to think that the guys in the tanks were a little bit better off because they're not always just exposed to machine gun fire. But this account makes sure that there's a reality check for that perspective one by one those tanks got hit their targets were smashed their treads were shot off. The holes were blown open by high velocity shells. And when those shells would go inside they would just ricochet around inside it would shred these crewmen into dismembered pieces.
[00:43:40.6] Their gas tanks or their engines will catch fire. It would singe the skin burn the hair in his fixit the men consuming flesh and bones in awful awful flames. Lieutenant Bali's platoon D Company was almost virtually entirely destroyed in just 10 minutes it became clear to the command of the allied forces and General Eisenhower and all the higher ups of the military the military that were present that unless they acted fast they were in a dire situation. And in fact they had all been wrong in the attack was coming here. They needed to get a plane together. They needed to get it together fast on December 19th which was just the third day after the attack. General Eisenhower called a emergency war meeting in order to figure out just what in the world they were going to do in order to fix this situation. Among those in attendance was General George Patton. Now let's take a brief pause for a second just to describe to you the iconic an historic man that George Patton was he was. He came from a family of military history spanning all the way back to the Civil War and all his family was in the army and this was by no means his first real combat either. He first led an army group all the way back to the insurrection of Pancho Villa back in I think in 1913 ish. I mean that's that's 30 some years of military leadership experience Payton led his army's notoriously from the front.
[00:45:23.76] He had pretty harsh language and was fond of giving speeches with just riddled with obscenities. His troops loved it. It often caused a little bit of contention with the Allied higher ups. But as far as a tactical general and a leader there was almost no one that could be said to be better than General Patton. And as far as his troops are concerned there was no better leader. And truly he produced some great results in a speech that became ultimately notorious because of how riddled with obscenities it was. He demonstrated his ability to shall we say improved morale in a unorthodox method. And if there are children listening to this for the next 15 seconds you might wanna turn the volume down because I'm going to give you a passage of that speech just to give you an idea of the type of man that he was in a speech to his army. He said quote I don't want any messages saying I'm holding my position. We're not holding a god damn thing we're advancing constantly and we're not interested in holding anything except the enemy's balls. We're gonna hold him by his balls and we're gonna kick him in the ass twist his balls and kick the living shit out of them all the time. Our plan of operation is to advance and keep on advancing. We're going to go through the enemy like shit through a tin horn.
[00:46:47.25] Now how can you if that is your leader and you're a soldier help but feeling overwhelmed with a high sense of loyalty patriotism and morale was unorthodox. Sure but effective nonetheless. And now General Patton the man with the sharp tongue and cold calculated and unbelievably effective leadership was sitting in front of General Eisenhower and a few other men at the emergency war meeting trying to figure out just what was going to happen. After a while. Eisenhower made up the plan that they would essentially hold in the middle where there was already a bulge in the lines forming. And that is how they got the nickname of The Battle of the Bulge. General Patton in his third army which currently held a 80 mile front would pivot north to fight into the exposed German left flank and push through eventually becoming the tip of the spear that reunited those men that had been holding out and had become surrounded entirely by the Germans. Peyton was the one who drove his army through and rescued them although they never admitted they needed rescue. They just said they were happy to have more ammunition. So Peyton was going to plan the attack and leaning forward on the table in this conference room. General Eisenhower asked how soon could he get the attack off and General Patton replied pretty matter of factly he said quote on December 22nd with three divisions the Fourth Armored the 26 and the 18th and as Eisenhower leaned forward he calculated the space the time and all those divisions kind of in his head and on his fingers.
[00:48:34.85] It was a maneuver that will require making a sharp left turn with a full core and then moving nearly 100 miles over winter roads. General Eisenhower wasn't sure that that type of attack could be planned so quickly without facing total disaster. And he even said that he would be happy with an attack on the twenty third if it meant an extra day of plans. General Patton replied in his typical trademark way saying quote I'll make a meeting engagement in three days and I'll give you a sixth division coordinated attack in six days. Someone at the table laughed. There was an uneasy shuffling of boots that could be heard on that bare floor. In glancing at his staff officer just to make sure that that was something they could do. He looked at him and he added quote We can do it. And as he left he phoned his army's headquarters told them of the orders and he finished it with the quote Everyone is a son of a bitch to someone be better sons of bitches than they are. And if you're wondering what a general war meeting would have been like during those days with Peyton in attendance there's your answer. And so the plan was made. The orders were given but on the front lines there was no plan.
[00:49:46.38] There was just survival. They knew that their orders especially units like the hundred and 12th Infantry their orders were to hold at all costs. And they did just that. They were slowly biding time and giving ground and taking a lot of casualties but giving the Germans a hell of a time trying to court cross part me. The R.N. in our rivers. The entire purpose of this was just to buy time so they could funnel as many reinforcements as they possibly could in order to reinforce the town of Bastogne. The critical road juncture that would propel the army. The German army all the way to their main goal the port of Antwerp. It's a set of orders that are incredibly difficult to give an incredibly brave to follow. I think sometimes when you hear the standard fight to the last man it's it's kind of overlooked of what that actually entails. Keep in mind a lot of these German armies that were coming in to the American lines had been preparing for this from for a very long time. They had been collecting American uniforms a lot of these German soldiers would approach the American lines looking like Americans in one account private Bob pocketing a soldier from the headquarters company of the 2nd Battalion. He peek over the edge of his foxhole and he saw him coming. He actually thought that the tanks even might be American. He sat down in his hole and a tank stopped five yards away.
[00:51:15.23] Infantry soldiers jumped off and they began running from hole to hole in the area where his friends were taking refuge. He said quote They went down the row in machine gun those guys they had hand-to-hand combat. I heard a lot of moaning and groaning. To make matters worse even if they weren't in American uniforms there was such a thick fog that there were accounts of German soldiers walking up as close as five feet in front of a foxhole before they opened fire because they just didn't see him and all of these consequences of following the order were known to the men that chose to do it. And they all chose to do it. They were critical in slowing down the German advance to Bastogne although they did hold off for an impressive amount of time and they took a staggering amount of casualties and inflicted a staggering amount of casualties in outnumbered outgunned and undersupplied army can only hold so long. Eventually the middle of the 20th division had been blown wide open the direct route to Bastogne had been ripped open for the Germans and they were pouring through that gaping hole. And so now there was a race to the city of Bastogne. It was the Germans versus the hundred and first airborne division that was gearing up and getting ready to enter the battle. The race was on now the road to Bastogne for the Germans was full of American resistance.
[00:52:45.92] The road to Bastogne for the hundred and first airborne of the Americans was full of horrific premonitions about what was in store for them. Up ahead it was about six miles until the town until they started running into the stragglers that had retreated or somehow escaped and made it and we're walking back trying to find help. One private wrote about looking at these stragglers he said it was you would feel for them with this sort of mixture of sympathy and simultaneous revulsion. He said quote They shamble along in shock and fear blocking the road completely. Eyes staring straight ahead mumbling to themselves. I had never before or since seen such absolute terror in men. Another private wrote about one of the troopers that was coming back. He said he was quote jogging long and slogging along. No weapons or anything. And he was actually crying. The hundred and first airborne would make it into Bastogne on December 18th and when they were there the German advancing army was only six miles away. Now one of the reasons it was so important to get them there was because the only other troops other than the hundred and first were green. They were fresh they hadn't most of them hadn't seen battle or they had been in boot camp for mere eight weeks. And now they found themselves on the business end of the largest German counter offensive of the entire war. And when you're dealing with green troops you're going to have a lot of inexperience and on coordination and lack of communication what have you.
[00:54:22.2] But one of the elements that a lot of people don't tend to consider in a situation like this where there's these troops who've never seen combat before. You're dealing with a lot of men who haven't killed anyone yet. And the difficulty of pulling that trigger is something that I assume you won't know until you do so in the account of Corporal Elmer Oakes who's a 20 year old rifleman from Smallville Virginia during a firefight. His first firefight he spotted a German soldier raised his rifle and he fired it. He wrote about the experience of Killing for the first time and he said quote It went off and the guy fell. The bullet went right through his eye and tore the back of his head off. When it came out. Corporal oak said he was so frightened that he was shaking. He said he had been nauseated by what he just did. And after the firefight was over and the shooting had died down he went over and he looked at the dead German he had shot. He looked at him. He turned away and he threw up. There's so many factors in war that you can't truly know or understand until you've experienced them firsthand. And it seems like just about every one of these factors of war they were all combined into one gory gruesome battle in a frozen hell.
[00:55:44.11] That was the Battle of the Bulge and one of the worst aspects of the entire battle was the incessant and overwhelming artillery shelling that these American and allied soldiers had to just bear in with stand in the psychological but also the horrible wounds it would inflict if you're not familiar with the artillery of an army essentially what they're doing is just lobbing up explosive shells into the air. And the only way to get away from it is to dig a hole in the ground because when the shell explodes it explodes in all directions. Normally it just fires onto the ground and blows up and being under the ground and in your hole the metal and the shrapnel will just fly over you. It was the distinct feature I guess you could say of the Ardennes forest that made the shelling so much worse. The shells would be lobbed up. They would hit the trees because they were so tall. They would explode in the air and they would send shrapnel in every direction. So you weren't even safe in a hole you just had to hope you got lucky in the account of Sergeant Lane Weickert. He wrote about an injury he received during one of these shellings. He said he was walking to go check on something or another and he heard the crack of a self-propelled gun. And he said a second later there was an explosion a tree a few feet above him.
[00:57:05.74] And then everything went black. He later regained consciousness and he felt something tickling his neck and he thought that it might have been a German soldier that was trying to stick him with his bayonet. Finally he came to a little bit. He realized that what was tickling his neck wasn't a German soldier. Instead it was his left arm that was broken and twisted around behind him tickling his neck with cold clammy shaking fingers. A medic came to Weicker and gave him some sulfa pills and morphine and a few minutes later two of his buddies found him and they dragged him back to the road. And he said quote The distal end of my fractured humerus bone was sticking out of my jacket as my men ran between two trees the bone hooked onto a tree his useless hand flopped up and slapped him in his own face. The pain he said was immense but it snapped him out of his stupor from the morphine. The men were dragging him through him onto a jeep but the Jeep was careening through the woods and because he couldn't hold on for obvious reasons he ended up falling off. He ended up wandering up and down his own column finding a medic or stationary vehicle or something because they were under fire the whole time. That could help him. At last he found a half track that was a radio vehicle. He said quote I opened the back door of the half track and asked if I could get in because I was exhausted.
[00:58:25.99] The radio operator said sure. So I crawled in and laid down on the floor gobs of blood were running from his shredded arm onto the floor of that half track. He said that the radio operator took one look at his arm and he threw up being wounded in war is essentially a nightmare but it must be some sort of distinct nightmare to be going through a shelling into receive the wounds and to see the wounds that happen from an artillery barrage and the Allies in Bastogne were going through some of the most intense barrage of the entire second World War outside of Bastogne one of the last main army units that wasn't the hundred and first airborne was the 10th Armored Division they were in a town called Nashville. It was about two miles outside of Bastogne and was a critical defense point in holding the town. It was also the scene of a particularly hellish and gruesome battle one of the privates that was there named private Brigette was lying in a ditch next to a stone wall in the north eastern edge of the town. While there was a horrendous shelling going on he heard the voice of one of the replacements screaming for a medic. He ran around the corner of a building. He said that the man was quote screaming his guts trailing in the dirt behind him.
[00:59:50.93] He was holding most of them in his arms. He and two other men jump from cover and started to give him first aid. Brigette went on and said quote He lay there sobbing and whimpering shaking his head from side to side. His eyes wide and glassy staring at nothing. Private Brigette said he pulled out his raincoat and he laid it on the ground and another soldier took out his canteen in Port some water on the raincoat then laid his guts on the coat and began washing them. He said it was like quote picking off the largest pieces of dirt and stone with our fingers before forcing his guts back into his belly. Then we bound him up tight around the midsection with strips cut from my raincoat shot him with morphine and dragged him into the ditch to wait for a medic. During this battle if you were wounded and you survived you were retreated to Bastogne and in and around Bastogne. The medics were doing the very best that they could in the face of insurmountable casualties and constant danger. The battalion surgeons set up their aid stations and a few houses a few hundred yards behind what they thought were the front lines. The intensity of this combat meant that the medics were getting overwhelmed with more cases than they could handle. If you remember back just a few minutes ago the account of getting hit with the shell with the arm that was tickling his neck.
[01:01:07.28] Sergeant Weicker felt himself found himself in another awful situation. He had managed to find himself in a brick house that was a makeshift aid station there the medics put his arm in a splint and they threw him on an ambulance. The ambulance was trying to make it out of Bastogne but it took a machine gun fire and crashed. Sergeant Weicker says quote I went sailing through the air hit my head on the windshield and slid down behind the steering wheel. My head was so close to the driver's chest that I could hear him breathing through holes in his chest put there by bullets from the machine gun. Elsewhere in Bastogne Private 1st Class Garson and his platoon mates were dealing with a steady stream of horribly wounded soldiers. He said quote They looked miserable. We had quite a few wounded of course principally from shell fire and men who were losing limbs and a number that just died on our hands. The men who got caught and tanks were often burned to death or suffered tremendous burns. We would smear them with all kinds of jellies and ship them back as fast as we could. The hospitals. We weren't a regular hospital. It was more immediate aid to try to staunch their blood immobilize their limbs try to keep them from going into shock and getting them back as fast as we could. We had blood.
[01:02:19.49] We also had sailing solutions and a lot of morphine. I could go around jabbing them with morphine threats making sure they didn't suffer too much before we send to the rear. But that was about all they could do. In back in Nashville the Germans were unleashing a titanic barrage of artillery shelling. The shelling had started at 530 in the morning of December 20th and now two hours afterwards. It was still going on. It was an immense and overwhelming barrage of noise. Private Donald Byrd get was in the cellar of a house in that town and he and his squad were sitting around a small candle listening to the explosions outside his squad leader Sgt.. Veteran was sitting on a barrel right next to the stairs. He checked his watch. He knew it was almost dawn and he knew that when the sun rose and the shelling stopped the Germans were surely going to attack. A few minutes later the sound of explosions finally began to die down. He stood up with complete confidence and authority and just said let's go. The paratroopers there climbed out the stairs of that cellar and the town that they saw was first of all covered with a what they said was a lead blanket of fog. And when they advance through that fog to the positions that they had held just the afternoon before as they retreated for the evening and came back to the positions during daylight it was like a whole new town.
[01:03:43.25] Along the way they were looking around and almost hypnotically he said they surveyed this awful scene of destruction from the night before. Private forget wrote quote The whole city of Nashville was in flames. The buildings were in ruins great holes gaped in the walls of the houses and the floors were scattered with broken glass and debris piles of bricks stone and rubble amidst the burning shells of buildings were all that was left of the town. The burning hulks of tanks half tracks jeeps and trucks were scattered throughout the ruined city. The broken and torn bodies of Jean Isley haphazardly throughout the village countless German corpses formed a ghostly perimeter around Nashville scattered and uncomfortable grotesque heaps are cremated and burned out tanks and other vehicles of war. It was a scene marking the awful capability of destruction that war brings with it and what makes this battle of Nashville or no. I'm not sure how to pronounce it. Even worse is that the men who were fighting there. The men who decided to stay and be the last defenders of that critical Bastogne juncture they were choosing to die. They literally knew that they had no chance of making it out in a best case scenario. They would spend the rest of the war or in their mind they had no idea how long in a German concentration camp one of the men that was on the ground in Nashville when the Germans came roaring through with those tanks was private.
[01:05:22.92] Sims he said about the thought of dying. Quote I was seized by a terrible sinking feeling that almost knocked me out. I felt physically sick. The main feeling I had was a numb overwhelming dread of oblivion. And although he was convinced he was about to die staring directly into the turd of a tank he wouldn't even consider running away and we have here people knowing that they are making a choice of life or death. It's a situation that I don't think anyone understands until you are staring that decision in the face he said about a quote I found myself in the unhappy position of literally choosing to die if you don't think that is earthshaking. Try it sometime. I can promise you you'll never be the same again. But other than his internal thoughts everything on the outside was normal. Par for the course activity as far as war goes. His sergeant was calling in I'm sorry his lieutenant was calling in friendly artillery fire to try to get the tanks back. His platoon sergeant was still sitting in the basement covering a wound caused by an inch square fragment that went all the way through him was pressing against the skin of his abdomen. Nearby another wounded man was sitting with his back against the cellar wall fidgeting uncomfortably from the pain of a terrible eye wound. He wrote that his eyeball was hung halfway down his cheek and a bloody Vásquez mix of goo.
[01:06:52.37] The Germans now were attacking Neville from every single direction prompting yet another barroom brawl type of close quarters fighting the fog that was present limited visibility to ten or twenty yards German tanks and infantry were all over the place fighting in small disjointed groups and for sure the copious amounts of rubble and wreckage. That was all around combined with that thick led blanket type of fog made it extremely difficult for the Germans to coordinate their attack. Eventually the sheer numbers and raw power of the German forces would overcome the obstacles they had put in their own way or overcome any type of resistance that the American forces could muster up without any type of supplies or reinforcements. Eventually the order was given for the men and Neville. All the forces in Nashville to retreat into the last stronghold of Bastogne private 1st class Dawn adder was a communications soldier and as he looked back at Nashville he said quote There was nothing left but a pile of rubble. The last thing I saw of the town was a battered sign sticking up through a pile of rubble. It proclaimed the town's name was Nashville. Less than two days of fighting had reduced the town into a shattered husk of its former self. Now it's important to note here is that even though they were treating in the battle of Nashville was finally over for the last two days a mixed group of American infantrymen in tankers.
[01:08:22.49] Very few tankers had held off in attacking force that outnumbered them by 10 to 1. The price of doing that was incredibly steep. The tanker team that was there lost 11 of its 15 tanks 11 1/2 tracks and more than a dozen trucks at least 63 of its soldiers were killed wounded or missing out of an original complement of 325 men. Now the 1st Battalion of the 506 parachute infantry they incurred devastating losses in the defense that whole battalion had gone into Norville with four hundred and seventy three soldiers. Two hundred and twelve of them became casualties. They lost 45 percent of their battalion strategically the battle of Nashville being claimed as a victory by the Germans meant one very important thing for the battle of the Bulge entirely that the struggle for Bastogne had just changed from a race to a siege. The American forces were essentially cut off and surrounded. And on Thursday morning December 21st an enemy column of German soldiers they severed the last open road south in Bastogne was officially cut off. Reportedly the general Terry McAuliffe as he was getting ready to go back into Bastogne he was looking at his commanding officer in the last order that was given to McAuliffe before he went back into Bastogne was quote Above all don't get yourself surrounded. And reportedly both of the men looked at each other smiled chuckled a little bit knowing that they were going to get surrounded and parted ways in on Thursday the Germans sent a messenger with a note essentially saying there is only one possibility to save the encircled troops from total annihilation.
[01:10:14.71] And that was to surrender. And then one of the most famous quotes of World War Two period General McAuliffe answered one word with nuts. Now we don't use that word quite the same way that they did back then. Essentially it was the same as saying that's ridiculous. We're not going to do that because although they were surrounded and cut off the hundred and first infantry airborne they were nearly at full strength. Now they had no winter clothes and very little ammunition. General McAuliffe even had rationed down each rifleman to 10 rounds per day telling them to wait until they could see the whites of the enemy's eyes to fire. But they were still at full strength. And now we fast forward two days later thinking that things couldn't get quite worse than they already were. The soldiers on the ground were about to experience a heavy heavy snow and even worse after that it was followed by a killing cold in the continental weather phenomenon that was known as a Russian high radiators and even gas tanks were freezing. But it's always darkest before the dawn. And that Russian high brought out clear skies for the first time since the German offensive attack began allied aircraft filled the sky.
[01:11:38.26] Immediately they flew twelve thousand offensive sorties in two days before Christmas as well as a resupply run they got the men and the medics the supplies that they drastically drastically needed to hold out just a little bit longer until they could be re linked with the Army upon the arrival of General George S. Payton. And speaking of General Patton in the Belgian barracks that served as the headquarters for the hundred and first G.I. sat at a switchboard and he got a coded message that said quote Santa Claus is coming to town. It was Peyton's coded message that promised a quote unquote Christmas present. Hold on. But there wasn't any sign of relief from the column from the south that had been reported. General McAuliffe was notably disappointed but he held his disappointment from his men. General Payton on Christmas Eve December 24th of 1944 attended a Christmas Eve church service at the town he was in. On his way to Bastogne and in one of my personal favorite quotes of his ever. He stared up into the scar starry sky. Part of me noticed that it was clear and he said quote No well no well what a night to give the Nazis hell. He went back inside and wrote in his diary about the weather and he said quote a clear cold Christmas lovely weather for killing Germans. Comedy aside as far as his zeal and gusto for his job and what he was doing he had made good on his what some called reckless promise at the Verdun war council to attack with three divisions by December 22nd.
[01:13:24.31] He did it. He was largely regarded as the best field commanding general that the United States had and he was proving that point. More and more as he went in order to get to Bastogne as quickly as possible he told his tanks quote drive like hell. And he told his staff that no SS prisoners were to be taken alive. He had predicted that he would reach Bastogne on December 24th but he had ordered a perilous night attack that gained only 400 yards and left one tank battalion with just 14 Sherman's remaining. This was seven miles outside of Bastogne and in a moment where you see Peyton's ability to put aside his ego and his bravado and personality he wrote into his diary quote This was probably my fault because I had been insisting on day and night attacks. It takes a long time to learn war to really learn how to fight. He would fight on for another two days. On Monday afternoon December 26 his battalion crested a ridge three miles southwest of Bastogne. They're so close they can nearly shout at each other. They reached the village of asan war. This time the offensive was put on by the Allies allied artillery rained down in those tiny streets with a tank column speeding through to get to Bastogne as fast as possible.
[01:14:58.6] It surprised the German occupiers and it forced them out into the streets. It was a fighting of chaos and confusion. The official history from the Volga Grenadier German column that was occupying it called it quote a shooting clubbing stabbing may lay. Gunfire was ripping through the fir trees shooting down surprise Germans standing in a mess line and three tank shells killed a dozen more that were just standing in a concrete block house. And finally on Dec. 26 at four fifty p.m. sharp the siege of Bastogne was over. When the first tank rolled in and they made contact with a battered but not broken hundred and first battered bastards of Bastogne as they became known the defensive these surrounded Bastogne would last for eight days. It was just a drab market town in Belgium before this but it had cost more than 2000 American casualties and losses in the fourth armored they added another thousand to the tally. The total U.S. losses for the last two weeks of December starting from the 16th all the way to the end included nearly 600 tanks. Fourteen hundred jeeps 700 trucks 2400 machineguns guns seventeen hundred bazookas five thousand rifles and sixty five thousand overcoats. I'm not sure why they noted that but someone noted that they still said they lost sixty five thousand overcoats. The Germans had accumulated such a large amount of American vehicles that American pilots were ordered to bomb any column that they saw including both allied and German vehicles.
[01:16:40.72] It would take until the end of January to regain the lines that they had on December 16th in the official army tally. The United States battle losses in the Arden region from December 16th to January 25th was one hundred and five thousand casualties including nineteen thousand two hundred and forty six dead now because I'm pretty fond of putting numbers into perspective in the past because those are those are just large numbers but you don't really get an idea of how large that is. Keep in mind this is one month in nine days and if you account that one month and nine day period into the total amount of casualties that were sustained in combat during World War 2 for the United States one in ten of them would occur in the battle of the Bulge. That is including the Pacific theater that is every world war to combat casualty one in ten in one month in nine days in one region of those numbers more than 23000 were taken prisoners and they would spend the duration of the war in German camps although those numbers are staggering. It was quite a bit worse for the Germans who had been waging war for more than five years. They have lost four million German soldiers killed wounded or captured. The loss of this operation on the Rhine operation watch on the Rhine for the Germans marked the end of their offensive effort and the war it was their last offensive effort and it's nearly undisputed that it was basically the beginning of their short decline to the end.
[01:18:25.09] In a fitting prediction I guess because he predicted that they were capable of doing that in the first place. General Patton sensed that they were done. He said quote When you catch a carp and put him in the boat he flips his tail just before he dies. I think this is the Germans last flip. And speaking of General Patton among the top commanders of the Battle of the Bulge he had absolutely proven himself to be the most distinguished in his action. George Patton displayed a truly remarkable amount of agility when he fought the Germans 7th Army half of the 5th Panzer Army in a large portion of the sixth Panzer Army in that agility and his ability to fight them on different fronts like that. It earned him the compliment of Gen. Omar Bradley when he said that he was quote one of our great combat leaders and it was directly because of his actions during this battle of the bulge in this offensive and his race to Bastogne that there is still to this day a statue in Luxembourg honoring his bravery his courage and his sacrifice for the people of the area. It was the actions of him and all the men that were involved in this conflict that made Winston Churchill remark that there was no greater exhibition of power in history than that of the American army fighting the battle of the garden with its left hand and advancing in the islands in the Japanese warfare in the Pacific.
[01:19:56.95] The cost for the loss of the bold offensive for the Germans was detrimental to their military success from that point on. Half of the entire fuel production for Germany in November and December had supported their offensive. And now hundreds of German tanks and assault guns fighting the Russians were mobilized on the eastern front just for a lack of gasoline and because of that stagnation of their armor and the amount of people in the Red Army and the quickness that they were pushing the Germans back into a retreat of the Reichstag the fatherland. It's an odd bit of irony but pretty much unanimously agreed upon by historians of this era that a thousand kilometers from the R den was the Eastern Front. But yet it was the greatest consequence of the Battle of the Bulge for the Germans. The battle of the Bulge had done many things for different sides on a variety of different levels. One thing that the battle of the Bulge had absolutely affirmed was that once again war is never linear. Instead it's an odd chaotic mix of reversal an advance blunder in success and despair and joy. The battle in the art in the battle of the Bulge was unlike any seen before in American history and there won't be any like it again.
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'RETREATED INTO A SHELL'
MH370 pilot’s wife told how he spent all his time on his flight simulator and stopped talking to her in the weeks before crash
Jon Lockett
20 Jun 2019, 8:41
Updated: 20 Jun 2019, 11:58
THE wife of MH370 pilot Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah revealed he spent solitary hours on his flight simulator and stopped talking to her before the death-dive crash.
Faizah Khanum claimed he "retreated into a shell" weeks before his Malaysia Airlines passenger jet mysteriously vanished in an apparent murder-suicide five years ago.
Faizah Khanum told how her husband 'retreated into a shell' before his plane went missing
Captain Zaharie was said to be in emotional turmoil over the impending break-up of his marriageCredit: Collect
She told the teams investigating the aviation mystery her husband had worryingly become distracted and withdrawn as their marriage crumbled.
Although no suicide note was found, nor has any motivation been established, police are continuing their inquiries into the pilot and his state of mind before the incident.
Faizah revealed how he always spent time alone in his room with the simulator he had built himself.
It's since been claimed he REHEARSED the plane’s fatal flight on the home-made device.
Faizah said: "He just retreated into a shell".
The pilot's daughter has also raised some alarming questions about the state of his mind as he was reportedly in emotional turmoil over the impending break-up of his marriage.
Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah with his daughter Aishah Zaharie now aged 28
Zaharie Ahmad Shah, one of the pilots on the ill-fated Malaysia Boeing 777 Airlines flight
Zaharie had refused pleas to attend marriage counselling sessions to improve the relationship, and is said to have had extramarital affairs.
Three weeks after Flight MH370 went missing with 239 crew and passengers on board it was revealed by Malaysian investigators that Zaharie could have deliberately steered the Boeing 777 off course.
The plane is thought to have flown hundreds of miles over the Indian Ocean before plunging into the water.
And his daughter Aishah Zaharie, 28, said during her final conversation with her dad she barely recognised him.
She said: "He wasn’t the father I knew. He seemed disturbed and lost in a world of his own."
One theory is the pilot deliberately soared to 40,000ft to suffocate his passengers
Mystery still surrounds why the passenger jet veered off course
Faizah and Aishah, along with other family members, were interviewed in detail by police in Kuala Lumpur.
They don't think he was responsible for the plane's disappearance, despite his unusual behaviour.
Faizah, who was just 16 when she first met Zaharie, broke down repeatedly during two lengthy interviews with police, the family source said.
One of the interviews lasted more than four hours.
She was initially reluctant to discuss the breakdown of her marriage, and refused to accept her husband might be involved in the flight’s disappearance, protesting: "It’s unfair to blame my husband."
MH370 - WHAT HAPPENED?
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur and was heading to Beijing with 239 people on board.
Passengers included Chinese calligraphers, a couple on their way home to their young sons after a long-delayed honeymoon and a construction worker who hadn't been home in a year.
But at 12.14am on March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines lost contact with MH370 close to Phuket island in the Strait of Malacca.
Before that, Malaysian authorities believe the last words heard from the plane, from either the pilot or co-pilot, was "Good night Malaysian three seven zero".
Satellite "pings" from the aircraft suggest it continued flying for around seven hours when the fuel would have run out.
Experts have calculated the most likely crash site around 1,000 miles west of Perth, Australia.
But a huge search of the seabed failed to find any wreckage - and there are a number of alternative theories as to its fate.
But over the course of the interviews she told police how her husband became increasingly distracted in the months leading up to the flight.
She said: "I found him distant and difficult to understand."
She told investigators that although they continued to live in the same house, Zaharie spent his time alone.
Faizah said her husband was so withdrawn he hardly spoke to his sons and was not close to them.
She said: "He just retreated into a shell".
Aishah said her father spoke to her about his marital problems and told her he didn’t think they could reconcile.
In their conversations, he asked her how she would feel if her parents divorced.
MOST READ ON MH370
Aishah said she tried to persuade her father to seek the help of Islamic elders to try to mend the relationship but he refused.
The daughter told investigators she did not know if there was another woman in her father’s life.
She insisted to investigators: "I don’t believe he would ever intentionally endanger the lives of his crew and passengers".
Faizah (left) was just a 16-year-old schoolgirl when she first met ZaharieCredit: Facebook
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 lost contact before going missing in 2014Credit: EPA
The family home of Captain Zaharie in a gated community outside of Kuala LumpurCredit: Polaris
Reconstructed clip of MH370 crash shows jet plunging into Indian Ocean
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Rentokil Ailsa Environmental Limited -v- Eastend Civil Engineering Limited
The arrestments by the employer of the sums awarded by the adjudicator were vexatious and oppressive (and should be recalled) on the basis that they were mainly used to embarrass the contractor, to defeat the awards and to strain the contractor's financial credit
The employer began proceedings against the contractor seeking damages for breaches of various contracts in relation to the contractor's alleged failure to carry out works in a good and workmanlike manner. Before starting those proceedings the employer paid the sums awarded by an adjudicator in four adjudications between the parties in the contractor's favour to the contractor's solicitors but on the basis that the monies were to be arrested under Scottish court procedure so that those sums were paid to the contractor's solicitors on the basis that they could not be released to the contractor. The contractor applied for the recall of the arrestments on the ground that they were nimious and oppressive. The Sheriff held that the arrestments were vexatious and oppressive (and should therefore be recalled). This was on the basis that they were not used to protect the legitimate interests and right of the employer but were instead mainly used to embarrass the contractor, to defeat the adjudicator's awards and to strain the contractor's financial credit. It was clear that it was Parliament's intention that the decisions of adjudicators should be complied with until the dispute was finally resolved by court proceedings, arbitration or agreement with the result that it would be almost obtuse if the employer could circumvent that intention having participated in the adjudications. In addition the employer had failed to give notice of any intention to withhold payment in the terms of section 111 of the Construction Act 1996 after the final date for payment of sums due under two of the contracts which formed the subject of two of the adjudications as they were required to do. The Act heralded a new regime in relation to construction contacts with the results that (1) a party seeking to rely on arrestment had to ensure compliance with its provisions and (2) in the event of the party not complying with its provisions, courts would more readily infer or assume that the arrestment had not been used principally to protect the interests of a pursuer. Advice Note This decision emphasises that court procedures will not get in the way of the enforcement of adjudicators' decisions so that a successful claimant is not kept out of his money.
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Beijing Issues Another Red Alert for Smog
Visitors, some wearing masks to protect themselves from pollutants, share a light moment as they take a selfie at the Jingshan Park on a polluted day in Beijing, Monday, Dec. 7, 2015. Smog shrouded the capital city Monday after authorities in Beijing
Warning of a dangerous wave of incoming smog, Chinese authorities on Friday issued their second ever red alert for pollution in the capital, Beijing.
Forecasters expect the cloud of smog to hover over much of northern China from Saturday until Tuesday, and say pollution levels reach more than 20 times the safe limit.
Under a red alert, schools and some factories are closed, and half of all private cars will be pulled from the street. All outdoor construction will also be halted.
"I'm actually very concerned," said 34-year-old Beijing resident Cheng Xianke. "I'm concerned about the rather large impact it will have on elderly people and children, because children want to go out to play… For us who commute to work it's not so bad, but still I'm very concerned about the pollution. I think the government needs to put more effort into solving this."
Beijing, in northern China
Beijing issued its first-ever red alert earlier this month as part of efforts to stem public criticism over its inability to control a rampant pollution problem.
China is one of the world's biggest emitters of greenhouse gasses, due to numerous coal-fired plants that have fueled its rise as a global economic superpower.
The Chinese government has vowed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and was supportive of the recently global climate change deal reached in Paris.
China's Choking Smog Fuels Interest in DIY Purifiers
The intense levels of smog in China's capital city this week forced the government to issue Beijing's first-ever "red alert," closing schools and offices and sending residents fleeing indoors to escape the choking pollution.The withering fumes led some parents to send their children to school, despite the “red alert” that ordered them closed.“I sent my daughter to the kindergarten because it has strong air purifiers. She would be safer in school as I don…
By Saibal Dasgupta
Air Pollution Alert Takes Effect in Beijing
Schoolchildren in Beijing stayed home and commuters exchanged their cars for public transportation as the Chinese capital's first-ever red alert for pollution took effect. Residents wore protective masks as they walked through the thick haze of gray smog that shrouded Beijing's skyline. "I have been in Beijing for 20 years now, and before, it did not use to be like this. Before, there were only a few cars on the road but now, look, there are more and more. There…
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Bylaw to address freedom camping issues
A proposal to introduce a bylaw to address freedom camping issues will be presented to the community for public feedback.
Following a busy summer season and an influx of freedom campers into the district, particularly around Campbell’s Bay in Kakanui, it became evident that measures needed to be taken to protect the environment and safeguard local residents from unreasonable disruption.
The bylaw proposes to restrict freedom camping to certified self-contained vehicles and that there is a maximum of a three-night stay in a four week consecutive period at any location. Certified self-contained vehicles must meet the New Zealand Standard 5465:2001 and must have a system to contain both black water (from toilets) and grey water (wastewater from sinks and showers) for a minimum of three days. The toilet must also be adequately restrained or secured when travelling.
Councillor Melanie Tavendale is Chair of a special sub-committee formed to review freedom camping and believes the bylaw will help address some of the negative impacts of freedom camping.
“A bylaw allows us to put in place some rules around what, if any, restrictions will be applied to freedom camping,” says Cr Tavendale.
“As well as restricting freedom camping to certified self-contained vehicles, we’re also proposing to prohibit freedom camping in certain locations such as the Bushy Beach carpark in Oamaru, the Moeraki Boulder access road and the part of Campbell’s Bay in Kakanui that is Council-managed land.”
Council is also intending to use other non-regulatory tools to complement the proposed bylaw. These include suitable signage to clearly show where freedom camping is prohibited or restricted, updating camping apps showing sites with new restrictions and on-going monitoring of freedom camping ‘hot-spots’.
“We’re fully aware of the natural beauty our district offers and can understand why so many people want to take advantage of that and we want to encourage people to visit our district and enjoy the many attractions we have on offer. But that must be tempered with a degree of control so that our environment is not harmed and local residents are not unduly inconvenienced.”
The public consultation opens Friday 24 June and closes 5pm, Monday 25 July. All relevant information can be found at Council offices in Oamaru and Palmerston and district libraries.
“This is an important issue for our whole district and I encourage people to make their views and concerns known to Council so that we can address them in a practical way.”
Page reviewed: 03 Apr 2017 12:46pm
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Kevin Spacey pleads not guilty to alleged sexual assault
By Bethonie Butler
Bethonie Butler
Reporter covering television and pop culture
Kevin Spacey appeared Monday in a Massachusetts court, where attorneys entered a not-guilty plea on behalf of the 59-year-old actor, who was arraigned on a felony charge of indecent assault and battery.
Spacey is accused of groping an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket bar in 2016. The actor wore a gray suit, floral shirt and polka-dot tie and stood expressionless next to his attorney, Alan Jackson, for most of the hearing, during which Judge Thomas S. Barrett ordered Spacey to have no contact with his alleged victim, at the request of the prosecution.
[Kevin Spacey faces a felony charge for alleged sexual assault]
Barrett set the next pretrial hearing for March 4 at 11 a.m. and agreed that Spacey would not have to appear in court but would need to be available by phone. The judge also agreed to a motion by Spacey’s attorneys to preserve cellphone and cloud data from the victim for six months after the alleged assault, but noted that this requirement could be modified throughout the course of the case.
The case marks the first criminal charge for Spacey, who has faced sexual misconduct allegations in the past year after a BuzzFeed interview with actor Anthony Rapp, who accused the actor of making sexual advances on him when Spacey was 26 and he was 14.
After Rapp’s interview with BuzzFeed, Spacey said he did not remember the alleged encounter but said, “If I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.”
The alleged victim in the Nantucket case came forward about a week later, when his mother — a former Boston news anchor — gave an emotional news conference alleging that the actor provided her then-18-year-old son with alcohol and grabbed the young man’s genitals after he became drunk.
“By reporting the sexual assault, my client is a determined and encouraging voice for those victims not yet ready to report being sexually assaulted. My client is leading by example,” the victim’s attorney, Mitchell Garabedian, said in a statement ahead of Monday’s hearing.
Spacey and his attorneys pushed their way through a large crowd of photographers on the way in and out of the Nantucket District Court on Monday. The actor did not respond to questions.
The courtroom also hosted a throng of onlookers. “No one should interfere or interrupt these proceedings,” the judge advised as the hearing got underway. “If you do, you risk being held in contempt.
Louis C.K. hinted at change. Then he mocked Parkland survivors.
‘The boys’ club remains in full force’: Eliza Dushku slams CBS, breaks silence on $9.5M settlement
Bethonie Butler Bethonie Butler writes about television and pop culture for The Washington Post. She joined The Post in 2010 as a member of the social media team. Follow
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At MIT, weighing balance of privacy and big data
Technology_Internet
By PAIGE SUTHERLAND - Associated Press - Monday, March 3, 2014
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Government, business and academic leaders gathered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Monday to discuss whether new policies are needed to regulate the use of big data, the large and complex sets of electronic information being used by companies to market products, researchers to study health problems, and as a government surveillance tool.
White House counselor John Podesta, who was appointed by President Barack Obama during a January speech about the NSA scandal to review big data collection and privacy concerns, said there is an overwhelming amount of personal information openly available online.
“We are undergoing a revolution in the way that information about our purchases, our conversations, our social networks, our movements, and even our physical identities are collected, stored, analyzed and used,” Podesta said by phone. He called into the conference after his travel plans were interrupted by the snow storm in Washington.
Podesta said the government must figure out how to allow the public and private sector to capitalize on the benefits of big data, while protecting individual privacy. Monday’s event at MIT was the first of three being held across the country before a final report is delivered to Obama.
Sam Madden, an MIT professor, said that the government should regulate what companies can do with the data they collect from customers. “The big question is defining what is and isn’t OK,” Madden said.
John Guttag, a professor at MIT, said collecting clinical data, which could prevent or treat diseases and save lives, requires people to give up some privacy. “Progress in health care is too important and urgent to wait for the problem of privacy to be solved,” he said.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker said big data also helps to keep businesses competitive, but only if people feel they can trust companies with this information.
“You promote trust when you reach out and explain to your customers in very simple and straightforward terms how you plan to use their data,” she said.
Carol Rose, executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said that’s not happening.
“When companies want to use our data for something there needs to be a conversation,” Rose said. “We should be able to control our data,” she said.
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Authorities: Farm worker dies after attack by bull
Law_Crime
By - Associated Press - Friday, March 7, 2014
HASTINGS, Mich. (AP) - Authorities say a 42-year-old farm worker has died after being attacked by a bull in Barry County.
The Grand Rapids Press reports (https://bit.ly/1cHhs0r ) the sheriff’s department says Alicia Avalos-Rebolledo was working at the farm near Hastings on Thursday afternoon when the animal attacked her. Authorities say the bull has been taken away from the farm.
Attempts by rescuers to save the woman at the scene were unsuccessful. The death is under investigation and an autopsy is planned.
Information from: The Grand Rapids Press, https://www.mlive.com/grand-rapids
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Effects of varied ionic calcium and phosphate on the proliferation, osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of human periodontal ligament cells in vitro
Ann Kristin Hansen
Hyaline cartilage is an avascular, aneural and alymphatic tissue covering the ends of long bones facilitating a frictionless movement and absorption of forces in the diarthrodial joint. The thickness of cartilage is related to the congruency of the joint, ranging from 1.2 mm in the congruent ankle joint to 2.17 mm in the incongruent knee joint of adults (1), while in adolescents knee joints the thickness range up to 4 mm (2). Cartilage consists of only 3‐4 % cells, while the bulk of the tissue is the surrounding matrix made up of collagen type II and glycosaminoglycan that provide structural architecture and captures water molecules. The tissue is spatially organised in a superficial, middle, deep and calcified zone. While most reports have named the chondrocyte as the sole cell type in cartilage, newer publications have reported progenitor cells residing in the superficial layer (3). The zonal organisation of the matrix facilitates the highly specialised mechanical properties of hyaline cartilage. The superficial zone is designed to handle the sheer forces of the moving joint with flattened chondrocytes and fibrils arranged parallel to the joint surface. The compressive forces are handled by the obliquely organised middle layer and particularly the deep layer where the cells are arranged in columns and the fibrils run perpendicular to the joint line (4). The tidemark is the basophilic line on histological sections separating the hyaline cartilage from calcified cartilage, while the cement line separates the calcified cartilage from the subchondral bone plate (5). The zonal organization is reflected in the chondrocytes exhibiting different phenotypes in the superficial, middle, deep and calcified zones
The 1993 Walter Hubert Lecture: The role of the p53 tumour-suppressor gene in tumorigenesis
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JetBlue strengthens its footprint in the Caribbean
The Caribbean region has become a key part of the 15-year-old airline's network and identity.
JetBlue strengthens its footprint in the Caribbean The Caribbean region has become a key part of the 15-year-old airline's network and identity. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/1YnY5R7
Charisse Jones, USA TODAY Published 2:34 p.m. ET Dec. 17, 2015 | Updated 5:14 p.m. ET Dec. 17, 2015
JetBlue's premium Mint cabin offers the only lie-flat-seat flying to the Caribbean.(Photo: USA TODAY)
On a recent November morning, passengers on JetBlue flight #1261 dined on tapas, sipped signature cocktails, and then could settle in for a nap on comfortable bed-like seats. When the A321 touched down less than five hours after take off from New York's JFK airport, they were in Barbados.
Flying in comfort to the Caribbean isn’t unique. But being able to relax in a lie-flat seat when traveling there on a U.S. carrier has been rare. Until now.
On Nov. 7, JetBlue began flying its “Mint‘’ cabin to Barbados and Aruba, the first expansion of the carrier's popular premium product beyond the U.S. With that, JetBlue planted another flag in a region it has squarely targeted.
“We‘re very focused on being a leading carrier to the Caribbean, having the best service and experience,’’ says Dave Clark, vice-president of network planning, “and this is yet another product we can offer that differentiates us from the competition.’’
For JetBlue, a low-cost carrier whose business strategy initially focused on ferrying leisure travelers from the chilly Northeast to sun-drenched Florida, the Caribbean was a natural focal point when it began to fly internationally. Now, the region has become a key part of the 15-year-old airline's network and identity.
Though American is the top U.S. carrier flying to the Caribbean, and operates more than 1,750 weekly flights to 85 destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America, JetBlue is solidly in second place in the Caribbean with up to 145 round-trip flights to 34 destinations there and in Latin America. One-third of JetBlue's flying is international, and while its growth in Latin America has been equally robust in recent years, the Caribbean remains the airline's largest international market.
“We were until recently the largest airline in the Caribbean … the largest of any airline in the world,‘’ Clark says. “It’s a very important part of our network.’’
JetBlue is well-positioned to offer certain advantages, says Bijan Vasigh, a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. With its hub at New York's JFK, and a strong presence in Boston, the airline is anchored in a part of the U.S. that many Caribbean immigrants call home, fueling a steady stream of passenger traffic to and from the islands.
“The Caribbean represents a small percent of global passenger traffic, but the propensity (for) travel is above other regions,’’ Vasigh says. “In addition, about 51% of Caribbean immigrants live in the Northeast of the United States," so JetBlue's New York hub gives it a "key advantage with respect to other airlines.’’
Another distinction? JetBlue often serves multiple airports on a given island, says travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt. For instance, along with the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan, JetBlue flies to four other destinations on the island including Aguadilla and Vieques. “That improves JetBlue’s appeal and its utility and gives them a unique way of serving the market,’’ Harteveldt says
Having a dominant presence in a particular market can do much for an airline's bottom line. American is strong in Latin America, United has a strong presence in Asia, and Delta has a large network in both Asia and Europe, Harteveldt says. Among the vacation packages offered by JetBlue Getaways, the Caribbean is one of the most coveted regional destinations.
“It’s helpful to be strong in a geography,’’ says Clark. “If you look across airlines, generally your revenue per seat will be higher in areas where you’re one of the larger if not largest airline.’’
Still, JetBlue is far from the lone player in the Caribbean. American continues to increase service to the region. In June it launched flights between Dallas-Ft. Worth and Grand Cayman. And it will begin flying five new routes to the region, including new service between Los Angeles and Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Friday.
“The Caribbean is an extremely important part of American’s global network,'' Art Torno, American's senior vice president for international and cargo said in an email. "We operate more flights to more destinations than any other airline and offer (Caribbean) service from seven of our nine hubs. We are continuing to grow in the region.''
American offers business-class service to the Caribbean market, and passengers occasionally may be able to grab a lie-flat seat when American's B757L is sometimes routed to the region. United meanwhile offers its domestic first class product to the islands, and Delta usually offers a first class cabin as well.
Southwest, which began flying internationally in 2014, also has been spreading its wings in the Caribbean. “Almost 99% of our capacity is still totally domestic, so it’s a very small component,’’ Southwest’s CEO Gary Kelly said in an interview about the airline's international service. “But that will grow. It will probably double in size over the next couple of years. … And our focus is south at this point: Mexico, the Caribbean, (and) Central America.’’
. But JetBlue hopes its Mint service will help it stand out in the market. Launched in June 2014 on transcontinental flights between New York and Los Angeles and San Francisco, JetBlue's first premium cabin has been lucrative. During the first quarter of 2015, revenue per available seat-mile rose more than 20% on Mint routes compared with the previous year. “It’s been so successful and well received, we immediately began looking at where else we could expand it,’’ Clark says.
In addition to lie-flat seats, Mint travelers get other perks such as a signature Birchbox of amenities and in-flight entertainment that includes more than 100 channels of live TV within coverage areas. But there are some regional touches as well, such as the menu on return flights to the U.S., which has been tweaked to include chicken curry, jerk beef tenderloin, and plantain chips.
Clark says Mint service eventually may be expanded to other Caribbean destinations. “We’re eager to learn which markets and how many in the Caribbean have enough high-end, premium demand,’’ he says.
As with its peers, JetBlue also has its sights set on Cuba. The State Department said Thursday that the U.S. and Cuba have reached a bilateral agreement to restore commercial flights between the two nations in the wake of the recent restoration of diplomatic relations. . Currently, JetBlue operates six weekly round trip charter flights between the U.S. and Cuba, including a second round-trip between New York’s JFK and Havana that began Dec. 1.
”We think Cuba can play a large and important role in our network,’’ Clark says. “We’re the largest carrier in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, and we feel Cuba provides a very large opportunity as well.’’
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1YnY5R7
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Fox News, Reza Aslan, and the Historical Jesus
Reader Contribution by Utne Reader Staff
| 7/29/2013 3:14:01 PM
Tags: Fox News, Religion,
Reza Aslan is an internationally-respected religious scholar. He earned a Masters of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School as well as a Ph.D in the sociology of religions from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He's written extensively on a variety of religious topics from an academic perspective. Ask Lauren Green of Fox News, though, and she'll say those credentials hardly qualify Aslan to write about about the historical Jesus simply because of one reason—he's a Muslim.
Green said as much when she recently interviewed Aslan on the FoxNews.com online show "Spirited Debate" (video below). Aslan was there to talk about his new book, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, but spent most of the 10-minute interview trying to explain just how ridiculous it is to focus on the fact that he also happens to be a Muslim. As Aslan later said in a radio interview that Tom Kludt posted on Talking Points Memo, "It's weird to all of a sudden talk about it as though only practitioners of a faith can write about the prophets of that faith," he said. "If that were true, there would be a lot fewer Islam books out there."
The Fox News interview is followed by the author's note from Zealot, in which Aslan talks about his personal faith and fascination with Jesus.
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Reza Aslan's author's note from Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth:
When I was fifteen years old, I found Jesus.
I spent the summer of my sophomore year at an evangelical youth camp in Northern California, a place of timbered fields and boundless blue skies, where, given enough time and stillness and soft-spoken encouragement, one could not help but hear the voice of God. Amidst the man-made lakes and majestic pines my friends and I sang songs, played games, and swapped secrets, rollicking in our freedom from the pressures of home and school. In the evenings, we gathered in a fire-lit assembly hall at the center of the camp. It was there that I heard a remarkable story that would change my life forever.
Two thousand years ago, I was told, in an ancient land called Galilee, the God of heaven and earth was born in the form of a helpless child. The child grew into a blameless man. The man became the Christ, the savior of humanity. Through his words and miraculous deeds, he challenged the Jews who thought they were the chosen of God, and in return the Jews had him nailed to a cross. Though he could have saved himself from that gruesome death, he freely chose to die. Indeed, his death was the point of it all, for his sacrifice freed us all from the burden of our sins. But the story did not end there, because three days later, he rose again, exalted and divine, so that now, all who believe in him and accept him into their hearts will also never die, but have eternal life.
For a kid raised in a motley family of lukewarm Muslims and exuberant atheists, this was truly the greatest story ever told. Never before had I felt so intimately the pull of God. In Iran, the place of my birth, I was Muslim in much the way I was Persian. My religion and my ethnicity were mutual and linked. Like most people born into a religious tradition, my faith was as familiar to me as my skin, and just as disregardable. After the Iranian revolution forced my family to flee our home, religion in general, and Islam in particular, became taboo in our household. Islam was shorthand for everything we had lost to the mullahs who now ruled Iran.
My mother still prayed when no one was looking, and you could still find a stray Quran or two hidden in a closet or a drawer somewhere. But, for the most part, our lives were scrubbed of all trace of God.
That was just fine with me. After all, in the America of the 1980s, being Muslim was like being a spaceman. My faith was a bruise, the most obvious symbol of my otherness; it needed to be concealed.
Jesus, on the other hand, was America. He was the central figure in America’s national drama. Accepting him into my heart was as close as I could get to feeling truly American. I do not mean to say that mine was a conversion of convenience. On the contrary, I burned with absolute devotion to my newfound faith. I was presented with a Jesus who was less “Lord and Savior” than he was a best friend, someone with whom I could have a deep and personal relationship. As a teenager trying to make sense of an indeterminate world I had only just become aware of, this was an invitation I could not refuse.
The moment I returned home from camp, I began eagerly to share the good news of Jesus Christ with my friends and family, my neighbors and classmates, with people I’d just met and with strangers on the street: those who heard it gladly, and those who threw it back in my face. Yet something unexpected happened in my quest to save the souls of the world. The more I probed the Bible to arm myself against the doubts of unbelievers, the more distance I discovered between the Jesus of the gospels and the Jesus of history – between Jesus the Christ and Jesus of Nazareth. In college, where I began my formal study of the history of religions, that initial discomfort soon ballooned into full-blown doubts of my own.
The bedrock of evangelical Christianity, at least as it was taught to me, is the unconditional belief that every word of the Bible is God-breathed and true, literal and inerrant. The sudden realization that this belief is patently and irrefutably false, that the Bible is replete with the most blatant and obvious errors and contradictions—just as one would expect from a document written by hundreds of different hands across thousands of years—left me confused and spiritual unmoored. And so, like many people in my situation, I angrily discarded my faith as if it were a costly forgery I had been duped into buying. I began to rethink the faith and culture of my forefathers, finding in them as an adult a deeper, more intimate familiarity than I ever had as a child, the kind that comes from reconnecting with an old friend after many years apart.
Meanwhile, I continued my academic work in religious studies, delving back into the Bible not as an unquestioning believer but as an inquisitive scholar. No longer chained to the assumption that the stories I read were literally true, I became aware of a more meaningful truth in the text, a truth intentionally detached from the exigencies of history. Ironically, the more I learned about the life of the historical Jesus, the turbulent world in which he lived, and the brutality of the Roman occupation that he defied, the more I was drawn to him. Indeed, the Jewish peasant and revolutionary who challenged the rule of the most powerful empire the world had ever known and lost became so much more real to me than the detached, unearthly being I had been introduced to in church.
Today, I can confidently say that two decades of rigorous academic research into the origins of Christianity has made me a more genuinely committed disciple of Jesus of Nazareth than I ever was of Jesus Christ. My hope with this book is to spread the good news of the Jesus of history with the same fervor that I once applied to spreading the story of the Christ.
There are a few things to keep in mind before we begin our examination of the Jesus of history. For every well-attested, heavily researched, and eminently authoritative argument made about the historical Jesus, there is an equally well-attested, equally researched, and equally authoritative argument opposing it. Rather than burden the reader with the centuries-long debate about the life and mission of Jesus of Nazareth, I have constructed my narrative upon what I believe to be the most accurate and reasonable argument, based on my two decades of scholarly research into the New Testament and early Christian history. For those interested in the debate, I have exhaustively detailed my research and, whenever possible, provided the arguments of those who disagree with my interpretation in the lengthy notes section at the end of this book.
All Greek translations of the New Testament are my own (with a little help from my friends Liddell and Scott). In those few cases in which I do not directly translate a passage of the New Testament, I rely on the translation provided by the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. All Hebrew and Aramaic translations are provided by Dr. Ian C. Werrett, associate professor of religious studies at St. Martin’s University.
Throughout the text, all references to the Q source material will be marked thus:
(Matthew | Luke), with the order of the books indicating which gospel I am most directly quoting. The reader will notice that I rely primarily on the gospel of Mark and the Q material in forming my outline of the story of Jesus. That is because these are the earliest and thus most reliable sources available to us about the life of the Nazarean. In general I have chosen not to delve too deeply into the so-called “Gnostic Gospels.” While these texts are incredibly important in outlining the wide array of opinions among the early Christian community about who Jesus was and what his teachings meant, they do not shed much light on the historical Jesus himself.
Although it is almost unanimously agreed that, with the possible exception of Luke-Acts, the gospels were not written by the people for which they are named, for ease and the sake of clarity, I will continue to refer to the gospel writers by the names by which we now know and recognize them.
Finally, in keeping with scholarly designations, this text employs C.E., or Common Era, instead of A.D. in its dating, and B.C.E. instead of B.C. It also more properly refers to the Old Testament as the Hebrew Bible or the Hebrew Scriptures.
Excerpted from ZEALOT: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan Copyright © 2013 by Reza Aslan. Excerpted by permission of Random House, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Amazing story and very inspiring https://monkfox.com/
Very inspiring, https://monkfox.com/
saqib soomro
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sushilkr
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shahbaz123
Mr Aslan's publication will be very tame, considering the selection connected with ideas about New Testament historicity. Perhaps Aslan, to be a Muslim, perceives they are currently being attention seeking. https://www.passbeemedia.com/
writingservices
Aslan was there to talk about his new book, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, but spent most of the 10-minute interview trying to explain just how ridiculous it is to focus on the fact that he also happens to be a Muslim ___________________ http://www.propaperswriting.com/cheap-essay-online/
Ralph Ellis
Mr Aslan's book is actually very tame, considering the spectrum of opinions on New Testament historicity. Perhaps Aslan, being a Muslim, thinks he is being provocative because he would never dare to say the same about Muhummad, but most of his observations are actually mainstream or banal. If you want a really provocative account of the discovery of the real historical Jesus, you should read 'Jesus, the King of Edessa'.
Basic Bread Baking E-Handbook
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UpMY TOMMaking education more motivationalDon't be afraid of chaosSteadily aiming for successDiving into unknown worldsCoherence in businessDo not underestimate the student!Preparing students for the futureIt's like tractor pullingTeaching is two-sidedPhilosophizing with students of scienceChoices have to be madeA bottleneck also is a learning experienceWorking toward a culture of quality togetherThe function of a lecture is changingA teacher's game no longerStop spilling all the informationMy TOMDigital testing, how's it done?Learning from you mistakesLearn more by doing
Twente Educational Model
Twente Education Model (TOM)
Experiences in TOM
MY TOM
Do not underestimate the student!
See MY TOM
Roy Damgrave is a University Lecturer in the Industrial Design program. After finishing his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design in Eindhoven, he got his Master’s degree in Industrial Design Engineering at the UT. Quite by accident he was drawn to the Virtual Reality Lab where he grew to become an expert in the field of Virtual Reality. Next year he will complete his PhD research on this subject. This year, he was module coordinator for Module 8, which he developed and taught. He is happy with this combination of teaching and researching.
Eleven Different Tools
There was a great deal of input regarding what people wanted this module to look like. This module (8) is the last module before the minor and the graduation semester. In this context, students were required to develop a vision as to what kind of a designer they wanted to become. In addition, they needed to exhibit good communication skills among one another. “Also,“ Roy adds, “we wanted to give the students a great deal of freedom and responsibility.” After some brainstorming and coffee table discussions, Roy and his team came up with a clever design for the module. By putting the theory into eleven different “tools,” (mini-lectures) and letting the students choose which tools they took, it became a module in which students could get acquainted with different areas of expertise. This way of working made communication an important condition and yet the students could still experience a great deal of freedom. The content of these “tools’ had to be made visible in the projects. Each student was required to attend lectures about six tools and together, the entire group was responsible for knowing all the tools. Two to four students from the same project group could attend one tool. “By deploying the tools as expertise, communication was established and the students were able to work together towards a concrete goal,” Roy explains.
“In contrast to what they were accustomed to, in this project, students had to show and persuade an investor that there would be a return on their investment,” Roy tells us. “The students received little information at the beginning and had to conduct research on everything about the project: who the client was, the manufacturers, etc.” During this module the teaching staff functioned as consultants. “When students came to us and asked if their work was good enough, we replied by asking them if they would be happy if a designer they hired would come to them with this work.” They were given a lot of freedom in their process. There was a start up moment and a final deadline. Students did, however, also know that they could expect to have to give a presentation at some point halfway through the process.
Our other modules are concerned with a final product. Here the focus was on approach. For example, do you know who your target group is? Or how to persuade an investor? We tested this by means of a group evaluation in the context of a project exam. Students received questions from examiners who played the roles of potential investors. The theory in the tools was tested on an individual basis in the form of essays where they had to describe, how, what, or why they used a particular tool in their project. “Even if the tool was not useable, the essay could still be good,” Roy says. “The students could be honest. We wanted to see their thinking process and the application of a new technique.”
Roy believes some students are more capable of dealing with the free time they have been given than others. “But, honestly, I was not disappointed! Do not underestimate the student! They are capable of quite a lot. Give them that freedom. The more freedom they have, the more they will do,” says Roy. “We never heard anything about it being vague. Any more freedom would probably have been too much. This was just right.” However, Roy does state that it depends on the nature of the study programme. “You do have to adapt your curriculum accordingly: you cannot do it this way if students just had very strict curriculums in previous modules. You have to build this up gradually."
Each lecturer created their own tool for this module. “As coordinator, I had complete faith in my colleagues and I only gave them minimal conditions. By doing this, you get different teaching methods in the module. That is fun for students as well as teachers,” explains Roy.
According to Roy, being flexible and able to change gears quickly is important. “There are some things you cannot foresee and during the module we made adjustments here and there. We didn’t try to find and note every variable before we began. We decided to remain flexible and to make any needed adjustments as we went along.”
The module ended with a competition, Dragons’ Den. After this enjoyable closing event, the module was immediately evaluated with all of the students present.
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DC subway shut down until Thursday
Brendan Smialowski
<p>WASHINGTON - JULY 21: Commuters make their way toward the orange line at Metro Center July 21, 2005 in the Metro system of Washington, DC. Transit security remained at a code orange alert after London Police evacuated three subway stations after explosions. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)</p>
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing an unprecedented daylong shutdown of the Washington area's Metro subway system, hundreds of thousands of commuters in the nation's capital were forced to turn to Plan B on Wednesday. While some took advantage of the federal government's option for employees to take the day off or work from home, other workers woke up early, hopped on buses and pricey taxis, or planned long walks home without mass transit.
Michaun Jordan, 51, usually takes a commuter train, then Metro rail lines and a bus to get to her job as a finance officer for the federal government. But on Wednesday, she took a $15 taxi after her train, then waited at Rosslyn station in Virginia for a bus.
"At first I was a bit disappointed. Then I thought about it — it's best to be safe," she said.
The nation's second-busiest transit system was shut down at midnight Tuesday for a system-wide safety inspection of its third-rail power cables, prompted by a series of electrical fires. It will reopen at 5 a.m. Thursday unless inspectors find an immediate threat to passenger safety, which the system's general manager said was unlikely.
Ridership on Metro has dipped as the system's reliability has deteriorated, and gripes on social media occur daily.
Still, more than 700,000 people hop on the trains every day because it's still the best way to get downtown from Maryland, Virginia and the city's outer neighborhoods. On Wednesday, they didn't have that option.
"It's always slow, always crowded," Bob Jones, 26, of Arlington, Virginia, said of Metro.
But on Wednesday, as he waited for his normal bus to work but planned a walk of more than an hour home without his usual option of the subway, he said he wasn't too upset with the decision to close.
"Better that than, like, a fiery inferno," he said.
Despite the announcement Tuesday, not all riders had gotten the message that the system would close. At Metro's Rosslyn station in Virginia, just over the Potomac River from Washington, Derya Demirci, 27, looked disbelievingly at a sign announcing the shutdown. She had hoped to take her normal train to her childcare job.
"I don't know what to do," she said. She settled on taking a picture of the sign ("Your safety is our highest priority," it read in part) and asked her husband to drive her to work.
A federal shutdown usually makes driving into the city much easier — but that's with the Metro running. Officials were bracing for a difficult morning on the city's already traffic-choked streets, and many commuters said they would have no choice but to stay home.
Metro wasn't yet hearing reports of overcrowding on buses, spokeswoman Morgan Dye said by phone Wednesday morning.
A fire on the tracks led to major delays throughout the system Monday. The fire was caused by the same kind of electrical component that malfunctioned last year and caused a train to fill with smoke inside a downtown Washington tunnel, killing one passenger and sickening dozens.
On Tuesday, Metro's general manager, Paul Wiedefeld, said the closure was necessary to ensure rider safety.
"While the risk to the public is very low, I cannot rule out a potential life and safety issue here, and this is why we must take this action immediately," he said.
D.C. Council member Jack Evans, the chairman of Metro's board, said that while the system had previously been closed for days for weather, including earlier this year, Wednesday was believed to be the first time the system would be shut down for mechanical reasons.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement that putting safety first is the right choice but Metro needs to get serious about fixing issues.
"I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it until the region takes real ownership of its safety oversight responsibilities: D.C., Maryland and Virginia need to stand up a permanent Metro safety office with real teeth. What are folks waiting for?" Foxx said.
Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Virginia Democrat, called the decision to shut down "a gut punch to the hundreds of thousands of commuters who depend on the system."
News of the closure exploded on social media, with some on Twitter dubbing the situation "#Metromageddon" or "#Metropocalypse."
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said additional police officers would be deployed to help deal with anticipated traffic gridlock. Construction work by city road crews is suspended, and the city increasing service on its Circulator buses as well as offering free 24-hour memberships in the region's bike-sharing program. Suburban bus lines were beefing up service as well.
Another population affected by the closure: students at the District's public schools. The city does not have traditional school buses and many students rely on Metro, which they are allowed to ride for free, to get to school. The school system announced that while schools would be open, absences and tardiness would be excused. D.C. Council member David Grosso said he was concerned about student safety.
"This is a significant disruption for many of our families," Grosso said.
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Donald Trump accepts invitation to meet with Mexican president
Posted: 10:07 PM, Aug 30, 2016
EVERETT, Washington (AP) — Donald Trump will be taking his first foreign trip as the Republican presidential nominee on Wednesday, making a quick and unexpected visit to Mexico, a nation he derided as the home of rapists and criminals as he launched his campaign.
The meeting with President Enrique Pena Nieto, who earlier this year compared the billionaire candidate to Hitler, comes hours before Trump is set to deliver a highly-anticipated immigration speech. It's a defining issue for Trump, but one on which he has appeared to waiver.
After saying during his primary campaign he would expel all of the estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally with a "deportation force," Trump has suggested recently he might be open to "softening" his stance as he tries to win over more moderate general election voters.
In meetings recently with Hispanic supporters, Trump had suggested he could be open to allowing some people living in the country illegally to stay. After one such roundtable this month, his new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, said Trump's stance on using a deportation force to expel people was "to be determined."
In the days since, Trump and his staff have broadcast varied and conflicting messages — though on Wednesday Conway appeared to make clear that Trump had decided against allowing immigrants in the U.S. illegally to stay.
"(T)he point that Mr. Trump has made again and again is that you don't get amnesty and you don't get legalization since you broke the law to be here in the first place. But then he also respects it's a complex issue," Conway said in an interview with MSNBC. She added that Trump's plan would be "the toughest on illegal immigration than anyone's ever been and he means it, he's meant it from day one."
But on the eve of the speech, Trump's campaign added a new wrinkle with news that he would be paying a surprise visit to Mexico City in the hours before the speech.
Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday night to say he looks "very much forward" to meeting with Pena Nieto. The Mexican leader's office confirmed the meeting with its own tweet, saying the two men would meet privately.
Pena Nieto has been sharply critical of Trump's original immigration policy, particularly the Republican's plan to build a wall along the length of the southern border and his insistence that Mexico would pay for it. In a March interview, Pena Nieto said that "there is no scenario" under which Mexico would do so and compared Trump's language to that of dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.
Former Mexican Presidents Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderon have also alluded to Hitler in describing the GOP nominee.
Pena Nieto cast a different tone late Tuesday, writing on Twitter of the visit, "I believe in dialogue to promote Mexico's interests in the world and, principally, to protect Mexicans wherever they are."
While Trump's visit came as a surprise, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a close Trump adviser, has been among those pushing Trump to make the trip, according to a person familiar with their conversations who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss them publicly. Christie made his own successful trip to Mexico City in September 2014 and has a warm relationship with the Mexican president.
Last week, Pena Nieto extended invitations to visit Mexico to both Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, who met with him in Mexico in 2014. The Washington Post first reported Tuesday that Trump was considering making the trip to Mexico.
Trump has spent much of his campaign railing against the U.S.'s trade imbalance with Mexico and other countries and promising that, if he's elected president, he will punish companies that try to move jobs overseas. During his announcement speech, Trump accused Mexico of sending its rapists and criminals across the border, and vowed to build a giant wall to stop them, along with the flow of illegal drugs.
Trump's short stop in Mexico would mark his second visit to a foreign country during his campaign. Earlier this summer, Trump traveled to Scotland to attend the re-opening of one of his golf resorts, but notably didn't meet with any U.K. political leaders while there.
The Republican has faced a torrent of criticism from Clinton, a former secretary of state, about his preparedness to lead on the world stage. Several Republican foreign policy experts have also warned that Trump is unprepared for the numerous international issues that land on a president's desk.
Clinton's campaign has urged voters to not "be fooled" by what it calls Trump's attempts to disguise his immigration policies.
"What ultimately matters is what Donald Trump says to voters in Arizona, not Mexico, and whether he remains committed to the splitting up of families and deportation of millions," said Clinton campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri.
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ADOLESCENTS are one of America’s most popular punk bands. They were formed by original AGENT ORANGE bassist Steve Soto and singer Tony Cadena (Re ex) in 1979 in Fullerton, California. Along the way they recruited the Agnew brothers from SOCIAL DISTORTION and in 1981 released their self titled debut album “Adolescents“ which would become one of the most in uential Southern California punk rock albums of all time. Along with BAD BRAINS, BLACK FLAG and MINOR THREAT they are one of the leading bands of the 1980s hardcore / skate punk scene. Over all those years the band has in uenced many of today‘s later punk groups, including BAD RELIGION, NOFX, FACE TO FACE, GOOD RIDDANCE, THE OFFSPRING, PENNYWISE, RISE AGAINST, SLAYER and FU MANCHU.
The rst line up disbanded in late 81 but the band returned in 1986 with a new drummer and a new record “Brats in Batallions”. Re ex left in 1988 and the band released one more record “Balboa Funzone” before disbanding in 1989. The band once again reunited in 2001 for a 20th anniversary tour and have continued performing ever since. With a few line up changes Soto and Re ex have taken the ADOLESCENTS across the US, Europe, Japan and South America and they released "OC Confidential", their rst studio album in 17 years in 2005.
Finally since 2011 the band has been more productive than ever. After their successful album in 2011 „The Fastest Kid Alive“, their great EP „American Dogs in Europe“ in 2012 and their records „Presumed Insolent“ (2013) and „La Vendetta“ (2014), the band decided to take a small break. But now they‘re back and ready to release their 5. studio album on Concrete Jungle Records!
And the new album is a blast! Produced by Paul Miner (DEATH BY STEREO, H2O, ATREYU), „Manifest Density“ has a powerful sound without losing the typical ADOLESCENTS‘ charm. Songs such as „Nightcrawler“ and „Ratcather“ are great and catchy Cali-Punk anthems with intellectually sharp and critical lyrics.
Once again ADOLESCENTS achieve an album that combines the old and the new. „Manifest Density“ will be released July 8th, 2016 on Concrete Jungle Records as CD, ltd. col. 12“ LP + MP3 and Digital Download. In July and August they‘ll also return for an extensive European tour!
adolescents_pic09.jpg
info_2016.pdf
https://www.facebook.com/officialtheadolescents/
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Hellcat Records, 2017
Momentum (Hellcat Records, release November 2017) is the new album by punk stalwarts GBH. Why would a band that has been a constant on the scene for over 35 years choose that title over any others? “We’re always looking forward,” says Colin Abrahall (vocals), “next gig, next tour, next album. For us, it’s all about momentum. At this point if we stopped moving forward we’d just fall over”.
Classic GBH humor, dark and self-deprecating, but also illuminating – GBH have never slowed down, traveling the globe and regularly topping 100 shows a year. According to Colin “We play out so much it maybe gets in the way of our writing and recording but we’re constantly at it, constantly picking up new things from our travels and the people we meet”. The results show on Momentum, as GBH continue to develop their sound within the hardcore framework that fans know and love. “I’ve always been into classic rock n’ roll,” says Jock (guitar), “bands like Thin Lizzy and Status Quo. I’ve always sneaked bits in here and there but there are a couple of moments on this one where I’m a little more open about it”.
The results can be heard on songs like “Blue Sky Thinking” with its anthemic opening and swaggering riff resolving in a classic street punk chorus. “That one’s one of our favorites”, Colin confirms, “it’s one we’re going to be playing on our upcoming US tour alongside ‘Birmingham Smiles’ and ‘Momentum’. We’re doing ‘Liquid Paradise’ during sound check so that’ll probably work it’s way in at some point as well”.
Momentum was recorded at Muther’s Studio in GBH’s hometown of Birmingham, England. Colin explains: “It’s comfortable. We used to practice there. It got dilapidated but now it’s been fixed up into a proper studio.” “And it’s got a proper bar!” Jock laughs. “We laid down all kinds of takes on the songs,” Colin continues, “which made the mixing interesting as we’d send it all off to Michael (Rosen – Engineer) and him and Lars (Fredericksen – Rancid) would send back tracks. You’d think something was maybe a glitch or whatever and it’d come back and we’d listen and think ‘that’s fucking amazing’!”
How does GBH balance new songs with the classic repertoire that fans expect to hear? “We like to think all our songs become classic eventually”, Jock deadpans. “At first people are a little hesitant,” Colin adds, “they come out and want to go crazy and we open with something they haven’t heard before. But they’re listening and pretty soon it’s all the same. Like ‘Unique’ (from 2010’s “Perfume and Piss”). At first it got the same reaction but now everybody knows it and sings along just like it were something we’d put out on Clay (Records). Hard to imagine it not being in the set!”
When asked what the future holds Colin laughs. “Same thing we’ve always done. Play shows, go home, rest a few days and do it again. It’s what we’ve always done. It’s what we’ll always do”. Momentum. Its all some bands know.
gbh_2017.jpg
GBH_-_Momentum_-_BioSkullswar.pdf
http://gbhuk.com
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Westgate Reservations Westgate Resorts Vacation Blog President’s Day
admin February 15, 2016 Holidays
How Will You Celebrate President's Day?
President's Day is Monday, February 15, 2016. Throughout history, a grand total of 43 men have held the highest office as the President of the United States. The first of those – George Washington – ultimately had a holiday named after him. Way back in 1885, Washington’s birthday of February 22 was established as a national holiday. However, in 1971, that holiday was moved to be celebrated annually on the third Monday of February as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act - an act designed to create more 3-day weekends.
Initially viewed as a celebration honoring the births of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, President’s Day is now considered an opportunity to celebrate all of the U.S. presidents. From Washington, D.C. to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, there are dozens of monuments, memorials and buildings you can visit to learn more about our Presidents. This President's Day weekend, why not learn a little more about the men who have led our country through good times and bad. Here's a list of historical sites you can visit - one for each President!
1. George Washington, 1789-1797
Mount Vernon – Mount Vernon, VA - Experience 18th century plantation life by visiting this amazing estate featuring gardens, grounds, as well as Washington’s famed 21-room mansion and museum overlooking the Potomac River.
2. John Adams, 1797-1801
Adams National Historic Park – Quincy, MA - Explore this 13-acre park that includes the birthplaces of TWO presidents, the “summer White House,” Stone Library, Adams Carriage House and historic landscape.
3. Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809
Monticello – Charlottesville, VA - Visit this architectural masterpiece, from the historic botanic garden to the iconic home that was built and rebuilt over the course of 40 years. Monticello was home to the Jefferson family as well as workers – black and white, enslaved and free.
4. James Madison, 1809-1817
Montpelier – Montpelier Station, VA - Home to James and Dolley Madison, Montpelier features the couple’s mansion, a Presidential Library, 2,650 acres of rolling hills and horse pastures overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Madison Family Cemetery.
5. James Monroe, 1817-1825
Oak Hill – Oak Hill, VA - On land inherited from his uncle, Monroe lived in a wood frame clapboard building known today as the Monroe Cottage, prior to building the mansion at Oak Hill during his first term as president.
James Monroe died on JULY 4, 1831
6. John Quincy Adams, 1825-1829
Adams National Historic Park – Quincy, MA - Son of the 2nd U.S President, John Q. Adams was born on the same historic land as his father. Four generations of Adams lived in the Old House at Peace Field including two first ladies, three ambassadors to Great Britain and a Pulitzer Prize winner.
7. Andrew Jackson, 1829-1837
The Hermitage – Nashville, TN - This plantation mansion sites on 425 acres of land Jackson named the Hermitage. The entrance hall features a winding staircase and original wallpaper from 1837. The Hermitage also includes a museum and a garden the hosts the tomb of Jackson and his wife.
Andrew Jackson lost both parents and was orphaned at age 14. Another President, Herbert Hoover, was orphaned at age 8.
8. Martin Van Buren, 1837-1841
Martin Van Buren National Historic Site – Kinderhook, NY - Van Buren resided in his treasured Lindenwald estate and the surrounding 225 acres for 21 years, operating a successful farm while experimenting and cultivating new varieties of vegetables.
9. William Henry Harrison, 1841
William Henry Harrison Tomb – North Bend, OH - This monument and tomb includes 24 vaults containing the bodies of Harrison, his wife and other family members. The monument sits at the summit of Mt. Nebo and offers a beautiful panorama of the Ohio River Valley.
10. John Tyler, 1841-1845
Sherwood Forest Plantation – Charles City, VA - Known as the longest frame house in America, the Sherwood Forest Plantation has been the continuous residence of the Tyler family since the President purchased it from his cousin in 1842. Over 300-feet long, the home features a 68-foot ballroom, 25 acres of gardens, and original outbuildings.
The grounds at John Tyler’s Sherwood Forest Plantation contain more than 80 varieties of trees.
11. James Knox Polk, 1845-1849
President Jams K. Polk State Historic Site – Pineville, NC - Explore the historic log buildings that were the birthplace of Polk and 21 of the original 150 acres owned by his father, Samuel. The site includes a museum with artifacts.
12. Zachary Taylor, 1849-1850
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park – Key West, FL - This 54-acre park includes the landmark fortress which served as headquarters for the US Navy’s east Gulf Coast blockade squadron that deterred supply ships from reaching or leaving Confederate ports. Fort construction began in 1845 and was named after Taylor who died in office in 1850.
13. Millard Fillmore, 1850-1853
Buffalo City Hall Statues – Buffalo, NY - Buffalo’s landmark City Hall overlooking Lake Erie and the neighboring shores of Canada, features two presidential bronze statues sculpted in 1930 by Bryant Baker. On the south side of the building is a statue of Millard Fillmore and on the north side, Grover Cleveland.
14. Franklin Pierce, 1853-1857
Franklin Pierce Homestead – Hillsborough, NH - This stately home was built by Benjamin Pierce in 1804, the year his son and the future President was born. The home includes a grand ballroom, hand-stenciled walls and imported wallpaper, plus gardens and an artificial pond.
15. James Buchanan, 1857-1861
Wheatland - Lancaster, PA - In 1856, Wheatland served as Buchanan’s presidential campaign headquarters. A beautiful 10-acre setting features the historic grounds and gardens of Wheatland, an arboretum, and a museum.
James Buchanan was the only President who never married.
16. Abraham Lincoln, 1861-1865
The Henry Ford Museum – Dearborn, MI - You could visit the iconic Lincoln Memorial or even Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C., but the silk, upholstered rocking chair the President was sitting in on April 14, 1865 when he was assassinated is now on display at this amazing museum that also hosts an original camp bed used by George Washington and the John F. Kennedy assassination limousine.
17. Andrew Johnson, 1865-1869
Andrew Johnson National Cemetery – Greeneville, TN - One of Johnson’s favorite spots for meditating, Monument Hill was used during the Civil War for signaling and was known as Signal Hill. You’ll also find a Visitor’s Center, museum and Johnson’s early home.
18. Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-1877
Grant’s Farm – St. Louis, MO - The 281-acre ancestral home of the Anheuser Busch Family, Grant’s Farm was named for Ulysses S. Grant who originally worked a portion of the land. Home to a 4-room, 2-story cabin built by Grant in 1855, the farm honors the 18th President while offering rides, shows and a refuge for more than 900 animals.
19. Rutherford Birchard Hayes, 1877-1881
Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museum – Fremont, OH - The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums is America’s first presidential library and celebrates its centennial in 2016.
In 1860, 11-yr-old Grace Bedell wrote a letter to Lincoln suggesting that he grow a beard to make him “look a great deal better.” He later met and thanked her for the idea.
20. James Abram Garfield, 1881
National Gallery of Art West Building – Washington, D.C. - The gallery sits on the north side of the National Mall, the same location where the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad Station once stood from 1872-1907. The site is unmarked, but that rail station is where the 20th President was shot on the morning of July 2, 1881. He died from the assassin’s bullet on Sept. 19.
James A Garfield was the last President to be born in a log cabin.
21. Chester Alan Arthur, 1881-1885
President Chester A. Arthur State Historic Site – Fairfield, VT - Questions remain whether or not Arthur was actually born in Canada, but meanwhile, this site includes a replica of the original home where he was said to be born, and a granite monument dedicated to his birthplace.
22. Grover Cleveland, 1885-1889
Grover Cleveland Golf Course – Amherst, NY - The Country Club of Buffalo, which hosted the 1912 U.S. Open championship, was purchased by the city in 1925 and renamed after the 22nd President who was also a former mayor of Buffalo.
23. Benjamin Harrison, 1889-1893
Benjamin Harrison Home – Indianapolis, IN - Grandson of the 9th President and Great-Grandson of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, the front porch of his Indianapolis home was used to deliver speeches to visiting delegations that gathered on the shaded front lawn.
Grover Cleveland Gravesite – Princeton, NJ - The only President to serve two non-consecutive terms, Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th President of the U.S. Cleveland’s gravesite is in the Princeton Cemetery – the same cemetery where former Vice President Aaron Burr (best known for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel) is buried.
25. William McKinley, 1897-1901
McKinley Presidential Library & Museum - Canton, OH - Explore this hands-on, interactive science museum which also includes McKinley’s Presidential museum, a historical library, planetarium and the McKinley National Memorial. The memorial is on a site often visited by the 25th President who was assassinated six months into his second term.
William McKinley was the fifth and final Civil War veteran to occupy the Presidency.
26. Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-1909
Inaugural Site – Buffalo, NY - One of the most popular and important President’s in U.S. history came into office not via election, but he ascended to the office after the assassination of McKinley. See the historic home where a short, unexpected, emotional and improvised ceremony was held to swear in the new President.
27. William Howard Taft, 1909-1913
William Taft National Historic Site – Cincinnati, OH - Both a President and a Chief Justice of the United States, Taft’s restored birth home includes exhibits and even an animatronic figure of his son, Charlie Taft – telling stories about different family members.
28. Woodrow Wilson, 1913-1921
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library – Staunton, VA - Wilson’s birthplace home, a chateau-style mansion, houses the 28th President’s museum, featuring 7 galleries of historic photos, documents and objects.
Woodrow Wilson was the first president to attend a Major League Baseball World Series game. Game 2 of the 1915 Series featured the Philadelphia Phillies against the Boston Red Sox who had a rookie pitcher named Babe Ruth.
29. Warren Gamaliel Harding, 1921-1923
Harding Memorial – Marion, OH - The Harding Home offers a legacy museum, but the President’s tomb is even more majestic. The last large-scale monument for a deceased President is a circular marble structure with 46 columns that resembles a Greek temple. A surrounding garden honors his wish to be buried in a simple grave under a tree and under the stars.
30. Calvin Coolidge, 1923-1929
Plymouth Notch – Plymouth Notch, VT - Unlike the typical birthplace home museum, Plymouth Notch is an entire village nearly unchanged since the early 20th century, and includes the preserved homes of Coolidge, his family and neighbors, a community church, one-room schoolhouse, a cheese factory and a general store.
31. Herbert Clark Hoover, 1929-1933
Birthplace Cottage – West Branch, IA - Orphaned at age 9, Hoover left his small town where he was born in a tiny, two-room cottage and ascended all the way to the Presidency.
Herbert Hoover’s birthplace was a tourist attraction way back in 1928. Before it became a national historic site, the home’s owner – Jennie Scellers – charged 10 cents for tours and established a souvenir stand on her lawn.
32. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933-1945
Little White House - Warm Springs, GA - FDR built this house in 1932 and visited regularly to swim in the 88-degree spring waters, finding pain relief in his struggle with polio. He created the Warm Springs Foundation that eventually became the March of Dimes – a foundation that ultimately found the cure for polio.
33. Harry S. Truman, 1945-1953
Harry S. Truman Library & Museum – Independence, MO - The Truman home and farm showcase the simple life that Truman enjoyed before, during and after his Presidency. Enjoy a variety of tours and activities.
Harry S. Truman actually had no middle name…his parents gave him the middle initial S to honor and please his grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young.
34. Dwight David Eisenhower, 1953-1961
Gettysburg National Military Park – Gettysburg, PA - Adjacent to the historic Gettysburg battlefield, you’ll find Eisenhower’s residence and 189-acre farm. Eisenhower first saw the area in 1915 while visiting with his West Point class and he later purchased the farm in 1950 – where he lived and eventually retired.
35. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1961-1963
Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza – Dallas, TX - Museum is located within the historic Texas School Book Depository where assassin Lee Harvey Oswald fired the fatal shot that killed the President on Nov. 22, 1963. Visit Dealey Plaza where you’ll find the famed grassy knoll and street lights and signs used in 1963.
36. Lyndon Baines Johnson, 1963-1969
Lyndon B. Johnson Historical Park – Johnson City, TX - This national park tells the story of LBJ and his presidency, beginning with his ancestors until his final resting place on his special ranch – known as the Texas White House.
37. Richard Milhous Nixon, 1969-1974
Watergate Hotel – Washington, D.C. - The massive Watergate complex is a group of 5 buildings next to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, including the famous Watergate Hotel – offering a storied past while remaining a luxurious urban resort along the Potomac River.
38. Gerald Rudolph Ford, 1974-1977
Michigan Stadium – Ann Arbor, MI - The Ford Presidential Library & Museum is closed for renovation until Spring 2016, so instead you could venture to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to see Michigan Stadium – the largest football stadium in the country - seating 107,601 – where Ford led the Wolverines to 2 undefeated seasons and national championships in 1932 and 1933.
Gerald Ford is the only President to have served as a ranger in the National Park Service – working as a seasonal ranger at Yellowstone in the summer of 1936.
39. James Earl Carter, Jr., 1977-1981
Jimmy Carter National Historic Site – Plains, GA - Explore the rural southern culture of the area where Carter was raised and where he stayed connected throughout his presidency and beyond.
40. Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1981-1989
Ronald Reagan Square – Krakow, Poland - Dozens of streets, buildings and schools have been named after the 40th President – perhaps none greater than the Polish city of Krakow renaming its town square after Reagan in recognition of his role in ending communist rule within the country.
41. George Herbert Walker Bush, 1989-1993
Walker’s Point – Kennebunkport, ME - The Bush family’s summer home is located on a scenic point jutting out into the Atlantic in southern Maine near the town of Kennebunkport. A family retreat for more than a century, the estate features two mansions and a gated entrance guarded by the Secret Service.
42. William Jefferson Clinton, 1993-2001
Clinton Birthplace – Hope, AR - Explore the home where Clinton spent the first four years of his life with his widowed mother and his grandparents. This historic site includes exhibits, tours and a bookstore.
43. George Walker Bush, 2001-2009
George W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum – Dallas, TX - Located on the beautiful campus of Southern Methodist University, the library and museum are home to 43,000 gifts given to the President and First Lady by people from around the world.
When a President accepts a gift from a foreign Head of State, it becomes property of the American people, as Presidents work on our behalf. The President may choose to purchase some gifts at the end of their term, at the appraised value.
44. Barack Hussein Obama, 2009-2016
Waco Mammoth National Monument – Waco, TX - During his Presidential terms, Obama has used the Antiquities Act to establish or expand 19 National Monuments such as this mammoth fossil site, protecting millions of acres of public lands and waters for future generations to enjoy.
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Indian Social Club’s book festival on April 11
Indian Social Club (ISC) has announced that it will start its four-day book fest from April 11.
The exhibition and sale of books is being held in partnership with the Indian embassy. The fest seeks to celebrate 70 years of Indian independence.
“Al Bhaj Books, the premier distributors of books in Oman, in partnership with ISC Oman and under the aegis of the Indian Embassy will hold an exhibition and sale of books called Bookfest 2018 from April 11-14 for the benefit of adult and children book lovers in Oman,” an official statement by ISC read.
The release added that there would be a variety of books in several languages on display.
“As part of the celebration of 70 years of Independence, the book fest will have dedicated sections for 12 different languages, including Hindi, English, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Urdu and Arabic.
On the sidelines of the book fest, different competitions are also being organised for children. Two quizzes, a senior quiz for classes nine to 12 and a junior quiz for classes five to eight will be conducted, in addition to other competitions, which include colouring competitions and an English poetry recitation competition.
Entry is free and registration for competitions can be done at the ISC reception on or before April 4, 2018. For more information, ISC may be contacted on 2470 1347.
A radical change must be made in the Indian educational system: Radhakrishna Kurup
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French Tourist Who Gave Food to 'Hobo' Richard Gere: 'I Don't Believe This'
• April 28, 2014
One French tourist's kind-hearted gesture captured the world's attention for a very unique reason.
"I gave my doggy bag to a homeless [man], and the homeless is Richard Gere," Karine Gombeau, the woman whose action made headlines, told ABC News.
Gombeau, a Paris native, says she was visiting New York's famous Little Italy neighborhood last week when she saw a man sifting through the garbage. Assuming he was homeless, she gave him her leftover pizza, having no idea that he's actually Hollywood mega-star Richard Gere.
"He was going through a bin, I had food with me," she explained. "I thought, 'He should have my pizza instead of going through that bin."
It turns out Gombeau had stumbled onto the set of Gere's new movie, "Time Out of Mind," in which Gere, 64, plays a homeless man.
"He was dressed in a way, with a cap, not shaved," she said of the actor's unbecoming appearance. "He looked like a man going through a rough time."
In French, Gombeau told ABC News that Gere asked her what she was offering. When she replied it was barbeque chicken pizza, she says he thanked her and told her, "God bless you," never revealing his A-list identity. In fact, she says she had no idea until she saw the picture of her encounter in the media the following morning while eating breakfast.
"Suddenly, I look up to see the news and there I see myself, a picture of myself on the news," she recalled. "I was taking my breakfast with my family in the morning, and I see myself on the TV and think, 'What did I do? I don't believe this.'"
Gombeau, who says she is a fan of Gere's 2002 movie, "Chicago," believes her encounter with the undercover leading man proves he's obviously in the right business.
"He is a good actor," she said. "It's an amazing experience. It's crazy."
And as for her first trip to New York City, "It is a great story," Gombreau explained. "A memory of New York I will keep for a very long time. For a first time in New York, I could not have wished for better."
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Check Out The President’s New Limo [VIDEO]
The President of The United States has a new ride.
The new car called "The Beast" was spotted when President Trump was making his way though New York for his appearance at The United Nations.
Metro Source News says:
(The Beast)weighs 20-thousand pounds and is designed to survive nearly every type of possible attack. It also has a fridge filled with blood of the same type as the president and has a number of James Bond-type features, including being able to create a smokescreen or an oil slick to thwart any pursuit.
If I had my own limo, I would need a coffee maker for my ride to work at 4am. and a bed to take a nap on the way home from work. A mini studio so we could do the show in the car from anywhere and the ability to record and produce commercials on the road!
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Money Transfer Services Remitly Bags $135M in New Equity Funding
Testing Kickstarter’s Appetite for a Digital Fork and “Positive Punishment”
Synapse Banks $33M to Grow its Automated Back Office for Fintechs
Why My Company Chose Boston, Not Silicon Valley, for Its US HQ
Larry Kramer is an adjunct professor of media management at the Newhouse School. He is also a media consultant and serves on the Boards of Discovery Communications, American Media Inc, Freedom Communications and Harvard Business School Publishing, Answers.com, BlackArrow, Inc., among others. His book “C-Scape: Conquer the Factors Changing Business Today, was published in November, 2010 (HarperCollins).
He was the first president of CBS Digital Media, where he created a new division encompassing all new media operations for the network, including online, interactive and wireless initiatives. He created March Madness on Demand, put CBS TV shows on the Web and created CBS content distribution partnerships with Google, Amazon, Apple iTunes, Yahoo! and Verizon.
He was previously Chairman, CEO and founder of MarketWatch Inc., which he created as an LLC with Data Broadcasting Corp. and CBS in 1997. He took it public in 1999, making three acquisitions to build the business along the way before selling the company to Dow Jones in 2005.
Prior to that he spent more than 20 years as a journalist, rising to Asst. Managing Editor of the The Washington Post, and Executive Editor of the San Francisco Examiner. He won several awards for reporting, including the National Press Club Award, The Associated Press Award for news writing and The Gerald Loeb award for business reporting. His staffs won two Pulitzer Prizes.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.
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Shock therapy partially wakes man out of 15-year-old vegetative state
Last updated on September 26th, 2017 at 5:00 pm by Tibi Puiu
A 2001 accident sent a French man into a prolonged vegetative state. He remained in this dreadful limbo for the past 15 years, until recently, when an experimental treatment proved to restore some aspects of consciousness. The patient still isn’t awake — and might never be, considering the brain damage — but his response is far more than his family or doctors could ever hope given the situation.
Credit: Pixabay.
Patients in a coma and a vegetative state are both unconscious. The main difference, however, is that people in a vegetative state — also known as ‘apallic syndrome’ or ‘unresponsive wakefulness syndrome’ — still retain some sort of wakefulness, or at least they give this impression. Though involuntary, a vegetative state patient may move his limbs, grind the teeth, and make facial movements such as grimacing, yawning or smiling. They might jerk as a reflex response to loud noises or move a hand away from a source of pain. Some even make sounds.
Someone’s still there
The 35-year-old French patient has been in a prolonged vegetative state for the last 15 years with no sign of improvement since he was admitted. Angela Sirigu of the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Bron, along with colleagues, chose the patient for an experimental therapy which involved zapping his vagus nerve. This is a sort of neural hub that connects various key brain areas including the thalamus (relays sensory impulses from receptors in various parts of the body to the cerebral cortex), amygdala (paramount in our perception of fear and other emotions), and the hippocampus (where memories are stored and retrieved).
Because the vagus nerve connects so many critical brain areas thought to be heavily involved in consciousness, the researchers reckoned this would be a good place to start in order to help the man regain some of his cognitive functions.
The members of the team took their time and approached the therapy cautiously. First, they monitored the patient’s brain activity and functions for a month before lining very thin electrodes around the part of the vagus nerve located around the man’s neck. Electrical current was then directed through the electrodes for six months.
Each zap lasted 30 seconds followed by 5 minutes of rest. The current was progressively increased from 0.25 mA all the way to 1.5 mA.
Sirigu and colleagues knew they were on the right track from the very beginning. As soon as the stimulation began, the patient started opening his eye significantly more often. One month later, he would follow people moving across the room with his eyes. When doctors requested he turn his head one side or the other, the patient obeyed. He even smiled when asked to.
After vagus nerve stimulation, the metabolism increased in the right parieto-occipital cortex, thalamus and striatum. Credit: Corazzol et al.
When tested on the coma recovery scale, doctors reported improvements now classing him as being in a minimally conscious state. Brain scans also show heightened activity in the various areas of the cortex following stimulation. A PET scan showed increases in metabolic activity in both cortical and subcortical regions of the brain, too, indicating increased activity.
The patient still can’t talk, walk or take care of himself in any way. Apart from following some simple instructions, the patient has yet to communicate in any meaningful way with his family or caretakers. Even so, the results are extremely promising. After all, we’re talking about a patient who for the last 15 years has shown no signs of progress. And if anything, this research shows that even when all hope seems lost, the right intervention can do wonders.
“Brain plasticity and brain repair are still possible even when hope seems to have vanished,” Sirigu said in a statement to the press.
Doctors, however, say that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions yet. The therapy involved just one patient and it’s far too early to generalize. Randomized, controlled trials in multiple locations should make things clearer, and could give hope to many people in a similar situation.
Scientific reference: Current Biology, Corazzol and Lio et al.: “Restoring consciousness with vagus nerve stimulation” http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(17)30964-8.
Tags: comashock therapyvegetative state
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Lessico del tempo | Vento nel mondo | Clima nel mondo | Il Meteo nella Storia | Padri della meteorol. | Disastro petrolifero | Fukushima | Cenere vulcanica | Video
Oil Slick in the Gulf of Mexico
On July 24, 2010, the administrator of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Jane Lubchenco, provided a briefing about the anticipated impact of Tropical Storm Bonnie on the Deepwater Horizon oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. Bonnie was expected to help dissipate and weather the oil on the sea surface, spreading out the slick, lowering surface concentrations, and making the oil more amenable to biodegradation. On July 28, 2010, after Bonnie had passed through the region, NOAA reported less oil observed on Gulf of Mexico overflights.
© Image from NASA's Terra satellite - courtesy of the NASA EO-1 team
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image on July 28, 2010. Around the location of the oil leak, and around the Mississippi Delta, relatively light swirls and patches appear on the ocean surface. These areas might be oil slicks, although other factors could affect the water's ability to reflect sunlight, especially near the shore. If these pale-hued sheens are oil-slicked areas, they contain very little recoverable oil, according to NOAA.
© Earth Observatory
Oil Offshore of Alabama and Florida's Western Panhandle
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'Top Gun' sequel filming on Norfolk-based carrier, Navy says
U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jeff Sherman
<p>ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 10, 2018) An F/A-18E Super Hornet from the Pukin' Dogs of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 143 prepares to make an arrested landing on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jeff Sherman/Released)180810-N-FQ836-2188</p>
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The U.S. Navy says a sequel to the 1986 blockbuster "Top Gun" is filming this week aboard a Norfolk-based aircraft carrier.
Naval Air Force Atlantic spokesman Cmdr. Dave Hecht tells The Virginian-Pilot a 15-person crew from Paramount Pictures and Bruckheimer Films went aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln Sunday. Hecht says the crew will remain through Saturday.
Hecht says no actors are aboard and the crew is shooting footage of air operations on the flight deck, including landings and takeoffs.
A publicist with Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Television declined to provide the newspaper any details about the production.
The movie is scheduled for release in July 2019.
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James K. Glassman
Updated Sept. 28, 2006 12:01 am ET
In an era of partisan nastiness and gridlock, the California legislature did something on Aug. 31 that was shockingly harmonious, reasonable and beneficial to consumers. Both parties voted overwhelmingly to allow competition into a sector -- cable television -- where prices have been elevated and service depressed by the most pernicious monopoly in America.
When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs the bill, as expected, companies that want a statewide video franchise can go straight to the Public Utility Commission and get approval to operate within 44 days. In the past, in California, as in other states, cable companies had to make separate deals with America's 33,760 municipal units -- a process that can take years. The local licensing agencies "would often drag their feet and demand unrelated favors such as building parking lots and planting trees," writes Sonia Arrison of the Pacific Research Institute.
The effect was to create cable monopolies that often infuriated captive customers. According to a 2004 study by the Government Accountability Office, "cable subscribers in about 2% of all markets have the opportunity to choose between two or more wire-based operators." As cable rates rose in the 1980s, the federal government tried to fix the market with more regulation. That attempt, of course, failed. For the five years ending January 2004, the Federal Communications Commission reports that average cable rates increased 7.8% annually, compared with a 2.1% increase in the Consumer Price Index.
Very quietly, things are changing. Seven states, comprising about one-third of the U.S. population, have now passed video franchise laws, which will not only lower monthly subscriber costs but also create new technology jobs -- 10,000 in California alone, according to one estimate -- as Verizon and AT&T, along with cable overbuilders like RCN, jump in with both feet. To bring high-quality video to the home over a technology called Internet protocol, the telcos will make major investments to drive the fiber -- which carries the data -- much more deeply into their networks. Broadband service will improve; state and local governments will still get their franchise fees. All that will end is a monopoly that drives consumers nuts.
Bills bringing competition to cable have been outrageously popular. In Kansas and South Carolina, the vote in each state house was unanimous; in California, it was 33-4 in the Senate and 68-7 in the House. Supporters range from the National Association of Manufacturers to the Communications Workers of America.
With a national election coming up, you would expect Congress to get on the bandwagon and embrace a version of the state bills, killing the monopoly and taking the credit. Instead, federal legislation is slowed down by measures promoting "net neutrality" -- the concept that telecom companies should be barred from asking content providers, like Amazon, to pay extra for higher-speed service the telcos develop -- the way that an airline asks more for a first-class seat. The House, after rejecting a net-neutrality amendment, passed a video-choice bill, as it's called, by a 3-1 margin in early June. But net neutrality lives in the Senate, and the debate has become tendentious. Moveon.org has taken up the cause, claiming on its website that a tiered system that gives faster delivery to some customers "would end the free and open Internet." Such claims are nonsense, and irrelevant when a federal bill to liberate cable TV is otherwise at hand.
How much will consumers save? A 2004 study by the GAO looked at six markets with cable competition and found that rates were 15% to 41% below similar markets with no competition. Annual savings for U.S. households through competition will total $8 billion, says the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal and Economic Public Policy.
In Texas, where a statewide franchising law went into effect last year, a study by the American Consumer Institute surveyed consumers and found that 22% switched cable providers and saved an average of $22.30 per month. Subscribers who stayed with incumbent providers saved $26.83 per month because of the downward pressure on prices. Verizon rolled out a service in Keller, Plano and Lewisville, charging $43.95 a month for 180 video and music channels. "Shortly thereafter," writes the Heartland Institute's Steven Titch, Charter, the erstwhile monopoly cable provider, "began offering a bundle of 240 channels and fast Internet service for $50 a month, compared to $68.99 Charter had been charging for the TV package alone." Savings in Texas this year alone will total $599 million, according to the Phoenix Center. Yale Braunstein, an economist at the University of California at Berkeley, estimates that Californians will save between $692 million and $1 billion a year.
Yes, Americans can choose satellite TV, but, for reasons of convenience and service, many find it an inadequate substitute. There's a reason that cable families far outnumber satellite families. "Overall customer satisfaction among satellite subscribers has declined," says Steve Kirkeby, senior director of telecommunication research for J.D. Power and Associates. But if satellite TV improves and becomes a more attractive alternative, what's wrong with having enhanced cable competition, too? The more the merrier is, apparently, an economic concept that some folks in Congress still don't get.
Mr. Glassman is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and editor of its new magazine, "The American." He is also a senior adviser to AT&T Corp.
In an era of partisan nastiness and gridlock, the California legislature did something on Aug.
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ADAMS POINTE GOLF CLUB
18 hole Championship Golf Course set in the rolling hills of Blue Springs, Missouri
AP Links
Course Website
Bunker Project Update
Before and after view of No. 14 bunker.
If you missed our last post, we covered the specifics of this winter's bunker renovation project. After about a month of work, dramatic changes are starting to take shape on the course. As of this writing, work has been completed on holes 11 through 14. Although sand is in place, and they may look playable, we ask all golfers to follow the signage on the course to allow all new sod a chance to establish. This week, work continues on holes 10 and 16. Below are a few before-and-after pictures from our completed holes.
Before and after view of No. 11 from 100 yards out.
Before and after view of removed bunker No. 11.
Before and after view of No. 12 from the blue tee.
Before and after view of the removed bunker on No. 13.
Before and after view of No. 13 west bunker.
Before and after of No. 14 bunker.
Last month, we highlighted the plans for the bunkers on holes 11 through 14. Today, we will be highlighting the plans for holes 10,15,16,17 and 18. As with any large project, plans are subject to change for a variety of reasons.
Design plan for No. 15 fairway bunker.
Design plan for No. 15 green bunker.
Work has almost been completed on No. 15. Sand still needs to be added to the green-side bunker, and some cleanup work needs to take place, but the heavy construction on that hole is finished. Neither bunker was changed dramatically, with slight shape changes taking place. The green-side bunker was also reduced in size.
Design plan for No. 16 fairway.
Design plan for No. 16 green complex.
Construction on No. 16 has also progressed quickly. One fairway bunker has been removed, a new one has been added, and the left green-side bunker needs a little more sod to be completed. The right green-side bunker has been cleaned out and reshaped, and work will continue there this week.
Design plan for No. 10 green.
Number 10 has quite a few changes in store, as well. The fairway bunker is being reshaped, with new gravel, drainage, and sand. The green complex will see the front bunker reshaped and moved further in front of the green. The back bunker will be removed entirely with a lot of shaping to match the current contours.
One of the more substantial hole changes will be taking place on No. 17. All the bunkers on that hole will be reshaped, and most will be moved to make them more visible from the tee. Moving these bunkers to their new locations also makes more sense from a playability standpoint. The back left bunker in its current location is basically wasted, with very few shots ever finding it. In its new position, we are confident more tee shots will find this area, making for a more challenging shot in.
No. 18 will also undergo one of the more dramatic transitions on the course. The first thing you'll probably notice is the bunker behind the green is being removed. Not only does this area rarely see approach shots, it is also a maintenance nightmare, leaving little room to mow or spray the green. In its new design, maintenance on No. 18 green should be much easier to perform. In addition to removing the back bunker, the east bunker will be reshaped and slightly moved to make it more visible from the fairway and put it in a better location from a playability standpoint. A second green-side bunker is planned to be added to the west side of the green. These changes will make for a more challenging and more aesthetic finishing hole.
We appreciate your patience during this hectic time on the golf course and encourage you to continue following all signage on the course. Check back in next month to see before-and-after pictures from the holes we've highlighted today and to see our plans for the front nine.
Posted by Adams Pointe Maintenance at 6:48 AM No comments:
Randy Shatzer, GCS
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Understanding Sexual Consent »
« Child rapist was allowed public access to children
Opt-out organ donation ‘in place by 2020’ for England
A new opt-out system for organ donation will be in place by 2020 in England, if Parliament approves "Max's Law".
Under the plans detailed by ministers, adults will be presumed to be organ donors unless they have specifically recorded their decision not to be. The government said it would save up to 700 lives each year. In the UK in 2017, 411 people died before the right donor was found, and more than 5,000 people are currently on the waiting list in England.
A similar opt-out system has been in place in Wales since 2015. Scotland plans to introduce a similar scheme and Northern Ireland has also expressed an interest. The legislation was subsequently introduced last year, and will return to the House of Commons in the autumn to be voted on.
If passed, it is expected to come into effect in England in spring 2020 - because the timetable for its introduction will allow for a year of "transition" to the new law. The government said it would also encourage people to discuss, with their families, the issue of whether they would want to be a donor in the event of their death.
Around 6,000 people in Britain are on the transplant waiting list and more than 400 patients died while waiting for a transplant last year, the public health service said.
The new system presumes that over-18s in England are in favour of donating their organs when they die, instead of the current system where people opt in by signing the NHS Organ Donor Register. Under the new law, those who do not wish to donate their organs will still be able to opt out via the register and by using an NHS app that launches at the end of the year.
The register will also include an option for people to state their faith, if it is important to their decision.
Currently, fewer than half of families give consent for their loved one's organs to be donated if they are unaware of their wishes, and ministers hope that the new system will encourage people to make their wishes known before their death. Research shows 82% of people support organ donation, yet only 37% have recorded their wishes on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
Under the new plans, specialist nurses will be on hand to discuss donation with families after a loved one dies.
The NHS is being forced to treat hundreds of Britons who have gone abroad for black-market kidney transplants which go wrong. Patients have returned with serious health problems including HIV and at least one has died from complications caused by the poor treatment overseas. Many are driven to use the booming £1 billion global transplant tourism trade because of the shortage of available organs in the UK.
A ‘kingpin’ international organ trafficker based in Nepal who sells kidneys to Britons in packages costing £30,000;
Hundreds of Britons who buy KIDNEYS on the black market from overseas traffickers charging £30,000 in a bid to avoid NHS waiting lists are coming back with deadly diseases such as HIV and hepatitis
I understand that my opinion may be contrary to 'The Hyppocratic Oath' however I feel that organ donation has taken a sinister direction with people paying large sums for organs from the third world. within the USA, thousands of young people disappear each year, amidst allegations that they are harvested for their organs. In China, prisoners on death row, are tested and then killed when a donor is matched to them, this is not the way forward for humanity.
We hear argument in support of the 'opt-out' system, which is probably the greatest of all perversions of civil liberty, NOBODY should have a right, to plunder your body unless you specifically agree to it.
I am of the opinion that mankind's constant refusal to accept the mortal process has a lot to answer for. Should we not be concentrating on a better quality of life for all, rather than fighting the natural process of mother nature? Should we not be more concerned about concentrating on the quality of life for those able to live it?
There is a deeply ingrained mindset here that runs very deep, because it is this refusal to come to terms with our own mortality that drives greed, oppression and where this is concerned, possibly the loss of one life, to extend (not save EXTEND) the life of another, simply because they are in the fortunate position of being able to pay for an organ donation.
DONATION..........there's a word, under this legislation, it will not be donation, it will be legalised theft, as in most cases people may not get round to 'opting out'
I do not agree.
The Hippocratic Oath is an oath historically taken by physicians. It is one of the most widely known of Greek medical texts. In its original form, it requires a new physician to swear, by a number of healing Gods, to uphold specific ethical standards.
'To uphold specific ethical standards' Maybe it is time to take a closer look at what is ETHICAL?
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Sebastian (Talk | contribs)
(up and coming researcher in child psychiatry and psychology)
References follow ennumerated citations in following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Schechter
* http://asp.cumc.columbia.edu/facdb/profile_list.asp?uni=dss11&DepAffil=Psychiatry
* http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/media/03/danielSchechter/index.html
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Schechter, Daniel
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1962
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
Daniel S. Schechter (born in Miami, Florida in 1962) is an American psychiatrist currently living in Geneva, Switzerland. He is known for his clinical work and research on intergenerational transmission or "communication" of violent trauma and related psychopathology involving parents and very young children.[1][2]. His published work in this area following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York of (September 11, 2001) led to a co-edited book entitled "September 11: Trauma and Human Bonds" (2003) [3] and additional original articles with clinical psychologist Susan Coates that were translated into multiple languages and remain among the very first accounts of 9/11 related loss and trauma described by mental health professionals who also experienced the attacks and their aftermath[4][5][6][7] His observation of how developmentally salient separation anxiety among infants and young children who had either lost or feared loss of their caregivers had triggered posttraumatic stress symptoms and other forms of psychobiological dysregulation in the surviving caregivers validated his prior observations of the adverse impact of family violence on the early parent-child relationship, formative social-emotional development and related attachment disturbances [8][9][10] This body of work on trauma and attachment has been cited by prominent authors in the attachment theory, psychological trauma, and developmental psychobiology literatures [11][12][13][14][15]
1.1 Intergenerational communication of violent trauma
1.2 Infant and early childhood mental health advocacy
Schechter completed his medical training at the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. His earliest research examined the nature of mother-daughter relationships in the context of male-perpetrated child sexual abuse [16] as well as trauma-related culture-bound syndromes in an inner-city Caribbean Hispanic community[17]
An American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Presidential Scholar Award in 1998 and a subsequent Pilot Research Award, allowed Schechter to travel to Tulane University in New Orleans to study with infant mental health specialist Charles Zeanah. They have since collaborated on multiple projects and articles related to the effects of psychological trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on the relationship of infants, young children, and their parents as well as related attachment disorder.[18][19] This collaboration along with involvement as a Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families Solnit Fellow (1999–2001), encouraged Schechter to pursue first an NIH-funded research fellowship in developmental psychobiology with Myron Hofer and Michael Myers at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. In 2003, Schechter received an NIMH Research Career Award to fund the project "Maternal Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Interactive Behavior with Very Young Children" which was completed in 2008. Part of this project has involved functional neuroimaging studies of parental response to own and unfamiliar child stimuli in collaboration with Bradley Peterson. Articles related to this and other aspects of this program of research are continuing to be presented and published.
Schechter and colleagues' most recently published findings in the journal Psychiatry show that mothers with interpersonal-violence related PTSD, while not showing differences in their capacity to jointly attend to play with their toddlers before a stressor when compared to control-subjects, show significant limitation in their responsiveness to their toddlers upon reunion following separation stress. This is despite that children of PTSD mothers show no greater distress during separation than those of controls.[20]
In 2008, Schechter was appointed Director of Pediatric Consult-Liaison and Parent-Child Research in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Geneva Hospitals; and will be appointed in December, 2010 as Associate Professor (Privat Docent) in Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva, Switzerland [21].
Schechter retains a position as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University, Division of Developmental Neuroscience and Behavior as of April, 2008, having been previously Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry (in Pediatrics) from 2002 until then. Trained as a Psychoanalyst at Columbia, he is also Director of Child Research at the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research. Schechter has been a member of the International Psychoanalytic Association since 2003 and its College of Research Fellows since 1998.
He is most recently co-editor of the 2010 book entitled Formative Experiences: The Interaction of Caregiving, Culture, and Developmental Psychobiology [22] This book is currently in its second printing.
Schechter's work has received multiple awards including: a Pierre Janet Scientific Paper Prize from the International Society for Trauma and Dissociation (2007), two Significant Contribution to Research Awards from the International Psychoanalytical Association (2005,2009), a Gertrude von Meissner Research Prize from the University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine (2008), a John J. Weber Prize for Excellence in Psychoanalytic Research from the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training & Research (2009), and the Norbert and Charlotte Rieger Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Award from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (2010).
He further observed and described in a series of research papers and clinical case-studies that many of these traumatized mothers, despite their best intentions, not only had great difficulty in "reading" and tolerating their infants' distress, but that they also had a tendency to misattribute their children's intentions and personality characteristics.[23][24] As a result, the child, in an effort to maintain an attachment with the traumatized parent, would conform to these misattributions and/or attempt to join the parent's hypervigilant mental state, leading to a traumatically-skewed intersubjectivity[25]
He developed an experimental paradigm informed by attachment theory called the Clinician Assisted Videofeedback Exposure Sessions (CAVES to test whether mothers could "change their mind" about their young children if helped to watch video-excerpts of play, separation and similarly stressful moments in the presence of a clinician who asks the mother to think about what she (and her child) might be thinking and feeling at the time of the excerpt and at the moment of videofeedback. Thus this technique applies principles of mentalization as an aide to emotional regulation with traumatized parents[26][27] This technique also involves elements of prolonged exposure treatment[28],the video-based treatment Interaction Guidance[29], and psychodynamically-oriented child-parent psychotherapy [30] Schechter and colleagues showed a significant change in the way mothers perceived their own child and their relationship together.[31]
Intergenerational communication of violent trauma
Following from the work of Scheeringa and Zeanah, Schechter explored the various implicit and explicit non-verbal and verbal ways parents communicate their traumatic experiences and their experiences of shared events traumatically[32]. In particular, Schechter has shown how a parent can vicariously and unintentionally transmit her prior experiences of interpersonal violence to her child through her behavior and narrative associations by doing or saying something—or drawing connections between actions and/or language, that the child cannot place in any familiar context, but that is by its nature, frightening or even traumatizing. His work has demonstrated this both in routine daily interactions, laboratory observations, and, most recently, in violent-media viewing practices by mothers and their toddlers in the home.[33][34][35][36] He has hypothesized that this inadvertent intergenerational transmission is often an effect of traumatized mothers' efforts to control their own psychophysiologic dysregulation that is linked to their posttraumatic psychopathology.
To test this hypothesis, Schechter and colleagues measured maternal salivary cortisol within a clinical sample of 32 mothers before and after a mother-child interaction protocol involving separations and reunions; the study led to the first publication in the literature examining maternal Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA-axis) functioning.[37] The study showed modest, but significant associations between pre-separation cortisol as well as cortisol reactivity with the severity of maternal PTSD, dissociative symptoms, and atypical caregiving behavior. Since that 2004 paper, other more rigorously controlled studies have been published that further support Schechter and colleagues' hypothesis. A recent review of these studies suggests that intergenerational effects related to PTSD and HPA-axis stress reactivity are likely via epigenetic mechanisms requiring further study[38] An additional active area of study related to this association, is that of gene-environment (GXE) interactions involving the role of the serotonin-transporter gene and its polymorphisms as markers of vulnerability (i.e., increased brain plasticity). Schechter and colleagues had observed clinically and hypothesized for empirical study in the 2003 September 11 book (see also related video) that the parent-child relationship (i.e., attachment security, specific organization, and characteristics) can be a buffer against and an exacerbating factor for the adverse consequences of violent trauma. Recent advances in the study of GXE interactions in the presence of environtmenal stressors such as interpersonal violence, and the regulatory effects of the serotonin transporter gene and other genes with which it is known to interact on the HPA axis in the context of child development have raised questions requiring further study.[39]
An important motivation for traumatized parents, Schechter and colleagues have found is the conscious aim of the traumatized parent to interrupt intergenerational cycles of violence and trauma so that her child does not have to suffer the emotional and often physical pain that she had experienced as a child. As Schechter and Willheim describe in a recent case-study, this can be a long and difficult process for families—and one that requires that the therapist be prepared to intervene thoughtfully (i.e. modelling and stimulating parental mentalization) as much in-the-moment in response to real-life events reported by the parents and professionals (i.e. pediatricians, daycare and preschool staff, child protective agencies, the courts) as during parent-child sessions.[40] The work with parents and their relationship with their child often needs to continue, when possible and feasible, even if the child brought to attention has been placed in foster care by child protective services, as both parents and child-turned-adult may go on to have other children and perpetuate risk for traumatization [41] As infants and young children and their needs are so rapidly developing, and as their parents find themselves in a parallel phase of adult development during which they are more open to change, the therapist can be surprised by quick, positive shifts in relational patterns within the context of both brief consultations and long-term treatments such as for caregivers with complex PTSD and their young children.[42][43]
Infant and early childhood mental health advocacy
Schechter served as a key member of the New York City Early Childhood Mental Health Strategic Work Group, an advisory group to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene under the direction of Evelyn Blanck from 2004-2008. In 2005, the Workgroup published a White Paper,“Promoting the Mental Health and Healthy Development of New York’s Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers, A Call to Action,” that has been used to effectively advocate for mental health services for children from birth to age 5 across all child-serving systems in New York City and New York State[44]. This paper was instrumental in the inclusion of infants and toddlers in the Child and Families Clinic Plus Initiative implemented by the New York State Office of Mental Health, thus officially recognized for the first time as under the responsibility for care by state licensed child and adolescent mental health clinical programs [45]. A second edition of this White Paper is currently in preparation. Schechter continues to be involved in this initiative as scientific advisor as well as in advocating for family-focused intervention in high risk for violence families in Geneva. In Geneva, he has been appointed to a city-wide group to consider guidelines for evaluation and potential inclusion of fathers who have been violent in child and family interventions. He supports the model by which a minimum of three patients per family receive individual attention by an interdisciplinary infant mental health treatment team in any given intervention: parent, child, and the parent-child relationship as patient. Schechter is also an active appointed member of the Infancy and Preschool Mental Health Committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) where he has served over the past decade and now addtionally will become a liaison to the International Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) at its 2012 Congress and to the European Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (ESCAP). In prior terms on this AACAP Committee, he was liaison to Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families and to the American Psychiatric Association.
http://asp.cumc.columbia.edu/facdb/profile_list.asp?uni=dss11&DepAffil=Psychiatry
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/media/03/danielSchechter/index.html
Retrieved from "http://aggression.psychwiki.com/wiki/Daniel_Schechter"
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Makiko Sada - piano recital
Tue May 21st 2013, 1:15–2:00 pm ◀ This event has finished
Bristol Cathedral, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TJ
Mozart : Fantasy in C minor K.475
Schumann : Allegro Op.8
Chopin Waltz in A-flat major, op.69-1
Chopin Waltz in e minor, Op.posth
Chopin : Scherzo No.2 in B-flat minor, Op.31
Makiko Sada
Makiko Sada was born in Japan. She began studies with Noriko Yodogawa at the age of 4 and won the First prize at the Nishinihon PTNA Piano Competition in 1990 at the age of 8.
Makiko completed the Bachelors Degree at Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo and the Postgraduate of Diploma at the Royal Academy of Music in London where she studied piano with Kathryn Stott, Pascal Nemirovski and Hamish Milne and chamber music with Ian Brown.
She was awarded one of the highest Distinctions in her Final Recital at Royal Academy of Music, and won the prize of "Dorothy Bryant Awards". Among her awards has given the 2nd Prize in TIAA All Japan Classical Music Competition and the 2nd Prize in Fukuoka International Music Festival.
Makiko has taken part in many International music festivals and performed in concerts including the International Evian Academy (France), International Keyboard Institute and Festival (New York), North London Piano School (London), International Summer Chopin Academy (Warsaw), and in 2008 and 2009 she has got a scholarship for the Banff Music Summer Festival (Canada). She participated in master classes with such distinguished artists as with Christopher Elton, Anton Kuerti, Julian Martin, Robart McDonald, Hamish Milne, John Perry, Fou Tsong, Dr.Arbo Valdoma and Mikimoto Sumiko.
She is currently based in Japan and has performed both solo recitals and chamber music concerts in various venue in France, Italy,Japan, Spain and U.K.
She was invited by the Government of Castilla and Leon and had a concert tour with Duo Alfageme in Spain and Japan in 2010. Recently Makiko performed for a fund-raising event organized by the West Japan Music Society in her home-town of Fukuoka for victims of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan.
The concert to-day has been organised for Makiko by Anglo-Japanese Society of Wessec
Venue: Bristol Cathedral
Bristol Cathedral (photo: Adrian Pingstone)
Bristol Cathedral is situated in the middle of the city at the bottom of Park Street. It was founded in 1140, but was built gradually over a period of 700 years. The Cathedral hosts numerous events and concerts throughout the year. Many of these are open to the public, and some are free, including the regular lunchtime concerts on Tuesdays.
Visit the Bristol Cathedral website.
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Tag Archives: Craugastor punctariolus
Meet 9 of Panama’s ‘Lost Frogs’
The deadly amphibian chytrid fungus has caused much devastation to Panama’s native frogs, salamanders and caecilians. We have learned a lot about this disease in the last 10 years and we have been able to take stock of its effects. A recent survey of Panamanian frog experts revealed that of Panama’s 214 described amphibian species, about 100 species can still be reliably found even in places where the chytrid fungus is found, and experts consider these species less susceptible to the fungus. Approximately 80 species are very rare, and we simply do not have any idea about their susceptibility to chytridiomycosis, or their current population numbers. 36 species were considered highly susceptible to the chytrid fungus and were once reliably encountered but have experienced, or are predicted to experience, severe chytridiomycosis-related declines.
Unfortunately a number of these species have already completely disappeared in the wild and have not been seen in many years. We call these Panama’s ‘lost frogs’.
1) Atelopus chiriquiensis – Chiriquí harlequin frog
These attractive diurnal frogs were appealing research subjects and occurred in high numbers in highlands on the border of Costa Rica and Panama. There are many scientific papers about this species, and they were primarily studied for their highly toxic tetradotoxins in their skin as well as their unique signaling and aggressive mating behavior. A study by Dr. Karen Lips in the las Tablas reserve of Costa Rica reports that they occurred in high numbers – up to 20 individuals seen in 100m of stream on a single visit, but the frogs experienced a severe chytridiomycosis-related decline over a 5-year period and were last seen in 1996.
A pair of Atelopus chiriquiensis in amplexus. Photo (c) Marcos Guerra, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
2) Atelopus zeteki – Panamanian golden frog
This is Panama’s national amphibian, a charismatic emblem of the environment and conservation. August 14th is a dedicated national day to honor the golden frog as a symbol for Panama’s incredible biodiversity heritage. Recognizing the chytridiomycosis threat, a conservation project called Project Golden Frog established a healthy breeding colony of golden frogs at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, another colony is maintained in Panama at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center. As predicted, Panamanian golden frogs experienced severe chytridiomycosis-related declines starting in 2006, and the last confirmed observation of Panamanian golden frog in the wild was in 2009. Project Atelopus continues to survey known golden frog sites for survivors, and a detailed conservation plan has been developed by stakeholders and facilitated by the IUCN Species Survival Commission for golden frogs in Panama. The plan aims to eventually reintroduce them to the wild.
One of 2,000 captive Panamanian golden frogs managed in captivity by the Golden Frog Species Survival Plan and the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore Photo: (cc) Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
3) Craugastor obesus
This species was found in the spray zone on rocks, boulders in the Atlantic-facing slopes of Western Panama and Costa Rica. The species was last recorded from Costa Rica in 1984 rainforest. This species belongs to the Craugastor rugulosus group and all these closely related species of amphibians have all been have been decimated by the amphibian chytrid fungus.
4) Craugastor punctariolus
This semi aquatic species was found in mountainous streams of Central Panama. Rapid chytridiomycosis-related declines and disappearances were observed in the field in 2004-2008. This species belongs to the Craugastor rugulosus group and all these closely related species of amphibians have been decimated by the amphibian chytrid fungus. Genetic analysis revealed that it is likely a species complex. It has been maintained in captivity, and occasionally deposited eggs that were either infertile or did not develop fully and a viable captive population was not established.
Craugastor punctariolus, Bob’s Robber Frog at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) photo (c) Kevin Johnson Amphibian Ark
5) Craugastor rhyacobatrachus
This species is found in premontane and lower montane southern slopes of the Talamanca Mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama. Despite extensive searches for this species in both Costa Rica and Panama, there are no recent records of this species. This species belongs to the Craugastor rugulosus group and all these closely related species of amphibians have all been have been decimated by the amphibian chytrid fungus.
6) Incilius majordomus
Males of this species were lemon yellow, and females were brown, the only other known toad of this genus that exhibited similar sexual dimorphism was Incilius peringelis—the famous Monte Verde Golden Toad of Costa Rica that is now extinct. Incilius majordomus is known only from the Pacific slope of Cerro Bollo, on the border between the provinces of Bocas del Toro and Chiriquí. This species was described in 2013 using a series of specimens collected in 1980. It has not been seen in the wild since 1980 despite extensive herpetological surveys in the area.
Incilius majordomus type specimen © Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Amphibians & Reptiles
7) Isthmohyla calypsa
A treefrog frog covered with spiny tubercles found in a small mountainous area on the border of Costa Rica and Panama where is used to be locally common. At las Tablas in Costa Rica, the species experienced severe chytridiomycosis-related declines between 1993 and 1998. Despite extensive recent survey efforts in Costa Rica and Panama, the species has not been seen recently and is possibly extinct. Many other stream breeding species in this genus have also experienced dramatic declines and are now extremely rare frogs.
Isthmohyla calypsa in the wild, Photo (c) Marcos Guerra, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
8) Ecnomiohyla rabborum – Rabbs’ fringe-limbed treefrog
Rabbs’ treefrog is thought to be endemic to the vicinity of El Valle de Anton, where it was always a rare frog difficult to find as they live high in trees and breed in tree holes. Experienced herpetologists could hear their calls reliably at some places, but the last individual was heard in El Valle de Anton in 2008. A few individuals of this species were collected for captive breeding efforts at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center and at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, but captive breeding efforts were unsuccessful. As of 2015 only a single individual persists in captivity at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
Ecnomiohyla rabborum, Rabb’s fringe-limbed tree frog at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Photo (c) Brad Wilson
9) Oophaga speciosa – Splendid poison frog
This large, unmistakable bright red dart frog lives only in the mountains of Western Panama. It was once collected for the pet trade, and was exported as recently as 1992. This species has not been seen in the wild in many years, despite intensive searches. It is not known whether it still lives in captivity, but has probably disappeared from the wild.
Oophaga speciosa, the Splendid poison dart frog. Photo (c) Marcos Guerra, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
If you have any recent records of these missing species please let us know, and consider uploading your record to the global amphibian bioblitz on inaturalist.
by Brian Gratwicke
*WE ARE SEEKING VOLUNTEERS TO HELP TRANSLATE OCCASIONAL AMPHIBIANRESCUE.ORG WEB PAGES INTO SPANISH, IF YOU ARE WILLING TO HELP US OUT OCCASIONALLY, PLEASE EMAIL Gratwickeb[AT]si.edu FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Posted in biodiversity, Extinction | Tagged Amphibian, Atelopus chiriquiensis, Atelopus zeteki, Conservation, Craugastor punctariolus, Ecnomiohyla rabborum, Extinct Frog, Incilius majordomus, Isthmohyla calypsa, Lost Frog, Oophaga speciosa, Panama, Panamanian Golden Frog, Photos
An update from Summit Zoo
Posted on December 1, 2010 by Lindsay
A pair of the project's Toad Mountain harlequin frogs (Atelopus certus) were in amplexus for about 100 days and recently produced a clutch of eggs. (Photo by: Jorge Guerrel, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project)
Hi amigos!
We are glad to give you the latest update on what is going on with our frogs here at the Panamanian Rescue and Conservation Project at the Summit Zoo in Panama. And we are going to start with some great news: After almost 100 days of a very long amplexus (from the latin “embrace,” amplexus is a form of pseudocopulation in which a male amphibian grasps a female with his front legs as part of the mating process), we have our very first Toad Mountain harlequin frog (Atelopus certus) clutch!
This is huge news especially since A. certus is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild and is classified as “endangered” by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Toad Mountain harlequin frog is an endemic species from the Darien region of eastern Panama and little is known about its reproductive and breeding behavior. From observations made here at the Summit Zoo in Panama, we have noticed some interesting behavior. For example, during amplexus, the male A. certus holds on to the female so tight that he won’t eat for three months or more. We are taking notes and paying attention to the smallest change in water quality and temperature in their tank to assure the largest number of juveniles possible.
The rescue project is the first ever to successfully breed the La loma tree frog. (Photo by: Jorge Gurrel)
The rest of the group is doing just fine. The La loma treefrog (Hyloscirtus colymba) tadpoles are growing and some have fully developed legs, though we still need to wait until they come out of the water and absorb the tail to place them in their new individual tanks. The baby Limosa harlequin frogs (Atelopus limosus) are bigger and stronger–they have been eating lots of springtails and we are making sure that UV light is always available to them to prevent any bone disease.
The male adults are calling very often, especially early in the morning for our diurnal species, such as the Pirre harlequin frog (Atelopus glyphus). The rest of the harlequin frogs, H. colymba and our single male Bob’s robber frog (Craugastor punctariolus) call to attract their females throughout the night, particularly when is raining. We are also testing a few ways to feed the big C. punctariolus so we can offer them a variety of food as part of their diet.
Thanks to our collaborators and volunteers for all their suggestions and new ideas.
That’s all for now, but we will continue to keep you updated. Thanks for your support!
-Angie Estrada, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project
Posted in biodiversity, chytridiomycosis, ex-situ conservation, Partner project, Rescue | Tagged Atelopus certus, Atelopus glyphus, Atelopus limosus, Craugastor punctariolus, Hyloscirtus colymba, La Loma tree frog, Limosa harlequin frog, Pirre harlequin frog, Summit Zoo, Toad Mountain harlequin frog
Posted on September 20, 2010 by Lindsay
Bob’s robber frog (Craugastor punctariolus)
Cute Frog of the Week: September 20, 2010
This frog really knows how to pose for the camera, huh? Commonly known as Bob’s robber frog, these little guys breed by direct development, which means that when Bob’s robber frogs are born, they pop out as kid frogs instead of baby tadpoles. These frogs are semi-aquatic species, so they get the best of the terrestrial and aquatic worlds, living in and near forest streams. But this flexibility has not helped them survive the impacts of development. Their favorite places are declining in size and quality in Panama, so much so that they’re considered endangered by the IUCN.
Photo credit: Brian Gratwicke, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.
Like what you see here? Then hop to it and text “FROG” to 20222 to give $5 to save a frog today! (Find the privacy policy here.)
Every week the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project posts a new photo of a cute frog from anywhere in the world with an interesting, fun and unique story to tell. Be sure to check back every Monday for the latest addition.
Posted in biodiversity, Cute Frog of the Week, why frogs matter | Tagged Bob's robber frog, Craugastor punctariolus, Cute Frog of the Week
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Go to jerriannehayslett.com
Council for Wisconsin Writers Honorable Mention Book
Anatomy of a Trial does more than sort out truth from perception in the country’s most notorious and visible trial. It shows how perception, much of it skewed, emerged and, over the decades, has prevailed over reality. This book should be exhibit #1 for why people shouldn’t believe everything they see, or what others say they are seeing, on TV.
Anyone old enough to remember and who read or watched anything about the 1995 Simpson criminal trial, aka The People vs. Orenthal James Simpson, thinks they know everything about it. The case, from Simpson's infamous pre-arrest slow-speed Bronco chase through trial verdict, held the country captive for more than a year.
Simpson has remained in the news since his 1995 acquittal, mostly because of a string of legal scrapes. The last one involved a Las Vegas hotel stickup in which he claimed he was trying to recover some sports memorabilia. He was found guilty and sentenced to 33 years in prison.
Dozens of books, documentaries and TV dramas, the most recent nominated for several awards, have been produced about the case. TV depictions, in particular, turned losers into heroes and mocked some who did the right thing.
Like most productions geared to entertain, so did the punditry and video snippets during the trial, and the subsequent made-for-broadcast efforts. Most had specific agendas and relied on faulty memories, second-hand information and fabricated details.
I was in the courtroom and behind the scenes every day the case was in court. My agenda was to serve the court and accommodate the media. Anatomy of a Trial is based on my written and audio journals, court documents and the trial transcript, and includes the perspectives of legal and journalism participants and experts. The book concludes with a blueprint for how the courts and media can better meet their responsibilities to the public.
Anatomy of a Trial is available in hard copy from Amazon and from the author. It's available in e-format on Amazon Kindle and most other retail e-readers. It is rated 5 out of 5 stars in reviews on Amazon.
Hard copy from:
From the author by contacting Jerrianne
Copyright © 2019 — Anatomy Of A Trial • All rights reserved.
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Let’s get some of bad news out of the way. If your goal in cord-cutting is to save money — but you’d prefer not to lose access to anything you’re currently watching via your cable or satellite subscription — then you should be aware that the money you save on one bill may be immediately redistributed to another. Additionally, unless you want your “Game of Thrones” episodes to look blurry and choppy, you’ll want to make sure you have the proper internet package.
If you had to pick a character, who would you rather be? The corrupt senator played so skillfully by G.D. Spradlin? Or are you the Godfather? Spradlin’s character sure reminds me of my old cable company. I think we’d all like to believe we’re Al Pacino’s character. Confident. Taking no bullshit whatsoever. Do you really act that way when you’re on the phone with your customer service rep from Comcast? Nah, I don’t think so. I’m sticking with some tough love here. You really don’t.
Same as when they came in with cable in the 70’s, they told us we would now pay for tv, but there would be no or limited commercials. That lasted a very short time until we were paying and getting more than ever commercials. The standard is over 20 minutes of each hour, used to be 12. I don’t know what the answer is but how many billions do some need to amass on the backs of average and well manipulated people?
This steady decline is the driving force behind a series of blockbuster mergers reshaping the media landscape, such as AT&T buying Time Warner, Walt Disney acquiring much of Fox, and Comcast pursuing Sky. Entertainment companies, nervously watching their business model waste away like a slowly melting glacier, are deciding they need to get larger and expand globally to compete with deep-pocketed rivals like Netflix—or sell.
Television manufacturers have been moving toward “smart TVs” that connect to the internet and provide access to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and the like. The selection of apps on these sets vary depending on licensing agreements made between the manufacturers and the O.T.T. services. (O.T.T. is short for “over the top,” a term applied to any streaming media provider to which a consumer can subscribe directly.) Also, not all of them will let you plug in and get a seamless, cable-like TV experience without any other hardware. The technology and interfaces are certain to improve in the years ahead, but for now, for the best results, you’re better off just investing in a set-top box.
Another cable or satellite alternative could include simple online viewing. Many TV stations – especially the larger ones like ABC and CBS – give website visitors access to their show episodes that have recently played when you visit their websites. Even some cable TV channels such as The Food Network have full show episodes available online for web site visitors.
There is a $10-per-month add-on channel for sports and $4.99-per-month one for Spanish channels. Perhaps the best feature on PS Vue: a cloud-based DVR for storing up to 500 programs to watch whenever you like. Also, you can use the "TV Everywhere" apps that many cable channels have that require a cable subscription—but by authenticating them with PlayStation Vue. And you can pause or rewind or fast forward on every channel. All of them.
This is hands-down the most important part of your cord cutting solution. If you've never used a TV antenna you're going to be amazed at the value you will discover. Depending on where you live, people will have different requirements for TV antennas. We offer a thorough explanation in our Antenna Selection Guide. Channel Master has been making TV antennas since 1949 and we are the experts.
Television has changed remarkably over the past few years. It might be time for your viewing habits to change as well. Unless you enjoy paying more than $100 a month for a cable or satellite subscription you only half use, you’re probably considering joining the growing ranks of consumers who have “cut the cord” and are now getting their favorite TV shows, movies and even live sports through the internet and streaming services. Making this change requires some preparation, though. Here’s a step-by-step guide to the cord-cutting process. And once you're set up, hop on over to The New York Times's site Watching for personalized TV and movie recommendations.
For example, DIRECTV charges $20 a month for every month remaining on your contract. So if you need to get out of your contract but you still have nine months left, you’re looking at a cool $180 plus a $15 deactivation fee. It’s steep, for sure, but it’s all in the contract agreement. Make sure to ask your provider about early termination fees before you sign, just in case.
Many cord-cutters say that they canceled their cable TV plan and opted for online streaming services to save money. In reality, you might actually end up paying more money or dealing with more hassle than the small savings are worth. Each streaming service has its own library of shows and movies. In order to get all of the shows that you watch on TV, you'll probably have to purchase several different streaming service memberships. Let's say your favorite things to watch are Game of Thrones, the ESPN Network, This is Us, and Jane the Virgin. You'll need HBO Now, the ESPN+ app, Hulu, and Netflix to watch all of these programs. That adds up to a cost of about $40 a month. Plus, you'll have to manage 4 different accounts, which is such a headache. DIRECTV's Entertainment TV package lets you watch all of these shows and networks at the same price of $40. Plus, you'll have access to over 160 live channels and thousands of On Demand titles on a single platform. You can even stream content from your phone, tablet, or laptop on the go.
Showtime has made itself an add-on with just about any service that offers the option. It's available through Hulu, Amazon Prime, and CBS All Access, plus the live TV streaming services (below). Or use the apps on Apple TV, iOS, Android, Roku, and Xbox One. The price to get Showtime those services is generally a couple buck lower per month, a $24 a year savings.
Comcast ©2018. All rights reserved. To access Netflix on Xfinity X1 requires an eligible X1 set-top box with Xfinity TV and Xfinity Internet service. Limited to Netflix members who are residential customers. Netflix on X1 uses your Internet service and will counts against any Xfinity data plan. Netflix streaming membership required. NBCU celebrity endorsement not implied. All networks are divisions of NBCUniversal. © NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The titles and logos of Univision Deportes are the marks of Univision Communications Inc.
Many rely on their cable provider for home phone service. Like most of their services, it can be replaced with a much cheaper internet based service. For those who need a little more than a cell phone after they ditch their cable TV subscription, I recommend PhonePower (formerly BroadVoice.) They are an affordable and reliable phone service provider that uses your existing internet connection.
When it comes to standalone streaming services like Hulu or Sling TV, your viewing experience is completely dependent on your internet connection. So if the internet goes down or there are a ton of people in your neighborhood online at the same time, your speeds might be slow. You'll likely experience buffering, lagging, or even a completely frozen screen. With cable TV, you'll never have to worry about missing a moment, because the connection doesn't rely on your internet. Don't be that guy that misses the last 2 minutes of the Super Bowl: NO ONE wants to be that guy.
The reason was simple. And it was contrary to much of the expert advice that I read on some very well-respected review sites. I’m still pleased that I didn’t listen to the criticisms and focused on my own needs. At the time, I wanted the fastest device for streaming PlayStation Vue. In early 2016, nobody was talking about that, and it really pissed me off. I should actually be thanking those people. I might not be sitting here now talking to you if it wasn’t for them.
This is captivating. It doesn't trivialise the atrocities at all. The colour makes it more life like, even if it's not perfect, which ends up making it all the more real. The other positive is that I can't remember if I've ever seen so much WWI footage in one go, without some hideous, sombre voiceover. It's beautifully edited and tells an honest story.Take the time to watch it, even if you feel it will make you feel uncomfortable. You'll then understand the hideousness of The War to End All Wars
Contact us at webmaster@247nutvmedia.com | Sitemap xml | Sitemap txt | Sitemap
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UN Security Council backs national reconciliation in Central African Republic
UNITED NATIONS, June 29 — The UN Security Council on Monday expressed its support for the national reconciliation in the Central African Republic (CAR) and urged all stakeholders to move expeditiously to prepare for the "free, fair and credible" presidential elections.
Claude Heller, the Mexican UN ambassador who holds the rotating Security Council presidency for the month of June, made the remarks when he was reading a statement to the press here after the 15-nation Council met behind closed doors on the situation in CAR.
"The members of the Security Council support the ongoing efforts aimed at national reconciliation in the Central African Republic," the statement said. "The members of the Council have taken note of the consensual decision on the postponement of presidential and legislative elections in Central African Republic and call upon the government of the Central African Republic and all national stakeholders to move forward expeditiously the preparation and conduct of free, fair, transparent and credible elections."
"The members of the Council stress the importance of the government of the Central African Republic adopt and implement at an early date, a realistic electoral timetable and budget that will foster increase support for electoral process," the statement said.
Earlier on Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all parties in CAR to forge ahead with preparations for presidential and parliamentary elections, which were originally scheduled for earlier this year but have been postponed several times.
In his latest report to the UN Security Council on developments in the impoverished and conflict-plagued country, Ban encouraged the United Nations-backed Independent Electoral Commission to continue with its work, "despite challenges surrounding the preparation of credible, transparent and inclusive elections." The report was issued here Monday.
The polls were scheduled to be held in April, but then were pushed back to May following complaints by opposition groups. However, the Independent Electoral Commission postponed the elections again, citing technical and logistical difficulties. (PNA/Xinhua)
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AIR Series 83: Oliver Hockenhull
Friday, JAN 16th
An evening of open sky, highly imaginative directed dialogue with Oliver Hockenhull, writer and filmmaker, about his new documentary project Citizen Planet: Cybernetics in the Anthropocene — future society and governance in the information era .
I'll present a brief paper on the subject matter, show archival clips from films and reading from various contemporary and historical sources to trigger discussion and inspire dialogue. The process is to provide us the opportunity to explore some of the most fascinating ideas of the computational and algorithmic revolution. It's also a way for me to work out some ideas as I move forward with the film a feature documentary that has the confirmed participation of such digiterati as:
Peter Norvig, Director of Research at Google Inc; previously he directed Google's core search algorithms group and before that was chief computer scientist for NASA. He is co-author of Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, the leading textbook in the field. He is a fellow of the AAAI, ACMCalifornia Academy of Science and American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Stephen M. Omohundro is a scientist known for his research on Hamiltonian physics, dynamical systems, programming languages, machine learning, machine vision, and the social implications of artificial intelligence.
Douglas Rushkoff is the author of Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now as well as a dozen other bestselling books on media, technology, and culture, including Program or Be Programmed, Media Virus, Life Inc and the novel Ecstasy Club. He is Professor of Media Studies and Digital Culture at CUNY/Queens. He lives in New York and lectures about media, society, and economics around the world.
Other luminaries who have consented: Vernor Vinge, Nick Bostrom, Matteo Pasquinelli, Mark Buchanan, David Brin, Erik Brynjolfsson, Kevin Kelly, Howard Rheingold, Francis Heylighen, Charles Eisenstein, Howard Bloom, Michael Chorost, Christopher Steiner, David Pearce, Natasha Vita-More, James J. Hughes, John Mayfield…more yet to be contacted & confirmed.
Some of the many questions that will look at:
What if we took ideology, religion, ego and even personality, out of governance?
What if we lived, worked and contributed in the reality of one decentralized planet rather than the programming of the corporate state?
And what if we treated governance & economy as a philosophical & aesthetic creative project, a matter of solving technical issues rather than warring clans fighting over the remains of a rapacious and absurdly imbalanced system?
Say — what if we rid ourselves of politics entirely and conceived governance, the management of resources, as a plumber might a toilet system, a farmer might a compost pile, a network theorist a web of relationships or a composer a symphony?
That "what if" and that "as if", and the open mindset of speculative science is to illuminate the enquiry as to what we may achieve in the world we find ourselves in.
Bio/Oliver Hockenhull
His many films and media installations have shown at such film festivals and venues as — The International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam (Official Competition – Film), The Museum of Modern Art — NYC, The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., The Sao Paulo International Film Festival, The Melbourne International Film Festival, MIT/Boston, The Contemporary Cultural Centre of Barcelona, The Vancouver International Film Festival (Competition), The San Francisco Cinematheque, The International New Media Festival, Seoul, The Chicago International Film Festival, Festival Internacional de Arte Experimental, Bilbao, Spain, etc. Works have been broadcasted on Canadian and European television.
His works are iconoclastic, visionary journeys enlivened by an intimate, poetic, and enlightening perspective. Using the full potentiality of film to engage attention, he has concentrated on pivotal subjects; the social and intellectual import of the eminent writer, Aldous Huxley; an experimental film essay on evolution featuring Richard Dawkins (and the gorillas of the London Zoo); an essay on architecture extending from the early works of Mies van der Rohe to the steps of the Burning Ghats of Varanasi; a hyper media installation that questions ‘chance‘ — as quantum indeterminate noise — to edit video and most recently a double versioned documentary on psychedelic medicines.
"I believe that history might be, and ought to be, taught in a new fashion so as to make the meaning of it as a process of evolution intelligible."
T. H. Huxley
http://www.shinynewfilms.com/
AIR Series 84: Synn Kune Loh & Jason Robinson
Saturday, Jan 31st
"Birth of New Consciousness"
In a salon event, featured speakers are shining bright stars sharing their vision and achievements The audience is touched, moved and inspired during the evening. Then each person goes back to their own lives. What if the salon is only the beginning, the laying of a foundation for the emergence of a new consciousness. How do the dots connect?
A salon provides a space for cross pollination, where ideas that began as singular pursuits found a resonance note from another and out of that emerged a third reality.
Synn Kune Loh, a visionary artist and poet, and Jason Robinson, founder of sustainability TV met at Keiko's salon a year ago. Come and hear their story of how synchronicity brought them together to explore new horizons.
This coming salon is intended to be about moving to the next phase, an experimental event where the audience participates in an open forum after the speakers make their presentations.
AIR Serie 85: Barbara Jackson & Earle Peach
Saturday, Feb 14th
St. Valentine is said to be the patron saint of many things, including courtly love, happy marriages, travelers, and bee keepers. On his feast day, February 14th, Songtree will offer up musical reflections and expressions of love in all its various manifestations.
ABOUT Barbara & Earle:
From toe-tapping to heart-opening to contemplative, Songtree’s music is an eclectic collection of stories told in song. Their original arrangements feature great vocals accompanied by guitar/banjo, and occasional other ornamentation. They represent folk traditions from the 14th to the 21st century, with some samba and jazz tunes thrown in for good measure. Songtree is Barbara Jackson and Earle Peach. Barbara and Earle have been singing together for over twenty years. They delight audiences at coffee houses, concerts, and special - any place where music brings people together and celebrates the human experience.
AIR Series 86: Stuart Ward
Saturday. March 14th
Devine Lights
“I’m interested in the intersection between nature and technology, the disappearance of gadgetry function into form, and neural activity when experiencing art.”
- Stuart James W
Stuart James W is a classically trained artist specializing in digital media and the founder of Hfour Studios. Stuart is also well known for his Sakura illumination during the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.
He was featured in Kerrisdale Playbook: http://www.kccplaybook.org/2013/12/01/making-art-marketing-art/
AIR Series 87: Mary Bennett
collage: (noun)
= an assemblage or occurrence of diverse elements or fragments in unlikely or unexpected juxtaposition.
“I make art and teach art but what excites me most is when making art builds connections. When people play together they can discover their own and others' gifts.” - Mary Bennett
Mary Bennett has a degree in art education from UBC. Her mixed-media art is on exhibit at the Unitarian Church of Vancouver this month and she is offering workshops in mixed-media in her home studio. She calls them a “Playdate with Mary.” Among her community-engaged art projects are “Bird on the Beach,” a 6' floatable bird from recycled plastic, and “Flying the Nest,” an environmental art project, for Kits House moved out for 3 years during the redevelopment.
She was featured in Kerrisdale Playbook: http://www.kccplaybook.org/2014/09/02/creating-community/
AIR Series 88: Kevin Spenst
Conversations with a Poet
Kevin Spenst's much-anticipated debut collection of poetry opens as a coming-of-age narrative of lower-middle class life in Vancouver's suburb of Surrey, embroidered within a myriad of pop-culture and "post-Mennonite." Jabbering with Bing Bong interrogates memory and makes its way into the urban energies of Vancouver. Language is at play with sit-com sonnets and soundscapes of noise; videogame goombas and an Old-Testament God; teenage longing within the power chords of heavy metal and the complicated loss of a father to schizophrenia. Jabbering with Bing Bong, chronicles the heartbreaking and slapstick pursuit of truth in the realms of religion, mental health, and poetic form itself.
Please come join Kevin Spenst who will share questions, poems, a couple of songs, procedures towards writing your very own poetry and a little bit of loudness.
Kevin Spenst: In addition to the UK, the United States, Austria and India, Kevin Spenst's poetry has appeared in over a dozen Canadian literary publications. In April and May of 2014 Kevin Spenst did a 100-venue reading tour of Canada in support of small poetry presses with his chapbooks Pray Goodbye (the Alfred Gustav Press, 2013), Retractable (the serif of nottingham, 2013), Happy Hollow and the Surrey Suite (self-published, 2012), What the Frag Meant (100 têtes press, 2014) and Surrey Sonnets (JackPine Press, 2014). Poet Kevin Spenst is about to embark on a reading tour around BC, 50 stops! His evolving line-up can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/omfb3cn
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Arguably the best proxy disclosure of the year
I had never heard of Schulman until today – but then Footnoted led me to a proxy disclosure. I won’t adorn this:
During fiscal 2008, the Compensation Committee determined that maintaining a lease on a private airplane was no longer a cost-effective method for providing business-related transportation to our Named Executive Officers and Directors. The airplane was used only for business-related travel, and personal use was not permitted. With the termination of the lease on the airplane, it also became increasingly difficult and cost prohibitive to access our Canadian fish camp. Consequently, the fish camp, which was only used for business entertainment purposes, was offered for sale during 2008. The only offer to purchase the fish camp came from Terry L. Haines, our former Chief Executive Officer and President. Ultimately we negotiated with Mr. Haines to sell the fish camp for a purchase price of $55,000 and the transaction closed during fiscal year 2009.
Quarrel said...
That's classic. I've got to get me a "fish camp" - purely for business purposes.
Meanwhile, I just heard on the radio that Bronte made the news for being too expensive:
"The highest average mortgage size for loans that are defaulting is in Bronte, on the eastern beaches of Sydney, where the average loan defaulting is $1.1 million," Mr McCarthy said.
See "Households struggling as 'mortgage stress' spreads":
Contrasts well with today's SMH which is full of no recession in Aus and Housing Soft Landing stories..
--Q
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Brave Browser is Pushing BAT, Challenges Lie Ahead
Automated trading forex signals
Without a lot of learning, buying useless indicators and losing robots.
FAST ENTRY
*number of participants is limited
The digital currency space is full of diversity and innovation, and Basic Attention Token (BAT) is beginning to carve a niche for itself as a very promising, albeit unique, platform. With a very talented team and a clear vision, this once obscure cryptocurrency has seen its popularity, and market value, increase significantly over the past few months. Nevertheless, a number of challenges remain and its mainstream success is far from guaranteed.
Created in 2015 by Javascript and Mozilla founder Brendan Eich, BAT seeks to use blockchain to revolutionize advertising and web publishing. The team has released a web browser, Brave, which is a modified version of Google Chrome. Brave users are paid in Basic Attention Tokens, the platform’s native cryptocurrency, to view advertisements while they browse the web. The tokens, which are ERC-20, are intended to enable an entire ecosystem of online payments between users, content providers, advertisers, and even retailers.
With a working product and a highly competent development team, Basic Attention Token has become the darling of the present crypto recovery. Its value has quadrupled since early February, growing from USD $.10 to $.40, and Brave has more than twenty million downloads. Advertising in the browser began in late April, with most reviews of the experience being positive.
The platform is now faced with its most significant challenge, which is proving that it has a working business model. The concept of sharing ad revenue with Internet users is hardly new, and each attempt has failed miserably. Perhaps the most significant example is AllAdvantage.com, which launched to great fanfare in 1999 but collapsed after less than two years, largely due to technical problems and rampant user fraud. Although the technology behind Brave is significantly more advanced, the general idea of how it will work is very similar to this now defunct dot com company.
Also, although Brave and BAT seem to presently work well, there is no guarantee of long-term viability. The token itself will need to find use far beyond the browser in order to hold any value, which will be difficult as competition for mainstream crypto adoption heats up. Also, because Brave is open source, copycats are sure to emerge. In fact, the team at Gab.com has announced that it will soon release a forked version that pays users with Bitcoin, and also has TOR privacy integration.
Even if Brave works as designed, and manages to fend off competition, adopters can hardly expect to become rich using it. Even heavy web browsing will yield less than five dollars worth of BAT per month. Although certainly better than nothing, such a trivial amount is hardly enough to guarantee a loyal user base should Brave fail to deliver a superior experience. It is also worth noting that plenty of paying advertisers are needed to keep the system going.
Brave’s progress is yet another example of the importance of robust development teams to success in the crypto space. Additionally, it is becoming clear that businesses and institutions seeking to adopt blockchain technology are looking for platforms with quasi-centralized management structures. In the case of BAT, the token is relatively unremarkable, yet the browser and the company behind it is where the value lies. Other platforms that have benefitted from having teams firmly at the helm include Ripple, Iota, VeChain, and Stellar.
Although BAT’s long-term success is far from certain, the token’s progress has given many advocates greater faith in its potential. The platform is also one of a very few that has a working product with real-world institutional adopters. it is now time for it, and its browser, to produce results.
Featured Image via BigStock.
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THE BING CROSBY NEWS ARCHIVE
This is a one stop place to find news and stories about the greatest singer of all-time, Bing Crosby. From his days with Paul Whiteman to his final performances in 1977, we will examine this remarkable entertainer's life and times!
GUEST REVIEWER: THE EMPEROR WALTZ
Our resident reviewer Bruce Kogan is back to review Bing's 1948 film The Emperor Waltz. I have to admit it's not one of my favorite films, but I might have to give it another viewing soon...
According to a new book out on Billy Wilder, Wilder had a much different film in mind than what emerged here. He was a contract director for Paramount at the time this was made with a few hits under his belt. And he was assigned to direct this film with Bing Crosby who was the biggest name in movies when this came out.
Crosby had a whole different film in mind and what Bing wanted Paramount gave him at that point. Wilder wanted a biting satire on the Franz Joseph court and he also wanted a the killing of the puppies, the offspring of Crosby's and Joan Fontaine's dogs to be an allegory for genocide. Crosby knew what his audiences expected from him and he opted for a lighter treatment.
The result was a second rate Billy Wilder movie, but a first class Bing Crosby film. Unlike in the thirties when Paramount just depended on Crosby's personality to put over a film, they gave this one the full A treatment. The outdoor sequences were shot in the Canadian Rockies and they serve as a great Alpine background. Though its muted, Wilder still gets some of his cynical point of view into Crosby's phonograph salesman who woos a member of Viennese royalty played by Joan Fontaine. Roland Culver who is Fontaine's father is also pretty good as the impoverished count who is quite willing to sell his title in marriage to anyone who can afford him.
Great vehicle for the winning Crosby personality...
BRUCE'S RATING: 8 OUT OF 10
Posted by David Lobosco at 5:48 AM No comments:
Labels: Bruce Kogan, Joan Fontaine, movie review, The Emperor Waltz
REMEMBERING: WAYNE MARTIN (1930-2018)
A sad day for fans of Bing Crosby. Earlier this year Wayne Martin, the editor and vice-president of Club Crosby until 2003 died...
Wayne LeRoy Martin, 87 of Higginsville, Missouri died on Friday, February 23, 2018, at his home. Born Tuesday, March 11, 1930 in Corder, Missouri, he was the son of the late LeRoy Martin and the late Golda Belle Welliver. He married Sandra Hostetter Martin on July 16, 1974. She survives of the home. He was a Veteran of the Korean War serving in the United States Army. He received a masters degree in Library Sciences from the University of Colorado and a masters degree in English from Central Missouri State University.
He was a former editor for the Bing Crosby magazine and the Director of Libraries for Brentwood, Missouri school systems, retiring in 1989. He was a member of United Church of Christ in Kirkwood, Missouri prior to moving to Higginsville in 2011. Surviving are one daughter, Robin Teter and her wife, Sandra Martin. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Hoefer Funeral Home with Rev. Dr. Tommy Faris officiating. Interment will be in the City Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, at Hoefer Chapel. Memorial contributions may be sent to Beacon of Hope in Oak Grove, MO...
Labels: BINGANG, Club Crosby, death, fans, news, Wayne Martin
COMING SOON: BEST OF THE BING CROSBY SPECIALS
Never-before-released TV Specials, unseen for decades!
From the 1950s through the ’70s Bing Crosby starred in 30 highly rated TV specials that featured a who’s who of guest stars. Bing’s groundbreaking broadcasts have never been available in one comprehensive collection—until now.
The Best of the Bing Crosby Specials DVD collection features all of Bing’s iconic hits, including “Pennies from Heaven,” “Swinging on a Star,” “Don’t Fence Me In,” “It’s Easy to Remember,” “Dina,” and of course, “White Christmas.”
You’ll get 26 Episodes on 11 DVDs, featuring the very best of Bing’s acclaimed specials, along with hours of bonus features. Highlights Include:
Bing’s good friends Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Dean Martin appeared on multiple specials, and Bing’s shows also featured Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Pearl Bailey, Jack Benny, Carol Burnett, Rosemary Clooney, Perry Como, Jackie Gleason, Robert Goulet, Peggy Lee, Patti Page, Bernadette Peters, Debbie Reynolds, Flip Wilson and many others!
Bing’s first TV special from 1954, featuring good pal Jack Benny.
Bing’s last TV special, featuring an unlikely guest, David Bowie. This is the 1977 program that yielded what may be the most popular Christmas duet ever—Bing and Bowie’s recording of “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy.”
Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank—a rare special with Frank Sinatra that features the two legends singing classics in an intimate setting.
Bing’s 50th anniversary special, featuring Bob Hope, Rosemary Clooney, the Mills Brothers and others, and including a memorable Bette Midler.
Episodes of The Carol Burnett Show and the Bob Hope TV specials with guest shots by Bing.
Free bonus DVD—The Legendary Bing Crosby, a celebration of Bing’s life that includes rare performances, exclusive interviews with Bing’s family and friends, home movies and rare, behind-the-scenes material.
Exclusive 36-page book: Bing Crosby: A Life in Pictures, featuring rare photos, memorabilia, and behind-the-scenes snapshots from Bing’s 60+ year career...
Posted by David Lobosco at 8:07 AM 2 comments:
Labels: Bob Hope, coming soon, DVD, Jack Benny, television
THE CROSBY BOYS: A 1961 REVIEW
Bing's Boys Sing Out In Latin Quarter Debut
Music in harmony, clear and sweet and rhythmic, approached intelligently, often humorously and always with a timing that is a thing of beauty in itself, is the essence of an act starring Phillip, Dennis and Lindsay Crosby, three of Bing's sons, which E. M. Loew and Ed Risman presented last night at the Latin Quarter.
Advance notices from Las Vegas, where the boys were enthusiastically received, do not exaggerate. It is no fly-by-night act, built on a father's reputation. Rather, does it subtly recognize talent handed down to another generation that carries on in its own proficient way.
Much credit is due John Bradford and William Friml, who added some apt lyrics for the opening "This is a Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" and the following "You're a Good Group." The numbers are the boys' introduction of themselves to the audience, and they are solid.
The next two numbers "Mamselle" and "Dinah," are purely the harmony, indicating the range of each voice and pinpointing the personalities in little ways. There isn't a solo all night, but each boy takes a brief turn in introducing a segment or singing a few bars.
Charles O'Curran staged and produced this superior act of the Crosy Bros., Bill Thompson did the orchestration and vocal arrangements and drummer Lloyd Morales sat in with Joe Lombardi's orchestra as Fred Otis conducted from the piano.
A folk medley of "Scarlett Ribbons," "Little White Duck," "Old Dan Tucker," "Lil' David" and "Joshua" made up the second segment of the act, with each number interpreted in an original manner.
Then came the finale, as the boys did excerpts from about 30 songs made famous by their father. This could have been an ear-bending, wearying number without proper editing. As they present it, it is a closely woven tapestry of song and sentiment, bringing the past to the present with taste and skill.
As they closed, in tribute to Bing, with "The Blue of the Night," I felt deeply moved and awfully glad I attended the opening.
Earlier, before and during the show, I realized the familiar antics of Frank Libuse, the mad "waiter," as well as other variety acts and the beautiful girls in Fred Wittop's scintillating costumes.
The Crosby Bros. and the Latin Quarter have a rare treat for all comers.
Pictured above are the twins Phillip (top) Dennis (bottom) and Lindsay (the youngest). Eldest brother Gary is not with the group at this time...
Posted by David Lobosco at 12:26 PM 2 comments:
Labels: 1961, Dennis Crosby, Lindsay Crosby, performance review, Phil Crosby
Please feel free to email me at: davidlobosco@yahoo.com.
Also you can follow me on Twitter: @DavidLobosco
A TRIBUTE TO GARY BEACH - ONE YEAR LATER
THE TRAGIC LIFE OF DENNIS CROSBY
BING AND A COMPLICATED FAMILY LIFE
BING'S THEME SONG
BING AND SWANEE RIVER
BING IN HOLLYWOOD: PENNIES FROM HEAVEN - PART TWO
MAYOR BING CROSBY
REMEMBERING: TIM CONWAY (1933-2019)
MARY CROSBY LAWSUIT SETTLED
BING CROSBY: A LEGENDARY CROONER
GREAT BING LINKS
INTERNATIONAL CLUB CROSBY
CROSBY FAN WORLD
FESTIVAL FILMS
A BING CROSBY DISCOGRAPHY
THE VINTAGE BAND STAND
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Margaret Peters: Trump wants to restrict trade and immigration. Here’s why he can’t do both.
September 11, 2017 by Stephanie Rojas
Why have countries increasingly restricted immigration even when they have opened their markets to foreign competition through trade or allowed their firms to move jobs overseas? In Trading Barriers, Margaret Peters argues that the increased ability of firms to produce anywhere in the world combined with growing international competition due to lowered trade barriers has led to greater limits on immigration. She explores the ideas in her book within the context of the current administration in a new post on the Washington Post Monkey Cage blog.
Immigration and free trade are connected—but they point in opposite directions
Immigration policy often seems a long way off from trade policy, but the two are intimately connected through their impact on U.S. businesses. When trade is restricted, which is what Trump is proposing to do by renegotiating NAFTA and ending KORUS, businesses that rely on a lot of labor will produce more of their goods—and employ more people—here in the United States.
So far, so good for Trump’s promise to bring back manufacturing jobs.
Here’s the big catch: Native labor in the United States is expensive
Increasing the number of jobs for U.S. workers will lead (eventually) to higher wages across the U.S. economy. Businesses may then find that the protection they get from these trade barriers is wiped away by the increase in wages they have to pay — they can’t produce goods at a low-enough price to be competitive.
Read the full article on the Washington Post’s website.
Margaret E. Peters is assistant professor of political science at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Filed Under: Political Science Tagged With: government, immigration, political science, trade, u.s. government
Kenneth Rogoff: India’s Currency Exchange and The Curse of Cash
November 17, 2016 by PUP Author
Today in our blog series by Kenneth Rogoff, author of The Curse of Cash, Rogoff discusses the controversy over India’s currency exchange. Read other posts in the series here.
On the same day that the United States was carrying out its 2016 presidential election, India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced on national TV that the country’s two highest-denomination notes, the 500 and 1000 rupee (worth roughly $7.50 and $15.00) would no longer be legal tender by midnight that night, and that citizens would have until the end of the year to surrender their notes for new ones. His stated aim was to fight “black money”: cash used for tax evasion, crime, terror, and corruption. It was a bold, audacious move to radically alter the mindset of an economy where less than 2% of citizens pay income tax, and where official corruption is endemic.
MOTIVATION SAME AS IN THE CURSE OF CASH
Is India following the playbook in The Curse of Cash? On motivation, yes, absolutely. A central theme of the book is that whereas advanced country citizens still use cash extensively (amounting to about 10% of the value of all transactions in the United States), the vast bulk of physical currency is held in the underground economy, fueling tax evasion and crime of all sorts. Moreover, most of this cash is held in the form of large denomination notes such as the US $100 that are increasingly unimportant in legal, tax-compliant transactions. Ninety-five percent of Americans never hold $100s, yet for every man, woman and child there are 34 of them. Paper currency is also a key driver of illegal immigration and corruption. The European Central Bank recently began phasing out the 500 euro mega-note over these concerns, partly because of the terrorist attacks in Paris.
BUT SETTING AND IMPLEMENTATION IS VASTLY DIFFERENT
On implementation, however, India’s approach is radically different, in two fundamental ways. First, I argue for a very gradual phase-out, in which citizens would have up to seven years to exchange their currency, but with the exchange made less convenient over time. This is the standard approach in currency exchanges. For example this is how the European swapped out legacy national currencies (e.g the deutschmark and the French franc) during the introduction of the physical euro fifteen years ago. India has given people 50 days, and the notes are of very limited use in the meantime. The idea of taking big notes out of circulation at short notice is hardly new, it was done in Europe after World War II for example, but as a peacetime move it is extremely radical. Back in the 1970s, James Henry suggested an idea like this for the United States (see my October 26 new blog on his early approach to the big bills problem). Here is what I say there about doing a fast swap for the United States instead of the very gradual one I recommend:
“(A very fast) swap plan absolutely merits serious discussion, but there might be significant problems even if the government only handed out small bills for the old big bills. First, there are formidable logistical problems to doing anything quickly, since at least 40% of U.S. currency is held overseas. Moreover, there is a fine line between a snap currency exchange and a debt default, especially for a highly developed economy in peacetime. Foreign dollar holders especially would feel this way. Finally, any exchange at short notice would be extremely unfair to people who acquired their big bills completely legally but might not keep tabs on the news.
In general, a slow gradual currency swap would be far less disruptive in an advanced economy, and would leave room for dealing with unanticipated and unintended consequences. One idea, detailed in The Curse of Cash, is to allow people to exchange their expiring large bills relatively conveniently for the first few years (still subject to standard anti-money-laundering reporting requirements), then over time make it more inconvenient by accepting the big notes at ever fewer locations and with ever stronger reporting requirements.
Second, my approach eliminates large notes entirely. Instead of eliminating the large notes, India is exchanging them for new ones, and also introducing a larger, 2000-rupee note, which are also being given in exchange for the old notes.
MY PLAN IS EXPLICITLY TAILORED TO ADVANCED ECONOMIES
The idea in The Curse of Cash of eliminating large notes and not replacing them is not aimed at developing countries, where the share of people without effective access to banking is just too large. In the book I explain how a major part of any plan to phase out large notes must include a significant component for financial inclusion. In the United States, the poor do not really rely heavily on $100 bills (virtually no one in the legal economy does) and as long as smaller bills are around, the phase out of large notes should not be too much of a problem, However, the phaseout of large notes is golden opportunity to advance financial inclusion, in the first instance by giving low income individuals access to free basic debt accounts. The government could use these accounts to make transfers, which would in turn be a major cost saving measure. But in the US, only 8% of the population is unbanked. In Colombia, the number is closer to 50% and, by some accounts, it is near 90% in India. Indeed, the 500 rupee note in India is like the $10 or $20 bill in the US and is widely used by all classes, so India’s maneuver is radically different than my plan. (That said, I appreciate that the challenges are both different and greater, and the long-run potential upside also much higher.)
Indeed, developing countries share some of the same problems and the corruption and counterfeiting problem is often worse. Simply replacing old notes with new ones does have a lot of beneficial effects similar to eliminating large notes. Anyone turning in large amounts of cash still becomes very vulnerable to legal and tax authorities. Indeed that is Modi’s idea. And criminals have to worry that if the government has done this once, it can do it again, making large notes less desirable and less liquid. And replacing notes is also a good way to fight counterfeiting—as The Curse of Cash explains, it is a constant struggle for governments to stay ahead of counterfeiters, as for example in the case of the infamous North Korean $100 supernote.
Will Modi’s plan work? Despite apparent huge holes in the planning (for example, the new notes India is printing are a different size and do not fit the ATM machines), many economists feel it could still have large positive effects in the long-run, shaking up the corruption, tax evasion, and crime that has long crippled the country. But the long-run gains depend on implementation, and it could take years to know how history will view this unprecedented move.
THE GOAL IS A LESS-CASH SOCIETY NOT A CASHLESS ONE
In The Curse of Cash, I argue that it will likely be necessary to have a physical currency into the far distant future, but that society should try to better calibrate the use of cash. What is happening in India is an extremely ambitious step in that direction, of a staggering scale that is immediately affecting 1.2 billion people. The short run costs are unfolding, but the long-run effects on India may well prove more than worth them, but it is very hard to know for sure at this stage.
Kenneth S. Rogoff, the Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University and former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly (Princeton). He appears frequently in the national media and writes a monthly newspaper column that is syndicated in more than fifty countries. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Find Kenneth Rogoff on Twitter: @krogoff
Filed Under: Economics Tagged With: Cash, corruption, currency, Curse of Cash, economics, finance, immigration, india, Kenneth Rogoff, national currency, The Curse of Cash
Cross-Cultural Responses to Discrimination
October 17, 2016 by PUP Author
This post originally appeared at Harvard University’s WCIA Epicenter website and is reproduced with permission.
A Q&A with Michèle Lamont
Racism and discrimination are daily realities for members of marginalized groups. But what does it look like at the ground level, and how do individuals from various groups and countries respond to such experiences? Drawing on more than 400 in-depth interviews with middle class and working class men and women residing in the multi-ethnic suburbs of New York, Rio, and Tel Aviv, and representing five different racial “groups,” a team of sociologists examine how people deal with and make sense of the various forms of exclusion that are ever present in their lives.
Getting Respect: Responding to Stigma and Discrimination in the United States, Brazil & Israel opens up many new perspectives on the comparative analysis of race and identity.
© Martha Stewart
Q: What inspired you and your colleagues to write Getting Respect, and how does it connect to your past scholarship?
A: Back in 2000, I published a book called The Dignity of Working Men: Morality and the Boundaries of Race, Class, and Immigration. It was based on interviews with African American and white workers in New York, and native white workers and North African workers in France. I asked questions about what makes people equal and was surprised to discover that in France workers never talked about money making people equal, whereas many white and black American workers believe that “if I can buy a house, and you can buy a house, we’re equal.” There is very little in the literature about “everyday” conceptions of racial inequality. We wanted to get at how people in different parts of the world understand similarities and differences and to learn about what kind of thinking racism is based on.
Q: In writing Getting Respect, what new insights have you learned about racism in the United States?
A: One of the main findings is that African Americans use confrontation (speaking up or calling out someone’s behavior) in response to discrimination more frequently than any of the other groups studied—black Brazilians, and Ethiopian Jews, Mizrahim and Arab Palestinian citizens in Israel. Asking why it is that they confront so readily made us understand African Americans through a different lens. We found that black Brazilians confront as well, but they’re equally as likely to stay silent.
Among African Americans, not responding to a discriminatory incident is half as frequent as confronting. So our question became: What are the conditions that legitimize this confrontation in the United States?
Another finding was that African Americans are more likely to “name” racism than the members of other groups. This speaks to how readily available narratives or scripts about group discrimination are in the United States, compared to Israel and Brazil. In contrast, Brazilians were far more hesitant to say that they experienced racism.
Q: How did you select groups for the study?
A: When we first started, we thought we’d pair black Brazilians, for whom group identity has traditionally been described in the literature as not salient, to a group with strong boundaries, Arab Israelis. We weren’t sure where African Americans would fall yet. Then we added the Mizrahim (Jews whose families immigrated to Israel from Middle Eastern and North African Muslim and Arab countries) and black Ethiopian Jews who are even more recent immigrants. It transformed our project, because now we had two groups who had very strong group identification (African Americans and Arab Israelis, and to some degree, Ethiopian Jews) and two groups with weaker group boundaries (black Brazilians and Mizrahim). So this really brought home the issue of how the sense of ‘groupness’ influences the experience of racism.
We found that, because you belong to a strongly bounded group, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are more confrontational. Although they are “strongly bounded,” Israeli Palestinians living in Israel are not very confrontational because they have little hope of being recognized. They are often viewed as the enemy within, suspected of being allied with Hezbollah or Palestinians living in the occupied territories, and they believe their treatment is ultimately tied to this larger conflict, so are much less likely to speak up, as it would be pointless. After all, they are an unassimilated minority living in conditions of deep segregation within the Jewish state.
As to the weakly bounded group, the Mizrahim, they clearly suffer from underrepresentation in academia, institutions of high culture, top political circles, and so on, while being over represented at the bottom of the social scale. That is, they are clearly discriminated against by all standards. However, in contrast to the other groups, they are the demographic majority in Israel’s Jewish population. They have strong sentiments of belonging to the Jewish state and often downplay discrimination and prefer to tell stories of how well integrated they are.
Q: Your book suggests that black Brazilians differ from African Americans in that they don’t zero in on race as a basis for exclusion, but rather on their presumed low socioeconomic status, or poverty.
A: That’s the traditional observation about concepts of race in both countries. However, our Brazilian collaborators bring a lot of wrinkles to this story. Their respondents identified themselves as being black, and by blackness they point more to skin color than to a shared culture. In part this is because black Brazilians are half the population of Brazil, but also because they don’t think they have a distinctive culture because their culture is the majority culture. So that’s a very big difference from how ‘blackness’ is understood in the United States, where our African American interviewees experience their shared identity as having a strong cultural component. It’s also very different from the Israeli groups we studied.
Q: So, if you want to eliminate segregation based on skin color, wouldn’t the best path be to promote intermarriage? Is this what happened in Brazil?
A: Well, historically that was what happened in Brazil; that’s one of the reasons why group boundaries are so much weaker there. The old ideology of the “moreno,” which was part of the Brazilian national ideology of racial democracy, celebrated intermarriage as the origins of the country. Moreover, spatial segregation in Brazil is based more on socioeconomic class than race. Even if the few upper-middle-class neighborhoods are nearly all white, the working-class and poor neighborhoods are much more racially mixed. In the United States a number of middle-class blacks live in lower-middle-class and working-class black neighborhoods partly out of choice, but also because the spatial racial segregation is extremely strong here.
Q: How did you select for skin color in Brazil?
A: In selecting our black respondents in all three countries we did not take into consideration actual skin color. But we did ask people if they identified themselves as black. In Brazil, we chose people who self-identified as pretos and pardos (black and brown). There are many other words in Brazil that indicate pale blacks (e.g., morenos) and those people were not part of our study. This broad color spectrum is present all over Latin America. They have many categories and words to talk about skin color, many more than we do in the United States, where the ‘one drop’ rule continues to prevail in the minds of many whites. Nevertheless, we found that our Brazilian interviewees increasingly identify with the political term “negro,” especially among the middle-class respondents.
Q: You describe the Arab Palestinians in Israel as being the most “excluded” of the groups you studied. Why is this the case?
A: The situation for the Arab Palestinian citizens of Israel today is problematic because they are so clearly segregated as a group. They are excluded from many job opportunities, have separate schools, housing discrimination is rampant, and most live in segregated villages or towns separate from the larger society. However, we should keep in mind that they are an unassimilated minority. The strong social boundaries between Palestinians and Jews are maintained by both. In other words, we are not talking about a shared civil space where Arab Israelis, the majority of whom are Muslims, are interested in crossing national and religious boundaries. A simple example is that intermarriage is inconceivable on both sides. The Arab Palestinian citizens are not drafted into the military, which is a known path to upward mobility and social integration. There is a growing middle class and upward mobility within the Arab sector, but ultimately they will always be excluded in a state where symbolic belonging to the community depends on whether or not you’re Jewish. This makes it harder for them to respond to stigma and exclusion by focusing on individual self-improvement.
Q: All the groups your team interviewed experienced unfair treatment and responded in different ways. One type of response you label “individualistic.” Can you explain what this means?
A: It means “pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” “work harder,” “get your education,” “be upwardly mobile,” et cetera. It’s the individual’s behavior that’s considered a determinant for success. A more collectivist response is oriented toward social change, as illustrated by the amazing outcomes of the civil rights movement in the United States, where people agitated and lobbied and actually changed the law. In our interviews, when we asked, “What are the best tools that your group has had at its disposal to improve its situation?” the majority talk about individualistic solutions. And the group that most frequently answered this way was the African Americans, second were Ethiopian Jews, then Mizrahim.
The individualistic response implies: “Don’t blame other people and don’t blame racism. You should do your thing and try to be upwardly mobile.” African Americans all experience discrimination; it’s very much part of their daily lives. But at the same time a large number think the (normative) solution is not necessarily to moan and to decry injustice, but to try to create the conditions for personal advancement. This response is particularly present in the United States, but also among the Mizrahim and Ethiopian Jews, despite neoliberalism being more influential on this side of the pond than in Israel. But it’s also an indication of having a sense of national belonging: it’s easier to feel self-improvement is a viable strategy when you feel like you belong.
Q: Because African Americans have the cultural history of the civil rights movement, wouldn’t you expect them to say collective mobilization is the best tool for their group?
A: There’s a real tension there because the great gains of the 1960s were achieved through collective mobilization and have come to be largely taken for granted, even if some are contested at the level of the United States Supreme Court. But at the same time the generations that we interviewed had a lot of experience being told that to blame racism is to make excuses. And we all know that many white people decry reverse racism. Therefore a number of our African American respondents believed there’s only so much you can gain by denouncing injustice. It’s in line with the American dream, the main tenets of which are if you work hard you will “make it,” and that’s how you gain social membership. So that’s the sacred value of this society—not all societies are organized around the same notions.
In addition, neoliberalism has had a much greater impact in the United States than it has in Israel and Brazil. And by neoliberalism I mean the idea that market mechanisms should guide all forms of social arrangements, government should remove barriers to the circulation of goods and people, limit the impact of unions, et cetera. This is connected to the widespread notion that our value as human beings is tied to how successful or competitive we are. Such views may seem quite absurd outside the United States, whereas here they are largely taken for granted by a huge portion of the American population.
Q: You found that intergroup relationships were quite different in the United States compared to Brazil.
A: In Brazil the dominant myth, has been, historically, that of racial democracy. Even if few of our respondents believe Brazil is a racial democracy, there’s a strong emphasis put on racial coexistence. My collaborators found that many of their interviewees believe that being in people’s faces confronting racism all the time is an antisocial behavior that is very destructive to society. They prefer to gently “educate the ignorant.” Even as we were putting our interview schedule together, this affected which questions we could ask. In the United States one of our questions was, “Do you have friends of another racial group?” which is an obvious question to ask. And surveys show that roughly 75 percent of Americans don’t. My Brazilian collaborators argued that we could not ask this very same question in Brazil as our respondents would view it as a deeply insulting question. Most people there claim to have friends from a range of racial groups. This is based not only on preference but is also tied to one’s chances of meeting people from other racial groups in their neighborhood, at work, and in public spaces, especially when you come from a working-class background. Interestingly, however, a few middle-class black Brazilians said most of their friends are white, and point out the small number of blacks in their work and educational environments. This also challenges any absolute understanding of Brazil as racially mixed and the United States as racially segregated. In professional work environments, it seems to be the other way around.
Q: Is there anything in your personal background that drew you to the study of inequality?
A: I am a Québécois, and I grew up during the peak of the nationalist movement there, a time when we saw massive political mobilization, and at the cultural level, assemblies with folk singers and people working to celebrate and transform Québécois identity. And having worked with a number of African American students, I was taken by the many similarities in the quest for equality across national contexts—even though in Québec, of course, the stigma is language and culture, whereas in the United States it’s skin color.
After the English conquest, the French population was controlled by a small French Canadian elite made up of members of the liberal professions (doctors, lawyers, professors). The majority of the French population was not educated—they were farmers and blue collar workers. The English Canadians had a strong sense of their superiority over the colonials, and the French, of course, fed that as well. The Québec movement for independence turned out to be an important and very successful social movement aimed at transforming both intergroup power relations and the meaning associated with being Québécois. I was born in 1957, so my youth was shaped by this social mobilization. It is interesting to me that while anticolonial and antiracist discourse about Latinos and blacks are widely available in the United States, such is not the case for French Québecois identity.
Q: What impact do you hope Getting Respect will have?
A: The book should make it more obvious what stigmatization is about. It argues that stigmatization is a crucial dimension of inequality that is often ignored, as economists and sociologists so often focus on the distribution of resources. People experience stigmatization deeply and it affects their sense of self, certainly as much as being deprived of resources does. I think that claims for recognition should be taken very seriously by policy makers and social scientists. We have yet to understand how inequality and stigmatization articulate with one another.
Policy makers of all kinds should be much more attuned to how the policies (such as welfare) and laws (such as gay marriage) they pass can be stigmatizing or destigmatizing. It’s also important to think carefully about each form of redistribution both in terms of impact on material resources and also in terms of construction of the self. My hope is that by reading this book, white people—and other non-minority members—will gain a much better understanding of the wear and tear that comes with living as the nonmember of the dominant group. It’s important to realize that dealing with this kind of challenge and assault on your worth all the time takes a toll. And if we look at massive racial disparities in health in this country, that foundations like Robert Wood Johnson have documented and addressed, our book is totally in conversation with the agenda they are setting. It’s necessary to look at the daily experience and cost of dealing with exclusion on people’s lives.
Q: Reflecting on your decades of work on inequality, can you draw conclusions about which social or institutional conditions lead to more equitable societies?
A: How do you achieve a society that is equitable? Well, the classic approach has to do with the politics of recognition and redistribution. Take the Nordic response for example—let’s have a strong state that taxes wealthier people and redistributes resources. That works very well for Nordic societies, which have oil money and all kinds of other resources, and historically have had a fairly homogeneous population. But it doesn’t work across the board.
Another response is the politics of recognition. Canada and to a lesser extent the United States do this better than other countries, by proclaiming very loudly that diversity is a strength and resource, and that it is something that we value as a society. Many societies don’t do this as well (France and Israel, to name two examples). Through this message of diversity, those countries have achieved greater equality through the legal process for women, people of color, and other groups. The rapid legalization of gay marriage stands out particularly starkly.
Q: It sounds like you believe collective movements are the most successful way to effect change.
A: In the United States, there’s no doubt that the determinant of social change is the fact that Americans can activate the legal process to redefine rules of coexistence for greater social justice. This is how they have imposed new rules on people who were resistant (e.g., Southerners who refused racial desegregation in schools). And this has been extremely powerful over time, but it also has many limitations.
In the French context there’s been far more resistance to recognizing diversity by the state. In contrast to the United States, France promotes secularism to reject any form of expression of religious identity in public life. The recent incidents with the government’s attempt to ban burkinis (a full body unitard that Muslim women wear at the beach) are constant reminders to minority Muslim groups that they have to lend themselves to the rules of the majority, which is quite different than what we’re experiencing in the United States.
In Canada, the ideology of multiculturalism has had a very positive impact in pushing immigrants to be much more emotionally and cognitively invested in their society, and even to run for political office. Today, Trudeau has a number of Muslims in his cabinet, which is quite different from the American political context.
So, I believe we can create inclusion in the context of the law, through narratives, through social policy, and by using institutional tools and cultural repertoires together to create shared notions of solidarity. In some ways it starts at the top, but then change is also produced by ordinary people responding to racism. Does a country create a climate for people to organize and to be heard? That is the crucial question.
—Michelle Nicholasen, Communications Specialist, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs
Weatherhead Center Director Michèle Lamont is the Robert I. Goldman Professor of European Studies and professor of sociology and of African and African American studies at Harvard University. A cultural and comparative sociologist, Lamont studies culture and inequality, racism and stigma, academia and knowledge, social change and successful societies, and qualitative methods. She is the coauthor of Getting Respect: Responding to Stigma and Discrimination in the United States, Brazil, and Israel, with Graziella Moraes Silva, Jessica S. Welburn, Joshua Guetzkow, Nissim Mizrachi, Hanna Herzog, and Elisa Reis.
Filed Under: Author Interviews, Sociology Tagged With: author interview, cultural studies, discrimination, ethnic studies, immigration, inequality, Sociology
Ethicist Jason Brennan: Brexit, Democracy, and Epistocracy
June 24, 2016 by PUP Author
By Jason Brennan
The Washington Post reports that there is a sharp uptick today in the number of Britons Googling basic questions about what the European Union is and what the implications of leaving are. This is a bit like deciding to study after you’ve already taken the final exam.
Technically, the Brexit referendum is not binding. Parliament could decide to hold their own vote on whether to leave the European Union. Perhaps they should. Perhaps the UK’s leaders owe it to the people to thwart their expressed will.
Leaving the EU is no small affair. It probably will have enormous effects on the UK, Europe, and much of the rest of the world. But just what these effects will be is unclear. To have even a rudimentary sense of the pros and cons of Brexit, a person would need to possess tremendous social scientific knowledge. One would need to know about the economics and sociology of trade and immigration, the politics of centralized regulation, and the history of nationalist movements. But there is no reason to think even a tenth of the UK’s population has a basic grasp of the social science needed to evaluate Brexit.
Political scientists have been studying voter knowledge for the past 60 years. The results are uniformly depressing. Most voters in most countries are systematically ignorant of even the most basic political facts, let alone more the social scientific theories needed to make sense of these facts.
This brings us to the central injustice of democracy, and why holding a referendum was a bad idea. Imagine, as an analogy, that you are sick. You go to a doctor. But suppose your “doctor” doesn’t study the facts, doesn’t know any medicine, and makes her decisions about how to treat you on a whim, on the basis of prejudice or wishful thinking. Imagine the doctor not only prescribes you a course of treatment, but literally forces you, at gunpoint, to accept the treatment.
We’d find this behavior intolerable. Your doctor owes you a duty of care. She owes it to you to deliver an expert opinion on the basis of good information, a strong background knowledge of medicine, and only after considering the facts in a rational and scientific way. To force you to follow the decisions incompetent and bad faith doctor is unjust.
But this is roughly what happens in democracy. Most voters are ignorant of both basic political facts and the background social scientific theories needed to evaluate the facts. They process what little information they have in highly biased and irrational ways. They decided largely on whim. And, worse, we’re each stuck having to put up with the group’s decision. Unless you’re one of the lucky few who has the right and means to emigrate, you’re forced to accept your democracy’s poorly chosen decisions.
There’s a big dilemma in the design of political institutions. Should we be ruled by the few or the many? What this amounts to is the choice between being ruled by the smart but selfish or dumb but nice. When only a small number of people hold power, they tend to use this power for their own ends at the expense of everyone else. If a king holds all the power, his decisions matter. He will likely use that power in a smart way, but smart for himself, rather than smart for everybody. Suppose instead we give everyone power. In doing so, we largely remove the incentive and ability for people to use power in self-serving ways at the expense of everyone else. But, at the same time, we remove the incentive for people to use power wisely. Since individual votes count for so little, individual voters have no incentive to become well-informed or to process information with any degree of care. Democracy incentivizes voters to be dumb.
Going back to the doctor analogy, here’s the dilemma: Suppose you could choose between two doctors. The first doctor prescribes you medicine based on what’s good for her, not you. The second is a complete fool who prescribes you medicine on whim and fancy, without reference to the facts. Roughly, with some exaggeration, that’s what the choice between monarchy or democracy amounts to. Neither is appealing.
What if there were a third way, though? In my forthcoming book, Against Democracy, I explore a way of splitting the difference. The trick is to find a political system that both 1) spreads power out enough to prevent people from using power selfishly and 2) weeds out or at least reduces the power of incompetent decision-makers.
In some sense, republican democracy, with checks and balances, was meant to do just that. And to a significant degree it succeeds. But perhaps a new system, epistocracy, could do even better.
In an epistocracy, political power is to some degree apportioned according to knowledge. An epistocracy might retain the major institutions we see in republican democracy, such as parties, mass elections, constitutional review, and the like. But in an epistocracy, not everyone has equal basic political power. An epistocracy might grant some people additional voting power, or might restrict the right to vote only to those that could pass a very basic test of political knowledge. Any such system will be subject to abuse, and will suffer from significant government failures. But that’s true of democracy too. The interesting question is whether epistocracy, warts and all, would perform better than democracy, warts and all.
All across the West, we’re seeing the rise of angry, resentful, nationalist, xenophobic and racist movements, movements made up mostly of low-information voters. Perhaps it’s time to put aside the childish and magical theory that democracy is intrinsically just, and start asking the serious question of whether there are better alternatives. The stakes are high.
Jason Brennan is the Robert J. and Elizabeth Flanagan Family Associate Professor of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. He is the author of The Ethics of Voting (Princeton), Why Not Capitalism?, and Libertarianism. He is the coauthor of Markets without Limits, Compulsory Voting, and A Brief History of Liberty. His new book, Against Democracy, is out this August. He writes regularly for Bleeding Heart Libertarians, a blog.
Filed Under: Political Science Tagged With: #Brexit, democracy, elections, epistocracy, European Union, Great Britain, immigration, information, Jason Brennan, knowledge, Nationalism, opinion, politics, referendum, regulation, social science, trade, UK, voting
Zoltan L. Hajnal: Trump’s strategy is nothing new for the GOP
February 16, 2016 by Election 2016
Donald Trump disparages Muslims. He attacks Mexican immigrants. He insults women. And what happens? Voters flock to him.
Trump’s rapid rise to the top of the Republican polls and his enduring role as the Party’s front runner have sparked all kinds of diverse reactions. The Republican establishment is running scared. The Democratic Party is acting appalled. And the media appears to be enthralled. But the most common reaction of all is surprise. Almost everyone wonders how this could be happening? How can a campaign premised on prejudice and denigration be so successful? How can it endure?
Even though everyone seems surprised, nobody should be. Trump’s strategy is tried and true. It has been developed over decades by the Republican Party and it has worked in many earlier periods in American history.
Well before Donald Trump arrived on the Presidential scene, my colleague, Marisa Abrajano, and I wrote a book documenting the widely successful Republican tactic of scapegoating immigrants. By blaming immigrants for much of what ails America and by promising to stem the tide of immigration, Republican elites were able to garner more and more of the white vote. In 1990, white voters were (almost) evenly divided between Democratic and Republican congressional candidates and there was almost no correlation between attitudes on immigration and white partisanship. Today, after years of Republican campaigning against immigrants, whites who express fears about immigrants are 60 percent more likely vote Republican than whites who view immigrants positively and whites overall are flocking to the Republican Party. In 2014, 62 percent of white voters favored Republican candidates in Congressional contests.
Well before my co-author and I were born, the Republican Party had firmly decided on its infamous Southern Strategy. Personified by George Wallace’s segregationist rhetoric, the strategy was to dismiss black demands for ever greater government handouts and to highlight all of the failings of the black community and in so doing attract racist white Southerners who had faithfully supported the Democratic Party. Through Goldwater, Nixon, Reagan and onto George H. W. Bush, the campaign tactics were sometimes subtle and sometimes not so subtle. But almost always there was a hint of race in the air and at least an implicit denigration of African Americans. For white Southerners it was all too attractive. White Southerners went from overwhelmingly siding with the Democratic Party in 1960 to overwhelmingly voting for Republican candidates in 1990.
The end result of these decades-long Republican Party campaigns is widespread Republican Party success today. Republicans currently control the Senate. They are in the majority in the House. They occupy the Governor’s mansion in some 31 States and they are the majority party in 32 States. By attacking America’s immigrants and disparaging its racial minorities, the Republican Party may have lost a number of racial and ethnic minority votes but it has very much won the wider electoral war.
As the 2016 election looms in the future, many continue to express wonder at Trump’s success and to marvel that he has stayed at the front for so long. And they are all but certain that he can’t succeed. A campaign premised on America’s baser instincts can’t ultimately succeed in 2014.
Or can it? There is still a lot that can and almost assuredly will happen during the campaign. Trump may falter. He may not win the Presidency or even the Republican nomination. But history tells us that we should not be surprised if something entirely different and entirely implausible happens – Trump actually wins. Trump is not new. His campaign is not new. If he does not falter, if he goes on to win the nomination and the election in November, we should not be surprised. We should fight against these baser instincts and these abhorrent tactics. But we should never be surprised when they succeed.
Zoltan L. Hajnal is a professor of political science at the University of California San Diego and is co-author of White Backlash: Immigration, Race, and American Politics (2015). He is a member of the Scholars Strategy Network.
Filed Under: Election 2016, Political Science Tagged With: #Election2016, donald trump, election, government, immigration, politics, Republican party, Zoltan L. Hajnal
Ellen Wu on Nikki Haley and the role of the model minority
January 20, 2016 by Election 2016
Nikki Haley and the American Dream
by Ellen D. Wu
Poised and polished, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley at once personified and celebrated the American Dream as she rebutted President Obama’s final State of the Union address Tuesday. In a soft, genteel drawl, she invited her fellow Republicans to “return” the United States to “the foundation that has made America that last, best hope on earth.”
Her own biography supplied the evidence. The self-proclaimed “proud daughter of Indian immigrants,” she recounted that her parents reminded her daily “how blessed we were to live in this country.” Together, they surmounted the challenges of their modest means and their conspicuous difference in the rural South. Most importantly, like “millions” of other newcomers past and present, “we had the opportunity to do anything, to be anything, as long as we were willing to work for it.”
Just hours before the televised message, Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz charged that GOP had picked the governor because of the party’s “diversity problem.” While Republican leaders denied it, Haley’s appearance clearly fell in line with a distinct historical pattern.
For some six decades, a host of stakeholders have cast prominent Asian Americans as “model minorities” to resolve profound contradictions of race, religion, and identity in national life. Model minorities—non-whites who have “made it”—seemingly prove that the American Dream is alive and well and available to all, regardless of color or class.
Why Asian Americans? In the 1940s and 50s, wartime pressures on the United States to act fittingly as the “leader of the free world” necessitated a social repositioning of Asian immigrant populations. Previously, they had been racial pariahs: barred by law from entering the country, naturalized citizenship, and a slew of other freedoms that white people took for granted. But treating them (and other minorities) so poorly, liberals argued, imperiled US relations with their homelands. Strategically, federal authorities regarded Asia as an especially vital region—a matter of winning or losing epic global battles against fascism and Communism.
So foreign policy opened the door to the very possibility of Asian assimilation into the American mainstream. What had been unfathomable before World War II was now thinkable. Just ten years after Congress repealed the immigration and citizenship exclusion laws targeting Indian nationals (Luce-Celler Act, 1946), Democrat Dalip Singh Saund won an unlikely contest in California’s 29th Congressional District, the Republican stronghold Imperial Valley. With it, he became the first Sikh, South Asian transplant, and Asian American to join the United States Congress. In 1957, the House Foreign Affairs Committee sent him on a one-man junket to Asia to show himself as a “living example of American democracy in practice,” as he put it. Saturday Evening Post cheered the “extraordinary expedition” as “a solid contribution to improved relations between East and West.”
The admission of the Hawai‘i to the union in 1959 presented another timely occasion to tout Asian Americans as model minorities. Republican Hiram Fong—dubbed the “Hawaiian Horatio Alger”—took one of the 50th state’s first two seats in the US Senate. The son of immigrant Chinese sugarcane laborers, Fong embodied the rags-to-riches meritocracy ideal, having fought for the Air Force, worked his way through Harvard Law School, and amassed a considerable fortune through multiple business ventures. On the eve of his swearing in, Pageant magazine eulogized that this “American success story” was “clear proof that racism has no permanent place in America.”
Democrat Daniel Inouye likewise exemplified the promise of American society for immigrants and minorities. Inouye also hailed from humble beginnings to embark on a prodigious climb from Honolulu’s slums to Washington DC. As a decorated member of World War II’s legendary Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team, he lost his right arm in action—a sacrifice unfailingly mentioned by reporters. After the war, Inouye attended college and law school on the GI Bill and served in the territorial legislature before capturing Hawai‘i’s sole birth in the US House of Representatives in 1959. Three years later, when Inouye defeated the scion of one of the islands’ most elite white families to land in the US Senate, Life named him one most influential young members of the nation’s “Take-Over Generation.”
As three of the most visible Asian Americans of their day, Saund, Fong, and Inouye cemented the fledgling stereotype in popular culture that “Orientals” were quiet, upstanding, don’t-rock-the-boat types. Moreover, their trajectories enthralled contemporaries because they reinforced beliefs in America’s protagonist-of-the-world, melting pot greatness.
Their narratives did other political work as well. In the case of Hawai‘i, the rise to power of Chinese and Japanese Americans (rather than Native Hawaiians) glossed over an inconvenient truth: the United States’ violent, illegal overthrow of a once-independent kingdom and its continued colonial domination and exploitation.
Against the backdrop of the intensifying black freedom movement, the success stories of Fong and Inouye had an additional, critical utility. Both politicians lived political moderation in ways that appealed variously to conservatives and liberals fearing radical change. Fong expressed support for racial equality, but also hesitated to “rush into a flood of legislation to reform a mode of living that has been going on for years in the South.”
His colleague, by comparison, actively championed the cause, voting for the historic Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965). In his keynote address to the 1968 Democratic National Convention—the first-ever person of color in this role—Inouye described the Vietnam War as an “immoral” conflict and affirmed the right of citizens to protest. He acknowledged the “systemic racism deprivation” suffered by African Americans—a situation, he emphasized, immeasurably more dire than that faced by Asians in the United States.
Yet Inouye also was every bit the respectable, patriotic statesman—a marked contrast to contemporary direct action activists. At the same time, he called for “law and order” to be “respected and maintained.” His careful balancing act caught the attention of Lyndon B. Johnson, who urged Democratic party presidential nominee Hubert Humphrey to tap the Senator as his running mate for the 1968 election: “He answers Vietnam with that empty sleeve. He answers your problems with Nixon with that empty sleeve. He has that brown face. He answers everything in civil rights, and he draws a contrast without ever opening his mouth.”
The parallels between Haley and her predecessors are striking: immigrant roots, high-profile speech, possible Vice-Presidential contender.
Most crucially, Haley also navigates an especially fraught moment in the history of race in the United States. On the one hand, progressive voices tirelessly insist that Black Lives Matter, steering our collective attention to police brutality, mass incarceration, and a host of related issues that reproduce the egregious inequalities and injustices borne by African Americans and other minorities. On the other hand, right-wing extremists from ordinary folks to the GOP presidential frontrunners spew xenophobic, anti-Muslim, racist vitrol with little recourse—with some, frighteningly, translating their words into violence.
Too, like her forerunners, Nikki Haley adroitly assumes the role of model minority—characterized in her case by Christian assimilation, relative moderation (in the GOP context), and USA #1-brand of boosterism. Embracing her historically-prescribed role, she plays by the rules of establishment politics.
But in the end, we might ask, what are the real benefits of doing so? After all, model minority status doesn’t shield her entirely from anti-immigrant sentiment and Islamophobia (“Trump should deport Nikki Haley,” tweeted Ann Coulter in response to the governor’s remarks). What might be next—for her and all South Asians, Arab, Muslims, and Sikhs in our communities?
Model minorities can’t resolve the contradictions of party politics, much less the vexing conundrums of race, religion, and national identity. Only meaningful, material investments in the common good—prioritizing the most vulnerable among us—can do that. Once we collectively recognize this, we can then move forward to transforming the American Dream from an illusive mirage to a substantive reality for all.
Ellen D. Wu is assistant professor of history at Indiana University, Bloomington, and author of The Color of Success.
Filed Under: American History, Election 2016, History, Social Sciences, Sociology Tagged With: #Election2016, Asian American Studies, immigration, social sciences
Ian Goldin discusses the migration crisis
October 15, 2015 by Gabrielle Beacken
With the wave of migrants and refugees from the Middle East traveling to Europe, migration has once again become a politically and emotionally heated international debate. In this exclusive PUP interview, Ian Goldin, Oxford University Professor of Globalisation and Development, author of The Butterfly Defect, and co-author of Exceptional People, clarifies the facts and dismisses the myths about this societal movement that dates back hundreds of years.
Why did you write your book, Exceptional People?
IG: I believe that the debate about migration is dominated by emotional rather than fact-based responses. I wrote the book to assemble the available evidence and place current debates in both a historical and future looking context. In the USA, the immigration debate is as politically charged as it is in Europe and many other countries. But as the book shows, no country would be where it is today without the benefit of waves of previous immigrants.
Are there more migrants today than in the past?
IG: Migrants today account for about 3% of the world’s population, which is roughly the same proportion as it has been over the past hundred years. It is actually lower as a share of the US or European population than it was in the age of mass migration in the second half of the 19th century. Migrants are defined as people crossing international borders, so the fact that there are 100 more countries in the world today means than 100 years ago, means that people that used to move within a country, are now defined as migrants. This trend has accelerated with the break-up of the Soviet Union, and the rise of independence movements.
What do you think are the main myths about migrants?
IG: That they take locals jobs, that they reduce wages, that they increase unemployment, that they are a drain on government budgets and that they are more prone to commit crime. None of these fallacies are borne out by the evidence.
Surely new arrivals means less employment and lower wages for locals?
IG: Although this seems to be intuitively obvious, it is not borne out by numerous studies. The reason is that migrants tend to fill needs in the labour market which local people are not providing, allowing the economy to grow more rapidly, which in turn creates more jobs and provides more taxes and services and leads to higher incomes and wages. This is both true of unskilled workers, where migrants allow greater levels of participation of local workers. For example, female workforce participation increases as migrants undertake tasks such as childcare that may keep mothers at home. And migrants create cheaper goods and services, such as food, cleaning and hospital care, which allows locals to be better off and spend more on other services undertaken by locals, such as professional and entertainment services. Migrants are also a powerful source of dynamism and innovation in society as is evident from Silicon Valley and a quick scan of who the Nobel Prize and Academy Award winners are. This increases the growth rate and competitiveness of societies, which leads to higher levels of employment and wages. It also provides for more dynamic and diverse entertainment, food, fashion and other choices for citizens.
So are there no costs associated with migration?
IG: There are costs. Particular communities may at times feel understandably threatened by the inflow of individuals with different cultural, religious or other views. Groups of workers may also feel the competitive pressures of immigrants. The challenge for cities, states and countries is to manage these flows, to ensure that each wave of immigrants is integrated effectively into society. The benefits of migration are national and are felt strongest in the medium term, whereas the costs tend to be local and short-term. This is why communities may need help, for example in ensuring that migrants do not put undue pressure on housing or education or other local services. The answer is not to stop migration, but to manage it more effectively.
Are there good examples?
IG: The USA is the best example, as its history is one of immigration. As I show in Exceptional People, it is vital that the lessons from this and other successful experiences are learnt to ensure that migration continues to play its central role in meeting the challenges of the future.
What about refugees?
IG: Refugees are very different to other migrants as they are in severe danger of death or persecution if they remain in their home countries. There is an internationally agreed legal definition of what constitutes a refugee. The desperate situation of Syrians illustrates that despite the legal and ethical imperatives, refugees regularly are denied safe passage and asylum. In principle, refugees aim to return home when it is safe to do so, but they may be compelled to stay in their host countries for many years. I show in Exceptional People that the policies of the host country, including as to whether refugees are allowed to work, fundamentally shapes the extent to which they are able to integrate and contribute economically.
Ian Goldin is Oxford University Professor of Globalisation and Development. He has served as vice president of the World Bank and advisor to President Nelson Mandela, and chief executive of the Development Bank of Southern Africa. His many books include Globalization for Development and The Butterfly Defect.
Filed Under: Author Interviews, International Studies, Political Science, Sociology, World History Tagged With: Author Q&A, Excpetional People, Ian Goldin, immigration, International Relations, interview, migration
Jason Stanley discusses democracy and demagogues in The New York Times
October 13, 2015 by Debra Liese
Jason Stanley, author of How Propaganda Works, had a popular op ed in the New York Times this weekend on democracy and demagogues, containing references to both Plato and Trump.
On Trump’s well known comments on Mexican immigrants and Ben Carson’s recent claim that he “would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation”, Stanley writes in the NYT:
Liberal democratic rhetoric is supposed to unify citizens with diverse perspectives and backgrounds, and make visible previously discounted perspectives (for example, the perspective of women during the struggle for women’s right to vote). Trump’s and Carson’s comments are explicitly antidemocratic. The fact that they seem to have been rewarded — at least in immediate improvements in poll standings — confronts defenders of the American political system with two questions. There once was a facade of equal respect that required political strategists to use code words to avoid accusations of violating it. What has caused it to crack? And what are the risks for our democracy?
According to Stanley, two of the causes are the need to court donors, and the fact that politicians feel compelled to appeal to voters who don’t share democratic values. Read the rest of the piece here and the introduction to How Propaganda Works, his acclaimed examination of how propaganda undermines democracy and particularly the ideal of equality, here.
Jason Stanley is professor of philosophy at Yale University. He is the author of Knowledge and Practical Interests, Language in Context, and Know How.
Filed Under: Philosophy, Political Science, Political Theory Tagged With: #NewBooks, elections, immigration, political science, Political theory
A Q&A with Madeline Hsu, author of THE GOOD IMMIGRANTS
July 7, 2015 by Debra Liese
What lead to the radical shift in public perception of Asians from dangerous “yellow peril” to celebrated model immigrants and overachievers? Madeline Hsu, author of The Good Immigrants argues that the short answer is the American government, and the CIA in particular. Recently she took the time to tell us a bit more about the book, its intended audience, and her reasons for writing this fascinating ethnic history. Check out chapter one here.
What inspired you to get into your field?
MH: As an undergraduate at Pomona College, I benefited from excellent teaching and mentorship. History seemed to come very naturally to me and the emphasis on explaining through telling stories is for me a very instinctive way to understand the world.
MH: I have just finished reading Rise of a Japanese Chinatown: Yokohama, 1894-1972 by Eric Han (Harvard University Press, 2014) which provides an illuminating comparison of how Chinese fared in monoracial Japan as it was evolving into a world power as compared to racial dynamics in the United States. Han is particularly effective in linking the changing fortunes of Chinese Japanese to the relationship between Japan and China, particularly with the decline and rise of the latter’s international standing. I am also reading Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin and The Usagi Yojimbo Saga, Bk. 2, a long-running graphic novel series by Stan Sakai featuring a rabbit ronin protagonist.
Describe your writing process. How long did it take you to finish your book? Where do you write?
MH: I had been thinking about and researching this project for about 7 or 8 years. It had begun with my observation that at a time of highly restrictive immigration laws before 1965, international students from Taiwan and other Asian countries were nonetheless able to resettle permanently in the United States. From there, my research took me many places such as refugee programs, the establishing of international education programs in the United States, US missionary activities in China, and the earliest of Chinese students to come to the US. After about 6 or 7 years, I was able to gain a sabbatical that gave me time to decide the parameters of the book and divide it into chapters. After that, it took me about a couple of years of hard writing to adapt and expand my various conference papers into the current manuscript. The key was figuring out my main arguments and chronology. I usually write at my desk at home, which looks out a window with a view of my neighbor’s beautifully kept front yard with agave and pecan trees.
Do you have advice for other authors?
MH: Rather than starting out with a fixed idea of what the book would argue, I had a question to which I sought answers. The subsequent research and the journey it has taken me on has revealed stories that have been unknown to myself and most others, but also help to make sense of major shifts in the positioning of Asians in the United States.
What was the biggest challenge involved with bringing this book to life?
MH: I am a single parent and struggle constantly with juggling responsibilities to my household and maintaining a certain level of writing and research.
Who do you see as the audience for this book?
MH: At a basic level, I hope it is accessible to informed and interested general readers who want to learn more about immigration policy, U.S. multiculturalism, and 20th century Chinese society with particular regard for migrations overseas. My goal is to explain complicated intersections between laws, popular attitudes, and government projects and how they shape the behaviors and choices of migrants in ways that highlight their humanity and shared values.
How did you come up with the title or jacket?
MH: The main title was suggested by the editorial board. I came up with the subtitle, which addresses a key problem in Asian American/immigration/ethnic history which has been how quickly Asians have transformed from being such dangerous and racially different “yellow peril” threats that they justified the earliest immigration restrictions and within a generation became celebrated model immigrants and overachieving Americans. The short answer is that the U.S. government, and in my book the CIA in particular, were pulling strings in the background. There were many unintended consequences, nonetheless, but Asians selected for their employment traits emerged as welcome immigrants.
Madeline Y. Hsu is associate professor of history and past director of the Center for Asian American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Her books include Dreaming of Gold, Dreaming of Home and the coedited anthology Chinese Americans and the Politics of Race and Culture.
Filed Under: American History, Author Interviews, History, Political Science Tagged With: #NewBooks, American History, Asian Studies, author interviews, history, immigration, racial
A Q&A with Richard Alba and Nancy Foner, authors of Strangers No More: Immigration and the Challenges of Integration in North America and Western Europe
May 26, 2015 by Debra Liese
With immigration at a record high, migrants and their children are a rapidly growing population whose integration needs have never been more pressing. Shedding new light on questions and concerns, Strangers No More is the first look at immigrant assimilation across six Western countries: Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United States and Canada. Recently the authors, Richard Alba and Nancy Foner, provided context for their book and answered some questions on immigration, including how individual nations are being transformed, why Islam proves a barrier for inclusion in Western Europe in particular, and what future trends to expect.
Why does understanding immigrant integration in Western Europe and America matter?
Put simply, it’s one of the key issues of the twenty-first century on both sides of the Atlantic.
What makes it so urgent? The numbers: Western European countries as well as the US and Canada have been faced with incorporating millions of immigrants whose cultures, languages, religions, and racial backgrounds differ from those of most long-established residents.
Future trends: The challenges of integrating immigrants and their children—so they can become full members of the societies where they live—are likely to become even more important in the coming decades in the face of (1) continued demand for new immigrant inflows and (2) demographic shifts in which the huge number of people of immigrant origin—immigrants as well as their children—will constitute a much larger share of the adult population. Large portions of the immigrant-origin populations of these countries are going to come from the “low-status” groups—such as Turks in Germany, Pakistanis in Britain, and Mexicans in the U.S.—that are the focus of the book. There is no question that their opportunities are critical for the future.
Does any one country come out clearly ahead?
Basically, the answer is no. The book’s comparison of four European countries, Britain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, and two in North America, the United States and Canada, shows that when it comes to the integration of low-status immigrants—in terms of jobs, income and poverty, residential segregation, electoral success, children’s education, intermarriage, and race and religion—there are no clear-cut winners and losers. Each society fails and succeeds in different ways. Nor is there a consistent North America- Europe divide: Canada and the United States as well as countries within Europe differ in ways they’ve provided opportunities, and erected barriers, for immigrants.
So how is the United States doing?
In some ways the U.S. looks good compared to the continental European countries in the book. The U.S. has been quick (like Canada) to extend a national identity to immigrants and their children. Rates of intermarriage between those of immigrant origin and whites are relatively high. The U.S. has a pretty good record of electing immigrant-origin politicians, and is the only country to vote in the child of a non-Western immigrant to the highest national office.
In other ways, the U.S. has the highest bars to integration of all the six countries. The rate of residential segregation experienced by many immigrant families stands out as extreme. The disadvantages immigrants and their children confront in terms of their economic status is greatest in the U.S., which has the most severe economic inequality. The US also has the largest number—and proportion—of undocumented immigrants, who are denied basic rights and opportunities.
Aren’t all these countries being transformed by immigration?
Yes, they are. One could say that the face of the West is inevitably changing. During the next quarter century, a momentous transition to much greater diversity will take place everywhere. As the post-World War II baby booms—and such groups, made up largely of the native majority group, are found throughout North America and Western Europe– retire from work and become less socially active in other ways, they are going to be replaced by groups of young adults who in some countries will be relatively few in number, and everywhere will be more diverse, more likely to have grown up in immigrant homes.
The “mainstream” of these countries will change, too, in that the people who will occupy positions of authority and visibility will be much more diverse than in the past. We already see this occurring in the U.S., where younger workers in well-paid jobs are less likely to come from the non-Hispanic white group than their predecessors did. But there is a paradox. At the same time – and a cause for real concern—many young people of immigrant background are being left behind because of grossly unequal opportunities.
But why is Islam a much greater barrier to inclusion for immigrants and their children in Western Europe than it is in the United States?
One reason is basic demographics: a much larger proportion of immigrants in Western Europe are Muslim than in the U.S., where the great majority are Christian. Also, Muslim immigrants in the U.S. have a lower socioeconomic profile than those in Europe. Second: the way Christian religions in Europe have been institutionalized, and historically entangled with the state, has made it difficult for Islam to achieve equal treatment. In the U.S., the constitutional principles of religious freedom and separation of church and state have allowed Muslims more space to develop their own religious communities. Third: a secular mindset dominates in most Western European countries as compared to the high level of religiosity in the United States so that claims based on religion, and Islam in particular, have much less acceptance and legitimacy in Europe.
What is the good news—and the more positive side of the story?
One positive is the growing success of immigrant minorities in winning local and national political office in all six countries. Children of immigrants are mixing and mingling with people in other groups, including long-established natives, in schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces. The emergence of super-diverse neighborhoods contributes to the sense that ethnic and racial diversity is a normal order of things.
Intermarriage rates are rising among some immigrant groups in all the countries, so that more family circles bring together people of immigrant origin and longer-established natives—and children of mixed backgrounds are increasingly common. In the U.S., one out of seven marriages now crosses the major lines of race or Hispanic ancestry; and most of these intermarriages involve individuals from immigrant backgrounds and whites. Everywhere at least some children of low-status immigrants are getting advanced academic credentials and good jobs. And while racial and religious divisions seem like intractable obstacles, over time the barriers may loosen and blur.
Richard Alba is Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. His books include Blurring the Color Line and Remaking the American Mainstream. Nancy Foner is Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Her books include From Ellis Island to JFK and In a New Land.
Filed Under: Author Interviews, International Studies, Political Science, Sociology Tagged With: #NewBooks, author interviews, immigration, political science, Sociology
#WinnerWednesday: Congratulations, Ellen Wu!
Ellen D. Wu – The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority
Finalist for the 2015 Theodore Saloutos Memorial Book Award, Immigration and Ethnic History Society
The Theodore Saloutos Memorial Book Award is given annually to the book judged best on any aspect of the immigration history of the United States. “’Immigration history’ is defined as the movement of peoples from other countries to the United States, of the repatriation movements of immigrants, and of the consequences of these migrations, for both the United States and the countries of origin.” The Immigration and Ethnic Historical Society has complete information on this award here.
Wu has written on “the model minority myth” for the LA Times, and has answered questions about her book here. She also won The Immigration and Ethnic Historical Society’s Outstanding First Book Award this year. Congratulations, Ellen!
The Color of Success:
Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority
Ellen D. Wu
Hardcover | $39.50 / £27.95 | ISBN: 9780691157825
376 pp. | 6 x 9 | 19 halftones.eBook | ISBN: 9781400848874
Endorsements | Table of Contents
“The Color of Success embodies exciting developments in Asian American history. Through the lens of racial liberalism and cultural diplomacy, Ellen Wu offers a historically grounded analysis of the Asian American model minority in the contexts of domestic race politics and geopolitics, and she unveils the complexities of wartime and postwar national inclusion.”
—Eiichiro Azuma, University of Pennsylvania
Filed Under: American History, Asian and Asian American studies, History, Sociology Tagged With: Asian American history, Awards, history, immigration
Cybelle Fox Wins the 2013 Thomas and Znaniecki Best Book Award
Cybelle Fox – “Three Worlds of Relief: Race, Immigration, and the American Welfare State from the Progressive Era to the New Deal”
Winner of the 2013 Thomas and Znaniecki Best Book Award, International Migration Section of the American Sociological Association
The Thomas & Znaniecki Award is given annually for outstanding social science scholarship in the field of international migration to a book published within the previous 2 years. The award was presented in August during ASA’s annual meeting in New York City.
Three Worlds of Relief examines the role of race and immigration in the development of the American social welfare system by comparing how blacks, Mexicans, and European immigrants were treated by welfare policies during the Progressive Era and the New Deal. Taking readers from the turn of the twentieth century to the dark days of the Depression, Cybelle Fox finds that, despite rampant nativism, European immigrants received generous access to social welfare programs. The communities in which they lived invested heavily in relief. Social workers protected them from snooping immigration agents, and ensured that noncitizenship and illegal status did not prevent them from receiving the assistance they needed. But that same helping hand was not extended to Mexicans and blacks. Fox reveals, for example, how blacks were relegated to racist and degrading public assistance programs, while Mexicans who asked for assistance were deported with the help of the very social workers they turned to for aid.
Drawing on a wealth of archival evidence, Fox paints a riveting portrait of how race, labor, and politics combined to create three starkly different worlds of relief. She debunks the myth that white America’s immigrant ancestors pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, unlike immigrants and minorities today. Three Worlds of Relief challenges us to reconsider not only the historical record but also the implications of our past on contemporary debates about race, immigration, and the American welfare state.
She is also the recent winner of the 2012 C. Wright Mills Award, one of the most prestigious awards given in the area of social science research.
Cybelle Fox is assistant professor of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. She is the coauthor of Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings.
Filed Under: Political Science, Sociology Tagged With: ASA, cybelle fox, immigration, race, social welfare, thomas and znaniecki best book award, three worlds of relief
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Robert Kraft Is Just One of Many Rich and Powerful Men Busted in Florida Prostitution Ring
ESPN reported that Kraft “is not the biggest name involved”
Atena Sherry
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY/REUTERS
JUPITER, Florida—A new McLaren 720 and Ferrari 488 gleam in the sun outside of The Orchids of Asia Day Spa while residents pass by to take selfies and make lewd jokes on Saturday. They have come to see the place where New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft allegedly paid to receive sex acts from trafficked Chinese women.
Kraft is not the only prominent resident of the area that has been charged in connection to a multi-million dollar human trafficking and prostitution ring operating in Florida. Over 200 arrests have been made and at least 12 businesses shut down as the result of an eight month-long investigation spanning across three counties on Florida’s Treasure Coast. The area is a seasonal playground for many of America’s rich and powerful, and is peppered with million-dollar estates including President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
Along with Kraft, criminal charges of soliciting prostitution have been brought against power-players John Childs, the founder of private equity firm J.W. Childs and Associates, as well as John Havens, former CFO of Citigroup. On Friday, Johnny DelPrete, long-time boyfriend of star LPGA golfer Jessica Korda, was also arrested in Stuart, Florida according to Martin County Sheriff’s Office booking records.
Sources told ESPN, “Kraft is not the biggest name involved [in this investigation].” Hobe Sound resident Mike Gloor, who claims he knows some of the men charged, suspects the same. “We’re just waiting for those names” he told The Daily Beast. “I know people in Hobe Sound that are very prominent. This is going to destroy their life.”
Gloor said that it was common knowledge in some circles that massage parlors in the area were functioning as fronts for prostitution. “I personally know people who told me about the ‘Happy ending day spas,’” he said. “We knew it was going on.”
There is a stark contrast between the high-profile men charged in the investigation and women who performed sex acts on them, whom authorities said are trafficking victims.
“These women were sleeping in massage parlors, on the massage tables and had no access to transportation.” Martin County Police Sheriff, William Snyder, said in a press conference.
Vivian Pham, owner of V&V Nails next door to Orchids spa, told The Daily Beast that the women “are all Chinese. None of them speak English. Sometimes, I would see people outside try to talk to them, and they wouldn’t understand.”
It is unclear what lies ahead for the trafficked women, some of whom are not U.S. citizens. They may be eligible to apply for T Visas, a visa specifically designed for victims of human trafficking.
“We’re working with advocacy groups and interpreters and getting as much support for them as we possibly can,” said Jupiter Police Chief Daniel Kerr.
The investigation is far from over, and authorities have said that the suspected trafficking ring may have ties to groups in New York and China. If this were confirmed, the FBI would take on the case. Sheriff Snyder estimated that the ring is part of a $20-million-dollar international operation, and authorities have seized between $2 and $3 million dollars of assets in Florida alone.
Four women have been arrested in Martin County on prostitution charges, including Hua Zhang, the Owner of Orchids of Asia Day Spa. She has been charged with deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution, keeping and frequenting a house of prostitution, and 26 counts of procuring for prostitution. Her bail has been set at $528,000.
As for Kraft and the other men, if they are convicted, a judge could impose up to one year jail time or one year probation. The minimum punishment for a first offense of solicitation of prostitution in Florida is 100 hours community service, a prostitution and human trafficking awareness course, and a fine.
Sheriff Daryl Loar of Indian River County slammed the male patrons.
“These ‘Johns’…were certainly supplying the funds to perpetuate human trafficking,” he said.
Authorities have released hundreds of mugshots and names online. They also have confirmed that they have surveillance footage of the acts allegedly performed on Kraft and others.
Law enforcement officials will soon have to decide whether the men will be charged with sex trafficking in addition to prostitution. Regardless of authorities’ decision, the Johns potential complicity in human trafficking will be weighed in the court of public opinion.
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Posts by Topic: Mexico RSS feed
Colorado Cold Cases: Boulder deputies were stymied by apparent random highway shooting in 2004
Francis A. Santos, 37, photo courtesy Colorado Bureau of Investigation
The silver 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier was going about 70 mph when it drifted slowly from the right lane to the left lane of westbound U.S. 36 turnpike between Louisville and Boulder that Friday night.
Sparks flew as the car careened against a concrete jersey barrier for a couple hundred yards in the dark.
After the car finally came to a stop near the crest of Davidson Mesa at 10:18 p.m. on July 9, 2004, a witness stopped and called 911. The man who called in had no idea why the car had suddenly started drifting to the right shoulder of the road.
Another witness would tell investigators that he figured the victim may have had a heart attack.
But what was wrong with the driver, Francis “Frank” Santos, 37, a father of five, wasn’t linked to health concerns.
Santos’ car window was shattered. He had been shot in the left side of his head.
A second witness who was three cars behind Santos, told police he saw glass “spraying on the highway” beneath the other cars before Santos` vehicle started to weave and hit the median, West said.
The man pulled over behind Santos’ car.
When the first witness learned why the crash happened he was surprised to learn the cause. He hadn’t seen or heard a gunshot.
CU Boulder student’s murder case got international media coverage
Sid Wells with mother June Menger
Courtesy June Menger
The first time a story about the murder of Sidney “Sid” Wells appeared in The Denver Post it was buried deep in the newspaper on page four of the B section.
The relative anonymity of the case would not last long. The following day, the newspaper ran a story about the same case on the front page after it was learned that Sid had been the boyfriend of 22-year-old Shauna Redford, the daughter of actor Robert Redford.
When he first began dating Shauna, Sid didn’t know that she was the daughter of a celebrity.
His friends described him as a “clean-cut, All-American boy.” He grew up in Longmont, played football in high school, was working his way through the University of Colorado and dreaming of a TV journalism career, according to dozens of media accounts the past 31 years.
The journalism major was about to enter his senior year in college. He was interning that summer with KMGH-TV in Denver. He was a member of the “Silver Steps,” a four-member disco dance group he’d joined with friends from Longmont.
“A gunshot into the back of his head stilled those dreams,” former Denver Post Staff Writer Jane Cracraft wrote in that front page story on Aug. 3, 1983.
It has been 31 years to the day since Sid Wells was murdered. His brother, Sam, found his body on Aug. 1, 1983.
Since Sid’s death his family became heavily involved in the movement to bring justice to the families of murder victims. His brother, Robert Wells, is the executive director of Families of Victims of Homicide and Missing Persons, an advocacy group that has spearheaded new laws that ensure cold cases continue to be investigated.
Sid Wells was 22 at the time of his murder. He was living with his brother, Samuel, in a condominium at Spanish Towers, 805 29th St.
When he moved into Shauna’s condominium in January 1983, Sid wrote an advertisement in the Boulder Daily Camera looking for someone to take his place in the fifth-floor condominium. “Luxury condominium for $300 a month. Call Sid, 443-1441.”
Real estate agent Thayne Smika, a 24-year-old college dropout, called back and signed a rental agreement.
Categories: City of Boulder, Colo.
Journalist shot to death as he flees robbers in Denver
Nicolas Ferrel-Ibarra was a reporter in Mexico, one of the most dangerous places on the planet to be a journalist.
Nicolas Ferrel-Ibarra, 35
Only eight other countries around the world including Iraq have had more journalist murders than Mexico, according to Committee to Protect Journalists, an international advocacy group.
Since 1992, the organization confirmed that 28 reporters, editor and photographers have been murdered directly because of their work as journalists in Mexico. Another 41 journalists in the country had been killed during the same span of time, but the motive of the murders had not been confirmed, CPJ reports.
By comparison, there have been only five journalists killed in the U.S. since 1992 including Manuel de Dios Unanue, a reporter for El Diario/La Prensa, who was gunned down on March 11, 1992, in New York City.
Ferrel-Ibarra first worked as a journalist in the border city of Juarez in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, where two journalists have been killed since the Mexican Drug War flared up in 2007.
A colleague of his, Armando Rodriguez Carreon, 40, was a crime reporter for El Diario de Ciudad Juárez.
Armando Rodriguez, 40
Before his murder on Nov. 13, 2008, in Ciudad Juárez, Carreon spoke with a representative of CPJ about the hazards of working as a journalist in the violent city engulfed in a drug war. Carreon had been receiving threats on a routine basis.
“The risks here are high and rising, and journalists are easy targets,” Rodríguez told CPJ. “But I can’t live in my house like a prisoner. I refuse to live in fear.”
An “unidentified assailant” gunned down Rodríguez as the veteran crime reporter sat in a company sedan in the driveway of his home. Rodríguez’s eight-year-old daughter, whom he was preparing to take to school, watched from the back seat.
Days before he was murdered, Rodríguez had written an article accusing a local prosecutor’s nephew of having links to drug traffickers, according to CPJ.
Attempts to solve the case have triggered more violence.
Comments Off on Journalist shot to death as he flees robbers in Denver
Categories: City of Denver
Colorado Cold Cases: Murder in 2010 appears to be family feud
Colorado Cold Cases: CBI arrests nephew in man’s 2010 murder
Colorado Cold Cases: Female duo lured man to stabbing death in Canon City
Colorado Cold Cases: Detective employs new forensics in effort to solve serial murders
Colorado Cold Cases: Belt buckle found with body suggests mountain biking pioneer is victim
Boy stabbed repeatedly in park — 157 comments
Part 1 of 3: Boulder detectives still seek answers in JonBenét Ramsey case — 78 comments
Aurora family killed by intruder with “taste for violence” — 57 comments
Husband admits burying Aurora woman alive — 47 comments
Part 3 of 3: Archived timeline of the JonBenét Ramsey case — 47 comments
“What a disorganized, incoherent article. Does the Post employ any editors?”
— hers1
On Colorado Cold Cases: Murder in 2010 appears to be family feud
“Thanks — I mean, “I” knew I was a genius but it never hurts to hear it again. Yes, an...”
— Will Neal
On Colorado Cold Cases: rising gangsta rap star gunned down at Denver nightclub
“vastly disproportionate amount of white Americans receive food stamps too but Fox or MSNBC forgot to...”
Kirk Mitchell
Crime Reporter
Kirk Mitchell is a general assignment reporter at The Denver Post who focuses on criminal justice stories. He began working at the newspaper in 1998, after writing for newspapers in Mesa, Ariz., and Twin Falls, Idaho, and The Associated Press in Salt Lake City. Mitchell first started writing the Cold Case blog in Fall 2007, in part because Colorado has more than 1,400 unsolved homicides.
Cases by City
Cases by City Select Category Adams County, Colo. (10) Arapahoe County, Colo. (15) Aspen (2) Chaffee County, Colo. (3) City of Aurora, Colo. (26) City of Boulder, Colo. (8) City of Colorado Springs (31) City of Denver (143) City of Englewood, Colo. (5) City of Fort Collins (3) City of Frederick (1) City of Frisco, Colo. (1) City of Greeley, Colo. (3) City of Idaho Springs (1) City of Lakewood, Colo. (13) City of Littleton, Colo. (2) City of Pueblo, Colo. (2) City of Thornton, Colo. (6) City of Westminster, Colo. (6) Costilla County (1) Douglas County, Colo. (4) El Paso County, Colo. (5) Garfield County (2) General (69) Gilpin County (1) Grand County, Colo. (2) Jefferson County, Colo. (18) Kit Carson County, Colo. (1) La Plata County (1) La Plata County (1) Larimer County, Colo. (3) Mesa County, Colo. (6) Morgan County, Colo. (1) Pueblo County, Colo. (2) Routt County, Colo. (1) Saguache County (2) Summit County, Colo. (1) Updated (19) Weld County (4)
Cold Cases Archives
Cold Cases Archives Select Month April 2016 (3) January 2016 (2) December 2015 (1) November 2015 (1) October 2015 (1) September 2015 (3) August 2015 (4) July 2015 (4) June 2015 (3) May 2015 (2) April 2015 (2) March 2015 (4) February 2015 (6) January 2015 (5) December 2014 (3) November 2014 (5) October 2014 (3) September 2014 (4) August 2014 (8) July 2014 (6) June 2014 (4) May 2014 (7) April 2014 (4) March 2014 (7) February 2014 (6) January 2014 (5) December 2013 (4) November 2013 (5) October 2013 (3) September 2013 (3) August 2013 (4) July 2013 (3) June 2013 (4) May 2013 (4) April 2013 (4) March 2013 (4) February 2013 (4) January 2013 (3) December 2012 (4) November 2012 (4) October 2012 (4) September 2012 (5) August 2012 (5) July 2012 (3) June 2012 (6) May 2012 (5) April 2012 (5) March 2012 (6) January 2012 (4) December 2011 (4) November 2011 (6) October 2011 (5) September 2011 (3) August 2011 (2) July 2011 (4) June 2011 (3) May 2011 (3) April 2011 (5) March 2011 (2) February 2011 (3) January 2011 (4) December 2010 (3) November 2010 (4) October 2010 (3) September 2010 (4) August 2010 (3) July 2010 (3) June 2010 (4) May 2010 (5) April 2010 (3) March 2010 (3) February 2010 (5) January 2010 (5) December 2009 (3) November 2009 (3) October 2009 (5) September 2009 (1) August 2009 (3) July 2009 (4) June 2009 (3) May 2009 (3) April 2009 (4) March 2009 (2) February 2009 (4) January 2009 (2) December 2008 (1) November 2008 (4) October 2008 (4) September 2008 (3) August 2008 (3) July 2008 (4) June 2008 (6) May 2008 (4) April 2008 (4) March 2008 (4) February 2008 (4) January 2008 (2) November 2007 (2) October 2007 (10) 0 (188)
About Cold Cases
Denver Post crime reporter Kirk Mitchell unearths and retells the stories of some of Colorado's 1,400 unsolved homicides in hopes of cracking the case.
Cold Cases RSS feed
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Army of the Ohio
Civil War Encyclopedia >> Armies - Union
May 13, 1861 George McClellan [US] appointed Commander, Department of Ohio. The following day he is promoted major general, his rank in the Ohio militia. Only General-in-Chief Winfield Scott held a higher rank Ohio
July 22, 1861 George B. McClellan [US] ordered to Washington to take command of the Army of the Potomac following the defeat at Bull Run
July 23, 1861 Major General John Dix ordered to take command of the Department of Maryland; Brigadier General William S. Rosecrans ordered to take command of the Department of the Ohio
William S. Rosecrans
November 15, 1861 William Tecumseh Sherman is replaced by Don Carlos Buell at the head of the reorganized Department of Ohio. Sherman had assumed command as senior officer when Anderson was relieved of duty.
William Tecumseh Sherman
Don Carlos Buell
April 11, 1862 Halleck assumes personal command of the forces at Pittsburg Landing, the Army of the Tennessee and the Army of the Ohio
Henry Halleck
Army of the Tennessee
September 25, 1862 Don Carlos Buell arrives in Louisville, KY, beating Braxton Bragg to the Ohio River. Kentucky
Braxton Bragg
Confederate Invasion of Kentucky
September 29, 1862 George Thomas offered command of the Army of the Ohio. He refuses, unaware that Abraham Lincoln had made the offer after receiving a plea for Thomas from 20 officers in the Army of the Ohio.
George Thomas
October 8, 1862 Battle of Perryville
Braxton Bragg [CS] and Don Carlos Buell [US] fight the largest battle on Kentucky soil. The battle is generally regarded as a draw, although Buell claimed victory. Less than half of Buell's men participated because he did not know a major battle was taking place less than 2 miles from his headquarters Kentucky
Army of Tennessee
Philip Sheridan
William Hardee
Simon Bolivar Buckner
Benjamin Franklin Cheatham
Leonidas Polk
Patrick Cleburne
October 24, 1862 The XIV Corps, better known as the Army of the Cumberland, is created from the Army of the Ohio.
Army of the Cumberland
May 4, 1864 The final Spring Campaign of the Civil War began as the Army of the Potomac crossed the Rapidan River in Virginia and three smaller armys (Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland) pushed deeper into Georgia. Georgia
Don Carlos Buell organized the Army of the Ohio from distinct military divisions within the Department of the Ohio, which he was put in command of in November, 1861. The Battle of Mill Springs was the first battle in which its men fought.
In February, 1862, Buell's Army of the Ohio moved south with Ulysses S. Grant's Army of Tennessee, taking the city of Nashville, Tennessee, following the fall of Fort Donelson. It was the first Confederate capital to fall under Union control. From Nashville, the Army of the Ohio moved south to the town of Savannah, Tennessee. When Grant awoke to the sound of battle on April 6, 1862, he issued orders to Buell's lead division, under the command of William 'Bull' Nelson, to advance to Pittsburg Landing in support of the Army of the Tennessee. Nelson would be the first of Buell's three divisions to arrive in support of Grant at the Battle of Shiloh.
Following the advance on Corinth, Mississippi, the Army of the Ohio was ordered east to take the important railroad hub of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Braxton Bragg's renamed Army of Tennessee beat Buell to the prize city because rear-area security problems and logistics slowed the Army of the Ohio to a crawl. Buell had spread his army in a line stretching more than 400 miles from Pikeville, Kentucky to Battleground, Alabama and learned first-hand the meaning of the old maxim, "Defend everything and you defend nothing at all."
Battle of Mill Springs
Battle of Shiloh
William 'Bull' Nelson
Army of the Ohio was last changed on - November 20, 2006
Army of the Ohio was added on - November 3, 2006
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Coptic Calendar
Coptic Feasts & Fasts
Hymns and Choir
Anba Abram Service
The Upper Room Fellowship
Name: Grade:
Day 1: God Addresses Gideon (pg. 193-194)
1. What did God ask Gideon to do?
A. Sacrifice a bull C. Sacrifice a horse
B. Sacrifice a cow D. Sacrifice a human
2. How many signs did Gideon ask for God to do?
A. 4 C. 2
B. 7 D. 3
Day 2: Gideon Picks His Men (pg. 194)
1. How many men did Gideon have after the first 22, 000 left?
A. 100 C. 10,000
B. 300 D. 1,000
2. Which men did Gideon chose?
A. Those who bent down to drink the water C. Those who didn’t drink
B. Those who lapped the water D. Those who used a cup
Day 3: They Spy On The Midianites (pg.194-195)
1. Who did Gideon take with him to the Midianites’ camp?
A. Moses C. Joash
B. Jacob D. Phurah
2. What made Gideon feel strengthened to attack the Midianites?
A. Gideon heard a man’s dream and its interpretation C. The sun
B. There were not many Midianites D. The moon
Day 4: The Israelites Attack (pg. 196)
1. How did Gideon conquer the Midianites?
A. He burned their camp C. He fed them poison
B. His men blew on their trumpets and confused the Midianites that they killed each other D. He drowned them
2. How many years did the Israelites live in peace during the life of Gideon?
A. 30 years C. 20 years
B. 40 years D. 50 years
Day 5: Jotham and Abimelech (pg. 198)
1. How many sons did Gideon have?
A. 50 C. 10
B. 30 D. 70
2. How did Abimelech become king?
A. He killed all of his brothers except Jotham C. He stole the crown
B. He tricked them into making him king D. He burned down the kingdom
Day 6: Jephthah’s Vow (pg.200-201)
1. Who was Jephthah?
A. The son of Gideon C. The son of Gilead
B. The son of Gibeon D. The son of Joash
2. Who did Jephthah offer as a sacrifice to God in return for his victory over the Ammonites?
A. His daughter C. His sister
B. His mother D. His wife
Day 7: Samson and the Philistines (pg.202)
1. How many years were the People of Israel enslaved to the Philistines?
2. What did Samson’s mother promise to God?
A. To move to Israel C. Not to cut Samson’s hair
B. To never eat meat D. To cut Samson’s hair
Fill in the Blanks (Judges 11:30):
“And ______________ made a vow to the ________________, and said, “If You
will indeed ________________ the people of _______________ into my hands,
then it will be that whatever comes out of the ______________ of my house to
meet me, when I return in ________________ from the people of Ammon, shall
surely be the ______________, and I will offer it up as a _______________
offering.”
The Golden Children's Bible Week 16
Copyright 2015 by Chapel Hill Coptic Church. All rights reserved.
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Every morning, it's a new day
A UK DVD/Blu-ray review of LE AMICHE by Slarek
"I like the complexities of a group relationship, the mixing together
of different personalities, the coming and going of people."
Director Michelangelo Antonioni on Le amiche
"I would only kill myself in a warm season.
I don't want to be buried in the cold."
Momina de Stefani reflects on her friend Rosetta's suicide attempt
There's probably a case for giving 'gathered friends' movies their own sub-genre. You know the sort of thing, a group of friends get together for a specified period – an evening, a weekend, a party, a wedding, a holiday, etc. – during which they talk, drink, eat and fool around. Then it all starts to come apart. Old resentments surface, arguments explode and embarrassing secrets are exposed to all, a favourite being that one of the group has slept with the partner of another. The storm usually passes and emotional wounds are bandaged to allow the individual parties to go their separate ways, their friendships damaged but still largely intact.
These films come in three distinct flavours, ones in which the group members are predominantly male, female, or of evenly mixed gender. At their best they make for enthralling viewing, experiments in social chemistry in which the varying personalities of the indivdual human components are used to expose anxieties, desires and disappointments that we theoretically all share. And if you don't then there's always the schadenfreude pleasure of watching people with whom you have nothing in common come apart at the seams. Of course, this will only take you so far – I've long ago passed the point where I couldn't care less for the emotional insecurities of shallow, middle-class Brits who are only able to be wallow in self-pity because they've got bugger all else to really worry about. Hence my weariness at Joanna Hogg's critically acclaimed contributions to the sub-genre, Unrelated and Archipelago, both of which are populated by people I wanted to hurt with extreme prejudice.
What tends to distinguish the best of these films – or at least the things we tend to remember them for – is the quality of the scripts and the conviction of the performances. One will inevitably feed the other, with a smart ensemble screenplay attracting a top flight cast, from which memorable characters will inevitably grow. This marriage of wordplay and performance has produced a number of genre luminaries, including Bruce Beresford's Don's Party, Jason Miller's That Championship Season, Peter Mullan's Orphans, John Sayles' The Return of the Secaucus Seven, Thomas Vinterberg's Festen, and that most iconic of examples, Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party. Feel free to disagree and compile your own list.
Le amiche [The Girlfriends] pre-dates every one of those titles by a good many years, being made in 1955 by a certain Michelangelo Antonioni, he of L'Aventura, Blow-Up and Zabriski Point. But then you didn't need me to tell you that. Unlike any of the above-mentioned films, the key characters here are predominantly women, a rarity even in modern western cinema. Boutique manager Clelia (Eleonora Rossi Drago) has just returned from Rome to her native Turin to oversee the opening of a new fashion salon, which is still in the final stages of being fitted out. It's her first night in the city, and chance sees her come to the aid of the unconscious Rosetta (Madeleine Fischer), a woman who has taken an overdose in the adjoining room. A short while later she meets Rosetta's friend Momina (Yvonne Furneaux) and soon finds herself part of a well-to-do social group that includes successful ceramic artist Nene (Valentina Cortese) and carefree socialite Mariella (Anna Maria Pancani). It turns out that Momina's current lover Cesare (Franco Fabrizi) is the architect in charge of the construction of Clelia's new salon, and Clelia is soon involved with his assistant Carlo. As the group meet and socialise, Momina and Clelia try to uncover the reasons for Rosetta's attempted suicide and discover that she is having an affair with Lorenzo (Gabriele Ferzetti), a talented painter and Nene's fiancé.
There are plenty of characters to keep tabs on here, but a solid cast makes it easy to differentiate and engage with them from an early stage. Whether you feel for them and their problems, many of which have since become sub-genre staples, is a different matter. Certainly by the end of the film's caption-announced first half I was engaged rather than emotionally involved. All of which changes in the second half, where the fragility of the bonds that bind the group is gradually exposed and the relationship between Rosetta and Lorenzo, which in the first half has the entrancing appeal of an illicit affair, is brought down to earth to explore the damaging consequences for everyone involved. And even the lighter early scenes take on a different tone when viewed for a second time, where elements that previously seemed frivolous or incidental are given considerably more weight by the knowledge of what subsequently occurs.
In many ways Le amiche is one of Antonioni's most accessible films, its multiple lead characters and encounter-driven narrative having proved influential enough to become conventions in themselves (it's no real surprise that Antonioni's favourite American director was Robert Altman). The emphasis on dialogue may seem atypical of the director, given the purposeful use of silence in his subsequent films, but many of the themes he would later develop are recognisable here, as is his developing interest in long takes and drifting camera moves, a stylistic choice so wedded to the drama that it has largely escaped analytical study. And given the deliberate pacing of his later work, Le amiche moves at quite a lick and is deftly economic in its storytelling and character detail – that Clelia has just arrived in Turin is announced by something as simple as unpacking a toothbrush while still in her street clothes, while her brief conversation with Carlo at the estate of her childhood provides a moment of telling social bonding and gives credence to Clelia's claim that she feels she has always known him.
If there's a difficulty for a non-Italian speaking audience it lies in the quantity and pace of the dialogue, which will have all but the fastest readers glued to the subtitles (I needed a second viewing to properly appreciate the filmmaking and performances). But while the characters frequently converse in Le amiche, they ultimately fail to communicate with each other on a meaningful level. This manifests itself in a number of ways: in Lorenzo's inability to express his true emotions to Rosetta or talk to Nene about the affair, despite repeated promises to Rosetta that he would; in the failure of Rosetta's friends to fully comprehend the level of her emotional involvement with Lorenzo or the consequences of his possible rejection; in Nene's decision not to tell her fiancé of her invitation to exhibit in New York; in the salon owner's realisation that despite having worked with Clelia for many years, she doesn't really know her at all. In spite of their relationships and the supposed friendships, almost everyone here is living an isolated existence, one ruled by a disparity between what they profess to desire, what they actually want, and what they are ever likely to have. They fall in an out of love, but it's rarely enough – as Nene tells Rosetta as she prepares to stand aside to allow the latter's affair with Lorenzo to take its course: "Two lonely people, whether they're married or not, can't stay together for love."
The transfer here was created from the original camera negative, which was photochemically preserved and digitally restored to clean up elements such as vertical lines, scratches, excessive grain, instability and flickering. Missing frames were digitally completed from a combined dupe negative from a French edition. The results are, for a monochrome film made in 1955, really rather lovely. Just about everything is spot on here, with a rock solid, deliciously detailed picture that boasts a sometimes luxurious tonal range. The image can seem a little bright at times, but this does ensure that detail is preserved right across the range without sacrificing the black levels, which are well balanced even in the brightest scenes – in the dominant white of the hospital, the blacks are still solid on Momina's coat. The damage repair is occasionally visible, particularly in darker night exteriors, and the black levels do occasionally slip a bit here, but for the most part this is how you wish every European film from the period could look on home video.
Both the Blu-ray and DVD versions are included in this dual format release – both are impressive, but sit the two side by side and there's a clear and unsurprising winner. The picture has consistently more detail on the Blu-ray transfer, something visible in just about every shot, whether it be the texture of surfaces (wood, stone, skin, clothing, etc.), the legibility of street signs, or the patterns on walls and furniture. The exterior scenes in particular have a richness to them that Blu-ray just seems to bring out on older monochrome films.
As with so much of Italian cinema of the time, the dialogue here has been post-dubbed, which does provide the occasional mismatch of voice to mouth movements and acoustics that do not always suit the location. But this is par for the course, and in other respects both the Dolby 2.0 mono on the DVD and the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono on the Blu-ray are clear and free of obvious damage. The expected restrictions in dynamic range are present, as is a slight treble bias to the dialogue, which can occasionally vary a little in volume.
Gabe Klinger Introduction (8:24)
Chicago-based film writer Gabe Klinger provides an engagingly informed and spoiler-free introduction to the film and its director, one that (unlike some other so-called introductions) is safe to watch before the film itself.
Antonioni in the Industry (10:35)
Once again we're in the company of the knowledgeable Mr. Klinger, who contextualises Antonioni in relation to the Italian film industry of the period, with frequent prompting from his typed notes. It's an informative ten minutes, and Klinger nails one of the things that separates early films like Le amiche from Antonioni's later work when he recalls creating an Antonioni clip compilation and his struggle to select standout scenes in films that need to be seen in their entirety to fully appreciate.
A fine 28-page booklet whose contents include a translation of a 1957 Cahiers du cinema article on the film and the adaptation of Cesare Pavese's novel, a 1956 letter written by Antonioni to Italo Calvino in which he talks about the film ("If I could," he writes tellingly, "I would redirect at least a third of Le amiche"), extracts from a 1978 interview with the director, detailed notes on the restoration, credits for the film and production stills. As ever with MoC, an essential companion to the film.
Not, perhaps, as challenging or artistically adventurous as many of Antonioni's subsequent films, Le amiche is still an enthralling and subtly sophisticated work, one whose energy and tone may well surprise those who know the director primarily for his later explorations of alienation and relationship breakdown. That, together with the fine transfer and some useful supplements, make this Masters of Cinema release worthy of enthusiastic recommendation.
Le amiche
The Girlfriends
Giovanni Addessi
Suso Cecchi d'Amico
Alba De Cespedes
from the novel Tra donne sole by
Gianni Di Venanzo
Eraldo Da Roma
Eleonora Rossi Drago
Franco Fabrizi
Yvonne Furneaux
Madeleine Fischer
Anna Maria Pancani
Luciano Volpato
Maria Gambarelli
region 2 / B
Dolby mono 2.0
DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono
Gabe Klinger Introduction
Antonioni in the Industry
Eureka: Masters of Cinema
[DVD review]
[Blu-ray review]
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Class Unity - Class Struggle: Class Struggle to End Exploitation For Social Transformation
It was with this vision that Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) was founded in 1970. The yearlong Golden Jubilee celebrations of CITU will start on its Foundation Day this year, on 30th May.
This vision was clearly spelt out in the Constitution of CITU thus: ‘The CITU believes that the exploitation of the working class can be ended only by socialising all means of production, distribution and exchange and establishing a Socialist State. Holding fast the ideals of socialism, the CITU stands for the complete emancipation of the society from all exploitation’.
Further, ‘It firmly adheres to the position that no transformation can be brought about without class struggle and shall constantly repel attempts to take the working class along the path of class collaboration’.
This vision stood the test of time. Fifty years of experience has further strengthened CITU’s determination to carry forward this vision to achieve its Constitutional objectives.
CITU was born at a time when the working class of the country was simmering with discontent and anger at the growing attacks on their working and living conditions. Closures, job losses, increasing contractorisation, denial of collective bargaining rights, social security benefits etc resulted in outbursts of struggles and strikes in different sectors in different parts of the country. Jute workers, coal workers, steel workers, textile workers, transport workers and hundreds of thousands of workers in various other industries, were all on the struggle path.
The need of the hour was to unite all the workers in each sector, to unite all the workers in all sectors into a common united struggle against these attacks, against the policies of the then government, against the exploitative policy regime. The need of the hour was to unite the entire trade union movement to build a powerful class struggle against these attacks as well as the policies.
But the then leadership of the dominant Left trade union, AITUC chose, not the path of class struggle but the path of class collaboration in the name of the ‘two pillar policy’. The very idea of class struggle was sought to be ridiculed. The section of leadership within the AITUC that favoured class unity and class struggle was harassed, victimised and undemocratically and unceremoniously removed from leadership positions, from the unions. The unions that supported class struggle were denied affiliation; their affiliations were cancelled.
After all the efforts through a period of around ten years to steer the organisation away from the path of class collaboration and compromise with the ruling classes failed, the need to form a new trade union centre to bring the trade union movement of the country into the track of united struggles against the government policies was strongly felt. CITU was born with the thunderous slogan ‘Unity and Struggle’.
BT Ranadive was elected the first president and P Ramamurty, the first general secretary.
Soon after its formation, CITU, through its actions gave a befitting reply to all those who sought to isolate it and ridiculed its slogan of ‘unity’.
¨ Soon after CITU’s formation, in an attempt to isolate it, the National Council of Trade Unions (NCTU) was formed with INTUC, AITUC and HMS at the initiative the then Union Labour Minister, to support government policies. CITU effectively countered it by bringing the other trade union centres and industrial federation together to form the United Council of Trade Unions (UCTU) to fight against the government policies like wage freeze, compulsory deposit scheme etc
¨ The isolationist strategy of the ruling classes through could not be sustained for long in the face of vigorous efforts by CITU to unite the other forces both in industries and services to carry on united struggles. Within three years NCTU collapsed. New correlation started developing within the country’s trade union movement through CITU’s consistent fight against class collaborationist policies.
¨ Most important of the united struggles, soon after the formation of CITU, was the all India strike by the railway workers in 1974 that galvanised the entire working class in the country. The twenty day strike braving inhuman repression and victimisation is a source of inspiration to the working class even today. CITU also played an important role in bringing the railway workers into the path of united country wide struggles. The National Coordination Committee for Railwaymen’s Struggles (NCCRS) that the led the historic strike involved all major central trade unions except INTUC. CITU was an active constituent of the NCCRS. It organised solidarity actions, legal aid and all other forms of relief and support for the victimised workers.
¨ Despite the huge repression and attacks on democratic rights and freedoms during the Emergency, CITU actively supported people’s struggles and exposed the government’s attacks on trade union rights by lodging complaints with the ILO
¨ The Second notable event was the united struggle against infamous Industrial Relations Bill, 1978 brought by Janata Party government at the centre, which ultimately had to be shelved. In that process, National Campaign Committee of Trade Unions was formed comprising all central trade unions and independent federations except INTUC in 1981 during the Congress (I) regime.
¨ CITU was the pioneer in paying special attention to the task of organising working women, with a clear understanding that it is a class task – a part of uniting the class and strengthening class struggle. In 1979, it organised the first ever national convention of working women by a central trade union, and constituted the All India Coordination Committee of Working Women to advance its work among working women. This untiring work of over four decades has resulted in the increase of women’s membership in CITU to more than 33%, active participation of women in all activities of CITU including in its decision making bodies at all levels.
¨ The first ever countrywide general strike by all the trade union centres except INTUC, held on 19th January 1982 was the third historic joint struggle in which CITU had played a prominent role. Through this strike the working class has also raised the demands for farmers and agricultural workers drawing their active participation in various parts of the country. 10 workers including agricultural workers died in police firing in various parts of the country on that day.
¨ CITU played a frontline role in unifying the public sector unions in united platform of struggle and in the formation of the Committee of Public Sector Trade Unions (CPSTU)
¨ Since the advent of the neoliberal reforms in the country, CITU took initiative to unite the entire trade union movement, the central trade unions and the all India independent industrial federations, in joint struggles. The Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions led several country wide general strikes. In 2009, for the first time all the central trade unions including INTUC and BMS joined the common platform that led three country wide general strikes including the two days’ strike in February 2013. However, after the BJP led government came to power at the centre, BMS deserted the joint trade union movement. Altogether 18 country wide general strikes were held under the leadership of the joint trade union movement, the latest one being the historic on 8-9 January 2019 in which around 20 crore workers participated and which received wide support of the common people.
¨ In addition the various federations of CITU have taken initiatives to build strong joint struggles including strikes in their respective sectors as in coal, steel, plantation, anganwadi, ASHA, midday meal workers etc
¨ The independent campaigns and struggles led by CITU were also instrumental in encouraging and motivating joint campaigns and struggles. However, CITU never hesitated to go alone to defend the interests of the working class even when it stood isolated and the other trade unions took a pro government line, as in the case of the Family Pension Scheme of 1971 and the issue of Employees Pension Scheme 1995.
¨ In addition to developing working class unity, CITU understands the importance of bringing all the other basic classes involved in the production process, the agricultural workers, peasants etc into joint struggles to fight the anti people policies, to achieve its ultimate objective of ending all exploitation. It has been organising joint campaigns and mobilisations on the common demands of the workers, agricultural workers and the peasants in commemoration of the martyrdom of the workers and peasants who died in police firing on 19th January 1982. The ‘Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally’ held on 5th September 2018, the first ever such mobilisation in the national capital, in which lakhs of workers, peasants and agricultural workers participated has inspired the toiling people and progressive sections in the entire country.
¨ With the expansion of the unorganised sector under the neoliberal policies, CITU directed its attention to organising the unorganised sector workers, as part of its efforts to unite the class, organising them trade wise and mobilising them on their specific demands. Today, 70% of the membership of CITU is from the unorganised sector.
¨ CITU understands that realising its vision of ending all exploitation and transforming society is impossible with a ‘cadre follow leader’ type of organisation. It has fought the anti democratic practices within the then AITUC and has been underscoring the importance of trade union democracy within the organisation. The Constitution of CITU itself emphasises this.
¨ Two important milestones in the fifty years’ history of CITU are the adoption of its two major documents on organisation. The first one adopted in 1993 called the ‘Bhubaneswar Document on Organisation’ remains its basic guideline to strengthen the organisation. This was updated in 2018 in Kozhikode to meet the requirements of the changed situation, while preserving and emphasising the basic thrust on democratic functioning and political ideological development of cadres up to the grass root level. The Bhubaneswar Document and the Kozhikode Document indicate, through its frank and open criticism and self criticism, CITU’s determination to concretely identify its weaknesses and strengthen the organisation by overcoming them. It is the clear understanding of CITU that its political task cannot be delinked from its organisational tasks.
Today, when we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of our organisation, we can proudly look back to our glorious role in the history of the trade union movement of our country. We carry the legacy of the struggles and sacrifices of the thousands of workers and cadres who believed, since the days of the struggle for Independence, in class struggle as a means to end all exploitation and transform society, who believed in Socialism as an alternative to the exploitative capitalist system. We carry the legacy of those who envisioned such an exploitation free society when they formed the first national trade union centre, a century ago.
Thus, we celebrate our Golden Jubilee with the slogan ‘Carrying Forward -100 Years of Struggles and Sacrifices! 50 Years of Fight for Class Unity!
During the year long Golden Jubilee celebration of the foundation of CITU, let us rededicate ourselves to achieve our revolutionary objectives. Let us dedicate this year to making the working class aware of its role in transforming society.
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CITU DENOUNCES BJP GOVT’S HASTY MOVE OF SO CALLED LABOUR LAW REFORMS TO IMPOSE SUB-HUMAN CONDITIONS ON WORKERS IN THEIR ANXIETY FOR “EASE OF DOING BUSINESS” FOR THEIR CORPORATE BOSSES.
More in this category: '100 years of Struggles and Sacrifices’ of the Working Class of India »
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Vaccine Damaged Child Medically Kidnapped when Parents Refuse Toxic Chemicals and Choose Organic Foods
The Crazz Files May 31, 2017 May 31, 2017
by Christina England
Health Impact News
On May 19, 2017, 4-year-old Chase Walker-Stevens, a vaccine-injured child with severe cerebral palsy and epilepsy in Australia, was forcibly removed from his parents because they had chosen to wean their son off all pharmaceutical products and treat him holistically.
In a video taken minutes after Chase was stolen, his father, Marc Stevens, wept as he told friends and supporters how police had stormed into the hospital, locked him into the bathroom and snatched Chase from his mother’s arms, before arresting her.
During the distressing six-minute footage of events, we can witness for ourselves how supporters of the family are pepper sprayed by the police as they watch the child’s mother, Cini, being dragged from the hospital kicking and screaming.
Treated Like Criminals for Feeding Their Son Organic Food and Natural Remedies
According to reports, Chase had a perfectly normal birth. He received his initial vitamin K shot a few minutes later and within two hours, had begun to suffer seizures. The doctor who examined him at the time diagnosed anaphylaxis, a severe life-threatening allergic reaction to the vitamin K injection.
A few days later, Chase received either one or two doses of the hepatitis B vaccine; the number of doses Chase received remains unclear, as reports in his baby book showed that a second dose of the hepatitis B vaccination was given to Chase on the same day as the first. However, this was later crossed out with the word “error” written in separate handwriting.
In a statement written by a representative from the Australian Vaccine Network (AVN), Ms. Meryl Dorey, Chase’s seizures worsened after he received his vaccinations.
Ms. Dorey told Health Impact News:
Chase was vaccinated according to the vaccination schedule, with increasing seizure activity and hospitalization after every dose of vaccine that was administered. To date he has, received 27 out of 31 scheduled vaccines.
Since receiving his vaccinations, Chase has been diagnosed with an uncontrollable seizure disorder and cerebral palsy. According to newspaper reports, until recently, he was suffering from approximately 100 seizures a day, which had caused him to suffer significant brain damage.
Mother believes that the hospital 100% harmed her child.
See video: ‘They almost killed him’: Mum blasts hospital after taking son away
Since receiving his vaccinations, Chase has been diagnosed with an uncontrollable seizure disorder and cerebral palsy. Photo from Facebook.
It Has Been Known Since the 1970s that Vaccinations Can Cause Epilepsy
What is really shocking about this case is the fact that governments have known that vaccinations can cause epilepsy since the 1970s. In 1979, Dr. D. Neary, M.D., M.R., C.P., a Consultant Lecturer of Neurology, wrote a letter to the Department of Health in the UK, which stated:
I have had an increasing number of patients bringing their epileptic children and asking whether the whooping cough vaccine played a part in their disorder. Could you give me as many details as possible about the present legal situation regards this group and the type of information they require in order to prove relationship between the vaccination and the disorder.
I would be most grateful if you could give this information.
D. Neary M.D M.R. C.P.,
Consultant Lecturer of Neurology.
Supplied for Education and Information only under FOI.
His letter clearly identified that the DPT vaccination had been a concern from as far back as the 1970s and his fears were further confirmed by professionals in another report that had been written around the same time, titled: Views from the Advisory Panel. The report, written to advise the UK government of the dangers of vaccination, stated:
However, from a careful scrutiny of the data, it was felt that 3 clinical patterns could be discerned.
Chronic Epilepsy
Acute Encephalopathy
Infantile Spasms
Mental retardation followed in all but 3 of the 50 cases.
b) in children with chronic epilepsy and to the lesser extent, with acute encephalopathy, the timing of the reactions in relation to the immunisation was such that association seemed possible but the strength of the evidence varied from case to case and was more convincing in some than others. In the children with chronic epilepsy, for example, convulsions occurring shortly after each of two or three injections were particularly suggestive of a casual relationship.
See report here. (Supplied for Education and Information only under FOI.)
In 1997, a paper titled The Tainted History of the DPT, author Dr. Harold Stearley stated that:
There’s no question that DPT vaccinations save lives; they have lowered the annual pertussis deaths from about 1000 annually to less than ten. Unfortunately, as reported by the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), the form of the vaccine used and sanctioned by the Centers for Disease Control also kills as many as 900 children per year, and leaves one of every 62,000 children immunized with permanent brain damage. Are those acceptable risks?
Dr. Stearley continued that:
In 1977, British researcher Dr. Gordon T. Stewart, of the Department of Community Medicine at the University of Glasgow, documented adverse reactions to DPT vaccine and evaluated the benefit to risk ratio for children in the United Kingdom. His research demonstrated that 1 of every 54,000 children receiving the vaccine suffered encephalopathy (brain dysfunction) with rare instances of mental retardation ensuing. Other symptoms included fits of screaming, unresponsiveness, shock, vomiting, localized paralysis, and convulsions.
Of the 160 adverse cases he examined, 40 percent demonstrated hyperkinesis (increased muscle movements accompanying brain dysfunction), infantile spasms, flaccid paralysis, and partial or complete amentia (severe mental retardation).
He determined that adverse events were severely under-reported or overlooked, that no protection from the disease was demonstrable in infants, and that claims by official bodies that risks of whooping-cough exceeded those of vaccination were very questionable. He estimated the risk of transient brain damage and mental defect to occur in 1 out of every 10,000 vaccinated, and risk for permanent brain damage to occur in 1 out of every 20,000 to 60,000 vaccinated.
Chase’s Parents Told to Go Home and Plan His Funeral
The AVN told Medical Kidnap that in April 2014, Chase was hospitalized with a severe infection after his final round of vaccinations. His parents were told by doctors at the High Dependency Unit at the Lady Cilento Hospital, in Brisbane, to go home and plan his funeral.
This information was reiterated in an excellent article published by the Australian National Review, which stated that:
A mere 2 months after his last lot of vaccines, Chase was diagnosed with a chest infection and re-admitted to hospital where he spent a week trying to recover in the High Dependency Unit. According to Cini, at this time, doctors told her and Marc that they ‘…should go home and plan a funeral.’ Chase thankfully pulled through but it was here that Cini first started to mistrust the advice of her doctors and together, Marc and Cini decided Chase would have no more vaccines.” (Own emphasis)
Until this point, Chase had been receiving all the medical attention deemed appropriate by medical experts. However, not content to accept their son’s death sentence from doctors, Chase’s parents, Marc and Jacinda (Cini), chose to change Chase’s diet from the hospital-based formula food Nutrini, which was packed full of toxic ingredients and being fed to their son artificially, directly through a peg inserted into his stomach, to a diet of pureed organic food.
The toxic ingredients of Nutrini are:
Demineralised water, maltodextrin, whey protein hydrolysate (from milk), vegetable oils, starch, acidity regulator (citric acid), calcium hydrogen phosphate, tri potassium citrate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, potassium di hydrogen phosphate, choline chloride, sodium L-ascorbate, carotenoids ((contains soy) b-carotene, lycopene, lutein), magnesium hydrogen phosphate, taurine, ferrous lactate, DL-a-tocopheryl acetate, zinc sulphate, L-carnitine, nicotinamide, retinyl acetate, copper gluconate, D-biotin, cholecalciferol, manganese sulphate, calcium D-pantothenate, sodium selenite, thiamin hydrochloride, chromium chloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, pteroylmonoglutamic acid, sodium fluoride, potassium iodide, phytomenadione, cyanocobalamin.
Furthermore, due to the fact that Chase had been left in an extremely poor condition by the hospital, his parents had also chosen to wean him off his seizure medications and instead give their son the legal treatment of cannabis oil, provided by Dr. Andrew Katelaris.
Dr. Andrew Katelaris – Video Documentary:
Dr. Katelaris’ treatment certainly appeared to have been a success, because, according to reports, Chase went from suffering 100 seizures a day, to having no more than four seizures a week. His parents told reporters that he was now smiling, laughing, trying to speak and was attempting to hold objects for the first time since receiving his 18-month vaccines.
This fact was reported in the Australian National Review report, which stated:
At the time, Chase was still on his seizure medication though he was still suffering with up to 100 seizures per day. At this point, Cini and Marc opted to try medicinal cannabis oil after hearing the success other parents had experienced. Within a matter of days, his seizures decreased. Despite the fact that they weaned him off of his pharmaceuticals, Chase’s seizures completely disappeared and to date, Chase’s seizures have reduced down to just 4 per week but he can go up to 50 days seizure free if his bowel movements are regular and his parents can get him to burp. He also started smiling, laughing, attempting to talk, holding his head up, following his mother’s gaze and trying to grasp objects, something his parents observed he had not done since his last lot of vaccines at 20 months of age.
They continued:
While any sane person might think the hospital would be thrilled at the remarkable improvements in Chase’s health, Cini and Marc instead entered into a bitter custody battle with the Lady Cilento Hospital and the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services. The hospital staff were claiming that Chase was at risk of cardiac arrest because he had lost some weight and was not receiving his prescribed cocktail of toxins via his peg. In order to claim that Chase was underweight, the hospital compared Chase’s weight to that of a regular 4-year old boy. Given Chase was wheelchair bound and peg fed, it would be illogical to believe his weight should be the same as a typically developing boy of his age.
When Peter, the child’s advocate and a former lawyer, presented a chart for 4-year old cerebral palsy boys showing that in fact Chase was sitting at about the average weight for his condition, the hospital completely dismissed him. It was the hospitals intent that Chase would return to being fed Nutrini, placed back onto his pharmaceutical medication that caused him to be in a constant catatonic state, vaccinated up to date and no longer receive his life saving medical cannabis oil. As anyone could imagine, Cini and Marc did not accept this and so ensued 9 medical kidnapping attempts and 2 court hearings, both of which ruled in favor of the parents.
It is easy to see from the before and after photographs that the changes in Chase have been nothing short of a miracle. Photo from Facebook.
It is easy to see from the before and after photographs that the changes in Chase have been nothing short of a miracle. However, despite the wonderful care that Chase’s parents had given to their son and the obvious improvements to their son’s health, these dedicated and loving parents have been treated like criminals.
Maybe this is because these brave parents dared to tell their story during the screening of the Vaxxed film in Maroochydore.
Mother Treated Like a Criminal
Their story is heartbreaking and tonight, Chase is being looked after by complete strangers in another state, whilst his parents have been kept in the dark as to where their son is.
Cini explained to supporters that:
I don’t know what is happening to my son, all I can think of is pedophiles. My son can’t speak and that is all I can think of, that he is in someone’s care and that something is happening to him and he cannot tell me what happened. I am so scared for my son’s life, that he is on medication that they’re going to give to him and I can’t stomach the feeling in my heart as a parent.
If you would like to support Chase’s parents in their battle to bring their son home, then please sign this petition today.
Comment on this article at MedicalKidnap.com.
Source: http://vaccineimpact.com/2017/vaccine-damaged-child-medically-kidnapped-when-parents-refuse-toxic-chemicals-and-choose-organic-foods/
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Health, News-Oz. permalink.
← A “Silent Pandemic” of Toxic Chemicals is Destroying Our Children’s Brains, Experts Warn
Arrested For Using A Plant To Help People ‘Dr Pot’ arrested in Sydney for cannabis →
I spoke with narrator, Paul English about his work on the audio book, Hellstorm which was written by, Thomas Goodrich. Paul & i covered lots of ground on this show so please enjoy & you can also connect with Paul English over on GAB. eurofolkradio.com https://castbox.fm/ch/1473368 Related Posts:Gone too soon: Alina ‘Ali’ Poppy Murtagh killed[…]
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July 25, 2013 Clinch Valley Times
Page 8 CLII~ICH VALLEY TIMES, St. Paul, VA, Thursday, July 25, 2013 GUEST RIVER GORGE TRAIL...The Guest River Gorge Trail, near Coeburn, follows an old railroad right of way paralleling the Guest River and ending at the Clinch River with many scenic views of rock formations and waterfalls. ALONG THE 5.8 mile trail you can see an old railroad tunnel (Swede Tunnel), bridges using the remaining railroad trestles, waterfalls outcroppings. THE TRAIL is easy and allows walking, jogging, hiking and biking on a gravel surface. Clinch River Farmers Market Saturday, 8 am-1 pm Wednesday 2 pm - 5 pm ........Don't miss the opportunity to check out a good selection of fresh produce including apples, green beans, tomatoes, cabbage, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, potatoes, beets, etc. Also at the market you will find plants, brown eggs, lamb, beef, honey, jams, jellies, baked goods, breads and much more. The Farmers Market Cookbooks are available for purchase at the market as well as at Big M, St. Paul Builders, Bailey Hardware, Kilgore Law Office, the Town Hall, CR Pate and Co and Sweet Peas. Entertainment Gospel Music of Restoration 11:00 am Rock Art 10 am We are certified to accept EBT, debit cards and Senior Citizen coupons. The first ten dollars of EBT purchases will be doubled. Support your local farmers and craf ers and enjoy a free cup of i Clinch River Farmers Market. Join the Arbor Day Foundation in July and protect national forests America's forestland is a prized natural resource, and anyone can help plant trees in these vital areas by joining the Arbor Day Foundation this month. Through the Replanting Our National Forests campaign, the Arbor Day Foundation will honor each new member who joins in July by planting 10 trees in forests that have been devastated by wildfire, insects and disease. The cost for joining the Arbor Day Foundation is a $10 dona- tion. America's national forests face enormous challenges, in- cluding unprecedented wildfires that have left a backlog of more than one million acres in need of replanting. The Foundation has worked with the United States Forest Service for more than 20 years to plant trees in high-need forests. Our national forests provide habitat for wildlife, keep the air clean and help ensure safe drinking water for more than 180 million Americans. "Keeping our forests healthy is vital to the health of people and the entire planet," said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. "By planting trees in our national forests, we will preserve precious natural re- sources and the benefits they provide for generations to come." To join the Arbor Day Foundation and help plant trees in our national forests, send a $10 membership contribution to Replanting Our National Forests, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, NE 68410, or visit arborday.org/july. by Karen Gent I Denver Silcox with instructor Peggy Williams Denver Silcox of Rosedale, Virginia recently spoke at the Russell County GED� Com- mencement Exercise that was held in May. At that event, Denver shared his personal journey with the audience and exhorted young people to finish high school and go to college Denver is proud to be a GED� graduate; he comments that earning his GED� certificate is something he had wanted to do for years and finally decided to do it after a friend, Ada Smith, encouraged him to do so. Denver is a native of Taze- well, Virginia. He attended high school in both Tazewell and Richlands. Coming from a poor family, Denver recalls that he didn't always have money to purchase the things he needed for school, and his family moved around a lot. These factors contributed to his loss of American Legion inte~'est in school; consequently, he decided to drop out after Post208 meetings finishing the ninth grade. Russell Count7 Veterans, Denver exited the public school American Legion Post 208 meets system struggling with reading, the second Thursday, monthly at'. which would cause difficulty 6:30 p.m. in the dovmstairs of the ~ for him down the road. Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Denver worked odd jobs as Main Street, Lebanon. All a teenager, and at age nineteen, veterans welcome, he joined the U.S. Marine For information call (276) iCorps. After his military ser- 889-0155. vice, Denver got a job at a company where he did heating and cooling, plumbing and electrical work. Denver says that he taught himself to read blueprints, but he always had to have someone read the specs to him. It wasn't until Denver began helping his youngest daughter with her school work that his own reading skills improved greatly. Denver spent many years working for different companies in those particular fields, often gaining supervisory positions, but he realized that he could have accomplished more in the workplace if he had furthered his education. Later in life, Dgnver became disabled while working in the coal mining industry. After the urging of Ada Smith, in the fall of 2012, Denver took steps toward earning his high school-level Farm Service Agency county committee nomination period Nomination forms for the 2013 election must be postmarked or received in the local USDA Ser- vice Center by close of business on August 1, 2013. Elections will take place this fall. While FSA county com- mittees do not apprmte or deny farm ownership or operating loans, they make decisions on disaster and conservation pro- grams, emergency programs, commodity price support loan programs and other agricultural issues. Members serve three- year terms. Nationwide, there are about 7,800 farmers and ranchers serving on FSA county committees. Committees consist of three to 11 members that are elected by eligible producers. FSA will mail ballots to eligible voters beginning Nov- ember 4. The voted ballots are due back to the local county -office either via mail or in person by December 2. Newly elected committee members and altemates take office on January 1, 2014. credential, a goal that he had put on the backbumer for many years. In October, he began attending a GED� preparation class taught by Peggy Williams at the Russell County Career and Technology Center. Ada Smith remembers that Denver worked hard to prepare for the tests; she says that if Denver couldn't' get the answer to a problem, he would work at it until he was able to come up with the correct answer. Denver enjoyed attending the class, and with the help of his instructor, he was able to complete his GED� testing in just five weeks. Denver is proud to have earned his GED� certificate and says that it has made him want to do more. "Earning my GED� has given me a sense of pride that I had lost over the years," he comments. "Without an education, you have no way to advance in the workplace. I've learned that from my own experience." Denver is currently working as a driver for the Four-County Transit on which he transports senior citizens. When he had to complete training for the job, he found that taking the GED� preparation classes had helped him learn how to study. He remarks, "I enjoy my work because I'm a people person. I love being around people and helping others." Since earning his GED� certificate, Denver has accomplished reading his first book from cover to cover, which was a book written by-a local author about moonshiners of the region. He also enjoys reading the newspaper and the Bible. Denver and friend Ada Smith have become engaged, but have not yet set a wedding date. If you didn't finish high school, contact Southwest Regional Adult Education at 866-581-9935. It's never too late to earn your GED� certificate! GED� is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education. Used under license. CVTimes Deadlines: Editorial copy (birthdays, anniversaries, press releases, calendar items, weddings, etc) 3:30 pm Monday Advertising (classified and display) 12 noon Tuesday began June 17 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the nomination period for local Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees began on Monday, June 17. "I encourage all eligible far- mers and ranchers to participate in this year's county cbmmittee elections by nominating candid- ates by the August 1 deadline," said Vilsack. "County com- mittees are a vital link between the farm community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and provide an opportunity to farmers and ranchers for their opinions and ideas,to be heard. We have been seeing an increase in the number of nominations of women and minority candidates and l hope that trend continues." To be eligible to serve on an FSA county committee, a person must participate or cooperate in a program administered by FSA, be eligible to vote in a county committee election and reside in the local administrative area in which the person is a candidate. Farmers and ranchers may nominate themselves or others, and organizations representing minorities and women also may nominate Candidates. To become a candidate, an eligible individ- ual must sign the nomination form, FSA-669A. The form and See them at Morgan McClure in Castlewood - Check out the 2013 Chevrolet Spark other information about FSA county committee elections are available online at www. fsa.usda.gov/elections. Coffee Time at Library Every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. the J. Fred Matthews Memorial Library will host Coffee Time for all area senior citizens. Seniors are invited to stop by the library from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and have a cup of coffee, tea, cider, or hot chocolate and light refreshments. Visit with your friends, talk about the news going on in the area, read the local newspapers or browse through our magazine selections. Make plans to come by the library each Wednesday for coffee and conversation. For more information contact the library at 276-762-9702. It's yellow and only $13,495 Morgan M cClure Castlewood US HWY 58 Castlewood, VA (276) 762-2311 Visit us at www.morganmcclure.com (Castlewood) CSMC:::BI Find New Roads CHEW
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Home > More News > City Offices to Close for Fourth of July Holiday
City Offices to Close for Fourth of July Holiday
Edinburg, Texas (June 30, 2017) – City of Edinburg offices will be closed on Tuesday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day. Normal hours of operation will resume on Wednesday, July 5.
Normal hours of operation will also be in effect on Monday, July 3.
The Edinburg Sanitary Landfill and Recycling center will also be closed for the holiday. Operations at both facilities will resume on Wednesday, July 5. The recycling center is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., while the landfill is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Trash and brush collections will not be interrupted due to the holiday. Brush collection for Area No. 2 will be provided on Monday, July 3 through Friday, July 7.
Call the Department of Solid Waste Management with questions about operations at these facilities at 956-381-5635. In case of a water utility emergency call 956-383-5660.
Law enforcement and emergency personnel are always available by calling 9-1-1.
<a href="http://cityofedinburg.com/news_detail_T16_R110.php">Your Link Name</a>
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Title: The temperature of Indian cities: Some insights using change point analysis with functional data Authors: Poonam Rathi - N/A (India) [presenting]
Abstract: In recent years there has been considerable concern expressed worldwide regarding increase in temperature popularly called the global warming problem. However, not much work has been done on this in the Indian context. We examine monthly temperature data of five Indian cities for the period 1961 to 2013. We introduce a new change point detection method for functional data and use it to investigate the existence of change point for the temperature data series of five Indian cities namely Srinagar, Imphal, Trivandrum, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. It is found that there has been a rise in the average temperature for all cities except Ahmedabad during this period. The magnitude of warming is found not to be uniform but vary across cities. The estimated change points for the four cities are not identical but all are in the period 1989 - 1998. The findings suggest that immediate policy measures are required to ensure that no further warming happens in these cities.
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HomeUncategorizedAs Lucy Gondor Re-elected President of KWiGN: ‘The only answer to our problems is working harder’
As Lucy Gondor Re-elected President of KWiGN: ‘The only answer to our problems is working harder’
February 20, 2017 Publisher and Chief Executive Officer KABS KANU Uncategorized 0
By Ahmed Sahid Nasralla (De Monk)
LUCY C. F. GONDOR: the solution to our problems is to continue working harder as a team
Lucy C. F. Gondor has been unanimously re-elected President of the Kailahun Women in Governance Network (KWiGN) at the network’s Annual Reflections Meeting (ARM) on Valentine’s Day 14th February 2017 at the Kailahun District Youth Council Hall, Luawa, Kailahun.
The former teacher polled 23 out of the 24 delegate votes.
Lucy, who was first elected in 2013, will now lead the organization for the next two years, which will cover the forthcoming National Parliamentary, District Council and Presidential Elections in March 2018.
The former school teacher, and wife of the Paramount Chief of Upper Bambara Chiefdom PC Gondor, dedicated her re-election victory to all the women of the network, Kailahun District and Sierra Leone as a whole.
“This victory is a victory for all women, and I congratulate all of you,” said Lucy with humility.
To her colleagues who were also elected into new positions she had this to say: “Your new positions come with additional responsibilities, commitment and sacrifice. The only solution to our problems is working harder as a team.”
Before her re-election, Lucy catalogued her achievements and challenges in her first term in office. She recalled that one of the first things she did as President of KWIGN was to visit all 14 chiefdoms in the District and held talks with Zonal Executives to have a fair understanding of the people she would be working with and what their strengths and challenges were.
Under her leadership she said KWiGN has been recognized far and wide for their sustained advocacy on behalf of the women and girls of Kailahun District and Sierra Leone.
She talked about the economic empowerment of the vast majority of women through the provision of micro-finance. Over 3000 women across 11 chiefdoms in Kailahun are benefiting from the scheme.
She also talked about political empowerment with Kailahun District boasting 12 women councilors and two female Members of Parliament, and women occupying leadership positions in the District Council and its various committees.
In the area of access to justice, she said through their sustained advocacy the district now has a resident magistrate. She highlighted partnership with political parties and traditional leaders, and the institution of bye-laws to protect girls and women against SGBV cases (which had been rampant in the district).
In the area of management of finance, accountability and transparency, she said the network now has an account with the Credit Union and Ecobank and these accounts are audited regularly.
She further mentioned about support they provided to Ebola survivors and orphans, some of whom have been adopted by members of the network.
Other notable achievements included the professional development of members of the network who can now boldly speak in public gatherings and contribute meaningfully in essential dialogues, weekly radio programs educating people on gender and women issues, and advocacy activities at both local and national levels.
Lucy noted she would not have achieved all these and more without the full support and commitment of her Executive and supporting partners, traditional leaders, the Police and the media.
However, she said cultural and religious norms, which limit women’s role to the kitchen and home to serve their husbands, still pose a threat to their vision of achieving equality for women at all levels.
“In this age our men still have reserved roles for women which always keep them in the back seat. This mindset has to change,” said Lucy.
Other challenges she mentioned included personality conflict among women, the Pull Her Down syndrome and disunity among women during national elections, tribalism, very poor road network across the district hindering their smooth movement from chiefdom to chiefdom, poor internet connectivity and mobile network, and lack of adequate funding to support their programs.
Also re-elected with the same votes tally as Lucy’s was the Secretary General, Theresa Satta Garber. Theresa said the reward for good work is always positive.
“This is a manifestation of the trust and confidence reposed on us by our colleague women,” she said proudly.
The ARM was witnessed by supporting partners Christian Aid Sierra Leone and SEND Sierra Leone, traditional and religious leaders, the Police and representatives of Civil Society Organisations.
Country Director for Christian Aid Sierra Leone, Jeanne Kamara, said she has seen the journey of the network and the growth that has taken place, and ‘it makes me proud and privileged to be part of all this’.
She said KWiGN is an exemplary project that must be emulated by other regions.
“95% of the world’s resources are controlled by only 5% of the people. Poverty is man-made and that is because we are greedy. If resources are distributed fairly and evenly then poverty will not be as widespread as it is today,” said Jeanne.
She admonished the network to begin to move towards self-sustainability.
“Look around you for the resources and start moving away from dependency on donor funding. These funds are not there forever. So sustainability is a key. But there are so many resources you can pull together if you look around yourselves and your communities. Resources don’t always have to be finance only,” advised Jeanne.
She added: “You have achieved great things in the space of five years, but there’s more work to be done. We (Christian Aid) will accompany you on this journey.”
The Country Director of SEND Sierra Leone, the organization behind the formation of KWiGN, said they are proud as Kailahun is the only district with a well-organised grassroots women group fighting for justice and equality for all.
“For the past five years, the Kailahun Women in Governance Network has achieved more than enough. The existence of the Network itself is one of them. So we have a lot to say about success, but what kind of success is it? Where do we want to be? Are we there yet? Certainly not! We have a long way to go,” said Joseph Ayamga, adding that they must reach out to the “70% of women who live in the rural villages who are subjected to cultural and traditional practices that rob them of their dignity to live responsive and responsible lives to contribute to the progress of a responsive and responsible nation”.
Joseph said there are still many women out there who are not productively engaged.
“They work so hard and benefit less from their labour. They take care of children and shape their attitudes, principles and values, but who are often less appreciated and celebrated for their contributions. Their efforts hold our society together and make it peaceful, but they are considered less powerful. And so as you travel across rural communities in Kailahun, you see that the woman has the face of poverty. She bears the burden of this unequal society. So how come that these women who add so much value to society are not valued as such? Inequality and marginalization is unacceptable in a responsible society,” he said.
In the 2007 national elections Kailahun District elected seven women as Councillors; in 2012 the number rose to 12 and two Members of Parliament. In 2018 the women of Kailahun are aspiring to make it rhyme with 18 Councilors and eight MPs.
And their slogan now is: 18-8-2018.
Police angry with miscreants posting fake social media photos about Sierra Leone
October 21, 2016 Publisher and Chief Executive Officer KABS KANU 0
PRESS RELEASE It has come to the attention of Police Headquarters that certain unscrupulous persons are in the habit of posting photos of Mutilated Human Bodies on social media purporting […]
PRESIDENT KOROMA APPOINTS NEW DEPUTY COMMISSIONER
April 1, 2014 Publisher and Chief Executive Officer KABS KANU 0
ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION CATHEDRAL HOUSE 3 GLOUCESTER STREET FREETOWN SIERRA LEONE, WEST AFRICA TEL: 232-22 221468 1st April 2014 FAX: 232-22 221900 PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT KOROMA APPOINTS […]
Increased food productivity is a prerequisite for post Ebola challenges
February 4, 2015 Publisher and Chief Executive Officer KABS KANU 0
By Umaru S. Jah, Information Attaché—Berlin, Germany Dr. Sam Sesay making a point at the GFFA conference Sierra Leone is witnessing a terrible health crisis — the Ebola epidemic—which has […]
Ambassador Kamara Remembered and honored in Kuwait
In Sierra Leone, Fourah Bay College turns 190
Sierra Leone First Lady, Looking Better Than Ever, Enjoys The Summer Sun With Diplomats
By Kabs Kanu If you are a Sierra Leonean, one thing you have grown accustomed to now are lies told with a straight face by the opposition and dissident elements. […]
GOD, HEAR OUR PRAYERS ; DELIVER OUR PEOPLE
FATHER GOD, intervene now, in the name of Jesus Christ , in our three countries being devoured by Ebola. Father, we beseech you, intervene now and stop the suffering spreading […]
PRESS BRIEFING : UNOWAS REPRESENTATIVE PAYS COURTESY CALL ON MRU SECRETARY GENERAL
PRESS BRIEFING UNOWAS REPRESENTATIVE PAYS COURTESY CALL ON MRU SECRETARY GENERAL MRU Communications Freetown 24th August 2017 – The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the […]
“Men and Women in Uniform Must Be Respected”, Vice President Foh Urges
By Alimatu Fofanah. The Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Ambassador Victor Bockarie Foh has said in Freetown that men and women in uniforms must be respected, but […]
PICTURE NEWS : SLPP ALAGBAS MEET DAY AFTER KANDEH YUMKELLA PULLED PLUG OFF HIS FLAGBEARERSHIP BID
Alagbas of the opposition Sierra Leone People;s Party ( SLPP ) yesterday met , a day after Dr. Kandeh Yumkella decided that enough was enough and he would no longer […]
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Estonia lost one of every five persons from its population of slightly over one million as a consequence of the occupying regime’s terror policy. Similar destiny had fell upon many other nations. The memorial to the victims of communism sends a strong message to the world - all victims of totalitarianism must be remembered.
The memorial to the victims of communism is dedicated to all Estonian people who suffered under the terror inflicted by the Soviet Union. The communist terror regime was established with the occupation of Estonia on 17 June 1940 and ended with the restoration of Estonia’s independence on 20 August 1991. The names of over 22,000 people who never returned home are inscribed on the name plaques of the long black wall of memory, symbolising the merciless power of the totalitarian system. They were murdered or died due to inhumane living conditions in imprisonment or forced resettlement and the remains of many of them are in unnamed graves in unknown locations.
This memorial is one of the biggest remembrance sites for the victims of communism in Europe - around 30 000 m2. Memorial is located in Tallinn, Maarjamägi and opened 24/7.
Digital Memorial
Digital Memorial is a electronic database which contains data of individuals who have been repressed or groundlessly convicted by the Soviet occupying regime in 1940-1991 in Estonia.
Database is an opened source that can be observed here, as long as the general information about the memorial: www.memoriaal.ee.
Everyone who possesses data that can help to add or correct the information in the database is invited to contact the administrator: memoriaal@mnemosyne.ee.
The Estonian Institute of Historical Memory Foundation manages and administers the Memorial’s database.
Location of the memorial on the map of Tallinn:
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This article is about the television series. For the games, see Star Trek: The Next Generation (1994 video game) and Star Trek: The Next Generation: A World For All Seasons.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG and ST:TNG) is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. It originally aired from September 28, 1987 to May 23, 1994 in syndication, spanning 178 episodes over the course of seven seasons. The third series in the Star Trek franchise, it is the second sequel to Star Trek: The Original Series. Set in the 24th century, when Earth is part of a United Federation of Planets, it follows the adventures of a Starfleet starship, the USS Enterprise-D, in its exploration of the Milky Way galaxy.
Gene Roddenberry
by Gene Roddenberry
Jonathan Frakes
Gates McFadden
Marina Sirtis
Wil Wheaton
Theme music composer
Alexander Courage
Dennis McCarthy
Jay Chattaway
Original language(s)
No. of seasons
No. of episodes
178 (list of episodes)
Executive producer(s)
Gene Roddenberry (1987–1991)
Rick Berman (1989–1994)
Showrunners
Maurice Hurley (1988–1989)
Michael Piller (1989–1994)
Jeri Taylor (1993–1994)
Edward R. Brown (1987–1989)
Marvin V. Rush (1989–1992)
Jonathan West (1992–1994)
Production company(s)
Paramount Domestic Television
CBS Television Distribution[1]
$1.3 million per episode
Original network
First-run syndication[2][3]
Picture format
NTSC 480i 4:3
1080p 4:3 (Blu-ray)
Audio format
Dolby Digital 5.1 (DVD)
DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 Blu-ray
Original release
September 28, 1987 (1987-09-28) –
Star Trek TV series
Star Trek: The Next Generation at StarTrek.com
After the cancellation of The Original Series in 1969, the Star Trek franchise had continued with Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–74) and a series of films, all featuring the original cast. In the 1980s, franchise creator Roddenberry decided to create a new series, featuring a new crew embarking on their mission a century after that of The Original Series.
The Next Generation featured a new crew that starred (for the majority of its seven-year broadcast run) Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Jonathan Frakes as Commander William Riker, Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data, Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf, LeVar Burton as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge, Marina Sirtis as counselor Deanna Troi, Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher, and a new Enterprise. Picard's introductory statement featured at the beginning of each episode's title sequence, stated the ship's purpose in language similar to James T. Kirk's opening statement of the original Star Trek series, but was updated to reflect an ongoing mission and to be gender-neutral:[4]
Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.
Roddenberry, Maurice Hurley, Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor served as executive producers at various times throughout its production. The show was very popular, reaching almost 12 million viewers in its 5th season, with the series finale in 1994 being watched by over 30 million viewers.[5][6]
TNG premiered the week of September 28, 1987, drawing 27 million viewers, with the two-hour pilot "Encounter at Farpoint". In total, 176 episodes were made (including several two-parters), ending with the two-hour finale "All Good Things..." the week of May 23, 1994. The series was broadcast in first-run syndication with dates and times varying among individual television stations. Several Star Trek series followed The Next Generation: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999), Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001), Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005), and Star Trek: Discovery (2017–present). The series formed the basis for the seventh through the tenth of the Star Trek films, and is also the setting of numerous novels, comic books, and video games. In its seventh season, Star Trek: The Next Generation became the first and only syndicated television series to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. The series received a number of accolades, including 19 Emmy Awards, two Hugo Awards, five Saturn Awards, and "The Big Goodbye" (S1E12) won a Peabody Award. Some of the highest rated episodes (by Nielsen ratings) were the pilot ("Encounter at Farpoint"), the finale ("All Good Things..."), the two-part "Unification", "Aquiel", "A Matter of Time", and "Relics". Four episodes (in order: "Encounter at Farpoint", "Sarek", "Unification", and "Relics") featured actors DeForest Kelley, Mark Lenard, Leonard Nimoy, and James Doohan respectively; from the original Star Trek reprising their original roles.
The Star Trek franchise originated in the late 1960s, with the Star Trek television show which ran from 1966–1969. Star Trek: The Next Generation would mark the return of Star Trek to live-action broadcast television.
As early as 1972, Paramount Pictures started to consider making a Star Trek film because of the original series' popularity in syndication. However, with 1977's release of Star Wars, Paramount decided not to compete in the science fiction movie category and shifted their efforts to a new Star Trek television series. The Original Series actors were approached to reprise their roles; sketches, models, sets and props were created for Star Trek: Phase II until Paramount changed its mind again and decided to create feature films starring the Original Series cast.[7][8]
By 1986, 20 years after the original Star Trek's debut on NBC, the franchise's longevity amazed Paramount Pictures executives. Chairman Frank Mancuso Sr. and others described it as the studio's "crown jewel", a "priceless asset" that "must not be squandered". The series was the most popular syndicated television program 17 years after cancellation,[9] and the Harve Bennett-produced, Original Series-era Star Trek films did well at the box office.[10] William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy's salary demands for the film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) caused the studio to plan for a new Star Trek television series. Paramount executives worried that a new series could hurt the demand for the films, but decided that it would increase their appeal on videocassette and cable,[9] and that a series with unknown actors would be more profitable than paying the films' actors' large salaries.[11] Roddenberry initially declined to be involved, but came on board as creator after being unhappy with early conceptual work. Star Trek: The Next Generation was announced on October 10, 1986,[4] and its cast in May 1987.[12]
Paramount executive Rick Berman was assigned to the series at Roddenberry's request. Roddenberry hired a number of Star Trek veterans, including Bob Justman, D. C. Fontana, Eddie Milkis and David Gerrold.[13] Early proposals for the series included one in which some of the original series cast might appear as "elder statesmen",[9] and Roddenberry speculated as late as October 1986 that the new series might not even use a spaceship, as "people might travel by some [other] means" 100 years after the USS Enterprise.[14] A more lasting change was his new belief that workplace interpersonal conflict would no longer exist in the future; thus, the new series did not have parallels to the frequent "crusty banter" between Kirk, Spock, and Leonard McCoy.[11] According to series actor Patrick Stewart, Berman was more receptive than Roddenberry to the series addressing political issues.[15]
The series' music theme combined the fanfare from the original series theme by Alexander Courage with Jerry Goldsmith's theme for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). Some early episodes' plots derived from outlines created for Star Trek: Phase II.[4] Additionally, some sets used in the Original Series-era films were redressed for The Next Generation, and in turn used for subsequent Original Series films.[16] Part of the transporter room set in TNG was used in the original Star Trek's transporter set.[16]
Syndication and profitabilityEdit
Despite Star Trek's proven success, NBC and ABC only offered to consider pilot scripts for the new series, and CBS offered to air a miniseries that could become a series if it did well. That the Big Three television networks treated Paramount's most appealing and valuable property as they would any other series offended the studio. Fox wanted the show to help launch the new network, but wanted it by March 1987, and would only commit to 13 episodes instead of a full season. The unsuccessful negotiations convinced the studio that it could only protect Star Trek with full control.[9][14]
Paramount increased and accelerated the show's profitability by choosing to instead broadcast it in first-run syndication[17][11][18]:123–124 on independent stations (whose numbers had more than tripled since 1980) and Big Three network affiliates.[9] The studio offered the show to local stations for free as barter syndication. The stations sold five minutes of commercial time to local advertisers and Paramount sold the remaining seven minutes to national advertisers. Stations had to commit to purchasing reruns in the future,[17] and only those that aired the new show could purchase the popular reruns of the Original Series.[19]:222[20]
The studio's strategy succeeded. Most of the 150 stations airing reruns of the original Star Trek wanted to prevent a competitor from airing the new show; ultimately, 210 stations covering 90% of the United States became part of Paramount's informal nationwide network for TNG.[17][21] In early October 1987, more than 50 network affiliates pre-empted their own shows for the series pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint". One station predicted that "Star Trek promises to be one of the most successful programs of the season, network or syndicated".[21] Special effects were by Industrial Light and Magic, a Division of Lucasfilm.[citation needed] The new show indeed performed well; the pilot's ratings were higher than those of many network programs,[21] and ratings remained comparable to network shows by the end of the first season, despite the handicap of each station airing the show on a different day and time, often outside prime time. By the end of the first season, Paramount reportedly received $1 million for advertising per episode, more than the roughly $800,000 fee that networks typically paid for a one-hour show;[17] by 1992, when the budget for each episode had risen to almost $2 million,[22] the studio earned $90 million from advertising annually from first-run episodes, with each 30-second commercial selling for $115,000 to $150,000.[23][24] The show had a 40% return on investment for Paramount, with $30 to $60 million in annual upfront net profit for first-run episodes and another $70 million for stripping rights for each of the about 100 episodes then available, so they did not need overseas sales to be successful.[23]
SeasonsEdit
Originally aired
First aired
Last aired
26 September 28, 1987 (1987-09-28) May 16, 1988 (1988-05-16)
22 November 21, 1988 (1988-11-21) July 17, 1989 (1989-07-17)
26 September 25, 1989 (1989-09-25) June 18, 1990 (1990-06-18)
Star Trek: The Next Generation ran for seven seasons, from the fall of 1987 annually to the spring of 1994. At the end of that season the cast switched over to production of the Star Trek film Generations which was released before the end of 1994.
Season 1 (1987–1988)Edit
Main article: Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 1)
Denise Crosby and Gates McFadden were in Season 1 as Tasha Yar and Doctor Crusher, respectively, but were removed for Season 2.
The Next Generation was shot on 35mm film,[25] and the budget for each episode was $1.3 million, among the largest for a one-hour television drama.[17] While the staff enjoyed the creative freedom gained by independence from a broadcast network's Standards and Practices department,[19]:222 the first season was marked by a "revolving door" of writers, with Gerrold, Fontana, and others quitting after disputes with Roddenberry.[26] Roddenberry "virtually rewrote" the first 15 episodes because of his "dogmatic" intention to depict human interaction "without drawing on the baser motives of greed, lust, and power". Writers found the show's "bible" constricting and ridiculous and could not deal with Roddenberry's ego and treatment of them. It stated, for example, that "regular characters all share a feeling of being part of a band of brothers and sisters. As in the original Star Trek, we invite the audience to share the same feeling of affection for our characters."[11]
Mark Bourne of The DVD Journal wrote of season one: "A typical episode relied on trite plot points, clumsy allegories, dry and stilted dialogue, or characterization that was taking too long to feel relaxed and natural."[27] Other targets of criticism included poor special effects and plots being resolved by the deus ex machina of Wesley Crusher saving the ship.[28][29] However, Patrick Stewart's acting skills won praise, and critics noted that characters were given greater potential for development than those of the original series.[27][28] Both actors and producers were unsure whether Trekkies loyal to the original show would accept the new one,[30][31] but one critic stated as early as October 1987 that The Next Generation, not the movies or the original show, "is the real Star Trek now".[32]
While the events of most episodes of season one were self-contained, many developments important to the show as a whole occurred during the season. The recurring nemesis Q was introduced in the pilot, the alien Ferengi had their sentinel showing in "The Last Outpost", the holodeck was introduced, and the romantic backstory between William Riker and Deanna Troi was investigated. "The Naked Now", one of the few episodes that depicted Roddenberry's fascination (as seen in the show's bible) with sex in the future, became a cast favorite.[11]
Later episodes in the season set the stage for serial plots. The episode "Datalore" introduced Data's evil twin brother Lore, who made several more appearances in episodes in subsequent seasons. "Coming of Age" dealt with Wesley Crusher's efforts to get into Starfleet Academy while also hinting at the threat to Starfleet later faced in "Conspiracy". "Heart of Glory" explored Worf's character, Klingon culture, and the uneasy truce between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, three themes that played major roles in later episodes. Tasha Yar left the show in "Skin of Evil", becoming the first regular Star Trek character to die permanently (although the character was seen again in two later episodes) in either series or film. The season finale, "The Neutral Zone", established the presence of two of TNG' most enduring villains: the Romulans, making their first appearance since the Original Series, and, through foreshadowing, the Borg.
The premiere became the first television episode to be nominated for a Hugo Award since 1972. Six of the season's episodes were each nominated for an Emmy Award. "11001001" won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, "The Big Goodbye" won for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series, and "Conspiracy" won for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Series.[4] "The Big Goodbye" also won a Peabody Award, the first syndicated program[17] and only Star Trek episode to do so.
The top two episodes for Nielsen ratings were "Encounter at Farpoint" with 15.7, and "Justice" with 12.7.[33] The season ran from 1987 to 1988.
LeVar Burton starred as Geordi La Forge in all seven seasons and four TNG movies between 1994 and 2002. In the second season the character became the Chief Engineer aboard the Enterprise D
The series underwent significant changes during its second season. Beverly Crusher was replaced as Chief Medical Officer by Katherine Pulaski, played by Diana Muldaur, who had been a guest star in "Return to Tomorrow" and "Is There in Truth No Beauty?", two episodes from the original Star Trek series. The ship's recreational area, Ten-Forward, and its mysterious bartender/advisor, Guinan, played by Whoopi Goldberg, appeared for the first time. Owing to the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike, the number of episodes produced was cut from 26 to 22, and the start of the season was delayed. Because of the strike, the opening episode, "The Child", was based on a script originally written for Star Trek: Phase II, while the season finale, "Shades of Gray", was a clip show.
Nevertheless, season two as a whole was widely regarded as significantly better than season one.[34] Benefiting from Paramount's commitment to a multiyear run and free from network interference due to syndication, Roddenberry found writers who could work within his guidelines and create drama from the cast's interaction with the rest of the universe.[11] The plots became more sophisticated and began to mix drama with comic relief. Its focus on character development received special praise.[34] Co-executive producer Maurice Hurley has stated that his primary goal for the season was to plan and execute season-long story arcs and character arcs.[35] Hurley wrote the acclaimed episode "Q Who", which featured the first on-screen appearance of the Borg. Season two focused on developing the character Data, and two episodes from the season, "Elementary, Dear Data" and "The Measure of a Man", featured him prominently.[36] Miles O'Brien also became a more prominent character during the second season, while Geordi La Forge took the position of Chief Engineer. Klingon issues continued to be explored in episodes such as "A Matter of Honor" and "The Emissary", which introduced Worf's former lover K'Ehleyr.[37] Five second-season episodes were nominated for six Emmy Awards, and "Q Who" won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.[4] The season ran from 1988 to 1989.
Season 2 marked the addition of the "Ten Forward" set at Paramount, located at Stage 8 at the studios.[38] The set was designed by Herman Zimmerman, and in the show was a place for the crew to relax, hang out together, and eat or have drinks.[38] Inside, it featured a bar looking out on large windows, and outside it featured a star field, or with use of green-screen special effects, other scenes.[38]
Before the production of the third season in the summer of 1989, some personnel changes were made. Head writer Maurice Hurley was let go and Michael Piller took over for the rest of the series. Creator and executive producer Gene Roddenberry took less of an active role due to his declining health. Roddenberry gave Piller and Berman the executive producer jobs, and they remained in that position for the rest of the series' run, with Berman overseeing the production as a whole and Piller being in charge of the creative direction of the show and the writing room. Doctor Crusher returned from her off-screen tenure at Starfleet Medical to replace Doctor Pulaski, who had remained a guest star throughout the second season. An additional change was the inclusion of the fanfare that was added to the opening credits of the second season, to the end of the closing credits. Ronald D. Moore joined the show after submitting a spec script that became "The Bonding". He became the franchise's "Klingon guru",[4] meaning that he wrote most TNG episodes dealing with the Klingon Empire (though he wrote some Romulan stories, as well, such as "The Defector"). Writer/producer Ira Steven Behr also joined the show in its third season. Though his tenure with TNG lasted only one year, he later went on to be a writer and showrunner of spin-off series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.[39] Six third-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys. "Yesterday's Enterprise" won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and "Sins of the Father" won for Best Art Direction for a Series.[4] After a chiropractor warned that the cast members risked permanent skeletal injury, new two-piece wool uniforms replaced the first two seasons' extremely tight spandex uniforms.[40] The season finale, the critically acclaimed episode "The Best of Both Worlds", was the first season-ending cliffhanger, a tradition that continued throughout the remainder of the series. The season ran from 1989 to 1990.
The Season 3 finale and bridge to Season 4, "The Best of Both Worlds" went on to be one of the most acclaimed Star Trek episodes noted by TV Guide's "100 Most Memorable Moments in TV History", ranking 70th out of 100 in March 2001.[41] It has routinely been ranked among the top of all Star Trek franchise episodes.[42][43]
Brannon Braga and Jeri Taylor joined the show in its fourth season. The fourth season surpassed the Original Series in series length with the production of "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II". A new alien race, the Cardassians, made their first appearance in "The Wounded". They later were featured in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The season finale, "Redemption", was the 100th episode, and the cast and crew (including creator Gene Roddenberry) celebrated the historic milestone on the bridge set. Footage of this was seen in the Star Trek 25th-anniversary special hosted by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy which aired later in the year. Seven fourth-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys. "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" won for both Outstanding Sound Editing in a Series and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series.[4] Character Wesley Crusher left the series in season four to go to Starfleet Academy. "Family" was the only Star Trek episode not to have a bridge scene during the entire episode and is the only TNG episode where Data does not appear on-screen. The season ran from 1990 to 1991.
The fifth season's seventh episode, "Unification", opened with a dedication to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry (though the prior episode, "The Game", aired four days after his death). Roddenberry, though he had recently died, continued to be credited as executive producer for the rest of the season. The cast and crew learned of his death during the production of "Hero Worship", a later season-five episode. Seven fifth-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys. "Cost of Living" won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series, and "A Matter of Time" and "Conundrum" tied for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects. In addition, "The Inner Light" became the first television episode since the 1968 original series Star Trek episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" to win a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.[4] Season five had the introduction of a jacket for Picard, worn periodically throughout the rest of the show's run. The observation lounge set was altered with the removal of the gold model starships across the interior wall and the addition of lighting beneath the windows. Recurring character Ensign Ro Laren was introduced in the fifth season. The season ran from 1991 to 1992.
NASA Astronaut Mae Jemison, shown here on a Space Shuttle mission is featured in "Second Chances" (S6E24) as a Lieutenant on the Enterprise-D
With the creation of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Rick Berman and Michael Piller's time were split between The Next Generation and the new show. Three sixth-season episodes were nominated for Emmys. "Time's Arrow, Part II" won for both Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series, and "A Fistful of Datas" won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.[4] The highest Nielsen-rated episode of Season 6 was "Relics", with a rating of 13.9.[44] The episode featured Original Series character Scotty played by James Doohan. Additionally, NASA astronaut Mae Jemison played Lt. Palmer in "Second Chances".[45][46] The season 6 finale cliffhanger includes a cameo by Stephen Hawking (Part I of "Descent"). The season ran from 1992 to 1993.
The seventh season was The Next Generation's last, running from 1993 to 1994. The penultimate episode, "Preemptive Strike", concluded the plot line for the recurring character Ensign Ro Laren and introduced themes that continued in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. The Next Generation series finale, "All Good Things...", was a double-length episode (separated into two parts for reruns) that aired the week of May 19, 1994, revisiting the events of the pilot and providing a bookend to the series. Toronto's SkyDome played host to a massive event for the series finale. Thousands of people packed the stadium to watch the final episode on the stadium's JumboTron. Five seventh-season episodes were nominated for nine Emmys, and the series as a whole was the first syndicated television series nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. To this day, The Next Generation is the only syndicated drama to be nominated in this category. "All Good Things..." won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects, and "Genesis" won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series. "All Good Things..." also won the second of the series' two Hugo Awards.[4] "All Good Things..." also achieved the highest Nielsen rating for all of Season 7, with a rating of 17.4.[47]
Some of the cast of The Next Generation. From left to right: LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, and Wil Wheaton, in 2012
Although the cast members were contracted for eight seasons,[48] Paramount ended The Next Generation after seven, which disappointed and puzzled some of the actors, and was an unusual decision for a successful television show. Paramount then made films using the cast, which it believed would be less successful if the show were still on television.[49] An eighth season also would likely have reduced the show's profitability due to higher cast salaries and a lower price per episode when sold as strip programming.[48]
The show's strong ratings continued to the end; the 1994 series finale was ranked number two among all shows that week, between hits Home Improvement and Seinfeld,[48] and was watched by over 30 million viewers.[5] TNG was the most-watched Star Trek show, with a peak audience of 11.5 million during its fifth season prior to the launch of DS9. Between 1988 and 1992 it picked up half a million to a million additional viewers per year.[6]
Adjusted Nielsen Ratings for Star Trek TV shows:[6]
Fall 1987 – Spring 1988: 8.55 Million TNG S1
Fall 1990 – Spring 1991: 10.58 Million TNG S4
Fall 1992 – Spring 1993: 10.83 Million TNG S6 (DS9 S1 Debuted in Spring 1993)
Fall 1993 – Spring 1994: 9.78 Million TNG S7 + DS9 S2
Fall 1994 – Spring 1995: 7.05 Million DS9 S3 + VOY S1
Fall 1997 – Spring 1998: 4.53 Million DS9 S6+ VOY S4
Fall 1998 – Spring 1999: 4.00 Million DS9 S7 + VOY S5 (Voyager ended after two more seasons)
Science Fiction authors noted how Star Trek: The Next Generation influenced their careers.[50]
EpisodesEdit
Main article: List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes
Star Trek: The Next Generation aired for 7 seasons beginning on September 28, 1987 and ending on May 23, 1994.
The series begins with the crew of the Enterprise-D put on trial by an omnipotent being known as Q, who became a recurring character. The god-like entity threatens the extinction of humanity for being a race of savages, forcing them to solve a mystery at nearby Farpoint Station to prove their worthiness to be spared. After successfully solving the mystery and avoiding disaster, the crew departs on its mission to explore strange new worlds.
Subsequent stories focus on the discovery of new life and sociological and political relationships with alien cultures, as well as exploring the human condition. Several new species are introduced as recurring antagonists, including the Ferengi, the Cardassians, and the Borg. Throughout their adventures, Picard and his crew are often forced to face and live with the consequences of difficult choices.
The series ended in its seventh season with a two-part episode "All Good Things...", which brought the events of the series full circle to the original confrontation with Q. An interstellar anomaly that threatens all life in the universe forces Picard to leap from his present, past, and future to combat the threat. Picard was successfully able to show to Q that humanity could think outside of the confines of perception and theorize on new possibilities while still being prepared to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the greater good. The series ended with the crew of the Enterprise portrayed as feeling more like a family and paved the way for four consecutive motion pictures that continued the theme and mission of the series.
Episodes by season (1–4)
"Encounter at Farpoint" (Two-part episode)
"The Naked Now"
"Code of Honor"
"The Last Outpost"
"Where No One Has Gone Before"
"Lonely Among Us"
"Justice"
"The Battle"
"Hide and Q"
"Haven"
"The Big Goodbye" (Peabody Award Winner)
"Datalore"
"Angel One"
"11001001"
"Too Short a Season"
"When the Bough Breaks"
"Home Soil"
"Coming of Age"
"Heart of Glory"
"The Arsenal of Freedom"
"Symbiosis"
"Skin of Evil"
"We'll Always Have Paris"
"Conspiracy"
"The Neutral Zone"
"The Child"
"Where Silence Has Lease"
"Elementary, Dear Data"
"The Outrageous Okona"
"Loud as a Whisper"
"The Schizoid man"
"Unnatural Selection"
"A Matter of Honor"
"The Measure of a Man"
"The Dauphin"
"Contagion"
"The Royale"
"Time Squared"
"The Icarus Factor"
"Pen Pals"
"Q Who"
"Samaritan Snare"
"Up the Long Ladder"
"Manhunt"
"The Emissary"
"Peak Performance"
"Shades of Gray"
"Evolution"
"The Ensigns of Command"
"The Survivors"
"Who Watches the Watchers"
"The Bonding"
"Booby Trap"
"The Enemy"
"The Price"
"The Vengeance Factor"
"The Defector"
"The Hunted"
"The High Ground"
"Déjà Q"
"A Matter of Perspective"
"Yesterday's Enterprise"
"The Offspring"
"Sins of the Father"
"Allegiance"
"Captain's Holiday"
"Tin Man"
"Hollow Pursuits"
"The Most Toys"
"Sarek"
"Ménage à Troi"
"Transfigurations"
"The Best of Both Worlds" (Part 1)
"Family"
"Brothers"
"Suddenly Human"
"Reunion"
"Future Imperfect"
"Final Mission"
"The Loss"
"Data's Day"
"The Wounded"
"Devil's Due"
"Clues"
"First Contact"
"Galaxy's Child"
"Night Terrors"
"Identity Crisis"
"The Nth Degree"
"Qpid"
"The Drumhead"
"Half a Life"
"The Host"
"The Mind's Eye"
"In Theory"
"Redemption" (Part 1)
"Redemption (Part 2)
"Darmok"
"Ensign Ro"
"Silicon Avatar"
"Disaster"
"The Game"
"Unification" (Two-part episode)
"A Matter of Time"
"New Ground"
"Hero Worship"
"Violations"
"The Masterpiece Society"
"Conundrum"
"Power Play"
"Ethics"
"The Outcast"
"Cause and Effect"
"The First Duty"
"Cost of Living"
"The Perfect Mate"
"Imaginary Friend"
"I, Borg"
"The Next Phase"
"The Inner Light"
"Time's Arrow" (Part 1)
"Realm of Fear"
"Man of the People"
"Relics"
"Schisms"
"True Q"
"Rascals"
"A Fistful of Datas"
"The Quality of Life"
"Chain of Command" (Two-part episode)
"Ship in a Bottle"
"Aquiel"
"Face of the Enemy"
"Tapestry"
"Birthright" (Two-part episode)
"Starship Mine"
"Lessons"
"The Chase"
"Frame of Mind"
"Suspicions"
"Rightful Heir"
"Second Chances"
"Timescape"
"Descent" (Part 1)
"Liaisons"
"Interface"
"Gambit" (Two-part episode)
"Phantasms"
"Dark Page"
"Attached"
"Force of Nature"
"Inheritance"
"Parallels"
"The Pegasus"
"Homeward"
"Sub Rosa"
"Lower Decks"
"Thine Own Self"
"Masks"
"Eye of the Beholder"
"Genesis"
"Journey's End"
"Firstborn"
"Bloodlines"
"Emergence"
"Preemptive Strike"
"All Good Things..." (Two-part episode)
High-definition and Blu-ray projectEdit
In the 2010s, Star Trek: The Next Generation was re-produced in high definition (1080p) with a format of 4:3 (1.33:1).[51] TNG was shot on 35 mm film, which meant the film could be re-scanned to a higher resolution, however, many of the special effects had to be re-produced.[52] Also a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound option was created.[52]
Season 1 sold 95,000 units in its launch week in 2012.[53] In addition to the Blu-ray releases, the HD format was sold to many online streaming TV providers such as Netflix.[54] The Netflix version included some additional special effect improvements.[54] The Blu-ray sets include many special features and videos, such as a 1988 episode of Reading Rainbow where LeVar Burton (who plays Geordi on TNG) documents the making of a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode.[52]
In June 2016 a 41-disc set was released with over 8,000 minutes of TNG-content, including the entire show in 1080p (4:3).[55]
Main article: List of Star Trek: The Next Generation cast members
Patrick Stewart plays Captain Picard
Jonathan Frakes plays First Officer William Riker
Whoopi Goldberg portrays Guinan
Actor John de Lancie plays the role of the mysterious but powerful alien known as Q
MainEdit
Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard is the commanding officer of the USS Enterprise-D. Stewart also played the character in the pilot episode of Deep Space Nine and all four TNG theater films.
Jonathan Frakes as Commander William Riker is the ship's first officer. The Riker character was influenced by concepts for first officer Willard Decker in the Star Trek: Phase II television series.[4] Decker's romantic history with helmsman Ilia was mirrored in The Next Generation in the relationship between Riker and Deanna Troi.[4] Riker also appears in an episode each of Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise. In addition to William Riker, Frakes played William's transporter-created double, Thomas, in one episode each of The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge was initially the ship's helmsman, but the character became chief engineer beginning in the second season. Burton also played the character in an episode of Voyager.
Denise Crosby as Tasha Yar is the chief of security and tactical officer. Crosby left the series at the end of the first season, and the Yar character was killed. Yar returns in alternate timelines in the award-winning episode "Yesterday's Enterprise" and the series finale, "All Good Things...". Crosby also played Commander Sela, Yar's half-Romulan daughter.
Michael Dorn as Worf is a Klingon. Worf initially appears as a junior officer fulfilling several roles on the bridge. When Denise Crosby left at the end of the first season, the Worf character succeeded Lieutenant Yar as the ship's chief of security and tactical officer. Dorn reprised the role as a regular in seasons four through seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and also played another Klingon, also named Worf, in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; with 282 on-screen appearances, Dorn has the most appearances of any actor in the Star Trek franchise.[56]
Gates McFadden as Doctor Beverly Crusher (Season 1, Seasons 3–7) is the Enterprise's chief medical officer. As a fully certified bridge officer, Dr. Crusher had the ability to command the Enterprise if circumstances required her to do so. She also, on occasion, commanded night-watch shifts on the ship's main bridge to stay on top of starship operations. McFadden was fired after the first season, but was rehired for the third season[57] and remained for the remainder of the series.
Diana Muldaur as Doctor Katherine Pulaski (Season 2) was created to replace Dr. Crusher for the show's second season. Muldaur, who previously appeared in two episodes of the original Star Trek, never received billing in the opening credits; instead, she was listed as a special guest star during the first act.
Marina Sirtis as Lieutenant Commander Deanna Troi is the half-human, half-Betazoid ship's counselor. Starting in the season seven episode "Thine Own Self", Counselor Troi, having taken and completed the bridge-officer's test, is later promoted to the rank of commander, which allowed her to take command of the ship, and also perform bridge duties other than those of a ship's counselor. The character's relationship with first officer Riker was a carry-over from character ideas developed for Phase II.[4] Troi also appeared in later episodes of Voyager and in the finale of Enterprise.
Brent Spiner as Lieutenant Commander Data is an android who serves as second officer and operations officer. Data's "outsider's" perspective on humanity served a similar narrative purpose as Spock's in the original Star Trek.[4] Spiner also played his "brother", Lore, and his creator, Noonien Soong. In Enterprise, Spiner played Noonien's ancestor, Arik, and contributed a brief voiceover (heard over the Enterprise-D's intercom) in the Enterprise finale.
Wil Wheaton as Beverly Crusher's son Wesley becomes an acting ensign, and later receives a field commission to ensign, before attending Starfleet Academy. After being a regular for the first four seasons, Wheaton appeared sporadically as Wesley Crusher for the remainder of the series.
RecurringEdit
Majel Barrett as Lwaxana Troi, Federation ambassador and Deanna Troi's mother.
Brian Bonsall as Alexander Rozhenko, Worf's son.
Rosalind Chao as Keiko O'Brien, botanist until her transfer to Deep Space Nine in 2369.
Denise Crosby as Sela, Romulan commander and Tasha Yar's daughter.
John de Lancie as Q, a member of the Q-Continuum who frequently visits the USS Enterprise-D.
Jonathan Del Arco as Hugh, a Borg drone who was disconnected from the collective by Geordi La Forge and Beverly Crusher.
Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren, conn officer until her defection to the Maquis in 2370.
Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan, bartender hostess on the USS Enterprise-D.
Ashley Judd as Robin Lefler, engineering officer on the USS Enterprise-D.
Andreas Katsulas as Tomalak, a Romulan commander who has several encounters with the USS Enterprise-D.
Barbara March as Lursa, Klingon officer from the House of Duras and B'Etor's sister.
Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien, conn officer and later transporter chief until his transfer to Deep Space Nine in 2369.
Eric Menyuk as The Traveler, a member of a species from Tau Alpha C who mentors Wesley Crusher.
Lycia Naff as Sonya Gomez, engineering officer on the USS Enterprise-D.
Natalia Nogulich as Alynna Nechayev, flag officer in charge of Cardassian affairs.
Robert O'Reilly as Gowron, leader of the Klingon Empire.
Suzie Plakson as K'Ehleyr, Federation ambassador, mate to Worf and Alexander Rozhenko's mother until her death in 2367.
Dwight Schultz as Reginald Barclay, engineering officer until his transfer to Starfleet Communications in 2374.
Carel Struycken as Mr. Homn, Lwaxana Troi's attendant.
Tony Todd as Kurn, Klingon officer and Worf's brother.
Gwynyth Walsh as B'Etor, Klingon officer from the House of Duras and Lursa's sister.
Patti Yasutake as Alyssa Ogawa, medical officer and head nurse.
Ken Thorley as Mot, barber on the USS Enterprise-D.
For a more complete list, see List of Star Trek: The Next Generation cast members#Appearances
Enterprise-D Characters Season 1–7 (examples)
Captain Picard Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
William T Riker Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Data Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Worf Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Deanna Troi Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Geordi La Forge Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Beverly Crusher Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Katherine Pulaski No Yes No No No No No
Wesley Crusher Yes Yes Yes Yes 2 ep. No 2 ep.
Tasha Yar Yes No 1 ep. No No No 1 ep.
Guinan No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Story arcs and themesEdit
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2018)
Brent Spiner (left) stars as the android Data on the show and all four movies, and also plays Data's "father" (e.g. manufacturer) and "brother".
Star Trek had a number of story arcs within the larger story, and oftentimes different episodes contributed to two or more different story or character arcs. Some are epitomized by the aliens the characters interact with, for example, TNG introduced the Borg and the Cardassians. The Klingons and Romulans had been introduced in the original series (1966–1969); however, the Klingons were somewhat rebooted with a "turtle-head" look, although a retcon was given to explain this in an Enterprise episode. Other story arcs are epitomized by the appearances of a certain character such as Q or Ro Laren or by technology like the holodeck.
Certain episodes go deeper into the Klingon alien saga, which are famous for having an actual Klingon language made for them in the Star Trek universe. The Klingon stories usually involve Worf, but not all Worf-centric shows are focused on Klingons. The famous Duras sisters, a Klingon duo Lursa and B'Etor, were introduced on TNG in 1991 in the episode "Redemption" and they later appeared in the film Generations.
One of the science fiction technologies featured in Star Trek: The Next Generation was an artificial reality machine called the "Holodeck", and several award-winning episodes featured plots centering on the peculiarities of this device.[58] Some episodes focused on malfunctions in the holodeck, and in one case how a crew member became addicted to the environment created by the technology.[58] The dangers of technology that allows illusion is one of ongoing themes of Star Trek going back to the 1st pilot, "The Cage" where aliens' power of illusion to create an artificial reality is explored.[59] One of the plots is whether a character will confront a reality or retreat to a world of fantasy.[60]
See also: List of awards and nominations received by Star Trek: The Next Generation
Exhibit in Los Angeles featuring the crew quarters of Captain Picard (uniform shown)
The Next Generation's average of 20 million viewers often exceeded both existing syndication successes such as Wheel of Fortune and network hits including Cheers and L.A. Law. Benefiting in part from many stations' decision to air each new episode twice in a week, it consistently ranked in the top ten among hour-long dramas, and networks could not prevent affiliates from preempting their shows with The Next Generation or other dramas that imitated its syndication strategy.[22][18]:124 Star Trek: The Next Generation received 18 Emmy Awards and, in its seventh season, became the first and only syndicated television show to be nominated for the Emmy for Best Dramatic Series. It was nominated for three Hugo Awards and won two. The first-season episode "The Big Goodbye" also won the Peabody Award for excellence in television programming.
In 1997, the episode "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I" was ranked No. 70 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.[61] In 2002, Star Trek: The Next Generation was ranked #46 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time list,[62] and in 2008, was ranked No. 37 on Empire's list of the 50 greatest television shows.[63]
On October 7, 2006, one of the three original filming models of the USS Enterprise-D used on the show sold at a Christie's auction for US$576,000, making it the highest-selling item at the event.[64] The buyer of the piece was Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, owner of the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. The piece is on display within the Science Fiction Museum.
In 2012, Entertainment Weekly listed the show at No. 7 in the "25 Best Cult TV Shows from the Past 25 Years", saying, "The original Star Trek was cult TV before cult TV was even a thing, but its younger, sleeker offspring brought, yes, a new generation into the Trekker fold, and reignited the promise of sci-fi on television."[65] Although TNG did develop a cult following, it was noted for its prime-time general audience viewership also.[6]
The flute from "The Inner Light" was valued at only a few hundred to perhaps 1,000 USD when it went to auction, but was sold for over 40,000; in this case the auctioneers admitted they had underestimated the appeal of the prop.[66][67][67] In the days leading up to the auction, Denise Okuda, former Star Trek scenic artist and video supervisor, as well as co-writer of the auction catalog, said: "That's the item people say they really have to have, because it's so iconic to a much-beloved episode."[68]
DS9's "The Emissary", which came out half-way through season 6 of TNG achieved a Nielsen rating of 18.8.[69] Star Trek's ratings went into a steady decline starting with Season 6 of TNG, and the second to last episode of DS9 achieved a Nielsen rating of 3.9.[70]
In 2017, Vulture ranked Star Trek: The Next Generation the second best live-action Star Trek television show.[71]
Video gamesEdit
Video games based on The Next Generation TV series, movies, and characters include:
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Future's Past (1993), for the SNES
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Echoes from the Past (1993) a port of Future's Past for the Sega Genesis
Star Trek Generations: Beyond the Nexus (1994), for Nintendo Game Boy or Sega Game Gear
Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity (1995), for MS-DOS or Macintosh. A Final Unity sold 500,000 copies by 1996.[72]
Star Trek: Borg (1996), includes live action segments directed by James L. Conway and acting by John de Lancie as Q
Star Trek Generations (1997), for IBM PC
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Klingon Honor Guard (1998), for Mac and Windows 95 and 98
Star Trek: Hidden Evil (1999), for Windows 95 and 98
Star Trek Invasion (2000), for the PlayStation
Star Trek Armada (2000),[73] for Microsoft Windows 98
Star Trek: Armada II (2001)
Star Trek: Bridge Commander (2002)
Star Trek: Conquest (2007) (Wii, PlayStation 2)
The Enterprise and its setting is also in other Trekiverse games like Star Trek: Armada (2000). For example, in Star Trek: Armada voice actors from The Next Generation returned to their characters in the game including Patrick Stewart reprising the roles of Jean-Luc Picard and Locutus, Michael Dorn voiced Worf, Denise Crosby reprised Sela, and J. G. Hertzler[74] voiced Chancellor Martok. Several other voice actors who had been previously unaffiliated with Star Trek also voiced characters in the game, among them was Richard Penn.[75]
Star Trek: Armada II was set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation era of the Star Trek universe.[73]
Star Trek: Hidden Evil (1999) included voice acting by Brent Spiner as Data and Patrick Stewart as Picard,[76] and was a follow-up to the ninth Star Trek film Star Trek: Insurrection.[76]
Pinball machineEdit
The Williams corporation also released a pinball machine based on TNG.
Main article: Star Trek (film series)
Michael Dorn also had a scene as an ancestor of Worf in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. The Worf character would also continue for another 4 seasons on the DS9 spin-off TV show and was in all four TNG films.
Four films feature the characters of the series: Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).
An ancestor of Worf, also played by Dorn, also appeared in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.[77]
I think it was kind of an honor they had my character be sort of the link between the two series. It was wonderful to be working with the other cast (from the original Star Trek series). It was kind of a fantasy because who would have thought when I was watching the original show that I'd be working in the movie? Beyond that, it's like professionalism takes over and you just kind of do the best you can and not make yourself look bad.
— Dorn on his role in The Undiscovered Country[77]
Star Trek harnessed the emergence of home video technologies that rose to prominence in the 1980s as new revenue and promotion avenue.[78] Star Trek: The Next Generation had release in part or in full on VHS, Betamax, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray mediums.[78]
VHSEdit
All episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation were made available on VHS cassettes, starting in 1991. The entire series was gradually released on VHS over the next few years during the remainder of the show's run and after the show had ended.
The VHS for TNG were available on mail-order, with usually two episodes per VHS cassette.
BetaEdit
Some episodes had releases on the tape videocassette format Betamax.[78] Releases of all Betamax publications including those of the Star Trek: The Next Generation was halted in the early 1990s.[79]
LaserDiscEdit
Paramount published all episodes on the LaserDisc format from October 1991 using an extended release schedule that concluded in May 1999. Each disc featured two episodes with Closed Captions, Digital Audio, and CX encoding. Also published were four themed "collections", or boxed sets, of related episodes. These included The Borg Collective, The Q Continuum, Worf: Return to Grace, and The Captains Collection.[80]
There was a production error with episode 166, "Sub Rosa", where a faulty master tape was used that was missing 4½ minutes of footage. Though a new master copy of the episode was obtained, no corrected pressing of this disc was issued.[80]
Star Trek: The Next Generation was also released on LaserDisc in the non-US markets Japan and Europe. In Japan, all episodes were released in a series of 14 boxed sets (two boxed sets per season), and as with the US releases were in the NTSC format and ordered by production code. The European laserdiscs were released in the PAL format and included the ten two-part telemovies as well as a disc featuring the episodes Yesterday's Enterprise and Cause And Effect. The pilot episode, Encounter At Farpoint, was also included in a boxed set called Star Trek: The Pilots featuring the pilot episodes from Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager.
DVDEdit
The first season of the series was released on DVD in March 2002. Throughout the year the next six seasons were released at various times on DVD, with the seventh season being released in December 2002. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the series, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment released Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Complete Series on October 2, 2007. The DVD box set contains 49 discs. Between March 2006 and September 2008, "Fan Collective" editions were released containing select episodes of The Next Generation (and The Original Series, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager) based on various themes. The individual episodes were chosen by fans voting on StarTrek.com. In total, six "Fan Collectives" were produced, along with a boxed set containing the first five collectives. In April 2013 all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation were re-released in new packaging featuring a silhouette of a different cast member on each box. However, the discs contained the identical content that was previously released in 2002.
Blu-rayEdit
The original show was shot on high-quality 35mm film, but had to be downscaled before editing and postprocessing to standard '80s and '90s TV resolution (video quality) for broadcast. The show's final visual effects (e.g. all exterior shots of the starship Enterprise, phaser fire or beaming fade-ins and -outs) were also composed only in standard resolution video. All previous home video and DVD releases used this severely downscaled version. To include such footage on Blu-ray, using only upscaling, would have resulted in a larger but blurred image, so CBS decided to use a more detailed approach to bring the show to high definition. They also opted to adhere to the show's original 4:3 aspect ratio.
A news release on the official website announced on September 28, 2011, in celebration of the series' twenty-fifth anniversary, that Star Trek: The Next Generation would be completely re-mastered in 1080p high definition from the original 35 mm film negatives (consisting of almost 25,000 reels of original film stock). All the visual effects for each episode would be digitally recomposed from original large-format negatives and newly created CGI shots. The release would be accompanied by 7.1 DTS Master Audio.
An initial disc featuring the episodes "Encounter at Farpoint", "Sins of the Father", and "The Inner Light" was released on January 31, 2012 under the label "The Next Level". The six-disc first season set was released on July 24, 2012.[81] The remaining seasons were released periodically thereafter, culminating in the release of the seventh season on December 2, 2014.
The entire re-mastered series is available on Blu-ray as individual seasons, and as a 41-disc box set titled The Full Journey. Eventually, all remastered episodes will also be available for television syndication and digital distribution.[82] Mike Okuda believes this is the largest film restoration project ever attempted.[83]
Release date[84]
Season One July 24, 2012 Documentaries "Energized!" (about the VFX remastering) and "Stardate Revisited" (Origin)
Season Two December 4, 2012 Extended version of "The Measure of a Man", Reunification: reunion interview with entire TNG cast.
Season Three April 30, 2013 Inside the Writer's Room, Resistance is Futile: Assimilating TNG, A Tribute to Michael Piller
Season Four July 30, 2013 In Conversation: The Star Trek Art Department, Relativity: The Family Saga of Star Trek TNG, Deleted scenes
Season Five November 19, 2013 In Conversation: The Music of TNG, Requiem: A Remembrance of TNG, Deleted scenes
Season Six June 24, 2014 Beyond the Five Year Mission- The Evolution of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deleted scenes
Season Seven December 2, 2014 The Sky's the Limit – The Eclipse of Star Trek: The Next Generation, In Conversation: Lensing Star Trek: The Next Generation, deleted scenes
Standalone episodesEdit
When TNG was re-made into 1080p, several episodes were released as stand-alone single show Blu-ray products.[85] Of the most famous episode pairs “The Best of Both Worlds” is split between two seasons, whereas the standalone product includes parts 1 and 2.[86] The Best of Both Worlds single was released in April 2013 coinciding with the release of Season 3.[87] Other singles of TNG HD include the two part shows "Redemption", "Unification", "Chain of Command", and "All Good Things…".[87]
"The Measure of a Man" HD extended cutEdit
Main article: The Measure of a Man (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
"The Measure of a Man" was released in HD in 2012 with an extended cut.[88] The extended version includes an extra 13 minutes of footage as well as recreated special effects.[89] It was released as part of the Season 2 collection set.
Streaming and BroadcastsEdit
In the 2010s Star Trek: The Next Generation is known to be offered on various streaming video services in this period including, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Apple iTunes, and CBS All Access, under various qualities and terms.[87][90] One service stated that by 2017 the most re-watched episodes of Star Trek:The Next Generation among the most re-watched Star Trek franchise shows in their offerings, were "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I", "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II", "Q Who", and "Clues".[91] Streaming offerings were noted for binge watching, including Star Trek: The Next Generation 178 episodes among the overall 726 episodes and 12 movies that had been released prior to Star Trek: Discovery in late 2017.[92]
In the 2010s, Star Trek: The Next Generation was aired on the television channels BBC America and Heros & Icons.[93] Unlike on-demand service, in general channels play a pre-planned sequence of shows that air at certain times, regardless of whether the audience watches.
Spin-offs and the franchiseEdit
Re-creation of the TNG starship bridge for Star Trek: The Exhibition
Star Trek: The Next Generation spawned different media set in its universe, which was primarily the 2370s but set in the same universe as first Star Trek TV shows of the 1960s. This included the aforementioned films, computer games, board games, theme parks, etc. In the 2010s there were rumors of a Captain Worf spin-off, the bridge officer that debuted on TNG and was also featured in the TNG spin-off show Deep Space Nine.[94]
Star Trek TNG-era novels (examples):
The Children of Hamlin
Dark Mirror
Death in Winter
The Devil's Heart
I, Q
Immortal Coil
The Peacekeepers
Star Trek: The Q Continuum
Q-in-Law
Rogue Saucer
Star Trek: The Lost Era
Star Trek: Typhon Pact
Star Trek: Stargazer
Strike Zone
Star Trek: A Time to...
Star Trek: Titan
"These Are The Voyages..." (2005)Edit
Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis returned to their The Next Generation roles for the series finale of Enterprise.
In 2005, the last episode of "Enterprise" called "These Are the Voyages..." (S4E22) featured a holodeck simulation on the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) from Star Trek: The Next Generation during the events of the episode "The Pegasus" and the return of Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis).[95] It was written by Berman and Braga, who noted "... this was a very cool episode because it has a great concept driving it".[96]
Star Trek: Enterprise was the TV show launched following the conclusion of Star Trek: Voyager and was set 100 years before TOS and 200 years before TNG, in addition to including some soft reboot elements with an all new cast. Some episodes connected to TNG directly including guest stars by Brent Spiner and connections to the events in TNG's fictional universe. The three-episode story arc consisting of "Borderland", "Cold Station 12", and "The Augments", with a Soong ancestor portrayed by The Next Generation regular Brent Spiner provides some backstory to Data's origins. Also, the Enterprise episode "Affliction" also helps explain the smooth-headed Klingons that sometimes appeared, a retcon that helped explain this varying presentation between TOS, TNG, and the films.
Star Trek would not return to television as a show for over 12 years, until the debut of Star Trek: Discovery on CBS, but thereafter exclusively available on the internet service CBS All Access (Netflix internationally) at that time. The film franchise was rebooted in 2009, essentially a grafted on fork off of the timeline known in Star Trek: The Next Generation. That movie contains an event from the TNG timeline, which is the destruction of Romulus and the flight of Spock's special shift to the time fork. In the Star Trek franchise, witnessing the events of time shenanigans is a common plot device.
The return of PicardEdit
Main article: Picard (TV series)
On August 4, 2018, Patrick Stewart stated on social media that he would return to the role of Jean-Luc Picard in a project with CBS All Access.[97]
Stewart wrote, "I will always be very proud to have been a part of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but when we wrapped that final movie in the spring of 2002, I truly felt my time with Star Trek had run its natural course. It is, therefore, an unexpected but delightful surprise to find myself excited and invigorated to be returning to Jean-Luc Picard and to explore new dimensions within him. Seeking out new life for him, when I thought that life was over.
"During these past years, it has been humbling to hear stories about how The Next Generation brought people comfort, saw them through difficult periods in their lives or how the example of Jean-Luc inspired so many to follow in his footsteps, pursuing science, exploration and leadership. I feel I'm ready to return to him for the same reason – to research and experience what comforting and reforming light he might shine on these often very dark times. I look forward to working with our brilliant creative team as we endeavor to bring a fresh, unexpected and pertinent story to life once more."
It is believed that the new project will be a continuation of the story after Star Trek: Nemesis, and will not be a reboot of the series' storyline as was done with the J.J. Abrams Star Trek films.
In January 2019, the producer said that Picard series will answer questions about what happened to Captain Picard in the 20 years after.[98]
ContextEdit
This infographic shows the first-run production timeline of various Star Trek franchise shows and films, including Star Trek: The Next Generation
Science Fiction portal
Star Trek portal
Cultural influence of Star Trek
List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes
List of comic books based on Star Trek: The Next Generation
List of Star Trek Starfleet starships
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^ "StarTrek.com Biography of Ira Steven Behr". Retrieved February 6, 2010.
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^ "A Q&A with astronaut Mae Jemison, first black woman in space".
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^ "[TNG] Season 7 Ratings Archive". February 10, 2001. Archived from the original on February 10, 2001.
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^ Svetkey, Benjamin (May 6, 1994). "Star Trek: The Next Generation readies for last episode". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
^ Liptak, Andrew (September 10, 2016). "13 science fiction authors on how Star Trek influenced their lives". The Verge.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation on IMDb
Star Trek: The Next Generation at TV.com
Star Trek: The Next Generation at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
Star Trek: The Next Generation at Memory Beta
Star Trek: The Next Generation at CBS.com
Star Trek: The Next Generation on Hulu.com
Star Trek: The Next Generation at TV Guide
TrekCore.com – Library of DVD screen captures (still images) from every episode of The Next Generation.
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Shampoo Brush 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
Deodorant, Single Use 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Deodorant, 1.6 Oz 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1
Deodorant, Max Security 0.5oz 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Envelopes, Stamped 5 5 5 5 5 8 0 5 5 5 5
Paper, Notebook/Lined 10 10 20 10 10 10 0 20 10 10 10
Pen, Flexible 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1
Pencil, Regular #2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Razor Single Blade Clear 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
Razor, Security Small Orange 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
All In One, clear 8.45oz 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Shampoo, Single Use 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Shampoo, Clear, 8oz 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1
Shampoo, Max Security 2oz 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Soap, Bar, .5 oz 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Soap, Bar, 3 oz 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1
Toothbrush, Short Handle, 3-1/4" 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
Toothbrush, Flexible 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1
Toothpaste, Clear, 4.6 oz 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1
Toothpaste, Max Security 0.6oz 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Nail Clipper without file 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
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An 1830s Pleasure Trip to the Isle of Wight, U.K.
This cartographic journey features 41 copperplate engravings depicting scenic landscapes and buildings on the Isle of Wight (Latin: Vectis). The engravings, the overview map and the written guide were all created and published by longtime Wight resident George Brannon (1784-1860) in his promotional travel book Vectis Scenery, which was "published annually between 1821 and 1875, and then intermittently until about 1884 upon demand" (Ken Hicks). The work was continued by his son Alfred after Brannon's retirement in 1857.
An innovative publishing entrepeneur, Brannon also published various additional maps and tourist books of the Isle of Wight as well as individual prints of his engravings (including many that were not included in this 1840 edition).
Each depicted view is accurately located on the overview map and accompanied by its date (either of composition or first printing), title and by Brannon's longer description taken from the book, which is written in a promotional style and often features quotations adapted from contemporary poetry. Brannon, being his own printer, also created eye-catching banners using varied and unusual typefaces and cursive script.
Vectis Scenery was an ambitious and complex multimedia project for its time, and thus a worthy and appropriate target for this new digital adaptation.
—Andrew Taylor, 12/12/16
http://www.renlyon.org/vectis-scenery.html
The Brannon Collection
Andrew Taylor
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John Adams’ ‘Absolute Jest’ in San Francisco
By admin on March 16, 2012 | Category: Press | No Comments
By Mark Swed | Los Angeles Times
When John Adams was a young composer and conductor in San Francisco in the early ’70s, he would often perform the experimental music of John Cage and other radicals, which was the hip thing to do at the time. But he has said that all that avant-garde business could leave him musically dissatisfied, and he’d go home and put on recordings of late Beethoven string quartets.
That is essentially what he does in a provocative new orchestral piece — an Adams-ized mélange of late Beethoven — commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony as part of music director Michael Tilson Thomas’ American Mavericks festival here.
The premiere at Davies Symphony Hall on Thursday night was sandwiched between just such radical ’70s pieces as Cage’s anarchic “Song Books” Wednesday and Feldman’s opaque Piano and Orchestra, which followed Adams on Thursday’s program.
So is Adams merely reliving his youth, or is he perhaps a maverick’s maverick, rebelling against the festival’s prevalent progressive spirit? The wise-guy title of the new piece is “Absolute Jest.” And it’s a great entertainment, as long as you don’t think too hard about it.
The score is Adams’ first major orchestral work since his ambitious “City Noir,” which Gustavo Dudamel premiered with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2009. Written for the St. Lawrence String Quartet and the San Francisco orchestra, “Absolute Jest” is based on fragments from the scherzos of two Beethoven quartets, Opp. 131 and 135, and the Ninth Symphony.
With Beethoven bits bouncing off the walls, “Absolute Jest” has all the chugging rhythmic and contrapuntal complexity expected of Adams. Beethoven’s mind-boggling “Grosse Fuge” was another reference point and seemed to be Adams’ real jumping-off point. His use of the orchestra was ever imaginative and surprising. Piano, harp and cowbells were tuned in pure, or just, intonation, which helped connect Beethoven to the maverick sound of Lou Harrison and Terry Riley.
Adams has been down these roads before. Throughout his career, he has attempted in his own music to come to terms with composers in history. The most original and meaningful examples are the operas “The Death of Klinghoffer,” “El Niño” and “Flowering Tree,” which are, respectively, modeled after (but do not quote) Bach’s passions, Handel’s “Messiah” and Mozart’s “Magic Flute.”
There is also a trickster side to Adams, although it has been suppressed of late as he has ascended through the ranks of living American classical composers to reach, at the age of 65, the top spot. “Absolute Jest” seems, however, as much a trickster piece as “Grand Pianola Music” was in the ’80s when it thumbed and thumped its nose at Modernism in the ’80s.
But if “Absolute Jest” treads, in the context of the Mavericks concerts, old ground (Lukas Foss’ 1967 Bach-based “Phorion” was given the night before), it got a hot performance under Tilson Thomas. Subtle amplification is part of the postmodern package and the jumpy St. Lawrence was so energized that you might have thought sound designer Mark Grey had wired the quartet’s seats.
The three other works Thursday were noteworthy as well. The program began with a premiere by another composer who, like Adams, lives in the East Bay. Mason Bates’ “Mass Transmission,” for chorus, organ and electronica, looks at how the telephone and early radio connected people across the planet but created a new kind of global loneliness in the process.
In terrific texts, taken from the Dutch Telegraph Office and from the Dutch East-Indies, a mother in Holland and her child in Java anxiously communicate through early technology, the distance miraculously bridged but also exaggerated in the process. The San Francisco Symphony Chorus lovingly intoned these texts, which organist Paul Jacobs underscored with drones. More interesting, though, were Bates’ beats, which he applied to his sampling of wheezy old radios and Javanese gamelan. Donato Cabrera was the conductor.
After intermission, Tilson Thomas led an ethereally quiet and too-beautiful-for-words account of Feldman’s Piano and Orchestra, and then he raised a ruckus with Varèse’s “Amériques.”
Emanuel Ax was the inspired soloist for Feldman’s meditative study of disjointed chords and single instrumental tones in unpredictable painterly patterns. Ax’s plush tone and intense focus created the sensation of floating in air and yet being somehow rooted to the earth. Time felt as though it stood still and yet the piece seemed to be over in an instant. I can explain none of this. The experience was exceptional.
Enough quiet. Varèse was said to have found Feldman precious. In “Amériques,” he utilized a huge orchestra with a very noticeable percussion section. Stravinsky and Debussy were major influences on his 1927 score, while the percussion was something wild and original. Many players wore white earplugs to protect themselves from machine-age noisiness. But their playing was, as it was all evening, arresting.
Download Flyer (PDF)
Download Critical Acclaim (PDF)
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Photo gallery January, 2018
Meeting with Prime Minister of Belgium Charles Michel.
At a meeting with Russian athletes to compete in 23rd Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang.
The President examined a thematic exhibit timed to coincide with the military-practical conference on the results of the special operation in Syria.
The President examined a thematic exhibit timed to coincide with the military-practical conference on the results of the special operation in Syria. With artistic director and director of the State Academic Mariinsky Theatre Valery Gergiev.
After signing ceremony for the General Agreement between national associations of trade unions, national associations of employers, and the Russian Federation Government for 2018–2020.
Signing ceremony for the General Agreement between national associations of trade unions, national associations of employers, and the Russian Federation Government for 2018–2020.
With Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu.
During a tour of the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Centre. With Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and President of the Federation of Jewish Communities Alexander Boroda (right).
The first stone of the memorial to commemorate Resistance heroes in Nazi concentration camps and Jewish ghettos was laid on the grounds of the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Centre. With Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar (right), President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia Alexander Boroda (left) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Centre Viktor Vekselberg.
Vladimir Putin met with the KAMAZ-Master Team and congratulated them on winning the Dakar Rally. KAMAZ-Master Team presented Vladimir Putin with a replica of the first prize of the race and a model of the KAMAZ truck used in the rally.
With President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, right, and Tattelecom Director General Lutfulla Shafigullin.
During a visit to the Institute for Fundamental Medicine and Biology of Kazan Federal University.
At Forward Together national forum of student clubs.
With participants of the Forward Together national forum of student clubs.
With the staff of the Gorbunov Aviation Factory in Kazan.
With Chairman of the Central Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Russia and Chief Mufti Talgat Tadzhuddin, Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Volga Federal District Mikhail Babich.
Visiting the First Ufa Cathedral Mosque. With Chairman of the Central Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Russia and Chief Mufti Talgat Tadzhuddin (right), Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov (left) and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Volga Federal District Mikhail Babich.
Talking to staff of the United Engine Corporation – Ufa Engine Industrial Association.
Visiting the United Engine Corporation – Ufa Engine Industrial Association.
Visiting the Vysotsky House in Taganka Museum Centre. With young actors involved in the production “Hello, Vladimir Vysotsky.”
Attending a rehearsal of the production “Hello, Vladimir Vysotsky” at the Vysotsky House in Taganka Museum Centre.
Visiting the Vysotsky House in Taganka Museum Centre. With Director of the Museum Centre Nikita Vysotsky, Vladimir Vysotsky’s son.
Visiting the Vysotsky House in Taganka Museum Centre. With Lyudmila Abramova, Vladimir Vysotsky’s second wife.
Vladimir Putin held talks with President of Argentina Mauricio Macri, who arrived in Russia on an official visit.
Vladimir Putin took a dip in Lake Seliger to mark Epiphany.
The President attended a church service to commemorate the Feast of Epiphany.
Meeting with veterans and youth organisation members.
Before a meeting with veterans and youth organisation members.
At Proryv [Breakthrough] Panorama Museum.
At Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery.
At a meeting with participants of the Forum of Small Towns and Historical Settlements.
During a visit to the Kolomna Perinatal Centre.
The President visited the training module of the Kolomna Perinatal Centre. Centre’s head doctor Natalya Alimova gives explanations about training simulation.
Meeting with heads of Russian print media and news agencies.
In the editorial office of the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper befor the meeting with heads of Russian print media and news agencies.
With school students, authors of the best compositions on the subject Russia Focused on the Future.
At the Tver Carriage Works.
At Christmas mass at the Church of St. Symeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess.
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Board index ‹ Caribbean Travel & News Forums ‹ St. Kitts and Nevis Travel Forum
Jack Tar Reopens
Travel & news discussion about St. Kitts & Nevis
by liz pereira » Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:25 pm
http://www.sunstkitts.com/paper/?asknw=view
liz pereira
Royal St. Kitts Hotel
www.royalstkittshotel.com
by liz pereira » Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:02 pm
They are currently closed for renovations.
Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino
by liz pereira » Wed Jan 30, 2008 5:13 pm
Frigate Bay, St. Kitts (January 30, 2008) – Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino, a family-run business formerly known as Jack Tar Village for over 20 years, is back with a new look, feel, and focus on Kittitian Culture, and it’s making this apparent on its website www.royalstkittshotel.com.
The company, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is also making an impression.
“I am extremely impressed with this attractive and compelling website,” Robert Kelly, Director of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority’s New York Office, wrote in an e-mail to Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino.
On Monday, January 28, Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino changed the name of the “News” section on its website to “Media”. The name change reflects the multimedia elements that are now featured in the “Media” section to complement the company press releases and news stories on St. Kitts-Nevis.
Now, visitors to www.royalstkittshotel.com can click on “Media” to view Royal St. Kitts promotional materials, such as its new TV commercial, as well as print photos that Garth Archibald, Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino’s photographer, took between October 2007 and January 2008.
The St. Kitts Tourism Authority Director in New York, Mr. Kelly added that, “A picture certainly tells a thousand words! Royal St. Kitts has never looked so good.”
New photographs were posted last week on www.royalstkittshotel.com, adding to pictures already on the website.
The pictures showcase Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino refurbishments, such as: a sign at the front of the hotel that features St. Kitts and Nevis’ national flower and Royal St. Kitts’ new logo, the Royal Poinciana; as well as a rich, tropical palette on the exterior and interior of the main building that – coupled with chic, understated touches to décor, such as the placement of British Colonial furniture in the lobby – adds to the charm and “island casual” feel of the lush 18-acre hotel property.
More than 60 photographs are being displayed on www.royalstkittshotel.com, many of them showing the hotel’s extensive amenities, which include the Royal St. Kitts Casino, with more than 100 slot machines and traditional and contemporary favourites like Texas hold ‘em; the Lime Beach Bar & Grill on the Atlantic beach, the Cane Club, two swimming pools, a private lake, a buffet-style restaurant, an a la carte restaurant, six bars; including two poolside snack bars, and four tennis courts.
There are also pictures on www.royalstkittshotel.com highlighting the scenic beauty and vibrant culture of St. Kitts and Nevis, for instance on the Destination Page.
In November 2007, www.royalstkittshotel.com was developed by the business development company SKNVibes.com. It is conceptualized, managed, and written in-house at Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino.
Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino has 282 charming guest rooms dispersed over more than 30 two-storey buildings; 156 refurbished rooms are ready to welcome our guests.
Return to St. Kitts and Nevis Travel Forum
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Five of the Most Popular Cannabis Stocks to Watch in 2019
It’s become tough to ignore the cannabis story. Over the last year, Canada approved its recreational use. More U.S. states are legalizing. Corporate America is using CBD and hemp oil in everything from lotions and pain balm to beverages. President Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill into law. Congress has even submitted a cannabis bill that could legalize cannabis at the federal level. Even better, according to Arcview Market Researcher and BDS Analytics, global spending on cannabis is expected to rocket 38% this year to $16.9 billionup from $12.2 billion in 2018. Along the way, it’s creating sizable sales opportunity for several companies, including The Yield Growth Corp. (CSE:BOSS) (OTC:BOSQF), Aleafia Health Inc. (TSX-V:ALEF) (OTC:ALEAF), The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX:TGOD) (OTC:TGODF), Canopy Rivers Inc. (TSX-V:RIV)( OTC:CNPOF), and Charlotte’s Web Holdings Inc. (CSE:CWEB) (OTC:CWBHF).
The Yield Growth Corp.(CSE:BOSS)(OTCQB:BOSQF) BREAKING NEWS: The Yield Growth Corp. just announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Wright & Well, has developed a dedicated line of CBD products which are set to be manufactured in California this summer. The collection contains less than 0.3% THC, in compliance with the US Farm Bill for legal sale across the United States. The new Wright & Well CBD line includes CBD Full Spectrum Tinctures, Body Balm, Body Gel and Body Oil. Yield Growth approaches product development with uncompromising quality. The unique formulations of the balm, gel and oils are founded on Ayurvedic wellness principals, and include as a key ingredient Cannabis Sativa Root Extract, made using Yield Growth subsidiary Urban Juve’s patent pending extraction technology.
The CBD products will be manufactured at an FDA registered laboratory and manufacturing facility in California which follows cGMP guidelines. Yield Growth is currently building a CBD product-specific B2C e-commerce website to take consumer orders, and a B2B portal to process retail orders as well. These orders will be routed through Yield Growth’s existing enterprise resource planning system, which will then generate shipping orders to a fulfillment center in California. This development will be built using the underlying architecture of the recently launched fully functional e-commerce platform www.urbanjuve.com.
“The supply chain and manufacturing and fulfillment processes we have set up in California are scalable and will allow us to manufacture and sell many CBD products beyond our Wright & Well brand,” says Penny Green, Yield Growth CEO, “Within a few months we will have product manufacturing and distribution channels set up for all 3 legal streams in the cannabis industry: non-cannabinoid hemp, hemp derived CBD, and full THC. We are now in talks with potential licensing and joint venture partners to allow us to grow our business at an accelerated rate.” For more information about BOSS, please visit: https://yieldgrowth.com/investors/
Other cannabis-related developments from around the markets include:
Aleafia Health Inc. (TSX-V:ALEF)(OTCQX:ALEAF) just completed the largest adult-use cannabis order in the company’s history. The Order is scheduled to depart from the Company’s facility with delivery to a Canadian provincial government for distribution to online and retail consumers. It will contain the company’s branded Symbl oils, oral sprays and dried flower products. The value of the Order is expected to generate proceeds from the sale of cannabis exceeding $0.7 million. In the first 38 days of Q2 2019, including the revenue to be obtained from the Order, the Company has received adult-use cannabis product orders from three Canadian provincial governments of over $1.2 million in gross revenue, representing significant growth when compared to the sale of cannabis revenues generated during 2018. “We are extremely pleased to report the largest ever cannabis sale in our Company’s history,” said Aleafia Health CEO Geoffrey Benic. “Furthermore, with our Niagara Greenhouse and Outdoor Grow expansion in a plant-ready state, the assets are now in place to scale our cannabis health and wellness vision exponentially and build on today’s results.”
The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd.(TSX:TGOD)(OTCQX:TGODF) just obtained approval from Health Canada, under the Cannabis Regulations, to expand operations into its new state-of-the-art building located in Hamilton, Ontario. The 20,000 square feet indoor facility is going to be used for cannabis cultivation; planting will start in the coming weeks. “This is yet another important milestone for our team as we continue to ramp up production with a focus on executional excellence,” commented Brian Athaide, CEO of TGOD. “We have pioneered the concept of sustainably growing all-natural, certified organic cannabis at scale. The product we are able to offer Canadians is clean, pesticide-free and undeniably premium.” The newly built facility is the second of three buildings at TGOD’s Hamilton site, which will have a total size of 166,000 square feet when all are completed later this summer, and an annual production capacity of 17,500 kgs.
Canopy Rivers Inc.(TSX-V:RIV)(OTCPK:CNPOF) just announced that its portfolio company, Agripharm Corp.has received its outdoor cultivation license from Health Canada. Agripharm will be growing its first outdoor crop this summer at its Creemore, Ontario location using award-winning genetics. “We are pleased to see Agripharm diversify its operations and increase its growing capacity with the grant of this outdoor cultivation license,” said Oliver Dufourmantelle, Chief Operating Officer of Canopy Rivers. “Agripharm’s outdoor production is ahead of the curve with support from Green House Brands, which provides decades of experience in choosing, and successfully growing, the best genetics for open-air crops.”
Charlotte’s Web Holdings Inc. (CSE:CWEB) (OTCQX:CWBHF) just announced today that the Underwritersof its previously-announced underwritten public offering of 7,000,000 common shares of the Company sold by certain current shareholders at a price of C$20.00 per share have exercised in full their option to purchase an additional 1,050,000 common shares from the Selling Shareholders at the Offering Price. The gross proceeds to the Selling Shareholders under the exercise of this over-allotment will be C$21,000,000, and together with the gross proceeds from the initial closing on May 15, 2019 of C$140,000,000, the aggregate gross proceeds of the offering will be $161,000,000.
DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates Financialnewsmedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third- party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM expects to be compensated forty-six hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press release issued by The Yield Growth Corp. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.
email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com
SOURCE Financialnewsmedia.com
Medical Marijuana, Inc. Subsidiary Kannaway® Announces First-Ever Authorization in Bulgaria to Sell Hemp-Derived CBD Products
FARMACEUTICALRX™ Positioned to Become Leader in Medical Marijuana Innovation with Ohio Cultivation License
Privateer Holdings Announces Additional $100M Capital Raise
Seay word January 26, 2018 May 20, 2019
Spectrum Cannabis Announces the Launch of Color-Coded Cannabinoid Softgels
Maricann Group Inc. Receives Their GMP Certification with the European Medicines Agency
DEA Gives CBD Derived Pharmaceutical, Epidiolex, Approval as a...
Editor September 27, 2018
USMJ Announces 8% Growth From Core Operations Before Contributions...
creativemind February 20, 2019
Marijuana Company of America Launches New CBD Infused Cosmetic...
Editor June 19, 2018 May 19, 2019
Editor October 15, 2018 May 20, 2019
October 15, 2018 May 20, 2019 0
District Cannabis, The Most Trusted Provider of Medical Cannabis in the Nation’s Capital, Announces New Executive Leadership and Future Expansion...
GW Pharma to Raise $300M Via Public Offering
Editor October 2, 2018 July 16, 2019
October 2, 2018 July 16, 2019 0
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This section includes websites, radio programme, and periodical publishers' links.
WEBSITES - These sites are among the best and most interesting to use for furthering research into Scottish family history. For more detailed research Members can make enquiries to the Durie Family Genealogist.
The world’s largest online resource for family history, documents and family trees
The site offers four billion records available to research taken from historical censuses of England, Wales and Scotland from 1841-1911; birth, marriage and death indexes from 1837-2005; extensive military records; passenger lists; and immigration and emigration records; also court, land, will and financial records and information from newspapers and periodicals.
www.nrscotland.gov.uk
National Records of Scotland
The official website of the National Records of Scotland (NRS). The NRS holds historical records created by businesses, landed estates, families, churches and other corporate bodies. Two related sites - www.scan.org.uk and www.nas.gov.uk/nras give access to other archives, public and private.
www.nls.uk
The National Library of Scotland
This is the world's leading research library for the study of Scotland and the Scots. Particularly interesting areas of this site are maps (back to the 1500s) and street and county directories
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
Scotland’s People - The official Scottish genealogy resource
This is one of the largest online sources of original genealogy information offering almost 80 million records for those researching UK genealogy, Scottish ancestry or for building a Scottish family tree. Information is taken from Scottish census records, Scottish wills, birth and death certificates.
www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk
Scotland’s Places – Make the connection.
Search across different national databases using geographic locations by place name, county or coordinates, or use the mapping in the website. Partners in this project include the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) and the National Library of Scotland (NLS). Resources displayed include maps and plans of places and public buildings, photographs of the built environment, archaeological reports on historic and prehistoric sites and manuscript records and printed books from millions of pages in government and private records, including historical tax rolls, lists of owners of land and heritages, and more.
www.heraldry-scotland.co.uk
The Heraldry Society of Scotland was founded in 1977 with the object of promoting the study of heraldry and encouraging its correct use in Scotland and overseas.
www.one-name.org
The Guild of One-Name Studies (Surnames-R-us!), the world's leading organisation for surname studies, is a charitable body bringing together those with an interest in one-name studies. Such studies are projects researching facts about a surname, all the people who have held it as opposed to a particular pedigree (the ancestors of one person) or descendancy (the descendants of one person or couple).
https://www.scotsmagazine.com/
Scots Magazine
The oldest magazine in the world still in publication. Discover the best of Scottish culture here!
https://scotlandmag.com
Scotland Magazine
A bi-monthly magazine and online information source for all those who love Scottish history, heritage and travel,
www.highlandermagazine.com
The Highlander Magazine
Believed to be the oldest and most widely read Scottish-American community magazine covering all aspects of Scottish life, past and present. Each 80 page issue published every other month contains colourful articles on personalities, places and events in Scottish history plus reports on the activities of the Scottish-American community today.
www.scottishbanner.com
The Scottish Banner
Advertised as the Scottish community's favourite international monthly publication specifically for ex-pat Scots or those with an interest in Scottish culture and tradition. Available for 36 years nationally across Australia, Canada, New Zealand and USA and by world-wide subscription service. The Scottish Banner offers stories on Scottish current affairs, history and heritage, genealogy, Scottish club and society news, event listings, piping features and much more. It publishes two distinct international editions each month, one for the Canadian and American Scottish market and one for Australia nd New Zealand
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ETSU Dept of Media+Communication
ETSU Language & Culture Resource Center
Quinceañera: A young girl takes her first steps into womanhood
Written by Felicia Lambdin
Once her Mass is complete, Leslie's celebration begins. Bobby Michael
Under the wooden rafters of Notre Dame Catholic Church in Greeneville, Tenn., a young girl walks slowly up the aisle on the way to her womanhood. She is flanked by her mother and stepfather, and she follows a procession of young ladies in slim red dresses and gentlemen in white Navy officer’s uniforms. Her dress is bright red and voluminous. A silver tiara sits atop her head. Her name is Leslie, and today is her day; today is her quinceañera.
The quinceañera is the traditional Mexican celebration of a young girl’s passing from childhood into adulthood. It is held for girls in honor of their 15th birthday, and usually consists of two parts, a Mass and a reception.
“Now I feel like God is always with me, and I can count on my family,” Leslie said afterward. “I feel better and much happier now.”
Leslie also learned religious responsibility from the Catholic sisters who helped her prepare for her church celebration.
“I had to go to a class on Mondays and Sundays where we talked about God,” she said. Leslie said she learned more from the classes as the day of her quinceañera grew closer.
“In their culture … the recognition is that they are coming of age,” saidFather John Appiah, who presided over Leslie’s Mass. “It’s not permission to do anything and everything you want, but it is rededicating of oneself in the church.”
Some Catholics see the focus changing from the spiritual to the material as the tradition becomes more Americanized. Today celebrations often include costly decorations, multiple bands and chauffeured limousines. The church believes that quinceañeras should have a deep spiritual impact on the girls, and should be taken in a more serious manner. In most churches the girls must go through some sort of special preparation. Girls might learn more about their faith or do service in the community.
“We all tend to concentrate on material things, myself included,” said Appiah, who celebrates quinceañeras throughout East Tennessee. “The core message is to concentrate on your spiritual life because ultimately that is most important.”
The tradition of quinceañeras dates as far back as Incan and Aztec cultures. At a certain point in their adolescence, young girls were expected to become fully functioning members of society, and were given more responsibility in the home. After the Spanish Conquest of Central and South America, the Spaniards blended this tradition with the Catholic religion. This formed the quinceañera as we see it today.
"[The girl] should see herself as a young woman, not a child, take herself seriously, and abide by abstinence until marriage,” said Lourdes Garza, director of Hispanic ministry in the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville.
Planning for a quinceañera usually starts as soon as a girl is born. The family and godparents save up money until the girl is of age. Actual preparations could take anywhere from six months to a year and a half. Dances have to be learned, decorations decided upon, cakes ordered, and in some cases, dresses made.
The theme of any given quinceañera depends upon the personality of the girl. For example, Leslie’s 17-year-old sister Delilah had a more traditional quinceañera, with a light pink dress and boys dressed as cowboys. Leslie’s mother, Linda, said she wanted Delilah to have a traditional quinceañera because many of her American friends had never seen that part of their culture. Leslie wanted to be like a Disney princess at her party, said Linda. At one point she even danced to a song from the animated film “Mulan.”
“I was most excited about the cake and ‘el baile del dinero’ [the money dance],” said Leslie, grinning.
A quinceañera can be a financial strain on a family if they haven’t carefully budgeted for it. However, many options are available to families wanting to save money, such as hand-making decorations, cakes and food. They can also rely on help from friends and family, who share expenses as sponsors. Hidden costs that may not have been initially anticipated are likely to come up. Linda, who made most of the decorations, said she spent $150 on food every weekend that the boys and girls practiced their dances.
Pressure to perform and live up to expectations can be a problem, especially in families with multiple girls. Joelind, 14, will have her quinceañeranext year and Jaileen, 11, will have one in four years. Linda is already in preparations for Joelind’s.
“With Delilah I started seven months ahead and it wasn’t enough time,” Linda said. “With Leslie I started planning a year ahead, so I learn from each one.”
“I hope mine is a little bit as good as hers,” said Jaileen.
Leslie said she wanted her quinceañera to be a little better than her older sister’s.
“But there was no pressure when I was actually there … I just wanted to have fun. I wanted to remember the last few moments.”
Having sisters can also be a blessing for a girl preparing for her celebration. Leslie’s older sister Delilah choreographed the dances for her party, and all three of Leslie’s sisters participated in them. Leslie said she would want to help with her two younger sisters’ quinceañeras by calming them down and letting them know everything is going to be all right.
Since the quinceañera, Linda has noticed a change in her daughter.
“I see her very differently,” said Linda. “I have her respect. She sees how much I love her, and she’s grown up more.” “She’s more outgoing,” said Delilah. “She’s the type that doesn’t like to go out, she doesn’t like to dance, and after it she’s like ‘Let’s go here, and let’s go there.’”
Two weeks later Leslie sits in her pajamas in her living room, watching cartoons and reflecting on her big day. Her legs tucked underneath her and her long hair pulled back in a ponytail, she looks much more like the 15-year-old she is. Her sister Delilah sits by her side smiling as Leslie recounts the particulars of the day when she said goodbye to her childhood.
“It made me realize that everyone else had a ‘quince,’” she said, “but yet they stick together.”
Above, right: Leslie and her court arrive at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Greeneville. At left, Leslie dances with a member of her court at her party at the VFW in Elizabethton, Tenn. Photos by Bobby Michael.
Read 1298 times Last modified on Saturday, 24 May 2014 01:37
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Aymen Abdennour: Another Ligue 1 Star Destined for Greatness
Toulouse is full of talent. The likes of Etienne Capoue, Moussa Sissoko (Now Newcastle) and Ben Yedder tend to receive much media focus on many issues. Another man is creeping into the frame, however. 23 year old Tunisian Aymen Abdennour appears to be destined for greatness. He continues to be linked with top clubs around the world and a move to Spanish giants Barcelona appears to be more realistic than one might think.
More than any other club, the 23 year old has been linked heavily with the Spanish league leaders and his recent comments show that a move is possibly on the cards. Abdennour has openly stated his desire to move to a bigger club and in particular Barcelona:
“I know that Barcelona are following me and four other defenders, at least. If there is to be an offer from them at the end of the season then I will not say no, but Toulouse’s president will decide.”
The player has been watched by Barcelona on multiple occasions, due to their links with the club. They invited the Tunisian international to come to their second leg tie against Milan, which they won 4-0, but Toulouse did not give the player permission to go.
“I almost went but the coach and the president asked me to stay so I could be at training the following day.”
Abdennour’s agent also recently claimed that the player will be likely leave, whether it is to Barcelona or not, saying: “Abdennour will definitely join a top European side whether it’s Barcelona or not.”
There have been links with other clubs, particularly in England. Newcastle, Chelsea and Arsenal are all said to be interested, although unlike Barcelona, no formal contact of any kind has been made.
So what is all the fuss about? Can the player really make it at the highest level?
Abdennour has been a regular feature in the Toulouse side so far this season. He used to play in left midfield or at left back, but this year, he has played consistently in a central defensive position. The Tunisian has been noted for his passing and heading ability, as well as his ability to be composed on the ball and his concentration throughout, which all the best players need. The 23 year old does occasionally wade into challenges and if he went to Spain, where referees are probably less lenient, he would need to stamp this out of his game. The player is only 23 and has room to grow, but playing at the highest level would be a big step up and only time will tell if he could manage this.
For a 23 year old, however, Abdennour has more experience than most. He started his career at Etoile Sportive du Sahel in 2008. Many European clubs send their scouts over to Africa to try to pick up the next big thing and soon enough, Werder Bremen of the Bundesliga agreed to take Abdennour on a sort of trial period, on loan, in 2010. He played here for half a season, but only got six league games under his belt. Bremen decided against signing him permanently, but this move has provided him with vital experience for the future at such a young age. He continued to impress at his club though and soon in July 2011 Toulouse snapped him up for an undisclosed fee. He has impressed despite there being strong competition at the club, he now has a contract till 2016 and is both a regular for club and country.
So it looks like Abdennour will be yet another player leaving Ligue 1 in the summer, possibly to Spain or England. Watch this space.
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Category: Ryan Slattery
No, Amazon in New York is a Terrible Idea
December 8, 2018 Ryan Slattery
“It is a great day for New York City” said New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, as he and Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the plan to host half of Amazon’s headquarters in Long Island City. Yes, the same guy who suggested that private property just doesn’t make the cut in New York City is now welcoming a company through billions of dollars in incentives. He even said “I think people all over this city, of every background, would like to have the city government be able to determine which…
Columnists, Domestic, Economics, Featured, Ryan SlatteryAmazon, de blasio, nyc, Ryan SlatteryLeave a comment
Chasing the Communist Bait: How America Has Spread Itself Too Thin
November 21, 2018 Ryan Slattery
It was only a few months ago that the leaders of North and South Korea made a historic agreement to formally end the Korean War, thus ending the 65 year-long armistice, and one of the key conflicts within the Cold War. Yet, after all of this time, America’s military has continued to increase its global presence. We continue to send billions in foreign aid to other countries and participate in costly alliances like NATO. I’ve come to see the negative effects of our global presence: not only in our abandonment…
Columnists, Featured, International, Ryan SlatteryCold War, Korea, Ryan Slattery, US military, warLeave a comment
The Complications of Simple Majorities
November 5, 2018 Ryan Slattery
“I don’t believe that I can support a cloture resolution providing for cloture by a simple majority vote. The difficulty with any cloture is that it changes the entire character of the debate, and that it is liable to great abuse on the part of a bare majority.” – Robert A. Taft Let’s have a recap of the past two years in the U.S. Senate. Republicans took control of the Senate back in the 2016 election, holding 52 seats. With the help of the Senate Finance Committee, a new tax…
Columnists, Domestic, Featured, Ryan SlatteryRyan Slattery, senate, senate rulesLeave a comment
It’s Time for America to Capitalize on the Wrongs of Capital Punishment
March 8, 2018 October 16, 2018 Ryan Slattery
The number of deaths resulting from capital punishment have reached an all-time low since 1991. Despite much of the chaos we see today, only 23 prisoners have been executed in 20171. A Gallup Poll conducted in October of 2017 shows that 55 percent of Americans support capital punishment for cases of murder, a five-point drop from the October 2016 results2. Indeed, support for capital punishment has reached an all-time low in 45 years. The time has come where Americans are starting to see capital punishment as a practice that is…
Columnists, Domestic, Featured, Ryan Slattery, SocietyLeave a comment
سرویس خواب نوجوان on Economic Liberalization in Cuba
کمد دیواری پذیرایی on A Critique of the United Nations Security Council
email marketing australia on China’s Devaluation of the Yuan: A Global Economic Imbalance
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By Danielle Warren, December 20, 2012 8:22 am
In the moments and days leading up to Rafa Benitez being appointed Chelsea manager, the thoughts and feelings rushing through me seemed eerily familiar. I had been here before.
Questions were swirling through my mind, unable to grasp the concept of Benitez going to a team like Chelsea. Why would he want to go there? Their fans hate him. Why would he want to put up with Abramovich? A tyrannical owner that puts even Hicks and Gillett to shame. How could he go to a team that is such a rival of Liverpool’s? (I realize many fans disagree that they are our rivals, but like it or not, a rivalry was created and means a lot to many fans). Why would he risk his career going to a club that would sack him for just about anything they wanted to? How did he become so desperate that he was willing to put aside his own visions and ambitions to join a club that clearly has eyes for a younger, more beautiful Spaniard?
Benitez’s claims of wanting a project, to build a club dynasty from the academy to the first team, to have an owner that truly believed in his singular vision and supported him completely, all seemed like lies. He was joining the enemy. A club that epitomizes all that is wrong with football. And did I mention the fans abhor him?
When the news broke, I was crushed. I had convinced myself that through all these questions and belief in Benitez’s own words and character, that he could never join a club like Chelsea. Many argued with me, stating he “needed a job, he couldn’t wait forever, Liverpool didn’t want him so he had to move on, he can win just about everything there with those resources, he will make enormous amounts of money no matter what happens, he’s putting himself back into people’s minds, etc.” All valid and understandable arguments. But I still never thought Benitez would sell himself so short as to be desperate enough to take the Chelsea job. A club with no heart, no soul, and only a bottom-less checkbook to make up for that. This was not the Benitez I knew and loved.
Where had I seen this all before? A little less than two years earlier, another Liverpool man left Anfield for Stamford Bridge. Fernando Torres professed his love for the club and the fans, promising he would never leave. Shortly after, he left. The pain was palpable. I personally had never felt so hurt by a player leaving. I was devastated when I saw the ease with which he disappeared from Merseyside and sauntered down to London. Whatever the reasons, whatever the stories we still don’t know and that no one, including Torres, seems interested in telling us, it hurt. He was going to the enemy. And he was giving the finger to all the loyal Liverpool fans, that stood by him through injury after injury, and sulk after sulk, in the process.
It’s hard to even explain the feelings I had when Benitez became Chelsea manager. I was surprised, dismayed, disappointed, and painfully angry. Much the same feelings I had when Torres took his leave to the same place.
After a few days, I was able to reflect on all those aching feelings of despondency and I suddenly became happy for Benitez. Despite my hurt feelings, I only ever wanted the best for him, and I know I am not alone as a Liverpool fan in feeling this way. It’s like seeing your first love go off with someone else, that you know is not good enough for them and will only hurt them in the end. But if you love and care for someone, you have to let them go.
It was difficult to stomach him going to Chelsea, and that nauseating feeling will never leave. But I want him to do well. He deserves it. Sadly, I don’t feel the same about Torres and never will. While the feelings around them both going to Chelsea were similar, the ways in which they left Liverpool were very different.
Despite Benitez’s poor last season at Liverpool, he is still incredibly revered by most of the fans. He gave the club some of its most wonderful memories and moments. Reading his book Champions League Dreams reminds me of all those wonderful times we enjoyed as Liverpool fans under him, and how that euphoria and pride has seemingly vanished since he’s left. In some ways, I’ve found it difficult to read back in detail all the great moments he gave us without feeling incredibly depressed. It feels like a lifetime ago, when really, it was only three years.
Most Liverpool fans would agree, especially in hindsight, that Benitez should never have gone. He fought tooth and nail for the club and was subsequently dismissed by a club hierarchy that had driven Liverpool into near oblivion. What has followed since then has been nothing short of pure chaos. And all the while, a short ill-fated stint at Inter Milan aside, Benitez sat on the Wirral, awaiting the call that never came from his beloved club.
It is with that in mind that I don’t completely blame him for going to Chelsea, even though it is a club and a fan-base to be completely despised. The fact that I, and many other Liverpool supporters, are willing to put our ire for Chelsea aside simply because we want Benitez to do well tells you how much he still means to the club and its fans.
So you might still be wondering why we would want him to do well at a club we hate, with fans that have summarily dismissed him before he even arrived and have booed his every presence in front of them. Because of what he gave Liverpool. Because he gave us Istanbul, Cardiff, 2nd place in the league, and he made us the team to fear across Europe again. He gave himself to Liverpool, made the club and city his home, and the fans his friends. Most telling of all, when he left the club, he gave £96,000 to the Hillsborough Family Support Group. A cause that was not his own, but that he felt incredibly moved by and attached to. This, amongst so many other things, shows the character of the man.
Yet despite all of that, and despite an excellent win percentage, a European cup, an FA Cup, two Champions League finals, and the highest Liverpool points tally in years, the press, and even some fans, never took to him and wanted him gone. Journalists and commentators found it difficult to hide their hatred for the man, their reasons for which I still don’t know or understand. He was bullied, mocked, and turned into a joke by the English press. He received no respect from them throughout his time at Liverpool, and even less since he has left.
That, amongst so many other reasons, is why Liverpool fans want him to do well. He deserves better than the treatment he’s received and if going to Chelsea and helping them win will force the press and fans into respecting him the way he should be, then I am all for it. At the end of his Liverpool reign, he was tossed aside like garbage. Looking back, it was so disgraceful and foolish, especially when you factor in who he was replaced by, it is hard to believe that’s what actually happened.
The way he was treated by so many makes me sad, and I will never support Chelsea, but I will always support Benitez. A wonderful man, a compassionate human being, and a brilliant manager. Whatever happens, he will never walk alone for all that he gave to Liverpool Football Club.
English Premier League, Liverpool Football Club | benitez, cfc, chelsea, lfc liverpool football club, liverpool, rafa benitez
4 Responses to “Why Liverpool Fans Want Benitez To Do Well”
Agree totally!
brian tappenden says:
Absolutely spot on mate.I wish him well aswell.I think you have to understand him a little to feel that way.he likes nothing more than being backed into a corner with the odds stacked heavily against him and plotting his way out.I don’t think he minds the fans not liking him,just adds to the challenge
Decent article and some good points, thanks. But your conclusion of “I will never support Chelsea, but I will always support Benitez” is a contradiction. They are two mutually exclusive stances, no (Rafa reference there)?
dillon says:
I still want him back home..
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On Donald Trump - Interview part 2
Gary Shilling talks to ThinkAdvisor on President Donald Trump and his effect on the people and stock market.
What are the chief positives of President Trump’s tax package?
The cuts, kind of, even up the playing field in the corporate area. They don’t really do much net-net in the individual area. They front-loaded them, with the idea of spurring the economy. But it was a political game — we’ve got an election coming up this fall. However, there was serious need in the corporate area for updating in a globalized world. We had a 35% tax rate, and now it’s 21%. Amazon and Microsoft and [other companies] had cash stashed overseas.
Why will the cuts have little effect on individuals?
There’s an effect in the next year or two because they’re front-loaded. But then that’s basically taken away in the succeeding years. So it may spur incomes in the next year or two, but that fades over time.
Will people start spending more?
Higher-end people don’t adjust their spending when their incomes or assets go up and down. But with more money in their hands, middle- and lower-income people tend to spend. So I think that whatever increases they get in income will probably go to rebuilding their savings, particularly baby boomers, who have been notoriously poor savers throughout their entire lifespan.
How much do you credit Trump for the stock market’s record-setting performance?
Some things that Trump has accomplished suggest that he has had a measurable impact on stocks. The most important one is deregulation. That’s his biggest accomplishment. Deregulation isn’t dramatic. [I mean], there’s no Rose Garden signing ceremony for deregulation. It’s a little of this, a little of that. It’s putting different people in charge. It’s either ignoring regulations that they want to avoid or changing them.
via www.thinkadvisor.com/2018/01/22/gary-shilling-famed-bubble-detector-urges-caution?slreturn=1518441127&page=3
The Fed is comprised of mostly academics
Globalization has helped some countries and hurt others. The US Federal Reserve seems not to understand some of its effects on its common citizens.
"The Fed is misreading reality for a whole host of reasons. One of the biggest is globalization. They’re very much in a domestic world and don’t realize the power of what globalization has done to manufacturing, how it’s decimated unions in this county, what it’s doing to the service areas, where companies are outsourcing legal and accounting work to India. The Fed is oblivious to all that."
"My view is that there aren’t many people there who have ever met a payroll — never had the responsibility for running a business and paying people. Almost all of them are academics or people who have spent their whole career in the regulatory area or in government agencies. "
via thinkadvisor
Gary Shilling: India VS China economy
Gary Shilling praises India as having good long term prospects, even more so than China.
"One that we’ve been very optimistic about is India, though it’s better known today than it was six years ago, when we first got enthusiastic about it. I wrote a report back then that India was a better bet in the long run than China. It’s a long-term play and still has a lot to go.
It has a lot of advantages: It’s a democracy, albeit a messy one — there’s a lot of graft and corruption — but it’s a democracy. China is a top-down dictatorship and is becoming more so. The world is pretty much saturated with manufactured goods now; and as economies grow, a greater portion of spending is on services. India is much more into services — software and so on. They’ve got a knack for it. And India has large private corporations. In China, they’re basically state-controlled and very inefficient."
Gary Shilling interview on the stock market - Part 1
Gary Shilling talks with ThinkAdvisor on the markets
THINKADVISOR: Are you bullish about the market?
SHILLING: No, I’m not rampantly bullish. Stocks are expensive. The economy is getting long in the tooth. There’s reason for caution. But by the same token, I don’t see the party coming to a grinding halt in the immediate future.
THINKADVISOR: When we talked last July, you said the biggest threat to the market was complacency. Is it still?
SHILLING: Yes. It’s very much there. When you see this mad rush into index funds — passive investments — the attitude is: “I don’t care what the fundamentals are. I’m buying it because it’s going up.” So it’s onward and upward with no discrimination. The other manifestation is speculation — the same kind of speculative complacency we’ve seen in the Bitcoin area.
THINKADVISOR: What’s the stock market’s tipping point?
SHILLING: Good question. Historically, bull markets haven’t died of old age. There’s always some trigger mechanism. In the post-World War II period, they’ve come from two sources. One is that the Federal Reserve worries about an overheating economy and tightens up credit. By my reckoning, in 11 out of 12 tries, that has precipitated a recession. The only soft landing was in the mid-90s.
via www.thinkadvisor.com/2018/01/22/gary-shilling-famed-bubble-detector-urges-caution
In the past most rate hikes have led to a recession
Gary Shilling is out with his latest views, in which he discusses the changeover in the leadership of the US Fed from Janet Yellen to Jerome Powell. Also includes thoughts on why the Fed raised interest rates and how it may affect the markets. Read the column below.
With the pickup in global economic growth, central banks -- except for Japan’s -- are shifting to tightening from extremely easy money, including massive quantitative easing and trivial, if not negative, short-term interest rates. The Federal Reserve has raised its target for the federal funds rate five times since December 2015 and is suggesting three more increases this year.
But the Fed is confronted with a serious dilemma: Inflation and wage increases continue to undershoot its expectations at the same time the central bank confronts forces pressuring it toward credit tightening.
The new chairman, Jerome Powell, who isn’t a trained economist, may change the central bank’s tone, but his soon-to-be predecessor Janet Yellen and the other academic economists who have dominated monetary policy, believe fervently in the theoretical Phillips Curve. It posits that a declining unemployment rate should spur inflation, despite evidence to the contrary. Rather than increase as the unemployment rate declined since the recession, the rate of inflation has largely stayed the same.
Nevertheless, the Fed wants to tighten credit slowly due to chronic low inflation and memories of the May 2013 “taper tantrum,” when a mere mention by then-Chairman Ben Bernanke of reducing the Fed’s rate of asset purchases sent financial markets into tailspins as interest rates leaped.
Another reason for the Fed to tighten is to keep commercial banks from lending out the more than $2 trillion in excess reserves the Fed has given them through quantitative easing. These are simply an asset of the banks and a liability on the Fed balance sheet with little financial or economic consequences. But as economic growth picks up as a result of the tax cuts followed by likely massive fiscal stimulus, creditworthy borrowers will want to borrow, banks will be happy to lend and these excess reserves could turn into tons of money that would threaten major inflation.
The Fed is also concerned about market distortions caused by low rates. The problem isn’t low rates, per se, but investors' unwillingness to accept them despite the offsetting effects of low inflation. Adjusted for inflation, the 30-year Treasury bond yields 0.62 percent, lower than the 1.7 percent average of the last decade but not hugely so. Nevertheless, many investors and savers believe they deserve much higher returns than the 2.97 percent current yield on the 30-year Treasury and 2.73 percent on the 10-year note. So they’ve moved further out on the risk spectrum into assets such as emerging-market bonds, student debts despite high delinquency rates and leveraged loans, to name but a few.
Fed officials, while they believe that in a normal, stable economy, the fed funds rate should be around 3 percent compared to the present 1.25 percent to 1.5 percent range, are also gradually adjusting to reality. They’re suggesting that it may be appropriate for rates to be lower for longer.
I remain convinced that a key reason the Fed has raised rates is because its credibility was at stake, and remains so. It has repeatedly forecast higher fed funds rates than it subsequently initiated. Bear in mind that the Fed controls that rate so it simply didn’t do what it intended. The gap between its fed funds forecasts and actions are extraordinarily wide, ranging to more than four percentage points.
Despite Powell's suggestion that the economy has not run out of slack, the majority of policy makers may worry that the tax cuts could prove stimulative enough to cause major economic strains. In addition, Republican plans for major infrastructure outlays will no doubt concern the Fed about an overheated economy. And that’s despite the likelihood that the actual spending won’t take place for several years.
Historically, once the Fed starts to raise rates it almost always continues until it precipitates a recession and a bear market in stocks. By my count, in 11 of 12 times since World War II, a recession followed a rate-raising campaign, though it can often take years for that to happen. The only soft landing was in the mid-1990s. This time, with so much excess liquidity around the world, it may also take years before higher rates and a reduction in the Fed’s balance sheet assets start to pinch the economy.
The yield curve -- the spread between short- and long-term Treasury rates -- may also behave differently this time. In the past, when the Fed jacked up rates to the point that yields on 2-year Treasuries exceeded those on 10-year notes, the yield curve “inverted” and a recession followed. Inversions typically occurred because 2-year yields rose faster than 10-year yields. Recently, however, the spread has narrowed because 2-year yields have risen but 10-year yields have been relatively stable. That’s unusual but probably reflects deflationary pressures that are more evident in longer maturities.
So, if an inverted yield curve occurs, it may not, as in the past, guarantee a nearby recession, and it may take years before Fed tightening precipitates one.
https://www.bloombergquint.com/view/2018/02/01/the-fed-s-dilemma-isn-t-going-away-under-powell
Gary Shilling interview on the stock market - Part...
In the past most rate hikes have led to a recessio...
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by JourneyHard » Fri Oct 20, 2017 8:41 am
Why isn't Anything is Possible the theme song to Shark Tank TV Show? Listen to the lyrics. It is perfect. Journey needs to be pushing their music in all directions possible. It is incredible that they are leaving millions of dollars on the table.
Re: Anything is Possible
by Monker » Sat Oct 21, 2017 11:35 am
JourneyHard wrote: Why isn't Anything is Possible the theme song to Shark Tank TV Show? Listen to the lyrics. It is perfect. Journey needs to be pushing their music in all directions possible. It is incredible that they are leaving millions of dollars on the table.
It's because Steve Perry isn't singing it...and nobody has heard or cares much about the songs on Eclipse. There is no reason to use a song that only a tiny fraction has on a show like this.
Monker
by bellairepark73 » Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:23 pm
Monker wrote:
While I agree with that, that is exactly why they need to be pushing their other music. Management is doing a HORRIBLE job at that. But...they are using DBS to the max!
bellairepark73
by JourneyHard » Mon Oct 23, 2017 10:32 am
Dragon Den, Canada's version of Shark Tank, has some stupid song as its theme song. Anything is Possible is a much better song and should be the theme to Shark Tank.
Journey needs a new manager that will push their music to multiple outlets. Do your damn job!
by Monker » Mon Oct 23, 2017 1:25 pm
The music on Eclipse is SIX YEARS OLD. No TV show is going to take a song that is from a six year old album, an album that nobody cares about, and a song that wasn't even released as a single, a song that hardly anybody is heard, and pay Journey whatever they want to use it as their theme song. It's just not going to happen.
What do you expect management to do? Journey's career is essentially over. They can't even come together as a band to record and release an album. Neal goes on rampages about meaningless shit. Jonathan is spaced out on on his religion and wife. This is a band that has come to an end.
Eclipse is most likely Journey's final album. The HOF was their swan song moment...which they wasted. They may or may not tour next year....but in the big picture, it doesn't really matter.
by scarab » Mon Oct 23, 2017 1:43 pm
sad thing is the last time I heard a Journey tune played on the radio was 2001. Higher Place, and only partnered with a classic hit.
They didnt even play AIP live during the Eclispe tour.
Im pretty sure AIP and Shes a Mystery were "hits" on the AC charts.
If that was true would love to hear the single version, cause if it was played I am sure the ending was left off.
by JourneyHard » Tue Oct 24, 2017 3:16 am
If Journey can hold things together, all this fighting might actually be good for them. If they were happy-go-lucky, their music would suffer. I can see them releasing a new album out of all this conflict that is one of their best efforts ever. Correct me if I am wrong, but Fleetwood Mac was a mess when they did Rumours and it was one of the biggest selling albums of all time.
The push and pull of Jon wanting ballads and Neal wanting to rock out makes Journey a better band. Just sayin'
by scarab » Tue Oct 24, 2017 7:29 am
but sadly its Perry that was the guy in the middle, something was magical on the Perry/Cain/Schon hits.
And I have no idea why they are not in the SongWriters hall of fame.
I think this is the ONLY thing that could get them to do another thing like Bill Grahams tribute.
And this time, in front of non stoned deadheads crowd the reaction would be great!
by JourneyHard » Tue Oct 24, 2017 11:33 am
I have no evidence, but I have a feeling Steve Perry isn't releasing his new album because he knows management isn't going to push it and give him some hit songs. This fits right in with this topic.
For Street Talk, Perry had hits with Oh Sherrie and Foolish Heart, and got Strung Out played on rock radio. With Eclipse's harder edge, it is a shame none of those songs were pushed to rock radio. The dj says, "We play anything that rocks." Well, you aren't playing Eclipse.
by Monker » Tue Oct 24, 2017 5:03 pm
JourneyHard wrote: I have no evidence, but I have a feeling Steve Perry isn't releasing his new album because he knows management isn't going to push it and give him some hit songs. This fits right in with this topic.
Why would he care? He isn't even going to tour so what is management going to do? He should be happy to even get it released. In fact, IMO, he has not found a label BECAUSE he wants a one album deal, isn't going to tour, will do limited promotion...and the fact is he hasn't had any charting solo music since FTLOSM, almost 25yrs ago. I'm sure Frontiers would be happy to have Perry...but I doubt Sony will release this album under these limitations.
Street Talk was released during the apex of Journey's career...any decent song on a Perry solo album would be a hit.
Eclipse WAS pushed to radio. They released multiple singles. Eclipse is not the music radio is looking for. A "DJ" can say whatever he/she wants...but I'll bet anything that they have a playlist that they can not deviate from.
by bellairepark73 » Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:31 pm
Nothing was said from his management. We have NO IDEA who his management IS! ---sorry I can't get it from out of your quote, bellairepark.
How do we know this? 1 album deal?!? Limited promotion? !? Who said this? A video blogger who says he has contacts that he now can't reveal because he was WRONG about this album? I think Frontiers and/or Melodic Rock was asked and they said we'd LOVE to. And , "if you have to ask you don't know us." Andrew even said on Twitter 'out of his budget'. So he is probably asking way too much money up front for promotion.
by Monker » Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:08 pm
bellairepark73 wrote:
What blogger? I don't know what you are talking about. Is she still putting up messages?
It's just common sense. Perry has *A* album to release. Why would he want to sign a contract for more than that? He CAN'T do much promotion because of his voice and 'hip'.
Andrew mentioned on the forums once a few years ago about releasing Perry's album...somebody asked him about it. He said at that time it was out of his budget. I don't think anybody from Perry's "camp" asked him about releasing it. He should probably clarify...but I took it to mean it would be a bigger release than he is equipped to handle...meaning, being shipped to retail stores, etc...and planning well over 100,000 copies...I doubt anything Andrew does even comes close to that.
Frontiers would be better but you are correct in that Perry would have to do whatever promotion on his own....but I doubt he is really going to want to do much other than radio shows and magazine interviews. Even the various talk shows, morning or night, I doubt he is going to want to go on stage and perform....just my opinion. So, Frontiers would be a good place to go just to get it released. The problem is he may want the backing of a big label like Sony to help him chart the album and singles....if he goes with Frontiers, that PROBABLY (it's still possible) won't happen.
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Publications: Future Cities
mantownhuman
About mantownhuman
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Home » Articles » Book Bites: Jing-Jing Lee’s “How We Disappeared”
Book Bites: Jing-Jing Lee’s “How We Disappeared”
Described by Xinran as a “brilliant, heart-breaking story”, this is indeed a well-crafted, harrowing tale that interweaves a modern narrative with the war years. The two main protagonists – one a subject and one very much an object of history – tell parallel stories that knit together at the end in a conclusion of Dickensian harmony and hope. A fitting and suitably uncomfortable denouement.
The main story is of Chinese-origin Wang Di, a child in a rural Singapore at the time of the Japanese occupation of the early 1940s. Having believed – like the British themselves – that the “superior” colonial power would rout the Japanese, the Japanese surprised everyone and seized the territory in only a few months. It challenged the very nature of the ingrained racial superiority of Empire. The self-evident truth of the dominant white race had been revealed to be bluster.
Winston Churchill described the Fall of Singapore to be “the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history”. It was a major national humiliation and the impact on the British was dramatized in the BBC series “Tenko”, but little has been written or documented in terms of the real lived experience of the Chinese under Japanese invasion. Because of a lifetime of shame, many families have gone to their graves without speaking of the pain and almost unimaginable suffering they endured at the hands of the occupying forces.
Wang Di is taken by the invading Japanese and forced to into sex slavery as one of the vast numbers of so-called comfort woman (wei an fu). Only recently has this barbarity been admitted and discussed, with at least 200,000 Chinese women – some as young as 14 – abducted over the course of the war. Chinese and Korean women bore the brunt and by the end of the war it is reputed that up to 400,000 women had been enslaved, many taken and dumped in Japanese outposts far from home.
As the story unfolds, we sense the isolation, the violence, the despair as well as the faint glimmers of hope. We previously reviewed Natascha Kampusch’s horrific tale of abduction, “3,096 Days”, but Lee’s story is barely even imaginable. From morning until night, for weeks on end, for three long years Wang Di and her fellow prisoners are raped, beaten and starved. The relentless inhumanity of the story is only relieved by Wang Di’s longing for family reunion: a pervasive hope that goes terribly awry but still feeds the human spirit.
This is clearly a novel with a political agenda and one that unveils hidden truths, national scandals and destroyed lives. The culture of shame resulted in these women being scorned, blamed and shunned througout their entire lives. On their return, many were disowned by their families for bringing shame on the family name. It is only recently that this deferential Confucian culture of shame – the social insistence that one takes personal responsibility for failure for fear of ostracization – has begun to be eroded.
The book switches from past to present, and its non-linear framework allows the author to introduce a separate family whose schoolboy son gradually uncovers the truth. Although well-handled, and clearly essential in order to bring some much-needed light to the otherwise relentless darkness, it is slightly less convincing. Indeed, this is a very well-written book that only veers into clunky advocacy towards the last few pages. However, it is quite cleverly and engagingly done and certainly deserves to be widely read for its window onto a specific set of social-cultural relations. For Western audience it will lend the reader a stranger-than-fiction insight into a tragic little-known episode in modern history, and an equally useful insight into the non-Western world.
Author: austinwilliams
Walks ‘n’ Talks
COMING SOON (March 2019)
© 2018 Future Cities Project
About The Future Cities Project
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hatchets and skewers
cutting edge contemporary art
Brandon Morse's current show at Conner Contemporary, This Shape We're In, paints the walls of the front room with large scale projections of his digital animations--in which skeletal, boxy structures in shades of black and grey are shown buckling, collapsing, and reforming. It's a dramatic use of Leigh Conner's gorgeous Florida Ave. space. Definitely worth a trip--the show remains up through March 21.
Morse lives and works in the D.C. area, and teaches at my old alma mater, UMDCP. I asked him a few questions about scale, abstraction, and his relationship to sound:
Hatchets & Skewers: How do considerations of scale enter into your work? I ask this because Leigh's new space is obviously so much larger than her old digs in Dupont...and your new pieces all definitely look like they're meant to be shown as large, wall-filling projections. Will this group always be shown at this scale? How do you determine that/how flexible are you with your presentation?
Brandon Morse: With the pieces currently up at Conner, I knew I had a big box to play in, so that helped determine where I went with the things I was doing when we committed to the show. I had set up some structures, and put them through their paces…the base idea of working with the degradation of architectural forms was there, but the final product had not yet been determined. Having a set space to work within helped in determining where I went with the systems.
I think this is clearer with the work in my previous show at Conner. That work would not have taken on that final form if it were not for the spatial confines of the old venue on Connecticut.
As far as future presentation, I'm not terribly concerned…I do hope that my original inclinations towards presentation are kept in mind. That may be more attainable for institutions rather than collectors. I suppose it's a rare collector who can set aside an entire room for the projection of a two-channel piece that wraps around a corner.
H&S: I don't know that I've seen enough shows of your work in the past few years to make these sorts of generalizations, but it seems to me that the forms in your pieces have become more and more linear, involving architectural forms that behave organically--whereas in earlier pieces, I felt like you were trying to emulate the look of organic phenomena: clouds, sunsets, etc. Would you agree or disagree? How would you characterize this progression?
BM: This seems like a fair assertion. At some point I realized that what I was really interested in depicting were systems, and behavioral activity—massive amounts of singular action and reaction coalescing into recognizable behaviors and forms. Weather seemed the most common example of this, and that was where I most immediately saw it. But after a while it seemed that the representational nature of the video was getting in the way of what I was really attempting to depict: There was a lack of fidelity to it that I was never happy with; I couldn't coax the computer into giving me the detail and complexity of the real thing, and it raised questions as to why I didn't simply shoot the real thing on video and be done with it. So, I decided to do away with the representational elements and focus on the structural, systematic and behavioral.
Of course, having said that, the work that is at Conner right now is fairly representational: abstracted a bit, and brought down to its platonic state, but still certainly depictive of architecture. This work I think is the most specific I've been about subject matter. It's about collapse, and there are currently a lot of things collapsing, so the building metaphor seemed to fit.
H&S: Right--though your pieces are abstract, they do bring to mind all sorts of ominous associations. The current show resembles giant skyscrapers buckling, collapsing in on themselves, or being ripped from the earth and assumed into the heavens. How do you think about the relation of your pieces to recognizable subject matter? Are you actively thinking about 9/11, or architectural excess, or apocalyptic visions of the world...or are you more or less disconnected from those sorts of associations when you design these pieces?
BM: Neglect and the consequences of neglect are what I'm more directly interested in. It's a passive form of the destruction, as opposed to events such as Sep. 11.There were specific events that got the work rolling in a certain direction--the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis happened at right about the time I started working with these pieces. It seemed a perfect symptom of the present moment, and a kind of harbinger of the many collapses that came after.
H&S: I was interested to hear you describe how you arrived at the soundtrack for these--how each originally had its own individual score, but now that you'd shown them all with this one soundtrack (slow, ominous thrumming; continuous cricket-like noises) it seemed like you were suggesting that they would all be shown with that sound from now on. How do you see the link between the soundtracks you create and the projections? And how does your process for recording sound differ from creating the animations?
BM: I did create audio that was specific to some of the pieces at Conner, but all of the pieces are in the same room together, so there was no way that would work. When it came time to decide on audio, I used a piece that I had made during the time I was making the videos…but I hadn't assigned it to any particular one. It seemed to be a unifier and work most cohesively with all of the pieces. They will all henceforth be attached to the audio that is currently in the show.
As a procedural side note, I will usually only listen to one album and occasionally one cut on an album while making a series of works. This time it was the great 'Timeline' by Edith Progue. That's still the audio I associate with the pieces. I suppose that I think of audio as being less associated with specific works, more as being relevant to a time of making.
Pictured: Brandon Morse, Achilles, 2008, 2-channel video, dimensions variable, copyright the artist, courtesy Conner Contemporary Art.
posted by jhcudlin at 8:45 AM
Name: jhcudlin
Location: Washington, DC, United States
Jeffry Cudlin is an artist, curator, art critic, and musician living and working in Washington, D.C. He currently serves as Professor of Curatorial Studies and Practice at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. He formerly served as the Director of Exhibitions for the Arlington Arts Center. His reviews have appeared in the Washington City Paper, Sculpture Magazine, and the Washington Post.
Rachel Kaufman wrote about PUBLIC/PRIVATE in yeste...
Over the weekend I also saw Andrea Zittel’s curren...
One of the shows I saw in NYC on Saturday was Jenn...
Spent part of the weekend in NYC. Dropped by Winkl...
Today Lavanya takes a look at Street with a View, ...
Of course I've heard lots of good things about Cli...
I'm back, after two weeks spent putting my new sho...
I woke up this morning to hear that close to a mil...
It's freezing out there, and the city is bracing f...
Some long overdue additions to the Other Blogs, Ot...
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Home/Athletics
AthleticsJoe Kucera2019-03-02T19:08:26+00:00
Holy Family Athletics
At Holy Family Catholic School, our athletics department, develops each child as an individual, including the physical needs of our students. Our athletics department is a volunteer parish organization providing CYO sports for children in grades 3-8. We also offer intramural sports in 1st and 2nd grade. Our goal is to encourage physical health while promoting teamwork, a strong work ethic, and a goal-oriented focus.
CYO Sports Grades 3-8
Winter season starts on November 1. Sports available include Boys and Girls Basketball. Forms have gone home and are due back October 15. Game schedules will be available Thanksgiving Week.
Spring season starts March 1. Games and track meets begin late March. Sign up forms available soon. Please visit CYO Sports on the menu bar for links to the Hold Harmless and Physical Forms
Intramural Sports Grades K-2
Intramural Basketball starts on Sunday, March 10th. Intramural basketball for girls and boys in grades Kindergarten thru 2nd Grade begins Sunday, March 10th and continues on Sundays through the month of March (17th, 24th and 31st). Kindergarten plays from 6:30 to 7:00 PM and 1st/2nd Grade plays from 7:00 to 8:00 PM. Click here for the registration form or e-mail athletics@holyfamilyschoolparma.org for more information.
Holy Family Athletics to hold their annual Night at the Races on April 27, 2019!
Our Night At The Races is set to take place on Saturday, April 27th.
Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. Dinner will be served at 7:00 p.m. Racing begins at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets will be $30 per person. Includes: Dinner, Wine, Beer and Pop. Available soon…
Save the Date for our 3rd Annual Centurion Classic – August 10, 2019 at Ridgewood Golf Course!
Contact the Athletic Department
Joe Kucera, Athletic Director
athletics@holyfamilyschoolparma.org.
CYO Sports
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Cheerleaders from Butler earn honor
By Stephen Cukovich Eagle Intern
July 8, 2019 Other High School Sports
Four Butler High School cheerleaders earned All-American status recently from the Universal Cheerleading Association. They are, from left: Angela Haley, Emma Herold, Natalie Marburger and Sydney Mylan.
Butler High School cheerleading got its official start to the 2019-20 season back in mid June when the team visited the Poconos for its yearly summer camp at Pine Forest.
“The kids received instruction and they stayed together, so there is a lot of team bonding,” Butler coach Marianne Miller said. “On the last day it’s more of a friendly competition, just displaying what you learned during camp.”
There is a serious side to the camp, as the kids got to perform in front of members of the Universal Cheerleading Association for an All-American try out.
Seniors Emma Herold, Natalie Marburger, Sydney Mylan, and Angela Haley all qualified and will get the chance to participate in a parade in London over New Years.
“They look fantastic,” Miller said. “We have a really respectful group of kids and they all seem to get along. I’m excited to see where this group can go.”
On the final day of camp, the Golden Tornado went up against two other coed teams and were judged in four separate routines. Butler took first place in the rally, cheer, and gameday routines, while it finished second in the sideline routine.
“Personally, I think the game-day routine is the hardest,” senior Peyton Holt said. “That’s because the newbies don’t really know what to do with the crowd leading, so you’ve got to get them prepared for that because it’s very difficult.”
“I really like the rally routine the most,” senior Mykaela Lipscomb said. “It’s more exciting, it’s fast and a lot more work. But overall the game-day routine looks cleaner and sharper.”
Being a senior always has its responsibilities and benefits and after four years of camp, senior Herold finally got to do something for the first time at camp: Shower first.
“It was a lot more fun this year,” Herold said. “I think it’s because I’m finally in a leadership role because I’m a senior and we are held up to a higher expectation than we have before and we also get to shower first because hot water doesn’t last forever in these cabins.”
The trip signifies the beginning of the end for the seniors and it gives those a chance to look back and help the underclassmen prepare for the future.
“It was really bitter sweet because it was my last camp and I’ve been doing this for four years,” Marburger said. “But the group of kids we have are really fun and overall it was a great bonding moment for us.”
“It’s great to get the freshmen a little experience and give them a sense of what the season is going to be like,” Mylan said. “When you’re really close and work together, it’s easier to achieve our main goal, which is obviously to be state champs and we’re all willing to put in the work for that.”
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Health and Wellness Fair 2019
People at Grace
Grace Church, Fairfield
Sharing Grace
Instructed Eucharist
Sacrament Windows
About the Episcopal Church
The Rev. Karen Freeman
Associate Priest
The Rev. David Cavanagh
Lynne Secrist
Bookkeeper and Office Manager
Kim Worthen
Episcopalians believe in a Trinitarian God, a God of creation, redemption, and constant presence and love. This belief is stated in forms called Creeds that are said together at worship services.
We believe that the church is Christ living and visible in the world. This does not mean that any group is perfect. In fact, belonging to a church is an exercise in patience, forbearance, and love. But at every baptism, all the people are asked again to renew their own baptismal covenant. One of the questions is "Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?" We respond with a heart-felt "We will!" because we believe that we are called to continue practices that date back to Jesus and his disciples.
Episcopalians are "liturgical", meaning we worship using a set of texts, which are found in the Book of Common Prayer. (The first Book of Common Prayer was developed by order of King Edward VI - but it's been updated since then!) Not only will you know pretty much what to expect when you go to any Episcopal service, the words for that service are in the hands of the people. The word "liturgy" means "work of the people".
These services tell a story and act it out. For instance, at every Eucharist celebration the people act out the Gospel story of the Last Supper, eating a piece of bread and taking a sip of wine because Jesus told us to do so, in remembrance of him. ("Eucharist" comes from the Latin eucharistia, "showing or giving thanks"). Similarly, the baptism of Jesus began for Christians a rite of acceptance that makes use of the symbolism of water.
Because the liturgy draws us into the story through the use of all senses, services are beautiful, dignified, and yet, invariably human. Do not be afraid of "making a mistake" at an Episcopal service. The Prayer Book or service bulletin provides the words you will need, and the small print gives instructions about standing and kneeling. But even these customs vary in different congregations. You will notice that there are different practices even in the same church, and someone is always at hand to help you through the service if you encounter difficulty.
"The Church" is not a building. "The Church" is the people gathered. Episcopalians gather in communities, most of which are called parishes. A geographic grouping of communities is called a diocese, each of which is led by a bishop - episcopus in Latin, which gives us our name. In the American Episcopal Church there are over 100 dioceses. Grace Church is a member of the Diocese of Northern California, headquartered at Trinity Cathedral in Sacramento, comprising over 70 parishes and missions. Our bishop is the Right Reverend Barry L. Beisner.
The Episcopal Church in the United States is a part of the Anglican Church throughout the world, called the Anglican Communion. The Archbishop of Canterbury - Justin Wilby - is the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion. However, there is no central administration of the Anglican Communion. There is no Pope or President or chief executive. There are nearly 40 national expressions of the Episcopal or Anglican Church. All are independent, and none has authority over any other. The Anglican Communion is instead unified by tradition, belief, and agreement.
Every Anglican bishop has been consecrated by other bishops, who were in turn consecrated by other bishops before them. This process forms a chain that, according to legend, leads back to the 12 apostles, who were the first bishops. There is no historical proof of this, nor does our faith depend on it. Historians have traced the succession of bishops, however, back to the early 2nd century AD. Worldwide there are some 900 living Anglican bishops.
In America, the Presiding Bishop, as the name implies, presides over the entire Episcopal Church of the United States. Our current Presiding Bishop is the Most Reverend Michael Curry.
The organization and governing principles of the Episcopal Church are patterned on the principles of representative government, separation of authority, and balance of power that guided the formation of American civil government at the time the Episcopal Church of the United States of America was first founded. The Book of Common Prayer of the American Episcopal Church was ratified in 1789, and is therefore a contemporary of the Constitution of the United States.
Within the Episcopal Church all people are ministers. We believe in "the priesthood of all believers". Some are called into special ministry positions to which they are "ordained". These are deacons, priests, and bishops who are together called "clergy". All others are called "lay people" (from the Greek laikos, "of the people"). All participate in the work of the church, and all participate in its governance.
Most parishes have a variety of ministries that depend upon and promote the involvement of all members of the congregation. There are opportunities to serve the people of the parish through committees and workgroups that concentrate on such ministries as worship, education, outreach, fellowship, music, administration, maintenance and upkeep, seasonal programs.
The Vestry of a parish is a body of lay people elected by the congregation to function as the board of directors of their church. The Vestry works with the parish priest (also known as the "Rector") to promote spiritual growth and community outreach, and to manage the budget, education ministries, facility upkeep, support staff, and all the business of the church and corporation. The Senior Warden is the president of the Vestry, and the vice president is called the Junior Warden.
Contents © 2019 Grace Episcopal Church, Fairfield | Church Website Provided by mychurchwebsite.net | Privacy Policy
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The Sacred Name Movement
Various sects claim it is a sin to use terms such as “Lord,” “God,” “Word,” “Jesus” or “Christ.” They insist it is sinful to pray in the name of Jesus. Are they right? What does the Bible say?
Certain people—mostly of the Sacred Names sects—reject the traditional names of “God,” “Lord” and “Jesus.” They believe people should address the Father and the Son only by their Hebrew names. According to them, the phonetic sounds of God’s names are more important than their meanings.
Whether pertaining to heroes, patriarchs, or incidental references in passing, biblical names have specific meaning and are given for a purpose.
For example, Adam was created from the ground, and his name in Hebrew simply means “red earth.” Likewise, Abram’s name was changed to Abraham, meaning “a father of many nations.” Also, Jacob’s name (meaning “supplanter”) was changed to Israel (meaning “prevailer with God”).
Another account showing the importance of one’s name is found in I Samuel 25. The wife of Nabal acknowledged how her husband had lived up to his name. Interceding on his behalf for his thoughtless and merciless acts, she pleaded, “Let not my lord...regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name and folly is with him” (vs. 25). The meaning of Nabal is “fool.” The context shows that, by his actions, Nabal fulfilled the meaning of his name.
In these examples, only the meanings of the names were emphasized, as is the case throughout Scripture.
God’s Names Have Meaning
The names of God are also filled with meaning, yet the Bible places little, if any, importance on how each name should be pronounced. If this were of importance to God—as the Sacred Names sects insist—this would be a serious inconsistency in God’s Word! . . . >> continue reading
The Deception Exposed
Let’s examine the evidence, or at least what is offered as the evidence from the side of the sacred name believers, and then we will examine what these people are not telling us. We read the following explanatory notes from the publishers of the Sacred Name bible know as [The Scriptures 1998 edition]:
“Consider Iesous, rendered as ‘Jesus’ in English versions up to now. For example the authoritative Greek-English Lexicon of Liddell and Scott, under Iaso: The Greek goddess of healing reveals that the name Iaso is Ieso in the Ionic dialect of the Greeks, Iesous being the contracted genitive form! In David Kravitx, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Mythology, we find a similar form, namely Iasus. There were four different Greek deities with the name Iasus, one of them being the Son of Rhea.”
Now after reading the above quote, one might seem convinced. They might see a connection here, but let’s take a look at what they are not telling us. This quotation has the name of the Greek goddess of health and healing as Iaso. In Greek, the Greek letters of this word are Iota, Alpha, Sigma, Omega – Iasw. The Greek word Jesus in nominative case is spelled Iota, Eta, Sigma, Omicron, Upsilon, Sigma – IhsouV. . . >> continue reading
Chingy's New-Found Epiphany
St. Louis rapper Chingy did some soul searching while off the mainstream music scene. These days he embraces his new-found epiphany as a Black Hebrew Israelite. Chingy attributes his new faith to his experiences in the music industry. He plans to educate the masses on the truth about what is going on around us. He says, “I know I’m goin be wanted/ We gotta die for somethin’.” . .
(A line from his rap) - - “I’m trying to read about my past deception trying to cremate a whole lie.”
Possibly Chingy is telling us that his previous activities of misogyny and sin were not true to his character –he did those things for fame or maybe he was blinded to the consequences of his previous actions. >> continue reading
Youtube/Webisodes
A Muslim Questions & Christian Answers
Read Quran Online
Quran said:
-Observe the Torah and the Gospel (Surah 5:68)
-Followers of Christ should judge according to what is written in the Gospels (Surah 5:47)
-Muhammad should consult the readers of the Bible (Scriptures) when he is in doubt (Surah 10:94)
-Commanded Muhammad to follow the guidance in the Holy Bible and the prophets (6:89, 90)
-Commanded to bring the Torah and read from it (Surah 3:93)
(notes from viewer truetruthusa comment)
The Old Slave House
Going of the Women for Water
Photo Credit: Water from the well by Wayne Pascall (Drawing Pencil)
WOMEN GOING FOR WATER
It is the task of the women to go for the household water to the well or spring. And they do it today in many places in the East just like it was done when the Genesis account speaks of it being "the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water" (Genesis 24:11).
The women are trained to do this from girlhood, for Saul and his servant "found young maidens going out to draw water" (I Samuel 9:11). The chief time for doing this is in the late afternoon or evening, although it is often done early in the morning. Earthenware pitchers (Lamentations 4:2) are used for the purpose, and they have one and sometimes two handles. It has been customary for Syrian women to carry the pitcher of water on their shoulder, although sometimes it is carried on the hip. Most Arabs of Israel carry it upon their head. Scripture says that Rebekah carried her pitcher on her shoulder (Genesis 24:15).
Carrying a pitcher of water was all but universally done by women. It must have been a picturesque sight to see them going and coming with the pitcher poised gracefully upon the head or shoulder. When JESUS instructed two of his disciples, "Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him" (Mark 14:13), that would be an easy way of identifying the person, for it is exceedingly uncommon to see a man carrying a pitcher of water, which is a woman's task. When larger supplies of water are needed, men use large skins of sheep or goats for carrying the supply. The pitchers are reserved for the use of the women. There is nothing left at the well that may be used for drawing water from a depth. Each woman who comes for water brings with her, in addition to the pitcher in which to carry the water, a hard leather portable bucket with a rope, in order to let it down to the level of the water. The Samaritan woman whom JESUS met at Jacob's well had brought all this with her, but JESUS did not have such equipment with him. Hence she said to him: "Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep" (John 4:11). In response to his request for a drink, she drew from the well and gave to Him. [Manners And Customs of Bible Lands]
Wells in the Bible
For reasons of climate in Ancient Israel, references to water wells in the Bible are numerous and significant.
River water sources The River Litani and the River Jordan are the only rivers of any size; perennial brooks are very scarce and the wadis, while numerous and impetuous in the rainy season, are dry during the rest of the year. Job (6:16-17) compares faithless friends to these torrent-beds, swollen in the spring, but vanishing in the hot weather. The Son of Sirach twice enumerates water as the first among the "principal things necessary for the life of man" (Sirach [Apocrypha], 29:21; 39:26).
The Wells of the Bible
by Moses Hsu
Wells have played a very important role in Hebrew culture. In Palestine, the rainy season is very short and the rain fall is low. The whole region is very dry. However, water is almost as important as air for nomadic people. It is said that if sheep go without water for three days, they will become ill; and in five days they die. In Genesis we read the story about Abraham and how he built altars to the Lord as the first thing he would do when he moved from place to place in the land of Canaan. Secondly, he would dig wells for his household and his cattle. Isaac, his son, followed his steps to Gerar, and also dug many wells. Because of those wells he quarreled many times with the Philistines. (Genesis 26)
Several beautiful stories about marriages recorded in the Bible had something to do with wells, including some leaders of Israelites. For instance in Genesis 24, we read the story about Isaac and Rebekah. When the faithful servant of Abraham arrived at Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor, he prayed at the well. He prayed that God would lead him to find the one He had in mind for Isaac. Before he finished praying, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder. She did just as the servant had prayed; she gave the servant a drink and drew water for all his camels. The old servant knew in his heart that she was the one God had prepared for Isaac. Right there beside the well, he took out a gold nose ring and two gold bracelets and gave them to Rebekah. When he returned to his master with Rebekah, the Bible says "Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." (Genesis 24)
Another story was about Isaac's son Jacob, and his wife Rachel. Fearing his brother Esau, who threatened to kill him, Jacob fled to his uncle Laban. When he arrived, he saw a well in the field with three flocks of sheep lying there waiting for water. While he was asking the shepherds about Laban, Rachel came with her father's sheep. Quickly, Jacob went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud and told her about himself. Their romance started there beside the well. Jacob fell in love so deeply with Rachel that he was willing to work seven years for Laban just to marry her. As the account says, he actually worked fourteen years before Laban gave Rachel to him. (Genesis 29)
One more story in the Old Testament was about Moses and his wife, Zipporah. Fleeing from Pharaoh who wanted to kill him, Moses fled to live in Midian where he sat down by a well. Just then, the seven daughters of a priest in Midian went to draw water for their father's flock. Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. Later Moses was invited to stayed with them and the father gave Moses his oldest daughter Zipporah, as his wife. (Exodus 2)
In the New Testament we do not find similar stories. However in the gospel of John chapter four, we read the story about Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. To that woman, Jesus not only told the eternal truth but also revealed to her his status as the Messiah. The dialogue at the well and its meaning have become an important part of the core faith of Christianity. Jesus proclaimed there, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14) Indeed, the water from the well is important to us, but whoever drinks the water shall be thirsty again. Better yet, the water given by God will quench our thirst for ever. Amen! *
**** Abridged from pg. 40-41, April 1996 issue of Overseas Campus Magazine
A spring, (pede, fons) is the "eye of the landscape", the natural burst of living water, flowing all year or drying up at certain seasons. In contrast to the "troubled waters" of wells and rivers (Jer. 2:18), there gushes forth from it "living water", to which Jesus alikened the grace of the Holy Spirit (John 4:10; 7:38; cf. Isaiah 12:3; 44:3).
Towns and hamlets bear names compounded with the word Ain (En) -- for example, Endor (spring of Dor), Engannin (spring of gardens), Engaddi (spring of the kid), Rogel or En-rogel (spring of the foot), Ensemes (spring of the sun), etc. But springs were comparatively rare; biblical language distinguishes the natural springs from the wells (psrear, puteus), which are water pits bored under the rocky surface and having no outlet. They belonged to and were named by the person who dug them. Many names of places, too, are compounded with B'er, such as Bersable, Beroth, Beer Elim, etc.
Manners & Customs: Wells
Wells in the Ancient World
CISTERNS The word "well" to the average native of Israel has meant "spring" or "fountain," but in the Bible account it often means "cistern." Actually the cistern has been a more common source of Israel's water supply than has the well. To drink water out of the family cistern was the proverbial wish of every Israelite, and such was the promise that King Sennacherib of Assyria used to try and tempt the Israelites into making peace with him. He said to them: "Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern" (II Kings 18:31; cf. Isaiah 36:16).
These family cisterns were often dug in the open courtyard of houses as was the case of "the man which had a well [cistern] in his court." At the time of year referred to this cistern was dry and so two men could easily be hidden therein (II Samuel 17:18-19). During the rainy season the rain water is conducted from the houseroofs to these cisterns by means of troughs. Usually the water is drawn up by means of a rope that runs over a wheel, and a bucket made of animal skins is fastened to the rope. Jeremiah used the picture of a cistern that leaked water, to illustrate one of his sermons: "For my people have committed two evils"; the prophet said of the LORD, "They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 2:13). . . continue reading . . . [Manners And Customs of Bible Lands]
The Sign of the Naked Prophet
Isaiah 20 Good News Translation (GNT)
Under the orders of Emperor Sargon of Assyria, the commander-in-chief of the Assyrian army attacked the Philistine city of Ashdod.
Three years earlier the Lord had told Isaiah son of Amoz to take off his sandals and the sackcloth he was wearing. He obeyed and went around naked and barefoot. When Ashdod was captured, the Lord said, “My servant Isaiah has been going around naked and barefoot for three years.
This is a sign of what will happen to Egypt and Ethiopia.[1]
The emperor of Assyria will lead away naked the prisoners he captures from those two countries. Young and old, they will walk barefoot and naked, with their buttocks exposed, bringing shame on Egypt.
Those who have put their trust in Ethiopia and have boasted about Egypt will be disillusioned, their hopes shattered. When that time comes, the people who live along the coast of Philistia will say, ‘Look at what has happened to the people we relied on to protect us from the emperor of Assyria! How will we ever survive?’”
Isaiah 20:3 Hebrew Cush(ites): Cush is the ancient name of the extensive territory south of the First Cataract of the Nile River. This region was called Ethiopia in Graeco-Roman times, and included within its borders most of modern Sudan and some of present-day Ethiopia (Abyssinia).
Commentary -- Isaiah 20:1ff - 2
Sargon II was king of Assyria from 722 -705 B.C. and this event happened in 711 B.C. Isaiah graphically reminds Judah that they should not count on foreign alliances to protect them.
God's command to Isaiah was to walk about naked for three years, a humiliating experience. God was using Isaiah to demonstrate the humiliation that Egypt and Ethiopia would experience at the hands of Assyria. But the message was really for Judah. Don't put your trust in foreign governments or you will experience this kind of shame and humiliation from your captors.
God asked Isaiah to do something that seemed shameful and illogical. At times we may be asked to obey God in ways we don't understand. We must obey God in complete faith, for He will never ask us to do something wrong.
If You Say You Love God Show Him
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Foundational 10,000 Immunomes Project Uses Mass Cytometry to Establish a Reference Standard for the Human Immune System
Providing the largest source of standardized, multi-omic immune data from healthy human subjects to accelerate translational research
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Oct. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fluidigm Corporation (NASDAQ:FLDM), a leader in mass cytometry and microfluidics technology, today announced the publication of the 10,000 Immunomes Project (10KIP), a seminal human immune reference standard containing mass cytometry immune cell profiles, by investigators at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and the Northrop Grumman Information Systems Health IT.
Released in Cell Reports, the 10KIP reference includes standardized measurements of the immune system from 10,344 healthy human subjects varying by age, sex, ethnicity and state of pregnancy. It represents the careful curation and harmonization of data from 42,000 samples collected across 83 different studies, all openly accessible at ImmPort (immport.org), a resource center supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Providing results from 10 different data types, the 10KIP reference includes standardized measurements of immune cell profiles, cytokines, gene expression, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing and more.
Mass cytometry, a proven method to deeply profile immune cell phenotypes and functions using Fluidigm CyTOF® technology, provided highly informative immune cell datasets within the 10KIP. Referenced by hundreds of peer-reviewed publications around the world, mass cytometry transcends the inherent technical limitations of flow cytometry to enable interrogation of over 40 parameters at a time, including both cell surface and intracellular protein markers.
“We are thrilled that so many investigators are making many types of extremely detailed measurements of the human immune system, including through CyTOF technology, and sharing their de‑identified cellular and molecular data through ImmPort. The 10KIP represents the collective work of hundreds of investigators and thousands of study participants and shows the power of open data sharing, where we can now enable new investigators to combine datasets and ask questions the original investigators might never have thought of,” said Atul Butte, Principal Investigator for ImmPort and Distinguished Professor at UCSF.
In the Cell Reports article, detailed analysis of mass cytometry-defined immune cell profiles within the 10KIP uncovered a number of interesting findings. Specific immune cells types including CD4+, CD8+ and gamma-delta T cell subsets were shown to be highly diverse in the healthy human population, while others were shown to be relatively consistent. Additionally, four immune cell types were identified that differ by race, while 20 varied with age, and seven varied by sex. Upon further investigation, a number of known functional correlations between immune cell phenotypes and cytokine expression were confirmed, and other new associations were identified. Each of these observations aids in building a more comprehensive understanding of the immune system.
“The development of large-scale multi-omic reference standards for the human immune system is essential to advancing our understanding of human disease and ultimately improving patient outcomes,” said Chris Linthwaite, President and CEO of Fluidigm. “The contribution of mass cytometry to the initial findings from this study is truly impressive. We look forward to the new insights in the immune cell repertoire that will come from the application and expansion of this valuable community resource.”
Fluidigm, the Fluidigm logo, and CyTOF are registered trademarks of Fluidigm Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, among others, statements regarding the potential impact of Fluidigm products on translational research. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from currently anticipated results, including but not limited to risks relating to challenges inherent in developing, manufacturing, launching, marketing, and selling new products; the uncertain regulatory environment; potential product performance and quality issues; intellectual property risks; competition; and interruptions or delays in the supply of components or materials for, or manufacturing of, Fluidigm products. Information on these and additional risks and uncertainties and other information affecting Fluidigm business and operating results are contained in Fluidigm’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Fluidigm’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Fluidigm disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements except as may be required by law.
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Tag: citalopram
Patenting racemates and enantiomers
war / 27 August 2009 / Patents
Lundbeck had a patent for citalopram for the treatment of depression, which it marketed in Australia under the name Cipramil
Citalopram is a chiral molecule: it can exist in two isomeric forms; a (+)-enantiomer and a (-)-enantiomer. The two forms have the same chemical structure, but they are mirror images. At its priority date, the relevant skilled addressees would have understood that the compound was a racemate or racemic mix consisting of both the (+)-enantiomer and the (-)-enantiomer.
Subsequently, Lundbeck discovered a way to make the (+)-enantiomer in isolated or pure form and, even better, it was this enantiomer that contributed the therapeutic effect of citalopram. It obtained a further patent, claim 1 of which was for:
1. (+)-1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-1-(4’-fluorophenyl)-1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran-5-carbonitrile and non-toxic acid addition salts thereof.
The Full Federal Court by 2-1 (Bennett and Middleton JJ; Emmett J dissenting) has upheld the validity of this claim in the face of the prior patent for citalopram.
If resort could be made to the body of the specification, it was clear that the skilled addressees would have understood that claim was a claim to the enantiomer in its pure, isolated form and not to the product as part of a racemic mix.
Emmett J considered the claim was clear and unambiguous. Accordingly, there was no warrant to resort to the body of the specification. Bennett and Middleton JJ, on the other hand, accepted that the trial judge was entitled to accept evidence about how the skilled addressee would have read the claim. Bennett J approved the approach taken by Dr Barker, as delegate for the Commissioner, in Emory University v Biochem Pharma:
[152] …. He drew a distinction between a reading of the claim in the context of the specification to understand what the claim is talking about (as did Burchett J in International Business Machines Corporation v Commissioner of Patents [1991] FCA 625; (1991) 33 FCR 218), where the whole thrust of the specification makes a limitation clear, and impermissibly importing a limitation from “mere comments” in the description. ….
Her Honour further explained that the citalopram patent didn’t anticipate the claim:
193 The prior citalopram patent described the racemate. It did not describe the pure or isolated (+)-enantiomer. There is no anticipation unless the disclosure of the racemate was, to the skilled addressee, a disclosure of the (+)-enantiomer. As the primary judge pointed out at [171], the skilled but non-inventive addressee would have understood that (+/-)-citalopram consisted of the (+)-enantiomer and the (–)-enantiomer and would have been able to identify the formulae for the S and R enantiomers but would not have known in the absence of experimentation which was the (+)-enantiomer and which the (–)-enantiomer. As his Honour said, these facts would not point specifically to the independent existence of the enantiomers. They did not disclose an invention which, if performed, would necessarily infringe the Patent.
194 It is the case that the skilled addressee knew that the racemate could be resolved into the enantiomers but there was nothing to tell him or her to do so. Further, the prior citalopram patent was silent as to the means of obtaining the enantiomers and there were different methods available to try to do so. There were no clear and unmistakable directions to obtain the enantiomers. Some of the available methodology may have been successful, other methods may not.
That seems rather to qualify the force of the earlier point. One might even think, with respect, that it limits the patentable subject matter to some particular method of making the purified, isolated (+)-enantiomer, rather than the substance per se.
In contrast to this approach, however, Lundbeck lost its attempt to get the term of the second, escitalopram patent extended pursuant to s 70 of the Patents Act.
The problem for Lundbeck here was that s 70(2) referred to a patent for a pharmaceutical substance per se, but s 70(3) and (5) and s 71 did not. The Full Court found that s 70(2) operated to identify the subject matter of the extension application – the substance per se here being escitalopram.
Because the later sub-sections did not refer to the substance per se, when it came to working out the timing for making the application for an extension of term, the question was (in this case) the date when goods containing the substance (not the substance per se) were first included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.
Citalopram, of course, contained the (+)-enantiomer and it had been registered in the ARTG. It was first included in the ARTG on 29 December 1997. The application to extend the term of the escitalopram patent was made almost 6 years later – on 22 December 2003.
Section 71(2), however, required the extension application to be made within 6 months of the patent being granted or “the date of commencement of the first inclusion in the [ARTG] of goods that contain … the pharmaceutical substance referred to in s 70(3)” (i.e., within 6 months of the inclusion in the ARTG of citalopram).
The majority also found that claim 5 was invalid for insufficiency. However, Lundbeck did succeed insofar as Alphapharm was found to have infringed claims 1 and 3 of the escitalopram patent, presumably up to the date of expiry of the patent on 13 June 2009.
Leave a Comment on Patenting racemates and enantiomers/ Australia,Cipramil,citalopram,construction,enantiomer,escitalopram,extension,Lundbeck,Patents,racemate
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Companies hiring59 companies found
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Debut Art
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General Election 2017: The big questions on tax
19 April, 2017 19 April, 2017 by James Hannam
Although it’s already been dubbed the Brexit election, tax is likely to be as important as ever in the 2017 poll. So here are my initial thoughts on the main tax issues up for debate in the coming weeks.
No pre-election Budget
Governments usually use the Budget before an election campaign starts to stoke the feel-good factor and set the tax agenda. This time, there won’t be one. The Budget in March was something of a political non-event, except for the rise in national insurance that was so quickly reversed. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, didn’t lay out a long term strategy on tax, and the Prime Minister, Theresa May, has given few hints about her tax philosophy. The next Budget is due in the Autumn, although an immediate post-election Budget, as happened in 2010 and 2015, can’t be ruled out.
This means that the Conservatives will make their promises on tax without first having put them in context with a Budget. They won’t be able to present their new ideas as being part of a continuing strategy that is already being implemented. Furthermore, work has been going on in the background that was supposed to inform policy going forward. Matthew Taylor’s review of the rights for people working in the gig economy should have helped inform changes to national insurance. And during his Budget speech, Mr Hammond hinted at long-term plans to rebalance the tax treatment of online and bricks & mortar businesses. None of this work is complete enough to provide policies ready to go into the manifesto. This matters because future tax reform will be made more difficult if it part of the mandate given to the winners of the election campaign.
Conservative pledges
The Tories made wideranging promises in their 2015 general election manifesto. Mr Hammond’s plan to increase the national insurance contributions of the self-employed, which he announced in this year’s Budget, came a cropper as a result. Even though his proposal did not infringe the letter of the 2015 manifesto, he had to ditch the rise within days.
Simply abandoning all the promises they made last time would open the Tories up to accusations that they are planning to raise taxes. I think they would be wise to maintain their pledges not to increase the main rates of income tax, national insurance or, especially, VAT. However, they should include a specific promise to increase Class 4 NICs so that Hammond can do what he proposed in the Budget. Where the Tories are planning to increase taxes, honesty would be the best policy and burnish Mrs May’s no-nonsense image (which has been dented by the announcement of an election when she said there won’t be one).
The Conservatives should drop the ruinously expensive commitment to increase the rate of the income tax personal allowance to £12,500 by 2020. I suspect this pledge resonates much less with the public than the one on income tax rates. Help for the just-about-managing would be better targeted by cuts in employees’ national insurance as this would not cut the taxes of wealthy pensions with lots of investment income.
Labour tax rises?
Labour has already promised to impose VAT on private school fees to fund free school meals for primary school children. They are likely to propose further tax rises to pay for other aspects of their programme.
I expect a mansion tax, just like Labour proposed in 2015. The mansion tax generally works well in focus groups as most voters imagine they’d never have to pay it. However, the scope of any wealth tax (which is essentially what a mansion tax is) needs to be wide if it is to raise significant amounts of money. Additionally, any mansion tax would bite hard in London, which is one of the few parts of the country where Labour might hope to do well.
Other options include restoring the 50% income tax rate for income over £150,000. This could be popular because people support increases in taxes they won’t have to pay. Again, the money raised is likely to be negligible. Another option is a windfall tax on the energy companies, or some other unpopular sector of the economy. New Labour did this back in 1997. The problem is that a windfall tax must, by definition, be a one-off. Hikes in corporation tax also seem relatively painless in electoral terms (although they shouldn’t be, as corporation tax is levied on people as much as any other tax, just at a further remove from their wallets). Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has already declared that companies bidding for Government contracts would have to follow ‘best practice’ in tax compliance and multinationals will be forced to publish their tax returns. Neither measure would raise any new money. Mr McDonnell has also hinted at increases in capital gains tax and inheritance tax, which HMRC also don’t think would lead to significant tax receipts.
A final option for Labour is to go for a truly socialist manifesto, squeezing the rich till their pips squeak. Given the party is going to lose anyway, there seems little harm in its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, giving his leftwing instincts full reign. He could promise to increase the current 40% income tax rate (paid on all earnings over £45,000) to 50%. HMRC estimates that this would raise £12 billion and so deal with Labour’s fiscal credibility problem at a stroke. Of course, it would be poison with the electorate, as Labour found with a similar policy back in 1992, but this time it has nothing to lose.
Some brief notes on imposing VAT on private school fees
6 April, 2017 6 April, 2017 by James Hannam
The Labour Party is proposing to impose VAT on private school fees. Here are a few notes on the technicalities of such a policy.
Education, including private tuition, is exempt from VAT. This is enshrined in the European Directive on VAT so couldn’t be changed until Brexit. However, once we have left the EU, the UK would be free to impose VAT at whatever rate it pleased, as long as our exit agreement allows us to. That Labour is suggesting a policy that contravenes EU law is, if nothing else, crossing a Rubicon of sorts.
The difference between exemption from VAT and zero-rating is important. Generally, where a taxpayer makes exempt supplies, like education, it has to pay VAT in full on things it buys. Where it makes zero-rated supplies, like food, it can claim back the VAT in incurs on its purchases. Thus imposing VAT on school fees is likely to mean private schools can reclaim the VAT they suf6fer on their purchases, reducing the net amount of VAT that the change will raise.
Many pupils at private schools are from abroad, some 200,000 by some accounts. University and school education of foreign students is treated as an export (as it is foreigners paying us for something we supply). Exports are outside the scope of VAT, since this is supposed to be a tax on domestic consumption. If we impose VAT on private education, we would also need to decide whether to charge VAT to foreign students as well. If we did, it would damage an important and growing export industry. If we didn’t, the yield from the tax would be lower and we would open a divide between UK and non-UK students.
It is unlikely that many parents will turn to the state system as a result of the VAT rise as private school usage appears to be quite inelastic on price. However, some parents will send their children to state schools, which will both increase the cost of providing state education and reduce the amount of VAT raised from private schools.
In summary, whatever the tax yield that Labour expect from imposing VAT on private school fees, the reality is likely to be a lot less.
Questions on Google’s UK tax bill
The financial statements of Google’s UK operations for the year ended 30 June 2016 show UK turnover of £1.03 billion, profits before tax of £149 million, and a UK corporation tax bill of £36.4 million on those profits. In addition, the financial statements show that Google is owed a £31 million tax refund from HMRC. This has led to much speculation in the media, notably the BBC and The Times, about whether Google is paying enough tax. This article is intended to shed some light on that question. I am a tax consultant of 24 years experience and a specialist in international tax. However, I have no inside knowledge or contact with Google whatsoever. If I did, I would not have written this article. My comments below are based on my general experience of international tax and publicly available information.
How much tax should Google have paid in the UK?
In short, it should have paid 20% of its UK taxable profits in corporation tax. Note that corporation tax is charged on profits. When you hear a journalist or politician comparing tax and turnover, rather than tax and profits, you can guarantee they have no idea what they are talking about.
Although profit before tax in the financial statements is not the same as taxable profits, they are often reasonably similar. In this case, the figures in Google’s UK accounts show an effective tax rate of 24%, or 17% after various deductions. This is fair enough, but not really the point. The controversial question is whether Google actually recognises enough of its profits in the UK.
So, how much profit should Google recognise in the UK?
If we have a look at the financial statements of Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc, we find that total UK sales are reported as being £6 billion (here). And yet, Google’s UK operations only show turnover of £1 billion. Where has the other £5 billion got to and should it be taxed in the UK?
An analogy might help to explain what is going on here. It is a basic principle of international tax that you pay tax where you have the people and know-how making the profits. You are not taxed where you happen to sell your products. For example, Mercedes sold about 170,000 cars in the UK in 2016, but paid all the tax on the profits from building them in Germany. The exception is the dealer networks, which are UK based (and, in any case, independent franchises). The profits they make buying cars from Germany and selling them to UK customers are UK profits subject to UK tax.
Google’s UK sales operation is not independent of Google, but the same principle applies. It should only pay UK tax on the stuff it actually does in the UK rather than on the basis of its overall sales here. Google says that the turnover attributable to its UK operations, being sales and marketing, is £1billion out of their £6billion UK sales. That is not an unreasonable figure and would be subject to serious scrutiny by HMRC.
Google recognises some of its turnover in Ireland and will make a proportion of its profits there. This should be based on work done by people actually based in Ireland. However, most of its profits will be attributable to the US where the ‘magic’ of Google is created. It is the search engine algorithm itself, not the sales people, which represents the true value of Google. Profits attributable to that should be taxed in the US.
So why does HMRC owe Google £31 million?
My guess is that this could well be Diverted Profits Tax (DPT) aka the Google tax. DPT was introduced in 2015 to catch profits that were being artificially diverted from the UK. Google was alleged to be doing this by booking sales in Ireland and ensuring the related profits were taxed there and not in the UK. It claims that it has changed its procedures and no longer does this.
The way DPT this works is as follows: HMRC gets to guess the tax bill it things a company owes and then the company has to pay the amount HMRC guessed. It is then up to the company to prove to HMRC that the guess is wrong. If, after going through all the documentation, HMRC agrees its guess is wide of the mark, it has to pay back some or all of the DPT to the company. It is possible that the amount HMRC is paying back to Google is the £31million in the accounts.
The UK Government introduced DPT to force international groups to come clean about their structures. That is why HMRC demands payment in advance and makes companies demonstrate that they should get it back. If DPT is a success, no one will actually pay it. Ideally, if all multinationals recognise the correct profits in the UK, they would be subject to corporation tax and not DPT. It is an anti-avoidance measure only.
So is Google avoiding taxes?
I can’t see much evidence that Google is avoiding material amounts of UK tax. That’s not meant as a defence of Google, but rather of HMRC and the UK tax system. We tax consultants spend a lot of time slagging off HMRC but, secretly, we rather admire them. The Government is also serious about fighting avoidance. HMRC asked for DPT to be introduced to give it the tool it needed to force multinationals to pay the right amount of tax in the UK. And the Government gave them exactly what it wanted.
However, Alphabet Inc’s financial statements suggest a very different picture in the US where most of Google’s profits should be taxed. We find that its effective tax rate is only 20%, far lower than the US corporate tax rate of 35%. It looks like it is paying a lot less US tax than expected. It is likely that Google has schemes in place so that the revenue they make outside the US is not remitted to its head office and so is not subject to US tax. These unremitted profits are probably contained in its ‘cash pile’ – a mountainous $86 billion according to Alphabet Inc’s financial statements. Much of this cash is held offshore and is not subject to US tax. The Trump tax reform plan is aimed at getting this money back to the US and taxing it (although at nothing like the full rate).
In summary, my best guess is that Google is not avoiding a material amount of UK taxes because our tax system is now robust enough to stop it. In contrast, there is evidence that it is avoiding vast amounts of US tax.
Categories Tax2 Comments
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Odyssey, part 7: The Knowledge Road to Nowhere
I grew up impressed with the need to know. And now my spiritual practice is not knowing.
My Unitarian Universalist upbringing pointed me towards the path of philosophy, but the philosophy teacher whose work compelled me might better be described as an anti-philosopher. My spiritual journey as a UU and a Buddhist has both illuminated and cast doubt on the traditional hope for reason and rationality to yield religious truth.
I grew up impressed with the need to know, and equally impressed that many claims of knowledge were false. I was raised by two college teachers: Mom, a professor of chemistry, and Dad, English. As their first-born, I imbibed their core value: know stuff. Dad had a plaque over his desk, quoting Plato:
There is only one good, knowledge; only one evil, ignorance.
I was raised in the South by Yankee parents who became Unitarians about the time I was born. After a few years each in Virginia, North Carolina, and Alabama, as my parents climbed the academic ladder, we settled in Carrollton, Georgia, a small town without a Unitarian Universalist congregation. On Sundays we drove an hour to attend the UU Congregation of Atlanta.
In childhood, I had showed symptoms of the philosophy bug. I was one of those kids who, early on, was fascinated with the thought that the color experience I call “red” might be experienced by other people the way I experience blue. I was drawn to the nonsense questions – though I had no grasp on their nonsensicality. At age 6, I had wanted to know, “What’s the opposite of a rubber band?” Would it be its elasticity or its loop shape that would be reversed? The teachers at my Unitarian Universalist Sunday School classes seemed to enjoy my loopy questions – and gave me others to think about.
I was in fourth grade the first time I can remember hearing the word “atheist.” I asked what it meant, and shortly thereafter decided that I was one. My Sunday School teachers were nonreactive when I announced this to them, but my Carrollton classmates were gratifyingly scandalized. Some of them sought to rescue me from certain damnation. Naturally, I became a debater. Then a debate coach.
By my mid-20s, I was a graduate student in communication studies at Baylor University studying for a career as college debate coach. I took a number of classes in "argumentation" where we talked a lot about justificatory devices for beliefs. I’d majored in philosophy as an undergrad, and had the vague sense that some of what my philosophy profs had been carrying on about might be relevant. I had the philosophy bug. So one semester I wandered across the quad to take a course, "Epistemology" (Theory of Knowledge), in Baylor's philosophy department. The last reading assignment in the class consisted of two chapters from Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (1979) by Richard Rorty.
Descartes' (1596-1650) concerns with establishing foundations for knowledge had moved epistemology to the center of Western philosophy. Rorty diagnosed the obsession with epistemology as deriving from a conception of knowledge as “mirroring” nature. A true sentence was one that “reflected” or “represented” the way things really are. Against this representationalist conception of knowledge, Rorty drew upon his rather free-wheeling interpretations of certain other philosophers – especially, John Dewey, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Martin Heidegger – to argue for a revival of pragmatism, the American philosophy developed by Charles Peirce, William James, and Dewey in the 19th and early-20th century. Rorty’s pragmatism said that the point of inquiry is not to picture the way things really are, but to cope with them.
It’s not just that absolute certainty is unobtainable; rather we have no general way to assess even relative certainty – i.e, no way to be “more certain” or “less certain.” (We do have the conventions for calculating probability within particular technical fields -- meteorology, say, or genetics. Those conventions suit the field’s purposes. What we don’t have is a way to know what purpose a human life, either overall or at any particular time, ought – or even probably ought – to have.)
Knowing – and therefore life, as I understood it – isn’t about mirroring or even “approximately” mirroring reality. Rather, it’s about doing.
I was hooked. I read everything by Rorty I could get my hands on. I wrote my thesis at Baylor on "Richard Rorty's Pragmatism: Implications for Argumentation Theory." From there, I took a job as a speech instructor and assistant debate coach for a couple years. Soon, though, I abandoned that career track and enrolled as a PhD student at the University of Virginia, where Rorty was then on the faculty. For four years I took every class he offered, pored over the prepublication typescripts of each new essay as it appeared from the departmental copy machine.
It was exhilarating and liberating in two ways. First, I was getting progressively clearer on how the quest for certainty was misbegotten. There is no such thing as the sort of knowledge that Plato, through my father’s desk plaque, had been telling me was the only good since before I knew the difference between Plato and Play-Dough. Rorty’s pragmatism absolved me of the burden to seek and acquire such Platonic certainty. Second, not only did I not have to get that kind of knowledge, but if it’s not the sort of thing one can have, then my evangelical grade-school classmates didn’t have it either. Whew! In one swell foop I had marked my independence from both my parents and my peers.
In due course, the degree requirements were met, and I joined the ranks of fresh assistant professors of philosophy. In one of my earliest lay sermons for my local Unitarian Universalist congregation, I addressed the nature of truth:
“We speak of true diamonds, true friends. Someone particularly suited to her field – say, engineering, is said to be a true engineer. We speak of the arrow flying straight and true to its target. If the billiard table cloth is true, then it is flat and level. When I take my bicycle in for a tune up, they “true” the wheels – make them straight. From a philosophical point of view, it’s the truth of sentences that we’re talking about when we talk about truth – not the truth of diamonds, friends, or bicycle wheels. What we’re after when we want truth on some subject is to know which sentences, if presented to us on a true-false test, to mark with a ‘T.’ It’s one thing to commend certain sentences as handy for some purpose or other – to say of those sentences that they are ‘true’ as a mental note to remember them when dealing with their subject matter. It’s quite another thing to insist that certain sentences will always and forever warrant a ‘T.’ This is the ‘truth as death’ conception of truth. It comes from the yearning for sentences that we will never have to revise or modify our understanding. Such a yearning is like a death wish – a wish to be freed from growing and changing. . . . There is no truth ‘out there’ – just waiting, like the elephant encountered by the five blind men – for us to get our hands around more of it. Sentences are human creative products, just as art and music are. We produce beliefs – sentences to which we give our assent – as best we can to meet our purposes, and we will always be re-creating belief and knowledge as our purposes guide our inquiry and what we learn in turn leads us to redefine our purposes. . . . Art does not aim at gradually converging toward the one ultimate eternal beauty. Nor should we see our sentences and beliefs as converging toward one ultimate eternal truth – even an infinitely far-off truth. The search for truth is not aimed at bringing itself to an end. It's not that the target is impossibly far off. It's that there is no overall target – only local and temporary targets.”
I cannot say that, as I composed these words, I imagined Rorty looking over my shoulder, smiling, and nodding. That wasn’t his way. His way had always been, when I brought to him the astonishing (to me) fruits of my intellectual labors, to shrug and say, “sure.”
What I had learned under Rorty – drawing especially on one of his heroes, Ludwig Wittgenstein -- was more anti-philosophy than philosophy. Grand philosophical projects such as those of Plato, Descartes, and Kant were based on a certain sort of nonsense – namely, the sort that results when concepts that make sense in one particular area of human endeavor are extended too far out of their context to make any sense. For instance, we can ask whether a bottle is upside-down or not only if the bottle is within a context that establishes “up” and “down”, and the conventions of the bottle’s use establish which end is its “upside.” To ask whether the entire universe is upside-down is nonsense because there is no larger context that would establish “up” from “down.” The concept “upside-down-ness” makes sense within a context; applied universally, stripped of context, it’s a nonsense concept. It’s not just that we don’t have enough data yet. Nor is it a case of, “We mere mortals will never know, but God knows.” Rather, this is a nonsense question from the beginning. “The big questions” of philosophy tend to be that way.
For me, graduate study in philosophy was therapy, curing me of the grip of my philosophical bug. From Wittgenstein, I read that the aim of philosophy is “to show the fly the way out of the fly-bottle.” The image stuck with me: philosophy as buzzing around inside a bottle of questions, trying to answer them, unable to see a way out. Reading Wittgenstein under Rorty, I came to see the “nonsense” in philosophical questions. My twenty-six-year-old self was finally able to say something satisfactory to my six-year-old self: “The concept of ‘opposite’ applies in some contexts, but it is not, dear child, a universal concept. ‘Opposite’ doesn’t apply to rubber bands.” In the unlikely event that my six-year-old self would have appreciated this point, I would have added, “Indeed, there are no universal concepts. Every concept has its work to do, and can do so only within the context of purposes and practices for which it was created.”
The questions that Western philosophers regard as central have gradually shifted through the centuries, but I began to notice that the old questions weren’t ever actually answered. (Or, if they were, then that area of inquiry spun off into an empirical discipline and wasn’t “philosophy” any more.) The history of philosophy, Rorty once noted, isn’t one of answering questions, but of getting over them.
One of the questions I got over, with the help of Wittgenstein-via-Rorty, was that “color conundrum.” Wittgenstein once answered the question, “How do I know it’s red?” by saying, “I know it’s ‘red’ because I speak English.” In other words, “red” is a concept (for to have a concept is to be able to use a word), and all there is to do with a concept is use it in the ways appropriate to the speakers of the language within which the word/concept has its place. There’s the doing – and, beyond that, there’s nothing there. “Red,” ultimately, is...empty.
I came to Buddhism slowly. I read Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha in eighth grade and felt its impact like a body blow. With nowhere to go to build on that experience, it gradually faded – yet a seed had been planted. In college, I mused, captivated, over the Dao De Jing (not strictly Buddhism, but an influence on the Zen form). As an assistant professor of philosophy at a small liberal arts school, I was called upon occasionally to teach a “Humanities” course that included surveying the world religions. As I prepared for the Buddhism unit, I found many of the teachings eerily reminiscent of what I’d spent graduate school thinking about.
In one of the sutras, the Buddha is presented with the sort of questions that philosophy and religion typically wrestle: Is the world eternal or not? Finite or infinite? Is the soul the same as the body or different? Does a person exist after death or not? The Buddha replies:
“Suppose a man were wounded by an arrow thickly smeared with poison, and his friends and companions, his kinsmen and relatives, brought a surgeon to treat him. The man would say: ‘I will not let the surgeon pull out this arrow until I know whether the man who wounded me was a noble or a Brahmin or a merchant or a worker; until I know the name and clan of the man who wounded me; whether the man who wounded me was tall or short or of middle height; was dark or brown or golden-skinned; lives in such a village or town or city; until I know whether the bow that wounded me was a long bow or a crossbow; the bowstring was fiber or reed or sinew or hemp or bark; the shaft was wild or cultivated; with what kind of feathers the shaft was fitted; with what kind of sinew the shaft was bound; whether the arrow was hoof-tipped or curved or barbed or calf-toothed or oleander. All this would still not be known to that man and meanwhile he would die.” (Culamalunkya Sutta, Majjhima Nikaya 63)
The sutra goes on to say that having any of these views -- that the world is eternal, not eternal, etc., -- precludes the holy life. The Buddha refuses to address any such question because it
“does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbana.”
How very...pragmatic! Buddha, too, was trying to show the fly the way out of the fly bottle. What took me years more to grasp was that liberation from philosophical questions by way of a philosophical explanation of the nonsensicality of the questions was partial liberation at best.
My call away from teaching philosophy and to Unitarian Universalist ministry came as a double awareness: (1) I can do that (I’m good at public speaking; I’m reasonably smart; I’ve been a UU all my life, and I love our congregations); and (2) I have no idea how to do that (i.e., the other stuff ministers do or are, which I couldn’t then even name, skills eventually described to me as “projecting spiritual presence”). Somehow, dimly, I perceived that the part I was clueless about – so clueless I couldn’t say what it was – was the next step in my journey. It was the lack I needed most to fill.
So when, after one year of seminary training for ministry, the Midwest Regional Subcommittee on Candidacy told me to “get a spiritual practice,” I knew before I’d arrived back home what that practice would be. The idea of meditation seemed like a good one. The time had come, it seemed, actually do it.
I began the way I usually begin new things: I got a book. It told me about mindfulness, finding a posture for stillness, and what to do with my mind while being still. And what to do when my mind wandered off from doing what I had told it to do.
I started with fifteen minutes a day, and after a couple months was up to 30 minutes each morning of sitting meditation. I started going to weekly meditation group meetings and insight meditation classes. I spent one year with a Vipassana (Insight) meditation teacher, and then began checking out Zen teachers. I started sitting every day.
In 2002, LoraKim and I moved to El Paso, and I started exploring Zen. I had heard that there was a UU minister named James Ford who was also a Zen master. I wrote to Rev. Ford and asked his advice. He wrote back and said:
“There are two times to visit many masters: at the beginning of your training, and at the end.”
He listed some I could visit, and his strongest recommendation was for Ruben Habito, a Filipino former Jesuit priest teaching comparative religion at Perkins Theological School in Dallas. I visited with, and meditated with, and chanted with, and absorbed the dharma talks of Zen teachers in Las Cruces, and Tucson, and Albuquerque, and Austin, before finally going to see Ruben in Dallas. Ruben has been my Zen teacher ever since. I go out to Dallas for week-long Zen retreats when I get the chance, and in between retreats, we’re in touch occasionally by phone or email.
Since 2001, I’ve been sitting daily, going to retreats 2-5 times a years ever since. The Rorty-dharma in many ways prepared me well for the Buddhadharma. In Zen and Buddhism books and in the dharma-talks (teisho) of Zen teachers, I hear recurrent echoes of the themes of my graduate school experience. Attachment to your picture of reality doesn’t help. Upaya (skillful means) does. Concepts are empty, yet useful within a context of a particular purpose. All things are impermanent, including the list of sentences that humans, at any given time, commend as ‘true.’ Things do not have essences or permanent, distinct identities, but are a continually shifting networks of relationships – and this includes the self. Rorty taught “radical contingency;” which I discovered the Buddha also taught, calling it “interdependent co-origination.”
Buddhist practice has, however, brought me to a place that my academic studies led me away from. I completed graduate school with the understanding that everything was linguistic and purposive. “True friends” or “true diamonds” were just figures of speech – the only sort of truth worth talking about was truth as an attribute of certain sentences (the true ones). The only “knowing” worthy of concern was knowing how to make and recognize true sentences. This was the orientation that made me a philosopher. Moreover, the only way to assess knowledge and truth was within the context set by some particular purpose. This was the orientation that made me a pragmatist. So when I first heard my Buddhist teachers talking about “seeing things exactly as they are in themselves,” with my own attachments and purposes “dropped away,” I had no idea how to charitably interpret such talk. Had not Wittgenstein established that “all seeing is seeing as”? There is no Kantian thing-in-itself – nor even a “red” apart from the practices and purposes of calling things red.
I don’t know how to resolve this issue except in practice (“pragmatically”). My inner Zen teacher says to me, “Never mind if ‘everything is purposive,’ or not. There’s a poisoned arrow that’s killing you, Meredith, so let’s set that question aside. Never mind about everything and bring mindfulness to just what is before you right now. Do you notice the presence of purpose within you? Fine. Just notice it. If, in the glare of your attention, that purposive category of perception begins to loosen its grip, does another one pop up in its stead? Fine. Just notice that one, too. Does some word or phrase arise to attach itself to your perception? OK. Notice that, too.”
The path to nonlinguistic, nonpurposive presence is one step at a time. Notice and see through the linguistic description and the purpose it serves. Then the next one, then the next, then the next. Just keep at it. This is the path.
I grew up impressed with the need to know. And now my spiritual practice is not knowing: opening myself to let each thing present itself afresh without burying it under the load of all the concepts I worked so long to acquire.
Next: "Odyssey, part 8: Walls and Fridges"
Previous: "Odyssey, part 6: Anti-Barbie"
"Odyssey, part 5: The Commune Attraction"
"Odyssey, part 4: Paragon of Loquacious Discourse"
"Odyssey, part 3: Mr. Bear's Lover of Leaving"
"Odyssey, part 2: Falling Apples"
"Odyssey, part 1: 1959"
Labels: autobiography
But apart from that...
Where Nowhere Might Begin
Where Did Nowhere Go?
Twin Oaks Community
Boxes Too Small
The Tolerance Paradox
The Unbearable Difficulty of Community
Yeah, But What Type of Punk Muslim?
Nailings
Odyssey, part 5: The Commune Attraction
The Utopian Connection
Neither Problem Nor Solution
Blessed Be. Who Are You?
Odyssey, part 6: Anti-Barbie
Taking Yourself Personally
If You're Lucky Your Heart Will Break
Pushed Down to Safe Ground
The Weakness Is the Strength
Odyssey, part 8: Walls and Fridges
Odyssey, part 4: Paragon of Loquacious Discourse
Justice and Love Together
Our Bodies Our Selves
Riding Turtles Down Slippery Slopes
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Spending the day in North Wales at the popular coastal resort of Llandudno, situated on its own peninsula between the limestone headlands of the Great & Little Ormes. Attractions include: the longest cable car in the UK to the summit of the Great Orme with spectacular views of the bay of Llandudno, the Little Orme and the Conwy Estuary. The Great Orme Tramway - Britain’s only cable-hauled tramway that travels on public roads, the North Shore and promenade including the longest pier in Wales and a good selection of town centre shops.
Whitby via Rosedale Abbey
Cleethorpes via the Humber Bridge
Bridlington & Langlands Garden Centre
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Dag: 2 maart 2018
IOA starts to build large wall for Leshem settlement in Salfit
On: 2 maart 2018 By: KhamakarPress
The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has started to build a large wall of rocks for the illegal settlement of Leshem on annexed land belonging to Deir Ballut town in Salfit, north of the West Bank.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that more agricultural and grazing lands, including olive trees, were bulldozed in the areas of al-Shamiyat and Bab Marj, east of Deir Ballut, in order to build the wall.
Leshem settlement, which was established illegally on annexed West Bank lands in 2013, keeps expanding at the expense of Palestinian towns in the area.
Category: Terrorism Tagged Terrorism Leave a comment/
PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (22 – 27 February 2018)
Israeli forces continued with systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) for the week of 22 – 27 February, 2018.
Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian while arresting him when no danger to the soldiers’ life had been posed. 10 shooting incidents targeting the Palestinian fishing boats off the Gaza Strip Shore were also reported.
Shooting:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces killed 2 Palestinian civilians, including a fisherman, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They also wounded 41 other civilians, including 9 children and 2 fishermen. In the Gaza Strip as well, the Israeli forces continued to chase Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Sea and target the border areas.
In the Gaza Strip, on 25 February 2018, Israeli naval killed a Palestinian fisherman and wounded 2 others after opening at a fishing boat sailing within 3 nautical miles and damaging the boat. The two wounded fishermen were arrested and questioned before being released on the same day afternoon. PCHR condemns the ongoing Israeli attacks against the Palestinian fishermen aiming at targeting the livelihoods of fishermen and preventing them from sailing and fishing freely in the Gaza Strip.
As part of targeting the border areas, on 24 February 2018, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between Israeli and the Gaza Strip, east of Khan Younis, fired flare bombs over the border area, east of al-Qararah, and sporadically opened fire. They later declared they arrested 2 Palestinian civilians who attempted to sneak into Israel.
On 27 February 2018, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip, east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, opened fire at the shepherds forcing them to leave the area fearing for their lives.
Moreover, 24 Palestinian civilians were wounded, including 5 children, after the Israeli forces fired bullets and tear canisters at them directly during protests where the protestors threw stones at the soldiers stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. These demonstrations are organized in protest against the U. S. President’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and against the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip for the eleventh year.
As part of targeting fishermen in the sea, the Israeli forces continued to escalate their attacks against fishermen in the Gaza Sea, indicating to the on-going Israeli policy of targeting their livelihoods. In addition to the killing of the abovementioned fisherman, PCHR monitored 9 other incidents; 7 in north-western Beit Lahia and 5 others in Western Soudaniyah, west of Jabalia.
In the West Bank, on 23 February 2018, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian from Jericho while arresting him and declared his death only hour after his arrest. According to PCHR’s investigations and eyewitnesses, the Israeli forces moved into Jericho to carry out an arrest campaign. Yassin al-Saradih then rushed to his uncle’s house to know what was going on. The Israeli soldiers immediately started severely and brutally beating him throughout his body using riffles’ butts and feet. In the morning, the Israeli forces declared his death after suffering seizures due to gas inhalation. The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees said quoting the Palestinian Doctor Rayan al-‘Ali who participated in the Anatomy of the body in the Forensic Medicine Institute “Abu Kabir” said that al-Saradih was wounded with a bullet to the lower abdomen.
On 24 February 2018, 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded when Israeli soldiers moved into Salem village, northeast of Nablus, and a number of youngsters gathered to throw stones at the Israeli vehicles. In response, the soldiers opened fire at them wounding the three civilians.
On 24 February 2018, a civilian was wounded after the Israeli forces moved into al-Dheishah refugee camp, south of Bethlehem, to carry out an arrest campaign and a number of civilians protested against them. On the same day, a 15-year-old child was hit with a bullet to the right shoulder when settlers under the Israeli forces’ protection attacked the northern outskirts of Burin village, south of Nablus, and the residents gathered to keep the setters away; thus, the Israeli soldiers opened fire at them.
On 27 February 2018, a Palestinian civilian was wounded when an Israeli police officer opened fire at a Palestinian car at the entrance to al-Laban al-Shaqriqyah, south of Nablus. As a result, the driver was hit with a bullet to his back and then taken to Qablan Medical Centre. He was then referred by an ambulance to Rafidia Governmental Hospital in Nablus where he underwent an urgent surgery and his condition was described as stable.
Moreover, 9 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded after the Israeli soldiers stationed at the entrances to the Palestinian residential areas in the West Bank fired live bullets and tear gas canisters directly at them during protests and stone-throwing. These demonstrations are organized by Palestinian civilians in protest against the American President’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and against the Israeli settlement activities and land confiscations.
Incursions:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 56 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least 43 Palestinians, including 10 children and a woman, in the West Bank. Four of them were arrested in Jerusalem and its suburbs. Those incursions occur in light of the cold and rainy weather as the Israeli soldiers force children, women and elderly people to stay outside their houses for hours or locked families in one room, preventing them to move in addition to other acts of harassment and use of police dogs in house raids.
Among those arrested this week was the wounded child Mohammed Fadel al-Tamimi (15) from al-Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. Mohammed was wounded on 15 December 2017 with a rubber bullet that settled in his head while participating in a peaceful protest at the main entrance to the abovementioned village. The doctors conducted him several complacted and long-hour surgeries to successfully remove the rubber bullet and swallows in the brain, ear, nose and throat. However, doctors had to remove part of the skull and supposed to conduct him a surgery to repair the skull on 05 March 2018. The Israeli forces released Mohammed after questioning him on the same day he was arrested.
In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli forces conducted two limited incursions into east of al-Qararah village, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip and east of al-Salqah Valley village, north of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. The vehicles levelled and combed the lands along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel amidst Israeli sporadic shooting. However, no casualties were reported.
Efforts to Create Jewish Majority in occupied East Jerusalem:
As part of targeting the religious holy sites in the city, the Christian community unanimously declared the closure of the Holy Sepulcher Church in occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City until a further notice to protest the decision by the city’s municipality to impose property tax (Arnona) on church-owned properties. The Israeli municipality claimed that the debts on 887 church-owned properties stood at over $190 million, without specifying the time frame that the debts accumulated. This closure is considered the second of its kind in the Church history as the first was on 27 April 1990 when the doors of the Church were closed for 48 hours to protest the “Ateret Cohnim” settlement Members’ seizure of the Hospitality Palace in the Monastery of Saint John, who is King of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, next to the Church after two weeks of the seizure and failure of all efforts to expel them. Christian denomination shares the areas and quarters as identified for each inside the Church according to the Status Quo, which is a decree issued by the Ottoman Empire in 1852 and still applicable. The decree was set to preserve the rights of each sect and religious group in Jerusalem in general and in the Sepulcher Church in particular, and to identify how each sect shall use its area.
As part of restricting the work of Palestinian organizations, on 24 February 2018, the Israeli forces banned organizing a dinner party for journalists working in occupied East Jerusalem that was supposed to be held in Philadelphia Restaurant on al-Zahraa’ Street in the center of the city. They closed the restaurant until the next day morning, preventing the dinner in the restaurant or in any other place under the pretext of being organized by the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. According to the ban decision, this activity is organized by “a terrorist movement” and the ban came upon an order by the Jerusalem Command Chief. The Israeli forces also arrested Director of Eilia Association for Media, Ahmed al-Safadi, and the restaurant’s owner, Zuhair Izheiman, while they handed Shadi Mutawer, Secretary of Fatah Movement in Jerusalem, and ‘Awad al-Salaymah, Member of Fatah Movement in Jerusalem, summonses to interrogate them.
Settlement Activities, Demolitions, and Settlers’ Attacks against Palestinian civilians and their Property:
As part of the Israeli settlers’ attacks against the Palestinian civilians and their property, on 23 February 2018, a group of Israeli settlers from “Bracha” settlement and “’Arousa” outpost established in the northern outskirts of Burin village, south of Nablus. The Israeli settler threw stones at Palestinian civilians’ houses. As a result, the village’s residents gathered and confronted the settlers, but no casualties were reported. The settlers’ attacks recurred in the area on the next day under the protection of the Israeli forces that opened fire at the civilians resulting in the injury of a child with a bullet to the right shoulder.
On 23 February 2018 as well, the settlers threw stones at a Palestinian civilian car near Barqah village, northwest of Nablus. As a result, a civilian was hit with a stone to the head.
Use of Force against Demonstrations in Protest against the U.S. President’s Decision to Recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel:
Upon calls for demonstrations protesting against the U.S. President Donald Trump’s Presidential Decree to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the U.S. Embassy to it, Palestinian civilians organized protests against the decision throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. As a result, 33 civilians, including 8 children, were wounded. (This number does not include the number of those wounded during the incursions into the West Bank, and targeting fishermen in the Gaza Strip.) It should be mentioned that PCHR keeps the names of wounded persons for fear of arresting them. The demonstrations were as follows:
West Bank:
At approximately 12:40 on Friday, 23 February 2018, dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered at the southern entrance to Jericho. They threw stones and empty bottles at the Israeli soldiers stationed at military checkpoint established near the abovementioned entrance. The soldiers fired live bullets, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, a civilian from ‘Aqabet Jaber refugee camp, south of the city, was hit with a rubber bullet to the thigh.
Following the end of the same Friday prayer, dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered in the vicinity of Howarah checkpoint at the southern entrance to Nablus. They set fire to tires and put barricades on the street leading to the checkpoint and threw stones and empty bottles at Israeli soldiers. The soldiers fired live and rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, 4 civilians, including a child, were wounded. One of them was hit with a live bullet to the right leg and the 3 others were hit with rubber bullets. The wounded civilians were transferred to Rafidiya Hospital in Nablus to receive medical treatment. Doctors classified their injury between moderate and minor.
Following the same Friday prayer, dozens of Palestinian civilians and International and Israeli human rights defenders organized a protest in front of ‘Ali al-Baka’a Mosque in Hebron and made their way to the Old City Square marking the annual anniversary Massacre of the Ibrahimi Mosque and demanding to open al-Shuhada’a Street. The protestors raised Palestinian flags and chanted national slogans demanding to get the Israeli settlers out of the city. When the participants arrived at the abovementioned area, dozens of Israeli soldiers attacked them and fired 2 sound bombs. The participants dispersed while a number of them threw stones at the soldiers, who chased them to al-Zawiyah Gate area. The soldiers arrested Malek Haroun al-Rajbi (14) and took him to the military checkpoint established at the entrance to al-Shuhada’a Street.
Around the same time, dozens of Palestinian civilians protested at the entrance to Beta village branching from Ramallah – Nablus Street. They set fire to tires, put barricades on the main street and threw stones and empty bottles at Israeli soldiers stationed at the village entrance. The Israeli soldiers heavily fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the protestors. They also arrested Yahiya Sofian Khdair (16). Moreover, few sound bombs and tear gas canister fell on the eastern side of the “Hesbet Beta” Market. As a result, fire broke out in a number of shops and juice stores. The losses were estimated around million and a half shekels. The civil Defense crews were able to extinguish the fire. The people, who have loses, were identified as follows:
Ghaleb Ahmed Ghanem: 1215 large boxes; 900 empty boxes; 8 apple wooden shipping boxes, which cost about NIS 48,000; 1 forklift that cost NIS 50,000; 8 onion wooden shipping boxes; 28 potato boxes; 30 cartoons of dried fig; and 200 empty wooden shipping boxes;
Fawaz al-‘Anbusi: 617 plastic large boxes, which cost about NIS 37,000; 17600 empty boxes that cost about NIS 88,000; 600 empty wooden shipping boxes that cost about NIS 9,000; and 30 vegetables wooden shipping boxes that cost about NIS 38,000;
Fahed ‘Arar Abu al-Mo’taz: a truck used for transferring goods that cost about NIS 150,000; a 160-square-meter barrack; 22 wooden shipping boxes of soft drinks; 6 wooden shipping boxes of juice cartoons; 61 shipping boxes of juice plastic bottles; 1500 snacks cartoons; and 7200 chocolate cartoons; and
Mor’eb Sadqi Hanini: 20 empty large boxes, and 1000 empty boxes.
Around the same time, dozens of Palestinian civilians organized a protest in the center of al-Janiyah village, northwest of Ramallah and made their way to the main entrance to the village. When the protestors approached the abovementioned entrance, Israeli forces fired live and rubber bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the protestors. As a result, a 16-year-old child, from Ras Karkar village near the abovementioned village, was hit with a live bullet to the right foot. He was transferred via an ambulance belonging to Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah to receive medical treatment. Doctors classified his injury as moderate.
Gaza Strip:
At approximately 14:00 on Thursday, 22 February 2018, dozens of Palestinian youngsters made their way to the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of al-Burij refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip, in protest against the U.S President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The youngsters set fire to tires and then threw stones at the Israeli soldiers stationed behind sand barriers along the border fence. The Israeli soldier then fired tear gas canisters and live bullets at them. As a result, a Palestinian civilian was hit with a live bullet to the lower limbs (entered and exited) and was then taken via a PRCS’s ambulance to al-Aqsa Hospital in Dir al-Balah. He was then transferred to the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, where doctors classified his wounds as moderate.
At approximately 13:30 on Friday, 23 February 2018, dozens of Palestinian youngsters made their way to the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel in the northern Gaza Strip. The youngsters approached the security fence and threw stones at Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence. The soldiers stationed in military watchtowers and in their vicinity at Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing, northwest of Beit Hanoun village, north of Buret Abu Samrah, north of the abovementioned village, and stationed in the east of the Islamic Cemetery, east of Jabalia, fired live bullets, rubber- coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at the protestors. As a result, 9 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were wounded. Six of them were hit with live bullets while 3 others were hit with rubber bullets. The wounded persons were then taken via a PRCS’s ambulance to the Indonesian and Beit Hanoun Hospitals to receive medical treatment. Doctors there classified their injuries between serious, moderate and minor.
Around the same time, dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered in the vicinity of al-Sheja’eya neighborhood intersection, east of Gaza city and then headed to the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel (near former Nahel Oz). The protestors threw stones at Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence. The soldiers fired live bullets, rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, 6 Palestinian civilians were hit with live bullets to the lower limbs.
Around the same time, dozens of Palestinian young men made their way to the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel east of Khuza’a and ‘Abasan al-Kabirah and al-Jadidah villages, east of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, in protest against the U.S President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The clashes continued in the area for hours during which the Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence and sporadically fired live bullets and tear gas canisters. As a result, 3 civilians, including a child, were hit with live bullets to the lower limbs. They were then taken to the European Hospital, southeast of the city, where their wounds were classified as moderate.
At approximately 14:00 on Friday, dozens of Palestinian youngsters made their way to the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of al-Burij refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip, in protest against the U.S President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The youngsters set fire to tires and then threw stones at the Israeli soldiers stationed behind sand barriers along the border fence. The Israeli soldier then fired tear gas canisters and live bullets at them. As a result, 5 civilians were hit with live bullets to the lower limbs and then taken via a PRCS’s ambulance to al-Aqsa Hospital in Dir al-Balah. One of the wounded was then taken to European Hospital in Khan Yunis, and his wounds ranged between moderate and minor.
Efforts to Create A Jewish majority
Israeli forces escalated their attacks on Palestinian civilians and their property. They have also continued their raids on al-Aqsa Mosque and denied the Palestinians access to it:
Arrests and Incursions:
At approximately 02:00 on Saturday, 24 February 2018, Israeli forces moved into al-‘Issawiyia village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched a house belonging to Mohamed Dawoud Abu Riyalah (27), arrested his wife Najat Naser Abu Riyalah (21) and then took her to a detention center. Mohamed Abu al-Humus, Member of the Follow-up Committee in the village, said that the Israeli forces arrested Najat to pressurize her husband to surrender to the Israeli authorities. He added that the Israeli forces raided the house to arrest Mohamed, but he was not home. Najat was detained until the morning and later released after her husband surrendered.
Restrictions on Palestinian Organizations
At approximately 17:30 on Saturday, 24 February 2018, Israeli forces accompanied with Israeli Intelligence Officers raided Philadelphia Restaurant on al-Zahra Street in the center of occupied East Jerusalem. The Israeli forces prevented a dinner party for journalists working in the city and closed the restaurant until the next day, 25 February 2018. According to PCHR’s investigations and journalists’ statements, the Israeli forces along with Israeli Intelligence Officers raided and searched Philadelphia Restaurant and then ordered all who were there to leave while a force of Israeli border guard officers stationed at the restaurant entrance and prevented anyone from entering. They then hanged a decision to ban organizing the dinner in this restaurant or in any other place under the pretext of organizing it by the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. According to the ban decision, this activity is organized by “a Terrorist Organization” and the ban came upon an order from the Jerusalem Command Chief. The journalists said that the Israeli forces arrested Ahmed al-Safadi, Director of Elia Association for Media; and Zuhair Izhiman, restaurant’s owner; while handed Shadi Motawar, Secretary of Fatah Movement in East Jerusalem; and ‘Awad al-Salimah, Member of Fatah Movement, summonses for investigation. The Israeli Intelligence Service pushed a journalist Ahmed Jalajel and forced him to leave the restaurant. Moreover, the restaurant’s owner was surprised with the raiding and closure of the restaurant. He also said that, “the economic conditions in Jerusalem is so difficult and today the restaurant is closed until next day morning, so we were prohibited from receiving anyone, noting that we have prepared food, according to the pre-booking.”
Targeting Christian Property in the City
At approximately 12:00 on Sunday, 26 February 2018, the Christian community unanimously declared the closure of the Holy Sepulcher Church in occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City until a further notice to protest the decision by the city’s municipality to impose property tax (Arnona) on church-owned properties. The Israeli municipality claimed that the debts on 887 church-owned properties stood at over $190 million, without specifying the time frame that the debts accumulated.
Following this consensus, 2 members of Joudah and Nusseibah Families, who have the keys of the Church and responsible for opening and closing it, closed the door of the Church until a further notice. Meanwhile, Christian tourists resented after arriving in the city to visit the Church and tomb of Jesus Christ and finding the church doors closed. The Ministerial Committee for Legislation in the Knesset expressed its intention to consider a bill that would allow the Israeli authorities to expropriate lands sold by churches since 2010 and the Israeli municipality’s intention to collect the Arnona property tax from the churches.
Following the closure of the Sepulcher Church, the Heads of Churches in the city published a statement condemning the Israeli latest steps intended to take against the church and dubbing the steps as a systematic campaign against the Christian community in the holy land. The statement reads that: ” We are following with great concern the systematic campaign against the churches and the Christian community in the Holy Land, in flagrant violation of the existing status quo.” the Statement continues: ” These actions breach existing agreements and international obligations which guarantee the rights and privileges of the churches, in what seems as an attempt to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem.” The statement was signed by Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilus III, Armanian Patriarch Nourhan Manougian, and Bishop Francesco Patton.
This closure is considered the second of its kind in the Church history as the first was on 27 April 1990 when the doors of the Church were closed for 48 hours to protest the “Ateret Cohnim” settlement Members’ seizure of the Hospitality Palace in the Monastery of Saint John, who is King of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, next to the Church after two weeks of the seizure and failure of all efforts to expel them. ‘Issa Misleh, Spokesperson of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, said that away from the two closures, the Church doors have been always open and never witnessed any closure, except suspension of prayers in times of war or earthquakes. The East and West Christian community jointly pray and worship in the Sepulcher Church that was established on the Calvary, where Jesus was crucified according to Christians’ beliefs, and includes the holy tomb of Jesus Christ. The Christian faith shares the areas and quarters as identified for each inside the Church according to the Status Quo, which is a decree issued by the Ottoman Empire in 1852 and still applicable. The decree was set to preserve the rights of each sect and religious group in Jerusalem in general and in the Sepulcher Church in particular, and to identify how each sect shall use its area.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher has a Monastery for Catholics, another for Greek Orthodox, a third for the Latin and a fourth for Armenians. As for the Copts, they have a Monastery and Church of St. Anthony (Deir Mar Antonios) established outside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Moreover, Monastery of the Sultan, which is located on the roof of the Church of St. Helen, is for the Ethiopian Orthodox while the Syriac Orthodox performs their prayers according to the Status Quo in Monastery St. Mark, which is a temple for Armenians near the Holy Sepulcher. The decision to close the church until a further notice aims to force the Israeli municipality to withdraw its decision of imposing taxes estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars because of the church’s religious status among the Christians who visit it from all over the world. The property of the Christian church are around 32% of the Old City’s area in East occupied Jerusalem. In addition to the prayer and worship places, this percentage includes about 130 institutions, 10 schools, 4 hospitals and other estates.
Settlement activities and attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and property
Israeli settlers’ attacks
At approximately 14:00 on Friday, 23 February 2018, a group of Israeli settlers from “Bracha” settlement and “’Arousa” outpost established in the northern outskirts of Bureen village, south of Nablus. The Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian civilians’ houses. As a result, a group of the village’s residents gathered and confronted the settlers. Clashes erupted between the Palestinian civilians and Israeli forces until the midnight, but no casualties were reported.
At approximately 16:30 on Friday, around 8 Israeli settlers, 2 of them were armed, threw stones at a Palestinian vehicle near Borqa village, northwest of Nablus. ‘Abed ‘Alawnah was driving the vehicle along with his friend ‘Ali Naser Mohamed ‘Alawnah (23). ‘Ali was hit with a stone to the back of his head. ‘Abed and ‘Ali then flee towards Jabi’ village, south of Jenin. ‘Ali was taken to Dr. Zaid Fashashah Clinic in the village and then referred to Dr. Khalil Suliman Hospital in Jenin.
‘Ali ‘Alawnah said to PCHR’s fieldworker that: “At approximately 16:30 on Friday, 23 February 2018, my friend Abed ‘Alawnah and I were returning from Nablus to our village Jabi’ via A’bed’s car. When we approached Burqah village, I asked by friend to park the car because I want to relieve myself, so he stopped the car. I opened the car’s door to step out when surprisingly around 8 Israeli settlers, 2 of them were armed, came out from behind a hill located in “Homesh” settlement and then threw stones at us. As a result, I was hit with a stone to my head and started bleeding. After that, I came back to the car, and my friend drove the car away to Jabi’ village. My friend then took me to Dr. Zaid Fashasha Clinic, where my wounds were redressed and I had 2 stitches. I felt dizzy and pain in my head, so we headed to Jabi’ Medical Center and told them what happened to me. After that, Jabi’ Medical Center demanded a PRCS’s ambulance and then took me to Dr.Khalil Suliman Hospital in Jenin, where I conducted medical examinations and X-ray.”
At approximately 16:00 on Saturday, 24 February 2018, a group of Israeli settlers from “Bracha” settlement and “’Arousa” outpost attacked al-Sab’I Mount area and northern outskirts of Bureen village, south of Nablus, under the Israeli forces protection. The Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian civilians’ houses, so the village’s residents gathered and threw stones at the Israeli settlers and Israeli forces, who immediately opened fire at them. As a result, a 15-year-old child was hit with a live bullet to the right shoulder and was then taken to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, where his wounds were classified as moderate.
Recommendations to the International Community
PCHR warns of the escalating settlement construction in the West Bank, the attempts to legitimize settlement outposts established on Palestinian lands in the West Bank and the continued summary executions of Palestinian civilians under the pretext that they pose a security threat to the Israeli forces. PCHR reminds the international community that thousands of Palestinian civilians have been rendered homeless and lived in caravans under tragic circumstances due to the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip that has been under a tight closure for almost 11 years. PCHR welcomes the UN Security Council’s Resolution No. 2334, which states that settlements are a blatant violation of the Geneva Conventions and calls upon Israel to stop them and not to recognize any demographic change in the oPt since 1967. PCHR hopes this resolution will pave the way for eliminating the settlement crime and bring to justice those responsible for it. PCHR further reiterates that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are still under Israeli occupation in spite of Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan of 2005. PCHR emphasizes that there is international recognition of Israel’s obligation to respect international human rights instruments and international humanitarian law. Israel is bound to apply international human rights law and the law of war, sometimes reciprocally and other times in parallel, in a way that achieves the best protection for civilians and remedy for the victims.
PCHR calls upon the international community to respect the Security Council’s Resolution No. 2334 and to ensure that Israel respects it as well, in particular point 5 which obliges Israel not to deal with settlements as if they were part of Israel.
PCHR calls upon the ICC this year to open an investigation into Israeli crimes committed in the oPt, particularly the settlement crimes and the 2014 offensive on the Gaza Strip.
PCHR Calls upon the European Union (EU) and all international bodies to boycott settlements and ban working and investing in them in application of their obligations according to international human rights law and international humanitarian law considering settlements as a war crime.
PCHR calls upon the international community to use all available means to allow the Palestinian people to enjoy their right to self-determination through the establishment of the Palestinian State, which was recognized by the UN General Assembly with a vast majority, using all international legal mechanisms, including sanctions to end the occupation of the State of Palestine.
PCHR calls upon the international community and United Nations to take all necessary measures to stop Israeli policies aimed at creating a Jewish demographic majority in Jerusalem and at voiding Palestine from its original inhabitants through deportations and house demolitions as a collective punishment, which violates international humanitarian law, amounting to a crime against humanity.
PCHR calls upon the international community to condemn summary executions carried out by Israeli forces against Palestinians and to pressurize Israel to stop them.
PCHR calls upon the States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC to work hard to hold Israeli war criminals accountable.
PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfill their obligations under article (1) of the Convention to ensure respect for the Conventions under all circumstances, and under articles (146) and (147) to search for and prosecute those responsible for committing grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions to ensure justice and remedy for Palestinian victims, especially in light of the almost complete denial of justice for them before the Israeli judiciary.
PCHR calls upon the international community to speed up the reconstruction process necessary because of the destruction inflicted by the Israeli offensive on Gaza.
PCHR calls for a prompt intervention to compel the Israeli authorities to lift the closure that obstructs the freedom of movement of goods and 1.8 million civilians that experience unprecedented economic, social, political and cultural hardships due to collective punishment policies and retaliatory action against civilians.
PCHR calls upon the European Union to apply human rights standards embedded in the EU-Israel Association Agreement and to respect its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights when dealing with Israel.
PCHR calls upon the international community, especially states that import Israeli weapons and military services, to meet their moral and legal responsibility not to allow Israel to use the offensive in Gaza to test new weapons and not accept training services based on the field experience in Gaza in order to avoid turning Palestinian civilians in Gaza into testing objects for Israeli weapons and military tactics.
PCHR calls upon the parties to international human rights instruments, especially the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to pressurize Israel to comply with its provisions in the oPt and to compel it to incorporate the human rights situation in the oPt in its reports submitted to the relevant committees.
PCHR calls upon the EU and international human rights bodies to pressurize the Israeli forces to stop their attacks against Palestinian fishermen and farmers, mainly in the border area.
Fully detailed document availabke at the official website for the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR).
Palestinian ex-prisoner who served 16 years in Israel jail re-arrested
38-year-old Palestinian ex-prisoner Hamza Dirbas was re-arrested by the Israeli occupation forces in Jerusalem’s northern town of al-Issawiya after he turned himself in for questioning.
Head of the Committee of Jerusalemite Prisoners’ Families, Amjad Abu Asab, said the occupation forces arrested Dirbas after summoning him to questioning and extended his remand for another 24 hours.
He added that Dirbas was detained on claims that he violated the post-release conditions set by the Israeli prison authorities.
Shortly after he was released from Israeli jails on February 21, after he had served a 16-year sentence, Dirbas got banned for one week from Occupied Jerusalem. He returned to his hometown—al-Issawiya—on Wednesday following the end of the ban.
Category: Politics Tagged Palestine, Politics, Terrorism Leave a comment/
IOF kidnaps “Youth against Settlement” coordinator in al-Khalil
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Thursday kidnapped coordinator of Youth against Settlement in al-Khalil city Issa Amr.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that Israeli soldiers kidnapped Amr from the headquarters of Youth against Settlement in al-Khalil and took him to an interrogation center.
In a separate incident, an Israeli bus carrying Jewish settlers was thrown with paint as it was traveling near al-Arroub refugee camp, north of al-Khalil.
Meanwhile, hundreds of settlers celebrated the last day of the Purim holiday, during which they held provocative marches in Tel Rumeida neighborhood and in the Ibrahimi Mosque’s courtyards.
The IOF also intensified its presence in the Old City of al-Khalil to secure the settlers’ celebration of the holiday.
Youth with disability among several Palestinians kidnapped by IOF
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at daybreak Thursday kidnapped a number of Palestinians following a round of assaults carried out throughout the West Bank.
Israeli patrols rolled into Jenin’s western town of Yamon at the crack of dawn and ravaged the homes of a Palestinian civilian Aneid Hamdiya and his brother, Bajes, without prior notifications.
The occupation soldiers cracked down on Palestinians passing through the area and subjected them to intensive inspection.
At the same time, the IOF stormed al-Khalil province, in the southern occupied West Bank, and raked through residential neighborhoods in Halhul and Yatta towns, ravaging Palestinian homes all the way through the raid.
A disabled young man, identified as Abdul Kader Abu Usba, was kidnapped by the IOF from Zaboud neighborhood, in al-Khalil’s northern town of Halhul, and dragged to an unidentified destination.
Dozens of Israeli soldiers further stormed Tulkarem’s northern town of Seida, wreaked havoc on six Palestinian homes, and came down heavily on the inhabitants.
The campaign culminated in the abduction of the Palestinian ex-prisoner Sameh Ajaj after he had been made to endure heavy beating.
Lieberman Claims Dozens of Weekly Attacks in Hebron
Minister of the Israeli occupation army, Avigdor Lieberman, has publicly claimed that the army’s security services foil, on a weekly basis, about 20 to 30 attacks on Israeli forces settlers in Hebron, south of the occupied West Bank.
Lieberman took a tour of settlements in Hebron, Tuesday, with General Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, Commander of the Army Central Command Ronnie Noma and Coordinator of the Government Activities in the Occupied Territories Yoav Mordechai.
During the tour, Israeli media quoted Lieberman as saying, according to Al Ray: “security establishment is working hard, so as to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim quietly.”
Lieberman alleged that the army carried, during recent months, large-scale campaigns to fight “terrorism” in the occupied West Bank towns and cities, especially in Hebron, claiming that the army thwarted, during the last period, between 20-30 attack in a week.
He added that the vast majority of these alleged “terror attacks” have successfully been thwarted by information provided by intelligence services, work coordination among forces, and advanced techniques and technologies.
Born in Moldova, Avigdor Lieberman is one of the only foreign ministers in the world who does not live in territory officially recognized as his own country. Originally under suspicion over charges of money-laundering and bribery, Lieberman was formally indicted in December of 2012, on lesser charges of fraud and breach of trust.
His party was recently the focus of a corruption probe within the Israeli political spectrum, and, more recently, Lieberman’s life was threatened with an assassination attempt.
Israel soldier who killed wounded Palestinian could soon be out on parole
Israeli soldier, Elor Azaria, was convicted of manslaughter, and jailed for 18 months, for the March 2016 killing of Abdel al-Fattah Sl-Sharif in the occupied West Bank
Elor Azaria, the Israeli soldier who killed a wounded Palestinian in Hebron, may be released on parole as early as 14 March, Israeli media reported.
According to a report broadcast yesterday by Israel’s Channel 20, prison officials have recommended that the convicted soldier be paroled, citing his good behaviour over the past seven months.
Azaria was convicted by an Israeli military court of manslaughter, after he was captured on video shooting Hebron resident Abdel Fattah Al-Sharif in the head in March 2016.
Read: Israel settler violence ‘on the rise’ this year, says UN
In a sentence condemned for its leniency, Azaria was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and this was subsequently reduced to just 14 months. At the time, it was reported that Azaria could ultimately get a third of his sentence off for good behaviour, and thus be released on 30 March 2018.
Now, according to Channel 20, prison officials are claiming that Azaria is eligible for parole even earlier, also revealing that he was “permitted to take vacation leaves [from prison] every 28 days” from his “very first month” in jail.
The army parole board will meet on 14 March, and could decide to immediately release the soldier.
Israel settler violence ‘on the rise’ this year, says UN
Israeli settlers in the southern West Bank
Violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank has been increasing in 2018, according to the latest update by United Nations monitors on the ground.
In its latest fortnightly report, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territory documented a number of serious recent incidents.
Over a two-week period (13-26 February), 16 Palestinians were injured and various Palestinian property “lost or damaged in attacks and raids by Israeli settlers”, says UN OCHA.
Four of the incidents occurred in Einabus and Asira al Qibliya villages near Nablus, the agency said, “reportedly by settlers from Yitzhar, Bracha and their surrounding outposts”.
These incidents “involved the physical assault and injury of a 91-year-old man, the killing of 17 sheep and theft of another 37, and the vandalizing of a house”.
Meanwhile, “in the same area”, five Palestinians were injured by Israeli occupation forces, “during clashes that erupted after Israeli settlers raided the village”.
Read: Jewish settlers sue Palestinians for $114m
In addition, “in the Israeli-controlled H2 area of Hebron city, Israeli settlers stoned three Palestinian houses and, in subsequent clashes, injured six Palestinians, including two children.”
Another four Palestinian men were “physically assaulted and injured by settlers in four separate incidents elsewhere in the West Bank”, and six Palestinian-owned vehicles were also damaged in five stone-throwing incidents by settlers.
According to UN OCHA, “settler violence has been on the rise since the beginning of 2018, with a weekly average of six attacks, compared to an average of three in 2017 and two in 2016.”
In 2018 to date, up to 26 February, there have been 25 settler attacks on Palestinians that involved property damage, and 13 incidents that involved Palestinian casualties.
Pro-Israel MPs urge UK to cut funding for PA
Pro-Israel politicians in Westminster are urging the UK government to cut aid for the Palestinian Authority (PA) by 14 per cent, as part of their ongoing campaign against so called “incitement”.
Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) has written to Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May asking her to ensure that British support to the PA is reduced as a punishment for continued Palestinian support for prisoners in Israeli jails and their families.
In their letter to the Prime Minister, LFI chair Joan Ryan, and fellow LFI stalwart Ian Austin, claim that the UK government’s strictly ringfenced funding to the PA “effectively frees up other money” to be used as support for prisoners.
LFI claims that the PA spends seven per cent of its budget on payments to Palestinian prisoners and the families of Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces.
Read: In UK Parliament debate, Israel said to be committing ‘torture’, ‘war crimes’
“Until these payments stop,” the two MPs wrote, the UK should cut its aid to the PA by 14 per cent.
The MPs also revealed that they have asked 20 separate questions about the matter in Parliament.
Category: Politics Tagged Palestine, Politics Leave a comment/
ISM Report: Israeli Forces Provoke and Fire Tear Gas, Stun Grenades at School Children
2-28-18 | International Solidarity Movement | Al Khalil Team
This morning, armed Israeli border police entered Salaymeh neighborhood, in Al Khalil, Hebron. They advanced towards the schools, firing one tear gas canister and one stun grenade at school children at 7:45 am. This happened after a single border police provoked the children by kneeling down and pointing her weapon directly at them. International activists also witnessed two bag checks performed on minors, boys no older than 13, an action completely illegal according to international law.
Also this morning, Israeli forces also fired two tear gas canisters from a roof top beside the Ziad Al Jaber school in the Jaber neighborhood at school children. As a result, many children suffered from tear gas inhalation and one child was hospitalized. The teachers rushed to children’s aid, while Israeli forces also prevented a psychology teacher from entering the school.
After the tear gas was fired, an army jeep was positioned outside of the school Israeli forces were stopping people at random and performing ID checks. The teachers remained weary as the children recovered throughout their lessons.
Tear gas was also fired at school children in the Queitun neighborhood, this morning. Today was a busy day for the Israeli armed forces. Palestinians approach this weekend’s Jewish celebration of Purim with caution. Only Wednesday and tension and violence seems to be escalating before and after school hours.
Children that grow up under military occupation are unfortunately accustomed to this kind of treatment on their way to and from school, all of them hoping to avoid hospitalization and someday see a free Palestine.
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