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James J. Hill
Template:Infobox Biography James J. Hill (September 16 1838 – May 29 1916), was a noted American and Canadian railroad tycoon. He was born in Eramosa Township, Upper Canada (now Ontario).
Although he only had nine years of formal schooling, by the time he had finished (he was forced to leave school in 1852 due to the death of his father), he was adept at algebra, geometry, land surveying, and English. His particular talents for English and mathematics would be critical later in his life.
After working for a while as a clerk in Canada (at which job he learned bookkeeping), Hill moved to the United States and settled in St. Paul, Minnesota at the age of 18. His first job at St. Paul was with a steamboat company, where he worked as a bookkeeper. By 1860 he was working for wholesale grocers, for whom he handled freight transfers, especially dealing with railroads and steamboats. Through this work he learned all aspects of the freight and transportation business. During this time period, Hill began to work for himself for the first time. During the winter months when the Mississippi River was frozen and steamboats could not run, Hill started bidding on other contracts, and won quite a few. Particularly of note was his contract to provide wood fuel to a US fort.
Because of his previous experiences in shipping and fuel supply, Hill was able to aggressively enter both the coal and steamboat businesses. In 1870 he entered the steamboat business; by 1872 he had monopolized it, by way of a merger (with Norman Kittson). In 1867 Hill entered the coal business; by 1874 it had expanded five times over; by 1877 James Hill had virtually monopolized the Anthracite coal business. During this same time period, Hill was also entering banking—he had managed to become Member of the Board of several major banks. And with all of this, Hill still managed to grab at any extra business opportunities that came his way. Even at this early age (Hill was not yet forty), Hill had established the habit of buying out bankrupt businesses, building them up again, and then reselling—often to a huge profit.
Virtually all of this early and stunning success was due to a few key traits of Hill's—traits that would reappear again and again as Hill made his way through the world of business. Firstly, he was incredibly hard-working. It takes a huge amount of diligence to tackle more than one grand project at the same time, and Hill was not only undertaking to monopolize the steamboat business, he was monopolizing coal, getting friendly with bankers, and buying out other businesses at the same time. That takes quite a level of dedication. Hill was once quoted telling a questioner that the secret to success was, "Work, hard work, intelligent work, and then more work." Secondly, he was almost maniacally competitive. This "crusty" man took it almost as a point of personal honor to be the best, the biggest, the most competitive, of any business out there. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, Hill was simply a brilliant man, and a brilliant leader of men. he was able to quickly pick up the nuances of working in any new business; his business strategy was amazing; he was able to convince almost anyone to come to his side. All of these traits had a role in James Hill's precipitous rise to power—most especially his almost uncanny ability to predict the future of business, as shown by the way he entered the railroad business in 1877.
During the Panic of 1873, a number of railroads, including the St. Paul and Pacific, had gone bankrupt. The SP&P in particular was caught in an almost hopeless legal muddle. For James Hill, a man with the intelligence and perseverance to sort out this muddle, it was a golden opportunity. For three years Hill researched the SP&P, finally concluding that it would be possible to make quite a deal of money off of the SP&P, provided that the initial capital could be found. So Hill teamed up with Norman Kittson (the man he had merged steamboat businesses with!), Donald Smith, George Stephen, and John S. Kennedy, and together they not only bought the railroad, but rather vastly expanded it, by bargaining for trackage rights with Northern Pacific Railway. In May 1879 the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway Co. formed—with James J. Hill as general manager. His first goal? To expand and upgrade still more.
By all accounts, James J. Hill was a hands-on, detail-obsessed manager. Did he want people settling along his rail lines? He sold homesteads to immigrants, and then imported them to their new homes (on his rail lines, of course). He imported grains from Russia and sold this to farmers - he sold wood to farmers in order to encourage them to buy his wheat. When he was looking for the best path for one of his tracks to take, he went out on horseback and scouted it out personally. Under his skillful management, SPM&M prospered. In 1880 their net worth was $728,000; in 1885 it was $25,000,000. One of his challenges at this point was the avoidance of federal action against railroads. If the feds believed that the railroads were making too much profit, they might see this as an opportunity to force lowering of the rates. Hill rather cleverly ducked this by investing a large portion of the railroad's profit back into the railroad itself—and charged those investments to operating expense. It was at this point that Hill became the official president of SPM&M (not that he hadn't been the man behind the curtain far before this), and decided to expand the rail lines even further.
James J. Hill ca. 1890
Between 1883 and 1889, Hill built his railroads across Montana, across Wisconsin, across North Dakota and around the Great Lakes. Hill and his men worked in spite of all obstacles—including a presidential veto of a bill that would allow Hill to build legally through American Indian territory (Cleveland later changed his mind). When there wasn't enough industry in the places Hill was building, Hill brought the industry to him, often by buying out a company and placing plants along his railroad lines. Then, in 1889, Hill decided that the future was in transcontinental railroad - and so he embarked on his great project.
"What we want," Hill is quoted as saying, "is the best possible line, shortest distance, lowest grades, and least curvature we can build. We do not care enough for Rocky Mountains scenery to spend a large sum of money developing it." Hill got what he wanted, and in January 1893 his transcontinental railroad was completed—the only transcontinental built with no public money or land grants. This is the only transcontinental that did not go bankrupt.
Six months after this amazing feat came the depression of the 1890s. Hill, in his usual calm manner, handled this crisis brilliantly. Firstly, in order to ensure that he did not lose his patronage during the crisis, Hill lowered prices for farmers and gave many of the businesses he owned credit, so they were able to continue paying their workers. He also took strong measures to economize—in just one year, Hill cut the expense of carrying a ton of freight by 13 percent. (Of course, this was partially due to his ready exploitation of the cheap cost of labor during the depression.) Because of these measures, Hill not only stayed in business, but increased the net worth of his railroad by nearly 10 million dollars. Meanwhile, every single other transcontinental railroad went bankrupt. This feat raised Hill quite a bit of fame and admiration. However, he wasn't quite done yet. Before long, Hill would nearly cause an economic crisis of his own.
To recap briefly: James Hill now had control of both the Great Northern Railroad (what he had renamed the SPM&M), and the Northern Pacific, as well (which he had obtained with the help of his friend J. P. Morgan, when that railroad went bankrupt in the depression of the 1890s). Hill also wanted control of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad because of its Midwestern lines. Unfortunately for Hill, Union Pacific Railroad, the biggest competitor of Great Northern and Northern Pacific, also wanted control of Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy. And while Great Northern and Northern Pacific were backed by the monies of J. P. Morgan and James J. Hill, the Union Pacific was backed not only by its president, Edward H. Harriman, but by the extremely powerful William Rockefeller.
Quietly, Harriman began buying stock in Northern Pacific with the intention of gaining control of Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy. He was within 40,000 shares of control when Hill learned of Harriman's activities and quickly contacted J. P. Morgan, who was on vacation in Europe at the time. Morgan, acting on behalf of his friend, ordered his men to buy everything they could get their hands on.
James_J._Hill_House_large.jpg
James J. Hill's home, 240 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota
The result was chaos on Wall Street. Stock was forced up to $1,000 per share. Innumerable speculators were ruined. The threat of a real economic panic loomed. Neither side could win a distinct advantage, and the parties soon realized that a truce would have to be called. The winners of that truce shook down to be Hill and Morgan, who immediately formed the Northern Securities Company with the aim of tying together their three major rail lines. Unfortunately for the Hill-Morgan alliance, on the same day they formed the Northern Securities Company, President McKinley was assassinated, placing Teddy Roosevelt—the trust-busting Teddy Roosevelt—solidly in presidential office.
Roosevelt wasted little time in busting this trust. On March 14th, the Northern Securities Company was ordered dissolved under the Sherman Antitrust Act. Not that this would stop Hill, who, without the benefit of a central company, managed to acquire the Colorado and Southern lines into Texas, and the Spokane, Portland, and Seattle railroad. By the time of his death in 1916, James J. Hill was worth more than 53 million dollars.
Hill was a rabid supporter of free trade and was one of the few supporters of free trade with Canada. He also helped President Wilson arrange the Anglo-French Loan of 1915, and was the one to insist that we should not aid the warring parties with ammunition—only with humanitarian goods. He was immortalised as the (absent) character Nathaniel Taggart in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged.
Hillsboro, North Dakota, Hill County, Montana and the town of Hillyard, Washington (now a neighborhood of Spokane) are named for him.
James J. Hill Reference Library (http://www.jjhill.org)
James J. Hill and the Building of His Railroad Empire (http://www.railserve.com/JJHill.html)
A criticism of government intervention into the business of James J. Hill (http://www.neo-tech.com/neotech/global/appendix4.html)
Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online (http://www.biographi.ca/EN/ShowBio.asp?BioId=41567)
Martin, Albro. James J. Hill and the Opening of the Northwest. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. ISBN 0195020707.
Burton W. Folsom, Jr., The Myth of the Robber Barons, Young America.
The American Nation: A History of the United States, John A. Garraty, pgs. 469, 481, 587
A People's History of the United States, Howard Zinn, pg. 343
http://voteview.uh.edu/jjhill.htm, Keith T. Poole
The World Book Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia Encarta
Retrieved from "http://footwww.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/James_J._Hill"
Categories: 1838 births | 1916 deaths | Minnesota history | United States railroad executives | Important people in rail transport | Early Canadian business leaders
This page was last modified 05:14, 22 Jun 2005.
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Car Seat Nov 14 2004
Music that Won't Make You Want to Shoot Yourself
R U Hot? U R Hired!
Fork It Over
John's Place
My husband recently had the fortune -- though he would say misfortune -- of attending an infant music class with our son. The class involved parents sitting on the floor, child on lap, while they sang songs to them, led by an oh-so-chipper instructor.
While I found the class to be endearing, my husband, like the other captive dads, sat there weakly pretending to be enthused about miniscule spiders and wayward baby chicks. You could clearly tell, however, that he, like the other dads in the class, would rather be driving stilettos through his ear drums. Was this, this, the musical future in store for him -- a man who had seen Ministry play at Medusa's in the '80s, a man whose record collection included Skinny Puppy and Butthole Surfers, a man who is the proud original owner of a vintage Smiths poster?
This experience lead me to think about other musical options available to us. What else could we sing along and listen to with our son, which neither involved the wheels on a bus (which I like to refer to as the "Margaritaville" of Babylandia) or an obnoxious-as-hell purple dinosaur? While my iTunes currently has a playlist specifically created for my son, I'm sure other age-appropriate options exist that don't include Yo La Tengo's "You Don't Have to be Sad" or The Beatles "I Am the Walrus."
Thanks to a family friend, the answer was delivered as a gift of Chicago-based Bloodshot Records' The Bottle Let Me Down: Songs for Bumpy Wagon Rides. It is the perfect antidote to Barney and the likes.
The title, which comes from a classic Merle Haggard song, gives you a hint at what's inside: a fun mix of alt-country, bluegrass, rockabilly and folk presenting a mix of childhood standards, new classics and original material from a line up of Bloodshot's recording artists. The album itself holds no pretenses, as the liner states, "We bring you this record for the amusement of children and arrested adolescents everywhere." and they truly deliver.
The album starts off with Rosie Flores' "Red Robin," which sings the childhood mantra, "Live, love laugh and be happy." It's a sunny rockabilly tune that has you bopping along even after it's done. Besides the standards you'll remember from childhood like "On Top of Spaghetti" and "Camptown Races," there are newer and original songs that deal with unemployed magicians, being your own Grandpa, napkin use and funky butts. And there are also a few Sesame Street classics, like "Rubber Ducky" and "It's Not Easy Being Green," both of which seem just as home on this whimsical compilation as they do on Sesame Street.
Almost all of the songs are short and sweet and under four minutes, with the exception of two, including Alejandro Escovedo's, "Sad & Dreamy (The Big 1-0)" which is a brilliantly funny tune about a 10-year-old hitting the big 1-0, feeling over the hill and sighing, "Candy just doesn't taste as good anymore."
Another notable selection is one of Kelly Hogan's two contributions, "Se�or El Gato." This story of a cat who dies of a broken heart is lightened by a contagious chorus of "Meow! Meow! Meow!" Other contributing artists include Robbie Fulk, Devil in a Woodpile, Split Lip Rayfield and Cornell Hurd Band. Many of the artists are also now parents themselves -- former punk legends and wild childs turned adoring slaves to their children's coos.
Most of the songs feature more music than actual singing, which leaves you time to dance around with your baby instead of just singing with your baby, which in parent-speak really translates to more time for silliness.
The Bottle Let Me Down is a happy mix of alt-country tunes that parents can still feel "cool" listening to in spite of -- or perhaps because of their quirkiness.
In the liner notes, Bloodshot Records states, "...sometimes the only message [with music] is to sing along, dance around, and have fun. And that's OK, too." In this case, I think they were talking to the parents, not their kids. Bloodshot has successfully presented a record both parents and children can appreciate.
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Random Shots in the Dark (31)
I have just decided; I want to have Charlie Sheen's baby.
Charlie had to go to an LA hospital this week. According to the story going around LA, Charlie had a party at his mansion with five babes, including two porn stars and a briefcase-full of cocaine.
The diagnosis is that Charlie suffered a hernia.
Which is a perfect segue into our next story. President Obama has done what all presidents do after a state of the union speech. He hopped a plane to Bullsnuts, Wisconsin, where he inspected a green widget factory and gave a speech. You gotta hand it to Obama. He knows how to spend our money. First, during the State of the Union, he drags in a couple of brothers who run some kind of business he approves of. Now he drags the staff and Secret Service off to Wisconsin for a photo op.
"It's only money, folks."
Meanwhile........
Which is another perfect segue into our next story-Egypt. Yes. While Obama is talking about green jobs in Wisconsin, the Middle East is burning-first in Tunisia and now in Egypt. And if you think democracy is on the march in Egypt-think again. All I know is that my friend from a previous blog, Ahmed the flag-maker, is about to expand his business to Egypt-and Tunisia.
And if that isn't ridiculous enough, Joe Biden told an interviewer this week that Hosni Mubarak is not a dictator!
"He's no dictator. Why, he's the Lone Ranger."
In Britain (another country that's sinking fast) the government has reacted to the events in Egypt with alarm.
But there is good news. George Galloway will soon be allowed back into Egypt-as an honored guest no less.
"Welcome to Egypt, Mr Galloway."
Now for the bad news. Remember back in 1979 when Jimmy Carter helped grease the skids for the Shah of Iran?
"Uhhh.....yeaaaah."
Let's imagine this scenario. Mubarak is given sanctuary in the US. The Muslim Brotherhood takes power in Egypt. The new regime demands the extradition of Mubarak. The US Embassy is stormed and our diplomats are taken hostage.
"Play it again, Sam."
But there is more great news. Yesterday, somebody e-mailed me the latest video of Yvonne Ridley's pals in the Taliban stoning someone to death in Afghanistan.
"I don't think that's funny."
Yes, indeed, Multiculturalism in action. It's the usual scenario. A 19-year-old girl refuses to marry some old fart her "Dear old Dad" wants her to marry. She gets caught with her real boyfiriend and both are stoned to death as the crowd shouts something like "Ollie Ollie oxen free!"
But there is more good news. Our illustrious State Department has a solution for all this barbarity, you see.
"Good news, Archibald. We have just received the new batch of gender-neutral visa applications."
Immigrant visas. That's right. We need to bring these folks to the US so they can see our way of life then demand that we adopt their way of life. Hey! It's already working in the UK, where shariah law is being accepted in certain communities. Why no less an authority than the Archbishop of Canterbury (wherever the Hell that is) is urging that the British nation must adapt itself to shariah law.
Rowan Williams- Archbishop of Canterbury
But there is more good news......
The Steelers are in the Super Bowl.
"Good news, mein Fuehrer. Berlin is hosting next year's Super Bowl!"
Posted by Gary Fouse at 8:04 PM
And what you want to do about it is... ???
Whadda'ya mean? Isn't Obama the greatest president in the last 50 years?? That's what you said yourself!! Why he is easily the greatest president since James Bartholomew. Surely, he can think of something.
I got it! He can give another great speech.
He's president of the United States, Gary, not King of the World. We have a government of limited powers.
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Boardman and Company
Thomas Boardman
Thomas Danforth Boardman
Biography: Thomas Danforth Boardman (1784-1873) and Sherman Boardman (1787-1861) were the sons of Sarah Danforth Boardman and Oliver Boardman, and the great grandsons of the "patriarch of Connecticut pewter", Thomas Danforth of Norwich. Both men were born in Litchfield, Connecticut, but the family moved to Hartford in 1795. Thomas D. Boardman finished his pewter apprenticeship in 1804 and began working in Hartford; Sherman joined him a few years later, and together, they worked for almost fifty years on Main Street, Hartford. In 1822, the brothers opened a branch in New York; a third brother, Timothy, was put in charge, and the name T. B. & Co. was put in use. When Timothy died two years later, the name changed to Boardman and Company. Lucius Hart of Rocky Hill, whose step mother was a Boardman, became active manager, and in 1827, he became a partner. The firm continued as Boardman and Hart until its dissolution in 1850. The Boardman's opened a second branch store in Philadelphia in 1844, under the name Boardman and Hall; the local representatives there were Sherman Boardman's son, Henry S. Boardman, and F. D. Hall. The name was later changed to Hall, Boardman and Company, and finally to Hall and Boardman. That final name was still listed in the Philadelphia Directory when Thomas Danforth Boardman and Sherman Boardman closed their business in Hartford in 1854. Sherman Boardman died 20 March 1861, and Thomas Boardman died 10 September 1873. Working Dates for Boardman and Company: 1825-1827.
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Shalom Yoran - Biography & Interview
Shalom Yoran
Shalom Yoran was born in Poland and from the age of 14 lived under Nazi occupation. From the day the Germans invaded Poland, in September 1939, he lived, together with his older brother and his parents in flight from the Germans.
In 1942, after his parents were murdered in Kurenets, Belorussia, Shalom and his brother fled to the forests in order to join the partisans. Afterwards, they joined the Red Army and much later, the Polish Army. They continued their fight against the Nazis until the end of WWII.
Beginning in 1945, Shalom, provided with false papers, wandered across Europe with the intention of reaching Eretz Yisrael. His attained his goal in 1946 , 21 years old, alone and empty-handed.
His mother’s last words to him became his guiding principle: they (he and his brother) were to save themselves, to avenge their parents’ deaths and to bring the knowledge of the Holocaust to the awareness of the world.
In order to fulfill his mother’s wish, in 1946 Shalom wrote his memories of the war years in detail, intending to publish them at a later date. And indeed, his book is based on these memoirs.
With the founding of the State of Israel, he joined the Air Force and served there for 17 years. Upon his release he joined the newly formed Israel Aircraft Industries, while completing his degree in Aeronautical Engineering. For 22 years he worked to strengthen the IAI, which gained a world-wide reputation and became the largest industrial concern in Israel.
For the last 10 years of his working life he served as the President of Bedek, the aircraft maintenance division, and Senior Assistant General Manager of IAI. When he retired at the age of 50, he was appointed the President of Atasco, an American Flight company for cargo shipment and maintenance. Shalom Yoran is a recognized expert in the field of flight, and his name is mentioned in international journals as a man of exceptional accomplishments.
In 1990 he came across the manuscript from 1946 which described his memories of the war. With the help of his wife, Varda, he translated his memoirs into English and they published the book: The Defiant: a True Story. The book was first published in English in 1996, by St. Martin’s Press and in 1998 it was published in a Hebrew translation.
Shalom is known as a philanthropist and supporter of causes in which he believes. Among his many good works, is the help and support he gave for the publication of a book which describes the struggle of a group of Jewish partisans in the forests of Belorussia.
He is one of the groups of founders of the Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Holocaust in New York, a member of the Board of Trustees of Tel Aviv University and is involved in the management of the Ghetto Fighters Museum.
In the city of Kurenets in Belorussia, he erected a memorial to the memory of the 1040 local Jews, his parents among them, who were massacred by the Nazis. He also established a scholarship fund at Tel Aviv University in memory of his parents, which awards an annual scholarship for research into European Jewry. The president of the New York borough of Manhattan, Mrs. Ruth Messinger, designated September 12,1996 as Shalom Yoran Day.
In 1997 he was awarded an achievement prize by Tel Aviv University for his war against the Nazis and for documenting the Jewish fight against the Nazis.In 1998 Shalom Yoran was awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy.
He is a frequently invited to speak before high-school and university students about the role of the Jewish partisan in the fight against the Nazis.
Interview with Shalom Yaron
1. What does it feel like to spend 6 months underground?
"It is preferable to life in the ghetto, in a death camp or in a city under Nazi occupation, but we were not aware of this when we were in Zimlaka. After our parents were murdered, my brother and I found ourselves in the forest. Together with three other Jews we built Zimlaka for ourselves: we dug a deep pit in the depths of the forest near a river and we turned it into a hiding-place, part underground and part above ground. We left an opening to use as an entrance and a source of daylight. We covered the top of the pit with leaves and logs which served as camouflage. We used the stove which we stole for heating and cooking. When our food supply ran out, we emerged during snowstorms, so that our footprints would be obliterated quickly. We cooked our food, which consisted mainly of potatoes, at night, so that the smoke would not be seen outside. We went out only to renew our supply of water and to remove waste. During the cold winter nights, we slept on wooden bunks. We made every effort to keep the place clean and hygienic.
We passed our time during the day talking and playing chess: the board was drawn on the dirt floor and the chess pieces were bits of potato. When the snow melted, in spring, we went out into the fresh air, pale and blinded by the sunshine. We began to undertake various missions: sometimes we walked for several days to our destination, while carrying heavy equipment on our backs. We walked only at night in order not to be discovered.
Food was a very expensive and rare necessity. The local inhabitants hated us, the Nazis hated us and so did the partisans. We were afraid that the non-Jewish partisans would steal our weapons while we slept, and then we would be expelled from the unit because we were without weapons. There were occasions when, after successfully completing a mission, the partisans would celebrate by drinking vodka, getting drunk and killing Jewish partisans.
There was no reaction by the officers to the manifestations of anti-Semitism among the partisans, and help from them was very rare. The Jews were branded as cowards and this caused me to volunteer for missions – even dangerous ones”.
2. What is the Shalom Yoran’s message in his book, "The Defiant”?
"I experienced the horrors of the Nazi oppressor in the ghettos and camps, first as a victim, and afterwards as a fighter and avenger. Very little has been written about the partisan fighting and I feel myself very fortunate to belong to those fighters. The Nazis made use of the best minds in Germany and a minimum of personnel to develop killing systems which diminished the Jews’ chances for survival. They plundered Jewish property and singled out the Jews, after isolating them from the rest of the population, by humiliating them and forcing them to live in inhuman conditions. They allotted a bare minimum of food for the victims, enough for them to work for them in a state of constant hunger. Some chose to oversee their brothers with false promises and the spreading of fear and terror. Children were slaughtered in front of their parents, or parents in front of their children. The local population collaborated with the Nazis, and there was the feeling that there was nowhere to run to.
We must not allow the world to forget what happened. It can happen again, therefore we must fight the first signs of racism and hatred, before it becomes too late to control their spread. We must take the responsibility to do this upon ourselves, and to impart to understanding, compassion and respect for others to the coming generations. Moreover, we must not turn from a person into a victim, but must fight back – against anyone who would try to turn us into victims. This is the message which I tried to convey in my book."
3. What would you like to add to your memoirs?
"The day Germany invaded Polish soil, on September 1,1939, was the day on which the first bombs fell on me, a boy of 14. From that day on, until the end of the war, I lived surrounded by fear and terror, which became part of my existence. My family consisted of my parents and my older brother. All four of us fled our town in Poland, Raciaz. We managed to escape from the Nazi occupied area to the area of Poland which was under Russian occupation.
On the face of it, our lives continued normally for a short while, but the surroundings were antagonistic towards the Jews and the Soviets tried to exile us to Siberia. When Germany attacked Russia, we fled to Kurenets where 3000 people lived, about half of them Jews. My brother and I were employed by the mayor of Kurenets.
When the area was occupied by the Germans, we experienced their cruelty ourselves. Together with several Jewish youth, we organized in order to flee to the forest, to join the Russian prisoners of war who had escaped captivity and intended to join the partisans. We began to collect weapons, and I even managed to steal a rifle from a German vehicle. All this activity came to a halt when the Judenrat objected, out of fear that our escape would cause the Nazis to take their revenge on the Jews of the town.
My own private Holocaust began on the eve of Yom Kippur 1942. On that day, the Nazis surrounded the town and murdered all 1040 Jews, including my parents.
My father was murdered in the middle of the Yom Kippur prayers in the synagogue. My mother was killed when we tried to escape to the nearby forest. Through the fog we could see figures chasing after us, while shooting at those fleeing.
My mother’s last words were: "Try to save yourselves”.
My brother and I hid together with a group of youths in one of the barns. During the two days we hid there, we could hear the sound of shooting, while the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. Later we learned that the Jews of the town were assembled in the town square, transported out of town and then tortured and slaughtered. The bodies were collected into barns which were then set on fire.
My brother and I fled to the forest, joined a group of three Jews, and together we built a hiding-place for ourselves in the depths of the forest, where we planned to spend the cold winter which was approaching.
We stored as many supplies as we could obtain from the neighboring villages. Before we closed ourselves into our hiding-place, I went out on my last mission, which was to find matches for the coming months. I was caught by a group of five men who beat me, stripped me and decided to hand me over to the Germans. In exchange they hoped to get salt and vodka. Although beaten and bruised I managed to escape from them and ran for hours, until I reached the hiding-place which we had constructed.
For five and a half cold winter months we were closed in in our hiding-place, after which we ventured out to look for other Jews who had managed to survive the cold winter months in the forest.
Together with those Jews whom we found, we erected a temporary camp. Our goal was to join the partisans, but they repeatedly rejected our appeals, even after we successfully carried out a mission which was given us.
In the light of this, we established a Jewish partisan brigade which we called "Nekama”. This brigade was disbanded by an order from the higher command on the pretext that since the Jews are not a nation, they are therefore not entitled to organize to fight separately.
When the brigade disbanded, my brother and I joined a partisan unit which was very well equipped. In this brigade, we experienced anti-Semitism, but we participated in operations, such as ambushes aimed at sabotaging the German fighting, blowing up of railroad tracks and sabotaging of communications lines, causing substantial damage.
When the Germans began to retreat westward, we were immediately behind them, sowing panic in their ranks.
When the Russians neared our area, we were conscripted into the Red Army and sent to the front, where we were transferred to the Polish Army and in its ranks we entered Germany.
At the time of the German surrender we were in the area between Derzin and Berlin. The Polish Army refused to release my brother and myself so we had to desert. We organized false documents for ourselves which enabled us to move freely about Europe.
In Italy I was a British soldier who did not speak English. At the end of our wanderings I fulfilled my dream and reached Eretz Yisrael, which the British had closed to us.
It took many and varied talents to survive the Holocaust and to merit the sight of the collapse of Germany."
Organization of Partisans Underground Fighters and Ghetto Rebels in Israel
Arlozorov Street 102, P.O. Box 16146, Tel Aviv, Israel Telefax: 972-3-5273564
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Human history is full of dark passages, some of which are exposed to the public but many are kept hidden. The genocide inflicted upon millions of indigenous people in Canada is a disgraceful page in the book of history. Numerous resources and means were adopted to justify a systematic genocide against aboriginal people. This northern American country, well known as a democracy, is rarely looked upon from a critical perspective. When going through the true history of this country, however, many points will draw attention to the inhuman manner in which outlanders conducted their dealings with the native residents.
Prior to the European invasion of Canada, aboriginal people lived throughout that region. The native population at the time was estimated at around two million people. This number was reduced by 85% when the “civilized” world came to the North American continent. By 1910 in British Columbia, the native population decreased by 20,000; ninety-eight percent of the west coast natives had been killed by then. The remaining population was forced to adopt a European way of life and saw their cultures and roots being destroyed.
According to comprehensive researches conducted by independent groups over the course of several years, particularly one titled “The International Tribunal into Crimes of Churches and State & the Friends and Relatives of the Disappeared” Canada's history is full of purposeful genocide and massacre, which has been wiped clean from public record and consciousness until recent years. This research reveals that “every level of government in Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, every mainstream church, large corporations and local police, doctors and judges were all involved in this purposeful” Canadian Holocaust; invasion, brutalities, abuses, killings and massacres against native residents of this land all constitute a dark chapter in the history of mankind.
The research reveals that contagious diseases, many intentionally introduced by Europeans, caused a near annihilation of most of the indigenous people, so that, by the 19th century, only 10 percent of them remained. Later, the Act to Encourage the Gradual Civilization of Indian Tribes in this province, commonly known as the Gradual Civilization Act, was passed in the Legislature of Upper Canada to eradicate indigenous people through enfranchisement; any grown native man would be “eligible” to become a “regular British subject” by demonstrating that he could read or write English or French and manage his own affairs in a sober and orderly manner. He would be required to change his name to one approved by the government. In addition to the humiliation of forced cultural assimilation, native men who went through this “civilization” process (and by extension their wives and children as well) would forego any claim to a share in the land or money that belongs to their tribe, in exchange for a small parcel of land or its equivalent price. A similar measure of forced cultural assimilation was carried out by the Roman Catholic Mission; it was established to replace those Indian chiefs who practiced traditional native spiritual beliefs, with Catholic-controlled leaders. This model was later used for Indian residential schools. The policy of these schools was to forcefully remove native children from the cultural influence of their families in order to achieve their assimilation into the dominant Canadian culture.
As recent as the 20th century, a federal law passed in Canada, making it mandatory for every indigenous child to be incarcerated in Indian boarding schools, now called residential schools. The death rate within these Indian residential schools exceeded 50 percent and the victims and their corpses vanished. Those innocent children, forced to reside in residential schools, were killed by beatings and torture. The Department of Indian Affairs, in collusion with Catholic and Protestant churches, applied a master plan through which employees of the church and the government intentionally exposed aboriginal children in residential schools to tuberculosis and other diseases. Yet, another inhumane act passed to massacre indigenous Canadians was the Sexual Sterilization Act, which mandated the involuntary sterilization of aboriginals in Canada.
Frequent deaths of First Nation children at Canada's residential schools
The Indian Act [1] is a law that has put all aboriginal people under the control of the Canadian federal government. This Act was enforced in 1876, just nine years after the establishment of the European-based government on aboriginal lands, and gives that government control over almost every element of native life: Indian status, land, resources, wills, education, band administration and so on. While this Act has undergone many amendments, its earlier versions were clearly directed at assimilating First Nations. For example, any aboriginal who sought to earn a university degree would lose their Indian status; aboriginal women who married non-aboriginal men would receive the same treatment. The Canadian Government also prohibited traditional practices of Aboriginal people.
“Early laws forbade treaty Indians from leaving allocated reservations. Starvation and disease were rampant. Indians were denied the right to vote. Religious and social traditions, like the Potlatch and the Sun Dances, were outlawed. Children were taken from their parents and sent away to residential schools where they were forbidden to speak their native languages, forced to wear white man’s clothing, forced to observe Christian religious practices, and not infrequently subjected to sexual abuse,” said Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin [2].
A Native Canandian protester showing her resentment toward Canada's policy of residential schools in Vancouver, B.C., on Sunday September 22, 2013
The Indian act enabled the Canadian government to establish some schools under the name of residential schools to make aboriginal children forget their mother language and culture. Many of the students were subjected to physical, sexual and emotional abuse and, from 1879 to 1996, an estimated 50,000[3] of them were murdered in this forced assimilation process. The blame for these killings rests equally with the Church and the government; the government provided the legitimacy of law, while the abuses were carried out under the Church’s supervision of these schools [4]. These residential schools actually constituted the death camps of the Canadian Holocaust. A 2013 report brought to light forensic evidence proving that 50,000 innocent children were buried at the oldest Indian residential school in Canada [5].
Students at residential schools were totally deprived of a normal family life as they passed 10 months each year in these schools, away from their parents. Some schools operated year round; thus, forcing children to stay there a full year. The only means of communication, between the children and their parents, was through letters that had to be written in English--a language their parents didn’t understand. The parents of these children were not even notified about the death of their dear child [6].
In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally apologized to Canada's Aboriginal Peoples for the government’s policy on the subject of wiping out the North American native culture [7]. This apology, however, was extended while the crimes of murdering native people and discrimination toward them is still rampant in Canada.
On April 14, 2016, A group of activists has entered WInnipeg's INAC building in protest to the lack of response to the Attawapiskat crisis. This Canadian First Nation community has been rocked by a suicide epidemic majorly due to discrimination and social restrictions they face in Canada.
“The most glaring blemish on the Canadian historic record relates to our treatment of the First Nations that lived here at the time of colonization,” said Canadian Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin.
Residential schools were based on racist views that held aboriginal children incapable of passing even the elementary levels of education. As a result, most of the students under this system never managed to go beyond elementary school. Corporal punishment was widespread and this way of discipline was often turned into physical abuse. Even though corporal punishment is employed much less frequently in Canada today, surprisingly it is still legally permissible in schools.
“...the Canadian federal government passed legislation in 1920, making it mandatory for all native children in British Columbia - the west coast of which was the least Christianized area among aboriginals in Canada - to attend residential schools, despite the fact that the same government had already acknowledged that the death rate due to communicable diseases was much higher in these schools and that, while there, the native children's "constitution is so weakened that they have no vitality to withstand disease". (A. W. Neill, West Coast Indian Agent, to Secretary of Indian Affairs, April 25, 1910)[8]
That means that the Canadian government officially forced the attendance of the aboriginal peoples in residential schools exactly at a period when there were reports showing that the number of children dying in those schools were at its highest. The death rate in residential schools stood at 40% by then, according to Indian Affairs officers like Dr. Peter Bryce. Although other facts exist that point to the genocidal intent of the European occupiers toward the North American native people, this statistic alone is enough to support that a genocide has actually taken place in this region[9].
Another European genocidal intent against the native people manifested in the involuntary sexual sterilization of native men, women and even children. This inhumane act was legalized in provincial laws ratified in Alberta in 1928 and British Columbia in 1933[10]. Sexual sterilization was performed in residential schools and Indian hospitals: the doctors who performed it received $300 for each aboriginal person they managed to sterilize [11].
According to Christy White, a former employee of the R.W. Large Hospital, where a large number sterilizations were performed, all records showing the federal payments destined for the sterilizations at the hospital were destroyed in early 1995, shortly after the “official” Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigation into west coast Indian residential schools was opened.
Even as these lines are being written, aboriginal women and girls have a four times greater chance to get murdered or go missing, compared to non-native Canadian women, although aboriginal women constitute just 4.3% of Canada’s female population. Currently, there are 1,200 documented cases of women who have gone missing or were found killed in Canada; if we add the undocumented cases of murder and abduction this number will stand at 4,000 people [12]. Canadian activists have collected 4,232 names of killed or missing native women [13]. The Canadian justice system has responded inadequately to this issue; this system is pursuing an active victim blaming attitude, which has contributed to a culture enabling Canadian men to kill and rape native women with impunity.
Aboriginal people were used as slaves in the past and are being used as slaves in the present time. Aboriginal men are trafficked internally for forced labor while native girls and women are subjugated to commercial sexual exploitation [14] with no judicial prosecution against these crimes[15]. A 2009 report by the University of Ottawa has discussed in details about the particular ways aboriginal women are abused in sex trades under heavy exploitative circumstances [16]. There are many personal accounts of survivors of this horrible trade that is quite shocking [17]. Besides, another report in 2014 by Native Women’s Association of Canada has also provided a more comprehensive picture of sexual exploitation and trafficking of aboriginal women and girls in Canada [18].
There are many issues to consider when we examine colonial violence and the socio-political heritage it has left for the Canadian government. When colonial powers set foot on the North American continent, they started to occupy land that belonged to the aboriginal people and that was how Canada was formed as a country. In order to establish a country, the British and French colonialists started to disconnect native people from their territories; they attacked aboriginal women because they were at the heart of this connection. That is how killing aboriginal women in Canada got started, and continues to this day. That tradition is woven into the fabric of Canadian society [19].
Although there has been an official call for a national inquiry into this horrible crime against Canada’s minorities, but judging by past unimplemented recommendations, this action seems to be another empty promise to take a step for amending the relation between the state and the native population. The Canadian government itself should be held accountable for being the driving force behind this colonial violence against women. Canada’s failure to uphold the rights of its minorities has led to international scrutiny that confirms this as fact [20].
Undermining minority rights in Canada is not limited to the killing and abduction of native women and girls, but the entire Canadian socio-political system is wrought with racism against these people; industry, education, healthcare, child welfare, social services and the prison system are all full of examples of their racist approaches. Canada’s prison population has currently reached unprecedented levels [21] as the prison industrial complex is forming in Canada with the help of American companies [22]. In the neo-liberal ideology now dominating the western world, minorities have always been viewed as cheap laborers whether outside prison or incarcerated due to minor charges.
The standard of living of Canadian Indians is currently sixty-fourth in the world, a standing that places them before Mexico and Thailand. Today, Canada’s native people suffer from high rates of poverty, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and limited access to health care. Aboriginal people living in urban areas are more than twice as likely to live in poverty compared to non-native people. The unemployment rate among aboriginal people is more than double of that seen in the white population. High school graduation rate among Canada’s aboriginal people is 50%, while this rate stands at 70% for white Canadians. This gap widens when we talk about the number of people who attend university; 15.4% of Canada’s non-native population compared to only 4.4% of native people, considering the fact that the native population comprises only 4.3% of Canada’s population.
Canada is among the richest nations on the planet, and this status is in part achieved through the theft of native lands and resources. Canada’s native people are three times more likely to be victims of violent crime [23]. Although they currently make up only 4.3 percent of Canada’s population, Native Canadians comprise 18% of the inmates in federal prisons and 50% of prisoners in Prairie Provinces. New statistics point to a rising incarceration rate among native people; in January 2016, a quarter of federal inmates were native persons [24]. This is the result of a racist criminal justice system which has an attitude of incarcerating native people at two times the rate of non-native people for the same offences [25]. The crime rate in Canada is seeing a downturn but the number of aboriginal inmates has gone up [26].
The new Canadian prime minister had as a key part of his political campaign the support for the First Nation, promised an investigation into the genocide of aborigines in the country, if elected. The new Canadian government has merely displayed gestures of good will towards the Aborigines with no concrete action taken as of yet, say some analysts. (27) A shocking number of indigenous women go missing and become victims of homicide each year. The new Canadian PM has also ordered a probe, however, indigenous families believe investigations are inadequate. (28) The Canadian Minister of Indigenous affairs has also accused police of failing to investigate thousands of murders of aboriginal women, whose deaths were wrongly classified as suicide, accidental, or by natural cause according to their families. (29)
Another fact that points to Canada’s hatred towards its native population is the more recent school shooting in Canada’s Laloche aboriginal school, where the shooter was a white Canadian [30]. This piece of news is among many other similar cases, despite the fact that school shootings are generally rare in Canada. But when it happens, it happens at an aboriginal school.
[1] The Indian Act has 21 articles the remnants of which is still present in form of discriminative views in the Canadian culture against the aboriginal people:
denied women status;
introduced residential schools;
created reserves;
renamed individuals with European names
restricted First Nations from leaving reserve without permission from Indian Agent - see picture above
enforced enfranchisement of any First Nation admitted to university;
could expropriate portions of reserves for roads, railways and other public works, as well as to move an entire reserve away from a municipality if it was deemed expedient;
could lease out uncultivated reserve lands to non-First Nations if the new leaseholder would use it for farming or pasture;
forbade First Nations from forming political organizations;
prohibited anyone, First Nation or non-First Nation, from soliciting funds for First Nation legal claims without special license from the Superintendent General. (this 1927 amendment granted the government control over the ability of First Nations to pursue land claims);
prohibited the sale of alcohol to First Nations;
prohibited sale of ammunition to First Nations;
prohibited pool hall owners from allowing First Nations entrance;
imposed the “band council” system;
forbade First Nations from speaking their native language;
forbade First Nations from practicing their traditional religion;
forbade western First Nations from appearing in any public dance, show, exhibition, stampede or pageant wearing traditional regalia;
declared potlatch and other cultural ceremonies illegal;
denied First Nations the right to vote;
created permit system to control First Nations ability to sell products from farms;
is a piece of legislation created under the British rule for the purpose of subjugating one race - Aboriginal people.
See Joseph, Bob. 21 Things You May Not Have Known About The Indian Act. Indigenous Corporate Training. [Online] 06 02, 2015. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.ictinc.ca/blog/21-things-you-may-not-have-known-about-the-indian-act-.
[2] Canada’s top judge says country committed ‘cultural genocide’ against Indigenous peoples. Associated Press Television News. [Online] 05 29, 2015. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://aptn.ca/news/2015/05/29/canadas-top-judge-says-country-committed-cultural-genocide-indigenous-peoples/.
[3] Louis, Cara St. Mass Murder of Canadian Children Admitted. Veterans Today. [Online] 04 01, 2014. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.veteranstoday.com/2014/04/01/mass-murder-of-canadian-children-admitted/.
[4] HIDDEN FROM HISTORY: The Canadian Holocaust. [Online] 2001. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://canadiangenocide.nativeweb.org/genocide.pdf.
[5] Welcome to ITCCS.ORG and The International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State. The International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State. [Online] 04 25, 2013. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://itccs.org/mass-graves-of-children-in-canada-documented-evidence/.
[6] Perkel, Colin. 'Missing Children' At Residential Schools ID'd. Huffington Post. [Online] 05 31, 2012. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/31/missing-children-residential-schools_n_1560488.html.
[7] Montpetit, Isabelle. Background: The Indian Act. [Online] 07 14, 2011. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/background-the-indian-act-1.1056988.
[8] Hidden From History: The Canadian Holocaust (an extract). [Online] [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn87008345/2002-04-04/ed-1/seq-13.pdf.
[9] Thorner, Thomas and Frohn-Nielsen, Thor. A Country Nourished on Self-doubt: Documents in Post-confederation Canadian History. s.l. : University of Toronto Press, 2010. available at: https://books.google.com/books?id=pkgut0LkAboC&pg=PA385&lpg.
[10] Hidden from History: The Canadian Holocaust. [Online] The Truth Commission into Genocide in Canada, 02 01, 2001. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://canadiangenocide.nativeweb.org/genocide.pdf.
[11] Annett, Kevin D. Hidden No Longer: Genocide in Canada, Past and Present. s.l. : The International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State, 2010. Available at: http://www.whale.to/c/No-Longer-Hidden-1.pdf.
[12] Missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada could number 4,000. The Guardian. [Online] 02 17, 2016. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/17/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-in-canada-could-number-4000.
[13] Paul, John. Confusion reigns over number of missing, murdered indigenous women. CBC News. [Online] 02 17, 2016. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mmiw-4000-hajdu-1.3450237.
[14] [Online] Many articles are available here for human trafficking and modern slavery in Canada: http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Canada.htm.
[15] Attaran, Amir. Sex Slaves in Canada. Review Canada. [Online] 12 01, 2010. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://reviewcanada.ca/magazine/2010/12/sex-slaves-in-canada/.
[16] Sikka, Anette. Trafficking of Aboriginal Women and Girls in Canada. Institute on Governance. [Online] 05 2009. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://iog.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/May-2009_trafficking_of_aboriginal_women-1.pdf.
[17] Grant, Tavia. THE TRAFFICKED. The Globe and Mail. [Online] 02 10, 2016. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-trafficked-sexual-exploitation-is-costing-canadian-women-their-lives/article28700849/.
[18] Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Aboriginal Women and Girls. Canadian Women. [Online] 05 2014. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://canadianwomen.org/sites/canadianwomen.org/files/NWAC%20Sex%20Trafficking%20Literature%20Review_2.pdf.
[19] Dhillon, Jaskiran and Allooloo, Siku. Violence against indigenous women is woven into Canada’s history. The Guardian. [Online] 12 14, 2015. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/14/violence-indigenous-woman-canada-history-inquiry-racism.
[20] Fraser-Kruck, Heidi. Canada’s Failure to Support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada. [Online] 01 15, 2009. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.lrwc.org/ws/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Canada.Failure.to_.Support.UNDRIP.pdf.
[21] Brosnahan, Maureen. Canada’s prison population at all-time high. CBC News. [Online] 11 25, 2013. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada-s-prison-population-at-all-time-high-1.2440039.
[22] Poynter, Bilbo. Private prison companies look to Canada as industry faces lawsuits in US . The Guardian. [Online] 06 19, 2012. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jun/19/private-prison-companies-canada-lawsuits.
[23] Scrim, Katie. Victims of Crime Research Digest No. 3. Canada's Department of Justice. [Online] 2010. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/cj-jp/victim/rd3-rr3/p3.html.
[24] Prison watchdog says more than a quarter of federal inmates are aboriginal people. CBC News. [Online] 01 14, 2016. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/aboriginal-inmates-1.3403647.
[25] Part IV: ABORIGINAL PEOPLE AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. Canadian Criminal Justice Association. [Online] 05 15, 2000. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] https://www.ccja-acjp.ca/en/abori4.html.
[26] Winsa, Patty and Rankin, Jim. Unequal Justice: Aboriginals caught in the justice system trap. The Star. [Online] 03 03, 2013. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2013/03/03/unequal_justice_aboriginals_caught_in_the_justice_system_trap.html.
27. Alexander, Colin. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as accessory to Aboriginal suicides. Canada Free Press. [Online] October 16, 2016. [Cited: December 20, 2016.] http://canadafreepress.com/article/prime-minister-justin-trudeau-as-accessory-to-aboriginal-suicides.
28. Tasker, John Paul. Indigenous families call police investigations inadequate as MMIW pre-inquiry talks wrap. CBS News. [Online] February 15, 2016. [Cited: December 20, 2016.] http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mmiw-trudeau-tracker-election-1.3460926.
29. Murder suspected in deaths of thousands of Canadian indigenous women. ABC News. [Online] February 17, 2016. [Cited: December 20, 2016.] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-17/murder-suspected-thousands-of-canadian-aboriginal-women/7176768.
[30] Remote aboriginal community reeling after deadly shooting. CBS News. [Online] 01 23, 2016. [Cited: 02 29, 2016.] http://www.cbsnews.com/news/canada-school-shooting-leaves-remote-aboriginal-community-reeling/.
Canada has no lesson to give on human rights when it kills aboriginals: Canadian professor
West cracks down on universitities for open debates on Holocaust: Canadian Professor
American values, from the massacre of Natives in the U.S., to the massacre of Palestinians
Exposing the hidden form of American slavery; Sex Trafficking
First Nations were relegated to reserves living in apartheid-style regions of Canada
US black community: From oppression under capitalism to liberation in Islam
Human rights campaigns in West blind the world towards Bahrain: Intl lawyer
Rethinking Thanksgiving: celebrating the genocide and theft of the natives of America
Sara B.
Great lesson and stories that must be heard!
Andrew Tang
Canada is a terrorist, genocidal fake country!
This was a decent and amazing post I extremely like it you do the immense work I read this post and it was mind-blowing and exceptional thank you such a great amount for imparting this information to us. Great post! .Very informative, I just like the valuable info you provide for your articles. Thank you for sharing this post. A good blog always comes-up with new and exciting information and while reading .I have feel that this blog is really have all those quality that qualify a blog to be a good one.Thanks a lot for sharing. Keep blogging. This is an awesome post.
Per Sigurd
The Norwegian government did the same to my people here, my father was beaten if teachers heard him speak his language. The protestant cult and Norwegian gov occupying Sapmi is just as guilty.
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Frances Perkins Homestead Campaign: Seeking the Public Good
The Frances Perkins Homestead Campaign: Seeking the Public Good honors the life and legacy of Frances Perkins, a remarkable woman whose work continues to improve the lives of ordinary Americans. Our campaign seeks to raise $5.5 million to expand educational programs and preserve her historic family Homestead – the place that inspired her pioneering achievements for the betterment of all Americans.
Honorary campaign co-chairs, former US Senator George Mitchell and Lynn Pasquerella, President of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and former President of Mount Holyoke College, join us in asking you to help us create a national educational center and historic site at the Frances Perkins Homestead in Newcastle, Maine. Your campaign support will preserve and promote the values championed by Frances Perkins, ensuring that her legacy will not be lost to future generations.
October 30, 2018: Maine Preservation announces the Frances Perkins Homestead as one of Maine’s most endangered historic places of 2018.
Failure to act now will result in its sale with no guarantee that this important landmark will be open to the public or its landscape and historic structures preserved. Your financial partnership will allow us to permanently secure Frances Perkins’ beloved home and transform it into a national center for learning and discourse dedicated to her stated belief that government should provide all of its people with the best possible life.
A National Historic Landmark
As a National Historic Landmark, the Frances Perkins Homestead is among our nation’s most significant places. Settled by the Perkins family in the mid-eighteenth century, it is a saltwater farm on the tidal Damariscotta River. Its 1837 Brick House and connected barns sit on 57 acres within a protected landscape of fields and forest bounded by 2.8 miles of picturesque stone walls. Tours highlight the modest but comfortable house full of memorabilia and the remnants of the family’s brick works allow us to teach how this place shaped Perkins as someone dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans.
We currently offer public programs from a small rented office and exhibit space in downtown Damariscotta, the town adjacent to Newcastle. While programs like our senior college courses and public policy forums are offered off site at libraries and college lecture halls, our signature offerings – interpreted tours of the Perkins Homestead with participatory discussions – can only be offered at the place itself.
Locating the Center at the Homestead will achieve two goals – preserving the place as well as making possible a major expansion of programs to reach wider audiences. These will include school field trips, on-site educational forums, publications, expanded internships, residential opportunities for scholars, and the ability to host gatherings of labor professionals, policy makers, and others working in fields related to the career of Frances Perkins, sharing the results and lessons of her work through programs of learning and civil discourse that address 21st century economic and social issues.
Gift Consideration
Gifts of all sizes will help us achieve our goals. We accept recurring gifts and gift installments dedicated to the Homestead Campaign over a 5-year period, as well as gifts of securities.
For more information about our plans or making a gift, please contact:
Laura Chaney
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The Infinity Saga: a 22-Episode “Season” of Theatrical TV Spread Over Ten Years
Here’s a quote I haven’t forgotten from Manohla Dargis’s NYTimes review of Spider-Man: Homecoming.
[The Marvel Cinematic Universe] is vast, complicated, lucrative and ever-expanding. It’s also intrinsically uninteresting for viewers (at least one!) who just want a good movie.
Confession: I remember no one saying this about The Return of the King. Nobody wanted to skip the first two films and have the third stand on its own.
And why should they? The Lord of the Rings films were a trilogy, like the books.
I also don’t remember anyone complaining that they should have been able to walk into a screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One, and (to satisfy their desire for “a good movie”) automagically know who’s who and how they relate to each other. Did audience members suddenly blurt out, “Who’s this DumbleDude guy? Sounds like a dick.”
Well, I’m sure someone did, somewhere, but no one paid them to publish those thoughts in the NYTimes.
Sequels! There are so many of them in the MCU, and it all started with that end-credits scene where Nick Fury tells Tony Stark about the Avengers Initiative. Based on that one scene–not to mention the marketing that confirmed a common setting for these films–Thor was a sequel to Iron Man. The Incredible Hulk (which included a Tony Stark cameo) mentioned super-soldier serum in 2008, three years before Captain America: The First Avenger. That means The Incredible Hulk was another sequel and CA:TFA was a prequel.
Don’t like using the word like that? Would you rather think of the Iron Man movies as one film and two sequels, and the three Thor and three Captain America movies as one film and two sequels (each) and then The Avengers as some odd crossover event that won’t be neatly characterized, but that also comes with sequels?
Let’s look at Wikipedia for a sec.
A sequel is a literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same fictional universe as an earlier work, usually chronologically following the events of that work.
I confess (a second time), I prefer that one to the “continuation of the story” definition that you see in online dictionaries, which is unnecessarily nebulous. The films share a setting, which means they share supporting characters and story elements: SHIELD, the infinity stones, the Kree. Also, the events of previous movies affect current ones. T’Challa becomes king in CA: Civil War and is crowned in his solo film. SHIELD conducts research into Hydra technology because Loki sends The Destroyer to New Mexico to kill Thor.
Sequels.
That’s what the MCU is. They’ve created a long story–22 episodes of the newly christened “Infinity Saga” and I’ll see the “season finale” Friday sometime–and they’ve done it as haphazardly as the creators of traditional network TV series have done it. I suffered through the first season of 24 because the premise sounded amazing, but as that show foundered, it became clear that the creators did not have a plan for the season. They were winging it, episode by episode, and it showed. The folks making the MCU were winging it, too. See my previous blog post.
Except we need better a better term for it. Marvel is working on sequels for Black Panther and Doctor Strange, and when you use the word “sequel” that way, you understand exactly what they mean: another movie with Stephen Strange or T’Challa as the protagonist. What will we call the upcoming Shang-Chi film? An episode? An “installment”?
So I understand why people would complain that these films aren’t films, but I think that’s wrong. I think they’re both films and episodes, and they’re all the more enjoyable for it.
By the way, on Sunday night I plan to watch the next episode of Game of Thrones, even though I’ve skipped every other previous episode. And I’m going to say shit like “Who’s that guy? Who’s she? Jeez, remember back in the day when you could just watch a good TV show? Mid-season, fourth season, it didn’t matter! You had Starsky and you had Hutch and once the opening theme explained the premise, you were set. Now *that* was TV! Wait. Who’s that zombie–looking guy?”
We’ve gotten used to long arcs on TV shows, thanks to so-called prestige TV and the tendency of streaming shows to make each season a miniseries. Maybe we’re looking at a genuine sea change in the film industry, too.
Everything changes.
Tags film, TV
New and Definitive Listing of MCU Films (w/ commentary) Don’t @ Me
Extremely Spoilerific Thoughts About Avengers: Endgame
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Global Firsts and Facts
Inventions, Discoveries and More
Hero of Alexandria
Hero of Alexandria (Greek: Ἥρων[1] ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Heron ho Alexandreus; also known as Heron of Alexandria; c. 10 AD – c. 70 AD) was a Greek mathematician and engineer who was active in his native city of Alexandria, Roman Egypt. He is considered the greatest experimenter of antiquity and his work is representative of the Hellenistic scientific tradition. Hero published a well recognized description of a steam-powered device called an aeolipile (sometimes called a “Hero engine”). Among his most famous inventions was a windwheel, constituting the earliest instance of wind harnessing on land. He is said to have been a follower of the atomists. Some of his ideas were derived from the works of Ctesibius. Much of Hero’s original writings and designs have been lost, but some of his works were preserved in Arabic manuscripts.
More info at: wikipedia
Additional Articles associated with this person’s firsts:
Aeolipile was the first Turbine
Vending machines before Jesus’s birth really
Name(s):
Mathematician and Engineer
10 AD
70 AD, Alexandria, Egypt
Hero of Alexandria – Wikipedia
Much of Hero’s original writings and designs have been lost, but some of his works were preserved in Arabic manuscripts.
Heron of Alexandria | Greek mathematician | Britannica.com
Heron of Alexandria, also called Hero (flourished c. ad 62, Alexandria, Egypt), Greek geometer and inventor whose writings preserved for posterity a knowledge of the mathematics and engineering of Babylonia, ancient Egypt, and the Greco-Roman world.
The ancient invention of the steam engine by the Hero of Alexandria …
In our society today we are often surprised and impressed by the advancement of technology and engineering, a major characteristic of our civilisation. However if we look back more than 2,000 years ago, we can find mechanical marvels and incredible feats of engineering that were ahead of their time. Many became lost to the pages of history, only to become reinvented just a few centuries ago. This includes the first modern of the steam engine.
Heron Of Alexandria – Mathematician Biography, Facts and Pictures
Many Greek scientists were known by the name Heron or Hero however the multi-faceted mathematician, scientist, inventor and engineer mentioned here is the ‘Heron of Alexandria’ who was born in 20 AD. He specialized in the fields of mechanics, mathematics and physics representing the works of the Hellenistic tradition in Science.
Heron of Alexandria – A Beautiful Mind – Geometer and Mathematician
Heron of Alexandria (c. 10 CE – c. 70 CE) is one of the most fascinating figures in Greek history, standing alongside mathematicians such as Pythagoras, Archimedes and Euclid as a major contributor to the history of science. This fascinating man was a brilliant geometer and mathematician, but he is most commonly remembered as a truly great inventor.
Incredible Ancient Machines Invented By Hero Of Alexandria – An …
Little is known about Hero of Alexandria except that he was a remarkable ancient engineer far ahead of his time. He invented several sophisticated machines which demonstrate his vast knowledge in mechanics.
Hero of Alexandria and His Amazing Machines – Today I Found Out
Two thousand ago, the Thomas Edison of the ancient world lived in Alexandria, Egypt where he tinkered, built and wrote about some of the most amazing and whimsical machines the pre-industrial world had ever seen.
The Amazing Ancient Machines of Hero of Alexandria – Gizmodo
The Greek engineer who invented the steam engine 2,000 years ago
Almost two millennia before the rest of humanity entered the industrial age, the Greek inventor Hero invented the steam engine, wind-powered machinery, and theories of light that couldn’t be improved for centuries. And then he invented some really crazy stuff.
Posted in: Business, Engineering, Engines, Machines, Retailing | Tagged: 100 BCE, 75 CE, Aeolipile, Business, Egypt, Engine, Engineer, Engineering, Engines, Greece, Hero of Alexandria, Inventor, Machines, Mathematician, Motor, Motors, Reaction Turbine, Retail, Retailing, Turbine, Vending
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16. Occupational Health Services
Contract Occupational Health Services in the United States
Employers in the United States have long provided medical care for injured workers through the use of private physicians, clinics, immediate-care facilities and hospital emergency departments. This care for the most part has been episodic and rarely coordinated, as only the largest corporations could provide in-house occupational health services.
A recent survey of 22,457 companies of fewer than 5,000 employees in a suburban area of Chicago found that 93% had less than 50 employees and only 1% employed more than 250 employees. Of this group, 52% utilized a specific provider for their work injuries, 24% did not utilize a specific provider and another 24% allowed the employee to seek his or her own provider. Only 1% of the companies utilized a medical director to provide care. These companies make up 99% of all employers in the surveyed area, representing over 524,000 employees (National Health Systems 1992).
Since the passage of the act which created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1970, and with the accompanying changes in health care financing that have taken place since that time, the focus and priorities of care have changed. Insurance costs for workers’ compensation and group health care have risen from 14 to 26% annually from 1988 to 1991 (BNA 1991). In 1990, health care costs accounted for the single largest portion of the $53 billion spent in the United States for workers’ compensation benefits, and in 1995, medical benefits are expected to reach 50% of a total $100 billion price tag for workers’ compensation costs (Resnick 1992).
Premium costs vary by state because of differing workers’ compensation regulations. The Kiplinger Washington Letter of 9 September 1994 states, “In Montana, contractors pay an average of $35.29 in compensation insurance for every $100 of payroll. In Florida, it’s $21.99. Illinois, $19.48. Same coverage costs $5.55 in Indiana or $9.55 in South Carolina.” As the need for economical workers’ compensation care has evolved, employers are demanding more assistance from their health care providers.
The bulk of this medical care is rendered by independently owned medical facilities. Employers may contract for this care, develop a relationship with a provider or secure it on an as-needed basis. Most care is rendered on a fee-for-service basis, with the beginnings of capitation and direct contracting emerging during the later half of the 1990s.
Employers universally require that occupational health services include acute treatment of injuries and illnesses such as sprains, strains, back and eye injuries and lacerations. These make up the majority of acute cases seen in an occupational health programme.
Often, examinations are requested that are given pre-placement or after a job offer, to determine prospective employees’ ability to safely perform the work required without injury to themselves or others. These examinations must be evaluated consistently with US law as embodied in the Americans with Disabilities Act. This law forbids discrimination in hiring based on a disability that does not prevent an individual from performing the essential functions of the prospective job. The employer is further expected to make a “reasonable accommodation” to a disabled employee (EEOC and Department of Justice 1991).
Though required by law only for certain job categories, substance abuse testing for drugs and/or alcohol is now performed by 98% of the Fortune 200 companies in the United States. These tests may include measurements of urine, blood and breath for levels of illicit drugs or alcohol (BNA 1994).
In addition, an employer may require specialized services such as OSHA-mandated medical surveillance tests—for instance, respirator fitness examinations, based on a worker’s physical capacity and pulmonary function, assessing the worker’s ability to wear a respirator with safety; asbestos examinations and other chemical exposure tests, tailored to assess an individual’s health status with respect to possible exposure and long-term effects of a given agent on the person’s overall health.
In order to assess the health status of key employees, some companies contract for physical examinations for their executives. These examinations are generally preventive in nature and offer extensive health assessment, including laboratory testing, x rays, cardiac stress testing, cancer screening and lifestyle counselling. The frequency of these examinations is often based on age rather than type of work.
Periodic fitness examinations are often contracted for by municipalities to assess the health status of fire and police officers, who are generally tested to measure their physical ability to handle physically stressful situations and to determine whether exposures have occurred in the workplace.
An employer may also contract for rehabilitative services, including physical therapy, work hardening, workplace ergonomic assessments as well as vocational and occupational therapies.
More recently, as a benefit to employees and in an effort to decrease health care costs, employers are contracting for wellness programmes. These prevention-oriented screenings and educational programmes seek to assess health so that appropriate interventions might be offered to alter lifestyles that contribute to disease. Programmes include cholesterol screening, health risk appraisals, smoking cessation, stress management and nutrition education.
Programmes are being developed in all areas of health care to meet the needs of employees. The employee assistance program (EAP) is another recent programme developed to provide counselling and referral services to employees with substance abuse, emotional, family and/or financial problems which employers have determined have an effect on the employee’s ability to be productive.
A service that is relatively new to occupational health is case management. This service, usually provided by nurses or clerical personnel supervised by nurses, has effectively reduced costs while ensuring appropriate quality care for the injured worker. Insurance companies have long provided management of claims costs (the dollars spent on workers’ compensation cases) at a point when the injured worker has been off work for a specified length of time or when a certain dollar amount has been reached. Case management is a more proactive and concurrent process which may be applied from the first day of the injury. Case managers direct the patient to the appropriate level of care, interact with the treating physician to determine what types of modified work the patient is medically capable of performing, and work with the employer to ensure that the patient is performing work which will not worsen the injury. The case manager’s focus is to return the employee to a minimum of modified duty as quickly as possible as well as to identify good quality physicians whose results will best benefit the patient.
Services are available through a variety of providers with varying degrees of expertise. The private physician’s office may offer pre-placement examinations and substance abuse testing as well as follow-up of acute injuries. The physician’s office generally requires appointments and has limited hours of service. If the capabilities exist, the private physician may also offer executive examinations or may refer the patient to a nearby hospital for extensive laboratory, x-ray and stress testing.
The industrial clinic generally offers acute care of injuries (including follow-up care), pre-placement examinations and substance abuse testing. They often have x-ray and laboratory capabilities and may have physicians who have experience in assessing the workplace. Again, their hours are generally limited to business hours so that employers with second- and third-shift operations may need to utilize an emergency department during evenings and weekends. The industrial clinic rarely treats the private patient, and it is generally perceived as the “company doctor”, since arrangements are usually made to bill the employer or the company’s insurance carrier directly.
Immediate care facilities are another alternative delivery site. These facilities are walk-in providers of general medical care and require no appointments. These facilities generally are equipped with x-ray and laboratory capabilities and physicians experienced in emergency medicine, internal medicine or family practice. The type of client ranges from the paediatrics patient to the adult with a sore throat. In addition to acute injury care and minor follow-up of injured employees, these facilities may perform pre-placement physicals and substance abuse testing. Those facilities which have developed an occupational health component often provide periodic exams and OSHA-mandated screenings, and may have contractual relationships with additional providers for services that they do not themselves offer.
The hospital emergency room is often the site of choice for treatment of acute injuries and has generally been capable of little else in terms of occupational health services. This has been the case although the hospital has had the resources to provide most of the required services with the exception of those offered by physicians with expertise in occupational medicine. Yet an emergency department alone lacks the managed care and return-to-work expertise now being demanded by industry.
Hospital-Based Programmes
Hospital administrations have become cognizant that they not only have the resources and technology available but that workers’ compensation was one of the last “insurance” programmes which would pay fees for service, thereby boosting revenues hurt by discounting arrangements that were made with managed care insurance companies such as HMOs and PPOs. These managed care companies, as well as the federally and state funded Medicare and Medicaid programmes for general health care, have demanded shorter lengths of stay and have imposed a payment system based on “diagnosis-related grouping” (DRG). These schemes have forced hospitals to lower costs by seeking improved coordination of care and new revenue-producing products. Fears arose that costs would be shifted from group health managed care to workers’ compensation; in many cases these fears were well-founded, with costs for treating an injured back under workers’ compensation two to three times the cost under group health plans. A 1990 Minnesota Department of Labour and Industry study reported that costs of treatment for sprains and strains were 1.95 times greater, and those for back injuries 2.3 times greater, under workers’ compensation than under group health insurance plans (Zaldman 1990).
Several different hospital delivery models have evolved. These include the hospital-owned clinic (either on campus or off), the emergency department, the “fast-track” (non-acute emergency department), and administratively managed occupational health services. The American Hospital Association reported that Ryan Associates and Occupational Health Research had studied 119 occupational health programmes in the United States (Newkirk 1993). They found that:
25.2% were hospital emergency department based
24.4% were hospital non-emergency department based
28.6% were hospital free-standing clinics
10.9% were independently owned free-standing clinics
10.9% were other types of programmes.
All of these programmes assessed costs on a fee-for-service basis and offered a variety of services which, in addition to treatment of acutely injured workers, included pre-placement examinations, drug and alcohol testing, rehabilitation, workplace consulting, OSHA-mandated medical surveillance, executive physicals and wellness programmes. In addition, some offered employee assistance programmes, onsite nursing, CPR, first aid and case management.
More often today hospital occupational health programmes are adding a nursing model of case management. Within such a model incorporating integrated medical management, total workers’ compensation costs can be lowered 50%, which is a significant incentive for the employer to utilize providers that afford this service (Tweed 1994). These cost reductions are generated by a strong focus on the need for early return to work and for consultation on modified work programmes. The nurses work with the specialists to help define medically acceptable work that an injured employee can perform safely and with restrictions.
In most states, US workers receive two-thirds of their salary while receiving temporary workers’ compensation for total disability. When they return to modified work, they continue to provide a service for their employers and maintain their self-esteem through work. Workers who have been off work six or more weeks frequently never return to their full employment and are often forced to perform lower-paying and less skilled jobs.
The ultimate goal of a hospital-based occupational health programme is to allow patients access to the hospital for work injury treatment and to continue with the hospital as their primary provider of all health care services. As the United States moves to a capitated health care system, the number of covered lives a hospital serves becomes the prime indicator of success.
Under this capitated form of health care financing, employers pay a per capita rate to providers for all health care services that their employees and their dependants may need. If the individuals covered under such a plan stay healthy, then the provider is able to profit. If the covered lives are high utilizers of services, the provider may not earn enough revenue from premiums to cover the costs of care and may therefore lose money. Several states in the United States are moving toward capitation for group health insurance and a few are piloting 24-hour coverage for all health care, including workers’ compensation medical benefits. Hospitals will no longer judge success on patient census but on a ratio of covered lives to costs.
Comprehensive hospital-based occupational health programmes are designed to fill a need for a high-quality comprehensive occupational medicine programme for the industrial and corporate community. The design is based on the premise that injury care and pre-placement physicals are important but alone do not constitute an occupational medicine programme. A hospital serving many companies can afford an occupational medicine physician to oversee medical services, and therefore, a broader occupational focus can be gained, allowing for toxicology consultations, worksite evaluations and OSHA-mandated examin-ations for such contaminants as asbestos or lead and for equipment such as respirators, in addition to the usual services of work injury treatment, physical examinations and drug screening. Hospitals also have the resources necessary to provide a compute-rized database and case management system.
By providing employers with a single full service centre for their employees’ health care needs, the occupational health programme can better ensure that the employee receives quality, compassionate health care in the most appropriate setting, at the same time reducing costs to the employer. Occupational health providers can monitor trends within a company or an industry and make recommendations to reduce workplace accidents and improve safety.
A comprehensive hospital-based occupational health programme allows the small employer to share the services of a corporate medical department. Such a programme provides prevention and wellness as well as acute care service and permits a sharper focus on promotion of health for US workers and their families.
Read 3048 times Last modified on Thursday, 16 June 2011 13:02
Published in 16. Occupational Health Services
More in this category: « Corporate Occupational Health Services in the United States: Services Provided Internally Labour Union-Based Activities in the United States »
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SOURCE: The Atlantic
Free Speech on Campus Is Doing Just Fine, Thank You
tags: higher education, college, free speech, university
by Lee C. Bollinger
Lee C. Bollinger is the 19th president of Columbia University and co-author, with Geoffrey R. Stone, of the new book The Free Speech Century.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring colleges and universities that receive federal funds to do what they’re already required by law to do: extend free-speech protections to men and women on campus.
The executive order was a transparent exercise in politics. Its intent was to validate the collective antipathy that many Trump boosters feel toward institutions of higher learning. Its major impact, though, has been to shed light on how serious the purported censorship crisis on campus really is—or, rather, is not.
I have served for more than two decades as a university president, the past 17 years leading Columbia University. I am also a lifelong First Amendment scholar and have written books and essays to try to understand and explain why our laws and norms have evolved as they have. In both these capacities, I can attest that attitudes about the First Amendment are evolving—but not in the way President Trump thinks.
The president’s claim that the campus free-speech order was needed to defend “American values that have been under siege” ignored two essential facts. First, universities are, today, more hospitable venues for open debate than the nation as a whole. Second, not only have fierce arguments over where to draw the line on acceptable speech been a familiar occurrence in the United States for the past century, but such dialogue has also been indispensable to building a society that embraces the First Amendment. From flag burning to Holocaust denial, Americans of all ages have been grappling with basic questions about offensive speech for decades and will continue to do so for as long as the country strives for this ideal of openness and freedom of expression. Exchanges over the boundaries of campus speech should therefore be welcomed rather than reviled when they take place.
Read entire article at The Atlantic
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Stephen King Horror-Thon: 1408 (2007)
In 2007, 1408 marked a return to the basics for Stephen King adaptations. 1408 centers around an author of haunted tourism books who doesn’t believe in the paranormal. But when he spends the night in room 1408 of The Dolphin Hotel in New York City, he has a violent change of heart.
1408 was adapted from a short story of the same name from Stephen King’s 2002 collection of short stories called Everything’s Eventual. It was directed by Swedish filmmaker Mikael Håfström and co-stars John Cusack as the horror author and Samuel L. Jackson as the hotel’s manager.
The psychological horror film follows Mike penning the final chapter of his latest book on haunted hotels. Although Mike is open to the idea of the existence of supernatural forces, he publicly admits that, in his many travels in the so-called most haunted places in the world, he has never experienced anything that would qualify as paranormal activity.
Mike Enslin: [talk into tape recorder] Hotels are a naturally creepy place… Just think, how many people have slept in that bed before you? How many of them were sick? How many… died?
But his skepticism is quickly put to the test– even before entering room 1408. Mike pointedly notes that hotels often claim hauntings in their facilities when they are in the most dire need of increased patronage. However, not only is The Dolphin an already highly-frequented hotel, they are far from keen on Mike giving room 1408 additional attention.
The hotel manager (Jackson) very aggressively warns Mike against entering– claiming nobody has ever lasted more than an hour in the titular room. The more than 50 reported deaths in the hotel room also range in causes from suicides to “natural” deaths, including one drowning– which mildly disturbs Mike. Nevertheless, Mike enters the room with an audio recorder in hand, which he uses to record voice notes to be transcribed for his books. As 1408 unfolds, it’s revealed that Mike is grieving the loss of his daughter, which led to him parting ways with his wife.
John Cusack meeting a ghost of room 1408.
Unsurprisingly, Cusack’s performance is natural and effortless, as the cynical, grieving author whose career largely hinges on a community of readers whom he perceives as naive. Uncharacteristically of the stereotype of horror movie characters, Mike behaves rationally in his attempts to pry himself from the grasps of room 1408. It’s easy to root for him.
In the spirit of Stephen King’s psychological short story, Håfström opted to film four separate endings. But the theatrical ending and the directors ending proved to be a major improvements to King’s original, more open-ended conclusion. Parents in particular will likely find 1408’s emotional endings to chillingly resonant.
Despite its PG-13 rating (don’t worry though, Samuel L. Jackson still gets to say “fuck” once), 1408 is one of the more mature horror adaptations by Stephen King– and one of the more refined. 1408 relies on the claustrophobia of its primary setting, a single hotel room, to deliver psychological scares stemming from Mike’s quickly deteriorating sanity. What’s really happening in room 1408 and what’s happening in Mike’s head? What does the room want out of its visitors? You have to figure it out.
In many ways, 1408 contains some of the most poignant elements of Stephen King’s best work in the horror genre. Like in Carrie, The Shining, and It, the supernatural horror comes to life as a monstrous manifestation of the protagonist’s deepest issues. The horror of room 1408 could be seen as a reflection of Mike’s cycle of grief– he can choose to let the cycle persist or face it head-on.
1408 arrived during a time when horror audiences were growing nauseated by the stream of new horror releases that relied too heavily on gore or torture over slow-building tension and earned scares. By 2007, the massively successful Saw series was four movies in and its success spawned countless copies. 1408 proved to be the perfect palate cleanser for horror fans who craved old-fashion, but effective haunted house scares grounded with heart.
“1408” is available on DVD here on Amazon. And be sure to check out the other entries in the Stephen King Horror-Thon right here on Horror Theory.
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“Never Swim Alone” By Death From Above
Video of the Week | By High Voltage | August 15, 2017
The Who: Death From Above (Toronto, Canada)
The What: In black and white, embracing their natural inclination for bringing a sonic car wreck to the dance floor, and with Sebastien Grainger (vocals, drums) and Jesse F. Keeler (bass, keys, synths) aka Death From Above (now minus the 1979) – obviously – playing some weird, Canadian version of Charades, “Never Swim Alone” is the second single from the duo’s freshly announced third album, Outrage! Is Now due out September 8th via Warner Bros./Last Gang Records. Not only is the song sound advice, but it’s a punchy track that’s indicative of DFA’s need to musically move forward. “I hope fans see the progression,” said Keeler. “This record is very much the result of the environment and experiences of the last five years.”
The Where: The release of Outrage! Is Now will kickstart a healthy North American tour beginning with Riot Fest in Chicago on September 15th. So check out tour dates and keep up with all things Death From Above (again, minus the 1979) via the usual suspects: their official website, Facebook page and at @DFA1979 on Twitter.
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Sought After Sound Designer Turns to FBT to Meet High Standards
For more information contact: LisaMarie DeSanto
674. 2927 or lisamariewe2@gmail.com
July 16, 2017 – Portland, Oregon – Nick Moon is as passionate about sound quality as he is good music. As the owner of three companies – a studio (Tone Proper Mastering), an AV company (Tone Proper AV) and an acoustics business (Tone Proper Acoustics) – he’s spent countless hours working with professional musicians and sound technicians. His days are spent listening to the tiniest details of every note, on projects ranging from recording to live performances. And when it comes to his clients, he’s not willing to give them anything less than the very best a sound system can offer. Not all of his clients have big names or big budgets, though, so Moon used to struggle with the ability to recommend speakers in a lower price range that met his high standards on sound. Thanks to FBT, he says, he no longer faces this challenge.
Moon got his start in 1999 working in studios in Chicago and Texas before settling in Portland and starting his own businesses. Since then, he’s grown to work with heavy-hitting artists like Liv Warfield and Gino Vanelli, record labels like Universal and on well-known television programs such as the Arsenio Hall show. But he also works with musicians, sound engineers, companies and venues who want high quality, and don’t, he says, “have six figures to spend on a sound system.” Moon explained why FBT has become his “go to” brand for clients in these scenarios.
“Every speaker manufacturer ‘voices’ their speakers in a certain way,” said Moon, “and very few really get it right. I prefer brands where what you put into them is what you get out of them. FBT sounds natural and doesn’t require a lot of tweaking. They use B&C drivers and, maybe because they’re an Italian company, they’re as dedicated to design and manufacturing quality as they are to their sound. They’re also the only one of the brands in the lower to mid price range that have a winning combination of strong voicing, construction and customer service. Not every one of my clients can afford a top-of-the-line sound system, but they still deserve state-of-the-art sound. FBT lets me provide that to them, in a price range that they can manage.”
Moon has installed several Mitus 206LA’s in a few local churches, purchased a rig for his own personal use, and has plans to use the brand in several of concerts, festivals and live performances he’ll be doing this summer.
“One of the best parts about working with FBT as a brand is working with John Krupa and Italian Speaker Imports (I.S.I.), which is the distributor for the brand here in the states,” Moon continued. Saying that he prides himself on giving the best to his own clients, he explained why I.S.I.’s customer service is so crucial to his own business.
“If I want to give the best I can to my own clients, it’s important for me to be able to get answers, fill orders quickly, and have access to and a relationship with someone representing the equipment I’m suggesting,” said Moon. “With John and FBT, not only am I dealing with great equipment, I also have the added benefit of being able to actually talk to him directly – and that’s a big deal to me. He takes a personal interest in our business relationship and really bends over backwards to make sure that we have what we need when we need it. Other companies just don’t do that. As far as I’m concerned, if you have a brand that sounds fantastic and the company backing it backs you as a customer – well, that’s just a winning combination.”
Located just outside of Portland, Oregon, Tone Proper Mastering, AV and Acoustics were built from the ground up with a love for all things music. Dedicated to quality, they tout providing “old school ideas” with a “new school approach,” and desire to earn business “the old-fashioned way: by doing a great job.”
LisaMarie DeSanto 845. 674. 2927 or lisamariewe2@gmail.com
rhys babich On July 17, 2017 / FBT, Press Release
Tags: Mitus
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It's Alive! Media was founded by Josh Mills in 2002. We are a boutique public relations company with a concentration in music, music-related films and technology publicity specializing in both consumer entertainment PR as well as corporate communications.
Since 2008, It’s Alive! Media has worked hand in hand with Ediad Productions handing the estates of groundbreaking comedian Ernie Kovacs, entertainer Edie Adams and photographer Martin Mills.
It’s Alive! Media provides its clients with a wide variety of PR and marketing services. This includes the creation and servicing of corporate and consumer press releases, full-service press campaigns involving some or all of the following: national press, tour press, trade & industry press and electronic & mass media press.
Primary genres for consumer press include: Indie, Rock, Punk, Alternative, Pop, Industrial, World Music, Gothic, Kids and Electronic music. We specialize in high-profile reissues, new releases and local/indie bands for tour press, regional & national campaigns.
Josh Mills has worked in public relations since 1996. He has worked for a variety of independent and corporate companies including independent label World Domination Recordings, national live music venue House of Blues and digital music distributor Liquid Audio. Additionally, he has consulted for Ark21 Records, Motormouth Media, Transistor Recordings and Liquid Digital Media. His experience in the music industry has run the gamut from consumer press, live music/venue press to music technology corporate/business press.
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Jewish World Review May 24, 2011 / 20 Iyar, 5771
Dependency and Votes
By Thomas Sowell
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Those who regard government "entitlement" programs as sacrosanct, and regard those who want to cut them back as calloused or cruel, picture a world very different from the world of reality.
To listen to some of the defenders of entitlement programs, which are at the heart of the present financial crisis, you might think that anything the government fails to provide is something that people will be deprived of.
In other words, if you cut spending on school lunches, children will go hungry. If you fail to subsidize housing, people will be homeless. If you fail to subsidize prescription drugs, old people will have to eat dog food in order to be able to afford their meds.
This is the vision promoted by many politicians and much of the media. But, in the world of reality, it is not even true for most people who are living below the official poverty line.
Most Americans living below the official poverty line own a car or truck-- and government entitlement programs seldom provide cars and trucks. Most people living below the official poverty line also have air conditioning, color television and a microwave oven--and these too are not usually handed out by government entitlement programs.
Cell phones and other electronic devices are by no means unheard of in low-income neighborhoods, where children would supposedly go hungry if there were no school lunch programs. In reality, low-income people are overweight even more often than other Americans.
As for housing and homelessness, housing prices are higher and homelessness a bigger problem in places where there has been massive government intervention, such as liberal bastions like New York City and San Francisco. As for the elderly, 80 percent are homeowners. whose monthly housing costs are less than $400, including property taxes, utilities, and maintenance.
The desperately poor elderly conjured up in political and media rhetoric are-- in the world of reality-- the wealthiest segment of the American population. The average wealth of older households is nearly three times the wealth of households headed by people in the 35 to 44-year-old bracket, and more than 15 times the wealth of households headed by someone under 35 years of age.
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If the wealthiest segment of the population cannot pay their own medical bills, who can? The country as a whole is not any richer because the government pays our medical bills-- with money that it takes from us.
What about the truly poor, in whatever age brackets? First of all, even in low-income and high-crime neighborhoods, people are not stealing bread to feed their children. The fraction of the people in such neighborhoods who commit most of the crimes are far more likely to steal luxury products that they can either use or sell to get money to support their parasitic lifestyle.
As for the rest of the poor, Professor Walter Williams of George Mason University long ago showed that you could give the poor enough money to lift them all above the official poverty line for a fraction of what it costs to support a massive welfare state bureaucracy.
We don't need to send the country into bankruptcy, in the name of the poor, by spending trillions of dollars on people who are not poor, and who could take care of themselves. The poor have been used as human shields behind which the expanding welfare state can advance.
The goal is not to keep the poor from starving but to create dependency, because dependency translates into votes for politicians who play Santa Claus.
We have all heard the old saying about how giving a man a fish feeds him for a day, while teaching him to fish feeds him for a lifetime. Independence makes for a healthier society, but dependency is what gets votes for politicians.
For politicians, giving a man a fish every day of his life is the way to keep getting his vot
e. "Entitlement" is just a fancy word for dependency. As for the scary stories politicians tell, in order to keep the entitlement programs going, as long as we keep buying it, they will keep selling it.
BUY DR. SOWELL'S LATEST
Click HERE to purchase it at a 42 % discount. (Sales help fund JWR.).
Comment on JWR contributor Thomas Sowell's column by clicking here.
Thomas Sowell Archives
© 2006, Creators Syndicate
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Album of the Week (2/13) Deerhunter ~ Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?
Wed, 02/13/2019 - 3:48pm | Danny
Hey, guys. One of my favorite bands throughout the last 15 years dropped a new album (their 8th). I've listened to it tons and will again for this episode of AOTW ~ via the gray vinyl pre-order that I'm stoked with.
If you're new to Deerhunter, this is as good of a place to start, frankly. They were pretty noisy in the late aughts, which was great. Their last few lps have just been perfect. This one is no exception!
Lots of articles written about this band. Their lead singer, Bradford Cox isn't bashful about his experience as a musician, touring, the Internet affecting his business and his personal struggles with friends dying way too young. Bradford's solo project, Atlas Sound, is also worth checking out.
I hope you enjoy this album. Peace
Read more about Album of the Week (2/13) Deerhunter ~ Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?
Album of the Week (7/25) Courtney Barnett ~ Tell Me How You Really Feel
Sophomore albums are always intriguing to me when an artist's debut was well received. Seems like the pressure is on to do even better on (often) a shorter amount of time.
Courtney Barnett delivered with Tell Me How You Really Feel (May 2018) especially when so many garage-rock-slack-style outfits are putting stuff out there. She's from Australia, where many other cool rock bands are from. Maybe that and her collaboration with Kurt Vile in between releases helped.
Hope you tune in, you nameless, faceless listener, you.
Read more about Album of the Week (7/25) Courtney Barnett ~ Tell Me How You Really Feel
Album of the Week (6/29) The Shins ~ Heartworms
Thu, 06/29/2017 - 4:36pm | Danny
I love this new lp by The Shins. It's very diverse, but still sounds like them.
Can hardly wait for their concert at The Greek Theater in Berkeley with Spoon. Nice bill, but The Shins definitely put out a better record between the two this year.
Read more about Album of the Week (6/29) The Shins ~ Heartworms
Album of the Week (3/02) José González ~ In Our Nature
Sure, the song Heartbeats has 160M plays on Spotify even though it's 10 years old and Veneer is the album everyone first heard José González and his overdubbed crooning... well, except for me. I discovered In Our Nature (2007) first and whether that's the reason or not, it's still my favorite lp by this man. Swedish, you say?
Thanks to a Facebook ad for the Mondavi Center in Davis, I will be seeing him perform with a 20-piece orchestra tomorrow night. Can't wait!
Hope you join the warmup listen with me tonight for this episode of Album of the Week.
-Danny
Read more about Album of the Week (3/02) José González ~ In Our Nature
Album of the Week (12/8) Akron/Family ~ Love Is Simple
Wed, 12/07/2016 - 11:32pm | Danny
As 2016 comes to a close, I've found myself singing some of the lyrics to the 2007 release by Akron/Family; primarily the words sung in the opener "go out and love, love, love everyone..." which is repeated throughout the bookend tracks (and apparently the recipe for getting through tough times in the world). Or the three words of the album title, which stretch longingly in the 3rd song, Don't Be Afraid, You're Already Dead.
Love Is Simple ~ chaos, rock action, tribal bongo-banging, sentimental sing-alongs and pop gems galore. A cast of thousands live and breed inside... (from the sticker on my shrinkwrap). "The most beautiful thing about the Akron/Family is that they are virtually unclassifiable. Is it rock? Post-rock? Acid folk? Freak folk? Free improvisation? Ultimately, who cares what it is, that it IS is what matters most..." ~ All Music Guide
Read more about Album of the Week (12/8) Akron/Family ~ Love Is Simple
Album of the Week (10/27) Wand ~ 1000 Days
Wand is a band that I discovered because my friend Kaz Mirblouk posted a link to their KEXP live performance and I was floored. Over the course of a few weeks, I found myself gravitating to one of their three studio albums on a daily basis.
This trio has a lot of history with L.A. and Bay Area garage pyschedelic rock artists, such as Mikal Cronin and Ty Segal; performing with, supporting tours and recording with similar producers, such as local legend, Chris Woodhouse.
1000 Days is their most recent lp (2015) so I'll start with it, but there will be time to jump into the other two. As a pround owner of all three on vinyl, I'll be happy to share Wand with you today. [Then again, Kaz has his own awesome record, so maybe I'll fill the time with a few from it. If not, click here: https://kazmirblouk.bandcamp.com]
Wikipedia suggests that they're taking their time with the next album. I hope you'll come away from this episode with eager anticipation of that release. And of course, a TOUR!
Read more about Album of the Week (10/27) Wand ~ 1000 Days
Album of the Week (03/24) Protomartyr ~ The Agent Intellect
Lazy Post Warning: I discovered this album late in 2015. It made a ton of "best of the year" lists. They rocked The Blue Lamp a couple of weeks ago. The vinyl is a pretty green marble. It sounds even better than it looks and it looks fantastic. Here's a link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Agent_Intellect
Read more about Album of the Week (03/24) Protomartyr ~ The Agent Intellect
Album of the Week (02/11) Tame Impala ~ Currents
Thu, 02/11/2016 - 7:07am | Danny
Stealing a line from this Pitchfork review, "Nearly every proper song on Currents is a revelatory statement of Parker’s range and increasing expertise as a producer, arranger, songwriter, and vocalist while maintaining the essence of Tame Impala: Parker is just as irreverent working in soul and R&B as he is with psych-rock."
I'm not one to rely heavily on P4K, but when they rate an lp 9.3 out of 10, I may give it a try. Currents ended up in their Top 5 for 2015, (Top 3 Reader's Poll) and in my list of fifteen favorite discoveries for the year.
Let It Happen and The Moment drew me in to this solo project and the rest grew on me shortly afterward. I recently picked up the double-lp from Armadillo Music and am pleased to share it during my turn of AoTW. Mr. Parker will be touring (with a full band) at the Greek in Berkeley early September. One of the two nights still has tickets remaining as of this post.
Read more about Album of the Week (02/11) Tame Impala ~ Currents
Album of the Week (10/29) The Walkmen ~ You & Me
Thu, 10/29/2015 - 12:55pm | Danny
Stolen from a review in NY Magazine when You & Me was released in 2008. I love these opening remarks:
The Walkmen have just made a gem of a rock album, but should anyone care about such a thing? You & Me is an album in the long-format sense of the word. It plays for about an hour, fourteen songs meant to be listened to one after another with undivided attention. It rewards that attention with small pleasures: guitar and organ playing off each other’s reverb, bass and drum dancing in and out of step, horns and vocals collapsing into a single bellow. In essence, it offers that luxuriant buzz that made rock and roll one of the great narcotics of the last half-century.
Settle into this one and hopefully, buy, enjoy, repeat many times over.
Read more about Album of the Week (10/29) The Walkmen ~ You & Me
Album of the Week (9/17) - The National ~ Trouble Will Find Me
Have you seen the Sunday lineup for Treasure Island Music Fest? Wowzers!
The National are headlining, which is really great for them and everyone who gets to experience their set (jealous). Then again, it won't top the time I saw them at Bimbo's 365 for the Boxer tour (braggart).
Trouble Will Find Me is their 6th lp, released in 2013. It was Album of the Year that year as far as I'm concerned.
I look forward to spinning the double vinyl tonight!
Read more about Album of the Week (9/17) - The National ~ Trouble Will Find Me
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Home \ Music \ Pop \ Miley Cyrus’ live performances scheduled for June 25 and June 26, 2013
Miley Cyrus’ live performances scheduled for June 25 and June 26, 2013
American singer and actress, young superstar Miley Cyrus is making a comeback to the music scene. The ‘Can’t Be Tamed’ singer recently revealed that she is completely focusing on her new music at the moment and she is proving her point. After premiering her latest single ‘We Can’t Stop’ from the upcoming album, Cyrus is about to perform live for the first time in years, on June 25, 2013 and June 26, 2013.
The former ‘Hannah Montana’ star is scheduled to appear on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ show in Hollywood on June 25, 2013 and will talk about her upcoming, yet-to-be-titled record. After that, Cyrus will be taking the outdoor stage to perform in front of thousands of her fans, nicknamed Smilers. This event will mark the first time that the star performs her new single live.
After that, the ‘Party In The USA’ singer will travel to New York City and every moment will be filmed by ‘Good Morning America’ (GMA). The footage will be aired the next morning, on June 26, 2013 and Cyrus will then perform in Times Square, at the GMA studios.
The star will then appear on ‘LIVE With Kelly and Michael’, where she will be talk to host Michael Strahan and guest host for the day, Kristin Chenoweth. This appearance will conclude Cyrus’ crazy, 24-hour promo trip which will definitely thrill her loyal fans.
Sheena |
Sheena -
Britney Spears premieres 'Ooh La La' and talks about new album
Britney Spears working on new, 'personal' album
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[29 Nov 2015] Common Worry - Supreme Leader slams West’s support for state terrorism of Israel - English
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The bitter events brought about by blind terrorism in France have once again, moved me to speak to you young people. In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful To the Youth in Western Countries, The bitter events brought about by blind terrorism in France have once again,... Show More >> The bitter events brought about by blind terrorism in France have once again, moved me to speak to you young people. In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful To the Youth in Western Countries, The bitter events brought about by blind terrorism in France have once again, moved me to speak to you young people. For me, it is unfortunate that such incidents would have to create the framework for a conversation, however the truth is that if painful matters do not create the grounds for finding solutions and mutual consultation, then the damage caused will be multiplied. The pain of any human being anywhere in the world causes sorrow for a fellow human being. The sight of a child losing his life in the presence of his loved ones, a mother whose joy for her family turns into mourning, a husband who is rushing the lifeless body of his spouse to some place and the spectator who does not know whether he will be seeing the final scene of life- these are scenes that rouse the emotions and feelings of any human being. Anyone who has benefited from affection and humanity is affected and disturbed by witnessing these scenes- whether it occurs in France or in Palestine or Iraq or Lebanon or Syria. Without a doubt, the one-and-a-half billion Muslims also have these feelings and abhor and are revolted by the perpetrators and those responsible for these calamities. The issue, however, is that if today’s pain is not used to build a better and safer future, then it will just turn into bitter and fruitless memories. I genuinely believe that it is only you youth who by learning the lessons of today’s hardship, have the power to discover new means for building the future and who can be barriers in the misguided path that has brought the west to its current impasse. “ Anyone who has benefited from affection and humanity is affected and disturbed by witnessing these scenes- whether it occurs in France or in Palestine or Iraq or Lebanon or Syria. It is correct that today terrorism is our common worry. However it is necessary for you to know that the insecurity and strain that you experienced during the recent events, differs from the pain that the people of Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan have been experiencing for many years, in two significant ways. First, the Islamic world has been the victim of terror and brutality to a larger extent territorially, to greater amount quantitatively and for a longer period in terms of time. Second, that unfortunately this violence has been supported by certain great powers through various methods and effective means. Today, there are very few people who are uninformed about the role of the United States of America in creating, nurturing and arming al-Qaeda, the Taliban and their inauspicious successors. Besides this direct support, the overt and well-known supporters of takfiri terrorism- despite having the most backward political systems- are standing arrayed as allies of the west while the most pioneering, brightest and most dynamic democrats in the region are suppressed mercilessly. The prejudiced response of the west to the awakening movement in the Islamic world is an illustrative example of the contradictory western policies. “ I genuinely believe that it is only you youth who by learning the lessons of today’s hardship can be barriers in the misguided path that has brought the west to its current impasse. The other side of these contradictory policies is seen in supporting the state terrorism of Israel. The oppressed people of Palestine have experienced the worst kind of terrorism for the last sixty years. If the people of Europe have now taken refuge in their homes for a few days and refrain from being present in busy places- it is decades that a Palestinian family is not secure even in its own home from the Zionist regime’s death and destruction machinery. What kind of atrocious violence today is comparable to that of the settlement constructions of the Zionists regime? This regime- without ever being seriously and significantly censured by its influential allies or even by the so-called independent international organizations- everyday demolishes the homes of Palestinians and destroys their orchards and farms. This is done without even giving them time to gather their belongings or agricultural products and usually it is done in front of the terrified and tear-filled eyes of women and children who witness the brutal beatings of their family members who in some cases are being dragged away to gruesome torture chambers. In today’s world, do we know of any other violence on this scale and scope and for such an extended period of time? Shooting down a woman in the middle of the street for the crime of protesting against a soldier who is armed to the teeth- if this is not terrorism, what is? This barbarism, because it is being done by the armed forces of an occupying government, should not be called extremism? Or maybe only because these scenes have been seen repeatedly on television screens for sixty years, they should no longer stir our consciences. The military invasions of the Islamic world in recent years- with countless victims- are another example of the contradictory logic of the west. The assaulted countries, in addition to the human damage caused, have lost their economic and industrial infrastructure, their movement towards growth and development has been stopped or delayed and in some cases, has been thrown back decades. Despite all this, they are rudely being asked not to see themselves as oppressed. How can a country be turned into ruins, have its cities and towns covered in dust and then be told that it should please not view itself as oppressed? Instead of enticements to not understand and to not mention disasters, would not an honest apology be better? The pain that the Islamic world has suffered in these years from the hypocrisy and duplicity of the invaders is not less than the pain from the material damage. “ Dear youth! I have the hope that you- now or in the future- can change this mentality corrupted by duplicity, a mentality whose highest skill is hiding long-term goals and adorning malevolent objectives. Dear youth! I have the hope that you- now or in the future- can change this mentality corrupted by duplicity, a mentality whose highest skill is hiding long-term goals and adorning malevolent objectives. In my opinion, the first step in creating security and peace is reforming this violence-breeding mentality. Until double-standards dominate western policies, until terrorism- in the view of its powerful supporters- is divided into “good” and “bad” types, and until governmental interests are given precedence over human values and ethics, the roots of violence should not be searched for in other places. Unfortunately, these roots have taken hold in the depths of western political culture over the course of many years and they have caused a soft and silent invasion. Many countries of the world take pride in their local and national cultures, cultures which through development and regeneration have soundly nurtured human societies for centuries. The Islamic world is not an exception to this. However in the current era, the western world with the use of advanced tools is insisting on the cloning and replication of its culture on a global scale. I consider the imposition of western culture upon other peoples and the trivialization of independent cultures as a form of silent violence and extreme harmfulness. Humiliating rich cultures and insulting the most honored parts of these, is occurring while the alternative culture being offered in no way has any qualification for being a replacement. For example, the two elements of “aggression” and “moral promiscuity” which unfortunately have become the main elements of western culture, has even degraded the position and acceptability of its source region. So now the question is: are we “sinners” for not wanting an aggressive, vulgar and fatuous culture? Are we to be blamed for blocking the flood of impropriety that is directed towards our youth in the shape of various forms of quasi-art? I do not deny the importance and value of cultural interaction. Whenever these interactions are conducted in natural circumstances and with respect for the receiving culture, they result in growth, development and richness. On the contrary, inharmonious interactions have been unsuccessful and harmful impositions. We have to state with full regret that vile groups such as DAESH are the spawn of such ill-fated pairings with imported cultures. If the matter was simply theological, we would have had to witness such phenomena before the colonialist era, yet history shows the contrary. Authoritative historical records clearly show how colonialist confluence of extremist and rejected thoughts in the heart of a Bedouin tribe, planted the seed of extremism in this region. How then is it possible that such garbage as DAESH comes out of one of the most ethical and humane religious schools who as part of its inner core, includes the notion that taking the life of one human being is equivalent to killing the whole humanity? One has to ask why people who are born in Europe and who have been intellectually and mentally nurtured in that environment are attracted to such groups? Can we really believe that people with only one or two trips to war zones, suddenly become so extreme that they can riddle the bodies of their compatriots with bullets? On this matter, we certainly cannot forget about the effects of a life nurtured in a pathologic culture in a corrupt environment borne out of violence. On this matter, we need complete analyses, analyses that see the hidden and apparent corruptions. Maybe a deep hate- planted in the years of economic and industrial growth and borne out of inequality and possibly legal and structural prejudice- created ideas that every few years appear in a sickening manner. “ Any rushed and emotional reaction which would isolate, intimidate and create more anxiety for the Muslim communities living in Europe and America not only will not solve the problem but will increase the chasms and resentments. In any case, you are the ones that have to uncover the apparent layers of your own society and untie and disentangle the knots and resentments. Fissures have to be sealed, not deepened. Hasty reactions is a major mistake when fighting terrorism which only widens the chasms. Any rushed and emotional reaction which would isolate, intimidate and create more anxiety for the Muslim communities living in Europe and America- which are comprised of millions of active and responsible human beings- and which would deprive them of their basic rights more than has already happened and which would drive them away from society- not only will not solve the problem but will increase the chasms and resentments. Superficial measures and reactions, especially if they take legal forms, will do nothing but increase the current polarizations, open the way for future crises and will result in nothing else. According to reports received, some countries in Europe have issued guidelines encouraging citizens to spy on Muslims. This behavior is unjust and we all know that pursuing injustice has the characteristic of unwanted reversibility. Besides, the Muslims do not deserve such ill-treatment. For centuries, the western world has known Muslims well- the day that westerners were guests in Islamic lands and were attracted to the riches of their hosts and on another day when they were hosts and benefitted from the efforts and thoughts of Muslims- they generally experienced nothing but kindness and forbearance. Therefore I want you youth to lay the foundations for a correct and honorable interaction with the Islamic world based on correct understanding, deep insight and lessons learned from horrible experiences. In such a case and in the not too distant future, you will witness the edifice built on these firm foundations which creates a shade of confidence and trust which cools the crown of its architect, a warmth of security and peace that it bequests on them and a blaze of hope in a bright future which illuminates the canvass of the earth. Sayyid Ali Khamenei 8th of Azar, 1394 - 29th of Nov, 2015 Show Less >>
Youth and Students
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[29 Nov 2015] Iran Leader Sends 2nd Open Letter To Youth In Europe &Amp; North America - English
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Letter 4u 2 Video: Today Terrorism Is Our Common Worry - English
(Full Speech) Supreme Leader On Demise Anniversary Of Imam Khomeini (Ra) - 4 June 2014 - [ENGLISH]
Eid Ul Fitr 1436 Sermon By The Leader Of Islamic Ummah - 18th July 2015 - English (Dubbing)
Our Common Worry - Letter For Truth - English
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I enjoy being a girl, most of the time. Like when I can wear frilly dresses and headbands with fabric flowers on them, and sew and knit and bake and watch Gilmore Girls and swoon over how tall Dean is. And when I get to smell like plumeria body lotion and paint my fingernails and sing Ingrid Michaelson songs on my guitar. These things, and many more, I enjoy about being a girl.
But sometimes I don't enjoy being a girl. Like when it's 90 degrees outside and my shirt is soaked with sweat while all the guys romp around half naked. Or when we're camping, and it's raining outside the adirondack, and it's 3 o'clock in the morning, and I have to pee. But mostly, I don't enjoy being a girl when I have to sit there and just wait for some guy to notice me and, even more importantly, do something about it.
I was thinking about this today before church and, I confess, continued to think about it during worship (even though I was helping lead...is that a sin?). My brother had just been telling me about the guy at church that he thinks would be good for me, and all I could do was sit there and say, "Well isn't that nice?" Because whether I agree with him or not, there's nothing I can do about it. Guys may complain that it's nerve racking to ask a girl out, but, in our defense, it's also awfully difficult to sit there and wait. And sometimes we wait for a long time.
I love gender roles. But if man's role is "the pursuer" and woman's is "the pursued" but the man isn't pursing, then the woman can't fulfill her role, and she's left sitting in a church pew sighing because there's nothing she can do about it. Pretty helpless, huh. At least when a guy decides he likes a girl, he can ask her out. When a girl likes a guy....
I came home from church and baked an apple pie. It looked perfect - till I dropped it on the floor. Then I sat in a slump in my frilly dress and painted fingernails next to the mass of apples and cinnamon and wanted to cry. Maybe I should become a feminist.
Labels: MEN
happy first day of autumn
do not tell me what I can and cannot do when I roc...
end rant
starting out small
"Would you like an adventure now,
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David Frost, group organisational development director, Total Produce
Paul Creber, September 17, 2018
Frost’s career started in automotive manufacturing after he graduated with an engineering degree
After a period specialising in quality management and continuous improvement he became a chartered engineer and then went on to complete a Masters degree in quality and human resource management.
Frost’s career then gradually evolved into HR, people strategy, organisation development and talent development. He has held executive and board-level roles in international businesses such as Carlsberg and Norbert Dentressangle (now XPO Logistics).
Since early 2017 Frost has been group organisational development director with Total Produce, a global €4.3 billion fresh food business that has just acquired a 45% stake in Dole Food Company; the world’s largest producer of fruit and vegetables. In this role he reports to the group CEO and is responsible for global people strategy, organisation design, succession planning and talent development.
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Aurora's Paramount Theater Receives Its Largest Grant Ever
By J.R. Manning
The Paramount Theater has announced the largest grant it has ever received to help launch a fund-raising campaign. In a press release, the theater says it received a grant of $2.5 million from the Dunham Fund. The fundraising effort has a goal of $4.5 million to fund expansion and improvement in three areas.
One such goal is the replacement of the 1,888 seats that are original to the theater. The group says the seats
have served more than eight million patrons since the theater opened in 1931. The new seats are to be larger and more comfortable than the originals.
The Copley Theater, a 173 seat sister stage across the street from the Paramount, will be upgraded. The Copley was built in 1981 and needs new carpeting, seating, technical upgrades, and remodeling of dressing rooms and the backstage area.
Lastly, the fund will create a new Paramount School of Performing Arts in downtown Aurora. The school is slated for opening in 2019 to encourage and train young actors, dancers, and musicians in the western suburbs of Chicago. The development also will include about 30 artist-preference apartment units, a restaurant and rehearsal space for the Paramount.
This story has appeared in several media outlets, including $2.5 million Paramount Theatre grant 'milestone' for Aurora in the Aurora Beacon-News edition of the Chicago Tribune.
This page's URL is http://landmarkhunter.com/story/1046/
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Kimora Lee Simmons Will Bring Back Baby Phat
Kimora Lee Simmons Will Bring Back Baby Phat Mar 10, 2019 12:47:55 GMT -4 mistaken7 likes this
Post by Admin on Mar 10, 2019 12:47:55 GMT -4
Kimora Lee Simmons Buys Baby Phat, Plans a Major Brand Relaunch
Baby Phat is making a comeback.
Creator Kimora Lee Simmons Leissner announced the news Friday, revealing she had personally purchased the brand from an undisclosed company and is planning to bring it back in a big way.
via Complex:
“We had to hunt around for it,” she told WWD. “[…] It’s perfect timing for this. Over the past several years, we realized the brand resonates with people and lives deep in their souls.”
Baby Phat was a sub-label of the Phat Fashions imprint owned by Leissner’s ex-husband Russell Simmons. The brand served as the womenswear counterpart of Phat Farm, and earned more than a billion dollars in sales during its heyday. Baby Phat, along with the Phat Fashions companies, was sold to Kellwood Apparel in 2004. A couple of years later, Leissner took on the role of brand president, and held that position until 2010. The details surrounding her departure were not revealed; however, Leissner would go on to suggest that the move was not her decision.
“It’s over. It’s absolutely over. It was very abrupt and sudden. I was shocked,” she told the Daily News in 2010. “It’s very, very sad for me. It was totally unexpected.”
Leissner told WWD that the Baby Phat relaunch is scheduled for spring, and that it will deliver “mainstream sportswear” pieces for millennials. She said the inaugural collection will take cues from her personal archives, resulting in a mix of retro and modern elements.
“We’re working fast and furiously and have a lot up our sleeves,” she said.
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J. R. R. A. Martins, “Wing Design via Numerical Optimization”, 2, 2015.
Martins2015-SIAG-OPT-ViewsAndNews-23-1-Wing design via numerical optimization.pdf (3.13 MB)
Y. Liao, Garg, N., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Young, Y. L., “Viscous Fluid Structure Interaction Response of Composite Hydrofoils”, Composite Structures, vol. 212, pp. 571–585, 2019.
Liao2019a_preprint.pdf (4.15 MB)
P. Thokala and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Variable Complexity Methods Applied to Airfoil Optimization”, in Proceedings of the CASI Aircraft Design and Development Symposium, Toronto, ON, 2005.
A. B. Lambe and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Unified Description of MDO Architectures”, in Proceedings of the 9th World Congress on Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, Shizuoka, Japan, 2011.
T. R. Brooks, Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Undeflected Common Research Model (uCRM): An Aerostructural Model for the Study of High Aspect Ratio Transport Aircraft Wings”, in 18th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Denver, CO, 2017.
Y. Shi, Gross, R., Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Transition Prediction in a RANS Solver based on Linear Stability Theory for Complex Three-Dimensional Configurations”, in 2018 AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Kissimmee, FL, 2018.
aiaa.pdf (1.59 MB)
R. D. Falck, Chin, J. C., Schnulo, S. L., Burt, J. M., and Gray, J. S., “Trajectory Optimization of Electric Aircraft Subject to Subsystem Thermal Constraints”, in 18th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, 2017.
J. P. Jasa, Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Trajectory Optimization of a Supersonic Air Vehicle with Thermal Fuel Management System”, in 2018 AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Atlanta, GA, 2018.
jasa_aviation_2018_submitted.pdf (3.32 MB)
C. A. Mader, Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Towards High-Fidelity Aerostructural Optimization Using a Coupled ADjoint Approach”, in Proceedings of the 12th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Victoria, BC, 2008.
G. J. Kennedy, Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Towards Gradient-Based Design Optimization of Flexible Transport Aircraft with Flutter Constraints”, in Proceedings of the 15th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, 2014.
C. A. Mader, Martins, J. R. R. A., and Marta, A. C., “Towards Aircraft Design Using an Automatic Discrete Adjoint Solver”, in Proceedings of the 18th AIAA Computational Fluid Dynamics Conference, Miami, FL, 2007.
C. A. Mader, Martins, J. R. R. A., and Marta, A. C., “Towards Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of an Oblique Wing Using the ADjoint Approach”, in Proceedings of the CASI Conference, Toronto, ON, 2007.
K. A. James and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Topology Optimization Using a Level Set Method with an Arbitrary Structured Mesh”, in 6th AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Specialist Conference, Orlando, FL, 2010.
K. A. James and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Three-Dimensional Structural Topology Optimization of an Aircraft Wing Using Level Set Methods”, in Proceedings of the 12th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Victoria, BC, 2008.
J. S. Gray, Chin, J. C., Hearn, T. A., Hendricks, E., Lavelle, T. M., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Thermodynamics for Gas Turbine Cycles with Analytic Derivatives in OpenMDAO”, in 57th AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 2016.
gray_pycycle_thermodynamics.pdf (688.53 KB)
G. J. Kennedy, Hansen, J. S., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Timoshenko beam theory with pressure corrections for layered orthotropic beams”, International Journal of Solids and Structures, vol. 48, pp. 2373–2382, 2011.
W. Du, Xue, N., Shyy, W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Surrogate-Based Multi-Scale Model for Mass Transport and Electrochemical Kinetics in Lithium-Ion Battery Electrodes”, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, vol. 161, pp. E3086–E3096, 2014.
Du2014-A Surrogate-Based Multi-Scale Model for Mass Transport and Electrochemicala..pdf (1.88 MB)
R. P. Liem, Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Surrogate Models and Mixtures of Experts in Aerodynamic Performance Prediction for Mission Analysis”, Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 43, pp. 126-151, 2015.
LiemAST2015_preprint.pdf (6.2 MB)
R. P. Liem and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Surrogate Models and Mixtures of Experts in Aerodynamic Performance Prediction for Mission Analysis”, in 15th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Atlanta, GA, 2014.
J. R. R. A. Martins and Chittick, I. R., “Subspace Optimization of Multidisciplinary Systems Using Coupled Post-Optimality Sensitivity Analysis”, in Proceedings of the 7th World Congress on Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, Seoul, South Korea, 2007.
E. Lee and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Structural Topology Optimization with Design-Dependent Pressure Loads”, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, vol. 233–236, pp. 40–48, 2012.
K. A. James, Hansen, J. S., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Structural Topology Optimization for Multiple Load Cases While Avoiding Local Minima”, in Proceedings of the 4th AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Specialist Conference, Schaumburg, IL, 2008.
K. A. James, Hansen, J. S., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Structural topology optimization for multiple load cases using a dynamic aggregation technique”, Engineering Optimization, vol. 41, pp. 1103–1118, 2009.
James2009-Structural Topology Optimization for Multiple Load Cases-a..pdf (553.33 KB)
J. R. R. A. Martins and Poon, N. M. K., “On Structural Optimization Using Constraint Aggregation”, in Proceedings of the 6th World Congress on Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2005.
A. T. Yu and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Structural Optimization of a Wing Box Using B-Spline Parametrization”, in Proceedings of the CASI Conference, {T}oronto, {ON}, 2007.
E. Lee, James, K. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Stress-Constrained Topology Optimization with Design-Dependent Loading”, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, vol. 46, pp. 647–661, 2012.
Lee2012a.pdf (1.14 MB)
K. A. James, Lee, E., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Stress-Based Topology Optimization Using an Isoparametric Level Set Method”, Finite Elements in Analysis and Design, vol. 58, pp. 20–30, 2012.
Z. Lyu and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Strategies for Solving High-Fidelity Aerodynamic Shape Optimization Problems”, in Proceedings of the 15th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Atlanta, GA, 2014.
Lyu_MAO_2014_Aero.pdf (12.45 MB)
C. A. Mader and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Stability-Constrained Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of Flying Wings”, in Proceedings of the CASI Conference, Montreal, QC, 2011.
C. A. Mader and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Stability-constrained aerodynamic shape optimization of flying wings”, Journal of Aircraft, vol. 50, pp. 1431–1449, 2013.
flyingWing2012.pdf (3.65 MB)
C. A. Mader and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Stability-Constrained Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of a Flying Wing Configuration”, in Proceedings of the 13th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis Optimization Conference, Forth Worth, TX, 2010.
E. Hendricks, Falck, R. D., and Gray, J. S., “Simultaneous Propulsion System and Trajectory Optimization”, in 18th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, 2017.
J. Mas Colomer, Bartoli, N., Lefebvre, T., Dubreuil, S., Martins, J. R. R. A., Benard, E., and Morlier, J., “Similarity Maximization of a Scaled Aeroelastic Flight Demonstrator via Multidisciplinary Optimization”, in Proceedings of the AIAA SciTech Conference, 2017.
G. K. W. Kenway, Kennedy, G. J., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Scalable parallel approach for high-fidelity steady-state aeroelastic analysis and adjoint derivative computations”, AIAA Journal, vol. 52, no. 5, pp. 935–951, 2014.
kenway2013a.pdf (4.6 MB)
G. K. W. Kenway, Kennedy, G. J., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Scalable Parallel Approach for High-Fidelity Aerostructural Analysis and Optimization”, in 53rd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Honolulu, HI, 2012.
X. He, Li, J., Mader, C. A., Yildirim, A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Robust aerodynamic shape optimization–-from a circle to an airfoil”, Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 87, pp. 48–61, 2019.
He2019-Robust aerodynamic shape optimization---from a circle to an airfoil.pdf (14.02 MB)
G. J. Kennedy and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Regularized Discrete Laminate Parametrization Technique with Applications to Wing-Box Design Optimization”, in 53rd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Honolulu, HI, 2012.
G. K. W. Kenway, Henderson, R., Hicken, J. E., Kuntawala, N. B., Zingg, D. W., Martins, J. R. R. A., and McKeand, R. G., “Reducing Aviation's Environmental Impact Through Large Aircraft For Short Ranges”, in Proceedings of the 48th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Orlando, FL, 2010.
orlando_final.pdf (413.53 KB)
C. Marriage and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Reconfigurable Semi-Analytic Sensitivity Methods and MDO Architectures Within the $π$MDO Framework”, in Proceedings of the 12th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Victoria, BC, 2008.
Marriage2008a.pdf (765.73 KB)
N. R. Secco and Martins, J. R. R. A., “RANS-Based Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of a Strut-Braced Wing with Overset Meshes”, Journal of Aircraft, vol. 56, pp. 217-227, 2019.
sbw2018_preprint.pdf (11.18 MB)
N. R. Secco and Martins, J. R. R. A., “RANS-based Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of a Strut-braced Wing with Overset Meshes”, in 2018 AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Kissimmee, FL, 2018.
Z. Lyu and Martins, J. R. R. A., “RANS-based Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of a Blended-Wing-Body Aircraft”, in 43rd AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference and Exhibit, 2013.
Z. Lyu, Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “RANS-based Aerodynamic Shape Optimization Investigations of the Common Research Model Wing”, in Proceedings of the AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition (SciTech), National Harbor, MD, 2014.
J. R. R. A. Martins, Marriage, C., and Tedford, N. P., “pyMDO: An Object-Oriented Framework for Multidisciplinary Design Optimization”, ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software, vol. 36, pp. 20:1–20:25, 2009.
Martins2009-pyMDO An Object-Oriented Framework for Multidisciplinary Design Optimizationa..pdf (1.44 MB)
J. J. Alonso, LeGresley, P., van der Weide, E., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Reuther, J. J., “pyMDO: A Framework for High-Fidelity Multi-Disciplinary Optimization”, in Proceedings of the 10th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Albany, {NY}, 2004.
R. E. Perez and Martins, J. R. R. A., “pyACDT: An Object-Oriented Framework for Aircraft Design Modelling and Multidisciplinary Optimization”, in Proceedings of the 12th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Victoria, BC, 2008.
Q. Thomson and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Progressive Validity Trust Region Optimization Using a Kriging Metamodel”, in Proceedings of the 12th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Victoria, BC, 2008.
J. R. R. A. Martins, “Portugueses em IO pelo Mundo–-Joaquim R. R. A. Martins”, 2014.
Martins2014-Portugueses em IO pelo Mundo---Joaquim R. R. A. Martins-b..pdf (154.54 KB)
D. A. Burdette, Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Performance Evaluation of a Morphing Trailing Edge Using Multipoint Aerostructural Design Optimization”, in 57th AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference , San Diego, CA, 2016.
BurdetteScitech2016.pdf (8.05 MB)
G. J. Kennedy and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Parallel Solution Methods for Aerostructural Analysis and Design Optimization”, in Proceedings of the 13th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis Optimization Conference, Forth Worth, TX, 2010.
G. J. Kennedy and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A parallel aerostructural optimization framework for aircraft design studies”, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, vol. 50, pp. 1079–1101, 2014.
Kennedy2014-Parallel Aerostructural Optimization Framework for Aircraft Design Studies - preprint.pdf (2.21 MB)
A. Gogulapati, Friedmann, P. P., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Optimization of the Kinematics of a Flapping Wing MAV in Hover for Enhanced Performance”, AIAA Journal, vol. 52, pp. 2342–2354, 2014.
A. Gogulapati, Friedmann, P. P., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Optimization of the Kinematics of a Flapping Wing MAV in Hover for Enhanced Performance”, in Proceedings of the 54th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 2013.
C. A. Mader and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Optimal Flying Wings: A Numerical Optimization Study”, in 53rd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Honolulu, HI, 2012.
Mader2012.pdf (3.77 MB)
P. He, Mader, C. A., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Maki, K. J., “An Object-oriented Framework for Rapid Discrete Adjoint Development using OpenFOAM”, in AIAA Science and Technology Forum (SciTech), 2019.
AIAA_SciTech2019_He_et_al.pdf (3.76 MB)
J. R. R. A. Martins and Marriage, C., “An Object-Oriented Framework for Multidisciplinary Design Optimization”, in Proceedings of the 3rd AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Specialist Conference, Waikiki, HI, 2007.
S. Roy, Crossley, W. A., Moore, K. T., Gray, J. S., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Next generation aircraft design considering airline operations and economics”, in AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 2018.
I. R. Chittick and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A New Subspace Optimization Method for Aero-Structural Design”, in Proceedings of the 3rd AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Specialist Conference, Waikiki, HI, 2007.
A. B. Lambe and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A New Approach to Multidisciplinary Design Optimization via Internal Decomposition”, in Proceedings of the 13th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Fort Worth, TX, 2010.
Lambe_AIAA_MAO_2010_final.pdf (570.85 KB)
J. P. Jasa, Gray, J. S., Seidel, J. A., Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Multipoint Optimization of a Variable Cycle Engine Using Gradient-based Optimization”, in 57th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, AIAA SciTech Forum, San Diego, CA, 2019.
jasa_scitech_2019_submitted.pdf (1012.9 KB)
R. P. Liem, Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Multi-point, multi-mission, high-fidelity aerostructural optimization of a long-range aircraft configuration”, in 14th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Indianapolis, IN, 2012.
M. H. Aa. Madsen, Zahle, F., and Sørensen, N. N., “Multipoint high-fidelity CFD-based aerodynamic shape optimization of a 10 MW wind turbine”, Wind Energy Science, vol. 4, pp. 163–192, 2019.
Madsen2019-Multipoint high-fidelity CFD-based aerodynamic shape optimization.pdf (8.38 MB)
G. K. W. Kenway and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Multipoint High-fidelity Aerostructural Optimization of a Transport Aircraft Configuration”, Journal of Aircraft, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 144–160, 2014.
kenway2013b.pdf (8.77 MB)
G. K. W. Kenway and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Multipoint Aerodynamic Shape Optimization Investigations of the Common Research Model Wing”, in 2015 AIAA SciTech, Kissimmee, FL, 2014.
G. K. W. Kenway and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Multipoint Aerodynamic Shape Optimization Investigations of the Common Research Model Wing”, AIAA Journal, vol. 54, pp. 113–128, 2016.
Kenway2016-Multipoint Aerodynamic Shape Optimization Investigations of the Commona..pdf (10.76 MB)
M. Mangano and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Multipoint Aerodynamic Shape Optimization for Subsonic and Supersonic Regimes”, in 2019 AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 2019.
Multipoint Aerodynamic Shape Oprimization for Supersonic and Subsonic Regimes - Mangano-Martins-SciTech-2019.pdf (6.69 MB)
N. P. Bons, He, X., Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Multimodality in Aerodynamic Wing Design Optimization”, in 18th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Denver, CO, 2017.
N. P. Bons, He, X., Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Multimodality in Aerodynamic Wing Design Optimization”, AIAA Journal, 2019.
bons2019a_preprint.pdf (4.4 MB)
R. P. Liem, Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Multimission Aircraft Fuel Burn Minimization via Multipoint Aerostructural Optimization”, AIAA Journal, vol. 53, no. 1, 2015.
LiemAIAAJ2014_preprint.pdf (15.73 MB)
A. Chaudhuri, Jasa, J. P., Willcox, K., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Multifidelity Optimization Under Uncertainty for a Tailless Aircraft”, in 2018 AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Kissimmee, FL, 2018.
updated_MFMC_paper_submitted.pdf (1.21 MB)
T. Ashuri, Zaaijer, M. B., Martins, J. R. R. A., van Bussel, G. J. W., and van Kuik, G. A. M., “Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Offshore Wind Turbines for Minimum Levelized Cost of Energy”, Renewable Energy, vol. 68, pp. 893-905, 2014.
Ashuri_etal_MDOLAB_WindTurbineMDO.pdf (900.85 KB)
T. Ashuri, Zaaijer, M. B., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Zhang, J., “Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Large Wind Turbines–-Technical, Economic, and Design Challenges”, Energy Conversion and Management, vol. 123, pp. 56–70, 2016.
Ashuri2016-Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Large Wind Turbines---Technical,-a..pdf (2.9 MB)
A. B. Lambe, Kennedy, G. J., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of an Aircraft Wing via a Matrix-Free Approach”, in 15th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Atlanta, GA, 2014.
R. E. Perez, Henderson, R., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Airframe and Engine for Emissions Reduction”, in Proceedings of the 12th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Victoria, BC, 2008.
J. R. R. A. Martins, Kenway, G. K. W., and Brooks, T. R., “Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Aircraft Configurations–-Part 2: High-fidelity aerostructural optimization”, Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Sint--Genesius--Rode, Belgium, 2016.
Martins_VKI_2016_part_2_mdolab.pdf (22.98 MB)
J. R. R. A. Martins, “Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Aerospace Systems”, in Advances and Trends in Optimization with Engineering Applications , Philadelphia, PA: SIAM, 2017, pp. 249-257.
Martins2017-Multidiscplinary Design Optimization of Aerospace Systems.pdf (888.81 KB)
T. W. Simpson and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Multidisciplinary Design Optimization for Complex Engineered Systems Design: Report from an NSF Workshop”, Journal of Mechanical Design, vol. 133, no. 10, p. 101002, 2011.
Simpson2011.pdf (666.06 KB)
J. R. R. A. Martins and Lambe, A. B., “Multidisciplinary Design Optimization: A Survey of Architectures”, AIAA Journal, vol. 51, no. 9, pp. 2049-2075, 2013.
Martins-Lambe-AIAAJ-MDO-Survey.pdf (434.39 KB)
J. S. Gray, Mader, C. A., Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Modeling Boundary Layer Ingestion Using a Coupled Aeropropulsive Analysis”, Journal of Aircraft, vol. Vol.55, pp. 1191-1199, 2018.
Gray2018-Modeling boundary layer ingestion using a coupled aeropropulsive analysis-Preprint.pdf (2.07 MB)
A. C. Marta, Mader, C. A., Martins, J. R. R. A., van der Weide, E., and Alonso, J. J., “A methodology for the development of discrete adjoint solvers using automatic differentiation tools”, International Journal of Computational Fluid Dynamics, vol. 21, pp. 307-327, 2007.
A. B. Lambe and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Matrix-Free Approach to Large-Scale Structural Optimization”, in 10th World Congress on Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, Orlando, FL, 2013.
A. B. Lambe and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Matrix-free aerostructural optimization of aircraft wings”, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, vol. 53, pp. 589–603, 2016.
Lambe_Martins_2016_mdolab.pdf (1.95 MB)
T. R. Brooks and Martins, J. R. R. A., “On Manufacturing Constraints for Tow-steered Composite Design Optimization”, Composite Structures, vol. 204, pp. 548 - 559, 2018.
preprint-manufacturing-constraints-w-appendix.pdf (18.1 MB)
N. Xue, Du, W., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Shyy, W., “Lithium-Ion Batteries: Thermo-Mechanics, Performance, and Design Optimization”, in Handbook of Clean Energy Systems, vol. 5 : Energy Storage, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2015, pp. 2849-2864.
Xue2015-Lithium Ion Batteries - Preprint.pdf (1.43 MB)
K. A. James and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Level Set Topology Optimization of Structures with Isoparametric Mesh Mapping”, in Proceedings of the 9th ISSMO World Congress on Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, Shizuoka, Japan, 2011.
K. A. James and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Level Set Topology Optimization of Structures with Isoparametric Mesh Mapping”, in Proceedings of the 9th World Congress on Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, Shizuoka, Japan, 2011.
G. J. Kennedy and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Laminate Parametrization Technique for Discrete Ply Angle Problems with Manufacturing Constraints”, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, vol. 48, pp. 379-393, 2013.
Kennedy2013a.pdf (394.08 KB)
A. Yildirim, Kenway, G. K. W., Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Jacobian-free approximate Newton--Krylov startup strategy for RANS simulations”, Journal of Computational Physics, In Press.
Yildirim2019b-A Jacobian-free approximate Newton--Krylov startup strategy for RANS simulations.pdf (3.84 MB)
K. A. James and Martins, J. R. R. A., “An Isoparametric Approach to Level Set Topology Optimization Using a Body-Fitted Finite Element Mesh”, Computers and Structures, vol. 90–91, pp. 97-106, 2012.
James2011a.pdf (1 MB)
Y. Yu, Lyu, Z., Xu, Z., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “On the Influence of Optimization Algorithm and Starting Design on Wing Aerodynamic Shape Optimization”, Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 75, p. 183--199, 2018.
Yin2014-On the Influence of Optimization Algorithm and Initial Design on Wing Aerodynamic Shape Optimization-Preprint.pdf (8.73 MB)
M. Amine Bouhlel, Bartoli, N., Otsmane, A., and Morlier, J., “Improving kriging surrogates of high-dimensional design models by Partial Least Squares dimension reduction”, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, vol. 53, pp. 935–952, 2016.
N. Bartoli, Bouhlel, M. Amine, Kurek, I., Lafage, R., Lefebvre, T., Morlier, J., Priem, R., Stilz, V., and Regis, R. G., “Improvement of efficient global optimization with application to aircraft wing design”, in AIAA, Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, 2017.
Nouveau document texte.txt (401 bytes)
M. Amine Bouhlel, Bartoli, N., Morlier, J., and Otsmane, A., “An Improved Approach for Estimating the Hyperparameters of the Kriging Model for High-Dimensional Problems through the Partial Least Squares Method”, Mathematical Problems in Engineering, vol. vol. 2016, Article ID 6723410, 2016.
D. A. Burdette and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Impact of Morphing Trailing Edge on Mission Performance for the Common Research Model”, Journal of Aircraft, vol. 56, pp. 369–384, 2019.
G. J. Kennedy and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Hybrid-parallel Methods for Large-scale Gradient-based Structural Design Optimization”, in Proceedings of the 10th World Congress on Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 2013.
P. He, Filip, G., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Maki, K. J., “Hull form hydrodynamic design using a discrete adjoint optimization method”, in 13th International Marine Design Conference, 2018.
IMDC2018.pdf (4.9 MB)
G. J. Kennedy and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A homogenization-based theory for anisotropic beams with accurate through-section stress and strain prediction”, International Journal of Solids and Structures, vol. 49, pp. 54-72, 2012.
hbtpaper.pdf (901.52 KB)
G. L. O. Halila, Chen, G., Shi, Y., Fidkowski, K. J., Martins, J. R. R. A., and de Mendonça, M. Teixeira, “High-Reynolds number transitional flow simulation via parabolized stability equations with an adaptive RANS solver”, Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 91, 2019.
Halila_AST_2019b_preprint.pdf (913.08 KB)
G. L. O. Halila, Chen, G., Shi, Y., Fidkowski, K. J., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Mendonça, M. T., “High-Reynolds Number Transitional Flow Prediction using a Coupled Discontinuous-Galerkin RANS PSE Framework”, in 57th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, 2019.
Halila_SciTech_2019.pdf (1022.94 KB)
N. Garg, Kenway, G. K. W., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Young, Y. L., “High-fidelity Multipoint Hydrostructural Optimization of a 3-D Hydrofoil”, Journal of Fluids and Structures, vol. 71, pp. 15–39, 2017.
JFS_NG.pdf (21.7 MB)
T. R. Brooks, Kennedy, G. J., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “High-fidelity Multipoint Aerostructural Optimization of a High Aspect Ratio Tow-steered Composite Wing”, in Proceedings of the 58th AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, AIAA SciTech Forum, 2017.
Scitech-2017-Brooks.pdf (13.18 MB)
N. Garg, Lyu, Z., Dhert, T., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Young, Y. L., “High-fidelity Hydrodynamic Shape Optimization of a 3-D Morphing Hydrofoil”, in Fourth International Symposium on Marine Propulsors, 2015.
Garg_SMP.pdf (1.52 MB)
N. Garg, Kenway, G. K. W., Lyu, Z., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Young, Y. L., “High-fidelity Hydrodynamic Shape Optimization of a 3-D Hydrofoil”, Journal of Ship Research, vol. 59, pp. 209–226, 2015.
Garg2015-High-fidelity Hydrodynamic Shape Optimization of a 3-D Hydrofoil.pdf (4.22 MB)
T. R. Brooks, Martins, J. R. R. A., and Kennedy, G. J., “High-fidelity Aerostructural Optimization of Tow-steered Composite Wings”, Journal of Fluids and Structures, vol. 88, pp. 122-147, 2019.
Brooks2019-High-fidelity Aerostructural Optimization of Tow-steered Composite Wings.pdf (14.71 MB)
T. R. Brooks, Kennedy, G. J., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “High-fidelity Aerostructural Optimization of a High Aspect Ratio Tow-steered Wing”, in 57th AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 2016.
brooks-scitech-2016-paper.pdf (9.66 MB)
G. K. W. Kenway and Martins, J. R. R. A., “High-fidelity aerostructural optimization considering buffet onset”, in Proceedings of the 16th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, 2015.
Kenway2015-High-fidelity aerostructural optimization considering buffet onseta..pdf (11.19 MB)
J. J. Alonso, Martins, J. R. R. A., Reuther, J. J., and Haimes, R., “High-Fidelity Aero-Structural Design Using a Parametric CAD-Based Model”, in Proceedings of the 16th AIAA Computational Fluid Dynamics Conference, Orlando, FL, 2003.
J. R. R. A. Martins, Alonso, J. J., and Reuther, J. J., “High-Fidelity Aerostructural Design Optimization of a Supersonic Business Jet”, Journal of Aircraft, vol. 41, pp. 523–530, 2004.
Martins2004-High-Fidelity Aerostructural Design Optimization of a Supersonic Business-a..pdf (2.01 MB)
J. R. R. A. Martins, Alonso, J. J., and Reuther, J. J., “High-Fidelity Aero-Structural Design Optimization of a Supersonic Business Jet”, in Proceedings of the 43rd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Denver, CO, 2002.
N. P. Bons, Mader, C. A., Martins, J. R. R. A., Cuco, A. P. C., and Odaguil, F. I. K., “High-Fidelity Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of a Full Configuration Regional Jet”, in 2018 AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Kissimmee, FL, 2018.
2018scitech_nbons.pdf (2.41 MB)
Z. Lyu, “High-Fidelity Aerodynamic Design Optimization of Aircraft Configurations”, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2014.
Lyu_thesis.pdf (84.42 MB)
G. J. Kennedy, Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “High Aspect Ratio Wing Design: Optimal Aerostructural Tradeoffs for the Next Generation of Materials”, in Proceedings of the AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition (SciTech), National Harbor, MD, 2014.
Kennedy-Kenway-Martins-2014-SciTech.pdf (2.07 MB)
Z. Lyu and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Graph Partitioning-Based Coordination Methods for Large-Scale Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Problems”, in Proceedings of the 14th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis Optimization Conference, Indianapolis, IN, 2012.
M. Amine Bouhlel and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Gradient-enhanced kriging for high-dimensional problems”, Engineering with Computers, 2018.
gekpls_mdolab_version.pdf (556.05 KB)
J. R. R. A. Martins, “Fuel burn reduction through wing morphing”, in Encyclopedia of Aerospace Engineering , vol. Green Aviation, Wiley, 2016, pp. 75-79.
Martins2016-Fuel Burn Reduction Through Wing Morphing - Preprint.pdf (757.53 KB)
C. A. Mader, Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Framework for High-Fidelity Aerostructural Optimization of Aircraft Configurations”, in Proceedings of the International Conference on System Simulation and Scientific Computing, Beijing, China, 2008.
B. J. Brelje, Anibal, J. L., Yildirim, A., Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Flexible Formulation of Spatial Integration Constraints in Aerodynamic Shape Optimization”, in 57th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting (SciTech), San Diego, CA, 2019.
mdolab_preprint.pdf (3.38 MB)
P. Peterson, Martins, J. R. R. A., and Alonso, J. J., “Fortran to Python Interface Generator with an Application to Aerospace Engineering”, in Proceedings of the 9th International Python Conference, Long Beach, CA, 2001.
A. B. Lambe and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Extensions to the Design Structure Matrix for the Description of Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis, and Optimization Processes”, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 273-284, 2012.
Lambe2012.pdf (289.49 KB)
R. P. Liem, Martins, J. R. R. A., and Kenway, G. K. W., “Expected Drag Minimization for Aerodynamic Design Optimization Based on Aircraft Operational Data”, Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 63, pp. 344–362, 2017.
multipointASO2015.pdf (11.66 MB)
A. B. Lambe, Martins, J. R. R. A., and Kennedy, G. J., “An Evaluation of Constraint Aggregation Strategies for Wing Box Mass Minimization”, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, vol. 55, pp. 257–277, 2017.
Lambe_et_al_2016a_mdolab.pdf (2.91 MB)
J. R. R. A. Martins and Kennedy, G. J., “Enabling Large-scale Multidisciplinary Design Optimization through Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis”, in 57th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, AIAA SciTech Forum, 2019.
Martins2019-Enabling Large-scale Multidisciplinary Design Optimization through-a.pdf (7.74 MB)
B. J. Brelje and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Electric, Hybrid, and Turboelectric Fixed-Wing Aircraft: A Review of Concepts, Models, and Design Approaches”, Progress in Aerospace Sciences, vol. 104, p. 1--19, 2019.
Brelje2019-Electric, Hybrid, and Turboelectric Fixed-Wing Aircraft A Review_preprint.pdf (2.29 MB)
M. Amine Bouhlel, Bartoli, N., Regis, R., Otsmane, A., and Morlier, J., “Efficient global optimization for high-dimensional constrained problems by using the Kriging models combined with the partial least squares method”, Engineering Optimization, 2018.
tandf_geno20AxA_1.bib (645 bytes)
A. T. Yu and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Efficient Coupled-Sensitivity Analysis Methods for Aero-Structural Optimization”, in Proceedings of the CASI Aircraft Design and Development Symposium, Toronto, {ON}, 2005.
G. K. W. Kenway, Mader, C. A., He, P., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Effective Adjoint Approaches for Computational Fluid Dynamics”, Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 2019.
Kenway2019-Effective Adjoint Approaches for Computational Fluid Dynamics.pdf (2.78 MB)
J. R. R. A. Martins and Kostina, E. A., “Editorial –- Special Issue on Optimization and Engineering Applications”, 1, 2010.
Martins2010-Editorial---Special Issue on Optimization and Engineering Applications-b..pdf (129.36 KB)
C. A. Mader and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Discrete Adjoint Formulation for Stability Derivatives Using the ADjoint Approach”, in Proceedings of the CASI Conference, Kanata, ON, 2009.
E. Jonsson, Kenway, G. K. W., Kennedy, G. J., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Development of Flutter Constraints for High-fidelity Aerostructural Optimization”, in 18th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, 2017.
6.2017-4455.pdf (3.91 MB)
B. J. Brelje and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Development of a Conceptual Design Model for Aircraft Electric Propulsion with Efficient Gradients”, in AIAA/IEEE Electric Aircraft Technologies Symposium, Cincinnati, OH, 2018.
openconcept_EATS_2018.pdf (9 MB)
J. S. Gray, “Design Optimization of a Boundary Layer Ingestion Propulsor Using a Coupled Aeropropulsive Model”, University of Michigan, 2018.
gray_phd_thesis_2018.pdf (23.42 MB)
D. A. Burdette and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Design of a Transonic Wing with an Adaptive Morphing Trailing Edge via Aerostructural Optimization”, Aerospace Science and Technology, vol. 81, pp. 192–203, 2018.
Burdette_NASA1.pdf (15.8 MB)
N. Xue, Du, W., Greszler, T. A., Shyy, W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Design of a Lithium-ion Battery Pack for PHEV Using Multiple Optimization Methods”, Applied Energy, vol. 115, pp. 591–602, 2014.
xue-app_engy_pack_opt_2013_revised.pdf (978.68 KB)
C. A. Mader and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Derivatives for Time-Spectral Computational Fluid Dynamics Using an Automatic Differentiation Adjoint”, AIAA Journal, vol. 50, no. 12, pp. 2809-2819, 2012.
Mader2012a.pdf (661.23 KB)
J. Li, Bouhlel, M. Amine, and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Data-based Approach for Fast Airfoil Analysis and Optimization”, Journal of Aircraft, vol. 57, p. 581--596, 2018.
airfoil_preprint.pdf (6.34 MB)
J. Li, Bouhlel, M. Amine, and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A data-based approach for fast airfoil analysis and optimization”, in 2018 AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Kissimmee, FL, 2018.
J. R. R. A. Martins, Alonso, J. J., and Reuther, J. J., “A Coupled-Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Method for High-Fidelity Aero-Structural Design”, Optimization and Engineering, vol. 6, pp. 33–62, 2005.
Martins2005-A Coupled-Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Method for High-Fidelity Aero-Structural-a..pdf (593.6 KB)
J. R. R. A. Martins, Alonso, J. J., and Reuther, J. J., “A Coupled-Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Method for Aero-Structural Optimization”, in Proceedings of the CASI Aircraft Design and Development Symposium, Montréal, QC, 2003.
S. He, Jonsson, E., Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Coupled Newton–Krylov Time Spectral Solver for Flutter Prediction”, in 2018 AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Kissimmee, FL, 2018.
scitech2018.pdf (2.32 MB)
S. He, Jonsson, E., Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Coupled Newton--Krylov Time Spectral Solver for Wing Flutter and LCO Prediction”, in AIAA AVIATION Forum, 2019.
J. P. Jasa, Brelje, B. J., Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Coupled Design of a Supersonic Engine and Thermal System”, in World Congress of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization 13, Beijing, China, 2019.
wcsmo_jasa_2019.pdf (241.84 KB)
B. J. Brelje and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Coupled component sizing and aerodynamic shape optimization via geometric constraints”, in AIAA AVIATION Forum, 2019.
J. J. Reuther, Alonso, J. J., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Smith, S. C., “A Coupled Aero-Structural Optimization Method for Complete Aircraft Configurations”, in Proceedings of the 37th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV, 1999.
J. S. Gray and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Coupled Aeropropulsive Design Optimization of a Boundary Layer Ingestion Propulsor”, The Aeronautical Journal, vol. 123, no. 1259, pp. 121–137, 2019.
Gray2019-Coupled Aeropropulsive Design Optimization of a Boundary Layer.pdf (2.38 MB)
C. Vanaret, Gallard, F., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “On the Consequences of the "No Free Lunch" Theorem for Optimization on the Choice of MDO Architecture”, in Proceedings of the AIAA SciTech Conference, 2017.
NFL_MDO_architecture_AIAA2017_vanaret_gallard_martins.pdf (1.34 MB)
J. R. R. A. Martins, Sturdza, P., and Alonso, J. J., “The Connection Between the Complex-Step Derivative Approximation and Algorithmic Differentiation”, in Proceedings of the 39th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Reno, NV, 2001.
A. T. Yu and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Configurable B-Spline Parametrization Method for Structural Optimization of Wing Boxes”, in Proceedings of the 12th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Victoria, BC, 2008.
R. Henderson and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Conceptual Design and Optimization of Environmentally-Friendly Aircraft”, in Proceedings of the 2009 SAE AeroTech Congress and Exhibition, 2009.
C. A. Mader and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Computing Stability Derivatives and Their Gradients for Aerodynamic Shape Optimization”, AIAA Journal, vol. 52, no. 11, pp. 2533-2546, 2014.
maderTSD2010.pdf (3.51 MB)
E. Jonsson, Mader, C. A., Kennedy, G. J., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Computational Modeling of Flutter Constraint for High-Fidelity Aerostructural Optimization”, in AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, San Diego, CA, 2019.
C. A. Mader and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Computation of Aircraft Stability Derivatives Using an Automatic Differentiation Adjoint Approach”, AIAA Journal, vol. 49, no. 12, pp. 2737-2750, 2011.
Mader2011-Computation of Aircraft Stability Derivatives Using an Automatica..pdf (8 MB)
N. R. Secco, Jasa, J. P., Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Component-based Geometry Manipulation for Aerodynamic Shape Optimization with Overset Meshes”, in 18th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, 2017.
N. R. Secco, Jasa, J. P., Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Component-based Geometry Manipulation for Aerodynamic Shape Optimization with Overset Meshes”, AIAA Journal, vol. 56, no. 9, p. 3679, 2018.
pysurf2018_preprint.pdf (9.55 MB)
J. R. R. A. Martins, Sturdza, P., and Alonso, J. J., “The Complex-Step Derivative Approximation”, ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software, vol. 29, pp. 245–262, 2003.
Martins2003CSD.pdf (533.7 KB)
J. R. R. A. Martins, Alonso, J. J., and Reuther, J. J., “Complete Configuration Aero-Structural Optimization Using a Coupled Sensitivity Analysis Method”, in Proceedings of the 9th AIAA/ISSMO Symposium on Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization, Atlanta, GA, 2002.
A. Dener, Hicken, J. E., Kenway, G. K. W., Lyu, Z., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Comparison of Newton–Krylov and Quasi-Newton Algorithms for Aerodynamic Shape Optimization”, in Proceedings of the AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition (SciTech), 2015.
G. J. Kennedy and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A Comparison of Metallic and Composite Aircraft Wings Using Aerostructural Design Optimization”, in 14th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Indianapolis, IN, 2012.
Kennedy2012c.pdf (2.11 MB)
N. P. Tedford and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Comparison of MDO Architectures within a Universal Framework”, in Proceedings of the 2nd AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Specialist Conference, Newport, RI, 2006.
N. P. Tedford and Martins, J. R. R. A., “On the Common Structure of MDO Problems: A Comparison of Architectures”, in Proceedings of the 11th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Portsmouth, VA, 2006.
J. S. Gray, Chin, J. C., Hearn, T. A., Hendricks, E., Lavelle, T. M., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Chemical-Equilibrium Analysis with Adjoint Derivatives for Propulsion Cycle Analysis”, Journal of Propulsion and Power, vol. Vol.33, pp. 1041-1052, 2017.
G. K. W. Kenway, Kennedy, G. J., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “A CAD-Free Approach to High-Fidelity Aerostructural Optimization”, in Proceedings of the 13th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis Optimization Conference, Fort Worth, TX, 2010.
mao2010_final.pdf (5.8 MB)
G. K. W. Kenway and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Buffet Onset Constraint Formulation for Aerodynamic Shape Optimization”, AIAA Journal, vol. 55, pp. 1930–1947, 2017.
Kenway_Martins_buffet_2017_mdolab.pdf (11.2 MB)
T. Ashuri, “Beyond Classical Upscaling: Integrated Aeroservoelastic Design and Optimization of Large Offshore Wind Turbines”, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands, Delft, 2012.
PhDThesis_TA_MDOLAB.pdf (4.39 MB)
Z. Lyu, Xu, Z., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Benchmarking Optimization Algorithms for Wing Aerodynamic Design Optimization”, in 8th International Conference on Computational Fluid Dynamics (ICCFD8), Chengdu, China, 2014.
Lyu_ICCFD8_Final_v2.pdf (5.55 MB)
N. P. Tedford and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Benchmarking Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Algorithms”, Optimization and Engineering, vol. 11, pp. 159–183, 2010.
Tedford2010.pdf (979.1 KB)
T. R. Brooks, Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Benchmark Aerostructural Models for the Study of Transonic Aircraft Wings”, AIAA Journal, vol. 56, no. 7, p. 2840-–2855, 2018.
Brooks2018-Benchmark Aerostructural Models for the Study of Transonic Aircraft Wings-preprint.pdf (22.86 MB)
Z. Lyu, Kenway, G. K. W., Paige, C., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Automatic Differentiation Adjoint of the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes Equations with a Turbulence Model”, in 43rd AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference and Exhibit, 2013.
LYU_CFD_RANS_Final.pdf (6.21 MB)
J. R. R. A. Martins, Kroo, I. M., and Alonso, J. J., “An Automated Method for Sensitivity Analysis Using Complex Variables”, in Proceedings of the 38th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Reno, NV, 2000.
J. R. R. A. Martins, Alonso, J. J., and van der Weide, E., “An Automated Approach for Developing Discrete Adjoint Solvers”, in Proceedings of the 2nd AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Specialist Conference, Newport, RI, 2006.
I. R. Chittick and Martins, J. R. R. A., “An Asymmetric Suboptimization Approach to Aerostructural Optimization”, Optimization and Engineering, vol. 10, pp. 133–152, 2009.
Chittick2009-An Asymmetric Suboptimization Approach to Aerostructural Optimizationa..pdf (777.03 KB)
J. S. Gray, Mader, C. A., Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Approach to Modeling Boundary Layer Ingestion using a Fully Coupled Propulsion-RANS Model”, in 55th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting (SciTech), 2017.
R. Henderson, Martins, J. R. R. A., and Perez, R. E., “Aircraft Conceptual Design for Optimal Environmental Performance”, The Aeronautical Journal, vol. 116, no. 1175, p. 1—22, 2012.
Henderson2012.pdf (914.28 KB)
P. He, Mader, C. A., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Maki, K. J., “Aerothermal Optimization of Internal Cooling Passages Using a Discrete Adjoint Method”, in 2018 Joint Thermophysics and Heat Transfer Conference, AIAA Aviation Forum, 2018.
AIAA-2018-4080.pdf (2.9 MB)
P. He, Mader, C. A., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Maki, K. J., “Aerothermal Optimization of a Ribbed U-Bend Cooling Channel Using the Adjoint Method”, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2019.
UBend_Aerothermal_Opt_Preprint.pdf (6.48 MB)
J. R. R. A. Martins, Alonso, J. J., and Reuther, J. J., “Aero-Structural Wing Design Optimization Using High-Fidelity Sensitivity Analysis”, in Proceedings of the CEAS Conference on Multidisciplinary Aircraft Design and Optimization, Köln, Germany, 2001, pp. 211–226.
K. A. James, Kennedy, G. J., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerostructural Topology Optimization of an Aircraft Wingbox”, in Proceedings of the CASI AERO 2011 Conference, Montreal, QC, 2011.
G. K. W. Kenway and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerostructural Shape Optimization of Wind Turbine Blades Considering Site-Specific Winds”, in Proceedings of the 12th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Victoria, BC, 2008.
victoria.pdf (1.53 MB)
I. R. Chittick and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aero-Structural Optimization Using Adjoint Coupled Post-Optimality Sensitivities”, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, vol. 36, pp. 59–77, 2008.
Chittick2008-Aero-Structural Optimization Using Adjoint Coupled Post-Optimality-a..pdf (401.63 KB)
C. A. Mader, Kenway, G. K. W., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Uranga, A., “Aerostructural Optimization of the D8 Wing with Varying Cruise Mach Numbers”, in 18th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, 2017.
G. K. W. Kenway, Kennedy, G. J., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerostructural optimization of the Common Research Model configuration”, in 15th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Atlanta, GA, 2014.
mao2014_paper.pdf (10.33 MB)
P. W. Jansen, Perez, R. E., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerostructural Optimization of Nonplanar Lifting Surfaces”, Journal of Aircraft, vol. 47, pp. 1491–1503, 2010.
Jansen2010a.pdf (1.4 MB)
G. J. Kennedy, Martins, J. R. R. A., and Hansen, J. S., “Aerostructural Optimization of Aircraft Structures Using Asymmetric Subspace Optimization”, in Proceedings of the 12th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Victoria, BC, 2008.
G. J. Kennedy, Martins, J. R. R. A., and Hansen, J. S., “Aerostructural optimization of aircraft structures using asymmetric subspace optimization”, in 12th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Victoria, BC, 2008.
J. R. R. A. Martins, Alonso, J. J., and LeGresley, P., “Aero-Structural Optimization of Aircraft Configurations Using Coupled-Sensitivity Analysis”, in Proceedings of the SIAM Conference on Computational Science and Engineering, San Diego, CA, 2003.
G. J. Kennedy and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerostructural design optimization of composite aircraft with stress and local buckling constraints using an implicit structural parametrization”, in Proceedings of CASI AERO 2011, Montreal, Quebec, 2011.
D. A. Burdette, Kenway, G. K. W., Lyu, Z., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerostructural Design Optimization of an Adaptive Morphing Trailing Edge Wing”, in AIAA SciTech, Kissimmee, FL, 2015.
D. A. Burdette, Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerostructural design optimization of a continuous morphing trailing edge aircraft for improved mission performance”, in 17th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference , 2016.
BurdetteAviation2016.pdf (1.68 MB)
R. P. Liem, Mader, C. A., Lee, E., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerostructural design optimization of a 100-passenger regional jet with surrogate-based mission analysis”, in 13th AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations Conference, Los Angeles, CA, 2013.
final_Liem_Aviation2013.pdf (1.86 MB)
T. Ashuri, Martins, J. R. R. A., Zaaijer, M. B., van Kuik, G. A. M., and van Bussel, G. J. W., “Aeroservoelastic Design Definition of a 20 MW Common Research Wind Turbine Model”, Wind Energy, vol. 19, 2016.
Ashuri2016-Aeroservoelastic Design Definition of a 20 MW Common Research Wind-a..pdf (853.94 KB)
J. S. Gray, Kenway, G. K. W., Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aeropropulsive Design Optimization of a Turboelectric Boundary Layer Ingestion Propulsion System”, in Proceedings of the AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, 2018.
starc_abl_2018.pdf (14.26 MB)
A. Yildirim, Gray, J. S., Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aeropropulsive Design Optimization of a Boundary Layer Ingestion System”, in AIAA AVIATION Forum, Dallas, TX, 2019.
Yildirim2019a-Aeropropulsive Design Optimization of a Boundary Layer Ingestion System.pdf (28.31 MB)
S. He, Jonsson, E., Mader, C. A., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerodynamic Shape Optimization with Time Spectral Flutter Adjoint”, in Scitech 2019, San Diego, CA, 2019.
main.pdf (2.39 MB)
Z. Lyu and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerodynamic Shape Optimization Studies of a Blended-Wing-Body Aircraft”, Journal of Aircraft, vol. 51, no. 5, 2014.
Lyu-Martins-2014-JoA-BWB.pdf (17.79 MB)
T. Dhert, Ashuri, T., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of Wind Turbine Blades Using a Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes Model and an Adjoint Method”, Wind Energy, vol. 20, no. 5, p. 909--926, 2017.
Dhert_et_al__2017_mdolab.pdf (3.23 MB)
G. K. W. Kenway and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of the CRM Configuration Including Buffet-Onset Conditions”, in 54th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, 2016.
S. Chen, Lyu, Z., Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of the Common Research Model Wing-Body-Tail Configuration”, in Proceedings of the AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition (SciTech), 2015.
S. Chen, Lyu, Z., Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of the Common Research Model Wing-Body-Tail Configuration”, Journal of Aircraft, 2015.
Chen2015-Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of the Common Research Model.pdf (29.46 MB)
S. Chen, Lyu, Z., Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of the Common Research Model Wing-Body-Tail Configuration”, Journal of Aircraft, vol. 53, pp. 276–293, 2016.
Chen2016-Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of the Common Research Model-Preprint.pdf (29.46 MB)
C. A. Mader, Marta, A. C., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of an Oblique Wing Using the ADjoint Approach”, in Proceedings of the 15th Conference of the CFD Society of Canada, Toronto, ON, 2007.
Z. Lyu and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of an Adaptive Morphing Trailing Edge Wing”, in Proceedings of the 15th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Atlanta, GA, 2014.
Z. Lyu and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of an Adaptive Morphing Trailing Edge Wing”, Journal of Aircraft, vol. 52, pp. 1951–1970, 2015.
Lyu2015a-Aerodynamic shape optimization of an adaptive morphing trailing edge wing.pdf (8.59 MB)
Z. Lyu and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of a Blended-Wing-Body Aircraft”, in Proceedings of the 51st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Grapevine, TX, 2013.
Z. Lyu, Kenway, G. K. W., and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Aerodynamic Shape Optimization Investigations of the Common Research Model Wing Benchmark”, AIAA Journal, vol. 53, no. 4, p. 968--985, 2015.
Lyu_AIAAJ_ASO_2014_preprint.pdf (23.63 MB)
P. He, Mader, C. A., Martins, J. R. R. A., and Maki, K. J., “An Aerodynamic Design Optimization Framework Using a Discrete Adjoint Approach with OpenFOAM”, Computers & Fluids, 2018.
OpenFOAM_Adjoint.pdf (4.74 MB)
G. J. Kennedy and Martins, J. R. R. A., “An Adjoint-based Derivative Evaluation Method for Time-dependent Aeroelastic Optimization of Flexible Aircraft”, in Proceedings of the 54th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Boston, MA, 2013.
2013_SDM.pdf (799.25 KB)
N. Bartoli, Lefebvre, T., Dubreuil, S., Olivanti, R., Bons, N. P., Martins, J. R. R. A., Bouhlel, M. Amine, and Morlier, J., “An adaptive optimization strategy based on mixture of experts for wing aerodynamic design optimization”, in Proceedings of the 18th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Denver, CO, 2017.
AIAA_2017_MDO-18_2638116_revised.pdf (21.34 MB)
N. M. K. Poon and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Adaptive Constraint Aggregation for Structural Optimization Using Adjoint Sensitivities”, in Proceedings of the CASI Aircraft Design and Development Symposium, Toronto, ON, 2005.
N. M. K. Poon and Martins, J. R. R. A., “An Adaptive Approach to Constraint Aggregation Using Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis”, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, vol. 30, pp. 61–73, 2007.
Q. Thomson and Martins, J. R. R. A., “Adaptive Accuracy Trust Region: Using Cross-Validation in the Optimization Process”, Engineering Optimization, vol. 43, pp. 615–633, 2011.
C. A. Mader, Martins, J. R. R. A., Alonso, J. J., and van der Weide, E., “ADjoint: An Approach for the Rapid Development of Discrete Adjoint Solvers”, AIAA Journal, vol. 46, pp. 863-873, 2008.
Mader2008-ADjoint An Approach for the Rapid Development of Discrete Adjoint-a..pdf (5.27 MB)
C. A. Mader, “ADjoint: An Approach for the Rapid Development of Discrete Adjoint Solvers”. University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Toronto, ON, 2007.
J. R. R. A. Martins, Mader, C. A., and Alonso, J. J., “ADjoint: An Approach for Rapid Development of Discrete Adjoint Solvers”, in Proceedings of the 11th AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Portsmouth, VA, 2006.
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Eco Compound
Tecno Compound
Bio Compound
Synergy and creativity
Four companies. Everyone qualified in their own field. A group that allows you to deal with the demands of various markets in a specialized manner.
Mepol is the parent company.
It produces compounds with the aim of meeting the industrial and manufacturing needs of different sectors starting from high-grade polymers or R-polymers.
Located in Ferrara, it deals with the distribution of major brands of 1st choice materials and off-grades: Slovnaft, TVK and Synthos. It also exclusively distributes the entire range of Titanium Dioxide Ruichem.
Replicates for the North Europe the Mepol model producing compounds.
It is equipped with a plant for washing, grinding, extrusion and for the recovery and grinding of polymers.
Headquartered in Ferrara, Polar has developed its own business in processing and trading of plastics from industrial and post-consumer waste. It is certified according to UNI 10667-1.
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"What a show of force!" - 125 people rally at Michigan Democratic Party State Central Committee
Submitted by ryan on Sun, 12/04/2016 - 10:26
I attended the rally at the Michigan Democratic Party State Central Committeee (MDSCC) meeting yesterday. There, I witnessed a part of that Democratic Party Renaissance that the Michigan Organizer reported on before.
This rally was organized by the Young Democrats of Michigan (YDM). The purpose of the rally was to support Keith Ellison for Democratic National Committe (DNC) chair, and to protest the opaque way that the MDSCC chooses delegates to send to the DNC1 "How can we claim to be a progressive party when we operate in the shadows?" said Sam Pernick, YDM chair. "And by 'we', I mean 'them'," he added, gesturing toward the official delegates to the MDSCC.
Approximately 125 people attended the rally, compared with the 178 official delegates, which caused Pernick to remark "What a show of force!"
At this point, it is useful to discuss what exactly is the MDSCC and what this meeting was. According to the bylaws of the Michigan Democratic Party, the MDSCC has "general responsibility for the affairs of the Michigan Democratic Party between State Conventions". The MDSCC is made up of delegates elected at the Congressional District Spring Conventions and Caucuses, held in odd-numbered years. That's who the 178 official delegates were. The next opportunity to elect new MDSCC delegates is at the Michigan Democratic Party State Convention, Feb. 11, 2017, at Cobo Hall in Detroit.
The purpose of yesterday's meeting was to elect Michigan's delegates to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which generally governs the Democratic Party nationally, "coordinat[ing] strategy to support candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office."2
The DNC delegates elected by the MDSCC will serve four year terms, so this election was Michigan's chance to affect the direction of the Democratic Party nationally until the next presidential election. "I think that after the last election, we need to reconsider how we go about business after losing the election," said YDM member Kelly Collison, from Lansing, who identified herself as a "local troublemaker", addressing the MDSCC during 10 minutes of public comment that were added to the agenda.
This is a sentiment shared by many people who identify with the Democratic party, if the recent attendance numbers at the Washtenaw County Democratic Party (WCDP) are any indication. The Michigan Organizer attended part of the WCDP meeting yesterday, where 170 people were in attendance, and the bulk of the meeting was devoted to people - most of them attending the WCDP for the first time - giving their ideas about what the party should be doing differently.
So, just as there is a huge influx of new members and new grassroots enthusiasm for being involved in the Democratic Party, but before these new activists have had a chance to insinuate themselves into the normal channels of decision making -- this is when the MDSCC had its election that will choose what message Michigan wants to send to the country for the next four years. "How can we, as members and activists who want to get involved in this party vet these candidates if we don't even know who they are? How can we ensure that these people are our voice if we're not even permitted to ask them questions when they're being nominated today?" asked Sam Pernick, YDM chair.
According to Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) rules, it is the MDSCC, and not the general Democratic Party membership, who makes the decision about who to send to the national committee,34 which may be why there is no process built in for general members to have time to vet candidates and ask questions.
According to those rules, the election process is this: Michigan will send six members to the DNC. Three must be men and three must be women. These men and women will be nominated by an MDSCC member, on the spot, at the MDSCC meeting. The person nominated can be any member of the Michigan Democratic Party. The person who makes the nomination then has two minutes to speak on the behalf of the person they nominated. This is the only chance that anyone gets to vet the nominations, and the only people that will cast votes are the MDSCC members. The vote is done by plurality.
In practice, though, the process seemed to work like this: The decisions were all made before the meeting even began. The process of making these decisions is completely opaque, and not listed in any rules. Thirty minutes before the MDSCC meeting, a document circulated entitled "Unity Endorsed Candidates for DNC". It listed three female names and three male names. When the official election took place at the meeting, two of the male seats went uncontested, with only one "Unity Endorsed Candidate" being nominated. For one of the male seats, the "Unity Endorsed Candidate" was named, and then a few other candidates were named, who were young people who were not deeply ensconced party insiders. Then a vote was held, and the "Unity Endorsed Candidate" got the overwhelming majority of the votes. This process was then repeated for the three female seats.
There was one slight deviation from the normal procedures this time. Congressperson Debbie Dingell has been a DNC delegate in the last cycle. "She could have run for reappointment," said Yousef Rabhi, who just won his election for State Representative in the 53rd State House district. "Instead, she recognized the need for an infusion of Bernie Sanders people, so she didn't run." Instead, she recommended Michelle Deatrick, who worked on the Bernie Sanders campaign in Michigan. "If someone else had done that, they wouldn't have picked Michelle. But because [Dingell] is a congressperson, they listened when she pulled her name for that reason," said Rabhi. Indeed, Deatrick ended up as one of the "Unity Endorsed Candidates", who ran unopposed.
The choice of Deatrick does not satisfy everybody's desire for a progressive DNC member, though. "It depends on your definition of progressive, I guess," said YDM member Kelly Collison. "If you're a Bernie delegate at the convention, you probably wouldn't have immediately conformed to be a Hillary supporter. And she silenced a lot of the delegates in the Michigan delegation - she was the whip." YDM chair Sam Pernick says "There may be some good people on this list, in which case I think that's great. But how would we know that? The Democratic Party never forgets to send out a fundraising email. Who got a notice that this meeting was taking place today, from the Democratic Party? Nobody."
"I think the Democratic Party needs to be more democratic than the Republican party," said Collison.
Update: I forgot to include all the names of the winners. These were the "Unity Endorsed Candidates for DNC", and have all been elected: Michelle Deatrick, Gretchen Dziadosz, Shauna Ryder Diggs, Norwood Jewell, Daryl Newman, and Barry Goodman.
1. Young Democrats of Michigan statement on Michigan Democratic State Central Committee (MDSCC), 2016-12-02. This document was posted to YDM's facebook page, and handed out in printed form at the rally.
2. https://www.democrats.org/organization/the-democratic-national-committee
3. http://www.michigandems.com/sites/default/files/DNC%20Member%20Selection...
4. http://www.michigandems.com/sites/default/files/Rules%20of%20the%20MDP%2...
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Anna Adair Hawthorn
CFHS code : BE6
Parish : St Bene’t
Inscription : In Memory of a most blessed sister ANNA ADAIR HAWTHORN 2nd daughter of the Rev ROBERT HAWTHORN Vicar of Stapleford Cambs d 11 January 1889
Monument : Stone cross/Kerb stones
Anna Adair Hawthorn (11 April 1821 – 11 January 1889)
Anna was born in Whittinghame, East Lothian, the daughter of Rev Robert and Anne Hawthorn.
Reverend Robert Hawthorn (1792 – 1872) was born in Jamaica. He married Anne Lawrie in 1818 in Loudoun, Ayr. They had four children including Anna, who were all born in East Lothian. Robert Hawthorn then was admitted to Peterhouse College in 1825. He was the Curate of Swaffham Prior 1841-1855 and Vicar of Stapleford 1845-1872.
The majority of Anna’s life was spent with her father living at Stapleford Lodge, where he was the vicar. He died on 14th March 1872, aged 80 years. On 26th April 1872 there was an auction of his furniture and effects, which was said to be by order of the Trustees under the will. Items included: furniture, a few lots of glass, a cottage pianoforte, guitar, day and night telescope, lawn mower, tools, firewood, poultry and about 1,200 bedding out and other plants. Newspaper articles of the time show the position of vicar being advertised after his death, with a value of £200 a year paid by the Dean and Chapter of Ely.
After her father’s death Anna moved to Bateman Street. In 1881 she is recorded living at 15 Bateman Street, with a female boarder and two servants and her occupation is listed as interest of money from settlements. She died aged 67 years old at 3 Addenbrookes Place in 1889, leaving effects valued at £4,765.
Her siblings Sarah Blomefield (1819-1908), Grace Agnew Boycott (1822-1918) and Robert Hawthorn (b 1824) presumably erected the headstone in remembrance of their sister.
Ancestry, British Newspaper Archives.
by Claire Martinsen
Dale 02-Jul-15 08-May-19 Grave database import, Peterhouse, St Bene't
← Winnie R. Hall
Alfred Mason; Arthur Ernest Mason; Charles Mason; Jane Mason; Ralph Charter Mason; Ralph Mason →
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What's happening on Long Island this weekend
Weekly calendar of theater, music, exhibits and more
Posted Thursday, March 21, 2019 7:20 pm
Ken Ludwig's "Moon Over Buffalo" is staged at Nassau Community College's Little Theatre March 21-24 and March March 27-31.
Performances/On Stage
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
The musical comedy about an heir to a family fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession by eliminating the relatives in his way, Thursday and Friday, March 21-22, 8 p.m.; Saturday, March 23, 3 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, March 24, 2 p.m.; Wednesday, March 28, 8 p.m. John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport. (631) 261-2900 or www.engemantheater.com.
Del McCoury and David Grisman
The bluegrass guitarists in concert, with “The Del & Dawg Show,” Thursday, March 21, 7:30 p.m. Landmark on Main Street, Jeanne Rimsky Theater, 232 Main St., Port Washington. 76 7-1384 or www.landmarkonmainstreet.org.
The rocker in concert, with special guest John Waite, Thursday, March 21, 8 p.m. NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury. (800) 745-3000 or www.livenation.com.
Moon Over Buffalo
Ken Ludwig’s madcap comedy set in 1953 in the green room of a theater in Buffalo, that revolves around the inter-relationships of the dysfunctional theater family and the assorted paramours of its members, presented by the Nassau Community College Dept. of Theatre and Dance, Thursday through Saturday, March 21-23, 8 p.m.; Sunday, March 24, 3 p.m. Nassau Community College, Little Theatre, Garden City. 572-7676.
The Rippingtons
The acclaimed contemporary jazz ensemble in concert, featuring Russ Freeman, Thursday, March 21, 8 p.m. My Father’s Place at the Roslyn Hotel, 1221 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn. 413- 3535 or www.myfathersplace.com.
Ain’t Misbehavin
The musical revue saluting the black musicians of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and ‘30s, Friday and Saturday, March 22-23, 8 p.m.; Sunday, March 24 3 p.m. Merrick Theatre & Center for the Arts, 2222 Hewlett Ave., Merrick. 868-6400 or www.merrick-theatre.com.
The classic musical fable with a baseball twist to the legendary Faust myth, Friday and Saturday, March 22-23, 8 p.m.; Sunday,, March 24, 2:30 p.m. BroadHollow Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. (631) 581-2700 or www.broadhollow.org.
The Stevie Nicks tribute band in concert, Friday, March 22, 8 p.m.; followed by Decadiia, 10 p.m. Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall, 3232 Railroad Ave., Wantagh. 783-7500 or www.muls.com.
The actor-comedian shares his commentary on pop culture, Friday, March 22, 8 p.m. With special guest Doug Smth. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com or www.paramountny.com.
The blues rock guitarist in concert, Friday and Saturday, March 22-23, 8 p.m. NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury. (800) 745-3000 or www.livenation.com.
Lara Hope and the Arktones
The rockabilly singer-songwriter and her band in concert, Friday, March 22, 8 p.m. With special guests Roy Wilson and the Buzzards and Bobcat Arkham. My Father’s Place at the Roslyn Hotel, 1221 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn. 413- 3535 or www.myfathersplace.com.
The quirky comic on tour, Saturday, March 23, 7 and 10 p.m. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com or www.paramountny.com.
Mike DelGuidice and Big Shot
The acclaimed singer-songwriter and his band in concert, performing play Billy Joel hits and more, Saturday, March 23, 9:30 p.m. Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall, 3232 Railroad Ave., Wantagh. 783-7500 or www.muls.com.
Cantor David Katz
The popular cantor in concert, Sunday, March 24, 2:30 p.m. Program includes Broadway, Italian and Yiddish favorites.Peninsula Public Library, 280 Central Ave., Lawrence. 239-3262.
The Cher-iest Show on Earth
A Vegas-style tribute to Cher, with Louise Bruno, Sunday, March 24, 2 p.m. West Hempstead Public Library, 500 Hempstead Ave., West Hempstead. 481-6591.
Dr. K’s Motown Revue
The popular tribute band in concert, Sunday, March 24, 3 p.m. My Father’s Place at the Roslyn Hotel, 1221 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn. 413- 3535 or www.myfathersplace.com.
The Jewish reggae-alternative rocker in concert, Sunday, March 24, 8 p.m. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com or www.paramountny.com.
Matthew Marshak
The singer-songwriter in conceret, Thursday, March 28, 8 p.m. With special guests Jon and Krista Predice. My Father’s Place at the Roslyn Hotel, 1221 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn. 413- 3535 or www.myfathersplace.com.
Stan Edwards and Linda Ipenema
The husband and wife song and dance duo in concert in a tribute to “The Sensational 60s and 70s,” Sunday, March 24, 2 p.m. Tickets required. Franklin Square Public Library, 19 Lincoln Rd., Franklin Square. 488-3444.
A Script-In-Hand Theatre production of Susan Miller’s play that follows a group of women who reunite every year for a photo shoot that documents their changing and aging selves, Sunday, March 24, 2 p.m. Oceanside Library, 30 Davison Ave., Oceanside. 766-2360.
Yoo Jin Jang
The violinist in concert, Sunday, March 24, 2 p.m. Registration required. East Meadow Public Library, 1886 Front St., East Meadow. 794-2570.
Words Like Fresh Skin
Megan Lohne’s immersive drama following the life of writer-activist-feminist Edna St. Vincent Millay from childhood to her formative years as a Vassar student and finally to her death, presented by Adelphi’s Dept. of Theatre, Tuesday, March 26, 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, March 27, 6:30 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, March 28-29, 8 p.m.; Saturday, March 30, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, March 31, 2 p.m. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. 877-4000 or aupac.adelphi.edu.
Experience Hendrix
The acclaimed multi-artist tribute to Jimi Hendrix, Thursday, March 28, 8 p.m. NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury. (800) 745-3000 or www.livenation.com.
Lil Mosey
The rapper in concert, Thursday, March 28, 8 p.m. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com or www.paramountny.com.
See “My Neighbor Totoro,” the animated Japanese fantasy tale of two girls who move to a new house in the countryside, Friday, March 22, 3 p.m. Rockville Centre Public Library, 221 N. Village Ave., Rockville Centre. 766-6257.
The beloved mermaid comes to life in the musical adventure, Saturday, March 23, 2 p.m.; Sunday, March 24, 11:30 a.m. BroadHollow Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. (631) 581-2700 or www.broadhollow.org.
Join Dorothy and friends in an adaptation of the beloved story featuring the music from the MGM movie, presented by Plaza Theatrical Productions, Saturday, March 23, 11 a.m.; Sunday, March 24, 12 p.m. The Show Place at the Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Ave., Bellmore. 599-6870 or www.plazatheatrical.com.
Museums/Galleries and more...
Heckscher Collects: Recent Acquisitions
An exhibition of two dozen 20th century and contemporary works that have been acquired by the museum over the past five years. With a selection of prints produced by more traditional and diverse experimental processes; experimental photography by Bill Armstrong, Ellen Carey, and Joe Constantino; New York City street scenes by N. Jay Jaffee; and images of Cuba by Bastienne Schmi; along with abstract and representational paintings. Through May 12. Heckscher Museum of Art, Main St. and Prime Ave., Huntington. (631) 351-3250 or www.heckscher.org.
Pushing Boundaries: American Art After World War II
An original exhibition that explores how vsual artists continued to push against traditional concepts in the aftermath of World War II, building upon the aesthetic ideas of the avant-garde that began at the turn of the 20th century. Representational art, depicting reality, vied with non-objective modes of expression are viewed through the works of varied artists. Through Aug. 18. Hofstra University’s Emily Lowe Gallery, Emily Lowe Hall, South Campus, Hempstead. 463-5672 or www.hostra.edu/museum.
An exhibition that revisits one of the most dynamic eras in American art history. More than 100 works by the great personalities of the ‘80s, including Eric Fischl, Julian Schnabel, David Salle, Ross Bleckner, Bryan Hunt, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Cindy Sherman, Robert Longo, Jenny Holzer, Robert Mapplethorpe, Annette Lemieux, Charlie Clough, Tseng Kwong Chi, Jonathan Lasker and others. The show also features a music and sports memorabilia, “hall of fame” of including Michael Jackson’s glove, Prince’s fashion, Madonna’s jewelry, and autographed sports items.Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor. 484-9338 or www.nassaumuseum.org.
A Memoir of the '60s with Peter Asher
Adam Pascal revisits his career 'So Far'
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Celebration of the Lord's Passion
Bishop Tom Williams presided at the Celebration of the Lord's Passion at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King on Good Friday and together with a large congregation took part in the Veneration of the Cross.
Listen to Bishop Tom's Good Friday Homily
Homily preached by the Right Reverend Thomas Williams, Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Liverpool, at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. Good Friday 29 March 2013 at 3.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool.
On this Good Friday I am reminded of the words of St Francis of Assisi who once famously said to his Friars: ‘preach well, and if necessary, use words’.
What need have we of words today? Death often leaves us lost for words, our actions speak louder. Are we numbed with shock? Do we behave like victims? Do we feel sorry for ourselves? Do we look forward and look for someone to blame or are we humbled by our own weakness, the weakness of being human. Are our minds filled with questions and doubts or do we just feel sorry for ourselves?
But today, are we grateful for the unselfish love and sacrifice that has been made for us?
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Daisylux
Daisyland
Welcome to the historic new daisy
Welcome to the historic New Daisy Theatre
of Entertaining
Built in 1942, the New Daisy was originally conceived as a movie theatre, and operated as such until the late 70’s. In the 80’s , the venue was renovated to house concerts with a capacity of over 1000 and became one of the preeminent venues of it’s kind in the US. Over the years it has hosted the likes of Bob Dylan, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Jack White and Dave Matthews to name just a few.
In October 2015 the New Daisy completed a ten month $1.2 million restoration, which included the addition of multiple VIP and prime viewing areas, three bars, new restrooms, all new backstage amenities, along with the installation of a Funktion One multi-purpose Live Concert / Dance Sound System, the first of its kind in North America
330 Beale Street Memphis, TN 38103
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Architecture of Santiniketan
Tagore's Concept of Space
Paper Type: Art Paper (Matt) | Size: 273 x 222mm
Black and white; 117 photographs
ISBN-10: 938152338X | ISBN-13: 978-93-81523-38-4
Born in 1970, Samit Das specialises in painting, photography, interactive artworks and artists’ books, and in creating multi-sensory environments through art and architectural installations and has deep interest on Archiving. He has held solo shows in Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Singapore and London. He has documented the Tagore House Museum Kolkata (1999-2000) Samit’s research on Santiniketan’s architecture started in 1994, for his M.F.A. from Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati and post experience programme at Camberwell College of Arts, London, with British Council Scholarship (CWIT 2001-2002). This research culminated through exhibitions, Radio Talk, Slide Shows including ‘The Idea of Space and Rabindranath Tagore: A Photographic Exhibition’ (Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi) and ‘In Search of Frozen Music’ (Nature Morte), in 2011. ‘The Idea of Space’ was also held at Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata and was part of a curated show at Freies Museum, Berlin, in 2012.
Samit Das
Samit Das specialises in painting, photography, interactive artworks and artists’ books and has a deep interest in archiving. He has held several solo shows.
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One Dollar Hand Kit Detects and Diagnoses Diseases
September 20, 2018 Uncategorized
A test kit that can fit into the palm of a hand could be changing the face of disease screening and diagnosis. Developed by a multidisciplinary team of the National University of Singapore (NUS) researchers, the device named enVision (enzyme-assisted nanocomplexes for visual identification of nucleic acids) is a versatile platform that can conduct specific and sensitive screening and detection for a range of diseases, from infectious diseases and high-prevalence infections, to various types of cancers and genetic diseases.
More effective and less costly than existing infection diagnostic methods, enVision, which took about one-and-a-half years to develop, takes between 30 minutes to one hour to detect diseases — two to four times faster — and each test kit costs under $1 — about 100 times cheaper.
“The enVision platform is extremely sensitive, accurate, fast, and low-cost. It works at room temperature and does not require heaters or special pumps, making it very portable. With this invention, tests can be done at the point-of-care, for instance in community clinics or hospital wards, so that disease monitoring or treatment can be administered in a timely manner to achieve better health outcomes,” said team leader Assistant Professor Shao Huilin from the Biomedical Institute for Global Health Research and Technology (BIGHEART) at NUS and NUS Biomedical Engineering.
Source: https://news.nus.edu.sg/
BIGHEART, Biomedical Institute for Global Health Research and Technology, cancer, enVision, genetic disease, infections, National University of Singapore, NUS, NUS Biomedical Engineering, test kit
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FILM SLATE
Songs From A Gilded Cage
Seeking Financing
A troubled London cab driver seeks redemption by kidnapping a world famous singer on the verge of self-destruction. But in order to save her, he must first learn to save himself.
Songs From A Gilded Cage is drama set in the London music scene that follows a pop singer at the top of her game as she embarks on a very public descent into drug and alcohol abuse. When she disappears on the same night as a tragic accident, the police and media assume she’s on the run and a worldwide search begins for one of the most famous faces on the planet. But Brandy’s been kidnapped, and she’s being held captive in a basement in Brixton. The reason there have been no ransom demands is because her kidnapper isn’t interested in Brandy’s fame or fortune. For his own personal reasons, he’s only interested in saving her from herself. Only one brilliant female Detective suspects the truth, but as DS Chalmers slowly gathers evidence and closes in on the kidnapper’s lair, Brandy starts to clean up and develop a bond with him. As they become closer and he reveals more about his motives, Brandy realizes that it’s her kidnapper who might actually need saving.
Set in the music industry and featuring a singer as one its main characters, the film will benefit from a soundtrack that combines original “hit singles” and covers, sung by the lead actress. This will provide it with a dynamic marketing tool – using singles from the soundtrack to promote the film, and the film itself to promote the soundtrack – as well as a lucrative additional revenue stream.
“I was fully immersed in the story and remained engrossed right through to the end. Read it in one sitting. Couldn’t not. Loved the sub-plot. Complimented the main plot beautifully and yet had an integrity of its own. Both were so compelling I found my sympathies swinging from Chalmers to Dave depending on who was on screen. I was gripped by each person’s story. I think it would appeal to a broad range of audiences both age-wise and genre-wise.”
Erika Watters, Independent Script Consultant
Body Checks
Dan “The Duke” Chorneyko was at the top of his game, playing NHL Ice hockey for thousands of cheering fans. That was 20 years ago. Now even the UK's Romford Rockets, the lowest team in the lowest division in the world don’t want him.
Body Checks is a romantic comedy set among an ice hockey team in Romford, Essex. It follows Mary, an Essex Girl Physiotherapist, who is thrown into a testosterone-heavy environment when she’s hired by the local ice hockey team. After a rocky start she manages to stand her ground on her own terms and discovers that some of the team may need healing in more ways than one; in particular the team’s ageing Canadian captain, Duke. As an unexpected attraction develops between them suddenly the team, who had always been Duke’s only love, find themselves taking a back seat to this unlikely courtship. As the romance blossoms, the team falters. They’re losing games and loyalties are being stretched to breaking point. When emotions come to an explosive head, Duke is forced to choose between his life-long love of the game and the new love who might offer him a future. He chooses his team. It seems his chance of a new beginning with Mary may be lost, but perhaps he and the Rockets can have one last chance to be winners. Unless fate has a few more twists in store…
By turns intensely funny and dramatic, Body Checks is a feel-good story for our times, featuring a rag-tag group of underdogs who fight for the individual fulfilment that will pave the way to victory as a team. It will prove equally appealing to lovers of high-octane sport and heart-warming love stories. A worldwide niche of ice hockey fans will also give this British film genuine international appeal.
Body Checks has been adapted from the critically acclaimed London stage production written by Stewart Alexander and co-produced with Kerry Skinner and the screenplay has already garnered significant praise.
“Body Checks is a thoughtful and entertaining comedy drama with a strong dash of romance added into the mix. Thematically well-developed, the script deals with issues of ageing and in particular the question of what to do when one has to let go of one’s dream and move onto something else. As has been done very successfully before both in America and over here, the script melds a sports story with a love story… Body Checks has an enormous amount of commercial potential.”
Anonymous Script Consultant at The Script Factory
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Marvin’s Building Materials and Home Centers Announces New Location
Written by odedcwpd on November 13, 2014 . Posted in News.
Leeds, Alabama, November 7, 2014
Marvin’s Building Materials and Home Centers today announced plans to open a new store in Ozark, Alabama. The store is currently under construction on the corner of Deese Road and Highway 231. “We have been looking for a site in Ozark for several years and we are very fortunate to build in one of the most convenient intersections for shoppers in the area,” said Darrin Gilliam, CEO. The store will feature a 30,000 square foot home center in addition to an attached lawn and garden center and drive through lumberyard. Marvin’s is known for its friendly, neighborhood stores that make home improvement projects easy and affordable and will offer a complete line of building materials, appliances, electrical, plumbing, paint, millwork, hardware, tools, and lawn and garden products. The store is expected to open in spring of 2015 according to Marvin’s owner, Michael Cohn, who commented, “We like to be members of the local community where we open a store and we look forward to introducing our Marvin’s team to the citizens of Ozark, Dale County, and the surrounding areas.”
“Just as we’ve found in many of our new stores, feedback from our meetings with the city indicates that we will capture a great deal of sales that are currently being served outside of the city and county. We would like to thank the Economic Development office, the City Council, Mayor Blackwell, and the entire city administration for their support.” said Gilliam.
Marvin’s will hire approximately 25 associates to work in the new store. “We like to hire friendly people from the community as all of our stores have a ‘hometown’ feel,” said Gilliam. The Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce is collecting employment applications for all open positions beginning December 1, 2014. People who are interested may pick up and turn in their application Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm at the Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce located at 294 Painter Avenue, Ozark, AL 36360 or at surrounding Marvin’s stores in Eufaula or Andalusia. Available positions range from management to part-time associates. Job descriptions and more information about Marvin’s can be found on our website at www.marvins.com.
The company was founded in 1945 by Marvin Cohn in Gadsden, Alabama and expanded into a multi-chain home center by his son, Alfred. It is currently operated by third generation owners Michael and Daniel Cohn. Marvin’s has 27 additional stores in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Marvin’s was named the 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Lumber and Building Material Journal and was awarded the 2010 Retailer of the Year by the Home Channel News.
Darrin Gilliam, Chief Executive Officer
darrin.gilliam@marvins.com
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But isn't Capitalism evil?
Surfing eBay earlier today I ran across this shirt.
Does it come with scabies and at least five pairs of breeding lice? Maybe a urine stain?
I wonder if the seller is going to pay his fair share of taxes from the sale of these fine shirts?
Bath night in Tijuana
As I neared Tulsa.....
We got us a SQUIRTER!!!!!!
At least they left the best part
Lots of white folks aren't happy with me either
- Flaming Zombie Monkeys
Nastier than the flu
In case you were wondering......
The percentage of each past president's cabinet who had worked in the private business sector prior to their appointment to the cabinet.
Here are the percentages.
T. Roosevelt............... 38%
Taft............................ 40%
Wilson ....................... 52%
Harding.......................49%
Coolidge.................... 48%
Hoover ......................42%
F. Roosevelt...............50%
Truman...................... 50%
Johnson......................47%
Nixon........................ 53%
Ford.......................... 42%
Carter........................ 32%
Reagan........................86%
GH Bush.....................51%
Clinton .......................39%
GW Bush....................55%
And the winner is:
Obama.................. 8%
This helps to explain the incompetence of this administration: only 8% of them have ever worked in a job not supported by tax money!
That's right! Only eight percent---the least, by far, of the last 19 presidents! And these people are trying to tell our big corporations how to run their business? They know what's best for GM, Chrysler, Wall Street, and you and me?
How can the president of a major nation and society, the one with the most successful economic system in world history, stand and talk about business when he's never worked for one? Or about jobs when he has never really had one? And when it's the same for 92% of his senior staff and closest advisers? They've spent most of their time in academia, government and/or non-profit jobs or as "community organizers." They should have been in an employment line.
Mooch-elle's High School Reunion photo
- Irish
Labels: funny pics, Niggas
Ooooh, we got a tough boy here.....
(NYDN) — The protester who busted his head open during a bout with cops at Zuccotti Park on Thursday has long carried the reputation of being a fighter — but got a major lesson in love, too.
Brandon Watts, whose bloody face was pictured on the front page of Friday’s Daily News, was the first person to set up a residential tent inside the park, a fellow protester said.
“He’s been here since week one,” said the protester, who did not want to use his name. “He was one of the guys who started the whole tent thing.”
He said Watts, of Philadelphia, Pa., put together his tent a day after Jesse Jackson helped protect a medical tent from being dismantled on Oct. 17.
Soon after protesters started pitching tents, a gal pal of Watts’ told the New York Times Magazine he lost his virginity at the encampment.
“Brandon lost his virginity today — not to me,” Core Jones, 20, told the magazine on Oct. 23. “I don’t know who the girl is. But I want to have a party for him.”
On Thursday, Watts stood atop a wall inside Zuccotti Park and tossed objects — including a AAA battery — at cops standing outside the barricade along Liberty St., police said.
Suddenly, the 6-foot-1, 160-pound Watts charged the officers and snatched a hat off the head of a deputy inspector, cops said.
Cops caught him as he ran back into the park, but he began to fight back, police said. He was wrestled to the ground and busted his head on the concrete, causing a gash to gush blood down his face.
It wasn’t the first time Watts tussled with cops since the Occupied Wall Street movement began downtown.
He has been arrested four times since Sept. 24 for resisting arrest, loitering in disguise, escaping from a prisoner van and stealing orange mesh fencing, police said.
He even bragged about some of the arrests to a Daily News reporter on Oct. 1.
“I got loose from them and I ran and I knocked down the barricades as much as I could,” he said of one collar.
He also gloated about an alleged fight on a downtown train with four men who attacked one of his female friends.
“I stood up and defended her,” he said. “I got blades on the bottoms of my shoes and a blade in my pocket.”
But he said he never had to use a weapon.
“I roundhouse kicked [one] in the balls,” he said. “I got only two black eyes, and they got carried out with handcuffs and stretchers.”
Yeah, right. Four against one and they took them out on stretchers? If you're so fucking tough, why are you crying over a cut on your head from that asskicking that you were dealt?
And your weaponry sucks. How about a blade AND a 45 on my hip - who do you think will be taken away on a stretcher then, punk?
Glad you finally got laid though, but I have a question: Was it with a girl?
I love this guy
(PolitickerNY) — Congressman Peter King continued his verbal assault on Occupy Wall Street, appearing on Anderson Cooper’s CNN show and three times accuses the protesters of living in “feces and urine.”
“There was nothing there that was resonating with Middle America,” Mr. King said. “I didn’t see the purpose. I had no idea why the media was cover it the way it was. You really had a tiny tiny percentage of the people taking over the park, sleeping in the park, sleeping in their own feces and urine and that somehow became a national movement.”
Mr. King also said that in his mind “there was nothing admirable about these demonstrators,” who he called “a bunch of malcontents.”
My long lost daughter
- MSgt B
Grumble grumble bitch whine and complain
I had a good day at work yesterday - stayed busy but not overwhelmed - and when I came home I was ready for an evening of movies and relaxing, visiting with Lisa, and generally just fucking off.
But alas, that was not to be.
I walked into the kitchen and saw a sink full of nasty dishwater and an "uh-oh" look on my Sweeties' face.
"Um, there is a minor problem here. I was making candles and some of the wax leaked out of the mold and I didn't notice and it ran down the drain and clogged up the sink and I tried to clear it with a coat hanger but I jabbed too hard and knocked the pipe loose and water came pouring out of the cabinet and the sink has a stopper in it to keep the rest of the water in the sink and I'm really really really sorry to do this to you right after you get home but I have a nice dinner of Chili Colorado for you and.........."
Damn, Woman. Take a breath.
I broke the rest of the pipes loose, drained the sink water into a bucket and tried to throw it on CharlieGodammit but he knew that game and was too quick.
Man, the P-trap (why do they call it a P-trap instead of a U-trap?) was completely clogged with hardened wax. That fucker must've weighed 2 pounds. So I said fuck it, I'll fix it tomorrow, no way was I getting my ass back into the truck and driving to the hardware store and spending time on my back under that sink tonight.
So I fucked with Lisa all night last night about HAVING TO GO TO THE HARDWARE STORE, and then started in on her this morning about it.
I'm glad she has a sense of humor.
So, I guess I'm going to finish my coffee, do my morning bathroom ritual and then get dressed to go TO THE HARDWARE STORE.
Thank God for P-traps, otherwise I'd be having to call a plumber to cut that wax out of my sewer line.
But this is going to be a nice source of entertainment for the next week or so.
And there it is.....
The Gateway Pundit
Labels: Politics, USA
That shit would get on my nerves too
Chris Schisler did not appreciate the camp drummer waking him up at 7 AM.
Two Occupy Portland goons were arrested after they choked and beat the camp drummer with a hammer.
The Press Herald reported:
Portland police say they have charged a man with assaulting another man with a hammer at the Occupy Maine encampment in Lincoln Park.
Police charged Chris Schisler who said recently he has been staying at the camp for several weeks, with assaulting another member of the camp at about 7 a.m.
The victim of the assault was taken to a local hospital with a head injury, police said.
Demonstrators said that the victim of the assault was banging on a drum to wake protesters to participate in a morning cleanup exercise, raking leaves so the city could collect them. The morning cleanup had been decided at the previous night’s general assembly, though many people at the camp were not there.
When the man started drumming to wake the camp, Schisler allegedly told him to stop and when he didn’t, smashed the drum head with the hammer, protesters said. In the ensuing confrontation, Schisler hit the man – a protester who has been active in park governance and maintenance – in the head…
…Portland police have charged a second man in a morning assault at the Occupy Maine encampment in Lincoln Park.
Police issued a court summons to Danny Arnold, 34 on a charge of choking another man.
A police press release said Arnold and Chris Schisler, 34, assaulted Alan Porter, 45, as he was banging a drum to wake people at the camp. Schisler, who was located at the Portland Public Library after the 7 a.m. assault, is being held on $10,000 bail at Cumberland County Jail, charged with hitting Porter in the head with a hammer.
- The Gateway Pundit
Labels: Babes
Whoa, I'm skeered. All freaked out, you know?
Just a quick warning, then a suggestion: Turn the volume DOWN - the tunes suck. And this is best watched after a sixpack or a fattie.
You're gonna laugh your asses off. I don't what was funnier, all those "elite commandos" creeping across that field trying to look like a shrub, or that fucker hanging that mortar round on the end of the muzzle at the 4:40 mark.
(WaPo) — It’s not exactly Seal Team 6 rehearsing the raid on Abbottabad, but a video released by the Haqqani network offers a window onto what is purported to be one of the militant group’s training camps.
The network is considered the most dangerous insurgent force fighting U.S. troops in eastern Afghanistan, launching attacks from its base in Pakistan’s tribal areas. U.S. officials have long suspected the group gets support from Pakistan’s intelligence agency.
It is rare to get a glimpse of the network’s operations.
Judging by the newly released footage, the camps are anything but state of the art. The video shows several dozen militants wearing helmets and green masks making their way through a rudimentary obstacle course.
They scamper across a makeshift ladder. They take turns leaping over a campfire-sized flame. They slip off the seat of a motorcycle to squeeze a few rounds from an AK-47. They study maneuvers drawn on a white-board with marker.
In one sequence, the fledgling fighters wrap themselves in branches, looking like a formation of shrubs, as they practice camouflaged approaches across a dusty field.
The video, which was released by the Site Intelligence Group, makes clear that the Haqqanis’ facilities and equipment are basic at best. But the network’s potency has always had far more to do with its lethal determination and ability to blend into the Pashtu population than with any high-tech training or gear.
- Weasel Zippers
Labels: islam, Videos
Florida Occupier Redistributes His Neighbor’s Furniture
(TSG) — Meet Jeffrey Scott.
The 32-year-old “Occupy Pensacola” protester was arrested yesterday on felony burglary and larceny charges for allegedly robbing a neighbor’s home of furniture that he used at the protest group’s encampment outside City Hall.
Scott was nabbed shortly after victim Ned English called police to report the theft of a couch, a recliner, four wicker chairs, and four couch cushions from his home, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report.
When questioned by a deputy, Scott stated, “Yes, I took the furniture. I was going to give it back, but haven’t had a chance to.” Scott, investigators noted, admitted entering English’s home through a rear window, taking the furniture, and using some of the purloined items “at the Occupy Pensacola Camp located at City Hall.”
All right! Free internet porn!
(Judicial Watch) — Following a laughable United Nations declaration that high-speed internet access is a basic human right, the Obama Administration is investing north of $400 million to expand broadband into poor, rural areas of the U.S.
Fucking A!!!
I'm going to stop paying my internet bill because high-speed internet is a basic human right. I'm just gonna let Obama pay it for me.
They're gonna to go spend another 400 million of mine and your dollars for internet access? Hey, you stupid fuckers - they're poor. They don't need internet access because they can't afford computers.
Are you fucking kidding me?
Fuck that domestic shit
Two nights between sheets was enough for me. I'm back to rolling up in my poncho liner.
Labels: True Life Stories
Two British nationals are believed to have been killed in a US drone attack in Pakistan , family and friends of the men said.
Terror suspects Ibrahim Adam and Mohammed Izmirare thought to have died in a CIA missile strike on Waziristan, a remote and lawless mountainous region along the border with Afghanistan .
Adam's father confirmed that his son was killed by an American unmanned aircraft. A close friend of Izmir ’s family, who did not want to be named, said: "They have taken it very badly - this is the second son who has been killed in a drone strike."
It is not known precisely when the men died, but it is thought to have been at least three months ago, according to a source with personal connections in Pakistan .
Adam, 24, from Barkingside, east London , had been on the run from the UK authorities since absconding from a control order in May 2007. His brother, Anthony Garcia, was jailed for life in April 2007 for his part in a major fertiliser bomb plot to attack targets in London and across the UK .
Adam was made subject to a control order after being stopped while en route to Syria after the British authorities claimed he was planning to travel to Iraq or Afghanistan for jihadist training or to fight Western forces.
Father-of-three Izmir, 37, who was born in Sheffield and lived in Ilford, Essex, was made subject to a Treasury order freezing his assets in February 2010 in response to concerns he was involved in funding terrorism. He is not currently on the Treasury's list of people and organisations subject to financial sanctions.
It is believed that Izmir’s brother, Abdul Jabber, 32, was killed in an earlier CIA unmanned drone attack in Pakistan in September last year.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office could not confirm Adam and Izmir ’s deaths but said it was investigating the reports. A spokesman said: "We are aware of reports and are looking into them further."
The CIA's drone programme in Pakistan , which is not publicly acknowledged by the US , is hugely controversial. The Pakistani authorities have criticised the attacks as violations of their country's sovereignty and international human rights campaigners have condemned reports of innocent civilian casualties. American officials have privately said that the strikes have killed many Taliban and al Qaida commanders.
Thank you America when our own leaders do nothing
- Submitted by William (from the UK)
Animal Control Officer quits - via Craigslist
Click to enlarge. If that doesn't work, here's the link:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jpmoore/an-animal-control-officer-rants-quits-on-craigsli
Thanks to Sammy for sending this in.
I gotta say, I agree with this Officer 100%.
Every Animal Control Officer I've ever dealt with, including the one that locked CharlieGodammit up for biting a trespasser to the tune of 48 stitches, has been great.
They've got a bitch of a job, heartbreaking for them at times, yet they're dedicated and compassionate towards their furry charges.
Assasination? Puh-lease........
The liberals are trying to spin the shooting at the Black House as an "assasination" attempt by the Right which is fucking hilarious to me.
Notwithstanding his ties to the Occupy Wall Streeters, the man who shot at the White House must have derived his views from Christian conservatives and the Tea Party, according to a column in the Guardian, because he reportedly called President Obama the Antichrist.
“Alleged presidential assassin Ortega-Hernandez reportedly called Obama ‘the Antichrist,’” notes the subtitle of Sarah Posner, “So who put that idea in his head?’”
Posner doesn’t give a straight answer, but points to apocalyptic comments by American televangelists who have suggested a variety of people as the Antichrist, before naming some Michigan pastor who seems to think Obama has a high “Antichrist quotient.”
Her column reaches its (utterly predictable) conclusion when she produces video of a man at a Tea Party rally holding a sign that portrays Obama as Satan. “This man’s companion could not cite chapter and verse, but insisted, nonetheless, that the Bible tells us that Obama is the Antichrist,” she writes.
(Washington Examiner)
First off, if we were going to try to kill the president, it would've been done. Period. It would've been done right. No fucking way would anybody in their right mind try to X his ass out by shooting at windows that are most assuredly ballistic glass and secondly if the Obamessiah was killed, then Biden would take his place and there is no fucking way in hell would we want that.
Whine, snivel and cry
From the comments on my post about gassing the piece of shit hippie that dared to put his hands on my vehicle to talk shit:
It's really amazing how stupid all of you are.
My reply:
And it's amazing how cowardly all of you are, especially you.
You're afraid to do shit unless you're in a group. Every fucking negative comment I've gotten on this post has been anonymous.
Why don't you grow a pair of balls and stand out in the crowd, you little bitch?
For Lisa
Hooker-in-training
IT'S FRIDAY, NIGGAS!!!!!
Labels: Niggas
NO!!! DON'T ABUSE THE HAM!!!!!!
A Tennessee man is facing a domestic assault charge after he allegedly struck his mother with a ham during an argument Tuesday afternoon in their home.
Emanuel Cordell Kennedy, 37, was collared after his mother told cops that she was hit in the back with the thrown ham as she was walking down the hall, according to a Union City Police Department report excerpted here.
In an interview with police, Kennedy claimed that he did not intend to hit his mother, 55-year-old Brenda King, with the tossed ham. King apparently was not injured by the pink missile, the size of which was not detailed by investigators.
Kennedy, pictured in the above mug shot, is being held without bond in the Obion County jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon on the misdemeanor count.
Only in San Fransicko
After experiencing the discomfort and embarrassment of a colonoscopy in Philadelphia, I decided to have my next one carried out while visiting friends in San Francisco, where the beautiful nurses are allegedly much more gentle and accommodating.
As I lay naked on my side on the table, the nurse began my procedure.
"Don't worry, at this stage of the procedure it's quite normal to get an erection," the nurse told me.
"I haven't got an erection," I replied.
"No, but I have," replied the nurse.
Labels: California
Not exactly a big seller in Detroit
Bacon. Mmmmm, bacon.....
Labels: Bacon
Just how tough am I really?
Talk about teabagged......
Peaceful. Non-violent. Yeah, right.
In a video posted on YouTube after protesters were evicted from Zuccotti Park, a demonstrator in the crowd says “On the 17th, we’re going to burn New York City to the ground.”
Later in the video, he then goes on to say “No more talking. They’ve got guns, we’ve got bottles. They’ve got bricks, we’ve got rocks…in a few days you’re going to see what a Molotov cocktail can do to Macy’s.”
Start paying attention around the 50 second mark.
Too bad New York is a city full of fucking sheep. I wonder what those hippies would think if they had a couple of million citizens gathered to protect their homes and businesses?
The mouthy SOB got arrested for making threats.Read about it right here, courtesy The Feral Irishman.
Big Brothers' Eye in the Sky
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is weeks away from launching an unmanned aerial asset to help deputies fight crime. The ShadowHawk helicopter is six-feet long, weighs fifty pounds and fits in the back of an SUV.
“We can put it over a fire, put it over ahazmat spill, put it over a house with a suspect barricaded inside and literally give the incident commander the ability to look at the entire scene with a bird’s eye view, ” Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel said.
Sheriff’s deputies will fly the ShadowHawk with nothing more than a laptop computer and a remote control similar to that used for video games.
It’s equipped with an infrared camera that can clearly read a license plate from an elevation of twelve hundred feet. The helicopter cost upwards of $300,000 and was purchased with a grant from the federal government.
Vanguard Defense Industries built the helicopter. The company has also supplied aerial assets to US forces over seas.
Critics argue the drone-like vehicleisn’t safe, because it’s unmanned.
“I gotta tell you, it sort of looks like boys and their toys, ” said Terri Burke, Executive Director of the ACLU of Texas. “We’re giving up our privacy, we’re letting the government have way too much power.”
The ACLU is concerned that technology used by law enforcement officials in general is getting ahead of people’s privacy. No one has complained to the ACLU about the Montgomery County helicopter, but some fear it could be used to spy on people.
“The Constitution spells out very clearly that we have a right to privacy, ” Burke said.
“This sheriff’s office has better things to do with its time then spy on people, ” McDaniel argued. "That’s not our mission. The only way that it’s going to be an invasion of their privacy is if they are committing some type of a criminal act where we might utilize this to catch them.”
Huh. I wonder if that motherfucker's bulletproof. I got a feeling they're gonna find out.
Somebody got a little rambunctious last night
CharlieGodammit jumped on the back of my Camouflaged Bass Pro Easy Chair last night and flipped me over while we were playing.
Does Lisa help me up, check on me for injuries, or pull the wolfdog off me?
Nope, she grabs her camera.
I think they're ganging up on me.
That's a start
- Dead Dog
Nation Waiting For Protesters To Clearly Articulate Demands Before Ignoring Them
NEW YORK—As the Occupy Wall Street protest expands and grows into a nationwide movement, Americans are eagerly awaiting a list of demands from the group so they can then systematically disregard them and continue going about their business, polls showed this week. "The protesters need to unify around a shared agenda with precise policy goals so I can begin paying no attention to them whatsoever," said Tulsa, OK poll respondent Kaye Petrachonis, echoing the thoughts of millions across the country. "If they don’t have a clear power structure organized around specific demands first, then I'll never be able to completely tune them out due to a political conflict of interest or an inability to comprehend complex, detailed economic concepts. These people really need to get their act together." Once Occupy Wall Street has a concrete set of objectives in place, the majority of Americans said they would go back to waiting for the sluggish economy to recover while blindly accepting things the way they are.
- Onion News Network
Labels: Politics, Strange but true
Baconlube is the “world’s first bacon-flavored personal lubricant and massage oil” brought to you by the bacon-flavoring experts at J & D’s. It started as an April Fool’s Day prank but now it’s a real (and apparently delicious tasting) product. Quick, it’s only available to purchase for a limited time.
Before you start giving meat-flavored massages, we have one small admission to make – baconlube began as an elaborate April Fool’s prank and was never intended to be a real product. But when the joke ended, the emails kept coming. People harassed us via email, in public and in highly inappropriate ways (thanks for that). The waiting list grew to over 3,000 people. Expectations were built.
So who’s responsible for this highly anticipated creation actually coming to life? You are, that’s who. You and an intern named Martin actually, who sacrificed and offended his taste buds in the name of science on sample after failed sample before this really did taste like bacon.
- Submitted by Steve
Fuck the BATF (and Obama)!!!!!
What a load of crap. Any idiot knows that in order to make these things fire real ammunition...... well, they can't.
Let's see, new upper and lower recievers, a new barrel, new trigger assembly, etc. So basically all you can use from this toy to make a working rifle is the foregrips and buttstock, both of which can be bought and sold legally with no restrictions.
Labels: Guns, Politics, WTF?
The scorecard - so far........
DC OWS protester shits right in the street
And the nasty motherfucker doesn't even wipe.
Straight from the horses' mouth - or maybe his ass.
To recapture some of his 2008 magic, President Obama attacked Republicans while assuring a hometown Hawaii crowd that he has delivered "change that you can believe in" during his first term in office. He acknowledged, however, that not all Americans wanted that change at the time, and that the last three years have seen some "false starts."
After greeting a crowd that included his tenth-grade teacher, Obama contrasted his campaign with the "narrow, cramped vision of an America where everybody is left to fend for themselves" that he implied Republicans hold. "That was what the campaign was about -- the belief that the more Americans succeed, the more America succeeds," Obama said. "We knew it wouldn't come easy, we knew it wasn't going to come quickly, but three years later, because of what you did in 2008, we've already started to see what change looks like."
"Let me give you some examples," Obama said, beginning to justify the claim that he has brought the change promised in his 2008 run. He repeated a litany of legistive and executive items. "Change is," Obama said, the auto industry bailout, higher fuel efficiency standards, ending "don't ask, don't tell," ending the war in Iraq., and mandating equal pay for men and women.
"Change is health care reform. After a century of trying, a reform that will finally make sure that nobody goes bankrupt in America just because they get sick," Obama told the applauding audience. "That's the kind of changes that you brought about because of the work you did in 2008."
Obama did acknowledge that not all Americans wanted this kind of change -- "it's no secret that the steps that we took weren't always politically popular" -- but put a dramatic spin on the signficance of the election that included a dig at his opponents.
"Everything we fought for in the last election is now at stake in the next election. The very core of what this country stands for is on the line," Obama warned. "The basic promise that no matter who you are or where you come from, what you look like, that you can make it in America if you try -- that vision is on the line."
"I know it’s been a tough three years," Obama said, "and I know that the change that we fought for in 2008 hasn’t always been easy," he said. "There have been setbacks. There have been false starts." But he called for his supporters to "recommit yourselves and feel just as energized about 2012 as you did in 2008."
- The Washington Examiner
I don't know what's worse - the fact that he actually believes the shit he's spewing or that he expects US to believe it.
I must be getting used to domestic life
For 2 nights in a row now, actually 2 nights in I don't know how many years, I have actually slept between sheets instead of just rolling up in a poncho liner.
I miss my poncho liner......
RECKLESS THE WAR HORSE
Reckless was a small, compact, sorrel filly during the Korean war. She carried re-coiless rifles, ammunition, and supplies to Marines. Nothing too unusual about that, lots of animals got pressed into doing pack chores in many wars. But this filly did something a lot more. During the battle for a location called Outpost Vegas, this little mare, only 14 hands high, made 50 trips up and down the hill; on the way up she carried ammunition, and on the way down she carried wounded soldiers. What was so amazing? This remarkable little animal made every single one of those trips without anyone leading her. She carried the wounded soldiers alone, after being smacked on the rump at the top of the hill. She moved down the hill with the wounded men tied to her back with no guidance. Just her own innate common sense. But, to imagine the same horse, loaded with ammunition, trudging back up that hill to the battle where artillery is going off, without anyone leading her is unbelievable. To know that she would make 50 of those trips is unheard of. Hell, how many horses would even make it back to the barn once, let alone return to you in the field one single time. So here is a clip of her story and photos to prove where she was and what she did. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIo3ZfA9da0 She was retired at the Marine Corps Base in Camp Pendleton, CA, where a General issued the order that she was never to carry any more weight on her back. Nothing but her her own blankets. She died in 1968 at the age of 20. P.S. How bad was the battle for Outpost Vegas? Artillery rounds fell at the rate of 500 per hour, and only two men made it out alive without wounds. Just two. And one horse, Reckless–wounded twice.
- Flamests
CAMEL TOE, CAMEL TOE, and CAMEL TOE!!!!!
That's right folks, we got us a triple here!!! Too bad the photographer was so close, we'd have gotten at least a quad.......
You can thank Irish from The Feral Irishman for this.
Labels: Camel Toe
Quick, somebody loan me a roofie!
Yup, gonna be one of those days........
FUCK. YOU. OBAMA.
- The Artic Patriot
Yeah, that's right, you socialist son of a bitch. There are a few of us out here that don't worship you and are willing to put our lives on the line to preserve our great Nation.
Fuck the 99%, we are the 3%.
So that's how it's done.......
Yeah, he's all about jobs and lower fuel costs, all right.
Harper Tells Obama Canada Will Sell Oil to Asia Since His Administration Delayed Pipeline (Obama Loses Another 1 Million US Jobs)
The Keystone Pipeline project was expected to create up to 1,000,000 high-paying US jobs in the oil manufacturing and associated industries. The project itself would create 20,000 construction jobs.
Obama refused to sign the Keystone agreement last week. Today Canadian Prime Minister Harper told Obama that he would look to Asia to sell its oil.
The Republic reporteed, via Free Republic:
Canada’s prime minister says he made it clear in a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama that Canada will step up its efforts to sell oil to Asia since the Obama administration delayed a decision on an oil pipeline.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada will continue to push the U.S. to approve the $7-billion Keystone XL project.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada will continue to push the U.S. to approve the $7-billion Keystone XL project. Last week the U.S. State Department ordered that the pipeline be rerouted and subject to further environmental review, delaying a decision until 2013.
Harper says the U.S. move highlights why Canada must increase its efforts to diversify its exports to Asia. He says he communicated that clearly to Obama.
Poser-in-Chief
Poser in Chief? Watch these two videos
http://youtu.be/l1DO388jsf8
A navy corpsman (a combat medic) is pronounced "cor-man," not corpse man, Commander.
http://youtu.be/Wp1OCwrCA7o
And last Veterans Day he "remembered" one of the worst battles of Vietnam, Khe Sanh.
It's pronounced "Kay Sonn," fearless leader, not Keysan.
And for future reference, Mr. Obama, as far as the Vietnam War:
POW is not a loud noise;
KIA does not refer to a car:
MIA is not a hollywood actress;
AIR STRIKES aren't by your union members
BODY COUNT is not the number of people in your audience; and
HO CHI MINH is not served with soy sauce.
Perhaps the next time you refer to us you should consult with someone who was actually
in the military . . . (not that we'd really give a shit about anything you say), Poser.
Thanks to Lee for sending us a piece of his mind
Labels: Guest Post, Politics
Angry Residents, Businesses Plan Anti-Occupy Wall Street Protest
Downtown residents and business owners angry that their neighborhood has been occupied for two months by the Wall Street demonstration are staging a protest of the protest Monday, declaring that City Hall has let it get out of control.
Angry over all-day drumming, people urinating and defecating on the streets and verbal attacks from protesters, organizers say they will rally at City Hall Monday to send officials a message.
"Laws are clearly being violated and we simply want them enforced," Lower Manhattan resident Linda Gertsman told NBC New York.
Exasperated residents and businesses said they are "pursuing all options," including lawsuits against the city, the mayor and the private company that owns Zuccotti Plaza, the encampment headquarters.
Organizers of the anti-Occupy protest posted fliers downtown that say "Mayor Bloomberg is helping them stay."
The Occupy Wall Street movement began with a few people on Sept. 17 and has grown to hundreds who have made Zuccotti Park, a small plaza along Broadway, their home.
Businesses have complained for weeks that the encampment is causing them to lose money, although a few have made money off the protests, as donors from all over the country have sent food from nearby restaurants to the movement.
Mark Epstein, owner of Milk Street Cafe on Wall Street, said his business has suffered and he has had to lay off people in recent weeks.
The protest has been, he says, "a fiasco."
Han Shan, a member of Occupy Wall Street's community relations working group, said he and others in the encampment are trying to be better downtown neighbors.
The group recently worked out daytime drumming hours with the local community board, and secured some portable toilets for protesters to use.
But, he told the New York Times, “at the end of the day, it’s an occupation. We didn’t ask permission to be there and we don’t want to. It’s about bigger, broader issues.”
Bloomberg has gone back and forth between criticizing Occupy Wall Street and defending it, saying recently that protesters were largely law-abiding and did not bother anyone.
"If you go one block away from this park, you would never know it exists," he said last week. "It's just literally -- in any direction, one block away -- there's just nothing."
- NBC NY
Our Bill of Rights guarantees us the right to lawful assembly, but this bullshit hasn't been lawful since Day One. No permits, disruptions to businesses, drugs, thefts, violence, rapes, spreading of disease, and generally just being a pain in the ass.
Now the cities that are being occupied are bitching and moaning that it's gotten out of hand.
Well, who in the fuck LET it get out of hand? Had the cities gone in and cleared that shit (literally) out when it was just starting, then they wouldn't be having the problems they're having today.
I sat here this weekend and watched Portlands' PD get ready to clear the camps at midnight Saturday, but there were so many fucking hippies that they knew they'd have widespread rioting and destruction if they tried, so they backed off instead of making a statement by going in, clearing the fucking parks by force and locking these wannabe revolutionaries up.
The cities indulged them and now they've got a bigger problem than they know what to do with.
You reap what you sow.
Oh, HELL YEAH!!!!!
Meet New York’s newest hero.
Kevin Hiltunen, a former NYPD officer, yesterday grabbed an Occupy Wall Street demonstrator by the collar and dragged him out of a Queens school where he’d been heckling US Rep. Bob Turner at the congressman’s swearing-in ceremony.
“I guess you could say I sorted him out,” said Hiltunen, 48, his jacket and tie barely mussed after dragging the scruffy protester out on his rear end.
“All I was doing was trying to stop this historic occasion from being disrupt-ed. There is a time and place to exercise your First Amendment rights,’’ said Hiltunen, of Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, who was identified by people at the ceremony as an ex-Marine.
“This was not the time or the venue,” Hiltunen added.
Adam Weissman, 33, of Astoria, was one of three demonstrators to disrupt Turner’s local swearing-in ceremony at Metropolitan HS in Forest Hills.
Turner won the congressional seat once held by disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner by defeating Assemblyman David Weprin.
“Bob Turner has only been in office for two months and . . .” was all that the bearded heckler could blurt out before he was taken down by Hiltunen.
Holding a sign that read, “Rep. Turner [heart] the 1%,” Weissman remained seated and quiet until Turner, who was there with his wife, Peggy, took the stage about 1:30 p.m. and began to speak.
“He was close by to where I was standing, and he started yelling something about Bob Turner,” said Hiltunen, who described himself as a Turner supporter and a volunteer for his congressional campaign.
“So I grabbed him by his sweat shirt and escorted him out. I just had to do what was right. I was just here to witness this historic occasion.”
Afterward, Turner blasted the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators and praised Hiltunen.
“Protesters are on the wrong track. Socialism has been tried again and again, and it doesn’t work,” said Turner. “He picked the wrong guy to pee off.”
The no-nonsense Hiltunen said he hadn’t known Weissman was part of the raucous demonstration based at Zuccotti Park since Sept. 17.
“I’m a citizen who believes in democracy. I did not ask this man if he was part of any movement,” the former cop said.
Hiltunen was a member of the NYPD from February 1994 until June 2009, when he retired in good standing on a disability caused by an accident, a source told The Post.
Weissman, meanwhile, was unapologetic for disrupting the ceremony. After getting the boot, he was distributing OWS fliers on Metropolitan Avenue.
“Before I got grabbed by those people, I wanted to say that Bob Turner has only been in office for two months and he has already sold out his supporters,” said Weissman, adding that he twisted his ankle in the melee but otherwise was “OK.”
“How can you support a man who is a backer of free backdoor trading with China?” he asked.
The New York Post via The Feral Irishman
They didn't bring their mommies to clean up after them?
Occupy Portland Leaves Behind 70 Dump Trucks Worth of Trash…
(Oregon Live) — A dozen city employees today plan to finish clearing Chapman and Lownsdale squares of debris and trash so engineers and horticulture experts can survey damage to the parks’ structures and trees.
City officials expect the parks to be closed for at least one week. Weeks of camping by Occupy Portland at the two downtown parks have torn up grass and damaged plant beds.
Bob Downing, central services manager for the parks bureau, said he’s walked through the two parks periodically since the occupation began.
“I’m not really surprised,” Downing said. “It was what we expected it to be.”
Downing said about 70 dump truck loads of trash and debris were hauled from the camps over the weekend. He said about 30 city employees worked Sunday to clear the parks.
Once the trash is gone, the city will bring in a team comprised of specialists to look at the health and condition of the trees, plants, the restrooms and the art in the parks. The turf will need to be reseeded, he said. He expects the once grassy areas to be “pretty bare” until February.
Yeah, they probably thought they were just "creating" jobs for the sanitation crews that had to go in and clean up their disease-laden messes.
From the emails - more money saving tips
Recently discovered your blog (through Marooned) and am greatly enjoying it. We seem to have a lot in common- guns, cooking, former druggies, patriotism, and similar politics.
While checking out your archives I came across money saving tips from April of last year. Great advice, much of which I already practice. You mentioned saving money by compromising on the quality of beer. Not a bad idea, and Bud is like horse piss anyway compared to many other brands.
There is a way to drink the best beer while saving big bucks: make your own. For all I know, you may have tried this, but if not you might give it a thought. Home brewing is like anything else: you can get into it to whatever level wanted. Casual brewing with "kits" takes very little time and money. There are hundreds of styles of beer that can be made, and after some trial batches, one determines what they like best. The best beer I've ever had was made at home, and you can save serious bucks as well. The main problem is when friends find out how damn good the stuff is. If that becomes a problem you can always put them to work with the brewing and bottling, and can have them pitch in with the cost as well.
Anyway, please keep up the good work. Your blog is now one of the few I check on a regular basis.
Thanks for the tip, Randy.
I always figured that beer making would be way beyond my finanicial abilities - just goes to show how much I know.
Abdul couldn't figure out where he went wrong.....
A member of a "religion" that supposedly discovered coffee, Abdul still has a hard time adapting to Western life.
Labels: funny pics, islam
Which is exactly why they want to regulate it
Internet keeps government honest: Google chief
Broader adoption of the Internet will keep governments on their toes as wired-up citizens exercise their newfound power to check rights abuses, Google chief Eric Schmidt said on Saturday.
"In nations and communities around the world, citizens are turning to online tools to keep their governments honest," he told business leaders on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Honolulu.
Read the rest of it here.
Straight-up White Trash, God bless 'er
I'm their best customer
Portland gets a chance to redeem itself
The shit is heating up in Portland again.
The Live stream is showing the cops in riot gear facing off with a bunch of chanting hippies.
http://www.livestream.com/occupyptown
The hippies saw that the cops were serious and got the fuck out of there. In the meantime, I was eating cheese and crackers and summer sausage, hoping for some serious entertainment but once again, I was disappointed. At least this shit happened during the daytime so I didn't lose any sleep over it - in fact, it got me out of hanging pictures and shit for the time being.
Multiculturalism didn't work in Europe. Learn from that.
Reprinted word for word from The Patriot's Corner:
This is what multiculturalism has brought upon our nation
Posted byPatriotUSAat12:06 PM
This is a travesty beyond imagination. We have become so diversified, become so multicultural that being a Patriotic American is now being unconsidered unconstitutional. That a handful of students were treated this way and a bunch of mexican students sniveled and whined about the white students wearing t-shirts with AMERICAN FLAGS on them on the mexican 'holiday' cinco de mayo day, is most repulsive to this American Patriot. That the Morgan Hill High School would treat white students this way is disgusting. How do you think American White students in Mexico would be treated if they paraded around a mexican high school campus with an American Flag on the 4th of July, say in Mexico City?
This is what excessive multiculturalism, excessive diversity and political correctness have brought to America. We wonder why our country is in trouble and at the base of all our ills is the tearing away of our foundations. A strong family led by a married couple, a MAN and a Woman, the teaching of morals and ethics in our schools, the teaching of the basics of education at the very beginning at the earliest ages, reading, writing, math and then moving into more advanced subjects. We have lost the majority of technical classes than ensure our children will know how to manufacture goods and produce services to help our country remain economically strong an ever competitive global economy. What has happened to wood, metal shop and the likes of automotive repair classes? They are gone or being cut. No wonder our children are lost, cannot read or write. Computer and technical skills are great but they will never duplicate what the human mind and a good pair of hands will be able to create. When our children learn to type on a keyboard exclusively and run computer programs at the expense of writing by hand or actually calling someone rather than texting, the damage to our children is deep and is just now starting to show up with kids who cannot converse to save themselves or pass a basic reading or writing class in high school.
Not only do you have the above issues but now add into this that our children are now raised not argue or if you get in a fight, turn your back and walk away. I am sorry, young boys sometimes need to fight it out and so do some girls. This has been totally killed in our schools and if a child defends him or herself, they are almost always the ones the ones that get in much worse trouble. My son knows how to defend himself and I have gone to his schools several times to defend his actions when he got in a fight or hassle. There was only a time or two he was responsible for starting it but you had better believe he knows how to defend himself and when push comes to shove, he is ready.
We raise our children that they can always be 'winners' and to be a loser or lose at something, no matter it is is wrong and must be avoided at all costs. My son quite soccer which he was incredibly good at it because the coaches refused to let the game be rough and tumble and at games neither team, even the one who lost was the loser and it was banned to call the losing team losers. In life there are winners and losers. We learn much more from our mistakes, losses, adversity than we do from being a bunch of whining winners all the time. This is rampant in our public schools today being taught from the earliest grades up through high school. It is being stealthily done but it is there. Homosexuality is now an acceptable lifestyle in kindergarten? Since when and why do five and six year old kids need to learn this. And we wonder what is wrong with our country. Yes, much of what is wrong is capsulized in Washington D. C. but look inside our homes for problems that I think are equally as bad and dangerous as what is going on in our nation's capitol.
What we have witnessed in Morgan Hill is one of the end results that will do more damage to the White American Kids because of what this says to them. It is OK for mexcican students to parade about with a meixcan national flag on cinco de mayo in our country, the United States and not alright for a small group of white(Anglo as in the story below)students to take offense to this on their home country soil?
This group of boys just wanted show their love of country and patriotism.
Add to this the wrongs being committed to the American people by too many illegal aliens in our country and a government that is too cowardly to enforce the rules that are already on the books because they are so paranoid about having enough votes to stay in office, pull in donations from unions(SEIU), La Raza, and other corrupt organization that basically hate the America I grew up in and with. When the well being and safety of mexican students is chosen over the rights of American white students, the system has committed a violation of the white students first amendment rights. When simply wearing an American flag in a public school warrants this type of knee jerk, liberal action from a school principal then he should be recalled from his position. There was no reason to send these kids home. Did a riot break out? No A fight? No. Just a bunch of mexicican kids who feel that can do whatever they want because they are entitled to all of this because we have given them everything since they were born here and most of their parents are probably here illegally.
The attorney representing the White kids is absolutely correct to appeal this and I hope he gets all the legal help he needs to take this all the way to Supreme Court if need be. There is much more at stake here in Morgan Hill than meets the eye. Those who are here in this country need to learn to respect the people who were long before their parents came here, many illegally. They need to learn to assimilate into American society and adapt to our uniquely American culture. No one is asking these mexican to give up their love of mexico or being mexican. It is about respect for Americans (the vast majority who are legal and were born here) and the country these mexicans now live in.
It is quite simple, If you do not love the United States with all it has that is good and all that is has that is far from perfect, then get the hell out. The Rio Grand is quite low in many places and you will hardly get wet in returning to your homeland, mexico.
- Patriot's Corner
Shamelessly stolen from The Feral Irishman
Labels: Bacon, Cool pics
Ahhh, young romance......
CAMEL TOE!!!!!
Okay, after my blow job post earlier (just scroll down, you'll see it), I've been threatened with death by RPM2Day, Jackson Blue, Filthy Phil and Ahmed unless I make it up with a camel toe or T & A.
So here it is under protest:
Don't ask if ya don't wanna know
I'll never think of a blowjob again without seeing this
Labels: Skanks, WTF?
Your kids' future (if you let it be)
Gotta be California (again)
Q: What do you call a tweeker with a yeast infection?
A: A Quarter Pounder - with cheese.
Labels: Jokes
Florida Occupier Redistributes His Neighbor’s Furn...
Nation Waiting For Protesters To Clearly Articulat...
Straight from the horses' mouth - or maybe his ass...
Yeah, he's all about jobs and lower fuel costs, al...
They didn't bring their mommies to clean up after ...
Abdul couldn't figure out where he went wrong........
Multiculturalism didn't work in Europe. Learn from...
I'll never think of a blowjob again without seeing...
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The (economic) objectives of immigration policy: a dialogue with Martin Wolf
I recently devoted a blog post to an analysis of David Goodhart's claim that people in Whitehall and Westminster made immigration policy on the basis of a view that "the only decent policy is to throw open our doors to all" - an assertion so self-evidently absurd I am still astonished an intelligent person could actually write it down and expect to be taken seriously. David's defence appears to be that he didn't really expect the words that appeared under his name in the Daily Mail to be taken at face value. This is not in my view how a serious researcher approaches a serious issue, but please read David's piece in full if you think I'm being unfair.
However, the blog provoked a very interesting debate in the comments section, addressing much more real, substantive and difficult issues than David's original articles. In particular, Andrew Green from Migration Watch noted that (almost in passing) I had said that GDP per capita was a better measure of the economic benefits of migration than GDP; this in turn led to a lengthy discussion with Martin Wolf. The full set of comments (and there are a number of interesting contributions from others) can be be read here, but I thought that it was worth pulling out my exchange with Martin, which we also continued on email. I have edited it for readability, but don't think I've changed the main points. I am very grateful to Martin for allowing me to reproduce his words in this format.
"Aggregate GDP is, as I frequently noted at the time, a ludicrous measure of the benefits of immigration. That the Treasury used it was scandalous. Indeed, if that were the goal, elimination of controls on immigration would have been the right policy, because that would have maximised GDP.
Leave that absurd position aside. The question, then, is what weight should be put on the welfare of future immigrants. If the weight is very much higher than zero, then one is getting ever closer to the cosmopolitan welfare position that David is describing. So what was (and now should) the weight be, Jonathan?
To put it in the context of your debate with David, let us agree that UK immigration policy is not concerned with the welfare of Burundi. But what is the value it places on the welfare of the Burundians who will arrive, as a result of a liberal policy?
I would argue that this weight should be zero. Under a zero weight on the welfare of future immigrants (surely the position of most British citizens), the policy question becomes not what is the impact on GDP per head, or productivity per worker, but the impact of immigrants (of different kinds) on GDP per head (and its distribution) for those already in the UK. That was never the criterion used by the previous government, so far as I know.
To defend my assumption that the weight on the welfare of potential immigrants should be (close to) zero, I would note that if one adds foreign aid, net contributions to the European Union and that part of the defence budget which might be of benefit to foreigners, the sum is certainly considerably less than 5 per cent of total public spending (with aid at about 1.5 per cent of spending). Thus, 95 per cent of spending goes on 60m British residents, while 5 per cent goes on the rest of the world’s roughly 7bn people. So, revealed preference suggests that the weight placed by the British on the welfare of foreigners is not much greater than zero per head."
"What should the weight be? I agree there is a case for zero when we're talking about immigration policy decisions. But there's an obvious philosophical time inconsistency problem there. When does the weight become positive, and when 1, as immigrants become settled members of UK society, and eventually citizens? Let's leave that for now, and stipulate, for the sake of argument, that it's zero.
Even if we make this assumption, I do think that there is a strong practical argument for GDP per capita being the primary economic objective of immigration policy, even if the welfare weight on new immigrants is zero. Given a significantly progressive tax and benefit system, then the purely fiscal effects imply that high productivity immigrants will raise the welfare of the existing population, because they'll pay in more than they take out. That is even before you take into account labour market impacts (high productivity immigrants will presumably exert downward pressure on wage inequality) and productivity spillovers, which you would expect to be positive from high productivity immigrants. So it is difficult to think of circumstances under which an immigration policy directed at increasing GDP per capita wouldn't also increase the welfare of existing residents. Do you disagree?
And as an illustration of this, it's obviously absurd to suggest the previous government didn't regard the distributional impact of immigration as a criterion alongside GDP and/or GDP per capita. While I was at DWP, I wrote papers, and commissioned external research, on the unemployment and wage impacts of immigration. Ministers and my superiors didn't allow me to do this because they thought abstract academic papers were a good use of civil service time and money, but because they were keenly interested in the distributional impacts of immigration policy, especially on the unemployed, young and low-skilled.
I would also note that if you don't agree with this logic, and think we should ignore the fiscal effects and other spillovers, then perversely you could actually end up at a more liberal position, because migration just becomes economically directly analogous to trade. In that case of course the natives benefit, for the usual reasons we all agree on.
Abstracting from this, I do find the GDP/GDP per capita argument slightly overdone. As you and I well know, the government's objective function has many arguments, of which aggregate economic outcomes (GDP, GDP per capita, productivity) are only one, and far from determinative. If all policies, immigration and otherwise, were directed at maximising either GDP, GDP per capita, or any other single variable, things would be very different indeed."
"On the economics, the impact of moving a large number of people into a country is very complex. But I am inclined to believe, on the evidence I know, that liberal immigration of highly skilled people is likely to benefit both the economy and nearly all the people inside it. The only important qualification comes via the impact on the scarcity of resources (land) and costs of housing.
The impact of immigration of relatively less skilled people is more complex, distributionally, at least. I think the white working class has almost certainly been harmed by immigration of relatively unskilled people, not least because it has reduced the incentive to train them.
I think your question about the time inconsistency of the weight to be placed on the welfare of potential immigrants is very interesting. This seems to be similar to the question of abortion - a foetus has no moral value, perhaps, but the baby it would become, if not aborted, does. Similarly, a foreigner has no weight, but a foreigner does have weight if allowed to enter. Such somewhat arbitrary lines are difficult to draw. My answer has been that countries are like clubs. They can decide who members are. Once you are a member, you matter to the club. If you are not a member, you don't.
Finally, I think the trade analogy doesn't work. Standard trade theory assumes fixed factors of production, the most important of which, from a welfare point of view, is labour. If you assume, instead, that labour and capital are freely mobile, we are in the world of regional economics. Assume that a given country is capital-abundant, before opening. Then free immigration will reinforce whatever tendency free trade gives towards factor price equalisation. Wages will then fall towards the global equilibrium level. The benefits accrue to local capitalists and landowners. While aggregate world economic output will rise, the effects on the welfare of nearly all residents of capital-abundant countries will be negative. In theory, they could be compensated. In practice, particularly with mobile capital, they won't be."
"I think we are in broad agreement on the impact of relatively skilled immigration.
On low skilled immigration, I am less convinced. I agree it is an empirical question. But I think the evidence of significant harm is thin to nonexistent:
as you know, the overwhelming conclusion of the econometric work on labour markets is that impacts are zero/insignificant, and certainly dwarfed by other factors (skill biased technological change, the national minimum wage, and so on)
on incentives to train, I understand the theoretical case, but am not aware of any empirical work in the UK. What I would say is that - as you and Alison [Martin's wife, author of an excellent report for govenrment on vocational education] know - British employers have historically not done well at training lower skilled young people, and this long preceded the large expansion in low skilled immigration
nor does the incentive to acquire educational qualifications appear to operate on individuals in this way. As your colleague Chris Cook has so convincingly shown, attainment of working class white kids in London has improved remarkably over the last decade as they have become increasingly surrounded by the children of immigrants. Meanwhile, attainment of working class white kids who live in areas where they neither attend schools with immigrants or compete with them in local labour markets has fallen wellbehind. We do not know why this is the case, but it is hardly consistent with your thesis.
I'm not sure I follow your argument on trade. As you say the standard trade thought experiment is to assume fixed factors by country and see what happens when you liberalise goods trade; and the standard result is a tendency towards factor price equalisation and overall welfare gains for both countries. The same is surely true of liberalisation of labour movements.
Consider for example a tradeable, low skilled industry with not much capital required and small barriers to entry - call centres, for example. In this case, surely the impact of allowing Indian companies to bid for UK call centre contracts is formally identical to allowing Indians to come here to work in call centres? British call centre workers lose, displaced into other sectors and having to accept lower wages, while British consumers of call centre services gain. We can argue out whether the distributional consequences outweigh the efficiency gains and whether, in practice, the resulting overall surplus will be "fairly" distributed, but surely the theoretical model is mathematically identical.
I don't take from this that all migration is good in the same way that all trade is (more or less) good, because in fact the static welfare gains from trade are quite small, and - returning to the earlier point about the impacts - I do think that at some point low skilled immigration is likely to have seriously negative distributional consequences. But I do think that those who thought that it was right, on principle, to allow the UK coal industry (say) to be destroyed because the standard economics of trade argued that this was likely to benefit the UK economy overall should have to explain why similar arguments don't apply to immigration.
Finally, I doubt this leaves us very far apart in policy terms, and would be interested to what extent you agree:
I am in favour of free movement of labour in the EU, notwithstanding the potential disadvantages of some unskilled immigration, since these seem to me to have been empirically very small so far compared to the broader economic and political advantages
I favour a relatively liberal approach to skilled immigration coming here from outside the EU, for the reasons we discussed above;
moreover, I think there should be a presumption that those who've been here a few years and have demonstrated an ability to make a contribution and some degree of integration should be allowed to stay permanently ("join the club") in your phrase
I think the government's objective of reducing net migration, and in particular setting a numerical target, is subject to all the usual objections for this sort of target in the economic sphere. And it's likely to be particularly damaging in this policy area, since the "marginal" migrants - those who policy can keep out - are likely to be skilled workers and students. Even worse, the target also forces government to seek to expel students and workers who've come here on temporary visas but wish to stay, usually because they've attained some form of economic and/or social integration."
"Let me comment/clarify a few important points.
First, I agree that the conclusion of the econometric work is that the impact is insignificant. I think this is because the immigration itself has been quite small, in relation to the labour market. It is not difficult for me at least to imagine that the impact would be substantial if, for example, unskilled immigration were to be expanded dramatically (on which further below).
Second, your comment on training by UK employers is well-taken. I am interested in your point that the performance in school of working class children is better if they have to compete with children of immigrants. My question, though, is what happens when they go out into the labour market to compete with fresh immigrants with already high qualifications. It may be that this has no effect on the behaviour of employers. But I would need to be convinced of this.
Third and most important, I made my little analysis of trade vs migration too simple. I will try to give a fuller view of what is going on.
The tendency towards wage equalisation generated by liberal trade alone, though present, is not overwhelming. This is partly because countries are not working with the same know-how (though this point has become weaker, in recent decades). More important, the large amount of non-tradeable activity and the possibility of non-overlaps in production between rich and poor countries diminish the likelihood of factor price equalisation.
A high-income country ends up specialising in ultra-high-human-capital-intensive output, while relatively unskilled workers no longer able to work in tradeable activities find at least tolerable opportunities in non-tradeable activities. Wages of relatively unskilled people are then no longer determined by opportunities to trade. Meanwhile, opportunities to trade are very important to many developing economies.
But free movement of labour (the analogy with free trade) would, I fear, be a far more powerful force for wage equalisation, to the benefit of landowners and owners of capital (including high-level human capital), since immigrants would then penetrate even the non-tradeable sector. I think this could be very socially disruptive indeed.
To come to the policy conclusions:
First, I would accept free movement of labour in the European Union, though there should be a significant time-period before immigrants could have a right to domestic welfare benefits. The – to my mind, reasonable – assumption would be that if people were unable to support themselves from work, they would return home, unless/until they had developed a substantial attachment to the UK.
Second, I would favour a liberal approach to skilled immigration, giving a particular preference to people who have qualified in scientific and technical subjects in UK universities. I would also auction work permits for different periods to employers or individuals and let the price tell me whether the policy was too restrictive. Anybody who has worked in the UK long enough, on these terms, would become eligible for citizenship. (We agree on this.)
Third, I would be restrictive on immigration of relatively unskilled people.
Note that I have deliberately avoided discussion of non-economic aspects."
"Since this is my blog, I promised Martin the last word. I will only note that by the end I think that, as I said in my last substantive passage, we are pretty much in agreement on most of the key points and policy implications."
The deficit is falling..
Recessions and recoveries: a historical perspectiv...
When it comes to migration, there are no winners i...
The (economic) objectives of immigration policy: a...
A response from David Goodhart
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This issue covers Decisions from: OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2006
The following members of the Section contributed to the preparation of summaries contained in this issue: Mark Berman, David L. Carey, Lisa A. Coppola, Deborah Deitsch-Perez, Ian M. Goldrich, Matthew R. Maron, Paul G. Marquez, Ira B. Matetsky, James E. Pfeffer, John Siegal, Mark I. Silberblatt, Colleen M. Tarpey, and Victoria Zaydman, Esqs.
Arbitration; bias of panel member; NASD Code of Arbitration Procedure. Procedure; motion to reargue/renew.
Petitioners moved to renew and reargue the courts’s previous decision, which had denied petitioners’ application to vacate an arbitration award rendered by a panel of the NASD and had confirmed the award. In their motion to vacate, petitioners had challenged the NASD’s removal of the panel’s chairman just before hearings had commenced. Petitioners claimed that NASD’s action evidenced misconduct in the procurement of the award. In a prior decision, the court had concluded that, in removing the panel chairman, the NASD Director of Arbitration had properly exercised his discretion under the rules to ensure the neutrality of the panel. There had been some evidence of bias against the respondent and a failure by the chairman to disclose a prior representation of claimants against a predecessor of that respondent in another arbitration. The court concluded that petitioners had known of the facts regarding the former chairman prior to submission of their papers on the original application so that the information proffered was not new evidence. Petitioners also improperly sought to raise new issues on the present motion. Thus, this motion was procedurally defective. In any case the court explained, under the NASD Code of Arbitration Procedure, it was the Director of Arbitration’s role to interpret the NASD rules and their application in the instant case. The court concurred that there was compelling evidence to support the finding of the Director that the former chairman had been an inappropriate panel member whose history warranted removal from the panel. There was no proof of impropriety, misconduct, etc. that would justify vacatur of the award. Motion denied. Raitport v. Salomon Smith Barney, Inc., Index No. 4153/2006, 12/1/06 (Demarest, J.).**
Arbitration; Federal Arbitration Act; confirmation of award; manifest disregard of the law. Contracts; interpretation; termination-for-convenience clause; consequential damages; lost profits.
Petitioner, a contracting company, had entered into a contract with respondent, an investment banking firm, to provide caulking and cleaning services on the exterior facade of defendant’s building in lower Manhattan. After respondent had cancelled the contract, plaintiff had commenced arbitration proceedings, seeking more than $1 million in damages, including lost profits. The arbitration panel had found for petitioner and awarded it approximately $700,000 in damages, representing a combination of lost profits, overhead expenses, and un-reimbursed expenses, plus interest. The arbitrators had provided no discussion of the evidence nor any explanation of their reasoning. Petitioner applied for an order confirming the award, and respondent applied for an order vacating the award on the grounds that the arbitrators had exceeded their powers and manifestly disregarded the law, and that the award was irrational. Among other things, respondent argued that it properly had terminated the contract under a “termination for convenience” clause in the contract and that the parties’ contract did not permit petitioner to recover damages for lost profits and overhead expenses. The court confirmed the award. After noting that this was a transaction that affected interstate commerce and that the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) governed, the court held that none of the specific grounds that are set forth in the FAA for vacating an arbitration award, all of which involve fraud, corruption, and misconduct by the arbitrators, applied in this case. As a result, the court explained that it could vacate the award only if it found a manifest disregard of the law, a judicially created ground for vacatur under the FAA. The court held that respondent had failed to meet its “heavy burden” to satisfy this standard. First, the court found no evidence that the arbitrators had known of a governing legal principle yet refused to apply it or ignored it altogether. Second, the court held that respondent could not demonstrate that the law was well defined, explicit, and clearly applicable. Indeed, the court noted that, in a case such as this, where the parties “hotly dispute[d]” the applicable law and facts, there could be no well-defined, explicit, and clearly applicable law for the arbitrators to disregard. Finally, to the extent that the FAA permits vacatur of an arbitration award on the ground that the award is irrational, the court rejected respondent’s claim that it was irrational for the arbitrators to determine that plaintiff was entitled to the damages awarded. RSG Caulking & Waterproofing, Inc. v. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Index No. 601738/2006, 10/5/06 (Fried, J.).CD
Arbitration; motion to vacate; FAA; manifest disregard of the law; irrationality; exceeded powers.
Petitioner moved pursuant to Article 75 of the CPLR to vacate an arbitration award issued in favor of the respondent by the National Association of Securities Dealers ("NASD"). Petitioner had been respondent’s broker for certain non-discretionary corporate accounts that qualified for options trading. After respondent had suffered approximately $8.7 million in losses on its account and closed its account with petitioner, respondent and petitioner had both been sued in Massachusetts because the corporate accounts that had suffered losses consisted of funds that had been entrusted to respondent by individuals and businesses for investment in conservative securities, not the options trading that respondent had authorized. In the Massachusetts action, petitioner (broker) had been granted summary judgment, but respondent had been found liable for fraud and misrepresentation, breach of duty and other torts. Thereafter, respondent had filed an arbitration claim against petitioner, alleging that the losses resulted from petitioner’s lack of due diligence in allowing respondent to make speculative trades instead of the conservative trades respondent’s customers had required. The NASD arbitrators awarded respondent $8.7 million in damages, as well as interest and attorney’s fees, and petitioner moved to vacate the award. In support of its motion, petitioner alleged that the NASD arbitration panel had (1) exceeded its powers under the Federal Arbitration Act ("FAA") by refusing to consider or decide legal issues; (2) failed to consider material evidence; (3) manifestly disregarded applicable law; and (4) rendered an irrational award. Noting that judicial review of arbitration awards is extremely limited and an award will be upheld so long as there is even a "barely colorable justification for the outcome," the court denied the petition to vacate. The court found that petitioner failed to prove that the arbitrators had exceeded their power under the FAA. Although the panel members had expressed reluctance to make judgments on certain legal considerations, the court found that the arbitrators had, in fact, considered the legal issues and evidence presented, and made legal conclusions necessary to foster a rational decision. Furthermore, the Court found that petitioner had been given the opportunity to introduce relevant evidence during the arbitration proceeding, including the summary judgment order from the Massachusetts action that exonerated petitioner. Although petitioner believed that that order should have been given res judicata effect, the court noted that the arbitration panel had found that the issues in the Massachusetts action had not been identical to those in the arbitration. The court also found that the arbitrators had not manifestly disregarded the law. That doctrine requires an egregious impropriety, not merely erroneous interpretation or failure to understand or apply the law. Here, petitioner contended that the arbitrators had disregarded the argument that respondent’s own unclean hands had barred recovery. However, the court noted that the panel had considered the unclean hands arguments, had observed distinctions between how the parties believed it applied and had apparently been persuaded by respondent’s counter arguments such that there was at least a barely colorable justification and no egregious impropriety. Finally, the Court held that the award could not be vacated on the grounds of irrationality since petitioner failed to show that there was no rational basis upon which the arbitrators could have rendered the award. In fact, rejecting petitioner’s arguments, the Court found that the arbitration panel had considered the applicable law when rendering its award. UBS Painewebber Inc. v. Benistar Property Exchange Trust Co., Inc., Index No. 600156/2006, 11/16/06 (Ramos, J.).**
Attorney-client privilege; choice of law; inadvertent disclosure; waiver.
In the context of a dispute concerning the scope of documents demanded from a non-party witness and the witness’s failure to provide a privilege log, the witness from whom the documents had been demanded had inadvertently sent to counsel for the party that had issued the subpoena an e-mail that he had intended to send to his own counsel. Thereafter, another party to the litigation took the position that the witness’s e-mail was not protected by the attorney-client privilege because it did not seek legal advice, and, if protected, such protection had been waived when the witness had sent the e-mail to counsel for the subpoenaing party. Counsel for the witness responded that the e-mail was protected because it sought advice concerning disclosure obligations and had clearly been disclosed inadvertently because the salutation of the e-mail specifically indicated that the witness’s counsel – not the subpoenaing party’s counsel – was the intended addressee. The court found that under South Carolina law, the e-mail was protected by the attorney-client privilege and the privilege had not been waived. The court found that South Carolina law applied because the e-mail had been written in South Carolina and New York courts apply the attorney-client privilege law of the jurisdiction in which the assertedly privileged communications were made, which in most cases is also the jurisdiction in which the party that made the communications resides. The court noted that clients must be able to comment and express their reactions to case developments and issues related to the case to their counsel, including discovery issues, without the fear that those comments would be discoverable. Here, the court held that the e-mail was protected by the attorney-client privilege as it was a confidential communication sent to counsel in response to the subpoena. The court also found that there had been no waiver because the e-mail had not been intended to be received by anyone other than the recipient’s counsel, and counsel for the non-party had demanded the return and/or destruction of the e-mail within a reasonable time, one week after the e-mail had been sent. Delta Financial Corp. v. Morrison, Index No. 011118/2003, 10/24/06 (Warshawsky, J.)**.
Contracts; banking; UCC, Article 4-A; good faith and fair dealing; statute of limitations. Corporations; piercing the corporate veil.
International Emergency Economic Powers Act; private right of action. Unjust enrichment; restitution; quasi contract; alternative pleading. Plaintiff, an English bank, sued defendants, a New York bank and its corporate parent, to recover more than $30 million that plaintiff had deposited with defendants or their predecessors-in-interest. Plaintiff’s accounts with defendants had been frozen when the President of the United States issued a series of executive orders directing the freezing of certain assets that had any connection with the governments of Serbia, Montenegro, Yugoslavia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina. After plaintiff’s accounts had been unfrozen by executive order in 2003, defendants had notified plaintiff that they were removing approximately $16.8 million from plaintiff’s accounts as a set-off for amounts that plaintiff allegedly owed defendants’ predecessors-in-interest. Plaintiff had demanded the return of all funds remaining in its accounts. Defendants had refused and plaintiff had sued, asserting four claims for breach of contract, as well as four other causes of action. Defendants moved to dismiss the entire complaint as against the corporate parent defendant and to dismiss seven of plaintiff’s claims as against both defendants. The court dismissed plaintiff’s claim for breach of the implied duty of good faith, but otherwise denied the motion. First, defendants moved to dismiss all claims asserted against the corporate parent defendant on the ground that plaintiff had failed to plead sufficient facts to justify piercing the corporate veil. The court found, however, that plaintiff adequately alleged that the corporate parent defendant exercised complete dominion over its subsidiary and that the two defendants had operated in concert to harm plaintiff. The court held that these allegations were sufficient to raise an issue at the pleading stage as to whether the corporate veil should be pierced and also noted that the facts necessary to evaluate the propriety of alter ego liability in this case might only be available after discovery. The court explained that the defendants had been involved in multiple mergers and/or acquisitions, which had resulted in a complex corporate structure, and that plaintiff did not know which defendant or defendants held the deposits at issue. Further, the court declined to dismiss plaintiff’s two claims, characterized as claims for breach of contract and breach of duty, that defendants had failed to credit plaintiff’s accounts with a “commercially reasonable rate of interest” during the time period that the accounts were frozen, as plaintiff alleged was required by the regulations that had been promulgated pursuant to the various executive orders issued by the President. Although defendants argued that the regulations did not provide for a private right of action, the court found that the explicit language of the regulations barred private suits only as against government employees, not private actors like defendants. In any event, the court held that the regulations merely supplemented, and did not preclude, plaintiff’s common law claims for breach of contract and breach of duty. With respect to plaintiff’s claim that defendants had breached the parties’ contract by failing to pay plaintiff the funds on deposit upon demand, defendants argued that some of the funds in plaintiff’s accounts were the proceeds of wire transfers and that plaintiff could establish its entitlement to those funds only by satisfying the requirements of UCC Article 4-A. Because plaintiff had failed to allege facts that were necessary under Article 4-A, defendants argued that plaintiff’s claim must be dismissed. The court rejected this argument because defendants had not established conclusively that plaintiff’s accounts had contained only the proceeds of wire transfers. The court also rejected as premature defendants’ claim that their actions in applying the set-off to plaintiff’s accounts had been proper as a matter of law, and it refused to dismiss plaintiff’s breach of contract claim on this basis. The court did, however, dismiss plaintiff’s claim that defendants had breached their implied duty of good faith on the ground that this duty is implied in every contract, and, thus, it is unnecessary to plead such a claim as a separate cause of action. As for plaintiff’s claim for unjust enrichment and restitution, the court rejected defendants’ argument that plaintiff could not plead breach of contract claims and quasi contract claims in the alternative. Finally, the court rejected defendants’ claim that certain of plaintiff’s claims were barred by the six-year statute of limitations. AY Bank Ltd. v. JPMorgan Chase & Co., Index No. 604190/2004,11/29/06 (Cahn, J.).**
Contracts; commercial lease; interpretation; recitals; omissions.
Plaintiff had extended $13.5 million in leasehold financing to defendant’s lessee, which had defaulted on the loan and gone bankrupt shortly before an arbitration award raising the leasehold rent tenfold. Had plaintiff assumed the lease, income from subtenants would not have covered both its own loan repayment and increased rent owed to defendant lessor. Plaintiff sued lessors and agents for breach of contract and other wrongs, claiming that they had unjustly crafted a plan to re-characterize a lease for land only to include the buildings later built on it. Defendants moved to dismiss. The threshold issue was whether an acknowledgment and a certificate signed by lessors represented that only land was being leased. The court found that the documents referred to the lease and could only be construed in conjunction with the lease, which specified that the property included land and any buildings to be built on it. True, the acknowledgment’s description of the property did not include the buildings. Nor did two amendments to the lease. However, the omissions were not deception that would support plaintiff’s desired remedy of equitable estoppel. The acknowledgment did not constitute the terms of the lease. Rather, it was intended to establish plaintiff’s rights under the lease, and it was the lease that plaintiff should have reviewed as a matter of basic diligence. Plaintiff’s claim that by referring to the “Ground Lease” the acknowledgment and certificate falsely suggested that only land was being leased did not persuade the court. Nor did plaintiff have a claim for breach of implied duty of good faith and fair dealing, as defendant lessor had merely exercised its rights under the lease when it had sought to maximize its return on the property. General Electric Capital Corp. v. Bank of New York, Index No. 600993/2006, 12/20/06 (Freedman J.).
Contracts; commercial real estate; leases; interpretation; good faith and fair dealing.
Defendant landlord had leased a commercial property, which included a hotel, to plaintiff tenant. The lease obligated plaintiff to pay monthly rent plus a portion of certain real estate taxes. According to the original lease, plaintiff was responsible for 1/8 of the real estate taxes that were assessed on the entire lot on which the hotel was located. In 1996, the lease was amended, giving defendant the unilateral right to subdivide the lot into two independent tax lots. The lease provided that, upon such a subdivision, plaintiff would become obligated to pay 100 percent of the taxes assessed on the lot on which the hotel was located. In 2003, defendant had subdivided the lot into two separate lots, and in 2005, the State issued a tax bill to defendant. Defendant had advised plaintiff that the lot had been subdivided and that real estate taxes had been imposed and it demanded payment of 100 percent of the amount billed for the lot on which the hotel was located (offset by an amount held in escrow by defendant). Plaintiff paid the amount demanded “under protest” and commenced the instant action, seeking, among other things, a declaratory judgment that it was not obligated to pay the real estate taxes. Defendant moved to dismiss the action in its entirety and plaintiff cross-moved for partial summary judgment. With respect to plaintiff’s claim for a declaratory judgment, the court explained that the only issue bearing on plaintiff’s liability for the taxes was whether there had been an “assessment of taxes” as that term was used in the lease. Defendant argued that the term merely contemplated the issuance of a tax bill from the State. Plaintiff, by contrast, argued that the term referred to an “assessed valuation,” as defined in the New York City Charter, which requires a valuation of the property. Because such an “assessed valuation” was never performed, plaintiff argued that taxes had never been assessed and that its obligation to pay them had never been triggered. Applying principles of contract interpretation, the court found that the “plain and unambiguous meaning” of the term “assessment of taxes” was consistent with defendant’s interpretation of the lease. The court explained that the lease did not refer to the New York City Charter and that the parties’ use of the words “assess” and “assessment” throughout the lease suggested that they intended it to be interchangeable with the words “levy” or “levied.” As a result, the court granted defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s claim for a declaratory judgment, and it denied plaintiff’s cross-motion for partial summary judgment. The court also granted defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s second cause of action for breach of contract, which was based on plaintiff’s allegations that defendant had failed to notify plaintiff of the proposed subdivision in advance, that it had failed to give plaintiff an opportunity to submit financial information in connection with the subdivision application, and that it had failed to provide accurate financial information to the State to ensure an accurate apportionment of taxes. The court held that the lease did not impose any explicit or implicit obligation on defendant to provide plaintiff with advance notice of the subdivision or with an opportunity to submit financial information. The court also found that the financial information that defendant had provided to the State was accurate. Accordingly, the court granted defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s breach of contract claim. JRK Franklin, LLC v. 164 East 87th Street LLC, Index No. 604313/2005, 10/3/06 (Cahn, J.).
Contracts; commercial real property; closing date; waiver; merger clause; parol evidence; misrepresentations; reliance; breach of contract.
Unjust enrichment. Action arose out of a contract for sale of real property. The parties had agreed that plaintiff would close the sale on a set date, time being of the essence. Plaintiff had not been able to secure a mortgage and had been unable to close the sale on time. Plaintiff alleged in its complaint that defendants had orally indicated that an extension of the closing date would be granted for the purpose of closing the sale. Defendants pointed to a notice sent to plaintiff prior to the scheduled date which stated that defendants would not give any extensions. Defendants argued that documentary evidence established that extensions were neither intended nor granted by defendants. The court found that the contract of sale expressly provided the closing date and that a rider stated that time was of the essence against the purchaser only, and that the contract would become null and void if the sale did not take place as scheduled. The court determined that plaintiff had breached the contract when plaintiff failed to close on time, thus rendering the contract null and void. The court held that plaintiff’s contention that defendants had made oral statements which waived the closing date provision was meritless in light of the contract’s merger clause, which clearly provided that neither party would rely on statements not contained within the written contract and that any modifications of the original agreement must be in writing. The pre-closing notice reminded plaintiff of the terms of the contract, which precluded reliance on the alleged oral modification. Therefore, the court held that plaintiff had no cause of action for breach of contract. The court denied plaintiff’s claim for specific performance in light of its finding that plaintiff had been in breach of contract. Plaintiff could not demonstrate, as required, that plaintiff had been ready, willing, and able to perform under the contract. The court also concluded that plaintiff’s complaint failed to state a cause of action for fraud. The parol evidence rule barred reliance on alleged misrepresentation. The court explained that even if there had been no merger clause in the contract, plaintiff’s claim for fraud failed because plaintiff had failed to establish justifiable reliance. The court also determined that plaintiff’s fraud claim was duplicative of its breach of contract claim and failed for that reason. The court rejected an unjust enrichment claim based upon the assertion that plaintiff had paid a sum to defendants as a deposit. The court concluded that according to the price rider in the contract, the payment had been intended only as an accommodation to assist the plaintiff in reducing the purchase price. Further, the unjust enrichment claim was duplicative of the contract claim. Motion to dismiss granted. Kym Group v. East Park Holding Co., LLC.,Index No. 24516/2006, 12/5/06 (Demarest, J.).**
Contracts; employment; restrictive covenants; non-compete agreements; enforceability.
Plaintiff corporation had sued defendant for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competitive practices, and misappropriation after defendant had accepted a position to work at plaintiff’s chief corporate competitor. Plaintiff had moved for a preliminary injunction enjoining defendant from working for the competitor and from using or disclosing plaintiff’s confidential information. In order to determine whether plaintiff was likely to succeed on the merits of its claims, the court analyzed whether or not the non-compete agreement that the individual defendant had signed during his employment was enforceable. Because the individual defendant’s services were not “unique or extraordinary,” the court found that plaintiff’s interest in enforcing the non-compete agreement was limited to protecting against the misappropriation of trade secrets or of confidential customer lists. However, the court held that the non-compete agreement was not focused on those issues and, thus, was too broad to be enforced. The court also rejected plaintiff’s request for severance and partial enforcement of the non-compete agreement. Although the court noted that defendant had copied trade secret and confidential information onto a CD disk before leaving plaintiff’s employ, and that he had sent an e-mail to one of plaintiff’s customers expressing his desire to contact the customer in the future, the court found that neither fact showed an actual misappropriation of confidential information or altered its analysis. As for the CD, the court found there was no evidence that any information on the disk had been shared, and, in fact, defendant had destroyed the disk on the advice of counsel. As for the e-mail to plaintiff’s customer, the court held that plaintiff had not shown that the customer could be identified only through confidential or proprietary sources or that it would be “unfair” for defendant to solicit the customer once he began his new position. Finally, the court questioned whether plaintiff could establish irreparable harm in a case where there had been no use or threatened use of confidential information. The court vacated a previously-issued temporary restraining order and denied plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction. Nalge Nunc International Corp. v. Warren, Index No. 11195/2006, 10/02/06 (Fisher, J.).**
Contracts; employment; restrictive covenants.
Preliminary injunction. Plaintiffs moved for a preliminary injunction enjoining defendants from engaging or participating in the temporary staffing business within Nassau and Suffolk Counties and, from soliciting plaintiff’s customers. A defendant had been employed by plaintiff employment agency as an account manager and had executed restrictive covenants that barred him from working competitively in the staffing business within a 50-mile radius of plaintiff’s offices for a period of one year after his employment ended, soliciting or diverting plaintiff’s customers or personnel for a period of one year after his employment ended, and using or disclosing plaintiff’s confidential or proprietary information. After defendant terminated his employment with plaintiff, he went to work for defendant employment agency, where his assigned territory was Suffolk County. Plaintiff then commenced this action. The court noted that defendant had had notice of the terms of employment before he signed the contract with plaintiffs and that there was no evidence that defendant had been coerced into accepting those terms. Plaintiff did not argue that defendant’s services had been unique or extraordinary. Having worked for plaintiff as an account manager defendant had obtained familiarity with plaintiff’s business, clients, customers, personnel and prices. Such confidential information, the court determined, was properly subject to the protection of the covenants in the employment agreement. Defendant had gone to work for a direct competitor of plaintiff. Defendant argued that plaintiff had failed to show that he had misappropriated any confidential information, but, the court stated, this missed the point. Plaintiff had a legitimate interest in enforcing the restraints and had shown a likelihood of success. The court next determined that plaintiff had shown it would suffer irreparable harm if its motion was denied because if plaintiff lost the right to enforce the covenants, it would lose revenue, customers and goodwill, the extent of which would be difficult to quantify. The court determined that defendants had neither suffered nor would suffer in the future any significant professional hardships from the limited restraints imposed by an injunction, but that plaintiff would suffer injury should the injunction be denied. The court, however, did conclude that although the restrictive covenant was reasonable in its prohibition of defendant’s working in a similar business for one year, it was unreasonable in terms of the 50-mile restriction. The court ruled that prohibiting defendants for a period of one year from soliciting business from plaintiff’s customers with whom the former employee had dealt was sufficient to protect plaintiff’s trade secrets and confidential information. Motion granted as indicated. Greystone Staffing, Inc., v. Goehringer, Index No. 13906/2006, 11/27/06 (Austin, J.).**
Contracts; good faith and fair dealing; statute of limitations; equitable estoppel. Tortious interference with contractual relations.
Plaintiff, a screenwriter, had written a screenplay for a book and negotiated its sale to a film producer. Plaintiff and the film producer had entered into a contract, which provided that, if the producer decided to sell its interest in making a feature film based on plaintiff’s screenplay, plaintiff would have the right to match the sales price that the producer was willing to pay and to acquire the producer’s interest in the film project. The film producer had never produced a film based on the book, nor had it offered to sell plaintiff the film rights. Rather, in 2002, another movie studio had released a film based on the book, which grossed more than $200 million. Plaintiff sued the successor in interest to the film producer, along with the movie studio, the author of the book, and the individual producers of the released film, claiming that the film producer had breached the parties’ contract by selling the film rights to a third party without offering plaintiff the right to match, and that the other defendants had tortiously interfered with the parties’ contract. Some defendants moved to dismiss. First, the film producer defendant moved to dismiss plaintiff’s breach of contract claim based on documentary evidence that allegedly showed that the film producer had never sold the film rights to a third party. More specifically, the film producer defendant alleged that the film rights had reverted back to the author of the book in 1988 pursuant to a series of agreements to which plaintiff had not been a party. The court held that it could not dismiss plaintiff’s breach of contract claim as a matter of law given unresolved questions as to whether all of the agreements at issue had been intended to be part of a single contract. The moving defendants also argued that plaintiff’s breach of contract action was time-barred. However, the court found that plaintiff had brought his claim within three years after the advertisements for the film first appeared and that this delay was not unreasonable as a matter of law. The court also declined to dismiss plaintiff’s tortious interference with contract claim, finding that the claim was adequately pleaded, that it was not duplicative of plaintiff’s breach of contract claim, and that it was timely. Lazzarino v. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., Index No. 602029/2005, 10/30/06 (Fried, J.).
Contracts; guarantee agreements; good faith and fair dealing. Tortious interference with business relations. Breach of fiduciary duty; duty of loyalty; debtor and creditor law.
Plaintiffs, several loan receivable trusts and the servicer of those trusts, had sued defendant, the majority owner of a group of fast food restaurant franchises, to recover the amounts owing under two personal guarantees. Defendant asserted various counterclaims against plaintiffs as well as against two additional counterclaim defendants, a loan servicer and an individual who acted as a director of one of defendant’s companies pursuant to a restructuring agreement. Plaintiffs and counterclaim-defendants moved for summary judgment dismissing defendant’s counterclaims. Plaintiffs also moved for summary judgment on their claim that defendant was liable under the second of the two guarantees. Defendant cross-moved for summary judgment, seeking dismissal of plaintiffs’ claims under the first guaranty. The court granted the motions of plaintiffs and counterclaim defendants to dismiss all of defendant’s counterclaims, it granted plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment on the second guaranty, and it denied defendant’s cross-motion for summary judgment on the first guaranty. With respect to the motions by plaintiffs and counterclaim defendants for summary judgment on all of defendant’s counterclaims, the court, first, dismissed defendant’s breach of contract claims on the ground that there was no evidence that the lenders had violated the payment priority provisions of the restructuring agreement. The court also rejected defendant’s claims that plaintiffs had breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, finding no suggestion in the record that plaintiffs had exercised their contractual rights malevolently or as part of a scheme to deprive defendant of the benefits of the restructuring agreement. In any event, the court noted that, because defendant had based both a breach of contract claim and breach of implied covenant claims on the same facts, the breach of implied covenant claims should be dismissed as duplicative. With respect to defendant’s breach of fiduciary duty claims, defendant conceded that there is no fiduciary relationship between creditors and debtors and thus that the claims against plaintiffs and against the loan servicer counterclaim defendant should be dismissed. However, defendant argued that he should be permitted to maintain his breach of fiduciary duty claim as against the individual counterclaim- defendant, who had served as a director of defendant’s company pursuant to the terms of the restructuring agreement, which gave the lenders the right to appoint a director to the company’s board. Defendant argued that the individual counterclaim-defendant had breached his duty of loyalty by favoring the interests of his lender-employer over the interests of defendant. The court rejected this claim, finding no evidence that the individual counterclaim-defendant had acted improperly or illegally. The court also noted that, under Delaware law, when a corporation is operating in the zone or vicinity of insolvency, its directors’ fiduciary duty extends not only to the corporation’s shareholders, but also to its creditors. Thus, the court explained that it would not have been improper for the individual counterclaim-defendant, as a director of defendant’s company, to consider the interests of creditors in deciding how the company’s assets should be used to satisfy its various obligations. Finally, the court dismissed defendant’s claims that plaintiffs and the loan servicer counterclaim-defendant had tortiously interfered with contractual and business relations by wrongfully taking money that was earmarked for defendant’s franchisor, thereby making it impossible for defendant’s company to fulfill its obligations under the franchise agreements. The court held that the record did not support the allegation that plaintiffs or the counterclaim-defendant had intentionally induced the franchisor to terminate its franchise relationship with defendant. Indeed, the court noted that it would have been “economic suicide” for plaintiffs and the counterclaim-defendant to have done such a thing because that would have extinguished any hope of getting repaid on the debts that defendant owed. On plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment with respect to the second guaranty, the court concluded that defendant was liable, as a matter of law, under the plain language of the agreement. Finally, the court denied the defendant’s cross-motion for summary judgment on the first guaranty on the ground that there were issues of fact concerning whether various “trigger events” had occurred, triggering defendant’s liability under the guaranty. Wilmington Trust Co. v. Strauss, Index No. 601192/2003, 10/30/06 (Fried, J.).
Contracts; investment opportunity commission agreements; interpretation. Procedure summary judgment (CPLR 3212(b)). Partnership law.
Plaintiffs had entered into a commission agreement with defendant. In the agreement, defendant had agreed to pay plaintiffs a commission of up to $ 4 million in return for introducing him to investors for a development property in which defendant held a limited partnership interest. Defendant had agreed to pay a base commission of $2 million, plus an additional percentage commission of up to $ 2 million. Upon an event of default, defined in the agreement to include a transfer by defendant of his interest, the agreement required defendant to pay plaintiffs immediately any outstanding portion of the $ 2 million percentage commission. After the property had been sold for $1.76 billion, plaintiffs had claimed that the sale constituted an event of default. When defendant had refused to pay the balance of the percentage commission owed under the agreement, plaintiffs had sued for breach of contract. Plaintiffs moved for summary judgment. The court denied plaintiffs’ motion and, instead, granted summary judgment for defendant, dismissing the complaint. The court held that, under the plain language of the agreement, a default would occur only if defendant personally transferred his interest in the development property. Because the sale of the development property was consummated not by defendant personally, but rather by the limited partnership and related entities, in which defendant had no control or management authority, the court found that plaintiffs could not establish, as a matter of law, that there had been a default as defined in the agreement. Even though defendant had not cross-moved for summary judgment, the court searched the record and found that defendant was entitled to summary judgment. Specifically, the evidence in the record established that defendant had not disposed of his limited partnership interest in the development property. The court also rejected plaintiffs’ attempt, under agency and partnership law, to attribute the sale of the property by the limited partnership to defendant personally. Corcoran v. Trump, Index No. 604347/2005, 10/24/06 (Lowe, J.).
Contracts; lease and sublease; interpretation; contingent tax rent; liability for taxes accruing before sublessee’s occupancy.
Plaintiff sued sub-tenant NYCHA to recover $600,000 allegedly owed as its share of taxes. The reimbursement sought represented taxes accruing from years prior to NYCHA’s tenancy, but plaintiff argued that NYCHA’s obligation to pay a proportional share of the taxes, or “contingent tax rent,” extended to all such taxes imposed on plaintiff, and was determined by when the City levied the tax and plaintiff paid it. Pursuant to plaintiff’s master lease with landlord, plaintiff had to pay the taxes for the first 20 years of its occupancy when a certain cash flow became available to it. Plaintiff had begun to pay soon after NYCHA’s term under a sublease and occupancy had begun. NYCHA argued that plaintiff was not entitled to seek reimbursement for taxes accruing from years prior to its occupancy and, further, was barred from suing because it had failed to serve notice of default. The parties moved for summary judgment. Plaintiff argued that it had met the sublease requirements of a written default notice by service of the summons and complaint. The court rejected this contention. The court found that a 15-day interval specified by the sublease constituted NYCHA’s opportunity to cure, and that only failing that could notice of default be served. There was also no factual evidence to support plaintiff’s contention that a certain letter had satisfied its notice obligation. The action was premature but the court considered the merits nevertheless. Plaintiff pointed to a section of the sublease that, it argued, defined the contingent tax rent and did not limit NYCHA’s obligation to the years of its lease terms in that it described the taxes as “...all...charges...imposed against the building.” However, elsewhere the sublease specifically stated that NYCHA’s payment was required during “then current” lease years, and defined lease year as an interval within the lease term. The court found that reading the sublease as a whole made clear that the tax was to be prorated according to NYCHA’s lease term, and that if the arrangement were to have been otherwise NYCHA would have had to explicitly agree. The master lease section tying payment obligation to cash flow was not referred to in the sublease, which further clarified that whether payment timing reflected plaintiff’s voluntary deferment or satisfaction of a condition precedent, NYCHA could not be liable for tax accruing before its occupation. One Fordham Plaza, LLC v. New York City Housing Authority, Index No. 603653/2004, 10/11/06 (Ramos, J.).
Contracts; meeting of the minds; more definitive writing.
Plaintiff alleged that it had performed over $400,000 in architectural and design services for defendant in connection with a joint proposal for development of a project, which had been successful. Despite agreement, it was claimed, defendant had failed to allow plaintiff to take part in the development work and related fees and profits. Plaintiff asserted that the parties had entered into an oral agreement that had been confirmed in a later e-mail. Plaintiff argued that the parties had intended to and did enter into a binding agreement and that, although the agreement had contemplated development of a more definitive agreement, it had not provided that it would be unenforceable until such an agreement had been produced. The court held that there had been no meeting of the minds on a binding agreement. The fact that the e-mail did not expressly condition agreement upon production of a formal, written agreement did not prevent this conclusion. The e-mail reflected an intention not to be bound until there was a formal writing (“More definitive agreements to be developed if our team is selected....”) and the e-mail did not address all essential terms, such as respective obligations of the parties on the construction project. A breach of contract claim and related claims dismissed. Peter F. Gaito Architecture, LLC v. Simone Development Corp., Index No. 22157/2005, 11/3/06 (Rudolph, J.).**
Contracts; oral agreement to extend closing date; part performance; estoppel. Negligent misrepresentation.
Plaintiffs had contracted with defendants for the sale of three commercial properties. After closing on one, defendants had refused to close on the remaining two, claiming that the contract had terminated on the final scheduled closing date, time having been of the essence. Plaintiffs brought an action to compel defendants to sell them the two properties. Plaintiffs argued that the parties had made an oral agreement to extend the contract and that defendants had partially performed in the preparation for a later closing date. Plaintiffs further argued that the equitable doctrines of waiver, estoppel and part performance barred defendants from reliance on GOL § 15-301 or the contract’s requirement of a writing. Plaintiffs moved for an order preliminarily enjoining defendants from transferring or encumbering the two properties and other relief. Defendants cross-moved for summary judgment. Defendants argued that the contract had automatically terminated on the scheduled closing date and that any oral agreement to extend the contract was unenforceable as the contract had provided that all amendments be in writing and signed by the party to be charged. Defendants further argued that plaintiffs’ claim for specific performance was time-barred as the contract had provided that plaintiffs only had thirty days after the scheduled closing date to sue for specific performance. The court found, first, that the merger provision of the contract controlled and that statements made by defendant’s president to plaintiffs’ representative had not constituted an extension of the contract’s closing date. In any case, the statements did not constitute an extension or waiver. The court further ruled that defendants had not waived the contract’s requirement of a writing since plaintiffs had failed to establish that there had been partial performance by plaintiffs which had been unequivocally referable to the waiver. As to two emails sent by defendants to plaintiffs, the court noted that they were not proof of conduct by plaintiffs. The court determined that the emails were non-committal and merely an inquiry to plaintiffs as to whether or not there would be a closing. The court also pointed out that both emails contained statements that emails were not intended to create binding agreements. The court held that plaintiffs’ estoppel claim failed because plaintiffs had not shown that their conduct had been unequivocally referable to the alleged oral amendment and plaintiffs‘ reliance on the alleged waiver was not reasonable. The court pointed out that plaintiffs were sophisticated investors who had been represented by counsel and had already modified the contract in writing on five previous occasions. The court held that plaintiffs’ claim for negligent misrepresentation was meritless because there had not been any fiduciary or confidential relationship between the parties. The court granted defendant’s cross-motion and denied relief to plaintiffs. Prime Income Asset Management Inc. v. American Real Estate Holdings L.P., Index No. 603164/2005, 11/30/06 (Freedman, J.).
Contracts; oral joint venture agreement; definiteness of terms; intent to be bound; sharing of losses; control over venture; contribution to venture.
Action asserting breach of contract based on an alleged oral agreement to include plaintiff in a joint venture to purchase and exploit commercially certain Trump real estate properties. Plaintiff contended that an e-mail by defendant had confirmed plaintiff’s 15% ownership interest. Oral agreements containing sufficiently definite terms to form a joint venture concerning real property may be enforceable, the court stated. The court found that the e-mail’s statement that the parties had time before they finalized the partnership and funding plan suggested that they had contemplated further negotiation before they had intended to be bound contractually. Also, the complaint did not allege that plaintiff had agreed to share in losses, had undertaken any control over the enterprise, or had contributed anything of value. Plaintiff urged that there had been no reasonable expectation of losses and that joint ventures need not share equal management control. But, the court stated, bare legal conclusions do not suffice. Although joint venturers need not share control equally, the inquiry is limited to whether a member had any measure of control; here the complaint alleged that defendant alone was to direct the enterprise. The court found that plaintiff had not alleged that he had contributed anything of value to the venture, the assertion that he had set aside a sum falling short. A breach of contract claim failed, as did two based on an alleged fiduciary duty. Complaint dismissed. Langer v. Dadabhoy, Index No. 105198/2006, 11/9/06 (Freedman, J.).
Corporations; business judgment rule; excessive compensation; preferred dividends; severance payments; breach of fiduciary duty.
Minority common shareholders in a family-owned business sued majority shareholders, claiming, among other things, that defendants had authorized the payment of excessive compensation to the company’s president, improperly issued preferred dividends, and breached their fiduciary duties. Plaintiffs moved for partial summary judgment on the excessive compensation claim and for summary judgment on the preferred dividend and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Defendants cross-moved for summary judgment on all three claims. With respect to plaintiffs’ excessive compensation claim, the court granted plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgment and granted defendants’ cross-motion in part. This claim was comprised of two parts, the first alleging that defendants had authorized improper “severance” payments in the amount of $1.3 million to the company’s president, and the second alleging that the president’s annual salary was oppressive. Plaintiffs moved for partial summary judgment only with respect to the allegedly improper “severance” payments, claiming that the company had had no legitimate basis to make those payments because the president was still employed by the company. Although defendants argued that their decision to authorize the payments was protected by the business judgment rule, the court held that the rule did not apply to interested transactions such as self-compensation decisions. Rather, the court explained that defendants had to show affirmatively that the “severance” payments were fair to the company. The court held that defendants had failed to satisfy this burden as a matter of law and it granted plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgment accordingly. With respect to plaintiffs’ challenge to the president’s annual salary, however, the court found that his salary was consistent with the president’s employment agreement and that plaintiffs had failed to raise any factual issue as to the existence of fraud or oppressive conduct. Therefore, the court granted defendants’ cross-motion for summary judgment on this aspect of plaintiffs’ excessive compensation claim. As to plaintiffs’ claim that defendants had improperly issued preferred dividends, the court found again that the business judgment rule did not apply and that defendants had failed to carry their burden to establish the fairness of their decision. Specifically, the court held that the record was “clear” that defendants had decided to issue a dividend to preferred shareholders in order to avoid paying a distribution to plaintiff, and that that decision “was not fair, legitimate,” or made in good faith. Accordingly, the court granted the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment on this cause of action and denied defendants’ cross-motion for summary judgment. Finally, with respect to plaintiffs’ claim that the issuance of preferred dividends reflected a breach of fiduciary duties, the court likewise granted plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment and denied defendants’ cross-motion. Lippman v. Shaffer, Index No. 10180/2003, 11/02/06 (Fisher, J.).**
Corporations; de facto merger; continuity of business.
Plaintiffs, individuals, sued to recover bonuses, salary and unreimbursed expenses allegedly owed them by first defendant, a gunsmithing company that had gone bankrupt. Prior to the bankruptcy a second defendant had purchased the gunsmith’s bank debt of $1.9 million and the bank’s interests in the collateral, pursuant to a security agreement and promissory notes. As the gunsmith went broke, one plaintiff, its president, had transferred funds from his personal account to cover payroll and another employee had allegedly covered some expenses with her personal funds, too. Subsequently, attachment of the gunsmith’s bank accounts had triggered terms in the security agreement and second defendant had taken possession of the gunsmith’s assets and deposited its collateral in the account of its own subsidiary, third corporate defendant. Defendants alleged that after this they had merely liquidated assets. Plaintiffs, however, said that that they and other gunsmith employees had been addressed by an individual defendant who had told them that the subsidiary company would continue the gunsmith’s business. Subsequently, allegedly, two individuals identified as prospective buyers had arrived and run the company for several weeks. Plaintiffs alleged that business had not ceased until the individuals had decided not to buy. Plaintiffs asserted, among other things, breach of contract, and were granted leave to amend the complaint to add breach of fiduciary duty. On summary judgment motions the issue was primarily whether a de facto merger had occurred, making the acquiring defendant liable for the gunsmith’s liabilities, some of which were conceded. To establish de facto merger, the court said, four conditions must be met. The court found that the gunsmith and acquiring defendant had been owned by the same seven individuals and the latter owned its subsidiary, hence continuity of ownership, the hallmark, had been established. Plaintiffs had also demonstrated that the gunsmith had ceased ordinary business and been dissolved as soon as possible, lingering briefly only on paper. The second condition was met. Plaintiffs further showed that the acquiring defendant had assumed the gunsmith’s liabilities, paying its debts as necessary for uninterrupted continuation of business, the third condition. The fourth, continuity of management, personnel, location, assets and general business operation, had also been satisfied. The gunsmith and acquiring defendant had not only been owned, but managed by the same individuals, many of the same employees continued to work and locations and assets were the same. Defendants’ allegation that the gunsmith had been liquidated commencing right after surrender of the assets was inconsistent with the record, which showed that gun making, selling, and repairing had continued up until the prospective buyers had departed. The court noted that the Second Circuit has held that all four factors must be established, but New York case law is to the contrary. Defendants stated that once the gunsmith’s assets had been surrendered, no new orders had been taken, but the court found enough undisputed evidence on business continuity to grant summary judgment against both the gunsmith and second corporate defendant for the conceded liabilities of the gunsmith and the president’s un-reimbursed payroll expenses. Summary judgment was denied as to the subsidiary and individual defendants and a cross-motion for summary judgment on discrete claims, brought on behalf of all defendants, was granted except as to the acquiring defendant and its subsidiary, leaving for trial the subsidiary’s liability. Simpson v. Ithaca Gun Co. LLC, Index No. 0687/2005, 12/8/06 (Fisher, J.).**
Disability discrimination; "disability" under City and State law; "major life activity;" dismissal of prior federal suit; ADA's numerosity requirement; CPLR 204.
Motion for summary judgment in an action brought under State and City Human Rights Laws (Exec. Law § 290 and Admin. Code § 8-10). While employed by defendant, plaintiff had been diagnosed with breast cancer. After surgery she had undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment while working full time. She had then been granted six months' unpaid medical leave to undergo further treatment. She had advised defendant that she was ready to return to work prior to the end of her leave. In response, defendant had told her that her job had been eliminated. Subsequently, even though defendant was then recruiting for a new position, defendant had refused to consider plaintiff for employment. Defendant argued that under a 2001 Appellate Division decision, as a matter of law plaintiff was not disabled; that plaintiff's job was eliminated as part of a downsizing program; and that defendant's refusal to consider plaintiff for reemployment was unrelated to her cancer. The Federal ADA expressly provides that to qualify as a "disability," an impairment must substantially limit the claimant in a "major life activity." The State and City statutes contain no such provision, but the cited decision had held that to qualify as a "disability" under the State and City statutes, an impairment must substantially limit the claimant in a "major life activity." The court concluded that the decision was contrary to prior Court of Appeals precedent, but that the court was bound by the Appellate Division's holding. However, the present case was distinguishable. First, subsequent to the 2001 Appellate Division decision, New York City had enacted Local Law 85/2005, which amended the City statute to overrule legislatively cases such as the 2001 decision setting the Federal requirements as a "ceiling above which the local law cannot rise." Second, defendants had failed to demonstrate the lack of a triable issue of fact as to whether plaintiff's chemotherapy had affected a "major life activity." Third, defendants had failed to address the "record of impairment" and the "employer's perception" branches of the statutory definition. The court held that, notwithstanding any issues of downsizing, defendant's own moving papers would permit the conclusion that the decision to eliminate plaintiff's job had been influenced by plaintiff's absence on medical leave, which would support the claim of discrimination. In addition, the motion was based on defendant's manager's thought processes, making summary judgment inappropriate. Rejecting defendant's contention that the action was untimely, the court held that dismissal for lack of Federal subject matter jurisdiction is within the scope of CPLR 204, and in any event, numerosity does not go to Federal subject matter jurisdiction. The court rejected defendant's contention that plaintiff's subsequent employment at a higher salary had canceled out the damages she sustained. Motion denied. Pasaturo v. Home Sewing Association, Index No. 100018/2004, 9/7/06 (Gammerman, JHO).
Employment agreement; termination; physicians. Public Health Law §§ 17, 18(2)(d); right to medical records; medical practice.
A pediatric ophthalmologist sued her former partners for wrongful termination and refusal to supply her with the medical records of her patients upon her termination. An employment agreement governing the relationship of the parties provided that upon termination, the plaintiff would have the right to copy the medical records of plaintiff’s patients, but that the records would remain in possession of the professional corporation. The court initially granted plaintiff’s requested temporary restraining order, directing the defendants to supply the plaintiff with the names and contact information of all of her patients, including new patients scheduled to see her in the future. In plaintiff’s reply affidavit, plaintiff demanded for the first time that the defendants return the original records to her. Following oral argument, the court ordered defendants to provide records to plaintiff when the patient so requested, and to retain copies for themselves. The parties settled all disputes except for the custody of the original records. The court then granted defendants’ request to re-argue. The plaintiff cross-moved to modify the court’s order to (1) permit her to obtain copies of her patients’ records without first obtaining written authorization from the patients and (2) order the defendants to provide her with original copies of all of her patients’ medical records. The court granted plaintiff’s first request. Noting that Public Health Law §§ 17 and 18 (2)(a) and (d) provide a patient access to medical information in the hands of a health care provider and that both plaintiff and defendants were health care providers, the court did not view it necessary to require the plaintiff to obtain written authorization from the patient to obtain a copy of the records. The court rejected defendants’ argument that the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) (42 USC § 1301 et seq.) prevented them from providing the patient records to plaintiff without prior written authorization, holding that it was contrary to New York precedent and that it was “ludicrous to insist that one ‘covered entity’ [a health professional subject to HIPPA] must withhold the records of a patient from the very treating physician, also a ‘covered entity’, that created such record on the basis of confidentiality.” The court explained that the professional corporation owned the medical records, but that the employee had the right to copy all records of the patients that the employee had treated upon employee’s termination. Accordingly, the court ordered the defendants to provide copies of plaintiff’s patients’ records to her without written authorization from the patients. The court denied plaintiff’s second request, holding that there was no basis to set aside the parties’ agreement and order the original copy of plaintiff’s patients’ medical records to be turned over to plaintiff. Plaintiff argued that she needed the original copies to comply with Education Law § 6530, which defines professional misconduct as the failure to retain medical records of minors until the first anniversary of the minor’s eighteenth birthday, and 8 NYCRR § 29.2(a)(3), which defines unprofessional conduct as the failure to retain medical records until the first anniversary of the minor’s 21st birthday. The court noted that there was no reason to think that defendants would not comply with these provisions by retaining the records for the requisite period of time. Pullman v. Gormley, Index No. 11999/2006, 11/3/06 (Demarest, J.).**
Fiduciary duty; limited liability companies. Contract; interpretation; breach. Nursing homes; Department of Health.
Plaintiff nursing homes, limited liability companies of which defendant was a member, sued for damages and specific performance claiming that defendant had breached fiduciary duty and operating agreements. Defendant asserted counter-claims and moved to dismiss. Defendant had, among other things, refused to execute documents plaintiffs needed for loans. The first plaintiff’s failure to publish its articles of organization (in compliance with Limited Liability Company Law § 206) was not a jurisdictional defect warranting dismissal, the court found, since “unless and until” language in the statute afforded an opportunity to cure and plaintiff had cured. The court stated that company members’ fiduciary duty was formalized in the first plaintiff’s operating agreement, although it did not necessarily have to be; the relationship among LLC members is analogous to that of partners who owe their shared concern undivided loyalty. Issues of fact remained as to all the claims, so all survived. Defendant contended that the operating agreements did not expressly require her to execute certain specific documents, in the case of the first plaintiff a reaffirmation needed to convert a revolving line of credit to a fixed term loan. But that plaintiff’s agreement stated that no member could “unreasonably withhold consent” vis à vis borrowing. Similarly, defendant’s argument that another operating agreement did not expressly obligate her to sign a certificate for a HUD loan did not persuade the court. A third plaintiff, the only corporate entity, had allegedly been forced at the cost of $100,000 and risk of forfeiting a deposit to postpone closing on a property because defendant had admittedly refused to provide documents. The court noted that in so doing defendant had failed to cooperate in ensuring that all the plaintiffs could meet existing obligations to the lender, a condition of the corporation’s mortgage financing, and that as a director defendant had been obligated not to deprive the company of any corporate opportunity. Two other plaintiffs each claimed breaches based on defendant’s refusal to pay her share of capital calls made to retire credit lines in order to avoid violating a mortgage agreement. Defendant argued that the claims were based on amended operating agreements and had never been approved by the DOH. But the court found the original and amended agreements identical in relevant part and gave plaintiffs leave to amend the claims to reference both. Further, as the amendment involved a less- than-10% transfer in interest, plaintiffs appeared correct that DOH approval was not needed. The agreements differed in regard to the remedies available when a member refused to make an additional capital contribution, though. Under the circumstances, whether or not defendant’s refusal was a breach of the operating agreements and her fiduciary duty under them was an issue of fact. Factual issues also existed concerning whether defendant had breached her duty of care to the first plaintiff by allegedly having helped falsify patient assessments, including artificially inflating scores; plaintiff alleged that had these been submitted to the DOH and audited, it could have exposed plaintiff to lawsuits and that plaintiff had had to pay for expert investigation and review. That claim also survived. Finally, defendant’s motion for a temporary receiver was denied. Defendant had not shown any danger of irreparable loss. The court also noted that the motion’s stated purpose was to afford defendant the ultimate relief she sought in the action and that it would be highly inappropriate to compel that result before trial. Willoughby Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, LLC v. Webster, Index No.12431/2004, 10/26/06 (Austin, J.).**
Insurance; larger settlement rule; relative exposure rule; allocation clause.
Plaintiffs, two affiliated law firms, had filed with defendant insurance company a claim for reimbursement for the total amount they had paid out under a settlement, plus the amount of all legal fees and expenses they had incurred in excess of $2 million, to resolve litigation that arose after 17 partners from a California law firm had defected to join plaintiffs’ offices. Defendant had reimbursed plaintiffs for only 40% of the settlement amount and denied plaintiffs’ demand for legal fees in its entirety, claiming that the remaining 60% of the settlement and all legal fees and expenses in excess of $2 million were allocable to uninsured parties, namely, the defecting partners from the California law firm. Plaintiffs moved for summary judgment on their sole cause of action for breach of contract. The court denied the motion. Although plaintiffs argued that the “larger settlement rule” precluded defendant, as a matter of law, from allocating a portion of the settlement, as well as all legal expenses in excess of $2 million, to uninsured losses, the court held that that rule, which has never been applied in New York, was inapplicable in this case. In any event, the court noted that the insurance policy at issue here contained an allocation clause, which expressly permitted defendant to allocate losses between insured and uninsured parties. Under that clause, plaintiffs and defendant were required to “use their best efforts to determine a fair and appropriate allocation of Loss between that portion of Loss that is covered under the Policy and that portion of Loss that is not covered under this Policy.” In determining this fair and appropriate allocation, the policy directed the parties to “take into account the relative legal and financial exposures of, and relative benefits obtained in connection with the defense and/or settlement of the Claim by the Insured.” Because determining the relative exposure and weighing the relative benefits of the settlement and the costs incurred was a fact-based analysis, the court held that it could not determine whether, as a matter of law, defendant had properly allocated 60% of the settlement and all of the legal fees in excess of $2 million to uninsured parties. Motion denied. Clifford Chance LLP v. Indian Harbor Insurance Co., Index No. 602862/2005, 12/27/06 (Fried, J.).
Judgment and creditor; property of foreign government; Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act; commercial activity.
Motion by judgment creditor seeking to execute on a claim by the Republic of the Congo in Federal court. In this case, the Republic sought to recover damages alleged to have been sustained by it due to negligent performance of work by the defendant there on the Congo’s embassy building. The court stated that, under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (28 U.S.C. § 1610), a waiver of immunity from attachment and execution made by a foreign state subjects only the property of the state located in the U.S. and used for commercial activity to attachment and execution. What matters is how the property is used. The court further stated that the contract between the Republic and the Federal defendant had been a commercial activity. But, the court ruled, the Republic’s claim was not property used for commercial activity; embassies and related facilities are sovereign and not deemed to be used for commercial activity. The claim here sought to restore the Republic’s embassy and did not involve commercial activity. Motion denied. Brant Point, Ltd. v. Republic of Congo, Index No.4238/2004, 12/12/06 (Rudolph, J.).**
Judgments; judgment creditors. Partnerships; limited partnership; dissolution; charging orders; derivative claims; standing. UCC foreclosure; notice. Fraudulent transfer; DCL § 276. Receivership; winding up.
Plaintiffs were judgment creditors who sought to assert claims that their judgment debtors possessed in connection with the judgment debtors’ interest in a limited partnership. In particular, the judgment creditors asserted that the limited and general partners had caused the partnership to transfer all of its assets to a new entity in which the judgment debtors had not been partners. Plaintiffs sought summary judgment on breach of fiduciary claims, seeking either a constructive trust or a declaration that the judgment debtors were members of the new partnership in their pro rata shares of the old partnership. The court denied the motion and dismissed the claims because a judgment creditor has only the rights of an assignee of a partnership interest, and under RLPA § 121-702(a)(2), an assignee cannot exercise the rights and powers of a partner; it only has the assignor’s economic interest. Consequently, plaintiffs, as judgment creditors, lacked the power to bring a derivative action, such as plaintiffs’ breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract claims. Likewise, the court held, a judgment creditor of a partner has no right to seek satisfaction of its judgment against the individual assets of the partnership. However, the court declined to dismiss plaintiffs’ claim for a charging order, holding that a judgment creditor is entitled to seek satisfaction of its judgment by obtaining a charging order against the debtors’ partnership interests. The court so ruled notwithstanding defendant’s assertion that it had “informally” and/or formally foreclosed on the judgment debtors’ partnership interests prior to the dissolution of the partnership. The court found that any “informal” foreclosure was ineffective because neither the judgment debtors nor any other partnership creditors had been provided with notice. Any formal non-judicial foreclosure attempted was equally ineffective because of defendants’ failure to send an authenticated notification of the disposition to the debtor and any person from which the secured party had received a claim of interest in the collateral. Defendants conceded that they had not sent any such notice and thus the court concluded there was, at a minimum, an issue of fact whether defendants had effectively foreclosed, which precluded summary judgment. The plaintiffs requested leave to add a claim that defendants’ efforts to foreclose had been fraudulent transfers because they had been intended to hinder, delay, and prevent plaintiffs from collecting on their judgment. The court denied leave because plaintiffs had not alleged, as required by DCL § 276, that their debtors had participated in the challenged transactions. Finally, the court granted plaintiffs’ motion to appoint a receiver to wind up the partnership and distribute any remaining assets, finding that the winding up of a dissolved limited partnership is not optional under RLPA § 121-801. The court refused to allow any of the interested parties to be appointed as the receiver, finding that, particularly when some members authorized and benefited from challenged transfers at the arguable expense of other members, an impartial non-party should be appointed instead. Darvesh Holdings, LLC v. Brightwater Towers Assocs., L.P., Index No. 601878/2004, 10/19/06 (Moskowitz, J.).
Procedure; amendment of complaint. Derivative action; limited liability company. Delaware law; waste; material misrepresentation; breach of fiduciary duty; direct versus derivative claims.
Plaintiff sought leave to amend its complaint to add individual and derivative claims in its capacity as a member of a limited liability company (the “LLC”) for waste, breach of fiduciary duty and material misrepresentation. The court noted that while leave to amend should be freely given, the movant must make some evidentiary showing that the proposed amendment has merit and a proposed amendment that is plainly lacking in merit will not be permitted. Applying that standard, the court denied plaintiff’s motion. In assessing the merits of the proposed amendment, the court applied Delaware law because the LLC was a Delaware entity. As to the claim for waste, the court held that plaintiff had standing as a member of the LLC and could serve as a fair and adequate representative of the LLC’s members even though it had its own individual disputes with the LLC that went beyond the interests of the class and made it particularly hostile to the LLC. The court noted that the “true measure of adequacy of representation” is “how well [plaintiff] advances the interests of the other similarly situated members,” and found that plaintiff had standing to allege derivative claims of waste, misrepresentation and breach of fiduciary duty. However, the court then held that plaintiff had failed to state a claim for, or provide the requisite evidentiary showing of, waste. Under Delaware law, a claim for waste is satisfied “only in rare and unconscionable cases where directors irrationally squander or give away corporate assets.” There must be a “complete failure of consideration received.” The court found that plaintiff failed to meet this “onerous standard” where waste was predicated upon defendant’s expenditure of money in commencing or prosecuting ongoing litigation against plaintiff or for the payment of fees for investigation into plaintiff’s conduct. As for the material misrepresentation claim, the court found that the proposed pleading failed to allege what action plaintiff had taken in “justifiable reliance upon a representation or an allegation that no reliance is necessary” because the misstatements affected a vote. Moreover, to the extent the misrepresentation claim was predicated on a failure to disclose detailed information concerning ongoing litigation expenses and strategy, the court indicated that it was aware of no precedent that imposed such an obligation on fiduciaries. As for the fiduciary duty claim, the court held that plaintiff failed to state a derivative claim for breach of fiduciary duty based on its allegations that the LLC had exposed itself to litigation by disregarding demands made upon it; devoting company resources to litigation; and indemnifying a member of the LLC. Finally, the court held that plaintiff was unable to assert a direct claim for waste or breach of fiduciary duty because it was unable to establish any injury to plaintiff independent of that alleged to have been suffered by the LLC. Where the alleged injury would be shared by all LLC members, only a derivative, not a direct action, could lie. Delta Financial Corp. v. Morrison, Index No. 011118/2003, 11/2/06 (Warshawsky, J.).**
Procedure; CPLR § 3213; instrument for payment of money only.
Action to recover on a promissory note was brought by motion for summary judgment in lieu of complaint. Defendant gave a promissory note to plaintiff, but failed to pay as provided therein. Defendant argued that the note was not an instrument for the payment of money only within the meaning of CPLR § 3213, but rather was conditioned and dependent on a promise by plaintiff to supply services in response to defendant’s “needs and requests.” Defendant further argued that plaintiff had failed to perform in accordance with the contract of sale and that disputes existed as to the amounts owed. The court held that the note qualified as an instrument for the payment of money only. The court further found that the note was a proper negotiable instrument under UCC § 3-104 as it contained an unequivocal and unconditional promise by defendants to pay plaintiffs for the services provided. The court pointed out that Rider A had not conditioned payment under the note on defendant’s performance, but rather had just set forth prices for which plaintiff would charge defendant if plaintiff had performed any work for defendant. The court ruled that defendant’s claims that payments had been made towards the debt were insufficient to defeat plaintiff’s motion or to raise any triable issues as plaintiff had shown that those payments had actually been made for other accounts on separate work projects. Plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment was granted. Defendant’s cross-motion for an order dismissing the complaint was denied. Peri Formwork Systems, Inc. v. Tadco Construction, Inc., Index No. 19034/2006, 12/15/06 (Kitzes, J.).**
Procedure; forum non conveniens (CPLR 327). Corporations; derivative claims.
Plaintiff, a 25% shareholder in a closely-held corporation, had sued the corporation’s president and its chief financial officer (“CFO”), alleging breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, and conversion. Defendants moved to dismiss the complaint and the court granted the motion conditionally. Defendants argued, first, that the case should be dismissed because it should have been brought as a shareholder derivative action. Because the closely-held corporation had been organized under the laws of Ohio, the court held that Ohio law controlled whether plaintiff had standing to sue. The court explained that, under Ohio law, a minority shareholder in a close corporation can sue the majority or controlling shareholders for breach of fiduciary duty as long as the injuries to the minority shareholder are “separate and distinct from the injuries sustained by the corporation.” Although the corporation’s president owned only 50% of the corporation’s stock and thus was not a majority shareholder, the court found that defendant was a controlling shareholder given his sole authority over the company’s day-to-day business operations. The court found that plaintiff’s injuries also were sufficiently distinct under Ohio law to permit him to sue in his individual capacity. Turning to defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint on forum non conveniens grounds, the court held that Ohio had a greater interest in adjudicating the case than New York. The court explained that the only nexus between the case and New York was that plaintiff and one of the defendants resided there. By contrast, the corporation was an Ohio corporation and all of the transactions that had given rise to the action had taken place in Ohio. The court noted that personal jurisdiction could be obtained over the corporation’s president in Ohio because he was an Ohio resident. The court stated that personal jurisdiction also could be obtained over the corporation’s CFO because “he is regularly in Ohio in connection with his position.” Regardless of whether those contacts would suffice for personal jurisdiction purposes, however, the court also held that, under CPLR 327(a), it could condition dismissal “on such terms as may be just.” As a result, the court conditioned the dismissal of the action on the corporation’s CFO consenting to personal jurisdiction in the courts of Ohio. Glaser v. Kratz, Index No. 1724/2006, 10/5/06 (Austin, J.).**
Procedure; motion to reargue; CPLR 2221. Preliminary injunction. Contracts; interpretation; parties’ intent and rules of grammar.
Plaintiffs, various insurance companies, moved to reargue the court’s prior decision preliminarily enjoining plaintiffs to provide certain claims and actuarial data to defendants for use in pricing “buy-out” contracts (contracts in which defendants assumed the assigned risk obligations of insurance carriers for a “buy-out” fee). The court granted plaintiffs leave to reargue but, upon reargument, affirmed its prior decision. Plaintiffs argued that the court had erred in concluding that defendants were likely to succeed on the merits of their claim because, according to the parties’ agreement, defendants were not entitled to access and copy the claims and actuarial data at issue. While the court noted that strict grammatical rules, and, in particular, the rules governing proper usage of the terms “which” versus “that,” could lead to the result advocated by plaintiffs, it held that “strict rules of grammar do not have the last word, when a grammatical construction of a contract is inconsistent with the parties’ intent.” The court explained that its “job [was] not to police the rules of grammar,” but rather to interpret the agreement between the parties fairly and consistent with their intent. Thus, although plaintiffs’ reading of the parties’ agreement may have been grammatically correct, the court held that it “clashe[d] with other contextual clues of the parties’ intent,” as well as with the way business is done in the assigned risk industry. As a result, the court affirmed its prior decision, granting defendants a preliminary injunction. AIU Insurance Co. v. Robert Plan Corp., Index No. 603159/2005, 12/26/06 (Fried, J.).
Procedure; personal jurisdiction; CPLR § 302 (a) (1) and (3); business by interactive electronic and telephonic means; substantial client solicitation; unfair competition; tortious act outside state.
A jet charter company sued its answering service and a second charter company for misappropriation of client information, tortious interference with contract and other wrongs. Answering service defendant, based in Indiana, moved to dismiss claims as against it based on lack of personal jurisdiction. The court noted that CPLR § 302 (a) (1) permits a court to exercise personal jurisdiction over a non-domiciliary, even based upon a single act, as long as the party conducts purposeful activities within the state and the claim against it involves a transaction bearing substantial relationship to the activities. Mere solicitation of business in New York does not establish the requisite contacts but, for example, businesses using means such as interactive websites to project themselves into New York to conduct business or substantially solicit clients have been found subject to long-arm jurisdiction. Here, answering service defendant had solicited clients nationally through its interactive website where prospective customers could directly post questions to its employees. This defendant had emailed to plaintiff a service agreement that had been executed in New York, had sent regular invoices to New York, and had collected monies paid from a New York account. Further, defendant had participated in countless telephone calls placed, sent and received to and from New York by its employees, New York residents trying to contact plaintiff, and by plaintiff itself, and although plaintiff’s phone calls had been answered in Indiana, customers had called a New York phone number. Defendant was not only placing interstate phone calls, which may not be sufficient to transact business, but acting as plaintiff’s agent for clients who would do business with plaintiff in New York. Defendant had also done business with other New York clients, including jet charter defendant. The circumstances as a whole made clear that defendant had transacted business within the meaning of CPLR § 302 (a) (1), the court found. Due process was also satisfied as defendant should have reasonably expected to defend actions in this State. Plaintiff’s unfair competition claim also provided a basis for jurisdiction. The claim here was predicated on misapplication of trade secrets and other confidential data, circumstances in which courts have recognized a tortious act outside the state causing injury within it. Motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction denied. Blue Star Jets, LLC v. Revolution Air, Index No. 600877/2006, 10/4/06 (Freedman, J.).
Procedure; personal jurisdiction; forum selection clause; “service of suit clause.”
Plaintiff, pointing to a jurisdiction provision in merger agreement with defendants, moved to enjoin them from proceeding with a California lawsuit. Defendants had brought the California suit claiming breach of contract for failure to make earn-out payments and before answering that complaint plaintiff had brought this suit, which also sought a declaration that defendants were not entitled to the earn-out payments. The merger agreement was clear that New York law was to govern, the court found, but the jurisdiction provision was not an unequivocal forum selection clause. Agreements lacking definitive words such as “shall” or “exclusive jurisdiction” have been held to indicate permissive or inclusive jurisdiction, the court stated. The SDNY considering a comparable provision had deemed it to mean that the parties consented to jurisdiction in State or Federal courts in New York City, but not that New York County was the exclusive jurisdiction. Plaintiff wrongly relied on a case where the provision “expressly waive[d] any privileges contrary to [the] provision.” No similar language appeared in the merger agreement here. The jurisdiction provision was inclusive and permissive, the court held; it allowed process to be served in New York and the parties had agreed to submit to any action brought in New York. But it did not contain specific language of exclusion and hence was not grounds for the injunction plaintiff sought. The court added, though, that an action was pending here and this court clearly had jurisdiction, and noted that it was not deciding whether it would be more appropriate to continue this or the California action.
Investools Inc. v. Waltz, Index No. 6002876/2006,11/28/06 (Cahn, J.).
Procedure; preemption; Federal Communications Act; state consumer protection statutes. GBL § 349; injury; deception, federal regulation safe harbor; passive advertising defense. Executive Law § 63 (12); independent cause of action for Attorney General.
Defendant radio companies moved to dismiss the complaint, which asserted that defendants had engaged in deceptive and fraudulent business activities in violation of GBL § 349 and Exec. Law § 63 (12), on the grounds that the complaint failed to state a cause of action and that the claims were preempted by the Federal Communications Act (“FCA”). The complaint alleged that defendants had broadcast songs in exchange for undisclosed payments by promoters (a practice known as “pay for play” or “payola”) and had also arranged for certain paid-for programming to be broadcast repeatedly late at night so that monitoring services that tracked song popularity would misleadingly report that the paid-for songs were highly requested. Defendants argued that any alleged misconduct concerning radio broadcasts was subject to Federal payola laws and that the New York Attorney General could not supplant the FCC as regulators of the airwaves. The court, however, found that while the Attorney General could not enforce the FCA, Congress had not unambiguously manifested an intent to disallow state deceptive practice claims based on payola. The court further found that while a private claimant under GBL § 349 (h) was required to prove injury, because the Attorney General was authorized by § 349 (b) to bring an action against a party “about to engage” in prohibited acts, injury was not a required element of a claim under § 349 (b). As to the material deception requirement in GBL § 349, the court rejected defendants’ argument that the Attorney General must establish that the payments affected consumer behavior; instead, noting that Section 349 was modeled after its Federal counterpart, the court relied on an FCC news release that lauded the Attorney General’s actions and FTC consent decrees that characterized payola as inherently deceptive – because it misled consumers into believing songs were played because they were popular when in fact they were played for a fee – to find that the alleged acts met the materially deceptive threshold. Defendants next contended that the complaint should be dismissed because their on-air announcements of “sponsorship” of recordings were sufficient to meet federal disclosure requirements. The court disagreed. Because songs were electronically counted for ratings purposes, and there was no disclosure to those electronic counters that the songs were played for a fee, the allegations that the electronic counters were misled and the reports generated for consumers were thus misleading as a result of defendants’ conduct were sufficient to withstand a motion to dismiss. Further, the court rejected defendants’ contention that their conduct was protected by GBL § 349 (d), which provides immunity from liability if the conduct complies with Federal law regulating the area. Although defendants did make on-air sponsorship announcements when the paid-for programming was broadcast, such announcements only insulated the defendants from liability resulting from direct, traditional payola schemes. Defendants’ conduct had also allegedly been designed to deceive the electronic counters that monitored song popularity, and defendants had taken no steps to distinguish for the electronic “popularity” counters that tracked the frequency at which songs had been broadcast which songs were requested and which had been played for pay. Therefore, the court found, the radio stations had not complied with the Federal provision requiring the announcement of “payola.” The court also rejected defendants’ claim that they were exempt from liability under GBL § 349 (e), which protects mere passive purveyors of deceptive advertising. Defendants argued that to the extent that any conduct had been deceptive, it was the record companies that had paid for the programming, not the radio companies, that sought to deceive consumers. However, the court found that the deception was not in the content of the advertisement, but in the failure to inform the “listener” that what was being broadcast (the paid-for music) was, in effect, an advertisement. Finally, the court held that Executive Law § 63 (12) gave the Attorney General an independent cause of action to enjoin or seek damages for fraudulent and/or illegal acts, regardless of whether a separate cause of action could be pled under GBL § 349. Motion to dismiss denied. Spitzer v. Entercom Communications Corp., Index No. 401002/2006, 10/12/06 (Gammerman, JHO).
Tortious interference with prospective economic advantage. Banking. Fiduciary duty. Unjust enrichment. Misrepresentation.
Law suits were commenced involving a bank, its former employee, and others. Here, plaintiff had worked for defendant mortgage bank screening and referring loan applicants on commission. Later, plaintiff had managed a branch office opened by the bank, and plaintiff and an individual defendant had formed a management company on behalf of which plaintiff also sued. The equally-owned company had leased the premises in which the branch was located, later assigning the lease to the bank for one dollar per year but continuing to pay the rent. Plaintiff’s allegations included that he had spent $40,000 to open a Florida branch and train personnel there based on bank defendants’ promises that they were preparing a public offering, of which he would get 5%, and that he had been fired in the context of the bank and his co-owner conspiring to take his clients. Defendants said that plaintiff had alienated bank staff and customers. Considering plaintiffs’ claim of tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, the court noted that plaintiff was not a licensed mortgage broker entitled to contract to provide mortgage services. Plaintiff neither alleged that contracts had existed between himself or the management company and third parties, or that there had been proposed contracts. The claim was dismissed. Plaintiff alleged that the bank had had dominance over plaintiff and the management company and breached its fiduciary duty. The court noted that the bank’s relationship with the management company was not well defined. The relationship between the bank and individual plaintiff arose in an oral agreement that plaintiff would screen and refer loan applicants. According to documentation, the relationship was one of employer-employee, or at most the individual plaintiff was the bank’s independent contractor. Plaintiffs’ allegations that they had had to give full access to the management company’s records, including prospective customer lists, were merely consistent with these and with a conventional business relationship characterized by arms’ length bargaining. The claim was dismissed as against the bank defendants. On the other hand, plaintiff might have been owed a fiduciary duty by his co-owner since an equal shareholding relationship is akin to a partnership. The court noted that partners’ fiduciary relationship terminates upon notice of dissolution. Plaintiff alleged that his co-owner had negotiated with the bank defendants for a franchise in competition with the company, conspired with another defendant to open a business in competition with the company, and wrongfully copied and used the company’s materials and methods, and, further, plaintiff alleged that this behavior had begun before his termination. These sufficiently stated a cause of action against the co-owner. Plaintiff’s claim of unjust enrichment was dismissed as to one defendant not alleged to have sought the services bestowing benefit. Bank defendants argued that an express oral agreement precluded a quasi-contract claim, but plaintiff did not contend that there had been either an oral or written agreement; hence, further discovery was needed and the claim remained as against them. Plaintiff’s fraud claim alleged that the bank defendants had defrauded him of work and money in that they had never intended to make a public offering or give him stock. Defendants said that the claim arose out of a contractual relationship and could not be maintained absent allegation of a breach of duty apart from a contractual one. The court, however, found that absence of a contract claim necessarily prevented the fraud claim from being dismissed, and that since plaintiff alleged that the misrepresentations had continued into the present, further discovery was needed to see if it was time-barred. It remained for now. Other claims dismissed or withdrawn. Finally, the court ordered plaintiff to comply with discovery orders and promptly supply, among other things, the co-owned company’s corporate kit and documentation as to every mortgage commission claimed, or be precluded at trial from offering evidence of same. Gurevich v. Gelt Funding Corp., Index No. 28610/2005,10/25/06 (Demarest, J.).**
UCC; Art. 2A; finance leases; warranties. Procedure; provisional remedies; CPLR 7102; seizure.
Plaintiff, a finance lessor, moved for summary judgment against defendants for breach of a finance lease contract for photo printer equipment and default under a related personal guaranty. Plaintiff additionally moved to dismiss defendants' affirmative defenses and for an order prohibiting the removal, transfer, concealment, disposition, sale, pledging, and/or assignment of the leased equipment and directing the sheriff in the appropriate county to seize the equipment. The equipment at issue had been provided to defendants by a vendor, who was a third-party defendant in this action. Granting plaintiff's motion for summary judgment, the court held that UCC 2A-103(g) insulated a financial lessor from the warranties made by the vendor where, as here, defendants had selected the equipment and vendor, paid the vendor a down payment, and entered into a lease with plaintiff merely to finance the transaction. The court found that plaintiff had established entitlement to judgment by submitting the lease and proof of default. Even if the equipment were defective, as defendants contended, the finance lease expressly disclaimed any express or implied warranty, and plaintiff had the right to enforce the lease regardless of defendants' disputes with the supplier of the equipment concerning the supplier’s separate warranty. As for the lease’s disclaimer of warranty, the court agreed with defendants that the disclaimer was not conspicuous, as would ordinarily be required by UCC 2-316. However, because the action involved a finance lease, those requirements were superseded by UCC 2-A-214, pursuant to which no bold typeface or capital letters were required to exclude implied warranties so long as the lease stated that the equipment was being accepted “as is.” The court granted plaintiff’s motion to dismiss defendants’ affirmative defense that plaintiff was barred from recovery because the vendor had defaulted under its contract with defendants by providing defective equipment; plaintiff had made no representations or warranties to defendants regarding the equipment and the finance lease was independent of the agreement between the vendor and the lessee. Finally, the court found that the lease gave plaintiff the right to repossess the equipment in the event of a default, and thus held that plaintiff was entitled to an order prohibiting the removal, sale or assignment of the equipment and an order directing the sheriff to seize the equipment. Direct Capital Corp. v. New ABI Inc., Index No. 5675/2006, 10/4/06 (Demarest, J.). **
CAUTION: This collection of opinions is not part of the official reports. These opinions have not been edited and the final version of any of them that are published in the official reports may differ from the text as it appears on this website. These opinions are not available for publication in any official or unofficial reports, except the New York Law Journal, without the approval of the State Reporter or the Committee on Opinions.
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Parish of Our Lady of Fatima
Catholics in Nizhny Tagil, Russia
Руско
Celebrating Ten Years
Lazarists in Russia
Map of Parish
Jesuit Joseph Spilmann in his «Travel through Asia» (Durch Asien, 1896) wrote about the first possible lazarist in Russia who was a Pole. This young lazarist, as well as other Polish rebels, was exiled to the lake Baikal region. Nothing more is known about him or any of his friends. (Maybe, one can find some information about it in Polish archives).
After communism falling in Soviet Union the basic structures of Catholic Church in Russia were formed and two bishops were appointed: one appeared in Moscow for the European part of Russia and the other was in Novosibirsk for the Asian part of the country.
Jesuit bishop Joseph Vert became the apostolic administrator in Novosibirsk. Soon he addressed to bishops in Europe and to priors of various orders with a request to send priests and monks for his extensive diocese which stretched from the Ural Mountains to the Sea of Japan. Thus, the general superior of the Missionary society decided to send brothers to Siberia. The first of them, the Irish brother Paul Roch, arrived in Russia in 1995 to look for a place to start the missionary work. Then, in August of the same year, the general assistant Italo Zedde accompanied by the Polish visitator Holubiski Karol visited the bishop in Novosibirsk. After that the Chief Rector of Missionary congregation wrote a letter recommending brethren to respond to missionary work in Siberia. Tomaz Mavric (Slovenia), Matej Kuchak and Kshishtof Varian (Poland) were chosen to work in Russia. The bishop chose Nizhniy Tagil in the northern part of the Ural Mountains as the centre of the work. Our two brothers (Mavric Т and M. Kuchak) arrived to Nizhniy Tagil on the 12 th of August, 1997 to live in a Catholic family. Tomaz Mavric became the pastor of the newly-built house.
A year later the brothers bought an apartment in a block of flats in the eastern part of the city in district “Vagonka”. On May, 13th, 1997 (the day of Our Lady of Fatima) the charitable organization “Renovabis” constructed a church and it was also devoted to this secret. Bishop J. Vert appointed Tomaz Mavric the pastor of the parish of Our Lady of Fatima in Nizhniy Tagil. Thirteen months later after the first arrival the third lazarist Krishtof Varian joined them. Next month, on the 10th of October, 1998, a lazarist from Slovenia, Lojze Letonja, who had been the missioner in Madagascar for thirteen years, came here. By the end of April, 1999 Lojze Letonja had stayed in Novosibirsk, where he lived in the house of the bishop and studied Russian.
At the Easter time of 1999 two brothers – Krishtof Varian and Lojze Letonja settled in Severouralsk, and the bishop J. Vert organized two new parishes in Severouralsk and Krasnoturyinsk. The brothers bought apartment in a block of flats in Severouralsk now they could gather the faithfuls in the hall of the house of Culture or in the apartment of one of Catholics on Sundays. One year later they bought two apartments in the inhabited block of flats in Severouralsk, and in Krasnoturyinsk where Catholics could gather for a liturgy. During his pastoral visit the bishop J. Vert blest the new chapel in Severouralsk in honour of St. Barbara, the patroness of miners, and the chapel in Krasnoturyinsk was blessed in honour of St. Vincent dе Paul on May, 20 th, 2001.
On the 18 th of April, 2000 three sisters of Mercy from Slovakia came to Nizhniy Tagil. Now they are engaged in charities: visit sick people, take care of neglected children, communicate with the youth and take part in liturgy.
On the 1 st of January, 2001 the new vice-province of St. Cyril’s and Methodija appeared in Kiev, in Ukraine and Paul Roach from the Irish province became its vice-visitator. Brothers from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine belong to this vice-province.
As it has its own institutions and administration, the vice-visitator appointed the pastor of Nizhni Tagil, Tomazh Mavrich, the director of novitiate. He had to go to Ireland for one year to prepare for this work that he should begin in September, 2002. The second brother, Mathew К , was sent to Kharkov in Ukraine in November, 2001. Thus, the brother Letonja Lojze moved to Nizhni Tagil and became the pastor of the parish and the community.
On November, 13 th, 2001 Anton Ovtar (Slovenia) who had been the priest in Toronto, Canada came to work here as the assistant to the pastor. Krishtof Varian served in the north, in Severouralsk and Krasnoturyinsk he was a member of the house in Nizhni Tagil as well.
In 2003 Krishtof Varian left for Germany to work there and Robert took his place.
In July, 2008 Lojze Letonja moved to Europe and Anatoly Tovkan (Ukraine, Zakrpatie) replaced him in October, 2008.
On September, 13th, 2009 Paul Rouch returned to the Urals and Tomazh Mavrich became the vice-visitator. Anatoly Tovkan was directed to Kiev to work with seminarians.
In September 2010, Adam Stroczynski(Poland) came to help us. He moved to Ukraine in September 2013. On his place came Antonio Jedinak. He left Nizhniy Tagil in Avgust 26 2018. He got a new place in Perechin in Ukraina.
On mart of 3rd 2011, s. Miriam Juskova (Slovakia) came to help our sisters. Sisters opened a new house in Omsk around the Pasha. Ss. Mihaela Dubenova and Antonia Lednicka mouved there; a new sister, Denisa, came from Slovakia to help them. In 2018 came s. Zdislava.
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This painting by Meinrad Craighead is my favorite. I love her mystical artwork that celebrates the divine feminine and animal spirits, particularly those that inhabit the New Mexico land near the Rio Grande, where she lives.
I recently saw the documentary film about her life called Praying With Images last week, a beautiful biographical portrait of a woman’s life, an artist’s life, lived on her own terms. She came from Little Rock, Arkansas, where she had her first mystical experience of the sacred feminine as a child. Her family then moved to Chicago, where she began exploring her art in earnest. After she graduated from college, she traveled through Europe, living for a while in a beautiful tower in Spain on an art scholarship. She decided to become a Benedictine nun and lived for 14 years at Stanbrook Abbey in England, where she was given her own studio. While she enjoyed the monastic life, she left it behind in the 1960s and moved to a place near Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she has lived alone, taught art, and produced most of her deepest work.
She says, “I drew from my own myth of personal origin; each picture is a realization of this story and is connected to the ancient images of the God Mother in art and mythology.”
I had the pleasure of meeting Meinrad after the film and hearing her speak a bit about her life and her art. I asked about this painting, Wisdom, drawn as I am to the owl. She said the owl represented the nocturnal, the ability to see in the darkness, and find what you are looking for there. The mandala below it shows the three phases of the moon with the image of the crossroads, which she identified by a particular term, but I don’t recall the word for it. I tried looking for it in my books of symbols, but couldn’t find it. (If anyone knows what it is called, please let me know.) Nonetheless, she identified it as the point in the woods where the road diverges. We talked about the goddess, Hecate, representing the crossroads, being the personification of the triple goddess (it has many meanings: maiden, mother, crone; land, sea, sky; past, present, future; waxing, waning, and full moon, etc). By the way, Hecate is more often associated with the crone, representing wisdom, repose, death, and endings symbolized by the waning moon. The tri-sected circle and the owl are illuminated by the full moon behind it.
I think that Meinrad’s crone wisdom shines through in this amazing work, done with pen and ink and acrylic on scratch board.
I am also including her painting, Crow Mother Between the Two Moons. It seems we share a common interest in the teachings of owl and crow.
In Myth, Totem Aninals Tags crow, Meinrad Craighead, Myth, owl, spirit guides, totem animals
Mother Musings II
On Thursday, I am going to see a documentary about this artist, Meinrad Craighead, who was once a nun and then devoted the rest of her life to creating sacred images of nature and the feminine. I’m drawn to this painting called Mother and Daughter, which clearly was inspired by the myth of Demeter and Persephone. It is said that you can't know Persephone without an understanding of Demeter and you can't know Demeter without knowing Persephone. I think this is true of all mothers and daughters, even when we don't want it to be. As daughters, we can try to disown parts of the mother we don't like, but unless we do it consciously, healing the wounds rather than covering them or pushing them down out of sight, they become our shadow aspects. And you know that little poem by Robert Louis Stevenson that goes,
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, And what can be the use of [her] is more than I can see. [She] is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; And I see [her] jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
The funniest thing about [her] is the way [she] likes to grow-- Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow; For [she] sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball, And [she] sometimes goes so little that there's none of [her] at all.
[She] hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play, And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way. [She] stays so close behind me, [she's] a coward you can see; I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!
One morning, very early, before the sun was up, I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup; But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.
This is the problem with our shadow aspect—it never really goes away; it just dogs us until we do something about it, essentially face it, work with it, and integrate it. Otherwise, it keeps popping up when we least expect it and we end up making fools of ourselves, as in, “Oops, how did that slip out?” Or, “I always swore I’d never say that to my child. I sound just like my mother!” Of course, sometimes it’s this very trickster-like element that allows us to heal—kind of like looking in a funhouse mirror. We recognize our mother in the reflection of our own distorted image and we cringe. What to do?
Once we have dealt with the pain and the wounding through grief work (and I’ve done a lot of that), I think all we can do is just notice, laugh, and embrace it. For we can never really put the shadow to bed. It is our teacher, and so our mother is our teacher, and our grandmother, and all of our ancestors that speak down through the generations to remind us who we are. As well as being part of a particular family with all its foibles and flaws, we are also part of the human race, fallible and imperfect. We are not gods, but we are enough. It is enough to be a human being who stumbles, who doesn’t always get it right, who doesn’t need to prove anything-- even that I am not my mother. But I am my mother’s daughter.
So when I take in this painting of Mother and Daughter I see the reflection and the opposites; one can’t exist without the other. It’s a little cosmological joke. It reminds me, once again, to accept, to embrace, to love life, and the one (and many) who gave it to me.
In Myth, personal Tags daughter, Demeter, goddess, grief, healing, Meinrad Craighead, mother, Persephone, shadow, trickster
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Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6 Episode 7 Episode 8 Episode 9 Episode 10 Episode 11 Episode 12 Episode 13 Episode 14 Episode 15 Episode 16 Episode 17 Episode 18 Episode 19 Episode 20 Episode 21 Episode 22 Episode 23
After a particle accelerator causes a freak storm, CSI Investigator Barry Allen is struck by lightning and falls into a coma. Months later he awakens with the power of super speed, granting him the ability to move through Central City like an unseen guardian angel. Though initially excited by his newfound powers, Barry is shocked to discover he is not the only “meta-human” who was created in the wake of the accelerator explosion — and not everyone is using their new powers for good. Barry partners with S.T.A.R. Labs and dedicates his life to protect the innocent. For now, only a few close friends and associates know that Barry is literally the fastest man alive, but it won’t be long before the world learns what Barry Allen has become…The Flash.
Director: Andrew Kreisberg, Geoff Johns
Actors: Candice Patton, Carlos Valdes, Chris Klein, Danielle Nicolet, Danielle Panabaker, Grant Gustin, Hartley Sawyer, Jesse L. Martin, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Tom Cavanagh
Studio: Berlanti Productions, DC Entertainment, Mad Ghost Productions, Warner Bros. Television
Networks: The CW
James “Ghost” St. Patrick has it all: a beautiful wife, a gorgeous Manhattan penthouse, and the hottest, up-and-coming new nightclub in New York. His club, Truth, caters to the elite:…
Watch SeriesFavorite
43,60 min
A streetwise hustler is pulled into a compelling conspiracy after witnessing the suicide of a girl who looks just like her.
Based on the books by Kass Morgan, this show takes place 100 years in the future, when the Earth has been abandoned due to radioactivity. The last surviving humans live…
Spoiled billionaire playboy Oliver Queen is missing and presumed dead when his yacht is lost at sea. He returns five years later a changed man, determined to clean up the…
Genre: Action & Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Twenty years after graduation, a tight-knit group of college friends reconnects and discovers that love hasn’t gotten easier with age.
Twenty-four-year-old Kara Zor-El, who was taken in by the Danvers family when she was 13 after being sent away from Krypton, must learn to embrace her powers after previously hiding…
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction
A contemporary and culturally resonant drama about a young programmer, Elliot, who suffers from a debilitating anti-social disorder and decides that he can only connect to people by hacking them….
After a teenage girl’s perplexing suicide, a classmate receives a series of tapes that unravel the mystery of her tragic choice.
Two strangers are drawn to a mysterious pharmaceutical trial that will, they’re assured, with no complications or side-effects whatsoever, solve all of their problems, permanently. Things do not go as…
Status: Planned
Danny Rand resurfaces 15 years after being presumed dead. Now, with the power of the Iron Fist, he seeks to reclaim his past and fulfill his destiny.
A vast international plot explodes when a beautiful Jane Doe is discovered naked in Times Square, completely covered in mysterious, intricate tattoos with no memory of who she is or…
A preacher sets out on a mission to make the almighty himself confess his sin of abandoning the world. With his best friend Cassidy, an alcoholic Irish vampire, his love…
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Trailer: The Flash
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Yellowstone National Park, WY
Welcome to Yellowstone National Park!
Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is America's first national park. Located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, it is home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk. Preserved within Yellowstone National Park are Old Faithful and a collection of the world's most extraordinary geysers and hot springs, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Lodging Camping Restaurants Shopping Parking
From I-90 West: North Entrance - Near the gateway community of Gardiner, MT, the North Entrance is the only park entrance open to wheeled vehicles all year. November through April, the North Entrance provides the only access to Cooke City, MT. US Highway 212 east of Cooke City is closed to wheeled vehicles November through April. The road from Mammoth to Norris is open to wheeled vehicles from the third Friday in April through the first Sunday in November, and to tracked oversnow vehicles usually from the third Monday in December to the Monday of the first full week in March. Services are available year around. West Entrance - Adjacent to the town of West Yellowstone, MT, the West Entrance is open to wheeled vehicles from the third Friday in April through the first Sunday in November, and to tracked oversnow vehicles from the third Monday in December o the Monday of the second full week in March. Services are available year around. South & East Entrances - Open to wheeled vehicles from the second Friday of May through the first Sunday in November, and to tracked oversnow vehicles from the third Monday in December to the Monday of the second full week in March. Limited services are available near the South and East Entrances. Northeast Entrance - Near the gateway communities of Silver Gate and Cooke City, MT, this entrance is open year around for wheeled vehicle access to Cooke City through Gardiner, MT and the North Entrance. Opening dates for roads east of Cooke City vary from year to year, depending on the weather. The Beartooth Highway is open from late May/early June (weather dependent) to mid October. Storms occasionally temporarily close the Beartooth Highway during this "open" period. Services are available year around.
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UPDATE: Man jailed after girlfriend's 18-month-old nephew found
UPDATE: Man jailed after girlfriend's 18-month-old nephew found dead
Thursday, July 11, 2019 8:05 AM EDT
Thursday, July 11, 2019 5:49 PM EDT
DALLAS (AP) - Police say the body of an 18-month-old boy has been found in a Dallas-area landfill a day after he was the subject of a statewide Amber alert was issued.
Sedrick Johnson, the boyfriend of Cedrick Jackson's aunt and caregiver, has been arrested and charged with serious injury to a child. Dallas police Sgt. Vincent Weddington told reporters Thursday that other charges are pending the results of an autopsy.
Weddington says Johnson, who's 27, told police that he had placed the child in a dumpster. Weddington says the remains were found late Thursday morning at a landfill in nearby Rowlett, where the dumpster had been emptied at least twice.
The child's aunt called police Wednesday morning to report her nephew missing and had possibly been abducted.
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How science can help cities prepare for attacks on metro systems
April 6, 2017 - 06:20
OPINION: Whatever preparations metro authorities make for disasters, they can consider their passengers to be part of their solution. They need to design the tunnel environment for the people, not the people for the environment.
Keywords: Terrorism
By: Enrico Ronchi, Lund University, Daniel Nilsson, Lund University
(Illustrative photo: Colourbox)
Tokyo, Moscow, Madrid, London, Brussels, and now St Petersburg. These major cities have all suffered attacks on their metro systems. The most recent events in St Petersburg, where a metro bombing killed at least 14 people, remind us of the challenges faced by underground transport systems in keeping people safe during an emergency. This is where engineering and psychology research can come in useful, helping to optimise evacuation procedures using insight into how people behave.
To start with, there are several key ways that evacuating an underground system differs from evacuating a building. Underground environments are often unfamiliar to the evacuees, especially if the evacuation has to start in the tunnels between stations. The system’s enclosed nature also means visibility can rapidly deteriorate from smoke. Tunnels are generally not divided into separate sections to stop smoke spreading, which allows it to rapidly fill all spaces.
This can cause a number of problems when it comes to evacuating passengers. Evacuation slows down when visibility is poor and people cannot fully rely on what they can see to help them get out. Smoke can also obscure signs and other visual instructions, making it difficult for people to locate the closest emergency exit. For this reason, evacuees often rely on alternative senses such as hearing or touch to find their way to safety. This is why auditory alarms and hand rails can be much more useful.
Another reason these kind of guides and information are needed is because people tend to move towards familiar places or people in an emergency. For example, if someone is looking for a way out of a metro system, they may well try to get back to where they came in. But in many instances, closer emergency exits may be available in the tunnels. These exits often lead to safety in a significantly shorter time.
Similarly, people’s attention can narrow to focus on immediate threats rather than analysing all the information available to them, especially when they are under pressure to escape as quickly as possible. This is where social influence can come in. If one person can find a quicker evacuation route, their interaction with other evacuees can help spread this information and help everyone get out quicker.
At a more fundamental level, the design of the tunnels and trains can lead to significant safety improvements. Experimental research has shown the effectiveness of an evacuation from a metro train depends on the configuration of the train door and the space available after getting out of it. This can include the presence of a height gap between the train doors and the outside floor and narrow spaces for evacuation in the tunnels.
The height gap in particular, which can be up to 1.4 metres, can be a major obstacle during evacuation, slowing down the flow of people out of the train. It may also mean that some evacuees, particularly children and older people, may not be able to evacuate on their own. This height difference can make it even more important that the driver manages to get the train to a station, as the driver in the St Petersburg attack did – despite the fact the bomb went off inside a tunnel. This likely led to a quicker evacuation and less severe consequences.
It’s worth also considering that people are often a lot more rational than you might think in a disaster. Media reports often use the ambiguous word “panic”, suggesting irrational and competitive (anti-social) behaviour. But investigations of disasters have demonstrated that people actually tend to act rationally and in a non-competitive way.
In fact, people often tend to help each other in emergencies, including during metro train evacuations. For example, footage from the St Petersburg bombing shows people trying to help others get out of the attacked trains, and similar altruistic behaviours have been observed in several other disasters. So whatever preparations metro authorities make for disasters, they can consider their passengers to be part of their solution. They need to design the tunnel environment for the people, not the people for the environment.
Enrico Ronchi, Associate Senior Lecturer in Evacuation Modelling, Lund University and Daniel Nilsson, Senior Lecturer, Lund University
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Osteoarthritis | RNEBiofarma.com Osteoarthritis – RNEBiofarma.com
OA is one of the most common diseases in the world, whose frequency increases progressively with age, although the mechanisms by which this correlation occurs are not fully understood yet. In fact it affects 80% of people over the age of 65 and therefore represents the most frequent cause of disability.
According to observational studies on population, 52% of adults in Western nations, have a minimum or a major radiological change of OA in the hands, feet , or both conditions with moderate to severe OA for an additional 21%. However, from studies in many populations is clear that over 50% of individuals that show radiographic changes, have no symptoms.
OA affects all people regardless of race, geographic location or climate. However, the course of the disease can vary in different ethnic groups. For example, the disease of the hip is less common in people of Chinese origin and/or Asian compared to those of Western origin.
This condition occurs when one or more causes associated with each of them activate a slow, progressive and irreversible alteration of the bearing structures of the joint, in particular cartilage and subchondral bone.
There are several risk factors that may contribute to the onset of this disease and are divided into:
Endogenous risk factors
A strong genetic component seems to be present, especially among women. The rate of OA is approximately double in first-degree relatives of people with OA compared to the population. From studies on twins it is estimated that the genetic influence is 35-65%.
It is closely associated with the risk of OA. The prevalence of OA increases almost exponentially after 50 years since the articular cartilage undergoes physiological aging and tends to wear out.
Sex and hormonal factors
The OA is more frequent in women than in men. This frequency is more evident after age 55 in women, while up to 45 years most commonly affects men. In the latter, the precocious onset can be traced in employment, whereas in women most often after the age of 50 could be due to alterations in bone metabolism due to hormonal changes. In fact, there is evidence that women undergoing hormone therapy have fewer hip and knee OA than those who do not follow it.
Exogenous risk factors
They are certainly factors that favor the onset of OA especially in load-bearing joints. The frequency of cases of OA among obeses increases with age to a greater extent than the increase of cases in the normal population. It is probably that obesity leads to an alteration of cartilage metabolism which can promote the onset of arthritic damage.
Physical factors and employment
The individuals with congenital malformations (eg, abnormal alignment of the knees) or acquired (injury to the meniscus or ligaments as a result of accidents or surgical procedures) perform movements not correct for the articulation and have more likely to develop OA. In fact, there is evidence that a previous fracture is a risk factor for OA. Even an excessive load on the joints because of a job or a too intense sport over time can cause the onset of OA. It has been estimated that at least half of all cases of knee OA is probably caused by obesity, injury, by work or by a combination of these factors.
Many factors appear to be associated with the beginning of the pathological process, while others are involved in the progression of the disease.
Pathophysiology of Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis initially occurs with regressive lesions of the joints (loss of cartilage that covers the articular heads) caused by different factors and by enzymes that attack the cartilage through a metabolically active process that involves all the structures of the cartilage. During the early stages of the disease anabolic repair processes are predominant, wich offset the damage of cartilage, then the balance tilts in favor of degenerative catabolic processes.
The first alteration that can be detected is the loss of elasticity. The cartilage softens and its surface becomes irregular and jagged called “fibrillation”. These changes are then reflected in a loss of cartilage matrix which causes an increased friction when the joint surfaces rub against each other during movement. Tis friction in turn can lead to the formation of cracks which are the first step towards the total destruction in that area. When the cartilage breaks down completely on both surfaces, it has the rubbing of bones during movement that determines considerable pain and functional limitation. The deterioration of the cartilage at the end of the bones also causes a weakening of the muscles, tendons and ligaments that support the joint. Chondrocytes, the cells that produce cartilage tissue, decrease and the detritus formed by the degeneration of the tissue are phagocytosed by osteoclasts, which release substances that induce a local inflammation that goes further damage to the cartilage until its total disappearance. We have therefore changes in the surrounding bone, periarticular osteophytes, dystrophies. The process can be accelerated by overweight, joint injury, inadequate diet and poor or inadequate exercise. The cartilage being devoid of blood vessels, is normally nourished by the synovial fluid produced by the synovial membrane, the inner lining of the joint capsule, highly vascularized. In case of OA may be thickening and inflammation of the synovial membrane with increased production of this fluid that can cause swelling of the joint. This fluid is more diluted and less viscous and rich of cartilage fragments decomposed and molecules that promote inflammation, which constitute real biological marker of the pathological process.
Clinical condition
The clinical condition of osteoarthritis is characterized by its polymorphism. Pain, functional limitation and morning stiffness are the most characteristic clinical manifestations. The occurrence of episodes of acute inflammation may then be the result of microtrauma, functional overload and/or a concomitant pathology by microcrystals (eg . Gout). The clinical evidence of Osteoarthritis appears with pain that is initially mild, more frequent in the hours following the awakening (due to immobility) and in those that precede the rest (due to joint fatigue). The pain is not derived from the joint, which is devoid of nerve endings, but from inflammation of the synovial membrane, from stretching of the ligaments and joint capsule, from bone micro-fractures etc. The symptoms are exacerbated with the progression of the disease, causing continuous pain and reduction or inhibition of motor abilities. In the early stages of the disease the functional limitation is closely linked to pain and the resulting degree of disability is of particular importance when the weight-bearing joints (hip and knee) are affected. Morning stiffness is generally of short duration and is characterized by a feeling of weakness, subsidence and insecurity at the beginning of the movement after a more or less prolonged period of rest, typical expression of osteoarthritis of the weight-bearing joints.
Localization of osteoarthritis
The joint sites that may be affected by OA are numerous. In general it appears that, in relation to age, some joints are affected with a particular frequency. Under the age of 30 is early affected the vertebral column; after the age of 30 is more affected the knee joint; after the age of 40 are more affected hand, hip and foot joints.
Knee (Gonarthrosis)
It is the site most affected by OA because of the load that is subject to joint. The knee becomes stiff, swollen and painful, making walking difficult. If left untreated it can lead to disability. In severe cases, prosthetic replacement is required
Hip (Coxarthrosis)
It cause pain (hip, groin, gluteal, knee and inner thigh) stiffness and severe disability. When the pain becomes unbearable and not relieved through other methods the prosthetic replacement is required.
Shoulder (Shoulder joint osteoarthrosis)
It affects mostly the elderly population. It causes pain in the joint and muscles affected more intense in the morning, which is attenuated during rest. The functionality is however limited.
It seems to be related to hereditary factors. It affects more men than women, especially after menopause. Small protuberances or nodules are formed on the ends of the fingers that cause pain and stiffness.
Spine (Spondylarthrosis)
It causes stiffness and pain in the neck or in the lumbar region, with tiredness and numbness of arms and legs. In more severe cases, surgery is used to restore functionality.
Usually, little attention is devoted to early diagnosis of osteoarthritis and to the identification of pre-arthritic conditions that may occur many years before the real disease through the identification of a well-defined symptoms (muscle hypotonia, painful joint laxity, tendon alterations, easy fatigue, overweight, widespread myalgias etc.). There is the attitude to accept osteoarthritis as an almost obvious and inevitable component of aging. In the case of weight-bearing joints, however, it would be appropriate that early diagnosis became a prime target for the doctor and the patient in order to develop prevention strategies whose effectiveness is obviously subject to the timeliness of their adoption.
The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is based in each case on the simultaneous presence of clinical and radiological expressions indicative of pathology. So far, in fact, are not found abnormalities of laboratory data useful for diagnostic purposes for the monitoring of the disease.
Diagnostic methods
The main diagnostic methods are therefore:
Radiological examination
It is able to put in evidence in the affected joints the main expressions of the arthritic process (joint space narrowing, presence of osteophytes, subchondral osteoclerosis, geoid etc.)
Articular ultrasound
It is a method that can provide useful information for early diagnosis and for monitoring the evolution of osteoarthritis
Use of high frequency probes
They allows a reliable exploration of the articular cartilage
Bone scan
It is in first place because it can provide different pictures at the same joint
It may be useful to reveal the presence of synovitis
It can provide a useful contribution to the diagnosis of Osteoarthritis
It allows to have an accurate assessment of the state of the joint cartilage that appears as a thin and hyperdense line, but this procedure is still little used for the high costs
Currently there is no method to treat or stop the progression of osteoartthritis. However, the most effective solution is a multidisciplinary approach with the purpose of controlling pain, improve joint function and quality of life of patient, possibly trying to contain the side effects caused by the treatment itself.
Generally the treatment varies depending on the joint involved and the pathological stage reached.
NSAIDs, COX-2 and Paracetamol
They are often used as anti-inflammatory and to reduce pain. They represent a valuable method for the symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis because they reduce pain, facilitate movement and reduce the progression of damage, but they should be used with caution because of their poor tolerability.
It has been observed that women who have used oral estrogen as hormone replacement therapy decrease the risk of developing OA. However, further studies are needed to confirm this.
Intra-articular injections (hyaluronic acid, corticosteroids)
They are an effective method for the treatment of osteoarthritis as locally potentiate the pharmacological action also decreasing the side effects, however, not all joints are simple to infiltrate. For many patients constitutes an interesting alternative to drug treatment or surgery, in particular in subjects at high risk of side effects to the use of NSAIDs or in which the surgery is contraindicated.
Non-conventional Treatment
Acupuncture and Natural Remedies
Through the insertion of needles into specific points on the body, there is probably the release of endorphinic natural substances that relieve pain. It may represent an additional treatment in the treatment of OA but has not yet been shown the effective utility.
Using Nutritional Supplements
Different studies have shown that certain nutrients such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, components of normal cartilage, lead to an improvement of symptoms in patients with OA due to their chondroprotection activities.
Surgical Treatment
Through adequate surgical instruments inserted into the joint, it allows the surgeon to look the joint structures without having to open or cut muscles or ligaments. It Therefore it allows to determine the structural damage and possibly also remove fragments of damaged tissue that may lead to blockage of the joint and cause pain.
Osteotomy
This surgical technique allows to change the angle of the tibia and femur in the knee joint to reduce the load and consequently the pain. It is usually done in young subjects with OA at an early stage and allows to postpone replacement prosthetic surgery.
It allows to lock the joint in one position, eliminating the pain associated with movement but also excluding the joint functionality. It is little used after the development of replacement surgery (Prosthesis).
Prosthesis or Arthroplasty
It allows to replace the damaged joint with an artificial one. Sometimes it represents the only method to restore the joint functionality in cases of advanced OA, and it is often an intervention that lasts a lifetime.
Bioengineering interventions (Chondrocyte transplantation/stem cells)
It consists in removing cells from a healthy part of the body and repositioning in the damaged area to increase its functionality. It is currently used for minor injuries or defects in cartilage.
Preventive Strategies
A few simple precautions may be important to limit the evolution of joint damage and reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis. These measures should be assessed for each case, in relation to the patient’s general conditions, the location and severity of the disease. These treatments indicated in cases of more moderate OA, have no contraindications and can reduce pain and improve muscle trophism, but has not yet been demonstrated their effectiveness on the evolution of the disease.
Patient Education through the reduction and control of body weight. This is a predisposing and aggravating factor for many forms of osteoarthritis, due to overload functiona that require weight-bearing joints. A gradual reduction in body weight in relation to age, general condition of the subject and any associated diseases, is a very important factor necessary to not nullify the effects of other therapies.
Treat any vascular disorders since insufficiency of the venous effluent circulation from lower limbs is frequently associated with osteoarthritis of foot and knee.
Physical Therapy and proper exercise to strengthen joint and keep it moving and to avoid taking any unsuitable postures, attitudes and wrong movements that may contribute to the onset of articular degeneration and the process of osteoarthritis over time.
Protection of the joint by reducing its load, proper footwear, crutches and protections.
Regular rest to avoid over-exertion.
Journal of Orthopedic Trauma
Ligamentous Lisfranc Injury: A Biomechanical Comparison of Dorsal Plate Fixation and Transarticular Screws July 1, 2019
Objectives: Optimal fixation technique after purely ligamentous Lisfranc injury remains controversial. This biomechanical study compares dorsal plate versus transarticular screw fixation by measuring dorsal and plantar joint diastasis. A unique protocol was developed, using reflective triad markers and positional cameras. Methods: Eleven cadaveric matched pairs were assigned to either transarticular screw or dorsal plate fixation. […]
A Percutaneous Threaded Wire as a Clamp Technique for Avoiding Wedge Deformity While Nailing Intertrochanteric Femur Fractures July 1, 2019
Summary: Hip fractures are common injuries managed by the orthopaedic surgeon, and within the umbrella of hip fractures, intertrochanteric femur fractures constitute a significant portion of these injuries. Recent trends have shown an increased usage of cephalomedullary nails for these injuries. A known potential complication of this technique is the generation of a wedge deformity […]
A Systematic Review and Standardized Comparison of Available Evidence for Outcome Measures Used to Evaluate Proximal Humerus Fracture Patients July 1, 2019
Objectives: To summarize and appraise any patient-reported or clinician-measured outcome measures based on their measurement properties in proximal humerus fracture patients. Data Sources and Study Selection: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL were searched from January 2000 to August 2018 to identify all studies of proximal humerus fracture patients that reported a measurement property evaluation of an […]
Uncemented Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty as Initial Treatment for Comminuted Proximal Humerus Fractures July 1, 2019
Objectives: To determine whether uncemented implants would provide similar outcomes while avoiding the complications associated with cement in the treatment of elderly patients with proximal humerus fractures (PHFs) with primary reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA). Design: Case series. Setting: A single Level I trauma center. Patients/Participants: A prospectively obtained cohort of 30 patients who underwent […]
Functional Outcomes After Muscle-Sparing Fixation of Flail Chest Injuries July 1, 2019
Objectives: To present outcomes in a multicenter review of a large number of flail chest patients. Design: Retrospective case series. Setting: One urban Level I and 1 urban Level II trauma center. Patients/Participants: Fifty-two adult patients who underwent treatment of their flail chest injury with locking plate and screw constructs through muscle-sparing approaches, followed for […]
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Tag: The Jack Benny Program
Mel Blanc – Man of a Thousand Voices!
Man of a Thousand Voices - Mel Blanc
Born on May 30th 1908, Mel Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. He began his six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, but Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros. during the “Golden Age of American animation” (and later for Hanna-Barbera television productions) as the voice of such well-known characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Bird, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote, Woody Woodpecker, Barney Rubble, Mr. Spacely, Speed Buggy, Captain Caveman, Heathcliff, Speedy Gonzales, Elmer Fudd and hundreds of others. Having earned the nickname “The Man of a Thousand Voices,” Blanc is regarded as one of the most influential people in the voice-acting industry.
Blanc was born Melvin Jerome Blank in San Francisco, California, to Frederick and Eva Blank. He grew up in Portland, Oregon, attending Lincoln High School. He claimed that when he was 16, he changed the spelling from “Blank” to “Blanc” because a teacher told him that he would amount to nothing and be, like his name, a “blank”. Blanc joined The Order of DeMolay as a young man, and was eventually inducted into its Hall of Fame.
Radio Career
Melvin Jerome Blank aka Mel Blanc
Blanc began his radio career in 1927 as a voice actor on the KGW program The Hoot Owls, where his ability to provide voices for multiple characters first attracted attention. He moved to KEX in 1933 to produce and host his Cobweb And Nuts show which lasted for two-years.
Blanc then moved to KFWB in Hollywood, California, in 1935. He joined The Johnny Murray Show, but the following
year switched to CBS Radio and The Joe Penner Show. Blanc was a regular on the The Jack Benny Program in various roles, including voicing Benny’s Maxwell automobile (in desperate need of a tune-up), violin teacher Professor LeBlanc, Polly the Parrot, Benny’s pet polar bear Carmichael, the tormented department store clerk, and the train announcer .
One of Blanc’s most memorable characters from Benny’s radio (and later TV) programs was “Sy, the Little Mexican”, who spoke one word at a time. The famous “Sí…Sy…sew…Sue” routine was so effective that no matter how many times it was performed, the laughter was always there, thanks to the comedic timing of Blanc and Benny.
Benny’s writers would regularly try to “stump” Blanc by asking him to perform supposedly impossible vocal effects and characterizations, such as an “English horse whinny” and a goldfish. For the latter, Mel walked up to the microphone and pursed his lips several times, making no noise.
The Mel Blanc Show
Blanc’s success on The Jack Benny Program led to his own radio show on the CBS Radio Network, The Mel Blanc Show, which ran from September 3, 1946, to June 24, 1947. Blanc played himself as the hapless owner of a fix-it shop, as well as his young cousin Zookie (who sounded quite a bit like Porky Pig).
Many episodes required Mel to impersonate an exotic foreigner or other stranger in town, ostensibly for carrying out a minor deception on his girlfriend’s father, but of course simply as a vehicle for him to show off his talents. Other regular characters were played by Mary Jane Croft, Joseph Kearns, Hans Conried, Alan Reed, Earle Ross, Jim Backus, Bea Benaderet and The Sportsmen Quartet, who would supply a song and sing the Colgate Tooth Powder commercials. (Blanc would later work with Reed and Benaderet on The Flintstones.) Shows usually adhered to a predictable formula, involving a date with his girl Betty Colby (Mary Jane Croft) and trying to either impress her father or at least avoid angering him. However, Mr. Colby (Earle Ross) usually had occasion to deliver his trademark line, “Mel Blanc, I’m going to break every bone in your body!”
Mel's Girlfriend played by Mary Jane Croft
Blanc also appeared frequently on The Great Gildersleeve, the Abbott and Costello Show, Burns and Allen, and as August Moon on Point Sublime.
For his contribution to radio, Mel Blanc has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6385 Hollywood Boulevard.
Blanc died on July 10, 1989 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California of heart disease and emphysema. He was interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California. Blanc’s will stated his desire to have the inscription on his gravestone read, “THAT’S ALL FOLKS.”
Blanc’s death was considered a significant loss to the cartoon industry because of his skill, expressive range, and sheer volume of continuing characters he portrayed, which are currently taken up by several other voice talents.
Indeed, as movie critic Leonard Maltin once pointed out, “It is astounding to realize that Tweety Bird and Yosemite Sam are the same man!”
Listen to the amazing voices of Mel Blanc on the American Comedy Channel from the ROK Classic Radio Old Time Radio Network.
The Thanksgiving Party from the 26th November 1946
The Mel Blanc Show 1946-11-26 Epidose 13 The Thanksgiving Party
Mel Blanc (May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989)
American Comedy, OTRBugs Bunny, CBS, Daffy Duck, DeMolay, Elmer Fudd, Flinstones, Foghorn Leghorn, Hanna-Barbera, Mary Jane Croft, Mel Blanc, Mel Blanc Show, Melvin Jerome Blank, NBC, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, The Hoot Owls, The Jack Benny Program, The Johnny Murray Show, Tweety Bird
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Home / Books / Over The Line
Over The Line
Edited by Chrissy Williams and Tom Humberstone
Poet and comics editor Chrissy Williams and comics artist Tom Humberstone present this beauteous, belly-banded volume. Over 70 pages of brand new poetry comics, with a showcase of work by other artists in the field and a detailed introduction to this exciting hybrid medium.
Chrissy Williams is a writer, critic and tutor based in London, UK. She is the author of various works of poetry, including Flying into the Bear (Happenstance Press, 2013, shortlisted for Michael Marks Award), and collaborations with visual artists The Jam Trap (Soaring Penguin Press, 2012) and ANGELA with Howard Hardiman (Sidekick Books, 2013).
Tom Humberstone is a comic artist and illustrator based in London, UK. He produced the weekly political comic, In The Frame, for the New Statesman, which was nominated for a British Comic Award in 2014. His comics have been published by Image Comics, Cartoon Movement, The Nib and Blank Slate Books. He also edits and publishes the UK comic anthology Solipsistic Pop.
112pp, ISBN 978-1-909560-02-4
“This is that spine-tingling moment when two attractive and sophisticated forms, both admired for their rhythm and sense of timing, eye each other across the cultural dance floor. In Over The Line, at once an insightful introduction and a comprehensive showcase for the emerging phenomenon of Poetry Comics, Chrissy Williams and Tom Humberstone provide the best possible venue for what looks like being a breathtaking tango. I really can’t recommend this venture highly enough, and I’d advise you mark your card immediately.”
– ALAN MOORE
Follow the Trail of Moths
Hell Creek Anthology
Obakarama
Surveyors’ Riddles
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Daniel Lagacé-Roy
Lagacé-Roy, D. (2017). Royal military college of canada. In P. Joseph (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of war: Social science perspectives (pp. 1491-1492). Thousand Oaks,, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781483359878.n568
Lagacé-Roy, Daniel. "Royal Military College of Canada." In The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives, edited by Paul Joseph, 1491-1492. Thousand Oaks,, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2017. doi: 10.4135/9781483359878.n568.
Lagacé-Roy, D 2017, 'Royal military college of canada', in Joseph, P (ed.), The sage encyclopedia of war: social science perspectives, SAGE Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks,, CA, pp. 1491-1492, viewed 17 July 2019, doi: 10.4135/9781483359878.n568.
Lagacé-Roy, Daniel. "Royal Military College of Canada." The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives. Ed. Paul Joseph. Thousand Oaks,: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2017. 1491-1492. SAGE Knowledge. Web. 17 Jul. 2019, doi: 10.4135/9781483359878.n568.
Since its foundation in 1874, the primary mandate of the Royal Military College (RMC) of Canada has been to train and educate young men (and later young women) for the service of Canada. Undoubtedly, this mandate has evolved from modest beginnings to the renowned institution that is RMC today. They are two unique periods relative to the history of RMC: the one from its foundation to its closure (called the old RMC) and the one from its reopening to the present day (called the new RMC). Throughout the years, RMC became more and more attentive to changes and transformation, and is now a key leadership institution within the Canadian Forces. In 2015, RMCC (as it is known now) offers programs in various disciplines namely humanities, ...
cadet forces,
colleges,
core curriculum,
military training,
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Associated Press v. National Labor Relations Board (1937)
Vile, J., Hudson, D. L. & Schultz, D. (2009). Associated press v. national labor relations board (1937). In Encyclopedia of the First Amendment (pp. 115-115). Washington, DC: CQ Press doi: 10.4135/9781604265774.n80
Vile, John, David L. Hudson and David Schultz. "Associated Press v. National Labor Relations Board (1937)." In Encyclopedia of the First Amendment, edited by John VileDavid L. Hudson and David Schultz, 115. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2009. doi: 10.4135/9781604265774.n80.
Vile, J, Hudson, D L & Schultz, D 2009, 'Associated press v. national labor relations board (1937)', in Vile, J, Hudson, DL & Schultz, D (eds), Encyclopedia of the first amendment, CQ Press, Washington, DC, pp. 115, viewed 17 July 2019, doi: 10.4135/9781604265774.n80.
Vile, John, et al. "Associated Press v. National Labor Relations Board (1937)." Encyclopedia of the First Amendment. Eds. Washington: CQ Press, 2009. 115. SAGE Knowledge. Web. 17 Jul. 2019, doi: 10.4135/9781604265774.n80.
Associated Press v. National Labor Relations Board , 301 U.S. 103 (1937), decided the same day as National Labor Relations Board v. Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp. , upheld the application of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 to the Associated Press (AP), which had ...
absolutism,
Associated Press,
employment relations,
First Amendment,
freedom of the press,
National Labor Relations Board
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Does the Vaccine Bill Go Too Far? Concerned Families Say They’ll Leave California if it Passes
Source: Sacramento Bee
Orange County mom Michelle Sabino says her daughter experienced 16 seizures in two months after she was vaccinated for diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough when she was a baby.
She’d never considered that vaccines could be dangerous. But after consulting with two physicians who both recommended brain scans, and a medical review of her family’s history and records, Sabino said she was shocked when a doctor said future vaccines could be “fatal.”
A speech pathologist, Sabino now says she’s ready to quit her job and leave California to protect her daughter from a proposed law she fears would force her child to receive vaccines.
Sacramento Democrat Richard Pan’s Senate Bill 276 tightens medical exemptions to a narrow list of criteria outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and empowers the state health department to decide who gets them.
“The seizures that she experienced do not qualify,” Sabino said. “If you read through them, if you look through the list, it’s for persistent seizures. And she hasn’t had seizures since early infancy. My daughter would have to be vaccinated to the point of having a death or near-death experience.”
Sabino is among many California parents who have concerns about the bill, which passed the Senate last month and is awaiting votes in the Assembly. Newsom said he had his own doubts at the California Democratic Party Convention, when he told reporters, “I’m a parent. I don’t want someone that the governor of California appointed to make a decision for my family.”
Pan and other doctors want to improve vaccination rates, a public health goal that limits the spread of preventable diseases and protects people who cannot receive vaccines for medical reasons.
The measure would require the state’s Department of Public Health to create a uniform document for doctors to administer an exemption. Public health officials would then review and sign off on the doctor’s judgment, according to national guidelines.
The department also would put the physician’s name, license number and reasons for issuing the exemption into a department-run database.
Eric Ball, an Orange County pediatrician, said the guidelines are narrow because adverse reactions are rare and that “one anecdote does not equal science.”
“It’s a one in a million kind of thing,” Ball said. “You can have a practice with tens of thousands of kids for decades and never have one come in the door. Every person that goes to Sacramento and protests against this vaccine law, I bet there are 1,000 moms who’ve vaccinated their kids and are just fine.”
But Jane Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, a conservative organization that opposes the bill, says sometimes the “treatment is worse than the disease.”
“If there is a one in a million chance that my child will not be able to talk or walk, then I’ll take the risk of measles, thank you very much,” Orient said. “Somehow vaccines have this very privileged position that we can force (on) people, or at least make it very, very coercive. Like we are going to deprive your child of a public education … if you don’t get 70 or so vaccines.”
More than 95 percent of kindergarten students are fully vaccinated, according to public health department data for the 2017-2018 school year. That number exceeds what’s required for “community immunity,” or the idea that the more kids who are vaccinated, the safer it is for children who can’t get the shots.
But the number of students with permanent medical exemptions has tripled since the 2015 law, up from 0.2 percent to 0.7 percent.
“That’s dangerous,” Pan said, attributing the increase to doctors signing off on or selling “fraudulent” exemptions.
The small increase is notable in clusters of schools across the state. Students become “moderately vulnerable” to preventable diseases if there’s a slight dip below a 95 percent vaccination rate. Less than 80 percent places a school in the red zone.
The debate coincides with the worst measles outbreak in 25 years. In 2019, 981 cases have been documented, with 51 reported in California. A new poll by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that nearly 75 percent of adults support requiring vaccinations, and almost all believe that the shots are safe.
The bill passed the Senate floor on May 22 with 24 votes in favor and all Republicans in dissent. Four Democrats withheld their votes, including Pan’s co-author of the 2015 law.
Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, called passing the 2015 measure a “wild experience,” but withheld his vote for this effort.
“My personal challenge with this bill is that I, so many times during the course over the debate of (the previous legislation), made commitments related to the granting of the medical exemption, to the discretion of the doctor,” Allen said during the floor debate, continuing that Pan’s new effort puts him in a “very difficult spot.”
The Medical Board of California echoed some of Newsom’s skepticism when it voted in late May to “support the bill in concept.”
Board members raised concerns that the guidelines could be too narrow and questioned whether the health department is the appropriate authority to approve exemptions.
Pan said he’s in talks with the governor’s office, but reiterated that the law does not force vaccinations. The proposal only applies to parents who want to send their kids to school, he said.
“Parents still get to choose whether to vaccinate their kids or not,” Pan argues. “There are no forced vaccinations. Everyone gets to choose. And there is a consequence to that choice.”
For Sabino, the choice leaves her considering a new home in Austin, where Texas has more vaccine-flexible laws, and abandoning her work with low-income families.
Doctors say Sabino’s daughter probably would qualify for precautions that could warrant delays, but not necessarily a medical exemption from all vaccines. Children are exempt from that vaccine only if their seizures are “prolonged” and not related to another identifiable cause. And because the handful of exemptions are strictly tailored to each vaccine, health concerns that justify skipping one shot do not earn a blanket exemption for the others.
“I will have to leave,” Sabino said. “I would be abandoning all of it to keep my daughter alive.”
To your success, Slobodyany Insurance Agency
Celebrating 12 years of serving community strong
Tel: (916) 970-3707.
www.facebook.com/SlobodyanyAgency
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Jennifer Herdt Interview
Academic Societies / Foundations / Networks
Research Projects on Topics in Ethics
Encyclopedia Entries
Dr. Jennifer Herdt
The following is an interview with Dr. Jennifer Herdt, Professor of Christian Ethics at Yale Divinity School. She is the author of Religion and Faction in Hume's Moral Philosophy and Putting on Virtue: The Legacy of the Splendid Vices. Her primary interests are in early-modern and modern moral thought, classical and contemporary virtue ethics, and contemporary Protestant social ethics and political theology. Her articles have appeared in a variety of journals, including the Journal of Religious Ethics, The Journal of Religion, Modern Theology, Soundings, Studies in Christian Ethics, and American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly.
Can you give us a very brief overview of your own work on character and/or virtue in recent years?
In Putting On Virtue (2008), I explored the theological distinction between acquired and infused virtues, the early modern preoccupation with hypocrisy and merely apparent virtue, and underlying issues having to do with divine and human agency, habituation, and identity. Since that time I've continued to explore related questions: In 2012 I edited a special issue of the Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies on Virtue, Identity, and Agency, featuring essays by literary scholars, historians, philosophers, and theologians. I am now working on questions surrounding happiness, well-being, obligation, and ethical naturalism, and on understandings of character, agency, and community in German Romanticism and Idealism.
How did you get interested in issues related to character and virtue?
I first became interested in virtue ethics in graduate school at Princeton starting in 1989, reflecting on the challenges associated with ethical life in pluralistic modern societies. How, I asked, can we sustain the virtues in the absence of any shared agreement on the common good? Jeffrey Stout was a splendid guide and mentor as I grappled with this question.
What do you see as areas of research where further work needs to be done on character or virtue?
A) The mid-twentieth-century revival of virtue ethics often sought to displace deontology and utilitarianism, or even moral theory altogether. Now we are seeing important work that moves in a more holistic direction, arguing in particular for the complementarity of ethics of virtue and ethics of action rather than the reduction of the latter to the former, and arguing for a rapprochement between Kantian and virtue-based approaches. B) We have also seen a multi-disciplinary turn to social practices as the site of ethical formation and malformation (e.g., how the practices of global capitalism form identity and desire) . With neo-Aristotelian, Wittgensteinian, and post-structuralist approaches all speaking to these issues, questions remain about the criteria for distinguishing formation from malformation and about the character and possibility of moral agency. C) The turn to virtue ethics in theological circles has gone hand in hand with an emphasis on particularism, on the specificity and untranslatability of theological practices and virtues. More work needs to be done to show how this emphasis on particularity can not simply preserve identity, but also play a positive role in advancing the common good in conditions of pluralism. D) Philosophical and Theological virtue ethics needs to be informed by and responsive to new empirical research on virtue and character, such as that of situationist social psychologists.
What book(s) or philosopher(s)/theologian(s) has/have been most influential on you in genera
My core questions were formed by, and over against, Alasdair MacIntyre, J.B. Schneewind, and Stanley Hauerwas.
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RaceFail Amnesty Post
March 11, 2009 March 11, 2009 By: TempestBlog Against Racism
Maybe Amnesty isn’t even the right word, but I can’t think of anything better right at this moment.
The point of this post is: there have been a lot of people involved in RaceFail. A LOT. Some of them failed and failed hard, some of them wandered in cluelessly and then proceeded to fail, and some people came in with good intentions but ended up failing for some for a myriad of reasons. I feel like several people who fit into that last group have probably been lumped in with the first and second. Not because of the OMG ORC HORDE, but because, in a discussion of this nature where emotions run high and you just don’t know a lot of the people who wade in, it’s easy to peg someone as clueless or harmful when they’re not, or when they’re not trying to be, or when, in a less tension-filled situation, everyone may have been able to communicate better.
I see this happen a lot. I assign no particular blame to any one group or person, because it’s not anyone’s fault. It is, sadly, natural, given the state of things.
But I think it’s important to speak up when one sees something like this happen. Not to chide others for not knowing a person as you do, but to at least be on record as saying: “I think this person is all right. When we have distance and have made something good of this situation, please re-evaluate how you feel about them. I think they’re worth it.”
There’s more than one person I need to say this about as regards RaceFail, but right now I can only think of one: rozk. I haven’t known rozk long, but from our private conversations and her posts, I believe she’s one of the good ones. I don’t see the problems others have had with her (as in, I don’t interpret what she’s had to say the same way), but I also recognize that, because I have an existing friendship with her, I might not. Still, as I said above, I hope people who consider her one of the “bad guys” will reconsider later on.
As I said, there are more people. I will add them in the comments as I think of them. But I’m inviting anyone who reads this to do so as well. Name names! But in service of saying, “This person is worth re-consideration.”
I prefer people use the names most folks know them by when commenting (obviously if people know you by your LJ handle or nickname and you wanna use that, I have no issue). The whole point of this is you speaking up for people you know, but that’s hard to do when you’re being anonymous.
If you really, truly feel like you need to be anonymous to the world, then please put your name or identifying name in the email field (then add @anon.com). No one sees that but me. I may nor may not publish your comment, but it has a better chance if there’s some identifier attached.
I’m going to be as agressive about trolls and bullshit as I can on this thread.
If someone mentions a person you really don’t like, I ask that you, just here, refrain from getting into an argument about them. You may still feel the way you feel in a few months, you may feel differently.
When you comment, speak from your heart. Opinions are welcome.
ETA: I will not post anon comments from people whose IPs match known proxies. Be a troll elsewhere, cowards.
ETA 2: Will also not post comments from a certain branch of the LA public library that is near the office of a certain LA lawyer that I have banned from this blog. Do you not realize that WordPress auto-logs IPs? Well, you do now.
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Tagged: friendship, RaceFail09
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35 thoughts on “RaceFail Amnesty Post”
Kyle Aisteach says:
I said this on someone else’s LiveJournal yesterday, but as someone who was sitting on the sidelines and didn’t get caught in the RaceFail ’09 conflagration directly, I found the *entire* discussion worthwhile, and worth thinking seriously about.
I sincerely wish that it hadn’t gotten personal, that people hadn’t had personal and professional lives damaged, and that everyone had responded to the different viewpoints with the default position of “this is a different person from a different background, but at the core a good person who just sees the world differently” instead of assuming different=bad. There are people on both sides who violated that one. It’s in our nature to be drawn to those like ourselves.
However, that said, the issues that were raised were, in many cases, issues I had never considered. Points of view were expressed clearly (if angrily) that I had not previously been exposed to, nor had the opportunity to really come to understand. I value the chance to grow as a person, to learn new things, and to broaden my understanding of my fellow humans, and so I thank those who had the courage to speak their mind — even if I ultimately decided I don’t agree with them.
As writers, we’re supposed to be observers of people. We’re supposed to understand not only ourselves but others. This whole fiasco gave us all a wonderful (if painful) opportunity to do just that.
So, now I say, “Everyone is worth considering.” Take a deep breath. Remember that with one or two exceptions, everyone involved is, at their core, simply a person like you or me trying to do their best in a world that they’re struggling to understand.
So instead of looking at the anger and pain, I say look at the issues — especially the outstanding ones — and WRITE about them. Incorporate this into your fiction, your nonfiction, your poetry. Take the dialogue to the people in the way we writers always have. Let it be about more than just us. Let’s get the world thinking about this.
Marna Nightingale says:
I’m more tempted than you can imagine to be anonymous, right now. Or just to not post.
But if I’m going to speak up for anyone, I have to speak up for Bear. Not only because I know her and dearly love her, but in basic simple justice.
I don’t deny that she’s failed pretty damned hard, more than once, in all this.
Or that she’s dug herself in deeper than she had to be, several times, through an inability to quit digging.
I’m not interested in defending her actions. But I do have to speak up for her as a person who is capable of being – and who generally is – far better than her recent actions.
And – she didn’t fail in any way I couldn’t have failed, given her opportunities. She didn’t even fail in any way I’ve never failed myself.
Fortunately for my good name, I don’t have quite the same ability to spread the fail I commit across the internet in surround sound with full orchestration and five part harmony.
She’s committed some serious fail, yeah. She’s also several times made herself look less honest, less decent, and less interested in learning than she actually is.
And I know her to be an honest and decent person, with a real commitment to justice who is both capable of learning and highly motivated to learn.
She thought that was enough and she was wrong. This is not a thing of which she is unaware.
It may be years, not months, before people feel like reevaluating Bear. I get this. But there will be years.
Foxessa says:
I paid close attention from the start, but I was not caught up in this mess — that is privilege indeed.
I want to thank the individuals who were caught up in this mess, who demonstrated unfailing courage, steadfastness, patience and persistence, who defended their community / communities. Almost always your expressions have been in the modes of clarity and reason. That’s really difficult, in the face of so much obfuscation, personal insult, and the preference of some to believe the false rather than the facts (so much like those who to this day, despite all the proof and evidence insist the POTUS is a muslim and is not a citizen).
You acted with warrior hearts. You considered your community and your points first, and you behaved and spoke that way. That is the true way of the warrior, at least as I’ve been taught about the nature of the warrior, via the orishas.
Thank you for what you have taught us.
Love, C.
Karen Healey says:
I like the notion of this post, and I want to second the motion of Rozk.
bifemmefatale says:
I really appreciate you being willing to post this. A couple of people told me K. Tempest was Big Scary Angry Person, but this post shows a huge generosity of heart.
I’m going to nominate truepenny aka Sarah Monette, even though she did fail so greatly that even this mostly clueless white girl saw it and winced. She was the one who first even alerted me to the existence of IBARW, and she has apologized for her fail.
I’m going to nominate Patrick Nielsen Hayden. I think he genuinely got a raw deal here; he stumbled into a room full of arguing people, said something that turned half of them against him, and then freaked. I might’ve done the same (though I would’ve apologized first, which would’ve made a huge, screaming difference). But he’s said smart things about race in other places and at other times. I wish he’d kept up the trend here, but everybody fucks up sometimes.
Anna Feruglio Dal Dan says:
Hi love
I had to take you off my to-read list because I had to control in some way the triggers I was facing, but I see I lost more than I gained by this. You are a wonderful generous person and I have a great respect for you. If I had to nominate somebody who got a raw deal and didn’t deserve it, it would be you. I have actually defended you privately to several people and now I am happy I did so. (Of course, you also had the honor of being singled out by the worst troll I’ve seen in a long time as an object of special hatred – something for which I salute you.)
And honestly – even if now I run like hell when I see some handles in comments, I do profoundly believe that the vast, vast majority of people engaged in this deserve better than what they got.
I want to second the nomination of Patrick, for the same reasons Nora gave.
(And thank you for this post, and for all the hard work you’ve done throughout this discussion.)
Jo Walton says:
As well as Patrick, I want to mention Teresa. She definitely failed — she failed to express herself clearly so it looked as if she was making threats, and she failed to moderate the thread on her LJ. But she’s not clueless or harmful or trying to be, and most people are calmer and make better decisions when not trying to defend their partner from what seems like a huge weird attack coming out of nowhere. She misread the situation and lost control. But I hate to see her being tarred with the same brush as the malicious people in all of this.
Mary Dell says:
I second the nomination of Patrick and Teresa. I know them in RL as well as online and they’re very dear to me, and I respect them a lot. I certainly wish they had handled this differently, but I don’t think either of them is a bigot or an asshole, despite having come across that way to many people in the course of this discussion.
Julia Sullivan says:
This is your house, and I think this is a very generous-spirited post, so I know I’m being a bit cranky in saying this, but nonetheless:
Very kind, generous, thoughtful people who are committed to racial equality and who actually work for social justice can nonetheless say or do racist things at times.
I think it’s wonderful to be reminded of the kindness, generosity, and commitment to social justice of various people who have said or done racist or other -ist things in this whole debate.
To me, the real hostilities in this started when some people decided that their friends were Good People and therefore started a) frantically retconning the friends’ comments to “prove” that they “weren’t really racist” and b) attacked the people who were critiquing the comments as being “name-callers” and similar.
I’m willing to give most people a second or third chance after unfortunate behaviors. I’m uncomfortable with attempts to explain the behaviors away, though. That feels like a real mindfucking double-bind.
Re: rozk, I agree with you that she’s someone who is trying in good faith to understand. I have found some of her statements to be offputting and offensive, but I think she’s genuinely open to hearing feedback, and I admire that.
Abi Sutherland says:
I’ve stayed out of this entire situation because, frankly, I’m borderline Aspie and this is not a manner of community change that I am capable of.
But I’d like to third, fourth, or nth, nomination of Patrick and Teresa. I am of course biased by being their friend, albeit of a very recent vintage. But by that I mean that I am not drawing on years of association with them; I’ve come to like them for who they are right now.
Thing is, the way to get them to fly right off the handle is to attack not them, but the people they care about. Reading (what I can of) the original documents rather than the commentaries, that’s what I see. The interpretations of what they said that have hardened into doctrine, many of which were also made in the white heat of argument, are much harsher than I think they deserve.
Me, I’d like to see more emphasis on actions rather than words, going forward. Keeping track of who said what to whom is one thing, but I’m more interested in how the community can improve the situation. I’m not sure blacklisting Patrick and Teresa for losing their tempers on behalf of their friends is really going to do that.
Kynn says:
I think that Kynn person is okay despite being a clueless whitey most of the time (well, all of the time).
Mary Kay says:
You are an amazing and lovely person. I’m glad to know you however, uh, I’m not finding a good word here. I know you to recognize and chat with but not well or deeply. But what I do know I’m very glad of.
MKK
Fragano Ledgister says:
I’d like to add my support to the nominations of Patrick and Teresa. I’ve met them both, and I was deeply horrified to see them accused of being racist when it was clear to me from direct experience that they were not.
k sims says:
I think that your intent is the best possible, and it’s not my place to tell you personally how to feel, but the comments here are truly distressing. While having compassion and reaching out in a spirit of understanding are vital to social change, shouldn’t the FIRST move be on the part of the people who have hurt so many others? That is to say, shouldn’t X person first apologize and appear to be truly contrite and THEN on an individual basis their case be assessed in light of their further actions and words?
tempest says:
here’s the thing. I think that, yes, the person in question should also do what they can personally to work through the stuff that RaceFail brought up. At the same time, there will be people who will see any attempt on the part of these people to do so as just more fail. So there’s that. Also, it may also help the people in question to be able to mend their ways if there are people publicly on their side. Lurkers supporting in email are only so useful. And last, anyone is free to ignore anything anyone says here. I am personally not agreeing with a lot of what people are saying here, but it doesn’t matter if I agree or not. I’m allowed ot make up my own mind same as the people commenting are allowed to :)
Arachne Jericho says:
I have some people, but the ones in mind are:
– Patrick Nielsen Hayden and Teresa Nielsen Hayden,
For the reasons above from Nora and Jo Walton.
– Elizabeth Bear,
I came upon her blog while trying to drink down the residual effects of a bad PTSD trip. Instead of continuing with the drink, I read her essays about surviving abuse. Wow. I had never thought of myself as having survived anything; or if I did, it wasn’t a worthwhile thing to have done. But my attitude changes in large part because of her words on her blog.
Since then I’ve read all her stuff and all her blog, commenting from time to time but definitely on the survivor threads. And from that experience have concluded that while she failed hard in RaceFail multiple times, she was still trying to do good.
The fallout from her actions hurt me, but before that (and I know after all this as well) she gave me understanding and hope and the knowledge that things can and will get better, but realistic acknowledge the suck that long-gone situations will still echo in your head.
Not even half of my list. Just still a bit numb here.
Roz Kaveney says:
I’d just like to say that I am taking criticisms to heart…I am also aware that one or two people who rushed to my defense said things in the heat of the moment which people misunderstood, or at least read harshly. Principal among these is fastfwd, who got some rough handling as a result.
I’d also like to say that annafdd got treated pretty harshly by some people for reasons that entirely escape me.
Tanya Avakian says:
I’ve really got to speak up for Bear. She wasn’t perfect, but she didn’t do anything that a huge number of people much less decent and honorable and yes, honest than she haven’t done or couldn’t do, and she accomplished tremendous good, I’d venture to say, by making us look in the mirror. “If this could happen to Bear” is something one hears around the water cooler. She’s been villified to an insane degree because by now, everyone is so fed up with the whole thing, and so eager to have someone to blame, it’s a big relief to have a big, famous, convenient target who won’t retaliate in mean ways, and who’s sensitive enough to suffer. It’s completely unjust to blame the whole RaceFail on her. Whatever she would have said or not said to Willow, the RaceFail is likely to have happened and to have gone along the lines it did, based on previous experience with RaceFails in ’06 and there on.
It’s also very unfortunate for her that she wrote her rawest and most subjective post, which I believe was meant as a plea for amnesty and cooling down rather than a call to silence discussion on race (however confusing it may have been on those points), a few days after the outing of Coffeeandink. People were horrified by how far this thing had gone and wanted someone to blame and the rest was “Lord of the Flies,” “The Lottery,” etc. Not that people shouldn’t have had questions for her, but it crossed the line into something scary. Bear did NOT cause the outing of Coffeeandink. It’s unconscionable that anyone should even be suggesting that.
She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, many times over, and showed inexperience with some of the issues that came up and language that was used. And she got in over her head. If one were judging a class on group moderation that would be one thing, but if one is passing anathema on a real live human being who’s shown her good will and frequent cluefulness on these issues many times over, it’s quite another.
Thank you so much for putting up this post; you are showing true generosity and perspective by doing that.
Thank you for this post. Re pnh: it was horribly clear to me that he hadn’t read back into what was, by then, a 300 comment thread (and LJ’s real flaw is how hard it is to expand threads) and had no idea he had used language that had become by that time astonishingly loaded. I don’t applaud his (or tnh’s) reactions,but I have had one almighty row with pnh many, many years ago, and not only was he not vindictive (and it was a public row, and the context humiliating for him) he went on to show great generosity.
Daniel Steinberg says:
I’m a little confused re your post. Why would anyone need “amnesty” re what they said during what you call “RaceFail?” I mean, I read a lot on this subject and nobody was saying any crazy KKK or Nazi stuff, just some things that were construed maybe a little too sensitively? And on LJ, things can kind of get out of control with the comment-rage becoming a kind of snowball effect.
This whole thing has made me rethink a lot of things. I’d always thought that “PC” was a nonsense buzzword invented by the right, but with fellow liberals turning on each other with easy-to-make and impossible-to-rebut accusations of racism, I can see that the buzzword actually carries some weight. It’s made me rethink both politics and my interest in the F/SF field generally.
Daniel, I’ve seen more than one person say, “I’ll never read X’s books again” or “X better not cross my path at a con!” I think amnesty is a great idea, and maybe it will make nervous white people more comfortable about discussing this subject with K Tempest again too if they know she’s so willing to extend a hand like this.
Take a look at this essay on “PC”, please.
http://www.kaichang.net/2006/11/the_sloppy_prop.html
One need not have said any “crazy KKK or Nazi stuff” in order to have said racist or hurtful or harmful things during RaceFail. And that’s not even getting in to actions. Racism does not have to rise to those extreme levels in order to do damage. Any internet debate can get out of control, but it’s been going on for a while, and people have had many, many chances to make mistakes over and over.
Also, when accused of racism, it’s actually quite easy to rebut, but most of the time people don’t even have to. It’s… well, long and complicated and I’m too tired to get into it. Go to theangryblackwoman.com and click on the required reading.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
People say and do racist things, even people who don’t advocate theories of racial supremacy. If we set the bar so low as to say “Anyone who is not a Klan member or a Neo-Nazi is not a racist, and therefore nothing they say or do can be racist” we’re not going, as a society or as a subset of society, to move forward in this regard.
Or, in my paraphrase of one of the world’s funniest humans: ‘It’s easy to pat yourself on the back for not burning crosses, but as Chris Rock might say, “What do you want, a cookie? You’re not supposed to burn crosses, you low-expectation-having white person.”‘
Eileen Lufkin says:
Sarah Monette (livejournal name truepenny) auctioned one of her ARCs of Corambis to benefit the Carl Brandon Society. (The other two were for John M. Ford Memorial Book Endowment and Scarleteen.)
Elise Matthesen says:
I’d say PNH, for reasons Nora and others gave, and TNH for reasons Jo gave. Also Bear, and Sarah (Monette), because I know they work at learning stuff, and that this matters a lot to them.
(Sorry, up too late, incoherent. But had to say something, having finally stumbled across this post by a series of unlikely links.)
Thank you for this, Tempest. Especially this: “Also, it may also help the people in question to be able to mend their ways if there are people publicly on their side.” May I get the same grace when I need it. Amen.
Oh, and definitely Roz (rozk) for double-damn sure. Sorry, forgot to mention because of obviousity to me.
I’ll nominate Bear, for the reasons stated above. I also want to add that it was on her blog that I first encountered the notion of white priviledge. It was something I always knew existed (intuitively) but I never had a name for it and it therefore never solidified in my mind as an actual phenomenon. I don’t live in America and until recently did not read American blogs that discussed racial issues – what I read on Bear’s blog discussing her white priviledge was for me an eye-opening experience. Not everyone chooses to discuss race on their blogs, and not everyone should feel like they have to (IMO) so I feel that anyone who would willingly wade into that hornets’ nest should at least be given some consideration for being willing to make the effort, recent events notwithstanding.
As for whether or not RaceFail09 was a useful discussion. I certainly agree that it’s a topic that needs to be discussed, but I was not impressed with the way it was handled. A lot of people posted comments based on immediate gut reactions to apparent attacks on their friends. IMO also, a lot of comments were, either deliberately or through careless reading, (mis)interpreted as being more hurtful/damaging/stupid/racist than they might have been intended to be. There was some unnecessarily personal mud-slinging. And a lot of people, it seems, were in such a hurry to hurl accusations at the ‘other’ that they seemed to forget that words, especially in text, are a very weak form of communication and a lot of what we mean and intend can get lost in between the lines. It got to a point I thought I was reading the equivalent of a bar brawl rather than a heated debate on a very important issue.
That’s just my long-winded way of saying, I think a lot of people were unecessarily hurt and a lot of people unfairly villified in this mess; but the one whose journey I’ve followed the longest is Bear so I’m nominating her.
Nalo Hopkinson says:
For myself, I am grateful to all the people of colour who’ve been brave enough to speak up on this issue. Whether their arguments were temperate or not, it takes courage to speak up in a profoundly racist world in which we are at risk before we even open our mouths. I also liked the comments upthread that asked us to remember that the people involved, of all races, are humans and that many of us are doing our best to deal with a fraught, urgent and toxic issue that is bigger than we are individually. It’s tough to build community with people who are blind to their own privilege. It asks a lot of the victims. Yet my instinct is that racism is a common enemy, and building community might be the strongest way to stand together against it. I don’t know everyone who’s been earmarked for ostracization, and I have no hope of keeping up with all the accusations. But four names come immediately to mind; a few months ago, I attended an anti-racist rally with rozk. She puts herself literally on the line to fight against racism, sexism, and homophobia, and I would trust her with my life. I’ve spoken up elsewhere for Bear, who continues to do her best to be honest with self and others, to listen and to think, and to tackle an issue that many of her colleagues will not. Emma Bull, whose apology seemed brave and on point to me, and whose novel Bone Dance was one of my introductions to the Orisha tradition of my native Caribbean that I now use in so much of my work. Charlie Stross, who in my experience of him so far is a good egg; considerate and thoughtful.
Also? I’m tired of being a thread-killer. So speak up, people, if you have more to say!
As Bone Dance features the loa, not the orishas.
Additionally the understanding of the loa, as well as the knowledge that there are the distinct differences between Haitian Vodun and Louisiana VooDoo is lacking. A comprehension of the historical-cultural milieu of who, what and how the loa arrived in the New World is also mia.
So no one should expect to rely upon Bone Dance for any authentic instruction in African diaspora religions.
Don’t worry, I did my own research.
Nalo, I’ll speak up again, to be (I hope) an un-thread-killer in your company. I’m with you on Emma. I’ve seen her do amazing things, things of great courage, in looking at stuff and learning and, most of all, opening herself to work through things in company when it would be easier to ignore it.
I’ll not give the details of the one we had, years ago, but I will say this: after the blow-up incident, she came over to my house one day with a huge wad of kleenex. She solemnly divided it in two, and handed half to me. “Now,” she told me, “we’re going to go walk around the lake, and we’re going to talk about all of this,” (I had told her I wanted to do so) “and we’re going to cry. So here’s the deal: when I need a kleenex, I have to ask you and you give me one, and when you need a kleenex, you ask me and I give you one.” And we did.
Some of the things we talked about were probably part of why Bone Dance got dedicated in part to me. I never asked, per se… but there’s stuff in there.
I’ve seen her come through. I know she has the heart for it. I also know that things are loaded on her pretty heavy right now, and I’m not talking about anything to do with this particular topic — I just mean other life stuff — so I don’t read things into timing that others might.
But I speak up for her here.
Folklore Fanatic says:
I’m still too raw to contribute to this fully, and frankly, I don’t think any of the people nominated save for RozK have made any good-faith efforts to apologize/learn. Monette appears to be doing positive things, but they don’t excuse her behavior.
I am always hopeful that people will learn and continue to grow. I know I did when I first struggled with the recognition that my upbringing was colonized to a large degree. Even if I had grown up on the islands, the colonialist B.S. would have been omnipresent. This is, for a lot of people, an Enlightenment.
The problem is that as a PoC/non-white, I’m well past Racism 101 now, and I don’t want to handhold any more people who are causing me or other pain. That includes making them feel better about themselves on this thread.
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Oblivion (Elder Scrolls IV) Club
Oblivion (Elder Scrolls IV) Posts on Fanpop
Oblivion (Elder Scrolls IV)
posted by vagos
While designing Oblivion's landscape and architecture, developers worked from personal travel photographs, nature books, texture images, and reference photographs.[20] Procedural content generation tools used in production allowed for the creation of realistic environments at much faster rates than was the case with Morrowind.[21] Erosion algorithms incorporated in the landscape generation tools allowed for the creation of craggy terrain quickly and easily, replacing Morrowind's artificially smoothed-over terrain.[21] In accordance with a shift of graphical focus from water to flora, the Bethesda...
Starting in April 2006, Bethesda released small packages of additional downloadable content (DLC) for the game from their website and over the Xbox Live Marketplace for US$1–3. The first update came as a set of specialized armor for Oblivion's ridable horses. It was released on April 3, 2006, and costs 200 Microsoft Points, equivalent to US$2.50[28] au £1.50;[29] the corresponding PC release cost US$1.99.[30] Although gamers generally displayed enthusiasm for the concept of micropayments for downloadable in-game content,[28][31] many expressed their dissatisfaction at the price they had...
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion received universal acclaim from critics.[81][79][80] Reviewers praised the game for its impressive graphics, expansive game world and schedule-driven NPCs. Eurogamer editor Kristan Reed stated that the game "successfully unites some of the best elements of RPG, adventure and action games and fuses them into a relentlessly immersive and intoxicating whole".[95] Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club wrote that the game is "worth playing for the sense of discovery—each environment looks different from the last and requires a nuanced reaction—makes the action addictive."[96]...
Oblivion is set after the events of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, though it is not a direct sequel to it au any other game.[6] The game is set in Cyrodiil -- a province of Tamriel, the continent on which all the games in the series have taken place. The story begins with the player imprisoned in a cell for an unnamed crime and the arrival of Emperor Uriel Septim VII, accompanied kwa Imperial bodyguards known as "the Blades" at the Imperial City prison. They are fleeing from the assassins of the Mythic Dawn, a Daedric cult, who have murdered the Emperor's three sons. The emperor and the Blades...
^ "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Interview". GameBanshee. UGO Networks. 2004-12-09. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
^ Kasavin, Greg (2006-03-25). "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Review (Xbox 360)". GameSpot. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
^ a b Joynt, Patrick (2007-03-26). "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Review (PS3)". GameSpy. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
^ "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Guide & Walkthrough - PlayStation 3 (PS3) - IGN". IGN. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
^ Pitts, Russ (2006-08-03). "Oblivion: The Dagobah Cave". The Escapist. Themis Group. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
^ "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Q&A –...
Rating change
On May 3, 2006, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in North America changed Oblivion's rating from T (Teen 13+) to M (Mature 17+), citing game content not considered in the ESRB review, i.e., "the presence in the PC version of the game of a locked-out art file that, if accessed kwa using an apparently unauthorized third party tool, allows the user to play the game with topless versions of female characters".[106] In response to the new content, the ESRB conducted a review of Oblivion, inaonyesha to its reviewers the content originally imewasilishwa kwa Bethesda along with the newly disclosed...
Oblivion's score was composed kwa series mainstay Jeremy Soule, a video game composer whose past scores had earned him a BAFTA award in the "Game muziki Category" and two nominations for an AIAS award for "Original muziki Composition". Soule had worked with Bethesda and Todd Howard during the creation of Morrowind, and, in a press release announcing his return for Oblivion, Soule repeated the words he had alisema during Morrowind's press release: "The stunning, epic quality of The Elder Scrolls series is particularly compatible with the grand, orchestral style of muziki I enjoy composing the most".[57]...
Oblivion features the voices of Patrick Stewart, Lynda Carter, Sean Bean, Terence Stamp, Ralph Cosham, and Wes Johnson.[49] The voice uigizaji received mixed reviews in the gaming press. While many publications praised it as excellent,[50][51][52] others found fault with its repetitiveness.[53][54] The issue has been blamed on the small number of voice actors and the blandness of the dialogue itself.[55] Lead designer Ken Rolston found the plan to fully voice the game "less flexible, less apt for user projection of his own tone, zaidi constrained for branching, and zaidi trouble for production and disk real estate" than Morrowind's partially recorded dialogue. Rolston tempered his criticism with the suggestion that voice uigizaji "can be a powerful expressive tool" and can contribute significantly to the charm and ambience of the game. He stated "I prefer Morrowind's partially recorded dialogue, for many reasons. But I'm told that fully-voiced dialogue is what the kids want".[56]
The game was developed kwa the United States software company Bethesda Softworks. Ken Rolston, who was Morrowind's lead designer, oversaw a development team of 268.[8] The PC and Xbox 360 versions of the game were co-published kwa 2K Games and Bethesda.[9] Work began on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion shortly after the release of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind in 2002.[10] kwa mid-September 2004, Oblivion had been officially announced, and its title released.[10][11] 2K Games had aimed for a late 2005 publication so that the game could be an Xbox 360 launch title.[12] The official release date...
Oblivion is an action role-playing game (RPG) that incorporates open-ended gameplay. The main quest can be postponed au ignored for as long as the player wishes to explore the expansive game world, follow side-quests, interact with NPCs, slay monsters and develop their character. The player is free to go anywhere in the realm of Cyrodiil at any time while playing the game, even after completing the main quest. The game never ends, and the player may build up the character indefinitely. The fast-travel system used in Arena and Daggerfall makes a return in Oblivion. When the player visits a location,...
is an action role-playing open world video game developed kwa Bethesda Game Studios and published kwa Bethesda Softworks and the Take-Two Interactive subsidiary 2K Games. It is the fourth installment in The Elder Scrolls action ndoto video game series, following The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Oblivion was first released in March 2006 for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. A PlayStation 3 (PS3) version shipped in March 2007 in North America, and in April 2007 in Europe and Australia. After a number of smaller content releases, a major expansion pack, Shivering Isles, was distributed. The Elder...
How to Duplicate.....!
posted by crazeefish
If wewe want to know how to Duplicate stuff, like Weapons,clothes,potions.... Then i can tell you. ;]
1. wewe need 2x (Least) au zaidi spell scrolls
(Like; Absorb Health)
2.Then wewe choose any Weapon au thing, wewe want to duplicate, (Like; Axe)
3.Now go to wewe 2x Scrolls,double tap them with (A)- Xbox360 au (X)-Playstation, Now go to your item wewe want to Duplicate and Drop it.
4. Now exit wewe Inventory, and wewe Should have two of your items.
Now the zaidi scrolls wewe have,like if wewe have 10x (Absorb health) scrolls and wewe repeat the same thing,double tap scrolls and then Drop item choosen, and...
The Gameplay of Oblivion
posted by Yunaxoxo
Oblivion is a role-playing adventure game and uses open-ended au Sandbox gameplay. The main quest can be postponed au completely ignored as the player explores the expansive game world, following side-quests, interacting with NPCs, and developing their character. Players are free to go anywhere inside the province of Cyrodiil at any time while playing the game, and even after completing the main quest storyline. The game never ends, and players are able to build up their character as much as they want, with no restrictions on skills au equipment. The Windows version of the game is open to almost...
opinion on oblivion
posted by jarod
Elder scrolls oblivion is one of the best games i have ever played.It has won the game of the mwaka award.Publishers realesed a new game of the mwaka edition that has extra stuff like zaidi weapons and armor for your horse.You can pick the normal edition for about fifty bucks and the game of the mwaka edition for abut eighty bucks.I strongly suggest this game.You can chose to be good au evil,use spells au weapons it is up to you.there are guilds that give wewe contracts to earn extra gold.there are also fractions like the arena.
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Oblivion (Elder Scrolls IV) Answers
Oblivion (Elder Scrolls IV) Fans
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Hansika pairs with Sivakarthikeyan
South Actress Hansika is the leading busiest heroine in Kollywood with que of films this year. The latest update is that Hansika is all set to pair up with Sivakarthikeyan for a new film.
Thirukumaran a former associate of A R Murugadoss is
debuting as director with this film. Hansika gave her nod after listening to the script of the film. The film is touted to be a comedy entertainer. A R Murugadoss is working on the script of the film.
A R Murugadoss is producing the Sivakarthikeyan and Hansika film under Murugadoss Production house. Hansika is awaiting for releasing of Theeya Velai Seiyyanum in June.
ReadMore: News
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The Hywel Bebb Whoopee Band - I Want To Be a Quasar (1976)
This is the oldest recording to date that we've found in our archive, originating from sometime early in 1976, and providing a rare insight into the origins of a particular strand of the north Wales music scene. The Hywel Bebb Whoopee Band was in fact an expanded version of The Thin Yoghurts, a loose association of young musicians based in Friars School, Bangor. The group used to convene daily in a small room behind the school's assembly hall during lunch breaks in order to avoid the inevitable bullying that they would attract had they ventured into the playground. Hywel Bebb was not actually a member of the group, but was in fact the school's Welsh teacher, after who the ensemble affectionately (or otherwise) took their name.
The exact line-up for this session can't be absolutely certain after 36 years, but it almost certainly includes Maeyc Hewitt, Wil Jones, Geraint Griffiths, Celyn Davies, Alan Holmes, Mike Haslam, Robin Stamper and Ken Thompson. Other members may have been present, and certainly the synthesizer heard on the recordings was custom built for the group by the school boffin David Sunderland, who tragically met with a premature end when his RAF Harrier was involved in a mid air collision in 1987.
The cutting edge free-improv approach of the music was inspired by the participants' love of the more adventurous 'prog' groups of the time (Henry Cow, Quiet Sun etc) and the Krautrock groups whose mysterious records would occasionally turn up in Bangor's magical Unit 21 - a second hand record exchange and 'head shop' that was situated in the long-demolished Welfield Centre, providing a top notch musical education for the turned-on youth of the city in the mid 70s. Hints of the abrasive sonic exploration heard here can be traced through many of the participants' later musical projects, notably groups like The Pinecones and Ectogram.
The Hywel Bebb Whoopee Band - I Want To Be a Quasar (13:53)
This article is really good, I like it so much, there are some nice things you share in your blog. herbal smoke
The Hywel Bebb Whoopee Band - I Want To Be a Quasa...
Overloaded and We're Running (1980)
Rheinallt H. Rowlands - Tair Blynedd ar Ddeg (1993...
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Matt Allin
19 March 2010, 25 January 2013
We discovered Matt when he came down to the Mag and did a couple of floorspots. Matt lives in South East London, and plays mostly traditional songs and some songs he writes himself.
He has a liking for sea songs, but unfortunately has no sea legs. He plays guitar and sometimes (when he’s allowed) the melodeon. He has two very tolerant cats.
As well as supporting Norma Waterson, Martin Carthy and Chris Parkinson at DHFC, Matt played and sang to an enthusiastic crowd at our local street party in Crystal Palace Road, East Dulwich, in July 2010.
He also, happily for us and our audience, supported Jackie Oates at The Crown and Greyhound in January 2013.
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The situation between Iraq and Kuwait
Adopted by the Security Council at its 3817th meeting,
on 12 September 1997
The Security Council,
Recalling its previous resolutions and, in particular, its resolutions
986 (1995) of 14 April 1995 and 1111 (1997) of 4 June 1997,
Reaffirming that the implementation period of resolution 1111 (1997) began
at 00.01, Eastern Daylight Time, on 8 June 1997, and that the export of
petroleum and petroleum products by Iraq pursuant to resolution 1111 (1997) did
not require the approval by the Secretary-General of the distribution plan
mentioned in paragraph 8 (a) (ii) of resolution 986 (1995),
Taking note of the decision by the Government of Iraq not to export
petroleum and petroleum products permitted pursuant to resolution 1111 (1997)
during the period 8 June to 13 August 1997,
Deeply concerned about the resulting humanitarian consequences for the
Iraqi people, since the shortfall in the revenue from the sale of petroleum and
petroleum products will delay the provision of humanitarian relief and create
hardship for the Iraqi people,
Noting that, as set out in the report of the Committee established by
resolution 661 (1990) (S/1997/692), Iraq will not be able to export petroleum
and petroleum products worth two billion United States dollars by the end of the
period set by resolution 1111 (1997) while complying with the requirement not to
produce a sum exceeding one billion United States dollars every 90 days set out
in paragraph 1 of resolution 986 (1995) and renewed in resolution 1111 (1997),
Acknowledging the situation with regard to the delivery of humanitarian
goods to Iraq as described in the report of the Secretary-General (S/1997/685)
and encouraging the continuing efforts to improve this situation,
Stressing the importance of an equitable distribution of humanitarian goods
as called for by paragraph 8 (a) (ii) of resolution 986 (1995),
97-23918 (E) /...
Determined to avoid any further deterioration of the current humanitarian
situation,
Reaffirming the commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Iraq,
Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,
1. Decides that the provisions of resolution 1111 (1997) shall remain in
force, except that States are authorized to permit the import of petroleum and
petroleum products originating in Iraq, including financial and other essential
transactions directly relating thereto, sufficient to produce a sum not
exceeding a total of one billion United States dollars within a period of
120 days from 00.01, Eastern Daylight Time, on 8 June 1997 and, thereafter, a
sum not exceeding a total of one billion United States dollars within a period
of 60 days from 00.01, Eastern Daylight Time, on 4 October 1997;
2. Decides further that the provisions of paragraph 1 above shall apply
only to the period of implementation of resolution 1111 (1997), and expresses
its firm intention that under any future resolutions authorizing States to
permit the import of petroleum and petroleum products originating in Iraq, the
time limits within which imports may be permitted established in such
resolutions shall be strictly enforced;
3. Expresses its full support for the intention of the Secretary-General,
stated in his report to the Security Council (S/1997/685), to follow up his
observations concerning the needs of vulnerable groups in Iraq by monitoring the
actions of the Government of Iraq in respect of these groups;
4. Stresses that contracts for the purchase of humanitarian supplies
submitted in accordance with resolution 1111 (1997) must be limited to items
which appear on the list of supplies annexed to the second distribution plan
prepared by the Government of Iraq and approved by the Secretary-General
pursuant to paragraph 8 (a) (ii) of resolution 986 (1995), or appropriate
amendments to the plan must be requested prior to purchasing items not on the
annexed list;
5. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
Iraq, Kuwait
CHN FRA RUS GBR USA CHL CRI EGY GNB JPN KEN KOR POL PRT SWE
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Lt.-Col. William Wauchope of Niddrie1
M, #129061, d. 2 April 1825
Lt.-Col. William Wauchope of Niddrie was the son of Andrew Wauchope of Niddrie and Alicia Baird.2,3 He married Elizabeth Hersey Baird, daughter of Robert Baird, 6th of Newbyth and Hersey Christina Maria Gavin, on 9 November 1816.1,4 He died on 2 April 1825 at Genoa, Italy.4,5
He gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the 26th Regiment.4 He lived at Niddrie, Midlothian, ScotlandG.1
Children of Lt.-Col. William Wauchope of Niddrie and Elizabeth Hersey Baird
Hersey Susan Sydney Wauchope+2 b. 24 Oct 1817, d. 11 Dec 1893
Andrew Wauchope of Niddrie+4 b. 6 Dec 1818, d. 22 Nov 1874
[S68] H. Pirie-Gordon, editor, Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 15th edition, (London, England: Burke's Peerage Ltd, 1937), page 2384. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Landed Gentry, 15th ed.
[S68] H. Pirie-Gordon, Burke's Landed Gentry, 15th ed., page 2385.
[S8178] Marco Cazzulo, "re: Wauchope Family," e-mail message to Darryl Roger Lundy, 24 December 2016. Hereinafter cited as "re: Wauchope Family."
Edith May Selina Franklyn1
F, #129062, d. 27 September 1906
Last Edited=18 Sep 2008
Edith May Selina Franklyn was the daughter of Reverend Thomas Edmund Franklyn and Selina Eliza Hope.1 She married John Munton Jaffray, son of Sir John Jaffray, 1st Bt. and Anna Munton, on 5 June 1877.2 She died on 27 September 1906.2
From 5 June 1877, her married name became Jaffray.
Children of Edith May Selina Franklyn and John Munton Jaffray
Edith Mabel Jaffray+1 d. 28 Jan 1956
Gwladys Hope Jaffray3 d. 18 Nov 1909
[S39] Marquis of Ruvigny and Raineval, The Blood Royal of Britain: Tudor Roll (Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994), page 210. Hereinafter cited as The Blood Royal of Britain: Tudor Roll.
Reverend Thomas Edmund Franklyn1
M, #129063, d. 6 August 1901
Last Edited=21 Jan 2015
Reverend Thomas Edmund Franklyn married Selina Eliza Hope, daughter of Captain George Hope and Charlotte Tollemache, on 22 August 1854.2 He died on 6 August 1901.2
He graduated with a Master of Arts (M.A.)1 He was the Vicar in 1833 at Old Dalby, EnglandG.1
Children of Reverend Thomas Edmund Franklyn and Selina Eliza Hope
Edith May Selina Franklyn+1 d. 27 Sep 1906
Sir William Edumnd Franklyn+
Selina Eliza Hope1
F, #129064, d. 8 February 1919
Consanguinity Index=0.04%
Selina Eliza Hope was the daughter of Captain George Hope and Charlotte Tollemache.1 She married Reverend Thomas Edmund Franklyn on 22 August 1854.2 She died on 8 February 1919.2
From 22 August 1854, her married name became Franklyn.1
Children of Selina Eliza Hope and Reverend Thomas Edmund Franklyn
Admiral Sir Harry Burrard-Neale, 2nd Bt.1
M, #129065, b. 16 September 1765, d. 7 February 1840
Admiral Sir Harry Burrard-Neale, 2nd Bt.
by William Beechey 2
Admiral Sir Harry Burrard-Neale, 2nd Bt. was born on 16 September 1765.1 He was the son of Lt.-Col. William Burrard and Mary Pearce.1 He married Grace Elizabeth Neale, daughter of Richard Neale and Grace Goldstone, on 15 April 1795.1 He died on 7 February 1840 at age 74, without issue.1 He was buried at Lymington Church, Lymington, Hampshire, EnglandG.3
He was given the name of Harry Burrard at birth.1 He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Lymington between 1790 and 1802.1 He succeeded as the 2nd Baronet Burrard, of Walhampton, co. Southampton [G.B., 1769] on 12 April 1791.1 On 8 April 1795 his name was legally changed to Harry Burrard-Neale by Royal Licence.1 He fought in the Mutiny of the Nore in 1797, where he distinguished himself by bringing off his ship, H.M.S. San Furenzo, under a hot fire.1 In 1801 he entertained King George III and Queen Charlotte at Walhampton.1 In 1804 he again entertained King George III and Queen Charlotte at Walhampton.1 He held the office of a Lord of the Admiralty between 1804 and 1807.1 He was Captain of the H.M.S. London, a ship of the line in 1805.3 He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Lymington between 1806 and 1807.1 He gained the rank of Admiral in 1810 in the Royal Navy.1 He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Lymington between 1812 and 1823.1 He was appointed Knight Commander, Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) in 1815.1 He was appointed Knight Grand Cross, Order of the Bath (G.C.B.) in 1822.1 He was appointed Knight Grand Cross, Order of St. Michael and St. George (G.C.M.G.) in 1824.1 He was Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1825.1 He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Lymington between 1832 and 1835.1
[S15] George Edward Cokayne, editor, The Complete Baronetage, 5 volumes (no date (c. 1900); reprint, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), volume V, page 148. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Baronetage.
[S3409] Caroline Maubois, "re: Penancoet Family," e-mail message to Darryl Roger Lundy, 2 December 2008. Hereinafter cited as "re: Penancoet Family."
[S1169] Rosie Davis, "re: Burrard Family," e-mail message to Darryl Lundy, 16 September 2004 - 12 June 2005. Hereinafter cited as "re: Burrard Family."
Charlotte Tollemache1
F, #129066, d. 14 April 1837
Charlotte Tollemache was the daughter of Admiral John Richard Delap Tollemache and Lady Elizabeth Stratford.2 She married Captain George Hope, son of Charles Hope-Vere and Susan Anne Sawyer, on 2 January 1833.3 She died on 14 April 1837.3
From 2 January 1833, her married name became Hope.1
Children of Charlotte Tollemache and Captain George Hope
Selina Eliza Hope+1 d. 8 Feb 1919
Charlotte Hope-Vere4 d. 3 Sep 1870
[S39] Marquis of Ruvigny and Raineval, The Blood Royal of Britain: Tudor Roll, page 23.
Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery1
M, #129067, b. 28 July 1674, d. 28 August 1731
Last Edited=17 Feb 2011
Consanguinity Index=0.4%
Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery
by Charles Jervas 2
Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery was born on 28 July 1674 at Little Chelsea, London, EnglandG.1 He was the son of Roger Boyle, 2nd Earl of Orrery and Lady Mary Sackville.3 He was baptised on 1 August 1674 at St. Mary's Church, Kensington, London, EnglandG.1 He married Lady Elizabeth Cecil, daughter of John Cecil, 5th Earl of Exeter and Lady Anne Cavendish, on 30 March 1706 at Burghley House, Lincolnshire, EnglandG.4 He died on 28 August 1731 at age 57 at Downing Street, London, EnglandG.1 He was buried on 11 September 1731 at Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, EnglandG.1
He was educated at St. Paul's School, London, EnglandG.1 He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, EnglandG, on 5 June 1690.1 He graduated from Christ Church, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, EnglandG, in 1694 with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)1 He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Charleville [Ireland] between 1695 and 1699.1 He was Receiver General in the Alienation Office on 18 October 1699.1 George Graham named his invention after the Earl, the astronomical instrument or 'orrery.5' He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Tory) for Huntingdon Borough between 1701 and 1705.1 He succeeded as the 4th Lord Boyle, Baron of Broghill [I., 1628] on 24 August 1703.1 He succeeded as the 4th Earl of Orrery [I., 1660] on 24 August 1703.1 He was Colonel of the Regiment of Foot between 1704 and 1710.1 He was appointed Knight, Order of the Thistle (K.T.) on 30 October 1705.1 He was appointed Fellow, Royal Society (F.R.S.) on 3 April 1706.1 He fought in the Battle of Malplaquet in 1709.1 He gained the rank of Brigadier-General on 1 January 1708/9.1 He gained the rank of Major-General on 17 August 1710.1 He was Colonel of the North British Fusiliers (21st Foot) between 8 December 1710 and July 1716.1 He held the office of Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Flanders in January 1710/11, where he took part in the Treay of Utrecht.1 He was appointed Privy Counsellor (P.C.) on 9 February 1710/11.1 He was created 1st Baron Boyle of Marston, co. Somerset [Great Britain] on 5 September 1711.1 He was a Lord of the Bedchamber between 1714 and 1716.1 He held the office of Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset from 1714 to 1715.1 From 28 September 1722 to 14 March 1722/23 he was imprisoned in the Tower of London on suspicion of being involved in the Layer's plot, however was was discharged.1
Child of Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery and Lady Elizabeth Cecil
John Boyle, 5th Earl of Cork+1 b. 13 Jan 1706/7, d. 23 Nov 1762
[S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume X, page 179. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.
[S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume X, page 178.
Lady Elizabeth Cecil1
F, #129068, b. 1687, d. 12 June 1708
Last Edited=2 Apr 2011
Lady Elizabeth Cecil was born in 1687.1 She was the daughter of John Cecil, 5th Earl of Exeter and Lady Anne Cavendish.1 She married Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery, son of Roger Boyle, 2nd Earl of Orrery and Lady Mary Sackville, on 30 March 1706 at Burghley House, Lincolnshire, EnglandG.1 She died on 12 June 1708 at Glasshouse Street, London, EnglandG.1 She was buried on 21 June 1708 at St. James' Church, Westminster, London, EnglandG.2
From 30 March 1706, her married name became Boyle.1
Child of Lady Elizabeth Cecil and Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery
Catherine Camilla Manners1
F, #129069, b. 5 November 1792, d. 17 March 1863
Catherine Camilla Manners was born on 5 November 1792.1 She was the daughter of Sir William Talmash, Lord Huntingtower and Catherine Rebecca Gray.1 She married Sir George Sinclair of Ulbster, 2nd Bt., son of Rt. Hon. Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster, 1st Bt. and Diana Macdonald, on 1 May 1816.1 She died on 17 March 1863 at age 70.1
From 1 May 1816, her married name became Sinclair.1
Children of Catherine Camilla Manners and Sir George Sinclair of Ulbster, 2nd Bt.
Adelaide Mary Wentworth Sinclair+1 d. 7 Sep 1873
Emilie Magdalen Louisa Sinclair+2 d. 19 Jan 1864
Sir John George Tollemache Sinclair of Ulbster, 3rd Bt.+2 b. 8 Nov 1824, d. 29 Sep 1912
[S37] BP2003 See link for full details for this source. Hereinafter cited as. [S37]
Sir John Storey Barwick, 2nd Bt.1
M, #129070, d. 1953
Sir John Storey Barwick, 2nd Bt. was the son of Sir John Storey Barwick, 1st Bt.2 He died in 1953.1
He gained the title of 2nd Baronet Barwick.
Children of Sir John Storey Barwick, 2nd Bt.
Margaret Syssylt Barwick+1 b. 1914, d. 1971
Sir Richard Llewellyn Barwick, 3rd Bt.+1 b. 4 Nov 1916, d. 16 Jun 1979
[S34] BP1970 page 194. See link for full details for this source. Hereinafter cited as. [S34]
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Stoke-on-Trent - photo of the week
contents: 2011 photos
Advert of the Week
Potworks of the Week
Moneto House, Ricardo Street, Dresden
picture: © Matthew Rice - The Lost City of Stoke-on-Trent
Moneta House, No 53 Ricardo Street, was built in 1865 to the design of R C Sutton, of Nottingham. This is a large villa built of red and yellow brick ornamented with stone complete with a prominent tower surmounted by ironwork.
"...situate in the best street in Dresden. The Premises consist of a villa residence which is highly artistic and ornamental, of good design, and was built a few years ago after designs by R C Sutton, Esq., Nottingham. It comprises a spacious entrance-hall and noble staircase, large dining and drawing rooms, with good bay windows to Ricardo-street; breakfastroom, china closet, four bedrooms (one easily convertible into two), and several closets, kitchens, and cellars. The back part of the house looks out onto ornamental garden ground......"
Moneto House
photos: May 2008
detail of the entrance to Moneto House
a view of Longton from the large houses on Ricardo Street
photo: 1971 - Ken & Joan Davis
The street in the foreground is Cobden Street - not long after this photo was taken many houses in Cobden, Villiers, Russell and Peel Street were demolished and replaced with new houses and bungalows.
Between the two houses at the bottom right can be seen the old bridle path which ran from Ricardo Street at the top to Belgrave Road at the bottom - the route of this path was retained on the new housing development.
In the background can be seen coal tips and bottle kilns. On the far right is the Church of St. James and to the centre left can just be seen the tower of of St. John the Baptist, just off Times Square, which was demolished in 1979.
the bridle path which runs from Ricardo Street to Belgrave Road
Longton Freehold Land Society
Freehold land societies came into existence in the 1840s as part of a politically inspired movement, organised by Liberal radicals to effect Parliamentary reform. Both Longton and Burslem formed their own independent societies in 1850.
The Longton Freehold Land Society acquired its first estate in the middle of 1850, when, for £5,000, it bought Spratslade Farm, situated half a mile or so to the south of the town, from T. Fenton-Boughey and L. Armistead - this was laid out as the Dresden Estate.
Apart from the obvious names for some of the streets (e.g. Queen, after Queen Victoria; Albert, after her consort; Taylor after Rev James Taylor of Birmingham), most were called after either prominent national Liberals
— Richard Cobden M.P., founder of the Anti-Corn-Law League; Charles Pelham Villiers M.P. and John, 1st Earl Russell, M.P. and Prime Minister (1846-52)
— or leading local Liberals: John Ayshford Wise, of Clayton Hall, M.P. for Stafford and John Lewis Ricardo, M.P. for Stoke-upon-Trent.
Related pages..
Moneto House, Dresden
Fred Hughes takes a look around the house and speaks to the owners
Bridle Path
A 'walk' down the bridle path
also see..
Dresden and the Longton Freehold Land Society
Freehold land societies came into existence in the 1840s as part of a politically inspired movement, organised by Liberal radicals to effect Parliamentary reform.
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Vladimir Putin’s Basic Disagreement with The West
20023 Views July 10, 2018 32 Comments Guest Analyses The Saker
by Eric Zuesse for The Saker Blog
Vladimir Putin’s basic view has been expressed so many times, in so many different contexts, and it’s always the same: that the only people who have a sovereign right to any land, are the people who live on that land — nobody who lives outside that land does. In other words, his basic view is a repudiation — a total rejection — of the very concept of empire: it’s a rejection of the right of foreigners to control any country, anywhere, anytime. Residence is determinative. According to Putin, the only justification that a country can ever have for invading another country is if and when that invasion is in direct and immediate response to that other country’s having invaded their land — purely defensive. Other than this, no invasion of any land by foreigners is acceptable.
The U.S. and its allies endorse empires — endorse conquest. This view was first extensively promoted during 1877-1902 by the founder of the Rhodes Trust, Cecil Rhodes, a self-avowed racist who passionately advocated that all “races” be subordinated to “the first race”: the British. However, he was willing that, if necessary, this empire would fly the U.S. flag instead of the English flag.
In more recent times, George Soros has championed this view, but giving different (non-racialist) words to it. Soros has stated his view of this important matter in mainly two places, and both times he has opposed national sovereignty and asserted instead “the people’s sovereignty” as being something that can justify a foreign invasion into a country by “the international community” in order to protect “the people’s sovereignty” there. He argues for a (what he claims would be) beneficent empire of “the international community,” which fights around the world ‘protecting’ “the people’s sovereignty,” wherever and whenever “the international community” decides that the local government is violating “the people’s sovereignty.”
That’s the basic difference between their views — Putin asserting no foreigner has any right to invade, versus Soros asserting that “the international community” has an obligation to invade (to protect “the people’s sovereignty” there), whenever and wherever it decides to invade and gives some ‘reason’ (truthful or not) ‘justifying’ this ‘protection’ of ‘the people’s sovereignty’, over that land.
At least two separate academic studies have been done (both by Americans) of what Soros’s proposal comes down to in actual practice; and both conclude that what it does in actual practice is to polarize and maybe ultimately destroy (make irrelevant) the U.N., and to enhance international imperialism. (Neither of the two studies connects the issue to the international armanents business, which relies almost exclusively upon imperialism in order to grow its profits — scholars try to avoid motivation and present purely statutory analyses, so as to be inoffensive to extremely wealthy people, who might have non-statutory motives and who heavily endow scholarly institutions in order to have control over the careers of their relevant ‘experts’.)
So, first: here will be statements by Soros, in which he defends his view; and then will be statements by the two scholarly studies finding that Soros’s view is actually just a veiled support for might-makes-right international imperialism — grabbing of one country by other countries. Then, the original systematic statement of the modern imperialist view will be presented, from Rhodes himself, along with sympathetic interpretation of it by Rhodes’s transcriber and close personal friend, W.T. Stead. And, to close here, will be presented the cardinal issue alleged to be the basis for most of the economic sanctions against Russia and for virtually all of NATO’s war games in preparation for a possible ‘defensive’ invasion of Russia: Russia’s reintegrating the briefly Ukrainian land Crimea back into Russia. The West calls that a ‘seizure’ and an ‘invasion,’ and Russia calls it not anything like that, and not even a topic that’s relevant in international law, but purely a matter that the residents of Crimea have the right to decide, on their own — relevant only to law within nations not between nations. So, that issue will be included as a practical application of this basic ideological difference regarding the good or evil of imperialism. Closing this cardinal issue will be Mr. Soros’s personal funding and propagandizing for this coup that he had helped to fund in Ukraine.
Then a PS will be added at the very end, to indicate the deep historical roots that Putin’s rejection of the acceptability of empire has, going back at least as far as the Russia of 1948, when Albert Einstein — a champion of world government as being the only means to avoid a third world war — debated (but not really) against that view, in the February 1948 issue of Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. (He debated there not as a conservative, such as Rhodes; nor as a liberal, such as Soros; but as a progressive, whose overriding concern was to prevent a World War III, and whose aim was to disarm all nations and to have all military armaments transferred to a democratic global government.)
George Soros, 2003 The Bubble of American Supremacy.
p. 100: “Sovereignty is a historic[al] concept born of an era when society consisted of rulers and subjects, not citizens. It became the cornerstone of international relations with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, after thirty years of religious wars.”
p. 101: “Anachronistic or not, sovereignty remains the basis of the current international order.”
p. 102: “The principle of sovereignty needs to be reconsidered. Sovereignty belongs to the people: the people are supposed to delegate it to the government through the electoral process. But not all governments are democratically elected and even democratic governments may abuse the authority thus entrusted to them. If the abuses of power are severe enough and the people are deprived of opportunities to correct them, outside interference is justified. International intervention is often the only lifeline available to the oppressed.”
p. 112: “I have no right to call the promotion of open societies the Soros Doctrine. The idea was endorsed in a little-known document, the Warsaw Declaration. [“The Warsaw Declaration Toward a Community of Democracies”, 27 June 2000, listing 16 human “rights” and the obligations of governments to fill them] This document proclaimed that it is in the interest of all democratic countries taken as a group to foster the development of democracy in all other countries. The declaration was signed by 107 states (a greater number than the number of democracies in the world), including the United States, at a conference held in Warsaw in 2000. The conference was sponsored by Madeleine Albright’s State Department.”
p. 118: “The Community of Democracies established by the Warsaw Declaration in 2000 could offer a source of legitimacy for intervening in the internal affairs of nondemocratic states.”
p. 146: “There is another major area where the principle of the people’s sovereignty has important implications: revenues from the exploitation of natural resources. … The natural resources of a country ought to belong to the people, but the rulers often exploit the resources for their own personal benefit. This violates the sovereignty of the people and calls for external intervention.”
p. 167: “To regain the identity it enjoyed during the Cold War, the United States ought to become the leader of a community of democracies and change its behavior accordingly. It ought to lead by building genuine partnerships and abiding by the rules that it seeks to impose on others. Since peaceful cooperative efforts do not necessarily succeed, the United States would still need to retain its military might, but this strength would serve to protect a just world order and would be seen as such by the rest of the world. This vision goes against the grain of the Bush administration’s ideology, which I have described as a crude form of social Darwinism: the survival of the fittest as determined by competition, not cooperation.”
https://foreignpolicy.com/
http://archive.is/xx6bb
http://web.archive.org/web/
The People’s Sovereignty
How a new twist on an old idea can protect the world’s most vulnerable populations.
BY GEORGE SOROS | OCTOBER 28, 2009, 6:33 PM
Sovereignty is an anachronistic concept originating in bygone times when society consisted of rulers and subjects, not citizens. It became the cornerstone of international relations with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. During the French Revolution, the king was overthrown and the people assumed sovereignty. But a nationalist concept of sovereignty soon superseded the dynastic version. Today, though not all nation-states are democratically accountable to their citizens, the principle of sovereignty stands in the way of outside intervention in the internal affairs of nation-states.
But true sovereignty belongs to the people, who in turn delegate it to their governments. If governments abuse the authority entrusted to them and citizens have no opportunity to correct such abuses, outside interference is justified. By specifying that sovereignty is based on the people, the international community can penetrate nation-states’ borders to protect the rights of citizens. In particular, the principle of the people’s sovereignty can help solve two modern challenges: the obstacles to delivering aid effectively to sovereign states, and the obstacles to global collective action dealing with states experiencing internal conflict.
… the rulers of a sovereign state have a responsibility to protect the state’s citizens. When they fail to do so, the responsibility is transferred to the international community. Global attention is often the only lifeline available to the oppressed.
http://scholarship.law.unc.
NORTH CAROLINA JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND COMMERCIAL REGULATION
Volume 40, Number 1 (Fall 2014)
“No Responsibility for the Responsibility to Protect: How Powerful States Abuse the Doctrine, and Why Misuse Will Lead to Disuse”
Brighton Haslett
… the decision whether or not to intervene and the way in which intervention itself is carried out do not truly turn on humanitarian concerns, but rather are guided by strategic and economic interests. While the doctrine does not preclude weighing of strategic and economic interests,12 it does require that the primary purpose of intervention be to end human suffering.1 …
The inconsistent application of responsibility-to-protect principles in the thirteen years since its inception shows that responsibility-to-protect intervention does not, in fact, turn on humanitarian principles, but on some combination of power dynamics, political strategy, and economic gain.
In the past, the doctrine has been abused and misapplied.354 Unjustified attacks have been launched in violation of the U.N. Charter; interventions justified by the responsibility to protect at the outset have been executed in violation of the principles underlying the doctrine; and situations warranting international action have been ignored due to the economic and strategic interests of states with the power to prevent intervention.355
https://sites.temple.edu/
TEMPLE INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE LAW JOURNAL
“Responsibility to Protect: Moral Triumph or Gateway to Allowing Powerful States to Invade Weaker States in Violation of the U.N. Charter?”
Jamie Herron
[In 2011,] NATO forces helped the rebel Libyan army overthrow Colonel Muammar Gadhafi’s regime.13 This Note will argue that, as shown by the intervention in Libya, the standard that the [U.N.] General Assembly created to determine when humanitarian interventions are authorized is too flexible, allowing states to invade sovereign nations under the pretext that the invasion is a humanitarian intervention.
https://ia802706.us.archive.
www.archive.org/details/
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF CECIL JOHN RHODES WITH ELUCIDATORY NOTES TO WHICH ARE ADDED SOME CHAPTERS DESCRIBING THE POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS IDEAS OF THE TESTATOR, Edited by W.T. Stead, 1902
p. 52: Mr. Rhodes’s last Will and Testament reveals him to the world as the first distinguished British statesman whose Imperialism was that of Race and not that of Empire. The one specific object defined in the Will as that to which his wealth is to be applied proclaims with the simple eloquence of a deed that Mr. Rhodes was colour-blind between the British Empire and the American Republic. His fatherland, like that of the poet Arndt, is coterminous with the use of the tongue of his native land. In his Will he aimed at making Oxford University the educational centre of the English-speaking race. He did this of set purpose, and in providing the funds necessary for the achievement of this great idea he specifically prescribed that every American State and Territory shall share with the British Colonies in his patriotic benefaction. Once every year “Founder’s Day” will be celebrated at Oxford; and not at Oxford only, but wherever on the broad world’s surface half-a-dozen old “Rhodes scholars” come together they will celebrate the great ideal of Cecil Rhodes the first of modern statesmen to grasp the sublime conception of the essential unity of the race. Thirty years hereafter there will be between two and three thousand men in the prime of life scattered all over the world, each one of whom will have had impressed upon his mind in the most susceptible period of his life the dream of the Founder. It is, therefore, well to put on record in accessible form all available evidence as to the nature of his dream. What manner of man was this Cecil Rhodes.
p. 59 [“His Writings” at around 1877] “I contend that we are the first race in the world, and that the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race. I contend that every acre added to our territory means the birth of more of the English race who otherwise would not be brought into existence. Added to this, the absorption of the greater portion of the world under our rule simply means the end of all wars. … [He then discusses his main goals:] The furtherance of the British Empire, for the bringing of the whole uncivilised world under British rule, for the recovery of the United States, for the making the Anglo-Saxon race but one Empire. What a dream! but yet it is probable. It is possible. … I once heard it argued, so low have we fallen in my own college [Oxford], I am sorry to own it, by Englishmen, that it was a good thing for us that we have lost the United States. There are some subjects on which there can be no argument, and to an Englishman this is one of them. But even from an American’s point of view just picture what they have lost. All this we have lost and that country has lost owing to whom? Owing to two or three ignorant, pigheaded statesmen in the last century [1700s]. At their door is the blame. Do you ever feel mad, do you ever feel murderous? I think I do with these men [supporters of the U.S. Constitution].”
pp. 73-74 [“His Writings” date unclear] “What an awful thought it is that if we had not lost America, or if even now we could arrange with the present members of the United States Assembly and our House of Commons, the peace of the world is secured for all eternity! We could hold your federal parliament five years at Washington and five at London. The only thing feasible to carry this idea out is a secret one (society) gradually absorbing the wealth of the world to be devoted to such an object. There is Hirsch with twenty millions, very soon to cross the unknown border, and struggling in the dark to know what to do with his money; and so one might go on ad infinitum … a scheme to take the government of the whole world!”
pp. 147-149 [“Political and Religious Ideas” dated 1884] “The proposed settlement of Bechuanaland is based on the exclusion of colonists of Dutch descent. I raise my voice in most solemn protest against such a course, and it is the duty of every Englishman in the House to record his solemn protest against it. In conclusion, I wish to say that the breach of solemn pledges and the introduction of race distinctions must result in bringing calamity on this country; and if such a policy is pursued it will endanger the whole of our social relationships with colonists of Dutch descent, and endanger the supremacy of Her Majesty in this country. … I have made up my mind that there must be class legislation, that there must be Pass Laws and Peace Preservation Acts, and that we have got to treat natives, where they are in a state of barbarism, in a different way to ourselves. We are to be lords over them. These are my politics on native affairs, and these are the politics of South Africa. Treat the natives as a subject people as long as they continue in a state of barbarism and communal tenure; be the lords over them, and let them be a subject race and keep the liquor from them.”
p. 114 — Stead, the friend of Rhodes, sums up Rhodes’s view as: “To be a Rhodesian, then, of the true stamp, you must be a Home Ruler [a proponent of federated republic, like in the U.S.] and something more. You must be an Imperialist, not from mere lust of dominion or pride of race, but because you believe the Empire is the best available instrument for diffusing the principles of Justice, Liberty, and Peace throughout the world. Whenever Imperialism involves the perpetration of Injustice, the suppression of Freedom, and the waging of wars other than those of self-defence, the true Rhodesian must cease to be an Imperialist [must cease fighting for more land, and instead fight only for principles]. But a Home Ruler and Federalist, according to the principles of the American Constitution, he can never cease to be [Stead accepted the republicanism of the U.S. Constitution, though his hero had condemned America’s Founders], for Home Rule is a fundamental principle, whereas the maintenance and extension of the Empire are only means to an end, and may be changed, as Mr. Rhodes was willing to change them. If, for instance, the realisation of the greater ideal of Race Unity could only be brought about by merging the British Empire in the American Republic, Mr. Rhodes was prepared to advocate that radical measure. The question that now arises is whether in the Englishs-speaking world there are to be found men of faith adequate to furnish forth materials for the Society of which Mr. Rhodes dreamed: ‘Still through our paltry stir and strife Glows down the wished Ideal. And Longing moulds in clay what Life Carves in the marble Real.’ We have the clay mould of Mr. Rhodes’s longed-for Society. Have we got the stuff, in the Empire and the Republic, to carve it in marble?”
UKRAINE & CRIMEA
https://www.academia.edu/
“Crimea Crisis before International Law”
Riccardo Murgia, Università degli Studi di Cagliari
http://www.unica.it/pub/
https://unica-it.academia.edu/
p. 8:
… The Russia-Ukraine conflict is a conflict between two of the most important principles of International Law: the principle of self-determination statuted by Article 1, paragraph 2 of the UN Charter, which can bring justification to the Russian actions, and the principle of respecting each state’s territorial integrity and political independence, statuted by Article 2, paragraph 4 of the same charter.
A precedent for Russia’s actions in Crimea can be found in relation with NATO intervention in Kosovo in 1998.
[His study doesn’t mention the coup, which preceded the separation of Crimea from Ukraine. Nor its illegality — the fact that Obama had seized Ukraine via a bloody and thoroughly illegal coup, and that this seizure sparked Crimea’s breaking away from Ukraine and seeking Russia’s protection. Also, Murgia’s study fails to note here that by saying “A precedent for Russia’s actions in Crimea can be found in relation with NATO intervention in Kosovo in 1998” Murgia is validating Putin’s repeated assertions that this “precedent” was introduced by the U.S. itself, and was accepted by the Court, and is now being disowned by the U.S. in order for the U.S. to be able to argue that ‘Putin seized Crimea’ and that therefore the U.S.-imposed sanctions and NATO buildup are somehow justified, instead of being simply aggressive acts against Russia.]
International Law 341
“Research Thesis: Validity of the Russian Annexation of Crimea in terms of International Law”
JJ Arries [student at Stellenbosch University School of Law]
The second ground on which Ukraine’s argument is flawed relating to the validity of the referendum is that in terms of international law, and as far as it is concerned, no prohibitions exists on unilateral declarations of independence by sub-divisions of a state, and this position is supported by the advisory opinion of the ICJ on the matter Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008. The Russian President quoted submissions made by the United States to the ICJ, that repeat their position, “declarations of independence may and often do, violate domestic legislation. However, this does not make them violations of international law.”
Given the arguments made by both parties to the matter, it is clear that in some aspects, Russia did violate international law with regards to the annexation of the Crimean territory. Their arguments on the use of force do not fall in line with the international standards, and thus are invalid. They are however correct in quoting precedents, such as the Kosovo independence matter, as grounds for acting in defence of minorities. The validity of the referendum may be invalid in terms of the domestic law in Ukraine; however, in terms of international law, no prohibition currently exists with regards to declaration of independence by sub-divisions of a state.
http://www.icj-cij.org/files/
“Written Statement of the United States of America”
[argues that international law does not pertain to revolutions or to declarations of independence, but that all acts forming new nations, including breaking away from any existing nation, are purely internal matters pertaining to the people who live there, nobody else’s business]
United States Department of State Washington, D.C. 20520 www.state.gov April 17, 2009 Pursuant to the Court’s Order of 17 October 2008, I have the honor to enclose thirty copies of the Written Statement of the United States of America concerning the request of the United Nations General Assembly for an advisory opinion on the question of the Accordance with International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo. I have also enclosed a diskette containing the text of the Statement. Accept, sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. Joan E. Donoghue [“an American jurist, and a Judge on the International Court of Justice. She was elected to that post in 2010 and re-elected in 2014.”], Acting Legal Adviser. Enclosures: As stated Mr. Philippe Couvreur, Registrar, International Court of Justice, Peace Palace, The Hague
“Accordance with International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo” …
Statement of the United States of America [17] April 2009 …
pages 50-52:
Section I. International Law Does Not As A General Matter Regulate Declarations Of Independence
lt is widely accepted that declarations of independence, standing alone, present matters of fact, which are neither authorized nor prohibited by international law.202 Neither the United Nations Charter, nor other general international afeements, nor customary international law regulate the act of declaring independence. 20 The fact that international law does not address declarations of independence is not surprising. As a general rule, international law governs the relations between States, not the conduct of entities within States.204 There are certain exceptions, such as those found in international humanitarian law,205 but declarations of independence do not by themselves fall into these exceptions. “Events leading to the creation of a new State generally entail matters within the domestic jurisdiction of a State.”206 [not matters within the jurisdiction of international law]
It is certainly the case that declarations of independence may — and in their nature often do — violate domestic law. However, that does not mean that there has been a violation of international law.207 As Oppenheim has observed in the context of rebellion: “Although a rebellion will involve a breach of the law of the state concerned, no breach of international law occurs through the mere fact of a rebel regime attempting to overthrow the govemment of the state or to secede from the state.”208 Thus, it is widely accepted that, from the standpoint of international law, the process of State formation presents a matter of fact.209 A declaration of independence is an expression of a will or desire by an entity to be accepted as a State by the members of the international community. There may be other events associated with a particular declaration of independence that can be regulated by international law, but as one commentator has remarked:
[T]he State in the contemplation of international law is not a mere legal or ‘juristic’ person (personne morale), whose process of coming into being is prescribed by law. lt is rather a ‘primary fact’, i.e. a fact that precedes the law, and which the law acknowledges only once it has materialised, by attributing certain effects to it, including a certain legal status.210
In this case, the question before the Court is not whether any of these associated events — such as the subsequent recognitions of Kosovo’ s statehood by other States — are permissible under international law, but rather whether the declaration itself was consistent with international law. The fact that international law does not generally seek to regulate the act of declaring independence means that this declaration must be deemed to be in accordance with international law.211
George Soros helped to fund this coup in Ukraine, and afterward he propagandized for the U.S. and its allies to spend $50 billion more in order to help to defeat (and to kill as many as possible of) the residents in the portion of Ukraine where the Ukrainian President whom Obama overthrew had won 90% of the vote. This is how much Soros supports “the people’s sovereignty” and “human rights.” He wanted $50B more of Western taxpayers’ money spent on killing these people.
And that’s the difference of opinion, between Vladimir Putin and The West.
PS: The following excerpts, from Albert Einstein, present a very different position than either the imperialist one or the nationalist one — he clearly and passionately endorsed the formation of a democratic world government being formed whose legislature would be composed of representatives of equalitarian anti-elitist democratic national governments, and he failed to recognize how corrupt the aristocracies are in every country and how likely they would be to take control over any world government that might ultimately emerge:
https://books.google.com/
“Looking Ahead with Albert Einstein”
The Rotarian, June 1948, pp. 8-10
“What urgent message have you for The Rotarian’s world-wide audience of business and professional men?”
That question was put to Dr. Einstein. It resulted, at his suggestion, in these excerpts from his public statements, and a direct answer in a summarizing query. …
“Security Demands Sacrifice”
A world government must be created which is able to solve conflicts between nations by judicial decision. This government must be based on a clear-cut constitution which is approved by the governments and the nations and which gives it the sole disposition of offensive weapons. A person or a nation can be considered peace loving only if it is ready to cede its military force to the international authorities and to renounce every attempt or even means of achieving its interests abroad by the use of force.
“U.S.S.R. and U.S.A.”
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists [no date, but actually February 1948], responding to Soviet scientists [the entire exchange being on pp. 34-38 in that month’s issue, and later on pp. 134-146 of Ideas and Opinions:]
You are such passionate opponents of anarchy in the economic sphere, and yet equally passionate advocates of anarchy — e.g., unlimited [national] sovereignty — in the sphere of international politics. The proposition to curtail the sovereignty of individual States appears to you in itself reprehensible, as a kind of violation of a natural right. In addition, you try to prove that behind the idea of curtailing sovereignty the United States is hiding her intention of economic domination and exploitation of the rest of the world without going to war. … [Omitted here, but included in the complete versions, was: ”If we hold fast to the concept and practice of unlimited sovereignty of nations, it only means that each country reserves the right for itself of pursuing its objectives through warlike means.” ]
I advocate world government because I am convinced that there is no other possible way of eliminating the most terrible danger. … The objective of avoiding total destruction must have priority over any other objective.
“A Question and an Answer”
[June 1948, here, Einstein’s direct answer to the Rotarians]
The longer we continue to march ahead on this fateful road, the more difficult it will be to leave it. … Each day’s postponement diminishes the probability that the patient will come out alive.
“Albert Einstein, Citizen, Princeton, New Jersey”
Recently he was asked what weapons would be used in a third world war. Dr. Einstein’s reply was characteristic: “I don’t know. But I can tell you what they will use in the fourth. They’ll use rocks!”
Whereas it seems to me that Einstein sincerely supported democracy and opposed any dictatorship by the aristocracy or by any other entity, I have the impression that Rhodes sincerely supported dictatorship by a racist aristocracy (this being an extremely conservative government), and that Soros deceitfully supports whatever he thinks will most efficiently serve the interests of America’s aristocracy (against other aristocracies, and against all publics) (and his view represents traditional liberalism).
Vladimir Putin has not yet made clear precisely where he stands on this entire matter, other than via his actions and decisions in public office (plus a few side-comments he has made). Perhaps he thinks that he has made himself clear to everyone by his actions and decisions. And his underlying presumption, that actions and decisions can be trusted far more than any mere words can, makes sense. However, I think that the time has now come when he needs to state publicly, how he views things, explaining that the basic difference is between himself and The West (both Rhodes’s conservative The West, and Soros’s liberal The West), and also regarding Einstein’s advocacy for a global and all-encompassing democratic world government, to be comprised of representatives from all national governments. Perhaps Putin thinks that the latter is impossible; if so, he should explain his position on it, and on the possibility that (and means by which) the U.N. might evolve into that. It needs to enter the public discussion.
My personal view of the matter has been set forth in two articles, which complement (not compliment) one-another: “Liberals Don’t Respect a Nation’s Sovereignty” (which argues that the basic difference between liberals and progressives is that only progressives respect a nation’s sovereignty), and “The Two Contending Visions of World Government” (which argues that the vision of world government that FDR intended, became defeated at the first meeting of the Bilderbergs in 1954, because they were all closeted fascists and controlled NATO). The date when the U.S. Government secretly instructed its allies that the goal going forward would be to conquer Russia, was 24 February 1990, and this plan is now at an advanced stage. All of this would have shocked and demoralized Albert Einstein. He was not a liberal; he was a progressive, but he — like millions of other American progressives — was fooled by closeted fascists, such as the CIA. The issue, in his view, wasn’t isolationism versus internationalism; it was fascism versus progressivism; and fascism (including both the conservative and the liberal sorts) has definitely been winning.
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of They’re Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRIST’S VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity.
Eric Zuesse
Dr NG Maroudas on July 10, 2018 · at 10:31 am EST/EDT
“That’s the basic difference between their views — Putin asserting no foreigner has any right to invade, versus Soros asserting that “the international community” has an obligation to invade (to protect “the people’s sovereignty” there)…… At least two separate academic studies have been done of what Soros’s proposal comes down to in actual practice; and both conclude that what it does in actual practice is to polarize and maybe ultimately destroy (make irrelevant) the U.N., and to enhance international imperialism.”
Immanuel Kant, “Perpetual Peace” (1795), reached the same conclusion from rational (basically, Christian) ethics: we ought to respect the autonomy of every individual person, and treat every sovereign state as though it were an individual person; otherwise, the only perpetual peace we can look forward to will be the peace of the cemetery. But, in our empirical age, I suppose people must needs go out and experimentally test the result of transgressing the UN principle of sovereignty by invading country after country under dubious and freshly cooked-up Liberal Interventions and Rights to Protect, then holding a couple of Academic Studies to assess the ensuing death, destruction, loss, confusion and insecurity.
Mulga Mumblebrain on July 12, 2018 · at 5:46 am EST/EDT
The type that Soros represents, the Western civilizational supremacist, being xenophobic, racist and culturally contemptuous, regard all other civilizations and cultures as inferior and only fit to be ‘civilised’ by the superior Western type. Even great and ancient civilizations like China and India are regarded with undisguised disdain. Here in Austfailure at present we are in a newly vicious phase of a Sinophobic hate-campaign directed at China, that the USA ordered of its stooges after Obama outlined his ‘pivot to Asia’ ie war-plans, in 2011. The entire political and fakestream media menageries are united, as ever, in 100% Groupthink abusing China, often, increasingly often, in undisguised racist terms. This for a country that has done us no harm, offered friendship, sends us tens of thousands of students and over one million tourists per year, and helped finance research at our otherwise cash-strapped universities, research that the racist bully-boys are demanding must cease. And not just the Chinese state, but the long-established Chinese community, many anti-Communists, are also being slandered as potential Fifth Columnists, by filthy racists whose swinish abuse draws not a word of protest or dissent. It is the Free World, and we all think alike, after all.
irrelevant on July 10, 2018 · at 11:11 am EST/EDT
Great essay and argument. Many Thanks!
Brother Vlad strikes me as a very sensible, morally straight, cop/boy scout who is if not entirely non-delusional, then about as close to non-delusional as a man may reasonably be.
It also seems to me that in order to do his duty to Russia, he will be obliged to try to help salvage as much of Murka as possible from the present zuswang-like condition, as did Czar Nick in 1860-65 episode of Brit intrigues, which are controlling. Not a matter of will, but of logic and necessity… I do not know how that’s going to go…. a delicate matter, eh?
I am going to dig deeply into the implications of the posted paper. It will be fun!
Anonymous on July 10, 2018 · at 12:35 pm EST/EDT
The thing about Putin is that, while he is not necessarily a pro-American traitor… I mean Atlantic Integrationist, he is not really a Eurasian Sovereigntist either.
Putin’s game is to manage and play off both groups.
Here is an interesting take on Putin from John Helmer. The immediate concern is the Putin-Trump summit, but the more important issue is that Eurasian sovereigntists in Russia don’t quite trust Putin and indeed are wary that he will make some sell-out concessions to the Americans that might prove disastrous:
“During the Kremlin meeting last week between Putin and Trump’s national security advisor, John Bolton, one clue was visible. This was the appearance of the Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on the Russian side of table, alongside the president’s foreign affairs advisor Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Shoigu wasn’t matched by a military officer or Pentagon counterpart on the American side of the table. So Shoigu wasn’t present to speak. He was there to listen, and to report to the General Staff what the US side is proposing – and not less significant, what Putin had to say. Shoigu’s presence was a signal that on the Russian side, the military do not quite trust the president — their own, not the other one.
The problem for the Russian military is that they believe US military undertakings at the field level, and at the political level, cannot be trusted. Consequently, they doubt Trump or his White House staff can command, even if they wish to control, the operations in Syria of the CIA or the Israelis. In such a situation, Shoigu’s post at the meeting with Bolton was to ensure that Putin left no opening for a US offer that may lead to Russian casualties in the field.”
THE SALE OF ANOTHER CENTURY – THE PUTIN-TRUMP SUMMIT
http://johnhelmer.org/?p=17802#more-17802
Larchmonter445 on July 10, 2018 · at 7:36 pm EST/EDT
Helmer is an idiot if thinks there is a sliver of daylight between Shoigu and Putin and Putin and the Military.
Throughout his Presidency, from Chechnya onward, for two decades, there isn’t a hint of separation.
To posit this crapola of Shoigu being there as a “keeper” in behalf of a different point of view would be the end of Putin’s power. Expect removal shortly.
Total amateurish stuff from Helmer.
There was a signal by Shoigu’s presence. It was a signal to the US that the Russian politicians and military were together. There may also be a secondary issue, possibly the grooming of SHoigu as Putin’s successor.
Helmer sometimes let his personal animus get in the way. This applies to Peskov particularly. Helmer seems to regard him as a Rasputin figure, secretly controlling Putin.
This borders on paranoid. If I have a specialist with me to evaluate an offer it doesn’t mean that I would intentionally (removed language,MOD) over myself in the deal, it just means I want the best person possible to help me make a beneficial deal.
Why do people like you immediately come to these kinds of conclusions? Does Putin have to be a specialist in every single field? Or should the specialists in his government be fools and just let him decide whatever enters his mind first without consultation?
What exactly is wrong about having Shoigu present?
Auslander on July 10, 2018 · at 10:03 pm EST/EDT
“The immediate concern is the Putin-Trump summit, but the more important issue is that Eurasian sovereigntists in Russia don’t quite trust Putin and indeed are wary that he will make some sell-out concessions to the Americans that might prove disastrous:”
“Shoigu’s presence was a signal that on the Russian side, the military do not quite trust the president — their own, not the other one.” “What exactly is wrong about having Shoigu present?”
You tell me why you make a statement regarding ‘trust’ and when called on it you try to change the direction of your statement by asking a question. Where do you anonymous posters get this foolishness? Have you ever heard of President Putin making a sell-out concession to anyone? And the military not trusting President Putin? Get real.
Never The Last One https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGCY8KK A Deep Look In To Russia, Her Culture And Her Armed Forces
An Incident On Simonka https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ERKH3IU NATO Is Invited To Leave Sevastopol, One Way Or The Other.
There’s a misunderstanding here, I’m not the same guy who made the first paranoid comment, I’ve been criticising him.
Auslander, isn’t it normal for military generals to mistrust those in political office? I frequently read commentary that talks of (rumors) disagreements between military leaders and the political representatives, including with the Russian troops in Syria.
Auslander on July 12, 2018 · at 3:11 pm EST/EDT
Anonymous 1:13 EST/EDT
No. An army that has lost faith in it’s political leadership will not fight for the country and will disintegrate. I see zero signs of this in the Russian Army, Navy and VDV, and I see both almost daily.
The pride in our units is the likes of which I’ve never seen, they trust the troika that runs this country. Do they trust the underlings in the political establishment? In general, yes, but this is not groveling subservience for either the troika or the underlings, today’s soldiers are not stupid nor are they uneducated, and they fully understand that not all politicians are good, just like not all politicians are evil. They are motivated by patriotism for The Motherland and they completely understand that it was and is the Troika that makes Russia what she is today, ergo makes their lives and the lives of their friends and families what they are today.
I stopped reading when I saw Helmer’s name.
To be honest, I don’t know who he is. Just that the propagandists love to cite him. And, for someone in the West, that’s a familar story. Some nobody comes along and his highly hyped by all the propagandists.
In this case, apparently Putin is being slagged for daring to have an advisor smarter than John Bolton attend a meeting. OMG!
JJ on July 11, 2018 · at 4:29 am EST/EDT
Extensive interview with Shoigu…good to hear from him
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201807111066247155-us-inf-treaty-violation-tomahawks/?utm_source=m.facebook.com/&utm_medium=short_url&utm_content=hZ5W&utm_campaign=URL_shortening
Matthiew on July 11, 2018 · at 10:51 am EST/EDT
Agreed completely with the assessment of J.Helmer. Actually to think otherwise is quite naive and foolish IMO. There are other interesting articles of J.Helmer highlighting the intricate oligarchic power structure of the Russian State. Putin has always been close to oligarchic power circles and he owes his long term staying in power obviously to this fact. He is not at all an Eurasian Sovereignist but quite on contrary more likely a pragmatic opportunist. All his actions so far prove this fact abundantly IMO. Euroasian Integration is led by Russia and China is a pipe dream and rather a smokescreen perception management. There is only one real super power for the Euroasian project which is China (SCO, OBOR, China Development Bank). Russia seems to be just a useful tool in the hands of the western elites.
anon12309846 on July 10, 2018 · at 4:24 pm EST/EDT
Respect for sovereignty should be regarded as the highest value of international politics.Imperialism and interventions lead to complete lawlessness and chaos, not just on a national scale but on a international scale.Of course Western Imperialist are quite happy with everywhere other than where they live being lawless and chaotic.
A123 on July 10, 2018 · at 5:35 pm EST/EDT
Let me provide a more accurate headline:
Vladimir Putin’s basic disagreement with Leftist Globalism
The author correctly identifies the anti-Christian, Soros backed, Globalists are in opposition to Putin. Where the author misses the mark is that Globalists are a threat to both the Christian “West” including the U.S. and the Christian “East” including Russia.
Trump’s America, Putin’s Russia, Orban’s Hungary, and other sovereign states in similar circumstances are all Christian nations that could become allies against anti-Christian forces that dominate far too much of the world.
Post WW II thinking about “West vs. East” is no longer relevant. Today’s global divide that separates the world into polar camps is Christians vs. anti-Christians.
Well, he is analysing Putins disagreements with Western liberalism, he is not analysing the damage the Western elite does to it’s own people. (which today probably everyone, even people in remote places like Afghanistan recognise)
Should Russia intervene in the US like a colonialist in order to supposedly save US citizens?
It can hardly be moral to do this. And there is no chance that Russia will ever do this, at least they never did so in the past.
Russia will help for example Syrians who are invaded by foreigners (as far as it is possible with their resources) but who is invading the US or the West without explicit invitation by the Western elites or what foreign power is imposing their will on their people?
People from the West will have to deal with their leadership themselves like everyone else had to do in the past when things went very wrong.
If you start wars (or otherwise interfere internally) to change the internal order of a sovereign nation for any other reason than to stop foreign aggressors then you are doing exactly the same thing the US/West/Israel is doing.
I bet people like Soros genuinely believe what they are doing is for the benefit of their societies, so does Putin.
My choice here would be obviously Putin but who is he to say that the US cannot remodel their internal order according to the ideology of Soros and vice versa?
The West tries to do this but it will fail anyway because their ideology is not based in reality. The question is only how much suffering they will produce internally before people will put an end to it.
I’m not saying though that we shouldn’t help individually where it is legal, possible and necessary, whether it is Christians helping other Christians or Muslims doing the same.
We absolutely should do this.
I still think a member of the Adams family got it right once upon a time.
“Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. She will recommend the general cause, by the countenance of her voice, and the benignant sympathy of her example. She well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself, beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom. The fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force. The frontlet upon her brows would no longer beam with the ineffable splendor of freedom and independence; but in its stead would soon be substituted an imperial diadem, flashing in false and tarnished lustre the murky radiance of dominion and power. She might become the dictatress of the world: she would be no longer the ruler of her own spirit.”
— speech by John Quincy Adams, then Speaker of the US House of Representatives, future President of the United states, given on July 4, 1821 http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/speech-on-independence-day/
Eric Zuesse on July 11, 2018 · at 10:20 am EST/EDT
WOW! I hadn’t know of that one! Terrific find! THANKS!
Brilliant oratory, but many of the Founding Fathers, the richest men in the thirteen colonies and great advocates of eliminating the Indigenous, openly spoke of the USA becoming a ‘New Rome’. That ambition was pretty plain by the time of the Monroe Doctrine in the 1820s, and has only ever grown more determined, brutal and destructive ever since.
The Soros type of globalists are ‘Left’ only in the debased usage of the monocultural West, where all acceptable politics are Rightist, pro-capitalist and Western Imperialist. The Identity Politics utilised by the Sorosians is solely a smoke-screen to promote Divide and Rule policies to set the populace against each other, the easier for the ruling parasites to rip everybody else off.
Purple Library Guy on July 17, 2018 · at 1:44 pm EST/EDT
Christians vs. anti-Christians? Mod: Insult deleted. Christians have a wide range of social and political views. The Anglican church or Canada’s United Church have very different positions from American Baptists and similar US-style fundamentalists; the Catholic church is schizophrenic internally, with Catholic movements that range from fascist to socialist; The Saker would certainly want to say that Orthodoxy is quite politically different from all of the above.
Short version:
Putin’s Disagreement with the West.
The West says “Kneel Slave.”
Putin says “No.”
Auslander on July 11, 2018 · at 10:40 am EST/EDT
Best synopsis of an article I’ve ever seen. Well done, and how true.
дулебг on July 11, 2018 · at 7:32 pm EST/EDT
The basic disagreement about Crimea is: who is going to control it – Russians or Americans? The rest is a theory.
Isabella on July 11, 2018 · at 10:30 pm EST/EDT
Few things have only one cause – life is usually a little more complex.
Whilst I dont’ disagree with Mr. Zuesse here, there is another major contributor to this issue: that there are, in fact, two major differences that President Putin has with the AngloSaxon Fascist Empire rulers, in addition to the one discussed above. This is that, from comments made over and over down the years, that President Putin has an absolute adherence to the primacy of the Rule of Law.
He has said, one thing absolutely pertains; that “The Law is the Law”. If there is a bad law, change that law. He is not only part of a Law making system, but a trained Lawyer. He is clearly aware of the value of a system of Laws to which everybody subscribes and abides by.
One of his oft repeated statements of American sanctions is that they break the laws of the WTO to which all the members have signed agreement. He has also repeated often regarding his presidency; that the Constitution of Russia [i.e. the over-riding group of laws by which Russia is governed] only allows for 2 consecutive terms of office, and he has no intention of breaking that law. He has cited International Law over and over in re Crimea and Independence.
The thing is, this is the prime disagreement, actually; it is his absolute belief in primacy of Law, because if America subscribed to that requirement for ALL people, Everybody, Everywhere, then they could entertain themselves with any other beliefs they wanted. They could believe that they have the Soros “right of the community to invade a sovereign state to protect it’s inhabitants” and they could either believe this truly as an ideology, or as we have no doubt, Mr Soros does, as a useful excuse and clever manipulation of words and concepts just to prevent opposition to their Fascist land grabs.
They could talk of it, believe in it, but do nothing about it, because there are international laws forbidding it. Did their subservience to International Law come first, as it should, then their beliefs would mean nothing – Law would protect innocent unarmed countries from Empire invasions.
What is prime, is that these people reject they need to obey any Law,.
They think they are above the Law, when these days, it is generally accepted that even Kings are subject to law: no-one is “above the Law”
It’s a group think common to the AngloSaxons of a certain mind-set, for they also believe they are above the reality based requirement for evidence; thus they accept and promote an unprovable and unproven philosophic non-science such as Darwins’ Natural Selection ” it’s so because I like the sound of it, it’s useful, and I say it’s so. Who needs evidence”.
This is why the UK outrage of accusing and punishing Russia without a scrap of evidence comes naturally to them. They’ve been doing this in many fields for years – decades, generations – and have the concept ground into them: that they are “above the Law; above the need for evidence, proof. Their word and desires are enough”.
Did they not hold this deep down conviction, they would never have invaded and destroyed – because there are Laws which forbid it.
The ‘open society’ that Soros and his tribal and economic class colleagues desire is one ‘open’ for financialised looting. Once a country has undergone the, often forced, transition to a neo-liberal, Free Market, oligarchy with an ‘independent’ Central Bank staffed by Goldman Sachs alumni, the economy is in their hands, and those of their foreign fellows, and local political stooges. Then the pillage can commence, education, health, transport, power etc be privatised for looting and malign neglect, and austerity imposed, forever, on the ‘useless eaters’ that Soros and his ilk so utterly despise. And thus money will flow from the country, the economy will be taken over by foreigners and local compradores, the environment trashed to the point of irreversible (for centuries) devastation, and any resistance will be crushed by police forces armed by the USA and trained in Israel. Mass surveillance will grow, and, no doubt, if required, those favourite institutions of ‘Free World’ oligarchies, the death-squads, will liquidate trouble-makers. And the reptilian Soros and his peers, insatiable in their greed and egomania, will pile up ever greater fortunes.
Rick on July 12, 2018 · at 2:13 pm EST/EDT
Yes, this is an accurate description of what Soros’ “open society” means in practice. Putin is well aware of it.
Soros’ vision does not apply to Israel. He is more than happy for it to expand its borders as it wishes.
Just as Ukraine sought independence from the USSR in 1991, the Crimeans sought independence from Ukraine. The Ukraine regime rejected that even then.
Arthur on July 17, 2018 · at 3:39 pm EST/EDT
Agree with Putin’s view of things.
Globalists must be smashed, especially Soros.
They are like leaches.
And I think most people in every country would support him.
Go for it Vladimir & team !
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Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, The
Director: Tony Richardson
Stars: Michael Redgrave, Tom Courtenay, Avis Bunnage, Alec McCowen, James Bolam, Joe Robinson, Dervis Ward, Topsy Jane, Julia Foster, James Fox, John Thaw, Arthur Mullard, Peter Madden, Frank Finlay, Ray Austin, Derek Fowlds, Edward Fox
Review: Colin Smith (Tom Courtenay) is an eighteen-year-old youth who has been sent to borstal for being stupid enough to get caught stealing. But he is not a stupid boy, he simply makes bad choices, and now as he arrives by van with the other new inmates he clams up and sullenly obeys orders, ferried through with the rest of them to hear what the Governor (Michael Redgrave) has to say. The other staff make no secret of their antagonism towards them, but the head man prefers a paternalistic approach and to channel the boys' energies into sporting activities. He is especially interested in Colin when he reveals himself to be an adept runner - long distances will be his speciality.
The Angry Young Man movement showed no sign of slowing down when Tony Richardson directed Alan Sillitoe's adaptation of his own short novel as another example of someone who was mad as Hell and not going to take it anymore, though in this case it was more to do with the battle between working and upper classes that raised our antihero's ire. We were by no means intended to feel complete sympathy towards Colin, we are well aware, as is he, why he has been dispatched to a borstal as he is a criminal and he has no remorse as to that status in society, but he has to rebel against a hopeless situation somehow, and nobody else was going to help him escape.
The thing was, of course, that the Governor could do precisely that, and that places Colin in a difficult position between the proverbial rock and a hard place, as if he goes along with the top authority he could be regarded as having sold out, yet if he buckles under that pressure and continues to rebel, he is allying himself with the fellow inmates, and indeed a whole class, who don't care about him anyway since they are keen to scrabble over any and everyone in the mad dash to get ahead in an unforgiving world. In fact, his ultimate decision could be perceived as rank stupidity, a statement that rings utterly hollow when it will trap him in a no hope life for the rest of his days.
Richardson offered us flashbacks to Colin's past so we were able to secure some kind of understanding for his motives and compulsions, which sees him struggle with his days in Nottingham as his father was ailing badly and his mother was more keen to collect on the insurance money than she was to see her husband survive. As the oldest of four kids, Colin should be all rights be the breadwinner now, but he has no interest in that as he receives no thanks, and certainly no love, at home, so the only escape he enjoys is when we see him tear off to the seaside with his new girlfriend Topsy Jane and his best pal James Bolam and his new lady, Julia Foster. Looking like a cliché now, these holiday scenes nevertheless conveyed the desire for some idyll away from his cares that Colin has no hope of sustaining.
But if anyone made us invested in how the protagonist would make it through a very bleak existence, it was Tom Courtenay, as in his screen debut he was patently talented enough to go far further than the character he played could ever dream of. As the predecessor of many a troubled and troublesome teen, you could see echoes of his performance from anywhere to If.... to Scum to any others of that hard-hitting ilk, so he was definitely starting something with his raw, driven style that more than anything in the screenplay was what kept you watching. He was surrounded by a cast of old pros and up-and-comers, with some well-kent faces to be seen, some of them uncredited like John Thaw as a Liverpudlian inmate and James Fox as the star runner from the public school who Colin must prove himself against. Blatantly and purposefully leaving the viewer with mixed feelings about what was surely a Pyrrhic victory, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner matched its grim emotions to wintertime rural locations, and proved hard to forget. Music by John Addison.
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Nathan Boidman Esq.
Nat Boidman is a partner in the Taxation practice of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP. He specializes in international taxation, with a focus on advising on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, financings and other business arrangements and relationships, including joint ventures, partnerships and business trusts. Nat also provides counsel on disputes with Canada Revenue Agency stemming from cross-border tax matters, including transfer pricing and advises on individual international tax issues, including personal investment and migration matters.
Nat has 45 years of experience advising a diverse client base on the full range of international tax issues. In addition to his private client work, Nat has served as a special advisor to the Canadian government in the landmark case of Irving Oil and in other contexts.
Prior to his career in law, Nat was a partner in an accounting firm where he specialized in taxation.
In addition to the Representative Work set out in the next section, Nat has acted for Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan with respect to a variety of international acquisitions and has acted for Sentient Global Resources Inc., in respect of a number of deals other than those mentioned below.
B.C.L./LL.B., McGill University (1980)
B.Comm., McGill University (1962)
6945 T.M., Transfer Pricing: Rules and Practice in Selected Countries (C-D) (co-author)
Nathan Boidman is a member of the think and code Tax Management Transfer Pricing Advisory Board.
www.proffitness.com.ua/category/spidbayk/
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link pills24.com.ua
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Recidivism Roulette
by Tina in Academicians on Crime,Alternative Sentencing,Atlanta,failures to prosecute,Georgia,Mental Illness,Recidivism,The Crime Experts
I am traveling to Atlanta this week, so I will stick to a subject that comes painfully easy: recidivism.
Research confirms what common sense has been telling us all along: fewer than 10% of offenders commit 70% of all crimes. Some career criminals admit to hundreds, even thousands of felonies. This should not surprise us: does anybody really believe that people go out and rob one convenience store, or break into one house, then spend the rest of their time mowing their lawns and working nine-to-five?
The fact that there are super-predators out there doesn’t mean that the garden-variety burglar can’t be pretty prolific, too. Many criminologists make it their business to deny both types of recidivism (the big kind and the little kind). They do this in order to promote a philosophy of crime control that can be summarized this way: “prisons cause crime, not criminals, so if you don’t put people in prison, they won’t become recidivists.” Which is true, at least on paper, for if you don’t put people in prison when they break into one house, they won’t be counted as recidivists when they break into the next house.
Even a passing glance at academic studies comparing recidivism rates reveal substantial flaws: usually, ex-inmates are tracked for very brief time periods after incarceration, and only certain types of incarceration are counted as repeat offenses. With the prevalence of plea bargaining, the vast majority of crimes simply get shelved, never to appear on anyone’s record. And with the sealing of juvenile records, crimes committed during some of the most prolific years for criminal behavior are intentionally excluded from recidivism statistics. Academic claims about recidivism are almost universally meaningless. (Here is an interesting article on the subject as it plays out in Canada.)
In Atlanta this week, a particularly horrifying case of violent recidivism is making its slow way to a courtroom. In 2006, Jennifer Ewing was raped and murdered while exercising on the Silver Comet Trail. Michael Ledford, on probation for a previous rape, is charged with the crime: the evidence against him is indisputable.
Defense attorneys don’t like the term “indisputable” unless they can work it to their advantage, which they do by claiming that the mere existence of indisputable evidence means that their client cannot get a fair trial — because “fair” has come to mean “endless tugs at the get-out-of-jail-free card.” Thus expect a grotesquely expensive jury selection process, then grotesquely expensive hearings disputing Michael Ledford’s mental incompetency, and, throughout, demands for a mistrial because the public happened to find out that Ledford was caught for Ewing’s murder covered in blood, and he has done this before.
How many women has Michael Ledford really raped? Convicted of rape in Georgia in 1991, he received a heavy sentence for a rape at that time and also served more of that sentence than you usually see, ten full years in prison and ten more on probation. Ten years behind bars is not unusual today, but few rapists spent that much time in prison prior to the sentencing reform of the mid-1990’s. So what was the reason for throwing the book at him back then?
I suspect he was a prolific rapist, and police knew it, even though he was only charged with the one crime. Ledford was 29 when he was sent up for rape; rapists usually start committing sex crimes in their teens. What was he doing between the ages of 19 and 29? Who knew about it? The victim in the 1991 assault told the court that Ledford would doubtlessly rape again.
She was right. Another question: what was Ledford doing between his release in 2001 and his arrest for Jennifer Ewing’s murder in 2006? Mowing his lawn? Working nine-to-five?
The public is being asked to absorb the sure-to-be-excessive legal bill as Ledford’s lawyers attempt to use the strength of the evidence against him to get him off. The public is also being asked to accept arguments that recidivists belong in the community, not behind bars. They should not accede to either without receiving full disclosure about many things, including the real criminal histories of people like Michael Ledford: juvenile records, plea bargains, shelved cases, and all.
Criminologists Say the Craziest Things, Part 2: Man Bites Dog. Dow Jones Implicated.
by Tina in Academicians on Crime,Domestic Violence,media coverage of crime,Mental Illness,The Crime Experts
Yesterday, I wrote about some media reactions to the Binghamton mass killer. Today, I want to take a closer look at the ways expert opinions play out in one article about recent mass killings from The Christian Science Monitor.
In “Shootings, Murder-Suicide Raise Broader Question: Is Violence Linked to Recession?”, writer Patrik Jonsson posits the theory that the recent economic downturn may be responsible for the following crimes:
Four Oakland, Calif., police officers shot down. An Alabama man strolling a small town with a rifle, looking for victims. Seven elderly people shot dead at a North Carolina nursing home. And on Sunday, six people, including four kids, died in an apparent murder-suicide in an upscale neighborhood in Santa Clara, Calif.
What do these disparate crimes allegedly have in common? Jonsson suggests the economy, and he quotes Jack Levin, a much-quoted criminologist from Northwestern University, who enthusiastically endorse the association of these crimes with the economic crisis:
“Most of these mass killings are precipitated by some catastrophic loss, and when the economy goes south, there are simply more of these losses,” says Jack Levin, a noted criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston. . .
The recession in the early 1990s “saw a dramatic increase in workplace violence committed by vengeful ex-workers who decided to come back and get even with their boss and their co-workers through the barrel of an AK-47,” . . .
“Social isolation is a huge factor” in a country as large and transient as America, which places big emphasis on personal results, Levin says. “If you look at where many of these mass killings have occurred lately, they’re in states that have lots of strangers, transients, and drifters, who don’t have support systems to get them through tough times.”
Or maybe none of these things are true.
The murders in Oakland were precipitated, by all accounts, by felon Lovell Mixon’s desire to avoid returning to jail (the only “loss” Mixon was facing was the loss of his freedom to rape children in his neighborhood with impunity). The well-off shooter in Santa Clara was reportedly not experiencing financial troubles when he killed his own children and other family members visiting from India. The gunman in North Carolina was hunting down his estranged wife, who had recently left him and was working in the nursing home where he killed eight people. The man who killed ten in southern Alabama, Michael McLendon, had spoken to friends about his disappointment at not being able to stay in the Marines or the police academy, but it was personal failings, not economic trends, that caused his dismissals from both, and these events, like Jiverly Wong’s much commented-upon departure from a computer industry job, happened years before the current recession.
Of all the men mentioned in the article, only Michael McClendon seems to fit the profile of somebody feeling job-related resentments. He kept lists of people whom he felt had wronged him at work. But when he began killing, he targeted family members, starting with his mother, grandmother and other relatives. He did not kill former co-workers or employers.
Nor were any of these men “strangers, transients, [or] drifters” lacking “support systems,” as Levin claims. Precisely the opposite seems true: they all appear to have been deeply entrenched in insular communities and extended families. Lovelle Mixon was no stranger in a strange land; instead, he was sheltered from authorities by community and family members alike, at great danger to those who helped him. Even after destroying four innocent lives and being identified as a child-rapist, he retains the unconditional support of his family and some in his community. The Santa Clara killer opened fire during a housewarming party, surrounded by family members. The nursing home shooter was trying to kill his wife; the number of “transients” or “drifters” in the small town where he lived is irrelevant. And Kinson, Alabama, where Michael McLendon lived and killed, can hardly be characterized as a highly mobile environment where people live lives disconnected from each other.
What is the point of saying such things, if they fly in the face of every available fact?
What is to be gained, or obscured, by claiming that social alienation and the economy drove these men to kill, when the reality appears to have far more to do with the fact that they were entrenched in, not detached from, social and family relationships — and the economy played no role at all?
The main thing being downplayed by blaming the economy is the fact that these men (except Mixon, who was not a spree killer at all, but a common criminal eluding arrest) harbored murderous rage towards their own families. All of their crimes began as domestic violence. Pointing to factors beyond “He hated his mother/wife/brother-in-law enough to kill them” is therefore difficult, and blaming the economic downturn is simply propaganda of a sort designed to lift some blame from the murderers’ shoulders and place it on us all.
By now, it should not surprise that criminologists automatically default to blame-spreading when confronted with any violent (or non-violent) crime. Seeking the “root causes” of crime anywhere but in the hearts and minds of criminals has been the common currency of criminology for fifty years now.
So is it even really true, as Jack Levin puts it (in oddly emotional language), that there was “a dramatic increase in workplace violence committed by vengeful ex-workers who decided to come back and get even with their boss and their co-workers through the barrel of an AK-47” during the 1990-1991 recession?
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the percentage of murders involving multiple victims remained steady from the late 1980’s to well beyond the time of economic recovery around 1993.
In sharp contrast, the percentage of murders involving multiple offenders between the ages of 14 and 17 shot up dramatically during the same time.
Did these 14 to 17 year old gang members possess special insight into the market conditions of 1991? Of course not. 14 to 17-year old gang members were killing each other, and others, in record numbers through the early 1990’s, but they weren’t walking into former workplaces and blowing their former co-workers away because they got laid off and couldn’t pay the mortgage. They kept killing each other so long as we let them keep killing each other, through lenient sentencing, and when we finally got around to imposing mandatory minimum sentences for violent crimes, many fewer young people died from the consequences of living at one of the two wrong ends of a gun. The problem was the illegal drug trade, and the solution was minimum mandatory sentencing. But you won’t hear criminologist saying that, especially as they collude with the current administration to decriminalize the actions of younger offenders and overturn minimum sentences for recidivists.
All crimes peaked in the early 1990’s. But it was urban gang activity that accounted for the vast majority of the carnage that coincided with the last recession. The vengeful loner, armed with a pink slip and an AK-47, is merely a type cherished by criminologists and journalists.
Such men do exist, as do “alienated school shooters,” but with the exception of crimes which are more accurately defined as pure cases of domestic violence (Patrik Jonsson does address domestic violence at length in his article), they are so rare that we can remember the incidents by name and place — perhaps fewer than one hundred spree killers in the past quarter-century, among nearly 500,000 murders and millions of violent gun crimes. Spree killings are exceedingly rare: they tell us nothing about the economy, and they tell us nothing about American society, save that we need to stop denying the fact that some mentally ill people do turn violent because they are mentally ill, and we must never be less than vigilant in cases of domestic violence.
Yet criminologists are far more likely to appeal to overseas audiences by depicting American society as some explosive inbred offspring of the Wild West, where “going postal” is an everyday occurrence. They cherry-pick rare cases of mass murder and find in them a convenient narrative for blaming “us all” and a subtle shorthand to impugn things they find suspect — rural men, gun-owners, blue-collar laborers. Blood lust, they claim, lies at the heart of every American.
Such generalized (yet selective) contempt is barely concealed — “vengeful ex-workers who decided to come back and get even with their boss . . . through the barrel of an AK-47” is hardly academic argot. But the deeper you look into academia, the less surprising this type of language seems.
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Rethymno BC
From Phantis
Athletic Gymnastic Club Rethymno (Greek Αθλητικός Γυμναστικός Όμιλος Ρεθύμνου abbreviated ΑΓΟ Ρεθύμνου - AGO Rethymno) is a Greek basketball club that was founded in Rethymno, Crete in 1986. The parent club was founded in 1965.
AGO Rethymno BC currently play in the Greek A1 Division. By far their greatest moment of glory came in 2007 when they qualified to play in the final of the Greek Basketball Cup, eliminating such powerhouses as PAOK and Panionios as well as Sporting and Kolossos Rhodes BC.
Rethymno lost the match on March 25, 2007 to Panathinaikos by the score of 87-48 but their mark on the Greek basketball scene was already made.
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This page was last edited on November 24, 2011, at 21:33.
About Phantis
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Search for charged Higgs bosons through the violation of lepton universality in tt- events using pp collision data at √s=7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment
ATLAS Collaboration (Including: Jones, G. (Graham) and Farrington, Sinead). (2013) Search for charged Higgs bosons through the violation of lepton universality in tt- events using pp collision data at √s=7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment. Journal of High Energy Physics, Volume 2013 (Number 3). Article number 76. doi:10.1007/JHEP03(2013)076
WRAP_ATLAS_art%3A10.1007%2FJHEP03%282013%29076.pdf - Published Version
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP03(2013)076
In several extensions of the Standard Model, the top quark can decay into a bottom quark and a light charged Higgs boson H +, t → bH +, in addition to the Standard Model decay t → bW. Since W bosons decay to the three lepton generations equally, while H + maypredominantlydecayinto τν, charged Higgs bosons can be searched for using the violation of lepton universality in top quark decays. The analysis in this paper is based on 4.6 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data at s√=7 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Signatures containing leptons (e or μ) and/or a hadronically decaying τ (τ had) are used. Event yield ratios between e + τ had and e + μ, as well as between μ + τ had andμ + e, final states are measured in the data and compared to predictions from simulations. This ratio-based method reduces the impact of systematic uncertainties in the analysis. No significant deviation from the Standard Model predictions is observed. With the assumption that the branching fraction B (H + → τν) is 100%, upper limits in the range 3.2%–4.4% can be placed on the branching fraction B (t → bH +) for charged Higgs boson masses m H+ in the range 90–140 GeV. After combination with results from a search for charged Higgs bosons in tt− decays using the τ had + jets final state, upper limits on B (t → bH +) can be set in the range 0.8%–3.4%, for m H+ in the range 90-160 GeV
Q Science > QC Physics
Faculty of Science > Physics
Mathematical physics, Hadrons -- Scattering , Standard model (Nuclear physics) , Higgs bosons, W bosons, Quarks
Journal of High Energy Physics
March 2013 Published
Article number 76
10.1007/JHEP03(2013)076
Obʺedinennyĭ institut i︠a︡dernykh issledovaniĭ (Dubna, Chekhovskiĭ raĭon, Russia), Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (Argentina), Yerevan Physics Institute (Armenia), Australian Research Council (ARC), Austria. Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft und Forschung, Azärbaycan Milli Elmlär Akademiyası, Sosny Science and Technology Center (Belarus), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), National Research Council Canada (NRCC), Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Chile. Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT), Zhongguo ke xue yuan [Chinese Academy of Sciences] (CAS), China. Guo jia ke xue ji shu bu [Ministry of Science and Technology], Guo jia zi ran ke xue ji jin wei yuan hui (China) [National Natural Science Foundation of China] (NSFC), Fondo Colombiano de Investigaciones Científicas y Proyectos Especiales Francisco José de Caldas (COLCIENCIAS), Czech Socialist Republic (Czechoslovakia). Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy, Czech Socialist Republic (Czechoslovakia). Ministerstvo průmyslu a obchodu, VSC CR (Czech Republic), Danmarks Grundforskningsfond [Danish National Research Foundation], Statens naturvidenskabelige forskningsråd (Denmark) [Natural Science Research Council], European Particle physics Latin American NETwork (EPLANET), European Research Council (ERC), Lundbeck Foundation, European Union (EU), Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) (CNRS), Direction des Sciences de la Matière, Sakʻartʻvelos mecʻnierebatʻa erovnuli akademia [Georgian National Academy of Sciences] (GNAS), Germany. Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Hermann von Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren (HGF), Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften [Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science], Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung (AvHS), Greece. General Secretariat of Research and Technology, Israel Science Foundation (ISF), Minerva Stiftung, German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development, Deutsch-Israelische Projektkooperation, Benoziyo Center (Israel), Istituto nazionale di fisica nucleare (INFN), Japan. Monbushō, Nihon Gakujutsu Shinkōkai [Japan Society for the Promotion of Science] (NGS), Centre national pour la recherche scientifique et technique (Morocco), Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie (FOM) [Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter], Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek [Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research] (NWO), Norges forskningsråd [Norwegian Research Council], Poland. Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego [Ministry of Science and Higher Education] (MNiSW), Gabinete dos Relações Internationais da Ciência e Ensino Superior (Portugal), Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Romania. Ministerul Educației, Cercetării și Tineretului [Ministry of Education, Research, Youth and Sports], Russia (Federation). Ministerstvo obrazovaniia i nauki [Ministry of Education and Science], Federalʹnoe agentstvo po atomnoĭ ėnergii (Russia), Serbia. Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), Serbia. Ministarstvo za nauku i tehnologiju i razvoj, Slovakia. Ministerstvo školstva, Slovenian Research Agency, Slovenia. Ministrstvo za visoko šolstvo, znanost in tehnologijo, South Africa. Dept. of Science and Technology, Spain. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN), Sweden. Vetenskapsrådet [Research Council], Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse (Sweden), Switzerland. Staatssekretariat für Ausbildung und Forschung (SER), Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung [Swiss National Science Foundation] (SNSF), Bern (Switzerland : Canton), Guo jia ke xue wei yuan hui [National Science Council (Taiwan)], Türkiye Atom Enerjisi Kurumu (TAEK), Science and Technology Facilities Council (Great Britain) (STFC), Royal Society (Great Britain), Leverhulme Trust (LT), United States. Dept. of Energy, National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF), Institut national de physique nucléaire et de physique des particules, France. Commissariat à l'énergie atomique (CEA), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Geneva (Switzerland : Canton), Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Austria) (FWF)
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Global Positioning Pivots Around Colorado Springs
And A Brief History Of American Space Time
Schriever stands out all alone in the prairie east of town. CLUI photoLESS CELEBRATED THAN CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN, it's Colorado Springs Cold War cousin, Schriever Air Force Base’s role may be even more significant in the enveloping electronic world. Among a host of space warfare and satellite functions at the base, Schriever is the control center for the global positioning system, the only system of its kind in the world, and a system that is increasingly vital to military and civilian infrastructure. GPS operates using the speed of light rate of electronic signals to determine the relative distance between objects. To do so it couples the most precise clocks in the world to a global network of satellites whose position is precisely monitored and measured.
For the centuries before the space age, military superiority was largely determined at sea. The invention of longitude as a ship-based navigation system, using accurate portable clocks on board ships and calculating distances relative to known celestial entities, revolutionized the ability for colonial scouts and imperial forces to discover, conquer, and control the world. The center for this global navigational system was Greenwich, England, at the seat of the ruling empire of the era. Global time, and global space (longitude) was calibrated from this point, and governed by the Royal Navy.
Due to this historic and critical foundation for timekeeping, the Navy has traditionally controlled time in the United States as well, based out of the Naval Observatory in Washington DC (which shares its grounds with the official Vice President’s residence). The nation’s “Master Clock,” regulated by the atomic decay of hydrogen, resides at the observatory, overseen by the Director of Time Service, and the Superintendent of the Naval Observatory, who is designated as the DOD Precise Time and Time Interval (PTTI) Manager.
In the past few decades however, the global systems of surveillance, communication, and navigation have steadily moved upwards, above the roiling seas, into space, borne by satellites. And in the USA, space is not the Navy’s realm, it is the Air Force’s. With the development of GPS, the Air Force finally captured some control of Time from the Navy, and now has an official atomic clock of its own, the “Alternate Master Clock.” While the calibration of the Alternate Master Clock is linked to the Navy’s Master Clock in Washington,* and its existence is often explained as being a redundant back-up of the Master Clock, it is, as official Coast Guard documents explain, “capable of independent performance” suggesting some degree of autonomy for the Air Force. And, it is located at Schriever, confirming its status as the Greenwich of the Space Age.
Since nearly all military bases in the USA have origins in or soon after WWII, Schriever, established from scratch as Falcon Air Force Station in 1983 (renamed Schriever in 1998), is quite possibly the newest major military base in the country. It was built on 3,800 acres in the rolling plains, several miles east of its parent, Petersen Air Force Base. Its original stated function was to be a back up satellite control facility for Onizuka Air Force Station, in Mountain View, California, where all DOD satellites were being controlled from at that time (from the famous “Blue Cube” building, visible next the highway, and surrounded by Lockheed’s main satellite manufacturing plant). By 1987, Schriever had control of most of the DODs satellites, including the Navstar System, the original Global Positioning Satellite network.
At all times there are at least 24 operational satellites in the GPS constellation (sometimes as many as 29), guaranteeing that at least three or four satellites are visible simultaneously from any place on earth. To control this continuously orbiting network, monitoring locations positioned around the globe (in Guam, Ascension Island, Diego Garcia, Hawaii, California, Colorado, Florida, Greenland, and the UK) send information to Schreiver’s Master Control Center. In addition to keeping track of the location of these satellites to a degree of precision measured in nanoseconds, some of these monitoring stations also upload adjusted time and location information from Schriever to the satellites. Additionally, each satellite has its own atomic clock, and all onboard clocks are centrally calibrated by the Alternate Master Clock at Schriever.
This global network of monitoring locations and earthstations, controlled by the Master Control Station at Schriever, operates instantaneously and continuously, and connects to all the satellites in the GPS constellation. As a result, each satellite knows exactly where it is at any given moment, and beams this information back to earth as a continuous stream of radio waves. These radio waves are picked up by GPS receivers the world over, whether they are on aircraft carriers, or in the hands of hikers with Garmins from Walmart. With a minimum of three separate satellite location/time streams, the GPS device does a little math to triangulate its own location relative to those “fixed” points in space. As the receiver moves, its position relative to those points is continuously recalculated, and a three dimensional picture of its position, heading, speed and altitude is formed, another object moving through space. It is all relative to, and centered in, the time/space hub of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
* The “calibration” of time, and a global agreement of what time it really is, is determined by machines and complex diplomatic international agreements and policies involving several different time types and standards of deviation (Coordinated Universal Time, International Atomic Time, etc.) Thousands of people the world over must be involved in “global time” vocations – an international temporal bureaucracy. The machines involved are generally what are called “atomic clocks,” as they use some form of atomic oscillation to regulate them. Both of the US’s Master Clocks, at the Naval Observatory and at Schriever, use devices known as hydrogen masers, caster-mounted file-cabinet sized appliances manufactured by the Symmetricom company in Beverly, Massachusetts.
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Desert Ramparts
Fortresses on the Fringe of Las Vegas
Anne Road Detention Dam, one of the flood control structures along the periphery of Las Vegas. CLUI photo
LAS VEGAS, THE NATION'S SUPREME desert city, lies in a riverless valley, baking in the sun. When it rains, which it does especially in the summer months when intense heat off the ground pushes air masses high into the sky, storms can be sudden and strong, generating flash floods that threaten the city.
Defense against this attack has grown with the expanding urban land itself. Following a flood control master plan, there are now more than 100 detention basins in and around Las Vegas to absorb the shock of flood, and hundreds of miles of concrete channels to contain the flow through the city.
The headworks of this system are a battery of bulwarks that ring the city at its outermost edge, beyond which little is built. These basins, dams, and dikes, some several miles long, divert the overland flow, which can come from any direction, and funnel it into the drainage system.
These outermost structures are in some ways like the walls of a medieval city, built to protect the populace within. In this incarnation these monumental forms of mounded rock and concrete, massive sculptures of aridity and stasis, are at a scale beyond human form, constructed as they are to isolate a city from its environment.
In 2017 the CLUI produced two exhibits about these constructed landforms, which though recently constructed for utilitarian reasons, can resemble the ruins of an ancient civilization. These exhibitions, comprised of aerial video, photographs, text, and maps, generated by the CLUI, were shown at CLUI Los Angeles and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. ♦
One exhibit, shown at CLUI Los Angeles from July 7 to September, 17, 2017, was titled Desert Ramparts: Defending Las Vegas from the Flood, and featured static-kinetic drone video of peripheral basins and dams. A second version, pictured here, was shown at the Donna Beam Gallery at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, September 19 to November 10, 2017. UNLV photo
VIEW A MAP OF MAJOR FLOOD CONTROL STRUCTURES AT THE OUTER LIMITS OF LAS VEGAS
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Around 2,000 people protested in the Algerian capital against the interim government Friday, defying a significant police presence just days before the mandate of its president expires, witnesses said.
Dozens of police vans were stationed near the main post office, a symbolic building for the protest movement now in its 20th week, an AFP journalist reported.
Ranks of police officers wearing helmets and equipped with shields tried to block the protesters and confine them to a pavement around 10 metres (yards) from the post office esplanade.
But amid shouts of "Long live Algeria! Peacefully, our claims are legitimate!", hundreds of the protesters successfully forced their way through the police cordon and headed for the esplanade.
Around a dozen protesters were arrested and placed in police vans, witnesses said.
Mass protests forced longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign in early April, but demonstrators have kept up the pressure, calling for other regime insiders to step aside and demanding independent institutions be established to oversee fresh elections.
"Go, liberate Algeria!", shouted the protesters, waving the national flag.
Other chants glorified the martyrs of Algeria's war of independence, on what is the country's independence day.
The protest comes two days after interim President Abdelkader Bensalah called for a national dialogue, in which he promised the state and army would remain neutral.
Bensalah's mandate is due to expire on Tuesday and he warned on Wednesday against the risk of the country falling into a constitutional vacuum.
"Wherever you are, we are - we will not stop!" the protesters shouted, referring to the government.
They chanted slogans against any elections organized by a "mafia gang".
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Announcing ASBMR 2012 Young Investigator Award Winners
ASBMR is pleased to announce the recipients of the ASBMR 2012 Young Investigator Award. The award recognizes young investigators who submit top-ranking abstracts to an ASBMR Meeting. Award recipients receive a $1,000 honorarium and a plaque, which will be presented at the ASBMR 2012 Annual Meeting in Minneapolis.
Congratulations to the 2012 award recipients!
Kamil E. Barbour, Ph.D., MPH, MS, Center for Disease Control
Shoshana M. Bartell, DVM, Ph.D., Central Arkansas VA Healthcare System, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Abdullah Ben-Awadh, M.S., Indiana University School of Medicine
Monique Bethel, M.D., Indiana University School of Medicine
Annette Birkhold, Julius Wolff Institute, Charité Universitätsmedizin
Åshild Bjørnerem, M.D., Ph.D., University of Tromsø
Aaron M. Broege, Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Debra A. Butt, M.D., M.Sc., CCFP, FCFP, University of Toronto
Christian Buttazzoni, M.D., Skåne University Hospital Malmö, Lund University
Julio Carballido-Gamio, Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco
Jianquan Chen, Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis
Sun Wook Cho, M.D., Ph.D., Seoul National University Hospital
Joshua N. Farr, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic
Shelby L. Francis, M.A., University of Iowa
Matthew J. Grosso, B.S., Hospital For Special Surgery
Christine Hamann, M.D., Dresden Technical University Medical Center
Julia Hum, Indiana University School of Medicine
Rachelle W. Johnson, Ph.D., St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research
Adriane M. Joo, Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco
Petra Juffer, M.Sc. (Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam, Research Institute MOVE
Jirko Kühnisch, Dr. rer. nat., Charité – University Medicine of Berlin
Changjun Li, M.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Shuxian Lin, B.D.S., Baylor College of Dentistry
Thomas S. Lisse, Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital
Zhaoyang Liu, M.S., University of Rochester Medical Center
Alayna E. Loiselle, Ph.D., Penn State Hershey
Mark B. Meyer, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Tone K. Omsland, Ph.D., University of Oslo
Noriaki Ono, D.D.S., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Guodong Pan, Ph.D. Candidate, Georgia Health Science University
Serk In Park, D.D.S., Ph.D., University of Michigan
Vaishali B. Patel, M.D., The University of Kansas Medical Center
David Pflanz, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Mari Sato, Ph.D., D.D.S., Kobe University
Campbell R. Sheen, Ph.D., Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute
Benjamin Sinder, M.S.E., University of Michigan
Shurei Sugita, M.D., University of Tokyo
Ken-ichiro Tanaka, M.D., Shimane University School of Medicine
Alexander Uihlein, M.D., Massachusetts General Hospital
Karmele Valencia Leoz, Ph.D. Student, Foundation for Applied Medical Research
Nick van Gastel, K.U. Leuven
Hongwei Wang, M.S, Ph.D., University of Chicago
Simon Woehrle, Ph.D., Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research
Yu-Wei Wu, D.D.S., Ph.D., Tufts University
Chang Yang, M.D., Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
Elaine W. Yu, M.D., Massachusetts General Hospital
Bing Yu, M.D., Ph.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Jing Zhang, Ph.D. Candidate, Nanjing Medical University
Yunpeng Zhao, M.D., New York University
Xichao Zhou, Ph.D. Candidate, Nanjing Medical University
Ran Gu, Monash Medical Center
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Authors & Experts
Bridging Communities
Guiding Investors
Leading Nations
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The Structure of a Diplomatic Revolution
As Israeli politics has shifted rightward, assumptions that underpinned a half-century of Middle East policy have been invalidated. It is time for a paradigm shift in how we think about the Middle East, not because a better diplomatic model has presented itself (it has not), but because the current paradigm is increasingly at odds with reality.
It has been nearly 60 years since the philosopher and historian Thomas Kuhn wrote his influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Kuhn’s thesis was simple but heretical: breakthroughs in science occur not through the gradual accumulation of small changes to existing thinking, but rather from the sudden emergence of radical ideas that cause existing models to be replaced with something fundamentally different. As was the case when astronomers determined that the earth revolves around the sun and not vice versa, these ‘paradigm shifts’ usher in an entirely new model that becomes the basis for ‘normal’ scientific study and experimentation until it, too, is replaced.
I mention Kuhn because his idea is as relevant for social science as it is for natural science. The example I have in mind is the contemporary Middle East, where the current paradigm between Israel and its neighbors has prevailed for more than a half-century.
Nearly everything said and written about the issue reflects the outcome of the June 1967 Six-Day War, which left Israel in control of territories that had previously belonged to Jordan (East Jerusalem and the West Bank), Egypt (the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza) and Syria (the Golan Heights). Since then, the ‘normal’ diplomatic model (enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution 242 and subsequent resolutions) has assumed that Israel would trade this territory in exchange for security and peace.
For some time, the paradigm appeared to have validity. Israel returned the Sinai to Egypt, allowing the two countries to sign a peace treaty that has endured to this day. Years later, Israel and Jordan normalized their relationship. Negotiations between Syria and Israel came close to succeeding, but failed in the end, largely because Syria’s president, Hafez al-Assad (the father of current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad), was unwilling to sign on to a compromise.
It is no longer possible to imagine peace talks, much less agreements, between Assad’s government and that of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The Israeli government long ago annexed the Golan Heights, and now Assad’s government increasingly depends on Israel’s archenemy, Iran, for its survival, and instead of negotiations, we see Israel attacking Iranian forces and equipment on Syrian territory.
Diplomatic progress between Israel and the Palestinians is equally difficult to imagine. This was not always the case. Negotiations came close several times to establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel under terms that both sides could accept. But at the last minute, Palestinian leaders balked, fearing that agreeing to less than what they had historically claimed to be Palestine would leave them politically vulnerable to hardliners who believed that compromise was unnecessary because time and world opinion were on the Palestinians’ side.
This was a historic error. What was on offer in the past is no longer. Israeli politics has shifted decisively rightward. Jewish settlements on the West Bank have grown dramatically in terms of both area and population. Netanyahu explicitly promised during the recent election campaign to begin annexation of the West Bank. US President Donald Trump, whose administration moved the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and reversed nearly 40 years of US policy by recognizing Israel’s authority over the Golan Heights, may well support further Israeli annexation.
Much of the world has grown weary of the conflict. Quite a few Arab governments, worried about Iran or internal threats more than Israel, are prepared to work with Israel quietly, and in some cases openly. Splits within the Palestinian leadership are exacerbating persistent divisions on what to ask of Israel and what to accept.
The Trump administration may well unveil a peace initiative in this context. But its proposal is unlikely to deal with the territorial, political, and refugee issues that are central to the creation of a Palestinian state. A Trump plan is more likely to focus on offering economic incentives to Palestinians in an effort to encourage them to compromise. It is unlikely to succeed.
The most likely future is thus one of drift. Palestinians will continue to have limited autonomy in parts of the West Bank and Gaza. At some point (one we have neared, if not reached), the potential for a viable Palestinian state will cease to exist.All of this poses a risk to Israel as well. There is an unresolvable tension between Israel remaining a Jewish state and a democratic one if it continues to exercise political control over millions of Palestinians who are not Israeli citizens. Avoiding this choice and maintaining the status quo will frustrate Palestinians and increasingly isolate Israel in the region and the world (especially if annexation occurs).Some will argue that this assessment is too bleak. I hope they are right. But even if they are, the benefits of progress between Israelis and Palestinians will not spread. Closely associated with the territory-for-peace paradigm was the belief that, by ushering in peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors, an Israeli-Palestinian settlement would enable the region to flourish. But resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not end the civil war in Syria or the slaughter in Yemen, curtail Iran’s nuclear ambitions, restrain Saudi Arabia’s leaders, or ameliorate the repression and corruption that are commonplace throughout the region.
So even if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were to end, the Middle East’s problems would not. And there is no reason to predict the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will end. It is time for a paradigm shift in how we think about the Middle East, not because a better diplomatic model has presented itself (it has not), but because the current paradigm is increasingly at odds with reality.
President of the Council on Foreign Relations
Succession and Modernization Person
Modi: A Watchman in Control Focus
Rostec's 12 Program Technology
Central Asia: is the Ménage à Trois with China and Russia Sustainable? Focus
First They Came for Assange Opinion
The IMF Is Fueling an Argentine Crisis – Again Opinion
How to Tax a Multinational Opinion
The Case for a Global Constitution Opinion
The Structure of a Diplomatic Revolution Opinion
A Grand Fresco: The Origins of Political Order Book
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European Union Trade
For centuries, wool was the mainstay of our economy; so vital that Edward III ordered his Lord Chancellor to sit on the woolsack. Export of raw wool financed trade and new towns. Flemish and Huguenot weavers fleeing European persecution added their skills. By the 16th century, English cloth dominated European markets. It provided the trade good used by merchants as they opened new markets. From Russia to the Americas and the Orient, English cloth was the driver of a trade revolution universally acclaimed for quality, a reputation that lives on in the name of Spain's biggest department store: El Corte Inglés.
The textile industry was the midwife of the industrial revolution. New production processes demanded new power sources. Steam largely replaced water, and metal replaced wooden frames. Canals were dug and railways built to move raw materials and finished goods. Increased production required imported raw materials from the USA and empire. Supply lines, protected by the Royal Navy, ensured raw materials arrived just in time to feed the mighty mills. Industry, coal, steel, shipbuilding and insurance all flourished as Britain created the modern world.
Traditional industries declined after WW1. For example, textile production peaked in 1926. New industries, including motor vehicle, airplane, motorbike and chemical production arose. This process interrupted by WW2, resumed in the 1950s. As old industries withered and died, managers, politicians and unions fought rear guard actions to preserve them. Despite huge subsidies, they died anyway. Many of our current industries had not been thought of until after WW2. Now, technological developments create a giddying array of potential new businesses almost daily, but with each change, neo-luddites rage against progress and claim the world will end without their businesses or jobs. They deny reality. Up until the start of the 20th century, textiles were a major contributor to GDP and employment. Now, the massive mills are silent, the workers employed elsewhere. Coal, steel, shipbuilding all then essential, but now essentially replaced.
This denialist bleating is reaching a crescendo as EU exit day nears. Car manufactures threaten to move as does Airbus - again. According to the sirens of EU integration, abandoning Brexit will guarantee the future of these industries, but what is the evidence for that assertion? The idea that global businesses show loyalty to a country or region is dangerously naïve. For example, the Renault-Nissan group (RNG) claims that anything other than the status quo will lead to decline and withdrawal from the UK, yet, while France is not leaving the EU, both RNG and Peugeot (PSA Group) have shifted major production processes to North Africa! RNG has even moved some Dacia production there from Romania. The reason is simple: wages in the region are lower there than anywhere in the EU. Recent figures for car firms' monthly labour costs are: France €5,890; UK €3,792; Turkey €925; Romania €950; Morocco €350. Lower wages mean lower business costs. North Africans are literally cheaper than the robots used to make cars in the EU. Much of European automotive wiring harnesses are now made in non-EU North Africa. Note, this does not seem to be an issue in the 'Just in time' system deemed so vital in Theresa May's negotiating strategy.
Japan's ambassador, Koji Tsuruoka, warned that firms might leave the UK if a bad Brexit deal left them unprofitable. Truth to tell, if it is more profitable to conduct business outside the UK or outside the EU, a business will leave anyway, and this is an attitude not restricted to the auto industry. HP sauce and Cadbury's production leaving the UK are examples. There are many more. In the finance industry, some claim a catastrophe awaits us 'locked out' of the EU when, in fact, it is the EU's services single market that is incomplete without the UK!And if the finance industry is more profitable here then, after Brexit, it will die away in the EU in the same way that industries have died when and where they were no longer profitable.
Peter Drucker, the management guru, said, "The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence – it is to act with yesterday's logic." Currently, those who cling to yesterday form a disparate troika:
John Mc Donnell, a Marxist, is typical of those who dream of worker control: union barons once again entertained in Downing Street as they dictate our future.
Fanatical followers of the EU theocracy sacrifice economic common sense on the altar of political integration.
Corporations, whose managers' vision seems limited by the next bonus. Kowtowed to by supine politicians, afraid to lead, afraid to let go of nanny's hand.
This flock of Ostriches is blind to the reason for the mill owners', mine and steel bosses' and workers' downfall, and clinging to what might have been, paralyse the present and sabotage the future. As Yogi Berra put it: "It's déjà vu all over again."
In 1841, agriculture and manufacture accounted for 58% and services 33% of our economy. By 2011 it was 10% and 81%. The UK has always been entrepreneurial. Bonaparte missed the point when he called us a 'Nation of Shopkeepers.' Throughout our history, we have been the great adapters. Shut out of European markets, we created new ones and became so successful that we invented the industrial revolution to meet the demand! We survived and prospered because of a determined can-do attitude. Indeed, when Europe turned against us we embraced the world and prospered even more. Watt, Stephenson, Brunel and other great pioneers would not have sneered at Boris island or the building of a bridge to Northern Ireland. They would have formed a company and raised money to build these. Innovation is in our genes. Timidity and self-interest are not.
The troika would have us tied to a political institution that uses protectionism to promote its aims. Protecting inefficient farming increases EU food costs by about 17%. French farmers alone receive €11 billion in EU subsidies while our trade with the EU grows at 1% per annum and the importance of the EU as a market falls every year. Trade with the rest of the world (on WTO rules) is growing at close to 3% pa.
The Single market for services is incomplete which leaves us currently at a disadvantage that in 2017 resulted in a £67 billion deficit. A dispassionate observer would question the sense of membership. When only 6% of UK companies trade with the EU producing 12% of GDP, it defies reason that those representing 88% of our GDP should be hamstrung; locked into a failing political experiment.
Shakespeare's wrote:
There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.
The Troika sits ostrich-like, engulfed by denialism as the tide rushes past.
However, some are catching that tide. Alexander Dennis, the bus and coach manufacturer, won a contract to supply the city of Berlin with buses. The contract is potentially worth €220 million. Interestingly, the firm's main export markets are WTO ones: Canada, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.
According to the World Economic Forum's 2018 report, the UK's Drivers of Production places us fourth in the world to benefit from the Fourth Industrial Revolution, ahead of any EU member state. We have leading pharmaceutical companies. British engineering dominates Formula 1. We are world class in many areas: the Arts (Music, TV, and Literature), Education, Medical Research, Financial Services and Law; Aerospace Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Electronic systems, Fashion and high quality textiles. This list is by no means exhaustive. Digital technology - the new kid on the block - is already worth £184 billion and is growing three times as fast as the economy. The sector in London is rated third in the world. The nearest EU competitors are Berlin at seventh and Paris at eleventh. Successes in these sectors have a common denominator – excellence; the quality that ensured British cloth dominated the world.
The world is waiting for us to re-join it. Our biggest trading partner, the USA is to the fore. Robert Lighthizer the US Trade Representative has advised congress:
We intend to initiate negotiations with the United Kingdom as soon as it is ready after it exits from the European Union on March 29th, 2019. The US and the UK are the first and fifth largest economies in the world, respectively, and maintain a broad and deep trade and investment relationship
and seeks
an ambitious trade agreement. ……Developing cutting edge opportunities for emerging sectors where US and UK innovators and entrepreneurs are most competitive.
This is not a time for timidity. We have a simple choice. Rediscover our inventive, mercantile roots and take the flood tide to a vibrant economic and democratic future.
Or accept Chequers and become the EU's Puerto Rico.
The Draft Withdrawal Agreement: an analysis
Single Market
Michael Wood dropped out of art school and worked in agriculture until accepted for business training by a major Japanese trading house. Working for major Japanese, Dutch and German firms he was involved in International trade from the mid sixties to his retirement in 2010. His career focus was mainly on agricultural products and he has extensive knowledge of perishables both short sea imports and deep sea exports. He travelled widely and has lived and worked in Nigeria, Ukraine, Central Asia as well as the EU (Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg). He became involved in information technology in the late 90s and was engaged by LM Ericsson to advise on a mobile telephone business model applicable to sparsely populated developing countries in Central Asia.
Prior to retirement he was CFO and GM of a London based manufacturing, warehousing and property company. The manufacturing division sourced raw materials and parts from Italy, UK, China, Taiwan and India.
After retirement he developed disability products with Chinese manufactures and imported them into the UK.
He now lives in London with his wife, a lawyer, and writes on a variety of subjects including disability issues.
Tuesday, 16 July 2019 An Existential Crisis: We Are Threatened by a Parliamentary Coup
Monday, 01 April 2019 Ritual Humiliation in the New Theocracy
Friday, 08 March 2019 Fruit, Fear and Brexit
Guest - Adam Hiley on Saturday, 17 November 2018 18:26
get rid of Theresa May now how dare She try and con us with Her checkers trick We now must simply leave both the EU & ECHR immediately eutruth.org.uk
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allforjustice
Join the fight for freedom today
Jury Trials ARE Democracy
Jury Trials
Profit without Risk
Risk Keeps Markets Free
America without Justice
Arbitration Clauses
Will arrest in old Michigan murder case clear the man doing life for the crime? NBC News; December 4, 2013 - The arrest of a Michigan man in a horrific 17-year-old rape-murder case has Read More...Posted On: December 4, 2013
Car safety is one of the areas where civil lawsuits and jury trials have made and continue to make a big difference in the safety of the American people. It is one of the greatest success stories in safety litigation.
It’s impossible to know for sure the impact these lawsuits have had on the safety of cars in the US, but car fatalities in the US are at an all-time low, although Americans drive more miles than ever.
If the car accident fatality rate in 2010 were the same as it was in 1965, the year that the courts decided manufacturers had a duty to make their cars safe in accidents (see Corvair, below), there would have been more than 148,000 people killed in car accidents. Instead, only about 32,000 people were killed. Through the action of civil lawsuits, more than 100,000 American lives are saved every year.
Auto Manufacturers Have a Duty of Care to Purchasers
One of the first and most important car safety lawsuits was MacPherson vs. Buick (1916). The wooden wheels on MacPherson’s 1909 Buick Runabout broke while the car was in motion. MacPherson was thrown from the vehicle and injured. He sued Buick, although he had bought the vehicle from a dealer and the wheel was made by another company. A jury ruled in favor of MacPherson, and Buick appealed.
The appeal court upheld the jury’s verdict and stated clearly that “If danger was to be expected as reasonably certain [from a negligently constructed automobile], there was a duty of vigilance.” It also made it clear that the manufacturer has the final responsibility for the safety of its product: “[Buick] was not merely a dealer in automobiles. It was a manufacturer of automobiles. It was responsible for the finished product. It was not at liberty to put the finished product on the market without subjecting the component parts to ordinary and simple tests.”
The Infamous Corvair: “Unsafe at Any Speed”
The Chevy Corvair represents another important step in the progress of litigation for car safety. The Corvair was a rear-wheel drive vehicle with a rear mounted engine, the first built by a US manufacturer. Released in 1960 to compete with the popularity of the VW Beetle, the weight imbalance in the Corvair caused it to be unstable—about 62% of the weight was in the rear of the car. When turning, this could cause the car to spin out of control at relatively slow speeds, resulting in deadly accidents.
The most famous victim of the Corvair’s design flaw was comedian Ernie Kovacs, killed at age 42 when his Corvair spun out of control on a rain-slicked street and struck a utility pole. But he was not alone. By the time Ralph Nader published his famous book that highlighted the Corvair’s stability problem, there were 106 lawsuits against General Motors over Corvair accidents. The Corvair lawsuits were often settled, but when they went to court they established a new paradigm. An auto manufacturer was held responsible for ensuring its cars did not have dangerous design flaws.
Another important case related to the Corvair is Larsen v. General Motors (1965), in which an appeals court decided that making a vehicle “reasonably safe” for its intended use included making the vehicle capable or protecting its occupants in the event of a crash, which was something that was statistically likely over the lifetime of a vehicle’s use. This is the origin of many of the crash standards we look to today.
Explosive Fuel Tanks: What Is the Cost of Human Life?
Gasoline is explosive, and one of the major perils of driving a gasoline-powered vehicle is that a punctured fuel tank can result in a fatal fire or explosion. The most infamous case of an allegedly defective automobile is the Ford Pinto, whose rear-mounted fuel tank was vulnerable to puncture by bolts in the assembly. Even at relatively low-speed collisions, the fuel tank could be punctured, resulting in leaking fuel. The Pinto fuel tank also had a short neck that could be broken off easily in accidents. The case became infamous when a 1977 article argued that Ford knew about the defect and had an $11 fix for it, but decided not to implement the correction because it would be cheaper to pay off accident victims and the families that had lost loved ones. The outrage at this perceived callous approach to safety led to a verdict of $6 million against Ford, including $3.5 million in punitive damages—damages granted just to punish Ford.
Unfortunately, this was not the last fuel tank problem that led to accidents and fiery death for drivers and passengers. In the case of Moseley v. General Motors, first heard in 1993, GM was held accountable for placing its side-saddle fuel tanks outside the frame of the vehicle, making it more vulnerable to side impact damage, resulting in leaks and fires. A jury trial found that GM had known about the defect since the 1970s, but had not corrected the defect or warned the public of the danger before the 1989 side impact accident that killed Shannon Moseley. The jury awarded $4.5 million in compensatory and $101 million in punitive damages, but that verdict was overturned by an appeals court because some of the evidence was found to be inadmissible. In addition, deals made between GM and the NHTSA meant that GM did not have to recall the trucks, but only dedicate $51 million to safety programs.
Tire Defects and Safety Dangers
There have been many allegations that defective tires lead to deadly accidents. One important case was the Firestone 500 tire. This radial tire was the first built by Firestone, and it was known to be defective within the first year of its introduction. In a 1972 internal memo, Firestone officials wrote, “We are badly in need of an improvement in belt separation performance, particularly at General Motors, where we are in danger of being cut off by Chevrolet because of separation failures.” But as late as 1978, Firestone asserted to government officials there was no defect in the tires.
Firestone’s tires faced another charge of tread separation in 2000, when hundreds of lawsuits were filed against it and Ford for tread separation that caused rollover accidents mostly on the Ford Explorer. These lawsuits were instrumental in encouraging the recall of the tires and redesigns on the Ford Explorer for added stability.
We Must Keep Our Watch to Maintain Our Safety
Don’t let corporations take this important check on their power away. We know that without constant vigilance they will allow safety defects to creep back into their vehicle designs. Join the fight to protect your right to a jury trial today.
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Disclaimer: The content contained in this website is for information purposes only and is not intended to be or to replace legal advice. If you have questions, please contact The National Trial Lawyers.This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens.
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The Ocean’s Tiny Records of Climate Change
Similar to the annual rings in trees, the shells of tiny planktonic foraminifera can give scientists insight into local climate conditions. The foraminifera (or forams) are single-celled organisms, most smaller than a grain of sand, with calcium carbonate shells. Seen here under microscope magnification, the shell of the foram (round portions) is visible, as well as the long, delicate protruding feeding appendages. Also visible is the brine shrimp (darker brown, oval shape) being consumed by the foram during a long-term laboratory investigation.
We have known for decades that scientists can learn about local climate conditions by studying the growth rings in trees. Wide rings form in warmer years with more precipitation; thinner rings indicate a colder, dryer growing season; and scars provide evidence of external environmental factors, such as forest fires and insect infestations.
It turns out that a similar record of local climate can be found in the ocean. Foraminifera (or forams, for short) are a group of single-celled organisms, most of which are between 0.1 millimeter and 1 millimeter in length, or about the size of a grain of sand. Found in all parts of the world’s ocean, forams are often among the most abundant shelled organisms in the marine environment, and have even been found in the fossil record dating back over 500 million years.
This summer, Yale University doctoral student Janet Burke partnered with a BIOS scientist and others to study forams and learn what their shells—called tests—can tell us about local climate conditions, such as ambient water temperature. Although most forams have shells built from calcium carbonate, similar to corals and crustaceans, others are composed of silica or aggregations of readily available materials like quartz sand. The larger, more complex species feature tests with multiple chambers that are added during growth, and many tests contain small pores, as well as larger apertures through which sticky feeding “arms” extend.
Burke and other biological oceanographers believe these pores may play a critical role in the gas exchange between forams and the surrounding seawater during respiration and photosynthesis. In a study published earlier this year in the journal Biogeosciences, Burke and a team of her colleagues examined the pore size, density, and porosity (the ratio of pore area to the organism’s total surface area) in a variety of foram species found in sediment cores from the North Atlantic Ocean. In addition, they also conducted laboratory experiments, growing a single species of foram in three different temperature conditions.
Janet Burke, a doctoral student at Yale University, is part of a team investigating how foram shells develop in response to changing environmental conditions, such as water temperature. Their results have shown that physical characteristics of foram shells aren't genetically determined, as previously thought, but influenced by the marine environment in which they develop.
Environmental influence
In both sets of forams they found that pore size and porosity correlated with habitat temperature; specifically, that larger pores with higher porosity are found in forams living in warmer waters. From a physiological perspective, this makes sense, as warmer temperatures increase metabolic rates and reduce the oxygen concentration in the water, leading the forams to develop larger surface areas and more pores to facilitate increased gas exchange. However, and perhaps more surprisingly, they also discovered that porosity is a plastic trait, meaning it can change in response to changing environmental conditions.
“Our results from the laboratory experiments were really exciting because they show that morphology, or the physical characteristics, of foram shells isn’t just genetic, but that it can also be influenced by the environment,” Burke said.
This is important because genetic information about planktonic foram species is difficult to obtain, leading scientists to rely on minute features of the shell to identify specimens to the species level. Understanding the extent to which shape can be influenced by the environment alone is key to proper classification and improving scientific understanding of foram evolution and ecology.
Because temperature-sensitive oxygen isotopes from the seawater are incorporated into foram shells as they grow, the shells reflect the chemistry of their habitat, much like the rings of a tree reflect the environmental conditions from year to year. To measure these isotopes and infer past temperatures, scientists conduct time-consuming and expensive chemical testing of fossilized foram shells. However, by using the physical characteristics of foram shells, scientists like Burke can gauge the biological response to environmental conditions, providing a more cost- and time-effective method for understanding how Earth’s long-term climate changes have affected plankton communities.
Research at BIOS
Over the summer, Burke and Daniel Gaskell, a Yale doctoral student specializing in marine micropaleontology, used the environmental change research facility (ECRF) at BIOS to continue their research into the role of the environment in shaping the porosity of individual forams. Amy Maas, a comparative physiologist and biological oceanographer at BIOS, was a co-author on Burke’s Biogeosciences paper and facilitated the students’ use of the ECRF during this investigation.
“BIOS is one of only a handful of places in the world where people can do this kind of work,” Burke said. “We have access to the open ocean to collect the forams on a weekly basis and the environmental room allows us to control variables like the temperature and light intensity of the habitat.”
During their six weeks at BIOS, Burke and Gaskell collected forams on a weekly basis, carefully separating them from other planktonic materials captured in nets towed behind one of BIOS’s smaller research boats. On a good day, Burke said they would collect anywhere from 100 to 150 forams, which they would then feed and maintain in the lab over the course of a week (this also happens to be the average lifespan of a foram from the time of capture).
Each day, Burke and Gaskell conducted the tedious task of feeding individual forams brine shrimp with the assistance of a high-powered microscope and a syringe. They measured and photographed each foram under the microscope to monitor and track daily growth. According to Gaskell, forams add new chambers every few days and, because new ones are built on top of old ones, each new chamber represents a significant jump in the size of the foram.
Throughout the week, the scientists exposed their collected forams to three different temperature treatments, as well as varying amounts of shade. Burke explained that many forams contain symbiotic, photosynthetic algae within their tests, much like corals. Monitoring foram development under different light conditions goes another step further in understanding the relationship between test morphology and environmental variables.
“It’s pretty amazing that, even though forams only live for a week, we can see instantaneous change in the total porosity within the lifetime of an individual,” Burke said.
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Damon stood, his face solemn as the preacher droned on about eternal rest, forgiveness, and the standard ‘For now, we see through a glass darkly’ crap that made his jaw tighten with suppressed rage. How anyone could try to reason away the murder of a child with philosophical bullshit, he would never understand or accept.
Next to him, his daughter held to his arm tightly, her eyes vacant as she stared from under her opaque, black veil.
Across the caskets and open graves, stood the remaining Whitlock family, the patriarch stoically silent, the females quietly weeping as the preacher finally wrapped things up.
In somber order, people filed past, extending murmured condolences and empty platitudes before laying flowers on the caskets and shuffling away.
It all combined to try Damon’s strained patience and barely contained fury. He wanted it all over with so he could do something. This waiting game—this show they were staging for the humans—and the grief he felt for his grandson, daughter and son-in-law, combined to have him feeling powerless, especially since he’d gone to that alley and caught a scent he’d recognized.
Since then, all he’d wanted to do was get to the fucker who’d done this…get his hands on him—but he couldn’t…not yet.
“Damon,” Thomas Whitlock greeted with a handshake while supporting his distraught wife.
“Thomas,” Damon returned with a nod.
“Any word?”
The man nodded before focusing on Bella. “Isabella,” he murmured gently, “you’re still family, sweetheart, so if there’s anything you need or anything we can do…” he trailed as her blank gaze slowly drifted to him. She blinked and when it was clear there was no other response forthcoming, Damon quietly cleared his throat.
“We appreciate that, Thomas, we do, and while this isn’t the ideal time to impart news, I suppose it’s as good as any…. I’ve decided to move back to Virginia and take Bella with me. She’s not well, and I think it’d be best to take her away. Get her away from…”
Thomas raised a hand. “I understand, and while we’ll miss her, you should do what’s best for her. Just…write when you get settled? We’d like to keep in touch. Jasper…” the man’s voice wavered, his jaw clenching and nostrils flaring as he fought for control, “he would’ve wanted that, I think. He loved her so much…he’d want us to look after her welfare.”
Damon nodded. “We’ll keep in touch as much as possible with the war and all.”
Thomas shook Damon’s hand again. “That’s all we can ask. Godspeed in your travels.”
“Thank you.” Damon watched them walk away and load into their carriage before glancing at Bella as the grave attendants stood respectfully, waiting to finish their job. “Well, sweetheart, I think it’s time to get back home.”
“All right,” she murmured as he gently urged her toward their own carriage. Once he’d handed her in and joined her, she calmly met his gaze as the carriage lurched and pulled out onto the road. “I’ll see Jasper at home, right Daddy?”
He smiled wanly. He hated how…blank her emotions were, but it was necessary…for the time being. They just had to get through the hardest part, and then he could release the compulsion. “Yeah, sweetheart, you’ll see him.”
“Good,” she muttered, turning her head to gaze out the carriage window. “I feel…wrong without him. He always makes me feel right.”
“I know, baby girl…” Damon muttered. “I know.”
To his great relief, his son-in-law had awoken hours after he’d brought home an unfortunate first meal for him. Not surprisingly, Jasper’d killed the hapless human which now occupied the sealed casket the attendants were currently burying in his place.
To his deepest pain and fury, the baby hadn’t, and was, this very minute, being lain to rest beside his ‘father’.
For a newly turned vampire, Jasper was quite controlled; able to reason away his desire to attack after that initial kill, much to Charles and Emily’s relief.
He’d been stricken to learn of his child’s death though, as was expected. But like a typical man of the time, he’d bottled his grief for the most part, only taking an hour or so for himself in private as he broke and wept. After that, he’d become the rock that Isabella needed.
When they arrived at the house, Damon handed Bella over to Jasper’s care before heading out to take care of his estate.
Over the past month, he’d been preparing for their eventual departure, but some things still needed seeing to—his home for one. He planned to leave it to the city with instructions to use it as an orphanage/school. He was sure the war would create such a need, and he didn’t exactly need the money he’d garner from a sale.
He’d made sure of that by investing in railroad and shipping interests—those things that would survive the economic devastation the war would wreak on the South.
Entering the house, he instructed his butler to assemble the staff for a meeting as he took a seat behind the polished desk in the study. Once they were gathered, he began. “I’ve called you together to let you know my daughter and I will be leaving. Too much has taken place here to stay, so for her health, I’m moving us back to Virginia.”
He noticed as they glanced at each other, their faces reflecting their worry. He smiled wanly. “You all will retain your positions here if you so choose. I’ve left the management of the place in the hands of the fine people at Levine,Turlock and Roe. They will see to your pay and the upkeep of the place. It’s my intention they turn the place into an orphanage and school, so if that doesn’t suit you, you now have sufficient warning to look for other employment. If you do choose to leave, all I ask is that you give sufficient notice to Mr. Roe at the barrister’s office so your positions may be filled in a timely manner. As always, Mr. Carter,” he gestured to the butler, “you are in charge of the household and staff. Thank you for being such a fine group of people.”
They all murmured their thanks and best wishes, and left the room, leaving Damon in silence. Leaving him alone with his thoughts…
Not a good thing at the moment…
With a tired sigh, he got up, went to the sideboard and poured himself a drink, downing it in one go before glancing around. There wasn’t much he wanted to take. He hadn’t really amassed many personal items during his time here, but there were plenty of bonds and stock certificates he needed to secure for their trip. Thankfully, they were all locked in the safe here in his study.
Placing his empty glass on the tray, he strode to the wall concealing the safe, moved the portrait aside, and dialed in the combination, hearing each wheel click into place as he did.
Pulling the heavy door open, he reached in and took out the stacks of documents. The first—the thickest—he placed in one satchel and the other, thinner stack, he placed in another. This last one would go to Emily and Charles to secure their future. Even though it was thinner than the stack he’d reserved for his own family, if they continued to invest wisely, the Bennett family would be affluent for generations to come; something he’d already discussed at length with Emily.
The last item he pulled from the safe was a ring box that contained a daylight ring he’d had Emily make for Jasper. The sunlight hadn’t yet been an issue, as he couldn’t exactly go traipsing around here anyway, but once they made their little trip, it would be.
Opening the tiny velvet box, he stared down at the mens ring nestled there, a pang of pain squeezing his heart as he thought about all that he and Bella’d set out to do at the beginning of this little journey.
They’d certainly accomplished the main goal, but as is the case with most things in life, none of it had been straightforward…or without pain, or as it turns out, sacrifice.
He blinked as his throat ached, his eyes stinging with tears as a clear picture of Jace flashed through his mind… With a sudden pinched frown, he cleared his throat and snapped the little box shut before placing it in his waistcoat pocket.
With one last look around the room, he grabbed the two leather satchels and left the house for the last time.
Jasper relaxed back in the chair, a deep frown marring his brow as his fingers slowly spun the glass of single malt scotch sitting on the polished table next to his chair. For a moment, his green gaze darted to his wife, her form still and silent as she stared blankly out the window.
It seemed that in an instant—in the split second that bullet had taken to tear through his body and into that of his tiny son—his whole life had shattered. And as he sat here, mind whirling with pain and chaos and sheer, quiet fury, he was no closer to a solution for putting the pieces back together.
His gaze cut from where his hand spun the glass and back to his broken wife again. He knew Damon had done something to her. Compulsion or some such… He’d explained what it was and why he’d felt the need to do it, and for the most part, Jasper understood. But this blank, unfeeling shell that sat across from him? He just couldn’t seem to reconcile with the wife he knew and loved.
With this emotionally blank facsimile, he couldn’t seem to connect and it made him feel as though he’d lost his wife too; another thing he had no idea how to deal with.
Damon had told him how she’d broken down when Jace died. How she’d gone into complete denial and then, when they had taken his body from her, how she’d been so completely out of control…so he understood, but it didn’t make any of this easier.
He needed her. They needed each other…but she just wasn’t there.
A soft knock sounded at the door and Jasper raised a brow as Charles peeked into the room. “We’ve prepared dinner, Mr. Whitlock. Would either of you care for any?”
“I wouldn’t Charles, but my wife needs to eat.”
Charles glanced at Bella, a concerned frown creasing his brow before meeting Jasper’s gaze again. “Will she take her meal in the dining room, or…”
Jasper shook his head. “I think it best if she stays where she is.”
Charles nodded. “I’ll bring a tray then.”
He ducked out and Jasper rubbed his eyes with a thumb and forefinger, mentally preparing himself to coax her into eating as he had for the last few meals she’d taken. It wasn’t that she refused, but he had to practically spoon feed her every bite or she would simply sit there and stare.
Moving his chair closer to her, he took her hand. “Bella?”
Slowly, her gaze traveled to him and she smiled a tiny smile. “Jasper.”
He patted her hand with a wan smile. “Yes, sugar, it’s me. You ready to eat something?”
She blinked slowly. “I guess.”
He cupped her cheek, his thumb gently tracing the pale curve of it as a lump rose in his throat. “I hope you’re still in there somewhere, darlin’. I need you.”
She smiled that same empty smile. “I’m right here, silly,” she said as she turned to stare out the window again, leaving his hand suspended in mid air.
That hand clenched into a fist as a lone tear traced down his cheek, and he cleared his throat while swiping at the moisture, his jaw clenched tightly as he battled the emotional storm inside him.
Ever since awakening, he’d had one hell of a time with his emotions and unless he was losing his mind, the emotions of others too. He could feel them…all of them, and at times, especially surrounded by such deep grief as he was now, it was overwhelming.
A light knock followed by Charles entering with a tray broke him from his thoughts. “Thank you, Charles,” he muttered as the butler placed the tray on the side table.
“You’re quite welcome, sir.” He eyed Bella for a moment. “Do you need any help, or…”
Jasper waved him away while placing the linen napkin on Bella’s lap. “No thank you, that will be all for now.”
Charles bowed and left, closing the door softly as Jasper took up the spoon. “Bella, I have some stew and buttered bread here for you. You ready to eat?” He gave her a moment to respond, then scooped up a bite with a sigh while touching her shoulder to get her attention. “Bella…time to eat, sugar. Come on, take a bite.” He held the spoon to her lips and she finally opened her mouth, chewing mechanically as she watched him with dead eyes.
He continued to feed her that way, bite after mechanical bite, until she finally shook her head, refusing any more. He frowned, noting she’d only eaten half the food, as the door opened to admit her father.
After pouring himself a liberal drink, Damon took a seat on the sofa, crossing his legs and sipping his drink as he watched Jasper wipe Bella’s lips with the napkin.
“She still not eating by herself?”
Jasper shook his head and placed the napkin on the tray for Charles to collect later. “No. She’s not doing much by herself, to be frank. Emily even comes in every so often to take her to the water closet.”
Jasper turned a dark scowl on Damon. “How can this be good for her? How can this possibly be better than letting her feel something…anything? She’s just blank!”
Damon sighed, staring down into his glass before casting a jaundiced eye at Jasper. “Look, I did what I thought was best. She didn't have you at the time and she was coming apart at the seams. Your family was here… I couldn’t exactly have them seeing her with fangs and all, now could I?”
Jasper’s jaw tightened and he looked away. “No, I reckon you couldn’t.”
“She won’t be like this for much longer, if that’s any consolation. Once we travel back and we’re somewhere safe, I’ll release the compulsion. Hopefully, by then, she’ll have a bit more control of herself. She still comprehends in this state. She just doesn’t feel the pain of it. I’m hoping that she’s been dealing with everything subconsciously during this time so when I release her, she’ll have a better grip. I’m sure your presence will help.”
Jasper reached out and ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “She’s just so…” He dropped his hand and looked back at Damon. “I feel nothing from her. Inside, I feel as though she’s dead too.”
Damon nodded. “Did Bella ever tell you about your former future self?”
Jasper’s brow creased. “You mean, the other type of vampire I once was?”
Damon nodded.
“She told me a bit, but nothing that you hadn’t already told me. Why?”
‘Well, apparently, you had a gift. You were an empath—able to feel and manipulate the emotions of others.”
Jasper’s brows drew into a frown. “Damn. Maybe that’s what’s going on…”
Damon took a sip of his drink before arching a brow. “Do tell.”
Jasper looked down before slowly shaking his head. “Thought I was…I just…” he looked up, meeting Damon’s expectant gaze. “I feel everything and it’s worse when Emily and Charles are nearby. It’s like being flooded with emotion and I’ve never felt that way before. To be honest, I thought I was going crazy.” He looked toward Bella. “The worst part was I can’t feel anything from Bella, not even when I look in her eyes. It feels like she’s not there anymore and I’m used to feeling her, even before I was shot. Almost since the day we met, she was a warm presence inside me, and now…”
Damon nodded. “Makes sense. You two are mates—soul mates, if you will—which is pretty rare. It’s why we made this trip. When the Cullens left her—more specifically, when you left—she nearly died. Her mother brought her to me and I was able to patch her up with regular doses of my blood, but what she really needed was you. When the two of you met here, things moved rather quickly.”
Jasper smiled wanly and caressed her cheek again. “They did. I remember deciding to marry her when she told me off the night of my parents dinner party—just hours after meeting her.”
Damon snorted. “Yes, I recall.”
He looked back at Damon. “I knew then and there she was mine. I felt it…” He took Bella’s slack hand and kissed it. “And it’s the lack of that feeling that’s killin’ me now.”
Damon frowned. “Hang on just a little longer, kid. We’ll be leaving tonight, if Emily and Charles have everything ready to go. We just can’t risk her loosing control during any of the complicated stuff.”
Jasper nodded. “I can hang on. Knowing that I feel this way because of some gift, as you call it, makes things easier. I feel like I can push it back, if that makes any sense?”
Damon quirked a brow and nodded. “It really does, actually, and that’s something you should practice doing. When you feel overwhelmed in the presence of others, push it away. Or, you could even try your hand at manipulating what they’re feeling.”
Jasper frowned at that. “I don’t know…that doesn’t seem like a proper thing to do.”
Damon scoffed. “Kid, you’re gonna need to lose some of those gentlemanly ways. You’re a vampire now.”
Jasper scowled. “That doesn’t mean I have to impinge on others emotions without good cause.”
“Oh, you’re gonna do way more than that over the years, believe me…”
Jasper looked mutinous and Damon raised a hand. “Now hang on before you go chewing my head off. It’s true, you can live the life of a vampire—our type of vampire, anyway—and have it be pretty damn close to that of a normal human. However, you’re gonna have to lie on a pretty regular basis. You’re gonna have to compel the poor little human darlings all the time too if you want fresh blood, all while doing all you can to cover your ass and watch your back.” He saluted with his glass. “You’ll either get good at all of that, or you’ll find yourself with a stake in your chest as you slowly choke on your own blood. Then you die for real. Any of this sinking in?”
Jasper’s lips were pressed into a thin line as he stared into the distance. “Yes, it is.”
Damon stared warily, taking a slow sip from his glass as he allowed his son-in-law to process. Finally, he broke the silence. “You’re not having a crisis of conscience now, are you?”
Jasper’s flinty gaze cut to him. “I am not. I will do what I must to protect my family and live a peaceful life. Bella’s been through enough…we all have.”
Damon inclined his head. “Good, I’m glad to hear you say that, and I’ll help you in any way I can.”
Jasper inclined his head. “I appreciate that.” Then his eyes cut to the door, his keen hearing picking up the sound of footsteps.
“Not used to the enhanced senses yet?” Damon asked just as a knock sounded at the door.
“I’m gettin’ there,” Jasper muttered before calling out, “Come in.”
Charles stepped in and nodded a greeting at Damon. “Sorry to interrupt, but I came to collect Miss Bella’s tray.”
“It’s not a problem,” Jasper said.
“I needed to speak to you, anyway, Charles,” Damon said, causing the man to pause on his way out.
“Yes, Emily mentioned the possibility of leaving tonight. I wanted to know if she’s ready or not.”
Charles nodded. “I believe she is, sir, but I’ll ask her to come speak with you.”
Damon smiled. “Thank you.”
“Certainly,” the man said as he turned and left.
“Are you sure tonight is feasible?” Jasper asked. “We haven’t packed…”
Damon smirked. “I assure you, Emily’s probably taken care of everything. I saw no less than three trunks in the entryway when I arrived earlier.”
“That’s true, Mister Jasper, I made sure to pack everything that would have meaning to you both. The clothes you won’t be needing. You’ll have to buy a new wardrobe when you get where you’re going. The only clothing items I did pack was a full uniform of yours and a few of…of the baby’s things…” Emily trailed quietly as she crossed the room and sat beside Damon.
Jasper sucked in a sharp breath as pain—his own and, he assumed, that of Damon and Emily—lanced through him at the mention of the baby.
Rubbing his chest absently, he cast his gaze down as he fought to push away all that grief.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…”
Jasper held up a hand before looking back at the woman. “No, it’s all right. I need to get used to it. It’s going to happen, probably for quite a while to come.”
She nodded then looked at Damon. “I’m ready. I can send you on your way tonight. It’s not a full moon—which would be ideal—but I’m strong enough without it. I’ve also been charging crystals under the moon for months now, just in case. Charles and I will leave for Virginia at first light.”
Damon nodded. “Those bonds we talked about? I have them for you and you know where the property is?”
She smiled and laid her hand over his. “I do, and I can’t thank you enough, but you worry about you and yours now. Charles and I will be just fine.”
“Where will we be sent, exactly? Will it be just a general location, or…?”
She smiled at Jasper. “No, honey. If all goes as planned, I’ll be droppin’ you all right in the main room of Damon’s home.”
Damon snorted behind the rim of his glass. “Stefan’ll love that.”
Jasper looked worried. “Is this going to be a hostile situation? Should we be armed?”
Damon had to chuckle at that. “Uh, no. Stefan is my little brother, and while he can be a pain in the ass at times, I don’t think we need to go in, guns blazing.” Then he tipped his head and smirked. “Might be amusing, though.”
Jasper didn’t look convinced, but kept his silence as Emily scowled and slapped Damon’s shoulder. “You quit pickin’ on poor Stefan.”
Damon rolled his eyes. “Please… Poor Stefan, my ass…”
She mean-mugged him and he raised his hands. “Fine, no picking on Stefan. Happy?”
She shook her head. “You better be nice to that boy. He’s going to be an important help to you.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “What do you know?”
She picked some lint off her skirt. “Oh, just that he’s gonna have to go talk your younger vampire self into a little tryst with a certain human woman.” She gave him a pointed look then nodded toward Bella. His brows shot up and she nodded again. “I see your cottoning on to my meaning…”
Damon stifled a groan. “He isn’t gonna like that at all…”
Her brows shot up. “It’s not like you can do it.”
He sighed and nodded. “God only knows what I’m gonna have to agree to for him to do that though.”
She smirked and patted his hand. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
“I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”
She shook her head. “No, you don’t.”
He knocked back the rest of his drink and stood, crossing the room to place his glass on the sideboard before facing them. “Well, no time like the present.” He glanced between his wary looking son-in-law and his favorite witch. “Let’s do this.”
An hour later saw them gathered in a spacious room upstairs. The room had been emptied of all furniture and a ritual circle had been drawn on the wood floor with a pentacle within it. At each point of the pentacle, there were placed, luminescent crystals, and carefully placed within all of that were the three trunks. “All right,” Emily said, her tone all business, “take a seat in the center without touching anything but the trunks. Mr. Jasper, you seat Miss Bella first and keep a good hold on her the whole time. The travel should be gentle, but we don’t want any mishaps.”
He nodded and did as asked, seating himself behind Bella before pulling her close to his chest, his legs on either side of her. Damon then took a seat beside them. As Emily read over the ritual chant one final time, he glanced Jasper who looked worried. “Don’t look so worried, kid. It wasn’t bad when we made the trip here. I don’t see it being any different going back.”
Jasper exhaled heavily and nodded. “Good. I’m just not used to all this…” he gestured around at the ritual circle and crystals and Damon smirked.
“I’m no expert either, but I’m pretty sure we’ll survive.”
Jasper hmm’ed and pulled Bella a little closer and Emily took up a place at the top of the pentacle. “It was a pleasure knowing you all,” she said with a gentle smile, looking at each one of them before locking her gaze with Jasper’s. “You’ll both be happy again. It may not seem like it now, but you will.”
He swallowed hard and gave her a nod and with that, she began to chant, her eyes sparkling with what looked like tears as she and everything around them slowly faded from sight.
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Ontario Needs More Doctors And Nurses, Not Bureaucrats
There are many things that medical school doesn't teach future physicians. Amongst the most glaring omission, is the lack of appreciation for how challenging it is to navigate the complex health care system when you are trying to help a patient. The sheer number of organizations in the health care system, and of course, differing requirements for engaging these organizations is mind numbing.
A while ago, one of my colleagues had an idea for improving patient care. It required an Information Technology Solution. However, finding out who to call to get approval for the project was really an eye opening experience. Should he contact the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) IT department? Or the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) IT as this project related to outpatients? Or is it eHealth as they are supposed to be looking at Health Care IT solutions? But the Ministry of Health (MOH) has an IT department too -- should they be called? (And no, I have no idea why the MOH has an IT department for the Province if eHealth is supposed to provide provincial solutions).
As I have come to appreciate, there has been an explosion in bureaucracy over the past 12 years in Ontario Health Care. Most of it has been because the government has set up various "arms length" agencies such as the LHIN's, eHealth, Health Quality Ontario (HQO), CCAC and so on, rather than simply accept responsibility for these tasks under the MOH. From a politicians point of view, this gave them the ability to defer criticism for any decisions by saying such and such agency is "independent." For the most part, for a Liberal politician, this worked -- they did win four elections in a row. But it certainly hasn't helped the patients any.
My colleague, Dr. Shawn Whatley, posted a superb blog with a look at how many bureaucrats are in health care in Canada. While I encourage you to read the full blog at the link, the short version is that there are 0.9 health care bureaucrats per 1,000 people in Canada, compared to 0.4 per 1,000 in Sweden, 0.255 in Australia and 0.23 in Japan. Germany rocks at 0.06 per 1,000. Worse, as Dr. Whatley points out, Ontario has only 1.7 acute care hospital beds per 1,000 population which is about HALF the average for other OECD countries. Ontario got to this number by closing17,000 acute care beds (and laying off the nurses needed to staff them) between 1990 and 2013.
Unfortunately, that trend continues. You know that recent Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) report? The one that Kathleen Wynne and Eric Hoskins say shows that "Ontario has the best paid doctors in the country." That's a nice enough sound bite, but if one reads the report in detail, it also showed that 12,000 nurses have left the profession this past year. Additionally this same report showed that Ontario had only 176 physicians per 100,000 population (SEVENTH place in Canada). Unsurprisingly, only 10 per cent of family docs in the Ontario now take new patients. A great powerpoint summary of the report is here.
Ah, but at least the bureaucrats are producing meaningful reports and are happy to be helping with moving health system transformation forward right? Alas, a Health System Leaders (HSL) survey done by Quantum Transformation Technologies in June 2015 shows otherwise. A full copy of the report is here. Some notable results:
• 55 per cent of HSL's think Dr. Hoskins is doing a poor to fair job
• 62 per cent think the LHIN's are doing a poor to fair job
• 72 per cent (no really 72 per cent!) have poor to fair confidence CCAC can be fixed by current government
• 50 per cent feel that the government has a POOR (not poor to fair, just POOR) track record of helping those with mental health issues
This list goes on. It's dramatic just how poorly the leaders view the system, and how badly they feel the system is functioning. The comments at the bottom of the survey are equally telling as to how they feel the system is run. There are repeated calls to reduce the number of LHIN's, reduce the size of the bureaucracy and "bold transformation" of the health care system. As a side note, a senior executive form on of the LHIN's told me that the people who responded good to excellent on the questions did so because they didn't truly believe the survey was confidential.
So in short, in Ontario, we are burdened with a bloated, ineffective, demoralized health care bureaucracy. Kathleen Wynne and Eric Hoskins solution to this? Lay off nurses and start a fight with doctors. Franz Kafka couldn't have come up with something this convoluted.
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818-264-3344 West Hills
805-449-0066 Westlake Village
818-466-7770 Tarzana
818-403-6337 Mission Hills
Evan J. Bachner, M.D.
Robert H. Fields, M.D.
Kevin A. Nadel M.D.
Andrew D. Rah, M.D.
James M. Fox, M.D.
Nirav J. Shah, M.D.
Purab C. Viswanath, M.D.
Aneet S. Toor, M.D.
Sumit H. Rana, M.D.
Ashkhan Kaviani, MPAP, PA-C
Partial Joint Replacement
Total Joint Replacement
Upper Extremities
Meet Ash Kaviani, a licensed physician assistant with the National Committee of Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and California Physician Assistant Board. Ash brings a wealth of experience in general orthopedics as well as adult reconstructive surgery to the Center For Orthopaedic Specialists (COS). His experience began when he was a patient himself, having personally gone through both hip and knee surgeries. Prior to becoming a physician assistant, Ash was part of the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer team at Loyola Marymount University and is a former collegiate athlete.
He received his Bachelor’s of Business Administration with a Minor in Natural Science from Loyola Marymount University. He worked as a licensed paramedic and later went on to the Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California, where he earned his Master’s of Physician Assistant Practice.
As a physician assistant, Ash assists Dr. Shah and the other COS surgeons in both the operating room and clinic setting. He treats disorders associated with the hip, knee and shoulder, focusing on joint replacement surgery. His additional responsibilities include conducting histories and performing physical exams, ordering and interpreting diagnostic studies, making diagnosis and formulating treatment plans. Additionally, he writes prescriptions, performs therapeutic injections and provides patient education.
Ash is a Fellow Member of the California Academy of Physician Assistants and American Academy of Physician Assistants. Additionally, he is a Fellow Member of the Physician Assistants in Orthopedic Surgery and a Clinical Affiliate of the American Academy of Hip and Knee Surgeons.
In his spare time, he enjoys staying active by running, playing soccer and basketball, snowboarding and playing the drums. He also likes to explore new restaurants and travel with his wife and growing family.
© 2019 Center for Orthopaedic Specialists and MedNet Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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TUESDAY August 4, 1998 SECTION ONE vol 9, no. 151
To print out entire text of Today's issue, print this section as well as SECTION TWO
One empire begins to crumble as another begins to flourish through the blood of the martyrs
As the pagan Roman emperors grew more lazy, they cried out louder for the persecution of those who were diametrically opposed to the epicurean lifestyle of the aristocrats. But with every Christian killed, their example sprouted two or more converts until it literally drove some of the emperors mad. Society in Rome had become lax in their freedom which eventually led to bondage while the strict rules and laws practiced by Christians showed the scope of freedom in God's overall plan. Yet, like every finite organization, there was internal bickering even within the Church where a split was forming between East and West. We continue with the eleventh installment from the early chapters of our on-going megaseries on the Church through the ages as part of our special retro Summer in bringing you past issues you may not have had the opportunity to read. For the eleventh installment titled The Blood of the Martyrs replenishes a flourishing Church: 200-250 , click on THE HISTORY OF THE MASS AND HOLY MOTHER CHURCH.
The Blood of the Martyrs replenishes a flourishing Church: 200-250
Installment Eleven
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Church has continued to spread all over the world until it has today reached every corner of the earth. It has done so despite the faults of humans, the mistakes of the magisterium and even bad popes, excluding, of course, our present Vicar who is truly a saint in these end times. To say the Church is lily-white would be an aberration for it has gone through some very trying times - schisms, apostasies, heresies, wars, inquisitions, politics, and massacres all in the name of the Church. Yet, despite these setbacks, Holy Mother Church has flourished and will contiue because she has rigorously obeyed the Command Jesus Christ gave in Matthew 28: 19-20: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world."
That was the inspiration the Apostles had in dispersing to different countries in order to carry out Our Lord's command. They baptized, preached, celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and even ruled in some of the countries where they were dispatched. They also appointed and ordained bishops and priests to rule and minister to those who believed - the faithful.
But there was a price to pay. And the price the early Christians paid was the greatest treasure they could give - their lives. They were forced to choose between a pagan culture, where the morals of Rome were extremely depraved, and the one true faith - the Truth, the Way and the Life. By the 3rd Century the pagan evil had spread from within the the walls of Rome to the farthest regions of the Roman empire.
Like what is happening in this century here in the United States and worldwide, the Roman culture became debase over a period of time. Originally it had been set up as an idealistic culture to learn from the Greeks' mistakes and become the greatest empire ever. But as time went on, greed, lust, envy - all the deadly sins, crept in and Rome began to decay from within. As Rome capitalized on Greece's mistakes, they also were victimized by them for history does indeed repeat itself. Because of the tremendous Grecian influence, most of the upper class of Rome spoke Greek. Romans strove to imitate the Greeks in many ways, chief among them their worship of nearly 30,000 different "gods" and "goddesses." A majority of them were deified for the very purpose of debauchery and immorality. Just as Greece lost its soul, so also the carbuncle of immorality, ammorality and paganism rotted the once proud Roman empire from within. While the blood of the martyrs nourished the seeds of Christianity, the blood of idolatry sowed seeds of discontent. This cancer spread rapidly and those who sought to stop it, namely the Christian disciples - laity as well as popes, bishops, priests and deacons, were considered traitors to Rome. This was the crux of the reasons why the full force of Rome was pitted against the new religion of these Christians. Those whose faith was lax faltered and they even betrayed their own fellow Christians as to their location in homes, caves, forests and catacombs where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated.
The Beginning of the Split between East and West
As we touched on in the last installment, Pope Saint Zephyrinus, the 15th in the line of Peter and pope from 199 to 217 AD, is considered the "Father of Ecclesiastical Latin," but it was his successor Pope Saint Callixtus who headed the Church from 217 to 222 who decreed Latin as the official language of the liturgy. His reasoning followed because for nearly two centuries Latin had been the unofficial language of the common people of Rome and nearby vicinities. As often happens in a class system, there is a division not only in culture but also in language and dialect. So it was in Rome. Because of the Greek influence, many of those born of noble Roman birth retained and passed on the Greek language and customs.
One of these was Hippolytus, a Roman priest who was constantly a thorn in Callixtus' side. Upon the latter's election as pope, Hippolytus broke away from Rome, and became the first antipope in history. As we detailed in the last installment, there were heretics during this period such as Marcion and later Tertullian who is attributed with the quote used in the headline for this installment. But Hippolytus was the most vocal. Despite the volatile actions of this heretic, before his defection he composed the Apostolic Tradition. This prayer, in part has been passed on to this day in the Eucharistic Prayer after the Offertory. Another tradition credited to Hippolytus was the origin of the Kiss of Peace. Many liturgical scholars attribute its origin to the procedure of segregating men and women into different locations during the Mass. This was a throwback to the Jewish custom, strongly adopted by the Greeks that women would not participate in religious services except in outer circles of the temple or sanctuary. It was a custom that Christ observed as part of Jewish law and the Church carried on regarding the priesthood and participation in the sanctuary during Holy Mass until the advent of the feminist movement which conversely deeply influenced the aftermath of Vatican II. Many Church historians presume that Hippolytus broke away from Rome for two reasons - the first because he had not been chosen the next pontiff and the second, and most credible, because of his staunch defense of Greek. This could be another reason Callixtus was so quick to proclaim Latin as the official language since the two were bitter rivals. A little background on Hippolytus bears this out for he had been born of noble parents and nurtured in the Greek language; in short, a scholar. On the other side of the proverbial coin Callixtus had been born a slave and always clung to the needs of the poor. Those like him, who had been slaves, non-Romans or who were poor were rejected and in turn they rejected the Greek either out of lack of formal education or their despise for what pagan Rome stood for. They, in turn, adopted Latin as a means of communication and it was quickly embraced by the Christians who were, for the most part, in and among the poor as Christ had directed. Yet insurrection was inevitable from the Greek camp. Fired up by Hippolytus, those who favored Greek objected vehemently to the abandonment of their language. It's interesting to note that only a few things of Greek such as the Kyrie Leison were retained. It was an all-out victory for Callixtus and for Latin, but left scars that lasted for centuries and eventually led to a split between East and West. As time passed, more and more Latin was incorporated into the liturgy of the Mass. It also became a possessive tongue where the Christians guarded and treasured this new speech. Callixtus also reasoned that if the liturgy was conducted in Latin universally, Christians could more readily identify and participate wherever they went. From 220 to 1965 this was the rule rather than the exception. Unfortunately , today it's the exception rather than the rule.
The Blood Runs Deep
The establishment of Latin was St. Callixtus' most recognized accomplishment and eventually he returned to his roots, driven to take shelter in the poor and populous quarters of Rome during the terrible persecution of the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus who viciously had him beaten with clubs on October 14, 223 and his remains thrown into a well where the church Santa Maria in Trastevere now stands. Pope Saint Urban I succeeded Callixtus until 230 when he, too, was martyred. It was Pope Urban who converted Saint Cecilia and ordered a church built on the site of her martyrdom where her remains now lie. It was during Urban's papacy that, as the Church was growing, the need for acquiring property became an issue and he consented to allow the acquisition of property by Holy Mother Church. On August 28, 230 Pope Saint Pontian became the 18th successor to the Apostolic See. This Roman-born pontiff ordered the recital of the Confiteor and the chanting of the Psalms during Holy Mass. He also instituted the salutation Dominus vobiscum ("The Lord be with you...and also with you.") within the Mass. As the persecutions heated up, first under Severus and then a succession of emperors who were as debase as the previous, the blood ran deeper. Pontian was banished to work the mines in Sardinia along with the heretic Hippolytus. There he repented, renouncing his title as antipope and encouraged his followers to return to the true Church. The schism caused by Hippolytus was brought to an end through reconciliation and Hippolytus became Saint Hippolytus, shedding his blood for Christ along with Pontian at the hands of their Roman persecutors in 235. On December 21st, 235 Pope Saint Anterus was elevated to the papacy but it was very shortlived. He only had time to decree that the acts and relics of the martyrs be gathered together and kept in a special place in the churches, before being executed by the new Roman Emperor, a barbarian from Thrace named Maximus. Anterus' successor was Pope Saint Fabian who enjoyed one of the longer pontificates in this turbulent century. A dove miraculously appeared above Fabian's head the moment he was elected on January 10, 236, proof that he was indeed God's choice. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Fabian encouraged the exodus of many Christians from Rome. During Anterus' papacy the persecution of Maximus, and then the vile Decius, was so intense in northern Africa that it gave impetus to the rise of the hermetical life of the Anchorites as we treated in the last issue. Fabian died a martyr on January 20, 250 at the hands of Decius.
In the next issue we will treat the second half of the 3rd Century and the increasing martyrdoms as the tempo builds to the last part of the century when the evil Roman Emperor Diocletian surfaces and wages all-out war on Christ's followers.
NEXT INSTALLMENT:The Blood of the Martyrs replenishes a flourishing Church: 250-300
There are more souls in hell from the sins of the Sixth Commandment than any other sin
One of the main sins committed by the lax Romans during the time covered above was the sin of lust. Today we can see this sin smothering the world and only through practicing the virtues of chastity, temperance, etc. can we avoid the great trap laid by the evil one. That is the essence of Jesus' words in the 97th Lesson/Meditation to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart, which is one in a series of 100 Meditative Lessons imparted to her. This Lesson deals with the Sixth Commandment. For the Lesson/Meditation titled ONLY BY VIRTUE CAN YOU FIGHT THE VICES COMMITTED AGAINST THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT, click on THE HIDDEN WAY.
Also, if you would like to know how you can acquire your own copy of the just-released book THE HIDDEN WAY, click on Book
ONLY BY VIRTUE CAN YOU FIGHT THE VICES COMMITTED AGAINST THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT
Lesson Meditation #97
(Imparted on February 25, 1995 to the Hidden Flower by Our Lord)
Beloved Hidden Flower of My Mother's Immaculate Heart, I bless you. Always cling to Me, uniting all to My Sacred Passion, and be My intercessor in suffering for the sake of Divine Mercy.
On this day I will speak to My children concerning My Sixth Commandment which states: "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
I want you to observe that in this command, as in all of My Commands, the proper use of the word "Thou', is most significant yet seldom discerned.
As I Who Am gave unto you, My Children, My laws, I address you as My children, created by Me in My Image and Likeness. The "Thou" connotes to your respect for the marvelous creation of your mortal body which is a tabernacle, as it were, for the immortal soul where, by grace, The Blessed Trinity takes up Its abode. Can the body, then, be less than pure? Is not mortal life that time in which heart, soul and body are purified, transformed into My True Image and Likeness?
But, My children, because of the lack of morality and virtue in your modern, liberal society, you no longer recognize My presence in you, nor the Holy Spirit Who continually seeks to Sanctify.
Oh! A generation of proud hearts is a generation of adulterers! Yes, I tell you this so you may purify yourselves and return to the path of holiness.
By My Sixth Command I tell you that you in all manner of behavior, whether alone or with others, you are to be pure and modest.
If the soul is centered on Me, then the every thought, word and deed of the human mind and flesh is directed toward Me, is conscious of Me, and aware of Me conducts all things as pleasing before Me. Therefore the soul, as guardian, hastens to prompt one to clothe the body in modesty, seeking not to attract undue attention to itself either from self (which is pride), or from others which leads them to vain and prideful behavior. Purity of soul so clothes the mortal body as to wear garments of humility by which the eyes of vanity and pride are blinded.
Thus any form of dress which displays the human body as an object of lustful desire is an abomination before Me. To wear clothing of fine material purchased at great price is not necessarily evil, for I give to souls many gifts, among them worldly goods so as to test their faith in Me. But only those who use such material wealth to honor Me, clothe themselves richly but modestly and thus honor Me, who fashioned both the male and female body.
Behold, in these last days your world is saturated with so much impurity as to tempt even the strongest of My children to be impure in thought, word and deed.
Oh. If you knew how souls must suffer because of impurity you would prefer the sackcloth and ashes of the Old Law lest you be led to impurity through your senses.
But the evil one has drugged the conscience and has whispered such lies to you about human flesh, that you no longer know purity and are mired in impurity.
Divorce is an epidemic which is contrary to My Sixth Commandment, and leads to the destruction of the family life and all of its inherent values. No longer sanctified by me as a true sacrament, many marriages are nothing more than lustful unions where immorality is sought to be justified in a union where I am not present.
The eyes of both men and women remain not on Me or on their lawful, beloved spouse, but are the roaming, restless eyes that seek human pleasure and gratification in the senses. Therefore, the man views the body of the woman as an "object" for his sensual enjoyment, nor does the man seek the soul of his helpmate, but ignores all spirituality and lusts after carnal pleasure alone, which is an abomination before Me, your Lord and God!
Women no longer respect their bodies. In every way they seek constant change, driven by the evil one who suffocates the soul and presses upon woman that unless she "appear" in a certain style or type, she shall not be acceptable to man.
Thus, all manner of evilness is done by the woman to her own body, altering size and shape and offensively wearing clothing which causes men to lust for her in an impure way!
Oh! Sinful eyes which so offend Me. Sinful senses which crave for ever more sensual gratification of all carnal desire by thought, by word, by deed.
In all you read you must have custody of the eyes and over your mind, for I solemnly tell you adultery is easily committed by your willful reading of impure material. In all of your movies, television and other entertainment, how easily the sin of adultery is committed because you watch, see, hear and then participate with your heart and will in licentious acts that are an abomination before Me, your Lord and God!
Oh, if you knew the sufferings of purgatory for those who commit sins of the flesh, you would never willingly place yourself into temptation.
If you but knew the number of souls who, by sins against purity, condemn themselves to hell, you would turn off television, cease going to movies and even Theatre, lest by repeated temptation you yield to the sins of the flesh.
Behold, I came and died, being nailed to a cross that your own flesh might be nailed to Mine and the sins of the flesh would be forever banished from My Children.
When you deny My Cross your desires of the flesh lead you to every sort of temptation. And weakened by a world which applauds impurity and jeers at chas- tity, you finally lose sight of Me and the evils of sin.
The sins of the flesh are many. One sin leads to another, and each becomes more grievous.
Beware, My children, the multitude of traps laid for you by the evil one in these days. Put on humility and be nailed with Me to the Cross, that by My grace and Infinite Merits your life shall be pure and chaste at all times. Only in this way shall you persevere and be prepared.
Do as I command and the Refuge of My Sacred Heart shall be your dwelling place.
I love and bless you and say again: Prepare, for I Come!
Next Lesson/Meditation #98: STEALING ONLY LEADS TO STOLEN GRACE
The Cycle of the Mystery of Christ revolves around Sunday in our Catholic Liturgy
Because of the length of the sixteenth installment of the Holy Father's Apostolic Letter DIES DOMINI by Pope John Paul II on keeping the Lord's Day holy, we are suspending the TUESDAY CATHOLIC PewPOINT to bring you this important document. Today the Holy Father continues to explain the importance of the Sabbath in our lives as we bring you the second to last of our daily installments. To read the entire document, you can go to Dies Domini. For Chapter Five: DIES DIERUM Sunday: the Primordial Feast, Revealing the Meaning of Time part two, click on THE VICAR OF CHRIST SPEAKS.
Sunday in the Liturgical Year
76. With its weekly recurrence, the Lord's Day is rooted in the most ancient tradition of the Church and is vitally important for the Christian. But there was another rhythm which soon established itself: the annual liturgical cycle. Human psychology in fact desires the celebration of anniversaries, associating the return of dates and seasons with the remembrance of past events. When these events are decisive in the life of a people, their celebration generally creates a festive atmosphere which breaks the monotony of daily routine.
Now, by God's design, the great saving events upon which the Church's life is founded were closely linked to the annual Jewish feasts of Passover and Pentecost, and were prophetically foreshadowed in them. Since the second century, the annual celebration of Easter by Christians � having been added to the weekly Easter celebration � allowed a more ample meditation on the mystery of Christ crucified and risen. Preceded by a preparatory fast, celebrated in the course of a long vigil, extended into the fifty days leading to Pentecost, the feast of Easter � "solemnity of solemnities" � became the day par excellence for the initiation of catechumens. Through baptism they die to sin and rise to a new life because Jesus "was put to death for our sins and raised for our justification" (Rom 4:25; cf. 6:3-11). Intimately connected to the Paschal Mystery, the Solemnity of Pentecost takes on special importance, celebrating as it does the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles gathered with Mary and inaugurating the mission to all peoples. (120)
77. A similar commemorative logic guided the arrangement of the entire Liturgical Year. As the Second Vatican Council recalls, the Church wished to extend throughout the year "the entire mystery of Christ, from the Incarnation and Nativity to the Ascension, to the day of Pentecost and to the waiting in blessed hope for the return of the Lord. Remembering in this way the mysteries of redemption, the Church opens to the faithful the treasury of the Lord's power and merits, making them present in some sense to all times, so that the faithful may approach them and be filled by them with the grace of salvation". (121)
After Easter and Pentecost, the most solemn celebration is undoubtedly the Nativity of the Lord, when Christians ponder the mystery of the Incarnation and contemplate the Word of God who deigns to assume our humanity in order to give us a share in his divinity.
78. Likewise, "in celebrating this annual cycle of the mysteries of Christ, the holy Church venerates with special love the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, united forever with the saving work of her Son". (122) In a similar way, by inserting into the annual cycle the commemoration of the martyrs and other saints on the occasion of their anniversaries, "the Church proclaims the Easter mystery of the saints who suffered with Christ and with him are now glorified". (123) When celebrated in the true spirit of the liturgy, the commemoration of the saints does not obscure the centrality of Christ, but on the contrary extols it, demonstrating as it does the power of the redemption wrought by him. As Saint Paulinus of Nola sings, "all things pass, but the glory of the saints endures in Christ, who renews all things, while he himself remains unchanged". (124) The intrinsic relationship between the glory of the saints and that of Christ is built into the very arrangement of the Liturgical Year, and is expressed most eloquently in the fundamental and sovereign character of Sunday as the Lord's Day. Following the seasons of the Liturgical Year in the Sunday observance which structures it from beginning to end, the ecclesial and spiritual commitment of Christians comes to be profoundly anchored in Christ, in whom believers find their reason for living and from whom they draw sustenance and inspiration.
79. Sunday emerges therefore as the natural model for understanding and celebrating these feast-days of the Liturgical Year, which are of such value for the Christian life that the Church has chosen to emphasize their importance by making it obligatory for the faithful to attend Mass and to observe a time of rest, even though these feast-days may fall on variable days of the week. (125) Their number has been changed from time to time, taking into account social and economic conditions, as also how firmly they are established in tradition, and how well they are supported by civil legislation. (126)
The present canonical and liturgical provisions allow each Episcopal Conference, because of particular circumstances in one country or another, to reduce the list of Holy Days of obligation. Any decision in this regard needs to receive the special approval of the Apostolic See, (127) and in such cases the celebration of a mystery of the Lord, such as the Epiphany, the Ascension or the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, must be transferred to Sunday, in accordance with liturgical norms, so that the faithful are not denied the chance to meditate upon the mystery. (128) Pastors should also take care to encourage the faithful to attend Mass on other important feast-days celebrated during the week. (129)
80. There is a need for special pastoral attention to the many situations where there is a risk that the popular and cultural traditions of a region may intrude upon the celebration of Sundays and other liturgical feast-days, mingling the spirit of genuine Christian faith with elements which are foreign to it and may distort it. In such cases, catechesis and well-chosen pastoral initiatives need to clarify these situations, eliminating all that is incompatible with the Gospel of Christ. At the same time, it should not be forgotten that these traditions � and, by analogy, some recent cultural initiatives in civil society � often embody values which are not difficult to integrate with the demands of faith. It rests with the discernment of Pastors to preserve the genuine values found in the culture of a particular social context and especially in popular piety, so that liturgical celebration � above all on Sundays and holy days � does not suffer but rather may actually benefit. (130)
TOMORROW: Part Seventeen - final installment: CONCLUSION
(120) Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 731-732.
(121) Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, 102.
(122) Ibid., 103.
(124) Carm. XVI, 3-4: "Omnia praetereunt, sanctorum gloria durat in Christo qui cuncta novat, dum permanet ipse": CSEL 30, 67.
(125) Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 1247; Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, Canon 881, 1; 4.
(126) By general law, the holy days of obligation in the Latin Church are the Feasts of the Nativity of the Lord, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Body and Blood of Christ, Mary Mother of God, the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul and All Saints: cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 1246. The holy days of obligation in all the Eastern Churches are the Feasts of the Nativity of the Lord, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Dormition of Mary Mother of God and Saints Peter and Paul: cf. Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, Canon 880, 3.
(127) Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 1246, 2; for the Eastern Churches, cf. Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, Canon 880, 3.
(128) Cf. Sacred Congregation of Rites, Normae Universales de Anno Liturgico et de Calendario (21 March 1969)
Click here to go to SECTION TWO or click here to return to the graphics front page of this issue.
August 4, 1998 volume 9, no. 151 DAILY CATHOLIC
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Ed Smith shortlisted for Arts, Culture and Entertainment Commentator of the Year
September 21, 2015 Philippa Sitters
© New Statesman
We're delighted to share that author, columnist and former cricketer, Ed Smith, has been shortlisted to win the Arts, Culture and Entertainment Commentator of the Year at The Editorial Intelligence Comment Awards 2015. The awards, in their seventh year, are an annual celebration of the UK's best comment journalism. In previous years, commentators such as David Aaronovitch and Clive James have won prizes.
Ed Smith writes a weekly column for the New Statesman and his previous books include Playing Hard Ball, On and Off the Field - the Wisden Book of the Year and shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year and The Cricket Society Book of the Year Award - and the critically acclaimed, What Sport Tells Us About Life.
His latest book, Luck - A Fresh Look at Fortune traces the history of the concepts of luck and fortune, destiny and fate, from the ancient Greeks to the present day.
The winners are announced on 24th November.
Follow Ed on Twitter - @edsmithwriter for updates.
← National Theatre Wales Stages Christopher Logue's WAR MUSICDeepti Kapoor's A BAD CHARACTER longlisted for the Prix Medicis Etranger →
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Home News Brit band shocks Oz after lead singer strips naked on stage
Brit band shocks Oz after lead singer strips naked on stage
By Callum Mason -
A BRITISH indie rock band have done the impossible and shocked Australia – after their lead singer stripped naked on stage.
The Fat White Family have been branded “drunken wired c***s” by Australians after the stunt by frontman Lias Kaci.
The band, from London, are performing at the Splendour in the Grass Festival alongside bands such as The Cure and The Strokes.
But Lias stole the headlines last Friday by spending 20 minutes on stage starkers apart from his shoes and socks.
Onlookers at the festival in North Byron, New South Wales, reported that Kaci was seen in conversation with Australian police after the event.
The singer remained naked for around 20 minutes according to onlookers
James Young, who was at the festival said: “It was 2.30pm on a Friday afternoon. Fat White Family were practically the first band on the whole 3 day festival.
“He got naked after only about 4 songs and remained so for 20 mins but it felt like an hour.
“The band ignored him. The crowd laughed. We know the band. We expect to be shocked.
“He left his shoes and socks on, which I thought was practical.
“It didn’t appear to be pre-meditated, he just wanted to grab people’s attention and make the early show memorable. They are loose units as we all know. It’s part of their appeal.”
Young, who owns a Melbourne bar where the band played on Monday night, said that he witnessed police talking to Kaci after the performance.
Other band members apparently did not react
He said: “I was in the backstage area and I wanted to pop my head in to their van to say ‘hello’… and there were three cops standing in front of the lead singer and he had an ice pack against his broken nose.
“Pretty much everyone from the police, to the site organisers, to all the other bands wanted the drunken wired c***s out of there which is exactly what happened.”
The band posted on their Facebook stage last night (Tuesday) to explain the reason for the police involvement.
They wrote: “The police were only involved because a dear friend of ours was found, heaven forbid at a music festival, inebriated to the point of being asleep in our backstage room.
“There was nudity but what of it? If you take your clothes off at the Serpentine its performance art, if you do it on stage you’re a perverse, gimmicky shock merchant, this kind of s*** should be as bog standard a part of the vocabulary of alternative music as big muff guitar pedals and sonic youth t shirts by now, the idea of anybody finding it offensive is offensive, these people wish to inhabit the dullest of all possible worlds.”
Kaci later admitted that he was ejected by the police.
He claims that a friend of the band was intoxicated, which led to the festival’s organisers ringing the police, who escorted him away.
He said: “Eventually [one of my friends] got too drunk and he fell asleep and I put him in our backstage room, which was a little bit messy, like any backstage room five hours into a festival.
“[The Splendour organisers] told us that we all had to leave the festival then and there immediately under police escort because my friend was drunk.
“They took a disliking to us I think from the moment we walked in there.
“I think they took offence to the fact I took all my clothes off onstage. But I’m an artist, I’ll do whatever I want…they know what they’re booking when they hire the band. It’s something that I’ve done on multiple occasions.”
Fat White Family formed in London in 2011.
They released their second album, Songs for our Mothers, earlier this year.
This is by no means the first instance of a rockstar getting naked during a performance.
The late Doors singer Jim Morrison was charged with indecent exposure and simulating masturbation at a gig in Florida in 1969, although he denied the allegations.
Ex-Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri has played naked on several occasions and was once arrested whilst playing at a festival in Rio de Janeiro.
The Red Hot Chilli Peppers also famously played with just socks on their genitals during their debut concert tour in 1983, in what later became known as their ‘socks on c***s’ routine.
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Bianconis Clonmel resisdence .
Charles Bianconi
Carlo (Charles) Bianconi was born in Tregolo, in the Lombard Highlands, near Como, Italy on September 24th 1786. As a teenager he was apprenticed to an Art dealer, who moved to Dublin in 1801. He travelled around Ireland on foot selling pictures, He opened a shop in Carrick-on-Suir in 1806, transferring it to Waterford and later Clonmel, where in 1809 he opened at 1 Gladstone Street as a first class “Carver and Guilder”.
Travelling on foot around Ireland, carrying his heavy materials and often walking twenty to thirty miles each day in the course of this work, quickly demonstrated to Bianconi the great need for a cheap and reliable integrated transport system. It therefore came as no surprise that on July 6th 1815 the first Bianconi two-wheel horse drawn cart, carrying three or four passengers went into commission from Clonmel to Cahir, thus introducing the beginnings of the first ever integrated transport system into Ireland. Travel on one of these “Bians” as they were to become known, cost one-penny farthing a mile.
Over the next 30 years a huge network of communications were established, with Clonmel, Co. Tipperary as its hub. Huge employment was also now created from this growing transport business. The year 1833 saw the “long car” go into production from his coach building premises in Clonmel. This enabled him to carry up to twenty passengers, plus cargo and mail deliveries for both British and Irish Post Offices.
The advent of railway in 1834 brought home to Bianconi the realisation that his coaching business had now only a limited future. He immediately began to buy share in the different rail lines as they were being built. He began to sell his coaches and long carts to his employees who had worked for him. He, himself, became a director in Daniel O’Connell’s newly founded National Bank and between 1843 and 1846 he became a Councillor and was twice elected Mayor of Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
It was at this time, also, he purchased the one thousand acre property known then and now as Longfield House, in the parish of Boherlahan, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, where he resided for twenty nice years and died in 1875 aged 89, a millionaire. He is buried in the family mortuary chapel in Boherlahan, Cashel, which he designed and partially constructed himself. Legend states that as he breathed his last breath a phantom coach and horses were heard coming up the drive of his much loved Longfield House.
William Magner
Magners is a brand of cider produced in County Tipperary by the C&C Group. The cider was originally produced as Bulmers and continues to be sold under that name in Ireland. Commercial cider production was started in Clonmel in 1935 by local man William Magner. Magner bought an orchard from a Mr Phelan of Clonmel and quickly established a successful business. In 1937 he joined forces with the English cider-makers HP Bulmer and Company. Dowds Lane in Clonmel was the location of this burgeoning enterprise. In 1949 Magner withdrew from the business and the Bulmers name came to the fore. HP Bulmer maintained international rights to the Bulmers trade mark, which prevent the Irish company exporting the brand from Ireland. In 1964 the company was sold and its name changed to Showerings (Ireland) Ltd. Soon after, the company moved its main processing operations to a new complex at Annerville, five kilometres from the centre of Clonmel. The success of Bulmers cider in Ireland led to the development of the Magners brand to market the company's cider outside of Ireland.
William Tinsley
William Tinsley 1804 - 1885 was an Irish architect born in clonmel. He entered the family business while in his teens. In 1825 after the death of his father he took over the business and received several commissions from wealthy local landowners. After the Famine, due to the decline in business, he emigrated to the USA with his wife and children. They settled in Cincinatti and he was very successful as an architect of many public buildings. He died in America and is buried in Indianapolis.
Anthony Trollope(24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, which revolves around the imaginary county of Barsetshire. He also wrote novels on political, social, and gender issues, and other topical matters.
Trollope's literary reputation dipped somewhat during the last years of his life,but he had regained the esteem of critics by the mid-20th century.
Trollope a native of london moved to clonmel after the year 1844.
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Inexplicable patients: the case of Charles Martell and Ward 4 at the Massachusetts General Hospital
Stephen Casper
CMAJ December 06, 2016 188 (17-18) 1263-1264; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.160111
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY
In January 1926, Dr. Eugene DuBois at Bellevue Hospital, New York City, admitted Charles Martell, a former captain in the United States Merchant Marines (Figure 1), to his metabolism clinic. Martell reported numerous ailments. He had joined the merchant marines in 1918. He was 22 years of age and stood over six feet tall. Seven years later, standing before DuBois, he measured seven inches shorter. His neck widened and abnormally barrel-chested, Martell reported a history of multiple fractures, disseminated pain, and his legs were observably deformed.1 Dubois was aware of research at the newly established Ward 4 at Massachusetts General Hospital that involved treatment of patients with lead-poisoning using the recently discovered parathyroid hormone. He referred Martell to Ward 4 with a provisionary diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism.2 According to documents in the hospital archives, Martell entered the annals of medical history as the first recorded patient in North America to be diagnosed with that rare condition.3
Charles Martell (published with permission from Archives and Special Collections of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston).
Image courtesy of Massachusetts General Hospital Archives and Special Collections
What is it like to be a “first patient?” Even as historians of medicine have embraced the historical study of patients, they have been reticent to evaluate patients without a diagnosis and for good reasons.4,5 In a sense, patients before discovery are beyond historical construction. They are subjects without sources. Such patients must exist in peculiar, liminal spaces.6 In the past they were often described euphemistically: inexplicables, incompletely understoods, incurables and even malingerers and simulators. A first patient stands in for all those who walked before them, observed but unknown, sometimes brushed off or maligned but, in any case, definitely not the first or a partner s in discovery.
Certainly, Charles Martell, his family and his doctors existed in that liminal space for an extended period before he found his way to physicians with knowledge of metabolic disorders. The onset of his illness was 1919. By 1923, it had progressed to such a degree that he was forced to abandon his career. Nonetheless, it was not until 1926 that he would meet a physician who named his suffering. Seven years intervened between the onset of his illness and his entrance into DuBois’ examination room. In those years, he had been stuck between his much evident experience and medical unfathomability.
When Martell arrived in 1926 at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Ward 4 had only begun receiving patients. Opened in November 1924, Ward 4 was founded by James Howard Means (1885–1967), the James Jackson Professor of Clinical Medicine at Harvard from 1923 to 1951.7 Means had planned Ward 4 as a site of research into obscure medical conditions, a place where the proximity of beds to laboratories was meant to bring patients into proximity with medical researchers. Nor were those beds and laboratories to be dedicated to any special problem. “The only criterion,” a newspaper columnist wrote in a retrospect, was “that its special facilities are needed to accomplish certain studies on [patients] which competent investigators, with the patient’s cooperation wish to undertake.”8 Freedom of inquiry for the researchers and patients alike was the explicit mandate, and Means had envisioned Ward 4 as a collaborative environment where physicians and patients worked together to understand the finest details of their conditions.9 As Means later explained, “here Nature sets the problem to be solved,” and solve those problems at nature’s pace the doctors and their patients did.10
Patients would often be in Ward 4 for months, sometimes on restricted diets and in completely controlled circumstances meant to allow the team of nurses, dieticians and researchers to elucidate details of metabolic dysfunction.10 It would become part of the ethos of Ward 4 that the patients were the primary knowledge keepers of their conditions and that they should be seen as indispensable, equal collaborators in pursuing the cause of medical research “for their own benefit and that of others,” as an honorary plaque celebrating the ward declared to all who read it later.
Charles Martell may well have been the first patient to enter Ward 4 as a referral from outside of Boston. Subsequently, reporters would detail the variety of cases that could be found there throughout the 1930s, 40s and 50s, often revisiting Martell’s case as well. After Means published his history of Ward 4, a reviewer of that book in April 1958 commented: “of the ten patients in the ward, at least eight presented problems which fit no standard classification” and observed that this was “the usual, rather than the rare type of patient.”11
Martell’s subsequent experiences, however, hardly make for happy reading, and they were undoubtedly typical of those who followed him. He was investigated for years. He underwent exploratory surgeries and experimental treatments, while he slowly deteriorated. By 1932, after his ninth surgery, the cause of his illness, a small tumour in his chest cavity, was found. He might have begun the process of healing, but, unfortunately, Martell succumbed to a secondary infection caused by kidney stones shortly thereafter. “He died,” Means observed later, “so that others might live.”11 Indeed, by 1972, as the Massachusetts General Hospital Newsletter reported, 500 operations for hyperparathyroidism had occurred there, largely in the style of Martell’s successful, albeit fatally late, operation. In this way, Martell achieved his heroic renown.12
It is self-evident that circumstances might have played out differently for Martell had he never found his way to Massachusetts General Hospital. If he had never been discovered by Means and his colleagues, Martell might not have been discovered at all, and in this sense he would have remained inexplicable, to himself and to his doctors, with all that would have implied for the unfolding of his life.
Of course, he was discovered. Yet, it seems certain that many potential first patients were not so lucky. They probably never found their doctor in the past, and thus they existed in the liminal space of history and knowledge. Such observations are not meant to imply that inexplicable patients avoided medical attention (presumably they sought and found care) but rather to suggest that to describe a patient as unclassifiable or inexplicable required an act of openness on the parts of doctors, patients and institutions to the possibility of a first.
The author thanks John Burnham, Thomas Schlich, Jaipreet Virdi-Dhesi and three anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier drafts; and Jeff Mifflin (Massachusetts General Hospital archives) for his generosity. All materials used in this article are available from Archives and Special Collections at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, in folders “Ward 4 (Mallinckrodt),” “Martell, Charles (Patient)” and “Means, James Howard.”
This article has been peer reviewed.
Bauer W,
Federman DD
. Hyperparathyroidism epitomized: the case of Captain Charles E. Martell. Metabolism 1962;11:21–9.
Schlich T
. The origins of organ transplantation: surgery and laboratory science, 1880s–1930s Rochester (NY): The University of Rochester Press; 2010:53–64.
Spencer SM
. That fantastic gland, the thyroid. Saturday Evening Post 1948 Apr. 10.
Bacopoulos-Viau A,
Fauvel A
. The patient’s turn, Roy Porter and psychiatry’s tales, thirty years on. Med Hist 2016;60:1–18.
Casper ST,
Jacyna LS
, editors. The neurological patient in history. Rochester (NY): University of Rochester Press; 2012.
Ring A,
Dowrick CF,
Humphris GM,
. The somatising effect of clinical consultation: what patients and doctors say and do not say when patients present medically unexplained physical symptoms. Soc Sci Med 2005;61:1505–15.
Zmecnik P
. Presentation of the Kober Medal from 1966 to Joseph Charles Aub. Trans Assoc Am Physicians 1966;79:84–98.
Menzies I
. M. G. H.’s Ward 4 writes epic of courage: patients join doctors in battle against disease — treated as humans, not as guinea pigs. Boston Globe 1958 Apr. 28.
Means JH
. Ward 4: the Mallinckrodt Research Ward of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Cambridge (MA): Harvard University Press; 1958.
Burns F
. They eat the same thing every day 3 times. Boston Globe 1949 May 22.
MGH research ward’s story told. Traveler 1958 Apr. 23.
Captain Charles Martell sailed uncharted seas: saga of a Captain Courageous. MGH News November 1972;31:3–6.
Vol. 188, Issue 17-18
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CMAJ Dec 2016, 188 (17-18) 1263-1264; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.160111
The unbearable rightness of two-ball fetch
Protecting children: the American turn from polio to cancer vaccines
Show more Humanities
Medicine & Society
Medical humanities
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Short Stories!
Since I've been letting my novel sit for nearly a month now, I've been getting all kinds of different ideas for stories and blog posts. One of these ideas that I'm excited to tell you all about is a series of short stories that I'm going to be releasing. I can't tell you much about it now, but I can tell you that I'll be releasing it in the Kindle store as an e-book that I'll probably be selling for $0.99. I'm excited for you all to read some of my fiction while I'm in the publishing progress with my big fiction piece, and I think that this will be a good way for you all to get a taste of my work. I don't know when I'll be releasing it, but I'll let you all know when there's a release date. Keep being supah wicked awesome!
Write Scary. People Love it.
This post is exactly what it sounds like. Today I'm talking about how people love fear and scary things. Fear is one of the reasons that Stephen King and Suzanne Collins sell millions of books. Though the two authors are in very different genres, they both have one thing in common: conflict that brings you to your toes through fear, and it's not just the zombie-is-eating-my-face-off fear. It's the, what's going to happen next? fear. Humans like being on the edge of their seats. They like realizing that they've been holding their breath only after the credits are rolling. We like these things because it's like an out of body experience. We can experience these terrible, horrible, scary things without being in the mix. It's adrenaline and Hollywood mixed together like a deadly cocktail. Hollywood and publishers like this poison, because a lot of people can't get enough of it.
So how do you use this in your writing? You don't have to be a horror writer or suspense writer to infuse fear--at least the kind that people love--into your words. Let me give you a quick breakdown of using fear in your story with a typical kind of setting:
Your main character (Let's call her Callie) lives in a small town, in a small apartment, with a typical life. She spends her weekends at the local bar where she plays pool and smiles at the boys that drink beer and keep their elbows on the tables.
What's Callie's problem, then? Callie hates her life, but she doesn't know how to get out of it. She doesn't like the typical routine. She doesn't like falling asleep alone at night. She wants to fix this. This is her problem.
Where can you input fear into this typical story? Don't just let her fall in love and blah, blah, blah, happy ending. Callie will meet a boy at the bar. She'll fall in love with said boy because he's cute, drives a motorcycle, and is everything that's bad and good at the same time. Callie will close her eyes per se, and won't realize things have gone sour until she finds herself locked in the cellar of an auto parts store. No one can hear her screams. No one can save her. Small town girl's going to miss her next shift, but that's not the biggest deal. The biggest deal, is that the bad boy left the propane on in the basement, and there's a furnace running that she can't quite seem to find the off-switch for. Oh, but bad boy couldn't have meant to do this, could he have?
See how you can infuse fear into an everyday story outline? The story above isn't horror. It may be a a little of suspense, but it's still a typical setting. By offering little images of scary things, and things that maybe every person has in the back of their mind--those ticking, itchy, crawling feelings that we ignore and write off as twitchy conscience thoughts--you can hook your reader. Make your nightmare situations come to life, and your readers will be on the edge of their seats reading the outcome. Don't be afraid to be scary. Touch into your fears, bring them to life.
Criminal Minds is a good example of a "fear" show that viewers love, and it's not horror. It's one of my favorite shows. People love it, because it preys on your psyche. It makes you think that could be me, so you can't stop watching, because you want to know if the person you're watching makes it out. If, if you were in the same situation, you would make different decisions. Would you make it out?
Since I didn't write an ending to the little story above, I would love to hear from you all and find out what happens to Callie. Email me at Elysiaregina@gmail.com, and I'll read all of your stories. I'll even feature some of your stories on a post if you send them my way, and I may write an ending of my own!
You guys are AWESOME. Keep reading, writing, dreaming, entrepreneur-ing, and being supah wicked awesome. As always, thank you for reading!
I've always dreamed big, and I've always believed that you can accomplish anything that you put your mind to. Hence my creation of Inspire Thread Company! I try to keep my dreams close to me--pictures of things that I want to one day achieve on my walls, inspiring quotes, etc--because I believe that if you look, or listen to something that you want, you're much more likely to achieve it. I didn't come up with this. It's largely impart to videos like The Law of Attraction. One thing that's a great way to keep your dreams close, is to write out what you want. So, if you want to humor me, here's one of my dreams about my writing office.
I dream of a house by the water with windows all around it. I think the house will be yellow. It will have a huge office on the second floor with a big, curved white desk. There will be bookcases all around the room with hundreds of books. Prints will cover the walls with my favorite quotes on them, and the floors with look like flooring from an Anthropologie store. There will be a fireplace for when it's cold, and I'll open up the big windows all around the room when it's hot. The breeze off of the water will float in through the windows. I'll spend my time here writing, reading, and being creative.
I'll post a photo when I have my dream office :)
Exactly eleven days until I can read my book. I am literally counting down the hours. If there are any of you that aren't sure what I"m talking about, let me enlighten you. I finished the first draft of my novel on November 1st, and I am letting it rest a month before picking it back up. When December 1st hits, I am taking the day to read my entire novel, and am making a list of plot edits. It will be a long day, but I'm looking forward to it.
Twitter Tip #2: Build a Dedicated Following
Twitter is all about the relationships. My Twitter Tip for today is how to build a dedicated following by building relationships with people. In regards to social media, Twitter in particular, when you talk to other people, encourage them, and interact with them, you're more likely to build a dedicated following. Like I said in my previous Twitter Tip, a lot of celebrities manage their own Twitter pages, however very few of them actually interact with their audience. What about the ones that do interact with their audience? Their fans LOVE them. When a celebrity or public figure interacts with a fan, it shows that they are human. The interaction makes the fan feel special. I can pretty much guarantee you that the fan will be spreading the word about the celebrity that interacted with them. What if you're not famous? Well, most people on Twitter aren't famous. However, whenever you build a conversation with another person on Twitter, your conversation will show up in all of their followers's feeds, which builds your brand and exposure.
So how exactly do you interact with your audience? Talk to your followers. If someone follows you, they obviously respect you enough to have done so. Give them credit and shoot them a "Thanks for the follow" tweet every once in a while. You'll be amazed at how much less often you'll lose followers if you interact with them. Someone responds to your tweet? Tweet back. By creating engaging conversations and interactions with your audience, people won't just pass by your Twitter handle, they'll remember you, and they probably won't unfollow you. Trust me, there's nothing worse than gaining a few hundred followers in a day, and then losing fifty the next week because you didn't interact with any of them.
Some people that are great examples of public figures that interact with their audience, and that I've been able to interact with, are Eric Hutchinson, Raviv Ullman, and Gary Vaynerchuk. Give them all a follow, because they post great content.
In summary, don't just float in Twitter cyberspace with a profile that just sits and does nothing. Take advantage of the great social media tool that Twitter is, interact with people, get to know them, and in turn, you and your brand will benefit from it. Plus, it's pretty neat to know people all over the world through 140 characters. Have a good night, and have fun tweeting!
Writing For Your Audience
In the writing world that we're currently in, a lot of writers think that they need to tailor their novel to whatever is popular right now. I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't do this. You're probably thinking, but Elysia, if something is popular, shouldn't I write about it?! Well, I hate to break it to you, but just writing about something popular and hoping that it gets published probably won't work. In the traditional publishing world, it can take years for something to hit the shelves of your local bookstore. If you start out writing a novel just to appease an audience, you will probably end up uninspired and discouraged before you've even finished. Instead of writing for the world, write for yourself. You will want to keep your reader in mind, but don't just write something because you think that it will be popular. All things popular will go out of style in time (do you remember leisure suits...?), so don't write something just crossing your fingers that it'll be as popular as the things that are trending. A trend is a trend, and most trends will disappear. Write what's on your mind, and what you have a passion for, and that's where you'll find your niche, and what you love.
Publishing's Not Dying
To writers like myself, the idea that publishing is dying is terrifying. The fact that so called "experts" are saying that something I've been working my whole life at is becoming obsolete is painful. They say that Kindles, Amazon.com, and ebooks in general are destroying the paper library. When I get nervous about publishing dying, I have to remind myself that there are still people like myself--people that love the feel of a real book. There are still people that look forward to going to a bookstore and picking out a book in person. I disagree with the "experts". I think that these people think that books, like movie stores, are dying, because people love the internet too much. However, regarding the movie argument, movie stores started in the 1970s, whereas books have been around for thousands of years. So, "experts", I think that you should reconsider your thoughts of books dying. There are too many print lovers, and book nerds to let books disappear. Check out this chart that shows the finance end of publishing.
If you can look at those margins, and then tell me that publishing houses will stop printing, I think that you may be crazy.
The photo above shows the revenues between the year 2000, and the year 2012. Book sales are growing. This is in large part from help of ebook sales, but not from printing dying. Ebooks are offering more revenue for publishing houses, who continue to print books. You may see less bookstores, or the uprise of Indie bookstores, but I don't believe that bookstores will ever become obsolete. We love books too much for that.
This may seem like the incessant complaining of a writer who believes too much in her craft, which you can believe if you'd like to, but it's also the pointing out of big business from someone that appreciates business. Think what you want, but don't lose faith in the printed book.
Thanks to HughHowey.com for the photos!
http://www.hughhowey.com/two-important-publishing-facts-everyone-gets-wrong/
Twitter Tip #1
If there are any of you that don't already know, I'm a huge fan of Twitter. It's my favorite social media platform, and I use it more than any other social media site that I'm on. I have about 12,000 followers on Twitter, and am working steadily at growing that following. The thing I love about this platform, is the accessibility that anyone has to most anyone on the planet. Celebrities have Twitter profiles, a lot of whom manage these profiles themselves, as well as up and coming artists, musicians, business people, etc. With a strong base, you can contact CEOs of companies, people you're a fan of, and much more. To me, Twitter is like opening the door to networking. With the right tools and ways of use, you can build your Twitter following to several thousand as I've done. This is the first of a series of articles I'll be releasing explaining what I do to be successful on Twitter, and how you can do the same.
My first tip in the series is something that I learned from Gary Vaynerchuk, a lead social networker and businessman, and someone that I admire. His article was titled, The Number One Mistake Everybody Makes on Twitter. This little tip helped me out substantially in my Twitter career. Here's the tip. When you're addressing someone on Twitter and use the @ symbol, you're talking directly to them. Right? Right. They get a notification that you tagged them in a post. Now, what if you're writing to someone, but you want the whole world to see? If you simply post something like this:
@Garyvee, I love your work.
Only people who follow @Garyvee, and yourself, will see that post. What if you want the whole world to see the post? Put a measly little (.) in front of your post.
.@Garyvee, I love your work.
Now, not only will @Garyvee and anyone that follows the both of you see your tweet, but everyone who follows you will see it in their feed. Magic! Now you'll come up in your entire followings feed, not just the people's feeds who are both connected with you and Garyvee.
Read Gary Vaynerchuk's original article HERE, and check HIM, and I, out on Twitter.
Thanks everyone, see you next time!
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All Movie Reviews
Some Discussions About.....Things
Reel Talk Pod
Movie Review: The Fifth Estate
The Fifth Estate (2013): The story of the creation of WikiLeaks and it's controversial creators, Julian Assange and Daniel Berg. I had to IMDB their names by the way. I just watched the movie and I can't remember their names. Good start.
So this movie sucked. A lot. It's a huge shame too because it has a great premise and a great cast. But then it goes and falls on its face in epic proportions. Honestly this movie is one of my worst movies of 2013. And I'm going to try to tell you why because that's what I'm here for! So let's dive into it shall we?
First, we should talk about what the movie does right. Benedict Cumberbatch and Daniel Bruhl are decent as the movies main protagonists. Neither are great, rather they are just somewhat good. There aren't that many movies out there that have put Cumberbatch squarely in the lead role like this one does. And he tries. You can tell that he really tries to make the best of his character, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. But the character is so poorly written that even he can't make it any better.
I'm already onto the bad by the way. So here's the problem with Julian: you are clearly meant to sympathize for him. This is very obvious. But here's the catch: he's a total asshole who is completely obsessed with his own ego. There's some weird back story that is clearly only in there for you to say, "Oh! He's an asshole but he's had a crappy life so it's ok." No! It doesn't work like that! Maybe if you are just treating other people like crap I can still sympathize if it's a well-written back story, but when the extent of someone being a jerk is a complete disregard of human life in order to fuel your own ego? You can't sympathize with that, no matter how bad a childhood that person may've had. It also doesn't help that the backstory is very poorly written as well.
Honestly this whole movie is poorly written. I had no idea what was going on half the time, or what characters were doing what. There was montage after montage of either Cumberbatch or Bruhl sitting behind a computer typing inhumanely fast and then dramatically lowering the screen on their laptop and proclaiming they just took down a government or a bank or something. Or a montage would be abruptly ended as some random person would walk in on them and they would quickly and (still) dramatically close their laptop so the random guy wouldn't know what they were doing. The movie was also overly-dramatic, if you couldn't tell. The big moment of WikiLeaks was the infamous War Files of 2010 (I think) that brought to light thousands of war documents. When these files (and cables, whatever they are) were given to WikiLeaks, a side story was brought in within the movie (starring Stanley Tucci, Laura Linney, and Anthony Mackie, by the way) to try to express the gravity of this situation to us the viewers. This side story culminated with those three people getting some random guy out of the country he was in. No backstory on this guy. Not even a quick montage to show off what he was doing before his whole life came crashing down. Nope. Just, "We gotta get this guy out! Phone call! GET OUT NOW! He leaves! YOU MADE IT? Oh thank God!" and then it's over. Riveting right?
Let me give you another example of how shallow this script is. So Bruhl's character has a girlfriend in the movie. It's a horribly-written romance from start to finish, but it culminates with one particularly horrible scene. So the two of them separate at one point. Not together. Let's remember that together: they are not an entity throughout the entire movie. It was a pretty obvious break-up to me. Complete with a heated argument and her storming out of his apartment. So, once they are separated, Bruhl gets frustrated with Cumberbatch over something and decides to leave him and where does he go? His ex-girlfriend's house. They say two or three meaningless lines at the door, and then THE VERY NEXT SHOT we see them post-sex. SERIOUSLY? No, "I'm sorry for how I treated you." from Bruhl or anything? Just....meaningless exposition and then straight to sex. Yep. That's what happened. So very shallow. Oh and there's this weird dream sequence that recurs throughout the movie that was also just so awkward. Gotta throw this in because it's a visual crutch to show us when something is happening with WikiLeaks. It's a metaphor of a website as a business office. I guess they are trying to make this movie easier to understand? I don't know. It didn't work because the problem with that is that there is quite a bit of Internet jargon and sitting behind computers as is, so those with little understanding of technology aren't going to understand this movie anyway. One metaphor is not going to make this movie easier to comprehend guys.
I hope I have adequately conveyed why this movie is terrible. Sure there's some good acting from the two leads, but there isn't anything else. Everything else, right down to the pacing of the movie, is all over the place. Bill Condon, the director, clearly has no idea what he's doing. He doesn't even know how to do something as simple as leave text that we the viewer must read on the screen long enough for us to actually, you know, read it. Maybe you'll be able to get past all of this and just enjoy the decent acting and the interesting premise, but probably not. Put this one way down on your list.
The Critique: Decent acting and an interesting premise fall flat on its face when the movie can't deliver anything else. Still waiting on a good story about the creation of WikiLeaks, that's for sure.
The Recommendation: If you like Cumberbatch, there might be enough here for you to get some enjoyment out of this train wreck of a movie. Otherwise, stay away.
Rewatchability: Low
The Verdict: 2.5/10 Basically Garbage
"Like" Enter the Movies on Facebook for the latest and greatest on all things movies! OR ELSE FACE THE CONSEQUENCES OF A KILLER RABBIT. Sorry about this one, guys. Not my decision. He volunteered. And is just absolute dynamite!
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Flash Reviews
Horror/Suspense
Raw Thoughts
Throwback Tuesday
I believe you've gotta have fun with everything you do. Otherwise, what's the point?
Also, say anything bad about Greta Gerwig or Timothée Chalamet and I will fight you with some very strong emotions.
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"My thought has always been that archaeology should be used as a tool to unveil history instead of being locked up in an ivory tower for the knowing few. Also, that it should arouse interest in preserving the precious vestiges of our past before they vanish... (for) what seems locked in the past is really linked to the present."
- Estelle S. Brettman, Founder, International Catacomb Society
Since its founding in 1980, the International Catacomb Society has sponsored lectures that have brought scholars from around the world to lecture in the Boston area.
In November 1999, the International Catacomb Society announced their sponsorship of the Estelle Shohet Brettman Memorial Lecture Series at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in the Department of Art of the Ancient World. In 2005 the lecture series was permanently endowed. The series presents lectures and other programs dealing with the cultural, artistic, and religious history, and related archaeology of the ancient Mediterranean world, primarily the Roman Empire and its provinces during the period of the 5th century B.C.E. through the 7th century C.E. All lectures are free and open to the public.
ICS also sponsors tours of ancient sites, and conferences and special lectures at member institutions. Join ICS to receive advance notice of and priority access to these events.
Annual Board Meeting, October 2019 (tbd)
More Than Just Mosaics: The Latest Finds from the Huqoq Excavation in Israel. Lecture by Prof. Jodi Magness, Shohet Scholar, 2015-2016, on Saturday, 13 April 2019, at 4:30 p.m., with reception to follow. Fordham University Law School at Lincoln Center, Room 7-119 (Hill Conference Room), 150 West 62d Street, New York, NY (invitation)
The 13th Biennial meeting of Shifting Frontiers in Late Antiquity: “Communal Responses to Local Disaster: Economic, Environmental, Political, Religious” March 14-17, 2019 at Clarmont-McKenna College, Claremont, CA. Co-organizer is ICS director Nicola Denzey Lewis. (link)
17-20 November, 2018. Society of Biblical Literature/American Academy of Religion Annual Conference in Denver, CO. Review Panel, "Early Jewish Christian Relations; Art and Religions of Antiquity," (19 November 2018, 1-3:30 p.m.) will discuss S. Fine, The Menorah (2016) and R. Jensen, The Cross (2017). Program book here (link).
December 2nd, 2018: Estelle Shohet Brettman Memorial Lecture in the Remis Auditorium in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This year's lecturer will be Bert Smith, Lincoln Professor of Classical Archaeology and Art at Oxford University on "Aprodisias: A Greek City in Roman Asia". Free and open to the public by reservation.
29 September 2018 - Lectio Magistralis by Prof. Nicola Denzey Lewis, "Of Models and Men: Did Christianity Really ‘Rise’?" at the Italian Centre for Advanced Studies on Religions' (CISSR) Annual Meeting on Christian Origins, September 27 – 29, 2018 in Bertinoro, Italy. Program (link).
27 September 2018: International Conference on the Cult of the Saints in Late Antiquity at Warsaw, Poland. Keynote speakers include iCS Vice President, Prof. Robin M. Jensen (Notre Dame), on "Icons as relics: the role of the portrait in the early cult of saints" (program).
15 September 2018, from 10 a.m. - noon. ICS Annual Board Meeting, Hellenic College of Holy Cross, 50 Goddard Ave, Brookline, MA.
17 September 2018, at 4:30 p.m. Holy Cross 175th Birthday Lecture: Dr. Robin Jensen, Endowed Professor and the Patrick O'Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, on "The Holy Cross: Symbol of Victory and Sign of Salvation." Carol and Park B. Smith Hall Rehm Library. (link).
July 17-28, 2018. COMCAR - Colloquium on Material Culture and Religion 2018 in Rome, Italy. ICS Director Nicola Denzey Lewis lecturing. Participants include past and present Shohet Scholars Michael Flexsenhar III and Nathaniel Des Rosiers. schedule link.
17 July 2018, 7-8:30 p.m.: The Temple: Old and New in Jewish and Christian Art. Public forum with ICS Vice President Robin Jensen and former Shohet Scholar Steven Fine at the Tantur Institute for Ecumenical Studies, Jerusalem.
2 July 2018. Berlin-Oxford Summer School, Humboldt University of Berlin. Prof. Annewies van den Hoek (Harvard, emerita), on "The Reception of the Book of Proverbs in Late Antiquity: Clement of Alexandria".
July 2-6, 2018: 17th International Congress of Christian Archaeology at Utrecht University and the Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands). Co-organized by ICS Advisor, Prof. Sible De Blauuw, with presentations by ICS Vice President and CIAC National Committee Member (Annewies van den Hoek) and ICS advisors (John Herrmann, Zeev Weiss) (link).
June 18-29, 2018. Summer Program in Latin Epigraphy at the American Academy in Rome
Via Angelo Masina 5 - 00153, Rome T. 39 06 58461 Email: epigraphy@aarome.org.
http://www.aarome.org/apply/summer-winter-programs/latin-epigraphy
Summer course in epigraphy led by ICS Director Prof. John Bodel of Brown University.
May 24-26, 2018, Hyatt Regency, Chicago - 2018 North American Patristics Society Annual Meeting, with presentations of ICS directors, Shohet Scholars alumni, and members.
http://patristics.org/annual-meeting/program/
May 24, 2018, 6:30-9 p.m. - "New Lives of Ancient Arts. An Evening with the International Catacomb Society." Grogan & Company, 20 Charles Street, Boston, MA. Link: Invitation May 24.
Friday, April 13, 2018, from 9:30-5:30 - First Millennium Network Spring colloquium: “The Materiality of Relics in the First Millennium” at the University of Maryland, College Park, Francis Scott Key (FSK), Room 0106. ICS Board Member Prof. Nicola Denzey Lewis presenting on "Saint Peter's Bones. Relics and Papal Power in Late Antique Rome".
March 7, 2018, 7:00 p.m., Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 2018 Estelle Shohet Brettman Memorial Conference. John Mck. Camp II, director of the Agora Excavations, Athens, and Niarchos Foundation Professor of Classics, Randolph-Macon College, will speak about “Daily Life in Ancient Athens: A View from the Agora”. Hear about recent excavations, inscriptions, and ancient sources to explore and illustrate the varied daily activities in the Athenian Agora, the center of the city. http://www.mfa.org/programs/lectures-and-courses/daily-life-in-ancient-athens-a-view-from-the-agora.
February 15. 2018, 8 p.m. Robin M. Jensen, "The Archaeology of Early Christian Baptism," at the AIA Society Valparaiso (IN), Harre Union, Ballroom A, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN 46383. RSVP: richard.demaris@valpo.edu.
February 7, 2018, 1:15-1:30: Jessica Dello Russo, "A Higher Distinction. The Tombs of Jews in Ancient Rome in Their Broader Topographical Settings". Paper at the Conference "Ricerche di Archeologia Cristiana, Tardoantichita' e Altomedioevo, Pontificio Istituto di Archeologia Cristiana, viale Napoleone III, 1, Rome A3programma_RACTA2018.
February 6 at 5:30pm. Nicola Denzey-Lewis (Margo L. Goldsmith Chair in Women’s Studies in Religion, Claremont Graduate University): "Hercules and Alcestis in Rome’s Catacomb of Via Latina. A Subversive Reading". UCR Mediterranean Studies research and discussion group, Humanities & Social Sciences Building, 1500, University of California at Riverside.
Jan. 16, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.: Nicola Denzey Lewis on "Rethinking the Jewish Catacombs"
Sainer Auditorium, New College of Florida, 5800 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, FL.
Nicola Denzey Lewis, the Margo L. Goldsmith Professor of Women’s Studies in Religion at Claremont Graduate University. The lecture is sponsored by New College of Florida, The Klingenstein Chair of Judaic Studies and The Jay Rudolph Endowment. The public is welcome (video).
January 4-7, 2018: Archaeology Institute of America/Society of Classical Studies Joint Annual Meeting in Boston, MA.
Colloquium "New Approaches to the Catacombs of Rome" (Session 1J Friday, January 5, 8:00 - 10:30 am) with ICS directors John Bodel, Nicola Denzey Lewis, and Jessica Dello Russo, and past Shohet Scholars Sarah Madole and Daniel Ullucci.
Philo's Mission to Rome: A Historical Archaeological View - Lecture (in English) by Annewies van den Hoek (Harvard University) and John J. Herrmann, Jr. (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
Thursday, December 07, 2017, 6:00 pm, in the Theological Faculty of Humboldt University, Burgstr. 26, 10178 Berlin, seminar room 117 Vortrag_vdHoek_071217 (invitation pdf)
Late Antique Art and Local Micro-Identities. Colloquium at the Toledo Museum of Art with participation of ICS Vice-President Robin Jensen (Notre Dame).
Friday, December 8, 2017, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., in the Little Theatre. Program link.
November 18-21, 2017: Society of Biblical Literature (SBL)/American Academy of Religion Annual Conference in Boston, MA.
Art and Religions of Antiquity Program Unit on Religion Underground: art and material culture in the catacombs and funerary environments, will include presentations by several ICS directors, including Annewies van den Hoek, Robin Jensen, Nicola Denzey Lewis, and Jessica Dello Russo, and former and current Shohet Scholars, ICS members from affiliate institutions, and collaborators.
Program link: https://www.sbl-site.org/.
September 20, 2017: International Catacomb Society Development Committee Meeting.
September 9, 2017: International Catacomb Society Directors' Meeting.
June 14-16, 2017: Conference on "Shared Ritual Practices and Divided Historiography: Media, Phenomena, Topoi." University of Erfurt, Max-Weber-Kolleg Research Centre on "Dynamics of Jewish Ritual Practices in Pluralistic Contexts from Antiquity to the Present."
ICS Board Member Nicola Denzey Lewis lecture: "Did the Jews of Ancient Rome Have Ritual?" Program: Flyer_JuedischeRituale_Juni2017_web.
June 25-29, 2017, Origeniana Duodecima, on the theme of Origen’s Legacy in the Holy Land–A Tale of Three Cities: Jerusalem, Caesarea and Bethlehem.
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus Campus
Presentation by ICS Vice-President, Annewies van den Hoek (Harvard).
Program link: http://www.csc.org.il/.
May 29-May 31 (Master Class on June 1). KNAW Academy Colloquium: Peter, Popes, and Politics. Expressions of power in the late antique and early mediaeval world
KNAW, The Trippenhuis, Kloveniersburgwal 29, 1011 JV Amsterdam
Website: https://www.knaw.nl/en/news/calendar/academy-colloquium-29-31-may-2017.
Keynote speech by ICS Advisor, Prof. Sible de Blaauw: "The Mausoleum of Leo the Great and its Implications" and talk by ICS Vice President, Prof. Annewies van den Hoek, "Peter without Paul: Aspects of the Primordial Role of Simon Peter in an Early Christian Context" and Nicola Denzey Lewis (TBA).
May 25-May 27, 2017: Annual Meeting of the North American Patristics Society
Hyatt Regency, Chicago NAPS-2017-Digital-Program
http://patristics.org/annual-meeting/
ICS Vice President, Prof. Robin M. Jensen, will lecture on "Cemetery Churches: Their Function, Community, and Relationship to Urban Basilicas".
March 24 - 26, 2017. Twelfth Biennial Conference on Shifting Frontiers in Late Antiquity at Yale University on the topic of “The Fifth Century: Age of Transformation,” with presentations by ICS directors and current members. Program link.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The Benaki Museum and the Greek Narrative: The Role of Culture in Crisis
2017 Estelle Shohet Brettman Memorial Lecture
Harry and Mildred Remis Auditorium (Auditorium 161)
Event is free, but tickets required. Reserve at: http://www.mfa.org/programs/lectures-and-courses/the-benaki-museum-and-the-greek-narrative-the-role-of-culture-in-crisis.
February 15-18, 2017 (various times)
College Art Association Annual Conference
New York Hilton Midtown, New York, NY
ICS members presenting (program).
Thursday, January 26 & Friday, January 27
Department of Art History, Boston University
Seminars on Late Antiquity by ICS Executive Director, Jessica Dello Russo
Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies Twelfth Colloquium Series
The Botany of Death in Ancient Rome, a lecture by ICS Director John Bodel (Brown University)
Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies at Central European University
Gellner Room, Nador utca 9, Budapest, Hungary, 1051
https://cems.ceu.edu/events/2017-01-19/botany-death-ancient-rome
January 5-8, 2017, Toronto (Canada). ICS Directors and Members presenting at the Joint Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) and the Society for Classical Studies (SCS). Programs: (AIA) https://www.archaeological.org/sites/default/files/files/2016%20AM%20Program%20-%20Final.pdf and (SCS) https://classicalstudies.org/annual-meeting/2016/147/preliminary-program-2016-annual-meeting.
November 19-22, 2016 in San Antonio, TX (various times)
Presentations by ICS Directors, Advisors, and Members at the 2016 SBL/AAR Annual Conference
Program: https://www.sbl-site.org/meetings/AnnualMeeting.aspx.
November 16-19, 2016, La Cantera Resort and SpaSan Antonio, TX (various times)
ASOR Annual Conference, including presentations by ICS Advisors and Members.
The program schedule is on: http://www.asor.org/am/.
Friday, September 30, 2016, 4-6 p.m. Celebration in honor of retiring Harvard Divinity School professor, Annewies van den Hoek, with remarks by Prof. Robin M. Jensen of Notre Dame (Professors van den Hoek and Jensen are Vice Presidents of the ICS). Braun Room, Andover Hall, Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Ave, Cambridge, MA.
Saturday, October 1, 2016, 1-3 p.m. Directors' Meeting of the International Catacomb Society, Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, 50 Goddard Avenue, Brookline, MA.
Saturday, October 1, 2016, 10 a.m. - noon. 8th annual joint meeting of the Boston and Providence Patristics Groups. Speaker: Prof. Georgia Frank (Colgate University) on “Petrification and Portability: Monks as Statues in Early Byzantium.” Location: Theology Dept. Seminar Room
St. Catherine of Siena Hall, Providence College, 1 Cunningham Sq., Providence, RI 02918. Please contact ICS Director Arthur Urbano for more information (aurbano@providence.edu).
Friday, September 26, 2016. Showing of Karen Audette’s documentary “The Nike Chariot Earring,” which tells the amazing story of how a mystery was solved and how the earring was found by Florence Wolsky, co-founder and long-time board member of the ICS. The documentary is part of the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge.
Thursday, May 5, 2016 12:30 to 2 p.m. (Brooklyn College, NY)
Christianity Underground: Death, Ritual and the Catacombs of Ancient Rome
Nicola Denzey Lewis (Brown University) & Jessica Dello Russo (Pontificio Istituto di Archeologia Cristiana)
Amersfort Lounge, 2nd Floor Brooklyn College Student Center Campus Road and East 27th Street, Brooklyn, NY Flyer
For information: 718.951.5847 wolfeinstitute@brooklyn.cuny.edu
Saturday, February 27, 2016, 12-2 p.m. Directors' Meeting of the International Catacomb Society, Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, 50 Goddard Avenue, Brookline, MA
Friday, December 17, 2015, at 2:00 pm, Université de Bordeaux
Kevin Salesse, anthropologie des Populations Passées et Présentes, Université de Bordeaux
"Isotope archaeo-biogeochemistry , reconstruction of diet and mobility patterns, and biocultural interactions. Mass graves of the Catacomb of Saints Peter and Marcellinus (Rome 1st-3rd cent. AD)".
Thursday, December 3, 2015, 10-12 noon, Room 2241, Nyack College, 2 Washington Street, New York, NY
NYACK Graduate Program in Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins Colloquia Series on Reading the New Testament as Second Temple Jewish Literature
10-10:40: Jessica Dello Russo. "Figures in the Shadows: Contextualizing Jewish Tombs in the Catacombs of Rome"
10:40-11:20: Steven Notley. "Pontius Pilate: Discordant Images in a Historical Portrait"
11:20-12:00: Steven Fine. "Between Paidea and Sinai: Torah Shrines and the Visual Culture of Diaspora Jews"
Monday, November 9, 2015, 5-6:30 p.m., Andover Hall, Harvard Divinity School
Professor Christoph Markschies, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
"Demons and Diseases"
Lecture co-sponsored with Harvard Divinity School and the Boston Area Patristics Group.
October 25, 2015, 2-3 p.m., Alfond Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Professor Anthony Tuck, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
"Poggio Civitate: Life and Death of an Etruscan Hill Town"
Estelle Shohet Brettman Memorial Lecture Series
Click here for more information. Event photos (link)
October 15, 2015, 7:30 p.m., Rabinowitz Room, Library, Harvard Divinity School
Professor Annewies van den Hoek, Harvard Divinity School
"Female Splendor: The Role and Meaning of Twelve Women Saints in the Apse of the Euphrasian Basilica of Porec (Parentium)"
Co-sponsored with the Boston Area Patristics Group
September 26, 2015 (Providence College, Providence, RI)
International Catacomb Society Symposium and Annual Meeting
Co-sponsored with the Providence College School of Art and Sciences, the Center for Catholic and Dominican Studies, and the Jewish-Catholic Theological Exchange Committee
Presentations by previous Shohet Scholars:
Arthur Urbano (Providence College): "Wisdom Made Visible: Iconography and the Fashioning of Philosophical Culture in Late Antiquity"
Nicola Denzey Lewis (Brown University & Princeton University): "Catacomb Religion: Uncovering Ordinary Christianity in the Centuries Before and After Constantine"
John R. Levison (Southern Methodist University): "The Historical Roots of Early Christian Pneumatology"
Lee M. Jefferson and Thomas McCollough (Centre College): "The Christian Veneration Complex at Khirbet Qana”
For pictures, see: https://www.facebook.com/joanrbranham/posts/10206285498914452?pnref=story
September 6, 2015, Via Appia Pignatelli, 4, Rome, Italy
Marzia Di Mento, Dora Cirone, Tom Rankin, ISAR
Giornata Europea della Cultura Ebraica 2015
Co-sponsored with the Fondazione per i Beni Culturali Ebraici in Italia and the International Society for the Archaeology, Art and Architecture of Rome
May 30, 2015, Via Appia Pignatelli, 4, Rome, Italy
Marzia Di Mento, Tom Rankin, ISAR
Atlas Obscura Day Tour the Jewish Catacomb of Vigna Randanini
Co-sponsored by the International Society for the Archaeology, Art and Architecture of Rome
April 9, 2015, Rabinowitz Room, Harvard Divinity School
David Gurevich, Fulbright Post-Doctoral Fellow, Harvard University
“Archaeology and Anthropology of Pilgrimage Movements”
Lecture co-sponsored with Boston Area Patristics Group
March 8, 2015, Alfond Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Gregory Nagy, Professor of Classics, Harvard University
“Considering Homer”
April 13, 2014, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Kenneth Lapatin, Associate Curator of Antiquities, Getty Villa
“Carvers and Collectors: The Lasting Allure of Ancient Gems”
March 17, 2013, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Elizabeth Bolman, Tyler School of Art, Temple University
“The Red Monastery Church and the Angelic Life in Christian Upper Egypt”
November 5, 2011, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
“Aphrodite and the Gods of Love: A Symposium”
The symposium is made possible with endowment support from the International Catacomb Society Fund.
“Aphrodite and the Gods of Love, A Symposium” was held in conjunction with the MFA exhibition "Aphrodite and the Gods of Love" (on view in the Torf Gallery from October 26, 2011 to February 20, 2012), the first devoted to the ancient goddess. An international team of experts, drawn largely from the contributors to the exhibition catalogue presented papers on different aspects of this complicated goddess: her cults and ancestors, the philosophy of beauty, and Eros.
October 1, 2010, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Deborah Carlson, Texas A&M University
“Tracking the Destination of a Marble Column Lost at Sea: The Shipwreck at Kizilburun, Turkey”
International Catacomb Society Lecture
November 22, 2008, Sheraton Boston Hotel, SBL Annual Meeting
Colum Hourihane, Director of the Index of Christian Art, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University
“Reinterpreting the Enigma: Pontius Pilate in Early Christian Art”
October 5, 2008, Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Miranda Marvin, Professor of Art and Classical Studies, Wellesley College and author of Language of the Muses: The Dialogue between Greek and Roman Sculpture
“Looking at Ancient Sculpture with New Eyes”
April 6, 2008, Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Jas Elsner, Humfry Payne Senior Research Fellow, Corpus Christi College, Oxford
“Pharaoh’s Army Got Drownded”: Some Reflections on Jewish and Roman Geneaologies in Early Christian Art”
Joseph Rife, Classics Department, Macalester College
“Society, Ritual, and Death at a Port in Roman Greece: Finds from the Kenchreai Cemetery Near Corinth”
Shohet Scholars Program Grant Recipient Lecture
November 19, 2006, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Marjorie Venit, Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Art History and Archaeology, University of Maryland
“Images of the Afterlife in the Monumental Tombs of Greco-Roman Alexandria”
March 5, 2006, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Jorge Silvetti of Machado Silvetti Associates; Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Design; Principal in Charge of Design of the Getty Villa
“Reimagining the Getty Villa”
Sharon Salvadori
“The Early Christian Orant: The Remaking of an Image in Late Antique Rome”
May 22–24, 2005, University of Chicago Divinity School
The Shohet Conference on Roman, Jewish and Christian Burials
“Commemorating the Dead: Texts and Artifacts in Context” (program)
April 3, 2005, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Richard Brilliant, Anna S. Garbedian Professor in the Humanities,
“Hope that Unlocks the Gates of Hades: Roman Funerary Arts”
March 21, 2004 , Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Donald Kyle, Professor of History,
University of Texas, Arlington
“Revisiting the Ancient Olympic Games: Gods, Athletes, and Spectators”
March 2, 2003, Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Adrienne Mayor, Classical folklorist and author of The First Fossil Hunters: Paleontology in Greek and Roman Times
“The Monster of Troy: Fossil Discoveries in Classical Antiquity”
Adrienne Mayor will discuss the heroes and monsters of classical mythology and ancient perceptions of fossil remains in the light of modern scientific and archaeological research. her exciting insight that a scene on a 6th century BCE Corinthian vase in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is the earliest depiction of a fossil in ancient art is leading to a new understanding of the background and origins of many well-known Greek and Roman myths.
October 27, 2002, Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
William Tronzo, Professor of Art History, Tulane University
“The Catacomb on Via Latina Twenty Years Later”
Discovered in 1955, the Via Latina Catacomb is the richest and most unusual ensemble of architecture and painting surviving from fourth-century Rome. Its varied and ornate chambers are decorated with elaborate wall paintings, which show a mix of Old and New Testament themes and pagan subject matter. William Tronzo, whose study of the site began over twenty years ago, guides the audience through the catacomb and the historical issues surrounding it.
March 10, 2002, Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Olga Palagia, Professor of Classical Archaeology, Department of Archaeology and Art History, Athens University
“Master of Classical Greek Sculpture: Scopas and Boston” (text of lecture)
Scopas, once of the great Greek sculptors and architects of the 4th century BCE, gained fame for his work on the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, and eventually recognition as an important influence on the High Classical style and development of European Art. Professor Palagia reviews his career and points out the stylistic links between his work and sculptures in the MFA's collection, including a masterful bronze head of a goddess.
January 13, 2002, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Jodi Magness, Associate Professor,
Departments of Classics and Art History, Tufts University
“Jerusalem in the Time of Herod the Great”
In this lecture, Prof. Magness reviews the history of Jerusalem between the first century b.c.e. and the first century c.e. and discusses the most prominent archaeological remains, including richly decorated houses, the city’s fortification system, and Temple Mount, which was rebuilt by Herod. She also addresses Jewish burial customs in Jerusalem, including the problem of the location of Jesus’s tomb.
December 3, 2000, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Thomas F. Mathews, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University
“A Clash of Gods: Christian versus Pagan Icons”
Icons, panel paintings of sacred subjects, are most often associated with Christian Byzantium, but are not unique to it. This lecture considers early Christian art in the broader context of the surrounding Graeco-Roman and Jewish world, and examines how early Christian and pagan art borrowed from - and often competed with - each other.
March 26, 2000, Baltimore Hebrew University
Symposium on Jews and Christians in Ancient Rome
The symposium was sponsored by the BHU Program in the History of Jewish-Christian Relations and cosponsored by the International Catacomb Society and the Walters Art Gallery. The speakers were John Hanson, St. Mary’s Seminary and University on Jews and Christians in First Century Rome; Steven Fine, Baltimore Hebrew University on Jews in Ancient Rome: Archaeological and Rabbinic Sources; and Gary Vikan, The Walters Art Gallery, on Christians in Ancient Rome and their Art.
November 21, 1999, 61 Beacon Street, Boston, MA
International Catacomb Society SBL/AAR Reception
November 9, 1997, Andover Newton Theological School
Bernadette Brooten, Brandeis University
“Women as Leaders in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity”
Event photographs (link)
1996, Yeshiva University Museum, New York City, New York
Casts of ancient inscriptions from Vaults of Memory on display in the museum exhibit Sacred Realm: The Emergence of the Synagogue in the. Ancient World, curated by Steven Fine.
November 14, 1995, Andover Newton Theological School
Symposium on Recent Research on Ritual Explorations and Art of the Jewish and Christian Catacombs with Robin M. Jensen, Annewies van den Hoek, John J. Herrman, and Bruce Beck
and the Estelle Shohet Brettman Memorial Lecture
Leonard Rutgers, Utrecht University
“The Jewish Catacombs of Ancient Rome: New Insights and Perspectives”
Co-sponsored with The Andover-Newton Theological School
October 23, 1994, Rosovsky Hall, Riesman Center for Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel
Lisa Kahn, University of Tulsa
“King Herod’s Caesarea: Political Dream or Religious Nightmare”
Co-sponsored by Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel & Archaeological Institute of America, Boston Chapter
Prof. Khan presents an overview of the important site of Caesarea Maritima in Israel. One of the most ambitious construction projects in history, the seaside city expressed the lust for power and fame of the Idumanean prince installed by the Romans in the 1st century BCE as king over the Jews. She focuses especially on Herod's building projects, including new discoveries of the remains of a Herodian Roman temple of great size and beauty which once overlooked the harbor.
May 11, 1994-August 30, 1994, Bible Lands Museum, Jerusalem
Exhibit: Vaults of Memory: Jewish and Christian Imagery in the Catacombs of Rome"
In conjunction with the second anniversary of the Bible Lands Museum
Event photographs (link) & Exhibit catalog (link)
March 7, 1993, Yenching Library Auditorium, Harvard University
Walter Persegati, Former Secretary General and Treasurer of the Vatican Museums, International Coordinator, Patrons and Friends of the Vatican Museums
“Michelangelo Rediscovered: The Cleaning of Michelangelo’s Frescoes in the Sistine Chapel”.
1st Estelle Shohet Brettman Memorial Lecture
1992-1994, Harvard Semitic Museum, Harvard Univeristy
Exhibition of "Vaults of Memory: Jewish and Christian Imagery in the Catacombs of Rome".
April 5, 1992, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University
Magen Broshi, Curator, Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum
New Scholarship on the Dead Sea Scrolls
Including a preview of the Semitic Museum installation of the ICS exhibit, "Vaults of Memory"
April 25, 1990, Hebrew College
Marisa de Spagnolis, Director of the Office of Excavations of Nocera and Sarno, Italy
“New Light on the Role of Women in the Ancient Synagogues of the Roman Empire”
Co-sponsored with Hebrew College
Inaugural Lecture of the International Catacomb Society's Commemorative Founders' Lecture Series in Memory of Dr. Mark D. Altschule, Lt. Gen. James M. Gavin, Louise LaGorce Hickey, and Robert M. Morrison
Dr. Marisa de' Spagnolis Conticello, Director of the Office of Excavations of Nocera and Sarno in Southern Italy, will discuss her recent find of inscriptions providing new information on the role of women in the ancient synagogue. This discovery also reveals the existence of a hitherto unknown synagogue of the Roman period.
Text of Lecture & Letter of Estelle S. Brettman to the Jewish Advocate Lecture (link)
Baldassare Conticello, Superintendent of Archaeology at Pompeii
“Rediscovering Pompeii: A New Interdisciplinary Approach”
Co-sponsored with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Dr. Baldassare Conticello, Superintendent of Archaeology at Pompeii and Vice President for European Affairs for the International Catacomb Society, will speak on recent discoveries and new technologies at Pompeii.
September, 1989, Spertus Museum of Judaica, Chicago
Estelle Shohet Brettman, Executive Director, International Catacomb Society
Introduction to the exhibit "Vaults of Memory" on display from September, 1989 to January, 1990, at the Spertus Museum of Judaica, Chicago
October 6, 1987, Rabb Lecture Hall, Boston Public Library
Cornelius C. Vermeule III, Curator of Classical Art, Museum of Fine Art, Boston
“The Graeco-Roman Background for Jewish Art in the Roman Empire”
September 17, 1987, Rabb Lecture Hall, Boston Public Library
Moshe Dothan, Professor of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
"An Image of the Sun God in an Ancient Synagogue at Tiberias"
Co-sponsored with Hebrew College and the Archaeological Institute of America, Boston Society
Walter Persegati, Secretary General and Treasurer of the Vatican Museums, and
"Vaults of Memory: Roots and Origins"
Opening of augmented exhibition of "Vaults of Memory: Jewish and Christian Imagery in the Catacombs of Rome"
Janury, 1986, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California
Exhibition of "Vaults of Memory: Jewish and Christian Imagery in the Catacombs of Rome"
December 1, 1985 - December 10, 1985, Rome and environs
Estelle S. Brettman et al
"Volte della Memoria" Tour
Tours of the Latium coastline; Ostia Antica; Cerveteri Etruscan Necropolis; Vatican Necropolis; Papal Palace and Museums; Vatican Secret Archives; Jewish Catacomb of Vigna Randanini; Catacombs of San Sebastiano and SS. Pietro e Marcellino; and Jewish Ghetto of Rome
November 6 1985-December 5, 1985, National Museum of Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome, Italy
"Volte della Memoria: Immagini da Roma Sotterranea"
Exhibit of the International Catacomb Society
April 12, 1984, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC
Estelle S. Brettman, Executive Director, International Catacomb Society
“Scholars, Saints, Scrolls, and the Hereafter”
Lecture in conjunction with Vaults of Memory exhibit. Event photographs (link)
December 7, 1983, Francis A. Countway Library, Harvard Medical School
Lecture to the Countway Associates of Harvard Medical School
September 25, 1981-December 15, 1981, Kelsey Museum of Ancient and Medieval Archaeology, University of Michigan
Exhibit of "Vaults of Memory: Jewish and Christian Imagery in the Catacombs of Rome"
Estelle S. Brettman Lecture (link)
April, 1980, Vatican Museums
"Greek and Latin Inscriptions from the Jewish Catacombs of Rome"
Lecture to the American Jewish Congress Peace Mission Group
Event photograph (link)
1980, Radcliffe College
Estelle S. Brettman
"Judaism and Christianity in the Catacombs of Rome"
35th Reunion Dinner of Radcliffe College, Harvard University, Class of 1945
January 6, 1980, Rabb Lecture Hall, Boston Public Library
“Judaism and Christianity in the Catacombs of Rome”
January 2, 1980, Hebrew College, Brookline, MA
Fr. Cesare Colafemmina
“The Jews in Southern Italy”
December 28, 1979, Boston, MA
American Institute of Archaeology (AIA) Centennial Meeting
Letizia Pitigliani, Accademia Tiberina
"The Roman Jewish Catacombs"
Colloquium: "Diaspora Judaism Under the Roman Empire: Recent Archaeological Evidence"
AIA Deputy Coordinator: Estelle S. Brettman
A. T. Kraabel, University of Minnesota, Presiding
Cesare Colafemmina, Universita' di Bari
"The Jewish Catacombs of Venosa"
Dean L. Moe, Stobi Excavations
"The Synagogues of Stobi, Yugoslavia"
A. T. Kraabel, University of Minnesota
"The Jewish Communities of Western Asia Minor"
Eric M. Meyers, Duke University
"Galilean Synagogues and the Eastern Diaspora"
Jacob Neusner, Brown University, Respondent
Boston Public Library - Copley Square, Boston, MA
Exhibit curated by Estelle S. Brettman, Florence Z. Wolsky, Cornelius C. Vermeule, III and Richard Zonghi for the Centennial of the Archaeological Institute of America
November 20, 1979, Temple Emanuel, Newton, MA
Estelle Shohet Brettman
“Motifs and Symbols in the Jewish Catacombs of Italy”
Sponsored by the Combined Adult Education Program of Newton, MA synagogues
November 4, 1979, Harvard Semitic Museum, Cambridge, MA
Estelle Shohet Brettman, "Judeo-Christian Symbols in the Catacombs of Italy"
Sunday Sherries Series on Semitic Cultures
September 25, 1979, Hebrew College, Brookline, MA
"Archaeology: An Unveiling of History"
Sponsored by the New England Women's Association of Hebrew College
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I think she has a screw loose: Gaga's mom
Lady Gaga's childhood pictures in Oprah Winfrey's two-hour special episode on the pop star, shows her in a different avatar. In one of the pictures, the singer is cradling her newborn sister Natali alongside mum Cynthia. There's an early indication of the Poker Face star's future eccentric approach to fashion in one shot, featuring her pulling a face in an all-in-one black outfit, reports The Sun.
According to The Sun, Gaga's mother Cynthia told Oprah that she was shocked by her daughter's risqué style and antics at the beginning of her career. "Her father and I were like, 'I think she has a screw loose'", she said.
Oprah's documentary on Gaga, in which she was invited inside Gaga's childhood home, was broadcast on the TV titan's OWN network.
Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball tour which begins with South Korea in April, reaches Indonesia in June. A controversy has already raised its ugly head for the singer. A member of Indonesia's highest Islamic authority has said Muslims should stay away from the upcoming concert by American pop star, who he said aimed to undermine the values of the world's largest Muslim country.
"(The concert is) intended to destroy the nation's morality," said Indonesian Council of Ulema chairman Cholil Ridwan.
Cholil said Lady Gaga's sexy manner of dressing and dance should be considered "un-Islamic".
"She's from the West, and she often shows her private parts while perthforming," he said.
He, however, added that he had never watched the singer perform and only heard of her "reputation" second-hand.
He has urged the 25,000 fans who've already purchased tickets for the June 3 concert to return their tickets. The show sold out in around two hours when tickets went on sale on March 10 this year.
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en - English (селекциониране)
Този документ не е достъпен за справка на Вашия език и Ви се предлага на един от горепосочените езици
E-0254/08
WRITTEN QUESTION by David Hammerstein (Verts/ALE) to the Commission
Subject: Gran Scala — Los Monegros
Answer(s)
What follows is information to the Commission concerning the ‘Gran Scala — Los Monegros’ project, pursuant to which a huge 2 000-hectare leisure complex is to be developed in the Los Monegros area of Aragón (Spain). The project would constitute the largest leisure ‘megacomplex’ in the world, with facilities including 32 casinos and five theme parks. If the project were to go ahead it would be located in an area of great environmental and ecological value which is home to unique steppe species of both flora and fauna. The Los Monegros area is protected as part of the Natura 2000 network (Estepas Monegillo y Pina SPAB, Retuerta and Saladas de Sastago SPAB, Monegros SCI and Montes de Alfajarin-Saso de Osera SCI).
As reported by Spain's Higher Council for Scientific Research, the Los Monegros area is notable for its exceptional nature and its equilibrium, which have enabled significant populations of steppe birds such as the pin-tailed sandgrouse and the black-bellied sandgrouse to be conserved and other endangered species such as the great bustard, the little bustard and the kestrel to survive. This state of affairs has prompted SEO-Birdlife to classify the area as an IBA (Important Bird Area). It should be borne in mind that the area is home to over 5 400 species — most of them invertebrates and many of them highly endemic taxa.
On account of a major water shortage which (according to data provided by the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation) has occurred over the last two years in particular, there are insufficient water resources for the project, development of which would undermine the objectives of the framework directive on water. Gran Scala's impact would be felt as far away as the Pyrenees, which would by greatly affected by the construction of reservoirs from which to supply the complex. Even though the final site for the project has yet to be approved (and the procedure is still at a preliminary stage), it is public knowledge that the project is the Aragon Government's main hope for the future, for which reason it will eventually go ahead. In view of the scale of the project, the Commission is asked to seek information without delay regarding the implications for water and energy resources, the impact which the development of the associated infrastructure will have on a rural area such as the one concerned, and so on.
Will the Commission say whether the compensatory measures adopted in respect of the Los Monegros irrigated areas have been implemented (pursuant to the undertaking given by the Aragon Government to the Commission)? Will the Commission provide information concerning the conservation projects for the endangered species in the area?
Original language of question: ES OJ C 291, 13/11/2008
Последно осъвременяване: 8 февруари 2008 г. Правна информация
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Toffees Mad
Toffees Latest
Toffees News
Everton: The Future Looks Bright as Marco Silvas Young Stars Start to Prove Their Worth
It's not often that a manager can look at a game where his side were 2-0 up after 65 minutes, end up losing 3-2 and think: 'that will be the making of my side'.
For Marco Silva and Everton however, that appears to be the case.
Their defeat in those circumstances away at Newcastle United at the beginning of March looks to have galvanised the Toffees and led to a maturity in Silva's young side which has since seen them win four of their next six, including victories over Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United.
The game at St. James' Park seemed to sum up everything that was going wrong with Silva's first year in charge on Merseyside.
A promising display was ultimately undone by immaturity and poor defending, which cost them another three points and saw them slip down to 11th in the Premier League table.
Everyone at the club has learned from that experience though and they have responded superbly, keeping clean sheets in five of their six games since then.
Fans who were becoming increasingly disgruntled are now excited by the future, and with good reason.
The inconsistency of Everton this season has been born of the change made within their playing squad.
The older guard of Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka and Theo Walcott have been phased out and young talents such as Tom Davies, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison have played regularly.
It now looks as though these players are ready to take the club to the next level, having in recent weeks found the consistency required if they are to challenge for European football next season.
Silva clearly has the belief in them, providing a new contract for Davies, who he has also made the club's youngest ever captain, and giving Calvert-Lewin a run in the side despite him not being a consistent goalscorer.
Sensing that they are ready to start competing at a higher level, the Portuguese boss has also praised his players' growing maturity.
| “Things are more settled, and the connections are coming more easily.
“The players know each other better and know our philosophy better. It is part of our process."#WednesdayWisdom from the boss. https://t.co/JKh0dAYbSv
— Everton (@Everton) May 1, 2019
He has not yet been able to show it in England, but Silva is a winner.
He picked up trophies at all of his first three clubs and he will be desperate to do the same with Everton, a club who are desperate to bring back the glory days.
Everton have not lifted a trophy since 1995 and that is the next stage of Silva's, and owner Farhad Moshiri's, long-term plan.
They have proved they can perform against the top sides in the division, they now need to show a level of consistency against those in the bottom half.
A disappointing 2-0 defeat away at relegated Fulham in April showed that this team still has work to do to prove they are ready to challenge the top six and get back to winning major honours, but the talent is there and age is on their side.
The experience of players such as Gylfi Sigurdsson, Idrissa Gueye and Seamus Coleman has been crucial in allowing the younger members of the squad to develop and their roles as senior squad members will remain vital to the side's development over the next couple of years.
Keeping his ever-improving players away from the clutches of bigger clubs will be key for SIlva but, if he is able to, he may be leading Everton into their most exciting season since David Moyes took them to the Champions League in 2005.
Not many would have expected it after the capitulation away at Newcastle less than two months ago, but now, the future looks bright at Goodison Park.
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Mojave, California
Mojave is a town located in Kern County, California. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 3,836.
\nMojave is located at 35°1'1" North, 118°11'21" West (35.016867, -118.189145)1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 151.4 km² (58.5 mi²). 151.4 km² (58.5 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
\nAs of the census2 of 2000, there are 3,836 people, 1,408 households, and 940 families residing in the town. The population density is 25.3/km² (65.6/mi²). There are 1,806 housing units at an average density of 11.9/km² (30.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 67.54% White, 5.58% Black or African American, 1.33% Native American, 2.01% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 18.12% from other races, and 5.29% from two or more races. 28.31% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 1,408 households out of which 37.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% are married couples living together, 16.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% are non-families. 27.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.71 and the average family size is 3.31. In the town the population is spread out with 32.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 99.2 males. The median income for a household in the town is $24,761, and the median income for a family is $28,496. Males have a median income of $35,476 versus $19,250 for females. The per capita income for the town is $12,477. 36.2% of the population and 31.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 48.8% are under the age of 18 and 11.7% are 65 or older.
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Divide and Distract: If Donald Trump Wins the Election He Loses, But if He Loses the Election He Wins (part 2/3)
AuthorTopic: Divide and Distract: If Donald Trump Wins the Election He Loses, But if He Loses the Election He Wins (part 2/3) (Read 1162 times)
Off the keyboard of Allan Stromfeldt Christensen
Follow us on Twitter @doomstead666
Published on From Filmers to Farmers on November 7th, 2016
Discuss this article at the Geopolitics Table inside the Diner
Try it and I'll bop you over the head with a metal chair!
(photo by Gage Skidmore)
For some time now I've been toying with the idea of Donald Trump as future triager-in-chief – instead of "you're fired!", "you're triaged!" I nonetheless couldn't help but think that said interpretation was likely the result of seeing the world through triage-coloured glasses and that I was perhaps missing out on some other underlying story. So I decided to err on the side of caution and avoided writing a post for a post's sake.
While then listening to the third debate, and upon hearing Trump's reply to Hillary Clinton's accusation of his making light of a physically disabled reporter – "Wrong!" – for the umpteenth time I couldn't help but burst out laughing at the inanity of it all. (Not to say that I'm some insensitive clod – the audience itself laughed [and was rebuked] upon Trump's declaration that "Nobody has more respect for women than I do. Nobody.") In fact, I laughed so hard and in such a way that it reminded me of how I used to laugh at the behaviour of an old friend of mine of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) notoriety, which then reminded me of Donald Trump's involvement with the WWE over the years. As I then mulled over (and explained in part 1 via my conception of World Electioneering Entertainment [WEE]), could it be possible that Trump's antics are actually a big act? Or more specifically, and to really go down the rabbit hole with this one, could it be possible that Trump already knows he's going to lose the election, and not simply so that the presidency can be handed to Clinton but to create a grandiose distraction? Yes, that's pretty far-fetched, but what's more zany – thinking this has all been real, or to think that a fair amount of what's been going on has been contrived?
Débutante Melania Trump is introduced to the WEE
(photo by Disney | ABC Television Group)
Anyway, for quite some time things have seemed slightly fishy to me about WEE 2016. Although I'd yet to make my WWE/WEE analogy, upon hearing that portions of Melania Trump's speech at the GOP convention lifted from a previous speech by Michelle Obama I immediately smelled the whiff of fishy #1 and called BS, recalling WWE-owner Vince McMahon's assertion: any attention is good attention. And while some journalists pondered the following:
Did Hillary Clinton's team point out the glaring similarities of the two speeches? I'd suppose so. It would be the smart thing to do, to call reporters and make the case.
I again screamed to myself "BS!" If it was Trump that concocted it all then it would make sense that it was Trump's team that called it in (or tipped someone off), not Clinton's. Wanting a way to make a spectacle out of the entrance of Trump's wife, discovery of the parallels in speeches certainly wouldn't have been left up to chance. For let's not forget Trump's assertion, motive, and uncanny ability:
I'm going to get in and all the polls are going to go crazy. I'm going to suck all the oxygen out of the room. I know how to work the media in a way that they will never take the lights off of me.
And suck he did. For following revelation of the parallels in speeches, the Trump campaign actually turned the tables and tried to shame the Democrats (much as how Trump actually demanded an apology from the New York Times for condemning his impersonation of its physically disabled reporter). Trump's campaign manager stated that
Once again, this is an example of when a woman threatens Hillary Clinton, she seeks to demean her and take her down,
while his spokeswoman stated that
This concept that Michelle Obama invented the English language is absurd.
Granted, I did realize that even just thinking that Trump and company manufactured the plagiarism drama was quite the stretch to make, and not just because the eventual fall-person would have to be sacrificially fired over it all and then secretly paid off, right? Right? Well as it turns out, not quite. As the junior aide who apparently inadvertently lifted part of Michelle Obama's speech put it,
Yesterday, I offered my resignation to Mr. Trump and the Trump family, but they rejected it. Mr. Trump told me that people make innocent mistakes and that we learn and grow from these experiences… I am honored to work for such a great family.
(image by Cass Anaya)
I mean really, who knew Trump had such a mushy-gushy heart? ("There's nobody that has a mushier-gushier heart than me. Nobody.")
Anyway, and much like the aforementioned retort given to Clinton, it doesn't need to be pointed out that Trump has been spewing out a ridiculous amount of completely obvious fabrications and absurdities this entire election. ("You know what my favorite [book] is? The Bible!", "I have the world's greatest memory", [which he then (hilariously!) stated half a year later that he couldn't recall having said that], etc.) This hasn't seemed to matter in the slightest though to legions of Trump supporters, people whose prolonged dismissal by the establishment as being expendable has resulted in their complete willingness to brush off all of Trump's fabrications if – and I'm now thinking that that's a dubious "if" – the purpose of those lies have been to bully government predators who have been bullying them for years on end. And Trump surely knows this.
Moreover, and not that I think that Trump likes to spend lazy Sunday afternoons reading up on semiotics any more than I do, but if we take a look at the late French philosopher Roland Barthes' 1957 essay on wrestling, "In the Ring", one can just about see a blueprint for this entire election.
As Barthes states in his first sentence, "The virtue of wrestling is to be a spectacle of excess." Hello! Or as Trump put it in The Art of the Deal,
The final key to the way I promote is bravado. I play to people's fantasies. People may not always think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do. That's why a little hyperbole never hurts. People want to believe that something is the biggest and the greatest and the most spectacular. I call it truthful hyperbole. It's an innocent form of exaggeration – and a very effective form of promotion.
In his comparison between pro wrestling and boxing (neither of which he sees as morally superior to the other), Barthes then points out that
[The] public… is quite aware of the distinction between wrestling and boxing; it knows that boxing is a Jansenist sport, based on a demonstration of excellence; one can bet on the outcome of a boxing match; in wrestling, that would make no sense. The boxing match is a story constructed under the spectator's eyes; in wrestling, just the contrary, it is each moment which is intelligible, not their sum… The rational future of the combat does not interest the fan of wrestling, whereas on the contrary a boxing match always implies a science of the future. In other words, wrestling is a sum of spectacles, none of which is a function: each moment imposes the total knowledge of a passion which suddenly rises straight up on its own, without ever extending toward the consummation of an outcome.
(photo by Ted Eytan)
I admit that I'm not the sharpest when it comes to this semiotics stuff (I'm getting flashbacks from film school / university of the futility behind trying to not get bored out of my skull while being taught about all that signs and symbols stuff), but from what I gather, the gist is that for the pro wrestler it's all about energy. In other words, the wrestling fan isn't so much concerned with what is going on – a logical progression of events – so much as they're interested in the fact that something is going on. While Trump's opponents have been vainly attempting to fight a prim and proper boxing match, Trump is the pro wrestler who has been running circles around his opponents, bopping them over their heads with metal chairs. And the more passion he shows the more the audience eats it up.
As Barthes explains further,
Wrestlers are good at flattering the crowd's powers of outrage, going to the very limit of the concept of Justice, this farthest zone of confrontation, where it takes only a trifle to open the gates of a frenzied world. For the fan of wrestling, nothing is finer than the vengeful rage of a betrayed combatant who passionately attacks not a successful adversary but the stinging image of foul play.
Otherwise put, Trump generates the passion the audience seeks via crusading against, and serving justice upon, the evil forces – "crooked Hillary" and her email scandal, et. al.
Although correlation certainly doesn't imply causation, sometimes the comparisons even get cut and paste. Barthes explains that in boxing "the most conventional sign of propriety [is] shaking hands." In pro wrestling however, "foul play exists here only by its excessive signs:… refusing to shake hands with a partner before or after a match" – and yes, the media dutifully lit up the Twitterverse upon Clinton and Trump's refusal to exchange the accustomed pleasantries before the third debate. (This media of ours really has no shame.)
Not to belabour this all too much, but two more quotes of Barthes' provide a bit more food for thought. Firstly,
at this pitch, it no longer matters whether or not the passion being expressed is authentic. There is no more a problem of truth in wrestling than in theater.
That is, it doesn't matter whether what's going on is real or not. Imagine what might happen if somebody ran into the middle of a Wrestlemania ring and yelled out "it's all fake!" Similarly, what's happened when Trump has been called out for being an "entertainer" and/or host of a TV show? As every single one of Trump's opponents have found out, absolutely nothing. And more importantly, the audience loves it.
(photo by torbakhopper)
Finally, Barthes points out that "the wrestler's function is not to win but to perform exactly the gestures expected of him." By this Barthes means the two wrestlers in a match, but in this particular match there is one wrestler and one boxer, and they're both supplying their respective audiences with exactly what they want. Clinton's backers have observed the election from the point of view of a boxing match and so have seen her meticulous denunciations of Trump's antics as crowning her the clear winner. Conversely, Trump's supporters have been seeing it all through the prism of a wrestling match and so inevitably see his non-stop rambunctiousness as crowning him the clear winner.
Having conveyed all that, I don't necessarily mean to suggest that Trump has donned the wrestling persona with the impression that it'll win him the election. For starters, and to go along with all the rest of Trump's fabrications, might it be possible that Trump isn't as racist as he's lead us to believe (as others have questioned as well)? Might it be possible that Trump is "simply" an amoral sociopath that doesn't care either way, one who says whatever is expedient to rile up the audience?
Continuing with the hypotheticals, and as Michael Moore has suggested, might it be possible that Trump entered this election simply because he wanted a raise from NBC for hosting The Apprentice, and that he's been trying to find a way out after being immediately fired by NBC thanks to his incendiary remarks about Mexicans? I'm not so sure about that. Not only has Trump already lost plenty of business (and thus money) in the Middle East and other parts of the world, but he even stated himself that
If I lose some businesses overseas, it doesn't have any impact on me whatsoever. What I'm doing right now… is far more important than any single business that I own.
Which is, of course, hard to interpret as being anything else but another fabrication. But it's also hard to take somebody's ambitions for the presidency seriously after hearing them state that
I've given up a tremendous amount to run for president. I gave up two more seasons of Celebrity Apprentice.
(image courtesy of Derek Chatwood – All Rights Reserved)
If this is all mere nonsense, could it then be possible – as Jeb Bush and other Republicans have stated, and as even some Democrats have stated – that Trump is a plant by the Clintons in order to guarantee a GOP loss? I suppose so, but as we've readily seen, Trump's absurdities and insults have only worked to make his candidacy stronger and stronger. (Until, that is, the revelation of his comment made to Jeb and George Bush's little cousin that one should "Grab them by the hoo-ha". [Jeb: “Hey Billy, know of anything that could tank Trump’s campaign?” Billy: “Nope, nope, nothing at all.”])
Nonetheless, and supposing things are on the up and up, Trump could conceivably pull off an upset win in less than two days' time, and not simply because of diehard supporters and the FBI's recent reopening of the investigation into Clinton's email saga (which I'll get to in a moment), but due to the amount of closet Trump supporters (from gay Muslim students to countless others) and legions of ex-Sanders supporters who would "prefer chaos to stagnation." That is to say, if the fix is in and Trump's supposed to be blowing this election, he's not doing a very good job of it.
But what if it were a different kind of fix? To return to Michael Moore, his first film, Roger & Me, was based around the premise of attempting to score an interview with Roger Smith (CEO of General Motors at the time), an interview which Moore didn't get. But kind of did get. As Moore was forced to admit years later, yes, he did actually interview Smith, but that was apparently before work had started on Roger & Me. Which, I suppose, is plausibly possible. And as Moore then stated in response,
If I'd gotten an interview with him, why wouldn't I put it in the film?
(photo by Josh Jensen)
Why? Because – and as I'm sure Moore the entertainer and showman is well aware – if the "bad guy" gets caught then the chase – the spectacle – is over. And if the chase is over then the audience can't be strung along anymore. Trump, the student-excellente of the WWE and now media savvy performer in the WEE, is well aware of this. Unless you have explicit plans for there to be no further sequels, or you want to end the franchise, or you do not want to start a television show and career as a professional rabble rouser, then you certainly don't want to "win" (or catch the CEO).
It's for this reason that I'm not so sure about Moore's statement that
[Trump] cannot and WILL NOT suffer through being officially and legally declared a loser – LOSER! – on the night of November 8th. Trust me, I’ve met the guy. Spent an afternoon with him. He would rather invite the Clintons AND the Obamas to his next wedding than have that scarlet letter ("L") branded on his forehead seconds after the last polls have closed on that night, the evening of the final episode of the permanently cancelled Donald Trump Shit-Show.
This is possibly seriously underestimating Trump, presuming that he's nothing but a small-time, small-picture thinker whose mind doesn't go beyond that of money and winning or losing. Because what's been recently going through my mind is, What if Trump is a plant – not to simply lose the election, but to provide a distraction?
For starters, not only do we know that Trump adores attention, but we also know that he's going nowhere after this election, win or lose. First off, and as he stated in the third debate in response to whether or not he'd concede the election were he to lose,
What I'm saying is that I will tell you at the time. I'll keep you in suspense, okay?
Secondly, by making repeated claims that "millions of people… are registered [to vote] that shouldn't be," Trump is effectively laying the groundwork to contest a "stolen" election. As put by Salon, all he has to do is "get close enough to Clinton that he can plausibly claim that someone hacked a few voting machines or stuffed a few ballot boxes." Whether or not he then files lawsuits alleging voter fraud, the adoring crowds will eat it up, and who knows how long it can be drawn out for, even if just in unofficial manners (like all the birther stuff but at a whole different level).
To be more specific, this email scandal is likely to supply a perpetual amount of fodder for Trump, and it's here that I smelled fishy #2. Much like I said "oh come on!" to myself after the Melania Trump speech "scandal", I once again couldn't help but think the same thing after reading that Bill Clinton had chatted with Attorney General Loretta Lynch on an airport tarmac just before the FBI released its findings on the Hillary Clinton email investigation. Because really, in this day and age when a cell phone call would do just fine, why would you do such a thing – in broad daylight for all to see – unless your purpose was to either laugh in people's faces at how little you care about their recognition of your corruption, or, that you wanted to antagonize the opposition and supply them with more fodder, knowing full well that your (wife's) supporters will automatically give you all a free pass? Mentioning this to a friend I then said, "you know, now that I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised if this email scandal thing wasn't somewhat pre-planned and manufactured from the get-go." A minute after he said "but why would anyone actually do that?", I of course couldn't help but think "because Trump advised them to!" That is, Trump and company were going to need a never-ending story that could never actually get Clinton in trouble (like Obama and the birther thing) but which could provide a limitless supply of ammunition. And now FBI director James Comey re-opens the email investigation 11 days before the election, which said nothing and which nothing then came from? For real?
Suffice to say, and I don't know about you, but I can't help but now think that Trump is absolutely brilliant, and that somewhere out there Vince McMahon is laughing his arse off while occasionally shedding a few tears that only a proud father could.
(image by James Gill)
Anyway, and supposing there's plausibility to any of that, what is it that Trump could provide a distraction for? Well, like (not too many) others, for some time now I've wondered how cognizant the United States government, or at least certain parts of the United States government, are of peak oil and the collapse of industrial civilization (or in this specific case the decline and fall of the United States). For example, the German military released a report back in 2010 pointing out that social chaos could emerge once peak oil is reached. Surely other governments, including the United States government, are aware of this possibility as well. Having said that, I don't mean to suggest that we should hold our breaths in anticipation of federal governments (as opposed to local governments) engaging the public on these issues. If, as I've written on earlier, the bail-in in Cyprus and the triaging in Greece are to be taken as any kind of indication, then obfuscation is going to be the name of the game. Could it be possible then that Trump has moved up from the WWE and The Apprentice to provide a prolonged (and perpetual?) distraction from the underlying factors causing industrialism's collapse, thus morphing the notion of divide and conquer into divide and distract?
Because make no mistake about it, although Trump is (knowingly?) advocating what are essentially false hopes, he is nonetheless giving voice to many legitimate concerns of the marginalized, none of which can be dismissed due to Trump's repeated racist comments (be they genuine or not). How is that? Well put it this way: The Trump family sells a wine whose label shares their name (of course). Meanwhile, I don't doubt many Trump supporters like to imbibe every now and then. However, to then say that the only reason why anybody would support Trump is because they're a drunkard would be utterly ridiculous. Regardless, this is exactly the logic used when people dismiss all of Trump's supporters as being driven by little else than racial prejudice. (While questioning the sincerity of Trump's racist comments, I'll point out that while the Trump family may sell wine, Donald Trump is actually a teetotaller himself.)
So when Amanda Marcotte, a white affluent female liberal writer at Salon states in her article "The Mystery of Republican Women Backing Sexist Trump: They're Female Misogynists Who've Grown to Accept Oppression" that
Women are judged more by their sexuality or their submissiveness than their actual character. So someone gets more points for being a virgin or being a doting housewife than they do for being smart and talented at their job
– and then states in her article "Donald Trump’s No Leader — He’s Just the Voice that the Ugliest Americans Have Been Dying For" that
Trump is a big, orangey object that’s fun to look at… He’s the end result of years of conservatives growing angrier and angrier… about the diversification of America
– on top of being abhorrently condescending and falling directly into Trump's trap with "ugliest Americans" and "orangey object that's fun to look at" (thereby fortifying his appeal to the portion of the public he's reaching out to), what she is partaking in are dog whistles no better than the ones Trump has partaken in. And the code that Marcotte's dog whistles stand for is "wage class American". Firstly, it's a massive generalization to state that (doting and non-doting) housewives – particularly those that haven't kept up with the Joneses and all their progress – don't do their work smartly or aren't performing a job, any more than husbands (be they doting or not, and whose Norse origin of their namesake means house-bound) who don't work in offices and such aren't to be valued either. Secondly, let's not presume that some journalists (like some of those writing for Salon) aren't submissive to the status affluent quo of performing their progress-laden duty of pulling in decent enough salaries to help keep the economy growing in order to support the Ponzi scheming predation of the fractional-reserve and interest-bearing-debt banking system.
The steep increase over the past decade is due to fracking. Unlike
other sources of oil, fracked supplies increase quickly, but then crash
hard — coming soon to a country possibly near you (data: EIA)
In other words, what Marcotte and other writers of her ilk (read: strong Clinton supporters) often partake in is classist bigotry. In John Michael Greer's excellent interpretation, the American public can be generally understood as belonging to one of four groups: the investment class, the salary class, the wage class, and the welfare class. The investment and welfare classes have pretty much stayed where they are for decades now, although not so for the salary and wage classes, the former only maintaining its way of life at the expense of the latter. Reason being, in the period following the United States' peak of oil production in 1970, foreign markets were increasingly able to out-compete American production, putting a crimp into those middle and upper-middle class lifestyles. As Greer then puts it,
The only way for the salary class to maintain its lifestyle in the teeth of those transformations was to force down the cost of goods and services relative to the average buying power of the salary class. Because the salary class exercised (and still exercises) a degree of economic and political influence disproportionate to its size, this became the order of the day in the 1970s, and it remains the locked-in political consensus in American public life to this day. The destruction of the wage class was only one consequence of that project…
Specifically, the only way that the salary class could maintain their accustomed to ways of life was via measures such as the offshoring of wage class jobs, which then allowed for overseas slave labour conditions to keep the prices of their consumer products low. In effect, the wage class ("the ugliest Americans" and "doting housewives") has been progressively triaged from the economy by the salary class, and when Trump talks about Making America Great Again, this is what the naïve portion of his supporters believe is actually possible – that the United States can be returned to some former state where one full-time working class job was enough to pay for the upkeep of an entire family, something that even two working class adults going full-time today find hard to accomplish.
However – and here's the kicker – there's no way that the United States can be returned to its pre-1970 way of life. The majority of the oil supplies that once enabled America to be Great are gone forever and aren't coming back – unless Trump and the naïve portion of his supporters have plans to wait a few million years or so for some new oil wells to appear, a fossil fuel supply which would allow for another quick binge. Similarly, many of those getting university and college degrees are finding out that a lack of available jobs means that their graduating papers are about as valuable as one-ply toilet paper, and that the loans required for their education have saddled them with one-way tickets to debt serfdom. (If you don't believe me, just check out the subreddit r/lostgeneration.)
And it's precisely all that that makes me wonder. Are those such as the Clintons and Trump(s) and whomever else truly that daft regarding all this? Is it really a case of the blind leading the blind, or might those "in charge" actually have a grasp on the implications of peak oil and the limits to growth – namely, the protracted collapse of industrial civilization? Could keeping the people stupefied be their attempt to maintain some kind of (futile) grasp on control as things unwind?
For if it's not mere blindness at work here, then the shrewd play would be to drive a wedge between the boxing Amanda Marcotte's of the world and the wrestling Joe six-packs, all of which could keep them thoroughly clueless via incessant bickering (and even worse) with one another. Or in short, divide and distract.
Rob Ford arm wrestling Hulk Hogan… Eat your heart out internet pic.twitter.com/qxoj45dawg
— William J. Upton (@wupton) November 8, 2013
Therefore, were Trump to win the election he (or whomever he assigned) would have to preside over the country, and the wrestling/boxing feud – the distraction – would be largely nullified. However, were he to lose (I don't trust voting machines one iota), then the distraction could go on for who knows how long. Because much like Toronto's late-mayor and wannabe-wrestler Rob Ford, Trump likely isn't going anywhere unless he too is pushing up daisies. This is why, obfuscation-wise, a loss for Trump is quite possibly a win for the status quo of ignorance regarding collapse.
Regardless of whether any of my far-fetched musings are true or not, millions of working class Americans who have had no political outlet for over half a century currently have the (false) impression that they've finally been given a voice. But when Clinton wins this election in less than two days' time, the group in the United States that has been hit harder by globalization and automation than any other – the white working class in the Rust Belt and the South – will be faced with the fact that the utopian visions and populist aims that they've been clinging to throughout WEE 2016 aren't going to happen. And whether the failure of the delivery of those (false) promises results in some of the aggrieved taking matters into their own hands remains to be seen.
That's been the second third of this story. I'll finish this off next week with a clarification on the obfuscation that Hillary Clinton is about to make regarding a ceiling that's about to have its glass shattered.
Re: Divide and Distract: If Donald Trump Wins the Election He Loses, But if He Loses the Election He
Sort of a ramping up of the bread and circuses, into high gear? Makes as much sense as any other analysis I've read on the 2016 election cycle.
This can't end well, can it?
Oh, well. Reality beckons. It's raining here, and I have to drive out to the stead and feed the pigs.
luciddreams
Great article Alan, thanks for penning it!
I think you are right on with your analysis of what is happening. To think that the "leaders" of the Corporatocracy have no idea about peak everything is an exercise in delusion. Of course they know, how could they not know?
Trump is the perfect distraction. He's the perfect face and person for where we are in the fall of our civilization. Killary and Trump are a team working in tandem. To think that either one of them care about any of the right left rhetoric is another exercise in delusion. They are puppets that are in place to act as puppets. Puppets are meant to entertain and therefore distract. They are a distraction for the final phase of collapse.
It's no accident that the Dakota access pipeline is happening right now. And what exactly is it that is happening there? A pipeline through sovereign territory to bring us all fracked gasoline. The Natives to this land standing up to protect the water of this land. To protect the water that we all need to survive. Militarized police with oversize bottles of pepper spray spraying, tazering, shooting rubber bullets...at young women and horses. Stuffing natives into dog kennels and marking them nazi concentration camp style. It's as if they are rubbing it in at this point. How much can they get away with? There is no end to this, and this is just the beginning of the end.
And the populace argues on about which candidate is the better one. As if either one of them is qualified to lead a democracy. However, they are both perfect puppets for the end of the totalitarian police state show. Make no mistake, this is a show, and we are the audience. We are the audience that is soon to be the captives...in the dog kennels. The reality is not televised. That's the worst part of it all. The televised bit is a fabrication that just about everybody believes in. Even those who don't believe it believe it. Even those who one side of their mouth can recognize that the voting machines are rigged, and the other side of their mouth can go on about the third party candidate. Recognizing the truth offers us no hope, and so people don't recognize it. They can't. Recognizing it is just too damn depressing and people must go on, and how do you go on with no hope? You don't go on. You stay in a suspended state of disbelief where hope is fabricated, and where it can't be fabricated it's medicated and drunk into existence.
Reality is a bitch.
monsta666
Quote from: luciddreams on November 08, 2016, 08:09:40 AM
I don't know about that. Whilst there are certainly some at the top who are aware of the issues you speak off I think quite often it is the people at the highest positions who are the most deluded. Their positions of power gives them the feeling they are untouchable and if bad things do happen they will not be effected. Mary Antoinette's supposed comment of let them eat cake (not actually said by her) captures this delusion perfectly.
People at the top echelons live in their own world and are just as deluded as the bottom of the rug people. In propaganda the best lies are lies that repeated ad-nauseam for not only does repeating it make the statement more credible but it also means the speaker is more likely to believe the lies that they are telling people. It is a practice in self-delusion which finally enough makes you a more effective liar. I do agree with your general point that no matter what happens both candidates will answer to the same masters.
And the populace argues on about which candidate is the better one. As if either one of them is qualified to lead a democracy. However, they are both perfect puppets for the end of the totalitarian police state show. Make no mistake, this is a show, and we are the audience. We are the audience that is soon to be the captives... in the dog kennels. The reality is not televised. That's the worst part of it all. The televised bit is a fabrication that just about everybody believes in. Even those who don't believe it believe it. Even those who one side of their mouth can recognize that the voting machines are rigged, and the other side of their mouth can go on about the third party candidate. Recognizing the truth offers us no hope, and so people don't recognize it. They can't. Recognizing it is just too damn depressing and people must go on, and how do you go on with no hope? You don't go on. You stay in a suspended state of disbelief where hope is fabricated, and where it can't be fabricated it's medicated and drunk into existence.
That is why Rome had its bread and circuses and explains why today the sports and entertainment industry is so popular as it is the sedation of society. But going back to the candidates I think many people (even the deluded people) can tell the contenders today are lousy and not only that: the general quality of politicians are declining as they are more corrupt and more interested in obtaining power than doing what is right. The three biggest reasons why people vote and still think it is important despite all the BS is that it is done either out of habit, to pick the less bad person or as a means of exercising their right to vote which gives people a sense of power and more rights to criticise the current state of affairs. Most people can feel the system is getting worse and is doing them no good. I would even go as far to say they sense the system will fail in the not too distant future but habits and sense of meaning/power are hard things to break. Also elections even in an era of super power interests and lobbies still matter a great otherwise why spend billions funding the whole thing?
Considering a Hillary vs. Donald Election Choice
Started by Eddie Marathon Man Newz
by MKing
Don't Blame Me if Trump Wins
Why It Won't Matter If Trump Wins
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Home » SFF Reviews » Deathstalker: Rebellion: More of the same
Deathstalker: Rebellion: More of the same
Deathstalker: Rebellion by Simon R. Green
This review may contain spoilers for the first DEATHSTALKER book, Deathstalker.
Owen Deathstalker, Hazel d’Ark, Ruby Journey, Jack Random, and assorted others are still plotting rebellion against The Iron Bitch who rules the galactic empire. Everyone in this motley group has a different idea about how a galactic government should work, but they all agree that their empress must go, so they begin by hacking into the empire’s bank account and using the funds to instigate rebellions on a few different planets.
Nobody likes the empress, but she still has loyal supporters who protect her. These people are either too scared to cross her, or they are benefiting financially from their relationship with her. Also, there’s been a recent and credible threat of an alien invasion and many people figure that it’s better for the empire to stand united rather than divided, so they’re willing to accept a strong but tyrannical and murderous empress while they wait for that threat to pass.
Meanwhile the nobles have their own personal dramas going on. Valentine Wolfe, the druggie, has left the rebellion now that he’s head of his family but his scheming siblings (who are having an affair with each other while their spouses are also having an affair) are trying to usurp Valentine’s power over the family business. (Valentine is, surprisingly, one of the more likeable characters.) Evangeline Shreck is trying to escape her abusive father. Finley joins the rebellion and is just trying to stay alive. David, Owen’s nephew, is trying to find his way as the new head of the Deathstalker family. Unfortunately he has unwisely chosen Kid Death as his best friend.
Deathstalker: Rebellion, the second book in Simon R. Green’s DEATHSTALKER series, is a lot like the first except that, with the introduction of all the major players and locations in the first book, this one feels less imaginative and somewhat like a repeat. The narrator and many of the characters have the same snarky personality and sound the same. The last book’s jokes get repeated in this book. For the first 45 minutes or so (I listened to the audio version), the characters give each other little speeches which serve to remind us about what happened in the last book. Sometimes everything stops in the middle of a life-threatening action scene to let a character give a speech or history lesson. In fact, the characters are always giving us rapid-fire breathless paragraphs of their own backstory, info-dumps about the world, and little lectures, spiels, and motivational speeches that sound like they’ve been memorized. Every one of them sounds exactly the same. This happened in the NIGHTSIDE series, too. Also, in both series, the same phrases are used multiple times, such as “on general principles” and “it was the easiest thing in the world for…” (same phrases in both series).
As with the previous book, everyone is over the top and the bad things that happen are unthinkably gruesome. (Green loves to shock us with the disgusting things he thinks up.) The plot doesn’t always hang together — there are some inconsistencies, sloppy bits, and things that just don’t make sense. For example, why are these characters fighting with swords? This is a far-future galactic empire with far-future technology. We’re told that their energy weapons need to recharge after being blasted, so swords must be used, but geez, don’t they remember guns?
Everything I said in my review of Deathstalker holds true for Deathstalker: Rebellion. What’s most disappointing is how similar everything — characters, narrative voice, writing style, plot — is to Green’s NIGHTSIDE series. I went through this in my Deathstalker review, so I won’t go into the same details again here. Readers who enjoy Green’s snarky and over-the-top characters as well as his for-shock horror scenes will like Deathstalker: Rebellion more than I did.
There are a few elements that I did like, though. I like what Green did with the empress’s champion. His story line is interesting, though I think Green could have done more with it (and perhaps he will later). I also thought it was amusing to have a journalist and cameraman filming the war, though this storyline has its share of inconsistencies and stale jokes.
Tantor Audio sent me the audiobook editions of the first four DEATHSTALKER books. This series isn’t working for me, but I’ll give the third book a try and hope it improves (though I doubt it will). The audiobooks are narrated by Gildart Jackson and are excellent productions. Jackson does a great job with Green’s characters and story.
Published in 1996. Owen Deathstalker – outlawed, with a price on his head and the blood of a mighty warrior lineage in his veins – had no choice but to embrace a dangerous destiny. With nothing to lose, only he had the courage to take up arms against Queen Lionstone XIV. Now as he gathers his unlikely allies – the legendary washed-up hero Jack Random, the beautiful pirate Hazel d’Arc, the original Deathstalker long since presumed dead, and the alien Hadenmen whose purposes no human can discern – the eyes of the downtrodden are upon him while the freedom of a galaxy hangs in the balance….
November 14th, 2018. Kat Hooper´s rating: 2 | Simon R. Green | Audio | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. When she reads fiction, she wants to encounter new ideas and lots of imagination. She wants to view the world in a different way. She wants to have her mind blown. She loves beautiful language and has no patience for dull prose, vapid romance, or cheesy dialogue. She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Favorite authors are Jack Vance, Robin Hobb, Kage Baker, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Richard Matheson, and C.S. Lewis.
Marion Deeds / November 14, 2018
I’ve been thinking about Green’s books and it occurs to me that, like some other writers, he has/had a lot of series and writes very quickly. “Churning them out” comes to mind. What I notice with writers who are kicking out one book per series per year (with maybe three series going) is that the writing gets sloppy — like the repetitions of favorite phrases. I also think it means that one final read-through by the writer gets eliminated. This is a theory, not necessarily a criticism.
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Trace: • guests
myebu:guests
Newcomers to the EBU
They have no intention of ever joining the EBU
They may wish to join some day
Newcomers to the club but not to the EBU
How to tell the difference
Scenario: somebody unfamiliar turns up at your club. What do you do?
It's important to realise the difference between someone who is a newcomer at your club and someone who is a newcomer to the EBU. The two types of visitor are handled differently.
These people do not have any kind of an EBU record. They have never been a member of the EBU, they have never bought something from the shop, they have never entered an EBU event or attended an EBU training course. Perhaps they're brand new to EBU bridge, or maybe they're visiting from overseas.
These people fit into two categories:
Simply mark them as a guest when you upload the session file to the EBU. This means they won't get any masterpoints, and they won't get an NGS adjustment (and nor will their partner) but presumably this is fine if they have no interest in becoming an EBU member.
Note that members of foreign unions will need to have an EBU record in order to earn masterpoints. Follow the instructions in the next section to create a Potential Member.
For this you'll need to get them an EBU number since they cannot earn masterpoints without one. You can create them as a Potential Member. Go through the same procedure as making a new member, but untick the box that says This new person is a member of your club. This will give them a temporary number and within 24 hours they'll have a permanent EBU number. If they come to the club again you should be able to find their new EBU number via a search.
Now, if they ever do decide to join the EBU, their NGS grade and earned masterpoints will be waiting for them.
These people do have an EBU record and they will want to earn masterpoints and get NGS adjustments when they play at your club. Ask them for their EBU number. If they don't know it, ask them for some basic details about them so that you can look it up when it's time to submit the session file.
You may think it's simpler to just mark them as a guest, but our experience has shown that this is not a good idea.
You're giving them a lesser service, by withholding masterpoints and NGS adjustments from them.
If they ever complain about the masterpoints they should have won it takes a lot of time and hassle to sort it out. The EBU generally will not amend a club's record without their permission, so we have to forward these enquiries on to you to resolve.
If they partner someone who you do identify, that player will not get an NGS adjustment when they should do.
Ask them! They might not know if they are currently an EBU member, but they will know if they've been one in the past. If they have an EBU record, but you do not know what it is, do not create a new one for them. That will just create a duplicate and make matters worse.
This flow chart describes how to proceed when a new player turns up at the club.
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76: George Couros | Part 1 | How The Innovator’s Mindset Can Transform Your School | You Cannot Change People, But You Can Create An Environment Where Change Can Happen | Knowledge Is The Springboard For Creativity And Innovation
78: Dr. Beverly Hutton | Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff | Look At The Big Picture | Put Your Best Foot Forward
77: George Couros | Part 2 | Change Is An Opportunity To Do Something Amazing | Appreciate The Moment You’re In And Do The Best You Can With What You’ve Got Right Where You’re At | Sometimes If You’re Data Driven, You Are Weakness Focused | Focus On What You’re Doing Right And Why It’s Working
June 8, 2016 by Educators Lead in Podcast
George Couros is the author of the highly acclaimed book, The Innovator’s Mindset, and the Division Principal of Innovative Teaching and Learning with Parkland School Division in Stony Plain, Alberta in Canada. He has worked with all levels in K-12 as a teacher, technology facilitator, and administrator. George is passionate about distributed leadership within his division, as well as music and the Los Angeles Lakers, and he believes the more well rounded we are as educators, the more our students will see us as real people that they can connect with in the classroom.
Connect with George Couros on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gcouros
George’s blog: http://georgecouros.ca/blog/
George’s book: The Innovator’s Mindset
How stories bridge the gap between knowledge and application and also spark creativity (2:00)
What George hopes is the main idea readers get from The Innovator’s Mindset (5:44)
Some things admins can do to help cultivate an innovator’s mindset in teachers and build a “culture of yes” at your school (7:15)
The crucial importance of “why” (11:07)
The best leadership advice George has ever received (12:04)
Give people time and space to develop and grow, and you’ll be amazed at the changes (15:00)
Take time to celebrate your progress but never stop improving (21:00)
Lessons we can learn from the success of Netflix (and the failure of Blockbuster) (21:30)
What George sees as his biggest strength as an education administrator – building relationships and rapport with others (25:40)
George’s advice on how to get better at building relationships and rapport with others (29:38)
Some great books George has found to be helpful in his career (39:03)
George’s advice to school administrators on working with the students that you serve (40:45)
His advice to school administrators on working with the teachers in your school, including some great tips for delivering constructive criticism (44:50)
George’s favorite quote: “Change is an opportunity to do something amazing.” (50:18)
The key to being fully present and powerful despite negative circumstances (57:30)
Here’s the advice George would give his younger self if he could travel back in time to when he was just starting out in school administration (1:00:50)
The Innovator’s Mindset
Where Good Ideas Come From
Connect with George Couros
Educator’s Lead Episode 77
Part 2 | Change Is An Opportunity To Do Something Amazing | Appreciate The Moment You’re In And Do The Best You Can With What You’ve Got Right Where You’re At | Sometimes If You’re Data Driven, You Are Weakness Focused | Focus On What You’re Doing Right And Why It’s Working
Show Notes: http://www.educatorslead.com/georgecouros2/
Intro: Hello Edu Leaders! Jay Willis here and I’m excited to introduce part 2 of my interview with George Couros.
George Couros: I wanted it to be a book that you could pick up 15 years from now and it would still be relevant. So it’s not very tools focused or anything like that; it’s really focused on helping people see differently and I think one of the premises of the book is that you can’t change people – you can just create your environment where change is more likely to happen.
Jay Willis: There’s so much I’d love to dig into here but just when you’re talking about how you wrote the book, that’s the thing about…there’s a big difference or seems like there’s just this huge chasm between knowledge and application, right? Like probably most people or a lot of people maybe know what they should do in certain areas, but there’s just a big difference between knowledge and actually doing what you know you should be doing. And I feel like what stories do is it kind of helps bridge that gap. I mean, if you just read a bunch of information in a book, it’s like oh that’s nice, that sounds great, that strikes a chord, absolutely, right on, common sense, but then when you actually attach stories to it I feel like it makes it more real for people. And at least in my own experience, books that I read that are filled with more stories, like – here’s a principle and then here’s a story for how you can apply this principle, here’s how it made a difference, how it made an impact. I feel like that I take more from that and actually it’s easier for me to apply that, because I guess I see more value attached to the principle that I’ve just learned about.
George Couros: Yeah and that’s actually…one of the books I read, Made To Stick, it does talk about how you make those ideas sticky and about that component of telling stories and sharing the stuff and it does resonate with people in a different way. So I think really, you want these ideas to stick with people and I think that taps their emotion and near the end of the book I really encourage people to tell their stories and share their ideas.
So what I think is really powerful is that, the book has connected me with a lot of people that weren’t reading my blog, didn’t know me from Twitter, because they look at a book in a different way. Like for some people you’re not legit until you have a book, right? I think that has been fascinating is how many people ever read my book then started a Twitter account and then connected with me and are like, “Oh my god! I’m speaking to the author.” And I’m like everyone else just knows me as George, right?
To me it’s not that big of a deal but then they see that power because our connecting with people like on Twitter and through Facebook and them asking me questions and doing things like this or doing Twitter chats or whatever. It’s really made it so that it’s more of a conversation, like it’s more…the book is meant to be more of the beginning of a conversation than the end of it, if that makes sense. It’s supposed to spark questions – like one of the things I talk about in the book is that if I can tell you exactly step by step on how to do innovation in your school, it’s not really innovative. And so you want people taking these ideas and going in their own directions I guess. And I think that’s what one people appreciate the accessibility of me as the author because I do like I go through that hashtag every single day and I try to respond to people and connect with them, yeah it’s been pretty cool.
Jay Willis: Well so, if you are the just kind of sum up you as the author, if you were to say or state I guess a goal, if somebody just read your book and they set it down – like what would you want them to walk away with? Or what application or what message would you want to have? What would you want their takeaway to be?
George Couros: I think one of the things I say in the book and I tell audiences all the time when I speak to them is that somebody somewhere is doing the exact same thing you say you can’t do – they’re just finding a way and their thinking is the thing that’s shaping that direction. And I think that is probably the biggest takeaway from a book, is that you can have two schools literally across the street from each other with the same access to resources, same budget per kid and everything. And one school is just flying and the other school is really held back, and really what’s different is the way that the one school thinks. It’s not anything else, and I‘m trying to get people to understand that and start to look differently at what faces that because there will never be a time in education where we’re not facing adversity. We will always face adversity and so how we look at these things, how we solve things, how we move forward and bring these ideas to action is really what’s going to differentiate the amazing schools from the average ones. It’s really not necessarily anything else.
Jay Willis: Yeah. Well so, what would you suggest to a listener who is a school administrator? What are some things they can do to help draw out that innovation mindset from their teachers?
George Couros: I think they need to model it, for one. I think that’s really crucial is how we have, how we shape our thinking – like the principal I mentioned earlier in the podcast. I talk a lot about her and how she gets me to think differently about stuff and so, this is where leadership is so crucial and how you think and how you lead. Chris Kennedy talks about the idea of the culture of yes, how do we support people with these ideas, how do we get them to think differently, how do we get them to push things? And one of the things that I understand is that, every time you say no to an idea from one of your teachers, that “no” can resonate a lot longer than that original question. So if they hear it too many times, sometimes people just feel defeated and they’re just done and they won’t even try anything anymore. Whereas when people get excited about your ideas it changes the dynamic and I think the book is meant to be written for anyone that wants to create meaningful change in our schools. So it’s not necessarily principals, not necessarily superintendents and it’s not limited to teachers.
And in fact if you’re a superintendent who doesn’t want to change maybe the book’s not for you. Maybe you want to stay the same but as the world continues to move if you stand still you’ll eventually fall behind. And I think that embracing that mindset in the way you do things and questioning – like I always tell people that when they walk in their schools and they go and look, even if you’ve been there 10 years, pretend you’ve been there for 1 day. Look at everything, start to ask questions, start to look and ask yourself why do we do this? Because we get so comfortable with how things look that we tend to like stick in that same space and I think we have to start asking more questions about why we do what we do.
And there’s a question I talk about it I ask people at times, “What is actually more important to teach to our kids today – how to write a blog post or how to write an essay?” And people automatically assume that when I’m saying it, because I do embrace technology, that obviously I think it’s a blog post. But the reality of it is, the reason I ask the question is because we just…how many times do we teach essays because we’re supposed to teach essays? And we don’t even question, we don’t even ask. There’s so many great elements of writing that are taught when you’re teaching an essay, but there’s also elements of a blog post that we never teach when teaching an essay, like we don’t teach kids how to like embed videos, we don’t teach kids how to like grab media and reference it properly and those little things. And both of those skills are actually needed in my opinion but to a teacher who continuously wrote an essay every single year but never paid attention to why since the 1st year, that’s why I ask the question. It’s not to say you’re doing it wrong, it’s to say why are you doing that? Like, why are you actually doing this? I think that’s what’s really crucial from every perspective of an education is that we can easily fall into, “Well, we’ve always used a textbook” right? Yeah. But why, right? So I think people need to start asking those questions.
Jay Willis: Yeah. Yeah, that reminds me of the book Start With Why by Simon Sinek. And just how when people really understand the why…that they’re there doing the right things but then they’re also much more motivated to do these right things.
George Couros: Yeah and the first part of the book is actually really defining why innovation and education is important. Like why it is – to make a case for it at the beginning, not to just jump into this stuff. And I think that’s I took a lot…and I know that I reference Simon Sinek several times in my blog and my book and that little TED talk has had an impact on so many people. It’s been pretty cool to watch.
Jay Willis: Yeah. Well that’s awesome. If you’re good on time I’m going to roll through some rapid fire questions if you’re ready for those? So first off what’s the best leadership advice you’ve ever received?
George Couros: Just to listen more I guess, just to kind of listen and build from where people at not to try to really get them to go where you want them to go at that moment. I think it’s easier to sometimes pull people than push them, if that makes sense.
Jay Willis: Yeah. Well are there any tips you’d recommend for being more effective as a listener?
George Couros: Actually listening? (Laughter)
Jay Willis: Well I mean, because I know as a school leader there’s just a billion things going on in the school and so at any given point you could be thinking about 1 or 50 of those billion things. I mean, what are some things I guess that you did to help you be more effective at just saying “Okay I’m gonna cut out all the noise right now and I’m gonna focus 100% on the person who’s sitting in front of me.”
George Couros: I think is kind of just going over what they’re saying in your head. I think it’s like really trying to listen but for me, like, I’m a very anxious person, I do have a million things going on in my head at any given time, and so it’s really hard to calm that down but really trying to like I said earlier trying to listen from their perspective, and work from there backwards. I mean…not just like saying “Okay well thanks for that anyways here’s what I was going to say anyway.” So like oh “Okay I understand this” and actually sometimes understanding…I find that sometimes we get really frustrated with teachers that are doing things that we don’t necessarily agree with, that we also used to do. That make sense, right? So one of the things I see on Twitter all the time – you’ll see someone who started a Twitter account 2 years ago and they’ll be like, “Aw, how come not everyone’s on Twitter? You’re missing such a great opportunity!” And I’m like, I’ve been on here since 2009 so, like, where were you for 5 years? And my brother would be like, “I was here since 2007” and just understanding that, that people tend to embrace things at different points and just kind of being comfortable with that. And really what I think is really crucial is that it’s not that I need everybody doing this at this point, I need everybody moving all the time. Like I need everyone moving forward and learning and I think that’s when you’re trying to build an organization that’s technically meant to be a learning organization the focus is, that you are learning, not necessarily what you learn at that moment. And so the openness to continuous growth, the openness to flexibility and so, not everyone’s going to embrace what you do at that moment. Are they moving forward; are they learning or are they stagnant? That’s what we have to differentiate.
Jay Willis: Yeah and if it used to be an issue for you, you probably have some good insight as to how you could speak to that for someone else, right?
George Couros: I still think there’s a ton I can learn about teaching and continuous growth because there’ll always be a deeper understanding of the art and of science teaching but God, if I look back at when I first started teaching how terrible I was compared to now, oh geez right? But at least I’m not the same as I used to be. I think that’s what’s important and maybe 10 years from now I’ll think, “What I was doing then?”, right? (Laughter) So I think that is important to recognize if you really truly look back, I don’t know many teachers that just started off amazing. They developed over time.
Jay Willis: Yeah, I think I would guess the more experience you have kind of the more you have to learn to be patient with those people who are kind of just starting off on their journey and just acknowledging, as long as they’re headed the right direction it’s great and they’re growing as people, great…and I’m sure you have to kind of step in and say “Ok yeah, you shouldn’t say that kind of stuff in a group setting or whatever.” But, still acknowledge that “hey, this person is where I was 15 years ago.”
George Couros: Or 2. Or 6 months ago. Right. (Laughter) Yeah, because like all the time we discover something that’s the best thing ever why isn’t it I was doing this, right? And I think that’s kind of…I mean that’s important to understand. I used to be like “if you’re not on Twitter you’re really becoming totally irrelevant” and I don’t think that way now. I just don’t. I do think that we need to be in spaces where you can access ideas for more than just your school, though. It just doesn’t necessarily have to be on Twitter and I think that understanding that my thinking…and the beautiful thing is that’s been the beauty of my portfolio – that I’ve actually been able to see my differences in thinking. Like I used to say technology is just a tool and now I don’t say that. Now I look at it as something more transformational, not simply just a tool. And so, I think that understanding that I’ve changed my perspective and I’ve grown over time – I think that’s a good thing. Where some people are just not open that growth and development.
Jay Willis: Yeah. Yeah I actually just redid episode 1 of this podcast for that reason. Because like going back and listening to the 1st episode is just painful because I’ve had a chance to do – this is…I just posted my 70th interview since like December 16th I think is when this launched, and I went back and listened to episode 1 and I was like “ah that’s just painful to listen to.” But of course I was open to that and I said “Okay if I was doing it again or doing it over now, what would I change?” and I’m hoping to create that like within the next week.
George Couros: Well it’s actually interesting is that when I talk about the portfolio all the time, we don’t appreciate starting point as much and I think when you’re doing podcasting and when you’re talking about this you are in some ways developing somewhat of a portfolio for podcasting, right? There’s this really great article that I read and it showed an artist’s progression from 2 years old to 28 and it showed pictures they had drawn every single year from that time. Now, to be honest, when he was 2, he was pretty good for a 2-year-old. Like I was like it’s pretty good, right? But it was still a child’s drawing and they show the progression and you can see like probably around 13 or 14 they got really, really good and at 28 they were absolutely amazing. But when I see the picture – if you just showed me the picture, the initial one, I would look at them and be like “Yeah, that was pretty cool.” But when I look at at it and it’s compared to their progression, it looks amazing. Yeah. If that makes sense, right? Because you’ve seen that growth, you’ve seen that willingness to develop over time and you see where they started from. And I think that that’s a really crucial thing with teaching is that you kind of document and see that growth in a meaningful way to kids and they can see where they came from, not just where they are right now. Like how often does a kid go, “Hey I did this well this year, look where I was where I was on my 2013 report card.” Like I don’t think we compare those things, right? You get your report card and you put it away and you may never look at it again. Probably few people actually to that.
Jay Willis: Yeah I feel like we don’t take enough time in general, just as a culture to kind of celebrate the victories. I feel like a lot of times we’re so hard on ourselves and potentially cynical and I feel like – not that you should live there, not that you should constantly be like you were talking about earlier Al Bundy thinking about the glory days. I mean you don’t want to live there either, but at the same time like as it’s happening it’s really okay look back once in a while and see where you’ve come from and acknowledge that yes I have I’ve really grown a lot.”
George Couros: Yeah absolutely. But although I would like to be back at those days. (Laughter) I already said I’d like to be back in those days! I was just thinking “man that was awesome, I wish I could play high school basketball.” So I don’t know if I agree with your there! (Laughter) And I had no money and no debt – those were the days! I do think that the organizations that I’ve worked with over the years, the ones that are like the most forward-thinking, doing the best stuff, they are never…they celebrate but are never satisfied. The term is like “relentless restlessness”, but they do take that time to appreciate and have that as part of their culture. But they’re like “Okay we did a really great here but let’s keep going.”
And I think you have to have that balance of both, right? Yeah. And I think that I see where some school districts totally talk about how awesome they are but, it’s the same thing – they’re talking about being awesome for the last 5 years and they don’t even realize maybe how far they’ve fallen behind other places because they’ve been just so busy celebrating their awesomeness that they’re not looking to do this, right? I talk about how Blockbuster basically had the chance to acquire Netflix and they said like, “nah, we’re good” and now look at that decision, right? And they were just like “Hey, we have this awesome company – why would we want to buy your little Internet company? What good could you do for us?” and so, right? Yeah. Kind of along those – I think Netflix was already doing well. They were making a lot of money and then they started creating their own T.V. shows and movies. And I would say probably House of Cards is my favorite show. So like House of Cards, Master of None, these are all at Netflix shows and I would be very surprised that in their initial mandate that they were like, “We’re going to become an Internet company, we’re going to make our own T.V. shows, but they started doing those things and it’s been pretty amazing to watch. And even the same with how they made House of Cards and how they knew how successful they would be at that time was really interesting. They actually – this is this is what I read so I hope it’s accurate – but they basically have access to what viewers like and how they are rating stuff and so a lot of people, gave high ratings to political dramas, and a lot of people gave high ratings to Kevin Spacey movies. So they said “let’s do a political drama with Kevin Spacey” so they kind of knew it was going to be a hit before it even aired. So that’s why they’re comfortable giving 10 show contracts as opposed to like 3 show pilots to see what happens, right? They’re going into it with data in a way to help shape the innovation moving forward, which is really interesting.
Jay Willis: Yeah. Yeah well and that story about Blockbuster it probably, I guess that the message that I pull from that and then it sounds like it’s probably the message kind of throughout the book, is that it’s just constant growth – like, never be complacent. Certainly celebrate the victories, but just constantly be looking for ways that you can grow and be innovative so that you don’t ever become irrelevant.
George Couros: Yeah and I think that is so subjective to where you’re at, right? So this is after the book, this is – because I’m still learning, I’m not like “Well, I talked about innovation and I’m done.” So there’s still growth for me. But I talked about – and this is a really simple thing that I’m going to share. I was with a school district and I actually made them a Google form, talked about how I could acquire the reflections really quickly and you can use that to help shape the workshop and how I could use it for different things in classrooms how I’d use it to shape instructional leadership and I just went on and on and on. And the people in the room were like totally blown away by what I was showing them and so, what I gathered from that experience is that, that isn’t innovation to me anymore; it’s just what I do. It’s become a my best practice, whereas to that group it’s now an innovation; now they’re going to start thinking differently about doing that and eventually, if it is truly innovation which is the notion of becoming and doing better, is that it actually becomes the best practice. That will be something they’ll really embrace.
Jay Willis: Yeah. So next question in my rapid fire questions here. I’m loving this conversation. What would you say was your biggest strength as a school leader?
George Couros: Well, what I would say and what others would say… (laughter) I think what people appreciate about me is my ability to connect with people, my relationships. And I think I was pretty young when I started as a principal and I think that young sometimes equates to not experienced and there can be some misperceptions of that and for whatever reason and I think some of my teachers on my staff were probably nervous about that. But then they saw how I interact with kids and they saw how I interact with staff (I think mostly with the kids) and once they knew that I really cared about kids and was there to do what I could for them and was there to be supportive, I think that it gave me a lot more leeway to screw up if that makes sense? Not horribly but, they knew I was there with the right intentions because yeah I think that for me, building relationships is really core and I think there’s a lot of really smart people, really smart educators and brilliant minds, brilliant minds but their lack of ability to connect with people is what holds them back. Yeah. One of my mentors and his name is David Passik(?) he was a former principal, this guy – I’ve never heard so many staff say how much they love their principal. Everyone just seemed to love him – I can’t find one person who’s ever said anything bad about him. But he told me “a teacher that can build relationships and doesn’t understand how to teach the curriculum can last a lot longer than the one who can teach the curriculum and can’t build relationships.” Yeah. So, so that’s always resonated with me.
Jay Willis: Yeah. Well, I’d guess some of that – would you say that some of that kind of came from growing up in your family’s restaurant and just seeing the way they connected with people?
George Couros: Yeah, totally and I think that watching my family and understanding that…I’m sure people complained about food and stuff but my parents just were awesome with how they treated them and how they connected with people. And kind of growing up in that environment, I think it really shaped me. Like my mom doesn’t shake anyone’s hands; she only hugs people and growing up in that type of family was really awesome for me. It really made a difference. I think that as a speaker, one of my goals is to build rapport as quickly as possible. How do I stand up on a stage and in 5 minutes build rapport that people will see my experiences as their experiences and how do I do that quickly? I think my parents were in that same place, where you just try to build rapport as quickly as possible. It’s not just eating food; it’s creating an experience for them.
Jay Willis: Yeah. Well I’m sure you’ve probably worked with some people who maybe that wasn’t natural for them. You talked about just how there’s lots and lots of really smart people who have a hard time just connecting and building that relationship. Are there any good resources that you’d suggest – either books or anything like that that you’d recommend that would maybe help get somebody started on the path to how to develop those relationships?
George Couros: To be honest here I don’t know of any books. I think…my blog – I focus on it quite a bit. And so just looking at something differently…like if you are complaining about supervision, how do we redirect people to understand it’s a really great opportunity to connect with kids that you usually wouldn’t connect with? That’s a mind shift. I remember I used to complain like, “Man, I do not want to go outside. I do not want to do this.” And one of my principals said to me, “This is a really great opportunity for you to connect with kids.” So if you see it that way, it’s going to be awesome for you to do it and it did make me think differently. I think the suggestions are – like, it’s the same online for me, is that I really encourage people to be themselves online, to not only share the educational part, but share parts of themselves. And it’s not to forego your privacy, which people misconstrue all the time. That’s not what I’m saying at all. Like I talk about my family, I talk about my dogs, I talk about just things that I think are funny because those are things I would’ve totally done with kids and I always say that the best teachers in the world don’t only know their kids – their kids know them, they feel a personal connection to that and I think that’s really important to focus on.
Jay Willis: Well, I have certainly met speakers before who weren’t exactly the same in person as they were up on stage and to me it just always just impressed upon me how exhausting that must be , because for me it just it would be really hard for me to be one kind of person in one setting but then just be a completely different person in another. Now maybe they’ve done it for so long that they’re really effective at that but I guess for me at least my personality, I think it would be very difficult for me to feel congruent if that’s the way I was and eventually feel burnt out and exhausted because it couldn’t be real.
George Couros: Yeah and to be honest with you – I know you mentioned Tony Senanis. Tony and I connected a lot online. He sent me a message before he was going to see me speaking, and it was like, “Please don’t be a terrible person.” (Laughter) I was like, “Tony, trust me here”, right? So since he saw me speak, since he came to the day and we connected, him and I have been very good friends since. We were good friends before we met but since then…but I will I will be honest is that sometimes speaking and I don’t want it to sound like a complaint, it can be exhausting. A lot of people don’t see behind the scenes like, I think last year I was speaking in South Carolina and I was in Memphis the night before and just plane troubles and da da da, and all this other stuff, so I actually had to drive from Atlanta to like South Carolina. I think 5 hours at like 12AM. And so I didn’t get in until like 5, I hadn’t had a shower, I didn’t have my luggage and so…but then you’ve got to be on, right, you’ve got to be on and ready to go.
So here I am 24 hours without sleep and I go through the day and I go out of my way to like make sure that I build connections not only during the conference like not just when I’m speaking but I usually it’s pretty rare that I just speak and leave. It does happen once a while, depending on schedule and if I have to catch a flight but I try not to, but I am actually what would be considered an ambivert. So I have very introverted qualities but I can be an extrovert when I need to be. And being around people can be very tiring for me sometimes and so I know that when I’m getting to a point where I might start getting a little bit snappy or I’m a little angry or hungry kind of thing, I do tend to leave. Because that is part of me, too – like I spent a lot of time at home watching T.V. and just chilling out, relaxing and not talking. And my wife is very supportive and she’s great because she understands that I need some of that just quiet time. So I’ve seen where people criticize speakers because they may not have face time with them or stuff like that. But you never know what people are like and so I just try to assume the best. People are different and they connect at different levels.
But I do make such a conscious effort to connect with people, like if I’m having lunch there to sit with people I don’t know and just hang out with them. And yeah, a lot of the people I connect with at conferences aren’t on Twitter, they don’t do some of that stuff and then they hang out with me and they’re like, “Hey, I’d like to talk to you again”, and I’m like “Hey, I’m on Twitter, and that would be awesome.” I was in California on the weekend and like I said I’m an ambivert and so, as soon as the conference was done, because it’s a lot of energy to connect and be “on” with people, I usually will do this – I go to Starbucks, I’ll find the closest Starbucks, throw on like the biggest headphones I have and then I’ll go through the hashtags and I’ll reach out to people who tweeted me or anything or answer their questions and so it gives me a little bit of space but it shows that connection after time but it does it in a way that’s comfortable for me and I think people really appreciate that. So I spend a lot of time after sessions connecting with those people in a meaningful way and they see how powerful it can be. So I do try to make the effort at that. Yeah. These are all things I do when I have a chance.
Jay Willis: So, is the term ambivert? I thought it was omnivert. So for those listening who have no idea what he’s talking about. I’m actually I have a degree in psychology and so like I’ve always been fascinated with the whole Myers Briggs and introvert/extrovert thing and it certainly doesn’t mean – like for introverts, because I probably lean a little bit more toward Introvert, it doesn’t mean that you don’t like people. It just means that you draw energy and you recharge while you’re alone, not when you’re around people and an extrovert, you just kind of you get energized being around people. And then ambivert is you could kind of go either way, right?
George Couros: Yeah I think that’s really like the thing is that, when you are – people will talk about Twitter celebrities like, “Aw, they weren’t that friendly in person.” I think some of those people are just really introverted and they feel more comfortable sharing online. They just do. That’s their contribution and they feel more comfortable because they might have more control over the situation. I don’t know what would be the actual explanation so when people say “Oh, no, I met this person they weren’t that talkative.” But it doesn’t mean that they’re not a good person; they might interact differently. I have some very good friends that are always on Twitter, they share stuff, they’re very funny and then you hang out with them they don’t say anything. And they’re not bad people; it’s just not their space. Sometimes they just don’t like that. It doesn’t mean they don’t have social skills, because I’m very good friends of people who were very introverted when I was in high school and they had nowhere to share their voice. And they have a lot of amazing things to say. And I think that gives options that weren’t there before. When I want to get my time to myself I have to block it; it’s almost like therapy for me. I get ideas percolating my head and it’s just a way to get them out of me. But yeah I know that speaking – and I’m so appreciative of the opportunity to get to meet so many people also about but I’m also very cognizant of my own time. I’m very cognizant of my time when I just get to be myself.
Jay Willis: Yeah. Well so obviously The Innovator’s Mindset is a fantastic book that everyone listening should definitely check out if they haven’t yet, but in addition to that – and I actually had a chance to have Dave Burgess on the show just a couple episodes ago so. It hasn’t released yet but it’ll release actually just a little bit before this one airs, and Teach Like a Pirate, that’s obviously a great book, but are there any books that you would recommend for other school leaders that have made a big impact on you?
George Couros: Probably one of the books that really changed my thinking was Drive by Dan Pink. He talks about motivation; I love that book. It just opened up so many doors for me. I love anything by Barry Schwartz. He talks about basically the paradox of choice in one; I can’t remember the other book. His TED Talks are amazing. Those to me are really, really good books. One that I’m reading right now that I find really interesting is called The Originals by Adam Grant and he talks about people coming up with original ideas, like where they come up from and how they develop it. Stephen Johnson’s stuff…I didn’t fully read his last book. I can’t remember the title but he talks a lot about innovation. His books are really interesting. Like I said, none of those are educators they’re all business books to some extent but yeah they’re really really good ones but if I had to pick one it would be Drive by Dan Pink. It would be one of my favorites ever.
Jay Willis: So, what advice would you have for a school leader as far as working with the students that they serve?
George Couros: Just take every opportunity to get to know kids. One of the things that I found really powerful in the work that I did was I never had to be mad at a kid. I just had to be disappointed and that was punishment enough. But that takes relationship building, right? One of the things that when kids got in trouble and were sent to the office, these are two things I did all the time. (And this is my go to.) I would say “Why are you here?” And I wouldn’t move on until they told me. And so some kids wouldn’t say anything. I’d say “Okay well I’m going to sit here until you tell me why you’re here.” I think that what you’re trying to get them to do is take ownership over what’s going on and that’s a really important thing but that other little interesting thing is you’ll sometimes hear, a teacher will say like “this kid was here and they did this and they did this.” Then when you ask the kid why they’re here, they’re telling you like 10 other things, because they have no idea what you know, so it’s like “Oh my god, this is really bad”, right? It’s always kind of funny.
But you have to be patient, right? And then once we get through the odd parts then I just say “what would you do if you were me as a principal?” And so they start working out their consequences and usually kids are like way worse on themselves than the adult would be, right? Like a kid swore and he’ll say he should be expelled. I’ll be like, “I don’t know – that’s probably a little bit harsh.”(Laughter) And you ask them for some other ideas and so you try to get them to think about this. Well what I’m trying to do through the process…first of all – think about when you get a ticket from a cop. He pulls you over and “Hey, you’re speeding and here’s your ticket” and they just go on their way. And the first thing you think is like, “What a jerk. ” You don’t think, “Yeah they are totally right. I’ll never do this again.” And you’re often place blame on that person who just kind of like didn’t even take the time and didn’t care about your story, were just like “you did something wrong” and wrote you the ticket.
I didn’t want that mentality and so when I am not having to speak they’re not thinking what a jerk, they’re like thinking of their own actions and then basically to self-regulate after the notion of why are they doing this? Like, what would they do, what do they see as a way to do this? Because you’re trying to help that kid develop as a human being, that when you’re not there, and nobody makes the consequence for them that they understand, they don’t do something wrong or whatever.
I think that that really helped me because it really taught me a lot about listening and being patient. And doing this is like, I would just sit with kids in the office and I would be eating my lunch and I would say “hey, anytime you’re ready. I’ll just put my lunch down but we’re not leaving until you tell me why you’re here.” And I wouldn’t say anything because…it’s funny, my secretary is like “What did you say? There are these kids coming out your office just bawling” I didn’t say anything – this was just them, like this is their own thing they’re dealing with right now, right? Because they place it so much on themselves as opposed to me doing this, right? I think if you’re really trying to help kids have those strategies, but you’re like, “I can’t believe you did this, this is your punishment, da da da…” Did that actually help the kid after the fact? Like are you using that punishment later to do this? But to be honest with you, going back to the original question, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do that if I didn’t build up that rapport with these kids first. I wanted to ensure that my first interaction with the kid was not in my office, right? I wouldn’t want to say to a kid, “What’s your name again?” Because then it’s already impersonal.
Jay Willis: Yeah. Well so, kind of along those lines what piece of advice would you have for a school leader as far as working with the other teachers?
George Couros: I think just having conversations with them, working backwards trying to understand where they’re at and when I talk to people about being a new principal, my advice is to say when you go into the school the very first thing you do is you sit back and you try to learn what’s going on. Trying to understand what people are doing. And a more concrete that people can do is literally have a spreadsheet of every single person that’s in that building and then beside it, write something they’re awesome at and try to build from there. Trying to understand what their strengths are and until you’re able to do that you shouldn’t implement any change. So that’s one of the suggestions I always have. Because when people know they’re valued they will go the ends of the earth for you. And I’ve learned that through a lot of school leaders.
Jay Willis: Yeah. It’s good advice. I should do that with my own team.
George Couros: Yeah. It’s a great process because you’re looking for the positives right away. Yeah there’s a lot of places that are data driven but that really means they’re weakness focused, because they’re really looking for what they’re doing wrong and they try to fix it, as opposed to using the data to say what are we doing right. Like why? What is leading us to being right in the first place? So I think that is a good lesson for teachers or administrators to think about – find those positives first and work backwards from there, as opposed to what they’re bad at.
Jay Willis: Well, now would you look at that then if you had someone, say, coming to your office – would you kind of look at that before your appointment with them, just kind of remind yourself and get yourself in the right state of mind or how do you cull all that information?
George Couros: Oh I think once you I think once you actively go look for it, it kind of sticks. It’s sincere, right? That leads to a really interesting article; I didn’t tweet it out but I read it yesterday. I don’t know why I didn’t tweet it, because it’s really good. It talked about “the positive sandwich”, where you say something positive and you give ‘em the hard stuff and then you end with a positive. And I hate that to be honest with you; I don’t like that approach at all. But so many people use it so you’ll think it’s great, but the reason I’ve never liked it is I don’t know many people that are like, “Well, at least they were positive about this!” They totally focus on the negatives, right? A sandwich is made by what the filler is so, if the filler is crap, that’s not a sandwich I ever want to eat! (Laughter) I’m just saying hey give feedback by saying like “You know what? I really appreciate this, and I’m doing this because I want to help you grow, but here’s something I’m seeing.” And setting out a different way as opposed to this kind of positive/negative/positive pattern. I think that being clear and turning it more on yourself like saying, “I really want to help you. I want you to be successful so here’s something I’m seeing” is different than, “Hey I really like that you do this. Here’s something I’m concerned about. But I also like this.” That just seems insincere. And when people know that you’re doing it to help them as supposed to punish them, I think it’s a different thing.
Jay Willis: Yeah. Yeah I guess it seems so formulaic that it’s like it could easily go into impersonal it’s like, well I really want to chew this person out but first I have to come up with 2 good things to say about them and then…
George Couros: I would actually, if people did that to me, I’d be like, “Just get to it. Just tell me what’s wrong. I know what’s coming next so just get to it.” Instead of this, “BUT…” (laughter) “BUT…” You know what’s coming, and I just want to be talked to, I know this might sound like a horrible thing, but it’s somewhat almost disrespectful of my time. It’s like you’re adding 2 actual things to do the agenda that will take more time as opposed to just getting to it. Just get to it, let’s move on, let’s move forward with this, or figure it out as opposed to trying to do this. Because it’s like if know that pattern, you already know that negative’s coming up so, I think just being open and honest with people and making sure that…I think if people know that you have their back then they’re more open to the criticism, right? And I think that’s what’s important.
Jay Willis: Yeah give me the criticism without the bread; just straight criticism. (Laughter)
George Couros: Yeah. I’m on a no-carb diet, so… (Laughter)
Jay Willis: So, do you do you have a quote maybe that you’d say is your favorite leadership quote?
George Couros: Well in my book, I say “Change is an opportunity to do something amazing.” And I look at changes that people have in their lives and how do they embrace them and how do they see them as opportunities. I even wrote a blog post just today about the idea that some people are very reluctant to leave because they’re so scared of changing, even when they’re not in good situations, but sometimes when you actually are more comfortable and you see that change as an opportunity…a lot of times I’ve learned this the hard way. I talked earlier in the podcast about moving from one school to the other – I was terrified, I was done with teaching, and it just totally changed my perspective. And I didn’t realize that at the time. I think my parents coming over Canada they did it to create an opportunity not – and I’m sure they were terrified but they created a pretty amazing life for them. Moving to a country, like you’re literally on a boat moving to a country across the world, not knowing the language and doing all these things, is a lot more daunting than moving from Word to Google Docs, right? (Laughter) The stuff we complain about is a little bit ridiculous compared to what our families went through. That’s one of my quotes that I try to stick by.
Jay Willis: I can imagine, I’m just guessing, I don’t know how many generations were here before I was born – I haven’t really ever gone back and looked at the geology – but I can only imagine that your parents probably I would guess one of the things that they see is how much people take things for granted. Would that be accurate?
George Couros: Yeah. I think it’s kind of interesting because my mom is very traditional and very forward thinking at the exact same time. She grew up in a totally different time and what good parenting looked like…it’s kind of the old notion that if you got in trouble at school and you got a phone call, you’re also going to have trouble at home. Teachers were very comfortable calling the parents and telling them like things like that. It’s a totally different mentality on what they appreciate. Even my family that’s still in Greece don’t necessarily, I don’t want to say don’t work as hard as we do, but they don’t place the value on your career or job as much as we do. They just really appreciate simple things and having dinner together and a lot differently than here. It’s just kind of interesting because when I go back to visit my family in Greece it’s totally so awesome to fall back into that way of life and it’s hard to come home.
When you introduced me today, to be honest with you, usually on Fridays, when I was a principal I would stay at school til 8 or 9PM because nobody was there. That was when I could do the kind of work I had to do. And usually I would just go home because I was tired anyways, so I’d just thought I’d stay there. But the rest that week I would be out of the school probably by 4:00. That’s a horrible thing for me to say because part of who I was, was someone who liked to run, someone who liked to play sports, someone who liked to do other things, and I needed that. And to stay in school for another 3 or 4 hours after, I found really as a struggle and I think that kids appreciated my love for other things. Sometimes I would do my work at night, sometimes I would do it at different times, sometimes I’d stay a little later just depending on the situation. But a lot of times when you see teachers that stay every night at school until like 9 or 10 o’clock, they have trouble connecting with their students.
Because they’re just about teaching and they’re just kind of stuck in that, whereas like when I see that a lot of times if you truly think about it – is the teacher doing something that the kids should be doing? Like are they just designing and creating stuff so the kids just have it ready to go? Or are they actually doing some other things? Like, the little things that teachers do all over the world is that – I used to go into my classroom a couple weeks early. I’d set it up, I’d design it, I’d do all the stuff to get my classroom ready and…I always think about this – I just love basketball. So all the kids woul;d come to school and all their names would be written on a basketball. Now, imagine that you are the kid who hates sports and you’re like, “I have this guy for a year, this sports nut? Are you kidding me?” So the notion of our room is not totally true; it’s really my room that you’re now in, right? Because I got to design and got the say so. I always challenge teachers to think about – why don’t you just leave that? And have the kids design the room as a wave as they come in? And as you have a conversation and you build this together then it becomes your room, right?
When I say your it’s like I mean all. Like not just the teachers but as a kid and they have some say on it. And it should be distinct – if your room looks the same every single year with different kids, you’re not necessarily focusing on the learner as much as you are the teacher. Now maybe that’s just me being lazy, just me saying why am I doing this stuff, right? (Laughter) But I think part of it if you really look at it deeply, now there’s an ownership of the room and I thought I did some really good stuff when I first started teaching. But there are things that I would never do now. But usually the first hour of the first day of school I would kind of like try to build rapport we do a little of whatever by about 10 o’clock we’re into the syllabus, like “let’s get started getting stuff done” and Tuesday we were like totally rolling. Whereas now – what would it look like if you spent the entire week building rapport with those students? What would that create? And that investment you create earlier, would it actually pay back huge dividends later where kids are more focused, kids are more connected to you and wanting to do better, and some of that is on their own time. And I think that is just a different way of looking at things.
Jay Willis: Yeah, well so I have just kind of a curiosity question. If as a principal, as an author, as a speaker, you have life stuff that happens as well. Like for example when you’re talking about how you had to drive and you basically got very little to no sleep before you had to present. So how do you effectively in that position, how do you bring it consistently? Like what do you do I guess to get in the right frame of mind so that you can kind of like just check your baggage, check your everything you have going on at home, like just everything that’s just bouncing around in your mind. How do you check that so you can be that fully present person in whatever scenario you happen to be, in whether it’s speaker or whether you’re a principal? Just how do you bring it every day?
George Couros: Well, when I was a principal, this is one thing I told my teachers is that if you feel like you’re on the verge of a meltdown and you’re just struggling mentally to deal with kids, take a day off. I don’t need you to have a cold, I don’t need you to have the flu, I don’t need you to do those things because if you’re struggling to make it through the week and you give 5 days and you’re not great, but if you just took 1 day to yourself and just checked your mental health, and then you’re awesome for 4 days, I’d rather have that. And so, I think that understanding that we have to be comfortable with some of that stuff, be comfortable with basically that just because we can’t see stress and anxiety doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist and kind of doing that. I just think that sometimes you have to just realize when you need a day and you need some time to recuperate, so I’ve been really appreciative of that.
I’ve known stories of teachers that brag about how they never missed a day of school ever and then have heart attacks a year after they retire. Did they take good care of themselves in that process? So you have to just kind of understand where you’re at, why you’re here and to be comfortable that it’s not – sometimes when you acknowledge when you’re struggling it’s not a sign of weakness but it’s a sign of strength. And that’s a really important thing to do. That’s just personal and it’s something I really encourage my teachers to think about. I don’t want them there necessarily when they’re really struggling and so to try to recognize that. And when you say that to people I think they’re more comfortable with you and they recognize that that they’re human being as a teacher, not just a teacher, if that makes sense.
Jay Willis: Yeah, kind of like people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. I would I would assume that really communicates to them I really care about you as a person first. Absolutely. Yeah. All right so last question – if you had a time machine and you could jump in it and go back to the point in time when you first made the decision to go into school leadership, what advice would you go back and give to the younger version of yourself?
George Couros: Just to appreciate the moments and appreciate the opportunity that you’re in right then. For me, when I was a vice principal, I really loved it and I really appreciated it every single day, but I was already thinking about becoming a principal. I think that was in my 2nd year, so it was 2 years before I became a principal after being a vice principal. So in my 2nd year I just thought, “You know what, I’m just gonna do awesome stuff” and if I do that then when I become a principal… like to be a principal kind of ___ me instead of me just actively going for it. And that’s kind of what I’ve always focused on. You see people like…and I don’t want to make assumptions here, but really trying to make a name, trying to do this, and trying to do this, and trying to do this…and my focus is like if you do great work, those opportunities will find you eventually. So just focus on doing the great work. And that will happen for you. It’s great to have goals and aspirations and things like that, but really try to appreciate that moment and do your best at that time because when you do that it really hugely benefits those kids that are in front of you. And that is noticed. For sure.
Jay Willis: That kind of speaks to an earlier question – just how do you bring it all the time? I would that maybe one of the issues occasionally that people have, especially driven people who are kind of in leadership and they’re thinking about the next thing, once I become a principal then it’s going to be awesome and then once they reach that position they begin thinking about maybe once I’m a superintendent or once I’m…they’re always kind of looking at that next goal and I would think that living that way makes it very difficult for you to be fully present and so I would think that just taking the advice that you’re giving, just enjoying where you’re at – that really has a lot to do with your ability to be fully engaged and fully present.
George Couros: Yeah. For people that are aspiring to go into leadership, then just do an amazing job. Do that and people will notice. Just focus on that; just do great stuff.
Jay Willis: Yeah. Well so, finally if one of our listeners wants to reach out to you after the show, what would be the best way to connect with you?
George Couros: My email is georgecouros@gmail.com and you can connect with @gcouros on Twitter. My blog is georgecouros.ca and you can just Google George Couros and you’ll find 10 million ways to connect with me. And usually people use all 10 million, right? They’ll DM me and send me and email, just kind of like whack-a-mole wherever they are, send me a Vox, hit me up on Skype…
Jay Willis: So choose one of those methods to reach out, right? (Laughter) Well, Edu-Leaders this has been a great interview today. For the show notes of today’s show and other resources visit educatorslead.com and type the word George into the search tool to find his show notes. George, thank you for sharing your journey with us today.
George Couros: Thank you. I really appreciate you having me and it’s really been a great connecting with you.
Jay Willis: And that wraps up another episode of Educators Lead. This podcast is brought to you by Mometrix, the #1 test preparation company. Mometrix offers study materials for over 1800 different exams including the SAT, ACT, GED, and of course, state standards exams like the STAAR, teacher certification exams, Advanced Placement, CLEP, ASVAB, GRE, and so many more. Mometrix takes the mountain of information students could be tested on for any given exam and boils it all down to just the golden nuggets of information that are most likely to be on the exam. They get all that along with some great study tips and test-taking strategies to help students maximize their test scores. With our interactive tutorial videos and a layout that makes lesson plainly easy. Mometrix study guides, flashcards and practice questions are a great fit for individual or classroom use. To learn more about our products and our vault of hundreds of free tutorial videos, please visit educatorslead.com/testprep. That’s educatorslead.com/testprep
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Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific U-Boat Missions
Developer: Ubisoft Romania Publisher: Ubisoft Entertainment Category: Simulation
Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific U-Boat Missions extends the gameplay experience of Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific by focusing on the historically accurate but largely unknown German U-boat campaign in the Indian Ocean during World War II. U-Boat Missions offers players a variety of new features and content including an entirely fresh and innovative strategic element, new playable submarines, an improved navigation map, improved upgrade system, and more. Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific U-Boat Missions is an essential addition for any simulation fan.
Latest Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific U-Boat Missions Screenshots
Latest Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific U-Boat Missions News
Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific U-Boat Missions - Screens 12:00 - 20 11 2007
Ubisoft Romanian has released new screens from Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific U-Boat Missions, the upcoming add-on to the Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific submarine simulation.
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Home » Girl Gamer » Stereotypes: Not Just for Ladies
Stereotypes: Not Just for Ladies
Posted by Minnie on Aug 26, 2011 in Girl Gamer | 12 comments
This week, I was going to write about female stereotypes that are damagingly prevalent within video games, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised that men are just as often stereotyped yet the issue isn’t pushed nearly as much. So I thought that this week, I’d give a little more thought to men and the way in which both genders are culturally perceived in such a way as to their detriment in video games, and in society in general.
I’m always intrigued as to why stereotypes against women are seen as so much more of a problem than stereotypes against men. Sexism towards men is laughed at, while sexism towards women is abhorred and unacceptable. I’m going to put forward a few of my own theories which may or may not reflect my actual opinion, please keep that in mind.
Firstly, let me explain what kind of sexism or stereotypes I’m referring to with regards to video games.
How often have we decried the presence of stupidly proportioned women like Ivy from Soul Caliber, yet remained happily quiet about the obscene musculature of someone like Chris Redfield from Resident Evil? If a character has huge breasts, people will immediately jump on the idea that she’s being portrayed as nothing more than a sexual object, yet when Chris Redfield and his ridiculously bulging pectorals ‘muscle’ their way onto the scene, no-one bats an eye lid. I do understand that Ivy is more offensive because of how contrived her outfit it; it serves only to show her breasts, whereas Chris Redfield, despite his obscene musculature, is more appropriately attired. But it still serves as an example of how there is a double standard at play; men and women alike are up in arms about the ridiculous proportions of someone like Ivy leading to skewed views of women, yet the same is never said for the hundreds of hugely muscled men that appear as well.
I think this has a lot to do with the male and female psyche. I am in no way a believer of gender essentialism (the idea that men and women are born fundamentally different in nature, above and beyond their obvious physical differences), I am instead referring to our culturally prescribed natures; this is, of course, a generalisation and can never be applied to every member of a group, it is merely an observation. The cultural socialization processes for men and women is undoubtedly different. How often do you see a small boy fall over and their mother tell them to “be a strong boy and don’t cry” while the little girl falls over and gets a cuddle as she sobs? What this tells us from an incredibly early age is that boys should be boys and girls should be girls and that there are ways for men to behave and there are ways for women to behave.
It seems to me that women are almost taught that they’re the victims and to be wary of any discrimination directed towards them while men are regarded as the bolshy ones who are just meant to accept things and get on with it. They’re taught to almost embrace any stereotype thrown at them. I am not referring to this in a sexist way, I’m merely commenting on what I perceive to be a social phenomenon; what I mean by this victim statement is that in most western cultures, women are assumed to be incapable of wrong doing, while men are assumed to be ‘masculine’ to the point of aggression and a blasé attitude. They’re meant to take things in their stride; women are meant to be on their guard.
Consider these cases: In a divorce, it is nearly always the woman who gets custody of the children, often to the detriment of the father. Cases of domestic abuse against men are hardly ever publicised, (despite the fact that the figures are actually alarming) because in our heads, men are the aggressive and domineering sex while women are meek and weaker; women can’t abuse their husbands. And think of male sexual harassment or even rape, something apparently considered hilarious if we are to take societies word for it. In the recent film Horrible Bosses one of the main characters is sexually assaulted repeatedly and in a variety of ways by his female boss (from being locked in a room by her while she stands there naked to being knocked unconscious by her and having compromising pictures taken of him while unaware) and apparently that’s laughable because men are such sex crazed maniacs that any attention from females is good attention, even if it was against their will. If the same scenes had been with a man sexually assaulting a woman, we would all be rightfully disgusted and the scene would in no way be funny, yet it seems to be only me left unamused when the tables are turned.
So when female characters have huge breasts that jiggle we get defensive, yet when male characters have huge muscles that flex and bulge, we don’t say a word. I know you could boil it down to breasts being considered sexual and muscles less so but at the end of the day, it is still a case of both sexes being objectified in a way potentially psychologically harmful to those watching, yet only one of the cases is considered a problem. If we are to say that women can develop low self-esteem because of the plethora of images and characters possessing unattainable beauty, who is to say that men don’t feel the same? Society is apparently, because men are just meant to be ‘manly’ and not give a damn. But the truth is they are allowed to give a damn, they should give a damn, and it is no less ‘masculine’ for them to do so.
It also comes down the social idea that men can’t be sexualised because being sexualised implies you don’t desire the attention, however, men apparently always desire the attention – they have rampant, ungovernable sexual desires – while women are the ones who are meant to deflect such sexual attention because women are the less sexual of the two genders with a lower libido. Writing it out just highlights how wrong, out dated and sexist such a notion is but it is still incredibly prevalent. Just think of the differences between a man being a ‘player’ and a woman being a ‘slut’. You don’t have to go far to find someone who considers this a legitimate label for each gender, regardless of them engaging in exactly the same behaviour.
This isn’t quite as video game focused as I intended when I first started writing but, like any other art form such as literature, movies or music, video games reflect societal norms and values. Until men realise they don’t have to accept these insulting stereotypes portrayed in the media and until society and media in general stops portraying men as violent, sexmongering, ‘muscle-heads’, video games will have a hard time shedding these stereotypes also. This isn’t meant to excuse any sexist or stereotypical portrayals in video games, but it might go some way to explaining them.
Ollie Judge / August 26, 2011
Great post, however I do have a different view on the matter being a huge gaming and comic nerd. In games and comics alike women are portrayed as sex objects basically, with male dominated industries the women are created to be what men want in a woman. Recently this has evened out a tad with the injection of more women creators, but for the longest time women are put forward as a model of lust. For men it is a tad different.
Superman, the perfect alpha male figure is the perfect man. Many characters in popular culture are modeled after him, even Chris Redfield has a superman-esque look. However this look isn’t really sexualised in any way. Superman was created to give men something to live up to, to aim for. But unlike the female model where we expect women to live to these impossible bodily feats, superman’s physique isn’t the key to what superman is. It’s because he’s a hero. In all these games the ripped, perfectly balanced man has attributes beyond his look that give him a heroic feel. Female models in Ivy or the plethora of other big breasted characters that litter games have no depth to them. The males however 99% of the time are people men can look up to and by following the principles the hero’s set forward better themselves, this isn’t the case for the female characters.
Superman, Shepard, Master Chief, Nathan Drake, Batman, all are impossible to reach the level of, but all of them carry traits that make them something to admire. The exception of Duke Nukem, who is a parody of these figures shows us what happens if you take the stereotype of the muscle-bound man to the next level, however he is one in a thousand characters, and if you don’t take him as a joke you don’t understand Duke at all.
Men while displaying impossible traits in games do have good principles behind them, it’s something for us to look up to, not to attain. Women however seemed to have drawn the short straw and are expected to attain these impossible traits and act like the lowest of humanity.
Minnie / August 29, 2011
I do think you’re right, women have pulled the short straw either way you look at it but although I mentioned sexualisation, my main feeling was that it’s another contributor to the unrealistic body desires of those playing. It could be that this phenomenon is total bollocks but regardless, both genders should be portrayed in a sympathetic way (Chris Redfield is just a little too WTF for me :P Superman I can understand, he’s from another planet and has super powers, he’s not constrained by the principles of normal human musculature but Chris Redfield was meant to look realistic…) Although, you’re undeniably right, the muscled man represents a lot more than the vacuous large breasted woman, through no fault of the women obviously, it’s just a case of ‘made for men by men’. Thanks Ollie for your comment :)
NinRac / August 26, 2011
Very good job to go in this direction and view things from the other side of the situation. Also great way to start and one specific example for excessive muscles is the Cho Aniki brothers. They might be before your “gaming era” but you can’t miss them. Talk about super buff men XD
I do agree very much with you that it is how we are raising our society as more to blame than game design but they are falling into suit because it’s easier for society to relate to and “easier to go with the flow than swim against the current”. Good analysis and I would also add onto it how overall (since we know there are plenty of exceptions) would be that men are the “destroyers” while women are the “repairers/creators”.
I think your example from Horrible Bosses is a fantastic analysis and I have even explained to people on multiple occasions on how men CAN be raped (I admit it is unlikely by “society’s perspective” but women can “tie down a guy and force his penetration into her”…some still fight against the definition of it not being raped because “she” didn’t penetrate “him” but that is a misunderstood conception and it still would count as the guy being raped by the woman). I don’t know of an exact case but I am saying it still is possible (and some women are capable of such “sick” or “desperate” acts). I do my best to fight the preconceived notion and agree that situation should not be viewed as “amusing” but rather horrid.
I’m not going to say this is a reason but more of my guess as to why imagery is “more damaging” to women than men. Women are constantly subjected to next to impossible standards that only 0.1% of the population appears as…that is a given and we know about those details. For the guys, they are trained and raised to be “the top dog” and be “the best” at everything. To see…we’ll use Redfield as an example…it is a challenge given to them to strive to surpass…kinda like a goal that they will seek to eagerly surpass…kinda like “beating the boss of the game” goal. I’m not saying every guy on the planet is trying to be “Mr. Strongman” but because they are raised to always “strive for #1 and be the pack leader” and “suck it up”, that (at least on the outside) they appear less of an effect. Are all of these guys possible of being “Chris Redfield” like (just to stick with the article’s example) every woman possible of having “Ivy’s physique”? Just as equally between genders I would say (and am pretty sure you’re saying that a few times in this article). For those guys who can’t, they just have to “not give a damn” or “suck it up” and be “the best” at something else to make up for it.
I do agree with you on that “double standard” of “player vs slut”. It’s just begging to degrade women to a far greater level (especially since the guy gets praise while the woman gets called “whore” in addition and have witnessed it many times). Also, I hate it when it still is applied to a couple who has been completely faithful to eachother for year(s) and “just now are doing it for the first time” and both of those labels still come up. For the guy, I guess that is okay because it is a term of praise (allegedly…to me a “player” is a term I wouldn’t consider praise because of how the view of “player” and how a “player” treats a woman is not something to be praised IMO) but the woman who has only done this act once and to a man she has been with definitely should not be treated as such (and also this might be a good point to rant on how chivalry is near completely dead because said “player” should do the responsible and honorable thing by defending the woman’s reputation from the insults).
Luckily for us, not all guys in video games are “insert macho man here” (although I do agree it is much rarer to find a female character that is not the standard “female video game character” appearance). I know of several video games from as far back as NES (before then will be hard to identify except box art…but I wouldn’t count that anyways). A Boy and his Blob, one of my favorite NES games, is a “shrimpy” boy who uses the blob and his clever use of jellybeans to solve puzzles. Solstice has a frail, old wizard running around in a giant maze/dungeon and is almost the exact opposite of the modern portrayal of most guys. As we look through more modern examples they start occurring more often and let’s hope with great journalists like yourself that the same will begin happening for the women portrayal in gaming too.
Hehe, I had to google them but yeah, yikes! Although, it’s pretty evident that they’re meant to be completely over the top. Which actually presents us with exactly the example I was talking about; if it was the same with a female character that just had boobs the size of beachballs, we’d all be outraged. And actually, as much as I have just written about how women are seen in society as the victim and taught to be wary, it is a question of intent. When a man is portrayed like the Cho Aniki brothers, we shrug it off because it doesn’t mean anything to us, possibly for the reasons I have written about, but when it happens with women, we do become defensive because the intent is to highlight the features which make her sexual, thereby demeaning her and reinforcing an objectified idea. It’s a tough one!
Very true, I could name hundreds of female mages as the stereotype is for them to be the nurturing, kindly gender. And by exactly the same token, men are stereotyped into the destroyer role because they’re physically stronger and seen as the emotionally more aggressive gender. Great example :)
It’s definitely possible for a man to be raped but the issue lies in the perception by the male victim. Society has shaped our idea of male sexuality to such an extent that a situation as you’ve just described isn’t viewed as a problematic one, to such an extent that a man would probably just shrug it off if it happened. And that is worrying to me; society sees men as totally unexploitable because they are culturally percieved to welcome every sort of sexual attention which is just untrue, but if a man is deflecting sexual attention, people would accuse him of being ‘unmanly’ or gay. And that really irritates me. Double standards stand staunchly in the way of equality even by definition alone. Equality for women is paramount but equality for men is important too.
I’d definitely agree with you and it ties in with what I said about women being raised victims and men being raised to get on with it. I suppose that, because historically and culturally women have been forced to be the underdog, we’re wary of anything directed towards us in any way and suffer greatly from the presence of all these beautified images because we already feel a lot of pressure. Men, however, have never really had to deal with this media bombardment affecting their mental wellbeing because they’ve always been the top dogs and don’t feel threatened, so they see someone like Chris Redfield and view it, like you said, as a challenge. Whereas women are cautious through necessity. That would be my interpretation :D
To me, if you’re willing to call a man a player for sleeping with 3 women in 2 days, then you should be happy and willing to apply that same label to a woman if she also slept with 3 men in 2 days. It’s as simple as that and it infuriates me to see it said any other way; it’s so degrading and hypocritical to the girl. And as you say, the culturally prescribed notion of the ‘player’ is a reprehensible one anyway and no-one should strive to be like that :(
You’re very kind, as ever, thank you ^_^ I hope we can all spread the word; diversity will make everything better! If I wasn’t a vet, I would definitely be working in the industry, I do lament a little the fact that I’ll never design games. But it’s cool, I live vicariously through you ;)
Yeah…they are evidently made to be over the top but they do help focus on your point (and their big “shine to fame” was back when video games were still mostly “kiddie” and Mortal Kombat was just starting to really shake things up). Hmm…I think on one other small detail to add onto that, guys are much more in control of their muscles than women are about their breast size (also they’d be in a LOT of back pain all the time if they were that big and they’d get extremely floppy and disgusting a few years after the game’s timeline anyways). Or maybe even another way of thinking about it is how the Cho Aniki brothers are so masculine that it is more of a symbolism of strength while women are just being treated as objects.
Thank you and while reading that it reminded me of a much more classical debate from the 8-bit days of the arcade…Gauntlet II. I remember that one game causing a bit of a stir in it’s day because of: the mighty, masculine Warrior; the nimble, agile elf; the wise, elderly wizard; and the stunning Valkyrie. A female warrior with a shield and sword (although it does get discredited a bit on the outfit for the basically bikini armor). http://homepage.mac.com/wnfb/gaunt2/gaunt2_1.jpg if you want to see the in-game image. But it was a big thing for her to be displayed as a fighter instead of a more medicinal (or even magical) role. She also happened to be my favorite to play as because she is well balanced (2nd best at strength, speed, and magic). Yeah they are viewed to be physically stronger and DEFINITELY more aggressive. At least in society we have plenty of examples of exceptions to the rule.
Yeah and I think more people do need to understand that not all guys, while still remaining straight, do not need to crave sexual attention all the time. There are actually a few females I talk to regularly that do show more of seeking sexual attention and/or wanting sexual activity more than myself and I don’t find that shameful of myself. In fact, just a few minutes ago, I was talking about something to do with a woman that my intention was to add a little more hint of atmosphere while she was picturing a “little more than romance”. It can and does happen from time to time (it’s just harder to recognize for when it occurs to the normal male that plays into what the stereotype dictates). Equality does have to go both ways and not just “women are always the victim” as well as not always “the guy making the sexual advance/suggestion”.
Yup…very true. I think it also has to do with the natural affects psychologically of when one becomes “the victim” (such as immediately taking a defensive take on everything). I think, in terms of media bombardment, they are affected in a different way (and more dangerous IMO)…they are just “accepting what the media tells them to do”. Media is always telling them to “live it up like a player” or “act like a thug” or (from “fashion” perspective) “let your pants drag around your legs”…and so many of them do so blindly and willingly. At least the women have the guts to unify and stand up to speak against what they disapprove of. Sure some of them can be an “effective challenge to target” but there are also plenty of examples where “challenging” or “following the herd” is all they are simply doing.
Heheheh…yeah…you have to apply it to both sides. We know there are female “players” out there and the media flourishes on it and dramas love to tell about them. I do think we need to emphasize “men can be sluts too” (in fact they are so much more often it is probably glossed over by society as just more of a common trait than name calling…but that also ties into your point that you made of “any sexual related attention towards a guy is a good thing”). Also, it does have to be a matter of “how often sex is occurring for that person” as well. Anything less than 3 times a week definitely should not be grounds for the mudslinging for a boyfriend/girlfriend that they are with and loyal to IMO. As for not having a relationship is when it gets really muddy but we have to go look at it as “okay s/he has had sex one time this year and we’re calling him/her a slut because of that one instance with someone they weren’t in a relationship with?” as a wake-up call of people either don’t know the definitions of the words they use (quite plausible) or are that eager/bitter to insult the person.
Thank you very much and always a pleasure to read ^_^ You’re very quickly becoming my favorite journalists and you’ve only had 4 or 5 articles up here now ;D And yeah, you and a few specific others may get dragged along for a few rides and while you’re not doing the whole process and all of the dirty work, you’ll still be making an impact on a few game designs. You know what you’re talking about and you understand what makes it fun, but most importantly is that you can explain it so eloquently that you can’t be ignored in the design process. So you get the glory without all of the frustration and hard work =P
Ali Nazifpour / August 26, 2011
I love you, this true and finally someone said it.
It needed to be said ;) We all need to be equal, it is that simple. (Well, in theory anyway, we’re really going to need to haul ass to put it into practise!)
Ethan Sheaffer / August 26, 2011
I wouldn’t exactly say Chris Redfield’s new look in Resident Evil 5 went by unnoticed. It’s just that instead of outcry, the reaction was more along the lines of ridicule. “Seriously Capcom? Since when did Chris decided to get ‘roided out? Oh, and now he’s punching a giant boulder out of his way….” Then again, the difference in reaction still illustrates your point.
Also, Ollie has a point, concerning character traits beyond appearance. A character with an “idealized” appearance can still be a strong character if they’re well-written. On the female side of the coin, consider Farah from Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. If you were to show a picture of her to someone who hasn’t played the game, they might assume that she’s a representation of the objectification of women, going by her physique and somewhat-skimpy clothing. However, she has proven to be resourceful, intelligent, capable and more than a match for the Prince in terms of sarcastic wit. Plus, the clothing is justified because it’s hot in the middle east, so of course she isn’t going to be running around in jeans and a turtleneck sweater. On the other hand, Princess Peach never wears revealing clothing, and doesn’t have a very sexualized appearance, but she could hardly be considered a role model given that at least 50% of the time she exists only to be kidnapped and rescued.
With all that said, this really is an amazing article, and it touches on some things that people rarely talk about, but I wish they did. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone discuss sociology and gender roles as reasonably and logically as you do, including the professor of the sociology class I took in college. Please keep being awesome.
No, you’re right, we were all pretty suprised when his concept art rolled out. In fact, I was less suprised and more, “WTF. Put away the syringe man, you’ll die.”
You’re right, traits and personality are what make or break a character. There are many visually sexualised characters who although they were designed to look like they’re just stumbled out of a bordello, were in fact, deep, interesting and witty characters worthy of note.
Ming from Lost Odyssey for example, I like her a lot; I think she’s interesting (if not suffering a little from the odd Japanese tendancy to ‘wishy washiness’ as I so unhelpfully describe it. The sort of thing you hear when a character in a JRPG says, “I want to transfer all those warm memories to my heart.” Excuse my irrepresible sarcastic Englishness but that just doesn’t fly with me!) Yet first impressions (which consist entirely of cleavege) are not as fantastic.
But you’re totally right, appearance is merely superficial and it is how the character is written and acted that is the main thing, but initial impressions can undermine the brilliance of a character while also serving as the visual key to a game, so they need to be memorable for the right reaons :)
Thank you so much, I’m really glad you enjoyed it! Especially the bits about social theory and sociology, because I find it fascinating so I’d like to portray it in as sympathetic light as I can! Thank you very much for your comment, I really appreciate it.
Alice Kojiro / August 26, 2011
I’m not saying that men aren’t sexualized in this way, but in certain games, it almost makes sense. In a typical video game, you’re taking on legions upon legions by yourself or with a small group (usually no larger than 5). It would take someone incredibly physically fit and strong to win such a scenario. You shouldn’t expect someone that looks like Hope Estheim (I know I’m contradicting myself here) to be able to overcome such impossible odds. On the other hand, big boobs don’t help much in a fight. So, I’d say that for any physical fighter in a video game, male or female, musclebound isn’t necessarily a bad fit. Then again, you don’t necessarily have to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger to be incredibly strong, so I suppose there’s a decent case for the contrary.
As for gender roles, historically, it has been the white male that has enjoeyed all of the power in society, though that has changed a lot in the last few decades. In today’s more enlightened world, this figure now represents opression and there seems to be an attitude of “It’s your turn to be discriminated against now, and you have to just sit there and take it.” The same can be seen in race relations. That’s not to say that this isn’t wrong or that it’s universally true, but as a sweeping generalization, usually seems to be the case.
As aspiration figures, I’d say that both the Superman and the Barbie model are abhorrent. Kids don’t need good physical role models, they need good role models for personality, morality, etc. Kratos from God of War isn’t a good role model; Cecil Harvey from Final Fantasy 4 is. That’s why I have a problem with this whole “Antiheroes are necessary and everyone else is boring” movement. If role models today are just mindless, selfish, bricks with legs, then what is our society going to be like in thirty years?
I didn’t mention it but of course, this was certainely in my mind, you’re completely right. Although even by those standards I’d consider Chris Redfield to be over the top! But yes, plausability is there and it’s important that someone who wields a sword all day or fights legions of the undead is suitably physically fit and visually so, because it’s just too hard to believe a tiny weedy lanky person could do it! Hope being case in point, lovable weedy boy that he is :D
That’s an interesting point, although I wouldn’t say it’s an active shift in focus to dicking on the men, more that it culturally percieved that men don’t really have anything to worry about, and that taking the piss out of them doesn’t affect them and is cathartic to women, almost as if we’ve built up a discrimination quota and now consider it our duty to belittle men due to how historically we have been belittled. Which is of course, totally bollocks because the current generations cannot be blamed for acts performed by their ancestors.
Yeah, this really worries me too, mainly because of how reliant our generation is on media and celebrities for the calibration of their moral compass. Although, having shitty people for protaganists it’s an artistic right and saying that we need role models is limiting ourselves which is awful, seeing as video games have such incredible potentional for amazing stories. That being said, gaming is more of an adults domain really these days so it doesn’t really need characters of suitable moral fibre as ‘role models’…But basically, yes, it’s not about the physical, a characters personality is so much more important but the visual aspect is part of the package too and needs to suitably reflect and respect the nature of that person (except where it’s part of that characters nature to act incongruously with their appearance…) I think I’ve confused myself with this train of thought…it’s nearly 4am here and I fear my brain may have just evacuated my cranial cavity…
A great article and very effective to approach from the opposite side of the spectrum once in awhile. I do agree that this is a topic that does exist and it’s something that is underplayed by both genders I would think (guys underplay the seriousness of it when towards them and we see women making bigger waves about the ones towards them but seldom take the reverse perspective, which you can now say you are doing). I also think this article says more because this time you’re speaking out on “the other side’s defense” to allow yourself a different perspective on a topic you have talked about already. As one who is caught frequently put into the situation of calling out the “double standard” to point out the large gap in equality and how it needs respect and effort from both directions and not one side always calling the other towards their side/perspective.
It is a great way to start off this article with talking about the easiest example to recognize, the 0.01% physical fantasy. I also think that for those who think about it a bit, a woman’s breast is appealing to the opposite gender like a man’s muscle and I see the correlation you’re making very well. It doesn’t have to just be about the sexual organs to appeal as muscles have wooed over many women over the past few millenium. Also, anyone who has read a few of your past articles also knows you don’t like the rediculous “armor” women are frequently put into when it comes to video games and that you are only asking that both be equally attired because both are just as vulnerable physically as the other gender.
I agree that the way we raise each gender is a part of this problem (and I’m not limiting it to just games because we know it happens in movies and the like as well but you’re a game journalist so we’ll keep it there in your expertise). With guys always told to “suck it up” or “not to give a damn” makes the problem more buried and harder to fix since it takes more digging and paying closer attention to even find and identify. Also, because of this, guys will have a harder time to admit the problem and begin helping to fix the process that directly affects them. I would say another aspect that makes this problem harder to identify for the males as well is men are always raised from childhood to be “the champion” or “star athlete” as their goal. When someone is “superior to them” (such as bigger muscles), they are raised to surpass that person as a challenge from a competitor/rival (which on that note you could make a plan to write an article about why “rivals” are usually male even though females have just as much competitive push).
Very good point about bringing up that women can cause these same negativity towards the opposite gender. I haven’t seen Horrible Bosses but that is a very good point. Women are capable of sexuall harassing and repressing men (although it is usually viewed as either “gay” for the guy to complain or the guy being “weak” and “unmanly”). In fact, no matter how much I’ve heard it protested, women are capable of tying down a guy and raping him (and they can force them to be penetrated by the guy…even if he is unconcious).
Good point about the claim of “just because they are alluring because of breasts” is not any different than a guy being “alluring” with his gigantic muscles. As I said earlier, women have swooned over muscles before. Also, as I mentioned before, I think part of this “manly muscles” vs “womanly breasts” also stems from the men viewing it as a challenge to surpass…however both genders are set to the same 0.01% impossible standards but both the “men viewing it as a challenge to surpass” and the “suck it up” attitude combined make it as a problem not as hard pressed by the guys as an objection compared to the much more talked about objectification of women. But clearly men do care (eeven if fail miserably at speaking out on it) or we would not be dealing with commercials for Enzyme, spam of enlarging “that part”, or even all of those commercials/infomercials for weight training kits in one’s own home
I so strongly agree with you on the “player”/”slut” argument. And I know women have a sexual libido of some kind and I wish society would admit it. If women didn’t, we would still be doing things like we did in cavemen times of “Olaf want you! Olaf knock you unconcious and take you to Olaf cave.” Also, without that sexual libido, wooing and swooning would essentially be pointless efforts. In fact, I know of several of my female friends who have a much higher sexual libido than myself but not high enough to be labeled what is defined as “slut” or “nymphomaniac”. Also, another thing I hate and have seen a few times (one of which is very recently) is when the guy is labeled as a player, which amongst guys is generally viewed as a compliment (I personally disagree with it being a compliment because of how “players” treat women and if we are looking for equality guys may like that treatment on the outside but on the inside in the long term I don’t see it lasting as a “positive experience”). Also, even after a woman is very faithful and loyal to her b/f for year(s), just having sex once can be enough to put on the title of “slut” or “whore” which I think is absurd (and this is something I have personally witnessed recently). Sure there are some women who are both of those but just because they are doing it doesn’t instantly make them such labels. And while I’m not saying it should just be “done right away and frequently”, we do need to mature up and accept the fact that sex is something that has to be done (not just for personal pleasure) to keep the species alive and if it wasn’t done, none of us would be here.
Great job in pointing out a few of the doublestandards and it needs to be done so that we can truly begin the process of bridging the gap.
In "Girl Gamer", Minnie discusses, celebrates and denounces the experiences of being a women in this incredibly interesting but largely male dominated environment. Encompassing all aspects of women in games, from female characters to players and developers, Minnie provides you with a girl's eye view into this unique, exciting and ever evolving industry.
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Geotechnical Consultancy
Plate Load Testing
Mining Investigation
GeoCon have a vast experience in designing and undertaking mining investigations. Coal mining has been an influencing part of history and industry over the last 200 years and the impact that it has left is also quite extensive. Mainly affecting developments in areas of former coal workings. When coal mining is present beneath a site and some form of structure is built on that site, there is the potential for total and differential settlement of any structures or buildings at that site due to the heavy loadings being constructed over any voids left by coal mining techniques such as room and pillar / board and pillar. In addition to shallow coal workings former mine shafts can also present a hazard. Information provided by the Coal Authority can indicate the presence of a mine shaft at a site and whether or not it has been treated or capped. Identifying the locations of former mine shafts is our priority as these features can affect developments and can present health and safety issues.
GeoCon initially define the requirement for a mining investigation during the phase I preliminary site investigation based on information provided by the Coal Authority online and from their detailed records, and from geological maps.
Coal mining is not the only mining industry to affect developments, in parts of the country other forms of mining have occurred throughout our history such as tin, copper, lead and zinc amongst many more. In addition, in areas underlain by limestone, large voids or caverns underground can be present due to ground dissolution and other factors that can also affect developments.
Therefore, GeoCon offer a full mining investigation service on a site specific basis. Please enquire within for a bespoke quotation.
Quarry & Mineral Investigations
GeoCon undertake ground investigations specific to the mineral extraction, mining and quarrying industry. We work for clients interested in investigating land for mineral extraction by drilling boreholes through both the drift and the solid geology, taking samples and performing subsequent laboratory analysis on the samples for their soil & rock properties and mineral content.
Our mineral and commodities investigation services include:
Shallow mineral resources such as sand and gravel for the building industry, and clay for pottery, porcelain and china manufacture.
Shallow rock deposits such as sandstone and limestone for quarrying and use in the building industry. Deep mineral deposits for mining such as coal, metallic and non-metallic deposits.
With a background in mineral exploration, we have the expertise to assist with all types of mineral exploration investigations.
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Morristown palimony lawyers protecting clients rights in Mendham, Randolph, Chester and throughout Morris County, NJ
Morristown Palimony Attorneys
Palimony is monetary support from one partner to the other which may result from a marital-type relationship. Palimony is similar to alimony in function but, because it does not come from a legal relationship including marriage or a civil union, there is no statutory requirement that one party provide palimony to the other in the event of economic differences between the parties when the relationship ends through death or dissolution. Many couples now choose to live together without marriage, making palimony agreements a growing necessity in today’s society for those wishing to provide for their significant other.
What is required to receive palimony?
In the past, palimony agreements could be inferred by the parties’ circumstances. For example, if one party worked and the other contributed to the relationship by caring for the household, or even worked but earned substantially less income, and was supported in a certain lifestyle by the other party palimony could be inferred. The backbone of a palimony finding was the promise, by one party to the other, of future support in the event of death of a party or dissolution of the relationship.
The New Jersey Legislature has now dictated that in order to receive palimony, you must have a written agreement signed by the promising party and each party must have been represented by their own attorney in the negotiation of the agreement.
What if there is no written palimony agreement but promises of support were made?
In the event of a relationship beginning in advance of the enactment of legislation requiring a written agreement, there are legal arguments which may still be made for support. One example is a case in which the couple was together for many years then the supporting party became too ill or mentally infirm to enter into an agreement after years of promised support. A case may be made that the intent to provide for the other for life existed based on evidence such as whether the parties held themselves out publicly as being married, promises made in the presence of others and the like.
What it included in palimony?
You may be entitled to the home you shared, other real estate, a portion of a business or earnings from a business, investments, bank accounts and some, or all, of anything else the other party owned. What you are entitled to is determined by what is stated in the palimony agreement.
Unlike Alimony, Palimony is typically paid in a lump sum rather than monthly payments.
Your Northern NJ Palimony Law Firm
If you are entering into a living arrangement that includes long term support of one party by the other, you should memorialize your agreement in writing to ensure a clear understanding of what you each may expect from the other and also to ensure that, if the relationship dissolves, you will receive what you expected or not pay more than you expected. To discuss or create a palimony agreement, call 973-584-6200 now or click here to e-mail us.
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Home » Entities » John Browne
Profile: John Browne
John Browne was a participant or observer in the following events:
May 16, 2001: Vice President Cheney’s Energy Plan Foresees Government Helping US Companies Expand into New Markets
National Energy Policy report. [Source: Climate Change Technology Program]Vice President Cheney’s National Energy Policy Development Group releases its energy plan. The plan, titled Reliable, Affordable, and Environmentally Sound Energy for America’s Future, warns that the quantity of oil imported per day will need to rise more than fifty percent to 16.7 million barrels by 2020. “A significant disruption in world oil supplies could adversely affect our economy and our ability to promote key foreign and economic policy objectives, regardless of the level of US dependence on oil imports,” the report explains. To meet the US’s rising demand for oil, the plan calls for expanded oil and gas drilling on public land and the easing of regulatory barriers to building nuclear power plants. [US President, 5/16/2001, pp. 8.5 ; Associated Press, 12/9/2002; Guardian, 1/23/2003]
Emphasis on Foreign Oil - The report places substantial emphasis on oil from the Persian Gulf region. Its chapter on “strengthening global alliances” states: “By any estimation, Middle East oil producers will remain central to world oil security. The Gulf will be a primary focus of US international energy policy.” [US President, 5/16/2001, pp. 8.5 ] But it also suggests that the US cannot depend exclusively on traditional sources of supply to provide the growing amount of oil that it needs and will have to obtain substantial supplies from new sources, such as the Caspian states, Russia, Africa, and the Atlantic Basin. Additionally, it notes that the US cannot rely on market forces alone to gain access to these added supplies, but will also require a significant effort on the part of government officials to overcome foreign resistance to the outward reach of American energy companies. [Japan Today, 4/30/2002]
Revamping of Clean Air Act - The plan also calls for a clarification of the New Source Review section of the Clean Air Act, which requires energy companies to install state-of-the-art emission control technology whenever it makes major modifications to its plants. The administration’s energy plan gives the Environmental Protection Agency 90 days to review NSR and determine whether it is discouraging companies from constructing or expanding power plants and refineries. It also instructs the attorney general to review current NSR litigation efforts against utility companies to determine whether those efforts are contributing to the country’s energy problems. “The outcome could determine whether the government drops some cases, approaches others more leniently, or even renegotiates settlements already reached,” the New York Times reports. [US President, 5/16/2001, pp. 8.5 ; New York Times, 5/18/2001]
Dodging the EPA - The representative of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the task force had blocked the recommendation of a technique called “hydraulic fracturing.” Sometimes called “fracking,” the technique, used to extract natural gas from the earth, often contaminates aquifers used for drinking water and irrigation. The recommendation was removed to placate the EPA official, then quietly reinserted into the final draft. Halliburton, Cheney’s former firm, is the US leader in the use of hydraulic fracturing. [Dubose and Bernstein, 2006, pp. 18]
Cheney Stayed Largely behind the Scenes - Much of the task force’s work was done by a six-member staff, led by executive director Andrew Lundquist, a former aide to senators Ted Stevens (R-AK) and Frank Murkowski (R-AK). Lundquist served as the Bush-Cheney campaign’s energy expert, earning the nickname “Light Bulb” from the president. Lundquist will leave the Bush administration and become a lobbyist for such firms as British Petroleum, Duke Energy, and the American Petroleum Institute. Much of the report is shaped by Lundquist and his colleagues, who in turn relied heavily on energy company executives and their lobbyists. For himself, Cheney did not meet openly with most of the participants, remaining largely behind the scenes. He did meet with Enron executive Kenneth Lay (see April 17, 2001 and After), with officials from Sandia National Laboratories to discuss their economic models of the energy industry, with energy industry consultants, and with selected Congressmen. Cheney also held meetings with oil executives such as British Petroleum’s John Browne that are not listed on the task force’s calendar. [Washington Post, 7/18/2007]
Controversial Meetings with Energy Executives - Both prior to and after the publication of this report, Cheney and other Task Force officials meet with executives from Enron and other energy companies, including one meeting a month and a half before Enron declares bankruptcy in December 2001 (see After January 20, 2001), Mid-February, 2001, March 21, 2001, March 22, 2001, April 12, 2001, and April 17, 2001). Two separate lawsuits are later filed to reveal details of how the government’s energy policy was formed and whether Enron or other players may have influenced it, but the courts will eventually allow the Bush administration to keep the documents secret (see May 10, 2005). [Associated Press, 12/9/2002]
Entity Tags: Kenneth Lay, Halliburton, Inc., Environmental Protection Agency, Enron Corporation, Andrew Lundquist, Bush administration (43), American Petroleum Institute, Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, British Petroleum, Duke Energy, John Browne
Timeline Tags: US Environmental Record, Complete 911 Timeline, Events Leading to Iraq Invasion, Peak Oil
November 16, 2005: Energy CEOs Lied to Congress about Meeting with Cheney Task Force, White House Document Proves
A White House document shows that oil company executives lied in recent Senate hearings when they denied meeting with Vice President Cheney’s energy task force (the National Energy Policy Development Group—see May 16, 2001) in 2001. The document, obtained by the Washington Post, shows that officials from ExxonMobil, Conoco (before it merged with Phillips), Shell Oil, and British Petroleum met with the task force (see March 22, 2001). Last week, the CEOs of ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips denied participating in the task force’s deliberations. Shell Oil’s CEO said his company did not participate “to my knowledge,” and the chief of BP America said he did not know. Though Chevron is not named in the White House document, that firm and others “gave detailed energy policy recommendations” to the task force, according to the Government Accountability Office. Cheney also met separately with John Browne, BP’s chief executive, in a meeting not included in the document. Environmentalists have long stated that they were almost entirely shut out of the deliberations, while corporate interests were heavily represented (see April 4, 2001). The Supreme Court ruled in 2004 that the government could keep the records of the task force secret (see June 24, 2004). Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) says, “The White House went to great lengths to keep these meetings secret, and now oil executives may be lying to Congress about their role in the Cheney task force.” Since the oil executives were not under oath—a decision by Senate Commerce Committee chairman Ted Stevens (R-AK) protested by committee Democrats—they cannot be charged with perjury. However, they can be fined or imprisoned for up to five years for making “any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or representation” to Congress. After the Washington Post releases the document, former Conoco manager Alan Huffman confirms, “We met [with the task force] in the Executive Office Building, if I remember correctly.” A ConocoPhillips spokesman says that CEO James Mulva had been unaware of the meetings when he testified at the hearing. ExxonMobil says it stands by CEO Lee Raymond’s denials; James Rouse, an Exxon official named in the document (see Mid-February, 2001), denies meeting with the task force, calling the document “inaccurate.” [Washington Post, 11/16/2005]
Entity Tags: Frank R. Lautenberg, Ted Stevens, Chevron, British Petroleum, Alan Huffman, ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch/Shell, US Supreme Court, National Energy Policy Development Group, Government Accountability Office, James Mulva, ConocoPhillips, John Browne, Lee Raymond, Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, James Rouse
Timeline Tags: US Environmental Record
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Home | About the Centre | Researchers | Laura Prosperi
Laura Prosperi
Laura Prosperi is a food historian currently working as a lecturer at the University of Adelaide, within the Graduate Program of Food Studies. She was a CHE Associate Investigator in 2014 with a project exploring the role of food imaginary in great geographical enterprises (15-18th centuries). Born and educated in Italy, she has explored a wide-range of historical contexts privileging the food perspective. In 2006 Laura gained her PhD at the European University Institute of Florence and she also has worked as a researcher in a range of other international environments such as the French École d’Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales of Paris and the Institut für Europäische Geschicthte in Germany. Before arriving at Adelaide, Laura taught Food History at the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences of Milan and has collaborated with other leading Italian universities such as Venice and Padua.
Over the last fifteen years Laura has conducted research by focusing the evolution of Western food culture and has written more than fifty pieces concerning the history of food. Her first book, Honey in the Middle Ages, published by the Academy of Georgofili of Florence, received national awards, whilst her latest work, Born under a Cabbage: Keys of Food Culture in Ancien Régime France (16th-17th centuries), is forthcoming from the publisher Franco Angeli.
In the past she has extensively studied and published on honey in medieval Europe and dietetic knowledge in early modern France. Currently her main research interests are food loss in late medieval Italy, common food expectations in early modern geographical explorations and the role of criminal organizations in the Italian food supply chain in 19th and 20th centuries.
laura.prosperi@adelaide.edu.au
Seeking Food Paradises. The Role of Hunger in Great Geographical Enterprises (Europe, 12th-16th centuries)
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Annual Gala Supports Student Achievement
The annual Educating for Justice Gala sponsored by the John Jay College Foundation Board of Trustees drew 250 friends and supporters of the College and raised more than $450,000, the net proceeds...
CUNY Appoints Former U.S. Assistant Attorney General As President Of John Jay College Of Criminal Justice
New York, NY, May 1, 2017 - The Board of Trustees of The City University of New York today voted to appoint Karol V. Mason, a legal pioneer and former United States Assistant Attorney General, as the...
Renowned Civil Rights Litigator Mary L. Bonauto and Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist/Activist Jose Antonio Vargas to Receive Honorary Degrees and Address the Class of 2017
New York, NY, May 1, 2017 – Led by President Jeremy Travis, who is stepping down after 13 years of outstanding leadership, students, alumni, faculty and guests will gather at Arthur Ashe Stadium in...
State of the College Address by President Travis
On April 26, President Jeremy Travis delivered his final State of the College address, documenting the remarkable progress the College has made over the past dozen years and pointing to opportunities...
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Schifferdecker Golf Course
Athletic Complex
Tennis Complex
Awarded the 2008 USTA Missouri Valley / Missouri Facility of the Year, the tennis complex gives players 10 lit courts and enough court space to hold a multi-level tournament or host numerous recreational matches alongside the other courts. The grandstand court is designed to highlight this match while allowing a great view for spectators interested in the final rounds of competitive play.
Courts are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday from 8:00am to 12:00pm. Additionally, members can enter the facility with their access code before and after these times, but within the general park hours of 7:00 am to 11:00 pm.
Several options are available for tennis players including a $5 hourly fee for court use that can be divided between the number of players or a pass card may be purchased for unlimited use. Annual pass cards are available in various divisions and prices. The family pass includes tennis play for all family members for $150 annually. The individual pass provides a person unlimited access for a year for $75. The youth pass, for individuals who are 17 and under, allows for unlimited tennis play for $37.50 annually. Reservations of courts are encouraged, although walk-ins are allowed, as long as a court is available.
Gene Bassman Softball Complex
Wendell Redden Stadium
Hershewe Soccer Complex
Will Norton Miracle Field
Welcome to Joplin Parks & Recreation
Joplin Missouri Parks & Recreation History
Ask Parks & Recreation
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Joseph Yashar
Classical Guitarist
By the time he was twelve years old Joseph Yashar began studying the classical guitar with his father, Jacob Yashar. An avid classical music fan and guitar aficionado, Jacob Yashar was a former student of the Spanish classical guitar pedagogue Sole. Sole was a former disciple of the great Spanish maestro Andres Segovia. In addition to being primarily self taught throughout his career as a classical guitarist, during the mid 1980s, Joseph Yashar took a number of private lessons with former Andres Segovia disciple Cornel Imry. While attending Orange Coast College he studied music theory with Dr. Edith Smith, was selected to take up private lessons with Professor Richard Glenn through a college scholarship fund and began performing professionally prior to graduating in 1987. In addition to having performed at hundreds of events and concerts since the early 1980s Joseph Yashar has also given recitals in numerous colleges and universities throughout Southern California. His performances have been broadcasted live from TV stations of California State University Dominguez Hills, KSCI and ITV. In October 2013 he opened for Pacific Symphony Orchestra at Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Selections from his first CD recording The Art Of Joseph Yashar are often aired on KUSC (91.5 FM) and KMZT (1260 AM) classical music radio stations.
As an ardent and passionate ambassador for great music Joseph Yashar continues to share the fine art of classical guitar performance with music lovers from around the world. His repertoire contains an international collection of masterpieces and transcriptions from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern periods, including his own original compositions and arrangements. Currently Joseph Yashar is working on his next recording project titled Virtuoso Encores. Set for release by summer of 2015 Virtuoso Encores will be available in both CD and DVD formats. Selected audio and video excerpts from Joseph Yashar’s first and upcoming recordings can be heard at his official website: www.josephyashar.com
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