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What really drives the immigration debate? It’s people, not politics.
Join us for “Only in America with Ali Noorani” podcast, to hear how Americans from all walks of life and from across the political spectrum are experiencing changes in their communities as a result of immigration.
Faith leaders, law enforcement officials, business owners and others speak openly about the way culture, identity and values are shaping and defining our country, and they offer a constructive way forward in the immigration debate.
In Their Shoes: Empathy and Immigration
Belinda Bauman is a writer, teacher and advocate living in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is the author of “Brave Souls: Experiencing the Audacious Power of Empathy.” Belinda is also the founder of the One Million Thumbprints, which advocates for women in the most dangerous conflict zones in the world. Her work has also appeared in HuffPost and The Daily Beast.
What really drives the immigration debate? It’s people, not politics. Join us for “Only in America” podcast, to hear how Americans from all walks of life and from across the political spectrum are experiencing changes in their communities as a result of immigration. Faith leaders, law enforcement officials, business owners and others speak openly about the way culture, identity and values are shaping and defining our country, and they offer a constructive way forward in the immigration debate.
© National Immigration Forum all rights reserved
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Trump administration ends effort to include citizenship question on 2020 census
This afternoon President Donald Trump announced that his administration will end its battle to include a question about citizenship on the 2020 census. The news came two weeks after the Supreme Court blocked the government from including the question, with the court’s four liberal justices joining Chief Justice John Roberts in ruling that the reason that the government had offered for including the question was a pretext. Trump stressed that the government was not “backing down on our efforts” to gather citizenship data, and he explained that it would instead do so using existing government records – much as the Census Bureau had originally suggested.
Today’s statement by the president, made in the Rose Garden at the White House, was the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of the Trump administration’s efforts to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross declared last year that he had decided to include the citizenship question after receiving a request from the Department of Justice, which he said wanted the data to better enforce federal voting rights laws.
Ross’ announcement was instantly the subject of several court challenges, including one in a federal district court in New York. After that court issued a decision in January of this year finding that the decision to include the citizenship question violated the federal laws governing administrative agencies, the Supreme Court agreed to weigh in, and the justices heard oral argument in late April.
Before the justices issued their decision in the case, the challengers in the case – which included New York and other state and local governments – notified the Supreme Court about new evidence in the case, discovered in the files of Thomas Hofeller, a Republican redistricting strategist who had conducted a 2015 study indicating that a citizenship question would provide an advantage to whites and Republicans in future elections. The evidence, the challengers argued, showed that Hofeller, who died last year, had played a key role in the decision to include the citizenship question on the census.
In the days leading up to the Supreme Court’s decision, a federal district judge in Maryland prepared to reopen another challenge to the citizenship question to account for the new evidence. And on June 27, the Supreme Court issued its ruling, rejecting the government’s justification for including the citizenship question and sending the case back for “a better explanation.”
At first, it appeared that the government was going to throw in the towel. On July 2, the government indicated that the census questionnaire had gone to the printer without the citizenship question. But the president quickly branded that news as “fake” in a tweet, prompting U.S. District Judge George Hazel – who is presiding over the Maryland case – to summon the attorneys in the case for a telephone conference call. Jody Hunt, the assistant attorney general for the civil division at the Department of Justice, told Hazel that the government was looking for a “path forward” that would allow it to include the citizenship question.
And on July 5, in a filing requested by Hazel, the government again told the district court that the “Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Commerce have been asked to reevaluate all available options following the Supreme Court’s decision and whether the Supreme Court’s decision would allow for a new decision to include the citizenship question” on the 2020 census.
Courts dealt another blow to the Trump administration’s efforts earlier this week, when they rejected the government’s request to replace the team of lawyers who had litigated the citizenship question. Judge Jesse Furman in New York complained that the Department of Justice had not provided any reasons, “let alone satisfactory reasons,” for wanting to swap in a new team of lawyers, while Hazel expressed concerns that “a shift in counsel at this late stage may be disruptive to an already complicated and expedited case.”
Trump began his speech in the Rose Garden by saying that the government had previously included a question about citizenship on the census. The fact that it no longer can do so, he suggested, results from an effort to erase the “very existence” of citizenship. But it is “essential,” he continued, for the federal government to know how many citizens, noncitizens and undocumented immigrants are in the United States, to allow it to formulate “sound public policy” on topics like education, health care and immigration.
Turning to the dispute over the citizenship question, Trump lamented that the government’s effort to add the question had been delayed by “meritless” litigation. Although the Supreme Court ruled that the government needed to provide a better explanation of its decision to include the question, he continued, doing so would have produced more litigation and “considerable” time delays. The three district courts – in Maryland, New York and California – where disputes over the citizenship question have been filed have been “extremely unfriendly” to the federal government, he argued, and would have kept the government from carrying out the census on time.
Instead, Trump announced, he plans to issue an executive order that will require every federal department and agency to provide the Department of Commerce with administrative records regarding number of citizens and noncitizens; the Census Bureau will then use these records, Trump explained, to gain a full and accurate count. “We will leave no stone unturned,” he promised.
And among other things, Trump noted, states may want to use this data to draw state and local legislative districts based on voter (that is, citizen) population, rather than total population – the question at the heart of a 2016 Supreme Court case.
Trump then introduced Attorney General William Barr. Barr explained that, if the government were to make a new decision to add the citizenship question, that decision would survive a legal challenge, but perhaps not in time to carry out the census. The problem, Barr reiterated, is a “logistical” impediment, rather a legal one.
The post Trump administration ends effort to include citizenship question on 2020 census appeared first on SCOTUSblog.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scotusblog/pFXs/~3/9nF_kAfQeJQ/
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“My mother has two medium sized dogs and regularly subscribes to barkbox. I was reluctant as the themes and treats according to me, did not suit my little Bella. My mother said that Barkbox takes the size of the dog into account and urged me to take a look at a few reviews and subscribe. I did and was hugely surprised as Bella’s box had an entirely different theme! She loved everything in the box.”
The page is designed to get you signed up for six months, paying now. The “most popular” banner and the clear signal of how much it costs (“$138 billed today”) draw the eye to that option. This is a great example of pricing page design. With just two simple elements, BarkBox can get customers signed up for at least six months and get that cash in advance.
Emmy dislikes: The bandana was a little too snug for Tico, and because of his sensitivities to literally everything, he's not much of a bandana dog, so I could've done without that (though it is super cute!). Also, it's the most expensive subscription box out of all three, though just by a few dollars, and it's the same price whether you buy just one or go with a year-round subscription.
I’ve had Bark Box for several months now. I purchased the “extra toy option” and with that we still only receive 3 toys every month and 2-3 treat. It’s not 4-6 toys. Wish it was. My dog is under 20 lbs. not sure if that would make a difference. I love their monthly themes! A surprise for me as well as I look forward to seeing what it is for the month.
The three BarkBoxes that arrived at the office — for small, medium, and large dogs — featured a collection called "BarkBeard's Treasure," and it's exactly what you think: the cutest box of pirate-inspired toys and treats. And just in case you aren't sure what everything is about, there's a card that explains the month's theme with puns and wordplay, like "barkaneers," "ruff seas," "poop deck," and more. Honestly, I think I was more excited than our office dogs to explore what each BarkBox had to offer!
Today I again reached out to BarkBox to ask where the box was. I was told the shipment had been lost. When I asked where the other two boxes were there was no answer. I was also told that they could not find record of my payment for the original box and could not process a refund. When I asked when I was going to be notified that they had lost my shipment I was told that they do not always do that.
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About PDAA
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« Strengthening America’s Public Diplomacy Capability: USIA, the Cold War, and Combating ISIS Propaganda — Part 3
Strengthening America’s Public Diplomacy Capability: USIA, the Cold War, and Combating ISIS Propaganda — Part 1 »
Strengthening America’s Public Diplomacy Capability: USIA, the Cold War, and Combating ISIS Propaganda — Part 2
Jennifer Galt conducting Web chat over social media (U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou)
Bruce Byers
(30 January 2016). Editor’s note. In reply to an 8 January 2016 article in the Washington Post, “Obama administration plans shake-up in propaganda war against ISIS” Bruce Byers wrote an essay about the effectiveness of USIA in projecting American ideas and policies to foreign audiences during the Cold War. The text is written in three parts, mainly for readers who know little or nothing about USIA and its long record of achievements in international affairs. Here is part 2 of Byers’s essay on PublicDiplomacy.org. Links to parts 1 and 3 follow:
Strengthening America’s Public Diplomacy Capability — Part 1
Since October 1999 State Department leaders have struggled to find the right place for the remnants of USIA in its hierarchical bureaucracy. While its public diplomacy officers have continued the valiant work of reaching out to foreign audiences, bureaucratic inertia and lack of leadership have sometimes been a drag on their effectiveness.
Today’s public diplomacy officers, stationed at embassies and consulates around the world, work with the latest information technology, but in recent years their Washington support has seen a frequent turnover of leaders and many political appointees who stayed only months or a year or two at best. A number of them with backgrounds in corporate management did not understand public diplomacy and dealt with it as though they were dealing with public relations and product “branding”. This has resulted at times in poor leadership and half-hearted, half-started public diplomacy initiatives.
Public diplomacy officers have frequently had to contend with the ever present State Department bureaucracy that limits their flexibility. They lack the rapidity with which USIA was able to confront sudden international developments and foreign propaganda initiatives and launch effective responses. The result has been a series of failed efforts to grapple with ISIS propaganda against us and our allies. It may be this that has moved President Obama and his White House advisors to launch a “shake-up” in public diplomacy efforts to counter ISIS and other anti-American propaganda. However, this will take more than a superficial tweaking of existing bureaucracy within the State Department.
A call for a new information agency
What could be done to change the current the situation and restore a fast reaction ability in our government to counter propaganda initiatives? How could public diplomacy programs and officers be enabled to provide more effective and swifter responses in countering foreign propaganda?
Congress could create through legislation an independent Information Agency, similar to USIA that would take advantage of the latest information technology to reach foreign audiences on a targeted basis. Its director would report directly to the President. This agency would take policy guidance from the White House and the State Department as USIA did throughout its history. It would have the autonomy and resources to build on credible, established international relationships and act quickly to counter anti-American propaganda.
It would also be able to conduct its own programs to influence and change public attitudes overseas. And it could offer foreign journalists and opinion makers, once again, access to senior U.S. government officials to discuss pressing international issues and U.S. government policies. Current public diplomacy offices in the State Department pursue some of these initiatives and reach out to foreign audiences and opinion leaders. Yet, intermittent leadership has stymied sustained program initiatives.
The biggest difference between the current set-up in State and a new Information Agency is that appointed office directors in State’s PD bureaucracy become sandwiched into State’s bureaucracy and have to compete for resources and attention in the spectrum of policy issues that State leaders pursue. The Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs does not report directly to the President as USIA directors did but rather to the Secretary of State. In a new Information Agency this would not happen. There would be a different decision making process targeted at influencing foreign publics with more direct White House input.
A new information agency director would report to the President
The director of such an agency would once again advise the President and the Secretary of State and other Cabinet officers directly about foreign public perceptions and attitudes towards the U.S. There would be fewer policy and bureaucratic filters for such reporting. As a presidential appointee, the director would address the nature of international propaganda directed against the U.S. He or she would advise senior U.S. government officials about the changing international communication environments across the globe and inform them of the effectiveness of U.S. information strategies directed at changing foreign public opinion.
We here in America tend to discount the effectiveness of U.S. information efforts directed at foreign audiences, especially in today’s world of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. We also tend to downplay the effectiveness of U.S. public diplomacy in influencing foreign publics about the authenticity of our government’s policies and diplomacy. At the same time we tend to exaggerate the effectiveness of anti-American propaganda like that which ISIS and like organizations have been spewing out on countless websites over the past several years.
One historic reason for this is that the United States government has never had an official ministry of information that attempted to influence domestic public opinion. Under our Constitution, we enjoy freedom of speech and of the press, unlike people in many other countries. We are more focused on domestic political and economic developments than on what is happening in the rest of the world. For these and other reasons public diplomacy does not loom large in our American consciousness.
While millions of people love to chat on social media, many foreign audiences are misinformed about the United States, our values, our cultural diversity, and our political and economic policies. A new U.S. Information Agency would better be able to use some of the myriad social platforms and other outlets to counter anti-American propaganda point for point and disseminate official information as well as a broad array of public information about our country and our society without outside media filters.
About the author: Bruce Byers is a retired Foreign Service officer. He spent most of his career in the U.S. Information Agency. He served on assignments in Iran, India, Austria, Germany, Poland, the Philippines, and in Washington. Following his retirement in 2000 he worked in the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Exchanges in the International Visitor Leadership Program Office. He has published analytical articles about specific foreign affairs issues in different journals and on-line websites including the American Diplomacy website.
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January 30th, 2016 | Tags: Embassy or field operations, Global, State Department, USIA | Category: Commentary, Member Blog
2 comments to Strengthening America’s Public Diplomacy Capability: USIA, the Cold War, and Combating ISIS Propaganda — Part 2
Strengthening America’s Public Diplomacy Capability: USIA, the Cold War, and Combating ISIS Propaganda — Part 1 « PublicDiplomacy.org
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All Denominations
Anglican - Episcopal
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Protestant Ministers Convicted of Sex Abuse - Presbyterian
UPDATED AS OF AUGUST 2017
First Presbyterian Church in Georgetown, KY
A former Scott County pastor has been arrested and charged with almost 300 counts of sodomy. Currie Pat Clark, Jr., 58, turned himself in after hearing Georgetown police were looking for him Wednesday. Clark is charged with 296 counts of second-degree, which are Class C felonies. Georgetown Police say Clark sodomized a 12-year-old boy from 2006 to 2008. Some of the alleged incidents occured at Clark's home. "It is a very serious charge," said Georgetown Police Lt. Robert Swanigan. "The boy was 12 years old at the first time of the alleged offense. This is devastating to the child and to his family. " Clark was the pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Georgetown from 1987-2004. He was also involved in the A.M.E.N. House charity in Georgetown. Clark is being held in the Scott County Detention Center on $20,000 bond.
MOUNT KISCO, NY. Parishioners at the Presbyterian Church of Mount Kisco yesterday were coming to grips with revelations that their former pastor was charged by the presbytery with sexually abusing eight boys. The eight charges, unveiled at the presbytery's regional meeting at Webb Horton Memorial Presbyterian Church in Middletown, outline abuse of boys under 18. Among the allegations are that Miller invited a child into the shower with him, that he had oral sex with a minor on numerous occasions over two years and that he made inappropriate sexual remarks and propositions. (THE JOURNAL NEWS, December 5, 2002)
Mount Kisco parishioners react to abuse charges
DALLAS - Six women have accused a retired missionary of molesting them 30 years ago in Africa, shortly before Highland Park Presbyterian Church hired him as an associate pastor. Similar allegations by others forced Rev. Bill Pruitt, 87, to quit his mission job in 1970, say two of the women and a former mission official. All the accusers are daughters of people who worked with Pruitt in Congo, then called the Belgian Congo. An inquiry stemmed from a 1998 complaint filed by several women against Pruitt, who was then retired in Dallas. Pruitt, who died in 1999, denied the allegations. No criminal charges were ever filed. Church officials received credible information that the missionary molested children, but took no disciplinary action. Another accuser said she hopes publicity will lead other victims to get help. She said she felt powerless to complain when abused in the late 1960s in Congo's capital of Kinshasa, at a boarding school for missionaries' children where Pruitt worked as a dormitory supervisor. Her parents, she said, "were 500 miles away" at a rural mission post. "There was no telephone or radio connection." Pritchard said she was aware of at least 6 victims beyond the women who have spoken to investigators. Some were abused at the school, as she and the second accuser were, she said, and others were targeted when Pruitt visited mission posts. Because children were separated from their parents, Pruitt was like a father or an uncle, who charmed them with everything from toys to tricks to hypnosis, she said. Her father, John Pritchard, said two girls from other families accused Pruitt in the late 1960s. Mr. Pritchard, then chief administrator for US Presbyterians' mission work in Congo, said he ordered Pruitt never to be alone with girls again and to quit his mission work. Pruitt, he said, did not respond to the allegations, "but his wife did. She was very strong in denying that such a thing could happen." Mr. Pritchard said his daughter told him only recently that she, too, had been molested. Mr. Pruitt enjoyed a reputation as "a very gentle and compassionate man... one of the most loved and admired missionaries we have," he said. A retired pastor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said his daughter was one of the two who complained in the late 1960s and is not part of the six coming forward now. Pruitt was later hired by the Highland Park church, one of the largest Presbyterian congregations in Texas.
Morning News 4/26/99
TRENTON, NJ. - Two adult males who alleged they were sexually abused as teenagers by a former Presbyterian youth minister have no right to sue the local church and its hierarchy because of the state's charitable immunity law, an appeals court has ruled. The men sued the national Presbyterian Church, the church's Synod of the Northeast, the Presbytery of Elizabeth and the Presbyterian Church at Pluckemin claiming they had been repeatedly sexually abused by their Presbyterian youth minister, Jeffrey Cheseboro. A lower court dismissed the case against the church defendants saying that they were afforded charitable immunity under state law. The appellate panel concurred. "People don't realize this but if you send your child to a church-affiliated nursery school and they are abused by the teacher the only cause of action you have is against the abuser itself. The church is immune," said John Thatcher, who represented the plaintiffs in the case. The way the law works, Thatcher said, if you are a member of a church and slip and fall on the stairs, you have no right to sue the church because you are a beneficiary of the church's "charitable purposes." A stranger, or nonmember, however, can bring a case, the courts have found. In 1995, lawmakers did amend the charitable liabilities law. They said that trustees, directors, officers, employees, agents, servants or volunteers of charitable organizations were not granted immunity if they committed an act of sexual assault and other crimes of a sexual nature, but the charitable institutions themselves were. The appeals court also upheld a dismissal of the case against Cheseboro. The court found that the two-year statute of limitations, which in most sexual abuse cases begins once a child reaches adulthood, had expired. AP 4/5/99
Youth Pastor arrested
ELDRIDGE Reverend Graeme Alfred, 58 VIC Presbyterian minister. Appears in Melbourne Magistrates Court charged with 28 child sex offences, including 17 counts of indecent assault and 9 of committing unlawful sexual intercourse, against 3 boys, aged 9 to 12, in 1981 at Presbyterian church and manse in northern VIC. Court hears assaults involved oral sex, talcum powder and showering with victims. (Victoria, Australia, 1998).
LOS ANGELES - Ronald Reagan's former pastor returned to active ministry two years after he was disciplined for sexual misconduct with 5 women. Presbyterian minister Rev. Donn Moomaw, 66, accepted an interim position in a San Diego church after the presbytery had determined he had fulfilled all the requirements, including signs of full repentance. (7/27/97)
NAME SUPPRESSED BY COURT ORDER, 70 VIC Presbyterian training farm superintendent. Appears in Melbourne Magistrates Court on child sex charges, including committing unlawful sexual intercourse and indecent assault, against 3 boys, aged under 16, between 1954 and 1961 while head of Dhurringile Training Farm near Tatura, north of Melbourne. Court hears offences occurred in dining room of Presbyterian Church-run home, in showers, in one boy's bed and in car. (A MacLean; HS 960228; APP 960515) (Victoria, Australia, 1996).
El Cajon, CA. An El Cajon youth minister was extradited from Kentucky for 15 charges of committing lewd acts on a child in California. Trevor Scott Hanes, 28, headed youth activities at the First United Methodist Church for 6 years before resigning and accepting a part-time position as youth minister with the Second Presbyterian Church in Lexington. (Lexington Herald-Leader, 12/7/95)
LOWE Robert Arthur Selby, 57 Melbourne Sunday school teacher and Presbyterian church elder. Receives life jail sentence in Melbourne Supreme Court after being convicted of kidnapping and choking to death girl, aged 6, whose decomposed body was found in 1991 near Rosebud, south of Melbourne. Court hears Lowe, who attended Rowville Presbyterian Church, killed "for sexual purposes". Report says Lowe on two occasions waved Bible at courtroom, swearing he "never saw girl". Earlier, in 1984, Lowe was charged with exposing himself to schoolgirls at Glen Waverley shopping centre, Melbourne; in 1991, he was warned for indecent exposure at Croydon, Melbourne. In 1997, report lists Lowe as one of VIC's top 4 sex fiends. (Victoria, Australia, 1994).
Mansfield, OH. Tales of Satanism Divide Mansfield; City Agonizes Over Children's Claims by Michael A. Hobbs; "Months after two baby sitters were convicted of sexually assaulting more than 60 children at First Presbyterian Church in Mansfield, rumors persist that there is much, much more to the case. Like murder, cannibalism, mutilation of corpses, forcing children to consume bodily fluids and waste and animal blood. All part of satanic rituals. Children and their parents insist at least 18 more church members should be charged. (Plain Dealer, November 29, 1992)
JURY ACQUITS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. A Louisville jury of 6 men & 6 women found in favor of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in a $5 million sexual-harassment suit brought by Janet Gellhaus. The employee claimed her superior Nagy Tawfik sexually harassed her, pressuring her into a sexual relationship by threatening to fire her. Church attorney Michael Valenti, apparently conceded the relationship when he said after the acquittal (shades of the U.S. Senate): "The lesson should be you need to immediately tell people about it, you need to immediately investigate your rights, you need to use some common sense & say 'no'." Source: _Presbyterian Outlook_ 9/7/92.
CHURCH SUED FOR NEGLIGENCE. One of several girls who said Alva minister Rev. Robert Bruce Brigden molested her is suing the First Presbyterian Church for failing to check his background before hiring him. Allegations of sexual crimes were made at his former position in Kansas. Charges allege that he molested Alva church girls, ages 4 to 14. The church posted his bond. Source: _Tulsa Tribune
Alva, OK. MOLESTING MINISTER STABBED TO DEATH BY INMATES. Robert Bruce Brigden, former pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Alva, was stabbed to death by 2 fellow inmates of the Oklahoma State Reformatory while serving a 40-year prison sentence. He was convicted of rape by instrument, lewd molestation, and fondling of 11 girls, aged 4 to 14. (Dallas Morning News 6/14/94)
Former Minister Fatally Stabbed in Prison Cell
PRESBYTERIAN REFORM URGED. The Presbyterian General Assembly, meeting in Baltimore in June, voted 446-78 to recommend abolishing the statute of limitations for reporting sexual misconduct by clergy. The church, citing critical proportions, has a 3-year time limit for reporting sexual misconduct by church officials. The vote must be ratified by 2/3 of the church's 171 regional presbyteries. It also voted 491-26 to establish a policy on sexual misconduct, advising local churches to set up "sexual misconduct response teams" & notify secular authorities "when appropriate". The adopted policy said there is evidence that "10-23 percent of clergy nationwide have engaged in sexualized behavior or sexual contact with parishioners, clients, employees, etc., within a professional relationship". Source: AP 6/12/92.
NUDE MINISTER CONVICTED. Rev. Bruce Rentz, found guilty of indecent exposure after a state trooper saw him jogging naked and chased him to his home, has resigned as minister from Greenbush Presbyterian Church. He was ordered to perform community service, pay a $50 fine, and get counseling. Source: _Union News_ 5/14/92.
PRESBYTERY REMOVES PASTOR. The Pittsburgh Presbytery removed the associate pastor of the prominent East Liberty Presbyterian Church on charges of sexual misconduct. Rev. Howard Eybers, 43, is accused by 3 women of making sexual overtures. Source: _Pittsburgh Post- Gazette_ 3/7/92.
TASKER Donald Gilbert, 61 Melbourne trainee Presbyterian minister and school teacher. Receives 6 year jail sentence in Melbourne County Court after being convicted on 29 child sex charges, including 12 counts of indecent assault, 5 of attempting indecent assault, 7 of gross indecency with aggravating circumstances and 5 of committing unlawful sexual intercourse with aggravating circumstances, against 4 boys, aged 5 to 11, between 1986 and 1991 at Melbourne home and suburban swimming pool. Court hears Tasker, of Croydon, abused his victims after volunteering to become surrogate parent with Melbourne community welfare agency. (Victoria, Australia, 1992).
A federal sting operation to find child pornographers/molesters yielded 6 arrests in Philadelphia, including Presbyterian minister JOHN MCVAY, 53. He allegedly solicited sex with 2 girls ages 9 and 12. He was charged with criminal solicitation to commit involuntary deviant sexual intercourse. He also sent a 15 year old girl obscene material and a letter soliciting sex. (Intelligencer-Record, 3/10/89)
Woman sues Presbyterian church for negligence: The Tulsa Tribune reported that one of several girls who said a Presbyterian minister molested her is suing the church for failing to check his background before hiring him. Allegations of sexual crimes were made at his former position in Kansas. Charges allege that he molested the church girls, ages 4 to 14. The church posted his bond.
A local pastor arrested in a city park Oct. 19 on an indecent exposure charge.
The arrest in McAllister Park resulted from a police sting operation prompted by complaints of lewd activity there. Glenn Masters III , 58, the pastor of Los Angeles Heights Presbyterian Church , was released on $3,400 bail. He said by phone last week that he is on administrative leave to deal with the charge and declined further comment.
Pastor Gary Lee Elg of First Presbyterian Church of Red Wing
A former longtime pastor of a Red Wing church pleaded guilty Thursday, Oct. 11, to engaging in prostitution after he was caught by an undercover police operation in St. Paul. Gary Lee Elg, 60, currently of Inver Grove Heights, admitted in Ramsey County District Court that at about 10:30 a.m. on July 24 he called an undercover police officer in response to a decoy ad for sexual services placed in a newspaper. Identifying himself as "Jerry," Elg arranged to meet at a hotel in St. Paul. When he came to the door of the hotel room, he handed $100 to the undercover police officer "for a full," referring to sexual services, and was arrested. Elg had been the only pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Red Wing for 23 years. He resigned shortly after his arrest.
The pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Anniston was arrested Monday after an early morning stabbing at a house in the 1000 block of Homarda Drive. Anniston Police arrested David Allen Rice, 55, after responding to a 3 a.m. call to the house, where they found a 53-year-old man unconscious with stab wounds to the arm and chest, Anniston police Sgt. Josh Doggrell said. Doggrell said the man with the stab wounds was Rice’s brother. The 53-year-old was in serious condition at Regional Medical Center, Doggrell said Monday afternoon, and had not yet given a statement to police. Doggrell said police interviewed Rice and a witness who was at the scene, and arrested Rice on the domestic violence charge shortly afterward. Rice is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Anniston. According to church members, the house on Homarda Drive belongs to the church and is used as the pastor’s residence.
ORLANDO, Fla. — WFTV confronted the man on Wednesday who once volunteered to work with church kids and was just arrested for child pornography. Craig Deloy didn't have much to say, but his pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Orlando, did. Pastor David Swanson said he doesn't condone Deloy's behavior, but said he's not going to leave him hanging, and quoted the Bible. For more than 20 years, Deloy spent nearly every Wednesday and Sunday at the church. He volunteered as a mentor for middle school students in the youth ministry. On Tuesday, he was arrested at his College Park home on charges of possession of child pornography.
GALVESTON - An elderly Texas City woman is suing a former pastor of her church for up to $25 million for alleged false imprisonment and sexual assault. The lawsuit accuses the Rev. Morris Joseph "Skip" Ehrlich III of twice molesting the 80-year-old plaintiff, who is known only as Jane Doe, between May and August while he was pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Texas City. It also accuses Presbytery of New Covenant Inc. and Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which oversee the church, of failing to investigate Ehrlich's background, failing to report the clergyman's reported wrongdoing and misconduct and failing to take necessary preventative action. Court papers show that the plaintiff joined the church in 1950 after she converted from Catholicism. The woman and her late husband were married there. After her spouse's death from Alzheimer's disease in November 2007, the woman became a very active member within the church community. She had contact with Ehrlich as pastor and through her involvement in various activities, the suit says. According to the complaint, as early as May 29 Ehrlich began making a series of indecent propositions, making numerous sexual comments, and ultimately, sexually assaulting her on a more than one occasion. "During this time, defendant Ehrlich began making repeated unwanted telephone calls, sexual comments, and sexual propositions to the plaintiff, comments she ignored and disregarded because of her faith, her upbringing, and her trust in the church," the original petition says.
Men with repressed memories of sex abuse sue Presbyterian Church
Two men filed separate lawsuits Thursday alleging they were sexually abused by a Presbyterian pastor in the 1980s at a church in the West Side Ukrainian Village neighborhood. The lawsuit names the Chicago Presbyterian Church, Presbytery of Chicago, San Marcos Church and Church Extension Board of the Presbytery of Chicago as defendants. The men claim they were sexually abused in the 1980s by Pastor Douglas Mason, who ministered youth at the San Marcos Church at 2028 W. Augusta Blvd., according to the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/men-with-repressed-memories-of-sex-abuse-sue-presbyterian-church/
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
PRINCETON — A former Bluefield church youth volunteer pleaded guilty Monday morning to charges he sexually abused teen boys.
Timothy Probert, 57, of Princeton, pleaded guilty to 37 charges, including first-degree sexual abuse, third-degree sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, first-degree sexual assault, sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian and one count of delivery of a controlled substance.
Probert, a former youth volunteer at Westminster Presbyterian Church and mentor for the Working to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect (WE CAN) program, entered the plea before retired Fayette County Judge Charles Vickers.
Child abuse a Calvinist problem, podcast says
NewsBob Allen | April 21, 2016
Child abuse is a Calvinist problem, according to an April 20 podcast sympathetic to the so-called “young, restless and reformed” movement popular among evangelicals belonging to denominations including the Southern Baptist Convention.
Mortification of Spin, a weekly podcast from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals — a coalition of pastors, scholars, and churchmen seeking to recover and promote biblical doctrines central to the Protestant Reformation — this week examined highly publicized scandals involving celebrity preachers accused of turning a blind eye at the expense of victims of child sexual abuse.
While they don’t say so explicitly, the program’s three cohosts appear to have in mind last week’s appearance at the Together for the Gospel conference in Louisville, Ky., by C.J. Mahaney, a T4G founder who for years has faced unanswered allegations of mishandling abuse as a pastor and ministry leader in a lawsuit thrown out of court on a legal technicality.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (CBS 8) - A local Presbyterian church is now under fire, accused of a sex abuse cover-up.
Two teenage girls have filed a lawsuit against the Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church, saying they were sexually abused by former youth choir teacher Gregory Starkey.
The 19-page suit claims church officials knew about previous complaints involving the 27-year-old, and that he sexually abused other underage female choir members and did nothing to protect children or warn parents about Starkey's alleged behavior. "This entire ordeal has been an enormous betrayal of trust, and the fallout has impacted almost every aspect of our young daughter's life," one plaintiff's father said. Starkey pleaded guilty in 2009 to a charge of sexual abuse and was sentenced to probation and required to register as a sex offender. The lawsuit says the girls are now 17 and 18, but claim the incidents happened in 2008 when they were minors.
FORT LAUDERDALE — Another scandal has hit a Fort Lauderdale megachurch that takes pride in being considered the keeper of the moral compass in a city that features sin as a badge of honor.
Pastor Tullian Tchividjian, who happens to be super preacher Billy Graham‘s grandson, resigned from his pulpit at Coral Ridge Presbyterian over the weekend after admitting to having an affair.
All Hell Breaks Loose in Sex Abuse Lawsuit
Carpinteria Church, Presbytery of Santa Barbara Accused of Protecting Offenders and Neglecting Victims for Many Years
The Carpinteria Community Church routinely ignored and covered up reports of sexual abuse committed by one of its youth ministers, a lawsuit filed Tuesday claims.
The lawsuit also alleges that the church’s corporate parents, including the Presbytery of Santa Barbara and Presbyterian Church USA, harbored another sexual predator who molested multiple victims over the course of 30 years as he was transferred to different parishes in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and around the country. In August 2013, Bristol pleaded guilty to crimes he committed against the two other girls, who were also members of the Carpinteria Community Church. Some of the incidents similarly took place at the Holiday Inn. Bristol admitted to committing a lewd act upon a 14-year-old, having unlawful intercourse with a 16-year-old, giving marijuana to minors, and sending video of himself masturbating to a third victim.
Sex scandal rocks Presbyterian Church
An alleged sexual misconduct involving a female administrator and some leading members of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana is said to have scandalized the congregation at Tema Community 4. At the centre of the allegation is the District Administrator, Ms Doris Sobre, and the District Pastor of the Trinity Congregation, Rev. Kissiedu Ayi, who described the allegations as "mere fabrications by a faction in the church bent on tarnishing my hard-won reputation". Doris is also alleged to be in illicit relationships with other senior presbyters of the church, as well as the session clerk, all of whose wives she is said to have often engaged in open fights. The crisis spilled into the public domain on Sunday, May 9, 2010 when Doris and another young woman of the congregation, Nana Abena Dankwah Ahenkan, engaged in an open fight at the entrance of the church.
HALN Reverend Young Key, 47 Gold Coast Presbyterian minister. Receives 8 year jail sentence after being found guilty in Brisbane District Court of rape, digital rape and indecent dealing with girl, aged 14, in 2000 at Nerang, south of Brisbane. Court hears Haln, who ran farm where visiting Korean Christians could work, seduced girl after offering to teach her English. (Queensland, Australia, 2002).
08.11.10 Six persons named by Presbyterian Abuse Review Panel in physical, sexual abuse investigation
The perpetrators named in the report include one Presbyterian minister who is still alive – Douglas Stubblefield, who served as a housefather at a school in Thailand in the 1960s and 1970s, the report states. Along with Stubblefield and Warlick, these men also are named in the report as having sexually abused children:
* Richard Fiete, a former teacher at Hope School in Cameroon. The report says Fiete later became a Presbyterian minister and served churches in the Albany, N.Y. area, and in West Virginia. According to the report, Fiete is dead.
* Charles D. Messinger, a Presbyterian minister who served as a houseparent at Chiang Mai Children’s Center in Thailand in the late 1950s. The report concluded that Messinger had sexually abused at least five young girls. The report states that Messinger later served in ministry at First Church in Hayward, Calif., and at Walla Walla Church in Washington; worked at Hasting College in Nebraska; and died in 1986.
* John Morrow, a teacher at Good Shepherd School in Ethiopia in the 1970s, who was employed by the Sudan Interior Mission (which later became the Society for International Ministries).
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Home Testimonies Conversions How Science Led Astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross To God
How Science Led Astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross To God
James Bishop
By James Bishop| *Views expressed in the testimony provided are expressive of the individual’s own beliefs and reasoning, and are not necessarily held by James Bishop.
Hugh Ross, a former atheist (1) (2), has a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Toronto and a B.Sc. degree in physics from the University of British Columbia. He founded the ministry and theistic think tank Reasons to Believe in 1986. He still runs his ministry today, and promotes progressive and day-age forms of old Earth creationism.
Ross says that he grew up in a morally upright but non-religious home, and that he was also surrounded by a community that were mostly non-religious. Thus, he had little exposure to Christians and Christianity during his youth years, “Our neighbors could also be described as non-religious. I did not know any Christians or serious followers of any other religion while I was growing up.”
At the tender age of seven he already had developed a passion for physics. If, by any chance, this makes you feel a bit dim, you’re in good company. After all, while I, and probably just about every other adolescent with a television, was watching cartoons or playing Call of Duty, Ross was reading books on the sciences and physics! Nonetheless, when he was 16, with his “dad’s help and the money I saved from collecting pop bottles,” Ross built his first telescope.
At the age 17, while he begun to serve as director of observations for Vancouver’s Royal Astronomical Society, Ross privately studied some of the world’s sacred texts, testing them for accuracy. Amazingly, Riss was the youngest person ever to serve as director of observations for Vancouver’s Royal Astronomical Society.
As Ross matured, he would discover that Big Bang cosmology proposed a dilemma for his atheism, and over “the next several years my study of the big bang convinced me that the universe had a beginning, and thus a Beginner… because the big bang implies a cosmic beginning, it also implies a Beginner, a Causal Agent outside or beyond the universe… But, like the astronomers whose books I read, I imagined that the Beginner must be distant and non-communicative.”
At that same time, Ross begun finding issues with the anti-religious perspectives and ideologies presented by many notable 18th century Enlightenment thinkers, “Knowing that the European philosophers of the Enlightenment largely discounted religion, my initial response was to study their works. What I discovered, however, were inconsistencies, contradictions, evasions, and circular reasoning.”
However, having compared the Bible with other religions, other sacred texts, and atheistic ideologies, he discovered it to be “noticeably different.” It thus appealed to him as a scientist, “It was simple, direct, and specific. I was amazed at the quantity of historical and scientific (i.e., testable) material it included and at the detail of this material.
The first page of the Bible caught my attention. Not only did its author correctly describe the major events in the creation of life on earth, but he placed those events in the scientifically correct order and properly identified the earth’s initial conditions.”
For Ross, the Bible thus proved to be an exception because not only did it provide hundreds of statements that could be tested for accuracy but it also anticipated, thousands of years in advance, many facts of socio-political history and of nature that research would only much later confirm. For example, Ross highlights its anticipation of the history and current tensions in the Middle East, as well as four fundamental features of big bang cosmology:
1. The beginning of space and time coincident with the beginning of matter and energy;
2. continual expansion of the universe from the cosmic beginning;
3. the constancy of physical laws; and
4. the pervasiveness of entropy (decay).
Ross, as an astrophysicist, became convinced that belief in God was reasonable. The case was so impressive that it led him to understand Jesus Christ as “the Creator of the universe, that He paid the price that only a sinless person could pay for all of my offenses against God, and that eternal life would be mine if I would receive His pardon and give Him His rightful place of authority over my life…
Through nearly two years of study this book’s predictive power persuaded me that it must have been inspired by One who knows and guides the past, present, and future. I had essentially proven to myself that the Bible is more reliable than the laws of physics I focused on in my university courses. The only reasonable conclusion I could see was that the Bible must be the inspired Word of God.”
Today Ross speaks and writes about how scientific evidence supports belief in scripture, including its account of creation found in the book of Genesis. The ministry currently has over 25 staff members and thousands of volunteers across the world with the mission to spread the Christian Gospel by demonstrating to both skeptics and believers alike that sound reason and scientific research consistently supports, rather than erodes, confidence in the truth of the Bible and faith in the personal, transcendent God revealed in both scripture and nature,
“I never tire of sharing this news with others or of seeing the joy that shines from the face of someone who has just opened his or her heart to new life in Jesus Christ.”
If readers wish to engage Ross’ views in more depth be sure to check out some of his most important books such as The Fingerprint of God (1989), Why the Universe is the Way it Is (2008), Navigating Genesis: A Scientist’s Journey through Genesis 1-11 (2014), improbable Planet: How Earth Became Humanity’s Home (2016). You can also visit his website here.
1. Theology, Philosophy, and Science. 2014. Atheist Scientist Becomes Christian After Researching Evidence for God. Available.
2. Bishop, J. 44 Quotes From Former Atheists. Available.
3. Ross, H. My Story: Dr. Hugh Ross. Available.
This article was originally featured on the website of James Bishop and was republished with permission.
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https://jamesbishopblog.wordpress.com/
James is a graduate from Vega School of Brand Leadership specialising in Multimedia Design and Brand Communications. He is currently enrolled at Cornerstone Institute studying Theology and majoring in Psychology. His theological interests encompass comparative religion and the links between science and religion.
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IC - AROUND THE WORLD
ARMA Headquarters
Nobody Expects the ARMA Inquisition:
By Alec Walker, October 31, 2017 in ARMA Headquarters
gavin deluc
Alec Walker 643
Around Since Moses
Faction:Inactive
RACE: Magus
JOB: Lieutenant in Cloak Division: ARMA
'SHIP:: Cassandra Greene
Mr. DeLuc, welcome.
Please, take your seat. This is a pretty informal conversation that we'll have here... but you know that... don't you?
Alec smiled kindly and gestured broadly at one of the comfortable chairs opposite the triad of senior ARMA agents. The commanders of divisions were far too busy to sit in on every hearing... or so they claimed. That was fine. It meant the agents under them had a purpose.
To my right is David Halliday, our representative for Commander Zikara. At my left is Lieutenant Merval of the Cloak division. I am Alec Walker, also a Lieutenant of Cloak division.
The man was not exactly affected in his speech, but Lieutenant was pronounced as the British had done-Leftenant.
We're here today to just have a chat and see whether you've shown improvement in your willingness to command and lead.
There's no value for us in hearing falsehoods, and we tend to be very good at spotting a lie, so as long as this conversation stays honest, it should be quite pleasant.
Alec lifted up a fountain pen in his right hand and ran the tip lightly down a sheet of paper, making sure ink would flow. He pulled a sheet of paper out from under his legal pad and made a quick note.
We can start whenever you're ready. And please, Mr. DeLuc, speak freely during this conversation.
Gavin de Luc 73
Nicely Seasoned
Faction:ARMA
RACE: Empowered Human
JOB: ARMA Shield Sergeant
'SHIP:: Married to Rebekah Lynch
God, he hated these damn things.
Gavin had felt stagnated and trapped in Shield Division, and here was his opportunity to get out without leaving the city or the organization. Being real, there was no way someone with a track record of instability and a power set like his would just be allowed to fuck off when and how he wanted anyway. It was better for both parties if he stayed in ARMA, and he had managed to stay on so far despite his depression’s best attempts to the contrary. Still, he couldn’t quite shake the urge to regain that freedom and be done with this shit for good.
He knew that he had all of the tools and skills to survive wherever in the world he decided to fuck off to, regardless of the circumstances of how he left. There was very little tying him down at this point that was actually still present. He still had his property here, sure, and his possessions and the money that he didn’t piss away on alcohol and the occasional donation to a charitable organization when guilt and self-hate got to him really badly. But material possessions were never extremely important to him aside from a small assortment of things he could carry on his back if he needed to.
He used to be a person who put a lot of stock into teamwork and team cohesion, but to be frank at this point he was no longer capable of leading in that manner. The soldier was no longer the emotional and inspirational enlisted officer that he used to be, and that was a fact. Gavin these days was a cold, aloof, and brutal man who still looked after his men but had lost that human touch that was present in the past. Hesitation to use violence was as good as a character trait before, but his shadows have tasted more blood these past few years than most mages spilled in their lifetimes.
Today was the first day in months where the man had given any care to his appearance, so he had to trick himself into getting into the frame of mind that would allow him to actually make it through this without fucking it up. One of the first things he did when he got back to America the first time was to ensure that he got a new set of United States Army uniforms so he could always trick himself into behaving a certain way when he needed to. The Irish uniforms served the same purpose, but he was all out of field uniforms and had not pulled out the formals in years.
Gavin strode into the interview room with his Class B Army Service Uniform on, consisting of army blue trousers along with a white shirt and black combat boots. The shirt was unadorned with ribbons, and was worn entirely within regulation otherwise with three notable exceptions: the combat boots, the unit insignia, and the rank. The soldier had never earned the right to wear the green beret in America, but had done so in Ireland and thus audibled and wore the combat boots. The unit insignia, in turn, was for the Army Ranger Wing of the Irish military instead of his unit in America, because he had spent far longer in the former than the latter. The rank tab was also his Irish and ARMA rank of Sergeant rather than his American military rank of Specialist, which meant both epaulettes bore the three bar chevron.
None of these differences would even be noticed by a civilian, but Gavin did them deliberately more to show himself that he still had that attention to detail more than anything else. Gray eyes surveyed the room as he walked in, knowing that a large part of a performance review was the panel that was put forward to examine each soldier. When an unfamiliar voice rang out that instructed him to take a seat, he resisted the urge to physically react with the realization that quickly dawned upon him: there wasn’t even an officer of Shield up on this damned panel.
Halliday was a Tower representative, and quite frankly his very presence made Gavin quite sure that this would not be the most friendly review he had ever had. They had never gotten along, especially because the officer thought that Gavin was a danger to himself and others and had made his opinions quite clear to him in the past. Even in the good old days they had always been frosty with each other, because Shield tended to break things and need the most enchanting and ward resupplies out of any division due to the skirmishes that they got in semi-frequently. Some Shield members saw Tower as basically their gear dispensers, and Gavin was one of them. He never thought it would bite him in the ass quite this hard, though, especially because he was already temporarily stripped of command earlier this year and was in danger of losing it again with an official demotion this time around. There was no changing Halliday’s opinion of him, and his employment would be terminated if it was up to him.
Merval was a Cloak representative, and the only one of the three that the soldier knew would not fuck him over without good reason. He was a Dragon War veteran and English Army Officer before the Resonance. He and Rebekah used to be good friends, and they had served together during the war more than once. The past few years, though, the officer had wisely distanced himself from Gavin and was more than likely on the hostile end as well at this point. Lieutenant Merval was a man that Gavin respected, which made the fact that he didn’t know which way he would lean even worse. He was fair, but strict and was actually on the last panel that reinstated his command and rank. He had shown improvement in most areas, but whether it would be enough and whether his admittedly unorthodox style would be a negative or a positive in the officer’s eyes would influence how the Brit would lean.
The third man was the one that Gavin knew the least about, but he had recognized the name for sure. Alec Walker was a man who Rebekah always considered pleasant enough, but more than a little distant and aloof. To Gavin’s knowledge, they didn’t know each other very well and the Shield Sergeant certainly never had any interactions with him. He was a mind breaker, though, that much he did know. How exaggerated or true the rumors of the mage’s skill set were, the American had no idea, but either way the soldier figured that it would be worse than useless to lie because he didn’t know the triggers for Lieutenant Walker’s power set and had no way of knowing whether he would be put under some magical damned lie detector… or if he already was.
He was running through the possible scenarios of what could happen here, and few of them were positive. The soldier was tense and stressed almost as a character trait at this point, but his posture and movements were stiff even for his standards as he moved to stand in front of the chairs rather than sit and instead stood at parade rest in an attempt to make sure he didn’t start any nervous fidgeting. He was unarmed, which was something that should not have a mental effect on him but did due to the fact that he was so used to the weight and feel of a sidearm somewhere on his body that just amplified an already stressful situation just a notch more.
”I’d prefer to stand, sir, if it’s all the same to you.” Gavin said in his odd accent that mixed acquired Irish brogue and native Southern drawl, making eye contact with Lieutenant Walker and steeling himself for a rough ride ahead. He forced his body posture to relax for a moment, before allowing it to stiffen in as picture perfect a posture as he could manage at this point. When he continued speaking, he shifted eye contact between the three of them but noticeably looked at Halliday the least because he knew that no amount of polish would change that man’s opinion of the soldier in front of him. ”As for willingness to lead, I think that it is fair to say that I am not the most excited man in the world to be in charge of other people’s lives when we go down range, or even when situations occur like the incident at the Harbor bombing with the virus exposure.”
He paused, then, and looked to Merval in particular before continuing: ”There are risks that we take every day out there, and even a routine call can turn into a life or death situation for the entire squad. Since my last performance review, I have been in multiple life-or-death situations that you all have the after action reports for and have kept all of the men under my command alive and uninjured through all of them. While leading others on a day to day is not my favorite task in the world, I recognize that it helps keep our guys alive out there in that great vast nothing outside of the civilized world and for as long as I am allowed to maintain command I will continue to keep my track record of routinely making sure the only casualties suffered on the field are our unfortunate adversaries who threaten the Eastern American Alliance’s safety and security.”
He was never the best at these inspiring messages, and the fact that he was even trying to do it was a sure sign that he was extremely concerned about his position getting axed, and promptly. He also chose to leave out the parts about the tiff he got into with a Shield Lieutenant on that Harbor assignment, as well as the fact that he underwent that entire scenario by inserting himself in command and up-jumping the chain of command due to his belief that it would be much easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission in a scenario like that – and safer for everyone involved too.
Safer for everyone but him, anyway, because the rung above him on that chain of command was staring back at him now. He still believed wholeheartedly he did the right thing, because that zombie and contamination could have killed quite a few people if he had not intervened and killed the damn thing… but whether these officers would agree was an entirely different issue, and one that the American had zero confidence in at the present.
Alec had not chosen the panel. If he had, the men would have been representatives of each department. Such was bureaucracy, however, that availability of appropriate people takes a back seat to speed of execution where matters of review were concerned.
Alec was also not a veteran by the military definition of the word. He had never been issued a uniform and a rifle and told to shoot in that direction.
Nonetheless, the mentalist knew many who were, had spent time in their heads, and removed the most painful of their memories so they could function once more.
He knew enough to recognize nonstandard dress, but not enough to engage off the cuff. Brown eyes registered recognition of the soldier's modifications to his service uniform.
The man had tensed, recognizing the absence of shield. It was unfortunate... especially if the goal was to put this mage at ease.
Alec would have to advocate for better matches on these review boards.
Gavin responded to the invitation to sit by standing and taking full stock of the situation. He somehow grew more visibly tense and then relaxed mentally into what seemed to be a rehearsed speech.
Good. The man was interested in staying afloat. Merval scratched a note on the pad at his desk. Alec let fluid motions carry ink onto page. Halliday sat silently, staring at the soldier.
Ultimately nothing that would be discussed here mattered so much as the way Gavin portrayed himself. And he seemed to care.
"As for willingness to lead, I think that it is fair to say that I am not the most excited man in the world to be in charge of other people’s lives when we go down range, or even when situations occur like the incident at the Harbor bombing with the virus exposure.
There are risks that we take every day out there, and even a routine call can turn into a life or death situation for the entire squad."
A slight smirk from the mentalist.
He would let this continue.
There had been recent situations that had raised concerns with many in leadership about Gavin's command. To hear that he was reluctant brought an actual chuckle, followed by a quick apology.
Georgian drawl slipped through the layered Chicagoan and New York accents developed over a lifetime away from home.
"Mr. DeLuc, I do apologize for that. Bit surely you know the old adage that a commander who enjoys his post is unfit to hold it."
It was something he'd heard once, never attributed to anyone.
"I dont think any of us walked in here to talk about stripping your rank or command and putting you away. And hearing your genuine concern for the lives of your fellow is as good a reason as any for us to stay away from that course of action. Isn't that right, Thomas?"
Alec gave a smile and set his pen down, his last words directed at the representative from Tower, who nodded and acquiesced.
Alec paused.
"We are here to make sure you're in the right place, if that makes any sense.
Your tactics lately have been... shall we say... unorthodox? for shield. You aren't a match necessarily for tower either, in terms of power set, according to records. However... there are places in ARMA not governed by those two branches."
Alec was alluding to knight division, comprised mainly of those who had served prior to merging with the silver winged who defended the borders of the Eastern Seaboard. It had occurred to him that a man who had fought dragons might not welcome fighting alongside them.
There was also cloak, there were commanders other than Gavin's own in Shield... there were options.
Alec leaned forwards slightly.
"So here's the million dollar question. Would you rather be somewhere else?"
This was odd.
This entire setup was off, the entire atmosphere of the event was not the typical. Not that he was typical, given the fact that he was a jaded drunkard past his prime trying to keep his job and pay grade… but he expected a little more hostility, to be frank. When Lieutenant Walker made the quote, Gavin just nodded his head sharply without committing to a verbal response.
The next words out of the Cloak’s mouth were equally off, because if that wasn’t the purpose of this meeting… Well, Gavin had no idea what the hell this was about unless it was some wacky ass Cloak recruiting mission given that two of their officers were sitting right in front of him. Seeing Halliday knocked down a peg was also a great feeling, because if Walker wasn’t here to fuck him the soldier was safe… at least for now.
This meeting became more and more surprising by the second, and when the Lieutenant continued the soldier again visibly stiffened as he was caught completely off guard by the direction the conversation had taken. He had been with Shield from the beginning, and was part of the initial merger of the Silver Winged and ARMA to begin with. Rebekah played a much bigger role, but he was at least present during the entire affair. The entire division was his wife’s baby, essentially, and she had gone above and beyond early on to help Aura make the transition as smooth as possible.
It wasn’t Gavin’s baby, though. He had lost all emotional connection to that branch the day that Rebekah went missing, because she was the only thing that tied him to that job in particular once all of his original group either fell in battle or got promoted out of the squad along with getting alienated by his alcoholism and depression in the years after her disappearance.
This was not the meeting he had expected when he came in, but he was not going to waste an opportunity like this because he was all but being asked to switch. He had a position of some leverage here, and he was more than willing to at least test the waters. He forced his body language to relax as much as he could physically force it to before continuing, but it was admittedly very difficult to do so when caught so off guard. His intense gray gaze locked with the mentalist’s before he started speaking, trying to gauge what the hell sort of game that he was playing.
The officer had access to his file, which meant he had full access to the soldier’s vast array of deficiencies as well as his skills and power set. It was extremely risky to offer someone like Gavin a transfer, and Walker had to know that. There had to be some ulterior motive or critical need, which would complicate things if he was indeed suggesting a move to Cloak Division. If that was just to butter him up so he would accept a swap to another division as well as a demotion and pay grade drop with it, the mage could go straight to hell. If it was an actual offer, though, that would just be ill-advised from any practical perspective. Also, internal work? If everyone hated him anyway, he supposed nothing exactly changed on that front even if he did swap over to the rat hunter division.
”If that million dollar question came with a million dollar offer, I’d be willing to hear about a job swap to just about anywhere.” he joked drily as he bought himself time to both think of an actual response and to force his body to stop being so damned rigid. ”In all seriousness, as long as the pay grade remained the same I would be willing to take offers from anywhere in the organization provided I could be at my house at least enough of the year to keep it from falling apart.”
Alec chuckled softly to himself as the mage before him stood taken aback.
He would have probably shat himself were he called up before a disciplinary hearing...
But this wasn't his disciplinary hearing. So he had nothing to worry about.
Alec watched Gavin's face, noticing eyes flickering around the room the way we all do, subconsciously, despite best efforts to keep eye contact at all times.
"In all seriousness, as long as the pay grade remained the same I would be willing to take offers from anywhere in the organization provided I could be at my house at least enough of the year to keep it from falling apart."
Interesting. Was the mage more of a merc than a loyalist? Or did he still believe in the values ARMA holds dear? No matter how this went, Alec would be sure to follow up, learn more.
"Your station and pay are, again, not in question here. And if you won't mind me speaking frankly, It's more of a hassle for us to take a trusted ARMA agent out of the field and... neutralize... the potential threat to our organization's security than it is for us to make sure our agents are happy, effective, and... not a liability where they are."
Alec folded up the dossier on the desk and sat back, taking a moment to clear his throat as Merval took over.
Before you go thinking we're doing this for our own reasons and speculating wildly, let me clarify. Cloak would benefit from having someone like you... both in the field and at home.
The tower rep took his chance to chime in here.
"Not to mention you'd break much less equipment if you were closer to HQ to have it repaired before it got that bad.
"Now, as I was saying." Merval interrupted his interruptor. "We could use you. Knight squadrons could probably use you. There are other commanders in Shield who might give you greater freedom in your actions."
Merval finally sat back in his chair, indicating he had said his piece.
"So there you have it. No division can promise you won't be off on deployment for months at a time in extreme circumstances, but this isn't an inquisition... well, ok, we're inquiring, so maybe by the dictionary's definition it would be...
Alec shook his head, pulling himself out of the rambling line of thought. I guess what we're saying is... it's your choice, Gavin.
”Given that you’re a mind reader, Lieutenant Walker, I hope you don’t mind me thinking out loud so that the others can hear me as well. I’m also going to be very candid with y’all, given that any secrets will be vetted out anyway soon enough.”
His body language was completely relaxed, now, because once the threat of neutralization was slipped nothing else really mattered. His life was already forfeit at this point, so all that remained to see was how far he could push his skills to advance that life into a state that he could live with.
”Since I do not wish to be… neutralized, I guess I better start making the case I don’t need to be. My sunny disposition is not suited for Knight Division, so we can strike that immediately. That wing needs peacemakers more than dogs of war, and that’s not me.”
Snarky and flippant were two ways to describe the tone that the soldier was using, though his stance remained the very image of respect. He was now railing against the authority that chained him so, as much as he yet dared.
”I would not be adverse to a swap back to Shield, if there was a pressing need. My specialty is leadership at the squadron or platoon level, but I’ve led companies before and would again if we should find ourselves attacked again by monsters or men that would seek to have us all die violently. But it is at the moment too safe, and too stable.”
Therein lie the crux of the argument that he was about to present. That safety and stability were new enemies that he did not intend to suffer for long. Gavin wasn’t completely oblivious to what he had become. He was going to kill himself before an enemy did it at this rate, especially with his own ability to control the terms of combat in Shield. Self-preservation was an instinct that he had not let go of, despite trying very hard at some points.
With Cloak, and the added incentive of his employer to get him killed during the course of work, that would change. He would have no control over the battlefield, and no control over what duties he was assigned. An elite level ex-special forces operator with the ability to make himself invisible and completely silent was an asset that most would be able to pay dearly for, and that wasn’t even including abilities past his most basic.
”Cloak is the most interesting, and probably the best choice to put a killer who you were thinking about getting rid of anyway. You could send an operative to die and not have to suffer the bad press of them doing something stupid while wearing your badge… I’ll play ball, but I need something in return to make sure we both get what we want out of this.”
This was stupid and risky, but it also forced a resolution. If this gambit failed, at least it ended without years starving as an outlaw in the vast nothing of the outside. He knew it was impossible to win a confrontation with Lieutenant Walker, so he was fully prepared to end his own life rather than let his mind and powers be wiped. He would rather die than be neutered, and that was one of the only reasons that he was still in this organization to begin with. The relaxation in tone and posture was almost unnatural at this point, because it was the mannerism of a man who accepted that in all likelihood they would not leave the room alive.
”I’ll sign a contract, a year or so long with Cloak. I will remain functioning enough to do my job, or I will simply die and your issue is over. Also in that contract, which I want no less than ten copies of, you will agree that at the end of the contract I am free to walk out without the aforementioned neutralization resulting in death or in my case specifically most likely complete power negation. You will also agree that as long as I end up my end of the deal, my memories and mental faculties will remain intact as well and I will suffer no retribution from ARMA personnel for having the gall to survive, if I do in fact make it to the end.”
A pause and a smirk, here, because he had nothing to lose at this point. If one is going to demand things, they might as well not stop there and go full out. The board was not used to being talked to like this, with such candor. He could tell, and steel gray eyes relished the look on their faces before this meeting reached its inevitable conclusion.
”Two years is my hard limit, and a willing signature on that end of the spectrum would have to come with more incentive… seeing as though if I get this contract you have pretty good incentive to make sure I do not last the duration, I think we both know I would not receive the full benefits of any contract written out due to untimely death negating it. I am perfectly fine with that arrangement, frankly. Give me a soldier’s death, or I go off to find someone else who can. That’s my counteroffer, and I think we both know that if there wasn’t a need for someone to die in service to their country that I would not be here to listen to talk of neutralization – it would have happened already. The only question that remains, now, is whether or not I leave this room alive or not.”
This was not a gambit that Gavin expected to survive. Even if it was accepted, one way or another he would be dead by the time the contract was up. ARMA weren’t idiots, and they sure weren’t letting someone with his skill set just walk. What if he was captured by the Order of the First Light or another organization and tortured, brainwashed, or worse? There was no way that was happening, and that’s exactly what the soldier was counting on.
The very fact that he was physically present to hear threats and given a space to move into meant that there was a need. If there wasn’t a need, he would have just died in an unfortunate vehicular explosion or something else that could have been chalked off as an unfortunate accident. He still would not survive the term, but he could trick himself into thinking he had a chance for long enough to have an honorable death. A good death, one in combat against an enemy that was either technically or numerically superior. Close quarters would be the ideal, so he would know who did it.
And if ARMA could not provide a threat deadly enough to kill him without betrayal and sabotage, at least he knew he was good enough to force their hand in that respect. And if he actually made it out the other end… well, he would cross that bridge when he came to it. He would actually need to be perhaps the best in the world to pull that off, however, which would mean his negotiations with alternate employers would be … interesting, to say the least.
Call him a drunk, call him a loose cannon, call him suicidal… but one thing you could not call Sergeant DeLuc is a coward unable to make a stand.
Alec sighed. Gavin really didn't understand. Sure, leaving ARMA would put them at a disadvantage, with a free agent out there operating, potentially against them, but that really wasn't part of the protocol.
Yes, they'd done some memory wipes, some identity changes in the past. Yes, they'd had to completely wipe some people from the historical record... ARMA was an agency dedicated to protecting one of the largest subsets of humanity anywhere in the world. Of course, they'd taken drastic measures.
And yet, it seemed entirely possible that Sergeant DeLuc was unaware of ARMA's actual exit protocols.
Agents were brought in, sat down in a chair, and given a sedative. One of the trained mentalists would come in and expunge any highly sensitive information from their memories, replacing it with benign versions of events. Past operations with no bearing on current day efforts were left alone. Their memories of people and places not deemed mission critical were left intact. For all intents and purposes, the skills, magic, and relationships they had built over the course of their careers with ARMA would remain. It was a time-consuming process, and incredibly taxing on the mentalist responsible, but ultimately harmless to the agent being dismissed.
Maybe Aura and her band of dragons had a different way of doing things out on the frontier, but since effectively forming Cloak in that meeting with Lydia and Ali, Alec had made it very clear he would not stoop to the level of the Order. He'd been there when ARMA made its break, and he was gifted...perhaps cursed... with the ability to remember every last horror he had seen, reliving them at will. Perhaps the Order had changed their way somewhat, but their legacy was indelibly stained for anyone old enough to remember who they'd been when ARMA made the world aware.
It would be increasingly obvious to Gavin, as he talked, that the panel before him had honestly no idea what he was worried about.
Only after Gavin finished speaking would Alec speak up.
"I think, Mr. DeLuc, that you have the wrong impression, here. You're free to tender your resignation at any time and walk away mostly unmolested."
Alec paused for a moment, and Halliday stepped in.
"It is understandable that you seem uninformed of standard protocols. We rarely have anyone who actually wants to leave, and we do our best to make sure our mages and agents are happy in their positions so we can keep it that way. Aside from information regarding the highest level clearance... which you do not have... and any specific operations with clandestine significance... nothing in your head would cause permanent damage to ARMA's reputation, even if it were revealed. Your life is yours to live.
Alec nodded his assent.
"Your skills would be a great asset to us on Cloak... but if you want to walk away today and seek employment elsewhere, you're welcome to do so. We'd ask you not to act against our interests, in that case, for a period of several years... and we'd request a way to reach you in case of a true emergency... calling up the reserves, so to speak... but you would have your life to live. We are not the Order."
The mentalist sat back in his chair, and Halliday closed his notepad. Now all that remained was to watch for Gavin's reaction. It seemed ridiculous, the divide between expectation and reality here. Perhaps ARMA really did need some PR help.
Go To Topic Listing ARMA Headquarters
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Victims of Geology
Don Gillmor’s unhappy fictional hero rides the boom and bust cycles of the oil patch.
Diane Guichon
Long Change
Don Gillmor
The oil patch is full of colourful characters. Calgary recently lost one of them: James Carl (J.C.) Anderson, a founding baron of the industry. Born in Nebraska and schooled in Texas, J.C. packed all the clichés along with him when he arrived in Alberta in the 1960s—the big heart, the big boots and the big dreams. He started Anderson Exploration with only $400,000 in cash and sold it for a whopping US$4.6 billion in 2001.
Lament for Rosedale
A ruthless portrayal of entitlement in free fall
The oil stays in the picture
The tar sands, and a war of images
Don Gillmor in his latest novel, Long Change, could have modelled his protagonist, Ritt Devlin, on J.C. Anderson, but Devlin’s story is instead the poor cousin’s tale. J.C. enjoyed a devoted family, a long career of successful business enterprises and numerous philanthropic endeavours. No, Gillmor’s Devlin rides the boom and bust patterns of the oil and gas industry in his personal life as well as in his business life, with the bust times outnumbering the boom. In a year when Alberta is experiencing a bust year of suspended projects and massive layoffs, the book is timely.
After leaving an unhappy childhood behind in Texas, marred by an overbearing and abusive Pentacostal father, Devlin drifts north to work on Alberta’s drill rigs. Gillmor has mastered the industry’s language and technology; he seamlessly evokes drill-rig reality with breakout tongs, dog houses, drilling mud and blow-out preventers. The title Long Change refers to a time shift in work schedule: “They got one Saturday night every three weeks shifting from graveyards to afternoons.” Long Change itself then links various story elements together; we are reminded our time on Earth is limited and nothing is permanent. So what then is important? What are the rig workers doing in their moments of leisure? Getting drunk, getting girls, getting religion. Most of Devlin’s time is spent in pursuit of his company, Mackenzie Oil, discovering and producing a big play in the Arctic. For the sake of Mackenzie Oil, he neglects other aspects of his life including family and friendships.
Gillmor has mastered the industry’s language and technology; he seamlessly evokes drill-rig reality with breakout tongs, dog houses, drilling mud and blow-out preventers. The title Long Change refers to a time shift in work schedule.
Gillmor’s presentation of the Canadian oil and gas industry’s current state is a pessimistic one of international market instability, corporate greed, overseas corruption and environmental degradation. The only affirmation in the novel, other than Devlin’s own personal growth and self-awareness at the end, is the observation that geological structures supporting our planet are always on the move; change is just around the corner, in the next geologic epoch.
Gillmor endows geology and time with multiple layers of meaning and utilizes them as a narrative frame. He describes humans as coming very late to Earth’s geologic party. We are “the species that always needed another drink,” he writes. Earth might be a better place if we all died away like the dinosaurs; the last sentence of the novel is “It’s time to go.”
Gillmor is the Toronto-based author of six previous works of fiction. He is an accomplished writer who has published across genres from novels such as Mount Pleasant and the award-winning non-fiction series Canada: A People’s History, as well as nine children’s books. He has worked as both a journalist and an editor. His writing experience, his professionalism and his research skills are evident in Long Change. He makes the complications of the oil and gas industry understandable to the layperson, and turns geology into an art form and a religion. It is, he writes, “both history and philosophy, it is the bedrock of science, pun intended. Our only reliable record. Every civilization is buried eventually. Every love is fleeting. Every book forgotten, every king buried. Brought down by hubris or vanity, but a victim, always, to geologic time.”
Geology and its rocks, the continents, even the oil that oozes from the Earth, stand as metaphors for how nothing is static, neither the land, the oceans, nor our time here on Earth. It does not take much of a leap to realize that business ventures, social relationships and politics are also destined to end.
This relationship between death and geologic time resonates in Devlin’s life. The novel’s three sections tracing the arc of his life are named for geological epochs: the Paleocene, the Eocene and the Pleistocene. Think beginning, middle and end of a story structure—only in geologic time humans do not show up until the last period, when we are busy spreading across the planet as various other species are becoming extinct. We are the chicken running around with its head cut off. We are “Larry, Curly and Moe poking each other in the eye.” The author appears to suggest that the Three Stooges are running the oil and gas industry.
While Devlin’s story could be written in terms of a Shakespearean tragedy, his representation of the oil and gas industry is not all negative. There is nostalgia for men of vision and ambition. Devlin’s desire to drill beneath the Beaufort Sea represents a pure love of geology, history and adventure akin to the Franklin Expedition (it too was doomed). Gillmor shows considerable empathy for the rig workers and the thankless work they perform: “Ritt could see the disappointment, the thought of three hours of backbreaking work, frozen through,” Gillmor writes, “working in the dark in the middle of nowhere. Work that was as forlorn as you could ask.” However, there is little sympathy for the boardroom antics, the negotiating of tax credits with the Canadian government, the bribery and corruption involved in working in Africa or Russia. Crimes are committed worldwide in the pursuit of oil production and wealth. Environmental groups or competitors may be behind the bombing of downtown offices or oil and gas facilities. Not even children can escape the negative fallout from “fracking coal seams” that “may or may not” leak an “unregulated cocktail of liquids” that affect neighbouring aquifers.
While Devlin’s personal narrative is tied up in rocks, drill pipe, offshore supertankers, the busy action of drilling and producing oil, the next whiskey, the next wife, his character seems strangely adrift as if the forces of the world are acting upon him, and he drifts along with the continents. He is slowly being crushed by the burden of our contemporary society, our overconsumption. He comes to believe that there are just a few redeeming features of our human presence on this planet such as books, and first love, and even they will eventually turn to dust. Maybe that is why the true-life story of Calgary’s J.C. Anderson is more appealing than Ritt Devlin’s fictional life. At least J.C. Anderson’s story involved family and community, which is how many of us in Alberta like to view the oil patch—with hope for a better future.
Diane Guichon is a poet and instructor at the University of Lethbridge. Her first book of poetry, Birch Split Bark (Nightwood Editions, 2007), won Calgary’s W.O. Mitchell book prize. She also spent ten years working for Imperial Oil in contract administration for exploration and development services.
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Nielsen Names Dr. D. Sangeeta Chief Diversity Officer
separate addresses by comma
NEW YORK – March 10, 2014 – Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN), a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, today announced the promotion of Dr. D. Sangeeta to the role of Chief Diversity Officer, effective immediately. Sangeeta will report to Chief Executive Officer Mitch Barns.
“Diversity and inclusion are key to Nielsen’s success,” said Barns. “Our ability to provide clients with insights around consumer behavior worldwide is predicated on a diverse workforce that reflects the more than 100 markets in which we serve. It is a critical business imperative and an integral part of our ability to innovate, grow, and succeed. As a leader in our organization, Sangeeta has been essential in cultivating this culture of inclusion, and I am thrilled she will be leading our diversity efforts globally.”
As Chief Diversity Officer, Sangeeta will be responsible for ensuring that Nielsen remains an employer and business partner of choice and enables innovation by leveraging diversity as a competitive advantage. She previously served as the executive sponsor of the Asian American Advisory Council at Nielsen and actively advanced inclusion initiatives at all levels. In her new role, Sangeeta will focus on defining strategic diversity and inclusion objectives alongside senior leadership, improving the diversity of Nielsen’s leadership team, and recruiting and retaining diverse associates at all levels. She will also lead Nielsen’s Diversity Council and employee resource groups, all of which serve to strengthen recruitment, retention, community outreach, and professional development.
“I am excited to take on a role that focuses on building diverse talent, reflective of the next-generation workforce at Nielsen,” said Sangeeta. “I am passionate about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and I believe they are the vehicle to help both our associates and clients realize their full potential as we continue to expand into new markets.”
Sangeeta will continue to lead Nielsen’s Global Measurement Science organization, overseeing methodological innovation and preservation and strengthening data integrity, a post she has held since 2012. In this role, she will continue to report to Chief Operating Officer Brian West.
Since joining Nielsen in 2008, Sangeeta has held a number of senior positions, including Client Service Executive for Global Business Services, North America Buy and Chief Business Process Improvement Officer.
Prior to joining Nielsen, Sangeeta spent more than 18 years at General Electric and Battelle in a variety of leadership roles spanning global operations, risk management, marketing, acquisitions, business process improvement, and research. During her 14 years at GE, she received 26 patents for her research, some of which are still integrated across GE businesses. Sangeeta received a Master’s Degree in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and a Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry from the University of Illinois.
About Nielsen
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence and mobile measurement. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.
Media Relations: Jennifer Frighetto, jennifer.frighetto@nielsen.com, +1 847-605-5686
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Strange Hotel
Hotel Museum
Hotels Corporation
UK Holiday Ideas
The Ritz Hotel New York City
April 17, 2016 – 12:32 pm
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park hotel offers all the elegance and charm of a private home in the heart of New York City. This award-winning Manhattan luxury hotel features 259 lavishly-appointed guest rooms, including 47 luxury hotel suites, and The Ritz-Carlton Club® Lounge experience for guests seeking a heightened level of comfort and privacy. In addition to superlative service and intimate surroundings, The Ritz-Carlton Club® Lounge serves five delectable culinary offerings throughout the day.Premier among luxury Manhattan hotels, The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park offers luxurious hotel amenities and personalized service. Unwind with striking views over Central Park, or step out the doors to enjoy all the adventures that New York City has to offer when you stay at our luxury hotel in Manhattan. The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park is a Tier 5 property in The Ritz-Carlton Rewards.
Source: www.hospitalityonline.com
Rita Lydig (born Rita Hernandez de Alba de Acosta, October 1875– October 27, 1929) was an American socialite regarded as "the most picturesque woman in America." She was photographed by Adolf de Meyer, Edward Steichen, and Gertrude Käsebier, sculpted in alabaster by Malvina Hoffman, and was painted by Giovanni Boldini and John Singer Sargent...
Charles Jundt was the New York City coiffeur who founded the Charles of the Ritz line of cosmetics products.
Jundt came to New York and in 1916 took over the beauty salon of the Ritz-Carlton hotel. By 1926, he was marketing beauty products under the name "Charles of the Ritz".
In 1932, Adeita de Beaumont Fisher, the estranged wife of cartoonist...
Lorelei is a musical with a book by Kenny Solms and Gail Parent, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Jule Styne. It is a revision of the Joseph Fields-Anita Loos book for the 1949 production Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and includes many of the Jule Styne-Leo Robin songs written for the original.
The 1974 Broadway production of...
The New York Palace Hotel - New York City - on Voyage.tv
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Inside the Most Expensive Hotel Room in New York City
Katherine Heigl spotted at the Ritz Hotel in New York City
Catalogue of the exhibition and sale of wines and spirits from the estate of Mrs. Henry Walters ; held at the Ritz Carlton hotel, New York City...November 29-30, 1943
Book (William Bradford Press)
Popular Q&A
What is a decent and affordable hotel in New York City?
I have personally stayed at the Beacon Hotel on the Upper West Side which is both nice and affordable -- plus a great location right in the heart of the Upper West Side.
Here is a list of value hotels in NYC from
What are some of the famous hotels in New York City?
There are many famous hotels in New York City. The Waldorf Astoria, Crowne Plaza on Times Square and the Grand Hyatt New York are famous New York hotels.
The Ritz Hotel New York
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The Ritz Hotel in New York City
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At this luxury urban hotel, wedding celebrations are more than planned—they’re...
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The Ritz Hotel Aruba
I’m just back from a visit to the Ritz-Carlton Aruba. Ritz-Carlton opened...
The Ritz Hotel in Dearborn Michigan
“Hi, do you want to buy a Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, Michigan?” When veteran...
The Marriott Hotel at the Buttes
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Now under the Radisson brand, the former Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference...
Hotel Museum Bentonville
Kid’s Exploration Package Gather the kiddos and bring on the fun at 21c...
@mariel: should i book a stay at Prague's Hotel Ananas, right across the street from the communism museum? obviously. Wed, 7 October 2015 10:15 PM
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Sharon R. Pinder
Executive, Business Woman, Entrepreneur, Professor and Public Servant
Innovation is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited. Innovation encircles the world.
The Top 100 MBE® Awards were created to recognize those innovative entrepreneurs who fuel the region’s economy through their innovation, sacrifices and dedication. Since 2007, The Top 100 MBE® Awards has been bestowed to over 700 minority and women-owned businesses in the mid-Atlantic region.
Click here for the 2014 Top 100 MBE Awards photos
Click here for the 2014 Week Procurement Fair photos
Click here for the 2014 Women’s Business Summit photos
Click here for additional #MEDWeek photos
Note: Photo downloads in SmugMug are available at no charge by clicking the download symbol below the picture
Inductee into the BWCC Business Hall of Fame
click for article
Rawlings-Blake launches development center for businesses owned by minorities
Supplier Diversity Week
Pinder creates vision for 1st Supplier Diversity Week in Baltimore
Advocacy for Minority Business
Sharon Pinder to Expand Advocacy for Minority Business to Capital Region
Pinder's new post
Minority business advocate Sharon Pinder to leave City Hall for new post
A President's Rise
A president's rise to the top
State of the State
State of the State - D.C., Maryland and Virginia
Supplier Diversity and Inclusion
Supplier Diversity and Inclusion Week in Baltimore
Minority Businesses Prepare to Be Leaders at Summit
Baltimore business Journal Bizwoman Mentoring Monday
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Md. economic data at fingertips M/Quest is unveiled as marketing
Minority Business
Baltimore looks to overhaul minority business program
Sharon R. Pinder is an executive, business woman, entrepreneur, professor and public servant, who serves as the director of the Mayor’s Office for Minority and Women-Owned Business Development for the City of Baltimore since May, 2012. During the first two years with the City of Baltimore, Pinder created the first Mayor’s Advisory Council, won a $900,000 first time grant from the US Dept of Commerce to create a Minority Business Development Agency Business Center, and created the City’s first minority business development week along with the first City-sponsored mentor/protege program.
Prior to this appointment by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, she was the CEO of The Pinder Group from May, 2007 until May 2012. From January 2003, until May 2007 she was appointed by Governor Robert Ehrlich as Maryland’s first Special Secretary of the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs. Under Pinder’s leadership, GOMA was transformed from an ineffective agency to a model of advocacy. During the first three years at the helm, the number of contracts awarded to Maryland’s women and minority businesses increased from 15% to 22% and payments to them increased by $1 billion. She was also responsible for the creation of the Small Business Reserve (SBR) Program – the country’s first state level set aside for small businesses.
Sharon Pinder began her career in the information technology field in the late 1970’s . As one of the first African Americans to gain acceptance in Equitable Trust’s programming training class, she spent over twenty years as a software developer and engineer progressing through the management ranks working at corporations such as Baltimore Federal Financial, USF&G and ultimately with the General Electric Corporation where she led GE’s entry into the Internet in 1994. She created and implemented branding and the public image for GE’s initial site and commercialized GE’s products that used the internet as a secure channel to conduct electronic commerce.
In 1996 – 2000, Pinder launched a dot-com start-up business operation and provided e-business strategy, solution architecture, business process re-engineering and delivered M/Quest, Maryland’s first comprehensive economic development toolkit. From 2000- 2002 Pinder served as the President of a Baltimore-based software engineering firm and in 2003 accepted the Cabinet appointment from Governor Robert L. Ehrlich which began her career as an advocate for minority and women-owned businesses.
As CEO of the Pinder Group, Pinder founded the Top 100 MBE® Awards Ceremony – the only mid-Atlantic awards program recognizing women and minorities in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. She also created the “New Majority Initiative”, a think tank centered around the minority-majority.
In 2001, Pinder received her Masters of Science Degree in Technology Management from University of Maryland University College (UMUC) and in 2004 was recognized as UMUC’s Alumnae of the Year. As a Professor of Practice, Pinder has taught in both the undergraduate and graduate schools.
A recipient of numerous awards, in 2013, Pinder was inducted into the Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber’s Business Hall of Fame. In 2014, The Sharon Pinder Scholarship Award for Entrepreneurship was created at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).
Pinder is a graduate of both Leadership Maryland ’98 and the Greater Baltimore Leadership ‘14 programs and in 2004 was recognized as the Outstanding Leader of the Year by Leadership Maryland, Inc.
Married to Reginald Pinder, they have two children (Reginald Jr., deceased) and Biah.
sharon@thepindergroup.com
© 2014 Sharon R. Pinder All rights reserved.
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Nar Bahadur Bhandari- The Second Chief Minister of...
Nar Bahadur Bhandari- The Second Chief Minister of Sikkim
Posted by Dr. Rajen Upadhyay on Thursday, May 26, 2011
Labels: Kazi Lhendup Dorjee, Nar Bahadur Bhandari, Nepali Journal, Sikkim, Sikkim Assembly / Comments: (3)
Mr. N. B Bhandari being Sworn in as the Chief Minister for Second time
in 1985 by then Governor S. K Bhatnagar.
Mr. Nar Bahadur Bhandari was born on 5th October 1940 at Malbasey Village, Soreng in West Sikkim. Born into a peasant family of late Balaram Bhandari, and Late Chandra Maya Bhandari, Mr. N. B Bhandari was the youngest child. Amid poverty, he had his early education at Soreng and accomplished his High School from Namchi. After completing his high School he went to Government College Darjeeling to complete his Graduation. As a student he took keen interest in Students’ and youths’ welfare and engaged himself in various social and literary activities.
He joined Sikkim Government Service as a teacher at Soreng School and later taught at Chakhung School, Rongli Junior High School, Namchi Senior Secondary School and finally at West Point School, Gangtok. After the protest movement of 1973 (that curtailed the unlimited powers of the Royal House) Mr. Bhandari resigned from his service and joined politics. He along with a few like minded associates like late Durga Prasad Rajalim of Namchi then formed the United Independent Front and became its General Secretary. The main agenda of the party was to protect Sikkim from becoming an integral part of the Indian Union.
The United Independent Front Party of Mr. Bhandari contested the General Election of 1974 which was held on the basis of Universal Adult Franchise for the first time in the democratic history of Sikkim. His party was badly defeated in this election. The year 1975, brought a new era in the history of Sikkim. An independent Himalayan Kingdom ruled by an independent monarch became an integral part of Indian Union. A new Sikkim was born on 16th May 1975 converting the Subjects of Sikkim Chogyal into the citizens of India. Mr. Bhandari along with his associates greatly opposed the decision made by the Sikkim Assembly to amalgamate Sikkim into India. Even after the merger, he was opposing the decision made by the Sikkim Assembly to merge Sikkim. Under this alleged reason, he was arrested under Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and was sent to Behrampur Jail by Kazi Lhendup Dorjee’s Government. He spent one year at Behrampur Jail from 1976 to 1977 and after his release, he formed Sikkim Janata Parishad in October 1977.
The Sikkim Janata Parishad took part in the General Election of 1979 and won 16 seats out of 32. With the support of an independent Sangha (Monastic) MLA, Rev. Lachen Gomchen Rimpoche formed his first Government. In May 1984, his Government was dismissed allegedly on ground of corruption charges even having support of the majority in the Assembly. After the dismissal of his Government, Mr. Bhandari formed Sikkim Sangram Parishad and successfully fought the Lok Sabha Election of December 1984. In March 1985, his party contested the Assembly Election under his leadership and came out as victorious by winning 30 out of 32 seats. With this overwhelming victory he became the Chief Minister of Sikkim for the Second time. After becoming the Chief Minister, Mr. Bhandari resigned from his Seat in the Lok Sabha which later went to his wife Mrs. Dil Kumari Bhandari uncontested. His Sikkim Sangram Parishad Party returned to power again in the election of 1989 with a clean sweep. In May 1994, the Government headed by Mr. Nar Bahadur Bhandari lost a vote of confidence in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly which led to his resignation from the Government.
Mr. Bhandari with the 32 MLAs of 1989 Election
This teacher turned politician was deeply interested in reading and writing. He has many publications to his credit that includes the very famous Hamro Pukar (Our Voice) (1963) which was the first complete Nepali literary journal edited by a natural Sikkimese. Further, Mr. Bhandari also edited Aaja Ko Sikkim (Today’s Sikkim) a bi-weekly and a Nepali literary journal Archana (1973). He has also written Tuhuro ka Bichar Haru (Thoughts of an Orphan) 1988 another remarkable literary work of him is Nar Bahadur Bhandari ka Kehi Rachana Haru (Few Writings of Nar Bahadur Bhandari). For a long time he was the President of Bharatiya Nepali Rastriya Parishad which played an imperative part for the inclusion of Nepali Language in the VIII Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Apart from a literary figure and politician, Mr. Bhandari is a keen lover of sports particularly Football, Volleyball and Badminton and he is one of the best orators in Nepali speaking world. Due to his indefatigable efforts Nepali language received Constitutional Recognition on 20th August 1992. Even today at the age of 71, Mr. Bhandari is still active in the politics of Sikkim.
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Spectra Music News
Find out all the latest news, updates, tours and releases.
Silvia Olari Is Releasing Her Spectra Music Group Debut Single "Lost In Yourself" On June 2, 2017
Silvia Olari is releasing her Spectra Music Group debut single "Lost In Yourself" on Friday June 2, 2017.
Now available for pre-order worldwide, reserve your copy today! Signed to the Spectra Music Group in April 2017, Silvia's first international production is to be released in autumn 2017.
Produced and Recorded by Björn "BJ" Johansson (B Angie B, Milton Cortez) at his own studio in Stockholm, Sweden. All songs are written by Björn Johansson and Jim Lindqwister.
The early years – "A unique talent that no one should miss" Born in Parma, Italy, where she started playing piano at the age of 8, Silvia's big break came in 2007 when she participated in the biggest broadcasted nationwide talent show in Italy, "Amici".
After that she released 2 albums in Italy. For the first one Silvia received a silver record from the Federation Of The Italian Music Industry.
Get the new single "Lost in Yourself" by Silvia Olari on Friday June 2, 2017 on all digital download platforms worldwide.
Pre-order "Lost In Yourself" by Silvia Olari on iTunes in the United States here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lost-in-yourself-single...
The official website for Silvia Olari may be found at http://www.silviaolari.com
Follow Silvia Olari on Twitter @silviaolari and Instagram @silviaolari.
The official website for Spectra Music Group may be found at http://www.spectramusicgroup.com
Follow The Spectra Music Group on Twitter @SpectraMusicInc
For more interviews or more information contact info@spectramusicgroup.com
Posted by Spectra Music Group at 11:49 AM No comments:
Silvia Olari Is Releasing Her Spectra Music Group ...
Spectra Music Group
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SpaceX beginning to tackle some of the big challenges for a Mars journey
Earlier this month, the principal Mars "development engineer" for SpaceX, Paul Wooster, provided an update on the company's vision for getting to the Red Planet. During his presentation at the 2019 Humans to Mars Summit in Washington, DC, Wooster said SpaceX remains on track to send humans to Mars in the "mid-2020s." He was likely referring to launch opportunities for Mars in 2024 and 2026, but he also acknowledged that much work remains to reach that point.
SpaceX plans to bring humans to Mars with a two-stage rocket: the Starship upper stage and a Super Heavy booster (the latter formerly known as the Big Falcon Rocket, or BFR). Iterative design versions of the Starship are being built at facilities in both Boca Chica, Texas, and near Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX founder Elon Musk is expected to provide an update on their development in late June.
Published on Tuesday, 04 June 2019 13:31
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Author Archives: Stephanie Gunn
October 26, 2018 by Stephanie Gunn In Uncategorized Tagged icefall Leave a comment
Twelfth Planet Press
April 8, 2018 by Stephanie Gunn In awards Tagged aurealis awards, awards, tin duck awards 1 Comment
Over the last six months, I have written exactly one story. To be precise, I have rewritten this story – I initially worked on This Silent Sea over the last span of time before my daughter was born last year, at which time it was a short story (and for me, mostly an exercise in trying to write a story to a limited word count).
The last few months of my pregnancy were hard, and the first few months of my daughter’s life were harder (I do not do well, either physically or mentally, with the sleep deprivation that goes with having a newborn). When an opportunity came up for me to publish something in Review of Australian Fiction, I initially hesitated. I wasn’t coping well. I was exhausted, I was dealing with postnatal depression and another baby who has reflux and wasn’t a good sleeper. But I said yes, because I knew I had This Silent Sea waiting there ready, and all I had to do was read over it and send it in. Simple.
Except apparently even in an exhausted state, my brain doesn’t work like that. I started tweaking, and I started expanding. Eventually I gave in and just rewrote the whole thing, expanding it from a short story to a novelette. I got feedback from beta readers, and with the help of my husband and mother, I snatched time as much as I could, and I rewrote and I rewrote.
It wasn’t a sane decision. By the end of it, when I sent in the story (almost literally at the last minute), I was worn too thin, but I was proud of what I’d written.
This Silent Sea was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award (which it didn’t win, but honestly, I can’t complain about losing to Tansy Rayner Roberts, and if you haven’t read her novella, Girl Reporter, which did win that category, you should do so, for it is most excellent). It did win the 2018 Tin Duck Award for Best Western Australian professional short written work.
I was organised with a thank you speech for the Aurealis Awards, but not for the Tin Ducks, but thankfully Russell Farr of Ticonderoga Press accepted the award for me and conveyed my thanks (and thank you to him for accepting and delivering the award, and to everyone who coted). For posterity, I want to paste the speech I sent in for the Aurealis Awards here, because good people need to be acknowledged and it is just as relevant to the Tin Ducks.
The original incarnation of this story was written while I was heavily pregnant with my daughter, and was influenced heavily by that state of waiting, feeling her moving and turning in her own silent sea. The story was later expanded and further developed after Emily had entered the world, written in a fevered haze of sleeplessness, exhaustion and postnatal depression and as a result, has been one of the most difficult things I have ever worked on. Just having this story shortlisted for an Aurealis Award is a huge thing, and winning is something else entirely. Thanks have to go primarily to my mother and husband and son, all of whom pitched in to help while I was madly working on the expansion of the story. Thanks also to Matthew Lamb and Phil Crowley at the Review of Australian Fiction for publishing This Silent Sea, and to Deborah Biancotti, with whom I shared the issue and whose insightful editing and suggestions made it so much better than it was. Thanks also to Pia van Ravestein for being the best critique partner anyone could hope for, and to Anica Boulanger-Mashberg, copy editor for RAF who went above and beyond. I’d also like to acknowledge the judging panel and everyone involved with the Aurealis Awards, most especially Tehani, whose tireless work is so much appreciated. I’d like to dedicate this win to my son Liam and daughter Emily. May the stars always shine on them.
January 19, 2017 by Stephanie Gunn In publications Tagged publications Leave a comment
I am very excited to be able to announce that my story, The Flowers That Bloom Where Blood Touches Earth (originally published in Bloodlines, edited by Amanda Pillar) will be reprinted in The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror 2015, edited by Talie Helene and Liz Grzyb forthcoming from Ticonderoga Publications.
The full TOC:
Joanne Anderton, “2B”
Alan Baxter, “The Chart of the Vagrant Mariner”
Deborah Biancotti, “Look How Cold My Hands Are”
Stephen Dedman, “Oh, Have You Seen The Devil”
Erol Engin, “The Events at Callan Park”
Jason Fischer, “The Dog Pit”
Dirk Flinthart, “In the Blood”
Kimberley Gaal, “In Sheep’s Clothing”
Stephanie Gunn, “The Flowers That Bloom Where Blood Touches Earth”
Lisa Hannett, “Consorting With Filth”
Robert Hood, “Double Speak”
Kathleen Jennings, “A Hedge of Yellow Roses”
Maree Kimberley, “Ninehearts”
Jay Kristoff, “Sleepless”
Martin Livings, “El Caballo Muerte”
Danny Lovecraft, “Reminiscences of Herbert West”
Kirstyn McDermott, “Self, Contained”
Sally McLennan, “ Mr Schmidt’s Dead Pet Emporium”
DK Mok, “Almost Days”
Faith Mudge, “Blueblood”
Samantha Murray, “Half Past”
Jason Nahrung, “Night Blooming”
Garth Nix, “The Company of Women”
Anthony Panegyres, “Lady Killer”
Rivqa Rafael, “Beyond the Factory Wall”
Deborah Sheldon, “Perfect Little Stitches”
Angela Slatter, “Bluebeard’s Daughter”
Cat Sparks, “Dragon Girl”
Lucy Sussex, “Angelito”
Anna Tambour, “Tap”
Kaaron Warren, “Mine Intercom”
The collection will be available in hardcover, paperback and ebook in February/March 2017. You can preorder the paperback and hardcover at indiebooksonline.
August 12, 2016 by Stephanie Gunn In 2016 Snapshot Tagged 2016Snapshot, Peter M Ball Leave a comment
Peter M. Ball’s first published SF story appeared in Dreaming Again back in 2007, and since then his short fiction has appeared in publications such as Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine, Interfictions II, Eclipse Four, Shimmer, and Years Best SF 15. He’s the author of five novellas, the convenor of the biennial GenreCon writer’s conference, and spends far too much time tweeting about Conan and pro-wrestling. He lives in Brisbane, and can be found online atwww.petermball.com and on twitter @petermball.
Your most recent work has been a series of three novellas, Exile, Frost and Crusade, collected as the Flotsam trilogy. Can you tell us something about these novellas, and the process of writing them and having them published?
Flotsam got its start when I was doing my honours degree on the Gold Coast and spending two years examining the connection between poetics and place. The Gold Coast is a damned weird place to live, particularly if you’re not interested in the beach, and it feels very temporary. People are constantly moving to and from the city – no-one ever seemed to be from the Gold Coast, originally – and the tourist strip is constantly rebuilding itself.
And yet, when you live there long-term, you discover all these small communities that exist beneath that. There was a surprisingly engaged arts community on the Gold Coast, setting up performance venues and exhibitions in the industrial states and old buildings. Very chaotic, very close-knit, and easily overlooked if you walked past the venues without knowing what was there.
The similarities between those communities and the kind of secret, supernatural communities that tend to exist in most urban fantasy novels wasn’t lost on me, and it occurred to me that the Gold Coast would be the ideal place to live if you were a vampire or a demon or a long-forgotten god looking for a place to hide out. This was in 2003 or so, long before I’d ever thought about writing speculative fiction, but I put down a couple of hundred words about Norse gods hiding out on the Coast in an effort to avoid Ragnarök and promptly did nothing with it.
Eight years later, I dug those notes out and rebuilt the idea into a serialised version of Flotsam that appeared at the Edge of Propinquity. And, literally the day the editor Jennifer Brozek said “yes, we’ like the pitch,” things started to go wrong: my dad had a heart attack; my work situation changed dramatically; my health was slowly deteriorating for reasons I wouldn’t understand until 2015. And so, the year that I thought I’d spend with a certain amount of writing time suddenly became quite constrained. I struggled with the deadlines, again and again, which frustrated me to no end. None of the stories were as well-connected as I’d wanted them to be, when I started the pitch, and I was haunted by the idea that I could have done better.
So, when Jennifer started Apocalypse Ink and asked if I’d be interested in redoing the series as a novella trilogy, I leapt at the chance to revisit the story and fix all the things that had bugged me the first time around. The result is a very different story, with a much stronger film-noir influence, but it’s much closer to the story I’d hoped to write the first time around.
You have written several novellas, as well as many pieces of short fiction. Do you prefer shorter formats over longer length works? Do you feel like the novella is a type of work that has become more popular in speculative fiction over the last few years, and do you have any thoughts on why that could be?
I’m not sure the novella was ever unpopular in speculative fiction – the history of speculative fiction is filled with brilliant novelettes, novellas, and short novels that are part of the common language of the genre. All that’s changed is where we’re seeing those works published, and that’s largely representative of the way publishing itself is changing. Ebooks and print on demand technology changes the business model, which means its slightly more viable to publish a novella as a stand-alone product rather than packaging it in collection or magazine. Suddenly we’re more conscious of that cool novella I just read, rather than that cool longer story in that book of stories I really enjoyed.
But I do love the novella and the novelette as a form, and have done before I ever knew the words to describe them. They walk a balancing act between the brevity of a short story and the narrative complexity of a novel, and that always appeals to me as both a reader and a writer. The novella also allows for the opportunity to take chances with style and content – I still remember the excitement of reading Dirk Flinthart’s crime novella, Brotherly Love, for the first time when I was eighteen, and it was a near-perfect book in terms of delivering an off-beat set of concepts in a short, sharp package.
What can we expect from you in the near future?
My next major project isn’t fiction based – at the moment I’m in the midst of planning for the next GenreCon, which will take place in late 2017. There are very few things I enjoy as much as writing, but convening the first three GenreCons and creating a space for writers to talk about the business and craft of what they do, is one of the most satisfying gigs I’ve ever had.
What Australian work have you loved recently?
I think I mentioned my fierce love of Anne Gracie’s regency novels in the last snapshot, and that hasn’t changed. Except now, when I go to an SF con, I spend a lot more time gathered together with the other Gracie fans in the corner of the bar, getting far nerdier about the romance genre than I ever was about SF. The Summer Bride has just come out, and I am ridiculously excited about this book.
Sticking with the romance theme, I’m also a huge fan of the first book in Kylie Scott’s Dive-Bar series, Dirty. I have learned I cannot start a Scott book after ten o’clock at night, because I will just keep reading until it’s six AM and the sun is coming up.
On the speculative fiction front, my I’ve been rapidly won over by Sean William’s Jump, Gary Kemble’s Bad Blood, and Kate Forsyth’s The Rebirth of Rapunzel.
Which author (living or dead) would you most like to sit next to on a long plane trip and why?
Oh, god, no-one. I am a terrible person to sit next to on long flights, and I wouldn’t wish that on any writer. Also, I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of the writers I really admire were quite abominable human beings to be around for any length of time. Can you imagine being stuck on a long-distance flight with a drunk Raymond Chandler, or an incredibly pithy Oscar Wilde just cutting loose on those around him?
That said, I’d quite like to have a long chat with Joe Lonsdale about his work, after working my way through his short story collections earlier this year. He seems to drift effortlessly between genres, has an incredible sense of precision in terms of his narrative voice, and there’s always something pleasingly off-beat about his work. And there are any number of writer-friends I don’t get to see all that often, who I’d leap at the chance to catch up with…
This interview is cross-posted to the 2016 Snapshot blog, along with all the other Snapshot interviews.
August 11, 2016 by Stephanie Gunn In 2016 Snapshot Tagged 2016Snapshot, Amanda Pillar Leave a comment
Amanda Pillar is an award-winning editor and author who lives in Victoria, Australia, with her husband and two cats, Saxon and Lilith.
Amanda has had numerous short stories published and has co-edited the fiction anthologies Voices(2008), Grants Pass (2009), The Phantom Queen Awakes(2010), Scenes from the Second Storey (2010), Ishtar(2011) and Damnation and Dames (2012). Her first solo anthology was published by Ticonderoga Publications, titled Bloodstones (2012). The sequel, Bloodlines, was published in 2015.
Amanda’s first novel, Graced, was published by Momentum in 2015.
In her day job, she works as an archaeologist.
Your most recent work is Survivor, a novella in the same universe as your novel Graced. The main character of Survivor is a woman who has been traumatised and lives with a resultant physical disability. Can you tell us something about how you approached disability and trauma in this work?
When I started to work on the Graced universe, I wanted it to represent a wide range of people – different races, different backgrounds,
and different levels of ableness. Billie (one of the main characters) came to me with her disability – a broken and badly healed hip caused by physical trauma.
I have friends and family who have been affected by various mobility issues, and drew on their experience (and my own) to ensure that Billie was well-rounded as a character. I wanted Billie to be Billie, and not a representation of disability. I was also able to use some personal experience as to how it might feel to have a damaged hip, as I injured mine during a trek on the Inca Trail. I know the pain of stairs when you can barely lift your leg!
As well as being a writer, you’re an editor, and have edited several anthologies, including Bloodlines from Ticonderoga Press, which recently won the Aurealis Award for Best Collection. How do you approach editing anthologies, in terms of story selection and working with authors? Are there any tips you can give people who are thinking of working as editors as well as writers?
When I develop the idea for a collection, I have a vague idea of what I would like to see from authors. But authors often surprise me and send me stories I didn’t even consider fitting with the theme! (I love it when that happens.) But the main things I look for are:
– The story is well-written
– The story has a plot
– The story is on theme
– The story explores new ideas or new takes
Once I’ve worked out which stories work best with the theme, I then have to decide which of those work best together. An anthology is a book, and needs to feel cohesive. Some stories may be fantastic, but if they don’t work with the others, or duplicate certain ideas (e.g. If it’s a monster story and there’s two Godzillas, for example) then I have to pick which one works best in the whole.
For people who want to get into editing, the biggest advice I can give is: Don’t rewrite someone’s work how YOU would have written it. That isn’t editing. Editing is bringing out the best of the story in line with the author’s voice, tone and goal.
What work do you have planned for the future? Can we expect to see more in the Graced universe?
Yes! I plan to write more in the Graced series and I have a the sequel novel drafted! But I have also just started working on a new series, as well. A dark urban fantasy with romance elements 🙂
Cleverman! I just started this series, but I’m loving it. I’m a sucker for superheroes, and I really enjoy seeing Aussie talent on TV!
Ohh, this isn’t easy. It would probably change on any given day. Today, I reckon Oscar Wilde. He’d be a blast to hang around with – he’d probably drink the minibar dry.
Snapshot 2016: Ian Mond
August 11, 2016 by Stephanie Gunn In 2016 Snapshot Tagged 2016Snapshot, Ian Mond Leave a comment
Ian Mond podcasts a little too much these days. If he’s not travelling vast distances for the latest episode of The Writer and the Critic with his co-host Kirstyn McDermott, or sitting in a granny flat and arguing with Dave Hoskin and Mitch about all things pop culture for an episode of Shooting the Poo, he’s pacing up and down his bedroom as he discusses the finer points of a new release novel with Jonathan Strahan, James Bradley and sometimes Gary K Wolfe (and even Nike Sulway) for an episode of the Coode Street Roundtable. Other than that he posts stuff on Facebook and now, less frequently, on his blog The Hysterical Hamster.
Over the past year or so, you’ve been spending a lot of time reading through novels which have been shortlisted for awards and reviewing them. How has the experience of that been? Is there anything you’ve seen that the works tend to have in common? Have you come across works that you’ve been surprised to not see on awards shortlists?
Because my tastes are eclectic I have trouble deciding on the next thing to watch or read. As a result I come up with these insane little projects that, by their nature, remove the need to choose. Cue awards lists. Why should I worry about what to read next when there’s so many genre awards out there willing to do all the work for me. It’s a win / win proposition. I avoid the anxiety of choosing while at the same time reading those novels purported to be the best genre and literary fiction over a given year.
And last year it was fun reading through more than 20 shortlists. I can’t say I gained any great understanding of the type of book that was being nominated, there was no commonality that leapt up and slapped me in the face, but I was exposed to works and ideas I wouldn’t have bothered with in the past. There’s no way I would have picked up Ali Smith’s How To Be Both or Rabih Alameddine’s, An Unnecessary Woman or Karen E Bender’s short story collection Refund if not for my slavish devotion to shortlists. Note the literary bias. If there’s one thing that became clear over 2015 it’s that my tastes have drifted away from core genre. It’s not that I’ve jettisoned genre fiction, but a recognition that I’d rather read books nominated for a Shirley Jackson or Kitschie Award then a Hugo or a Nebula.
This year, though, I made the decision to appreciably cut down the number of shortlists. I realised that while it did reduce my anxiety levels to have other people choose books for me, I didn’t have time to read those handful of novels that I wanted to read. So this year I’ve halved the number of shortlists and I’ll probably cull a few more next year.
I was surprised that that Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson didn’t feature on more lists. I was certain it would get a Nebula nod. And I was also surprised that Ken Liu’s The Grace of Kings wasn’t nominated for a World Fantasy Award this year. It’s a fantastic book and I’m eagerly looking forward to the sequel due out in a couple of months.
You and Kirstyn McDermott are the co-hosts of The Writer and the Critic podcast, which has also recently launched a Patreon campaign. How has the experience been of creating such a podcast? Do you have any advice for people who want to start their own podcasts or Patreon campaigns?
The experience of creating the podcast has been wonderful, mostly because Kirstyn does all the work. She edits and produces the podcast, she writes the show notes and she also organised the Patreon campaign. The biggest thing I have to do, other than read the books and sound vaguely coherent about them while we’re recording, is make the 135 kilometre trip from my house to hers. It’s now been more than five years and 50 episodes and it’s been a total blast.
Given how little I do I feel a bit silly providing advice. I’m not sure I’d be brave enough, like a Terry Frost, to podcast on my own. So if you have zero technical knowledge but a burning need to tell the world about… I don’t know… your love for all things Rutger Hauer, then find someone with the same Rutger loving passion and then get them to do all the work.
Kirstyn is going to kill me. She’s also started leaving secret messages in the podcast because she knows I don’t listen to the episodes…
What can we expect from you in the future?
In terms of podcasting, Writer and the Critic will continue for the foreseeable future, which, for our Patreon fans, is probably a relief.
And after a medium-ish hiatus Shooting The Poo – the podcast I host with Dave Hoskin and Mitch – will be back with all new episodes. We have at least three… or is it four… in the can.
Finally, in a bid to force me to read books published this year Jonathan Strahan, James Bradley and I (with sometimes guest Gary K. Wolfe and Nike Sulway) started the Coode Street Roundtable in January. We review one new release novel per episode.
Which Australian work have you loved recently?
A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay is astonishingly good.
It has to be Stephen King. I know, I know… boring and predictable, but before Stephen King all I really read was Doctor Who novelisations (Terrance Dicks would be second on my list of people to sit next to). King didn’t just open me up to a world of horror and dark fantasy but also for a deep love of reading – no matter the genre.
Snapshot 2016: Trent Jamieson
August 10, 2016 by Stephanie Gunn In 2016 Snapshot Tagged 2016Snapshot, Trent Jamieson Leave a comment
Trent Jamieson is a bookseller, occasional sessional academic, and multi-award winning novelist and short story writer. His latest novel, Day Boy, won the Aurealis Awards for best Fantasy and best Horror novel published in 2015.
Your most recent novel, Day Boy, won Aurealis Awards for Best Horror Novel and Best Fantasy Novel. Can you tell us something about the process of writing that novel and having it published? How did it feel to collect two best novel awards for it?
Most of my writing takes a long time, there’s plenty of missteps and stumbles. And Day Boy was no exception. It started as a short story published in 2008 (and shortlisted for best horror short story in the Aurealis Awards) and I always felt that it had enough to be become a novel – even though I thought it worked pretty well as a short, I like stories that leave plenty of space, and questions unanswered. But it took me nearly six years – and many false starts – to find the shape of that novel. In my defence I also published five novels in that time.
I’ve pretty much come around to the idea that, in most cases, if I come up with something worth writing, regardless of the length, it’s going to take a while. I get a feeling with most of my work that it will be finished at some stage – I just never know when that will be (though about seven years for a novel seems about right). Luckily, I work of lots of things at once.
The next three books I’d like to see published (if the winds of publishing are blowing my way) are all at least four years old. I just kick off with a story and keep swimming until I reach the end of the pool – some of those pools are just very, very long.
Day Boy meant a lot to me. It’s a little darker and more serious than my earlier work, maybe a little closer to my short stories, so I was delighted that it won two best novel awards. If it’s going to be the only time I ever win an award for a book – which it probably will be – then I am very happy that it is that one.
You’ve had novels published with a several publishers, both overseas and Australian publishers. Has the experience of publishing with an Australian publisher differed when compared to an overseas publisher? Do you have any advice for authors seeking to publish novels, with either Australian or foreign publishers?
I’ve enjoyed all my experiences with publishers. I was very lucky with Orbit (on the Death Works Books) to work with some wonderful and thorough editorial folk. My publisher at Orbit Australia Bernadette Foley was a delight, she pushed me with a clear eye and a great sense of story and I respond very well to that kind of editorial. I found my major issue with Angry Robot who published Roil and Night’s Engines was simply the distance and, I think, I kind of had a bit of melt down – I don’t think those books were as good as they could have been, but that’s my fault entirely – I was basically putting one series down and picking up another without any real break while teaching and bookselling, and, while some people thrive in that environment, I really didn’t. I may multi-task my stories, but I do it slowly. I hit my deadlines but the work suffered.
Text has been wonderful too, Mandy Brett is simply a great editor – who pushed me, and helped me get the best book I could write. I found the editorial process on Day Boy a delight, and a challenge – but in the best way. Honestly, my experiences with publishers has always been pretty good – maybe I’m just lucky.
As for advice, everyone’s experience of publishing is different. And, sometimes you don’t get a choice who will publish your book. Try and write the best book you can, and then think about who will help you deliver that book in the best possible way. Don’t overcommit – which is very hard. If you can actually afford to make it over to the country that is publishing your book that is a very good thing too – I’ve never been able to, but I suspect that it may have helped – or maybe not.
Also, the moment you get a bite from a publisher (if not before) find yourself a damn good agent. Publishing is a pretty tough gig (so is writing, but that you can control) it pays to have someone on your side, working in your interest
Can we expect any work from you in the near future?
I’m still working on a draft of a novel called The Stone Road, I doubt it’ll see the light of day for another year or two, by which time I should have a new draft of a book called The House in Arbitrary finished too, and possibly a new Death Works novel – which has been sitting in MS form for a few years.
There are several novels stacked behind them, and a good dozen short stories. But I suspect I am going to be quiet for a while. Fortunately for me the delight is in the writing. The world doesn’t need another novel by me; I just need to write them.
I’ve enjoyed Gary Kemble’s Harry Hendrick’s books – Bad Blood is the latest. Orphancorp by Marlee Jane Ward was great too. I’m so behind on my reading in the scene, but I’m looking forward to catching up on Angela Slatter, Ben Peek and Rjurick Davidson’s novels too.
Ursula Le Guin, I wouldn’t even say a word. I just think we have been so lucky to have her in the world (and to still have her).
In fact, I don’t know if I would even want that. Sometimes it’s best to leave your heroes perfect and on the page. The older I get the less I really want to meet the authors I admire, I prefer their words where they should be. The transporting moment is always in the book; meeting them on a long plane trip wouldn’t bring out the best in either them or me.
Hmm, that really is a terrible sort of answer.
Snapshot: Jack Bridges
August 8, 2016 by Stephanie Gunn In 2016 Snapshot Tagged 2016Snapshot, Jack Bridges Leave a comment
Jack Bridges publishes queer romance as Laney Cairo, and speculative fiction under his own name. He is best known for his medical romance novel, Bad Case of Loving You (written as Laney Cairo), which romps through raunchy sex, socialised medicine and the impacts of industrial action in the health care industry. For his day job, Jack teaches research methodology to university students. Jack can be found at www.jacklanebridges.com and www.laneycairo.com
Congratulations on your Aurealis Awards short listing for Blood and Ink (for Best Science Fiction Novella). Would you like to share some of the inspiration for Blood and Ink, and how did it feel to be shortlisted for the award?
The settings for Blood and Ink are all local places I know well. The story sparked for me after walking through Jorgensen Park in
Kalamunda, where smooth grey granite boulders lift up out of the red gravel soil and through the bushland. The boulders feel alive, when touched, as though they are breathing and moving, only on a timescale too huge for humans to notice. That was the initial ‘what if?’ forBlood and Ink, and I wrote the draft of the first section of the story standing up at a counter in the SF bookstore I used to work at. The story grew with time, acquiring new chapters, but it stayed firmly fixed in places I knew.
I was delighted to be short-listed for an Aurealis! Especially in the Science Fiction Novella category! I knew Blood and Ink was solid, but getting this kind of validation from a panel of judges was exhilarating. As primarily a romance writer, I’ve always felt a bit like my writing wasn’t quite as serious or as respectable as Real Science Fiction (implied scare quotes and all), and an Aurealis short-listing means I’m definitely respectable.
You write under two names, as Jack Bridges and Laney Cairo. You are also open about being a transgender writer. How do you feel that the exploration of the world of speculative fiction and the world of being transgender intersect? Do you feel that writing speculative fiction has been an aid in the your own journey to your identity?
I didn’t actually want to be open about being trans*! It didn’t work out that way, in part because I love attending spec fic conventions and value the community I have found through them. The cost of privacy would have been giving up attending conventions and belonging to the spec fic community in Australia.
Oddly, perhaps, it’s not been spec fic writing that has been an important part of my identity journey, but romance writing. There’s an entire decade of my life, at least, where the keyboard and screen have been the way I tested out the possibilities of how I might live. And the possibilities I explored through writing weren’t fantastic or technological, necessarily, but relationship-based.
I can see strong connections between transhumanism and being trans*. Being trans* is punitively expensive, in more than cash. It has health costs and career costs and personal costs. If I’m willing to give informed consent to these costs and go ahead and modify my body radically in order to be happy, or at least, less sad, then other people also get to change their physical form too, in all sorts of ways that are recreational or functional or experimental, in pursuit of more efficient function, or longer life, or more fun. And maybe those changes are going to be so profound that they stop being human.
What are your plans for future works?
I’m continuing to write romance fiction, mostly short stories, and all exploring gender and gender performance.
I’ve mostly been reading unpublished manuscripts recently. The next wave of Australian romance writers is incredibly talented. I’ve been overawed by the standard of the writing and the freshness of the stories.
For published work, I’m currently reading Newt’s Emerald, by Garth Nix, and it’s making me ridiculously happy by meeting both my Regency romance needs and being a delightful fantasy adventure.
Ellen Kushner. I’ve met Ellen a few times at spec fic conventions, and would love the chance to have a long chat with her about her work (as long as she was okay with talking, and didn’t want to just be silent). Ellen’s novel Swordspoint remains one of my all time favourites, a beautifully realised alternate history/fantasy of manners with queer characters. I am so pleased that Ellen, and other people, are continuing to write in the Swordspoint universe.
Snapshot 2016: Elizabeth Fitzgerald
August 5, 2016 by Stephanie Gunn In 2016 Snapshot Tagged 2016Snapshot, Elizabeth Fitzgerald Leave a comment
Elizabeth Fitzgerald is a freelance editor and owner of Earl Grey Editing. She runs a book blog (www.earlgreyediting.com.au/blog) and is serving out her fourth term as the Secretary of the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild. An unabashed roleplayer and reader of romance, her weaknesses are books, loose-leaf tea and silly dogs. She tweets @elizabeth_fitz
In terms of the speculative fiction scene in Australia, you have your fingers in several pies – you’re a writer, you’ve edited anthologies, you offer an editing service, you work on collating links regularly of interest to writers, readers and publishers, and you are a reviewer. What was it that drew to you all of these different pursuits? Do you find that all of these different facets of your career work together harmoniously, or can it be difficult to, say, be both an editor and a writer?
I tend to view all these different activities as part of the same thing: my abiding love for books. For the most part, I find they work well together. Reviewing helps me as a writer to remain aware of current trends in publishing and offers great opportunities to network with authors and publishers. Likewise, my writer self would be collating links anyway by gathering resources on writing and looking out for publishing opportunities. Offering them to readers of my blog works on a selfish level by drawing in more traffic while also helping to support the community.
There are a couple of places where these facets work against each other to the detriment of my writing. The first is my inner editor and critic make it increasingly difficult to write. I take forever, overthink everything and rarely manage to finish anything. I recently had the opportunity to write some material for Wyrd Games’ role-playing game Through the Breach. It was pure world-building, a sort of creative non-fiction. I was surprised to find it easier than story writing. I think there were a few reasons for this: the deadline meant I had no time to overthink things; I was working within strict parameters which kept me focussed; and the format made me slightly less concerned with writing style.
The other problem with having all these difference facets is time. It’s a lot to juggle. Anything connected to other people or my professional persona gets priority, which generally puts writing last.
However, I love doing all of it and especially enjoy promoting Australian books to an international audience.
As someone who writes, works as an editor and reviews books, what are your opinions on authors who also review books? Would you like to see more authors reviewing books, or do you feel that it’s something that authors should stay away from?
I don’t see a problem with authors reviewing books, provided they approach the practice sensibly and sensitively. Yes, authors may come with biases—particularly in relation to friends and contacts in the industry or to aspects of storytelling. But reviewers and book bloggers have their own biases, for example favourite authors and tropes they hate.
The key thing about reviewing is that it works best through transparency. A good reviewer (no matter their background) will state these biases so that the reader can figure out how to interpret the review. This means explaining how I acquired the book and my connection to the author or publisher, where applicable. It also means stating where plot or character elements didn’t work for me; I might not enjoy love triangles, but other readers adore them.
I’ve not had any really negative experiences of reviewing books where I’ve known one or more of the contributors. However, I’m aware it can be a difficult line to walk. On one hand, I strongly believe I have an allegiance to the reader. On the other hand, I’m also aware that my reviews could potentially impact on my relationships with other people in the industry. I try to be as fair and as transparent as possible. I won’t shy away from being critical (though it sometimes makes me feel a bit guilty if I know the author). Having said that, I’m not a fan of scathing reviews, be they from other authors or reviewers. If I can’t find at least one good thing—however small—about a book, I won’t review it.
It can be tricky to balance, so I can understand why authors might shy away from reviewing.
Do you have any plans for upcoming projects?
Nothing concrete at the moment. This year I’m a judge for the Aurealis Awards. Juggling the reading schedule for that with my review schedule and freelance work is keeping me busy at the moment. I do have a couple of stories on the backburner that I’d like to finish off. I’d also love to edit another anthology at some point in the future. I feel I’ve learned a lot since I published Winds of Change.
There are many! My favourite series at the moment is Juliet Marillier’s Blackthorn and Grim. It’s a historical fantasy about an imprisoned healer who is offered the chance to magically escape on the condition she spends a year accepting any request for help people ask of her. I love that the protagonist is an older woman and that her experiences have led her to be an outspoken opponent of injustice and violence against women. I also love the strong, yet platonic friendship between Blackthorn and Grim, her former prison mate. They are sensitive to each other’s traumas and do their best to protect each other. I can’t wait for the third book, Den of Wolves, to come out in November.
C.S. Pacat impressed me with the conclusion to her Captive Prince trilogy earlier this year. Being a m/m romance with BDSM elements, it’s breaking new ground for the big publishing houses. I thought it balanced the romance perfectly with a strong political fantasy plot, and it shows Pacat to be an intelligent and subtle writer. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
I’ve also been enjoying Amanda Pillar’s urban fantasy series Graced, with the most recent novella being Survivor. Like Pacat, she does a good job of balancing fantasy adventure with romance. I particularly appreciate the thought she’s put into her world-building, mixing her fantasy with judicious servings of sci-fi. She’s also built up a great cast of characters I’m looking forward to hearing more about.
I regret to admit I’m a late-comer to the work of Jennifer Fallon. Her most recent novel, The Lyre Thief, was excellent, so I’ll definitely be going back to tackle her earlier novels. I appreciate an epic fantasy where the characters aren’t entirely likeable but that also steers clear of being grimdark.
The presence of hope was also one of the things I loved about the anthology Defying Doomsday, edited by Tsana Dolichva and Holly Kench. It’s a book of post-apocalyptic stories featuring chronically ill or disabled protagonists. The anthology actively steered away from inevitably delivering these characters tragic endings. Instead, the character’s disability or illness ended up being a key component in their survival in many cases, even allowing them to be agents of positive change.
Diana Wynne Jones. Her Fire and Hemlock is one of my favourite books and she wrote such a wonderful range of material. All the accounts I’ve heard tell me she was a kind and generous person. I’d love the chance to chat about books, writing and folklore with her.
Snapshot: Deborah Kalin
August 4, 2016 by Stephanie Gunn In 2016 Snapshot Tagged 2016Snapshot, Deborah Kalin Leave a comment
Deborah Kalin is an award-winning writer of literary speculative fiction, author of the collection Cherry Crow Children and of The Binding novels.
Cherry Crow Children won the Aurealis Award for Best Horror Novella and Best YA Short Story, and was shortlisted for two further Aurealis Awards, the Ditmar Awards, and the Australian Shadows Awards. Her work touches on the human heart, monsters, desperation and doggedness; her stories deliver richly conceived and compelling worlds peopled by deeply human characters.
She lives in Melbourne, subject to the whims of a three year old who thinks she’s a cat and a cat who thinks she’s a person. Both of them whinge, mostly about sleep and food. Kalin herself hasn’t slept uninterrupted through the night since March 2012.
Your most recent work is Cherry Crow Children, part of the Twelve Planets series brought out by Twelfth Planet Press, which
has garnered several awards nominations, both for individual stories and for the whole collection, as well as won two Aurealis Awards and had a story from the collection nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award. How was the process of writing and collating this collection? How does it feel to have so much recognition for it?
To answer the latter first: so gratifying and amazing! Honestly, the critical response was overwhelming: I think in the end it garnered about 12 nominations for various awards, and every story got a nod somewhere. I was so proud of this collection, when I finally submitted it; and to have people not only enjoying it but nominating it for official recognition is a literal dream come true.
Not least because the process of writing it … well! I’ve blogged and spoken in depth about how difficult a journey it was. Suffice to say it turns out every thing people tell you about life with a newborn is true, and then some. But for me, I think what I found hardest was the utter lack of alone time. Writing is heavily tied in to solitude for me. The stories themselves I can write in half-hour snatches, but to come up with a story I need swathes of thinking time.
On top of that, these stories were difficult because they each opened a deep vein. In one way or another, I identified strongly with each of my characters, and putting them through the narratives that formed around them was harrowing. I have never been so glad to finish anything, as I was to finally submit this collection!
You have also written two novels, Shadow Queen and Shadow Bound. How does the process of writing a novel differ for you from writing a short story? Do you have any advice for writers who are trying to move from short story writing to novel writing (or vice versa)?
I think I might be a terrible person to ask for advice on writing short stories! The opening story in CCC, The Wages of Honey, stood at about 10k when I submitted it, and Alisa asked me for three more “about the same length”. I think Briskwater Mare came in at 12k, and the next two were around the 20k mark each. I’m dreadful at writing short! In fact, my two novels are essentially one book/story that I split in half at a resolution point (with cliffhanger) for saleability purposes. So I can’t even write novels to length.
Perhaps unsurprisingly then, for me, there’s little difference in terms of raw process: I still have to include all the same ingredients (character, conflict, setting, tension, resolution, etc). But there’s far less space in a short story, so I do find more of the backstory and/or research isn’t allowed on the page. And because there’s so little space and so much to fit in there, I do tend to agonise over word choice and sentence structure more. Not that I don’t with novels, as well, but it’s possible to hold the entirety of a 20k word story in your head all at once, which does make for a more cohesive editing process. Novels you have to wing it and trust your editors far more.
As for advice on moving between the two forms: I think that’s going to be very specific for each individual. The two lengths will impose different constraints and restrictions and freedoms, obviously; but how that translates to any given writer will be unique. For me, world building and characterisation as an integral/organic part of that world is a huge part of my stories; I think that’s why I struggle to write short, since there really isn’t that much room for atmosphere in a short, not if you want to have character and plot as well. So I guess my advice would be to know what you like best in your own writing, and edit yourself and/or give yourself a break accordingly.
What work can we expect from you in the future?
I’m currently trying (around a toddler and a day job and the Melbourne commute) to write what I’m calling the troll novel. It appears to be about family, identity, possession and fertility; and it’s heavily inspired by my trip to Iceland. Because I write without an outline, I suspect I won’t know entirely what it’s about until the zero draft is written, but at this stage it looks to be full of moss and frustration and anguish. (So, business as usual?)
Ooh, this is my favourite part!
Recent highlights include Leanne Hall’s “Iris and the Tiger” and Meg McKinlay’s “A Single Stone”.
The former has the perfect amount of whimsy and light-heartedness to put a piece of sunshine in your soul; I’ve been recommending it to everyone I can.
The latter is a delicately thought through story examining the constraints of environment on a society and the inevitable consequences of perception and interpretation being stretched over generations, all in one swift read. There’s a reason this one’s been winning lots of awards!
Goodness! Well, setting aside the fact I’m pretty sure there’s a distinct circle of hell devoted entirely to being trapped next to someone too chatty on a long plane flight, given my ‘druthers it would definitely be Jane Austen. She had such an eye for the human heart, and a deep-rooted empathy combined with a sharp wit. I don’t love everything she wrote, but of the ones I do love (Pride & Prejudice, and Persuasion), I love so deeply I can’t hear a word against them.
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November 2, 2003, AFP - The Washington Times, Arrested oil tycoon passed shares to banker,
LONDON (Agence France-Presse) — Control of Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s shares in the Russian oil giant Yukos have passed to renowned banker Jacob Rothschild, under a deal they concluded prior to Mr. Khodorkovsky’s arrest, the Sunday Times reported.
Voting rights to the shares passed to Mr. Rothschild, 67, under a “previously unknown arrangement” designed to take effect in the event that Mr. Khodorkovsky could no longer “act as a beneficiary” of the shares, it said.
Mr. Khodorkovsky, 40, whom Russian authorities arrested at gunpoint and jailed pending further investigation last week, was said by the Sunday Times to have made the arrangement with Mr. Rothschild when he realized he was facing arrest.
Mr. Rothschild now controls the voting rights on a stake in Yukos worth almost $13.5 billion, the newspaper said in a dispatch from Moscow.
Mr. Khodorkovsky owns 4 percent of Yukos directly and 22 percent through a trust of which he is the sole beneficiary, according to Russian analysts.
From the figures reported in the Sunday Times, it appeared Mr. Rothschild had received control of all Mr. Khodorkovsky’s shares.
The two have known each other for years “through their mutual love of the arts” and their positions as directors of the Open Russia Foundation, Yukos’ philanthropic branch, it said.
Russian authorities Thursday froze billions of dollars of shares held by Mr. Khodorkovsky and his top lieutenants in Yukos — throwing control of the country’s largest oil company into limbo and causing frenzied selling on financial markets.
Russian prosecutors said owners of the shares are still entitled to dividends and retain voting rights, but can no longer sell their stakes.
They said the freeze was necessary as collateral for the $1 billion that Mr. Khodorkovsky and his associates are accused of misappropriating during the 1990s.
Mr. Rothschild is the British head of Europe’s wealthy and influential Rothschild family, and runs his own investment empire.
Posted by StevenWarRan at 12:45 PM No comments: Links to this post
October 18, 1919, New York Times, Ford Assets $332,998,121.; More Than Doubled in Two Years. According to Annual Report,
October 18, 1919, New York Times, Ford Assets $332,998,121.; More Than Doubled in Two Years. According to Annual Report, Annual report for year ended July 31. Special to The New York Times,
Assets of the Ford Motor Company have increased more than 100 percent in the last two years, according to a report of the fiscal year ending July 31, just issued.
The company's assets on that date were $332,998,121, as compared with $303,749,409 on July 31, 1918, and $163,970,002 on July 31, 1917.
Surplus profits are $227,586,581 for the last fiscal year, compared with #175, 242,728 for 1918 and $131,000,905 in 1917, on capital stock of $2,000,000. This is equivalent to $11,379.30 a share. It is generally understood that Henry and Edsel Ford paid the minority stockholders @12,500 a share for their stock when purchased last Summer.
Under liabilities are listed $2,000,000 of capital stock, $24,097,322 accounts payable, $73,174,630 floating debt---a new figure due to borrowing for stock purchases---while nothing is reserved for depreciation. Accrued expenses are $7,139,579.
August 25, 1999, BBC News, Europe; Bid to bridge Nazi slave fund row,
Wednesday, August 25, 1999 Published at 10:30 GMT 11:30 UK
World: Europe: Bid to bridge Nazi slave fund row
Volkswagen is among the companies which used slave labour
Talks aimed at bridging the gap between compensation demanded by former Nazi slave labourers and the sum on offer resume in Bonn.
But the reported demands by Holocaust survivors for a $20bn fund were "very far removed from reality", Germany's chief negotiator Otto Graf Lambsdorff told German television on Tuesday.
Graf Lambsdorff: $20bn "very far removed from reality"
Without giving concrete figures, he said any settlement would not lie "in the middle" between the $20bn sought by the victims' lawyers and the $1.7 bn proposed by the firms contributing to the fund.
But US Deputy Treasury Secretary Stuart Eizenstat, who is co-hosting the talks, was hopeful that a compromise could be reached between the two sides.
"This is the first session where we're talking about money," he said. "I think we'll narrow the differences."
On Thursday the governments of Israel and east European countries are due to join the talks.
There are 16 firms - some of the giants of German industry - offering the $1.7bn dollar compensation package. Amongt them are BMW, BASF, DaimlerChrysler, Volkswagen, Siemens and Deutsche and Dresdner Banks.
But lawyers representing the survivors say that with more than one million claimants on their books, less than $2bn is simply not enough.
A concentration camp victim shows her identification tattoo
For their part, the companies want a guarantee that if a deal is signed they will be protected from any further claims and that has proved a sticking point.
The survivors have maintained that German industry was central to the so-called Final Solution and that many firms actually profited from the Holocaust - a claim industry has always denied.
A spokesman for the companies acknowledged that they had a moral duty to help, but they bore no legal responsibility. The spokesman said the blame lay with the Nazi government.
Germany has already paid more than DM100bn ($54bn) to Holocaust victims for their suffering, but back pay for slave labour was left to the companies to resolve.
The German Government had originally hoped to have an agreement by 1 September - the 60th anniversary of the start of World War II. The companies also pledged in February to have a fund in place by next week.
Meanwhile, the number of Holocaust survivors is continually reducing as elderly victims die before the compensation issue is resolved.
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November 2, 2003, AFP - The Washington Times, Arre...
October 18, 1919, New York Times, Ford Assets $332...
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Team: Carolina Hurricanes Height: 6-3 Born: 7/8/1996
Position: D Weight: 208 Birthplace: Carlyle, Saskatchewan
Game Logs 2018-2019
Date Opp Result G A Pts +/- PIM SOG SPct. PP PPA SHG SHA GWG TOI
10/09 Van W 5-3 0 0 0 2 0 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 15:16
11/03 @ VGK L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 11:12
11/10 Det L-SO 3-4 0 1 1 1 0 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 14:30
11/12 Chi W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 15:47
11/17 Cls L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 15:22
11/18 NJ W 2-1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 14:44
11/21 Tor W 5-2 0 0 0 1 0 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 13:24
11/23 Fla W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 12:59
12/02 @ LA L 0-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 12:02
12/13 @ Mon L 4-6 0 0 0 -1 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 06:48
01/20 @ Edm W 7-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 07:16
01/23 @ Van W 5-2 0 0 0 2 0 2 - 0 0 0 0 0 08:10
03/01 StL W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 13:18
03/02 @ Fla W 4-3 0 0 0 1 0 2 - 0 0 0 0 0 14:50
03/15 @ Cls L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 3 - 0 0 0 0 0 13:18
03/16 Buf W 4-2 0 0 0 1 0 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 15:21
03/19 Pit W-SO 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 14:31
04/02 @ Tor W 4-1 0 0 0 0 2 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 07:13
04/06 @ Phi W 4-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 13:22
04/11 @ Was L 2-4 0 0 0 1 0 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 07:19
04/13 @ Was L 3-4 0 0 0 -1 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 04:22
04/15 Was W 5-0 0 0 0 1 2 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 08:44
05/01 NYI W 5-2 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 08:31
05/09 @ Bos L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 08:22
05/12 @ Bos L 2-6 0 0 0 -2 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 15:37
05/14 Bos L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 03:31
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NASCAR Cup Xfinity Camping World Truck IndyCar Formula 1
Austin Dillon takes No. 3 back to victory lane at Daytona
NASCAR Headlines
Kurt Busch edges Kyle in OT in Kentucky
Newman, Houf fail pre-race inspection
Custer takes Xfifnity for 5th season win
18-year-old Ankrum gets first Trucks win
Haley wins rain-shortened Daytona race
Spire Motorsports earns first NASCAR win
Chastain leads Daytona sweep for Kaulig
(AP Photo/Terry Renna)
By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) The No. 3 is No. 1 again at Daytona, on a day, in a race and at a place forever linked with the great Dale Earnhardt.
Austin Dillon won the Daytona 500 on Sunday night driving the iconic No. 3 Chevrolet that Earnhardt piloted for most of his career. Earnhardt was behind the wheel of No. 3 when he won his only Daytona 500 in 1998, and when he was killed in an accident on the final lap of the race three years later.
Dillon's victory, in the 60th running of "The Great American Race ," came 17 years to the day of Earnhardt's fatal crash .
"Man, this place is awesome," said Dillon. "I don't know what it is about storylines and Daytona. This place just creates history and I'm proud to be a part of it and make some history here."
Dillon wasn't a factor in his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet until the final lap in overtime when he got a push from Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr . that helped him get to leader Aric Almirola. Dillon spun Almirola then whizzed on by to give Childress, his grandfather, another iconic victory in the beloved No. 3.
"My grandfather has done everything for me and everybody knows it," Dillon said. "There's a lot of pressure on me to perform because I've had a little bit of everything. But I like that pressure, the same with the No. 3, there's a lot of pressure behind it, but I'm willing to take it and go with it."
As for the aggressive move that wrecked Almirola? Dillon was doing what has to be done to win at Daytona, where he led just once for one lap - the final one.
"I think I blacked out and just everything just kind of kept going, and we were staying in the gas, and things were happening fast. The last lap of the Daytona 500, you just don't lift, actually the last couple laps," Dillon said, adding his only other option was to ease off the gas and avoid Almirola.
"I guess I could have lifted and gave it to him," he said. "I guess that was my other option, give up a Daytona 500 ring that I'm wearing. If he needs to do it to (retaliate) at Talladega for everybody to feel good, I've got a Daytona 500 championship trophy, ring, whatever. I don't care. I've got the 3 back in victory lane at Daytona."
Almirola, in his debut race for Stewart-Haas Racing, was devastated.
"My heart is broken. I thought I was going to win the Daytona 500," Almirola said.
Childress was overjoyed.
"To come back 20 years later after Dale's great victory, and to be able to celebrate 20 years later, with my grandson, it is just a storybook tale," Childress said. "It's tough on him running that 3, but we had, I'd say, 97 percent support from Earnhardt fans who wanted him to run that number."
The No. 3 was dormant in the Cup Series from Earnhardt's death until Childress brought it back in 2014 for his grandson.
The final scoring tower showed the No. 3 on top, then the No. 43 - two of the most seminal numbers in NASCAR.
"I looked up, seen the board up here, the 3 and the 43, I thought, how special is that for the history," Childress said.
Wallace, the first black driver in the Daytona 500 field since 1969, finished second in a 1-2 finish for Chevrolet and Childress' engine program. Wallace drives the No. 43 car for Richard Petty and sobbed in his post-race news conference after his mother came to the front of the room to give him a hug. The two had a long embrace in which she told Wallace repeatedly "you've waited so long, baby."
After another moment with his sister , Wallace sat at the dais sobbing into a towel. His finish is the highest for a black driver; Wendell Scott finished 13th in 1966.
"Pull it together, bud, pull it together. You just finished second," he told himself.
Wallace, from Mobile, Alabama, received a telephone call from Hank Aaron before the race and Lewis Hamilton, the four-time Formula One world champion and only black driver in that series, tweeted his support to Wallace.
Denny Hamlin, the 2016 winner, finished third in a Toyota.
Ryan Blaney, who led a race-high 118 laps, faded to seventh after giving the win away in regulation. He wrecked Kurt Busch, the defending race winner, trying to reclaim his lead and the contact damaged Blaney's Ford. It spoiled what should have been a Team Penske party - car owner Roger Penske had three contenders, all considered favorites - but all came up empty. Brad Keselowski wrecked early racing for the lead and although Joey Logano finished fourth, it wasn't the victory Penske expected from one of his drivers.
"It's a shame you don't close it out, but you try to just learn from your mistakes and try to do better next time," Blaney said. "This one definitely stings, but hopefully we can get another shot at it one day."
The day was also a bust for Danica Patrick, who made the Daytona 500 her final NASCAR race. With new boyfriend NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers cheering her on, Patrick was collected in an accident and finished 35th. The only woman to lead laps in the Daytona 500 and win the pole for this race then told a story about an exchange she had earlier this week with four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon.
"He said his last Daytona didn't go well, either, and I was like `Oh wow, I don't remember that. I remember your career.' So I hope that is how it is with me with everybody," she said.
Meanwhile, on this celebratory day for Dillon and Childress, the late Earnhardt had a very large presence.
Dillon was 7 when Earnhardt won his Daytona 500 and was photographed alongside his brother with The Intimidator on that victorious day in 1998. Earnhardt credited 6-year-old Wessa Miller, a fan he met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation following the final practice for the race, for helping him get that elusive win. Wessa gave Earnhardt the penny and told him she had rubbed it and that it would bring him good luck. The lucky penny the little girl gave him is still on the dash of the car at the RCR museum.
Inspired by the good-luck coin, Dillon also had a penny in the No. 3 on Sunday, this one given to him by a young boy he met at an autograph session earlier in Speedweeks.
"I had a fan, actually he had no favorite driver, I told him, I said, `I'll give you my hat if I'm your favorite driver.' I gave him the hat," Dillon said. "The next day he saw me in the infield, he said, `Here's a lucky penny I found heads up.' I said, `Man, we've gotta put that in the car.' Put it in the car and here we are in victory lane."
More AP auto racing: https://racing.ap.org/
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Final-5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Toronto 0 1 0 0 0 x x x x 1 3 1
Chi White Sox 1 2 1 0 x x x x x 4 7 0
W: L. Giolito (5-1) L: R. Feierabend (0-1)
11:10 AM PT12:10 PM MT1:10 PM CT2:10 PM ET14:10 ET18:10 GMT2:10 11:10 AM MST1:10 PM EST1:40 PM VEN22:10 UAE1:10 PM CT, May 18, 2019
Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 22,908
White Sox beat Blue Jays 4-1, game halted by rain in 5th
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
By SARAH TROTTO
CHICAGO (AP) Lucas Giolito doesn't regard his victory as a complete game. After a long rain delay, five innings equaled nine - at least in the record book.
Giolito struck out the side in the top of the fifth before play was halted because of rain, Leury Garcia homered and the Chicago White Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 Saturday.
"Everyone was joking about that, `Shower, complete game!'" Giolito said. "I don't consider it a complete game until I get nine. But I went out there for the fifth and saw the rain coming down. I was like, `We've got to pick up the tempo a little bit,' and luckily we were able to get through five and close it out."
The game was called after a wait of three hours.
"The raindrops were so big that they were getting into my glove, on the ball, getting on my hand," said Giolito, who improved to 5-1. "So my approach was just to attack the strike zone with a fast pace and hopefully get a nice 1-2-3 inning, and that's what we did."
Yonder Alonso had two singles and two RBIs for the White Sox, who have won five of seven.
Ryan Feierabend (0-1) allowed four runs and seven hits in four innings for Toronto in his first start in the majors since 2008. He struck out two and walked one. The Blue Jays have lost 10 of 13.
"Our offense is swinging the bats a lot better, so I think we still had a chance," Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo said. "Mother Nature says there's no way you can play."
Garcia homered to left field on Feierabend's second pitch for his second home run this season, and second career leadoff drive.
Freddy Galvis doubled down the right field line in the second inning, and a ball boy fell over while moving out of the way of the ball. Brandon Drury followed with a groundout to tie it at 1.
Alonso and Charlie Tilson singled to drive in two runs for a 3-1 lead in the bottom half. Alonso added another RBI single in the third.
The Blue Jays selected Feierabend's contract before the game from Triple-A Buffalo, where went 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in three starts. He has pitched in Korea since last appearing in the majors in 2014 with the Texas Rangers. He entered with a career record of 2-11 with a 7.15 ERA and no road victories. The knuckleballer also throws a fastball and changeup.
Giolito gave up a run and three hits and was credited with his first career complete game. He struck out four and walked two. Giolito had allowed one earned run in his previous 16 2/3 innings.
"The maturation that he's shown, the ability to continue to repeat that delivery, thank goodness," manager Rick Renteria said.
WEATHER UPDATE
Rain soaked the field before the game was called.
"MLB waited as long as they could - I appreciate that - to give us a chance, but then it was not playable," Montoyo said. "There was nothing we could do about it."
In his last start, Feierabend pitched against the father of current teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. That's just one connection he has with former All-Stars and their offspring. Two others are in the Toronto farm system: the sons of Craig Biggio and Roger Clemens.
"It's kind of crazy," Feierabend said. "I actually had this conversation with the guys in spring training: Not only Guerrero, but I played against Cavan Biggio's dad and (Kacy) Clemens' dad at one point or another."
Blue Jays: RHP Javy Guerra (0-0, 3.86 ERA) was designated for assignment to make room for Feierabend. ... RHP Clay Buchholz (right shoulder inflammation) had an MRI on Saturday that showed a Grade 2 elbow strain. He will follow up with Dr. James Andrews on Monday for a second opinion, according to the team. ... RHP David Phelps, who had Tommy John surgery in March 2018, has thrown two live bullpens with no issue, the team said. He was scheduled to throw another live bullpen Saturday.
White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon (3-2, 5.19) underwent successful Tommy John surgery on Wednesday. He is expected to return for the second half of next season. ... Renteria hopes OF Eloy Jimenez (right ankle sprain) will be ready to return from the injured list for the team's road trip that begins Monday at Houston.
RHP Trent Thornton (1-4, 4.81 ERA) is expected to start for Toronto in the series finale. Thornton got his first major league victory after allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings against San Francisco in his last start. RHP Reynaldo Lopez (3-4, 5.58) is scheduled for the White Sox. He has a 3.65 ERA in his last four starts.
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The Sundry Letter
Eclectic news, ideas and commentary.
Are you addicted to your cell phone?
A superb illustrated read about your (and mine) smartphone addiction. You should read it all, it’s on Nautilus.
Pro tip: reward yourself “variably” when doing an analog (i.e not tech) activity such as seeing friends or walking outside. By variably I mean don’t reward for a 1:1 ratio. The deal with Facebook is that you scroll aimlessly and then at some point you’re going to get a notification but you don’t know when. This motivates you to scroll more than if they gave you a reward (notification) every time you scrolled.
October 31, 2016 by ulysse.
Most people can’t give a convincing alibi if accused of a crime
This excerpt is from this paper and was tweeted by Rolf Degen.
Soylent halts sales of its powder as customers keep getting sick – LA Times
Paresh Dave for The LA Times:
Backed by more than $20 million in venture capital, Soylent has emerged as one of several popular start-ups hoping to change what and how people eat. Meant to be mixed with water or other liquids, the powder has enough fats, carbohydrates and other nutrients to replace a traditional meal, according to the company. People looking for a quick fix, such as software programmers in Silicon Valley, have become devotees.
Eat real food people?
Eric Barker from a June 2014 Time article:
Two factors appeared to exercise the greatest influence on personal relationships: the location of the apartments and the distances between them. The most important factor in determining who would be emotionally close to whom was the distance between their apartments.
What underlies this? Obviously, you have to meet, but there’s something else going on: repeated exposure.
As marketers know very well (and anyone looking for love should learn about marketing), repeated exposure makes us like almost anything.
Open your door the Dutch way and save a cyclist’s life
Here’s a simple lifehack that could save some lives or injuries.
Open the door with the opposite hand instead of the one closest to the door. That way, your body will be forced to turn and your gaze will meet the road and any incoming cyclist.
How FIFA affects real-life football
Ibrahimovic said that he would ‘often spot solutions in the games that I then parlayed into real life’ as a young player. Mats Hummels, the Bayern Munich and Germany defender, has suggested that ‘maybe some people use what they learn in FIFA when they find themselves on a pitch.’
And this is from Jason Kottke. You’ll find more references on his post.
The battle of Aleppo is creating a disgusting future for war
Not that war is pretty anyway…
Usually, I try to keep it chill on the Sundry Letter, but as history unfolds, one must take note.
The Battle of Solferino that took place in June 1859 left 40 000 Italian, French and Austrian soldiers dead or wounded. Henry Dunant was there and he spent his time tending to the wounded. The reflections he wrote then led to the founding of the Red Cross.
Paul Mason for The Guardian:
Solferino inspired the principle that hospitals and army medical personnel are not a legitimate target in war. Today, with the bombing of hospitals by the Russians in Syria, the Saudis in Yemen and the Americans in Afghanistan, those who provide medical aid in war believe that principle is in ruins.
You’re actually a terrible lie detector, but here’s how to get better
Art Markman for Fast Company:
So if you’re in a high-stakes situation, it makes sense to try and be more vigilant about whether you’re hearing the truth. But even then, many of us look for the wrong signals. In fact, researchers have found that when we consciously try to catch someone in a lie, we get much worse at it. Our unconscious lie-detection instincts are more reliable than our conscious ones.
Oddly enough, I really thought the inverse was true.
Land ownership and digital products
Maximum geek alert. Here’s Rebekah Cox, original designer of the News Feed pattern for Facebook and Quora, using the image of physical land ownership to explain the digital platform wars:
Land ownership couldn’t exist without violence. Violence to take the land and violence—or at least the threat of violence—to keep the land. Systems have been created to keep that violence to a minimum: courts, property lines, rules, regulations, police, lawyers, deeds, sales, etc. New laws are created to compensate for new abuses: height restrictions, offsets, building permits, etc. But where lawyers fail, sheriffs are there with guns for enforcement.
There is no digital land equivalent. Products like Facebook and Twitter are platforms and the foundation on which you build your parcel is your profile but for the most part it grows without harming others. Your gaining friends and followers and likes and retweets should not detract from other’s opportunity to do so. By and large, the ‘battles’ are between the major platforms themselves. Snapchat innovates, Facebook-owned Instagram clones. Actual violence is avoided entirely.
● Authority, LSD & hippies: the advent of the personal computer
Yes, Alan Turing is “the father” of modern computer science.
Without him, no modern algorithms, no contemporary concepts of computation.
But what about the personal computer? I’m talking about the one I’m using right now to type those words.
And the web — how you’re reading these words.
So, yes. We do stand on the shoulder of giants.
But the people who made the personal computer possible were science-fiction loving, long-haired hippies.
As Steward Brand — founder of the Whole Earth Catalog — puts it, in a 1995 article for Time Magazine:
‘Ask not what your country can do for you. Do it yourself,’ we said, happily perverting J.F.K.’s Inaugural exhortation. Our ethic of self-reliance came partly from science fiction. We all read Robert Heinlein’s epic Stranger in a Strange Land as well as his libertarian screed-novel, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. Hippies and nerds alike reveled in Heinlein’s contempt for centralized authority. To this day, computer scientists and technicians are almost universally science-fiction fans. And ever since the 1950s, for reasons that are unclear to me, science fiction has been almost universally libertarian in outlook.
So the answer to the perennial question “why are all computer science geeks Star Wars fans?” you have the answer here.
Vintage science-fiction books have anti-authoritarian slants that appealed to young people in the sixties and seventies.
First then, the rejection of authority.
In his 1984 book, Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution, Steven Levy enshrined the hacker ethic — the political beliefs that motivated the creation and promotion of personal computers by said hippies:
“Access to computers should be unlimited and total.”
“All information should be free.”
“Mistrust authority – promote decentralization.”
“You can create art and beauty on a computer.”
“Computers can change your life for the better.”
So the idea is that the books brought the original enthusiasm.
What brought the vision?
Can we go as far as arguing that LSD — “turn on, tune in and drop out”, a phrase popularised by Timothy Leary — is what enabled these people to create machines that would set them free? If not, where does the inspiration to make the necessary abstractions computers require come from?
For instance, do all the people using IBM’s application Lotus know that it is based on Lotus 1-2-3, a spreadsheet software created by Mitch Kapor, a transcendental meditation teacher, hence the name Lotus?
My point is that the invention of personal computers has a political origin, unlike the invention of the lightbulb — but please let me know if I’m wrong.
The people responsible for the promotion of computers rejected the ideas of authority that led to the horrors of the 20th century. Aided by drugs and the smooth climate of California, new ideas popped into their open minds.
Somewhere along the road, though, it went a bit sour.
Initially, Steve Jobs was a different creature that what is known of him in popular culture today:
In the 1960s and early ’70s, the first generation of hackers emerged in university computer-science departments. They transformed mainframes into virtual personal computers, using a technique called time sharing that provided widespread access to computers. Then in the late ’70s, the second generation invented and manufactured the personal computer. These nonacademic hackers were hard-core counterculture types – like Steve Jobs, a Beatle-haired hippie who had dropped out of Reed College, and Steve Wozniak, a Hewlett-Packard engineer. Before their success with Apple, both Steves developed and sold “blue boxes,” outlaw devices for making free telephone calls. Their contemporary and early collaborator, Lee Felsenstein, who designed the first portable computer, known as the Osborne 1, was a New Left radical who wrote for the renowned underground paper the Berkeley Barb.
In 1995, as Brand wrote this article, I’m sure he wouldn’t know that in 2016, scores of people would despise Steve Jobs for his wrongdoings — ranging from how he treated his own daughter, to the closed nature of the Apple ecosystem and the despicable way the iPhone is manufactured by Foxconn.
I understand the betrayal computer scientists may feel today.
Jobs took their ideas, applied a healthy dose of human-centred design and marketed them to death.
Brand concludes his piece (again, written in 1995) with a hopeful vision that unfortunately — as iOS & Android, Facebook and overall progress of social media cement our entrance into the 21st century — is not unfolding as he intended:
Our generation proved in cyberspace that where self-reliance leads, resilience follows, and where generosity leads, prosperity follows. If that dynamic continues, and everything so far suggests that it will, then the information age will bear the distinctive mark of the countercultural ’60s well into the new millennium.
The Internet-equipped smartphone created a new frontier for computer science. Everyone has a computer in their pocket and people can see their loved ones’ faces from across the globe in the blink of an eye with software like Skype. Closed distribution models (Google Play and App Store) are hurdles.
But the Internet enables anyone to learn new skills — do you want to learn how to code? How to fix an oven? How to write in Portuguese? — and the Internet enables anyone to then sell their skills by means of products or services. If you’re not into making software, you can use it to advance yourself or your business. And if you’re into making software, it is up to you and I to make it useful — politically and economically.
People like Aaron Swartz, that Brand wouldn’t have known, are the ones behind new, public technologies like RSS and other standards. They are part of the fourth generation of hackers he mentioned in his Time article.
We have the tools and the information. Our cleverness will help us cut through the chaotic noise to only get the delightful juice of the signal.
Next time you boot your computer, maybe you’ll think of its history, maybe you won’t.
Now though, you can’t say you didn’t know.
P.S Original pieces (categorised in “Commentary”) will now be preceded by a black circle, ●.
October 1, 2016 by ulysse.
This blog is produced by Ulysse Sabbag. I’m trying to understand everything and it’s taking a long time.
Sundry Newsletter
Ce n’est qu’au prix d’une ardente patience que nous pourrons conquérir la cité splendide qui donnera la lumière, la justice et la dignité à tous les hommes. Ainsi la poésie n’aura pas chanté en vain — A.R
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Border and Immigration
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Federation of Drug & Alcohol Professionals http://www.fdap.org.uk/
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Lifeline Project http://www.lifeline.org.uk
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Narcotics Anonymous http://ukna.org
National Association for Children of Alcoholics http://www.nacoa.org.uk
NECA http://www.neca.co.uk
NHS Smokefree http://www.nhs.uk/smokefree
Norwood Drugsline http://www.norwood.org.uk/Page/Norwood-Drugsline
NTA http://www.nta.nhs.uk/
Phoenix Futures http://www.phoenix-futures.org.uk/home/
PRISM http://www.prism-online.org.uk/
QUIT http://www.quit.org.uk/
Re-Solv http://www.re-solv.org/
Reducing drugs misuse and dependence https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/reducing-drugs-misuse-and-dependence
Rehab Online http://www.rehab-online.org.uk/
Release http://www.release.org.uk/
Sheffield Alcohol Support Service (SASS) http://www.sheffieldalcoholsupportservice.org.uk/
Teen Challenge http://www.teenchallenge.org.uk/
The Alliance http://www.m-alliance.org.uk/
The Spitalfields Crypt Trust http://www.sct.org.uk/
Turning Point http://www.turning-point.co.uk/
A National Voice http://www.anationalvoice.org
Adoption Focus http://www.adoption-focus.org.uk/
Adoption Guidance - England https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-statutory-guidance-2013
Adoption Information Line http://www.adoption.org.uk/
Adoption Interlink UK http://www.billsimpson.com/
Adoption Life Story http://www.adoptionlifestorybooks.co.uk/
Adoption Matters Northwest http://www.adoptionmattersnw.org/
Adoption Medicine Clinic http://adoption.umn.edu/
Adoption Research Initiative http://www.adoptionresearchinitiative.org.uk
Adoption UK http://www.adoptionuk.org/
Adoption, fostering and child care legislation for UK regions and countries http://www.baaf.org.uk/info/lpp/law/index.shtml
AdoptionPlus http://www.adoptionplus.co.uk/
After Adoption http://www.afteradoption.org.uk
Anna Freud Centre http://www.annafreud.org/
Association of Lawyers for Children http://www.alc.org.uk
BAAF Adoption & Fostering Journal http://www.baaf.org.uk/journal
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Cabrini Children’s Society http://www.cabrini.org.uk
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CCS Adoption http://www.ccsadoption.org/
Child Law Partnership http://www.childlawpartnership.co.uk/
Children England http://www.childrenengland.org.uk/
Consortium of Adoption Support Agencies http://www.casa-uk.org
Department of Health Factsheets https://www.gov.uk/schools-colleges-childrens-services/adoption-fostering
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Father Hudson’s Society http://www.fatherhudsons.org.uk
First4Adoption http://www.first4adoption.org.uk
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Future History http://futurehistorycampaign.com/
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Hadley Centre for Adoption and Foster Care Studies http://www.bristol.ac.uk/sps/research/centres/hadley/
Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=conventions.text&cid=69
Info 4 Care Kids http://www.info4carekids.org.uk/
Intercountry Adoption Centre http://www.icacentre.org.uk/
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Joseph Rowntree Foundation http://www.jrf.org.uk
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NHS Live Well Adoption and Fostering http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/adoption-and-fostering/Pages/adoption-and-fostering-home.aspx
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The National Council for Voluntary Organisations https://www.ncvo.org.uk/
The National Teaching & Advisory Service http://www.ntas.org.uk/#about
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations http://www.scvo.org.uk/
The Who Cares? Trust http://www.thewhocarestrust.org.uk
Victoria Climbié Inquiry http://www.victoria-climbie-inquiry.org.uk/
WCVA http://www.wcva.org.uk/
Yorkshire Adoption Agency http://www.yorkshireadoptionagency.org.uk
Action for Children http://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/
Action on Elder Abuse http://www.elderabuse.org.uk/
Barnardos http://www.barnardos.org.uk/
British Association and College Of Occupational Therapists http://www.cot.org.uk
British Association for Adoption & Fostering http://www.baaf.org.uk/index.shtml
Carr-Gomm http://www.carr-gomm.org.uk
Centrepoint http://www.centrepoint.org.uk
Child Data http://www.ncb.org.uk/Page.asp?originx67fu_67393919984432i11p135424
Christian Community Action http://www.ccam.org.uk/
Community Service Volunteers (CSV) http://www.csv.org.uk
Crime Concern http://www.crimeconcern.org.uk
Crisis http://www.crisis.org.uk
Elizabeth Finn Care http://www.elizabethfinncare.org.uk
Family and Childcare Trust http://www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/
Incontact http://www.incontact.org
Institute for Complementary Medicine http://www.i-c-m.org.uk
ISS (UK) International Social Service of the United Kingdom http://www.issuk.org.uk
Jewish Care http://www.jewishcare.org
King’s Fund http://www.kingsfund.org.uk
Missing People http://www.missingpeople.org.uk
NAAPS http://www.naaps.co.uk/
National Children's Home http://www.nch.org.uk/
National Institute of Social Work http://www.nisw.org.uk/
NSPCC Inform http://www.nspcc.org.uk/wwwopac/simplesearch.htm
Oxfam http://www.oxfam.org
PACT http://www.pactcharity.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
Public Concern at Work http://www.pcaw.co.uk/
Public Law Project http://www.publiclawproject.org.uk/index.html
Register of Researchers http://www.rip.org.uk/ror/index.asp
Regular Forces Employment Association Ltd http://www.rfea.org.uk
Rethink http://www.rethink.org/
Royal Star & Garter Homes http://starandgarter.org
Salvation Army Social Services http://www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/www_uki.nsf/vw-dynamic-arrays/5D35EC2B04BC515880256F1900494FA9
Scope http://www.scope.org.uk/
St Christopher’s Fellowship http://www.stchris.org.uk
Stand Against Racism & Inequality http://www.sariweb.org.uk
Terence Higgin Trust http://www.tht.org.uk/
The British Dental Health Foundation http://www.dentalhealth.org/
The Children's Society http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/
The College of Social Work http://www.tcsw.org.uk
The Furniture Re-use Network http://www.frn.org.uk
The National Association of Widows http://www.widows.uk.net/
The Network for Surviving Stalking http://www.nss.org.uk
The Trussell Trust http://www.trusselltrust.org/
Toc H http://www.toch-uk.org.uk/
Trust for the Study of Adolescence http://www.tsa.uk.com
Turn2us http://www.turn2us.org.uk/
Voluntary Service Overseas http://www.vso.org.uk
Women’s Health Concern http://www.womens-health-concern.org/
ACE Centre Advisory Trust http://acecentre.org.uk/
ACE Education Advice CIC & ACE Education Training http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/
Action Fraud http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
Afasic http://www.afasic.org.uk
AFRUCA (Africans Unite against Child Abuse) http://www.afruca.org
Anti-Bullying Network http://www.antibullying.net/
Aspire Adventure Activities http://www.aspireadventureactivities.co.uk/
Babyloss http://www.babyloss.com/
BackCare http://www.backcare.org.uk
Bank Safe Online http://www.banksafeonline.org.uk/
BASPCAN http://www.baspcan.org.uk
Beat Bullying http://www.beatbullying.org
BIBIC http://www.bibic.org.uk
Brainwave http://www.brainwave.org.uk/
Brentwood Catholic Children's Society http://www.childcareuk.org
British Association of Play Therapists http://www.bapt.info/
Buttle UK http://www.buttleuk.org
Calcot Services for Children http://www.csfc.co.uk/
Cambian Group http://www.oaasis.co.uk
Catch 22 http://www.catch-22.org.uk/
CCHF All About Kids http://www.cchf-allaboutkids.org.uk
CEOP http://ceop.police.uk/
Child Poverty Action Group http://www.cpag.org.uk
Child Rights International Network https://www.crin.org
Child Sponsorship http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk
Childcare.co.uk http://Childcare.co.uk
Childhood First http://childhoodfirst.org.uk
Childnet International http://www.childnet.com/
Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB) http://cfab.org.uk/
Children in Scotland http://www.childreninscotland.org.uk/
Children in Wales http://www.childreninwales.org.uk/
Children North East http://www.children-ne.org.uk/
Children With Cancer http://www.childrenwithcancer.org.uk
Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety http://www.chis.org.uk
Coram http://www.coram.org.uk/
Council for Disabled Children http://www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk
Dreamflight http://www.dreamflight.org
European NGO Alliance for Child Safety Online http://www.enacso.eu
Families Need Fathers http://www.fnf.org.uk/
Family Action http://www.family-action.org.uk/home.aspx?id=11578
Family and Childcare Trust http://www.familyandchildcaretrust.org
Family Planning Association http://www.fpa.org.uk
Family Rights Group http://www.frg.org.uk
FAS Aware UK http://fasaware.co.uk
Fegans http://www.fegans.org.uk/
Gingerbread http://www.gingerbread.org.uk
Grandparents Plus http://www.grandparentsplus.org.uk/
Happy Days Children's Charity http://www.happydayscharity.org
Health For All Children http://www.healthforallchildren.com
Home-Start http://www.home-start.org.uk
I CAN http://www.ican.org.uk
Independent Mobile Classification Board (IMCB) http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/mobile-content
IPSEA http://www.ipsea.org.uk
KIDS http://www.kids.org.uk
Kith & Kids http://www.kithandkids.org.uk
Life Fertility Care http://lifefertilitycare.co.uk/
Make-A-Wish Foundation UK http://www.make-a-wish.org.uk/
Match http://www.matchmothers.org
Missing People http://www.missingpeople.org.uk/
Müllers http://www.mullers.org
National Association of Child Contact Centres http://www.naccc.org.uk
National Childbirth Trust http://www.nct.org.uk
National Children's Bureau http://www.ncb.org.uk
Natural Parents Network http://www.n-p-n.co.uk/
Nurture Group Network http://www.nurturegroups.org/
PACEY - Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years http://www.pacey.org.uk
Pan European Game Information (PEGI) http://www.pegionline.eu/en/
PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide http://www.papyrus-uk.org/
Parenting in the Digital Age http://www.pitda.co.uk/
Parents for Inclusion http://www.parentsforinclusion.org
Parents Protect! http://www.parentsprotect.co.uk/home.htm
POPS http://www.partnersofprisoners.co.uk
Potential Plus UK http://www.potentialplusuk.org/
Quarriers http://www.quarriers.org.uk
Reach http://www.reach.org.uk/
Red Balloon http://www.redballoonlearner.org
Reunite http://www.reunite.org
RIP Evidence Bank http://www.rip.org.uk/research-evidence/evidencebank
Save the Children Fund http://www.savethechildren.org.uk
Short Breaks Network http://www.shortbreaksnetwork.org.uk
Spurgeons http://www.spurgeons.org
The Association for Shared Parenting http://www.sharedparenting.org.uk/
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) http://www.cathchild.org.uk/
The Children's Commissioner http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/
The Children’s Trust http://www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk
The Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service) http://www.ccpas.co.uk/
The Cirdan Sailing Trust http://www.cirdantrust.org/
The Family Fund http://www.familyfund.org.uk
The Family Holiday Association http://www.familyholidayassociation.org.uk/
The Family Online Safety Institute http://www.fosi.org/
The Grandparent's Association http://grandparents-association.org.uk
The Hideout http://www.thehideout.org.uk
The Honeypot http://www.honeypot.org.uk
The Hyperactive Children's Support Group http://www.hacsg.org.uk/
The Infertility Network http://www.infertilitynetworkuk.com
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF) http://www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk
The Lullaby Trust http://www.lullabytrust.org.uk
The Marie Collins Foundation http://www.mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk/
The National Holiday Fund for Sick and Disabled Children http://www.nhfcharity.co.uk
The Parent Zone http://www.theparentzone.co.uk
The Pre‑school Learning Alliance https://www.pre-school.org.uk/
The Scout Association http://scouts.org.uk
The Twins and Multiple Births Association (Tamba) http://www.tamba.org.uk
Thinkuknow http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
Together Trust http://www.togethertrust.org.uk
Tommy's http://www.tommys.org
True Vision http://www.report-it.org.uk/home
UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/uk-council-for-child-internet-safety-ukccis
UK Safer Internet Centre http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/
Unicef Convention on the Rights of the Child http://www.unicef.org/crc/
Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) http://www.virtualglobaltaskforce.com
Vitalise http://www.vitalise.org.uk/
Whizz-Kidz http://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk/
Woodcraft Folk http://woodcraft.org.uk/
Yellow Submarine http://www.yellowsubmarine.org.uk/
YHA http://www.yha.org.uk
Abuse Survivors http://www.abuse-survivors.org.uk/
Anxiety Care UK http://www.anxietycare.org.uk/docs/home.asp
ASSIST Trauma Care http://www.assisttraumacare.org.uk/
Association for Cognitive Analytic Therapy http://www.acat.me.uk/
Association of Child Psychotherapists http://www.childpsychotherapy.org.uk/
Association of Educational Psychologists http://www.aep.org.uk
Birth Trauma Association http://www.birthtraumaassociation.org.uk/
British Association and College of Occupational Therapists http://www.cot.co.uk
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy http://www.bacp.co.uk/
British Association of Psychotherapists http://www.bap-psychotherapy.org
CAP https://capuk.org/
Child Bereavement UK http://www.childbereavement.org.uk/
Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) http://www.coda-uk.org/
Everyman Project http://www.everymanproject.co.uk/
Grief Encounter http://www.griefencounter.org.uk/
Guild of Psychotherapists http://guildofpsychotherapists.org.uk/
Harmless http://www.harmless.org.uk/
Help to Heal http://www.helptoheal.co.uk/
Institute of Family Therapy http://www.ift.org.uk/
Institute of Psychoanalysis http://www.psychoanalysis.org.uk/
Jewish Marriage Council http://www.jmc-uk.org/
MAMAA http://www.mamaa.org
Marriage Care http://www.marriagecare.org.uk/
Minister and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors (MACSAS) http://www.macsas.org.uk/
Mosac http://www.mosac.org.uk/
National Association for People Abused in Childhood http://www.napac.org.uk/
National Family Mediation http://www.nfm.org.uk
NSHN http://www.nshn.co.uk/
NSPCC http://www.nspcc.org.uk/
Off Centre http://www.offcentre.org.uk/
OnePlusOne http://www.oneplusone.org.uk/
Priory Group http://www.priorygroup.com
Refuge http://refuge.org.uk/
Royal College of Psychiatrists http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/
SAMM Abroad http://www.sammabroad.org/
Sands (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) http://www.uk-sands.org/
SCARD http://www.scard.org.uk
Seasons for Growth http://seasonsforgrowth.co.uk/
Society of Analytical Psychology http://www.thesap.org.uk/
Southall Black Sisters http://www.southallblacksisters.org.uk
Stop it Now! http://www.stopitnow.org.uk/
Sudden Trauma Information Self Help http://www.stish.org
Support After Murder & Manslaughter http://www.samm.org.uk/
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide http://uk-sobs.org.uk/
Survivors UK http://www.survivorsuk.org
Talking2Minds http://www.talking2minds.co.uk
The Bereavement Trust http://bereavement-trust.org.uk/english/
The British False Memory Society (BFMS) http://bfms.org.uk
The British Psychotherapy Foundation http://www.britishpsychotherapyfoundation.org.uk
The Compassionate Friends http://www.tcf.org.uk/
The Institute of Group Analysis http://www.groupanalysis.org/
The Laura Centre http://www.thelauracentre.org.uk/
The Miscarriage Association http://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/
The Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships http://www.tccr.org.uk/
UK Council for Psychotherapy http://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/
United Kingdom Association for Transactional Analysis http://www.uktransactionalanalysis.co.uk
Winston’s Wish http://www.winstonswish.org.uk
Women Against Rape http://www.womenagainstrape.net/
Women's Therapy Centre http://www.womenstherapycentre.co.uk/
Audit commission http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/
Child support agency (CSA) https://www.gov.uk/child-maintenance
Department of Health https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health
Department of Health Circulars/Letters https://www.gov.uk/government/announcements?departments%5B%5D=department-of-health
Department of Health consultations register https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments=department-of-health&publication_filter_option=consultations
Department of Health Publications https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments=department-of-health
Department of Works and Pensions http://www.gov.uk/dwp
Disability and Carer’s Service http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/dcs/
Equality and Human Rights Commission http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/
Gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/
Health and Safety Executive http://www.hse.gov.uk
HM Court Services http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/
Job Centre Plus http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
Local Government Association http://www.lga.gov.uk
Mental Health Act Commission http://www.mhac.org.uk
Organ Donation and Transplantation Directorate http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/
Pension Services http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk
The Health Development Advice http://www.hda-online.org.uk/
Disability and Illness
ABLEize http://www.ableize.com/
Action Duchenne http://www.actionduchenne.org/
Action for Blind https://www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/
Action for Sick Children http://actionforsickchildren.org.uk/
Action on Hearing Loss http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk
Advance http://www.advanceuk.org/
Alopecia UK http://www.alopeciaonline.org.uk/
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance http://arma.uk.net/
Arthritis Care http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk
Arthritis Research UK http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/
Association of Blind Piano Tuners http://www.piano-tuners.org/
Asthma UK http://www.asthma.org.uk/
Asylum Aid http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/
Ataxia http://www.ataxia.org.uk/
Autism Education Trust http://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk
Bladder & Bowel Foundation http://www.bladderandbowelfoundation.org
Blind Veterans UK http://www.blindveterans.org.uk
Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT) http://www.dtgroup.org/brain-injury.aspx
Break Charity http://www.break-charity.org
British Cardiac Patients Association http://www.bcpa.co.uk/
British Deaf Association http://www.bda.org.uk
British Dyslexia Association http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
British Heart Foundation http://www.bhf.org.uk
British Institute of Learning Disabilities http://www.bild.org.uk
British Kidney Patient Association http://www.britishkidney-pa.co.uk/
British Lung Foundation http://www.blf.org.uk
British Polio Fellowship http://www.britishpolio.org.uk/
British Stammering Association http://www.stammering.org/
Brittle Bone Society http://www.brittlebone.org/
Calibre Audio Library http://calibre.org.uk/
Cancer Research UK http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/
Carers Trust http://www.carers.org
Centre for Accessible Environments (CAE) http://www.cae.org.uk/
Certitude http://www.certitude.org.uk/
Changing Places http://www.changing-places.org/
CJD Support Network http://www.cjdsupport.net/
CLAPA http://www.clapa.com/
Colostomy Association http://www.colostomyassociation.org.uk/
Crohn's and Colitis UK http://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/
Cystic Fibrosis Trust http://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/
Deafblind http://deafblind.org.uk
DEBRA https://www.debra.org.uk/
Diabetes UK http://www.diabetes.org.uk/
Direct Enquiries http://www.directenquiries.com/
Disability Rights UK http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org
Disabled Living http://www.disabledliving.co.uk
Disabled Living Foundation (DLF) http://www.dlf.org.uk
Disabled Motoring UK http://www.disabledmotoring.org/
Down's Syndrome Association http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/
Dyslexia Action http://www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk
Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence http://www.eric.org.uk/
Epilepsy Action https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/
Epilepsy Society http://www.epilepsysociety.org.uk/
Foundation for Assistive Technology http://www.fastuk.org
Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk
Guide Dogs for the Blind Association http://www.guidedogs.org.uk
Guillain-Barre & Associated Inflammatory http://www.gaincharity.org.uk/
Headway https://www.headway.org.uk
Hearing Link http://hearinglink.org
Help the Hospices http://www.helpthehospices.org.uk
HemiHelp http://www.hemihelp.org.uk/
Henshaws Society for Blind People http://henshaws.org.uk
Herpes Viruses Association http://www.herpes.org.uk
Home Farm Trust (Hft) http://www.hft.org.uk
Horder Healthcare http://www.horderhealthcare.co.uk/
Huntington’s Disease Association http://hda.org.uk/
Hypospadias UK http://www.hypospadiasuk.co.uk/
In Control http://www.in-control.org.uk
Jewish Deaf Association http://www.jewishdeaf.org.uk/
Kidney Research UK http://www.kidneyresearchuk.org/
Learning Disabilities Specialist Library http://www.library.nhs.uk/learningdisabilities/
Learning Disability Coalition http://www.learningdisabilitycoalition.org.uk/
Leonard Cheshire Disability http://www.leonardcheshire.org
Leukaemia CARE http://www.leukaemiacare.org.uk/
Listening Books http://www.listening-books.org.uk/
Livability http://www.livability.org.uk/
Lymphoma Association http://www.lymphomas.org.uk/
Macmillan Cancer Support http://www.macmillan.org.uk
Marie Curie Cancer Care http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/
Mencap http://www.mencap.org.uk
Migraine Action http://www.migraine.org.uk/
Motability http://www.motability.co.uk/
Motor Neurone Disease Association http://www.mndassociation.org
Multiple Sclerosis Society http://www.mssociety.org.uk
Muscular Dystrophy http://www.muscular-dystrophy.org/
NASS http://www.nass.co.uk
National Association of Laryngectomee http://www.laryngectomy.org.uk
National Autistic Society http://www.autism.org.uk
National Blind Children's Society http://www.nbcs.org.uk
National Eczema Society http://www.eczema.org/
National Kidney Federation http://www.kidney.org.uk/
National Osteoporosis Society http://www.nos.org.uk/
National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society http://www.nras.org.uk
National Talking Newspapers and Magazines http://www.tnauk.org.uk
Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children http://www.newlifecharity.co.uk
Papworth Trust http://www.papworth.org.uk/
Paradigm http://www.paradigm-uk.org
Parkinson's http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/
Phab http://phab.org.uk/
Prader-Willi syndrome http://www.pwsa.co.uk/
QEF http://qef.org.uk/
Remploy http://www.remploy.co.uk/
Riding for the Disabled Association http://www.rda.org.uk
Royal Association for Deaf people http://www.royaldeaf.org.uk/
Royal Blind http://www.royalblind.org
Royal Blind Society http://royalblindsociety.org/
Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability http://www.rhn.org.uk
Royal National Institute of Blind People http://www.rnib.org.uk/
SEBDA http://www.sebda.org/
SeeAbility http://www.seeability.org/
Self Unlimited http://www.selfunlimited.co.uk
Sense http://www.sense.org.uk/
Shaw Trust http://www.shaw-trust.org.uk
Shine http://www.shinecharity.org.uk
Shingles Support Society http://www.shinglessupport.org/
shop4support https://www.shop4support.com
Sickle Cell Society http://www.sicklecellsociety.org/
Speakability http://www.speakability.org.uk/
St Thomas' Lupus Trust http://www.lupus.org.uk/
Stroke Association http://www.stroke.org.uk/
Terrence Higgins Trust http://www.tht.org.uk
Text Relay http://www.textrelay.org/
Thalidomide Society http://www.thalidomidesociety.co.uk/
The Asian People's Disability Alliance (APDA) http://apda.org.uk
The Association of Disabled Professionals http://www.adp.org.uk/
The British Disabled Angling Association (BDAA) http://www.bdaa.co.uk/
The Disabilities Trust http://www.disabilities-trust.org.uk/
The Dystonia Society http://www.dystonia.org.uk/
The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) http://www.efds.co.uk
The European Association for Children in Hospital - EACH http://www.each-for-sick-children.org/
The Haemophilia Society http://www.haemophilia.org.uk/
The Information, Advice and Support Services Network http://www.iassnetwork.org.uk/
The League of the Helping Hand (LHH) http://www.lhh.org.uk/
The Migraine Trust http://www.migrainetrust.org
The National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC) http://www.ncpc.org.uk/
The National Deaf Children's Society http://www.ndcs.org.uk
The Psoriasis Association https://www.psoriasis-association.org.uk/
The Scoliosis Association (UK) http://www.sauk.org.uk/
Thyroid UK http://www.thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/
Together for Short Lives http://www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk
Transport for All http://www.transportforall.org.uk/
United Response http://www.unitedresponse.org.uk/
VERITY - The PCOS Self Help Group http://www.verity-pcos.org.uk/
Voice for Disability http://www.voicefordisability.org.uk/
Wavelength http://www.wavelength.org.uk
Young Calibre Audio Library http://www.youngcalibre.org.uk/
Discrimination & Immigration
Amnesty International http://www.amnesty.org.uk/
Asylum Welcome http://www.asylum-welcome.org/
European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) http://www.ecre.org/
Freedom from Torture http://www.freedomfromtorture.org/
Home National Association of Teachers of Travellers +Other Professionals http://www.natt.org.uk/
Joint Council on Welfare of Immigrants http://www.jcwi.org.uk
Kalayaan http://www.kalayaan.org.uk/
Northern Refugee Centre (NRC) http://www.nrcentre.org.uk/
Refugee Action http://www.refugee-action.org.uk/
The Catholic Association for Racial Justice http://www.carj.org.uk/
The Institute of Race Relations http://www.irr.org.uk
The North of England Refugee Service http://www.refugee.org.uk/
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees http://www.unhcr.org
General Bodies
Ability Net http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/
Advice Now http://www.advicenow.org.uk
Advisory Service for Squatters http://www.squatter.org.uk/
Alzheimers http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/
Ambition http://www.ambitionuk.org
Association of Directors of Adult Social Services http://www.adass.org.uk
Borderline http://www.borderline-uk.org
British Association of Art Therapists http://www.baat.org/
British Library Direct http://direct.bl.uk/bld/Home.do
British Medical Association http://www.bma.org.uk
British Organ Donor Society http://body.orpheusweb.co.uk/
British Red Cross http://www.redcross.org.uk
British Youth Council http://www.byc.org.uk
Care Quality Commission http://www.cqc.org.uk
Carers UK (formerly Carers National Association) http://www.carersuk.org
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy http://www.csp.org.uk
Church Army http://www.churcharmy.org.uk
Citizens Advice http://www.adviceguide.org.uk
Community Matters (National Federation for Community Organisations) http://www.communitymatters.org.uk
Dignity in Dying http://www.dignityindying.org.uk
DWP Unspun http://dwpunspun.org.uk
Eaga Partnership http://www.eaga.co.uk
Education Otherwise http://www.educationotherwise.net/
Family Tracing Service http://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/familytracing
Foursquare http://www.foursquare.org.uk
Get Safe Online https://www.getsafeonline.org
Girlguiding UK http://www.girlguiding.org.uk
Greenpeace http://www.greenpeace.org.uk
Hansard http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons/by-date/#session=27&year=2015&month=5&day=8
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary http://www.hmic.gov.uk
Holiday Care http://www.holidaycare.org.uk
Housing Justice http://www.housingjustice.org.uk
Human Scale Education http://www.hse.org.uk
International Voluntary Service http://www.ivs-gb.org.uk/index.htm
Internet Watch Foundation https://www.iwf.org.uk/
ITA (Institute of Transactional Analysis) http://www.ita.org.uk
Kings Fund http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/
League of Jewish Women http://www.theljw.org
London Detainee Support Group http://www.ldsg.org.uk/files/modules/content/?id=1
National Energy Action http://www.nea.org.uk
National Institute fo Health & Clinical Excellence http://www.nice.org.uk
National Union of Students http://www.nusonline.co.uk
One Parent Families http://www.oneparentfamily.org.uk
Oxford Home Schooling http://www.oxfordhomeschooling.co.uk
PAPYRUS http://www.papyrus-uk.org
Princess Royal Trust For Carers: http://www.carers.org
Prisoners Abroad http://www.prisonersabroad.org.uk
Refugee Council (Head office) http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk
Respect http://www.respect.uk.net
Royal British Legion http://www.britishlegion.org.uk
Royal College of Nursing http://www.rcn.org.uk
SafeWorkers http://www.safeworkers.co.uk
Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmy.org.uk
Sctoland The Care Inspectorate Hub http://www.careinspectorate.com/
Shaftesbury Society http://www.shaftesburysociety.org
Shaw Health Care http://www.shaw.co.uk
Shelter http://www.shelter.org.uk
Skills for Care http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/home/home.aspx
Social Care Association http://www.socialcareassociation.co.uk/
SSAFA Forces Help http://www.ssafa.org.uk
St John Ambulance http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/default.aspx
Stonham http://www.homegroup.org.uk/
Sue Ryder Care http://www.suerydercare.org
The Association of Directors of Children’s Services Ltd (ADCS) http://adcs.org.uk/
The Church of England http://www.churchofengland.org/
The Commonwealth Institute (TCI) http://commonwealthinstitute.org
The International Federation of Social Workers http://ifsw.org
The National Extension College http://www.nec.ac.uk
The National Youth Agency http://www.nya.org.uk
The Open University http://www.open.ac.uk/
The Patients Association http://www.patients-association.com
The Prince's Trust http://www.princes-trust.org.uk
The World-wide Education Service http://www.weshome.com/
TheSite.org http://www.thesite.org
Vegan Society http://www.vegansociety.com
Veterans Agency http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk
Victims Support http://www.victimsupport.org.uk
Volunteering England http://www.volunteering.org.uk
Women’s Link http://www.womenslink.org.uk
WRVS http://www.wrvs.org.uk/default.aspx
Youth Access http://youthaccess.org.uk/
Youth Action http://www.youthaction.org.uk
Cafcass http://www.cafcass.gov.uk
Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales http://cssiw.org.uk
Carer's Allowance Unit https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance-unit
Catholic Children's Society http://www.catholicchildrenssociety.org.uk/
Charity commission http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/
Child Health Specialist Library http://www.library.nhs.uk/childhealth/
Commission for Social Care Inspection http://www.csci.org.uk/
Crime Reduction http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk
Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder http://www.personalitydisorder.org.uk/criminal-justice/about-dspd-programme/
Department for Communities and Local Government https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government
Department for Education https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/
Disclosure & Barring Service https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service
Drug Strategy Directorate http://www.drugs.gov.uk
General Social Care Council National Archive http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/*/http://www.gscc.org.uk/
Health and Care Professions Council http://www.hpc-uk.org/
Health and Offenders Partnership Directorate http://www.noms.gov.uk
HM Courts & Tribunals Service http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/hmcts/
HM Prison Service https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-prison-service
Home Office http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk
Housing Corporation http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/server/show/nav.001
Immigration and Nationality Directorate http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk
Information Commissioner's Office http://ico.org.uk/
Legal Aid Agency https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/legal-aid-agency
Legislation.gov http://www.legislation.gov.uk/
National Curriculum https://www.gov.uk/national-curriculum/overview
National offender’s management service http://www.noms.gov.uk
National Probation Directorate http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/probation
NI Direct http://www.nidirect.gov.uk
North Ireland Executive http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/
Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) http://www.niscc.info/
Offender, Law and Sentencing Policy Directorate http://www.noms.gov.uk
Palliative and Supportive Care Specialist Library http://www.library.nhs.uk/palliative
Parliament http://www.parliament.uk/
Parole and public protection policy section http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/parole-board
PCeU Police Central e-crime Unit http://content.met.police.uk/Site/pceu
Pensions Service https://www.gov.uk/contact-pension-service
Scottish Executive http://www.gov.scot/#slide/2
Scottish Government Consultations http://www.gov.scot/Consultations/Current
Scottish Government News http://news.scotland.gov.uk/content/default.aspx?NewsAreaId=2
Scottish Parliament http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/
Sctoland Children's Services Publications http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Children/Publications
SOCA http://www.soca.gov.uk
Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland http://www.scswis.com
The Children’s Workforce Development Council http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/
The Law Commission http://lawcommission.justice.gov.uk/
The National Library for Health http://www.library.nhs.uk/Default.aspx
The Specialist Library for Ethnicity and Health http://www.library.nhs.uk/ethnicity/
Welsh Assembly http://gov.wales/?skip=1&lang=en
Welsh Government Children and Young People http://gov.wales/topics/people-and-communities/people/children-and-young-people/?lang=en
Welsh Government Consultations http://gov.wales/consultations/?lang=en
Welsh Government Freedom of Information http://gov.wales/about/foi/?lang=en
Welsh Government Social Care http://gov.wales/topics/health/?lang=en
Welsh Government Social Care Additions http://gov.wales/topics/health/topicupdateindex/?lang=en
Welsh Government Social Services Statistics http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/?subtopic=Social+services&lang=en
Youth Justice Board http://www.youth-justice-board.gov.uk
Information Helplines
Advice UK http://www.adviceuk.org.uk
Bullying Online http://www.bullyonline.org/
Bullying UK http://www.bullying.co.uk/
Child Death Helpline http://www.childdeathhelpline.org.uk/
ChildLine http://www.childline.org.uk
Community Legal Services Direct http://www.clsdirect.org.uk
Contact a Family http://www.cafamily.org.uk
Coram Voice http://www.voiceyp.org
Cry-sis http://www.cry-sis.org.uk/
Disability Law Service http://www.dls.org.uk
Disabled Parents Network http://disabledparentsnetwork.org.uk/
Family Lives http://www.familylives.org.uk
Frank http://www.talktofrank.com
Get Connected http://www.getconnected.org.uk/
Housing Advice Helpline http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/how_we_can_help/housing_advice_helpline
Kidscape http://www.kidscape.org.uk/
Law On The Web http://www.lawontheweb.co.uk
Liberty http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk
Men's Advice Line http://www.mensadviceline.org.uk
Mind Helpline http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/
National Debtline https://www.nationaldebtline.org
National Stalking Helpline. http://www.stalkinghelpline.org/
Offenders Families Helpline http://www.prisonersfamilieshelpline.org.uk/
Rape Crisis http://www.rapecrisis.org.uk/
Relate http://www.relate.org.uk/
Samaritans http://www.samaritans.org/
SupportLine http://www.supportline.org.uk/
The Fatherhood Institute http://www.fatherhoodinstitute.org
The Law Society http://www.lawsociety.org.uk
The Whistleblowing Helpline http://www.wbhelpline.org.uk
Women's Aid Federation http://www.womensaid.org.uk/
Working Families http://www.workingfamilies.org.uk
Adoption Travel http://adoption.com
Adoptive Families https://www.adoptivefamilies.com/
Child Welfare Information Gateway https://www.childwelfare.gov/
Child Welfare Information Gateway https://library.childwelfare.gov/cwig/ws/library/docs/gateway/SimpleSearchForm
Children Adopted From China http://www.cach.org.uk/
Foster Care Children & Family Fund http://www.fostering.us/
Mesothelioma Prognosis Network https://www.mesotheliomaprognosis.com/
The International Foster Care Organisation http://www.ifco.info/
ACAL http://www.childabuselawyers.com/
Coram Children's Legal Centre http://www.childrenslegalcentre.com/
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/criminal-injuries-compensation-authority
Criminal Justice Alliance http://www.criminaljusticealliance.org/
Falsely Accused Carers and Teachers http://www.factuk.org/
FASO (False Allegation of Abuse) http://www.false-allegations.org.uk
Justice http://www.justice.org.uk/
NYAS http://www.nyas.net/
Alpha Hospitals http://www.alphahospitals.co.uk/
Anxiety UK http://www.anxietyuk.org.uk
Arbours Association http://www.arboursassociation.org/
Association for Post-Natal Illness http://apni.org
Beart (Eating Disorders Association) http://b-eat.co.uk/
Bipolar UK http://www.bipolaruk.org.uk/
Black Mental Health http://www.blackmentalhealth.org.uk/
Centre for Better Health http://www.centreforbetterhealth.org.uk/
Centre for Mental Health http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/
Combat Stress http://www.combatstress.org.uk/
Depression Alliance http://www.depressionalliance.org/
Depression UK http://www.depressionuk.org
Hearing Voices Network http://www.hearing-voices.org/
Men Get Eating Disorders Too http://mengetedstoo.co.uk/
Mental Health Foundation http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk
Mental Health Specialist Library http://www.library.nhs.uk/mentalhealth/
Mental Health Tribunal https://www.gov.uk/mental-health-tribunal
Mind http://www.mind.org.uk/
MindEd https://www.minded.org.uk
Ministry of Justice http://www.justice.gov.uk/index.htm
Rethink http://www.rethink.org
Richmond Fellowship http://www.richmondfellowship.org.uk/
SANE http://www.sane.org.uk/
Seasonal Affective Disorder Association (SADA) http://www.sada.org.uk/
St Andrew's Healthcare http://www.stah.org/
The Huntercombe Group http://huntercombe.com/
The Matthew Trust http://www.matthewtrust.org
Together - Working for Wellbeing http://www.together-uk.org/
Young Minds http://www.youngminds.org.uk/
ABPO http://www.abponoms.com/
Action for Prisoners Families http://www.prisonersfamilies.org.uk/
Apex Trust http://www.apextrust.com/
Centre for Crime and Justice Studies http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/
Circles of Support and Accountability http://www.circles-uk.org.uk/
Clean Break http://www.cleanbreak.org.uk
Criminal Cases Review Commission http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/criminal-cases-review-commission
CrimLinks http://www.crimlinks.com
Fine Cell Work http://www.finecellwork.co.uk/
Hibiscus Initiatives http://hibiscusinitiatives.org.uk
INQUEST http://www.inquest.org.uk
Institute of Criminology http://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/
Legal Action Group http://www.lag.org.uk/
Nacro http://www.nacro.org.uk/
NAOPV http://www.naopv.com
National Approved Premises Association http://www.napa-uk.org/index.html
National Association of Probation Officers http://www.napo.org.uk/
National Body of Black Prisoner Support Groups http://www.nbbpsg.org
New Bridge Foundation http://www.newbridgefoundation.org.uk/
Outside Chance http://www.outsidechance.org/
Partners of Prisoners http://www.partnersofprisoners.co.uk/
POA http://www.poauk.org.uk
Prison Advice and Care Trust http://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/
Prison Fellowship http://www.prisonfellowship.org.uk/
Prison Reform Trust http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/
Prisoners Advice Service http://prisonersadvice.org.uk
Prisoners Education Trust http://www.prisonerseducation.org.uk/
Prisoners Families and Friends Service http://www.pffs.org.uk/
RAPt (the Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust) http://www.rapt.org.uk
Revolving Doors http://www.revolving-doors.org.uk
SOVA http://www.sova.org.uk/
St Giles Trust http://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/
Street League http://www.streetleague.co.uk/
Synergy Theatre Project http://www.synergytheatreproject.co.uk
Tavistock and Portman http://www.tavistockandportman.nhs.uk/
The British Society of Criminology http://britsoccrim.org/new/index.php
The Burnbake Trust http://www.burnbaketrust.co.uk/
The Edridge Fund http://www.edridgefund.org/
the Howard League for Penal Reform http://www.howardleague.org/
The Irene Taylor Trust Music in Prisons http://www.musicinprisons.org.uk/
The Magistrates Association http://www.magistrates-association.org.uk/
The No Way Trust http://www.pmnw.co.uk/
The Probation Association http://www.probationassociation.co.uk/
Unlock http://www.unlock.org.uk/
Wish http://www.womenatwish.org.uk
Women in Prison http://www.womeninprison.org.uk/
Writers in Prison Network http://www.writersinprisonnetwork.org/
Legal Ombudsman for England and Wales http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Local Government Ombudsmen http://www.lgo.org.uk
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsmen http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/
Prison and Probation Ombudsmen http://www.ppo.gov.uk
BBC Active http://www.bbcactive.com/BBCActiveIdeasandResources/VideosResourcesforChildProtectionTraining.aspx
Children Are Unbeatable http://www.childrenareunbeatable.org.uk/
Services for Older People
Abbeyfield Society http://www.abbeyfield.com/
Age Info http://ageinfo.cpa.org.uk/scripts/elsc-ai/hfclient.exe?A=elsc-ai&sk=
Age UK http://www.ageuk.org.uk/
AgeLine Database http://www.aarp.org/research/ageline/
Aid for the Aged in Distress http://www.aftaid.org.uk/
Anchor Trust http://www.anchor.org.uk/
Care & Repair England http://www.careandrepair-england.org.uk/
Centre for Policy on Ageing http://www.cpa.org.uk
Contact the Elderly http://www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk/
Country Cousins https://www.country-cousins.co.uk
Cruse Bereavement Care http://www.cruse.org.uk/
Dementia Catalogue http://liberty3.alzheimers.org.uk/Liberty3/gateway/gateway.exe?X_=0045&displayform=opac/main&application=Liberty3
Dementia Friends https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/
Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC) http://www.eac.org.uk/
Field Lane http://www.fieldlane.org.uk/
Independent Age http://www.independentage.org/
Later Life Specialist Library http://www.library.nhs.uk/laterlife/
MHA Care Group http://www.mha.org.uk/
National Association of Almshouses http://www.almshouses.org/
Relatives & Residents Association http://www.relres.org/
Research in Practice for Adult http://www.ripfa.org.uk/knowledge/index.asp?catID=5
RNHA http://www.rnha.co.uk
Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation http://stoll.org.uk/
The British Geriatrics Society http://www.bgs.org.uk
The Third Age Trust http://www.u3a.org.uk/
Tourism for All UK https://www.tourismforall.org.uk/
United Kingdom Homecare Association http://www.ukhca.co.uk/index.aspx
Veterans UK http://www.veterans-uk.info
Winter Fuel Payment https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment
Social Work Related
Avenue Consulting http://www.avenuelearningcentre.co.uk/
British Association of Social Workers http://www.basw.co.uk/
Care and Health Law Database http://www.careandhealthlaw.com/Public/Index.aspx
Dr Neil Thompson http://www.neilthompson.info
ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) http://eric.ed.gov/
Google Scholar https://scholar.google.co.uk/
Human Solutions http://humansolutions.org.uk/
Internet Social Worker http://www.vtstutorials.co.uk/tutorial/socialwork
Online Research Bank http://www.ark.ac.uk/orb/
PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
Putting People First http://www.puttingpeoplefirst.org.uk/
Research Register for Social Care http://www.researchregister.org.uk/
Safeguarding children research https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/safeguarding-children
Scottish Social Services Workforce Data http://data.sssc.uk.com/
Social Work Scotland http://www.socialworkscotland.org/
SWAP http://www.swap.ac.uk/
The Centre for Child and Family Research http://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ccfr/
The National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) http://www.scie.org.uk
Thomas Coram Research Unit (TCRU) http://www.ioe.ac.uk/research/54490.html
UK Data Service http://ukdataservice.ac.uk/
What Works for Children? http://www.whatworksforchildren.org.uk
Hope Not Hate http://www.hopenothate.org.uk
Unions & Associations for Social Work
General Federation of Trade Unions http://www.gftu.org
GMB http://www.gmb.org.uk
Trade Union Congress http://www.tuc.org.uk/
Union Learning http://www.unionlearn.org.uk/
Unison http://www.unison.org.uk
Unite http://www.unitetheunion.org/
Skills for Justice. http://www.sfjuk.com/
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Fennovoima submits Construction License Application
30 June, 2015 / 19:22
Fennovoima has today submitted the Construction License Application for the Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant to the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. The application is pursuant to the Nuclear Energy Act and contains a description of the plant site, plant type, the main safety features, nuclear waste management, financing of the project and Fennovoima’s organization. The nearly 250-page document includes 13 appendices in addition to the application itself.
Fennovoima’s current ownership status is also stated in one of the appendices. The Croatian company Migrit solarna energija (Migrit) has made an agreement with Voimaosakeyhti? SF to participate in Fennovoima’s project. The Government condition for at least 60 per cent EU and EFTA ownership is thereby fulfilled. Since last autumn Voimaosakeyhti? SF has received several new owners, of which Migrit is the most significant. Migrit is a Croatian company, which specializes in production, transmission and distribution of electricity.
The Ministry of Employment and the Economy has requested Fennovoima to provide additional information concerning Migrit solarna energija. Migrit owns almost 9 per cent of Fennovoima via Voimaosakeyhti? SF. ‘We understand why Minister Rehn has requested a clarification on the new owner and will provide the information. We received a significant new owner within a short period of time, and we fully understand that the Ministry wants to have thorough assessment of the new owner’, Toni Hemminki, CEO of Fennovoima, states.
‘We are convinced that we can provide the necessary clarification. We submitted the Construction License Application in its entirety earlier today. The work at Fennovoima and Hanhikivi headland proceeds’, Hemminki says.
In addition to the Construction License Application, Fennovoima will deliver extensive documentation to the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) for the safety assessment. Fennovoima will submit the documentation to STUK gradually in phases up until the summer of 2017. The design process of the nuclear power plant proceeds based on the feedback received from STUK. A positive safety assessment from STUK is a prerequisite for obtaining the Construction License.
Upon submission of the application, Fennovoima announced new suppliers for the project. The turbine of the power plant will be based on Alstom’s Arabelle technology. Safety automation will be supplied by Rolls-Royce or Schneider Electric.
Project proceeds on schedule
The size and expertise of Fennovoima’s organization has developed at a rapid pace. At present, Fennovoima employs more than 200 professionals. The project organization will be at its largest during the final phase of construction (2023–2024), by which time the number of Fennovoima’s own staff is estimated to reach close to 550 people.
The ongoing construction work at the plant site is being carried out in order to prepare for the start of the nuclear power plant construction phase. The main building contractor Titan-2 will begin its own preparatory work at the plant site in July, 2015. Fennovoima aims to complete the infrastructure work by the end of 2017. The construction of the power plant can begin after the Construction License is obtained. Fennovoima’s plan is to start the construction of the nuclear power plant in 2018. The nuclear power plant will produce electricity for its owners in 2024.
Fennovoima has also published a section of the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) concerning the Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant. As the license holder, Fennovoima must demonstrate to the authorities how safety is taken into account in all stages of the plant lifecycle.
You can read the section of the PSAR document here.
Source: Press Service of Fennovoima Oy
2019 News Floating nuclear power plant The Akademik Lomonosov has received an operating license MORE
2019 News Floating nuclear power plant The Akademik Lomonosov has received an operating license MORE 1 July
2019 News ROSATOM will conduct research on Russian nuclear fuel materials in the Czech Republic MORE 25 June
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/ Everything You Wanted to Know About Puberty
Everything You Wanted to Know About Puberty
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
puberty, anyway? Puberty is the name for when your body begins to develop and change.
During puberty, your body will grow faster than any other time in your life, except for when you were an infant. Back then, your body was growing rapidly and you were learning new things — you'll be doing these things and much more during puberty. Except this time, you won't have diapers or a rattle and you'll have to dress yourself!
It's good to know about the changes that come along with puberty before they happen, and it's really important to remember that everybody goes through it. No matter where you live, whether you're a guy or a girl, or whether you like hip-hop or country music, you will experience the changes that happen during puberty. No two people are exactly alike. But one thing all adults have in common is they made it through puberty.
When your body reaches a certain age, your brain releases a special hormone that starts the changes of puberty. It's called gonadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH for short. When GnRH reaches the pituitary gland (a pea-shaped gland that sits just under the brain), this gland releases into the bloodstream two more puberty hormones: luteinizing hormone (LH for short) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH for short). Guys and girls have both of these hormones in their bodies. And depending on whether you're a guy or a girl, these hormones go to work on different parts of the body.
For guys, these hormones travel through the blood and give the testes the signal to begin the production of testosterone and sperm. Testosterone is the hormone that causes most of the changes in a guy's body during puberty. Sperm cells must be produced for men to reproduce.
In girls, FSH and LH target the ovaries, which contain eggs that have been there since birth. The hormones stimulate the ovaries to begin producing another hormone called estrogen. Estrogen, along with FSH and LH, causes a girl's body to mature and prepares her for pregnancy.
So that's what's really happening during puberty — it's all these new chemicals moving around inside your body, turning you from a teen into an adult with adult levels of hormones.
Puberty usually starts some time between age 7 and 13 in girls and 9 and 15 in guys. Some people start puberty a bit earlier or later, though. Each person is a little different, so everyone starts and goes through puberty on his or her body's own schedule. This is one of the reasons why some of your friends might still look like kids, whereas others look more like adults.
It Doesn't Hurt . . . It's Just a Growth Spurt
"Spurt" is the word used to describe a short burst of activity, something that happens in a hurry. And a growth spurt is just that: Your body is growing, and it's happening really fast! When you enter puberty, it might seem like your sleeves are always getting shorter and your pants always look like you're ready for a flood — that's because you're experiencing a major growth spurt. It lasts for about 2 to 3 years. When that growth spurt is at its peak, some people grow 4 or more inches in a year.
This growth during puberty will be the last time your body grows taller. After that, you will be at your adult height. But your height isn't the only thing that will be changing.
As your body grows taller, it will change in other ways, too. You will gain weight, and as your body becomes heavier, you'll start to notice changes in its overall shape. Guys' shoulders will grow wider, and their bodies will become more muscular. Their voices will become deeper. For some guys, the breasts may grow a bit, but for most of them this growth goes away by the end of puberty.
Guys will notice other changes, too, like the lengthening and widening of the penis and the enlargement of the testes. All of these changes mean that their bodies are developing as expected during puberty.
Girls' bodies usually become curvier. They gain weight on their hips, and their breasts develop, starting with just a little swelling under the nipple. Sometimes one breast might develop more quickly than the other, but most of the time they soon even out. With all this growing and developing going on, girls will notice an increase in body fat and occasional soreness under the nipples as the breasts start to enlarge — and that's normal.
Gaining some weight is part of developing into a woman, and it's unhealthy for girls to go on a diet to try to stop this normal weight gain. If you ever have questions or concerns about your weight, talk it over with your doctor.
Usually about 2 to 2½ years after girls' breasts start to develop, they get their first menstrual period. This is one more thing that lets a girl know puberty is progressing and the puberty hormones have been doing their job. Girls have two ovaries, and each ovary holds thousands of eggs. During the menstrual cycle, one of the eggs comes out of an ovary and begins a trip through the fallopian tube, ending up in the uterus (the uterus is also called the womb).
Before the egg is released from the ovary, the uterus has been building up its lining with extra blood and tissue. If the egg is fertilized by a sperm cell, it stays in the uterus and grows into a baby, using that extra blood and tissue to keep it healthy and protected as it's developing.
Most of the time, though, the egg is only passing through. When the egg doesn't get fertilized, the uterus no longer needs the extra blood and tissue, so it leaves the body through the vagina as a menstrual period. A period usually lasts from 5 to 7 days, and about 2 weeks after the start of the period a new egg is released, which marks the middle of each cycle.
Hair, Hair, Everywhere
Well, maybe not everywhere. But one of the first signs of puberty is hair growing where it didn't grow before. Guys and girls both begin to grow hair under their arms and in their pubic areas (on and around the genitals). It starts out looking light and sparse. Then as you go through puberty, it becomes longer, thicker, heavier, and darker. Eventually, guys also start to grow hair on their faces.
Another thing that comes with puberty is acne, or pimples. Acne is triggered by puberty hormones. Pimples usually start around the beginning of puberty and can stick around during adolescence (the teen years). You may notice pimples on your face, your upper back, or your upper chest. It helps to keep your skin clean, and your doctor will be able to offer some suggestions for clearing up acne. The good news about acne is that it usually gets better or disappears by the end of adolescence.
Putting the P.U. in Puberty
A lot of teens notice that they have a new smell under their arms and elsewhere on their bodies when they enter puberty, and it's not a pretty one. That smell is body odor, and everyone gets it. As you enter puberty, the puberty hormones affect glands in your skin, and the glands make chemicals that smell bad. These chemicals put the scent in adolescent!
So what can you do to feel less stinky? Well, keeping clean is a good way to lessen the smell. You might want to take a shower every day, either in the morning before school, or the night before. Using deodorant (or deodorant with antiperspirant) every day can help keep body odor in check, too.
There's More?
Guys and girls will also notice other body changes as they enter puberty, and they're all normal changes. Girls might see and feel a white, mucous-like discharge from the vagina. This doesn't mean anything is wrong — it is just another sign of your changing body and hormones.
Guys will start to get erections (when the penis fills with blood and becomes hard). Erections happen when guys fantasize and think about sexual things or sometimes for no reason at all. They may experience something called nocturnal emissions (or wet dreams), when the penis becomes erect while a guy is sleeping and he ejaculates. When a guy ejaculates, semen comes out of the penis — semen is a fluid that contains sperm. That's why they're called wet dreams — they happen when you're sleeping and your underwear or the bed might be a little wet when you wake up. Wet dreams become less frequent as guys progress through puberty, and they eventually stop. Guys will also notice that their voices may "crack" and eventually get deeper.
Change Can Feel Kind of Strange
Just as those hormones create changes in the way your body looks on the outside, they also create changes on the inside. While your body is adjusting to all the new hormones, so is your mind. During puberty, you might feel confused or have strong emotions that you've never experienced before. You may feel anxious about how your changing body looks.
You might feel overly sensitive or become easily upset. Some teens lose their tempers more than usual and get angry at their friends or families.
Sometimes it can be difficult to deal with all of these new emotions. Usually people aren't trying to hurt your feelings or upset you on purpose. It might not be your family or friends making you angry — it might be your new "puberty brain" trying to adjust. And while the adjustment can feel difficult in the beginning, it will gradually become easier. It can help to talk to someone and share the burden of how you're feeling — a friend or, even better, a parent, older sibling, or adult who's gone through it all before.
You might have new, confusing feelings about sex — and lot of questions. The adult hormones estrogen and testosterone are signals that your body is giving you new responsibilities, like the ability to create a child. That's why it's important to get all your questions answered.
It's easy to feel embarrassed or anxious when talking about sex, but you need to be sure you have all the right information. Some teens can talk to their parents about sex and get all their questions answered. But if you feel funny talking to your parents about sex, there are many other people to talk to, like your doctor, a school nurse, a teacher, a school counselor, or another adult you feel comfortable talking with.
Developing Differently
People are all a little different from one another, so it makes sense that they don't all develop in the same way. No two people are at exactly the same stage as they go through puberty, and everyone changes at his or her own pace. Some of your friends may be getting curves, whereas you don't have any yet. Maybe your best friend's voice has changed, and you think you still sound like a kid with a high, squeaky voice. Or maybe you're sick of being the tallest girl in your class or the only boy who has to shave.
But eventually everyone catches up, and the differences between you and your friends will even out. It's also good to keep in mind that there is no right or wrong way to look. That's what makes us human — we all have qualities that make us unique, on the inside and the outside.
Can I Stop Myself From Having a Wet Dream?
Do Wet Dreams Stop When a Guy Gets Older?
Growth Problems
How Do You Know If Your Period Is Regular?
I Think I Had My First Period. How Can I Be Sure?
Is My Penis Normal?
Why Are My Breasts Different Sizes?
Hygiene Basics
Help! Is This My Body?
Feeling Fresh
All About Periods
When Will I Start Developing?
Your Changing Body: Answers for Girls With Autism
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Religious Studies after the 2016 Election
The 2016 Election and its Aftermath in the Religious Studies Classroom
Sarah Jacoby, Northwestern University
Photo:Women’s March in Seneca Falls, NY, on Jan 21, 2017, by Lindy Glennon.
The impact of the 2016 election of Donald J. Trump as 45th President of the United States reverberated across campuses all over the country, affecting students and their professors in religious studies classrooms in myriad ways. In the immediate aftermath of the election, teachers faced emotionally charged classrooms, replete with students who were weeping and despondent, terrified and stunned, elated and vindicated, and the full-range between. Walking into the classroom bleary-eyed the morning after the election raised immediate pedagogical questions for those of us standing in front of students in the throes of processing the results. Should we initiate a discussion about students’ reactions or avoid addressing it head-on given the emotional intensity of the moment? Should we stick tightly to the scheduled topic of the day, or veer off the syllabus to consider what was, to many, a shocking election outcome? Should we maintain a neutral stance in the classroom, giving all students’ voices a chance to be heard while maintaining our own objectivity? Or was that even possible, let alone morally conscionable, in the face of rhetoric (not to mention the specter of impending legislation) that left some students and their families endangered?
As the weeks and months since the election have passed, questions persist about the best strategies for teaching students to critically appraise not only the election itself, but also the hate speech, Islamophobia, white supremacy, anti-Semitism, misogyny, and more that has accompanied it. The authors of the essays collected here share their experiences and methods contending with these topics in religious studies classrooms located all over the country—in blue states (Bazzano and Glennon in New York; Trelstad in Washington), red states (Shearer in Montana; Martin in Missouri; Glass-Coffin in Utah), and one swing state (Gleig in Florida)—each specialized in different religious studies subfields. They hail from large state universities (Gleig; Shearer; Glass-Coffin); large private universities (Martin); and religiously affiliated colleges (Bazzano; Glennon) and universities (Trelstad).
The editors posed the following questions as guideposts for authors’ contributions:
How have you addressed the US presidential election and its aftermath in the religious studies classroom?
How can religious studies scholars best teach and mentor students experiencing terror, grief, and uncertainty in the face of the rise of the alt-right/white nationalism and the prospect of a Muslim registry and mass deportation of undocumented immigrants?
Is it possible or even admissible to maintain a stance of neutrality in the classroom when moderating discussions about politics and the election, allowing all students to voice their viewpoints, including those that may be hurtful or threatening to others?
If the result of the election is an indictment of the academy, as Cornel West proclaimed at the November 2016 American Academy of Religion meeting in San Antonio, how can our work in the classroom help to redress this?
What specific teaching methods, classroom discussion formats, readings, and student assignments have you found to be effective tools to enhance student learning about issues related to the causes and consequences of the election of Donald Trump as president?
Tobin Miller Shearer brings his expertise in the history of race and religion in the United States to bear on the problem of how to discuss controversial topics in the classroom. He explains his decision, amid the raw emotion his students expressed on the morning after the election, to forego his typical classroom discussions based on the values of mutual respect, avoiding stereotypes, and grounding comments in evidence and first-hand experience in favor of storytelling. Beyond storytelling, Shearer describes his classroom techniques for dealing with conflict as ones in which he models a “nonanxious presence” as a means to de-escalate conflict. Drawing on the disciplines of mediation and conflict resolution, he engages students with diverse political leanings in discussions that “counter rhetorical bullying” and “invite respectful disagreement,” thus furthering what he argues is a unique role that religious studies scholars can play in “nurturing democracy at a point when it was most threatened.”
Elliott Bazzano considers ways that Islamic studies professors can react to the Trump administration, “with special attention to building positive narratives in addition to challenging existing ones.” He urges that educating college students on what Islam is, and isn’t, is especially crucial now given the rampant Islamophobia that characterizes the Trump White House, for in Trump’s own words, “Islam hates us.” At the same time, Bazzano reflects on a conundrum: even as important as Islam-focused courses are to understanding international politics, following every relevant headline in class quickly dominates course content, leaving little room for anything else. He suggests that equipping students to understand the roots of Islamophobia requires attention to the roots of Islamic traditions, including their aesthetic and intellectual dimensions, not only attention to the latest news cycle’s anti-Muslim vitriol. Bazzano perceives his pedagogical task to be teaching students to think deeply and build narratives, not only critique existing ones, as well as “teaching students skills for understanding the spectrum of the beautiful and grotesque, as this spectrum relates to religion and beyond.”
A specialist in religion and politics in the United States, Lerone Martin describes his approach in a class on religion in the modern civil rights movement to examining the racial scripts that contribute to an assumption that “America is largely a ‘color-blind’ society.” After structuring his classes on this challenging topic by pairing students together to discuss specific aspects of the readings, Martin finds that these discussions help foster authentic dialogues about racism in contemporary America between white students and students of color. In his course about the history of 20th century American religious experience, he inspires students to reconsider “the inevitability of American racial progress,” a narrative especially in need of rethinking in light of the recent election. Martin calls our attention to the importance of pedagogy that focuses on racial narratives as a means to examine constructions of whiteness in religious studies, as well as to examine the racial inequalities that lie beneath the illusion of America as a “post-racial” society.
Ann Gleig teaches the history of Asian religions in America, and she finds much within this history to contextualize “the present Islamophobic and anti-immigrant climate.” She describes her approach to teaching Hinduism in America as one in which she juxtaposes divergent materials, such as American Hindu responses to Trump with scholarship critiquing the presentation of South Asians as model minorities. In her “Buddhism in America” course, she examines American Buddhist convert responses to the election and problematizes these by reading critiques that the convert-Buddhist emphasis on “sitting with what is” in meditation is not sufficient in the face of threats to Americans’ civil liberties. Gleig draws on Paolo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed to explain her teaching methods in these courses as “critical pedagogy,” which she defines as “an approach that aims to translate the insights of critical theory into social justice oriented teaching practices.” She advocates “shifting the focus from questions of truth to questions of power” and working toward “promoting solidarity between marginalized groups.” Gleig invokes feminist pedagogies such as that of Alison Jaggar to conclude that the goal of being a neutral discussion facilitator “simply confirms the authority of the current dominant regime.” She advocates, instead, building “genuine affective relationships with and between students.”
A Lutheran theologian, Marit Trelstad recounts how the 2016 election changed her teaching of Luther. She recounts how she brought Luther’s 1543 writing titled “On the Jews and Their Lies” into a classroom discussion on hate speech by pairing it with contemporary writings on genocide and asking students to list words, policies, and patterns from these disparate sources. In doing this, her pedagogical goal is to move students from passively observing Luther’s historical anti-Semitism to considering the ways in which Nazi Germany actualized aspects of Luther’s rhetoric. She then asks them to apply their critical attention to contemporary hate speech and its effects. She calls students to examine the psychology and rhetoric of genocide and dehumanization that hate speech can invoke, aiming “to offer students tools or signs that may indicate dangerous rhetoric and policy directions such that we do not recommit the errors of Luther that we so openly despise.”
Bonnie Glass-Coffin approaches the topic of teaching about the election and its aftermath from a different perspective, as a professor of anthropology who is an affiliate professor of religious studies and the founder and director of the Interfaith Initiative at Utah State University. She shares a pedagogical approach she has found useful in facilitating interfaith dialogues among students called “speed-faithing.” This is an ice-breaker activity in which pairs of students have two minutes each to respond to a facilitator’s questions about their name’s origins, religious traditions, and values, before switching conversation partners and repeating the process. Inspired by Eboo Patel’s Interfaith Youth Core, which seeks to “make interfaith cooperation a social norm,” part of Glass-Coffin’s mission is to cultivate “authentic sharing, appreciative listening, and meaningful dialogue” as pillars of empathy and connection. She notes that the rationale behind constructing an interfaith dialogue around students sharing their personal religious commitments and values is anathema to the “decades-old wisdom” that students should check their religious commitments at the door when entering the religious studies classroom. Glass-Coffin resists this, suggesting instead that in the postelection campus climate in which hate speech is on the rise, we need “to provide our students with the skills that will bridge difference and cultivate positive relationships across religious divides.”
Fred Glennon is a specialist in religion, social ethics, and society. He shares his experiences teaching about religious, social, political, and economic issues raised by the Trump election in two courses he taught this year: “Church and State” and “Ethics from the Perspective of the Oppressed.” He describes three classroom strategies that have helped him guide discussions in these classes on the aftermath of the Trump election. The first is prompting his students to create what he terms a “class covenant” at the beginning of his courses by posing questions to them about how they feel they should treat one another, respect each other’s opinions, and handle disagreements. Once students have devised their own covenant, he “ritualizes” it by having students pledge the covenant to each other, and he makes it their responsibility, not his, to hold each other accountable to it. The second pedagogical strategy Glennon proposes is teaching with “case studies” in his courses, thereby providing specific examples of real-world tests of issues such as the boundary between religion and government in the United States. Glennon terms his third pedagogical strategy “experiential learning,” which includes exercises such as the “eviction notice” in which Glennon surprises his students by arranging a situation in which they are kicked out of their learning spaces repeatedly by school administrators and must try to continue their classroom activities in public. Glennon finds these techniques useful both for students for and against the Trump Administration and its policies.
The essays collected in this Spotlight issue demonstrate some of the many different approaches religious studies instructors are finding effective in the classroom to teach topics related to the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath. I hope that these insightful essays will further inspire us all to find meaningful ways to foster religious understanding at this time when religious difference is too often demonized in American public discourse.
Sarah Jacoby is an associate professor in the religious studies department at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She specializes in Tibetan Buddhist studies, with research interests in gender and sexuality, the history of emotions, Tibetan literature, religious auto/biography, Buddhist revelation (gter ma), the history of eastern Tibet, and scholarship of teaching and learning. She is the author of Love and Liberation: Autobiographical Writings of the Tibetan Buddhist Visionary Sera Khandro (Columbia University Press, 2014), coauthor of Buddhism: Introducing the Buddhist Experience (Oxford University Press, 2014), and coeditor of Buddhism Beyond the Monastery: Tantric Practices and their Performers in Tibet and the Himalayas (Brill, 2009). She teaches courses on Buddhism, gender and sexuality studies, and theory and method in the study of religion. She is the cochair of the American Academy of Religion’s Tibetan and Himalayan Religions Program Unit, as well as a member of the Committee on Teaching and Learning.
Managing Crisis and Conflict in the Religious Studies Classroom
Tobin Miller Shearer
A Post-Trump Islamic Studies Pedagogy?
Elliott Bazzano
White Supremacy in the Classroom
Lerone A. Martin
“Even Trump has Buddha-Nature” and “Trump as Lord Vishnu”: Teaching Buddhism and Hinduism in America as Critical Pedagogy
Ann Gleig
Hate Speech Red Flags: Recognizing Rhetoric that Justifies Killing, Violence, and Demeaning Others
Marit Trelstad
“Speed-faithing” Engages “Big Questions” and Builds Bridges of Empathy and Connection
Bonnie Glass-Coffin
Engaging Issues from a Trump Presidency in the Classroom: Three Pedagogical Strategies
Fred Glennon
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‘Let’s support what we call our own’
By The Caribbean Camera Inc. on June 7, 2018 Comments Off on ‘Let’s support what we call our own’
RUDDER 6.5, a concert to celebrate the career of Trinidad-born artiste David Rudder, which was scheduled to be held at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto on Saturday, has been cancelled because of reported slow ticket sales.
The cancellation has prompted one of his fans and a student of Caribbean music to write the following article about the singer/composer who turned 65 last month and who has played a significant role in the development of the Caribbean cultural scene in Toronto:
By Teeka Belle*
David Rudder
RUDDER 6.5 was to be a retrospective, a celebration of a career that spans over five decades
in which the city of Toronto has played a big part.
So it seemed only fitting to continue a celebration which started in Trinidad on May 5, here in Toronto. After all, David Rudder has played a significant role in the Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival or Caribana, as we know it. In the 1970s, Rudder came to Toronto with his band, Charlie’s Roots, to perform “on the road”. In those days, the parade was on University Avenue. We all have memories of the patients on hospital row sitting in their wheelchairs, forgetting their illnesses as they experienced our culture.
Over the years, as Toronto’s Caribbean population grew, so did Rudder’s connection to the city.
His music paved the way as Caribbean culture became an integral part of Toronto’s vibrant multicultural scene. Our college radio stations CIUT and CKLN, and even CBC Radio played soca music long before other stations jumped on board.
Rudder moved from performing in venues that only the insiders knew about such as Cutty’s Hideaway and Club Trinidad, to places that invited others to join us as we celebrated our music – the Toronto Island, the CHIN picnic, and even the Queen Street club crowd at the Bamboo.
Riding the rhythm of Caribana, the city created more festivals and more opportunities for us to share our “Caribbeaness” with our neighbours and for them to share with us. Rudder was at the heart of that movement, performing at Harbourfront Centre, Nathan Phillips Square, and Mel Lastman Square. As we matured as a community, taking our place as valuable contributors to the cultural fibre of Toronto, and he as a performer, we saw Rudder’s appearances move to venues like the John Bassett and Glenn Gould Theatres, Roy Thomson Hall, and the Hummingbird Centre, now the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, and we revelled in the joy of seeing our culture beyond the streets of the city.
Rudder, having performed there before, chose the Sony Centre for 6.5 because it is acoustically
one of the finest venues in the world. In addition to offering the audience an experience they will appreciate, it is a musician’s venue. It allows the artist to deliver with the greatest of ease, enabling the audience to see and hear every nuance of the delivery -story telling by nature, social commentary by definition, and rhythms that compel you to move. Where can we better celebrate music that can best be described as a lesson in modern Caribbean history, while giving us a chance to listen to and reflect on our own stories?
The cost of producing a concert in a unionized environment is astronomical. RUDDER 6.5 was not intended to be a money-making venture. Civic Theatres, a not for profit organization graciously welcomed David Rudder in Concert, based on his international reputation as one of the stalwarts of Caribbean music and culture. They only asked that we cover the cost through ticket sales.
For Rudder, his reason for doing this concert was twofold. Beyond providing an atmosphere for a communion of musical souls, at 65, he was thinking about his contribution and legacy. His lyrics of 20 years ago are often as relevant today as they were then. The more things changed, rearranged, and as we sit solidly in the twenty first century, “1990” did not make a liar of him.
And then, there is the band.
According to his “Song For a Lonely Soul”, “a concrete jungle drum can’t play no calypso” but in Toronto, a city where musicians are often first generation immigrants or in the case of local musical director, Jeremy Ledbetter, Canadians who genuinely have a love and appreciation for the music, it has been possible to form a “Contra Band” able to meet and exceed his expectations.
For David’s 2004 concert at the Hummingbird Centre, Rudder flew in the majority of musicians for the show. Not this time. The members of the Contra Band are all local musicians, each contributing in his own way to Toronto’s bubbling music fraternity, whether it is trumpeter Alexis Baro, through the local Latin scene or Michael “Skel” Redhead and Derek Thorne and their work within the education sector. Some are session musicians, jobs by day, then recording and performing wherever the music takes them by night. All, including Jan Morgan, Iain Green, Duane Sampson, Terry Woode, Sue Lewis, Michelle Walker, and Gervais De Souza, grandson of the late Caribbean Jazz pianist and bandleader Dennis De Souza, have worked hard to learn, understand, and perfect Rudder’s brand of soca/calypso. RUDDER 6.5 would have given them the opportunity to share their talents in a venue that many musicians only dream of.
RUDDER 6.5 Toronto was cancelled this week because of slow advanced ticket sales. Although there were many promises of “I’ll be there” and “I’m going to buy my tickets once I organize my lime” actual sales did not translate into the numbers needed to move forward.
We have no problem purchasing tickets in advance for our mas’ costumes, boat rides and fêtes, the aspects of our culture that we deem valuable. In doing so, we should also recognize their roots in the rhythm, the music, the lyric, the song.
We are a last minute people by nature. We thrive on the excitement. Unfortunately, there are times when this works against us. Let’s support what we call our own and we must understand that business is business.
(* Teeka Belle is the pen name of a fan of David Rudder and student of Caribbean music.)
‘Let’s support what we call our own’ added by The Caribbean Camera Inc. on June 7, 2018
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Devin Dobrowolski
B. Cannon Ivers
Mary Catherine Miller
Distinct in its sensory qualities, the beauty and singularity of the landscapes that comprise the Cape Cod peninsula have historically supported the region through tourism as well as through geographically specific industries, such as fishing and cranberry farming. The iconography of these regional landscapes, namely its salt marshes, pitch pine and oak forests, and dunes and sandy beaches, have long been documented in paintings, postcards, and more recently, analog and digital photography.
The Wanderers Project deconstructs ideas specific to this vernacular identity of Cape Cod to propose new ecologies, promote novel forms of peripatetic occupation, and bolster nascent economies in an effort to ensure the resilience of these landscapes. We propose that the protected, yet artificial, dunes are inhabited through structures that are left to drift with the migration of the dunes and the shifting landscape.
B. Cannon Ivers is a landscape architect with professional experience, comprised of concept design and implementation of public realm and parks in numerous countries around the world. His professional experience ranges from complex urban design studies such as London's Parliament Square and the Battersea Power Station, to sensitive and sacred places such as Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan, NY. He is currently enrolled at the Harvard GSD, pursuing an M.L.A.
Mary Catherine Miller is an M.L.A. candidate at the Harvard GSD. A designer and maker, her current research stems from a grant awarded to her and Joseph Watson in the spring of 2015. The Penny White Project Fund helped to support their travels in the American West as they explored the interface between humans and wilderness. Wild interfaces is an ongoing joint project between the two. As an architectural designer, Mary practiced at RaM.L.A. Benaissa Architects in Philadelphia. She holds a B.Arch from the University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design where she graduated magna cum laude. Some of her recent work at the GSD, alongside studio partners Cannon Ivers and Devin Dobrowolski will be featured in WLA’s magazine in June 2015.
Devin Dobrowolski is a third-year student in the M.L.A. I program with a background in fine arts and film.
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Take a Look/Have a Listen
Audio/visual that makes me happy.
Covering the Beatles
The Beatles had an almost effortless ability to cover the songs of others while it seemed their songs were a bit harder for others to cover.
Of course this is all my opinion. I’m sure there are those out there perfectly happy with Sinatra’s staticy version of “Something” or (heaven forbid) the syrupy mess the Carpenters made of “Ticket to Ride.”
For my own tastes, however, I’ve not come across many Beatle covers that have been very satisfying. The musical chemistry of these four guys was so strong that the magic it produced was hard to match.
When I do come across a one of their songs covered by others that satisfies me, it’s quite a treat.
So let me introduce you (or reintroduce you) to five Beatle covers that I think are exceptional.
The song “Yesterday” is one of the most covered songs in history with more than 2,000 versions. Marvin Gaye’s version is actually one I wasn’t sure I liked when I first heard it. At work I get the chance to listen to Beatles radio and they played the song regularly. The more I listened to it, the more it grew on me to where I think it’s my favorite version of a Beatle song. I think the reason for my initial reaction is probably also the reason I like it now. It’s so different in terms of instruments and the rhythm. While the original has a feeling of confusion over the loss, Gaye’s version has a note of shock and anger, though whether it’s anger at the situation or at himself for allowing the situation, is hard to say.
Al Green’s version of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” is another example of a cover that comes out of nowhere and knocks you right over. The tune is there but what he does with it is absolutely amazing, turning it from fun pop tune to exciting Motown groove.
I will confess, I have very little love for countrified music. That’s just me. But this Alison Krauss rendition of “I Will” works amazingly well. I think one of the selling points was the banjo. The original version itself is a simple song and both the banjo and Krauss’ voice deliver without overpowering the melody.
Madness, best known in America for the song “Our House,” produced some of the most inticing music of the 80s with its big band meets ska sound and cheeky London lyrics. As lead singer, Suggs was a key ingredient to the sound with a sort of carnival barker twist to his voice that fit the groove just right. Here he takes the slow and slightly ethereal “I’m Only Sleeping” and skas it up to great affect retaining its desperate quality with just the slightest of winks.
The Beatles version of “Here Comes the Sun” has a delicate…well I have to say it, sunny feeling to it. You can practically feel the ice melting. And even as the music seems to blossom as the song goes along, it retains that delicate feeling. This version by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, while not quite as delicate, led not by an acoustic guitar but by an electronic keyboard, has that same blossoming feel to it. You can truly see the sun rising.
These are just a few of covers of Beatle songs that I've heard that have impressed me. I may add more later.
Posted by Laura L. Enright at 9:34 PM 1 comment:
Laura L. Enright
I am the author of "Chicago's Most Wanted™ The Top 10 Book of Murderous Mobsters, Midway Monsters, and Windy City Oddities" and "Vampires' Most Wanted The Top 10 Book of Bloodthirsty Biters, Stake-wielding Slayers, and Other Undead Oddities." I'm currently working on a vampire fiction series that is set in Chicago. I'm interested in any number of things, far too many for my limited free time to accommodate. Never the less, I remain a giggling idiot for the ages and encourage the world to follow suit. Some already have. You know who you are.
Watermark theme. Theme images by Dizzo. Powered by Blogger.
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Chris Carruth
Photographer @ University of Colorado, Boulder based in Boulder, CO Chris Carruth portfolio on Visura - a professional network to connect with photo editors and art buyers, and build photography portfolio websites. Visura members, like Chris, share photojournalism, art photography, landscape, travel photography, portraits and more. Chris has 0 stories, community news posts, and 0 images shared in the photo stream.
Chris Carruth is an artist, technologist, and educator whose work explores the mutual influence of technology, media, and society. His work ranges from writing, to photography, to digital arts; he draws from a rich background in... read on
Stories (2) Community (13) About
Chris Carruth is an artist, technologist, and educator whose work explores the mutual influence of technology, media, and society.
His work ranges from writing, to photography, to digital arts; he draws from a rich background in emerging technologies, international development, education, conceptual art, editorial journalism and compliments that with a passionate and irreverent curiosity about what it means to be human in the 21st century.
He enjoys dark chocolate, deep dreams, and believes in the utopian promise of Star Trek.
And, he's always happy to collaborate: chris @ chris carruth dot com
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Victorians transition to digital PIW certificates
June 27, 2019 June 26, 2019 by Waste Management Review
The Victorian Waste Management Association has raised concerns about the waste industry’s preparedness for compulsory electronic prescribed industrial waste transport certificates by 1 July, 2019.
EPA Victoria (EPA) currently uses a mix of electronic and paper waste transport certificates for prescribed industrial waste (PIW).
EPA CEO Dr Cathy Wilkinson said that the EPA will not accept the traditional carbon copy certificates after 1 July 2019. She said that waste operators experiencing difficulty accessing the electronic system should contact EPA as soon as practicable.
The new system aims to enable the EPA to monitor the movement of waste more quickly and accurately, compared to the paper certificates, which can be time consuming and difficult to process.
Under the new system, all holders will be required to submit electronic waste transport certificates. Waste producers, transporters and receivers will need to register a Portal Account with EPA to use the system, via the EPA website.
The EPA currently uses a mix of electronic and paper waste transport certificates – with up to 100,000 paper certificates received each year.
The EPA will invest $5.5 million to switch to a fully GPS electronic tracking system to better record the production, movement and receipt of industrial waste.
The transition forms part of a suite of measures to crack down on the illegal storage of hazardous waste.
The centrepiece is a new integrated waste tracking tool, with improved data analytics and reporting. This will deliver insights on sector activity, trends and highlight potential illegal activity.
EPA’s tracking system will be finalised by March 2020, so that industry has three months to transition before the new Environment Protection Act legislation comes into effect on 1 July 2020.
The new legislation aims to introduce modern surveillance devices, tougher penalties and a greater focus on industry responsibility and proactively managing risks to human health and environment.
VWMA Executive Officer Mark Smith said that 10-week notice period to transition from paper to electronics hasn’t provided many opportunities for discussions with business on the impacts of this change. He noted that in particular, this would affect people who act as agents or third parties for a generator or receiver.
Mr Smith pointed out that the discovery of illegally stored chemical stockpiles in Melbourne earlier this year shone a light on the management of PIW across Victoria and the EPA’s role in preventing harm to the environment and public health.
“The Bradbury fire highlighted deficiencies in the current administration of the PIW system and the Victorian Government had to act,” Mr Smith said.
He said that the VWMA supports this action. However, he pointed out that government needs to ensure the implementation of this change doesn’t result in unintended consequences from rogue operators that will actively look for ways around the system while at the same time burden compliant businesses further.
“I don’t think anyone is doubting the government’s intent with these changes. The recent events are unacceptable and action needs to be taken,” Mr Smith said.
“It’s just really important, like with any change, business is provided an opportunity to engage in discussion on how these changes will be felt and tackle any loopholes together.
To support businesses with the transition, EPA is supporting the VWMA to hold a series of face-to-face sessions this week that will provide businesses an opportunity to walk through the online system.
The sessions will hear about how the changes will come together and receive further updates from the VWMA on what they are doing to support their members through this transition.
The sessions will also provide an opportunity for business to engage in discussion around potential or perceived impacts of the change.
Mr Smith said the information sessions would not be possible without the support of the EPA.
“It’s great to see EPA keen to assist businesses with one-on-one assistance if needed. I understand that EPA have put more staff on to help with the transition.
“I’d encourage anyone who may be impacted to attend in person or join remotely via the webinar service we will offer. People can also phone in to listen if they don’t have internet access.”
Dr Wilkinson said that the EPA had conducted an extensive engagement program with the waste industry to facilitate this transition.
“Businesses that are concerned that they cannot use the electronic tracking system have been asked to contact EPA to outline the circumstances preventing them from accessing the system,” Dr Wilkinson said.
“EPA will work with each duty holder to identify a solution to enable them to continue to comply with their obligations under the Environment Protection (Industrial Waste Resource) Regulations 2009.”
She said that facilities that receive waste have all registered to use electronic certificates.
“Waste producers, accredited agents, transporters and receivers are required to ensure they are compliant with the Environment Protection (Industrial Waste Resource) Regulations 2009.”
She said that waste receivers should notify EPA if a waste transporter presents waste that does not have an electronic waste transport certificate.
“Receivers should also inform the transporter of the requirement to use electronic certificates and direct them to contact EPA on 1300 EPA VIC if they are not yet registered to use electronic certificates so that EPA can facilitate their immediate transition to the electronic system.”
Dr Wilkinson said that some waste receivers are adopting the position of refusing to accept any waste that is tracked using the traditional carbon copy certificates after 1 July 2019.
“EPA supports businesses who communicate this position to companies that they are expecting to receive waste from. EPA will refund unused carbon copy certificates that are returned to EPA by 31 July 2019, having extended this date from 30 June 2019.
“Development of the EPA’s tracking system continues and EPA is satisfied with the progress in developing the new tracking system ready for March 2020.”
For information on the VWMA sessions and how you participate please contact the VWMA/VTA on 03 9646 8590 or visit. The sessions will be held at the VWMA office in Port Melbourne on the following dates:
Session 1: 8:30am (Thursday 27 June) maximum capacity 40 people.
Session 2: 12:30pm (Thursday 27 June) maximum capacity 40 people.
Special Session 3: 3:30pm (Thursday 27 June) – Intended for major projects, earth movers and contaminated soils. Maximum capacity 40 people.
Session 4: 8:30am (Friday 28 June) maximum capacity 40 people.
Session 5: 12:30pm (Friday 28 June) maximum capacity 40 people.
The VWMA is also offering remote access for people unable to attend in person. Attendees can join via a virtual meeting and view the session online.
New tracking system for Victorian waste sector
EPA VIC Updates Rules On Moving Industrial Waste
Preparing for the Victorian e-waste ban
Categories News Tags certificates, electronic, EPA, Mark Smith, VWMA
VIC councils receive $16.5M e-waste infrastructure funding
October 23, 2018 by Waste Management Review
The Victorian Government has awarded 76 councils a share of $16.5 million to improve the state’s e-waste infrastructure.
Funding will go towards upgrading more than 130 e-waste collection and storage sites and help local councils to safely store and collect increasing amounts of e-waste.
Wealth from Waste project looks at e-waste recycling
Making e-waste circular with Fujitsu
Victorian e-waste ban to landfill breakdown
The funding aims to assist councils prepare for the state’s ban on e-waste which will come into effect in July 2019.
The upgrades aim to ensure 98 per cent of Victorians in metropolitan areas are within a 20-minute drive of an e-waste disposal point and 98 per cent of regional Victorians are within a 30-minute drive from a disposal point.
Councils will receive discarded electronics which will then be stripped of components for reprocessing or sold on the second-hand goods market.
Applications will also open in November for a share of $790,000 to deliver local education campaigns, with councils able to apply for up to $10,000 in funding.
E-waste is defined as anything with a plug or a battery that has reached the end of its useful life, including phones, computers, white goods, televisions and air conditioners.
The amount of e-waste generated in Victoria is projected to increase from 109,000 tonnes in 2015 to 256,000 tonnes in 2035.
Victorian Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the funding will ensure the state has one of the best e-waste collection infrastructure networks in Australia.
“We’re delivering on our promise to maximise recycling and minimise the damage e-waste has on our environment,” she said.
Categories News Tags Application, ban, battery, collection, councils, e-waste, electronic, ewaste, funding, gold, grants, Infrastructure, Lily D'Ambrosio, local government, metropolitan, minerals, plug, recycling, Regional, storage, Vic, Vic Gov, Victoria, Victorian Government, Waste
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Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality they slip gradually from obsession to corruption and betrayal, and at last - Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality they slip gradually from obsession to corruption and betrayal, and at last - inexorably - into evil.
30 review for The Secret History
Chaima ✨ شيماء – Mar 01, 2019
[flings myself onto a chaise lounge and wails dramatically] The fact that I’m not a part of an elitist circle of young scholars quoting Classics over dirty Martinis and toasting to living forever, and who might also be compelled to commit murder because they got too consumed by their Greek homework is the real tragedy here. “After all, the appeal to stop being yourself, even for a little while, is very great. To escape the cognitive mode of experience, to transcend the accident of one's moment [flings myself onto a chaise lounge and wails dramatically] The fact that I’m not a part of an elitist circle of young scholars quoting Classics over dirty Martinis and toasting to living forever, and who might also be compelled to commit murder because they got too consumed by their Greek homework is the real tragedy here. “After all, the appeal to stop being yourself, even for a little while, is very great. To escape the cognitive mode of experience, to transcend the accident of one's moment of being.” When I finished The Secret History, I had the sense of having stepped outside of myself and returned to find everything slightly rearranged, as though the world had shifted while I was reading. At that moment, I felt as out of place in my room as a sunray in a cellar. I tried to catch the tail end of that feeling and identify it, name it, and couldn’t., The only word I could summon, with a feat of Herculean strength, was: “Fuck.” I thought I should feel more than that about the ending, should feel anything at all. Instead, I was…numb. Like this was somehow inevitable consequence. Sad, yes. Heartrending, even, but no more or less tragic than everything else that’s happened in this book. I think it stands as a testimony to my misery that for days afterwards I couldn’t work out what to say; it was as if my mind was a foreign country and every word a new and laborious route through the alphabet. It’s been over a month now, and the thought of this book is still like a weight pulling at my feet. So, grab a drink, I’m afraid this is going to take a while. What’s this book about? Murder always makes an auspicious beginning for any good story. Bunny is dead, and his friends’ mercenary relief at having him gone didn’t take long before it turned sour. In The Secret History, the venom of remembrance falls to Richard Papen, and the bulk of the book concerns itself with the months leading up to that point. “This is the story I will ever be able to tell,” says Richard, and with that, the still depths of memory come shivering back to life. In the days after Richard Papen sets foot at Hampden College, he is aimless, unsteady, a poorly made bow, suffering a deep pang of loneliness and dejection. But then all of a sudden, at the center of it all, in a pocket of stillness within the seething nest of his life, was them. A clique of rich and sophisticated classic majors who drift about with their heads full of myths, always at least half-lost in some ancient story, and who worship at the shrine of their highly eccentric professor, Julian Morrow. The closeness between them was palpable, and something about that struck Richard with a deep allure. They weren’t exactly unfriendly with the rest of the world; they were just friendlier with each other, and Richard spared no efforts in impressing on them that he could fit in as well. Richard changed everything, even the fabric of himself—adorning, embroidering, essentially reinventing the less glamorous aspects of his life. In those days, he was almost like a ghost interposing himself between lovers to feel what it was to be alive. (That so much death would dog his heels soon afterwards is a brutal irony.) As in any group, there is tension, of course, but it never grew very heated between them. Neither did it ever quite abate. It was the tension of minds meeting, of differing interests, not the tension of a world about to become terribly complicated, ending in tragedy, six souls forfeit. A world where murder and lies and treachery were nothing but a currency they used to pay for the rest of their lives. Let God consume us, devour us, unstring our bones. Then spit us out reborn. Everything about The Secret History is as crisp and elegant as freshly pressed silk. So skillfully and engagingly that I was quite disarmed, and with writing surfeited with such beautiful delicacy I sometimes had to stop and stare, Tartt led me deftly from page to page, from chapter to chapter, through a messy, mad tumult of memories, like reflections in boiling water. The Secret History’s flow is hypnotic, and Tartt sweeps the reader, with vivid and tender enthrallment, into a reverie about beauty and mortality and godhood, the ghosts of the books and writers she admires seeming to slip into the cracks between the lines, and, of course, like many an opera, the climax is beautifully tragic. It takes a great amount of authority to write like this, and Tartt has authority in spades. Even when the plot lags, she finds a way to enliven the telling of her story: this is the kind of novel that deserves to be drawn out and savored, however much tempting binge-reading it may be. The Secret History is a romantic dream of doomed youth that cared nothing for sense or self-preservation and sailed through the world guided only by the dim lights of impulse. The dynamics between the characters will surpass your wildest definitions of dysfunctional. They were darlings and vipers, all of them—caught in a sick pantomime of ambition and self-importance and their abominable fulfillment. But they had their own gravity, and were the center of Richard’s small, surreal galaxy. Richard Papen chronicles his own tale, beginning with Bunny’s murder and his involvement in it—the admission so simple, so unornamented, unmarred by grief or regret, as if it were just a dry fact that could be taken out and studied without emotion. From then, his mind starts picking at his memories, like fingers at a knot, with the sort of cultivated assuredness you should know better than to follow into the dark. This is how it happens: one minute you see the story as Richard tells it, his remembrances thrumming at the border of passion and desperation, but with a mental step to the left, and with the right perspective, everything suddenly flips, everything finds a new interpretation and, in an instant, the whole view changes. Suddenly, you can glimpse the lie, shimmering and perfect, a gem of prevarication and deceit. You realize that there are too many images reflected in fragmentary style on the surface of it that don’t really belong there. It’s the things just beneath his words, as though Richard wrote them down, erased them, and scribbled over them. Reading the latter half of The Secret History, I felt left out of the tale, sensed it slipping from my hold and altering in ways I hadn’t anticipated, then—at last—realization dawns: Richard is many things, foremost among them is that he’s a damn good unreliable narrator, and that’s one of the biggest triumphs of this novel. I’d been slow to grasp it, but when I seized it, that thread of truth, it became a sort of struggle to reconcile what I thought I knew with what I’m seeing unravel before me. Richard Papen’s narration has very scarce clarity, mostly a muddy swirl of his own, with streaks of every color and emotion. He has built a sustainable catalog of half-lies, altering truths to appease nostalgia. His own perception of the quintet is distorted, and now shards of his latent memories are forcing themselves out like splinters. In The Secret History, a curtain is drawn back in Richard’s inner theater and his storytelling mind gets to work: in the mists of his memories Camilla Macaulay was quiet and had a shadow’s talent for passing unremarked—she was a brittle, sharp-edged fragment by herself, always mentioned alongside her twin brother, Charles—while Henry Winter drew all eyes like a flare. For Richard, Henry had been a sunray, illuminating every facet of his world. Henry was beautiful, impassive, untouched by emotion or pain. There was always something unfathomable about him, something as inscrutable as the turning of his thoughts. He was the brilliant autodidact and linguistic genius who seemed to suffer people’s ignorance of ancient Greek as though it were a physical blow and whom Richard wanted to impress with a compound interest of human desperation (which, in many senses, later becomes his undoing). Julien Morrow wasn’t seen as anything but relentlessly benign. Francis Abernathy was only a rich boy who assumed the world was his oyster because he’d gone to the right schools and mixed with the right people and whose sexuality Richard—for reasons he cannot explain to himself, but which are pretty clear for discernable readers—was fixated upon. And, of course, Bunny who was a terrible person with a terrible affinity for reaching inside one’s innermost self and depositing, with wicked relish, gifts of self-loathing and insecurity, and whose murder Richard might have borne with more fortitude if Bunny hadn’t been so horrible. All this knowledge, however, soon wavers and falters, growing feebler and harder to maintain, and that’s when Richard—as well as the reader—begins caroming upward into a state of heightened lucidity: Richard has been most naïve in those days. He trusted too easily and could not see into the cracks of the world, and his imagination has fashioned the quintet into something they were not, or at least, they were more than his depthless perception of them. However sweet her nature seems, Camilla is not soft; her edges are gleaming and sharp, and in that regard—Richard realizes later—she is a lot more like Henry. They both know how to reach into one’s soul and play their emotions like a harp: Camilla strung her admirers along like fish on a line, and I often marveled how close she could slice the difference between hate and love. Henry sowed enough seeds to ensure Richard would know to follow; he’d tested his loyalty, prowling the edges of his trust, looking for a crack—but it all held. It’s almost unnerving—the way every argument turned out meant whoever did Henry’s bidding got a little more of Henry’s favor, and whoever didn’t lost it completely, the way Bunny had become a single rope twisted from the whole, hanging before their minds’ eye—separate and other—because Bunny committed the unpardonable sin of disobedience. There’s also more to Francis and Charles than meets the eyes. Francis’ character was a quiet, still pool that held everything safe in its depths, but, occasionally, the extravagant façade would betray his plunging insecurity and frailty which ring like a bell in his frequent “are you mad at me?” and the way his hands often hang numbly, unmoving, by his sides instead of acting. Julian Morrow, whose words they all took as gospel, is a liar of the most blatant kind and his sinister figure permeates the whole of this tragedy. As for Bunny—and there is really no way to beautify the following—he’s an asshole. There was a hole inside him that needed to be filled with other people’s misery. But he hasn’t always been an asshole, and Richard has to dig deep to unearth that memory where he kept it buried under his self-serving desire to legitimize their crime and taper his own guilt, to realize that no currency would ever make him and Bunny even. But strangely, it’s Charles’ transformation—more jarring than a body turning itself inside out—that snags at me the most: how this boy, who had no sins anyone knew of or could guess at and whom Richard once describes as “a kind and slightly ethereal soul”, could have the capacity to become so horrible, everything that was kind in him suddenly driven out. But for all Charles’ faults, I would argue that out of the five of them, he is the one who felt the rawness of their crime most keenly, or at least more outwardly—and the fallout is an utter heartbreaker. I could be wrong. I could be so spectacularly wrong about everything, but that’s just it: one of the things I most relish about this book is how you become the characters, breathing life into them, creating them from the faintest scrapings of information that you’ve been given—the harder you think, the further you go, and it just keeps getting more productive. The Secret History also relentlessly ponders the power of beauty to dazzle, to cast a ghostly light over a world that is deep-down stripped of color, and, in particular, to make those people who possess it seem smarter than they may be. We are always drawn to the lure of beauty, no matter the cost, and Richard Papen—with his "morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs"—was no exception. The quintet’s willful dedication to the ideals of art and beauty—which will eventually steer their fates towards calamity—held its own fascination, and a part of Richard wanted to do whatever they asked him to do. And it was a loud part. Back then, it seemed like a part worth listening to. “Beauty is terror,” writes Tartt, perhaps portending how the beauty that once shone like a flame, drawing Richard’s eye against his will would in time, like acid, eat away at the flesh of their souls. That it would, one day, all turn into ashes and ruin. BLOG | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | TUMBLR
Rebecca – Sep 13, 2008
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This novel, like so many other first novels, is full of everything that the author wants to show off about herself. Like a freshman who annoys everyone with her overbearing sense of importance and unfathomable potential, Donna Tartt wrote this book as though the world couldn't wait to read about all of the bottled-up personal beliefs, literary references, and colorfully apt metaphors that she had been storing up since the age of 17. The most fundamentally unlikable thing about this book is that a This novel, like so many other first novels, is full of everything that the author wants to show off about herself. Like a freshman who annoys everyone with her overbearing sense of importance and unfathomable potential, Donna Tartt wrote this book as though the world couldn't wait to read about all of the bottled-up personal beliefs, literary references, and colorfully apt metaphors that she had been storing up since the age of 17. The most fundamentally unlikable thing about this book is that all of the characters -- each and every one of them -- are snobby, greedy, amoral, pretentious, melodramatic, and selfish. The six main characters are all students at a small and apparently somewhat undemanding college in Vermont, studying ancient Greek with a professor who's so stereotypically gay as to be a homosexual version of a black-face pantomime. In between bouts of translating Greek, the students end up murdering two people, and then devolve into incoherent, drunken, boring decay. The best thing I can equate this book to is the experience of listening to someone else's dream or listening to a very drunk friend ramble on and on and on, revealing a little too much awkward personal information in the process. The climax of The Secret History's narrative was around page 200, but the book was 500 pages long. So, essentially, this book contained 300 pages of scenes where the characters do nothing but drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, go to the hospital for drinking so much alcohol and smoking so many cigarettes, get pulled over for drunk driving, talk about alcohol and cigarettes, do cocaine, and gossip about each other (while drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes). Tartt's writing was sometimes genuinely good at establishing a thrilling and suspenseful mood, but other times, especially toward the end, her writing became the kind of self-conscious, contrived, empty prose that I can imagine someone writing just to fill out a page until a good idea comes to them, kind of like how joggers will jog in place while waiting for a traffic light. That kind of writing practice is fine...as long as the editor is smart enough to cut it before the final copy. The last 300 pages were the authorial equivalent of that kind of jogging while going nowhere, and it soured the whole book for me. In the book's attempt to comment on the privilege, self-interest, and academic snobbery of rich college kids in New England, the book itself comes to be just as self-absorbed and obsessive as its characters -- it turns into a constant litany of unnecessary conversations, sexual tensions that go nowhere, purple prose descriptions of the landscape, contrived plot twists that fizzle out, and forced, overblown metaphors. The confusing part was that Tartt seemed to identify with (and expect us to identify with) these students -- not to admire them for murdering people, obviously, but to respect and envy their precious contempt for everything modern and popular, as though they lived on a higher plane than normal people. The cliche of academic types being remote from the mundane world and out of touch with reality may have a grain of truth to it, but Tartt took that cliche way too far. The story is set in the early 90s, and yet some of the characters had never heard of ATMs, and they still wrote with fountain pens, drove stick shift cars, cultivated roses in their backyards, wore suits and ties to class, and said things like, "I say, old man!" Did I mention that this story is set in the early 90s? It got to the point where all the anachronisms came to seem ridiculous and gratuitous. Ostensibly, the point of the novel was to critique the point of view that privileged academics are somehow superior to the average person, but Tartt seemed too enamored of her own characters and the endearing way they held cigarettes between their fingers to really allow that kind of critique to be successful. Maybe Tartt's second novel managed to get away from the claustrophobic selfishness of The Secret History, but I don't feel up to reading it after this.
Maggie Stiefvater – Jul 15, 2012
Five Things About The Secret History. This is going to be a difficult book for me to talk about. I finished it days ago but I find myself a little verklempt, I’ll admit. It’s been a long time since a book has stuck with me so completely as this one, and I say that having had a quite remarkable year for memorable reading. So, the summary is straightforward and completely unhelpful: a Californian boy arrives at a private New England college where he falls in with a bunch of snooty but delightful C Five Things About The Secret History. This is going to be a difficult book for me to talk about. I finished it days ago but I find myself a little verklempt, I’ll admit. It’s been a long time since a book has stuck with me so completely as this one, and I say that having had a quite remarkable year for memorable reading. So, the summary is straightforward and completely unhelpful: a Californian boy arrives at a private New England college where he falls in with a bunch of snooty but delightful Classics majors who happen to have accidentally killed someone during a Bacchian rite they just happened to be conducting in their spare time. That is a totally truthful depiction of some of the events in the book, but it is not what the book is ABOUT. I will do my best to convince you to pick it up in other ways. Without further ado, here are five things about THE SECRET HISTORY. 1. This is not a new book. All of your friends have already read it. You probably already have a copy of it, actually, that you picked up at some point in the last decade, and now it molders in a box in your master bedroom closet, the one that you never unpacked last time you moved. Right next to your college alarm clock and two boxes of 9-volt batteries and that shirt you can’t throw out because it was a gift. The reason why I’m pointing out that it’s not a new book is because, since reading it, I’ve been told by several people that it is their Favorite Book Ever. It is one thing for you to read a book six months before and maintain it as a Favorite Book. It is something more remarkable when a book can elicit a passionate response from readers twenty years after its publication. 2. This book is full of terrible people. Pretty much the lot of the people that our narrator Richard meets are awful in some way. Self-centered or elitist or potheads or sociopathic or just people with really loud voices in quiet places. Even Richard is not exactly a great guy. But the magic of this novel is that, somehow, you find these terrible people deeply sympathetic. I need to go back and reread it to understand this strange enchantment. How do I find them so charming? Why do I want them to like Richard? GIVE ME YOUR SECRETS, BOOK. 3. This is not a whodunit. You are told pretty much the Bad Thing That Happens in the prologue, and you can see it coming like a comet for much of the book. The effect of this, however, is to create a lovely, unbearable tension and anticipation. And when the moment comes — in a line that involves ferns — it is so deliciously awful. I actually exhaled gloriously and put the book down for a moment because I was so delighted by the actual pay off. 4. It’s long. It’s over 200,000 words long, I think, and 600 pages in my edition. It took me five days to read it. And it’s not just long, it’s dense. One of the blurbs on the inside of the jacket said that it read like a 19th century novel, and I don’t think that’s at all unearned. It takes its time developing atmosphere and character quirks and some of the days in the novel take dozens of pages to unfold. It is not a novel to speed through. It’s a novel to get stuck in. I put it down when I got too tired, when I felt like I was starting to skim. 5. WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY? I adore the characters so much. I adore the hint —the breath — of the supernatural. I adore the slow, building tension and the sense that I, as a reader, was being skillfully manipulated. Yes, that. That last one. I think that is what I love the most about this novel. I get the idea that Donna Tartt was completely in control of this novel. Everything is measured and deliberate and just perfectly done, and I trust her entirely. Fifty pages in, I knew that she was going to tell me a story I was going to enjoy, even if I had no idea what it was going to be. Man, I just am going to flail about some more. Go read it.
Emily (Books with Emily Fox) – Mar 09, 2019
(3.5) I've been telling myself I need more time to think about this book but here we are a month later and I still don't know what to do. This was described to me as "a murder mystery with a bunch of pretentious college students" and while it's pretty accurate it's so much more than that. The writing was beautiful character driven and atmospheric book but I struggled to connect with the characters and the overall story. I can see how it could be on purpose as in "the main character was feeling quit (3.5) I've been telling myself I need more time to think about this book but here we are a month later and I still don't know what to do. This was described to me as "a murder mystery with a bunch of pretentious college students" and while it's pretty accurate it's so much more than that. The writing was beautiful character driven and atmospheric book but I struggled to connect with the characters and the overall story. I can see how it could be on purpose as in "the main character was feeling quite detached himself" but I'm not sure I really enjoyed it... but still would recommend it? Like I said, I still don't know how to feel about it all...
Martine – Feb 24, 2008
The first paragraph of The Secret History roughly sums up the mood of the book. In it, the narrator, Richard Papen, says that he thinks his fatal flaw is 'a morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs'. If you can relate to these words, chances are you'll love The Secret History. If not, you'll probably wonder what the fuss is all about. Personally, I can totally relate to these words, so I love the book. I've read it over half a dozen times, and while I do think it has its problems, I never The first paragraph of The Secret History roughly sums up the mood of the book. In it, the narrator, Richard Papen, says that he thinks his fatal flaw is 'a morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs'. If you can relate to these words, chances are you'll love The Secret History. If not, you'll probably wonder what the fuss is all about. Personally, I can totally relate to these words, so I love the book. I've read it over half a dozen times, and while I do think it has its problems, I never fail to find it utterly gripping. The Secret History is both an intellectual novel of ideas and a murder mystery without the whodunnit element. The reader learns right on the first page that Richard and his friends have killed one among their midst. The rest of the book goes on to explain how they came to their gruesome deed and what happened to them afterwards. Against all odds, it makes for compelling reading, despite the fact that you know right from the start who the killers are. Such is the power of Tartt's writing that you find yourself turning page after page, waiting for answers, justifications and possibly a sign of remorse. Once these have been dealt with, the book loses a bit of its power, but until that time, it's near perfect. Donna Tartt's great gift as a writer is her magnificent talent for description. Her evocation of life at a small private university in New England with its oddball mix of ivory-tower intellectuals and ditzy cokeheads is rich in detail, both shocking and funny. If it's not entirely realistic, she makes it so. Likewise, her skill at characterisation is superb. While Richard is not entirely convincing as a male narrator (a fact I find more noticeable every time I re-read the book), he and his friends make up a fascinating cast of characters: six aloof, self-absorbed and arrogant intellectuals who are obsessed with ancient Greece and don't particularly care for modern life. They're snobs and they have major issues, but somehow that only makes them more alluring. Together, they form the ultimate inner circle, the kind of tight-knit group you know should always stay together. Which makes it almost understandable that they should be willing to kill anyone who might jeopardise that group dynamic, incomprehensible though this may seem to the average reader. I can think of many reasons why The Secret History strikes such a chord with me. For one thing, I have a thing for timeless and ethereal stories, and this is one of those. Somehow the book has a dreamlike, almost hypnotic quality, despite it being very firmly set in the rather unromantic 1980s. I love that. For another thing, I have always been drawn to the unabashedly intellectual, and this book has that in spades. It makes geekdom alluring, and I just love Tartt for that. I wish I were as geeky as Henry! Ultimately, what I think I respond to most in The Secret History is the friendship aspect. The Secret History is very much a book about friendship. It's about the very human yearning to belong and be accepted by people we admire. It's about the sacrifices we make to keep friendships intact, the insecurity we feel when we think we might not be completely accepted by our friends after all, and the paranoia we experience when it seems our friends may have betrayed us. About the feeling of invincibility we get from having great friends, and the melancholy and loneliness that follow the disintegration of a once-great friendship. The book basically reads like an elegy on a great friendship, and one doesn't necessarily have to share Richard's intellectual attitude towards life, his morality or even his morbid longing for the picturesque to be able to relate to that. It's enough to have yearned for close friendship and been insecure in friendship. And let's face it, who hasn't? I do not think The Secret History is a perfect book. As I said, I find Richard somewhat unconvincing as a male character; there is too much about him that screams 'female author' to me. Furthermore, the ending is decidedly weak, although to be fair, I have no idea how else Tartt could have finished her book. The story does seem to be inexorably heading in that particular direction. Insofar as the ending reflects the disintegration that is going on in the characters' lives, it could probably be said to be appropriate. Still, I wish Tartt could have come up with something on a par with the rest of the book. If she had, this would have been a six-star book. I don't know many of those.
Paquita Maria Sanchez – Aug 08, 2013
First of all, if you are one of those people who dismiss a book as inherently bad simply because you "just couldn't relaaa-yeeete to aunnny of the charaaactaaaars *gum smack-smack-smack*" then do not read this book. If you can relate to anyone in this novel, then I dismiss you as inherently bad. In fact, I fucking hate you. Yes, you, because my guess is that, as a modern-day example of all the characters in this novel, you probably have a goodreads account, and read nothing but "tome-suh" and wr First of all, if you are one of those people who dismiss a book as inherently bad simply because you "just couldn't relaaa-yeeete to aunnny of the charaaactaaaars *gum smack-smack-smack*" then do not read this book. If you can relate to anyone in this novel, then I dismiss you as inherently bad. In fact, I fucking hate you. Yes, you, because my guess is that, as a modern-day example of all the characters in this novel, you probably have a goodreads account, and read nothing but "tome-suh" and write snide, condescending, long-winded comments and boring as a brochure reviews jerking off whatever dense novelist or philosopher had previously caught the fancy of whatever other dense novelist or philosopher you had previously jerked off. You blindly, unquestioningly, and completely assume the opinions of the few people on planet Earth who you so happen to think are, by some random blip in the universe, smarter than you. Oh, and remember when we went on that date when I was in Austin, and it was the worst night of my life? You just wanted to hear yourself talk, and you acted so astonished to have some wittle woman laughing at your prefab philosophical wankery? Coffee house intellectuals, here is your mirror. Now shuddup. What a pressure-cooker. This is a 500+ that you read like a 200-pager, and watching Donna Tartt unspin her spool is really a delight (damn, you mean it's an enjoyable novel?? Pass!). Basically, I don't want to give too much away, but a bunch of insufferable Classics students get swept up in an Ancient Greek religious ceremony which results in some very real entanglements with both the law and icky human nature. Gosh, I really can't say much else without dowsing you in the spoilies, and I don't want to be an asshole. Like every single character in this story. I truly cannot stress that enough. The best aspect of the novel for me was witnessing the aftermath of an untimely death. One of the main reasons I despise facebook at this point in my life is witnessing the carnage that ensues when someone passes away. All that misplaced emotional exhibitionism. Tartt really nails it when she's discussing the ricocheting effect that the death of our just godawfully full of shit character "Bunny" has on his campus*. All those melodramatic boo-hoos like everybody in the entire city knew him oh-so-well. I've watched this happen several times, and it kinda makes me sick in my gut-parts, and embarrassed for everyone, forever. It's one thing to mourn, but it's quite another to leach on other peoples' misery and milk it for attention or just something to do, and the death of a young person just really brings that out in people. And man, Tartt pins it down here. And it's gross and awkward, like it do. *This is not a spoiler, unless you consider something mentioned in literally the first sentence of the prologue to be a spoiler. Oh, the narrator, you ask? Yeah, he's an asshole, too. Don't seek comfort there, because he's basically nothing more than a lie factory wallpapered in tweed. In fact, it's really pretty rare to come across so many awful people in a single novel unless you're reading, say, Wuthering Heights. If there is even one slightly endurable character in the novel, it is Camilla, and she just sort of flitters in and out of scenes, apparition-esque, nigh unreadable, almost like one of Jeffrey Euginedes' virgins. And she spends all her time with these windbags, so... I don't know what else to say. Murder mystery. Late 80's, early 90's private college setting. Prep school intellectual snoots with lossa monies. Shiny prose. Fast pace woven out of not too much actual plot. Good shit all around. Thanks are once again in order to goodreader Janice for spoiling me with wonderful free things. And she gave me not one, but two Donna Tartt novels! Thanks, Janice! Did I review better this time? No? Well, there's still hope. I may revisit this and essplain myself better than my "I woke up at noon and haven't had coffee yet" self is able, but every time I say that it ends up just being an empty promise. Almost as empty as the characters in this novel. And you if you are the sort of person who relates to the characters in this novel. Let me restate how much I hate you.
Melanie – Dec 29, 2017
“Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it.” I have never read anything like this book in my entire life. I laid in bed for over an hour last night upon finishing this book, just tossing and turning and thinking about everything I just consumed. I still don’t think I can put my feelings into words, but I can honestly say this book was a cathartic experience for me, and the irony of the word “catharsis” being a Greek rooted word is not lost on me, because if this book i “Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it.” I have never read anything like this book in my entire life. I laid in bed for over an hour last night upon finishing this book, just tossing and turning and thinking about everything I just consumed. I still don’t think I can put my feelings into words, but I can honestly say this book was a cathartic experience for me, and the irony of the word “catharsis” being a Greek rooted word is not lost on me, because if this book is anything it’s a modern day Greek tragedy. The Secret History is told in a unique style, which is a man reminiscing on some significant events that took place in his college life a bit over a year ago. So, we follow a younger version of Richard, who is finally starting his life away from his abusive and poor family in California. He gets accepted into an elite college in Vermont, and moves across the county in hopes of a fresh start. Upon arriving to the college, Richard is denied entry into an Ancient Greek course, because the professor that teaches it only allows enrollment to his small, handpicked, group of students that seem almost cult-like. Needless to say, Richard becomes utterly obsessed with the five students in this group and the professor, Julian Morrow, himself. And with a turn of good luck, and by solving a Greek problem, Richard is accepted into this exclusive group. Yet, in the prologue we find out that Richard, and four others from the group, murdered one of the other students who they are supposed to have a very close friendship with. The Secret History is then told in two parts, one being the events that took place leading up to the death of their fellow classmate, and then one part being all the events that take place after he is murdered. Bunny is the poor soul that is unfortunately murdered by his peers, yet he’s a racist bigot and you’ll be kind of happy he’s dead, for the most part. Richard, as stated in all the paragraphs above, is the narrator looking back on the events that took place. Henry is my personal favorite, but perhaps the worst of the bunch. Or maybe the best, I’m not really sure, but that’s truly the beauty of this story. Twins, Charles and Camilla. Charles is a bad alcoholic and drug user, and Camilla steals most people’s heart and/or affection. And lastly, we have Francis, who owns a country home that is the stage for many events that take place in this book. Oh, and everyone but Richard has money, even though Richard tries his damnedest to keep that a secret. “What we did was terrible, but still I don't think any of us were bad, exactly; chalk it up to weakness on my part, hubris on Henry’s, too much Greek prose composition – whatever you like.” All the characters are morally grey to just generally horrible people, but you completely ignore it because Donna Tartt weaves this hypnotic spell with her writing, that you feel like you are reading this book in a dream like lull. The Secret History is unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and I’m not sure I’ll ever read anything quite like it again. I also want to touch upon sexuality in this book, because a lot of the members in this group are not straight in the slightest. Like, maybe the only ones that were completely straight were Bunny and Camilla. I’m not saying that the queerness in this book is vilified, but it’s for sure not shown in the best of lights. So please use caution while going into this. And this book is so very heavy in general, so please use caution while reading. Content/Trigger warnings for slut shaming, use of the R word, homophobia, hate speech, fatphobic comments, racist comments, animal cruelty, sexual assault, incest, performing rituals, suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse, and murder. I know this review is probably not one of my best, and I know I’m being super vague about all these big themes, but this book is just on a whole other level. Maybe this book is about five new adults dealing with the consequences of murder in a very human and realistic way. Maybe it’s about how we are all just trying to fit in and find family, by whatever unhealthy means available and/or possible. Maybe this book is about birth and death and how important the time between those two points truly is. But I do believe with my whole heart that this book would best be experienced blind, and to just go in and feel all the feelings that Donna Tartt will serve you. While finishing the book, me and Paloma had a discussion about the ending and how Greek heroes’ tales normally go. We talked about how murder taints everything, and how blood is the only thing that can purify it. We talked about how wearing masks is so important, yet death is another mask that we will all eventually wear. God, I’m being so cryptic, but if you’ve read the book maybe this paragraph will mean something to you, because it means the world to me. Overall, I know I sound like a broken record, but this was one of the most unique reading experiences of my life. I honest to God just do not have the words to put in this review how this book made me feel. I will say that it very much feels like a spell is being cast upon you while reading. Like, I am almost positive that Donna Tartt cannot be a human being, because she is such an exclusive enigma. Also, I think I’ve developed a huge crush on her, so there’s that at least. I can say very confidently that I will remember this book, and the feelings it gave me while reading, for the rest of my life. “Beauty is rarely soft or consolatory. Quite the contrary. Genuine beauty is always quite alarming.” Blog | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram | Youtube | Twitch Buddy read with Paloma! ❤
jessica – Apr 20, 2019
‘beauty is rarely soft or consolatory. quite the contrary. genuine beauty is always quite alarming.’ and oh, how alarmingly beautiful this story is, as all the best greek tragedies tend to be; full of sorrow and struggle, but often accompanied by pure loyalty and divine inspiration. gosh. i just… i cant even right now. on the surface, this book is great. but donna tartt is an absolute goddess of writing for the sheer depth of this book. its a work of absolute brilliance. i was never a classics ‘beauty is rarely soft or consolatory. quite the contrary. genuine beauty is always quite alarming.’ and oh, how alarmingly beautiful this story is, as all the best greek tragedies tend to be; full of sorrow and struggle, but often accompanied by pure loyalty and divine inspiration. gosh. i just… i cant even right now. on the surface, this book is great. but donna tartt is an absolute goddess of writing for the sheer depth of this book. its a work of absolute brilliance. i was never a classics student but, as someone who has taken an interest in the subject over the years, i cant even express my geeky joy for how multifaceted and layered this story is. by exemplifying fatal flaws, dissecting the apollonian vs. dionysian philosophical theory, personalising the mask of death, understanding the action and stagnation of life, and realising the lifelong quest for the picturesque, this story is a modern greek tragedy and a classic in its own right. wow. i will be thinking about this book for quite some time. ↠ 4.5 stars
Paul Bryant – Nov 18, 2007
Apparently the New York Times described The Secret History as "Powerful...Enthralling...A ferociously well-paced entertainment" and Time said "A smart, craftsman-like, viscerally compelling novel." Very funny, guys, ha ha and all that. They're such jolly jokesters. They'll have you believing anything. The Secret History is complete tripe - no, that's harsh, let me put it another way - it's COMPLETE TRIPE - oh dear, this keyboard has a mind of its own! and is very firm about its opinions too! - b Apparently the New York Times described The Secret History as "Powerful...Enthralling...A ferociously well-paced entertainment" and Time said "A smart, craftsman-like, viscerally compelling novel." Very funny, guys, ha ha and all that. They're such jolly jokesters. They'll have you believing anything. The Secret History is complete tripe - no, that's harsh, let me put it another way - it's COMPLETE TRIPE - oh dear, this keyboard has a mind of its own! and is very firm about its opinions too! - but this book is also the literary equivalent of novocaine and it's just so cozy. SPACE FOR GIF OF COZY CUTEY KITTY Oooh Donna. Just another bowl of bananas and custard and a whopping plateful of classical references and allusions; and a murder. And ladle on all the upper class schmooze for us. You knowwwwww what I like! Tickle my tootsies and call me something Latin...ooooh. This book puts you in the kind of trance where you don't mind that The Secret History is mercilessly ripped off from Brideshead Revisited. Well, I didn't mind at all because I hadn't read Brideshead Revisited then, which I suspect most of young Donna's readers hadn't either and I further suspect the reviewers of The New York Times and Time hadn't. Or they'd have run her out of town on a rail, if that still happens (I haven't seen it done for years). Oh Donna, oh Donna how does that old song go? I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me. Three stars though! Sometimes it's fun to be fooled.
✨ jamieson ✨ – Feb 09, 2017
"A month or two before, I would have been appalled at the idea of any murder at all. But that Sunday afternoon, as I actually stood watching one, it seemed the easiest thing in the world." this book starts and it's like: hello bitches, welcome to murder club. Here is Bunny, he is dead, he got murdered. strap the fuck in. This book is actually not funny at all. It's about murder, lots of it. In the first page we find out a group of friends killed one of their own - we know the who-dunnit, this "A month or two before, I would have been appalled at the idea of any murder at all. But that Sunday afternoon, as I actually stood watching one, it seemed the easiest thing in the world." this book starts and it's like: hello bitches, welcome to murder club. Here is Bunny, he is dead, he got murdered. strap the fuck in. This book is actually not funny at all. It's about murder, lots of it. In the first page we find out a group of friends killed one of their own - we know the who-dunnit, this is a book about the why this book fucking exposed me so bad. Why did I pick it up ? 'oh, it's got greek mythology mixed in and it's a classic' I lowkey read it for the aesthetic and not because I was interested in the plot which I mostly, did not know. And then what is it about ? people doing things for the aesthetic and getting fucking rekt But also, I heard it's like Kill Your Darlings anD I READ IT IMMEDIATELY. This book fulfills my need to see the holy trinity of dark academia: kill your darlings, dead poets society, the secret history “Beauty is rarely soft or consolatory. Quite the contrary. Genuine beauty is always quite alarming.” In all seriousness because this book is deadly serious (haha) it was surprisingly amazing I wasn't 100% sure what I was expecting, but I loved it much more then that. I was initially going to give it a 4*, but I couldn't think of a single reason why I was actually taking a star off. The writing itself is beautiful, and even if it is dense it is still wonderful. It flows, and I loved the style of the narration. I loved the way that it would flick between the present, and the day of the murder, so that things were slowly revealed. The plot itself was also great - it's split into two parts, the lead up to Bunny's death, and the events after. Although I think I liked the second part more, both were great. I don't read many mysteries, so maybe it's just me being a genre noob but I found the thrill of the story, and the mystery behind why this group of friends decided to kill one of their own THRILLING. I was so wrapped up in this story and the murder and why people did it and how they dealt with that afterwards. But beyond a shadow of a doubt, the highlight of this book is the characters. Deliciously diabolical, flawed to every degree, and yet loveable. They are all strange, and yet something about them is so grounded and realistic I was instantly drawn to them all. The facade they all put up, the way that aesthetic drove their reasoning. I mean, they are all such pretentious motherfuckers and yet something about it is endearing. Maybe it's because they are incredibly human, despite it all. All the characters dealt with an enormity of problems aside from the murder - and that made them relatable, even if they spoke in greek to eachother and smoked dramatically at 2am. I understand why so many of the reviews for this book are so vague now - because it is so hard to explain what this book is really about. It's so, so much more then I expected, and yet I can't even begin to explain to anyone why it's so much better I am SHOOK by this book, I am honestly reeling still about the ending, and everything that happened before that. I adore these characters, even though I fucking hate them so much, and I am so proud of myself, in a way, for reading this. Because it was a challenge for me, and I loved it. “I suppose at one time in my life I might have had any number of stories, but now there is no other. This is the only story I will ever be able to tell.”
Jamie – Sep 04, 2007
Okay, this book. This book was a lot of fun, partially, I think, because it was written in this fashion which made determining whether this was past, present or future virtually impossible. It was very romantically written and I tend to go for that sort of thing: simple meals of tomato soup and skim milk, five college-aged students who drink tea as well as burbon, scotch and on occasion whiskey--but not with anything as muddled and middle-class as coke mixed in--no, they drink it on ice, in thic Okay, this book. This book was a lot of fun, partially, I think, because it was written in this fashion which made determining whether this was past, present or future virtually impossible. It was very romantically written and I tend to go for that sort of thing: simple meals of tomato soup and skim milk, five college-aged students who drink tea as well as burbon, scotch and on occasion whiskey--but not with anything as muddled and middle-class as coke mixed in--no, they drink it on ice, in thick lead-glass tumblers while spending weekends in a shabby (as only the very wealthy can have) weekend "cottage" which is actually a massive Victorian on the New England coast with a grounds keeper. The boys are called "eccentric" but eccentric doesn't quite cut it. They are like no boys I've ever met: dressing souly in dark suits and silken cravats, while the lone female is called Camilla, smokes, speaks with a gravely femme-fatale voice and wears over-sized cashmere sweaters and is compared, looks-wise, to Helen of Troy. This being said, perhaps it's not the most believable of novels, pray tell, however, it is EXACTLY what I LOVE in novels. Granted, there's a murder and some ghastly stuff, but I would much prefer life if it were like this: if No Fear T-shirts had never been invented, if teenagers said "I suppose" and didn't own televisions. If I really had met a girl in college who kept dusty tea-cups and water glasses filled with dandilions on her bedside table. It was a beautiful book with great character development. It got a little to "masterpiece theater" on me at the end and while one twist would have been enough, there was instead a teather of strings going every-which way...but man what a lovely way to get a little bored...It was so well written, so crisp and precise, so pretty and...novel-like. I haven't been so inspired by setting since Edith Wharton. Really. This would have been, sans the creepy, the way I HOPED my liberal arts experience would be, instead of over-weight girls with fake tans and highlights, birth-control contrived boobs and Ann Taylor, Banana Republic wanna-be classy with dimpled upper arms. I never met a Camilla, Charles or Henry. What a shame...kind of. I really prefer books to people. **I write on books and other stuff at www.snapshotnarrative.tumblr.com
Whitney Atkinson – Aug 21, 2018
TW/ drug abuse, alcoholism, suicide ideation & attempts, incest I can’t believe I didn’t read this book sooner. It is one of my new favorites of all time, and certainly of the year. The melancholy tone of this is absolutely my jam. This type of narration with a passive, wallflower main character caught up in this life of glamour and being an outsider somehow permitted to the inside is one that never grows old to me. This book’s imagery was so rich and Richard’s inner monologue so moving that I TW/ drug abuse, alcoholism, suicide ideation & attempts, incest I can’t believe I didn’t read this book sooner. It is one of my new favorites of all time, and certainly of the year. The melancholy tone of this is absolutely my jam. This type of narration with a passive, wallflower main character caught up in this life of glamour and being an outsider somehow permitted to the inside is one that never grows old to me. This book’s imagery was so rich and Richard’s inner monologue so moving that I came out of it feeling like I’d just helped murder Bunny, too. This book is set in the winter, and even as I read this in the dead of summer, I was shivering along to the passages about snow in Vermont. It’s vivid to the point that it wasn’t even like I was watching a movie or seeing each scene; I feel like I became a character in the book. This book was published 5 years before I was born and yet I felt like I was there at Hampden college using payphones and smoking a pack a day. My only two complaints about it are that I wish we could have had equal character development of all the friends in Richard's group because it feels like we really got to know Henry and Francis but not so much Charles and Camilla. Also, because the plot point described in the synopsis occurs only halfway into a 550+ page book, the ending lost some steam. Regardless, I was completely lost in this book. This book took me upwards of two weeks to finish, but never once did I wish it would go by faster. It’s the first book that I’ve actually cherished every page in a while. Whereas tartt’s previous book I read, The Goldfinch, felt like it could have been 200 pages shorter, I relished every page of this. It’s philosophical without being pretentious. It’s melancholy without being fake edgy. I'm glad I read it while I'm still in college.
Annet – May 17, 2008
One of my all time favorites. It's been a while since I read it, have to reread it soon. Great story, very intelligent, very fascinating, keeps you going on and on page by page until the end. Remember reading it on a camping trip in Canada! Simply brilliant. Top ten best reads ever.
Arah-Lynda – Jun 21, 2012
And after we stood whispering in the underbrush – one last look at the body and a last look round, no dropped keys, lost glasses, everybody got everything? – and then started single file through the woods, I took one glance back through the saplings that leapt to close the path behind me. Though I remember the walk back and the first lonely flakes of snow that came drifting through the pines, remember piling gratefully into the car and starting down the road like a family on vacation, with Henry And after we stood whispering in the underbrush – one last look at the body and a last look round, no dropped keys, lost glasses, everybody got everything? – and then started single file through the woods, I took one glance back through the saplings that leapt to close the path behind me. Though I remember the walk back and the first lonely flakes of snow that came drifting through the pines, remember piling gratefully into the car and starting down the road like a family on vacation, with Henry driving clench-jawed through the potholes and the rest of us leaning over the seats and talking like children, though I remember only too well the long terrible night that lay ahead and the long terrible days and nights that followed, I have only to glance over my shoulder for all those years to drop away and I see it behind me again, the ravine, rising all green and black through the saplings, a picture that will never leave me. Donna Tartt had me from the first page. This was a story that I wanted to hear. Some where, inside, a door opened Onto a room I quite like it here I’m comfortable I belong Of course they are all here Henry, Francis, Charles, his sister Bunny And me. The dishes lay waiting to be washed The bed to be made The floor to be cleaned The cat to be fed Life’s detritus, tangled underfoot I read. I am complicit. I suppose at one time in my life I might have had any number of stories, but now there is no other. This is the only story I will ever be able to tell. An absolute masterpiece! Don't miss it. :)
Joe Hill – Sep 25, 2007
Someone just brought up Nietzsche’s Apollonian vs. Dionysian theory, which is described at the link below, if you are as unfamiliar as I was. http://www.geocities.com/danielmacrya... Apparently Donna Tartt was well-versed in this theme, as it is prevalent in The Secret History. The gist of Nietzsche’s theory is that the ancient Greeks attained such a high level of culture mainly due to their personal struggle between the opposing philosophies of Apollo and Dionysus; Apollo being the god of art, a Someone just brought up Nietzsche’s Apollonian vs. Dionysian theory, which is described at the link below, if you are as unfamiliar as I was. http://www.geocities.com/danielmacrya... Apparently Donna Tartt was well-versed in this theme, as it is prevalent in The Secret History. The gist of Nietzsche’s theory is that the ancient Greeks attained such a high level of culture mainly due to their personal struggle between the opposing philosophies of Apollo and Dionysus; Apollo being the god of art, and thus, stagnation, while Dionysus is the god of debauchery and barbarism, and thus, action. This struggle between appreciation for art and culture and a zeal for living is what Nietzsche credits for the Greeks impressive progress. He also believed that the only way we can progress today is to swing the pendulum toward Dionysus. I see Tartt’s Greek professor character as Apollonian—beautiful and seemingly wise, but in the end, shallow, and useless in times of tragedy. His students loved him, but they (or Henry, at least) realized the inherent stagnation in pouring over ancient texts and art--they needed a Dionysian push to move them forward to real progress. This is a rather obvious observation, I think it is even spelled out by the Henry character in the novel. However, the basis for Nietzsche’s theory, which I’m now sure Tartt was aware of, is that the basic will of humans is not to simply survive, but to survive at a level superior to that of your peers. Knowing this adds new colors to the tableau Tartt weaved for us, a story that is ultimately about class struggle (ala Philip Roth, hence, the faux-snubb reference). I think it tells us how carefully Tartt chose her vehicle for this story and reveals a little more of her brilliance.
Eryn – Sep 29, 2017
2019 The fact that I STILL think about this book every other week really makes me to want to label this as my #1 favorite book. It's literally the best thing I have read up until this point. What a mind-blowing novel. ________________________________________ Re-read in 2018 Still flipping amazing. I. Love. This. Book. ________________________________________ 5/5 Stars! EDIT: I read this about two months ago, but I'm still thinking about it! Therefore, I bumped it up half a star, and changed my overall 2019 The fact that I STILL think about this book every other week really makes me to want to label this as my #1 favorite book. It's literally the best thing I have read up until this point. What a mind-blowing novel. ________________________________________ Re-read in 2018 Still flipping amazing. I. Love. This. Book. ________________________________________ 5/5 Stars! EDIT: I read this about two months ago, but I'm still thinking about it! Therefore, I bumped it up half a star, and changed my overall rating to 5 stars. This is seriously such an amazing novel. REVIEW: THIS WAS AMAZING! I swear, I took forever to read this (thank you, college), however, every time I picked it up, I could not get enough of it. The writing and characters were just superb, and I'm honestly quite upset to have finished this. 'Cause what else is going to hold my attention as well as this novel did? I've never read Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch (her most known work), but I'm going to have to pick it up now. Though, I do wonder if that novel will stand a chance against this one. One of the main reasons this novel held my attention was because it wasn't a "who done it" book, but rather a, "why done it." I'm not too fond of mystery novels, however, there was something so sinister and addictive about this book that I really didn't mind the mystery aspects. They were quite wonderful, and only added sparingly. I understand that some of you might pick this book up after my review, and some of you might not (your loss!). But if you do decide to give it a chance, I hope you will appreciate the descriptive and lovely writing that Tartt uses to slowly and steadily pull the reader in. I know there are some of you who won't have the patience for this novel, and that upsets me. However, I really think everyone should give it a chance. These characters - though extremely flawed and messed up - are the sort you will never forget. Honestly, this story is one you'll never forget. It's corrupt and terrible and nonsensical, but oh so addictive. Overall, Donna Tartt has just become an instant-buy author for me. I'm absolutely in love with her writing and her characters, and I cannot wait to read more of her work!
Adina – Jul 21, 2017
DNF at 70% “If you love one book by a certain author it does not automatically mean you will enjoy all the author’s work” (Me, while reading The Secret History) . Before I begin my review I have to inform you that Goldfinch is one of my favorite novels. If you want, you can see my short review here. Based on that fact, there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind of how much I love Donna Tartt’s writing. I thought it was perfect in the first novel I read by her, it kept me coming back for more each DNF at 70% “If you love one book by a certain author it does not automatically mean you will enjoy all the author’s work” (Me, while reading The Secret History) . Before I begin my review I have to inform you that Goldfinch is one of my favorite novels. If you want, you can see my short review here. Based on that fact, there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind of how much I love Donna Tartt’s writing. I thought it was perfect in the first novel I read by her, it kept me coming back for more each day, even though the plot was not overly exciting all the time. Although many reviewers are of the opinion that Goldfinch was too long I thought that it could have had 1000 pages and I would have still savored all of them. The Secret History is a different story entirely. I will admit from the beginning that I did not find the subject too enticing when I read the blurb but, nevertheless, I was looking forward to dive into the novel because it was written by the wonderful Donna Tartt. The beautiful writing is still there, that is one of the few reasons that I made it this far. However, I have a few (read many) problems with the content and I will do my best to explain them below. Firstly, we have the insufferable, snobbish, self-absorbed characters. I am not the kind a reader that needs to like the characters but I want them to be interesting and vivid. The six students felt the same to me, even the main character did not possess any special trait. Maybe Bunny was the only one that gave me strong feelings; it almost brought me to the point where I thought it would be a good idea to be killed. The point is, I enjoy well done villains with interior conflicts but there were none to be found here. Secondly, there is the discrepancy between what I understood the book to be about and what it really was. The blurb states that .“Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries". Let’s begin with the first line, .“under the influence of their charismatic classic professor”. In all the 400 pages that I read I did not see the classic professor as a charismatic character. Actually, the professor was almost non-existent. We are sometimes told about him but when he actually appears in the picture he only has a few flat lines. Oh, and he smiles a lot. I was expecting the teacher and the intellectual conversation between him and the students to have an important presence in the novel, to challenge my thinking, but I was out of luck. I believe we are presented only one discussion from the class, which was essential for the plot, although I did not feel its importance when I read it. We are told about how great and eccentric this professor is but we never actually see it. I was expecting him to be some sort of a disguised devil if he manages to influence his students to commit murder but I do not see how their acts had anything to do with the professor. If anything, he was worried about them when they disappeared for a while and lost contact with them. Going forward, to .“a group of clever, eccentric misfits”. Same problem here, we are told and not showed how smart they were. A .“living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries”. basically means expensive restaurants, a mansion in the countryside and vacation in a palace in Rome. I guess it is a typical existence for people with money, not necessarily something out of ordinary that should deserve our awe. Their first act of “evil” felt underclimatic since, again, we are told about it, we do not actually experience it. It would have been a totally different experience to be there when it happened not to be told by it from a character after a month or so after the deed was done. Finally, I thought there was too much flat, useless dialogue. I wish I had an example to show but I always forget to take notes, sorry. I feel so disappointed for not liking this one but I am not losing my faith in Donna Tartt. I am sure her next book will amaze me once again.
Zweegas – Jul 08, 2007
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay, so let me see if I understand what's going on in this book: These college kids accidentally murder someone while participating in some ancient ritual which involves some form of alternate consciousness. Then, they're shockingly ho-hum about the entire thing because after all it was just some random farmhand or something who just accidentally happened to be around. They never ever discuss this murder. They don't even really feel bad about it until someone threatens to expose them. Plus, ins Okay, so let me see if I understand what's going on in this book: These college kids accidentally murder someone while participating in some ancient ritual which involves some form of alternate consciousness. Then, they're shockingly ho-hum about the entire thing because after all it was just some random farmhand or something who just accidentally happened to be around. They never ever discuss this murder. They don't even really feel bad about it until someone threatens to expose them. Plus, instead of ever discussing the potentially interesting details of their ritual, the book instead chooses to focus on the most boring aspects of the aftermath. There's an entire chapter devoted to a road trip which really needs to be cut out and replaced with: "Yeah, so, we all went to Bunny's funeral. His family was pretty much what we expected." There's a division between the first half of this book and the second half. I was really drawn in to the first half but as soon as the second half begins, it all goes downhill right until the ending which is the worst part of the whole stupid thing. I hate it when books do that. (My reading group's November / December 2006 book selection.)
Sam – Jun 19, 2017
I understand why The Secret History is loathed as much as it is loved. If I remove myself a bit from what I just read, I note implausible dialogue and somewhat unbelievable plot elements, horrifically selfish and nasty main characters, overflowing with evil, sure, but mostly with ennui and snobbery and drunkenness and poor-little-rich-people and an air of erudition that's more smokescreen than substance. I can admit to all of that objectively. Subjectively, I feverishly read this in a day and fou I understand why The Secret History is loathed as much as it is loved. If I remove myself a bit from what I just read, I note implausible dialogue and somewhat unbelievable plot elements, horrifically selfish and nasty main characters, overflowing with evil, sure, but mostly with ennui and snobbery and drunkenness and poor-little-rich-people and an air of erudition that's more smokescreen than substance. I can admit to all of that objectively. Subjectively, I feverishly read this in a day and found it literally unputdownable, obscuring my copy under my desk to finish the last 50 pages at work. I can't tell if I suspended my disbelief, or fully believed and drank the Kool-Aid, or some combination of both. All I can say is that this book seized hold of me and refused to let go, lured me and seduced me with Tartt's picturesque, poetic language and description, the sustained tension and ominous mood, and the intricacies of the dark, feral, brutal natures and impulses that lurk underneath beautiful, polished surfaces. I was compelled to savor the details, but also desperate to turn the pages and read more. I was by turns irritated, disgusted, sympathetic, contemplative of the relationships and actions and reactions of Henry, Bunny, Francis, Charles and Camilla, and though I wouldn't say any rank among the more memorable characters I've read, they ended up being as magnetic as Richard the narrator first found them to be, even if in the end I was repelled by them rather than attracted. I could not look away, I was completely captured and in their and Tartt's spell. And I came to satisfied and unsettled by my satisfaction, as though I shouldn't have liked or enjoyed or been so captivated by such a tale. This book is wicked. I can see how wicked can mean evil/unpleasant, or a New England style excellent for this read, and completely understand its polarizing nature. If you haven't read The Secret History yet and are debating about it, I'd recommend trying it if you're a fan of dense literary novels and don't always need a moral paragon to root for. And if you do decide to pick it up, I can only urge to try as hard as you can to suspend your disbelief and get caught in the web... I can't tell if I devoured it or it devoured me, or both, but either way I loved this wicked book. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars, with a future re-read all but guaranteed.
Abby – Oct 10, 2007
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Secret History by Donna Tartt is like drinking the scotch the characters drink in the book: smooth, sweet, smoky and scalding. You keep drinking, having no idea how drunk your getting. Then you try to stand up and the world falls out from under your feet. The Secret History captured me from the first page with the introduction of the narrator, Richard, and his memories of Hampden College in Vermont. He falls in with a group of "Intellectuals" studying the Classics under the tutelage of an ec The Secret History by Donna Tartt is like drinking the scotch the characters drink in the book: smooth, sweet, smoky and scalding. You keep drinking, having no idea how drunk your getting. Then you try to stand up and the world falls out from under your feet. The Secret History captured me from the first page with the introduction of the narrator, Richard, and his memories of Hampden College in Vermont. He falls in with a group of "Intellectuals" studying the Classics under the tutelage of an eccentric professor. A few members of the group try to re-create the ecstasy of a Bacchanalian festival, and in a horrific turn of events, murder a local farmer while in their trance. While the murder is central to the story, it was the aftermath and VERY surprising ending kept me on the edge of my seat and reading until late in the night. Tartt has written an excellent novel, telling a great story, but also exploring and satirizing the stereotypes that pop-up in liberal arts colleges. Plug in any private liberal arts college and the story would read the same. It is also an interesting discussion about the place of the ancient ideals of honor, justice, beauty and piety in the modern world. Who possesses these traits and are they punished or rewarded? This is a book I highly recommend to anyone looking for a good, stirring read that will leave you feeling a little drunk and disoriented after the last page --- in a good way. :)
Barry Pierce – Dec 27, 2014
Due to my utter adoration for The Goldfinch I decided, for reasons unbeknownst to even myself, that I should give The Secret History another go. See I read it maybe four years ago, I want to say, and I wasn’t the biggest fan. And ever since then I’ve had people constantly telling me just how wrong I was about The Secret History. ‘No, no, it’s a modern classic!’ they’d say to me. Or, ‘wow it seems exactly like the type of book you’d adore.’ And they’re right, it is exactly the type of book I’d ad Due to my utter adoration for The Goldfinch I decided, for reasons unbeknownst to even myself, that I should give The Secret History another go. See I read it maybe four years ago, I want to say, and I wasn’t the biggest fan. And ever since then I’ve had people constantly telling me just how wrong I was about The Secret History. ‘No, no, it’s a modern classic!’ they’d say to me. Or, ‘wow it seems exactly like the type of book you’d adore.’ And they’re right, it is exactly the type of book I’d adore. So why can I not bring myself around to loving it? The Secret History is very much a tale of two novels, the split between them coming when Bunny dies. And that isn’t a spoiler, we’re told in the first line that Bunny dies. The first book being the lead up and the second book being the aftermath, with the group just trying to deal with the fact that they actually killed Bunny. Once again, not a spoiler, we’re told on the first page that the group kill Bunny. And if you don’t like even the first pages of novels being spoiled then I suggest you should go outside more often. Side note: it’s rather depressing to read this novel when you’re the same age as the characters. I felt so under-read. But then I remembered they’re all fictional, so fuck them. The first book is actually quite good. It’s all wonderfully tense as the reader is just waiting for the murder to happen. The inverted murder mystery, which oftentimes does not work, works fantastically here and you wouldn’t be talked over if you referred to The Secret History as perhaps the best example of the whydunit genre. Then my biggest problem with the novel happens: the entire second half. What a fucking slog. Like, jesus. Okay Donna just because you’re writing about a funeral doesn’t mean that the novel itself has to become funereal. The whole book just becomes ‘oh aren’t we really sad!’ and ‘ugh it’s tough being murderers!’ And I think, tell me if I’m wrong here, I think Tartt expects us to sympathise with these fucking monsters. I mean, I’ve sympathised with murderers before. I think Aileen Wuornos had a fairly sound motive. The Unabomber made some good points. But this ragtag group of Enid Blyton rejects? Nah. Not a chance. So what do I think of The Secret History the second time around? Much the same as the first time really. I did enjoy some parts more, especially the first half. I’ll be kind, I’ll bump my star rating up one. Congrats Donna, I now think your first novel is perfectly average! I’m happy for us both. Oh, and isn’t Judy Poovey just the greatest name of a fictional character in the history of Western literature? Judy Poovey. I want to get to know you.
Alex – Sep 01, 2013
Shortly after starting this book I Wikipedia'd Donna Tartt, to see if I was dealing with some sort of reverse George Eliot; I had been under the impression that only men got as smugly pretentious as Tartt does. But no, she's a real lady! Ask Bret Easton Ellis, whom she was banging at U. Miss while in a grad writing course that also included Jonathan Lethem and Jill Eisenstadt, so that is a whopping lot of talent in one course, and also Bret Easton Ellis. And you sortof start to wonder, did he sta Shortly after starting this book I Wikipedia'd Donna Tartt, to see if I was dealing with some sort of reverse George Eliot; I had been under the impression that only men got as smugly pretentious as Tartt does. But no, she's a real lady! Ask Bret Easton Ellis, whom she was banging at U. Miss while in a grad writing course that also included Jonathan Lethem and Jill Eisenstadt, so that is a whopping lot of talent in one course, and also Bret Easton Ellis. And you sortof start to wonder, did he start a competition with Donna Tartt about who could write a book featuring the most douchebags? Did they have a douchebag contest going? That would certainly explain American Psycho. It's the literary douchebag crane kick. Anyway, I guess Tartt's a great writer, because she does a terrific job of inhabiting the sort of insufferable, pedantic twit who brags about knowing the locative case in Greek. Oh, me and my clever little friends! We wear cuff links and read Seneca and describe our ex-girlfriends as "A lowbrow, pop-psychology version of Sylvia Plath...all the clinging, all the complaints, all the parking-lot confessions of 'inadequacy' and 'poor self-image,' all those banal sorrows." Which is a shitty thing for a dude to say, y'know? And, again, Donna Tartt isn't even a dude. It settles down, a bit, after the first quarter or so, into a passably competent thriller-type-thing. Murder and such. It's reasonably entertaining. A bit fixated on "hippies," which word appears 23 times and always with negative connotations, so that's weird, but whatever. I guess we all have our boogeymen. It gets - to use my girlfriend's word, which made me want to just hug the shit out of her - super "plotty" towards the end, which was good, but I felt a little let down by the denouement; I was kinda hoping for (view spoiler)[some huge revelation, like everyone was scheming to frame Richard, or Julian was in on it, or some crazy shit like that, so just having Henry shoot himself was, like...not plotty enough for me? (hide spoiler)] I don't know, that's unfair of me to say but it's how I felt. I've heard people say that the neat thing about Secret History is how it shines a realistic light on what it really means to murder a guy. Like, away with the murder mystery cliches, here's how it happens, and the family's funeral, and everything. And she kinda does, and I can appreciate that. But she gets to it by cheating, doesn't she? (view spoiler)[They get into this situation because they've already killed the other guy, whom they hadn't planned to kill. So it's not about how normal people might interact with murder - it's how normal people who already killed a guy during a Bacchanalian orgy might interact with murder, the next time. (hide spoiler)] That's not the same, and it's not actually realistic either. It's only happened to me like two or three times, and I found it way easier to cover up than these guys did. Maybe I just don't have any friends like Bunny.
Dan Schwent – Dec 23, 2014
When Richard Papen joins an exclusive group of Classics students, he has no idea of the secret world of drugs, alcohol, and violence he's about to be thrust into. When one of the students winds up dead, can the rest cope or destroy themselves? Yeah, it sounds like the crime books I usually read but it's a whole lot deeper than that. This is one of those Big Important Books, full of things like themes and literary references. Like Jim Thompson getting the sauce under control and writing about coll When Richard Papen joins an exclusive group of Classics students, he has no idea of the secret world of drugs, alcohol, and violence he's about to be thrust into. When one of the students winds up dead, can the rest cope or destroy themselves? Yeah, it sounds like the crime books I usually read but it's a whole lot deeper than that. This is one of those Big Important Books, full of things like themes and literary references. Like Jim Thompson getting the sauce under control and writing about college kids. While Donna Tartt tarts it up a bit, the plot is straight out of the noir playbook. Rich kids get in trouble, cover up a murder, commit another murder to cover up that one, and continue down the path of self-destruction. Fortunately, Donna Tartt can write the shit out of things and the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. The characters and the writing set it apart from many similar books. The characters were a well-realized bunch of overly-privileged college brats and their disintegration was very well done. Tartt's writing was several notches beyond what I expected. That being said, I did not love this book hard enough to crush it to death against my manly chest. While the writing was good, it took forever for things to actually happen. I thought it was well done but I'm not precisely sure I actually liked it. Another thing about it that didn't set my world on fire is that I've recently read The Likeness and felt it was a little too soon to read about such a similar group of asshole college kids. All things considered, I guess I was enraptured enough to give this a four. It was good but probably overwritten for what it was.
Helene Jeppesen – Oct 25, 2014
This is such an amazing book that combines crime and Greek language and mythology with Donna Tartt's beautiful writing style. It is a story about guilt, admiration and repercussions and it blew me away. I also gave "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt 5 stars, but these 5 stars are a little bit different. The story in itself was very interesting, but it did have its dull moments. BUT the mood that Donna Tartt succeeds in creating and the relationship we get with the 5 characters and their lives at uni This is such an amazing book that combines crime and Greek language and mythology with Donna Tartt's beautiful writing style. It is a story about guilt, admiration and repercussions and it blew me away. I also gave "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt 5 stars, but these 5 stars are a little bit different. The story in itself was very interesting, but it did have its dull moments. BUT the mood that Donna Tartt succeeds in creating and the relationship we get with the 5 characters and their lives at university is unique! It touched me and gave me a hard time putting down this book. Like so many other stories by Donna Tartt, this is a story that makes you think for days and weeks onwards :)
destini mia – Feb 24, 2015
“I suppose at one time in my life I might have had any number of stories, but now there is no other. This is the only story I will ever be able to tell.” I'm still in limbo after finishing this book. Honestly, I don't know what I was expecting from The Secret History. This is one of those books were you finish the last page, put it down, and don't know what to do with yourself. But walking through it all was one thing; walking away, unfortunately, has proved to be quite another, and though o “I suppose at one time in my life I might have had any number of stories, but now there is no other. This is the only story I will ever be able to tell.” I'm still in limbo after finishing this book. Honestly, I don't know what I was expecting from The Secret History. This is one of those books were you finish the last page, put it down, and don't know what to do with yourself. But walking through it all was one thing; walking away, unfortunately, has proved to be quite another, and though once I though I had left that ravin forever on an April afternoon long ago, now I'm not so sure. This book consumed my every thought. Which says a lot, seeing as it took me a looooongggg time to finish it. Life was constantly butting in which made it really hard to cut out some time to finish this book. But even with the huge breaks I had, I still wanted to come back to it. I couldn't think about anything else but this book. I was working and thinking about this book, eating and thinking about it, trying to sleep and still thinking about it. Those are the best kind of stories, in my opinion. Does such a thing as 'the fatal flaw,' that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist outside literature? I used to think it didn't. Now I think it does. And I think that mine is this: a morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs. So, what the hell is this about? For those who want to go in completely blind, I've tagged the description (this can all be found in the synopsis) (view spoiler)[Just to summarize: Richard moves from California to Vermont to attend Hampden College. Here he meets a group of misfit classic lovers and decides to join their ranks. This group is keeping a few secrets, though, one being a murder they committed during a Bacchian rite (hide spoiler)] . It really isn't about what happens, but how it happens. If that makes any sense. And what I described isn't all that goes on. At all. There is so much more to this book. I knew the gist of the book going in from seeing countless reviews and having friends talk about it, but seeing how everything unravels is what made the book so interesting. Everything builds on itself. The plot, characters . . . it all continues to develop and progress to make a really realistic story despite some supernatural-ish elements. It is long, though. And although I wouldn't say it's slow, Donna Tartt takes her time building the story. If you're used to things developing one after the other with no breaks in between then this is going to be a huge shift in pace. I can see how some would say it's boring, or the characters are flavorless, but it suited what I wanted perfectly. And, wow can Donna Tartt write. Just scroll some of the quotes and you'll definitely see what I'm talking about. “There is nothing wrong with the love of Beauty. But Beauty – unless she is wed to something more meaningful – is always superficial.” I don't even know how to describe how wonderfully this book unfolded. The need, desperation, paranoia . . . by the end I was sweating for these guys. “Are you happy here?" I said at last. He considered this for a moment. "Not particularly," he said. "But you're not very happy where you are, either.” The characters in The Secret History were gray, which completely sucks as a description on my part. These are boys that have committed some atrocious acts. And, in a way, their suffering was completely called for. However, you begin to grow attached to them, even though you know they're far from good. Each one of them had faults that eventually led them to their path (hubris, a wonderful word a was reacquainted with while reading this book), but at the very least I was able to understand why they did the things they did. Kinda. “Some things are too terrible to grasp at once. Other things – naked, sputtering, indelible in their horror – are too terrible to really grasp ever at all. It is only later, in solitude, in memory that the realization dawns: when the ashes are cold; when the mourners have departed; when one looks around and finds oneself – quite to one's surprise – in an entirely different world.” (aaaannnddd the most vague description of the characters and that could have possibly been though up goes to . . . me!). Anyway, before I make an even bigger mess of this review, all I have left to say is, if you're up to it, definitely give this book a shot. It's worth all 559 densely packed pages. “In short: I felt my existence was tainted, in some subtle but essential way.”
☙ percy ❧ – Jul 31, 2014
ok real talk i didn't know what tf Classics was until i read this and then i thought "hey this is canny interesting" so i signed up for a classics summer school at oxford and it turned out half the people there also ended up there bc of this mcfucking book and then the professors were all like "this is a better turn out than usual" and we were all just sitting there trying to pretend that we didn't end up there because of a book about a Classics Murder Club and tl;dr this is the impact this book ok real talk i didn't know what tf Classics was until i read this and then i thought "hey this is canny interesting" so i signed up for a classics summer school at oxford and it turned out half the people there also ended up there bc of this mcfucking book and then the professors were all like "this is a better turn out than usual" and we were all just sitting there trying to pretend that we didn't end up there because of a book about a Classics Murder Club and tl;dr this is the impact this book has had also now i'm studying classics at uni.
Robin – Feb 13, 2017
A classical story becomes twisted in modern times How much do I love and admire Donna Tartt? (This is a rhetorical question; I love and admire her very, very, very much.) I read this compulsively, single-mindedly, with the pure joy of reading sparked by the same excitement I remember having when reading The Goldfinch. She may have focussed on dark subject matter, she may have penned a story filled to the brim with selfish, unimpressed, spoiled brats, but GD can she WRITE. She's just so good. She A classical story becomes twisted in modern times How much do I love and admire Donna Tartt? (This is a rhetorical question; I love and admire her very, very, very much.) I read this compulsively, single-mindedly, with the pure joy of reading sparked by the same excitement I remember having when reading The Goldfinch. She may have focussed on dark subject matter, she may have penned a story filled to the brim with selfish, unimpressed, spoiled brats, but GD can she WRITE. She's just so good. She tells a story in a way that makes me irked at any obstacle that keeps me from the next paragraph. Even if that obstacle is the need to work, socialize, eat and/or sleep. Even if that obstacle is my children (I said it). Death is the mother of beauty. And what is beauty? Terror. The Secret History is a story told by Richard, a character that reminded me a little of Nick Carraway of The Great Gatsby - the observer, the outsider who belongs-but-doesn't, who is complicit-but-not. Moved away from his unhappy life in California, he finds his true home among five insufferable classics students in an exclusive Greek program. These students are Henry, Francis, Bunny, and the twins, Charles and Camilla. --Can I just stop here to say, how brilliant is it that Tartt named them Charles and Camilla?? I mean, really. And not once, in all the many pages, did anyone make reference to the royal couple. This one is far more interesting, anyway.-- We learn in the first chapter that one of the group, the obnoxious mooch Bunny, is murdered by his friends. The rest of the book is the unfolding of how this came about. The story is captivating, filled with mystery and tension. Though the book has a thoroughly modern feel, the ghosts of Dionysus and Bacchus, and other elements of Greek mythology and tragedy taint each page. It ain't pretty. One likes to think there's something in it, that old platitude amor vincit omnia. But if I've learned one thing in my short sad life, it is that that particular platitude is a lie. Love doesn't conquer everything. And whoever thinks it does is a fool. The main criticism I've read of this book is that the characters are not likeable. This is true - no one here is sweet and cuddly. There's no refuge to be found, no soft place to land. But this didn't detract in any way from my enjoyment. The characters may not be people I would choose to go on a hike in the woods with, for example, but they are fascinating. Bunny, with his wheedling, nasally voice, was particularly interesting to me, yet he was one of the most repulsive. These characters drive this compelling and magnificent debut. Forgive me, for all the things I did but mostly for the ones that I did not.
Samadrita – Jul 23, 2013
UPDATE 18/02/2014:-Given how often I think of this book and the conspicuous prickle at the back of my neck every time I remember the characters and their cold complicity in one ignoble act after another, I guess it won't be an exaggeration to state that the memories of reading this book are more potent than the experience of actually reading it was. I am not disowning my earlier review but I believe the only way to be fair to Donna Tartt will be to concede another star. Now begins my earlier revi UPDATE 18/02/2014:-Given how often I think of this book and the conspicuous prickle at the back of my neck every time I remember the characters and their cold complicity in one ignoble act after another, I guess it won't be an exaggeration to state that the memories of reading this book are more potent than the experience of actually reading it was. I am not disowning my earlier review but I believe the only way to be fair to Donna Tartt will be to concede another star. Now begins my earlier review. __ "Some things are too terrible to grasp at once. Other things - naked, sputtering, indelible in their horror - are too terrible to really grasp ever at all. It is only later, in solitude, in memory that the realization dawns: when the ashes are cold; when the mourners have departed; when one looks around and finds oneself - quite to one's surprise - in an entirely different world." Oh this vile bunch of snot-nosed college brats, fattened on their parents' money like ticks on blood. Oh their ennui and way of seeking solace in esoteric practices believing them to be the one-way ticket to some metaphysical dimension which will exclude us mere working class mortals with our worldly woes from entering and interfering with whatever unearthly pursuits they busy themselves with. Well guess what kids? We would like to be rid of over-confident, smug, self-important, world-weary bastards like you too. I almost wish I could go on a mad rampage during an eye-roll inducing, unbelievably ridiculous Dionysian rite and kill every single one of you as well. The Secret History is one of the best crime thrillers I have ever read. And this is perhaps because this is not a crime thriller in the conventional sense of the term but literary fiction with moral ambiguity and loss of innocence as central themes. The actual crime(s) is a minor part of the narrative and doesn't eclipse the gradual build up to it or the domino effect it triggers subtly, a devastating chain reaction which results in the collective crumbling of the fabric of 5 young lives. And it is the shadow of this crime, the anticipation of its occurrence and the crushing psychological aftermath of it that lends the narrative its true substance. A discrepancy between the occasional sting of conscience felt by the perpetrators of the crime and their previous heinously selfish justification of the act of murder is what makes this book so utterly engrossing and a veritable unputdownable. Because here we aren't dealing with the solution of a complicated police case but instead getting acquainted with a thread of events which also happen to include a murder from the narrator's point of view who is a reluctant accomplice to the crime. But then why the conflicted 3-star rating? That's because I foresaw every unimaginative turning point or cliched plot device thrown in for the sake of heightening the drama. A third of the way into the narrative, with the grand revelation (which is not very grand to be honest), the unravelling of the rest of the story becomes very guessable. This is not to mention the 'Argentum' fallacy which Manny has pointed out in his review already. Any attentive reader who has a grasp of high school level basic chemistry will realize that 'Aurum' refers to gold, 'Argentum' refers to silver. But these aren't even the major irritants. My biggest problem is with the ludicrous contrivances that are passed off in the name of a premise for the story to build itself on. There's a tinge of unreality to the idea of a super close knit fraternity of 5 snobbish students of classical Greek in a college in 80s Vermont mentored by an even more snobbish and elitist professor, the narrator conveniently finding an entry into this brotherhood sort of grouping out of the blue and becoming a passive spectator to the sequence of events which follow. And lastly the main characters are hardly believable, especially the sole female character who remains a vaguely outlined one at best. The 3 stars are for Tartt's writing which is never showy or deliberate but graceful and quite excellent. I hope The Goldfinch is more impressive and free of proof-reading errors.
mathilde maire – Mar 02, 2013
i think the fact that i've just read 600 pages in a day is indication enough that this book is everything to me
mark monday – Feb 18, 2011
The Secret History is about as convincing as Less Than Zero. how has this book stayed so popular? well, Less Than Zero also remains popular. i'll take lev grossman's The Magicians over both of them, and that one is aggravating too. (1) i'm so tired of people who are so tired of everything! (1b) ennui is so very boring, almost as boring as (2) pretentious know-it-alls. this book manages to combine all three. i learned nothing except a new way to be irritated. oh, donna tartt... as if!
The Brothers Karamazov: Optimized for ebook. Illustrated
The Wizard of Oz, with eBook
The Iliad of Homer (1873)
Treasure Island, with eBook
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with eBook
Heart of Darkness, with eBook
The Time Machine, with eBook
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Tag Archive: Navy reserve center in CO
VFW Post 8870 and Auxiliary > Navy reserve center in CO
Ed Shepherd Celebrates Centennial: born on the 4th of July
Author: Editor July 21, 2018
The World War II veteran, who survived the sinking of a Navy ship in 1943 and raised a family that honors his humor as well as his heroism, celebrated his 100th birthday on the Fourth of July.
Shepherd waved from a float during the parade in Edmonds on the 4th. Then he gathered with loved ones at a post-parade barbecue and party at the Elks Lodge. He shared a long table with four generations of his family, including his brother, daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Friends sat around other tables.
Edgar Shepherd survived the sinking of the USS Helena in the Battle of Kula Gulf. The light cruiser, which had come through the Pearl Harbor attack, was tasked with protecting other ships in the South Pacific during the Guadalcanal campaign. The Helena went down on July 6, 1943. Nearly 170 crewmen died. Shepherd was part of a group that clung to a lifeboat.
He kept a dollar bill signed by the sailors who survived. It was one of two bills he had in his pocket at the time. He used the other bill, a five, to pay for telegrams so they could tell their families they were alive.
Shepherd was born in Pennsylvania, one of four brothers. He joined the Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. On the USS Helena, he worked in the plotting room, which included the control system for the guns. He also fought in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
After finishing his time at sea, he helped start a Navy reserve center in Colorado before moving to California to help his uncle open a doughnut shop. He got a job in Los Angeles at an electrical company where he worked for 24 years.
A friend persuaded him to visit Seattle, and Shepherd bought a house in Edmonds. He lives there with daughter Paula Kilbourne.
She once offered to take him whitewater rafting. He turned her down. She asked if he didn’t think she’d be a good guide. That’s not it, he told her. He clung to a rubber raft, adrift in dark waters after the USS Helena sank. He wasn’t interested in getting on a raft again.
Photos The Herald, Article excerpted from The Herald article by Kari Bray, July 5, 2018
Battle of Kula Gulf, battles of Iwo Jima, battles of Okinawa, Ed Shepherd, Ed Shepherd Centennial, Navy reserve center in CO, USS Helena, WWII US Navy
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Ancient Megalithic Sites Are 'Alive'
Ancient Megalithic Sites Are 'Alive' May 13, 2017 14:27:25 GMT -5
Post by Graveyardbride on May 13, 2017 14:27:25 GMT -5
Ancient Megalithic Sites Are ‘Alive’
It doesn't take much to stimulate the human body’s electro-magnetic circuitry, in fact a small change in the local environment is enough to create a change in awareness. People who visit ancient temples and megalithic sites often describe such a sensation. The standard explanation is that such feelings are nothing more than a “wow” factor: the result of visual stimuli from the overwhelming impression generated by megalithic constructions such as stone circles, ancient temples and pyramids. But the cumulative evidence proves otherwise: that megaliths and other ancient sacred places are actually attracting, storing, even generating their own energy field, creating the kind of environment where one can enter an altered state of consciousness.
Generating Energy Fields. In 1983, a comprehensive study was undertaken by engineer Charles Brooker to locate magnetism in sacred sites. The test subject was the Rollright stone circle (above) in England. A magnetometer survey of the site revealed how a band of magnetic force is attracted into the stone circle through a narrow gap of stones that act as the entrance. The band then spirals towards the center of the circle as though descending down a rabbit hole. Two of the circle’s western stones were also found to pulsate with concentric rings of alternating current, resembling ripples in a pond.
Such discoveries help us decipher what the ancients were up to when they built megalithic structures. At the Temple of Edfu in Egypt, there is a wall featuring what amounts to a recipe for establishing a space that differs energetically from its surrounding landscape – a temple. The instructions describe how certain creator gods first established a mound and “pierced a snake” to the spot, whereupon a special force of nature impregnated the mound, which led to the construction of the physical temple. The symbol of the serpent has always been a culturally shared metaphor of the Earth’s meandering lines of force, what scientists refer to as telluric currents.
Controlling the Laws of Nature. It seems ancient architects had a fine degree of control of the laws of nature, because a recent study of energy fields in and around Avebury, the world’s largest stone circle, shows how its megaliths are designed to attract a ground current into the site. Electrodes planted at Avebury reveal how its circular ditch breaks the transmission of telluric ground current and conducts electricity into the ditch, in effect concentrating energy and releasing it at the entrance to the site, sometimes at double the rate of the surrounding land. Magnetic readings at Avebury die away at night to a far greater level than can be accounted for under natural circumstances. They charge back at sunrise, with the ground telluric current from the surrounding land attracted to the henge just as magnetic fluctuations of the site reach their maximum. Studies conducted by the late physicist John Burke also discovered how the stones of Avebury are deliberately placed and aligned so as to focus electro-magnetic currents to flow in a premeditated direction using an identical principle to modern atomic particle colliders, in which airborne ions are steered in one direction.
The effect of sacred sites behaving like concentrators of electromagnetic energy is enhanced by the choice of stone. Often moved across enormous distance, the stone used in megalithic sites contains substantial amounts of magnetite. The combination makes temples behave like weak, albeit huge, magnets.
Spiritual Technology. This has a profound influence on the human body, particularly the dissolved iron that flows in blood vessels, not to mention the millions of particles of magnetite floating inside the skull, and the pineal gland, which itself is highly sensitive to geomagnetic fields, the stimulation of which begins the production of chemicals such as pinolene and seratonin, which, in turn, leads to the creation of the hallucinogen DMT. In an environment where geomagnetic field intensity is decreased, people are known to experience psychic and shamanic states.
An exhaustive investigation into the Carnac (above) region of France, where some 80,000 megaliths are concentrated, reveals a similar spiritual technology at work. At first the leading researcher, electrical engineer Pierre Mereux, was skeptical that megalithic sites possessed any special powers. His study of Carnac shows how its dolmens amplify and release telluric energy throughout the day, with the strongest readings occurring at dawn. The voltage and magnetic variations are related and follow a phenomenon known as electric induction. Mereux’s readings of menhirs reveal an energy that pulsates at regular intervals at the base, positively-and negatively-charged, up to 36 feet from these upright monoliths, some of which still show carvings of serpents. Extreme pulsations recycle approximately every 70 minutes, showing that the menhirs charge and discharge regularly. Mereux also noticed how the voltage of standing stones in the Grand Ménec alignment diminished the farther away they lay from the stone circle, which itself behaved as a kind of condenser or concentrator of energy.
The composition of the stones and their ability to conduct energy were not lost on Mereux and others. Being very high in quartz, the specially-chosen rocks are piezoelectric, which is to say they generate electricity when compressed or subjected to vibrations. The megaliths of Carnac, positioned as they are upon 31 fractures of the most active earthquake zone in France, are in a constant state of vibration, making the stones electromagnetically active. It demonstrates that the menhirs were not planted on this location by chance, particularly as they were transported from 60 miles away, because their presence and orientation is in direct relationship to terrestrial magnetism.
Sacred Sites and Magnetic Portals. Ancient Mysteries traditions around the world share one peculiar aspect: they maintain how certain places on the face of the Earth possess a higher concentration of power than others. These sites, named “spots of the fawn” by the Hopi Indians, eventually became the foundation for many sacred sites and temple structures we see today. What is interesting is that each culture maintains that these special places are connected with the heavens by a hollow tube or reed, and by this umbilical connection the soul, is capable of engaging with the Otherworld during ritual. However, it also allows a conduit for the spirit world to enter this physical domain.
In 2008, NASA may have unwittingly proved this observation to be true when it published details of an investigation into FTEs, or flux transfer events, in which this organization describes how the Earth is linked to the sun by a network of magnetic portals which open every eight minutes. Such discoveries help to validate, in the scientific eye, the long-held belief by sensitives and dowsers since the recording of history that megalithic sites and ancient temples are places set aside from the normal world, where a person can connect with locations far beyond this planetary sphere. Certainly the ancient Egyptian priests regarded the temple as far more than a conglomerate of dead stones. Every dawn they awakened each room with orations, treating the temple as a living organism that sleeps at night and awakens at dawn.
Source: The Divine Blueprint: Temples, Power Places, and the Global Plan to Shape the Human Soul by Freddy Silva, 2012.
Note: Silva’s book is available at Amazon: www.amazon.com/Divine-Blueprint-Temples-Places-Global/dp/0985282444
Post by natalie on May 16, 2017 14:00:06 GMT -5
I've heard people say this about climbing Machu Picchu as well.
Post by Kate on May 16, 2017 15:59:42 GMT -5
I would love to take a trip to England and Scotland where I didn't have to hurry and see some of the megalithic sites, especially the Rollrights and the Callanish stones on the Isle of Lewis.
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The MacArthur
the macarthur is a historic special events venue in los angeles.
The MacArthur was originally built in 1925 for the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, who sought to create a memorial for members who lost their lives during World War I. The building was designed by renowned Art Deco architect Claud Beelman during his time as Senior Partner at the prestigious firm Curlett + Beelman.
Conceived in the Gothic Revival architectural style, the building features enormous angels on each corner of its exterior and a set of antique brass elk antlers above the grand entry to the building. The elaborate interior murals and decorative paintings were designed by Anthony Heinsbergen and Co, noted painter of numerous Los Angeles cultural landmarks. The central design of the lobby ceiling is based on the Villa Madama, a Renaissance era project by Raphael and Giulio Romano.
The Elks later sold the building due to shrinking attendance in their ranks, after which it was transformed into a luxurious hotel set perfectly on the once glamorous MacArthur Park. Today, The MacArthur has been used exclusively for events and filming for the past two decades. The MacArthur will soon become a hotel once more.
607 S. Park View Street
Los Angeles, CA — 90057
Follow us on Instagram @TheMACARTHURLA
The MacArthur was built in 1925 by the Elks, who originally designated it Elk’s Lodge Number 99. Throughout the years, The MacArthur has entertained some of the most illustrious characters in Hollywood and has been featured in countless films, television shows and commercials. During the 1932 Summer Olympics, The MacArthur also hosted a number of the indoor swimming events in its basement pool.
When the Elks sold the building in the early 1970s, the building was transformed into one of the most coveted luxury hotels in Los Angeles: The Park Plaza Hotel. However, as the area surrounding MacArthur Park
became increasingly dangerous, The MacArthur fell into disrepair. The building then became a popular venue for underground punk rock shows throughout the 80s and 90s.
During this time, many of the surrounding landmarks on Wilshire Boulevard fell prey to the wrecking ball. Despite this, the City of Los Angeles thought the architecture of The MacArthur significant enough to designate it as a Historic-Cultural Monument. Under new ownership, The MacArthur is currently being restored to its original grandeur.
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Could a Black Mirror dystopian world actually become our future?
Imagine a world where the freedom of how you live depends on your social media rating. This is how citizens in China will live by 2020.
The Chinese Government is introducing a new ‘Social Credit System’ in 2020 where citizens will be given scores based on their behaviour.
This is similar to an episode in the Netflix dystopian thriller Black Mirror, which portrays the life of a woman who lives in a world where everyone is treated depending on their social score. The idea seems crazy and we wondered how bizarre it would be to live in a world like that. But for the 1.4 billion people living in China it’s becoming a reality.
Image courtesy of Free Stocks via Unsplash.
The Chinese government is rolling out a similar scheme that ranks people based on their behaviour. In an attempt to encourage ‘trustworthiness’ in society, the new social credit system will see people with better scores receiving perks such as discounts on heating bills or usage of free gym facilities. Digital revolutionary policies like this could only be conceived by an authoritarian regime like the Chinese Communist Party.
The system works as a mass surveillance tool and uses data analysis technology to monitor citizens. Bad behaviour includes not seeing family members regularly, bad driving, smoking in non-smoking zones or paying bills late. As the nationwide scheme is in its early stages, local governments have launched their own versions to test it out.
In eastern province Rongcheng, the system allocates 1,000 points to each resident. As soon as they get a parking ticket or spend too long playing video games, their points are deducted. If a person’s score is too low, they will be banned from public transport and planes, or from sending their children to the best schools.
Although the system will not officially be put into place until 2020, Chinese authorities have claimed they have already banned more than seven million people who are untrustworthy.
According to the State Council Notice in the ‘Planning Outline for the Construction of a Social Credit System’, the system “is an important basis for comprehensively implementing the scientific development view and building a harmonious Socialist society”, which should “allow the trustworthy to roam everywhere under heaven while making it hard for the discredited to take a single step”.
Here’s a dystopian vision of the future: A real announcement I recorded on the Beijing-Shanghai bullet train. (I’ve subtitled it so you can watch in silence.) pic.twitter.com/ZoRWtdcSMy
— James O’Malley (@Psythor) October 29, 2018
Eight large Chinese companies are also trialling the system. For example, ‘Alibaba’s Sesame Credit’, uses big data algorithms to decide peoples scores based on their social media interactions and purchases from their website.
Now imagine if the British Government introduced a similar scheme where you were banned from using the tube or entering your local pub because your social credit score was too low.
English economist, Professor Mark Harrison, from the University of Warwick spoke to Voice of London about the uproar there would be in response to the system if it was implemented in the United Kingdom.
“There would be more obstacles here in the way of the government than in China. In China, one party monopolizes the state, and private property rights are basically subject to political conformity. If the party or the government issues an instruction, it is hard to resist, even if the instruction goes against one’s private interest. In the UK, there are private property rights and other rights that give people the ability and the incentive to resist government instructions.”
It’s hard to say how the lives of Chinese citizens will change when the official system is put into place in 2020.
Words: Daisy Newman | Subbing: Shruti Tangirala
Posted in Featured, Lifestyle, Tech, Technology
Tagged culture, lifestyle, Society, tech, technology
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Watch Live TV from Malta
Television in Malta was first introduced in 1959. The first person to sell televisions in Malta was The Most Noble Count Consiglio D'Amato. The first television that could be watched were RAI broadcasts from Sicily. In 1962 TVM was launched as a Maltese public broadcaster by the Public Broadcasting Services. TVM remains the most popular channel in the country. It is a member of the EBU. In 1991 the government opened the television market to more stations, but rather than allow private companies, they initially gave licenses to the two main political parties and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malta. The Labour Party's television network One remains the second most popular network, while the Nationalist-controlled NET Television is the third most popular.
Watch Parliament TV Live TV from Malta
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Watch ONE News Malta Live TV from Malta
Watch TVM Television Malta Live TV from Malta
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Why the Republicans’ Tax Proposal Will Disproportionately Harm Black Families
Frederick Reese | Atlanta Black Star
Following the Democrats’ unexpectedly thorough victory this past election day, where the party won almost every competitive race, the congressional Republicans found themselves in an unexpected position, of losing part of their base. Desperate to pass their first major piece of legislation before the 2018 midterm election season begins, the congressional Republicans are eyeing an aggressive tax reform package as their key to validating the Right’s faith in them.
The competing versions of the tax proposal — the Senate version was released on November 9, with the House version being released a week prior — will both reduce taxes on average for all income groups, per analysis by the Tax Policy Center. However, with the top two quintiles by income receiving 78.7 percent of all total federal tax and those in the bottom two quintiles seeing less than a 1 percent change in their average after-tax income, the House proposal is specifically designed to appease wealthy and corporate campaign donors. The House tax proposal will yield $6.2 trillion in tax savings over the next decade, with 47 percent of this going to the top 1 percent.
In contrast, the tax proposal proposed by 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton would have raised taxes $1.4 trillion over a decade, with the wealthiest 1 percent — those with cash income in excess of $699,000 — paying for 92 percent of this. The lowest two quintiles would have received the greatest benefits under this plan.
African-Americans — particularly, poor African-Americans — are likely to be hit hard by these tax proposals. While the impact will be less than that of the proposals Donald Trump originally called for in 2016, the effect of these possible changes stand to exacerbate poverty rates, increase the wealth disparity gap, and stop Black post-Great Recession recovery dead in its tracks.
The House and Senate plans both call for deep cuts to the corporate tax rate. Republicans have for years made the claim that the corporate tax rate is too high and that it is strangling the nation’s competitiveness in world markets. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development argues that it is true that the United States does have the highest corporate tax rate, but only if you are looking at the statutory rate.
As the United States uses a deductions-based tax system, the statutory rate represents only the most one can pay, without fine or other penalties. In reality, the average effective corporate tax rate, per OECD, is only 18 percent — below Argentina, Japan, and the United Kingdom and two percent lower than the twenty percent rate proposed by the Republican proposals.
A key philosophy in Republican tax bill writing is “broaden the base, lower the rate,” which can be translated into a push to lower the statutory rates while limiting or closing loopholes that affect the effective rate. In other words, the strategy behind the Republican proposals is to have those that would pay the 20 percent statutory rate actually pay 20 percent corporate income tax — which would be a tax increase for most businesses.
This push to bring the statutory and effective rates in line extend to income taxes, as well. The Republican proposals opt to eliminate most deductions, including elimination of the state and local tax deduction, a reduction of the mortgage interest deduction (the House limits it to the first $500,000 of a property’s cost, the Senate to the first $1 million), and an elimination of the dependent deduction (this will be met with an increase in the child tax credit and the standard deduction). Also to be affected is the estate tax (the House wants it fully eliminated, the Senate wants to double the threshold for the tax). Since the bill was introduced, the House bill has undone the elimination of the adoption tax credit.
Beyond the obvious that such proposals would punish those that itemize their taxes in states with heavy state tax burdens — which are typically blue states, like New York and California — and taxpayers that have more than two children (African-American families are more likely to have four or more children than white families), these deduction eliminations may have a deeper implication.
Take renting, for example. African-Americans outpace all other races in regards to households that pay rent for their primary residence. As of the third quarter 2017, 42 percent of African-American households owned their home, compared to 72.5 percent of non-Hispanic whites, 46 percent of Hispanics, and 57.1 percent of all other races, per the U.S. Census Bureau. Aggressive home lending policies and a post-Great Recession recovery have had minimal effect on increasing the home purchasing rates for Black homeowners over the last ten years.
This is troubling when taken with the news that the average African-American household in 2016 paid 44 percent of their take-home income in rent, a four-point increase from five years earlier. A study by Zillow showed the average income for Black households over the same period of time only increased by 2.9 percent, compared to a 5.4 percent rise in white communities. In white communities, the average cost of rent is about 31 percent.
This is causing an affordability crisis. As more African-American families must pay more for housing, they can save less to actually buy their own homes. This ensures that more Black households stay renters longer. “African-American and Hispanic renters find themselves in a catch-22 situation — while owning a home is a great way to build wealth, you need to save up some cash to be able to buy. If you’re spending close to half of your income on rent, saving up that down payment is going to be incredibly difficult,” Dr. Svenja Guedell, chief economist for Zillow, said in a press release.
Per Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, more than 11 million American households spend more than 50 percent of their take-home income in rent.
A little-reported element of the Republicans’ tax proposal threatens to exacerbate this problem. The Senate bill seeks to protect the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit that the House bill seeks to limit. The Low Income Housing Tax Credit is singularly the nation’s chief engine for affordable housing investment. The credit gives a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for the development of affordable housing for Americans with low incomes. Roughly 90 percent of all affordable housing construction in the United States is funded in part through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit.
The push for a 20 percent corporate statutory tax rate will effectively dry out the low-income housing funding industry. The House bill eliminates the tax exemption on private-activity bonds — the primary way municipalities and states pay for LIHTC projects. These are tax-exempt bonds that can be offered by a governmental agency to a private developer for qualifying projects. The elimination of these could mean the elimination of 60,000 affordable houses built or rehabilitated per year.
Even though the Senate bill protects PABs, the 20 percent corporate tax rate still hinders the effectiveness of LIHTC funding. “It would be a catastrophe,” Bob Moss, principal and national director of governmental affairs at CohnReznick, told Affordable Housing Finance. “In New York alone, housing advocates project that [the state] will lose $4.5 billion in affordable housing investment, 17,000 affordable homes, and 28,000 jobs annually. The national impact of losing 50 percent of production is devastating, at a time when an estimated 25 million Americans are paying more than 50 percent of their monthly income in rent.”
This push to curry political favor before the midterms bears the potential of causing economic calamity for millions. Peter Schaeffing is the president of High Impact Financial Analysis, a top-five national community development finance consultancy. In conversation with Atlanta Black Star, Schaeffing explained that the tax proposals not only have the potential to stop new low-income housing development but slow the development of job-creating commercial properties in low-income communities as well.”
“The tax reform bill would reduce the supply of affordable housing, and slow other development in low-income, distressed neighborhoods,” Schaeffing said. “People of color will be disproportionately affected by the elimination of the historic tax credit, the new markets tax credit, and private activity bonds (which facilitate 60 percent of affordable housing developments using the low-income housing tax credit). These changes would have a devastating impact on communities’ ability to meet the increasing demand for affordable housing, further increasing the rent burden on minority families.”
In real terms, the Republicans’ tax plans have the potential to raise the rent burden on low-income African-American households. This can create a cash crunch that would limit the ability to buy food and other essentials and to have any discretionary spending. This could crater the economy of the Black community, creating a sectored economic depression. Such a scenario would not only make the wealth disparity gap worse but would endanger the health and well-being of millions.
“Americans are especially likely to face a tax increase if they have a smaller family, have mostly wage income instead of investment income, or claim some of the many deductions that the bill repeals, like those for state and local taxes and employee business expenses,” Lily Batchelder, a professor and tax specialist at New York University Law School who worked on economic policy in the Obama administration, told the New York Times. “They are increasing taxes on many in the middle class while concentrating their tax cuts on the wealthy.”
With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell admitting that the Senate’s tax proposal will raise taxes for some in the middle class, and with most conceding that the Senate bill is the more compassionate of the two towards non-wealthy taxpayers, one must ask who exactly do the Congressional Republicans serve?
“If the tax proposals go through, it will lead to stagnation in low-income housing construction, among other things,” Schaeffing added. “As the demand forlow-incomee housing has not been met, this can lead to increases in poverty and homelessness, with the most at-risk populations being the first to lose.”
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Staunton, March 24 – Whenever people are confronted by changes that call into question existing paradigms, their first reaction typically is to deny that anything has happened or that it is significant, but their second is to seek analogies and parallels in the past as guides to understanding.
In recent weeks, the murder of Boris Nemtsov, Moscow’s increasing flirtation with fascist groups abroad, and continuing troubles in its imperial borderlands, this search for analogies has intensified, and the parallels they suggest can promote a new empiricism, one that combines the insights the analogies provide and the current facts on the ground.
Three analogies suggested this week may prove especially fruitful in that regard.
Vadim Shtepa, one of Russia’s most important regionalists, points out that the murder of Boris Nemtsov “gave rise in society to numerous historical analogies, at times extremely exotic ones.” It has been compared to the murders of Rasputin, Kirov and the Italian anti-fascist Giacomo Matteoti” (rufabula.com/articles/2015/03/23/missed-successor).
But, as Shtepa points out, few have drawn “the more obvious parallel” between the political fates of Boris Nemtsov and Lev Trotsky, two figures who helped make the revolution, then were cast aside by other forces, and finally murdered by the victors in that struggle – and they have failed to do so even though that parallel was suggested already eight years ago.
In 2007, he recalls, Aleksandr Melikhov, a St. Petersburg writer, drew that analogy in extremely suggestive ways. “Both Nemtsov and Trotsky had unusual capacities for exact science, but both gave those up for the political struggle. Both rose to the heights of the second person in the state, and both were thrown down from these heights” (idelo.ru/484/18.html).
Moreover, Melikhov pointed out, both wrote books “about the causes of their rise and fall,” yet another thing that links the two together despite their complete ideological divide: “if Trotsky was a flaming communist, then Nemtsov on the contrary was a radical anti-communist liberal.”
If one substitutes the words “democracy and reform” for “communism and revolution” and Yeltsin for Lenin, the St. Petersburg writer said, the parallels become even more obvious. “During the last years of Lenin’s life, Trotsky was viewed by many as his natural ‘successor,’ and he himself supposed himself to be exactly that.”
Similarly, Boris Yeltsin between 1994 and 1998, “sometimes as a joke and sometimes in all seriousness,” called Nemtsov his “’successor,’” apparently because he viewed “the young Nizhny Novgorod governor and later Russian vice prime minister” as someone capable of continuing what he had begun.
Like Trotsky, Melikhov argued, Nemtsov saw himself exactly in that way and thus failed to notice that others around Yeltsin had won a political struggle for the future that Nemtsov himself had never felt he had to take part in. As a result, Nemtsov’s rating, like that of Trotsky in the 1920s, fell, and Yeltsin had to turn to someone else.
Just as Trotsky’s revolutionary idealism was out of step and in fact a threat to the party bosses Stalin had assembled into his machine, Shtepa says, so too Nemtsov’s democratic idealism was out of step and in fact a threat to the oligarchs, siloviki and security service officers that Vladimir Putin ultimately assembled around himself.
And consequently, just as Trotsky was forced out of the Moscow political elite and finally murdered by Stalin’s agents in Mexico, so too Nemtsov was driven out of the center of Russian officialdom and ultimately murdered by those who viewed what he represented as a threat to their power.
Such parallels, the Russian regionalist says, are simply too powerful to ignore, and their consequences obviously extend far behind the murders of two individuals and point to the fate of the countries over whose futures they fought.
Yevgeny Ikhlov also offers an analogy this time between Putinism and Hitlerism not just as a reaction to the assemblage of European fascists in St. Petersburg but with a look back to Andranik Migranyan’s suggestion year ago that there was “a good Hitler” before the Nazi leader attacked Poland and became “the bad Hitler” (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=5511136348F11).
There are two signs, the Moscow commentator says, which suggest parallels between “the late Putin and the early Hitler:” their opposition to all international groupings which might restrict their activities and their attraction of fanatical supporters abroad among those who share many of their ideas.
On the one hand, Ikhlov writes, Putin’s struggle with the European Union, one that involves a mix of carrots and sticks, including most recently his nuclear threats against Denmark “almost point by point copy the policy of Berlin in the 1930s against the League of Nations and the system of alliances France made with the countries of Eastern Europe.”
And on the other, he argues that “Putin is the first ruler after Stalin and Hitler who has in Europe a significant number of political deifiers,” people and movements looking for someone to lead them. What happened in St. Petersburg over the weekend, Ikhlov says, “yet again showed that mentally, the Putin regime firmly occupies the place of ‘pre-Poland’ Germany.”
There is no question, he says, that this will have additional consequences in the future. And although Ikhlov doesn’t, Dozhd TV pointed out that the Putin regime has now decided there are two categories of fascists: those who support Putin are “good;” those who don’t are “bad” (tvrain.ru/articles/oni_horoshie_fashisty_potomu_chto_podderzhivajut_rossiju_forum_ultrapravyh_v_peterburge-384408/).
The third set of these analogies is drawn by Kyamran Agayev, who argues that “Russia but not Ukraine is repeating the fate of the Ottoman Empire” and that “the Kremlin ‘sultan’” is surrounded by “his political ‘eunuchs,’” much as the Ottoman sultan was several centuries ago (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=55106F04BA8A5).
Many Russian commentators have suggested that Ukraine today is “the sick man of Europe” just as many Europeans described the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, suggestions that carry with the implication that Ukraine will eventually fall apart regardless of how much the West tries to prop it up.
But if one considers the issue from a more scientific and historical approach, Agayev says, it becomes clear that it is not Ukraine that is similar to the Ottoman state but rather “Putin’s Russia,” especially if one recalls that “the main reasons” for the former’s collapse was the unwillingness of the sultan to carry out reforms, his reliance on reactionary values, and his challenging behavior to “the leading European states” of the day.
Others have considered this analogy as well, and for an especially thoughtful discussion of it, see the recent article by and interview with Rein Taagepera at blog.ut.ee/the-second-crimean-war-when-decaying-empires-strike-back/ and worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/alexander-j-motyl/decline-russian-empire.
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Learn English in London
Once again dwell on the importance of education in a modern and comfortablennogo world. In modern conditions practically all spheres of life and production, and this in turn requires staff who is involved in the maintenance of equipment, should have an appropriate knowledge base. And so, like most high-tech equipment, unfortunately, produced abroad, the most CoveringFirst documentation supplied is not in Russian, but mostly in English. The explanation for this is quite simple, because English is the language of international communication in scientific, educational, economic and industrial environment. That is why it is so important in modern conditions to know English. Methods of studying it, there are many,all professionals certainly agree that it is best that process takes place in a natural language environment, surrounded by its speakers. Certainly, each of us, who taught in the School of English, remembers the phrase "London is the capital of Great Britain". In a geographical sense, not argue with that. In modern conditions you have a greatopportunity to evaluate the whole world not only London from afar, but straight, so to speak, from the inside, having participated in the program of teaching English in the heart of England - its capital. So you can go, using the services of London Consulting Center en-rus.co.uk. To date, it has become available to many:
children who are given the opportunity to visit the summer language camps, combine rest and exciting program of language learning;
students - through existing programs of general and specialized sections of the English language;
business people - the courses of general and business guidesennosti.
Learn English in London will not only study it (language) more fully, but also count on the possibility of continuing education programs in British universities.
<< Kira Plastinina -... Features Backpacks >>
27.10.2012 17:57 Learning foreign language
24.07.2013 13:48 What is interpretation?
30.01.2013 19:30 Learning English language
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Team Principle Peter Sauber and Technical Director Willy Rampf stand in front of the 3,000 kW main fan.
In mid-December, Architect Walter W?schle presented a 55 pound symbolic key to a n" />
Issue: Feb 2004
Swiss Breeze
New Sauber Petronas Wind Tunnel takes on Formula 1 and more.
by Roberto Chellini
In mid-December, Architect Walter W?schle presented a 55 pound symbolic key to a new facility in Hinwil, Switzerland, to Peter Sauber, Team Principal of the Sauber Petronas Formula 1 team. The magnificent new structure was built primarily to house a new wind tunnel, but a large portion of this building, in fact, has a multifunction purpose and is designed to host special events, the Sauber car museum, the racing teams, the R&D team, etc.
�For me, the new wind tunnel is both a technical and a marketing tool. It upgrades the Hinwil location immensely and is also meant to send a message to automotive manufacturers,� Peter Sauber commented.
The building was completed in December 2003 after a two-month calibration-phase and will start activities at the end of February 2004. The first order of business is to improve the performance of the Sauber Petronas C23 and ready it for the first European race of the Formula 1, 2004, World Championship. The first car completely developed in the new wind tunnel will be next year�s C24.
The wind tunnel will be used initially for only 2,000 hours per year, but in parallel with the formation of a new specialized personnel team, the use of the facility will gradually be extended to cover the needs of Sauber partners and sponsors and then to the automotive industry in general. Eventually the activity will be extended to 8,000 hours per year in a three-shift operation.
A scale model of a Sauber Formula 1 car is mounted to the rolling road.
The unusual layout places the central axis of the wind tunnel tube more than 26 feet above ground � not for any technical reason, but simply to promote a strong visual impression. This it certainly achieves. Except for the test section, which is embedded in concrete construction, the steel elements of the loop appear to be floating inside the hall on the right side of the main entrance.
The space on the left side (ground hall and first floor) is all dedicated to marketing events. The racing teams and Sauber R&D activities related to the wind tunnel (model designers, model builders, CFD specialists and other members of the aerodynamic team) are on the remaining two floors.
The two sections are separated by a vertical glass wall that allows an impressive view of the wind tunnel, but at the same time abates the noise of the wind so that the two activities can be carried out in parallel without disturbing each other.
The task of amalgamating two completely different activities in the same building was carried out by Atelier WW of Zurich which submitted this creative proposal to Peter Sauber in 1999.
The size of the wind tunnel is such that, as well as fulfilling the aerodynamics of Formula 1 cars, it can also host sport cars and other vehicles up to the size of a van.
A full-size Sauber Formula 1 car takes to the rolling road.
The investment required by this multipurpose building is in the range of $55 million. The building, which resembles a jewelry box from the outside, or a surprise package, as Architect W?schle defines it, is 213 feet long, 164 feet wide and 56 feet high.
The wind tunnel itself, engineered by the German firm TLT Turbo GmbH, has a 462.5- foot loop where the air, accelerated by a 3 MW fan, can reach a speed of 186 mph.
The rolling road and the model motion system were provided by MTS Systems Corporation of Eden Prairie, Minn., said to be the number one supplier of mechanical testing and simulation systems.
The rolling road, is formed by a steel belt simulating the relative motion between the road and the vehicle, has a size that allows testing 60 percent scale models of Formula 1 cars. It can also test in a tandem mode to detect wind disturbance induced by one car following another. The model motion system is meant to suspend and control the models.
The rolling road, said to be the largest built to date, also allows testing of full size Formula 1 cars and road vehicles as previously mentioned. The whole rolling road platform can be rotated �10 degrees to simulate the yaw effect on the vehicles.
The complete data analysis and main control system software is provided by U.K. specialist KineticaRT Ltd.
The largest diameter tube measures 30.8 feet. The single-stage axial fan, with carbon rotor blades, is driven by a 3 MW variable speed electric motor.
The air tunnel is elevated 26 feet above the ground.
This 66 tons fan-motor system is mounted on an elastic structure rested on a concrete foundation block and connected to the loop through elastic membranes to eliminate the transmission of vibrations to the rest of the wind tunnel.
The amount of power needed to accelerate the air tends to warm up the wind circulating in the loop. To avoid such an effect and allow testing at selected air temperatures, an air conditioning section was placed before the testing section to control temperature and humidity.
The system allows performing tests at 70 degrees C with ambient temperatures up to 86 degrees F. At the exit of the plant, before the test section, the airflow is straightened by fins. The test section itself features a large crosssection (49 square feet) and a closed wall configuration that can be converted into a slotted wall configuration when testing large vehicles.
On one side a transparent wall separates the test cell from the two-store control room giving full visibility to the test team.
The compressor room is located below the rolling road. All the equipment and engineering for the air system is supplied by Kaeser Compressors of Germany.
The moving steel belt reaches the same speed as the wind (186 mph). Load cells are located underneath the steel belt for measurement of wheel lift during tests.
Three screw compressors supply low pressure air to sustain the steel belt of the rolling road test platform, and another three screw compressor and a high pressure booster supply high pressure air under the wheels of the car, for the exhaust simulation and for instrument and service air. Three blowers are then used to produce the vacuum required inside the rolling road system.
�We opted for this concept for sound reasons,� says Peter Sauber. �It was important for us to build a facility that is not necessarily tied to Formula 1 use. Our facility in Hinwil will enable us to test cars up to any size including vans.�
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Pixar Founder's Book to Offer Inside Look at Company's History (Exclusive)
Ed Catmull, who founded the company with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter in 1986, will detail its rise from a small money-losing computer company, through its 2006 acquisition by Disney and into the present.
© Disney · Pixar
Random House has acquired Pixar founder Ed Catmull's book about his career at the animation studio.
He will offer a rare first-hand look inside the studio that reinvigorated animation with its pioneering special effects and lyrical storytelling.
Creativity: Overcoming the Unseen Forces that Stand in the Way of True Inspiration will be published on April 8, 2014.
Along with John Lasseter and Steve Jobs, Catmull helped found the company in 1986 out of Jobs' acquisition of Lucasfilm's digital division, where Catmull worked. He's been at Pixar ever since.
When Disney acquired Pixar in 2006, Catmull became the president of Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Creativity will provide an inside account of Pixar's rise "from a small, money-losing hardware company to a movie studio with 1,200 employees and a streak of fourteen No. 1 movies in a row that has garnered 30 Academy Awards and earned more than $7 billion worldwide." Catmull will use the story of Pixar's rise to offer lessons on leadership, management and balancing art and commerce.
"People are inherently creative and able to solve problems," Catmull said in a statement. "Even the best companies, with the best intentions, erect barriers and send messages that inhibit employees and derail creativity, without meaning to -- or even realizing they are doing it. Only by reframing how we think about mistakes and acknowledging how little we see, can we open the door for others to create."
Random House editor Andy Ward added, "Ed has a singular understanding of the unique way Pixar is managed and the ways in which that approach has enabled its continued excellence. All you need to do is look at the movies to know that something different is going on at Pixar."
Ward acquired the book for Random House. Catmull was represented by Christy Fletcher at Fletcher & Company.
Amy Wallace will serve as co-writer.
tags: Pixar, Disney, Hollywood Reporter, Creativity, Ed Catmull, Random House
categories: News, Book
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The Orange County Regional History Center (65 E. Central Blvd. Orlando, Florida 32801) has installed and opened a new exhibit called Genome: Unlocking Life's Code. This special exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution and the National Institutes of Health examines the complexities of the genome - the genetic or hereditary material of a living organism - through cutting-edge displays, animation, and fascinating real-life stories that reveal the links between generations and how our histories begin long before we are born. The exhibit also examines both the benefits and challenges the study of genetics presents to our society. The exhibit runs from October 13, 2018 to January 6, 2019.
Pam Schwartz, the History Center's chief curator, along with her staff, have added to the exhibit to make it tie into our Central Florida human history. As part of the project they asked five local Orlando celebrities to take DNA tests to track their heritage through Ancestry.com. She then began the painstaking process of researching their family trees.
Long-time mayor John "Buddy" Dyer has several generations of roots in Central Florida, so he was a natural choice. Research lead Pam to discover his family's roots in colonial America. In 1758 his fourth and fifth great grandparents were in Fort Seybert, a frontier fort in the Allegheny Mountains in what is now Pendleton County, West Virginia. They were caught by surprise by an Indian raid. The fort fell and those inside were lined up in two rows, one to be taken captive and the other to be murdered and scalped (at least as the European settlers story goes). Buddy's distant grandfather was tomahawked in the mouth by a Shawnee warrior, sending his teeth flying. He died instantly. His daughter fainted, her life was spared as she was taken captive. 20 settlers died that day. By a stroke of luck, a small boy from the Dyer family was away at a distant village when the massacre happened. This is the boy who kept the family lineage alive and why Buddy is here today. Pam was also able to prove that Buddy and his sons are eligible to apply for the Sons of the American Revolution status since the Dyer family was actively engaged in the Revolutionary War up several branches.
Jorge Estevez, a news anchor from Channel 9 News, discovered that his family was a prominent part of Cuba's early history. Documents contained signatures and seals from his distant relatives who were very prominent notaries in Havana. Cuban documents are not available online so a possible trip to Cuba could further bring this research to life. Channel 9 is considering sending Jorge there
to dig deeper into his family's past.
Geraldine Thompson, a former State Senator, may be united with a close relative she has never met before. Pam was contacted by a man who has spent his life - 47 years - searching for his biological father. The man he had been told was his father took a DNA test, but the results confirmed that he wasn't this man's biological father. Through her research, Pam was able to confirm the father was, in fact, the Senator's brother. Though he passed away in 2003, Pam was still able to unite the man with this new-to-him side of his family
Other family histories were for Toni Deion Pressley from Orlando Pride, and Brendan Bunting O'Connor the editor of The Bungalower. Each participant will receive a binder showing the breadth of what has been discovered so far. The rainbow colored tabs are a gateway to an amazing vibrant multicultural past. Each family tree will be part of the Genome Exhibit at the Orange County Regional History Center, check it out for more fascinating stories from these individual's families.
If you are curious about finding out about your family History, you should stop out to Lunch and Learn, which will discuss Genealogy on November 2, 2018 at Noon at the Orange County Regional History Center. Guest speakers will include Elaine Hatfield Powell of the Central Florida Genealogical Society and Allison Ryall of the Orange County Library System’s West Oaks Branch and Genealogy Center. Bring a lunch or let them order one for you by calling 407-836-7046 – lunch orders must be made at least 24 hours in advance. Members are free; non-members $5. With lunch: Members $8; non-members $13.
Labels: Brendan O'Connor, Deion Pressley, Genome: Unlocking Life's Code, Geraldine Thompson, John "Buddy" Dyer, Jorge Estevez, Orange County Regional History Center, Pam Schwartz
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Papua New Guinea: Worldwide Travel Information World Countries > Oceania > Papua New Guinea
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World Countries > Oceania > Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the western portion of the island is a part of the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua and numerous offshore islands. It is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, in a region defined since the early 19th century as Melanesia. The capital is Port Moresby.
Papua New Guinea is one of the most culturally diverse countries on Earth. According to recent data, 841 different languages are listed for the country, although 11 of these have no known living speakers. There may be at least as many tradition l societies, out of a population of about 6.2 million. It is also one of the most rural, as only 18% of its people live in urban centres.
The country is one of the world's least explored, culturally and geographically, and many undiscovered species of plants and animals are thought to exist in the interior of Papua New Guinea.
Strong growth in the mining and resource sector has led to PNG becoming the 7th fastest-growing economy in the world as of 2011. Despite this, the majority of the population still live in tradition l societies and practice subsistence-based agriculture. These societies and clans have some explicit acknowledgement within the nation's constitutional framework. The PNG Constitution expresses the wish for "tradition l villages and communities to remain as viable units of Papua New Guinean society", and for active steps to be taken in their preservation. Many people live in extreme poverty, with about one third of the population living on less than US$1.25 per day.
After being ruled by three external powers since 1884, Papua New Guinea gained its independence from Australia in 1975. It remains a Commonwealth realm of Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of Papua New Guinea.
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea]
Members from Papua New Guinea
Members living in Papua New Guinea
Latest Forum Entries Papua New Guinea
Area: 462,840 km²
Internet Domain: .pg
Drives On: left
Dialing Code: 675
Languages: Mandarin Spanish English German French Italian
Countries: United States of America India China Japan Germany France United Kingdom Italy Spain
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Phyllis Jane Boggs
Feb. 7, 1927 - June 13, 2019
Phyllis Jane Boggs, 92, Altoona, died Thursday evening at UPMC Altoona.
She was born in Petersburg, daughter of the late Paul C. and Dorothy G. (Dean) Snyder. On Dec. 3, 1954, she married Stanley E. Boggs in Winchester, Va., and he preceded her in death Oct. 6, 1980.
Surviving are three children: Barbara Vaughn of Berlin, Md., Diane Croft and husband, Kenneth, of Altoona, and Gregg Boggs of Altoona; two grandchildren: Rob Simington and Kristy Weyant; four great-grandchildren: Melissa Hulme and husband, Max, Justin Cassett, Juliana Ferguson and Jaydan Bond; two great-great-grandchildren: Roczan and Jenna; and two sisters: Betty Miller and Dotti Foster.
She was preceded in death by a son, Jeffrey M. Boggs; a granddaughter, Debra Bond; and two brothers: Harold and John Snyder.
Phyllis was a graduate of Petersburg High School. She retired as a crew leader from the dietary department from the Altoona Hospital in 1992, after 15 years of service.
She was a member of the Greenwood United Methodist Church, Altoona, where she enjoyed attending Bible study. Phyllis also enjoyed word search puzzles.
Friends will be received from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, June 17, 2019, at Myers-Somers Funeral Home Inc., 501 Sixth Ave., Altoona, where a funeral service will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Pastor Duane J. Coy officiating. Interment will be made at Blair Memorial Park, Bellwood.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations please be made to Greenwood United Methodist Church, 1505 E. Walton Ave., Altoona, PA 16602.
myerssomersfuneralhome.com
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TURKEY-UKRAINE-RUSSIA
Bartolomeo delivers Tomos of Autochephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
by NAT da Polis
The ceremony yesterday at the Phanar. Poroshenko: Today Ukraine assumes spiritual independence, after having won the political independence of 1991. Bartholomew: Fighting for unity and peace of the Ukrainian flock, but also working for the peaceful coexistence with the patriarchate of Moscow.
Istanbul (AsiaNews) - With the delivery of the Tomos of Autocephaly to Metropolitan Epifanios, proclaimed Metropolitan of Kiev and Ukraine, the adventure of a new Church begins in the difficult and troubled Orthodox world. In the so-called Diptycha, the order in the ranking of the Orthodox Churches, the Ukrainian Church takes last place, the 15th, since the last arrived, which includes about 23 million.
The Tomos was delivered during the Orthodox liturgy, concelebrated by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the new primate Epifanios, in the presence of the Ukrainian President Poroshenko, a Christian of Greek-Byzantine Catholic confession. After the signing of the Tomos by the ecumenical patriarch, President Poroshenko declared that today Ukraine assumes spiritual independence, after having won the political independence of 1991.
Autocephaly is granted according to the orthodox canons codified in the Fourth Ecumenical Synod (451 AD). It should be remembered that the first millennium the universal Church was managed by the so-called pentarchy (Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem and Church of Cyprus).
After the first millennium and the schism between Rome and Constantinople, the autocephalias that emerged from the fall of Byzantium were granted by Constantinople. The first autocephaly was that of Moscow in 1586; then followed Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, Georgia, etc., all granted by Constantinople.
In his homily, Bartholomew said to all those present that a new page opens for Ukraine and then turning to the new primate Epifanios reminded him that Divine Providence reserved a great privilege for him, making "part of the autocephalous churches as the 15th autocephalous Orthodox Church ".
"Therefore - added the patriarch - you are asked to fight for the unity and peace of their faithful and at the same time to work for peaceful coexistence with those brothers who must continue to remain in the ranks of the Church that belongs to His Beatitude and brother the patriarch of Moscow. So you have to create all those conditions for achieving the reconciliation of everyone. In short, you must operate with only ecclesiological criteria, dominated by charity and sacrifice. And you must never forget the benefits you have drawn from your Mother Church of Constantinople ".
"The history of the Orthodox Church - the patriarch continued - is a story of freedom and salvation. And above all remember that this Tomos of autocephaly that is given to you, does not constitute a symbol of power, but is a symbol of charity, of sacrifice for the salvation of the flock of our Lord throughout Ukraine ".
"And we - he concluded - from our modest headquarters in the Phanar, center of Orthodoxy, will follow you with affection and offer help when you seek it. Because we want sincere cooperation for the glory of our Lord and the salvation of His flock "
In his reply, Metropolitan Epifanios recalled that the Ukrainians received their faith from the mother Church of Constantinople which, as he said, "gave us the Orthodox Christian faith, the succession of the Apostles, the magisterium sanctioned by the Ecumenical Synods and the teachings of the Fathers of the Church".
The ball now passes to the Synods of the other 13 Orthodox Churches for the approval of the autocephaly granted by Constantinople. The Russians have already expressed their "no" and it seems that it will be followed by the Poles, Czechoslovakians, Serbs and Antiochines. The reasons seem more geopolitical than ecclesiological. But as the great old sages say, everything in the Orthodox planet is smoothed over time.
ukrainian orthodox church
autocephaly
patriarchy of kiev
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bartolomeo epifanyj
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For Fr Tom, abducted in Yemen, Holy Thursday prayer and adoration for the martyrs
In Kiev, Unification Council of the autocephalous Orthodox Church (Video)
Epifanyj, Metropolitan of Kiev, gives first interview
Autocephalous Ukrainian Church: a history that has lasted for 100 years (Overview)
Epifanyj is the primate of the new Ukrainian autocephalous Church (Video)
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Published: 08/11/2010 by Dianne Salcedo
It isn’t a surprise if the majority of your friends and family have already seen Inception, or if you’ve already had a lengthy debate about the film’s components with your co-workers and officemates. After topping the box office two weekends in a row upon its premiere, Inception proves to be one of this summer’s heavy-hitting blockbusters.
The red carpet premiere of Christopher Nolan’s original film was held on the evening of July 13, 2010 in Los Angeles at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Being a big fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and ElIen Page (yes, all three), I decided to attend the premiere in hopes of getting a good glance at the actors of the film. End result—I was truly satisfied.
The short, black limousines began to sweep in within 10-minute increments, with the arrival of cast members, production personnel, Christopher Nolan himself, and other celebrity guests. I, along with a large group of fans and bystanders, stood behind a barricade across the street, while event workers directed traffic and closed off the remainder of Hollywood Boulevard.
As soon as Leonardo DiCaprio arrived and stepped out of his limo, he eagerly ran across the street to greet fans, sign autographs, and shake hands. In comparison to other cast members, he made the most effort in interacting with the public. Other cast members who I was able to see up-close included Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, and Ken Watanabe. It’s needless to say that all of the latter, including Page and Gordon-Levitt, stopped by to greet fans as well. All were very friendly and looked happy to be there.
The bold, thunderous Inception soundtrack music blaring through the outdoor speakers only made the event more enjoyable and experiential. As soon as the film hit theaters at 12am of July 16th, I watched it with a close group of friends. Every one of us enjoyed it. In essence, I ended up viewing it a second time to fully analyze the plot and catch anything I might have missed the first time around. Judging again from the box office numbers, it’s safe to say that many people are doing the same.
If you have yet to see Inception by Christopher Nolan, you may be missing out on some original insight, and not to mention, something to talk about with your friends at work on Monday morning.
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Home › Our Crew
Let's attack the attack
By your side in the office and in the courtroom
ABOUT C. A. GOLDBERG, PLLC
Civil litigators when privacy and control are in jeopardy.
C.A. Goldberg, PLLC is a New York law firm that fights for victims of sexual assault, stalking, and blackmail – online and off. We fight for people under attack and fight against the assholes, psychos, pervs and trolls who think they can get away with it.
We are done living in a world of abuse and we are not afraid to sue the *&%$ out of schools, tech companies, and employers who tolerate it. There are many ways to get justice for our clients – economic justice, restraining orders, advocacy in Campus Disciplinary proceedings, exposing a predator, getting the piece-of-shit thrown in jail.
We do it all. Not in New York State? Under special circumstances, we pair up with local counsel so we can represent people in other states.
Carrie Goldberg, Esq.
Carrie Goldberg is a victims’ rights attorney who has built a team that provides cutting edge legal help for clients under attack by pervs, assholes, psychos, and trolls.
info@cagoldberglaw.com
Adam Massey, Esq.
Adam Massey joins the firm after recently graduating from the Cardozo School of Law, where he was a Paulsen Scholar.
Amna Khalid
Amna graduated from William Paterson University in 2014 with a degree in Political Science and Philosophy.
Lindsay Lieberman, Esq.
Lindsay is a former Kings County prosecutor who specialized in cases of sexual violence and crimes against children. Prior to joining the Special Victims Bureau, Lindsay handled general violent crimes. She has successfully tried rapes, robberies, assaults, and child abuse cases to jury verdict and has argued matters before the Appellate Division, First Department.
Norma Buster
Client Relations Coordinator
Norma graduated magna cum laude from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2017 with a B.S. in Advertising and Marketing Communications. She worked in the retail industry for several years during this time, in addition to internships in fashion companies and nonprofit organizations. While she was a student, Norma became a target of stalking and revenge porn, changing the direction of her life. The traumatizing experience inspired her to join the fight to end injustices like the ones she had faced.
Aurore DeCarlo, Esq.
Managing Senior Associate
As a managing attorney in legal services, Aurore has spent the last 15 years fighting for the rights of those who cannot afford to defend themselves. She has led teams of attorneys, social workers and community organizers to empower vulnerable, dispossessed and often marginalized clients.
C. Sophia Zoubul, Esq.
Sophia joins the firm after a successful tenure as the Associate Program Director of the ICAN Project, a health initiative that empowers and informs New Yorkers navigating the healthcare market. Prior to joining ICAN, she worked as a clinical ethicist at Lenox Hill Hospital, providing astute and judicious consultation on ethically complex queries faced by the medical team. She has also worked as a senior attorney with the NYS Task Force on Life and Law and as a staff attorney role with the Vera Institute of Justice’s Guardianship Project.
Elizabeth Dehaan
After graduating cum laude from Florida International University with her B.A in Psychology in 2011, Elizabeth has worked in media and higher education.
Susan Crumiller, Esq.
Susan Crumiller is the founder and principal attorney at Crumiller P.C., a law firm dedicated to fighting gender and pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. Until having children, Susan spent ten years representing tenants in fast-paced landlord-tenant litigation, first-seating a dozen trials and winning appeals at the Appellate Term and Appellate Division.
Deborah Shapiro
Deborah brings an impressive depth of management and leadership abilities to C. A. Goldberg, PLLC as its Chief Operating Officer.
Client’s Stalker Sentenced to 30... December 10, 2018
Innovative PR & Marketing Manager... December 7, 2018
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[LISTEN] Total South Africa's gas discovery a game changer - Jeff Radebe
Minister of Energy Jeff Radebe says the discovery of gas off the Southern Cape coast is a 'game changer'.
The French energy company Total announced on Thursday, the discovery of a 'significant' gas condensate which could be around one billion barrels of global resources, gas and condensate light oil.
Speaking to Joanne Joseph ahead of the 2019 State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday, Radebe says the discovery will help address the triple challenge of unemployment, poverty and inequality.
It's going to be a game changer. As you know South Africa has not been endowed with liquid petroleum in our country. We believe that with this discovery, its exploitation for the benefit of the people of South Africa and the region occurs well, especially when the president of the country is making his State of the Nation Address,I think this has been a very good omen.
— Jeff Radebe, Minister of Energy
This much awaited discovery will bring about a lot of benefits for the people of South Africa. As you know the fuel price has been a real thorn in the flesh of many South Africans. Now with this discovery, it will play a significant role in reducing the cost of fuel in South Africa, but more than that, the cost of doing business in our country.
Click on the link below to hear more on the state of energy in the country....
This article first appeared on 702 : [LISTEN] Total South Africa's gas discovery a game changer - Jeff Radebe
Written by: Neo Koza
Thandi Modise demands that ministers be hands-on
Eyewitness News reporter Gaye Davis says the Speaker has made it clear she is prepared to act against errant parliamentarians.
'Side hustling is a great talent acquisition and retention tool for companies'
A study shows that 30% of the people interviewed do not pursue a side job for money alone but also for interest.
Jacob Zuma's testimony at the state capture commission halted for now
Pierre de Vos says once you are at the inquiry, you can't refuse to answer questions unless it is about attorney-client privilege.
[LISTEN] Is the Pelindaba precinct somewhat of a white elephant?
UCT honorary research associate David Fig the site could be used for much more innovatory scientific activity.
Professor David Coplan chats about his friendship of 44 years with Johnny Clegg
Colleague reminisces about his friendship with the departed music icon and what Clegg meant to South Africans.
New app helps calculate child maintenance
The app called Mediation Academy is created to solve South Africa's child maintenance problem.
What the DA, EFF had to say to Ramaphosa during budget vote debate
DA leader Mmusi Maimane called on Ramaphosa to confirm that he would testify before the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture, which has been hearing testimony from former President Jacob Zuma.
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Home » Politics » J&K offers quota to ‘poorest of poor': Why this could change Valley's political landscape
J&K offers quota to ‘poorest of poor': Why this could change Valley's political landscape
Riyaz Wani | Updated on: 13 February 2018, 17:31 IST
(PTI)
“We desperately needed a reservation for economically poor sections of the society, more particularly, the urban poor”: Sajad Gani Lone
The J&K Legislative Assembly has passed a bill providing 6% reservation in jobs and admissions in professional colleges of the state for the "poorest of the poor"
In a development of profound political significance, the J&K Legislative Assembly on Saturday, 10 February, passed a bill providing 6% reservation in jobs and admissions in professional colleges of the state for the "poorest of the poor". This is the first such reservation in the country which is not based on the community identity, but instead upon the economic criterion.
Elsewhere in the country, there are constitutional restrictions on reservations that are based on an "economic criterion". The Supreme Court and high courts have cancelled the grant of such quotas by states, making it clear that the community identity was the only marker of social and educational backwardness.
In th Indra Sawhney case, the Supreme Court ruled that an exclusive “economic criterion” was unconstitutional. The court explained that the category of “poor” did not reflect “social backwardness” that follows from being born into a caste group considered socially inferior.
The court also cautioned that the economic criteria for reservation will allow the upper classes to partake in the affirmative action, thereby defeating the purpose of the reservation scheme. This is why Supreme Court ruled against the reservation for Jats and Marathas.
But by virtue of having a separate Constitution, Kashmir's reservation for economically weaker sections may not be easily prone to a legal challenge. And for now, with the Assembly passing the bill, the economically disadvantaged sections of the society can hope to benefit from this reservation.
The state Social Welfare minister Sajad Gani Lone who mooted the bill thinks the reservation can make a redeeming difference to the plight of the urban poor who can hope to get “their due share in government jobs and admissions in professional colleges”.
“We desperately needed a reservation for economically poor sections of the society, more particularly, the urban poor,” Lone told Catch. “A predominant number of them are not covered under any affirmative action scheme”.
Most backward sections to benefit
In J&K, the move will benefit the poorer sections of society in cities and towns like Srinagar, Jammu, Kathua and Baramulla. Though the grant of reservation has definite political motivations, it is specifically geared to address the growing urban distress in the state which is believed to underpin the lingering turmoil in the state.
"Urban areas in Valley have been the worst hit by the conflict in the state. The youth in these areas are not covered by any reservation category which puts them at a distinct disadvantage with their counterparts from the countryside,” the minister for Public Works and the state government spokesman Naeem Akhtar told Catch. “This has created a deep alienation and anger in these areas fuelling the unrest”.
One such area which has borne the brunt of the lingering conflict is the Downtown, the old densely settled area of Srinagar.
Before the start of the armed separatist struggle in 1989, the Downtown was the state’s commercial and political hub. But in the early nineties, the area witnessed the most violence whose fallout is still playing out. Life continues to be prone to hartals and protests in a lingering throwback to the 1990s. The youth remain angry, rebellious and always willing to pick up stones, if no longer the gun, to take on New Delhi. Militancy is now passé, but the still-simmering anger finds its outlet through intermittent bursts of stone-pelting. But along the way, the city’s demographic has also transformed. The elite and the middle class have largely moved out, leaving poor sections of the population behind. The Downtown has now been reduced to a periphery of the expanding Srinagar.
Same is more or less the case with the other urban centres like Sopore, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kupwara etc. What is more, the people from urban areas invariably boycott elections
“There has been a consequent economic and political disempowerment of the people in the urban centres,” Lone said. “Though it will take time to politically address the situation, the government needs to formulate a suitable administrative response. The reservation for the poor is one such measure”.
However, the state remains chary of a legal challenge. “We don’t think there will be one. This is a reservation which will go to the most backward sections of the society,” Lone said.
The state, however, takes heart from the fact that the new category for the poor comes within the 50 percent cap on reservations. “We have our system of statutory provisions where we can have something like this,” says Hilal Bhat, the mission director of Integrated Child Protection Scheme, a branch of Social Welfare Department. “Besides, we don’t exceed 50 percent cap”.
Pertinently, while the Assembly passed the reservation bill for the poor, it also passed another giving 3 percent reservation to Paharis, a nomadic community. Together, the bills have tried to usher in the reservation politics in the state. Traditionally, the politics in Kashmir has been alien to the reservation-based community movements. Will new reservation categories change this? Only time will tell.
First published: 13 February 2018, 17:31 IST
Riyaz Wani
TWEET THIS “We desperately needed a reservation for economically poor sections of the society, more particularly, the urban poor”: Sajad Gani Lone The J&K Legislative Assembly has passed a bill providing 6% reservation in jobs and admissions in professional colleges of the state for the "poorest of the poor"
10 खाली पैकेट के बदले एक पैकेट मैगी मुफ्त में दे रहा नेस्ले, ये है बड़ी वजह
Pak pushing terrorists out of desperation: Nirmal Singh
READ NEXT >> Pak pushing terrorists out of desperation: Nirmal Singh
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שליחותנו
סמינריונים
האמונה הקתולית
הכנסייה בישראל
ישראל והכנסייה
אסלאם
ישראל היום
יחסים בין יהודים ונוצרים
משיח ישראל
תורה ובשורה
קורס מבוא לנצרות
פורטל לשיעורים
שיעורים, חלק א
שיעורים, חלק ב
מסמכים כנסייתיים
ללמוד עברית
ארץ הקודש
חגים יהודיים
ליטורגיה ותפילה
פיוט
תמוך בנו!
התפללו עבורנו
יו טוב
Catholics for Palestine & Catholics for Israel
נכתב על ידי Yochanan Ben-Daniel
קטגוריה: ישראל והכנסייה
נוצר ב 29 נובמבר 2010
איסלאם
כתבי הקודש
"Catholics for Palestine" and "Catholics for Israel"
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and the Catholic Church
In the Catholic Church, disagreements are commonplace over a whole range of issues, be they political, social, economic, religious or historical, but at the end of the day these differences of opinion can be resolved through amicable discussion, prayer and a sense of fellowship and family in Christ. There is one issue, however, that divides so deeply that it has the potential to create permanent separation, and this is the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. There are ‘Catholics for Palestine’ and there are ‘Catholics for Israel’, and all too often it seems that never the twain shall meet, for if they do, words are uttered that bring an end to further communication.
For example, in a recent conversation on our discussion forum, a priest with a very senior position in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem wrote: “If you don’t recognize me as part of the Palestinian people, I don’t want you to pity my sufferings”, by which he implies that his national affiliation is more important to him than membership of the Church. Similar statements have been heard from other priests in the Latin Patriarchate. Another once said “first I am a Palestinian, then I am an Arab, and then I am a priest” before going on to say that any personal sympathy with Israel excluded one from being a part of the “Palestinian Christian Community”. These statements from Catholic priests indicate a sense of national or ethnic belonging that supersedes Catholic fellowship. Although they might sound at home in a nationalist Church, they do not fit comfortably in the Church of the Roman Catholics. In fact, they betray a somewhat un-catholic spirit. One might indeed be tempted to wonder whether this spirit could one day inspire schism in the form of a breakaway Palestinian National Church.
Whether or not this is an over-dramatization of the division within the Catholic Church, there is nevertheless an urgent need to resolve it, since it is creating serious tensions in areas where Israeli and Palestinian Catholics are living in close contact, as for example in Jerusalem. We can be fairly sure that the Person who prayed “that they may all be one” (Jn 17,21) would not be pleased with this division in his Church, where there should be “neither Jew nor Greek” (Gal 3,28), or, by analogy, ‘neither Jew nor Palestinian’.
The Two Positions Contrasted
Needless to say, both sides invoke Scripture to justify their positions: the ‘Catholics for Palestine’ quote those scriptural passages that speak about God’s love of justice and interpret the realization of divine justice in political terms, as the establishment of independent Palestinian State on lands currently held under Israeli sovereignty, often in a spirit of animosity against Israel. ‘Catholics for Israel’, on the other hand, without negating the importance of the justice and dignity that are due to the Palestinians, cite those passages that support the return of the Jewish people to the land of their forefathers, and interpret this as the unfolding of God’s justice for them, in a way that believing Christians should accept and respect. Expressed like this, a fundamental difference can be discerned: both sides see the issue in terms of divine justice, with ‘Catholics for Palestine’ interpreting this politically for themselves, and ‘Catholics for Israel’ interpreting it prophetically with especial reference to the Jews.
In brief, ‘Catholics for Palestine’ want justice for themselves and their people in the form of independent political sovereignty (a kingdom of this world), and care not for the Jews, while ‘Catholics for Israel’ want the fulfillment of God’s will and divine justice for the Jews, and care not for themselves. The argument of the first group hangs on their conviction that God establishes his justice by granting political sovereignty, and the argument of the second group hangs on the conviction that the return of the Jews to their homeland and the re-establishment of Jewish sovereignty represent God’s will and are therefore an authentic expression of God’s justice. Restating the issues in this way, we can perhaps move forward a step or two, by discussing the merits, or demerits, of each side.
"Catholics for Palestine" and Biblical Revelation
In several ways, and at different times, Christ made it clear that ‘his kingdom is not of this world’ (Jn 18,36). His purpose was not to fight against the rule of the Romans and establish an earthly kingdom for the Jews. If he had done this successfully, he might then have been accepted by his fellow Jews, as their Messiah. As it was he was rejected, because far from inciting, or in any way supporting, the nationalist rebellion of his countrymen against the Roman occupiers, Jesus focused on bringing his heavenly Kingdom to them. The degree to which Jesus set himself apart from the nationalist aspirations of his contemporaries is revealed by his uncommonly sympathetic attitude to the Roman occupiers: for example, he admired the Roman centurion’s faith and was pleased to heal his child or servant (Mt 8,5-13 et par), he counseled his people to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors, foremost among whom were the Romans (Mt 5,43-48 et par), he advised them to go two miles with the soldier who forced them to go only one mile (Mt 5,41), he recommended paying taxes to Caesar (Mt 22,15-22), he recognized that Pilate’s authority came from God (Jn 19,11) and he begged the Father to forgive the Roman soldiers who crucified him (Lk 23,34). From these Gospel passages, it is evident that Jesus’ attitude towards the Roman occupiers was extremely conciliatory. As the Israelis today (seen from the Palestinian perspective) stand in a similar position to the Romans in those days, it is reasonable to conclude that Christ’s attitude to them would be much the same.
If we take the example of Jesus as the clearest expression of God’s will, it would be erroneous to assume that God’s justice, as shown to us in Christ, may inevitably find expression in the granting of political sovereignty. If God, working through Jesus, did not do this for his own people, when they were crying out for sovereign independence in the first century AD, then surely we should not assume or expect that God’s justice will be established in this way in 21st century Palestine. We should be further discouraged from thinking this way by the fact that the Jews’ insistence on political independence and sovereignty, which they saw as a prerequisite for God’s justice and redemption, led to such catastrophic loss following their two major rebellions against Roman rule in 70 AD and again in 135 AD. Taking this lesson from Jewish history 2000 years ago, it would be presumptuous to equate Palestinian statehood with the establishment of divine justice. There is no divine guarantee that the citizens of a future Palestinian State would end up with more justice and human rights than they have in their present condition. In fact, history tells us they might end up with much less.
In summary, we should not expect Jesus Christ to endorse our desire for divine justice through Palestinian sovereignty, because that is simply not the way he works. Political activism is one thing, God’s justice through Christ is another, and they should not be confused. Quoting biblical texts in favour of this approach is quite clearly an example of the political manipulation of religious texts.
"Catholics for Israel" and Biblical Revelation
Passing to the other side, we must ask how ‘Catholics for Israel’ can be so sure that the return of the Jews to their homeland and the establishment of their State are in accordance with God’s will, and therefore represent an expression of divine justice and salvation? Is this is just another ill-conceived attempt to see divine justice in political terms, to the advantage of Israeli political sovereignty this time, rather than that of the Palestinians. For if this were the case, the above arguments, based on the example of Jesus, would apply with the same force as they did before. But here the issue is different: it focuses primarily on the return of the Jews from exile, and only secondarily on their attainment of political sovereignty, which is deemed necessary for their self-preservation.
So to repeat, how can ‘Catholics for Israel’ be so sure that the ingathering of the Jews in the land of their forefathers, after 2000 years of life without a land of their own, is actually an expression of God’s will and a manifestation of his justice? In contrast with the former view, with its political understanding of divine justice, this view is based on a biblical and prophetic understanding of the establishment of God’s justice among men, i.e., it is based upon an understanding of God’s plan of salvation for mankind. Simply stated, this view sees the return of the Jews to this Land as the fulfillment of prophecy for the end of history. As it is God who inspired the prophecy of these things, then it is indeed God who is behind their realization. The return of the Jews to the Holy Land should therefore be accepted not only as divinely sanctioned and inevitable, but also as a clear sign of the approaching Eschaton, the end of history, which is to say the final stage of the working out of God’s divine plan. Resist it as you may, but you must do so with the awareness that you are opposing the divine will.
“What are these biblical sources?”, you ask. There is no need to repeat all those passages in which we are told of the giving of this Land in a Covenant to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (cf. Gen 12,7; 15,7-21; Ex 32,13; Ps 105,9; Sir 44,22), whose remnant nowadays call themselves Jews. It would be a mistake to think that this gift has been cancelled or abrogated in any way by the New Covenant, because we know from St. Paul that the gifts and the call that God bestowed upon the Jews are irrevocable (Rom 11,29). Although exile was imposed upon the Jews in the first century as a penalty for their sin and political misunderstanding of God’s plan of redemption, it was inevitable, from both the Jewish and the Christian reading of Scripture, that if they survived their exile, they would one day return to their Land. God has never rescinded his gifts, of which the gift of the Land is among the most prominent.
The return of the Jews to the Holy Land started in the late 19th century and has little to do with the Holocaust, as some assert, since it started decades before that tragedy. In fact, their return was not entirely a return, because Jews have lived in this Land as a minority throughout the centuries. The immense loss of Jewish life in the Holocaust, and the mandated ruler’s policy of restricting Jewish immigration to Palestine in those years, actually represented a significant set-back for Jewish ingathering and restoration in the Holy Land.
When we come to biblical prophecy, however, one might initially think that all the Old Testament prophecies of the return of the Jews refer to their return from Babylonian exile in the 5th century BC and cannot be stretched to apply to their return from a second exile, 2,500 years later. But a close look at these prophecies reveals that they were never fully realized in the centuries following the return from Babylon, and are therefore still valid in a certain way. The prophecies were never fully realized, not just because the return of the Jews from Babylon was only partial, but mainly because the Jews rejected their Messiah, whose task it was to bring them to complete fulfillment. By rejecting their Messiah, they temporarily frustrated the will of God for them (Lk 7,30) and, as we saw above, this ultimately led them into exile for 2000 years, during which time the Gospel of God’s salvation went out into all the world. In a very real way, then, the Jews’ rejection of their Messiah, and their subsequent exile, have allowed for the evangelization of all peoples, in a way that St. Paul captures when he writes: “But through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!” (Rom 11,11-12).
Eschatological Goal and the Fulfillment of God's Plan
But the evangelization of the world was never presented as an end in itself, to go on and on forever. The Gospel makes it clear that after Christ’s offer of salvation has been preached in all the world, the time will be ripe for the perfect fulfillment of God’s plan (Mt 24,14; Mk 13,10). It is this final episode in the history of salvation that takes us back to the unfulfilled parts of the ancient prophecies of return and restoration. The problem here, though, is that there are so many prophecies saying so many things in different contexts about events which may or may not be related to each other, that it is beyond the task of human interpretation to know exactly how they will all be fulfilled. The Jews have dealt with this by leaving these prophecies for their Messiah to interpret at his coming. In this respect, Christians have a distinct advantage, for the Messiah Jesus has indeed provided them with his unique revelation of the way God’s plan of salvation is going to be completely fulfilled. And this revelation of Jesus Christ is recorded in the Book of Revelation (cf. Rev 1,1-2).
Without going into the details of the interpretation of this unique and precious document, it is enough to say that the central part of the prophecy describes the mission of two prophets, or witnesses, of Christ (Rev 11,3-13), which is followed immediately by the brief reign of the Antichrist (Rev 13) and then by Second Coming of Christ (Rev 19, cf. 2Thess 2,1-12). The eschatological mission of these two witnesses is directed specifically to the Jews and is centred on Jerusalem, such that their death and resurrection in that city (11,7-8) result in the conversion of many (11,11-13). This witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ is described in terms that recall the resurrection of the dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision of Israel’s restoration (Ezek 37, 1-14), thus linking faith in Christ’s resurrection to the final restoration of all Israel. It is impossible to conceive of this eschatological event without the ingathering of the Jews to Jerusalem and its environs. With good reason, one could say that this New Testament prophecy, written soon after the destruction of the temple and the exile of the Jewish inhabitants in 70 AD, did indeed foresee the return of the Jews to Jerusalem as a necessary precursor to the events it describes. The whole scene harmonizes with St. Paul’s prediction of the conversion of the Jews at the end of history: “Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brethren: a hardening has come upon a part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come in, and so all Israel will be saved…” (Rom 11,25-26). With these end-time events depending on the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, is it really appropriate to demonize those who live in the areas that the Palestinians claim for themselves, accusing them of sins against humanity and against God? Is Palestinian sovereignty under Islam really more important than the happening of events leading up to the consummation of God’s plan of salvation?
Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, the Papal Preacher, eloquently summarizes the long-awaited fulfillment of these prophecies in the following way:
We know that God gave Israel the land but there is no mention of his taking it back again forever. Can we Christians exclude that what is happening in our day, that is, the return of Israel to the land of its fathers, is not connected in some way, still a mystery to us, to this providential order which concerns the chosen people and which is carried out even through human error and excess as happens in the Church itself? If Israel is to enter the New Covenant one day, St. Paul tells us that they will not do so a few at a time but as an entire nation, as ever-living ‘roots’. But if Israel is to enter as a nation, it must be a nation; it must have a land of its own, an organization and a voice in the midst of other nations of the earth. The fact that Israel has remained an ethnic unity throughout the centuries and throughout many historical upheavals is, in itself, a sign of a destiny that has not been interrupted but is waiting to be fulfilled. (from Christ, the Glory of Israel)
Summary and Conclusion
Before concluding, let us now try to summarize the issues that divide ‘Catholics for Palestine’ and ‘Catholics for Israel’. ‘Catholics for Palestine’ are crying out for God’s justice in the form of an independent Palestinian State that will, in many ways, hamper and restrict the return of the Jews to the land of their forefathers, especially in the areas around Jerusalem, which they call Judaea and Samaria. ‘Catholics for Israel’, on the other hand, while keenly aware of Palestinian suffering and supportive of genuine efforts at alleviating it, sense the eschatological significance of the Jewish return and resist any attempt to obstruct or impede it, for they recognize this as a key stage in the history of divine salvation, and therefore of the ultimate establishment of divine justice among mankind. It goes without saying that this support for the ingathering of the Jews is not to be equated with the condoning of any unlawful acts of expropriation, violence, injustice, or hatred against Palestinians. If and whenever such acts have truly been committed, Catholics for Israel condemn them together with our Palestinian Christian brothers.
The ‘Catholics for Palestine’ want justice for themselves and their people and interpret this in purely political terms, regardless of how it impacts on the divine plan for the Jews. We have argued that their demand is not consistent with the way Christ works. ‘Catholics for Israel’ see the return of the Jews as part of the God’s plan for them, leading to events that will help them, in large numbers, to encounter the Messiah and come to the fullness of redemption that has so far been suspended throughout their history. Recognizing this, ‘Catholics for Israel’ welcome and encourage the ingathering of the Jews, and will do anything do remove obstacles and impediments from its path. In this spirit, and for these reasons (bearing in mind also that Israeli Arabs live in all parts of Israel with the full rights of Israeli citizens), ‘Catholics for Israel’ call on ‘Catholics for Palestine’ to renounce their opposition to Jewish settlement in Judaea and Samaria, or anywhere else in this Land, and to be prepared to work and pray earnestly for their salvation in Christ Jesus. This is the only way forward for believers in Christ. Opposition there will certainly be, especially from those who do not understand the justice and will of God, and have no knowledge of his plan of salvation. But for all Christians, and especially those in the Catholic household, the working out of God’s plan of salvation should be accepted and respected, so that it may become for them a source of faith, hope and unity.
Yochanan Ben-Daniel,
Advent 2010.
מאמרים קשורים
Biblical Revelation and the Land of Israel
Elephants in the Room?
Holy Land or Israel?
תגים פופולריים
זכויות יוצרים © 2019 קתולים למען ישראל. Aכל הזכויות שמורות.
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Anyone who eats a vegetarian diet knows that one of the most common questions asked is “Where do you get your protein?” But this gallery of recipes is your answer. We rounded up our favorite meat-free meals that also pack a serious punch of protein. With over 20 grams of protein per serving, these dishes are anything but rabbit food. Our hearty meals will keep you full and nourished by using vegetarian protein sources like tofu, eggs, lentils, tempeh, cheese, and beans.
Some cultures and religions have restrictions concerning what foods are acceptable in their diet. For example, only Kosher foods are permitted by Judaism, and Halal foods by Islam. Although Buddhists are generally vegetarians, the practice varies and meat-eating may be permitted depending on the sects.[2] In Hinduism, vegetarianism is the ideal. Jains are strictly vegetarian and consumption of roots is not permitted.
Alcoholism is a broad term for any drinking of alcohol that results in problems.[122] It was previously divided into two types: alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.[123][124] In a medical context, alcoholism is said to exist when two or more of the following conditions is present: a person drinks large amounts over a long time period, has difficulty cutting down, acquiring and drinking alcohol takes up a great deal of time, alcohol is strongly desired, usage results in not fulfilling responsibilities, usage results in social problems, usage results in health problems, usage results in risky situations, withdrawal occurs when stopping, and alcohol tolerance has occurred with use.[124] Alcoholism reduces a person's life expectancy by around ten years[125] and alcohol use is the third leading cause of early death in the United States.[120] No professional medical association recommends that people who are nondrinkers should start drinking wine.[120][126]
In the pre-modern era, the sale of surplus food took place once a week when farmers took their wares on market day into the local village marketplace. Here food was sold to grocers for sale in their local shops for purchase by local consumers.[87][108] With the onset of industrialization and the development of the food processing industry, a wider range of food could be sold and distributed in distant locations. Typically early grocery shops would be counter-based shops, in which purchasers told the shop-keeper what they wanted, so that the shop-keeper could get it for them.[87][116]
Fermentation of the non-colored grape pulp produces white wine. The grapes from which white wine is produced are typically green or yellow. Some varieties are well-known, such as the Chardonnay, Sauvignon, and Riesling. Other white wines are blended from multiple varieties; Tokay, Sherry, and Sauternes are examples of these. Dark-skinned grapes may be used to produce white wine if the wine-maker is careful not to let the skin stain the wort during the separation of the pulp-juice. Pinot noir, for example, is commonly used to produce champagne.
Peasant foods have been described as being the diet of peasants, that is, tenant or poorer farmers and their farm workers,[53] and by extension, of other cash-poor people. They may use ingredients, such as offal and less-tender cuts of meat, which are not as marketable as a cash crop. Characteristic recipes often consist of hearty one-dish meals, in which chunks of meat and various vegetables are eaten in a savory broth, with bread or other staple food. Sausages are also amenable to varied readily available ingredients, and they themselves tend to contain offal and grains.
This loaded veggie bowl gets a touch of smoke from the chili-spiced sweet potatoes and roasted bell pepper and plenty of zing from fresh lime. Chili powder and lime also give toasted almonds an addictive crust; make extra and enjoy as a snack. Cotija cheese has a dry, crumbly texture—it won’t melt or disappear into the bowl. Use it to top tacos, stir into whole-grain salads, or top roasted broccoli.
Restaurants employ chefs to prepare the food, and waiters to serve customers at the table.[99] The term restaurant comes from an old term for a restorative meat broth; this broth (or bouillon) was served in elegant outlets in Paris from the mid 18th century.[100][101] These refined "restaurants" were a marked change from the usual basic eateries such as inns and taverns,[101] and some had developed from early Parisian cafés, such as Café Procope, by first serving bouillon, then adding other cooked food to their menus.[102]
Wines from other fruits, such as apples and berries, are usually named after the fruit from which they are produced combined with the word "wine" (for example, apple wine and elderberry wine) and are generically called fruit wine or country wine (not to be confused with the French term vin de pays). Other than the grape varieties traditionally used for wine-making, most fruits naturally lack either sufficient fermentable sugars, relatively low acidity, yeast nutrients needed to promote or maintain fermentation, or a combination of these three characteristics. This is probably one of the main reasons why wine derived from grapes has historically been more prevalent by far than other types, and why specific types of fruit wine have generally been confined to regions in which the fruits were native or introduced for other reasons.
Wine is an alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes.[1] Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol, carbon dioxide, and heat. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts produce different styles of wine. These variations result from the complex interactions between the biochemical development of the grape, the reactions involved in fermentation, the terroir, and the production process. Many countries enact legal appellations intended to define styles and qualities of wine. These typically restrict the geographical origin and permitted varieties of grapes, as well as other aspects of wine production. Wines not made from grapes include rice wine and fruit wines such as plum, cherry, pomegranate, currant and elderberry.
The interaction of heat and carbohydrate is complex. Long-chain sugars such as starch tend to break down into simpler sugars when cooked, while simple sugars can form syrups. If sugars are heated so that all water of crystallisation is driven off, then caramelization starts, with the sugar undergoing thermal decomposition with the formation of carbon, and other breakdown products producing caramel. Similarly, the heating of sugars and proteins elicits the Maillard reaction, a basic flavor-enhancing technique.
Human diet was estimated to cause perhaps around 35% of cancers in a human epidemiological analysis by Richard Doll and Richard Peto in 1981.[143] These cancer may be caused by carcinogens that are present in food naturally or as contaminants. Food contaminated with fungal growth may contain mycotoxins such as aflatoxins which may be found in contaminated corn and peanuts. Other carcinogens identified in food include heterocyclic amines generated in meat when cooked at high temperature, polyaromatic hydrocarbons in charred meat and smoked fish, and nitrosamines generated from nitrites used as food preservatives in cured meat such as bacon.[144]
Population studies exhibit a J-curve correlation between wine consumption and rates of heart disease: heavy drinkers have an elevated rate, while people who drink small amount (up to 20 g of alcohol per day, approximately 200 ml (7 imp fl oz; 7 US fl oz) of 12.7% ABV wine) have a lower rate than non-drinkers. Studies have also found that moderate consumption of other alcoholic drinks is correlated with decreased mortality from cardiovascular causes,[129] although the association is stronger for wine. Additionally, some studies have found a greater correlation of health benefits with red than white wine, though other studies have found no difference. Red wine contains more polyphenols than white wine, and these could be protective against cardiovascular disease.[130]
^ The sweetness multiplier "300 times" comes from subjective evaluations by a panel of test subjects Archived January 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine tasting various dilutions compared to a standard dilution of sucrose. Sources referenced in this article say steviosides have up to 250 times the sweetness of sucrose, but others, including stevioside brands such as SweetLeaf, claim 300 times. 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon (1.6–2.5 ml) of stevioside powder is claimed to have equivalent sweetening power to 1 cup (237 ml) of sugar.
Cooking requires applying heat to a food which usually, though not always, chemically changes the molecules, thus changing its flavor, texture, appearance, and nutritional properties.[88] Cooking certain proteins, such as egg whites, meats, and fish, denatures the protein, causing it to firm. There is archaeological evidence of roasted foodstuffs at Homo erectus campsites dating from 420,000 years ago.[89] Boiling as a means of cooking requires a container, and has been practiced at least since the 10th millennium BC with the introduction of pottery.[90]
^ Griswold, Max G.; Fullman, Nancy; Hawley, Caitlin; Arian, Nicholas; Zimsen, Stephanie R M.; Tymeson, Hayley D.; Venkateswaran, Vidhya; Tapp, Austin Douglas; Forouzanfar, Mohammad H.; Salama, Joseph S.; Abate, Kalkidan Hassen; Abate, Degu; Abay, Solomon M.; Abbafati, Cristiana; Abdulkader, Rizwan Suliankatchi; Abebe, Zegeye; Aboyans, Victor; Abrar, Mohammed Mehdi; Acharya, Pawan; Adetokunboh, Olatunji O.; Adhikari, Tara Ballav; Adsuar, Jose C.; Afarideh, Mohsen; Agardh, Emilie Elisabet; Agarwal, Gina; Aghayan, Sargis Aghasi; Agrawal, Sutapa; Ahmed, Muktar Beshir; Akibu, Mohammed; et al. (August 2018). "Alcohol use and burden for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016". Lancet. 392 (10152): 1015–1035. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31310-2. PMC 6148333. PMID 30146330.
For some foods alternative ingredients can be used. Common oils and fats become rancid relatively quickly if not refrigerated; replacing them with hydrogenated oils delays the onset of rancidity, increasing shelf life. This is a common approach in industrial food production, but recent concerns about health hazards associated with trans fats have led to their strict control in several jurisdictions.[57] Even where trans fats are not prohibited, in many places there are new labeling laws (or rules), which require information to be printed on packages, or to be published elsewhere, about the amount of trans fat contained in certain products.
The expansion of agriculture, commerce, trade, and transportation between civilizations in different regions offered cooks many new ingredients. New inventions and technologies, such as the invention of pottery for holding and boiling water, expanded cooking techniques. Some modern cooks apply advanced scientific techniques to food preparation to further enhance the flavor of the dish served.[2]
Freezing food preserves it from the time it is prepared to the time it is eaten. Since early times, farmers, fishermen, and trappers have preserved grains and produce in unheated buildings during the winter season.[20] Freezing food slows down decomposition by turning residual moisture into ice, inhibiting the growth of most bacterial species. In the food commodity industry, there are two processes: mechanical and cryogenic (or flash freezing). The freezing kinetics is important to preserve the food quality and texture. Quicker freezing generates smaller ice crystals and maintains cellular structure. Cryogenic freezing is the quickest freezing technology available due to the ultra low liquid nitrogen temperature −196 °C (−320 °F).[21]
Contact us at webmaster@www.christycooks.com | Sitemap xml | Sitemap txt | Sitemap
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On Activism
On Home
On Monsters
On Play
On Spiders
On Touching and Feeling
On Telephony
On the Uncanny
On (Un)ending
On the Unknown
On the Unthinkable
International Workshops
Sharon Monteith
Sharon Monteith is Professor of American Literature and Cultural History at Nottingham Trent University and is the recipient of a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship writing The Civil Rights Movement: A Literary History, an archival and interdisciplinary study that will extend civil rights historiography to include the recovery of neglected activists, activist-writers and texts. Sharon works with a range of methodological approaches and creative interventions, and is particularly interested in the ways that critical-creative writing can extend the historiography as well as intervene in literary history.
Find out more about Sharon and Critical Poetics here.
Gender and the Civil Rights Movement, (ed.) Peter Ling and Sharon Monteith, (rpt. 2004, New York: Routledge, 2018).
Pat Barker, Sharon Monteith (2nd edition, Tavistock: Northcote House Publishers Ltd., 2017).
Staging a Dream: Untold Stories and Transatlantic Legacies of the March on Washington, (ed.) Marcia Chatelain, Sharon Monteith, Britta Waldschmidt-Nelson (London: German Historical Institute, 2015).
The Cambridge Companion to the Literature of the American South, (ed.) Sharon Monteith (New York: CUP, 2013).
The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Volume 18: Media, (ed.) Allison Graham and Sharon Monteith (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2011).
The Transatlantic Sixties: Europe and the United States in the Counterculture Decade, (ed.) Sharon Monteith, Grzegorz Kosc, Clara Juncker, Britta Waldschmidt-Nelson (Munich: Transcript, 2013).
American Culture in the 1960s, Sharon Monteith (Edinburgh:Edinburgh University Press, 2008).
Critical Perspectives on Pat Barker, (ed.) Sharon Monteith, Margaretta Jolly, Nahem Yousaf, Ronald Paul (Columbia: University South Carolina Press, 2005).
Advancing Sisterhood: Interracial Friendships in Contemporary Southern Fiction, Sharon Monteith (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2001).
Selected Articles and Essays
“1968 and the screen” in Reframing 1968: American Politics, Protest and Identity ed. by Martin Halliwell and Nick Witham (Edinburgh University Press, 2018).
“”Who was William Faulkner to them?” Racial Liberals and Civil Rights Workers in the Civil Rights Era” in Fifty Years After Faulkner, ed. by Jay Watson and Ann Abadie (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2016), 222-235.
“Civil Rights Fiction Film” in The Cambridge Companion to American Civil Rights Literature ed. by Julie Armstrong (CUP, 2015), 123-142.
‘“I second that emotion”: a case for using imaginative sources in writing civil rights history’ in Patterns of Prejudice (Vol. 49, No. 4, 2015), 440-465.
© Critical Poetics 2019
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'Trump is not a white supremacist'
WASHINGTON, MARCH 17 - "The president is not a white suprematist. I don't know how many times we have to say it": this is how the White House's chief of staff ad interim Mick Mulvaney at Fox, in the aftermath of the criticisms rained on Trump for his condemnation too much generic of the attack on the two mosques in New Zealand by the white supremacist Brenton Tarrant.
"I don't think it is correct to portray him as a Trump fan," he added, referring to the Tarrant manifesto, which mentions tycoon as "a symbol of a renewed white identity".
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China's largest marriott hotel over guangzhou China hotel on November 1, from the marriott
Guangzhou China hotel is the first sino-foreign cooperative domestic large five-star hotel, opened in 1984, and the white swan, garden, the Oriental hotel in guangzhou in the 80 s the most exotic place, has also been identified as the historic buildings in guangzhou in 2014.
China joined the marriott hotel in 1998, it is also one of the earliest marriott hotels in China, is also China's largest marriott hotel, have 850 guest room.
Contract signed 20 years, China's hotel in guangzhou with marriott, the expiration of the term of the contract will be held on October 31, November 1, from the marriott.
Guangzhou China hotel issued a statement before National Day
Hotel is located in guangzhou city in the heart of the central section, opposite the hotel is located in bustling downtown liuhua JiaoYiGuan, five-star hotel, apartment, and the main commercial buildings, office buildings and shopping malls) of three parts.Adjacent to sun yat-sen memorial hall, the western han dynasty nanyue king's tomb museum, location.
This is also the earliest hotel subway export superior position in China, China hotel is at the gate of yuexiu park station.
Guangzhou China hotel opened in 1984, is China's first sino-foreign joint venture hotel, the hotel developers is the Hong Kong new world development, cheung kong, Henderson, sun hung kai properties, hopewell holdings and sun hung kai securities firms.
At the beginning of the reform and opening up, guangzhou invited Hong Kong entrepreneurs to invest in the mainland.During the talks, patriotic hong kong-invested Gordon wu put forward to Suggestions from the construction of hotels, and get together to attend the li ka-shing, Guo Desheng, Feng Jingxi, Mr Lee shau-kee and cheng yu-tung agreed., they raised hk 文章 billion to form the new synthesis co., LTD., and put forward Gordon wu for the general manager, in charge of planning and construction.
In April 1980, the new synthesis with the guangzhou municipal government signed a contract of construction of China hotel., both sides agreed by party a with free land (guangzhou), party b (the new synthesis) to raise money to construction, and with 20 years for a period, the period of independent operation, by party b after the expiration of all property in normal business case handed over to party a.
Thus, starting the BOT mode (construction - operation - transfer) precedent.Guangzhou China hotel became China's first entirely by enterprises with foreign investment and management.
Guangzhou China hotel
So far, which opened in 1984, China hotel has always been one of the best hotels in guangzhou.And in the early days, as China's five-star hotel model, training a large number of hotel management talents.
Gordon wu of vision thinking, has won widespread praise, its engineer level also get affirmation and praise, and won the second prize of China's best design award and the national ministry of construction building.At the same time, he will also is a world leading technology and equipment, "sliding mode" in after the completion of the hotel, all presented in guangdong province.
Renovated in 1998.At present the hotel owner is guangzhou lingnan group.
Delisting marriott, the hotel will include lingnan system.
Lingnan group and members of the SLH, guangzhou best boutique hotel - guangzhou lingnan 5, and another legendary hotel, garden hotel in guangzhou.
Lingnan group chief executive should be the original Beijing JW GM opened in Shanghai.Lingnan hotel brands including the lingnan number five, lingnan garden hotel, lingnan Oriental hotel, lingnan garden resort hotel, lingnan garden hotel five hotel brands, and lingnan selected hotels, nearly 50 series brand hotel.
Prev:How differences in the innovation of the European luxury hotel with mid-range hotel provide personalized experience?
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and The Blues Doctors! A food and brews bar will be provided by Montagues Resturaunt! This event is part of the Greenwood Blues Cruise - featuring a full line-up of bands in Uptown Greenwood, July 12 - 15, 2018! For more information, please visit: festivalofdiscovery.com
When: Friday, July 12
Suzie Vinnick @ 6:00 - 6:45 pm
The Blues Doctors @ 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Admission: FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Suzie Vinnick | A Saskatoon native transplanted to the Niagara Region of Ontario, Suzie Vinnick is the proud owner of a gorgeous voice, prodigious guitar and bass chops, and an engagingly candid performance style. Her career has seen triumph after triumph. Among her most recent successes: being nominated for a 2018 Canadian Folk Music Award for Producer of the Year with herco-producer, Mark Lalama. Suzie achieved finalist status in the Solo/Duo Category at the 2013 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN; received the 2012 CBC Saturday Night Blues Great Canadian Blues Award and the 2012 Sirius XM Canada Blues Artist of the Year. Suzie has won 10 Maple Blues Awards (she has been nominated for 22 so far!), won the 2011 Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Vocalist of the Year and is a 3X Juno Nominee. Suzie has toured nationally with Stuart McLean’s The Vinyl Café and the John McDermott Band, and performed for Canadian Peacekeepers in Bosnia and the Persian Gulf. She was also the voice of Tim Horton’s for 5 years. Suzie has just released her latest album, a full-band roots and blues extravaganza entitled Shake The Love Around.
The Blues Doctors | Adam Gussow and Alan Gross, a.k.a. The Blues Doctors, are Mississippi-based blues veterans who play a mix of Delta standards and urban grooves from the Texas-to-Chicago axis with some New Orleans funk thrown in. They're a two-man band with a big, bold sound: Gussow on harmonica and drumset, Gross on guitar, with both men sharing vocals. Their debut, Roosters Happy Hour (2013), spent several months at #1 on Amazon's "Hot New Releases in Acoustic Blues" chart and hit #10 on the Living Blues national radio airplay chart. Same Old Blues Again is their second album. Recorded at the Hill Country Recording Service in Water Valley, Mississippi, it swings, struts, and grooves hard, beginning with a bluesed-up remake of "Tequila" that features Gussow's squealing high notes. "Rollin' and Tumblin'" introduces a new sound for the duo: cigar-box guitar, handmade by Gross, with slide and harp paired Delta-style. The title track, driven by a loping New Orleans beat, sings of a young man betrayed by love, drinking heavily and drifting downward towards despair. Classic compositions by Mississippi masters Elmore James ("Cry For Me, Baby") and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup ("That's All Right") anchor the album, which ends with a three-track live set recorded at the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic and powered by Jimmy Reed ("You Don't Have to Go"), Muddy Waters ("Take You Downtown"), and Robert Johnson ("Crossroads Blues"). The bittersweet sounds of soul-jazz show up in "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" and Gussow's minor-key original, "Blues For Hank," both of which feature jazz bassist Bill Harrison, a Chicago veteran. The album's big surprise is "Magic," Olivia Newton John's 1980 pop hit, arranged as a quiet but urgent blues-pop incantation. Atlanta-based R&B vocalist Zaire Love shadows and dances around Gussow's voice and harmonica, creating a haunting sonic tapestry, casting a spell. Lonely hearts and endless grooves. Same Old Blues Again
Presented By: South Carolina Festival of Discovery
Event Contact: artscentergreenwood@gmail.com | 864.388.7800
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All posts tagged "Lucio Fulci"
Blu-Ray & DVD4 months ago
Blue Underground is gearing up to bring horror fans a 3-disc limited edition Blu-Ray release of Lucio Fulci’s gruesome giallo horror classic The New York Ripper....
Blu-Ray & DVD12 months ago
Arrow Video Releasing 4K Restoration of Lucio Fulci’s ‘City of the Living Dead’ on Limited Edition (UK) Blu-Ray
Are you a fan of the legendary Lucio Fulci? Well, if you love the man’s work, then you really should own a copy of City of...
88 Films to Release Lucio Fulci’s ‘Aenigma’ on (UK) Blu-Ray
Lucio Fulci fans can look forward to a new release of his 1987 horror supernatural thriller Aenigma, which is restored in 2K and is coming to...
Eibon Press Gives New Life To Lucio Fulci’s ‘Zombie’ In Comic Book Form!
Without a doubt one of the greatest Italian horror movies ever made is Lucio Fulci’s Zombie, and now you can own these amazing limited edition
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Review: Jeff, Who Lives at Home
It's Arrested Development
Jeff shoulda stayed at home. (Paramount Pictures)
I don't know exactly why, but I remain enamoured by the films of Jay and Mark Duplass. From The Puffy Chair & Baghead through to their slightly more mainstream breakthrough Cyrus, they will never be accused of re-inventing the wheel. But they've made three charming, offbeat and honest comedy-dramas, all of which have a real affection for their characters and are almost completely devoid of pretension. As an actor, Mark has also popped up in a number of small-scale but interesting projects - including Greenberg, Your Sister's Sister and Humpday. For me, their involvement with a project tends to be a relatively encouraging sign.
Their latest, however, was a film I truly struggled to warm to. Jeff, Who Lives at Home still has the recognisable fingerprints of 'A Duplass Brothers film', but struggles to justify its existence. Our protagonist Jeff (Jason Segal) is a likeable procrastinator stuck in a sort of arrested adolescent - he lives in his mother's basement, and spends the days getting stoned and waxing lyrical about the philosophical implications of the film Signs (while sitting on the toilet, of course). It's the insight gained through a particularly spiritual re-watch of Shyamalan's opus that leads him to believe he's meant to search for his higher purpose. After a number of coincidences concerning the name 'Kevin' (namely a wrong number), Jeff leaves the basement and takes the bus out into the big bad world. More signs follow him down the path of Kevin. He coincidentally (this is a film of purposeful dramatic contrivances) bumps into his brother Pat (Ed Helms), who's recent Porsche purchase has put him in the bad books with wife Linda (Judy Greer). When they (coincidentally) spot Linda with another man, they decide to pursue her. A series of unfortunate events follow. Meanwhile, their mother Sharon (Susan Sarandon) is at work and has a secret admirer. The scene is set for fate to have its wicked way and pull all the characters together. Just like in Signs.
For the first act, Jeff... is a relatively amiable production. There's fun to be had watching the silly / moderately amusing situations play out, and the various characters awkwardly interacting. It's light, but charming - very much what one would expect from the Duplasses. The performances are all well handled - despite the flaws of everyone involved (especially Pat, who is a frustrating fellow), you still kind of root for them. It's slight, but the laughs are well-earned and the characters are treated with affection.
A very Duplass film, then, for its opening half. The film then shifts into a dramatic gear - which, again, is no big surprise for fans of The Puffy Chair or Cyrus. There are a few emotional moments scattered throughout, but the big disappointment here is that the brothers overindulge in sentimentality. The thematic focus - right there in the opening toilet monologue about Signs - is too narrow, and the payoffs too forced and predictable. The running themes of coincidence and fate feel under-cooked, and the contrived plot is too limited in ambition (especially Sarandon's strand). A ghastly soundtrack by Michael Andrews is far too cutesy, and only lessens dramatic and emotional impact of the characters' eventual destinations. Most bizarrely of all - and this is true of the opening half, too - is a distracting fondness for sudden small camera zooms. Now, apparently this is a visual 'trait' of Mark & Jay, but I'll be honest: I never noticed it enough to become distracting in their previous films. Here, despite it being used effectively once or twice to deliver a punchline or moment of inner realisation, it much more often pulls you out of the movie. It's very strange, and very distracting.
It's not that Jeff, Who Lives at Home is a hateable film. It has enough charming elements to keep you more-or-less engaged. And its narrow focus is a criticism that could be leveled at their earlier films too. But the rewards in Jeff... are fewer, and the crowd-pleasing sentimentality is too overwrought. Cyrus was a much more effective attempt at marrying the acute observational drama and genre awareness of Puffy Chair and Baghead with the commercial and artistic demands of their high-profile actors and increased budget. Jeff..., however, ultimately feels too limited in its scope to achieve anything other than very minor insight and some early laughs. Jeff... may just be the first Duplass Brothers film I didn't like all that much.
Labels: american cinema, baghead, cyrus, duplass brothers, ed helms, jason segel, jeff who lives at home, judy greer, puffy chair, review, susan sarandon
Review: Moonrise Kingdom
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Revisit: Almost Famous
The Curious Case of Charlie Casanova
Goodbye First Love
Review: Monsieur Lazhar
Review - Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai
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Thank you to everyone who came along on the Photography Photography for Beginners (Guided Walk) yesterday. Karen our guide said "I hope you all enjoyed. Now that you know how easy it is to create some fantastic photographs using aperture and shutter priority, there's no stopping you" :)
Creepy Crafts
What an excellent night at the spooktacular Halloween Party at Margam Orangery this week. The 'Friends' were on hand to deliver some super crafty children's activities.
spooooky
Grŵp Colegau NPTC Group of Colleges students have been helping us out, to decorate the Castle at Margam Country Park. It forms part of their Welsh Baccalaureate Community Participation project. Thank you to all those involved, you're doing a fantastic job so far!
We're Top Ten Again!
Public picks Margam as one of the UK’s ten favourite parks in People’s Choice Awards
Staff and volunteers at Margam Country Park are celebrating after it was voted as one of the ten favourite parks in the UK.
More than 73,000 people voted in this year’s People’s Choice poll – showing just how much communities up and down the country value their parks and green spaces.
Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, Councillor Rob Jones said:
“This is excellent news for Margam Park and indeed the whole county borough. Having a park in the top ten of the People’s Choice Poll helps raise our profile as a great place to visit and is something we can all be proud of.
“More than 1,700 UK parks and green spaces flying a Green Flag Award were eligible to enter, so I would like to thank the staff and volunteers at the park for all their efforts to maintain the castle grounds and the estate and help set it apart from the competition.”
The People’s Choice competition is organised by the Green Flag Award scheme which recognises and rewards the best green spaces in the UK and beyond.
This year marks the 21st anniversary of the Green Flag Awards, delivered in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy with support from Welsh Government.
Margam Park has met the high standards to achieve the Green Flag Award for the past five years and is one of Wales’ premier parks. It boasts the magnificent Margam Castle and Orangery, ornamental gardens and a deer park, set in 1,000 acres of beautiful countryside.
Mike Wynne, Manager of Margam added:
"I am delighted that Margam Country Park has once again been voted one of the UK's 10 favourite parks in the People's Choice Award. Thank you to everybody who voted for us. It's a great achievement for the park staff and volunteers and the Friends of Margam Park, all of whom work hard to make Margam a great place to visit."
International Green Flag Award Manager, Paul Todd said:
“Following the success of this summer’s #LoveParks Week, the record number of votes for the People’s Choice Awards – more than double the number received last year – shows how much their favourite green spaces mean to people.
“Massive congratulations to our 10 hugely deserving winners, and all the staff, volunteers and supporters who work so hard to maintain these well-loved green spaces to such a high standard.
“And thank you to the tens of thousands who took the time to vote. Parks matter and this is further support in our campaign to protect and improve the nation’s wonderful green spaces for future generations.”
New Guided Tours!
Come along and join us on this exciting new guided walk! Starting on the 28th October we will be using one of the Education rooms to help you through the many features of a modern digital camera, before we head out into the Park to look and photograph some of the most unique gardens and architecture in South Wales. This is a FREE* activity suited for absolute beginners. Just bring your camera along and enjoy learning more with like minded people. More information can be found below. *Parking charges apply.
Take a look at what's coming up this October Half Term! We will be holding our free Children's Halloween Activities and Children's Guy Fawkes Activities in the Castle on the 31st October and 3rd November.
We will also be giving spooky Halloween tours of the Castle, Capel Mair, Twyn yr Hydd and our popular Wildlife Walk throughout the week. Check out our events page for the latest news!
Terrific Reviews
Yet more great reviews from our wonderful visitors. Why not leave your review. You can use the contact us box here or review us on our Facebook page!
Another Success
This week a gentleman called Chris contacted us via our website in the hope of organizing a guided walk. Having previously joined us on a 4mile walk he brought along members of St Peters Church in Hampshire who have been walking the Brecon Beacons over the weekend.With an interest in a guided tour of the Iron Age Hillfort, one of our expert walk leaders took the group this morning to the fort, which is an area of about seven acres enclosed by a massive bank, which would have been topped by a wooden fence, a ditch and another smaller bank is established on Mynydd-y-castell. The hillfort was occupied by the Silures, an Iron Age tribe, who fought with the Romans from 48AD until 70AD
If you'd like to join us on a guided tour of the Iron Age Hill Fort then check out our events page or take a look on our dedicated walking page here. Tours leave our courtyard room every Sunday at 13:00.Everyones welcome and there's no need to book.
www.friendsofmargampark.co.uk/guided-walks
Thank you to our wonderful tour guides who took two groups on a fascinating tour of the Castle today. We had a group of 29 join us all the way from Carmarthen who thoroughly enjoyed and couldn't compliment our guides enough!
If you'd like to come along and learn more about the history at Margam, then check out our events page for all of our guided tours throughout Septemeber.
www.friendsofmargampark.co.uk
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Where’s Lando? (And other Episode VII musings)
by Andrew Jamieson, Geekzine UK’s Editor-in-chief
It is the question I have asked more than any other (with regard to Star Wars, of course; usually the most asked question of the day is “what’s for dinner?”) since that cast photo was released at the end of April. Straight away there was some backlash, particularly on twitter that I noticed, regarding a) the lack of females in the cast, and b) the mainly white cast. But one other grumble surfaced, and is the question I refer to, and that was: “Where’s Lando?”
That question is not easily answered, if answered at all. But let us examine the evidence before us. Firstly, the important thing to remember is that this cast announcement is of the principal cast, with confirmation from LucasFilm that more announcements will be made. For example, there will no doubt be numerous supporting roles to fill, for this is the epic universe of the Star Wars saga. So, with reference to the above alphabetized grumbles, I feel quite sure there will be more of a) and that b) will be an ongoing consideration.
BUT. Where is Lando?
Growing up, the sometime rogue-cardshark-turned-administrator-turned-general-and-hero-of-the-rebellion that is Lando Calrissian was one of my favourite characters. From a young mind’s point of view, he quite simply had some of the best action figures. The original Kenner line in the early eighties released a Bespin Governor Lando figure, all in blue shades with a plastic cape. This was followed for Return of the Jedi with Lando in ‘Skiff Guard Disguise’ complete with nifty helmet. Post-film release, Kenner brought out a ‘General Pilot’ Lando, as seen in the latter stages of Jedi, where he commands the Millennium Falcon. This figure had a nylon cape, an upgrade from the plastic sheeting for sure.
My prized Lando Calrissian “General Pilot” figure, from the mid-80s. HANDS OFF!
It is interesting to note that a concern raised post-Episode VII cast reveal, is of the mainly white cast. Back in the summer of 1977, the original Star Wars (pre-A New Hope subtitle, which would be added for the film’s re-release in 1981), as well as being a blockbuster success, also attracted such concerns. So when it came to the character of Lando Calrissian for The Empire Strikes Back, it seems that such criticism had not escaped George Lucas. In his book, Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, author Dale Pollock confirms as much:
The most sensitive part to cast in Empire was Lando. Still smarting from criticism that Star Wars was racist, George conceived of Lando as “a suave, dashing black man in his thirties” and specified in his script that that half of the Cloud City residents and troops were to be black (in the actual film, only a few blacks are visible). Lucas sought Billy Dee Williams from the outset, after seeing him in Lady Sings The Blues. Williams was reluctant to play what he thought was a token black, but soon realized that Lando could be portrayed by a black or white actor. “The part requires a universal, international quality, which I have,” Williams says. “Lando is an alternative to the usual WASP hero.”
(Excerpt from page 213)
Bill Dee Williams (born William December Williams Jnr) was already an established star by the time he was cast in Empire, having appeared in a number of critically acclaimed and academy award-nominated pictures. He was gifted with a character of dubious morality; greeting his old pal, Han Solo, with humour and hugs, it is not long before he has sold him out to Darth Vader (admittedly to keep Bespin Cloud City out of the clutches of the Empire). When Vader reneges on their deal, Lando reveals his honourable streak and attempts to make right his betrayal, and rescues Leia and Chewbacca, but is too late to save Han from being frozen in carbonite, now the prize of the bounty hunter, Boba Fett.
In Return of the Jedi, Billy Dee’s Lando is developed beyond his rogue persona in Empire, and gets some great scenes. Starting off undercover in Jabba’s Palace, he proceeds to aid in freeing Luke, Han and Chewy on a skiff barge hovering above the perilous Pit of Charkoon, home to the fearsome Sarlaac (pre-spesh edish beak), inadvertently dangling into the pit when things get a bit slapstick. I love this scene; there’s great contrast at work by the great, late director, Richard Marquand. We get a bit of Luke in full Jedi mode, backflipping and swashbuckling his way aboard Jabba’s barge, counteracting the slightly botched escape of Han and Chewie: “Boba Fett?” says Han. “Boba Fett? Where?” before sending the bounty hunter off to his ignominous doom in the belly of the Sarlaac…
Lando is then later revealed to now be the cooler-than-ice General Calrissian, and gets to command his old ship, the Millennium Falcon, alongside bizarre alien co-pilot Nien Nunb, at the fore of the fleet sent to attack the second Death Star.
So, this we all know, we’ve watched the original trilogy countless times haven’t we? And Lando, aside from the most famous central characters, is a firm fan favourite, so it would make sense to bring him back, surely? On a cynical note, think of all that merchandise revenue…
I’m not going to entertain idle gossip by speculating as to why Billy Dee Williams hasn’t been announced as part of the Episode VII cast. Idle gossip won’t answer my original question. But I will put forward a theory.
Let us consider the quite notable fact that screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan is penning Episode VII, having taken over from Matthew Arndt, in unusual circumstances; at the time when he was punted from the production, it was rumoured that his script focused more on a new generation of characters, and that Abrams/Disney/LucasFilm were not comfortable with this, and wanted the original main characters to return in prominence. Ergo the increased presence of Kasdan, from consultant to scriptwriter. You can read LucasFilm’s official press release on the exit of Arndt here: http://starwars.com/news/master-filmmaking-team-announced-for-star-wars.html
Kasdan, as you may or may not know, co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back, coming in to assist Leigh Brackett, and also wrote Return of the Jedi. Both films feature Lando Calrissian in prominent supporting roles. If any writer on the planet is aware of Lando’s appeal/usefulness as a character, it is Lawrence Kasdan. Therefore, I take some comfort in the fact that if Lando doesn’t feature it may well be for a good narrative reason that Kasdan and J.J. Abrams have considered carefully. Personally, I think Lando will feature at some point, perhaps in a small role somewhere in the new trilogy.
Internet rumours were suggesting that John Boyega, confirmed as one of the cast, would be playing Lando’s son, but this appears to stem from the fact that he is the only black actor cast thus far. Billy Dee Williams, on at least one occasion, has said that his favoured storyline for the Calrissians would be for Lando’s offspring to become a Jedi(s). Time and Kasdan’s script will tell all, but I’m not banking on it. I suspect Boyega will be a young Jedi but I think it unlikely he will be a Calrissian. If he is, then it may be a neat way of not including Lando at all.
On the subject of the new cast, the actors confirmed so far seem a good, diverse mix, ranging from the original films (bar Lando of course), a smattering of recognizable faces (Andy Serkis, Max Von Sydow, Oscar Isaac, Domnhall Gleeson), to relative unknowns (Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley). Of course, it is hard to speculate as to whether this is good casting until we have a better idea of who is playing who, or what. For example, will Serkis be up to his mo-capped escapades once more, in what is likely to be a creature/effects-heavy production, or will we see his face on screen? Perhaps a bit of both, I dare say.
THAT photo, confirming the new cast for Star Wars: Episode VII. BUT where is Lando?
So, production has started, and there does not seem to be a particularly clandestine nature surrounding the production. Good natured secrecy for sure, but J.J Abrams has already recorded a couple of videoblogs for fans (revealing a new creature in a very cheeky fashion), and I suspect this will continue throughout production. We will be fed enough scraps to keep us going but, as with other Abrams productions, it is quite possible that his new film, and the latest chapter in the lives of the Skywalkers, will feature at least one or two surprises along the way. Will Luke turn to the Dark Side? Is Leia a Jedi? Will Chewbacca’s fur be grey? Will the topic of Midichlorians be discussed? (And dismissed)
I have a theory that maybe the antagonist in this new SW may well have been referenced in Episode III, about halfway through the film, in the scene where Chancellor Palpatine is telling Anakin the story of “the Sith legend of Darth Plagueis the Wise”, who according to Palpatine was a Sith Lord who had mastered the Midichlorians making him able to create life, and prevent death. Of course, Palpatine is playing upon Anakin’s concerns over his vision of Padme’s death, and like the dolt he is Anakin plays right into his hands and ultimately ends up being responsible for Padme’s death. What a wally. Anyway, Palpatine infers that this Sith Lord is dead (and it is later revealed by Palpatine that he murdered Plagueis), but if Plagueis truly conquered death, then, well, he might be up and around and needing some vengeance…. Yes, that is the sound of geek straws being scratched through.
Come what may, the prospect of a new Star Wars film on the horizon is damn exciting and, for me, eclipses all of the comic book movies in the world, ever.
But hold on a tic – where is Warwick Davis? And how about Denis Lawson as Wedge Antilles? Admiral Ackbar??! I could go on… However, I want to share with you an interesting J.J. Abrams quote, from issue 299 of Empire magazine, in a feature called ‘Empire’s Greatest Interviews’ (pages 62 to 63):
“Star Wars was everything to me when I was a kid. It was this mind-expanding, visually stunning emotional ride. Like with Star Trek, though, I think the original films are what Star Wars really is. With the prequels, the video games, the endless books and now the TV series, it’s diluted what Star Wars meant in much the same way as what’s happened to Trek.” (from Empire issue 234, December 2008)
What makes this quote even more juicy, is that Abrams is now part of a behemoth production machine that intend to release a Star Wars film pretty much every year from 2015 onwards. Announced on the 22nd May was the news that Brit director, Gareth Edwards, fresh off the success of his Godzilla film, will be helming the first of the Star Wars standalone films, with relatively unknown writer, Gary Whitta, best known for his The Book of Eli script (not bad, good characterisation), and his work on the award-winning The Walking Dead videogame from Telltale Games . You can read LucasFilm’s official press release here: http://starwars.com/news/gareth-edwards-and-gary-whitta-onboard-for-star-wars-stand-alone-film.html
Two of these standalone movies have been confirmed thus far, and rumours have circulated that these will be origin movies, focusing possibly on Han Solo, and/or Boba Fett, and/or Yoda. Given Edwards quote after the announcement, perhaps he is more interested in the Rebel Alliance period SW; that would hold more potential than a character piece, I think. Now, it is great that Star Wars is getting this upsurge, and I am very excited about seeing the old characters of Luke, Han and Leia back on the big screen (Lando would complete it, of course), and taking my children along to revel in the all-round awesomeness of SW but I am concerned that these standalone pictures will fall flat. There is definitely room for more great Star Wars movies in the world – but definitely not any more rubbish ones.
Roll on Christmas 2015.
Andrew Jamieson is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Geekzine UK. He is also the author of cult Fantasy-Steampunk novel, The Vengeance Path, a top 5 bestseller in the Steampunk Kindle Top 100. It is the first (e)book in The Chronicles of Edenos. You can get it from amazon.co.uk for a few quid here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vengeance-Path-Chronicles-Edenos-ebook/dp/B00DQ0AIAI/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372836773&sr=1-5
Comments Off on FEATURE: Where’s Lando? (And other Episode VII musings)
Fantasy, Movies, News, SF
Tagged with: #GeekzineGold, #StarWars
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GIL: SNP government is investing £50m in affordable housing in both West and East Dunbartonshire
The announcement that more than £50 million is set to be put into new affordable housing in East Dunbartonshire has been applauded by MSP Gil Paterson.
Both West Dunbartonshire Council and East Dunbartonshire Council as well as house builders now have the opportunity to plan ahead with grant subsidies guaranteed, for the first time, for the next three years until 2021.
West Dunbartonshire is getting £8.6 million in 2017/18, £9.8 million in 2019/20 and £10.4 million in 2020/21, an investment of more than £28 million from the SNP government.
East Dunbartonshire is getting £6.5 million in 2017/18, £7.36 million in 2019/20 and £7.8 million in 2020/21, totalling above £21 million.
It is part of a £1.75 billion SNP government investment in affordable housing across Scotland.
Gil Paterson MSP said: “This is a strong investment from the SNP government to home building in local authorities in my constituency, Clydebank and Milngavie.
“There are problems with poor housing stock in both local authority areas, but especially in West Dunbartonshire.
“Both areas, for different reasons, are in desperate need of new, modern affordable housing developments. In East Dunbartonshire, affordable housing is so scarce that people have been driven out of their communities. In West Dunbartonshire, there is an unsuitable waiting list, people living in unacceptable levels of poverty.
“The new affordable housing will boost the living standards of many in both East and West Dunbartonshires. The whole investment from the SNP government will help continue to build our strong and stable economy.”
Affordable housing covers homes for social rent, affordable rent and affordable home ownership.
The full breakdown of each Local Authority’s Long term Resource Planning Assumptions are available on the Scottish Government website.
The Scottish Government recently confirmed £422 million would be allocated to councils in 2017/18 as part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.
The latest Quarterly Housing Statistics covering the first year of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme are published by the Scottish Government.
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Shinyribs
A-Mac
Wednesday, 7/24
Once you’ve seen Shinyribs’ Kevin Russell on-stage and heard his band’s music, it’s impossible to forget. Known for his outrageous outfits and antics, he’s a regular fashion icon, liable to turn up in anything from his lime-green sherbet leisure suit to a flashing LED cloak, which he donned for a soulful performance of “East Texas Rust” on the award-winning PBS show Austin City Limits.
Born and raised in Beaumont, East Texas, Russell’s been variously dubbed (mostly by himself), the Baryshnikov of the Big Thicket, the Pavarotti of the Pineywoods, the Shakespeare of Swamp Pop, or the Shiniest Man in Showbidniz. One of the pioneers of Americana as a member of The Gourds, Russell took his musical inspiration from the fertile Ark-La-Tex turf. In the immortal words of the title track to their most recent album, “I Got Your Medicine,” Shinyribs have the cure to whatever ails you, moving that ass until you’re a helpless member of the Kevin Russell-led “all-in” conga line which snakes through the audience at the close of every show.
“It’s the universal dance anyone can do,” he says. “Nobody feels self-conscious or out of place. It’s a great way to get everybody involved. You can’t really top that.”
As Austin royalty, Shinyribs are one of the music world’s best-kept secrets, but not for long. The eight-piece outfit was recently named Best Austin Band for 2017, while I Got Your Medicine was tapped as Album of the Year at the Chronicle’s prestigious Austin Music Awards. Balding with a scraggly beard and an unapologetic gut, the 50-year-old Russell boasts the indelible spirit and nudge-nudge, wink-wink playful quality of a man forever young, who points to the likes of Tony Joe White and the Coasters for his Shinyribs-tickling, mind-expanding, butt-shaking “is he for real” sense of humor. The crack eight-piece band features, aside from Russell, keyboardist Winfield Cheek, bassist Jeff Brown and drummer Keith Langford, along with the Tijuana Trainwreck Horns (trumpet player Tiger Anaya and Mark Wilson on sax and flute) and the Shiny Soul Sisters (Alice Spencer and Kelley Mickwee), as well as occasional on-stage appearances by the Riblets, Shinyribs’ very own dance troupe.
About his status as a local hero, Russell says, “The competition is pretty serious here in Austin. I don’t know how big a fish I am, but I certainly flop around a lot.”
Kevin Russell might not take himself too seriously, but he is dead-on serious about the eclectic blend of music he favors, combining Texas blues, New Orleans R&B funk, horn-driven Memphis soul, country twang, border music, big band swing, roots-rock, Tin Pan Alley and even punk into a raucous mix that includes such out-of-the-blue cover nods as David Bowie’s “Golden Years” (a posthumous tribute with an unlikely “On Broadway” groove) or the Beatles’ “Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey” (interpolated into a live version of “Poor People’s Store,” his populist “jingle” for an imaginary bargain basement outlet).
Russell’s Shinyribs have recorded four albums since starting out as his “solo” side project, starting with 2010’s Well After Awhile, followed by Gulf Coast Museum (2013), Okra Candy (2015) and last year’s award-winning I Got Your Medicine. The band’s impending release came to fruition with demos Kevin started in his backyard studio, with Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin providing some of the horn arrangements.
Russell’s parents were both music lovers, his father teaching him his first guitar chords, “then pretty much letting me go my own way.” As a teenager, he went through a hard-core punk phase, attracted to west coast acts like Minutemen, Hüsker Dü and Gun Club, followed by an alternative/college fascination with R.E.M., the dBs and the Replacements.
“I was raised in an era where there were no rules, where marketing and specialization hadn’t yet become the status quo,” he says of his vast musical canvas. “I think of radio as playing all styles of music; everything is up for grabs. I never wanted to play just one kind of music. Honestly, I don’t know how to do anything else. I love mashing things together you wouldn’t expect, like a donut taco.
“My thing is to love and respect everyone, to accept everyone for who they are. You can be whoever you want to be at a Shinyribs show… that’s what I’m trying to convey with my music and the performance.”
The past flows through Russell’s aesthetic sensibility to become something, well, Shiny and new.
“It’s cool to see the old stuff still works. I’ve taken a great deal from the best showmen I’ve seen over the years. I don’t want people to hero-worship me like a celebrity. This isn’t about me… it’s about us. Making everybody feel special.” His goal remains to create music that makes us feel better about ourselves… even the sad songs.
“I feel good when I play and sing this music. I want everybody to experience that same pleasure. I just want to keep serving the music I love, and continue to evolve my art.”
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French telecom giant Orange on trial over staff suicides
People enter the headquarters of France Telecom SA in Paris. French telecom giant Orange and 7former or current managers are going on trial, accused of moral harassment over a wave of employee suicides. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
By NICOLAS VAUX-MONTAGNY, Associated Press
Posted May 06 2019 08:50AM EDT
PARIS (AP) - The toll is shocking: 19 suicides, 12 suicide attempts and eight cases of serious depression among employees over a three-year span at France's main telephone and internet company.
A long-awaited trial began Monday in Paris accusing telecom giant Orange and seven former or current managers of moral harassment and related charges. The company - then called France Telecom - was undergoing job cuts and modernization efforts at the time of the suicides a decade ago.
Unions say France's big companies haven't learned any lessons from what happened at France Telecom, and about 200 activists demonstrated outside the courthouse Monday to urge a conviction.
The defendants include the former president of France Telecom, Didier Lombard, former human resources director Olivier Barberot and former deputy executive director Louis-Pierre Wenes. They spoke briefly one by one Monday at the trial, which is the largest to date in France for moral harassment on a company-wide scale.
The defendants are suspected of having "degraded work conditions of personnel that risked hurting their rights and dignity, altering the physical or mental health (of personnel), or compromising their professional future."
Four other officials are suspected of complicity in moral harassment.
In France, moral harassment can be punished by a year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros ($16,790). Orange itself is also on trial, and the court could order the company to grant additional damages to each civil party in the case.
An investigation into the wave of employee suicides between 2007 and 2010 was opened following a complaint from the Sud union. At the time, Lombard allegedly referred to the deaths as "the fashion."
Lombard, who was replaced as France Telecom chief in 2010, has denied all the charges. He attributed the suicides, attempted suicides and cases of depression to "local difficulties with no links to each other" and no relation to the company's job cuts at the time.
The indictment lists the employees who took their lives or tried to, some on the job.
Michel, 50, left a note about his decision to end his life on July 29, 2009, according to the prosecutor's report. Michel's note denounced "the permanent sense of urgency, overwork, absence of training, the total disorganization of the company" plus "management by terror."
"I'm taking my life because of my work at France Telecom. It's the only reason," the note said.
A month earlier, Christel, 37, slashed her veins in an apparent bid to kill herself in front of two superiors who told her hours earlier she would be transferred. In March 2009, 52-year-old Herve was preparing to jump from an office window but the noise he was making drew others to his rescue.
Jean-Michel, a father of three children, was 53 when he threw himself in front of a train on July 2, 2008, while on the phone with two union delegates.
France Telecom, once a state-owned monopoly, transformed into a private company in the 2000s. Lombard launched a restructuring plan aimed at shedding 22,000 jobs, but most employees were still considered civil servants and so were protected from layoffs.
As it sought to reduce staff, the indictment says the company imposed "excessive and intrusive control" on employees, assigned workers to demoralizing tasks, failed to provide training, isolated staff and used "intimidation maneuvers or threats and pay cuts."
Lombard's lawyer, Jean Veil, says his client is innocent because he could not possibly know what was going on in France Telecom's vast network of more than 100,000 employees.
"Mr. Didier Lombard is suspected of harassment of people he never saw," Veil said in 2012, when Lombard was handed preliminary charges. "Now there's a surprising accusation."
Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed.
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I'm Surrounded By Idiots
"Agitate, agitate, agitate!" -Frederick Douglass
People on death row in Virginia
John Lampmann: Serious candidate? No.
Hermain Cain: Constitutional Scholar (Part II).
Abraham Lincoln on the Know-Nothings:
The GOP continues to show its contempt for the Constitution and other thoughts on the criminal justice system.
Have I mentioned recently that The Free Lance-Star is a contemptible, despicable rag?
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1st Congressional District Representative Rob Wittman (R) will be up for reelection on November 2, 2010.
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7th Congressional District Representative Eric Cantor (R) will be up for reelection on November 2, 2010.
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Posts belonging to Category Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter’s outrage about the naming of United States Navy ships is pretty selective.
May 18, 2011 | Posted by Timothy Watson
Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) was on The Drudge Report yesterday due to his opposition to a plan by the United States Navy to name a new Lewis and Clark class cargo ship in honor of labor leader Cesar Chavez:
The decision, announced Tuesday, “appear[s] to be more about making a political statement than upholding the Navy’s history and tradition,” Hunter said in press release.
Hunter, who served as a Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan, said that if the Navy wanted to recognize “the Hispanic contribution to our nation, many other names come to mind.”
I notice that Hunter’s concern about the naming of United State Navy ships seems to be a new concern for him. I don’t see him complaining about the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), an aircraft carrier named after former United States Senator John C. Stennis.
What did John C. Stennis do before he was a Senator? He was a prosecutor in Mississippi. While a prosecutor he had no problem using a confession obtained through torture and a simulated hanging—the only evidence in the case—to secure a death sentence against three black defendants:
[Defendants] were indicted for the murder of one Raymond Stewart, whose death occurred on March 30, 1934. They were indicted on April 4, 1934, and were then arraigned and pleaded not guilty. Counsel were appointed by the court to defend them. Trial was begun the next morning and was concluded on the following day, when they were found guilty and sentenced to death.
Aside from the confessions, there was no evidence sufficient to warrant the submission of the case to the jury. After a preliminary inquiry, testimony as to the confessions was received over the objection of defendants’ counsel. Defendants then testified that the confessions were false and had been procured by physical torture.
“The crime with which these defendants, all ignorant negroes, are charged, was discovered about one o’clock p.m. on Friday, March 30, 1934. On that night one Dial, a deputy sheriff, accompanied by others, came to the home of Ellington, one of the defendants, and requested him to accompany them to the house of the deceased, and there a number of white men were gathered, who began to accuse the defendant of the crime. Upon his denial they seized him, and with the participation of the deputy they hanged him by a rope to the limb of a tree, and having let him down, they hung him again, and when he was let down the second time, and he still protested his innocence, he was tied to a tree and whipped, and still declining to accede to the demands that he confess, he was finally released and he returned with some difficulty to his home, suffering intense pain and agony. The record of the testimony shows that the signs of the rope on his neck were plainly visible during the so-called trial. A day or two thereafter the said deputy, accompanied by another, returned to the home of the said defendant and arrested him, and departed with the prisoner towards the jail in an adjoining county, but went by a route which led into the State of Alabama; and while on the way, in that State, the deputy stopped and again severely whipped the defendant, declaring that he would continue the whipping until he confessed, and the defendant then agreed to confess to such a statement as the deputy would dictate, and he did so, after which he was delivered to jail.
“The other two defendants, Ed Brown and Henry Shields, were also arrested and taken to the same jail. On Sunday night, April 1, 1934, the same deputy, accompanied by a number of white men, one of whom was also an officer, and by the jailer, came to the jail, and the two last named defendants were made to strip and they were laid over chairs and their backs were cut to pieces with a leather strap with buckles on it, and they were likewise made by the said deputy definitely to understand that the whipping would be continued unless and until they confessed, and not only confessed, but confessed in every matter of detail as demanded by those present; and in this manner the defendants confessed the crime, and as the whippings progressed and were repeated, they changed or adjusted their confession in all particulars of detail so as to conform to the demands of their torturers. When the confessions had been obtained in the exact form and contents as desired by the mob, they left with the parting admonition and warning that, if the defendants changed their story at any time in any respect from that last stated, the perpetrators of the outrage would administer the same or equally effective treatment.
“Further details of the brutal treatment to which these helpless prisoners were subjected need not be pursued. It is sufficient to say that in pertinent respects the transcript reads more like pages torn from some medieval account, than a record made within the confines of a modern civilization which aspires to an enlightened constitutional government.
“All this having been accomplished, on the next day, that is, on Monday, April 2, when the defendants had been given time to recuperate somewhat from the tortures to which they had been subjected, the two sheriffs, one of the county where the crime was committed, and the other of the county of the jail in which the prisoners were confined, came to the jail, accompanied by eight other persons, some of them deputies, there to hear the free and voluntary confession of these miserable and abject defendants. The sheriff of the county of the crime admitted that he had heard of the whipping, but averred that he had no personal knowledge of it. He admitted that one of the defendants, when brought before him to confess, was limping and did not sit down, and that this particular defendant then and there stated that he had been strapped so severely that he could not sit down, and as already stated, the signs of the rope on the neck of another of the defendants were plainly visible to all. Nevertheless the solemn farce of hearing the free and voluntary confessions was gone through with, and these two sheriffs and one other person then present were the three witnesses used in court to establish the so-called confessions, which were received by the court and admitted in evidence over the objections of the defendants duly entered of record as each of the said three witnesses delivered their alleged testimony. There was thus enough before the court when these confessions were first offered to make known to the court that they were not, beyond all reasonable doubt, free and voluntary; and the failure of the court then to exclude the confessions is sufficient to reverse the judgment, under every rule of procedure that has heretofore been prescribed, and hence it was not necessary subsequently to renew the objections by motion or otherwise.
“The defendants were brought to the courthouse of the county on the following morning, April 5th, and the so-called trial was opened, and was concluded on the next day, April 6, 1934, and resulted in a pretended conviction with death sentences. The evidence upon which the conviction was obtained was the so-called confessions. Without this evidence a peremptory instruction to find for the defendants would have been inescapable. The defendants were put on the stand, and by their testimony the facts and the details thereof as to the manner by which the confessions were extorted from them were fully developed, and it is further disclosed by the record that the same deputy, Dial, under whose guiding hand and active participation the tortures to coerce the confessions were administered, was actively in the performance of the supposed duties of a court deputy in the courthouse and in the presence of the prisoners during what is denominated, in complimentary terms, the trial of these defendants. This deputy was put on the stand by the state in rebuttal, and admitted the whippings. It is interesting to note that in his testimony with reference to the whipping of the defendant Ellington, and in response to the inquiry as to how severely he was whipped, the deputy stated, ‘Not too much for a negro; not as much as I would have done if it were left to me.’ Two others who had participated in these whippings were introduced and admitted it — not a single witness was introduced who denied it. The facts are not only undisputed, they are admitted, and admitted to have been done by officers of the state, in conjunction with other participants, and all this was definitely well known to everybody connected with the trial, and during the trial, including the state’s prosecuting attorney and the trial judge presiding.” (Black v. Mississippi, 297 U.S. 278, 279-285 (1936) (citations omitted))
Yeah Duncan Hunter, naming a ship after Cesar Chavez is the worst the Navy could do.
Categories: Duncan Hunter, United States Navy | No Comments
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« Billy Joel and Jimmy Fallon: The Lion Sleeps Tonight
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Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs: All Her Fault
Another winning set of idiosyncratic blues, folk and country
The latest collaboration between Holly Golightly and Lawyer Dave doesn’t really break any new ground, but when you’re in a solid groove, new ground isn’t necessarily the place to plow. Golightly herself says “I’m not looking to achieve something that hasn’t been achieved before. We just do what we do. The songs are really all that changes.” But changing the songs turns out to be enough, as the idiosyncratic combination of folk musics they’ve developed over the past seven years still has new things to say. As before, the tracks are assembled in the studio instrument-by-instrument and voice-by-voice, but the productions aren’t overworked, and their unfinished edges retain the vitality of performance.
The duo’s interests in country, blues and R&B continue to dominate, with vocals that range from sing-out hootenannies to cooler moods that recall solo albums like Laugh it Up. Golightly sings girlish country on “No Business” and adds 50s-styled harmonies behind the resigned lead of “The Best.” The former includes terrific electric guitar, and the latter has a drifting piano that signals the album’s newest instrumental member. Piano is heard tinkling behind the blue waltz “Pistol Pete,” and rolling riffs along the edges of “Bless Your Heart” and “Pefect Mess.” Lawyer Dave picks and strums throughout the album, with plenty of slide to give things twang.
The duo’s penchant for clanking percussion remains a major element of their music, and the blue-folk “Can’t Pretend” once again brings to mind their modern-day take on Richard & Mimi Farina. Tracks that really highlight the pair’s musical ethos include the rough-and-ready stomp heard on “1234” and “Don’t Shed Your Light,” and the slow-moving organ-stabbed blues of “King Lee.” The album’s lone cover is Richard Jones’ “Trouble in Mind,” taken upbeat from its earliest incarnations [1 2] and goosed by a yowling vocal. This is an imaginative album of songs whose roots are yet again twisted and turned into something original. [©2014 Hyperbolium]
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Tags: Americana, Blues, Country, Folk, Transdreamer
This entry was posted on Sunday, March 23rd, 2014 at 5:00 pm and is filed under CD Review, Free Download. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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Purchase from Author
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SWIRLS OF NURTURE
Sometimes I feel like a creator, sometimes I feel like a teacher, sometimes I feel like a worshipper,
sometimes I just feel three worlds swirling, colliding, morphing into new worlds . .
. . . yet with each swirl the need to nurture . . .
. . . nurture midst fragile creations, vulnerable artists, emotive questioning soundscapes, wondering and wandering thoughts, midst a church wondering how to create in the image of the One who created all.
Jerusalem - A special place indeed
Jerusalem, a special place for us to visit. During the visit we also learnt new things about why this city is special not only for different people but also a special place for God.
For Jews, according to tradition, it is the place where Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac. It was Jerusalem that David chose as his capital and where Solomon built the Temple, the national centre of worship.
Such was the city’s importance in biblical times, that those who could not manage the strongly encouraged three times a year journey were advised to at least pray towards Jerusalem. It was believed that if they did so their prayer would be heard as if they were present in Jerusalem.. To this day, all synagogues face Jerusalem, so that Jewish prayers are directed there in accordance with that tradition.
Jews were in exile for 2,000 years, but kept Jerusalem’s memory intact as the symbol of national unity. As Psalm 137 declares: “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning and my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth”, while every Passover, Jews say “Next year in Jerusalem”.
The Arabs consider the city of Jerusalem to be the third most holy city in Islam and the dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is a contested location..
For Christians, Jerusalem is where Christ preached, ate the Last Supper with his disciples before his death, where he was arrested, put on trial, condemned to death, crucified, and died, a man mocked and tortured by the occupying Romans. Jerusalem is a place of deep sorrow and utter desolation but also of hope and redemption. It is where his tomb was found empty and he rose from the dead. It is the sacred heart of the Christian story.
Jerusalem, though, is more than just a historic place. It has become a religious concept that transcends time taking on a redemptive significance, based on its root meaning – shalom - city of peace – with the hope that it becomes a place of harmony for all peoples and the capital of a world at one with itself. It is a metaphor for all that yearn for peace in this world and the next. No wonder God says to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” (Ps 122:6-7).
Jerusalem is an important location in prophesy,
And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the (Torah) law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:2).
There is also the promise of a new Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the ultimate dwelling place for God and redeemed mankind where there is no more death nor devil.
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:1,2).
Put it all together and Jerusalem is the primary place on earth in which, and through which God has, and will ultimately reveal Himself!
Fascinating therefore to walk the streets of this city and reflect on all this. But I was unaware till this trip that Jerusalem is the only place on our planet that God calls His place. God has chosen Jerusalem on the globe as His special habitation. This is written in many Scripture passages.
“For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place” (Ps. 132:13).
The prophet Joel says, “So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy…” (Joel 3:17).
Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name. 1 Kings 11:36
And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.” . . . And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. 2 Kings 21:4, 7
Jerusalem is God’s city, His holy mountain! He has chosen it for His earthly dwelling place. A reason that those who love Him are drawn to this city.. And a reason that those who conspire against Him, also conspire against this place.
God said He would put His name here forever. In this age of computers and satellite imagery, this has taken on new meaning. Some feel that God has literally put a part of His signature in the geography of Jerusalem. The valleys form the Hebrew letter (shin) in a U-shape. Some would say this is no accident, because this letter forms the first part of God’s name, El Shaddai (the God who protects).
In order for you to understand this, we need to take time for a geography lesson. In so doing, you are joining our experience with our guide who often made reference to the valleys that surround the old city of Jerusalem. He said that being able to identify the valleys would help us orientate ourselves geographically as well as scripturally.
There are three main valleys in Jerusalem: Gehenna, Kidron, and Tyropoean. Over the years, these three valleys have provided a natural defence to Jerusalem on three sides.
The Hinnom Valley (also called Gehenna or Akeldama Valley) is south of Jerusalem. In later years, the valley was used for incinerating the corpses of criminals and unclean animals, and also as a place to burn garbage from the city. The Dung Gate, named for the direction of the wind to carry away the stench from the city, was situated here. From these practices, the Greek form “ge hinnom” (Gehenna) came into use as a synonym for Hell (Matthew 5:22-30). The burial place called Akeldama, meaning “field of blood,” was located in the eastern part of the Valley of Hinnom, and made famous by Judas (Matthew 27:3-10; Acts 1:16-19).
The second valley is the Kidron Valley, located on the north and east side of the city. Kidron Valley separates the city from the Mount of Olives. It forms a wadi (a ravine or channel) that eventually empties into the Dead Sea. Its name, meaning “dark” or “shady,” probably reflects its depth (at least 50 feet deeper then than it is today), and that it was much cooler than the heat generated from the stones in the city above it. It is believed that Psalm 23: 4 —valley of the shadow of death— refers to the Kidron Valley. It has been used as a cemetery since biblical times and many tombs are still built there today.
It was while passing through this valley that David heard the news of the defection of Ahithophel. "And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness" (2 Sam. 15:31). The bitterness of this traitorous act of Ahithophel is commemorated by David in Psalm 55:12-14, "For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company."
It was here that David crossed the “Brook Kidron” when he fled from Absalom (2 Samuel 15:23). The account of the flight is given in 2 Samuel 15. In that account we read: "And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness" (2 Sam. 15:23).
The final judgment of the nations in “the valley of Jehoshsaphat,” meaning “Yahweh judges,” is often identified with the Kidron Valley (Joel 3:2,12). After the Last Supper, Jesus led His disciples across the ravine Kidron to the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:1). When He was arrested, they brought Him back through the valley to the residence of the High Priest. These events took place only four days after Jesus’ official entrance into the city, riding on a donkey across the Kidron Valley. This was a valley of death for Jesus as well.
Southeast of the Temple Mount, the Kidron joins the Tyropoean Valley, which passes down on the west side of the mount. The deep ravine formed by these valleys south of the city made a strong defense for David’s Jerusalem. The Kidron also provided the water resource for Jerusalem’s only spring, the Gihon Spring on the eastern slope.
The last valley of the three is the rugged Tyropoean, named by Josephus, a relatively shallow valley originating in the upper (northern) part of the city and passing down beside the western wall of the Temple Mount, eventually joining the Kidron Valley. This was the main street, or the shopping mall district of Jesus’ time.
These three deep valleys made Jerusalem feel safe and secure, as if God Himself were guarding it. Even Titus, the Roman General who destroyed the city in 70 A.D., said, “If it had not been for the internal dissensions, the city could never have been taken.” These valleys are not the defence they once were. In our modern era, the Tyropean is more of a plain than a valley.
But here is the interesting part. If you look at a map or a photograph of the area, who will see that the valleys form the Hebrew letter (shin)--ש. Some would say this is no accident. I leave you to decided but present the evidence these people give. This letter forms the first part of God’s name, El Shaddai (the God who protects). The Shin also represents God’s name, and was seen on the doorpost Mezuzah of many doorways in Israel - certainly all hotels and our airbnb. As Deuteronomy 6:9 commands, “write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
The Hebrew letter shin (ש) is an abbreviation for the name El Shaddai. Looking from above the letter shin appears—formed by the Kidron, the Hinnom and the Tyropoeon valleys. God has literally fulfilled His word!
Is the fingerprint of God on Jerusalem for all to see this literal? Maybe? Or just an unusual occurrence? Perhaps . . . perhaps not . . . but it is something quite remarkable to meditate on. But even if not that literal, the historical and modern day story validates the statement that “Jerusalem is the city where God has chosen to put His name.”
All this is a reminder that God is not distant. He is very much involved in this world.
The repeated emphasis on His name shows that he is a God who cares about his identity and has made a long term commitment to humanity.
It shows his love since Jerusalem is the place where he came in the form of his son to not only pay the debt of our sins but also identify to the point of suffering and death with mankind.
His wisdom and sovereignty is seen in his detailed long range planning.
This trip was a reminder that truly ‘History is His Story’.
Source web links
https://www.bridgesforpeace.com/letter/jerusalem-place-god-chose/
http://www.minimannamoments.com/i-will-put-my-name-part-2/
Author, Conductor, Teacher, Worship leader
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Category:Food
Florida wins BCS National Championship Game over Oklahoma
By | October 8, 2018 - 2:42 am | Uncategorized
The Florida Gators defeated the Oklahoma Sooners by a score of 24 to 14 last night’s FedEx BCS National Championship Game to win the Division I title of the National Collegiate Athletic Association‘s American college football league. Florida, ranked Number 1 in the nation, were led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow. “I promised the guys that I would go out and play with all my heart. I was so motivated tonight,” said Tebow. They were matched up against a Number 2 ranked Oklahoma team with a powerful offense, including this year’s Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Sam Bradford. The game took place at a sold-out Dolphin Stadium in Miami, as a stadium record 78,468 fans attended the match.
Both team’s defensed dominated each others’ offenses in the first half, forcing a 7 to 7 score when halftime came against a Florida offense that averaged 54 points a game and an Oklahoma offense that averaged 40 points. In total, both team’s defenses had 4 interceptions, 2 for Florida and 2 for Oklahoma. Florida’s defense stopped Oklahoma twice during a goal line stand, stopping them on a fourth-down rush once, and a forced interception out of the hands of Oklahoma wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias by Florida’s Ahmad Black.
On the offensive side of the ball, Florida was led by Tebow. Although throwing 2 interceptions, Tebow completed 18 put of 30 passes for 2 touchdowns, as well as rushed 22 times for over 100 yards. Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford helped the Sooners offense through the air, completing 26 out of 41 passes for 256 yards and 2 passing touchdowns, but also throwing two interceptions. In the fourth quarter, Tebow completed a key 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver David Nelson, making the score 24 to 14 and putting the game out of reach for Oklahoma.
Some college fans believe that Florida did not rightly win the national championship, though. Fans of the Utah Utes believed that their undefeated team should have at least earned a spot in the game against Oklahoma or Florida’s one-loss teams. Fans of the USC Trojans and the Texas Longhorns also believed that the teams could have earned a spot in the game, due to their similar records. On the matter, Florida head coach Urban Meyer said “This is one of the best teams in college football history. Let someone else worry about all that. The Gators are No.1.”
On the game, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops commented “In the end, I’ll be glad to try again next year. If that’s the biggest burden I have to bear in my life, I’m a pretty lucky guy.” Tim Tebow, in a post-game interview, said “I was already motivated for a national championship game. But you know, there was some trash talking going on, and it just gets me going during the game.” In a losing effort, Sam Bradford commented “In the first half, we had opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of. In the second half, when we needed to make the plays, we just couldn’t do it.”
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Mark Alvin Camarillo
Football, A Gold Mine
It's winter in Australia, and the AFL football season is well under way. My husband is an AFL fan from way back and he wants me to share his enthusiasm for the game. The Gold Coast now has its own team coming into the big league next year. I'm not the sporty type, but somehow the Gold Coast having a football team in the national competition has appealed to my sense of patriotism. So I treaded carefully into what I've always considered to be a male domain. This reluctant member attended a game last Saturday and I discovered AFL is more than football.
While I sat in our folding chairs on the hill, (the club's football ground is under construction in Carrara), a cold southerly breeze nipped at my ear lobes that made me shiver. What I gained from coming to the football and getting cold had better be worth it. To my surprise, I discovered I could watch the football and the crowd. AFL is a fast moving game and I can't always see the action at the far end of the field, so when the play was too fast and the distance too long, I honed in to what was going on around me.
Families with young children tossed mini-footballs; older kids watched the footy and wrestled each other when they got bored; and fanatic footy fans discussed the game plan, which was double dutch to me. What impacted me the most was the way the people at the footy related to other people in all kinds of ways. Husbands and wives, couples, grandmas and grandads were there discussing the game, or more importantly, in the pauses in the action they talked about issues that were important to them. Snippets of conversation pricked up my ears. I learned many juicy tidbits about members of their family or friends. I didn't have my notebook with me last week to make note of these conversations, but I will next time.
What I learned last Saturday was that even though some people were at the footy, they talked much about everything and little about football. They discussed the problems Joey was having trying to fit in at school; Sally's disappointment she wasn't chosen for the ballet competition; John and Casey's marriage problems and how they were hoping to overcome their financial problems; and how they were they going to get mum and dad into a retirement home with care, etc.
So football serves more than one purpose. I learnt what it means to be a football player and to be part of the team. I also learnt there are real life issues behind the people who attend the football. By listening carefully I heard how people interacted with each other. I realised I could use their experiences to build the characters of my stories and in doing so make the characters real people living in real relationships.
What about you, do you go to the football to watch the action on the field? Do you go with a friend to clear what's bothering you off your chest? Or do you go just for the fresh air and sunshine? I'd like to hear what football means to you.
Tagged: AFL, Football, Gold Coast Football Club, Relationships
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Hayes v Soloman [1835] NSWSupC 20
theatre, riot at - anti-Semitism - assault
Hearing, 18 March 1835
Source: Sydney Gazette, 19 March 1835[ 1]
Hayes versus Solomon - This was an action brought by plaintiff against the defendant, for an assault at the Theatre, on the 23rd October last.
Counsel for plaintiff, Mr. Foster; for defendant, Messrs. Wentworth, and S. Stephen.
Mr. Foster opened the case by stating, that it was one of a most aggravated nature; that he should be able to prove that the defendant came into the Theatre with a mob for the purpose of creating a riot and disturbance; that the plaintiff and his party endeavoured to quell the row, and for their interference the plaintiff got assaulted in a most serious and violent manner.
Dichard [sic] Driver sworn - I am a publican; I was at the Theatre on the 23rd of October last; I saw the defendant there, he had a stick; I saw the plaintiff there, in the upper tier of boxes; the house was disturbed; I saw a person named Cohen wielding a stick, there was a rush towards him to take the stick from him; plaintiff was one of the persons who ran towards him, and I saw defendant strike plaintiff over the head with a stick and nearly felled him, some time after this I saw plaintiff's head bloody, but it had been washed; plaintiff was in my house about a fortnight afterwards, and the defendant and Mr. Sullivan came in; defendant appeared sorry for what he had done, and seemed anxious to have the affair settled without coming before the Court, as it was a general row on that evening; plaintiff said he had engaged Mr. Keith; defendant made no offer of compensation; there were some refreshments called for, of which defendant, Sullivan, and I partook, Hayes would not take any.
Cross-examined - I do not know in what part of the house defendant was at the commencement of the performance of the evening; there were two parties in the house that evening, a party of Australian youths, and a party of Hews; defendant was on his legs when he struck the blow, and ran out immediately afterwards; I heard several persons say throw them into the pit, but I don't know which party it was; I advised the parties, plaintiff and defendant, to arrange the matter; Solomon was instrumental in raising a subscription for Master Jones, he paid me for him 5s. 7s.
George Wall sworn -- I was at the Theatre on the night in question; I saw Hayes there; I saw him just after he had received a blow on the head, his head was bloody at the time.
This closed the plaintiff's case.
Mr. Wentworth then addressed the Jury to the following effect - He said it was a most disgraceful proceeding on the part of the plaintiff to bring the case into the Supreme Court, as by the document he held in his hand, viz. a Summons from the Police Office, and which he ought to have acted upon; now, Mr. Hayes goes to some lawyer of the Court, who thinking it would be a safe course, advises him to come to this Court to seek damages; I dare say the plaintiff calculates largely on his damages upon this occasion, seeing a few Currency lads in the Jury box, but he (Mr. W.) felt sure they would not be biassed [sic] or influenced by any party feeling, and that they would in this instance, as justice demanded it, go against their countryman, by returning a verdict for the defendant. The disturbance at the Theatre originated in a person named Knowles not playing for the benefit of a Mr. Phillips, who is of the Jewish persuasion, and the defendant did right in expressing his disapprobation of Mr. Knowles's conduct in the way he did, Mr. Knowles's was a public character, he had no business to allow his private quarrels to interfere with his public duty; it was decidedly Mr. Knowles's duty to play for a brother-performer, and the plaintiff a native of the country ought to be ashamed of himself for bringing the present action into Court. Why did he not, as a man of sense, at the instigation of a brother Native, drop it? Or why did he not take the case to the Police Office - the proper place for a case of this sort to be decided, and let the Magistrates deal with it as they thought proper? He certainly did so, inasmuch as he issued a summons for the plaintiff to attend there, when, I presume, some attorney of the Court told him it would be an insecure way of procedure, and advised him to bring the case into the Supreme Court, and lay heavy damages. You, gentlemen, have it upon evidence, that the plaintiff knocked a young man of the Jewish persuasion, named Cohen, down; when as a most respectable witness, Mr. Driver, says, plaintiff received an accidental blow from the defendant. And why, gentlemen, did the plaintiff come from the pitt to the boxes on the commencement of the fracas, if he did not wish to take an active part in it? and we are all well aware, that when one man fights another, or when one party is opposed to another, heads must be cracked, and bones may be broken on either side, but on this occasion the plaintiff's party were victorious; they beat the Jews into a corner, and the poor Israelites were glad to call the police to their aid, as I shall hereafter prove. I am sure, gentlemen, if you were all Currency lads, after the evidence you will hear adduced in behalf of the plaintiff, you will be of the same mind as myself, that the plaintiff was the aggressor, that this action was brought to gratify a vindictive feeling, and that you will let him know you deem it such, by awarding damages to an amount insufficient to carry costs.
For the defence:--
Richard Sullivan, sworn - I am a dealer in George-street; I was at the theatre on the night in question; I did not see any part of the fray as concerned the plaintiff and defendant; I heard a great uproar in the house; some time afterwards I went with the defendant to a public house, kept by Mr. Driver, where I endeavoured to arrange the affair, Hayes being present; Hayes seemed determined to bring the matter into Court; we had some refreshment; Hayes would not partake of it.
George Paul, sworn - I was at the theatre on the night in question; I saw the defendant in the pit first, and I then saw him in the upper boxes; there was a great confusion there; I did not see in which way either the defendant or plaintiff were served; I got into the boxes by paying; I heard several exclamations to throw them over, but I don't know who the exclamations proceeded from.
Lewis Cohen, sworn - I am a tailor; I saw plaintiff and defendant at the theatre; plaintiff knocked me down; he had his knee on my chest; I called out ``Murder, come and help me;" some timely hand came to my rescue, or else I should have been killed.
Cross-examined - I didn't like Mr. Knowles's conduct; I went there with the intention of hissing Mr. Knowles; I saw Mr. Hayes standing by the side of me, and I said to Mr. Hayes, ``Now I came here to mark my approbation or disapprobation of this evening's performance, and I desire you will not molest me, as I paid my money to come in;" upon which Mr. Hayes knocked me down; I had a stick in my hand; I always walk with a stick of an evening to protect myself; I have seen Douglas played; I did not like Knowles in Glenalvon, and I hissed him; I went there with the intention of hissing him; I have no private feeling against him, exactly, but I dont [sic] like the man; I am sure there was no female on the stage I went to hiss; I consider Mr. Knowles a servant of the public, and therefore he ought to suit himself to the public taste; I have had a touch at acting, but I dont think I'm a good actor; I have seen Douglas played at home, and I didn't like Knowles either as a public man or a private individual; I didn't ask the plaintiff to drink a bottle of wine with me; I swear I did not, positively; I dont think I did; I cannot say whether I did or not.
Re-examined - I am a bit of a patron of the stage; I have a little itching that way myself; Mr. Knowles didn't play the part of Glenalvon to my taste at all.
George Moss, sworn - I was at the theatre on the night in question; I saw plaintiff and defendant there; Mr. Hayes was in the pit first, and he then came into the boxes; I heard him say, if any person hissed he would throw them into the pit; some one did hiss, and there was a general row; I saw Cohen on the ground, and I believe one of the Solomons picked him up; it was a general scuffle and a general row.
Cross-examined - Solomon, the defendant, was marked out as one of the most conspicuous parties; Cohen was amongst the parties the next day at a public house having some grog; I do not recollect Cohen individually asking plaintiff to crack a bottle of wine with him.
Vabian Solomon, sworn - I was at the theatre on the night in question; I heard Hayes and some of his party say, ``Throw the b--y Jews overboard;" I saw Hayes knock Cohen down; we had to place ourselves under the protection of three constables to prevent our being thrown into the pit.
Cross examined - I did not use any knife at the time; I did not make any preparation to defend myself; I did not go to the Theatre to interrupt the performance; I went there with the intention of hissing one of the performers, Mr. Knowles, because I considered he deserved it.
James Wells constable sworn - I was at the Theatre on the night in question; I saw the defendant there; he applied to me for protection; I did protect him - I saw several persons, natives, coming upon them, but I told them not to strike the defendant, and they did not; I saw no blows struck.
Cross-examined - I saw plaintiff's head bleeding, and undertood [sic] it was from the blow of a stick.
This closed the Defendant's case.
Mr. Foster then rose and animadverted at great length on the evidence that had been adduced on either side, and particularly adverted to the evidence of Mr. Cohen, whom he stated had given his evidence in anything but a straightforward manner, and came there with his mind biassed [sic] and prejudiced as a parcel of Jews would do one for another; indeed the only credible witness was Mr. Driver, whose evidence was of the most impartial and distinct nature possible. He concluded by stating that the plaintiff had been very ill used, and told the Jury they were bound to return damages to an amount that would carry costs.
The learned Judge then laid a full view of the case before the Jury, and detailed the evidence in the most clear manner on either side - The Jury retired and returned a verdict for the Plaintiff damages one farthing - each party to pay their own costs.
[ 1] See also Australian, 20 March 1835.
On 7 March 1836, Levy, the proprietor and manager of the theatre, sued Knowles, one of the actors, in quasi-contract, and won damages of £8 4s. 3d.: Sydney Herald, 10 March 1836.
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Tom Robbins Tibetan Peach Pie | Review
Blog > Autobiographical Books > Tom Robbins Tibetan Peach Pie | Review
Having read and loved Tom’s books for the past twenty or so years, it was with keen anticipation that I got my hands on a copy of his new ‘None Autobiography’. As far as I know there is no one on the planet who writes like Mr Robbins, let alone is like him. The book, as he makes very clear is not an autobiography but a collection of stories he has been sharing with the women in his life for the last 50 years or so… and what a life it has been! The man is amazing and the roads he has traveled are as diverse as you would expect.
Tom states that he has had a ‘lifelong quest to personally interface with the great mystery – which may or may not be God.’ during this quest he has encounters with such diverse people as Allen Ginsberg, Joseph Campbell, Timothy Leary and turned down a radio show with Charles Manson. You get a love poem to a jam doughnut; which made me want to rush out and buy one immediately. Also his favourite food the tomato and mayonnaise sandwich makes an appearance or two and who knew ‘Timbuktu’ really does exist and to prove it he had to go there.
Tom describes his first LSD trip in an amazing way, for something he says can’t really be put into words and tells us it was the best day of his life.
There was a also a bowl of ripe plums on the coffee table, and earlier (it could have been thirty minutes earlier, three minutes, or three hours), I’d stared at a plum (for what could have been minutes, three minutes, or three hours), discovering that the purple plum skin was in actuality a subtle chromatic interplay of red, blue, pink, magenta, maroon, sapphire, indigo, russet, rose, carmine, ultramarine, lapis lazuli, and even gold…
Not all his thoughts about drugs are positive. He regrets espousing the merits of cocaine in ‘Still Life with Woodpecker’, but hey it was the 80s.
It is well known that Tom discovered his voice for writing after seeing a Doors concert in 1967. Robbins tells us: “I detected an ease, a freedom of expression, a syntax simultaneously wild and precise, a rare blending of reckless abandon and tight control”. He says it wasn’t the concert itself that lead to his style, merely that that was the defining moment for him. The moment when he knew what he had been planning to do since the age of five.
Towards the end of the book he does touch on his works but his life is the main event here, as it should be. What an amazing one he has lived, from starting out in North Carolina and Virginia during his childhood, to a brief stint in New York and finally deciding Seattle was the place for him.
Robbins has been a poet, a meteorologist, a soldier, a journalist, an art critic, a radio DJ and of course, a world famous novelist.
It is a brilliant book, as expected. It’s a funny, laugh out loud, whimsical and it makes me wish he would run for president. The world would surely be a better place if he did.
Autobiographical Books Book Reviews Lesbians London Lesbians of North London Tom Robbins Tibetan Peach Pie | Review
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Springtime distractions
April 28, 2003 Kevin
When people ask me why I live in Britain, I tell them it’s for the wonderful weather. Of course they usually react with disbelief, but here’s news of the climate in which I grew up (via Radio Canada International):
CALGARY: ALBERTANS DIG OUT AFTER RECORD SNOWFALL
People in southern Alberta Sunday [27 April 2003] continued to mop up heavy, wet snow after a record-breaking spring blizzard. As much as 30 to 60 centimetres of snow in some areas Saturday left people battling slick roads, power failures, cancelled flights and back-breaking shovelling. Calgary and the surrounding area got blasted with snow throughout the entire day Saturday. The snowfall amount was a record for the date since Environment Canada began recording weather 118 years ago. The storm stranded hundreds of travellers, closed highways, toppled trees and knocked out power to thousands of homes. Two Calgary men, aged 58 and 62, died from heart attacks while shovelling. In all, paramedics responded to six patients suffering such attacks while digging out from under the blizzard. Snow fell as far north as Grande Prairie and heavy snowfall warnings were in effect Sunday night for most of central and north-western Alberta, including the Edmonton area. Forecasters were calling for 10 to 15 centimetres.
It’s on record as having snowed in Calgary in every month of the year. I have even experienced snow in August in the Rocky Mountains to the west of the city. I’ll take Britain’s milder climate over western Canada’s extremes any day.
As it happens, we’ve had fantastic weather in the UK this spring. The gardening correspondent of the Financial Times recently described it as “divine” and the myriad of statistics produced by the Met Office confirms the perception that it’s been a beautifully distracting spring.
That’s partly why I haven’t written much in this virtual space in April. It’s been beautiful, and I’ve been busy tackling real world pursuits.
New words of war
Now that the war with Iraq is well under way, a number of news organisations have published guides to the new military jargon that has inevitably arrived. The BBC has E-cyclopedia’s words of war and the Guardian has The language of war.
However, I can’t help publishing my own list of neologisms with their real meanings as follows:
Coalition of the willing: a euphemism for sex between consenting adults.
Decapitation strike: occurs in baseball when a player fails to hit the ball, but hits the pitcher instead.
Shock ‘n Awe: a Grammy Award-winning female Rhythm & Blues singer from the US.
If I find any more, I’ll let you know.
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On Movies & Media
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Sufjan Stevens on rock gods, Almighty God, and the scandal of Christ's love
|In Blog, On Songs & Albums
|By Jeffrey Overstreet
It’s amazing what Sufjan does with this interview.
These questions tell you a lot about the interviewer’s shoddy understanding of Christian faith.
And yet Stevens responds with such patience, and such insightful, revealing answers that it’s all worth reading.
I’m already enthralled by his music. But I’m increasingly impressed by the guy himself. It’s rare to find an artist who is also so eloquent, thoughtful, an uninhibited about his faith. None of this “Faith is personal and so I’m not going to talk about it” crap.
I've begun yet another film blog, this time for Seattle Pacific University as a branch of their new film-studies program. It's called North by Pacific Northwest. You can find it at spu.edu/nxpnw.
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Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind
14 June 2016 By Fiona Mountain
Gone with the Wind, the book, celebrates its 80th anniversary this year. What’s so astonishing about this, besides the fact that by it’s 75th anniversary more than 30 million copies of the Pulitzer Prize winner had been printed worldwide, is that heroine, Scarlett O Hara, is so thoroughly modern. Her refusal to take no for an answer, her bravery, shrewd leadership and business skills make her timeless.
A love story set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, Gone with the Wind is a benchmark and a blueprint for sweeping historical romances. A fabulous plot with fabulous characters, a feisty flawed heroine and a dashing scoundrel, it’s a vast, compelling page-turner that’s also fiendishly complex, rich and multi-layered. I read it first as as teenager and have returned to it for inspiration many times since, and each time it reveals something fresh and new.
Scarlett’s personal journey cleverly parallels the development of the South. When we first meet her she’s a pretty coquettish Southern Belle obsessively in love with dreamy Ashley Wilkes, blonde, chivalrous heir to the Twelve Oaks plantation, whose ideals mirror the nostalgia for the ways of the old South. Enter Rhett Butler, dangerous and opportunistic, he represents a new pragmatic world and has far more in common with Scarlett, if only she can see it.
Determination is the predominant characteristic that defines and drives Scarlett. When the Yankees burn Atlanta, Ashley’s wife Melanie gives birth and Scarlett drives mother and baby in a cart through the night, through a dangerous forest full of deserters. She arrives at her home, Tara, to find that her mother is dead and her father has lost his mind; and the Yankee army has looted the plantation. Threatened with starvation she makes a vow:
‘As God is my witness, the Yankees aren’t going to lick me. I’m going to live through this, and when it’s over, I’m never going to be hungry again.’
She turns to picking cotton, running her entire plantation and a very successful sawmill business, and even killing a man.
The book is full of truly magnificent scenes and lines. One of the most touching involves the Curtain Dress, a symbol of Scarlett’s will to survive. She’s going to go to Atlanta to beg Rhett for three hundred dollars, and she is determined to go looking like a queen.
‘He had never known such gallantry as the gallantry of Scarlett O’Hara going forth to conquer the world in her mother’s velvet curtains and the tail feathers of a rooster.’
The wisdom Scarlett shows when she realises her love for Ashley was futile is heartbreaking. ‘He never really existed at all, except in my imagination,’ Scarlett recognises. ‘I loved something I made up.’
At the end of it all she still has home, Tara, the red earth of the plantation reflecting the colour of her name.
‘The land is the only thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, worth dying for, because it’s the only thing that lasts”, her father tells her.
Her now legendary mantra, ‘tomorrow is another day,’ is a mantra for us all. ‘There was no going back and she was going forward.’
The first time I read Gone with the Wind I was sixteen years old, about the same age that Scarlett is at the start of the novel. I had loved the movie but I loved the book even more. I remember being bereft when I finished it. I wanted to be a writer and Scarlett’s determination was something I was determined to emulate.
I feel like I’ve grown up with this book and its heroine is so real she’s like a friend. At various tricky times in my life I have caught myself thinking: now then, what would Scarlett do?
Scarlett is my baby grand-daughters name. It’s a lot to live up to but a girl could have a far worse role model!
Fiona Mountain has published mystery and historical novels. Her latest, Cavalier Queen, is out now.
Filed Under: One From The Vaults, Reviews Tagged With: Fiona Mountain, Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell, Rhett Butler, Scarlett O'Hara
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Complete 911 Timeline
Project: Complete 911 Timeline
Open-Content project managed by matt, Derek, Paul, KJF, mtuck, paxvector
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Before May 17, 2004: 9/11 Commission Staff Finds New York City Ill-Prepared for Terrorist Attack, Realizes This Conclusion Must Be Hedged
The 9/11 Commission’s staff team that is investigating the emergency response on 9/11 comes to the conclusion that New York City was, in author Philip Shenon’s words, “shockingly ill-prepared for the attacks.” It is clear to the investigators that former Mayor Rudy Giuliani was largely responsible for what went wrong.
Two Major Problems - One problem was that New York’s emergency command center, based on the 23rd floor of World Trade Center 7, was knocked out early in the attacks, leaving the emergency response without a focal point, and the police and fire departments set up separate command posts (see (9:05 a.m.) September 11, 2001, (9:50 a.m.-10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001, and (After 10:28 a.m.-12:00 pm.) September 11, 2001). The command center, sometimes referred to as “Rudy’s bunker,” was criticized when it was built precisely because this problem was foreseen (see June 8, 1999). In addition, the radios used by firefighters in the World Trade Center failed to work on 9/11. The same problem was encountered during the response to the 1993 WTC bombing (see February 26, 1993), but the solution that was implemented—a repeater to boost the radios’ signal—did not work on the day of the attacks. This problem was especially grave, as many firefighters were instructed to flee the about-to-collapse towers, but did not hear the instruction due to the poor radio system and died as a result (see (Between 9:59 a.m. and 10:28 a.m.) September 11, 2001).
Tempering Criticism - However, the team, led by former New Jersey attorney general John Farmer, is aware that Giuliani’s image as a global hero after the attacks could complicate matters. Shenon will describe their thinking: “But would the Commission be willing to take on the most popular political figure in the country—the president-in-waiting, it seemed?… [Giuliani] was a hero, the embodiment of everything Americans wanted to believe about themselves about 9/11.” Therefore, “Farmer and his team always qualif[y] their criticism of the former mayor.” Nevertheless, the Commission’s two staff statements issued during the hearings about this topic in New York will be extremely critical of Giuliani. [Shenon, 2008, pp. 347-350]
Entity Tags: John Farmer, 9/11 Commission, Rudolph (“Rudy”) Giuliani
Category Tags: 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Investigations
May 17, 2004: 9/11 Commissioners Briefed on Approach to Take in New York Hearings, Warned to ‘Watch Their Rhetoric’
The 9/11 commissioners meet with John Farmer, head of the Commission’s team investigating the emergency response on 9/11, to discuss their strategy for hearings in New York on the next two days, when former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s performance before the attacks will be discussed. Farmer and his team have worked up a list of pages and pages of questions (see Before May 17, 2004) about why Guiliani built his emergency response center next to a top terrorist target, about city radios that failed to work on 9/11, miscommunication between the police and the fire departments, and 911 telephone operators who told people trapped in the Word Trade Center to remain where they were, instead of trying to escape. However, Farmer is aware that tough questioning could be fraught with danger, given Giuliani’s hero status after the attacks. According to author Philip Shenon, he tells the commissioners that “they need[…] to be careful; they need[…] to remember where they [are],” because “[New York]‘s not Washington. It’s different here.” Shenon will add: “Farmer told the commissioner[s] that they should ask tough questions, but they should be careful not to give a platform to Giuliani and his loyalists to counterattack; John Ashcroft’s campaign against [commissioner] Jamie Gorelick (see April 13-April 29, 2004) would look like a ‘garden party’ by comparison. The city’s take-no-prisoners tabloid newspapers were Giuliani’s defenders, and they could be expected to weigh in to defend him if the Commission’s questioning of the former mayor became too fierce.” [Shenon, 2008, pp. 350-351]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, John Farmer
May 17-18, 2004: Ashcroft Warns of ‘Immediate Attack’: Announcement Follows Bad News from Iraq
On May 17, 2004, security officials say that recent intelligence has led to increased concern about the possibility of a major terrorist attack in the US. It is believed that the attack could take place as early as the summer and before November, perhaps in an attempt to affect the outcome of the Presidential election. Potential targets include the dedication of the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, the G8 economic summit on Sea Island, Georgia, Fourth of July celebrations, the Democratic convention in Boston, the Republican convention in New York, and the Olympics in Greece. However, no specific target, time or date is identified for the possible attack. Sources do state that the assessment is new and is the result of intelligence gathered over time. However, an official with the Department of Homeland Security, speaking on condition of anonymity, states that “We are not aware of any new highly credible intelligence indicating a planned attack in the US this summer. Nothing in the current intelligence is exceptionally specific.” [CNN, 5/25/2004] The next day, Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller hold a news conference to warn of a “plane attack inside the United States.” They warn that terrorists are “poised for an immediate attack.” Ashcroft says “credible intelligence from multiple sources indicates that al-Qaeda plans to attempt an attack on the United States in the next few months. This disturbing intelligence indicates al-Qaeda’s specific intention to hit the United States hard.” [CNN, 5/26/2004] The Justice Department asks for assistance in locating seven alleged terrorist operatives and states an increased concern about attacks over the summer. [CBS News, 6/14/2004] It is later revealed the threat actually came from a group that falsely claimed responsibility for the terror attacks in Madrid. One expert says that the group is “not really taken seriously by Western intelligence.” These warnings come as the administration is under heavy criticism for failures in Iraq. The Abu Ghraib torture scandal dominates headlines. [Rolling Stone, 9/21/2006 ] This warning also comes on the heels of other bad news for the Bush administration. During a May 16 interview on Meet the Press, Secretary of State Colin Powell is cut off by an aide while discussing misleading CIA information regarding WMD in Iraq. He admits that “it turned out that the sourcing was inaccurate and wrong and in some cases, deliberately misleading. And for that, I am disappointed and I regret it.” [MSNBC, 6/15/2004] Three days later, Newsweek reports that White House counsel Alberto Gonzalez warned in a January 25, 2002 internal White House memo that US officials could be prosecuted for war crimes due to the unprecedented and unusual methods used by the Bush administration in the war on terrorism. [Newsweek, 5/19/2004]
Entity Tags: US Department of Justice, Robert S. Mueller III, Central Intelligence Agency, Colin Powell, US Department of Homeland Security, Al-Qaeda, Alberto R. Gonzales, John Ashcroft
Timeline Tags: Iraq under US Occupation, 2004 Elections
Category Tags: Terror Alerts, Internal US Security After 9/11
May 18, 2004: Row between Commissioner and Giuliani Subordinates Derails 9/11 Commission Hearings
The first of two days of 9/11 Commission hearings in New York is overshadowed by a row between commissioner John Lehman and two subordinates of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and former Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen. Despite Giuliani’s hero status after the attacks, the Commission’s staff discovered serious errors in New York’s preparations for a potential terrorist attack before 9/11 (see Before May 17, 2004), but realized the commissioners had to be sensitive in how these errors were handled in public (see May 17, 2004).
Aggressive Beginning - When Lehman has his turn to put questions to a panel, he makes an aggressive beginning, saying that New York’s police, fire, and Port Authority police departments are the finest in the world but also “the proudest,” and adds, “But pride runneth before the fall.” He then calls the command, control, and communications “a scandal,” and says the emergency response system was “not worthy of the Boy Scouts, let alone this great city.” This draws some applause from the crowd and Lehman adds: “I think it’s a scandal that the fire commissioner has no line authority. It’s a scandal that there’s nobody that has clear line authority and accountability for a crisis of the magnitude that we’re going to have to deal with in the years ahead. It’s a scandal that after laboring for eight years, the city comes up with a plan for incident management that simply puts in concrete this clearly dysfunctional system.”
Counterattack - Kerik and Von Essen, both now partners in Giuliani’s consulting firm, push back. Von Essen says: “I couldn’t disagree with you more. I think that one of the criticisms of this committee has been statements like you just made, talking about scandalous procedures and scandalous operations and rules and everything else. There’s nothing scandalous about the way that New York City handles its emergencies.… You make it sound like everything was wrong about September 11th or the way we function. I think it’s outrageous that you make a statement like that.” Kerik and Von Essen also make similar comments for the press after the hearing, when Von Essen calls Lehman’s questioning “despicable” and adds, “If I had the opportunity, I probably would have choked him because that’s what he deserved.”
Chance to Meaningfully Question Giuliani Lost - The commissioners and the Commission’s staff immediately realize Lehman has destroyed any chance the Commission had of getting to the bottom of why things went badly with the emergency response in New York on 9/11. Author Philip Shenon will comment: “Any hope of forcing Giuliani to answer hard questions the next day had evaporated. The dynamic would now turn in Giuliani’s favor.”
Lehman Claims He Was Set Up - According to Shenon: “[Lehman] was certain he had been set up by Kerik and Von Essen on behalf of Giuliani. He suspected they had come to the hearing with a script. They were waiting for the right question from one of the commissioners that would allow them to launch a pre-scripted fusillade of insults back at the Commission, turning the hearing into an us-versus-them fight that the city’s tabloids would devour.” [Shenon, 2008, pp. 351-354]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, Thomas Von Essen, Bernard Kerik, John Lehman
May 19, 2004: Previously Public Information about FBI Whistleblower Is Now Classified
Attorney General John Ashcroft again invokes the “state secrets” privilege (see March 9, 1953), forbidding former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds from testifying in a case brought by hundreds of families of September 11 victims (see October 18, 2002). [New York Times, 5/20/2004] Four weeks earlier, on April 26, the Justice Department had obtained a temporary court order preventing her from testifying before the court. [Independent, 4/2/2004; Government Executive, 4/30/2004] The families, represented by the law firm Motley-Rice, allege that a number of banks and two members of the Saudi royal family provided financial support to al-Qaeda. [New York Times, 5/20/2004] Ashcroft’s order retroactively classifies information it provided Senators Chuck Grassley and Patrick Leahy (see June 17, 2002) concerning former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds and her allegations. Among the documents to be “reclassified” are the follow-up letters sent by Grassley and Leahy to the FBI which they posted on their website. Their staff members are prohibited from discussing the information, even though it is now public knowledge. The order bars Edmonds from answering even simple questions like, “When and where were you born?” “What languages do you speak?” and “Where did you go to school?” [New York Times, 5/20/2004; Boston Globe, 7/5/2004; Asia Times, 8/6/2004; Vanity Fair, 9/2005] In response to the announcement, Grassley says: “I think it’s ludicrous, because I understand that almost all of this information is in the public domain and has been very widely available. This classification is very serious, because it seems like the FBI would be attempting to put a gag order on Congress.” [New Republic, 6/7/2004]
Entity Tags: US Department of Justice, Sibel Edmonds, Charles Grassley, Patrick J. Leahy
Category Tags: Sibel Edmonds
May 19, 2004: 9/11 Commission Reaches Self-Confessed ‘Low Point’ in Giuliani Questioning
Rudolph Giuliani testifying before the 9/11 Commission. [Source: Gotham Gazette]The second day of the 9/11 Commission hearings about the emergency response on the day of the attacks is dominated by questioning of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, which Commission Chairman Tom Kean and Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton will describe as the Commission’s “low point.” [Kean and Hamilton, 2006, pp. 226-228] Giuliani had become a hero after the attacks, winning the Time magazine Person of the Year award, and the Commission was aware that it had to be careful about how it handled material it had uncovered putting him in a bad light (see Before May 17, 2004 and May 18, 2004). [Time, 12/22/2001] However, commissioner John Lehman had attacked the city’s preparedness the previous day, leading to a major row (see May 18, 2004). Author Philip Shenon will describe the hearing as a “Rudy Giuliani lovefest,” pointing out that, “Many of the questions directed at Giuliani by the commissioners barely qualified as softballs, they were so gentle.” [Shenon, 2008, pp. 355-356]
'The Captain Was on the Bridge' - Kean and Hamilton will admit that every commissioner “opens his or her questioning with lavish praise.” For instance, Richard Ben-Veniste says, “Your leadership on that day and in the days following gave the rest of the nation, and indeed the world, an unvarnished view of the indomitable spirit and the humanity of this great city, and for that I salute you.” Jim Thompson thanks Giuliani for “setting an example to us all.” Lehman says: “There was no question the captain was on the bridge.” Kean says, “New York City on that terrible day in a sense was blessed because it had you as a leader.” [Kean and Hamilton, 2006, pp. 226-228]
'Stop Kissing Ass!' - However, Giuliani suggests that hundreds of firefighters died when the North Tower collapsed because they had chosen to remain in the building, not because they had not received the order to evacuate due to problems with their radio system. This angers some of the audience members, who shout out, “Talk about the radios!” “Put one of us on the panel—just one of us!” “Stop kissing ass!” and: “My brother was a fireman, and I want to know why three hundred firemen died. And I’ve got some real questions. Let’s ask some real questions. Is that unfair?” [Shenon, 2008, pp. 355-356]
'We Did Not Ask Tough Questions' - Kean and Hamilton will later write: “The questioning of Mayor Giuliani was a low point in terms of the Commission’s questioning of witnesses at our public hearings. We did not ask tough questions, nor did we get all of the information we needed to put on the public record. We were affected by the controversy over Lehman’s comments, and by the excellent quality of the mayor’s presentation.” [Kean and Hamilton, 2006, pp. 226-228]
Entity Tags: Rudolph (“Rudy”) Giuliani, Richard Ben-Veniste, Philip Shenon, John Lehman, James Thompson, Lee Hamilton, Thomas Kean
Timeline Tags: 9/11 Timeline
May 21, 2004: 9/11 Hijacker Associate Is Deported to Yemen; Later Evidence Will Renew Suspicions He Was Involved in 9/11 Plot
Mohdar Abdullah is quietly deported to Yemen after spending nearly three years in US prisons. Abdullah was arrested shortly after 9/11 and held as a material witness. He was eventually charged with an immigration violation. He pled guilty to lying on an asylum application and then served a six-month sentence. However, he chose to remain imprisoned so he could fight deportation. He is a Yemeni citizen, and the US wanted to deport him to Yemen, but the Yemeni government would not take him. According to his lawyer, Yemen twice refused to admit him and only finally agreed after intense pressure from the US State Department. [San Diego Union-Tribune, 5/26/2004]
Suspicious Links to 9/11 Hijackers - Officials said in court documents that Abdullah regularly dined and prayed with 9/11 hijackers Nawaf Alhazmi, Khalid Almihdhar, and Hani Hanjour. Additionally, he helped Alhazmi and Almihdhar adjust to life in the US in a variety of ways, including help with: interpreting, computer use, finding a job, finding a place to live, obtaining Social Security cards, and obtaining driver licenses. He also worked with Alhazmi at a gas station where many other radical Islamists worked, including some who had been investigated by the FBI (see Autumn 2000). [San Diego Union-Tribune, 5/26/2004; San Diego Union-Tribune, 6/2/2004]
9/11 Commission Not Allowed to Interview Him before Deportation - The 9/11 Commission’s work is almost done by the time that Abdullah is deported; its final report will be released two months later. However, the Commission is not allowed to interview Abdullah even though he is being held in a US prison (and not in Guantanamo or some secret overseas prison). 9/11 Commission co-chair Tom Kean will later say, “He should not have been let out of the country when the 9/11 Commission wanted to interview him.” Kean will not comment on why the Commission does not or is not able to interview him before his deportation. [MSNBC, 9/8/2006]
Justice Department Will Not Delay Deportation to Help Investigation - In late 2003, new evidence emerged that Abdullah may have had foreknowledge of the 9/11 attacks. But US prosecutors decided not to charge him based on that new evidence, and the Justice Department does not even try to delay his deportation to allow investigators time to pursue the new leads (see September 2003-May 21, 2004).
FBI Will Reopen Investigation into Abdullah - The new evidence suggested that Abdullah may have learned about the 9/11 attack plans as early as the spring of 2000 (see Early 2000). He also seemed to show foreknowledge of the attacks shortly before they occurred (see Late August-September 10, 2001). By October 2004, it will be discovered that he cased the Los Angeles airport with Alhazmi and an unknown man (see June 10, 2000), and this revelation will cause the FBI to reopen its investigation into him—after he is deported (see September 2003-May 21, 2004). In September 2006, it will be reported that the investigation is still continuing. [MSNBC, 9/8/2006]
Entity Tags: Nawaf Alhazmi, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/11 Commission, Hani Hanjour, Mohdar Abdullah, US Department of State, Khalid Almihdhar, Thomas Kean, US Department of Justice
Category Tags: Alhazmi and Almihdhar, Possible Hijacker Associates in US, 9/11 Investigations, 9/11 Related Criminal Proceedings, FBI 9/11 Investigation
Before May 27, 2004: US Official Speculates Abu Hamza ‘Untouchable’ Because British Informer
US officials become discouraged about anti-terrorist co-operation with their British counterparts against leading London-based cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri. Authors Sean O’Neill and Daniel McGrory will write, “They were sick of handing over information to British agencies about Abu Hamza, only to see him being allowed to continue preaching hatred in front of the cameras.” A senior Justice Department official will say: “We just did not understand what was going on in London. We wondered to ourselves whether he was an MI5 informer, or was there some secret the British were not trusting us with? He seemed untouchable.” [O'Neill and McGrory, 2006, pp. 294] The official’s speculation is correct, as Abu Hamza is indeed an informer for the British security services (see Early 1997). In the end, the US will give up on waiting for the British to arrest Abu Hamza, and issue a warrant of their own (see May 27, 2004).
Entity Tags: Abu Hamza al-Masri
Category Tags: Abu Hamza Al-Masri, Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism
May 26, 2004: Majority of Canadians Believe US Government Failed to Act on 9/11 Foreknowledge
The Toronto Star reports, “A majority of Canadians doubt the line out of Washington. A poll conducted for the non-profit inquiry (http://www.911inquiry.org) this month shows that 63 per cent of [Canadians] believe the US government had ‘prior knowledge of the plans for the events of September 11th, and failed to take appropriate action to stop them.’” [Toronto Star, 5/26/2004]
Category Tags: US Government and 9/11 Criticism
May 26, 2004: Study Finds Al-Qaeda Strong, Mainly Because of Iraq War
Time magazine reports that “the prestigious International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) released its annual survey that found, among other things, that far from dealing a blow to al-Qaeda and making the US and its allies safer, the Iraq invasion has in fact substantially strengthened bin Laden’s network and increased the danger of attacks in the West. And the London-based IISS is not some Bush-bashing antiwar think tank; it hosted the president’s keynote address during his embattled visit to the British late last year.” According to the IISS report, “Although half of al-Qaeda’s 30 senior leaders and perhaps 2,000 rank-and-file members have been killed or captured, a rump leadership is still intact and more than 18,000 potential terrorists are still at large, with recruitment accelerating on account of Iraq.” [Time, 5/26/2004]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Policy/Politics
Before May 27, 2004: MI5 Has Information Showing Abu Hamza’s Radical Militant Connections, but Does Not Show It to Home Secretary
The British intelligence service MI5 develops information showing that London imam Abu Hamza al-Masri has significant connections with radical militants, but fails to show this to Home Secretary David Blunkett. Blunkett apparently learns this information after Abu Hamza, who has been an MI5 informer (see Early 1997), is arrested in 2004 (see May 27, 2004). When Blunkett takes office in 2001, as he will later recall, there is an assumption that Abu Hamza “was a bigmouth and was worth tracking but wasn’t at the centre of events.” The security services have a “detailed trail” of networks, personal history, and high-level contacts showing that Abu Hamza is “a real threat and a danger,” but they do not tell Blunkett. He will reportedly be angry when he learns MI5 failed to inform him of the material. What material is provided to Blunkett and what is kept from him is unknown; MI5’s explanation for withholding the information is also unknown. Blunkett will later indicate that action should have been taken against Abu Hamza earlier: “It is clear now—and I think that those close to this would acknowledge it—that there were opportunities for having taken action. By putting the jigsaw together, it is possible for us to realize that this man was a danger becuase he was at the heart of organizing, glorifying, and persuading.” [O'Neill and McGrory, 2006, pp. 284, 291]
Entity Tags: Abu Hamza al-Masri, UK Security Service (MI5), David Blunkett
May 27, 2004: London Imam Abu Hamza Finally Arrested in Britain
The Sun announces Abu Hamza’s arrest in typically dramatic fashion. [Source: The Sun]Imam Abu Hamza al-Masri is finally arrested by British police, who also seize documents, books and numerous audio and video tapes, at his home in London. The arrest is not due to any criminal proceedings in Britain, but because of a warrant for his extradition to the US, where he is wanted for direct personal involvement in terrorist recruitment, fundraising, and kidnapping. Abu Hamza decides to fight the extradition, but is denied bail. Abu Hamza had been at the center of Islamist radicalism in Britain for some time and had previously been arrested and released for his part in a kidnapping (see December 28-29, 1998). He informed for the security services beginning in 1997 (see Early 1997). [O'Neill and McGrory, 2006, pp. 146, 289-290]
May 27, 2004: US Indicts Radical London Imam Abu Hamza for Numerous Crimes
The US indicts leading radical imam Abu Hamza al-Masri, shortly after his arrest in Britian (see May 27, 2004). Abu Hamza is indicted on eleven counts, covering his part in a kidnapping scheme in Yemen (see December 28-29, 1998), the recruitment of a radical named Feroz Abbasi to attend a training camp in Afghanistan (see December 2000-December 2001), and a conspiracy to open a jihad training camp in Oregon (see November 1999-Early 2000).
Alleged Contact with High-Ranking al-Qaeda Terrorists - At the extradition hearing, the lawyer acting for the US describes Abu Hamza as having “engaged in a systematic pattern of terrorist activity since at least 1998….” The lawyer also points out: “He is no less than a supporter and facilitator of terrorism. He has been in contact with and provided support for terrorist groups and people associated with terrorist groups… He has had contact with high-ranking terrorists in the Taliban and al-Qaeda.” Abu Hamza declines to go to the US voluntarily and decides to fight the extradition request.
Indictment Is Media Event - The arrest and indictment is major news in the US and television programming is interrupted for a live press conference by Attorney General John Ashcroft. Authors Sean O’Neill and Daniel McGrory will later comment: “The Americans were jubilant, so much so that they insisted that daytime soap operas were interrupted to carry live television coverage of a press conference hosted by John Ashcroft, then Attorney General in the Bush administration. Ashcroft was joined on the platform by a crowd of smiling deputies, federal prosecutors, FBI officials and police chiefs. Just in case the public did not grasp the message, there was a huge portrait of Abu Hamza alongside them, caught in mid-rant, his one eye glaring, the steel hook raised.” Assistant Attorney General Christopher Wray calls Abu Hamza “a terrorist facilitator with a global reach,” and New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says, “Think of him as a freelance consultant to terrorist groups worldwide.” [O'Neill and McGrory, 2006, pp. 282-5]
Entity Tags: John Ashcroft, Abu Hamza al-Masri, Daniel McGrory, Raymond Kelly, Sean O’Neill, Christopher Wray
Category Tags: Abu Hamza Al-Masri, Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11
May 27, 2004: British Politicians Unhappy Over London Imam Abu Hamza’s Arrest; Reasons Differ
Some British politicians are unhappy over the arrest of leading Islamist radical Abu Hamza al-Masri (see May 27, 2004), for various reasons. The US is clearly aware that Abu Hamza is a very significant Islamist militant, and, according to authors Sean O’Neill and Daniel McGrory: “[T]he question that hung uncomfortably in the air in Whitehall that afternoon was why [the British] government and its agencies had not appreciated the danger he posed, and done something about it. The unpalatable answer was that Britain had missed, or had chosen not to take, at least a dozen opportunities to act against Abu Hamza.” The arrest of Abu Hamza, who informed for two of Britain’s security services (see Early 1997), causes “considerable unease” in the cabinet; some ministers think Britain should be grateful to the FBI for “doing Britain’s dirty work,” whereas others think “Britain came out of the affair looking like America’s poodle.” [O'Neill and McGrory, 2006, pp. 284]
Entity Tags: Daniel McGrory, Abu Hamza al-Masri, Sean O’Neill
Category Tags: Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism, Abu Hamza Al-Masri
May 29-30, 2004: Gunmen Kill Western Hostages and Escape; Collusion with Saudi Security Is Suspected
The Oasis compound, where hostages were held. Bullet holes from the siege can be seen around some windows. [Source: Wikipedia/ Public domain]Gunmen attack oil company compounds in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and then take hostages. The Khobar headquarters of APICORP (Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation) is attacked and six people are killed. About 30 minutes later, gunmen storm the Petroleum Center headquarters about two miles away and kill at least four people. Then the gunmen move less than a mile away to the Oasis compound, a residential building full of Westerners, and take hostages. After a 24-hour siege, all but one of attackers manage to escape even though the building is surrounded by a cordon of hundreds of police. At least 30 people are killed in total, including nine hostages. Al-Qaeda reportedly takes credit for the attacks. [CNN, 5/30/2004; BBC, 12/6/2004] There is widespread speculation that the gunmen were allowed to walk free as part of a deal to ensure the safe release of other hostages. The BBC reports that counterterrorism experts say “they were surprised at the ease with which three of the four attackers were able to escape… despite the overwhelming numerical superiority of the security forces and the tactical and logistical advantages which they enjoyed. If true, the existence of collusion between attackers and the people meant to catch them would be most disturbing.” [BBC, 5/31/2004] The Scotsman adds, “Eyewitnesses said they were highly skeptical of official accounts that there were only four kidnappers, insisting others were seen during the earlier attacks on two oil industry office buildings and entering the sprawling compound. It was also reported that they arrived in three vehicles.” Further, the fact that “the Khobar attackers wore military uniforms has raised fears of collusion between militants and the security forces.” [Scotsman, 6/1/2004]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda
Timeline Tags: Alleged Use of False Flag Attacks
Category Tags: Saudi Arabia, Alleged Al-Qaeda Linked Attacks
Summer 2004: Former Counterterrorism Chief Debunks Ties between Iraq, 9/11, and ‘93 WTC Attacks
Vincent Cannistraro, the former head of the CIA’s counterterrorism office, says that no evidence has ever been found to support a tie between Iraq and the 9/11 attacks. Nor has any evidence shown that any connections exist between Iraq and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing (see February 26, 1993). Instead, those ties were postulated for purposes of political manipulation. Cannistraro says: “The policymakers already had conceits they had adopted without reference to current intelligence estimates. And those conceits were: Saddam was evil, a bad man, he had evil intentions, and they were greatly influenced by neoconservative beliefs that Saddam had been involved with the sponsorship of terrorism in the United States since as early as 1993, with the first World Trade Center bombing.… None of this is true, of course, but these were their conceits, and they continue in large measure to be the conceits of a lot of people like Jim Woolsey” (see February 2001). The intelligence and law enforcement communities have a different view: “The FBI did a pretty thorough investigation of the first World Trade Center bombing,” Cannistraro says, “and while it’s true that their policy was to treat terrorism as a law-enforcement problem, nevertheless, they understood how the first World Trade Center bombing was supported… and had linkages back to Osama bin Laden. He was of course, not indicted… because the FBI until recently believed that you prosecuted perpetrators, not the sponsors. In any event they knew there was no Saddam linkage. Laurie Mylroie promoted a lot of this (see Late July or Early August 2001), and people who came in [to the Bush administration], particularly in the Defense Department—[Paul] Wolfowitz and [Douglas] Feith (see June 2001)—were acolytes, promoting her book, The Study of Revenge (see October 2000), particularly in the Office of Special Plans (see September 2002), and the Secretary’s Policy Office (see Shortly After September 11, 2001). In any event, they already had their preconceived notions.… So the intelligence, and I can speak directly to the CIA part of it, the intelligence community’s assessments were never considered adequate.” [Middle East Policy Council, 6/2004]
Entity Tags: Vincent Cannistraro
Category Tags: Alleged Al-Qaeda Linked Attacks
Summer 2004: 9/11 Commission’s Zelikow Investigated over Mishandling of Classified Information
9/11 Commission Executive Director Philip Zelikow in April 2004. [Source: Joe Marquette/European Pressphoto Agency]9/11 Commission executive director Philip Zelikow is investigated by the Justice Department following a complaint by the CIA that he mishandled classified information. Zelikow did not leak information to reporters, but there are suspicions he has included classified information in e-mails with other people on the Commission, including e-mails that were sent overseas. The CIA received notification that Zelikow may have mishandled the information from an unnamed member of the Commission’s staff. Zelikow is not interviewed during the investigation, and will later say that he does not become aware of it until later and that his security clearances will later be renewed. Zelikow will also say that the investigation may be an attempt by the CIA to play “hardball” in a dispute over the declassification of information, and to “criminalize this dispute and target me in the process.” The CIA will deny this, saying that they could have leaked news of the investigation to the press, but did not do so. Some of the Commission’s staff find the investigation to be ironic, because Zelikow fired staffer Dana Lesemann for a less serious breach of the rules for handling classified documents soon after the Commission started. The information is closely held within the 9/11 Commission, and even some commissioners do not learn of the investigation. It is unclear how the investigation concludes and how seriously it is taken at the Justice Department. [Shenon, 2008, pp. 406-410]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, Central Intelligence Agency, Philip Zelikow, US Department of Justice
Category Tags: 9/11 Commission, Role of Philip Zelikow, 9/11 Investigations
Before June 2004: 9/11 Commission Awards Contract to Distribute Final Report to Executive Director Zelikow’s Publisher; Publisher Can Keep Profits
The 9/11 Commission awards the contract to publish and distribute its final report to W. W. Norton & Company, a leading publisher. The contract is awarded by the commission’s executive director, Philip Zelikow, who had previously edited or written eight books published by Norton. It is Zelikow’s idea to award the contract to a private publisher, as the Government Printing Office would not be able to print a large number of copies of the report quickly and would charge a high price, and commission chairman Tom Kean allows Zelikow to select the publisher. Norton is chosen over the other two publishers considered, Times Books, an imprint of Henry Holt & Company, and PublicAffairs Books, as Zelikow says it offers the best package, security will be good, and it will sell the report for a reasonable $10. One of the conditions of the contract with Norton enables the publisher to keep any profits it may make, even though the report was drafted at the taxpayer’s expense. Several of the commissioners do not know of Zelikow’s connection to the publisher until long after the contract is signed, although Zelikow will say he does not have a conflict of interest as he had long ago waived royalties from his other books published by Norton. [Shenon, 2008, pp. 399-400]
Entity Tags: W. W. Norton & Company, Philip Zelikow, 9/11 Commission
Before June 2004: 9/11 Commission Consultant Complains Report Is ‘Indulgent’ of Senior Administration Officials
Ernest May, a consultant hired by the 9/11 Commission to help with the drafting of its final report, tells the Commission’s executive director, Philip Zelikow, that the report is “indulgent” towards senior officials in both the Bush and Clinton administrations. He thinks that the report is incomplete in many ways as it is being censored by the two groups of commissioners—Democrats and Republicans. However, he believes the effect on the report goes beyond what is reasonable. According to May, the report fails to hold accountable officials that should take a share of the blame for failing to prevent 9/11, and the judgments about Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, as well as their senior aides, are overly forgiving. However, these comments do not spur Zelikow to take any action and do not have an impact on the final version of the report. In addition, May generally does not share them with other staffers on the Commission. In an article published after the report, May will write, “The report is probably too balanced,” adding: “Individuals, especially the two presidents and their intimate advisers, received even more indulgent treatment. The text does not describe Clinton’s crippling handicaps as leader of his own national security community. Extraordinarily quick and intelligent, he, more than almost anyone else, had an imaginative grasp of the threat posed by al-Qaeda. But he had almost no authority enabling him to get his government to address this threat.” Daniel Marcus, the Commission’s lawyer, will agree with some of this. “We did pull our punches on the conclusions because we wanted to have a unanimous report,” he will say. “There was this implicit threat, occasionally made explicit on both sides of the aisle on the Commission, that by God, if you get explicit in criticizing Bush on this, we’re going to insist on being explicit in criticizing Clinton, and vice versa.” [Shenon, 2008, pp. 387, 413]
Entity Tags: Philip Zelikow, Daniel Marcus, 9/11 Commission, Ernest May
June 2004: Zelikow Has Comparison with Clinton Unfavorable to Bush Deleted from 9/11 Commission Report
The 9/11 Commission’s executive director, Philip Zelikow, has a comparison between Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton that shows Bush in a bad light removed from the 9/11 Commission report.
Clinton and Bush - The comparison was drafted by commission staffer Alexis Albion at the request of vice-chairman Lee Hamilton, a Democrat, and shows how Clinton and Bush addressed terrorism in general and al-Qaeda in particular in their public remarks. It is intended as a measure of how the two presidents had prioritized the issue, although there is the obvious problem that Clinton was in office for eight years, but Bush only eight months before the attacks. Albion found that Clinton addressed terrorism dozens of times, including in every State of the Union address and a speech to the UN General Assembly, and that he often warned about al-Qaeda and similar groups. By contrast, Bush rarely talked about terrorism, and when he did he focused on state-sponsored terrorism and missile defense against rogue states.
Controversial - Albion and other members of her team are aware that the comparison will anger the Bush White House, in particular because other sections of the report will not be especially critical of the current administration. A statement that Bush spoke little about terrorism before 9/11 will probably be seen as the commission’s most direct personal criticism of him. However, they feel strongly that it should be in the report, as what the president says sets the agenda for the rest of the government and media.
Zelikow's Reaction - Zelikow is angered by the comparison, almost yelling that it is “unreasonable” and “unfair,” as Bush “hadn’t been in office long enough to make a major address on terrorism.” Author Philip Shenon will describe Zelikow’s rage about this issue: “Zelikow’s anger was so off the scale on this issue that some of the staff members wondered if this was simply a show on his part to intimidate them into backing down.” Albion is supported by Daniel Marcus, the commission’s lawyer. According to Shenon: “[Marcus] thought it was one of Zelikow’s most overt displays of his partisanship, of his desire to protect the administration. Obviously it was significant if Bush, who was now claiming that he had been gravely worried throughout 2001 about terrorist threats, never bothered to mention it in public during that same period. ‘You’d think he would say something about it once in a while, right?’ asked Marcus.” However, Zelikow gets his way and the comparison is removed from the report.
Endnotes - Despite this, Albion does manage to reinsert material from the comparison into the endnotes at the back of the commission’s final report. For example, endnote 2 to chapter 6 reads: “President Clinton spoke of terrorism in numerous public statements…. Clinton repeatedly linked terrorism groups and WMD as transnational threats for the new global era.” Endnote 164 to the same chapter reads: “Public references by candidate and then President Bush about terrorism before 9/11 tended to reflect… [his concern with] state-sponsored terrorism and WMD as a reason to mount a missile defense.” [Shenon, 2008, pp. 396-398]
Entity Tags: Daniel Marcus, Alexis Albion, Philip Zelikow, 9/11 Commission
Timeline Tags: 9/11 Timeline, 2004 Elections
June 2004: Zelikow, 9/11 Commission Team Leader Delete Passages about Apparent Saudi Support for Hijackers from Main Text of Final Report
In a late-night editing session, 9/11 Commission Executive Director Philip Zelikow and Dieter Snell, head of the Commission team investigating the 9/11 plot, delete sections of the 9/11 Commission Report linking two of the hijackers, Khalid Almihdhar and Nawaf Alhazmi, to suspected Saudi government operatives.
Evidence of Saudi Link - The sections were drafted by two of Snell’s team members, Mike Jacobson and Raj De, and deal with Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi who had helped the two hijackers (see January 15-February 2000); Fahad al-Thumairy, another of their associates (see June 9, 2000); cash transfers from the wife of the Saudi ambassador in Washington to an associate of al-Bayoumi (see December 4, 1999); and a taxi driver who said he had seen the two hijackers in Los Angeles (see 2002).
Disagreement - However, Snell, a former prosecutor, is opposed to these sections, as he thinks the hijackers’ links to Saudi intelligence are not 100 percent proven, so it is better to leave them out. Jacobson is notified of the editing session just before midnight; he calls De and they both go into the Commission’s offices to discuss the material. Snell says that the final report should not contain allegations that cannot be backed up conclusively, but Jacobson and De say demanding this level of proof would exonerate the guilty.
Saudi Ties Moved to Endnotes - Zelikow appears sympathetic to Jacobson and De, and had also entertained suspicions of the Saudis at one point. However, he apparently sees his role at this late stage as that of a mediator and allows Snell to delete the sections from the main body of the report, although Jacobson and De are then permitted to write endnotes covering them. [Shenon, 2008, pp. 398-399] Material unfavorable to Pakistan is also omitted from the report (see July 22, 2004).
Entity Tags: Raj De, 9/11 Commission, Philip Zelikow, Dietrich Snell, Michael Jacobson
Category Tags: Bayoumi and Basnan Saudi Connection, Saudi Arabia, 9/11 Commission, Role of Philip Zelikow, Alhazmi and Almihdhar, 9/11 Investigations
June 2004: Falsely Accused Iraqi Spy Denies He Ever Met with Mohamed Atta
Ahmed Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani, an Iraqi intelligence agent, was captured by US forces in Iraq at some point after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. His arrest was not announced and he was put in a secret CIA prison. It is unknown when he was arrested exactly, but in June 2004, the FBI is allowed to interrogate him. Al-Ani gained notoriety after 9/11 when Bush administration officials claimed he had a meeting with 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta in Prague, in the Czech Republic (see April 8, 2001). He tells the FBI that he never saw or heard of Atta until Atta’s face appeared in the news shortly after 9/11. [US Senate and Intelligence Committee, 9/8/2006, pp. 100 ] The allegations that the meeting took place have been slowly dying despite the efforts of some Bush administration officials to promote them (see September 18, 2001-April 2007). Also in June 2004, the 9/11 Commission publicly asserts that the alleged meeting never took place (see June 16, 2004). Nonetheless, al-Ani is kept in a secret CIA prison until 2006 and then quietly released (see 2006). His denials are kept secret until September 2006 (see September 8-10, 2006).
Entity Tags: Ahmed Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani, Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Timeline Tags: Events Leading to Iraq Invasion
Category Tags: Alleged Iraq-Al-Qaeda Links
June 2004: Two More 9/11 Commission Staffers Review Largely Ignored NSA Material, Think It Is Important
Lloyd Salvetti. [Source: CIA]9/11 Commission staffer Lorry Fenner, who has been reviewing material the NSA provided to the 9/11 Commission on her own (see January 2004), asks two colleagues to examine information she found in the files indicating some of the 9/11 hijackers traveled through Iran (see January-June 2004). The first is Lloyd Salvetti, the aging head of the CIA’s museum who is on loan to the commission. Fenner asks for his opinion because the review of the NSA information is not her official job at the commission and she is uncomfortable about approaching the commission’s executive director, Philip Zelikow, over the issue, which she feels is important. Salvetti soon finds that Fenner’s fears are “well-founded” and the NSA files are a “gold mine, full of information about al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups dating back to the early 1990s—material that the commission should have read through months earlier.” He also forms the opinion that there may have been some co-operation between al-Qaeda and elements of Hezbollah and Iran on travel issues. Salvetti then asks another commission staffer, former CIA analyst Doug MacEachin, to look over the material. MacEachin is just as alarmed as Fenner and Salvetti and they realize that, even though the commission must issue its final report very soon, something needs to be done. The three inform both Zelikow and NSA director Michael Hayden, and a group of commission staffers soon spend a day at the NSA (see Between July 1 and July 17, 2004). [Shenon, 2008, pp. 370-3]
Entity Tags: Lloyd Salvetti, Doug MacEachin, Lorry Fenner, 9/11 Commission, National Security Agency
Category Tags: Remote Surveillance, Other Government-Militant Collusion, 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Investigations
June 2004: 9/11 Commission Executive Director Zelikow Discusses Key Presidential Daily Brief with CIA Analyst, Allegedly Pressures Analyst to Accept White House Version of Events
9/11 Commission Executive Director Philip Zelikow telephones a CIA analyst who co-wrote a Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB) item entitled “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US.” President George Bush received the briefing in August 2001 (see August 6, 2001). The tone of the conversation will be disputed. According to an anonymous Commission staffer who overhears part of the conversation and who talks to author Philip Shenon, Zelikow pressures the analyst to accept the version of the PDB offered by Bush and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and say that it contained historical information and was written in response to a request by President Bush for such briefing. Zelikow is close to Rice (see January 3, 2001) and defends her interests on the Commission (see May-June 2004). However, Zelikow will later deny pressuring the analyst, saying he was merely trying to prepare a summary of what was known about the PDB for the commissioners and that he had little time, so the interview was conducted by telephone. Nevertheless, the call is in violation of several internal Commission rules, including the requirement that significant interviews be conducted in the presence of at least two staff members. Shenon will describe the call as “a private inquiry into the origins of what was, without doubt, the most controversial document in the investigation.” [Shenon, 2008, pp. 374-376] Zelikow will try to stop one of the commissioners, Richard Ben-Veniste, from talking to the analyst and a colleague (see Early July 2004).
Entity Tags: Philip Shenon, Philip Zelikow, 9/11 Commission
Category Tags: Bush's Aug. 6, 2001 PDB, 9/11 Commission, Role of Philip Zelikow, 9/11 Investigations
(Mid 2004): 9/11 Commission Staff Doubts Cheney’s Account of Shootdown Order on 9/11
John Farmer. [Source: Publicity photo]The team of investigators on the 9/11 Commission that is investigating the events of the morning of September 11 comes to believe that a key part of Vice President Dick Cheney’s account is false. The team, led by John Farmer, is convinced that the decision to authorize the military to shoot down threatening aircraft on 9/11 was made by Cheney alone, not by President Bush. According to journalist and author Philip Shenon: “If Farmer’s team was right, the shootdown order was almost certainly unconstitutional, a violation of the military chain of command, which has no role for the vice president. In the absence of the president, military orders should have been issued by Defense Secretary [Donald] Rumsfeld, bypassing the vice president entirely.”
No Evidence - Other than Cheney’s own account of his actions that morning, and a subsequent attempt Bush made to confirm this account, the team has found no evidence that the president was involved in making the shootdown decision before Cheney issued the order, and much evidence that he was unaware of this decision. Shenon will describe: “Even in moments of crisis, the White House keeps extraordinary records of communications involving Bush and his senior staff; every phone call is logged, along with a detailed summary of what happened during the call.… But for 9/11, the logs offered no evidence of a call between Cheney and Bush in which Bush authorized a shootdown. And Farmer’s team reviewed more than just one set of communications logs. There were seven of them—one maintained by the White House telephone switchboard, one by the Secret Service, one by the Situation Room, and four separate logs maintained by military officers working in the White House.” [Shenon, 2008, pp. 265-266]
Issued by Cheney - The Commission believes Cheney issued the shootdown order between around 10:10 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. on 9/11, in response to reports of an aircraft heading toward Washington (see (Between 10:10 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41]
No Notes - Yet deputy White House chief of staff Josh Bolten, who was with Cheney at the time, had reportedly “not heard any prior conversation on the subject [of shooting down aircraft] with the president.” As Newsweek describes: “Nor did the real-time notes taken by two others in the room, Cheney’s chief of staff, ‘Scooter’ Libby—who is known for his meticulous record-keeping—or Cheney’s wife, Lynne, reflect that such a phone call between Bush and Cheney occurred or that such a major decision as shooting down a US airliner was discussed.… National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and a military aide said they remembered a call, but gave few specifics.” [Newsweek, 6/20/2004] The notes of White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who had been on Air Force One with the president, show no reference to a shootdown order until several minutes after Cheney issued it (see 10:18 a.m.-10:20 a.m. September 11, 2001).
"Completely Understandable" - Daniel Marcus, the general counsel of the 9/11 Commission, will later say he thought: “[I]n many ways, it would have been completely understandable for Cheney to issue a shootdown order without authorization from Bush. Whatever the constitutional issues, it would have been difficult to second-guess Cheney about a decision to save the White House from destruction if a suicide hijacker was bearing down on the capital and there were only seconds to act.” Yet, as Marcus will recall, Cheney’s staff is “obsessed with showing that he didn’t give the order.” [Shenon, 2008, pp. 266-267]
Cheney Angry - White House lawyers will subsequently lobby the 9/11 Commission to amend its treatment of the shootdown issue in one of its staff reports (see June 15, 2004). [Newsweek, 6/20/2004] And, on this same issue, an angry Cheney will try to get the 9/11 Commission Report changed just before it is released (see Shortly Before July 22, 2004). [Shenon, 2008, pp. 411-412]
Entity Tags: Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, John Farmer, 9/11 Commission, Daniel Marcus
June 2004: Top Democrat Helps Get Passages Critical of National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice Deleted from Final Text of 9/11 Commission Report
As the 9/11 Commission report is being finalized, the consultant charged with drafting it, Ernest May, comes to favor an account of the Bush administration’s treatment of terrorism before 9/11 given by former counterterrorism “tsar” Richard Clarke. Clarke has said that the administration did not pay enough attention to the problem of terrorism, whereas his former superior, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, had argued the administration did what it could, but the attacks were unstoppable. May comes to this conclusion after reviewing the documentation obtained by the commission, despite the fact that he is close to the commission’s executive director Philip Zelikow, who had worked with Rice in the past (see 1995 and January 3, 2001) and is trying to downplay Clarke’s role. The language of the draft report reflects May’s views, but others working on the report, including an unnamed prominent Democrat on the staff, say the language is “inflammatory,” and get it taken out of the report. According to May, the report is then written in such a way as to avoid “even implicit endorsement of Clarke’s public charge.” [Shenon, 2008, pp. 390-391]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, Condoleezza Rice, Ernest May, Philip Zelikow, Richard A. Clarke
June-November 2004: Critical CIA Report on 9/11 Failures Is Finished, but Its Release Is Successfully Delayed until after Presidential Election
In November 2002, as the 9/11 Congressional Inquiry was finishing its investigation, it formally asked for a report by the CIA to determine “whether and to what extent personnel at all levels should be held accountable” for the failure to stop the 9/11 attacks. [New York Times, 9/14/2004] The CIA report by the agency’s inspector general is completed in June 2004. Newsweek calls the report “hard-hitting” and says it “identifies a host of current and former officials who could be candidates for possible disciplinary procedures imposed by a special CIA Accountability Board.” [Newsweek, 10/24/2004] While the 9/11 Congressional Inquiry and 9/11 Commission Reports didn’t single out individuals for blame, this one does, and it is said to find “very senior-level officials responsible. Those who have read the classified report say that it faults about 20 intelligence officials, including former CIA Director George Tenet, his former Deputy Director of Operations James Pavitt, and the former head of the CIA’s Counter Terrorism Center Cofer Black. Tenet in particular is faulted for focusing too little attention on combating al-Qaeda as a whole in the years prior to 9/11.” [Los Angeles Times, 10/19/2004; Los Angeles Times, 10/6/2005; Washington Post, 10/6/2005] The report is submitted to John McLaughlin, interim acting CIA Director, but he returns it to the inspector general with a request “for more information.” [New York Times, 9/14/2004] It continues to remain completely classified, and even the 9/11 Commissioners (who all have high level security clearances) are not allowed to see it before they complete their own 9/11 investigation. [Newsweek, 10/24/2004] In late September 2004, Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) and Jane Harman (D-CA), chairman and highest ranking Democrat of the House Intelligence Committee respectively, send a letter to the CIA. [New York Times, 10/27/2004] They request that at least their committee, as the oversight committee that originally mandated the creation of the report, be allowed to see the report. But even this committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee are not allowed to see it. One anonymous official who has read the report tells the Los Angeles Times, “It is infuriating that a report which shows that high-level people were not doing their jobs in a satisfactory manner before 9/11 is being suppressed.… The report is potentially very embarrassing for the administration, because it makes it look like they weren’t interested in terrorism before 9/11, or in holding people in the government responsible afterward.” This official says the report has been deliberately stalled, first by John McLaughlin, then by Porter Goss, his replacement as CIA Director. (Ironically, Goss was the co-chairman of the 9/11 Congressional Inquiry that originally called for the report.) This official further notes that the only legal and legitimate reason the CIA can give for holding back such a report is national security, yet this reason has not been invoked. The official claims that Goss is “basically sitting on the report until after the [November 2004 Presidential] election. No previous director of CIA has ever tried to stop the inspector general from releasing a report to the Congress, in this case a report requested by Congress.” [Los Angeles Times, 10/19/2004; Los Angeles Times, 10/20/2004] One anonymous CIA official says, “Everybody feels it will be better off if this hits the fan after the election.” [Newsweek, 10/24/2004] The previously mentioned official speaking to The Los Angeles Times comments that the successful delay of the report’s release until after the election has “led the management of the CIA to believe it can engage in a cover-up with impunity.” [Los Angeles Times, 10/19/2004] More details of the report are revealed to the media in January 2005.(see January 7, 2005). In October 2005, CIA Director Porter Goss will announce that he is not going to release the report, and also will not convene an accountability board to hold anyone responsible.(see October 10, 2005).
Entity Tags: Jane Harman, John E. McLaughlin, Central Intelligence Agency, Peter Hoekstra, Porter J. Goss, 9/11 Congressional Inquiry
Category Tags: CIA OIG 9/11 Report, 9/11 Investigations
Early June 2004: 9/11 Commission’s Zelikow Accepts Lack of Connections between Iraq and Al-Qaeda
Philip Zelikow, the executive director of the 9/11 Commission, finally accepts the fact that he cannot successfully spin or browbeat the commission staff into reporting links between Iraq and al-Qaeda as factual (see July 12, 2004). His most recent efforts to rewrite a report claiming such links was thwarted by angry commission staffers (see January 2004), and for months he has dodged charges that he is a White House “plant,” there to ensure the commission makes the kind of conclusions that Bush officials want it to make. Now, he finally admits that there is no evidence to support the claim of a connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda, although there was some minor contact. Author Philip Shenon will later write: “The intelligence showed that when bin Laden wanted to do business with Iraq, Iraq did not want to do business with al-Qaeda…. Saddam Hussein saw [Osama] bin Laden… as a threat to his own very brutal and very secular rule in Iraq.” The widely reported story about 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta meeting an Iraqi spy in Prague (see April 8, 2001 and September 14, 2001) has been examined and re-examined, and found to be unsupported (see December 2001). Zelikow is forced to admit the reality of the situation. Shenon will write: “Even if he wanted to, there was little Zelikow could do to rescue the administration now…. If Zelikow tried to tamper with the report now, he knew he risked a public insurrection by the staff, with only a month before the commission’s final report was due.” Bush officials are horrified at the prospect of the commission reporting flatly that there are no verifiable links of any kind between al-Qaeda and Iraq. Since the failure of the US to find WMDs in Iraq, the Bush administration has shifted its rationale for invading that nation—now it was a punitive measure against one of the backers of the 9/11 attacks, and senior Bush officials, most notably Vice President Cheney, have been advocating that point for over a year. [Shenon, 2008, pp. 381-385]
Entity Tags: Philip Shenon, 9/11 Commission, Al-Qaeda, Bush administration (43), John Kerry, Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, Philip Zelikow
Timeline Tags: Events Leading to Iraq Invasion, 9/11 Timeline
Category Tags: 9/11 Commission, Alleged Iraq-Al-Qaeda Links, Role of Philip Zelikow, 9/11 Investigations
June 1, 2004: US Raids Saudi Charity Formerly Headed by Bin Laden’s Nephew
WAMY logo. [Source: WAMY]US agents raid the US branch of World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), a large Saudi charity. The branch was founded in 1992 by Abdullah Awad bin Laden, a nephew of Osama, and he was still listed as president of the branch in a 2002 business listing. [Weekly Standard, 4/8/2002; Washington Post, 6/2/2004] In 1996, an FBI investigation into WAMY, Abdullah Awad, and his brother Omar, was closed down, apparently for political reasons (see February-September 11, 1996). At least two of the 9/11 hijackers lived about three blocks from WAMY’s office for much of 2001 (see March 2001 and After). A new investigation of WAMY was launched one week after 9/11 (see September 14-19, 2001). All of WAMY’s files and computer files are seized; one person is arrested on immigration charges. The raid appears to have taken place because WAMY came up in a terrorism investigation of the SAAR network (see March 20, 2002), located outside Washington and relatively close to the WAMY office. A federal affidavit alleges that WAMY has ties to Hamas. [Washington Post, 6/2/2004]
Entity Tags: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hamas, World Assembly of Muslim Youth
Category Tags: Saudi Arabia, Terrorism Financing, Bin Laden Family
June 3, 2004: CIA Director George Tenet Resigns
Citing personal reasons, CIA Director George Tenet announces he will be stepping down in the next month. President Bush praises Tenet’s service, but there is widespread agreement that significant intelligence failures occurred during his tenure, most strikingly 9/11 itself. Sources also suggest that Tenet, originally a Clinton appointee, has been made a convenient scapegoat for Bush administration intelligence failures in Iraq and elsewhere. [CNN, 6/4/2004; Independent, 6/4/2004] Tenet and the Bush administration are expecting harsh criticism from several reports expected to find serious failures in intelligence gathering and analysis related to the 9/11 attacks. Most damaging is an upcoming Senate Intelligence Committee report expected to single out the CIA for errors in its judgments before the Iraq war (see June-November 2004). Committee chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) has warned the administration that the report will be so harsh that questions will be raised as to whether senior CIA officials should be held accountable. Tenet will be replaced by Deputy Director John McLaughlin until a replacement is named, and will eventually be replaced by Porter Goss (see September 24, 2004). A friend of Tenet’s, former Deputy Director Richard Kerr, says that Tenet “may have believed that he was hurting the president. He’s an honorable person, and he may have had that as a consideration.” Former Democratic senator David Boren, a close friend and mentor of Tenet’s, says Tenet is not leaving because of criticisms likely to be leveled at either him or the agency: “If criticism either actual or anticipated was a factor, he would have left a long time ago. It’s been months of his desiring to leave.” Bush has asked Tenet to remain in the job several times over the past few months. When Tenet told Bush of his intentions to leave on June 2, Bush asked him to stay through the end of the year. Tenet replied that summer is a natural break point and a good time for him to depart. All the camaraderie and mutual praise between the two men aside, many believe that Tenet is departing in part because he is seen as a possible political liability for Bush. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) says, “I don’t think there are any tears over there” in the White House over Tenet’s departure. Former Senator Bob Graham (D-FL) believes that Tenet was in some way pushed to leave. “This president has been enamored of George Tenet, and has been reluctant to hold him or anyone else accountable, and that failure was becoming a bigger and bigger liability,” he says. According to Graham, Bush announces Tenet’s resignation for his own political well-being, “under circumstances where he is at the crime scene as short as possible.” Apparently, senior White House officials such as Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell learn of Tenet’s resignation just a few moments before it is announced to the press. Two Congressmen who knew last night of the resignation were Goss (R-FL) and John Warner (R-VA), the chairmen of the House Intelligence and Senate Armed Services Committees, respectively. [New York Times, 6/4/2004]
Entity Tags: Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, Senate Intelligence Committee, Richard Shelby, Pat Roberts, Richard Kerr, Porter J. Goss, John E. McLaughlin, George W. Bush, John W. Warner, Bush administration (43), Central Intelligence Agency, Daniel Robert (“Bob”) Graham, David Boren, Colin Powell, George J. Tenet
Timeline Tags: Iraq under US Occupation
June 4, 2004: Victims’ Families Listen to 9/11 Phone Recordings
When the recording of flight attendant Betty Ong is played in public before the 9/11 Commission in January 2004, family members demand that the FBI honor the family members’ rights under the Victims Assistance Act to hear any and all phone calls made from the hijacked airplanes. So, on this date, about 130 victims’ relatives gather in Princeton, New Jersey, and hear previously unavailable calls. But the Justice Department only plays what it decided are “relevant” calls. However, attendees are ordered not to disclose what they hear lest it compromise the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui. [CNN, 5/28/2004; Associated Press, 6/5/2004; New York Observer, 6/20/2004] Some family members nonetheless later discuss what they have heard. Witnesses describe one recording of two American Airlines managers who are told details of flight attendant Amy Sweeney’s call from Flight 11 shortly after the first hijacking has begun. Rather than report news of a possible hijacking to other government agencies so they can learn what to do in case there is a crisis, the managers say things like, “don’t spread this around. Keep it close,” and “Keep it quiet” (see 8:25 a.m. September 11, 2001) [New York Observer, 6/20/2004]
Entity Tags: American Airlines, Zacarias Moussaoui, Madeline (“Amy”) Sweeney, US Department of Justice
Category Tags: FBI 9/11 Investigation, 9/11 Investigations
June 4, 2004: Homeland Security Official Compares ‘War on Terror’ to Failed ‘War on Drugs’
Author and former CIA agent Larry Kolb is discussing the government’s “war on terror” with a friend who works for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The DHS official says: “Look at it this way. The war on terror is being brought to you by the same people who brought you the war on drugs. Think about it—maybe one time in a thousand they actually catch somebody transporting or selling drugs. Then what do they do? They put that person in a federal facility, which is locked down and guarded 24 hours a day. And they still can’t even keep drugs out of that facility, let alone off our streets, or outside our borders. Now, really, how do you think we’re doing in the war on terror?” [Kolb, 2007, pp. 63]
Entity Tags: Larry Kolb, US Department of Homeland Security
June 4, 2004: Defense Secretary Rumsfeld Says US Lacked Intelligence to Stop 9/11
Defense Secretary Rumsfeld says the US would have stopped 9/11, but “We lacked the intelligence that might have prevented it.” He blames the lack of “a source inside the group of people that had planned and executed those attacks.… Had we had a source inside there, we undoubtedly would have been able to stop it. We did not.” [Newsday, 6/4/2004]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, Donald Rumsfeld
Category Tags: Warning Signs, 9/11 Denials
4:30 p.m., June 9, 2004: Capitol Evacuated as Unidentified Aircraft Nears; Plane Carrying Governor Almost Shot Down
For a few tense minutes, an unidentified plane flying inside Washington’s no-fly zone comes close to being shot down by the military. The plane, a Beechcraft King Air, is carrying Governor Ernie Fletcher (R-KY), who is coming to attend the funeral of former president Ronald Reagan. The plane’s transponder is broken, but the pilot notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the problem earlier in the flight. However, the FAA failed to inform the military, which was therefore unable to identify the plane. In addition to the lack of transponder identification, the plane is flying deep inside the no-fly zone around the White House. The Capitol is evacuated at around 4:30 p.m., when thousands are awaiting the arrival of President Reagan’s coffin. An F-16 is scrambled to identify the plane but is unable to do so because of cloud cover. NORAD’s commander, General Ralph Eberhart, is asked if the plane should be shot down. Fortunately, the pilot turns toward National Airport at this time, ending the crisis. [Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY), 7/4/2004; USA Today, 7/4/2004; Washington Post, 7/8/2004] A new mobile radar command post, called the Joint-Based Expeditionary Connectivity Center (JBECC), which merges civil and military radar data and which was deployed in the Washington area immediately after 9/11 (see September 12, 2001), is used by the military to identify the plane and avoid a shoot-down. [Associated Press, 11/29/2004]
Entity Tags: Federal Aviation Administration, Joint-Based Expeditionary Connectivity Center, Ernie Fletcher, Ralph Eberhart
Category Tags: Internal US Security After 9/11
June 12, 2004: Communications Intercepts Lead to Capture of One of KSM’s Nephews
Al-Qaeda operative Musaad Aruchi is arrested in Karachi, Pakistan, by Pakistani paramilitary forces and the CIA. Aruchi is said to be a nephew of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and a cousin of 1993 WTC bomber Ramzi Yousef. (Another of his nephews, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, was captured in Karachi the year before (see April 29, 2003). CIA telephone and Internet intercepts led investigators to the apartment building where Aruchi lived. Aruchi is in frequent contact with Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, who is in touch with al-Qaeda operatives all over the world. Aruchi is flown out of the country in an unmarked CIA plane; there have been no reports on his whereabouts since and he will not be transferred to Guantanamo Bay with other high-ranking prisoners in 2006. Noor Khan is followed and then arrested a month later (see July 13, 2004). [Washington Post, 8/3/2004; Guardian, 8/8/2004]
Entity Tags: Musaad Aruchi, Central Intelligence Agency
Category Tags: Remote Surveillance, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11, Key Captures and Deaths
June 14, 2004: FBI 9/11 Investigation Still Continues at Reduced Level
By 2004, the FBI’s 9/11 investigation is contained in this ten person office. [Source: Washington Post]The Washington Post reports that the FBI’s 9/11 investigation still continues, though at a reduced level. Originally, the investigation, named PENTTBOM, was staffed by about 70 full time FBI agents and analysts. The team now has only about ten members. Some observers complain the FBI has not done enough. Mary Galligan, who headed the investigation until early 2004, emphasizes how much is still unknown about the plot. She says, “There is still information coming in, and we still have so many unanswered questions.” [Washington Post, 6/14/2004]
Entity Tags: Mary Galligan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, PENTTBOM
June 14, 2004: Cheney Repeats Claims of Ties Between Hussein and Al-Qaeda
During a speech before the James Madison Institute, a conservative think-tank based in Florida, Vice President Dick Cheney states that Saddam Hussein “had long-established ties with al-Qaeda.” [Associated Press, 6/14/2004]
Entity Tags: Richard (“Dick”) Cheney
Timeline Tags: Events Leading to Iraq Invasion, 2004 Elections
June 14-15, 2004: Somali Immigrant Charged with Ohio Mall Bomb Plot
Nuradin Mahamoud Abdi. [Source: Associated Press]The Justice Department announces to the press they have thwarted an imminent terror plot to bomb malls in Ohio. A Somali native residing in Ohio is charged with plotting to blow up a Columbus shopping mall. It is alleged that he was part of a group of al-Qaeda operatives. Attorney General John Ashcroft says, “The American heartland was targeted for death and destruction by an al-Qaeda cell which allegedly included a Somali immigrant who will now face justice.” The man, Nuradin Mahamoud Abdi, is alleged to have obtained refugee documentation under false pretenses and to have attended terrorist training camps in Ethiopia. Although authorities would not state how many were involved in the plot, they do name admitted al-Qaeda member Iyman Faris as a co-conspirator (see Mid-March 2003). Faris, serving a 20-year sentence for providing material support to terrorism and conspiracy to provide material support, plead guilty in May 2003 to plotting to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge and to providing sleeping bags, mobile phones, and cash to al-Qaeda operatives. He later withdrew this plea, but was subsequently convicted. [CBS News, 6/14/2004] Later it is revealed that Abdi had been arrested November 28, 2003, for his connections to terrorism, so there is nothing “imminent” in the case. Court papers filed by the government allege the existence of a plot from March 2000. His indictment isn’t announced until June 15, 2004, and it makes no mention of the shopping mall plot publicly announced the day before. [Cincinnati Post, 6/15/2004] The Justice Department announcement comes as Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry leads President Bush by seven points in early Ohio polls. [Rolling Stone, 9/21/2006 ]
Entity Tags: John Kerry, US Department of Justice, Iyman Faris, John Ashcroft, Nuradin Mahamoud Abdi
June 15, 2004: White House Lobbying Causes 9/11 Commission to Water Down Staff Report
White House lawyers send an angry letter to the 9/11 Commission, which causes the Commission to water down its staff report account of Vice President Dick Cheney’s actions on September 11. [Newsweek, 6/20/2004] Members of the team of investigators on the 9/11 Commission examining the events of the morning of 9/11 believe that a key part of Cheney’s account, regarding the shootdown order, is false (see (Mid 2004)). [Shenon, 2008, pp. 265] The Commission has found that Cheney issued the shootdown order, but he and President Bush have stated that this was only after the president had authorized the shooting down of threatening aircraft during a phone call between the two men. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 40-41] However, the Commission has found “no documentary evidence for this call.” Newsweek learns that “some on the Commission staff [are], in fact, highly skeptical of the vice president’s account and made their views clearer in an earlier draft of their staff report.” Some staffers “flat out didn’t believe the call ever took place.” But when the early draft was circulated among the Bush administration, it provoked an angry reaction. White House spokesman Dan Bartlett will say, “We didn’t think it was written in a way that clearly reflected the accounting the president and vice president had given to the Commission.” In a series of phone calls and a letter from its lawyers, the White House forcefully lobbies the Commission to change the language in its report. According to Newsweek, “Ultimately the chairman and vice chair of the Commission, former New Jersey governor Thomas Kean and former representative Lee Hamilton… agreed to remove some of the offending language. The report ‘was watered down,’ groused one staffer.” [Newsweek, 6/20/2004] The amended staff report will be presented days later, on June 17, at the final round of the Commission’s public hearings. [9/11 Commission, 6/17/2004; New York Times, 6/17/2004] Cheney will again be angry at how the Commission has dealt with the shootdown issue in its final report, and tries to get this report changed on the eve of its release (see Shortly Before July 22, 2004). [Shenon, 2008, pp. 267]
Entity Tags: Dan Bartlett, Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, 9/11 Commission, Thomas Kean, White House, Lee Hamilton
June 15, 2004: President Bush Continues to Maintain There Was Al-Qaeda-Hussein Relationship
President Bush repeats the US government claim that al-Qaeda had links to the Saddam Hussein government of Iraq, suggesting that militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is the link between the two. “Al-Zarqawi’s the best evidence of a connection to al-Qaeda affiliates and al-Qaeda. He’s the person who’s still killing.” [CNN, 6/15/2004]
Entity Tags: Saddam Hussein, Al-Qaeda, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, George W. Bush
June 15, 2004: Bush Claims Hussein Was Linked to ‘Terrorist Organizations’
President Bush defends Vice President Dick Cheney’s claim this week that Saddam Hussein had longstanding ties with al-Qaeda. Speaking at a news conference with Afghan president Hamid Karzai, Bush asserts that Hussein “had ties to terrorist organizations.” He does not mention al-Qaeda by name. The day before, Cheney claimed that Hussein was “a patron of terrorism” and said “he had long established ties with al-Qaeda” (see June 14, 2004). [Boston Globe, 6/16/2004]
Entity Tags: Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, Saddam Hussein, George W. Bush
Timeline Tags: Torture of US Captives, 9/11 Timeline
Category Tags: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, 9/11 Commission, Ramzi Bin Al-Shibh, 9/11 Investigations
June 17, 2004: 9/11 Commissioner Gorelick and General Myers Spar over NORAD Failure
During the 9/11 Commission’s twelfth public hearing, Commissioner Jamie Gorelick is sharply critical of NORAD’s failure to protect the US on 9/11. NORAD failed because it “defined out of the job,” she says. “[W]here was our military when it should have been defending us?” she asks General Richard Myers, who was the acting Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman on 9/11. “And the response… is that NORAD was not postured to defend us domestically unless someone was coming at us from abroad.… That’s why I come back to this word posture, we were postured against an external threat.” But, says Gorelick, the military’s own directives clearly state that NORAD has an “air sovereignty” mission that is not limited to watching the borders. “[T]he foundation documents for NORAD, they do not say defend us only against a threat coming in from across the ocean, or across our borders. It has two missions, and one of them is control of the airspace above the domestic United States, and aerospace control is defined as providing surveillance and control of the airspace of Canada and the United States. To me that air sovereignty concept means that you have a role which, if you were postured only externally you defined out of the job.”
Posse Comitatus - Gorelick also dismisses the Posse Comitatus Act of 1876, which prohibits the military from acting in a law enforcement capacity, as one of the reasons for the military’s failure. When Myers invokes the act, she quickly interrupts him. Myers says, “What we try to do is follow the law, and the law is pretty clear on Posse Comitatus and that is whether or not the military should be involved in domestic law enforcement.” Gorelick replies: “Let me just interrupt, when I was general counsel of the Defense Department, I repeatedly advised, and I believe others have advised that the Posse Comitatus says, you can’t arrest people. It doesn’t mean that the military has no authority, obligation, or ability to defend the United Sates from attacks that happen to happen in the domestic United States.”
Unanswered Questions - Gorelick then pointedly asks Myers, a former NORAD commander, how the military came to neglect its air sovereignty mission: “[B]y what process was it decided to only posture us against a foreign threat?… [I]s it your job, and if not whose job is it, to make current assessments of a threat, and decide whether you are positioned correctly to carry out a mission, which at least on paper NORAD had?” She adds that on several occasions, such as the 1996 Olympics (see January 20, 1997) and the G8 summit in Genoa (see July 20-22, 2001), the government had prepared for air attacks. While Myers offers a general assurance that the US military is now better prepared for “non-traditional” attacks, he does not provide specific answers to Gorelick’s questions. [9/11 Commission, 6/17/2004]
Entity Tags: North American Aerospace Defense Command, Jamie Gorelick, Richard B. Myers, 9/11 Commission
June 17, 2004: Cheney Refuses to Abandon ‘Prague Connection’ Theory
Vice President Dick Cheney, infuriated by the 9/11 Commission’s intent to report that no serious connections between Iraq and al-Qaeda ever existed (see July 12, 2004) and the media’s acceptance of the same position, decides to launch a media counterattack. His first target is not the Commission itself, but the media, particularly the New York Times, which has just published a front-page article entitled “Panel Finds No Qaeda-Iraq Tie.” Cheney’s first appearance is on CNBC’s Capital Report. Correspondent Gloria Borger notes, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you… as exercised about something as you seem today.” Cheney leads off by calling the Times reporting “outrageous,” and accuses the newspaper of manufacturing a division between the administration’s claims of a “Qaeda-Iraq tie” and the Commission’s report that no such ties ever existed. “There’s no conflict,” he says. He asserts that “[W]e don’t know” if Iraq was involved in 9/11 and adds that no one has “been able to confirm” or “knock… down” the claim that 9/11 plotter Mohamed Atta met with an Iraqi intelligence agent in Prague in April of 2001. Reporters who doubt the connection are “lazy,” he says. When Borger notes that Commission investigators have found no evidence to support that allegation, Cheney asserts that he “probably” knows information the 9/11 Commission does not. [CNN, 6/18/2004; Shenon, 2008, pp. 381-385] A few days later, the Commission says that after asking Cheney for any additional evidence he might have, they stand by their position. Cheney maintains his position as well, but does not turn over any new evidence. [Los Angeles Times, 7/2/2004; Shenon, 2008, pp. 381-385]
Entity Tags: Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, Gloria Borger, Al-Qaeda, 9/11 Commission, Mohamed Atta, New York Times
June 17, 2004: Bush Defends Claims of Relationship between Iraq and Al-Qaeda
President Bush forcefully disputes statements by the 9/11 Commission (see July 12, 2004) that there was no evidence of collaboration between Iraq and al-Qaeda. “The reason I keep insisting that there was a relationship between Iraq and Saddam and al-Qaeda, because there was a relationship between Iraq and al-Qaeda,” Bush says. [CNN, 6/17/2004; Washington Post, 6/18/2004]
Entity Tags: George W. Bush
June-July 17, 2004: Text of 9/11 Commission Report Is Finalized, 12 People Have Vetoes
The final text of the 9/11 Commission’s report is drafted in the two months before publication on July 22, 2004. [Kean and Hamilton, 2006, pp. 274, 296] Although staff members have input into the process, the finished text is subject to vetoes by the ten commissioners, Executive Director Philip Zelikow, and staffer Ernest May, whose main task is the writing of the report. May will later comment, “no language appeared anywhere in the final text unless Zelikow or I or both of us—and all the commissioners—had accepted it.” [New Republic, 5/23/2005] Commission Chairman Tom Kean and Vice-chairman Lee Hamilton will later write that “there was some concern we not end up with a ‘staff report’—commissioners were determined to review every word, and supply their own comments, corrections, and language for the report.” They will add: “While we did expect there to be a good deal of commissioner editing, we did not anticipate the extent of back-and-forth that took place through June and the first part of July. Commissioners went through the report six or seven times, word by word….” [Kean and Hamilton, 2006, pp. 274]
Entity Tags: Lee Hamilton, Ernest May, Thomas Kean, 9/11 Commission, Philip Zelikow
June 18, 2004: Madrid Bomber Shown to Have Curious Link to Spanish Government Bomb Squad
Juan Jesus Sanchez Manzano. [Source: PBS]It is revealed that the man accused of supplying the dynamite used in the March 2004 Madrid train bombings (see 7:37-7:42 a.m., March 11, 2004) was an informant who had the private telephone number of the head of Spain’s Civil Guard bomb squad. Emilio Suarez Trashorras, a miner with access to explosives, as well as an associate named Rafa Zouhier both regularly informed for the Spanish police, telling them about drug shipments. [New York Times, 4/30/2004; London Times, 6/19/2004] Trashorras began working as an informant after being arrested for drug trafficking in July 2001, while Zouhier became an informant after being released from prison early in February 2002. [Irujo, 2005, pp. 277-288] Shortly after the Madrid bombings, investigators discover that Trashorras’ wife Carmen Toro has a piece of paper with the telephone number of Juan Jesus Sanchez Manzano, head of Tedax, the Civil Guard bomb squad. She and her brother Antonio Toro are also informants (September 2003-February 2004). All four of them were arrested on charges of supplying the explosives for the Madrid bombings (see March 2003 and September 2003-February 2004). [New York Times, 4/30/2004; London Times, 6/19/2004] The London Times later comments, “The revelation has raised fresh concerns in Madrid about links between those held responsible for the March bombings, which killed 190 people, and Spain’s security services, and shortcomings in the police investigation.” [London Times, 6/19/2004] Trashorras will eventually be sentenced to life in prison for his role in the bombings, Zouhier will also get a ten or more year prison term, and the Toros will be acquitted (see October 31, 2007). [MSNBC, 10/31/2007]
Entity Tags: Rafa Zouhier, Juan Jesus Sanchez Manzano, Carmen Toro, Antonio Toro, Emilio Suarez Trashorras
Category Tags: Al-Qaeda in Spain, 2004 Madrid Train Bombings
June 18, 2004: NIST Presents ‘Working Hypothesis’ of WTC 7 Collapse
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issues a progress report on its investigation into the World Trade Center collapses. Since 2002, NIST has been investigating the collapses of the Twin Towers and WTC Building 7 (see August 21, 2002). The progress report includes its “working hypothesis” for the collapse of WTC 7. This was a 47-story building, located about 350 feet from the north side of WTC 1, which collapsed completely at around 5:20 in the afternoon of 9/11. The report claims that “fire appears to have played a key role” in the collapse, though it points out, “No fire was observed or reported in the afternoon on floors 1-5, 10, or above Floor 13.” It also says, “there may have been some physical damage on the south side of the building.” NIST summarizes its working hypothesis of the WTC 7 collapse as follows:
“An initial local failure at the lower floors (below Floor 13) of the building due to fire and/or debris induced structural damage of a critical column (the initiating event), which supported a large span floor bay with an area of about 2,000 square feet.”
“Vertical progression of the initial local failure up to the east penthouse, as large floor bays were unable to redistribute the loads, bringing down the interior structure below the east penthouse.”
“Horizontal progression of the failure across the lower floors… triggered by damage due to the vertical failure, resulting in the disproportionate collapse of the entire structure.”
NIST claims this hypothesis “is consistent with all evidence currently held by NIST, including photographs and videos, eyewitness accounts and emergency communication records,” but says it “will be revised and updated as results of ongoing, more comprehensive analyses become available.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 6/2004, pp. L1, L3, L17, L34, L38, L51-L52; National Institute of Standards and Technology, 6/18/2004] NIST will release its final reports on the collapses of the Twin Towers in October 2005 (see October 26, 2005). As of mid-2007, it has yet to release a final report on the collapse of WTC 7. In early 2006, Dr. S. Shyam Sunder, who is the lead investigator for NIST’s WTC investigation, will admit, “truthfully, I don’t really know” what caused WTC 7 to collapse. He will add, “We’ve had trouble getting a handle on building no. 7” (see March 20, 2006). [New York Magazine, 3/20/2006] An earlier report on the WTC collapses, released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in May 2002, had been inconclusive on what caused WTC 7 to collapse, and stated that “Further research, investigation, and analyses” were necessary (see May 1, 2002). [Federal Emergency Management Agency, 5/1/2002, pp. 5-31]
Entity Tags: World Trade Center, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Category Tags: WTC Investigation, 9/11 Investigations
After June 17, 2004: 9/11 Commissioners Unsettled by Cheney’s Media Attack over Lack of Al-Qaeda-Iraq Link; Staff Reviews Evidence Again
Several 9/11 Commission members, including chairman Thomas Kean and vice-chairman Lee Hamilton, are alarmed at Vice President Dick Cheney’s response to the commission’s claim that no link exists between Iraq and al-Qaeda (see June 17, 2004). They have no desire to go toe-to-toe with an enraged White House over the question. Hamilton privately asks Doug MacEachin, the principal author of that portion of the report, to go back and sift the evidence again to ensure that he missed nothing that might bear out the White House’s arguments. Publicly, Kean and Hamilton are much more resolute. If Cheney has information that he has not shared with the commission, as Cheney has implied, he needs to turn it over promptly. “I would like to see the evidence that Mr. Cheney is talking about,” Hamilton says. [Shenon, 2008, pp. 381-385] No more evidence is found, and the commission ultimately sticks by their conclusions.
Entity Tags: Doug MacEachin, Thomas Kean, Lee Hamilton, Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, Bush administration (43), 9/11 Commission
Timeline Tags: Events Leading to Iraq Invasion, 9/11 Timeline, 2004 Elections
Before June 21, 2004: Iraqi Officer Turns out Not to Be Involved in 9/11
After a search of Iraqi paramilitary records indicates a man named Hikmat Shakir Ahmad was a lieutenant colonel in Saddam Hussein’s Fedayeen, there is speculation that he is the same person as Ahmad Hikmat Shakir, an alleged Iraqi al-Qaeda operative who met one of the 9/11 hijackers during an al-Qaeda summit in Malaysia (see January 5-8, 2000), and was captured and inexplicably released after 9/11 (see September 17, 2001). The claim that the two men are the same person is used to bolster the theory that Saddam Hussein was in some way connected to 9/11, but turns out not to be true, as the two of them are found to be in different places at one time, in September 2001. [Knight Ridder, 6/12/2004; Washington Post, 6/22/2004; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 502]
Entity Tags: Hikmat Shakir Ahmad, Ahmad Hikmat Shakir
Category Tags: Al-Qaeda Malaysia Summit, Alleged Iraq-Al-Qaeda Links
June 20, 2004: 9/11 Commission Figure Says Pakistan Was ‘Up to Their Eyeballs’ with Taliban and al-Qaeda
“An unnamed senior staff member” on the 9/11 Commission tells the Los Angeles Times that, before 9/11, Pakistani officials were “up to their eyeballs” in collaboration with the Taliban and al-Qaeda. As an example, this source says of bin Laden moving to Afghanistan in 1996, “He wouldn’t go back there without Pakistan’s approval and support, and had to comply with their rules and regulations.” From “day one,” the ISI helped al-Qaeda set up an infrastructure, and jointly operated training camps. The article further notes that what the commission will publicly say on this is just the “tip of the iceberg” of the material they’ve been given on the matter. [Los Angeles Times, 7/16/2004] In fact, the commission’s final report released a month later will barely mention the ISI at all. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, Al-Qaeda, Taliban, Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Osama bin Laden
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Pakistani ISI Links to 9/11
June 21, 2004: Very Little Intelligence Gained from Prisoners Held at Guantanamo; Vast Majority Are Innocent
Vice President Cheney has called the prisoners being held by the US at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, “the worst of a very bad lot” (see January 27, 2002) and other US officials have suggested that information from them has exposed terrorist cells and foiled attacks. But a lengthy New York Times investigation finds that US “government and military officials have repeatedly exaggerated both the danger the detainees posed and the intelligence they have provided.… In interviews, dozens of high-level military, intelligence and law-enforcement officials in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East said that contrary to the repeated assertions of senior administration officials, none of the detainees at the United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay ranked as leaders or senior operatives of al-Qaeda. They said only a relative handful—some put the number at about a dozen, others more than two dozen—were sworn al-Qaeda members or other militants able to elucidate the organization’s inner workings.” While some information from the prisoners has been useful to investigators, none of it has stopped any imminent attacks. Information from Guantanamo is considered “only a trickle” compared to what is being learned from prisoners held by the CIA in secret prisons elsewhere. Brig. Gen. Jay W. Hood, in charge of the task force running the prison, says, “The expectations, I think, may have been too high at the outset. There are those who expected a flow of intelligence that would help us break the most sophisticated terror organization in a matter of months. But that hasn’t happened.” Ironically, although few prisoners have been released, it appears about five have rejoined the Taliban and resumed attacks against US forces. Abdullah Laghmani, the chief of the National Security Directorate in Kandahar, Afghanistan, says, “There are lots of people who were innocent, and they are capturing them, just on anyone’s information. And then they are releasing guilty people.” [New York Times, 6/21/2004] Abdurahman Khadr, a CIA informant posing as a Guantanamo inmate for much of 2003 (see November 10, 2001-Early 2003 and Spring 2003), will later say about the prison: “There’s only, like, a 10 percent of the people that are really dangerous, that should be there. And the rest are people that, you know, don’t have anything to do with it, don’t even- you know, don’t even understand what they’re doing here.” [PBS Frontline, 4/22/2004] The Los Angeles Times reported back in August 2002 that no al-Qaeda leaders are being held at Guantanamo (see August 18, 2002). Some al-Qaeda leaders will be transferred into the prison from secret CIA prisons in September 2006 (see September 2-3, 2006).
Entity Tags: Abdurahman Khadr, Abdullah Laghmani, Jay W. Hood
Timeline Tags: Torture of US Captives
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Action After 9/11
June 25, 2004: Michael Moore’s ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ Movie Highlights 9/11 Issues
Fahrenheit 9/11 movie poster. [Source: Lions Gate Films]Fahrenheit 9/11, a film by well-known documentarian and author Michael Moore, is released in the US. Amongst other things, this film reveals connections between the Bush family and prominent Saudis including the bin Laden family. [New York Times, 5/6/2004; New York Times, 5/17/2004; Toronto Star, 6/13/2004] It reviews evidence the White House helped members of Osama bin Laden’s family and other Saudis fly out of the US in the days soon after 9/11. [New York Times, 5/17/2004; Toronto Star, 6/13/2004; New York Times, 6/18/2004; Los Angeles Times, 6/23/2004; Newsweek, 6/30/2004] It introduces to the mainstream damning footage of President Bush continuing with a photo-op for seven minutes (see (9:07 a.m.) September 11, 2001) after being told of the second plane hitting the WTC on 9/11. [New York Times, 6/18/2004; Washington Post, 6/19/2004; Newsweek, 6/20/2004; Los Angeles Times, 6/23/2004] Disney refused to let its Miramax division distribute the movie in the United States, supposedly because the film was thought too partisan. [New York Times, 5/6/2004; Guardian, 6/2/2004; Los Angeles Times, 6/11/2004; Agence France-Presse, 6/23/2004] The film won the top award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival—the first documentary to do so in nearly 50 years. [BBC, 5/24/2004; Guardian, 5/24/2004; Agence France-Presse, 6/23/2004] It is generally very well received, with most US newspapers rating it favorably. [Agence France-Presse, 6/23/2004; Editor & Publisher, 6/27/2004] The film is an instant hit and is seen by tens of millions. [Associated Press, 6/27/2004; BBC, 6/28/2004; Associated Press, 6/28/2004; CBS News, 6/28/2004] There are some criticisms that it distorts certain facts, such as exaggerating the possible significance of Bush and bin Laden family connections, and gripes about a $1.4 billion number representing the money flowing from Saudi companies to the Bush family. However, the New York Times claims that the public record corroborates the film’s main assertions. [New York Times, 5/17/2004; New York Times, 6/18/2004; Newsweek, 6/30/2004] Shortly before the film’s release, the conservative organization Citizens United tried to block the film’s distribution (see June 27, 2004). The effort failed (see August 6, 2004).
Entity Tags: George W. Bush, Bin Laden Family, Michael Moore, Osama bin Laden, Citizens United, Walt Disney Company, Miramax
Timeline Tags: 9/11 Timeline, Domestic Propaganda, 2004 Elections
Category Tags: US Government and 9/11 Criticism, Media
June 25, 2004: Swiss Investigating Tens of Millions of Dollars Given to Al-Qaeda Associates
It is reported that the Swiss government is investigate an unnamed Saudi businessman who is the former president of the Muwafaq Foundation, which is now defunct. Swiss investigators will say he is suspected of transferring tens of millions of dollars to “close al-Qaeda associates” from Swiss bank accounts. The Swiss will freeze $20 million of his bank accounts. This businessman denies any connection with terrorism (see September 19, 2005). [New York Times, 6/25/2004] The have been repeated allegations that Muwafaq funded radical militants in the Bosnian war (see 1991-1995) and had ties to bin Laden (see 1995-1998).
Entity Tags: Muwafaq Foundation, Al-Qaeda
Category Tags: Terrorism Financing
June 27, 2004: FBI Finally Admits Possibility of Al-Qaeda Sleeper Cell in Boston
It is reported that the FBI’s Boston office is investigating if there may have been an al-Qaeda sleeper cell in Boston and whether it may have had connections to the 9/11 attacks. The Boston FBI had previously denied the existence of any Boston cell, even though they knew before 9/11 that four Boston taxi drivers—Nabil al-Marabh, Raed Hijazi, Mohamad Kamal Elzahabi, and Bassam Kanj—all knew each other well and were all connected to al-Qaeda (see January 2001; Mid-August 2001). But the FBI shows new interest in the possibility after indicting Elzahabi in Minnesota a few days earlier (see April 16, 2004-June 25, 2004). The Boston Globe comments, “The possibility that unknown people in Boston were providing support to terrorists, including the 10 who hijacked the two planes out of Logan Airport, has been the subject of much conjecture among law enforcement officials.” [Boston Globe, 6/27/2004] Unofficially, it seems that even before 9/11, some in the FBI thought that al-Qaeda had cells in Boston. On September 12, 2001, an anonymous long-time Boston FBI agent told the Boston Globe that there were “a lot of terrorist cells in [the Boston] area.… It’s a facilitator for terrorist activity. There have been cells here of bin Laden’s associates. They’re entrenched here.” [Boston Globe, 9/12/2001] Former counterterrorism “tsar” Richard Clarke says, “We uncovered plots in December of 1999 that also involved Boston cab drivers around the millennium rollover. I think there is a high probability the Boston FBI missed a major cell there.” [WCVB 5 (Boston), 6/28/2004]
Entity Tags: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Al-Qaeda, Richard A. Clarke
Category Tags: Millennium Bomb Plots, Nabil Al-Marabh, FBI 9/11 Investigation, Internal US Security After 9/11, 9/11 Investigations
June 28, 2004: Supreme Court Rules that US Citizens Declared ‘Enemy Combatants’ Can Challenge Their Detention
Yaser Esam Hamdi. [Source: Associated Press]In the case of Yaser Esam Hamdi v. Donald Rumsfeld, the Supreme Court rules 8-1 that, contrary to the government’s position, Hamdi (see December 2001), as a US citizen held inside the US, cannot be held indefinitely and incommunicado without an opportunity to challenge his detention. It rules he has the right to be given the opportunity to challenge the basis for his detention before an impartial court. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor writes for the majority: “It would turn our system of checks and balances on its head to suggest that a citizen could not make his way to court with a challenge to the factual basis for his detention by his government, simply because the Executive opposes making available such a challenge. Absent suspension of the writ by Congress, a citizen detained as an enemy combatant is entitled to this process.” Hamdi, on the other hand, apart from military interrogations and “screening processes,” has received no process. Due process, according to a majority of the Court, “demands some system for a citizen detainee to refute his classification [as enemy combatant].” A “citizen-detainee… must receive notice of the factual basis for his classification, and a fair opportunity to rebut the government’s factual assertions before a neutral decision-maker.” However, O’Connor writes, “an interrogation by one’s captor… hardly constitutes a constitutionally adequate factfinding before a neutral decisionmaker.”
Conservative Dissent: President Has Inherent Power to Detain Citizens during War - Only Justice Clarence Thomas affirms the government’s opinion, writing, “This detention falls squarely within the federal government’s war powers, and we lack the expertise and capacity to second-guess that decision.” [Supreme Court opinion on writ of certiorari. Shafiq Rasul, et al. v. George W. Bush, et al., 6/28/2004] Thomas adds: “The Founders intended that the president have primary responsibility—along with the necessary power—to protect the national security and to conduct the nation’s foreign relations. They did so principally because the structural advantages of a unitary executive are essential in these domains.” [Dean, 2007, pp. 105]
'A State of War Is Not a Blank Check for the President' - The authority to hold Hamdi and other such US citizens captured on enemy battlefields derives from Congress’s Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF—see September 14-18, 2001). Justice Antonin Scalia dissents from this portion of the majority ruling, saying that because Congress had not suspended habeas corpus, Hamdi should either be charged with a crime or released. The Court also finds that if Hamdi was indeed a missionary and not a terrorist, as both he and his father claim, then he must be freed. While the Court does not grant Hamdi the right to a full criminal trial, it grants him the right to a hearing before a “neutral decision-maker” to challenge his detention. O’Connor writes: “It is during our most challenging and uncertain moments that our nation’s commitment to due process is most severely tested; and it is in these times that we must preserve our commitment at home to the principles for which we fight abroad.… We have long made clear that a state of war is not a blank check for the president when it comes to the rights of the nation’s citizens.”
Affirms President's Right to Hold US Citizens Indefinitely - Although the media presents the ruling as an unmitigated defeat for the Bush administration, it is actually far more mixed. The White House is fairly pleased with the decision, insamuch as Hamdi still has no access to civilian courts; the administration decides that Hamdi’s “neutral decision-maker” will be a panel of military officers. Hamdi will not have a lawyer, nor will he have the right to see the evidence against him if it is classified. This is enough to satisfy the Court’s ruling, the White House decides. In 2007, author and reporter Charlie Savage will write: “[T]he administration’s legal team noted with quiet satisfaction that, so long as some kind of minimal hearing was involved, the Supreme Court had just signed off on giving presidents the wartime power to hold a US citizen without charges or a trial—forever.” The Justice Department says of the ruling that it is “pleased that the [Court] today upheld the authority of the president as commander in chief of the armed forces to detain enemy combatants, including US citizens.… This power, which was contested by lawyers representing individuals captured in the War on Terror, is one of the most essential authorities the US Constitution grants the president to defend America from our enemies.” [Savage, 2007, pp. 193-194]
Entity Tags: Sandra Day O’Connor, Antonin Scalia, Donald Rumsfeld, Yaser Esam Hamdi, Clarence Thomas, Charlie Savage
Timeline Tags: Torture of US Captives, Civil Liberties
June 29, 2004: Islamist Militant Receives Life Sentence for Policeman’s Murder
Kamal Bourgass [Source: BBC]After an 11-week trial at the Old Bailey, Kamal Bourgass is sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 22 years, for murdering DC Stephen Oake during a raid on a flat in Crumpsall Lane, Manchester, as part of the investigation into the alleged ricin plot in north London (see January 5, 2003). The sentence is kept secret due to the impending trial of Bourgass and others for the alleged plot, where Bourgass will only be found guilty on a secondary charge (see April 8-12, 2004). [Independent, 4/17/2005]
Entity Tags: Stephen Oake, Kamal Bourgass
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Action After 9/11, Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism
June 30, 2004: Several Senators Demand Attorney General Ashcroft Explain Al-Marabh’s Deportation Decision
The Associated Press reports that both Republicans and Democrats have expressed outrage that Nabil al-Marabh was deported in January 2004 (see January 2004). Several senators have written letters to Attorney General John Ashcroft, demanding an explanation. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IN) states that the circumstances of al-Marabh’s deportation—who was “at one time No. 27 on the [FBI] list of Most Wanted Terrorists”—are “of deep concern and appear to be a departure from an aggressive, proactive approach to the war on terrorism.” Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) wrote to Ashcroft, “The odd handling of this case raises questions that deserve answers from the Justice Department.… Why was a suspected terrorist returned to a country that sponsors terrorism? We need to know that the safety of the American people and our strategic goals in countering terrorism are paramount factors when decisions like this are made.” Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) says, “It seems that pursuing a military tribunal, a classified criminal trial, or continued immigration proceedings would have made more sense than merely deporting a suspected terrorist.” Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) has also made inquiries into the case. Prosecutors in several US cities sought to bring criminal cases against al-Marabh and a US attorney in Chicago drafted an indictment against him, which he apparently was not allowed to pursue (see January-2002-December 2002). [Associated Press, 6/30/2004] Apparently, no explanation from Ashcroft is ever given. The 9/11 Commission Final Report, released a couple of months later, will fail to mention al-Marabh at all.
Entity Tags: Patrick J. Leahy, John Ashcroft, Nabil al-Marabh, Orrin Hatch, Charles Grassley, Charles Schumer
Category Tags: Nabil Al-Marabh, 9/11 Related Criminal Proceedings
Mid-2004: Pakistani Army Deployment Forces Al-Qaeda to Slightly Move Their Safe Haven
Since being defeated in Tora Bora, Afghanistan, in late 2001, al-Qaeda has made a safe haven in the Pakistani tribal region of South Waziristan (see December 10, 2001 and Late May 2002). But in April 2004, the Pakistani army begins attacking militants there (see March 18- April 24, 2004 and April 24-June 18, 2004). The army is defeated, but rapidly increases its troops in South Waziristan from less than 10,000 militia soldiers based only in the main town before the fighting began to 80,000 throughout the region. As a result, most of the al-Qaeda militants simply move from South Waziristan to North Waziristan. There is no similar increase in troop strength in North Waziristan, so al-Qaeda is able to reestablish a safe haven there. [Rashid, 2008, pp. 274] In February 2005, the army will strike a deal with the remaining militants in South Waziristan and withdraw all its troops from there, allowing al-Qaeda to reestablish themselves there as well (see February 7, 2005).
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, Pakistani Army
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region
July-October 18, 2004: Spanish Informant Exposes Plot to Bomb High Court in Madrid
Abdelkader Farssaoui, a.k.a. Cartagena, served as a government informant from late 2001 to June 2003, informing on a group of the Madrid train bombers (see September 2002-October 2003). He continued to work with Spanish authorities, and in July 2004, several months after the Madrid train bombings, he hears about a new Spanish bomb plot. He tells authorities that the plot is being led by a man named Mohamed Achraf, who is leading the effort despite being held in a prison in Switzterland on immigration violations. Achraf’s plan is to blow up the National Justice Building (Audiencia Nacional) in Madrid, using 500 kilos (1,100 lbs) of explosives. He is leading a criminal network and has been raising the money for the explosives through robbery and drug trafficking. He hopes that the bomb will kill judges Baltasar Garzon and Juan del Olmo, who are in charge of investigations against suspected al-Qaeda figures in Spain. He also hopes the destruction of the building will destroy many documents about Islamist militants in Spain. [El Mundo (Madrid), 10/21/2004] Beginning on October 18, 2004, Spain arrests about 30 people who they accuse of involvement in the plot. Achraf will be extradited to Spain to stand trial with the others there. As of early 2008, no verdicts have been reached. [BBC, 10/22/2004; BBC, 10/15/2007]
Entity Tags: Juan del Olmo, Mohamed Achraf, Baltasar Garzon, Abdelkader Farssaoui
July 2004: Report on FBI’s 9/11 Failures Is Completed, But Remains Unreleased Until After Presidential Election
In November 2002, as the 9/11 Congressional Inquiry was finishing its investigation, it had formally asked for a report by the Justice Department (which oversees the FBI) to determine “whether and to what extent personnel at all levels should be held accountable” for the failure to stop the 9/11 attacks. An identical request was made to the CIA (see June-November 2004). [New York Times, 9/14/2004] The Justice Department report, titled “A Review of the FBI’s Handling of Intelligence Information Related to the September 11 Attacks,” is completed this month. [Washington Post, 4/30/2005] It centers on three FBI failures before 9/11: the failure to follow up on the arrest of Zacarias Moussaoui in August 2001 (see August 16, 2001), the failure to follow up on FBI agent Ken Williams’ memo (see July 10, 2001) warning about Islamic militants training in US flight schools, and the FBI’s failure to follow up on many leads to hijackers Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid Almihdhar. The report provides some new details about miscommunications, inaction, and other problems. [New York Times, 9/14/2004] The report remains classified. Senior Senate Judiciary Committee members Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) call for its release. The senators state, “While the needs of national security must be weighed seriously, we fear the designation of information as classified, in some cases, serves to protect the executive branch against embarrassing revelations and full accountability. We hope that is not the case here.” [Washington Times, 7/12/2004; New York Times, 9/14/2004] One problem complicating the issuing of even a declassified version is the possibility that the material would taint the criminal proceedings against Zacarias Moussaoui. In early 2005, the Justice Department inspector general’s office will ask the judge presiding over Moussaoui’s case for permission to release a declassified version of the report. But the judge will turn down the request in April 2005, even after Moussaoui pleads guilty (see April 30, 2005). The report will finally be released in June 2005 without the section on Moussaoui (see June 9, 2005). [New York Times, 2/13/2005]
Entity Tags: Zacarias Moussaoui, Khalid Almihdhar, Nawaf Alhazmi, Charles Grassley, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ken Williams, Patrick J. Leahy, US Department of Justice
Category Tags: Other 9/11 Investigations, 9/11 Investigations
July 2004: 9/11 Commission Staffers Protest over ‘Whitewash’ of FBI’s Performance before Attacks, Win Minor Changes to Final Report
9/11 Commission staffers that looked at the FBI’s performance prior to the attacks are amazed when they read a draft of the report. The draft recommends almost no changes at the FBI and says that, regarding FBI reforms, “we defer to Director Mueller.” Several staffers go so far as to call this a “whitewash,” as they want an overhaul at the FBI, in particular of its counterterrorist operations. One of the staffers, Caroline Barnes, decides she has to appeal this to the commissioners. However, Executive Director Philip Zelikow does not like staffers talking to the commissioners directly (see March 2, 2003), so Barnes has to make contact with them in a place where Zelikow will not see it. She corners female commissioner Jamie Gorelick in the ladies’ room and tells her the staff are uncomfortable with what the report recommends about the FBI. Gorelick is concerned, and arranges for the whole of the team dealing with the FBI to brief the commissioners before the recommendations are approved. This leads to some minor changes in the final report. The phrase about deferring to the FBI director is edited out, and the commission calls on the bureau to promote the work of counterterrorist agents instead of treating them like second-class citizens. [Shenon, 2008, pp. 403-404]
Entity Tags: Jamie Gorelick, 9/11 Commission, Caroline Barnes, Philip Zelikow
Early July 2004: 9/11 Commission Executive Director Zelikow Tries to Prevent Formal Interviews of CIA Analysts who Drafted Presidential Daily Brief about Bin Laden
Richard Ben-Veniste, a Democratic member of the 9/11 Commission, insists that the commission properly interview two CIA analysts who drafted an August 2001 Presidential Daily Brief (PDB) item entitled “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US” (see August 6, 2001). Ben-Veniste makes the demand after he learns that Commission Executive Director Philip Zelikow interviewed one of the analysts by phone, but allegedly pressured the analyst to back the White House version of events (see June 2004). Initially, Ben-Veniste asks to see transcripts of interviews with the analysts. However, according to author Philip Shenon: “With a condescending tone that reflected his disdain for Ben-Veniste, Zelikow explained matter-of-factly that there weren’t any transcripts…. After months of battles with Zelikow, it was hard for Ben-Veniste to be shocked by almost anything he did. But the staff could see that Ben-Veniste was genuinely startled.” Ben-Veniste’s demand for full interviews is opposed by Zelikow, who says that one of the analysts, known only as Barbara S, has already been interviewed (although it is unclear how much of this interview was focused on the PDB). Zelikow will also say, “The CIA was pleading with us not to do this, since the career people involved in preparing and presenting PDBs would be intimidated, disrupting the sense of confidentiality and candor they considered essential for the PDB process.” However, when they are interviewed, the two analysts seem eager to volunteer the information they have. The commission’s Democratic Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton, who has a record of siding with the Republicans (see Before November 27, 2002 and March 2003-July 2004) fails to back Ben-Veniste before the full commission. Republican Chairman Tom Kean rescues him, pushing through the request for the interviews in the face of opposition from the other Republicans on the commission (see July 13, 2004). [Shenon, 2008, pp. 375-377]
Entity Tags: Philip Shenon, ’Barbara S’, 9/11 Commission, Lee Hamilton, Thomas Kean, Richard Ben-Veniste
Between July 1 and July 17, 2004: Small Group of 9/11 Commission Staffers Spend Single Day at NSA, Do Not Have Time to Review All Relevant Material
After 9/11 commission staffer Lorry Fenner discovers material apparently related to 9/11 in files made available to the commission by the NSA (see January 2004), a group of commission staff goes to the NSA to have a look at its archives. The group includes Fenner, as well as Lloyd Salvetti and Doug MacEachin, who have already looked at some of the material (see June 2004). The trip is at the weekend just before the commission is to complete its final report, and the group leaves Washington at 7:00 a.m. and stays “virtually all day.” They are given “huge piles of documents” to review. MacEachin will say: “There were stacks and stacks of paper. I was angry I hadn’t seen this before.” This appears to be the only trip made by the 9/11 Commission to the NSA to review documents and many NSA documents go unseen by the Commission. Author Philip Shenon will write: “[What the commission] staff knew… perfectly well, was that the NSA archives almost certainly contained other vital information about al-Qaeda and its history. But there was no time left to search for it. [Executive director Philip] Zelikow would later admit he too was worried that important classified information had never been reviewed at the NSA and elsewhere in the government before the 9/11 commission shut its doors, that critical evidence about bin Laden’s terrorist network sat buried in government files, unread to this day. By July 2004, it was just too late to keep digging.” [Shenon, 2008, pp. 373]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, Doug MacEachin, Lloyd Salvetti, Lorry Fenner, National Security Agency
Category Tags: Remote Surveillance, 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Investigations
July 1, 2004: Tenet Says CIA Is ‘Increasingly Skeptical’ about Alleged Atta-Iraqi Agent Meeting
In a statement to Congress on July 1, 2004, CIA Director George Tenet doubts that 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta met with an Iraqi agent in Prague in April 2001. He says, “Although we cannot rule it out, we are increasingly skeptical that such a meeting occurred.” He adds that Atta “would have been unlikely to undertake the substantial risk of contacting any Iraqi official” at such a date. [New York Times, 7/9/2004]
Entity Tags: George J. Tenet
July 2, 2004: CIA Director Tenet Fails Test Set by 9/11 Commission; They Doubt his Truthfulness
The 9/11 Commission arranges for a final interview of CIA Director George Tenet. The Commission’s staff thinks of the interview as a “final test of Tenet’s credibility,” because they believe that both he and other CIA managers have not been telling them the full truth (see Before January 14, 2004 and January 22, 2004). In particular they want to ask him about a memorandum of notification that enabled the CIA to kill Osama bin Laden, but was not acted on (see December 24, 1998).
What Memo? - When the Commission’s Executive Director Philip Zelikow says he wants to talk about the memo, Tenet, who spent a long time revising for his sessions with the Commission (see Before January 22, 2004), replies, “What are you referring to?” Zelikow explains about the memo, but Tenet says, “I’m not sure what we’re talking about.” He then says he remembers an early draft of the memo, which did not authorize the CIA to kill bin Laden. Zelikow explains that the draft Tenet is referring to is an early version of the memo, and that a later version, apparently requested by Tenet himself, allowed the CIA to kill bin Laden. Zelikow has not been able to bring the memo with him, because it is so highly classified, and Tenet still does not remember, saying, “Well, as I say, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Disbelief - Author Philip Shenon will write: “Zelikow and [Commission staffer Alexis] Albion looked at each other across the table in disbelief. It was the last straw with Tenet, the final bit of proof they needed to demonstrate that Tenet simply could not tell the truth to the Commission.” Zelikow will later say that he concluded Tenet’s memory lapses were not genuine, but that “George had decided not to share information on any topic unless we already had documentary proof, and then he would add as little as possible to the record.”
False Denial - However, Tenet will deny this was the case, and say he could not remember the authorization to kill bin Laden because he had been on holiday when it was signed and transmitted to Afghanistan. [Shenon, 2008, pp. 359-360] However, the 9/11 Commission will state that this memo was “given to Tenet.” In addition, the 9/11 Commission Report calls the message in which the instructions were communicated to the assets in Afghanistan that were to kill bin Laden “CIA cable, message from the DCI.” DCI stands for director of central intelligence, Tenet’s official job title. Therefore, Tenet very probably did know about it. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 132, 485]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, George J. Tenet, Philip Zelikow, Central Intelligence Agency, Alexis Albion
July 3, 2004: London-based Islamist Approves Killing of British Troops in Iraq, Assassination of Prime Minister, but Authorities Take No Action
Mohammed al-Massari. [Source: David Burges]When asked whether British troops can properly be targeted in Iraq under British law, London-based Islamist Mohammed al-Massari replies, “British soldiers are reasonable targets for Iraqis and those joining the camp of the Iraqis.” Al-Massari, who runs the Committee for Defense of Legitimate Rights, adds that Prime Minister Tony Blair is a legitimate target: “[The Prime Minister] is not a non-combatant. He is Tony Blair, the commander of the army.” Although it is an offence carrying a 10-year jail term to incite terrorism abroad, no action is apparently taken against al-Massari for these statements. [BBC, 7/3/2004] Al-Massari helped set up a communications link for Osama bin Laden in the mid-1990s (see 1994) and ran a radio station and website that glorified Islamic extremist violence (see (2004 and After)).
Entity Tags: Tony Blair, Mohammed al-Massari
Category Tags: Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism
July 6, 2004: FBI Translator Sibel Edmonds’ Whistleblower Lawsuit Is Dismissed
Sibel Edmonds. [Source: Linda Spillers/ Getty]US District Judge Reggie B. Walton, appointed by George W. Bush, dismisses Sibel Edmonds’ lawsuit (see June 2002) against the Justice Department, accepting the government’s argument that allowing the case to proceed would jeopardize national security [Associated Press, 7/6/2004; CNN, 7/7/2004] and infringe upon its October 2002 declaration (see October 18, 2002) that classified everything related to Edmonds’ case. Walton refuses to explain his ruling, insisting that to do so would expose sensitive secrets. “The Court finds that the plaintiff is unable to establish her First Amendment, Fifth Amendment, and Privacy Act claims without the disclosure of privileged information, nor would the defendants be able to defend against these claims without the same disclosures… the plaintiff’s case must be dismissed, albeit with great consternation, in the interests of national security,” Walton says in his ruling. [CNN, 7/7/2004] Walton never heard evidence from Edmonds’ lawyers. [Associated Press, 7/6/2004; Associated Press, 7/7/2004]
Entity Tags: Reggie B. Walton, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sibel Edmonds
Category Tags: Sibel Edmonds, 9/11 Related Lawsuits
July 8, 2004: Magazine Correctly Predicts ‘July Surprise’ Al-Qaeda Arrest
On July 8, 2004, the New Republic predicts a “July surprise” from the Bush-Cheney reelection campaign involving the arrest of a high-value target in Pakistan by the end of the month. The magazine reports that in the spring of 2004, the administration increased pressure on Pakistan to kill or capture Osama bin Laden, his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, or Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, all believed to be hiding in Pakistan. Bush officials such as CIA Director George Tenet, Secretary of State Colin Powell and his assistant, Christina Rocca, State Department counterterrorism chief Cofer Black, and others all visited Pakistan in recent months to urge Pakistan to increase its efforts in the war on terrorism. The New Republic comments, “This public pressure would be appropriate, even laudable, had it not been accompanied by an unseemly private insistence that the Pakistanis deliver these high-value targets (HVTs) before Americans go to the polls in November.” Bush spokespeople deny that the administration exerted any such pressure. But according to one source in the Pakistani ISI, “The Pakistani government is really desperate and wants to flush out bin Laden and his associates after the latest pressures from the US administration to deliver before the [upcoming] US elections.” Another source in the Pakistani Interior Ministry says, “The Musharraf government has a history of rescuing the Bush administration. They now want Musharraf to bail them out when they are facing hard times in the coming elections.” And another ISI source says that the Pakistanis “have been told at every level that apprehension or killing of HVTs before [the] election is [an] absolute must.” The Pakistanis have even been given a target date, according to the second ISI source: “The last ten days of July deadline has been given repeatedly by visitors to Islamabad and during [ISI director Lieutenant General Ehsan ul-Haq’s] meetings in Washington.” The source says that a White House aide told ul-Haq last spring that “it would be best if the arrest or killing of [any] HVT were announced on twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight July”—the first three days of the Democratic National Convention in Boston. One Pakistani general said recently, “If we don’t find these guys by the election, they are going to stick this whole nuclear mess [relating to A. Q. Khan] up our _sshole.” The Bush administration apparently is using a carrot-and-stick approach to make sure such an arrest takes place on schedule. The New Republic observes: “Pushing Musharraf to go after al-Qaeda in the tribal areas may be a good idea despite the risks. But, if that is the case, it was a good idea in 2002 and 2003. Why the switch now? Top Pakistanis think they know: This year, the president’s reelection is at stake.” [New Republic, 7/29/2004] Pakistan will announce the capture of al-Qaeda leader Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani on July 29, just hours before Democratic presidential John Kerry’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. The authors of the New Republic article will claim vindication for their prediction (see July 25-29, 2004).
Entity Tags: Osama bin Laden, Pervez Musharraf, Colin Powell, Christina Rocca, Cofer Black, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Abdul Qadeer Khan, Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, Mullah Omar, John Kerry, George J. Tenet, George W. Bush, Ehsan ul-Haq
Timeline Tags: 2004 Elections
July 8, 2004: Warning Issued that Terrorists May Plot to Disrupt US Presidential Elections
Deforest B. Soaries Jr. [Source: MSNBC]On July 6, John Kerry named John Edwards as his running mate. [Rolling Stone, 9/21/2006 ] This produced a slight increase in the opinion polls and a media focus on the Kerry campaign. [MSNBC, 6/4/2007] Two days later, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge warns that “Al-Qaeda is moving forward with its plans to carry out a large-scale attack in the United States in an effort to disrupt our democratic process.” [Department of Homeland Security, 7/8/2004] Officials cite “alarming” intelligence about a possible al-Qaeda strike inside the United States this fall and admit they are reviewing a proposal that could allow for the postponement of the November presidential election in the event of an attack. Officials point to the recent Madrid train bombings as an attempt by al-Qaeda to influence the political process in a democratic nation (see 7:37-7:42 a.m., March 11, 2004). Intercepted chatter leads one analyst to say, “they want to interfere with the elections.” It is reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently asked the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel to analyze the necessary legal steps that would permit the postponement of the election were an attack to take place. [Newsweek, 7/19/2004] The head of the US Election Assistance Commission, Deforest B. Soaries Jr., confirms he has written to Tom Ridge to discuss this prospect. [MSNBC, 6/4/2007] Soaries notes that, while a primary election in New York on September 11, 2001 was suspended by the State Board of Elections after the attacks, “the federal government has no agency that has the statutory authority to cancel and reschedule a federal election.” Soaries advises Ridge to seek emergency legislation from Congress that would grant such power to the DHS. DHS spokesman Brian Roehrkasse says, “We are reviewing the issue to determine what steps need to be taken to secure the election.” [Newsweek, 7/19/2004] A top European spy says of the threat, “I am aware of no intelligence, nothing that shows there will be an attack before the US presidential election.” No attack will materialize and no further information on the threat will be presented to the public. [Rolling Stone, 9/21/2006 ] Ridge will later concede that he had no “precise knowledge” of the attack he warned against, and he never made plans to raise the color-coded threat level. [Rich, 2006, pp. 146]
Entity Tags: US Election Assistance Commission, Deforest B. Soaries Jr., John Edwards, John Kerry, Tom Ridge, Brian Roehrkasse
(July 8, 2004): Justice Department’s Inspector General Report Supports Sibel Edmonds’ Allegations
Glenn A. Fine, the Justice Department’s inspector general, completes his report on Sibel Edmonds’ allegations (see Afternoon March 7, 2002). The 100-page report determines that “many of Edmonds’ core allegations relating to the co-worker [Melek Can Dickerson] were supported by either documentary evidence or witnesses” and concludes that “the FBI did not, and still has not adequately investigated these allegations.” Additionally, Fine’s report concludes that Edmonds was fired because she was having a “disruptive effect,” which could be attributed to “Edmonds’ aggressive pursuit of her allegations of misconduct, which the FBI did not believe were supported and which it did not adequately investigate.” Fine adds, “[A]s we described throughout our report, many of her allegations had basis in fact. We believe… that the FBI did not take them seriously enough, and that her allegations were, in fact, the most significant factor in the FBI’s decision to terminate her services.” The report is immediately classified by the FBI. Not even Edmonds is allowed to see the contents. An unclassified 37-page summary of the report will be released in January 2005. [Washington Post, 7/9/2004; Associated Press, 7/30/2004; Associated Press, 1/14/2005; CNN, 1/14/2005; New York Times, 1/15/2005; Vanity Fair, 9/2005]
Entity Tags: Melek Can Dickerson, Office of the Inspector General (DOJ), Sibel Edmonds, US Department of Justice, Glenn Fine
July 11, 2004: Saudi-Terrorist Link Continues?
Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) claims that Saudi leaders and members of the Saudi royal family continue to fund Islamic militant schools and groups in the US. He calls on the Bush administration to cut US ties with Saudi Arabia, and says, “There’s been much too close a relationship between Saudi royal family, the White House, and big oil. We have to be much tougher with the Saudis.” [Associated Press, 7/11/2004]
Entity Tags: Charles Schumer, Saudi Arabia, Bush administration (43)
Category Tags: Saudi Arabia
July 12, 2004: 9/11 Commission Concludes There’s No Evidence Iraq Had 9/11 Role
The 9/11 Commission publicly concludes that there was “no credible evidence that Iraq and al-Qaeda cooperated on attacks against the United States” and that repeated contacts between Iraq and al-Qaeda “do not appear to have resulted in a collaborative relationship.” It also again confirms that it does not believe the alleged April 2001 Prague meeting between Mohamed Atta and Iraqi diplomat Ahmed Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani (see 1999) ever took place, a conclusion it had made in a public staff statement the month before (see June 16, 2004). [New York Times, 7/12/2004]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission
Category Tags: Alleged Iraq-Al-Qaeda Links, 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Investigations
July 12, 2004: 9/11 Commission Staff Meet with Navy Officer Involved with Able Danger Unit
Ten days before the 9/11 Commission releases its final report, a senior member of its staff, Dietrich Snell, accompanied by another commission staff member, meets at one of the commission’s Washington, DC offices with a US Navy officer who worked with a US Army intelligence program called Able Danger, which had been tasked with assembling information about al-Qaeda networks around the world. This officer, Captain Scott Phillpott, tells them he saw an Able Danger document in 2000 that described Mohamed Atta as part of a Brooklyn al-Qaeda cell. He complains that this information about Atta, and information about other alleged members of the Brooklyn cell, was deleted from the document soon after he saw it, due to the concerns of Department of Defense lawyers. However, despite having this meeting with Phillpott, and having met previously with an Army intelligence officer who was also involved with Able Danger (see October 21, 2003), the 9/11 Commission makes no mention of the unit in their final report. The commissioners later claim that Phillpott’s information “[does] not mesh with other conclusions” they are drawing from their investigation. Consequently, the commission staff conclude “that the officer’s account [is] not sufficiently reliable to warrant revision of the report or further investigation.” Able Danger is not mentioned in their final report, they claim, because “the operation itself did not turn out to be historically significant.” [Associated Press, 8/11/2005; New York Times, 8/11/2005; Thomas H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton, 8/12/2005 ; New York Times, 8/13/2005; Washington Post, 8/13/2005; New York Times, 8/22/2005] Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer additionally claims, “Captain Phillpott actually told the 9/11 Commission about the fact that Able Danger discovered information regarding the Cole attack.… There was information that Able Danger found that related to al-Qaeda planning an attack. That information unfortunately didn’t get anywhere either. So that is another clue that was given to the 9/11 Commission to say, hey, this [Able Danger] capability did some stuff, and they chose not to even look at that.” [Jerry Doyle Show, 9/20/2005]
Entity Tags: Able Danger, Mohamed Atta, US Department of Defense, Al-Qaeda, Anthony Shaffer, Scott Phillpott, 9/11 Commission, Dietrich Snell
Category Tags: Able Danger, 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Investigations
July 13, 2004: CIA Analysts Who Drafted August 2001 PDB about Bin Laden Tell 9/11 Commission Briefing Was Neither ‘Historical,’ Nor Ordered by Bush
The 9/11 Commission interviews two CIA analysts who drafted an August 2001 Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB) item entitled “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US” (see August 6, 2001). The interview is conducted mainly by commissioners Richard Ben-Veniste and Jim Thompson and follows an internal battle inside the Commission (see June 2004 and Early July 2004). Despite a claim by the Commission’s Executive Director Philip Zelikow that the analysts, known only as Barbara S and Dwayne D, were reluctant to answer questions, they are willing and eager to respond to Ben-Veniste.
PDB Item Not 'Historical' - According to author Philip Shenon, the analysts are “confused” and “appalled” by claims by National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and others at the White House that the PDB item only contained an “historical” overview of domestic terrorism threats. The analysts say that this was not its purpose and that it was supposed to remind President Bush that al-Qaeda remained a dire threat in August 2001 and that a domestic attack was certainly a possibility. For example, the item referred to “patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks.” Barbara S says, “That’s not historical,” and adds the threat of a domestic terror attack by al-Qaeda was thought “current and serious” at that time.
Ordered up 'In-House' - In addition, the analysts say that another claim made by the White House, that President Bush specifically ordered the PDB (see April 13, 2004), is false. They state that the PDB item was ordered “in-house” by the CIA in the hope that the White House would pay more attention to the threat. However, President Bush had asked his intelligence briefers about the possibility of a domestic attack by terrorists that summer (see July 5, 2001).
Zelikow Objects to Placement of Material in Final Report - Ben-Veniste insists that the material from the two analysts is placed prominently in the Commission’s final report, although Zelikow objects to this. After negotiations, the relevant paragraph will read as follows: “During the spring and summer of 2001, President Bush had on several occasions asked his briefers whether any of the threats pointed to the United States. Reflecting on these questions, the CIA decided to write a briefing article summarizing its understanding of this danger. Two CIA analysts involved in preparing this briefing article believed it represented an opportunity to communicate their view that the threat of a bin Laden attack in the United States remained both current and serious. The result was an article in the August 6 Presidential Daily Brief titled ‘Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US.’” [Shenon, 2008, pp. 377-379]
Entity Tags: Central Intelligence Agency, ’Barbara S’, 9/11 Commission, James Thompson, Richard Ben-Veniste, Philip Shenon, ’Dwayne D’
July 13, 2004: Al-Qaeda Computer Expert Arrested with Treasure Trove of Evidence
Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan interrogated. [Source: BBC's "The New Al-Qaeda."]Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, a young Pakistani, is arrested in Lahore after six weeks of surveillance by Pakistani authorities in conjunction with US intelligence agencies. The US and Pakistanis learned of Noor Khan after arresting another al-Qaeda suspect, Musaad Aruchi, a month before (see June 12, 2004), and they had been tracking him since then. Noor Khan is taken to a high-security prison by Pakistani authorities, who resisted pressure from the CIA to let them completely handle the operation. [Guardian, 8/8/2004] American intelligence agents find what they later call a “treasure trove” of information in Noor Khan’s computers and documents. [CNN, 8/2/2004] Khan is a communications hub of sorts for al-Qaeda. He is in frequent contact with dozens of other al-Qaeda terrorists around the world and passing messages back and forth from more senior al-Qaeda operatives. Former National Security Council official Gideon Rose will later say, “It is obviously a very serious victory. It is obvious that there is a real find here.” [Guardian, 8/8/2004] Khan, who speaks fluent English, is not just a center for expediting clandestine communications between al-Qaeda leaders and their underlings, but also handles and collates documents, reports, maps, and other information, and sometimes performs his own intelligence-gathering, usually on trips to Britain. [MSNBC, 8/8/2004] Khan’s computer contains detailed surveillance information about five US buildings—the Stock Exchange and Citigroup’s headquarters in New York City, the Prudential building in Newark, and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank headquarters in Washington—all possible targets for future al-Qaeda attacks, though the information is all from 2000 and 2001. Other sites in New York City and San Francisco are mentioned, and meticulous information about London’s Heathrow Airport is also found. Pakistani intelligence officials believe that the information indicates a “present” threat, and so inform their US counterparts. Later in the month, the Pakistanis convince Khan to “turn,” or become a double agent. Khan will subsequently send e-mails to dozens of operatives all requesting that they contact him immediately (see July 24-25, 2004). [Guardian, 8/8/2004]
Entity Tags: World Bank, Prudential, New York Stock Exchange, Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, International Monetary Fund, Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, Central Intelligence Agency, Citigroup, Gideon Rose, Heathrow Airport, Al-Qaeda, Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani
Category Tags: Other Possible Moles or Informants, Key Captures and Deaths, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11
Mid-July 2004: 9/11 Commission Staffers Worried about Impact of Newly Discovered Information about Iran on Political Situation
After discovering information possibly linking Iran and Hezbollah to travel by the 9/11 hijackers in 2000 and early 2001 (see January-June 2004), the 9/11 Commission becomes worried about the impact the information might have on the current political situation. The material was discovered in NSA files late on in the commission’s investigation, as the commission initially paid little attention to the NSA (see Late 2002-July 2004 and Between July 1 and July 17, 2004). Commission staffers are worried because the information about the Iran links is not conclusive and the reports about it “might raise as many questions as they would answer.” In addition, they are aware that faulty intelligence had contributed to the decision to invade Iraq, and “the Bush administration seem[s] eager to engage in saber rattling with Iran.” However, commission chairman Tom Kean comments on the Iran information in the press and these comments become headline news (see July 16, 2004). [Shenon, 2008, pp. 373] The relevant passages in the final report point out that apparent links between travel by the future 9/11 hijackers and Hezbollah officials could be a “coincidence” and that al-Qaeda detainees have stated the only reason for traveling through Iran was because it did not place telltale stamps in passports. In addition, the report says that there is “no evidence that Iran or Hezbollah was aware of the planning for what later became the 9/11 attack,” and that the “topic requires further investigation by the US government.” [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 240-1]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, Hezbollah, Iran, National Security Agency
Mid-July 2004: White House Chief of Staff Likes 9/11 Commission Report, Thinks It Proves No Threat to Bush
White House chief of staff Andy Card learns what the 9/11 Commission Report contains before it is published, as the various chapters are sent to the White House for classification review before the publication date. Card then hears back from the review teams. Despite fears about allegations made by former counterterrorism “tsar” Richard Clarke (see March 21, 2004) and a key Presidential Daily Brief item (see August 6, 2001), in the words of author Philip Shenon, Card can see “that the Commission’s final report posed no threat to [President] Bush’s re-election.” This is because the report does not “single out individuals for blame. Certainly not George Bush.” The allegations by Clarke, related in a “he-said, she-said” manner in the report, also do not damage National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. [Shenon, 2008, pp. 411]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, Andrew Card
July 16, 2004: 9/11 Commission Chairman’s Comments Lead to Flurry of Reporting on Iran, None on Pakistan
Shortly before the 9/11 Commission is due to release its final report (see July 22, 2004), Commission Chairman Thomas Kean says, “We believe.… that there were a lot more active contacts, frankly, [between al-Qaeda and] Iran and with Pakistan than there were with Iraq.” [Time, 7/16/2004] This is based on a review of NSA material performed by one commission staffer (see January-June 2004) and a day trip to NSA headquarters by a group of staffers to examine material there (see Between July 1 and July 17, 2004). [Shenon, 2008, pp. 155-7, 370-373] The US media immediately runs prominent stories on the Commission’s evidence regarding Iran and nearly completely ignores evidence regarding Pakistan. The Commission’s final report mentions that around ten of the hijackers passed through Iran in late 2000 and early 2001. At least some Iranian officials turned a blind eye to the passage of al-Qaeda agents, but there was no evidence that the Iranian government had any foreknowledge or involvement in the 9/11 plot (see Mid-July 2004). [Time, 7/16/2004; Reuters, 7/18/2004] In the wake of these findings, President Bush states of Iran, “As to direct connections with September 11, we’re digging into the facts to determine if there was one.” This puts Bush at odds with his own CIA, which has seen no Iran-9/11 ties. [Los Angeles Times, 7/20/2004] Bush has long considered Iran part of his “axis of evil,” and there has been talk of the US attacking or overthrowing the Iranian government. [Reuters, 7/18/2004] Provocative articles appear, such as one in the Daily Telegraph titled, “Now America Accuses Iran of Complicity in World Trade Center Attack.” [Daily Telegraph, 7/18/2004] Yet, while this information on Iran makes front page news in most major newspapers, evidence of a much stronger connection between Pakistan and 9/11 is nearly completely ignored. For instance, only UPI reports on a document suggesting high-level Pakistani involvement in the 9/11 attacks that is revealed this same week. [United Press International, 7/22/2004] Furthermore, the 9/11 Commission’s final report will contain almost nothing on Pakistan’s ties to al-Qaeda, despite evidence given to the Commission that, according to one commissioner speaking to the Los Angeles Times, showed that Pakistan was “up to their eyeballs” in intrigue with al-Qaeda. [Los Angeles Times, 7/16/2004; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004]
Entity Tags: Thomas Kean, Pakistan, George W. Bush, Central Intelligence Agency, Iran, 9/11 Commission, Al-Qaeda
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Media, 9/11 Commission, Other Government-Militant Collusion, 9/11 Investigations
Shortly before July 22, 2004: 9/11 Commission Debates Referring Military and Aviation Officials to Justice Department for Criminal Investigation
Towards the end of its tenure, the ten members of the 9/11 Commission secretly meet to discuss whether military and aviation officials deliberately misled them and the public. For over two years following 9/11, NORAD and the FAA had given information in testimony and media appearances later found to be incorrect. Authorities claimed that America’s air defenses reacted quickly on 9/11, with fighters launched in response to the last two hijackings and ready to shoot down Flight 93 if it threatened Washington, DC. Yet audiotapes from the FAA and NORAD obtained by the commission under subpoena showed that the military never had any of the hijacked airliners in its sights and only became aware of Flight 93 after it crashed. John Farmer, a senior counsel to the commission, says the military’s original story was “a whole different order of magnitude than spin. It simply wasn’t true.” The commissioners debate whether to refer the matter to the Justice Department for criminal investigation, but as a compromise they instead refer it to the inspectors general for the Pentagon and the Transportation Department (which includes the FAA). The Pentagon inspector general’s office will issue a secret report to Congress in May 2005, blaming the inaccuracies partly on “inadequate forensic capabilities,” including poor log keeping at the military air traffic control centers (see May 27, 2005). However, Farmer and other commission staff will later point out that the military had already reviewed the NORAD audiotapes before its officials gave their inaccurate testimonies. The 9/11 Commission’s concerns over whether it was deliberately misled will only come to light in news reports in August 2006. Thomas Kean, its former chairman, will say, “We to this day don’t know why NORAD told us what they told us. It was just so far from the truth.” [Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006; Washington Post, 8/2/2006; New York Times, 8/5/2006] The Transportation Department’s inspector general’s office will issue its report in response to the commission’s referral in September 2006 (see September 1, 2006).
Entity Tags: North American Aerospace Defense Command, John Farmer, 9/11 Commission, Federal Aviation Administration
Category Tags: Other 9/11 Investigations, 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Investigations
July 19, 2004: News of Former National Security Adviser’s Document Theft Is Leaked to Press
News of a document theft from the National Archives by Sandy Berger, a former national security adviser in the Clinton administration, is leaked to the press. Berger took copies of a document because he thought it might be used against either himself or Clinton, but was caught by archives staffers (see September 2, 2003 and October 2, 2003). He has been under investigation by the Justice Department for several months. The leak comes several days before the 9/11 Commission is due to publish its final report (see July 22, 2004), and the commissioners and their staff assume that that the news is leaked by the White House, because it is “eager to suggest that Berger’s acts had deprived the 9/11 Commission of information that might have embarrassed him and the Clinton administration.” Berger immediately steps down as an adviser to the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. [Shenon, 2008, pp. 413-414]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, Sandy Berger
Shortly Before July 22, 2004: Vice President Cheney Demands Changes to 9/11 Commission Report regarding Shootdown Order on 9/11
Vice President Dick Cheney is furious that the 9/11 Commission is going to conclude in its final report that it does not believe he has been telling the full truth about his actions on the morning of September 11, and tries to get the report rewritten on the eve of its release. Since late June, each completed chapter of the 9/11 Commission Report has been forwarded to the White House for a declassification review by a team of intelligence specialists assembled by White House chief of staff Andrew Card. According to author Philip Shenon, “Cheney and his counsel, David Addington, [are] outraged by the Commission’s timeline on Cheney’s actions on September 11—and the clear suggestion that Cheney had issued an unconstitutional shootdown order that morning without Bush’s knowledge or approval.” Members of the Commission’s staff had become convinced that the decision to authorize the military to shoot down threatening aircraft was made by Cheney alone, not by President Bush (see (Mid 2004)). A few days before the 9/11 Commission Report is to be released, an angry Cheney phones Thomas Kean, the chairman of the Commission. Cheney complains, “Governor, this is not true, just not fair.” He says he finds it startling that the Commission does not accept his word and that of President Bush: “The president has told you, I have told you, that the president issued the order. I was following his directions.” Cheney demands that the relevant sections of the report be rewritten. Kean promises that he will ask the Commission’s staff to review the material about the shootdown order again before the report is published. According to Shenon, “no major changes” are subsequently made in response to Cheney’s complaint. [Shenon, 2008, pp. 265 and 411-412] The White House had previously successfully lobbied the Commission to water down one of its staff reports that dealt with the shootdown authorization (see June 15, 2004). [Newsweek, 6/20/2004]
Entity Tags: Thomas Kean, David S. Addington, Andrew Card, Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, 9/11 Commission
July 22, 2004: 9/11 Commission Finds No 9/11 Insider Trading
The 9/11 Commission dismisses allegations of insider trading in the days preceding 9/11, in a footnote contained in its final report. According to the report, the put options for the parent companies of United Airlines were placed by a “US-based institutional investor with no conceivable ties to al-Qaeda as part of a trading strategy that also included buying 115,000 shares of American on September 10.” With respect to the highly suspicious trading in the parent company of American Airlines, the Commission states that many of the trades were “traced to a specific US-based options trading newsletter, faxed to its subscribers on Sunday, September 9, which recommended these trades.” According to the Commission: “The SEC and the FBI, aided by other agencies and the securities industry, devoted enormous resources to investigating this issue, including securing the cooperation of many foreign governments. These investigators have found that the apparently suspicious consistently proved innocuous.” [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 499]
Entity Tags: United Airlines, US Securities and Exchange Commission, 9/11 Commission, American Airlines, Al-Qaeda, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Category Tags: Insider Trading/ Foreknowledge, 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Investigations
July 22, 2004: Saudi Embassy Says 9/11 Commission Report Exonerates Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Embassy in Washington, DC, issues a press release highlighting portions of the 9/11 Commission Report favorable to Saudi Arabia. It quotes Prince Bandar as saying: “The 9/11 Commission has confirmed what we have been saying all along. The clear statements by this independent, bipartisan commission have debunked the myths that have cast fear and doubt over Saudi Arabia.” The press release quotes sections of the report saying that there was no evidence the Saudi government or top officials funded al-Qaeda, that flights for Saudis who left the US soon after 9/11 were handled professionally (see September 14-19, 2001), and that the Saudi government was opposed to al-Qaeda. [Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington, DC, 7/24/2004; Shenon, 2008, pp. 416-417] Sections of the draft report unfavorable to the Saudi government were deleted from the main text shortly before publication of the final report (see June 2004).
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, Bandar bin Sultan
Category Tags: Alhazmi and Almihdhar, Bayoumi and Basnan Saudi Connection, 9/11 Commission, Saudi Arabia, 9/11 Investigations
July 22, 2004: Evidence the ISI Was ‘Fully Involved’ in the 9/11 Plot Is Ignored by 9/11 Commission
UPI reports that the 9/11 Commission has been given a document from a high-level, publicly anonymous source claiming that the Pakistani “ISI was fully involved in devising and helping the entire [9/11 plot].” The document blames Gen. Hamid Gul, a former ISI Director, as being a central participant in the plot. It notes that Gul is a self-avowed “admirer” of bin Laden. An anonymous, ranking CIA official says the CIA considers Gul to be “the most dangerous man” in Pakistan. A senior Pakistani political leader says, “I have reason to believe Hamid Gul was Osama bin Laden’s master planner.” The document further suggests that Pakistan’s appearance of fighting al-Qaeda is merely an elaborate charade, and top military and intelligence officials in Pakistan still closely sympathize with bin Laden’s ideology. [United Press International, 7/22/2004] However, the 9/11 Commission final report released a short time later will fail to mention any of this. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004]
Entity Tags: Hamid Gul, Al-Qaeda, Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, 9/11 Commission, Osama bin Laden
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Investigations, Pakistani ISI Links to 9/11
July 22, 2004: Prominent Figures See Ties Between the ISI, 9/11, and Even the CIA
Michael Meacher, a British member of Parliament, and a cabinet minister in Tony Blair’s government until 2003, writes in the Guardian, “Significantly, [Saeed] Sheikh is… the man who, on the instructions of General Mahmood Ahmed, the then head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), wired $100,000 before the 9/11 attacks to Mohamed Atta, the lead hijacker. It is extraordinary that neither Ahmed nor Sheikh have been charged and brought to trial on this count. Why not?” Daniel Ellsberg, the “Pentagon Papers” whistleblower during the Nixon presidency, states in the same article, “It seems to me quite plausible that Pakistan was quite involved in [9/11]… To say Pakistan is, to me, to say CIA because… it’s hard to say that the ISI knew something that the CIA had no knowledge of.” [Guardian, 7/22/2004]
Entity Tags: Saeed Sheikh, Mohamed Atta, Michael Meacher, Mahmood Ahmed, Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Daniel Ellsberg, Central Intelligence Agency
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Other 9/11 Investigations, Saeed Sheikh, Mahmood Ahmed, 9/11 Investigations, Pakistani ISI Links to 9/11
July 22, 2004: 9/11 Commission’s Final Report Is Released; Conclusions are ‘Gentle’ on Bush Administration
The 9/11 Commission’s final report. [Source: 9/11 Commission]The 9/11 Commission completes its work and releases its final report. They blame incompetence for the reason why the US government did not prevent the attack. The Washington Post summarizes the report, “The US government was utterly unprepared on Sept. 11, 2001, to protect the American people from al-Qaeda terrorists.” [Washington Post, 7/23/2004] The report itself states, “We believe the 9/11 attacks revealed four kinds of failures: in imagination, policy, capabilities, and management.” [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004] The Washington Post reports, “Though openly dreaded for months by many Republicans and quietly feared by the White House, the report was much gentler on the Bush administration than they feared. Rather than focus criticism on the Bush administration, the commission spread the blame broadly and evenly across two administrations, the FBI, and Congress.” [Washington Post, 7/23/2004] More to the point, as former counterterrorism “tsar” Richard Clarke notes in a New York Times editorial, “Honorable Commission, Toothless Report,” because the commission wanted a unanimous report from a bipartisan group, “it softened the edges and left it to the public to draw many conclusions.” [New York Times, 7/25/2004] The Washington Post comments, “In many respects, the panel’s work has been closer to the fact-finding, conspiracy-debunking Warren Commission of the mid-1960s, which investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, than to the reform-oriented Church Commission, which exposed assassination plots and CIA abuses during the mid-1970s.” [Washington Post, 7/18/2004]
Entity Tags: John F. Kennedy, Richard A. Clarke, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Al-Qaeda, Bush administration (43), Church Commission, 9/11 Commission, US Congress, Warren Commission
July 22, 2004: 9/11 Commission Report Fails to Mention Possible ISI Connections to 9/11
Despite previous leaks to the media showing the 9/11 Commission was given information showing Pakistani officials were “up to their eyeballs” in collaboration with the Taliban and al-Qaeda before 9/11 (see June 20, 2004) [Los Angeles Times, 6/14/2004] , and even reports of a document given to the commission claiming the “ISI was fully involved in devising and helping the entire [9/11 plot]” (see July 22, 2004) [United Press International, 7/22/2004] , the 9/11 Commission’s Final Report released on this day rarely mentions the ISI at all. The only significant mention is a brief comment that the ISI was the Taliban’s “primary patron.” ISI Director Lt. Gen. Mahmood Ahmed is mentioned only twice, both in the context of post-9/11 diplomacy. Saeed Sheikh is not mentioned at all. The report notes that details of the 9/11 plot were widely known by the Taliban leadership, but fails to consider if the Taliban shared that knowledge or involvement with their “primary patron.” [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004] Indeed, far from criticizing Pakistan, the commission praises the country for its support in the war on terrorism, and suggests that the US should greatly increase its foreign aid there. [Associated Press, 7/22/2004]
Entity Tags: Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Mahmood Ahmed, 9/11 Commission, Saeed Sheikh, Al-Qaeda, Taliban
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Investigations
July 24, 2004: FBI Officials Say 9/11 Hijackers Had No Witting Help in San Diego
Larry Mefford. [Source: James Kegley / San Francisco Chronicle]FBI officials maintain that 9/11 hijackers Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid Almihdhar did not have anyone knowingly supporting their al-Qaeda activities when they lived in San Diego in 2000 and 2001.
FBI: Hijackers Had No Witting Support in San Diego - Larry Mefford, who was the FBI’s head of counterterrorism until November 2003, says: “Maybe there’s been something new. But as of the time of my retirement, there was no credible indication that anyone in Southern California helped the two terrorists with knowledge of the 9/11 plot.” And Richard Garcia, head of the FBI in Los Angeles, says, “If there was support, I think it was unwitting.” Garcia says that whatever support the hijackers received was from Muslims innocently helping other Muslims.
9/11 Commission Suggests Otherwise - However, the 9/11 Commission’s final report, published the same day as these comments, suggests otherwise. The report details extensive help the hijackers received, and strongly implies that at least some of their helpers, such as Mohdar Abdullah and Anwar al-Awlaki, were radical Islamists with a similar agenda as the hijackers. For instance, the report comments, “We believe it is unlikely that [Alhazmi] and Almihdhar… would have come to the United States without arranging to receive assistance from one or more individuals informed in advance of their arrival.” [Los Angeles Times, 7/24/2004]
9/11 Congressional Inquiry Also Suggests Otherwise - The 9/11 Congressional Inquiry’s final report concluded that at least six 9/11 hijackers received “substantial assistance” from associates in the US, though it is “not known to what extent any of these contacts in the United States were aware of the plot.” The inquiry focused on associates in San Diego, including Abdullah and al-Awlaki (see July 24, 2003). [US Congress, 7/24/2003 ]
What about Abdullah and Al-Awlaki? - In late 2003, new evidence emerged that Abdullah might have had foreknowledge of the 9/11 attacks, but he was deported anyway, in May 2004 (see May 21, 2004). In late 2004, several months after the comments by Mefford and Garcia, more evidence against him will emerge, causing the FBI to reopen its investigation into him (see September 2003-May 21, 2004). In 2008, US intelligence will finally conclude that al-Awlaki is an al-Qaeda operative (see February 27, 2008), and he will be connected to a number of attacks in the US.
Entity Tags: Anwar al-Awlaki, Richard Garcia, Nawaf Alhazmi, Mohdar Abdullah, Khalid Almihdhar, 9/11 Commission, Larry Mefford
Category Tags: Alhazmi and Almihdhar, Possible Hijacker Associates in US, 9/11 Investigations, 9/11 Commission, FBI 9/11 Investigation, Anwar Al-Awlaki
July 24-25, 2004: Al-Qaeda Communications Node Is Turned, He Leads to Dozens of Operatives Around World
On July 13, 2004, a young Pakistani al-Qaeda operative named Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan was arrested in Pakistan (see July 13, 2004). US intelligence agents find what they later call a “treasure trove” of information in Noor Khan’s computers and documents. [CNN, 8/2/2004] They realize that Khan has served as a communications hub of sorts for al-Qaeda. He is in frequent contact with dozens of other al-Qaeda terrorists around the world and passing messages back and forth from more senior al-Qaeda operatives. Intelligence agents quickly realize that, through Khan, they can penetrate deep into the core of al-Qaeda’s current operations. Around the weekend of July 24-25, the Pakistanis convince Khan to “turn,” or become a double agent. Khan sends e-mails to dozens of activists in Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and other countries. He requests that they contact him immediately and reveal where they are. As the emails come back, intelligence agents all over the world go into action to monitor those who have replied to Khan. [Guardian, 8/8/2004] Newsweek later reports that he sends e-mails to at least six contacts in the US, but the results of this are unknown. A senior US intelligence official confirms that Khan contacted people in the US, but believes number is less than six. [MSNBC, 8/8/2004] Some of Khan’s contacts are quickly arrested, including Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian wanted since 1998 for his role in the bombing of the US embassy in his home country (see July 25-29, 2004). [Suskind, 2006] Some communications take time to reach him. He is sometimes sent handwritten notes or computer discs from the mountains where bin Laden and other top leaders are hiding out. These are delivered by secretive relays of couriers who never see each other, using dead drops to avoid being traced. Other messages come from far-flung intermediaries who forward e-mail without knowing what it means, where it is going, or who is sending it. [MSNBC, 8/8/2004] However, on August 1, Bush administration officials leak Noor Khan’s name to the press and the New York Times prints his name one day later. This only gives one week for the sting operation to work. Intelligence officials are crushed the operation has to end before it could expose many more al-Qaeda operatives (see August 2, 2004).
Entity Tags: Central Intelligence Agency, Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, Al-Qaeda
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Action After 9/11, Other Possible Moles or Informants
July 25, 2004: Iraq War Said to Be Crippling US Intelligence Operations around the World
US News and World Report writes, “Since 9/11, the worldwide war on terrorism has stretched those officers [at the CIA] thin, but the Iraq war is now putting them at a breaking point, say insiders.” Longtime CIA officer Jack Devine says, “The notion that you could support a military initiative in Iraq, combat worldwide terrorism, and cover other critical issues was wrong.” About a quarter of the CIA’s overseas staff is said to be in Iraq. One unnamed CIA officer says that CIA stations are “standing empty all over the world where there’s stuff to do. You’re either in Iraq, going to Iraq, or just back.” As a result, the CIA is turning more frequently to private contractors to make up shortfalls, including even in operational work. [US News and World Report, 7/25/2004]
Entity Tags: Jack Devine, Central Intelligence Agency
Category Tags: Iraq War Impact on Counterterrorism, Counterterrorism Policy/Politics
July 25-29, 2004: Al-Qaeda Suspect Arrested in Pakistan; Some Allege Announcement Is Timed for Political Effect
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani. [Source: FBI]Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a high-level al-Qaeda operative from Tanzania suspected of participating in the 1998 bombings of US embassies in East Africa, is captured in Gujrat, Pakistan, after a violent standoff with Pakistani police. [CNN, 8/3/2004] Ghailani’s arrest is publicly announced on July 29, four days later. The announcement by Pakistan’s Interior Minister Faisal Hayat is made in an unusual late-night press conference that takes place just hours before John Kerry accepts the Democratic nomination for president. [Salon, 8/17/2004] Pakistani authorities say the announcement of Ghailani’s arrest was delayed four days because of the need to confirm his identity before making the proclamation. [BBC, 7/30/2004] But former Pakistani official Husain Haqqani later claims the announcement was timed to upstage the Kerry speech. [Salon, 8/17/2004; United States Conference on International Religious Freedom, 6/30/2005] An article in the New Republic published earlier in the month reported that the Bush administration was asking Pakistan to make high-profile arrests of al-Qaeda suspects during the Democratic National Convention in order to redirect US media attention from the nomination of John Kerry (see July 8, 2004). [New Republic, 7/29/2004] John Judis, who co-wrote the article predicting such an arrest, says the day after the arrest is announced, “Well, the latest development pretty much confirms what we wrote in the article, which is that there was pressure for Pakistan to produce a high-value target during the last 10 days of July and to announce that arrest.” He also asks why is it “they announced [the arrest] at all? Because when you have somebody who’s been in hiding since 1998, they have an enormous amount of information and contacts. By announcing this guy’s arrest, what you do is you warn off everybody who’s been associated with him from the last five or six years. You tell them that they better get their act together or they are going to be found. So, there’s some, really a lot of questions of why they announced this thing when they did.… It may be in this case that we—that we, and the Pakistanis got somebody and prematurely announced this person’s arrest in order to have an electoral impact.” [Democracy Now!, 7/30/2004]
Entity Tags: John Judis, Faisal Hayat, John Ashcroft, John Kerry, Husein Haqqani, George W. Bush, Al-Qaeda, Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani
Timeline Tags: Torture of US Captives, 2004 Elections
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11, Key Captures and Deaths
July 29, 2004: FBI Letter Vindicates Many of Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds’ Allegations
A letter by FBI Director Robert Mueller regarding FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds is leaked to the media. Edmonds has made some very serious allegations about the FBI, including claims of important missed 9/11 warnings and the existence of a foreign spy ring inside US government agencies. Mueller’s letter reveals that a highly classified Justice Department report on Edmonds has concluded that her allegations “were at least a contributing factor in why the FBI terminated her services.” This report also criticizes the FBI’s failure to adequately pursue her allegations of espionage. An anonymous official states that the report concludes that some of her allegations were shown to be true, others cannot be corroborated because of a lack of evidence, and none of her accusations were disproved. [New York Times, 7/29/2004]
Entity Tags: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sibel Edmonds, US Department of Justice, Robert S. Mueller III
July 30, 2004: Senator Mark Dayton Says NORAD and FAA Lied about 9/11 Failures
Senator Mark Dayton. [Source: Publicity photo]Senator Mark Dayton (D-MN) charges that NORAD and the FAA have covered up “catastrophic failures” that left the nation vulnerable during the 9/11 hijackings. He says, “For almost three years now, NORAD officials and FAA officials have been able to hide their critical failures that left this country defenseless during two of the worst hours in our history.” He notes major discrepancies between various accounts and chronologies given by officials. He says NORAD officials “lied to the American people, they lied to Congress and they lied to your 9/11 Commission to create a false impression of competence, communication and protection of the American people.” He calls the FAA’s and NORAD’s failures “the most gross incompetence and dereliction of responsibility and negligence that I’ve ever, under those extreme circumstances, witnessed in the public sector.” He says that he grew upset about these failures after staying up late and reading the 9/11 Commission’s final report. [Star-Tribune (Minneapolis), 7/30/2004]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, Federal Aviation Administration, Mark Dayton, North American Aerospace Defense Command
Category Tags: US Government and 9/11 Criticism, 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Investigations
Late July 2004: Reporters Test US Airport Security by Successfully Shipping Uranium Through It
ABC News tests US airport security by successfully shipping fifteen pounds of depleted uranium in a lead-lined steel pipe from the Jakarta, Indonesia, airport to Los Angeles. Indonesia is a hotbed of al-Qaeda and Islamist terrorist activity. It goes through successfully. The Department of Homeland Security, instead of re-examining its airport security protocols, will investigate ABC News and threaten criminal charges. [Carter, 2004, pp. 16]
Entity Tags: ABC News, US Department of Homeland Security
August 2004: Abu Hamza Again Arrested, for Offenses under British Law
Leading radical cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri is again arrested. He is already in prison, but this is because he is awaiting proceedings on his extradition to the US, where he faces criminal charges (see May 27, 2004 and May 27, 2004). However, the British government decides it would look bad for Britain to hand over Abu Hamza for prosecution in the US for crimes committed in Britain. Therefore, the British want to try Abu Hamza at home, and the police are instructed, in the words of authors Sean O’Niell and Daniel McGrory, to “build a case, and do it swiftly.” The police decide to use tapes of Abu Hamza preaching that they seized from his home in 1999 (see March 15-19, 1999) but later returned to him (see December 1999), as they now decide the tapes show Abu Hamza making inflammatory statements that reach the level of incitement to racial hatred and soliciting to murder. O’Niell and McGrory will comment: “America wanted to put Abu Hamza on trial for recruiting, financing, and directing terrorism, charges that could see him jailed for up to a hundred years. But British prosecutors chose to intervene and to accuse him of lesser offences, mostly under a century-and-a-half-old Victorian statute. The central charge was that he had crossed the boundaries of freedom of expression—the criminal equivalent of ignoring the park keeper’s ‘Keep off the grass’ sign. Somehow Britain managed to make it look as if Abu Hamza was getting off lightly again.” Abu Hamza will be charged with the offences two months later, and will be convicted in 2006 (see January 11-February 7, 2006). [O'Neill and McGrory, 2006, pp. 295]
August 2004: Criticism of the Homeland Security Terror Alert System
In early August 2004, Bush administration officials make multiple television appearances to defend increased alert levels in three cities during the previous week (see August 1, 2004). They also highlight the administration’s focus on terror threats. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice says “You have to go out and warn. You have a duty to warn.” New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, appearing on the same program, says that he takes the warnings “very seriously,” adding that they “helped to make us even more alert.” However, retired General Wesley Clark, former NATO supreme commander and Democratic presidential nominee, says that the way in which the warnings are used “undercut the credibility of the system.” Former counterterrorism “tsar” Richard Clarke says the Bush administration’s warning system is “a laughingstock” among state, local and business officials he has talked to. He says that Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge “is not a good spokesman for this issue. When he says things like ‘Here’s a warning,’ then in the next breath says the president is doing a great job, that just raises suspicions.” [CNN, 8/9/2004] Criticism of the terror alert system is wide-ranging. Robert Butterworth, a trauma psychologist in Los Angeles, says the alert system creates “anticipatory anxiety,” in which unnecessary fear is spread among the public. Others believe that the very nature of the system is counter-productive. Robert Pfaltzgraff, a security expert at Tufts University, says that the system could alert terrorists to the information discovered by US officials and could jeopardize sources. The alerts could also be used by terrorists to mislead US officials. “Everyone is looking at truck bombs, car bombs, and suicide bombers,” says Randall Larsen, CEO and founder of Homeland Security Associates; “How about if they planned a different kind of attack?” An increase in the alert level could also be seen as a challenge by a dedicated terrorist cell. “There’s going to be a core group of people who want to do it in any event, and might even view it is a dare to see if they can actually do it,” says Juliette Kayyem, a homeland security specialist at Harvard University. “Basically it’s been a failed system so far.” [Christian Science Monitor, 8/4/2004]
Entity Tags: Tom Ridge, Wesley Clark, Rudolph (“Rudy”) Giuliani, Robert Pfaltzgraff, Robert Butterworth, Homeland Security Associates, Frances Townsend, Condoleezza Rice, Juliette Kayyem, Randall Larsen, Richard A. Clarke
August 1, 2004: FBI Whistleblower Sends Scathing Letter to Chairman of 9/11 Commission
Sibel Edmonds writes a blistering critique of the 9/11 Commission’s final report in a letter to the commission’s chairman Thomas Kean. She says the commission failed to investigate and report the information she provided in February (see February 11, 2004) regarding the problems she witnessed while working as a contract translator in the FBI’s translation unit. She also explains why she thinks the attacks were not stopped and why the government will not prevent future attacks. “If Counterintelligence receives information that contains money laundering, illegal arms sale, and illegal drug activities, directly linked to terrorist activities; and if that information involves certain nations, certain semi-legit organizations, and ties to certain lucrative or political relations in this country, then, that information is not shared with Counterterrorism, regardless of the possible severe consequences. In certain cases, frustrated FBI agents cited ‘direct pressure by the State Department,’ and in other cases ‘sensitive diplomatic relations’ is cited.… Your hearings did not include questions regarding these unspoken and unwritten policies and practices. Despite your full awareness and understanding of certain criminal conduct that connects to certain terrorist related activities, committed by certain US officials and high-level government employees, you have not proposed criminal investigations into this conduct, although under the laws of this country you are required to do so. How can budget increases address and resolve these problems, when some of them are caused by unspoken practices and unwritten policies?” [Edmonds, 8/1/2004]
Entity Tags: Thomas Kean, Sibel Edmonds
August 1, 2004: Terror Alert Issued Using Old Information; Alleged to be Politically Motivated
The Bush administration issues a terror alert in the wake of the Democratic presidential convention, which ended on July 29, 2004. New Code Orange alerts are put into effect for New York City, Newark, and Washington, DC. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge says, “Now this afternoon, we do have new and unusually specific information about where al-Qaeda would like to attack.… Compared to previous threat reporting, these intelligence reports have provided a level of detail that is very specific. The quality of this intelligence, based on multiple reporting streams in multiple locations, is rarely seen and it is alarming in both the amount and specificity of the information.… As of now, this is what we know: reports indicate that al-Qaeda is targeting several specific buildings, including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in the District of Columbia; Prudential Financial in Northern New Jersey; and Citigroup buildings and the New York Stock Exchange in New York.” [Department of Homeland Security, 8/1/2004; Washington Post, 8/3/2004] But Ridge fails to mention that the so-called “casing disks” are from 2000 and 2001, nor does he discuss the fact that the decision on whether to issue the alerts had been hotly debated by officials over the weekend. Within 24 hours, the age of the intelligence is leaked, causing a controversy about the merit and urgency of the orange alert. [Suskind, 2006, pp. 325-326] The next day it will be revealed that the warning was based on information from the computer of recently captured al-Qaeda operative Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan (see August 2, 2004). President Bush and his top advisors learned of the arrest and subsequent “turning” of Noor Khan just the day before. They decide to publicize an alert based on data captured with Noor Khan, even though doing so could jeopardize a sting operation launched just days earlier in which Noor Khan is contacting dozens of al-Qaeda operatives around the world (see July 24-25, 2004). [Guardian, 8/8/2004] But even though Khan was arrested just weeks before, one senior law enforcement official who was briefed on the alert says, “There is nothing right now that we’re hearing that is new. Why did we go to this level?… I still don’t know that.” Homeland Security officials admit that that there is no indication that any terrorist action was imminent. “What we’ve uncovered is a collection operation as opposed to the launching of an attack,” says one. However, administration officials insist that even three-year-old intelligence, when coupled with other information about al-Qaeda’s plans to attack the US, justifies the security response in the three cities. President Bush says of the alerts, “It’s serious business. I mean, we wouldn’t be, you know, contacting authorities at the local level unless something was real.” A senior counterterrorism official says, “Most of the information is very dated but you clearly have targets with enough specificity, and that pushed it over the edge. You’ve got the Republican convention coming up, the Olympics, the elections…. I think there was a feeling that we should err on the side of caution even if it’s not clear that anything is new.” [Washington Post, 8/3/2004] Former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean says he worries “every time something happens that’s not good for President Bush, he plays this trump card, which is terrorism. It’s just impossible to know how much of this is real and how much of this is politics, and I suspect there’s some of both.” But conservatives defend the alert and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry swiftly moves to disassociate his campaign from Dean’s remarks. [New York Observer, 8/4/2007] Author William Rivers Pitt points out that Laura Bush and daughters Barbara and Jenna make high-profile visits to the Citigroup Center in New York City on the first day of Ridge’s new orange alert. Noting this was one of the target buildings, Pitt asks, “George W. Bush sent his entire family to the very place that was supposedly about to be blown to smithereens?” Pitt concludes, “Bush and his administration officials are using terrorism—the fear of it, the fight against it—to manipulate domestic American politics. They are, as they have every day for almost three years now, using September 11 against their own people.” [Truthout (.org), 8/4/2004]
Entity Tags: Tom Ridge, Taliban, William Rivers Pitt, George W. Bush, John Kerry, Joseph Lieberman, Al-Qaeda, Howard Dean, Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan
August 2, 2004: Retiring Whistleblower Criticizes FBI
FBI agent Mike German quits the FBI and becomes a whistleblower against the bureau. He claims that FBI superiors committed illegal acts to hinder his investigation into terrorism in Florida (see September 2002). He complains, “What’s so frustrating to me is that what I hear the FBI saying every day on TV when I get home, about how it’s remaking itself to fight terrorism, is not the reality of what I saw every day in the field.” He also says, “Opportunities to initiate proactive investigations that might prevent terrorist acts before they occur, which is purported to be the FBI’s number one priority, continue to be lost, yet no one is held accountable.” He cites “a continuing failure in the FBI’s counterterrorism program” which is “not the result of a lack of intelligence, but a lack of action.” [New York Times, 8/2/2004]
Entity Tags: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mike German
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Policy/Politics, Internal US Security After 9/11
Key Day of 9/11 Events (102)Key Hijacker Events (145)Key Warnings (95)
Day of 9/11
All Day of 9/11 Events (1393)Dick Cheney (57)Donald Rumsfeld (37)Flight AA 11 (145)Flight AA 77 (152)Flight UA 175 (87)Flight UA 93 (243)George Bush (131)Passenger Phone Calls (74)Pentagon (140)Richard Clarke (35)Shanksville, Pennsylvania (25)Training Exercises (56)World Trade Center (91)
The Alleged 9/11 Hijackers
Alhazmi and Almihdhar (343)Marwan Alshehhi (134)Mohamed Atta (206)Hani Hanjour (72)Ziad Jarrah (74)Other 9/11 Hijackers (172)Possible Hijacker Associates in US (79)Alleged Hijackers' Flight Training (73)Hijacker Contact w Government in US (33)Possible 9/11 Hijacker Funding (42)Hijacker Visas and Immigration (135)
Alhazmi and Almihdhar: Specific Cases
Bayoumi and Basnan Saudi Connection (51)CIA Hiding Alhazmi & Almihdhar (120)Search for Alhazmi/ Almihdhar in US (39)
Al-Qaeda Malaysia Summit (172)Able Danger (60)Sibel Edmonds (61)Phoenix Memo (27)Randy Glass/ Diamondback (8)Robert Wright and Vulgar Betrayal (67)Remote Surveillance (241)Yemen Hub (75)
Before 9/11
Soviet-Afghan War (105)Warning Signs (466)Insider Trading/ Foreknowledge (53)US Air Security (77)Military Exercises (86)Pipeline Politics (67)Other Pre-9/11 Events (64)
Counterterrorism before 9/11
Hunt for Bin Laden (158)Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11 (225)Counterterrorism Policy/Politics (255)
Warning Signs: Specific Cases
Foreign Intelligence Warnings (35)Bush's Aug. 6, 2001 PDB (39)Presidential Level Warnings (31)
The Post-9/11 World
9/11 Investigations (661)9/11 Related Criminal Proceedings (22)9/11 Denials (30)US Government and 9/11 Criticism (67)9/11 Related Lawsuits (24)Media (47)Other Post-9/11 Events (80)
Investigations: Specific Cases
9/11 Commission (257)Role of Philip Zelikow (87)9/11 Congressional Inquiry (41)CIA OIG 9/11 Report (16)FBI 9/11 Investigation (150)WTC Investigation (111)Other 9/11 Investigations (135)
Possible Al-Qaeda-Linked Moles or Informants
Abu Hamza Al-Masri (103)Abu Qatada (36)Ali Mohamed (78)Haroon Rashid Aswat (17)Khalil Deek (20)Luai Sakra (12)Mamoun Darkazanli (36)Nabil Al-Marabh (41)Omar Bakri & Al-Muhajiroun (25)Reda Hassaine (23)Other Possible Moles or Informants (169)
Other Al-Qaeda-Linked Figures
Abu Zubaida (99)Anwar Al-Awlaki (17)Ayman Al-Zawahiri (81)Hambali (39)Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (139)Mohammed Haydar Zammar (44)Mohammed Jamal Khalifa (47)Osama Bin Laden (229)Ramzi Bin Al-Shibh (105)Ramzi Yousef (67)Sheikh Omar Abdul-Rahman (57)Victor Bout (23)Wadih El-Hage (45)Zacarias Moussaoui (159)
Al-Qaeda by Region
"Lackawanna Six" (13)Al-Qaeda in Balkans (168)Al-Qaeda in Germany (189)Al-Qaeda in Italy (55)Al-Qaeda in Southeast Asia (149)Al-Qaeda in Spain (121)Islamist Militancy in Chechnya (50)
Specific Alleged Al-Qaeda Linked Attacks or Plots
1993 WTC Bombing (73)1993 Somalia Fighting (13)1995 Bojinka Plot (78)1998 US Embassy Bombings (121)Millennium Bomb Plots (43)2000 USS Cole Bombing (114)2001 Attempted Shoe Bombing (23)2002 Bali Bombings (36)2004 Madrid Train Bombings (82)2005 7/7 London Bombings (87)
Miscellaneous Al-Qaeda Issues
Alleged Al-Qaeda Linked Attacks (89)Alleged Al-Qaeda Media Statements (102)Key Captures and Deaths (124)
Geopolitics and Islamic Militancy
US Dominance (112)Alleged Iraq-Al-Qaeda Links (255)Iraq War Impact on Counterterrorism (83)Israel (61)Pakistan and the ISI (470)Saudi Arabia (249)Terrorism Financing (312)Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism (322)US Intel Links to Islamic Militancy (69)Algerian Militant Collusion (41)Indonesian Militant Collusion (20)Philippine Militant Collusion (74)Yemeni Militant Collusion (47)Other Government-Militant Collusion (23)
Pakistan / ISI: Specific Cases
Pakistani Nukes & Islamic Militancy (37)Pakistani ISI Links to 9/11 (73)Saeed Sheikh (59)Mahmood Ahmed (30)Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region (179)2008 Kabul Indian Embassy Bombing (10)Hunt for Bin Laden in Pakistan (154)
Terrorism Financing: Specific Cases
Al Taqwa Bank (29)Al-Kifah/MAK (54)BCCI (37)BIF (28)BMI and Ptech (21)Bin Laden Family (62)Drugs (71)
'War on Terrorism' Outside Iraq
Afghanistan (299)Drone Use in Pakistan / Afghanistan (53)Destruction of CIA Tapes (92)Escape From Afghanistan (61)High Value Detainees (179)Terror Alerts (50)Counterterrorism Action After 9/11 (353)Counterterrorism Policy/Politics (432)Internal US Security After 9/11 (125)
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Hooked On Hockey Magazine
Is Jake Allen the odd man out for the St. Louis Blues?
Andrew DiRienzo
The decision by the Blues to sign goaltender Brian Elliott to a three-year contract was a stunner that will have lasting effects on the goaltending situation in St. Louis.
Jake Allen – the Blues’ great goaltending prospect – will now have to fight with Brian Elliott to get the starter’s role next season. But after the Blues committed $7.5 million to Brian Elliott over three years, the bigger question is whether or not Allen is the odd man out.
Even without Elliott’s contract the writing was (or should have been) on the wall after the Blues traded for Ryan Miller. The team made a huge investment by trading away its number one goalie Jaroslav Halak, young power forward in Chris Stewart, plus two draft picks and a prospect.
So when the team opted not to bring him back – after everything they gave up getting him – as a result of the signing, the team’s intentions were clear. Unless Jake Allen is so exceptional in training camp and the pre-season that the team can’t say no, he won’t get the starting job.
If that is, in fact, the case then the team will need to figure out what it wants to do in the crease. Elliott hasn’t exactly been embraced as a starter – his workload with the team reflects as much – and with Miller not coming back and Allen seemingly on the outside looking in there’s nowhere else to go.
Another puzzling part of Allen’s situation is how his role with the team has been handled. First, he hasn’t been signed yet, which is odd considering he is a restricted free agent after the 2014-15 season and is one of the team’s top three goaltending prospects. Most teams would have signed him at this point.
Second, Allen has only played 15 games in the NHL – all in the 2012-13 season – and went 9-4 in that time. In that time he also came up with one of the saves of the year, which doesn’t really mean much, but was fun to watch.
But if the Allen-less path is the one the Blues wish to take then they’ll need to look for a successor to Brian Elliott for when his contract ends. Unfortunately for the team the free agent market is thin in terms of young could-be starters.
Alex Stalock of the San Jose Sharks is basically the only attractive option. He went 12-5-2 as the backup for Antti Niemi with a sub-2.00 GAA. He is still only 26 years old so he would have a few years to prime himself for the starting position should the team choose to go that route.
The other option is to try to draft the goalie of the future at this year’s draft in Philadelphia. Much like the free agent market, the pool of prospects at the draft is also very thin with many of the goalies either not good enough or not experienced enough to warrant any consideration.
Thatcher Demko – an 18-year-old playing with Boston College – is an exception to that. Prior to BC he spent two years in the United States Hockey League where he played 34 games and finished with a 24-6-0 record. This year he put up 16 wins in 24 games with two shutouts, along with a 2.24 GAA and .919 save percentage.
Of course it’s hard to say at the moment if he’ll become a regular starter in the NHL. But if he can continue to improve his game, and fill out his 6’3” frame, anything is possible.
About HOHM HOHM Team Join Our HOHM Team Contact Us Submit to HOHM HOHM Shop HOHM App Hockey Links Advertise
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Isatis tinctoria
Common Name: Dyer's woad
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Native Range: Europe
Bloom Time: June to July
Bloom Description: Yellow
Maintenance: Medium
Suggested Use: Naturalize
Flower: Showy
Easily grown in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates highly alkaline soils, but achieves best growth in moderately alkaline to neutral soil conditions. As a biennial, it produces large, taprooted basal rosettes in the first year and flowers with subsequent seed production in the second year followed by plant death. Sow seed in spring or late summer in rich, well-drained soils in full sun. Readily self-seeds in the landscape.
Isatis tinctoria, commonly called woad, dyer’s woad, or pastel, is a short-lived perennial or biennial of the mustard family. It typically grows in the first year as a large-taprooted basal rosette to 12” tall, with branched, alternate-leaved flowering spikes rising above the basal rosette in the second year to 2-4’ tall. This plant primarily features alternate leaves, yellow flowers, pendant brown seed pods and a blue dye which can be extracted from the foliage. It is native to Europe and southwestern Asia. It was brought to Plymouth Colony in the early 1600s by European immigrants, and over time has been distributed to and naturalized in parts of northeastern Canada, New England and western North America from British Columbia and Montana south to California and New Mexico. In the western U.S., it is commonly found today in a variety of habitats including rangelands, agricultural lands, pastures, fields, roadsides and disturbed sites.
Foliage consists of basal rosettes of stalked, oblong-lanceolate, gray-green leaves (each to 2-4” but sometimes to 7” long) and stalkless, smaller, alternate, arrow-shaped, gray-green leaves (each to 2” long) borne on leafy flowering stems rising above the basal foliage in the second year to 4’ tall. Four-petaled yellow flowers (each to 3/8” across) bloom in early summer in loose 3-inch long racemes which collectively form a large terminal panicle. Flowers are followed by dark pendant decorative seed pods. Leaves produce a blue pigment.
Woad has been grown as a dye plant for its indigo blue pigment since the Stone Age and has been additionally cultivated for its medicinal properties in Europe since the 1200s. This plant was the sole source of a quality blue dye used in Europe from ancient times (e.g., cloth dye or body paint used by the Britons and Celts) until Indigofera tinctoria (true indigo) became available from the Orient as a less expensive, competing source. The blue pigment is obtained from woad leaves by fermentation and oxidation of a colorless glucoside known as indican. Indican is also present in the leaves of the unrelated true indigo which was brought by land to Europe from Asia beginning in Greco-Roman times, but did not become a significant competing source to woad in Europe until Vasco de Gamma discovered the sea route from India to Europe. By the mid-1600s, true indigo largely replaced woad as the blue dye of Europe. The chemical blue dye extracted from woad is commonly called indigo which is the same blue dye, albeit in stronger concentrations, that is extracted from true indigo.
Notwithstanding its blue dye properties, woad was also used in times dating back to ancient Greece and Rome where plants were used for a variety of medicinal purposes including antiseptic wound treatments, fever reduction, and ulcers.
Genus name is the classical Greek name for this plant. It was cultivated in Britain up to about 1930 for production of a blue vegetable dye. It is much less in demand today for commercial dye purposes because of the creation of synthetic dyes which have now taken its place, as well as the place of Indigofera tinctoria, as a main source of blue dye.
Specific epithet from Latin means used in dyeing.
Woad is a common name for this plant plus the name of the blue dye extracted from the leaves of the plant.
No serious insect or disease problems. Susceptible to club root.
Wild gardens. Herb gardens.
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Mitch de Klein is an up-and-coming Techno producer and DJ from the Netherlands who has gained support from some of the world’s top Techno artists.
In his teenager years, Mitch was introduced to making music on a computer and fell in love with it right away. His curiosity made him spend a lot of time in the studio to learn about electronic music production. His passion for dance music and Techno in particular developed over the years and is now one of the most important aspects in his life.
With releases on labels such as Elevate, Filth On Acid, Funk ‘n Deep, Armada and Brobot, it’s safe to say Mitch de Klein earned his place in the worldwide Techno community. His music has been supported by artists like Pig & Dan, Pan-Pot, Umek, Secret Cinema, Christian Smith, Monika Kruse, Kaiserdisco, Pete Tong, Jay Lumen, Weska, Luca Agnelli, Marco Bailey, Reinier Zonneveld, DJ Jock, Hidden Empire and many more!
As a DJ, Mitch loves to showcase his wide view on Techno music and he is able to play his own productions at any occasion, due to his varied productions. He plays for events/clubs like Pleinvrees, Basis, Nachtcollege, Geheime Liefde and more in the Netherlands and he has performed in Germany, France, Turkey and Tunisia as well.
Mitch is also part of 50:HERTZ, a platform that’s on a mission to influence the scene based on the needs and innovative ideas of the artists-, labels-, event organisations- and the crowds demands. By bringing them all closer to each other and the Techno crowd, 50HERTZ initiates brand new cooperations and collaborations.
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Hail Map for Madisonville, TXadmin-001-11-30T00:00:00+00:00
Hail Map for Madisonville, TX
The Madisonville, TX area has had 5 reports of on-the-ground hail by trained spotters, and has been under severe weather warnings 31 times during the past 12 months. Doppler radar has detected hail at or near Madisonville, TX on 28 occasions, including 3 occasions during the past year.
Name: Madisonville, TX
Where Located: 75 miles WSW of Lufkin, TX
Map: Google Map for Madisonville, TX
Population: 4396
Housing Units: 1677
More Info: Search Google for Madisonville, TX
The Top Recent Hail Date for Madisonville, TX is Monday, July 30, 2018 (6th out of 28)
Hail and Wind Damage Spotted near Madisonville, TX
7/10/2019 11:15 PM CDT Tree was downed at the madisonville librar in madison county TX, 0.7 miles NNE of Madisonville, TX
6/20/2019 6:05 AM CDT At 605 am cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located near madisonville, moving east at 50 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include quarter size hail. Damage to vehicles is expected. This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of southwestern houston and northeastern madison counties.
6/20/2019 5:56 AM CDT At 556 am cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located 10 miles west of madisonville, moving southeast at 30 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include half dollar size hail. Damage to vehicles is expected. Locations impacted include, madisonville, austonio, normangee and north zulch.
6/20/2019 5:36 AM CDT At 535 am cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located 15 miles east of franklin, or 21 miles northwest of madisonville, moving east at 35 mph. this storm has a history of producing hail of half-dollar size and gusts greater than 35 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include half dollar size hail. damage to vehicles is expected
5/8/2019 2:25 PM CDT The tornado warning for central madison county will expire at 230 pm cdt, the storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado. therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. a tornado watch remains in effect until 800 pm cdt for southeastern texas.
5/8/2019 2:11 PM CDT At 210 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 9 miles northwest of madisonville, moving east at 60 mph (radar indicated rotation). Hazards include tornado. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. tree damage is likely. this dangerous storm will be near, madisonville around 220 pm cdt. Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include north zulch.
5/8/2019 2:08 PM CDT At 207 pm cdt, a line of severe thunderstorms was centered 11 miles northeast of kurten, or 12 miles southwest of madisonville, moving east at 55 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts. Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. the line has a history of downing trees. Locations impacted include, college station, bryan, madisonville, kurten, wixon valley, kyle field, iola and north zulch.
5/8/2019 1:48 PM CDT At 146 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 8 miles east of franklin, or 16 miles northeast of hearne, moving east at 55 mph (radar indicated rotation). Hazards include tornado. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. tree damage is likely. this dangerous storm will be near, madisonville around 215 pm cdt. Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include north zulch and normangee.
5/8/2019 1:41 PM CDT At 140 pm cdt, a line of severe thunderstorms was located near franklin, or 10 miles northeast of hearne, moving east at 45 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts. expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees
4/24/2019 6:28 PM CDT The tornado warning for central madison county will expire at 630 pm cdt, the storm which prompted the warning no longer appears capable of producing a tornado. therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. strong winds and small hail are still a possibility. a severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect until 1000 pm cdt for southeastern texas.
4/24/2019 6:09 PM CDT At 608 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 5 miles west of madisonville, moving northeast at 30 mph (radar indicated rotation). Hazards include tornado and quarter size hail. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. tree damage is likely. This dangerous storm will be near, madisonville around 620 pm cdt.
4/24/2019 6:05 PM CDT At 604 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles west of madisonville, moving northeast at 35 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include, madisonville, bedias, normangee, iola and north zulch.
4/24/2019 5:51 PM CDT At 551 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 10 miles northeast of kurten, or 14 miles west of madisonville, moving east at 35 mph (radar indicated rotation). Hazards include tornado and golf ball size hail. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. tree damage is likely. this dangerous storm will be near, madisonville around 620 pm cdt. Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include north zulch and normangee.
4/24/2019 5:41 PM CDT At 541 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located near kurten, or 13 miles northeast of bryan, moving northeast at 40 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include golf ball size hail and 70 mph wind gusts. People and animals outdoors will be injured. expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings.
4/18/2019 2:17 AM CDT At 217 am cdt, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 9 miles north of madisonville to 11 miles northwest of anderson, moving northeast at 40 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts. expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees
4/18/2019 1:52 AM CDT At 151 am cdt, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 12 miles west of madisonville to near college station, moving east at 45 mph. a storm spotter reported a wind gust of 60 miles per hour 3 miles southwest of college station at 147 am (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include, college station, bryan, madisonville, bedias, kurten, wixon valley, kyle field, iola and north zulch.
4/18/2019 1:32 AM CDT At 132 am cdt, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 9 miles east of franklin to 8 miles west of bryan, moving east at 45 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees
4/13/2019 12:52 PM CDT At 1252 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near madisonville, moving northeast at 45 mph (radar indicated rotation). Hazards include tornado and quarter size hail. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. tree damage is likely. This dangerous storm will be near, austonio around 120 pm cdt.
4/13/2019 12:51 PM CDT At 1251 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near madisonville, moving northeast at 45 mph (radar indicated rotation). Hazards include tornado and quarter size hail. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. tree damage is likely. This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of southwestern houston and northeastern madison counties.
4/13/2019 12:37 PM CDT At 1237 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 10 miles northwest of bedias, or 10 miles southwest of madisonville, moving northeast at 40 mph (radar indicated rotation). Hazards include tornado and quarter size hail. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. tree damage is likely. This dangerous storm will be near, madisonville around 1255 pm cdt.
4/13/2019 11:50 AM CDT At 1150 am cdt, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 8 miles southeast of madisonville, moving northeast at 35 mph (radar indicated rotation). Hazards include tornado and quarter size hail. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. tree damage is likely. This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of northern grimes, southwestern houston, eastern madison and west central walker counties.
4/13/2019 11:48 AM CDT At 1147 am cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located 8 miles southeast of madisonville, moving north at 35 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
4/7/2019 12:52 PM CDT At 1252 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located 10 miles northeast of kurten, or 13 miles west of madisonville, moving northeast at 30 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts. Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include, northeastern college station, northeastern bryan, huntsville, madisonville, montgomery, bedias, kurten, wixon valley, anderson, huntsville state park, iola, crabbs prairie, dobbin, north zulch, dacus, plantersville, roans prairie, richards and carlos.
4/7/2019 12:20 PM CDT At 1220 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located near college station, moving northeast at 35 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts. expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees
4/6/2019 6:59 PM CDT At 658 pm cdt, two severe thunderstorms were located over or just to the west of austonio, both moving northeast at 35 mph. these are very dangerous storms (radar indicated). Hazards include hail up to baseball size. People and animals outdoors will be severely injured. Expect shattered windows, extensive damage to roofs, siding, and vehicles.
4/6/2019 6:28 PM CDT At 628 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 8 miles north of madisonville, moving east at 45 mph (radar indicated rotation). Hazards include tornado and hail up to two inches in diameter. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. tree damage is likely. this dangerous storm will be near, austonio around 650 pm cdt. Lovelady around 700 pm cdt.
4/6/2019 6:20 PM CDT Baseball sized hail reported 5.2 miles E of Madisonville, TX, police reported baseball hail on 190 west of madisonville.
4/6/2019 6:02 PM CDT At 602 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 12 miles west of madisonville, moving northeast at 40 mph (radar indicated rotation). Hazards include tornado and quarter or slightly larger size hail. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. tree damage is likely. this dangerous storm will be near, madisonville around 620 pm cdt. Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include north zulch.
12/27/2018 12:49 AM CST At 1248 am cst, a severe thunderstorm was located near madisonville, moving northeast at 55 mph (radar indicated. this storm also has a history of producing wind damage in brazos county). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail. Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. locations impacted include, madisonville, austonio, lovelady and north zulch. A tornado watch remains in effect until 400 am cst for southeastern texas.
12/27/2018 12:38 AM CST At 1237 am cst, a severe thunderstorm was located 9 miles southwest of madisonville, moving northeast at 55 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail. expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees
12/27/2018 12:31 AM CST At 1230 am cst, a severe thunderstorm was located 12 miles west of madisonville, moving northeast at 65 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail. Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. locations impacted include, madisonville, kurten, wixon valley and north zulch. A tornado watch remains in effect until 400 am cst for southeastern texas.
12/27/2018 12:18 AM CST At 1218 am cst, a severe thunderstorm was located near kurten, or 12 miles northeast of bryan, moving northeast at 65 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 70 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings.
7/31/2018 12:38 AM CDT At 1238 am cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles east of madisonville, moving southeast at 10 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
3/18/2018 6:21 PM CDT At 621 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located 11 miles northwest of riverside, or 15 miles north of huntsville, moving east at 45 mph. this is a very dangerous storm (radar indicated). Hazards include baseball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts. People and animals outdoors will be severely injured. expect shattered windows, extensive damage to roofs, siding, and vehicles. Locations impacted include, northern huntsville, madisonville, bedias and crabbs prairie.
3/18/2018 6:06 PM CDT At 606 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located 10 miles southeast of madisonville, moving east at 45 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include tennis ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts. People and animals outdoors will be injured. expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include, northern huntsville, madisonville, bedias and crabbs prairie.
3/18/2018 5:46 PM CDT At 546 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located near bedias, or 9 miles southwest of madisonville, moving east at 45 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include tennis ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts. People and animals outdoors will be injured. expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
3/17/2018 8:43 PM CDT Quarter sized hail reported 9.6 miles SSE of Madisonville, TX, quarter size hail at a gas station on i-45 on the osr.
5/28/2017 8:52 PM CDT At 851 pm cdt, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 7 miles northeast of madisonville to 9 miles southeast of bedias, moving east at 25 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include, northwestern huntsville, madisonville, bedias and crabbs prairie.
5/28/2017 8:33 PM CDT At 832 pm cdt, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 9 miles northwest of madisonville to 9 miles southwest of bedias, moving east at 30 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees
5/21/2017 4:14 AM CDT At 413 am cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located 2 miles west northwest of madisonville, moving east at 20 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include half dollar size hail. damage to vehicles is expected
5/21/2017 3:55 AM CDT At 354 am cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located 12 miles west of madisonville, moving east at 15 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include, madisonville, normangee and north zulch.
5/21/2017 3:25 AM CDT At 325 am cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located 10 miles north of kurten, or 20 miles west of madisonville, moving east at 15 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
5/3/2017 5:43 PM CDT At 543 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located near madisonville, moving east at 40 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include ping pong ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts. People and animals outdoors will be injured. expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
5/3/2017 5:32 PM CDT At 532 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located over madisonville, moving east at 45 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include golf ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts. People and animals outdoors will be injured. expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include, madisonville and lovelady.
5/3/2017 5:13 PM CDT At 512 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located 9 miles northwest of madisonville, moving east at 35 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
4/2/2017 7:10 AM CDT At 709 am cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located over madisonville, moving north at 55 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
2/20/2017 2:17 AM CST At 216 am cst, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near madisonville to near bedias to near anderson, moving east at 45 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts. Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include, madisonville, bedias, kurten, iola and north zulch.
2/20/2017 1:28 AM CST At 127 am cst, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near hearne to near bryan to near snook, moving east at 45 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 70 mph wind gusts. Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings.
5/26/2016 2:12 PM CDT The tornado warning for west central walker, northeastern grimes and south central madison counties will expire at 215 pm cdt, the tornadic thunderstorm which prompted the warning has weakened. therefore the warning will be allowed to expire.
5/26/2016 2:06 PM CDT At 206 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over bedias, or 11 miles south of madisonville, moving east at 20 mph (radar indicated rotation). Hazards include tornado. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. tree damage is likely. Locations impacted include, bedias.
5/26/2016 1:34 PM CDT At 134 pm cdt, a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles east of kurten, or 15 miles northeast of bryan, moving east at 20 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
4/30/2016 7:00 AM CDT At 657 am cdt, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 11 miles northwest of bedias to 6 miles southwest of pine island, moving east at 30 mph (college station asos reported a 56 mph wind gust at 653 am). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts. Expect damage to roofs. siding. and trees. trees are more susceptible of toppling due to recently more saturated ground. Locations impacted include, college station, bryan, brenham, navasota, sealy, hempstead, prairie view, brookshire, bellville, columbus, washington, waller, weimar, pine island, san felipe, snook, pattison, bedias, kurten and industry.
4/30/2016 6:33 AM CDT At 632 am cdt, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near kurten to near bellville, moving east at 35 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts. Expect damage to roofs. siding. and trees. Toppled trees.
4/27/2016 4:05 AM CDT At 405 am cdt, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 10 miles southwest of centerville to near bedias to near anderson, moving northeast at 60 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts. Expect damage to roofs. siding. and trees. Locations impacted include, northwestern huntsville, madisonville, austonio, bedias, iola, crabbs prairie, north zulch and carlos.
4/27/2016 3:51 AM CDT At 350 am cdt, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 12 miles east of franklin to near kurten to near millican, moving northeast at 60 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts. Expect damage to roofs. siding. And trees.
11/17/2015 4:55 AM CST At 455 am cst, a severe thunderstorm was located 12 miles southwest of bedias, or 13 miles east of college station, moving northeast at 30 mph (radar indicated). Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail. Expect damage to roofs. Siding and trees.
5/25/2015 6:20 PM CDT At 620 pm cdt, doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. this storm was located 7 miles southeast of madisonville, moving east at 40 mph. locations impacted include, madisonville, bedias, midway, iola, richards, north zulch, carlos and roans prairie. a tornado watch remains in effect until 1000 pm cdt for southeastern texas.
5/25/2015 5:57 PM CDT At 555 pm cdt, doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. this storm was located 8 miles west of bedias, or 16 miles southwest of madisonville, and moving east at 50 mph.
5/25/2015 5:11 PM CDT At 510 pm cdt, doppler radar indicated a line of severe thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. these storms were located along a line extending from 12 miles southwest of buffalo to 10 miles southwest of centerville, moving northeast at 55 mph. locations impacted include, crockett, madisonville, austonio, grapeland, lovelady, kennard, latexo, midway, normangee, weches, and houston county lake. a tornado watch remains in effect until 1000 pm cdt for southeastern texas.
5/25/2015 4:51 PM CDT At 450 pm cdt, doppler radar indicated a line of severe thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. these storms were located along a line extending from 15 miles east of bremond to 8 miles east of franklin, and moving northeast at 55 mph.
5/14/2015 3:15 PM CDT At 314 pm cdt, doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing quarter size hail and damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. this storm was located 9 miles south of bedias, or 18 miles north of navasota, and moving north at 30 mph.
4/24/2015 5:15 PM CDT At 514 pm cdt, doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado. this dangerous storm was located near midway, or 7 miles east of madisonville, and moving northeast at 25 mph.
4/24/2015 5:08 PM CDT Trees down mary st and and shady creek in madison county TX, 0.7 miles NNE of Madisonville, TX
4/24/2015 5:03 PM CDT At 503 pm cdt, doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing quarter size hail. this storm was located over madisonville, and moving northeast at 35 mph.
8/19/2014 5:55 PM CDT Isolated roof and tree damage in and around the osr area to the northwest through north of the north zulch are in madison county TX, 6.1 miles ESE of Madisonville, TX
3/28/2014 5:55 PM CDT Quarter sized hail reported 3.3 miles WSW of Madisonville, TX
5/21/2013 7:41 PM CDT Golf Ball sized hail reported 8.4 miles S of Madisonville, TX, golf ball sized hail near the intersection of osr and highway 75.
5/9/2013 5:10 PM CDT Numerous trees down across the county in madison county TX, 0.7 miles NNE of Madisonville, TX
12/25/2012 9:00 AM CST Multiple reports of trees down. roofs lost on metal and wood buildings at hwy 2 in madison county TX, 0.7 miles NNE of Madisonville, TX
1/1/0001 12:00 AM 18 wheeler truck blown over on interstate 45 at the 145 mile marke in madison county TX, 2.7 miles WNW of Madisonville, TX
1/1/0001 12:00 AM Barn d in madison county TX, 5.2 miles E of Madisonville, TX
Hail Maps for Madisonville, TX
3/18/2018 (3rd)
10/26/2013 (28th)
5/9/2013 (1st)
11/3/2012 (23rd)
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About IPNI
2017 IPNI Scholar Award Recipients
October 4, 2017 – Peachtree Corners, GA, USA -The International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) has selected the winners of the 2017 Scholar Award. A total of 37 graduate students, representing 20 countries, were chosen. Each Scholar receives the equivalent of US$2,000.
Graduate students attending a degree-granting institution located in any country within an IPNI regional program are eligible. The award is available to graduate students in science programs relevant to plant nutrition science and the management of crop nutrients including: agronomy, horticulture, ecology, soil fertility, soil chemistry, crop physiology, environmental science, and others.
Regional committees of IPNI scientific staff select the recipients of the IPNI Scholar Award. The awards are presented directly to the students at a preferred location and no specific duties are required of them. Funding for the scholar award program is provided through support of IPNI member companies, primary producers of nitrogen, phosphate, potash, and other fertilizers.
More information is available from IPNI staff, individual universities, or the IPNI website http://www.ipni.net/awards.
The winners are listed below by continent, country, and university/institution.
Mrs. Abeba Nigussie Retta, College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia is earning her Ph.D. in soil science. Her dissertation title is “Managing of Low Carbon and Alkaline Soils in the Cereal Based Cropping System of the Northern Semiarid Zone of Ethiopia.” Her research focuses on improving the livelihood of smallholder farmers through integrated soil fertility management (organic and inorganic amendments, mineral fertilizers and inter cropping) which is environmentally friendly. After her Ph.D., Mrs. Retta would like to continue conducting advanced integrated soil fertility management experiences which can help boost the agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability.
Ms. Siham Baha Eddine, University Ibn Tofail, Kenitra, Morocco is working towards her Ph.D. in phytopathology. Her dissertation is untitled “Best Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium Fertilizer Management to Control Wheat Crown Rot Caused by Fusarium culmorum.” The objective is to assess the effect of various sources of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers on wheat crown rot disease in Morocco and to select the best combination of fertilizers for improving the control of the disease and reducing the negative effects on the grain yield of wheat. Miss. Baha Eddine plans to work as researcher in the field of phytopathology by looking for the solutions to control the main crop diseases in arid and sem-arid areas.
Mr. Athuman Mahinda is a research scientist working with Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute-Makutupora centre, and the University of Dar es Salaam. He is currently a final year Ph.D. fellow in Soil Science at Kyoto University, Japan. The title of his dissertation is “Influence of In-situ Rain Water Harvesting Techniques and Nutrients Management for Sorghum Production in the Semi-Arid Areas of Tanzania.” His research focuses on finding the best combination of in-situ rainwater harvesting technique, nutrients sources and their levels for optimal sorghum production in the arid and semi-arid areas of Tanzania and sub-Saharan Africa. Mr. Mahinda’s career goal is to become a global competent research scientist in the field of agronomy and soil science.
Ms. Ruth Atchoglo, High School of Agronomy, University of Lomé, Togo is working towards her professional Master’s in agro bio engineering. Her dissertation is untitled “Determination of the Economically Optimum Rates of Nitrogen, Farmyard manure and their combination under Maize production on Ferralsols.” The objective is to test various application rates of nitrogen and Farmyard manure for maize in order to determine the economically optimum rates. Miss. Atchoglo plans to prepare a Ph.D. on the assessment of the best fertilization strategies of maize in various soil types in Togo
Mr. A.K.M. Mahbub Ur Rahman, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh is working towards his Ph.D. in plant Biofortification. His dissertation title is “Agronomic Options to Iron, Zinc and Selenium Biofortification of Lentil.” His research is designed to achieve a biofortification strategy in lentil staring a baseline survey at farmers’ fields in Bangladesh and series of experiments planned to unravel genotypic and environmental effects on Zn, Fe and Se concentration in lentil seed and to evaluating them through foliar fertilization as well. He would like to play a key role in agricultural science to make nutritious foods more accessible to common people in developing countries, particularly in Bangladesh. His career goals are to continue with farmer need oriented research work to help the rural community for increasing their living standards.
Mr. Chen Zhaoming, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Science, Nanjing, China is working towards his Ph.D. in plant nutrition. His dissertation title is “Effects of Nitrogen Placement on Wheat Yield and Fate of Urea-15N in the Wheat-soil System in the Middle and Lower Yangtze River Basin.” Mr. Chens’s research focuses on nitrogen (N) management for winter wheat and the fate of N fertilizer in the wheat-soil system. After his Ph.D., he hopes to become to an agricultural scientist and continue research to improve plant nutrition use efficiency.
Ms. Fang Xianzhi, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China is earning her Master’s in plant nutrition. The title of her thesis is “Nitrate Transporter NRT1.1 Regulates Resistance of Abiotic Stresses in Plant.” The findings from her research may provide a new strategy for improving the yields of crops grown in low pH soils using biotechnological pathways through elevating NRT1.1-mediated nitrate uptake. She would like to contribute her efforts to global plant nutrition development issues.
Mr. Liu Chuang, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Moshan, Wuchang, Wuhan, China is working towards his Ph.D. in plant nutrition and agroecology. His dissertation title is “a Novel Way to Establish Fertilization Recommendations Based on Agronomic Efficiency and a Sustainable Yield Index for Rice Crops.” His research is focused on addressing the urgent need of a simpler approach for establishing fertilizer recommendations for major crops to improve the application efficiency of commercial fertilizers in China. Mr. Liu’s career goal is to become an agricultural researcher and technology promoter in the university or research institute sector.
Mr. Liu Xiaowei, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China is completing his Ph.D. in plant nutrition. The title of his dissertation is “Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization Pattern on Rice Yield, Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Fertilizer Nitrogen Fate in the Yangtze River Basin, China.” Mr. Liu’s research is focused on how to enhance nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency and control nitrogen losses. After completing his Ph.D., he plans to pursue post-doctoral research abroad.
Mr. Muhammad Shoaib Rana, College of Resource and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China is earning his Ph.D. in plant nutrition. His dissertation title is “Effects of Long Term Molybdenum Application on Soil Phosphorus Transformation Characteristics and Bioavailability base on Microorganism and Plant Interaction.” One of his research objectives is to explore the effects of long term molybdenum regulated-root exudate components on the soil phosphorus transformation. Mr. Rana would like to continue post-doctoral research in the same field and work as a research scientist.
Ms. Mahasweta Chakraborty, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, India is working towards her Ph.D. in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry. Her dissertation title is “Zinc Profiling and its Biofortification of Crops for Improving Bioavailability.” One of the objectives of her research is to improve loading and bioavailability of zinc in grains of cereals through scheduling of its application. After completing her Ph.D., Ms. Chakraborty wants to pursue post-doctoral research and continue research in the areas of enhancing nutrient use efficiency and biofortification for producing nutrient-enriched crops through the adoption of 4R practices.
Ms. Jemila Chellappa, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu, India is completing her Ph.D. in soil science. Her dissertation title is “Integrated Zinc Nutrient Management on Growth, Yield, and Grain Zinc Enrichment of Pearlmillet in Calcareous Soils.” The focus of her research is to enrich grain zinc density (biofortification) of pearlmillet as an outset to alleviate zinc deficiency in zinc deficient soils (calcareous soils). She hopes to server the farmer community as an agricultural graduate in the field of science by continuing her research efforts in soil science.
Mr. Suresh Kumar Kakraliya, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India is earning his Ph.D. in agronomy. He is doing his Ph.D. research work under CIMMYT-CCAFS program at Participatory Strategic Research and Learning Platform, Karnal. His dissertation is titled “Participatory Assessment of Portfolios of Climate Smart Agricultural Practices for Adapting Rice-wheat Cropping System to Climate Variability in Climate Smart Villages of Haryana.” The objective is to assess the relative importance of climate smart agriculture practices under different management scenarios for productivity and profitability. His career goals include establishing a career in agricultural research with strong fundamentals in agronomy and soil science and contribute to help the farming community in increasing their living standards.
Mr. Adenipekun Gabriel Shitu, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India is completing his Ph.D. in agricultural extension. His dissertation is titled “Assessment of Precision Conservation Agricultural Practices and their Perceived Impact on Climate Smart Agriculture in Indo-Gangetic Plain.” Mr. Shitu’s research focus is to assess the socio-economic and psychological issues related to the uptake of Precision Conservation Agricultural Practices by the farmers and their perception towards climate-smart agriculture in the IGP. His future career goals are to work in agricultural extension in support of smallholder farms in Africa.
Mr. Nandkishore Sudhakar Thombare is earning his Ph.D. in Science from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. The title of his dissertation is “Synthesis and Evaluation of Cross-Linked Guar Gum Hydrogels for Environmental and Agricultural Applications” with prime objective to develop novel, super absorbent bio-hydrogels from guar gum and their evaluation for controlled plant nutrient release and soil moisture retention. This research is focused on addressing the concern of low nutrient use efficiency and severe water deficit, where efforts are being made to incorporate nutrients (e.g., phosphorus and boron) in the high water holding bio-hydrogel for slow release. After his Ph.D., Mr. Thombare would like to continue with application based research for the benefit of agriculture and farming community.
Ms. Veena Kumari Tudu, Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India is working towards her Ph.D. Her dissertation title is “Genetics of Drought Tolerance in Maize under Different Potassium Levels.” The objective of her research is to study the morpho-physiological traits under different potassium levels in maize. One of Ms. Tudu’s future goals is to identify a maize hybrid which can perform under moisture stress condition and at adequate amounts of potassium with maximum efficiency.
Mr. Bandhu Raj Baral, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal, is earning his Ph.D. in soil science. His dissertation title “Enhancing Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Rice under Rain-fed Conditions in Nepal.” One of his objectives of his research is to identify the knowledge gap between recommended fertilization practice and farmer’s practice and enhance the nitrogen use efficiency under the rain-fed rice based cropping system of mid-western Terai region of Nepal. Mr. Baral would like to continue a career in research and assist his country by developing and generating new technologies in crop and nutrient management sector.
Ms. Aqsa Nazeer, Pakistan Department of Agronomy, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Multan, Pakistan is working on her Master’s in agronomy. The title of her thesis is “Role of Potassium Nutrition in Oxidative Stress-induced Disruption of Source-sink Carbon Metabolism During Boll Shedding of Cotton Under Heat Stress.” The outcomes of her research will help to develop the recommendations for the use of potassium fertilizer in the arid and semi-arid regions of the cotton belt in Pakistan. After completing her Master’s, Ms. Nazeer would like to pursue a Ph.D. from an international institute to further explore the role of plant nutrients in sustainable crop production under the scenario of climate change.
Mr. R.A. Asanka Ratnnayaka, Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya Mirigama, Sri Lanka is working towards his Master’s in soil science. The title of his thesis is “Site-Specific Nutrient Management for Paddy Soils on the Basis of Potential Management Zones Delineated through Proximal Soil Sensing.” His research has been developed to investigate the applicability of proximal soil sensing to identify short-scale variability of Sri Lankan soils and delineate management zones for precision management of plant nutrients. Mr. Ratnnayaka’s career goal is to be a competitive research scientist in the fields of geometrics, plant nutrients and soil fertility.
Mr. Hayat Ullah, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand is working towards his Ph.D. in food and agriculture and Bioresources. His dissertation is titled “Evaluation of Different Nutrient Management Strategies for Rice Cultivation in the Context of Decreasing Water Availability." Mr. Ullah’s research was designed to evaluate different possible nutrient management strategies for rice under different water saving cultivation techniques. He focused on rice because it is a major staple food in Asia. One of his goals for the future is to meet an expanding demand for plant health management specialists to promote food security and food safety on a global scale.
EASTERN EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST
Mr. Aleksey Guzenko Volgograd State Agrarian University, Volgograd, Russia, is earning his Master’s. The title of his research project is “Liquid Complex Fertilizer Use to Sunflower in Rodina Agrienterprise in Kikvidze District of Volgograd Oblast.” Mr. Guzenko has received many awards participating in competitions and conferences among students and young researchers, including competitions conducted annually by the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia. He plans to continue his education in research concerning plant protection and phytosanitary control.
Ms. Olga Silujanova, Vologda State Dairy Academy, Vologda, Russia is working towards her Ph.D. in agronomy and forestry. Her dissertation title is “Agroecological Efficiency of Biologically Modified Organic-Mineral Fertilizers in the Cultivation of Crops on Sod-Podzolic Light Loamy Soils.” She is the author and co-author of seven publications and the winner of Agricultural Ministry Competition of students, postgraduates and young scientists researches (2017). Ms. Silujanova plans to continue research activities in ecology and agrochemistry.
Ms. Raheela Rehman, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey is working towards her Ph.D. in plant nutrition. Her dissertation title is “Uptake, Transport and Seed Deposition of Zinc and Iodine in Wheat and Maize.” The major aim of her research is to optimize agronomic biofortification (e.g. fertilizer strategy) of wheat and maize with zinc and iodine. This is to help understand the agronomic and physiological factors affecting leaf absorption and seed deposition of zinc and iodine. Ms. Rehman aims to become a leading researcher in the field and contribute to the well-being of people suffering from micronutrient deficiencies in her country and around the world.
Mr. Joshua Nasielski, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada is working towards his Ph.D. agronomy and crop physiology. His dissertation title is “the Nitrogen Economy of Agro-ecosystems: Soil Moisture as Regulator of Maize Nitrogen demand.” The goal of his research is to improve our understanding of how plant available water and nitrogen (N) supply impact maize metabolism and yield forming processes, in order to improve N management practices in maize and refine N fertilizer decision support systems (DSS). Mr. Nasielski can see himself as a professor at a research university or a staff scientist in agribusiness.
Mr. Leonardo Bastos, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States is working towards his Ph.D. in agronomy, soil fertility and precision agriculture. His dissertation title is “Integrating Fertilizer Field Strategies, Crop Canopy Sensors and Crop Models for Nitrogen Management in Irrigated Corn Systems.” His research will provide a framework to understand how different crop canopy sensors recommend variable-rate nitrogen and whether or not these sensors can be used interchangeably for nitrogen management in irrigated corn. Mr. Bastos’ future goals include completing his Ph.D. and becoming a forefront researcher in nitrogen management in either an industry or academia position.
Mr. Joel Crowther, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States is completing his Master’s in agronomy. The title of his thesis is “Integrating Management Zones and Canopy Sensing to Improve Nitrogen Recommendation Algorithms.” The main goal of his research is to explore the feasibility of this integrated approach of combining management zones and sensor-based approaches for nitrogen use efficiency. Mr. Crowther’s future plans are to seek opportunities as a research agronomist focusing in precision agriculture and soil fertility.
Mr. Josh Henry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States is working towards his Ph.D. in horticultural science and crop science. His dissertation is titled “Characterization of Tobacco Abiotic Disorders Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Analysis.” Mr. Henry’s dissertation research will be using UAV based remote sensing to characterize some of the major nutrient disorders in tobacco production. His future goals are to pursue a career in academia, with a primary interest in a research or extension appointment.
Ms. Natalie Ricks, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States is working towards her Master’s in land and atmospheric science. Her thesis is titled “Improving Nitrogen Management and Water Quality with Cover Crops and Living Mulches for Corn Cropping Systems on Irrigated Coarse-Textured Soils in Minnesota.” One of the objectives of her research is evaluate winter rye cover crops as a management tool to reduce nitrate leaching early in the season when potential for loss is greatest. Ms. Ricks’ career goal is to become a regional extension educator specializing in water quality and nutrient management.
Mr. Joseph (Jay) Weeks, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States is completing his Ph.D. in soil and environmental chemistry. The title of his dissertation is “Elements of Surprise: Investigations into the Fate and Transport of Historically Mismanaged Lead and Phosphorus to Better Protect Humans and the Environment.” One of his research goals is to better understand the chemical mechanisms that contribute to P fixation when fertilizers are applied in an effort to develop better products and practices that reduce the total amount of P needing to be employed without sacrificing crop health. After he completes his Ph.D., Mr. Weeks plans to pursue opportunities within international research programs such as the Rothamsted Research or the Fertilizer Technology Research Centre.
Ms. Chelsea Stroppiana, The University of Queensland - School of Agriculture and Food Science / Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Queensland, Australia is working towards her Ph.D. Her dissertation title is “Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in High Risk Environments.” The objective of her research is to identify and investigate the key soil factors limiting the improvement of nitrogen use efficiency within the sugarcane systems, and use the findings to update the current industry best management practice guidelines for nitrogen management. After her Ph.D. is complete she would like to coordinate agricultural development projects for a global organization with both social and scientific aspects, such the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
Ms. Amy Whitley, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand is working towards her Ph.D. in soil acidity and aluminum toxicity. Her dissertation title is “Soil pH and Aluminum Toxicity in New Zealand High and Hill Country Soils.” Ms. Whitley’s research aims to improve the understanding of soil pH and aluminum toxicity for New Zealand soils, in particular, determining which key factors, both soil and environmental, are key drivers of toxicity and therefore which areas/soil types may be more prone to toxicity. She is currently exploring opportunities within the agricultural industry that combines both her interests and strengths where she can apply the skills she learned from her time at Lincoln University.
Ms. Stefania Appelhans, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina is a Fellow of CONICET (Argentina) at the Experimental Station INTA Paraná (Entre Rios province), working towards her Ph.D. Her dissertation title is “Contribution of Organic Fractions to the Diagnosis of Phosphorus Fertility in Corn and Soybean.” The objective of her research is to determine the contribution of the labile organic phosphorus fractions to the diagnosis of phosphate fertilization in maize and soybean. Ms. Appelhans’ goals are to grow as a researcher in soil fertility, crop nutrition and sustainable management practices, teach at the University, integrate with a work team, and collaborate in the training of human resources.
Mr. Gerson Laerson Drescher, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, is working towards his Ph.D. in soil science. His dissertation is titled "Nitrogen Distribution in Soil Profile and Soil Sampling Depth to Calibrate the Direct Steam Distillation Method for Flooded Rice." The objective is to calibrate the DSD methodology for soils in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to measure the availability of nitrogen (N) for flooded rice and other grasses. The study will contribute to a more efficient use of N as related to agronomic and environmental aspects. Mr. Drescher plans to work with research and extension in soil fertility and plant nutrition, with a goal to provide information for the adequate use of nutrients in agriculture.
Mr. Danilo Silva Almeida, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil, is working towards his Ph.D. in agriculture. His dissertation is titled "Soil Phosphorus Availability in Soybean-Ruzigrass Crop Rotation." The objective is to evaluate the effect of tropical grasses, most specially the Ruzigrass (Urochloa ruziziensi) on soil phosphorus(P) dynamics and P availability to subsequent crops. Namely, the group aims to unravel: (1) how grass cover crops affect the P dynamics, especially of those involving phytates, (2) the soil P pool distribution and availability, and (3) the P lability and desorption kinetics. Mr. Almeida plans to work in an established and accredited institution in sustainable agriculture.
Mr. Nicolás Ignacio Stahringer, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, has recently finished his Ph.D. in Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. His thesis is titled "Parameterization of Productivity and Nutritional Balance Models for Pinus and Eucalyptus in Corrientes – Argentina." The objective is to adapt models already utilized in Brazil to estimate the yield and nutritional requirements of forest systems and to recommend plant nutrition inputs based on nutrient budget and plant tissue analysis. Mr. Stahringer enjoys research and lecturing and has a goal to work in a prestigious university where he can develop towards helping the sustainability of cropping systems and forest systems. He intends to deliver very practical information to society as a feedback for his studies and profession.
Mr. Hugo González-Villalba, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil, is working towards his Ph.D. in Soils and Plant Nutrition. His dissertation is titled "Agronomic Efficiency of Starter Fertilization in Maize Using a Mixture of Commercial Urea and Polymer Coating of Sulfur-Coated Urea.” The objective of his research is to evaluate the efficiency in the utilization of urea recovered with sulfur and polymers, applied at the start of maize development and not using nitrogen in top dressing (as compared to regular urea), using 15N-labelled fertilizer. Mr. González-Villalba plans to return to his home country (Paraguay) after completing his Ph.D. program in Brazil and become a university professor working in soil fertility and plant nutrition.
Prof. Oswaldo Ernst, College of Agronomy-Universidad de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay, Paysandú, Uruguay is working towards his Ph.D. dissertation entitled “Wheat Yield Gap in Uruguay: Loss of Soil Quality as a Determining Factor.” Mr. Ernst is studying the effect of the number of years of continuous cropping after a pasture phase on attainable wheat yield and yield gap components, including the effect of previous crop and nitrogen application rates. He is interested in the permanent challenges for agriculture and in training young researchers.
This story and more news from IPNI is available at: http://www.ipni.net/news
IPNI Contacts
Dr. Terry Roberts, IPNI President, Ph: 770.447.0335; e-mail: info@ipni.net.
Dr. Robert Mikkelsen, IPNI VP Communications, Ph: 770-825-8070; e-mail: rmikkelsen@ipni.net.
Mr. Gavin Sulewski, IPNI Editor, Ph: 770.825.8080; e-mail: gsulewski@ipni.net.
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Sur ÉDITION
SUR NOTRE MAISON Exhibitions Directeur Jozef Grabski Art Consulting Logo
Sur Artibus et Historiae All issues Advisory Committee Authors Submissions La publicité dans Artibus et Historiae
BIBLIOTHECA ARTIBUS ET HISTORIAE EXHIBITION CATALOGUES OTHER
Artibus et Historiae no. 22 (XI), 1990
FRANCO BERNABEI - Jan Białostocki, Formalism, and Iconology (pp. 9—21)
An examination of the cultural landscape preceding the official birth of iconology provides a rich and varied picture in which diverse critical tendencies merge and diverge. Even today, the exchange of ideas during this period can provide useful insights to help clarify the discussion of critical theory.
The work of Jan Białostocki, which reflects the Polish scholar’s open-mindedness, breadth of interests, and attention to the necessity of reconsidering perspectives in terms of contemporary art, offers an interpretation of iconology in which the contradictions between iconology and formalism, as developed by Panofsky, are absent. Moreover, Białostocki’s interpretation of iconology furnishes an opportunity to consider several themes of the iconographic method in relation to formal problems, without confusion and freed from extraneous polemics.
CHRISTIANE L. JOOST-GAUGIER - Dante and the History of Art: The Case of a Tuscan Commune Part II: The Sala del Consiglio at Lucignano (pp. 23—46)
The Ouattrocento fresco series of uomini famosi in the Sala del Consiglio of the Palazzo del Comune in Lucignano shows that, although the frescoes were painted at different times during the century and commissioned by various patrons (whose names are recorded in the surviving inscriptions), Dante is consistently the source of their iconography. Among the biblical and Classical heroes depicted, the appearance of the Byzantine emperor Justinian, unique in Famous Men cycles, can be explained by Paradiso VI, where Dante describes him as having restored the glory and importance of Rome. Moreover, according to Dante, by promoting the coexistence of spiritual and temporal law under God, Justinian showed that the Romans were God’s chosen people. At Lucignano, the virtuous heroes of the ancient past and the Roman world melt into the Christian empire, forming an indissoluble unity.
Few legal chambers have survived relatively intact from the early Italian Renaissance. The decoration of the example in Lucignano reflects extraordinary ambition, presenting the only known surviving illustrated synthesis of Dante’s views. A small Tuscan commune thus put forward the poet’s conception of justice, as opposed to the narrower tradition of "buon governo" established in the neighboring Republic of Siena.
DAVID ALAN BROWN - Leonardo and the Ladies with the Ermine and the Book (pp. 47—61)
The conception of Leonardo da Vinci’s cartoon of Isabella d’Este in the Louvre is exam-ined, first by contrast to the artist’s psychological rendering of the Lady with the Ermine (Cecilia Gallerani) in Cracow, and then in light of Isabella’s cultural aspirations, which lent a classical aura to her portrait.
JAMES BECK - Cardinal Alidosi, Michelangelo, and the Sistine Ceiling (pp. 63—77)
The article seeks to establish a close relationship between Michelangelo and Cardinal Francesco Alidosi, papal legate and governor of Bologna under Julius II, who was an impor-tant intermediary between the artist and the pope. Alidosi, Julius’s most trusted advisor, was murdered by none other than the pope’s nephew, Francesco Maria della Rovere, Duke of Ur-bino. According to most contemporary reports, Alidosi was a thoroughly despicable character and his murder was met with relief by many.
Whatever weaknesses he exhibited in private life, Alidosi as a patron kept abreast of the newest directions in art. Michelangelo sought his intervention in the famous disagreement with Julius during which the artist left Rome in a huff, and there seems to have been a regular correspondence between the two men. Their most remarkable—and hitherto unnoticed—contact revolved around the commissioning of the Sistine Chapel ceiling decoration. By Michelangelo’s testimony, Alidosi actually wrote out the contract (now lost) in his own hand. This article proposes that Alidosi prepared the first comprehensive program for the ceiling, or at least collaborated on it with Michelangelo.
CAROLYN VALONE - Elena Orsini, Daniele da Volterra, and the Orsini Chapel (pp. 79—87)
At Trinita dei Monti, Elena Orsini commissioned one of the most famous chapels in mid-sixteenth-century Rome from Daniele da Volterra—not only as an act of piety but also as a means of legitimization, for she was the illegitimate daughter of Archbishop Aldobrandini Orsini. She carefully orchestrated patronage, iconography, and the selection of early Church sources and Counter-Reformation ideas to establish her right to the Orsini name, and to reveal something about herself in the process.
FRANCA TRINCHIERI CAMIZ - Death and Rebirth in Caravaggio's Martyrdom of St. Matthew (pp. 89—105)
It has usually been assumed that Caravaggio reworked his Martyrdom of St. Matthew in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome, because he was dissatisfied with the composition. In his second version, however, there is a significant change in the picture’s iconography, which departs from the more traditional aspects of the known biography of the apostle.
Three male nudes appear in the lower section of the redone painting. These have been variously labeled repoussoirs or neophytes seated in a baptismal pool, the water of which is no longer discernible. In support of a baptismal setting, this article reviews evidence derived from the contracts for the picture, as well as from an analysis of apostles’ vitae, rules for the design of baptismal chapels, and ritual practices prevalent in Caravaggio’s time. By conflating baptism and martyrdom in his composition, Caravaggio linked death with spiritual rebirth –an appropriate theme for the burial chapel in which the painting hangs.
LEO STEINBERG - Steen's Female Gaze and Other Ironies (pp. 107—128)
Before the Second World War, Jan Steen’s painting The Drawing Lesson was understood somewhat naively as a straightforward documentary record of actual studio practice in seven-teenth-century Holland. During the last forty years, the picture has come increasingly to be interpreted as a noble allegory of painting and of art education. This article suggests that the picture is deeply ironic. Steen gently ridicules the foppish, overdressed painter who, like the purblind physician in Steen’s many versions of The Doctor’s Visit, remains unaware of his pupils’ emotions: the young boy falling in love with pretty lady at the very moment when she herself is jolted of her innocence by the revelation of uncensored masculinity in the statuette on the table. The painting depicts a rite of passage without ritual pomp, with all the surround-ing paraphernalia providing the requisite authenticity along with plentifuluf further ironies.
UDO KULTERMANN - Woman Asleep and the Artist (pp. 129—161)
The theme of the sleeping woman in art is investigated from a perspective which reopens questions about how artists at different times have represented woman asleep, and what this depiction reveals about the relationship between women and men. The prehistoric image of woman is analyzed in the Sleeping Lady from the Hypogeum in Malta, and the image of an-tiquity in poems by Propertius and the Ariadne in the Vatican Museums. Giorgione’s Sleeping Venus in Dresden is related to the image from antiquity, but at the same time represents a newly defined ideal in terms of wedding symbolism. A separate theme, also originating in an-tiquity and appearing with many variations in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, is the sleeping woman watched by men. The modern depiction of sleeping women takes on a more strongly yoyeuristic aspect in works by Gustave Courbet and Johann Baptist Reiter, and also in early photography; but in works by Redon and Brancusi the cosmic reverberations return. Since 1960, completely new perspectives have been opened in performance art, in which women dominate the scene and, for the first time since prehistory, give a female identity to the image of sleeping women. Works by Lygia Clark, Yayoi Kusama, Colette, Natalia Ll, Rimma Gerlovina, Valie Export, and Ulrike Rosenbach are examined in this article.
PIERRE ROSENBERG - Un émule polonais de Le Brun: Alexandre Ubelesqui (pp. 163—187)
In this article in honor of the late Jan Białostocki, the author investigates the long-forgotten career of Alexandre Ubelesqui, a Parisian-born artist of Polish origin who was active in Rome from 1673 until his death in 1718. Although information on his family background appears to be all but nonexistent, it is possible to trace Ubelesqui’s artistic development from his training at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris and the French Academy in Rome, to his appointment as a professor at the Accademia di San Luca in 1695, and his participation in numerous exhibitions.
From the paintings and drawings which the author has rediscovered, Ubelesqui’s style can nów be defined. He is shown to have been a skillful draughtsman and deft narrator, highly versatile in his choice of subjects and techniques. A loyal collaborator of Charles Le Brun, after the master’s death in 1690, Ubelesqui assured himself a place among the painters of his time, in the shadow of La Fosse, Jouvenet, Boulogne, and Coypel.
GEORGE ZARNECKI - Germanic Animal Motifs in Romanesque Sculpture (pp. 189—203)
The chalice-shaped font in St. Cassian’s church at Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire, serves as the departure point for a discussion of the sources of certain unusual features in Ro-manesque sculptural ornamentation. On this font, a work of the Herefordshire School from the second quarter of the twelfth century, the heads of the monsters have Italian counterparts, but the intertwining tails and the bands that loop round these tails, thereby strangling the beasts, are of ancient Germanic origin. The Saxon settlement brought the motif to England where it flourished, later influencing such continental works as the Tassilo Chalice, made for the abbey of Kremsmünster. Another, even more savage Germanic motif is the penetration of forms: animals pierced by their own tails, tongues, legs, or by interlacing bands of ornament are common in Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian art of the Romanesque period.
Sur Artibus et Historiae
La publicité dans Artibus et Historiae
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MainJudaismMatot: Settling for More
Matot: Settling for More
May we merit to welcome more of our brothers.
Which category does the mitzvah of living in Israel fall into: those that are between us and HaShem, bein adam l'makom, or those between us and our fellow man?
At first glance, I'd think that settling Israel, which the Ramban says is a positive Biblical commandment, is between us and HaShem. G-d said it's the best place for Jews to live and some of us have decided otherwise.
If we have 10 million Jews here, the load gets divided more evenly.
But this week's Torah portion says that it's not that simple. When two tribes, Gad and Reuven, approach Moshe with a request to remain on the other side of the Jordan, where the grazing land is better, he says, "Will your brothers go to battle [over Eretz Yisrael], and you'll sit here?"
The Netziv comments on this verse: "This is a sin against B'nei Yisrael, that you [these two tribes] should get a land that has been conquered by others, and they should endanger themselves in war."
I have a son who, at this writing, is doing reserve duty along the northern border. Frankly, it couldn't have come at a worse time for him. He's got finals and his lecturers are reviewing with his classmates the material they need to know for the tests. He'll get a chance to do a make-up test, but obviously no one will review the material just for him. He also had to give up a special project at work that comes with a nice bonus.
It's hard enough that he's got to leave his wife and baby son for a month. And that a 25-year-old who spent more than four years in the IDF, who was an officer in Golani and fought in Gaza and Lebanon, is denied an opportunity to prepare for his exams once he finally gets the chance to go to school. But what's really upsetting is that he and his soldiers are doing 12-hour shifts because there aren't enough people showing up for reserve duty. The good guys who show up for reserves have to work harder, bringing to mind Moshe Rabbeinu's rebuke, "Will your brothers go to battle, and you'll sit here?"
The reality is that whether a million or 10 million Jews live in Eretz Yisrael, we need the same number of soldiers patrolling along the borders and preparing for possible war. It's just that if we have 10 million Jews here, the load gets divided more evenly.
May we merit to welcome more of our brothers to this wonderful, holy land, so that they can not only share in the fruits, but help us shoulder the responsibilities. And the two go hand-in-hand, because the fruits are sweeter to those who are prepared to sacrifice for them.
Rabbi Joel Rebibo writes from Beit El.
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The Slowing Global Economy: Contradictions of Fiscal-Monetary Policies
In 2008-09 the global capitalist economy crashed with a bang—a collapse from which it is still struggling to fully recover. The next crisis may come, however, not in the form of a crash but as a slow, grinding economic stagnation that continues on for years or even decades.
The scenario of global stagnation is the direct consequence of the convergence of Monetary and Fiscal policies among Capitalist policy makers worldwide that are not only becoming increasingly ineffective in generating sustained economic recovery, but are becoming increasingly counterproductive—and thus contradictory—to achieving a sustained economic recovery.
Both the US and global economy today are experiencing a long term economic slowdown. That slowdown has been uneven, both between and within the major sectors of the US and global economies.
The periodic appearance of brief and historically weak, short term recoveries in one or more of the four major sectors of the global economy (Europe, North America, Japan, China and Emerging Markets), do not negate what is an otherwise clear, general longer term trend toward slower global growth, and a weakening of global economic recovery from the worldwide financial crash and deep recession of 2008-09.
China & Emerging Market Economies
Following the worldwide banking crisis of 2008-09, the Chinese and emerging markets’ economies recovered rapidly as a consequence of China’s significant 15% of GDP fiscal stimulus of 2009, more than half of which was government direct investment in infrastructure and construction, and the accompanying massive capital in-flows after 2009 from the advanced economies (US, Europe, Japan) into emerging markets in Asia and Latin America.
China’s initial 15% of GDP fiscal stimulus in 2009, and its subsequent rapid and full recovery, served to dampen the 2008-10 global economic contraction elsewhere; however China and its 15% stimulus was not sufficient to generate sustaining global economic recovery after 2009. While clearly ‘coupled’ with the global economy, China’s economy was not, and still is not, sufficiently large to drive the global economy.
Since 2011, moreover, the significant 2010 recovery by China and emerging markets—both highly dependent on manufacturing and exports to North America and Europe—has begun to noticeably weaken.
In the case of China, its prior 13.7% GDP growth rate in 2007 before the crash fell to 7.5% in 2009. After its 15% GDP fiscal stimulus, it rose to 10% in 2010. Since then it has steadily declined, however, to 7.5% most recently, as demand for China exports by the US and Europe have fallen as the US-Europe recoveries have faltered since 2010. While China GDP has declined to 7.5% most recently, according to official government sources, according to independent sources that question the accuracy of China official data, China’s GDP may have declined to as low as 6%-6.5%. At even the official 7.5% rate, China’s economy is back to the low point it reached in 2008-09 as a result of the global economic crash—which is less than two-thirds the growth it was experiencing before the global crash.
The massive capital in-flows from the US-Europe-Japan to emerging markets flowed into China as well post-2009. Those inflows contributed significantly to an over-stimulation of China’s residential housing and local construction markets in its major cities. That began to produce a housing ‘bubble’ in major cities in China, after 2010 that still remains a significant problem today. To slow the bubble, in 2012-2013 China policy makers took steps to quell the runaway housing prices and bubble. But those steps also significantly slowed the general economy in 2013—adding to China’s recent 2012-2013 GDP slowdown.
China’s response to slowing exports to the west after 2009, its aborted attempt to control its housing bubble this past year, and the current economic slowdown was to introduce another, albeit weaker fiscal stimulus this past summer 2013. That Stimulus II aimed at accelerating government spending on fast rail and other infrastructure projects once more and on measures to boost exports. China’s economy most recently appears to have therefore stabilized, but only at somewhere between a 6.5%-7.5% GDP growth rate. As it has slowed, China consequently is contributing even less to the global economic recovery than before—resulting in the noted slower long term global economic growth.
Unlike China, other emerging markets have been even less successful maintaining their immediate post-2008 economic growth and are now clearly slowing rapidly. More dependent than China on massive foreign capital in-flows from Europe, Asia and Japan, emerging markets economies like Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey, etc., are now in 2013 experiencing a sharp slowing of their GDP growth rates, approaching zero and stagnation in some cases. Their rapid slowing is a direct consequence of the major shift in monetary policies by central banks in the US, Europe and Japan in 2013 and the sharp reversal of capital flows back to US, Europe and Japan. The rapid slowing of economies like India and Indonesia and virtually stagnant growth in economies like Brazil, Mexico and others have contributed even further to the slowing global economy.
For China and emerging markets then, the picture is one of clearly slowing long term growth. No longer a critical source of dampening the general global slowdown, China and key Emerging Markets are now contributing in part to that slowing trend–notwithstanding some evidence of re-stimulating the economy in China in recent months that will likely prove a short term aberration in an otherwise longer term trend.
Europe, the U.K, and Eurozone Economy
A second major sector of the global economy—i.e. Europe and its 17 nation core, the Eurozone—has fared much worse than China-Emerging Markets.
The 17 economy Eurozone has experienced double dip recessions since 2008, as have the UK and a number of other EU economies. Meanwhile, the southern periphery of the Eurozone from Portugal to Greece has been mired in what can only be described as a classic, bona fide economic depression.
As the following graph illustrates, the Euro Area economies declined sharply in 2008-09, experienced a short and shallow recovery of 1.2%-1.7% in 2010-2011, then fell into a double dip recession for the next 18 months during 2012 through the first half of 2013—experiencing what this writer elsewhere has described as a classic ‘epic’ recession characterized by a financial and economic crash, followed by brief periods of short and shallow recoveries, followed in turn by a further brief contraction, and continuing thereafter in a similar repeat pattern.
The Euro economy only just recently, in the last quarter, experienced a tepid 0.3% GDP return to growth. That recovery will likely prove even shorter than the prior 2010-2011 recovery, leading to yet another short downturn and a continuation of the ‘stop-go’ recoveries characteristic of ‘epic’ recessions today.
The Euro one-quarter latest recovery is the consequence of the capital flows now returning from emerging markets; the temporary stabilization of its banking system by the European Central Bank and Bank of England; a temporary respite for its sovereign debt crises as global speculators have for the moment moved away from destabilizing government bond markets in Spain, Italy, Portugal and elsewhere to more profitable speculative pastures in Asia; and as some economies, like the UK, have shifted to artificially stimulating economic growth by pumping up their housing sectors once again. But all this has produced is a return to the historically sub-par growth rates of 2010-2011. The fundamental problems of the Euro sector economy have in no way been resolved. Real investment is stagnant or declining, unemployment remains high at record levels, consumers aren’t spending, banks aren’t lending, the banking system remains highly fragile, and government sovereign debt continues to rise.
Stagnating at best, the Euro sector economy is adding virtually nothing to global economic growth. And at any moment it may quickly once again become a major contributor to the slowing long term global growth trend.
Japan’s Economy
Locus of the first ‘epic’ recession in modern economic history that commenced in 1991-92, the Japanese economy has experienced multiple recessions in the intervening two decades. It is the most classic case of ‘stop-go’ recoveries. As in the USA and Europe in 2008-09, Japan experienced a major financial crash in the early 1990s that was the result of runaway financial speculation. That financial crash led to a real economic contraction. Japan then bailed out its banks (with assistance from the US and Europe), but did not stimulate its domestic economy appropriately to ensure a sustained economic recovery. Japan’s capitalists and policy makers in government assumed that, once banks were bailed out, if they just waited, the ‘markets’ would eventually fuel the recovery for the rest of the economy. Banks would lend, businesses would invest domestically, incomes would rise again, and consumption return. They waited. And did so for 20 years. As a similar strategy would prove for the US and Europe in 2008 and after, a monetary policy aimed at bailing out banks first did not necessarily result in banks lending to stimulate investment—at least in the Japan domestic economy. Banks lent, but offshore or into financial markets worldwide. Large Japanese multinational corporations—the top layer of Japanese businesses that received loans—also invested abroad. Incomes and consumptions for the general populace stagnated, as did consumption, and therefore economic recovery.
Since the 2008 general global financial and economic crash, Japan has experienced a ‘triple dip’ recession. As in the case of Europe, the initial 2008-09 contraction was followed by a shorter (than Europe) and shallow 18 month recovery in 2009-10, by another short recession in 2011, another even briefer recovery of 9 months in 2011-12, and yet another shallow recovery in 2013.
Comparing the Euro and Japan Economies
While both the Euro sector and Japan sector economies have experienced ‘multiple dip’ recessions since the global crash in 2008, their respective policy responses to the 2008 crash are worth noting.
In the case of the Euro sector, the response was to implement a fiscal policy that has been called ‘Austerity’. That policy means withdrawing fiscal stimulus from the economy (government spending and tax hikes) while undertaking a nominal stimulus in terms of monetary policy by lowering interest rates. But the latter monetary policy proved insufficient to stabilize the banking system in Europe, while Austerity (i.e. less spending, higher taxes on consumer households, and ‘privatization’ or selling off of public property and investments) actually made the real economy even worse.
Up until most recently, the Euro sector has been the weakest link in the global economy and the greatest relative contributor to the long term global economic slowdown. The 17-nation core ‘Eurozone’ economy within it has had no actual central bank. It has not been able to ‘bail out’ trouble banks as easily as has the US or Japan (or the UK) which do have central banks. The Eurozone’s partial equivalent of a central bank, the misnamed European Central Bank, ECB, has heretofore had to get its 17 countries’ governments to put up bail out money, which has then been funneled through the weakest governments (Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, etc.) to, in turn, bail out their banks. This has not worked very well. Starting in 2012 the ECB then temporarily stabilized the banks by promising to support them when in trouble, as if it, the ECB, were a real central bank (which it isn’t). This has temporarily bought time for the Eurozone’s banking system that remains the most fragile in the global economy still. In the interim, the ECB has lowered interest rates to 0.5%. On the fiscal side, the Eurozone is even less able to stimulate the 17 respective member economies. It has no ‘fiscal union’ whatsoever. Thus wealthier countries, like Germany, can and have undertaken fiscal (tax and spending) stimulus to stabilize their economies, whereas weaker economies in the southern periphery have been unable to do so—and in fact have had to cut spending (austerity) in order to repay the loans given to them with which to bail out their banks. Austerity in Europe is thus the direct consequence of an inefficient and ineffective approach to bailing out the banks. And so long as the banks are not stabilized, austerity will continue. And so will the stop-go Eurozone recovery.
The case of the UK is somewhat different. It has a central bank, the Bank of England, that first thing bailed out the UK banks. Also like the US, the UK embarked upon a monetary policy regime of reducing interest rates to near zero and, as well, introducing a policy called ‘quantitative easing’, or QE, invented by the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, in late 2008. With QE, the central bank in essence prints money (i.e. not funds raised by taxes or deficit spending by the government), and then uses that printed money to purchase bonds from private investors and bankers—often paying the latter more than the bonds are worth at current market value. That liquidity (money) injection serves to bail out the banks and investors with very low cost (rates) and direct purchases by the central bank. Now flush with cash once again, bankers and investors can lend once more. Theoretically, this is supposed to result in a return of real investment that creates jobs, raises incomes, and generates consumption. However, as noted previously, it does none of the above. Rather it results in cash hoarding by the banks, lending to multinational corporations that invest in emerging markets and China, or in investing by bankers and now flush-with-cash again investors in financial securities markets worldwide.
QE and low near zero interest rates for bankers do result in bailing out the banks. But it doesn’t result necessarily in stimulating the real domestic economy. It mostly provides liquidity that flows offshore—up until 2013 to emerging markets, China, and to liquid financial securities markets across the globe (e.g. derivatives, foreign exchange, emerging markets funds, local real estate (China) property, sovereign Euro periphery bonds, stock markets, junk bond funds, hedge funds, private equity, etc.).
Monetary policy in the form of virtually free money (zero or near zero interest loans from the central bank to bankers) and QE (subsidized purchases of bondholders’ market worthless bonds at above market prices by the central bank) was first introduced as the primary policy response to the 2008 crash by the US and UK central banks in 2009.
This US-UK monetary policy was accompanied by a token fiscal policy that emerged as well at first in 2009 in both the UK and US. That token fiscal policy was quickly and abruptly replaced in the UK by its reverse—an ‘austerity’ fiscal policy—as soon as the conservative government displaced the labor government there. (In the US, as will be described shortly, the replacement of a token initial fiscal stimulus in 2009, by ‘Austerity American Style’ after 2010, would occur less abruptly and in stages).
The UK’s abrupt withdrawal of a fiscal stimulus and its replacement with austerity fiscal policy tripped the UK economy into a double dip recession almost immediately. In order to avoid a triple dip in 2013, in recent months the conservative government partially reversed its austerity policy and re-stimulated the UK economy, producing another weak, shallow recovery. That recovery has been based, however, on an artificial re-stimulating of the housing sector, benefiting primarily banks and investors. Housing prices in the UK, in particular in the London area, have are now approaching a ‘bubble’ once again, as they had before the 2008 crash. Simultaneously, the UK conservatives have continued their policies of austerity elsewhere, by reducing spending on education, dismantling the national health care service, as well as reducing spending on other social programs and public investments.
Japan Adopts US Policy ‘Playbook’
In contrast to the Eurozone, and like the US, Japan has recently embarked its own massive QE policy and injecting more than $1.4 trillion into its economy. Simultaneously, it plans to cut business taxes while raising taxes on consumption and households. Copying US Federal Reserve policies since 2009, Japan’s central bank, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) launched early in 2013 a QE program designed to purchase $68 billion a month in banker-investors’ bonds, with plans to inject more than $1.4 trillion in total liquidity into the economy by 2015. Given the relative size of Japan’s GDP, that liquidity injection is even greater than the USA’s recent QE3 of $85 billion a month.
Also like the US, Japan announced a fiscal policy further reminiscent of the US in 2009. It plans to increase government spending by $128 billion—which represents less than 3% of its GDP. At the same time, it announced plans to cut business and investor taxes while doubling sales taxes on consumers and households from current 5% to 10%. Yet to be announced are further proposals to reduce labor costs, environmental costs, and other business costs, and to increase defense spending.
In other words, it is the US Fed monetary policy of massive QE and liquidity for bankers and investors, plus a token fiscal stimulus, combined with the beginnings of an austerity fiscal policy at the same time—i.e. very much like the US policy mix since 2008 and similar in ways to the UK’s as well.
Since the announcement of the new policies, called ‘Abenomics’ after the name of its new prime minister, Abe, the Japanese stock markets have surged, initially by nearly 80% . Corporate profits are estimated to rise by 46% in 2013. The Japanese Yen has fallen 20% to the dollar and other currencies, boosting Japan’s exports at the expense of its neighbors.
On the negative side, however, an early boost to Japan’s GDP in the first quarter of 2013 is already declining in the second. Business capital spending, strongly negative in the first half of the year, has barely risen. And consumer spending still remains nearly flat. This past summer 2013 both exports and industrial production turned negative once again, and both inflation and interest rates have begun to rise, eventually causing a further slowing of consumption. The rise in the sales tax is estimated to result in a 0.5% drop in Japan GDP for every 1% rise in the tax, which is projected to increase initially by 3% (8% total) and to 10% by 2015. Given these outcomes, the consensus among economists is that Japan’s economy will still not grow more than 1.28% annually over the coming decade even as profits and stock markets surge and create further income growth (and inequality) for corporations and wealthy Japanese households.
In short, although less than a year old, it is already becoming evident that Japan’s QE + token fiscal stimulus and incremental austerity policy will be capable—as it has in the US and Euro Area–in only generating a stop-go economic recovery while exacerbating income inequality trends.
The US Economy
It is now more than four years after the US and global recession was officially declared ended in June 2009. Since 2009 the US central bank, the Federal Reserve (Fed), has pumped nearly $4 trillion in QE printed money into the US and global economy.
When other Fed measures are added to QE, the total liquidity injected by the US central bank amounts, conservatively, to between $10 and $20 trillion. Add liquidity injections by the Bank of England, European Central Bank, and Bank of Japan that have replicated the Fed’s QE and massive liquidity injections to bankers and investors, the total exceeds well over $20 trillion.
The US Fed’s monetary stimulus, QE and trillions of dollars more of liquidity injections to banks and investors, had—like all QEs globally—little impact on real economic growth. Bankers and investors took the free money and subsidized purchases of their bad bonds and either hoarded the cash, deposited it back with the Fed to earn interest, loaned it to multinational and other large corporations (not smaller businesses) that invested offshore in emerging markets or used it to pay dividends to stockholders, or invested it in financial securities markets in the US (stocks, bonds, derivatives, etc.) or around the world. In fact, much of the Fed injections have ended up offshore, not in the US. In none of these cases does QE result in domestic real investment that creates jobs, income, household consumption, and consequently sustained economic recovery.
What QE and free money does create is excess demand for stocks, junk bonds, foreign exchange, and other financial securities. There is almost a perfect correlation between the start and conclusion of QE programs in the US and the stock market’s booms and busts since 2008, as the following graphic illustrates.
By stimulating stock and other financial securities values, QE results in a massive increase in incomes of investors and their institutions (corporations, hedge funds, private equity, etc.). Conversely, by having little if any impact on real investment, and therefore jobs, QEs depress relative income growth for wage earners.
In a study released in recent weeks by Emmanuel Saez, professor economics at University of California, Berkeley, who has been compiling IRS data on income inequality in the US (and globally) since 2002, shows that the wealthiest 1% in the US—i.e. those who benefit most from investment in stocks, bonds, and other securities—garnered no less than 95% of all the income gains since 2009. That compares with the same group accruing 65% of all income gains between 2001-2008. So the rich get richer as the economy does poorer. But it’s not just the economy’s real performance that matters. It’s the free money provided by the central bank to bankers and investors that results in their accelerating income share. It’s free money that they then invest offshore or in financial securities instead of in real investment in the US that creates jobs. While their income rises, the incomes of wage earners stagnates and declines. A major characteristic of the US economy since 2008 has been a steady decline in real disposable incomes for the majority, as the following graph illustrates:
Another direct consequence of QE and Fed monetary policies since 2008 has been the decline in real US investment that would otherwise create jobs, even as profits continue to rise to record levels. This decline in job creating investment amidst rising profits occurs because of a massive shift toward investing in financial securities, enabled and encouraged by the free money policies. This shift has been especially pronounced in the US and UK, and significant as well in Japan and the Eurozone as well. A recent study by Gerald Friedman shows this clearly in the following graph.
With corporate taxes as a percent of profits at 12.5%–compared to 24% on average between 1989-2008—the excess profits are distributed to shareholder investors in the form of dividends and capital gains. With personal income taxes also at record lows for the wealthiest households, that profits distribution is mostly retained by wealthy households and investors. Income inequality accelerates.
On the fiscal side, at least $2 trillion more in stimulus package business tax cuts and government spending were pumped into the US economy between 2008-2011. After November 2010, even that fiscal stimulus was withdrawn. 2011 marks the beginning of ‘Austerity American Style’—an incremental reduction of fiscal stimulus in the form of a succession of agreements to cut deficits and extend debt ceiling limits negotiated between Obama and Congressional Republicans.
After some token reductions in the spring of 2011, a major reduction of $1 trillion in government spending levels occurred in August 2011 as part of the ‘debt ceiling deal 1.0’. Another $1.2 trillion withdrawal commenced with the passage of the ‘sequestered’ spending cuts beginning March 2013. As this article is being written, additional spending cuts are being determined as part of the October 2013 ‘debt ceiling 2.0/2014 budget deal between Obama and Congress. An incremental approach to austerity is the characteristic of US-like ‘austerity programs’. In the Eurozone the austerity measures were introduced from the very beginning, and have been especially severe in the southern and eastern European periphery economies. In the UK, austerity was introduced in a particularly draconian fashion, with the takeover of the UK government by conservatives in recent years. In Japan, it appears some variation of the US-UK experience will eventually emerge.
But just as QE and monetary policy has not stimulated recovery of the real economy, real investment, jobs and incomes—so too has fiscal policy proved to be a temporary and insufficient stimulus at first, followed by a negative influence shortly after in the best of cases.
The result of the combined trillions in U.S. monetary and fiscal stimulus over the last 4.5 years of so-called ‘recovery’ has been an economic growth rate of less than half that occurring during prior recoveries from recessions in the U.S. Since the official end of the US recession in June 2009, the cumulative GDP growth for the US has been a meager 8.2%–compared to an average for all prior 10 US recessions of 15-17% cumulative GDP growth after 4-5 years.
What the red-line in the above graph shows is that US growth, sub-par cumulatively, has begun to level off and slow longer term as well.
Following a brief, below-average initial recovery in late 2009, the US economy 2010-2012 experienced what might be called a series of ‘economic relapses’, wherein its economic growth rate, after a brief shallow growth period, slowed significantly. Relapses (a marked slowing of economic growth rates) happened in the late summer of 2010 and again in early 2011. GDP defined growth actually turned negative in early 2011. Ample evidence suggests the US economic growth fell to zero or less a third time in late 2012.
In the most recent 12 months, July 2012-July 2013, US economic growth has been at an historic sub-par 1.8% in GDP terms. Recent forecasts for the coming 12 months by independent sources, like the International Monetary Fund, predict more of the same, with a GDP growth of only 1.7%.
And if one were to adjust nominal GDP growth between 2010-2012 for inflation using the CPI consumer price index, instead of the much more conservative GDP deflator price index, the US economy would have experienced not only a bona fide ‘double dip’ recession but an actual ‘triple dip’.
As this writer has also written elsewhere the past 18 months, as the US economic recovery becomes increasingly fragile and the long run slowing growth trend continues, it becomes increasingly susceptible to experiencing a bona fide double dip recession as defined by GDP and other economic indicators. One or more of three things would have to happen, in order to precipitate a definitive double dip recession in the US. The first is a continuation of deficit cutting in the US budget. The second a steady rise in interest rates. And the third a second banking crisis, most likely originating in Europe or even Asia. While the possibility of the third appears to have diminished somewhat in recent months, the potential for the first two appear to be rising.
The Contradictions of Global Fiscal-Monetary Policy
QEs, massive liquidity injections by central banks, token fiscal stimulus policies followed soon by austerity fiscal stimulus withdrawals represent the recovery policy ‘mix’ for the US since 2008. In similar form, albeit with different emphases, the same monetary and fiscal policies have been adopted by other main capitalist sectors of the global economy. Those economies, from the Eurozone, UK, to Japan and elsewhere are also experiencing a ‘stop-go’ economic recovery trajectory. The outcome has been more or less the same everywhere: a bailing out of the banks, an acceleration of investors income and corporate profits, a shift toward speculative financial investment, growing income inequality, declining relative real investment, inability to generate full time employment and wages, declining real disposable incomes for median family households, stalling consumption, and a sub-par historical, ‘stop-go’ economic recovery.
The US driven policy package of QE-unlimited liquidity, plus token fiscal stimulus followed by austerity and initial stimulus withdrawal, has been converging across all the capitalist economic sectors globally. All sectors, with perhaps the exception of China, have been following the US fiscal-monetary policy lead. This has been especially so with regard to QE and monetary policy which has been the main policy level of choice for capitalist economies and governments worldwide since 2008.
But fiscal-monetary policies globally are not only failing to generate a normal, sustained economic recovery; they are now also beginning to have a contradictory, counter-productive economic impact.
The growing contradictions in monetary policy are several.
First, it is clear that after five years of QE, investors are becoming addicted to QE and virtually interest free money from the Fed and central banks. When the Fed attempted to signal a future withdrawal from QE this past June, financial markets reacted severely. In a matter of weeks, stocks, bonds and financial asset prices plummeted and interest rates rose quickly. The Fed then backed off, re-signaled again in August, with the same response. It may prove significantly difficult for the Fed, and other central banks, to begin suspending QE and withdrawing liquidity without interest rates rising rapidly and provoking a serious real economic contraction. At the same time, continuing liquidity and low rates has a decreasing positive effect on the real economy.
Second, it appears the capitalist economies are becoming increasingly interest rate increase sensitive as they have become interest rate decrease insensitive.
Third, the continuation of massive liquidity injections via QE and other means has begun to exacerbate currency wars. One sector engages in QE, driving down its currency’s value, lowering in turn the cost of its exports at the expense of competitors. Others then respond similarly. Currency volatility results across the board, which creates uncertainty for real investment. Economies subsequently slow. What was competitive devaluations during the great depression of the 1930s via declaration, now occurs via currency exchange rate movements via QE and liquidity.
Efforts by the Fed and other central banks to withdraw from QE result in massive capital flight from emerging markets, as hot money that was pushed into those markets when QE was growing now sloshes back to the US and Europe when liquidity is reversed. Capital flight from emerging markets forces those economies to raise interest rates to lure back the capital, but doing so slows their real economies that causes even more capital to flow out of emerging markets. The process destabilizes the global financial system in turn.
QE and excess liquidity spills out in global financial markets. Far more money capital is available that can be profitably invested in real production. Investors turn to short-term financial asset investments. Speculative investing and financial asset prices and profits rise, drawing capital from real asset investment into financial assets. Capital flows increase in magnitude and frequency across countries, destabilizing the global financial system still further.
Not least, as already noted, the accelerating financialization of the global economy provoked by QE and unlimited liquidity injections by central banks leads to accelerating financial profits, income, and wealth by investor households that in turn results in growing income inequality and problems sustaining non-investor household consumption.
To summarize, monetary policies since 2008 are breeding dependency on free money from central banks, super-sensitivity to interest rate hikes, currency wars, competitive devaluations by means of exchange rate volatility, capital flight from emerging markets, excessive speculative investing and declining real investment that slows the real economy making it difficult to create jobs, reduce unemployment and sustain household consumption, and in general exacerbate hot money flows globally that destabilize the global financial system.
Contradictions in Fiscal Policy are no less significant.
Fiscal policies are also becoming less effective in generating real economic growth. Contrary to what liberal economists argue, deficit spending per se does not stimulate economic growth. The composition of that spending is key, not just its magnitude (business tax cuts vs. direct spending by government). Business tax cuts don’t create many jobs any longer since, in a global economy, they are easily diverted offshore or into financial investments by corporations today; or used to buy back stocks, pay dividends, retire debt; or just hoarded as retained earnings in offshore tax havens or in companies’ foreign subsidiaries. What economists refer to as tax multipliers have thus declined significantly in the 21st century global capitalist world, rendering fiscal stimulus policies less effective.
Not just tax multipliers, but government spending on subsidies to states, rather than on direct federal job creation, results in a smaller multiplier effect than in the past, producing fewer jobs as state and local governments, like corporations, don’t hire but pay down debt or hoard cash. Conversely, government deficit spending cuts and austerity fiscal policies have a larger negative multiplier effect, as government entities prefer to lay off workers and reduce spending on programs in lieu of committing cash to spending.
A further reason why multiplier effects have declined is household consumers have become more ‘fragile’—that is, they have accumulated excessive debt loads and face stagnating or declining income gains. Government spending and tax cuts targeting consumer households thus get diverted to retiring debt or paying for inflationary increases for essential goods and services that was once covered by rising wage incomes.
To summarize with regard to fiscal and austerity policy, government spending and tax cuts no longer have the same positive effect on economic recovery they once had. Greater household debt and stagnating incomes reduces the effect of fiscal stimulus. That same debt and income stagnation makes austerity fiscal policies in turn more effective in terms of reducing consumption. Austerity multipliers are greater, while fiscal stimulus multipliers are smaller. Austerity serves to contract the economy, but does so more effectively than tax cuts and spending stimulate the economy. In order for fiscal stimulus policies to return to past effective levels, major structural changes will have to occur in the economy: incomes will have to be redistributed from the wealthiest households and toward the middle and working classes by means of a number of measures, while debt levels will have to be reduced or debt expunged.
Some Conclusions
Best case, the financial crash, deep recession, and subsequent two decades long (1992-2012) stagnation of Japan may well represent the most likely scenario for the global economy in the decade immediately ahead. Worst case, a second banking collapse—this time most likely originating in Europe or Asia—could accelerate the process of general global stagnation, precipitating yet another sharp global economic contraction that would almost certainly prove worse than the 2009-09 crash.
The latter scenario may more accurately represent the future since it has become increasingly clear that global capitalist fiscal-monetary policies in the world’s major capitalist sectors—North America, Europe, Japan—have been declining in terms of their stimulative effects on economic recovery. Simultaneously, the same policies are producing more and more negative effects that are in fact now increasingly holding back economic recovery. Since these policies are converging across the main capitalist economic sectors, the negative effects are growing as the positive effects of such policies are declining. The net result is a gradual slowing of the global economy.
And as that long term growth slows, the global system becomes in turn more fragile and susceptible to another financial-banking crisis should such occur. The economies of the major sectors will continue to experience periods of short term growth, to be followed by relapses of growth rates or double dip recessions. Recoveries will prove short and shallow, as will the downturns. This produces the appearance of a ‘bouncing along the bottom’ or a ‘stop-go’ economic recovery scenario.
But corporations, bankers, and capitalist policy makers have no solution to this. They will continue to adhere to some form of monetary policy first and foremost, to keep the for-profit banking system afloat beyond all else. They will continue subsidies and preferential tax and subsidy treatment for the non-banking business sector, paid for by forms of austerity policies, some more severe than others, levied on the wage earning public.
For in the end these same policy makers believe that a strategy of ‘bailing out the banks’ and then waiting for the ‘market system’ to heal the rest of the economy over time is the proper approach. That waiting may take years and even decades, however.
In the interim, the ‘healing’ is more likely to represent an act of medieval ‘blood-letting’ on a patient suffering from a terminal heart condition.
Jack Rasmus
Jack is the author of the 2012 book, ‘Obama’s Economy: Recovery for the Few’, Pluto Press, and host for the weekly radio show, ‘Alternative Visions’, on the progressive radio network, PRN.FM. His website is: www.kyklosproductions.com, he blogs at jackrasmus.com, and his twitter handle is @drjackrasmus.
(NOTE: for the various charts and graphs accompanying this article, see the article as it appears in ‘Z’ magazine, November 2013.)
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Amazon the Job Killer: Yesterday, Today & (AI) Tomorrow
Prominent in the news this past week was the report that Amazon and its CEO, Jeff Bezos, reached record levels of market valuation and wealth. Amazon is now worth more than $1 trillion and Bezos’s personal wealth stands at $165 billion. This of course is largely due to the stock price appreciation of the company, as investors in the US and worldwide pile into purchasing Amazon stock and thereby drive up its stock price, its market valuation and, in turn, Bezos’s share of that in terms of his own net worth.
Why so much investment money is surging into Amazon—and other tech company stocks like Google, Apple, and others—is a story in itself but left here for another analysis. Briefly, it has to do with the investor class’s accelerating capital gains from the $1 trillion a year distribution to them from Corporate America’s stock buybacks and dividend payouts. A trillion dollars a year, every year (2011 to 2017) for the past six years in buybacks and dividends by S&P 500 corporations alone. This year, 2018, buybacks and dividend payouts will set a record of more than $1.3 trillion in such distribution to investor-shareholders, pumped up by Trump tax cuts of more than $300 billion in 2018 that are doubling profits of S&P 500 companies.
According to a recent report by Zion Research, for the S&P 500 no less than 49% of their 2018 record profits has been due to the Trump tax cuts—a massive direct subsidy to corporate America without historical precedent in the US. For some sectors, like the telephone companies, 152% of their 2018 profits have been due to the Trump tax cuts. The massive tax-driven profits are then redistributed to their shareholder-investors via stock buybacks and dividends well exceeding $1 trillion annually. The stockholder-shareholders then plow back the much of the $1 trillion back into the stock market, driving up stock prices further that are already rising due to the record profits and buybacks. A good part of the ‘plowback’ into stocks has been going into the tech sector. The Apples, Googles, and of course Amazon especially—which leads to the company’s $1 trillion current market valuation and Jeff Bezos’s $165 billion personal net worth.
But to justify this obscene income subsidization of Corporate America by the US government—Trump and Congress—the political ‘spin’ is that it is creating jobs and wages are rising. But while wages are rising for a slice of workers in tech, healthcare, other high end professions, and salaries of managers, they are stagnant and falling for at least 133 million of the 165 million US labor force. (for more detailed analysis see my recent piece, ‘The Myth of Rising Wages’ at my blog, jackrasmus.com).
The other ‘spin’—that jobs are being created— is one that Amazon in particular has been promoting, as has most of the tech sector. But how true is that? What’s Amazon’s track record on jobs? And not just in 2018, but in recent years and, most importantly, in the decade to come? How many jobs has Amazon created? How many has it destroyed in other companies? What’s been Amazon’s ‘net’ job effect?
Competitors Job Destruction
It’s no secret that Amazon’s business model has destroyed tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of jobs of US workers in industries like bookstores (independent and chains like Borders Inc.). Its business model then expanded beyond book selling to general retail and resulted in destruction of local electronic, toy stores, and other mom & pop retail. In recent years this effect has begun to expand to what are called ‘big box’ retail stores like Sears, JC Penny, and others. Severely weakened by Amazon competition, they have begun closing stores and thus eliminating thousands of jobs. Sears and others will likely not survive the next recession coming soon, and go out of business altogether. While not totally due to Amazon competition, there’s little doubt that Amazon’s effect has been the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’, as they say.
Amazon’s business model has not only contributed to job destruction directly by forcing companies to go out of business. It does so indirectly as well. A good example is WalMart and Macys. They have been rapidly transitioning to Amazon’s model and emulating it by establishing their own online e-commerce sales. As they have begun to do so, they have also been shutting down hundreds of their brick and mortar stores in malls throughout the US. With those closures go tens of thousands of jobs. That’s indirect job destruction.
That process of forcing competitors to shift to e-commerce and close stores is soon to be replicated as well in the grocery store industry. Regional grocery store chains are rushing to establish on line food sales and delivery. And once they do, good-bye to many of the tens of thousands of jobs in your local grocery stores (checkers, stockers, buyers)—as more reduce the items in them that are easily sold online as well as shut down many of their brick and mortar stores.
But what about jobs at Amazon itself? The spin is that Amazon is creating new jobs, replacing jobs being lost at its retail competitors, both large and small. One hears of plans by Amazon to set up new warehouse outlets in the US (and abroad as well), in the process creating thousands of new jobs. Cities across the US currently are intensely competing with each other in bidding for the new Amazon warehouse operations. They’re offering massive subsidies and tax cuts to Amazon to entice it to choose them as the company’s new warehouse locations. So doesn’t that mean new jobs replacing the old retail disappearing due to Amazon? Yes, but only in the very short term. In a soon-to-follow subsequent phase of operations, those jobs will disappear rapidly.
Amazon’s Job Destruction: Warehouse Automation
What Amazon doesn’t like to talk about is that it is currently running internal pilot projects in its existing warehouses that plan to eliminate thousands of jobs by using robots to order, shelve and retrieve stock, and deliver ordered goods. Unlike real workers, the ‘bots’ will work 24/7, never take lunch breaks or get sick and, just as important, never seek to form a union and push for higher wages and benefits. That is the future of jobs within Amazon. The jobs created today will soon go away. Within five to ten years, Amazon will be fully automated. The jobs will go away, but the tax concessions and subsidies from local governments will remain. Amazon costs will continue to decline dramatically, and with it so too its profitability rise. That’s why, moreover, the investor class also continues to plow money into Amazon stock purchases, driving the company’s market valuation ever higher—and with it Jeff Bezos’s personal wealth!
But the accelerated shift to new technology within its warehouse operations is not the only way Amazon and Bezos are driving job destruction. Amazon is not simply a warehouse company. It is not just a retail company. It is a tech company. And that’s how Amazon will destroy most of the jobs over the next decade.
Drone Technology & Delivery Jobs Destruction
Amazon is a leading edge developer of drone technology. Its plan by the end of the next decade is to deliver most of its packaged products by means of drones. That will force major package delivery companies like UPS, Fedex, and the US Post Office to shift to drone delivery as well. That means fewer truck drivers. There are a million truck drivers in the US today. Most are local delivery workers, not the over the road 18-wheeler drivers. Their jobs are slated to disappear by the hundreds of thousands, as Amazon (and Google and others) perfect the drone delivery technology that will take deep hold in the next decade.
Alexa, Artificial Intelligence (AI) & 31 Million Jobs Destroyed
But automation of his warehouse operations and drone delivery technology negative impact on jobs will pale against what’s coming with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, of which Amazon is also a major innovator and driver. So briefly what’s AI? Rudimentary AI is embodied in Amazon’s ‘Alexa’ intelligent ‘bot (home “butler”, as some call it). Alexa is the hardware device, but it’s the software intelligence within it that is the AI. Currently Alexa (and Google and Apple’s similar products) respond to simple voice commands from users. Simple tasks like ‘order this’ (from Amazon of course), ‘turn off the lights’, ‘change the thermostat’ temperature in the house, etc. But Alexa is going to get more intelligent, much more intelligent. It will ‘learn’ to anticipate user commands of its users before they are even made. It will teach itself.
In a most basic sense, AI is nothing more than software (embedded in a hardware device) that employs techniques of advanced statistical data gathering and processing, based upon which it makes decisions. And the more requests by users, the more data gathered, the more processed, and the more decisions made—the more intelligent it becomes; the software ‘learns’ by means of AI techniques called ‘natural language processing’ and ‘deep learning’.
Over time the decision making becomes more accurate than if made by a human agent. This does not mean more accurate in the case of all decisions—i.e. for complex, creative tasks and decisions. That will still remain the realm of human decision making—albeit only for that minority of highly educated or trained workers capable of making such decisions. The simple decisions, tasks, etc. made by the vast majority of workers will be increasingly assumed by future Alexa-like software driven devices. And that’s where massive job destruction will occur, and sooner than most anticipate. In fact, the major impact will begin around 2020 and will accelerate throughout that decade.
The devastation of AI on jobs and occupations will be clear by 2030, as no fewer than 50% of all companies will implement some degree of AI by 2030, according to McKinsey.
AI will create jobs at the ‘high end’ that require advanced education skills—i.e. what’s called ‘analytics’ of all kinds. But it will destroy many-fold more jobs and occupations where simpler decision making is involved—especially in retail, hospitality, basic services of all kinds, and will of course also accelerate further current job destruction already underway in manufacturing.
These are the job areas that have been already seriously impacted by what’s called ‘contingent’ job creation—i.e. part time, temp, on call, gig and other work. Contingent jobs number in the tens of millions in the US already, and similar tens of millions in Europe, Japan, Asia. But these already devastated job occupations—with lower wages and few benefits—will be totally eliminated as well by the millions as a consequence of the impact of AI in the next decade.
For example: nearly all customer service rep jobs will be replaced by even more intelligent AI-Alexa devices. This is already happening on a rudimentary level. First and second tier call center inquiries and service inquiries have already been replaced. But as AI advances, even higher level inquiries, that only trained technicians now handle, will be replaced as well. In-home ‘virtual assistant’ roles now performed by devices like Alexa will proliferate throughout businesses and the economy over the next decade. Occupations like receptionists, ticket sellers, movie kiosk and concessions workers, phone sales reps, in store retail sales assistants, tellers of all kinds, food ordering and food preparation, and so on are prime job occupations destined for displacement. AI will have a major impact as well on scores of maintenance and repair job occupations. AI will enable hardware devices of all kinds to self-maintain and even self-repair.
The auto industry will be heavily impacted by intelligent, self-maintenance and repair capabilities in new cars and trucks that will eliminate tens of thousands of auto mechanic jobs. Intelligent tires will learn to self-inflation and repair, cars to re-align themselves, and filters self-clean. Local banking and insurance services, residential real estate, accounting occupations, marketing, and what are called business ‘back office’ functions will all be job-impacted by Alexa-like devices that expand from their current role as ‘home butlers’, become more advanced, up-graded, and penetrate business operations on a wide scale.
AI will also have a profound impact on educational services: K-12 and community college teachers will be de-professionalized and increasingly become in-classroom monitors of tech equipment, software and hardware based, that will deliver the standardized classroom instruction for many of the courses taught. Online higher education instruction will increasingly become the norm as well. Wages and compensation of teachers and professors will stagnate and decline accordingly.
Amazon has plans to lead the tech industry with its Alexa product. Alexa as a residential ‘bot butler’ is just the beginning. New, faster learning, self-teaching, more powerful, high end Alexa-like devices will target business enterprises over the coming decade. They will serve as technology Trojan horses that will wipe out entire business functions and, in the process, countless job occupations as well.
How many jobs will be destroyed? And what are the economic consequences?
The McKinsey Consultants Group 2018 Study
A glimpse into the job destruction future was provided early this September by an in-depth study by the well-known McKinsey Consultancy Group. The study estimated that 60% of the current job occupations in the US will be impacted by AI by 2030. And one third, 33%, of that 60% will experience a reduction in jobs and/or hours worked. (see p. 21 of that study).
There are approximately 165 million in the US workforce today. Assuming the long term trend of 1-1.5 million growth annually in that workforce over the next 12 years—the historical average—that means on average a175 million US work force over the next decade. Assuming McKinsey’s 60% impact, and 33% of that 60% experiencing reduced employment, the result is roughly 31 million jobs will be lost, or have hours significantly reduced, due to the effects of AI over the next decade.
According to the McKinsey study, the ‘cost’ to workers will be $7 trillion. AI will reduce corporate costs by 50% where introduced, thereby boosting ‘profits’ to business from introducing job-killing AI by $13 trillion. In other words, AI will dramatically accelerate the already devastating income inequality trends in the USA. Having declined already from 64% to 56% of total national income, Labor Share will thus decline even more sharply by 2030.
Unless there is a massive government financed program of technical job retraining, a basic restructuring of the US educational system, and some sort of guaranteed annual income for those workers too old or unable to make the rapid changeover to an AI driven economy, there will be a significant negative impact to household consumption and therefore the economy in general. This will require a major restructuring of the current tax system that reverses the $15 trillion in tax cuts for corporations and investors that has been implemented since 2001.
Given the current political leadership in America at present, however, it is highly unlike the tax changes and funding shift will be implemented. Republican Congresses and presidents will argue that GDP is growing despite the job destruction, AI created jobs will be over-estimated and jobs destroyed under-estimated, and income inequality will be blamed on workers displaced not re-educating themselves and becoming more productive (and useful to tech driven economic growth). Policies will continue to provide credit and debt to households as a substitute to actual wage growth. Guaranteed annual income supplements will be called ‘socialism’, while actual subsidization of capital incomes by the government via tax cuts and cheap money—i.e. actual ‘socialism for investors and business—continue by another name. Democrats during worst times will be given a shot at the changes but will deliver too little-too late in token adjustments, thus laying the ground work for a return of Republican-Corporate solutions that claim will resolve the problem while actually making it worse.
In other words, the policy process that has characterized the last three and a half decades will likely continue into the next. AI in net terms will make the rich much richer, provide job and attractive wage opportunities for perhaps the top 10% of the US work force, leave maybe another third continuing to thread economic water, while thrusting the bottom 50% of workers in America into a still more desperate economic condition than they already experience.
Over the 2020 to 2030 decade, Amazon the tech company will be at the leading edge of AI development and its devastating negative impact on the majority of jobs and wages. Simultaneously, in the shorter run, Amazon the warehouse company will start eliminating its jobs by the thousands as it automates its warehouse operations; and Amazon the retail giant will continue to directly, and indirectly, destroy retail jobs as its competitors—small and large alike—attempt to adjust to Amazon’s job destruction machine.
Dr. Rasmus is author of the recently published book, “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression”, Clarity Press, August 2017, and the forthcoming companion critique of US fiscal-trade-industrial policy, “The Scourge of Neoliberalism: Economic Policy from Reagan to Trump”, also by Clarity Press. He blogs at jackrasmus.com and his twitter handle is @drjackrasmus.
"The universality of Rasmus's art helps us see deeper truths about ourselves and our current predicament. The result is a useable past."
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Valerie Scott Knaust
Valerie began teaching at the Arts Center in its 7th St location more than 20 years ago. In the late 90s she became the Marketing Director for the newly founded St. Pete Clay Company. What started as a small local endeavor soon grew to demand a larger venue. Beth Morean, Valerie’s longtime friend, purchased the Historic Train Station in 2000, and the original partners set the stage for what would, years later, become the finest ceramic arts center on the Eastern seaboard. As the Director of the Morean Center for Clay, Valerie has overseen the transformation from a small business to a thriving magnet for ceramic arts. With the Florida Heat Workshops now attracting international presenters and participants, and the CreateSpace Children’s Art Experience on the horizon, Valerie has set her sights on the legacy of the MCC. “Our job is and always has been to get out into the local community and to make a difference, especially with the children. We change little lives every day.” After all that she has accomplished, Valerie is still a teacher at heart.
Valerie Scott Knaust Samurai 2010 Soda fired ceramic Exhibiting Artist, Staff, Instructor, Student
Collection of the Artist
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McHALE PLANT SALES APPOINTS TECHNICAL & TRAINING MANAGER
Damian Quigley (age 34) has been appointed to the position of Technical & Training Manager with construction equipment, forestry and waste processing machinery distributor, McHale Plant Sales.
In his new role, his primary function will be to advance the careers of apprentices, give technical support to the company’s own field engineers, and provide customer service personnel with even more direct and streamlined access to technical guidance. Internally, health and safety training issues also form part of his remit.
From Ballina, Co. Tipperay, Damian is a past pupil of St. Anne’s Community College in Killaloe. He joined McHale as an apprentice some 14 years ago since when he has been a technician within its field engineering team.
Married to Priscilla with two children, a son and daughter, he lives in the townland of Kilmustulla, near Birdhill. Away from work, he is a long-standing member of Killaloe Coastguard River & Mountain Rescue with 11 years of voluntary service to his credit.
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21/09/2017 | Hardback |
About The Passions of Mary Wollstonecraft - A Novel
'Eloquent and highly readable, a fascinating novel on an eternal theme – the destructive power of sexual love: how, reason and emotion, thought and feeling, have always been at war in female lives.'
Fay Weldon
Wendy Louise Bardsley has gained a strong reputation first as a poet and now as a novelist. She has published four volumes of adult poetry and one for children. Her most recent publication was a new edition of her novel, Branwell Brontë’s Creation, which was reissued by Methuen in June 2017 to mark the 200th anniversary of Branwell’s birth. The author lives in West Yorkshire. In her excellent new novel, Wendy Louise Bardsley takes the reader on a journey from Yorkshire to London, Wales, and Paris, as she explores the remarkable life of Mary Wollstonecroft. As a young woman, Mary copes with a bullying father, a subjugated mother, sees young friends die in childbirth and from tuberculosis. And whilst her elder brother Ned follows an unfettered path to a career as a lawyer, Mary is deprived of a formal education. All of these experiences combine to shape Mary’s ideals for the improvement of the lot of women, a subject she pursues passionately throughout her adult life. Determined to improve her mind, Mary reads, writes and associates with learned men of the day. Through her writing Mary meets publisher Joseph Johnson, who introduces Mary not only to several famous writers of the time, but also to artist Henri Fuseli, with whom she becomes infatuated. With the French Revolution raging, Mary travels to Paris to experience the terror pervading the French capital. Whilst there, she meets and falls in love with Gilbert Imlay, by whom she has a daughter. But Imlay proves feckless, and the relationship, which began so passionately, ends in tears. Back in London, Mary rejoins Joseph Johnson’s cultural circle which includes William Godwin, who has admired her for a long-time. Mary and Godwin marry in March 1797 and in August 1797, their daughter, also called Mary and who will grow up to be the future Mary Shelley, is born. But complications follow the birth and Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin dies on 10 September 1797, aged just 38, leaving her seminal work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, as a fitting epitaph to a remarkable story.
Wendy Louise Bardsley
Also by Bardsley, Wendy Louise
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No More Handgun Bans
On Monday, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands stuck down the last handgun ban in the United States in the case of Radich v. Guerrero. Judge Manglona’s opinion held that the Islands’ bans on handgun possession, possession of any firearms for self-defense purposes, importation of handguns, and firearm possession by resident aliens violated the Second and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.
It’s fitting that the facts leading to this case illustrate why Americans continue to overwhelmingly support the right of law-abiding people to possess handguns for self-defense. In 2013, married couple David and Li-Rong Radich sought firearm licenses for self-defense after Li-Rong was attacked in their home. After no action was taken on their applications, the Radiches filed their suit challenging the bans.
Judge Manglona began her opinion by examining the application of the U.S. Constitution to the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands. She found that while some provisions of the Constitution do not directly apply to the Commonwealth, certain provisions, including the Second Amendment and section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment, do apply via the founding Covenant that formed the Islands’ political union with the United States.
After finding that the Second and Fourteenth Amendments controlled, it was a simple matter of applying the Supreme Court’s precedents from District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. City of Chicago to the prohibitions in question. Following those precedents, Judge Manglona found no justification that could preserve the Commonwealth’s bans on handgun possession, possession of any firearms for self-defense purposes, importation of handguns, and firearm possession by resident aliens.
This decision shows how far gun rights supporters have come from only forty years ago when the leading opponents of the right to keep and bear arms laid out their plan to end handgun possession in the United States. As Nelson T. “Pete” Shields put it in a 1976 interview with The New Yorker, “[t]he first problem is to slow down the increasing number of handguns being produced and sold in this country. The second problem is to get handguns registered. And the final problem is to make the possession of all handguns and all handgun ammunition—except for the military, policemen, licensed security guards, licensed sporting clubs, and licensed gun collectors—totally illegal.” At the time, Shields was the chairman of the National Council to Control Handguns, which was renamed Handgun Control, Inc. in 1979 and is now called the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
These days, gun control supporters don’t like to talk about their goal of banning firearms commonly kept for self-defense unless its with an oblique reference, but steps one and two of the plan laid out by Shields are still very much alive in the modern gun-controller’s toolbox. Gun control groups continue to do whatever they can to marginalize gun ownership, and firearm registration – whether directly or indirectly – through “universal” background checks, and other “common sense” reforms.
The Commonwealth could appeal this decision, but their likelihood of success is slim, at least for now, given Heller and McDonald. But, that record is now more in jeopardy than ever given the potential shift on Second Amendment cases with Antonin Scalia’s passing.
Source: https://www.nraila.org/articles/20160401/no-more-handgun-bans
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Applying continuous airway pressure improves respiratory and survival rates in children
June 21, 2017 Rob Simms
An interesting article about the use of NIV and CPAP for respiratory distress in children. The IMT Medical Bellavista ventilator is designed to deliver NIV and CPAP to all age groups, from neonates, to paediatrics to adults.
PUBLIC RELEASE: 20-JUN-2017
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY'S MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
June 20, 2017 -- A study by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and the Mailman School of Public Health found that applying continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a form of non-invasive ventilation, decreased mortality in children with respiratory distress. Findings from the trial in Ghana indicated that the procedure especially benefitted children less than one year of age. Results of the study are published online in The Lancet Global Health.
CPAP can improve respiratory rate and survival in children with primary pulmonary diseases. The latest findings confirmed that no serious adverse events were associated with the treatment, it is safe and effective to use in district level hospitals, and a step forward in treating children with respiratory distress in resource-limited settings.
Sites for the Columbia study were two non-tertiary hospitals in Ghana where invasive mechanical ventilation was not routinely available, and nurses initiated and managed care with once or twice daily physician rounds. A sample size of 1025 participants in the CPAP group and 1175 in the control group was studied.
Two-week all-cause mortality in children 1 year of age and younger significantly decreased when non-invasive positive airway pressure was continuously applied -- 3 percent of patients in the CPAP group versus 7 percent of patients in the control group who were not given the therapy. In children of all ages - one month to 5 years, respiratory rate was significantly lower in the CPAP group at 4 hour, 8 hour, 12 hour, and 24 hour time points.
"In addition to demonstrating the safety of CPAP and the children's improved survival rates, our study is unique in that CPAP was initiated and managed at the first hospital level by emergency ward nurses who work much of the day without direct supervision by a physician," said Rachel T. Moresky, MD, MPH, Mailman School of Public Health associate professor of Population and Family Health, associate professor of Medicine, Emergency Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, and senior author.
Dr. Moresky continued, "Other CPAP studies in low resource settings have been demonstrated at tertiary hospitals (or university hospitals) and with physician specialists applying the CPAP treatments. Our study demonstrates that by task sharing this skill to nurses, that lifesaving care can be brought closer to the community."
Pneumonia, sepsis, and severe malaria kill more than 2 million children younger than 5 years every year. These treatable illnesses can progress to respiratory failure. Most of these deaths occur in low-income and middle-income countries, where diagnostic and therapeutic interventions are often severely scarce.
The World Health Organization recommends redistributing health-care tasks to less highly trained individuals. With a nurse to doctor ratio of 8:1 in many African nations, successful training of nurses to effectively and safely apply CPAP will be crucial for its proliferation in non-tertiary hospitals.
"We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of CPAP in a setting where nurses care for patients with limited physician oversight, and where certain sophisticated diagnostic tests are not routinely done which added value to our study," said Dr. Moresky, who is also director of the International Emergency Medicine Fellowship program at Columbia.
"Our findings coupled with the results from two smaller studies in Bangladesh and Malawi support the use of non-invasive ventilation for children presenting with acute respiratory distress in low-resource settings and are a step forward in codifying best practices for treating them," noted Patrick T. Wilson, MD, MPH, Columbia University Medical Center assistant professor of Pediatrics, Mailman School of Public Health assistant professor of Population and Family Health, and lead author.
The results also suggest that the use of CPAP in young children with respiratory insufficiency is appropriate in other parts of the developing world, where diagnostic capabilities are similarly limited. The study showed that for every 25 children under the age of 1 year treated with CPAP, one life can be saved and most patients will have improved respiratory rates for at least 24 hours.
Dr. Wilson concludes "The results of the study are remarkable in that it included children with a wide range of disease processes, making it more generalizable to real life settings in low- and middle-income countries around the world."
Co-authors: Sara Lopez-Pintado, Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health; Frank Baiden, Ensign College of Public Health, Ghana; Joshua C Brooks, School of Medicine, University of Queensland-Ochsner, Brisbane, Australia; Marilyn C Morris, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center; Katie Giessler, Global Health Sciences, University of California San Francisco; Damien Punguyire, Municipal Health Directorate, Ghana; Gavin Apio, Kintampo Municipal Hospital, Ghana; Akua Agyeman-Ampromfi, Centre for Global Health Research, Ghana; Justice Sylverken, Department of Pediatrics, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana; Kwadwo Nyarko-Jectey, Mampong Municipal Hospital, Ghana; and Harry Tagbor, School of Medicine, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana
The study was supported by General Electric Foundation Columbia University sidHARTe Program (Grant PT-AABK1277).
Founded in 1922, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting New Yorkers, the nation and the world. The Mailman School is the third largest recipient of NIH grants among schools of public health. Its over 450 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as preventing infectious and chronic diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, health policy, climate change & health, and public health preparedness. It is a leader in public health education with over 1,300 graduate students from more than 40 nations pursuing a variety of master's and doctoral degree programs. The Mailman School is also home to numerous world-renowned research centers including ICAP and the Center for Infection and Immunity. For more information, please visit http://www.mailman.columbia.edu.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/20...
← Study reveals safety of patient-administered sedatives during mechanical ventilationToronto Pulmonary Function Testing Symposium 2017 →
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Tag Archives: John Prine
Marty Stuart’s 3 Artist-in-Residence Shows at the Hall of Fame to Feature Chris Stapleton, John Prine, Emmylou Harris & More on Select Dates
Following in the footsteps of country music luminaries like Kris Kristofferson, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Rosanne Cash and more, Marty Stuart will be the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s 16th artist-in-residence Marty will perform three themed shows in the museum’s CMA Theater on Sept. 11 (The Pilgrim), Sept. 18 (Psychedelic Jam-Bo-Ree) and Sept.…
Kacey Musgraves, John Prine, Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb & More Earn Americana Awards Nominations
The nominees for the 2019 Americana Honors & Awards were announced on May 14. Artists with multiple nominations include Dave Cobb, Lori McKenna, Yola and John Prine. The 2019 Americana Honors & Awards show will be held September 11 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The ceremony is the centerpiece of AmericanaFest (Sept. 10–15), which features more…
Country Music Hall of Fame’s First Exhibit of 2019 to Feature Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton & More
The Country Music Hall of Fame will open its first exhibit of 2019 on March 8 by memorializing the music of 2018. American Currents: The Music of 2018 will examine the previous year in country music, Americana and bluegrass by highlighting noteworthy figures, including Jason Aldean, John Anderson, Dan Auerbach, Matraca Berg, Bobby Bones, Brothers…
John Prine and Tom T. Hall to Be Inducted Into Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Songwriters Hall of Fame announced its six inductees for 2019: John Prine, Tom T. Hall, Dallas Austin, Missy Elliott, Jack Tempchin and Cat Stevens. John Prine, Missy Elliott and Cat Stevens will be inducted into the “performing” category, while “non-performing” inductees include Tom T. Hall, Dallas Austin and Jack Tempchin. The Class of 2019…
2019 Bonnaroo Lineup Includes Maren Morris, John Prine, Kacey Musgraves & More
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival unleashed its 100-plus-artist lineup for 2019, and it includes a number of country-centric performers, including Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, John Prine, Ruston Kelly and more. For the second year in a row, Bonnaroo will feature the Grand Ole Opry stage, with special guests to be announced in the coming weeks.…
CMT to Premiere “2018 AmericanaFest” TV Special With Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Rosanne Cash, John Prine & More
If you didn’t make it to Nashville in September for the 17th annual AmericanaFest, you can still catch some of the action thanks to CMT. CMT will air the 2018 AmericanaFest TV special on Dec. 6 at 9 p.m. ET with performances by Brandi Carlile (“The Joke”), Buddy Guy (“Damn Right, I’ve Got The Blues”),…
Vince Gill, John Prine, Dean Dillon, Tom T. Hall & More Earn Nominations for 2019 Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Songwriters Hall of Fame announced more than 20 nominees in two categories (performing and non-performing) for its Class of 2019, including a handful of country-centric songwriters. Performing nominees include Vince Gill, John Prine, Mike Love, Jimmy Cliff, Jeff Lynne, Cat Stevens, Mariah Carey, Chrissie Hynde, Lloyd Price, Missy Elliott, Tommy James and the Eurythmics…
John Prine Among the Nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019
John Prine has the chance to go where few country artists have gone: the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. John is among the nominees for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. Other nominees include Def Leppard, Devo, Janet Jackson, Kraftwerk, LL Cool J, MC5, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine,…
Bill Murray Makes Surprise Grand Ole Opry Debut Alongside John Prine & the SteelDrivers [Watch]
Bill Murray made his surprise debut on the Grand Ole Opry on Sept. 25 as he joined the SteelDrivers and John Prine onstage to sing “Paradise,” a tune from John’s 1971 self-titled debut album. The Opry shared a couple of photos of the A-list ensemble via Twitter, saying, in part: “This is one #OpryMoment you…
Americana Awards to Live Stream Performances by Jason Isbell, John Prine, Rosanne Cash, Robert Earl Keen, Margo Price & More
The 17th annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony will be live streamed via NPR on Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m. CT from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Hosted by the Milk Carton Kids with musical director Buddy Miller, the Americana Awards will feature performances by k.d. lang, Buddy Guy, Irma Thomas, Rosanne Cash, John Prine, Robert Earl…
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Catching Up with 'Quelle (2)
Movie Star Diet – Something Celeste Holm said in an interview about High Society (1956) has wedged itself in my brain and hasn’t wanted to let go. She said that Grace Kelly was very conscious about her weight and her lunch on set was always a cup of tea with honey and a grapefruit. Yikes! I think my ulcer would come back if I ate like that. I sometimes wonder what movie stars ate? Especially when they were working on a movie. Then there is Ava Gardner (the only actress I truly despise) who would eat like a horse and not gain weight. Her daily meal consumption included:
Breakfast: Southern-fried chicken, grits, biscuits, gravy, coffee.
Lunch: A large steak, veggies, potatoes, salad, apple-pie with ice cream, iced-tea.
Snack: A milkshake. Cornbread dipped in cooked vegetable juices.
Dinner: Another steak, with all the trimmings.
Dessert: ____
Evening snack: An omelette.
Geez at least she skipped dessert!
Robert Mitchum iPhone 4 Case - I got it!
And I love it! It pretty much represents who I am. Someone who loves modern technology but yearns for the past.
You can custom make your own iPhone case over at CafePress.com . The above image is from my Instagram. If you'd like to follow me on there, my username is QuelleLove.
Recuperating - I had surgery on Friday so I've been (trying) to take it easy this weekend. Lots of movies seen! I hope you all have a good week.
Liz and Dick - I recently watched the trailer for the new Liz and Dick TV movie. What do you think of Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor? I know a lot of you are strongly against it. I wasn't happy with Jennifer Love Hewitt as Audrey Hepburn and I'm expecting similar from Lohan.
Posted by Raquel Stecher 3 comments: Links to this post
Labels: Catching up with 'Quelle
Lightning Flash Giveaway ~ Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 50th Anniversary Event
It's time for another Lightning Flash giveaway hosted by Sony Pictures Entertainment and NCM Fathom Events!
I'm giving a way 3 pairs of tickets for Lawrence of Arabia (1962) screening on Thursday October 4th in select US theaters. Check out NCM Fathom Events' official page for the Lawrence of Arabia event for details on where it's showing.
The event features an introduction by Omar Sharif, a newsreel from the New York premiere of Lawrence of Arabia, an interview with Director Martin Scorsese and some extra fun features. The film has been digitally restored in celebration of the 50th anniversary.
Also on November 13th, a fantastic new Blu-Ray set will be available for sale! (I swear no one is paying me to say this, I just like really nice looking collector's editions boxed sets. I wish I could own them all!)
You can enter to win a chance to see this here! It's a lightning flash giveaway so please be prepared to respond ASAP to my email if you are contacted. Read the rules and regulations and fill out the form below.
Rules and Regulations:
1) US participants only.
2) Enter by Sunday September 30th at Noon EST.
3) Winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email.
4) There is only ONE SHOWING. If you are not available to see this on Thursday October 4th, please do not enter this contest.
5) If you win, you must reply to my announcement email by 8 am EST on Monday October 1st so NCM Fathom can get you the tickets.
CONTEST IS NOW OVER.
Winners are Merry, Steve and Bill. Congratulations! Thank you to everyone who participated.
Posted by Raquel Stecher 1 comment: Links to this post
Warner Archive Wednesday ~ Any Number Can Play (1949)
Any Number Can Play (1949) was shown recently on TCM (Turner Classic Movies). Host Ben Mankiewicz chose to screen it right after Gilda (1946) because both movies dealt with casinos and the people who run them and how that affects the people in their lives. Any Number Can Play has a terrific cast. It stars Clark Gable who was still a major star but according to Mankiewicz needed something to boost his career after a bit of a slump after WWII. Gable also had to compete with the new popular media: Television. So instead of a fancy film about casinos, this one is more about the emotional toll casinos and gambling take on the folks involved.
Clark Gable plays Charley Kyng, the owner of an underground casino. The years of dealing with staff, gangsters and gamblers has taken a toll on him. He's developed a pain in his chest (angina) and wants to take some time off. But it's harder to pry himself free from his business than he thought. He sees how his choice of career is affecting his family: his wife Lon (Alexis Smith) is sad and worried and his son Paul (Darryl Hickman) lashes out.
This film has a terrific cast. Audrey Totter plays Alice, Charley Kyng's sister, and Wendell Corey plays her husband Robbin who works at the casino. Mary Astor plays Ada, Charley's old lover who still harbors strong feelings for Charley even though he won't reciprocate. Frank Morgan plays a regular at the casino.
Image Source: Another Old Movie Blog
And then there is Lewis Stone. Oh my goodness. How I do love Lewis Stone. I have a serious soft spot for him. Lewis Stone plays Ben, an old widower and ex-insurance agent with a penchant for drink and gambling. In one scene, he comes to Charley (Clark Gable) for a loan. He's done it several times in the past but this time he has collateral. He leaves behind the flask his deceased wife Imogee left to him. It's at this point where I just burst in to tears. A lot of tears. Every single scene with Lewis Stone just gets me crying. Balling. Sobbing. Lewis Stone. I'll save you! Don't give up! I'll adopt you! Let me give you a hug!
I also really sympathized with Clark Gable's character Charley. I have been having some bad chest pains too (although mine are muscle related due to an inflammation around my rib cage). It gets worse with every day stress of work, chores and other health problems. I wish I was in the situation where I had enough money to take a break. But alas I don't.
The film has a good cast but it moves very slowly. It could have used the noir touch for some added intensity and drama. The promotional poster (see above) says this film is not suitable for children but it's not as dark as it pretends to be. It's worth watching for the terrific cast though.
The movie is available on DVD via Warner Archive.
Warner Archive Wednesday - On (random) Wednesdays, I review one title from the Warner Archive Collection. Movies selected are rented from Classicflix, watched on TCM or purchased from Warner Archive, Classicflix or TCM. This series is not sponsored by Warner Archive.
Labels: Film Reviews, Warner Archive Wednesday
Turner Classic Film Festival 2013 April 25-28
Here are the details from TCM. I really hope I can go this year!
TCM host and film historian Robert Osborne will serve as official host of the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival, with TCM's Ben Mankiewicz also introducing various events during the festival. The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which has a longstanding role in movie history and was the site of the first Oscars® ceremony, will once again serve as the official hotel for the festival, as well as a central gathering point for attendees. Screenings and events will also be held at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Chinese 6 Theatres and the Egyptian Theatre. The Hollywood Roosevelt will also offer special rates for festival attendees.
Cinematic Journeys: Travel in the Movies, the theme for the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival, will explore how movies can carry viewers beyond their hometowns to distant or imaginary locales, where they can be transformed by great storytelling. Often, the mode of travel provides the filmic inspiration, whether it's planes, trains, or automobiles. At other times, the trip itself serves as the central narrative, as in the case of many "road movies." With Hollywood as the starting point, TCM's cinematic excursion will take festival attendees on a fascinating journey to cinematic worlds both familiar and new.
Passes for the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival are set to go on sale in November and can be purchased through the TCM Classic Film Festival website at http://www.tcm.com/festival. Passes will be available in five levels, including an additional level added this year. The number of passes available is limited, especially for top-level "Spotlight" passes.
The "Spotlight" Festival Pass: $1,599 – Includes all privileges available to "Classic" and "Essential" passholders, priority entry to all events; plus entry to an exclusive opening-night party following the red-carpet gala screening at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre; meet-and-greet events with TCM friends, including Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz; and an official TCM Classic Film Festival poster signed by Osborne.
The "Essential" Festival Pass: $699 – Includes all privileges available to "Classic" passholders, plus entry to the opening-night red-carpet gala screening at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and official TCM Classic Film Festival collectibles.
The "Classic" Festival Pass: $549 – Includes access to all film programs at festival venues Thursday, April 25 – Sunday, April 28 (does not include admittance to the opening-night red-carpet gala screening at Grauman's Chinese Theatre or the opening-night party); access to all Club TCM events, panels and poolside screenings at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel; an opening-night welcome reception at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel; the closing-night event; and a commemorative festival program.
The "Matinee" Festival Pass: $349 – Includes access to all film programs starting prior to 6 p.m. (PT) at all festival venues Friday, April 26 – Sunday, April 28; admission to Club TCM events and panels at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel until 6 p.m. daily, Friday, April 26 – Sunday, April 28; and a commemorative festival program.
NEW PASS LEVEL: The "Palace" Festival Pass: $249 – Includes access to all screenings and events at Grauman's Chinese Theatre (excluding the opening-night red-carpet gala) and the Egyptian Theatre Friday, April 26 – Sunday, April 28 as well as a commemorative festival program.
The TCM Classic Film Festival launched in spring 2010 and has quickly established itself destination event. Each year, the festival welcomes 25,000 to more than a hundred screenings and events, with passholders coming from around the world to attend. The 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival included appearances by Liza Minnelli, Kirk Douglas, Mel Brooks, Kim Novak, Debbie Reynolds, Angie Dickinson, Robert Wagner, Stanley Donen and many, many more.
Information about the TCM Classic Film Festival, including video and photos from past festivals, is available at http://www.tcm.com/festival/.
I thought I’d start a new series on this blog (one that I can stick with!) called Catching Up with ‘Quelle. I feel like a lot of my posts take so much time and are so focused that I don’t get a chance to talk about the random classic film related stuff that doesn’t merit an entire post. So my posts in this series, posted every Sunday, will feature a mish-mash of stuff going on in my life with a classic film theme.
Elia Kazan Blu-Ray set – Oh noes. I feel like a failure. Remember whenI posted about the sexy Elia Kazan DVD boxed set my husband (then boyfriend) gave me? I haven’t seen all the films in it yet and I’m just hearing that a Blu-Ray set will be coming out soon. It’s only 4 movies and my DVD boxed set has many more but it still makes me feel like I didn’t appreciate the gift to it’s fullest potential. I haven’t been upgrading to Blu-Ray the way Carlos has. I see the benefit but I can't screen cap Blu-Rays so DVDs end up being better for blogging.
Robert Mitchum iPhone 4 Case – Yes this is happening. I customized one over at CafePress. I found this amazing picture of Robert Mitchum, in a striped sweater and leaning on a fence post. I don’t know why but it’s my new favorite photo of him. Why iPhone 4 when iPhone 5’s release is imminent? Well, I’ve had an iPhone 3 for ages but couldn’t afford to upgrade to an iPhone 4 until the news of the iPhone 5’s release dropped the 4’s price. So I’m one step behind the game but it’s still an upgrade. I’m getting a new case now before they stop making them. I’d usually prefer a rubber case because I drop my phone a lot but how could I resist the chance to make my own Robert Mitchum iPhone case?!
Source: Heck Yeah Robert Mitchum
1930s female body type – Carlos and I were watching Smart Woman (1931) on TCM the other day and we were both discussing the body type of females during that era. You’ll find a lot of flat chested skinny gals with wide hips. Their backless and draping dresses accentuated these features. I am really curious about how body types have changed over the different decades of the 20th century. They are so different now. We have such a wide array of body types and people seem to abuse their bodies a lot these days. Anorexia/bulimia, obesity, over-excersing, steroids, plastic surgery, yo-yo dieting, etc. We come in all shapes and sizes. What’s the body type of today?
Sammy Davis Jr. The Photographer – I’ve been having lots of health problems lately and Carlos has been helping me out through it all. I got him a small gift as a thank you. It’s a book called
Photo by Sammy Davis, Jr. It’s quite amazing. I’ll be borrowing the book from him to read and will make sure to review it here.
The Birds (1963) - I saw this film on Wednesday and I'm still thinking about it. Have you ever been attacked by a bird? I haven't been attacked by I've been chased by a male turkey, a goose and a swan (I got too close to her nest, oops!). I've fed birds by hand including a chickadee and a zebra pigeon. I actually really love birds and don't fear them.
(from when I saw Mickey Rooney live on stage in 2008)
Happy Birthday Mickey Rooney!
The Birds (1963) Performance September 19, 2012
Thanks to Fathom Events and TCM, Carlos and I went to go see The Birds (1963) last night at our local AMC theater.
I hate to admit it but I've been avoiding watching The Birds for years. None of Alfred Hitchcock's post Psycho (1960) films appeal to me and I usually stay in the safe territory of his 1940s and 1950s masterpieces. The idea of a movie about flocks of birds attacking a pretty blonde woman just didn't entice me. However, in the past few years I've become more and more open-minded to watching things I've avoided in the past. In doing so, I have discovered new favorites. So when the opportunity to see The Birds (1963) on the big screen came along, I was pretty excited and jumped on the chance to see it.
The film started with some TCM promos and some trivia questions. I think these kind of screenings benefit everybody. It gets folks into theaters during the middle of the week, a dead time for most movie theaters. It gives TCM an opportunity to promote their brand and products. And it also gives classic movie fans, especially ones who don't have access to repertory houses which screen old movies, a chance to watch some of our favorite classics on the big screen. It's a win-win-win situation all around and I hope this continues.
They completely sold me on this Alfred Hitchock: The Masterpiece Collection Limited Edition Blu-Ray boxed set. WANT!
Before the screening, we got to see an introduction to the film by Robert Osborne, an interview between Robert Osborne and Tippi Hedren from the last Turner Classic Movies Film Festival and archival interviews of Rod Taylor (from 1995) and Suzanne Pleshette (from 2003). We got to learn about how Alfred Hitchcock picked Tippi Hedren from an advertisement and had Universal court her for a movie. She became part of Hitchcock's entourage but it would be a couple years before he gave her a movie. Her very first one was The Birds. I love that she credits Jessica Tandy for inspiring her to play a more sympathetic character. And I thought it was very neat that Tippi wore the bird pin that Hitchcock gave her when he cast her in The Birds. Hitchcock seemed to be such an interesting but odd person. He tended to be possessive of his blonde starlets and collected them over the years. As Osborne said in the intro, each actor had a different experience with the director. Some good, some bad, some mixed. Hitchcock never treated one person the same as the next.
There is nothing new I can say about The Birds and I came to it with hardly any knowledge of the film. So I will just share my reactions. I wasn't too crazy about the movie but there were things I really enjoyed. The lack of music added a creepiness to the film which I thought was very effective. The bird noises were quite overwhelming. Carlos and I both found ourselves with our fingers in our ears at different points. You are supposed to be disturbed by the film so I found that to be effective as well. There is no musical soundtrack however Bernard Herrmann is listed as Sound Director. The only music really is the song you hear the girls singing in the Bodega Bay School.
The performances were so-so. I don't think anyone was spectacular and I thought Tippi Hedren's performance was just awful. I realize that she was a model and this was her first role so I give her some benefit of the doubt. It didn't help that I disliked her character Melanie Daniels and found no sympathy for her either.
The setting was amazing. Bodega Bay was quite a perfect choice. A big expansive space but still isolated and small. Edith Head was Tippi Hedren's costume designer but Tippi only wears one outfit the entire time.
The ending was very abrupt. All of a sudden we saw the Universal Pictures sign and that was it. We kept waiting for more. I knew that was Hitchcock's touch but we didn't even get to see the lights turn on because it's a satellite fed screening and there was no one there to oversee it.
Leaving the movie I kept asking myself lots of questions. Why did the birds attack the people of Bodega Bay? What was the purpose of them doing that? Was it an anti-feminist message? Was Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) and her romantic pursuit of Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) too much of a reversal of the sexes? Was she being punished for "acting like the man"? Was she being cursed? Was she a witch? Was it the ghost of Mr. Brenner who caused this? Was it a coincidence that she arrived at Bodega Bay right around the time the birds went crazy? How did they collect all those birds? Why did Melanie open that last door to the attic? Why did Fathom Events and TCM use a lot of blue in the promo image when the movie was clearly green? Why did my stomach keep making noises during the showing? WHY?!
Overall, it was a good experience. About 25 people showed up to the screening and no one laughed! And I'm looking forward to more Fathom Events and TCM screenings to come.
Update: One of my giveaway winners Jena pointed out to me this trailer for an upcoming movie about the making of The Birds (1963). It focuses on the strange relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren. Tippi Hedren is played by Sienna Miller and Hitchcock by Toby Jones. I had seen some publicity photos online but wasn't sure what it was for. Watch the teaser trailer below:
Labels: Alfred Hitchock, Film Reviews, Personal Adventures
Frankie Avalon Look-A-Like Spotted!
I've been meaning to post this forever! When Carlos and I were in Oahu, we saw a Surf Instructor who looked just like Frankie Avalon. It was surreal. I was too shy to take a picture of him so Carlos took these for me.
Labels: Personal Adventures
Lightning Flash Giveaway ~ The Birds (1963) on the Big Screen
It's time for another Lightning Flash giveaway hosted by Turner Classic Movies and NCM Fathom Events! I'm giving a way 3 pairs of tickets (total # to be confirmed) for The Birds (1963) showing on September 19th Wednesday in select US theaters. Check out NCM Fathom Events' official page on The Birds performance for details on where it's showing.
Confession: I've never seen Hitchcock's The Birds (1963). So it'll be quite a (traumatizing?) experience to see it on the big screen for the first time.
You can enter to win a chance to see this here! It's a lightning flash giveaway so please be prepared to respond ASAP to my email if you are contacted.
4) There is only ONE SHOWING. If you are not available to see this on Wednesday September 19th, please do not enter this contest.
5) If you win, you must reply to my announcement email by 8 am EST on Monday September 17th so NCM Fathom can get you the tickets.
UPDATE: The contest is now over. Congrats to the winners Tory, Deborah and Jena.
Classic Hollywood Style by Caroline Young
Classic Hollywood Style
by Caroline Young
Hardcover ISBN 9780711233751
Frances Lincoln
I cannot tell you how many times someone has come up to me to tell me that my outfit looks like something from an old movie. Or they point out something I would like because it's old Hollywood style. I just really love the fashion (as well as the design) of classic movies. So, a book like Caroline Young's Classic Hollywood Style is right up my alley.
Caroline Young's background is in Literature, Film and Journalism but her love and appreciation of classic Hollywood fashion is quite evident in this book. She takes a look at 34 films starting with Camille (1921) and ending with The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). Other notable films include Gone With the Wind (1939), Casablanca (1942), Gilda (1946), The Seven Year Itch (1955) and Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). There is a nice mix of popular films as well as some lesser known ones. There are 3 films from the 1920s, 7 films from the 1930s, 8 films from the 1940s, 11 films from the 1950s and 4 films from the 1960s. Each movie gets 3 spreads, 6 pages total with a couple movies getting an extra spread, 2 pages. There are many full page images but the focus really is on the text. Young explores the decision making of the fashion, the relationship between designer and star, the cultural influence of the film's fashion as well as the role the fashion plays in each film.
This book is nice and compact and is beautiful enough to serve as a small coffee table book but can easily be shelved as well. Basically, you want to read the book, not just look at the pretty pictures. The book is chockfull of great anecdotes and trivia bits. It's a really good choice for someone who is either into fashion or into classic films or both. There are no spoilers so if you haven't watched one of the films discussed then the movie won't be ruined for you. There were only a couple films I wasn't interested in but for the most part each film was a delight to read about. I hadn't realized how iconic certain outfits really are and how we identify certain films by those very outfits. The wife-beater on Marlon Brando, the white negligee on Elizabeth Taylor, the red windbreaker on James Dean, the white flowing dress on Marilyn Monroe, the green curtain dress on Vivien Leigh, etc. I don't even need to mention which outfit went with what film. You automatically know what it was just by the image.
I thought it was interesting that Young decided to end the list with 1968 when the Hays Code was put to an end. Young claims that with the end of the Hays Code there was a more towards realism because now filmmakers had more freedom to show what they wanted on screen. So the lack of realism in designer fashioned masterpieces didn't fit the new era of film. Designers became more like shoppers rather than artists. This is why fashion in film these days isn't as important as it was back then and why so many of us mourn for the style of old Hollywood.
My biggest issue with the book was a glaring error found in the section about The Dancing Lady (1933) with Joan Crawford. Young says "... in the 1930s she was the reigning queen of MGM." Oh hell no! You did NOT just diss the real 1930s Queen of MGM who was...
Norma Shearer!
Norma Shearer WAS the Queen of MGM. That was her actual title. Movie stars were often given titles or tag lines that were used in the promotion of their movies. Norma Shearer was Queen of MGM, Clark Gable was King of Hollywood, Sterling Hayden was "The Most Beautiful Man in Movies", etc. Norma Shearer was the Queen of MGM and no matter how much this author loves Joan Crawford it's not going to change the fact that Joan Crawford hated Norma Shearer because Shearer was the Queen and Crawford wanted the title for herself. The author tends to favor Joan Crawford featuring her more times in the book than any other actress. Joan Crawford was very influential to fashion with the clothes she wore on film. It was quite common for stores to start carrying Joan Crawford inspired pieces for the masses. However, NORMA SHEARER WAS STILL THE QUEEN OF MGM!
There were a couple other instances of the author making similar statements but the others seemed more based on fact rather than this Joan Crawford one. There were no Norma Shearer movies in the book. While Norma Shearer wore amazing clothes I don't think she was as influential in fashion as Joan Crawford so I understand her absence. But I'm still offended by the statement.
However, the book is very well-researched with an appendix full of sources including interviews, newspaper articles, press releases, biographies, production notes, etc. Let's just hope that the author and publisher can fix that Joan Crawford line to read "in the 1930s she was one of the biggest stars of MGM" which would have been more accurate.
If you love Classic Hollywood fashion and are willing to overlook the Norma Shearer-Joan Crawford gaffe, then pick up this book! It's quite a treat.
Disclosure: Thank you to Frances Lincoln Limited Publishers for a review copy of the book
Labels: Book Reviews, Books, Fashion, Norma Shearer
Lightning Flash Giveaway ~ Lawrence of Arabia (196...
Warner Archive Wednesday ~ Any Number Can Play (19...
Lightning Flash Giveaway ~ The Birds (1963) on the...
Discovering Oahu, Hawaii with Charlie Chan ~ Part ...
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Home › Top Stories › MALAITA EAGLE FORCE DECLARES WAR; PM: WE FEARED FOR OUR LIVES ›
MALAITA EAGLE FORCE DECLARES WAR; PM: WE FEARED FOR OUR LIVES
Submitted by piradmin on Wed, 06/07/2000 - 00:00
HONIARA, Solomon Islands (June 8, 2000 - Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation/PINA Nius Online)---The Malaita Eagle Force has declared an all out war against the Isatabu Freedom Movement of Guadalcanal.
Spokesman for the Malaita Eagle Force, Andrew Nori, confirmed this in an exclusive interview with SIBC News.
He said: "I am also sad to say that as of yesterday, the Malaita Eagle Force has publicly declared war on IFM. Not the people of Guadalcanal. So there is a heavy build up of people at the Alligator Creek area, equipment has been deployed to the area, and by tonight [Wednesday night] and tomorrow [Thursday], there will be a major offensive into Guadalcanal into the Foxwood area which may result in extending their roadblock, their bunkers as far as Foxwood."
Mr. Nori said he was sad to report that there were heavy casualties, a claim which could not be verified by any independent person. And while overseas reports claimed many people have died, SIBC News has not been able to verify the figures from reliable sources in the capital.
Attempts by the Red Cross Society to move into the area had also not been successful.
Mr. Nori said the Malaita Eagle Force sees this action as necessary to protect the city of Honiara and its citizens from the infiltration of the Isatabu Freedom Movement who he claimed were mounting an intense build up of men from both east and west ends of the capital.
Mr. Nori said intense fighting has been going on between the two groups and he anticipates fighting will escalate further.
He said the Malaita Eagle Force used a patrol boat to bombard the shoreline area east of the Alligator Creek while its ground forces pushed eastward from Henderson International Airport.
Mr. Nori, however, pointed out that the war is not against the ordinary people of Guadalcanal or anyone else other than members of the Isatabu Freedom Movement.
Asked how long the fighting will go on, Mr. Nori said until the Eagle Force is satisfied that the Isatabu Freedom Fighters are pushed further east and west to positions which no longer pose threat to the Honiara city citizens.
The offensive came after the Malaita Eagle Force and paramilitary police field force elements took over the armory at the Police Headquarters, took over the streets of the capital and placed Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa'alu under heavy military guard.
(BACKGROUND: There has been ongoing unrest on Guadalcanal, where Honiara is situated, involving the Isatabu Freedom Movement from Guadalcanal and the Malaita Eagle Force, made up of people originally from the island of Malaita. Radio Australia says an estimated 50 people have been killed and thousands forced to flee their homes in the past 18 months.
The trouble began when Guadalcanal militants began trying to force Malaitan settlers out of Guadalcanal, saying Malaitans dominated government jobs and business and were now taking over the land of the Guadalcanal people.
The Malaita Eagle Force was established by Malaitan men to do battle with the Isatabu Freedom Movement. The Malaita Eagle Force has demanded compensation for the losses suffered by the Malaitans.)
In other developments yesterday:
* Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa'alu said what happened on Monday was literally a coup and that he and his family feared for their lives.
But in his first interview since his house arrest early Monday morning by the Malaita Eagle Force and elements of the paramilitary police field force, Mr. Ulufa'alu said he was thankful for the guards who looked after him and his family.
He said: "Literally, it's a coup. Fortunate enough, I was asked to consider resigning within 48 hours, which is effective today [Wednesday]. However the leadership of the Malaita Eagle or of that joint operation have agreed to extend that deadline and also have agreed to remove the officers that were guiding me at the residence."
Mr. Ulufa'alu confirmed that he has not resigned but will wait for the meeting of Parliament to be convened next Thursday.
He also called on the two warring factions to return to their pre-coup positions so that peace talks could continue.
* The Guadalcanal Provincial Government is calling on the international community to assist in the political turmoil in Solomon Islands.
Speaking today Premier Alebua made the blanket call to all communities and countries who uphold the principles of democracy.
He also requested all provincial governments in the country to support the causes of upholding democracy in efforts to end all acts of aggression.
Meanwhile, Mr. Alebua urged Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa'alu not to resign.
* Australia expressed deep concern at the use of the patrol boat Lata to bombard the shoreline along the Tenaru area east of Honiara.
Australian High Commissioner in Honiara, Dr. Martin Sharp, told SIBC that as the country which provided the patrol boat to the Solomon Islands, Australia is "extremely concerned" that the boat should be used in this manner.
* The Solomon Islands Council of Trade Unions urged the Australian and New Zealand Trade Unions not to impose trade sanctions against the Solomon Islands.
President of the council David Tuhanuku says the problem is being pursued through constitutional requirements and, if sanctions are introduced, the country will suffer badly.
But Mr. Tuhanuku adds that if the situation gets beyond the accepted norms of the international community and the trade unions, he may not be able to stop sanctions against the Solomon Islands.
Mr. Tuhanuku also appeals to the leaders of Malaita Eagle Force to be aware of the conditions of the unarmed people living in Honiara.
* The Solomon Islands Water Authority, SIWA, informed the public that the current water problem experienced in parts of Honiara is related to an electrical fault to one of the power lines to Kongulai.
* A New Zealand frigate was reported on standby outside the Solomon Seas to evacuate Australian and New Zealand citizens.
Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) Website: http://www.pinanius.org
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SAMOA FRUIT DRYING PROJECT DESIGNED TO BOOST WOMEN IN BUSINESS
NO STOCK OF SNAKEBITE DRUG IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA
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Home / This Week / Agriculture & Horticulture / Challenges ahead to achieve food security in Pakistan
Challenges ahead to achieve food security in Pakistan
Mohammed Arifeen April 23, 2018 Agriculture & Horticulture, Cover Stories 2,084 Views
Pakistan at the time of its birth had hardly enough arable land and surface water resources to achieve food security. The Mangla Dam and other associated water infrastructure were constructed, and a massive land-clearing and reclamation effort was undertaken. The area under cultivation saw an increase as did the yields through large-scale utilization of modern inputs like urea fertilizer to lift the agrarian potential of the country and achieve food security by the early 1970s.
All is now changing. Pakistan began to see widespread incidence of malnutrition, which had until now largely impacted the youngest children. Now the Food and Agriculture Organization is telling that the area under cultivation has stagnated at just around 25 percent of the total land area of the country, and food output is not going to be able to keep pace with the rapid population increases.
With dwindling water resources, further expansion is not possible. Soil fertility is worsening; increasing yields is also becoming a growing challenge. The pressure to grow more nutritious food per unit of land is growing at an accelerating rate, putting unprecedented stress on future food security.
Pakistan is facing food insecurity due to insufficient agricultural production, political instability and corruption. Lack of purchasing power and access to adequate food supply for many of the poor people is the key reason for the country’s low level of food security.
Phenomenal economic growth is hard to anticipate. Hunger and malnutrition continue to prevail because of poor distribution of resources and lower purchasing power of the poor. Sufficient quantities of food at the national level and reduced poverty alone do not equal food security and good nutrition for all.
A shortfall in investment has led to limited innovation in the agricultural sector. Antiquated farming methods and inefficient use of resources have contributed to poor productivity. Two-thirds of the country’s population and 80 percent of the poor live in rural areas. Lack of development in agricultural infrastructure and advancement in farming methods has made agricultural production difficult and inefficient.
Fresh Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2017, shows that Pakistan remains at the lowest level on 106th place among 119 developing countries. With more than 22 percent of its population undernourished and lagging behind even India and most of the African states.
Pakistan faces serious hunger problem that could become more alarming in the coming years. Food security is not just about producing enough food; it is more about its nutritional value and variety as well as people’s access to it.
World Food Programme’s Country Director Lola Castro in September last year admitted that Pakistan does not have an issue with food production but she said that both the quality and quantity of food available to most poor and illiterate Pakistanis was not enough to meet their basic nutritional needs. There is a famine-like situation in Thar almost every year and many children die of different diseases caused by malnutrition there, but the National Food Security officials won’t do anything to find a permanent solution.
It’s not just Thar Desert where children suffer because of the defective food policy. The poor, especially children all across Pakistan, even in big cities and high food production areas, remain starved and malnourished. The All Pakistan Business Forum (APBF) called for making efforts to reduce and avoid environmental pollution and consume resources sustainably. Population control should also be on the agenda of the government and society. Environmental pollution and degradation pose additional challenges to the country in terms of food security.
Major environmental issues include water pollution from raw sewage, industrial waste and agricultural run-off; rising deforestation; soil erosion and desertification.
The United Nation World Food Programme in its recent report has said that Pakistan has made significant progress over the past decades and brought food security and nutrition to a more prominent place since 2010. The report said that the agriculture sector produces surplus food to achieve self-sufficiency in the main staples food crops.
The Benazir Income Support Programme now reaches about one-third of the impoverished population and resources were just made available to help more than 1.5 million people graduate from poverty and leave hunger behind. Pakistan aspires to become an upper middle-income country and top-25 economy by 2025.
The report says that fortifying wheat with important micro nutrients and modifying existing social safety nets to not only reduce poverty, but also improve food security and nutrition.
The report also identifies challenges to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) ‘zero hunger’ in Pakistan and makes recommendations on how to overcome them at federal and provincial levels. Better governance and elimination of corruption would help improve the level of food security.
There is the urgent need for investment in agricultural infrastructure. There should be research and development work in order to improve farm productivity and cope with natural disasters.
Tags dam Food Water
Previous Sophisticated technology, sustainable means key to prevent Pakistan’s agri growth
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The Government of Pakistan (GoP) has launched ‘Prime Minister’s Kamyab Jawan SME Lending Program’ aimed …
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MLB Leagues »
The Bush League »
The Bush League: Official Rosters (Moderators: Paul S., Thecliff, RyanJames5, Greg S) »
The Bush League
Rules | Fantrax Home Page | Transactions | Trade Blocks | Draft Rooms | TBL WEBPAGE
Champions: 2013 Paul S. 2014 Brent 2015 Oudan 2016 themarksman13 2017 themarksman13 2018 themarksman13
Author Topic: Oakland Athletics (Read 5610 times)
Bonus inPoints: 1157
General Manager: Brent (Brent)
Franchise Budgets
Season 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Salary Cap: $90 $86 $86 $86 $86 $86
Base Salary: $67.1 $60.6 $34.2 $16.7 $13.1 $8
Remaining Salary: $22.9 $25.4 $51.8 $69.3 $72.9 $78
Prospect Bonus 2019 2020
Bonuses Cap: $10 $10
Bonuses: $10 $0
Remaining Bonuses: $0 $10
MLB Roster (40/40 players): 2019-2024 salaries
C Astudillo, Willians 2022 $0.5m $1.1m $1.1m $1.1m
C Cervelli, Francisco 2021 $13.0m $13.0m $13.0m
C D'Arnaud, Travis 2020 $1.7m $1.7m
C/CI Nottingham, Jacob P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
CI Anderson, Brian P-2021 $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
CI Cooper, Garrett P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
CI Lowe, Nathaniel P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
CI McMahon, Ryan P-2021 $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
CI/MI Forsythe, Logan 2020 $4.0m $4.0m
MI Alberto, Hanser 2020 $0.5m $0.5m
OF Conforto, Michael 2023 $5.1m $5.1m $5.1m $5.1m $5.1m
OF Duvall, Adam 2021 $2.0m $2.0m $2.0m
OF Martini, Nick P-2021 $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Nimmo, Brandon P-2020 $0.5m $0.5m
OF Pinder, Chad P-2020 $0.5m $0.5m
OF Senzel, Nick P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Shuck, JB 2020 $0.5m $0.5m
OF Williamson, Mac 2019 $0.6m
OF Zagunis, Mark P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
RP Devenski, Chris P-2019 $0.5m $2.5m $2.5m $2.5m
RP Guduan, Reymin P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
RP Guerra, Javy 2020 $0.5m $0.5m
RP Hamilton, Ian P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
RP Kimbrel, Craig 2019 $4.0m
RP Mills, Alec P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
RP Minaya, Juan P-2020 $0.5m $0.5m
RP Peterson, Tim P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
RP Webb, Tyler P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
RP Wick, Rowan P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
RP Wieck, Brad P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Burnes, Corbin P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Buttrey, Ty P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Fulmer, Carson P-2021 $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Green, Chad P-2020 $0.5m $0.5m
SP Harvey, Matt 2020 $8.8m $8.8m
SP Karns, Nate 2020 $0.6m $0.6m
SP Means, John P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Rea, Colin 2020 $0.5m $0.5m
SP Turnbull, Spencer P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Yarbrough, Ryan P-2021 $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
Minor League Roster (49/50 players)
C Danner, Hagen P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
C Leon, Julian P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
C/CI Schwarz, J.J. P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
CI Alexander, CJ P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
CI Green, Zach P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
CI Hall, Darrick P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
CI Jones, Taylor P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
CI Lavigne, Grant P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
CI Reynolds, Luke P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
CI Spanberger, Chad P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
CI Yrizarri, Yeyson P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
MI Ademan, Aramis P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
MI Cancel, Gabriel P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
MI Eierman, Jeremy P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
MI Gonzalez, Alvaro P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
MI Helman, Michael P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
MI Hoerner, Nico P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
MI Lorenzo, Dauri P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
MI Made, Kevin P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
MI Robertson, Kramer P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
MI Salas, Jose P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
MI Vincej, Zach P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Agustin, Telmito P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Amburgey, Trey P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Conine, Griffin P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Davis, Brennen P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Dominguez, Jasson P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Gigliotti, Michael P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Grisham, Trent P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Hilliard, Sam P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Hulsizer, Niko P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Kinneman, Brett P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Mieses, Johan P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Roederer, Cole P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Soto, Isael P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
OF Tucker, Kyle P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Albertos, Jose P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Cody, Kyle P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Conine, Brett P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Dibrell, Tony P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Flores, Bernardo P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Humphreys, Jordan P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Lange, Alex P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Little, Brendon P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Morales, Andrew P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Pearson, Nate P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Rodriguez, Yerry P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP Ward, Thad P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
SP/RP Hartman, Ryan P-n/a $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m $0.5m
MLB Cap Adjustments
X Flowers, Tyler $7.1m $3.6m Cash Exchanged on Contract
X Wieters, Matt $2.0m $2.0m Cash Exchanged on Contract
X Pinder, Chad $-0.5m $-0.5m Cash Exchanged on Contract
X Tucker, Preston $3.3m Released Under Contract
X Guerrero, Tayron P-2021 $0.5m Cash Exchanged on Contract
X Hamels, Cole $2.2m Cash Exchanged on Contract
X Harvey, Matt $-5.3m Cash Exchanged on Contract
X Hernandez, Felix $3.2m Released Under Contract
X Straily, Daniel $1.5m Cash Exchanged on Contract
2019 Draft Picks (12 picks)
1-1 (via , via )
1-18 (via , via , via )
4-104 (via , via )
6-177 (via )
Prospect Signing Bonuses
OF Dominguez, Jasson $10m
« Last Edit: July 14, 2019, 04:38:55 PM by Greg S »
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Author Brian Cardoza is a Voice for the Voiceless in his New Book “The Unexpected Victim”
Recent release “The Unexpected Victim” from Page Publishing author Brian Cardoza is a recounting of the traumatic abuse he was exposed to as a child, and his tremendous journey to recovery.
(PRWEB) March 14, 2017
Cardoza, an inspirational speaker, author, and artist, has completed this new book “The Unexpected Victim”: written in the form of a long letter to his six-year-old self, reliving the experiences which could have destroyed him, but served to inspire endurance instead.
“Don’t let this moment dictate the next moment,” is Cardoza’s powerful creed, and it has allowed him to write this book which serves to both provide solace to victims of abuse, and also educate those who have not been exposed to it first-hand.
Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Brian Cardoza’s uplifting message in “The Unexpected Victim” is about a human phoenix; one whose body and soul was meant to be crushed but instead became stronger than before.
According to his website, http://www.brokenkneeclub.com, Cardoza is the founder of the Broken Knee Club, a nonprofit organization created “to provide a safe haven for all sexes to comfortably speak out about their experience of childhood and adult sexual assault.” In addition to this, Cardoza uses art as a means of therapy with his other program, Survivor Knights, through which victims of sexual abuse can endeavor toward revival.
Readers who wish to experience this touching and illuminating work can purchase “The Unexpected Victim” at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play or Barnes and Noble.
For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.
About Page Publishing:
Page Publishing is a traditional New York based full-service publishing house that handles all of the intricacies involved in publishing its authors’ books, including distribution in the world’s largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not bogged down with complicated business issues like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes and the like. Its roster of authors can leave behind these tedious, complex and time consuming issues, and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Mitzi McKenzie
Page Publishing, Inc
+1 (866) 315-2708 Ext: 4906
@pagepublishing
Page Publishing
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Places with particular historical and artistical interest in the surroundings:
Siena - 18 km/11 miles far from Podere Incrociati; you can go to the marvellous town looking for museums, parks, fountains, games, and shows. The whole town is a museum with the charming Piazza del Campo dominated by the Gothic Tower of Mangia.
San Gimignano - the so called "Città dalle belle torri", the Town with the Beautiful Towers, in the heart of the Tuscan country, is a unique example of Medieval town, still perfectly preserved. Its urban structure has invaluable environmental, historical, artistic and scenery qualities.
Abbazzia di San Galgano - toward Follonica there's a landscape characterized by uncommon solitude: the ruins of San Galgano, which was once one of the most beautiful Gothic Cistercian abbeys of Italy.
Volterra - a town rich in works of art, it can document 3000 years of human history thanks to its monuments.
Colle di Val d'Elsa - 26 km/16 miles far from Podere Incrociati - the so called "Città del Cristallo", the Town of Crystal; it is a picturesque Medieval town.
Casole d'Elsa - 18 km/11 miles far from Podere Incrociati - it has Etruscan origins. It is still possible to see the stronghold, the church of Santo Spirito, the ancient Town Hall, the collegiate church of Santa Maria Assunta, the church of San Pietro and San Niccolò, and the Casolari-Berlinghieri-Scheggi palace.
Larderello - this is the area where the fumaroles are. Thanks to the underground heat coming to surface it is possible to produce electricity for Larderello and its surroundings. The impressive, complex conduit system spreads on the area like a cobweb, and it resembles some sort of modern work of art, bringing the vapours of the boric acid from the underground to enormous turbines to convert them to thermoelectricity. The cooled water, still containing boron, is re-used afterwards for chemical purposes.
Monteriggioni 25 km/15 miles far from Podere Incrociati - it is an ancient settlement with Etruscan and Roman evidence. The impressive fortress is 500 m. / 1640 ft. long and its walls are 20 m. / 66 ft. in height, reinforced by 14 towers; it was a Sienese stronghold useful in the struggle against the hostile Florence.
Castellina in Chianti - 40 km/25 miles far from Podere Incrociati - this place has human evidence since the VII century b.C.; archeological researches are still going on.
La montagnola senese extends in the districts of Siena, Monteriggioni, Sovicille and Casole d'Elsa, but for the most part it is located in the district of Sovicille. There is a varied landscape: woods cover the hills and fields spread out in the plains. In this area there are lots of ancient human settlements, as prehistorical evidence shows: Stone Age evidence in Personata, in the Spino plain and Brenna; Bronze Age evidence in Cetinale, Partena, Montarrenti and on the Poggio di Siena Vecchia. Several Etruscan settlements have been discovered:Luco Valley, Poggio alla Piana, Ancaiano, Cetinale, Partena and Toiano. Roman evidence has been found in Stigliano, Rosia, Palazzone, Poggio Luco near Malignano, Barontoli, Simignano, Toiano and Sovicille. Traces of Byzantine and Longobard settlements are in Filetta, Caggio di Sovicille and Orgia. During the XII-XIII century several churches were built, among which the parish church of Pernina, Molli, S.Giusto a Valli, San Lorenzo martire, S.Maria di Ponte allo Spino, teh parish church of Rosia and San Lorenzo martire. In the same period some towers (Palazzone di Sovicille and Palazzaccio di Toiano), castles (Celsa, Montarrenti, Cerreto Selva e Palazzo al Piano) were built, too. Several ancient villages and churches are really charming; among the first ones there is the XII century white fortress of Monteriggioni, with its boundary wall reinforced with 14 square towers. Among the second ones: the wonderful parish churches of Radicondoli, Ponte allo Spino in Sovicille, San Giovanni in Rosia, the Augustinian hermitage of Lecceto, and finally the original complex of Abbadia Isola, a medieval village built in 1001 around the Cistercian Abbey of San Salvatore. In the area of Montagnola Senese there are several buildings and other structures that are worth to be visited, such as:
Ampugnano - village that rises near the airport. The buildings still have their ancient medieval structure; a charming small church, the well in the main square and the one behind the church remind the visitor of the old way of living.
Ancaiano - this place was already inhabited in the first period of the Bronze Age. The existing church is dedicated to San Bartolomeo and it was built in Renaissance-style in 1660, thanks to Pope Alessandro VII Chigi. The church is aisless, it is on the plan of a Latin cross and at the end there is an apse with projecting transept.
Capraia - the castle of Capraia stands upon a craggy hill. The Ardengheschi Family had this castle built in order to protect their estate, when Siena had their previous castle of Orgia destroyed. Rumors said that it was impregnable because of its three boundary walls and because it stands upon a rocky hill. In 1100-1250 the Republic of Siena and the Ardengheschi Family contended this castle, then several owners succeded, till the last noble family that arrived here on the 24th September 1554; all the Family members were slain together with all the inhabitants of the village by the Marquis of Marignano's troops. The Marquis had an agreement with the Medici Family, according to which he had besieged Siena, that was nearly surrendering. Nowadays it is possible to see the tower that has been recently restored by the current owners.
Celsa - the first informations about the castle date back to the 1st August 1344. The Celsi Family, who owned the castle, had it rebuilt in order to transform it in a villa according to Baldassarre Peruzzi's plans, who also conceived the gardens. Nowadays it is possible to see only the southern tower of the previous building.
Cetinale - near this place Etruscan findings have been discovered: they date back to the IX-VIII century b.C.; Cardinal Flavio Chigi (Pope Alessandro's VII nephew) had the villa built in 1680, according to the architect Carlo Fontana's plan. Since the beginning of the XVIII century there was a renowned ceramics and majolica factory. Above the villa there is a hermitage; a sacred path called "scala santa" (holy stairs), 500 m. / 0,31 miles long, leads to this charming place. The Blessed Chigi had this building built in 1716 in order to give hospitality to the Coenobite monks, who took care of ill people.
Malignano - Some documents written before the year 1000 mention the castle of Malignano. There is an oratory dedicated to the Archangel Michael; in this place the Ardengheschis and the Republic of Siena subscribed some agreements. In 1259 the village was burnt and destroyed by the Florentine troops.
Molli - the first documents about the parish church date back to 1078; on 2nd February the countess Matilde of Canossa gave the Bishop of Volterra this church as a donation, however, according to some researches into the walls, it could have been built during the Longobard period or the Frankish one. It is a church with nave and two aisles; the altar has been rebuilt, probably by using the stones of the bell-tower destroyed by a lightning in 1930. The front has a symmetrical structure and has been probably rebuilt in the first years of the XVIII century.
Montarrenti - the charming castle stands upon a craggy hill (345 m. / 1132 ft. high); the first informations about the castle date back to 1156.
Museo del bosco - (Museum of the Woods) this is an ethnographic museum where it is possible to admire some evidence of human life and work in the woods. It is in Orgia, a village of Etruscan origins, composed of some buildings that stand upon several hills.
Palazzaccio - ancient fortified building of the Republic of Siena. In 1333 the village was burnt by the troops of Pisa; it is still possible to see the damages, as the building has never been cleaned nor rebuilt.
Palazzo al Piano - it has Medieval origins and stands at a height of about 430 m. / 1416 ft.
Pernina - the old parish church of Santa Maria in Pernina stands at a height of about 499 m. / 1637 ft.; it dates back to the XII century. The bell-tower, on a square plan, is about 22 m. / 72,4 ft. in height and it stands in front of the church.
Personata - this small deconsecrated church, dedicated to Santa Margherita, has ancient origins, probably Etruscan origins, but the first informations date back to the XIII century.
Pieve di ponte allo Spino - this church already existed in 1050 and it was a halting-place along the road that linked the "Via Cassia" to the "Via Aurelia". Under the courtyard some precious mosaics of the Roman Empire Age have been found; they were part of a large Roman villa. The entrance of the church is interesting, as you have to go down some steps to enter the church. It consists of a building with nave and two aisles and it was built in late Romanesque French style, that is quite similar to the Gothic style. The capitals are gracefully decorated with human figures and geometrical ornaments.
Ponte della Pia - (Pia's Bridge) it is the most charming bridge of this area. In Etruscan times an ancient road crossed it; the bridge linked the Merse Valley to the Maremma Toscana. The bridge has probably Roman origins and it has been rebuilt during the Middle Ages in Romanic style. According to some legends, the beautiful Pia, Nello d'Inghiramo de' Pannocchieschi's sorrowful wife, crossed this bridge to go into exile in Maremma, at Castello della Pietra. Dante Alighieri, too, wrote about this legend (Divine Commedy, "Purgatorio", Canto V).
San Giusto a Valli - the first informations about this parish church date back to 994; it originally had a nave and two aisles, but nowadays there are just two aisles, because of an intense intervention made in the XV century. The beautiful church well dates back to the XII-XIII century; it was built by using semicircular limestone blocks.
Simignano - it stands at a height of about 410 m. / 1345 ft. along the road that goes from Ancaiano to Pievescola; it has uncertain origins, but it probably dates back to the Roman Age. The first informations date back to 1163, when it was subdued by Siena. The beautiful, small church is dedicated to San Magno and it has a wonderful bell-tower, which is simple but graceful.
Torri - small Medieval village, where the Abbey of Santa Mustiola is, which was built in the XII century and has a wonderful cloister.
The small villages of Tonni, Toiano, Tegoia and Abbadia Isola are really charming: they have stayed as they were, and here time seems to have stopped.
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Robinson, Mr John Benjamin Romer (fish collection)
Born: 25 October 1869, Durban, South Africa.
Died: 23 July 1949, Durban, South Africa.
J.B. Romer Robinson, attorney and businessman, was the eldest son of Sir John Robinson, the first prime minister of the Colony of Natal, and his wife Agnes Blaine. He was educated at Durban High School and Hilton College, near Pietermaritzburg, and later became a partner in the firm of solicitors Robinson & Catterall. In 1898 he married Violet E. Titren, with whom he had three surviving sons. As a member of the Durban city council Robinson emphasized the need for green areas in the central city and supported the importation of exotic tree species for botanic gardens.
Robinson was a keen angler and had a strong interest in marine fishes. During 1906-1907 he presented 100 sea fishes from Natal to the South African Museum, Cape Town, many of them either new species or new to the museum's collection. Additional specimens followed during 1908 and 1909. J.D.F. Gilchrist* and W.W. Thompson* published descriptions of the species in their "Descriptions of fishes from the coast of Natal" (Annals of the South African Museum, 1908-1911). Robinson also presented specimens to the Durban Museum. These were described by C. Tate Regan* in the Annals of the Durban Museum (1914-1917, Vol. 1). Additional specimens collected at Durban by Robinson and H.W. Bell-Marley* were described by Regan in Volume 2 of the Annals (1917-1920). A few years later Robinson and James S. Dunn published a book on Salt water angling in South Africa (Durban, 1923).
In September 1910 Robinson was elected joint vice-president of the newly established (but short-lived) Natal Scientific Society. Following the death in May 1911 of the society's president, A.D. Millar*, he became acting president. He contributed at least one paper to the society's proceedings, "A few notes on the sensory organs of fishes", which was published in the society's journal The Naturalist (1911, Vol. 1 (3), pp. 209-220). At this time he was president also of the Natal Coast Anglers' Association.
Robinson retired from his law practice in 1932 and became manager of The Natal Mercury. In 1947, two years before his death, he furthermore established and managed The Natal Sunday Post. After his death one of his sons, Rodney Romer Robinson, took over the management of The Natal Mercury.
Annals of the Durban Museum, 1914-1920, Vol. 1-2.
Cape of Good Hope. Report of the Trustees of the South African Museum, 1906-1909.
Dictionary of South African biography, Vol. 4, 1981.
Natal who's who, 1906.
The Naturalist (Durban), 1911, Vol. 1, Numbers 3, 5 and 6: Council of the Natal Scientific Society, and paper by Robinson.
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Rabbi Daniel Staum - Parshas Va'era 5773 "Hail the Rain"
PARSHAS VA’ERA 5773
HAIL THE RAIN
Rabbi Avigdor Miller zt’l was a respected and revered leader in the Torah world. He was legendary for his lectures in which he animatedly expounded upon the beauty of the world, the gift of each moment of life, and how close one can feel to G-d if he takes the time to contemplate that beauty and blessing.
One day, Rabbi Miller’s son-in-law entered his father-in-law’s house and was greeted by a most peculiar sight. Rabbi Miller had plugged up the sink and had filled the sink with water. He proceeded to immerse his head completely in the water for a few seconds until he could no longer hold his breath. Then, he would quickly pull his head out and gasp for air. After a few moments he repeated the procedure a second time, and then a third time and a fourth time.
After Rabbi Miller completed this strange ritual his baffled son-in-law asked him for an explanation. Rabbi Miller explained that earlier that day he had been on a train and someone had blurted out that the air smelled badly. Rabbi Miller continued, “When I heard the comment I concurred that indeed the air was indeed foul-smelling. Afterwards, I was annoyed with myself for failing to appreciate the gift of air. I decided to remind myself of its preciousness by depriving myself of air by keeping my head under water until I was about to pass out. Then, when I picked my head up and air filled my lungs, I was able to remember what a great gift air is and that I should never complain about it.”
Six plagues ravaged Egypt and severely vitiated the country’s economy and morale. But Pharaoh continued to renege on his promise and refused to grant Klal Yisroel freedom.
G-d commanded Moshe to appear before Pharaoh to warn him of the impending plague of hail. “You are still oppressing My people, by not sending them out. Behold, at this time tomorrow I shall rain a very heavy hail, such as there has never been in Egypt, from the day it was founded until now.[1]” Rashi explains that Moshe made a scratch on the wall in Pharaoh’s palace and declared, “When the sun reaches this point, at that moment the hail will begin to descend.”
Rain is always preceded by the formation of clouds which darken the skies. If so, how was it possible for the sun to be out at the moment the hail began without any prior cloud cover? How could Moshe use the sun as a marker for the precise moment when the hail would begin?
Rav Shimshon Pinkus zt’l[2] offered the following explanation: What is the point of a mechitza (‘divider’)? Although prima facie, it appears to be a separator, in truth a mechitza serves to allow disparate commodities to come as close as possible.
For example, the halacha is that men and women may not sit together while praying so that they can maintain concentration on their prayers. However, we want to ensure that every Jew has the ability to pray in shul. How can we accomplish that if men and women cannot be together? The solution is to erect a mechitza. If there is a proper mechitza then the men and women can sit within a few inches of each other and pray because there is a sufficient division between them.
Similarly, when Klal Yisroel gathered at the foot of Mount Sinai for the awesome revelation that would transpire, there was a problem. G-d was about to reveal His Presence in this world in an unprecedented manner. How would the world be able to withstand such a revelation? The only possibility was to create strong mechitzos/divisions that would obscure some of G-d’s Greatness, as it were.
That was the purpose of the three layers of intense darkness that enveloped the mountain at the time of Kabbolas HaTorah. Just as sunglasses shade a person from the blinding light of the sun, so did that intense darkness allow Klal Yisroel to be exposed to such a potent revelation of G-d’s Presence.
A number of years ago, while Chani and I were vacationing in Florida we spent a day in the Everglades. The Everglades are a swampy area where alligators live in their natural habitat. At one point we found ourselves less than a foot away from a full-size twelve foot slumbering alligator. The reason we were not alarmed by our close encounter was that there was a concrete barrier six inches thick separating us from the massive reptile. The secure barrier actually allowed us to get far closer to an alligator than we would have otherwise dared.
When it rains the world is being revitalized and replenished. Without constant flow of water eventually all life in the world would cease to exist. For such an intense outpouring of divine blessing to descend into this world there must be a mechitza to allow such intense blessing to descend into this world. The darkening clouds before rain serve as the mechitza to allow G-d’s bounty to come so close to us.
This is all true in regards to normal natural rain. However, the plagues that ravaged Egypt were anything but blessings. The hail that descended upon Egypt did not require a mechitza as is necessary when there is nurturing rain. Therefore, it was unnecessary for there to be any clouds at the onset of the plague of hail. Therefore, Moshe was able to tell Pharaoh that the hail would begin as soon as the sunlight reached his scratch on the wall.
The beauty of Rav Pinkus’ penetrating thought - aside from being logical - is that it reinforces to us how great of a blessing rain is though we often take it for granted. If we began with Rabbi Avigdor Miller, the ‘quintessential appreciator’ who taught us not to take anything for granted, than it is only apropos to conclude with another vignette from his life.
In his book, ‘Walking with Rabbi Miller’, Rabbi Mordechai Dolinsky, a devoted disciple of Rabbi Miller, relates the following: “In my memory I am walking with the Rebbe, and dark, ‘threatening’ clouds in the distance are closing in on us. Before you know it we feel actual precipitation, intermittent and gentle at first, then turning into a very wet downpour. All this is marked by an increase of action on the street, people running helter-skelter and being very vocal with their complaints. We continue walking together, and the Rebbe changes the topic and addresses the subject of the raindrops. He focuses on the vegetation, the colorful, flavorful fruits that we enjoy and indulge in, and explains that they are actually “coming down” right now in the form of raindrops. Then he continues to enumerate other gifts of Hashem, including the wonderful world of sefarim that are in the making at this moment, as they are printed on paper that grows in the forest. He then points out that “people” are falling; all the new babies, our own children and grandchildren – Klal Yisroel, the tzaddikim!
“Now to see the Rebbe’s face – the joy, the excitement and ecstasy… It is one thing to sit in a dry, comfortable home, lecturing about the wonderful blessings of rain, repeatedly verbalizing this concept. But to be in the wetness of the rain pouring down, and then to be in a state of ecstasy, certainly reflects one’s true feelings.”
Rabbi Avigdor Miller lived every moment of his ninety plus years with joy and serenity. He saw the same world we see and the same events that we witness, but he perceived them differently. When Rabbi Miller saw rain and clouds he saw divine love, even as the rain soaked him!
When one lives with such an attitude the world, all of its pain and suffering not withstanding, is a very beautiful and joyful place.
“Behold, at this time tomorrow… a very heavy hail”
“Behold I am coming to you in the thickness of the cloud”
[1] 9:17-18
[2] Tiferes Torah
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28 Aug Myanmar 2015 elections – what to expect?
This year’s elections mark a significant milestone in Myanmar’s history. There is a growing thirst for change in Myanmar, and the party that wins the popular vote will be tasked to set the tone for the future of democracy in the country. The future of...
27 Aug Focus on the future in this SG50 election
The adage is that all politics is local and elections are too often nasty and short-sighted. For the General Election (GE) scheduled for Sept 11, these characteristics may well dominate the hustings. Rumours and blog sites tend to amplify these tendencies. Take, for example, the recent...
09 Aug President Xi Jinping’s White House Visit: Implications for ASEAN
On September 25, China’s President Xi Jinping will make his first state visit to the United States to meet with President Barack Obama. It is expected that they may discuss both issues of contention and cooperation in Sino-American relations. While ASEAN may not be mentioned,...
06 Aug SG50: The past, the present and the future
Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs and Mr. Frank Lavin, Former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore discuss Singapore's journey to success over the past 50 years, in this segment for CNBC's '50 on the Dot' programme. Singapore Then & Now Mr. Lavin: The fundamental...
06 Aug How Singapore Transformed Itself in Just 50 Years
SIIA Chairman Simon Tay was interviewed by Bloomberg's Haslinda Amin on "First Up" on Singapore's history and SG50, on how this little red dot has become so successful. A transcript of the interview, originally broadcast on 6 August, is available below. Q. Many people credit Singapore's policies ...
06 Aug 3-on-3 Evan Feigenbaum: US needs a robust Southeast Asian strategy
We spoke with Dr. Evan Feigenbaum, Vice Chairman, Paulson Institute and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State. Dr. Feigenbaum gave an evening talk at the SIIA on the subject of "What is the USA's role in Asia's new order?" on 22 July 2015. We asked...
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A meeting of the minds: AJC Global Forum
I often find that people, during confrontations, tend to do more speaking than listening. More effort is put into fortifying ones own argument with facts, figures and examples, in order to either prove ones opponent wrong or to completely undermine their belief or perspective.
It is with these findings that I found the AJC Global forum to be a rose amongst an orchid of thorns. The conference was an exceptional example of how doing a lot more listening rather than arguing and debating, can assist leaders in solving some of the most complex issues facing our society today.
I along with Gila Jankelowitz and Rachel Raff had the privilege of attending the annual AJC Global Forum on behalf of SAUJS – South African Union of Jewish Students. The Forum, which hosted more than 2,500 leaders from over 80 countries, gave a platform to a host of speakers ranging from Muslim community leaders to the Presidents of Cyprus and it was from this platform that often-sensitive issues could be addressed and discussed. Gila, Rachel and I participated in sessions where these issues were tackled and we were able to share our perspectives and experiences as Jewish South African students. The session topics that we attended included “Muslims and the Jews”, “Radicalism on the Rise: Is Religion the Disease or the Cure?” and “The Z-word: Zionism and the Contemporary Case for Israel”.
One of the most commendable aspects of the conference was the diversity of its attendees. Participants ranged from Muslims to Jews, students to professionals and Americans to Asians. This immense range in diversity ensured that every voice was heard and each perspective given. It allowed people to engage with each other on problems that they currently face in their country or community and share their knowledge and experience in dealing with them. The open platform could then be used to help other participants. It allowed them to both listen to the speakers and learn from their narrative, and engage with the speakers and other participants, where often the extension of a helping hand was given in the form of contact details and a promise to connect after the proceedings. The identification and engagement on similar issues was a re-occurring theme amongst the student leaders attending the forum, as we have all faced various forms of anti-Semitism on our University campuses.
Subsequent to the sessions and the plenaries was a trip to the Capitol building, which concluded the conference. We were given the opportunity to meet with the representatives of Congressmen Ted Lieu and Michael Doyle in the form of Corey Jacobson and Kate Werley respectively. During these meetings we discussed certain diplomacy and legislation that had either been passed or that was being written to eradicate anti-Semitism within the United States.
The forum encompassed what it means to gain wisdom from listening as opposed to speaking. It was in that sense a meeting of the minds, where each and every person attending came with the objective of learning something new and walking out a little more informed than they were walking in.
I greatly appreciate being given the opportunity to participate in such an incredible event by SAUJS. I now look to use the experience and knowledge gained from the Forum in assisting me in my role as a student leader and global activist.
Written by Dean Weil
Dean is the WITS Chairperson for SAUJS
Walking into AJC's opening plenary, I was startled. And it wasn't because of the blue lights that made me feel like I was on a spaceship. I felt like an alien among all these established politicians, businessmen, diplomats, religious leaders and opinion makers. However, there was a common thread amongst us all. One that eased the overwhelming feeling. We were all here for the same purpose: as activists within the Jewish community, we were working towards a common goal of understanding the world's current issues and finding ways to contribute towards remedying them.
Over the course of the AJC Global Forum, I realised that these established activists once started out like me: a young Jewish student activist. Here was my chance to listen to what they had to say, gain insights from their sessions and workshops and take the inspiration home with me to use constructively towards further empowering myself and SAUJS (South African Union of Jewish Students) to be 'global agents of change'.
I am extremely grateful to AJC for the exposure provided into the global Jewish community as well as indebted to them for the tools and knowledge that I gained during the remarkable GloFlo.
Written by Rachel Raff
Rachel is the National Vice Chairperson of SAUJS
SAUJS Birthright Tour highlights
SAUJS is proud to have once again facilitated the Birthright Tour to Israel, where South African students got to experience Israel for the first time. Our madrich describes the highlights of the tour.
When I first applied to go on Birthright South Africa 2017 as a madrich (councillor), I didn’t know what was to be expected. Having been to Israel on three previous occasions, this would be my first opportunity to visit in some sort of a leadership position.
With the phenomenal experiences that I had, my goal was to provide the Birthright participants with an insightful and bonding experience, one that would forever connect them to the Holy Land. After an excruciating three hour wait in the queue at passport control at Ben-Gurion Airport on the Tuesday morning, our tour eventually commenced...
We were joined by a mixed group of Israelis. They provided invaluable insight into the culture and intricacies of their country (throughout the tour).
With everyone “on board” the tour kicked off, and we spent the first two days in Tiberias. We saw the north of the country during the day, and then had the opportunity to relax and get to know each other in the evenings.
The North was both educational and fun, with highlights including kayaking on the Jordan River and a tour of the ancient and mystical city of Safed.
On the Thursday, we travelled from Tiberias to Jerusalem, and over the course of three days, we explored much of the city. After experiencing the electric atmosphere of the Mahane Yehuda Market on a Friday afternoon, we walked to the Kotel (Western Wall) for Kabbalat Shabbat. There we experienced an incredible Friday night service, which pulled at our heartstrings. The group spent a relaxing Shabbos in the city centre, which gave everyone an opportunity to gather their thoughts from the preceding week’s hectic schedule.
We then made our way to the Negev region on Sunday, following an emotional visit to Har Herzl (military cemetery). The Israeli soldiers’ presence made the experience more poignant and meaningful. We then spent the night in Bedouin tents and spent the next day exploring the surrounding area. On Monday we spent the night in Arad, which is located on the border of the Negev and Judean deserts.
A magnificent sunrise greeted us upon summiting Masada, and the day continued with a visit to the Dead Sea. Everyone enjoyed floating in the lowest place on the planet - a tourist must! We travelled onwards towards Tel Aviv that evening and spent the next two days in the bustling city, before our departure.
Birthright was far more enjoyable and inspiring than I could have ever imagined. There is no doubt in my mind that every one of the participants had an amazing time and will be returning to Israel soon! A special bond was formed between everyone, and we all left having made some great new friends.
Written by Isaac Lipschitz
Isaac is one of two SAUJS madrichim that led the group on the 2017 Birthright Tour.
VICTORY: Anti-Israel Activist Found Guilty of Hate Speech
Dear SAUJS members
Yesterday a judgement was made in the Equality Court of the South Gauteng High Court which has tremendous significance for all SAUJS members. In a damning judgement, an anti-Israel activist has been found guilty of hate speech.
Over 8 years ago, in March 2009, COSATU member Bongani Masuku threatened SAUJS students in a lecture theatre at Wits University during ‘Israel Apartheid Week’. The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (HRC), and later that year the HRC issued a finding of hate speech and ordered him to apologise. Mr. Masuku refused to apologise.
The HRC took him to the Equality Court in the South Gauteng High Court and the case was heard at the beginning of the year, in February, during a 7-day trial. Several witnesses were called including Benji Shulman, a SAUJS leader at the time, who was present during the whole hate-filled experience. David Hirsh (from the UK) shared expertise about anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, and Professor Gregory Stanton (from the US) testified as an expert on Genocide.
The judgement was unequivocal and damning. Judge Moshidi ruled yesterday that Mr. Masuku’s statements in 2009 constituted hate speech and he was not swayed by the arguments of freedom of speech. Masuku’s recurrent protestations that he was making the statements about Zionists and not Jews was also dismissed, which has tremendous significance.
Bongani Masuku was among the first of the venomous anti-Israel activists to enter the campus domain and to spew hate against Jewish students. Unfortunately, as we know, this trend has continued and escalated, not just in SA but also globally. We believe therefore that this is a particularly significant ruling, and an excellent example of standing up to hatred.
For your interest, the SAJBD press release can be found here: http://www.sajbd.org/index.php/media/equality-court-finds-hate-speech-by-cosatu-spokesperson
SAY NO TO SUPPORTING TERRORISM ON CAMPUS.
SAUJS urged all of its members to send the following letter to Wits University, in an effort to encourage the University management to take decisive action.
I strongly believe that you should SAY NO TO SUPPORTING TERRORISM ON CAMPUS.
The Wits Palestinian Solidarity Committee (PSC) have proved to the public, that they are not interested in dialogue or conversation, but rather in disregarding the shared agreements and terms they had made with SAUJS (South African Union of Jewish Students) and the University. They have proved to the University that they are dishonest and deceitful. They have clearly chosen to align themselves with radical extremist terrorist groups like Hezbollah, showing that the true intentions of their Israel Apartheid Week campaign are hateful and violent.
Are the PSC allowed to break agreements, destroy SAUJS property and vandalize Wits University?
The PSC have shown no regard for the negotiated agreements that were reached on Monday evening with the Dean of Students and SAUJS. They have shown no respect to the University, and continue to force themselves onto the SAUJS allocated space on the Piazza in an attempt to provoke SAUJS students. The PSC have tried to shut SAUJS down first by ripping their posters to pieces, then by cutting their power cord in half, and then by cutting down their banner. The PSC have also now plastered the University walls with illegal graffiti, trying to draw on support from more radicals.
How, in good conscience, can the University allow the flag of Hezbollah to be flown on campus? Hezbollah is an internationally recognized terrorist organization, and there can be nothing peaceful about advocating for terrorism, inciting violence, and promoting murder. It is outrageous to see that Wits University gives radical extremists the platform to wave this flag.
Does Wits University allow incitement to violence on its campus?
The PSC are encouraging extremism and radicalism on Wits campus. Their students have threatened SAUJS students by saying that they feel ‘justified to cut [their] throat here and now’. The PSC have also painted a message on their display that reads ‘Amandla Intifada’, literally meaning ‘power to the Intifada’ (Palestinian wave of terror). Did you know that by the end of the Second Intifada, more than one thousand Israelis were murdered, and more than eight thousand Israelis were wounded? This incitement to violence is inexcusable on campus.
What action will the University take to remove this rhetoric from its campus and how will you ensure the safety of Jewish students on campus?
University should be a space for constructive debate and honest discussions. Radical extremism has found its way onto Wits campus, and this is of grave concern to all students at Wits.
As a member of the student body, I call on you, the Dean of Students, to issue an official statement by the University clarifying that a negotiated agreement was made by all parties, and that the PSC failed to uphold the agreement. I call on you to take disciplinary action against the leaders of the PSC who have consistently been encouraging of hate speech, violence and terrorism as well as failing to respect their agreement and bringing the University into disrepute.
Please put an end to all this NOW. You are allowing Wits University to become a breeding ground for hate speech and intimidation with no repercussions for the offenders whatsoever.
#WeRemember
Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day (IHRD), January 27th, as designated by the United Nations General Assembly. Today #WeRemember the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and we honour the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.
Anti-Semitism at Wits University
Today, we have seen anti-Semitic graffiti painted in a building at Wits University. Only 2 weeks have passed since one of our students was verbally accosted with anti-Semitic remarks on Wits main campus.
SAUJS unequivocally condemns the anti-Semitism that is being demonstrated on campus. There can be no justification for such hateful, ignorant and offensive acts.
SAUJS has been in contact with the office of the Dean of Students to ensure that the graffiti be removed and to find those responsible.
SAUJS maintains that every student on campus should be free from intimidation, regardless of their race, religion, gender or self-identification. Jewish students are no exception. We call on the University (Wits - University of the Witwatersrand) and the Wits Student Representative Council (Wits SRC) to condemn this blatant Anti-Semitism in the strongest possible terms.
We will continue to work for the rights of our students across the country.
If you have any information regarding these incidents, please contact:
ndsaujs@gmail.com
SAUJS News
Read our statements and keep up to date with our SAUJS news here!
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Review: A Lot Like A Lady by Kay Springsteen & Kim Bowman
Publisher: esKape Press (August 25, 2014)
From Goodreads.com: Ladies’ maid, Juliet Baines has gotten herself into a pickle by agreeing to go to London and taking the place of her mistress and best friend, Annabella Price, stepsister to the Duke of Wyndham. After all, what does a servant know about being a lady? But Juliet soon finds that pretending to be a lady isn't nearly as hard as guarding her heart against the folly of wanting a man who’s completely out of reach.
Graeme "Grey" Roland Dominick Markwythe, Sixth Duke of Wyndham, approaches his duties as a nobleman with great dedication and meticulous care. And he’s a man who is not easily fooled...except when he tries to convince himself he's not utterly and madly in love with the beautiful imposter who has turned his life upside down. Will society and his responsibilities to his noble status keep him from opening his heart to the woman he loves?
My Review: Let me begin by saying that overall, I really enjoyed this novel. The plot moved just fast enough that it didn't become stale, but not so fast that it became confusing. I enjoyed the main characters, watching them go from strangers to tentative friends, and finally more was an endearing journey that made the pair seem that much more realistic. Also, I absolutely adored Lord Percy, he added just the right amount of over-the-top comic relief to the story without it being too much, and his friendship with Juliet was one of the sweetest things I had ever seen (plus it gave her ample opportunity to enjoy getting under Grey's skin).
I do have to admit that I was a bit disappointed in the loose ends that were left after the book ended. I found myself wondering what happened to Annabella? Did she eventually find a love of her own? I sincerely hope that these author collaborate again as I definitely wouldn't mind seeing more of these characters.
A Lot Like A Lady is available for purchase from Amazon.com
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NH REAL ESTATE | NH HOMES | LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE REAL ESTATE | NH LAND | NH REALTORS Tim & Pam (603) 651-8806
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Welcome to your resource for New Hampshire Lakes Region, Central and Seacoast Real Estate.
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Use our CUSTOM SEARCHES to jump start your search, and be sure to CONTACT US if you need any additional information on the Town of Holderness or area Real Estate!
HOLDERNESS NH
The Squam Lakes were a trade route for Abenaki Indians and early European settlers, who traveled the Squam River to the Pemigewasset River , then to the Merrimack River a nd seacoast. In 1751 , Thomas Shepard submitted a petition on behalf of 64 grantees to Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth f or 6 miles square on the Pemigewasset River. The governing council accepted, and the town was named "Holderness" after Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness, Ambassador to Venice and Minister at the Hague under King George III.. The terrors of the French and Indian War , however, prevented settlement until after the Fall of Quebec i n 1759 . The land was regranted as "New Holderness" in 1761 t o a group of New England f amilies, and first settled in 1763 . As proprietor of half the town, Samuel Livermore intended to create at "New Holderness" a great estate patterned after those of the English countryside.
By 1790 , the town had 329 residents, and in 1816 , "New" was dropped from its name.
Holderness became a farming a nd fishing community, except for the "business or flat iron area" located on the Squam River, which has falls that drop about 112 feet before meeting the Pemigewasset River. With water power to operate mills, the southwestern corner of town developed into an industrial center, to which the Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad entered in 1849 . But the mill village would be at odds with the agricultural community, especially when denied civic amenities including gaslights and sidewalks. Consequently, in 1868, it was set off as Ashland .
This area of the Lakes Region offers a quiet, serene atmosphere for relaxation. Holderness is located directly off I-93 and is centrally located between the lakes and mountain regions, making it convenient for vacationers to enjoy both regions during their stay.
Be sure to include a visit to the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, located at the junction of Routes 25 & 113 in Holderness. Here you can explore nature and observe black bear, fox and more in trailside enclosures. The Center offers self-guided nature trails, hands-on exhibits and Squam Lake boat tours.
According to the United States Census Bureau, t he town has a total area of 35.6 square miles . 30.4 square miles of it is land and 5.2 square miles of it is water, comprising 14.73% of the town. Bounded on the northwest by the Pemigewasset River , Holderness is drained by Owl Brook. Part of Squam Lake is in the east, and Little Squam Lake is in the center. Mount Prospect, elevation 2,064 feet above sea level , is in the north. Also in the north is the highest point in Holderness, Mount Webster, elevation 2,076 feet, part of the Squam Range.
History and Early Settlers
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