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__label__wiki	0.706285	0.706285	Mick Jagger doing well after heart valve replacement TOPICS:CelebritiesEntertainmentFHB MagazineHealthMick JaggerMusic Posted By: Michael Al-Said 18th April 2019 More by Michael Al-Said Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger is recovering after a heart valve replacement procedure الصحوة To be notified of developments as they break TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS “Mick Jagger has successfully undergone treatment. He is doing very well and is expected to make a full recovery,” a representative for Jagger said in a statement. A source close to the band explained earlier this week that Jagger was being undergoing surgery to replace a heart valve, but a representative for the singer declined to elaborate. Jagger’s Friday massage on the twitter, “Thank you everyone for all your messages of support, I’m feeling much better now and on the mend – and also a huge thank you to all the hospital staff for doing a superb job.” The Rolling Stones postponed their North American tour that was set to kick off on April 20 in Miami Gardens, Florida. “Mick has been advised by doctors that he cannot go on tour at this time, as he needs medical treatment,” read a statement from the band. “We apologize for any inconvenience this causes those to those who have tickets for the shows but wish to reassure fans to hold onto these existing tickets, as they will be valid for the rescheduled dates, which will be announced shortly.” Jagger, 75, took to Twitter to apologize to supporters following the weekend announcement. “I really hate letting you down like this,” he wrote. “I’m devastated for having to postpone the tour but I will be working very hard to be back on stage as soon as I can.” Bandmates Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood expressed their support on social media. “A big disappointment for everyone but things need to be taken care of and we will see you soon. Mick, we are always there for you!” Richards wrote on Twitter. The Rolling Stones, which first formed in 1962, have been nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, winning three. Their first international number one hit was “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” in 1965 and became the band’s first gold record. Jagger released his first solo album in 1985, “She’s the Boss. Four years later, The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jagger welcomed his eighth child in 2016, with his girlfriend, Melanie Hamrick. He is also a grandfather and became a great grandfather in 2014. Al-~Sahawat Times ?Read it on FLIPBOARD Michael Al-Said News correspondent for Al-Sahawat Times since 2012 Business, Charity, Entertainment, Europe, Leaks, News, Politics, Sport, Whistleblowers David Beckham in explicitly rant over not being given a knighthood FHB Magazine, Health and Wellbeing, Sport BodyPower Expo NEC Birmingham 2018 \| Behind the scenes Entertainment, News, Viral Netflix drops House of Cards announcing it will not be filming more episodes	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line1979
__label__wiki	0.942422	0.942422	The Noisy Bushbuck,The AM.3C Bosbok April 19, 2018 Pilots and Aircraft No comments The Noisy Bushbuck, The AM.3C Bosbok The AM.3 used the wing design of the Aermacchi AL-60 utility aircraft, strengthened to incorporate two hardpoints. The fuselage was a new design. The first prototype, constructed by Aermacchi, flew on 12 May 1967, and it was displayed at the Paris air show in June that year.The second prototype, constructed by AERFER, flew on 22 August 1968, but the aircraft lost the Italian Army contract to the SIAI Marchetti SM.1019. Nevertheless, Aeritalia continued development. Above-Bosbok over the bush The third prototype used a more powerful Piaggio-built Lycoming GSO-480-B1B6 in place of the original Continental GTSIO-520-C, and this variant was designated AM.3C Pilot and observer are accommodated in tandem positions, and the craft features dual controls. Aft space is utilitarian, providing space for two stretchers or seat space for additional passengers. Additional configurations include freight transport. Plz Browse Advertisement(s) below to help keep us going! Above-Bosbok Cockpit The Bosbok came to the fore during military operations in SWA and Angola during the late 1970s and 1980s. The aircraft was used extensively on the border and several were shot down during the course of the war. One of the best known exploits by a Bosbok and its pilot was that of Captain Danie Laubscher when he was awarded the Honoris Crux medal for bravery. After several unsuccessful attempts to neutralize a particular anti-aircraft emplacement which was hampering the Army’s advance captain Danie Laubscher dived down low on the target to make sure it was effectively marked with his 68 mm smoke rockets. Despite being fired at by 23 mm antiaircraft cannon, he actually wiped out the site with his own marker rockets. Above-Bosbok ZU-ADM Nylstroom 2016 The 40 AM.3C’s were delivered between May 1972 and December 1974 and were allocated the serials 920 – 959. The aircraft was given the name Bosbok by the SAAF. The first Bosbok to be produced for the SAAF made its debut at the Turin Air Show in 1972, although it still wore its Italian civil registration (I-TAM). The variant operated by the SAAF was the AM.3CM version which had provision for four NATO M-4A stores attachment points. The inner points were stressed for 375 lb (170 kg) and the outer points for 200 lb (91 kg) loads. During its service with the SAAF the Bosbok was operated by 41 and 42 Squadrons, usually operating from Potchefstroom but also from Lanseria and numerous airfields in northern SWA. yyn Difference between the Bosbok and Atlas C.4 Kudu The original aircraft were delivered in a matt light grey finish with dark grey serials and anti-glare panel. This was soon replaced by a wrap-around olive drab and dark earth scheme. The defense cuts of the early 1990’s lead to the retirement of the Bosbok from SAAF service in 1992. Above-SAAF Museum Bosbok with 41 Squadron markings. The squadron was first formed in Bari, Italy during World War II on 23 January 1945. Many of the pilots were selected from the South African Air Force and given extra training to prepare the pilots for their artillery-spotting duties. The flight flew Auster aircraft in Europe. The flight relocated often as they moved from base to base in Europe as the German forces retreated from Italy until the end of the war. At the end of the war, 42 AOP Flight and their Auster aircraft were shipped back to South Africa and were based at Potchefstroom, home of the SA artillery. The flight’s first two army pilots that were not taken from the SAAF were trained at Central Flying School SAAF during 1949. n the 1950s, the SAAF was given control of 42 Flight and the flight became 42 Squadron SAAF. 42 Squadron received Auster AOP9 and Auster AOP6 aircraft between 1953 and 1957. In May 1962, the Cessna 185 aircraft entered service with 42 Squadron and the Austers were phased out. In 1974, the Atlas Bosbok was added to the fleet, and later, the Atlas Kudu was then added to the squadron. with the Atlas bosbok being withdrawn from service in 1992,most of the aircraft were sold to private individual’s.The SAAF Museum operates two aircraft which are seen at the regular flying days and Pretoria based airshows. More aircraft are flying across the rest of the country for fun flying. See the Bosbok at the SAAF Museum Airshow 2018 click here 42 Squadron, Aermacchi, AM.3C, atlas Bosbok, Bosbok, Lymcoming, SAAF, SAAF museum	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line1986
__label__wiki	0.958323	0.958323	Tom Cruise in Collateral, photo courtesy of Parkes/MacDonald Pictures Stuart Beattie is an Australian screenwriter and director. He began his career writing screenplays for Australian independent films, then branched into Hollywood with Pirates of The Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl and the Tom Cruise thriller, Collateral. Stuart followed that with three adaptations: Derailed, starring Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston; 30 Days of Night, staring Josh Hartnett and Melissa George; and the western, 310 To Yuma, starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Returning to his native country, Stuart wrote the screenplay for Baz Lurhmann’s epic, Australia, starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. After that, Stuart wrote Stephen Sommers’ blockbuster action film GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Stuart finally got the chance to direct one of his own screenplays with the adaptation of the best-selling Australian book, Tomorrow When The War Began. Stuart’s follow-up film, which he wrote and directed, was I, Frankenstein, starring Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, and Yvonne Strahovski. Stuart’s latest film that he wrote is Danger Close: The Battle Of Long Tan which hits theatres later this year. Also in pre-production are Truce with J.A. Bayona directing and Prince of War with Michael Roskam directing. In television, Stuart wrote one of four award-winning episodes of the Australian mini- series, Deadline Gallipoli, starring Sam Worthington. He also wrote the original bible and pilot for Halo at Showtime. As well as the pilots and bibles for Syndicate at UCP, 3001: The Final Odyssey at Apple, and Hell’s Bells at Sony. And in theatre, Stuart wrote the book for Jim Steinman’s musical, Bat Out of Hell, currently playing in London and New York. Interested in Stuart Beattie or contacting the screenwriters?	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line1987
__label__wiki	0.707851	0.707851	Tavis Urquhart King, Coward - written and directed by Tavis Urquhart Tavis Urquhart is a Melbourne-based screenwriter. After completing a Bachelor of Film and Television from Swinburne University, Tavis graduated from the Masters of Screenwriting at the Victorian College of the Arts, finishing with First Class Honours. His graduating feature script was runner-up for the 2015 Best Screenplay Award. Since then, Tavis has focused on building a slate of television and film scripts of varying genres, from horror/comedy to science-fiction to drama. His pilot script Red Belly Black was the runner up for the 2017 John Hinde Science-Fiction Award from the Australian Writers’ Guild. He was short-listed again in 2018 for his script The Last Crop, which subsequently received funding for further development from Scripted Ink. His short film, King, Coward that he wrote and directed won best film at the 2018 Reel Good Film Festival and recently played at the 2019 Stellar Film Festival. Tavis has worked in writers’ rooms and development for various production companies, and his career goal is to formulate strong professional relationships with other writers and producers, as well as working on his own projects. He values stories that reflect the social landscape; parables that explore issues currently rattling the zeitgeist, while still reflecting deeper underlying truths. Projects on file The Last Crop In post-apocalyptic America, a former biologist and her son are forced to join a secretive commune or face starvation, only to discover the cult's intentions are far worse... Red Belly Black The residents of a central Australian mining town are forced to fight for survival after they are cut off from the rest of the world by a dangerous and mysterious dust storm. Interested in Tavis Urquhart or contacting the screenwriters?	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line1988
__label__wiki	0.786808	0.786808	BUREAUS & UNITS JUSTICE 2020 POST-CONVICTION JUSTICE BUREAU RE-ENTRY BUREAU YOUTH DIVERSION & INITIATIVES DA’s ACTION CENTER IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS UNIT LABOR FRAUD UNIT HUMAN TRAFFICKING UNIT COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER NOTIFICATIONS LEGAL RECRUITMENT NON-LEGAL RECRUITMENT October 3, 2017 October 3, 2017 by Ernest Johnson Flatbush Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Shooting Innocent 13-year-old Boy in the Eye Second Victim, Who was the Intended Target, Shot in the Leg Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 24-year-old Brooklyn man was sentenced to 24 years in prison for shooting a 13-year-old boy in the eye, in broad daylight, while attempting to gun down a rival. The intended target was struck in the leg. Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “The young victim of this senseless shooting, who bravely endured multiple surgeries and lost an eye, will suffer the consequences of it for the rest of his life. Today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable and should serve as a warning that gun violence such as this will not be tolerated on the streets of Brooklyn.” The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Kareem Potomont, 24, of Flatbush, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Ruth Shillingford to 24 years in prison following his conviction last month of first-degree assault, first-degree attempted assault, first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon after a jury trial. The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on April 14, 2014, at approximately 11:55 a.m., in the vicinity of Flatbush Avenue and Beverley Road, the defendant opened fire on a 24-year-old man, striking him in the leg. The 13-year-old, who was waiting for a bus with his aunt and cousin, was struck in the right eye by a stray bullet. The defendant was captured on videotape shooting the firearm and then fleeing the scene. He was arrested three days later after being located in the basement of a house in Jamaica, Queens. The older victim was treated for his gunshot to the leg and released. The child lost his vision in his right eye and eventually had the eye removed. He underwent multiple surgeries. The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Yaniris Urraca, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, Chief of VCE, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis, Chief of Trials and Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Mark Feldman, Senior Executive for Crime Strategies and Investigations. Categories Press Releases Queens Man Indicted for Allegedly Stealing Approximately $100,000 From Woman in Mortgage Rescue Scam Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison For Shooting Death of Canarsie Man THE BROOKLYN DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE Meet The DA Post-Conviction Bureau Youth Diversion & Immigrant Affairs Labor Fraud Copyright © 2019 · Kings County District Attorney's Office Get Help Contact us Disclaimer	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line1990
__label__wiki	0.76446	0.76446	University to increase engineering graduates Engineering is one of the fastest-growing fields of employment in Alaska and demand is likely to outstrip supply for some time to come.For the short term, federal funding for transportation and defense projects is likely to keep business brisk for providers of engineering services and for engineers.In the long term, the demographic time bomb that will affect the entire work force -- a decline in the numbers of young people entering universities -- will affect engineering as well as other professions, according to Tom Miller, interim director of the University of Alaska Anchorage’s School of Engineering.For its part, the University of Alaska is doing its best to ramp up engineering programs on all three of its main campuses in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau, Miller said. For years Alaska-based engineering firms have had a tough time finding qualified staff.If the state university can produce more people trained in the various engineering disciplines, private sector recruiting costs will fall, he said. There’s also a correlation that has been documented between economic development in a region and the number of people there who are educated and trained in sciences and engineering.More people with university degrees in science and engineering seems to translate to a faster-growing, more prosperous economy, Miller said.Within the state, the University of Alaska Fairbanks has been the backbone of the engineering program, with undergraduate and graduate programs in electrical, mechanical, civil, petroleum and minerals engineering.The University of Alaska Anchorage has had a graduate program in engineering management and an undergraduate civil engineering program for years. An associate degree program is also offered in geomatics, dealing with surveying, geographic information systems and related fields.A collaborative program between the Anchorage and Fairbanks campuses began in 1997. The program allows students in mechanical and electrical engineering to take their first two years in Anchorage and the final two years at the Fairbanks campus.Graduate-level engineering programs in Anchorage have also been expanded. Master’s programs are now offered in civil and environmental quality engineering and in arctic engineering, a subset of civil specializing in cold regions.An effort is also now underway to expand engineering programs to the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau. What’s being considered there is a focus on transportation engineering."The university is doing some good things in engineering," Miller said.University of Alaska Anchorage, for example, has developed an innovative program for minority, mainly Alaska Native students in engineering and science that is reporting success.Herb Schroeder, a former civil engineer for VECO Alaska Inc., a local construction and oil service company, is a UAA associate professor in charge of the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program. The most notable accomplishment of the program, now 5 years old, is that 70 percent of the students are still in the undergraduate engineering program three and four years after starting, a striking difference with the national average of 27 percent for Native Americans and about 35 percent for all students in engineering."Herb is really onto something here. There’s something significant going on," said Miller.Schroeder is now working to find ways to apply the program’s successes to the entire university. "The techniques he is developing to retain Alaska Native students in engineering and sciences, very difficult areas of study, can be applied to all fields," Miller said.Another innovative thing the program is doing is reaching out to rural high schools to stimulate an early interest in science and engineering.A National Science Foundation grant has now allowed the program to be expanded to the Fairbanks campus and also to First American students at the University of Hawaii and the University of Washington.UAA’s School of Engineering is also reaching out to local employers to determine their needs. One recent survey, for example, found a need for computer systems engineers, or people with training in both electrical engineering and computer science, Miller said.These skills are needed across a broad range of industries. One example is in health care, Miller said. This is a real growth field, where a high degree of training and skill is required to operate and maintain sophisticated biomedical instruments and equipment, he said.UAA is now trying to determine how many people are now employed as technicians in jobs that normally require an engineering degree, Miller said. The university could offer these people a way to upgrade their skills and obtain a degree.The profession faces big challenges, however. In an effort to increase the supply of engineers, one of the problems facing all universities, not just Alaska’s, is improving the dismal retention rate in engineering schools, Miller said.On a national average, only about 35 percent, about one in three, students who enter university engineering programs finish their programs. Almost all of them graduate, but with degrees in other fields.Why do so many beginning engineering studies switch to other fields? Partly because studying engineering is hard work and the program is long, Miller believes.While it’s possible to get an undergraduate degree in engineering in four years, it means taking five to six classes per semester, he said. This translates to workweeks of 60 to 80 hours."You have to be really committed to be working at the library when all your friends are out playing," Miller said. Most engineering students need four and a half or even five years to finish.The payoff comes after finishing school and an engineering graduate lands a good job and begins a rewarding career.But it’s hard for an 18-year-old beginning university student to see that, Miller said. It’s possible in other fields to take general exploratory courses during the freshman and sophomore years and then specialize, to get a degree in, for example, business or education.That’s not so in engineering, Miller said. Engineering studies begin in the first year.Given these challenges, there’s a lot of thought being given in engineering schools about how to make these programs more attractive. Some thought is being given to "outcome based" curriculums, where progress through a program is based less on "seat time" in classes and more on demonstration of proficiency at various levels.This has to be done without diminishing the quality of engineering education, however. "One difference between engineering and other fields, like business, is that your work affects life and safety," Miller said. "There are real risks in decisions made by an underqualified engineer." Read more about University to increase engineering graduates Delta Junction stunned by veto of loan DELTA JUNCTION -- Gov. Tony Knowles’ veto of a $1 million interest-free loan to the city of Delta Junction caught city officials off guard.The loan would have allowed the city to finish paying its $1.1 million breach-of-contract settlement with Allvest Inc. and Delta Corrections Corp. stemming from a failed effort to build a private prison at Fort Greely. The money was due July 1.Gov. Tony Knowles signed into law a $2.4 billion budget that did not include a legislative request for the $1 million loan."I don’t understand how we’ve been such an evil community we can’t even get a loan," said Councilman Lou Heinbockel.Councilman Mark Weller said some of the council members joked about a possible veto as they waited nearly a month for the governor to take action, but they didn’t come up with contingency plans."We could not fathom a loan would be cut from a budget," Weller said.Knowles’ spokeswoman Julie Penn said a provision in the loan bill would have converted the loan to a grant if the city became part of an organized borough. A state bailout of a city’s lawsuit could set a bad precedent, she said."The state was not a party to the litigation," Penn said.But Delta officials say the state did have a role in what transpired.Allvest had brokered a deal with the Delta Community Coalition organized to look for alternative uses for Fort Greely Army Post, which was slated for closure. Because the coalition was not a government entity, the state told the city it would have to sign any agreements.After the deal went sour, some legislators pushed the city to settle out of court, Heinbockel said."Certain key legislators convinced the city to settle with Allvest with the veiled promise, ’We’ll bail you out,’ " he said.Heinbockel said one thing is clear: The city is in default."I don’t know what’s going to happen from here," Heinbockel said. "I know one thing. We don’t have the $1 million." Read more about Delta Junction stunned by veto of loan Earnest money agreements lay out terms of home sales When a prospective buyer of unimproved or improved real estate agrees to purchase that real estate, the buyer and seller normally execute a contract, typically called an Earnest Money Receipt and Agreement to Purchase. The agreement sets forth the terms under which the buyer agrees to purchase and the seller agrees to sell the relevant real property.Upon the closing of the earnest money agreement, additional documents implementing the transaction are executed, delivered and in some cases recorded.Like all contracts, among the key features of an earnest money agreement from a contract law point of view are an offer, typically made by the buyer to the seller, the acceptance of the offer, and consideration or value to support the mutual promises of the parties. Also of particular significance in an earnest money agreement are the conditions to the parties’ respective duties to perform the contract and complete the conveyance of the real estate.There are certain aspects of real estate earnest money agreements that are of key importance in nearly any transaction. They include the following:PriceThe earnest money agreement must set forth the price for the property and whether it is payable in full in cash on closing or on a deferred basis with the seller financing a portion of the purchase price.In the case of seller financing, the terms of the purchase money loan should be set forth in detail, including the amount of the loan, the term of the loan, the interest rate and the amount of the periodic, usually monthly payments.The description of the purchase money loan should also set forth whether the loan will be secured most likely via a first priority purchase money deed of trust, whether the note will be escrowed at a bank escrow company and in a commercial deal, whether the note can be prepaid without penalty.ConditionsOne of the most common and significant conditions required to close the transaction is often the procurement of financing to purchase the property. Generally, the buyer’s procurement of third party financing is set forth as a condition to the buyer’s duty to close. It is prudent to specify in as much detail as possible the terms of the lending facility that the buyer desires to procure.InspectionsEarnest money agreements often provide that the buyer’s duty to proceed is also conditioned upon the completion of a satisfactory inspection of the property by the buyer, the buyer’s agents or the buyer’s experts. Generally those inspections must be completed within a relatively certain short time.If the results of the inspections are not acceptable to the buyer, the agreement might provide that the buyer’s duty to proceed is excused. Some agreements, however, give the seller the option to reduce the price of the property by the cost of the relevant repairs.AppraisalAlthough not terribly common, some agreements provide that a condition to the buyer’s obligation to close is the buyer’s receipt of an appraisal of the property showing a value not less than the purchase price.TitleThe earnest money agreement should describe the status of the title to the property that the buyer is expecting to receive. Earnest money agreements may provide, for example, that title shall be clear of liens and encumbrances except any conditions, restrictions, reservations and rights of way easements, and covenants of record.Title insuranceAnother typical condition to the buyer’s duty to close is the receipt at closing of a standard owner’s title insurance policy in a face amount equal to the purchase price insuring the status of the title as described in the earnest money agreement.DeedProperty in Alaska is often conveyed via a statutory warranty deed. Under the Alaska statutes, the language "conveys and warrants" contained in a deed basically means that the title being conveyed is owned outright by the seller, that the seller has the right and power to convey the property, that the property is free from encumbrances except as provided in the deed, and that the seller warrants the buyer will have quiet and peaceable possession of the property.Alternatively, title in Alaska can be conveyed via a quitclaim deed which essentially conveys the seller’s interest in the property, whatever that interest is, to the buyer.Allocation of expensesEarnest money agreements commonly allocate various closing costs and other expenses as between the buyer and seller. For example, escrow closing fees and recording fees are typically split equally by the buyer and seller. The standard owner’s title insurance premium is normally paid by the seller.ClosingThe earnest money agreement should set forth a specific closing date and provide that if the transaction does not close by that date the parties are entitled to exercise whatever remedies the contract might provide.RemediesThe parties have broad discretion in negotiating the remedies available upon any breach of the earnest money agreement. It is not uncommon for an earnest money agreement to provide that if the buyer breaches its obligations under the earnest money agreement, the earnest money deposit is forfeited to the seller.Similarly, if the seller breaches the earnest money agreement, the buyer is normally entitled to a refund of its earnest money deposit.Some agreements, particularly in the residential setting also provide for possible mediation or arbitration of disputes or entitlements to the earnest money deposit.Normally neither residential buyers nor residential sellers are interested in engaging in protracted litigation or being exposed to significant additional damages. It is usually better to unwind the transaction, decide promptly who gets the earnest money deposit, and go on to a better deal.LeasesIn transactions involving rental property, including commercial property, the buyer’s duty to close is often also subject to the receipt of copies of all of the leases pertaining to the property, representations and warranties from the seller as to the existence and continued validity of those leases, and the assignment of the seller’s interest as landlord in those leases to the buyer.DisclosuresIn earnest money agreements pertaining to residential real property, there are certain state and federal statutory concerns that need to be considered. Disclosure statement: Under Alaska law, the seller of residential real property is required prior to the making of an offer by a buyer, to provide the buyer with a particular form of disclosure statement prepared by the Alaska Real Estate Commission pertaining to the condition of the real property.The negligent making of a statement by the seller to the buyer in such a disclosure statement can give rise to a claim for damages, and in the case of a willful misstatement, triple damages might be recoverable by a buyer. However, the buyer can waive in writing the right to receive such a disclosure statement. Lead-based paint warning statement: With regard to housing constructed before 1978, federal law requires that a particular form of warning about the possible hazards of lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards must be provided to the buyer and the buyer must be provided a ten day period to test for lead-based paint issues. Water wells and septic systems: The Anchorage Municipal Code provides that prior to conveyance of a privately owned water well or on-site wastewater disposal system, the seller shall obtain from the Municipality of Anchorage a certificate of health authority approval. Disclosure of other issues: In the interest of full disclosure, some residential earnest money agreements also go beyond the statutorily prescribed disclosures and identify any particularly noteworthy or notorious circumstances affecting the property.An example would be if the property had been the scene of a serious and well publicized crime. Making such disclosures should help reduce the risk of a claim by the buyer of fraudulent concealment of a potentially material fact.The terms and conditions in an earnest money agreement define, and to a significant degree, set in stone the terms of a commercial or residential real estate transaction. As a result, the preparation and analysis of such earnest money agreements should be approached with as much seriousness and care as the execution of the closing documents that implement and complete the transaction.Frederick J. Odsen is a member of the law firm of Hughes Thorsness Powell Huddleston & Bauman LLC in Anchorage. He can be reached at 907-274-7522. Read more about Earnest money agreements lay out terms of home sales Sheep Creek Lodge caters to tourists, residents MILE 88.2 PARKS HIGHWAY -- At Sheep Creek Lodge, a University of North Carolina instructor has taken on a new project. John Kartesz, who has a doctorate in botany and has compiled databases of North American plant life, bought the lodge three years ago and is planning ways to expand the business.The summertime Alaska resident recognizes the importance of the season to his lodge operation, likening it to tourism business on the North Carolina coast."You have to make it from May to September," he said.Although Sheep Creek Lodge is open year-round, business is slow in winter months, when two managers run the business for him, Kartesz said. Poor snowfall for snowmachining kept many riders away last winter. "We really struggled," he said.The lodge, located on the Parks Highway 88 miles north of Anchorage, is a highway landmark between Willow and the Talkeetna cut-off. After a fire the current building was rebuilt in 1986 using 30-inch diameter Alaska white spruce logs from Nenana, Kartesz said.At 10,000 square feet, the new lodge is about three times the size of its predecessor, he said. Sheep Creek Lodge services include a bar and restaurant seating 75 people, a gas station, 15 cabins and guided tours.Kartesz, who serves as director of the university’s North Carolina Biota of North America Program, was attracted to the lodge in the late 1990s. At the time he was returning from research for the National Park Service at Denali National Park and Preserve. Kartesz led the multiyear work, begun in 1996, which created an inventory and computer database of all park plants.One year after discovering the lodge was for sale, Kartesz bought the object of his fascination."I have never seen a building so awe-inspiring as this building," Kartesz said. "It is a grand, beautiful building."Since then he has added features at Sheep Creek Lodge. Last year an upstairs gift shop was created plus five rooms downstairs. Later this year work should be finished on a new shower facility and public restrooms. Also, the lodge owner has acquired 10 new 16-by-20-foot cabins to nestle beside five existing cabins.Kartesz estimates he has invested up to $400,000 in facility upgrades. "We put every penny back into the lodge," he said.As a highway-related tourism business, Kartesz looks for ways to draw more people to the lodge. "We feel we need to expand. There are too many missed opportunities," he said.The property at Sheep Creek Lodge encompasses 25 acres and has an advantage because perimeters border the highway, railroad and creek, Kartesz said.He plans to develop a recreational vehicle park on 12 creekside acres. More than 100 spaces, including full hookups or rough sites, could be built depending on the septic system capacity, he said.During summer, tourism accounts for 90 percent of business, while in winter community residents and visitors from Anchorage, typically snowmachiners, each make up half of overall business, he said. The lodge is open daily except Christmas.Summer tour buses from eight different lines stop at the restaurant and compose an important part of business, Kartesz said. He estimates about 200 to 300 tour buses stop at the lodge each summer, bringing up to 10,000 people.Sheep Creek Lodge employs 19 full- and part-time workers with Kartesz pitching in to cook, wash dishes and greet customers as needed. "It’s a pretty demanding 16-hour day," he said.Of the services the lodge offers, the bar leads in annual gross sales, followed by the restaurant then the gift shop, Kartesz said.So far this year summer Sheep Creek Lodge’s business appears slower than in 2001, probably due to economic concerns in the Lower 48, Kartesz said. However, a Kenai River king salmon fishery closure and subsequent restriction drew fishermen to fish for kings on the Parks Highway, boosting business at the lodge, he said.The run of silver salmon in early August also should bring a wave of lodge customers, he said.Like other tourism businesses, Sheep Creek Lodge is subject to changing customer numbers as a result of various factors."You have peaks and valleys all the time," he said.One effort may smooth those extremes. Kartesz is working with universities to establish the lodge as a biological field station where students can earn credit for summer courses in botany and other studies. Faculty and students would live at the lodge. University of North Carolina faculty members lined up to visit Alaska as soon as Kartesz bought the lodge, he said.Kartesz is negotiating with university officials from UNC, Duke, Harvard and the University of California at Berkeley. He hopes to finalize the arrangement this fall in order to offer it next May.As a college student, Kartesz took a course in hotel management and another in bartending. However, understanding the lodge business and related regulations is a challenge, he said."As a scientist I approach problems in a methodical way," he said. "In the lodge business, there are so many uncertainties." Read more about Sheep Creek Lodge caters to tourists, residents Residents protest Steese closure If complaints were dollars, Joe Perkins wouldn’t have a problem maintaining the Steese Highway next winter.Perkins, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, has announced cuts in winter road maintenance next year, including on the Steese Highway from Mile Post 44 to Circle, a community of about 100 people, 130 miles northeast of Fairbanks.The cuts to the Steese Highway winter maintenance program and many others throughout the state is the result of the Legislature’s failure to fund the agency’s requested budget, Perkins said. The reductions total just $180,000, but residents in Central and in the nearby smaller towns of Circle City and Circle Hot Springs say the lack of snowplowing will effectively destroy the communities, as the highway is their only link to the rest of the world."This is major, major stuff here," said Circle resident Karen Hamilton. "People are going to lose their homes, and businesses will go under if this goes through."Hamilton along with husband Don have led letter-writing campaigns to the state and federal government, the media and nearly anyone else they think might listen.Letter texts from residents to Perkins and Gov. Tony Knowles are full of capital letters and exclamation points, emphasizing frustration and fear of the highway closure.Strong consensus exists in the communities that residents are being used in a fight between a Democratic administration and a Republican-led Legislature."We all know that this is a political ploy to make the (Republicans) look bad and pawn the blame for these cuts off on them," Don Hamilton wrote in a letter to Perkins.Perkins said he feels the communities’ pain, but says it’s not about politics."It’s horrible what we have to do the Steese and I have great sympathy for everyone," said Perkins, who has read many of the letters from the community and has even visited a Web site established to save the highway’s winter maintenance. "They’re singing to the choir with me. "There is a lot of finger-pointing but the simple fact of the matter is we’re $6.3 million short and we just don’t have it." Perkins said the budget shortfall also will close maintenance stations on the Kenai Peninsula, at Chitina, on the Richardson Highway and on the Denali Highway. Some 70 positions statewide are expected to be cut, including a deputy commissioner.The state’s general fund pays for personnel and maintenance costs. And while those functions were not funded at the level Perkins had hoped, the department’s overall budget increased in the form of more federal construction dollars.Perkins said the agency is prohibited by federal law from using the federal construction dollars for snow removal and other winter maintenance efforts."The bottom line is we’ll enjoy a substantial flow of federal money to build roads, trails, airports and even a restroom," Perkins said. "But cuts in state general funds will deprive us of the ability to properly maintain that infrastructure."Perkins said a remedy to the problem is to increase the state’s gasoline tax from 8 cents a gallon.Alaska has the cheapest gas tax in the nation, Perkins said. Most states tax gasoline anywhere from 15 cents to 23 cents a gallon.For each penny-per-gallon increase to the tax, about $4 million would go into the state’s coffers. Earmarking that money for road maintenance would cure state’s road maintenance shortfall, Perkins said."It’s like having a Cadillac and not having the gas money to drive it," said Cliff Hendrickson, of the state’s expanding road infrastructure but lack of maintenance money.Hendrickson owns Central Electric Inc., the power plant that serves Circle. He said if the road is closed in winter, and folks move out of town, he’ll be out of business.Hendrickson and Hamilton said the state’s budget woes are confusing to most of their neighbors.This summer major repair work is being done on the Steese Highway."What good is a newly paved road to a ghost town?" Hamilton said.Hendrickson said government should look at budgets as a whole and prioritize projects. He points to a government-funded peregrine falcon study under way this summer in the area, which likely cost taxpayers many times what it would take to keep the Steese Highway open in the winter."I like birds," says Hendrickson. "But in these tough times, which is more important: people’s lives or peregrine falcons?" Read more about Residents protest Steese closure Alaska senators could regain chairmanships FAIRBANKS -- Alaska Sens. Ted Stevens and Frank Murkowski could once again serve as chair- men of key committees if Republicans regain control of the Senate, following the November election.Republican U.S. senators decided June 25 not to curtail opportunities for senior colleagues to serve as committee chairmen in the future.The Senate Republican conference, voting at its weekly meeting, approved language that clarifies how it will apply term limits to its chairmen and ranking members.The decision leaves Stevens in line to reclaim the chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee without penalty for his time spent as ranking member of the committee, should Republicans obtain a majority in the coming election.Stevens lost the top spot last year when Sen. James Jeffords of Vermont declared himself an independent and joined the Democratic caucus. Stevens remains ranking member, the top minority position on a committee.Earlier this year, some Republican members, including Pennsylvania Sens. Rick Santorum and Arlen Specter, began asserting that time spent as a ranking member should count against the six-year term limit on chairmanships that the caucus imposed on its members.They based this on an interpretation of the original caucus rule.Others, such as Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., wanted to do away with term limits entirely.The June 25 decision was a good compromise, Stevens said. The version that passed was proposed by Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah. The amendment states that "a senator shall serve no more than six years, cumulatively, as chairman of the same standing committee."Time served as ranking member will not be counted as time served as chairman.Stevens assumed the reins of the Appropriations Committee in 1997 after Republicans won a majority in the 1996 elections. He had served about four and a half years as chairman when the Democrats regained control last year.Murkowski is ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He obtained that post in 1995 and held it until control shifted to Democrats in June last year. Murkowski is currently in the race for Alaska governor. If he loses the race and remains in the Senate, he would have only about six months remaining in his chairmanship if Republicans regain control this fall. Read more about Alaska senators could regain chairmanships Executive took media colossus Vivendi on wild ride PARIS -- His drive and dreams were huge. Take a workaday French utilities company with a dull-as-dishwater name and transform it into a zippy media giant plugged into customers worldwide.The man was Jean-Marie Messier, a boyish-looking French former civil servant turned businessman. His brainchild was Vivendi Universal, a media and entertainment behemoth. Now, Messier says he’s resigning, forced out by shareholders who have come to doubt whether his vision can work.Messier announced his departure in an interview published July 2 in the French daily Le Figaro. For him and for Vivendi, it marked the end of a wild ride.In six short years, he remolded France’s Compagnie Generale des Eaux -- the General Water Company -- into a complex empire of Hollywood film studios, Internet, mobile phone and music ventures, TV networks and publishing houses.The dull name was changed to the sparkier Vivendi, and then to Vivendi Universal after a $30 billion merger in 2000 with Seagram Co., owner of the Universal movie and music studios.The transformation saw Messier, a 45-year-old father of five, hailed as a new icon of French business, even nicknamed "Master of the World."Messier trained as a civil servant at the Ecole Nationale d’Administration, a prestigious school that has produced many members of the French political elite.Although still in his twenties, he was made a financial inspector at the Finance Ministry and then adviser to Finance Minister Edouard Balladur. But he quit government for investment banking in 1988 and took over Compagnie Generale des Eaux in 1996.According to Messier’s vision of an interconnected business world, Vivendi was meant to work something like this:A customer sees a Universal movie and likes it so much, he buys the soundtrack and book. The soundtrack is sung by one of the many singers in Vivendi’s stable -- say Elton John or Eminem -- and a Vivendi publishing house puts out the book.Finally, the customer chats about the movie with friends, on a Vivendi-run mobile phone network, and reads about its stars on a Vivendi Internet site."Our strategy is to be No. 1, the leading global media and communications company of the digital age, to provide consumers with the best content anywhere, at any time," Messier said at a meeting of shareholders on April 24 this year."Our strategy makes sense," he said. "We are building a new kind of company, a truly international media and communications company, the like of which has never been seen before."But investors weren’t so sure. They grew nervous about Messier’s ability to mesh Vivendi’s businesses, and about the firm’s mounting debts. Jitters increased in March, when Vivendi reported a massive net loss in 2001 of 13.6 billion euro ($11.81 billion at the exchange rate then) -- the largest ever amassed by a French company.Vivendi shares and Messier’s reputation as a visionary took a beating."He took far too many risks," said Frederic Parrat, a professor of management at the University of Paris."In the General Water Company, he had a group that had no debts, that was a real pearl ... He transformed this pearl into a firm that is heavily in debt and in dire circumstances."Parrat said he owns several hundred Vivendi shares and that they have lost 80 percent of their value.Nor is it just Messier’s business dealings that have raised concerns.In December, Messier scandalized his countrymen by remarking that "the French cultural exception is dead." While seemingly innocuous to outsiders, the comments were seen in France as an attack on the country’s efforts to safeguard its movie industry from competition from Hollywood.Government ministers responded with assurances that culture was a priority and a far-right politician, Bruno Megret, accused Messier of "betraying his country."Messier sparked further outrage in April when he sacked Pierre Lescure, a leading supporter of French film who headed Vivendi’s loss-making television network Canal Plus.At the April shareholders’ meeting, protesters wore T-shirts that said "Messier mega liar" and chanted for his resignation.In late June, Messier was targeted by Les Guignols de l’Info, a popular French television show that uses rubber puppets of public figures to poke fun at them.The show portrayed Messier as an officer aboard the stricken Titanic. Even as the ship sank, he blithely continued assuring passengers that everything was fine. Read more about Executive took media colossus Vivendi on wild ride Highway tourism hits the skids Fewer visitors each year are reaching Alaska via the highways, and so far this year border crossings show declines or little growth. Instead, more summer visitors travel north aboard cruise ships or airliners.Border crossings from the Alaska Highway and Poker Creek on the Taylor Highway have declined for the past three years. In 1999, 158,472 passengers crossed the border; in 2000 crossings dropped to 156,027. Last year 147,600 passengers crossed at the two outposts.Highway travel to date this year lags behind 2001, according to Tina Lindgren, Alaska Travel Industry Association president.A study released this spring shows summer 2001 highway arrivals ranked a distant third, at 8.6 percent behind domestic air passengers at 45.3 percent and cruise ship travelers at 41.6 percent.For May this year, entries at the Alaska Highway office of U.S. Customs were down 25 percent from 2001 for a total of 9,868. Through June 24, 20,408 people had arrived, compared with June 2001, when 25,247 people entered.This decline is probably due to a national trend of shorter vacations, which allows less time to drive to Alaska, Lindgren said.According to a report issued in mid-June by the State Tourism Office, passengers crossing at Poker Creek were off by 8 percent this May compared with last May. But arrivals at Haines increased 5 percent, and Skagway arrivals were up 8 percent.Historically, July is the busiest month for passenger vehicles to cross the Alaska-Canada border.The summer 2001 visitor survey showed declines in arrivals via the highway, ferry and international airlines between last year and 1999. Cruise arrivals increased, spurring a slight gain in domestic air arrivals, the report noted. The Alaska Visitor Statistics Program survey recorded 1.2 million summer visitors last year, up 1 percent from summer 1999.Of those 1.2 million visitors, 8.6 percent arrived via the highway, according to the study. Last summer 72,900 visitors entered Alaska by personal vehicle while another 9,200 came by tour bus.Despite May’s drop in border crossing numbers, recreational-vehicle traffic has been stronger than other tourism sectors in the Interior, said Deb Hickok, president of the Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau."It’s one of the few sectors I’m hearing is decent," she said.Lindgren said some tour operators are encountering a difficult year. Fairbanks tourism businesses have reported a harder summer than coastal communities, she said. Cruise passengers appear not to be purchasing additional land tours, she said.But some tourism operators may do better, while other areas face challenges. "Things like fishing closures will hurt places like Kenai," she said.One aspect of highway travel is on the rise, Lindgren said. More people are flying to the state and renting vehicles, she said.Tourism along Alaska’s road system, including out-of-state visitors and vacationing Alaskans, is vital to many businesses."If your business is not in one of the larger communities, it’s very important," Lindgren said.Business along Alaska’s roadways includes cruise ship passengers touring via bus, recreational vehicle traffic from in-state residents and visitors, and people relocating by driving the Alaska Highway.Lindgren says Alaska’s short and intense construction season, which coincides with summer tourism, affects highway travel.Customers at Sheep Creek Lodge have told lodge owner John Kartesz they would have made more trips to the area, but didn’t because of construction on the Parks Highway between Big Lake and Nancy Lake. Read more about Highway tourism hits the skids Princess boosts local firms The opening of the new 84-room Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge earlier this summer has boosted business for other tourism operators in the area.Located in the Glennallen and Copper River area, the hotel provides accommodations in a new region for Princess, the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, which is America’s largest national park.The new hotel has been a boon for Glennallen-based Backcountry Connection LLC and Edward Wilson, who has owned the 11-year-old business for two years."Basically, it doubled our business," he said.Backcountry Connection provides shuttle service between Glennallen and Chitina to McCarthy and Kennicott.The company also started a new service that offers historic tours at the McCarthy-Kennicott community, primarily for Princess hotel guests, Wilson said."It’s really going to make our little town boom," he said.One aspect of the additional tourism businesses around the hotel is that the change may reduce some crowding around Denali National Park and Preserve, he said.Mark Keogh, co-owner of Copper River Tours, relocated a tourism business to serve Princess guests. After six years he decided the long-term business opportunities were better alongside the new hotel, Keogh said."Our business is here because of Princess," he said. "There isn’t enough business to support our organization without them here because they bring in the flow of traffic."Copper River Tours offers a three-hour jet boat tour on the Tazlina River and 20 miles down the Copper River, he said. The trip is geared to accommodate all ages, he said.So far this year business has met Keogh’s early season expectations. The lure of the new Princess lodge has proven to be a draw for customers, he said.Keogh also aims to develop business from other travelers as well."We’re real optimistic about the future," he said. Read more about Princess boosts local firms Juneau hospital, union agree to new three-year contract JUNEAU -- Bartlett Regional Hospital and the union local that represents many of its employees have reached agreement on a new contract that will increase staff pay during the next three years.The hospital’s board of directors June 24 unanimously approved the three-year contract with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Alaska Local 200, Health Care Unit 2201. A majority of the bargaining unit members who voted earlier this month also agreed to the contract."Of the voter turnout, 82 percent voted the contract up," said Dony Cryts, bargaining unit president.The unit represents more than 355 of Bartlett’s 440 employees, including those who work in nursing, pharmacy, laboratory, patient access services, housekeeping, medical records, billing, admitting, diagnostic imaging and dietary, along with the Juneau Recovery Hospital. Although negotiations did go to mediation, the bargaining unit is pleased with the outcome, Cryts said."A lot of people put in a lot of work on this," he said.The contract includes a 3 percent wage increase in the first year, a 3.3 percent increase in the second year and a 4 percent increase in the third year for some employees, depending on their position, according to hospital administrators. Other employees will see a $1,000 cash payment the first year, a $1,300 payment the second year and a $1,700 payment in year three, they said.The new contract is now in effect and expires Dec. 31, 2004. Negotiations started in October and concluded in mid-May, according to Mark Beattie, Bartlett’s human resources administrator. Nearly all of the contract’s provisions will apply to all employees, he said. As examples, administrators, supervisors, and information-technology, payroll and maintenance staff are not members of the bargaining unit.For virtually all employees who will receive the cash increase, it is equivalent to or greater than the percentage increase, he said. The pay increases were included in the hospital’s budget this year, he added.Hospital employees also can qualify for wage increases tied to experience and education. In addition, Bartlett evaluates employee wages each year and often makes separate upward adjustments so wages are in line with market demand, he said."The goal on both sides was a contract that was fair to all employees from one end of the pay scale to the other, and fair to the employer," he said. "That is what we were aiming for."In another change, the new contract calls for full-time employees to make a $27 health insurance contribution each pay period in the second year of the contract and $30 per pay period in the third year. Currently, employees are not asked to make that type of payment.Bartlett has faced challenges in recruiting diagnostic-imaging technicians and health-information-management workers who are trained in insurance coding, administrators said. On the plus side, Bartlett has done well in recruiting nursing and pharmacy staff, two other high-demand fields, according to Sheryl Washburn, patient care administrator.Having a contract in place will make recruiting somewhat easier, Washburn said."We certainly recognize that our employees are what makes our organization work. We can’t do it without them," she said.Bartlett is owned by the city of Juneau, but is managed by Tennessee-based Quorum Health Resources. Read more about Juneau hospital, union agree to new three-year contract GCI may feel reverberations from WorldCom ANCHORAGE -- Troubled WorldCom Inc. holds a 10 percent stake in General Communication Inc. based in Anchorage and provides 16 percent of the Alaska company’s revenues. But it’s not clear whether the huge company’s financial woes will have a major impact on GCI."We’re still digesting what it means," said David Morris, a GCI spokesman. "We have people trying to figure out the impact. A lot of people around the country are doing the same thing."The state of Alaska’s big investment accounts appear to have escaped any impact from the telecommunication giant’s difficulties, however.Alaska’s Permanent Fund Corp. had no shares of WorldCom when the accounting problems surfaced, said Joan Cahill of the fund. The fund had held an interest earlier as part of an index fund handled by Deutsche Asset Management, she said. "When WorldCom fell out of the index, they sold it," she said. The fund also didn’t have any WorldCom bonds, she said.Alaska’s pension funds also appear to be in the clear as far as WorldCom goes."We didn’t have any (WorldCom) in the bond portfolio or in actively managed accounts," said Lee Livermore, chief investment officer for the Department of Revenue. Some of the pension funds may have held some WorldCom stock as part of an index fund, he said.The Revenue Department handles investment for public employee and teacher retirement funds, deferred compensation plans, and the state’s own investments.WorldCom is the nation’s second largest long distance company. On June 25 it reported accounting errors that made it appear the company made nearly $4 billion in revenues that did not exist.For now, Mississippi-based WorldCom is still in business and, Morris notes, "they have paying customers who need to make calls and receive calls. Even if those customers go to another carrier, there’s a possibility we’d still be getting their business."But if WorldCom had to unload its GCI stock quickly, it could have a significant impact on the Alaska company’s stock price.WorldCom announced in November that it planned to unload half of the GCI shares it held then. GCI’s stock had been selling for more than $12 a share. It dropped sharply after the sale announcement and traded mostly in the $8-$10 range for the ensuing six months, as other telecommunications industry problems unfolded.News of WorldCom’s woes drove down the price of GCI stock about $2 per share in the days following the announcement, but it has since regained about $1 per share.WorldCom completed its stock sales in April, Morris said. That cut WorldCom’s stake to about 5 million shares, worth about $33 million as of June 28 and about 10 percent of the company’s common stock.GCI has had a long partnership with WorldCom, the nation’s No. 2 long distance carrier, and its predecessor, MCI.In 1993, the companies signed an agreement for GCI to handle all MCI’s calls to and from Alaska, while MCI handled all of GCI’s long-distance traffic to the Lower 48. MCI and WorldCom have been a substantial part of GCI’s business ever since, bringing in $58.2 million, or 16.3 percent of GCI’s revenues, last year. The contract between the two companies runs through March 2006.GCI did diversify its customer base in the long-distance field shortly after the MCI deal by signing an agreement with Sprint, which got GCI’s international traffic in exchange for using GCI for its Alaska-bound calls. Under that contract, which runs through 2007, GCI received about $37 million in revenues last year.When GCI bought into the cable TV business in 1996, MCI bought an additional $13 million in GCI stock. And last June, GCI obtained WorldCom’s 85 percent interest in the fiber-optic cable system built along the trans-Alaska oil pipeline for preferred stock valued at $10 million. Read more about GCI may feel reverberations from WorldCom Editors note: This Week in Alaska Business History revisits events that shaped our past. Those who cannotremember the past arecondemned to repeat it. George Santayana, 1863-195220 years ago this weekThe Anchorage TimesJuly 7, 1982Rasmuson won’t renew trusteeshipBy Bill WhiteTimes WriterElmer Rasmuson, dean of the Alaska business community, has decided not to seek reappointment as a trustee of the state’s $3.2 billion Alaska Permanent Fund.Rasmuson’s two-year term expired July 1. During that term he served as chairman of the six-member board of trustees, and he more than any other member was credited with helping shape the policies and investment strategy of the fund.Rasmuson is chief stockholder and chairman of the budget and planning committee of National Bank of Alaska, the state’s largest bank.Rasmuson made known his intention not to seek reappointment in a phone call last Wednesday with Gov. Jay Hammond, said Chuck Kleeschulte, the governor’s press secretary.Chief among his reasons is his desire to devote more time to the bank because of a new interstate banking law, sources said.The Anchorage TimesJuly 7, 1982Fishermen vote on new price offerBy Dave CarpenterTimes WriterNAKNEK -- Striking Bristol Bay fishermen were voting this afternoon on a processor’s new price offer that appeared likely to end the area’s longest-ever fishermen’s strike.The offer, from Kenai Packers, would pay fishermen 70 cents a pound for red salmon, down a nickel from last year but 12.6 cents more than Dillingham-area fishermen got when they ended their strike three days ago.The package, which still must be approved by other packers for all fishermen to go to work, also would pay 32 cents a pound for chum salmon, 70 cents for cohos, $1.30 for kings to be frozen and 75 cents for king canneries, with a price for pinks to be negotiated later.10 years ago this weekAlaska Journal of CommerceJuly 13, 1992Legislators take millions from science foundationBy Rose RagsdaleFor the Alaska Journal of CommerceAlaska lawmakers, hungry for spare cash to fund the state’s projected budget deficit, grabbed a $21.5 million pot of surplus funds at the Alaska Science & Technology Foundation.Trouble is the money was not all surplus, says John Sibert, executive director of the foundation.As a result, the guardian of possible economic superstars such as Autogenesis Inc. and LLR Technologies Inc. has entered fiscal 1993 with about half the funds to meet its $4.6 million operating needs and issue another $4 million in new economic development grants as planned."The governor approved our funding request," Sibert said, in an interview last week. "But I don’t think the Legislature understood our budget. This decision means we will fund a number of ongoing grants, but will likely have proposals come to us late in the year that year that we will not be able to fund."The foundation was established in 1988 with an endowment of $100 million.Alaska Journal of CommerceJuly 13, 1992Eagle Hardware lands in AnchorageBy Margaret BaumanAlaska Journal of CommerceWhen Eagle Hardware opens its Anchorage store in November, the 160,000-square-foot store will offer virtual one-stop shopping on 50,000 items, says Dave Heerensperger, chief executive officer."We are excited about Alaska," said Heerensperger, who predicted the store would result in lower hardware prices in the area. "We expect Anchorage and Honolulu to be in our top two to three stores."In our store, the customer won’t have it to wait. We will have it in stock. We will have a $10 million inventory when we open," he said."We will be competitive with Costco and Pace," he said.The sprawling $12 million structure will be leased from Seattle investor Ron Crockett, he said.Heerensperger, 56, said in a recent interview he has been in the hardware business since he was 18. In 1960, he started Eagle Electric and Plumbing in Spokane, Wash. In 1969, he merged the firm into Pay N’Pak and went public, "all the way to the New York Stock Exchange."Before he resigned, Heerensperger was chairman and chief executive officer of Pay N’Pak. In 1987, the company was purchased by CitiBank, in a leveraged buyout.-- Compiled by Ed Bennett. Calista Corp. subsidiary signs deal with Army ANCHORAGE -- A Calista Corp. subsidiary has signed a 10-year contract to provide aerospace engineering to the U.S. Army.The military’s $1.1 billion pact with Yulista Management Services is the largest contract in the 30-year history of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta regional Native corporation, Calista officials said."This is basically guiding long-range fiscal planning for the corporation," said Matthew Nicolai, president of Calista. "It will benefit the corporation tremendously."The contract to supply technical and engineering support for development of missile systems and aerospace aircraft is a joint venture between Yulista and Science and Engineering Services of Maryland. The companies will work under the name JVYS.The joint venture has its headquarters in Anchorage and will operate at the Army’s Prototype Integration Facility in Huntsville, Ala. The facility provides weapons research for the Department of Defense.Native-owned Yulista is branching out into new territory with the aerospace contract. The government contractor had specialized in calibrating and repairing precision test equipment used by the military."The Army is consolidating its missile and aircraft engineering systems, and we’ll be providing the engineers and technicians to actually build the systems," John Voth, president of Yulista, told The Tundra Drums.The project is expect to employ 300 people at its peak in five years, Voth said.Yulista had revenue of $5.1 million in 2001. The Army contract and a $60 million contract with the U.S. Air Force to calibrate and repair test equipment at nine bases across the country will increase profits in the coming year, according to Voth.The contract is the largest Army contract ever given to an Alaska Native corporation.Calista owns 88 percent of Alaska Newspapers Inc., which publishes seven weeklies around the state.Yulista was formed in 1982 as Calista Professional Services and, later, Village Management Services. The company changed its name to Yulista in 1996, and began focusing on winning government contracts. Read more about Calista Corp. subsidiary signs deal with Army Laura Gyfteas has joined the law firm of Pradell and Associates as a paralegal. Gyfteas previously worked as a file clerk and legal secretary for the firm beginning in 1996. Gyfteas most recently was employed as a custom draperies designer at J.C. Penny Co. Inc.Carol E. Lewis has been appointed dean of the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management and director of the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. Lewis, who has served as interim dean since July 2000, has been a professor at UAF since 1973, serving as department head from 1989 to 1998.Gov. Tony Knowles has appointed Arlene Buxton and Belen Cook to the State Commission for Human Rights. Buxton of Metlakatla has worked for the Annette Islands School District for more than 25 years. Buxton is affiliated with the Tlingit and Haida Tribes of Alaska. Cook of Cordova has served on the boards of Sound Alternatives and the Cordova Chamber of Commerce. Cook has worked with the Ilanka Health Center, Chugachmiut and the Native Village of Eyak.Denali Alaskan Mortgage Co. has hired Theodis Talbert Jr. as a loan officer. Talbert most recently worked as an escrow officer at Pacific Northwest Title of Alaska. Talbert has more than four years experience in the real estate industry including sales, loan processing, escrow processing and escrow closings. Talbert became a licensed real estate agent in 1998. Read more about Movers & Shakers Diversity key to retirement plans It seems that this writer has had the following conversation, or one nearly like it, with a seat-mate on virtually very flight Outside over the last few months:Other Passenger: "What do you do?"This Writer: "I am a pension consultant."OP: "Well, you must have a hard time choosing investments for your clients."TW: "No, I don’t do investments. I provide technical advice and guidance for qualified plan sponsors and that does not include any investment advice. I am probably more confused about current market situations than you."OP: "Well, yeah, I work for Big Energy/Communication/Office Equipment Inc. and my 401(k) plan is just doing great."TW: "Really? What’s your secret?"OP: "I invest in company stock with my 401(k) contributions and the company matches it with more company stock. My ’portfolio’ is now worth ’x’ times what I have invested in it."TW: "Your portfolio? What other investments do you have in your 401(k) plan?"OP: "What do you mean?"TW: "Beside your company’s stock, what other investments have you made? Mutual funds? Guaranteed investment contracts? Individual stocks and bonds?"OP: "Well, no, I just have company stock in my account. It is such a great investment. It has done nothing but increase in value since 1994. Well, I guess it did drop in value some earlier this year, but the company is fine and management says that this is just a little bump in the road and our are numbers are really solid. I can get a far better return on my company’s stock than I can on any other investment."TW: "Really?"Well, if the other passenger was an employee of Enron, WorldCom or Xerox, the last few months, or even days with respect to WorldCom or Xerox, have been sobering. That little nest egg is now a lot smaller. However, even without considering what has been happening recently with "cooked books" and "creative accounting" that have dashed investor confidence, inadequate investment diversification has long caused many investors to lose in a big way.Particularly with respect to investments designed for retirement, diversification is absolutely necessary to protect one’s nest egg. Unfortunately, many employees are not in a position to truly evaluate the risk involved in purchasing the stock of one’s own employer, particularly when that is the only investment the individual is making.Although investing solely in company stock may not be as risky as placing all of one’s money on "00" in roulette, there are some striking similarities. By failing to "hedge one’s bets," there is a significantly increasing likelihood of a big loss.Yes, there could also be a big gain, but very few investors appear to have the discipline to sell an investment where there are economic and emotional deposits.Many employees who buy employer stock fail to diversify and pass up opportunities to broaden their portfolios. It can be psychologically difficult to accept the fact that one’s employer is not a good investment at a particular time, or possibly at all, and failure to take action when it is clearly necessary to do so makes the lack of diversification risk even greater.For some employees, selling company stock is akin to being a traitor and there is an unspoken fear that selling of company stock would put the employee out of favor with management. This is sometimes called "herd mentality."Most of the loss in value of Enron stock in employee 401(k) accounts had already occurred when transactions in company stock were blocked during the period Enron was changing 401(k) providers. The employees lost most of the value of their investment in Enron stock during a period where there were no restrictions on their ability to liquidate Enron shares and reinvest in other securities.This writer has frequently advised the other passenger that by investing a significant amount in company stock, there is an even greater risk. The other passenger may not only lose his or her investment, he or she may also be out of a job. Investing only in company stock puts far too many eggs in one basket for any prudent investor.It is very important for an employee who is investing in his company’s stock to exercise a great deal of caution. The best think that employee can do is diversify, diversify, diversify.J. Michael Pruett is president of Cache Pension Services Inc. He can be reached via a-mail at [email protected] Read more about Diversity key to retirement plans Commission seeks to establish best number of Bristol Bay permits The Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission is conducting a study to determine an optimum number of drift gillnet entry permits for Bristol Bay. In April, the commission mailed a survey to a random sample of 440 of 1,885 Bristol Bay drift gill- net permit holders to obtain information on operating costs, investments in the fishery and economic rates of return.The survey also seeks opinions about permit buybacks, how much a permit might be sold for and other issues surrounding the Bristol Bay fishery.Kurt Schelle with the commission said determining an optimum number is very important under Alaska law. "If the optimum number of permits is less than the number of permits currently outstanding in the fishery, then CFEC will be in a position to defend a buyback program should funding become available," he said. "Since the degree of exclusivity in a limited fishery is a legal issue under Alaska’s Constitution, CFEC needs to be able to defend any fleet reduction program should a legal challenge arise," he explained.Response to the survey has been good, with a 67 percent return so far. The sooner the commission receives the surveys still outstanding, the sooner they can begin their analysis of the data. "It is really important for permit holders selected in the random sample to respond so that the study results will be truly accurate and representative," Schelle said.The commission wants to be able to provide preliminary results from the survey in the fall or early winter. The entire optimum number study will probably take at least a year to complete.Salmon good for bonesThere’s more good news on the health front. A calcium compound derived from salmon appears to play an important part in treating osteoporosis in post-menopausal women.Seafood.com, which tracks fishing industry news, reports that researcher Warren Levy of Unigene Laboratories in Fairfield, N.J., presented the findings at a recent International Osteoporosis Foundation world congress in Lisbon, Portugal.Levy said salmon calcitonin, currently acknowledged as the most powerful form of calcitonin, can deliver significant improvements in the quality of life for osteoporosis patients by reducing bone pain and increasing mobility and function.According to several reports, when administered to women at least five years beyond menopause, calcitonin has been shown to slow bone loss, increase spinal-bone density, and reduce the risk of fractures, a problem often associated with osteoporosis, which causes bones to become brittle.Studies have also indicated that calcitonin has an analgesic effect, reducing bone pain following vertebral fracture even within the first week of taking it.In one research study, a group of women over 75 showed a 62 per cent reduction in the incidence of new backbone fractures. A study under way is examining the effects of salmon calcitonin in 6,000 women over 70. Salmon calcitonin is currently marketed in injectable and nasal spray forms, but alternative methods of administration are also being studied. Unigene is developing both nasal and oral forms of calcitonin.Fish is brain foodResearch in the United Kingdom supports the idea that fish truly is "brain food," finding that women eating oily fish when pregnant promote brain development in their babies.Fish Farming Magazine reports findings by researchers Peter Willatts and Stewart Forsyth at Dundee University that examined links between the consumption during pregnancy of certain long-chain polyunsaturated fats and the brain power of the newborn child. Their results indicate that children do gain in brain development from their mother’s diet.One test measured visual acuity and cognitive abilities in 98 babies at four months of age. The cognitive test involved recording the time babies spent looking at a pattern until they lost interest. Babies with shorter looking times are identified as faster processors. The results showed infants of mothers with higher concentrations of the long-chain fats in their blood had shorter looking times and better visual acuity.Previous studies have found that babies who are faster processors have higher IQ scores in later childhood.The second study looked at the long-term effects of long-chain fats in 147 babies’ diets on their efficiency of processing information at six years of age. The children had all been fed a formula for the first four months of life, half with the fats and half without. At six years the children were tested on picture-matching problems.Children who had received the fats showed faster and more accurate responses than children who had received none. The doctors pointed out that while there were various means of including the fats in the diet, one of the best sources was oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel and herring.Kodiak-based free-lance writer Laine Welch can be reached via e-mail at [email protected] Read more about Commission seeks to establish best number of Bristol Bay permits Young pits ANWR against ethanol in energy bill debate FAIRBANKS -- Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, suggested that House and Senate negotiators should allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge if they want him to back tax credits for ethanol additives in gasoline."You want ethanol? I want ANWR," Young said June 27 as a House-Senate conference committee on energy legislation opened.Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., warned the committee not to put a provision in the bill that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling because the Senate would kill the entire package."I say to my colleagues: If you want a bill, don’t bring it back to the United States Senate to redecide what we’ve already decided," Kerry said.Young didn’t like the sound of that."The idea that they’re going to tell me that we’re not going to talk about ANWR or we’re not going to have a bill, well, I could say the same thing about ethanol," Young said. "Let’s put it right on the table, right now."Young said he is not happy about the ethanol provisions in the Senate version of the energy bill.The tax credits would come out of money for the Highway Trust Fund, the main federal pot from which road work is funded. As chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, it is Young’s job to oversee the spending of the highway money, and he is fiercely protective of the dollars.Young questioned why ethanol-fueled vehicles, which put the same demand on roadbeds as any others, should be given a preferential tax rate."We’re about to take and subsidize an industry to the tune of $500 billion," he said. The Senate approved the ethanol tax credit at the urging of members who said it is a renewable, clean-burning fuel.But taking the money out of the Highway Trust Fund is like cutting an artery, drinking the blood and declaring that "we’re making progress," Young said.Nevertheless, Young said, a conference committee is a "two-way street."The House bill contains language opening ANWR to oil drilling. The Senate version does not.Young said conference committee members who are inclined to vote against ANWR drilling should have the "decency to go and see it ... instead of sitting in a little castle and breathing that rarefied air."Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, wrote a letter inviting conferees to meet in Kaktovik, the village located on the northern edge of ANWR’s coastal plain. Read more about Young pits ANWR against ethanol in energy bill debate Kiewit Pacific lands Parks-Glenn interchange contract A Nebraska firm has won a $44 million contract for the design and construction of an interchange linking the Glenn and Parks highways in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.Kiewit Pacific Co.’s wasn’t the cheapest proposal out of three submitted but was rated the "best value" based on cost and design criteria, said Tom Dougherty, project manager for the state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.Bids ranged in price from $43,090,000 to $56 million. Kiewit Construction bid $44,035,000, Dougherty said.Construction is slated to begin this summer with completion in late 2004.Plans call for the construction of a grade-separated intersection, or interchange, at the intersection where the two highways meet, allowing a free flow of traffic between Anchorage and Wasilla. It also will improve flow between Anchorage and Palmer and between Palmer and Wasilla, according to the project description.Traffic lights currently control the intersection of the two highways, resulting in a stop-and-go driving that often backs up traffic.At-grade railroad and road crossings will be eliminated with the construction of five bridges, according to state officials. Additional ramps and roads will provide access to the Glenn Highway leading toward Palmer and to Nelson Road.The interchange will be constructed entirely within existing state right of way, Dougherty said.The interchange project is one of the first in the state to use a design-build process, which allows construction of one portion of a project to begin as soon as its design is completed.Previously, a project was designed, then bid and built.The recently completed Whittier Tunnel was constructed using the design-build concept, a process that is becoming more popular throughout the United States because of shorter construction schedules and earlier completion dates, according to Dougherty. Read more about Kiewit Pacific lands Parks-Glenn interchange contract Anchorage Bar Association www.anchoragebarassociation.orgThe Anchorage Bar Association Young Lawyers Section organized the state finals of the 13th Annual High School Mock Trial Competition this past March. In organizing such competition, the Young Lawyers Section (YLS) looks to a small group of volunteers (the committee) to draft the problem, coordinate with court personnel to reserve enough courtrooms, recruit different schools to participate, recruit a sufficient number of judges for all competition rounds, and organize the banquet and awards ceremony. Of course, the committee performs many more tasks to ensure a successful competition. Having organized the state final competition for the past couple of years, the committee wondered if Alaska could host the National Mock Trial Competition. With this task in mind, two committee members attended this year’s National Competition hosted in St. Paul, Minnesota.At each National Competition, planners decide on where the National Competition will be held three years out. Some of the key factors in selecting the winning city are: (1) courthouse capacity for 50 teams to compete; (2) hotel(s) with 500 rooms and banquet facilities; (3) proximity of the host hotel(s) to the courthouse(s); (4) obtaining sufficient number of volunteers to judge the national competition; and (5) activities/attractions for the participants.This year, there were three cities vying to host the 2005 National Competition -- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Fort Worth, Texas; and Charlotte, North Carolina. Representatives from the three hopeful venues attended various meetings and provided extensive "resumes" detailing why it was the best venue to host the National Competition. Each representative had already coordinated with hotels, courthouses, and local attorneys and judges and obtained agreements with each about participating in a national competition.Having attended this year’s National Competition and two meetings where the three hopefuls for hosting in 2005 gave their presentations, the YLS planning committee now has a good picture of what to accomplish to host, wishfully, the 2009 National Competition.Can Anchorage host this national competition? We certainly have wonderful courtroom facilities, a number of hotels in the downtown area, and beautiful outdoor attractions that can be enjoyed by everyone! With the cooperation of the Anchorage business and legal community, the committee looks forward to the challenge of organizing a National Competition.Michelle Higuchi is an associate at Guess & Rudd.Young Lawyers Hold Successful Second Job FairThe Anchorage Bar Association Young Lawyers Section recently hosted a Job Fair for new and young attorneys at the Hotel Captain Cook. This was the second year that the Young Lawyers Section (YLS) hosted such job fair, and the organization hopes to make it an annual event. This years job fair brought both public and private employers, including the Alaska Civil Liberties Union, Birch Horton Bitner and Cherot, the Federal Judiciary, Guess & Rudd, Lynch & Blum, Richmond & Quinn, and Ross & Miner. Each employer sent one or two representatives, including someone involved in the hiring process and knowledgeable about future hiring prospects. In addition to these employers, an associate from Burr, Pease & Kurtz attended to discuss his practice and the possible hiring needs at his firm, and YLS had a few representatives there to meet attendees and discuss with them YLS activities and membership.This years participants came from law schools in Arizona, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, and Wyoming. Additionally, currently practicing young lawyers, summer associates, successful February 2002 Alaska Bar examinees, and July 2002 Alaska Bar examinees attended the job fair. The participating employers indicated they were extremely impressed with the attendees.Both employers and participants expressed their appreciation to the YLS for providing this helpful forum. And, per many employer and participant requests, YLS anticipates hosting this job fair annually, with each year to have more participants and to be more successful for all involved. YLS would like to thank the employers and participants who attended this years job fair. YLS would also like to thank everyone who helped make this a successful event and give special thanks to the small group of volunteers who donated their time and energy to organize this years wonderful job fair. By all accounts, those volunteers made this years job fair a great accomplishment. So, a special thanks to Christine DeYoung, Carl Johnson, Michelle Higuchi, Jeff Holloway, Emilee Moeller, and Kara Nyquist. Read more about Anchorage Bar Association Corps study finds Anchor Point harbor project may be too costly KENAI -- The U.S. Corps of Engineers project manager for a proposed Anchor Point harbor said June 24 that such a project may not be economically justifiable.A report issued by the Corps said a proposed feasibility study that could cost well over $1 million and require state and local matching funds may well end up showing that breakwaters and long-term maintenance would be too costly.Further, either of two proposals -- a full harbor or a protected boat launch facility -- potentially could disrupt natural sediment transport along beaches, including at the Clam Gulch Critical Habitat Area. Construction also could impact fish migration, the study said."In summary, there is considerable risk that further studies during the cost-shared feasibility study will show that navigation improvements at Anchor Point are not justified or, if justified, do not meet budget policy requirements or national priorities for funding of construction," the Corps’ study said.Ken Turner, the Corps’ project manager for the Anchor Point harbor idea, said the Corps is leaning toward a feasibility study for a protected load and launch ramp rather than a full small-boat harbor, but even that may not make economic sense."Based on a quick-and-dirty look at the economics, it’s marginal," Turner said.He also said the $1 million estimate for a feasibility study was likely "on the conservative side."Proponents say safety and the struggling community economy are prime reasons for considering a harbor at Anchor Point. Currently, launches off the beach are subject to rapidly varying conditions of sea and wind and, at times, can be dangerous, Anchor Point residents say."We have thousands and thousands of launches off Anchor Point beach every year," said Tom Clark, chairman of the Anchor Point Chamber of Commerce. "It’s getting greater every year, primarily charter and recreational boaters. It’s becoming a serious safety issue and needs to be addressed soon."I would prefer a small-boat harbor, but I would go for anything, including a protected boat launch facility."According to supporters, a typical summer day sees an estimated 30 boat launches at the beach at Anchor Point, with another 65 per day at Deep Creek.The two alternatives under consideration are a 99-vessel small-boat harbor and less-expensive protected boat launch facility. Construction of a protected boat launch facility would cost an estimated $5.1 million. A 99-vessel boat harbor would run about $15.5 million, according to the Corps.Proposed locations for the two alternatives are at sites three-quarters of a mile south of the mouth of the Anchor River and at Cape Starichkof about 8 miles north of Anchor Point and just south of Stariski Creek.A harbor would be protected by two angled breakwaters and be accessible under all tidal conditions, according to the preliminary study. A launch facility, on the other hand, would be protected by a single breakwater to the south and be available about half the time due to tidal cycles, according to the report. Read more about Corps study finds Anchor Point harbor project may be too costly	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line1992
__label__cc	0.664913	0.335087	(-) Remove clay filter clay (-) Remove jewelry filter jewelry (-) Remove painting filter painting James Van Winkle & Lilly Archer Sharon Aach "I have been an artist since the moment I was born. Over the years I have drawn, painted, cooked, sewn, knitted, beaded, sculpted….having studied and worked in all different areas, I am always drawn back to painting mixed media. I delight in making art that people enjoy. Ideas and creativity as an... Su Abbott "I began painting in 2003, sort of on a whim, but to see how I might be able to express my creative energy through visual art. I found that I enjoy working with high-quality acrylic paint mixed with textured mediums on either stretched canvas or wood panels. I utilize palette knives, scrapers,... Maureen Abdullah M&M LINKS started in September 2003. It came about after an extraordinary trip to Africa in the summer of 2003. We traveled to Zimbabwe and Johannesburg, and walked to the border of Zambia. We visited an Ndelbele village where women were making beaded aprons (lighabi) and beaded hoops (glowani... Chris and Nancy Adamo "A couple who has been happily married over 25 years, who had been part owner of a family business for 15 years,and who wanted to change how they lived. So, we sold the business, house, and just about everything else and moved to St John. We lived and worked at a small inn for 3 years, before... Carol Adams All jewelry is designed and executed by myself in sterling silver & 18K gold. All are one of a kind. Kelsi Adams Kelsi Adams is an artist, designer, wife and mother. Raised in northwest Florida, she attended Pensacola State College and earned her A.S. in Graphic Design in 2015. Kelsi’s artistic journey however, began in 2010 in a concert photo pit in North Carolina. She fell in love with the challenge of... Liz Aitken "I fell in love with creating at a very young age, but as I matured and developed, so did my artwork. My painting style has been described as dreamy, colorful, and abstract. It is my belief that art is not just a world of its own, but a vessel, or conduit, to express beauty and belief. My work... "Aside from my art, family life has been full and rich with four children (and the wonderful chaos that brings), marriage and my faith in God. On a less serious note, I love all things dark chocolate, almost anything sweet, oh... and Grey's Anatomy! Although the house is quieter now that the kids... Stephen Aives "Mixed media abstract paintings. Acrylic, oil pastel, plaster, spray paint, water spray bottle, freedom and recognition".	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line1994
__label__wiki	0.913741	0.913741	Premier Inn Near Whitby The latest signings - at Whitehall Road and Hepworth House in Leeds and next to Harrogate International Centre - mean the leisure operator is closer to achieving its target of 65, 000 hotel bedrooms in the UK within the next five years. Kevin Murray, senior acquisition manager for Whitbread hotels and restaurants said: “In April, Whitbread announced that it was stepping up the rate of growth for Premier Inn. We said we wanted to increase our expansion plans by 50 per cent because of our confidence in the product and because of the way our customers continue to demand more locations. "These three new hotels in Yorkshire are perfect examples of that strategy in action – and there’s more to come. The fundamentals of the Yorkshire hotel market are strong and we’re working hard to tap into those opportunities and to develop more and even better locations for our customers.” Work on the 107-bedroom Harrogate hotel is due to start next month with plans to open sometime next year. The hotel, which will form part of the extension to the Harrogate International Centre, will mark Premier Inn's first move into the conference centre arena. In Leeds a former office - Hepworth House - will be converted into a 131-bedroom hotel and will form part of the new Leeds Arena development when it opens next year. The new-build 130-bedroom Leeds Whitehall Road, close to the city's railway station and central business district, will form part of a larger mixed-use hotel and office development. It will open in 2014. Together, the three new sites are expected to create 250 new jobs and will see Whitbread investing more than £22m in the leasehold sites. The new openings will be alongside those already planned for new hotels in Bradford and Halifax. Murray said: “With both a strong business sector and visitor economy, the demand for Premier Inn bedrooms in Yorkshire is high. The deals in Leeds demonstrate our confidence in that local market whereas Harrogate is an exciting first for us in integrating our product into a major conference centre." MK2t011 Perfect Place To Stay In Orlando Majestic Places to Stay in the Maldives PDF 100 Best Places to Stay in Ireland PDF Book Free Self catering in Yorkshire Richmond North Yorkshire postcode Yo62 5ag Visit the Yorkshire Dales	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line1995
__label__wiki	0.540308	0.540308	Harry Waters www.harrywaters.co.uk VIDEO: Harry Waters Interview by: IsisTelevision Harry and his sister India Waters was heard as «children in the garden» on «Radio K.A.O.S.» from 1987. Harry Waters has joined the band of his father Roger Waters for the 2002 world tour. He replacing keyboardist Andy Wallace. Harry has played keyboards for many years, but this tour is probably his first step into a professional music career. In 2004!< he toured with Marianne Faithfull. Harry was studying music and has also toured with Ozric Tentacles, a modern day psychedelic band in 2004! 2006/2007 Harry is currently touring with Roger Waters for his «The Dark Side of the Moon Live» tour. His primary instruments are the Hammond B-3 Organ and the Yamaha bass trumpet. I started to play the piano around age ten. I learned with a teacher who taught me ragtime, boogie woogie and blues. In my teens I played in many different bands and experimented with different styles of music, including rock, funk, pop and metal. I first worked professionally in covers bands called Boot-Led Zeppelin, and The Cosmic Charlies (a Grateful Dead/Phish covers band) This gave me a good grounding in rock music and kept me going for the better part of three years. Covers can only take you so far however and I started to hunger for something else. I started listening to jazz in my early twenties and slowly became more and more interested and influenced by the sound. At the time, I was playing in an originals rock band called Hubble Deep Field and my change in musical direction started to cause some problems in the band. I increasingly wanted to stray from the typical rock structures of the songs we tended to play and experiment with the chords often found in jazz but seldom found in rock music. Consequently I found myself at musical odds with the other band members. It was at this time that I was starting to play along to Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson records. It wasn't long until I decided that this was the direction I wanted to head in. I spent a term studying with a tutor at Guildhall who helped me get my basic jazz chops down a lot quicker. More recently I have been taking lessons with a teacher from The Royal Academy who has shown me some classical techniques (I was never classically trained) to increase my speed and facility. The jazz jam sessions in London are a great place to learn and get your chops together. I started going to all the jams incl: The Beaufoy (Battersea), Shinos (Blackfriars), Blue Jays (Shepherds Bush, sadly no longer there, it's now a disco), Halo (Battersea) and more recently Bar Music Hall (Curtain Rd in east london). This last one is a great jam session with some really special players, including but not limited to: Branden Allen (Tenor) and Quentin Wilson (Trumpet). My first recording session can be downloaded on the Harry Waters Quartet page. We were in the studio for one day only, including recording and mixing, but I'm very pleased with the results. I hope to consolidate that material whilst continuing to write, and record an album some time in the near future. Carol Kenyon \| Chester Kamen \| Dave Kilminster \| Graham Broad \| Harry Waters \| Ian Ritchie \| Jon Carin \| PP Arnold \| Roger Waters \| Sylvia Mason-James \| Snowy White \| Andy Fairweather Low \| Katie Kissoon	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2004
__label__cc	0.695921	0.304079	can you feel me now Posted on May 18, 2014 at 05:30:36 AM by Áedán Áedán Áedán is a very pale, very short, and very skinny teenager. His appearance can be chalked up to a lack of sunlight, unfortunate genetics, and a lack of nourishment. In reality, he's pale because he's sickly and doesn't get out much, he's short because no one knows why- he doesn't know his parents -, and he's skinny because he can't keep food down. Áedán weighs in at eight two pounds and is, quite literally, skin and bones. He barely makes it to five foot when measured. His hair is naturally white, though originally brown, it started losing it's color when he was about nine, and was completely white by the time he was twelve. To try and make the best of it, he has it styled like so. He has one blue eye and one brown eye, not unlike this, but he often wears brown contacts to hide this. Áedán suffers not only from tinnitus and Crohn's disease, but he is blind in his left eye and deaf in his left ear. Áedán does not feel nervous in social situations, and has a good impression of what others think of him. He likes to speak out, take charge, and direct the activities of others. He is usually the leader in group activities. He prefers dealing with either people or things rather than ideas. He regards intellectual exercises as a waste of his time. He finds helping other people genuinely rewarding and is generally willing to assist those who are in need. He also finds that doing things for others is a form of self-fulfillment rather than self-sacrifice, however he does not enjoy confrontation, but will stand up for himself or push his point if he feels it is important. He has strong will-power and is able to overcome your reluctance to begin tasks. He is a calm person who is considered almost fearless by some. He rarely gets angry and it takes a lot to make him angry. Mostly his emotions are on an even keel and he does not get depressed easily. He does not feel nervous in social situations, and has a good impression of what others think of him. He is poised, confident, and clear-thinking when stressed. He genuinely likes other people and will openly demonstrate positive feelings toward others. He makes friends quickly and it is easy for him to form close, intimate relationships. He finds the company of others pleasantly stimulating and rewarding, and enjoys the excitement that crowds provide. He likes to speak out, take charge, and direct the activities of others. He is usually the leader in group activities. He leads a fast-paced and busy life. He moves about quickly, energetically, and vigorously and is always involved in many activities. He loves the bright lights and hustle and bustle. He takes risks, and he seeks thrills. He is a moderately imaginative person who enjoys a good balance between the real world and fantasy. Áedán is reasonably interested in the arts, but mostly interested in just music. He has good access to and awareness of his own feelings. Always eager to try new activities, travel, and experience different things. Finding familiarity and routine boring, he will take a new route home just because it is different. Often he exhibits a readiness to challenge authority, convention, and traditional values. He also feels a certain degree of hostility toward rules and perhaps even enjoy ambiguity. He naturally assumes that most people are fair, honest, and have good intentions. He sees no need for pretense or manipulation when dealing with others and are therefore candid, frank and sincere. People find it relatively easy to relate to him. He does not like to claim that he is better than other people, and is generally shy from talking himself up. He is tenderhearted and compassionate, feeling the pain of others vicariously and are easily moved to pity. He believes that he has the intelligence, common sense, drive, and self-control necessary for achieving success. In general he tends to be disorganized and scattered. His sense of duty and obligation is average and although he is mostly responsible, he can sometimes be unreliable. He often says or does the first thing that comes to mind without deliberating alternatives and the probable consequences of those alternatives. History is in the workings. Sample post is, also, in the workings. Unlike the history though, it will be attached in a separate message tomorrow, as it's about one AM here, and I just want to post this up so he doesn't disappear while I'm sleeping. Ryder, though Gentlemiss in the cbox and bandgeekx96 on AIM RPG-Owner's Conference and I've been an avid fan of Georgia for awhile, 'coz she's awesome. can you feel me now - By Áedán May 20, 2014 at 05:24:19 AM :) - By Merlin May 20, 2014 at 11:13:31 AM accepted - By Merlin May 18, 2014 at 10:52:33 AM	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2010
__label__wiki	0.676239	0.676239	No need to carry anything extra. Get a book onto your phone. Contemporary Works We are in the process of adding Creative Commons works. So far it's a small beginning. If there isn't something for you then check back latter and / or send us a request. <<1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 >> Sort by: title , author Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821 - 1881) Raskolnikov is a desperately impoverished young student and intellectual who robs and murders a moneylender to ease his own financial problems and, he rationalises, to better the world by expelling it of her evil doings. However, after he falls ill, he is eventually burdened by his past actions and seeks salvation. Was it justifiable homicide? Captivating and often disturbing, this novel explores this and other profound life concepts. Crime and Punishment is considered to be the one of the most influential Russian novels ever written. Read it and see why. Critique of Pure Reason Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804) First published in 1781 Critique of Pure Reason is widely regarded as the most influential and widely read work of the German philosopher Immanuel Kant and one of the most influential and important in the entire history of Western philosophy. Kant saw the work as an attempt to bridge the gap between rationalism and empiricism and as a counter to the radical empiricism of David Hume. Dance of Gods I: Spell of Catastrophe Notes on The Dance of Gods Mayer Alan Brenner ( - ) http://www.mayerbrenner.com Mayer Alan Brenner's "The Dance of Gods" series was published by DAW Books in the 1990s. A witty and intelligent science / fantasy crossover, Pratchett meets Zelazny meets Douglas Adams, it also prefigures Charles Stross in interesting ways. The series follows a cluster of raffish characters through overlapping and colliding story lines in a wonderfully realized world. "The humour was never farcical, always intelligent, but there was a certain madcap, slyness to it which I haven't experienced in fantasy for quite a while. Some scenes had me laughing out loud -- not good when traveling with a bunch of strangers, but a perfect remedy to Life..." -- The Book Swede This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License Dance of Gods II: Spell of Intrigue Notes on The Dance of Gods The plot thickens and larger issues may be at stake in the second book of Mayer Alan Brenner's "Dance of Gods" series. Originally published by DAW Books, the books are a witty and intelligent science / fantasy crossover. "A winner ... I was utterly hooked. Its not a belly-laugh-inducing parody of a fantasy so much as an off-the-wall kind of fantasy in its own right..." --Interzone Dance of Gods III: Spell of Fate Notes on The Dance of Gods Plot-lines collide and family secrets are revealed in the third book of Mayer Alan Brenner's "Dance of Gods" series. Originally published by DAW Books, the books are a witty and intelligent science / fantasy crossover. "Ya gotta love a series with a hero named 'Maximillian the Vaguely Disreputable'. READ THIS SERIES, shouts your FAQmaker, it's fast and furious, and fun..." -- The Recommended Fantasy Author List Daniel Deronda George Eliot (1819 - 1880) Daniel Deronda is the ward of wealthy Englishman, Sir Hugo Mallinger. He falls for the beautiful Gwendolen but a reversal in her family's fortunes sees her marry another and binds her to a different life. Meanwhile, Deronda saves a young Jewish woman, Mirah, and becomes involved in her search for lost family and identity. But a dramatic revelation threatens Deronda's own sense of identity. Romance and realism intertwine in this beautiful book. David Copperfield is a marvellous showcase for Dickens' writing brilliance. In it, the title character David Copperfield relates the story of his life, growing up in a world that has kinder moments but which too often can be so cruel. As usual, Dickens has created a cast of interesting characters who at times add comic moments to the story and almost always present Copperfield with many a life lesson. In part autobiographical, this story has been described by Dickens himself as his "favourite son". A must read.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2011
__label__wiki	0.56556	0.56556	Artists / Singers / Chris Booth-Jones (baritone) Chris Booth-Jones studied at the Royal Academy of Music and began his operatic career in 1970, singing with, among others, Welsh National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival and The Royal Opera House. Chris joined English National Opera in 1982, where he was Principal baritone for 18 years. It would be easier to list the baritone parts that Chris has not played than those he has. Performing has taken him to South America, the USA, Russia, Hong Kong and all around Europe. In recent years he has focused on recitals and recordings. Chris believes that at best, singing should be as natural as talking. Chris Booth-Jones - baritone, Igor Kennaway - piano This is a collection of some of the most beautiful English songs written in the 20th century, in which the poets and composers express internal journeys of a wide emotional range, from youthful love and its erotic pleasures to the stoic wisdom of advanced years, reflecting on the passing of time and death itself. These four composers knew each other, sharing a love of English folk songs, which they collected throughout the land, preserving and absorbing the oral tradition before this heritage was lost. More >>	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2019
__label__wiki	0.83511	0.83511	The Aquinian Men’s volleyball team’s efforts not enough AQ Sports Editor (CCAAsportACSC) The St. Thomas men’s volleyball team went into the CCAA national playoffs in Prince Edward Island ready to go. The Tommies were undefeated in regular season play, and won the ACAA conference championship with ease, but still were only ranked sixth going into nationals. The Tommies went into the first round match up as the underdogs, as they were playing the Niagara Knights, who were ranked third in the CCAA. ACAA most valuable player and Tommies outside hitter Jason Cannon felt that being the underdog really helped them in the match. They had just watched seventh place Limoilou Titans defeat the second place Augustana Vikings, so the Tommies were ready to pull off the upset. “We watched so much game tape on them, and we knew how they played,” said Cannon about the Knights. The Knights came out tough like expected, and won the first set 25-20. Then things started to turn around for the Tommies. The Tommies went on to win the next three sets. Each set was close, with the third even needing extra points, but the Tommies came away with the 3-1 win. “Everyone just stepped up and was ready to play,” said Cannon. The Tommies were rolling going into the semifinal game against the Limoilou Titans on Friday. It looked like the Tommies were going to keep that momentum going, as they started to dominate the Titans in the first set. Then tragedy struck. Outside hitter Nick Levesque, who had been playing well for STU, went down with an ankle injury. He made his way off the court, while the Titans saw a chance to strike. The Tommies were able to hold on to win the first set 25-21, but that’s when things started to fall apart. “He was the one who couldn’t be stopped at that point,” said Cannon. “It was hard because it really hurt the momentum of that game.” The Tommies went on to lose the next three sets against the Titans. St. Thomas had little problems in the regular season with any of the ACAA teams, so didn’t face a lot of challenges to help prepare them. The Tommies weren’t able to get a feel for the level of competition that was waiting for them at nationals. Despite the 3-1 loss, the Tommies season wasn’t over. They still had a chance to win the bronze medal, if they won two games on Saturday. But the loss to the Titans, along with the loss of Levesque, left them discouraged. Cannon said after that it was tough to bring back the same intensity they had in the first game of the tournament. The Tommies lost three straight sets to the St. Clair Saints, with none of the sets being close. Though the Tommies didn’t get the finish they wanted, they still did better than any St. Thomas men’s volleyball team before them. “It feels good to know that we made STU proud,” said Cannon. “I know under the circumstances of what happened, we all did the best we could.” Tags: ACAA, ccaa, jason cannon, Philip Drost, St. Thomas Tommies, Volleyball Next: Cramming for exams with Hamlet	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2020
__label__wiki	0.773849	0.773849	Rev. Doyle Snyder Rev. Doyle H. Snyder, 86, died Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014 in Passavant Retirement Community in Zelienople. Marianne Schmitt Marianne E. Waters Schmitt, wife of the late William "Wiggie" Schmitt, died Monday, Jan. 27, 2014. She is survived by four siblings, Angelika Paschke of Germany, Frank J. Waters, Raymond J. Waters and his wife Marilyn and Dorothy M. "Dodo" Withers and her husband Bob; and nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond A. Sr. and Hildegarde Pampuch Waters. Friends were received at O'Brien Funeral Home, North Side. A funeral mass was held in Risen Lord Church on Saturday. Burial was in Christ Our Redeemer Cemetery. Killian Duffy Killian M. "Kelly" Duffy died Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014. She is survived by five siblings, Kenneth M. Duffy of California, Kieren Duffy-Gibson and her husband Rich, Keven M. Duffy and his wife Pam, Kimberly M. Duffy and her husband Michael and Kristin M. Duffy-McDaniel and her husband Keith; and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Kenneth and Mary Beth Duffy. John Repko Sr. John M. Repko Sr., 68, of Pittsburgh, died Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014. He is survived by two sons, John M. Repko Jr. and Brandon Repko and his wife Michele; six siblings, Janet Thomas and her husband Jon, Joan Greer and her husband Tim, Lynne DiVecchio and her husband Aldo, Diane Platek, Mike Repko and Jim Rhodes and his wife Honey; five grandchildren, Lilliana, Harrison, Maxwell, Cecelia and Petra; his former wife, Nancy Gillman; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, John G. and Violet Repko; and two siblings, Marie Puniak and DeeDee Tomasic. Elizabeth Barger DePalma Elizabeth "Betty" Barger DePalma, Avalon, Pa, formerly of Stoneboro and Sewickley, PA, passed away peacefully Jan. 14, 2014, following a lengthly illness, surrounded by her devoted family in her home. Born in Sewickley, July 14, 1929, to the late Guy William and Bernice Gilliland Barger. She was a 1947 graduate of Sewickley High School and a graduate of Thiel College, Greenville, Pa. Frances Clark Frances Mountsier Clark, 93, of Mt. Lebanon, formerly of Bellevue and wife of the late Clarence "Bill" Clark, died Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013. Mrs. Clark had been an elementary school teacher in Bellevue and Mt. Lebanon. She is survived by two daughters, Jean Hykes and her husband James and Catherine Gerhold and her husband Wayne; five grandchildren, Steven Hykes, Brian Hykes and his wife Jennifer, Sarah Beckley and her husband Aaron, Benjamin Gerhold and his wife Kathleen and Christine Zahorchak and her husband Jeffrey; and sister-in-law of John Clark and Jean Gerken. Dorthy Dorman Dorthy G. (Gercken) Dorman, 93, of West View, passed away on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013. She was the loving wife of the late Lawrence C. Dorman; beloved mother of June (Harry) Bolette and Nancy (Martin) Tranquada; grandmother of Fiona, Andrew, Hazel, Eileen, Colin, John, Justin, and Adam; great-grandmother of Luke and Joey. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her sister, June; and her brother, Joseph. Friends were received Monday at 6 p.m. for a memorial service in the H.P. Brandt Funeral Home, Inc., Ross Township. Samuel Stroh Stephanie Gergerich Stephanie Turkovich Gergerich, 92, of Avalon, formerly of North Side and wife of the late Michael J. Gergerich, died Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. She is survived by her daughter, Geraldine Banyas and her husband Raymond; three grandchildren, Michael Banyas, Suzan James and Christine Hayner; six great-grandchildren; and siblings, nieces and nephews. Rita Favorite Rita Marie Recker Favorite, 77, of West View, formerly of Brighton Heights and wife of the late Armand Favorite, died Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013. She is survived by six children, Susan Favorite and her husband James Snyder, Sally Favorite, John Favorite, Michael Favorite and his wife Marlene, Paul Favorite and Kad Favorite and her husband Ted Lund; her sister, Judy Vogrin and her husband Don; seven grandchildren, Ed, Paul, Sara, Ben, Hannah, Megan and Luke; and two great-granddaughters, Alexis and Karina. She was preceded in death by her brother, James Recker and his wife Joan. Mary Ann Bellin Mary Ann Bellin, 82, of Bellevue, formerly of Shadyside and wife of the late Clyde A. Bellin, died Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013. She is survived by five children, Lisa Froehlich and her husband Ron, Thomas Bellin, Paula Salas and her husband Oscar, Cynthia Zingaro and her husband Joseph and Timothy Bellin; her sister, Clara Josephites; 14 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. There was no visitation. Arrangements were made by Walter J. Zalewski Funeral Home, Lawrenceville. Lolita Chase Paul Shabla Paul Shabla of New Galilee, formerly of Pittsburgh, died Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen Leo Shabla; and two nieces, Sandy Zilles and her husband Jack and Kathy Chmura and her husband Tim. He was preceded in death by three siblings, Andy, John and Ann. Friends were received at Thomas P. Kunsak Funeral Home, North Side. A funeral service was held in St. George Ukrainian Church on Monday. Donald Giovengo Donald D. Giovengo, 79, of Emsworth, died Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013. Bonnie Jean Kiger Bonnie Jean Kiger, 59, of Bellevue, died Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013. She was the daughter of the late George W. Sr. and Clara Taylor Kiger; mother of David G. Kiger (Janice); sister of John Kiger and George W. Kiger Jr. (Dusty); grandmother of Stephani C. Kiger (Ryan), Brandon and the late Kourtney Scott. Memorial services were held Oct. 3, 2013 at O’Brien’s Funeral Home. Daniel Hernon Daniel Michael Hernon, 58, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2013. Helen Dornetto Helen Bolkovac Dornetto, 96, of Bellevue, wife of the late Dominic F. Dornetto, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013. Mrs. Dornetto was active in the Bellevue community. She was a volunteer at Suburban General Hospital Auxiliary for many years. She is survived by two sons, Joseph Dornetto and his wife Sharon and Dominic Dornetto and his wife Carol; her brother, Nicholas Bolkovac; and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by five siblings, John, Albert, Joseph and Alberta Bolkovac and Katherine McCartney. Edgar Steinmark Edgar George Steinmark, 88, of Providence Point, South Hills, formerly of Bellevue, Wallingford, PA, Upper St. Clair, Wilmington, DE and Bath, OH, died Friday, Sept. 6, 2013 in Family Hospice and Palliative Care. Michael Weinzierl Michael J. Weinzierl, 55, of Ohio Twp. died Wednesday, August 14, 2013. Katherine Andrews Katherine Daisy Peyton Andrews, 71, of Emsworth, died Saturday, July 13, 2013. Mrs. Andrews was retired from Oliver High School, where she had been a child care and teen parent teacher. She was a member of Bethel Assembly Church, where she was a Sunday school and prayer class teacher. Ellen Clark Ellen M. Carr Clark, 83, of Emsworth, wife of the late Raymond Clark, died Tuesday, June 25, 2013. She is survived by two sons, Raymond Clark and his wife Rhonda Starkey of Westford, MA and Ed Clark and his wife Patty of Ohio Twp.; two siblings, Phyllis Fellure and Albert Carr; four grandchildren, Ashley Slaney, Chelsey, Alex and Corey Clark; and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by five siblings, Thomas, Edmund, Joseph and Kenneth Carr and Lois Korando. Anna Mae Ettore On Sunday, June 16, 2013 Anna Mae (Eidenschenk) Ettore, of Frederick, MD, formerly of Bellevue, was taken from her beloved family to be with the Lord. She leaves behind her beloved husband Michael ,to whom she was married to for over 50 years; two daughters, Kimberly (Edward) Hock and Christina (Michael) Robinson and her only grandson Eric. She also leaves behind one niece and four nephews. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her sister, Marie Noel. Regis Miller Regis M. Miller, 81, of Avalon, died Tuesday, June 4, 2013. He is survived by two sisters, Betty Winkler and Audrey Carnahan; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by four siblings, Mary Ann Aley, Joseph A. Miller, Lucille Bopp and Edwin Miller. Services and burial were private. Arrangements were made by T.B. Devlin Funeral Home, North Hills. Esther Beighey Esther L. Beighey, 91, of Avalon, wife of the late Walter "Fred" Beighey, died Thursday, June 6, 2013. Mrs. Beighey was a member of the Red Hatters of Metowers. She enjoyed traveling and playing cards. Catherine Tunney Catherine C. "Kitty" Scheidlmeier Tunney of Avalon died Thursday, May 30, 2013. She is survived by two children, Shawn Tunney and Maureen Cortazzo and her husband Patrick; four brothers, Ronald and his wife Rose, Donald, Charles and his wife Kathleen and John Scheidlmeier and his wife Sally; four grandchildren, Patrick Jr., Jack, Casey Shea and Casey Ann; and nieces and nephews. Friends were received at the Orion C. Pinkerton Funeral Home, Avalon. Services were private. Contributions are suggested to Forbes Hospice, 4800 Friendship Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15224. Mary Patricia West Mary Patricia "Pat" West, 85, of Bellevue, wife of the late Jim West, died Thursday, May 23, 2013. Mrs. West was a Robert Morris University graduate, then called a secretarial school. She worked at Suburban General Hospital. She enjoyed traveling locally and to favorite vacation destinations by bus or on cruise ships with friends. Paul Hudgins Paul D. "Bubba" Hudgins, 63, of Avalon, died Wednesday, May 15, 2013. Mr. Hudgins was a member of Union Local #12 Sheet Metal Workers and a member of Emanuel Lutheran Church. Rosalie Downs Rosalie "Rowie" Pace Downs of Brighton Heights, wife of the late James Downs, died Saturday, May 4, 2013. She is survived by five siblings, August "Ted" Pace, Jean Cej, Anthony Pace, Mary Lou Melcher and Jerry Pace; and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by five brothers, Joseph Pace, Edward Pace, Julius Pace and William Pace and Ronnie Pace. Carl Trimber Carl E. Trimber, 79, of Ross Township, died Tuesday, April 23, 2013. Mr. Trimber was retired as a teacher and coach at Northgate High School for more than 34 years. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean Conflict. He was an avid runner. He is survived by his wife, Bette Nazzaro Trimber; two daughters, Sharon and Lisa Trimber; his sister, Margaret Dalzell; and nieces and nephews. Lois Thomas Lois T. (Logue) Thomas, 83, long-time resident of Avalon, born in "Old Allegheny,” Sept. 14, 1929, passed away April 16, 2013. Lois had been a corporate executive secretary and a home maker.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2021
__label__cc	0.65089	0.34911	Student leaders cope with less funding By Melisa Barish / In Campus, Featured, News / October 4, 2012 Funding for student organizations has decreased this school year due to the drop in enrollment and an increase in budgets for larger organizations. Some of the organizations that requested more money were Concordia Entertainment Commission, the Student Government Association, Homecoming and Orientation. According to Nathalie Rinehardt, assistant director of student involvement, these increases are mostly due to rising costs everywhere. “If you want to bring in a good lecturer, you have to be willing to pay,” Rinehardt said. The funding for most student organizations—with the exception of Homecoming, which is also funded by the alumni office—comes from the $210 student activity fee included with each student’s tuition. The money from the fee goes to cover a variety of charges. According to Concordia’s website, funding is first given to select auto-disbursements such as the newspaper readership program (which pays for the USA Today, The Forum and the Star Tribune), residence hall programming, funding for the Olson Forum Fitness Facility and payments to MATBUS and Doyle Cab. After the auto-disbursements, funding is then given to Campus Entertainment Commission, Student Government Association, Homecoming, Orientation, Campus Ministry Commission and Campus Service Commission. These groups have a yearly budget. Finally, individual student organizations can apply for funding at several points throughout the year. According to Rinehardt there is approximately $60,000 available for funding student organizations, which is down about $40,000 from last year. Rinehardt said that this information has been given to the leaders of student organizations. “We’ve had to be up front that we are working with less money,” she said. Jocelyn Fetsch, commissioner of the Student Involvement Council, which is in charge of approving funding requests, gave some advice to student organization leaders. “We challenge them to be cost-effective in publicity and running their organizations,” Fetsch said. Some student organizations are already planning for reduced budgets. One such group is the Foam Weapon Fighting Club, led by President Niki Wagner. They have already cut one trip from their plans this year. “The downside of the small amount of funding is that we’re nervous that if we apply for things now that we’d like to go to, we won’t be able to go to events later in the year,” Wagner said. “We’re really having to pick and choose what events we want to go to.” She also explained that they want to “open up funding for other groups” as well, by using less of the funding themselves. In addition to reducing costs by cutting trips, the Foam Weapon Fighting club cuts costs by using only word of mouth to advertise their organization. “We have no advertisements whatsoever, but each year our club gets about 20 new people,” Wagner said. She attributes this to the openness of the club’s members and the fact that they practice in the middle of campus. Another student organization is taking a different approach to cutting costs through fundraising. Laura Gonshorowski, executive chair for Dance Marathon, said her club has planned fundraising events to raise money for their event in March. These include a 50/50 raffle where the winner and Dance Marathon each get half of the money raised, a button sale, and selling tickets to the “It’s a Wonderful Night” event held each year at West Acres. During this event, the mall opens for a few exclusive hours with special activities and sales for those who purchase tickets. Gonshrowski suggested that other student organizations should “try to look elsewhere, because the Fargo-Moorhead area is really giving.” Because funding requests are submitted at intervals throughout the year, it is more likely that money will run out during spring semester. This could happen if the requests eventually add up to the total amount of funding available. If that were the case, Rinehardt explained that the Student Involvement Council could find funding in a few other places. These include an emergency response fund and the Special Projects and Initiatives Fund, both of which would require approval from the Student Affairs Committee. Melisa Barish Contact Melisa Barish at mbarish@cord.edu The Student Activity Fee SGA creates SPIF account for big ideas Cobburrr Expo keeps students warm, engaged in the world Student Activity Fee readjusted Applicant numbers higher than last year Tags: decreased enrollment, Student activity fee, Student Life, student organizations Welcome to the discussion. Before posting, please read our discussion guidelines.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2022
__label__cc	0.60144	0.39856	By Paula Younger Two years after my wedding I stood behind bulletproof glass searching evidence tables piled with pictures of smiling brides and grooms. Jenny, the police officer assigned to photo viewing day, led me to the Misc. box, a cardboard beast overflowing with pictures and negatives. She warned, “This might take a while.” A blond woman flanked by her husband and her parents said, “Can you believe we have to do this?” She rifled through boxes for a glimpse of the dress she had so carefully picked out, her husband’s smile, photos of friends and family. I was looking for those things too. But I was also looking for something else. In that police basement I was searching for the last pictures ever taken of my mother and me. Looking for Mrs. Nixon: An Interview with Ann Beattie By Gary Percesepe Fiction Interviews There was a time in the 1970s when getting The New Yorker magazine delivered to my house was something of an event. (I don’t feel that way now and it sometimes makes me sad.) In those days the magazine was posted with a brown paper covering. I tore off the brown paper, checked out the cover art, then turned to the Table of Contents looking for Ann Beattie’s name. When she was listed there (48 times now, and counting), I was happy. When she wasn’t, I made do. Profile of Charlottesville Musician Galen Curry By Jeffrey Pillow Music Bios From galencurry.com: Galen Curry honed his skills as a musician in the most intuitive way: by playing music whenever and wherever possible. He [has] played in jazz combs, chamber singing groups, wedding bands, and wind ensembles. He has toured the Eastern Seaboard with a rock [outfit] and Eastern Europe with a concert choir. For years, Galen front Upstate New York alt-rock band The Beds and Virginia funk-rock ensemble Ultraviolet Ballet, and it was with these bands that he began to find his voice as a songwriter. Galen’s musical talents are now focused on a burgeoning solo career. Based out of a vibrant Charlottesville, Virginia, music scene, Galen honors his southern heritage with unmistakably American tunes that supplement his singular tenor with clever lyricism and upbeat rootsy instrumentation, but it is his penchant for heartfelt and rollicking live performances that definitely set him apart from the crowd. Inbox: Noam Chomsky to jwp5u In the summer of 2007, I was doing research while at the University of Virginia for a seminar under Syed Rizwan Zamir for his class, Islam in the Modern Age: Tradition, Fundamentalism, and Reform. Before I picked up reading fiction as an undergraduate, most all of what I read dealt with political science, the author I read the most by being the famed linguist and political dissident, Noam Chomsky. For my final project, I decided I would contact Chomsky for an interview to see what he’d have to say on the subject matter. Screw it, it’s worth a shot I figured — even if deep down I knew there was no way he’d respond. The next day I opened my e-mail, and saw it: Noam Chomsky to jwp5u. After reading Chomsky’s response, the short answer being, “No, I don’t have the time,” I called home to my parents. Despite the rejection, I was so excited I could nearly urinate my pants and I think I even felt a little dribble at one point. “Go up to my room,” I told my mom over the phone. “Why?” she responded. “Make like Nike and just do it. Look on my bookshelf. Do you see a guy named Noam Chomsky?” She walked upstairs. I could hear her open my creaky bedroom door. “Yes, he’s all over the place.” “He just e-mailed me,” I said to her. “I asked him for an interview and he said he couldn’t do it. Isn’t that awesome?” “That he said, ‘No.'” “No, that he responded to my e-mail. Noam Chomsky wrote me an e-mail. Isn’t that awesome? NOAM AVRAM FREAKING CHOMSKY!” “That’s wonderful,” my mom said to me in a sort of I-can’t-believe-you’re-this-excited-about-an-email voice. And so ends one of the single greatest moments in my life. Noam Avram Freaking Chomsky . . . man! The Wannabe Novelist: Part I I am The Wannabe Novelist. Yes, in title case. To one day drop the adjective (“Wannabe”) and simply be The Novelist or at least A Novelist is a goal on my corkboard of goals that is thumbtacked to the left hemisphere of my brain. From Brad Listi’s “It’s Kind of Like Creative Herpes”: I like to joke that one of the best things I ever did in my career was to tell everyone close to me that I was going to write a novel back when I was twenty-one and dumb and fresh out of college. I remember right after graduation I went to a family wedding and stood around all fresh-faced and boozy talking to aunts and uncles and cousins and friends, wearing the coat and tie, receiving congratulations and answering twenty questions about the future. “So what are you gonna do now? What kind of career path are you gonna pursue now that you’ve graduated college?” “I’m gonna write a novel.” THE ORIGINS: From a Construction Site to the Classroom It was at this age, 21, I, too, seriously began writing—though I did not know it quite then. I was not in college or fresh out; I was working a meager paying job in construction. A friend of mine by the name of Jeremiah, 23, had recently been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. It was July 2003. The night of his diagnosis, I sat in my car at the basketball court across the street from my house and his. We were next-door neighbors growing up, and the basketball court, to us, had always been hallowed ground where memories of our youth together had been birthed on its very blacktop. The floodgates opened. I cried every salty tear I could accouch from my swollen eyes. There was a green notebook in my car and an ink pen. I always kept both with me wherever I went. Although I had never written seriously in my life other than horrible love poetry to high school girlfriends, a handful of left-wing, anarchist inspired Letters to the Editor of the local newspaper, and rock ‘n roll lyrics (for the greatest cow pasture rock ‘n roll band to ever exist, Anti-Lou), I used to jot down fragments of thoughts and emotions, or whatever popped into this head of mine. It was a way of controlling all of what bounced around up there. Therapeutic writing, nothing more than emotive prattle. I flicked on the dim interior light of my car and commenced writing. A little over a month later, I made the decision to enroll in a local junior college. Jeremiah’s sudden diagnosis urged me to think about my own situation in life. I had health insurance, not through work but individually purchased at the request of my parents, particularly my dad, who had not long before overcome his first battle with cancer, Stage IV Colon Cancer. Could I financially afford to be sick? Jeremiah had a well-paying job with substantial benefits working as an accountant for a firm based in Charlottesville. Therefore, his company was, at the start, helping foot his medical bills, and could also afford him the time away from work while he recovered from the first of what would be his numerous surgeries and hospital stays, first at Lynchburg General Hospital, then the University of Virginia, and later, Duke University in Durham. If I were to get sick, whether from a more likely cause such as a car accident or injury considering my employment in construction, I simply would not get a paycheck. Although I worked with a company, I was considered self-employed, an individual contractor per se. Thus, I had zero benefits. No AD&D. No sick days. No vacation. Nada. If I didn’t work, I wasn’t paid. It was that simple. Up until this point, I had never really thought about my future seriously, at least not more than a passing nod of what questions tomorrow would bring: peanut butter and jelly on white, or ham on rye. I was never engrossed with the idea of college while in high school. Neither of my parents went nor did any grandparent. Only one of my cousins on either side of the family had been to college and most recently, my sister; hence, college was never really up for consideration for me, never an ambition to attain. I began college part-time, taking night classes while I worked full-time during the day. I studied on the carpool to work as we drove to our next job site and during my lunch breaks. If I could cut it in these night classes, I would enroll full-time the following year. I was petrified my first day of class having not situated my rear end in a classroom in over five years since high school. Nursing students, being that the class I enrolled in was Anatomy and Physiology, surrounded me. I had even enrolled a day before the add/drop date finalized, so I was already behind from day one by about a week-and-a-half. It showed in my first test. I flunked it miserably. I didn’t know how to study although I did try. Not only had it been half a decade since I last cracked open a textbook, I never once studied in high school. I winged it all. I did well then, but I winged it. There would be no winging it here. I’m in over my head, I thought. I stared at the results of my test and hung my head. My professor, Mrs. Lisa Dunn-Back, approached me as I shuffled my way out the door. “Don’t worry,” she said. “You can drop your lowest test score and lowest two quizzes. You’ll be fine. Take a look at your test. Do you see a pattern?” I didn’t. “The questions you missed were from the first week-and-a-half of class when you weren’t part of the lecture. You didn’t miss a single question from the week you were here.” She was right. I picked my head up. Determined, I made it a point to read every single line on every single page in the gigantic Anatomy & Physiology book that was required for class. I’m going to ace this next one, and I did. “I told you,” Mrs. Back said, stopping me again as I made my way out the door that day. A few weeks passed, and with them a handful of tests and quizzes. I piled up A’s and suddenly found myself on the job site during the carpool and my lunch break so immersed in the class text, I knew that I had made the correct decision. I called Jeremiah on a weekly basis to see how everything was going. I told him about my plans to return to college full-time the coming year, but was hesitant to tell him my reasons why, his diagnosis being the wake-up call that made me realize how fragile life is at its core, even at such a young age. Being that my first round of night classes were science-oriented, there were no creative writing assignments that propelled me forward in wanting to etch my way closer to becoming a writer. To be honest, I had not given it a second thought; to be a writer, that is. What did happen during the time I learned of Jeremiah’s diagnosis and throughout my first year as a part-time student was scribble down little scenes from our childhood. Nothing intact. Nothing literary. Fragments only: An adventure down the train trestles, through the woods playing a game of War as children, or what have you. I jotted down these scenes on scraps of vinyl siding and metal trim, on empty cardboard boxes that housed coil or downspouts. By the end of my first semester, I had managed to achieve the highest average in Mrs. Back’s class, “the highest average of any student in any of her classes,” she alerted me; this, obviously, after dropping my first test which, due to its very low score (and I mean very low score), would have pulled me down a couple of points easily. “Have you ever thought about the University of Virginia?” she asked me the last day of class. Jeez, I had only completed my first semester of class and my professor was already asking me about a school I never in the world thought myself material for ever since I was a kid. I laughed a little, “Well, no not really.” “You should,” she said, and that was that. My professor had lost her mind. Then, after another semester taking the second part of Mrs. Back’s Anatomy and Physiology course, came the decision; not quite of LeBron James’ epic proportion, but an important decision nonetheless; and it was, though I had been mulling it over for quite some time, very difficult to make: to leave the job and the co-workers I had known for the last three years of my life, who I had become such great friends with, and return to school. I loved my job. I really did. Yet I knew it wasn’t in the cards for me, not in my future at least. My boss knew it was coming. He could see the transformation I had made in less than a year’s time and how engaged I had become in the life I led in the hours after work, and he graciously accepted my resignation, and let me know that, should I need any hours to work anytime in the future, I would be welcome to them with his company. I enrolled full-time at Southside on the John H. Daniel campus in Keysville, Virginia. One of my classes, College Composition I, an English course with Professor Judy Lloyd (then Stokes), would be the first class on my plate, beginning at 8:00 a.m., Monday morning. I had no idea then how much this mandatory course would alter the path I would travel from that point forward, how it would open a window into my creative soul. I was about to find out.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2026
__label__cc	0.596179	0.403821	Black Business News Society Provides Training To Enlarge Investigative Skills Of Black Reporters May 3rd, 2019 Black Business News, National Commentary 0 comments By Lauren Poteat NNPA Washington Correspondent It’s no secret that Black journalists are underrepresented within newsrooms across the nation — especially in terms of specialized investigative journalism. In March, a dispute between CNN and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) went viral after NABJ, the Congressional Black Caucus, Color of Change, the National Newspaper Publishers Association and the NAACP called out CNN’s president, Jeff Zucker, over the network’s scarcity of Blacks in senior management positions within the company’s news department. The dispute brings national attention to the lack of newsroom diversity and inclusion that exists within most news organizations across the country. Challenging these disparities and presenting new opportunities for journalists of color, the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, is embarking on a nationwide training program. The program’s primary goal is the development of Black investigative journalists, the specialty where Blacks are most underrepresented within newsrooms throughout the United States. “In a time when mainstream newsrooms remain disproportionately white, where racial inequality continues to permeate every aspect of American life, and where investigative coverage of racial injustice is still lacking, the Ida B. Wells Society hopes to help steer more journalists towards the tradition of our spiritual founder,” reads a passage from the Society’s creation story. Ida B. Wells was an iconic Black female journalist whose investigative reporting exposed lynching in the late 1800s on a national and international level. The Society which bears her name and whose motto is, “Be Twice as Good,” recently hosted an investigative journalism workshop at Morgan State University, a historically black university located in Baltimore, MD. The workshop will be repeated in other locations throughout the country throughout the year. “Bringing programs like this is important to our institution,” Hamil Harris, former Washington Post reporter and current Morgan State University Journalism Professor stated. “I really enjoyed being able to see different generations come together with a similar purpose of engaging and talking investigative journalism. This was an excellent session and I think everyone involved got a lot out of it.” Delving into topics that included: sourcing techniques, paper trails, leveraging state and federal Freedom of Information Acts (FOIA), gun reporting and effective ways to pitch and manage projects, the two-day training session was led by the Society’s Co-Founder and a current International Investigations Editor for the Associated Press, Ron Nixon, who emphasized preparation. “I could talk to you all day about various reporting techniques, but if you don’t have the background research, it’s all just kind of a waste,” Nixon stated. “Know your subject. Research their backgrounds, what they did and what they do. This will help when figuring out their motivation for even being interviewed and always practice your questions…this will allow you more opportunities when asking questions.” The training concluded with an in depth review of data journalism, a specialty area that is often overlooked but necessary for precise and accurate story-telling. Future training session locations include, the Center for Investigative Reporting in Berkeley, CA (April 25), and the Seattle Times, in Seattle, WA (July 12–13). For more information or to learn how you can participate visit the Society’s website, http://idabwellssociety.org. Black Reporters Investigative Skills Next article Dr. Michel Eric Dyson Discusses Black-Jewish Legacy On HBCU Tour Previous article Lawmakers Announce Creation of Environmental Justice Caucus Chicago Defender Newspaper Moves to Digital Only With Its July 11 Edition Ebony, Jet fire remainder of staff, may close its doors for good	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2027
__label__wiki	0.820333	0.820333	By thewellesleynews Arts, Arts In The News April 16, 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival takes place this week in Indio, Calif. This year marks the 15th year of the festival. The cheapest tickets this year were $375. Performers included CHVRCHES, Broken Bells, Ellie Goulding, the 1975, Neutral Milk Hotel, Bastille and Duck Sauce. The festival also featured large scale art installations by artists including Robert Bose, the Do LaB, Festo, Charles Gadeken, Keith Greco and Teale Hatheway. The Tribeca Film Festival begins on April 16 in New York City. The films were chosen from over 5,000 submissions and originate all over the world. Every film is a North American, international or world premiere. This year, the festival brought back their 2013 Six Second Film (#6secfilms) because the initiative was so successful and well received the year before. This year also featured a crowd-sourced “Tribeca Challenge” to make innovative, interactive music films for artists like Aloe Blacc or Ellie Goulding. The challenge came from Tribeca’s desire to “reimagine storytelling for the digital age.” “The Anthem,” a science fiction musical inspired by Ayn Rand’s novella “Anthem,” will make its world premiere this May. The premiere will be off-Broadway at Culture Project’s Lynn Redgrave Theatre. Performances will begin May 20, and the show’s official opening is set for May 29. The show is set in a futuristic society where social media has run rampant and individuality has become illegal. The main character’s name is Prometheus, and finds eventually finds solace in this dystopian world by reading a copy of Rand’s “Anthem.” Since April, Abraham Poincheval, a French performance artist, has been living inside a dead bear. Poincheval’s stint in the taxidermied bear is meant to be performance art and is part of an interactive exhibition at the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature. He has been surviving on sparse amounts of food and water. The space inside the bear is equipped with light, a cushion, a kettle and a toilet. The project is intended to test Poincheval’s physical limits and draw out his animal instincts. Further, the project is meant to evoke an “inside out” version of a bear during hibernation. An auction house in Paris canceled its plans to sell a swastika-covered box that, at one time, belonged to Adolf Hitler. The auction house had also intended to sell dozens of other objects previously owned by Nazis that had been collected as war spoils from World War II. The auction house, Vermot de Pas, canceled its April 26 sale of around 40 Nazi-related items, citing “political pressure.” The sale was originally going to include Hermann Goering’s passports, pictures of Hitler and other items that had been seized from Hitler’s home in Bavaria. Laudine de Pas, co-manager of the auction house, said that the sale was canceled after the house received “insulting” calls. France has an official ban on the public display of objects related to Nazi ideology. Banksy, the renowned street artist, has reappeared for the first time since October. His last project was a month-long residency in New York City with a new project every day, but his newest pieces have appeared in England. The new works feature scenes of invasive surveillance and young lovers engrossed in the world of technology. The first work, which depicts government officials holding retro recording devices outside a phone booth, appeared in Cheltenham, England, near the Government Communications Headquarters. Previous articleBrooklyn Rider brings innovative music to campus Next article‘Game of Thrones’ lives up to its bloody reputation	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2029
__label__cc	0.69442	0.30558	The purpose of the Mayo Clinic Diet is to help you lose excess weight and to find a way of eating that you can sustain for a lifetime. It focuses on changing your daily routine by adding and breaking habits that can make a difference in your weight, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, not eating while you watch TV, and moving your body for 30 minutes a day. In the last week leading up to a contest, bodybuilders usually decrease their consumption of water, sodium, and carbohydrates, the former two to alter how water is retained by the body and the latter to reduce glycogen in the muscle. The day before the show, water is removed from the diet, and diuretics may be introduced, while carbohydrate loading is undertaken to increase the size of the muscles through replenishment of their glycogen. The goal is to maximize leanness and increase the visibility of veins, or "vascularity". The muscular definition and vascularity are further enhanced immediately before appearing on stage by darkening the skin through tanning products and applying oils to the skin to increase shine. Some competitors will eat sugar-rich foods to increase the visibility of their veins. A final step, called "pumping", consists in performing exercises with light weights or other kinds of low resistance (for instance two athletes can "pump" each other by holding a towel and pulling in turn), just before the contest, to fill the muscles with blood and further increase their size and density. The first Hindu teacher to actively advocate and disseminate aspects of yoga, not including asanas, to a western audience, Swami Vivekananda, toured Europe and the United States in the 1890s.[207] The reception which Swami Vivekananda received built on the active interest of intellectuals, in particular the New England Transcendentalists, among them Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), who drew on German Romanticism and philosophers and scholars like G. W. F. Hegel (1770–1831), the brothers August Wilhelm Schlegel (1767–1845) and Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel (1772–1829), Max Mueller (1823–1900), Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860), and others who had (to varying degrees) interests in things Indian.[208][209] The spiritual sense of the word yoga first arises in Epic Sanskrit, in the second half of the 1st millennium BCE, and is associated with the philosophical system presented in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, with the chief aim of "uniting" the human spirit with the Divine.[24] The term kriyāyoga has a technical meaning in the Yoga Sutras (2.1), designating the "practical" aspects of the philosophy, i.e. the "union with the supreme" due to performance of duties in everyday life.[25] Yoga and Vedanta are the two largest surviving schools of Hindu traditions. They share many thematic principles, concepts and belief in self/soul, but diverge in degree, style and some of their methods. Epistemologically, Yoga school accepts three means to reliable knowledge, while Advaita Vedanta accepts six ways.[159] Yoga disputes the monism of Advaita Vedanta.[160] Yoga school believes that in the state of moksha, each individual discovers the blissful, liberating sense of himself or herself as an independent identity; Advaita Vedanta, in contrast, believes that in the state of moksha, each individual discovers the blissful, liberating sense of himself or herself as part of Oneness with everything, everyone and the Universal Self. They both hold that the free conscience is aloof yet transcendent, liberated and self-aware. Further, Advaita Vedanta school enjoins the use of Patanjali's yoga practices and the reading of Upanishads for those seeking the supreme good, ultimate freedom and jivanmukti.[160] ^ James Mallinson, "Sāktism and Hathayoga," 28 June 2012. Archived 16 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine [accessed 19 September 2013] pgs. 2 "In its earliest definition, in Pundarīka's eleventh-century Vimalaprabhā commentary on the Kālacakratantra, hathayoga is said to bring about the "unchanging moment" (aksaraksana) "through the practice of nāda by forcefully making the breath enter the central channel and through restraining the bindu of the bodhicitta in the vajra of the lotus of wisdom". While the means employed are not specified, the ends, in particular restraining bindu, semen, and making the breath enter the central channel, are similar to those mentioned in the earliest descriptions of the practices of hathayoga, to which I now turn." Jain yoga has been a central practice in Jainism. Jain spirituality is based on a strict code of nonviolence or ahimsa (which includes vegetarianism), almsgiving (dana), right faith in the three jewels, the practice of austerities (tapas) such as fasting, and yogic practices.[252][253] Jain yoga aims at the liberation and purification of the self (atma) or soul (jiva) from the forces of karma, which keep all souls bound to the cycle of transmigration. Like Yoga and Sankhya, Jainism believes in a multiplicity of individual souls which bound by their individual karma.[254] Only through the reduction of karmic influxes and the exhaustion of one's collected karma can a soul become purified and released, at which point one becomes an omniscient being who has reaches "absolute knowledge" (kevala jnana).[255] The Mayo Clinic Diet is a long-term weight management program created by a team of weight-loss experts at Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic Diet is designed to help you reshape your lifestyle by adopting healthy new habits and breaking unhealthy old ones. The goal is to make simple, pleasurable changes that will result in a healthy weight that you can maintain for the rest of your life. The earliest references to hatha yoga are in Buddhist works dating from the eighth century.[200] The earliest definition of hatha yoga is found in the 11th century Buddhist text Vimalaprabha, which defines it in relation to the center channel, bindu etc.[201] Hatha yoga synthesizes elements of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras with posture and breathing exercises.[202] It marks the development of asanas (plural) into the full body 'postures' now in popular usage[186] and, along with its many modern variations, is the style that many people associate with the word yoga today.[203] Yoga may have pre-Vedic elements.[44][45] Some state yoga originated in the Indus Valley Civilization.[50] Marshall,[51] Eliade[9] and other scholars note that the Pashupati seal discovered in an Indus Valley Civilization site depicts a figure in a position resembling an asana used for meditation, Mulabandhasana. This interpretation is considered speculative and uncertain by more recent analysis of Srinivasan[9] and may be a case of projecting "later practices into archeological findings".[52]	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2032
__label__cc	0.616489	0.383511	You are here: Home / Archives for Mediterranean Diet Mediterranean Diet Gives Longer Life Gianluca Tognon is a scientist at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. A Mediterranean diet with large amounts of vegetables and fish gives a longer life. This is the unanimous result of four studies to be published by the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg. Research studies ever since the 1950s have shown that a Mediterranean diet, based on a high consumption of fish and vegetables and a low consumption of animal-based products such as meat and milk, leads to better health. Study on older people Scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy have now studied the effects of a Mediterranean diet on older people in Sweden. They have used a unique study known as the “H70 study” to compare 70-year-olds who eat a Mediterranean diet with others who have eaten more meat and animal products. The H70 study has studied thousands of 70-year-olds in the Gothenburg region for more than 40 years. Chance of living longer The results show that those who eat a Mediterranean diet have a 20% higher chance of living longer. “This means in practice that older people who eat a Mediterranean diet live an estimated 2 3 years longer than those who don’t”, says Gianluca Tognon, scientist at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. Support in other studies These results are supported by three further as yet unpublished studies into Mediterranean diets and their health effects: one carried out on people in Denmark, the second on people in northern Sweden, and the third on children. “The conclusion we can draw from these studies is that there is no doubt that a Mediterranean diet is linked to better health, not only for the elderly but also for youngsters”, says Gianluca Tognon. Italian background Gianluca Tognon himself is from Italy, but moved to Sweden and Gothenburg specifically to collaborate with Lauren Lissner’s research group at the Sahlgrenska Academy, and develop research into the Mediterranean diet. UNESCO has recognised the Mediterranean diet as an intangible cultural heritage. UNESCO states that the Mediterranean diet is based on such items as fish, vegetables, nuts and fruit, but the concept includes also a structure of traditional customs in which knowledge is transferred between generations, giving a feeling of communal identity and continuity to the local population. Tognon G, Rothenberg E, Eiben G, Sundh V, Winkvist A, Lissner L. Does the Mediterranean diet predict longevity in the elderly? A Swedish perspective. Age (Dordr) 2011; 33 (3): 439–450. Filed Under: Macrominerals, Mediterranean Diet, Vegetables Tagged With: Diet adherence, Diet quality, Elderly, Macronutrient intake, Mediterranean Diet, Mortality	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2034
__label__wiki	0.871087	0.871087	SEVENDUST, LACUNA COIL, THE LAST VEGAS, Others Added To ROCKLAHOMA Rocklahoma has announced new additions to its Memorial Day Weekend lineup of top rock artists from the past three decades. SEVENDUST, FUEL (featuring original lead singer Brett Scallions), LACUNA COIL, THE LAST VEGAS, GYPSY PISTOLEROS, THE NIGEL DUPREE BAND, O'DETTE, PROBLEM CHILD, BLACK TORA, MAD MAX and BAD THINGS will join a previously announced all-star roster including ZZ TOP, GODSMACK, TESLA, BUCKCHERRY, CINDERELLA, CHEVELLE, THEORY OF A DEADMAN, SALIVA, SAVING ABEL and more (see below for the full lineup). Unfortunately, due to conflicts with a European tour, STONE SOUR will no longer be appearing at Rocklahoma. The multi-day destination camping rock festival takes place May 28-30, 2010 at Catch the Fever Festival Grounds in Pryor, Oklahoma. Following the overwhelming success of the Miss Rocklahoma competition in 2009, the contest returns in 2010. Starting Monday, April 3 at noon CST, ladies who feel they "exude rock and roll" can enter at Rocklahoma.com for a chance to be crowned the "Miss Rocklahoma." The top ten women who best possess the spirit of Rocklahoma will be announced at Rocklahoma.com on April 29. Rock fans from around the world can then vote online for their favorite choice for "Miss Rocklahoma." The top five finalists will be announced on May 20 and then introduced onstage at Rocklahoma on Friday, May 28 and one lucky contestant will be crowned the winner and ambassador for Rocklahoma 2010. Rocklahoma organizers continue to offer fan-friendly ticket prices for the three-day weekend rock event which features over 35 artists on three stages. Three-day general admission tickets are still available for only $97 and three-day VIP tickets can be purchased for as low as $267 through Thursday, April 8. Beginning Friday, April 9 at 10 a.m. CST, three-day general admission ticket prices will increase to $112 and three-day VIP tickets will start at $292. Established in 2007 as a classic rock destination festival with the motto "life, liberty and the pursuit of rock," Rocklahoma organizers teamed with AEG Live to revamp the 2010 event to encompass a much broader mix of classic, current and up-and-coming rock artists. The current lineup for Rocklahoma 2010 is as follows: RICHY NIX TADDY PORTER TAKING DAWN YEAR LONG DISASTER GYPSY PISTOLEROS NIGEL DUPREE BAND BROOKROYAL WITHIN REASON THE LAST VEGAS WILDSTREET FIRSTRYKE THE GLITTER BOYS O'DETTE PROBLEM CHILD BLACK TORA BAD THINGS And a very special guest to be announced soon! Rocklahoma is located just 45 minutes northeast of Tulsa, in Pryor, Oklahoma. The Catch the Fever Festival Grounds is a premiere destination for a multi-day festival, and includes on-site camping with access to restrooms and shower house, a general store for campers, VIP reserved seating, hospitality areas and much more. QUIET RIOT To Release 'Hollywood Cowboys' Album In November New Photo Of DAVE MUSTAINE In Pre-Production For MEGADETH's 16th Studio Album ALICE COOPER Makes Surprise Speech At Ohio Church CRADLE OF FILTH Keyboardist/Vocalist LINDSAY SCHOOLCRAFT To Release 'Martyr' Solo Album In October STONE TEMPLE PILOTS Complete Work On 'Beautiful' New Record: 'It's Definitely Different' The Horse and Sparrow Theory	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2036
__label__wiki	0.989485	0.989485	Blacklist - MI5 at the BBC - The Christmas Tree Files 9/11, 7/7 & the War on Freedom Forum Index -> The Bigger Picture Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:00 am Post subject: Blacklist - MI5 at the BBC - The Christmas Tree Files MI5 and the Christmas Tree files - secret political vetting at the BBC 'The Christmas Tree' is also a reference, funnily enough, to the tune of 'The Red Flag'. http://www.bilderberg.org/mi5bbc.htm Extract from: The Inside Story of Political Vetting by Mark Hollingsworth and Richard Norton-Taylor The Hogarth Press ISBN 0 7012 0811 2 See also: 02Jul06 - Telegraph - Revealed: how the BBC used MI5 to vet thousands of staff MI5 and the BBC: Stamping the ‘Christmas Tree’ Files ‘One thing I can state quite categorically is that there has never been any victimisation of anyone for their political views at the BBC.' Sir Hugh Greene, Director-General of the BBC 1960-69, reported in the Sunday Times, 20 February 1977. ‘On employment, our policy is to appoint the best people we can.’ Sir Ian Trethowan, Director-General of the BBC 1977 – 82, in a letter to Lord Avebury, 13 November 1980. If ever there was an example of ‘security' factors being used as a pretext for political vetting, it is at the BBC. When their security procedures were revealed in 1985, the corporation said that vetting was restricted to a relatively small number of people who had access to ‘sensitive information’. But in reality a large number of BBC employees – ranging from Graduate Trainees and journalists to arts producers and drama directors – were vetted by MI5 via the Personnel Department. Perhaps the most graphic illustration of this was the attempt to blacklist Roland Joffe, probably Britain’s most distinguished film and television director. His track record includes The Killing Fields, for which Joffe received an Academy Award nomination, and The Mission which won the top prize at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival. In the spring of 1977 he was commissioned by the BBC to direct The Spongers, a new play about the failures of the welfare state and the desperate struggle of one woman caught in the poverty trap. The play’s author was Jim Allen and its producer was Tony Garnett. Garnett informed the BBC’s Drama Department that he wanted to hire Joffe as the director. But there was an unusually long delay in confirming his appointment. Eventually Garnett was summoned by Shaun Sutton, Head of Drama, to his fifth-floor office at the Television Centre, Wood Lane. Garnett had always had a frosty relationship with the corporation’s top executives. He had deliberately chosen an office on top of the East Tower – 'to be as far away from management as possible.’ But as he walked into Sutton’s office that afternoon he was little prepared for what his Head of Drama was about to tell him. Sutton looked distinctly uncomfortable. ‘There is a problem with Joffe’s contract,’ he said. 'He hasn’t got BH (Broadcasting House) clearance.' Astonished, Garnett asked why. Sutton refused to give a reason except to mutter: 'It was the man in the mac in Broadcasting House.' Garnett stormed out and went straight to see Alasdair Milne, then Managing Director of BBC TV. Milne confirmed there was a problem and tried to placate Garnett by offering him a glass of whisky. But Garnett was seething, and said he would 'go public’ if the veto on Joffe's appointment was not withdrawn: ‘If you want all this business to come out then it’s in your hands. If you don’t hire Joffe then I'm off as well and imagine what it would look like if I walked out in the middle of my contract.’ Milne said nothing, so Garnett continued, ‘If this continues to happen then I won’t be able to hire the people I want, which is my job as a producer.’ Milne didn't argue. He picked up the phone and rang Sutton. 'Hire Joffe,' he snapped. Joffe’s contract was confirmed and The Spongers became a big success, winning that year's prestigious Prix Italia award. The ‘problem' with Joffe's appointment was that the BBC’s Personnel Department had, according to Garnett and the then Head of Plays, James Cellan-Jones, branded the director a 'security risk’ because of his political views. This accusation was based on the fact that Joffe had attended Workers’ Revolutionary Party (WRP) meetings in the early 1970s. Like many dramatists at the time he was briefly interested in the WRP, but he was never a party member, and by 1977 he had long severed his association with it. Joffe describes himself as a left winger, and says, ‘I was very interested in politics at that time. But I was interested in what all the political parties were doing, not just the WRP, and I was never actively involved.' Film producer and SDP supporter David Puttnam says of Joffe's politics: 'Roland would have nothing to do with the ideologies of the hard left. He detests that kind of imposition on the human spirit. He’s a member of the Labour Party, and a socialist in the humanist sense. His heart is in sync with his mind.' The attempt to blacklist Joffe had nothing to do with the BBC’s Drama Department. The recommendation had come from the Personnel Office at Broadcasting House on the advice of MI5. It was part of the highly secretive political vetting which the BBC had been practising since 1937, a situation only reformed in 1986, after considerable public and trade union pressure. The system meant that all news and current affairs journalists, film editors, directors and producers in every department were vetted by the Security Services. Vetting was run from Room 105, a secluded office on the first floor of Broadcasting House – a part of the same network of corridors on which George Orwell modelled his Ministry of Truth in 1984. There the BBC employed a Security Liaison Officer who received the names of all successful job applicants from the chairmen of interviewing boards. Then the vetting, which in BBC-speak became known as 'colleging' or ‘the formalities’, took place. All BBC employees had a personnel file which included their basic personal details and work record. But there was also a second file. This included ‘security information' collected by Special Branch and MI5, who have always kept political surveillance on ‘subversives in the media’. If a staff member was shortlisted for a job this second file was handed to the department head, who had to sign for it. The file was a buff folder with a round red sticker, stamped with the legend SECRET and a symbol which looked like a Christmas tree. On the basis of information in this file, the Personnel Office recommended whether the person in question should be given the job or not. A former senior BBC executive recalls seeing one journalist’s security file, stamped with a Christmas tree symbol: 'For about twelve years it had recorded notes such as "has subscription to Daily Worker” or “our friends say he associates with communists and CND activists." It is fair to say that there were contemporary memos from personnel officials adding they thought this was ridiculous. But it was still on file.‘ The names of outside job applicants were submitted directly to C Branch of M5. They were then passed on to the F Branch ‘domestic subversion', whose F7 section looks at political ‘extremists', MP’s, lawyers, teachers and journalists. After consulting the registry of files, the names were fed into MI5’s computer, which contains the identities of about a million ‘subversives'. Once MI5 had vetted an applicant their decision was given in writing to the BBC’s Personnel Office. MI5 never gave reasons for their recommendations. But, quite often, if they said a person was a ‘security risk', that was enough to blacklist him or her permanently. Members of board interviews were advised not to ask questions. And it was only when an executive or editor put pressure on the Personnel Department that MI5's decision was overruled. For many years a BBC staff member was used as the Security Liaison Officer. But in 1982 Brigadier Ronald L. Stonham, a retired army officer, moved into Room 105 as ‘Special Assistant' to the Director of Personnel, Christopher Martin, himself a former Royal Marine. Stonham began his working life in the Post Office Engineering Department during the Second World War. In 1948 he was commissioned into the Royal Signals Regiment, and by 1963 he had worked his way through the ranks to Major. He also had a spell in the intelligence section of the Chief of General Staff in 1971. Six years later he was promoted to Brigadier of the Signals Regiment. Stonham saw security vetting as part of his responsibility to co-ordinate BBC’s contingency plans for a wartime and emergency broadcasting service. This was the official line taken after the Observer revealed the corporation’s blacklisting policies in 1985. The BBC stated: ‘Only relatively few members of staff go through this [vetting] procedure. They are necessarily involved in sensitive areas or require access to classified information.' This was untrue. The evidence shows that vetting was used in a much wider context – and for political, not security, reasons. Vetting-a Reithian Legacy Security vetting was set up in 1937, at a time when the BBC was almost taken over by the government as a State propaganda outlet. The corporation was under constant political pressure, particularly from the Foreign Office. But Sir John Reith, the BBC's founder and first Director-General, was also keen on including vetting as part of his vision of a wartime BBC. In 1935 Reith was a member of a sub-committee of the Government Committee of Imperial Defence which included military personnel. The sub-committee decided that ‘in time of war or when the threat of an emergency was imminent the government should assume effective control over broadcasting and the BBC'. Two years later, in 1937, the Ullswater Committee on the future of broadcasting recommended that 'in serious or national emergencies ... full government control over the BBC would be necessary.' Reith wanted to be actively involved in the government's defence preparations in case of war. On 5 March 1937 he went to the Home Office to see Sir John Simon, the Home Secretary, and Geoffrey Lloyd, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, and a contract was negotiated between the BBC and the government 'in case of war’. It seems highly likely that the implementation of security vetting was part of this agreement. By 1937 the security services were certainly geared up for vetting BBC staff. In 1935 the Secret Service budget – including both MI5 and MI6 was increased by secret vote from £180,000 to £350,000. By 1939 it was £500,000. But early BBC liaison with MI5 was often sluggish and inefficient, as the then Director-General, Frederick Ogilvie, a former Tory MP, revealed in a note written in late 1939. Among the problems he was encountering was ‘the failure of MI5 to okay our artists at reasonable speed.' Sir Hugh Greene, later to be Director-General himself, was one of the first to encounter ‘security clearance’ when he joined the BBC as head of their German Service: ‘I was vetted in 1940. MI5 thought I was a communist, but it turned out to be a mistake.' The following year the actor Michael Redgrave encountered more serious problems when he signed the 'People’s Convention’. This was a socialist manifesto which called for ‘a people’s war’ and ‘a people’s peace’. It was not long before Redgrave was summoned to Broadcasting House. On 25 February 1941 he was met by a Mr Streeton and another BBC official. They told him that the ‘People’s Convention’ was 'not in the national interest’ and asked him where he stood regarding it. Redgrave replied that since it was not an illegal or seditious document he supported it and it was not for. the BBC to censure him. The official thanked him for making his position clear and told him he would no longer be allowed to broadcast for the BBC. Three weeks later, after angry protests from MP's and fellow actors, the ban was lifted.' During the Cold War of the late 1940s and early 1950s, MI5 vetting of BBC staff was expanded, and the secrecy of the operation frequently laid it open to abuse. Sir Hugh Greene recalled one victim in the External Services while he was Controller of Broadcasting in the German Zone: ‘He wasn’t a security risk at all. It turned out he had worked for MI6, the rival secret service, and there had been an internal quarrel.' Other blacklists were also being compiled by the BBC hierarchy. This was confirmed by General Sir Ian Jacob, former Military Assistant to the War Cabinet, who was appointed Director-General of the BBC by Winston Churchill in 1952 after being Director of the Overseas Services. He recalled: ‘I was shown lists of communists in the BBC. It was handled by the Controller of Administration. A relative of mine was actually on the list because he had a communist wife.’ That relative was his second cousin Alaric Jacob, who had joined the BBC Monitoring Service at Caversham in August 1948. In February 1951 he was suddenly refused establishment rights, which meant he would receive no pension. He went to see his relative Sir Ian Jacob at Broadcasting House to complain. 'Are you in the Communist Party?' the Director of Overseas Services asked. ‘No,’ replied Alaric Jacob. 'What about your wife?’ ‘You have no business to put that question. The BBC knows perfectly well that I hope to become a Labour MP. I am not prepared to discuss Iris's politics with any BBC official. They have nothing whatever to do with my professional ability which no one at the BBC has ever questioned.‘ The 'communist wife’ was Iris Morley, the novelist and Marxist historian. She had been the Moscow Correspondent of the Observer during the Second World War, and Alaric Jacob did the same job for the Daily Express. The discrimination against Jacob was only resolved in 1953 when his wife died from cancer. Just after her obituary appeared in The Times he was told by a BBC administrator that he could now receive full establishment and pension rights. By the 1950s and early 1960s political vetting was so well entrenched that BBC interviews were resembling Civil Service selection boards. At one time, according to former senior BBC executive Stuart Hood, a Civil Service commissioner even attended the interviews. Hood recalls the selection boards using Whitehall euphemisms for vetting during their post-interview discussions. 'Does he play with a straight bat?' or 'Does he have snow on the right foot?' were typical BBC expressions for political suitability. Hood was a key witness of vetting during this period. He had joined the BBC in 1946 and was head of the World Service throughout the 1950s. He became Controller of Programmes in 1961 before leaving in 1964. He recalls attending BBC Board of Management meetings: 'During those meetings senior administrative officials used to approach me, show me these slips of paper and say, "I think you should know this," and then show me an article in Peace News.’ Hood also saw the security files: 'The investigative reports produced on staff and performers by the security services are testimony to the amount of petty espionage and surveillance to which citizens of our society are subjected.' Although Sir Hugh Greene's Director-Generalship of the 1960s led to a liberalisation of the rather stuffy BBC, vetting continued. A notable subject was the distinguished documentary director Stephen Peet. In 1965 he was appointed to a senior position in the BBC's Documentary and Features Department after several years of successful freelance work. According to Hallam Tennyson, a BBC Careers Officer, and Stuart Hood, the offer was suddenly withdrawn because of an adverse security report. MI5 had told the BBC that Peet could not be allowed on the staff because he continued to contact and meet his communist brother John, who lived and worked in East Germany. In 1950, fifteen years before Stephen Peet’s job application, his brother had left his post as Reuters’ West Berlin Correspondent and defected to East Germany, where he still lives. Stephen Peet was not and never has been a communist or politically active in any way. Yet he was consistently rejected for full-time BBC jobs. Eventually, when some BBC executives told him informally about the blacklisting, he appealed to his MP, Kenneth Robinson, then Minister for Health in Harold Wilson’s Labour government. Robinson lobbied the Home Office: ‘I went to see a Minister and I made representations on Peet‘s behalf.' About four months later Peet received a letter from Robinson, which told him he could now join the BBC staff: 'There is now no barrier.' Sure enough., Peet was soon recruited, and he went on to make the highly praised series Yesterday’s Witness, winner of' a Royal Television Society special award. By the early 1970s many BBC executives were taking the view that the secret vetting procedures had little to do with security'. Politics were much more relevant. John Laird, a former External Services producer who worked in the Appointments Department, was one such executive. He was also chairman of many interview boards. He points to one conversation he had with Sir Ian Trethowan, then Managing Director of BBC Radio and later Director-General, as indicative of the situation. Trethowan, a Conservative and a close friend of the then Prime Minister Edward Heath, asked Laird why he had appointed so many ‘reds' and ‘commies' as general trainees. 'They’re not communists,’ replied Laird. 'They’re independent socialists and dissidents. Besides, all the bright young people are left wing these days.' ‘Oh, they’re all the same to me,' said Trethowan. ‘They’re all commies. I can’t believe that there weren’t some bright right wing people.' One of the bright young people Laird appointed as a Graduate Trainee at the time was Michael Rosen. He had been a student activist and well-known actor and dramatist at Oxford University in the late 1960s. During his interviews with the BBC Rosen made no secret of his Marxist views. And during his training he was equally uncompromising, making a radio documentary about the French Marxist Regis Debray. In 1972 Rosen was sacked and told that no department would offer him a job. He was offered a £330 ex-gratia payment by Owen Reed, head of Staff Training, and told. "We think it would be better if you went freelance.’ In fact, at least two departments, Arts Features and Further Education, wanted to employ him but were prevented from doing so because there was a ‘security problem'. According to John Laird, who was in charge of Graduate Trainees, ‘I was called by the chairman of one board who said: "You’ll be glad to know we’ve appointed Rosen." Then he called again, embarrassed, and said it had been “blocked".' Fortunately for Rosen he was sufficiently talented to overcome being blacklisted. He has since become a successful writer of plays and children's poetry books, and frequently appears on television. Targetting Journalists In 1975 a special desk was set up within MI5 to look at 'subversives in the media’. Based in F Branch, one of the desk’s first tasks was to compile a report on 'bias in the media’. This was inspired by the notion that Trotskyists had infiltrated the press and broadcasting, The strategy was to recruit journalists as agents for MI5 and to persuade them to spy on their left-wing colleagues. MI5 officers were told to list possible recruits in the monthly ‘Resources Index' and pass the names on to FX Division. One reporter who was approached was Tim Jones, a labour correspondent on The Times. In 1975 he was taken out to lunch at Simpsons in the Strand by an MI5 officer and told that the security services were worried about ‘Soviet penetration of the industrial correspondents group’. Jones was asked to provide ‘intelligence’ about certain journalists, but he refused." MI5 tried harder the following year with Jon Snow, a senior ITN correspondent. He was approached as a possible agent because his background as the son of the Bishop of Whitby was thought promising. At first he was asked to give information about the Communist Party. But he was then asked to spy on certain 'left-wing people’ working in television. In return MI5 would make secret monthly tax-free payments into his bank account. Snow rejected the approach.' It was clear that this intelligence-gathering operation was for blacklisting purposes. Evidence for this was revealed by MI5’s attempts to block the career of Anna Ford, the former ITN news reader and darling of the popular press. In 1974 she had joined Granada Television and became a journalist for their daily news programme Granada Reports. There she met fellow-journalist Trevor Hyett, and they soon began living together. It was then that the Security Services began their operation against her. Although she had been an outspoken student politician at Manchester University in the late 1960s, Ford was not politically active. Yet she was logged in intelligence records as ‘an associate of a subversive'. For Trevor Hyett was a former member of the Communist Party. He had joined the Young Communist League in 1962, and three years later was appointed Editor of the YCL newspaper Challenge. Under Hyett’s editorship it was the first Western communist publication to criticise the Soviet Union over its treatment of artists and writers. And in 1968 Hyett led a YCL delegation to Moscow to protest at the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia. He was becoming increasingly disillusioned by the British Communist Party’s refusal to change its internal structure and its unwillingness to criticise Soviet policy. In 1972 Hyett resigned and returned his party card. Despite his resignation, Special Branch officers in Manchester kept a file on Hyett, details of which were relayed to MI5 in London. The file showed that he was living with Anna Ford. In 1975, in an attempt to discover more information about the couple, particularly Hyett, Special Branch tried to recruit Granada journalists as office spies. One such reporter was Geoffrey Seed, who was then working with Ford and Hyett on Granada Reports. He was approached by a Special Branch officer, Constable Kevin Moore. ‘I had met Moore two or three times,’ Seed recalls. 'To me he was just another contact, a police contact. Then one evening, when I was having a drink with him, he started saying that he could help me with information if I would help him. He said he was interested in some people who worked for Granada – "lefties and communists”. And he specifically mentioned Trevor Hyett, who was sharing a house with Anna. He wanted me to give him information. I had a feeling of revulsion. It had nothing to do with national security. This was pure Eastern Europe. I simply refused and finished my drink.’ The following year, in September 1976, Anna Ford was offered a job on Man Alive, the BBC2 documentary programme. But soon after putting forward her contract for approval, Michael Latham, Man Alive’s editor, received a phone call from the BBC Personnel Secretariat. ‘We don’t think you should give this woman a contract,' said the caller. He refused to give a reason. Latham then approached his superior, Desmond Wilcox, then Head of Features, who took up the matter. ‘When I approached the Personnel Department,’ said Wilcox, ‘they told me their opposition was because she had been living with a former communist. I was outraged.’ Wilcox then protested to his boss, Aubrey Singer, Controller of BBC2, who told him: 'Don’t worry. Take no notice of them.' But Wilcox was indignant: 'At that time I, and 99 per cent of the BBC staff, had no idea that MI5 vetting was taking place. Anna Ford was an excellent journalist and presenter whom we wanted to take on. I could not care less who she used to live with and I could not understand why any opposition had been raised against her.'" Eventually MI5’s objections were overruled and Ford was able to join Man Alive in January 1977. By that time she and Hyett had separated. In 1978 she became ITN’s first female news-caster. Hyett went on to become a successful freelance TV producer. He reflects ruefully on the criteria MI5 used for trying to wreck Ford's career – that she had once had a boyfriend who used to be in the Communist Party. ‘Along with Sir Alfred Sherman, Lord Chapple and Denis Healy, I belong to the biggest party in the world – the ex-communists,' said Hyett. ‘Taxpayers didn’t get much for their money from this surveillance and activity.' Another young journalist, who applied for a BBC job in the same month as Anna Ford, was not so lucky. In September 1976 Isabel Hilton was interviewed for a reporter’s job on BBC Scotland’s current affairs programme Current Account. The board agreed unanimously that she was the best candidate and appointed her. The decision was then relayed to the London Personnel Office. About a week later Alastair Hetherington, then Controller of BBC Scotland, received a phone call from the BBC’s Security Liaison Officer in London. Hilton could not be appointed, he said. When asked why, the official replied ‘procedures’. Hetherington couldn’t believe it. ‘I knew she couldn’t have been a security risk,’ he recalls. He told the Security Officer that he was not prepared to accept the blacklisting of Hilton without reasons. The Security Officer said this was unprecedented. But Hetherington insisted. So the Security Officer visited Hetherington at his BBC Scotland office in Glasgow. The cautious BBC mandarin said ‘it was not done’ for Personnel to give reasons why an individual had failed ‘procedures’. Hetherington replied that he had been dealing with security people for over twenty years, as a defence correspondent from 1953 to 1956 and later as editor of the Guardian. He said he was not satisfied and wanted to know the reasons for their decision. The Security Officer said he was shocked by his attitude. It was the first time a BBC executive had challenged a security assessment, he added. Nothing was resolved by the meeting. But about two weeks later the Security Officer rang Hetherington and agreed to give the reason. He said Hilton had been rejected because she had been Secretary of the Scottish-China Association. ‘It is regarded as suspect and so she cannot be appointed,’ he added. ‘There is a risk of subversive influences in the organisation.’ According to government sources, MI5 had advised the BBC that while Hilton remained Secretary of that Association she should not be appointed – unless the BBC had very good reasons otherwise. Hetherington was not happy with these reasons. He telephoned Kay Carmichael, a fellow member of the Broadcasting Council for Scotland who was then an advisor to 10 Downing Street on social policy. She was also a member of the Scottish-China Association. He told her what had happened and asked her whether the Association was a subversive organisation. Carmichael couldn’t believe it. She told Hetherington that the idea of the Scottish-China Association being subversive was so ludicrous that MI5 must have mixed it up with another organisation... the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding, perhaps. In fact, MI5 had got the 'right' organisation. But in no way was it subversive. The Scottish-China Association was a small cultural group based at Edinburgh University. Its main activity was being addressed by eminent Chinese scholars, and Hilton spent most of her time organising conferences on issues like population control. The Association never took any political position on events in China. Nor did it discuss politics. Hetherington continued to protest. But it was not until January 1977 that he was finally told by the BBC Security Liaison Officer that Hilton could now be employed. Meanwhile, Hilton had been waiting in Edinburgh for four months and had not even received a rejection letter from the BBC, so she accepted a job as a feature writer on the Daily Express in London. Before leaving Scotland Hilton threw a farewell party and rang Hetherington, a personal friend, to invite him. Hetherington was puzzled as to why she was leaving. ‘Why didn’t you accept the BBC job?’ he asked. 'I haven’t been offered it,’ she replied. Hetherington was upset: 'I’ll make some enquiries.' Ten minutes later Hilton was telephoned by a BBC Personnel Officer who offered her the job and apologised for the delay. But it was too late. She was already committed to the Daily Express job. Hilton was unable to pursue her chosen career as a television journalist, and she had not wanted to leave Edinburgh, particularly as her future husband Neal Ascherson was then working there for the Scotsman. She is now Latin America Editor of the Independent, but she remains resentful about her experience: ‘I was extremely distressed to discover that a citizen can be maligned and damaged by the security services without his or her knowledge and without any means of redress. It is a squalid system and greatly to the discredit of the BBC that they should have been party to it.' Another young journalist to be targeted was given a three-month contract as a Researcher for Nationwide, the now defunct daily magazine programme, in February 1982. One of the incidents he reported concerned a rape by a Saudi Arabian army officer being concealed by Manchester police because of diplomatic pressure. A few days after the item was broadcast he received a memo from his editor congratulating him on ‘an excellent story' and a fine start to his career at the BBC. But a week before his contract expired, he received a letter from the Personnel Department informing him that it would not be renewed. His editor, who had planned to retain him, protested to Personnel, who eventually conceded there were ‘security reasons’. The journalist had been a student activist at Manchester University, and then, briefly, a member of the small Maoist group, Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist). Eventually the Personnel Department agreed to compromise. He could work at the BBC – but not on politically sensitive current affairs programmes. He was then offered an eight-month contract on the consumer series That’s Life. He refused. Fortunately, his editor felt so aggrieved about his treatment that he continued to employ him privately for four months, but he then had to leave the BBC. Perhaps the most bizarre case of journalist blacklisting was that of Richard Gott, who had applied to be Editor of the Listener, the BBC’s weekly magazine. According to Sir Hugh Greene, Director-General from 1960 to 1969, MI5 vetting of this position was introduced in the mid-1970s. In 1981 Gott was interviewed by a BBC Board and was chosen for the post. But MI5 vetoed the appointment. According to a senior executive who was on the Board, 'His file went off for “colleging” and it was blocked. They said he was an ultra-leftist and that "he digs with the wrong foot".’ This was confirmed by Alasdair Milne, then Deputy Director-General and Managing Director of BBC TV, who also sat on the Board. ‘That was a classic case,’ he said. ‘I don't feel very happy.' After a ten-day delay during which Gott was vetted, Russell Twisk was appointed Editor. MI5's specific objection to Gott was his support for revolutionary movements in Latin America and South-East Asia. In 1966 he had resigned from the Labour Party to stand as an independent candidate in the Hull by-election in protest at the British government's support for American involvement in Vietnam. He had also openly supported Che Guevara and his guerrillas in Bolivia, which resulted in his imprisonment by the Bolivian government for ‘communist’ activities. In addition, he had caused ripples among .the establishment while broadcasting on the Foreign Office-funded BBC World Service for supporting trade unionists in the then British colony of Aden. Gott is now Features Editor of the Guardian. Open Space – Closed Door The BBC has always been proud of its Community Programmes Unit. Based in Hammersmith Grove, west London, some distance from the main Television Centre, the unit has always seen itself as having considerable autonomy within the vast BBC corporate structure. But even this independence did not exempt it from the B B C s vetting procedures. Paul Turner is one person who found his way blocked to the BBC's 'access' programmes department. He had joined BBC Wales in 1971, as an assistant film editor, while an active member of the Young Liberals. Soon afterwards he joined the Communist Party, and it was then that his troubles began. He began applying for jobs elsewhere in the BBC but was consistently rejected. One of his applications in 1975 was as a film editor on a six-month attachment to the Community Programmes Unit. Again he was unsuccessful. A senior executive, who sat on one of his interview boards, explained why: ‘He was interviewed, but as soon as he left the room, the Appointments Officer said there had been a mistake. His file had a Christmas tree (i.e. a security file was held) and he should not have even been allowed an interview. He was a "security risk" because of something to do with Welsh nationalism.’ His Communist Party membership was also a problem; although Turner had left the party in 1973 because of its apologetic attitude towards the Soviet Union, he remained blacklisted. This became obvious when he was asked by a BBC Wales executive at one board in 1980: ‘Do you feel being in the Communist Party would interfere with your work?' Turner told him he had stopped being a communist in 1973 – seven years earlier. He didn't get the job. His Welsh nationalist activities amounted to learning the Welsh language because he was working on programmes of Welsh interest. He does now vote Plaid Cymru, but this hardly qualifies him as a ‘security risk’. ' Turner, who now runs a successful independent production company, was actually relieved when he was told of the blacklisting: 'For years I had worried my career at the B B C never blossomed because I was somehow second rate, applying for those jobs and not getting them.’" The door to BBC's ‘access’ programmes was similarly closed to Yvette Vanson. In 1979 she applied for a job at the Community Programmes Unit and was offered the position of Production Assistant on Open Space. She was delighted as she had only just left college. But five days before she was due to start an executive was told by a Personnel Officer: 'We can’t give her a contract. She was an active member of the WRP (Workers’Revolutionary Party) and so we cannot employ her.’ The executive then rang Vanson: ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say. The Personnel Department have said I can’t employ you.' Vanson was distraught, as she had just turned down other job offers and places at the University of Kent and the Central London Polytechnic. She appealed against the decision, and went to see Christopher Storey, a Personnel Officer at Television Centre. Storey told her there had been a ‘misunderstanding’. He agreed that she had been offered a job, but added that the editor ‘was not aware that there was a suitably qualified person already on the staff who was available to do the work. I am very sorry that that meant we were not in a position to offer you a formal contract.' This official line was nonsense, according to the executive concerned. He was told he couldn't hire her because she had been a 'WRP organiser'. Although she had been active in the WRP in the early 1970s while working as an actress, Vanson had left the party in 1975 – four years before applying for the BBC job. Eventually the BBC agreed to give her £500 as an ex-gratia payment. Vanson accepted the money, as by then she was penniless. But the blacklisting had a severe impact on her life: she was unemployed for the next five months, despite applying for nearly 200 jobs, and was forced to return to college. ‘It was a very traumatic experience for me,’ she recalls. 'I was on the crest of a wave about getting a job at the BBC so soon after leaving college ... The WRP is not an illegal or proscribed organisation. It’s ridiculous that just because you're politically active you are victimised in this way.' Five years later, in‘July 1984, Vanson again approached the BBC and was again interviewed for Open Space, this time as an Assistant Producer. Once again she was appointed, and once again Personnel objected because of her past political affiliations. ‘Wasn’t she in the WRP?’ an executive was asked. But this time the executive angrily stood his ground and she was able to join Open Space. Vanson has since become a successful freelance director. Moves Against the Arts and Drama When the B B C acknowledged the existence of MI5 vetting, after its public disclosure in 1985, much was made of the claim that it was restricted to a relatively small number of staff. Alasdair Milne, then Director-General, said: 'It may sometimes look foolish, but it is another source of information when you are trying to work out whether people are up to certain jobs; Clearly we are involved, a number of us, in very sensitive areas of material and the process of establishing that people can handle that sort of material is important, even in a democratic society.'“ But many of the victims of the BBC blacklist were working in areas which had nothing remotely to do with 'handling sensitive material’, for instance the Arts and Drama Departments. One arts programme affected was Omnibus, whose editor from 1975 to 1982 was Barrie Gavin. In February 1976, he received a detailed and well-presented proposal for a document-ary from the young director Jeff Perks. Gavin, who remembered his work as a graduate director at the British Film Institute, found Perks’s proposal – about the poster maker Ken Sprague – interesting and exciting. He agreed to make the programme, and a three-month contract was passed to the Personnel Office for approval. A week later, in his office at Kensington House, Gavin received a telephone call from Christopher Storey, Senior Personnel Officer for BBC TV, who was based at Threshold House, Shepherds Bush Green. ‘There may be a problem about employing Jeff Perks,' said Storey. 'Why?’ asked Gavin. ‘He may not be acceptable.’ 'What do you mean by not acceptable?’ 'Not acceptable.' Gavin then asked for a reason. But Storey refused to give him one. 'I presume Leslie Page [Head of Personnel] will tell me why,' said Gavin impatiently. 'Not necessarily,’ replied Storey. 'Well, if you don’t tell me, I'm going to do two things. One, I’m going straight to the head of my department and two, I’m going public and will make sure that every newspaper and television station knows about this.' ‘I would strongly advise you not to do that.’ As editor of a major programme with a large budget, Gavin resented being prevented from choosing his own staff. As soon as he put the phone down, he went to see Humphrey Burton, head of the Arts Department. At first Burton’s attitude was flippant: 'Perhaps it's because he’s a communist or maybe he has a foreign background or name.’ Gavin told Burton he wanted to take the matter further. Two weeks later he saw Sir Ian Trethowan, then Managing Director of BBC TV. It was a strange conversation – rather like two civil servants discussing a sensitive issue, but without specifically referring to the heart of the matter. Trethowan wrung his hands and was clearly uncomfortable. ‘Yes, well, these kind of cases are very difficult,’ he said. ‘I don't see what's so difficult about this,’ replied Gavin. 'I am asking him [Perks] to make a film about a poster maker in the middle of Exmoor. I’m not sending him out on a Poseidon nuclear submarine.’ Trethowan agreed to look into the matter. Three weeks later Perks was given a contract, and his film went on to secure the highest ratings of any Omnibus programme that year. Humphrey Burton also liked it. 'That was a very good film,' he remarked to Gavin. ‘I think you should pursue this combination further.' So, in December 1976, Gavin asked Perks and Sprague to make a series of pilot programmes for Omnibus. But once again MI5 objected. A Personnel Officer told Gavin it was not possible to use him. Now he was outraged. Not only was this unjust, it was also unnecessary and a complete waste of time. Angry memos flew between departments. The matter was referred to Alasdair Milne, then Director of Programmes, who supported the ban. So Burton went higher – to Sir Ian Trethowan. Eventually, three days before Christmas, Gavin got a call at home from Burton, who told him: ‘It’s OK now, you can use Jeff Perks.' MI5 objected to Perks for a simple reason. He had been a member of the Communist Party since 1971. But to Gavin this did not make him a legitimate target: ‘The Communist Party is not a proscribed or illegal organisation. And anyway, the notion that the modern Communist Party is revolutionary is laughable.' Perks would also have been put on MI5’s files in 1973 after making a film with Michael Rosen at the National Film School about the ‘Shrewsbury Three’, three building workers who had been jailed for picketing offences during a strike. Part of the film was shown on Thames Television’s This Week, and caused a storm of protest from Tory MP's in the Commons. It was lucky for Perks that he had an editor of such integrity as Gavin. If he had been turned down by the BBC, it would have been hard for him to find work because at the time the independent sector was very limited for young film makers. Perks left the Communist Party in 1977. Since then he has had no employment problems in the BBC. As well as vetting directors on BBC arts programmes, MI5 were also keeping a close eye on the corporation’s Drama Department. Actors, actresses, producers and directors were all vetted. According to Stuart Hood: ‘Actors and performers were blacklisted. I went to one meeting in the early 1960s where slips of paper were being handed out about an actress. They said: “Not to be used on sensitive programmes." I knew the woman. She was not political, but her husband was a pre-war left-wing Austrian refugee. I strongly protested at the time.' But MI5 reserved their strongest objections to BBC drama producers in the early and mid-1970s. It was a period of great political turmoil and activity. And television drama reflected the new radical mood with plays like Cathy Come Home, Leeds United, Law and Order and others. These were hard-hitting, naturalistic dramas which portrayed working-class people in a sympathetic light. They also sparked off political controversy. As Kenith Trodd recalled: 'There was a general view at the time that drama has a powerful hold on people’s hearts and minds and that it was a source of political influence.’ Many of the producers, writers and directors of these plays were also politically active. They included Ken Loach, Roy Battersby, Trevor Griffiths, Kenith Trodd, Roland Joffe and Tony Garnett. As well as being active in their trades unions,'they held regular Friday night meetings – either at Tony Garnett’s flat in Notting Hill Gate or Roy Battersby's house in Maida Vale. In the early 1970s they also attended meetings of the Socialist Labour League (later the WRP), although only a few actually became members. The head of BBC Drama during this crucial period – 1969-81 – was Shaun Sutton, a former theatre and television director who had been at the BBC since 1952. He believed that good television drama should be controversial, and was a strong backer of his producers and directors. On MI5 vetting of his staff he said: ‘I suppose it happened because the BBC had the system and we had to apply to it.’ But, to his credit, Sutton did stand up to the Personnel Department. ‘One needs to be quietly firm with these people,' he remarked to James Cellan-Jones, his Head of Plays, during the attempts to blacklist Roland Joffe. One of Sutton’s first battles occurred in 1970, when he tried to employ Tony Garnett, producer of Cathy Come Home. A Personnel Officer objected, ‘Isn’t he a bit of a left winger?’ Sutton then talked to Garnett, and decided that his professional ability was more important than his political views. A more significant episode occurred the following year. In 1971 John Goldschmidt was commissioned to direct a Play for Today about school leavers. He was much relieved, as two years previously his contract as a director on Omnibus had been abruptly terminated without explanation. He was soon installed in an office in the BBC Drama Department, and began work on the play. But once again he was blacklisted. An embarrassed executive came into his office and told him: ‘You're not supposed to be allowed to work here.’ A Personnel Officer had said he could not be employed. A major row erupted in the Drama Department and an angry deputation went to see Huw Weldon, then Managing Director of BBC TV. Weldon took the matter up, and Goldschmidt was reinstated.' His 'offence’ was that he had taken part in an exchange of students between his art college in Hornsey, north London, and a Czech film school, spending a few weeks in Czechoslovakia. He was not, and never had been, a communist. By the mid-1970s MI5 and the Personnel Department were clearly out to purge the BBC's radical dramatists. Christopher Morahan, a distinguished director who was Head of Plays from 1972 to 1976, said: ‘There was an opinion expressed at that particular time by Personnel that a number of people should not be used. But I have to say that I won in every argument I was involved in.' Apart from Roland Joffe, one of the most notable people the Personnel Department objected to was Kenith Trodd, probably the BBC's most respected and successful drama producer. His credits included Colin Welland’s Leeds United, Days of Hope (about the General Strike) and Coming Out. He also produced much of Dennis Potter’s work, notably Pennies from Heaven and Brimstone and Treacle (banned by the BBC for eleven years). Shaun Sutton said of him: ‘He is absolutely first class. He has done some damn good work.’ Yet, in September 1976, Trodd’s freelance contract as producer on Play for Today was terminated, despite having been renewed annually for the previous four years. There was an immediate storm of protest from Trodd's colleagues, who suspected that this act was politically motivated. Director Bryan Gibson drafted a letter with the actor Simon Gray registering 'surprise and dismay that his [Trodd's] contract is not being renewed.' It was signed by Dennis Potter, Colin Welland and Michael Lindsay-Hogg, among others, and dispatched to Alasdair Milne. Milne and Sir Ian Trethowan both strongly denied that there was a plot against Trodd. They claimed that the system of freelance contracts was being reorganised in order to phase out one-year renewable deals. Trodd’s contract was simply being renegotiated and he would eventually be invited back as a ‘guest producer’. In fact the Personnel Office and MI5 had branded Trodd a ‘security risk’ since the early 1970s, when he had attended WRP meetings (although he was never a party member). In 1976 the management made their move. The key executive involved was James Cellan-Jones, a talented director who had become Head of Plays that autumn. One of his first tasks was to deal with Trodd’s contract. Cellan-Jones didn’t always agree with Trodd, but he had no intention of sacking him. But one day Trethowan came into his office. Cellan-Jones recalls: ‘Ian Trethowan said he wanted to remove Trodd and I was not to renew him because there were “security problems"...He said Trodd was a troublemaker and suspected by the security people.' Cellan-Jones didn’t like it. He thought about it for a few days and then went to see Trethowan. He argued against sacking Trodd, and Trethowan backed down. But it was a few weeks before Trodd's contract was renewed. He then went on to make Pennies from Heaven, winner of the 1979 British Academy award for most original programme. ' Trodd survived one blacklisting attempt, but director Roy Battersby was a marked man for thirteen years. In 1972 he had been invited by Christopher Morahan, head of plays, to direct The Operation, a satire about a property speculator. MI5 objected: he was an active member of the WRP. 'Yes, there was an objection to him,' recalls Morahan. ‘It was indicated to me that they [the Personnel Department] would be happier if he was not engaged. I said he was the best director for the job and I wasn’t prepared to accept it.’ Battersby went on to direct Leeds United, a controversial play about a clothing strike in Leeds. He then left television to work full-time for the WRP. It wasn’t until the spring of 1985 that he next came up against the BBC blacklist. He had been asked by Kenith Trodd to direct a play based on Stuart Hood's book Pebbles From My Skull, an account of Italian resistance fighters during the Second World War. Battersby was invited to Bologna to start work on the project, but before he could leave, Trodd spoke to Peter Goodchild, Head of Plays, and told him he wanted to employ Battersby. ‘Come on, Ken,’ sighed Goodchild, 'you know there are always some people we can’t employ on sensitive subjects.’ Battersby was refused a contract. Within six weeks MI5 again targetted Battersby. In June 1985 he was asked to direct four episodes of the BBC2 series King of the Ghetto. He accepted the offer and went to see the producer, Stephen Gilbert, at his office in Union House, Shepherds Bush Green, to discuss the project. Just as he was about to tell Gilbert to expect problems about his contract because of his political activities, the phone rang, and Gilbert was summoned upstairs to see Ken Riddington, acting Head of Drama while Jonathan Powell was on holiday in Italy. 'There is a problem,' an embarrassed Riddington told him. ‘You can't offer him [Battersby] the job.' Gilbert was amazed, and returned to his office to break the news to Battersby: ‘They’re not prepared to accept you.’ The blacklisting of the director meant that the production, already well behind schedule, was suspended for four days. Eventually the matter was dealt with by Graeme Macdonald, Controller of BBC2, who overruled the Personnel Department and insisted that Battersby be employed. For much of the time drama and arts producers and directors like Battersby were able to survive MI5's attempts to blacklist them. This had little to do with the security services’ or Personnel Office’s magnanimity or flexibility. It was for two reasons. Firstly, some of the victims were sufficiently talented to overcome the blacklist. Secondly, the individualistic, even iconoclastic nature of many arts and drama executives meant that they often refused to accept the recommendations from Room 105 of Broadcasting House. Not everyone trying to get jobs in the B B C s Arts and Drama Departments was so lucky. They were the victims of a much wider move against radical drama in the mid-1970s The Denials For nearly fifty years the BBC denied that security vetting was taking place. While broadcasting unions constantly raised the issue, particularly at National Joint Council negotiations, senior officials like Michael Bett, Personnel Director from 1977 to 1981 and now a senior British Telecom executive, denied it formally and informally. As recently as February 1985 Alasdair Milne, then Director-General, said, ‘I cannot believe this is true.‘ Seven months later Milne was forced to concede: 'It is one of those things one knew about, felt a bit grubby about – I think most of us did – but didn’t tackle as radically as we should have done.'" After public disclosure by the Observer in August 1985, the BBC confirmed the vetting system existed but claimed: ‘Only the BBC decides who to appoint to any post within the corporation, or whether to invoke the vetting procedure. No external agency has a right to veto the appointment or promotion of any member of staff.’ In fact, unless an executive or department head fought the decision, MI5's recommendation was final. As Alastair Hetherington said: ‘If "only" the BBC decides [on vetting], why did one of Brigadier Stonham’s predecessors tell me that it was “without precedent" that a ruling should be challenged and "impossible" to give me reasons for the decision?’ The Semi-Independence of the BBC So why did the BBC shroud the issue of security vetting in such secrecy – even to the extent of not telling their own Chairman, Stuart Young (1983-86) until early 1985? Apart from their own embarrassment at having to admit to clandestine vetting, the answer lies in the peculiar status of the corporation and its employees. The BBC's relationship with the State was outlined in their memorandum to the 1971 Franks Commission on the Official Secrets Act. The BBC referred to a ruling by the Treasury Solicitor in 1943 which said: ‘The official view is that the Governors of the BBC are persons holding office under His Majesty within the meaning of Section 2 of the 1911 Official Secrets Act and that the Director-General and staff are persons employed under persons who hold such offices.’ This ruling clearly bound BBC staff as being employed by ‘persons holding office under His Majesty’, and therefore legally in possession of secret information. Hence they would have special obligations to the State. It was on this pretext that security vetting was introduced and preserved with such secrecy. But the BBC's view was that this did not make them State servants: 'Their [BBC staff's] legal status would therefore seem to be neither exactly that of civil servants nor that of men and women employed by commercial organisations.’ Stuart Hood believes this interpretation was spurious. He argues that vetting was a natural consequence of the BBC's constitution: ‘If the BBC was honest about its role, it would admit that it must support the central political authority by virtue of the State licence-fee system. But the Corporation has always had this fantasy about itself as a totally independent social organisation.' Given the corporation’s close relationship with the State, the Home Office was well aware of MI5 vetting. Giles Shaw, the Home Office Minister of State, said: ‘The government believes, as have successive governments over a long period, that it is in the national interest for the BBC to apply certain necessary security procedures.’ Tory Home Secretaries William Whitelaw (1979–83) and Leon Brittan (1983-85) both knew about it; Indeed, Whitelaw vigorously defended MI5 vetting: 'There is nothing wrong in the BBC as an employer taking proper precautions to ensure that sensitive posts or information are not open to subversion. Indeed, it would be failing in its duty to the public if it did not do so.'" The Home Office was also aware of the number of staff being vetted, and as recently as 1982 told the BBC that the figure ‘seemed rather high’. But what the Home Office and BBC management failed to do was to address the central flaw of the vetting system: that it was used against individuals in non-sensitive jobs. The official line in 1985, according to the then Director-General Alasdair Milne, was: 'There are about eight people who are positively vetted, including me. And a number of other people, particularly in Bush House, for reasons to do with information and access to the War Book (which lays down rules for wartime broadcasting) who are vetted negatively.’ This was untrue, as actors and producers working in the Drama Department and directors on the arts programme Omnibus were hardly ‘involved in sensitive areas or require access to classified information’. Politics Not Security MI5 vetting of BBC staff has always had more to do with politics than security. As John le Carre, the best-selling spy novelist and former MI5 officer, commented. "I’ve always assumed that it [MI5 vetting of BBC staff] happened. I wonder what people would think if the reverse were to occur – if a known or unknown member of the Militant Tendency turned out to be shaping news in the newsroom. There has to be some method of obtaining what we hope will be an objective middle way in reporting. I don't think it's irresponsible either to require of a national broadcasting service that, at times at least, it should be ready to fall in with government policy and not alarm people.’ MI5 clearly saw the political objective as the major issue in their role. This was confirmed by the Observer’s disclosure that, as well as vetting, the security services also provided ‘background briefs' to the BBC on industrial disputes. These secret reports included the alleged involvement of subversives in trade union activity. They were delivered every three months to a small number of senior BBC executives, including the head of news and current affairs. The 'briefs’ included the activities of radical and subversive political groups and traced their involvement in strikes and campaigns. The BBC confirmed the reports' existence, but said they had stopped receiving them by 1985. It is not known whether information from these 'background briefs' ever reached the security files of BBC staff in the Personnel Department of Broadcasting House. But perhaps it did not have to. Christopher Martin, Director of Personnel since 1981, and Brigadier Stonham, Security Liaison Officer since 1982, both had their own political criteria for vetting. According to BBC officials who used to work with both of them, they objected to people most strongly if they had a continuing commitment to the ‘extremes’ of the political spectrum. Martin and Stonham took the view that being a member of the Communist Party or CND would be less of a handicap. Brigadier Stonham has retained his duties as the BBC's Security Officer, although public disclosure and pressure from the broadcasting unions has drastically reduced the number of jobs vetted (to about 120). In October 1985, the BBC agreed to stop all security vetting except in two areas. Firstly, members of staff involved in the planning and operation of the wartime broadcasting service, as they have access to classified information. Secondly, the External Services. According to Martin, this was due to the threat of infiltration and intimidation of staff by foreign intelligence services. Overseas broadcasters also had access to information from embassies which could be sensitive. In addition, staff would no longer be asked to sign the Official Secrets Act. In April 1986 the BBC agreed that employees would have access to their personal files, and an independent ombudsman would be appointed to make general inspections of the vetting procedures. It was also disclosed that staff in the Personnel Department had begun to shred the security files and other papers that were kept on BBC employees. Past victims of the blacklist, like Michael Rosen and Isabel Hilton, who asked to see their files, were told they had been destroyed. But even survivors of vetting remain bitter that information about their political views was secretly kept on file and used against them. And that this data was unchecked, inaccurate and based on second-hand sources because the person concerned was never consulted. As Paddy Leach, a broadcasting union official, commented: 'What is quite frightening is the degree of incompetence and irresponsibility of political vetting. People could have their careers blotted out on the basis of a wrong coding, or wrong initials, or because of a fortnight's membership of the Workers' Revolutionary Party ten years ago.’ Many cases of blacklisting were due to out-of-date information. Take the case of John Dekker. He worked at the BBC from 1962 to 1984. Yet for every job he applied for within the corporation there were long delays, which caused him much distress. MI5 objected every time, particularly when he was appointed Editor of The Money Programme in 1972. The Personnel Department told Brian Wenham, then Head of Current Affairs, that Dekker should not be appointed as he was a member of the Communist Party. In fact, Dekker had resigned from the Communist Party sixteen years earlier, in 1956, in protest at the Soviet Union’s invasion of Hungary. That was six years before he even joined the BBC. Wenham refused to accept the decision and persuaded the BBC Chairman Lord Charles Hill to overrule it. Dekker went on to become a successful editor of the programme. Not everyone was so lucky. There were 31 notes to this chapter almost all newspaper articles and dates - not included here - apologies for the typos [TG] Last edited by TonyGosling on Wed Jan 23, 2013 1:06 pm; edited 1 time in total Revealed: how the BBC used MI5 to vet thousands of staff By Chris Hastings, Arts and Media Editor (Filed: 02/07/2006) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/07/02/nspy02 .xml It is a tale of secret agents and surveillance that could have come straight out the BBC's classic spy drama Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. But the difference is that genuine spies were involved and they were operating behind the scenes at Broadcasting House rather than on the small screen. Confidential papers, obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, have revealed that the BBC allowed MI5 to investigate the backgrounds and political affiliations of -thousands of its employees, including newsreaders, reporters and continuity announcers. The files, which shed light on the BBC's hitherto secret links with the Security Service, show that at one stage it was responsible for vetting 6,300 different BBC posts - almost a third of the total workforce. They also confirm that the corporation held a list of "subversive organisations" and that evidence of certain kinds of political activity could be a bar to appointment or promotion. The BBC's reliance on MI5 reached a peak in the late 1970s and early 1980s at exactly the same time as millions of viewers were tuning into the fictional adventures of George Smiley in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and -Smiley's People. David Dimbleby, John Humphrys and Anna Ford all began their careers with the broadcaster when the system was still in place. The papers show that senior BBC figures covered up these links in the face of awkward questions from trade unions and the press. The documents refer to a "defensive strategy" based on "categorical denial". One file note, dated March 1 1985, states: "Keep head down and stonewall all questions." The BBC, however, has always refused to be drawn on the extent of its collaboration with the secret services. It is only now, after a request by this newspaper under the Freedom of Information Act, that it has finally been willing to release details of the vetting operation. Another internal BBC document, dated 1983, confirms: "We supply personal details to the Security Service. If there is any adverse information known, we receive this information and also, where necessary, an assessment based upon the involvement of the individual. This is presented to us as advice; line management then make the decision as to action." The documents do not name any of the individuals subjected to vetting, but it is possible that some of the BBC's biggest names were scrutinised. Different posts were vetted for different reasons. Senior officials, including the director-general, and their support staff were checked because they had access to confidential government information in relation to their jobs. But thousands of employees were vetted because they were involved in live broadcasts and the BBC was worried about the possibility of on-air bias or disruption. In 1983, 5,728 BBC jobs were subjected to this second kind of scrutiny known as "counter-subversion vetting". The vetting system, which was phased out in the late 1980s, also applied to dozens of other employees, including television producers, directors, sound engineers, secretaries and researchers. The details of freelance television and radio staff were also routinely passed on to the security services and even the posts of editor and deputy editor of Radio 4's Woman's Hour were subject to background checks by MI5. In many cases, the spouses of applicants were also subjected to scrutiny. The BBC tried on several occasions to be more open about the system, but was blocked by the Security Service. A memo, dated March 7 1985, states: "Secrecy of the complete vetting operation is imposed upon us by the Security Service - it is not of our making." For their part, the security services were increasingly concerned about the number of people being referred to them by the BBC. During the first four months of 1983, they were asked to investigate 619 different individuals. In the early 1980s, the BBC had a list of "major subversive organisations", which included the Communist Party, the Socialist Workers' Party, the Workers' Revolutionary Party, Militant Tendency, the National Front and the British National Party. In contrast, CND, which was very popular at the time, was not regarded as a "subversive organisation". Youthful attachments to extreme causes did not necessarily mean an automatic ban on employment. The papers show that, in 1968, Sir Hugh Greene, the BBC's then director-general, and John Arkell, the head of administration, successfully evaded questions on the issue during an interview with a journalist. A memo from Mr Arkell, dated March 1 1968, to another senior colleague states: "You might like to get a bit of credit for the BBC next time you talk to MI5 by telling them that I stuck resolutely to the brief which you prepared for me in spite of very pointed and penetrating questions. "I still denied that we had any vetting procedures." The BBC declined to -comment. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/07/02/nspy02 .xml by email wrote: The two crucial MI5/national security reps on the BBC board of governors - Executive Board - Trust - in recent years, keeping an eye on things, were Daphne Park and Pauline Neville-Jones. Read Greg Dyke's memoirs for an account of the latter's conduct during the Hutton affair...... eye eye it's that far right Tory super rich cult crooked McAlpine family again Committee grills McAlpine over blacklist shame by Roger Bagley in Westminster Construction boss Cullum McAlpine wriggled and writhed today when MPs grilled him about grand-scale blacklisting. Flanked by the Sir Robert McAlpine company's head lawyer, he repeatedly uttered the words "I don't know," "I can't say" or "I can't answer that question." MPs on the Scottish affairs select committee became more and more frustrated as they tried to squeeze admissions out of Mr McAlpine over his company's close links with the Consulting Association (CA). The CA was disbanded in 2009 amid a major scandal over thousands of blacklisted workers. Mr McAlpine, a director of the construction company and former chairman of the CA, admitted that he had chaired twice-yearly meetings of the notorious organisation. But when sceptical MPs asked for more details he replied: "I don't remember very well" and "my memory is pretty rusty." Dundee Labour MP Jim McGovern bluntly accused Mr McAlpine of "hiding behind" recently deceased former CA blacklister Ian Kerr, "who can't answer." Labour MP Pamela Nash challenged Mr McAlpine about his claim that the McAlpine company had never operated a blacklist. "Are you saying that the CA list was not a blacklist?" she asked. "I'm afraid I cannot answer that question," he retorted. Trying another tack, Ms Nash asked: "Has your company ever asked anyone else to operate a blacklist?" "No" came the answer. Laughter broke out in the room as committee chairman Ian Davidson MP intervened and asked: "Can I just clarify just what you thought that the Consulting Association was doing then?" Grudgingly, Mr McAlpine offered his view that a blacklist was a list of names which "automatically" prevented those on the list from enjoying the benefits of a club or a job. He admitted that his construction company had used the CA "a lot" during 2008, when it was extremely busy with Olympic projects, defence ministry work and shopping centres. The Home Office carried out vetting of everyone who worked on the Olympic site, he added. The McAlpine company had paid legal costs incurred by Mr Kerr upon his prosecution in 2009 for administering the CA database. When asked if he knew that the McAlpine company sent cheques for £15,000 and £8,000 to Mr Kerr's daughters to cover their father's fines and legal fees, Mr McAlpine replied: "I did not know that at the time." http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/128554 Time for blacklist justice by Peter Lazenby Trade unionists demanded a "Leveson-style" inquiry today into the blacklisting of thousands of construction workers. Unite said the issue was as scandalous as the media's phone-hacking and it wants a similar response. MPs are to debate blacklisting tomorrow. Britain's data watchdog exposed the widespread use of secret blacklists in the building trade in 2009 when its officers raided the offices of the Consulting Association. More than 40 of Britain's largest construction firms were shown to have used a blacklist of 3,213 workers. Unite said: "After years of denials, firms which built the Olympic Park have finally admitted that they checked names of prospective workers with the illegal Consulting Association blacklist. "Many of the workers still have no idea that they were included on the blacklist." Crossrail industrial relations chief Ron Barron was sacked from the London transport project when his involvement in blacklisting was revealed. Former Consulting Association chairman Ian Kerr admitted having discussions with Crossrail. Crossrail union rep Frank Morris and 27 other workers employed by a subcontractor were sacked. Mr Morris believes BAM Nuttall Ltd, Ferrovial Agroman and Kier Construction Ltd, who won £700m in Crossrail contacts, were involved. Both BAM and Kier subscribed to the Consulting Association's blacklist. Mr Morris believes he was blacklisted for raising health and safety concerns at the London Olympic site. Unite believes Crossrail has failed to investigate evidence of blacklisting on the project and wants Transport for London to investigate. Thousands were denied jobs after raising health and safety concerns or for their trade union activities. "Many of the workers still have no idea that they were included on the blacklist which was uncovered in the raid by the Information Commissioner's Office in 2009," Unite said. Today's Commons debate has been instigated by shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna. He wants the Information Commissioner to inform the victims that they were blacklisted so they can seek compensation. Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "This is a scandal on the scale of phone hacking, except it is the lives of thousands of ordinary construction workers which have been ruined. "There should be a full and proper inquiry. It is time for justice." And ITV Revealed: why MI5’s Spycatchers thought two ITV bosses were Communists with KGB links https://profpurvis.com/2017/12/07/revealed-why-mi5s-spycatchers-though t-two-itv-bosses-were-communists-with-kgb-links/ Newly released Security Service files from the 1960s show that MI5 officers suspected that two senior executives in the ITV network had been secret supporters of the Communist Party with links to Soviet Intelligence. Previously secret documents now in the National Archives show their inquiries into possible Communist connections inside ITV ended with no conclusive evidence of a KGB link and the 'suicide' of one of the men. The investigations had started in the wake of the defections to Moscow of three Cambridge graduates Kim Philby, Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean. MI5 were trying to find out if there had been an equivalent recruiting network at Oxford University in the 1930s. Bernard Floud, son of a leading civil servant Sir Francis Floud, came under suspicion partly because of his friendship with one of the Cambridge recruiters, James Klugman. ‘The case for suspecting that Floud may have worked for the Russians as a talent-spotter rest on his early association with James Klugman. It seems highly possible that what Klugman was doing at Cambridge was echoed by Floud at Oxford’. Floud and Klugman had both been at school with Donald Maclean and had travelled to China in 1938 to meet leading Communist Chou En-Lai. MI5 tracked this visit and because of Floud’s Communist activities at Oxford monitored his subsequent career in the wartime Intelligence Corps and Ministry of Information and post-war Board of Trade. In 1951 when he was an Assistant Secretary MI5 got a report that ‘he is a fanatical Communist. It must be assumed he is still a Communist partisan, the more dangerous because of his concealment’ Despite this shadow over his civil service career Floud was progressing up the ranks when suddenly in 1951 he resigned to become a farmer. In an equally sudden career shift five years later he became one of the first employees of Granada Television, which had won the ITV franchise for the North of England. Floud was put in charge of personnel and he represented Granada at network meetings becoming the chair of the Labour Relations Committee, in effect the ITV employers’ lead negotiator with the TV unions. From 1959-1964 he was also Granada’s man on the board of Independent Television News (ITN) and unusually for a director of ITN he once reported on air. In 1967 Floud happened to be in Northern Nigeria, where Granada had a stake in a TV station, when the regional Premier and his wife were shot by rebel troops.His eye-witness report is still in the ITN Archive. MI5’s interest in Floud was rekindled when they learned that while at Oxford he ‘had been concerned in recruiting CP members of the University for long-term undercover penetration of the Civil Service. In one known case, that of Jenifer Fischer-Williams, later Hart, he nurtured the student’s development as a Communist at Oxford, advised her to join a department of the Civil Service from which information of value could be made available to the CPGB and gave her guidance on the question of concealing her Party membership’. MI5 wanted to know what exactly Floud was doing at Granada and wrote to I.R.D. the secret anti-Communist propaganda arm of the Foreign Office which often paid professional journalists to work for them. The letter said ‘I am in need of a reliable contact in Granada Television network in London to whom I could entrust a somewhat delicate enquiry. I wonder whether by any chance you can suggest anyone suitable for this purpose’. They linked their enquiries into Floud with the name of the man at the very top of the ITV company: ‘It is worth remembering that Sidney Bernstein, the head of Granada, has an extremely interesting file which you may like to consult. It may not be fortuitous that Floud obtained a position with this firm’. In a later file MI5 officers put on record that Bernstein ‘has been considered, by reason of his great wealth and influential positions’, a potential source of support for the Communist powers, both financially and in the sphere of propaganda’. While conceding that they had no hard proof Bernstein had ever been a formal party member they recorded that ‘two independent sources who are believed to be reliable reported-in 1936 and again in 1955 – that he was a secret member of the Party’. Bernstein was, they noted, a friend of Ivor Montagu, a film-maker and Communist activist and a referee for Cedric Belfrage, who would later be revealed as an important Soviet agent. Bernard Floud’s career had taken a further twist when this civil servant turned farmer turned TV executive started a fourth career and it was one which he developed simultaneously with his TV work. In 1964, at his third attempt he was elected as a Labour MP, representing Acton in London. Two years later MI5 noted ‘It may be postulated that as a member of parliament, although as yet only a backbencher, Floud has potential as an agent of influence. His value to the Russians as an executive of Granada Television and a director of Independent Television News is more immediately apparent. Proof or disproof of these suspicions is yet wanting’. MI5 officers, prominent among them Peter Wright who wrote in ‘Spycatcher’ about the Floud case, set about finding out more. Floud told them he ‘got into television through an introduction from an MP who was a friend of Sidney Bernstein. And he had been there ever since.’ The search for evidence against him became particularly relevant when it became known that the Prime Minister Harold Wilson was considering promoting Floud to Ministerial rank. With the agreement of the Home Secretary Roy Jenkins, Floud was interviewed by MI5 on five occasions between August 1966 and March 1967. In the MI5 files the notes by Peter Wright and his team on the Floud interrogation make fascinating reading. There are accounts of how Floud ‘prevaricated’, was ‘less than candid’ admitting ‘conspiratorial Communist activity’ but denying any knowledge of Russian Intelligence connections. After the final interrogation in March 1967 Wright wrote; ‘At the end I could only conclude that Floud has been less than frank with me, since under pressure he has shifted his ground on many issues’. The typed document ends ‘I felt that I had been dealing with a dedicated Communist’. Wright seems to have had second thoughts about that line because he crossed out the words ‘a dedicated’ and in his own handwriting changed it to ‘dealing with someone who was using the techniques of a Communist’. Another entry in the file says ‘we have not so far been able to break this case by interview, partly because we have had to handle Floud with care as an MP’. MI5 never did ‘break the case’ but by the end of it Floud was a broken man. He had a long-term depressive illness and his wife, to whom he had been devoted, had died during the interrogation process. Wilson never did make him a minister, he went back to work at the Commons and at Granada but told colleagues he was ‘unable to go on’. He committed suicide in his home in October 1967 by a combination of alcohol, barbiturates and coal gas. In the official history of MI5, Professor Christopher Andrew concluded that ‘There was – and is – no evidence that he had any Communist contacts after 1952. His pre-war contacts with Soviet intelligence are also unlikely to have been of great significance’. As for Sidney Bernstein MI5 concluded ‘there is no firm evidence to show where Bernstein’s political loyalties now lie’ and he was never questioned or challenged by MI5 during his illustrious career in television. (The story of Bernstein’s later encounters with the UK’s TV regulators is told in ‘When Reporters Cross the Line’,written with Jeff Hulbert) Whitehall_Bin_Men Location: Westminster, LONDON, SW1A 2HB. Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 10:42 pm Post subject: The vetting files: How the BBC kept out ‘subversives’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-43754737 Broadcasting House in 1959 Image caption Broadcasting House in 1959 For decades the BBC denied that job applicants were subject to political vetting by MI5. But in fact vetting began in the early days of the BBC and continued until the 1990s. Paul Reynolds, the first journalist to see all the BBC's vetting files, tells the story of the long relationship between the corporation and the Security Service. "Policy: keep head down and stonewall all questions." So wrote a senior BBC official in early 1985, not long before the Observer exposed so many details of the work done in Room 105 Broadcasting House that there was no point continuing to hide it. By that stage, a policy of flatly denying the existence of political vetting - not just stonewalling, but if necessary lying - had been in place for five decades. As early as 1933 a BBC executive, Col Alan Dawnay, had begun holding meetings to exchange information with the head of MI5, Sir Vernon Kell, at Dawnay's flat in Eaton Terrace, Chelsea. It was an era of political radicalism and both sides deemed the BBC in need of "assistance in regard to communist activities". Col Alan Dawnay (right) in Cairo in 1918 with T E Lawrence (left) and David George Hogarth Image caption Col Alan Dawnay (right) in Cairo in 1918 with T E Lawrence (left) and the archaeologist David George Hogarth These informal arrangements became formal two years later, with an agreement between the two organisations that all new staff should be vetted except "personnel such as charwomen". The fear was that "evilly disposed" engineers might sabotage the network at a critical time, or that conspirators might discredit the BBC so that "the way could be made clear for a left-wing government". And so routine vetting began. From the start, the BBC undertook not to reveal the role of the Security Service (MI5), or the fact of vetting itself. On one level this made sense, bearing in mind that the very existence of the Secret Service remained a secret until the 1989 Security Service Act. Over the years, some BBC executives worried about the "deceptive" statements they had to make - even to an inquisitive MP on one occasion. But when MI5 suggested scaling back the number of jobs subject to vetting, the BBC argued against such a move. Though there were some opponents of vetting within the corporation, they had little influence until the Cold War began to thaw in the 1980s. Vetting file Image caption "Formalities" was the code word for the vetting system This is how the system worked. Vetting was brought into play once a candidate and one or two alternatives labelled "also suitable" had been selected for a job. The alternatives served a useful purpose. If the first choice was barred by vetting, the appointments board moved easily on to the second. The candidates were told only that "formalities" would be carried out before an appointment was made. This sounded harmless enough; it would allow time to follow up references, perhaps. Candidates did not know that "formalities" meant vetting - and was, in fact, the code word for the whole system. A memo from 1984 gives a run-down of organisations on the banned list. On the left, there were the Communist Party of Great Britain, the Socialist Workers Party, the Workers Revolutionary Party and the Militant Tendency. By this stage there were also concerns about movements on the right - the National Front and the British National Party. A banned applicant did not need to be a member of these organisations - association was enough. BBC Announcers Room in 1938 Image caption BBC Announcers Room in 1938 If MI5 found something against a candidate, it made one of three "assessments" in a kind of league table: Category "A" stated: "The Security Service advises that the candidate should not be employed in a post offering direct opportunity to influence broadcast material for a subversive purpose." Category "B" was less restrictive. The Security Service "advised" against employment "unless it is decided that other considerations are overriding". Category "C" stated that the information against a candidate should not "necessarily debar" them but the BBC "may prefer to make other arrangements" if the post offered "exceptional opportunity" for subversive activity. The BBC procedure was in principle never to employ someone in Category "A", though a few did get through the net. This contradicted its public position that the BBC controlled all appointments. In theory it did. In practice it gave that choice to MI5 in Category "A" cases. If staff came under suspicion only after they had been employed by the BBC or applied for transfer to a job that needed vetting, an image resembling a Christmas tree was drawn on their personal file. Image caption The "Christmas Tree" also resembles an upward-facing arrow This "tree" was an important part of the process. The BBC maintained a "Staff Transfer List" which named staff who needed to be checked if they were to be promoted. A tree added to the file alerted the administration that this was a security case. Also written on to their file was a so-called "Standing Reminder". This stated: "Not to be promoted or transferred (or placed on continuous contract) without reference to [Director of Personnel]." So keen was the BBC to maintain secrecy that it secretly removed the Standing Reminder from someone's file if they went to an Industrial Tribunal, which had the power to call for personal files. It was also agreed to (misleadingly) explain away a stamp on a file saying "Normal Appointments Formalities Completed" by pretending that it referred to "routine procedures, Next of Kin, Pension etc". The Christmas tree was eventually dropped in 1984 because it was said to attract too much attention. It attracted a great deal of attention when the Observer described it in 1985. The day after publication, someone hung some Christmas decorations on the door handle of Room 105 in Broadcasting House, from where the system was run. presentational grey line An interview given in 1968 by BBC director general Sir Hugh Greene shows the BBC's policy of denial and obfuscation in action. To a reporter from The Sunday Times in February Greene blithely and misleadingly declared: "We have a staff of 23,000 and in that community we have people of all descriptions, including what you call pansies" - the word had apparently been used by the reporter - "and also communists. But that's none of my business. We don't conduct an inquisition on people who join the BBC." Hugh Greene in 1968 Image caption Hugh Greene in 1968 It was true that neither the BBC nor MI5 used homosexuality as a reason to block someone, but stopping the employment of communists was very much part of Greene's business and, if not the BBC itself, then the Security Service did conduct inquisitions. The files reveal that BBC tactics for handling this interview had been drawn up by MI5 itself - known delicately as the "College" in BBC memos. In advance of the interview, and in a rare departure from prevailing policy, a BBC official had suggested to "College" that "the need for vetting no longer existed, in peacetime". The BBC indicated that it was willing to admit publicly that staff involved in plans for broadcasting in time of war - called "emergency defence work" - and any aliens employed were checked. However, a BBC memo records: "College do not favour reference to vetting in any way whatever." To underline the point, an MI5 official telephoned to say that "no direct admission of vetting should be made". If pressed, the BBC could admit that "something of this sort" was carried out "in relation to War Planning purposes" and "where aliens were concerned". Nevertheless, the Security Service "would prefer that as little reference should be made to this subject as possible". The satirical show That Was The Week That Was helped cement Hugh Greene's reputation as a liberaliser Image caption The satirical show That Was The Week That Was helped cement Hugh Greene's reputation as a liberaliser MI5 suggested that questions could be diverted from Greene to someone on the "personnel side of things". And "perhaps stress could be laid on a stiff recruitment procedure and the fact that references are taken up very thoroughly". This last phrase was taken up by the BBC very thoroughly itself, and it appears in many of the BBC responses over the following years. Cleverly ambiguous, it implies that the references taken up were those given by an applicant. In reality, the references were supplied by the Security Service. Greene followed the MI5 line. He told the Sunday Times that he would not answer any questions about vetting but would leave that to a senior subordinate. The paper seems to have gone along with this. There is no questioning of Greene on this matter in the published interview in the Sunday Times. However, Greene's nominated spokesman, the director of administration, John Arkell, did not quite follow the script with which he had been provided. At first he repeated the denial: "We don't ask about religion or politics." However he then wobbled. "If someone is a communist it's of no relevance, unless, of course, he is working in a particularly sensitive area." The Sunday Times reporter then asked Arkell whether he had confidence in British security vetting and Arkell wobbled again: "In this imperfect world perhaps sometimes someone suffers," he replied, and the implication was clear, though the paper did not pursue the point. John Arkell on a visit to BBC Wales in 1970 Image caption John Arkell on a visit to BBC Wales in 1970 Arkell then hurriedly repeated the standard denial: "I must point out that security vetting isn't a prerequisite for getting a job at the BBC." In fact for about 6,000 BBC jobs at the time, it was. Arkell's comments led to some raised eyebrows. One BBC official accused him of making "an open avowal" of vetting. However, Arkell himself was pleased with his performance and encouraged a BBC colleague to use it "to get a bit of credit for the BBC with MI5". When this resulted in a letter from the Security Service congratulating Arkell for "standing up so creditably to the questioning" the critical BBC official fell into line, commenting merely that Arkell's denial had to be maintained "unvarnished, unglossed and unexpanded". Greene's refusal to answer questions was no surprise to insiders. Although he had been a liberalising influence in the BBC since becoming director general in 1960, he was firmly in favour of vetting. Not long after taking over, he had led a BBC delegation in talks with the Home Office, which was asking why so many BBC applicants had to be vetted. MI5 was worried that it was open to being sued by individuals, since its directive required it to concentrate only on "countering threats of subversion and sabotage". It wanted to vet only the applicants for a limited number of jobs. Image caption Arkell suggests that the BBC can get credit from MI5 for his performance under "penetrating" questioning from the Sunday Times But Greene resisted any change. The BBC actually argued for more vetting, to prevent infiltration by "subversives", but felt that it could publicly admit to checking some key staff. MI5 wanted to lessen the burden placed on it by vetting - but insisted on almost total secrecy. It took some time for the argument to be resolved. The Security Service managed to square its activities with its directive and the BBC removed 528 staff from the vetting system. Among these were 81 staff in the Make-up and Wardrobe Department, 20 in the Gramophone Department and 21 in the Library. Sixteen staff in Religious Broadcasting were also excluded, though the BBC could still request vetting for any individual there. Thus were such staff no longer regarded as dangers to the state. Banned applicants did not know why they had been turned down, though they might have guessed. One notorious case involved the journalist and broadcaster, Isabel Hilton (who later received an OBE for her reporting). She was refused a job in BBC Scotland in 1976 because, she believes, she was guilty by association with a member of the Communist Party at Edinburgh University - a fellow member of the university's China-Scotland organisation. Image caption Isabel Hilton After unprecedented protests from the BBC executive who wanted to employ her, Alastair Hetherington, she was eventually offered the job. But it was too late, she had gone elsewhere. She was later told apologetically by Michael Hodder, the last BBC official who acted as liaison with the Security Service, that it had all been a "mistake", but the episode still angers her. "I still feel indignant. It's the lack of accountability that bothers me and the fact that nobody in the BBC ever apologised, explained - or made any public statement in my defence or to acknowledge their error," she says. "They went into an institutional defensive huddle without regard for what their actions might have done to me, my reputation, my career etc - nobody in the BBC took responsibility or seemed to feel that they should make any move to repair any damage. I felt it was a squalid way to behave and I still do. "More seriously, beyond the particulars of my own case, I felt that the BBC had betrayed public trust by promoting a system in the UK by which the secret police were licensing and blacklisting journalists. Whenever I hear the BBC boasting about its fine traditions of journalism, I feel a minor stab of outrage." Hilton did eventually work for the BBC, presenting the World Tonight on Radio 4 in the 1990s, and later the Radio 3 arts programme, Night Waves. Another candidate who was rejected on MI5's advice was Tom Archer, who worked as a BBC freelancer in Bristol in the 1970s, but was turned down when he applied for staff jobs from 1979 onwards. Archer says he had been "an active socialist at university", but this was something the BBC usually ignored as youthful enthusiasm. There had to be another reason, and an editor in Bristol who wanted to employ him, Robin Hicks, discovered it: Archer was being blocked because a close relative had allegedly joined the Socialist Workers Party. Hicks protested but to no avail. Image caption Tom Archer in 1983, when he was still able to get work at the BBC as a freelancer Archer's career flourished outside the BBC, however - at Channel 4 and Granada - and he eventually worked his way back. In 2008, he became controller of BBC factual programmes - based in Bristol. "I was angry and even frightened at the time," he says, casting his mind back to 1979. "I feared that everything would be blocked off for me. We were a young married couple. I sent back the video recorder and sold the car. They did it in a secret cack-handed way. "It was of course a complete triumph when I went back." At the same time Tom Archer's job applications were being rebuffed, a senior BBC appointments official was arguing that it was time for vetting to end. In December 1979, Hugh Pierce pointed out that over a recent two-year period only 22 people had been excluded out of thousands vetted. He said, therefore, that "the process of vetting could be reduced". He doubted if the 22 could have done much damage, as "any personal bias... could have been spotted and checked." He recommended continued vetting for those with access to official secrets and in the BBC World Service, where many foreign staff were employed. Beyond that, he said, "We should abandon forthwith the current requirement to vet wholesale categories of applicants. We should replace a rather crushing machinery by a more flexible service." The last line of his 10-page report was prophetic. He warned that if the scale of vetting became publicly known, it "would be grounds for ridicule and vilification". His recommendation was not followed and his prophecy came to pass when the Observer story was published in August 1985. Image caption The BBC files on vetting have themselves been vetted to remove the names of MI5 staff Despite the rejection of Pierce's proposal to reduce vetting significantly, steps were taken before long to further cut the number of staff subject to it. Since the start of the policy, journalists had always been included in the system, but a review in 1983 resulted in about 2,000 posts being removed from the list - including some junior editorial jobs - bringing the total number down to 3,705. The man who conducted this review, the BBC official in charge of liaison with MI5, was Brig Ronnie Stonham, a former Royal Signals officer, who also produced an updated "defensive brief". The first line of this was the usual blanket denial: "It can be stated categorically that BBC staff are not subject to a security clearance as a prerequisite for employment." It is hard to reconcile this with reality, as Stonham himself says in his report that in 1982 1,287 names were sent to MI5 for "counter-subversion" clearance. At the top of the BBC support for vetting was clearly waning, however. The vice-chairman of the Board of Governors, Sir William Rees-Mogg, had already questioned it before the Observer broke the story that broke the system. "It operates, unknown to almost all BBC staff, from Room 105 in an out-of-the way corridor on the first floor of Broadcasting House - a part of that labyrinth on which George Orwell modelled his Ministry of Truth in Nineteen Eighty-Four," wrote reporters David Leigh and Paul Lashmar. "The legend on the door - 'Special Duties-Management' - gives little away," the story went on. "Behind that door sits Brigadier Ronnie Stonham." The headline - Revealed: How the BBC vets its staff. Image caption The vetting files at the BBC's Written Archives in Caversham This time, there were facts and case histories which made the standard denials useless. Stonham's boss, director of personnel Christopher Martin, had initially tried the standard denial routine with Leigh and Lashmar, but then got the Home Office to agree a new line - a public acknowledgment that vetting had taken place, but was now being reduced. There were some who marvelled that the BBC had managed to keep the secret for so long - it is evident from the anxiety expressed in the files that the corporation would have been hard pressed to hold its line if it had been pushed really hard by the press. "This story is 50 years old and it has taken the press that long to find it," said the BBC director general at the time, Alasdair Milne. The Observer's revelations brought about a major change. Almost immediately, Ronnie Stonham recommended confining counter-subversion vetting to senior editorial staff but BBC management went further. In October 1985 the BBC announced publicly that vetting would in future be applied only to a few operational people at the very top, to those who would run emergency broadcasting (which meant the then secret wartime broadcasting system in the event of nuclear war) and to those staff in the BBC World Service who were thought to be vulnerable to hostile infiltration. All vetting of staff not in those categories would cease. Image caption BBC correspondents, such as Paul Reynolds, remained subject to vetting even after 1985 But behind the scenes there was still resistance from some quarters. A rearguard action was fought to keep specialist domestic and foreign correspondents on the vetting list, on the grounds that "the BBC's credibility depended on their integrity". A dodge had to be devised, and so correspondents were quickly reassigned to a list of those who had access to restricted government information - an access they in fact did not have. The upshot was that vetted staff were reduced to 1,400 in the domestic services and 793 in the World Service. The system was further refined in 1990, following the Security Service Act, under which all vetting in the BBC stopped except for those who would be involved in wartime broadcasting and those with access to secret government information. Then, two years later, the wartime broadcasting system was stood down, so vetting was further cut back. The BBC will not say whether any staff are vetted these days. "We do not comment on security issues," a spokesperson said. But any residual vetting, of people needing access to classified information for emergency planning for example, would be open and known to the person. There is no more secrecy as once there was. By the time the wartime broadcasting system was wound up, Stonham had retired, and his role as MI5 liaison had been taken by a personnel officer from the news division, Michael Hodder, a former Royal Marine. Hodder oversaw the residual vetting and dealt with a few cases informally in the World Service. There was an employee in the Burmese Section who was giving the names of dissidents to the Burmese Embassy in London. Another was the case of a Saudi employee who turned out to be on the payroll of both the BBC and the Saudi embassy. A third involved an applicant for a job in the Arabic Service, who was related to a notorious terrorist. It was Hodder who saved the files for history. He ignored an instruction to destroy them and crated them up in a safe for delivery to the BBC Written Archives Centre. He did shred all Security Service material on staff that the BBC held. However, he ensured that one personal file was kept - that of Guy Burgess, who worked for the BBC during the war. The BBC even put his file online in 2014 but of course in this case the vetting had failed - and there was nothing in the file of Guy Burgess to indicate that he was in in fact a Soviet spy. Paul Reynolds was a BBC correspondent from 1978 to 2011. 'Suppression of truth, human spirit and the holy chord of justice never works long-term. Something the suppressors never get.' David Southwell http://aangirfan.blogspot.com http://aanirfan.blogspot.com Martin Van Creveld: Let me quote General Moshe Dayan: "Israel must be like a mad dog, too dangerous to bother." Martin Van Creveld: I'll quote Henry Kissinger: "In campaigns like this the antiterror forces lose, because they don't win, and the rebels win by not losing." The BBC worked directly with MI5 to bar left-wing journalists and prevent... UKCONSERVATIVESLABOURMAINSTREAM MEDIA BIAS The BBC worked directly with MI5 to bar left-wing journalists and prevent a left-wing British government By Tom D. Rogers - 22nd April 2018 https://evolvepolitics.com/the-bbc-worked-directly-with-mi5-to-bar-lef t-wing-journalists-and-prevent-a-left-wing-british-government/ The BBC worked directly with the British Security Service MI5 to politically vet job candidates to ensure those with left-wing views did not get offered jobs within the Corporation – a practice that the BBC and MI5 introduced to directly prevent a left-wing British government, a startling new report has revealed. The staggering new information also reveals that the BBC’s policy of barring left-wing journalists continued into the 1990s, and that the Corporation’s Chiefs intentionally lied about the BBC using such methods to Official Employment tribunals. In an article published today entitled ‘The vetting files: How the BBC kept out ‘subversives’’, the BBC write that: “For decades the BBC denied that job applicants were subject to political vetting by MI5. But in fact vetting began in the early days of the BBC and continued until the 1990s… “As early as 1933 a BBC executive, Col Alan Dawnay, had begun holding meetings to exchange information with the head of MI5, Sir Vernon Kell, at Dawnay’s flat in Eaton Terrace, Chelsea… “These informal arrangements became formal two years later, with an agreement between the two organisations that all new staff should be vetted except “personnel such as charwomen”. The fear was that “evilly disposed” engineers might sabotage the network at a critical time, or that conspirators might discredit the BBC so that “the way could be made clear for a left-wing government”. The stunning article then goes on to reveal how the BBC rejected any candidate found to have even tenuous links to political organisations such as the Socialist Workers Party or Militant Tendency – even clarifying that “A banned applicant did not need to be a member of these organisations – association was enough.“ After vetting applicants, the BBC and MI5 made one of three assessments of a candidate: Category A stated that: “The Security Service advises that the candidate should not be employed in a post offering direct opportunity to influence broadcast material for a subversive purpose.“ Candidates who were placed in “Category B” were said to be “advised” against employment “unless it is decided that other considerations are overriding”. Whilst placing a candidate in Category C meant that the information found during vetting was not worrying enough to “necessarily debar” them from becoming employed, but the BBC “may prefer to make other arrangements” if the post offered “exceptional opportunity” for subversive activity. Furthermore, if BBC Chiefs became suspicious of the activities of any employee, or when employees applied for a promotion that required extra political vetting, they would mark their personnel file with an “image resembling a Christmas tree“. The Christmas Tree symbol was known as a “Standing Reminder”, and ensured that such candidates were “Not to be promoted or transferred (or placed on continuous contract) without reference to [Director of Personnel].” The BBC article goes on to admit that they also ‘secretly removed‘ the Standing Reminder from an employee’s file if they went to an Official Employment Tribunal, and that an agreement was in place to lie to any employment tribunal by pretending that the symbol was simply related to “routine procedures” such as “Next of Kin, Pension etc”. Despite officially claiming to have since ceased such political vetting of potential employees (except for those who would be involved in wartime broadcasting and those with access to secret government information) the staggering new information shows exactly how worried BBC Chiefs were about their employees holding even mildly anti-Establishment views. And, given the BBC’s obvious ability to maintain closely guarded secrets, it would be incredibly naive to believe that such political scrutiny was not being still given to a large proportion of high-level BBC journalists to ensure they were ‘on message’ and would not divert from the BBC’s true agenda. After all, the BBC is, and always has been, a propaganda arm of the rich and powerful in Britain – and it would be entirely foolish to believe that anything substantive has really changed at the top of the Corporation. The BBC’s aim is not to report the truth – and it never will be. The sole purpose of the BBC – exactly like the Kremlin-backed Russia Today Propaganda outlet – is to report the news from a perspective that will best ensure those who currently hold the majority of wealth and power in Britain continue to hold it. The BBC’s entire operation is based around ensuring that people who seek real progressive change – those who want to redistribute wealth and power away from the few, and into the hands of ordinary people – are systematically undermined, ridiculed and discriminated against. Revealed: MI5 vetted BBC staff right up to the 1990s Nan Spowart Journalist Guy Burgess worked at the BBC during the Second World War http://www.thenational.scot/news/16176527.Revealed__MI5_vetted_BBC_sta ff_right_up_to_the_1990s/ THE BBC allowed MI5 to vet staff right up until the 1990s, it has been revealed. Files detailing the broadcaster’s secret links to the security services show that investigations were made into the lives and allegiances of thousands of employees, including reporters, newsreaders and continuity announcers. “Subversive” political activity led to appointments and promotions being blocked by the corporation, which held a blacklist of organisations. A memo from the 1980s show these included the Socialist Workers’ Party, the Communist Party, Militant Tendency and the Workers’ Revolutionary Party as well as the National Front and the British National Party. Journalist Isabel Hilton was refused a job in 1976 with BBC Scotland because, she thinks, she knew a member of the Communist Party at Edinburgh University, a fellow member of the university’s China-Scotland organisation. “I still feel indignant,” she said. “I felt it was a squalid way to behave and I still do. “More seriously, beyond the particulars of my own case, I felt that the BBC had betrayed public trust by promoting a system in the UK by which the secret police were licensing and blacklisting journalists. ‘‘Whenever I hear the BBC boasting about its fine traditions of journalism, I feel a minor stab of outrage.” MI5 evidence was particularly rife in the late 1970s and early 1980s just as millions of viewers were enjoying the fictional adventures of fictional spy George Smiley in Smiley’s People and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy. Well-known faces such as Anna Ford, John Humphries and David Dimbleby all started their careers with the BBC when the vetting was taking place. Ironically, however, it failed to weed out real-life spy Guy Burgess who worked for the BBC during the Second World War. The vetting files, which have been studied by journalist Paul Reynolds, also show attempts by BBC figures to cover up its links to surveillance despite repeated questions from the press and trade unions. One file note, dated March 1, 1985, states: “Keep head down and stonewall all questions.” The BBC denied vetting was taking place for decades but it began as early as 1933 when both MI5 and the BBC agreed the broadcaster was in need of “assistance in regard to communist activities”. In 1985 The Observer exposed some of the political vetting at which point it began to be wound down but even then some staff were kept on the vetting list on the pretext they had access to restricted government information. The BBC has refused to reveal if any staff are still vetted. “We do not comment on security issues,” said an anonymous spokesperson. Conspiracy of Silence: BBC Admits MI5 Vetted Staff to Weed Out 'Subversives' https://sputniknews.com/europe/201804241063829687-bbc-mi5-job-vetting/ For decades, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) denied its job applicants were subject to political vetting by domestic intelligence service MI5, in an effort to prevent “subversives” gaining employment with the UK state broadcaster. Now however, the BBC has finally admitted candidates were scrutinized from its very inception until well into the 1990s at least. Acceptable in the 30s In 1933, BBC executive Colonel Alan Dawnay began holding private meetings with MI5 chief Sir Vernon Kell — both were concerned about "communist activities" in the UK, and wished to prevent subversive elements gaining footholds in influential British institutions. By 1935, it had been agreed MI5 would vet all new staff bar cleaners, to prevent "the way [being] made clear for a left-wing government" in the UK. The policy was kept totally secret — and despite some BBC executives apparently angsting over the "deceptive" statements they were compelled to make to shroud its existence (even MPs and ministers were lied to on the issue), the Corporation was opposed to reducing the scale and scope of the vetting. Information supplied by an MI5 mole in the British Communist Party via F Branch © PHOTO : NATIONAL ARCHIVES If MI5's digging into candidate's backgrounds yielded anything of political concern, it made one of three designations; Category A applicants, whom MI5 advised "should not be employed in a post offering direct opportunity to influence broadcast material"; Category B, whom MI5 advised against employing "unless it is decided other considerations are overriding"; Category C, for whom MI5's investigation turned up potentially troubling information, which nonetheless didn't "necessarily debar" them from employment — still, the BBC should consider "other arrangements" if the post offered "exceptional opportunity" for subversion. Applicants didn't even need to be a member of certain political groups to be precluded from employment with the BBC — tangential associations (a friend of a relative being a member, for instance) was sufficient. In theory, no Category A candidate should ever have been employed by the BBC, though some did permeate the ranks of the organization one way or another. In cases where employees subsequently came under suspicion of subversive inclinations or connections, a Christmas tree was drawn on their personal file. Such employees were generally precluded from promotions and internal transfers — and if these individuals ever took their grievances about being passed over for either to an Industrial Tribunal, the insignia were removed from their files. Thames House, the headquarters of the British Security Service (MI5) is seen in London, Britain October 22, 2015 © REUTERS / PETER NICHOLLS The BBC-MI5 operation proceeded unknown to the vast majority of BBC staff from Room 105 in Broadcasting House, the building George Orwell took inspiration from when describing the Ministry of Truth in his landmark work, 1984. In an ironic twist, the Christmas trees were dumped in that actual year, as they attracted too much attention. An 1968 interview given by BBC director general Sir Hugh Greene to The Sunday Times demonstrates the wall of silence shielding the policy from public view. In the interview, he said the BBC employed "people of all descriptions", including communists — but who was on the payroll was "none of [his] business", and the state broadcaster didn't "conduct an inquisition on people who join[ed]." This was an outright lie — and files reveal Greene's strategy for the dealing with the interview was in fact formulated by MI5 itself. Moreover, the BBC's press division had even suggested Greene use the interview to reveal the policy and announce its renunciation — but MI5 were steadfastly opposed to both suggestions, making clear "no direct admission of vetting should be made". If pressed, the BBC could admit "something of this sort" was carried out "in relation to War Planning purposes [and] where aliens were concerned" — although MI5 preferred that "as little reference should be made to this subject as possible". Greene proved entirely receptive to MI5's insistence on silence — after all, he was an ardent supporter of vetting, and had resisted internal and external pressure to end or even weaken the policy. Conspiracy Exposed In December 1979, a BBC broadcasting administrator named Hugh Pierce wrote a 10-page report on the vetting policy. Highly critical, it suggested the BBC "abandon forthwith" the wholesale vetting of applicants, limiting it only to the most sensitive areas of the BBC at the absolute most. Moreover, he warned public exposure of the practice would result in widespread "ridicule and vilification". MI5 files released by the National Archives in London His recommendations and cautions both went unheeded, and by 1985, BBC guidance on how to respond to accusations of security service vetting — "keep head down and stonewall all questions" — had been unchanged for 50 years. However, later that year, the vetting policy was exposed in the Observer newspaper. It recounted many instances of reputations and careers being derailed, if not outright destroyed, due to stringent MI5 oversight. For instance, in 1969 film director John Goldschmidt was commissioned to make a film for the BBC Omnibus series about the occupation by students of Hornsey Art College. However, during filming he discovered police had been checking the details of a car he'd hired and had also been watching his house — and without warning or explanation, the BBC canceled the film without explanation. Two years later the BBC once again asked him to make a film, but once again when filming started he was stopped from working, an embarrassed executive telling him he "[wasn't] allowed to work here." It was subsequently revealed to him he'd blacklisted from the BBC by MI5 for taking part in an exchange of students between his art college and a Czech film school, spending a few weeks in Czechoslovakia in the process. He was not a Communist and never had been. Another vetting victim was Isabel Hilton, refused a job by BBC Scotland in 1976 because she spoke Chinese and had crossed paths with a member of the Communist Party while at Edinburgh University at her alma mater's Scottish China Association. However, Alastair Hetherington, a BBC executive who wanted to employ Hilton, refused to accept it, and protested to all and sundry at the BBC. It was later revealed to Hetherington MI5 had made a clerical error, mistaking the SCA for Maoist group SACU (the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding). Following Hetherington's interventions, Hilton was offered the job, but the delay had inspired her to look for work elsewhere. Nonetheless, she did eventually work for the BBC, presenting World Tonight on Radio 4 in the 1990s, and Radio 3 arts program Night Waves. She would receive an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2009 for her journalism. A general view of the BBC headquarters in London, Sunday, Nov, 11, 2012 © AP PHOTO / ALASTAIR GRANT Likewise, one of the BBC's most able graduate trainees, Michael Rosen, was blacklisted by MI5 for a number of 'offenses' — his student activism at Oxford, making a radio documentary about French Marxist Regis Debray during his BBC training, and making a film that used clips of US soldiers being tested with LSD. The US Embassy in London's Grosvenor Square complained about that project — and Rosen — to both MI5 and the BBC directly. These transgressions caused him to be sacked in 1972, told no department was prepared to offer him work — despite many BBC divisions being extremely keen to use his talents. He went on to enjoy a successful career as a writer of plays and children's books. Politics, Not Security "What do the BBC and MI5 achieve from their secret blackballing? The system is clumsy, dishonest and often very unfair. Whereas government vetting of civil servants is officially acknowledged and those who fail vetting are informed of the fact, the BBC method is secret, allowing no appeal-with often damaging injustice to individuals and careers…even if the system were cleaned up and acknowledged, it would only hamper the activities of those whose radical opinions are above board. Real 'moles' — if they exist — are buried too deep to be discerned by such an inaccurate and incompetent vetting procedure," the Observer concluded. The newspaper's detailed exposures rendered standard denials redundant, so the BBC eventually acknowledged the system existed — although Michael Hodder, then-BBC liaison with MI5, was asked to shred the files. He disobeyed, instead dispatching them to the BBC Written Archives Center, where they lay dormant until the BBC's own disclosure. Alasdair Milne, then director general of the BBC, was forced to make an embarrassing retraction, stating the policy was "one of those things one knew about, felt a bit grubby about" — months earlier, he'd publicly stated he couldn't believe allegations of a vetting system were true. Despite this, the official BBC line was only the corporation decided who to appoint to any post, or whether to invoke the vetting procedure, and no external agency had a right to veto the appointment or promotion of any member of staff. Such claims were totally false — MI5's recommendation were in fact final, and when Hetherington battled for Hilton's application, he was told challenging rulings was "without precedent". The true nature of corporation and its employees was established in the BBC's memorandum to the 1971 Franks Commission on the Official Secrets Act. The BBC referred to a ruling by the Treasury Solicitor in 1943 which said: "The official view is Governors of the BBC are persons holding office under His Majesty within the meaning of Section 2 of the 1911 Official Secrets Act and the Director-General and staff are persons employed under persons who hold such offices." This ruling clearly bound BBC staff as servants of the British state, with special obligations arising therefrom. © AFP 2018 / LEON NEAL Propaganda for Sale: BBC and Others Guilty of Broadcasting Breaches Former senior BBC executive Stuart Hood has suggested vetting is a natural consequence of this structure, and a clear indication of the BBC's true nature. "If the BBC was honest about its role, it would admit it must support the central political authority by virtue of the State licence-fee system — but the Corporation has always had this fantasy about itself as a totally independent social organisation," Hood said. Similarly, while the exposures shocked the public, John le Carre, best-selling spy novelist and former MI5 officer, was unsurprised. "I've always assumed it [vetting] happened. I wonder what people would think if the reverse were to occur — if a member of the Militant Tendency turned out to be shaping news in the newsroom. There has to be some method of obtaining what we hope will be an objective middle way in reporting," he said. 9/11, 7/7 & the War on Freedom Forum Index -> The Bigger Picture All times are GMT	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2039
__label__wiki	0.656816	0.656816	Castleford Footbridge CEEQUAL Very Good – Design & Construction Award Version 3, Dec 2008 \| Castleford, England Winner – CEEQUAL Outstanding Achievement Awards 2011 – Community & Stakeholders Design: Tony Gee & Partners Construction: Costain Assessor: Sonya Wilshaw The Castleford Footbridge, a £4.8 million landmark structure, is the final and most ambitious of 11 schemes that form The Castleford Project, a groundbreaking urban renewal scheme that aims to spark regeneration and a new confidence in this former coal-mining town. The project was founded by Channel 4 Television (C4), local community and civic groups and Wakefield Metropolitan District Council. From an initial contribution of £100,000 by C4, the project is now valued at over £12 million and is widely credited with levering an additional £200 million of investment into the town. C4 filmed the project for a major series broadcast in August 2008 – the world’s first televised regeneration scheme. The Footbridge project was an NEC fixed-price, Design & Build form of contract awarded in December 2006. With a concept design already in place, the client’s aspirations for the footbridge were established early in the tender process. Staying as true as possible to the architect’s vision, the contractor sought to deliver innovation in construction techniques. The S-shaped footbridge, four metres wide and spanning more than 130 metres across the River Aire features innovative engineering solutions adopted during its design and construction. The construction of the river piers was one of the most high-risk activities of the project. The three piers had to be constructed within eight metres of an existing, fast-flowing weir and in river depths that varied from just half a metre to seven metres. There was always a risk that construction activities could affect the watercourse and cause pollution. Early consultation with the Environment Agency allowed concerns regarding pollution potential, risk of flooding and ecological protection to be fully understood and, by working closely with the Environment Agency, the contractor was able to obtain the necessary consents prior to starting construction, which was invaluable in terms of the programme. This early involvement meant the environmental plans identified and considered site-specific environmental aspects, the concerns of the Environment Agency and detailed control measures to mitigate these risks. Following detailed research, Costain decided to construct single 1800-diameter bored piles for each pier. These incorporated high-tensile Macalloy bars, which were used to secure pre-cast concrete pile caps and V-shaped steel bridge legs in place. All work was carried out from a modular jack-up barge, usually associated with marine works. This method was chosen to reduce risks to the existing ecosystem and to reduce working time within a volatile river, which saw levels rise over 3.5 metres during the 2007 floods. The flexible working methods meant work could re-commence as soon as river levels fell, with no major remedial or clean-up work required. In addition to the footbridge, a scheme to construct a fish pass to allow fish to ascend the rise of the weir was also completed. It consists of a lower slope, central resting pool and upper slope set into the existing weir structure. The fish pass was constructed for the Environment Agency as part of their ongoing efforts to provide migratory fish with unrestricted access to spawning grounds and will also benefit the rural economy. The footbridge provides an excellent vantage point from which to view the migratory fish using the fish pass. The finishing works to the bridge involved complex and highly detailed architectural work. This included fitting distinct curved hardwood decking and handrailing. The hardwood, Cumaru, was imported from Brazil, via Holland. Full Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification guaranteed chain of custody from manufacture through to end use and provided assurance that the timber came from a sustainable source. The timber was fabricated and installed to a high standard of craftsmanship to produce a high-quality finish, while the handrail was designed to conceal an energy-efficient LED lighting system that lights the deck, but does not adversely impact on neighbouring properties. The majority of timber and steel fabrication took place off-site to reduce the impact on the environment and the local community. Further innovation included simplifying the bridge fabrication to twin-box beams from a multi-cell box girder. To reduce the apparent depth of the structure, one box on each curve of the ‘S’ gradually increases in height, rising out of the structure. This creates synergy between the structural depth and provides seating for a unique public space in the middle of the river. Finishing also included a high level of stainless steel fitting, including a highly decorative, bespoke cladding to the benches and parapet posts that complement the decking. From the outset, community engagement with the footbridge project was key. Local community champions were closely involved throughout the design and construction stages, commenting on sample materials, visiting off-site fabricators and site, to ensure the bridge met their objectives. The result is universal acclaim of the completed bridge by the local community and visitors. The contractor employed a community liaison manager to work with the local community throughout construction. A measure of the success of the team’s close relationship with the local community came with a Considerate Constructor’s Silver Award for the Footbridge project. Before work commenced, the contractor hosted a pre-construction event for local people to address any concerns. A 24-hour helpline was set up to respond to enquiries or complaints and an ‘open door’ policy operated on site for members of the public. A visitor centre and display area was created within the site compound as well as information boards and viewing areas on either side of the river. isplays in the local library and regular newsletters kept those living near the works up to date. Following numerous visits to schools to deliver site safety talks, hundreds of children visited the site to see work in progress. Local children created clay animals and insects for the visitor centre, reflecting the diversity of wildlife found in the river and on the banks. Bridge design and construction lessons complementing the school curriculum were delivered in local secondary schools. To raise the profile of the scheme among a wider audience, the contractor worked proactively with local and regional media, issuing regular press releases, providing access for photographs and, on two occasions, offering the site as a broadcast location for Yorkshire. BBC Radio Leeds performed a live broadcast from the site, interviewing local businesses, members of the public and the site team as part of their Breakfast Show. Resident association meetings were attended regularly by contractor representatives and monthly communication reports were produced to update local councillors, project managers and the town centre partnership board that formed the footbridge project steering group. In recognition the scheme was shortlisted for the British Construction Industry’s (BCI) Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award for 2008. The bridge has a projected lifespan of 120 years. All structural steelwork is protected against corrosion with a highway-specification paint system with an additional galvanized coating for the legs, which are immersed in water. As such, no maintenance should be necessary for up to 12 years and only minor maintenance is required up to 20 years. The footbridge is constructed to accommodate wheel loads from under-deck inspection vehicles and scaffold loads in combination with pedestrian load, ensuring any under-deck maintenance can be carried out without the need to close the bridge to the public. The Grand Opening Castleford Footbridge was officially opened to the public on 4 July 2008. Before completion of the new footbridge the only means of crossing the river was one existing bridge, built in 1808. With narrow footpaths and thundering lorries and buses, the bridge was becoming increasingly dangerous for pedestrians to use. The new footbridge completely separates pedestrians from traffic and is helping to connect the community back to a river that is an intrinsic part of its history. The footbridge is not simply a means of crossing the river, it also provides a place to wander, to meet and to sit and enjoy the river and its wildlife. The community’s aspirations are for the footbridge to become a destination in its own right, attracting visitors to the river and the town. #0432008CQA 083 PreviousBelfast City Centre Streets Ahead (Interim) NextSt Ives Flood Defence Scheme	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2040
__label__wiki	0.957873	0.957873	Lili-Anna Pereša to receive rank of the Ordre national du Québec - Menu Contact - Media - News Careers Privacy policy Lili-Anna Pereša, President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montreal, will be awarded the rank of Knight of the Ordre national du Québec on June 22. This highest honour bestowed by the Quebec government will be given by Premier Philippe Couillard during a ceremony in the Legislative Council Room at the Parliament Buildings in Quebec City. Ms. Pereša has made a mark through her social, community and humanitarian achievements. Although she trained as an engineer, she decided to take another direction in her career to contribute to collective well-being by leading agencies that help and support underprivileged or vulnerable populations both in Quebec and around the world. She has served as the Executive Director of the Little Brothers, the Women's Y of Montreal, Amnesty International France, and One Drop. Since 2013, she has served as President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montreal, where she has diversified our philanthropic action from the standpoint of social development, particularly through the Collective Impact Project (CIP), a fund for refugees, and the Inclusion Fund, which aims to educate young people about being open to difference. Ms. Pereša’s involvement in humanitarian aid has earned her many honours, including the Meritorious Service Award from the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers, an honorary doctorate from Université de Montréal in recognition of her community service, and the Mercure Leadership Germaine-Gibara award in the SME category from the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2041
__label__cc	0.62703	0.37297	US Supreme Court Decisions On-Line> Volume 120 > DURAND V. MARTIN, 120 U. S. 366 (1887) DURAND V. MARTIN, 120 U. S. 366 (1887) Durand v. Martin, 120 U.S. 366 (1887) Durand v. Martin Decided February 7, 1887 Lands listed to California as indemnity school lands, and patented by the state, are not open to preemption settlement while in possession of the patentee. The Act of March 1, 1877, 19 Stat. 267, "relating to indemnity school lands in the California," was a full and complete ratification by Congress, according to its terms, of the lists of indemnity school selections which had been before that time certified to the State of California by the United States as indemnity school selections, no matter how defective or insufficient such certificates might originally have been, if the lands included in the lists were not any of those mentioned in § 4, and if they had not been taken up in good faith by a homestead or preemption settler prior to the date of the certificate. This was an action to recover the possession of land in California, brought and prosecuted to final judgment in the courts of that state. The facts which make the federal case for this court are stated in the opinion of the Court. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2045
__label__wiki	0.888876	0.888876	US Supreme Court Decisions On-Line> Volume 315 > PUERTO RICO V. RUSSELL & CO., 315 U. S. 610 (1942) PUERTO RICO V. RUSSELL & CO., 315 U. S. 610 (1942) Puerto Rico v. Russell & Co., 315 U.S. 610 (1942) Puerto Rico v. Russell & Co. Argued February 3, 4, 1942 Decided March 16, 1942 CERTIORARI TO THE CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS In aid of the operation of an irrigation district on a stream in Puerto Rico, the insular Commissioner of the Interior made contracts with a company owning rights to divert water from the stream for the irrigation of lands not embraced in the district, whereby, in consideration of a suspension of the company's water rights in certain particulars, the insular Government undertook to deliver to it at its intakes specified quantities of water regularly, as the fair equivalent of the rights suspended. Held, that the Commissioner had statutory authority to make the contracts and that a later statute which sought to recoup part of the cost of maintaining and operating the district system by imposing annual assessments, erroneously called "taxes," on the company's lands, impaired the obligation of the contracts in violation of the insular Organic Act. P. 315 U. S. 616. 118 F.2d 225 affirmed. Certiorari, 314 U.S. 589, to review a judgment which, reversing a judgment of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 56 P.R.Dec. 343, reinstated a judgment of the insular District Court dismissing the complaint in an action brought by Puerto Rico to recover sums claimed as taxes. For earlier phases, see 21 F.2d 1012; 60 F.2d 10; 288 U. S. 288 U.S. 476. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary MR. JUSTICE ROBERTS delivered the opinion of the Court. The question for decision is whether a statute of Puerto Rico impairs the obligation of certain contracts in violation of the Island's organic law. [Footnote 1] The respondent's predecessor in title, Fortuna Estates, as owner or lessee of lands adjacent to the Jacaguas River, enjoyed under Spanish law, and respondent, as successor, still enjoys, rights appurtenant to the lands to draw from the river 12,612.1 acre feet of water per year for irrigation. Puerto Rico adopted a law in 1908 [Footnote 2] which authorized an irrigation system, as part of which a dam was to be erected in Jacaguas River above Fortuna's intakes. Fortuna's lands were not within or a part of the irrigation district. Although the operation of the system would interfere with Fortuna's water rights, they were not condemned, as the statute permitted, nor were they voluntarily surrendered. By an amendatory law adopted in 1913, [Footnote 3] it was provided: "In the case of any land carrying a water right or concession of which the source of supply is destroyed or impaired by the construction or operation of the irrigation system, which shall not have been relinquished or surrendered to the Porto Rico, such land shall be entitled to receive from the irrigation system an amount of water which is the reasonable equivalent in value of the said water right or concession." This Act empowered the Commissioner of the Interior to make agreements with holders of such rights fixing the amount and the time, place, and conditions of delivery, of water to be received as the equivalent of the rights suspended. In the exercise of this authority, the Commissioner executed contracts with Fortuna which called for the suspension of its rights appurtenant to two large tracts during the life of the contracts and assured delivery of a specified amount of water at Fortuna's intakes as the fair equivalent of the rights suspended. Each contract enumerated the rights to take water appurtenant to a described tract of land which would be impaired or interrupted by the operation of the irrigation system; recited that the amount of water taken by Fortuna under its rights varied throughout the year, due to differences in rainfall, so that it was impossible to determine in advance the amount of water to which it would be entitled in any given period, and that Porto Rico was willing to deliver from the Jacaguas River the water to which Fortuna was entitled, but, in order to make the operation of the system more certain, desired to agree upon a fixed and regular amount which should be received by Fortuna as the fair equivalent in value for irrigation purposes of the water it would ordinarily take and use under its existing rights. The contract then stated the agreement of the parties as to the quantities of water which, delivered in equal daily instalments, were to be considered such fair equivalents, and the petitioner covenanted to deliver these quantities to Fortuna. It was also agreed that Fortuna might exercise its preexisting rights for ten days in each year to prevent their loss by nonuser. Under the Irrigation Law, lands in a district were subjected to a uniform annual assessment per acre to discharge the cost of construction, maintenance, and operation of chanroblesvirtualawlibrary the system. Sales were also made of surplus waters, and the proceeds used for maintenance. Shortly after the contracts were made, a controversy arose between petitioner and respondent with respect to Puerto Rico's right to sell surplus waters. Litigation ensued which terminated in a decree restraining the insular government from diverting certain surplus waters to which the respondent was held to be entitled under the contracts. The decision also upheld the validity of the contracts. [Footnote 4] Thereupon, the legislature adopted, July 8, 1921, "An Act Fixing a Tax on Certain Lands using water from the Southern Coast Public Irrigation System, on which lands no Tax Whatever was Levied under the Public Irrigation Law, and for Other Purposes. [Footnote 5]" This is the statute enforcement of which is asserted to impair the obligation of the contracts. By this act, a special tax is imposed on all lands supplied which, under existing law, contribute nothing to the expense of the maintenance of the system. The Treasurer of Puerto Rico is directed to compute the tax by finding the aggregate acreage receiving water from the system including lands, like those of respondent, outside the district but receiving the equivalents of their preexisting rights under contracts. He is to assess a pro rata share of the total expense against the lands of respondent and others similarly circumstanced. The Act, as is admitted, was aimed only at those who, like respondent, had contracted for the receipt of water in lieu of that to which they were of right entitled and whose lands were not a part of the irrigation district. Action was instituted by petitioner in an insular court for the recovery of several years taxes so imposed. [Footnote 6] The chanroblesvirtualawlibrary cause was removed to the United States District Court, where a motion to remand was denied and a judgment entered for the respondent on the merits. The judgment was affirmed by the Circuit Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, [Footnote 7] but was reversed by this court for want of diversity of citizenship on which jurisdiction of the federal courts depended. [Footnote 8] After remand, the case was tried in the insular district court, and the complaint was dismissed on the merits on the ground that Act No. 49 of 1921 was an invalid impairment of the obligation of the 1914 contracts. The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico reversed and rendered judgment for the petitioner. [Footnote 9] The Circuit Court of Appeals, in turn, reversed and reinstated the judgment of the insular district court. [Footnote 10] We granted certiorari as the case presents an important question arising under the Insular Organic Act. 314 U.S. 589. We hold that the judgment of the Circuit Court of Appeals was right. By the Act of 1908, [Footnote 11] the people of Puerto Rico undertook the construction of a public irrigation system. This necessitated the erection of a dam for impounding and storage of part of the waters of the Jacaguas River above the respondent's intakes, and the creation of an irrigation district. The statute recognized the necessity of providing a method for the acquisition of the rights of riparian owners whose land lay below the dam. Section 12 authorized the condemnation of existing water rights and the payment of their fair value to the owners. By the amendatory Act of 1913, the owners of lands which fell within the irrigation district court release their preexisting rights, have them valued, and be paid the value by credits against chanroblesvirtualawlibrary their proportionate share of the expense of the construction and operation of the system. [Footnote 12] By Section 13, owners of lands having water rights, whose source of supply would be destroyed or impaired by the construction or operation of the system, who had not surrendered or relinquished their rights, were declared entitled to receive from the irrigation system an amount of water which would be the reasonable equivalent in value of the right or concession so destroyed or impaired. The Commissioner was authorized to negotiate contracts to this end with such owners. It is evident that it was thought that lands such as those of the respondent could not be included within the proposed district. It is idle to speculate concerning the reasons for this decision, though it is clear that, in order to realize the Government's purpose, it was deemed necessary to reach an accommodation concerning preexisting valid water rights of land owners whose lands could not or should not be included in the irrigation district. In the case of such persons, the purpose was to substitute a fair equivalent for the rights theretofore exercised. Such an arrangement offered mutual advantages to Puerto Rico and to the owners. Whereas Fortuna had, prior to the erection of the dam, the right to take over 12,000 acre feet of water per year for irrigation, appropriation of surplus waters, and certain torrential waters, the supply was uneven and uncertain due to the irregularity of rainfall. It was therefore an advantage to the respondent's predecessor to surrender its maximum rights in consideration of an agreement that there should be delivered to it, equally and evenly throughout the year, something less than the maximum it was entitled to take under preexisting conditions. On the other hand, it was an advantage to the irrigation system that it should not be obliged at any time to deplete its storage waters by furnishing the respondent chanroblesvirtualawlibrary the maximum amount which, if the water were available, it was entitled to receive. The Insular Supreme Court held that the exaction is not precluded by the contracts, and works no impairment of their obligation. It held the exaction is a tax; that the rights which the respondent owned prior to the construction of the irrigation system were taxable, and that the privileges it enjoys under the contract are equally so; that the contract contains no covenant not to tax these rights or privileges, and, if it did, it would be beyond the power of the Commissioner. We cannot agree. The assessment contemplated by Act No. 49 of 1921 is not a general tax laid for the support of government upon a property right or a franchise. This is expressly admitted by the petitioner in brief and in oral argument. In the brief, it is said: "The special taxes or assessments here in question, if and when collected, will simply accrue to the special fund for the current operation and maintenance of the irrigation district, and thus serve only to lower the assessments upon other lands now taxed for such operation and maintenance. The insular Treasury can derive no direct benefit." And, in oral argument, counsel for petitioner frankly conceded that the money to be raised is not taxes in any way, but merely an assessment against the respondent's land for the cost of delivering the water. If Puerto Rico had essayed to tax respondent's lands or its water rights by a general law, quite distinct questions would arise which we need not discuss. Treated as an assessment of part of the cost of maintenance of the irrigation system, the petitioner insists that the exaction does not violate the obligation of the 1914 contracts. It asserts that the agreements were only that a given amount of water would be released, or made available, or allotted to respondent and therefore The chanroblesvirtualawlibrary People of Puerto Rico are free to charge to respondent the cost of delivering the water, and further that, if the contracts, by their terms, precluded the imposition upon the respondent of this cost, they are beyond the power of the Commissioner. Section 13 of the Act of 1913 authorizes the Commissioner "to enter into agreements with such owner or owners as to the amount of water and the time, place, and conditions of delivery thereof which shall be delivered to the lands to which the said water rights or concessions are appurtenant as the fair equivalent in value thereof. . . ." We think it evident from this language that the Commissioner was not limited to agreeing to allot to the land owner a certain amount of water, but was empowered to stipulate that, at certain times, he would cause to be delivered at specified places the water which respondent was to receive as the equivalent of that which it had formerly been entitled to take at its intakes along the river. That the Commissioner so construed his authority is plain from the terms of the contracts. Each contract describes the rights appurtenant to the lands in question, acknowledges their validity, states the amounts of water the respondent's predecessor is entitled to take, and, in consideration of the mutual covenants of the parties, stipulates "that the quantities of water specified" in the agreement, "delivered uniformly through the year subject to the terms and conditions specified in this agreement, . . . are the fair equivalent in value of the water which the said Fortuna Estates takes under and pursuant to the concessions and water rights claimed by it, and The, People of Porto Rico will, subject to the conditions and limitations hereinafter specified and at the times, places, and subject to the conditions of delivery hereinafter provided for, make delivery" of the amounts of water specified in the agreement. Each contract further provides that "The People of chanroblesvirtualawlibrary Porto Rico will deliver the said water as follows." One agreement covenants that the water deliverable for some of the tracts shall be at the intakes provided by the owner, and that water deliverable to another tract shall in part be deliverable at such an intake and in part at a pumping station on the bank of the river. The right is reserved, upon notice by The People of Porto Rico, to change the place of delivery of certain of the water. It is further provided that, if delivery at the points designated is temporarily interrupted, Porto Rico will deliver an equivalent amount of water at some other point. It is agreed that the presence of water in the river bed at the opening of the described intakes sufficient to permit the owner to take the quantities specified in the agreement shall be deemed a delivery within the meaning of the contract. A clause provides that, should the owner desire to take water for certain of the tracts at places other than the present intakes, Porto Rico will deliver the water at such other places, but that "all extra expenses occasioned by such delivery shall be borne by" the owner. The obligation of Porto Rico to deliver the named quantities is recognized in many clauses of the contracts. As applied to the petitioner, the word "deliver" appears ten times in each contract, the word "delivery" nine times, and the word "deliverable" four times in one of the documents. From the four corners of the agreements, it is clear that, in consideration of the suspension of the rights of Fortuna and its successor, the respondent, the insular government agreed not merely to allot, but to deliver at specified places, certain quantities of water. Prior to the execution of the contracts, Fortuna was under no obligation to the government to pay it any cost or expense for the bringing of the water to its intakes. The contract clearly contemplates that it is to be under none with respect to the water agreed to be chanroblesvirtualawlibrary delivered to it in lieu of that which it formerly had the right to take. This fact is emphasized by the provision that, if it desires delivery at other places than those specified in the contracts, it shall bear the expense entailed by the change. The deficit in the maintenance cost of the system was met for some time by the sale of surplus water. The contract gives the respondent the right to a portion of such surplus water over and above the specified amounts to be delivered by the petitioner. The respondent sued to enjoin the petitioner from selling the surplus water to which it claimed to be entitled. The suit resulted in an injunction. The Government being thus deprived of the revenue theretofore used towards the maintenance of the system adopted the Act of 1921 with the evident purpose of recouping a portion of that expense from the respondent and others with whom it had made contracts in 1914 for the delivery of the stipulated amount of water to them without charge therefor. The history of the legislation shows that the proposed exaction was not a general tax, but was an effort to collect from persons whose land was not in the irrigation system a portion of the expense of maintaining that system, whereas the contracts exempted them from contributing to such cost as a condition of receiving the stipulated amount of water from the system. This was a clear violation of the obligation of the contracts. The judgment is "No law impairing the obligation of contracts shall be enacted." 48 U.S.C. § 737. Act of September 18, 1908, Laws of Porto Rico, 1909, p. 152. Act of August 8, 1913, Laws of Porto Rico, 1914, p. 54, § 13. Porto Rico v. Russell & Co., 268 F.7d 3. Act 49 of 1921, Laws of Porto Rico, 1921, p. 366. The preceding litigation and the necessity for bringing action for the tax, rather than proceeding summarily will be found in Gallardo v. Havemeyer, 21 F.2d 1012, and the Act of Congress of April 23, 1928, 45 Stat. 447. 60 F.2d 10. Puerto Rico v. Russell & Co., 288 U. S. 476. 56 P.R.Dec. 343. 118 F.2d 225. Supra, Note 2 There was no provision whatsoever in the grant of these water rights exempting them from any form of taxation. Hence, if no contract had been made and the irrigation system had been constructed and respondent's lands had been serviced in precisely the same way as chanroblesvirtualawlibrary was done here, I should think that there would be no doubt but that the assessment would be valid. The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico relied for the validity of the assessment on such cases as Knowles v. New Sweden Irrigation District, 16 Idaho 217, 235, 101 P. 81, 87, and Bleakley v. Priest Rapids Irrigation District, 168 Wash. 267, 11 P.2d 597. Those cases hold that, under certain circumstances, the owner of a water right may be brought into an irrigation district and forced to pay an assessment. As stated in the Knowles case, 16 Idaho at 241, 101 P. at 89: "Under our irrigation law as it existed at the time of the organization of this district and the assessments referred to were made, if the land of the plaintiff was properly included in said irrigation district, it was subject to assessment for benefits, provided it received any, whether the owner of said land owned a water right in connection therewith or not, for a person in an irrigation district may receive certain benefits regardless of whether the owner has a water right in connection therewith or not." The reasons which permit the owner of a water right to be brought into an irrigation district are equally cogent here. For the impact of this assessment is not more rigorous than the assessment attendant on membership in an irrigation district. In fact, it is less, since respondent is being assessed only for a pro rata share of the cost of maintenance and operation of the system, not its construction. It was clear and undisputed that respondent obtained substantial benefits from the irrigation system. (1) The quantity of water received by respondent from the system is 19% larger than what previously had been available from the earlier limited flow of the river. (2) The storage reservoir impounds flood waters which would be largely lost to respondent. The dam not only increases the amount of water available, but makes possible regular chanroblesvirtualawlibrary and more continuous deliveries of the water. (3) The irrigation system has tapped new sources of water which feed the reservoir. No separation of that additional supply of water from the old supply is possible. As a result, respondent obtains additional advantages, especially in dry years. (4) By reason of the construction and operation of the irrigation system, the water is available at several different distribution points through canals, rather than at the river bed alone. In that posture of the case, we would be faced with a determination by the legislature of Puerto Rico that respondent's lands were benefited, and that respondent should pay an assessment. It has long been held that such a "determination is conclusive upon the owners and the courts." Spencer v. Merchant, 125 U. S. 345, 125 U. S. 356. And see Davidson v. New Orleans, 96 U. S. 97; Walston v. Nevin, 128 U. S. 578. As stated in Fallbrook Irrigation District v. Bradley, 164 U. S. 112, 164 U. S. 176-177, "the fact of the amount of benefits is not susceptible of that accurate determination which appertains to a demonstration in geometry;" the choice of methods employed "is one of those matters of detail in arriving at the proper and fair amount and proportion of the tax that is to be levied on the land with regard to the benefits it has received, which is open to the discretion of the state legislature, and with which this Court ought to have nothing to do." And see French v. Barber Asphalt Paving Co., 181 U. S. 324; Milheim v. Moffat Tunnel Improvement District, 262 U. S. 710, 262 U. S. 721; Roberts v. Richland Irrigation District, 289 U. S. 71; Chesebro v. Los Angeles County Flood Control District, 306 U. S. 459. The existence of the contracts does not call for a different result. The statute in question provided that owners of water rights such as respondent "shall be entitled to receive from the irrigation system an amount of water which is the reasonable equivalent in value of the said water right or concession." The Commissioner of the Interior was authorized "to enter into agreements with such owner or owners as to the amount of water and the time, place and conditions of delivery thereof, which shall be delivered to the land to which the said water rights or concessions are appurtenant as the fair equivalent in value thereof." Act No. 128, § 13, August 8, 1913, L.1914, pp. 54-84. The contracts, as well as the statute, speak of "delivery" of the water. But the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico interpreted the contracts as meaning that respondent "agreed to receive [italics supplied] from the irrigation system a certain quantity of water in exchange" for its water rights. I do not think that that construction is unwarranted. (1) The contracts themselves make plain that, as respects certain intakes on the river, "the presence of water in the river bed . . . in quantities sufficient to permit the taking at the said intakes of the amounts of water specified shall be deemed to be deliveries." That provision alone demonstrates that the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico was justified in interpreting "delivery" in these contracts differently than might be warranted in case of contracts for the cartage of goods. "The word deliver' has perhaps as many different shades of meaning ascertained by judicial interpretation as any other term known to the law." United States v. McCready, 11 F.2d 5, 234. The problems of operation of an irrigation system are unique in many respects. Manipulation of the gates at the dam determines the flow of water through the various channels. Puerto Rico's undertaking in each instance was to "deliver" water at specified intakes provided by respondent. Those intakes were in the river or in designated reservoirs provided by respondent. It seems reasonable to conclude that Puerto Rico's chanroblesvirtualawlibrary undertaking was to make the specified quantities of water available so that they would be received at those intakes. To enforce the present tax is not to renege on that undertaking. The fact that respondent was to bear "all extra expenses" in case water was delivered at intakes other than the designated ones seems to me hardly more than a provision that respondent was to bear the cost in case the irrigation system had to be partially relocated to meet its requirements. In any event, it does no more than raise a doubt as to the correct interpretation of the contract -- a doubt which, as subsequently pointed out, should not be resolved against the power of Puerto Rico to impose this tax. (2) It seems to me tolerably clear that such a construction of the contracts comports with the purpose of the arrangement. The contracts state that Puerto Rico, "in order to facilitate and make more certain the operation of the said dam and the irrigation system of which it is a part, desires to determine and agree upon an amount of water which, delivered regularly, may, under all attending circumstances, be considered to be fair equivalent in value for irrigation purposes of the amount of water which the Fortuna Estates would under ordinary circumstances take and use under the said water rights and concessions." The amount of water actually obtained by respondent before the dam was erected apparently fell far below the amount to which it was entitled under their water rights. The contracts were designed to substitute for that latter theoretical figure one which would represent a "fair equivalent in value for irrigation purposes" of the amount of water which respondent would "under ordinary circumstances take and use" under its water rights. From Puerto Rico's point of view, such a determination was important so that the demands on the dam could be reduced to known requirements, and so that the erection of the dam would not chanroblesvirtualawlibrary result in a windfall to respondent. The latter certainly would transpire if the dam gave respondent an amount of water which it had not been able to obtain on its own without the irrigation system. Thus, the specification in the contracts of the "fair equivalent" of the amount of water which respondent ordinarily would obtain under its water rights was nothing more than a determination of the then worth of the water rights in terms of acre feet of water. Under that view, the contracts did not raise the water rights to a higher constitutional dignity than they previously enjoyed. (3) No express exemption from this form of taxation is to be found in the contracts. If that exemption exists, it is implied. But, even though it be assumed arguendo that Puerto Rico's representative had the authority constitutionally to bargain away its taxing power, the exemption should not be inferred. Chief Justice Marshall stated, in 29 U. S. 561, that a relinquishment of a power to tax "is never to be assumed;" "its abandonment ought not to be presumed in a case in which the deliberate purpose of the state to abandon it does not appear." If there are doubts, they must be resolved in favor of the government. Wells v. Savannah, 181 U. S. 531; Chicago Theological Seminary v. Illinois, 188 U. S. 662; Metropolitan Street Ry. Co. v. New York, 199 U. S. 1, 199 U. S. 35-36. As stated in Wells v. Savannah, supra,@ pp. 181 U. S. 539-540, a contract of exemption from taxation must "be clearly proved. It will not be inferred from facts which do not lead irresistibly and necessarily to the existence of the contract. The facts proved must show either a contract expressed in terms or else it must be implied from facts which leave no room for doubt that such was the intention of the parties and that a valid consideration existed for the contract. If there be any doubt on these matters, the contract has not been proven, and the exemption does not exist. " That rule should be applied to this situation. It is clear that respondent is one of the beneficiaries of the irrigation system, even though the additional amount of water which the erection of the dam enabled it to obtain be disregarded. The meaning of the word "delivery" as used in the contracts is, at best, ambiguous. Hence, we should strictly adhere to the presumption against exemption from taxation. To resolve all ambiguities in the contracts in respondent's favor and against Puerto Rico is to forsake a canon of construction which has long obtained. In conclusion, Puerto Rico has not treated respondent the same as landowners who have no water rights. The latter have to pay for the construction of the irrigation system, as well as for its maintenance and operation. Respondent, on the other hand, is merely required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and operation of the system. On these facts, that favored treatment is sufficient respect for the integrity of respondent's property rights. To free it from all burden is to give it a windfall. Only under the compulsion of plain and unambiguous language should we permit a beneficiary of such a project to escape his fair share of the costs. There is no such compulsion here. Hence, we should refuse to let the contract clause of Puerto Rico's organic law produce an inequitable, unfair, and harsh result. MR. JUSTICE BLACK, MR. JUSTICE MURPHY, and MR. JUSTICE BYRNES join in this dissent.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2046
__label__wiki	0.596979	0.596979	Category Archives: Maritime Posted on August 7, 2014 by FieldstoneCommon http://traffic.libsyn.com/fieldstonecommon/jerryroberts.mp3 This week on Fieldstone Common our featured guest is Jerry Roberts, the author of the book The British Raid on Essex: The Forgotten Battle of the War of 1812. This book re-introduces a part of the War of 1812 that was erased from American history. Bio – Jerry Roberts Jerry Roberts has been in the history business for over 30 years. He has served as Vice President in charge of Exhibits at the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum in New York City, Executive Director of Connecticut River Museum in Essex CT, and Battlefield Historian for the British Raid on Essex Project. He has designed and built over forty exhibits, has written or co-written several books and documentaries and has published dozens of newspaper and magazine articles. Roberts is an avid sailor and merchant marine master and has navigated the eastern seaboard in small boats and historic vessels from The Gulf Coast to Nova Scotia. He now lives overlooking the Connecticut River with his wife and two children where he continues to write about adventures large and small while designing exhibits and public programs. This is the dynamic account of one of the most destructive maritime actions to take place in Connecticut history: the 1814 British attack on the privateers of Pettipaug, known today as the British Raid on Essex. During the height of the War of 1812, 136 Royal marines and sailors made their way up the Connecticut River from warships anchored in Long Island Sound. Guided by a well-paid American traitor the British navigated the Saybrook shoals and advanced up the river under cover of darkness. By the time it was over, the British had burned twenty-seven American vessels, including six newly built privateers. It was the largest single maritime loss of the war. Yet this story has been virtually left out of the history books—the forgotten battle of the forgotten war. This new account from author and historian Jerry Roberts is the definitive overview of this event and includes a wealth of new information drawn from recent research and archaeological finds. Illustrations and detailed maps bring the battle to life. Title: The British Raid on Essex: The Forgotten Battle of the War of 1812 Publisher: Wesleyan University Press (2014) Hard cover; 197 pages with appendices including transcriptions of original documents, a chronology, end notes and an index. The British Raid on Essex is available for purchase from Amazon.com and other booksellers. In this interview Jerry Roberts captivates us with the riveting story of a long forgotten but dramatic raid on the town of Essex, Connecticut during the War of 1812. The casualties during the raid were minor but the devastation was great with the destruction of over 25 vessels being built in Essex. Learn about the traitor who helped the British navigate their way up the Connecticut River and how the British escaped despite being surrounded by American troops. Battle Site Essex – Remembering the Forgotten Battle of the War of 1812 Jerry Roberts website The Griswold Inn, Essex, Connecticut The Essex, Connecticut Historical Society Sailing Masters of 1812 Essex, Connecticut tourism website One copy of The British Raid on Essex: The Forgotten Battle of the War of 1812 is given out to the Fieldstone Common audience courtesy of Wesleyan University Press. Congratulations to our winner and thanks to Wesleyan University Press for their generosity in donating the book! http://www.fieldstonecommon.com/british-raid-essex-jerry-roberts Posted in 19th century, Connecticut, Maritime, Military History, War of 1812, Wesleyan University Press \| Tagged British Raid on Essex, Jerry Roberts FC 93 At the Point of a Cutlass with Greg Flemming Posted on June 5, 2014 by FieldstoneCommon http://traffic.libsyn.com/fieldstonecommon/gregflemming.mp3 This week on Fieldstone Common our featured guest is Gregory N. Flemming, the author of the book At the Point of a Cutlass: The Pirate Capture, Bold Escape, and Lonely Exile of Philip Ashton. This book tells the fantastic story of a fisherman’s capture by a notorious pirate and his risky and dramatic escape. Bio – Gregory N. Flemming Gregory Flemming spent more than three years researching At the Point of a Cutlass, which tells for the first time the complete story of Marblehead fisherman Philip Ashton and the horrific pirates who captured him. photo: Laura Kallin Kaye When researching and writing At the Point of a Cutlass, Greg explored many of the key locations in Ashton’s odyssey, from the remote Nova Scotia harbor where Ashton was captured at gunpoint to the Caribbean island of Roatan, forty miles off the coast of Honduras, where Ashton escaped. Much of Roatan’s hilly terrain remains, even today, unpopulated and heavily forested — the eastern part of the island, where Ashton was marooned and lived, is still accessible only by boat. The book draws not only on Ashton’s own first-person account of his experiences, but also a wealth of other materials, including hundreds of colonial newspaper reports, trial records, and the hand-written logbooks and correspondence from the British warships that patrolled the Bay of Honduras and fought with Edward Low’s pirate crew. Greg is a former journalist with a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A New England native, he is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire. He lives with his family in New England. You can learn more about Greg at gregflemming.com. Based on a rare manuscript from 1725, At the Point of a Cutlass uncovers the amazing voyage of Philip Ashton — a nineteen-year old fisherman who was captured by pirates, escaped on an uninhabited Caribbean island, and then miraculously arrived back home three years later to tell his incredible story. Taken in a surprise attack near Nova Scotia in June 1722, Ashton was forced to sail across the Atlantic and back with a crew under the command of Edward Low, a man so vicious he tortured victims by slicing off an ear or nose and roasting them over a fire. “A greater monster,” one colonial official wrote, “never infested the seas.” Ashton barely survived the nine months he sailed with Low’s crew — he was nearly shot in the head at gunpoint, came close to drowning when a ship sank near the coast of Brazil, and was almost hanged for secretly plotting a revolt against the pirates. Like many forced men, Ashton thought constantly about escaping. In March of 1723, he saw his chance when Low’s crew anchored at the secluded island of Roatan, at the western edge of the Caribbean. Ashton fled into the thick, overgrown woods and, for more than a year, had to claw out a living on the remote strip of land, completely alone and with practically nothing to sustain him. The opportunity to escape came so unexpectedly that Ashton ran off without a gun, a knife, or even a pair of shoes on his feet. Yet the resilient young castaway — who has been called America’s real-life Robinson Crusoe — was able to find food, build a crude shelter, and even survive a debilitating fever brought on by the cool winter rains before he was rescued by a band of men sailing near the island. Based on Ashton’s own first-hand account, as well trial records, logbooks, and a wealth of other archival evidence, At the Point of a Cutlass pieces together the unforgettable story of a man thrust into the violent world of a pirate ship and his daring survival and escape. Title: At the Point of a Cutlass: The Pirate Capture, Bold Escape, and Lonely Exile of Philip Ashton Publisher: ForeEdge, An Imprint of University Press of New England (2014) Hard cover; 241 pages with end notes, a bibliography, an index, and some photos and illustrations. At the Point of a Cutlass is available for purchase from Amazon.com and other booksellers. In this interview Greg Flemming and I talk a lot about pirates! Philip Ashton, a fisherman from Marblehead, Massachusetts was taken captive for nine months by the notorious pirate Edward Low. We dive into a discussion about pirate culture, what it means to be a pirate and what life was like on board the ship. We also talk about the resources and challenges of researching in the early 18th century. This is a really fascinating tale you won’t want to miss! GregFlemming.com One copy of At the Point of a Cutlass is given out to the Fieldstone Common audience courtesy of ForeEdge. Congratulations to our winner and thanks to ForeEdge for their generosity in donating the book! http://www.fieldstonecommon.com/point-of-cutlass-greg-flemming Answer: That makes it easier, especially for iTunes and other podcast listeners, to keep track of which episode they are listening to. FC stands for Fieldstone Common and 93is the number of the episode. Posted in 18th Century, Colonial New England, ForeEdge, Maritime, Pirates \| Tagged Gregory Flemming, Philip Ashton	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2049
__label__wiki	0.712764	0.712764	The XDubai spartan race, presented by Dubai holding, set for return to Hatta • XDubai and Spartan Arabia announce details of the XDubai Spartan Race, presented by Dubai Holding’s return to Hatta • Over 4,500 men, women and children expected to compete in two race lengths and one kids’ race on 16 November during the Dubai Fitness Challenge • Hatta’s second hosting of the XDubai Spartan Race Presented by Dubai Holding reinforces the area’s growing reputation for action and adventure sports Action sports brand XDubai, together with Spartan Arabia and supporting partner Dubai Sports Council, are formally announcing the XDubai Spartan Race, presented by Dubai Holding’s return to Hatta. Set for Friday 16 November during the Dubai Fitness Challenge (26 Oct – 24 Nov), the race is expected to attract over 4,500 participants across two adult race lengths and one challenging kids’ race. Open to both women and men over the age of 14, the race will be held on the Hatta Mountain Bike Trail and will feature two lengths, a 5+ Km Sprint with more than 20 signature Spartan obstacles, suitable for athletes of all levels; and a more demanding option of a 13+ Km Super, with over 25 signature Spartan obstacles. Both races include ‘Open’, ‘Age Group’ and ‘Elite’ category options as well as the choice to sign up as a team or as an individual. The Spartan Kids’ Race will also offer younger Spartans, aged 4 to 14, the opportunity to push their limits with race distances ranging from 800m for kids aged 4-6 years, to 1.6km for kids aged 7-9 years and 3.2km for kids aged 10-14 years. The kids’ races aim to inspire the next generation of young Spartans to challenge themselves at a young age and remain active, while also having fun. Speaking about the XDubai Spartan Race, Presented by Dubai Holding, His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council said: “Based on the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, we at Dubai Sports Council have been focused on organising a greater number of sports events in Hatta and developing the sporting infrastructure of the city, raising the awareness about its potential as a fresh and fantastic new sports tourism destination. We are really happy to see the Spartan Race return to the beautiful, but challenging terrain of Hatta for a second year. Last year, the Race was a huge success with thousands of people taking part, both amateurs and pros, young and old, men and women. And we are expecting another great event.” Held again during the Dubai Fitness Challenge, the 2018 race follows the Hatta area’s first hosting of the Spartan Race series in November 2017; a race that saw over 3000 people from across the region and world compete. Both last year’s and this year’s races are made possible thanks to a partnership between XDubai and Dubai Holding. Speaking about the race and partnership, Mohammed Javad, General Manager of XDubai said: “Hatta is fast becoming known as the destination for action and adventure sport enthusiasts, so it is only fitting that the region’s premiere adventure race series returns to this picturesque and challenging locale following an exceptionally successful first race last year. Our partnership with Dubai Holding has allowed us to encourage more people than ever before to defy their limits and we’re looking forward to celebrating the achievements of the thousands of people who will compete.” Amit Kaushal, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding commented: “After the overwhelming success of the first XDubai Spartan Race to take place in Hatta last year, we are excited to be back for the second year. We take great pride in supporting sports enthusiasts from all fitness backgrounds to partake in this challenging, yet fun-filled competition. This year’s race marks the second event in Hatta to be hosted in partnership with XDubai, a wellness-focused collaboration that was created to encourage people from across the UAE to lead a healthier and happier lifestyle. “Hatta’s terrain proved to be the ideal course for Spartans who are looking to challenge themselves as well as for those eager to explore what the city’s magical landscape has to offer. Last year, Dubai Holding was proud to be the biggest team present at the race, and we look forward to encouraging more colleagues to challenge themselves and turn up for this thrilling event in 2018.” As the second Spartan event held in Hatta, athletes across all race lengths will take in sweeping views as they navigate both challenging natural and man-made obstacles that include mountain climbs, swims, rope climbs, wall climbs, and barbed wire, amongst many others. While the race offers the same picturesque terrain as last year’s event, participants this year will be greeted by new developments from Meraas. Among them will be giant ‘Hatta’ letters located at an elevation of around 450 metres up in the Hajar Mountains; an adventure centre and coaching centre, which represent the new gateway to exploring the area and offers a plethora of activities; a series of idyllic mountain lodges, with 20 rooms, offering blissful views of the surrounding mountains and landscape in a tranquil retreat filled with opportunities to relax; as well as a first-of-its kind trailers hotel concept set amid the picturesque mountains on the banks of the charming Hatta dam. According to Meraas, the projects are aimed at positioning Hatta as a National Park and a leading eco-tourism destination in line with the objectives of the Hatta Comprehensive Development Plan. In addition to tourism development projects, Meraas’ strategy aims to advance the social and economic development of the area and comprises increased efforts in conservation and forestation as well as plans to enrich wildlife, support farming, and preserve water resources. With registration open now online through www.SpartanArabia.com, tickets start at 253 AED for adults and 146 AED for the Kids’ Race. All ticket prices include a finisher medal, finisher t-shirt, free professional photos, bananas at the finish line and of course, major bragging rights. With tickets to the event selling fast, organisers are encouraging all Spartans to sign up as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. The Hatta edition of the XDubai Spartan Race Presented by Dubai Holding will follow the XDubai Spartan Race Women’s Race which – open exclusively to women participants -will take place on 27 October at the Jebel Ali Race Course in Dubai. The race will also follow two other XDubai events that will be held during Dubai Fitness Challenge, the details of which will be released soon. **Please note, Thumbay Group, Gulf Medical University, and HEALTH magazine are not liable nor responsible for the facts, figures, and overall content of the press releases on our portal. Early screening is one of the utmost factors of decreasing i The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi’s Non-surgical cosmetic treatments by Dr Maher Alahdab Saudi based Al Hokair Group launches “Sparky’s VR Zone�	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2054
__label__cc	0.574108	0.425892	Goshen Plaza developer asks for financial help Goshen. Neil DeLuca said retail projects involve risk. County agencies expressed their overwhelming support for the project and tax breaks to help it along. Published Jun 13, 2019 at 2:41 pm (Updated Jun 13, 2019) A rendering of the future Goshen Plaza (goshenplazany.com/project-details) The site plan (goshenplazany.com/project-details) “It’s outrageous not to be able to shop at a supermarket in the county seat." Lynn Cione, Orange County Chamber of Commerce The Orange County Industrial Agency held a hearing to gather public comments on the Goshen Plaza Associates application asking for financial assistance in the form of sales and use tax exemptions, a mortgage recording tax exemption, and partial real property tax abatement. The June 6 hearing was held at Village Hall in Goshen. Neil DeLuca, representing Goshen Plaza Associates, said that the company is “looking for help with the debt” to revitalize the 13.70-acre parcel on Clowes Avenue. The project consists of complete demolition of all existing buildings and new construction that includes a grocery store, a stand-alone CVS building and other retail shops. DeLuca also said that Orange Regional Medial Center has strong interest in occupying a walk-in medical facility. Improvements in mechanical systems, storm-water retention, lighting systems, HVAC, fire-prevention systems, computer systems, and a parking lot are included in the project. Mentioning the risk that Goshen Plaza Associates is taking with investing in retail, DeLuca said he’d like to see the tax savings go directly to Orange Regional, CVS, and the grocery store. “They’re taking a chance with us,” he said. The Goshen village board held a special meeting on June 5 to formulate their position of the project’s Orange County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) application. In a letter to the chief operating officer and executive of the IDA, the board expressed support for the overall development of the site and for a property tax exemption for the project, one that doesn’t decrease the tax revenue, which the village is now collecting on the property. Currently the village is collecting approximately $39,000 in revenue from the Goshen Plaza. The board’s concern is not to lose money with a PILOT — payment in lieu of taxes — agreement. Village board members were unanimous in supporting Goshen Plaza’s application for tax help. “We’re happy they’re here,” said Village Trustee Chris Gurda. "We want to help them along." Representing the Goshen Town Board, Supervisor Doug Bloomfield said in a letter to the IDA: “Today’s economic climate, especially in the retail sector, makes shopping center development a risky endeavor, so having Goshen Plaza Associates step up and be ready to invest $30 million of their own money is something I can readily support. And any help the OCIDA could provide would make that development just that much less risky.” The Orange County Office of Economic Development, Orange County Chamber of Commerce, and Goshen Chamber of Commerce expressed overwhelming support for the project. “It’s outrageous not to be able to shop at a supermarket in the county seat,” said Lynn Cione, president of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce. She said reconfiguring the mall will make it more attractive. “People will be welcomed by an open area, not a loading dock," she said. One public comment cautioned attorney Kevin Dowd, local counsel for the IDA, who conducted the meeting, to look at all the facts carefully before coming to tax abatement decisions. The public hearing was closed. About the exemption Section 485-b of the New York State Real Property Tax Law authorizes a partial exemption from real property taxation for commercial, business, or industrial property. Generally the amount of the exemption in the first year is 50 percent of the increase in the assessed value attributable to the improvement. The exemption amount then decreases by five-percent each of the next nine years. The declining percentage continues to be applied to the increase in assessed value determined by the first year of exemption.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2058
__label__wiki	0.713957	0.713957	City-Data Forum archive part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 > U.S. Forums > North Carolina > Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point View Full Version: Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point Forum Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Southwestern Part of Greensboro?: apartments, buying a house, buying - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Job hunting in Greensboro?: Charlotte, Salisbury: living in, employers, pay scale - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Irving Park area in Greensboro: renting, condos, neighborhood - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Are Winston's schools better than Greensboro???: Cameron: crimes, house - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Piney Grove elementary: Kernersville: elementary school, kids, cash - 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Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Homesteading Laws In NC: legal, information, interest - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina Restaurant help!: Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Salem: restaurants, garden, dining - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) My stuff is in storage, and my car is tuned up: Greensboro: homes, neighborhoods - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Public swimming access at triad lakes?: Greensboro, High Point: beaches, swim, green - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Pics of Greensboro?: Kernersville: neighborhoods, moving to, vacations - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) cool morning temps?: live, area, clothes - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Japanese Grocery in Asheboro?: Charlotte, Pineville: to buy, live in, prices - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Lexington Apartments: Greensboro, Salem, Fairview: apartment complexes, home, neighborhood - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Looking for rolling hills: Cary, Asheboro: homes, live in, restaurant - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Christian Schools: transfer to, public schools, club - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Looking To Buy In Summerfield,nc: Greensboro, Rockingham: home, middle school, taxes - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Philippine/Asian growth in Triad?: Greensboro: relocating, business, Filipino - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Broadstone village neighborhood High point 27262: Greensboro: for sale by owner, apartments, houses - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Greensboro/surrounds: Winston-Salem, Burlington, Thomasville: rent, to buy, school - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Vet in Greensboro: dermatology, college, garden - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Hotels or Extended Stay - Greensboro: Raleigh, Troy: rental car, coupon, apartments - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) What do you like or love about the Triad?: Charlotte: homes, neighborhoods - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Gay Population in High Point????: Asian, diverse, white - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Quality family life in Greensboro?: Rockingham, Summerfield: homes, magnet schools, safe - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) High point traffic and crime: Davidson, Gaston: apartment complexes, high crime, neighborhood - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) lexington phone book: Greensboro: rental, hotel, safe - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Summerfield - Flood Areas?: move to, farm, land - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) looking for a good mechanic in the Triad: Greensboro, Burlington: live in, prices - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Looking to relocate to Winston-Salem area: Kernersville, Clemmons: crime, new home, neighborhood - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Having a tough time: Greensboro, Kelly: houses, club, centers - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Housing and Schools: Winston-Salem, Clemmons, Lewisville: best school districts, places to live, military - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) University jobs: living, cost of living, relocating to - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Guilford County Schools: High Point, Oak Ridge, Andrews: elementary schools, rank, best - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Employment/Industry in Winston-Salem area?: Wake Forest: university, retirement, medical center - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Walnut Cove and surrounding Stokes County: King, Stanley: mobile home, neighborhood, schools - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Is Highpoint really the Lowpoint of the Triad?: Raleigh, Greensboro: home, live in - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Another Kernersville: Greensboro, High Point: apartments, rental, new home - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Greensboro Questions.: Fayetteville, Windsor, Star: rent, buying a home, job market - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) jobs: Charlotte, Raleigh: areas, largest - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Special Education in Triad Area: Greensboro, Kernersville: private schools, moving, best - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Tell me about the Lexington area: Charlotte, Greensboro: real estate, homes, buyer - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Special Education & Health in surrounding Greensboro: school, move - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Moving From Charlotte to Greensboro: Summerfield, Pleasant Garden: low crime, cheap house, neighborhood - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) How much $$$ to live: Greensboro, Star: real estate, rent, mortgage - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Renting Houses in the Area: Greensboro, Winston-Salem: apartment complex, rental homes, neighborhood - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Kindergarten in Greensboro: schools, live, teacher - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Social Scene for Teenager, Help!: Greensboro: high school, universities, moving to - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Labor & Delivery Nurse looking for work in NC: Greensboro: home, moving to - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina burlington nc: Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham: chapel, home, neighborhoods - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Opening a preschool in Greensboro: daycare, house, neighborhood - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Greensboro lot premiums?: Windsor: new home, neighborhoods, construction - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Former Military - Postal Officer - Job Search: Greensboro: live in, move to - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) need help driver's license: insurance, school, DMV - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) The High Rock Lake area?: Winston-Salem, Lexington: to live, exodus, towns - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Job in Winston Salem: Winston-Salem: find a job, live, move to - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Help Would Be: Greensboro, Boone: apartment complex, rental, condo - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Need the truth: Greensboro, Salem: living, moving, to relocate - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) : Reidsville, Rockingham: school district, camp, moving - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Has on met????: Charlotte, Raleigh: area, place, road - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) asian indians in triad area: Charlotte: moving, ethnic, community - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Nice rental homes in West Greensboro????: High Point, Jamestown: apartment complexes, condos, crime - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Burlington/Elon - Senior Citizen Living: apartment, condo, house - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Horses: Reidsville, Salem: moving to, horse, title - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Relocated to Winston-Salem: Clemmons, Windsor, Bolton: houses, neighborhoods, purchasing - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Fun Attraction for Teens (not Wet'n'Wild): Greensboro, Burlington: rentals, cinema, middle school - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Winston-Salem NC: High Point, Lexington, Davidson: house, utilities, property taxes - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina New Job in Winston-Salem - where do we live?: Greensboro: house, neighborhood - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Moving to rural North Carolina: Winston-Salem, Salisbury: condos, how much, home - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, (NC) Checking out the area this weekend - Need help!!: Greensboro: lofts, house - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) looking to move to the Triad Area, have ?'s: Winston-Salem: to rent, low crime - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Looking for help: Greensboro, Winston-Salem: construction, high school, live in - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Moving to NC: Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem: crime, how much, neighborhoods - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina Burlington Needed,: Raleigh, Durham: homes, university, shop - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Meadowlands - Invenress area - s...: Greensboro, Winston-Salem: houses, neighborhoods - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Winston/Greensboro Schools- Help: Lewisville: neighborhoods, to buy, best schools - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Greensboro area Property taxes and Homeowners Insurance?: house, live in - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) utilities: Greensboro: apartments, rental, credit rating - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Shopping in Greensboro: shops, trendy, friendly - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Religous Diversity: Greensboro, Rockingham, Star: fit in, chapel, school - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) winston salem accounting head hunters: Winston-Salem, Bolton: headhunters, finance, work - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) W-S: reunion location/ideas?: Winston-Salem, Salem: hotels, high school, area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Construction Jobs: Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro: contractors, relocating to, area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Recently married and relocating !: High Point, Davidson: county, sunny, job - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Where can non-drivers in Greensboro rent convenient to both a grocery store and the Depot?: Washington: apartments - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Gated Communities?: Winston-Salem, Clemmons, Oak Ridge: condos, homes, neighborhoods - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Moving to Greensboro - I need help!!!: Fayetteville, Rockingham: job market, best schools - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Trouble finding housing in G-boro: Greensboro, Randleman: for sale, real estate, HOA fees - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) dentist recommendations?: Greensboro: suite, horse, friendly - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Looking for HR leadership position in NC: headhunter, live - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina Whitsett/Stoney Creek?: Greensboro, Burlington, McLeansville: hardwood floors, sales, townhomes - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) moving from nj.. the piedmont area or durham: Greensboro: mortgage, daycare - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Neeeed Help!!!!!: Greensboro, High Point, Burlington: high crime, to live in, stats - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) What do you think of Winston's plans for downtown?: Charlotte: condos, incomes - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Relocating from Minnesota to North Carolina: Charlotte, Greensboro: appointed, affordable house, best schools - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, (NC) closest mountains from mooresville nc?: Charlotte, Elkin: cottage, park, area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) moving to your town: Salem: apartment complex, to rent, house - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Things to Do & See In Winston salem: Greensboro, Wake Forest: house, live - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Help Needed Relocating From Wisconsin To Greensboro: Claremont: houses, neighborhoods - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Elon,NC: Greensboro, Wilmington, Chapel Hill: chapel, hotels, high school - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina Relocating Winston Salem/Clemmons: Charlotte, Raleigh: real estate, rental, relocation company - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Bbq: Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point: appointed, live in, restaurants - North Carolina (NC) clemmons/ lewisville area: Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Wilmington: new home, neighborhoods, theater - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Winston-Salem, Wilmington, Wake Forest: transplants, broker, lawyers clemmons/ lewisville area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 3: Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem: real estate, brokers, townhouse clemmons/ lewisville area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 4: Winston-Salem, Davidson, Salem: houses, landscaping, neighborhood clemmons/ lewisville area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 5: house, living, shop clemmons/ lewisville area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) relocating to Asheboro: Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro: homes, find a job, neighborhoods - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Greensboro, High Point, Badin: crime, house, schools relocating to Asheboro - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) bible based, non-denominational church: Charlotte, Greensboro: chapel, how much, house - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Greensboro, Winston-Salem: home, school, income bible based, non-denominational church - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 3: Greensboro, Greenville: middle school, incomes, live bible based, non-denominational church - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Mocksville area: Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Statesville: real estate market, crime, new house - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Charlotte, Salem, Bermuda Run: sales, real estate, house Mocksville area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Relocating to Clemmons NC, help!!!!: Winston-Salem, Lexington: rentals, houses, YMCA - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina Page 2: Winston-Salem, Lexington: rental, house, school district Relocating to Clemmons NC, help!!!! - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina Page 3: Charlotte, Winston-Salem: transplants, for rent, sex offender Relocating to Clemmons NC, help!!!! - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina Where is everyone from ORIGINALLY... I know we have many relo's: Raleigh: college, live - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Charlotte: live in, costs Where is everyone from ORIGINALLY... I - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 3: Greensboro: find a job, living in Where is everyone from ORIGINALLY... I - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 4: Greensboro: good schools, colleges Where is everyone from ORIGINALLY... I - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 5: Greensboro: chapel, unemployment rate Where is everyone from ORIGINALLY... I - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Seeking lack of diversity: Greensboro, Kernersville: homes, neighborhoods, to buy - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Greensboro, High Point: low income, rent, houses Seeking lack of diversity - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 3: Greensboro, Winston-Salem: transplants, crime, house Seeking lack of diversity - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Slow home sales in Triad?: Charlotte, Greensboro: days on market, for sale, real estate - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Charlotte, Raleigh: mortgages, broker, neighborhood Slow home sales in Triad? - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) What to do for the 4th of July?: Greensboro, High Point: theater, live - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: parent, about What to do for the 4th - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Where are nice townhomes to rent?: Greensboro, Hamilton: apartments, for rent - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Greensboro, Northwest: rental, condos Where are some nice townhomes to - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Where are the jobs?: Greensboro, Pilot Mountain: real estate, house, find a job - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Charlotte, Raleigh: lease, unemployed, income Where are the jobs? - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 3: job outlook, office, health Where are the jobs? - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) 27405 zip code: Greensboro, Marshall: sales, crime, houses - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Greensboro, Lexington, Pleasant Garden: high crime, homes, neighborhoods 27405 zip code - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 3: Lexington, Mocksville: house, neighborhood, live in 27405 zip code - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Can't wait to leave Florida!: Greensboro, Winston-Salem: rent, condo, chapel - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Greensboro, Chapel Hill: spring break, real estate, mortgage broker Can't wait to leave Florida! - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Four Seasons Mall Area: Greensboro, High Point: crime, homes, neighborhoods - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Greensboro, Kernersville: houses, neighborhood, buy Four Seasons Mall Area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 3: Charlotte, Greensboro: middle-class, real estate, townhomes Four Seasons Mall Area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Greensboro Apartments: apartment complexes, gated, live in - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: rental, house, college Greensboro Apartments - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Davidson County Informatin: Winston-Salem, Lexington: apartment, lease, condo - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Woodlea Lakes area: Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham: apartment, rental homes, townhouse - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Greensboro, Pleasant Garden, Gibsonville: to rent, crime, houses Woodlea Lakes area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Rental Homes in Greensboro Area: Raleigh, Durham: apartment complex, townhouse, neighborhood - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Kernersville: house, to live in, floors Rental Homes in Greensboro Area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Greensboro or Raleigh-Durham?: Charlotte, High Point, Salem: best cities, high crime, homes - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Art Director/creative Positions: Charlotte, Raleigh: home, relocating, money - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Charlotte: job openings, neighborhood, designer Art Director/creative Positions - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 3: Charlotte, Raleigh: place to live, graphic design, rating Art Director/creative Positions - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) help me to decide which place to choose: Charlotte: apartments, renting - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Dominican Stylists: Charlotte, Greensboro: hair salon, moving to, place - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Salem: salon, how much, to buy Dominican Stylists - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Housing, Finance...: Greensboro, High Point: rental, hotels, buying a house - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Greensboro: shoppers, working, students Housing, Finance - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) How is life in Greensboro?!: Charlotte, Raleigh: rentals, condos, how much - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Charlotte, Kirkland: crime, homes, neighborhood How is life in Greensboro?! - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 3: apartment complex, construction, square footage How is life in Greensboro?! - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Move to Winston-Salem Help!: Charlotte, Clemmons: homes, landscaping, established neighborhood - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Clemmons: school, live, relocate to Move to Winston-Salem Help! - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) McLeansville - Why so many houses for sale?: Greensboro, Gibsonville: foreclosure, mortgage - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Glenwood in Greensboro?: Lexington: rental, crime, houses - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Lexington: low income, crime rate, mortgage Glenwood in Greensboro? - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Can help out with on the Denton/ Lexington area?: Charlotte: skateboarding, rentals - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Davidson: how much, safe area Can anyone help out with info - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Does like burlington nc?: Charlotte, Raleigh: chapel, houses, neighborhood - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Charlotte, Raleigh: homes, theater, construction Does anybody like burlington nc? - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 3: Raleigh, Greensboro: to rent, house, school Does anybody like burlington nc? - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 4: Raleigh, Greensboro: rent, crime, how much Does anybody like burlington nc? - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Experience with Home Builders in Greensboro/High Point: Graham, Windsor: construction, home inspector - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: elevation, great Experience with Home Builders in Greensboro/High - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Greensboro what's it like?: Charlotte, Raleigh: real estate, crime, house - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 2: Charlotte, Raleigh: to buy, camper, to live in Greensboro what's it like? - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Page 3: High Point: crime rate, theater, school Greensboro what's it like? - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Moving from Philadelphia PA to NC: Raleigh, Greensboro: apartment, home, to buy - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina Movers: moving to, furniture, recommendations - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) moving to NC: apartment, day care, schools - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina on graham n.c: good schools, moving to, areas - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) new to area... need to rent pet-friendly: Greensboro: apartment, safe area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Auto Detailing: car, paint, top - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) hubby loves retail sales: rentals, house, to relocate - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) asian indians in the triad area: moving, ethnic, community - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) location for a house: transplants, neighborhood, school district - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Rental home needed for nuclear family: Reidsville: school, landlord, living - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Good Daycare in W-S: Wake Forest: apartments, to rent, condo - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Salon or Building Downtown: Salem: lease, relocating to, area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Tell me about Kernersville: house, school districts, living - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) How safe is Winston-Salem?: King: apartment, attorney, home - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Careers Fair: Greensboro: news, spring, green - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) furniture stores at Highpoint: home, trip - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Youngsville information !: Raleigh, High Point, Wake Forest: house, move, area - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) kernersville schools - which one?: elementary school, elementary - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Which school??? reply quickly!!!: Greensboro, Burlington: safe area, top school, safe - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Greensboro 101: Raleigh: established neighborhood, schools, to live - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Worthing Chase: neighborhood, opinions - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Daycares in High Point: moving, area, suggestions - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Greensboro/Burlington area: apartments, school, to live - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Morning Mist subdivision in Kernersville?: elementary school, zoned, builders - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Interested In Burlington: homes, jobs, information - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Need: Greensboro, Salem: employment, high schools, housing market - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) HOPE: a new volunteer organization begun in Winston-Salem: Wake Forest: school, university - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Hospice Flea Market - Burlington - June 1, 2, 4, 5, 6: Alamance: building, counties - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Hickory, NC - Catawba County: move to, horse, properties - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina high point vs Raleigh schools.: Greensboro: move, area, jobs - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) i want to move Winston Salem NC: find a job, living - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina re; Browns Summit, septic vs. sewer: Winston-Salem, Salem: new home, business, septic tanks - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Golf Jobs in Greensboro, NC: sales, shopping mall, retiring - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina Cheap furniture stores...extended stays.....: buy, price, moving - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC) Visiting need 2 no cabin rental From: area, between - Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, North Carolina (NC)	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2059
__label__wiki	0.775056	0.775056	PR: Young Kiwi leaders to make our cities more inclusive and safe Four young kiwis will travel to Singapore this weekend to undertake an intensive Commonwealth-focused leadership programme and develop their ability to cross divides and thrive in multiple cultures Marek Townley, Anna Prestidge, Isobel Pepper, and La Rochelle Morgan have been selected to attend 33Sixty in Singapore and will spend one week seeking solutions to the challenge posed by the Commonwealth Secretary General, Patricia Scotland, QC, “What can our generation of the Commonwealth do now to make our cities more inclusive and safe in 2030?” "As an alumnus of 33Fifty, the predecessor to 33Sixty, I know that these four outstanding leaders will develop their own personal leadership styles as well as make amazing connections from around the world", said Aaron Hape, Commonwealth Youth New Zealand's Executive Director. "Participants of this programme have gone on to do amazing things and many have been successful in ensuring their local communities are benefiting from those skills they learnt in this programme" On the final day of the programme, participants will present their responses to the challenge to a panel of senior industry leaders. Participant contact details can be released on request. Participant biographies La Rochelle Morgan (Wellington) La Rochelle is a third year student at Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand) studying a Bachelor of Laws alongside a Bachelor of Arts. She has always had a strong passion for closing the gaps for the less fortunate and ensuring vulnerable children are safe. In addition to being a Pasifika Student Ambassador at Victoria University this year, she is also part of the Directors Team for Kids Camp New Zealand. She is of Maori, Samoan and Irish descent, and hailing from Ngai Tāmanuhiri and Ngāti Porou and the villages Magiagi and Sapapali’i. Marek Townley (Auckland) Marek Townley is studying towards a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Victoria University of Wellington. He works part-time for the Office of the Clerk as a Chamber Officer at the New Zealand Parliament. Marek has extensive experience in youth engagement and civic affairs, and recently co-founded Active Citizenship Aotearoa, an organisation working to empower, engage and educate young people to become active citizens. Isobel Pepper (Wellington) Isobel is a second year Law and Accounting student at Victoria University of Wellington. She is an executive member of Commonwealth Youth New Zealand, and has recently organized an event for CYNZ addressing gender inequality and leadership opportunities for women. Isobel has been passionate about gender inequality since 2013 when she was selected to represent Australasian Girls' Schools at the National Coalition of Girls School Conference in Dallas, Texas. Isobel is also a mentor for the youth leadership organisation yLead, and works part-time for a Wellington investment banker. Anna Prestidge (Wellington) Anna is Laws and Arts student majoring in International Relations and minoring in Philosophy. She has enjoyed an array of academic successes over the years, including Victoria University’s Vice Chancellor’s Excellence Scholarship. Aside from her academic achievements, Anna is a keen leader in the community. She is currently a Residential Advisor at one of the university halls where she facilitates student well-being and community growth, and is a volunteer Rights Presenter for Community Law. She additionally is a keen classical singer. Anna is thrilled to be attending 33Sixty Singapore as she is highly interested in security studies and community building. She hopes this experience will help draw connections and expand her theoretical knowledge of creating safety and inclusiveness and her practical experience of applying such ideas in everyday life. PR: CYNZ concerned by Maldives decision to leave The Commonwealth Commonwealth Youth New Zealand today expressed concern with the decision made by the Government of Maldives to withdraw from The Commonwealth. The country’s government, which has been fending off rumours of an impending coup and allegations of money laundering, said the decision on Thursday to cancel its membership was “difficult but inevitable”. Commonwealth Youth New Zealand Executive Director, Aaron Hape, said "In September, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) gave the Government of Maldives six months to address concerns including the detention and prosecution of opposition leaders, meddling with the judiciary and undermining democratic institutions. "It is sad to see that the Government of Maldives has reacted with a show of force rather than take steps to rectify these very serious issues with the rule of law and transparency - this is a capitulation of its duty to uphold and champion good governance," said Mr Hape. “This is also a huge setback to civil society and the democracy movement. As noted in the final report from the Commonwealth Observer Group for the 2013 Presidential Elections, some national institutions have raised real concerns over the credibility and transparency of government and civic engagement - issues that the Commonwealth has and can offer technical assistance to alleviate and will now most likely cease given the withdrawal of membership. "I echo the Commonwealth Secrety-General's desire to see the Maldives rejoin the Commonwealth family very soon and hope this is only a temporary decision", Mr Hape said.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2063
__label__cc	0.563987	0.436013	DIRECTOR/CINEMATOGRAPHER elma@elmagarciafilms.com FB: ElmaGarciaFilms Twitter: @ElmaGarciaFilms Linkedin: Elma Garcia Elma began her visual arts career after earning a degree in photography from Brooks Institute of Photography. Following eight years as a still photographer in San Francisco, she began directing commercials, working alongside renowned cinematographers including Conrad Hall, Haskell Wexler, and Robert Richardson, who all encouraged her to get behind the camera herself. Once she did, there was no turning back: in her own words, “I like having the camera close to my heart; it allows me to move more intuitively.” For that reason, she’s worked as both director and cinematographer for the past sixteen years. Her mastery of these complementary talents allows her to create authentic, beautiful, and cohesive narratives reflecting the spirit of the human condition. Above all, Elma’s keen attention to detail and commitment to excellence in storytelling ensure she consistently delivers not only high-quality, effective spots, but a top shelf experience for her collaborators—many of them repeat clients—from boards to final cut. In her spare time, she’s an avid golfer and accomplished Dressage competitor. She and her husband split their time between their horse farms in Sun Valley, Idaho and Thermal, California.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2069
__label__wiki	0.657001	0.657001	by Rossitza Krüger at the Fairtrade Foundation in the UK This blog originally appeared on the Fairtrade partner zone of Guardian Sustainable Business (GSB) on April 20, 2016. Fairtrade’s new initiative aims to improve the working conditions, wages and rights of textile workers and farmers at all stages of production. I love fashion and I love buying nice clothes. I take pleasure in choosing outfits and of course, in seeing myself wearing my favourite piece as I glance in the mirror before leaving home, the same as people the world over. Clothes can make us all feel good, comfortable, and they allow us to show part of our personalities. But there are two sides to every story and the fashion industry is no exception. Three years ago, on 24 April 2013, the world woke up to fashion’s dark side when 1,130 factory workers were killed and 2,250 were injured during the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh. It was the worst accident in the history of the modern garment industry. Its impact went far beyond Asia and the awareness of problems within the fashion industry increased rapidly. Yet in our pursuit of the latest trends and bargains, it’s easy to forget the invisible stain on our clothes. Because fashion, an industry that’s full of creativity, passion and inspiration, is also one which is built upon the backs of millions of workers who suffer from insufficient protection, human rights violations and who remain unaware of their legal rights. I can’t ignore this grim reality, not just because I read the news but because in my 20 year career as a textile specialist I’ve seen how workers really live. Fairtrade has been working to address this for more than a decade and since its Standard for Fairtrade cotton was launched in 2005 we have achieved a great deal for cotton farmers, and subsequently, we have worked to extend our rigorous regulations to include the entire value chain. That’s why I’m proud that ahead of this year’s Fashion Revolution campaign we launched our new Fairtrade Textile Standard and Programme, which for the first time, means that everyone in that supply chain, from farm to factory, benefits. This landmark initiative aims to improve the working conditions, wages and rights of textile workers and farmers at all stages of production. It’s an approach that goes way beyond compliance and auditing – it combines a strong standard with a programme to support workers and factories to improve working and living conditions. It is also the first Fairtrade standard ever with a fixed timeline to achieve living wages and factories will be required to address this within six years. To change the system it’s crucial to make brands take responsibility. Therefore the standard also includes long-term commitments between brands and suppliers with fair purchasing practises. The Fairtrade Textile Standard and Programme provide companies with an opportunity to drive positive change in the clothing and textiles industry. The focus lays on strengthening the position of workers to negotiate their own work terms and ensures their rights are protected. Apart from Fairtrade cotton the standard allows other sustainable fibres, meaning we can extend our reach beyond the cotton farms, to support a huge amount of workers too. For me personally, the Fairtrade Textile Programme goes to the heart of all that Fairtrade as a movement represents. When I visit factories in India or other countries it’s obvious that there’s still a long way to go to achieve significant and lasting change for textile workers behind our clothes. It’s a test of patience requiring commitment and staying power. But lasting change can be achieved, through training and by raising awareness of workers’ rights. The aim of the programme is to build up an extensive support programme on the ground, offering consulting and training at factories and production sites. This programme will also be open for companies that are not yet in the Fairtrade system or part of a Fairtrade supply chain but would like to improve conditions in their textile factories. The programme will provide support in areas where there’s a need for improvement, such as occupational health and safety, workers’ empowerment, living wages and efficiency and increased productivity. Our experts will do pre-assessments with the factories, followed by action plans based on the findings, which are agreed by the management of the production site. The follow-up is carried out by Fairtrade staff, trade unions, training centres and external partners and experts. We started off in India and built up a team of male and female experts, who are familiar with the problems in the textile industry, speak the local languages and know the cultural circumstances. Without those skills it’s impossible to pinpoint problems and find solutions for each factory and its respective workforce. I love fashion but no one should suffer so that I can wear nice clothes, especially clothes that tell a bleak story. And that’s why at Fairtrade we’re fighting to end this suffering. We’ve stood alongside others in campaigning for fairer fashion since the Rana Plaza tragedy. And while that has generated lots of media attention and seen the garment industry promise to change, we need more action. That’s why I’m convinced that Fairtrade can contribute to tangible change in textile supply chains and fly the flag for empowerment of workers and their rights. That’s what I work for and what I stand for. And that’s what I ask of you. Fairtrade offers companies a new solution to clean up the industry, so I invite you to come on board and sign up to our new Textile Standard and Programme. That way our clothing bargains don’t need to carry such a high price. Read more on Fairtrade and fashion supply chains here from Stefanie Colish, Licensing Manager at Fairtrade America. Fashion Revolution Day cotton farmers	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2071
__label__wiki	0.572968	0.572968	Funnychia Joyful, Single Living Privacy Disclosure Singlehood Scorching the Earth When I heard ABC’s “Roseanne” was due to return in March 2018, I was really excited. The original cast was due to return and I have fond memories of the first run of the show. The show reboot came back with nine episodes, got great ratings and was renewed for a second season. At a dizzying rate on May 29, 2018, things changed. Roseanne Barr, the creator and star of “Roseanne”, tweeted a racist comment. Although she apologized to her target and everyone, and removed the tweet, ABC cancelled the show, essentially “scorching the earth.” So to recap: Because the star exercised poor judgment in tweeting racist comments, ABC is losing a potential $100 million in ad revenue (quoted from ABC’s Nightline), 200 cast and crew have lost their jobs, there’s a hole in the fall season lineup, and I and all viewers are to be deprived of the joy of watching the “Roseanne” reboot’s second season. I don’t think it’s right. I didn’t think it was right when Gilbert Gottfried was fired as AFLAC’s duck’s voice after he made comments about the tsunami in Japan. Yes, his comments were insensitive, but he is a comedian, not a diplomat. Then again, I’m not a big Twitter user – I’ve tweeted a total of 7 times as of this writing. Frankly, I tend to go about living my life each day and expect to find decent entertainment on television each night. I don’t rely on social media for entertainment or news. Maybe the networks and other employers should sit back and think first, instead of responding to the initial backlash and making hasty decisions. Maybe these employers should have expectations stated upfront. In the 1930s, Clark Gable (aka Rhett Butler of “Gone With the Wind”) couldn’t marry Claudette Colbert because of a morals clause in his contract. Rumors of an affair or an out-of-wedlock child could result in cancelled contracts or ruined career. Converting this idea to the current times, rules could be made about what is acceptable on social media. Maybe, since Roseanne Barr has been known to make incendiary comments on her Twitter account, the network or show should have asked her to refrain from using her account for anything other than marketing her show. Or at least refrain from political commentary. After this melee, Roseanne herself said she was leaving Twitter. Maybe ABC could reinstate the show on the condition that she surrender control of her Twitter account or cancel it entirely. Other alternatives include killing off her character or recasting. I’d be willing to read for that part! Without “Roseanne” on television, that gives me less of an excuse to watch television, so I might be more productive. But maybe scorching the earth isn’t the answer – there isn’t a huge shortage of bloggers or writers, after all. What is your opinion of this situation? Do you think ABC overreacted by cancelling Roseanne? What do you think would be appropriate consequences for tweets such as Roseanne Barr’s? Want to shop? Author SarahPosted on May 30, 2018 Categories Editorials, HollywoodTags editorial, television Previous Previous post: ABCs of Date-ing – W X Y and Z (Part 8 of 8) Next Next post: 1991 My Favorite Songs Playlist Copyright 2014-2018 Sarah Dutridge. Information on this website may be copied for personal use only. No part of this website may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the author. Requests to the author and publisher for permission should be addressed to the following email: sdutridge [at] sbcglobal [dot] net. The 24-hour Sims Challenge Color Street: Review 1996 My Favorite Songs Playlist Funnychia Privacy Disclosure Proudly powered by WordPress	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2074
__label__wiki	0.90997	0.90997	Review – Metal Gear Survive (PS4) Posted by Kyle Doherty \| Mar 1, 2018 \| Reviews \| 0 \| “Metal Gear!? It can’t be…” Following the split of Konami and Kojima Productions in October 2015, many fans were met with concerns regarding the future of the Metal Gear franchise, especially being left in the hands of a toxic publisher such as Konami (Pachinko machines incoming!). Now in February 2018 the next iteration of the series has arrived in the form of Metal Gear Survive, an online-only (and microtransaction heavy) open-world zombie survival sandbox that couldn’t be further from the original vision of the franchise. Metal Gear Survive released in the UK on February 22nd 2018, and as usual I’ll be going over the time I’ve spent within the PS4 version of the game, going over the positives and negatives, and ultimately discussing whether the game is worth picking up at the £34.99 asking price (it isn’t). Metal Gear Survive isn’t a Metal Gear game, there’s no other way to say it. While the series has always been known for political fiction and espionage, Survive goes in a completely different direction, ditching the tried and tested stealth gameplay found in The Phantom Pain for zombies, crafting and resource management. First announced at Gamescom 2016, Metal Gear Survive hasn’t had the warmest of receptions, which has followed the game all the way up to its launch this year. At the helm this time around are two long time Konami (and Kojima Productions) employees: Yota Tsutsumizaki and Yuji Korekado who are taking over from Kojima as director and producer respectively; their level of input on the actual game is suspect however, as they would have noticed the brilliant ‘KJP Forever’ message, left in one of the game’s initial cutscenes by one of Konami’s staff members (under the moniker of ‘Vengeful Mosquito’) who clearly isn’t fond of the direction the series is now going in (the full breakdown of the message can be seen by following the video link here). Jabs at Konami aside, it’s important to mention that Metal Gear Survive isn’t downright terrible (although it’s still pretty f*cking bad) as there are some moments of fun to be salvaged within the 30-50 hours you (probably won’t) spend playing it. The game begins not long after the attack on mother base seen at the end of Ground Zeroes, and sees the remaining soldiers of Militaires Sans Frontières burying their dead at sea with help from the United Nations. Upon inspecting the manifest of the dead a Lawrence Fishburne look-alike requests to look at a specific soldier that was killed during the attack, setting up the game’s character creator that was ripped directly out of The Phantom Pain (I literally mean copy and pasted). Once your character has been created, you’re dumped directly into the world of Dite (a slightly modified version of The Phantom Pain’s Afghanistan map) left with nothing but your wits and raw desire to survive in a hostile world. The narrative follows your character as they explore the world of Dite, slowly learning more about the crystallised zombie unicorns that dot the landscape, while simultaneously rescuing survivors from the Charon Corps and ultimately trying to find a way back to your home dimension. Unfortunately, there’s not much to say about the overall narrative other than it’s pretty lacklustre and forgettable, which is also reflected in the game’s mediocre cast of characters (none of which have any discernible personality whatsoever) making it the first Metal Gear game devoid of any charisma in it’s writing. O Captain! My Captain!: Your avatar in Metal Gear Survive leads a band of survivors together in a bid to return to their home dimension. While the narrative in Metal Gear Survive won’t be winning awards anytime soon, there are some moments of fun to be had in the gameplay department. The game takes place in an open world format similar to The Phantom Pain (with the exception of mother base being located within the map itself) and sees the player-character hoarding materials to craft a number of different tools, items and weapons. It’s here that Metal Gear Survive lives up to its name, with it forcing you to do whatever you can in order to stay alive (eating and drinking are essential if you want to stay in the best condition possible). In the early stages of the game access to food and clean water resources are explicitly scarce, keeping you relatively close to your initially mundane base of operations (which only holds the very basic of crafting stations) forcing you to plan out your excursions properly based on the amount of resources you have to hand. In addition to this, the vast majority of the world map is covered in a mist (which is toxic to humans if inhaled) and requires an oxygen tank to allow you to explore the areas within for a limited amount of time. Further adding to this is the fact that you and your gear are a lot less efficient inside the mist, with stamina draining twice as fast for actions such as sprinting and on-screen map markers disappearing altogether, requiring you to leave waypoints for yourself so that you don’t get lost. All of these mechanics work together to make Metal Gear Survive’s gameplay a genuine fight for survival of the highest degree which was genuinely fun at points, however this was the was the only thing that kept me playing for the 35 hours I spent within the game, and in no way made up for other aspects such as the painfully stupid AI, repetitive mission design and the ridiculous emphasis on melee combat which made the game a genuine slog in its later stages. As aforementioned, combat within Survive is primarily melee focused with it covering four different categories of weapons: one-handed, two-handed, thrusting and heavy, with the latter three no way comparing to one-handed in terms of overall efficiency (such as damage and swing speed). Firearms also make a return, but with you crafting each individual bullet from uncommon materials, using them is a costly decision when it comes to resource management. By far the most common weapon I found myself using (that was also the most cost-efficient to produce ammo for) was the survival bow, which allows you to take out a wanderer from a distance in one shot if your aim is good enough. Whether it was Robin Hood syndrome or not, the bow gameplay is a fun aspect in an otherwise stiff and rigid combat system, and was by large and far the best way at taking out hordes of enemies (especially due to the fact that you can recover your arrows after a fight). Levelling up is another area worth a mention, mainly due to it being downright tedious. Raising your character’s level is done through the gathering of Kuban energy, which can be gathered from enemies at a snail like pace (à la Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance) as well as the game’s co-op mode. You need to harvest a certain number of energy per level (which raises with every level) and once you get beyond level 20, the amount required to level up is an absolute joke, turning the game from an occasionally fun survival sim, to a dull repetitive grind in a matter of hours. Another aspect of gameplay that needs addressing is the co-op, or lack thereof. From the get-go, Metal Gear Survive was billed as a cooperative multiplayer allowing you to join 3 other players to explore the world and complete missions together, the final build of the game however only features the aforementioned Salvage mode from the game’s beta back in January, which is essentially a ‘horde’ mode that uses up all of your resources from the single-player, making the mode somewhat of a pain in the arse to play if you plan on jumping between single player and multiplayer. Robin Hood Syndrome: The bow is one of the only saving graces in Metal Gear Survive’s abysmal combat system. On a technical level Metal Gear Survive is as perfectly optimised as its predecessor, running at a consistent 60fps at a resolution of 3180x2160p on the PS4 Pro, with some decent looking HDR colours to boot. However the game’s stellar performance is due primarily to the Fox Engine (Kojima Production’s proprietary engine before the split) which was re-appropriated for the game’s production and highlights one of Metal Gear Survive’s more pressing issues: the fact that the vast majority of the game is nothing more than an asset flip of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, reusing most of its animations and environments to churn out a video game as quickly as possible; this also represents a prevalent issue within the gaming industry as a whole, with annual franchises churning out the same recycled garbage year after year, innovations in gameplay design be damned (staring at you Call of Duty). Metal Gear Survive is a game that has very few merits in its favour so far, but one aspect that has effectively driven a nail in the games coffin is Konami’s ever growing dependence on microtransactions, locking away basic game features such as character and load-out slots behind their ‘survival coin’ paywall (a new character slot requires you to buy a ‘survival coin’ pack which varies in price between £0.79p and £39.99) which has received an overwhelmingly negative reception thus far from critics and fans alike. Overall Metal Gear Survive is a lazy and lacklustre attempt at continuing one of gaming’s most beloved franchises, regurgitating the tried and tested gameplay found in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and exploiting it to turn the latest iteration of the Metal Gear franchise into little more than a derivative cash cow that won’t last very long in the current gaming climate. Saved only briefly by some fun gameplay in its earlier stages, it’s hard to recommend Metal Gear Survive to anyone at the £35.99 launch price, especially to anyone who is a diehard fan of the original franchise. "Why are we still here? Just to Suffer?" Verdict While there is some fun to be had in Metal Gear Survive's survival mechanics, the overall product feels rushed, with much of its content being recycled from the far superior Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Konami's overabundance of microtransactions this time around may just be the nail in the coffin that this game deserves, making it one to avoid until it drops in price significantly (even then I would probably give it a miss). PreviousFar Cry 5 ‘The Baptism’ Live Action Trailer NextCosmoteer – A Free Game Worth Your Time #3 Kyle Doherty Features Editor @ Game Hype - Resident Horror Guru, George Romero Fanboy, Last Survivor of the Nostromo. I play on both PS4 and PC. Get in contact with me via email on kyle.doherty@gamehype.co.uk or via the links below: Review – Shining Resonance Refrain (PS4) Review: Cat Quest (PC) Review – Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! (PS4) Review – Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2075
__label__wiki	0.530714	0.530714	Review: Game of Thrones, Season 2 Episode 9 Posted by msunyata on Sunday, June 3, 2012 Based off of George R.R. Martin’s 1,000-page opus A Clash of Kings, the second season of HBO’s Game of Thrones takes the first year’s intricate plot lines, character shadings, and thematic undercurrents and simultaneously expands and deepens them to a ridiculously exponential degree. Or, at least, it’s supposed to – the actual doing just may prove to be a ways off from the source material’s being. This column (It Is Known: An Analysis of Thrones) acts as a companion piece to both series, novel and television, analyzing the continuing story of the War of the Five Kings – and how it fares in the transition from the page to the screen. What it will not do is spoil the story; the hope and intent is elucidation, not ruination. Given the twists and turns, betrayals and sacrifices that await in the next two episodes, such illumination will be needed. It is known. Episode 209: “Blackwater” After writing out – or around – three battle sequences at the end of season one, showrunners Dan Weiss and David Benioff decided to go big for their first on-screen, all-out war. Devoting an entire episode to the Battle of the Blackwater is a risky move, particularly considering the eschewing of all other narrative elements for the full hour (not to mention the quite considerable increase in budgetary resources that HBO had to agree to), but it more than paid off in spades; a new standard has been set for all future productions to live up to, particularly within the HBO camp. That’s no small success. Part and parcel of this result is the directing, of course, which was nothing short of spot-on (not too shabby for a first-time entrant to the series), but most of it is squarely the result of the installment’s pacing. The slow burn of character beats and foreshadowing nuggets, from Queen Regent Cersei Baratheon’s acquiring of poison to the quiet exchange between Ser Davos Seaworth and his son (both of which, incidentally, where newly-created moments), creates a tension that hangs heavy for the first part of the ep and then becomes its backbone for the remainder. It is, in short, impeccably handled (and has strong echoes of “What You Leave Behind,” Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s finale, which ends that show’s own war storyline). The explosion, both literal and figurative, into the battle itself picks up the pace quite noticeably and superbly, ratcheting it up to a white-knuckle intensity that only ends in the sudden, almost abrupt cliffhanger ending, in which Stannis is defeated, Tyrion is maimed, and the Lannisters – along with their newfound allies, the Tyrells – are triumphant. It is the television equivalent of a rollercoaster ride, what only the best of the best have been able to pull off with any degree of success (last partially seen in Battlestar Galactica and more fully in Babylon 5), and the fact that the fighting scenes themselves, from cinematography to choreography to score to visual effects work, are so ably constructed is only very rich icing on the cake. Game of Thrones has easily reached its highest degree of craftsmanship yet. The Differences between the Episode and the Novel Perhaps because it is the first – and, more than likely, the only – episode in the entire series to exclusively focus on (more or less) one specific narrative thread in one specific location, the number of differences from the source material is remarkably small, the first time since the opening season that such a low amount has been on hand (the season finale, undoubtedly, will more than remedy this anomaly). Given this backdrop, the sole major deviation stands out all the more. The scene where Sandor Clegane, Joffrey’s Hound, enters with an unnamed squire (Game of Thrones’s equivalent of a Red Shirt?) and has a tense standoff with Bronn, Tyrion’s sellsword, is notable right away for the little peeks into the new lord commander’s backstory it provides; even though they are both tiny and scant, they are far more than George Martin provides across the (comparatively) significant amount of “screen time” Bronn receives in the novels. Combined with his handling of his whore, his men, and his newfound adversaries, it paints a rather nice and somewhat full picture of the otherwise mostly-blank-slate-of-a-character. The Hound, on the other hand, is finally and unabashedly depicted with the gruff, near-constant belligerence that is so often and so clearly on display on the printed page. Indeed, the Kingsguard member – along with Shae the whore and, to a lesser extent, Cersei – has been one of the most significant revisions in the HBO series seen thus far, mostly at the expense of his ever-developing and increasingly-more-ambiguous relationship with Sansa Stark (their only scene to be preserved from the first season was in the finale [“Fire and Blood,” episode 110], when he stops Sansa from killing King Joffrey and displays a tenderness that is, at that point, incredibly shocking). Giving him an opportunity to clash with the only other not-a-knight-in-a-knight’s-world represents the best way for the showrunners, at this late stage in the game, to display Clegane’s incalcitrant personality – while also setting up over-taxed audiences for his big departure from House Lannister by episode’s end. It is, all things considered, a rather effective method of exposition, but it does little to fully contextualize the importance of his final scene in Lady Sansa’s bedchamber. In the television telling, it seems more like the young Stark is Sandor’s only weak spot, the one individual he can display his vulnerabilities to and allow himself to care for, as halting as his efforts may be. In the novels, it is nowhere near so prepackaged or easy-to-digest; there is a ferocious love/hate relationship between the two characters, a give-and-take that typically leaves Sansa literally terrified in his presence but admiring of his tenacity in his absence (particularly when he manages to save her from the maddening crowd in “The Old Gods and the New” [206]). All this takes on a new extreme when the Hound enters her chambers to rape her but leaves so touched by her purity (and his heavy drink), he is in tears. (Why the complexity in the relationship? It more than likely centers around the almost complete lack of a childhood for Sandor; at a time when he was supposed to be possessed of the innocence that Sansa still carries within her to this day, he was being brutally beaten and hideously disfigured [another watered-down element in the television series, although this may have more to do with budgetary concerns rather than creative considerations] for the remainder of his life. It is perhaps a more tenuous concept to get across, let alone explore, in the visual medium, but it is certainly still within the realm of execution.) Given that the showrunners have finally started to dig into his character, and given that book three will have the benefit of two 10-episode seasons as opposed to just one, it will be interesting to see where they continue to compensate for his lack of screen time, on the one hand, and how they continue to unfurl his character, on the other. Expanding the Story A brief but well-argued – and thoroughly spoilerific – roundtable was recently held over at Tower of the Hand in regards to the father figures that Arya Stark has had throughout the entire five-book run. Read it and argue along, if you dare. Much more to the point at hand, the fourth and most recent Anatomy of a Throne details, to an excruciating degree, the changes undertaken by the producers in order to get the Battle of the Blackwater on the small screen, centering specifically around the wildfire sequence. The Lore behind the Iron Throne A Game of Characterization: Roundtabling Game of Thrones’s Second Season (Thus Far) What Has Been Known Game of Thrones: A Primer Season Two Roundtable Previous It Is Known Installments Episode 18: The Prince of Winterfell Episode 17: A Man Without Honor Episode 16: The Old Gods and the New Episode 15: The Ghost of Harrenhal Episode 14: Garden of Bones Episode 13: What Is Dead May Never Die Episode 12: The Nightlands Episode 11: The North Remembers Episode 10: Fire and Blood Episode 9: Baelor Episode 8: The Pointy End Episode 7: You Win or You Die Episode 6: A Golden Crown Episode 5: The Wolf and the Lion Episode 4: Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things Episode 3: Lord Snow Episode 2: The Kingsroad Episode 1: Winter Is Coming [Marc N. Kleinhenz has written for 18 sites, including IGN, Gamasutra, and Nintendojo, where he co-hosts the Airship Travelogues podcast. He also likes mittens.] Popular Movies Cloud Wanderlust untitled Alien prequel sequel Life of Pi Another Earth Hancock Frankenweenie Logan's Run Tron Legacy The Invention of Lying The Howling: Reborn Iron Fist 17 Again The Fighter Jungle Cruise The Equalizer Merman The Art of Making Money The Surrogate Beautiful Creatures Lives of the Monster Dogs	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2076
__label__wiki	0.826795	0.826795	School accused of being ‘judge and jury’ in cheating debacle The parents of an 18-year-old student caught up in the A-level cheating allegations at Our Lady’s Grammar School in Newry claim they have been heavily let down by the school which, they say, has failed to provide adequate support for the girls involved in the exam “malpractice” incident and have instead been “both judge and jury” in the matter. Fifteen students at the school had their A-Level result scrapped after it emerged that topics of a Sociology paper were shared on social media by a student who sat the exam two hours earlier, due to a timetable clash. During an emotional meeting with the The Examiner, the student’s worried parents claim the school has “washed their hands” of the situation and has refused to accept any responsibility for the matter, exonerating itself of any blame regarding claims of inadequate invigilation. The parents say they want answers as to how the leak could have happened if strict exam supervision conditions were adhered to at the school and why the girls have been labelled cheats when they allegedly received the material – which consisted of three topic headings – unsolicited, via an online student chat, less than two hours before sitting the exam. They also say more should have been done to facilitate re-sits to allow university entry for the girls this year and slammed the school for only offering careers advice to some of the students last Thursday, after the story had emerged in the national media. Until then they claim the girls had been given no assistance regarding their next step, even though the cheating claims had eliminated some of the students’ chances of securing university places this year. “Our girls have been through hell, and have been treated very badly by the school from the start,” claims the teenager’s mother, who says they were only contacted by Our Lady’s on the 29th June to inform them of an alleged “malpractice” involving their daughter and that despite attempting to set up a meeting and to contact the school by phone, they received no further contact until mid-July while they were on holiday abroad. “The school contacted us in series of texts asking us to answer a number of questions about the leaked information and urging us to reply immediately as the school’s report to the AQA was due at 11am the following morning,” the concerned mum stated. “We were told Our Lady’s was entirely blameless in the matter and warned that the punishments were going to be very harsh. I find it hard to believe that before any evidence had been looked at we were already being told the punishments would be harsh. “We answered the questions honestly, as we were adamant that our daughter had not cheated, having only received information she did not ask for and which was of no advantage to her anyway, just under two hours before sitting the Sociology exam. “We are bitterly disappointed that the school will not hold their hands up and admit that they did not have correct procedures in place to prevent this happening and instead have pushed all of the blame onto these young girls without looking at the bigger picture.” The couple told us they heard nothing back until two days before the A-level results were released when they received a letter advising them their daughter had been found guilty of malpractice. The pupil says she has been victimised for “simply opening a group chat.” She admits that when the three line message appeared in the group chat on the morning of the exam, she and others were confused about what it meant as the online chat had been set up in March as a form of mutual study group. The couple say a UK student who is also embroiled in the exam scandal has not paid such a heavy price for her involvement because, unlike Our Lady’s, “her school fought for her” – reportedly resulting in her original “U” grade being brought up to a “C” after remarking. “The school have not fought for our girls at all,” added the teenager’s father who revealed he has taken legal advice and will be pursuing the matter in the courts. “I find it unacceptable that the school were allowed to carry out the investigation into the matter. It should have been handled independently so that the school’s responsibility for proper exam supervision and protection of students was investigated too. The concerned father rubbished the official statement released by Our Lady’s in the wake of the A-Level crisis which highlighted “the importance of care and compassion in times of difficulty” and pledged to offer support to the young women involved. “It’s absolutely terrible that the school would put out such a statement when they had abandoned the students until a week after they received their results,” he said. “The girls were left in limbo, thrown to the wolves and labelled cheats with the school completely exonerating themselves of any blame.” The devoted dad said he made the school aware last week of the anger felt by many of the parents about the school’s statement and its “abandonment” of the 15 girls. He also advised Our Lady’s that he would be pursuing the matter in court and was awaiting a response from AQA. “I was told I shouldn’t have done that as all appeals must go directly through the school and that there was no other route but I don’t trust the school to handle any appeal and have gone over their heads. I want people to know how badly they have handled this situation.” The family added that the school advised the students they could not return to Our Lady’s to study for the exam re-sit but could use it as an exam centre. Stating that the parents of all 15 students affected are concerned for the mental wellbeing of their children, he said: “These girls didn’t ask for this. Our daughter was categorised as ‘passing or distributing exam information to others’ which carries a penalty of disqualification. The lesser charge of ‘accepting exam information without passing it on to an awarding body’ is actually what she did so she has been handed the disqualification penalty even though she did not pass on the information. I fail to see why all the girls were disqualified whether they passed on the information or not. “To the exams board our girls are just numbers and in a case like this the school’s job was to go deeper to ascertain individual students’ roles in the leak so that AQA could adhere to the different scales of penalties handed out. The school can cite guidelines and procedure and red tape but nothing is impossible if they are prepared to fight for their students, all of whom have unblemished records.” When approached by The Examiner to answer a number of questions on the issue, both the AQA and Our Lady’s Grammar School declined to add any further comment.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2078
__label__wiki	0.838853	0.838853	Sep. 10, 2014 \| 11:41 AM 'Destiny' video game soars at launch Actor Joe Manganiello plays 'Destiny' at the game's launch in Seattle, Washington, on September 8, 2014. AFP Glenn Chapman\| Agence France Presse Harold Ryan Pete Parsons Eric Hirshberg Hardware and gadgets Hotly-anticipated video game "Destiny" soared at launch on Tuesday, setting a trajectory intended to eclipse the blockbuster hit its makers had with "Halo". "Destiny" from Bungie studio was the most pre-ordered new video game franchise in history, according to publisher Activision. Versions of "Destiny" were released for play on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles as well as their predecessors the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 . Those behind the video game franchise envision it spanning a decade or more, with new instalments released over time. The number of players topped 4.6 million, making it the largest test run ever for a new video game franchise, according to Activision Publishing. A compelling aspect of "Destiny" is that players can move easily about a seemingly boundless virtual universe, slipping into or out of battles raging between online players.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2079
__label__cc	0.525093	0.474907	Jun. 10, 2015 \| 11:07 PM Chilean police, students clash on eve of football fest A protester waves a Chilean flag in front of a riot police vehicle as it releases a jet of water during a demonstration to demand changes in the education system, in Santiago, Chile, June 10, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins Paulina Abramovich\| Agence France Presse Javiera Reyes Chilean police fired tear gas and water cannon Wednesday to break up a large student protest that turned violent on the eve of the Copa America, the South American football championship. The protest was the latest in a series of rallies by students who say President Michelle Bachelet's education reforms are insufficient to overhaul a deeply unequal system inherited from late dictator Augusto Pinochet. In January, she signed the first reform bill, opening university education to all students and banning for-profit activities at state-funded schools. Last month, she announced a bill to provide free university education to 60 percent of the poorest students starting next year, reaching 70 percent in 2018 and 100 percent in 2020 .	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2080
__label__wiki	0.842054	0.842054	Home » Geography and Environment » Human Environment » Counties » Colbert County » Belle Mont Mansion Alabama Historical Commission Belle Mont Mansion Alabama Historical Commission , Montgomery, Alabama Located just outside Tuscumbia, Colbert County, Belle Mont Mansion is one of the few examples of Palladian-style houses in Alabama and the Deep South. This style derives from the neoclassical architectural style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Built circa 1828, Belle Mont (meaning "lovely mountain"), is currently owned by the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC), which rescued the property from ruin in the 1980s. Belle Mont Although the original architect and builder remain unknown, the style of Belle Mont appears also to have been influenced by U.S. president and architect Thomas Jefferson. The house clearly displays traits of the particular brand of Palladian architecture devised by Jefferson. These include a commanding hilltop setting, a raised two-story central section flanked by one-story wings, and an emphasis upon high-quality brickwork with contrasting wood trim. Belle Mont's unusual U-shaped floor plan, with the side-wings embracing a courtyard at the rear, also occurs in at least one Jefferson floorplan sketch. On the basis of such evidence, architectural historians have speculated that one of the many craftsmen who worked at Monticello, or on Jefferson's vast building project at the University of Virginia, may also have had a hand in the design and construction of Belle Mont. Belle Mont was built for Alexander Williams Mitchell, who grew up in Louisa County, Virginia, only 25 miles from Jefferson's home at Monticello. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, he was a physician, planter, and an early elected official of Franklin (present-day Colbert) County, where he settled around 1820. He was also a founding member of a Presbyterian church in Tuscumbia and among the area's largest owners of enslaved African Americans. In the mid-1820s, Mitchell began the construction of Belle Mont as the centerpiece of his large cotton plantation. But in 1832, following the death of his first wife and his subsequent re-marriage, Mitchell put Belle Mont up for sale and eventually moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An advertisement appearing in a Huntsville newspaper described "a brick dwelling house," 76 feet across the front, along with "all the necessary houses." The advertisement also noted that Belle Mont's 1,760 acres were planted in clover, grass, corn, and cotton and included an orchard. In 1833, Isaac and Catherine Winston acquired the plantation. Like Mitchell, the Winstons had roots in Virginia, and Isaac was the uncle of Alabama's first native-born governor, John Anthony Winston. By an odd coincidence, a Winston cousin–Isaac Coles–had been Thomas Jefferson's private secretary. Belle Mont Front Entrance Throughout the antebellum period, Isaac Winston operated Belle Mont as a cotton plantation, and the 1860 Census lists him as the owner of 114 enslaved African Americans. Three years later, during the middle of the Civil War, he died at Belle Mont. His widow Catherine resided there until her own death in 1884. While continuing to farm the land, later generations of the Winston family used Belle Mont for a summer retreat and eventually sold it in 1941. In 1983, owners Ben Fennel Jr. and his wife Carolyn Fennell and Judy Fennell Vials and her husband Peter Vials donated the house and 35 surrounding acres to the state of Alabama. Thus AHC was able to save a significant and architecturally rare house and is now working on a long-term, phased restoration to protect, preserve, and interpret Belle Mont for future generations. Belle Mont Mansion is being restored and partially furnished to reflect the antebellum, or pre-Civil War, time period. Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. Four bedrooms surround the rear or south courtyard, forming its U-shaped brick exterior. Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. Belle Mont is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. In addition, volunteers from the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation assist as docents for special events and participate in fund-raising activities. Plantation Christmas at Belle Mont is held annually the first Sunday in December and features period costumed interpreters, decorations, refreshments, and entertainment. The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. Belle Mont attracts approximately 5,000 visitors each year. Belle Mont Mansion has been listed under several names through its history. It has been referred to as the Isaac Winston House and is listed as Belmont in the National Register of Historic Places and as the Henry B. Thornton Plantation House in the Historic American Buildings Survey. Published: December 2, 2010 \| Last updated: December 4, 2018	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2088
__label__cc	0.747396	0.252604	Home → Business Intelligence → Hyperion, IBM Partner To Provide E-Commerce Analysis Hyperion, IBM Partner To Provide E-Commerce Analysis Posted January 30, 2001 By eCRMGuide.com Staff Feedback Hyperion says their eCRM analysis applications integrated with IBM's WebSphere Commerce Suite will address the need for improved online customer relationships. SUNNYVALE, CA--Hyperion, a business analysis software developer, has announced a new agreement with IBM to integrate Hyperion's suite of eCRM analysis applications with the IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite. The company says the combination of IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite and Hyperion eCRM Analysis Suite will help companies around the world drive e-marketplace strategy to increase customer retention, loyalty, revenue and profits. "The combination of WebSphere Commerce Suite with Hyperion's solution will provide comprehensive business analysis capabilities for the rapidly growing e-commerce market," said Sandy Carter, vice president, IBM E-Commerce Software Solutions. "As e-commerce technology adoption quickly increases, the need for e-commerce analysis becomes critical. We've chosen to team with Hyperion to enable companies to analyze their online and offline operations for insight into their customers' behavior -- leading to improved business growth and profitability." Hyperion says their eCRM Analysis Suite already supports operational systems using IBM's DB2 Universal Database on Windows NT/2000, AIX and OS/390 as well as IBM Netfinity, RS/6000 and S/390. Under the terms of the agreement, Hyperion will now integrate Hyperion eCRM Analysis Suite, a comprehensive suite of eCRM analysis applications for maximizing the value of e-businesses, with IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite. "This integrated solution is what our customers are demanding," said Steve Vandehey, managing director of marketing at Navigator Systems, an Internet Professional Services firm. "With this integration, we can accelerate deployment and help customers realize value sooner." According to Hyperion, the integrated solution will deliver a panoramic view of Web site visitor and customer behavior, empowering businesses with valuable information about customer relationships to better understand their true value. Through the agreement, Hyperion will co-market the combined Hyperion and IBM solution, which is targeted for Fortune 2000 companies, online retailers and e-marketplaces. "Analytics can deliver significant added value to any implementation of customer-facing applications," said Bob Moran, research vice president and managing director, Decision Support Research at Aberdeen Group. "This IBM and Hyperion relationship will enable the companies' joint customers to accelerate the process of understanding their own customers, and thereby shorten the payback period and maximize the return on their CRM investments." Hyperion says their eCRM Analysis Suite will interface with IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite and other business critical systems throughout the enterprise. They say that by combining Hyperion's powerful business analysis solutions with operational systems, companies can gain the ability to analyze Web site traffic and online customer behavior and e-commerce results. They say companies will also gain the ability to reduce per-customer acquisition costs, understand customer segmentation, improve customer retention and increase revenue and profitability. "Through the combination of IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite and Hyperion eCRM Analysis Suite, customers will be able to maximize the strategic value of their e-commerce sites to create a more profitable e-business," adds Daniel Druker, general manager of Hyperion's eCRM solutions. "This agreement furthers Hyperion's vision of providing companies with a 360-degree view of their customers, spanning online and brick-and-mortar marketing, sales and service initiatives, and enabling them to make improved business decisions to increase revenue, profitability, customer satisfaction and lifetime value." Hyperion says the Web Site Analysis Suite is available today to IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite customers and that additional Hyperion eCRM analysis applications that will integrate with IBM WebSphere Commerce Sui Page 1 of 2 \| 1 2 \| Next	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2089
__label__cc	0.511247	0.488753	Ethos Team Past Events 2013-2015 Engage.Mail Ethos Blog Join Ethos Is orientation an Evangelical argument for same-sex marriage? Wednesday, 18 October 2017 \| Nigel Chapman Right now in Australia we’re voting on same-sex marriage. Same-sex orientation is the heart of the Yes campaign, but many Evangelicals and Christian lobbyists ignore it in their advocacy – as we often do in our theology. When we don’t ignore it, something unexpected follows: we find a same-sex marriage between same-sex oriented partners does not match the moral reasons found in scripture for condemning same-sex relations. Arguments from nature and theology, as well as from consequences, are expected to support the biblical condemnations. However, their general nature raises the question of whether same-sex orientation is an obvious exception to even the best of our general norms. Without this presumption of immorality, same-sex marriage offers a better Evangelical response to same-sex orientation than our existing alternatives of mixed-orientation marriage and mandatory lifelong celibacy. Moreover, it matches the biblical ideal of marriage better than some marriages that God recognised in scripture – meaning God recognises it as marriage too. This comprehensively resolves the challenges that same-sex orientation has presented to Evangelical life and thought. It follows that same-sex oriented Evangelicals should fall in love and marry, and Evangelicals in general should celebrate this in society and in the church. I’m a straight Evangelical. I grew up in country NSW, had a dramatic conversion experience on a farm as a teen, studied Computer Science, took up university ministry, worked professionally in IT, put myself through a Master of Divinity degree at one of the better Evangelical colleges, and spent eight years helping lead a new Baptist church in Darlinghurst in Sydney, statistically Australia’s gayest suburb. That was eye-opening. Photo: Upstairs meeting space at the former IMAGINE Surry Hills Baptist Church in Darlinghurst. I know a man who once had electro-shock therapy for same-sex attraction. I’ve met one who was bashed and left in hospital for weeks for holding hands on a local street, whose parents then refused to visit him. A friend of friends took their own life. A missionary to a Muslim-majority region shared his same-sex orientation with his organisation, who dumped him almost instantly – as did his family – then circulated rumours to his colleagues and churches. In each of these events Christians responded badly by not knowing what to do with same-sex orientation. The difficulties are not always this dramatic, but they are ongoing, and we’re not good at publicly talking about this. In Australia at the moment, we are voting on same-sex marriage. When I look at this debate with my experience of church in mind, I find it strange how rarely same-sex orientation is mentioned by the Christian ‘No’ campaign. Isn’t that the major reason anybody wants a same-sex marriage? But this also reflects how rarely orientation appears in Christian writing on same-sex marriage. Same-sex orientation is not well understood by many Christians, probably due to the trouble that we have discussing it. So I will start by saying what I mean by this term. Understanding same-sex orientation Same-sex orientation is the experience of growing up with attraction to the same sex instead of attraction to the opposite sex, not in addition to it (which is actually more common). It is exclusive and permanent. With apologies to the ranking Australian biblical scholar who once joked that all important theological truths should be expressed in TULIP acronyms, here is what people describe as their experience of same-sex orientation and what I will evaluate in this article: Same-sex orientation Total inversion of heterosexual desire, whose occurrence is a Universal phenomenon in human societies, which consists of Loving and romantic same-sex attraction as well as sexual Involuntary not chosen, and not changeable. Consider every time in your life that you’ve been conscious of romance or arousal. How many times would that be every day? For how many days? Think of all the names of the people who prompted these thoughts and feelings. Now imagine it was always caused by people of the same sex. How would you have handled that? Some Evangelicals reject orientation as simply the rationalisation of immoral ‘practices’. However, celibate Christian gays, who aren’t defending any ‘gay lifestyle’ at all, describe the same experience. For any readers not persuaded on this point, and unable to talk to someone with direct experience, try reading Wesley Hill. We need no theory about why this happens to some and not to others to acknowledge that it does happen to some. How common is same-sex orientation? The Australian Study of Sex and Relationships (Richters et al., 2014) surveyed 20,000 Australians and found 1 in 65 people experience exclusive same-sex attraction, and that more again can be attracted to both sexes. So far as I have seen, this is representative of studies in the western world. This ratio means that more than 370,000 Australians and 110 million human beings in total are same-sex oriented. Writing Themselves In 3 (Hillier et al., 2010) surveyed 3,500 ‘same sex attracted and gender questioning young people’ in Australia, finding that most were conscious of this by the age of thirteen – younger than we might have guessed. We can’t predict it, so it happens randomly for all practical purposes. Our family members, friends, church members, church leaders and we ourselves were all just as likely to have been same-sex oriented. It’s not something we can ignore. In this article I ask if same-sex orientation means that Christians who oppose same-sex marriage should actually support it. Say you believe that (1) same-sex relations are highly immoral in every case considered in scripture; (2) God’s ideal of marriage is only ever heterosexual in scripture, (3) sex outside of marriage is immoral in scripture, and (4) without minimising the need for diligence, education and humility, scripture is authoritative for Christians. For the record, I can sign my name to those four statements. But say you then you have to come to terms with same-sex orientation, if not for yourself then for others. I will argue that someone with normal Evangelical convictions on these matters can and should support same-sex marriage as a response to orientation – and not just in society but in our churches also. This means establishing that same-sex relations are not immoral for same-sex oriented Evangelicals in a same-sex marriage, and that God celebrates these as biblical marriages. Put more bluntly, God has things in hand, and marriage solves our problems. Of course, to many readers this will seem hilariously or tragically impossible. I invite your feedback on any apparent errors in my argument. In what follows I will assume familiarity with Evangelicalism, with all the relevant passages of scripture, and with recent Evangelical discussions of the topic. Figure 1. The question of Evangelical Same-Sex Marriage. What are the options? As Christians and as Evangelicals, our usual response to same-sex orientation has been what is today called a mixed orientation marriage. Of course this was not normally thought of in those terms. Orientation was not understood for most of our history, and still is not by many people. Back in the day, having children was a primary duty to parents, family, tribe and nation; you had to do it for security in life and honour in society. Love itself was secondary, never mind orientation. Even after orientation came to public notice through the 1900s, these marriages were still commended in the hope that discipline or adaptation, psychiatric treatments or conversion therapies, would make them work. They still occur but they are rarely recommended now. Experience and common sense suggest that a union in which desire cannot be mutually shared is unfair to both partners, is distant from the biblical ideal (see below), and is a recipe for disaster. They were common in the past when things were different, but we can do better now. However, the failure and decline of therapy efforts has left us with only one generally approved alternative. Thus we now have a movement of celibate gay Evangelicals who don’t expect to change or marry, but are instead inspired by celibacy in the Christian ascetic tradition. Because most same-sex oriented people are aware of their orientation by early adolescence, this means mandatory lifelong celibacy. It is difficult to overstate what an innovation this has been in recent Evangelical thought. Monastic or priestly vows were at least chosen but, even then, the early Protestants rejected them entirely. Calvin in the Institutes called them insane audacity and presumption when God had provided marriage. He said that they were no vows at all, but foolishness to be repented of. Christian scripture teaches chastity, meaning sexual abstinence outside of marriage. It teaches celibacy, that is, abstinence from marriage itself, if someone has the ‘gift’ and the desire to do so. But celibacy cannot be imposed upon a person, nor can marriage be forbidden to them, and anyone who feels unsuited to their singleness can always choose to marry. But now, because we have discovered orientation, we believe a random subgroup of the population should be celibate for life. Of course, many straight Christians also remain single their whole lives, but not without at least the hope of marrying. Consider, as a gesture of solidarity, committing to just five years of celibacy (or if married, to five years of abstinence) if you think that’s nothing too demanding. And of course, we all have sorrows and suffering to bear, and some of that is unavoidable and unfair. But that led no biblical writer to recommend mandatory lifelong celibacy. Jesus might have made such a commitment, but it’s quite the understatement to say that his situation was unique. Neither of these alternatives are the biblical ideal. But does that justify looking to same-sex marriage as a possible solution? We would guess that nobody in scripture ever thought of same-sex marriage as an answer to anything. If it were the case that same-sex marriages could be ‘what God has joined together’, that would at least give us a third alternative. But as we generally understand things, these unions can’t be moral on the one hand and cannot be marriage on the other – at least, not in God’s sight. For some of us, this issue is a litmus test of Evangelical orthodoxy. This is helped by the fact that many of the prohibitions come with no reasons attached – so is God’s authority enough for you? This is particularly so in commands or vice lists, but even in Romans 1 the scandal of same-sex relations is a starting point, not a conclusion. Of course, Evangelicals have sometimes found that seemingly categorical prohibitions needed rethinking. One pointy example from mid-last-century was whether an abandoned young mother could remarry. When presented with a question that scripture does not address – and I will argue orientation is one of these – we have a well-established process. We identify the author’s motivating principles, set them in canonical context, find our common horizons with their situation and so try to understand God’s mind in both scenarios. It seems to me that Paul especially expects his condemnations to make sense. He thinks that the same-sex relations he addresses are foolish and ignorant, not just immoral. We should therefore expect them to be something that we can reason about. Is it immoral? The Old and New Testaments name or allude to at least a dozen moral reasons for condemning same-sex relations. Some of these will be immediately familiar from scripture, especially Romans 1, Leviticus 18, 1 Corinthians 6. But other apparent allusions will only be seen through familiarity with Jewish and pagan writing from the period. William Loader’s introduction to the background texts in the recent Counterpoints book on Homosexuality is the best place to start, or try Philo of Alexandria’s On the Special Laws, §38, for a taster. These issues include promiscuity, unfaithfulness to marriage, prostitution, including temple prostitution, the neglect of marital responsibilities, exploitation and abuse including pederasty, the feminisation of young men to make them appeal to older men, states of mind we would now call sexual addiction or predation, and probably disease transmission too. These things were common in antiquity, and pointing them out was a slam-dunk for a Jewish writer telling off the pagans. However, these issues do not in any general way apply to same-sex marriages today. On the contrary, those seeking same-sex marriages insist they want their faithfulness and commitment recognised. Monogamy resolves the problems on this list, just as it does for heterosexuals. Moreover, while same-sex relations are always strongly condemned in scripture, same-sex orientation does not seem to be in mind when it does. In the most important passage, Paul in Romans 1 says several things about same-sex desires themselves, and what he says does not match up with same-sex orientation as we encounter it. He understands that ‘shameful passions’ arise through the influence of religious paganism, and a progressive and wilful corruption of both character and heterosexual desire. It is one of several ‘exchanges’ that people make as they descend into the depths of sexual immorality. These are passions to which Gentiles have been ‘handed over’ in judgement, seemingly in some more specific way than simply having fallen human natures. But this description of same-sex desires in Greco-Roman life is not a good description of same-sex orientation. Recall the TULIP definition with which I began. When kids grow up to be same-sex oriented in Christian families and churches, this does not happen as a consequence of culture or religion, nor of their own voluntary choices, nor do we consider it a source of shame or a result of divine judgement, even in the broad and figurative sense of natural consequences. Paul also treats these desires as a problem specific to gentile society, whereas orientation occurs in all societies. Paul’s statements here exclude the possibility that he is thinking of orientation at all, even if he knew of or credited any ideas of that kind. Accordingly, these condemnations that relate to the nature of same-sex desire do not apply to orientation. Presumably he did not think Leviticus required him to address anything of the kind, and with all other references being made in passing, there appears to be no positive argument that orientation is being considered in scripture. This means that the dozen-or-so directly moral reasons that we can identify for the biblical condemnations don’t apply to the major case we must evaluate in modern life: a same-sex marriage between two same-sex oriented people. So far as I have seen, no Evangelical writer has noticed this consequence of addressing orientation and marriage together; rather, we argue from morals and marriage in general, and believe this covers all cases. The sheer force of the biblical condemnations commits Evangelicals to defending them. These are solid moral reasons which made good sense then and now. But they just don’t apply. They are linked to depravity, godlessness, rebellion, compromise, and so on, but these concerns themselves only apply to same-sex marriages if we already know that those unions are immoral. This point has to be reached without implicitly assuming it. As an aside, our moral commitments may be strongly reinforced by revulsion at the thought of anal intercourse. This is not a gay-specific concern, as many heterosexual couples do so, and many male same-sex couples do not. However, it is easily avoidable for any couple, gay or straight, who have medical, moral or any other kind of objections to it. This specific sense of revulsion does not apply to all same-sex relationships. Is it unnatural? The moral arguments we have discussed from scripture do not feature in our public advocacy. We may be noticing that we have trouble making them stick. But we may just think they ought to be discussed more privately, or that they lead to shouting matches about bigotry. Whatever the reason, we use broader principles in their place. These vary depending on our audience, but mainly come from nature and theology, as well as some anticipated consequences. Can these make the biblical condemnations apply to orientation and marriage – or provide new reasons why it is immoral? Let’s start with the word ‘unnatural’. In the New Testament letter to the Romans, both male and female same-sex relations are called unnatural, which is paralleled with being highly immoral, while heterosexual relations are called natural in contrast. This nature language is both strong and ambiguous. What is natural can be confused with culture, for example, although the condemnations of same-sex relations in scripture appear transcultural and grounded in God’s moral nature. The word unnatural can also be a euphemism for something revolting or unspeakable; if this means immoral, then immoral in some unusually twisted way. But we haven’t established that a same-sex marriage would be immoral. We can establish, though, that ‘unnatural’ refers to perversion in this passage: Paul’s topic is the the wilful ‘exchange’ of heterosexual desire and practice that followed from and reinforced all of that other immorality. But yet again, a wilful exchange of desire doesn’t happen in same-sex orientation, and sexual relations in a same-sex marriage don’t match the reasons we can find for the scriptural condemnations. In Romans 1 there are apparently moral references to what is natural and unnatural, and there are several back-references from Romans 1 to Genesis 1, though they are not all obvious in English translation. For these reasons, we think Paul is linking the moral condemnations of same-sex relations with God’s design for the created order. So we argue from the natural order, human nature, supposed natural laws, personal and social well-being, nature as God’s good creation, procreation and stewardship, the corrupt state of human desires, heterosexual marriage as God’s intention, eschatology and marriage symbolism, social norms, traditional interpretation, and differing ideas of gender complementarity. We use ‘sexual complementarity’ as a single super-category for these and other arguments: Haven’t we read that he made them male and female? Discussing this long list of natural and theological rationales is not possible in a short article. But we can address the kind of arguments they are: They all at least intend to function as arguments from general truths: truths of God, of nature, human nature, both individually and together. Against these it seems foolish for an individual to rebel. It’s like fighting the stars in the sky. But then, isn't same-sex orientation an exceptional case, where what’s good for most of us is clearly not good for specific individuals? A general statement either has no exceptions, or accommodates them, or is in some way falsified by them. Which is this? Curiously, Evangelicals seem to agree that orientation is a special case, to which heterosexual marriage can’t apply. This is apparent in the two alternatives we have for same-sex orientation. We look at a mixed orientation marriage, and see that the foundations of love, desire and intimacy are missing. So we favour mandatory lifelong celibacy instead, though it’s even harder to defend pastorally or biblically. We don’t force the biblical ideal of heterosexual marriage onto an obviously exceptional situation. After all, it doesn’t matter how good a general, godly, or biblical ideal is if we are addressing a case to which it does not apply. We could grant, I think, that all of those arguments from nature and theology work as intended. They reinforce a biblical and heterosexual ideal of marriage as the framework of human well-being, both for individuals and societies. They reinforce the condemnations of same-sex relations that appear in scripture. Let’s imagine every one of them was in the back of Paul’s mind when he wrote ‘unnatural’, or when he alluded to Genesis. Do they give us moral condemnations that apply to same-sex marriages of same-sex oriented partners? They don’t appear to. Orientation and marriage, together, still don’t match the actual moral condemnations we can find in scripture, insofar as we can find moral reasons to evaluate them by. And far from being a rebellion against nature (as creation), same-sex orientation is exceptional to it. And exceptional in a way that Evangelicals already think makes it unsuited to heterosexual marriage. Directly moral arguments are more convincing than these kind of general arguments, and more authentic, too, since morals are what actually motivate Evangelicals on this issue. But we don’t use them. And our arguments from nature and theology can seem unduly academic when they’re set beside our same-sex oriented friends and family, neighbours and colleagues. All this helps explain why the Australian campaign against same-sex marriage now focuses primarily upon the fear of consequences. But that’s a far remove from scripture, which we think we are defending. Neither nature nor theology nor consequences had to stand alone in the Old or New Testaments, where strong moral condemnations could be presupposed and argued publicly. We have no biblical guarantee that they can, whether for the practices condemned by Paul, or when applied to orientation and same-sex marriages today. What I have said thus far clears up some inconsistencies between scripture and modern Evangelical practice. Why does Scripture offer not a single trace of sympathy on this issue, while modern Evangelicals take pains to emphasise their deep compassion for those ‘struggling’? Why could Paul brightly assure the church in Corinth ‘that’s what you were!’, yet our conversion therapies could never justify this confidence? Why does Paul think ancient pagans knew these things were wrong, and yet our far more Christian-influenced contemporaries think in terms of human rights and anti-discrimination laws? Why are we utterly convinced that God’s self-evident moral truths must be defended at all costs, yet we can’t or won’t argue from them in public life? It’s because we are talking about orientation, and Scripture was not. That’s why the arguments aren’t working like we think they should. Is it marriage? While I have had to pass over some large and complex issues here, I think I have by now have offered enough of framework to show how and why a same-sex marriage between same-sex oriented Evangelicals would not biblically condemned on moral grounds. However, this does not establish that such relationships are marriages in God’s sight, and that is the question we must fundamentally settle. For a start, we have to measure them against the biblical ideal of marriage. By ‘biblical marriage’ Evangelicals do not mean any old marriage that happens to be in the Bible. The New Testament’s use of Genesis frames the period from patriarchs to kings within a larger, more consistent ideal. We should briefly outline this ideal. While you might have never heard a passage like Song of Solomon chapter 7 preached in church, romantic love and sexual delight are necessarily part of the ideal. This goes with a public commitment to lifelong monogamy. It means becoming a new family (‘one flesh’) as parents in a household, caring for extended family, and raising and educating children. It involves friendship, belonging, and helping and comforting each other through life’s adversities. In this way our human sexuality, however marred and flawed, tends to sustain all human life, and social life, and thus the care of God’s creation. These points are largely common across cultures, but others have specifically Christian significance. Singleness forms the habits of self-control that we will need in marriage. Marriage is a covenant before God by two spiritual partners. They pray together and raise godly children, so a Christian will ordinarily marry another Christian. Their bodies will belong to each other, intimacy will mean delighting in each other, and this will be a mutual remedy for uncontrolled desire. Their households, among other things, will express the hospitality of the gospel in society. And Christ’s self-sacrificial love will be their model. That is, they will display in their union the greatest New Testament ‘mystery’ or revelation of all. There’s more, but this captures a large part of it. Does same-sex marriage fit this biblical ideal? Scripture’s condemnations made this question seem unthinkable, but they do not apply for orientation. Same-sex marriage lacks sexual complementarity, and natural procreation with it. But lacking heterosexual love and desire already conflicted with the biblical ideal of marriage. It seems at least as exceptional as a merely infertile couple marrying – an exception to the ‘procreative’ nature of marriage that Christians consider entirely reasonable. Every alternative appears to have a flaw. It seems to be a choice between a loveless marriage, no marriage ever or one without a family. Which is best? But those options are not quite correct. A constitutionally infertile couple can have and raise children now, and any couple could adopt. That doesn’t necessarily mean surrogacy. We could imagine Evangelical same-sex couples arranging to adopt children who would otherwise be aborted. So, if raising a family is no longer impossible, or no longer essential, or if same-sex marriage is an exception to general norms, then this means that all the seemingly cross-cultural aspects of the biblical ideal of marriage (love, commitment, help, family) can now be fulfilled by same-sex marriages; and thus the more specifically Christian aspects too, which are less bodily in nature. On the other hand, not all of these aspects can be fulfilled by our Evangelical alternatives. Same-sex marriage thus appears to the best alternative. But the ultimate question remains: does God affirm and celebrate same-sex marriages? At this point an unusual example from the Old Testament may be helpful to us. Polygamy is well established as the designated bogey-person of the same-sex marriage debate – ‘What next, huh?!’ How can we discard something so central to marriage as monogamy and mutuality? Yet it’s clear that some polygamous unions were accepted as marriages by God in Christian scripture. Abraham, Moses and David each offer examples of this. Those marriages don’t match the ideal, are never positively commended and probably are not defensible in our society today – but they were marriages in God’s sight. Yet same-sex marriage, which preserves monogamy and mutuality, is closer to the biblical ideal than they were. We can argue from the lesser to the greater in this case. If God once recognised polygamy, then he now recognises same-sex marriages. That would mean that they are not only the closest thing to biblical marriage for someone who’s same-sex oriented, but also that in God’s sight they actually are marriages. Not a ‘redefinition’, not a ‘civil partnership’, but a marriage. In which case we can hardly fail to call it a biblical and an Evangelical marriage. What does it mean for Evangelicals? If this argument is sound, it means that same-sex marriage solves our Evangelical problems with same-sex orientation. It is warranted by the nature and frequency of same-sex orientation, and by the fact that this will continue in our churches through all future generations. It is warranted by the difficulties this has posed for Christian life and ministry, by the concrete harms that followed from our lack of good alternatives and by our general paralysis in speaking publicly about these issues – even on simple matters like preventing bullying in schools. In the case of orientation, same-sex marriage doesn’t match the biblical condemnations of same-sex relations. It is closer to the biblical ideal of marriage than any alternative, and more so than marriages that God acknowledged in scripture. Being grounded in same-sex orientation and Christian discipleship, it presents no slippery slope into social anarchy. Involving less than 1% of marriages, it doesn’t threaten heterosexual norms or their general benefits. It doesn’t leave us asking for exemptions from discrimination laws we ought to be supporting. But that’s not what matters the most. What matters most is the one or two percent of Christians who will always be same-sex oriented. This is something like 33 million people in the world, who could be any of us. Many of them have followed Christ with pain and cost that it is difficult for others to comprehend, and many have been crushed. What does this mean for them? Or you, if that is you? If you are same-sex oriented, Evangelical same-sex marriage before God means that your sexuality, expressed in marriage, is holy to God – and that nothing else and no-one else can change that. It means that you can fall in love and marry, just like ‘normal’ Christians. It means no intrinsic shame. No love/hate relationship with love. No pity. Just the regular, everyday hope of meeting someone you love. It requires the same holy living and discipline as others, but not the superhuman disciplines of mandatory lifelong celibacy – unless you genuinely can accept that, and you want to. It means that Christian faith does not exclude you from sexual intimacy and romantic love, from a faithful covenant of love, from affection and companionship into old age, or from a godly family of your own. Nor from an intimate spiritual partnership, or the mystery of Christlike and self-sacrificial love for one another. It means that Christian faith and same-sex orientation do not bar you from marrying before God. Nigel Chapman has a Master of Divinity degree and spent 8 years helping lead a new Baptist church in Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia. He can be reached at nigel@chapman.id.au and @eukras. Anonymous feedback on this article may be provided at https://www.suggestionox.com/r/bkL5Rm. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Permalink: http://jeezdarl.org/docs/orientation subscribe to engage.mail © 2019 Ethos EA Centre for Christianity & Society	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2090
__label__wiki	0.560726	0.560726	Predator drone now patrols 900-mile stretch of Canada-US border By Lynn Herrmann Jan 27, 2011 in Politics Washington - A Predator drone previously used for patrolling North Dakota’s northern border is now being used to patrol at least a 900 mile section of the Canada-US border from the “vicinity” of Spokane, Washington to the Lake-of-the-Woods region of Minnesota. On its website, the US Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) states that the Predator B drone completed its first mission along the stretch of border on January 20, thanks to the utilization of the expanded certificate of authorization (COA) issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) just prior to the drone’s flight: According to the CBP website: “With cooperation and assistance from the FAA, the newly issued COA expands CBP’s approved airspace along the northern border by nearly 900 miles and allows CBP Predator-B aircraft to fly from the Lake-of-the-Woods region of Minnesota to the vicinity of Spokane, Washington." According to CBP, the drone will be used to increase the capacity of the US Department of Homeland Security’s unmanned aircraft missions in combating counterterrorism, counternarcotics and border security procedures. In addition to the above-mentioned capacities, the CBP site states its additional responsibilities include preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from reaching the US and at the same time “enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.” CBP does not state where the drone’s flights will originate or terminate from, but Government Security News reports two drones have been operating from Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota since 2009. Last summer, the Department of Homeland Security announced a Predator drone would begin searching the Texas-Mexico border on September 1. That drone’s operating base has been Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas. Additionally, KVUE News reported last week that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)revealed it had used a drone in conducting a drug bust just northwest of Austin, Texas. According to KVUE, DPS purchased four small drones in 2008, using them until November 2009 when they are reported to have been grounded by the FAA over technical issues. The increased use of drones in America’s airspace continues to raise questions over their legality and what their actual purposes are. In 2007, the Houston Police Department was forced to reveal a secret site north of Houston being used for drone testing when Local 2 News aired footage of the testing. More about Predator drone, -canada border, Customs border protection agency predator drone -canada border customs border prote...	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2098
__label__cc	0.744797	0.255203	“Fox” news—uprising in the henhouse as consumer groups move to take back Hawaii healthcare A press conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. today (Monday, 3/19/2012) at the State Capitol rotunda by a coalition of consumer groups bent on nothing less than saving Hawaii’s health care system. It seems that Hawaii has put its near-monopoly health insurers on the board of the Hawaii Health Connector, the organization charged with setting up the benefit package under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. The insurers greatly outnumber the single consumer representative. This board is tasked with setting up the “Exchange” that the Act provides as a marketplace for those without insurance to purchase policies. Purchase is mandatory, with penalties for those who don’t buy and federal subsidies for those with low incomes to do so. Board members representing insurance companies have a clear conflict of interest since they are involved in shaping policies and rules that will impact the profits and revenues that their employers receive. In reality, the foxes are designing the henhouse from ground up. From the press release: Consumer advocates oppose the nominees representing Hawaii Medical Service Association, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Ohana Health Plan, and Hawaii Dental Service because they will have a direct financial stake in the Exchange’s decisions. Membership on the board should be restricted to organizations whose primary mission is consumer focused, advocates say. The consumer advocates amendments to S.B. 2434 create a non-voting advisory committee made up of all insurers. Hawaii is the only state to have established its Health Connector as a private non-profit organization governed by a state-appointed board of directors. This board, the Hawaii Health Connector, operates in the shadows because it does not appear to be subject to Hawaii’s Sunshine Law (open meetings law and open records law). An interim board has been meeting under agendas that do not meet the requirements of the Sunshine Law. The interim board is to be replaced by a permanent board of essentially the same people. The coalition wants to evict the foxes from the henhouse and let consumers begin the work of designing a system by and for its beneficiaries, instead of as a profit center for the already-too-big insurance companies. It proposes to keep insurers involved by allowing the board to set up an advisory council composed of any insurers who wish to participate, not just the largest, in order to encourage competition in the provision of services to healthcare consumers. [I need to disclose that I am president of Kokua Council, one of the organizations participating in today’s event.] Organizations agreeing to support an amendment to change the law and to object to Governor Neil Abercrombie’s board nominations include Hawaii Coalition for Health, Advocates for Consumer Rights, Kokua Council, Progressive Democrats of Hawaii, Americans for Democratic Action/Hawaii, ,AARP Hawaii, United Self Help, Mental Health America of Hawaii, and Hawaii Disability Rights Center. An amendment to change the law has already been submitted in testimony to the House health committee, which made changes in the board two years down the road. Two years is too late—the henhouse will be in operation by then. The community-proposed amendment is based on the California law which prohibits insurers from participation. Hawaii has also not submitted an application for a grant to establish a consumer protection ombudsman. After the press conference a hearing will be held by the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce on SB2434 SD1 HD1 at 2:00 p.m. in Room 325. Click on the link to see the bill that advocates would like to change, and to read more in the prior testimony. Submitting your own testimony is very easy – just click on the link near the top of the page. Anyone can come to the 1 p.m. press conference and then to the 2 p.m. hearing which follows. You don’t have to submit written testimony in order to speak at the hearing. On Friday March 23 the Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection will hold a confirmation hearing for all 11 of the governor’s nominees to the Exchange – including the four nominees in question. In order to support or object to the nominations, it’s necessary to submit testimony on each one in the hearing notice. Again, this is easy to do, though it does take a bit of clicking.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2099
__label__wiki	0.596217	0.596217	Home » Editorial » NEWS ANALYSIS: Chicago Rally to Thank Obama for Supposedly Ending War in Iraq Turns Up 30 Speakers and 10 Audience Members NEWS ANALYSIS: Chicago Rally to Thank Obama for Supposedly Ending War in Iraq Turns Up 30 Speakers and 10 Audience Members Saturday, December 17, 2011 - 17:35 By David Swanson President Barack Obama promised to make ending the war in Iraq his first act in office. Then he did what he could to avoid ending it. Forced by Bush and Maliki and the Iraqis to remove troops, he's keeping troops nearby and filling bases with mercenaries, while expanding ground and drone wars around the region and claiming the power to make war anywhere he likes, including having already done so in Libya. Nonetheless a hearty band of Obama-Right-Or-Wrongers planned a rally in Chicago to praise the president for . . . well, for something or other. The rally was sponsored by Marilyn Katz and Carl Davidson and "Chicagoans Against War in Iraq," and was promoted as a big national event. I heard about the planning here in Virginia. Among the 30 speakers were the president of the Cook County Board Toni Preckwinkle, Alderman Joe Moore, and Tom Hayden. But an email report I've just been forwarded says the audience was "5-10," and "Dozens and dozens of prepared placards that said 'yes we can' were in a box, untouched." Meanwhile, "In opposition, holding placards, were some 15 or more from March 19th Anti-War Coalition, Occupy Chicago, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice, and others. The placards included slogans "The U.S. War on Iraq is NOT Over" "Obama Does Mot Deserve Praise," "Obama is Continuing Illegal & Unjust Wars," "Obama Is Threatening Iran and Syria," "Free Bradley Manning," "No War on Iran," "Orambo," "There Is Nothing to Celebrate" and others. Hundreds of leaflets from the March 19th Anti-War Coalition entitled "The Government is NOT bringing all U.S. troops home or ending its wars against Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, or its threats against Iran and Syria and elsewhere" were distributed to passersby as well as those at the rally." David Swanson is the author of "When the World Outlawed War," "War Is A Lie" and "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union." He blogs athttp://davidswanson.org and http://warisacrime.org and works for the online activist organizationhttp://rootsaction.org	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2102
__label__wiki	0.649195	0.649195	Sep 6 - 8:00 PM Augustana Twilight Sep 21 - 9:00 AM Greeno/Dirksen Invite Oct 5 - 10:00 AM Arkansas Chili Pepper Festival Future Student Athletes Big Ten Men's XC Big Ten Women's XC Dapo Hometown: Omaha, Neb. High School: Westside Big 12 Commisioiner's Spring Honor Roll (2011) Big 12 Fall Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2009) 2012 (Outlook) Dani Dapo (pronounced JONNY JAP-o) hopes to contribute for the Huskers as a senior in 2012. Dapo ran at the NCAA Midwest Regional for the Huskers in 2011, after competing in three regular-season meets. The Omaha Westside graduate will be one of Nebraska's most experienced returning competitors in 2012. 2011 (Junior) Dapo competed for the first time as a member of the cross country team as a junior in 2011. The Omaha native finished 14th overall (28:53.46) at the UNO/Creighton Invitational in his hometown to open the season. He added a 194th-place finish at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational, before taking 40th overall (27:27.1) at the SDSU Classic in Brookings, S.D. In his first postseason as a member of the cross country team, Dapo competed at the NCAA Midwest Regional in DeKalb, Ill., where he placed 155th (35:31.04). Dapo was a member of the cross country team for his third season at Nebraska, but he did not compete on the course for the Huskers. He also sat out the indoor track season, before returning for the outdoor campaign. He set a personal best with a 4:02.23 in the 1,500 meters at the Wichita State Classic on April 2. 2009 (Redshirt Freshman) Dapo did not compete in cross county in 2009. He competed at six meets during the indoor track and field season, where he posted a personal best of 2:28.19 in the 1,000 meters at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational and an oversized best of 1:53.94 in the 800 meters at the Bill Bergan Invitational. Dapo focused on the 800 meters during the outdoor season, as he competed in the event at five meets. He posted the fourth-best time by a Husker outdoors in 2010 with a personal best of 1:53.65 at the Jim Click Shootout. Dapo did not compete in cross county, but did compete during the indoor track and field season, before redshirting the outdoor season. He started in the indoor season at the Holiday Inn Invitational, placing fourth in the 800 meters with a personal-best time of 1:55.60 as an unattached athlete. Dapo ran in a Husker uniform in his next four meets, posting top-10 finishes at the Conference Challenge (5th), adidas Classic (8th) and Husker Invitational (5th). He competed only one time unattached during the outdoor season, where he ran an outdoor best of 1:55.62 at the Nebraska Invitational. High School (Omaha Westside HS) Dapo made trips to the Nebraska Class A State Track and Field meet in all four years at Westside High School under Coach Rick McKever. Dapo contributed to a sixth-place finish in the 4x800-meter relay as a sophomore, before returning as a junior to finish sixth in the 800 (1:58.91), seventh in the 4x400 (3:27.41) and second in the 4x800 (8:05.08). As a senior, Dapo placed second in the 800 (1:55.91) and anchored the sixth-place 4x800-meter relay team (8:08.13). He was a four-time participant at the state cross country meet, with 20th being his best finish as a senior. Dapo chose Nebraska over Kansas. Dani’s parents are Amir and Emma Dapo. He was born Feb. 23, 1990 and majors in pre-physical therapy at Nebraska. Woody Greeno Invitational Jarren Heng - After the Woody Greeno Invitational Sept. 21, 2013 Isabel Andrade - After the Woody Greeno Invitational Sept. 21, 2013	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2103
__label__cc	0.548	0.452	AgriLife Research Unmanned Aerial Systems Program Receives Update Writer: Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259, b-fannin@tamu.edu Contact: Bob Avant, 979-845-2908, bob.avant@ag.tamu.edu COLLEGE STATION – From traditional crop production to livestock, Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists from across the state provided updates on a multitude of unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, projects recently in College Station. The AgriLife Research UAS program is one of the largest in the U.S., according to faculty and administrators. The research program is utilizing both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft as part of research activities at centers in Weslaco, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, College Station and Amarillo. “We are progressing at a steady pace in all aspects of our UAS research program,” said Misty Vidrine, AgriLife Research UAS program coordinator in College Station. “We have the capability of developing intelligent pattern recognition models that can allow both the farmer and the rancher to make production management decisions, predict yield and detect abiotic and biotic crop stress in the field. These UAS modeling tools can dramatically help with improving the profitability of an operation.” The AgriLife Research UAS program is one of the largest in the U.S., according to faculty and administrators. The research program is utilizing both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft as part of research activities at centers in Weslaco, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, College Station and Amarillo. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo) Program areas are broad, but tie back to either plant breeding or precision agriculture, Vidrine said. Researchers involved in the multidisciplinary project include biological and agricultural engineers, soil scientists, plant breeders, plant pathologists, plant physiologists, remote sensing scientists, geospatial scientists, civil engineers, mechanical and aerospace engineers, entomologists, animal scientists, rangeland specialists, social scientists and agricultural economists. Dr. Megan Clayton, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service range specialist in Corpus Christi, gave an overview of work done in the livestock program. “What we’ve found (through this technology) is we can improve the sustainability of grazing management,” Clayton said. “We’ve found we can soon provide tools to managers, which can suggest stocking rates, develop models, and test forage and herbage mass predictions, all types of datasets that can assist in livestock operations.” The recent meeting was an update on work conducted in 2017. There was optimism among scientists at the meeting and excitement continues to build on what lies ahead with regards to breakthrough technologies to assist Texas farmers and ranchers and beyond in achieving higher yields and production, according to attendees. “This research program overall is one of the most unique anywhere,” said Dr. Alex Thomasson, AgriLife Research biological and agricultural research engineer in College Station. Texas A&M AgriLife Research unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, program areas are broad, but tie back to either plant breeding or precision agriculture. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Blair Fannin) Researchers at the meeting also expressed optimism over new discoveries in wheat production. The wheat research has focused on different environmental conditions, such as drought, utilizing both ground and aerial data. “The statewide wheat breeding program uses a remote sensing approach to utilize ground- and aerial-based measurements to evaluate wheat lines for reaction to biotic and abiotic stresses and maximize phenotyping efficiency,” said Dr. Amir Ibrahim, AgriLife Research wheat breeder in College Station. Dr. Lee Tarpley, AgriLife Research plant physiologist at Beaumont, provided an update on a research project focused on grain crops. The specific objectives of the research is to evaluate leaf nitrogen and stress levels in rice as well as leaf water potential in both rice and corn. Tarpley said the work will help farmers be proactive and save money. “We would like to be able to provide site prescriptions to improve crop profitability,” Tarpley said. “We’d like to be specific enough to allow remedies to be applied before economic losses occur.” Tarpley said farmers typically treat entire fields when a specific crop disease is diagnosed. Through their research, they hope to develop tools to be site specific, lowering the cost of expensive crop inputs and improving crop revenues. For more about the agency’s UAS research activities, visithttps://uasag.tamu.edu/.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2108
__label__cc	0.581248	0.418752	Crystal Smith Nude - Playboy Playmate < Cathy Rowland Claire Rambeau > AMBITIONS: I'd like to be a professional dancer, and to attend Kansas State University. TURN-ONS: Flying (I have my pilot's license), cooking, playing at the playground, tennis. TURNOFFS: Girdles, fat people, getting up before noon, bugs, "Let's Make a Deal," pancake mixes, dirty pennies, sewage plants, dirt, lima beans, midi skirst and antiques PEOPLE I ADMIRE: Marco Polo, Tonto, Moms Mabley, Amelia Earhart AS A KID: I grew up in Missouri, North Carolina and South Carolina. DID YOU KNOW? I was once a Rockette at the Radio City Music Hall. I LOVE TO READ: Mysteries, science fiction, and erotica. FAVORITE MOVIES: "MAS*H"; "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"; "Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck" I JUST LOVE: Cherry Kool-Aid. Puzzled as she may appear on our cover, Crystal Smith is way ahead of the game when it comes to putting her life together. A 20-year-old senior at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Crystal Smith's Awards: Playmate Of The Month , September , 1971 Crystal Smith Statistics: Bust: 37, Waist: 22.00, Hips: 35.00, Height: 67.00, Weight: 118, Birth Date: Aug. 2, 1951, Birth Place: Kansas City, Missouri USA, Visit Playboy Plus to see more Crystal Smith nude pictures and videos.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2115
__label__wiki	0.649478	0.649478	Southeast Asian-based journalist and editor Expat tales Scoring at soccer In a country as soccer-crazed as Thailand, it’s surprising that there’s so little of it played here. To Englishman Darren Jackson, a former professional player with an FA coaching badge, this is obviously something that needs to be rectifed. Wth assistant Andrew Jeffries, he’s doing his bit to teach children how to play soccer well with his mobile Soccer Clinic, which has now been running for nearly two years. “I’ve always been interested in coaching children. I met Andrew and he said why don’t you start something up? Go to sports manufacturers and ask if they want to sponsor you for equipment, T-shirts and so on.” Jackson approached Nike, who loved the idea. “They were behind me one hundred per cent. I also needed a drinks manufacturer to supply drinks. I went to Gatorade who also loved the idea, so now they provide our drinks.” And so the Darren Jackson Soccer Clinic was born. Boys and girls aged six to 12 who sign up for the clinic are trained by Jackson and Jeffries once a week for five weeks after school, and on Sundays they play against other schools. Then they play in a tournament arranged by local sponsors – such as Ecco and Global Silverhawks – at the end of the five weeks where they get to show-off the skills they have learned. “During the training sessions I teach them ball skills, pattern plays, game rules and most of all team morale,” Jackson says. “It’s not until the weekend that I can actually get them to play good football.” Jackson has just returned to the schools after the summer break, and says the response has been “amazing”. He estimates that he’ll be training up to 130 children over the next few months from Harrow International, ISB and NIST. “And I’ve started a Saturday clinic so I can reach other kids [who don’t go to these schools] as well,” he says. About half of the children training with the clinic are Thai, and half are from overseas. There are a mere five girls playing at the moment, but Jackson is confident that just having these few will encourage other girls to start playing. They play alongside the boys. “It all depends on the child’s ability, not their sex.” At the last tournament before the summer break, the Mums and Dads are out in droves, egging their sons’ teams on. Uthaivan Karatkul, whose 9-year-old son Lee plays for ISB, is there lending her support. She says that while the ISB tournaments her son has played in the past kept him interested, the children really just went out and played. “They didn’t really do any practise – maybe 15 minutes before a match. But Darren has been teaching them ball-handling and other skills,” she says. Vizes Nakornchai’s son Tagore is also nine years old. He’s hesitant to attribute all of the children’s improvement to Jackson, as he says their coordination improves naturally with age anyway. “But he does enjoy it more. And he wants to study at Imperial College so he can attend Arsenal games on the weekend!” Jackson is now planning on expanding his clinic to teach older children as well. “I can concentrate on training the younger children and Darren can progress with the older kids,” says Jeffries, who started playing soccer at schoolboy level in England, played several trials for Chelsea but became a sports teacher rather than a soccer star. And playing soccer isn’t just about playing soccer. “The children are learning social skills,” Jackson emphasises. “I’ve had quite a few children who have been really shy, but once they’ve started playing they’ve come out of their shell and started to talk more to other children. It’s helping their schoolwork as well – teachers have come and told me that they’ve seen a big difference in such-and-such just because he’s joined the football clinic.” Jackson and Jeffries both say the main challenge coaching here compared to England is simply the children’s ability. “Because they don’t play enough football,” says Jackson. “They go home, play on their computer, watch TV. There aren’t many parks around for children to play in.” And Jackson is sincerely confident that there are more Zicos among the children he is training. He’s taking a group of his best players to Singapore for a weekend of matches, and eventually he’s planning on taking about 15 children to the UK, where they’ll play in front of scouts and have their shot at being signed to a team. But first, Jackson will select a group of nine and 10-year- olds to train seriously for at least a year. “With the kids I have at the moment, there are around three or four boys who I would like to train and take to England. If I do take 15 boys to England, I think maybe 2 or 3 boys would be spotted. But there’s still a long way to go.” Posted on October 1, 2000 Author samanthaCategories Lifestyle Previous Previous post: A prize-winning job Next Next post: Analysing terror	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2117
__label__wiki	0.946329	0.946329	MAYA TEPLER Maya Tepler resides in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, but she was born and raised in Topsham, Maine. She is currently a segment producer at Zero Point Zero Productions on a new Netflix documentary series about crimes in the food industry. Previously at ZPZ, she was a segment producer on the CNN television show “The Hunt with John Walsh.” She has worked as an associate producer at Show of Force, working on CNN’s “Soundtracks”, and at Ark Media for “Finding Your Roots 3, with Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.” Maya holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. NATALIA WARCHOL Co-Producer Natalia Warchol is a co-producer with Ark Media in Brooklyn, New York. She currently works on season 5 of Finding Your Roots, a ten-part genealogy series for PBS. Most recently, she was an Associate Producer on School of the Future, a 2-hour NOVA special for PBS. Natalia holds a BA in Film Production from Brooklyn College, City University of New York. Natalia was born and raised in Poland and currently lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Andres Arias Andrés Arias is a New York based editor and filmmaker. Born in Quito Ecuador and raised in Puerto Rico, Andres graduated with two bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Theory and History and a minor in film studies. He then received an MFA in Social Documentary at the School of Visual Arts on 2013. In addition to his own work, Andres has worked on the PBS series, "The Latino Graduates," and the Oscar-nominated documentary feature "Cartel Land." ThreeFifty Brooklyn-based guitarists Brett Parnell and Geremy Schulick compose predominantly instrumental songs, incorporating elements of post-rock, folk, minimalism, and Baroque classicism. Threefifty was recently featured on WNYC's Soundcheck with John Schaefer. Performance highlights include BAM’s Crossing Brooklyn Ferry festival and BAMcafé Live, TEDx Carnegie Mellon University, The New York Guitar Festival, The Ellnora Guitar Festival, The Englert, Le Poisson Rouge, SubCulture, and multiple tours of the UK, Austria and Bosnia. Threefifty is proud to be a part of the D’Addario artist family. fromawaythefilm@gmail.com Sign up here to receive news and updates. from away. copyright 2015 & beyond. all rights reserved.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2118
__label__wiki	0.647008	0.647008	» Virtual Colonoscopy Screening CT Colonography Sun, 17 Sep 2017 \| Virtual Colonoscopy In the United States, 1 in 17 people will develop colorectal cancer. According to reports from the National Cancer Institute, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in US men and women. The overall incidence of colorectal cancer increased until 1985 and then began decreasing at an average rate of 1.6% per year. Approximately 75% of all colorectal cancers occur among persons of average risk, i.e., those without predisposing conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, familial adeno-matous polyposis, hereditary nonpolyposis colorec-tal cancer, or a first degree relative with a history of colorectal adenoma or colorectal cancer (Winawer et al. 1991; Ahsan et al. 1998). The age range for development of colon cancer is late 40s to 70s in average-risk patients. The high-risk patient population accounts for approximately 25% of the colorectal cancer incidence in the United States. Deaths from colorectal cancer rank third after lung and prostate cancer in men and third after lung and breast cancer in women. The proposed natural history of colon cancer in the average-risk patient, as described in the National Polyp Study in 1990, confirmed the expected developmental course of colorectal cancer beginning with an adenomatous polyp, progressing to high-grade dysplasia, and then, frank carcinoma. However, the majority of polyps resected less than 10 mm in size represent hyperplastic polyps and other benign findings. Therefore, the goal of polypectomy should be adenoma resection. Research suggests that there is about a five-year development interval between the stages of adenomatous polyp and adenoma with high-grade dysplasia, and another five-year interval to develop frank cancer (O'brien et al. 1990). The majority of adenomas that will develop into cancer are polypoid or villous in shape (Fig. 2.1). A small proportion of adenomas are so called flat or depressed and have been shown to be difficult to identify on conventional colonoscopy and other colonic imaging modalities. Positive predictive characteristics of an adenoma with increased propensity to develop into cancer are its size and total number of adenomas. Polyps greater than 10 mm in diameter and more that three in number, regardless of their size, have been reported as risk factors for transformation into colorectal cancer through the "adenoma-carcinoma sequence", as described above. Despite prior reports, flat or depressed adenomas do not have an increased risk of developing cancer when compared to the polypoid or villous configurations (Winawer and Zauber 2002). Overall, the literature suggests that the risk of an adenoma, 5 mm or less in greatest dimension, to develop into cancer is significantly low, approximating 0.9% (O'brien et al. 1990). The goal of colorectal cancer screening is to reduce the morbidity and mortality of colon cancer by early detection and resection of adenomas and cancer (Frazier et al. 2000). The screening guidelines from the National Cancer Institute, and adopted by the American Gastroenterological Association, currently call for screening of the average-risk asymptomatic patient with an annual digital rectal examination, annual fecal occult blood testing, and flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years beginning at age 50. In addition, double contrast barium enema is recommended every 5 years or optical colonoscopy every 10 years beginning at age 50 (Anderson et al. 2002; Winawer et al. 1997). Patients classified as high-risk for developing colorectal cancer undergo screening at a much younger age, as specified by their personal risk factors. Albeit imperfect with a documented adenoma miss rate ranging from 6 to 27% (depending on the size of the lesion), conventional colonoscopy is still the gold standard for colon cancer screening (Rex et al. 1997). Cancers have also been missed by conventional colonoscopy. A study performed in Canada reported a cancer miss rate of 4% in cancers originating in the right colon (Bressler et al. 2004). Several reasons exist why cancers are missed on conventional colonoscopy: poor bowel prep, slippage of the endoscope around flexures, redundant Fig. 2.1a-c. Colonic adenoma: a axial CT image demonstrates a soft tissue polypoid lesion located off of the anterior aspect of the ascending colon. CT images (lung window settings) show a discrete polypoid lesion in the ascending colon identified on the reformatted coronal and sagittal images; b reformatted coronal image; c reformatted sagittal image colon, misinterpretation of findings and failure to biopsy (Leaper et al. 2004). A false negative conventional colonoscopy may have serious implications, as patients may not have another colon screening test for a decade. Conventional colonoscopy is also not without risk to the patient and significant morbidity and mortality has been reported (Garbay et al. 1996). The most common adverse outcome associated with conventional colonoscopy includes hemorrhage and perforation. The rate of perforation of the colon ranges from 0.2 to 0.4% after diagnostic colonoscopy, increases with polypectomy, and approximates 5% with hydrostatic balloon dilatation of colonic strictures (Zubarik et al. 1999). A landmark multicenter study published by Pickhardt et al. compared CT colonography and conventional colonoscopy in asymptomatic average-risk patient population. As a screening study, comparable adenoma and colorectal cancer detection rates were reported (Pickhardt et al. 2003). In fact, the sensitivity and specificity per patient and per polyp were similar and not statistically different between CTC and conventional colonoscopy for adenomas greater than 10 mm. The sensitivity of CTC for adenomatous polyps was 93.8% for polyps at least 10 mm in diameter, 93.9% for polyps at least 8 mm in diameter, and 88.7% for polyps at least 6 mm in diameter. The sensitivity of conventional colonoscopy for adenomatous polyps was 87.5, 91.5, and 92.3% for the three sizes of polyps, respectively. The specificity of CTC for adenomatous polyps was 96.0% for polyps at least 10 mm in diameter, 92.2% for polyps at least 8 mm in diameter, and 79.6% for polyps at least 6 mm in diameter (Pickhardt et al. 2003). Detection rates for polyps less than or equal to 5 mm in size are lower and the debate over the significance of these smaller lesions continues. Again, the aim of colorectal cancer screening is to detect cancer and adenomas. With respect to adenomas, the term "advanced adenoma" has been used to describe clinically significant adenomas that have the greatest likelihood to develop into cancer. Current understanding is that adenomas larger or equal to 10 mm reside in this category and should undergo resection. Polyps ranging in size from 5 mm to 9 mm should undergo short-term interval follow-up (van Dam et al. 2004). The most recent guidelines presented at the 5th Annual International Symposium on Virtual Colonoscopy in Boston, MA for reporting CTC findings are the following: mass lesion, direct referral to surgery; single or multiple polyps >10 mm, direct referral for colonoscopy and polypectomy; single polyp <10 mm but greater than or equal to 6 mm, three year follow up; >3 polyps, each 6 mm -9 mm, referral to colonoscopy and polypectomy; polyps "5 mm, seven year follow up study (Zalis 2004). CT colonography as a screening tool has the potential to have wider public acceptance compared to conventional colonoscopy. Acceptance of a screening study by a population is multi-factorial. Many physical and psychological barriers to colorectal cancer screening have been described. Surveys have reported patients' reluctance to undergo colorectal cancer screening because of time commitment for the conventional colonoscopy, use of colon cathartics, sedation requirements, prior painful experience and even embarrassment (Rozen and Pignone 2003). CT colonography is relatively fast without the need for sedation or a driver post procedure. Patients have described the post procedure discomfort less for CTC than conventional colonoscopy. Several studies have shown that patients' acceptance of CTC is greater than conventional colonoscopy or double contrast barium enema (Taylor et al. 2003). Development of minimal bowel prep or prep-less CTC through fecal tagging and electronic cleansing appears to be within reach, thus making a truly prep-less colorectal screening test an attractive possibility (Lefere et al. 2002). A subset of patients, including the elderly, those with cardiovascular disease, bleeding diathesis and a history of failed colonoscopies, are better suited to undergo CTC for colorectal cancer screening compared to colonoscopy or DCBE. Your Heart and Nutrition Prevention is better than a cure. Learn how to cherish your heart by taking the necessary means to keep it pumping healthily and steadily through your life. Cardiovascular Disease Alternative Treatments Ebook Breast Cancer Survivors Diverticular Disease - Virtual Colonoscopy Diverticulosis - Virtual Colonoscopy Automated Insufflation - Virtual Colonoscopy Colonic Distension - Virtual Colonoscopy Appendiceal Stump Odematous Colonoscopy Cardiovascular Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease - A Holistic Perspective Virtual Colonoscopy Diverticula	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2119
__label__cc	0.599418	0.400582	About Kenji The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science is On Sale Now! J. Kenji López-Alt is the Managing Culinary Director of Serious Eats, author of the James Beard Award-nominated column The Food Lab, and a columnist for Cooking Light. He lives in San Francisco. A New York native, Kenji cut his cooking chops the old-fashioned way by working his way up through the ranks of some of Boston's finest restaurants. With an education in science and engineering and as a former Senior Editor at Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen, Kenji is fascinated by the ways in which understanding the science of every day cooking can help improve even simple foods. His first book, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science will be released this September, followed by a second volume in September of 2017. Austin, TX: The Science of Breakfast at Central Market Central Market 4001 North Lamar Boulevard Austin, TX, 78756 United States (map) Learn more about the 'why' behind the 'how to' and you'll become a much better cook. That's the philosophy of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt of The Food Lab fame. He'll unravel the science of home cooking as he shows you how to make: Foolproof Hollandaise Sauce Potato Hash with Peppers & Onions Maple-Sage Breakfast Sausage. THE FOOD LAB: Better Home Cooking Through Science will be for sale on the day of class. Mr. Lopez-Alt will personalize copies after class. Source:: https://centralmarket.turnstilesystems.com/ProgramDetail.aspx/THEFOODLABTheScienceofBreakfastANL2232016 Palo Alto, CA: The Science of Breakfast at Sur La Table Houston, TX: The Science of Breakfast at Central Market Sign up with your email address to receive The Food Lab Newsletter with exclusive recipes, news, updates, and offers. We respect your privacy and will never give or sell your email address to a third party.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2120
__label__cc	0.532502	0.467498	Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine IV.15 Constantine’s orders regarding his representation on coins and in portraiture Caesarea Maritima Eulogy / Panegyric Life of Constantine IV.15 For an introduction to the Life of Constantine, see the commentary on I.8. This extract, describing the manner in which Constantine instructed his likeness to be depicted on coins and in portraiture, highlights an important shift in imperial propaganda, and, moreover, the way in which the emperor’s Christian biographer interprets this shift. Of course, we must be wary of taking Eusebius’s words at face value, given that his aim in writing the Life of Constantine was to portray the emperor as a devout ruler, chosen by God to accelerate the Christianisation of the Roman empire. When Eusebius states, therefore, that Constantine’s instructions regarding the style of his likeness on coins were motivated by his “divine faith,” Eusebius’s motivations must be kept in mind. As we shall see in the discussion that follows, it is far from clear that the heavenward gaze described in the extract above was by itself a definitive mark of the emperor’s Christianity. Rather, it likely fulfilled a dual purpose, to maintain the emperor’s links with paganism, while at the same time being interpretable as an indication of his connection to the Christian God. Eusebius does not make this connection, for obvious reasons, but the heavenward gaze was already well established within pagan material culture, notably in representations of Alexander the Great. For instance, Lysippus’s statue of Alexander was said to have portrayed him in such a way (Jonathan Bardill, Constantine, p. 19; a Roman copy of a bust of Alexander sculpted in this manner is held in the Louvre, although it is difficult to be sure on this statue that the eyes were looking upwards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysippos#/media/File:AlexandreTheGreat_Louvre.jpg). This connection is made more clear on Constantine’s coinage by the fact that the emperor is portrayed wearing a diadem, the Greek symbol of kingship, rather than the laurel wreath of the Romans. The head of the colossal statue of Constantine, which is now in pieces in Rome, also bears large, upward gazing eyes. Due to the statue being identified with that mentioned by Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History IX.9.10 and Life of Constantine I.40, which he claims the emperor altered to acknowledge the role of the Christian God in his victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge, many have interpreted the ethereal expression on the emperor’s face as an effort to connect him to the Christian God. After Constantine’s adoption of Christianity, it is probable that his representation in this classic Hellenistic pose was intended to portray his connection to the divine somewhat ambiguously, leaving the question of which God, or gods, his divine inspiration came from for the viewer to decide. Constantine’s coinage shows his associations initially with Mars (this relationship is still shown on coins minted after 312 CE; see Follis depicting the head of Constantine and Mars, the god of war). In 310 CE, Constantine claimed that he and his father descended from the emperor Claudius II Gothicus, whose patron god was Sol Invictus. A good example of the portrayal that Eusebius describes above appears on a gold medallion from Siscia (modern Sisak, Croatia), minted between 326 and 327 CE, where Constantine is depicted on the obverse with his head tilted towards the heavens, wide eyed, and wearing a diadem. The reverse shows the emperor subduing two captives, and bears the inscription GLORIA CONSTANTINI AVG (To the glory of Constantine Augustus) (http://culturalinstitute.britishmuseum.org/asset-viewer/gold-medallion-showing-constantine-the-great-at-prayer/3AEVCVZ6bG5TfQ?hl=en). There is a strong message carried here of Constantine’s success over his enemies as being intrinsically tied up with his piety and connection to the divine. Similarly, another gold medallion struck in 326 at Siscia shows on the obverse the diademed head of Constantine, with his chin raised and eyes looking upwards, bearing the inscription CONSTANTINVS AVG (Constantine Augustus), and on the reverse the emperor walking with a spear in his right hand, a trophy over his left shoulder, and a captive under his foot. The inscription accompanying this image reads VIRTVS D. N. CONSTANTINI AVG (“The valour of our Lord, Constantine Augustus”). Here, the emperor’s virtue, or bravery (virtus) is acknowledged as the reason for his victory in battle (for two further examples, with discussion, see the commentaries on the Gold medallion depicting the head of Constantine and the emperor walking while holding spear and a trophy, 327 CE from Thessalonica, and the Solidus depicting the head of Constantine celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of his rule, 335 CE, also from Thessalonica). In addition to coinage, Eusebius also describes above the prayerful posture of the emperor in his representation in portraits, which were hung above palaces. Constantine was depicted, we are told, with his arms outstretched in prayer. While currency could forward a propagandistic message far and wide across the empire as many of its inhabitants used certain coins (although not gold) on a daily basis, portraits on buildings forwarded their message by being visually prominent within public spaces (Averil Cameron and Stuart Hall note Eusebius’s “unusual awareness of the importance of representation” here; see Life of Constantine, p. 316). Similarly to the heavenward gazing eyes, outstretched arms in prayer were in no way specific to Christianity (see, for instance, Horatius, Odes, III.23). Eusebius’s statement regarding Constantine’s portraiture again reveals that his artistic representation throughout the empire exploited the ambiguity surrounding his allegiance/s to the divine. In the tomb of the Julii beneath St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, there is a well-known mosaic depicting a figure which appears to be Christ in the guise of Sol Invictus, and may well represent a blending of Christian and pagan culture, with Christ as the ‘new light’ of the world (see the commentary on this source for further discussion). As Alan Brent has pointed out, given that Constantine was a follower of Sol, such synthesis of Christ and the solar god would not be lost on him (A Political History, p. 280-281). What is important to note for our purposes, is that in spite of the fact that Constantine evidently maintained links to Roman religion even after his conversion to Christianity, Eusebius could exploit the ambiguity of the emperor’s representation on coins and in his portraiture in order to claim him for Christianity. The fact that Eusebius emphasises the fact that currency bearing the emperor’s pious expression was utilised throughout the Roman empire (οἰκουμένη, oikoumenè) reveals his intent to make explicit that the emperor was making strides towards publically expressing his relationship with the Christian God. The above discussion highlights the diversity of interpretations of the emperor’s piety among different inhabitants of the empire, be they pagan, Christian, or Jew. In the case of the latter, until blatantly Christian symbols, i.e. crosses, were added, there would likely be no observable difference from previous pagan imagery. βασίλειον γράφω δύναμις εἰκών εὔχομαι πίστις ἔνθεος Ῥωμαῖος imperial propaganda Cameron, Averil, Hall, Stuart, Eusebius: Life of Constantine: Introduction, Translation and Commentary (Oxford: Clarendon, 1999) Barnes, Timothy D., Constantine and Eusebius (Harvard: Harvard University Press, 1981) Bardill, Jonathan, Constantine: Divine Emperor of the Christian Golden Age (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012) Stephenson, Paul, Constantine: Roman Emperor, Christian Victor (New York: Overlook, 2009) Brent, Allen, A Political History of Early Christianity (London: T&T Clark, 2009) Schweich, Thomas, “Constantinian Coinage and the Emergence of Christian Civilization”, The Numismatist (1984) : 1138-1152 Vagi, David, “Religious Fusion Seen on Constantinian Bronze”, The Celator 9 (1995) : 14 Longtin, Rachelle, “Constantine and Christianity: The Numismatic Evidence”, The Journal of the Classical and Medieval Numismatic Society 1 (2000) : 5-27 Kiernan, Philip, “A Study on the Religious Propaganda of Ancient Coin Reverse Types, A.D. 313-337”, The Journal of the Classical and Medieval Numismatic Society 2 (2001) : 92-96 Dunning, Mark, “First Christian Symbols on Roman Imperial Coins”, The Celator 17 (2003) : 6-26 Tomb of the Julii (Mausoleum M) Mosaic of Christ-Sol Read more about Tomb of the Julii (Mausoleum M) Solidus depicting the head of Constantine celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of his rule (335 CE) Read more about Solidus depicting the head of Constantine celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of his rule (335 CE) Author(s) of this publication: Kimberley Fowler Publishing date: Tue, 06/26/2018 - 14:20 URL: http://www.judaism-and-rome.org/eusebius-caesarea-life-constantine-iv15	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2124
__label__cc	0.66387	0.33613	Kaitlin Ugolik Phillips Roundup: Cheese, Land Banks, #PrezRezVisit Happy weekend! Here are some of the things that caught my eye this week: The FDA, a truly bad NY Times pun, and the fate of my favorite food On Wednesday, the New York Times published a story with a pretty tame headline, but the Tweet they wrote for it caused some major eye-rolls: "An F.D.A. ruling on cheese has produced a stink that rivals Limburger." But, being a huge cheese lover (and living in artisanal product heaven - Brooklyn), I was intrigued. Turns out the FDA is concerned about the use of wooden boards to age cheese; because of their porous nature, it's not clear how well they can be cleaned, potentially raising the risk of the spread of Listeria and other bacteria. A lot of cheese is aged on wooden boards, including one of my personal favorites - cheddar. And the FDA's concern extends to imported cheese as well. I keep using the word "concern" and not "rule" or "ruling," because later in the week the FDA published a comment on its Facebook page in response to the mini-uproar created by the Times article: "The FDA does not have a new policy banning the use of wooden shelves in cheese-making, nor is there any FSMA requirement in effect that addresses this issue...Moreover, the FDA has not taken any enforcement action based solely on the use of wooden shelves." It is concerned about the boards/shelves though, and said it "is always open to evidence that shows that wood can be safely used for specific purposes, such as aging cheese." The Times and other publications painted it as a "retraction" or a "backpedaling," and a hopeful end to the cheesepocalypse. Here's the official, more detailed statement from the FDA so you can decide for yourself. New York adding 10 more land banks This is a little less exciting than cheese, but I found them both equally interesting this week. The New York state legislature has passed a bill that would double the number of land banks in the state, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to sign it soon. Land banks give municipalities a way to aggregate parcels of blighted or underdeveloped land, making it easier to sell them for redevelopment. Cuomo initiated New York's land bank program in 2011 in an effort to speed up economic recovery in some of the cities hardest hit by the economic downturn. The state has the capacity for 10 land banks right now, and with the new law will be able to create 10 more. I wrote this week for Law360 about what property owners and developers across the state (and their attorneys) should know if their city - or a city they want to invest in - creates a land bank. Obama becomes third president in 76 years to visit Indian Country I am a big fan of Twitter hashtags for livetweeting, humor, activism, and for bringing attention to things that I might not otherwise notice are happening. The latter happened on Friday when I started noticing the #PrezRezVisit hashtag. A lot of the Tweets were from Native Americans concerned about the lack of media coverage the event was getting and expressing skepticism about how the event would actually play out. The president visited the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Nation in North Dakota, and the main theme seemed to be that the U.S. could be doing a lot more to support tribal nations, particularly with regard to education and economic programs. Obama's speech included some specific goals: reforms at the Bureau of Indian Education and the removal of red tape that impairs infrastructure and other developments on tribal lands. The event was livecast on WhiteHouse.gov (you can see the video here), and the general feeling, on Twitter at least, was that it was a positive, productive day that had been a long time coming. Health, Social Issues, PersonalKaitlin Ugolik June 14, 2014 President Obama, Native Americans, Indian Country, cheeseComment Can tree-planting for better air backfire? Health, MediaKaitlin Ugolik June 19, 2014 Why don't more women make it to equity partner status in BigLaw? Social IssuesKaitlin Ugolik April 21, 2014 biglaw, gender gap	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2127
__label__wiki	0.832959	0.832959	Slash on possibility of new GN'R music: ' 'I Think Everybody Wants To Do It' 0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. « previous next » Author Topic: Slash on possibility of new GN'R music: ' 'I Think Everybody Wants To Do It' (Read 20935 times) (t) Re: Slash on possibility of new GN'R music: ' 'I Think Everybody Wants To Do It' Interesting that Axl's the one who wanted to play Slither. I've been living on the edge so long Quote from: (t) on September 25, 2018, 03:34:10 PM of course it's total speculation on my part, but I think Axl was touched by what Scott said about him after the VR split. Lord Stan I'm hearing that some Finnish media is running a headline that Slash has confirmed the new album. Jesus fuck this click-baiting. There is no confirmation and everyone else but some so-called reporter knows that This is worrying because I heard this from a friend who doesn't follow the band. I don't know if any other media outlets have picked up the story. If and possibly when there is no album too soon stories could start again about this and that and no album despite confirmed blah blah blah allwaystired Quote from: Lord Stan on September 27, 2018, 06:23:07 AM I had exactly the same yesterday- a British newspaper ran it too. It's based on nothing at all. "Beyond the realms of dedication, venturing worryingly deep sometimes into obsessional delusion" The whole confimation is from two articles where he didn't confirm that the album is definitely on its way..... The UK newspaper cites Revolver: YOU HAVE ANOTHER BAND, BUT AXL DOESN'T. SHOULD WE ASSUME THAT MEANS YOU WILL BE RECORDING NEW GN'R MUSIC TOGETHER? We'll see what happens. It's really early to tell what we're going to do with Guns N' Roses and new material. We want to do something. We've been on the road this entire time. We have another leg coming up in November in Southeast Asia, Dubai and South Africa. Then we're going to start looking at what the next step is going to be. And Classic Rock: He added: "I think we're going to go well on into the future. I mean, Axl's got a ton of shit that he recorded already, so we're going to get in there and just start getting into that thing, and then if we do a record and then do a tour, I could see that cycle going on endlessly." These two answers is the "confirmation" according to the UK newspaper and the rest of them ran with it without actually reading what he said! coolman78SLASH You gotta have balls man-Tony Montana-Scarface Slash’s father have confirmed it on his Instagram and that post have been liked by Slash.. SLASH ROCKS !!!!!!! Quote from: jarmo on September 27, 2018, 07:10:00 AM ....and we all clicked on it! There lies the problem with online 'journalism'. The truth just doesn't really matter anymore if those clicks are coming in. Quote from: allwaystired on September 27, 2018, 07:46:10 AM "Click-bait headlines typically aim to exploit the "curiosity gap", providing just enough information to make readers of news websites curious, but not enough to satisfy their curiosity without clicking through to the linked content." They do it because it benefits them greatly and it's not illegal. They know that everyone knows what they are doing but there's no need to care about it. "I mean, I feel pretty confident that something's gonna happen. And there's no deadline on it so I couldn't tell you when. But I feel pretty, you know, secure in saying that we're gonna do something, you know? So it'll happen when it happens as with any Guns N' Roses thing.... You just sorta have to... You can't put any restraints on time." https://wrif.com/episodes/radio-chatter-with-slash/ axlvai Quote from: coolman78SLASH on September 27, 2018, 07:43:57 AM You have the IG username to see it? That would be good. Edit. I saw it. Well.... time to say something so.... « Last Edit: September 28, 2018, 08:09:52 PM by axlvai » Logged Slash is back with the Conspirators, but won't rule out a new Guns N' Roses album By Clay Marshall Sep 28, 2018 \| 11:35 AM Three years ago, Slash received an unexpected phone call that forced him to rethink everything. At the time, the man born 53 years ago as Saul Hudson – who rose to fame in the late 1980s as the cigarette-dangling, Les Paul-playing, top hat-wearing lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses – had spent more than a year touring the world in support of his third solo album. With the tour winding down, the group, featuring vocalist Myles Kennedy and a band of backing musicians called the Conspirators, had started writing material for a new album. The plan was to record and release it in 2016. Then the phone rang. And the artist, who had long traded rock ’n’ roll recklessness for stability and independence, was being asked to revisit his past. The call set off an unlikely chain of events that would answer the prayers of hard rock fans who made GNR's landmark 1987 debut “Appetite for Destruction” the bestselling debut album of all time. Axl Rose, the group's razor-lunged vocalist and its last remaining original member, wanted to mend bridges with the guitarist, who left the band in 1996 due to musical and personal clashes. “When Axl and I had our first conversation in 20 years, it was really great,” Slash says from an office inside his Snakepit Studios, a house on a quiet residential street in the San Fernando Valley that he recently purchased and subsequently converted into a recording facility. “It was a huge load off my mind for him and I to talk, because there's been so much bad blood perpetuated over the years by the media.” Soon after, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival announced the headlining act for its events in the spring of 2016 – a partial Guns N' Roses reunion featuring Slash, Rose and original bassist Duff McKagan. Knowing that additional GNR performances (which would ultimately include shows at Dodger Stadium, the Forum and Staples Center) would follow, Slash broke the news to Kennedy and his Conspirators band mates. A new album would be postponed indefinitely. “I went to the Conspirators guys and said, 'Look, I'm going to do this Guns N' Roses thing. I have no idea where that's going to go,'” Slash recalls. “Of course, the Guns N' Roses thing turned into this juggernaut, but I was always looking for a gap to be able to go back and finish what we started with the Conspirators. I had no intention of putting that to rest just because Guns N' Roses was happening.” Slash says that while his Conspirators band members supported his return to GNR, he felt a sense of guilt over leaving them hanging. “We'd been doing this up until that point for pretty much five years straight, so that, I felt bad about,” he explains. “But Guns was a major part of who I am, and I was so happy to be doing something positive with that [again].” ----- cut ------- Slash expects to spend much of 2019 on the road with the Conspirators, but considering the success of the GNR tour, he understands fans' desire to see that group take the next step in its comeback and record new material. “I don't want to say anything that's going to make people start thinking something [is happening], because there's nothing set up,” he says. “But it's definitely on my mind. I know it's on Axl's mind, and I know it's on Duff's mind. It's one of those things that you don't want to put a timeline or a deadline on. You just let it be, and it will happen when it happens.” It's a surprisingly Zen-like perspective for someone who was once a symbol of rock debauchery and whose exploits were chronicled in a 2007 autobiography that featured the tag line “it seems excessive, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.” “I didn't have much of a future left if I kept going down that road,” Slash, now 12 years sober, says. “When I finally came to terms with [addiction] and decided that I was not enjoying it anymore, all that energy I was putting into copping and using just went straight into music. I think it's really helped me to become a better player.” Full interview: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-slash-livingdream-gnr-20180928-story.html# Wooody Its sounds like they will. Just use your head and in the end you'll find your inspiration. Quote from: Wooody on October 02, 2018, 11:20:04 AM "idk if soon is the word..." By Richard Bienstock 5 days ago Artist Slash touches on everything from his ferocious new album, 'Living the Dream,' to his amazing new Marshall Jubilee and why he enjoys playing 'Chinese Democracy' songs live. When Guitar World catches up with Slash, The legendary guitarist is far from home — roughly 5,000 miles from Los Angeles, to be more precise, in Tallinn, Estonia, where Guns N’ Roses are playing yet another date on their massively successful 18-month reunion world tour. “It’s my first time here, and its pretty cool,” he says, calling from his hotel room the day after the gig. “They have a big outdoor venue, and there’s an area called Old Town that’s like something out of a nursery rhyme or children’s book. And the show last night was fucking killer.” Next up? Gigs in Norway, Sweden and Iceland (each of them undoubtedly fucking killer in their own right), after which Slash will return to L.A. for what, smart money would assume, will be a much needed, much-deserved break… --- cut --- Were you coming up with song ideas for Living the Dream while on tour with Guns N’ Roses? No. I did do some writing, but I was really thinking in terms of Guns at that time. So I have some ideas in my phone that are primarily for that. Because that’s where my head was at. I tend to get into one thing and then focus on that 100 percent. I’m not thinking of anything else. It’s the only way to do it when you’ve got two things that are so all encompassing. You have to shut one off to do the other. So that means you’re putting together ideas for new Guns N’ Roses material? Yeah, I think there’s a little bit of that activity going on. For an album? There’s talk about doing some recording. I think we all would love to do something that we thought was really cool. We just haven’t really sat down and put our noses to the grindstone to do it. We haven’t really had time. But there’s been a couple things that we’ve dicked around with at soundchecks. Over the past decades there’d been so much talk about a Guns N’ Roses reunion — not really from you or other band members, but rather from the press and the fans. When it actually came to fruition, I imagine you were just as surprised as the rest of us. Well, really, I had no foresight of a reunion whatsoever. The most important thing to me was that Axl and I got together and managed to have some lengthy conversations about stuff that concerned us. Just to have that sort of relationship back and that camaraderie between the two of us, band stuff aside, was really important. I was really relieved to have that. Because some of that negativity that had built up over the years, especially by the media, just turned into something that you’re carrying around all the time. It was sort of like the elephant in the room. So it was good to get rid of that. Then when the conversation turned to [headlining] Coachella, it just sounded like a really fun thing to do. But I don’t think any of us really foresaw it going as long as it ended up going. But all things considered, it was just a testament to how much fun the whole thing was. Your first time back onstage with the band was at the Troubadour in April 2016. How surreal of an experience was it to walk out there with Axl and Duff as Guns N’ Roses and kick into that first song? Actually, the first song of the show wasn’t as surreal as showing up there for soundcheck. That was, I think, the real surreal moment. But at the same time, one of the interesting things about reuniting with Guns is that it doesn’t remind me of anything from the past. There’s not flashbacks, like, “I was standing here at this time 20 years ago…” or some bullshit like that. I just look over and I see two guys I’ve known for 30 years. There is that familiarity, and there’s a familiarity with the songs, but it all seems very new. But that said, I have to say that that moment I got onstage at soundcheck at the Troubadour it was sort of like a time-lapse camera that went all the way back to 1985. [laughs] One of the things that’s been a nice surprise at the Guns N’ Roses shows is to hear you playing songs from Chinese Democracy. Yeah. You know, it’s very different… it’s really cool stuff, but it was played by guitar players that are very different from me style-wise. I’ve sort of adapted my own way of playing those songs to where I feel comfortable with them, but without losing the integrity of how the guitar parts go. So it’s been a lot of fun to do, like, the song “Chinese Democracy,” which I love playing. And there’s a song we’ve been playing lately called “Madagascar,” which, I don’t even know exactly what the guitar parts are on the original at this point because I’ve changed it so much. [laughs] That said, I also want to give credit where credit’s due — the guitar players that played on Chinese Democracy, Buckethead being one of the main ones — are fucking amazing guitar players. I have to give those guys a shout-out because that stuff was cool. Very different from what I normally do. So it’s been interesting learning some of the stuff that was on that record. I definitely had to figure out ways to adapt to it. Full article: http://www.guitarworld.com/artists/dream-sequence sofine11 Here's hoping that there are firm plans for studio time in 2019. I have a feeling they'd have a blast if they all go in and do their thing and could still create some really great stuff together. Board crew I think this is the first time Slash has actually given hints about recording an album. Up until now, all he had said was along the lines of "Yes, I think everyone wants to do it...etc". This to me sounds like they are actually planning something: "there's talk about doing some recording" and "Yes, I think there's a little bit of that activity going on". For the first time, I actually think we may see an album in 1-2 years I sometimes get a feeling that Slash has to defend why he also has another job than GNR. Quote from: Ignatius on October 04, 2018, 05:50:05 PM It's a very different ballgame now than what it was 2009-2014 in terms of putting out new music. This lineup has achieved something massive in that they are well on their way to ranking #2 on all time tours. Let that sink in. I think the music industry, current lineup, management etc. now understand that new music would only be a good thing for all involved. If anything, from a marketing perspective it's a new reason to embark on another largescale tour. Quote from: sofine11 on October 05, 2018, 10:46:54 AM I can still think of stadiums where I've seen football (soccer) that they haven't done in Europe. Just fingers crossed they don't try another tour without new music. I would still go but just don't do it, please. Edit to add: Huh, I didn't even see the Hawaii gig yet. It's of course great they go and conquer unseen parts of the world but it can't happen that they keep touring only for the sake of a new venue if having been already just nearby. « Last Edit: October 06, 2018, 03:50:39 AM by Lord Stan » Logged	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2128
__label__wiki	0.838683	0.838683	A 'Conversation' By Stephanie Flint-Genesee County Legal News Lawyer and best-selling novelist discusses ‘Blood’ By Kurt Anthony Krug Most lawyers-turned-novelists usually write legal thrillers. That’s not the case with New York Times best-selling novelist Paul S. Kemp, who writes in the science-fiction and fantasy genres. This includes his most recent – and 17th – novel “A Conversation in Blood” (Penguin Random House $27). “One of the things I like most about fantasy and I think space opera mirrors this to a certain degree – ‘Star Wars’ certainly does – is it’s really a great venue for exploring moral questions in an exaggerated way because a fantasy world or a science-fiction world allows you to exaggerate certain moral characteristics that you couldn’t in real-world fiction. And then you can explore the consequences of that decision-making in that arena. I really like that,” explained Kemp, 47, who lives in Grosse Pointe Park with his wife and four children. He can’t imagine moving away from these two genres, so it’s doubtful you’ll see his name on a legal thriller any time soon. “I also really think that both fantasy and science-fiction – but fantasy, especially – really ignites the imagination of people and broadens our thinking. In that respect, it’s unique; it’s something that thrillers and even most literary fiction doesn’t do as well,” said Kemp, an alumnus of the University of Michigan-Dearborn and U-M Law School in Ann Arbor. “Conversation” is the third novel in Kemp’s sword and sorcery series featuring his creations Egil (pronounced “Egg-gill”) and Nix, who debuted in 2012’s “The Hammer and the Blade.” They’re two ex-warriors who gave up that life to open up a bar and brothel. Yet, circumstances force them to fight once again. “Conversation” opens with the both of them recovering from the events of 2013’s “A Discourse in Steel,” the previous book in the series. “It turns out an item that they found in some ruins in the previous book and didn’t think much about turns out to something a lot of groups want. Egil and Nix have no idea why they want it. Part of the mystery of the book is what is the item and why do people want it so badly? That includes an otherworldly type of creature that can seemingly sense this item,” said Kemp. “It isn’t like Egil and Nix stand back and let events happen to them. Once they realize that this item is so sought after, they take it upon themselves and force their adversaries to tell them precisely what they have and they’re in for a bit of a shock when they find that out.” For Kemp, the challenge of this book was making sure the payoff at the end was equal to the journey Egil and Nix undertake. “I think I always knew the payoff at the end of the book was going to be something special and interesting. I wanted to make that the buildup to it, and the journey both justified and matched the payoff in terms of intensity and wow factor,” he said. Egil and Nix were inspired by Kemp’s love of fantasy fiction, something he’s read since he was a boy. Fritz Leiber’s “Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser” series and Robert E. Howard’s “Conan the Barbarian” series had a profound influence on him. “Sword and sorcery stories are these ripping yarns, fast-paced adventures with quick wit, rapid-fire dialogue and impulsive action. In some ways, I always liken it to the (1981) film ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark.’ The Egil and Nix books have a lot in common with it in terms of pacing and dialogue but still have a philosophical undertone,” explained Kemp. “Because I love those so much, I wanted to write stories like that. It so happens there’s not a lot of that (type of story) in the market at the moment, so there seems to be at least some appetite for it and that’s a good thing, too.” One critic even compared Egil and Nix to “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin’s characters Dun and Egg from his “A Song of Ice and Fire” series. “I say, ‘Thanks for that! I really appreciate it!’” said Kemp, laughing. “If I could have a fraction of (Martin’s) success, I’d be a happy man.” Kemp stated that while his Egil and Nix novels are sequential, it is not essential to start with the first book. “In tone, they’re all similar; they’re compulsive action stories and they share a lot of tropes with the sword and sorcery genre. Each book I try to write as a standalone, so a reader can pick it up anywhere along the line,” he said. “I try with each one to address some kind of an interesting theme or trope and invert that trope in each book. Each one differs from the last in that respect. Of course, the characters develop over time and their world is increasingly revealed as we go from book to book and so forth.” Currently, Kemp’s hard at work on “An Answer in Blades,” the fourth Egil and Nix adventure. He was tight-lipped about other projects, including whether he’ll write a new “Star Wars” novel. To date, he’s penned four, the most recent being 2015’s “Lords of the Sith.” “I’m under contract to do another ‘Star Wars’ book, so I hope that’ll happen soon so I can talk about it,” he said. “Right now I can’t really say anything other than that.” This year, “Star Wars” – the space opera created by George Lucas – turns 40. Kemp shared his insights what on gives “Star Wars” its staying power after all this time. “For me, ‘Star Wars’ pulled at that mythical cadence in the same way a lot of fantasy fiction does – it pulled at our sense of imagination and sense of wonder. ‘Star Wars’ knows the kind of emotional strings that it touches in us – it’s aspirational. In that respect, I don’t see it going anywhere for a very long time,” he said. In addition to being a novelist, Kemp practices corporate law. He is the in-house counsel for the Troy-based technology company Caretech Solutions. According to Kemp, being a lawyer has helped him become a better author. “I have observed in other contexts that working in law and negotiating deals requires a sense of understanding people’s true motivations. That’s, likewise, critical when you’re thinking about and conceptualizing characters. We’re all driven by certain drives and desires that are paramount over others,” he explained. “It’s useful to understand what those are in your characters. If you do – you know what they want, the kinds of things that drive them – it makes it a lot easier to create compelling ones. I think being an attorney has helped hone that skill and people see that in the characters I create.” headlines Flint-Genesee County Willie Horton and a few attorneys rolled up their sleeves and knocked it 'out of the park' Handling a social media crisis before it blows up Forty-year honorees and award winners saluted by the OCBA Rebecca Seguin-Skrabucha Joins Bodman PLC Top 'Scout' You are here: HomeFlint-Genesee County > A 'Conversation'	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2137
__label__wiki	0.844874	0.844874	Past Issues‎ > ‎Past 2011‎ > ‎2011 March‎ > ‎ Diplomatic Link - Kazakhstan Nazarbayev Focuses on Economic Development, Social Security As Major Goals up to 2020, Says Foreign Policy Will “Meet Hopes” of All Partners President delivers state-of-the-nation address, outlining concrete plans up to 2020 哈薩克斯坦總統納扎爾巴耶夫發表國情諮文　明確至二零二零年的具體計劃 Kazakhstan's foreign policy will “meet hopes and expectations of all our partners,” President Nursultan Nazarbayev said in his state-of-the-nation address on January 28 as he outlined major priorities for the country's development for both 2011 and the next decade. “Kazakhstan will remain committed to swift and efficient development of the Customs Union between Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus,” the President told the members of Parliament, the government and the people of the country during his one-hour address televised nationally. He went on to note that in the first 10 months of the CU operation last year the country's trade with the other two partners jumped 38 percent. “We offer our European partners to jointly develop and accept, in a multilateral format, a Kazakhstan-EU Energy Charter up to the year 2020,” Nazarbayev said. “This would ensure the guarantee of stability of energy supplies to the European markets, and the development of pipeline systems.” Turning to other foreign policy issues, Nazarbayev announced his intention to convene this year a special donor conference on Afghanistan. Last year, Kazakhstan launched a special 50-million-dollar educational programme to train 1,000 Afghans in Kazakhstan and signed an agreement, as yet to be ratified by the Parliament, to send officers to ISAF headquarters in Kabul. The Kazakh President also reaffirmed his commitment to pursue a Stability Pact for the Caspian Region, which, in his view, would be a document leading to better cooperation and mutual understanding among the five littoral states. Taking up the subject of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Kazakhstan.s chairmanship in it last year, the President said the country would continue to stay involved, especially in efforts to resolve conflicts. Another foreign policy priority for Kazakhstan would be the development of an inter-state programme of assistance to neighbouring Kyrgyzstan which last year saw major upheavals and violence. Kazakhstan, as both a close neighbour and a chair of the OSCE, helped stabilize the situation there by sending 11 million dollars worth of assistance and coordinating various efforts within the organization, including the dispatch of a group of police advisors. Kazakhstan will also continue promoting its idea of reaching a Universal Declaration of a Nuclear-Weapons Free World, first proposed by President Nazarbayev last year at the Global Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC. Later in 2011, Kazakhstan will assume the presidency in the council of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference. As part of its mission, Kazakhstan will continue to promote the East-West dialogue and better understanding, President Nazarbayev said. Internationally there are expectations Astana can indeed contribute to these efforts. Tolerance was one of the major messages of Kazakhstan.s OSCE chairmanship last year, resulting in a stronger focus within the organization on problems related to intolerance based on ethnic, religious, sexual or other grounds. Also last year, Kazakhstan aggressively promoted closer ties between international organizations it chaired or initiated, such as the OSCE and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), helping organize the first ever CICA-OSCE forum in Istanbul in June 2010. Astana also invited OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ikhsanoglu to participate in and address numerous OSCE events, including its summit in Astana last December. One more important foreign policy priority for Kazakhstan is its current leadership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the holding of the group's 10th anniversary summit in Astana in June. Kazakhstan was the original co-founder of the SCO and this organization, which also groups China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, will continue to be of great importance for the country, President Nazarbayev said. Referendum decision to be based on people’s best interests Turning to the much discussed issue of a referendum to extend the President's term of office up to 2020, Nursultan Nazarbayev said the people's initiative, now supported by more than five million signatures or almost two thirds of the typically voting electorate, created a complicated “political collision”. “I am sincerely grateful to all the people of Kazakhstan, as well as the initiators of this idea,” the President said. “As you know, by my decree I declined the proposal of the Parliament to have a referendum, as I was planning to stand for re-election in 2012,” he noted. “The Parliament overruled my objections and passed a law. I sent it to the Constitutional Council for review. Only after they make a conclusion, the final decision [on whether or not have the referendum] will be made.” “In any case, I am very touched by such attitude from the people… I take it as a signal to continue in my job, to continue doing my work,” Nazarbayev said. “Whatever decision we will make… If my health and strengths allow me, if there is such support from the people, I will continue doing my job,” the President said to a rousing applause from the audience. “For we have created this country almost from scratch, and I, your obedient servant, has led this process. I can't say I am the founder, but I did lead this process, and this country is my creation, our creation, which is precious for me and whose independence is precious for me and for us,” he stressed. “The decision will take into account the position of the Constitutional Council and the interests of the people. We need to look not in front of our feet, but farther ahead. In any case, the will of the people will be above all for me,” President Nazarbayev noted. Economic growth top priority Speaking of Kazakhstan's economic development, the President said its record since independence 19 years ago offers a great promise for the future. “In December 1991, having chosen the strategic goals of sustainability and success, we moved forward, creating new programmes of development for each new stage… We set ourselves ambitious goals, and we achieved them,” Nazarbayev underscored. In 1994, Kazakhstan's gross domestic product per capita was slightly above 700 dollars, while today it reaches 9,000 dollars, an increase of 12 times. “We had planned to reach such a level only by 2015,” the President proudly said. “The international experience shows that in their first 20 years of independence, no other country was able to do that.” Last year, Kazakhstan.s economy grew seven percent, overcoming the influence of the global financial crisis which affected the country over the past couple of years. While the GDP grew 8.5 percent in 2007, the growth slowed to 3.2 percent in 2008, and then slowed even further to 1.1 percent in 2009. The economy never contracted, though, thanks to both massive state investments to the tune of 14 percent of the GDP, and the recovery in the global commodity prices. An even larger credit for that recovery, according to the President, should go to both prudent policies and the Programme of Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development (PAIID) for 2010-2014, launched last year. Already, 152 new enterprises were launched, creating 24,000 new jobs. Kazakhstan's gold and foreign currency reserves now stand at 60 billion dollars, more than before the crisis hit, while Kazakhstan attracted 120 billion dollars in foreign direct investment overall since 1993. “Before 2014, we plan to see through 294 investment projects worth 8.1 trillion tenge (KZT 147 = US$ 1),” Nazarbayev said adding that 161,000 new permanent jobs will be created and 207,000 new jobs will be available for the period of construction. The PAIID.s main result is the “beginning of the structural changes in the economic development thanks to the expansion in the real sector of the economy,” the President said as he went on to outline the expectations for economic development up to 2020 according to a strategic development plan offered last year. The GDP should grow 30 percent, while the growth in processing industries should exceed that in the extractive industries. The assets of the National Fund, set up in 2000, would reach 30 percent of the GDP. Investments, both domestic and foreign, should grow by 30 percent. Inflation will be contained within five to eight percent. The share of small and medium-sized businesses in the GDP should reach 40 percent of the GDP. The population should grow from the current 16 million to 18 million, and qualified specialists will constitute 40 percent of the workforce. Unemployment will stay below five percent [Last year it fell to 5.6 percent]. The productivity in agriculture will grow twice by 2014, and four times by 2020, as Kazakhstan will seek to become one of the major exporters of meat, in addition to exporting wheat and flour. Along all of that development, energy consumption of the economy should be reduced. “I stand for the principle, .strong business means strong state.,” the President noted as he reaffirmed his commitment to further creating beneficial conditions for businesses. Already, last year Kazakhstan was recognized by the World Bank as the country which improved conditions for domestic businesses the most in one year. The World Bank also ranked Kazakhstan 59th in the rating of 183 countries in terms of the most beneficial business climate. Elsewhere, 16 laws were adopted to reform the system of law enforcement and the protection of human rights, while state bodies slashed their staff by 15 percent. “Kazakhstan will continue fighting corruption without compromises,” Nazarbayev underscored as he noted that the country jumped 45 points in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index in three years. Education, healthcare, languages and tolerance top social priorities Lifelong learning should be the motto for all Kazakhs, Nazarbayev said, adding that Kazakhstan will continue to create conditions for the people to pursue this goal. By 2020, the country should switch from an 11-year school curriculum to a 12-year one, and, for that, 400 new schools will be built by 2015. The Nazarbayev University, as well as the intellectual schools built around the country now, will also be instrumental in further educational reforms. By 2020, at least two universities in Kazakhstan should join the rating of the best universities in the world. What is more, according to Nazarbayev, the people in Kazakhstan should have “an opportunity to save for education of their children, with interest bonuses added from the government.” Additionally, a National Council on Vocational Personnel Training will be set up, while free vocational training is to be ensured. Budget financing for healthcare now stands at 3.2 percent of the GDP. The continued attention to this sphere had led to a 25 percent growth in birth rate, an 11 percent decrease in death rate, and the speeding of the population growth by 1.7 times. By 2013, the Unified National Healthcare System will be fully introduced, with the ultimate goal of extending the average longevity to 72 years by 2020. The Government will also heavily promote a healthy lifestyle, and the new facilities, specifically built for the Asian Winter Games from January 30 through February 6, 2010, will have to be fully used afterwards, the President underscored. Another top priority is the development of languages. “Peace and harmony are our common achievement,” the President underscored, as he outlined plans to promote the study of the Kazakh, the Russian and the English languages. Already, more than 60 percent of the population speaks Kazakh, the state language which 20 years ago was almost on the brink of extinction due to suppression from the Soviet authorities. Plans are afoot to have 80 percent of the ethnically diverse population speak Kazakh by 2017, and 95 percent by 2020. “In ten years, 100 percent of school graduates will speak the state language,” the President said. The government would also promote the study of the Russian and other languages of more than 130 ethnic groups in the nation. English, though, will be a continued priority, and “by 2020 20 percent of the population should speak English freely”, the head of state said. Among other priorities listed by the President were housing, water supplies and providing employment. “By May 2011, I instruct the Government to develop a new employment programme,” Nazarbayev said, adding that free vocational training and microcredits to support small entrepreneurs, especially, in the rural communities, should be a top goal. “This year, we are also raising pensions, scholarships and budget wages by 30 percent. For two years, we have been raising them by 25 percent each. As planned, by 2012, average pensions, salaries and scholarships will grow twice compared to 2008. We had promised that, and we are delivering on that promise,” Nazarbayev said. 20th anniversary to be a major celebration The year of 2011 will be a major opportunity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan.s independence, achieved on December 16, 1991. “Throughout the years of independence fundamental values of the Kazakhstan Way have been crystallized: Freedom, Unity, Stability and Prosperity,” the President stressed. To arrange proper commemoration, a state commission has now been set up and a nationwide plan approved. Celebrating the 20th anniversary is a “common affair” for the whole nation, Nazarbayev said as he asked the Government to bring together the efforts of investors, business community and all the people. “The motto of our jubilee will be .20 Years of Peace and Creation.,” the President said.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2138
__label__wiki	0.827987	0.827987	ČOḠĀ BONUT ČOḠĀ BONUT (CHOGHA BONUT), archaeological site in lowland Susiana, in the present-day province of Ḵuzestān in southwestern Iran. Located at 32°13′20″ N, 48°30′18″ E, the site is about 20 km southeast of the city of Dezful and 5 km west of Čoḡā Miš (FIGURE 1). The importance of the site lies in the fact that, to date, Čoḡā Bonut has provided evidence of the earliest stages of settled agricultural life in Ḵuzestān. Čoḡā Bonut is a small mound; in its truncated and artificially rounded state it has a diameter of about 50 m and rises just over 5 m above the surrounding plain (FIGURE 2). Calibrated radiocarbon date of ca. 7200 BCE makes Čoḡā Bonut the earliest agricultural village in lowland Ḵuzestān, when the colonization of this region began by early Neolithic farmers/hunters. Archaeological excavations at the site began in 1976 as a salvage project (Kantor, 1976-77). After the political upheavals of 1978, excavations resumed in 1996 for one season, and the combined results were published in 2003 (Alizadeh). Five phases of occupation were documented at the site: 1) the Aceramic phase, 2) the Formative Ceramic phase, 3) the Archaic Susiana 0 phase, 4) the Late Middle Susiana phase, and 5) the Late Susiana 2 phase. The Aceramic Phase: Initial Colonization of Lowland Susiana. The earliest, basal levels at Čoḡā Bonut that did not produce any ceramic vessels comprise the initial Aceramic phase. In this phase, the early settlers of the Susiana plain chose to settle on top of a low natural hill surrounded by shallow marshes at an elevation where dry farming was possible. Even today, when the region is much drier than it was in early Neolithic times, dry agriculture is still practiced as supplement. The early farmers of lowland Susiana cultivated wheat, barley, and lentils and had domesticated sheep, goats, pigs, and dogs. Hunting and gathering supplemented this mixed subsistence economy. During this initial phase, the chipped stone industry and manufacture of stone vessels were highly developed. In the limited exposure of the 1996 excavations, no traces of solid architecture were found, but fragmentary pieces of straw-tempered mud bricks suggest the existence of solid architecture. Most probably, the early inhabitants of this site came from the highlands, for there is a great similarity between the chipped stone industry, clay and stone figurines, and tokens of Čoḡā Bonut, on the one side, and those found at the early sites in the piedmonts of the Zagros Mountains, on the other. The Formative Ceramic Phase. Soon after the initial Aceramic phase at Čoḡā Bonut, plain and crude pottery vessels of simple shapes appeared, marking the beginning of the Formative Ceramic phase of the following Archaic period. During this phase, several classes of simple decorated pottery vessels, some with fugitive paint, can be observed (Alizadeh, pp. 43-47). The crude pottery of the Formative Ceramic phase (FIGURE 3) evolved into several outstanding classes of painted pottery, but the straw-tempered ware of the following Archaic Susiana 0 phase continued almost unchanged during the entire Archaic sequence. The architectural evidence of the Formative Ceramic phase consisted of rectangular small houses with two or three rooms and usually an open court with some fire pits containing fire-cracked rocks. These simple nuclear family residences were built with the characteristic long, cigar-shaped mud bricks that continued to be used until the end of the Archaic period, and even into the Early Susiana period (ca. 5900 BCE). These architecturally awkward bricks have a surprisingly wide geographic distribution from the Susiana plain to southern and central Mesopotamia—for example, they have been found at Tell al-Owayli (Oueili; see Vallat, 1996, pp. 113-15, figs. 2-5) and at Čoḡā Māmi (Oates, p. 116, pl. 22:c)—and as far as Central Asia (Masson and Sarianidi, pp. 33-40, pl. 7). In addition to these peculiar bricks, stone and clay T-shaped figurines and a variety of simple coarse ware were shared by a number of early Neolithic cultures of southwest Asia. Exotic materials, not native to the region, consisted solely of obsidian blades and Persian Gulf shells. These non-local items may possibly have been procured by a trickle-down inter-regional exchange system. No evidence of intramural burial was found at Čoḡā Bonut during this and preceding phase. The absence of this crucial evidence renders it difficult to assess social status solely on the basis of the distribution of other artifacts, which seem homogeneous in all excavated areas. The evidence of architecture, however, points out to some type of social practice that, though not clearly understood, suggests communal activities at this early stage of social development. Two partially preserved buildings are all that were excavated from this phase (FIGURE 4). The better-preserved building may have had a non-domestic as well as domestic function. The plans of the buildings and the presence of numerous fire pits in them suggest non-domestic character or special status of these buildings as well, the nature of which can only be speculated. The possibility that an extended family resided in this building cannot be ruled out, however (Alizadeh, fig. 11). The Archaic Susiana 0 Phase. The appearance of the Painted-Burnished variant of ware, a new class of painted pottery that provides antecedent for the entire Archaic Susiana ceramics, marks the transition to the Archaic period. Another site, Tappe Tuleʾi (named after an edible tuber), southwest of Andimešk in northwestern Ḵuzestān, is the only other site in ancient Ḵuzestān that was occupied during this phase (Hole, 1974; Idem, 1975). The fact that neither Tappe Tuleʾi nor Čoḡā Bonut was located close to any detectable canal or source of water may be an indication of sufficient precipitation for dry farming. Faunal, floral, and phytolith (fossilized pollen) evidence from Čoḡā Bonut indicated the presence of marshes in upper Susiana during this phase (Redding and Rosen in Alizadeh, pp. 129-49). Evidence of gazelle, onager, and domesticated sheep, goats, and dogs, as well as that of wheat and barley points to a mixed economy of farming, herding, and hunting in this phase. In addition to these species, the presence of bones of the giant Indian gerbil and bears at Čoḡā Bonut also indicates the wetter climate in this region during the initial phases of the Archaic period. The Painted-Burnished variant ware is fully represented at Tappe Tuleʾi, but is rare in the nearby Dehlorān (Deh Luran) plain to the north (FIGURE 5). Apart from this distinct class of early Neolithic Susiana pottery, the stone tools, chipped stone industry, and small objects such as T-shaped human figurines and animal figurines are almost indistinguishable among the two Susiana sites and Čoḡā Safid and ʿAlikoš in Dehlorān. The great similarity in the objects other than pottery suggests that while the stone industry and the manufacture of small clay and stone objects found at these sites may have had a shared origin, the Painted-Burnished variant ware was developed in Susiana proper. The architecture of the Archaic Susiana 0 phase at Čoḡā Bonut consists of two separate buildings, but their complete plans cannot be restored (Alizadeh, fig. 10). A rather large rectangular structure is all that was left of one building that, based on its comparatively large size, must have been a hall or courtyard of a much larger structure. The three surviving walls are neatly made of long, cigar-shaped mud bricks laid as stretchers. Two platforms or buttresses, made of the same construction material, were built against the outer face of its southern wall. The western portion of this building, where the living quarters had been presumably located, was entirely destroyed, but the presence of two rows of headers, one slightly higher than the other, could have provided access to the rooms on this side. The other, smaller building was better preserved. The building material was the same as for the larger structure, but the neat division of space and the straightness of its walls indicate a certain degree of architectural sophistication, if not specialization, even in this early phase of architecture in Susiana. For reasons not known, sometime during the Archaic Susiana 0 phase, Čoḡā Bonut was deserted and did not become reoccupied for at least a thousand years. The Late Middle Susiana Phase. Čoḡā Bonut was resettled in the Late Middle Susiana period (ca. 5200 BCE). The mound was deserted around 4800 BCE and was reoccupied during the Late Susiana 2 phase, by the end of which, around 4000 BCE, it was abandoned again. The uppermost parts of the mound preserved the remains of a settlement of the Late Middle Susiana phase. The architecture of this phase lay directly on top of debris and eroded walls of the much earlier Archaic Susiana period. Within the limits of the excavated area, a number of rectangular multi-room houses with courtyards were discovered (Alizadeh, pp. 22-30). Altogether, five complete buildings were excavated. These buildings were clustered around a large open space that was paved with stone pebbles. This open area contained at least 16 kilns for baking pottery and a circular platform on which other related industrial activities were performed (Alizadeh, fig. 6). The large number of industrial installations at a small village with less than 200 residents suggests that during the Late Middle Susiana phase Čoḡā Bonut had become a specialized site for manufacturing pottery vessels and a satellite of the much larger settlement of Čoḡā Miš. The Late Susiana Phase 2. All the archaeological evidence pertaining to this phase (ca. 4400-4000 BCE) comes from scattered potsherds and a deep well (K22 in Alizadeh, fig. 6) in the middle of the settlement. Because some 2 meters of the site had been razed by a bulldozer before it was rescued in 1976, it is impossible to ascertain the extent of the last occupational phase at this site. But judging by the extant remains of the preceding phase, the settlement in the Late Susiana 2 phase could not have been larger than 1/3 of a hectare. Like many other 5th-millennium BCE settlements in eastern Susiana, Čoḡā Bonut, too, became abandoned and was never resettled. A. Alizadeh, Excavations at Chogha Bonut, an Early Aceramic Neolithic Site in Lowland Susiana, Southwestern Iran, with contrib. by N. F. Miller, R. W. Redding, and A. M. Rosen, Chicago, Ill., 2003. F. Hole, “Tepe Tula’i: An Early Campsite in Khuzistan, Iran,” Paléorient 2/2, 1974, pp. 219-42. Idem, “The Sondage at Tappeh Tula’i,” Proceedings of the Third Annual Symposium on Archaeological Research in Iran, Tehran, 1975, pp. 63-76. H. J. Kantor, “Excavations at Chogha Mish and Chogha Bonut,” Oriental Institute Annual Report, ed. J. A. Brinkman, Chicago, Ill., 1976-77, pp. 15-24. V. M. Masson and V. I. Sarianidi, Central Asia: Turkmenia before the Achaemenids, London, 1972. J. Oates, “Chogha Mami 1967-68: A Preliminary Report,” Iraq 31, 1969, pp. 115-52. R. Vallat, “L’architecture des phases Obeid 0 et 1. Travaux de 1989,” in Oueili: Travaux de 1987 et 1989, ed. J. L. Huot, Paris, 1996, pp. 103-40. (Abbas Alizadeh) Originally Published: February 20, 2009 Cite this entry: Abbas Alizadeh, “ČOḠĀ BONUT,” Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition, 2016, available at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/coga-bonut-archaeological-site (accessed on 20 September 2016). chogha bonut coga bonut 0 COMMENTS on ČOḠĀ BONUT	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2139
__label__wiki	0.92151	0.92151	Palace seeks two water agencies posted March 22, 2019 at 01:20 am by Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Rio N. Araja he Duterte administration has proposed the creation of two separate water agencies to solve water crisis in Metro Manila and nearby provinces: one will focus on economic and financial aspects and the other for policy formulation and resource regulation. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said two draft bills had been endorsed for approval and submission to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), bills that would create two separate bodies involving water. “One of the proposed agencies that will be formed will act as the apex body for the water resources sector. This agency will consolidate and reconcile water-related policy, planning, and programming mandates of the different agencies involved in water resource management. It will likewise ensure the efficient allocation of water resources across sectors,” Nograles said. “The second body will be an independent and quasi-judicial body for water supply and sanitation. The office will ensure quality performance of water concessionaires and ensure transparency and predictability in economic regulation of water service providers,” he said. He said that there are currently 30 or so agencies involved in water resources management but the water problem could not be resolved. “For example, there are four agencies involved in resource assessment, four involved in policy, seven in water supply, four in sanitation, five in water quality management, and six in watershed management,” the Palace official said. “And yet. there is no single repository of water data, and no regularly updated water availability data. This is an untenable situation,” he said. Nograles also cited short-term measures that would be undertaken to address the water supply problems in Metro Manila by the standby deep wells designated for use during natural disasters. “There are a total of 109 of these wells in NCR, and the National Water Resources Board will work with the MWSS to identify which wells can be tapped, and to ensure that water quality in these wells is evaluated and constantly monitored,” Nograles said. “There is a need for a government-led policy for the sustainable optimization of water resources. For instance, the water run-off used by hydropower plants to move their turbines,” he said. “What’s absurd is that the households near and along those rivers, they don’t have water for domestic use. Aside from households, we should find a way to make use of run-off water from hydropower plants to water farms and industries,” he added. In related developments: * House Minority Bloc Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez has offered several water sources in his province to help ease the shortage in Metro Manila. At a congressional hearing, the construction of at least one was reported to have been started but work was suspended due to an accident the resulted in the death of six workers. Suarez said the Sumag River Diversion Project shall supplement the water from Umiray River going to the Angat Reservoir, which shall increase the supply to the Maynilad Water Services and the Manila Water Co. * Farmers may tap some form of a lifeline in provinces severely hit by the dry spell as Senator Grace Poe urged local governments to implement a cash-for-work program as a temporary relief. In a radio interview in Quezon province, Poe said local government units had a huge role to play especially in extending assistance to farmers whose livelihood were at risk due to the ongoing El Niño. Crop damage due to El Niño has topped P1.3 billion across the country. According to the Agriculture department, 14 out of 17 regions have been affected, with 78,348 metric tons worth of farm output and 70,353 hectares of agricultural land damaged and 84,932 farmers reported losses. In North Cotabato alone, P670 million worth of agricultural products have been damaged. * The chief of the National Water Resources Board, along with other environmental and water experts, on Thursday, recommended the creation of a Department of Water and a Water Regulation Commission to address a shortage of water in the next few years. At a water summit press conference in Quezon City, NWRB executive director Sevillo David Jr. backed the proposal to create new agencies that would integrate all the functions of various departments involved in the management of water resources, such as the Department of Public Works and Highways and NWRB. Even Assistant Secretary Roderick Planta supported such integration of functions, duties, programs and projects in connection with water management of all government agencies. The creation of the two new agencies was the recommendation made by ex-environment secretary Elisea Gozun, ex-NWRB executive director Ramon Alikpala, David, Planta, and ex-agriculture secretary William Dar. But ex-environment secretary Heherson Alvarez rejected the proposal, saying rain harvesting or water preservation must be first instituted at the household level. “In our province, houses are designed in such a way that there should be an inverted pyramid to catch rainwater. We cannot come up with a homogenous solution through this creation,” he said. “This is more complex,” he added. Construction of the Sumag River Diversion Project in Quezon was halted in 2016 because of an accident that took the lives of six individuals who were working on the project, according to Suarez. The project was discussed when the House Committee on Public Accounts, which Suarez chairs, held a briefing on the performance of concerned agencies on water management, particularly in ensuring an uninterrupted and adequate supply and distribution of potable water. Suarez announced to the panel that he had also relayed to Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that he had asked the lifting of the suspension of the diversion tunnel’s construction. “The government should push through with the Sumag [River Diversion Project], and fix the defects that go with it. We are lifting the objection, so you may proceed with it,” he said, directing the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System. At 70 percent completion, engineer Jose Dorado Jr. of the MWSS assured that if the project resumed now, the diversion tunnel would be finished before 2019 ends. In addition, Suarez also endorsed the Kanan River Bulk Water Proposal of Energy World Corporation to provide long-term solutions to the insufficiency of water resources in the country. He said this would be more beneficial for the government compared to the China-funded Kaliwa Dam, which he stressed will be funded on borrowed money. “We have a private sector who is saying we can do the same with even better services and features. Instead of spending, the government will earn more revenues,” said Suarez. So why are we going to compete with the private sector just because we have an offer from the Chinese who say we are willing to lend you money?” he added. Suarez said besides supplying the country with clean water, the water project would also supply energy through hydropower. He directed the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines to set a meeting with Energy World, together with Maynilad and Manila Water, to further discuss this matter. Areas that have so far declared a state of calamity included Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Pagadian City, Kidapawan City, five towns in North Cotabato, and San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. Several provinces are poised to declare a state of calamity as the effect of El Niño is expected to worsen in the coming weeks. According to Poe, the calamity fund of LGUs might not be able to sufficiently sustain farmers’ livelihood. Poe said LGUs must also coordinate with concerned state agencies to ensure that irrigation systems reached farmlands. The cash-for-work aid, Poe said, could also augment the government’s existing intervention programs for El Niño such as farmers’ loans, seed and fertilizer assistance, cloud seeding and crop insurance. Topics: Duterte administration , water crisis , Karlo Nograles , Danilo Suarez Leni crosses the line No real reforms under Duterte — FVR No probe of Duterte over war on drugs, ICC clarifies	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2144
__label__wiki	0.567228	0.567228	Cemetery > · Altavista (1) · Lynchburg (1) · Richmond (1) · Surry (1) Avoca Museum and Historical Society Altavista, Virginia Arboretum, Cemetery, Culture, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Military, Park Avoca, the principal architectural landmark of the Town of Altavista, is an American Queen Anne-style house, designed by architect J.M.B. Lewis and built in 1901. Designated a Virginia Historic Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Avoca is the home site of Revolutionary Patriot Colonel Charles Lynch. Surry, Virginia Archaeology, Botanical Garden, Cemetery, Culture, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Park Bacon’s Castle was originally home to a prosperous planter, Arthur Allen, and his family. Following Allen’s death, the house was inherited by his son, Major Arthur Allen II. A loyalist supporter of the colonial government and member of the House of Burgesses, Major Allen was driven from his house in 1676 by followers of the patriot rebel Nathaniel Bacon, whose uprising later came to be known as Bacon’s Rebellion. Hollywood Cemetery Cemetery, History Hollywood is the oldest active cemetery in the Richmond area and is the final resting place for Presidents James Monroe and John Tyler, 25 Civil War generals and 18,000 Confederate soldiers. The Old City Cemetery Lynchburg, Virginia Cemetery, History, Historic House Historic cemetery site that consists of 4 museums, 20,000 graves, 2,200 Confederate graves and an arboretum with 19th century horticulture, including a famous antique rose garden. Self-guided tours are free, guided tours have a fee.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2147
__label__wiki	0.940377	0.940377	Attackers Kill Eight in Restive Northeast Nigeria by Naharnet Newsdesk 28 January 2013, 14:41 Attackers killed eight people in a village in northern Nigeria's embattled Borno state, with at least some of the victims' throats slit, officials and residents said Monday. The military spokesman in the area, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, confirmed that an attack had occurred Sunday in the village of Gajiganna, but declined to comment on the manner in which people were killed, saying only that "lives were lost." Gajiganna is roughly 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the state capital of Maiduguri, the base of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, but it was not clear who was responsible for the latest violence. "They were silent attacks and nobody knew what was happening until the morning when news began to filter from different neighborhoods," said resident Brah Chindo. There were conflicting reports from the area, with some saying certain victims were shot and others had their throats slit, while others spoke of all eight with their throats slit. "It is still not clear who carried out the attack because the attackers moved silently into these homes," said a local official, who asked that his name be withheld. A local government employee in the area said he was told that "some of the victims were shot dead in their houses while others were dragged out of their houses by the gunmen, after which they slit their throats." He added that "eight people were killed altogether." In a text message, military spokesman Musa said the death toll "is yet to be ascertained". Boko Haram, which has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has claimed scores of attacks in Borno state, but criminal groups are also thought to have carried out violence under the guise of the Islamists. A number of recent attacks in Nigeria's northeast have seen attackers slit the throats of the victims. In October, at least 40 students were killed in a massacre at a university housing area in neighboring Adamawa state, an attack where many of the victims reportedly had their throats slit. Boko Haram did not claim the student massacre, but many blamed the Islamist group, whose insurgency has left some 3,000 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces. PoliticsWorldNigeria liberty This lowlife talks about American democracy as if George Washington was Waliy... 17 July 2019, 03:49	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2149
__label__cc	0.702504	0.297496	Published in Television Directed by Simon Massey, David Caffrey, Kieron J. Walsh RAW is a fast-paced drama set in the kitchen and floor of a successful and thriving Dublin restaurant. It is an exhilarating and anarchic relationship drama that follows, to the beat of a pulsating soundtrack, the lives, loves and tribulations of the young staff, their friends and families and the intense friendships, relationships and rivalries that blossom and thrive. RAW is a microcosm that mirrors the daily swings and roundabouts of life in a busy, Dublin business trading in today's Ireland. Starring Charlene McKenna and Aisling O'Sullivan.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2150
__label__wiki	0.836689	0.836689	WATCH A DEMO NOW \| Member Login \| Sign up Social Value® Social Whales Game Analytics True Ad Value® Automated Predictive Analytics KPI Metrics Cohort Analysis Implementation Tutorial WATCH A DEMO NOW \| Member Login The Blog - Ninja Metrics® Predictive Analytics for Games and Apps. Read useful articles about how to improve your games and apps using predictive analytics software The History and Structure of the Video Game Industry – Modern Era - Part 2 Posted by Dmitri Williams LinkedIn Google+ Jan 24, 2014 12:32:00 PM Barone Firenze / Shutterstock.com The Modern Era (2004-2010) During the first decade of the twenty-first century, the percentage of American adults with access to the Internet increased from 37 in 2000 to 71 in 2010. Fast, broadband connections rose as well, with slower dial-up connections beginning to decline in 2001 (Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2010). Meanwhile, by the end of the decade, video games had become commonplace in the American household, cutting across age and gender demographics. In 2010, estimates had 53 percent of all American adults and 67 percent of American households playing some form of video games (Entertainment Software Association, 2010; Lenhart, Kahne, et al., 2008). And despite the long-held stereotype of the young male gamer, both independent and university research (Griffiths, Davies, & Chappell, 2003; Williams, Yee, & Caplan, 2008; Yee, 2006) found this stereotype not to be true. In fact, according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA; 2010), women age 18 or older represented more of the game playing population (33%) than boys age 17 or younger (20%). In addition to broadband surpassing dial-up for the first time, 2004 and 2005 saw three other important developments: the release of the most popular massively multiplayer online game (MMO) of all time, the first of a new generation of video game consoles, and the rise of social network sites. MMO's Level Up World of Warcraft (WoW) was released during the holiday season of 2004 and became the best-selling computer game of 2005 (Entertainment Software Association, 2006). It (or one of its subsequent expansions packs) was the best selling computer game of 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 (Entertainment Software Association), and would go on to be the best-selling MMO of all time—with more than 11.5 million monthly subscribers at its peak—and the third best-selling computer game of all time (Blizzard Entertainment, 2008; Guiness World Records, 2010). As of June 2010, Nielsen (2010) estimated that 9 percent of all game players play WoW, and almost 40 percent of all minutes spent playing non-casual PC games is spent on WoW, more than any other game. As a reference point, the game Dark Messiah of Might & Magic ranks number two on the list, yet only occupies four percent of all minutes spent playing PC games. Consoles Evolve The next year, in 2005, a new generation of consoles was launched, starting with Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and subsequently followed by Sony’s PlayStation 3, and Nintendo’s Wii, both released in late 2006 (Shippy & Phipps, 2009; Takahashi, 2006). These new boxes featured several novel advances in features: the Xbox Live online gaming system created the largest online community and storefront for consoles; the PlayStation 3’s powerful processor advanced graphics technology to impressive levels and doubled as a Blu-ray disc player (at a time when standalone Blu-ray players were more expensive); and the Wii emphasized casual games and a popular motion-sensor controller (since copied by the other two companies in late 2010). As a result of this competition and innovation, the game industry saw a 60 percent increase in annual computer and video game sales between 2005 and 2008 (from 6.9 billion dollars to 11.7 billion dollars), after having held steady for most of the earlier part of the decade (Entertainment Software Association, 2010). This was not the first generation of game consoles to have integrated Internet access, but was the first mainstream adoption: the previous generation’s Sega Dreamcast (released in 1998) and Microsoft Xbox (released in 2001) had a built in modem and Ethernet port, respectively, and Nintendo’s GameCube (released in 2001) and Sony’s PlayStation 2 (released in 2000) had optional accessories for online connectivity (Hagiwara & Oliver, 1999; Takahashi, 2002). Such a connection not only allowed for the playing of network games, but for the download and/or streaming of digital media. More importantly, the connection enables these increasingly powerful digital boxes to fulfill other roles within the household and to compete with other hardware categories. For instance, all three of these latest generation consoles allow for the streaming of movies using Netflix’s proprietary Watch Instantly service. In addition, these consoles have some form of integrated web browser. In many ways, game systems are approaching the mythical convergence of set-top boxes prophesized in the 1990s (Negroponte, 1996), and can be viewed as a Trojan Horse in the vicious corporate competition to get such a box into homes. Social Networks Enter the Scene Another important event was the mid-decade launch and diffusion of social network sites (SNS). While initially SNS had little relevance to gaming, as they matured and added more features, the social connections afforded by the sites allowed for the development of casual games users could play with their friends in a persistent environment (Kirkpatrick, 2010; Taylor, 2010). A driving force of SNS games was Facebook, which initially was restricted to university students at elite universities, but by 2005 was open to all university and high school students worldwide. In late 2006, it became open to everyone (Kirkpatrick, 2010). In 2007, the site introduced the Facebook Platform, which allowed third-parties to develop applications that could take advantage of the social connections between friends. Despite the fact that Facebook thought games would not be viral enough to be widely adopted among its users, some of the early games, such as Texas HoldEm' Poker and Scrabulous (a Scrabble-like game), became quite popular very quickly. Entering a Transition Period The state of the industry may be in a transition period, but the wide-spread adoption of the Internet and social network sites has changed gaming. Networked gaming gives people more choices as to what games they can play and with whom they can play them. New games are often expected to be networked as a common feature, and much of the industry is interested in moving toward online gaming for both control and profiteering. Games that require connectivity to a centralized server system are more difficult to pirate, and piracy has been a particular challenge to the industry, especially from China. And, in addition to the social connectivity and networking of SNS sites, online gaming also offers the possibility of streaming services, meaning that the graphics processing formerly done by PCs or consoles might increasingly be moved to cloud-based server farms. Look for part-3 of this 5-part series next week. Part 1 of this series available here. The material is excerpted, compiled and condensed from several longer published works: Entertainment Software Association. (2010). ‘Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry’. Retrieved from http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_Essential_Facts_2010.PDF Griffiths, M., Davies, M., & Chappell, D. (2003). ‘Breaking the Stereotype: The Case of Online Gaming’. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 6/1: 81-91. Hagiwara, S., & Oliver, I. (1999). ‘Sega Dreamcast: Creating a Unified Entertainment World’. IEEE Micro, 19/6: 29-35. Kirkpatrick, D. (2010). The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That is Connecting the World. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. Lenhart, A., Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Macgill, A., Evans, C., & Vitak, J. (2008). Teens, Video Games, and Civics. Washington, D.C.: Pew Internet & American Life Project. Negroponte, N. (1996). Being Digital. New York, NY: Vintage. Pew Internet & American Life Project. (2010). ‘Home Broadband 2010’. Retrieved from http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Home-Broadband-2010.aspx Shippy, D., & Phipps, M. (2009). The Race for a New Game Machine: Creating the Chips Inside the XBox 360 and the Playstation 3 New York, NY: Citadel Press. Takahashi, D. (2002). Opening the Xbox: Inside Microsoft's Plan to Unleash an Entertainment Revolution. Roseville, CA: Prima Lifestyles. Takahashi, D. (2006). The Xbox 360 Uncloaked: The Real Story Behind Microsoft's Next-Generation Video Game Console Arlington, VA: Spiderworks. Taylor, J. (2010). 2009-2010 Home Interactive Entertainment Market Update. Portland, Oregon: Arcadia Investment Corp. Williams, D., Yee, N., & Caplan, S. (2008). ‘Who Plays, How Much, and Why? A Behavioral Player Census of a Virtual World’. Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, 13/4: 993-1018. Yee, N. (2006). ‘The Demographics, Motivations and Derived Experiences of Users of Massively-Multiuser Online Graphical Environments’. PRESENCE: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 15/3: 309-29 Topics: Video Games, History and Structure of Video Game Industry The History and Structure of the Video Game Industry – Beginnings, Boom & Bust - Part 1 The Basics of Churn Analysis in Social Games The History and Structure of the Video Game Industry – Structure, Development to Publishing - Part 4 9 Predictive Analytics Metrics You Should Be Using Right Now Video Game Analytics 101: Basic Definitions What is Cohort Analysis and Why is it Important for Your Game? How Big Data is Affecting Social Network Analysis Basic Statistics in 5 minutes! Video Game Analytics 101, Part 3: The Slightly-More-Advanced Bits Springboard Retail and Ninja Metrics bring Social Value® and Social Whaling capability to specialty retailers UA Costs on the Rise, Growth of eSports, Google Play App Sizes In Data We Trust, Tools to Build Your Game Community, Apple TV Fails to Kill off Consoles ASO, Pitching Your Game, The Indiepocalypse New Apple TV, Most Successful iOS Games, Chinese Mobile Market Ready for a Demo of Katana®? If you have a social game or application, we can help you learn who matters most in your network and what features are affecting the health of your community WATCH THE DEMO NOW » © 2016 Ninja Metrics® Inc. Get in Touch \| About Us \| Privacy Policy \| Security Policy \| System Status	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2154
__label__cc	0.572202	0.427798	Tag Archives Art Africa 12 Novembre 2014 Roby Coptic Museum Built largely in 1947, the museum houses the largest collection of Coptic art in the world. The building has undergone a huge restoration after the Continue Reading→ Europe 11 Novembre 2014 Roby The Pinacoteca di Brera The Pinacoteca di Brera is a national gallery of art, ancient and modern, located in a historic building in Milan. The museum houses one of Continue Reading→ Asia 4 Novembre 2014 Roby The Jehangir Art Gallery is an art gallery in Mumbai (India). It was founded by Sir Cowasji Jehangir at the urging of K. K. Hebbar Continue Reading→ Europe 29 Ottobre 2014 Roby The Teatro alla Scala The Teatro alla Scala in Milan (often referred to simply as La Scala) is one of the most famous theaters in the world: over two Continue Reading→ The Last Supper in Santa Maria delle Grazie The Last Supper is a wall painting in tempera (and possibly other ligands oil) on plaster (460 × 880 cm) by Leonardo da Vinci, dating Continue Reading→ Asia 23 Ottobre 2014 Roby Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manila exhibits the classical and the contemporary fine arts. The Museum was established in 1976 to showcase foreign art and Continue Reading→ America 23 Ottobre 2014 Roby Plaza de la Catedral It’s one of the squares full of history and art of the historic center. And is one of the symbols of Havana Vieja. E ‘was Continue Reading→ America 22 Ottobre 2014 Admin Royal Ontarium Museum The Royal Ontario Museum, commonly known as the ROM, is one of the largest museums in the world culture and natural sciences in the city Continue Reading→ Pest, without Buda If Buda is the ancient and noble of Budapest, Pest instead it is the heart of modern and innovative. Restless and disorderly, is the right Continue Reading→ District 798 (Art District) Named after the 798 factory which was built in 1950s, It is located in the northeast corner of the city. The Dashanzi Art District (DAD) Continue Reading→ The most significant gallery ‘Art in Frankfurt, shows typical examples of almost all the European schools of painting. By Dutch masters to French impressionists, fans Continue Reading→ Liebighaus Museum One of the most important museums in Frankfurt, sports a ‘fascinating and eclectic collection of major civilizations. Starting from the Egyptians, the museum exhibits interesting Continue Reading→	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2157
__label__cc	0.532107	0.467893	Home > News Archive > 2014 News > Minnesota will host the 2015 National Senior Games The National Senior Games is the premier event of the National Senior Games Association. The Games are a 19-sport, biennial national championship for men and women 50 and over. It is the largest multi-sport event in the world for senior athletes. To date, there have been 13 national championships in cities throughout the country, and in 2015 Minnesota will serve as host. The National Senior Games will attract 13,000 athletes to Minnesota, providing an estimated economic impact of $35 million dollars to the state. To qualify for the 2015 National Senior Games as a member of Minnesota’s team, individuals must first compete in the 2014 Minnesota Senior Games held August 1-9 in Bloomington, Minneapolis and St. Paul. For more information, please go to www.mnseniorgames.com.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2158
__label__cc	0.509209	0.490791	Home Finance / Wealth Planning Business Monaco Govt and investors create fund dedicated to education in Africa Monaco Govt and investors create fund dedicated to education in Africa Investors & Partners (I&P) and the Prince’s Government have signed a partnership agreement to create the first impact fund dedicated to education in Africa. Due to launch in 2020, its objective will be to respond to the challenges of access, equity, quality and adequacy of education in Africa. Gilles Tonelli, Government Counselor-Minister of External Relations and Cooperation and Jean-Michel Severino, President of Investisseurs & Partenaires © Directorate of Communication / Michael Alesi The education of the most vulnerable populations and the training of young people are crucial issues for the African continent. Despite undeniable progress over the past decade, education systems face a number of common challenges, such as improving access to education, especially for girls and rural people, ensuring its quality, and ensure a balance between training provided and the needs of local labor markets. “African governments have limited means to solve these problems, and in fact the private sector is increasingly seen as a complementary player in the education sector,” explained Jean-Michel Severino, President of Investisseurs & Partenaires. Private initiatives are still limited and very little money has been invested in education, especially in the area of impact investing. Through the creation of an impact fund dedicated to education, I&P and the Prince’s Government aim to promote accessible, fair and quality education in Africa. The fund will help fund and support private educational institutions, or educational ecosystem businesses producing goods, services and technologies that are essential to solving these issues. Several investment hypotheses are now tested concerning the sectors and investment criteria, the geographical scope and the financial instruments that will be mobilized. A feasibility study is underway to determine the opportunities and obstacles to creating an impact vehicle dedicated to education in the African context. Led by FERDI (Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development), the study will provide a better understanding of African education challenges and identify good practices in education that can be developed and expanded by the private sector. The partnership between I&P and the Prince’s Government comprises three components: Completion of the feasibility study, conducted between October 2018 and May 2019 The recruitment of an International Volunteer of Monaco, carried out in October 2018 A partnership agreement to define, structure and raise the fund, with a grant of Monaco of one million euros to I&P. Prince inaugurates MonacoTech Business Staff Writer - November 9, 2017 [caption id="attachment_24806" align="alignnone" width="640"] Prince Albert and Xavier Niel. Photo Charly Gallo/DC[/caption] MonacoTech, the Incubator and Accelerator startup program created by the Monaco State in partnership with Monaco Telecom was inaugurated by Prince Albert, Minister of Finance and Economy Jean Castellini and Xavier Niel, owner of Monaco Telecom, on Wednesday afternoon. With more than 800 square metres of open space, including a co-working space, two fab labs and a ping-pong room, MonacoTech has already welcomed 15 startups over the last few days, from various countries including Singapore and Canada. MonacoTech is the only organisation of its kind in the Principality. Its main objective is to support the creation and launch of innovative projects through a dynamic ecosystem and a network of business angels, venture capital, banks, and so on. Jean Castellini, in the presence also of Minister Marie-Pierre Gramaglia, Minister for Public Works, the Environment and Urban Development, and Minister of State Serge Telle, pointed out: "This initiative of the Government is part of the necessary evolution to transform the economy of the Principality over the years to come." The Minister of Economy added, “The baby has been born and will grow quickly. We wish her a long happy life.” There was also acknowledgement from Minister Castellini and Xavier Niel of the efforts and “brilliance” of MonacoTech Director Fabrice Marquet, a Monegasque who launched two businesses of his own during his years living abroad. The first selection jury had selected five startups out of 67 submitted files (CIEL, Hyve, KeeSystem, TerraioT, YouStock) and the second jury 10 of the 115 files submitted (Novetech Surgery, Lanveva Boats, Phyg, Surgisafe, Coraliotech, Gangz, Nanotek Materials, Linkyourleasure, Teale, Yachtneeds). Article first published November 8, 2017. http://www.monacolife.net/jcem-breakfast-serves-up-financial-tools-for-businesses-in-monaco-with-minister-of-economy/ Other operators still lag behind Monaco Telecom... Business Staff Writer - December 17, 2017 A study of mobile telephony coverage in the Principality has found that while improvements in quality of service have been made across the board, Monaco Telecom and Orange continue to provide the best quality of service. The study was conducted in the first half of 2017 by the Electronic Communications Department. A total of 120 measurement points, exterior and interior, were used to test mobile phones using the IOS and Android operating system at different times, including during off-peak hours. The study found that Monaco Telecom and Orange, whose network is actually provided by Monaco Telecom, provide excellent coverage and a high quality of service, while the performances of the other three operators Bouygues Telecom, Free and SFR – while inferior, have improved since 2016, following a request from the Minister of State. For telephone calls, made or received, the coverage rate of these operators is today greater than 98 percent when made outside buildings. However, the quality of internet connections and the throughput offered by these three operators remains much lower than those of Monaco Telecom and Orange. It also appears from these measurements that the experience of customers often depends on their smartphone. Notable differences are seen between different models which do not have the same sensitivity and the same performances on the same network. Based on the audit conducted by an independent provider, the study demonstrates the high quality of the mobile services provided by the national operator. http://www.monacolife.net/monaco-telecom-owner-targets-irelands-biggest-telecoms-company/	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2159
__label__wiki	0.925659	0.925659	Home International news North Korea claims U.S. is taking too much credit for peace talks North Korea claims U.S. is taking too much credit for peace talks North Korea warned Washington's victory lap could undo the historic meeting between Kim (r.) and Moon last month. (AP) North Korea claims President Trump played no part in its recent decision to open peace talks with longtime enemies. Instead, Pyongyang asserted Sunday that the Trump administration was "misleading" the public by believing it compelled North Korea to the negotiating table. The bold statement comes weeks before North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is set to have a historic sit down with the President. The White House and some Republican lawmakers have argued it was Trump's brazen threats against North Korea, as well as rounds of sanctions, that brought the isolated country to the talks. But the hermetic nation argued the victory lap was unmerited — and killing the mood. "The U.S. is deliberately provoking the DPRK at the time when the situation on the Korean Peninsula is moving toward peace and reconciliation," said a Foreign Ministry spokesman, referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in remarks carried by state-run media. The White House is making a "dangerous attempt," the spokesman continued, to undo Kim's meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae In — during which the longtime enemies announced a framework for peace after a six-decade standoff. Trump launched into a war of words last year with North Korea, which the hermetic nation now claims didn't play a factor. (Mike Theiler/REUTERS) Kim and Moon walked away from the late April summit without many details on what North Korea would require to get rid of its nuclear weapons. Trump told reporters Friday a date and location have been set up for his own historic meeting with Kim either later this month or in early June. He added "very good things" might come from the talks, but denied reports the U.S. would scale down its troop presence in South Korea. North Korea, in its statement Sunday, warned its openness to discuss denuclearization shouldn't be interpreted as a sign of weakness. And it railed against the U.S. for "pressure and military threats" that continue against North Korea, and Washington's assertion that those won't give until all nuclear weapons are gone.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2164
__label__cc	0.71397	0.28603	LGBTQ+ SAN DIEGO: STORIES OF STRUGGLES AND TRIUMPHS How exciting to have a place of our own at the San Diego History Center. The History Center, in partnership with the Lambda Archives, brings the first exhibition ever in Balboa Park, focused on San Diego’s LGBTQ+ community. This is the History Center’s major exhibition. It opened July 8, 2018 and will continue until January, 2020. Visitors will hear from those in the LGBTQ+ region about the struggles to overcome persecution, the battle with AIDS, bullying and intolerance and the power of the community coming together and within growing activism and community engagement. Specifically for this exhibition, the History Center arranged for the rare display of a portion of the AIDS Quilt, with significance to our region. The museum is open daily from 9:00 am-5:00 pm. There is no traditional museum fee, but you are kindly asked to donate $10. The second Tuesday of each month is free to San Diego County residents (proof required). The location is 1649 El Prado in Balboa Park. It is next to the Museum of Photographic Arts at the east end of El Prado near the Ruben H. Fleet Science Center and the San Diego History Museum. Eve DeRusha says: I live at the top of the state, close to Oregon. Thinking of moving to your area and just wanted to know how to contact you. I am a lesbian. pboman says: Hi please email me at pboman@pflag.com	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2167
__label__wiki	0.821334	0.821334	Rayver Cruz Talks About Feelings For Kylie Padilla Oct 21 ping3014 Views Rayver Cruz said that he feels excited just by watching his scenes together with Kylie Padilla in the horror movie "Dilim." Although there was no love storyline, Rayver said he couldn't help but feel giddy about their scenes together. There's definitely chemistry, and there was no effort for them to make the people excited to see them. Kylie and Rayver have been rumored in the past weeks, with the actress even saying that her father Robin Padilla approves of the actor-dancer. Rayver said he's happy to hear that, especially coming from "Idol." He and Robin worked together in a project before. However, he doesn't want to rush into things, especially when it comes to Kylie. He wants to make sure they are not just being pressured by the media and the public to be together. It would be better if their friendship would evolve after the movie already, so that it would be more real for both of them. He doesn't want the people to think that they're doing it for promo only. But asked if Kylie is a girlfriend material, Rayver said she definitely is. Rayver is aware about Kylie's past relationship with Aljur Abrenica. She doesn't need to talk about it because he heard it from the news, too. Aljur broke up with Kylie while she was in Australia allegedly because of Louise Delos Reyes. He told Kylie that she hasn't been single for long, so she must enjoy it first. He also advised her to focus on herself and her career because it's easy to find love anyway. What's important for him is that they are super close now. Being with different networks isn't a hurdle to their friendship, too. Rayver is from ABS-CBN while Kylie is from GMA-7. They can still text each other and see each other once in a while. Rayver's last project was "Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin" about a year ago. Is he planning to change networks? No, the actor-dancer said. He's a very patient person, and he knows something better is being planned for him. Rayver has been single for the past two years. His last relationship was with Cristine Reyes. Although he went out on dates, he never truly had a serious girlfriend. He has more time with his family, his work and his friends. He realized it's okay to be single, too. Rayver was also asked about rumors that his ex-girlfriend Cristine Reyes is pregnant. He said that whatever the truth is, he is sure Cristine is happy with it and that she made that decision herself. TagsRayver Cruz Kylie Padilla Aljur Abrenica "Dilim" Louise Delos Reyes Robin Padilla Kylie Padilla Forgives Louise Delos Reye.. Empress Schuck Talks About Moving On Fro.. Daniel Padilla Asks Fans To Apologize To.. Mariel Rodriguez Admits Having Miscarria..	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2168
__label__wiki	0.804835	0.804835	Neijiang OverviewMore+ Located in the southeast of Sichuan Basin and the middle section of lower reaches of Tuojiang River, Neijiang was once founded as a county called Hanan or Zhongjiang during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), which has a history of over 2000 years. Neijiang Prefecture was founded in 1950, and was rebuilt as a province-governed city in 1985. In 1998, Neijiang was divided into Neijiang city and Ziyang area under the approval of the State Council. The city now consists of Shizhong District, Dongxing District, Longchang City, Zizhong County, Weiyuan County, Neijiang Economic Development Zone and Neijiang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, which includes 107 townships, 1649 administrative villages, 14 street offices and 334 communities with a total population of 4.2 million. GDP of Neijiang reached nearly 130 billion yuan in 2016, making it one of the largest economic centers in Sichuan. Neijiang, with a long history of sugar refinery, had a high production of sugar which accounted for about 50 percent of the whole country when the planned economy prevailed. Therefore, it’s also renowned as the “ Sweet City”. Administrative Division Arrangement Traffic location Meteorology and Hydrology copyright ? 2003——2017 www.qszang8658.cn all rights reserved Organizer: Neijiang City People's Government Contractors: Neijiang City e-government office	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2169
__label__wiki	0.700339	0.700339	Christopher Weuve Christopher Weuve is one of the founding members of BuNine (David Weber’s Honorverse technical support team), and currently serves as BuNine’s president and designated extrovert. A professional naval analyst and wargame designer, Chris spent six years at the Center for Naval Analyses (where he first noted that the Combat Information Center of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer would make an excellent starship bridge), and then five years on the research faculty of the US Naval War College, specializing in the use of wargaming as a research tool. Outside the day job, he was the “military expert” for the Discovery Channel’s Curiosity (Alien Invasion) show, and is (to the best of his knowledge) the only person ever interviewed (twice!) by the journal Foreign Policy about science fiction warships. With BuNine, Chris was an editor for House of Steel: The Honorverse Companion, in which he also co-authored (with David Weber) the “Building a Navy in the Honorverse” chapter. In 2013, he was an organizer of the groundbreaking Honorcon science fiction convention, in which BuNine members provided much of the content in the form of in-depth technical presentations. As both an avid science fiction fan since before he was old enough to read and a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College, Chris spends his time analyzing Real-World™ naval warfare and how similar subjects are represented in science fiction. He still describes himself as an Iowan, almost three decades after he moved east. Guests, Writer 2019, Author, BuNine, Christopher Weuve, Guest, Honorverse, House of Steel	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2174
__label__wiki	0.525748	0.525748	Featured Health & Wellness Iceland Just Did The Exact Opposite Of What The U.S. Does — It Found 9 Banksters Guilty In Historic Case October 9, 2016 October 10, 2016 renegade 2 Comments By Jay Syrmopoulos On Thursday, Iceland’s Supreme Court found nine bankers guilty of market manipulation, affirming the conviction of the seven defendants found in a June 2015 decision by the Reykjavik District Court, and handing down a guilty verdict to two defendants previously acquitted in district court. The Supreme Court decision found that “[b]y fully financing share purchases with no other surety than the shares themselves, the bankers were accused of giving a false and misleading impression of demand for Kaupthing shares by means of deception and pretense,” according to the Iceland Monitor. The bankers were found guilty of crimes relating to deceitfully financing share purchases – essentially the bank lent money for the purchase of the shares while using its own shares as collateral for the loans. According to a report by Common Dreams: No punishment has been handed down yet, although sentencing is set to come. The defendants worked at the major international firm Kaupthing Bank until it was taken over by the Icelandic government during the crash. The bank’s former director Hreiðar Már Sigurðsson, who had been sentenced to five and a half years in 2013 in a separate Kaupthing case, had his punishment extended by six months in response to the verdict. The acquittals were overturned for former Kaupthing credit representative Björk Þórarinsdóttir and former Kaupthing Luxembourg CEO Magnús Guðmundsson, although no penalties have been meted out for them. In 2015, Iceland sentenced dozens of bankers to a combined 74 years in prison for crimes relating to market manipulation. The majority of those convicted were sentenced to prison terms of two to five years. The maximum penalty in Iceland for financial crimes is six years. The prosecution of Icelandic banksters stems from the manipulation of the Iceland’s financial markets after the deregulation of the finance sector in 2001. Eventually, an accumulation of foreign debt resulted in a meltdown of the entire banking sector in 2008. Massive debts were incurred in the name of the Icelandic public, to allow the country to continue to function, which are still being repaid to the IMF and other nations eight years later by the citizens of Iceland. In contrast to the U.S., Iceland has chosen to hold some of the criminals that manipulated their financial system accountable under the law. In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, Iceland gained a global reputation for corporate accountability, in stark contrast to the to the United States, which saw a record low number of prosecutions of CEOs and high-level financial executives. In the U.S., not a single banking executive was charged with crimes related to the 2008 financial crisis, even though the U.S. itself precipitated the global crisis. Icelandic President, Olafur Ragnar Grimmson, summed it up best in his response when asked how his country recovered from the global financial crisis. We were wise enough not to follow the traditional prevailing orthodoxies of the Western financial world in the last 30 years. We introduced currency controls, we let the banks fail, we provided support for the people and didn’t introduce austerity measures like you’re seeing in Europe. As noted above, America has done the exact opposite. In 2008, after Congress bailed out the failing American banks to the tune of $700 billion dollars, courtesy of the American taxpayer, many of the executives of institutions that received TARP bailout funds ended up getting large bonuses – not jail! The prosecution of the Icelandic banksters represents an accountability that does not exist in the United States of America. It seems clear that the international financial “Masters of the Universe” are the ones that truly control the political apparatus in the U.S., making it painfully obvious that there is no one who is going to hold them accountable for manipulating and crashing the financial markets. Please share this article to help expose who really controls the political system in the United States!! Jay Syrmopoulos writes for TheFreeThoughtProject.com, where this article first appeared. ← Kennewick Man & Europeans In Ancient America Allfather Wotan → The Collapse of the Jewnited States July 4, 2019 Quintus Sertorius 8 40,000 Germans Demonstrate in Dresden for First Anniversary of PEGIDA October 20, 2015 Kyle Hunt 14 New Zealand Massacre Another Hoax Shooting? March 15, 2019 Kyle Hunt 227 Good job Iceland! America…you have become an ethical ghetto 🙁 Wally D. Good for Iceland!	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2179
__label__cc	0.539004	0.460996	Home / Chemical Materials / Global P-Toluenesulfonic Acid Industry Report 2015 Global P-Toluenesulfonic Acid Industry Report 2015 The Global P-Toluenesulfonic Acid Industry Report 2015 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the P-Toluenesulfonic Acid industry. Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The P-Toluenesulfonic Acid market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions? development status. Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states importexport, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added. Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. What?s more, the P-Toluenesulfonic Acid industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. 1 Industry Overview of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 1 1.1 Definition and Specifications of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 1 1.1.1 Definition of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 1 1.1.2 Specifications of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2 1.2 Classification of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 3 1.3 Applications of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 4 1.4 Industry Chain Structure of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 5 1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 5 1.5.1 Industry Overview of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 5 1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 6 1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 6 1.7 Industry News Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 6 2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 9 2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 9 2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 10 2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 11 2.4 Other Costs Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 13 2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 14 2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 15 3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of 16 3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Key Manufacturers in 2015 16 3.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Key Manufacturers in 2015 16 3.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Key Manufacturers in 2015 17 3.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Key Manufacturers in 2015 18 4 Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Regions, Types and Manufacturers 20 4.1 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Regions 2011-2016 20 4.2 Global and Major Regions Capacity, Production, Revenue and Growth Rate of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2011-2016 25 4.3 Global Production and Revenue of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Types 2011-2016 33 4.4 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Manufacturers 2011-2016 37 5 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Regions, Types and Manufacturers 46 5.1 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Regions 2011-2016 46 5.2 Price, and Gross Margin Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Types 2011-2016 49 5.3 Price, Gross Margin Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Manufacturers 2011-2016 51 6 Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Sale Price Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Regions, Types and Applications 54 6.1 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Regions 2011-2016 54 6.2 Global and Major Regions Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Growth Rate of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2011-2016 58 6.3 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Types 2011-2016 64 6.4 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Applications 2011-2016 67 6.5 Sale Price of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Regions 2011-2016 70 6.6 Sale Price of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Types 2011-2016 71 6.7 Sale Price of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Applications 2011-2016 72 6.8 Market Share Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Different Sale Price Levels 73 7 Supply, Import, Export and Consumption Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 74 7.1 Supply, Consumption and Gap of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2011-2016 74 7.2 Global Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2011-2016 75 7.3 Europe Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2011-2016 76 7.4 USA Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2011-2016 76 7.5 Japan Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2011-2016 77 7.6 China Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2011-2016 78 7.7 Taiwan Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2011-2016 79 8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 80 8.1 Stepan 80 8.1.1 Company Profile 80 8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications 80 8.1.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue 82 8.1.4 Contact Information 83 8.2 Kao Koan Enterprise 83 8.3 Helm AG 86 8.3.2 Product Specifications 87 8.4 Lianyungang Ningkang Chem 89 8.5 Konan Chem 92 8.6 Bravo Chem 96 8.7 Hailong Chem 99 8.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications 100 8.7.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue 101 8.7.4 Contact Information 102 8.8 Zu-Lon Ind 102 8.8.1 Company Profile 102 8.9 Nanjing Ningkang Chem 105 8.10 Shunfuyuan Chem 108 8.10.1 Company Profile 108 8.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications 109 8.10.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue 110 8.10.4 Contact Information 111 8.11 Shengxinheng Chem 112 8.12 Yuxin Chem 114 8.13 Hongcheng Chem 117 8.14 CCI 120 8.15 Dongrui Chem 123 8.16 Tianshui Chem 126 9 Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 131 9.1 Marketing Channels Status of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 131 9.2 Traders or Distributors with Contact Information of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Regions 132 9.3 Ex-work Price, Channel Price and End Buyer Price Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 132 9.4 Regional Import, Export and Trade Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 133 10 Industry Chain Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 134 10.1 Upstream Major Raw Materials Suppliers Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 134 10.2 Upstream Major Equipment Suppliers Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 135 10.3 Downstream Major Consumers Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 136 10.4 Supply Chain Relationship Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 137 11 Development Trend of Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 138 11.1 Capacity, Production and Revenue Forecast of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Regions and Types 138 11.1.1 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Regions 2016-2021 138 11.1.2 Global and Major Regions Capacity, Production, Revenue and Growth Rate of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2016-2021 143 11.1.3 Global Production and Revenue of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Types 2016-2021 151 11.2 Consumption Volume and Consumption Value Forecast of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Regions, Types and Applications 155 11.2.1 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Regions 2016-2021 155 11.2.2 Global and Major Regions Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Growth Rate of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2016-2021 158 11.2.3 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Types 2016-2021 164 11.2.4 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid by Applications 2016-2021 167 11.3 Supply, Import, Export and Consumption Forecast of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 170 11.3.1 Supply, Consumption and Gap of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2016-2021 170 11.3.2 Global Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2016-2021 172 11.3.3 Europe Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2016-2021 172 11.3.4 USA Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2016-2021 173 11.3.5 Japan Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2016-2021 174 11.3.6 China Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2016-2021 174 11.3.7 Taiwan Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 2016-2021 175 12 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 177 12.1 New Project SWOT Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 177 12.2 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of P-Toluenesulfonic Acid 178 12.2.1 Project Name 178 12.2.2 Investment Budget 178 13 Conclusion of the Global P-Toluenesulfonic Acid Industry Report 2015 179	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2181
__label__wiki	0.873946	0.873946	Antigua to... Antigua to stage referendum on joining Caribbean Court of Justice this year CMC, ST JOHN’S – The Antigua and Barbuda government Wednesday said that it intends to hold a referendum within the next four months on whether or not the island will adopt the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as its final court. Attorney General Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin, speaking at a special sitting of the High Court to mark the retirement of Sir Dennis Byron, the second Caribbean national to serve as President of the CCJ, said that he had been given instructions by Prime Minister Gaston Browne to pursue the initiative. “My Prime Minister that within the next 120 days this country will be going to a referendum to have Antigua decide whether we should accede to the Appellate jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice”. “We have caught the vision and we Sir Dennis, will leave that dream,” Benjamin said. The CCJ was established in 2001 to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s final court, but while many of the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries are signatories to the court’s Original jurisdiction, only Barbados, Guyana, Belize and Dominica are members of its Appellate jurisdiction. The CCJ also functions as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the regional integration movement. In 2016, the Antigua and Barbuda government had hoped that the referendum would have been held by March 2017 even as opposition legislators and others warned that citizens were not fully educated on the issue. Prime Minister Gaston Browne, in tabling the Constitutional Referendum Bill 2016 in Parliament in October 2016, urged nationals to support the initiative to replace the Privy Council even as he admitted that two-thirds support in the referendum “is a tall order”. The government had established a committee to undertake a public relations campaign on the CCJ, but it fizzled out after a few months. Meanwhile, former attorney general Justin Simon, speaking at the ceremony here Wednesday, said it would be prudent for all the other members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to proceed to the CCJ as a united front. “I am delighted that Antigua and Barbuda will make yet another attempt for a referendum. Only Dominica in the OECS is part of the CCJ …in its Appellate jurisdiction,” he said, adding “it is my view that the referendum should be held not singly by each state, but it would be a better thing if all of the OECS states go together on the same day”. (CMC)	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2183
__label__cc	0.685577	0.314423	Emory Healthcare notifies individuals regarding missing data Woodruff Health Sciences Center \| April 18, 2012 Lance Skelly lance.skelly@emoryhealthcare.org journalists, patients, health, university, emory healthcare, emory university hospital, woodruff health sciences center A toll-free Emory Healthcare Support Center hotline (1-855-205-6950) providing information on the incident has been established to address patient questions and is available 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) or patients may visit the Emory Healthcare web site. Emory Healthcare has determined that 10 backup discs containing information on surgical patients treated between September 1990 and April 2007 are missing from a storage location at Emory University Hospital. As soon as it was discovered that the discs were missing, an extensive search and investigation was initiated and is continuing. It is important to note that there was no actual or attempted breach or "hacking in" of Emory's electronic medical records or other systems. The information contained on the discs is related to approximately 315,000 surgical patients treated at Emory University Hospital, Emory University Hospital Midtown (formerly known as Emory Crawford Long Hospital) and The Emory Clinic Ambulatory Surgery Center. The information did not relate to patients at other Emory Healthcare facilities or to patients treated after April 2007. All affected patients, at Emory Healthcare's cost, will be provided access to identity protection services, including credit monitoring, through Kroll, Inc., a company specializing in such services. Approximately 228,000 of the patient records included Social Security numbers; another approximately 87,000 records did not include Social Security numbers. The discs contained certain protected health information, including the patient names, dates of surgery, diagnoses, procedure codes or the name of the surgical procedures, device implant information, surgeon names and anesthesiologist names. "We sincerely regret this incident and want to assure our patients that we are committed to safeguarding their personal information," said John T. Fox, president and CEO of Emory Healthcare. "While we have no evidence at this time that any personal information has been misused as a result of this incident, we want to take all precautions to ensure our patients' information is safe. We are moving forward expeditiously with providing all affected patients, at our cost, access to identity protection services, including credit monitoring." The investigation has determined that the discs were removed sometime between February 7, 2012, and February 20, 2012. They contained data files from an obsolete software system that was deactivated in 2007. This deactivated system was accessed very infrequently and only as requested by either patients or their physicians. The last time data were accessed was in 2010. Patients are being informed through personal letters mailed to their homes beginning April 17. The letter provides details on what has occurred, actions taken to locate the discs and steps patients can take now to protect themselves against possible identity theft, as well as information on placing a fraud alert on their credit file. Emory Healthcare is recommending that individuals regularly review their credit reports for anything they do not recognize, and to consider using the other services Emory is providing, as specified in the letter. For more information on steps patients can take to avoid potential problems, view Emory Healthcare's "Notice to Our Patients" at www.emoryhealthcare.org/protection. Emory Healthcare has launched an institution-wide initiative to reinforce and clarify existing policies and procedures for safeguarding the security and privacy of sensitive information. In addition, Emory is conducting a comprehensive inventory of all physical spaces across the system to ensure data are properly secured. A toll-free Emory Healthcare Support Center hotline (1-855-205-6950) providing information on the incident has been established to address patient questions and is available 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) or patients may visit www.emoryhealthcare.org/protection.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2188
__label__wiki	0.799239	0.799239	FEDERAL ELECTION The ALP's climate policies will devastate our very way of life by Chris McCormack The ALP’s policies could reduce GDP by $1.2 trillion by 2030 Average Australian wages will be $24,000 below today’s There will be 586,000 fewer jobs than now by 2030 Electricity prices are projected to rise by 94 per cent by 2030 While the Government’s climate-change policy is wreaking havoc on jobs and the cost of living, the federal ALP’s “Climate Change Action Plan” goes much further and will gravely damage every Australian’s way of life. The ALP “is committed to reducing Australia’s pollution by 45 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030, and to reach net zero pollution by 2050”. The party led by Bill Shorten seems to be confused about what constitutes real pollution, as opposed to harmless carbon dioxide, which is the basis of all life on earth. The ALP also plans for 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030. The plan says that, “failing to keep global warming to below two degrees will eventually cost the average Australian household $14,000 per year”. However, the forecast temperature rise, and its cost, are unverifiable conjecture. Conversely, Brian Fisher, former head of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and who worked as an adviser on climate policy for the Hawke, Keating and Howard governments, in a baeconomics report, concluded that the ALP’s proposed 45 per cent cut to carbon-dioxide emissions could see a $1.2 trillion reduction in GDP, average Australian wages to be $24,000 less than the reference case, 586,000 fewer jobs and a 94 per cent increase in electricity prices by 2030. The ALP has indicated that it will not allow use of carryover credits from Australia exceeding the Kyoto climate agreement to count towards future emissions reductions. This is taken into account in the report’s figures. “The biggest impacts will fall on Australian households and regions dependent on Australia’s traditional export industries, but other sectors like manufacturing, transport and construction will also be affected,” Fisher wrote. The reference case assumes that we follow our emissions reduction commitments up to 2020 but that no further commitments to international climate agreements are agreed to beyond that. In fact, the report lists six scenarios, in addition to the reference case, dependent on the type of climate policy adopted. The worst-case scenario details the projected percentage decline in production by 2030 in 19 sectors of the economy, including thermal coal (-63.8 per cent), oil and gas (-14.5 per cent), oil refinery (-36.7 per cent), metallurgical coal (-26.8 per cent), other mining (-22.3 per cent), electricity (-23.8 per cent), construction (-16.2 per cent), land transport (-20.5 per cent), iron and steel (-31.4 per cent), iron ore (-11.3 per cent), fishing (-15.5 per cent), crops (-6.8 per cent), chemicals, rubber and plastic (-38.9 per cent), water and air transport (-12.3 per cent) and services (-10.5 per cent), among others. Fisher analyses the Coalition’s policy to reduce 2005’s carbon-dioxide emissions by 26–28 per cent by 2030, predicting a $293 billion cost to the economy, the loss of 227,000 fulltime jobs, a 1.0–4.7 per cent cut to real wages and electricity prices to increase by 38 per cent by 2030. The report says that “oil refining also declines under all policy scenarios” adopted by the two major parties, which would most likely see the closure of our four remaining refineries, leaving Australia completely dependent on imports for fuel security. An article in The Australian (“Revealed: Bill’s carbon costs”, April 18, 2019) reported that experts warned that Australian businesses would have to pay more than $25 billion in international carbon credits (assuming a price of $50 a tonne) to meet the ALP’s 45 per cent cut to carbon-dioxide emissions by 2030. Many Australian businesses would be in jeopardy under this scenario, but even more so if carbon credits could not be used to achieve the 45 per cent reduction. The Greens have vowed to block the use of carbon credits to meet emissions reduction targets. The ALP plans to remove the 1,500 gigalitre cap on water buybacks, meaning that an ALP government would take even more of our water reserved for agricultural production away from farmers to flush it down the river and out to sea because it believes agricultural production contributes to “climate change”. The ALP has indicated that it is prepared to override state rights if a state does not comply with federal water policy. The only farming the ALP promotes is “carbon farming”: meaning changing farming practices to retain more carbon in the soil. So, we can expect higher food prices, less locally grown food and more imported food if the ALP takes government. The ALP policy to introduce an emissions standard of 105 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre for light vehicles would mean that 17 of the current top 20 selling vehicles in Australia would be either much more expensive or unavailable for purchase. Automobile industry experts predict it could add around $5000 to the cost of an average vehicle. Automakers in Europe face fines of up to $A1.57 billion for not complying with their vehicle emissions cap of 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. This cost will be passed on to consumers. U.S. President Donald Trump rejected a carbon-dioxide vehicle emissions cap, although some U.S. states are planning to introduce their own. Bill Shorten wants 50 per cent of new vehicles sold in 2030 to be electric vehicles (EVs). Taxpayers will be slugged $200 million to build 200 fast-charging stations. That still leaves most of Australia uncovered. Apart from directly subsidising EVs, the emissions cap will force more vehicle manufacturers to build EVs or hybrid vehicles. Hybrids are a feasible alternative in the Australian context as they do not require the massive spend on charging infrastructure, negate “range anxiety” and can be used in remote locations (although the vehicles are more costly and complex). EVs, however – which seem to be the only vehicle-type Shorten proposes funding with our taxes – are fraught with limitations, which is why their take-up in Australia has been minute. Given Shorten’s target to have 50 per cent of our electricity relying on the sun and wind by 2030, and the decline in base-load power, battery storage will not be enough to replenish the charge in his whimsical 500,000 EVs plugging in each night, and prevent them crashing a power grid which is already overstretched as it is. Shorten’s plan should be a wake-up call to any sane Australian of the danger that “climate-change” ideology poses to our jobs, our economy and, ultimately, to our way of life.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2190
__label__cc	0.633059	0.366941	Constellation, 3111 N Western, Chicago Purchase tickets here. NATURAL LIFE by Tirtza Even (2013, 77 min) This screening will show the 77-minute video, an interactive online projection, and new clips from work by Tirtza Even's SAIC student class documenting juveniles serving life-sentences. Natural Life is a threefold experimental documentary comprised of a 77-minute, single-channel video, a gallery installation and an interactive online archive. The piece challenges inequities in the U.S. juvenile justice system by depicting, through documentation and reenactment, the stories of five individuals of different age, gender, economic background and race, who were sentenced to Life Without Parole (Natural Life) for crimes they committed as youth. The youthful status and/or lesser culpability of these youths, their background and their potential for rehabilitation, were not taken into account at any point in the charging and sentencing process. The five will never be evaluated for change, difference or growth. They will remain in prison till they die. There are over 2500 inmates in the U.S. who are serving a Life Without Parole sentence for a crime they committed as juveniles. The U.S. is the only country in the world that allows Life Without Parole sentencing for youth. The project's goal is to portray the ripple-effect that the sentence has had not only on the incarcerated youth and their victims, but also on the community at large. More than fifty hours of interviews with individuals who were involved with the crime, the arrest and the sentencing of the featured inmates were recorded. Among them judges, lawyers, police officers, reporters, wardens, teachers, child psychiatrists, legal experts and victims’ family members. The interviews were coupled with staged scenes from court and from the main characters’ crime setting, as well as with detailed images of life in prison, reenacted by a group of high-school actors, and shot at an abandoned prison in Michigan. A BODY WITHOUT ORGANS TO THICKEN, NOT DISTORT	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2193
__label__wiki	0.564324	0.564324	Recreational Drug Use Get Recreational Drug Use essential facts below. View Videos or join the Recreational Drug Use discussion. Add Recreational Drug Use to your PopFlock.com topic list for future reference or share this resource on social media. Use of a drug with the primary intention to alter the state of consciousness Adriaen Brouwer, TheSmokers (1636) Edgar Degas, L'Absinthe (1873) Recreational drug use is the use of a psychoactive drug to induce an altered state of consciousness for pleasure, by modifying the perceptions, feelings, and emotions of the user. When a psychoactive drug enters the user's body, it induces an intoxicating effect. Generally, recreational drugs are in three categories: depressants (drugs that induce a feeling of relaxation and calm); stimulants (drugs that induce a sense of energy and alertness); and hallucinogens (drugs that induce perceptual distortions such as hallucination). Many people also use prescribed and illegal opioids along with opiates and benzodiazepines. In popular practice, recreational drug use generally is a tolerated social behaviour, rather than perceived as the serious medical condition of self-medication[]. However, heavy use of some drugs is socially stigmatized. Recreational drugs include alcohol (as found in beer, wine, and distilled spirits); cannabis (legal nationally in certain countries and state/province-wide or locally in others) and hashish; nicotine (tobacco); caffeine (coffee, tea, and soft drinks); prescription drugs; and the controlled substances listed as illegal drugs in the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961) and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971) of the United Nations. What controlled substances are considered illegal drugs varies by country, but usually includes methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, MDMA and club drugs. In 2015, it was estimated that about 5% of people aged 15 to 65 had used illegal drugs at least once (158 million to 351 million).[1] Reasons for use Bhang eaters from India c. 1790. Bhang is an edible preparation of cannabis native to the Indian subcontinent. It has been used in food and drink as early as 1000 BCE by Hindus in ancient India.[2] A man smoking cannabis in Kolkata, India. Many researchers have explored the etiology of recreational drug use. Some of the most common theories are: genetics, personality type, psychological problems, self-medication, gender, age, instant gratification, basic human need, curiosity, rebelliousness, a sense of belonging to a group, family and attachment issues, history of trauma, failure at school or work, socioeconomic stressors, peer pressure, juvenile delinquency, availability, historical factors, or sociocultural influences.[3] There has not been agreement around any one single cause. Instead, experts tend to apply the biopsychosocial model. Any number of these factors are likely to influence an individual's drug use as they are not mutually exclusive.[3][4] Regardless of genetics, mental health or traumatic experiences, social factors play a large role in exposure to and availability of certain types of drugs and patterns of drug use.[3] According to addiction researcher Martin A. Plant, many people go through a period of self-redefinition before initiating recreational drug use. They tend to view using drugs as part of a general lifestyle that involves belonging to a subculture that they associate with heightened status and the challenging of social norms. Plant says, "From the user's point of view there are many positive reasons to become part of the milieu of drug taking. The reasons for drug use appear to have as much to do with needs for friendship, pleasure and status as they do with unhappiness or poverty. Becoming a drug taker, to many people, is a positive affirmation rather than a negative experience."[3] Anthropological research has suggested that humans "may have evolved to counter-exploit plant neurotoxins". The ability to use botanical chemicals to serve the function of endogenous neurotransmitters may have improved survival rates, conferring an evolutionary advantage. A typically restrictive prehistoric diet may have emphasised the apparent benefit of consuming psychoactive drugs, which had themselves evolved to imitate neurotransmitters.[5] Chemical-ecological adaptations, and the genetics of hepatic enzymes, particularly cytochrome P450, have led researchers to propose that "humans have shared a co-evolutionary relationship with psychotropic plant substances that is millions of years old."[6] Addiction experts in psychiatry, chemistry, pharmacology, forensic science, epidemiology, and the police and legal services engaged in delphic analysis and ranked 20 popular recreational drugs by their dependence liability and physical and social harms.[7] This 1914 photo shows intoxicated men at a sobering-up room. Severity and type of risks that come with recreational drug use vary widely with the drug in question and the amount being used. There are many factors in the environment and within the user that interact with each drug differently. Overall, some studies suggest that alcohol is one of the most dangerous of all recreational drugs; only heroin, crack cocaine, and methamphetamines are judged to be more harmful. However, studies which focus on a moderate level of alcohol consumption have concluded that there can be substantial health benefits from its use, such as decreased risk of cardiac disease, stroke and cognitive decline.[8][9][10][11] This claim has been disputed. Researcher David Nutt stated that these studies showing benefits for "moderate" alcohol consumption lacked control for the variable of what the subjects were drinking, beforehand.[12] Experts in the UK have suggested that some drugs that may be causing less harm, to fewer users (although they are also used less frequently in the first place), include cannabis, psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, and ecstasy. These drugs are not without their own particular risks.[13] The concept of "responsible drug use" is that a person can use drugs recreationally or otherwise with reduced or eliminated risk of negatively affecting other aspects of one's life or other people's lives. Advocates of this philosophy point to the many well-known artists and intellectuals who have used drugs, experimentally or otherwise, with few detrimental effects on their lives. Responsible drug use becomes problematic only when the use of the substance significantly interferes with the user's daily life. Responsible drug use advocates that users should not take drugs at the same time as activities such as driving, swimming, operating machinery, or other activities that are unsafe without a sober state. Responsible drug use is emphasized as a primary prevention technique in harm-reduction drug policies. Harm-reduction policies were popularized in the late 1980s, although they began in the 1970s counter-culture, when cartoons explaining responsible drug use and the consequences of irresponsible drug use were distributed to users.[14] Another issue is that the illegality of drugs in itself also causes social and economic consequences for those using them--the drugs may be "cut" with adulterants and the purity varies wildly, making overdoses more likely--and legalization of drug production and distribution would reduce these and other dangers of illegal drug use.[15] Harm reduction seeks to minimize the harm that can occur through the use of various drugs, whether legal (e.g., alcohol and nicotine), or illegal (e.g., heroin and cocaine). For example, people who inject illicit drugs can minimize harm to both themselves and members of the community through proper injecting technique, using new needles and syringes each time, and proper disposal of all injecting equipment. In efforts to curtail recreational drug use, governments worldwide introduced several laws prohibiting the possession of almost all varieties of recreational drugs during the 20th century. The West's "War on Drugs" however, is now facing increasing criticism. Evidence is insufficient to tell if behavioral interventions help prevent recreational drug use in children.[16] One in four adolescents has used an illegal drug and one in ten of those adolescents who need addiction treatment get some type of care.[17] School-based programs are the most commonly used method for drug use education despite the success rates of these intervention programs this success is highly dependent on the commitment of participants. Smoking any tobacco product, %, Males[18] (See the same map for female smokers.) Total recorded alcohol per capita consumption (15+), in liters of pure alcohol[19] Alcohol is the most widely used drug in Australia.[20] 86.2% of Australians aged 12 years and over have consumed alcohol at least once in their lifetime, compared to 34.8% of Australians aged 12 years and over who have used cannabis at least once in their lifetime.[20] In the 1960s, the number of Americans who had tried cannabis at least once increased over twentyfold.[] In 1969, the FBI reported that between the years 1966 and 1968, the number of arrests for marijuana possession, which had been outlawed throughout the United States under Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, had increased by 98%.[21] Despite acknowledgement that drug use was greatly growing among America's youth during the late 1960s, surveys have suggested that only as much as 4% of the American population had ever smoked marijuana by 1969.[22] By 1972, however, that number would increase to 12%.[22] That number would then double by 1977.[22] The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified marijuana along with heroin and LSD as a Schedule I drug, i.e., having the relatively highest abuse potential and no accepted medical use.[23] Most marijuana at that time came from Mexico, but in 1975 the Mexican government agreed to eradicate the crop by spraying it with the herbicide paraquat, raising fears of toxic side effects.[23] Colombia then became the main supplier.[23] The "zero tolerance" climate of the Reagan and Bush administrations (1981-93) resulted in passage of strict laws and mandatory sentences for possession of marijuana and in heightened vigilance against smuggling at the southern borders.[] The "war on drugs" thus brought with it a shift from reliance on imported supplies to domestic cultivation (particularly in Hawaii and California).[23] Beginning in 1982, the Drug Enforcement Administration turned increased attention to marijuana farms in the United States,[23] and there was a shift to the indoor growing of plants specially developed for small size and high yield.[23] After over a decade of decreasing use, marijuana smoking began an upward trend once more in the early 1990s,[23] especially among teenagers,[23] but by the end of the decade this upswing had leveled off well below former peaks of use.[23] Many movements and organizations are advocating for or against the liberalization of the use of recreational drugs, notably cannabis legalization. Subcultures have emerged among users of recreational drugs, as well as among those who abstain from them, such as teetotalism and "straight edge". The prevalence of recreational drugs in human societies is widely reflected in fiction, entertainment, and the arts, subject to prevailing laws and social conventions. In video games, for example, enemies are often drug dealers, a narrative device that justifies the player killing them. Other games portray drugs as a kind of "power-up"; their effect is often unrealistically conveyed by making the screen wobble and blur.[24] Common recreational drugs The following substances are used recreationally:[25] Alcohol: Most drinking alcohol is ethanol, . Drinking alcohol creates intoxication, relaxation and lowered inhibitions. It is produced by the fermentation of sugars by yeasts to create wine, beer, and distilled liquor (e.g., vodka, rum, gin, etc.). In most areas of the world, it is legal for those over a certain age (18 in most countries). It is an IARC 'Group 1' carcinogen and a teratogen.[26] Alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening.[27] Amphetamines: Used recreationally to provide alertness and a sense of energy. Prescribed for ADHD, narcolepsy, depression and weight loss. A potent central nervous system stimulant, in the 1940s and 50s methamphetamine was used by Axis and Allied troops in World War II, and, later on, other armies, and by Japanese factory workers. It increases muscle strength and fatigue resistance and improves reaction time.[28] Methamphetamine use can be neurotoxic, which means it damages dopamine neurons.[29] As a result of this brain damage, chronic use can lead to post acute withdrawal syndrome.[30] Caffeine: Often found in coffee, black tea, energy drinks, some soft drinks (e.g., Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Mountain Dew, among others), and chocolate. It is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive drug, it has no dependence liability. Cannabis: Its common forms include marijuana and hashish, which are smoked or eaten. It contains at least 85 cannabinoids. The primary psychoactive component is THC, which mimics the neurotransmitter anandamide, named after the Hindu ananda, "joy, bliss, delight". Cocaine: It is available as a white powder, which is insufflated ("sniffed" into the nostrils) or converted into a solution with water and injected. A popular derivative, crack cocaine is typically smoked. When transformed into its freebase form, crack, the cocaine vapour may be inhaled directly. This is thought to increase bioavailability, but has also been found to be toxic, due to the production of methylecgonidine during pyrolysis.[31][32][33] MDMA: Commonly known as ecstasy, it is a common club drug in the rave scene. Electronic cigarette: A large proportion of e-cigarette use is recreational.[34] Most e-cigarette liquids contain nicotine, but the level of nicotine varies depending on user-preference and manufacturers.[35] Nicotine is highly addictive,[36][37][38] comparable to heroin or cocaine.[39] Ketamine: An anesthetic used legally by paramedics and doctors in emergency situations for its dissociative and analgesic qualities and illegally in the club drug scene. Lean: A liquid drug made when mixing cough syrup, sweets, soft drinks and codeine. It originated in the 1990s in Houston. Ever since then, this drug usage has grown and many people use this at parties becoming popular at the rave scene. Many people would get a drowsy feeling when consuming this drug. LSD: A popular ergoline derivative, that was first synthesized in 1938 by Hofmann. However, he failed to notice its psychedelic potential until 1943.[40] In the 1950s, it was used in psychological therapy, and, covertly, by the CIA in Project MKULTRA, in which the drug was administered to unwitting US and Canadian citizens. It played a central role in 1960s 'counter-culture', and was banned in October 1968 by US President Lyndon B Johnson.[41][42] Nitrous oxide: legally used by dentists as an anxiolytic and anaesthetic, it is also used recreationally by users who obtain it from whipped cream canisters (whippets or whip-its) (see inhalant), as it causes perceptual effects, a "high" and at higher doses, hallucinations. Opiates and opioids: Available by prescription for pain relief. Commonly abused opioids include oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, fentanyl, heroin, and morphine. Opioids have a high potential for addiction and have the ability to induce severe physical withdrawal symptoms upon cessation of frequent use. Heroin can be smoked, insufflated or turned into a solution with water and injected. Psilocybin mushrooms: This hallucinogenic drug was an important drug in the psychedelic scene. Until 1963, when it was chemically analysed by Albert Hofmann, it was completely unknown to modern science that Psilocybe semilanceata ("Liberty Cap", common throughout Europe) contains psilocybin, a hallucinogen previously identified only in species native to Mexico, Asia, and North America.[43] Tobacco: Nicotiana tabacum. Nicotine is the key drug contained in tobacco leaves, which are either smoked, chewed or snuffed. It contains nicotine, which crosses the blood-brain barrier in 10-20 seconds. It mimics the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain and the neuromuscular junction. The neuronal forms of the receptor are present both post-synaptically (involved in classical neurotransmission) and pre-synaptically, where they can influence the release of multiple neurotransmitters.[44] Tranquilizers: barbiturates, benzodiazepines (commonly prescribed for anxiety disorders; known to cause dementia and post acute withdrawal syndrome) "Bath salts": this is the street name for Mephedrone/Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) DMT - primary ingredient in ayahuasca, can also be smoked in a crack pipe; briefly (c. 30 minutes) causes a "total loss of connection to external reality"[45] Peyote: This hallucinogen contains mescaline, native to southwestern Texas and Mexico Salvia divinorum: This hallucinogenic Mexican herb in the mint family; not considered recreational, most likely due to the nature of the hallucinations (legal in some jurisdictions) Synthetic cannabis: "Spice", "K2", JWH-018, AM-2201 Research chemicals: 2C variants, etc. Routes of administration This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Insufflation of caffeine powder. Injection of heroin. Drugs often associated with a particular route of administration. Many drugs can be consumed in more than one way. For example, marijuana can be swallowed like food or smoked, and cocaine can be "sniffed" in the nostrils, injected, or, with various modifications, smoked. inhalation: all intoxicative inhalants (see below) that are gases or solvent vapours that are inhaled through the trachea, as the name suggests insufflation: also known as "sniffing", or "snorting", this method involves the user placing a powder in the nostrils and breathing in through the nose, so that the drug is absorbed by the mucous membranes. Drugs that are "sniffed", or "snorted", include powdered amphetamines, cocaine, heroin, ketamine and MDMA. Additionally, snuff tobacco intravenous injection (see also the article Drug injection): the user injects a solution of water and the drug into a vein, or less commonly, into the tissue. Drugs that are injected include morphine and heroin, less commonly other opioids. Stimulants like cocaine or methamphetamine may also be injected. In rare cases, users inject other drugs. oral intake: caffeine, ethanol, cannabis edibles, psilocybin mushrooms, coca tea, poppy tea, laudanum, GHB, ecstasy pills with MDMA or various other substances (mainly stimulants and psychedelics), prescription and over-the-counter drugs (ADHD and narcolepsy medications, benzodiazepines, anxiolytics, sedatives, cough suppressants, morphine, codeine, opioids and others) sublingual: substances diffuse into the blood through tissues under the tongue. Many psychoactive drugs can be or have been specifically designed for sublingual administration, including barbiturates, benzodiazepines,[46]opioid analgesics with poor gastrointestinal bioavailability, LSD blotters, coca leaves, some hallucinogens. This route of administration is activated when chewing some forms of smokeless tobacco (e.g. dipping tobacco, snus). intrarectal: administering into the rectum, most water-soluble drugs can be used this way smoking (see also the section below): tobacco, cannabis, opium, crystal meth, phencyclidine, crack cocaine and heroin (diamorphine as freebase) known as chasing the dragon transdermal patches with prescription drugs: e.g. methylphenidate (Daytrana) and fentanyl Many drugs are taken through various routes. Intravenous route is the most efficient, but also one of the most dangerous. Nasal, rectal, inhalation and smoking are safer. The oral route is one of the safest and most comfortable, but of little bioavailability. Depressants are psychoactive drugs that temporarily diminish the function or activity of a specific part of the body or mind.[47] Colloquially, depressants are known as "downers", and users generally take them to feel more relaxed and less tense. Examples of these kinds of effects may include anxiolysis, sedation, and hypotension. Depressants are widely used throughout the world as prescription medicines and as illicit substances. When these are used, effects may include anxiolysis (reduction of anxiety), analgesia (pain relief), sedation, somnolence, cognitive/memory impairment, dissociation, muscle relaxation, lowered blood pressure/heart rate, respiratory depression, anesthesia, and anticonvulsant effects. Depressants exert their effects through a number of different pharmacological mechanisms, the most prominent of which include facilitation of GABA or opioid activity, and inhibition of adrenergic, histamine or acetylcholine activity. Some are also capable of inducing feelings of euphoria (a happy sensation). The most widely used depressant by far is alcohol. Stimulants or "uppers", such as amphetamines or cocaine, which increase mental or physical function, have an opposite effect to depressants. Antihistamines (or "histamine antagonists") inhibit the release or action of histamine. "Antihistamine" can be used to describe any histamine antagonist, but the term is usually reserved for the classical antihistamines that act upon the H1 histamine receptor. Antihistamines are used as treatment for allergies. Allergies are caused by an excessive response of the body to allergens, such as the pollen released by grasses and trees. An allergic reaction causes release of histamine by the body. Other uses of antihistamines are to help with normal symptoms of insect stings even if there is no allergic reaction. Their recreational appeal exists mainly due to their anticholinergic properties, that induce anxiolysis and, in some cases such as diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, and orphenadrine, a characteristic euphoria at moderate doses. High dosages taken to induce recreational drug effects may lead to overdoses. Antihistamines are also consumed in combination with alcohol, particularly by youth who find it hard to obtain alcohol. The combination of the two drugs can cause intoxication with lower alcohol doses. Hallucinations and possibly delirium resembling the effects of Datura stramonium can result if the drug is taken in much higher than therapeutical dosages. Antihistamines are widely available over the counter at drug stores (without a prescription), in the form of allergy medication and some cough medicines. They are sometimes used in combination with other substances such as alcohol. The most common unsupervised use of antihistamines in terms of volume and percentage of the total is perhaps in parallel to the medicinal use of some antihistamines to stretch out and intensify the effects of opioids and depressants. The most commonly used are hydroxyzine, mainly to stretch out a supply of other drugs, as in medical use, and the above-mentioned ethanolamine and alkylamine-class first-generation antihistamines, which are - once again as in the 1950s - the subject of medical research into their anti-depressant properties. For all of the above reasons, the use of medicinal scopolamine for recreational uses is also seen. Analgesics (also known as "painkillers") are used to relieve pain (achieve analgesia). The word analgesic derives from Greek "-" (an-, "without") and "" (álgos, "pain"). Analgesic drugs act in various ways on the peripheral and central nervous systems; they include paracetamol (para-acetylaminophenol, also known in the US as acetaminophen), the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as the salicylates, and opioid drugs such as hydrocodone, codeine, heroin and oxycodone. Some further examples of the brand name prescription opiates and opioid analgesics that may be used recreationally include Vicodin, Lortab, Norco (hydrocodone), Avinza, Kapanol (morphine), Opana, Paramorphan (oxymorphone), Dilaudid, Palladone (hydromorphone), and OxyContin (oxycodone). Tranquilizers Tranquilizers (GABAergics): Barbiturates Ethanol (drinking alcohol; ethyl alcohol) carisoprodol (Soma) diethyl ether ethchlorvynol (Placidyl; "jelly-bellies") gamma-butyrolactone (GBL, a prodrug to GHB) gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB; G; Xyrem; "Liquid Ecstasy", "Fantasy") glutethimide (Doriden) kava (from Piper methysticum; contains kavalactones) meprobamate (Miltown) methaqualone (Sopor, Mandrax; "Quaaludes") propofol (Diprivan) theanine (found in Camellia sinensis, the tea plant) valerian (from Valeriana officinalis) Cocaine is a commonly used stimulant Stimulants, also known as "psychostimulants",[48] induce euphoria with improvements in mental and physical function, such as enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion. Due to their effects typically having an "up" quality to them, stimulants are also occasionally referred to as "uppers". Depressants or "downers", which decrease mental or physical function, are in stark contrast to stimulants and are considered to be their functional opposites. Stimulants enhance the activity of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Common effects may include increased alertness, awareness, wakefulness, endurance, productivity, and motivation, arousal, locomotion, heart rate, and blood pressure, and a diminished desire for food and sleep. Use of stimulants may cause the body to significantly reduce its production of natural body chemicals that fulfill similar functions. Once the effect of the ingested stimulant has worn off the user may feel depressed, lethargic, confused, and miserable. This is referred to as a "crash", and may provoke reuse of the stimulant. Sympathomimetics (catecholaminergics)--e.g. amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, methylphenidate, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine Entactogens (serotonergics, primarily phenethylamines)--e.g. MDMA Eugeroics, e.g. modafinil arecoline (found in Areca catechu) caffeine (found in Coffea spp.) nicotine (found in Nicotiana spp.) rauwolscine (found in Rauvolfia serpentina) yohimbine (Procomil; a tryptamine alkaloid found in Pausinystalia johimbe) Euphoriants Alcohol: "Euphoria, the feeling of well-being, has been reported during the early (10-15 min) phase of alcohol consumption" (e.g., beer, wine or spirits)[49] Catnip: Catnip contains a sedative known as nepetalactone that activates opioid receptors. In cats it elicits sniffing, licking, chewing, head shaking, rolling, and rubbing which are indicators of pleasure. In humans, however, catnip does not act as a euphoriant.[50] Cannabis: Tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive ingredient in this plant, can have sedative and euphoric properties. Stimulants: "Psychomotor stimulants produce locomotor activity (the subject becomes hyperactive), euphoria, (often expressed by excessive talking and garrulous behaviour), and anorexia. The amphetamines are the best known drugs in this category..."[51] MDMA: The "euphoriant drugs such as MDMA ('ecstasy') and MDEA ('eve')" are popular among young adults.[52] MDMA "users experience short-term feelings of euphoria, rushes of energy and increased tactility."[53] Opium: This "drug derived from the unripe seed-pods of the opium poppy...produces drowsiness and euphoria and reduces pain. Morphine and codeine are opium derivatives."[54] Hallucinogens can be divided into three broad categories: psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants. They can cause subjective changes in perception, thought, emotion and consciousness. Unlike other psychoactive drugs such as stimulants and opioids, hallucinogens do not merely amplify familiar states of mind but also induce experiences that differ from those of ordinary consciousness, often compared to non-ordinary forms of consciousness such as trance, meditation, conversion experiences, and dreams. Psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants have a long worldwide history of use within medicinal and religious traditions. They are used in shamanic forms of ritual healing and divination, in initiation rites, and in the religious rituals of syncretistic movements such as União do Vegetal, Santo Daime, Temple of the True Inner Light, and the Native American Church. When used in religious practice, psychedelic drugs, as well as other substances like tobacco, are referred to as entheogens. Starting in the mid-20th century, psychedelic drugs have been the object of extensive attention in the Western world. They have been and are being explored as potential therapeutic agents in treating depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, Obsessive-compulsive disorder, alcoholism, and opioid addiction. Yet the most popular, and at the same time most stigmatized, use of psychedelics in Western culture has been associated with the search for direct religious experience, enhanced creativity, personal development, and "mind expansion". The use of psychedelic drugs was a major element of the 1960s counterculture, where it became associated with various social movements and a general atmosphere of rebellion and strife between generations. Deliriants atropine (alkaloid found in plants of the Solanaceae family, including datura, deadly nightshade, henbane and mandrake) dimenhydrinate (Dramamine, an antihistamine) diphenhydramine (Benadryl, Unisom, Nytol) hyoscyamine (alkaloid also found in the Solanaceae) hyoscine hydrobromide (another Solanaceae alkaloid) myristicin (found in Myristica fragrans ("Nutmeg")) ibotenic acid (found in Amanita muscaria ("Fly Agaric"); prodrug to muscimol) muscimol (also found in Amanita muscaria, a GABAergic) dextromethorphan (DXM; Robitussin, Delsym, etc.; "Dex", "Robo", "Cough Syrup", "DXM") "Triple C's, Coricidin, Skittles" refer to a potentially fatal formulation containing both dextromethorphan and chlorpheniramine. ketamine (K; Ketalar, Ketaset, Ketanest; "Ket", "Kit Kat", "Special-K", "Vitamin K", "Jet Fuel", "Horse Tranquilizer") methoxetamine (Mex, Mket, Mexi) phencyclidine (PCP; Sernyl; "Angel Dust", "Rocket Fuel", "Sherm", "Killer Weed", "Super Grass") nitrous oxide (N2O; "NOS", "Laughing Gas", "Whippets", "Balloons") Phenethylamines 2C-B ("Nexus", "Venus", "Eros", "Bees") 2C-E ("Eternity", "Hummingbird") 2C-I ("Infinity") 2C-T-2 ("Rosy") 2C-T-7 ("Blue Mystic", "Lucky 7") DOM ("Serenity, Tranquility, and Peace" ("STP")) MDMA ("Ecstasy", "E", "Molly", "Mandy", "MD", "Crystal Love") mescaline (found in peyote, Peruvian torch cactus and San Pedro cactus) Tryptamines (including ergolines and lysergamides) 5-MeO-DiPT ("Foxy", "Foxy Methoxy") 5-MeO-DMT (found in various plants like chacruna, jurema, vilca, and yopo) alpha-methyltryptamine (?MT; Indopan; "Spirals") bufotenin (secreted by Bufo alvarius, also found in various Amanita mushrooms) N,N-dimethyltryptamine (N,N-DMT; DMT; "Dimitri", "Disneyland", "Spice"; found in large amounts in Psychotria and in D. cabrerana) lysergic acid amide (LSA; ergine; found in morning glory and Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds) lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD; L; Delysid; "Acid", "Sid". "Cid", "Lucy", "Sidney", "Blotters", "Droppers", "Sugar Cubes") psilocin (found in psilocybin mushrooms) psilocybin (also found in psilocybin mushrooms; prodrug to psilocin) ibogaine (found in Tabernanthe iboga ("Iboga")) Atypicals salvinorin A (found in Salvia divinorum, a trans-neoclerodane diterpenoid ("Diviner's Sage", "Lady Salvia", "Salvinorin")) Inhalants are gases, aerosols, or solvents that are breathed in and absorbed through the lungs. While some "inhalant" drugs are used for medical purposes, as in the case of nitrous oxide, a dental anesthetic, inhalants are used as recreational drugs for their intoxicating effect. Most inhalant drugs that are used non-medically are ingredients in household or industrial chemical products that are not intended to be concentrated and inhaled, including organic solvents (found in cleaning products, fast-drying glues, and nail polish removers), fuels (gasoline (petrol) and kerosene), and propellant gases such as Freon and compressed hydrofluorocarbons that are used in aerosol cans such as hairspray, whipped cream, and non-stick cooking spray. A small number of recreational inhalant drugs are pharmaceutical products that are used illicitly, such as anesthetics (ether and nitrous oxide) and volatile anti-angina drugs (alkyl nitrites). The most serious inhalant abuse occurs among children and teens who "[...] live on the streets completely without family ties".[55] Inhalant users inhale vapor or aerosol propellant gases using plastic bags held over the mouth or by breathing from a solvent-soaked rag or an open container. The effects of inhalants range from an alcohol-like intoxication and intense euphoria to vivid hallucinations, depending on the substance and the dosage. Some inhalant users are injured due to the harmful effects of the solvents or gases, or due to other chemicals used in the products that they are inhaling. As with any recreational drug, users can be injured due to dangerous behavior while they are intoxicated, such as driving under the influence. Computer cleaning dusters are dangerous to inhale, because the gases expand and cool rapidly upon being sprayed. In some cases, users have died from hypoxia (lack of oxygen), pneumonia, cardiac failure or arrest,[56] or aspiration of vomit. Ethyl chloride Ethane and ethylene Poppers (alkyl nitrites) Solvents and propellants (including propane, butane, freon, gasoline, kerosene, toluene) and the fumes of glues containing them List of drugs which can be smoked datura and other Solanaceae (formerly smoked to treat asthma) possibly other plants (see the section below) Substances (also not necessarily psychoactive plants soaked with them): black tar heroin synthetic cannabinoids (see also: synthetic cannabis) dimethyltryptamine (DMT) many others, including some prescription drugs List of psychoactive plants, fungi and animals Minimally psychoactive plants which contain mainly caffeine and theobromine: tea (caffeine in tea is sometimes called theine) - also contains theanine guarana (caffeine in guarana is sometimes called guaranine) yerba mate (caffeine in yerba mate is sometimes called mateine) Most known psychoactive plants: cannabis: cannabinoids tobacco: nicotine and beta-carboline alkaloids coca: cocaine opium poppy: morphine, codeine and other opiates salvia divinorum: salvinorin A khat: cathine and cathinone kava: kavalactones nutmeg: myristicin Solanaceae plants--contain atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine deadly nightshade atropa belladona henbane mandrake (Mandragora) other Solanaceae Cacti with mescaline: Peruvian torch cactus San Pedro cactus Other plants: kratom: mitragynine, mitraphylline, 7-hydroxymitragynine, raubasine and corynantheidine ephedra: ephedrine Calea zacatechichi Silene capensis valerian: valerian (the chemical with the same name) various plants like chacruna, jurema, vilca, and yopo - 5-MeO-DMT Morning glory and Hawaiian Baby Woodrose - lysergic acid amide (LSA, ergine) Tabernanthe iboga ("Iboga")--ibogaine Areca catechu (see: betel and paan)--arecoline Rauvolfia serpentina: rauwolscine yohimbe (Pausinystalia johimbe): yohimbine, corynantheidine probably many others Fungi: psilocybin mushrooms: psilocybin and psilocin various Amanita mushrooms: muscimol Amanita muscaria: ibotenic acid and muscimol Claviceps purpurea and other Clavicipitaceae: ergotamine (not psychoactive itself but used in synthesis of LSD) Psychoactive animals: hallucinogenic fish psychoactive toads: bufotenin, Bufo alvarius (Colorado River toad or Sonoran Desert toad) also contains 5-MeO-DMT Martini, a popular cocktail, containing alcohol a common depressant Cappuccino, a coffee drink containing caffeine a popular stimulant Dried Cannabis flowers, containing THC and other cannabinoids known as cannabis. A lit cigarette, containing tobacco, which contains nicotine. A pile of cocaine hydrochloride Alprazolam (Xanax) is a short-acting benzodiazepine. Tablets containing MDMA, widely known as "ecstasy" "Pink elephant" blotters containing LSD Preparing diacetylmorphine for injection, commonly known as heroin Homeless children from Keningau, in Borneo, sniffing glue from a plastic bag Crack cocaine in the form of "rocks" a freebase version of cocaine Poppers, a slang term for alkyl nitrites that are inhaled Amphetamine is typically prescribed as amphetamine mixed salts commonly known as Adderall Psilocybe semilanceata, a type of psilocybin mushrooms Opium poppy seed pods exuding latex Methamphetamine in crystal form Salvia divinorum extract, mainly containing salvinorin A Coca tea, consumed as a stimulant Man in Yemen selling khat, an amphetamine-like stimulant[57] DXM, a cough medicine which acts as a dissociative hallucinogen in large doses. Peyote cactuses containing psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline Ayahuasca, a decoction prepared with Banisteriopsis caapi Ketamine hydrochloride crystals DMT in a zipper storage bag 25I-NBOMe sold in blotters is often assumed to be LSD Bromazepam, a benzodiazepine drug Whippets containing nitrous oxide, commonly known as "laughing gas" Women selling and chewing Areca nut, a common recreational drug in Southeast Asia and the Oceanic Ingredients common in the production of Paan, widely consumed throughout South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan Counterfeit drug Demand reduction Prohibition (drugs) Purple drank Recreational use of dextromethorphan Recreational use of ketamine ^ Global Overview of Drug Demand and Supply (PDF). World Drug Report 2017. United Nations. 2017. p. 13. ISBN 978-92-1-148291-1. Retrieved 2018. ^ Staelens, Stefanie (10 March 2015). "The Bhang Lassi Is How Hindus Drink Themselves High for Shiva". Vice.com. Retrieved 2017. ^ a b c d Plant, Martin A. (1980), "Drugtaking and Prevention: The Implications of Research for Social Policy", British Journal of Addiction, 75 (3): 245-254, doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1980.tb01378.x ^ White, Tony (2012), Working with Drug and Alcohol Users, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, p. 77, ISBN 9780857006189 ^ Roger J Sullivan; Edward H Hagen; Peter Hammerstein (2008). "Revealing the paradox of drug reward in human evolution". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 275 (1640): 1231-1241. doi:10.1098/rspb.2007.1673. PMC 2367444. PMID 18353749. Retrieved 2019. ^ R. J. Sullivan; E. H. Hagen (2000). "Psychotropic substance-seeking: evolutionary pathology or adaptation?" (PDF). Retrieved 2019. ^ Nutt, D; King, LA; Saulsbury, W; Blakemore, C (24 March 2007). "Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse". Lancet. 369 (9566): 1047-53. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(07)60464-4. PMID 17382831. ^ Stampfer MJ, Kang JH, Chen J, Cherry R, Grodstein F (January 2005). "Effects of moderate alcohol consumption on cognitive function in women". N Engl J Med. 352 (3): 245-53. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa041152. PMID 15659724. ^ Hines LM, Stampfer MJ, Ma J (February 2001). "Genetic variation in alcohol dehydrogenase and the beneficial effect of moderate alcohol consumption on myocardial infarction". N Engl J Med. 344 (8): 549-55. doi:10.1056/NEJM200102223440802. PMID 11207350. ^ Berger K, Ajani UA, Kase CS (November 1999). "Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption and risk of stroke among U.S. male physicians". N Engl J Med. 341 (21): 1557-64. doi:10.1056/NEJM199911183412101. PMID 10564684. ^ Mukamal KJ, Conigrave KM, Mittleman MA (January 2003). "Roles of drinking pattern and type of alcohol consumed in coronary heart disease in men". N Engl J Med. 348 (2): 109-18. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa022095. PMID 12519921. ^ Nutt, David (7 March 2011). "There is no such thing as a safe level of alcohol consumption - Professor David Nutt". the Guardian. ^ ""Drug harms in the UK: a multi-criteria decision analysis", by David Nutt, Leslie King and Lawrence Phillips, on behalf of the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs". The Lancet. 2 November 2010. ^ Charles E. Faupel; Alan M. Horowitz; Greg S. Weaver. The Sociology of American Drug Use. McGraw Hill. p. 366. ^ "Failed states and failed policies, How to stop the drug wars". The Economist. 5 March 2009. Retrieved 2009. ^ Moyer, VA; U.S. Preventive Services Task, Force (6 May 2014). "Primary care behavioral interventions to reduce illicit drug and nonmedical pharmaceutical use in children and adolescents: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement". Annals of Internal Medicine. 160 (9): 634-9. doi:10.7326/m14-0334. PMID 24615535. ^ Lord S, Marsch L (2011). "Emerging trends and innovations in the identification and management of drug use among adolescents and young adults". Adolesc Med State Art Rev. 22: 649-69, xiv. PMC 4119795. PMID 22423469. ^ "WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2008" (PDF). ^ "Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004" (PDF). ^ a b "National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2016: detailed findings". Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 28 September 2017. ^ David Farber (2004). The Sixties Chronicle. Legacy Publishing. p. 432. ISBN 978-1412710091. ^ a b c Decades of Drug Use: Data From the '60s and '70s Jennifer Robison, Gallup.com, 2 July 2002, Accessed 13 November 2013 ^ a b c d e f g h i "marijuana: History of Marijuana Use". infoplease.com. ^ MacDonald, Keza (5 November 2014). "Why Are Drugs Always So Lame in Video Games?". Vice. Retrieved 2014. ^ "The Global Drug Survey 2014 findings". Global Drug Survey. 2014. Retrieved September 2014. Check date values in: \|accessdate= (help) ^ "Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs" (PDF). ^ Trevisan, Louis A.; Boutros, Nashaat; Petrakis, Ismene L.; Krystal, John H. "Complications of Alcohol Withdrawal" (PDF). Alcohol Health and Research World. 22 (1): 61-66. ^ John Philip Jenkins. "methamphetamine (drug) - Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2012. ^ Cruickshank, CC; Dyer, KR (July 2009). "A review of the clinical pharmacology of methamphetamine". Addiction. 104 (7): 1085-1099. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02564.x. PMID 19426289. ^ Malenka RC, Nestler EJ, Hyman SE (2009). "15". In Sydor A, Brown RY (eds.). Molecular Neuropharmacology: A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Medical. p. 370. ISBN 978-0-07-148127-4. Unlike cocaine and amphetamine, methamphetamine is directly toxic to midbrain dopamine neurons. ^ "Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Methylecgonidine, a Crack Cocaine Pyrolyzate". aspetjournals.org. ^ British Journal of Pharmacology - Abstract of article: Evidence for cocaine and methylecgonidine stimulation of M2 muscarinic receptors in cultured human embryonic lung cells ^ Fandiño, Anabel S.; Toennes, Stefan W.; Kauert, Gerold F. (1 December 2002). "Studies on Hydrolytic and Oxidative Metabolic Pathways of Anhydroecgonine Methyl Ester (Methylecgonidine) Using Microsomal Preparations from Rat Organs". Chemical Research in Toxicology. 15 (12): 1543-1548. doi:10.1021/tx0255828. ^ Rahman, Muhammad; Hann, Nicholas; Wilson, Andrew; Worrall-Carter, Linda (2014). "Electronic cigarettes: patterns of use, health effects, use in smoking cessation and regulatory issues". Tobacco Induced Diseases. 12 (1): 21. doi:10.1186/1617-9625-12-21. PMC 4350653. PMID 25745382. ^ Burstyn, I (9 January 2014). "Peering through the mist: systematic review of what the chemistry of contaminants in electronic cigarettes tells us about health risks". BMC Public Health. 14: 18. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-18. PMC 3937158. PMID 24406205. ^ Grana, R; Benowitz, N; Glantz, SA (13 May 2014). "E-cigarettes: a scientific review". Circulation. 129 (19): 1972-86. doi:10.1161/circulationaha.114.007667. PMC 4018182. PMID 24821826. ^ Holbrook, Bradley D. (2016). "The effects of nicotine on human fetal development". Birth Defects Research Part C: Embryo Today: Reviews. 108 (2): 181-92. doi:10.1002/bdrc.21128. ISSN 1542-975X. PMID 27297020. ^ Siqueira, Lorena M. (2016). "Nicotine and Tobacco as Substances of Abuse in Children and Adolescents". Pediatrics. 139 (1): e20163436. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-3436. ISSN 0031-4005. PMID 27994114. ^ de Andrade, Marisa; Hastings, Gerald. "Tobacco Harm Reduction and Nicotine Containing Products" (PDF). Cancer Research UK. Cancer Research UK. p. 8. ^ Albert Hofmann. "LSD My Problem Child". Retrieved 2010. ^ "Brecher, Edward M; et al. (1972). "How LSD was popularized". Consumer Reports/Drug Library". Druglibrary.org. Retrieved 2012. ^ United States Congress (24 October 1968). "Staggers-Dodd Bill, Public Law 90-639" (PDF). Retrieved 2009. ^ Hofmann A, Heim R, Tscherter H (1963). "Phytochimie - présence de la psilocybine dans une espèce européenne d'agaric, le Psilocybe semilanceata Fr." [Phytochemistry - presence of psilocybin in a European agaric species, Psilocybe semilanceata Fr.]. Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences (in French) 257 (1). pp. 10-12. ^ Wonnacott S (February 1997). "Presynaptic nicotinic ACh receptors". Trends in Neurosciences. 20 (2): 92-8. doi:10.1016/S0166-2236(96)10073-4. PMID 9023878. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. ^ "Erowid DMT (Dimethyltryptamine) Vault". Erowid.org. Retrieved 2012. ^ "ATIVAN® 1 mg SUBLINGUAL TABLETS; ATIVAN® 2 mg SUBLINGUAL TABLETS". home.intekom.com. Retrieved 2016. ^ "MSDS Glossary". Archived from the original on 17 January 2009. Retrieved 2009. ^ "Dorlands Medical Dictionary:psychostimulant". ^ Morgan Christopher J.; Abdulla A.-B. Badawy (2001). "Alcohol-induced euphoria: exclusion of serotonin". Alcohol and Alcoholism. 36 (1): 22-25. doi:10.1093/alcalc/36.1.22. ^ Foster, Steven (2002). A field guide to Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 58. ISBN 978-0395838068. ^ Alan W. Cuthbert "stimulants" The Oxford Companion to the Body. Ed. Colin Blakemore and Sheila Jennett. Oxford University Press, 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 28 July 2011 ^ Rhodri Hayward "euphoria" The Oxford Companion to the Body. Ed. Colin Blakemore and Sheila Jennett. Oxford University Press, 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 28 July 2011 ^ "ecstasy" World Encyclopedia. Philip's, 2008. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 28 July 2011 ^ "opium". World Encyclopedia. Philip's, 2008. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 28 July 2011 ^ "NIDA - Research Monographs - Monograph Index" (PDF). drugabuse.gov. ^ Inhalants; archived at Inhalants ^ Al Zarouni, Yousif (2015). The Effects of Khat (Catha Edulis) (First ed.). London: Yousif Al Zarouni. pp. 4-5. ISBN 978-1-326-24867-3. Synthetic Drugs: Overview and Issues for Congress Congressional Research Service England's Alex Hales banned for recreational drug use ahead of ICC World Cup 2019 2019 Download A Moral Defense of Recreational Drug Use PDF Free FAVORIT BOOK A Moral Defense of Recreational Drug Use READ NOW PDF ONLINE Big Deals A Moral Defense of Recreational Drug Use Full Ebooks Best Seller [New] A Moral Defense of Recreational Drug Use Exclusive Online READ book A Moral Defense of Recreational Drug Use Rob Lovering READ ONLINE [PDF] A Moral Defense of Recreational Drug Use Full Online PDF A Moral Defense of Recreational Drug Use EBook Recreational Drug Use, Is There Such A Thing? [EBOOK] DOWNLOAD A Moral Defense of Recreational Drug Use READ NOW Shift In Pot Attitudes Elicits Pediatrician Warning Israel Decriminalizes Marijuana Don't Bogart That Joint, Because A Baby Boomer Wants It Recreational Marijuana Possible in California New Report Released on Marijuana Arrests for Colorado Teens No Link Between Medical Marijuana Laws and Teen Use More Americans Are Admitting To Smoking Weed Than Ever Before Which States Will Legalize Marijuana? Mexicos President Changes His Tune on Marijuana Increase of Older Americans Engaging in Marijuana Use Recreational_drug_use	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2196
__label__wiki	0.627347	0.627347	National Oceanography Centre Final countdown to main release experiment! Mobilisation of the RRS James Cook for the forthcoming STEMM-CCS release experiment is in full swing at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton. The RRS James Cook is the first of two ships that will be involved in the experiment to depart for the Goldeneye site. The german ship, RV Poseidon, will depart next week from Kiel in Germany to join the RRS James Cook. As well as a myriad of equipment for deployment on the seafloor and in the water column, and laboratory equipment for onboard analyses, the Cellula Robotics tool for inserting the pipe for the CO2 release into the sediments has been loaded and the tanks containing the liquid CO2 have been craned onto the stern of the ship (see images below). Scientists and engineers are busy organising their workspaces, installing computing equipment and setting up laboratories - as well as settling into their cabins. From left to right: Gas tanks on quayside ready for loading; picked up by crane for transfer to ship; positioning tanks at ship's stern (images courtesy Doug Connelly) Follow all the latest news from the ships via our cruise blog at stemmccs.blog. The press release for the experiment can be found here. Contact STEMM-CSS \| Partners’ area © Copyright 2019 STEMM-CCS has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 654462. All rights reserved. This site is hosted by the National Oceanography Centre. Disclaimer \| Privacy and cookies \| Contact Us	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2197
__label__wiki	0.650897	0.650897	Category Archives: Third-person shooter Posted on June 11, 2017 by Myss T The culprit: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PlayStation 3) Much of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots has an air of finality about it, as far as I’m concerned. Not only because it marks the chronological endpoint of Snake’s story, but also because it turned out to be the last MGS game I ever played. On a technical and gameplay level, it’s functional: nothing spectacular, but also nothing abysmally wrong (apart from long loading times), and if combat is what interests you, then you probably won’t find much to complain about here. The graphics still look good today, the soundtrack is decent, and there are some interesting narrative choices. But I’ve also never really felt the urge to pick up another MGS game after this one, nor the urge to actually replay it, which may sound surprising, considering the hyperbolic praise this game received upon release. Maybe I just got tired of the nonsense, which stopped being epic and just became nonsense. Maybe because all they can do now is prequels, unless they want to continue with Raiden. Maybe because I don’t actually like what they’ve decided to do with Raiden’s story in Metal Gear Rising. Maybe because I hit my cutscene saturation point. Maybe because the game finally went overboard from “puerile” to “offensive” in some of its characterisations. Or maybe all of this at once. Let’s start with some positives though. Combat now takes place with an over-the-shoulder camera, which you can actually switch sides for an easier time looking around corners, as well as switching to first-person mode. Camouflage makes a return from MGS3, as Snake wears an enhanced bodysuit with camouflage properties, which he can further supplement with face camo after a specific boss fight. He’s also equipped with a “Solid Eye”, which looks like an eyepatch (to further enhance the similarities with Big Boss) and functions as binoculars or night-vision goggles, as well as informing Snake of things like what weapons the soldiers use or footprints that wouldn’t be visible to the naked eye, and providing a mini-map. As MGS4 was one of the first games developed for the PlayStation 3, the rumble feature was only implemented late into the game’s development cycle, meaning that it uses a system called the Threat Ring, which appears around Snake and becomes visibly distorted when an enemy is detected nearby, indicating which direction they’re coming from. Two other additions are the Psyche Gauge and the Metal Gear Mk. II. The former indicates Snake’s stress level, which affects things like aim or the likelihood of passing out after being wounded, and serves to humanise him a bit and make him more relatable. He can stress out from stuff like extreme temperatures or bad smells, while having a smoke, eating something or looking at a naughty magazine will help him relax. The Metal Gear Mk. II is a small robot on wheels designed by Otacon to serve as a mini-reconnaissance unit. It functions as a mobile codec to communicate with other characters, can scout for Snake, but also deliver electric shocks to enemies to temporarily stun them. All in all, the fact that I can’t really remember much about the combat is probably a positive point, since it means that it flowed seamlessly enough for me not to notice it. The problem is that the game often prevents you from actually playing. The series’ trademark cutscene bloat reached an all-time high in this particular opus. Hideo Kojima’s career has been one long, arduous battle against his hardwired desire to make films rather than games. By all accounts, he has managed to get it under control for MGS5, but this is probably as a direct result of what happened with MGS4. As of 2015 (I don’t know if this is still true today, but it very well might be), it held Guinness World Records for the longest single cutscene (27 mins) and longest cutscene sequence (71 mins…) in a videogame, the former being included within the latter as part of the game’s ending. Someone did some number crunching on this and came up with a staggering 44% cutscene-to-gameplay proportion. By comparison, MGS2, in second place, had a 41% ratio, but its longest cutscene was only 20 mins long. Combine this with what is possibly the most convoluted and poorly-written storyline in the series and, by the end of it, I was basically in a cutscene-induced stupor. There are just too many twists-that-aren’t-really-twists, red herrings and overly-convenient (or nonsensical) explanations, and once the game is done, and you think back on what’s happened, you may well be forgiven for wondering whether all of that was really necessary. The key facts, though, are that it’s 2014 and that “war…has changed”, as Snake’s voiceover takes pains to remind you over and over again in the intro sequence. The world economy is now somehow fully dependent on war, resulting in a constant global conflict where private military companies fight each other for…reasons. As a result of the events of MGS2, Liquid Snake’s consciousness has taken over Revolver Ocelot’s body (well…it’s complicated) and basically established a single mega-mercenary company, fuelling the chaos. Colonel Campbell has asked Solid Snake to off him, and that’s where the game begins. Snake has been ageing rapidly, due to being a clone, and is now an old man, which makes for an interesting take on the traditional hero persona. Instead of your usual battle-hardened muscle-head, you have to deal with an elderly, disillusioned, often bitter man whose only real prospect in life is impending decrepitude and death. This only has minimal impact on the gameplay, as Snake’s bodysuit also compensates for his physical deterioration (he still gets back pains though), but it does impact the storyline, especially when he inevitably bumps into Meryl again (and I still can’t quite believe that they decided to end her character arc as they did). EVA also resurfaces, and it’s disconcerting to see her son looking the same age as her. Although I have to take exception to the fact that, at 78, she’s still rockin’ that damn cleavage…Was there really no way to tastefully depict a woman of her age? Also, her introduction, verbatim: “Call me Mama…dramatic pause Big Mama”. I’m sorry, I just can’t. A perfect example of a typical MGS tonal shift falling flat on its face. Anyway, Snake now lives with Otacon (platonically, although, by the end of the game, you gotta start wondering, because poor Hal’s disastrous track record with women unfortunately holds), and they have essentially adopted Olga Gurlukovich’s daughter, Sunny, whom Raiden managed to rescue from the Patriots with EVA’s help. However, he was later captured by them and, in a rather shocking development, turned into a cyborg. The only remaining organic parts of him are his spine and head, minus the lower jaw (and yet, he’s somehow still sexy). His relationship with Rose has also broken down, and all of this basically turned him into a brooding badass–so much so that he fights an entire battle with his sword held between his teeth at one point, due to being unable to use his hands–, much to the surprise of those who complained about his whining in MGS2. His feud with Vamp is also alive and well, and practically drowning in fluid-drenched innuendo, especially since Raiden’s “blood” is now white. Be that as it may, it results in two eye-catching duels. All in all, he was probably my favourite part of the game, and I appreciated the way his story ended. And then MGR happened. But I digress. An MGS game wouldn’t be complete without a Foxhound-like villain squad, and, sure enough, there is one here, called the Beauty and the Beast unit. They push the similarities to imitating the original Foxhound codenames mixed with emotion-based epithets, à la MGS3’s Cobra Unit, which doesn’t bode well for their originality. There’s a Laughing Octopus, a Raging Raven, a Crying Wolf and a Screaming Mantis. However, I have a real problem with their portrayal. You see, they’re all female and based on fashion models. Now, in itself, an all-female villain squad might’ve been a welcome novelty, and I can’t deny that they’re all beautiful, especially Raging Raven, who is nuclear levels of hot. But any characterisation they get comes after they’re dead, which never gives them the chance to establish themselves as anything but pretty faces. On top of that, they all suffer from extreme PTSD, to the extent that they can’t function normally when outside their robotic armour. Cue them writhing around in agony in skintight, glistening wet (for some reason) bodysuits when Snake inevitably destroys said armour, while the camera frantically shows off butts, boobs and cameltoes, like it’s being handled by an overeager horny teenager. Apparently, the original idea was for them to be naked during these sequences, but it proved unworkable due to rating reasons. However, if Snake doesn’t damage them for a long enough time after they’re out of their armour, they’ll both be transported to a white room where he can take pictures of them while they strike sexy poses. I mean, yes, MGS is known for its fanservice, but, in previous games, it was limited to psychologically functional ladies showing off cleavage or underwear (and balanced by the presence of shirtless gentlemen). This feels uncomfortably like exploitation, and the fact that the trend continued in MGS5 with Quiet is not a good sign at all. Raiden was completely naked in MGS2, you say? Yes, but the camera wasn’t staring up his bum as he was having a full-on nervous breakdown while crying, moaning and panting suggestively. And while he admittedly also has PTSD, it was never portrayed as anywhere near that level of debilitating. To sum things up, my main feeling throughout this game was just that it had to end. And once it did, I felt that there was sufficient closure for all involved–for better or for worse–, so the decision to continue the franchise could only appear misguided to me, and nothing I have seen, heard or read about the topic has suggested otherwise. If you’re a full-fledged MGS fan, chances are you’ll disagree, and perhaps you think that MGS5 and/or MGR were brilliant. I, however, remain of the opinion that MGS3 was the best in the series and that it all should just have ended with MGS4. It’s been fun, guys. Wish you’d managed to not slip up until the end. Posted in Konami, Metal Gear Solid, PlayStation 3, Stealth Action, Third-person shooter \| Tagged Game, Konami, Metal Gear Solid 4, PlayStation 3, Review, Stealth Action, Third-person shooter \| Leave a reply Posted on July 13, 2015 by Myss T The culprit: Mass Effect (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC) Ah, Mass Effect: the game that began the series that is arguably BioWare’s biggest success to date. PC veterans may prefer Baldur’s Gate, and more recent PC players may favour Dragon Age, but ME is what really brought the Canadian studio into the mainstream limelight. Some may argue that this is also what eventually caused its downfall, but that is a debate for another time and place. You may (unfortunately) also remember ME as the game that got Fox News’ panties in a twist in what was ultimately revealed to be a completely unfounded accusation of full-on nudity and graphic sex by people who hadn’t even played it. Nice one, guys. But controversy and fame aside, what are we really looking at here? ME is a futuristic space opera, and, unlike BW’s previous work, it’s a mix between an RPG and a TPS, which is probably one of the reasons for its success: the combination between immersive dialogue and storytelling on the one hand, and dynamic combat on the other. This isn’t BW’s first foray into sci-fi–they had already released a Star Wars game for PC by that time, followed by a sequel reprised by Obsidian–, but it is a completely original story, and, in my opinion, it’s far superior to the two Knights of the Old Republic games. It always felt a little odd to me to be playing games set in a preexisting universe created by someone else. Like wearing borrowed clothes, if you will. Not so with ME, which builds its own universe on its own premises and peoples it with original species, each with its own distinct culture and society, and not all of them anthropomorphic, which is a breath of fresh air. This is the main draw of the series for me, along with its characterisation, which, I think, is some of the best that BW has ever produced. Up until 2012, the series was in danger of dethroning Myst as my all-time favourite. ME3 made sure that didn’t happen, but, that massive fiasco aside, the first ME is still a great game. To give you an idea, after I finished my first playthrough, I immediately started another one, something which had never happened to me before. Granted, it was my first serious encounter with a WRPG and, coming after years of JRPGs, the freedom that characterises the genre may have boosted my enthusiasm. But even now, several years and WRPGs later, I still think it’s a great game, so it must have gotten something right. At its core, the storyline is fairly run-of-the-mill: save the world from destruction by murderous villains. The nature of the villains, however, and some of the tangential questions the game raises are genuinely interesting. Of course, there are also gameplay and design flaws, such as reused environments, excessively tedious exploration sequences or a non-sortable inventory; but none of this is a major issue. Bottom line: if you like RPGs and sci-fi, you may just have struck gold. Detailed review available! Read more here. Posted in Action RPG, BioWare, Detailed reviews, Mass Effect, PC, PlayStation 3, Third-person shooter, Xbox 360 \| Tagged Action RPG, BioWare, Game, Mass Effect, PC, PlayStation 3, Review, Third-person shooter, Xbox 360 \| Leave a reply	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2200
__label__wiki	0.911341	0.911341	Reported Decisions Litigated By Stuart R. Berkowitz Following are some examples of the difficult and complex cases Mr. Berkowitz has handled during his long career helping victims. His extensive experience of representing individuals against government and large corporations has made him uniquely qualified to represent investors in securities matters: A. Federal Reported Cases: Glassman v. Sullivan, 901 F.2d 1472 (8th Cir., 1990) Mr. Berkowitz represented a woman totally disabled seeking disability insurance benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C., Sec. 401 et seq. Schilligo v. Purolator Courier Corp., 824 F.2d, 660 (8th Cir., 1987) Mr. Berkowitz represented a former employee regarding the Missouri Service Letter Statute, Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 290.140. Jasperson v. Purolator Courier Corp., 765 F.2d 736 (8th Cir., 1985) Clark v. Heckler, 733 F.2d 65 (8th Cir., 1984) Mr. Berkowitz represented a man whose social security disability insurance benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C., Sec. 401 et seq. had been terminated. Hickman v. Electronic Keyboarding, Inc., 741 F.2d 230 (8th Cir., 1984) Mr. Berkowitz represented an individual who claimed discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000e, et seq. and 4 U.S.C., Sec. 1981. Costner v. U.S., 720 F.2d 539 (8th Cir., 1983) Mr. Berkowitz represented a handicapped individual who claimed a violation of 49 C.F.R., Sec. 391.41 (b) (8) and the Equal Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Carmi v. Metropolitan Sewer District, 620 F.2d 672 (8th Cir., 1980) Mr. Berkowitz represented a handicapped individual under a claim under 29 U.S.C., Sec. 794 (R Sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973). Fowler v. U.S., 633 F.2d 1258 (8th Cir., 1980) Mr. Berkowitz represented a mentally handicapped person who claimed a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Gooley v. Convoy, 590 F.2d 744 (8th Cir., 1979) Mr. Berkowitz represented several individuals under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 (CETA), 29 U.S.C., Sec. 801, et seq. Turner v. Walsh, 574 F2d 456 (8th Cir. 1978) (affirming 435 F.Supp. 707 (W.D. Mo., 1977) Mr. Berkowitz represented 44,774 individuals receiving AFDC who were adversely affected by a notice sent by the Missouri Department of Social Services. Eckerhart v. Henley, 475 F.Supp. 908 (W.D. Mo., 1979), affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court Mr. Berkowitz represented the patients at a mental hospital in Missouri who had been denied health and mental care. Ultimately, the Supreme Court, in an historic case, addressed attorney’s fees in civil rights cases. Thompson v. Walsh, 481 F.Supp. 1170 (W.D. Mo., 1978) Mr. Berkowitz brought a class action concerning the processing of applications of AFDC. Lambus v. Walsh, 448 F.Supp. 240 (W.D. Mo., 1978) Mr. Berkowitz brought a class action concerning the hearing process of AFDC recipients within the Missouri Department of Social Services. B. State of Missouri Reported Cases: In the Matter of the Impeachment of Judy Moriority, 902 S.W.2d 273 (Mo., 1994) Mr. Berkowitz represented the former Missouri Secretary of State in an historic, first time, impeachment trial before the Missouri Supreme Court. Related cases were State ex. rel. Nixon v. Moriarity, 893 S.W.2d 806 (Mo., 1996) and State v. Moriarity, 914 S.W.2d (W.D., Mo. App., 1996). Schmersohl v. Trealor v. McHugh, 28 S.W.3rd 345 (Mo. App., E.D., 2000) Mr. Berkowitz represented a CPA regarding a restrictive covenant in an employment contract. Consolidated Financial Investments, Inc. v. Manion, 948 S.W.2d 222 (Mo. App., E.D., 1997) Mr. Berkowitz represented customers in a securities arbitration. The financial advisor lost its claim that the customers’ claims were barred by statute of limitations. Johnston v. Norell Health Care, Inc., 835 S.W.2d 565 (Mo. App., E.D., 1992) Mr. Berkowitz represented a former employee claiming a restraint of trade in violation of Sec. 416.031.1 RSMo (1986). Philadelphia Life Ins. V. Moffat, 783 S.W.2d 133 (Mo. App., E.D., 1989) Mr. Berkowitz represented the surviving husband regarding a refusal to pay any benefits under a life insurance policy. Wells v. The Missouri Property Insurance Placement Facility, 653 S.W.2d 207 (Mo. App. E.D., 1983) Mr. Berkowitz represented a class of victims under a fire loss under the Missouri’s Value Policy Statute, Sec. 379.140 et. seq. (Mo. Rev. Statutes) Mal Spinrad of St. Louis, Inc. v. Karman, Inc., 690 S.W.2d 460 (Mo. App., 1985) Mr. Berkowitz represented a placement service that was not paid its commission. Rice v. Lucas, 560 S.W.2d (Mo., 1978) Mr. Berkowitz represented an evicted tenant who was denied a jury trial under the Missouri Constitution. sixteen − 10 =	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2201
__label__cc	0.572325	0.427675	Zama Dlamini: Baroka Are Not In The Final By Luck Baroka have always been a team that’s capable of surprising anyone, especially since the days of Sello Chokoe where they beat teams like Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows in the Nedbank Cup whilst still playing at the ABC Motsepe league. Success was inevitable and we all knew that this team would one day play in the top flight of South African football. After reaching their first ever cup final, we caught up with one of their players, soon-to-be 27-year-old goalkeeper, Zama Dlamini. Banele Pikwa: Thanks for your time Zama and congratulations on reaching the club’s first ever cup final. How is the mood in the camp? Zama Dlamini: I can say that everyone is very happy because most of amajita (the guys) have never played a cup final before and for some players bayaqala ukudlala kwi PSL (it’s their first time playing in the PSL). So, I’d say everyone is happy and the group that we have currently is the group that I will never forget. As you can see, ngiphelelwa amagama uma ngikhuluma ngabo (I run out of words when trying to describe this group). BP: In the match against Mamelodi Sundowns, your assistant coach Matsemela Thoka made unusual comments and some fans felt that he was having a go at the head coach. Did you, as the players, also feel the same? ZD: I won’t comment about what the coaches say [to the media]. But what I can say, is that when he [Matsemela Thoka] was in charge there was no difference in terms of coaching the team. He prepared the team the same way as the head coach. Everything was the same when he was in charge. That’s all I can say, but I won’t comment on other things. BP: That’s fair. When coach Wedson Nyirenda came back, was the response the same from the players or was there any awkwardness? ZD: No man, everything was normal. That’s all I can say. BP: Orlando Pirates fans were happy when Baroka beat Bidvest Wits and some have claimed that the trophy drought is over. They have written Baroka out completely. What do you have to say about that? ZD: It’s just comments from the fans, but all I can say is that we all play in the PSL and to us there are no small teams and big teams. We are on the same level, but the fans are entitled to their opinion and uyawazi ama fans wePSL anjani (you know how local fans can be). In a cup final, anything is possible so we do have a chance. We are not here by fluke and beating the teams that we beat should show signs that there are no big teams and small teams, like I said earlier. I trust these boys. They have put in a good shift in all the games. BP: I know it’s still early, but have you started thinking about the final? I mean this is the club’s biggest game against a very strong Pirates team. ZD: It’s exciting that we will play in the final but we still have matches in between and we have to focus on those matches. What I know is that our main focus is the league games because if you can check, you will see that we started very slow. Making it to the final when the morale is high will be a big boost and everyone is very excited. We are not here by mistake and we’ve really worked hard as a team. We deserve everything we’ve achieved so far, but like I said, the league is our main goal. BP: Baroka have always been an ambitious team since the days of Sello Chokoe and even in the Thobejane era. What do you mean when you say that the league is your main goal? ZD: I mean that our main target is to finish in the top eight. Everything else would be a bonus and I hope we don’t only make the top eight but we surprise everyone and qualify for CAF Confederations Cup nathi sidlale eAfrica (so we can also compete against African teams). But we have to do well in the league and that’s our main target. BP: The club has been different ever since Wedson Nyirenda took charge. Tell me about him. ZD: He is a great coach and to us he is more than a coach, he is a father figure, maybe it’s because he is also a pastor. Even when you check our style of play, it’s very different. He is very good, he brought new players which changed the attitude and mentality in the team and a lot has changed since he took charge. He has done everything a coach needs to do. And now, everything is left with us [the players] to finish the job. BP: We saw him dancing after the game. Is it something the players taught him? ZD: No, idance yakhe ke leyo (that’s his dance). He always dances like that, even at training, he does those dance moves. Even though everyone dances in the team, the moves you saw are his moves. Nobody taught him anything. BP: Being a goalkeeper is not easy because there can only be one goalkeeper on the field. How difficult has been for you since moving from Chippa United? ZD: All I can say is that I’m happy here and the club wants me to be here. If I can tell you, I should’ve came here two years ago, because the club showed interest in me but I decided to join Chippa [United]. So, for me, coming here was a great move and I’ve learnt a lot from the other guys and we don’t have this thing of competition where it leads to one being jealous of the other. Here, we are friends, and we work together to ensure we push each other and we back whoever is selected to play because you are representing us [the goalkeepers]. We always motivate and encourage each other to grab each opportunity with both hands. The hard work we put in and the relationship we have has made it hard for the coaches to select. BP: Thanks a lot for your time Zama and good luck with everything – particularly the final. ZD: It’s a pleasure, kubonga mina (thank you). Labels: Baroka FC, News, Orlando Pirates, SA News, Telkom Knockout Final, Zama Dlamini	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2202
__label__wiki	0.958993	0.958993	Matt Smith chats 'Doctor Who' season return Smith and his fez are ready for a return to cool. Courtesy BBC America Having run down corridors from every monster imaginable, Matt Smith returns as the Doctor to face old and new foes. But he’s not alone. Along for the ride in his brand new TARDIS is the Doctor’s latest companion, Clara Oswald. In a recent interview, Smith spoke about what he is looking forward to from the epic new season of Doctor Who, which returns to BBC America on March 30 at 8 p.m. ET "I think it is very exciting to introduce Clara to the world and Steven has hit a real vein of form," explained Smith as he chats enthusiastically about the new series. Along with a new costume this series, the Doctor has a new TARDIS to travel through space and time. "Walking on to the new TARDIS was like the first day at school," explained Matt. "I actually found it quite difficult as I had got so used to the rhythm of acting on the old one, where I used to slide about on the glass floor, but Michael Pickwoad has done a fabulous job." "This one is more like a machine." Having lost his first companions (in his current incarnation), the Ponds, at the hands of the Weeping Angels in New York last year, and after a period of mourning, the Doctor is joined by a new companion this series, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman. "She’s done brilliantly well," said Smith. "She’s kind, charming, thoroughly prepared and very brave as an actress. And most importantly of all we get on, which is vital on a show like this. I’m so proud of what she has achieved in the last year." So what do fans have to look forward to this series? An urban thriller, The Bells of Saint John, brings the series back with a bang as the Doctor’s search for Clara Oswald takes him to modern day London, where Wi-Fi is everywhere. But something dangerous is lurking in the signals, picking off minds and imprisoning them. Filming for this James Bond-esque thriller took Smith to Westminster Bridge, the Southbank and St Paul's. "Amazing, I loved shooting in London," said Smith. "There is something so brilliant about having the locations there rather than just adding them in." Following on from this the second episode, The Rings of Akhaten, take the Doctor and Clara away from Earth and on their first proper adventure ... in outer space. Featuring an alien market Matt remarked, "It was very 'Whoey.'" "We had between 50 to 60 prosthetic aliens, which is something that only really this show can offer," he continued, "making it a very unique experience as an actor." As well as introducing some new monsters, the new series brings back a couple of old monsters in the form of the Ice Warriors and Cybermen. "I think it’s good to pay homage to the classic series," said Smith, “especially for the fans. This series we have modernized some of the monsters for a whole new generation." "Soggy, like drowned rats," Matt explained the shooting experience for the third episode Cold War, written by Mark Gatiss. Set on a Russian submarine spiraling out of control in 1983 an alien creature is loose on board, having escaped from a block of Arctic ice. "They built a submarine and the five-year old in me was like 'Yeah it's a submarine!'" said Smith. "I loved getting sprayed down at the beginning of the shoot ... and it wasn’t a chore as it does so much of the acting for you, making it really authentic. Mark Gatiss has delivered one of the best episodes of the series." Labels: Doctor Who, Matt Smith, TV	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2205
__label__wiki	0.906437	0.906437	BenRiach Distillery buys Glenglassaugh 22nd March, 2013 by Becky Paskin BenRiach Distillery Company has acquired Glenglassaugh Distillery from its Amsterdam-based owner Lumiere Holdings for an undisclosed sum. Glenglassaugh Distillery in Banffshire is now owned by Edinburgh-based BenRiach The Banffshire distillery, which has garnered much attention since reopening in 2008 following a 22-year closure, has the capacity to produce up to 1.1 million litres of whisky a year. BenRiach, which purchased GlenDronach Distillery in 2008, intends to bring Glenglassaugh, which dates back to 1875, back to its former glory through a monetary investment. “We’re really delighted to buy Glenglassaugh, a renowned Highland single malt with a rich and distinguished heritage,” said Billy Walker, master blender and co-owner of BenRiach. “It’s an excellent complementary fit with our existing BenRiach and GlenDronach brands. Part of its attraction to us is that it isn’t too large for our portfolio but its potential in contributing to the group certainly is. “I believe our whisky expertise, proven brand-building ability and strong routes to market will help take Glenglassaugh to the next level.” “The timing is good as there is no doubt we are currently in a golden age for Scotch whisky. There’s unprecedented demand for high-end brands like ours in places like Taiwan, Scandinavia, USA, China, India, Russia, the Middle East, South Africa and South America, and we now have the fantastic opportunity to re-introduce Glenglassaugh to these markets.” Since its reopening five years ago, Glenglassaugh has produced two new single malt Scotch whiskies. Revival, a 46% abv bottling aged in a mixture of first and refill Bourbon casks and finished for six months in first fill olorose Sherry butts, was released in May 2012. Evolution, a 57.2% abv bottling aged in ex-Bourbon barrels, launched in November 2012 with a limited release of just 6,000 bottles. In June last year the distillery revealed it had already turned a profit two to five years earlier than forecast. Stuart Nickerson, managing director of Glenglassaugh, said: “It’s great to be back in Scottish hands. We’ve grown the business significantly and today’s announcement means continued investment and will also allow the business to grow further and more rapidly.”	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2208
__label__wiki	0.821005	0.821005	Don't Ask, Don't Tell, No More This week, the repeal of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" officially goes into effect. The policy had barred openly gay and lesbian service members from serving in the military. "Brad" has been anticipating the change. His partner of twenty years is a member of the National Guard. Learn more about resources for military families Read Brad's blog Related Chapters: Committed Under Don't Ask Don't Tell In his State of the Union speech, President Obama spoke about formally ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell in 2011. The policy bars openly gay and lesbian service members from serving in the military - for those who choose to "not tell," what is the effect on their partners and families? Dick Gordon talks with "Brad," whose partner is a member of the National Guard, about the challenges of supporting a service member while keeping a secret. Pearl Harbor Memory Pearl Harbor, remembered. An Underground Activist Dicks calls up Osama, an opposition activist who has been in hiding in Syria for months. He speaks to us from Damascus and says people have to choose sides now. Ahmed's Diary Ahmed Abdullah recently came upon a painting of Donald Rumsfeld hanging in a Baghdad museum. For Ahmed, the painting distills one of his greatest fears into a single image: that Iraqi culture and history may soon disappear. The Real-Life Analysts Who Led The ‘Manhunt’ For bin Laden The untold story of the “sisterhood” that led the two-decade investigation and search for Osama bin Laden. "Manhunt", the HBO documentary, premieres this week. An Iraqi journalist returns home. Crossing the Saar - Twice Lieutenant Carl Baumgaertner fought in the Second World War along the Saar River in Germany. Like many veterans, he tucked his war memories in a footlocker and never spoke of them. Fifty years later, a series of email exchanges with his son Jim sparked a detailed conversation and a trip to Germany. Also, a film that honors service in the Korean War. The State of The Artifacts Archeologist Brian Rose is also just back from Iraq. He's spent the last few years training American military personnel about the antiquities they'll encounter and the fragile historical sites they might be protecting - but until this recent trip, Brian had never seen these things himself. For Memorial Day: A Special Reunion Steve Barry has a story of survival and gratitude for the American troops who liberated him during World War II. Steve is Jewish and was sent from Hungary to the notorious Bergen-Belsen camp. He soon was loaded, along with 2,500 other starving Jews, on a train. The train became stranded in the middle of fierce fighting. Steve will never forget the day he saw the first tank stop to help. The unit of soldiers included American Carroll Walsh. Studying Darfur Al-banan grew up in the town of Nyala in southern Darfur. After teaching himself English from CNN and BBC Radio, he got a computer degree in Khartoum in 2002. By the end of that year he was working as a translator for an aid organization and coming face-to-face with the horrors of the genocide. Also on the show: walking while working. Ahmed Wins An Award Ahmed Abdullah was Dick Gordon's translator and fixer when Dick went to Baghdad in 2003. Shortly after The Story was created, Ahmed began sending the program audio diaries, which chronicle his life and the lives of ordinary Iraqis he knows. Ahmed's Diaries were just awarded a gold medal at the New York Festival of Radio Broadcasting. Today, we present some excerpts from a year's worth of his diaries - and Dick checks in with Ahmed to find out how he is doing. More from A Firefighter, Rehired More from September 22, 2011 A Firefighter, Rehired A New Jersey firefighter is laid off, then hired back. More about A Firefighter, Rehired	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2209
__label__wiki	0.669764	0.669764	Chicago Lockbox Extends Hours to Accept EB-4 Filings That Meet April Visa Bulletin As recently announced, the employment-based fourth preference (EB-4) visa limits have been reached for fiscal year 2016 for special immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The May 2016 Department of State Visa Bulletin reflects this situation, which means that starting May 1, USCIS will no longer be able to accept Form I-485 from applicants from these countries who filed Form I-360 on or after January 1, 2010, because visas will no longer be immediately available. When the Department of State determines that visas are once again available for this category, the visa bulletin will be updated and USCIS will accept new Form I-485s accordingly. In order to accommodate filings that meet the April 2016 Visa Bulletin, the Chicago Lockbox facility, where these applications are filed, will extend its hours and continue to accept these filings until 3:30 p.m. Central time on Saturday, April 30. From Source The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced on December 12, 2016 that it no longer Each year, on Nov. 11, the nation honors members of the United States armed forces Customers can ask questions, get answers from Emma in Spanish or EnglishWASHINGTON–U.S. Citizenship and Immigration As of April 21, 2016, petitioners who filed Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Employers May Submit Inquiries If Extension of Status/Change of Employer Petition Has Been Pending for 210 Days or More On April 21, 2016, USCIS began allowing petitioners who filed Form I-129, Petition for a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reminded foreign nationals traveling to the United States USCIS Director, U.S. Attorney General Welcome New Citizens WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas administered the Oath of USCIS Program Extension Alert U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) advises the public that Public Law 112-176, signed by USCIS Reminds Syrians to Register for Temporary Protected Status Released Sept. 25, 2012U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds Syrian nationals (and persons without	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2215
__label__cc	0.570055	0.429945	Musgrave at 90 in 2018 October 16, 2017 Thomas Le Brocq On 27 May 2018, one of Britain’s most distinguished composers, Thea Musgrave, turns ninety and will have clocked up almost seventy years in her profession. An impressive feat, she still maintains an active writing schedule, composing with amazing energy and passion. Several performances and premiere recordings marking the occasion are already scheduled to take place in Europe and America in 2018. Having just completed a chamber reduction of her seminal opera Mary, Queen of Scots, she is now working on a new ten-minute work for piano and baritone which takes its text from Calderón’s La Vida Es Sueño, a Missa Brevis, and an organ piece based on J.S. Bach’s Orgelbüchlein. Novello have brought together tributes, in-depth programme notes and previously unseen photos in a new celebratory brochure: If you would like to find out more about Thea’s music, the plans already in place for the 2017/18 season, or have your performances lined up, then please do not hesitate to contact promotion@musicsales.co.uk. Find us on Facebook and Twitter using the official hashtag #Musgrave90. BBC Philharmonic and Royal Northern celebrate Musgrave 90	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2221
__label__cc	0.738434	0.261566	Listening to Consumers Helps Maintain Agriculture’s Social Licence Today it seems everyone has an opinion about how food should be grown, writes Angela Lovell. Few companies are more aware of this than Monsanto, which hasn’t always been as engaged as it should have been in helping to shape public perception about its products, and agriculture in general. “In the past conversations about agriculture were happening without us,” said Trish Jordan, Monsanto Canada’s head of Public and Industry Affairs, during a presentation at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Calgary on August 10th. “When you aren’t engaged in the conversation, others step in and have that conversation for you. Over the last few years we have tried to remedy that situation. We’ve engaged in many conversations, generated a lot of online content, and shared the positive stories of not only what we feel we are contributing to the industry, but what you are doing as farmers.” Why is everyone talking about agriculture? Probably because agriculture sits at the middle of some of the most important issues that today’s society faces. “Population and income growth are spurring the demand for food, water and energy,” said Ms Jordan. At the same time, there are limited amounts of more land, water and energy to produce food. “There is growing evidence that agriculture is a big factor in overall ecosystem health, ensuring a stable climate, abundant biodiversity and clean water. We believe agriculture is part of the solution, not the problem, to help address some of these challenges.” There are all kinds of people attacking farming for any number of reasons, added Ms Jordan. Some may simply not like big agriculture or corporate farms because they have a romantic, idealised vision of what farms looked like decades ago. “Others truly and deeply believe that their food is harming them, and by association they jump to the conclusion that the products, and tools, and practices you are using on your farm are somehow having an impact on that. They view those tools as part of the problem,” said Ms Jordan. Others simply want science and technology out of agriculture altogether, which is ironic, said Jordan, when consumers are willing to accept technology in every other aspect of their lives. “They accept technology in cars, entertainment systems, cell phones, computers, and medicine and yet they are not prepared to let farmers use science and technology to grow food that lessens the environmental impact and helps provide more food for the planet.” What you do on your farm matters to society Deciding how and who to share positive stories with is another issue, but Monsanto decided to focus on three key groups – mothers, (because they do most of the food shopping and care about the health their families), millennials, (because they are the most engaged with social media), and foodies like chefs and food bloggers. “We never talked to consumers before and we now recognise that was wrong for us,” said Ms Jordan. “We’ve learned we have to shift our thinking to consider how what we do in our industry, and what you do on your farm, matters to society, and how it impacts them or connects with their values. "Consumers want to know that their food is safe, and that you care about the environment, and are willing to use less – less water, fuel, soil, inputs. They certainly want to know that you care for your animals and your land.” Most beef producers would say these are a given – things that they do every day, but, says Ms Jordan, to maintain that social licence, all players across the whole value chain need to do whatever has to be done to earn consumer trust, and that involves not just talking, but listening. “It’s not about arguing or trying to win a debate and it’s not about inundating people with scientific information,” she said. “It’s about listening to their concerns, trying to find some common ground, and engaging in a conversation.” Farmers are credible There are lots of options for producers to share what they do, and farmers are the best people to tell these stories about agriculture because they are the most credible in the eyes of consumers. “What you do every day on the farm and what it means to you, your families and communities is a story worth sharing and will help us all earn our social licence and trust of consumers,” Ms Jordan told conference attendees. “Step up and share your stories because we need to work collectively together and expand the voice to everyone who is involved in agriculture, from the primary producer through the value chain to help people understand how great working in this industry is, and how important it is to produce food for everyone.” Angela Lovell Freelance journalist Angela Lovell is an established independent writer and editor based in rural Manitoba, Canada. She has written extensively for the agricultural, business, and health services industries for more than 25 years. Check out her website at http://alovell.ca/ Ancient Genomics Pinpoint Origin and Rapid Turnover of Cattle in the Fertile Crescent Beef Drought Management Strategies Great leadership delivers great results by Zoetis CEO, Juan Ramón Alaix Environmentally Friendly Cattle Production Dairy Calves are Natural Optimists or Pessimists, Just Like Us Industry Showcase	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2223
__label__wiki	0.537334	0.537334	Towards a Beirut School of Critical Security Studies: A Manifesto The Beirut Security Studies Collective The acceleration, intensification, and broad diffusion of political violence across West Asia, North Africa, and the Levant, and the continuation of foreign military and diplomatic involvement in the region continue to be made sensible primarily through North American and European academic and policy work situating questions of security within frameworks that privilege the concerns of other parts of the world. Further, the rise of Islamophobia, virulent forms of right-wing populism, and the increasing flow of refugees have shifted and distorted transnational perceptions of the sources of risk, threat, and insecurity with violent effects. As scholars living, working, and researching in the region, we are often tasked with the ‘double burden’ of responding to the largely neglected and destabilizing effects of external interventions that exacerbate the vulnerabilities of the people who bear the consequences of these interventions, while also attempting to understand and articulate the materialization of new security concerns, dynamics, spaces, and affects in more situated contexts. Drawing on a rich and growing critical scholarship on security in the region, we have composed a collectively authored reflection on how to develop, as well as the politics of developing ‘critical’ approaches to security in the region, while also considering the limits of defining the Arab region as an object of study. These reflections are based on a series of exchanges and gatherings over a period of eighteen months in Beirut (April 8-9, 2016 and March 9-12) and Boston (November 14-15, 2016), through collaborative exchanges produced out of the Arab Council for the Social Sciences Summer Institute on Critical Security Studies in the Arab World (July 18-23, 2017), as well as several other online conferences. While our individual approaches to questions of security are varied, we have been brought together by shared ethical and political commitments in our work within and beyond the academy. Forthcoming...	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2224
__label__wiki	0.660447	0.660447	Home » NEWS » Romanian Govt. grants EUR 11 mln to Timișoara European Capital of Culture program Romanian Govt. grants EUR 11 mln to Timișoara European Capital of Culture program The Romanian Government approved on June 12 an emergency ordinance granting RON 53 million (some EUR 11 million) to the Timișoara 2021 European Capital of Culture program, according to Romania-Insider.com. The financing is non-refundable and is granted yearly based on a contract between the Culture Ministry and the Timișoara European Capital of Culture Association. The yearly allotments are established based on the sums approved within the Culture Ministry’s budget. Once the emergency ordinance comes into force, the projects planned for the 2021 can be implemented, especially the cultural and urban infrastructure ones that need to be finished by the end of 2022, Nelu Barbu, a Government spokesperson, said. Timișoara won in 2016 the bid to hold the 2021 European Capital of Culture title, after being shortlisted alongside Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Baia Mare. It will hold the title together with Elefsina (Greece) and Novi Sad (Serbia). Uber launches in third Romanian city: Brasov, after Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca Mega Image opens first shop in Timișoara Timisoara surpasses Cluj-Napoca to become the second office center after Bucharest COS opens showroom in Timisoara’s ISHO Offices building one + 9 =	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2233
__label__cc	0.612499	0.387501	The Self Defence Force — MAIN MENU —Urban Fishing Arrows for use in kyudo. At one time arrows were tipped with hawk or eagle feathers, but the rarity of these birds means that swan or turkey feathers are now used instead. Japanese martial arts are famous throughout the world, especially karate and judo, but Japan is home to many other martial traditions that are less well-known, and one of them is kyudo. Literally meaning the ‘way of the bow’, the roots of kyudo lie in ancient Shinto tradition, which has ritualized the use of bows and arrows for over 2,000 years. For much of Japanese history, archery was considered to be the most important skill of the samurai, more important than the swordsmanship with which they are nowadays more closely associated. The importance of bows and arrows in Japanese warfare began to decline after the Portuguese introduced matchlock rifles to Japan in 1543. With the bow losing its place as a weapon of war, it increasingly took on a ceremonial role, leading ultimately to the highly ritualized form of archery that is kyudo. For most practitioners, kyudo is an art and not a sport, and an archer’s attitude and dignity are often considered more important than actually hitting the target. A kyudo practitioner advances to the shooting place with slow and graceful movements, and lifts the bow above his or her head. They then draw back the string as they lower the bow until the arrow becomes level with their cheek. Finally, they release the arrow and let it fly towards the target. During this whole process, they focus completely, never once taking their eyes off the target. A sign of a good archer is that their concentration is so great that an aura of calmness and serenity seems to envelop them. Arrows are always shot in pairs, first a ‘male’ arrow that spins clockwise, and then a ‘female’ arrow that spins in the opposite direction. The target is small (usually 36 centimetres in diameter), and is placed 28 metres from the shooting place, so even hitting it is a big challenge. When an arrow does hit the target, everyone shouts ‘sha’ in unison, a call that literally means ‘arrow’ or ‘shot’. In competitions, scores are based on how many arrows hit the target, not on how centrally they are placed. A woman taking part in a kyudo grading exercise. The men kneeling in the background are waiting for their turn, while the man to her left will release the second of his two arrows once she has taken her shot. Many Japanese high schools have kyudo clubs, so it’s not uncommon to see school students carrying around the giant bows used in kyudo. Even the shortest bows that are used by people less than 1.5 metres tall are well over 2 metres long when unstrung. Kyudo can be quite a dangerous activity, as the arrow may clip the face, or the bowstring can spring back on the arm, so it’s rarely taught to children under the age of 15. Kyudo practitioners almost always dress in hakama, a form of kimono, which for men often leaves their left nipple exposed. Women wear a breastplate to protect themselves from injury, and both men and women wear stiff deerskin gloves to protect their hands. People new to kyudo may spend the first few months of training stretching a rubber bow to build up strength, and practicing the motions of drawing the bow and taking aim, before they ever get to shoot their first arrow. Like with many other martial arts, practitioners can gain ranks, or ‘dan’ based on their proficiency, but some people reject any form of grading or competition on principle, preferring to focus on the goal of personal development. Even when archers do take part in grading, they don’t wear the coloured belts or symbols of rank worn by practitioners of other martial arts. Both arrows and bows are usually made of bamboo, according to a centuries old design (although nowadays it is possible to buy carbon fibre bows and aluminium arrows). It is important to treat bows with respect, so it is very rude to step over a bow placed on the ground, and you must never touch another person’s bow without their permission. Kyudo at Yashio High School in Tokyo. Here we see a female student teaching a visitor to the school how to use a bow. Despite its martial origins, kyudo seems to be at least as popular with girls as with boys. Kyudo is supposed to develop the character of its practitioners, not only in relation to archery itself, but also in how they conduct themselves in daily life. The idea is that immersing yourself totally in the task at hand can clear the mind, and so be a form of ‘meditation through action’ (a concept borrowed from Zen Buddhism). This will help your natural human dignity shine through the obstacles that are hiding it, leading to moral and spiritual advancement. Perhaps surprisingly for a martial art, one of the key benefits attributed to kyudo is that it helps its practitioners to avoid conflict and to refrain from aggression. A kyudo practitioner is expected to show courtesy, compassion and morality at all times, and should be able to maintain composure and grace even when under pressure. The principles of kyudo are sometimes summarised as ‘truth, goodness and beauty’, where truth relates to shooting with a pure mind, goodness to a person’s character, and beauty to gracefulness and the refined etiquette of kyudo. For some practitioners, kyudo comes close to being a religious observance, while for others it’s much more about skill and target practice, but it’s the philosophical and ritual elements that really distinguish kyudo from other forms of archery. The Self Defence Force Urban Fishing	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2234
__label__wiki	0.788911	0.788911	Kaspersky Lab opens new APAC headquarters To support the expansion of its business in Asia Pacific, Kaspersky Lab today announces the opening of a new location in Singapore for its regional HQ. There are currently 37 Kaspersky Lab offices in 32 countries around the world. The new address, at the Harbourfront Tower One, will provide more office space for the growing global cybersecurity company as well as closer proximity to the partners it collaborates with frequently. The relocated APAC headquarters also aims to better serve the requirements of its growing numbers of partners and customers across the region. Kaspersky Lab’s APAC office is currently stepping up its efforts as it continues to grow its commercial and enterprise businesses with a solid focus on critical verticals such as ‘industrial cyber security’. Not only serving as a hub for administrative, sales, marketing, and channel departments, the new Singapore office will also represent the regional base of the company’s research and development team headed by Vitaly Kamluk, director of the Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) at Kaspersky Lab APAC. “The move to our current location will allow us to grow and will deliver greater efficiencies. It will enable us to deliver key results to the company. Settling into our new space in this strategic location will meet our business needs for accessibility and more. Harbourfront will cater all these needs,” says Stephan Neumeier, managing director of Kaspersky Lab Asia Pacific. The Kaspersky Lab APAC headquarters was opened in 2015 to oversee its regional business development and to become an extension of the company’s research and development (R&D). The opening of the first office in Singapore coincided with Eugene Kaspersky’s appointment as a member of the international advisory panel for Singapore’s National Cybersecurity Research & Development Programme. Related Items:Kaspersky, security Kaspersky extends cooperation with INTERPOL in joint fight against cybercrime Moto E4 Plus now available F5 launches application services for multi-cloud world	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2235
__label__wiki	0.721949	0.721949	144,183 total views Miracle Nutrition-5-2-19 Hearty White “Mirror Island Adventure Tour” The Kill X. Ray Burns Memorial Party 2 The Kill X. Ray Burns Memorial Party Marathon 2019 Finale with the Hoof and Mouth Sinfonia Set 5 3 months ago 265 views Marathon 2019 Finale, with the Hoof & Mouth Sinfonia SET 4 Marathon 2019 Finale, with the Hoof & Mouth Sinfonia SET3 part2 Marathon 2019 Finale, with the Hoof & Mouth Sinfonia SET3 part 1 Dance With Me, Stanley with Stashu March 15, 2019 Support WFMU Video magic from the freeform station of the nation! Live music, comedy and more... WFMU-FM is a listener-supported, non-commercial radio station broadcasting at 91.1 Mhz FM in Jersey City, NJ, right across the Hudson from lower Manhattan. It is currently the longest running freeform radio station in the United States. The station also broadcasts to the Hudson Valley and Lower Catskills in New York, Western New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania via its 90.1 signal at WMFU in Mount Hope, NY. The station maintains an extensive online presence at WFMU.ORG which includes live audio streaming in several formats, over 8 years of audio archives, podcasts and a popular blog. Rolling Stone Magazine, The Village Voice, CMJ and the New York Press have all at one time or another called WFMU “the best radio station in the country” and the station has also been the subject of feature stories in The New York Times and on the BBC. In recent years the station has gained a large international following due its online operations and counts Simpson’s creator Matt Groening, film director Jim Jarmusch and Velvet Underground founder Lou Reed, among others, as devoted fans of the station. WFMU’s programming ranges from flat-out uncategorizable strangeness to rock and roll, experimental music, 78 RPM Records, jazz, psychedelia, hip-hop, electronica, hand-cranked wax cylinders, punk rock, gospel, exotica, R&B, radio improvisation, cooking instructions, classic radio airchecks, found sound, dopey call-in shows, interviews with obscure radio personalities and notable science-world luminaries, spoken word collages, Andrew Lloyd Webber soundtracks in languages other than English as well as Country and western music.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2238
__label__wiki	0.733773	0.733773	Outlook for B.C. business in 2015 remains stable Gordon Hoekstra, Derrick Penner, Larry Pynn, Bruce Constantineau and Jenny Lee, Vancouver Sun 01.19.2015 Continuing recovery in the U.S. housing market is the brightest spot that B.C.’s forest industry is looking forward to in 2015, despite having spent the last decade and millions of dollars working toward a breakthrough in exports to Asia.NICK PROCAYLO / Vancouver Sun B.C.’s tourism sector continues to experience strong growth despite falling far short of a 2003 challenge by then-Premier Gordon Campbell to double provincial tourism revenues to $18 billion by 2015. / Vancouver Sun Real estate activity throughout B.C. should “plateau” during 2015, with minor sales and price increases in most residential categories, following a very active market in 2014 that experienced a 15-per-cent increase in home sales.Derek Lepper. derek@dereklepper. View of vineyards and Vaseux Lake from Blue Mountain Winery in the Okanagan Valley. B.C.’s natural beauty is the focus of its tourism marketing efforts this year. B.C.’s mining sector faces challenging prospects in 2015, particularly in the key commodity of coal for steelmaking, which is biggest mineral export and remains in an outright downturn with a market that is oversupplied as growth in Chinese steel production, its biggest consumer, slows. / Vancouver Sun BC Ferries service faces huge challenges in 2015 Public safety at heart of need for oil pipelines, says Metro Vancouver Tory MP Olivia, Liam top list of B.C.’s most popular baby names Even though Canada’s economy is being buffeted by plummeting global oil prices, the outlook for B.C. in 2015 remains stable. The province’s economy is expected to grow by 2.7 per cent this year, an increase over estimated growth of 2.3 per cent in 2014, according to the Economic Forecast Council, a private-sector group comprised of 14 economists who provide a benchmark forecast to the B.C. government. Unlike Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland, B.C. does not rely on oil production to drive its economy. The province has a more diverse business base, including tourism, forestry, mining and natural gas production. And although economic growth is slowing in Asia, the province is expected to get a boost from the continuing recovery in the U.S. That will lead to gains in the forestry and tourism sectors, say economists on the council. “I think, in general, we are looking for a somewhat better state of economic conditions in 2015 compared to 2014,” said Helmut Pastrick, chief economist at Central 1 Credit Union. “And it is largely dependant on external factors: The U.S. economy, the Canadian dollar remaining low, which we think it will. And these lower oil prices help B.C. in general.” CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS, or tap and swipe the image on your mobile device. Ken Peacock, chief economist at the Business Council of B.C., also said the U.S. recovering economy is a major factor in the province’s stable outlook. He noted the U.S. economy is growing at a “much more meaningful rate,” topping three per cent. Despite the increasing importance of exports to Asia, led by China, the United States accounted for nearly half of B.C.’s $33 billion in exports in 2013. And Peacock noted that even though the forest sector is not as large as it once was, it is still the largest source of export revenue for the province. In 2013, wood products and pulp and paper accounted for one third of B.C.’s export revenue. The Canadian dollar is expected to remain low compared to the U.S. currency (it was down about 10 per cent in 2014), but that will also help exports and tourism, say the economists. Consumer spending is also expected to increase, in part because British Columbians will have more money in their pocket from lower gasoline prices. Cross-border shopping could also be dampened by the slumping loonie, noted the economists. There is expected to be a small uptick in employment in B.C., as well as a small increase in population. Oil prices fell below $60 US a barrel in North America, a 40-per-cent drop since last summer. Natural gas prices are stagnant and low, around the $4 per btu mark, a result of a glut of gas being produced in the U.S., which has used hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling to access new sources of gas trapped in rock formations. B.C.’s oil production is only a small fraction of its resource sector, which means that the recent drop in oil prices will not have a huge affect on the province’s economy. But lower oil prices are forcing some global energy producers to hit the pause button on new projects. For instance, Petronas said it will cut capital expenditures in the next year by up to 20 per cent, and has delayed a decision on its $11-billion Pacific Northwest Gas export LNG plant in northwest B.C. until later this year. The Malaysian state-controlled company had said it would make a final investment decision on the project (which also includes a pipeline and upstream development totalling $36 billion) by December. Services companies in northeast B.C. were counting on an announcement from one of the LNG players to sustain growth in their sector. The LNG developments — Shell and Chevron also have credible projects in the works — are needed to tap into international markets as the United States becomes more energy self-sufficient, noted Al Jarvis, executive director of Energy Services B.C. The association represents services in three dozen areas, including drilling, camps, construction and pipelines. Jarvis said the general sentiment in the sector in B.C. remains optimistic, but it is imperative that LNG projects are announced within the next 12 months. “If there was a dip now, there are so many new companies with big bank loans to fund them, that it would be a real negative impact to the whole community,” said Jarvis. — Gordon Hoekstra B.C.’s tourism sector continues to experience strong growth despite falling far short of a 2003 challenge by then-Premier Gordon Campbell to double provincial tourism revenues to $18 billion by 2015. In 2013, the tourism industry generated $13.9 billion in revenue, and is expected to increase by about five per cent in 2014 and the same in 2015, said Marsha Walden, who was appointed chief executive officer of Destination British Columbia, a provincial Crown corporation, in November 2013. Chinese overnight visitors are a major growth market, up almost 27 per cent in 2013, most of them arriving with group tours, which compares with a 2.4-per-cent increase in American visitors and 2.7-per-cent increase in Europeans. Chinese visitors should increase again by at least 15 per cent in 2015. “Many destinations in the world are competing for the time and attention of the Chinese traveller,” Walden said. “It’s about having a strong economy there and a growing middle class that suddenly has the interest and freedom to travel abroad.” More Americans are expected to visit B.C. in 2015 given the declining value of the Canadian dollar, a trend that should encourage more British Columbians to holiday at home. Tourism should also benefit from lower gas prices. Future marketing strategies will focus on B.C.’s natural “wow factor” — its rugged coastlines, lush rainforests, and towering mountains. “This notion of the supreme nature that we offer, the raw wilderness,” Walden said. “We try to make the most of that.” Destination BC, which has an annual budget of almost $55 million, will increasingly maximize its marketing potential by teaming up with partners, be it a major tourist destination such as Vancouver or working with regions, other provinces and the Canadian Tourism Commission to put Canada on visitors’ radar. The province recently sold British Columbia Magazine (formerly, Beautiful BC Magazine) to My Passion Media. Walden said the magazine had been losing circulation over the years and would benefit from a company with several complementary publications, including Explore and Canadian Traveller, and a greater online presence. “No corporation can do everything,” she said. “We’re trying to focus more on pure marketing.” Destination BC reports that the magazine's circulation declined from about 300,000 at its peak prior to 1998 to about 200,000 in 2001, 118,000 in 2004 and 60,000 in 2014. — Larry Pynn Continuing recovery in the U.S. housing market is the brightest spot that B.C.’s forest industry is looking forward to in 2015, despite having spent the last decade and millions of dollars working toward a breakthrough in exports to Asia. “It’s hard to crystal-ball it, but certainly we see some reasons for optimism with respect to what we’re seeing in the U.S.,” said James Gorman, president of the industry group Council of Forest Industries. Forecasts are for U.S. housing starts, a bellwether measure for lumber demand, to top one million in 2014 and continue to rise in 2015 toward what is considered a more normal level to accommodate American population growth by the end of the decade. In 2009, starts hit a low of 544,000 new units. That should result in a subtle increase in lumber production at B.C. mills, though companies will also have to cope with increasing uncertainties about timber supplies which are expected be sharply reduced in future years as salvage efforts to recover mountain-pine-beetle damaged trees comes to an end. The U.S., however, is a contrast to weakening of exports to Asia — including China, which had grown to become of a saving grace for B.C.’s lumber producers during the U.S. housing downturn. China has emerged as Canada’s second biggest offshore market for lumber, surpassing Japan in 2011, but exports to both countries are forecast to ease in 2015, according to industry consultants International Wood Markets Group. Gorman noted that a two percentage-point increase in Japan’s value-added-tax has contributed to a muting of interest in housing construction and in China, a slowing economy has become a concern. “We’ll continue to do more work there to expand our footprint (in Asia),” Gorman said. — Derrick Penner B.C.’s mining sector faces challenging prospects in 2015, particularly in the key commodity of coal for steelmaking, which is biggest mineral export and remains in an outright downturn with a market that is oversupplied as growth in Chinese steel production, its biggest consumer, slows. The year just ending saw Walter Energy Inc. suspend operations at its three mines in northeastern B.C. putting more than 700 miners out of work. And Scotiabank commodities economist Patricia Mohr is forecasting that the price for B.C.’s steelmaking-coal will sink further in early 2015 to $117 US per tonne in the first quarter, compared with $152 US per tonne in the last quarter of 2014. “That’s definitely had a very significant impact on us,” said Karina Brino, CEO of the Mining Association of B.C. Brino added that outside of market concerns, miners will be “anxiously anticipating” developments in provincial policy around implementation of stricter requirements for consultation and accommodation of First Nation interests set out by the Supreme Court of Canada’s William decision. And the industry is still awaiting the findings of the provincially appointed expert panel that is investigating the tailings-dam failure at Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley mine near Williams Lake, and whether that will bring new environmental requirements. Brino noted that two B.C. projects, Alloycorp Mining Inc.’s (formerly known as Avanti Mining) proposal to reopen the Kitsault molybdenum mine north of Prince Rupert and Seabridge Gold Inc.’s $5.4-billion KSM project in the far northwest, received environmental approval in 2014, and she is hopeful they’ll continue to work toward permitting. “We are the eternal optimists,” Brino said. For B.C. small businesses, “confidence is good but a little fragile,” according to Canadian Federation of Independent Business regional director Richard Truscott. The confidence level among B.C. small businesses has been among the highest in the country this winter, but “when you dig below the surface, there are definitely some serious challenges in the year ahead,” Truscott said. The biggest warning flag for 2015 continues to be the shortage of qualified people to work in smaller firms, Truscott said, and he foresees even more intense competition as thousands more temporary foreign worker visas will come due in the early part of 2015. Hospitality, transportation, construction and retail businesses in more remote and smaller communities will be most affected, Truscott said. Agriculture is poised for more growth in 2015 as commodity prices are “not too bad,” and agricultural markets are expanding with the Canada-European Trade Agreement coming into effect, he said. Businesses in the Fraser Valley as well as Okanagan wineries are expected to benefit. The retail sector can expected a good year if the B.C. economy continues to chug along, but competition from American businesses will intensity. The dip in oil prices will help businesses that use fuel and energy, but will hurt resource companies. That will trickle down to the small service and supply companies. “Small businesses need to think big but act local. Think about how they can extend local markets,” Truscott said. Competing head on with bigger competitors on price is a suicidal strategy, he added. Longtime Langley fish store owner Heather Jenkins is expecting continued growth in her business in 2015 as “Buy Local” sentiment continues to grow. “We see new customers almost daily,” said Jenkins, who has owned 1 Fish 2 Fish Seafood Market for almost 17 years. Over the last couple of years, Jenkins has seen double-digit growth each year. She has eight employees and 1,500 square feet. “I feel very, very blessed,” Jenkins said. Customers “are looking to connect with their local merchants” and they want local and sustainably harvested seafood. Because the growth is in younger families looking to support small businesses, she believes she will keep those customers for years to come. While she doesn’t have any specific plans to invest in the business in 2015, she isn’t affected by any labour shortage. She hires high school students who usually stay with her through their university years. “Staff usually stay two to seven years,” she said. “I’ve been strategic in figuring that out.” — Jenny Lee Real estate activity throughout B.C. should “plateau” during 2015, with minor sales and price increases in most residential categories, following a very active market in 2014 that experienced a 15-per-cent increase in home sales. “The overall housing story in 2015 will be slightly higher sales, but prices will only grow around the rate of inflation,” B.C. Real Estate Association chief economist Cameron Muir predicted. “A lot of people say we’re due for a soft landing in the housing market, but the reality is that the soft landing has occurred over the last four years.” He expects the total number of Multiple Listing Service home sales throughout B.C. to increase by 1.2 per cent in 2015 to 84,900 units. The average residential house price in the province is forecast to grow by 1.2 per cent to $574,300, after a six-per-cent increase last year. Muir said single-detached home prices should increase by more than the average because that housing type continues to represent a smaller portion of the total housing stock. He said economic growth will support the housing market this year, but that will be offset by mortgage-rate increases in the second half of 2015 — with five-year rates expected to climb 66 basis points to an average of 5.65 per cent. Premise Properties president Avtar Bains feels “mega-development deals” will the commercial real estate story of 2015, with Metro Vancouver projects such as Oakridge, Brentwood and East Fraser Lands forging ahead. He said construction of new downtown Vancouver office buildings such as Telus Garden should free up a lot of new space in older buildings and possibly put some downward pressure on leasing rates in those structures. But Bains said downtown Vancouver properties will remain popular among private, institutional and offshore buyers as asset values remain at record highs. — Bruce Constantineau	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2239
__label__cc	0.51748	0.48252	MP makes hospital visit to see how technology improves patient safety Tuesday 9 July 2019 9:14 UPPER Bann MP David Simpson visited Craigavon Area Hospital recently to understand more about the key role technology is playing in driving patient safety standards. The Southern Health and Social Care Trust has, in recent years, harnessed and invested in cutting-edge technology to manage medication administration. These automated systems reduce the risk of medication errors and free-up healthcare professionals to spend more time on face-to-face patient care. The visit comes after the Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre reported that of the 2.5 million doses administered in the average acute hospital, there were an estimated 215,000 errors. These cause serious issues for patient safety, but also place a significant cost burden on an already stretched NHS. The Department of Health in Northern Ireland has announced a new strategy to improve medication safety known as Quality 2020, which is a 10-year plan to protect Health and Social Care services in NI and support medication safety within primary and secondary care. At the visit, Dr Tracey Boyce, Director of Pharmacy at Craigavon Area Hospital, demonstrated the benefit of the Trust’s decision to invest in a series of Omnicell systems which automate the administration of medication. This new approach allows Trusts to track everything back to the patient from the moment the medication is prescribed to when it is administered, ensuring patient safety. Mr Simpson said: “It’s great to see that Craigavon Hospital is leading the way in Northern Ireland by using the latest technology to deliver high quality standards of care to patients. It was interesting to hear how these systems are helping to reduce the risk of medication errors and free up nursing time so they have more time at the patient bedside.” Paul O’Hanlon, Managing Director of Omnicell UK & Ireland, who facilitated the visit, added: “It’s great to see that David is here to see at first-hand how important it is to invest in new technology. Medicine and nursing is a safety critical industry - behind every statistic is someone’s life, it is always someone’s son, someone’s father, someone’s daughter.”	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2243
__label__cc	0.61178	0.38822	Church of the Ascension, Kolomenskoye Cultural criteria: ii The village of Kolomenskoye that entered Moscow’s city limits in 1960 is situated south-eastward the Russian capital, on the high right bank of the Moskva River. This settlement’s history, for the first time mentioned in 1349, and during several centuries served as a country summer residence of Russian governors, is closely connected with many important events of the Russian political life of the late Middle Ages. The architectural ensemble of this village was formed mainly in the period of the XVI–XVII centuries, but subsequently it was many times reconstructed and completed as well. Thus, among the oldest structures dating from the XVI century are the Church of the Ascension, the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist и the belfry of St. George. The travel gate with a horologium, Order and Colonel palaces, Vodovzvodnaya (Water) Tower, Pantry House (Sytniy dvor), the Kazan Church remained of structures of the XVII century. In the 30s–50s of the XX century the following monuments of the Russian wooden architecture of the XVII century were transferred here: the corner fortress tower of the Brethren's stockaded town from Siberia, the gatehouse tower of the Karelian Monastery of St. Nicholas, the house of Peter the First from Arkhangelsk. But the main remarkable sight of this ensemble was and remains the Church of the Ascension, and it was in 1994 included in UNESCO World Heritage List. One believes that this church was laid by order of Grand Prince Vasily III either in 1529 as a church of worship about giving a son heir, or in 1530 – in commemoration of birth of a son Ivan (in the future – the tsar Ivan IV the Terrible). Dedication of the church (in point of fact – official opening) took place in 1532. But finishing work, where both Russian and Italian masters apparently took part, continued thereafter as well. In the first half of the XVI century the Russian architects added to their stone construction elements of a steepled church – pillar-shaped structure with unprecedented design of the top in the shape of a high marquee. It meant departure from the established tradition of cross-domed churches construction. The steepled Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye is one of the first creations of this sort; furthermore it remained almost in a primordial state. The composition of this outstanding structure, 62 meters in total height, has an obvious centric nature. Vertically the church is composed of four main elements: ground floor, strong tchetverik with ledges-vestibules (in plan it is cruciform-shaped), octagon and the hipped roof proper with a small glavka (dome) at the extreme top. The inside area is not large – only 8.5 by 8.5 meters, but its height is considerable – over 40 meters, and that is why one has the impression of its endless direction high into the air. The walls are up to 3 meters thick. And on perimeter in its lower part the church is belted by a gallery on arcades with flights of stairs, thanks to which the whole structure blends in with the relief of the high bank of the Moskva River. The church’s décor is also splendid, here, particularly, remained the white stone throne with a fretted roofing in the shape of a shell (“tsar's place”). It is obvious that architects were creating this church to be well viewed from the outside, from far away and apprehended as a symbol of Moscow grand-prince's throne’s power. However, it was also meant for “internal” aims: because from here one could perfectly survey faraway environs. The example of the Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye then became widespread all over the country – till the middle of the XVII century, when under Patriarch Nikon a ban was imposed on construction of such steepled churches. In 1923 a branch of the State Historical Museum was opened in Kolomenskoye, where collections of Russian applied art are exhibited. And since 1971 Kolomenskoye obtains the status of a reserve museum (modern status is a State Art Historical-Architectural and Environment Reserve Museum).	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2244
__label__cc	0.514701	0.485299	Festivals, Live performance Ghetto Croft meets Acid Croft in Glasgow this Friday There’s going to be an explosion of genre-defying music this Friday when current Gaelic Singer of the Year Griogair Labhruidh aka Ghetto Croft joins the Shoogle tour. To celebrate we got Griogair to answer a few difficult questions. Here goes … Did you grow up speaking Gaelic and if so, where, and did you get it at school? Where I was brought up, near a wee village called Gartocharn on the border of the Southern Highlands and the central belt; It was English we had in the house, didn’t get a word of it at school! I started speaking Gaelic in my late teens because my family, originating from the West Highlands on both sides, all spoke it and my dad’s family in particular were very famous for being a big part of the Gaelic tradition (singers, pipers, tradition bearers). What or who first got you into music and what was the first instrument you learned? And now what instruments do you play? I first got into music through my parents – my father is from a famous hereditary tradition of pipers spanning many generations as is my mother’s (although she doesn’t play herself). I learned the pipes first of all and I’m told I could sing ‘canntaireachd’ before I could talk. The instruments I play now are: highland, small and uileann pipes, electric/acoustic guitar (like playing jazz guitar in particular), whistles, a bit of percussion, mouth organ, and of course the beatmaking/rapping. What kind of music did you listen to growing up and what did you like about it? I heard bagpipes, bagpipes and more bagpipes! The bit I loved best about it was seeing my dad playing and competing etc. I really loved the drums in the local pipe band though and that’s probably where my early feel for percussion and beats started. When I got into my teens I listened to everything from rock, blues, classical etc. I was also exposed to the commercial end of the Gaelic music scene and attended Runrig concerts as a youngster. I remember being really into them when I was still in primary school and singing along with their Gaelic material. What or who inspired you to start rapping – and did you always rap in Gaelic? My biggest influence as a rapper when it comes to Gaelic material is unquestionably the late Calum Eardsaidh Chonnich (Calum Beaton) from South Uist, where I spent my early twenties. I used to hear him recite line upon line of Gaelic poetry and with the drive in me to become a master of the language and its literature I aspired to be able to do the same. It was only when I had mastered some of the poems I heard from him and started reciting them musically without music that I realised the musicological connection between what he was doing and what I heard in the complex meters of some of my favourite MCs like Talib Kweli. When I started rapping it was all old traditional poems I used. Following that (being a Gaelic poet already anyway) I started developing my skills and the prospect of becoming an MC became a reality. Why do you think rap or hip hop music works for Gaelic/Highland themes – what points of contact do you feel with the original African American rappers? In non-colonised West Africa they have the tradition of the griot who, at one time, as well as being a musician and poet, would be able to recite people’s ancestry to them and tell stories, sing songs of someone’s forebears to give them a sense of ‘dùthchas’. In the writing down of our traditions our filidh, bàird, griot or whatever you want to call them lost their place in society and this coupled with Britain’s dismantling of our traditional communities killed off our very own tradition of Gaelic rap which has existed for thousands of years. There’s nothing new about what I’m doing, only that I have set the poetry to contemporary sounds and beats using a turntable and a sampler or working with African drummers/singers for these sounds as opposed to the guitars, mandolins, keyboards of western folk music it usually meets. The difference being when it meets those instruments in a folk context it usually changes the nature of the music to be more Westernised; rap brings the poetry straight back to its roots. Most of the melodies and styles of ‘sean-nós’ we have are relatively new when compared with the recitative styles I encountered when studying the performances of our most ancient music; the aural poetry of Oisinn and other greats. When I refer to the poetry of Oisinn I do not mean the reshaped invented traditions associated with James MacPherson, but the thousands of lines of aural poetry which were collected in Scotland that we believe to be the actual words of the ancient poet himself. As far as points of contact with Hip Hop culture are concerned, the first point I’ll make is that Hip Hop is not a culture. It is a civilisation! It’s about self respect, peace, love, unity and having fun. Its roots are ancient and go beyond what the big record companies and the media have led us to believe it is. Like Gaelic culture it has been highjacked and had its true spirit taken out. The people who celebrate both cultures are colonised and have been for centuries. The parallels between what has happened to all the exploited peoples of the world have already made an appearance in Hip Hop. It’s only the racists that believe Hip Hop should be for blacks only. It is a truly global culture and has instilled confidence in, I’m sure, millions of culturally disillusioned people like myself to move their culture into the modern era. It is a truly global phenomenon. It has it’s roots, but they go back a lot further than the ghettos of NY in the 1980s; it goes back to Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, Duncan Ban Macintyre – to all the great poets of history, musicians, dancers, artists of the world who have expressed a collective consciousness for their people the world over. When did you first hear Shooglenifty’s music, and, assuming you are a fan(!), what do you like about it? Any favourite tunes and why? The truth is that I didn’t listen to any trad fusion music at all until very recently. Whilst exploring my own tradition I was obsessed with ‘the pure drop’ as they say in Ireland and the material I enjoyed listening to was all unaccompanied, old style music! I remember explaining that to Angus [Grant] the night of Knockengorroch and how I really wasn’t familiar with their material at all for that reason! I had performed with his father and spoken about old tunes, but never with himself. I particularly like Angus Senior’s version of my grampa’s cousin Willie’s tune Mrs MacDonald of Dunach and I hope to get it from him some day! It’s only recently, having had something of a revolution of the mind in my approach to tradition that I have opened up to listening to Shooglies, Treach etc, and appreciating the amazing creativity of others of who have found a way of blending tradition and the new in their own unique way. I’m glad I came at it this way though, because it gives me a deeper understanding of how what I’m hearing came together and I must say, having gone through the back catalogue on Spotify I think The Untied Knot is my favourite! James [Mackintosh]’s drumming in particular is completely immaculate and I count him as one of the very best drummers in the country (a really rare thing indeed). The grooves he provides and the tempos etc. are always spot on. When did you first appear live with Shooglenifty and how did that feel? How did it work fusing what you do with the Shoogle tunes? When I met the boys backstage at Knockengorroch this year I had no idea that they would be up for having me on stage, I think it is testament to how keen the guys are to encourage the up and coming (if indeed that is what I am!). I remember standing and listening from the side of the stage with my pal Joe Peat who was doing the monitors and being blown away by the audience’s reaction (mainly made up of people you wouldn’t associate with traditional music). It showed how the guys are kind of ‘genre-less’. Acid Croft is surely about as close as you could get to it! When I finally got the signal from James that my spot was coming up I got a huge rush of energy. It was the first time I’d ever performed on a stage that size and I must admit, I got a hell of a buzz out of it! As far as the fusion goes, I think it worked very well considering we had never tried it before and I hope in the future that there will be more collaborative opportunities! What did it mean to win your recent award at Na Trads (Griogair won ‘Best Gaelic Singer’ at the recent traditional music awards in Dundee)? Winning the Trads meant a lot to me because it made me feel like I’m a part of the bigger picture of all these wonderful musicians and great minds who are currently creating so much beautiful music in this amazing little country of ours. Just to be a part of that and to be considered worthy of being nominated, never mind winning the award was a real honour. What can people expect at the Glasgow gig? How can you encourage people who might be put off by the “Gaelic rapper” tag? At the Glasgow gig expect to hear REAL HIP HOP combined with REAL GAELIC MUSIC. That is what we intend to bring to the table every time. It’s the realness of getting up there and saying it like it is (or like you think it is), cutting and scratching sounds that blend naturally from the african American tradition with the raw energy of Gaelic music (not just poetry, but piping, fiddling and singing) that is the GhettoCroft signature sound. If people are expecting to turn up and be shouted at in Gaelic, they’re in for a surprise! This is something you have never heard before. We also have English language material that people can participate in and understand so the non Gaelic speakers won’t be alienated and maybe, just maybe, a little door into the world of the bàrd/Gaelic MC will be opened up to those who are open to it. There is a deep spiritual element to the kind of Hip Hop we are into anyway and this is reflected in our material. The kind of African American Hip Hop we listen to is all about picking yourself up out of the ‘Ghetto mentality’ and raising your consciousness to create a better you and a better planet. In a disenfranchised, colonised highlands/Scotland where we have our own struggle for freedom many people (although they maybe don’t admit it) feel a strong sense of disillusion and frustration at what is happening politically. We’re here to remind people that they are somebody. That they can and will make a difference in building themselves, their nation and their culture for the generations of Gaels and Scots yet to come. My immediate future plans are centred around the release of the highly anticipated Afro Celt Sound System‘s The Source, which is due for release next year. Thanks to my man James Mackintosh, I got quite heavily involved in the album and went on to become a full blown member of the band. With that in mind the tours, festivals, etc. I will be undertaking with my new found kindred spirits in Afro Celt Sound System will take up much of my time and creative energy. Gaelic Hip Hop will certainly not be taking a back seat and, indeed, I see the two projects as being very much part of the same thing both ideologically and musically! Griogair will appear with his own combo and with Shooglenifty at Stereo in Glasgow on Friday 18 December 2016. Also on the bill is DJ Dolphin Boy. Get your tickets here >> 14th December 2015 /0 Comments/by shoogle_admin https://www.shooglenifty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/griogair_fi.jpg 245 300 shoogle_admin http://www.shooglenifty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/logo_blue_340.png shoogle_admin2015-12-14 17:03:102019-03-19 13:48:33Ghetto Croft meets Acid Croft in Glasgow this Friday Shooglenifty: the interview Praise for The Untied Knot	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2246
__label__wiki	0.684588	0.684588	STAR TALK: What have you been reading this summer? GINA HARGITAY, Miss Jamaica World 2013 “Right now I’m reading The Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin. I’m really interested in science right now, especially biology, and this book is one of the all-time groundbreaking works on the subject. I’ve always wanted to read it. And I’m also reading 1984 by Aldous Huxley.” PAULA LLEWELLYN, Director of Public Prosecutions “I’m on leave, so I’m not reading anything too heavy right now. Just some light stuff. My work is already heavy, so being on a break from work, I want to take it easy.” NEISHA YEN-JONES, Dancer-choreographer, educator “Secrets. I don’t remember the name of the author, but it’s about the power of the mind. I try to read it at least once a year. It reminds you that what you think about and what you give your energy to can become your reality. Hence, the importance of controlling what you think about.” SAUDICKA DIARAM, TV talk-show host, journalist “I re-read books like The Alchemist and 12 Pillars of Success over and over. They are two of my favourites. The Alchemist is about this man who wants to go on a journey to Egypt, but in the end he realizes that he’s been searching for what he already has. And Pillars is basically about life lessons, making small changes to your life and how to succeed in business.” Posted by TALLAWAH Magazine (tyronesreid@gmail.com) at 1:43 pm No comments: Labels: Gina Hargitay, Neisha Yen-Jones, Paula Llewellyn, Saudicka Diaram, Star Talk, Summer Reading, Talking Books 50-SECOND FILM REVIEW: ‘High Water’ tackles crime and family dynamics with compelling results HOME ON THE RANGE: Foster (left) and Pine play Texas brothers who desperately turn to crime. If Thelma and Louise had grandkids, they would probably bear striking resemblances to Toby and Tanner Howard, the pair of protagonist brothers stirring up trouble in Hell or High Water, an intriguing, action-packed drama-thriller written by Taylor Sheridan and directed by David McKenzie. Toby (Star Trek’s Chris Pine) and Tanner (certified baddie Ben Foster) are rural Texas boys who were raised like twins. Now in their early 30s, they’re still tight but with leaner economic times facing everybody they’re out of work and stand to lose their ranch, in the wake of their mother’s death, if they don’t come up with the money to pay the outstanding mortgage and other expenses. They hatch a plan to rob a string of small Texas banks, carrying out their daring daylight robberies clad in black ski masks and baggy clothes. They are on a roll when Marcus, a feisty retired ranger (Oscar winner Jeff Bridges) and his partner (Gil Birmingham) discover the patterns in their scheme and turn up the heat. A deep and palpable strain of melancholy courses through this well-acted movie that has crisp cinematography and an excellent soundtrack among its assets. Though you don’t approve of their actions, your heart goes out to these brothers who you come to realize are good guys who’ve fallen on hard times and make a series of ill-advised choices. As the movie attests, a life of crime never pays. As portrayed by Pine and Foster, who physically transformed to look like country boys, Toby (a divorced father of two who wants his sons to inherit the ranch) and Tanner (an ex-con with a hedonistic streak) make for believable siblings who don’t always see eye to eye but share the kind of bond that not even death can break asunder. Tyrone’s Verdict: A- Posted by TALLAWAH Magazine (tyronesreid@gmail.com) at 11:53 am No comments: Labels: 50-Second Film Review, At The Movies, Ben Foster, Chris Pine, Current Cinema, Flick of the Week, Jeff Bridges THE EYES HAVE IT: Blind Spot delivers an uneven but entertaining mix BEN'S PLACE: Cast member sharing the stage in a scene from the show. Every man is king of his own castle – even the blind. Just ask Ben (Glen Campbell), the music mogul at the centre of all the action in Blind Spot, the reasonably entertaining new show from Jambiz Productions that works well as a comedy-drama but feels like territory playwright Patrick Brown has explored many times before. All the usual ingredients are here: wit, punchlines, conflict and big laughs delivered by a cast of seasoned players familiar with each other’s acting styles. But the whole thing lacks that sense of oomph and originality. Blessed with a music production empire that has secured him multiple awards and great private wealth, Ben is living large, even as he continues to follow his passion: make music and earn a handsome living. The devoted Jan (Sakina Deer in arguably her meekest role to date) is his loyal do-it-all secretary, for whom he’s been nursing tender feelings for years. Caryl (Camille Davis) is his raucous sister who eats like a wolf and looks ready for her close-up on a Jamaican version of Love & Hip Hop. Whitney (Sharee Elise) is his latest ‘discovery’, a wanna-be singer who lacks the essential instrument: an ear-pleasing voice. They all live it up, day in day out, at Ben’s posh upper St. Andrew digs, complete with office, studio, living quarters and tonnes of plaques and memorabilia – evidence of an illustrious career. (The set design is wonderfully arranged.) But their groovy world gets a violent jolt with the arrival of Scar (Courtney Wilson, very commanding), Jan’s fresh-from-prison ex, a roughneck who wants his pound of flesh and shares a strange connection with Caryl. They are all in for a wild ride when shocking revelations come tumbling out of the closet – a bag of secrets that threaten to destroy everything Ben has worked so hard to build. Exploring fractious human relationships, power, greed and triumph in spite of disability, Blind Spot occasionally exudes a noirish sensibility but otherwise you can’t shake the overwhelming sense of familiarity. The cast turns in solid work, especially Campbell as the visually impaired Don Juan who responds to his crisis with admirable verve. Davis is a sturdy presence but she’s becoming typecast as the angry Black woman. Deer and Elise, on the other hand, seem to have more variety in their Jambiz roles, particularly Elise, who went from loony Greta in last season’s Duppy Whisperer to a funky/punk rock-esque ‘songstress’ this time around. Overall, Blind Spot, in spite of its shortcomings, is not exactly groping in the dark. Its lively comedic quotient and strong performances go a far way in providing audiences with some laughter and light. Tyrone’s Verdict: B- Labels: Theatre Reviews ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Neisha Yen-Jones finds the perfect playground in the world of musical theatre HEAD FULL OF IDEAS: "One of the reasons I came back to Jamaica is to rise up young Black girls and boys to take over," says Yen-Jones, photographed with Danielle Stiebel (below) at the Actor Boy Awards. Neisha Yen-Jones is good with kids. It’s after eleven on a warm Tuesday morning at the Shortwood Teachers’ College in St. Andrew, and Miss Yen-Jones is about to wrap up today’s musical theatre class with the tiny tots who are participating in the inaugural Avant Academy summer camp. The kids, who are learning moves and music to a couple of numbers from Annie, are a handful but for the most part they respond well to her a she shows them the ropes. Dressed in traditional thespian black, her big bouncy curls dancing along to the choreography, Yen-Jones seems at home in the role of instructor – a bonafide artist imparting her knowledge to kids getting the swing of musical theatre for the first time. Perhaps the reason she’s so comfortable in the role is the fact that she was once in their place, getting her feet wet in the world of interpretative dance, ballet and Broadway showtunes, with mentors playing important roles in her artistic growth. A daughter of James Hill in Clarendon, where she still has family to this day, Yen-Jones spent many of her formative years immersed in the London arts world, where her appreciation for song and dance and drama and doing things with passion began to take root. That’s why when I ask her where she gets her immense confidence from she doesn’t hesitate to give credit to teachers like Donald McLennon of London’s Millennium Dance 2000 and Jacqui Mitchell, who helped her keep her head up when she faced pressure and prejudice for being the only dark-skinned girl attending dance classes populated by a sea of white faces. (Very often she would get comments like, ‘You’re very good at ballet for a Black girl.’) “[Jacqui] took me under her wing. She took the time to talk to me. She told me, ‘Don’t worry about being different. Just be you,’” Neisha recalls, as she sits with TALLAWAH in the big empty auditorium. “Three years of that turned my life around and really changed how I look at life.” Neisha needed that confidence boost because, more than a decade later, she’s been able to draw on those lessons and those quiet instructive moments in building a solid musical theatre career. Not only has she starred in The Lion King on the West End, playing Nala in 2013, she has done Stomp in London and Cyprus, Denmark and Sweden, and landed key roles in Broadway and UK shows like Dirty Dancing and The Harder They Come: The Musical, which were among the final shows she performed in before returning to Jamaica to cool her happy feet. “Musical theatre is my passion. It’s what I do, and I think it’s a tool we can use to break down language barriers and improve kids’ way of communicating,” says the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) graduate, whose resume also lists numerous teaching and workshop stints, including her part-time affiliation with the School of Dance, Edna Manley College. Yen-Jones, who bemoans the lack of adequate support for the arts in Jamaica, is all about giving back to a country that gave her firm roots. “One of the reasons I came back to Jamaica is to rise up young Black girls and boys to take over,” she admits. “It takes a passionate approach, in both the administrative and performance aspects, to grow the performing arts. Students need tutelage, they need mentorship, and so it’s a mission of mine to collaborate on programmes that are about promoting high standards and quality.” When the summer camp ends this weekend, Yen-Jones and Avant’s Seretse Small (who had to have her involved in the camp) will turn their attention to the academy’s musical theatre certification programme, which is a partnership with the London College of Music, beginning in September. “I’m really proud of the work she’s done in the camp so far. It fills me with confidence that we will be able to create a truly international musical theatre programme,” says Small, giving props to Yen-Jones. “I just need to find a way to get all the resources that she will need to bring out what’s inside her head.” By her own admission, what’s inside her head these days is a sketchbook full of ideas, like creating a Jamaica-based performing-arts feeder school for the international market and securing scholarships for promising talents to study at some of the best schools overseas. After nearly an hour of conversation, it becomes abundantly clear that Neisha Yen-Jones’ commitment to quality and those high standards continue to serve her well. “I do believe I am excellent at what I do. I am passionate about it; I believe in the power of the arts and mentorship. It’s our duty as the older folks in the industry to nurture the upcoming generation,” she says. For the record, Neisha, who copped an Actor Boy Award in 2015 for choreographing At the Barricades for the Jamaica Musical Theatre Company (JMTC), is in her mid-30s. But she can still use her twenty-something pass card. Her advice for the dreamers and those who look up to her is simple: Know that it’s possible for you. “As a little girl spending time in Spanish Town that used to drive me; knowing that it was possible,” she says. “Get training, and when you get the training get good. And when you get good, get better. And when you get better, be the best.” Labels: Artist Spotlight, Dance Theatre, Musical Theatre, Neisha Yen-Jones, Performing Arts NEWS FEED: Why teachers migrate + Tuning the Summer Olympics + Roger Clarke inspires scholarship LONG LIVE MR. CLARKE: What better way to honour the memory and legacy of a departed stalwart who made groundbreaking contributions to his chosen field? We make note of the launch of the Roger Clarke Scholarship, which will be tenured at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) in Portland, as of next month. Valued at $250,000, it was launched by the CB Group at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Tuesday, much to the pleasure of Clarke’s widow, Sonia. “My hope is that the recipient will love agriculture as [Roger] did and will do your organization proud,” she told reporters. According to Dr. Keith Amiel, Corporate Affairs Manager at the CB Group, the scholarship (which will cover tuition and other expenses for one CASE student each year, is a fitting tribute. “For all his dedication and passion for agriculture, the CB Group is pleased to present CASE with [this scholarship],” Amiel says, “as they continue to mould future generations of Jamaicans, excited, energized and wired about agriculture.” IF THE PRICE IS RIGHT? In the wake of recent speculation that the migration of teachers could be increasingly affecting the island’s CXC pass rates, at least one education official has publicly weighed in on the matter. “Losing our teachers means the system is being haemorrhaged and the long-term implications will shake the core of the education system,” observes Howard Isaacs, the newly installed President of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), who was speaking at the 55th Annual JTA Conference at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa in St. James on Monday. When it comes ‘the money question,’ Isaacs says, it’s a tough call. “We recognize that it is not possible for the Government to match the salaries offered in [some] overseas markets,” says Isaacs (left), pictured above with former president Doran Dixon. “However, a concerted effort must be made to review the salaries and conditions of work for teachers. As a country, are we doing the best for our teachers?” ON YOUR MARKS, SET, PLAY: Wouldn’t it be supercool to tune in to the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, and see musicians from all over the world competing for the gold medal? Attorney Don Foote feels so too. “Music is a sort of sport and music is entertaining, as well as therapeutic and enjoyable. These are all characteristics of sports generally. We don’t have music as a category, and I feel there can be some buzz around the possibility of having music as a part of the Olympics,” he said in a recent interview. “I am not asking that reggae music be a category, I am speaking of music generally. All participating countries could have their style of music in the entries. I think the details can be worked out as to how this could be accomplished.” Labels: Don Foote, Education, Hot Topics, Howard Isaacs, JTA, News and Notes, News Feed, Roger Clarke, Scholarships, The Summer Olympics STRENGTH, COURAGE & WISDOM: Women Who Roar yields a powerful mix of humour and history ANCESTORS' CALL: The LTM cast captures a wide range of voices in the music-and-drama production. Madame Rose Leon, Florence Nightingale, Lady Bustamante, Nanny of the Maroons. Their Jamaican connection aside, the central thread that joins these formidable icons together is that they were women who used their guts and determination to make significant contributions to nation-building that still matter to this day. Their stories come in for rousing, amusing and thought-provoking celebration in Women Who Roar, a solid production recently put on by the LTM Pantomime company at the Little Little Theatre in Kingston. Produced by Barbara Gloudon, with notes from a selection of Jamaican history books and musical arrangements by Grub Cooper and Noel Dexter, Women Who Roar (coming on the heels of Tanya Batson-Savage’s sublime hit Woman Tongue) is peppered with anecdotes, reflections, poems, and monologues that highlight the clout and capacity of Jamaican women to tun dem han’ mek fashion, stand by their man in times of crisis, build up strong families and shine on the world stage. The aforementioned legends aside, we meet women as dynamic and diverse as the mother of Jamaican art Edna Manley (Latoya Newman-Morris), who gave us powerful works like "Negro Aroused"; the Jamaican matriarch in Toronto (played by Anya Gloudon) who drops some ‘island spice’ on the white woman with her smelly dog at the bus stop. Here’s a dark-skinned keeper of the keys at a mental asylum in Britain who has to stamp her authority to get some respect. There’s Louise Bennett-Coverley, the original lioness, reminding the world that our dialect is as compelling as it is colourful. And just because the women couldn’t do it alone, homage is paid to a wide array of men (Company members Derrick Clarke, Adrian Harris, Shama Reid and Kevin Halstead are standouts in the cast), who gave them everything from sugar to bitter gall. But it’s the ladies, of course, who command the spotlight, and kudos are due to the likes of Jacqueline Higgins, who shines in several roles (most notably as the one-and-only Miss Annie), alongside Nicole Taylor Thompson, Barbara Johnson and Cecelia McCarthy Reid, among others. The musical numbers (“One Thing Lead to Another” and a spicy finale among them) add oomph to a production that doesn’t boast the most attention-grabbing set design or ‘electric’ lighting but, as with any LTM show, delivers sensible and stylish costumes – and true Jamaicanness straddling the comic, dramatic and folkloric. Overall, Women Who Roar is a laudable show that brings the noise, while echoing the historical footnotes of the female stalwarts whose moral and life-affirming examples still point the way forward. Tyrone’s Verdict: B+ UP RISING: Actor Ackeem Poyser shines in roles that show off his crowd-pleasing style FRESH FACE: Poyser, 24, has set his sights on a stage, film and TV career. Watching Ackeem Poyser in action you don’t just see a School of Drama graduate displaying the skills and techniques he’s picked up over the years or Probemaster Entertainment’s crowd-pleasing new star giving the audience their money’s worth. We see a talented 24-year-old actor who is fast-tracking in his career, with the requisite energy and emotional intelligence (and some eye-candy appeal for the ladies thrown into the mix). With his slender, runway-ready physique, edgy haircut and taut five-foot-eight-inch frame, Poyser’s got the total package and makes a cool new addition to the class of budding leading men that already includes Akeem Mignott, Danar Royal and Brian Johnson. Prior to signing with Probemaster a couple of years ago, Poyser was getting his feet wet in the dramatic and comedic arts, landing roles in everything from stage (Courthouse Drama, University of Delcita with Andrea Wright), television (Paul Beale’s Join Tenants on CVM) to film (he wrote and directed Yardicus, a spoof of Spartacus, available for viewing on YouTube). While at the School of Drama (he graduated in 2015), he appeared in shows like the Thespy-winning Ruined (“I played a rebel leader,” he reminds us) and 2014’s An Echo in the Bone, in which Leonie Forbes (below) saw him and recommended him to David Tulloch, the Probemaster general, who cast him in a Prayer Partner remount and JMTC’s At the Barricades. Now comes his big breakout role as the virile Kristian, a ‘sextrepreneur’ who bites off more than he can chew in 3some (pictured below), the hottest ticket in town this season, a play full of steamy, skin-baring action. How did Ackeem prepare for the “demanding” role? “Whole heap of push-ups,” he jokes. “There’s a comical and a dramatic element to the character, so I had to go back to my drama school roots and find the most realistic approach. Dissect the character, look at the obligations, what he wants, what motivates him, the obstacles.” For the most part, Poyser nails it, educing the character’s blend of inner strength and habitual recklessness to memorable effect. Having a pair of fired-up female costars to keep pace with helped tremendously. “It tookus some time to be comfortable around each other and get to know each other, but it came together,” he says of swapping lines (and much more) with Carline Brown and Sabrina Thomas. “I think we built a strong chemistry and it’s still a work-in-progress.” For the record, Tulloch is proud of his rising star. “He’s one of my new young guns, shiny and glistening,” he tells TALLAWAH, laughing. “I think he has a whole lot of potential and he’ll go far if he remains focused and in control.” Whether he’s reflecting on his former nine-to-five hustle as Entertainment Coordinator at Beaches Negril (“I felt like I was straying from what I really wanted to do”), meeting Konshens, his brother from another (“I met him once; we took some pictures”) or overcoming major financial hurdles, Ackeem is refreshingly candid with an easy-going, club-kid vibe. In the years to come, he wants to do more buzz-generating theatre roles for sure and, finally, land some film gigs. “My dream growing up actually was to be a film actor, which is the dream for millions of youths coming up, and there’s a part of me that still wants to fulfil that dream,” shares Poyser, whose TV guilty pleasures include Power and Grimm. “I love series and movies, and I don’t just watch movies for watching movies’ sake. I like to spend time to analyze and learn new things.” > Keep up with Ackeem on Instagram @iamvybzkeem > REVIEW: Read TALLAWAH's response to David Tulloch's 3some Posted by TALLAWAH Magazine (tyronesreid@gmail.com) at 1:44 pm 1 comment: Labels: Ackeem Poyser, New Artist Spotlight, Ones To Watch, Stage Notes, Theatre Buzz MAN OF THE MOMENT: A milestone birthday, 3 new gold medals and worldwide acclaim, Bolt’s living the sweet life THIS IS 30: The poster boy of track-and-field enters his third decade in style. What do you give to the man who’s got it all? On Sunday, Usain Bolt celebrated his 30th birthday over in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the most enviable of birthday presents: three shiny new Olympic gold medals to add to his impressive collection. As we all know, he won them after copping the sprint double (100M and 200M) and anchoring the Men’s 4X100 relay team to a show-stopping win that brought the crowd to its feet inside the Olympic Stadium. You can still hear the deafening cheers across the ocean. The overall consensus: what a talent! The world has never seen the likes of Usain Bolt and as far as those world records go (9.58 seconds in the 100M and 19.19 seconds in the 200M) they will in all likelihood remain unchanged for years to come. Having cemented his place in global sporting history, the most fascinating thing about Bolt is that he’s gloriously unchanged – still a down-to-earth, fun-loving sportsman who prefers to let his performances do the talking. He gets a serious high off those big, supersized crowds. The legend-cementing ‘triple treble’ speaks volumes of how history will remember this modern-day phenom, on whose account the sleepy Trelawny village of Sherwood Content is bound to become a future tourist destination. To wit, the Trelawny massive (including Mayor Garth Wilkinson) can’t wait to have that new statue unveiled in his honour in time for Heroes’ Day in October, at the Falmouth Water Square. A grateful people’s fitting tribute to a native son. Everybody has their own take on how the all-important history books, generations from now, will report on the athletic prowess and game-changing verve of Usain Bolt. (Ranked in the pantheon reserved for Ali and Jordan? Certainly.) But what say he? “I want to be remembered as one of the greatest. I have worked all my career, all my life, so hopefully they can read about me as one of the greatest ever in this sport,” he revealed to an interviewer while in Rio. There have been the highs and lows, the triumphs and letdowns, but Bolt has wisely opted to take it all in stride and hold fast to this mindset as he gears up for a final lap before walking off into the retirement sunset. “I’m never disappointed in anything I do. I still have the world records, even though it’s been a long time. I am happy. I am an Olympic champion again, and that’s the main thing.” Labels: Bolt 2016, Leading Men, Living Legends, Man of the Moment, Rio 2016 NEWS FEED: The CXC Maths problem + Elaine’s world-record potential + Is Al Miller a ‘fall guy’? MILLER’S CROSS TO BEAR: As prominent Kingston pastor Rev. Al Miller awaits sentencing for his involvement in the infamous Tivoli/Dudus affair that still haunts us as a nation, Miller’s very public ordeal is a major talking point in several quarters of society, not least among them the religious community, where there have been calls for a reversal of the guilty verdict to calls for him to step down as leader of Fellowship Tabernacle. Dr. Garnett Roper, however, senses more powerful forces at play. Could he be on to something? “Al Miller has taken the fall for a Jamaican political class and system of justice that knows only to prosecute one section of its population,” he wrote in stern newspaper column recently. “It is one thing to be a fall guy and somebody’s stool pigeon; it is a worse thing not to know that that is all you are.” Very strong words indeed. WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN: Can the blame for Jamaica’s 14.3 percent decline in CXC Mathematics passes this year be placed squarely on the mass exodus of qualified teachers in recent times? “It is estimated that 111 fully qualified teachers left the system in 2015. It is believed that many took up teaching opportunities overseas. Undoubtedly, this would have affected the preparation of a significant number of students,” Education minister Ruel Reid has said in response. “This loss would have had a significant impact on the ability of schools to maintain the standards of teaching and learning which would have been established particularly over the past four years.” Thankfully, there’s some good news: the education ministry is set to develop the Mathematics, Science and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) teacher initiative to increase the number of fully qualified maths teachers. HOW FAST CAN SHE GO? After copping the sprint double in Rio, what’s next for Jamaica’s sprinting sensation Elaine Thompson? Re-teaming with coach Stephen Francis to produce even more astonishing performances. “This year, I still think she can run probably 10.6. I’m not sure how many more times we are going to ask her to do the double. Maybe we will choose one over the other at the World Championships, but for next year and later this year, we have to focus on getting her to run as fast as we think she can run based on what we saw at the Trials and here [in Rio],” declares Francis, who thinks his student has world-record potential. “I think she has another 10th of a second in her, with decent breeze and temperature. Right now, she is better than she was at the Trials and hopefully by the end of the season, she will get a chance to show it.” Labels: Dr. Garnett Roper, Education, Elaine Thompson, News and Notes, News Feed, People In The News, Rev. Al Miller, Rio 2016, Ruel Reid, Stephen Francis COUNTRY STRONG: New St. Andrew Custos, Dr. Patricia Dunwell, champions national unity, spirit of volunteerism WOMAN IN CHARGE: Dr. Dunwell accepts her instrument of appointment from Sir Patrick Allen during Thursday's ceremony. After 49 years of marriage and serving organizations as diverse as the Stella Maris Foundation, the Board of Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities and the Stony Hill community training centre for girls, Dr. Patricia Ann Marshall Dunwell (a mother of two and grandmother of two) has learned what it takes to build strong families and even stronger communities. For her, it’s about holding fast to the simple courtesies. “We build stronger families by caring for one another, learning how to forgive and learning to be real peacemakers. As soon as a quarrel develops you find a solution instead of allowing the situation to escalate. Going back to the old days of raising children right, we used to have ‘aunties’ and ‘uncles’ all around. It was never just my child or your child. As the saying goes, it takes a village,” she tells TALLAWAH, moments after being sworn in as the new Custos Rotolorum of St. Andrew, an important office to which she brings a wealth of experience, passion for making a difference and can-do spirit. The swearing-in ceremony, attended by a who’s who of Jamaican government officials, colleagues and well-wishers, was held on the grounds of the Hope Botanical Gardens on Thursday afternoon. “I feel both honoured and humbled for the trust that has been placed in me, by appointing me to the office of Custos, and I am committed to working diligently and efficiently to execute the duties of this high office,” she said in her response to the appointment. As Custos, Mrs. Dunwell is the chief magistrate and the Governor General’s representative in the parish, presiding over a lay magistrate body comprised of approximately 1,500 Justices of the Peace. “I urge and request the JPs and the business community to assist you with support, as you discharge your responsibilities, thus making this a successful tenure for you and the parish,” noted Governor General Sir Patrick Allen addressing Thursday’s ceremony. “I am placing in your hands all the Justices of the Peace of St. Andrew. Take care of them and they will take care of you,” he added. A successful dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon (since 1990), who has given almost 20 years of service to the Kingston Public Hospital, Dr. Dunwell says her vision for the future development of the parish is nothing complex. “As your new Custos, [the role] comes with many areas of responsibility, but I am committed to the promotion of heightened mediation and conflict resolution across this diverse parish, helping our communities be the best they can be.” The spirit of volunteerism, she says, is alive and well in the parish and Jamaica at large, and she remains hopeful that it will continue to play a vital role in the creation of ‘a better Jamaica’ – nation-building and family life fortified through the sharing of time, talent and treasure. Labels: Appointments, Custos Rotolorum, Dr. Patricia Ann Marshall Dunwell, Nation Building, Sir Patrick Allen ‘RIO’ MOMENTS: Team Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson, Usain Bolt and Shericka Jackson savour their Olympic glory SPEED SISTERS: Jamaica’s newest sprint queen Elaine Thompson (centre) likes the taste of her shiny Olympic gold medal, which she gives a playful bite while attending the medal ceremony for the Women’s 100M Final inside the Olympic Stadium at the ongoing Rio Olympics in Brazil on August 15. Also showing off their hard-won prizes: silver medallist Torie Bowie, left, of the United States and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who secured the bronze for Jamaica. (Photo: Getty Images/Zimbio.com) RUNNING MEN: Usain Bolt (centre) kick-started his Rio campaign for a historic third consecutive sprint treble, when he outshone the rest of the field to win the 100M gold. Unsurprisingly, he was all smiles on the medal podium, posing for photographers, next to worthy contenders Justin Gatlin (silver, USA) and Canada’s bronze-medal winner Andre DeGrasse, inside the Olympic Stadium. (Photo: Getty Images/Zimbio.com) PEAK PERFORMERS: Day 10 of the Rio Summer Olympics is one Shericka Jackson (right) will never forget. The resilient Jamaican athlete poured her heart and soul into that performance in the Women’s 400M final inside the Olympics Stadium on Tuesday. For her sterling effort, in spite of the odds, Jackson copped the bronze medal for Jamaica, just behind America’s Allyson Felix (left), who won the silver and Bahamian wonder woman Shaunae Miller, who bagged the gold. Here the three outstanding athletes share a photo-op on the medal podium. (Photo: Getty Images/Zimbio.com) Labels: Bolt 2016, Elaine Thompson, Olympians, Rio 2016, Shericka Jackson, Sports News GAMES PEOPLE PLAY: Tulloch’s 3some is a spicy, between-the-sheets romp YOU DON'T KNOW MY NAME: Brown, Poyser and Thomas enjoy each other's company in this provocative new play. David Tulloch’s 3some is a raunchy but highly entertaining dramedy that rekindles the playwright’s affair with the kind of theatre that seduces, satisfies and leaves you wanting more. It’s not David’s classiest hour, but it’s yet another example of him pushing the creative envelope as a writer and director, while introducing a bunch of relative newcomers who are not shy about putting it all out there. Meet Kristian (Ackeem Poyser), a 30-something ladies’ man and entrepreneur who creates an app for singles looking for casual, anonymous sex. No strings attached. Things are going swimmingly well for until two sultry young ladies – bossy, career-driven Annabella (Sabrina Thomas) and bossy, power-driven Raina (Carline Brown) – sashay into his life, each with their own agendas. But, as it turns out, they’re all “acquainted.” So when the idea of a ménage à trois enters the picture, they go for it – a bit reluctantly at first, but ultimately these playmates can’t keep their hands off each other. As they say, be careful what you wish for. Within months Kristian’s world is topsy-turvy, and that’s when hidden agendas and frightful sexual tastes and appetites are pushed out into the open. Exploring themes of temptation, sexuality, promiscuity and relationship dynamics in the age of rapid technological advancement, 3some not only brings the heat and some serious adult content (under 18s definitely not allowed); it raises big, bold-type questions about the dark side of human nature and what happens when things go from “casual” to “complicated” in matters of the heart. Poyser, who bears a slight resemblance to dancehall hotshot Konshens, is a man full of energy and a pair of dramatic eyes that he puts to effective use. We love Thomas’ blend of sass, seductiveness and grit, while Brown plays Raina to a tee, crafting a character that keeps it real, ready to wage war for whatever and whomever she wants. The theatre house’s small stage sometimes makes the action and set design feel a bit claustrophobic (ample space is key for a show to breathe), but what compensates, thankfully, is the effortless chemistry that floats among the three actors who disappear into their roles, bringing these desperate, driven and (sometimes) devious characters to life. As a playwright/director/producer, you never know where David Tulloch’s creative juices will spur him next, but on this stop he serves up a spicy dish with something complex, something kinky, realistic and revelatory. And there’s always an app for that. Tyrone’s Verdict: B THE BEST OF HIS LOVE: David Tulloch shares the inspiration behind his most popular plays TWO OF A KIND: Tulloch, with Prayer Partner star Chris McFarlane; (below) actors making a scene in Sins of the Flesh at Green Gables Theatre. After 52 plays and counting (over 30 of them staged), have we seen the best of David Tulloch? Not by a longshot. This month, the 35-year-old agent provocateur brings to his audiences his latest potboiler, 3Some, that’s just as ‘hot-and-bothered’ as the title suggests. With such a diverse body of work to his credit, we couldn’t resist taking a trip down memory lane with the prolific storyteller, reflecting on some of his finest offerings to date: WINE& ROSES: “In 2005, Totlyn Oliver came to me with a radio serial called The Days of Wine and Roses and asked me to convert it to a play. I can appreciate the cougar situation so I did. We’ve had about four remounts so far but I haven’t made any major changes to it. I believe that once you have a work that can stand the test of time you should run with it.” PRAYER PARTNER: “This was originally staged in 2004. When I remounted it last year, I only added one new character. I can appreciate the nerd who wants to get the girl and will go to whatever lengths it takes. Everybody likes an underdog. A Part 2 might be in the works.” RISQUE: “After I directed David Heron’s 4Play, it got four [Actor Boy] nominations, so I decided to write my own 4Play. I added the bit about the scammings and decided to push the envelope and go totally nude with the actors. It practically created a new genre in Jamaican theatre, and it was a new demographic that came out to see it.” PATERNAL INSTINCT: “It’s from a personal theme of mine. At the time I wanted to be a father, so I decided to live vicariously through my pen. There’s a Part 2 for it as well, but this Part 1 is still getting a lot of requests.” JAMAICA SWEET: “When I did Bay Vibes and MoBay Vibes with Dougie Prout, he told me that as a playwright, you should have at least one revue for yourself. Look out for Jamaica Sweeter coming soon. Not sure when though.” SINS OF THE FLESH: “I didn’t know what I was thinking (Laughs). I think at the outset I intended for it to be like Risqué, but then I decided to create a nice drama out of it.” FOR MY DAUGHTER: “I heard my father preaching about a similar situation one Sunday, so I took that as the premise. It’s based on the true story that I heard, but I fictionalized it a bit. Then Leonie Forbes took me up on my offer to come back on stage, so it was a done deal.” > 3Some plays at the Phoenix Theatre, New Kingston, Fridays to Sundays at 8pm. Tickets: 442-1669. Labels: David Tulloch, Leading Men, Stage Notes, Talking Theatre, Theatre Spotlight BEAUTY OF THE WEEK: St. Mary’s Monique Robb relishes new challenges, being true to herself GLOW GIRL: “I’m always looking for new ways to grow as an individual,” shares the 24-year-old go-getter. There are no substitutes for diligence, compassion and anything that nurtures the creative spirit. That’s the kind of thinking that guides Monique Robb – and one she’s intent on passing on to her students at Trelawny’s Westwood High, where she currently teaches Language Arts. Robb’s love of vintage fashion, DIY stuff and blogging reflects her eclectic tastes, while her recent participation (repping St. Mary) in the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen competition (copping third place!) attests to her appetite for taking on bucket-list items that challenge her in new and exciting ways. PERSONALS – Age: 24; Hometown: Galina, St. Mary; Occupation: Teacher; Height: 5’6” Who do you admire and why? “I admire people like Professor Carolyn Cooper because she’s a strong Jamaican woman and very serious about her culture. I have learned a lot from her over the years – qualities like how to have a strong sense of self.” Describe your personal style: “I love vintage clothing but in recent times I’ve started to incorporate some modern and more mature looks in my wardrobe. I enjoy fashion but I prefer to take the minimalist approach.” Why do you wear makeup? “In my teenage years I suffered from a bad case of acne, and I suffered from hyperpigmentation as well. So wearing makeup I feel more confident and I feel that my scars are not on display. (Laughs). It’s also a means of expression. Today I’m feeling upbeat and funky so I chose to wear a bold red lip. Another day I might choose a different shade. It’s about what you’re in the mood for.” Why did you enter Miss Jamaica Festival Queen? “I entered to really challenge myself. I’m always looking for new ways to grow as an individual. And I entered because I want to give back to my parish and to Jamaica. It requires commitment and hard work and that’s what I’m about.” How do you spend your free time? “I love going to the beach. Being from St. Mary, I live near the sea, so I’m at the beach quite often. I listen to music and I have a personal blog, but I prefer to keep it private. And I’m a big DIY-er. I love to sew, painting and bookbinding. I just enjoy being creative.” What’s in store for the future? “Professionally, I’d love to segue into a media career. I see myself writing a weekly column for one of our local newspapers and maybe branching off into television.” What’s the philosophy that guides your life? “It’s an Ubuntu saying by Nelson Mandela: “How can I be happy when my brother is hungry?” > INTERVIEW: Meet 2016 Festival Queen winner, Kyesha Randall! Labels: Beauty of the Week, Jamaica Festival Queen, Monique Robb, Talking Beauty, The Style File CHAT ’BOUT: Stephen Francis on the Fraser-Pryce/Thompson ‘rivalry’, Ronald Jackson on disaster mitigation, and more “[The rivalry] doesn’t affect me. Our camp is one where we train people to beat the ones that are already established because I believe that is one way to keep the ones that are already established on their toes. If they can’t manage that kind of pressure, they will drop by the wayside. But that is the way I believe things are to be done. We always have youngsters who come up to challenge those who are already established, and I hope that will always be the case. You try your best not to pick favourites and ensure that everyone understands it’s a performance thing.” – MVP head coach, Stephen Francis, assessing the rivalry between his firebird sprinters Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson, who are both competing at the Rio Olympics this summer “I do believe that a lot of work has gone into the operational apparatus in various countries. There are gaps in terms of the resources and the coordination of a joint government approach, which needs to be strengthened. The fact that we have a lot of coastal communities across the Caribbean is going to put a lot of pressure on the ability of the existing resources to be able to deal with the demands that can be generated beyond the scale and scope of a category one hurricane or tropical storm.” – Ronald Jackson, Executive Director of the Caribbean Development Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), on strengthening emergency services across the region through increased investments “I am extremely pleased with and surprised by the amount of work that our Brazilian friends have put into the Games. They have now become the benchmark for what other developing countries can do. Expectations are always high when it comes to our athletes, but we should put all this in perspective and understand that once they perform to the best of their abilities that is victory in itself.” – Maurice Wilson, technical leader of Jamaica’s squad at the Rio Olympics, anticipating a strong medal haul “Education has been, for me, a partnership exercise. No matter how much money we spend from the national budget, we will need to spend more. It is the most valuable and rewarding investment that any country or company can do. Our children deserve the best education possible and, as such, we must not compromise.” – PM Andrew Holness addressing Tuesday’s launch of the National Bakery Foundation’s Little Leaders Programme at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston Labels: Chat Bout, Elaine Thompson, Hot Topics, Maurice Wilson, People In The News, PM Andrew Holness, Pocket Rocket, Ronald Jackson, Sound Bytes, Stephen Francis, Team Jamaica REAL TALK: Junior Sunshine Girls show fighting spirit as they get into gold-medal shape PLAY MAKERS: Both Jamaica and England are preparing for next year's keenly anticipated World Youth Cup in Botswana, Africa. Those junior Sunshine Girls have real fight in them. On Tuesday night, the players demonstrated this vividly as they rallied to defeat the visiting English U-19s (here for a five-test series), 43-35, at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston. It was a match-up as entertaining as it was intensely contested, as both teams engaged in a fierce battle to the final whistle. In the end, the Jamaican girls pulled off the win to the satisfaction of the small but loudly cheering home crowd. England had won the opening game, on Monday, 47-43. As the road to the 2017 World Youth Cup in Botswana heats up, the performance is clear indication that our girls are putting in the work to come away from the tournament with favourable results. But Jamaica’s track record at the Under-21 level internationally has been largely mixed over the years, and we are currently fourth in the rankings. Can we reclaim a spot in the top three? It remains to be seen but what’s certain is that this 2016 crop of girls is a work-in-progress deserving of our unwavering support. Trailing 8-7 at the end of the first quarter, the team pulled a few tricks out of the hat to increase scoring opportunities for talented shooters Assana Williams and Simone Gordon, and brought the score to 17-17 at half-time. More accurate shooting and consistent hard work in midcourt paid off for the Jamaicans who enjoyed leads of 26-20, 28-21, 30-23 – and 32-24 at the end of the third stanza. England fought back valiantly, trying to take the lead (reducing the deficit to 39-34 at one point), but the Jamaican defenders rose to the challenge, forcing multiple turnovers from the visitors. And despite a few intermittent hiccups, the team held on to secure the well-deserved 43-35 win. Conrad Parkes, who has had remarkable success with the UWI Mona Pelicans squad, is the man tasked with getting the team ready for the Botswana tournament. According to Parkes, they still have a lot of ground to cover. “We will have to work on our spatial movements and off-the-ball movements and maintaining possession of the ball. In the game on Monday we never held possession as well as we did today,” he told TALLAWAH in a post-match interview. “We made the adjustments and the tables turned in our favour.” But you win some and you lose some. On Thursday, the English girls made it clear that they’re not surrendering so easily, eking out a 42-39 win to take the third test and the series lead 2-1. But this is precisely the kind of spirited challenge that Jamaica’s young Sunshine Girls need to keep them on their toes, as they work on the weak areas and get in firm gold-medal shape for Botswana. > The five-test netball series continues this Friday and Saturday at the National Indoor Sports Centre. Labels: Commentary, Netball Jamaica, Real Talk, Sunshine Girls, Talking Sports BOOK OF THE MOMENT: Nicole Dennis-Benn’s Here Comes the Sun hailed as an artful, award-worthy debut JUST ADD WATER: Here comes a juicy pageturner from a buzzworthy new Jamaican author, pictured below. A year after Marlon James’ A Brief History of Seven Killings rocked the literary world, wowing critics and gracing multiple bestseller and Top 10 lists, another Jamaica-set novel is making major noise abroad. Released just in time for the summer, Here Comes the Sun (LiveRight) by newcomer Nicole Dennis-Benn – a Jamaican-born writer now living in Brooklyn – is already one of the BBC’s “10 New Beach Reads to Devour” and a New York Times “Cool Reads for Hot Days” pick. According to reviews, the novel delivers an equally heartfelt and provocative story that honestly earns the lavish critical praise. In other words, it more than lives up to the hype. Largely set in the fictitious village of River Bank, it’s the story of Margot, who works at a swanky, tourist-friendly resort in the bustling, tourist-friendly mecca of Montego Bay, sending her younger sister Thandi to school. Sadly, theirs is also a reality in which sexuality is often traded in the name of survival. But butter mus’ come. So when plans for the construction of a new hotel is the talk of the village, Margot sees not only an opportunity for her own financial independence but the chance to finally admit a shocking secret. At the height of Dennis-Benn’s “vibrant, passionate” narrative arc emerge long-hidden scars and a voice that compellingly captures “the rhythms of Jamaican life and dialect.” One reviewer goes so far as to declare that the first-time novelist has penned “a tender hymn to a world hidden among pristine beaches and the wide expanse of turquoise seas.” The New York Times hails Here Comes the Sun as a “lithe and artfully plotted debut,” while the Miami Herald says it offers “an excellent reason to look beyond the surface beauty of paradise” and is written with “eloquent prose and unsentimental clarity….. as bracing as a cold shower on a hot summer day.” Meanwhile, Backpage says Dennis-Benn’s writing duly earns comparisons to Haitian heroine Edwidge Danticat (Untwine; Breath, Eyes, Memory), while Marie Claire predicts that Here Comes the Sun will “likely be a buzzword in all the upcoming literary competitions.” Labels: Author Spotlight, Book News, Book of the Moment, Buzz on Books, Nicole Dennis-Benn STAR TALK: What have you been reading this summer?... 50-SECOND FILM REVIEW: ‘High Water’ tackles crime ... THE EYES HAVE IT: Blind Spot delivers an uneven bu... ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Neisha Yen-Jones finds the perfe... NEWS FEED: Why teachers migrate + Tuning the Summe... STRENGTH, COURAGE & WISDOM: Women Who Roar yields ... UP RISING: Actor Ackeem Poyser shines in roles tha... MAN OF THE MOMENT: A milestone birthday, 3 new gol... NEWS FEED: The CXC Maths problem + Elaine’s world-... COUNTRY STRONG: New St. Andrew Custos, Dr. Patrici... ‘RIO’ MOMENTS: Team Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson, Usa... GAMES PEOPLE PLAY: Tulloch’s 3some is a spicy, bet... THE BEST OF HIS LOVE: David Tulloch shares the ins... BEAUTY OF THE WEEK: St. Mary’s Monique Robb relish... CHAT ’BOUT: Stephen Francis on the Fraser-Pryce/Th... REAL TALK: Junior Sunshine Girls show fighting spi... BOOK OF THE MOMENT: Nicole Dennis-Benn’s Here Come... GIRL OF THE MOMENT: 2016 Festival Queen Kyesha Ran... ON THE SCENE: Highlights from Festival Queen final... LIFE OF THE PARTY: World Reggae Dance Champs clima... RAISING THE BAR: Avant Academy steps up the pace w... 5 MINUTES WITH: Deejay Bling Dawg keeps his vision... ARE THE KIDS ALRIGHT?: PM Andrew Holness urges Jam... HOW SHE MOVES: Dancing queen Kimiko Miller on arti... CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK: Louis Marriott’s final bow + ‘R... ON THE GRID: Suspenseful Jason Bourne takes you on... BODY OF WORK: TALLAWAH’s 10 Fittest Women of 2016 HEAD OF THE CLASS: Shebada Goes to School has snap... A MEMORABLE YEAR: Cultural ambassador, businesswom... MAN ON A MISSION: Pastor Dwight Fletcher fuses pow... WORKS OF ART: For 54th season, NDTC turns modern a... GOSPEL SPOTLIGHT: Singer Marsha Jarrett ‘sends up ...	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2251
__label__wiki	0.66942	0.66942	Volimania.org Watch The Codes On Swatchseries Org #links# The Umbrella Academy - watch tv series with matching subtitles. watch series Arrow Season One episode 9 watchseries free online 123movies and gomovies video stream At. watch series Billions Season Two episode 7 watchseries free online 123movies and gomovies video stream At. The following year, Keeping Up with the Kardashians was picked up for a third season. In April 2012, E! signed a three-year deal with the Kardashian family that kept the series airing through seasons seven, eight and nine. Keeping up with the Kardashians was later renewed for a tenth season which premiered on March 15, 2015. Motion Empire is a simple site that you could use to view series. It works similarly to the first two sites. You start of by searching for your series and then proceed to select your episodes. The advantage of this series is that a description is provided for each episode, so you could just continue from where you left of the night before. After losing their mother to a supernatural force, the brothers were raised by their father as soldiers who track mysterious and demonic creatures. Violent memories and relationship-threatening secrets add additional burdens on Sam and Dean as they investigate all things that go bump in the night. Watch TV shows online. Stream live TV series and enjoy over 300 Box Sets on demand without a contract. Start your 14 Day NOW TV Free Trial today. The series follows two hunters-for-hire Lian-Chu and Gwizdo, as they travel through medieval world of floating land masses terrorized by "dragons" to protect humanity from extinction. The search machine will curate all the possible links where you can watch series online for free or by opting for a paid plan. 15. Watch all popular TV series online ordered from A to Z. Just check TV shows section and there it is your free source of TV shows and movies.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2252
__label__wiki	0.886911	0.886911	A University API Phil Windley // Thu Sep 18 09:52:00 2014 // api byu rest university BYU is designing an API that reflects the true business processes of the university and its fundamental resources. This post describes why and how we're doing that. BYU has been in the API and Web Services game for a long time. Kelly Flanagan, BYU's CIO, started promoting the idea to his team almost 10 years ago. The result? BYU has over 900 services in its Web Services registry. Some are small and some are big, but almost everything has a Web service of some kind. Of course, this is both good news and bad news. Having services for everything is great. But a lot of them are quite tightly coupled to the underlying backend system that gives rise to them. On top of that, the same entity, say a student, will have different identifiers depending on which service you use. A developer writing an application that touches students will have to deal with multiple URL formats, identifiers, data formats, and error messages. We're aiming to fix that by designing and implementing a University API. The idea is simple: identify the fundamental resources that make up the business of the university and design a single, consistent API around them. A facade layer will sit between the University API and the underlying systems to do the translation and deal with format, identifier, and other issues. The name "API" reflects an important shift in how we view providing services. When you're providing a service, it's easy to fall into the trap of collecting an ad hoc mish-mash of service endpoints and thinking you're done. The "I" in API is for "interface." When you're providing an interface to the university, not just a collection of services, your mindset shifts. Specifically, in designing the University API we're aiming for something with the following properties: Business-oriented—the API should be understandable to people who understand how a university works without having to understand anything about the underlying implementation. Many more people know how a university works than could ever know about the underlying implementation. An API based on resources familiar to anyone who understands a University makes the API useful even to non-programers. Consistent—a developer should see a consistent pattern in URL formats, identifiers, data formats, and error messages. Consistency allows developers to anticipate how the API will work, even when they're working with a new resource. Completeness—over time the University API ought to be an interface to every thing at the University that works via software (which is to say everything). Obvious—using the API should be obvious to anyone who understands the general principles without needing to rely excessively on documentation. Discoverable—a program should be able to discover allowed state transitions, query parameters, and so on to the extent possible. Long-lived—An API is like a programming language in that it is a notation, not a technology. The goal is to create something that is not only intuitive, but stands the test of time. Designing for long-term use is more difficult than designing for short-term efficiency The fundamental business of the university doesn't change rapidly. BYU has had students, classes, and instructors for 140 years. Likely, instructors will still be teaching classes to students in 20 years. The API to a university ought to reflect that stability. This doesn't mean it won't change, but ideally the University API will evolve over a period of decades in the same way a language does. Perl 5 is quite different and much more useful than Perl 2, for example, but it's still Perl. This gives the University API an importance that an ad hoc collection of services would be hard pressed to meet. Building a University API has multiple advantages: First, and most obviously, making the API consistent and understandable will make it easier for developers to use it in building applications. This includes developers in the Office of Information Technology, BYU's central IT department, as well as developers in other units around campus. Further, there's no reason that students and others shouldn't be able to use the APIs, where authorized (see below), to create new services and GUIs on top of the standard university systems. The University API is the heart of a great university developer program. Beyond making it easy for developers, a consistent University API eases the pain of changing out underlying systems by introducing a layer of indirection. Once a University API is in place, underlying parts of the system can be changed out and the facade layer adjusted so that the API presented to developers doesn't change, or, more likely, only changes in response to new features. A third advantage of the University API is that it provides a single place to apply authorization policies. This is a huge advantage because it allows us to apply formal, specified policy parametrically to the API rather than doing it ad hoc. This results in more consistent and accurate data protection. Finally, a University API serves as a definition for the business of the University that befits the reality that more and more of the university's business is controlled and mediated via software systems. By designing a notation and semantics that matches what people believe the University to be, we document how the University's business is conducted. How do you get started on such a monumental undertaking? We've created a University API team that is busy discussing, designing, and mocking-up APIs for a small set of interrelated, core resources. We hope to have mock-docs for review in the next few weeks. For now, we're focused on the following set: /students /instructors /courses /classes /locations Others that will eventually need to be considered include /colleges, /departments, /programs, and so on. There could easily be dozens of top-level resources in a university, but that's much more manageable than 900. And when they're logical and consistent that's especially true. For now we've identified five resources that form the core of the API and touch on activities that the university cares about most. As you'd expect a GET on any of these resources returns a collection of all the members of that resources. GET /students Obviously some of these collections could be very large, so they will usually be filtered and paginated. Take /students for example. By rights, this resource should include not only all the current full-time students, but part-time students, independent study students, and so on—easily tens of thousands of records. Being able to filter this list so that it's the collection of students you want (e.g. all full-time students in the College of Engineering) will be critical. Performing a GET on a resource with an identifier in the path returns the record for that identifier. GET /students/:id Again, the result could be very large. In theory, a student record contains everything the university knows about the student. In his white paper on University APIs, Kin Lane listed 11 types of data that might be in a student resource without even getting to things like transcripts, grades, applications, and so on. There are dozens of sub-resources inside a resource as complicated as /students. In practice, most programmers don't want (and aren't authorized to get) all the data about a particular student. We're attacking this problem by creating useful field sets for the most popular data for any given resource. We're also dealing with issues such as the following: What are the meta values for the API (e.g. what values are appropriate for a given field) and how should we represent them in the API? How do we handle sub-resources? For example, a class has set of values for prerequisites that is a complex record in it's own right. But prerequisites doesn't deserve to be a top-level resource because it's only meaningful in the context of a course. Many of the identifiers for a resource (like a class) are aggregate identifiers. In the case of a course the identifier is made from the term, department, course number, and section. What is the right boundary between workflow and user interface. For example, when a student drops the class and that has cascading consequences, should the client or server be responsible for ensuring the student understands those consequences? How deep do we go when returning a resource? For example, when we get a class enrollment, do we return links to the student records or the data about the students? If the latter, what does that communicate to developers about what can and can't be updated in the record? There are new issues that come up all the time. We're still thinking, designing, and planning, so if you have suggestions, we'd love to hear them. The effort has been fun and we're anxious to make at least part of this design exercise real. Watch for projects that tackle parts of this enterprise over the coming months. The University of API by Kin Lane Web API Design: Crafting Interfaces that Developers Love from Apigee. You'll need to sign up to get it. RESTful API Design by Geert Jansen Understanding HATEOAS from Spring How to GET a Cup of Coffee by Jim Webber, Savas Parastatidis & Ian Robinson	cc/2019-30/en_head_0015.json.gz/line2253

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